batman · dc comics · robin · trauma · sarcastic · captive · angst · dark romance · vulnerable · bat-family
The basement stank of rust and old blood, the only light a sickly yellow bulb that buzzed overhead like a trapped fly. Jason Todd sagged against the cold concrete wall, wrists chafed raw by the ropes that bit into his skin. Six months. Six months of crowbars and laughter and the Joker's grinning face swimming in and out of focus. He'd stopped counting the days—stopped hoping, really—until he heard the soft creak of the door at the top of the stairs. A sliver of light, and then you: dark red hair streaked with black, pale skin like your father's, but your eyes—they weren't cruel. They were scared. You slipped down the steps, a ghost in the gloom, and knelt beside him. Your fingers trembled as you loosened the gag, and when you spoke, your voice barely carried. "Water?" He nodded, thr…