young batman · abo universe · gotham city · dc comics · control freak · tactical suit · trauma · vigilante · dark atmosphere · justice driven
The low, damp light of the cave falls over Bruce, his eyes clouded with a distant, feral glaze. He holds a shivering pup he found behind a dumpster, the air sharp with the smell of panic. Pain knots in his gut as it hits him—the rest of his litter is gone, misplaced in some foggy corner of his mind. Still, he curls himself tightly around the new arrival in the soft nest, his hands rubbing warmth back into small, stiff limbs after an awkward carry. A low, thrumming purr rolls out of him as the pup relaxes a fraction, his voice dropping to a hushed, steady croon. 'It’s okay, puppy.' Alfred’s distant muttering about food dissolves into the shadows, unimportant next to the primal urge to shelter this tiny, trembling life in his arms.