Room 513, Wednesday evening

[willbethenight]

It was nearly time. A few years of more or less staying in one place (even if that one place didn't always stay in the same place) for the first time since he started training around the world, and now Bruce was just about ready to take one final step before returning to Gotham City. The Plan had progressed nicely. He learned so much about various

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[batwaffles]

Yeah, Stephanie coming by to see Bruce before he left? Imperative, really. And not because he was the younger version of her boss, either.

She could see the door was open, but she paused outside in the hallway just long enough to consider how weird-and-yet-cool it was to sort of be seeing him off on the start of his career. Weirdly philosophical, or something.

Okay, moment over. Breathe, Steph.

She poked her head around the doorframe. "So. Back to good ol' Gotham for you, or parts unknown?"

[willbethenight]

"Parts relatively well-known," Bruce said. "I'm spending a month in New York before finally going back to Gotham."

If Stephanie realized that would keep him out of town for the lead-up to the 10 year anniversary of his parents' death, that would probably inform his choice. If not, he figured she would just assume it was simply part f his training.

[batwaffles]

Stephanie would like to say she knew that anniversary date because she paid attention to her Gotham City history or had it explained to her by the big guy himself, not because her father kept a framed copy of that newspaper front page. It still took her a few moments to make the connection and do the math, and when she did her eyes went wide just for a second.

She'd always thought of him as broody over that. She'd never thought it might, you know, be something that hurt.

"Oh," she said in the uncertain tone of someone trying to tread carefully around a subject. "Why New York?"

[willbethenight]

He appreciated the treading. "One last experience before I settle back into Gotham life," Bruce said. "I'll be helping out a local doctor for a few weeks. Who knows, I might even pick up a thing or two about medicine." As if she wouldn't know that was the entire goal. "And it'll also be nice to have something to compare the Gotham nightlife to." Building up the playboy reputation. Shock of shocks, he had all of that planned out.

[batwaffles]

What, Bruce? Plan things? Noooooooo. Stephanie never would have expected that.

"It's a useful skill to have, living there," Stephanie agreed. "Medicine, that is. But you're sure you'll want to go back after experiencing the Big Apple? Gotham nightlife is a special thing." Yes, there was a sarcastic spin on that last comment.

"Seems like a Big Apples-and-oranges comparison." Hee. Look, she wasn't actually worried about him deciding to stay in New York or anything.

[willbethenight]

Bruce maybe let an anti-pun glare last longer than was strictly longer after that last comment, but his tone was fairly light when he answered, "I've spent some time in New York. It's not bad, but it's not really for me. And frankly, Gotham's been without a Wayne for far too long."

[batwaffles]

Might as well incorporate pun-tolerance into the training, Bruce.

"I can't imagine it without one," Stephanie told him honestly. A specific one, of course. "It's Fandom's loss, but I think that city needs you."

[willbethenight]

"Fandom will be fine. It still has people like you," Bruce offered. "Gotham doesn't have enough."

"Actually, I have a question along these lines that we're talking around, if you don't mind humoring me for a second."

[batwaffles]

"I --" Had that been a compliment? Whoa.

Stephanie blinked, but nodded. "I'm all humor. Ask away."

Tell me I'm not going to regret saying that.

[willbethenight]

"You know what I'm doing," Bruce said. "I don't want any glimpses into a possible future or hints about ways to change it. But do you have any suggestions about how I could be better?"

"Consider this a suggestion box that no other versions of me will ever find out about."

[batwaffles]

And hello, position she never thought she'd be in. It was really tempting to say no, but some opportunities you just didn't let pass you by.

"I do, actually." Not freaking out, not freaking out. Just thinking about a memorial case and every time Tim had shown up at her window upset, and how she'd come to understand why he had, too. "Just . . . remember that people like us know the risks of what we do. And we'll find some way to do it, so it's really just a waste of time trying to talk us out of it."

She half grinned. "It was fun, that one night."

[willbethenight]

While this version of Bruce was destined to go along with that advice for a very long time, he would eventually learn that there was a limit. Strangely, that limit would involve Tim.

But he didn't know that. He merely nodded at the suggestion. "It went much better than I assumed doing that with anyone would. But if that ends up being a one-time positive experience, I'm going to hold you responsible for getting my hopes up."

Actually, he'd already followed that up with a successful barfight date. But Stephanie didn't need to know that. Probably for a few reasons.

[batwaffles]

Stephanie would not at all be surprised if it did involve Tim.

Meeeeeeep.

"No pressure or anything," she said with a nervous laugh.

[willbethenight]

"Would I ever put pressure on you?" Bruce asked.

He couldn't be positive, but Bruce was pretty sure that sentence was the best joke he'd ever told to a very specific audience.

[batwaffles]

It was kind of hilarious actually, wasn't it? Since she was always giving her Bruce grief about lightening up some and all that, and hey, look at that, he was capable of humor.

"I don't know," she replied, a little more easily now that she realized it. "You haven't yet."

No, that was just her putting pressure on herself. Hello, new realization.