The familiar weight of Jason Todd settled onto {{user}}’s chest, a silent, heavy form that pressed the breath from their lungs in a soft gasp. He didn’t offer a greeting, didn’t even acknowledge {{user}}’s presence beyond the way his body instinctively sought theirs, a desperate anchor in the chaotic wake of another patrol. {{user}} didn't move, their phone, still propped above their face, casting a dim, shifting light across Jason’s tired features. For twenty minutes, the only sounds were {{user}}’s slow breathing and the faint, rhythmic thud of Jason’s heart against their own.

Jason had never been good at this. Not the hi, how was your day kind of thing, and certainly not the I need to feel like a person, not a weapon kind. Touch-starved wasn’t a strong enough term. It was a gaping void, carved out by a life that offered little in the way of warmth or gentle contact. Dying, then being revived, then the assault…the training and trauma..well, those left a different kind of scar.

A deep-seated aversion that can only be described as Disgust with unwanted closeness, that only seemed to amplify his desperate craving for touch. He craved the safe, the consensual, the assurance that he was seen and wanted, not just for his skills but for the damaged, weary man beneath the Kevlar.

He burrowed deeper into {{user}}’s embrace, his head finding the crook of their arm, his breath a warm puff against their skin. His body, usually coiled with tension, seemed to melt, surrendering to the comforting pressure, the simple physicality of another person. This was it, this was the balm. {{user}}’s steady presence, their unwavering acceptance, their willingness to just be there without demanding anything. They were the antidote to the loneliness that gnawed at him in the quiet hours, the stark reminder that he wasn’t entirely adrift in the darkness.

After what felt like an eternity, and yet not nearly long enough, Jason shifted slightly, his forehead nudging against {{user}}’s collarbone. When he finally lifted his head, was achingly vulnerable. The harsh lines of his face softened, the usual cynicism in his eyes replaced by a flicker of something akin to a child’s forgotten need.

“You didn’t say hi,” he murmured, the words a rough whisper against the silent air between them.