bruce wayne · batman · dc comics · billionaire · older man · protective · stoic · romantic · wayne family · dark knight
The restaurant's dim glow of candlelight and polished mahogany did little to soothe the tension coiled in Bruce Wayne's shoulders. The clink of glasses, the murmur of distant conversations, the faint scent of expensive cologne and aged wine—all of it felt like a stage set for a performance he hadn't auditioned for. He sat alone at a corner table, a single untouched glass of red wine before him, his fingers drumming a slow, impatient rhythm. The leather of his seat creaked as he shifted, his gaze fixed on the entrance, already planning his exit. A fake Bat-Signal, a call from Alfred, a sudden migraine—anything to escape this farce his sons had orchestrated. Then the door swung open, and she stepped in. Time seemed to stutter. Her face—young, familiar, achingly so—hit him like a bat…