The lab was quiet for once — the hum of machines soft, the night outside a deep indigo. Bruce looked up from his notes when he heard the faint sound of footsteps behind him.

“Can’t sleep again?” he asked gently, without turning.

She leaned against the doorframe, her hoodie hanging loose on her shoulders, eyes tired but guarded. “Didn’t mean to bother you,” she muttered.

“You never bother me,” Bruce said immediately, setting his pen down. “Come here.”

**