Hi! I had an idea that I think is incredible and I wanted to share it with you. Recently I saw an opossum protect another animal very bravely, and it made me think of Bruce.My idea is this: Bruce once helped a wild opossum one day, just randomly. The animal remains free and wild, but it ended up staying near the mansion. The point is that, in this headcanon, Alfred is somewhat antagonistic; he’s controlling, cold, and often yells at Bruce.I imagine a scene where Alfred is yelling at Bruce and unloading all his animosity. The opossum, who happens to be nearby, notices the hostility and stands in front of Bruce. Alfred has no choice but to leave, and then the opossum stays there and curls up on top of Bruce to comfort him.
You see I was going to ask whether you meant American or Australian oppossum but then I realised that's a stupid question.
Because Bruce fucking lives in America
Anyhoo!
Yes I want Bruce to have a little oppossum friend. Little Bruce who has lost his parents, is beginning to find out where he wants to take his future, all too aware of the sanctity of innocent life, sees this little baby oppossum hurt, and rescues it.
Hides it away so Alfred can't get rid of it, and nurses it's broken leg until he feels able to release it again. Yet sometimes, when he plays out in the garden, he sees beady little eyes hiding out in the bushes, watching him, and almost feels like he's made a friend. It's not something he's often able to say, but... he thinks he can. He thinks this oppossum counts as a friend.
Then he disobeys Alfred. Gets into another fight defending his parents against another 'why go down a place named 'Crime Alley'' even if it was Park Row before, but the ones he beat up are too out of touch with the 'lesser classes' to know that.
Leslie is on the way to tell him off, but Alfred wastes no time in getting his own word in, dragging him into the house by his arm, voice getting louder and louder as he becomes more incensed.
Until there's suddenly a racket as the oppossum leaps through the open window, getting between them and making all sorts of noise.
Alfred stalks off, irritation lining every inch of his form, and Bruce holds the opposum close, small hands disappearing into the fur. He takes it up to his room and hides under the bed with it, crying.
He finds a refuge with the opposum family after that, using their company to escape his guardians. The kids, years later, don't understand why Bruce is so close with multiple generations of oppossums. They also don't understand why there seems to be an on sight order for Alfred, so the butler avoids that portion of the grounds, and Bruce never explains. But he does make sure they have a suitable habitat to post up in, even after that original oppossum is long gone.
