Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Doesn’t he look beautiful, Thomas?”

“He’s perfect Martha, our little Bruce.”

The news of the newborn Bruce Thomas Wayne has the press crazy about it. Many pictures were spreading of Thomas and Martha leaving the hospital with Bruce in tow. Some pictures showed Bruce’s face, people described him as a male version of Martha with Thomas’s eyes.

He was deemed “The Prince of Gotham”. Due to Thomas being the owner of Wayne Enterprises and helping city with their invention. Also with Martha being the big Philanthropist Martha helping the many children of Gotham with schools and orphanages.

Growing up, Bruce was sheltered from the public view, his parents wanted him to have a regular childhood without being examined by the press 24/7. Thomas was always away from home to work on projects at WE and having multiple meeting a day, and Martha was in parties to help donate to different school and hospitals. They left Bruce at home with Alfred to take care of him, after all it was his job as a butler.

Alfred started to grow fond of Bruce whenever he cried when something upset him and stopped crying when his needs were met. But Alfred felt pity for him as well, Thomas and Martha wasn’t able to hear Bruce say his first words. Everyone else said that Thomas and Martha must be amazing parents because they had good jobs and plenty of mine, but those jobs kept them away from Bruce.

____________________________________

As Bruce grew older, he asked more questions about why he couldn’t go farther than the gardens, why he couldn’t go to school, and why he wasn’t able to be with his parents at work. Alfred was staring to run out of excuses for his question, he tried to ask Thomas for answers but he always said the same thing, “Don’t worry you can handle it, right Alfred? After all, it is you job.”

He couldn’t handle it.

One morning he went to Bruce’s room to wake him up to breakfast, but found the window open with blankets tied together as a rope. He saw Bruce outside running towards the nearby forest. The forest he was forbidden to go to.

“Master Bruce!” He yelled trying to get Bruce’s attention.

He only looked back for a couple of seconds before sprinting of again. Alfred immediately went outside to catch up to him, he had to get him back or else Thomas might fire him. The forest was too dangerous for Bruce to be running around in it. It was easy to follow his small footprints on the grass and he was grateful it was a birth day instead of raining.

“Master Bruce!”

Still no response.

“Please, Master Bruce. You parents are very worried about you.”

“Really?” He turned to see Bruce huddled behind a tree, tears gathering in his bright blue eyes.

“Yes, they are.”

No they weren’t. They were both probably still sleeping through this. But he had to comfort the child in any way.

“We should head back home, Master Bruce. I made breakfast for you a while ago, it should still be warm.”

He wiped the tears from his eyes. Holding out his hand out to lead them both back into the house. He would ask why Bruce ran when he was in a better mood.

“Do you think we can have cookies after?”

“Of course Master Bruce, as many as you want.”

____________________________________

“What were you thinking!” Thomas yelled angrily at Bruce, with Martha standing at the side equally mad. “You could’ve gotten hurt or worse! Maybe you wouldn’t be able to find your way back home, and you would waste out time trying to find you!”

“I just wanted to know what was beyond the gardens.” He tried his best not to cry, but some tears went down his face.

Alfred couldn’t do anything or else he’ll get in trouble. So he had to stand there and do nothing, listening to Thomas getting mad at Bruce.

“We gave you specific orders not to go anywhere beyond the gardens,” it was Martha’s turn to speak. “And yet you discard them nothing. We gave more important things to do then wondering why you didn’t listen to us.”

“But I didn’t do anything wrong! I did everything you told me to do, but I’m not allowed to go to school like every kid. I’m not allowed to go anywhere and your always away from and-”

He was cut off by Thomas hitting his face. “Do not yell at your parents.”

Tears were rolling down his face but Bruce didn’t react to the pain at all. He reached to where he was hit, expecting it to sting, but he couldn’t eel anything at all. Everyone else was just as confused, Alfred hate to think but Thomas hit Bruce hard enough to leave some mark on his face. Martha bent down to examine his face more closely, checking for any marks.

“I’m sorry, I promise to never do it again.”

“Brucie,” Martha’s tone got softer. “I understand that you want to explore, but you have to listen to us. We only want what’s best for you, you know that, right?”

He nodded slowly, wiping the tears from his eyes.

“I’ll be right back,” was the only thing Thomas said before exiting the room quickly.

The next few minutes was spent with Martha holding Bruce and getting him to calm down. Saying how much they love him and wanting the best for him. Everything was seeming to be better until Thomas came back into the room.

With a knife.

“Thomas?” She had a look of worry, holding Bruce tighter which caused him to tense up, not seeing what was happening.

“Master Thomas, are you alright?”

“Don’t worry,” he calmly said, slowly easing Bruce out of Martha’s arms. “I just want to try something.”

Bruce immediately tried to run from Thomas as soon as e saw the knife in his arms. “I said I was sorry! Please don’t hurt me!”

“Don’t worry Bruce, everything will be fine. Just stand still and met do this, after you can have anything you want, okay?”

He carefully made a small cut in the palm of Bruce’s hand. Much to everyone’s surprise he started to giggle. “That tickles.” He was in a better mood, not alarmed by the situation anymore.

“Look Martha. Can’t you see?” He dropped the knife and lifted Bruce into the air, “Our son has a gift! A wonderful gift that has to be explored.”

Martha was suddenly on board with it and hugged Bruce with Thomas. Everything see,Ed to be happier, except Alfred was in shock about it. They no the accepted it like it was normal, Bruce couldn’t possibly knew what they just discovered. He was happy only because his parents were happy, they were finally being nice to him. Alfred thought what will after this.

What would it mean for Bruce? Just because he couldn’t feel pain doesn’t mean he’ll heal quickly, right? Would they spend more time with Bruce? It would’ve been nice before but now Alfred silently wishes they would go back to ignoring him. They wouldn’t have found out about his “gift”. They would never have this conversation, and act so nonchalantly about it.

Then maybe they wouldn’t treat him like a lab rat.

Chapter Text

Over the course of the next few months, Alfred had witnessed childlike and optimistic Bruce Wayne turn into the sadden and hollowed out boy. He watched everything happen and didn’t do anything to help, he couldn’t do anything about it. Thomas had made him sign an NDA to not speak about anything going on, not like he had anyone to talk about it to. The only people he was relative friends with lived all the way in Kansas.

___________

In the middle of the night Alfred felt something move beside him. He quickly opened his eyes and was surprised to see Bruce, staring doe-eyed at him.

“Master Bruce, what are you doing here! It’s late and you should be asleep.”

He shakes he head, lip quivering. “I had a nightmare.” He says voice breaking, “I had a nightmare where you left and you didn’t come back.” He starts crying fully now. “I don’t want you leave Alfred.”

Bruce is clinging tightly to Alfred’s shirt, clearly not going to move anywhere. So Alfred hugs Bruce and wipes his tears away. Rubbing soothing circles on his back.

“It’s okay Bruce, it was just a nightmare. It’s not real, I’ll be with you whenever you need me.”

The course of the next few days changes when Bruce starts following him around the house when he does chores until he has to leave with Thomas.

He doesn’t tell Thomas because he actually enjoys the company, he doesn’t want Bruce lose another thing he loves doing. He gives him extra treats and bakes with him whenever it’s just the two of them at home.

“Alfred!” Bruce runs up to Alfred jumping up and down. “Can we make cookies?”

Alfred smiled down at him. “Of course, Master Bruce.”

___________

Alfred right Bruce how to make the dough from scratch and set the oven to preheat. Bruce poured the chocolate chips and mixed everything together himself.

“I don’t need help mixing it, I’m not a child Alfred.”

The edge of his mouth went up a little. “Of course you’re not, Master Bruce.”

They spent the rest of the day with Bruce doing different things and Alfred taking him from behind.

“What do you want to do now Master Bruce?”

“Ugh,” Bruce was wrapped up in blankets watching his favorite show, The Great Ghost. “I’m bored Alfred, can I go outside?”

Outside was still a touchy subject. Thomas doesn’t allow him except with him. Martha says no entirely, but what will he do?

Bruce smiles slowly faded away from the lack of response and turned back to the TV. “Never mind Alfred, it’s fine. We can stay-“

“Yes.”

“Huh?” Bruce turned back

“Yes, let’s go to the garden.”

And with that Bruce beamed and ran towards the door waiting for Alfred to follow. It was a nice day with a warm breeze that was the perfect conditions for Alfred to check the flowers he was growing.

Bruce wandered around but mostly stick close to Alfred. In case Thomas came back home.

“Would you like to help me with the garden, Master Bruce?” He looked down and smiled fondly at Bruce. Patiently waiting for his answer.

“Yes please!” He smiles and jumped up and down. “But should we change clothes? It’ll get dirty in we are in the dirt.”

Alfred hummed, “You’re right, we can quickly change and come back. Okay?”

“Ok! I’ll race you there!” He giggled and staring going back inside.

Alfred laughed and followed slowly to make Bruce happy, everything was going so well today.

Then Thomas came home.

Chapter Text

It is has been a long time since I updated this fic in a long time. The truth is that I came up this idea when I was super into everything Batman. I still am just a little less now, but I still love the idea I had for this story.

I promise y’all I will update this story. I re-read the story a bit and I realized that before I add more chapters to this I need to rewrite this story and rethink the direction this story will go. I have a faint idea of how I want this story to end so please bear with me for who knows how long it takes to rewrite it.

I just want to thank everyone who has read this story and gave it kudos. I never expected this story to get more than one or two kudos so I want to thank everyone who enjoyed my mediocre writing.😭

So my plan is that I will rewrite the first two chapters and give it a little bit for depth to it and hopefully soon I can add more chapters. I have no idea how many chapters there will be but I will make the chapters relatively short. So once again thank you everyone who read and enjoy this story and best with me while I start from scratch again. 🙏