Gotham Social Worker: So Whats The Deal Here?

Gotham Social Worker: so what’s the deal here?

8 year old Bruce: my family’s butler Alfred will be taking custody of me

Gotham Social Worker: okay cool sounds legit. we done?

Bruce: ... you don’t have file do any paperwork? do a background check? ask about his last name?

Gotham Social Worker: nah you seem chill

Bruce: well okay then

LMAO I just looked into it and basically... yeah. 

(Batman Vol.1 #0)

"That's right, it's me, Leslie. " She propped him up against the wall, mindful that if he toppled over she would have a difficult time of catching him.

"You're safe. You're with me. Just concentrate on your breathing for me please. Just keep breathing. A little slower." Keeping her voice calm, she did what she could to soothe him out of whatever kind of panic attack this seemed to be. "You're safe Alfred."

[ STEADY ]:     sender gently catches and guides the emotionally distressed receiver against a wall in order to physically steady them.

"Leslie?"

Why was the room spinning so hard? Where was he?

Who on earth was calling at this hour?

Tightening her dressing gown around herself, Leslie hesitated before opening the door, wondering if she ought to open it at all. It was late, it was Gotham, and she wasn't expecting anyone. Her clients for the day had all wrapped up hours ago and she wasn't long away from getting some sleep. She'd be well within her rights to pretend she hadn't heard a thing.

Still, with the rain pounding against the door, she had a feeling whatever it was, was important.

The person waiting on the other side of the door was a sorry sight. Hood obscuring their face, they looked soaked through to the bone, their entire body language radiating misery.

"Can I help you?" She raised her voice to be heard over the rain.

@docthompkins

It had been on his mind for a while now, but it had taken this long for Jason to work up to taking the first step after months of second-guessing, talking himself in and out of it, arguing with himself that it was something he needed or something that wouldn’t change a god damned thing, depending on what mood happened to strike him at the time.

He was tired of fighting with himself over it. Tired of feeling like a dog chasing its tail, never getting anywhere except wearing himself down until he couldn’t bottle it up any longer. Tired of waking up screaming. Tired of forcing himself to stay awake until he was too exhausted to dream.

Tired of feeling like it was eating him alive.

Still, it wasn’t as though he’d actually made an appointment. Hell, he hadn’t actually even planned on when he was going to do it. All he’d done so far was to pull a phone number and address and commit them to memory; no real intention to ever actually putting either to use in the foreseeable future.

Jason had been out alone in the pouring rain all night, the cold and damp soaking him to the bone, setting off memories of trying to sleep in abandoned buildings with leaks in the roof, in turn triggering a cascade that led to him getting up in his head about it.

Head low, shoulders hunched, boots moving quickly over rain-slicked pavement with more purpose than they should have, given that Jason wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings, but before he really knew what he was doing enough to talk himself out of it again, he was jabbing at the doorbell, trying to hold his nerve long enough not to walk away and forget about the whole thing again.

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"Excellent company too!"

Out having a coffee with @docthompkins since it's a beautiful evening. ❤️❤️

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Bruce dear." And she squeezed his hand. The last thing she had meant in her confession was to make him feel guilty. Perhaps she should have kept it to herself.

No. She reminded herself. Sharing is healthy. Allowing people to show up for you is important.

"Of course he does. We've known eachother for years." People grew fond of eachother of course. He cared for her Leslie was sure. Loving and being in love, however were two different things. "The stubborn man wouldn't know how what rest looked like if it hit him square in the face."

docthompkins​:

“Oh.” Her hand covered Bruces much larger one. When did he get so big? “I understand. I’m not blaming you. And your kids all have lives of their own.”

“Alfred?” And hadn’t that ship already sailed? Surely that opportunity had passed her by by now. “Last we spoke he seemed far too busy.”

He turned his hand over and held hers, like he did as a child so long ago. “I know, but I should make time for those who matter to me.” Bruce barely made time for himself. 

Bruce huffed out a small laugh. “Alfred will always say he’s busy. But, that doesn’t mean its not true.” he took another drink. “He loves you, you know.”