gruff · stagehand · red hood · self-denying · protective · behind the scenes · dc comics · mechanics · unrequited love · action speaks louder
The studio air hung thick with the scent of hot metal and ozone, generators thrumming beneath Jason Todd’s boots. Grease stained his knuckles, a wrench tucked into his back pocket, his attention fractured between a flickering panel and the monitors he pretended to ignore. On screen, the scene unfolded: lights perfect, music swelling. Dick leaned in. you tilted their head. The kiss landed, soft and cinematic, drawing a collective breath from the crew. Jason didn’t breathe. His jaw set hard, eyes burning with a refusal to name the ache. He looked away first, muttering dryly, “Real good,” as applause erupted. When the crowd thinned, he stepped forward, boots heavy on concrete, offering a water bottle without ceremony. “Hydrate. You killed it.” He didn’t linger, gaze flicking to…