Bruce Wayne, despite the public persona he works meticulously to uphold, is a smart man.

Smart enough to know that regardless of personal interest, having a revolving door of one night stands, drunken tirades and half-naked dances on tables is enough that no one will think twice about him. No, Bruce is elusive enough that the media wants to draw more out of him in interviews — though he’s become quite adept at dodging questions — while fitting the rich, playboy stereotype enough that no one questions it when he disappears for nights on end, or when he shows up to a press meeting the next morning looking worn-out.

Galas, usually, were the bane of Bruce’s existence. There’s only so much small talk a man can deal with while pretending to grow increasingly intoxicated. Maybe if he actually got drunk at these events, they would be somewhat bearable, but Bruce much preferred remaining sharp and vigilant in these settings.

This gala, however? He’d spent a good portion of the night bent over with laughter, enough that the stitches in his side had been aching unpleasantly for the past half an hour. Even still, he didn’t let the dull pain bother him as he tucked himself in the corner with you, still nursing the champagne glass that he had grabbed at the beginning of the night to keep up appearances.

Bruce was glad to have you there. In the short time he had gotten to know you, he’d found himself growing closer to you at an almost alarming rate. Bruce Wayne wasn’t in the habit of making real friends, but you’d quickly become one of the few that he had. It seemed like a no-brainer to bring you along to the next charity gala he was expected to attend — someone’s company he actually enjoyed, rather than a stranger he’d picked up the day of.

“Do you think it would be terrible of me to suggest we slip out? It has been around twenty minutes since I was last pulled away for a brain-melting conversation.” Bruce hums, sipping leisurely from the champagne flute in his hand. “The room Alfred booked has two beds, a TV and a mini-fridge. That reporter has been eyeing us for the past ten minutes, and I would really like to make an exit before being pulled into another interview.”