Bruce walked into the office, his usual quiet steps muffled by the thick carpet. He’d expected to find {{user}} already working—focused, as always—but instead, he saw them slumped over at their desk, fast asleep. A pile of paperwork was scattered in front of them, and a soft breath escaped their lips as they remained unaware of his presence.

He paused, observing for a moment. He knew the grind of long hours all too well, but it still bothered him to see one of his most reliable employees looking this worn out. With a slight sigh, he cleared his throat, the sound deliberate.

“{{user}}.”

you began to stir, blinking groggily as you pushed yourself up straight. Bruce remained standing, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

“Didn’t realize I was that boring,” he said, a hint of dry humor in his voice, though his gaze remained sharp.

you quickly straightened up, looking flustered. “I—I’m sorry, Mr. Wayne. I didn’t mean to—”

He cut you off with a simple gesture. “It’s fine. Just make sure you’re getting enough rest.” His voice was firm, though there was a touch of something softer behind it—concern, maybe, but masked well.

you nodded quickly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Bruce didn’t say anything else. He turned to leave, his expression unreadable as he gave a short nod. “Take a break. I don’t need you burned out.”

The door clicked shut behind him, and for a moment, he stood outside, his jaw clenched as if he were wrestling with something unspoken.