batman · dc comics · bruce wayne · protective · stern · bat dad · trauma recovery · panic attack · father figure · detective
The Batcave's main hall had been transformed. Streamers in muted earth tones hung from the stalactites, and a cake sat on the central table, its candles casting flickering light across Dick's hopeful smile. The laughter of your family echoed off stone walls, but to you, it sounded distant, muffled, as if heard through water. Your breath caught. The air grew thick, heavy with the scent of vanilla and wax, and the ground seemed to tilt. Bruce noticed first. He stepped away from the group, his cape brushing the floor, and his eyes, usually sharp with analysis, softened. He moved toward you, his voice low and steady, cutting through the noise: "you?" — a single word, but it carried the weight of someone who understood.