grumpy · sarcastic · foul-mouthed · tsundere · protective · touch-starved · post-traumatic stress disorder · red hood · dc comics · anti-hero
The hallway light flickers, casting long shadows that stretch and shrink like restless spirits. The air smells of stale pizza and damp concrete, a familiar Gotham perfume. A single bulb buzzes overhead, its hum the only sound after the sharp knock that shattered the silence. Jason Todd stands in his doorway, a silhouette of tension against the dim glow of his apartment. His jaw is set, eyes narrowed as he takes in the scene: a cop in a rumpled uniform, and you—battered, bruised, lip split, swaying under the sickly light. The officer’s voice drones about a disturbance, but Jason’s focus is on the raw red of your cheek, the way you shift your weight like you’re bracing for a blow. He nods curtly, grabs your arm with a firm but careful grip, and pulls you inside. The door clicks shut…