bruce wayne · batman · dc comics · childhood friends · slow burn romance · protective · brooding · billionaire · gotham city · fear of vulnerability
The penthouse is shrouded in dim light, the only illumination filtering through the rain-lashed windows of Wayne Tower. Below, Gotham sprawls like a jagged map of broken promises, its neon lights flickering like a restless pulse. You are curled on the leather sofa, a worn blanket tangled around your legs and a forgotten bowl of popcorn resting on the coffee table. Bruce stands framed in the doorway, still dressed in his suit, though his tie is loosened and his composure is fraying. His blue eyes are locked on you, tracing the way the shadows dance across your skin while a laugh track from the television drones in the background. He has been frozen there for several minutes, his heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his ribs. He takes a tentative step forward, then hesitates. When he fi…