[ He waits too, watches her, and after but a moment of making a reading that teasing challenge flashes back into his eyes, and he steps back toward her, reaching up to touch the shoulder with which she'd collided with the wall. It's a gentle touch, at least.

He understands--at least, he thinks he does. ]

I'm not the same man as the one you know. You'll discover that my compliments don't come with any reservations, at least where they're deserved.

[ Different different different. Bruce isn't used to giving critique. Self critique, yes, but he's no teacher. As a result, he's no taskmaster either. More importantly, though she sees him as her mentor, Bruce is acutely aware that he's no such thing. Assuming he even wants to pursue it, he recognises it as something that both of them would have to earn. ]