Atlas

Little Birdie

Sitting in a limo, its seat going on for ages, wasn't something I was very used to.

Never in my life, had I rode around with a multimillionaire in an overly expensive suit.

Bruce sat on the other side, farther away than a conversation would allow, but closer than I could handle.

His eyes bore into mine in the strangest way.

It wasn't creepy, nor was it welcome. It was scrutinizing but not criticizing, it was blank but curious, it was like two different people were trying to claw their way inside my head and neither one would let the other get ahead. 

"We shouldn't be here," Eilis whispered to me and I nodded to him. 

"I didn't have a choice, not unless you wanted to take the subway, and you know what happens on the subway," I whispered back.

Damian’s previously slouched shoulders perked up and his scowl dissipated. 

"What happens on the subway?" He asked, sliding closer.

I glanced at Eilis nervously. 

"Nothing good." He replied, glaring at me.

Damian pursed his lips. 

"You two are weird. She's way too young to be your mother, and you call her by her name. I don't understand. I thought normal people called their parents mommy and daddy." 

"Damian," Bruce said, almost a hint of a stern coating, like a slipping of character.

Damian rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. 

"I'm not Eilis' birth mother. I adopted him." I said, wringing my hands.

Eilis crossed his arms and glared at Damian. 

"And who calls their parents mommy and daddy at this age? Not like you're one to talk, you only refer to Mr. Wayne as father." 

"Eilis!" I hissed out, swatting his shoulder.

"Don't be rude. They were nice enough to give us a ride." 

"Which begs the question," Bruce said, leaning closer, his blue eyes calculating.

"Why couldn't you have taken the subway? And since you claim you can't, how did you get here? You seem to be without a car."

Bruce gestured to the limo and I shrank back. 

"That's…well you see…I had a car but it was…"

I glanced at Eilis, knowing he wasn't going to like this.

"It was crushed in a villain attack. I was told it was an emergency at the school so I just ditched it and ran the rest of the way." 

"You what!" Eilis scowled at me.

Bruce raised a brow, a quirk to his lips that made something inside of me tick.

Crossing my arms and looking away I tried to push back the heat pooling at my cheeks. 

"It wasn't my fault. I thought something serious had happened." I mumbled, finding it easier to stare at the plush leather than anyone else. 

"How far did you run?" Damian asked, his fingers to his chin as he eyed me like I was his new Rubik's cube. 

"Not far at all, thankfully the attack happened just a block or two away." 

"I'm sorry to hear about the car. Perhaps you would allow me to make it up to you? After all, my son is the reason you were called to the school so urgently."

Bruce gave a dazzling smile.

Beside me, Eilis flinched back and Damian scowled. 

"Oh no, Mr. Wayne. This ride is more than enough."

I shook my head and tugged on my hair like a nervous teenager, old habits die hard after all.

Bruce smiled gently and tilted his head. 

"But you say the subway is dangerous and I have to agree. I can't possibly leave you without a proper form of transportation. Especially not in a city like this." 

Smoothing down my shirt I attempted to hide my fidgeting. 

"And please, (Y/N). Call me Bruce." 

Snapping my eyes to his I was startled by the intensity of them, something smoldering in the depths of his consciousness. 

"Bruce," I said before pausing to lick my lips.

Bruce nodded approvingly, giving me an encouraging smile.

"This is all very kind of you, but there is no need for it." 

He raised a brow and leaned back, spreading his arms up and over the leather cushion. 

"No need? Do you truly believe that or are you trying to get rid of me?" He joked, smiling like a cheeky little bastard.

But something about him defied his teasing persona. Something that made the hair on my arms stand up and caused me to shift in my seat. 

"Of course not Mr-"

"Bruce."

"What?"

"Stop calling me Mr. Wayne. That was my father." 

Wringing my hands I nodded meekly.

His father.

Gunned down with his mother for his wallet and her pearls.

Bruce was the only survivor. 

"Bruce." I said, deciding my own feelings on the informality of the name wasn't important, "I truly appreciate all that you are doing but any more wouldn't be appropriate." 

"Appropriate?" Bruce parroted, amusement clear yet so cleverly distorted.

I nodded and narrowed my eyes at him as he looked a second away from laughing.

"Have you not heard the gossip? When has anything I've done been appropriate?" 

Flushing, I crossed my arms.

"Well you have a son now, Mr-" I shook my head, "Bruce."

I paused for a moment to eye him, not sure what to expect.

A part of me thought he would fly into a rage as if he wasn't the one encouraging the societal class merge taking place.

But all he did was nod, almost preen.

"You have to start learning how to draw the line and stay inside it." I chided, embarrassed and a little confused.

Why was a rich playboy like him so persistent?

Bruce's lips quirked up, almost like a twitch, a smirk playing across his lips as if it was involuntary.

As if his other smiles weren't. 

"I suppose you're right. Which is why I should take responsibility for my son. From now on, Alfred will drive Eilis and Damian to school together. This will not only help my son's current social dysfunction, but hopefully foster a friendship to make school much easier for Eilis. That," he smiled like a cat that finally caught the little birdie, crossing his arms, "and you'll get that proper form of safe transportation you seem hell-bent on declining."  

"What!" Eilis and Damian yelled out, and if I wasn't so shocked I would have scolded Eilis for his poor manners.

Instead, I sat wide-eyed and mouth-gapped, flabbergasted. 

"Would you look at that? They're already synchronizing their words."

Bruce smirked down at his son before sending me a calculative smile that made me shiver.

"Alfred will pick Eilis up at six o'clock sharp."