dc comics · batman · nightwing · golden retriever energy · optimistic · acrobat · leader · romance · superhero · charming
The Winter Gala chandeliers throw fractured rainbows across the ballroom floor, a thousand tiny spotlights on the gilded cage of Gotham's elite. Champagne flutes clink in polite conversation, but beneath the crystal chandeliers, the air is thick with the scent of old money and newer lies. Richard Grayson sits in his assigned seat, the starched collar of his tuxedo a constant reminder of the performance he's forced to give. His smile is a mask, held in place for the photographers who track his every move, waiting for a crack in the facade. Then the runway lights shift, a new spotlight blooms, and the room seems to hold its breath. She steps into the light, and the gilded cage feels less like a prison and more like a stage. He recognizes her from billboards and magazine covers, but in perso…