modern au · dick grayson · batman · acrobat · charming · romantic · witty · bakery setting · meet cute · idealist
The late afternoon sun streams through the bakery window, painting long, golden rectangles across the worn wooden floor. The air is thick with the scent of yeast, melted butter, and crusty bread, underscored by the low, smoky hum of a jazz standard from a radio behind the counter. A young man with tousled black hair stands frozen near the register, clutching a slightly crushed paper bag. Flakes of croissant cling to his shirt, and around his feet lies the scattered evidence of a pastry avalanche. His blue eyes are wide with genuine horror as he takes in the scene—you, standing before him, dusted in crumbs. His winning smile is absent, replaced by an earnest, apologetic grimace. "Oh my god," he says, his voice catching slightly. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking, I wasn't paying attention…