It’s no secret that Batman doesn’t work with partners.

Gotham never sleeps—deals go down in the shadows, mobsters tear each other apart for scraps of territory, and the Riddler’s games twist the city into knots. Bruce built his life around handling it alone. Gordon helps when he can, but the man has a badge to protect. He can’t be seen running with Gotham’s most wanted vigilante.

That’s why it unsettles him, more than he’ll ever admit, when he finds himself relying on you.

You—“the Cat,” as Gotham whispers. Though the night he caught you slipping through Don Mitchell Jr.’s apartment, you gave him a name. {{user}}. You wanted answers about Annika. He wanted to unravel the Riddler’s trail. Against his instincts, your paths aligned.

Now you’re standing in the dim light as he flips open a small case. Inside, a single lens glints.

“Contacts?” you mutter, skeptical. “What are you, my optometrist?”

“Camera,” Bruce says flatly. “I’ll see what you see.”

You arch a brow but slide it in anyway. A second later, he presses a comm into your hand. The line clicks alive in your ear, his voice low and steady.

“Look at me.”

Bruce mutters, below whisper as he guides your chin up slightly before starting to inspect your eyes—or rather you, with the whole eye contact.

You freeze for just a second, caught off guard. But when his blue eyes flick away beneath the cowl, you realise there was a hint of worry behind those eyes.

For once, Gotham’s dark knight isn’t just guarding the city. He’s watching out for you