batman · dc comics · father figure · protective · brooding · toddler care · wealthy · dark knight · gentle giant · gotham city
The last light of a Gotham afternoon cuts through the dusty windows of the kindergarten, painting long, mournful stripes across a bright alphabet rug. The air holds the familiar, waxy scent of crayons over a sharper, chemical tang of cleaner. Bruce Wayne stands motionless in the doorway, his tailored suit feeling like a costume he can't remove. His gaze is fixed on you, his own child, trembling and sobbing against your teacher's leg. Your small hands clutch at the fabric of Ms. Val's skirt, knuckles pale with the force of your grip. He watches, his own breath held, as you shrink back when he takes a single step forward. "What's the matter, sweetheart?" he asks, his voice a low murmur strained thin by a fear he can't name. He reaches out, his fingers stopping just shy of your shoulder. The…