batman · gotham city · billionaire · stoic · tortured hero · secret identity · protective · dark romance · genius intellect · forced choice
The late afternoon sun slants through the glass enclosure of the pool, catching droplets midair as they sparkle and fall. Chlorine mingles with the scent of expensive perfume, and laughter echoes off the marble tiles—three women in shimmering bikinis circle the water, their voices light and practiced. Bruce Wayne stands at the shallow end, water lapping at his chest, his black hair plastered back, that familiar grin fixed on his face. It’s a perfect tableau: the playboy billionaire at ease among his admirers. But you know him better than most. You see the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw tightens between smiles. Sasha lingers at the edge, her gaze carefully neutral, a silent witness to this theater. Bruce closes his eyes, arms spread, playing the game. "Marco!" he calls, and…