Bruce considers comments about paying Alfred more, or simply hiring an animal trainer but neither sees the light of day, so to speak. What it all really boils down to is that this isn't a mess that Alfred should be cleaning up for him. Bruce did this so he needs to fix it. Alfred already does more than enough for him, after all.
Pulling himself away from Alfred, Bruce sits up on his knees and manages a small smile for his friend (the friend he's very glad to have back. The friend that he came very close to driving out of his life forever. Despite his want and need for Alfred's return, Bruce wouldn't have blamed him one bit for not giving in, for deciding to part from Bruce permanently). He'll consider this a win, even if it did come with what could be seen as an underhanded tactic. But such things are necessary out in the real world, aren't they?
"Buying new clothes all the time sounds a little too ... socialite, anyway." For the usually rather reclusive Bruce Wayne, that is. Despite recent evidence, of course. He'd much rather keep to himself for the most part. "So we should keep you from getting too hurt, shouldn't we?"
Then he looks down at his hands, smile fading. Speaking of hurt... "I'm sorry Alfred, for the way I've treated you recently. You didn't deserve any of that. You were only trying to help me."
"Now, come on, we weren't gonna talk about it." Clearly the healthy option. Alfred never did well with the emotional talks, the softer side of parenting. Cause in a manner of speaking, that was what he was doing. Parenting. And he loved this kid, with all his heart, but it was never easy for him to know how to handle these kind of things. Part of him always wondered how Thomas would have handled it - or even Martha, actually.
Reaching out idly, he sets his hand on Bruce's shoulder and gives it a light squeeze. "If you were never going to blow your top and make a total mess out of everything at some point, I would have been more concerned. You've been dragged through the shit for the last ... what? Four years? More? It was bound to happen. I expected it, just -- not so much the whole master assassin and mystical Jacuzzi part."
Or whatever that Ra's bloke called it. Lazarus pit? Whatever. That part he didn't see coming, none of that. But Bruce having a meltdown was on the cards for some time. "We all make mistakes. And you know I forgive you so we don't have to keep going in circles over it, do we? It's okay."
omg remember when i wasn't the worst at replying to things? I'M SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT!
That may be true about Alfred, but he does well. Besides, he wasn't exactly hired for his parenting expertise. And it isn't as though Bruce has really been big on the emotional talks. Had he been more open about things, he may not have cracked like he did after everything that happened. If he'd taken the chance to get even some of his feelings out into the open, things might have turned out a little differently. That's all on Bruce though. That has nothing to do with Alfred. The man did the best he could. (Bruce doesn't even want to think about how either of his parents would have handled it, because his doesn't want imagine how disappointed they would have been in him. Acting the way he had, all but making a total mockery of the Wayne. For once, he's almost glad that his parents weren't around. Though would any of that happened if they had been?)
"If you had expected everything with Ra's and the Lazarus Pit, Alfred, I think you'd be more cause for concern than me." It's true that Bruce has been through hell in these last years, ever since his parents' murder. It's been just one thing after another, going from bad to worse. But Bruce thought he was stronger than all of that. Everyone has a breaking point though, and Bruce was not only pushed to his, but well beyond it.
Bruce shakes his head. "I'm not sure I deserve your forgiveness, but I appreciate it all the same." Of course if Alfred can forgive Bruce for running in through with a sword, there's probably a lot be can forgive.
Climbing to his feet, Bruce idly brushes off his pants then offers a hand to Alfred to help him up. "Let's go again."
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Pulling himself away from Alfred, Bruce sits up on his knees and manages a small smile for his friend (the friend he's very glad to have back. The friend that he came very close to driving out of his life forever. Despite his want and need for Alfred's return, Bruce wouldn't have blamed him one bit for not giving in, for deciding to part from Bruce permanently). He'll consider this a win, even if it did come with what could be seen as an underhanded tactic. But such things are necessary out in the real world, aren't they?
"Buying new clothes all the time sounds a little too ... socialite, anyway." For the usually rather reclusive Bruce Wayne, that is. Despite recent evidence, of course. He'd much rather keep to himself for the most part. "So we should keep you from getting too hurt, shouldn't we?"
Then he looks down at his hands, smile fading. Speaking of hurt... "I'm sorry Alfred, for the way I've treated you recently. You didn't deserve any of that. You were only trying to help me."
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Reaching out idly, he sets his hand on Bruce's shoulder and gives it a light squeeze. "If you were never going to blow your top and make a total mess out of everything at some point, I would have been more concerned. You've been dragged through the shit for the last ... what? Four years? More? It was bound to happen. I expected it, just -- not so much the whole master assassin and mystical Jacuzzi part."
Or whatever that Ra's bloke called it. Lazarus pit? Whatever. That part he didn't see coming, none of that. But Bruce having a meltdown was on the cards for some time. "We all make mistakes. And you know I forgive you so we don't have to keep going in circles over it, do we? It's okay."
omg remember when i wasn't the worst at replying to things? I'M SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT!
"If you had expected everything with Ra's and the Lazarus Pit, Alfred, I think you'd be more cause for concern than me." It's true that Bruce has been through hell in these last years, ever since his parents' murder. It's been just one thing after another, going from bad to worse. But Bruce thought he was stronger than all of that. Everyone has a breaking point though, and Bruce was not only pushed to his, but well beyond it.
Bruce shakes his head. "I'm not sure I deserve your forgiveness, but I appreciate it all the same." Of course if Alfred can forgive Bruce for running in through with a sword, there's probably a lot be can forgive.
Climbing to his feet, Bruce idly brushes off his pants then offers a hand to Alfred to help him up. "Let's go again."