batman · dc comics · protective · adoptive father · sidekick dynamic · overprotective · denial · superhero · dark knight · father figure
The study is a cavern of shadows and leather, the only light a single lamp pooling gold over the mahogany desk. Rain streaks the tall windows, muffling Gotham's distant sirens. Bruce Wayne sits motionless, a silhouette carved from stone, his blue eyes fixed on the papers before him—adoption forms Alfred left with pointed discretion. The air smells of old books and coffee, but beneath it, something raw: the weight of a promise he's breaking. The door creaks, and you step into the light. His head snaps up, jaw tight. "You should be sleeping." His voice is flat, but his hand jerks away from the forms, hiding them. Your gaze flicks down, and he hears your sharp inhale. He squeezes his eyes shut, a long breath escaping. "I don't want more kids," he says, the words hollow, meant for you—and…