Chapter Text
The bar was absolutely packed.
Music pounded through the walls, lights flashing over the crowd while people shouted over each other with the kind of energy only a Saturday night could produce.
Normally, the Justice League didn’t exactly do group outings.
But after saving the world for what felt like the third time this month, Oliver had declared everyone needed drinks. At first they were hesitant, mostly because the last team outing had somehow ended with Clark accidentally breaking a karaoke machine.
Still, it didn’t take much convincing.
Hell, even Batman had agreed to come.
Which honestly should’ve been my first warning sign that tonight was going to ruin my life.
“How’s your arm going?”
I took a swig of my beer before looking over at Barry. “Eh. I’ve taken harder hits. Just need to put some heat on it later, maybe massage the muscle a bit.”
“I know someone who could help with that.”
I looked to my side to find Oliver hanging halfway over the booth, very obviously drunk.
“Yeah,” I scoffed. “Myself.”
“No, no, no,” Oliver said, slumping down in the booth next to Barry while waving dramatically. “I’m thinking of someone tall, dark, emotionally constipated…”
Barry immediately snorted.
“…obsessed with the night, dresses like a divorced vampire, and whose hand you held.”
Okay. So Oliver was really drunk.
“Yeah right,” I muttered. “I only did that because there was five hundred bucks on the line.”
“Nuh uh,” Oliver said, pointing at me like he’d uncovered government secrets. “You did it because you’ve got a little crush.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Not in a million years.”
“Mhm.”
“I don’t.”
“Mhm.”
“It was a dare.”
“Mhm.”
“Stop ‘mhm’-ing me!”
Barry finally decided to join in. “Come on, Ollie, stop teasing Hal.”
I relaxed slightly.
“…about his tiny little Batman crush,” Barry finished, immediately bursting into laughter.
Traitor.
Dammit Cisco for helping Barry metabolise alcohol fast enough to get drunk and stay energetic.
“Guys,” I groaned, “nothing happened. It was literally just the dare.”
“Oh, don’t get defensive,” Oliver said with a grin. “Just admit you wanna tap that.”
“Oliver!” I hissed. “I do not want to have sex with Bats-“
“Shame,” a familiar deep voice said behind me, “I have excellent reviews.”
My soul left my body.
Slowly, very slowly,
I turned around.
Bruce Wayne stood there holding a drink, looking unfairly composed for someone who’d just materialised directly behind me.
He definitely had not been there a second ago.
Oliver, completely unfazed, barked out a laugh. “See? Told you!”
“Oh my god,” I blurted. “No, wait, I didn’t mean, not that I doubted you, I mean, I’m sure you would be good in bed—”
Abort. Abort immediately.
“with someone else. Obviously. Not me.“
My face was on fire.
Barry had fully collapsed against the table laughing.
I was going to die here tonight.
But then, Bruce smiled. Tiny. Brief. Barely there. But definitely real.
And somehow that was worse.
Before I could recover, Bruce leaned down slightly, close enough for his shoulder to brush mine.
“What if,” he said quietly near my ear, “I don’t want someone else?”
Oh.
Oh no.
Warm breath brushed against my ear and suddenly every functioning thought evaporated from my brain.
This could not be happening.
I was not getting turned on because Batman smelled expensive and was speaking in that low voice directly into my ear in the middle of a crowded club.
Absolutely not.
Bruce pulled back slowly, gaze still locked onto mine.
Then, like he hadn’t just detonated my entire nervous system, he turned and walked toward the dance floor where Diana was unsuccessfully trying to convince Clark to dance.
“What,” Barry said weakly, “the fuck?”
“I have never,” Oliver whispered in awe, “seen Batman flirt before.”
“That was flirting?” I squeaked.
All three of us went silent.
The realization hit me like a freight train.
Oh no.
Oh no.
I had a crush on Batman. A very real one. Potentially a catastrophic one.
I whipped toward Barry and Oliver so fast I nearly spilled my drink.
“Help me.”
Barry wiped tears from his eyes. “No.”
“What do I do?” I demanded.
Oliver pointed toward the dance floor.
“Well,” he said smugly, “you could start by asking your boyfriend to dance.”
“He is NOT my boyfriend!”
Almost on cue, Bruce glanced over his shoulder toward me.
And raised an eyebrow.
Motherfucker.
I dropped my head into my hands. “This is a dream. I’m gonna wake up in my shitty house any second now.”
Oliver barked out another laugh “He’s losing it!”
I raised my middle finger toward him without looking up. “You know what? I’m an adult. I do not need to be psychologically tormented by you two.”
“Mhm,” Barry said.
“You’re both terrible friends.”
“Then go dance with Bats,” Oliver said with a grin spreading ear to ear. “I dare you.”
I froze.
Because on one hand?
The idea of Bruce dancing against me was doing very dangerous things to my brain.
On the other, there was absolutely no way Bruce actually meant any of that.
Right?
“You know,” Oliver added casually, “if you back out, you automatically lose and owe me five hundred.”
I looked up sharply. “I never agreed to money being involved.”
Oliver shrugged. “Standard dare rules.”
“That’s not a thing.”
“It is tonight.”
Barry nodded solemnly. “Sacred tradition.”
“You’re both making things up.”
“Sounds like someone’s scared,” Oliver sing-songed.
My pride immediately took that personally.
I stood so fast my knee slammed into the table.
“OW, okay, dramatic exit ruined, but I’m still doing it.”
Barry’s eyes widened as I started toward the dance floor. “Oh my god, he’s actually going.”
The crowd thickened around me, music vibrating through the floor beneath my shoes. I could already see Diana dragging a reluctant Clark into some sort of spin move while Bruce stood nearby nursing his drink like he belonged in a noir film instead of a nightclub.
Then suddenly, a woman looped herself around my arm.
“Well hello, handsome,” she purred. “You wanna dance?”
She was gorgeous. Tight black dress, bright lipstick, confidence sharp enough to cut glass.
Under normal circumstances I would’ve been thrilled.
Unfortunately, my brain currently belonged to a six-foot-something emotionally unavailable billionaire.
Before I could answer, a gravelly voice cut through beside me.
“He’s occupied.”
Every nerve in my body lit up.
Bruce stepped in close behind me, warmth radiating against my back. Not touching. Barely. But enough that I could feel him there.
The woman looked between us, immediately catching the vibe.
“Oh,” she said slowly. “…oh.”
Then she smirked at me. “Good luck with that, sweetheart.”
And walked away.
For the second time that night, Bruce leaned close enough for his mouth to brush near my ear.
“Didn’t think you’d actually come over.”
I let out a breathless laugh. “I like keeping people on their toes.”
Bruce chuckled softly.
Yep. Totally fucked.
“What convinced you?” he asked.
I swallowed, forcing some confidence back into my system. “How about you help me with another dare?”
“Mhm. Depends.”
“A dance,” I said. “Can’t afford to lose.”
Bruce hummed thoughtfully, I could practically feel his gaze dragging slowly over me in a way that absolutely should not have been legal.
Then, “I’ll dance with you,” he said smoothly. “And you won’t need Queen’s money. You can have as much of mine as you want.”
Alright.
Either I’d died and gone to heaven or someone had slipped something into my drink.
I bit down on my lower lip before I could stop myself.
Bruce reached up and brushed his thumb gently across my lip.
“You’re bleeding.”
My entire body short-circuited.
“It matches the color you turn when you blush,” he added quietly.
“Shut up,” I muttered weakly.
His mouth twitched.
Then his hands settled on either side of my waist.
Warm. Steady. Possessive enough to make my pulse jump.
“This okay, darling?”
I was going to spontaneously combust.
Still, I managed a nod.
“Use your words.”
“Yes,” I said breathlessly.