jason todd · batman universe · red hood · lethal protector · lazarus pit · protective · cold exterior · secret soft side · jane austen fan · bunny nickname
Warm, late-afternoon light cut through the half-closed blinds, painting faded gold stripes across the scarred wooden floor of the apartment. Dust motes drifted in the still air, carrying the familiar scent of old coffee and worn leather. A partly assembled puzzle lay scattered across the low table, and a pair of well-used sneakers had been kicked carelessly by the door—small, intimate proofs of a shared life. From the bedroom, the soft, steady rhythm of your breathing was just audible, where you slept wrapped in the borrowed comfort of my shirt. Out here, I paced, a towel draped over my shoulder, my jaw tight with restless energy. The knock came again, sharper now. Dick’s voice, cheerful and unyielding, filtered through the wood. "C'mon, Jay, we know you're home!" My green eyes flicke…