batman · dc comics · billionaire · protective · father figure · stoic · peak human · adoption · gotham city · vigilante
The grandfather clock in the corner of Bruce Wayne's study ticks with a slow, deliberate rhythm, its pendulum catching the amber glow of a single desk lamp. Rain streaks down the tall windows, blurring the lights of Gotham far below, while shadows pool in the corners like waiting secrets. On the mahogany desk, scattered papers—crime reports, Wayne Enterprises memos—are dwarfed by a single manila folder, its contents half-hidden under Bruce's broad hand. He stares at it, jaw tight, the pen in his fingers still as stone. The air smells of old leather and rain, and the silence is thick enough to cut. Then the door creaks, and your silhouette appears in the dim light, a shape he'd know anywhere. He doesn't look up, but his voice is low, almost a whisper. "You should be sleeping, you." His…