obsessed with gotham because it leads to this really interesting idea of future batman where everyone actually cares about one another and all the people in-between but they keep going as they are because who are they without it
The Gotham version of penguin is hands down the greatest to ever exist, Jason would have no patience for him and oswald would be so affronted
Their Bruce is also so good! Kid did an amazing job at that 👏👏 with that kind of childhood and he's already running his own little detective cases from a young age and being trained in combat like you can clearly see his obvious trajectory towards batman idk how to explain it but from watching him through the seasons you could really believe in him becoming batman and also eventually batdad
ALSO FISH FREAKING MOONEY ❤❤❤
Anyway I shall shush now while I can cuz Gotham really has me in a chokehold and I could keep rambling and that's without even mentioning thier Joker
Someone needs to make a batman movie and let the gotham Bruce be the bat cuz he really deserves it
I kinda think dick grayson would actually vibe with these gotham villains though and their general stupidity levels would be enough to make damian cry
Sorry for my rambling lol now I'll shush 🤣
ugh stop, i love how cameron monaghan played the joker!!
I think i only seen him in clips when he was in prison, and for some reason, i just wanna give him a handshake, idk how to describe him.
OH YEAH, and how his lighter didn't work when he was tryna set the bus on fire!! I loved it, and him casually asking if anyone got a light as if everything is peaches n cream.
I haven't seen any other potrayal of villains, but I'll take your word for it. Based on how you described them, I can see Jason asking someone to kill him again 💀 and probably damian would ask the same
This is the first I'm hearing of Fish Mooney, but she looks like someone I'd willingly give all my belongings to.
And also, I hate how inconsistent DC with writing Bruce as a dad, but I fully believe that Gotham Bruce would become a great portrayal of batdad and NOT inject Jason with a serum that would heighten his fear when his adrenaline spikes.
AND don't even apologise for rambling, i love hearing everyone's recommendations and opinions!! I'd most likely just ramble on, too
Summary: You are very close to Bruce but lately he seems very distant or cutting, one day he will come to the mansion beaten and you will have to heal him.
Warnings: Not proofread, Injuries,bit of blood mention, secrets, fluff, worry/angst,
Word Count: 3k
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You hadn't known Bruce for long, but it seemed like he had been in your life from minute zero. You didn't have the pleasure of knowing him personally when he was just a child, but he grew up and met you. It was pure chance, you were late for work looking at the ground as usual and you didn't notice the people crossing in front of you until you suddenly collided with a boy with hair as dark as his clothes. He looked at you sad and apologizing profusely, you only had eyes to see and admire that beautiful serious but worried face. After that you two became good friends, you saw each other often, sometimes he invited you to his mansion. You had met his butler who soon took a liking to you. In Bruce you had found peace, a rare and pleasant serenity in contrast to the chaotic city of Gotham. And you could say that the feeling was mutual, young Wayne had found in you a light of hope, someone to cling to, it is true that he already had Alfred but he was someone already older and Bruce was afraid of losing him. Besides, what he felt for you went far beyond a simple friendship. In him he discovered a new rebirth, a soft and tender side that he never dared to show, you were his light in the middle of the darkness and he didn't want you to go out. In a city like that full of dangers, you had each other.
He had never told you about his "double life" that is, that he was Batman. When he met you and realized how important you were to him, he promised to protect you with his life. With so many villains and crimes on the loose, Bruce couldn't risk losing the only good thing he had ever had in that city of death, the only thing that gave meaning to everything. his life. You. And that's why lately he had been behaving strangely, he was still affectionate with you but you still noticed something strange and different about him.
You two had met in a park under the treetops, you were walking aimlessly admiring the vegetation, you were both arm in arm like an adorable old couple, from time to time you would rest your head on his shoulder since you were shorter than him.
"I missed these days like this". You sighed, squeezing his arm affectionately.
"Me too". He said looking at you and smiling slightly.
"You've been very busy lately, does your company demand so much of your time?"
"My company? Oh yeh, yeh, lately unemployment has umh risen its numbers…". He said, clearing his throat nervously.
You looked at him confused, was something wrong with his company? Had you said something bad? You never saw him so hesitant, he was almost always a person sure of his words. You didn't want to worry too much, he was always someone enigmatic and you loved him for that, you respected his silences and spaces. You two sat on a bench watching the people walk by, but you noticed that Bruce was serious and thoughtful, well, more than usual.
"All good?". You asked anxiously, taking his hand.
Wayne seemed to wake up with your touch, as if he had been in a trance. He looked at you surprised, meeting your worried look, he smiled, downplaying it.
"Of course, don't worry." He caressed the back of your hand with his thumb and brought your hand to his lips to kiss it tenderly.
That gesture brought the heat back to your cheeks and you smiled, sighing in relief, maybe he had just had an exhausting day, to tell the truth, your work also tired you sometimes. They continued sitting trying to bring up topics of conversation other than the insecurities of living in Gotham or the horrible crimes that were committed there. You told him about a new book you were starting to read and he listened attentively as if his life depended on it. He loved listening to you talk about things that were so mundane but that were clearly exciting to you.
"I'm just starting to read the first pages but it's already exciting! It's full of adventure and fantasy!! and the protagonist must face a mystery from his past and…"
The words came out of your mouth like an uncontrollable torrent, you gestured with your hands and your smile widened as your eyes lit up. Bruce admired your passion and charm for reading among other things, your cheeks heated by the speed at which you spoke seemed to him to be the cutest thing in the world.
"Maybe one day you can bring it so we can read it together."
Seeing how your eyes opened brighter than the sun and your cheeks turned even pinker was his most precious treasure, and it made him laugh softly. You, surprised, accompanied him with sweet giggles. When you decided that it was too cold to be outdoors, you two got up and you tenderly approached behind him and hugged him, squeezing his stomach a little to which he let out a grunt of pain. Startled, you quickly turned away, looking at him.
"What was that? Are you ok?"
His face was trying hard not to contort in pain but he had a deep frown on his face.
"It's nothing, I must have torn a muscle while exercising"
His voice seemed calm but he was holding his stomach with one hand, that alone was enough to dampen the good mood and nice moment the two of you had had. In silence they each returned to their homes.
On another occasion, Bruce disappeared for several days without showing any signs of life. You understood that he had his life and was independent, but it was worrying that you didn't hear from him for so long.
"Come on, come on answer"
You were in your apartment with the telephone in your hand and the other on your hip, moving your legs nervously. Bruce didn't even answer your calls, much less your messages. You were already thinking the worst and you didn't want to be panicked so you decided to do the only thing you could do, find out if he was in his mansion imprisoned like a mole.
You put on a hand-knit cardigan and headed out to Wayne Manor. You walked in a hurry so you arrived almost breathless at the great mansion. It was a miracle that no one had jumped you before. You knocked on the door three times and an elegantly dressed older man opened the door for you. Seeing you, a soft smile filled his lips.
"Miss Y/N, how lovely it is to see you here, tell me, can I help you with something?"
Alfred was always happy to see you hanging around Wayne Manor, many times you had even stayed over to sleep, it was a pleasure for him to serve both his master and you, you could say that you were almost like family. And if you made Bruce happy, the butler was pleased with that. But more urgent matters prevented you from noticing the warmth and kindness with which he greeted you.
"Actually, yes, there is something…Is Bruce home?"
A subtle shadow appeared on the butler's face but he quickly added
"Masterr B had to leave urgently due to work issues but I'm sure he'll be back soon"
"But I haven't seen him in days and he doesn't even answer his phone!"
You were starting to get nervous so Alfred put a warm hand on your shoulder.
"That's because he has had to move from one city to another to attend to important… matters. And you can guess that's also the reason why he hasn't used his phone, he doesn't want distractions."
"B-but..!"
"Please Miss Y/N, come in and have some tea, you can wait for him on the couch."
Almost forced, you entered the mansion with the butler's hand gently pushing you from behind to enter. Although it was not the first time you visited the building, you were always surprised by finding new details, whether it was a painting that had been moved or a new, clean carpet. The mansion exuded opulence and good taste and that always surprised you no matter how many times you had been there. You sat on the couch waiting for tea while you played with your fingers anxiously. You turned your head and looked out the window, scanning the landscape outside, hoping to see Bruce walk and return to his house. Alfred arrived with a tray on which rested a cup of tea and a sugar bowl with sugar cubes.
"I brought some chamomile tea, it's good for your nerves." He said with a knowing wink.
You thanked him with a nod, trying to smile. You cupped the cup with both hands, feeling its heat, which calmed you down a little, it was like being near a smoking fireplace, those memories made you aware. The cup was finely painted porcelain and decorated with small blue flowers and green leaves with their stems intertwining with each other. The steam from the infusion rose to your nose and warmed your cheeks.
"Are sugar cubes okay or would you prefer honey?"
"The clods are fine, thanks Alfred"
The tea seemed magical to you, it managed to calm your darkest fears and you could even say that you enjoyed your short stay in the mansion. But you still remembered why you had come there. You were about to finish your drink and put the cup on the table when a figure wearing a black coat appeared in the doorway like an apparition.
"Bruce!". You stifled a scream
Bruce was a mess, his battered face had a bruise on his eye and a cut on his forehead, his hair that had previously been combed back was now messy and fell forward a little. Hearing you distressed, Alfred arrived as soon as he could to see what was happening, of course he already imagined it, when he saw Master B standing there looking tired, his face contracted into a frown. Bruce took slow steps entering the mansion.
You covered your mouth with one hand, swallowing your tears, and ran to hug him but you did so with so much force that Bruce gave a pitiful moan, contracting his face and tensing his body slightly. Scared of hurting him more than he already was, you turned away from him.
"For the love of God, what the hell happened to you?!"
Bruce, without removing his grimace of pain, sat down heavily on the sofa near where you were. Alfred left them alone so that the two of you could talk in peace. If you needed anything, the butler knew that you could always call him.
"It's nothing Y/N, leave it at that.". Bruce said with a whimper
"Are you serious Bruce?! It's nothing?! You have a bruise and cuts on your face, what do you call that nothing?!"
The anguish of knowing that someone had hurt him made you scream in desperation, added to the fury you felt at the habit he had of minimizing everything so as not to worry you, well, it wasn't working this time.
"Please let me at least check you over."
"No, wait"
You ignored his complaints and grabbed his face softly and delicately, even so he gritted his teeth when he felt your fingers rubbing his bruise. You didn't understand what the hell he had done to end up like this, but you suspected that it wasn't because of his work issues. After checking his face you came to the conclusion that his bruise urgently needed ice and that the cut on his forehead was not that big but it needed to be cleaned or it could get infected.
"Well, I'll tell Alfred to bring the first aid kit, now will you tell me what happened to you?"
"Some thugs hit me in an alley when I was coming here…" He said avoiding eye contact.
You knew it was a lie because of how he avoided looking at you, but you didn't know how to get him to tell you the truth. You frowned and touched his arm when you felt something wet, you noticed that a part of the sleeve of his coat was slightly darker. You ordered him to take it off and when you saw his arm you gasped. He had a cut deeper than the one on his forehead and it was bleeding. You urgently called the butler who arrived quickly with the first aid kit.
"Fuck! Will you also tell me that that cut was the fault of a thug?"
"I must have cut my arm on a loose nail or glass… I don't remember"
"Sure.."
You sighed frustratedly trying to control your temper, you hated when he lied, especially in such a stupid way. A cut like that couldn't have been from a simple nail, it seemed more like it was made by a knife, you shuddered when you thought about it. You opened the first aid kit and took out everything you needed: gauze, disinfectant, cotton, etc. You took his chin with your thumb and turned his face to get a good look at the wounds. You weren't a nurse but you knew how to heal certain wounds. You wiped a cotton ball with disinfectant and Bruce tensed his jaw and closed his eyes, frowning.
"I'm trying to be delicate."
"I know". He sighed and one corner of his mouth turned up.
Luckily Alfred also brought ice so when you finished the cut on his forehead you gave him ice wrapped in a towel to put on his eye. But the worst part remained, the cut on his arm that was beginning to stain his clothes. You rolled up the sleeve of his shirt and grabbed a clean cloth soaked in clean water. When you ran it over his cut to clean the blood, he quickly removed it, complaining.
"Ouch". He growled loudly.
"Sorry, this hurts me more than it hurts you". You said sadly
"Oh really?" He said, mocking slightly with irony.
But when he saw your distressed face, he stopped smiling and extended his arm to you so you could heal him. You tried in every way to do it gently but Bruce would squirm slightly or moan and make the job more difficult. When you cleaned the wound the cloth had turned red. You put some disinfectant and bandaged the wound. Bruce, despite being hurt and bruised, looked at you with tenderness, how you took the time to heal a poor boy like him. You were so worried and focused on your task that you didn't realize he was staring at you until you raised your head, a warm smile spread across his face and it infected you, but you were still angry and that's how you let him know.
"Bruce I need to know the truth, who did this to you?"
He opened his mouth but you interrupted him again.
"And don't start with that they were thugs because you and I know that's not true.". You warned him
He looked into your eyes, getting lost in your long-lashed gaze while he thought about what he was going to say. You looked at him worriedly, waiting for an answer, a real one this time. He sighed and lowered his head and spoke in a low voice.
"Y/N I can't really tell you what I did today because it would put you in danger and I don't want that. When I met you I swore to myself that nothing bad would happen to you and that I would protect you no matter what, well if I tell you the truth that I could break my promise and I don't want to see you hurt."
You looked at him stunned by his words, now with more reason you wanted to know what was happening but you didn't want to risk someone hurting you…or killing you. Suddenly you couldn't help but think of terrible things that Bruce could be involved in, as if he read your thoughts, he said.
"I'm not involved in any shady business if that's what you want to know. What I do is something more complex than a mafia, but it's not bad at all, I assure you."
Bruce saw that this was confusing you even more and he could even glimpse a hint of fear that he wasn't sure if it was because of him or because of what he was doing. He quickly took your hand and caressed it.
"I understand that this is all confusing but you must trust me please. I assure you that I would not do anything to hurt you, in fact it is just the opposite."
Bruce gave you pleading looks and he sounded so hopeless that his silences spoke for themselves, he begged you to believe him. You pursed your lips thoughtfully and then placed a hand on his uninjured cheek and caressed it carefully.
"Bruce… I trust you, and I really want to believe you… but, it hurts me to see you hurt like this."
You sighed and he nodded, closing his eyes, feeling the warmth of your hand bring him back to life.
"It's okay, I know you know how to defend yourself. But I ask you for the love of God that whatever you're doing, don't get too involved. I don't want to find out one day through the mouths of others that you're in a hospital or…-"
Your words got stuck in your throat, stifling a sob and he hugged you. You buried your head in the crook of his neck and breathed in his perfume, that seemed to calm you down. It was ironic how Bruce being so hurt could still comfort you even though it should be the other way around. You slowly broke away from the hug.
"By the way, thank you for healing me and being so nice to me."
You smiled maternally
"Of course I had to take care of you and it was a pleasure."
Alfred, who was actually in the kitchen listening to everything like a gossip, approached with stealthy steps and proclaimed
"Oh no, I think I should watch my back or Miss Y/n will take my job.". He said mockingly playfully
The three of them laughed in relief, feeling the tension dissipate. If your life depended on it, you would take care of young Wayne every day of your life without once complaining. Bruce smiled at you even though the bruise still hurt and his face contracted a little into a grimace, you gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and he invited you to stay the night if you liked, you nodded delightedly, maybe that way you could keep an eye on him even closer.
