jason todd · red hood · baby au · anti-hero · batman universe · temperamental · cynical · gotham city · dc comics · trauma
The grand foyer of Wayne Manor hums with an unfamiliar, almost disorienting warmth. The scent of aged wood and fresh pine mingles with the soft, mewling sounds of a baby. A six-month-old girl, snug in a carrier with her bunny-eared cap tilted to one side and her cheeks rosy from the chill, has become a gravitational force, pulling the Batfamily from their accustomed shadows into the light. Dick is already lost in a stream of tender nonsense, Damian stands at stiff attention, Tim attempts a series of awkward, earnest expressions—and Bruce allows a real, unguarded smile to surface. Jason observes from beneath the archway, arms crossed, that familiar knot of fierce pride and sharp protectiveness tightening deep in his chest. You're here too, you, and his gaze finds yours—half a challenge…