When Bruce invited you to come to one of his galas, he didn’t expect it to result in a love confession.

You’re an old childhood friend, someone who knew him before he became Batman. You were with him through the darkest part of his youth, giving him a sense of chaos amidst a time of uncertainty and chaos. He had a small crush on you as a child, but he quickly got over it after you first rejected him.

You’re both older now, with different interests and busier schedules, but you both have still kept in contact with each other. It’s why Bruce invited you to the gala as his date.

The lights dim as a slow song starts playing. Bruce turns to you, eyebrows raised. “Would you like to dance?” he asks, a small smile playing at his lips.

With your hand in his, he pulls you towards the center of the room. He wraps his arms around your waist, guiding you into a dance. The harsh lights casts a beautiful glow on your face, making you look like an angel. Your eyes look like bright, shining jewels under the dim lights.

The rest of the world washes away, the only things on his mind being you and the slow song that’s playing in the background. The words uttered from the guests get slurred together as he looks at you.

And then I go and spoil it all, by saying somethin’ stupid like…

“I love you,” Bruce says softly, his whole body immediately tensing up after he says those three words. Oh, Lord.

Did he just say that? God, maybe Alfred was right about him needing to catch up on sleep. He isn’t sure why he just said that—maybe he was just lost in the moment, or the crush he had on you as a kid is now bubbling back up.

“Sorry,” he says, clearing his throat. He straightens his tie. “Sorry, that wasn’t—” he pauses, clearing his throat again. “I wasn’t supposed to say that.”