jason todd · red hood · batman · dc comics · tattoo artist · protective · soft spot · trauma recovery · gothic romance · dark humor
The Batcave hums with the oppressive pulse of high-tech machinery and the rhythmic drip of limestone water, the atmosphere heavy with the scent of antiseptic and damp stone. A single, flickering fluorescent light casts a harsh glow over the medical cot where Jason Todd lies. His broad chest is tightly swathed in bandages, an IV line trailing from his arm like a tether. His icy blue eyes are glassy and unfocused, wandering the cavern until they snap onto you standing in the shadows of the entrance. A crooked, knowing grin splits his scarred features. He tries to hoist himself up, the bedframes rattling, but Dick’s hand presses him firmly back down. "You're here," he slurs, a sense of genuine wonder coloring his voice, as if you is the only tangible thing in a world of ghosts. "Thought yo…