@docthompkins Lunch Meeting

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@docthompkins Lunch Meeting ❤️

Leslie raised an amused eyebrow. "You only had a lot going on as a kid? That's changed, has it?"

She shook her head. Bruce had been a child during the period where they had danced aid eachother. The odd moment that could have become something more but never did. "No Bruce. If you've managed to finally convince him to take a vacation the last thing he'll need is to see me. Let the man enjoy his peace."

docthompkins​:

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Bruce dear.” And she squeezed his hand. The last thing she had meant in her confession was to make him feel guilty. Perhaps she should have kept it to herself.

No. She reminded herself. Sharing is healthy. Allowing people to show up for you is important.

“Of course he does. We’ve known eachother for years.” People grew fond of eachother of course. He cared for her Leslie was sure. Loving and being in love, however were two different things. “The stubborn man wouldn’t know how what rest looked like if it hit him square in the face.”

He shook his head at her. “No, Leslie, like he loves you. I may have had a lot going on as a kid, but that I saw. He’s always loved you.” He did chuckle at her comment, she was right about that. “That’s why I’m making him take a vacation. You should join him. You could use a break.”

Evaluation of Bruce Wayne by Leslie Thompkins (from Batman: The Imposter).

Did I just spend time finding every batfamily member I could? Yes. Did I just spend at least 45 minutes figuring out ages that make sense ? Yes.

Did I say f**k DC timeline? Absolutely!

"The works fine. I enjoy it... It's fulfilling." She shook her head slightly dismissing the idea, lip curling at the compliment. Bruce was sweet when he wanted to be. Leslie just appreciated him dropping by, a rare occurrence these days given how busy he was.

"I don't know." Leslie mused. "I go to work. And then I go home. If I'm lucky, neither you or any of your brood need patching up - which is a double edged sword seeing as that's the only time I really see any of you at the moment..." There was admonishment in her tone, though it wasn't not unkind. She understood why.

"It gets a little lonely sometimes." Leslie admitted quietly.

docthompkins​:

Open starter.

“I had a client today ask me if I’m happy.” Leslie began, swirling the amber liquid in the bottom of her glass. “I didn’t answer, of course. Professional boundaries and what have you.”

She took a sip, savouring the flavour, the burn of it at the back of her throat. “But still. It did make me wonder.”

“Well, if you’re not happy than why do you still work?” Bruce asked. “There are a million things you can do and be amazing at.” He took a small slip of his drink. 

“Then here’s the question; Are you happy?” 

Who on earth was calling at this hour?

Tightening her dressing gown around herself, Leslie hesitated before opening the door, wondering if she ought to open it at all. It was late, it was Gotham, and she wasn't expecting anyone. Her clients for the day had all wrapped up hours ago and she wasn't long away from getting some sleep. She'd be well within her rights to pretend she hadn't heard a thing.

Still, with the rain pounding against the door, she had a feeling whatever it was, was important.

The person waiting on the other side of the door was a sorry sight. Hood obscuring their face, they looked soaked through to the bone, their entire body language radiating misery.

"Can I help you?" She raised her voice to be heard over the rain.

@docthompkins

It had been on his mind for a while now, but it had taken this long for Jason to work up to taking the first step after months of second-guessing, talking himself in and out of it, arguing with himself that it was something he needed or something that wouldn’t change a god damned thing, depending on what mood happened to strike him at the time.

He was tired of fighting with himself over it. Tired of feeling like a dog chasing its tail, never getting anywhere except wearing himself down until he couldn’t bottle it up any longer. Tired of waking up screaming. Tired of forcing himself to stay awake until he was too exhausted to dream.

Tired of feeling like it was eating him alive.

Still, it wasn’t as though he’d actually made an appointment. Hell, he hadn’t actually even planned on when he was going to do it. All he’d done so far was to pull a phone number and address and commit them to memory; no real intention to ever actually putting either to use in the foreseeable future.

Jason had been out alone in the pouring rain all night, the cold and damp soaking him to the bone, setting off memories of trying to sleep in abandoned buildings with leaks in the roof, in turn triggering a cascade that led to him getting up in his head about it.

Head low, shoulders hunched, boots moving quickly over rain-slicked pavement with more purpose than they should have, given that Jason wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings, but before he really knew what he was doing enough to talk himself out of it again, he was jabbing at the doorbell, trying to hold his nerve long enough not to walk away and forget about the whole thing again.