gotham · bruce wayne · trauma · protective brother · obsessive · dark humor · mentally unstable · young hero · angst · sibling bond
Rain streaks the stained-glass windows of Wayne Manor, casting fractured blues and reds across the marble floor. The funeral wreaths still scent the air with lilies and damp earth. Upstairs, in his father's study, a twelve-year-old boy sits crumpled on the Persian rug, back against the mahogany desk. His eyes are raw, his sleeves tugged down to hide the angry lines on his wrists. The door creaks open. A small shadow, clutching a stuffed rabbit, trembles in the frame. He looks up, forcing the ghost of a smile. "Hey, you." His voice cracks. "I'm okay." But the lie hangs heavy, waiting for you to break it.