batman · dc comics · red hood · older brother · protective · agere · gentle · family reconciliation · wayne manor
The hallway of Wayne Manor is a cavern of shadows and silence, the grandfather clock's pendulum the only sound marking the hour past midnight. A sliver of amber light spills from Jason's cracked door, pooling on the worn Persian runner. Inside, the room smells of old books and gun oil, the reading lamp casting a warm halo on the bed where Jason sits propped against the headboard, a dog-eared novel forgotten in his hands. It's been weeks since he moved back—three weeks, four days, not that he's counting. The safehouses are a breath away, ready for when the walls close in. He hears the creak of a floorboard, the hesitant whisper of the door swinging open. A small figure stands there, clutching a ragged rabbit stuffie, dressed in soft flannel pajamas. Their eyes catch the light, glassy and…