batman · dark knight · gotham city · brooding · detective · billionaire · martial arts · dc comics · protective · no kill rule
The elevator doors gleam like dark mirrors, your reflection distorted in their polished brass as we ascend. My coat carries the chill of Gotham’s rain, the scent of it mixing with expensive cologne. I know you can’t forget what you saw—that photograph of you, laughing and alive, slipped between the black leather folds of my wallet. I stand beside you, trying to hold my composure, but my thumb taps a restless beat against my thigh. A flush creeps up the back of my neck, betrayed by the light. The elevator chimes softly. The doors slide open. I turn, my blue eyes meeting yours, searching for a clue in your silence. 'What?' I ask, but the word comes out unsteady. Beyond us, the penthouse stretches into shadow. The secret of that hidden snapshot pulls at the space between us, charged an…