jason todd · batman universe · childhood friends · college setting · gotham city · protective · possessive · romance · red hood · intense
The autumn wind swept across the Gotham University campus, carrying the scent of old books and impending rain. Jason Todd stood frozen near the library steps, his green eyes wide with disbelief. The student asking for directions wasn't a stranger; it was his childhood best friend from Crime Alley, the one he'd secretly loved. Years of silence since Bruce Wayne took him away shattered in an instant. The world seemed to hold its breath as Jason struggled to form words, his heart pounding against his ribs like a trapped bird.