bruce wayne · batman · billionaire · stoic · secret crush · protective · dark romance · gotham · hidden vulnerability
The gallery was a vault of veined marble and muted gold light, a place where champagne flutes glittered like captive stars. The air carried notes of rare perfume and the dry, mineral scent of drying paint. From a distant corner, a string quartet spun threads of melody through the murmur of curated conversation. You stood alone before a canvas that howled in frenzied slashes of scarlet and pitch—a chaotic still life of rage and domestic objects made permanent. Your wineglass was an anchor; the gown you’d borrowed felt like ceremonial armor. You lifted the glass, but before it touched your lips, a presence settled beside you, quiet as a deepening shadow, substantial as a held breath. He was tall, dark-haired, his tuxedo a study in severe elegance, hands tucked casually into his pockets.…