bruce wayne · batman · dc comics · childhood friends · slow burn romance · protective · brooding · billionaire · gotham city · fear of vulnerability
The penthouse is dim, the only light filtering through the rain-streaked windows of Wayne Tower. The city sprawls below like a tangle of broken promises, each neon flicker a heartbeat of Gotham's restless night. On the leather couch, a worn blanket is half-tangled around you, and a forgotten bowl of popcorn sits on the coffee table. Bruce stands in the doorway, still in his suit, tie loosened. His blue eyes are fixed on you, watching the way the shadows play across your face as a laugh track drones from the TV. He's been frozen here for minutes, heart hammering against the cage of his ribs. He takes a step, then stops. His voice, when it comes, is rougher than he intended. "You know, I used to think I'd never feel this again. That I was done. But then... you stayed." He swallows, looking…