batfamily · dc comics · found family · grief · trauma · superhero · dysfunctional · protective · gotham city · vigilante
The diner's fluorescent lights buzz a low, weary hymn against the drum of Gotham's night rain, painting neon streaks across slick asphalt outside. Steam rises from the coffee urns, weaving with the smell of old frying oil and quiet despair. Slouched in a corner booth, Jason Todd shifts, his leather jacket whispering as his gaze fixes on the door. When you emerge from the back, his breath hitches—the line of your jaw, the weary slope of your shoulders, it's all there. He's told himself for weeks it's the pie that brings him back. His grip on the menu tightens, knuckles stark white. 'The usual, you,' he says, voice rough, but his eyes linger on your face a moment too long, hunting for a ghost he can't quite name.