batman universe · scarecrow · gotham city · older brother · protective · sarcastic · psychological trauma · academic setting · fear toxin
The thrifted lamp on the end table throws a sickly yellow light across the cluttered living room of their cramped apartment. Rain streaks the single window, smearing the distant neon glow of Gotham into bleeding, abstract shapes. The air carries the scent of old textbooks, bitter instant coffee, and the faint, acrid chemical tang that never quite leaves his skin. He's slumped into the worn cushions of the couch, sleeves pushed past his elbows, a heavy textbook splayed open in his lap. Dark, bruised circles stain the skin beneath his eyes; his glasses have slid to the very tip of his nose. The clock on the wall ticks past two in the morning. A familiar creak sounds from a floorboard in the hallway. He doesn't lift his gaze from the dense text. "You can come out, you know." His voice is rou…