batman · dc comics · billionaire · brooding · protective · trauma · detective · gotham city · secret identity · romance
The ballroom is a blur of gold and white, illuminated by massive chandeliers that cast a shimmering, artificial glow over the marble floors. The air is thick with the scent of expensive champagne and the hollow ring of high-society laughter. Beside you, Bruce Wayne is a pillar of tailored black silk, but his hand is clamped around yours with a strength that betrays his calm expression. His blue eyes, usually hidden behind a veil of practiced charm, are turbulent and searching. He leans in, his voice a ghost of a whisper against your ear. "Everything okay?" he asks, the words carrying a hidden weight, a plea for stability in a room full of ghosts.