Better Together
two.
“Miss Charlotte, home already?” Alfred asked as he held the front door of Wayne Manor open for her, “I wasn’t expecting to pick you and Master Bruce up from the gala for another two hours.”
Charlotte nodded as she walked past, “Change of plans.” She shrugged off her coat and handed off to Alfred who already had a hanger in hand.
Alfred, sensing tension radiate off the young woman before him, began walking toward the kitchen. “Perhaps a cup of tea before you head to bed?” He didn’t need to wait for Charlotte to respond as he heard the clicking of her heels follow close behind. There was a thick silence between the two as Alfred filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove. He knew exactly what was stewing in Charlotte’s mind.
“Why does he keep hiding things from me, Alfred?” All confidence was lost from her voice. Charlotte spoke softly, unable to lift her eyes from the island’s marble countertop.
The butler nodded to himself, his suspicions confirmed. “I take it, Miss Charlotte, that the Batman was a topic of discussion this evening.” Charlotte was silent as the kettle began to whistle. She watched Alfred take her favorite mug from the cabinet, drop a tea bag in it, and fill it with water. Alfred took the brunette’s silence as an invitation for him to continue, “Master Bruce is a very private person, not used to having someone other than myself to confide in.”
Charlotte took the mug from Alfred’s hands and took a sip, “It’s been three years.”
“And he’s been like this for 35, longer than you’ve even been alive.” Alfred chuckled to himself as Charlotte rolled her eyes and scoffed. “All jokes aside, Miss Charlotte, there is no doubt in my mind that Master Bruce trusts you. I feel that he believes confirming that you know of the Batman will only put you in harms way.”
Unsure of what to say, Charlotte took another long sip of tea. She finished her drink and thanked the butler before heading up to the bedroom. Shutting the heavy door behind her, Charlotte was quick to kick off her shoes, relieving her aching feet. She quickly made her way into the master bedroom, discarding her clothes as she went, and began to run a hot bath for herself. As she waiting for the tub to fill with water, Charlotte stood by the sink and removed her make-up. She tossed her hair into a messy bun before grabbing a bottle of bubbles from her vanity.
Enveloped in hot water and bubbles, Charlotte leaned back in the tub and closed her eyes. This is how she had envisioned spending her evening in the first place. All she was missing was a glass of wine. Charlotte wasn’t sure how long she had been sitting in the but before she began to sense someone watching her. She opened one eye and saw Bruce standing in the doorway of the bathroom, still fully dressed in his suit. He couldn’t have been standing there too long, the water in the tub was still warm.
“Can I help you?”
Bruce chuckled as he walked toward the tub, loosening his tie. “Got room for another? My date ran off on me this evening.”
As mad as she was, Charlotte couldn’t help but stare as her boyfriend began to undress himself. There was no hiding the fact that he had been spending quite a bit of time in the gym over the past few months. Charlotte moved forward in the tub leaving room for Bruce to climb in behind her.
“It’s not very polite to stare, Charlie.” Bruce whispered in Charlotte’s ear as he eased his body into the tub.
Charlotte laughed softly before leaving back into Bruce’s body. She closed her eyes again as he nipped at her neck. As much as she tried, Charlotte was unable to fully relax knowing the things Bruce was hiding from her. She had known for a few weeks and was pretty sure Bruce knew as well. The longer he refused to acknowledge Charlotte’s knowledge of the Batman, the harder it became for Charlotte to be close to him.
Bruce could feel the tension in his girlfriend’s shoulders. Hell, he could feel it radiating off of her anytime he was nearby. “Try to relax.” He dipped one hand under the water and rest it on top of Charlotte’s right knee. Slowly, Bruce ran his hand up the inner part of her leg. Just before he reached his intended destination, he felt one of Charlotte’s small hands grab his calloused one.
“Stop hiding things from me, Bruce.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
Bruce sighed and pulled his hand away. He ran both hands through his greying hair, slicking it back with water, “Not now, Charlie.”
“When?” Charlotte looked over her shoulder sending Bruce a pointed look.
“Later, Charlotte. Not now.” Bruce’s jaw tensed, the words barely squeezing out.
The sound of Bruce using Charlotte’s full name rather than the nickname he used lovingly stung. Charlotte turned away and sighed. Knowing better than to push the topic any further, Charlotte lifted herself out of the tub and wrapped herself in a plush white towel. As she stepped over Bruce’s discarded dress shirt, the brunette looked over her shoulder “I’m tired of waiting, Bruce. I’m asking for honesty, not a diamond ring. If later ever comes, let’s hope it happens before it’s too late.”
Bruce looked up from the soapy water and watched Charlotte leave the room. “Before it’s too late?” He muttered to himself, “What’s that supposed to mean?” Bruce felt himself get angry. Was she going to leave him because he didn’t want to talk about the Batman? For god’s sake, he was trying to protect her, not drive her away! “What do you mean before it’s too late?” Bruce spoke louder this time, hoping Charlotte could hear him. The billionaire let out a cry of frustration and smacked the water sending suds flying.
Charlotte nodded as she walked past, “Change of plans.” She shrugged off her coat and handed off to Alfred who already had a hanger in hand.
Alfred, sensing tension radiate off the young woman before him, began walking toward the kitchen. “Perhaps a cup of tea before you head to bed?” He didn’t need to wait for Charlotte to respond as he heard the clicking of her heels follow close behind. There was a thick silence between the two as Alfred filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove. He knew exactly what was stewing in Charlotte’s mind.
“Why does he keep hiding things from me, Alfred?” All confidence was lost from her voice. Charlotte spoke softly, unable to lift her eyes from the island’s marble countertop.
The butler nodded to himself, his suspicions confirmed. “I take it, Miss Charlotte, that the Batman was a topic of discussion this evening.” Charlotte was silent as the kettle began to whistle. She watched Alfred take her favorite mug from the cabinet, drop a tea bag in it, and fill it with water. Alfred took the brunette’s silence as an invitation for him to continue, “Master Bruce is a very private person, not used to having someone other than myself to confide in.”
Charlotte took the mug from Alfred’s hands and took a sip, “It’s been three years.”
“And he’s been like this for 35, longer than you’ve even been alive.” Alfred chuckled to himself as Charlotte rolled her eyes and scoffed. “All jokes aside, Miss Charlotte, there is no doubt in my mind that Master Bruce trusts you. I feel that he believes confirming that you know of the Batman will only put you in harms way.”
Unsure of what to say, Charlotte took another long sip of tea. She finished her drink and thanked the butler before heading up to the bedroom. Shutting the heavy door behind her, Charlotte was quick to kick off her shoes, relieving her aching feet. She quickly made her way into the master bedroom, discarding her clothes as she went, and began to run a hot bath for herself. As she waiting for the tub to fill with water, Charlotte stood by the sink and removed her make-up. She tossed her hair into a messy bun before grabbing a bottle of bubbles from her vanity.
Enveloped in hot water and bubbles, Charlotte leaned back in the tub and closed her eyes. This is how she had envisioned spending her evening in the first place. All she was missing was a glass of wine. Charlotte wasn’t sure how long she had been sitting in the but before she began to sense someone watching her. She opened one eye and saw Bruce standing in the doorway of the bathroom, still fully dressed in his suit. He couldn’t have been standing there too long, the water in the tub was still warm.
“Can I help you?”
Bruce chuckled as he walked toward the tub, loosening his tie. “Got room for another? My date ran off on me this evening.”
As mad as she was, Charlotte couldn’t help but stare as her boyfriend began to undress himself. There was no hiding the fact that he had been spending quite a bit of time in the gym over the past few months. Charlotte moved forward in the tub leaving room for Bruce to climb in behind her.
“It’s not very polite to stare, Charlie.” Bruce whispered in Charlotte’s ear as he eased his body into the tub.
Charlotte laughed softly before leaving back into Bruce’s body. She closed her eyes again as he nipped at her neck. As much as she tried, Charlotte was unable to fully relax knowing the things Bruce was hiding from her. She had known for a few weeks and was pretty sure Bruce knew as well. The longer he refused to acknowledge Charlotte’s knowledge of the Batman, the harder it became for Charlotte to be close to him.
Bruce could feel the tension in his girlfriend’s shoulders. Hell, he could feel it radiating off of her anytime he was nearby. “Try to relax.” He dipped one hand under the water and rest it on top of Charlotte’s right knee. Slowly, Bruce ran his hand up the inner part of her leg. Just before he reached his intended destination, he felt one of Charlotte’s small hands grab his calloused one.
“Stop hiding things from me, Bruce.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
Bruce sighed and pulled his hand away. He ran both hands through his greying hair, slicking it back with water, “Not now, Charlie.”
“When?” Charlotte looked over her shoulder sending Bruce a pointed look.
“Later, Charlotte. Not now.” Bruce’s jaw tensed, the words barely squeezing out.
The sound of Bruce using Charlotte’s full name rather than the nickname he used lovingly stung. Charlotte turned away and sighed. Knowing better than to push the topic any further, Charlotte lifted herself out of the tub and wrapped herself in a plush white towel. As she stepped over Bruce’s discarded dress shirt, the brunette looked over her shoulder “I’m tired of waiting, Bruce. I’m asking for honesty, not a diamond ring. If later ever comes, let’s hope it happens before it’s too late.”
Bruce looked up from the soapy water and watched Charlotte leave the room. “Before it’s too late?” He muttered to himself, “What’s that supposed to mean?” Bruce felt himself get angry. Was she going to leave him because he didn’t want to talk about the Batman? For god’s sake, he was trying to protect her, not drive her away! “What do you mean before it’s too late?” Bruce spoke louder this time, hoping Charlotte could hear him. The billionaire let out a cry of frustration and smacked the water sending suds flying.