pairing: pattinson!batman x reader
summary: your past relationship was pretty dark, but Bruce makes sure to make you feel safe again
wc: 1.5k+
genre: worrying, sweetness, comfort, Bruce being a cutie
warnings: mentions past abuse but very briefly and not in depth, reader has an instance of being very spooked by loud noises
a/n: thanks for requesting anon and for your patience as I worked through this! <3
You told him it was a fear of loud noises. Who wouldn’t believe that?
Your muscles would squeeze every time he’d close a cabinet, slap papers on the table, or when the wind would pull the door shut with a loud slam.
Of course, you didn’t mean to, but it was something that’s been programmed into your body for so long it’s hard to figure out how to turn it off. Those loud noises and harsh cutoffs brought you back to a time when those noises warned of pain.
It would only be so long before a hand would angrily arc through the air and you’d squeeze your eyes shut before it landed.
You’d smile and tell him everything was OK, trying to ignore the way the adrenaline burned through your veins, how your hands began to shake, and everything in your body locked up.
It wasn’t hard to realize that Bruce was questioning more and more about why loud noises startled you so much, but he never pushed you. His respect for you was too great to invade your own personal battles like that.
You were grateful for that.
It’s a cold night, tonight. You’re just drawing the covers up over yourself to keep the warmth in when the window bangs open. Your body reacts faster than you thought it would and you throw your weight to other side of the mattress and are up on your feet in a moment, a blanket haphazardly hanging off your frame.
“(name)?” Bruce’s voice is soft and he sets his boots on the floor slowly. “It’s okay.”
Your eyes stay fixed to the window, your shoulders and arms spasming. Your stomach knots and you can’t bring yourself to relax, every muscle rigid.
You know Bruce is not a threat, but it’s so hard to get everything to relax.
It’s so painful, standing like this. You want to stop but you can’t. A few tears crawl out of your eyes and down your cheeks.
“I’m sorry,” you whisper. “I’m trying to stop.”
He steps over to you slowly. “I know. It’s alright.” He watches for a sign of fear as he steps closer to you. “Tell me if you’re uncomfortable.”
“Bruce…”
“Tell me.” The dark splotches under his eye make his eyes more vibrant and the pain underneath them easier to spot.
You nod and then keep yourself still to keep from doing something accidentally; you close your eyes as he gets closer.
He reaches out to slowly touch your shoulder and when he doesn’t sense any tension, he pulls you into his chest. He lets out a small sigh as you fold into him. He strokes a hand through your hair whispering, “you’re safe, you’re safe,” as your tears roll onto his suit.
….
It took a few days to get back out into the world, but you did. It was an afternoon artisan market. You wanted to see what the city had to offer to decorate your room.
It was a good excuse to spend more time with Bruce. After all, you liked being chaperoned around by him, and you knew he wouldn’t let you go somewhere that busy all by yourself. Plus, it gives you a chance to put the events of the other night behind you.
You needed some time to get away from the manor, just for a minute, to help your body reset and readjust.
You and Bruce hadn’t had a deeper conversation about what happened, but you suspected that he was just trying to give you the space to allow you to keep things private. He’d held you the whole night, only leaving to change out of his suit and take a shower before returning.
But he never asked you anything. And he still hadn’t asked you since.
You wanted to explain it, give him some picture of what’s going on. You trusted Bruce and you wanted him to at least have some idea of why you were so distraught, but you couldn’t find a good moment to tell him.
…
As soon as you arrived at the market, Bruce kept an arm tucked around your waist, always being something solid to cling to. He kept dipping down to kiss the top of your head and watched a smile of bliss spread across your face.
It felt good to just have this time with him. Batman has to fight and put himself in danger to save the city, but Bruce can just be a “normal” man walking through the city — ignoring that he’s a Wayne.
You decided to tell him afterward. After you had this normal time with him. You deserved to have some time to just be happy and enjoy what’s around you — who is around you.
The both of you spent your time peering through stalls, maneuvering around people, and letting your eyes stop on anything you found interesting. There were a few times you’d pulled Bruce over to a small setup or helped him work his way through all the people in a particular area to get to a small trinket or drawing, but so far nothing held your interest.
“(name), how about this?” He held you back from moving and picked up a beautiful drawing, framed in a wooden frame with a dark stain.
“Oh, Bruce.” You traced a finger around the edges, eyes opening in wonder. “It’s beautiful. It’s perfect.”
“Let’s get it.” He smirked over at you and you just tucked yourself further into his side, blushing. “It’ll look nice on the wall near the door.”
You turned your neck to smile up at him. “That’s a good place for it. I like it.”
“Good.” He pressed a quick kiss to your cheek, before pulling the two of you along to buy the painting from the artist.
After, after.
…
“Bruce?” You looked at him across the table from where you’d stop to dine for brunch. You’d been having such a good day together that you both figured you could stop for an impromptu meal. “Can we talk about what happened a few nights ago?”
His eyes widened for a second, before closing as he set his fork down. “Are you sure?” You could tell he didn’t want to pressure you into explaining anything about why you acted that way. He was open and ready to listen, but waiting for you to take the lead.
“Yeah.” You took a sip of water before clearing your throat to begin. “There was someone before you, someone who had a lot of problems. That someone had a lot of problems, problems that someone would take out on me.”
You looked up and watched for his reaction. His eyes were soft and sympathetic. Gently, he reached across the table and placed his hand on top of yours.
You took a shaky breath. “That’s why I have issues with loud noises. I really didn’t mean to scare you and I’m sorry for reacting the way that I did. It’s just, sometimes sounds get overwhelming for me.”
Bruce’s mouth pressed into a firm line of determination before he got up and took the seat next to you. He peered deeply into your eyes. “You do not have to apologize for what you went through. I’m just glad that you let me take care of you that night.”
He reached across the table, taking your hands in his and pulling them into his lap. He gave them a light squeeze. “I love you. I want to do everything in my power to make you feel safe. What can I do?”
Tears welled up in your eyes as you reached over and ran a loving hand across his cheek. “You already do so much.”
His eyes looked sad. “If that ever changes, if you ever feel in danger or uncomfortable around me, let me know. I never want to hurt you.”
“Okay.” You managed to get out.
He nodded, before leaning in to press a soft kiss on your cheek. You blushed as he drew away.
He sighed before looking at your plate and chuckling. “You better eat those blueberries before I eat them myself.”
You gasped in fake shock. “How dare you?” You pulled your hands out of his grasp to put them over your chest. “To someone you said you would never want to hurt?”
“A few missing blueberries wouldn’t hurt.”
“You don’t know that. Oh, I think I feel faint now.” You pressed the back of your hand against your forehead as Bruce chuckled.
“Okay, fine. No blueberries.” He slid an arm around your chair and drew you in a little closer. “I’ll spare them because of you, only you.”
You giggled before plopping one in your mouth. “Thank you. Glad to know my love for you gets me somewhere.”
He rolled his eyes jokingly as you elbowed him gently in the ribs. He laughed louder than he expected. You watched his eyes sweep over the restaurant before shyly turning to the plate in front of you, folding into your body further in embarrassment.
You smirked at him, before eating another blueberry. “Thanks for listening, Bruce.” You pressed a kiss to his cheek and giggled as he tucked another one into your neck.
“Always, (name).” He slid a bit of your hair back, leaving a hand on your cheek, thumb rubbing affectionately across your skin. “Always.”
