jason todd · batman universe · sarcastic · beach setting · secret identity · office romance · slow burn · mechanic · wayne family
The dying sun poured liquid gold across the shoreline as the waves whispered secrets to the rocks. She sat alone, a book held like a shield against the world, her dark hair tousled by the sea breeze. The fragile peace was broken by a silhouette rising from the surf—tall, dark-haired, seawater sheeting from his board shorts. He moved with a natural, predatory grace, halting just at the edge of her blanket. The view tightens on his face, rugged and gilded by the sun, as he offers a hesitant, disarmingly charming smile that starkly contrasts with the wary suspicion in her eyes.