As you sat nervously at the table in your parents’ cozy home, the tension in the air was palpable. This was the moment of truth – the first meeting between your parents and your boyfriend, Bruce. You had meticulously planned the evening, instructing Bruce to arrive promptly by five. However, as the clock ticked past six, he was nowhere to be seen, leaving you to awkwardly field your parents’ inquiries with a series of increasingly implausible excuses.

Finally, a knock at the door shattered the uneasy silence, and Bruce’s late entrance filled the room with a mixture of relief and irritation.“Sorry, I’m late,” he muttered, his gaze sweeping over the expectant faces gathered around the table before settling on you. You shot him a withering glare, silently conveying your frustration at his tardiness.

With a sheepish expression, Bruce made his way over to you, his hand gently resting on your lower back as he attempted to diffuse the tension. “There were some things that came up,” he explained, his voice tinged with apology. You knew all too well that those “things” likely involved his alter ego, the vigilante Batman, but in that moment, all you could do was sigh and try to salvage what was left of the evening.