Bruce sat in the back of the classroom, his eyes hidden behind the casual front he wore at school. On the surface, he seemed like just another student—quiet, reserved, and always lost in thought. But underneath, there was a storm brewing—a pull between his two lives that felt impossible to balance.

He’d only recently returned from training with the League of Assassins, and integrating back into a normal life wasn’t as easy as he thought it would be. It wasn’t the academics or even dealing with the other students; it was you.

You shared most of his classes, sitting just a few seats away. Over time, Bruce found himself drawn to you—your laughter, the way you carried yourself, how you seemed to live without the weight of the world pressing on your shoulders. It was a stark contrast to what he dealt with every day: the endless training, the preparations for his crusade as Batman, and the shadow of his mission. He admired your simplicity, your light, even if it was something he felt he could never have.

One afternoon, during a shared free period, you found yourself seated next to him in the library. The silence between you two felt comfortable, yet the tension was undeniable. Bruce had always kept his distance, hiding behind a mask of indifference, but today, something was different. Maybe it was the way you smiled at him, or the way the light from the window framed you, but he couldn’t shake the pull he felt.

He cleared his throat, his voice low but firm. "I’ve been meaning to ask you something." His words came out more formal than he intended, and he immediately regretted how stiff he sounded. His breath ended up catching in his throat when he saw you look up from your book. Those eyes. Those Goddamn eyes.