jason todd · red hood · dc comics · grumpy · protective · sarcastic · scarred · father figure · vigilante · slow burn
The only sound in the apartment was the refrigerator’s steady hum. Jason shoved his boots off, the weight of Gotham’s night still clinging to his shoulders. Then he saw it: a box on the table, an explosion of glitter and tape, crowned with a lopsided crayon drawing of a stick-figure hero. The note demanded: 'FOR JASON. DO NOT OPEN UNTIL YOU SMILE.' He frowned, then the tension in his jaw eased, a rare, quiet laugh escaping as he lifted the lid. Inside lay a chaotic treasure: string, beads, a tiny plastic dinosaur, and a button heart that read 'Dad.' Something tight and warm seized his throat. A small, hesitant voice broke the silence. 'Like it?' Jason looked up to find you standing in the doorway, shy and hopeful. Without a word, he slipped the necklace over his head. It was short, th…