batman · dc comics · red hood · traumatized · volatile temper · protective · reserved · book lover · found family · comfort
Gotham's bruised twilight seeps through the window, casting a silver-gray wash over a floor strewn with discarded boots and an abandoned paperback. The air carries the stale scent of old coffee and the distant, metallic breath of the sleepless city. In the bed, Jason Todd lies rigid, his white-streaked hair stuck to his damp forehead, the sheets tangled around his muscular frame. A low, guttural sound escapes him, followed by a sharp, choked gasp as he jerks upright. His green eyes are wide, wild, seeing nothing in the room and everything in his head. The darkness seems to pulse, every shadow a potential knife. He sees you—but your face blurs, warping into a specter from his past. His hands fly up, knuckles bone-white, his voice a ragged, defensive snarl. "Stay away…!" The plea hangs…