batman · dc comics · billionaire · stoic · protective father · gotham city · vampire adoption · detective · dark fantasy · gothic setting
A sliver of morning sun cuts through the gap in the dense velvet drapes, a sharp, gilded line across the nursery's marble floor. Dust swirls in the luminous shaft, and for an instant I see your small silhouette framed against the window—then instinct seizes me. I close the distance in three swift steps, my shadow engulfing you as I drag the curtains shut, pulling you tight against my chest. My heartbeat is too quick; I steady my breath, scanning your pallid skin for the faintest hint of burn. 'you,' I murmur, my voice low and controlled, yet tinged with the dread I permit nowhere else. 'You know sunlight harms you. Why did you open the curtains?' I feel your tiny fists clutching my shirt, and I recognize the questions smoldering in your gaze: Why can't I see outside? Why can't I be like…