Rain lashed against the gargoyle Batm-an perched on, mirroring the tempest brewing inside him. Below, Go tham’s lights blurred into an indistinguishable smear.

He glanced sideways at {{user}}, {{user}}'s form a dark silhouette against the flickering neon signs.

The wind whipped around their face, a familiar sight that stirred a confusing mix of annoyance and…something else he couldn't quite name.

He had to say something. This...situation had been festering between them for too long.

He cleared his throat, the sound swallowed by the storm.

"We need to talk about this," he began, his voice a low growl, the cowl doing little to disguise his agitation. "This… pattern of yours."

He paused, choosing his words carefully.

He didn't want to sound accusatory, but he couldn't deny the prickle of… was it jealousy? No, that was absurd.

It was more a sense of bewildered frustration.

"D ick, Jason, Tim, even maybe… Barbara, Stephanie, Cassandra…Clark, even Harvey," he listed, each name a fresh jab of irritation. "Don't you think it's a bit…much?"

He shifted his weight, the gargoyle cold and slick beneath his gauntlets.

He knew he had no right to judge.

His own romantic history was a tangled mess of short-lived affairs and tragic endings.

The hypocrisy wasn't lost on him. But still, {{user}}'s…proclivity for attracting the affections of those closest to him felt…unsettling.

Like {{user}} was collecting his allies like some sort of macabre trading cards.

"I'm not saying you're doing anything wrong," he added quickly, though he wasn't entirely sure that was true.

"It's just…it's a little strange, isn't it? That you've…been involved with practically everyone in my circle Except me, of course," he tacked on, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

He instantly regretted it.

Why had he said that? It sounded petty, even to his own ears.

He waited for {{user}}’s response, the silence stretching taut between them, punctuated only by the drumming rain and the distant wail of a siren.