Caffeine Withdrawal | T. Drake ✔

[34] No Longer A Secret

He was as usual standing by the balcony but his face was turned away from her, gloved hands gripping the rails and head dropping low. His bo staff was missing too since it had gotten extremely damaged in the fight he had just escaped from.

Isadora had noticed the slight peculiarity of the situation so she unlocked the grill pushing it aside. He had stiffened hearing the sound but did not turn around to face her.

"Hey, flask drowned in the sewer again?" She remarked lightly though the slight frown on her face depicted that she could sense something was wrong, "and looks like you dropped your staff in a manhole as well."

"I... I don't have the flask right now but if you could give me something to take coffee in, that would be great. I promise I'll return it."

"Or you could stay here and finish it instead of carrying it with you and getting it cold," she suggested.

"Right..."

She edged closer and gently placed her hand on his shoulder which took him by surprise and he quickly retreated further away from her. "Red Robin, is there something wrong with you?"

"No, not at all... It's just... You are not that comfortable around me so I was just surprised that you shifted the grill and you know," the words were pouring from him in a frantic incoherent rush, as if he was desperately attempting to hide something, "my caffeine rate is going in negatives, Isadora. I would appreciate if I can get the coffee first, apologies for sounding rude."

Her brow furrowed in concern, "you can come inside, it's chilly out here."

"I'm used to it."

"Would you at least look at me while talking, it's weirding me out and I am low key worried right now."

"Well, your suddenly informal behavior is weirding me out too. I thought we were still on the stranger note," he replied immediately but kept his face turned away. The fact was that he was injured but didn't want her to see that lest she would get even more worried.

The cowl stopped at his nose and didn't cover the rest of his mouth so his opponent had gone for that tiny venerable point and hit him hard on the jaw such that he was bleeding and he had his doubts that a bone or two might have been dislocated as well.

"You are not getting any coffee until I am sure that it is you and not some other guy faking your voice," she spoke cautiously, "so look at me when I'm talking to you."

"If it was some other guy, you wouldn't be just talking right now."

"Red Robin I swear..."

He had fitted his palm over his mouth, turning around at last, "what?"

Her brown eyes widened taking in his battered condition, "holy shit... Someone threw you like a Frisbee again?"

"More of used me as a punching bag..."

"Come inside," her hand had fastened on to his wrist dragging him in despite his refusals, "and is your jaw dislocated? And you were fricking talking the entire time? Good heavens, you're insane!"

He chose not to reply but followed her down to the kitchen because he did not have any other option due to her fingers that were still closed tightly on to his wrist.

"Let me fetch you some paper towels, that must stop the bleeding..."

She had made him sit down on a chair and was searching the cabinets for the first aid supplies. Fetching some paper towels, she also took out the small medical kit Alex had kept for emergency use. It contained a few bandages, antiseptics and a stash of painkillers.