canon is gotham. spoilers for this week's episode in the comments

[testis]

Guess I really can't have nice things, can I? [like friends]

Comments

[promisetokeep]

Selina...

[He didn't know what to say, really. What could he say? It had been a while since he'd seen her, and that last time, she'd walked away from him. Beyond that, he was completely in the dark about what was going on in her life.]

[Especially the parts that still indirectly involved him.]

...I'm sorry.

[christmaspun]

I...know the feeling.

[testis]

Don't be.

[That was it for her show of weakness. She's tired of crying. It's bad enough she cried to Jim, nearly cried to Bridget, she won't cry to Bruce Wayne, of all people. He'd just throw money at the problem and hope it went away.

Too bad money didn't actually buy friends.

Just butlers.]

Ain't nothin' to be sorry about.

[testis]

[Hey bb, sorry you got tossed in a fridge.]

Yeah? What happened t'you?

[promisetokeep]

Of course there is. You're upset.

[She would probably deny it, but he knew better.]

[testis]

I'm not upset.

[Shut up, Bruce. Just shut up.]

I don't get upset.

[promisetokeep]

[Can't shut up won't shut up.]

Okay, fine. You're not upset. [Lies. You so are.] But this bothers you enough that you felt like you had to say something.

[christmaspun]

[Well, that's just her luck, honestly.]

I thought I had finally found a good man.

I...thought wrong.

[She rubs her throat uncomfortably.]

[testis]

Yeah?

I say a lot of things.

[testis]

There ain't any such thing as a good man.

[Wise words from a fourteen-year-old.]

[promisetokeep]

[The corners of his lips twitched upward, but the smile was equally sincere and ironic.]

I've noticed.

[testis]

And not all of 'em mean anything, okay?

[promisetokeep]

[Thou art protesting a bit too much, wouldn't you say?]

Sure, Selina. If you insist.

[testis]

Don't think you'd care anymore, anyway.

[And you shouldn't be talking to me.]

[promisetokeep]

[His brows furrowed together. Not sure if he was upset or slightly annoyed by the insinuation. Dismissing him was one thing. She did that all the time. Blatantly ignoring or denying feelings was equally par for the course. But trying to tell him what he did or didn't care about?]

What are you talking about? Of course I care.

I ran after you, didn't I?

[That night, with the psychotic magician who tried to kill them all. He'd seen her across the room and his instincts led his feet to her side. If only long enough to ensure that she'd be safe.]

[testis]

[speaking of blatantly ignoring and denying feelings...]

Look it ain't any of your business anyway. I got my life, you got yours.

[promisetokeep]

[It was like an endless cycle. Nth verse, same as the first.]

I know.

[Once upon a time, it had been the same life. Almost. It could have. If she'd stayed. He's wanted her to stay, but...she didn't.]

But that doesn't mean I can't still care. We were friends once, remember?

[testis]

[He was wrong. She'd wanted to stay. She wanted to be his friend, his... something more. But Alfred was right, she was nothing but bad for him. A girl like her and a guy like him couldn't be friends. Couldn't be anything more than that. And the idea that maybe, just maybe, they were going to be? That he was warm and comforting and genuine? Was the stuff of nightmares, forget Jerome or the guy who killed Bruce's parents, all of 'em. Feelings were scarier by far.]

We weren't friends.

[promisetokeep]

You're lying. [Again]

[testis]

I don't have friends.

[promisetokeep]

...you could.

[testis]

We won't ever be friends, Bruce.

[promisetokeep]

[She'd tried drilling the same idea into him enough times already that it didn't even hurt to hear anymore. Almost.]

We could have been.

I wanted to.

[testis]

Yeah? Well shit happens.

[promisetokeep]

[Tell him something he doesn't know.]

Tell me something I don't know.

[...whoops, did he actually say that part aloud?]