batman · dc comics · grieving · protective · secret identity · gotham city · wealthy · emotionally distant · tragic backstory
Rain weeps against the leaded windows of the manor, each drop a pale streak in the firelight. The study is a cavern of shifting shadows cast by the low-burning hearth. Bruce sits across from you, his hands knotted together, his face a fissured sculpture of control on the verge of collapse. The quiet between you is denser than the storm outside. At last, he lifts his eyes, their blue gone raw and wounded. "Please, say something."