The Wonders that a Drive and a Cup of Coffee Can Work on a Relationship

It was early Saturday morning when Bruce finally saw Jeremiah's message. He'd slept poorly that night as he tried to come to terms with the idea that his friend was behind the uptown fires. He wanted to confront Jeremiah about it, but he was terrified of losing his companionship. He was one of the few people that Bruce could stand for more than two hours at a time and actually enjoy himself around. And he just wasn't ready to sacrifice that.

After hearing the message, Bruce called Jeremiah back.

"Hello?" a patient voice answered.

"Hey Jeremiah, I'm sorry I didn't see your message yesterday. I had a pretty hectic day myself," Bruce responded, relieved he'd picked up. If he were some sort of fugitive from the law, he wouldn't be running around with his cellphone on him.

"No worries, Bruce. It seems that Friday was simply out of the question for both of us. But, I still would like to make it up to you. If you'd allow me to, of course." Jeremiah's voice was cooler and sounded more disconnected than usual. This didn't help to ease Bruce's concern.

Nonetheless, he accepted. "I'd love to do something. What did you have in mind?"

"I'll buy you a coffee and then perhaps we could take a stroll around the downtown park and cemetery. It's a lovely day outside, a bit overcast but at least it's not raining. What do you think?"

The prospect of coffee had Bruce sold. "Sounds good, I'm in. What time should I have Alfred drop me off and where?"

There was a bit of laughter from Jeremiah's end. "I always forget that you don't drive. I'll pick you up myself in about an hour."

"Hey! I'm capable of driving. It's just...none of my vehicles are very inconspicuous and I'd rather not have everyone know when I leave the house. Speaking of, do you need the address?"

More laughter. "Your mansion is a historical landmark, Bruce. I think I'm rather capable of finding it."

Slightly embarrassed, Bruce ended the conversation there, afraid of saying anything else ridiculous. "Oh, right, obviously. I'll see you in an hour then."

"Bye, Bruce. I'll see you soon." And Jeremiah hung up.

The newly risen sun was shining bright through Bruce's windows as he placed his phone down on his bedside table. Suddenly, he was struck with a paranoid thought. What if Jeremiah was just luring him out to hurt him? That's stupid. You can't even be sure that the arsonist's note was from him. So what if the handwriting was similar? That wouldn't hold up in a courtroom as valid evidence, so why should it matter to you? Plenty of people have similar handwriting. Stop being such a crime-obsessed jackass and go have fun.

Bruce shook his head and made his way over to the giant walk-in closet across from his bed. As he was perusing his clothes, a perhaps even more startling thought occurred to him. What if...this was a date? He quickly replayed both Jeremiah's message and their phone call in his head. It sounded like a date. If anyone else had those words said to them, they would also assume this was a date. Oh no. Bruce was definitely not prepared to go on a romantic stroll with the guy who he was 46% sure was a murderous arsonist.

And yet, forty-five minutes later he found himself sitting on the banister of the stairs in the foyer, dressed in his nicest sweater and black jeans. No, he can't really explain where his constant need to feel in danger came from. He was combing through his hair anxiously, only sparing a brief thought for how Jerome had done the same thing for him only a day ago.

An entrance from Alfred spared Bruce from thinking about that too much. "Where are you off to, looking so dressed up?" his butler asked suspiciously.

"I didn't mean to look overdressed. Maybe I should run upstairs and change," Bruce replied nervously.

"No, you look wonderful. I'm just curious for whom, Master B."

"Oh. A friend and I are going to walk around downtown for a bit, Alfred. Nothing crazy," he answered vaguely, now straightening his shoelaces.

Alfred raised an eyebrow. "Just a friend, eh? I don't recall you caring so much about how you looked for your friends before. Are you hanging out with Miss Kyle perchance?"

Bruce looked surprised. "No. I haven't seen Selina for a few weeks now. You know how elusive she is. Although I do have a lot to tell her, maybe I'll track her down while I'm out."

"Well then who bloody is it? I haven't got all day to stand here asking you questions." The ring of the doorbell echoing through the house appeared to answer Alfred's interrogation. "Oh. I'll get it, Master B."

He crossed the foyer and opened the grand front doors, revealing a gaping Jeremiah standing on the threshold. "Sorry," Jeremiah said, entering the house. "I was just admiring the amazing architectural work put into the decor of the front of your home. Anyway, thank you, Alfred, for letting me snag Bruce again."

Alfred looked pleased to see him. "Mr. Valeska. It's a pleasure to see you, as always. And thank you. The architecture, I believe, is Swedish. I'll admit, I was surprised when Bruce didn't mention paying you a visit today. It seems as though he's neglected to tell me that the two of you were going out." A confused look from Jeremiah caused Alfred to backtrack. "Out into the city, I mean."

Jeremiah regained his composure. "Oh! Well,we both know how secretive he can be. I'm sure he was just nervous about being seen with me. After all, I am an infamous serial killer's twin brother."

Bruce interrupted. "Excuse me, I can hear you! I'm not that secretive. And you probably don't want to go around saying that." He finished tying his shoes and hurried to stand by Jeremiah. "Okay, we're going now. Thanks, Alfred. I should be home for dinner. If not, I'll call." He started towards the door.

Alfred asked, "Why don't you invite Jeremiah over for dinner?"

Bruce barely paused. "We can talk about it later, Alfred. Bye."

"Alright, have fun on your date!" Alfred got one more tease in before a blushing Bruce got out the door and shut it, practically dragging Jeremiah with him.

Bruce was surprised to see a sleek black Infiniti g35 parked outside. "This is a nice car, and in really good shape, too," he said, admiring it.

"A graduation gift from my uncle. I figured it's more subtle than your flashy top-of-the-line models," Jeremiah joked, holding the passenger door open for Bruce. After Bruce had situated himself, Jeremiah got in the driver's seat and started the car.

"You seemed rather reluctant to have me over for dinner," Jeremiah continued teasing him as he drove.

Bruce groaned. "I can't even imagine all of the jokes Alfred would make. It's not that I'd mind having you over, it's just that I don't want to sit through three hours of comments about our so-called date." He could see Gotham City coming into view now.

"Our outing that, by textbook definition, is completely classified as a date but is most certainly not a date. Right?"

Bruce gave him a look. "It seems like you want me to say that it's a date."

Jeremiah continued staring at the road. "Hm? Not at all. I just like to make sure that things are clear between us, don't you?"

"I-um...yes. Yes I do."

"Good. So, is it a date?"

Bruce took a minute to think, squirming in his seat. "I don't honestly know."

Jeremiah turned his head slightly to the side, but kept his eyes forward. "Then I guess we'll just have to figure that out by the end of our...outing."

Bruce said nothing because he wasn't quite sure what that meant either. He wasn't exactly the king of reading into possible romantic situations. The only true relationship he'd ever had was with Selina, and that was hardly something to brag about. Obviously, he was discounting Silver because that was a complete and utter disaster that he never wanted to repeat. It made him angry just thinking about it.

"Are you alright?" Jeremiah asked quietly, looking to the passenger side where Bruce was currently clenching his jaw and fists.

Oops. He hadn't even noticed. Bruce unclenched himself. "Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about something from a couple years ago."

"This is a rather odd time to be reflecting on the past, but if you think it might help, would you like to talk about it?" Jeremiah had returned his eyes to the road before Bruce could meet his gaze.

"Um, sure. I'd like you to know more about me anyways, so this is as good a starting point as any. A few years back, this guy...actually you've probably heard of him. Theo Galavan ring a bell?"

"Yes. He was the man who ran for mayor using a group of criminally insane breakouts from Arkham, my brother included, to secure his campaign. I heard you had something to do with his eventual arrest, but the paper never went into details."

Bruce nodded. "That's the guy. I got pretty close with him and his family before I found out how corrupt he was. Apparently his family and mine had a grudge going centuries back. He basically tried to sacrifice me to 'undo past wrongs' or something. That's how I was there when he was taken into custody. But that's not the important part of the story."

Jeremiah turned his head again and gave him a look, raising his eyebrows in surprise. Bruce was taken aback by how bright his eyes were today. "Sacrificing you isn't the important part of the story? Jeez, this second half better be phenomenal."

Bruce laughed sheepishly. "Be prepared to be disappointed then."

"Oh good, another thrilling conclusion to a story by Bruce Wayne. I can't wait for this dramatic reading."

This time, Bruce's laugh was hearty and genuine. He didn't know that Jeremiah had such a strong sense of humor, albeit a bit of a sardonic one. "Yep, get ready."

Jeremiah smoothed his jacket before adjusting his hands on the steering wheel. "Okay, I believe I'm ready."

Bruce could barely get out the rest of the story, he was trying so hard to hold in giggles. "So, he had...he had a step- niece n-named Silver St. Cloud and-"

"Hold on, her full name was Silver St. Cloud? And no alarm bells or red flags went off for you?"

"Um, she appeared to be really nice...and pretty."

"Bruce, you're going to get yourself killed one day by falling for everyone that seems nice and pretty."

"I am not! I've definitely learned my lesson since then."

"Oh, so I'm not nice and pretty. Noted."

Bruce blushed scarlet. "T-that's different. It's not like...I just…"

Jeremiah laughed. "Relax, Bruce. Remember, you have until this evening to puzzle everything out. I know you're the kind of person that likes to take their time to really view the full scope of things before passing judgement. That doesn't mean that I won't tease you until then. It's much too fun for me. Anyway, sorry, please continue with your story."

At least Bruce could make his words come out now. "So, Silver tried very hard to get me to like her. She was a high-society girl and everyone who thought they knew best for me took a liking to her immediately. And I really did like her for awhile. But, another friend of mine is pretty perceptive. Her name's Selina by the way, maybe you could meet her sometime. She's kind of elusive though. Again, not relevant right now. So, Selina saw right through Silver, who was just trying to get me to sign my company over to her uncle, and tried to tell me several times. I wasn't that good at listening though. We spent a long time fighting about it until Selina finally came to me with proof and I realized how much I screwed up. Fast-forward to the part about me being sacrificed and-"

"Sorry to keep interrupting you, but that's quite the time skip there."

"Oh no, this was just in the span of a few weeks."

Jeremiah was silent for a moment, and then said "Bruce, you amaze me. You've lived more life than any other sixteen-year old, and yet it doesn't even phase you."

"Remember, the whole 'possibility-of-dying-young-thing' terrifies me. I've got to cherish every second that I get."

"Oh, right. Okay, you can go on. Sorry."

Bruce patted his arm lightly, wanting to comfort Jeremiah out of his habit. "It's okay, that's not something people usually apologize for. You apologize a lot for really little things. You don't need to go out of your way to make sure people are happy with everything you do. You don't owe them that. And most people don't deserve it right off the bat. That's the sort of thing that people should earn."

Another heartbeat of silence, and then Jeremiah reached his hand back from the wheel to touch Bruce's gently. "Thank you. I don't think I could quite explain just how much your words mean to me. It's been a long time since I've had a friend like you, Bruce. The kind that I can trust and rely on. It's interesting that I find solace in you, of all people, but I suppose that's just what the world decided I needed."

Their conversation about Silver was forgotten. "What do you mean, me of all people?"

Jeremiah smiled, still looking at the road. "I mean that somehow I'm able to feel whole around a guy that's been through so much pain in his life. It's a bit sadistic if you think about, and for that, I apologize."

Bruce wrapped his fingers around Jeremiah's slowly, trying to be cautious with his movements. "Shh, stop apologizing. And it's not sadistic at all. I'm just...I guess, really pleased to hear that I can complete you in any way. I don't have anyone incredibly close to me either, at least, someone who's not my guardian or isn't around half the time. I know you're older than me, but I feel like we have a lot in common."

"Honestly, you're so mature, I've never really thought about the age difference. Regardless, it's only a couple of years. And I didn't have the most normal childhood either, so I'm certainly not beating you to anything there." Bruce was about to reply when Jeremiah added, "We're here. This is the cafe I wanted to take you to before walking around."

Bruce hadn't even noticed that they'd parked. He'd been a little absorbed in admiring how Jeremiah's extremely bright eyes sparkled in the sunlight. The same sunlight that caused his hair to gleam with those entrancing fiery undertones.

"What are you thinking about now?" Jeremiah asked curiously, catching Bruce in his admiration.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Um, nothing this time. Sorry for spacing out." He let go of Jeremiah's hand and opened his door. Standing in front of the car, Bruce took a moment to look at the quaint little spot Jeremiah had brought him to. It was a small two-story building painted light blue. It had a front porch, as well as a wraparound deck on the second level, both of which were a clean white. All of the windows had a subtle dark blue trim. Plants were growing from every little crevice and up the walls. A little sign hung from the awning that read "Dinah and Coy's Diner and Cafe". Overall, it seemed bright and full of life.

"What do you think?" asked Jeremiah as he joined Bruce in front of his car.

"I already love it," Bruce replied happily, walking up the front steps and holding the door open for his companion.

Inside, it was bustling, which was surprising considering the small amount of cars parked outside. Waiters and waitresses were flitting from table to table, patrons were sitting as well as milling around chatting, and in the center of the chaos were two older women, both barking orders and greeting customers. As soon as they heard the bell above the door chime, both ladies turned to look at them. The second they saw Jeremiah, they rushed over to the boys in a frenzy.

"Xander! Oh my sweet boy, we haven't seen you here in weeks! Me and Coy, well we thought you went and dropped right off the planet, we did!" The larger, shorter woman, who must've been Dinah, was looking at them ecstatically. The honey-blonde hair tied up in her bun seemed to be coming out with her excitement. "Oh, and who's this little peach pie you brought with you?" she asked, gazing at Bruce fondly.

Jeremiah, who was smiling broadly, nudged Bruce forward, saying "Dinah and Coy, this is Bruce Wayne. He and I are just stopping in for a cup of coffee."

Both women gasped while Bruce attempted to introduce himself. "Hello, it's very nice to meet both of you. Uh, Xander has talked of your diner with lots of love, and now I can understand why."

The taller and thinner of the two, Coy, tucked loose brown strands of her braid behind her ears and answered. "Well, I'll be! Bruce Wayne himself, in our little cafe. It's an honor. And with Mr. Wilde, too. My goodness, do you two look cute together!"

Bruce's now signature pink tint returned to his face while Jeremiah merely rested his hand on Bruce's back and replied, "Yes, he is rather adorable, isn't he?"

She smiled warmly at Bruce. "Even more handsome than you look on television!" Coy leaned in close to Bruce's ear then and whispered, "Just between you and me, compared to the fellas Xander usually has with him, you're a downright blessin'." Bruce wondered what she meant by that. She righted herself and turned her attention towards Jeremiah, who was asking what she said. "Never you mind, Mr. Wilde." She reached up to pat Jeremiah's cheek, but he stepped back nervously.

"Sorry, Coy. I just recently got over a cold and I'd rather you not catch what's left of it. I wouldn't want your customers to have to go a day without your home-brewed blend."

She didn't look offended at all, and instead thanked Jeremiah for his thoughtfulness. Soon after that, the two boys were seated at a nice secluded booth in the corner of the brightly-lit room.

Bruce gave Jeremiah an amused look. "Still going by Xander Wilde, huh? I take it those two don't watch the news or pick up a paper."

"It's much more convenient to go by Xander if I'm in public. Or at least it was, until I was forced to reveal myself on Jerome's broadcast," he replied bitterly. Jeremiah perked up within a few moments though. "It's very nice to see both Coy and Dinah again, however. If you were to ever wonder where I was if, for some unknown reason, I wasn't home, then this place would be the safest bet. I don't really leave my home for much else. Most customers come in after jogging or biking the park trail that runs behind the restaurant, so there's always a pretty steady flow of business. But it's still relatively simple to get some privacy, as you can tell."

"You were talking about having a cold. Did you mean whatever it was that Ecco came down with?"

Jeremiah looked momentarily confused, then seemed to remember something. "Oh! Yes, that's exactly what I meant. I'm sorry, I barely recalled that part of my conversation with Coy."

Dinah came by then to drop off menus, although Jeremiah had tried to make it clear that they weren't eating. And yet somehow, along with Jeremiah's cappuccino and Bruce's black coffee, they ended up ordering a raspberry danish to share. Their food and drinks arrived within the minute.

Apparently, Jeremiah decided he need to question Bruce's caffeine choice. "Black coffee? That's rather edgy. You know you don't have to prove anything to me Bruce." He smiled slyly, stirring the little foam heart within his drink.

Bruce hadn't even thought of that. He just normally took his coffee without anything extra added. It was fast and easy. He took a sip and said, "If I thought I needed to prove to you how rebellious I was, then we'd be doing something far less wholesome and it certainly wouldn't be light out."

Jeremiah looked first surprised and then intrigued. "Tell me more."

Crap. He hadn't thought this far. Bruce took another drink before answering. "I've been spending a lot of time on the streets of Gotham. I could have always taken you out rooftop-hopping."

The boy sitting across from him laughed a bit. "That's not where I thought you were going with that in the slightest, but I much prefer this direction of the conversation. Although, I think I'll have to pass on that specifically because I've already seen my fair share of Gotham's nightlife and it's never been pretty."

"Where did you think I was headed with that?"

Jeremiah raised his eyebrows, waiting for Bruce to get it. When he didn't, Jeremiah sighed. "You are the most innocent teenage guy I've ever met. What do people do in the dark, Bruce, that isn't viewed as exactly PG?"

Bruce got it now. "Oh, I uh, no...that's definitely not what I was thinking. Anyway, um, why have you seen so much of the nightlife?"

"Because, I'm an engineer. When I design something for someone that's usually worth a lot of money, they throw extravagant reveal parties and whatnot. I'm usually invited to attend. I went for the first few ones, and then I realized I just wasn't interested in all of the strippers and booze, and would have a much better time staying at home and reading." Jeremiah cut a piece off of the pastry in front of them.

"Did they know you were underage?"

Jeremiah rolled his eyes, popping the bit of pastry into his mouth. "This is Gotham. Do you honestly think they cared if a guy in his late teens was drinking a bit? I'm sure there were plenty of people at those parties that would've been much more embarrassed if half of the things they did were reported."

"That's a fair point. I suppose I have no room to talk since I own three nightclubs."

He almost choked on his pastry. "How? And more importantly, why?"

"I had an interesting phase a few months back. Basically, I just drank and partied for days on end. That lead to some even more interesting purchases."

So they talked and laughed and drank until late into the afternoon. Jeremiah excused himself to the restroom, giving Bruce a chance to think.

Mostly, he thought about one of Jeremiah's earlier statements. Regarding their relationship. There was so much he loved about Jeremiah and how they seemed to just fit together. But he couldn't get the image of himself laying on Jerome while the other boy warned him of his twin's rather sinister intentions out of his head. There was just too much deception surrounding the whole thing. Not to mention the notes that had plagued Bruce's thoughts all night. Although, he couldn't imagine Jeremiah even harming another person, much less murdering dozens of them in cold blood. Maybe the best thing to do was ask him about it. But Bruce didn't want to ruin this friendship, or whatever it was. Spending time with Jeremiah made him happy. Maybe that was all he needed.

When Jeremiah came back out, he noticed the fifty dollar bill Bruce had placed on the table. "Absolutely not. This is my treat. It's the least I can do for you." And he handed Bruce back his money, replacing the fifty with his own and leaving all of the change as a tip. "Are you ready to go?" Bruce nodded, and they made their way to the back door, saying goodbye to the two owners as they went. The sun had just begun to kiss Gotham Harbor as they walked out into the park.