2: Distractions
Dressed in a casual grey shirt and some jeans, Bruce leant back against a comfortable chair as he tapped at his computer keyboard half-heatedly.
Bruce cringed when he noticed he hadn't got anything done in the last hour. He had woken up early, unable to sleep in, and tried to finish some reports that didn't need handing in for another month. But his hand kept slipping to his pocket, fondling a piece of paper with smeared numbers scrawled across it.
Catching himself for the sixth time that morning, Bruce stood, grumbling. He couldn't just abandon his work; he had to keep watch, he had to-
"-Sir?"
"Alfred." muttered Bruce, sending a composed look over his shoulder, at his butler.
"It is almost time for tea, shall I-?"
"No." said Bruce unthinkingly, startling Alfred silent, "I-… I'm going out," he said, plucking the number out of his pocket.
"Very well, sir."
"Lo'?"
"Wally?"
"Bruce? Hey, what's up?"
Bruce paused, sitting on a park bench, in the shade of a drooping willow. The old tree was home to a nest of little birds that were singing irritably overhead,
"Nothing… Are you free?"
"Sure. Where are you?"
"Gotham's Central Park. I was wondering if we could grab lunch?"
"Great, I'm starving! I'm close too, be there in a flash!" The phone hit the hook before Bruce could blink, and he was left to wait in the greenery, unable to send the happy birds above deadly enough looks.
"Am I interrupting your brooding?"
Bruce blinked, startled. He peered over his shoulder and blinked at Wally, who was hovering over him, buzzing with energy.
"That was… fast."
Wally simply laughed, reaching out and snatching up Bruce's hand, hoisting the dark-haired man up,
"So where, pray tell, shall we grab a meal?"
Bruce shrugged, silent as they both walked casually towards the large gates leading out onto the main road. Wally slowly grew shifty and Bruce quickly understood the silence was off-putting for the younger man.
"Whatever catches our eye?" he suggested.
Wally smiled, his green eyes already dancing over several store fronts,
"Sounds good. There's a Pizzeria over there?" he tried, pointing, eyeing a restaurant hungrily.
Bruce chuckled lightly, shaking his head; this man had no patience,
"Maybe… How do you feel about Italian?"
Wally looked ready to drool,
"I love Italian!" he crowed, punching the air, either ignoring the funny looks he was receiving or oblivious to them. But when Bruce raised his own eyebrow at Wally's antics, the man instantly quieted, calming himself, "Sorry," he muttered, rubbing the back of his head.
"No problem," in all truth, Bruce wasn't put off by the man's behaviour, he couldn't place why; it just suited the redhead.
Wally's nervous grin quickly relaxed again, and he casually started to talk at Bruce as they wandered the street.
"-And my land-lady is crazy; I swear she's out to get me-"
"We're here."
"Oh," Wally's faded away as he blinked and paused outside of a expensive looking restaurant. For the first time, hesitation sparked his features "Uh- I don't think I can afford this."
"I'm paying."
"But-uh," Wally's face heated as Bruce held a door open, patiently waiting for him to go in first, "I ain't… you don't know how much I eat, I mean-"
"It's no problem really."
Wally paused again before letting out a loud sigh,
"It's your money," he muttered, before forcing himself to step through the front door, a blush lightly brushing his features as Bruce followed behind, shaking his head and chuckling.
Up some marble stairs, waiting by a desk was haughty looking waiter with slicked back hair and narrow, beetle black eyes. As soon as he spotted Wally, he narrowed his eyes, sniffing disapprovingly at the redhead's less than formal attire. Wally was startled by the sudden scrutiny, and shifted uncomfortably. He still tried to smile at the waiter,
"Table for two-?"
"Excuse me sir, but I don't believe you have a reservation-? Oh! Bruce Wayne, I didn't see you there."
Bruce's eyes had lost all laughter as they focused on the waiter; he made an unpleased sound when Wally darted back, to hide behind him,
"Lawrence, table for two."
"Y-Yes sir, right away."
Wally had been peering over Bruce's shoulder, watching the exchange, his grin reforming and growing wide, but said nothing as the same waiter led them to a table at the back of the restaurant, grovelling shamelessly. When the waiter finally left, Wally laughed,
"Come here often?"
"Sometimes…" Bruce said under his breath, appalled by the blatant disrespect he had never before seen in one of his favourite restaurants.
Wally shrugged,
"Whatever, this place is… amazing… but, uh-… Are you sure you can afford this?"
Watching his new companion look at him, so worriedly, biting his lower lip, Bruce couldn't help but offer a small smile.
"As I said before Wally, it's no problem."
Wally relaxed in his chair, his eyes starting to flicker restlessly around the restaurant, fingers itching for something. So when two menu's were placed before them, the younger man instantly grabbed one up and read it over, fondling the string and crape paper that decorated it as he did.
Bruce continued watching Wally, silently analysing the younger man and how he moved. He reservedly plucked up his own menu.
The waiter returned after a short time, his eyes respectively downcast,
"Ready to order sirs?"
Bruce glanced at Wally before nodding, letting the younger man order first. Slowly the redhead began rambling off an entrée, two well sized meals, and a drink, all the while glancing at Bruce for any sign that he was in the wrong. He received none.
"The usual" Bruce said simply when the waiter turned to him. Lawrence nodded and scuttled off, still in shame.
With the menu lost, Wally's fingers fled to an unsuspecting napkin that he dissembled then started to tear away and shred the corners. Bruce watched in amusement; this man could not, for the life of him, keep still. "Are you okay?" Bruce finally asked, making the redhead jump.
"Uh-yeah, sorry."
"No need to apologize. Is there anything you wish to talk about? Did you get that job?"
Wally looked lost for a moment, before his eyes lit up,
"Um-they said they'd get back to me," he said quickly, "But something tells me I'm not cut out for a desk job," he laughed again. Bruce thought of Wally stuck behind a desk and chuckled, the silence would drive the redhead insane. "Though, there's a position vacant at a local café, who knows? But I need a job I can bail out of at any moment; that probably narrows things down considerably."
Bruce raised an eyebrow,
"Why do you need such a flexible job?"
"Oh, uh- I do some… volunteer work; I can be called out at any time some days."
Bruce slowly took in the redhead's words, he could tell Wally wasn't lying, but something about his explanation was off. He wouldn't pry though; he had no right, considering his own secrets.
"Sounds tough."
"Nah, well yeah, it can be pretty rough some days," Wally shrugged "I just need someone who can handle me bailing on them all of the sudden."
"Hmm. It would seem-"
"Entrées sirs?"
Wally's eyes lost their concentration and flickered to the food placed in front of him, he grinned eagerly but politely held himself back until Bruce had started eating his own meal.
Bruce watched out of the corner of his eyes as Wally somehow shovelled the food into his mouth without looking absolutely disgusting. Instead the younger man kept the same boyish charm about him. Bruce had to admit the younger man was quite intriguing.
"So, where are you staying?" asked Bruce curiously as he dabbed his lips with a napkin.
Wally was about to wipe his own lips on his shirt sleeve but froze, watching Bruce before picking up, what was left of his napkin, looking a little embarrassed.
"Eh- Just an apartment in downtown Gotham. It's a bit small, but who's complaining?" Wally asked with a chuckle, "It's pretty good considering…"
"Considering…?" prompted Bruce sending the hovering waiter a look that sent him packing for the kitchens.
"Nothing," said Wally smiling, missing Bruce's silent waiter scare, "I've hit some rougher times is all."
"Are we ready for the mains?" asked the waiter returning, nervously shifting from foot to foot. Wally smiled easily at the waiter, nodding.
Bruce paused, considering what the redhead had told him, but felt a tendril of shame when he noticed he hadn't explained anything about himself to the younger man. As if reading his mind, Wally leaned forward on his elbows, looking up at Bruce with a grin,
"What about yourself? What do you do for a living?"
"The stock markets mostly… and charity," said Bruce carefully.
Wally's grin seemed to grow,
"We've got something in common, that's cool! What kind of-?"
"Your meals?" once again Wally's words and attention were lost to the introduction of their meals.
"I just help who I can," Bruce half-lied answering Wally's unfinished question. "What about yourself?"
"Uh-well," said Wally around a mouthful of pasta. He swallowed, "You know, just trying to save the world…" he laughed then, once again, loud enough to draw in attention from other patrons.
The pair finished their meals in a relatively calm silence, Wally losing his previous nervousness and Bruce enjoying his meal while secretly watching his companion eat.
When they were done the younger man looked ready to bounce off the walls,
"That was great!" he said, giving the blinking waiter a large smile as if the other man hadn't treated him so poorly before "My compliments to the chef!" Bruce smiled lightly and stood, Wally soon following, "Do you want to do something else?" asked the redhead as they walked down the steps towards the entrance.
Bruce pulled a mobile from his pocket,
"Let me just call my ride, maybe we can-"
His words were lost as several bright flashes blinded him. Wally too, was startled and quickly lowered his head and rubbed his eyes clear as voices catcalled and yelled questions that neither man could decipher.
Chancing a look up, Bruce recognised the paparazzi, some from the stock weekly magazine and others from women magazines, who had been trailing him lately, concerning his bachelor status and labelling him the 'Gotham's Playboy'.
"How do you feel about your recent success in the markets, Mr. Wayne? Care to comment?"
"Please sir, can you comment on your strategy for our readers at-"
"Mr. Wayne? I'm from Gotham Gab. Who's your new friend? Or is he more?" called a woman loudly, shoving other's around her, forcefully elbowing another reporter aside.
Bruce blinked at the suddenness of the question while Wally started in surprise and stared at the woman like she'd grown a second head.
"No comment," was all Bruce offered, pushing his way through the crowd, hand clamped around Wally's wrist.
The younger man looked nervously over his shoulder as the paparazzi attempted to follow them across the busy highway,
"Want to bolt?" he asked when some reporters ran after them, the Gotham Gab woman closing in fast, looking almost rabid.
Bruce took too long to answer so Wally suddenly gained a burst of strength. Roles revered as he dragged the dark-haired man back across the highway and around a few corners, successfully losing the reporters. Bruce was panting, looking over his shoulder,
"You've done this before?"
"Nah. But that was pretty exciting though." laughed Wally shrugging, yet to let go of Bruce's hand. They started along the street at an easy pace; as if they hadn't been attacked by the paparazzi moments ago "You never told me you were famous?"
"I'm not," Bruce sighed, "I'm just well known…"
"As I can see…" said Wally, raising an eyebrow with a laugh, "Mind explaining?"
"I'm a millionaire."
Wally blinked;
"Serious?" he looked awed then batted it off, so easily Bruce had to blink to keep up.
"Lucky. So what do you want to do now?"
Bruce smirked, Wally's casualness settling his heart.
"I'll call Alfred; want to head back to my place?"
Wally nodded his smile still in place.
"That'd be cool... You live a mansion right?"
"Yes."
"… Got a pool?"
"Yes."
"… Want to go swimming?"
"No," Bruce paused, seeing Wally pout, and rolled his eyes upwards, amending his statement, "We'll see."
TBC
AN: Hey mob. Thanks so much for all the beautiful reviews.
If you enjoyed and/or have any constructive crit, please throw it my way.
Anyway. Until next time!
