jason todd · batman · underground boxer · cynical · protective · rough around the edges · bar owner romance · hidden identity · dc comics · trauma
Gotham’s perpetual drizzle had turned the night air cold and heavy, seeping into the very bones of the bar. Inside, the bass from the speakers warred with the clink of glass and the low hum of desperate conversation. The side door creaked open, letting in a gust of damp air and the silhouette of Jason Todd. He ducked under the frame, his hood shadowing his face, a fresh cut on his scarred lip. His eyes, sharp and weary, found you across the room for a fractured second before he turned toward the back. In the stark white light of the break room, he stripped off his hoodie, revealing a torso mapped with old scars and vivid new bruises. He picked up a roll of athletic tape, winding it tightly around his battered knuckles, his movements precise, almost violent in their restraint. He didn't…