Masquerade

Chapter 14 - Suspicions

Bruce was alone on the way home from the party. He couldn't remember the last time this had happened – especially since Harvey had tagged along with him to most of the events he attended – but surprisingly, it actually felt quite nice. Even though he wasn't one to decline attention, the limousine usually got a little crowded on the way back to his Manor and he always caught the driver glaring frustratedly at them in the rear view mirror, directing his irritation at the giggling girls. Bruce sometimes felt the same way about them and despite not all of them being like that, they never seemed to be overtly retiring. More than once Bruce had thought about leaving parties early just to avoid the hordes of people hounding him.

It was always the same. But, recently, he had found himself looking around for something. At least to begin with he thought it was something. He soon came to the conclusion that it was in fact someone. Standing there surrounded by other people he never thought he would get lonely yet there always seemed to be an empty space in the room whenever he went to these parties. Over the weeks he had been feeling like this, he had tried to fill it with other things – it had, after all, been one of the main reasons why he had invited Harvey along with him – but nothing had worked. He had stayed up wondering what it was that was missing yet it soon dawned on him as he passed the Manor's ballroom one day.

It was Jack. Jack Briggs. Even though he didn't exist – or maybe he did, just not with the personality and looks Bruce had known him for – he had found himself searching for him at the events he went to, sometimes not so subconsciously as he'd thought. Harvey had mentioned to him once that he appeared distant but he had had to lie to him. He couldn't tell Harvey. He couldn't, could he?

There were a lot of things he couldn't tell Harvey, although recently, he had been wondering why not. He had kept quiet about the masquerade, Jack Briggs, why he had brought him along with him to all these parties and at times, when there weren't enough distractions, he had considered why he had. After all, he trusted Harvey – well enough, anyway – and he thought of him as a friend now. Well, they had always been friends since Harvey had started dating Rachel (or at least...acquaintances) and he had known him for at least two or three years by the time he began staying at the Manor so...He wasn't sure what was keeping him from revealing himself.

He thought it was embarrassment that he had been caught up in something like what had happened at the masquerade. Thought it might make him come across as someone who appeared to trust people too much... Thought it might damage the image that Harvey had of him, whatever that was. But then, he realised that it wasn't any of those – at least, to the extreme he thought of the real reason. No, he wouldn't reveal what happened with Jack Briggs and the masquerade because...it unveiled his identity as the Batman.

And something kept holding Bruce back from telling Harvey that fact about him. He knew it was a pretty big part yet...somehow, he always came up with an explanation why he wasn't talking to Harvey about it. He could never remember these explanations but they appeared to convince him every time. Alfred would probably try and convince him that he was doing the wrong thing with that yet Bruce knew – or at least, believed – that he had way too much on his plate at that moment to add anything else to it with Harvey. After all, Harvey probably didn't want to be troubled with that either.

It was a wonder how he'd managed to get out of the grounds at night as Batman without him noticing something was up. Luckily though, Harvey slept even heavier than himself and Bruce hadn't seen the Bat symbol bursting through the clouds of Gotham's skyline that often during the time he was staying.

He had revealed to a complete stranger his identity.

That thought kept bubbling to his head sometimes when he least expected it. Sitting in a limousine, waiting at a table with Harvey for food, getting out of bed in the morning... Always in a different place but never with a different impact. He couldn't believe he had done something as stupid as that. Sometimes he could block the thought from his mind and therefore, save the wave of emotions that followed soon after, but if it wasn't the emotions, then it was the dilemmas.

If he had told a complete stranger who he was (and this stranger turned out to be a psychotic murderer), then why couldn't he tell Harvey?

Bruce didn't know. And more than once, he had wished he could just forget about the whole thing.

***

Alfred didn't worry all that much when he came back to the lounge after putting the phone down and finding Harvey was gone. He knew something had been up when he had been talking to him previously, judging by the way he looked so uncomfortable and quiet, and when he found the note in the lounge, he wasn't surprised. It said he had gone out somewhere and although it didn't say the location, Alfred guessed he had gone back to his apartment.

Harvey had never got to say what was on his mind to Alfred but he had a feeling that it was connected with his departure from the Manor. He had been acting a little unlike himself throughout the time he had been staying over and even though he was being all very friendly and smiley to everybody, Alfred overanalysed way too much (which he knew entirely but wasn't doing anything to stop...) and he had his own suspicions about Harvey Dent.

The way he looked and acted around Bruce was different to the way he used to look and act around Bruce. His laughs had turned more into giggles, his nods more into blushes, his grins more into cutesy smiles...In fact so much so, that Alfred couldn't believe Bruce hadn't seen anything, or suspected anything. Or maybe he had, he just didn't want to say anything in case he was wrong.

Of course, there was always the chance that Alfred was wrong too. So far, he had refrained from telling Bruce what he thought for mostly that reason. Bruce already had a lot on his mind and adding to it wouldn't do anybody any good at all. And if he was wrong then the whole allegation of saying Harvey had feelings for him would seem like it came out of nowhere and he could end up offending people.

And he hated to be wrong.

So when Bruce arrived back at the house, he didn't say a word about their conversation in the lounge. He handed Bruce the note he had found and then just said he supposed Harvey had gone back to his apartment. After all, he had a big meeting in the morning and he probably wanted to go over some things. Bruce looked momentarily doubtful – or maybe shunned because Harvey hadn't said anything about it to him – yet he accepted it and went up to his room, taking the note with him.

Deep inside, Alfred felt like there was something wrong. Something was up with the note.

But he decided just to ignore it.

He worried too much anyway.

TBC

OK, promise that the next chapter actually has something *in* it and not just thoughts over and over again...!! Oh...and it has the Joker too *wooopp!!* XD !

Well, all hope you like this...Thanks for everything so far ^^ !!