Her smile reminded him of that night in the penthouse, rain and exhaustion and that tiny spark of pleasure that came from knowing someone was not miserable in his presence, that he was not so negative that he could smother all smiles. As he had then, Bruce liked it now. There was something sweet in the way she looked down, the way that warmth persisted as though she was unaware of it. He thought again, briefly, of what Harley had said, and then he pushed her entirely from his mind. He had no real intentions, no plan to use her to forget Selina or anything of the sort. Iris deserved better. She meant more. She wasn't just some thing to be discarded at whim and he resented Harley for insinuating as such, when she didn't know him or Iris, nor was his business any of hers to meddle in.
It was only the dog and Lucia present, yet he felt as though he had an audience of dozens. Nerves weren't often a problem but, just then, he felt a brief flash of anxiety that she might refuse, might say no, and then where would he be? But she accepted, and he was careful to not look at Lucia lest he see the pleased, even triumphant, smile he suspected would be waiting for him if his gaze shifted in her direction. He remained solid and firm as Iris accepted his hand and stood, in case she needed to use him for support to lift herself, and he was surprised at how cold her fingers were. It was so warm here, and that the chill had persisted worried him. Maybe she was unwell, but such concerns were put aside for later. He needed to focus on what he intended to say or else they would be trapped in awkward silence.
He cleared his throat, a small thing, and glanced down at their hands. She didn't pull away, and he wasn't sure if he should; oh, he knew what Lucia would prefer, but he was trying to pretend she wasn't there. His fingers twitched, but he didn't sever the hold. "I wanted to... apologize," he began, and he took a step forward, encouraging her into movement beside him. Walking would make it easier to speak; it was distraction. "For leaving you alone. I've been... absent, lately, and it isn't fair to you."