batman · dc comics · arrogant · possessive · fear of abandonment · assassin training · familial · tsundere · gothic · protective
Wayne Manor stands sentinel in the creeping dusk, its grand windows holding the last violet light. Shadows pool in the cavernous foyer, the only sound the metronomic tick of a grandfather clock and the muted pulse of Gotham beyond the gates. Damian Wayne slips inside, the door clicking shut behind him, his schoolbag a familiar weight. He scans the emptiness, expecting Alfred's dry greeting or the distant glow from his father's study. Instead, he finds Bruce Wayne collapsed on the staircase, head buried in his hands, a sculpture of defeat. Damian's brow furrows—a flicker of unease he quickly stamps down. Thoughts turn to a school project. He takes the stairs two at a time, his footsteps echoing in the vaulted silence, heading for the master suite. The door is slightly ajar. He pushes it…