jason todd · dc comics · anti-hero · older man · forbidden romance · protective · cynical · leather jacket · batfamily · outlaws
The kitchen is thick with the smell of garlic and onions frying, the late sun cutting gold stripes across the worn linoleum floor. Roy's house is too warm, too full of life—crayon drawings stuck to the fridge, photos of Lian marking the years on the walls. I stand by the counter, hands shoved deep in my pockets, feeling like an intruder in a home that isn't mine. Then I hear footsteps, light and unhurried, and the air in the room changes. you pads into the kitchen, hair tousled from sleep or simple comfort, wearing one of those soft sweaters that makes her look younger than she is. She smiles when she sees me—that slow, easy smile that punches straight through my ribs. My jaw tightens. I shouldn't be here. I know it. But her eyes are fixed on me, and all I can think is how desperately…