Detective | ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀᴛᴍᴀɴ

𝒕 𝒆 𝒏

Seated inside a cozy café that officers frequented during their breaks, Jess savored her coffee while perusing files on her laptop. Batman had been occupied with his own affairs, leaving Jess out of the loop. Instead of idling away, she resolved to tackle her job independently, utilizing her own methods.

"Fancy meeting you here," a familiar voice chimed from behind her laptop screen. Jess glanced up, her emerald eyes meeting Bruce, who still sported the same black sunglasses as before. With a smile, she leaned back in her seat.

"Couldn't resist being around me, huh?" she quipped, gesturing to the chair across from her. "Care to join me?" Bruce nodded, pulling out a worn black chair with its leather seat covering peeling from years of use.

Observing her as she typed away, he inquired, "What are you working on?" Pushing his sunglasses up, his gray-blue eyes, which always stirred a flutter in Jess's heart, were revealed.

Closing her laptop, Jess replied, "Can't divulge, police business." She sheepishly grinned. "Now, why are you stalking me?"

Bruce chuckled at her accusation. "I could ask you the same. This happens to be my favorite coffee spot."

"Sure it is," Jess chuckled, taking a long sip of her coffee from earlier. She maintained eye contact with Bruce, who did the same, their gaze an unspoken contest of dominance, akin to two alphas vying for leadership. Swallowing the sweetened liquid, she pressed the warm paper cup against her cheek. "Let me ask you something." Bruce inclined his head, encouraging her to continue. "Am I... too aggressive?"

"Define aggressive," he countered.

Setting her cup on the table, Jess pondered for a moment. "Am I too much to handle, romantically speaking?" Bruce blinked a few times, wanting to tease her, but upon seeing the nervousness etched on her face and the way she chewed her bottom lip, he realized she was referencing their encounter as Batman. He scratched the back of his neck, avoiding anything but her lips.

How he longed to kiss them once more.

"Well, I think you're confident and know what you want," he said, his gaze locked onto her eyes, delving into them like she did with Batman. "And we've only spoken three times." A soft chuckle escaped Jess's lips at his complimentary words. "Let's not forget that captivating smile." Leaning across the table, he trailed the back of his knuckles along her cheek. "It's like a rare gem, only those deserving of its beauty may behold it."

"And do you consider yourself worthy?" Jess inquired, making no move to remove his touch from her cheek. It sent more shivers down her spine than Batman ever did.

"No, I don't," he admitted, pulling his hand back. "I'm not worthy of anything you offer me."

Jess felt her heart thump against her chest. "Well, I suppose that's for the gem to decide, right?"

"Yeah," Bruce sighed, a small smile gracing his lips. "I guess so."

Pushing a strand of dark hair behind her ear, Jess leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "Tell me something about yourself," she suggested, her smile beaming. "And I'll tell you something about me."