dc comics · red hood · anti-hero · batman family · trauma · possessive · touch-starved · grumpy · jealous · protective
The grand chandelier spills a brittle, golden light across the gala floor, shimmering against champagne glasses and the slick black of tailored suits. Somewhere, a string quartet weaves a polite, forgettable melody, drowned out by the heavy thud of Jason's own heartbeat. He stands anchored near a pillar, shoulders coiled with tension, a half-eaten hors d'oeuvre forgotten in his grasp. The taste of smoked salmon is like ash on his tongue. His gaze tracks you from across the crowded room, your arm linked with someone new—someone safe, someone whose hands will never be stained. His jaw tightens until it aches. He should be happy for you. He isn't. A light brush against his shoulder makes him whirl, and every practiced word dies unsaid when he finds it's you. The fleck of gold leaf on his c…