Bruce Wayne X OC — Ch. 22: A Date at Haly’s Circus; Family is a Work in Progress
“Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the Flying Graysons!”
Chapter synopsis: it’s been a few months, and Bruce and Yvonne, who are finally acting like proper newlyweds, head out on a long overdue date to the circus. Little did they know just how life-changing their trip would be.
We get to meet Wayne Kid No. 1, Bruce and Yvonne’s Golden Boy. They’ve fixed their marriage so, expect some sweet romance every now and then. This is where the healing arc begins!
Chapter 21: A date at Haly’s Circus
Three months later, Wayne Manor
Bruce arrived home at the break of dawn after patrol. Hearing from Alfred that her husband was home, Yvonne, in her long nightgown, grabbed a shawl and headed down to the Batcave. She wasn’t sure how, but greeting him and inspecting his wounds with Alfred became a routine for her every night after his patrol around the city.
The revving of the Batmobile’s engine came to a halt the second Alfred got to the cave. The door opened, and out stepped the Dark Knight in his uniform.
“Welcome home, sir,” Alfred greeted him, with an arm folded behind his back. “Would you like some chamomile tea?”
Batman took off his cowl, revealing a worn-out-looking Bruce. He turned to him with a tired smile. “I think I’ll try to get some sleep without the tea, Alfred. Where’s Yvonne?”
“On her way downstairs, I believe,” Alfred told him, doing a preliminary inspection of the vigilante’s body for any wounds. Nothing major, just light bruises. “Might I suggest taking a shower before the madam gets here, Master Bruce?”
A putrid odour reminiscent of the Gotham City sewers wafted from his cape and cowl. He was investigating the sewers with Commissioner Gordon and his squad earlier after receiving a tip that Killer Croc had resurfaced. Bruce winced. Alfred would probably have a hard time getting that smell out of his suit. He wasn’t too keen on greeting Yvonne smelling like rotting flesh either.
“Gladly,” Bruce mumbled, hitting the shower.
Alfred picked up the articles of clothing Bruce had shredded before heading to the shower. After catching a whiff of them, he sighed and held his breath as he brought them upstairs for him to wash. “The things I’d do for that boy.”
Minutes later, Yvonne arrived in the cave, clutching onto the shawl around her shoulders. The Batmobile was here, but where was Bruce?
“Alfred, hello,” Yvonne greeted the British butler. After catching a whiff of the putrid smell, she held her breath and covered her nose.
“Ah, Madam, there you are,” Alfred said, sounding as if he had cotton balls plugged up his nostrils. “Bruce is changing his clothes. Don’t mind me and the smell. It’ll vanish as soon as you blink… as if our stock of laundry detergent can guarantee that.”
Yvonne chuckled as Alfred excused himself to the laundry room. She did wonder how long it would take him to get that smell out of Bruce’s suit.
Bruce walked out of the changing area, wearing black trousers, and a black shirt. “Yvonne.”
Yvonne beamed, walking over to him. “Bruce, welcome home. Let me give you a quick checkup.”
Yvonne began to treat his minor wounds and had him sit in a chair at the med bay. Thankfully, he hadn’t sustained any major injuries that night. Perhaps Bruce took her advice into consideration and looked after himself more on patrol.
“I showered,” he announced, gaining her attention mid-treatment.
“I know,” Yvonne said, chuckling as she put the ointment away. “I don’t smell any vinegar on you at all.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “That’s putting it rather lightly, Doctor.”
Yvonne sucked her teeth. Honestly? The stench earlier was abhorrent. “You can say that again.”
He chortled, shaking his head sideways. “I didn’t want you smelling like the sewers just because you got close to me.”
Yvonne hummed, patting his chest and meeting his pale blue eyes. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”
“Isn’t it?”
She smiled. “Slow night?”
“You can say that. Killer Croc is hiding somewhere beneath Gotham. Gordon has most of it covered for now. I mostly just had to check his recent routes after going around the city,” Bruce said. “Were you worried about me, Yvonne?”
Yvonne frowned. What sort of question was that? “You’re my husband. I’m always worried about your safety.”
He chuckled then, gently caressing her cheek with his thumb. He gently pulled her into his lap with his other arm, leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. Yvonne leaned into him, closing her eyes and melting into the kiss. His warm touch never failed to make time around her freeze, even for just a moment.
“I like coming home in one piece,” he said between kisses. “I’ll always try to stay safe for your and Alfred’s sake.”
Yvonne smiled against his lips, humming a sound of delight. He brushed lips with her again, letting his walls finally crumble after everything he’d gone through that night alone.
Admittedly, they’d been getting along very well for the past few months since they let the cat out of the bag. They were finally acting like proper newlyweds. The best part was that they didn’t have to fake their interactions and affection for each other in public anymore, because their love for each other was sincere.
Yvonne giggled when his kisses trailed down her jaw and onto the skin of her neck. It was so ticklish. She was briefly reminded of the time Alfred had caught them red handed in Bruce’s study having one of their little… escapades.
“Bruce,” Yvonne said between embarrassed blushes and fits of giggles, squeezing his thigh, “maybe not here?”
He lifted his head, meeting her eyes and playing with a strand of her hair. “But I haven’t seen you in a few days.”
Yvonne gently caressed his cheeks and placed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “I missed you too.”
He paused. “Yvonne, I’ve actually been meaning to ask you something.”
Yvonne tilted her head to the side. “What is it?” She asked.
“I have a new case to investigate,” Bruce explained, “and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me.”
This was a rare invite. Bruce almost never let her tag along on his investigations because he was so concerned about her safety. Maybe he didn’t need to be ‘Batman’ for this one.
“Does ‘Bruce Wayne’ need to make a public appearance?” Yvonne asked.
“Yes. It’s the only way for me to scope out the mission site and the potential victims properly. I figured it would be nice for you to come along with me this time,” he said and smiled at her.
Well, that was vague. Yvonne wondered what made her usually paranoid husband invite her so willingly on his investigation. “That depends. I might have to go to work that day.”
“It’s after work on Friday. My mission site is a circus. Do you remember Haly’s Travelling Circus?”
Her eyes widened. Of course she did! Yvonne and Bruce used to watch the circus a few times together as kids. They were particularly amazed by circus acrobats and their agility, watching them flip in the air and flawlessly land on their feet each time without failure.
“Of course I do!” Yvonne beamed. “I remember watching an acrobat around our age back then. Her name was Mary, the same Mary we both helped months ago.”
The pair shared rather bittersweet smiles as they recalled the Graysons. The Grayson couple had been ambushed on their way to their only son, Dick, who was having surgery at Gotham General. In that instance, a healthy and pregnant Mary had been pushed by one of her assailants, causing her to lose her little baby girl, Dorothy. John Grayson sustained severe external injuries while protecting his wife.
Batman had been patrolling the area just in time to catch the assailants in the act and rush them both to the hospital. Yvonne had been overlooking Mary’s physical and psychological health. As of late, she was medically cleared for physical activities.
Yvonne had a feeling she wouldn’t truly recover from her emotional ordeal. If her older brother and sister-in-law were still grieving their lost baby after five years, then Mary, John and Dick must be doing the same.
Yvonne smiled as she recalled the image of a bright and lovely Dick Grayson smiling at her at the hospital, the family’s sole emotional anchor. Her fingers and Bruce’s intertwined, weaved together in her lap. “You know, I met their son. He was a patient in the paeds department. He’s a very lovely child.”
“I checked up on him too. Dick’s doing all he can to comfort his parents, despite his sadness,” Bruce told her.
“Ah, right. What are you investigating at the circus?” Yvonne asked.
“My case has something to do with the mob.”
Yvonne’s heartbeat quickened. Despite his best efforts, Gotham’s mob bosses still thrived in town, driving corruption and crime wherever they went. What could they possibly gain from Haly’s Circus?
“There’s been reports of suspected criminal activity going on there,” Bruce told her. “Comissioner Gordon got a tip that one of Salvatore Maroni’s men had been extorting money out of Haly again recently.”
Yvonne nodded in understanding. She wondered where she fit into this puzzle. “Do you need my help, Bruce?”
He smiled at her. “No. Just think of it as a date. I know you’ve been under pressure lately at the hospital,” he caressed her cheek gently. “Why not try and blow off some steam?”
She gave him a smile. “Okay, I see your point. It’s been a while since our last date and a long time since we’ve last seen the circus, so I’ll go with you, Bruce.”
“Not that one.”
“What are you talking about?”
He gave her a mischievous smirk. “Call me something else.”
Right. The pet names. Alfred had brought it up (to her husband’s delight), so now they weren’t just calling each other’s names.
It was still awkward and took some time getting used to, but it was nice and heart fluttering each time she heard them. Teenage Yvonne would’ve literally climbed a mountain and screamed at the very peak out of excitement and joy. But Adult Yvonne was always composed (at least 60% of the time), so she kept it to a minimum.
“Maybe next time, Bruce. Oh, it’s getting late,” she replied, pressing a kiss to his cheek and about to get up. “I’ll head back to my room and get some shut eye—“
He caught her by the waist, pulling her back into his lap and locking lips with her again. He caught her by surprise this time, making her blush furiously. This kiss was deeper, longer, filled with much more longing than the one he shared with her earlier. When they did break the kiss, Yvonne was grasping for air, cheeks pink as she looked up at her husband.
“We can always start sharing a room,” Bruce pointed out, breathlessly, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He figured he’d waited patiently enough for this. “Why don’t you start spending the night with me this time?”
“U-umm…” Yvonne stuttered, flustered, looking away. Her husband’s face card was lethal. She wasn’t sure if her heart could take it. Yvonne squeezed his shoulders. “But, Bruce, dearest—“
“Please?”
Oh no. He said the magic words, and he’d given her his best ‘pretty please’ smile. He was practically giving her his best puppy dog look.
Yvonne bit her lower lip. Dang it. Sometimes she disliked her husband and his good-for-nothing perfect face.
She sighed in defeat, nodding. “Fine.”
“Take it as a… beta test, okay?” Bruce said convincingly.
“Okay—Bruce!”
He’d picked her up into a bridal carry in his arms, surprising her yet again. “I’m not letting my beta tester sprint away from me like a rabbit again,” he said with a charming grin, walking towards the stairs leading to his study.
Yvonne laughed heartily, wrapping her arms around his neck as she leaned onto him. “No, what makes you think I’d run away—wait. I look like a bunny in your eyes?”
“A fast and clumsy one, albeit,” he said, pressing a kiss to her eyelid.
“Bruce Wayne!”
“No full names, please.”
“You’re unbelievable!”
“Sorry to disappoint.”
“That’s it. No kisses for you for a week, mister.”
“Sure. I’m curious to see how long you’d last.”
-
Three days later, Gotham General Hospital
It was after a tiring work day that evening when Dr. Yvonne Evangeline Wayne of obstetrics had wrapped up work. She changed out of her scrubs and into a lavender midi dress with a square neck and quarter sleeves. Pulling up at the entrance of the hospital was a sleek, dark blue Ford Mustang, the exact car she had been waiting for.
Despite the amount of curious and envious stares she had gotten from fellow colleagues and hospital visitors as she got into the passenger’s seat, she remained unfazed. What’s important was that she was finally going to spend the rest of her evening with none other than her sometimes dark and broody, yet sweet and wonderful beloved husband.
Yvonne gasped audibly the second she turned to his face as they drove off.
“Bruce, just how much sleep did you get earlier today?!”
Bruce pursed his lips into a tight line, gripping tightly onto the steering wheel. There were dark circles under his eyes, sloppily covered up by some foundation powder.
He was very hesitant to answer his wife. Batman went on a wild goose chase throughout the city to catch Penguin and his henchmen the entire night, but somehow managed to squeeze in three hours of sleep before fetching her up from work.
“Bruce?”
He merely gave her a grunt, making a right turn.
“Bruce.”
No response.
Yvonne gently squeezed his thigh. “Dearest, look, I won’t scold you or anything.”
“But you will make a fuss about it,” Bruce replied, eyes on the road, making a left turn.
“I’ll try not to.”
“Really?” He asked, skeptical, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes. Trust me on this one.”
“I squeezed in about 3 hours of sleep.”
Yvonne sighed. “I suppose that’s an improvement from a few days ago.”
“Well, at least I tried,” he chuckled. “Yvonne, just to be sure, are you sure you want to come along with me today? I know I asked you days earlier but, I just want to double check with you.”
Well, aside from the reasons Bruce gave her, Yvonne had a couple of reasons for tagging along when he invited her to.
One: she and her husband hadn’t gone out together lately, so she thought of grabbing the opportunity when she had it.
Two: Mary Grayson, her former patient, was a part of the circus and she’d like to see her family out in action. Yvonne promised her son, Dick Grayson, she’d come see him perform one day too. She had a gut feeling she’d regret it if she missed the circus. They weren’t in Gotham often, after all.
There was no way she’d decline his invite!
“Of course,” Yvonne replied with a smile. “I really want to see the Flying Graysons in action.”
Bruce said with a small smile, “We’ll be sure to catch the show, don’t worry.”
“Before that, Bruce, darling,” Yvonne paused, smiling awkwardly at him, “why don’t you let me fix your makeup?”
“Is it not good?”
She shook her head.
Bruce shrugged. “I think I did a decent job.”
“You’re not going out in public looking like that on my watch, Mr. Wayne,” Yvonne said, poking his bicep.
The couple reached the circus and walked around the place together, arm in arm. (Right after Yvonne fixed his cakey makeup, that is). Yvonne and Bruce were both hit by a wave of nostalgia. It reminded them of their youth, the days when they used to be so carefree and blissful.
“I remember when Mother and Father used to bring me to Haly’s Circus. It was just John Grayson at the time,” Bruce said, gaining her attention. “He was about my age, if not older. Seven-year-old me used to think he was incredible, watching him nimbly land on his feet gently, unharmed.”
Yvonne squeezed his arm gently, offering him a soft smile. He rarely ever recounted his childhood before meeting her, but whenever he did, Yvonne always listened intently to him. Whenever he did that, he was sharing a fragment of his heart with her, something he rarely ever did with anyone around him.
She decided to tease him. “Is that why you broke your leg when you were five?”
Bruce furrowed his eyebrows at his wife. How did she find out? Unless…
Bruce sighed. “Alfred showed you the pictures.”
“You said it, not me,” Yvonne closed her eyes, smiling in pure satisfaction. “Did your father make a fuss about it?”
Bruce chuckled as he recalled the memory. Perhaps it’s because it’s been so long, but it didn’t hurt as much as it used to. “He gave me an hour-long lecture on the dangers of being a flight risk.”
“Did you listen?”
“I tried flipping again in secret after I healed,” Bruce admitted, making Yvonne chuckle fondly.
Seven-year-old Bruce was adorable, and there was a picture in his photo album with the late Mr and Mrs. Wayne, where he had broken his leg and was in crutches. Probably from attempting to do a backflip or cartwheel while imitating John Grayson at the time. Yvonne found it adorable.
Yvonne gently squeezed his arm and leaned onto him. “And now in the present, John Grayson managed to build a wonderful family, all of whom truly shared his life’s passion for acrobatics,” Yvonne responded in kind, thinking fondly of the Flying Graysons.
Bruce looked at the kids being accompanied by their respective parents, happily laughing away. He hoped that at the very least, with the silent oath he swore to himself and the duty he had chosen to do, they would never have to lose their smiles and happiness the same way he did when he was their age.
Bruce felt a smile tug at his lips. They weren’t really looking to have children together yet because of Yvonne’s health and Ra’s Al Ghul’s looming threat, but Bruce can’t help but revisit the thought himself from time to time. He’d love it if he had a daughter who resembled his lovely and gentle wife, but he wouldn’t mind a son either.
Bruce turned to Yvonne, hoping to hear an answer from her. “I’ve always wondered, Yvonne; if we ever had a child together, would you prefer a daughter or a son?”
Yvonne turned to him with a smile. She’d always wanted to be a mother someday. Due to her endometriosis diagnosis, she didn’t expect to have any children anytime soon, but if she was blessed to have one, then she’d love them regardless of gender.
“I don’t mind whichever, Bruce,” Yvonne answered, “because I’d be incredibly happy with any child of ours. I’d feel lucky if we were to even have just one.”
He closed his eyes for a moment and let another smile grace his face. He shared the same sentiment his wife did. He’d love them regardless too.
While it was always fun to think about, Bruce didn’t like making Yvonne feel miserable about her parenting prospects. Perhaps he shouldn’t bring it up every now and then. “I feel the same way, Yvonne. I would cherish them nonetheless too.”
“Oh, Bruce, why don’t we take a look at that dart game over there? Umm…” Yvonne flinched slightly when she made eye contact with a nearby clown, tightening her grip on her husband’s arm. Instinctively, he pulled her closer to him. The innocent clown was merely waving at them, grinning, pointing to a seemingly harmless flower brooch pinned to his chest. “Let’s avoid the clown, please,” she whispered softly.
Bruce chuckled in response. She was adorable. “This way, Yvonne. Errr… not that I would want to see a clown today either.” The Joker was enough of a lunatic, and his wife probably felt the same way.
The couple had fun on their date together. They watched shows, tried new food, and played games they otherwise wouldn’t have tried on a regular day. They challenged each other at dart games, and Yvonne won half of them, satisfied (Bruce lost some on purpose just to let her win and watch her smile, but did his best in and won some to quench his thirst for competition).
Time passed, and eventually, the time came for them to witness the long awaited act in the large circus tent, away from the festivities. Bruce and Yvonne took their seats, excited to see what was in store for them that night while keeping their eyes peeled out for any potential threats. Even while they were having fun, Bruce would never abandon his mission.
“Introducing our next act, done without a safety net,” announced the circus master, Mr. Haly. “Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the Flying Graysons!”
Bruce had his eyebrows furrowed. The Flying Graysons often performed their death-defying trapeze acts without a safety net, but something about their performance that day made him feel unsettled.
Yvonne blinked in confusion. She hadn’t seen the Flying Graysons in action since she was a teenager, so the ‘no safety net’ bit unsettled her. She turned to her husband, alert. “Bruce, is that normal?”
Bruce hummed and nodded. “Apparently so.”
Yvonne felt her head spin. But what if they fell? What if Dick fell? Then what would be of their family?
Yvonne closed her eyes. She’d lost many patients over the years at the hospital. She wasn’t willing to have another beloved patient of hers fall to their death right before her very eyes.
Bruce gently squeezed her hand, snapping her out of her mini spiral. Yvonne sighed in relief, mouthing a silent ‘thank you’ to her husband. At the very least, his gentle touch and smile managed to ground her.
Bruce pursed his lips. “I paid the circus a visit just yesterday after Commissioner Gordon summoned me,” Bruce told her, watching as the Graysons stood on the high platform, receiving a large round of applause from the audience merely for their entrance.
Bruce continued, “A man named Tony Zucco had been extorting money out of Haly on behalf of Maroni, but Haly refused him. Zucco claimed it was to provide the circus with ‘protection’. This was Maroni’s second attempt at extorting money from Haly, the first time being months ago when we saved both John and Mary Grayson.”
John Grayson began swinging in the air from platform to platform, performing a somersault at the other end.
Millions of thoughts were racing across the couple’s minds as the acrobatic couple swung across the platform with ease and grace, like true performers.
It was finally Dick’s turn to swing. With a smile, he took a few steps forward for his mother to reach his hand.
Snap!
The audience gasped, a majority of the masses standing up in fear and shock. Bruce and Yvonne’s hearts ached physically, and they were shaking in shock.
“No!” Cried their child in despair from the beam he safely was on above, falling to his knees, letting his tears fall to the ground, desperately trying to reach out to them. “No! Mom! Dad!”
Yvonne let her tears fall as the horrific scene occurred before her very own eyes. She turned to her husband, who was visibly shaking at the sight, and his pale blue eyes were focused on none other than the poor child, now alone.
It was almost like that one fateful night many years ago that led him to be the person he was in the present. That same look of pain, anger and despair in Dick’s eyes reminded Bruce of himself. That child was just like him.
Yvonne held onto his hands, leaning onto him for comfort and to comfort him, tears streaming down both their faces. Acknowledging it, he squeezed her hands with his large ones, firmly. They’d both loved and lost over the years, but nothing hurt more than the pain of losing a loved one to the hands of death.
It was a life-changing night, not just for the young Grayson, but for Gotham City and the world as a whole.
Next chapter: And Thus Begins Parenthood ->
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