DISCLAIMER: Batman and all related characters, settings, etc. are the sole property of DC Comics. No money made, no harm intended. RATING: PG NOTES: Vignette. Bruce Wayne POV. Some angst. The title's not great, I know. I'm open to suggestions. Of course you'll have to send feedback to suggest one. ;)

Like, Love and the Bat
By Chameleon

The thing is, I liked her. I didn't love her--it's impossible to fall in love with someone after only an evening--but I did like her. And who's to say that love is the most important thing anyway. I've loved many women and all of those relationships have ended badly. Maybe what I need is a relationship built on mutual like--nothing more complex than that.

She was probably the first woman I've gone out with in a long time who actually challenged me. I found myself betraying the reputation I've built for myself by engaging in an intelligent debate with her. Our conversation held my attention and I was actually interested in what she had to say.

She may have liked me too, I'm not sure. I can never quite figure out how people are feeling, but she seemed genuinely interested in me.

By the end of dinner, I could even see myself in a long-term relationship with her.

But I will never be in a relationship with her, long-term or otherwise. I am reminded of that as I stand outside the restaurant and see the Bat-signal flicker to life. A fling is out of the question. It wouldn't be fair to her. Or me. It wouldn't go anywhere and to play around, knowing it won't be going anywhere... No! As tempting as it is, it wouldn't be right. And even if she liked me too, even if we found that our mutual like was developing into something more, we could never have a long-term relationship.

Despite (or, perhaps because of) the fact that she is an intelligent, well-rounded person, I can't see her accepting the Bat. And the Bat is such a part of me that I can't give him up for anything, even love.

So, I'll drive her home. And I'll walk her to the door. And I may even kiss her goodnight. But then I'll leave and I'll fade into the shadows and I'll become the Batman once again. And tomorrow when she calls, I won't call her back. She may call again, maybe even several times, but then she'll get mad and stop calling. Next time we meet, she'll probably throw a drink in my face.

I tell myself it's all for the best, although I'm having trouble believing it. It's sometimes hard to accept that loneliness is my only option.

I open the car door for her before climbing into the Mercedes myself. It's all for the best, I tell myself again, and this time I do believe it. Which is a shame, because I really did like her.

- Chameleon

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