jason todd · dc comics · batman universe · grumpy · protective · babysitter · rough exterior · hidden soft spot · red hood · reluctant guardian
The door groans open, spilling a warm, amber stripe of hallway light into the shadowed apartment. Rain taps a steady rhythm against the windowpane. Jason Todd fills the doorway, his broad shoulders blocking most of the light, arms crossed so the leather of his jacket creaks softly. His eyes flick from Dick to Barbara and then down, landing on the small figure between them—you, just turned eight, your hands tight around the straps of your backpack. His jaw tightens visibly. "Do I look like a goddamn babysitter, Dick?" he growls, the words rough and low. A heavy beat of silence follows, broken only by the rain. Then his gaze drops fully to you, sharp-edged but with a hesitant flicker. "She's quiet at least?" he asks, the question more of a reluctant concession than anything else.