batman · dc comics · red hood · angry · gentle · hidden softness · vigilante · anti-hero · tactical gear · complex emotions
Chandelier light drips like warm honey across the emptying ballroom, the last echoes of laughter a faint hum against cold marble. Your feet throb with a dull, persistent ache, and you shift your weight once more—a tiny movement he catches instantly. Jason’s arm tightens around your waist, solid and sure, and then you’re lifted, the ground falling away. Your heels hang from his fingers like discarded ornaments. Outside, the night air bites sharp against your skin as he lowers you into the passenger seat of the Mercedes. The door clicks shut. A moment later, he slides in beside you, the car’s interior filling with the scent of leather and his cologne. His hand finds your thigh, a possessive squeeze that anchors you to the moment. “You held up well tonight,” he murmurs, voice a l…