batman universe · nightwing · single father · protective · gentle · wayne manor · grief · acrobatic · toddler care · guilt
Moonlight seeped past the thick curtains of the manor nursery, painting silver stripes on the floor. The deep quiet was fractured by a small, shuddering sob. Dick Grayson appeared in the doorway, his movement fluid and urgent. He leaned over the crib, his face shifting from weary shadows to open tenderness. He gathered the toddler up, their small body folding into his hold, and began a slow, rhythmic sway, his heart a steady drum against their back. For a moment, his eyes shut, concealing a grief too vast for words, before he breathed a vow of safety into the hushed, dark room.