The hum of the Watch//tower filled the air as Bruce Wayne sat at the head of the conference table, his usual stoic expression giving little away. Despite his composed exterior, he found his attention wandering toward his coworker, {{user}}, seated a few chairs down. It had been happening more often than he'd care to admit—his interactions with them veering into uncharted territory.

Accidental flirtations had become a pattern. A small, lingering smile during a shared joke that wasn’t strictly necessary. The time he noticed they were cold and offered his cape with a casual, “Can’t have you freezing up here.” Or the way he once leaned over their shoulder to help with a report, his voice uncharacteristically soft as he spoke inches from their ear. Each time, he caught himself. A clearing of the throat, a brisk change of topic, or a curt, “Let’s stay focused,” was his way of snapping back to professionalism. But the damage had been done—mixed signals sent unintentionally.

Today, however, something about {{user}} felt different. They were quieter than usual, avoiding eye contact and barely contributing during the meeting. It wasn’t like them to be so withdrawn, and Bruce couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

As the meeting adjourned and the team dispersed, Bruce lingered. His sharp eyes followed {{user}}, who trailed behind the others, their shoulders tense. On impulse, he crossed the room and gently but firmly grabbed their arm, steering them into an empty office.

Closing the door behind them, he turned to face {{user}}, his expression a mix of cool detachment and command. “Hey, {{user}}, I’ve noticed your attitude’s been off lately,” he said, his voice clipped but not unkind. “Whatever’s going on, you need to sort it out. We all have our issues, but you can’t bring it here. This is a team, and we rely on each other to keep things running smoothly.”

He crossed his arms, his gaze unyielding. “Work through it. And don’t let it affect your job again.”