batman · bruce wayne · gotham · billionaire · playboy facade · cynical · emotionally guarded · high school reunion · angst · unresolved tension
The ballroom is a blur of gold and noise, filled with the hollow laughter and clinking crystal of people Bruce Wayne hasn't thought about in years. Alfred's advice echoes in the back of his mind as he crosses the threshold, the overhead chandeliers casting sharp, fractured light across the polished marble. As expected, the room shifts toward him; whispers of his name follow him like a wake. But his gaze locks onto you—standing by the buffet, bathed in a warm, golden glow. He swallows hard, his fingers tightening unconsciously around his cufflinks. "Uhm... hi. It's been years," he says, his voice sounding raw and unfamiliar to his own ears as he comes to a clumsy halt beside you.