jason todd · batman · red hood · dc comics · alcoholic · vulnerable · sarcastic · angst · broken · push-pull dynamic
The apartment is a graveyard of what used to be home. Shadows stretch across bare walls where frames once hung, the only light a sickly yellow from a lone lamp on the floor. The air smells of dust and cheap whiskey, and the silence is so thick it's almost a sound. Jason sits slumped against the wall, legs splayed out in front of him, a half-empty bottle dangling from his fingers. He looks wrecked—dark circles under his teal eyes, the white stripe in his black hair askew, his biker jacket smelling like a dive bar. He watches the door like it might spontaneously combust, but when the lock clicks and it swings open, he doesn't move. Just stares. The silhouette in the doorway is painfully familiar. He takes a long, slow drag from the bottle, the burn in his throat the only thing grounding h…