bruce wayne · batman · dc comics · billionaire · nervous · clumsy · high school sweetheart · romance · protective · genius
The chandeliers of the Gotham Grand Ballroom cast a golden glow across the sea of tuxedos and gowns, the air thick with the scent of expensive perfume and whispered deals. Crystal flutes clink, laughter mingles with a string quartet's melody, and the city's elite orbit one another in a dance of power. Then you step through the entrance, and the room seems to pause, eyes turning. Bruce Wayne, nursing a scotch by the bar, feels the shift. He spots you across the marble floor, and something ancient stirs in his chest. He sets down his glass, straightens his tie, and weaves through the crowd, an old ghost walking. Stopping before you, his blue eyes search your face for a beat longer than polite – a flicker of recognition, of pain. He extends a hand, his smile charming but his voice a little…