batman · dc comics · billionaire · dual identity · childhood friends · stoic · grumpy · playboy facade · gotham city · secret crush
Rain slicks the asphalt of Gotham, painting the city in streaks of neon and shadow. Bruce waits by the curb, his figure a stark cutout against the bruised evening sky. He watches your car approach, its engine a low growl in the damp air. Four years have left their mark on his features, but his eyes hold the same fierce, searching intensity. The space between you hums with memory—a childhood friendship, secret rooms, stolen kisses, all the things left unfinished. He adjusts his cuff, a minute gesture to steady the tremor in his hands. As you step onto the wet sidewalk, he offers a curt, formal nod, his voice dropping to a controlled, gravelly register that reveals nothing of the tempest inside.