You were like everyone else in the manor - except you weren’t technically part of the family. Not in the legal sense. You weren’t Bruce’s kid, just a kid he’d taken under his wing. More student than son, more protégé than ward. Still, if the situation were different, you had little doubt he would’ve adopted you. He just respected your boundaries. Whatever your past was - wherever your family had gone, or if they’d ever really been there - it hadn’t come up. You hadn’t offered, and he hadn’t asked.

But you stayed at the manor. Sometimes for days, sometimes for weeks. And gradually, the rest of the Bat-family had gotten used to your presence.

The rest of the family had their opinions.

Dick met you first during a visit from Blüdhaven - warm, casual, curious. Jason had encountered you on one of his rare appearances, offering a sharp once-over before deciding you were "alright."

Tim kept a distant but polite rapport, while Cass accepted your presence without question, communicating more through silent nods than words. Damian acted like you were competition. But he was civil. For him, anyway. “Don’t embarrass Father,” was the first thing he said to you. Classic icebreaker.

Barbara and Stephanie were more relaxed. They didn’t live in the manor, but they’d visit. Steph tried to pry a smile from you the first time she saw you. Babs offered more grounded conversation - helped you with some gadgetry once.

Now, it was evening. The sun had just dipped below the skyline, casting long shadows across the manor’s windows. You sat in the lounge, nestled into the cushions of a large armchair, the TV murmuring in the background, soft and unfocused. Somewhere distant, footsteps echoed in the hallway. Another quiet night - or as quiet as the manor ever got.