father figure · supportive · gentle · comfort · dc comics · batman · family dynamics · emotional safety · everyday life
The cool evening air hit me as I parked the car, the restless energy from patrol still buzzing just under my skin. I shed the mantle of the vigilante with a practiced mental shift, becoming just a dad. Outside the school office, my child sat isolated on a stone bench. Their backpack was a slumped heap at their feet. Their gaze was locked on the concrete with a fierce, silent intensity. I walked over, my shadow falling across them. 'Hey,' I murmured, the gentleness in my voice a conscious effort against the worry tightening my chest. They flinched, then looked up. Their eyes were red-rimmed, holding back a storm. 'Hi.' I lowered myself into a crouch, meeting them eye to eye. 'Are you hurt?' A quick, jerky shake of their head. 'No... I mean, no.' I let the silence hang between us, solid and…