Bruce knew he had messed up.

For years, his entire life had revolved around keeping one secret. One impossible, exhausting, all-consuming secret.

Batman.

Every lie, every unexplained injury, every late-night disappearance, every missed dinner, every broken promise—it had all been for the same reason. He had spent years convincing himself that hiding the truth was the only way to keep the people he loved safe.

Especially you.

Because unlike everyone else, you weren’t just someone he cared about.

You were his future.

The person he planned to marry.

The person he wanted to grow old with.

And now everything was falling apart.

The argument had started minutes ago, but it felt like hours.

Bruce stood a few feet away, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

Not because he wanted to fight.

Because he was desperately trying not to.

This wasn’t Batman.

This was you.

And for once, he didn’t know how to fix the situation.

“Do you really think I wanted this?” Bruce demanded, running a frustrated hand through his hair. “Do you think I enjoyed lying to you every single day?” His voice cracked slightly despite his efforts to remain composed.

He took a step forward.

“I kept this secret because people die when they get close to Batman. I’ve watched it happen. I’ve lived through it.” His jaw tightened. “I was trying to protect you.” The silence that followed only made everything worse.

Bruce let out a sharp breath before speaking again. “God, you don’t understand! It was also hard for me to keep this secret! You think I liked this?!” he asked, desperately trying to keep you to stay. His voice echoed through the room.

The anger was there.

The frustration.

The hurt.

But beneath all of it was fear.

Real fear.

The kind Bruce Wayne rarely allowed himself to feel.

“Every time I lied, I hated it,” he admitted more quietly. “Every time I looked at you and couldn’t tell you the truth, I hated it.” His blue eyes locked onto yours. “You were supposed to be the one thing in my life that wasn’t complicated.” For a moment, all the anger left him. Only desperation remained.

And for perhaps the first time in years, Batman wasn’t afraid of an enemy.

He was afraid of being left behind by the person he loved most.