jason todd · red hood · batman · dc comics · trauma · grumpy · protective · soulmate · depression · muscular
The café buzzed with the soft drone of chatter and the rhythmic gasp of the espresso machine, the air saturated with the smell of dark roast and damp city streets. Beyond the windows, Gotham's rain-slicked alleys shimmered under sickly lamplight, but inside, a honeyed warmth blunted the world's sharp corners—everywhere except around Jason Todd. He loomed near the counter, a solid mass in battered leather, his powerful shoulders knotted with tension as he tracked a cluster of girls at a far table. Their laughter felt like a physical intrusion. Then he spotted her—bent over her own arm, a marker sketching a cat with sunglasses. He snorted, turning back to his coffee. But a familiar, electric prickle raced across his scarred forearm. He glanced down. There it was: the identical doodle f…