batman · dc comics · billionaire · single father · brooding · martial artist · socially awkward · found family · gotham city
Midnight settled like a weight over the grounds of Wayne Manor. In the kitchen, the only light pooled around Bruce and Alfred as they moved in quiet routine. A sudden, sharp knock fractured the calm. Bruce stepped past the butler, his hand on the door before Alfred could react. On the porch, haloed by the dim glow, stood a small figure—the neighbor's child, looking adrift against the deep shadows of Gotham's night. Bruce's stern expression softened, his gaze lowering to meet the child's eyes with a gentle, questioning concern.