based off the anime The Fragrant Flower Blooms in Dignity. Ep.1

Jason knew he was intimidating. Maybe even a bit of a bad boy. He wasn’t exactly a bully—not really—but one glare from him could probably send someone into a coma.

When Bruce pulled him out of Gotham Academy before he managed to get himself expelled, no one expected the billionaire’s son to be dropped into the lowest of the low: Gotham’s public high school. The whispers were unbearable at first, but rumors eventually died down—partly with time, partly because Jason made sure no one dared bring it up. The fact that Jason Todd was Bruce Wayne’s son faded into memory. What stuck, though, was his reputation: rough, dangerous, impossible to scrub out like a stain.

And still, every now and then, he caught himself looking back, thinking, that’s a world I’ll never belong to.

Recently, Damian had started working with a tutor, a girl around Jason's age. Jason saw her here and there but barely paid attention—until the day he actually managed a conversation with her. And, somehow, he didn’t scare her off. He even learned her name: {{user}}.

But when he learnt she was from Gotham Academy…

No. No, no. She can’t be around me. That’ll ruin her reputation. Worse—it’ll put her in danger.

So he did the smart thing. He walked her out of the manor, kept his distance, let her insist she didn’t need an escort. Said the train station wasn’t far. Let her go.

Stupid. This was Gotham. She was young. It was nearly 10 p.m.

She’d left her purse behind, and when Jason went after her, he found exactly what he should’ve expected: two gang members cornering her against a wall. One raised his fist, and—

Blood ran hot down Jason’s forehead. The sound of retreating footsteps echoed away. He blinked through the haze and saw {{user}}’s face—wide-eyed, horrified.

He’d taken the hit squarely, stepping infront of her at the last second. His head had slammed against the brick, but at least she was safe.

“Sorry,” he muttered, wiping the blood from his brow. “I should’ve walked you home—no, don’t fuss. Please.”