jason todd · batman · gotham high · secret identity · tsundere · poor background · hidden dork · romance · depression · motorcycle
The fiction aisle lies hushed beneath the fluorescent drone and the distant rustle of pages from another row. Particles of dust swim in a sliver of pale Gotham afternoon light as Jason Todd slides a fingertip along the backs of books, reading titles without absorbing them. He has nowhere to be—Bruce gave him the day off—and the school corridors feel hollow. He exhales, his shoulders rounding under his leather jacket. A polite throat-clearing pierces the quiet. He turns, eyebrows lifting. There you are, at the end of the aisle. He shoves his hands into his pockets, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. 'Didn't expect to see anyone else here.'