Better Together

Somehow, even after three years, Charlotte Murphy felt out of place as she mingled amongst the Gotham elite. Not a minute after she and Bruce had entered the ballroom, he was whisked away by some of his business partners. He sent Charlotte a pleading look for help over his shoulder as she giggled and gave a small wave. Grabbing a champagne flute from a passing waiter’s tray, Charlotte stood by the doorway for a moment before making a beeline for the balcony. She cursed to herself as the cool February air hit her skin.

Despite the bad reputation Gotham was given, Charlotte couldn’t help but feel at home amongst all the chaos. Even before the brunette began rubbing elbows with Gotham’s high society, she always felt safe. Of course, having a crazed clown running around with a vendetta against a guy who dressed up as bat wasn’t ideal but it was better than a guy like Albert Fish. At least that’s the argument Charlotte had used when her family expressed their concern over her move.

“You’re going to catch a cold standing out here without a jacket.”

Charlotte took a sip of champagne and tossed a smile over her shoulder before looking back out at the Gotham skyline, “This is your third charity event this month, Clark. What did you do this time to piss Perry off?”

The reporter shrugged and took a spot standing beside Charlotte, “Who knows with him. It’s better than being put on sports. At least I have someone to hang out with here.”

The brunette nodded as a strong wind sent chills down her spine. She shivered for a moment before feeling the warmth of a jacket engulfing her. Charlotte chuckled to herself, “If I didn’t know you had a darling girlfriend in Metropolis, I’d think you were making a move.”

“You think I’d be stupid enough to make a move on Bruce Wayne’s long-time girlfriend?” Clark let out a hearty laugh, “Maybe you should’ve gone into comedy instead of art.”

Charlotte let out a dry laugh, “Look whose talking.” She took a long sip out of her flute, finishing the contents of it. “I should head back inside though,” Charlotte slipped Clark’s jacket off her shoulders and held it out to him, “Bruce owes me a dance.”

Clark took his jacket and fished his cell phone out of the pocket, “Before you go, can I get a quote?”

“Isn’t the Daily Planet getting sick of my quotes?” Charlotte asked, looking up at Clark.

“What do you think of Gotham’s bat vigilante?”

Charlotte’s smile dropped. She searched Clark’s face for a moment as she tried to read his expression. Charlotte regained her composure and smirked as she realized he, just like everyone else, had no idea who the Batman was. “On the record, I think he’s someone that Gotham City should be proud of. Off the record, I think he’s got a nice butt.” She leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to Clark’s cheek before heading back inside.

After a very long winded business proposal from some politician’s nephew, Bruce managed to break away from the crowd and look for his girlfriend. He knew she wanted to stay in for the evening and owed her a dance for finally agreeing to accompany him. The billionaire scanned the room before locking his eyes on two people standing awfully close to one another on the balcony. Bruce swiftly moved through the crowd and stopped himself from making his presence known when he heard Clark ask about the Batman.
Bruce didn’t really know the reporter well. At most, Clark was just a reporter looking to get the latest gossip about Gotham’s inner most circle despite Charlotte’s insistence that he was a friendly guy who got stuck at these parties as punishment. He watched as his girlfriend kissed the reporter on the cheek and felt his fists clench and his jaw harden. Charlotte approached him with a smile. Even with four inch heels, Bruce still had a good six inches on his girlfriend.

Charlotte looked up at Bruce through her long lashes, “Jealousy doesn’t look good on you, babe.”

The billionaire rolled his eyes and grabbed the champagne flute out her hand, taking her free hand with his. He pulled them back inside and dropped the glass on a passing waiter’s tray. “I believe I owe you a dance, darling.” Bruce took a step back from Charlotte and extended an open hand.

Charlotte smiled and took Bruce’s hand. He led them to the dance floor where they blended gracefully with the other dancing couples. Bruce placed a large hand on the small of Charlotte’s back and kissed her cheek. “So, tell me more about this Bat-man you and your friend were talking about.” He whispered, his lips ghosting her ear.

The brunette leaned further into Bruce’s body and responded with a hint of amusement in her voice, “Whatcha wanna know?”

Bruce couldn’t tell if his girlfriend truly knew his secret or was simply admiring the vigilante. He was just waiting for the right moment to bring her down to the bat cave and explain everything. On multiple occasions, Alfred had warned the billionaire that his girlfriend was growing ever suspicious of where exactly her partner ran off to in the middle of the night. “Who do you really think he is?” Bruce’s eyes studied Charlotte’s face as she thought about her answer. He watched as the corners of her red lips lifted into a sly smile.

Charlotte turned in Bruce’s grip before answering his question. She pressed her back into his defined chest, feeling his muscles even through the several layers he had on. She loved the way his arms created the feeling of being home when they wrapped around her frame. “Well, I think he’s someone intuitive and humble.” The brunette tilted her head to the side a bit, exposing her neck as Bruce dipped his head down. His lips peppered her neck with kisses before spinning her back around to face him. “I also think he keeps his circle pretty small, but is a well liked man by all. He probably isn’t as sneaky as he thinks though, I’m sure he’s got some lucky lady in his life that waits up at night hoping he returns home safely.”

It was Charlotte’s turn to study Bruce’s face as she waited for a response. She looked at him with pleading eyes, watching the smile slowly fade to a stoic look. Why was he still hiding his secret? Why couldn’t he just be open with her? Did he not love her enough to trust her with his big bat secret? An eruption of applause for the orchestra broke Charlotte’s stare. Bruce looked away and removed his hand from the small of her back to join in the applause. Charlotte clapped for a moment before excusing herself. As she reached the coat room, the brunette bumped into a certain reporter.

Clark could tell even from a quick glance that Charlotte was upset. “I’ll only be out for another hour or so… Of course, I love you too. Good night.”

Charlotte looked over at the reporter as he tucked his phone back into his pocket. She offered him a smile in the hopes of diminishing the look of concern he did a terrible job at hiding. “I’m fine, Clark. I’m just tired, wasn’t really planning on coming out in the first place tonight.”

“Are you sure? You can always talk to me if something is bothering you… off the record, I promise. As friends!” Clark leaned against the wall as he watched Charlotte slip on her coat.

“I appreciate it, but like I said… I’m just tired. Can you tell Bruce I’ve taken a taxi home?”

Before Clark had a chance to respond, Charlotte was already out of sight. Once in the elevator, Charlotte leaned against the back of the car and sighed. She knew she was overreacting, not even giving Bruce a chance to respond or react to what she said, but the look on his face merely confirmed her hunch. She was right and Bruce was hiding a huge secret from her. As the brunette flagged down a taxi and told the driver her destination, Charlotte couldn’t help but wonder what else Bruce was hiding from her.