(for inyourdreams )

[gcpd]

John had been fiddling with her card for the rest of the afternoon. He really thought about it - really thought about calling her and asking her out on a date. She couldn't have had a boyfriend, right? Otherwise she wouldn't have given him her number. But then maybe she just wanted to "hang out" with no romantic connotations...or maybe he was just over thinking it. It was so unlike John to over think things. He had, after all, been called a "hot head" by the late, great Peter Foley.

But then Bane and Batman had messed everyone up. "Fuck it," he said under his breath and dialed her number on his cell phone.

Comments

[gcpd]

John almost wanted to smile at that. He wasn't the Batman. At least not yet, but when he will be, he'd give this city what they need: hope. "Yeah, I think so."

[inyourdreams]

She nodded.

"I guess time will tell," she said.

[gcpd]

John downed the rest of his beer and then nodded.

[inyourdreams]

"So...what else do you like to do, besides work at the Boys Home?" she asked, thinking it was probably time to change the subject.

[gcpd]

"I ride my bike, read, nothing too out there," he replied. Trying to figure out Wanye's computer too.

[inyourdreams]

She nodded.

"And there's really no woman in your life?" she asked, finding that a little hard to believe.

[gcpd]

He shrugged sheepishly.

[inyourdreams]

"Or man," she corrected, not wanting to assume.

[gcpd]

"Nobody," he said. John called over the waitress for another round.

[inyourdreams]

"Why is that?" she asked.

[gcpd]

"I don't know," he replied.

[inyourdreams]

"Do you prefer to be alone?" she asked.

[gcpd]

"Wouldn't it be easier that way?"

[inyourdreams]

That kind of took her aback.

"What? Life?" she asked.

[gcpd]

"I guess, yeah," he said with another shrug.

[inyourdreams]

"I always thought life was meant to be shared," she said. "That that's what made it easier. Having people to lean on when you need."

[gcpd]

Was that how Wanye did it? There were always tabloid stories about him - about him dating some movie star and then the next day, some other woman was on his arm. John knew about Alfred. Was he Bruce's crutch? John kept quiet.

[inyourdreams]

She looked at him for a moment and then down at her beer before taking another sip. Clearly she was picking all the wrong things to talk about with him. It wouldn't surprise her if he cut the night short and she never heard from him again.

It wouldn't be the first time.

[gcpd]

"Sorry," he said after a moment. "I know I'm not being good company."

[inyourdreams]

"It's okay," she said, giving him a small, quick smile. "You seem to have a lot on your mind."

[gcpd]

He nodded slowly, his eyes out of focus.

[inyourdreams]

"I know...you don't really know me," she said. "But...I'm a good listener...if you want to talk about any of it."

[gcpd]

He waved at her dismissively. "I don't want to weigh you down with my problems."

[inyourdreams]

She shrugged.

"You shouldn't try to carry them all yourself either," she said.

Maybe it was his resemblance to Arthur that was making her feel connected to him in some way or maybe it was her need to fix things, but she wanted to help him somehow. He looked kind of...lost.

[gcpd]

"Really, it's okay, Ari." The only person who really knew his problems was Lucius Fox. John had been in contact with him about the Batman...about the suit. "I'll be fine, I promise."