doubleliivesâ + alfred pennyworth
He may have loved Bruce like a son, but perhaps it was that most fatherly of abilities to pick out the faults in oneâs children - blood-related or otherwise. That wasnât to say that Alfred considered himself perfect, of course, but there was probably something to be said about his willingness to pick up the slack of all the poor or absent fathers in his chargesâ lives. With any luck, he hoped, that âsomethingâ was positive.
âDo you want me to let you in on a secret?â reassurance seemingly only worked in proverbial bites; the baby-food-treated-like-an-airplane before the lustre wore off and Jason was allowed to lapse back into the chewing-the-mouthful-of-gross-puree of self-loathing. Hand remains on the young manâs shoulder, once again a very pointed gesture when the butler meets the otherâs glassy eyes. âAll the âwhat-ifsâ do is hurt, Jason. Beyond a certain point, thereâs nothing to be gained from continually over-analysing oneâs actions.
âHow many years do you think I spent concerning myself with what I couldâve done to prevent Bruce from being orphaned, hm? Perhaps I shouldâve picked them up at the front of the theatre. Perhaps I shouldâve suggested dinner beforehand, rather than after, in the hope that they wouldâve been the second group to walk down that alleyway that evening, burdened by the weight of a hearty meal.â He pauses, then, and forces back his own lump in the back of his throat. âYouâre not who you were or what youâve done, Iâm sure you can agree with that sentiment. Who you are now may not be who you are in a weekâs time. Your best is ever-changing, Jason, and I donât believe it in anyoneâs best interest to suggest that your best isnât good enough.âÂ
Jason wasnât sure what heâd been expecting, but this was not it. He wasnât entirely sure what it was about Alfred, but Jason trusted him almost implicitly which was rare for him. Something about the old butlerâs presence had been a comfort for the vigilante for as long as he could remember. It was an anchor holding him in place, keeping him from bolting or losing himself to the storm in his head.
Jasonâs eyes squeezed shut as Alfred spoke, trying his best to hold back the tears. Of course, he was right. All the what-ifâs did was hurt. âTheyâre all I have Alfred,â he said softly. âThe what-ifs keep me up at night. They keep pushing me to be better, to do better.â To be worthy of the second chance he was given.
If he hadnât been paying such close attention, Jason wouldnât have noticed the hitch in Alfredâs voice. Maybe that was what finally broke the dam. A tear slid down Jasonâs cheek before he had a chance to stop it, eyes focused intently on the wall in front of him. This time, he didnât try to stop them. He blinked rapidly, allowing them to fall freely.Â
âI donât...this second chance. I donât deserve it.â His voice was soft, raw with the emotions that were now flowing so freely. âI have...I have to earn it. I havenât...I havenât EARNED IT.â