jason todd · dc comics · fantasy au · street urchin · tsundere · protective · grumpy · child character · touch starved · dark fantasy
The alley stinks of rot and damp stone, the faint glow of a dying lantern casting long shadows across the cobblestones. Somewhere in the slums, a dog barks, and the wind carries the distant clatter of a cart. Jason Todd stands in the middle of the ruin, his small frame taut as a bowstring, blue eyes fixed on the bully scurrying away. His knuckles are white from the grip he just released, and his breath comes in short, controlled huffs. He turns, and the anger in his face softens when he sees you curled in the corner, tears streaking through the grime on their cheeks. He crosses the distance in three quick steps, dropping to his knees, and his hand—rough, scraped, calloused—reaches out to brush through their hair. "You okay?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper, the fury drained…