Grin And Bare It

Few Instances

There had been a few instances in Bruce's life where he truly got a break. Before his parents died where he wasn't being groomed for being a good hearted and responsible man. Days where Alfred would do his best to let him relax. Days where Fox would handle important matters at his company. Those days felt rare though. Days where he just really didn't do much of anything. It now made him angsty. As much as when his life truly got almost unbearable he longed for a break. He just never expected that he would get five days to himself while in a dingy motel that belonged to a homicidal maniac. That's what he got though. A five day break. It was awful. All he could think about was the night on the roof. It plagued his thought, seeped into the marrow of his bones and burned images into his mind. He was used to Joker wanting Batman to kill someone. That was nothing different. It was a philosophy battle between them. Now though, he felt even more uneasy. As Batman denying whatever Joker wanted from him was easy. The clown would rant, tell him how alike they were and all Batman would have to do is fight him. It was simpler leaving the vigilante with more control but now he wasn't as in control of the situation as he'd like to be. This was all new ground and he had to keep telling himself that he could keep everything together. He would not let the madman manipulate him as he pleased. It was a mantra he repeated to himself for the five days he didn't even see the clown. Where had Joker gone? No one seemed to know or really care for that matter. The gang felt more at ease with their boss not there to snap at any moment and start killing whoever he damn well pleased. Greed was the only reason why anyone worked with Joker and that kept their better self-preservation instincts at bay. So all Bruce could do was wait and heal from the stab wound. An experience that wasn't the most comforting as every day the maniac was gone felt like a wasted day in his endeavor to find a way to end their never ending war against each other. Not being productive wasn't helping his mental state at all.

When he got a message from Alfred telling him his on and off again fling Silver St. Cloud was back in Gotham earlier than expected he was ready to brush that visit off. Seeing her right now would be hazardous to her safety but she wasn't going to take no for an answer. Silver was a stubborn woman and getting what she wanted was a skill she was born with. She knew who Batman really was and even if that killed their relationship she still mattered a great deal to him. After all there was a time where Bruce thought he'd settle down with her, maybe even give up being Batman but he couldn't. With the likes of Joker making the streets of his city run with blood he couldn't give up the cowl. Not even for love. Bruce had to let that dream die. His promise to his parents became a huge part of who he was and it was an endeavor that just couldn't end, not with how much crime and corruption Gotham was still filled with. Silver though, she found out what Bruce was up to and she had made up her mind how determined she was to see him. So here he was now. Standing outside of her hotel room, debating with himself if he should actually knock on the door or not. He wasn't here as Bruce Wayne though, he couldn't afford for people to think that he was back from his play boy lifestyle in Europe yet. It would just make everything more complicated. Leaving the Jokers motel was surprisingly easier than he thought it would have been. Most of Jokers gang actually didn't live there even if a good chunk of them did. Most returned to their cheap apartments in the narrows, with their families or girlfriends and only came by when work needed to be done. As long as Joker was off 'Bat Hunting' as other men in the group called his disappearance, no one gave two thoughts of Bruce leaving for a while. It worked in his favor honestly. Nervousness couldn't escape him though as he looked over his shoulder. If anyone followed him then he would be risking not only his life but Silvers life as well. Glancing once more down both sides of the hall, he knocked on the door, his hands in his pockets as he did his best to look as nonchalant as possible.

It didn't take long for the door to the hotel room opened and there stood Silver. Her long sterling hair was pulled back in a ponytail, she wore an expensive radiant blue dress that made her steel blue eyes sparkle, and she looked as gorgeous as he remembered her. It brought back all the hopes of a normal life he once had. A life where he could imagine waking up next to her every morning before work and kissing her goodbye until he would come home. It was a life Alfred wanted for him. A life he dreamed about but just couldn't grasp it and embrace it even if he so desperately wanted to. In that moment he wondered if what Joker had once said about him as Batman was his true face. Those thoughts he couldn't allow him to have when he was with her now though. The pain of it would be too much. Bruce stayed silent as he watched her eyes take in his disguise for a moment before she flashed him an amused smile.