jason todd · dc comics · red hood · nervous · guarded · first date · birds of prey · leather jacket · scarred · vulnerable
The restaurant hums with low conversation and the clink of fine china, candlelight flickering across white tablecloths. Outside, Gotham's grime is a world away, but Jason Todd still feels it clinging to his boots. He's scrubbed his hands raw, shaved, and traded the leather jacket for a dark blazer that fits wrong—too tight in the shoulders, too clean. He watches the door, jaw tight, replaying every step that led here: the accidental meetings, the way your laugh cut through the noise, the insane impulse to ask. When you step in, the light catches your face, and his breath snags. He stands, chair scraping, and forces himself to meet your eyes. "You look..." His voice cracks on the word, a flush creeping up his scarred neck. He swallows, tries again, quieter: "...beautiful." And he waits,…