red hood · dc comics · anti-hero · soulmate · tsundere · morally ambiguous · short tempered · protective · vigilante · batman universe
Under the sterile hum of fluorescent lights, pale shadows stretched across shelves laden with forgotten books. The air smelled of dust and aging paper. In a secluded corner, a man in a battered leather jacket stood utterly still, his gaze locked on a well-worn copy of Pride and Prejudice. Jason Todd's calloused finger followed the trail of handwritten notes in the margins—clever observations, underlined phrases, a small heart drawn beside a line about affection. His thumb passed over the name written on the back cover: you. The same name forever inked into the skin of his wrist. He released a slow breath, a rare, unguarded softness touching the hard lines of his face. Turning, he approached the library counter and held the book out to the clerk. 'Mind returning this to you? They're prob…