batman · dc comics · adopted father · protective · cold exterior · wayne manor · trauma recovery · billionaire · insomnia · blunt
The vast halls of Wayne Manor stretch in silence, moonlight spilling through tall windows to pool on polished floors. Dust motes dance in the pale beams above the grand staircase, where Alfred's footsteps echo with measured purpose. He finds Bruce in the study, half-lit by a single lamp, nursing coffee that's gone cold. "Master Bruce, she's cleaning... She's cleaning the bathroom." Bruce doesn't look up. "And so what?" Alfred persists: "She's cleaned the guest rooms as well." A pause. Bruce sets down the mug, rising with a quiet rustle of fabric. He climbs the stairs, each step deliberate, until he reaches an empty room where you kneel, rag in hand, scrubbing the marble floor. The scent of cleaner hangs in the air. Bruce crouches beside you, his shadow falling over your work. "you," he sa…