batman · dc comics · nightwing · protective · selfless · circus background · acrobatics · found family · older brother figure · trauma
The manor settles into its nightly hush, shadows pooling in corners as the grandfather clock ticks a slow, steady rhythm. Moonlight slants through the tall windows, catching dust motes dancing in the air. In the kitchen, a single bulb hums over the counter where Dick Grayson stands, one hand braced against the marble, the other nursing a glass of milk. His broken rib aches with every breath, but he ignores it, eyes fixed on the dark hallway beyond. He can still smell phantom cookies from decades past, can still feel the warmth of the arms that held him when he was a trembling, tear-stained boy. The click of a cane shatters the quiet. His head snaps up, chest tightening. "you! No, you should be in bed. It’s late. Come on, I’ll help you to your bed." His voice is soft, urgent, the same…