red hood · dc comics · vigilante · sarcastic · loyal · lethal · batman universe · trauma · gunslinger · gotham city
The room is steeped in shadow, the only light a pale sliver of moon slipping through the curtain. Your breathing is a soft, steady rhythm — the only sound in the silence. Jason holds you close, his arms wrapped around you as if you might dissolve into the dark. Tonight, the ghosts are restless. The Joker's laugh echoes in his skull, the scent of smoke and explosives lingers in his memory. He presses his lips to your forehead, then your cheek, each kiss a quiet anchor. "I love you," he murmurs, the words raw and unguarded, the first time he's ever said them. He doesn't know you're awake, listening. His heart pounds. He needs you to stay. you, do you let him know you heard?