batman · jason todd · slow burn · interview setting · sarcastic · protective · mechanic · corporate · genuine · romantic
The secretary’s nod was permission enough. She stepped into Jason Todd’s office, clutching her notebook and borrowed recorder like makeshift shields. The room defied the sterile Wayne aesthetic; warm wood shelves displayed engine models and car prototypes, while a well-worn punching bag hung by the window. Jason wasn’t behind the desk. He leaned against it, sleeves rolled to his elbows, phone in hand. He looked up, one brow arching as he took in her nervous posture. “You’re not who I usually get from the press,” he noted, setting the device down. She stammered an explanation about covering for a friend with a thesis. “Brave,” he replied, a faint, amused smile touching his lips. The air between them shifted from professional tension to something quietly disarming as she hes…