UPTOWN GIRL, bruce wayne

break in

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IVORY WAS young when her mother passed, and now that she's older, she is struggling to remember how she reacted to the news. She doesn't know if she cried for days straight, if she screamed until her throat burned, or if she was silent for a week. She has no recollection from that time of her life, and she's not sure if she's glad or not.

She's been well aware of what danger her father is in, but seeing his finger cut off in that bag made everything so much more real. She hasn't been able to stop crying since she saw it. Wiggins insists that she should stay with them so she isn't alone, but Ivory refuses. She doesn't cry much, but doing it in front of other people made her feel incredibly vulnerable, and she hates that.

The only light source in her room is from the outside, and even then, it is very dim. She's sitting on her bed, knees drawn to her chest, and her face is completely stained with tears. It took far too long to convince Wiggins to leave her be, and she would've been grateful for his persistence if he were, well... Anyone else.

It was harsh, she knows it, but she did not want to be comforted by him of all people. She doesn't know who she wants, if anyone, but it was clear that Wiggins wasn't that person.

Something clangs from outside of her bedroom, and she instantly stiffens. The knife she has stored under her pillow is screaming for her to grab it, and she does. Her heart is pounding as she nears the door, but she doesn't hear anything else. She's not convinced she's alone, though.

A floorboard creaks underneath her foot, and she murmurs a silent curse. Just as she's turning the corner, she flicks the light on, and freezes when she sees who it is.

"Dude, what did I tell you about breaking in?"

Bruce is in his Batman suit, and he faces her. His face is mostly covered, but she can still see the guilt on his expression. "Sorry, I thought you'd be-what's on your face?"

"Dunno, eyes, probably."

He drops what he's holding and takes a step closer towards her. For an entirely different reason now, her heart starts to pound, and she's not sure why. "That's not what I'm talking about, Rory."

"Then what are you referring to, spruce wood?"

He shoots her an annoyed look from under his mask, and stops until he's stood right before her. "You've been crying."

She wish she could make a sarcastic comment on how perceptive he is, but that isn't possible, because Ivory is a very obvious crier. Her eyes get puffy, and her cheeks redden like she's having an allergic reaction. So, the joke would go to waste, because you do not have to be Einstein to tell that she's been crying.

"He cut off my dad's finger. Stuck it in a bag. And had me search for it."

Bruce's gaze snaps up to meet her own. He doesn't seem to know what to say, or how to comfort her. She's not sure if she even wants to be comforted by anyone still, until he slowly reaches his hand out to grasp her own. His thumb is tracing circles over her skin. The gesture is so small, but yet it feels like such a safety net, and Ivory's eyes start to brim with tears again.

Bruce murmurs something so low that she can't make it out, but she swears it sounds like Sweetheart. Her stomach twists, terms of endearment were rare from him, especially ones like that. That's if she's even heard him correctly, but if she has, she isn't sure if she's upset about it.

He's always been much taller than her, so when he envelopes her into a hug, he has to lean down slightly. Her arms wrap around his neck and he squeezes her tighter. She's positive he can hear the sound of her heart pounding against her ribcage. Something was definitely different between them now, wasn't it? He's never made her.. feel like this before. She doesn't know what it is.

His suit is rough against her, and she pulls a face, even though he can't see it. "How the fuck are you comfortable in this thing?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you want me to add cushioning for you?"

"Yes," she answers, pulling away. She can almost feel a smile forming. "Can you make it pink too?"

"I'll think about it."

She takes a step back, hoping it'll stop her heart from accelerating even more, but with the way he's staring at her, she's not sure if the movement did much. Ivory glances away, tucking a strand of hair that had fallen out behind her ear like a school-girl. "What did you come here for?"

"What?" Bruce blinks and shakes his head like the question is the most absurd thing he's ever heard. "Nothing- not that, if that's what you're-"

"You were looking for something," she interrupts before he can stammer some more. His sudden shyness is funny, but she has no idea why he's acting like that. It's very out of character, it almost makes her want to check and see if he's feeling okay. "When you came in. What was it?"

"Oh," Bruce breathes a sigh of relief, which only confuses her further. "Gordon said the Riddler gave you a piece of paper with coordinates on it."

"That's what you were looking for?" She wonders, brows furrowing. "Why? That's the place I went to tonight. Where we found..."

"I understand that," Bruce says. "But the Riddler is twisted, and Gordon and I need to find the Penguin. I'm sure that number has got to lead to something else, too."

"The Penguin?" She repeats. "Again? Why?"

"Classified information." Ivory raises an eyebrow and Bruce sighs again. "Look, if I tell you, you're just going to want to come with me anyway. And that's not happening."

"If I want to go, I will."

"No, you won't. I'm serious, this one is too dangerous for you to go on. And Gordon is smart enough to piece together who I am if he sees you with me."

"You got an extra mask?"

"Ivory."

"I'm not giving you the paper until I know what you're getting yourself into. I'm tired of sitting here and worrying myself about your safety until I'm sick."

"You don't need to worry about me."

"I don't need to, but I do."

Bruce breaks their stare to look past her head. "If I let you come, you're sitting in the car. I mean it. You are not getting involved."

"I want a headset."

Bruce pinches the bridge of his nose while Ivory smiles innocently up at him. "Give me the paper and we'll talk."

Smirking now, Ivory points her finger in the direction of her kitchen table, where the slip of paper is hidden in plain sight. His eyes narrow, and she feels her smugness growing. "Idiot. Wait, you're not taking your car right? How the hell are we getting there?"

It's Bruce's turn to smirk. "It's time I show you the project I've been working on."

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