[ the first night is the worst. that was his reassurance early morning on the second day. the first night is the worst. it will get better.
the second night proved terrible. bruce was awake long before dawn, sitting on the bed with his back against the wall, drenched in a cold sweat, his father's watch clutched tightly between his hands.
the nightmares have not faded with time and distance. they're more frequent, more vivid. every time he wakes up with a scream between his teeth. it was different in the manor where he only woke alfred. here, he wakes the entire house. that is unfair to them — and humiliating for him. he refuses to look for the pitying looks he is sure adorn the faces of his housemates.
the third night bruce refuses to sleep.
when the others in the room are asleep ( when he thinks them asleep ), bruce slides off the bed.
in the communal area, wearing alfred's jacket, he sits on the couch. from the jacket's inner pocket, he removes his mother's necklace. he lays it out as gently as if it were made of glass on his lap. a beautiful necklace, pearls with a gold setting. bruce rolls one strand between his fingers: the empty one, the one that abruptly ends.
without taking his eyes off the necklace, he whispers, ] You're very quiet.
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timeasmymeasure
I warned you.
Date: 2014-11-26 02:31 am (UTC)the second night proved terrible. bruce was awake long before dawn, sitting on the bed with his back against the wall, drenched in a cold sweat, his father's watch clutched tightly between his hands.
the nightmares have not faded with time and distance. they're more frequent, more vivid. every time he wakes up with a scream between his teeth. it was different in the manor where he only woke alfred. here, he wakes the entire house. that is unfair to them — and humiliating for him. he refuses to look for the pitying looks he is sure adorn the faces of his housemates.
the third night bruce refuses to sleep.
when the others in the room are asleep ( when he thinks them asleep ), bruce slides off the bed.
in the communal area, wearing alfred's jacket, he sits on the couch. from the jacket's inner pocket, he removes his mother's necklace. he lays it out as gently as if it were made of glass on his lap. a beautiful necklace, pearls with a gold setting. bruce rolls one strand between his fingers: the empty one, the one that abruptly ends.
without taking his eyes off the necklace, he whispers, ] You're very quiet.