A/N - Finally finished an old WIP. I wrote this for Bruce Wayne Week 2022 (yes last year I'm late XD). Prompt - Hugs & Cuddles.
"Oh! Mrs. Qu-" Alfred cut himself off abruptly, firmly pressing his lips together. He cleared his throat. "Dinah. Do come in. Master Bruce saw the news and has been quite worried about you."
"Has he?" Dinah murmured. The wind was scraping over the heavy snow on the ground, cutting through her thin, sexy red sweater dress and fishnet stockings as sharp and fast as Ollie's arrows, but Dinah welcomed it. The cold hurt less than her heart.
She listlessly trailed inside Wayne Manor following Alfred like a wraith. Was this how Martha and Thomas felt? Did they spend their days floating half attached to the living, clinging to the past with a desperate sort of passion and hopelessness? If so, she'd fit right in.
The boom of Bruce's voice, barely muffled through old-fashioned wood paneled walls, cut through the soft click of stilettos on marble tile.
"Fucking another woman in your wife's bed while she's out of town on business goes far behind fucking up, Oliver!" Alfred's even footsteps faltered. Dinah wrapped her arms around her waist, wishing she was back outside in the biting, distracting cold. "Like hell everyone cheats!" Bruce's voice was, if possible, getting even louder. "No, I've never cheated! - It's extremely possible, for anyone who's not a sniveling, pathetic sack of shit!"
Alfred raised his hand to rap on the closed study door, but Dinah latched onto his wrist to stop him.
"I like where this is going," she smiled with mirthless eyes. Alfred's gaze was sympathetic, but he gently removed his wrist from her grasp and knocked anyway.
"Hang on," they heard Bruce growl into the phone. "Come in," he barked. Alfred pushed the door open, then stepped aside to reveal a sadly-not-yet-vaporous Dinah. "I have to go," Bruce snapped into the phone as he abruptly halted his pacing. "Because unlike you, I still have a family to take care of," he snarled to what was surely Oliver's whiny protest. God, he really was a sniveling, pathetic sack of shit, wasn't he?
Except, twelve hours ago, Dinah would've sworn that Oliver Queen was the greatest man alive. World's greatest superhero, world's greatest archer, world's greatest husband. Bruce punched his phone off and tossed it down onto his leather sofa as he strode forward.
"D," he breathed out with wet, pitying eyes. She sniffed. A second later she was engulfed in a bear hug. No, a bat-hug, she mentally corrected, full of righteous anger and fierce protection and soul-shattering empathy. The tears that had dried up somewhere around Pennsylvania suddenly choked her breath away in howling, retching sobs.
"I know. I'm here," Bruce hummed in her hair, squeezing her even tighter. A gentle hand found its way to cradle the back of her head, stroking soothing lines against her shaking skull.
"How could he?" she managed to shriek around her gasping tears. "How could he do this to me? To us? We were happy!" she screamed into the shoulder of their longtime friend, who was now perhaps Oliver's ex-friend.
"He's an idiot," the Bat growled as he cradled her in his arms like she was his orphan, now. "You were the best thing that ever happened to him. According to Oliver, cheating has 'nothing to do with how much he loves you'," he snorted derisively. Dinah cackled in disbelief, slightly maniacal.
"Did you know?" she demanded, leaning back slightly in the Bat's arms and glaring up at him.
"No," Bruce immediately swore. "I would have confronted him and told you. I never saw the slightest hint," he growled in frustration.
"Who is he?" Dinah gaped. "I thought I knew him. We've been married for ten years, Bruce! Together for twelve! How the hell -" she broke off in frustrated tears. "In my bed. Our bed!" she heaved. "That's more than getting drunk and giving into temptation at a party, which would have been bad enough!" she sputtered.
"I know," Bruce grimly agreed. "That's pathological. He planned this."
"Right?" Dinah moaned. She sank back deeper into Bruce's embrace, letting all her weight fall into his massive chest as he held her up. "God, I'm gonna have to get tested," she breathed out in sudden horror. "Oh, God, B -" her head snapped up as her eyes went wide. "She can't be the first. Not like this. Oh, my God," she began to freak out.
"We'll take care of that first thing in the morning," Bruce assured her. "I'll go with you."
"Thanks," she sniffed, fighting a fresh burst of tears far less effectively than she fought off the Justice League's enemies as Black Canary. With a sigh, she gave up and clung to Bruce, pitifully crying her eyes out.
"I've got you," Bruce rumbled in his Batman voice while his arms squeezed her even tighter. She never would've figured Bruce for being a good hugger, Dinah thought as she bawled in the safety of his arms. He'd never once hugged her and Ollie hello or goodbye when they hung out. Hell, she'd never even seen him hug Supes or Diana, and they were his best friends. But here he was, the stoic, aloof Bat, wrapping her up like a boa constrictor, like he'd keep her soul from crumbling into dust with the strength of his arms alone, if he could.
"I'm glad you came here," Bruce said in her ear. "I was worried about you."
"Alfred said," Dinah mumbled into his shirt.
"You left your phone in Star City and turned your trackers off," Bruce scolded. "No one knew where you were."
"Duh," Dinah groused. "I needed space. Not a bunch of well-meaning or horrified friends and colleagues all calling me at once when I went viral. Or worse, tracking my location and showing up with superspeed at my car door as I drove down the interstate."
"Technically, you didn't go viral," Bruce smirked in her hair. "It was the naked lady shoved out the front door of the Queen residence who made the news." Dinah snorted.
"Serves that bitch right," she muttered.
"Did I say otherwise?" Bruce chuckled.
"You're a good friend, B," Dinah sighed in deep satisfaction.
"I'm vengeance," B said smugly. "I'm always on the side of justice." Dinah laughed, soft and fond and amused. Bruce really was an absolute delight. Oh, most of the Justice League would disagree, but they didn't know him in civilian social circles like Dinah and Ollie did.
And Ollie. Dinah and Ollie. God. How was she going to chop the other half of her life out of her every thought?
She'd been so nervous about marrying the billionaire over a decade ago, wondering if he'd be faithful, if he truly loved her. Ollie had worked so hard to prove himself to her, never even showing a whisper of interest in another woman. At least, not when she was around, Dinah thought bitterly. And not when Bruce was around either, apparently, and that was what really stung - that her husband wasn't acting out of uncontrollable impulses.
Oh, no, he'd had quite the handle on maintaining appearances in front of anyone who would tattle. The thought made Dinah sick to her stomach. She and Ollie were so happy together. Ollie adored her, and the feeling was mutual. He was warm, loving, attentive, sexy, fun to be around, everything she'd ever wanted. Except he'd apparently been manipulating her, meticulously planning out when and how to cheat, and doing it in her fucking bed.
"I need the top top shelf tonight," she sniffed up to B, propping her chin on his chest. "And a lot of it."
"Whatever you want," Bruce said with the soft gentleness that Batman only brought out around frightened, traumatized children. God. Guess that was about where she was at, huh? "I'll make sure you don't pass out and choke on your own vomit," he added, and that was more like the Bruce she knew. Caring, but cheeky.
She'd briefly thought about screaming out to Supes and asking him to fling her into the sun when she'd stumbled out of her no-longer-a-home and locked herself in her car with only her keys and her wallet fourteen hours ago, but her chest had been heaving so badly that she hadn't been able to get a sound out.
Gotham it was, then, Dinah had decided, because at least Bruce had the money and security to shield her from the paparazzi while her entire world burned down. She had floored it towards the East Coast, not pausing once in her cross country trek except to fill up on gas and coffee.
"Can I tell the League you're safe?" Bruce asked, and a little wounded cry slipped out of her throat. "Not where you are," he swiftly assured her. "Just that you've been in touch with me on a burner phone and you're all right. Although I think Roy would appreciate knowing specifics. He's been calling every half hour for updates on if I've found you yet," he gently added.
"Oh, shit, Roy," Dinah breathed out, closing her eyes in pain. "God, I'm an ass."
"You were distracted," Bruce contradicted. Dinah took a deep breath and let it out.
"I guess, yeah, if you can make sure nobody suspects I'm here and comes looking for me, you can tell the League I'm ok," she mumbled. "Physically, anyway," she barked with sharp, icy laughter that sliced through her chest.
"I pity the Justice League member who shows up in my town uninvited," Bruce savagely grinned. "You, excluded," he coughed a second later. "But just this once," he winked. God, she loved Batman sometimes. Speaking of asses, he could be the biggest one, but right now? Hell, yeah. God bless his Bat-boundaries.
"Do you want to use my phone to call Roy?" Bruce asked her. "I'll step out and call Clark on my League Communicator and have him spread the word you're safe."
"Thanks," Dinah nodded, wiping her eyes on her sweater dress sleeve as she stepped back. The skin-hugging candy cane red sweater dress she'd put on special for Ollie, coming home a day early from her business trip to surprise him as an early Christmas present.
She'd hated having to go out of town so close to the holidays. She and Ollie had always loved decorating their entire huge house together inside and out for Christmas, and baking dozens of cookies, and shopping for and wrapping hundreds of gifts for everyone from friends and coworkers to their regular service workers to local kids' charities.
Dinah had been so frustrated when an unavoidable work issue had required her presence out of state, and she had spent the last week running herself ragged to try to hurry up and finish sooner so she could get home to Ollie and Christmas-making as fast as she could. She hadn't expected to be the one receiving the surprise when she'd walked unannounced into their bedroom twenty-four hours too soon.
Her thoughts flashed unbidden to Bruce, losing his parents on Christmas Eve after a happy night at the movies. Not that it made her feel anything other than selfish to compare the loss of her marriage to a child being brutally orphaned, but she was suddenly filled with empathy for the utter, added horror of unwrapping a day covered in joyous, colorful paper and bows only to find a pile of dank coal mocking you.
If it had just happened at an ordinary time of year.
It was another reason why she'd come to Bruce. Dinah knew she could've driven straight to Jason and Roy's, and they would've welcomed her with open arms and scathing judgement for Ollie. But they had Lian, and next week was Christmas. Dinah couldn't bring her darkness to her granddaughter's home and happy holiday. She needed to take refuge with someone who'd also been robbed by the Grinch.
Besides, who understood darkness better than the Bat?
"Dinah!" Roy's voice on the other end of the phone was relieved and broken at the same time.
"I'm sorry -" she started to apologize. She shouldn't have worried her bonus son so badly, but -
"You don't need to be, D," Roy cut her off wetly. He sniffed. "I can't even imagine if I found Jason - but he would never - but you thought Ollie would never -"
"Did you ever see him cheat?" She had to know. She had to.
"No, D," Roy swore, just like Bruce had. "He was crazy about you. I mean, before you guys met, he slept around a lot, but even then he wasn't cheating on anybody. He never got into relationships. You were the One. I just figured -"
"Me, too," Dinah said softly. "More fool me," she muttered.
"You couldn't have known," Roy protested. "Did Bruce know?" he demanded.
"No," Dinah mumbled.
"See?" Roy insisted. "If even Batman doesn't know when somebody's fucking around, you definitely can't blame yourself. You're at the Manor, I guess?" he asked, having obviously seen the caller ID.
"Yeah," Dinah sighed. "You and Jason don't need the paparazzi - or me - ruining your holidays."
"You wouldn't be ruining anything," Roy said firmly. "But I do agree that Wayne Manor is probably a safer place to hideout than our little old townhouse. We can come see you there." There was some mumbling in the background, and Roy chuckled. "Jason says anywhere with Alfred's cooking is the greatest hideout humanly possible, so despite how welcome you always are here, it sounds like you made a good choice."
"I love you," Dinah said with watery eyes. "You know this doesn't change anything between us, right, honey? You'll always be my son."
"Shit, D," Roy choked out. "Making me cry. Of course I know that."
"Good," Dinah sniffed back. "Give my love to Jason and Lian?"
"Naturally. Give my cowering respect to Bruce." Dinah snorted. "Oh, and Jason says to give Bruce his middle finger. Lian is in bed, but I'm sure she sends Pop-Pop lots of kisses."
"At least one of you has the right idea," Dinah teased.
"No clue which of us that might be," Roy teased back. "Might have to Rock Paper Scissors it," he laughed. Dinah smiled despite herself. Roy could magically lighten even the grimmest situations.
At least one nice thing about her temporary stay in Gotham would be having him and Jason and Lian closer. Their family had settled in nearby Bludhaven where Roy and Jason regularly swapped patrols with Nightwing, Dick babysitting for the couple on the nights they took their turn on the town.
Roy and Jason had wanted to pare back on their vigilante duties to put parenting first without getting out of the game altogether, and God knew Dick needed the nights off, which he spent catching up on sleep in their spare bedroom while keeping an ear out for tiny nightmares. Add in the fact that he was not only Roy's best friend and former Titans teammate, but also Jason's brother and Lian's favorite uncle, and it was an ideal situation all the way around.
And no offense to Alfred's cooking, but Dinah privately thought that anywhere close to her three favorite people in the universe (three most favorite, now that one additional name was scratched off the top of the list) would qualify as the world's greatest hideout. Alfred's cooking was just a bonus.
"Bat-cuddles," Dinah hazily mumbled later that night.
"Hm?" Bruce asked, looking down at where she was curled around his side on the small sofa in his enormous bedroom, tucked under his arm, clutching her almost empty glass of whiskey like a toddler with their favorite stuffed animal.
"Bat-cuddles and bat-hugs. 'S your secret superpower," Dinah murmured against his black cashmere sweater covered chest.
"Is that right?" Bruce softly chuckled, sounding amused. It was a nice sound, Dinah blearily reflected. Felt all safe and cozy coming from someone who was normally so sharp and dry-witted as Bruce and stern and cold as Batman.
"That's what you are," Dinah nodded to herself in satisfaction, solving the riddle.
"What am I?" Bruce asked with that same smile in his voice, all rich, dark creamy goodness.
"Choc'late covered pretzels," Dinah repeated. She'd said that already, hadn't she? "Salt and crispy on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside," she giggled.
"That would make me a chocolate filled pretzel," Bruce pointed out, all warm and gentle and helpful.
"E-zackly. Tha's what you are, Batman," Dinah nodded. "A big ol' choc'late filled prezzle. Wish Ollie was like you," she slurred. "He's one o' those bendy cow tail things."
"Those soft caramel chews? With the creamy middles?" Bruce double checked. Dinah vigorously nodded.
"Actin' sooooooo sweet and delicious and good and amazing but then he goes and flops down between any bitch's legs the second I'm not looking. Pretzels don't go round breakin' promises and wedding vows. They hold the line," Dinah gravely explained with her newfound drunk wisdom.
"Ah," Bruce answered, just as grave. "Well, I am the Man in Black," he smirked down at her.
"Cuz you hold the line? Against the aliens?" Dinah checked.
"Well, that, too, I suppose," Bruce laughed, "but I was talking about Johnny Cash," he said. "The OG Man in Black. I find it very, very easy to be true," he hummed. "Because you're mine, I walk the line."
"You got a nice singing voice," Dinah murmured as she nestled closer into his arms. She protested a little when Bruce took her whiskey glass and set it on the table beside them, but she forgot why she was grumbling a second later when her now empty hand slid around his stomach and held on tight. Bruce's free arm wrapped her up and snuggled her closer, and Dinah sighed in contentment.
"Shoulda married you," she mumbled. "Damn soggy cheatin' cow tails. Ollie can't even sing," she added as her eyes drifted closed. "Stupid Ollie. I love him so fucking much," she sniffed, feeling the sharp gash in her heart again that the whiskey had somewhat temporarily dulled.
"I know," Bruce said quietly. One of his hands began stroking her hair, slow and soothing. "I'm so sorry, D," he added as her tears began to leak out and splash down her cheeks, into his sweater.
"Why?" she sobbed against him. "Why, Bruce? Why? Was it me? Was I not good enough? We had a lot of sex! Even anal, sometimes, when he really wanted. I would've done anything - anything - he could've just talked to me - I thought he was happy -" she broke down in heart-wrenching howls, her hands twisting up in his soft sweater and clenching tight, probably stretching it all out and ruining it, she dimly thought, but he didn't seem to mind.
"You were plenty good enough," Batman growled at her. "Don't ever think this was about you, D, because it wasn't."
"You promise?" her voice was shaky and could barely find its way out from among the forest of her sobs. But if Batman promised - "I can trust Batman," she mumbled to herself.
"Batman promises. I promise," he immediately answered. "You are everything, and are in no way to blame for why Oliver cheated," Batman said firm and hard, like he got sometimes when he was lecturing Hal and really, really, really meant it. Dinah sniffed and felt herself relax the tiniest bit. If Batman said so…
"Batman does say so," he assured her.
"Why?" Dinah whispered again, thready and broken. "Why did he do it?"
"Because he's an idiot and a selfish asshole," Batman sighed. "No other reason. Maybe he has a sex addiction," he added a moment later. "I don't know. But it was nothing to do with you, D. That much I do know."
"Ok," she mumbled, letting the comfort of his assurance wash over her, because Batman always had his facts straight. Bruce did, too. Even drunk off her ass, that was one thing she was was sure of.
"He'd be so hurt if I did it to him," she muttered bitterly a few minutes later. "That's what pisses me off the most. If I fucked somebody else - even now - Oliver would have a melt down. He'd lose his goddamn mind. So how he can act like it doesn't matter…"
"Maybe you should fuck someone else," Bruce chuckled. "It would serve him right."
"Right?" Dinah giggled. "Revenge sex. God, that would teach him a lesson. Where's my phone?" she eagerly demanded, lifting her head. "What's the hookup app of the moment? Tinder?"
"No," Bruce said firmly. "Not until you're sober. And even then, you should be sure you're sure, first. I shouldn't have teased you when you're drunk," he apologized. Dinah pouted.
"Sex'll be easier when I'm drunk," she sulked. "Ollie's the only person I've fucked for over a decade, plus now I'm the famous billionaire's jilted ex-wife. Whoever I fuck on the rebound is gonna brag all about it. How'm I even gonna get off, knowing they're taking mental notes the whole time? At least if I'm drunk, I can try to pretend I'm not completely losing my dignity and giving some new asshole the tabloid story of a lifetime."
"Which is why you don't need to go fuck a stranger in the first place," Bruce frowned. "They could even set up hidden cameras to record it. You don't need that shit, D."
"But now I want to have sex!" Dinah whined. "It's a great idea. Hurt Ollie like he hurt me. Force myself to move on and accept that my marriage is over."
"Look, D, if you want revenge sex that badly, you can have it with me - when you're sober," Bruce quickly stressed when she immediately perked up and gave him a hopeful, sunshiney look. "You know I won't say anything to the tabloids or anyone else," he added more gently.
"I don't know, B," she said with playful deliberation. "Can you imagine how much worse Ollie would self-destruct if he knew I fucked you, of all people?" Was that a devious smirk spreading across Bruce's face?
"I didn't say I was opposed to advertising if we fuck," he clarified with a slow grin. Dinah smiled back, sexy and mischievous.
"Is Bruce Wayne really as good in bed as people say?" she wanted to know, bouncing up to her knees as she slipped her arms out from around his firm abs to wrap them around his neck, instead. Bruce tilted his head down and let his lips brush against the outer shell of her ear.
"For you, D? He's evenbetter."
"Drink this," Bruce insisted some vague, fuzzy, wobbly amount of timey-wimey later, when Dinah was reluctantly sobering up the tiniest bit (but only because he'd sneakily substituted cuddles for booze half-past whenever ago.) She made a face at the water bottle he handed her. "You'll have less of a hangover tomorrow if you hydrate some now," he said calmly.
"I don't wanna," Dinah pouted.
"Bat's orders," he grinned at her, twisting the top off and nudging it towards her lips. "Whole thing. Then I'll help you get ready for bed." She sighed, overloud and obnoxious, but dutifully began to chug.
"You want something to sleep in?" he asked her, getting up from the sofa they'd been curled up on for hours. She gave him a weary thumbs up as she guzzled her water, so he went over to his dresser and began to pull some clothes out.
Dinah tossed the empty water bottle on the floor and loudly belched. With a groan, she cautiously stood up, found her footing, and then tugged her sweater dress up and over her head and tossed that on the floor, too.
"Oh - hi," Bruce said in surprise, raising his eyebrows when he turned back around and saw her in nothing but her lingerie. Almost immediately, his face crumbled into pity, and he blinked and looked away. Dinah's throat burned with her bitter, understanding chuckle.
"Yeah, look at me, all wrapped up for Ollie," she sneered at the scandalously sexy red lace teddy she'd had on under her dress, complete with candy-caned garters that were clipped to her thigh high green fishnets. "Have you ever seen anyone more pathetic?" she said caustically.
"You are the opposite of pathetic, D," Bruce rasped, coming forward to firmly squeeze her upper arms, and somehow managing to keep eye contact while he did, despite her looking hot as hell.
"How are you so sweet?" Dinah mumbled, shaking her head in awe. They'd already made plans to fuck. It wasn't like she cared at this point if he checked her out.
"Oliver's an idiot," Bruce said as he let her go and turned around, dropping the night clothes for her onto the couch as he did. Dinah sighed as she peeled off her teddy, shoving it down her torso.
"Wish he saw it that way," she grumbled. "Or do I?" she mused. "Wouldn't do any good if he did. I don't want that bastard back. I want him not to have cheated in the first place."
"I know," Bruce quietly acknowledged.
"Fuck!" Dinah gasped as she suddenly went tumbling forward when she bent down to slide her stockings off. Bruce whirled around and caught her before she hit the floor. "Thanks," she giggled up at him, with her boobs and cooch hanging out and his eyes still refusing to focus on them. "I'm dizzier than I thought."
"You're still drunk," he pointed out with a tiny, amused grin. "Sit down," he said, helping her back up safely to the couch. He looked like he was fighting a chuckle as he crouched down and took her stockings off for her. "Arms up," he grinned at her a second later, standing and grabbing the t-shirt he'd brought over.
Dinah obediently lifted them, although she wasn't very much help as Bruce finagled her into his shirt, acting blissfully unaware that she was sitting before him completely naked. He was still smiling at her fondly, not lustfully, as he grabbed the pair of boxers and bent down again to slide them over her feet.
He pulled them up as far on her calves as they would go, and then stood to tug her on her feet. It was ridiculously sweet how he was almost clinical as he pulled the boxers up over her bare hips, Dinah mused. What a himbo. Top notch.
"Ready for bed?" he asked her. "I can safely guarantee at this point that you won't vomit in your sleep," he grinned. She giggled.
God, Bruce had such a pretty smile, she dreamily realized. Deep dimples were partially hidden in his dark stubble. She'd never seen him really smile before. Oh, he'd give a little crinkly half smirk sometimes when he hung out with her and Ollie, but never such a playful, open, perfect-billionaire-teeth showing smile with huge dimples perfect for smushing her fingertips into.
"So pretty," she sighed, as she did just that. Bruce laughed.
"You can tell me all about it when you're sober, Miss Lance," he promised, right before he scooped her up in his arms, bridal style.
"I will," she lazily grinned back as she looped her arms around his neck, more so they wouldn't flop around than to hold on. "I'm glad you offered to fuck me," she cheerfully admitted as he began to walk her through the darkened hallways of Wayne Manor.
"I'm glad, too," he smiled down at her from the shadows. "I want you to be well taken care of," he said in a deep, cozy voice that bordered on sexy. "Plus, I'm gonna give you so much to brag to Oliver about," he mischievously added.
"Mm, I can't wait," Dinah smirked. She hauled herself a little closer to him and pressed a somewhat sloppy kiss into his delicious smelling neck. "Thank you," she hummed, as she inhaled the sharp, spicy notes of his cologne. "Not just for the sex," she explained. "For all of this."
"What are friends for?" Bruce said with a sad smile. "You'd do the same for me."
"You'd never give me the chance, but yes. I would," she acknowledged, yawning as he carried her into a guest room. He carefully set her on her feet and made sure she was steady before turning down the covers on the bed and motioning for her to climb in.
"Come get me if you need anything later," he told her. "I'm not patrolling tonight."
"You're not?" Dinah asked in surprise. That seemed unusual. Bruce hadn't even finished his one glass of whiskey to her more than several. (More than more than several, but who was counting?) She'd kind of figured he'd go out on patrol after she passed out, because that's what he did. He was Batman.
"The kids are taking care of it," he explained, "but I wanted to stay in to take care of you." Well, that was just too much, wasn't it?
"You're a good himbo, Bruce," Dinah sniffed as her tears started up again. He chuckled. "Friend," she corrected. "I meant friend. But himbo, too." She reached out with grabby hands for a hug, so he sat down beside her and gave her another one of his smothering Bat-hugs.
"You're a good friend, too, D," he said against her hair. "And you're a good person. You didn't deserve this," he said with an anger that warmed her belly better than the whiskey. He held her for a long minute before sighing, stroking a hand through her hair as he let her go.
"It's probably not much comfort right at the moment," he said slowly as he traced gentle fingers along her scalp, "but time does make living with a broken heart easier," he said softly. "It won't always feel this bad."
It wasn't until after he'd pulled the covers up, kissed her forehead, and gently shut the door behind him that it occurred to Dinah that he might have been talking about a lover that he'd lost, and not his parents. Was that why he avoided relationships? She'd never known Bruce to have a serious romantic partner, in all the time she'd known him.
Yet he was devoted to his children, a hardcore family man, and had formed several long-lasting friendships with various heroes in the League. Him choosing to stay single didn't quite add up, she realized. Bruce thrived on deep, intimate connections - yet he kept all his frequent hookups casual. Huh.
As she drifted off to sleep, Dinah hoped that whoever'd broken Batman's heart was suffering ten times worse than he was. She hoped that Ollie would suffer that much, too.
Scratch that.
Ten thousand times worse.
The End
A/N - Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Tumblr at River9Noble.
Bruce Wayne Week 2023 is coming up in August. You can find this year's prompts and all the details on Tumblr at BruceWayneWeek