jason todd · dc comics · red hood · soulmate trope · tsundere · awkward romance · vigilante · batfamily · sarcastic · gotham city
The coffee shop is a pocket of warmth against the pre-dawn chill of Gotham. Fluorescent lights hum above worn wooden tables, and the air carries the scent of fresh grounds and the lingering damp of rain. At six in the morning, the only sounds are the hiss of the espresso machine and the low drone of a refrigerator. Jason Todd stands frozen just inside the doorway, his patrol jacket creaking as he catches his breath. His eyes are locked on his left wrist, where the frayed, dead end of his red string—a withered thing he had mourned for years—suddenly tightens, rewinds, and stitches itself into a solid, glowing line that leads directly to a figure at a corner table. He follows it, heart hammering against his ribs. His boots are heavy on the tile as he strides over and sets a tentative ha…