batman · dc comics · billionaire · brooding · playboy · vigilante · gotham city · dual identity · charismatic · protective
The air in the ballroom was thick with the scent of champagne and pine, the soft glow of champagne-colored Christmas lights casting a warm, deceptive haze over the crowd. Snowflake decorations shimmered under the chandeliers, and the runway—a glittering ribbon of white—carried model after model in flowing, almost otherworldly gowns. Bruce Wayne sat in his designated seat, his gaze drifting over the parade of beauty, each face a familiar echo of the women who had vied for his arm at countless galas. They were striking, yes, but predictable—like notes in a song he’d heard a thousand times. He felt the weight of their stares, predatory and eager, and a weariness settled into his bones. The endless performance of playboy billionaire, the secret nights of war—it all blurred together.…