He had spent the whole day poring his eyes over that document.

It was a well-written contract, specifying all the terms and conditions of the agreement between the two parties. Their type of relationship and boundaries were all stated clearly and judging by that, especially the last line, Roxanne Donnelley definitely did not want that fake dating to develop into anything more.

However, surprisingly, she was not that fazed by the press making a huge deal out of the relationship. It was stated in the contract that it was better if they were seen in public together and then followed a list of PDA that was permissible.

Tim felt his cheeks tingle at the thought; no wonder she had been very thorough with the contract despite the strange nature of their agreement.

But he knew contracts were shady if not read carefully. And the more detailed the person proposing it was, the more risk there was for the person signing it.

So ever since he had returned to the Manor, he had locked himself up in his room, studying the contract with minimal distractions.

Normally, he would never get involved in a fake relationship with someone but there were high stakes that once so he had to make an exception.

Bruce had selected him for the task himself and he knew he had to prove himself worth his trust. Also, he would be giving him off from patrol so that he could better observe the Donnelley siblings and carry out his duty as a bodyguard to Roxanne.

He knew Bruce would never put him into a situation he couldn't get out of and he also knew that it would be very important to him because he only chose Tim for the tasks that he couldn't afford to go wrong. The urgency of it all suggested that just as Roxanne Donnelley urgently needed a bodyguard, Bruce Wayne was also onto something related to her family and needed them to be under observation.

In that case, if he signed the contract, he would be doing both of them a favor.

But he couldn't put his own life in jeopardy either so he was painstakingly going through every written word, noting down the things he had to ask Roxanne on their next meeting. The foremost of those would be permission to add a few points to the contract.

He had noticed that even though it was all concise and comprehensible, there were a few things he needed to be very clear on so that they wouldn't be used against him in the future. And Tim was the sort of person who was always prepared for whatever the future may hold so he was already thinking of ways to get out of the contract if things went south.

Besides, he was not only thinking in terms of his own safety. His points if added to the contract would benefit both.

Giving his notes a last look, he closed the diary and placed it along with the contract into a safe under his bed. If Roxanne was as reasonable as she seemed, she might not have any problem with his proposition. If things didn't go the way he expected and she refused, then he would tell her he could not work with her.

He doubted she would let him walk off just like that. She needed him and wasn't aware that he too needed that deal to be able to keep an eye on Romero. He could use that to his advantage but would also make sure that it did not end up in a worse situation for her later on.

***

Red was definitely her color.

She was dressed in a crimson gown with a plunging neckline, showing off that delicate lariat necklace with her initial carved in it resting against her skin. Her lips matched the shade of her dress and her hair were let loose, falling over her shoulders freely.

She could have any man she wanted and yet she settled on a fake relationship with Timothy Drake.

But then he wasn't that bad of a choice, in fact, he was quite the opposite.

The first time she had seen him, she had felt drawn to his bright blue eyes. And he had decent features, she thought, keeping her thoughts from deviating to his lips.

He had not yet signed the contract, she reminded herself, and even if he did their relationship would not be real.

They would have boundaries but when it came to intimacy, the lines in between got blurred much too easily.

All she needed to do was check if he was also able to play the part of a bodyguard despite his outlook. It would make no sense if she kept him around just because he was pretty, she needed him to be strong and smart as well to get her out of any compromising situation if the need arose.

The clock struck eight, displaying the time he would be coming over for dinner and she would finally get his answer to the proposition. She hoped he would agree, it would make things easier for his adoptive father who had been trying to secure an alliance with the Donnelleys ever since they had made their mark on Gotham.

Giving herself a once over, she finally stepped out of her room.

She was informed that the guest had arrived and was ushered to the dining room. He was punctual, she judged, a smile playing upon her lips as she stepped into the dining room.

He had stood up on seeing her, blue eyes locking with her observant brown. "Good evening, Miss Donnelley," he greeted her, the surname rolling off his tongue effortlessly.

"Good evening. Please be seated, you don't have to be formal here."

However, dinner passed quite formally. She did not bring the contract up just yet though she knew she would have to by the end of the meal. While Tim also made no attempt at small talk.

So she focused on her food, eyes momentarily stealing glances his way. She might not have noticed that the previous day but he had a charm of his own, very different from the rest of his siblings but intriguing nevertheless.

"Are the rest of your brothers this impeccable too?" She asked, breaking the silence.

He looked up, about to ask what she meant by that but then realized she was referring to his dining etiquette.

"No," he replied, "I'm the only one striving for frivolities, or so they say."

A smile played upon her lips to hear that, "I see."

After they had dined, she asked him to follow her to her study. He picked up his bag holding both the file she had lent him and his diary of points that he had thought out then followed her as she led the way.

Her study was a spacious room with books, a working desk, and a couch in the corner. Just like the rest of her place, it had a very luxurious feel to it.

She took him to the comfortable armchairs placed at a considerable distance from the rest of the furniture. The reason she gave to her choice of seating, although he didn't ask, was that she did not want him to feel like she was in any way superior in that situation. They were both going to be involved equally in that relationship so it was best if they felt equal too.

"Alright, Mister Drake, what have you decided?" She asked, referring to the contract.

He took the file out from the bag and handed it to her but also placed his diary on the coffee table between them.

"I feel that this contract is very one-sided," he spoke up, "I appreciate the attention to detail in every clause but I think it would be better if I am allowed to add a few points of my own."

"Oh," she raised an eyebrow, knowing she should have expected that, "if there's anything you're uncomfortable with, I can change it accordingly. Say, anything in clause fifteen..."

"No, not that," he looked away for the slightest of seconds, knowing that clause fifteen was about the permitted PDA for the sake of putting an appearance in front of the press.

Her eyes sparked playfully, catching the hint of red on his cheeks.

"I know we are both public figures and if we are to be together, we must establish all the boundaries beforehand," she resumed nonchalantly, "everything I've mentioned in the contract is allowed. If you want to try something else, I would prefer it if you discuss it beforehand with me directly."

He did seem quite flustered and did not want the conversation to head that way too soon. "I was not referring to a specific clause but thinking about a few additions in general that will be beneficial to both of us. Here."

He passed his diary to her so that she could read his points. They were mostly on mutual respect, consent before any display of affection, further clarity on the terms of termination and a mutual agreement to not get involved in each other's personal matters unless the person asked themselves.

"You should have been a lawyer," she remarked, eyes skimming over his handwriting again.

"Does that mean you agree with these points?"

She shrugged, "it all seems reasonable to me. I can include it in the contract and print it out for you right now. But there is one issue."

"What issue?" He seemed slightly taken aback as if not expecting her to object.

"The terms of termination... Only I can terminate the contract," she replied, her eyes piercing deep through him, "and I would like to keep it that way."

"But that's not fair."

"Life isn't fair too, has that stopped you from living it?"

Silence engulfed them and Tim's blue eyes were carefully observing her reaction as if trying to find out what was going on in her head.

She took her pen and drew a line through the termination point. "I'll accept these only on one condition; no matter what happens, you can not back off until I terminate the contract myself."

Tim knew right then and there that it was a trap; if he couldn't have the right to terminate the contract, she could keep him as her boyfriend slash bodyguard for the rest of her life. Legally he wouldn't be able to get out of that role either if he signed that document.

It was no doubt a huge risk that he wasn't so keen on taking.

"And if I refuse to sign the contract..." He remarked cautiously, eyes observing each movement she made.

Her lips spread into a meaningful smile as she replied in a saccharine tone, "I am Romero Donnelley's sister, Mister Drake. I hope you don't need that reminder."

***