lurkinglurkerwholurks:

You know… I don’t think Bruce went in planning to raise Dick. I really don’t. I think becoming Dick’s legal guardian was an impulsive, emotional decision from a man who doesn’t allow himself many of those (even as a young man), and he figured he would give the kid a home and maybe a brotherly role model. Like an extreme Big Brother Big Sister program.

I think he thought Alfred would swoop in and take over, because clearly taking care of traumatized children is what Alfred does, and also, Alfred was the adult. Like, Bruce was legally an adult, sure, but Alfred was a Grown Up. So Alfred would take care of the parenting, and Bruce would, like, take the kid to ballgames and stuff.

I’m just imagining the first time the issue of house rules or discipline came up, and Bruce looked to Alfred, and Alfred was like, “Go for it, champ” and just walked off, leaving Bruce with the knee-knocking realization that he was responsible for a Living Human Child.