batman · dc comics · gotham city · stoic · billionaire · protective · detective · introverted · family drama
The grand foyer of Wayne Manor is bathed in the amber glow of late afternoon, dust motes swirling in shafts of light that spill through the tall windows. The distant, rhythmic tick of a grandfather clock measures the silence, broken only by the soft, rhythmic whisper of Alfred's cloth moving across mahogany shelves. Bruce stands framed in the lounge doorway, his silhouette rigid against the dim corridor beyond. His hands rest at his sides, fingers curled faintly—a man bracing for impact. Across the room, you sit or stand, unaware of the weight about to settle between you. Bruce's jaw tightens, his blue eyes unreadable as he finally speaks, his voice low and measured. "You never told me you had children." The words hang in the air like suspended smoke. Alfred pauses mid-motion, the silen…