Summary: Bruce is wanting some answers from his baby mama.
Pairing: Surgeon!Bruce Wayne x Intern!Reader
Bruce climbed into his bed. He relaxed back into the pillows. He turned to you. You’re focused on the iPad he bought you. You’re reading a book in dark mode.
“I’m gonna interrupt you and your steamy book,” Bruce said.
“I don’t read steamy books!” you exclaimed flushing with embarrassment and holding your iPad to your chest.
“I’ve read some of the lines in your books, my love,” he smiled. “It’s steamy. Thankfully, it’s pretty tame compared to some of the stuff I’ve seen.”
“What have you seen?” you asked worriedly.
“Nothing you need to worry yourself about,” Bruce said reaching out and brushing your hair back.
“That doesn’t leave me at ease,” you said.
He slid closer and wrapped his arms around you. You automatically leaned into him laying on your side facing him while still holding your iPad to your chest. He kissed your forehead and adjusted the blankets.
“Let’s not talk about the smutty books. Let’s talk about your stalker tendencies,” Bruce said holding you closer.
You squeaked. You tried getting away but you won’t let go of your iPad. It might help your escape to let it go but you can’t have him seeing the books you read.
“So, six years ago, we met but I, for the life of me,” Bruce said hiking his leg over yours. “Can’t figure out when. Also I feel like a perv because doing the math, you must’ve been freshly 18.”
You whined.
“Please tell me I’m not a perv, my love,” he said.
“You aren’t,” you mumbled.
“That’s good. So, we have one issue and you’re a stalker,” Bruce teased.
“I’m not a stalker.”
“Tell me why,” he said making you look at his eyes.
“You bumped into me. You seemed to be on.. an important call but you were smooth. I didn’t fall on my ass because of you,” you muttered.
He smiled softly and said, “all the stalking because I caught you, my love?”
“I don’t want him,” you said quickly and with a shake of your head. “I want you.”
“Glad to know I’m the only one you’ll stalk,” Bruce said.
“I wouldn’t exactly call it stalking— and I honestly didn’t think you’d ever look at me,” you admitted. “Like at all.”
“Why’s that?”
“You’re you,” you said.
“I’m me?”
“Yes.”
“That explains… EVERYTHING, love,” Bruce said sarcastically.
“Good,” you said with a nod.
He kissed your forehead and then your cheek.
“I love you very much,” he reassured. “You know that? You got nothing to worry about. I only want you.”
“Even if I’m stalker?” you mumbled.
“As long as you don’t steal shit from my family and sell it on the black market,” Bruce said. “I can handle a bit of stalking, my love, especially if it’s you.”
“I still wouldn’t classify it as stalking. More like observing,” you said.
“Observing?” he questioned pulling the iPad out of your hands.
“Yes,” you said. “I observed you for six years.”
He smirked reaching over and placing the iPad on your nightstand. It got him positioned on top of you caging you in.
He asked, “and what did you observe? What were your findings?”
“Well, you didn’t seem that happy,” you admitted.
“My mother would say the same thing and Alfred,” Bruce admitted. “Actually they would team up and constantly tell me—- it was very annoying at the time.”
“What about now?” you asked very quietly.
“I’m very happy. I’ve got you, my love. I’ve got our son, Damian. And I’ve got Ace,” he smiled.
I think it's also interesting to see how things change depending on the time in which they're being engaged with. so I see things about rose today that point out that she's written to be 19 when she meets the doctor and that's a big age difference (which... I understand the point is it's a big age difference because billie piper was 23 and eccleston was 40, and then dtennant was like 34/35 when he started which isn't so big of a shift but anyway the optics I get what people are getting at, but also I think it does oversimplify a lot of what's actually going on in the written dynamic, anyway-)
and also that the rtd run's Themes start coming together properly around s3 (although they are present from day one), and in some ways at this point, because nu!who has been running for... fuckn. actually quite a few years, which is wild to me as someone who started watching as a kid, and I wonder if classic!who fans felt the same way about their show and anyway -- she shifts from being Literally The First Companion You'd Seen For 17 Years (not counting the movie and fan things and the sketch) Who Was Defining A New Era For A New Generation to... a companion
comparable to other companions, comparable to the rest of the show
we sift through the writing to see what worked and what didn't (in our opinion), and we know how the ten-and-rose storyline Really ends, and how the ten storyline ends (sort, of because now that doctor and donna are Back), and we know what happens afterwards, and we talk about tenrose with a 2020s eye, and rose is "just" one of the people that travels with the doctor, one of several, and notably the one who gets most of the sunshiney doctor that buries a lot of the (wonderfully portrayed) angst of the latter half of the rtd show, and doesn't have as much lore as everything after that, so the story is "just" more simple overall
and to me she's kind of incapable of being just that. doctor who was still a risk that first season, it wasn't a done deal that it would have legs at all, never mind that it would continue for as long as it has. rose was created to be the Face of what nu!who was, moreso than nine/eccleston, because even with the extra angst and the eccleston gravitas, we know the doctor, the doctor is established, it's not actually the doctor that needs to sell what the new show is going to become and what the Feel of that new show is going to be (I mean, partly ofc, but-)
rose was doing so much heavy lifting and she succeeded! she was the face of who before dtennant or any other doctor or companion of his era and subsequent eras. she was created to appeal to a demographic of girls who wanted someone relatable in science fiction, because rtd wanted this to be for the girls, and billie piper came into it off the back of being a popstar and it changed her entire trajectory (for the better I think/hope -- there's a lot of bad shit in billie piper's past and I'm always sending her a fond thought)
nine/ten-and-rose were It! not calling it romantic or platonic or any secret third thing (haunting the narrative), but simply It! that's why it has so much staying power as a ship (which, my opinion on shipping has been somewhat *eh shrug* in later years, but in early-days when that was how you engaged with dynamics that got to you, of course it was going to be massive). it's so hard to properly describe how "for the time in which it was made" that this dynamic was written for, and how successful it was. it was rose that breathed doctor who -- and the doctor's character -- to life, as much as herself
she sets the stage for everything that comes next, both within and without the show proper
and I'm always so pleased that rtd at the time was thinking about what was needed to create this character and he opened with a shot from a girl on the estate with messy hair, clumpy eyeliner, and a minimum wage job, and went "that's the girl who's going to go on the adventure of a lifetime, that's the girl we're seeing the story through and relating to, because that's what girls (and uh... those who were girls at the time - and their parents and the boys) should be seeing."
I know rose isn't the first working class companion including classic!who, but she set the tone for nu!who and her family and background are important to why she is who she is, and is explored
"I've got no A-levels, no job, no future-" said the girl about to see the universe
she was very much for teenagers, and so she reads differently when you're an adult watching it back (much like those "teenager saves the world," novels you loved as a kid), but that's why she's 19 at the beginning. that's why she's billie piper (who does a perfect job). she was there to bring a new generation into this story, and it was perfect. and then she grows up. and we grew up. and she had adventures and it was brilliant and she survived and she made a life for herself. that's her story
You had visited the Daily Planet once before, on one of the first visits to Clark right when you started dating. It was a nice place, but not much since it was just a journalism office with people just working. Clark, nonetheless, was so excited to show off his workspace, telling you every detail from how Carrie down the hall just found out that her husband was cheating on her with their gardener to the best water fountain. He was adorable during the whole experience, and, despite the dread in your chest, you tried to share his joy completely. There was still one part of the tour you were glad you missed. In the few hours you had spent there you hadn’t met the girl that everyone said Superman loved; Lois Lane.
It wasn’t that you didn’t like Lois—You didn’t know her to not like her. From what Clark had told you, they’d been friends, he had thought there was something there, but he was mistaken. Clark must have felt your hesitance because he simply dismissed all the Superman and Lois Lane headlines as just that; it was just some words on a piece of paper to sell, nothing more. Yet, that didn’t stop the slight jealousy from making its way into the darkest parts of your mind.
That’s why, as you waited for Clark to return to his desk, you stared at Lois from across the room so intently. She was beautiful, with a slender figure, perfect black hair, and the type of aura that just radiated coolness. You wondered if she ever returned Clark’s feelings, but you stopped the thought short after you became bitter. Sighing, you looked down at the desk to distract yourself. It was a cluttered mess with papers sprawled around it and pens scattered.
When the mess became too much for your eyes, you looked up again. When you did, right across from you was Lois Lane, in all her beautiful glory, staring back at you. She studied you for a second like she trying to place you somewhere before it looked like it clicked. Like she was made of water, she glided from her chair with such grace that you thought Superman must have shown her a trick or two to move such a way.
When she finally reached you, she put her palms flat on the other side of Clark’s desk, looking down at you with a serious face. “You’re who Smallville is dating, huh?”
“Yeah,” You said shyly.
“Hm,” She said, eyes giving you a once over. “He’s got good taste, you’re pretty. You from around here?”
“No.”
“Hm. How’d you meet Clark?” She sat on the edge of the desk.
You cleared your throat, cheeks heating up. Lois was a lot prettier up close, and you couldn’t help but feel a bit flushed. “We—we’re neighbors.”
“Neighbors, huh?” Lois looked like she didn’t believe you before leaning closer toward me. “You gotta tell me, does Clark always do that thing with his glasses—you know, where he takes them off, looks at them then puts them…”
“Back on his face, then repeats it like thirty minutes later?” You smiled, leaning forward.
She laughed. “Yes! Why does he do that?”
Before you could respond there was suddenly a different voice, “Totally. Such a weirdo, right?”
The two of you stopped to look at him before breaking out into a fit of giggles. Suddenly, Lois got up from her spot on the desk. “Wanna leave four-eyes behind and get some lunch? This place be a bit of a bore when you’re just sitting around.”
You looked to Clark who looked like he wanted to take offense to the nickname but couldn’t with how well the two of you were getting along. Not that you knew, but he was terrified of how well his best friend and his partner would mesh together. One of the reasons why it took him so long for him to introduce you. When your eyes met he gave you a slight nod and you got up to follow Lois out, giving him a kiss on the lips in passing. Clark thought about following you, but he second-guessed himself when it occurred to him that would probably be better to stay behind and be spared any more cruel remarks.
Taking his seat, Clark removed his glasses and commented to himself quietly, “I like to make sure they’re clean.”
I hope it is okay to ask, since this is not really a request :o
But what do you think are some of the idv characters their type? Do they like a loud s/o, a more cool type, maybe the shy ones? You can pick which characters you like!
Emily: I feel like her type would be maybe someone similar to her, but more extroverted? Someone fun, playful and a little loud but overall someone mature and sensible. Someone who can bring her out of her shell, but she can rely on when times get tough.
Freddy: Freddy wants a trophy wife in my opinion. He'd want a traditional house wife, someone he can brag about. We also know that he stole Martha from Leo so like.. Someone similar to her?
Kreacher: He wants a partner in crime. Someone he can have as a queen he can worship. (everyone should stay 40 ft away from him at all times.)
Emma: This girl just wants someone that won't leave her to be honest. She just wants to feel appreciated and wanted and heard. She's not picky, please- someone don't abandon her.
Servais: Probably wants someone to just relax with, drink a little wine and grow old with. He's tired and a little grumpy so he just wants to kick back.
Kurt: This man wants someone who he can live with. While Servais wants someone he can wind down with, Kurt wants to experience the thrill of being alive. Someone who will listen to his stories and someone who will adventure with him.
Naib: Naib is a.. Very interesting one. I don't think he's picky if you ask me. He probably didn't want to get attached in the first place so I think he'd prefer if his partner would be similar to him..? But I think it could be funny if his partner needed to be protected a ton, just for a mix of dynamic. I am a bit of a nortnaib shipper so. Do what you will.
Martha: Hmmm... She wants someone who she can feel a challenge with. Someone who drives her to always improve and one up. Someone who can test her boundaries and send her up. A real go-getter.
Ramón Bayeu y Subías (Spanish, 1746-1793)
La emperatriz Marta de Constantinopla ante Alfonso X el Sabio, 1766
Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
You liked Kansas because of how open it was. Unlike Metropolis, there were never-ending fields and rolling hills where, in the evening, the sun hit the long grass just right that it making it look like golden waves. The absence of the noise of people and cars created a plane where words could echo and no one would hear. Yes, the countryside of Clark’s life was gorgeous, but it gave way to the most beautiful parts of him.
Granted, he was always beautiful, something in the kind of ethereal way. It was one of the first things you really noticed when you found out he wasn’t actually human, but an alien that just so happened to look like one. It was almost off-putting how perfect he was, in looks and skill, that left you feeling a little too human.
Then, when he was home, humanity seemed to seep back into him. He didn’t need to look like the unstoppable superhero in the sky when he was listening to his Pa scold him for setting the pasture fence wrong or sitting on the front porch swing listening to old tunes with his Ma. Clark was much more affectionate under the Kansas starlight, too, as he dressed you with whispered compliments before adding kisses like he was sealing away all his favorite parts of you to keep a secret just for himself. The sparkle in his eyes seemed brighter in the early morning sunshine, and his smile was more genuine than the one in the Metropolis newspapers. The anchor that tied him to the same Earth that his father dug into weighed heavier at home, and Clark seemed to enjoy it.
In the back of the farm’s old pickup truck was when the Kryptonian left him entirely as he smiled up at the night sky as if he had never been a part of it. He’d listen to the crickets nearby and, for once, let it just be you and him with the world standing in the background. The dreams that bubbled inside his chest, the ones that he wouldn’t dare say as Superman, finally came out amongst the night breeze.
He talked about one day having an even bigger family, the picture-perfect kind only found in stories too good to be true. Clark pictured the same house he grew up in, in a nice place with even nicer people, without the worry of something bigger coming after him. He wished for family dinners that were years away, birthday parties he wanted for his kids, and what he would teach them—Human desires that gave relief that to your fear that Clark would yearn to return to the same stars he came from.
The Kansas countryside was beautiful, yes, but nothing could compare to the way it dragged your love back from the skies to whisper secrets so mortal that you looked forward to the days you would grow old together.