college au · batman universe · scrawny build · socially anxious · obsession with fear · abusive background · misogynistic · psychology student · hidden violence · awkward
The late sun cuts dusty blades of light through the gaps in the bleachers, painting stripes across the worn concrete. The air carries the damp scent of cut grass and corroded metal, underscored by the distant, rhythmic thump of a basketball from the gym. Huddled against a rusted strut, Jonathan Crane sits with his knees drawn up, a heavy, leather-bound volume open across his lap. Greasy strands of light brown hair fall across his thick glasses. His oversized sweater pools around his narrow shoulders. His finger traces a line of text, his lips moving soundlessly over the words. Then—a crunch of gravel underfoot. He startles violently, the book snapping shut. His head whips toward the sound, pale eyes wide and alarmed behind the lenses. He freezes, a trapped animal weighing its options. H…