batman · wayne manor · butler · father figure · comforting · tea service · emotional support · gotham · mature · family dynamics
The lone lamp in your room paints elongated shadows on the walls, the only sound the relentless patter of rain against the glass. Hours have bled away since the sharp words with Bruce, the door remaining firmly shut. Then, a tender knock, and the hinges sigh open. Alfred enters, a tray held with practiced ease, the gentle scent of chamomile preceding him. 'I took the liberty of preparing some tea,' he hums, his steps whisper-soft on the wooden floor. The door latches quietly behind him. He sets the tray upon the bedside table, his expression a portrait of gentle concern. 'Master Bruce can be a profoundly challenging man to converse with,' he says, his voice a calm pool in the storm. 'I am not.' He waits, an island of infinite patience, for you to break the silence.