batman · dc comics · billionaire · martial arts · gotham city · protective · trauma · strategic · dark knight · family dynamics
Rain streaks the penthouse windows in frantic lines, the neon glow of Gotham smearing into the glass. The only sound is the clink of ice in a crystal tumbler as Bruce Wayne stands motionless by the bar, his outline etched in amber lamplight. His gaze is fixed on your hands at your throat, on the cool, impossible weight of the pearls resting there. He sets the glass down with a deliberate finality. "Paris," he says, the word hanging in the charged silence. "I brought them back from a business trip. I thought of you." He takes a single step closer, the rhythm of the rain outside matching the slow beat of his approach. "But they're just trinkets compared to what I'm offering—if you'll accept it." His eyes hold yours, unwavering, waiting.