Chapter Text
Lights swirling lights, all the colors of the rainbow flit over his eyes. There’s a low hum buzzing in the back of his head.
Whoooosh -
He’s standing in a dark plane, only illuminated by the stars in the sky.
He looks down to his feet, the ground beneath him is a mirror made of water. It reflects the stars in the “sky,” and yet, it doesn’t reflect Bruce.
Or does it?
It shows a boy, not any older than twelve. He looks like Bruce did as a child, but with lighter features, physically thin, with curled brown hair, and soft, hazel eyes, and a frown too deep on his round face. There is a sadness in his eyes that Bruce finds reminiscent of his own the day he lost his parents.
The boy is crying.
Bruce wishes nothing more than to see a smile on his face. He kneels down to reach the sad figure in the lake. His fingers touch the surface of the water.
Ripples spread across the surface, the prism of lights flits across his eyes.
Bruce awakes suddenly, sitting up as though he had risen from a nightmare.
What an odd dream? There was something so familiar about the boy, and there was an aching in Bruce’s heart.
Bruce raised his hands to rub the tiredness from his eyes. Wet. His face was wet with tears. Odd. How odd. Bruce hadn’t cried in his sleep in years.
Bruce pulled his sleeve over the side of his hand and dried the tears from his face.
He moved his legs off the side of his bed, and slid on his house shoes. Bruce walked towards the door, he remembered he needed to remind Alfred that he had a sudden meeting scheduled last night before bed for this morning, and he needed Alfred to take the boys to school. He had been trying to be more interested in driving the boys to school as of late, but duty calls.
As always, Alfred was just around the corner when you needed him.
“Master Bruce, are you quite alright?” Alfred asks, he looks mildly concerned.
Oh, right. I guess I probably still look like I was crying. How embarrassing.
“Yes, I’m quite fine Alfred. I was just coming to tell you that I am unable to take the boys to school this morning.” Bruce replied hurriedly, he didn’t want to give Alfred time to bring up his current appearance.
“If you say so, Master Bruce. I’ll be sure to take the boys today.” Alfred answered suspiciously. Alfred knew better than to ask, if Bruce had said he was fine it was none of his business to pry.
Bruce thanked Alfred as he turned back towards his bedroom to get ready for the day.
Bruce shook his head and tried to clear the feelings left by the dream from his mind. But, the emotions lingered, sadness, familiarity, and concern.