#i hope youll like it d

Synopsis : You can’t stand Bruce Wayne. His smug face, his condescendence, his dumb ideas for the company, his nonchalance, you just can’t stand the man ! But when you’re stuck with him during a hostage situation, your entire perception of who he really is changes and…

My masterlists : @ella-ravenwood-archives​

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“The Embrace” - by Ron Hicks. This is one of my favorite painting for many reasons, and it fits the mood of this story I believe :). 

                                             ************

It was all over the news.

“The prodigal son returns : Bruce Wayne becomes CEO of his parents’ company after coming home to Gotham. Where was he all those years ? Rumors of his non-stop partying in Europe confirmed ? To learn more, turn to page 7 and-”

One day, things were going as usual at work. The next, your worst nightmare came in. And he took the shape of a handsome playboy billionaire.

Is there a word to describe the opposite of “click” ?

Clash. Fail. Flop. Flunk. “Going down like a lead balloon”.

All of those and more applied. And it was instant. Visceral.

He came in all arrogant and smug, greeting people as if he owned the place (which he did but that wasn’t the question, the guy was just barely coming in after he left for years, uncaring of what happened to his parents’ work !). Flirting overtly with every single woman, and trying to charm every man. The kind of person you either want to be with, or want to be period.

And here you were. Completely unreceptive to it all. Trying really hard not to roll your eyes at his every move, not to antagonize him at every turn. Trying to not openly be sarcastic as it was slowly becoming obvious he didn’t know anything about what was going on in his “own” company.

You couldn’t stand this type of person. You didn’t even need to know more about him to get a feel at who he was. Just the way he stood, the way he smiled (that fake smile that didn’t reach his eyes), the way he talked.

You left the room after you were formally introduced to him, frustrated as hell. What ? He was going to be your boss now ? You had enough with entitled rich brats…

He left the room just as frustrated. Who was this person who pointed out his every flaw so openly ? Oh because he definitely saw through all your little snarky comments everyone else didn’t seem to notice. Nobody ever did that to him. Except maybe Alfred.  

You both were too quick to judge, but there was no mistaking what happened : you two were not going to get along.

************

Your mom used to work for Wayne Enterprises, years ago. When it was still called “WayneCorp”. When the Waynes were still alive. She told you everything about them. Everything.

Martha Wayne was a kind woman who cared about others more than about herself. Born Martha Kane, She was the heir of “Kane Chemicals”, part of one of the richest family in Gotham. She used to be known as a “party animal”, but grew and used her money for good, for bettering Gotham. She was a “woman of the people”, according to your mom. Someone who was never afraid to get her hands dirty, if it meant helping.

Thomas Wayne was a doctor, and also the heir of quite a fortune. He’s always been someone who wanted to help, his choice of career was very telling. He was assertive and feared nothing and no one. When he decided to attack Gotham’s corruption, whether in politics or in the police, it seemed nothing could stand in his way. He himself had plans to become mayor of the city, but died before it could happen (what a coincidence).

There wasn’t anyone else your mother admired more than those two. When they got murdered, your mom lost all hope in Gotham.

Wayne Enterprises fell into the executives’ hands, a ruthless board made of businessmen, partners of the Wayne who had not much room for important decisions at the time, and who became the main actors in it after the Wayne’s death, who did not care one bit make the city more livable for everyone.

Gotham fell hard. Harder than ever. Crime was on the rise, the divide between rich and poor was bigger than before…

Your mom was fired. She was “too close” to the Waynes, she said. That’s why they got rid of her. They knew she’d cause trouble when they were going to start to completely change Wayne enterprises. When they were going to turn it into a heartless multinational, and forget about Thomas and Martha’s plan to better the city of Gotham. To make it safer for everyone, to turn things around and give Gotham City a chance to be more than what it was. 

All their work, down in the drain.

Yes. From what you heard, although you never knew them as you were too young when they died, Thomas and Martha Wayne were amazing people.

So when their son came back to Gotham to get his heritage back, and became the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, you had high hopes !

This was what you were waiting for. A CEO with a humane view of things, who certainly took after his parents and was going to get the company back on track.

This was it. This was Gotham’s time to shine, it was going to be rebuild and-

Oh, oh but that guy.

Could someone explain to you how the hell the Waynes, of whom you only heard good things, could possibly be the parents of…that guy ?!

That guy.

Bruce Wayne.

The most insufferable man you ever met.

************

You wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Although let’s be real for a second : you never did. You judged him the first time you saw him, and from that point on every single of his actions were judged according to that first meeting.

You never gave him a chance. But, to be fair, he never gave you one either. 

“Haha we have a food company ?”

He asked you, after a month of being home. 

When he came back, you were an “executive assistant”, which to be fair didn’t mean much but was the work that was the closest from your mother’s. She was Thomas and Martha’s personal assistant. Which contained much more responsibilities than one could think. She always was their second opinions on thing, and when they couldn’t be physically somewhere, she was their emissaries. 

You though ? Nobody ever really asked for your opinion, and you were basically a glorified secretary. However, you knew the Board and every single people who took care of Wayne Enterprises while Bruce was a child, and while he was away. Did knowing them help ? Sometimes. You gave them many “ideas” which they thought were there, by simply hinting at things there and there…But to be fair, you were far from being important to the company, and you sometimes felt you arrived where you were simply by sheer luck (you didn’t believe in Destiny yet). 

“…Yes. There is a subsidiary food company. Which mainly distributes high end goods, such as caviars for example. But it’s also used in the Martha Wayne foundation for food banks. Obviously, we don’t give them caviar, wouldn’t interest them much anyway. But we manage to get other cheap ingredients in the mix, which we then donate to large food banks around Gotham. Most of them are filled with Wayne goods, to be honest.”

Bruce made that infamous “I’m half-listening”, and you were fuming. What was the point of asking, if he wasn’t going to pay attention ? Yeah, it hit your pride a little, which is why he annoyed you so much. But also, this was important. 

Oh you wanted to punch him in the face. How could he not even know what Wayne Enterprises entailed ? Damn it. If he kept at it, the executives will put him on a side and keep doing what they’ve been doing : slowly ruining Gotham more and more, while expanding nationally and internationally.

“Do you know how many enterprises there is, in Wayne Enterprises?”

He made that face that annoyed you (and that you would never admit, you found a little charming). You know. That one. Where he puts a hand in his hair, smiles widely, chuckle as if he’s embarrassed, and avoid everyone’s gaze…Pretending to be dumb and nonchalant, when you had a feeling he really wasn’t. For some reason, it got on your nerve even more. To know he was only pretending so people would underestimate him (at least you speculated). This obvious cluelessness of his, as if he had not a thought behind his eyes…Frustrating. 

You weren’t sure at first, if you saw what you saw.  But now there was no mistake. You were sure he wasn’t a “himbo”. It didn’t add up with all those small things you noticed (just like your mom, you had an eye for details). You didn’t understand why he would act that way though, which annoyed you greatly. It made him likable to many, it just made you want to fight him. 

He nods and you start :

“Um. Well. There is Wayne Foods like I said. Wayne shipping, which started Wayne Enterprises as a company in the 19th century, created by Alan Wayne. It’s literally the biggest transport company in the world, you should maybe start to be interested in that.” 

You say, raising your eyebrows in a clear attempt to guilt trip him. Which does not work at all (you didn’t know that of course, but Wayne Shipping had a very important role to play in his Batman work, it helped him keep track of any illegal trafficking that might go one). 

“Anyway. There’s also Wayne Yards, where ships are built. Closely associated with Wayne Steel, which makes the material. Wayne Industries, research and development in the industrial field. Closely related to Wayne Mines, which are situated in Africa and which your parents made fair for people there, giving them better wages and protection. And by the way, the board is currently trying to take that away, as the contract is soon to end.” 

You take a quick look at him, to see if he reacts to this news, but…nope. He’s looking at his nails, completely uninterested (or so you thought). You continue : 

“Wayne Medical, sister company of Wayne Biotech, of course. Wayne Electronics, which is one of the largest distributors of TVs and such, your brand has been quite the new fad this past years. Wayne Entertaiment, which owns many theaters and other stadium, but also newspapers such as the Daily Planet back in Gotham, and a few model and communication agencies. And there the Wayne foundation, as well as the Thomas Wayne foundation and Martha Wayne foundation but well, they’re slowly being tossed aside. They’re your non-profit organizations. Wayne foundation used to encourage and help children in difficult neighborhoods, such as mine, to go to school, in the hope to alleviate crime. It also builds many infrastructures so that things like culture, the arts, healthcare are more accessible…The Thomas Wayne foundation is specifically about healthcare and giving money for reasearch, and Martha Wayne Foundation is all about the arts and giving access to college for those who cannot afford it…just a few examples of course. At least, those foundations used to be that”.

You don’t think you’ve ever seen someone as disinterested as him, right now. You’re trying to breach the topic with him about how “the Board” slowly put aside those important charitable foundations which were working for Gotham City and its inhabitants’ wellbeing, and the dude…Took out his phone. He’s clearly not listening right now, entranced by his phone. 

You’re about to make the mistake to punch that phone out of his hands (violence is never the answer, but how else to react when faced with such a man ?? I’M ASKING YOU ??), but fortunately before you do anything, he looks back at you and say :

“Wow, you know a lot about the company. Some would say you’re obsessed.” 

You glare at him. Worst thing is ? He was kind of right. Ever since the Wayne died and it took such a huge toll on your mother, and on the city, your one dream had been to restore Wayne Enterprises to its former human right glory. A task sometimes that you felt was impossible, without a strong support on the board. Which evidently, Bruce Wayne wasn’t. 

The man preferred to party, than to care about food banks.

“Well. That’s my job.” 

And it made you mad, that he felt the need to add such a comment anyway. He could’ve just shut up. The smug look he gave you as you left made you want to kill him…

************

You made him uncomfortable. Because he always felt like you could see through him. Felt like you would find out easily who he really was…Which is why he was particularly unsuffurable to you. Why he turned his « Brucie » persona to the max when around you. Why he flirted shamelessly when he knew it annoyed you. 

You irritated him. Why did you always have to ask questions ? He spend years away training to fulfill his goals. And everybody gobbled up his story about going away to college, to then quit it and party for the past few years. Everybody believed he was just an arrogant, yet likable, rich heir coming home.

And there you were, questioning his every move. And doing it with plenty sarcasm and irony, as well !

Bruce didn’t like to be in public. That’s why it was so easy to pretend to be someone he wasn’t. He hated galas and other charity events, hated being in front of a crowd. His “Brucie Wayne” persona was the only thing saving him from having panic attacks. It was a shield. A carefully meticulously crafted shield.

That’s why he disliked you so much. He felt you were always looking past this protection, trying to put your nose where it didn’t belong. You were frustrating to be around. And kind of mean, too. You so obviously disliked him.

And for some reasons, it bothered him you really seemed to not like him. That someone like Oswald Cobblepot hated him because of jealousy, he could live with. He didn’t care. But you disliked him because you hated his guts. And he made so sure that “Brucie” was charming, likable and such, that the fact it didn’t work on you was exasperating. 

He should not care. He trained to be able to become emotionless. Public Bruce Wayne was just a façade. So why did it bother him so much you didn’t like him ?

He wasn’t used to that. As Batman ? Yeah sure. As Bruce ? Not so much. And if even his fake persona, who was pretending to be so nice and open with everyone, was rejected…What was left ? 

Ah, thinking about it drove him mad. This is why he always tried to aggravate you, to push all your buttons. Because you pushed his. You pushed buttons he didn’t even know he had. Which was…concerning. 

And oh, so, SO annoying. 

************

It drove you crazy, how obvious it was he didn’t care.

He came late to every important meetings (when he came at all), and would fall asleep almost right away.

He was smug, arrogant, and way too sure of himself.

You saw him with a different woman every time, which wouldn’t bother you if he didn’t constantly flaunt it in front of everyone. You hated men who used women as “trophies”.

He changed his mind every two seconds, suddenly changing a project, not showing up to important things, going on vacations randomly.

His nonchalance and carelessness were infuriating.

You couldn’t understand why he was acting that way, why leave for years to then come back and do…nothing ? Why ?! 

************

He thought you were annoying, a little too “high and mighty”, and judgmental.

It felt like you had a superiority complex as you constantly corrected everyone, for every single small mistake they’d do. Which usually he’d find a good thing (after all, maybe he was a little like that too when he was Batman…), but for some reason it really made him mad when it was you.

He was sure you were only interested in money, which made him furious many times. Actually fuming. Why ? Because he kept seeing your name on paperwork which didn’t allow certain charities, or which capped donations at a certain amount. Avarice was one of his pet peeve. Of course, he was unaware the person actually responsible for that wasn’t you, but a certain Charles Hammerworth. He was unaware you couldn’t actually take big decisions, because you were always there, and he just assumed you were important (which again was because Charles purposefully gave you more attention in certain moments). 

While actually, from your perspective, you thought he was the one who always blocked any big decisions to better Gotham City.

Things between you two didn’t click already, of course this kind of things would only rise your animosity towards each other.

When you were stress, which was often, you lashed out at people too much. Including him, when he was your boss, like this kind of behavior was going to get you into trouble one day !

Wait, was he worried ? No. No the fuck he was not. He was annoyed. So much. Because there wasn’t a single day when you didn’t snap at him for whatever reasons.

How funny it was, that neither of you realized that you disliked about the same thing in each other…That the flaws you so hated about the other person, was very telling about your own personality.

************

You met Alfred once, and wondered even more how such a kind and sweet man could raise an arrogant little brat like Bruce Wayne.

He brought some lunch for Bruce (how old was that guy, six ?!). Since your dear CEO was busy, the butler waited around for a bit, and wandered to the coffee machines where you were currently.

You introduced yourself, he did the same and…It felt like you were talking to the most caring man in the world. It was also very clear, even though you didn’t speak much, that he cared deeply about Bruce, and even adored him. 

Which you couldn’t understand. That didn’t sound right. The way Alfred spoke, it was as if Bruce cared so much about his parents’ company, about Gotham, while you were so sure that- Ugh ? Did the man lie ? Why would he though ? 

This was weird. Alfred was talking about someone you never met, for sure. Disturbed and confused, you found an excuse to get out of there and walked (almost ran) away quickly. 

Of course, you had no way to know that Alfred wasn’t there to give Bruce’s lunch at all, but to meddle in his “Master”’s life. Bruce kept talking about you, and how infuriating you were. And there was no way he talked that much about someone who really didn’t matter. Of course, Bruce would yell : “there isn’t a fine line between love and hate ! In fact, there’s a massive wall !” in that petulant child voice of his, that he never quite lost when talking to Alfred while mad. But the butler knew better. He did. 

And the future would only prove him right. 

************

“He’s sexy though.”

This is frustrating. You were talking about how much you despised Bruce Wayne to your best friend, and their first reaction was…everyone’s, really.

Yes, you guessed. He was sort of attractive. But so, SO annoying that honestly, you didn’t really see it.

“Did you hear anything I said ? He’s lazy, falls asleep in every meeting, doesn’t care about anything but parties etc etc. I bet he doesn’t even do anything on his own, given his butler seems to literally do everything for him. That guy is a saint. Such a nice man, so polite. How can he stand Bruce ? No idea.”

“I’ve never seen you so worked up about anyone before. Not even about that guy who fired your mom and keeps asking you to bring him coffee even though it’s not your job. That super misogynist one.”

“Charles Hammerworth, yeah. Well, here’s the thing. I knew that guy was trash since the beginning, and if I wanted to achieve my goal, I had to deal with it. But Bruce Wayne ? I had such high hopes man. He’s Martha and Thomas’ Wayne kids ! You’d think it would be easier to do what I want to do with him you know ? That he too, would want to continue his parents’ legacy and save Gotham ?! Well, nope. Not even close.”

“Ah, so you hate him because he’s not what you want him to be. Wow (Y/N), wow. Very mature and nice.”

“Oh shut up, you know what I mean.”

“I do. At the same time, I don’t think I’m wrong either. It’s not like you to be so petty.”

“It’s very like me to be that petty, what are you talking about ? Remember Kevin Witthaker in eleventh grade ? He pretended to be interested in me just to mock me ?”

“Yes.”

“And remember what I did to him ?”

“…Yeah ok, you’ve always been petty. And oddly revengeful…”

“Again : Oh shut up.”

There’s a silence, before you both burst into strong laughs. Finally getting calm again, your best friend says : 

“But for real, (Y/N), isn’t this just one of those tale of two deeply flawed individual who will end up respecting each other in the end ?”

There’s a pause. A silence, as you ponder your friends’ words. I mean, you can’t say you completely disrespect Bruce Wayne, he’s just getting on your nerve and blocking everything you want to do (although he wasn’t actually the one responsible…but you didn’t know that). And you guess he wasn’t that bad and-Yeah. No. No way. He was the worst. Just seeing his face made you want to punch him. You turn to them as if they were crazy, and say :

“This isn’t some kind of story full of stupid tropes where we’re going to end up friends or something. We’re not in a k-drama, (your best friend’s name). This is reality. Mark my word, there is absolutely NO WAY I will ever change my mind about Bruce Wayne. Nu-hu, NEVER.”

************

Unbeknownst to any of you, a certain Charles Hammerworth was capitalizing on your obvious dislike of each other.

The flaws you saw in Bruce, the ones he saw in you, were exacerbated by Charles who took the opportunity to keep his hold on Wayne Enterprises. Your bickering, and the way you two would argue often served him well. It meant you’d overlook many of his shady actions.

Your feud was good for his business. And what could’ve been a simple misunderstanding of one another, and a slight distaste, turned almost to hate because of one man’s greed.

He made it so you were sure Bruce didn’t care, and was just a lazy entitled brat. And he turned situation so that Bruce would think you were a greedy corporate wannabe who was mad that he came back to take the reign of his parents’ company.

While he was the one who was mad. He worked so har and long to convince everyone they need to stop any charities and focus on the international market. It wasn’t for Martha and Thomas’ little brat to come back and ruin it all ! So let him be focus on that other brat who also wants to ruin things, let them have infightings to the end. It was good for business. 

Yes, maybe if Charles Hammerworth never existed, you two would realize that you were more alike than you thought, and that you were destined to get along. But alas, it would take some time before this fateful realization would come.

************

There were a few times where you could’ve almost made up. A few times when you could’ve understood each other more. But alas, it wasn’t meant to be just yet, and those moments turned quickly into even more “hate” towards each other.

One morning, after a meeting, you notice he favored his left side whenever he would rise up from his chair. Noticing things was part of your job, and it was very clear to you that Bruce Wayne was hurt somewhere on the right side of his body.

As per usual however, he obnoxiously answered flirtily (to divert your attention..). You asked him about it, wanting to know if he needed help. He seemed surprised at first, but he quickly regained composure (so quickly in fact that you almost think you imagined his surprised expression), smiled at you shamelessly, and said : 

“Oh yes, I’m a little sore I guess. I stayed up late with a model from Ru-”

“I don’t want to know.”

You cut him off quickly. And you can’t believe you almost worried about him. You really didn’t want to know about his sex escapades, even less so if it caused him to get THAT sore. Ugh. Man. You couldn’t believe how he almost got you to care.

Truth was, yeah. He got hurt while out as Batman. Obviously he didn’t want you to know. And he knew you hated when men flirted with you at work because you felt like it was disrespectful. 

They were obviously seeing you as only an object. Pretending you couldn’t be too skilled because you were an attractive woman, pretending your only appeal was your looks. Pretending you managed to become an assistant by sleeping around (which was not true at all). 

It drove you nuts. And so Bruce shamelessly used his most flirtatious self whenever you were getting too interested in his personal life (which honestly didn’t happen often), so you’d overlook the subject because of how mad you would get. And this time, it worked again. 

“Disgusting..” you muttered, and you left, fuming, and not a moment too soon because he was starting to feel lightheaded because of his injury, and was falling back in his seat. 

Perfect timing. It was better, if you hated each other. 

There was another time. Right after a meeting in which your hostility towards one member of the board especially was very obvious.

Charles Hammerworth. Always him. You found him so repulsive. And not in the way you disliked Bruce. No. You actually found him so disgusting.

You and Bruce, it just didn’t click. You weren’t made to get along. And you obviously both had a taste of annoying the other. 

But Charles Hammerworth ? He was a disgusting man who had every fatal flaw you could think of. Greedy, misogynistic, racist, homophobic, hated the poor, thought he was better than anyone else and that everything was owned to him…How could the Wayne even deal with him when they were still alive ?

Ah. But you didn’t know this man literally snaked his way through to the board…That was another story, though.

You went head on with Charles for the first time ever. Usually, you’d find ways to undermine his authority. But this time, he went too far and you lost your cool. To think this little worm would-

“You don’t like Charlie very much, do you ?”

It’s Bruce Wayne. Not the person you wanted to see right now. Although everyone would be better than Charles Hammerworth. You had to quickly find a reason why you disliked him though, as you didn’t want to get into the details of your true goals at Wayne Enterprises. 

You didn’t want him to know how much you wanted his parents’ (and your mom’s) legacy to get back on track. Because you were sure he’d find it pathetic (oh if only you knew). So you said : 

“Mm ? Oh. He…He’s the one who fired my mom.”

“Your mom ?”

“Yes. She used to be, um..Your parents’ assistant. Of sort.”

There’s a silence, and his eyes widen before he says : 

“You’re (Your mom’s name)’s daughter ??”

“You knew her ?”

“Of course, and I heard lots about her anyway. What is she up to nowadays ?” 

“…She’s in a mental ward in the 4th avenue hospital. She um, didn’t take well her firing and your parents’…” 

There’s a silence, and you almost feel like Bruce is being very empathetic of you. That he- Ah. But nope : 

“Well, She was a good friend of my own mother. And a great assistant. If you need any help with hospital bills, I will participate. I feel like I owe her that. I really never would’ve thought she was your mom.”

“Excuse me ? What the Hell is that suppose to mean ?”

“Well, let’s face it, you’re not exactly the most efficient, and you barely take any decision at all. My own mother used to described (your mom’s name) as if she was some kind of god sent for them. You’re um, how to put this nicely ? Kind of not that. Yes. I think this is the nicest way I can say it.”

Wow. This is the first time your feelings are actually hurt. Sure, he usually makes you so mad, and you often end up conversations with him fuming. But he’s never been actually needlessly mean. 

“You-”

He knew he was getting on your nerves. He knew he was pushing all your buttons. But this time, he wasn’t going to get a reaction out of you. Not because you suddenly liked him or anything. But because you were genuinely hurt. So, in a weaker voice than usual, trying to not cry, you say : 

“Well. I guess you’re right.”

And then you leave, unable to even look at him. 

Ugh. You hated how much this hit too close to home. But he was right. He was right. You were lightyear from your mom’s position. Nobody took you seriously here, definitely not Bruce Wayne. How could you ever even try to convince anybody to use Wayne Enterprises for good again ? To save Gotham ??

Bruce watches you leave the room, unable to find another smart retort. Why did he feel guilty ? You started it…ugh since when did he have such childish thoughts ?

For some reason, unlike usually when he felt a deep satisfaction when he pissed you of, this time, he felt nothing but bad. He felt like shit, even. 

Why ?

************

This went on for a full year. Whenever you two were in the same room, bickering would ensue. And you were pretty sure it was full blown hate now. Ever since he talked about your mom, and you noticed he was injured, the animosity between you too was attuned to the max. 

He hit you were it hurt, and you almost discovered his secret. 

Of course it would get only worst and worst. 

You disliked him so much you didn’t notice how Wayne Enterprise slowly came back on track, on the path Thomas and Martha Wayne wanted for it.

And you annoyed him so much that he didn’t see how much of a big role you took in that fact.

When he said “the board”, you could almost hear how much he disliked them. Which confused you. Why was he going along with all their decisions then ?

Funny, how disliking someone could erase all rationality and ability to see their good deeds… 

Maybe it was your hopeful side, the one your mom lost when the Waynes died but…A small part of you, deep down, hoped that Bruce’s apparent love for parties and such was just a façade. Or something that maybe he would outgrow, just like his mom did. 

That’s how your mom met her, Martha. Your mother was a bartender. With an eye for details, and a love for Gotham.

Exactly what Martha was looking for, when she started to use her money for “good”. She became hers and Thomas’ personal assistant. The position you held now, although if you had to guess, you were pretty sure working for those executives, for “the board”, wasn’t as nice as working with Thomas and Martha Wayne.

Anyway, your mom was enrolled, and she knew everything about Martha’s past as a “party animal”. She told you about it, how she turned her life around. You really hoped her son will do the same…

But you doubted it. Because in your head, the image you had of him was already fixed in stone. No way this would ever change.

************

It was rather late in the evening, and you were about to go home. You were pretty sure nobody was left, but you. But you and…

“(Y/N) ?”

Ugh. Even his voice annoyed you. Granted, he had a very nice deep voice, and you would’ve probably fall in love with it if only it wasn’t his. Everything he did got on your nerve. So his sexy deep voice…Ugh !

“Yes,sir?”

It was always a great disappointment when he pretended he didn’t hear the “hint” of sarcasm in your voice. You knew he knew. And he knew you knew he knew.

“Are you the one pushing for Thomas Wayne Foundation to open a hospital down in the Bowery ? And Martha Foundation an art gallery in the Narrows for smaller content creator ? ”

“Yeah and ? Both your parents wanted to do that since a long time, I saw an opportunity when we still had one slot open for a charity…It’d fulfill your quota for the year.”

You finish, your words full of asininity. It drove you crazy how Bruce settled a certain amount of “good deeds” to do by Wayne Enterprises so, and those were his own words : “the people of the city would love us and not get in our way if we want something” (and if only you knew he didn’t mean a word, and just wanted to help Gotham but knew “the board” would get in his way…at least up until he finally took back full control of the company, which he didn’t have yet).

“No don’t get me wrong. I think it’s a good thing. I’m just..a little surprised.”

“Surprised ?”

“You did nothing but hinder my ideas for similar projects.” 

“What ? I never did such a thing, what are you talking ab-”

Ah but it wasn’t yet time for Charles Hammerworth nefarious plans to be revealed, how he always put his name on ideas for bettering Gotham while they were YOUR project, and how he always put YOUR name whenever he wanted to block a project he did not like…Well, it was only a matter of hours, now. Because :

That’s when a bunch of armed men decide to barge in and say :

“If you stay calm nothing will happen to you, we’re here for Bruce Wayne.”

************

Unbelievable. There was a lot of “wrong place wrong time” event, when you lived in Gotham. But this one had to trump them all. Having a machine gun stuck in your face, and being taken hostage was new.

“What do you want ?”

He asks, his voice cold like you never heard before. 

“Shut up and behave. Nothing bad will happen if you listen. You, tie them up and come with me, we have…Things to do. And you two better stay on your best behavior, or we’ll shoot. As long as you do everything we ask, things will be alright.” 

For some reasons, the way that man kept repeating that everything was going to be alright if you listened sounded fake to you… 

They tied the both of you up, back to back, hands in a zip tie. And then they make you sit on the floor, and leave the room.

Idiots, have they never seen movies ? You NEVER leave hostages alone. Haha. You chuckle to yourself. As if you or Bruce “sure I work out but I’ve never fought in my life, as stated before” Wayne could-

SNAP.

Ugh ? The hell was that ?

You fall backward as there’s suddenly no one there to support you (and at the same time, you notice how much you were leaning on him…embarrassing).

He catches you before you hit the floor, and puts you back on your feet.

Um, excuse me ?

You knew he worked out, it was obvious he was ripped under his suits. But to the point he just literally lifted you up as if you weighted nothing, just like that ? Well, that. That was surprising. And the way he just broke his zip ties ? And yours ? Wow.

It took you a few seconds to understand what was happening.

“We have to get out of here.”

He says, and starts to go to the door, putting his ear on it to listen.

“I think they only left one person. Good. What is it you said ? It’s better when people underestimate you ?”

He smirks at you. That smirk that usually made you instantly mad, but that in this situation you found reassuring.

“What’s going on ?”

You finally ask. Because like, yeah, what’s going on ?? Is he really planning on leaving, just like that ?

“We have to leave.”

Ugh, you click your tongue in annoyance, like you did so many times. Yeah ok, you got that part, but could he elaborate just a bit ??

“Why ? They probably just want a ransom, which you’ll have no problem paying. I know you can even trace the money and not even lose a cent. Why risk things ? Shouldn’t we wait a bit to have more information from them ? They did say we wouldn’t get hurt if we just listened.”

“Please, you have a lot of flaws but being naïve isn’t one.”

You glare at him. Really, is now the time to get on your nerve ? You sigh, fighting to regain your calm because yeah, right now really wasn’t appropriate for any sort of bickering. 

You don’t answer, and just stare at him, clearly waiting for an explanation. And on your face he can read a definite : “grow up”. Which makes him tick, but he too realize this is no time to bicker. So he adds :

“They’re here to kill me. Possibly us.”

“EXCUSE ME ?!”

You can’t say more, his hands is on your mouth as he turn his attention towards the door, and the seconds turn into hours as you wait for an armed man to barge through the door…

************

Zip ties ? Really ? Those are overestimated by many.

Bruce has absolutely no problem breaking his, unbinding his hand easily thanks to a technique he learned while training with Giovanni Zatara.

Zip ties. Ugh. Amateurs.

Bruce knows he’s taking a risk by showing you what he can do. He knows you notice every detail, and that this will go against the image he so carefully crafted to fool you (and everyone else). But he also knows who those men are.

They’re Cobblepot’s men. The Penguin, as they seem to call him lately, ever since he regained his family’s fortune. A man who definitely sees Bruce Wayne as a threat towards his empire.

And he highly doubts what those men came to do was just a hostage situation. He knows they’re here to execute him. And if they were able to get in the building ? It means someone from the company gave them the codes, especially if they managed to get all the way up here. There is NO WAY they could’ve pirated their way through without him noticing, him and Lucious made sure no one could breach Wayne Enterprises security, or if they did, they’d have an alarm on their phones.

Which meant there was a rat in the team. It wasn’t very difficult to know who did it…

Anyway. It was pretty obvious to Bruce that those men weren’t here to ask for a ransom or anything. He knew Cobblepot’s ways. He knew what he did to people who bothered him. He also knew that he’d been nothing but a hindrance for Charles Hammerworth’ plans.

Now, if it was only him there, he wouldn’t care much. But here’s the thing : you were also involved. Wrong place wrong time. Damn it.

How the hell did you always manage to be around in all the worst case scenarios possible ? Or…was this deliberate ? Did the attack happen because they knew you’d be there too ? After all, you were also quite the hindrance to Charles…

Because your life was at stake, Bruce did not hesitate to act. Even if it meant you’d discover who he really was.

And this is how he ended up with his hand on your mouth after your exclamation, hoping that none of the armed men heard. 

************

“Ok, you have to listen to everything I’ll say, can you do that ?” 

Well, usually, no, you could not. He was too annoying. But in that situation ? You could make an exception. You nod, and he takes his hand off of your mouth. It seemed nobody heard you yell. 

In a matter of seconds, he unlocks the door with a…lockpicking kit he had in his pocket ?? Who was this man ?? 

He takes a careful look out, and he was right. They left one man to guard the door, but evidently he thought there was no dangers, as he’s away from the door, looking at some documents on a desk. 

Perfect. 

Bruce opens the door careful, gesturing for you to stay behind. And then…He knocks the man out cold. Just like that. With one well placed punch to the throat. It’s silent, and it’s direct. The man falls down, unconscious, and without a sound.

Once again, he gestures to you to come closer. And you two start to move through the building silently. 

He’s really not being considerate. On the contrary. He’s pretty cold, such a stark contrast to how he is usually. He’s methodic, and for some reasons, you feel safe. 

He gets rid of two more men as if it was nothing (thanks God though those men didn’t expect their hostage to fight back). 

You point to a gun, but he shakes his head no. And you can see he’s adamant about it. Evidently, the guy doesn’t like guns, as made sure by the disgusted (and almost fearful) look he gives the machine guns. 

Neither of you even notice how he keeps taking hold of your hand to guide you safely around. 

He takes you to a flight of stairs, and looks at his phone. You can see on it that he has access to every single camera in the building. Interesting. He checks to see if there’s anyone in the stairs, and, nope. And then he says : 

“Go down, and call for help. I’ll take care of the rest.” 

“What ? Why ? Are you dumb ? Just come with me, there’s no need to put your life at risk like that.” 

“Ugh for once in your life just listen please, and do what I say.”

“I’ll do it once it doesn’t sounds completely idiotic. Just come with me Bruce !” 

It’s the first time you call him Bruce. Neither of you notice. Annoyed, he keeps going : 

“Why are you always like that ? Just go (Y/N), you got caught up in this because of me. Just leave, I’ll take care of things.”

“This isn’t some kind of action movie genius, stop acting like you’re John McClane and let’s go.” 

Yes. Maybe right now wasn’t the right time to bicker. But you just couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t leave, too. What was wrong with him ? Why did he HAVE to “do this” ? 

Unfortunately, you two wasted too much time. The men noticed you left the room they put you in, and followed the trail of unconscious men Bruce left behind to…

“CAREFUL !” 

He yells, and you’re suddenly violently pulled to the floor by him but…It feels weird. Your shoulder is warm and painful. Too painful. 

“Bruce ?” 

“Shit !” 

Your vision becomes blurry, and you feel him delicately laying you on the ground. Before you fall into unconsciousness, you hear him say : 

“You better not die on me, there’s too  many things we have to talk about.” 

You faintly here grunts and shots, a fight breaking out. 

And everything turns dark. 

************

Shot in the shoulder. 

To be fair, it was a miracle that you got shot, while you grew up in Gotham, so late in life. Still. Painful as fuck. 

Your little adventure made every single headlines, and Bruce had to transfer you to a private hospital so that no journalists would come bother you. 

Bruce. 

It’s weird.

You got shot, and it was kinda because of him, yet you couldn’t be mad at him.

Everything he did was an annoyance to you. But he saved your life, and your suspicion about him not being who he portrays himself to be were sort of confirmed.

It was confusing.

An entire year of highly disliking him, of bickering and trying to get on the others nerve as much as possible…vanished.

It’s as if you met Bruce Wayne for the first time.

And it was confusing.

You weren’t sure you liked it.

How come so much resentment could just disappear all of a sudden ? Well, the fact you both learned the truth about each other, about Charles Hammerworth schemes, definitely helped. But beyond that… 

You both saw a side of each other that night, that you didn’t know exist. You saw him being reliable and caring for your safety, which meant..he really was like that, no ? He didn’t hesitate to put his life on the line for you. 

And he saw you not willing to give up on him and actually put his life on the line.

This kind of experience changes the perspective you can have on someone. Everything happened fast, you were both out within an hour, but still. Him untying you, guiding you slowly through the building, his big warm and reassuring hand in yours… 

Ugh. This was all so confusing. It didn’t help that…

“Hello (Y/N), am I bothering you ?” 

He came to see you every single day since you were taken to the hospital. With flowers. Or books. Or whatever you want. Genuine in his approach. 

Genuinity. 

Maybe that’s what was missing ? 

It’s still super awkward though. You don’t erase an entire year of seeing the other one as your “enemy” just like that. Yet he still comes. 

And you still accept his visits. And it seems like your constant bickering is no more. 

************

“Mr Wayne ? What are you doing still here ?”

You were indeed surprised to see him still at the office. He would usually be the first one home.

“I should ask you the same question. And please, call me Bruce.”

“Alright. I asked the question first though.” 

It was just like you, to not let go something. Yet it didn’t annoy him as much as it used to. Odd. 

“I had things to finish, some charity galas to plan. Will you um, come to the next one ?” 

“Ah, no thank you Mr W-Bruce. Not my cup of tea. Although I think they’re necessary, for Gotham.” 

“I hate them too. But I think the same.”

“You hate them ? Really ?” 

Shit. What ? How did he let that slip ? This wasn’t like him. But he felt strangely at ease right now. 

“Haha you got me. I like parties much better.” 

He caught himself well, but you don’t seem convince. After all, you were always so sure he loved to show himself to this kind of galas. Mmm. Interesting. 

“Ok well…I’m going home so…Good night.” 

“Good night (Y/N).” 

And you leave. More confused than ever. What the hell was that ? 

************

With Charles Hammerworth gone (because it was very clear he was guilty), there were very few misunderstandings left between you two.

The main reason you disliked each other was because you felt the other one didn’t care enough about the company, was in for the money, didn’t care about Gotham and its inhabitants etc. It was the opposite.

And Charles Hammerworth wasn’t here anymore to take all the glory, while pushing his mistakes and heartlessness on you

You couldn’t believe how much that man meddled in Wayne Enterprises business, and how much he even meddled in your personal life ! What a douche. Because of him, you almost walked right passed…

Right passed what, exactly ? Passed Bruce ? And so what ? Why would that be a bad thing ? After all, you really didn’t like him. 

He was smug (oh but you knew he really wasn’t that smug and that it was a facade), he was arrogant (that much was kinda true, but it didn’t mean he was a bad guy), he was lazy (you’ve never met such a hard working man before), he never took anything seriously (couldn’t be further than the truth), he…he…

What was it, that you disliked about him again ? Weren’t those flaws exactly the same than you had ? 

Damn it. 

************

Bruce felt the need to tease you, often. But nowadays, it wasn’t as bad as before. It was quick and fun teasing, friendly even. 

A little cliché, almost like a “will they won’t they” kind of situation. 

How did it came to this ? Things really didn’t click between you two at first. It was even a disaster. He genuinely disliked you so much. And you obviously hated him. 

But then…Then your family story are too similar in many ways. You also lost your parents, your mom losing her mind to depression and not being able to ever get better was horrible. And the grief was real. Just like his. 

And your similar need to save Gotham too, couldn’t be ignored. Your selflessness as well, even if you both had to hide that to obtain your goals. 

Bruce had to pretend he wasn’t who he really was, that he was the epitome of the word “himbo”. And you ? You had to appear ruthless and ambitious to get to where you are in Wayne Enterprises, pretend to be heartless (just like him) just to finally get to the board…

What were those feelings ? 

A mere mention of you use to put him in a bad mood. Irrationally so. But now…

************

It felt like your relationship evolved by cycles of one year at a time. 

It had already been a year, since you survived the hostage situation. Since you both slowly change your mind about the other. 

A year of becoming precious business partner and…You found yourself, slowly, in the same position than your mother was years ago. You were what she was for his parents. 

How odd. 

From hating each other, to this. 

From enemies to…friends ?

Weird. 

************

Does it surprise anyone that someone as despicable as Charles Hammerworth wanted revenge ? No ? Ok, good. Because he did want revenge. 

Bruce Wayne was pretty much unattainable, especially now that The Penguin pulled out and decided to not help. But you ? You were just a low rank employee (although were you ever “low” ? You did sway many people along the way, including that damn Bruce Wayne !). It was easy to get to you. 

Paying someone to take care of it (because he viewed you as an “it”) was easy, especially in Gotham. And so your days were numbered, except…

Except Batman. 

Did Hammerworth really think Bruce would just let him go after he very obviously helped the Penguin ? It’s not because he didn’t press charges, and pretended he didn’t know he had anything to do with it, that he just let him go. 

Of course he’d put him under tight surveillance. And when he heard him talk about that murder for hire… 

************

When Batman saved you from a man you first took as a thug, but who quickly turned aggressive and scary, you became certain of that gut feelings you’ve had ever since the hostage situation at Wayne Tower.

You could recognize that demeanor anywhere. That body. This jaw line. But you also understood why nobody ever even came close to know the truth yet. After all, the way the Batman portrayed himself was lightyear from how Bruce Wayne showed himself to be…

But you were sure. This was the same person. Actually, you felt like him as the Batman was closer to who Bruce Wayne really was. It made more sense. And finally all those irregularity you noticed in his behavior made sense, too.

His insufferableness also suddenly made sense. The perfect cover up. Nobody was ever going to suspect “Brucie” to be Batman…

He instantly realized you recognized him, but didn’t say anything. He made sure you were safe, and went on with his night. Both your hearts were hammering in your chest, on the same beat. 

************

When your door rings the next evening, you’re not surprised.

It’s late, and you kind of expected it to be. When else would he come ?

You saw him at work today. And he didn’t avoid you at all. Why would he anyway ? It was too late to convince you of anything. You knew his secret. And he felt somehow relieved about that. Now, it wasn’t just him and Alfred. There were you too (and soon, there’d be Lucious as well).

Oddly enough, he didn’t feel anything negative about you knowing, not even after all that happened between you two. After how much you purposefully got on each other’s nerves.

It was naturally, that he came to see you at your apartment.

He couldn’t really say anything at work yet. He still hadn’t cleaned up every “parasites” out. There were still people who didn’t really had good intentions towards him. He couldn’t risk any of them hearing anything they shouldn’t.

You opened your door. And there he was. Not wearing his usual suit (you don’t think you ever saw him wearing anything else) but a hoodie and sweatpants.

Nobody would know he was Bruce Wayne, that’s for sure.

You let him in. And then there’s a silence.

Not an awkward one. Not a bad one.

A comfortable silence while you each search for the right words.

But they never come. At least not right now.

Eventually, one day, you’ll be able to talk about. How your feelings bloomed, and how your best friend was right all along. 

One day, those two years together would all make sense. Would feel like destiny. 

From enemies, to friends, to…

There is no need for words. He grabs you just as you grab him. His fist bunches in your shirt, and he brings you so close. Your arms wrap around his waist. 

It’s a kiss like you never tasted before. Full of pent-up passion which finally releases, of frustration that vanishes, of, of… 

It’s just you and him. 

It’s just him and you. 

This all makes sense, really. You’re more alike than you initially thought. Your goals align. And, when you think about those past two years, how could this not be fate ? 

Maybe, just maybe, you hated each other at first because both of you knew that if you started to like each other, you would never let go. And neither you nor him were quite ready for that. 

But now ? Now that the truth is entirely revealed ? Now that you don’t have to hide who you are anymore ? 

From enemies, constantly bickering and clashing. 

To friends, the “click” finally happening. 

To now. 

To lovers. 

************

“And that’s how we met.” 

You say, as your youngest son, Damian, is absolutely bewildered by that story. Your husband adds : 

“You see, I had to do the changes in Wayne Enterprises slowly. “The Board”, those executives, those who abused their powers and turned my parents company into something they would’ve hated…If I went about this too fast, they would’ve found a way to put me on the side. While if I acted like I didn’t care about anything, and worked insidiously, then, then we could make progress. Unfortunately it meant your mother definitely hated me along the way. Can’t really blame her.”

“Well.We used to hate each other.”

Damian was SHOCKED when you finally told him the story of how you and Bruce met. What, how come he never heard of that ? His siblings will hear about this ! How dare they kept that a secret from him ? They must’ve known.

“Ah yeah, she hated my guts.”

“Yeah and you hated mine.”

“I had my reasons to too you know, you were-”

“Um excuse me ? Your reasons to ? You were the one to-”

“Aaah and here we go, that was one of the reasons. Cutting me off and the way you said excuse me!”

“You still didn’t fully grow up, as I can see!”

Damian was flabbergasted. He never saw you two fight. He really didn’t like it…His face was slowly falling, and he wanted to leave. Or for you to stop. He didn’t want to have his image of your perfect loving couple shattered. No. Why did he ask how you met, this was all his fault ! He was-

You two were kissing. Fiercely. Having seemingly forgotten about your son’s presence.

And Damian took it all back. Yeah. No. You two were still disgustingly in love, and the small bicker meant nothing. Clearly. He was pretty sure you weren’t even fighting, that it was just playful and…

He didn’t want to know more. This was grossing him out. Forgetting about any sadness, the image of you two being perfect for each other still intact in his head, your son left the room hurriedly and slammed the door shut. 

He leaned on it, and smiled. It fitted the two of you so well, in the end, this way you fell in love. It was drawn out, it was meaningful, it was meant to be. 

Enemies to lovers uh ? How weird. 

Now, where were his siblings ? He felt the need to go annoy them, and pretend to be mad at them for not telling him the truth about their parents’ meeting. 

Damian didn’t have the self-reflection yet, to realize how much his love language resembled yours… 

__________________________________________________

This was long haha. Man, I missed writing long ass stories and all. I hope it wasn’t boring though. I do hope you liked this one ! :D As usual, if you did, comments and/or reblogs are always beyond appreciated ! 

Also, sort of thinking about turning “enemies to lovers” into a series and writing a story for each batkids with it hehe. What do you think ? I know I have many ideas for Dick and Jason already.