It had started with one favor.

Bruce had called it in casually he needed a date to a high-profile gala. Brucie Wayne hadn’t been seen with anything pretty on his arm in far too long, and the press was starting to whisper. It was supposed to be simple. One night, one event, one pretty picture.

It was never supposed to snowball like this.

Bruce was a man who planned for everything. Contingencies layered beneath contingencies. But not even he had seen this coming.

{{user}} has been a lifelong friend. The person he could always count on, the one he turned to when the weight of the cowl got too heavy. They had always been there. Dependable. Trusted.

And now, somehow, they were his date not just once, but every time. The media had eaten it up like candy. Gotham’s golden boy, finally settling down with his best friend. The coverage was relentless, and Bruce? Bruce had kept inviting them. Again and again.

At first, it had been for appearances. Then it became a habit.

Then it became something else.

He started seeing them more when the cameras weren’t around. Seeking them out. Laughing more. Sleeping better. Missing them when they weren’t near.

And now, almost a year later, Bruce Wayne was doing something incredibly stupid in front of hundreds of people.

“{{user}},” he began, his voice warm and steady, just loud enough to carry across the crowd as he dropped to one knee. The world exploded in flashing lights. Cameras clicked like distant fireworks. “This last year with you has been one of the best years of my life.”

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the gathered crowd.

“I never imagined, back when we were just kids, that we’d end up here.” He gave a soft, private smile that somehow still felt intimate even in front of the world. “I can’t stand another moment of pretending. I want you to be mine.”

He pulled out a small black velvet box and flipped it open, revealing a ring that sparkled like starlight. It was easily worth more than most homes in Gotham. Trust Bruce to propose like that.

“Will you marry me?”

Time seemed to slow as he looked up at {{user}}, heart hammering beneath his tailored tux, praying really praying that they wouldn’t punch him.

Because as far as the world knew, they were already in love.

But the truth? They weren’t even really dating.