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He finally figured it out. The mystery boy that helped him get Bruce back. After a whole year searching he realized that boy was a forgotten god from millennias ago.
"I know you are here Phantom" Tim stated after finding another space themed sticker. "Infected you were here the whole time Watching me. I want to know why?"
"What a brave bird aren't you" His smoothing voice praised.
Tim looked around, but didn't see him. Which was really disappointing.
"Are you scared of me?" Tim inquired curiously.
"Even the most beautiful flowers do have there thorns. Though fear is the wrong word to describe there state of being" and there was his annoying chuckle. The same he used again and again in combination with his riddles.
"Don't beat around the bush and get straight to the point" Tim demanded while finally spotting him casually leaning against a wall of Tim's apartment.
"Why do you watch me, am I really that interesting to you?" Tim questioned sternly.
"Vacation is usually differentiated between species. Some see it as punishment other as a fleeting time of freedom" Phantom answered cryptically.
"That doesn't explain shit!" Tim exclaimed annoyed.
Phantom chuckled once more, like the little shit he is.
"And why did you literally put space stickers everywhere!?" Tim asked bewildered.
Phantom just smiled, being far to amused to give any answer.
Tim walked over towards him and just studied him for a moment. It has been a year after all since he last seen Phantom, but he didn't look a day older. His hair were still as strikingly snow white as ever and he was even wearing the same god damn suit.
"Would you like some ice?" Phantom inquired.
"You- ugh, why are you like this?" Tim complained.
He asked him that so many times that he knew the double meaning of it. Phantom was worried about his injuries. As if Tim was a god damn child. Well that wasn't so much from the truth he supposed. Since again Phantom was a deity millennias old.
"Well it's fun" Phantom smirked.
Tim gave him a blank look. Which only seems to amuse him more.
"I now know who you really are. So there is no more reason to be so cryptic" Tim declared confidently.
"Do tell"
"You are a forgotten god"
Which made Phantom burst out laughing.
Tim turned a bit red. Was he wrong??? There's a high chance he will never know. Which was truly infuriating.
"You should go to rest" Phantom comment.
Tim narrows his eyes at Phantom. "I want to know if you can even sleep. I never seen you sleep before"
"Curious as ever even in your dreams" Phantom stated smugly.
"You didn't-" Tim's eyes widened. He couldn't have could he?
"Rest is important Tim" Phantom scolded him.
"How do I know you aren't invading my dreams?" Tim questioned shamefully.
Phantom pets his head again after so long. It was a bit strange since he was bigger than Phantom, but it felt oddly natural and reassuring.
"Birds shouldn't worry about such things. Dreams come and go. They are a part of Nature. Even birds like you need to Dream" Phantom comforted.
Tim strangely missed this, Phantom's safety and reassurance. Phantom somehow made it sound as if he deserved this without ever saying so. At first he tried to disprove it, but there was never a reason to. Phantom was a stranger. A stranger that he couldn't expect anything from and somehow that included back handed tricks. He was always this blank reassurance.
He knew Phantom wasn't truly good. He was more like a drifting leaf. That liked to annoy the shit out of anyone he meets. It went even so far that Tim suspected him to be some kind of time villain. Otherwise his actions didn't make much sense.
But after the whole time stream ordeal there were just to many spaces stickers to ignore the mystery at hand. Yes, Tim still does other cases and his CEO of Wayne Enterprise job, but that just reminded him so many god damn times of Phantom.
Tim yawned and leaned into Phantom's touch. Slowly being pulled into sleepiness by his all encompassing safety.
"Will you at least still be there if I wake up?" Tim questioned sleepily leaning into Phantom's side.
Phantom grinned. "Your family will be in chaos, if-"
Tim held a finger on top of his lips making him pause speaking.
This time Tim chuckled. "You know I tricked you. I never knew you were always watching me"
"But you like it" Phantom stated smugly. Which he wasn't wrong per say. Tim himself was a stalker once after all.
"Your God damn stickers were annoying" Tim pouted.
"Space is vast and beautiful" Phantom smiled happily.
Tim rolled his eyes and started to drag him to his bedroom. Phantom didn't protest, but he somehow had another sticker. Which he put on Tim's forehead. Tim touched it bewildered.
"Did you just put one of your space stickers on me?" Tim inquired dumbfounded.
Phantom smirked proudly "This one has three planets on it"
Tim chuckles amused while shaking his head. Before placing Phantom in his bed and joining him in it.
"This time you will definitely fall asleep first!" Tim declared determinedly.
"We will see" Phantom mused.
At the end Tim was wrong, he fell asleep first.