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You saw him across the street first, gaping at Jim for a moment in shock. He was talking angrily into the payphone receiver with his hands gesturing wildly. Some things just don’t change, you thought with a reluctant smile as he gave an exaggerated sigh and tapped his foot like a little kid. Your smile disappeared, however, the moment he turned and caught sight of you. His eyebrows immediately shot up when he did so, evidently under the same impression that you had been. Just like him you had left Gotham for greener pastures, but just like him you had been dragged right back to your true home.
There was a moment where you stared at one another, drinking in each others presence like you were starving, before you broke the spell and began power-walking down the sidewalk. You choked back tears as memories of lonely nights and desperate pleas flooded your mind. You wiped them away as they came, knowing that he wouldn’t be far behind you now.
“Hey! Wait! Y/N, come on, wait!”
You walked even faster, practically jogging in your heels, before he managed to grab a hold of your arm and pull you back. Collecting yourself, you turned to him with a defiant look in your eyes. You had promised yourself that he would never again see you cry after he broke your heart for the last time.
“Hello Jim. How can I help you?” You tried not to react when he visibly flinched at the coolness of your tone.
“I, uh… I didn’t…” His gaze shifting from the ground and to your eyes before settling on the alley wall and swallowing nervously. “I thought you left.”
“I did and now I’m back.” For some reason you couldn’t explain, his nervousness made you suddenly furious and you yanked your arm back. “Apparently so are you.”
“Yeah, I am… It's Detective Gordon now.” He gave you his nervous, jittery smile- the exact same one he had given you when he accidentally broke your mother’s favorite vase when they first met. ”I’ve been at the GCPD now for two months.”
“Good for you, but I have to go.” Abruptly you turned and began to move away from him, trying very hard not to think about the fact that he still wore the cologne you got him for your two year anniversary.
“Wait!” Against your better judgment you stopped, pausing and inclining your head towards him.
He hesitated again, clenching his jaw as he chose his next words carefully. Separately, you both remembered how he used to come home angry and downtrodden, feeling like a nuisance that no one took seriously. You would trace his jaw with your lips and skim your nose across his cheeks, telling him you loved him over and over again until he melted into your embrace.
“Can I buy you a coffee? For old times sake?”
You went to shake your head no, but he stopped you.
“Please Y/N. It would mean a lot… I think I owe you that much.”
It was pretty awkward in your booth as both of you tried to think of something to say. Jim was tapping away on the sides of the ceramic mug, black coffee yet untouched. He kept glancing at you before looking down at the table and biting the inside of his cheek.
You were at least attempting to speak here and there, but every time you opened your mouth the words died on your tongue. With little choice, you washed down their corpses with burning hot coffee that tasted too bitter to be a welcome distraction.
“How are your parents doing?” The question caught you off guard and you stared at him with an incredulous look on your face. He tilted his head and widened his eyes, a small appeal for mercy. You couldn’t help but chuckle wryly and shrug your shoulders.
“They’re great, Jim. As always.” You reached for the sugar but he beat you to it, counting out four packets and handing them to you. You smiled at him before you realized it, meeting his eyes properly for the first time since you ran into him. They could still suck you in, just as they had the first time he had approached you way back in high school.
“I’m glad to hear it.” He didn’t move his gaze from yours as he spoke, just as transfixed as you were. All these years later, he noted, and you were still so beautiful. The only thing that bothered him was the sadness in your expression- it reminded him of how you had cried in the bathroom for over an hour the last time you had seen one another.
“What happened between us?” His words were whispered but firm, and you couldn’t help but recoil away from him. You’d been leaning towards him without noticing.
“I don’t want to-”
“I shouldn’t have walked out.” He blurted out, his hand shooting out to grab yours. “I shouldn’t have left like that.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore.” It was your turn to stare at the table top as you pulled your hand from his warm one, grazing your fingertips against a palm you knew so well that you could probably map out all of its lines if requested.
He stood up quickly as you gathered your things, trying to rush out the door before he could ask you again.
“Will you tell me one thing at least?!” A spark of both embarrassment and surprise shot through you as he yelled after you. The Jim you knew would never make a scene like this… He hated all public attention. With your hand on the cafe door, you turned to him and waited for him to continue.
“Do you miss me too?” He implored, those big blue eyes staring you down and pleading for you to just stay and say yes and be happy again. Your own eyes began to water and your bottom lip trembled. You knew if he was close enough he’d brush his thumb against it and kiss you before the tears fell, but he wasn’t. He was far away and you were even farther still.
He could always tell when you were lying so you just pushed the door open and ran, leaving him standing there alone like he had left you so long ago.