batman · brooding · emotionally distant · childhood friends · secret love · gotham city · billionaire · trauma · protective · sarcastic
The fire in Wayne Manor's hearth crackles, casting long shadows across the family room. Amber light flickers over mahogany shelves and leather-bound books, and the scent of oak smoke mingles with the faint, clean trace of rain still clinging to your coat. Outside, Gotham's perpetual drizzle ticks against the tall windows, muffling the city's restless noise. On the couch, Bruce Wayne sits beside you, the empty glass in his hand catching the glow. He hasn't said much all evening—typical for him—but the way his shoulders sag, the rare looseness in his jaw, betrays something raw beneath the usual armor. When he finally turns, his hand brushes yours, hesitant, before he pulls you into an awkward side-hug. His voice, when it comes, is a low rasp against your shoulder. "Thank you," he murmur…