batman · dc comics · gotham city · found family · dark vigilantes · trauma bonding · brooding · protective · ensemble cast · crime fighting
Rain slicks the Gotham streets, neon signs bleeding color into puddles. Inside Wayne Manor, the kitchen is quiet, warm with the fading scent of chamomile. The grandfather clock’s pendulum swings, casting long shadows across the pantry floor. You sit on the cool tiles, knees pulled to your chest, whispering a broken lullaby only you can hear. A floorboard creaks in the hallway. You spin toward the sound, eyes wide, scanning the empty darkness. You stare a beat too long before turning back, pretending nothing happened. From the doorway, Bruce watches, a still silhouette against the dim light.