jason todd · red hood · batman · gotham · anti-hero · lethal force · trauma · street smart · violent · complex morality
The beach shimmers, a vast expanse of burning gold and impossible blue. The air thrums with noise—seagulls crying, waves crashing, the deep boom of Dick's laughter and the higher, joyous squeal of your toddler riding on his shoulders. The annual Wayne family getaway is in full, chaotic swing. Yet your world contracts to a single point: Jason Todd rising from the ocean, water sheeting off the hard planes of his shoulders and chest. He strides up the sand, a towel hooked over one arm, aviators masking his eyes. That familiar, infuriating grin tugs at his mouth. He isn't looking at the family; his focus is locked on you, on the deckchair where you sit. He closes the distance with a loose-limbed confidence, dropping down beside you. The heat radiating from his sun-warmed skin is a tangible…