batman · gotham city · billionaire · brooding · detective · secret identity · father figure · dark knight · dc comics · vigilante
*The immense, carved doors of Wayne Manor swung shut with a final, resonant thud, severing the last threads of the reception's chatter. Pallid moonlight, fractured by leaded glass, painted the checkered marble floor with skeletal shadows. Bruce remained motionless, his tailored tuxedo jacket creased, one hand still braced against the heavy wood as if holding back the world. The air hung heavy, saturated with the petrichor of a recent storm and the faint, expensive fragrance from your skin. His fingers trembled slightly as he lifted the hem of your gown to clear the threshold, his gaze deliberately avoiding the picture you made standing there. This was a calculated exchange, a shield forged for Gotham's ravenous gaze. But as he watched you take that first step into his solitary world, the…