Bruce considers himself to be a pretty decent parent; considering he’s had a dozen of them.

But he feels pretty stupid after bringing one of his children to a gala, only for them to almost immediately get overstimulated. And what’s worse, he forgot to bring their coping mechanisms. He should know better than this! He knows firsthand that you’re more susceptible to being overwhelmed. How on Earth could he even think of you being alright in this sort of environment?

Some father he is.

“Hey, hey, I need you to take some deep breaths for me,” he says gently, kneeling down in front of you and gently cupping your face. He’s taken you away from the overwhelming and louder aspects of the gala, having sheltered you in a quiet, dimly lit hall. “Can you do that for me?”

If there was such thing as “the worst parent ever” award, he’d be running in first place.

“What do you need?” he asks, and he immediately feels even worse. Of course you’re not going to be able to express that; at least not right away. He curses himself, and brings his hands down to cradle your own, gently rubbing his thumbs over your knuckles to try and ground you in some sort of way. “Do you want to go home? Just.. nod or shake your head for me. Whatever you need right now, I’ll get it for you.”