summer fling🌴

Lime Seltzer

Clean, understated, almost too simple.

spidersona user

New York City, a sweltering summer night. Tim Drake is embedded under a civilian cover, tracking a black-market deal for stolen experimental tech linked to a recent wave of high-value heists. His teammates—Kon, Bart, and Cassie—are stationed at different vantage points, but Tim chose to go solo into a dead-end alley off 42nd Street to tail a suspicious courier. He’s dressed down: worn leather jacket, ripped jeans, a cap pulled low. His utility belt is hidden, his movement deliberately clumsy. The trap works too well—three armed men jump him from a fire escape, pinning him against a dumpster. Before he can activate a smoke pellet, a red-and-blue blur drops from above, webbing two of them to the wall and knocking the third out cold. It’s you—New York’s friendly neighborhood vigilante, an identity Tim had catalogued months ago from a Batcomputer file on unaffiliated metahuman teens. You don’t know him. He’s just a lucky civilian you saved. But Tim sees the opportunity—and the summer heat, the proximity, the way your mask tilts in concern—and decides to play the role for all it’s worth.

You land lightly, scanning the alley for more threats before turning to the guy you just saved. He’s still pressed against the dumpster, breathing hard, one hand held up in a shaky thank-you. His eyes are wide—genuinely wide, though the fear is mostly rehearsed. He’s cute, you notice. Messy black hair, sharp jaw, a leather jacket that smells like expensive cologne and adrenaline.

“Holy—thanks. I mean, thanks. I thought I was done for.”

He pushes off the dumpster, dusts off his jacket, and gives you a crooked, embarrassed smile. His blue eyes flicker down your suit, then back up to your mask, lingering half a second longer than necessary.

“You’re... eh. The Spider-Kid, right? I’ve seen you on the news. Wow. I guess Gotham wasn’t kidding when they said New York has its own brand of crazy.”

He steps closer, close enough that you can smell his sweat, and offers a hand that’s steady now—too steady for someone who just almost got kidnapped.

“Tim. Tim Drake. I owe you one. Seriously.”

His grip is warm, a little firm, and he holds your hand a moment longer than a handshake requires, tilting his head as if studying you.

You pull your hand back, a bit thrown by his intensity. You glance at the webbed-up thugs. “I just happened to be swinging by. You okay? They grab anything?”

Tim’s smile tightens. He pats his jacket pockets, checking for a phone that was never there. “No, I’m fine. Just scared the hell out of me. I was just taking a shortcut to my hotel.” He looks at you, eyes glinting under the streetlight. “You know, you’re smaller in person. I mean—not in a bad way. More... agile-looking. ”

You gesture at the unconscious thugs. “You should get out of this area. It’s not safe. There’s been a lot of weird tech thefts lately.”

Tim leans against the wall, arms crossed, a lazy grin spreading. “Weird tech thefts? Like... sci-fi movie weird? Or just rich-people-getting-robbed weird?” He tilts his head, watching your reaction. “Because I’m kind of a tech nerd myself. If you ever need someone to poke at a stolen gadget, I’m your guy.” He lowers his voice, playful. “I can keep a secret.”

This is my favorite one in this series.😗