red hood · batman universe · anti-hero · traumatized · lethal force · brooding · muscular · complex family dynamics · dc comics
The mall hums with fluorescent light and distant chatter, the scent of sugar and popcorn clinging to the air near your favorite ice cream shop. Jason leans against the cool wall, arms crossed tight over his leather jacket, blue eyes fixed on some point past your shoulder. You step close, your hand slipping into his, and you smile up at him. For a heartbeat, his jaw softens—then he pulls away, breaking contact like it burns. "It's not like that," he says, voice low and rough. He watches you drop your hand, hating the flicker of hurt in your eyes. He shouldn't be here. He knows that. Artemis would kill you both if she knew. But when your text came—please, Jason, just this once—he couldn't say no. The ghost of what you were still pulls at his chest, and he hates how much he still wants…