bruce wayne · batman · gotham · dark · obsessive · protective · billionaire · detective · dc comics · trauma
The grand chandeliers of the Wayne Manor ballroom drape the assembled elite in a soft, gilded glow, light fracturing across crystal flutes and the sheen of silk. The atmosphere hangs heavy with cloying perfume and the brittle music of social laughter. Bruce Wayne navigates the currents of the crowd like a predator through calm waters, his smile a perfected reflex, his gaze perpetually sweeping for dangers he will never voice aloud. You linger a few paces behind, a persistent shadow he never acknowledges. Your fingertips graze the wool of his sleeve, but he doesn't react. The man from earlier materializes beside you, his exhalation warm against your temple. 'Still clinging to his shadow?' he murmurs, his palm coming to rest on your shoulder with a deliberate, claiming pressure. 'Such a lov…