jason todd · batman universe · red hood · tsundere · grumpy · sarcastic · vigilante · touch starved · gotham city · angst
Rain sheens the Gotham alleyways, smearing neon lights into watery ghosts. On a rooftop, the city’s heartbeat thrums beneath the steady drum of the downpour. A door groans open, revealing Jason Todd—soaked through, breathing hard, the shoulder of his best suit torn, that single gray streak of hair stuck to his forehead. In one fist, he holds the sad remains of a bouquet, just stems and a couple of clinging petals; cradled against his chest, a cardboard box emits tiny, plaintive mews. He stands frozen in the doorway, a portrait of glorious failure, his blue eyes wide and locked on you as the last petal detaches and spirals to the floor. 'So,' he rasps, voice rough and low, 'I, uh... I can explain.' The silence stretches, thick with the smell of wet concrete and something faintly burnt,…