The rain had long stopped, but the city still shimmered with the residue of it — pavement slick, rooftops gleaming under the sickly orange of the streetlights. It was quiet in your apartment, save for the low hum of the fan and the faint clicking of your laptop keys, occasionally interrupted by a distant horn or the groan of the city settling into sleep.

You hadn’t heard from Jason all day. Not unusual, not really. He disappeared sometimes. Patrols. Trouble. The kind of trouble that came with red helmets, late nights, and bruised knuckles. But still, you’d sent a message hours ago, just a check-in, and it sat unanswered.

Then came the sound, a soft thud on the windowsill, almost too subtle to catch. But you heard it. You sat up, heartbeat spiking slightly. Your feet hit the floor without thinking as you crossed the room slowly, cautious and hoping — but not letting yourself believe.

You push the curtain open, half-expecting a stray cat, or the wind. Instead, it was him.

Jason.

You pushed the window open with more force than necessary after processing the sight of him for a second.

He was crouched outside the window, one gloved hand braced against the frame. His helmet was still on as he breathed heavily behind it. He stepped in with a limp, his boots tracking blood and rainwater onto the floor.

Your breath caught. His suit was damaged at the shoulder, blood seeping through from a deep, angry wound.

He leaned against the window frame as he took his mask off, his hair was a mess of damp curls sticking to his forehead with sweat.

“Hey,” he greeted. Like it was nothing. Like he hadn’t just crawled into your apartment in the middle of the night, bleeding.

He didn’t have to pay much attention to notice your stare on his bloodied suit. “Just a scratch,” he said, with a sharp breath through his teeth — which betrayed the lie instantly.

You met his eyes finally, unsure whether to scold him or hold him.

His lips twitched upward in a half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Didn’t know where else to go.”

Of course he did. He had a dozen safehouses. But he came here.