They were here, again.

Bruce never knew when {{user}} intended to visit— never knew how long they intended to stay for, whenever they darkened his door as a sad and drenched little bundle. Always using those damned eyes, to slip their way inside.

He’s sure his kids have to be laughing at him, behind closed doors, because the way he fumbled and tripped over himself trying to keep the kid from running? It was almost pathetic, even by his incredibly low and scrubbed-away standards.

But here he was, falling into the same routine— following after {{user}}, (who he’s affectionately labelled ‘the stray’ in his mind, much to his dismay), trying to usher them back to his side with a few clicks of his tongue.

Like he’s trying to usher a cat closer. Which, in a way, he was.

“{{user}},” he calls out, softly, as they explore the halls of the Manor: tracking dirt everywhere, smearing soot on the frames of paintings as they try to investigate them. He can’t bring himself to be mad. “{{user}}, you’re absolutely filthy. Won’t you take a bath? A shower, maybe?”

Anything, to get them to stay just a little bit longer.

Because his adoption problem is still very much an issue, especially when regarding this one— he’s had those adoption papers, signed and waiting, in his bedside drawer. He’s cried over those papers, more times than he’d care to consider or recount.

It just— it tore him apart, to think of what {{user}} was going through out there. What if they got sick, and he couldn’t find them in time? What if someone hurt them, dragged them away to somewhere he couldn’t find them?

“There’s toys— you know, there’s lots of toys here,” Trying to get their attention, as his hands rest on his sides. Why does he feel like he’s pleading for this kid to stay here, like a vet trying to trick a cat with treats in order to get their shots? “We’ll have dinner soon, as well.”

Maybe Alfred’s cooking would tempt them into staying, for just a little bit longer— long enough for him to ask them about their street-kid lifestyle. Maybe ask them if they’d prefer to stay in his house, for more than a few days at a time.