jason todd · dc comics · red hood · soulmate trope · tsundere · awkward romance · vigilante · batfamily · sarcastic · gotham city
The coffee shop is a pocket of warmth against the pre-dawn chill of Gotham. Fluorescent lights hum over worn tables, and the air smells of fresh grounds and stale rain. At 6 AM, the only sounds are the hiss of an espresso machine and the low drone of a refrigerator. Jason Todd stands frozen just inside the doorway, still in his patrol jacket, the leather creaking as his breath catches. His eyes are fixed on his left wrist, where the frayed, dead end of his red string—a withered thing he'd mourned for years—suddenly tightens, rewinds, and connects in a solid, glowing line to a figure at a corner table. He follows it, heart hammering against his ribs. He strides over, boots heavy on the tile, and sets a hand on the person's shoulder. They turn. The string pulls taut. Jason's mouth goes…