Author’s note: I’m so happy that so many of you love this series. I’ve been really happy with the way it’s turning out. Let me know if you’re enjoying it so far, and I promise part 4 will be up soon!
(Part 1)
(Part 2)
Don’t Make Empty Promises: Part 3
You slowly approached Bruce’s grand bedroom, careful not to spill anything, as per Alfred’s request.
The night before was such a roller coaster. It all played through your head again, and you wondered how long it took Bruce to follow your advice and go to sleep. On the bright side, you thought, he has to feel and look at least a little better.
You carefully balanced the tray in one hand, lightly rapping on the door with the other.
“Room service,” you called out, a smirk playing on your lips. You pressed your ear to the door and heard Bruce shifting in his bed. You waited for footsteps, thinking he’d come and open the door. Silence. “Can I come in, Bruce?” You called again, still with your ear to the door. You could hear his muffled voice echo in the room, but you couldn’t understand what he was saying. “I’m just gonna take that as a yes,” you said to yourself, opening the door slowly.
You’d never been in the master bedroom before, despite the couple of years you’d lived here (which, if someone asked, you would clarify was only for business purposes, as you were his personal secretary. And Bruce had offered. As a friend. Like… roommates. Just like roommates. Nothing more). You had never found a reason to go in there. Partly because he would wake up on his own, and partly because whenever he had a… “guest” over, he would sleep with her in one of his guest bedrooms. He never brought anyone into his bedroom. You thought maybe it was because it would be too personal for him, it was his parents’ bedroom after all, but you’d never asked to clarify.
The room was beautiful. The furniture was all made of dark oak, and the room was riddled with gold accents. The aesthetic could definitely be attributed to Martha. She loved to decorate, and you were told she had a preference toward dark oak and gold. You couldn’t blame her. The sun shining through the gold curtains appeared to make the room glow. The grandiose bed lay against the back wall, centered. Two wide nightstands sit on either side, followed by large curtains that covered the windows, which led out to the balcony.
You set the tray down on the nightstand closest to Bruce and half opened the curtains, just to let a little more sunlight in. You slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, next to Bruce, who had rolled over to look at the tray you set down. He opened his eyes just enough to see what you had brought in, blinking to adjust to the bright room. He must’ve showered before he had gone to bed last night. His hair was clean, but tousled, with a few strands laying over his sleepy brown eyes. His clean shaven face regained a healthy glow. He no longer smelled of the bitter whiskey that he finished off the night before, and the dark circles under his eyes had faded just enough that he looked more like himself.
“Good morning, Mr. Wayne,” you whispered with a smile, “Alfred made some breakfast, and he had his heart set on making sure you could enjoy a warm meal.” You brought your hand up to his head and gently began to run your fingers through his hair. Whenever he had a relapse in his depression, you’d learned how to relax him. Over the years, you figured out what he liked, what helped him relax, what was comforting, and why he acted certain ways. He had said a while ago that running your fingers through his hair reminded him of his mom. You picked up the habit ever since, and he never seemed to mind it. A small grin pulled at the corner of his mouth. You hadn’t seen that signature smirk in ages. You started to think that maybe you had Bruce back. That everything would be okay now.
“Alfred or you?” He mumbled coyly, finally looking up at you. Putting your hand up to your chest, you feigned offense.
“Alfred made the breakfast, and he wouldn’t leave me alone until you woke up and ate. All I did was make your coffee and wake you up. So yes, Alfred,” you said in a stern tone, arms crossed.
“Okay, okay! Wow, someone is a little feisty,” Bruce said with a chuckle, sitting up and pulling the covers over his lap. You watched him move, looking at his features. His glossy eyes, his pink tinged skin, his messy hair- you loved it all. You loved seeing Bruce in such a raw state - not many people got to see him the way you did. He leaned over, picked up his cup, and took a sip of the warm coffee, taking notice of the second set of food. You simply watched him, lost in thought. He set his cup down, looking over to you with a raised eyebrow. “Well, are you just going to sit and watch me eat, or are you going to join me?”
You blushed, laughing off the mild embarrassment. “Uh… Yeah, I’ll… Yeah I’ll eat.” You stuttered, picking up your plate of food and setting it on your lap. You both ate in silence for a few minutes before Bruce decided to speak again.
“(Y/N), I, uh… I’m really sorry that… that you had to see me like… that. Last night. I just… I just thought that… I don’t know, I guess I thought I had it all figured out, and, well, I don’t. I realize that now. I was so cold to you. I… I was an idiot, and I’m sorry.” He stared at the ground while he spoke, fidgeting with his hands. You were actually pretty surprised by his behavior. You had grown so used to the confident, well-spoken Bruce, and only saw him this way when he was struggling, or in one of his episodes. You smiled softly, set your now empty plate beside you on the bed, and embraced Bruce in a tight hug. He hesitated, but responded to the affection. You supposed he wasn’t really used to showing real affection to other people. Well, showing real affection in ways that weren’t… sex… was foreign to him. “Thank you… for coming back. I wasn’t sure if you would have,” Bruce mumbled into your shoulder.
“For you? I’ll always come back,” you said low. He smiled in relief. He really missed having you around. You gave him a reassuring squeeze before getting up and collecting the dirty dishes. “You done?” You asked, gesturing toward his cup of coffee. He nodded and handed the cup to you, getting up and walking over to his closet. You averted your eyes to the ground as you headed for the door, unsure if you should really be looking at him in his boxers. You opened it, taking a deep breath. It’s not that you didn’t want to get a good look at him, but-
“Thanks for returning my tie, by the way. For a while, I thought I lost it. I’d be missing a part of my favorite suit.” He said with a smirk, looking through his closet.
“Yeah… yeah no problem, I guess. I, uh, I didn’t know it was your favorite.” You replied, looking at Bruce and being sure your eyes didn’t wander anywhere else. Thinking about it, you could’ve sworn that was actually the suit you got him for his birthday a couple years back. It wasn’t a big deal or anything, you just thought it was interesting and it would look good on him. And, well, again, you bought it for him. Okay, maybe to you, it was kind of a big deal.
“It’s one of the few suits I received from someone close to me. You have good taste,” he said nonchalantly as he pulled out a white dress shirt and black pants.
“Thanks,” you blushed. “I’ll, uh, be downstairs.” You heard Alfred coming up the stairs.
“Bruce?” He called, “Do you have a moment?”
“I’ll leave you two be,” you said, leaving the room and flashing Alfred a smile as you walked past and went downstairs to take care of the dishes.
_____
“So, you haven’t said a thing?”
“No, Alfred, why the hell would I do that?” You asked, exasperated.
“(Y/N), it’s been three months. There’s something there, there has been for years. You can’t deny that, and you know Bruce.” He protested, crossing his arms.
“Do I?”
“That was once, okay. One time. I swear he hasn’t even tried to see Selina, at all, after that one time.” He said, obviously tired of this argument. You rolled your eyes. “Do you really think he wants to see her again? After she broke his heart? And proceeded to avoid him? When he finally did find her, she acted like she didn’t know him. (Y/N), he let go of her, he had to. He had enough. He may be an idiot, but he isn’t that stupid.” He explained with wild hand gestures. You began to walk away as he spoke.
“Alfred, what good is it going to do?” You asked, sitting down in the living room and staring at the fireplace.
“You’re joking. (Y/N), do you not see the way he acts around you? He’s himself. He’s happy. Bruce needs you.” Alfred replied, pacing the room.
“What, so I tell him ‘hey I love you’ and it’s just happily ever after? You know that’s not gonna happen. I don’t want my heart broken, too. I’d rather just stay friends and deal with it.” You yelled, forgetting the fact that, well, Bruce is in the house as well. You blushed before bringing down your volume, and looked at the floor. “I’m so sick of getting my hopes up just to be broken, Al.”
“But you’ll never know what could happen if you don’t at least try.” He said condescendingly, sitting next to you. “I truly believe it will be worth your while, dear. Maybe tonight you can tell Bruce how you feel.”
And oh, that cinematic timing is annoying. It’s odd how your life decides to have the worst kind of coincidences. The door opened, and every muscle in your body tensed up.
“Feel about what?”
“I’ll leave you two be,” Alfred said, walking out with a smile.
Shit.
______
“(Y/N), I know our whole past, I was there. I’m sorry you felt the need to leave, and I know it was uncomfortable, but you came home, and I’m glad you did. These past three months… I don’t know what you think about them, but… but what does this… what does this have to do with anything?” Bruce asked with furrowed brows. He put his hand on your leg tightly, anticipating an answer. You shifted in your seat, turning to face him and look him in the eyes. You held his hands and took a deep breath.
“The point is… After all of this time I… I guess I…” You stuttered. Don’t think about it, (Y/N), You thought, Just say it. Get it out. “I love you.”
_____
(Part 4)
_____
(( Sooo this is kinda short? I feel like? And not like super eventful? But I’m actually pretty happy with it 😊 Idk I feel like it’s good to have some down time and slower parts. But it won’t stay that way, I promise. Good cliffhanger, am I right? Be ready for a part 4, it’s a comin’! ~ C ))
Permanent Tag List: @tabi-toast
Series/Temporary Tag List: @casuallybeinghere @i-forgot-the-punchline @xlvxis @marveltrashaddict
Want to join my tag list? Just ask, and let me know it you want to be in the permanent tag list, or just tagged in a certain imagine coming up! Join the family!
