heyyy hope ur well <3 i looooove ur writing so much itâs amazing! i had a request for bruce if thatâs ok 24 & 2 + a book i was reading gave me an idea lol so could the reader be in an unhealthy abusive toxic relationship and falls for bruce who treats her soooo well and loves her soooo much unlike who she is currently with (she could have a reason why she canât leave her partner maybe sheâs so scared) and bruce is there for her always protecting her looking out for her worrying about her spoiling her he he genuinely is in love with her and you can add all ur magic to it and all ur awesome ideas. anyway if itâs not something u think fit ur writing or u donât have enough time donât worry itâs totally ok :))))) <3 <3 have a great day xx
For the Better
âYou light up even the darkest of daysâ + âPlease donât leave meâ + Kiss on the lips x Bale!Bruce Wayne
Pairing: Bale!Bruce Wayne x Fem!Reader
Words: 22.1k words
Warnings: Abusive & toxic relationship, domestic violence, gaslighting, lying, manipulation, I'm talking really, really unhealthy relationship, angst, bruises and some blood, fluff, angst with happy ending, kissing, I literally don't know how else to tag this, but please read the warnings because this is a very fucked up relationship.
A/N: Hey everyone! This is the last entry for my 200 Followers Event. I want to thank everyone who participated and all those who showed their support. That means the world to me.
Now, oh my god. This is my magnum opus, I believe. It took me a whole week to write this. This fic is the apple of my eye, my baby, my sin, my soul, I would die for this. I think it's my best work so far. I have worked my ass off for this, I really have, and I have no words to convey just how special and dear this fic is to me.
I would also like to apologise if there are any inconsistencies - I started writing it last Monday and finished it Saturday, so it's been nearly a week and I might've forgotten small details as the days went on. I tried to proofread it!
I really hope you guys will enjoy it and cherish it as much as I did. <3
To Bruce, you were the most gorgeous woman in the entire world.
Your eyes could rival even the brightest star in the sky, the sun did not hold a candle to how radiant your smile was, and no flower could compare to your beautiful. You were simply gorgeous, inside, and out.
Unfortunately, you werenât his.
Bruce had met you during a charity event. Some wealthy couple was raising funds for the Gotham Police Department (even though Bruce did not believe half of them deserved such charity), and he had of course been invited. The couple in question could not care less about philanthropy â they were merely trying to appear that way. Thatâs Gotham, for you.
Youâd been waitressing during the event, carrying trays of hors-d'Ćuvre and champagne, smiling politely at guests and trying to do your job the best you could. Youâd walked by him twice, and although you werenât really paying attention to the guests (you were far more preoccupied with not tripping and making a scene), he couldnât take his eyes off you.
He was so mesmerised, that he found himself searching for you whenever he wasnât talking to anyone else. Sometimes when you returned to the kitchen, he saw you talking to your coworkers, smiling, and giggling about.
After a few hours of being bored to death by patrons with faux smiles and untrue compliments, he was ready to call it a night and return to the loneliness of his mansion â and thatâs when you caught his attention.
Or rather, everyoneâs attention.
Youâd bumped into someoneâs shoulder (it was actually someoneâs shoulder who had bumped into you) and spilled the tray of appetisers on top of an old man who wasnât pleased with the situation. The man, who he recognised as Charles Carnegie â a crooked businessman famous for his dabbles with illegal gambling and corruption â yelled at you, insulting you with every name in the book. The man was just about to raise his hand, no doubt to strike you across your face, when Bruce intervened, rushing between the two of you and gripping the manâs arm. Â
Charles looked up in confusion and his turbulent eyes widened in recognition.
âMr. Wayne!â he exclaimed, voice dripping with anger, âLet go of me this instant. Did you not see what happen? This foolish girl was not paying attention and spilled her tray all over me. I do not know how such incompetent staff can be hired. Someone ought to teach this insubordinate brat a lesson!â
Bruceâs hold on the manâs arm only tightened. How dare he speak to you like that? You were standing behind him, head hung low and muttering a string of apologies that were barely audible.
âMr. Carnegie, if anyone here deserves to be taught a lesson, it is you.â He said, eyes narrowing. âYour inebriation and inability to watch where youâre going is not this womanâs fault. If you cannot behave at a public function, perhaps you shouldnât think of attending. This server is not at fault, and you will apologize to her.â
The older man scoffed and tried stepping away from Bruceâs grip but failing.
âHow dare you! Mr. Wayne, this â this â this harlot bumped into me! My suit is ruined, and she has insulted my dignity. Let go of me this instant, Mr. Wayne, or else â â
âOr else what?â Bruce asked, his voice dropping to a whisper, audible only to the man standing in front of him. âWe are currently surrounded by the police our hosts were so kind to fundraise for. The entire Gotham Police Department is here, and while I know that most of them are corrupt scum like you, I am also familiar with the ones who would be more than overjoyed to throw you into jail for illegal gambling, embezzlement of funds and propositioning. I can ruin you with nothing short of three sentences, and you can bet that should you not apologize to the young woman standing behind me, I will.â
The colour drained from Charlesâs face, and he stuttered, trying to come up with a decent response. It was no secret that the Carnegies were a powerful family. But the Waynes were almost royalty, and everyone in Gotham would rather swallow their whole fist than get into their bad graces. Especially Bruce Wayneâs. Surely, a man who showed up to every social function with not only a new car but a gorgeous new woman on his arm, wasnât afraid to pull a few strings to get what he wanted â even if that meant ruining someoneâs life.
âI â I â Mr. Wayne, how dare you â â
âApologize to the young lady, or I will personally make sure all your belongings are gone by the time this godforsaken party is over. Youâll be sleeping on the floor before you can threaten me or anyone else again.â
Charles stuttered a few more times, before gulping and nodding. Bruce released his arm, and the man was quick to hold his wrist, twisting it a few times. Who wouldâve known the Wayne orphan had such a death grip?
He looked up and Bruce moved out of his way to partially reveal you, yet still close enough to protect you should Charles decide to hurt you further.
âI â I amâŠâ he stumbled over his words, shaking his head. âMy apologies, Miss. My behaviour was⊠It was unacceptable. I am sorry for my lack of attention, and for bumping into you. I hope you can accept my most sincere apologies.â The words sounded scared â not necessarily genuine but scared â and they almost made Bruce smirk.
âItâs alright,â you muttered, eyes still fixated on the floor. âDonât worry about it.â
Bruce wrinkled his nose at how meek you sounded and looked around himself. The situation had turned rather awkward â people were staring in his direction and murmuring to themselves. So, he did the only thing plausible.
âLadies and gentlemen, why are we standing here, when the caviar has just been served?â he exclaimed loudly, plastering on his most charming Bruce Wayne smile, which had the guests immediately react, answering with soft chuckles of their own. âOur lovely police force should be honoured the right way â but that doesnât mean they should get all the good food for themselves!â
The crowd that had formed around you three quickly dissipated, and so did Bruceâs smile when he finally got a good look at you. You were down on your knees, picking up your tray and trying to pick up some of the appetisers to clean up your mess a bit.
âHey,â he chided softly to get your attention. âHey, please, look at me.â
When you didnât, he kneeled down next to you.
Thatâs when he saw you. Truly saw you.
Your face was puffy, eyes red and wet with tears that youâd tried your best to wipe away. You looked nervous and miserable, and all Bruce wanted to do was bring you close and make you feel better.
âSir, I â he was right,â you mumbled, shaking your head, trying your best to clean up the floor with nothing but your bare hands and the napkin you carried on your arm. âI bumped into him. You shouldnât have gone through all that trouble.â
âI saw him,â Bruce replied softly. âHe bumped into you. And even if he hadnât, it did not mean he had the right to hit you. I was not going to let him do it.â
You nodded and sighed, wiping your tears with the sleeve of your arm.
âI caused you all that trouble. Iâm really sorry. Shit, I feel terrible. I ruined that manâs suit and made such a mess⊠Nathan would mock me to hell and back if he saw me like thisâŠâ this caused the dam to break, and you wept loudly. Bruce did not really know what to do. What did one do whenever a woman was crying? Heâd had a few one-night-stands in which the women cried once they realised he wanted nothing more to do with them, but they usually left by themselves, claiming he was a âheartless jerkâ, and that was the rest of it.
He took the napkin from your hands and offered you a reassuring smile.
âIf it makes you feel better that man deserved it. Charles Carnegie is a well-known corrupt and needed a reality check. If I could, I wouldâve probably done that on purpose.â
This earned a soft chuckle from you, and you stood up, Bruce following right after.
âIâm going to call someone to take care of this.â You said, to which Bruce nodded.
âIâll come with you.â
âThereâs really no need for that, itâs okay â â
âNonsense. That old jerk might try to follow you and threaten you again. Iâm not letting you out of my sight.â
You nodded, and quickly made your way towards the kitchen, where you asked for someoneâs help. They were quick to reply, and within a few minutes, the whole place was spotless, and no one could tell anything had happened if they looked at the floor.
As soon as it was done, you turned to Bruce and offered him a small smile.
âThank you very much, Mr. Wayne. What you did back there was very kind. I donât even know how I could ever repay you.â
Bruce lifted a hand and shook his head.
âThereâs no need to repay me. Iâm just happy I could help.â
You nodded sheepishly, and extended your hand, telling him your name.
âItâs very nice to meet you.â
Bruce shook it and his hold may have lingered on yours for a tad longer than what would have been acceptable, before tasting your name on his lips.
âItâs a lovely name. Iâm Bruce. Wayne.â
âYes â I gathered. Everyone knows you,â you chuckled.
âSometimes I wish they didnât.â He confided.
âIâm not sure thatâs for the best. Being invisible has its downsides, Iâm afraid.â
You gave him his number, and the two began to talk rather quickly, even going as far as deciding to gather for ice-cream about two weeks after your initial meeting. He texted you, saying he knew of a fantastic ice-cream parlour next to his companyâs building, and invited you. Youâd agreed almost instantly, replying with a bunch of emojis â and thatâs how you found yourself next to Bruce Wayne, eating ice-cream. Youâd gotten a lemon flavoured scoop, while Bruce went for mint.
âI was surprised you wanted to meet up!â You said, beaming up at him once you had paid for your sweet treat. Or rather, after Bruce had paid for it. He insisted, telling you he couldnât possibly let a lady pay. You made him promise heâd let you pay next time, to which he replied, âWeâll seeâ.
âReally?â He replied. âWhy is that?â
âWell, youâre Bruce Wayne. Donât you have like, I donât know, a bazillion cars to drive, and a bunch of models to date, and lots of money to spend? Whyâd you invite me to ice-cream?â
âIâm spending my money on ice-cream,â he gave you a cheeky smirk.
âThatâs not what I meant.â You chuckled and ate a spoonful of the treat in your hand.
âTo be honest, my day was going terribly. I needed some fresh air, and you seemed like good company.â He was being as honest as he could. His day at Wayne Enterprises was going terribly, with a bunch of investors trying to go behind his back and steal some of his money. It had been a hassle, but thankfully all had been taken care of. He needed something to distract him from the stress.
âOh, tell me about it,â you groaned, rolling your eyes. âThe restaurant today was hellish. It was as if Satan had spawned a hundred different little devil women to make my day worse.â You told him about all the âKarensâ that had bothered you, insisting youâd gotten their order wrong, when they were simply too drunk to function (even though it was around midday), complaining about how weird their food tasted, or even going as far as telling you they did not like the decoration. It made your blood boil, but a girl needed to pay her bills, so you sucked it up.
Bruce chuckled at your descriptions of the acts youâd like to perform to those women â none of them very family friendly â and found it rather cute when you decided to deal with your frustrations by scooping a large spoonful of your lemon flavoured ice-cream. You moaned in delight once the soft food melted on your tongue and smiled.
âNathan would just freak out if he tried these,â you said, âHeâs a sucker for good ice-cream.â
Bruceâs brow quirked quizzically. Nathan? The name sounded oddly familiar coming from your lips, but he couldnât quite tell why. You seemed to notice his expression because you were quick to continue.
âMy boyfriend. Iâve mentioned him before, remember? I think I mentioned at the party too.â You hummed and ate another spoonful of ice-cream, groaning once again. âThis is good. Really good. Wow.â
âAh. Yes, your boyfriend.â Bruce nodded. Â He couldnât say he wasnât disappointed. Sure, heâd only known you for two weeks, and you had told him about Nathan early on (he simply decided to ignore that) but heâd be lying if he said the thought of more than just a friendship hadnât crossed his mind. It was only natural, and he considered himself to be an efficient man, who went for what he wanted â well, almost. Batman had made that a tad impossible, but Bruce was still figuring it out.
âMhm!â You exclaimed excitedly. âNathan and I have been dating for a few years. Weâre actually close to four!â You quickly told him how you and Nathan had met, something you surprisingly had not done before. Youâd been accompanying a friend of yours to the ER after someone had spilled a pan of burning hot oil on top of her. The Emergency Room Doctor, Nathan Smith, had taken care of her very quickly, but it was on you he had his eyes during the entire appointment. After the both of you had thanked him, and your friend had a bandaged arm, heâd stopped you in your tracks and politely asked if you would give him your number. You couldnât lie to yourself â he was handsome, with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes, and a kind smile, and you swore he couldâve been a model if he wanted to. So, you had said yes.
âAnd the rest was history,â you finished. âWeâve been together ever since.â
Bruce hummed and busied himself with taking another spoonful of mint ice cream to his lips. âI see,â he hummed. âWell, I hope everything goes well with your relationship. He sounds nice.â
âHe really is. I love him.â There were stars in your eyes, and while part of Bruce scowled, unhappy with this man he had never met before, another wanted to smile, because you did seem like a lovely girl, and he did want to see you happy.
After that day, you and Bruce became close friends.
He got to know you. You worked a job at a two Michelin star restaurant, waiting tables. Thatâs how youâd heard of the charity gala gig â word spread around that a rich couple was looking to hire some servers, and youâd applied in the hopes of making a few extra bucks.
He learned that you were a very resilient person, not at all like the way youâd appeared that day at the gala. Youâd told him you were simply having a terrible day, with a few costumers yelling in your face during your regular shift. Charles Carnegie doing the same thing at night was the straw that broke the camelâs back and seemed to break you.
He got to know all your hobbies, and the things you liked to do for fun. Learned all your favourite books, the movies you liked to watch when you were down, the snacks you liked to munch on whenever your day went sour. He learned what made you tick, and the things that inspired you. You told him about your family â the relatives you loved, those you were close with, and the ones that simply did not deserve to be in your life anymore.
Every time you disclosed some piece of information about your life, Bruce drank it all up. He wanted to know you, all of you. He listened whenever you complained to him about work, whenever you texted him with any sort of happy news, or when you called him late at night because you felt lonely. It had been so long since Bruce had someone to call his friend, and he loved every bit of it. He knew he wasnât the first person you came to whenever you wanted to talk. Part of him wished he was your first choice, but he saw the look in your eyes whenever you mentioned Nathan.
And speaking of, he even got to meet said Nathan.
A few weeks after your second meeting, the one where youâd gone out for ice-cream, Bruce decided to surprise you by having a meal at the restaurant you worked at. He asked for a table, and specifically asked for you as his server. The owner was clearly surprised; not only did he not expect Bruce Wayne of all people to have dinner at his restaurant, but he also wasn't expecting him to ask for a specific server. Especially one that seemed as insignificant as you. Bruce assured him it was vital that he had you as his server, and the man quickly relented, happy to tend to the billionaireâs every need.
âHi, welcome to La Lune d'Argent. My name is â â Before you could continue, you looked up and a grin spread across your face. âBruce! What are you doing here?â
âHaving dinner. What does it look like?â He replied with a smile.
âYou could've told me you were coming! Iâd have gotten you the best table.â
âThis one is just fine, I promise. And letting you know in advance would sort of ruin the purpose of a surprise, don't you think?â
âYou wanted to surprise me?â Heat rushed to your cheeks, and you shook your head, trying to get rid of it. Not only did you have a boyfriend, but you were also at your workplace and needed to remain professional. âThank you. Thatâs very nice.â
Bruce smiled once again, before opening the menu in front of him and eyeing it.
âWhat do you recommend?â He asked.
âWell, the Seared Scallops with Truffle Risotto are our specialty. The Lobster Thermidor is also really good, and so are the Stuffed Shrimp with Crabmeat. But if youâre not in the mood for fish, then I recommend the Chateaubriand and the Filet Mignon. The Tournedos Rossini is a costumer favourite, but Iâve tried it and donât think itâs all that.â
Bruce nodded, before going over the wine section.
âAnd the wine?â
âIt depends. If you pick any of the fish dishes, then you should go with the Chardonnay or the Prosecco. If you go for the meat, then you should most likely enjoy a glass of Cabernet or Merlot. Thereâs plenty more, but Iâm I wouldnât be of any help with those. Iâm terrible when it comes to wine.â You recited, the words spilling naturally from your lips â youâd done this a thousand times.
âThatâs okay. Well then, how about I have the Foie Gras Terrine and the Truffle Risotto Croquettes as appetisers, and for the main dish, Iâd like the Chateaubriand if possible. Iâd also like a side of salad. As for the wine, I trust the ownerâs good judgment. Cabernet it is.â He waited until you were done writing everything down and handed you the menu.
âAnything else?â You asked, taking it, and tucking it under your arm.
âIs your company too much to ask for?â He offered you a smile.
âSome of us have to actually work, Mr. Wayne,â you joked and stuck your tongue out playfully, âIâll have your appetisers here in a minute.â
Dinner went well. The food was stellar (there was after all a reason the restaurant had two Michelin stars), the wine lived up to the expectations, and your company â or rather, the small moments you managed to spare him â warmed his heart. You offered him small quips about your work, told him about the usual costumers that sat on their usual tables and had their usual meals, gossiped about those you didn't like. It felt nice, to have a good time at work. You didn't completely hate your job, no, and some days were definitely fun thanks to your coworkers or any sort of shenanigans that happened during your shifts, but it could get boring and lonely and upsetting. Bruce being there was a nice change, and a welcome one.
âWhen does your shift end?â He asked, after heâd eaten a nice slice of cheesecake for dessert.
âIn about half an hour, I believe. I have an early night today.â
âIâll wait for you then.â
âOh, you really donât have to, Bruce â â
âNonsense. Do you have a ride home?â
âIâll just take the train.â
âI'll give you a ride then.â
âBruce, thatâs seriously not necessary â â
You were interrupted by the voice of your boss, calling out your name in an accusatory tone. âDo I pay you to sit around and talk to costumers?â
You sighed and nodded towards Bruce.
âThank you. A ride home would be nice.â
He waited until you were done, paid for his meal and left you a nice tip, and then waited outside. You took a few minutes, but soon enough you were walking towards him, wrapped around in a comfortable looking jacket.
âYou ready to go?â you asked before a voice called out.
âBabe?â
You turned around, and your eyes widened before softening at the sight before them. âNate!â You smiled, making your way to him, and hugging him tightly. Nate hugged you back just as tight, but his eyes did not leave the tall man that had been by your side.
âWho is this?â He asked, discontent clear in his voice.
âOh!â You turned to face Bruce, arm linked with Nathanâs. âThis is Bruce! I told you about him, remember? Heâs my friend.â
âYou did tell me about your friend. You did not mention your friend was the Bruce Wayne.â
âWell, thatâs because heâs not the Bruce Wayne to me. Heâs just Bruce.â You smiled, and Nathan didn't seem too pleased once Bruce extended his hand.
âBruce Wayne.â He spoke. Nathan shook his hand, steel-like eyes taking the taller man in, his expensive clothes and pulled-together appearance.
âNathan Smith. So, youâre my girlâs friend, is that right?â He asked, pulling you closer by the waist. It wasn't hard to miss the jealous look in his face, and Bruce decided to ease the guyâs mind a bit, not wanting to get into any trouble. And not wanting to get you into any trouble.
âYes, thatâs right. Iâve heard a lot about you, itâs nice to finally meet you.â
âYeah? Thatâs funny because sheâs barely said a word about you.â Nathan replied, offering Bruce a tight-lipped smile, and turning to you. âI came here to surprise you. Heard you were getting an early night, wanted to give you a lift home. Maybe we can make up for lost time? I miss you.â It did not take an idiot to see what the hell he was getting at, and it made your duck your head slightly, clearly embarrassed.
âThatâs very kind of you, thank you. I loved the surprise.â You faced Bruce once again and offered him an apologetic smile. âNate will take me home, if thatâs fine by you.â
âFine by him? What's this got to do with him?â Your boyfriend asked, chuckling dryly, and giving you a not so amused look.
âBruce had offered to take me home. It was kind of him, so I said yes.â
âYes, yes, very kind.â Nathan turned to Bruce too. âAs you can see, your help is no longer needed. Iâll be taking my girlfriend home now.â He said the words with a sneer, happy to claim you as his.
âYes, well. Thank you for taking care of her.â
âOh, I do.â
You looked awkwardly in between both men and cleared your throat moving away from your boyfriend to envelop Bruce in a hug.
âThank you for the surprise. It was really nice. And thanks for the offer too. The ride back home one. Iâll see you some other day?â
âAbsolutely,â He replied and turned to leave.
As he walked away, he could hear Nathanâs voice and how accusatory it sounded.
âSurprise? What was that all about? Why was that guy visiting you at work?â
âHeâs a friend, Nate. He just wanted to stop by.â
âOh yeah? And what business does he have just stopping by? Heâs not your boyfriend. I am.â
âHeâs just a friend, Nate. I promise. Let's just go home, please? I miss you.â
Bruce was inside his car before he could properly make out whatever Nathan had replied to you, but he could tell it was nothing good.
The next time Bruce saw you, you were sitting by yourself at a coffee shop, having an iced drink and reading a book. He thought about approaching you but decided against it. You looked peaceful, and he didn't want to upset you should you not want to see him after the whole ordeal with your boyfriend went down.
But he was pleasantly surprised when he heard your voice call his name, and your hand beckoning him to come closer.
âHey! I had no idea you came to this place. Wanna sit next to me?â You asked, moving your bag out of the chair in front of you, making space for him,
âSometimes, on my lunch break. I take it today is your day off?â
âMhm! Got today all to myself. I was supposed to spend it with Nathan, but we kind of fought so I decided to get some fresh air myself. You know, just to clear my head.â You said the words âkind of foughtâ as if they meant nothing, as if fighting with your boyfriend was a daily occurrence. He didn't like that.
âIâm sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?â Bruce sat down in front of you, placing his own coffee on the table.
âNah, not really. Thatâs just who Nate is. He gets upset sometimes, and I have to put some space in between us. No big deal. What about you? What are you up to?â
âWell, like I mentioned, this was supposed to be my lunch break, but I took the afternoon off. Alfred â my butler â is supposed to come pick me up later. Itâs the anniversary of my parentsâ marriage. I want to visit their graves.â
Your eyes softened and you placed a hand on top of his. Your palm felt warm on top of his, and Bruce immediately turned his hand so he could slot his fingers in between yours.
âIâm sorry.â Was all you said. After all, what more could you? Everyone knew Bruce Wayneâs story, but you did not want to seem presumptuous and assume you knew all about him. âIâm sure theyâll appreciate it.â
âMe too,â Bruce replied quietly, his voice thick with emotion, the way it usually was whenever he mentioned his parents. He didn't speak about them to many people, but let his facade slip completely for those he did trust enough.
âIs it okay if I come with?â You asked, and immediately regretted it. Why would you ask such a thing? Why would he even allow you to attend such a private thing with him? It was dumb, really. Before you could take your words back though, he replied, eyebrow quirked.
âReally?â
You shrugged sheepishly.
âSure. It sounds tough, and I donât want you to suffer all by yourself. You tend to do that.â
It was true. Bruce often hid his feelings, his emotions, shielding them from everyone. It hadnât been that long since you two had started talking â maybe one or two months â but you could already tell he was very selective with the people he trusted. And how could he not be? You wanted to be someone he could trust, though. Wanted to be someone he could rely on, help him shoulder all his burdens.
Bruce thought it over for a bit. It would be nice to have some company. Visiting his parentsâ grave was a very personal and intimate thing, yes, but he considered you a friend, and heâd be lying if he said he didn't want your company. He was sure both his father and his mother would've liked you, would've enjoyed your sense of humour and appreciated his kindness. So why not?
âI would appreciate that,â he said, and you smiled. âWon't it be a problem with Nathan?â
âDon't worry about him. Heâs not the boss of me, and I'm not doing anything wrong.â
Thatâs how you found yourself, standing in front of the graves of Thomas and Martha Wayne, the beautiful Wayne Manor just ahead.
âIâm sure they loved each other very much,â you said, eyes not leaving the carved stones in front of you.
âThey did.â Bruce agreed with a nod. âMy father would bring my mother flowers nearly every day. She used to joke about having her own private flower shop thanks to him. He never stopped though. Heâd bring her different flowers according to her mood. Thatâs just how he was. Always looking out for her. He could tell whenever she was sad, or happy, or worried.â
âWhat an amazing husband,â you smiled, picturing the late Thomas Wayne reading his wife and choosing flowers accordingly.
âAnd my mother was just as amazing as him. She could tell when he had had a bad day at the hospital. I never could â she used to tell me she could sense it in the first few steps he took whenever he arrived home. Whenever he felt down, sheâd help Alfred make his favourite meal. He didn't have to ask, she simply did it out of the goodness of her heart, and all her love for him.â
âIt must've been incredible to be surrounded by such love. You were very lucky, Bruce. And I'm sure your parents loved you just as much as they loved each other, if not even more.â
You smiled up at him and he offered you a small smile in return. You were right. He had been lucky to have experienced such love and affection at a young age. It made him realise the kind of relationship he wanted to be with and taught him the kind of partner he should be.
He was just about to speak when your phone started chiming.
âSorry â forgot to mute it,â you mumbled, turning the sound off. It didn't do anything to quiet it down though, since it just kept vibrating in your pocket. You huffed and turned it on, brows furrowing in confusion, and then relaxing.
âItâs Nate,â you said, not looking up from the screen, âHeâs apologising for our fight. Says he was in a very bad emotional state. Poor thing⊠Heâs very self-conscious, you know. Keeps telling me heâs too lucky to have me, that I could have anyone in the world, but I settled for him. He always thinks heâs not good enough for me, that I'll leave him for someone elseâ You chuckled dryly, before continuing, âHe couldn't be farther from the truth, though. Iâm the lucky one.â You looked up and Bruce and pointed to the phone in your hand. âI should probably go. Nate wants to apologise in person, and I should probably talk to him.â
Bruce nodded and pointed to the limo standing near the street.
âAlfred will take you home.â
âThanks.â You smiled up and him and moved forward to hug him. Bruce softened immediately. You slotted perfectly against him, and he felt like a piece of a puzzle that had just found its matching half. Unfortunately, you pulled away, taking all the warmth with you.
âIâll see you some other time,â you said, walking away.
Once you were out of his view, he turned to his parents.
Perhaps someday heâd be able to love you like they loved each other.
Bruce was working when he received a text from you. It had been a few days since youâd visited his parentsâ grave with him, and you hadn't spoken face-to-face since. Youâd been texting non-stop though, telling each other about your day, sending pictures of your respective meals, or just sharing funny anecdotes or pictures you saw online that reminded you of each other. Bruce clicked on the notification with your name.
Look at this!
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Clicking on the picture, he could see your radiant face, partially hidden by a huge bouquet of roses. They did nothing to steal the shine from you though, and Bruce cringed at how they paled in comparison to your beauty. He was quick to shoot back a reply,
They look pretty. Secret admirer?
You were even quicker to reply.
Theyâre from Nate, as an apology! Isn't he the sweetest? Heâs been spoiling me rotten. I don't think I deserve it.
Bruceâs stomach twisted at the mention of your boyfriend. His fingers flew across the screen as he typed.
You deserve that, and much more.
You replied with a smiley face, and that was the end of your conversation for the day.
It was hard to get back to work after that, his thoughts plagued with you. Your nice smile, your kind words, the way you fit perfectly against the shape of his body and how tightly youâd hugged him back on the Manor grounds. He knew it was wrong to want you - you were dating someone else, and itâs not like you knew each other for a long time, but he couldn't help it.
Bruce took a deep breath, and gulped down an entire glass of water, before chastising himself and focusing on whatever task he had left to complete.
It didn't work, and Lucius found him staring at the screen of his phone for a good five minutes, before deciding his boss probably deserved a break from his somewhat incessant teasing.
After that, you met up with Bruce a few more times.
Youâd meet up sometimes for lunch or a late afternoon snack, and youâd even had breakfast together once. You chalk it up to friendly outings, and so does Bruce (although heâs sadder than you to admit that). Unfortunately, these meetings were not filled with chatter about your lives, motivations, and dreams for the future. Instead, you worried your pretty little head off thinking about Nathan, who didnât text you for hours, seemingly pushing away from you, only to give you mixed signals the next day and apologising for his behaviour. Bruce could see how draining it was, could see how you always glanced at your phone whenever the two of you were together, and how you seemed to walk on eggshells whenever Nathan called you.
Things would get harder for the two of you at night â Bruce was out patrolling the city as Batman, something he had not and would never tell you â and you sometimes you got lonely. Bruce simply told you he was busy, and you in good faith, believed him. After all, he was a busy man, running a busy company, leading a busy life. You were lucky enough he managed to spend some time with you during the week.
Bruce had become your closest friend. You loved hanging out with him. It was like he got you. He was a great listener, always providing you with great insight whenever you asked for it, or simply being a shoulder to cry on if you wanted to. He would give you solid advice, support you on (nearly) every decision and all of your hobbies, encouraging you to seek out new experiences and the things youâve always wanted to do but were never brave enough to.
One day, the two of you were meeting up for coffee. You had your legs tucked under yourself, grabbing a warm mug with both of your hands. You loved this café; loved the ambient, the fluffy pillows and couches, the vast choice of drinks. It was your own special little corner, and you were happy to bring Bruce along.
You two were in a middle of a conversation about your favourite books, before your phone buzzed. You decided to ignore it, but it just buzzed again. And again. And again. A bunch of texts messages started coming through, and as you picked up your phone, it started ringing.
âItâs Nate,â you mumbled, accepting the call, and mouthing a small âsorryâ to Bruce, who nodded.
âHey honey,â you said. Bruce could make out your boyfriendâs voice from the other side of the line, and he could tell he wasnât pleased.
âWhere the hell are you!?â he heard Nathan say, and you involuntarily flinched in your seat, frowning.
âIâm at a cafĂ©. I told you this, didnât I?â you asked.
âYeah, well, Ricky just texted me saying he saw you sitting with some other guy. What the fuck is going on?â
âAnother guy?â you mumbled, âNate, Iâm with Bruce. Weâre out for coffee, thatâs all.â
Bruce heard Nathan scoff, and his fists curled on his lap. He was just glad you couldnât see it.
âAh, of course. Fucking Bruce. Itâs always him, isnât it?â
This seemed to get you riled up.
âI asked you if you wanted to come with me, and you told me no. You said you had better things to do and hated this place,â you shook your head, brows furrowing in anger. âSo, I invited a friend. Iâm allowed to have other friends, you know.â
âYeah, sure. And it had to be a guy? You had to invite a guy out for coffee? Just the two of you?â
You curled into yourself and away from Bruce, lowering your voice.
âNate, if you cancel on me, Iâm going to invite other people. Itâs just Bruce.â
âThat guyâs trying to get into your fucking pants, and you know it, and you keep encouraging him. How does that make me feel, huh? Knowing youâre out there with some other douche who wants to jump your bones?â Bruce wanted nothing more than to seek out the asshole you were dating and beating him to a pulp. How he even dared to speak to you like that was beyond him, but he decided to say nothing. At least not yet.
âNate, I donât like it when you talk to me like this. Heâs just a friend, I told you, you have no reason to be jealous â â
âYeah sure. Donât bother coming home.â
And he hung up.
Bruce eyed you, the way your pretty eyes welled up with tears and how you quickly wiped them away, throwing your phone and belongings to the purse sitting next to you.
âI â Iâm sorry, Bruce, I â I need to go. I have to sort this out with him.â You mumbled, standing up. Bruce, however, was quicker, and stood in front of you, blocking your path.
He furrowed his brows and spoke in a low voice as not to startle you.
âHe shouldnât talk to you like this.â
âHeâs right. I know he is â I know heâs got low-self-esteem issues, heâs just worried is all. Heâs afraid to lose me, I know he is.â You said these words like a mantra, and Bruce wondered just how long youâd been repeating them to yourself. It made his heart ache. He reached out to wipe your tears, but you took a step back, shaking your head.
âIâm sorry for cutting our meeting short, Bruce,â you mumbled. âIâll see you later.â
And you were out of his sight.
âHang out?â Bruce asked, balancing his phone between his ear and his shoulder as he shaved.
âYeah!â he could hear your excited voice on the other side, and it made him smile. âItâll be just me and Nate and some more friends. I know how you are with strangers, so you donât have to come if you donât want to, but I thought itâd be nice if you were out of your house for once. You spend all those nights working, youâve gotta learn to have fun!â
It was partially true. He did spend all these nights working. Just not a very conventional job. In fact, heâd been spending the last few weeks looking into Nathan Smith. His past, his present, and making assumptions on his future. He had all eyes on this douche.
âBruce? Are you there?â you called, âLook, Iâm sorry. I know youâre not a fan of other people â â
âIâll be there.â He said curtly, blade gliding against his smooth skin. âJust text me the details and Iâll meet you there.â
âReally?â you let out a squeal of excitement and Bruce nearly cut himself with the sound. He realised then just how much he wanted you to be like that all the time. Happy. Excited.
âReally.â
âOkay â okay! Iâll let you know where and when! I canât wait to see you again! I have to go now though, my shiftâs about to start. See you soon, yes?â You hung up and Bruce chuckled to himself. He couldnât wait to see you either. He wasnât, although, very eager to see Nathan. But for your sake, heâd be on his best behaviour.
You met a few days after the phone call, at a local bar.
It was bustling with people and energy. Loud music was being played on speakers, the whole place smelled of cheap beer, and the peopleâs noise was deafening. Still, he overlooked all of that just for the sheer pleasure of hanging out with you.
âBruce!â You called out, getting up from your spot near the counter and hurrying to meet him halfway. You hugged him tightly and he once again felt like you were meant to be in his arms forever. When you pulled away, he smiled. âYou made it!â You were wearing an off-the-shoulder top and a pair of shorts decorated with small lace at the bottom. But Bruce couldnât care less about what you were wearing â you always looked radiant.
âOf course I did.â
âHere, come meet my friends!â
You dragged him to a small group of people and introduced him to everyone. He was expecting more and was glad to find it was only you plus 4 others. Nathan was still on his way, you told him.
All of you kept light conversation for a while. Bruce did not really try to keep up with your friendsâ conversations. One of them kept rubbing herself all up against him, giggling and obviously trying to get herself into his good graces. She was clearly only interested in his money, and Bruce had to excuse himself a few times just to get away.
After a few minutes, your head turned and you smiled, standing up to greet someone.
Nate.
âHey honey!â You smiled, lifting your head to kiss him on the lips. Nathan quickly scanned the table, and once his eyes fell on Bruce, he scowled, one hand coming down to grip your waist, and the other to give you a light squeeze on your ass cheek (which made Bruce cringe and want to punch this jerk to next Sunday).
âHello. Didnât know weâd be having so much company,â the doctor sneered, eyes lingering on the Wayne billionaire.
âWell, if you donât like me meeting up with friends on my own, I thought we could all meet up. Isnât it a nice solution?â you smiled, but Nate didnât seem to care about it. How dare he, Bruce thought. If you were his, he would never overlook your smile. Never. But sheâs not yours, a tiny voice whispered inside his head.
Nate then turned to you, eyeing you up and down. His eyes lingered on your exposed collarbone and shoulders, and on the shorts that adorned your pretty legs. He sneered.
âAnd what the fuck is this?â he asked with a scoff.
âHm?â
âWhat the fuck are you wearing?â
âOh! These are new!â you spun in your place, showing off your outfit. âDo you like them? I thought the lace details were super cute â â
âSo youâre wearing this out?â Nate crossed his arms, visibly upset. âSeriously? Donât you think itâs a bit too revealing?â
It wasnât, really. The top, even if it was off-the-shoulder, did not expose your cleavage too shockingly. The shorts werenât too short either, covering just the right amount of skin. And even if the clothes were too short (which they werenât), Bruce thought Nathan should just mind his fucking business.
âYou think so?â your smile was quickly replaced by a pout, and you looked down at your clothes self-consciously.
âYes, I fucking think so. I donât understand why you feel the need to dress like that, show that much skin. People might get the wrong idea.â
âWhat wrong idea? Nate, theyâre just clothes. Thereâs nothing wrong with them.â
The atmosphere had become tense. Your friends were all giving each other knowing looks but kept to themselves. Bruce didnât have the heart to simply stand there and watch though. He put an arm in between you and Nathan and spoke calmly.
âLook, I think she should be allowed to wear whatever she wants. Itâs not like sheâs naked â â
âStay the hell out of this, rich guy. I couldnât care less what you think, this is not your relationship, and she is my girlfriend.â
Bruce looked at you, but you seemed to be avoiding his gaze, eyes fixated on Nathan.
âIâm sorry. I didnât think they were that revealing when I tried them on. I just liked how they looked on me.â
âYeah, well, Iâm fucking embarrassed to be seen with you when you dress like that. Dressed like a common whore.â
That was enough for Bruce. He stepped forward, ready to send his fist flying across this jerkâs face, but your smaller hand wrapped itself around his arm.
âBruce, please,â you pleaded, looking up at him with wide eyes. âItâs okay. Heâs right. I am showing too much skin. I should dress more modestly.â
âHeâs being a jerk,â Bruce muttered, eyes urging you to let him go. âIâm not letting him speak to you like that.â
âPlease.â You sounded so meek, so small. It tugged at Bruceâs heartstrings, and he immediately lowered his arm. Heâd do anything for you, really.
âFine.â
âYeah, thatâs better.â Nathan scoffed, before grabbing you by the arm and pulling you close. âCome on. Letâs get out of here.â
Without sparing him a second glance, you were out of the bar.
âIâm telling you, Alfred, that guy is the worst. I donât understand how sheâs still with him, he treats her like shit,â Bruce muttered to himself as he paced back and forth in his bedroom.
âMaster Wayne, although I admire your compassion, I cannot help but wonder if you are sticking your nose in someone elseâs business.â Alfred replied. Heâd been watching Bruce walk holes into the floor, and although he wanted to help, the older man knew there was really nothing he could do.
âI know. I know I am but â she deserves better. She does, she deserves someone whoâll treat her right, who wonât talk to her that way, who will respect her and adore her â â
âSomeone like you, I presume.â
âYes. Exactly.â
Bruce sighed and sat on his bed, defeated.
âMaster Wayne, have you considered telling this girl the feelings youâre harbouring for her?â Alfred asked, moving closer to the bed.
âI canât. She loves him Alfred, she⊠she loves him.â He muttered again.
The butler gave Bruce a sympathetic smile, before walking away.
You loved Nathan. You didnât love him.
So why did it all feel so terribly wrong?
You walked inside Wayne Manor for the first time a few weeks later.
It was raining â pouring, even â and youâd desperately knocked on its big doors. Alfred opened them for you, and recognised you instantly, having stolen glances at Bruceâs phone whenever he looked at pictures of you.
âHi â Hi, Iâm sorry for the intrusion,â you quickly introduced yourself, tears running down your face. âIs â is Bruce here?â
Alfred gently guided you to the living room, where he told you to wait. You stood there awkwardly, picking at your fingers, and looking around, taking in the beauty of Bruceâs family home.
When Alfred returned, he brought with him a few towels, and Bruce Wayne himself. The latter was just about to leave for patrol, but upon hearing from Alfred that you were standing on his doorway, drenched from head to toe and crying, he decided to ditch his nightly duties.
âHey,â he said, hurrying towards you. It was all it took â you collapsed in his arms, tears running down your face. Bruce held you tightly and you cried, burrowing your face in his chest. Alfred simply placed the towels on top of one of the couches, and took his leave, silently going upstairs to get a robe for you. âHey, itâs okay. Iâve got you.â
Once you managed to stop crying, you looked up at him and sniffled, shaking your head.
âIâm so sorry â youâre all wet because of me now,â you told him.
Bruce shook his head and moved to hand you a towel.
âItâs okay. Just tell me whatâs wrong.â
You sighed and used the towel to dry your hair, wrapping the other one around your shoulders.
âIt⊠it was Nathan.â
Bruce looked at you, eyes narrowing.
âWhat did he do?â
âNothing! I mean â we just fought, thatâs all. But it was a really nasty fight.â You said and burst into tears again. âHe â he kept saying all I did was walk around and cheat on him! He said I didnât truly love him, that I was selfish and only thought of myself. It â itâs not true! I love him Bruce, I really do!â You buried your face on your hands, and Bruce moved to sit by your side.
Bruce held you tightly in his arms, hand stroking your back and your head. You melted in his hold, breath evening out and tears eventually subsiding.
"I just... I don't know what to do, Bruce..." You mumbled against his chest. "I really do love him, but he said all of those mean things..."
Bruce's lips pressed into a thin line as he navigated the best way to go about this conversation.
"Nathan..." He mumbled, hands running through your hair. "Does he speak to you like this a lot?"
You sniffled, stilling in his arms.
"We fight... Lately we've been fighting a lot, but... I know he loves me... He doesn't mean it. He's been under so much stress, things at the hospital are getting chaotic and I've been stressing him out..."
Bruce shook his head, his hold unconsciously tightening around you. So he took his stress out on you? Jerk.
"That's not okay. He can't speak to you like this, he doesn't have the right to." Bruce pulled away to look you in the eyes and you sniffled as his big hands wiped your tears.
"He doesn't mean any harm, you know... He's under a lot of pressure from his superiors..."
He sighed once again, and then watched from the corner of his eyes as Alfred carried in his hand a tray of warm drinks and a fluffy robe.
"Look," he said, tilting your chin to meet his gaze. "How about you change into something more comfortable, and we'll talk about it over a drink?"
You smiled and nodded, getting up and thanking Alfred, grabbing the robe so you could go change.
Once you came back, you told Bruce you did not want to talk about such sad topics any further, and simply wanted to distract yourself. Bruce was happy to oblige.
You settled in the couch side by side with a blanket covering your laps. He let you pick a movie, and you sat side by side, poking fun at whatever it was that was playing on the TV, sipping on warm beverages, and talking.
âSo youâre telling me you donât know how to make a cup of tea?â You asked, leaning back to look at Bruce with a serious expression.
âLook, I was a failure and I decided it was better not to learn instead of having Alfred annoy me about it. Heâs very serious about his tea. You should hear him yell at me.â
You chuckled and involuntarily placed your legs over Bruceâs lap under the blankets. He was quick to lay his hands on top of them, drawing patterns absentmindedly.
âYouâre impossible,â you chuckled.
âOh, so youâre all high and mighty and capable of cooking anything and everything?â He raised an eyebrow.
âEven if I wasn't very good, I'm sure I'd be able to cook more than you. I had to, you know. Living on my own and all,â you shrugged, âSome people donât have butlers doing everything for them.â
Bruce hummed. You were right. It was one of the things he admired the most about you. How unafraid you were to tell him exactly what you think, and how resilient you were, how strong-willed and stubborn. Bruce was sure heâd never met a woman as strong as you in his entire life.
âAlright, pay up.â You extended your hand.
Now you were sitting a few inches apart, a Monopoly board on the couch in front of you.
âYouâre cheating,â he huffed, counting his bills.
âNo, youâre simply not very good. Aren't you like, supposed to be a god at this or something? This is your whole life.â You popped a popcorn inside your mouth and smiled.
âUsually, lives aren't dictated by the throw of a dice,â he said, handing you two bills. âYou're ruining me here. Iâm gonna go bankrupt.â
âThen learn how to play better.â You shrugged and rolled your dice again, moving your piece accordingly. Bruce smiled. He could get used to this, spending time with you, cuddled up in his couch. That's where you were meant to be, next to him, in his arms, in his blankets. You were meant to be in his home, brightening up the place with something as small as a smile, in his life, brightening his whole existence with just a tilt of your head. It was at this moment that Bruce realised that his feelings for you ran way deeper than just a simple friendship. After all, friends didn't wish to spend eternity together. Friends didn't want to lick the popcorn salt off each otherâs lips, friends didn't want to hold each other close and whisper sweet nothings in their ear.
As the night went on, so did the activities. When you were done with board games, you switched to card games (getting your ass kicked by Bruce, who was far too good at Poker for your own liking). You changed movies about three times, simply not satisfied with the choices youâd picked earlier â not that Bruce minded. Youâd made a game out of changing movies every time the characters gave you second hand embarrassment and had plenty of fun yelling at the protagonists who slipped and stuttered and acted like bozos.
âOh, come on,â you cringed, body twitching involuntarily. âWhy is she singing Fight Song on top of a table? Do directors think this is how people behave?â
âYou stood on top of my couch and yelled. I think thatâs close to whatâs happening on the TV,â The man next to you eyed you with amusement as you scoffed and pointed an accusatory finger at him.
âThatâs different, I won Monopoly,â you said nonchalantly, âEveryone knows youâre entitled to do whatever you want once you win Monopoly.â You grabbed a pillow and threw it in his direction, but you should've known better, because Bruce simply picked it mid-air and raised it in front of his head, to hit you back. However, at the sudden movement, your eyes widened, and you quickly flinched away from him, panic spreading all over your face.
Bruce let go of the pillow, heart breaking at the sight before him. What the fuck had just happened? Did you flinch away from him?
âI â â You seemed to notice his worry and were quick to shake your head, laughing weakly. âIâm sorry.â
âAre you okay?â He asked, torn between reaching out and staying in place. He didn't want to scare you even more than he already had.
âYes! Yes, I am. Iâm sorry, I wasn't expecting you to do that. Was just trying to get away from the pillow.â
âYou scrambled away from me.â
âWell, yes, you were going to hit me with a pillow, weren't you, Bruce?â
âI would never hurt you. You know that,â he whispered, and you looked away, still trying to pretend everything was fine.
âWell, I didn't want a pillow on my face. Alright? Itâs nothing, I promise.â
He wasn't convinced in the least, and Bruce knew what it usually meant. His mind went back to Nathan, to the way he had treated you at the bar, to his behaviour towards you whenever you and Bruce were out for ice-cream or coffee. The gears were turning in his head, and you took notice of that, moving forward and holding his hands.
âHey,â you smiled, although it didn't reach your eyes, âItâs fine. I promise. Everything is okay.â
He didn't believe it. Didn't buy it. But he had to earn your trust if he wanted to do something about it, and scaring you away wasn't an option.
He attempted to smile back, and nodded, muttering a small âAlright.â
You settled back next to him, and he could feel the way your body had tensed up as soon as your arms had brushed together. He needed to calm you down. So, he spoke.
About his life, about his childhood. He told you about all the times his father would let him tag along whenever he went to work at the hospital, how fascinated he was with his occupation. Saving lives. How great was that. He told you how much his fatherâs work had inspired him. He explained to you the intricate games heâd play in his gardens, pretending to be a detective who was investigating every sort of crimes. He wanted to save lives, just like his father did.
âYou do, you know,â you mumbled, looking up from under his chin to get a good look at his beautiful face. âEven if youâre not a doctor, you still save lives. You make peopleâs lives better. All your philanthropy and charity are helping Gotham. Youâre not doing this in vain.â
He smiled. If only you knew how much his charity and philanthropy extended.
You replied with stories of your own. The things you liked to do while growing up, the games youâd make up in your room, thinking of faraway lands with castles and elves and fantasies. Youâd be a police officer one day, and a pirate the next. You told him about your childhood home, your high school, your college major. You showed him pictures of your roommates and the fun activities you did together.
It was an exchange. Youâd tell him about yourself, and he would open up to you in return. The TV was still on, and both of you were looking at it, but none was paying attention. Your conversation was much more important.
Bruce told you about his childhood, how lonely he would feel sometimes. He told you sometimes he would isolate himself, the grief of having lost his parents far too much to bear. It made your heart ache and you found yourself leaning closer, wishing to take all of his pain away.
"You don't have to suffer all on your own now, though," you said, looking up to meet his chocolate brown eyes. "I'm here now. You can count on me to help you with whatever. You can trust me, Bruce." Your hand was suddenly on his cheek, palm hot and caring, and Bruce instantly leaned into it, sure that this was where he was meant to be â in your arms, staring into your eyes, baring his soul open. The air crackled in between you â it was as if the world had shifted and finally landed in place. It felt right. Everything felt right, and your eyes briefly drifted towards his lips.
He was just about to say something when a few loud knocks could be heard on the door. Your head whipped around in panic, the sound clearly startling you (something Bruce kept in mind).
"Alfred, could you please get that?" He asked, arm wrapping itself around you in an unconsciously protective move. You relaxed in his hold just as quickly as youâd stiffened, and his heart leaped. Did you feel safe with him?
The door slid open, revealing behind it a massive bouquet of red roses. The roses moved and Bruce quickly spotted the figure who was holding them.
"Nate?" You whispered, untangling yourself from Bruce's hold and taking tentative steps towards the door. Shit.
"Babe â hey," Nathan replied, sighing with relief once he spotted you. "I'm so sorry, I â I'm such an idiot. I'm the worst."
You eyed him sceptically, something like doubt shining in your eyes.
"I shouldn't have said any of those things. The hospital has been so busy, my bosses have been giving me shit every day, and I took it out on you. I'm so sorry, will you please forgive me?"
You hugged your arms, shielding yourself. You looked back at Bruce, who was watching the situation, lips a thin line and eyes cloudy.
"I didn't like the way you spoke to me... You really hurt, Nate, did you mean all of those things?"
"No! No â fuck no, I didn't. I was an idiot. I am an idiot. Please, let me make it up to you. I don't deserve you, but if you forgive me, I'll spend the rest of my days trying to prove to you I am worthy of your love. I'm so sorry. I'll be better. I promise. Babe, you make me better."
Bruce wasn't fazed by this speech. He didn't buy a single word of what Nathan had just told you, and once again, he would not keep it to himself. This man was manipulating you, preying on your emotions and your love for him, probably even going as far as laying his hands on you, and you deserved better.
"Perhaps you should've thought of those things before you treated her like shit." He said coldly, standing up and walking towards you. You turned away from him, which had Bruce's heart clench. Why were you turning from him?
But he didn't need to give it much more thought â you were already falling for Nathan's narrative.
"You â " Nathan's grip tightened. Bruce saw the way it tightened and saw your eyes land on his fist as well. This caused him to loosen it, and give a small, dry chuckle. "Bruce. Thank you so much for taking care of her. Truly. I'm so thankful you took care of my girl when she wasn't feeling well."
You raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yes, babe, really. He's your friend, and I'm willing to get along with your friends. I'd do anything for you, you know it. Don't you?" He stuck out his hands, presenting to you the bouquet of roses in one hand, and a box of chocolates in the other. It was only now that Bruce (and apparently, you as well) realised that both items, as well as the person who was carrying them, were dripping wet.
"You came all the way out here in the rain to apologise?" You asked, stepping out towards the man standing outside the door.
"Yes. Of course. I would do this and more for you, baby. You know that, don't you? I'll do anything for you. You drive me nuts, that's it. That's all! It's only because I love you so much that I act like this. Please give me another chance. I won't waste it. I know you deserve better than me, you could literally get any guy out there, but fuck... Please, just let me prove to you that you make me a better man." He looked desperate, panicked, blue eyes widening with fear.
It was useless. You were completely entranced by the manipulative bullshit this guy was spewing.
âDo you promise not to yell at me again?â You asked, taking another step towards him, fingers softly touching the rose petals.
âYes. I do. Iâll never do it again â I promise babe. Iâll be better. I am better whenever I am with you. I know I overreacted, but itâs only because I love you. You make me crazy â I am crazy, for you.â
You looked up at him, something unsure in your eyes. You glanced back at Bruce, who furrowed his eyebrows and softly shook his head ânoâ. It wasn't a command or an order, simply some advice. This jerk didn't deserve you. You turned back to look at Nathan and took the roses he was holding from him.
âThese are really pretty,â you mumbled, inhaling their scent.
âNot as pretty as you. So, what do you say? Will you forgive me? Please? Just give me another chance.â
You seemed to ponder it, quietly analysing the roses before you. Then, a bigger smile spread across your face, and you nodded, moving towards Nathan to wrap your arms around his neck. He sighed in relief and hugged you back, burrowing his face in your hair. When his gaze caught Bruceâs, his eyes hardened. If looks could kill, Bruce would be dead and gone. Perhaps itâs a good thing he wasn't scared of this jerk.
You let go of your boyfriend and turned to Bruce, holding the bouquet tightly in your hands.
âThank you for your kindness, Bruce.â
âAre you sure about this â â
âBut this is my relationship. Weâre friends, arenât we? I need you to trust me here, okay? Itâs fine. Nathanâs apologised. Everything is okay now,â you smiled, and Bruce swore he could see something breaking behind your eyes.
âHe doesnât deserve you, he yelled and â â
âLook, I said I was sorry, alright, rich boy?â Nate interrupted, spitting the words. âMind your own business. This is my relationship, alright? I appreciate that you were here for my girl, but your help is no longer needed.â
Then, he turned, taking you away with him.
The last thing Bruce saw before Nathanâs car was out of you, was you leaning over the console to press a sweet kiss on his cheek.
He didn't like this one bit. And he was not going to rest until he was sure you were away from this guy.
He didn't see you for a while after that.
At least not directly.
During his patrols, he would stop by your apartment and watch for any signs of either you or him. But either you were extremely shy, or Nathan was very careful about not letting anyone peek into their lives, and usually closed the blinds. Bruce was sure it was the latter. He could no longer peek inside â Lucius had destroyed the system that had allowed him to spy on every citizen in Gotham, after all â and was stuck texting you and trying to pry information from you.
The only thing you told him was that everything was fine. Nathan was a gentleman, taking you out for dinner and showering you in gifts, telling you he loved you. According to you, things couldn't be better.
Your texting patterns would be sporadic. Some days, heâd spend all day chatting with you, sending pictures and things that had reminded him of you, making plans to meet up and grab a bite. Others, youâd ignore him all day, giving him one-worded replies once or twice.
âAlfred, I just donât know what to do,â he confessed once. âIâm pretty sure the bastard might be hitting her or something. The way she acts, the way he acts? Yelling at her, fighting, and then showering her with gifts and affection? It doesn't sit right with me.â
âHave you thought about reporting it to the police, sir?â
âI donât have enough evidence,â he grumbled. âShe flinched once, and they fight. That doesn't necessarily mean heâs abusive towards her. Besides, what if anyone investigates it, does not notice anything wrong, and he gets angrier? What if he takes it out on her?â Bruce placed his hands on his face and laid his arms on his knees. It was a tricky situation. If he wasn't abusive but was still a scumbag, he doubted youâd ever leave him. If he did hurt you in any physical way, he might be risking your own safety in case he reported anything.
Suddenly, his phone chimed, and he was pulled from his thoughts as your ringtone played. He picked up on the first ring.
âHello?â
You were breathing heavily but did not say anything. Bruce was starting to worry.
âHello? Is everything okay?â
âYes â yes, it is,â you quickly said, and your voice held a foreign emotion to it, something Bruce couldn't quite place. âIâm sorry, I know itâs short notice, but do you want to grab something to eat? I was supposed to meet a friend, but she cancelled on me.â
Bruce looked up towards Alfred, who nodded in acknowledgement.
âYes, sure. Of course, I'll meet you. Did you have any place in mind?â
âThereâs this sandwich place near Gotham Mall, perhaps we could go there? Iâve been meaning to try it out for a while, but⊠Well, itâs just never been a right time. Iâll text you the address if you want to.â Something was up with your voice. You didn't usually sound so unconfident, at least not with him.
âIâd appreciate that. Iâll meet you there in 20. That okay?â
âYeah, thatâs perfect. Thank you, Bruce.â There was a small tilt to your voice that Bruce paired up with a smile, and then you hung up.
20? Heâd be there in 10.
Bruce was already sitting down by a window, wearing a casual dark blue polo when you walked in. It was impossible to miss him â you found him the most handsome man in the world, with his beautifully carved jawline and his kind eyes.
What were you even saying? You have a boyfriend. Control yourself. If he knew you were even having these thoughtsâŠ
Instinctively, you wrapped your jacket tighter around you.
Once Bruce spotted you, he stood up to meet you halfway. You hugged him briefly, tensing under his touch, which he simply chalked up to awkwardness after that night. Had you felt the same he had? Was that why you were acting so strange?
âThank you for meeting me,â you sighed, sitting down. âMy friend cancelled last minute; I didnât know who else to call. I hope you donât feel like a last resort or anything â you were actually the first person I thought about.â
Bruce nodded. A waitress came over and asked you both if you would like to see the menu. You looked over at the options and a small smile was pulled from your lips. Once Bruce had picked a Caprese sandwich, you asked for a Pesto Chicken one, and a lemonade. The waitress smiled at you both (well, she smiled at Bruce), grabbed your menus (making it a show of bending over to show off her cleavage) and walked away.
Bruce, however, didnât seem to notice, seeing as his eyes were on you.
âIs everything okay?â
You looked away, before meeting his gaze. And you smiled. It was gentle, and soft, and fake. Bruce knew, because he plastered on the same smile whenever he had to attend galas full of people whose only interest were his last name and his bank account.
âYeah! Iâm just tired, I think. Havenât been sleeping well.â
Bruceâs gaze landed on your figure. You were leaning on your right arm, staring absentmindedly at the counter. You were wearing a pretty denim jacket, and a simple purple shirt underneath, as well as a pair of jeans. It wasnât a very flashy outfit, and yet he thought you looked gorgeous.
âArenât you going to take that off?â he asked, nodding towards the jacket you were wearing.
âHm?â You turned to him and blinked repeatedly. âOh â no. No need, Iâm kind of chilly. How have you been?â
Rather good at deflecting attention, you were. He decided to play along for the time being.
âIâve been good. Work has been hectic, but what else could you expect when youâre running a company,â he sighed. âIâve been worried about you, though. Youâve been ignoring me for a few days â are you sure youâre doing okay?â
âYeah, Iâm sure. Work has been hectic as well. The restaurant is going through a few renovations, and we know have more tables to wait. Itâs been a hard adjustment, but Iâm doing my best.â
âIâm sure you are,â he smiled.
After that, conversation flowed easily, as it usually did between you two. Your sandwiches arrived and you tried each otherâs comparing tastes and flavours, trying to prove to each other that your choice was superior. You told him about your new patrons at your job, an old couple who left you extremely big tips and called you âdarlingâ every time you walked by. In return, he told you about this big investor who was interested in a fundraising project to combat poverty in Gotham.
It was as nice as always, and when the bill came, he reached for it without batting an eye.
âHey â Mr, let me. You canât just pay for everything.â You chided, reaching out to grab the bill from his hands.
âNo, thatâs out of the question,â he replied, as casually as asking about the weather. âYou donât have to pay for anything when youâre with me.â
âBruce,â you whined half-jokingly, still trying to fetch the piece of paper from him. He lifted it over his head, and you huffed, leaning back once again. âYou canât pay for everything every time weâre out.â
âWhy not?â Bruce raised an eyebrow. âIâm allowed to spoil you. Arenât I?â
The word spoil had you turn your head, heat creeping up to your cheeks.
âI donât deserve to be spoiled.â
âSure you do. If anyone deserves to be spoiled, itâs you.â
You looked into his eyes for a few moments, unable to form any words. Every time you were with him, you felt your heart warm. You felt like everything was right. It was easy to talk with Bruce. To Bruce. You felt like you could tell him just about anything.
Not anything.
âHow about we go for a walk?â Bruce asked. You nodded and moved to get up.
But as you did so, the left sleeve of your jacket got stuck on your table. You pulled away, causing your whole arm to be exposed to him, a large bruise running along it. Your eyes widened and you panicked, forcefully pulling your jacket from the chair, and wrapping it around yourself again.
You heard Bruce call out your name, but you were far too focused on picking up your things and running out of the establishment, Bruce right behind you.
âHey! Hey! Come black, please! Donât go!â He wanted to scream, to yell, to reach out to you and hold you tight, but he knew doing any of those things could scare you off. He could lose you forever, and he was not going to let his anger at Nathan cloud his judgement.
You didnât want to run, though. You crossed the street and stopped right in front of a park bench, tears streaming down your face. Once Bruce caught up with you, he maintained his distance, but remained close enough should you want to come closer. He called your name. Softly. As if it was some sort of prayer, a mantra. It felt nice coming from his lips. He sounded kind. UnlikeâŠ
âWho did that to you?â he asked, exasperation in his voice. There was no point dancing around the subject.
âNo one. I tripped, and I fell, and I â â
âPlease, donât give me that crap.â His words were harsh, but his voice was soft, and everything was so confusing, all you could do was sit down on the bench in front of you and cry.
âI fell, Bruce. Iâm so clumsy, I fell during one of my shifts at the restaurant and thatâs all, I promise you.â
Bruce sat down next to you. A few inches, but still, next to you. His mind was running hot with anger. That bastard had done it, heâd actually touched you and hurt you, and Bruce was going to do everything in his power to make sure he never saw the light of the sun again. You raised your head and looked at Bruce. You thought heâd be looking at you with disgust, but there was none in his gaze. Only kindness, only softness.
âIt was an accidentâŠâ you mumbled, and he had to move closer in order to make out the words you were saying. âIt was my fault. I provoked himâŠâ
There it was.
Not his fault. Youâd provoked him.
Bruce did his best to school his features. He needed to be calm, he needed to look collected and cool. If he acted out and showed just how angry he was, he might scare you off, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. He didnât want you to associate him to Nathan, to the monster whoâd hurt you.
âCan you tell me what happened?â he asked.
âIt, it was my faultâŠâ you sobbed. âHe came home from work, and he was so tired⊠Heâd had a really rough day, and all he wanted was to come home to a nice warm dinner, but, but⊠I was so tired, Bruce, I was so tired, so I didnât cook â not even for myself! And when he came home, he started shouting and telling me I wasnât good for anything, that he couldnât even count on me to make him dinner.â You hid your face in your hands and sobbed louder. âSo â so I told him to cook his own dinner, and I know I shouldnât, because he was so tired! And â and he got mad, and⊠He... he...â
âCan I come any closer?â you furrowed your brows. Why was Bruce asking that? Why was he being so sweet with you? Especially after youâd just told him you were a terrible girlfriend, being as selfish as to not cook for your boyfriend after a tiring day. But the only thing in his eyes was gentleness. And he was being so sweet with you. Did you even deserve such a treatment?
You nodded your head yes, and he slowly moved closer, hand picking up yours.
âYou need to report him to the police.â
Your eyes widened, and you began to shake your head while he spoke.
âHe hurt you. This is domestic violence, itâs abuse. You need to report him â â
âNo. No, no, no â â
âHe canât keep hurting you like this. All the yelling, all the fights, heâs taking advantage of you, and you donât deserve any of that. Honey, heâs hurting you â â~
âNo, no, no, no, no, no â â
âHeâs abusing you.â
âHeâs not â he loves me, it was an accident â â
âIt wasnât an accident; heâs hurt you before â â
âHe hasnât!â you exclaimed, shaking your head, âHe has not hurt me!â
âNot physically, maybe, but he treats you like shit, which also counts as abuse. Listen to me, please,â he moved closer and slowly lifted his hands to cup your face. He did it slowly, giving you plenty of time to adjust, react, move away from him, do anything to show your discomfort. You did not, so he held your face in a way that showed just how afraid he was that you would break.
âYou deserve better. This scumbag is hurting you. Let me help you.â
You looked into his eyes, and the whole thing felt foreign to you. Being held so gently, being talked to so calmly, being regarded as something close to precious, to dear. Wasnât this how relationships were supposed to go? Wasnât Nathan supposed to be just like this?
âI love himâŠâ you whispered, attempting to look away. Bruce did not let you. He kept his gaze focused on you. âI canât leave him Bruce, I⊠He was so sorry⊠You shouldâve seen him; he was so broken⊠He regretted it so much.â
"He looked broken because he's trying to fool you." Bruce let go of your face and held your hands in his, hoping to convey everything he meant just by this touch. "I can't stand and watch as he hurts you like this. Please let me do something. Let me help. I'll get him fired. I'll get him arrested. This can't go on; he can't keep hurting you â "
"I love him!" You sobbed, shaking your head. "I do, and he loves me, and he did not mean it! It was an accident! You can't do anything; you can't take him from me! Please, if you care about me in any way, don't do anything. We'll sort it out. I promise you it won't happen again, honest."
Bruce was torn. Torn between storming out of there and beating that asshole boyfriend of yours into a pulp and staying there comforting you. He wanted to do both so badly. He couldn't just stand aside and do nothing, but he also did not want to lose you forever. He could still do it, of course. Hurt Nathan, the same way he'd hurt you. But then he was most definitely sure he'd lose you forever. And would that be worth it? It would. He'd lose you, but you'd be safe. And wasn't that what mattered the most in the end?
"Please, Bruce... Trust me..." You whispered, looking deep into his eyes, trying to find some sort of sign in there that would show you he was still on your side, by your side. Your friends were against you, so was your family. Nathan was right. They were all terrible, they hated you and did not want you to be happy.
With all those people gone, you needed to know you still had Bruce. That despite everyone leaving, he was still yours.
He's not yours though, a little voice said inside your head. You tried to drown it. Who Bruce belongs to is none of your business. And itâs not like he even belongs to someone, he is his own person. Not some property to be handed around carelessly.
Youâd never handle him carelessly though. Youâd love him. And heâd love you, the way youâre meant to be loved. No. This was wrong. You were not supposed to have these thoughts. You had Nathan. And you loved him.
Did you, though? What had Nathan done for you as of late? Hit you and berate you and fight you and yell at you. Was that even how relationships went?
Sure. That's how passionate relationships went. And you knew Nathan was passionate about you. Thatâs why he got angry so often, because your love drove him nuts. Loving you drove him nuts. He adored you so much, you made him lose rationality. And wasn't that romantic?
Bruises aren't romantic. Taking care of someone is romantic. Holding them while they cry. Cheering them up with ice-cream and Monopoly, and surprising them at work. What a wonderful boyfriend Bruce would be.
No. Stop it. Those thoughts are wrong.
You looked at Bruce, standing in front of you, regarding you with so much care and worry. How you wished you could just melt in his arms forever. Sometimes you liked to relive how nice it felt to rest in his hold. How natural. You wished you could hug him again and never let go.
It was frightening, really, the way your feelings for Bruce were growing. Heâd been just a friend at first, someone you could trust, someone you could spend time with and have fun. But now, he was so much more than that, and you feared the lines between friendship, and something more had begun to blur.
âIâd treat you so much better,â he suddenly blurted, drawing circles on your hand with his thumbs. âYou deserve better than him. Please let me do better. Let me show you how you deserve to be loved.â
Tears found their ways to your eyes, and you shook your head, slowly.
You couldn't. No, you couldn't, possibly.
âIâm sorryâŠâ you started, trying to choke back a sob.
âPlease. You deserve to be treated with respect. With kindness, with love. Nathan isn't doing any of these things, heâs disrespecting you by laying his hands on you and hurting you all the time.â His face was mere inches away from yours now. Why was he so close? You could smell his cologne, see every speck of light in his eyes, listen to the breath he let out as his lips parted.
It wouldn't hurt to get closer. His lips must taste nice.
It would be wrong. So wrong.
You like him, don't you? And he treats you nice and likes you so much.
You love Nathan. Youâd been with him for years now and loved him. He was good for you. He loved you, he provided for you. He paid most of the rent every month and 1bought most of the groceries. Your salary as a waitress could not compare to his, the one of a prestigious doctor. You couldn't leave him. It would ruin you.
Bruce has way more money than him. He would help you get back on your feet.
Quickly, you scrambled to your feet, getting away from him. This was wrong. Extremely wrong. You were dating Nathan. And that was the end of it.
âI'm sorry, Bruce,â you said, sounding more confident than you felt. âI'm in love with Nathan. Please trust me on this. I know what I'm doing.â
âI canât just stand by and watch as he hurts you.â Bruce's voice held something to it you couldn't quite place. It felt like sorrow, like grief. You hated it. It made your stomach churn.
âHe wonât hurt me anymore! He loves me!â
âAre you saying that because you believe it, or because you're trying to?â
The question took you by surprise.
âIâŠâ you stuttered, shaking your hand. âI⊠I believe it.â
Did you?
âIf you care about me Bruce, please let me be. My relationship is none of your concern.â
âWhat? Please â â
âPlease mind your business, Bruce.â You mumbled, pulling your jacket tighter around you, and sighing. âThank you for the sandwich. Iâll see you around.â
You spun on your heel and walked away, leaving behind a very broken-hearted Bruce Wayne.
You were constantly on Bruceâs mind. You plagued his thoughts 24/7 â your face, your eyes, your smile, your laugh. Again and again, from the moment he woke up, to the second he closed his eyes and fell asleep. You haunted his dreams too. Cried, lovely face covered in black and purple bruises, blood dripping down your mouth. These nightmares usually ended with a blood-curdling scream from you, and Bruce waking up in cold sweats.
It wasn't pleasant. Not at all.
And the worst part was, he had no idea what to do.
âIf I report him, he might hurt her even further.â
âYes, but that was when you had no evidence. Youâve told me she told you he hit her, things are different now, she confessed he was acting abusive towards her.â Alfred said, preparing a cup of tea. Bruce had foregone coffee for a while. Ever since you made it so difficult for him to sleep, Alfred had been trying different methods of getting his boss to sleep.
âMaybe I should have a little run-in with him. Or rather, the Batman should.â Bruce muttered, running a hand through his already messy hair.
âAnd what good would that make, Master Wayne?â
âIâd tell him to stay away from her. Shake him up a bit. Beat him up. Teach him a lesson.â
âI thought this wasn't about revenge,â the old butler settled a cup of tea in front of Bruce and sat next to him with a sigh. âMaster Wayne, may I speak freely?â
âOf course.â
âGotham has just begun to see Batman as a symbol of hope. You don't want to scare its people by beating up a doctor. Granted, heâs a despicable man who dares hit his partner, but a doctor, nonetheless. It would be foolish to destroy everything youâve worked so hard to build so far.â
âThen what am I supposed to do, Alfred? How am I supposed to save her if I'm not Batman?â
âThat is curious, because I donât remember hearing the Miss say she liked spending time with the Batman. She did not cling to his arms and cried and told him her darkest secrets. She did not invite him for lunches and afternoon snacks and walks because she liked his company.â He mused. âShe did all of that with Bruce Wayne. Perhaps you don't need a mask this time, Master Wayne. Perhaps, this time, being you is enough.â
Bruce thought the words over in his head. Alfred was right â something that happened abnormally often. You had never needed him as Batman. Just Bruce was enough.
âThereâs also the fact that your family has left you a rather comfortable fortune, and more prestige that you could ever ask for. Iâm sure Bruce Wayne would suffice.â
Bruce chuckled humourlessly, sipping from his cup of tea.
âShe wonât open up to me, though. I mean, she will. She told me he was hurting her, that heâd pushed her. But she refused to let me help and said that I couldn't tell a soul. How am I supposed to get her to trust me?â
Alfred hummed.
âPerhaps you should invite her over again. Tell her you would like to talk. Or, you know, go to the police like a regular person and end the nightmare she is undoubtedly living.â
âIâve done some research, Alfred,â Bruce sighed, âDr. Nathan Smith is well liked in his community. Volunteers, donates to charity, the whole ordeal. If she tells the police, it was an accident and she fell, theyâre likely to believe her. We need something more concrete.â
Alfred hummed once more. He could see where Bruce was coming from. On one hand, it was endearing. Heâd never cared so much about someone and was clearly smitten by you. On the other, he was afraid the man would make a move far too late.
âAnd your plan, Master Wayne, is?â
Bruce dropped his head on the kitchen table. The white marble felt cold against his skin, and he relished in the comfort it provided.
âI donât know, Alfred. I donât know.â
âI thought I told you to stop hanging out with her?â
Bruce would recognise that voice anywhere.
As soon as it reached his ears, his fists clenched involuntarily. It seemed to him it was second nature to be angry around that piece of shit.
âNate, sheâs my oldest friend⊠I miss her terribly; itâs been ages since we've hung out.â
You were walking a few steps ahead of him, arm linked with Nathanâs. Well, rather, Nathan was gripping your arm, and you were simply being pulled along. Harshly.
âAh, I see. So youâd rather hang out with her than me.â Nathan scoffed and shook his head, and you turned to face him. Bruce could see the heartbreak in your eyes.
âNo! Thatâs not true!â
âShe hates me. She doesnât think weâre good together and wants to break us apart. And you want to hang out with her. Just tell me you want to break up and leave me the fuck alone!â
Nathan shoved you away from him, before shaking his head and walking faster down the road. Your teared up and ran after him. âNate!â you yelled. âNate! Please!â Once you reached him, you held onto his hands tightly, trying to get him to stop. He did not. âPlease, Nate, Iâm sorry! I wonât bring her up again, I promise!â
Nathan kept walking, not even sparing you a glance.
âI promise Nate, Iâm so sorry! Iâm sorry, please, forgive me!â
No one seemed to give two damns about the two of you. After all, people were selfish and did not care enough about the world around them. Only Bruceâs gaze was on you.
Nathan finally stopped, and sighed, looking at the floor.
âIf you want to be her friend, and donât love me anymore, I get it. Thatâs okay. You can move out, get your stuff â â
âNo! No, I donât want to be her friend, Nate, I donât,â you pleaded, holding both his hands and shaking your head vigorously. Bruce felt like a creep, staring at you like that, staring into your private life like that, but what else could he do? âIâm sorry. I wonât bring it up again. I promise. I love you. Okay?â You placed yourself on the tip of your toes to reach his face and kissed his lips gently. âIâm sorry. Iâm so sorry, please, I love you, please forgive meâŠâ
Bruce swore he could see the glint of victory in Nathanâs eyes, and it made his insides churn.
âYou promise?â
âI do! I promise! I love you so much, Nate, I wonât talk about her ever again. I love you and only you. Youâre the love of my life!â You reached up to kiss him again, and Nathan responded, albeit unexcitedly. It was enough for you though, and you linked your hand with his. âI love you, Nate. So much. Youâre the only person I need.â
The blonde man hummed, and you pulled him along. You tried your best to keep him close to you, but he wasnât responding. Thatâs when Bruce decided he needed to intervene.
It was only when Bruce said your name a second time, louder, that you turned around, eyes widening with surprise.
âBruce!â He could tell you werenât expecting to see him here. He could also tell you were scared. Not of him, of course, but of the man at your side, by the way your whole body tensed, and your eyes drifted from him to Bruce.
âAh. Bruce.â Nathan spit, looking at him with a fake expression of politeness. Bruce could tell his smile wasnât real and noticed how his hold tightened on you. âWhat a coincidence. Have you perhaps been following us?â He laughed dryly. It was a poor attempt at a joke, and an even poorer attempt of figuring out if youâd listened to his whole conversation with you.
âAh, no. I was just on my way home.â
âWhat were you up to?â you asked, voice relaxed as it often was when you were around him.
âWell, I'm celebrating the establishment of a new children's school in my family's name. It's a very important cause, and Iâm throwing a party later this week. Alfred and I were shopping together.â Bruce replied.
âYou? Shopping?â There was a happy tilt to your voice. Bruce only wished you would always sound like that.
âWell, I wasnât alone. Baby steps.â He chuckled.
âAnd who is this Alfred?â Nathan interjected. âSome servant of yours?â
Bruce frowned. He did not like the way your boyfriend referred to the man who was the closest thing he had to a family. Still, he wouldnât give him the satisfaction of anger.
âAlfred is my butler. He has been with my family for many years, and I consider him part of it. He is not a servant, and it shocks me that someone surely so well-read as you would refer to someone with such a degrading term.â Bruce raised his eyebrow, and he could swear he saw Nathan shrink a bit. It made you smile. It made Bruce feel good.
âMy apologies, Bruce.â Nathan responded, offering a tight-lipped smile. He did not like losing, and thatâs all he felt himself doing when he was around Bruce Wayne. Losing his temper, losing his control, losing his upper hand. It was something he detested greatly. He needed to get away from there. And quick.
âHoney, we need to go. Donât want to steal too much of Bruceâs time, do we?â
âItâs not a problem, really,â Bruce retorted, ignoring your boyfriend, and turning to you instead. Thatâs when he noticed what you were wearing. Another jacket â a big one, oversized, a turtleneck and a pair of jeans. Gone were your shorts and flowy tops, you were now covered from head to toe. Why? To conceal what, exactly? And now that he got a good look at your face, was the hell was going on with your lip? It seemed split. âThereâs nothing else in my list. Say, do you have any plans for next Friday? I would love if you two stopped by. Itâs for a good cause, and perhaps youâll have fun?â
He had to get you there. He had to get you alone with him, safe, away from Nathan.
âA party? At Wayne Manor?â Nathan asked.
âYes. Will you be there?â
You looked up at your boyfriend, hope in your eyes.
Nathan noticed your excitement and blew air through his nose â the closest youâd get to a chuckle.
âOf course. We would love to go.â
âReally?â You beamed. That was not the answer you were expecting from him. Nathan hated Bruce â you knew this. Did this mean he was trying? Trying to befriend your friends? For your sake?
âOf course.â Nathan bent down to kiss your forehead, earning a genuine smile from you. âIf youâd like to.â
âI would!â
It was small, the notion of a happy relationship, the notion that you were happy. But Bruce saw right through it. None of it was real. He was just playing a part.
âWe should get going. It was nice seeing you, Bruce.â
âOh â okay!â you yelped when Nathan turned you around and pulled you along with him. âIt was nice seeing you, Bruce! Iâll see you Friday!â
And just like that, you were gone.
But Bruce wasnât one to give up. Something felt off. Something smelled fishy. Nathan had been too kind, too nice, too allowing. Was it all a façade? He knew Nathan would never allow you to go to a party, especially one hosted by him. Something was definitely up. His feet moved, and before he could realise it, he was following the two figures in front of him to a dark alley. He heard voices and walked deeper.
Thatâs how he found you, pressed up against the wall, Nathanâs hand cruelly pressed against the hollow of your throat.
âWhy the fuck are you still talking to him?â Nathan grumbled, tightening the hold he had on your throat. His knuckles turned white. âHuh!? You say you love me and then go around and fuck that rich motherfucker? Is that it, yeah?â
âN-No!â you sobbed, struggling to breath. Tears streamed down your face, hands clutching his. âNate, please. Youâre hurting me.â Your words were interrupted by coughs, and just before your vision could go completely black, you saw Nathan get dragged around and thrown on the floor. As soon as your vision (and your air) returned, you saw Bruce do to Nathan what heâd done to you.
âHow dare you lay your disgusting hands on her,â he bellowed, and you somehow recognised that voice. It felt familiar. Bruce turned to you, and shook his head, arm still against Nathanâs neck. âAre you okay?â You nodded silently, wiping your tears, and taking a few steps back.
Bruce was surprised no one else had interrupted the two of you, but then again, this was Gotham. It didnât matter if Batman was ridding crime for good, people would still look the other way, far too accustomed to violence to even bother.
âAre you seriously going to let him do this?â Nathan scowled, fighting against Bruceâs iron grip â it was no use. Somehow, this rich dumb playboy was stronger than he looked.
âI⊠IâŠâ You looked in between the two men, still wiping your tears away. Part of you wanted Bruce to teach him a lesson. The other wanted him to let go of your boyfriend.
âFuck â do something! Are you going to let this brute hurt me like this!?â
âKeep your filthy mouth shut,â Bruce whispered, before turning to face you completely. âWhat do you want me to do?â
This surprised you. You had a choice? You could decide?
âIf you want to, Iâll beat him to a pulp myself. Weâll take him to the police. Iâll protect you. I promise I will. I can take care of you. You will never have to look him in the eye again.â Bruceâs eyes were filled with longing, and you found yourself walking towards him.
Wouldnât that be nice? Nathan could go to jail. Heâd leave you alone forever. No more fighting, no more hitting you, no more hurting you. Youâd be free.
âTell him to let go!â Now, Nathanâs face was turning a nasty shade of purple, and his lovely blue eyes were wide with fear. âTell him! Are you going to let him do this to me? I love you!â
Bruce said your name softly. âDonât listen to him. Heâs done nothing but lie to you over and over again. You can end this nightmare right now.â
âPlease! Iâll be better! I promiseâ Nathan coughed, the lack of air getting to him. âI was just jealous! You know me, I â I get like this! I thought you were going to leave me for him! I canât compete with Bruce Wayne.â
âShut up.â Bruce shook his head. âAll youâve been doing is hurting her. Abusing her. Do you seriously think Iâm letting you go unscathed?â
It was scary, to be honest, seeing Bruce like this. Youâd never seen him this angry, and he somehow reminded you of Nathan. Granted, the anger wasnât directed towards you, but it still made you feel uneasy and unsafe, and all you wanted him was to go back to the sweet and kind Bruce who stole spoonfulls of your ice-cream and cheated at Monopoly when you werenât looking.
âBruce?â you whispered, frozen in place.
âYeah?â
âLet go.â
âWhat?â
âPlease let go.â
He looked at you and noticed the fear in your eyes. Something inside him broke and he wanted to punish himself for making you feel like that. Were you afraid of him? His hold on Nathanâs neck loosened, and the latter took this as an opportunity to get away and walk towards you. Nathan embraced you tightly, burrowing his face in your hair and crying loudly.
âIâm so sorry⊠I hate myself for the way Iâve been treating you⊠You deserve so much better than me, and I donât deserve your forgiveness⊠Iâm just a mess who seems to ruin everything⊠Please forgive me for being so possessive, I just â I just never feel like Iâm worthy of you.â Nathanâs lies spilled from his lips, and the very same lips found their way to yours, kissing you softly as he held your face in his hands.
You seemed unresponsive, though, eyes fixed on Bruce. Was this how he always behaved? Had you simply not seen it before? Would he act this way towards you?
âIâm sorryâŠâ his voice somehow got through to you. âI just⊠I couldnât just stand by and watch as he hurt youâŠâ
It was true, you gathered. Heâd said it before. Heâd always put himself between you and Nathan whenever you two fought. Heâd never allowed Nathan to mistreat you in front of him, always protecting you â or trying to â no matter what.
Still, it had been horrifying to see those eyes who regarded you with such kindness, look at someone else with nothing but rage. To hear that lovely voice that always cheered you up sound so hateful. It wasnât your Bruce. It simply wasnât.
Your arms wrapped themselves around Nathanâs torso, almost as if mechanically. You had to do it. Itâs what you did. Nathan yelled and fought and hurt. And then heâd apologize and take you back. It made you feel sick and nauseous and empty inside. But you knew no one else you love you like he did. No one would love you as passionately as Nathan did. And you didnât want to be all alone.
âLetâs go home, okay, baby?â he asked, one hand caressing your cheek, the other rubbing circles on your hip affectionately. âWe can cuddle and watch a movie. Anything you like. How does that sound?â
âDonât,â Bruce pleaded, eyebrows furrowing. Were you seriously still going home with him? After all that had happened?
You did not break eye contact. You knew you shouldnât go back home with Nate. At least a part of you did. A part of you knew this was wrong. Knew that you deserved better, knew that Nate was abusive and did not deserve you. But that part had long been defeated, and all that was left were small voices in your head that yelled âNo one else is going to love you like thisâ repeatedly.
And you always let them win.
âLetâs go,â you mumbled.
Nathan wrapped his arm around your waist, kissed your forehead, and Bruce watched as you two left the alley.
You did not text him anymore.
And on Friday, none of you appeared at the Manor for the party.
It was close to 2 in the morning when Bruce was stirred awake by the sounds of knocking on his front door.
Heâd fallen asleep on the couch, exhausted from exploring a few new gadgets and functions Lucius had implemented on his suit. Patrol had been rough on him, the new holographic projection system taking a while to get used to, but well worth it in the end. It would spare him a handful of bruises and stress.
Alfred had retired for the night long ago, so it was just Bruce, a copy of a book youâd mentioned in passing once and he decided to read, and a fire cackling in the fireplace.
He got up, groggily rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and made his way towards the door. Far too tired to be careful (really, who the hell would be knocking at his door at 2 in the morning? And itâs not like he could blink the sleep away in a matter of seconds. He had enough training for that) Bruce opened the door, coming face to face with a hunched figure.
âThis better be good for you to be knocking on my god damned door at 2 in the morning ââ
Thatâs when the figure in front of him shifted. It was no longer a mere figure. It was you.
You were hunched over, looking down, head covering your whole face, and Bruce could make out faint sobbing. He called your name once, twice, three times, softly. All you could do was shake your head. hands tightly clutched in front of you.
âCome on, letâs go inside.â
Bruce stepped aside so you could walk in. He would not touch you without your permission, without not knowing what had happened. You stepped inside, shaking all over. The clothes on your body were comprised of a flimsy pyjama set, a long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of pants. Your feet were bare save for the fluffy bunny slippers on them. You looked cold â had you left in a hurry?
âHey, can we sit on the couch?â Bruce asked, fluffing up some pillows. You nodded and followed him, sitting down, head still hung low. Would you even look at him?
âDo you want something to drink?â He kneeled next to you but did not try to look into your eyes. He wanted to be on the same level as you, make you feel safe, but also give you the space and freedom to move away from him should you want that. Heâd never want to smother you. You nodded your head softly, and Bruce was quick to move to the kitchen. He knew your favourite by heart, and within a few minutes, had it prepared and on top of the coffee table in front of you. âThere it is,â he mumbled, sitting back again. He'd wait for you to take the first step.
And when you did, all the air left his lungs.
You looked up, hair clinging to your sweaty forehead, silent tears streaming down your face. Most of the lights were off, the fire being the only thing illuminating your features. Your delicate lips, your nose, your beautiful eyes, and the black and purple bruise surrounding one of them. The look Bruce gave you, whatever it was, just made you sob uncontrollably once again. He didnât know if whether to touch you, come closer or back off, but you answered that question yourself when you wrapped your arms around him, sobbing loudly.
âIâm sorryâŠâ you sobbed, holding onto him tightly. Bruce reciprocated the hug, spreading his legs so you could move comfortably in between them. He adjusted you in his lap and kissed your forehead, just holding you tightly.
âNo, none of that,â he shushed you, rocking both your bodies back and forth. âYou donât have to apologize. Never.â
âIt wasnât my fault⊠it wasnât Bruce, you have to believe meâŠâ
âI do. I believe you. Itâs not your fault.â
He wanted to know what the hell that jerk had done to you. But he knew he couldnât â you might close yourself off even more and refuse to talk if he pressed further.
So, he made sure you were comfortable. Bruce picked you up and moved to the couch, covering both of your bodies with a blanket, and pulling you closer. You took the hint immediately, snuggling up as close as possible to him, face pressed against his neck. You were hiding from him, but it felt nice to be in his arms.
The two of you stayed like that for a while. Bruce turned on the TV and allowed you to pick a channel (âMhmâ for yes and âHm-hmâ for no) until you were watching some silly rom-com that got you chuckling occasionally. Bruce was stroking your arms gently, bending down to press kisses against your forehead whenever he felt you might need them. He wasnât paying any attention to the movie in front of him, instead coming up with a plan to throw that idiot in jail.
After youâd finished your drink, you gathered the courage to shift in his lap and completely face him. The bruise covering your eye was on full display, and Bruce could now make out the dried blood on your lip.
âHe⊠he hurt me, BruceâŠâ you mumbled, reaching for his hand. Bruce squeezed yours tightly, a silent reminder that he was there and listening, and that you werenât alone. âIâm so scared⊠He pushed me and kept hitting me, and I was begging him to stop but he wouldnât⊠I didnât know what else to do, so I just waited for him to fall asleep and ran⊠I had to â I had to wait. He wanted to sleep next to me. He kept apologizing and promising heâd be better, so I told him it was okay, and I went to bed with himâŠâ Bruce wiped away your tears, nodding along. Outside, he was the picture of compassion and sympathy. Inside, a fire was burning, and he had to control every bone in his body not to get into his car and drive to your (hopefully ex by now) boyfriendâs house.
âYouâre so brave,â he muttered, running his hand through your hair to soothe you. âI canât believe how hard that mustâve been. But youâre so brave, and Iâm so proud of you.â
âI thought he could change,â you started to sob, shaking your head. âHe â he said he would. He said that he loved me a lot and heâd only hit me because he was jealous and afraid I would leave him. All because I told him I regretted not going to your party that Friday⊠Iâm so sorry, Bruce.â
âNo apologies needed. Youâre not the one to blame here, okay? Itâs him, and him alone.â His hands reached up to wipe your tears, and you flinched, the pressure of his fingers on your bruise sending painful memories through your head. âSorry,â he mumbled. âLetâs take care of this, shall we?â
And he did.
Bruce took you to the master bathroom and sat you on top of the counter while he fetched his first-aid kit and a few ointments and creams. Your hands never left him as he worked â on his shirt, on his shoulders, on his hands. He cleaned the bruise with some water and pressed an ice pack against it to reduce the swelling. He told you a few anecdotes that had happened at Wayne Enterprises â angry costumers who tried to scam him, spilled coffees, and other amusing situations â to keep you grounded. His voice was like a lifeline to you.
After the swelling was taken care of, he softly applied ointment around your eye, being careful as to not put too much pressure on the pads of his fingers. He smeared some of it on the tip of your nose, earning a smile from you, before moving on to your lip and taking care of it too. Once all was done, he took a step back.
âDonât look at me like thatâŠâ you mumbled, looking away.
âHow?â
âLike that. Like Iâm pitiable.â
âHm.â Bruce tilted his head, pretending to think your statement over, âNo. Not pitiable â thatâs not who Iâm looking at.â
You met his gaze again.
âIâm looking at the bravest woman I have probably ever known.â He crouched in front of you to stay at your eye level. Your hands did not leave his. âIâm looking at a remarkable woman, one with a big heart and a courageous spirit. Youâve endured all of this, and youâre still standing.â
âIâm a coward, Bruce,â you shook your head. âI let him to this to me. I let him break me. Heâs right â who would ever love me after him? Who will ever love me like him? Maybe this was a mistake â I shouldnât have left me. Heâs the only one who will love me as I am.â
Bruce was quick to refute you.
âHeâs wrong. I hope you know just how wrong he is. Nathan has spent all this time hurting you, lying to you.â
âHe hasnât â Iâm broken, Iâm damaged goods â who will ever want me?â
âYouâre not damaged goods. You hear me? You are the most beautiful woman Iâve ever seen. Youâre so kind and brave. What you endured is beyond me, and I know I will never understand it, but please believe me when I say that youâre not broken. Youâre not damaged. And Nathan is not right. Heâs lied to you.â
You looked at him and searched his eyes for any sign of falsehood, of deceit. All you found was kindness. And a warmer emotion you couldnât pinpoint yet but wanted to figure out.
âYou light up even the darkest of days,â Bruce mumbled, moving closer to you. His hand moved to cup your face and you instinctively pressed against it. Youâd never felt safer than whenever you were in Bruceâs arms. âAnd I will do everything in my power to protect you. To keep you safe. The truth isâŠâ He looked at the floor for a few seconds, before meeting your eyes again. âI love you.â You sucked in a breath. âI have, for a while. And I know thatâs not what you want to hear right now, nor what you need to hear. And Iâm not saying this to force you to be with me, especially after I took care of you. What Iâm trying to say is, I donât expect compensation. I donât. Iâm just saying this because â because I want you to know Nathan is wrong. Youâre not damaged goods. And I love you. So much. Ever since I met you, my life has been happier, brighter. For years Iâve had a hole inside of me. Something empty, something that would eat me up from the inside. But then you came along. And you filled that void. And Nathan is so, so wrong, because how could someone not love you? How could someone not love you? How could he try and make you believe youâre not worthy of love, when thatâs all you deserve?â
Tears were now streaming down both of your faces. Bruce had never been this vulnerable before, and to his surprise, it didnât hurt nor scare him. It felt right, to trust you like this, to open up.
âYou donât need to say it back. Please donât feel forced to say it back. I just wanted you to know that youâre worthy of love, and that Iâll be here to help you. Always. Even if all you feel towards me is friendship. Iâll protect you forever, I promise. He will never touch you again. No one will.â
When you did not reply, Bruceâs stomach fell. Had he screwed up? Had this been a terrible occasion to let you know of his feelings? It wasnât ideal, no, but he had to tell you. Fuck. He had screwed up, didnât he? And now he would lose you forever â
You interrupted his thoughts, hands on his jaw, pulling him closer. You blinked slowly â once, twice.
âI love you too,â you whispered, afraid that should you say it any louder, the fantasy might break. âI think I have for a while too. But I was so scared, Bruce⊠I have nothing to offer â I work a shitty job, and Nathan was paying for everything. My bills, my groceries, my clothes. I was so afraid of leaving. And then whenever I was with you, all I felt⊠Was happiness.â You chuckled through the tears. âYou made me feel so happy, Bruce. And so safe. I always feel safe with you. But I was so scared⊠Iâm so sorryâŠâ
âNo â shh. You donât have to say youâre sorry,â Bruce shook his head, turning to place a kiss on your palm. âYouâre so brave. Have I said this already? Youâre so brave. Iâm so sorry for everything you had to endure. Iâm so sorry I didnât do anything earlier. Shit, Iâm an idiot. I shouldâve reported him to the police as soon as I realised he was hurting you, but I was too scared heâd turn their heads and youâd get the short end of the stick.â
You smiled, something warm blooming in your chest. Bruce really did care for you, didnât he?
âMy plan was to report him, but I didnât know if youâd lie to the police in order to cover everything up. I was afraid you would, and he would hurt you further. Iâm sorry.â
You repeated his words back to him.
âYou donât have to be sorry. You always stood up for me whenever Nathan was around. You never let him talk to me the way he did whenever you were there. I just wish I hadnât been so blind⊠I wish Iâd trusted you the first time you told me he was no good⊠Itâs just â weâd been together for so long, and I was so afraid to leave him. Nathan was all I knew. I didnât want to be alone. I didnât want to be unloved.â
âYouâre not.â Bruce shook his head again. âNot unloved. I love you. Youâre worthy of love, and happiness, and kindness, and good things.â
You nodded at him, a single tear running down your cheek. This one, however, was a tear of happiness. Your eyes flickered to his lips, and Bruce whispered.
âCan I kiss you?â
You chuckled.
Bruce raised an eyebrow.
âIs this funny?â he asked with a smile.
âYouâre always asking for my permission. If you can touch me, if you can hold me.â
âI would never do anything you were uncomfortable with. Anything you didnât want.â
âYes.â
âYes?â
âPlease kiss me,â you mumbled, and no other words were needed, as Bruce closed the space between the two of you and kissed you on the lips.
It was the softest kiss youâd ever had in your entire life. There was no roughness, no edge, no anger, or rage â all the things Nathan kissed you with. Bruce, however, kissed you with love. His lips moved in tandem with yours, brushing and caressing and telling a story of tenderness and warmth. It felt nice. It felt perfect. It felt like you had been made to kiss him. You pulled him up by his shirt, and he did so, placing his hands on either side of the marble to trap you. Your legs spread instinctively to accommodate him, and his hands brushed against your cheeks and hair, fingers shyly exploring, afraid to break the moment heâd been waiting for for so long. It was only a shame it had to be in these circumstances.
When breathing became more important than kissing, you pulled away and Bruce pulled you against his chest. You breathed him in, the smell of cologne and bodywash and something so inherently Bruce calming you down almost instantly.
âPlease donât leave me,â You whispered, gripping his shirt as if it was the only thing keeping you alive right now. And maybe it was. You needed him.
âI wouldnât even dream of it,â he whispered back, kissing your forehead. âAnd Iâll fix this. We will fix this.â
âWhat if he comes after me? Heâs a very respected doctor, Bruce, I â I donât want him to hurt you or anything.â
This caused Bruce to chuckle and pull you back to look at your face. Even with a terrible bruise covering your features, you were the most beautiful women heâd ever laid eyes on. Your courage and kindness only added to that charm. What a lucky guy he was.
âI donât usually brag about my status, but I happen to be Bruce Wayne. Iâll take care of him. I promise. You wonât have to worry about anything.â
âPromise?â
âI promise. He wonât be able to hurt you anymore.â
You smiled. Bruce loved your smile.
âDo you want to get some sleep?â he asked, caressing the side of your cheek that wasnât bruised. âI can sleep in one of the guest rooms. My bed is quite comfortable, you can stay there. Unless you want to stay somewhere else? I wonât force you to stay here.â
You shook your head.
âHere is fine. AlthoughâŠâ
âYes? Iâll do anything.â
A blush crept up on your features.
âI⊠I donât want to be alone tonight. I canât.â
Bruce nodded.
âDo you want me to stay with you?â
âPlease.â
Bruce gave you a soft look, a quiet question, asking for your permission. You answered it by lifting your arms and allowing him to pick you up and carry you to his bedroom. He laid you down on his bed, and you sighed at how comfortable it was. He smiled. You looked content as you adjusted, getting under the covers.
âAre you going to join me or just stare at me like that?â
âIâm just happy youâre here. Safe, with me,â he said. âIâm sorry the circumstances were⊠not the best.â
âIâm here now, though, arenât I? And so are you.â
âI am. Iâm not going anywhere.â
Bruce moved and laid down next to you, pulling the covers over himself. âCan I?â he asked. You nodded, and he wrapped an arm around you, bringing you close to his chest. Your bodies fit perfectly together, like two pieces of a puzzle that had come together at last. You entwined your legs with his and rested your head on his chest while his arms snaked around you, protecting you even in your sleep. The beat of his heart soothed you and lulled you to slumber in an instant.
Before you lost conscience, you felt Bruceâs lips move against your head, and made out a soft âI love youâ.
It was the best youâd ever slept.
It was hard adjusting to live after that, but Bruce was there for you every step of the way.
You finally filed a report against Nathan. It was tough, and you cried and doubted yourself when you gave your statement, but with Bruce by your side, you felt like you could do it. He reminded you of how brave you really were, and how much you could accomplish â with him or without him. But you liked his company anyway.
Thanks to Bruceâs resources, an investigation was conducted. Youâd kept records of nearly every time the two of you fought in your diary, and even photographed every bruise heâd given you. He did not know of this, of course. You did it whenever he was asleep, a small voice in your head telling you itâd be useful to bring him down.
Apparently that little voice had been right, and your pictures were essential for the investigation.
Your friends testified in your favour, and you had cried when theyâd hugged you after, congratulating you on your bravery, and lamenting what youâd gone through. Youâd missed them so much.
All seemed like it was going in the right direction.
Your old apartment had been cleared, and although youâd gotten a place of your own (Bruce told you he did not want you to feel like you had to move in with him simply because he was helping you out and you two were in the beginning of a relationship), you found yourself spending more time at Bruceâs manor than your own house, and you quickly sold it in order to move in with him.
Everything was going perfectly.
You felt happy â more than ever â going about your daily job, meeting with friends for coffee and lunch and walks on the park without being berated or yelled at. Bruce supported you on every endeavour you went on, encouraging you to spend time with your friends and go out with them, instead of keeping you home all to himself like Nathan did.
In fact, Bruce was the perfect boyfriend. Heâd bring you breakfast in bed sometimes, offer you rides to your job, bring you flowers when he could tell youâd had a hard day, and even when he had to cancel date nights or other plans you two had made because of some last minute emergency at Wayne Enterprises, he made it up to you later, with lots of love and reassurance, perhaps a bouquet of flowers and a ticket to whatever event youâd been interested in.
Bruce reminded you of what love felt like. True love. He never raised his voice at you, opting to voice out his concerns in a calming manner. He never made you feel like you werenât worthy of him â quite the contrary. Every single day, he thanked you for choosing him, letting you know just how lucky he was to have you in his life.
Alfred liked you too â very much. He adopted you as his family rather quickly, teaching you how to make your favourite drinks (even better than you used to do them), and spending time with you whenever Bruce wasnât home, and you felt particularly lonely. He liked having you around. In his opinion, âMaster Wayne was in need of a womanâs touch in his house and his lifeâ. You couldnât agree more and loved him immensely.
There was only one time you crossed paths with Nathan after youâd left him that night.
The Gotham Police had gathered enough information and evidence to build a case against him, and youâd been called to testify. You werenât sure you wanted to do it â you were still scared of whatever he could do to you.
That day, Bruce sat you down on his lap, kissed your forehead and promised Nathan wouldnât even be able to touch you, and that he and your friends would be there.
It was all the reassurance you needed, and although you choked back a sob once or twice once your gaze met his, your testimony was clear and strong, and it was enough for the trial to be wrapped up in around two days (and perhaps Bruce had pulled a few strings to get it over it so quickly, but you didnât need to know that, now did you?)
As he was being handcuffed, Nathan turned to you, face twisted in agony.
âBabe â â he yelled, doing his best to free himself from the police officersâ grips. âIâm so sorry â tell them this is just a misunderstanding! Tell them! I love you so much, fuck, donât let them do this to me!â
When it was obvious you werenât going to give him the satisfaction of an answer, he furrowed his eyebrows.
âYou slut! You stupid bitch! I bet youâre fucking him, arenât you? Youâre fucking the rich bastard, arenât you? I knew it! Youâre a slut â youâre disgusting! No one will ever love you as I loved you, youâre a slut now, and youâll be a slut fore â â
Bruceâs fist collided with Nathanâs face, promptly shutting him the fuck up. He adjusted his cuffs and his blazer and offered you a doe-eyed look.
âI didnât do anything. I donât know what youâre talking about. Officers, Iâll be sure to guarantee you all a very nice Christmas bonus if you keep this little incident in between us.â
The excited nods from the officers around him were enough of an answer for him to walk away unscathed. That, and your giggles.
âCouldnât stand hearing him go on and on about you like that,â heâd muttered to you lately as you cuddled up together on the couch and watched a movie.
That was the last you saw and heard of Nathan. Youâd heard Bruce tell Alfred that he was going to be locked up for eternity one day, and while it was suspicious (surely it wouldnât warrant him a life sentence, would it?), the thought of Bruce using his influence to put your abusive ex-boyfriend behind bars forever made you smile.
Right now, you were sitting on top of a plaid picnic blanket in the gardens of Wayne Manor. On your right hand was a book, on your left hand the chocolate brown curls of your boyfriend, whose head was resting on top of your lap.
You had never felt so at peace with yourself.
Your physical scars had faded, bruises had healed, leaving your soft skin as it once was, but you were sure the emotional ones would remain. Luckily, you had the best boyfriend in the world to aid you in every step of the way.
His voice pulled you from your thoughts.
âYouâre beautiful,â he mumbled, eyes closed. This was one of his favourite things to do â lay on your lap after a hard week and relax under the sun. It was one of your favourites as well. You got to spend time with the person you loved the most and remind yourself that even though your life was so dark once, it could get better. It was getting better.
âYouâre not so bad yourself, handsome.â
âNot so bad?â
âFine. Youâre the most handsome man I have ever seen in my entire life.â
âHmm. Thatâs a lot of responsibility.â He raised an eyebrow.
âI think youâll manage.â
Bruce chuckled and lifted his head up ever so slightly. You rolled your eyes with a smile. How needy. Bending down, you met him halfway, kissing him tenderly. His tongue swept over your lower lip, and you sighed contentedly before he pulled away and closed his eyes.
âI love you.â
âI love you too, Bruce. So much.â
Yes.
Everything was going to be better.
A/N: And that's it! Oh my god what a rollercoaster hahaha! I hope you guys enjoyed this! I understand all abusive relationships are different - a lot of this came from my own experience.
I also hope the ending, the little epilogue wasn't too rushed! I wanted it to be a nice conclusion, not dwelling too much on the past, but rather focusing on the hope of the future.
Alright, this is all! I think I'll take a break from Bruce fics for a while, hahaha. Once again, I really do hope you all enjoyed this.
Have a wonderful day ahead! <3
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