#even if he has some memories of what a family was like through Danny. i dont think he sees those memories as entirely his own

[evilminji]

Okay but? We of the DPxDC? Are COMPLETELY Sleeping on DPXBNHA?

And not even for the Main Plot Shenanigans!

Just?? It has ALL of DC's super powers? But MORE OF THEM. And like 80% of the population has um! Danny can?? Finally achieve his DREAM of being???

JUST SOME DUDE™!

Yeah, he's in Japan. That's a bit of a learning curve. And YEAH, there was a cataclysmic war like a few centuries back that sorta... fucked everybody up. No one wants to talk about it. There may be mass graves and Never Forget memorials. But?

On the SURFACE!

This place seems utopian!

No ghost hunters! Advanced technology! Robust social services*!

Wait... what was that asterisk? What do you mean "corrupt shadowy government organizations"? What do you MEAN "Immortal Supervillians"? NO SPACE PROGRAM!?!? AaaaaAAAAAAAAAAH?!?!? I'M IN HELL!!! This is ACTUALLY THE BAD PLACE, THIS IS HELL, OH GOD NOOOOOOO-!!!!!!

Cause see?

There are SO MANY REASONS he'd end up there?

Think about it! Wish that he lived somewhere his weird biology wouldn't exclude him from becoming an astronaut? In Quirks having Bnha Japan EVERYBODY has weird biology! Y'ain't special! You could TOTALLY be an astronaut!..... if we HAD those! We do not. Shut down that program during the Quirk Wars and never really started it again. (And somewhere, Desiree LAUGHS)

Or MAYBE? Things are getting a little hot on the ground? Bit TOO spicy. The Family Fenton and Friends have fallen back, behind the barely holding shields. Not even the Mansons considerable political maneuvering could stop the inevitably of human fear and blind unthinking hatred. Money can't buy everything, in the end. There is only ONE(1) way out.

Through the Zone.

Plan: Strangers In A Strange World is a go.

They're all Limnal enough to fake it. Sam with her plants. Tucker with his technology and persuasion. Jazz with her limited empathy. Their parents with their... well, weirdness. And with a touch of ghostly assisted meddling? Well, they've always BEEN there! Haven't they?

And that's not to MENTION the random 4 year olds with no control! JUST coming into their powers! With all those big emotions in tiny bodies? Startling events and tantrums? Villian attacks? What could THEY possibly hope to do to control or guide that fresh new power? It does what it does and the rest of us are just along for the ride!

If Danny happens to be minding his business and gets accidentally kidnapped by a VERY distraught 4 year old? Well, that's hardly the KIDS fault, now is it? They're FOUR! That is basically a toddler! Tiny child! They are upset, confused, and didn't mean to do ANYTHING. He's a hero. And Heros don't blame little kids from accidents, no matter HOW stressed it makes them.

No, the curse like a sailor INSIDE their head. Like an ADULT.

Just? Imagine~☆

The slow transition from *starry eyed shoujo sparkles* "This is SO COOL~!" to "huh, that's... kinda weird. And Sus. Weird Sus. Maybe nothing... oh! A distraction!" To "okay, this KEEPS happening, that was shady. You all saw that right? You realize that's not NORMAL, right? That that's fucked up? Not cool?" To "oh god, oh God, OH GOD! I'm in HELL! This is actually HELL! I'm trapped in HELL!!! WHAT THE FUC-"

Like? This kid LOVES space. LOVES the stars. And this is one of the few Superhero Cannon that SPECIFICALLY MENTIONS that IN CANNON? Thanks to Quirks? As in Superpowers? That VERY THING got fuckin SCRAPPED. Gutted. Consigned to be a relic of the past so they could all focus on punching each other Real Good.

He would weep BLOOD. Chew the WALLS. The LEVEL of unhinged this child would unleash? Not as Danny Phantom... but as DANNY J. FENTON? Beautiful. Vaguely psychotic. Definitely doing the Fenton Name proud. God, the NOISE HE WOULD MAKE would be inhuman and yet somehow? Come entirely from his human half.

They👏 Would👏 Hear👏 BOSS👏 MUSIC👏

I don't even know if he'd CARE about the main characters. They'd be tangential at best. The man would be in a one man war with I-Island over their lack of space program and hoarding of scientific progress. Probably living out of an abandoned building or forgotten subway station. Just? The MOST bedraggled, feral genius to ever haunt Japan.

As opposed to the REFINED feral genius. Who is Nedzu.

I bet Danny stands outside his school at one AM waving his scientific papers at a camera and YELLS. Like a deranged lunatic. Mismatched slippers and a "haven't slept in a week" crazed glint in his eyes.

He's Nedzu's new best friend. They GET each other.

And, yes, Nedzu COULD let him in... but it's faster to just let him yell and read the papers through the camera. Who CARES if they both seem insane! Let's shout about advanced physics and engineering at 1 am! Over the speakers!!! Oh? You need to physically SHOW me the notes? Well I COULD unlock the gates... OR just wait for you to finish scrambling up the walls like a feral Racoon, to then throw yourself OVER them.

Either, Or.

I'm just SAYING! We are SLEEPING on this! There is so, SO much fun to be had! Danny breaks rules and minds! His outrage over injustice and the complete lack of SPACE! His protection instincts going BUCK FUCKIN WILD. The INDESCRIBABLE hate boner he would have for Mr. "Lemme just rip parts of your soul out so I can collect your powers like pokemon cards" AfO.

There? Is SO MUCH, guys. SO MUCH!

@hdgnj @the-witchhunter @babbling-babull @hypewinter @nerdpoe @lolottes @dcxdpdabbles @mutable-manifestation

[sguidwards-bestfriend]

Young Old Things

I like the thought of a deaged Dan causing a misunderstanding between Danny, Vlad, and the batfam.

TW: sexual assault hinted at

....

Danny, Dan, and Ellie go to see Jazz in Gotham. They've been waiting to "visit" her for weeks since she moved out. Only waiting for her to get a big enough place for all of them. Danny already said he'd share a room with Ellie and Dan, especially now that they found out if she is her true age she'll start to stabilize more permanently with Danny's ecto. Plus, having Dan be the same size helps, or so she says (he might be desperate for a new family and Ellie is trying to help, Danny and Jazz never bring it up in front of him).

The Fenton parents don't know about Danny being Phantom, instead believing that some big ghostly event caused Danny to have a ghost daughter.

And that he tried to clone himself mixed with a ghost to use that body to stabilize her. They may be proud of their scientist son, they are not proud that he won't let them experiment on his ghostly "creations".

Of course they are entirely wrong:

Ellie is one of Vlads' attempts to clone him, the only one that survived.

And Dan is an amalgamation of Danny and Vlad from an alternate timeline. He doesn't know why he's keeping that from his parents. He owes nothing to that scumbag, but Jazz says many victims try to keep their abusers safe from facing consequences. Before Dan was deaged, and much before he met the Fenton parents, he'd pointed out that he'd be scared who his parents would have chosen to believe too.

Jazz gets a full ride scholarship with Gotham U, the Wayne's new massive donation to the psychology department, as well as her well written letter about being the head of her home, helped immensely.

She felt bad using a slightly blurred version of their story to get a good scholarship, but Danny pushed her to go for it.

Hence her, Danny and his 3 year old "twins" were at a gala for the university.

It was being held in the museum after closing hours. The invitation she got had specified that her brother was invited, each with a plus one.

They couldn't exactly get a babysitter for two super-powered toddlers in the city known for hating metas. Besides it wasn't like they had time to get dates anyway.

The night started out fine. There were scholarship students, student council members, some Gotham U staff, and a few rich folk mingling and eating tiny foods that both Ellie and Dan adored.

Ellie fell asleep in Danny's arms almost the second she'd finished eating, and Dan was overly protective of the both of them as always. Of course the dense crowd and constant noise wasn't helping calm him down.

A Wayne, he wasn't sure which one exactly, had brought Danny a plate of food and sat with him as he tried to distract Dan. At first Dan didn't care for him at all, but he mentioned reading about the constellation on Dan's shirt and he loosened up. He never let go of Danny's pant leg though.

The night turned sour when all three's ghost sense went off. There was no immediate threat, but even the Wayne kid noticed them tense and turned to the hallway.

Dan was the first to spot him. "Vad."

"Bad?" The man mimicked.

"He has trouble with his Ls."

"No! I can say Ellie." Dan huffed, poking the side of her sparkly green shoe.

"Vlad, the guy that walked in." Danny said, decidedly looking down into his daughter's sleeping face, squished into his shirt and drooling.

"Vladimir Masters?"

He nodded, before he could continue however Dan spoke up.

"He is bad. He's the reason I was born. And Ellie too." Dan put himself in front of Danny, his little legs going over Danny's feet like a guard dog.

He could see the Wayne's hands tighten into fists, he tapped the inside of his wrist a bit and watched as he squirmed in his seat.

"Hey, Tim." Another dark haired light eyed Wayne and a girl came up to them. "Who's this?"

"Danny, these are my sibilings. Dick and Cass. Guys, this is Danny."

"Hi, nice to meet you Danny. I'd shake your hand but it looks busy." He gestured towards Ellie. As his hand swept nearer, Dan tried to swipe it away. "Oh, and who's this."

"I'm Dan. You can't touch Mommy." His little face contorted into his best toddler attempt at scaring them off.

"I would never do that. No one here would." Dick said as he crouched down to be eye level with his son.

"He would." Dan pointed at Vlad, all three turned to look at the man. Before anyone else noticed, specifically Vlad himself, Danny pushed his arm down.

"Don't point, it's rude."

"He's a rude butt." Danny laughed softly and Dan continued. "It doesn't mater that I'm half of him, I'll never be evil like him." He yawned and laid his face on Danny's leg.

"I think that's enough signs that we should head home. Thank you for talking with me, Tim."

"No problem, it was m-"

Dan grabbed around Danny's legs and whined "I don't wanna gooOOOooo. I want more of the tiny hot dogs."

Danny looked up to see Vlad infront of the food table. The Wayne sibilings followed his gaze "I'm sorry buddy, but-"

Tim stood up, "I'll get you guys a whole mountain of the tiny hot dogs. Why don't you guys wait for me at the door." Ever so softly he heard Tim whisper, "Go with them." To his brother.

"Where are your things? I'll help you get ready." Dick looked around like he didn't know where the coat closet was. He'd probably been to events like this hundreds of times, but Danny appreciated the sentiment.

"Their stroller is at the entrance, I have to get my sister though."

The girl who hadn't said a word hummed and went off, "Cass can find her, I'll help you and we can meet at the entrance."

"Alright, thank you."

It wasn't until they had both kids in the stroller with their coats on and Dan had a bottle of milk (with a lot of ectoplasm in it) that Danny realized he'd never mentioned who his sister was.

Dick waved towrds the end of the hall and saw his sister and the two Waynes he'd met walking with Brucie Wayne himself.

Jazz looked down and pat Cass' hand. "Thank you for getting me."

"Danger." Her voice was soft, but she didn't seem shy like he had expected.

"All four of you seemed to get along well with my kids. Would you like to come by for dinner next week?" Brucie asked as he looked between the four of them.

"I'd love to!" Jazz said enthusiastically. "Would Tuesday ight work?"

Danny could see the gears start to speed up in her head and he huffed a little. "Jazz, I need to get them in bed."

"Right, of course. Thank you again, for everything."

"Tuesday night works perfectly," Brucie Wayne said with a massive smile on his face, "we'll send someone to pick you up. Have a good night."

With that they walked down the ramp and down a few blocks to their two bed room apartment.

"Jazz," She looked over to Danny, "I think they know more than they are letting on."

She lent over the stroller a bit to check if the kids were asleep, before adding, "I agree, I think there is something up with them, but I don't think they're bad."

"Dan was okay with them mostly, and Ellie was fast asleep even with then around."

"I guess we'll just have to find out, then. Besides, it would be good for you to make friends your age and not at the car shop."

"Yeah, alright."

[creepslayer7]

New Twin?

ok so we know Bruce got lost in the time stream right?

And Tim saved him bla bla bla...

Ok so I'm reading a fanfic rn and it's giving me an idea for a dpxdc crossover.

Its 'TWINcognito mode' by nerdpoe

Ok so I'm thinking it's not safe for Danny in his world so clockwork pulls some strings and sets everything up for Danny to be Tim's non identical twin (theyre similar enough to pass) and he just appears in wayne manor right after Bruce gets out of the time stream.

Like I'm talking he has a room that's 'been lived in for years', he has memories of them and growing up with tim, he's acting like nothings new ect.

So he's all like "dad your back!" And they're all looking between tim and his double like "tim??? NOT tim????" And they come to the conclusion that Bruce fucked with the time stream and he spawned in.

They all feel guilty that they 'forgot' him even though they never knew him. Especially Tim, he would feel so bad if there was someone that went through what he did with their parents neglect and they only had each other, but Tim doesn't remember who this is.

He could be fully aware and is pretending so he's safe OR clockwork thought this would be for the best so he altered Danny's memories so he genuinely believes he's Tim's twin.

For the second option I like the ideas that he doesn't remember anything/he doesn't have access to his ghost half (either he has to heal from something his parents did or he can't handle the full power that comes with being ghost king) and he won't unlock his memories/powers till he dies again.

Which if he genuinely believed they were his family, and then they tell him he wasn't real a few days ago, that would probably fuck with his mind.

[tanglepelt]

Dp x dc idea… more of a mini fic 108

Dani is melting in front of Danny’s eyes and Danny is panicking. He reveals that he and Dani are halfas. Begging his parents to help stabilize Dani. That he couldn’t watch her melt away. his parents don’t take it well. Chasing him out of the lab.

He barley got Dani and him out with minimum injuries.

Danny had no access to proper supplies, and risks going to vlad.

Offering to be the perfect son if he saves Dani. Making him promise she would be safe and stable. Telling him all that happened. That his mom wouldn’t accept him, she didn’t even accept Danny.

He has a bad feeling when vlad eye flash red and he agrees.

After a few test the fruitloop announces he got the dna necessary to stabilize her. That he will easily synthesize the necessary components. But he wouldn’t hand over the cure unless Danny proved what he said. That he was capable of following orders and being the perfect son.

He was Holding a vial of some liquid. Telling Danny to drink it.

Vlad wouldn’t kill him right?

So he drinks the mysterious liquid. Last thing he heard was that when he wakes up he and his sister would be safe. Which confused him. Why was Jazz involved.

When he woke up things were too big. Why was everything so big? Looking around they were in a cage… on with no roof. Then he saw Dani. Dani was small. Tiny a mere toddler. Maybe 5 at the most. Wait. No no no. He was the same size.

Vlad: i hear you’re awake little badger. How unfortunate. I was hoping to move the three of us before hand. It’s not as if you’ll remember any of this. I was planning on erasing it once we were across.

Vlad was standing in front of a portal. Not his ghost portal. One separated and with a deficient design.

Vlad: this dimension simply isn’t safe for my little family. I recently recorded an artifact that will allow us to jump dimensions. One time use unfortunately. With no stable portal not even your allies will find us.

Yea. No. That’s not happening. Danny didn’t agree to be turned into a toddler. Nor loose his memories.

He wasn’t going with the fruitloop. He just had to phase out of here. He couldn’t get himself to fully phase. Only a hand.

Vlad who hadn’t even looked up from the now glowing portal: “even you should have realized your powers aren’t working. It’s why i needed more dna samples. To fix both my children. Far to young, body’s to frail to handle them all. You’ll slowly grow into them.”

The fruitloop finally turned to face him and Dani. Approaching them. Picking them up. Did he really just pick him up?

No.

This was not okay with Danny. So he started hitting, kicking and squirming. All while Dani stayed asleep.

Vlad: Daniel behave. Act more like your sister. The portal is only one way trip. You wouldn’t want to be left behind now would you.

The fruitloop was only getting close to the portal. He had to act.

One way trip… Act more like his sister. Act like Dani.

So.

He hit the man as hard as he could. Until the man let go and essentially threw them to the ground oh so close to this new dimension. He didn’t have time to think.

They were so close to the portal.

He just grabbed Dani chucked his shoe at vlad to unbalance the man and fell through the portal.

**

Jonathan and Martha Kent certainly weren’t expecting two toddlers to fall out of the sky into their field. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time they took in two children.

Their oldests could do with some younger siblings.

Even if they did have to coax the two twins?siblings? inside with pie later that night.

[dcxdpdabbles]

The ballad of Jane doe has me in a choke hold. The lyrics really feel to me and I had an idea of an alternative universe where Jason as Robin and beheaded by Joker as a way to avoid irl identification? Idk he’s insane. 

But the lyrics that really spoke to me were: Oh Saint Peter, let me in!

You must know where I've been

Won't you tell me at last who I am? 

(This can be either Jason revived and never getting his memories back and asking maybe maybe Danny someone who is kinda his minder who he is but Danny never knew him so he can’t say or Batman in a desperate but frustrated way when he’s all vigilante and stuff while fight and takes off his helmet for dramatic effect and maybe Jason never aged and still 15 or he just doesn’t have a head so Danny made one of ecto that is supposed to look like him) 

And I'm asking "why, lord?"

If this is how I die, lord

Why be left with no family

And no friends? 

(Jason never having his memories cries out for any information but maybe someone is blocking his search or some other factor, Jason not having any memories mourns the thought of family and maybe in a fight he’s yelling angrily about the unfairness of his situation and having no one, maybe even a vent to Danny if slimmed him spinned right) 

I’ve got no celebration

Just this consolation

Time eats all his children

In the end 

(Jason not remembering his funeral and his only consolation is his missing head or a scar on his neck from the beheading and this can also relate to clockwork and you know the Kronos correlation, how time has no favorites and everyone will be forgotten just like him in the end of their days wether it be their death or the last time their name is said) 

A melody floats through the air

When silence falls, does no one care? 

(frustration of no one telling him who he is and and maybe there will be a fight scene where he takes off his helmet and asks if anyone- anything cares about his existence in front of Bruce or the batfam) 

how Danny plays into his either this is alternate Jason and Danny being one person and Danny being in an accident which kills him half not and half did or Danny is dead Jason’s minder and they get teleported to another universe where canon is idk :)

I'm not going to lie. This song goes hard for Headless Jason.

I like what you wrote about this being Danny as his alt! Jason, but I also like the idea that Jason's family are descendants of the original Dullahan. He just didn't know it since he didn't know his bio mom.

Anyway, the family gets one extra life, which his bio-mom used up before, and that's why she died in the explosion that took Jason's first life. He wanders Gotham the first year as a zombie because he doesn't have his head until Danny finds it and helps reunite him.

But that year, Jason forgot who he was, and he was filled with nothing but questions and anger. Danny decided to be the bridge between worlds and stuck around to help him. Instead of Jason ending up with the League of Shadows, he is in Ghost King Phantom's court and is living in a small house on the outskirts of Gotham, trying to learn his new ghost powers.

Danny is super excited since this is the closest he's gotten to another Halfa since Vlad, and yeah, it's a little scary that they can't get his head to stick on his body since they've been apart for too long, but Danny is working on it.

In the meantime, they have Jason wear a red Biker helmet that he never takes off. Nothing can go wrong with that! The fact that Joker used to do the same thing as Red Hood meant nothing to Danny and his roommate, who enjoyed gardening, cooking dinner, and sitting together to watch a movie!

The occasional cuddle here and there! Slight domestic bliss sprinkled in!

No, Jazz, that isn't his undead boyfriend. That's just his roommate! So what if they are the same age? Danny is technically hiding from his parents, so he never ventures too far from his property!

Jason likes being in the boonies with him just fine.

[epkot94]

Had a great idea for a Spirit Halloween fic!

Ok so I know people tend to write the Infinite Realms as being connected to all dimensions, so imagine when FlashPoint Paradox occurred (it created a completely different timeline for the DC universe before it was corrected by the Flash, one in which Bruce Wayne died in the alley) the ghost of Bruce Wayne came into existence in the infinite realms.

Clockwork is aware that reversing the changes to the timeline will destroy ghost!bruce but he uses his power to protect him and keep in existence. Because ghost!bruce has to exist so he can be in the right spot so when a portal opens up he can fuse with a boy named Danny and save his life.

DP canon proceeds for the next year or two, by this point Danny has revealed his halfa status to his parents but he’s still unaware that he’s bonded to a ghost (maybe the bonding event knocked ghost!bruce unconscious?) and after some time and a lot of talks they’ve come around to the truth that ghosts are actually sentient and just like humans some are good and some are bad.

Unfortunately the GIW are still around and with years of public ghost appearances and battles, all the footage and proof they’ve built up leads to the government deciding to expand the GIW. More agents, better training and more weaponry. Their mission statement goes from discovering ghosts weaknesses and studying them to complete extermination.

Some big fight between Phantom and some agents happens and maybe there were some bystanders killed, maybe Tucker and Sam or the rest of the Fenton family? And the sheer trauma of the event as well as the injuries Danny gets pushes through his bond and wakes up ghost!Bruce.

Because of the bond Bruce is aware of Danny’s memories and has subconsciously been learning with him as well as “aging” (he might just be subconsciously shapeshifting to match Danny’s age).

And now Danny is starting to hear a voice in his head, trying to comfort him, promising that he’ll never be alone. Freaked out, Danny travels to see Frostbite thinking he’s finally going crazy but gets waylaid by Clockwork, who finally reveals this whole convoluted plot he set up to prevent Danny’s death from the portal and ensure that Danny Phantom would come to be.

*I’ve always liked the idea that Clockwork aims every dimension toward the timeline with the best outcome, but Danny’s has always been difficult to see clearly so clockworks mostly making plans on the fly ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I have no clue what happens next because my brain went straight to Danny and ghost!Bruce working together to figure out how to split, and eventually starting to grow feelings for each other the longer they’re aware of each other.

Eventually, something’s leads them to going to Gotham (I imagine Danny is in his mid 20s at this point) and they decide that with the GIW growing more dangerous they need to actively search for allies, ghost!Bruce doesn’t have super clear memories of his living life, probably doesn’t even really remember his name, but he does have a memory of a voice saying something along the lines of “Wayne’s always help when they can” and hey Bruce Wayne is Batman’s auger daddy, maybe he can get them an in with the JLA?

[rboooks]

Do you have any good DCxDP fic recs?

OMG, DO I?!

I just wanted to let you know that I only read fics on Ao3 now, so all my recs on on that website.

Below the read-more are the links and the fics summaries, and in the parentheses are, in my own words, what the fic is about.

A Second Life by Die_Erlkonigin6083

Summary: He wakes up with no memories. He knows things, but he doesn’t know why. Who is he? And how did he get here?

(Danny wakes up without memories and is found in a CANVAS lab. He is de-age, with various DNA mixed into him. The majority of his DNA donor? Dick Grayson. Naturally, Dick takes Danny in as his son)

2. The Curse of Sight by PorcelanaRota

Summary: When Wes Weston meets Tim Drake-Wayne, the dots start connecting. And those dots form a Bat.

(Wes Weston (a fandom-made character who is the only person that realizes Danny and Phantom are the same people.) goes to Gotham to spend the summer with his mom. He ends up as a Wayne Intern, meets Tim, and clocks him for the bat he is on sight. It's a Wes/Tim fic!)

3. The Misadventures of Cosplay Man by Shynnohwen

Summary: After accidentally getting launched through a natural rift and stuck in an alternate universe, Danny decides to help the local heroes while waiting to get picked up. But he doesn’t do it as Phantom or Fenton, oh no. He doesn’t want either of his identities to get mixed up in all this nonsense and traced back to him. So what does he do? Crappy cosplay.

(Danny gets stranded in an alternate universe, so he chooses to have fun and save local heroes as cosplay versions of them. He goes out of his way to make the cosplay as terrible as possible. Each hero he saves makes different terrible conclusions based on the worrying stuff he says. They all want to adopt him)

4. The curious case of D. Grayson by brothebro

Summary: Dick Grayson gets a job in Wayne Industries as an electrical engineer, or so is the word. Except it's not Dick who gets the job but Danny Grayson, half ghost and professional disaster. Of course, because nothing is ever easy for Danny, the world mistakes him for the prolific first child of Bruce Wayne and therefore rumors start Dick Grayson got married in secret.

What could possibly go wrong, am I right?

(Danny, Sam, and Tucker are married and move to Gotham to escape the GIW. Danny changes his name from Fenton to his biological name before his adoption- Grayson. He looks exactly like Dick, too. So many people see him out and about, thinking he's Dick. Misunderstandings ensure)

5. those who serve. by aryelee

Summary: Running away from Amity Park—from his entire dimension—Danny takes refuge in the streets of Gotham. It's hard, suddenly being a homeless teenager in such a crime-ridden city, but it's better than dying a second time.

Enter Alfred Pennyworth, a kind old man who works as a butler and, for some reason, has decided to befriend Danny.

His future is still up in the air, but he's hopeful that things will work out. After all, Alfred isn't getting any younger and someone needs to help him with his butler duties. Danny's just the right person for the job.

Or: Alfred Pennyworth sees a homeless teen who looks like he'd fit right into the Wayne family and decides to take matters into his own hands. It's not like he's just going to leave this very sad, possibly meta teenager alone when there's more than enough space in the Manor to house one more child in need.

( Basically, homeless Danny, with no other options, saves Alfred from a mugging. Alfred repays him by offering him a place in Wayne Manor- but Danny doesn't want to be a Wayne. He wants to be an Alfred- so he becomes Alfred's butler apprentice )

6. Wait, I'm a what? by Atiya_Blackcharm

Danny would like to say for the record that it was not his fault.

In fact, Danny would say that it was entirely Clockwork's fault. After all, he wouldn't even be in this situation if it wasn't for that cryptic time god.

But what was his fault was the fact that he kept helping.

He kept taking the cash from the assholes (and damn there were a lot of assholes near where he lived) messing with the residents who lived in the area. He kept accepting their offers of food. So because of this new routine that kept him able to afford to rent out his shitty (and possibly illegal) apartment and the hunger pangs sufficiently satisfied, rumors grew.

tldr; after Clockwork dropped of Danny in Gotham he tries to make the best out of the situation which includes helping out some people. Except along the way that led to rumors that he was an up-and-coming crime boss. A rumor he was largely unaware of.

(Danny lands in Gotham and sets out to help his new neighborhood. Unknown to him, he does it in a manner that makes everyone think he's a new crime boss. He just isn't aware they think he is one)

[radiance1]

The ballad of Jane doe has me in a choke hold. The lyrics really feel to me and I had an idea of an alternative universe where Jason as Robin and beheaded by Joker as a way to avoid irl identification? Idk he’s insane. 

But the lyrics that really spoke to me were: Oh Saint Peter, let me in!

You must know where I've been

Won't you tell me at last who I am? 

(This can be either Jason revived and never getting his memories back and asking maybe maybe Danny someone who is kinda his minder who he is but Danny never knew him so he can’t say or Batman in a desperate but frustrated way when he’s all vigilante and stuff while fight and takes off his helmet for dramatic effect and maybe Jason never aged and still 15 or he just doesn’t have a head so Danny made one of ecto that is supposed to look like him) 

And I'm asking "why, lord?"

If this is how I die, lord

Why be left with no family

And no friends? 

(Jason never having his memories cries out for any information but maybe someone is blocking his search or some other factor, Jason not having any memories mourns the thought of family and maybe in a fight he’s yelling angrily about the unfairness of his situation and having no one, maybe even a vent to Danny if slimmed him spinned right) 

I’ve got no celebration

Just this consolation

Time eats all his children

In the end 

(Jason not remembering his funeral and his only consolation is his missing head or a scar on his neck from the beheading and this can also relate to clockwork and you know the Kronos correlation, how time has no favorites and everyone will be forgotten just like him in the end of their days wether it be their death or the last time their name is said) 

A melody floats through the air

When silence falls, does no one care? 

(frustration of no one telling him who he is and and maybe there will be a fight scene where he takes off his helmet and asks if anyone- anything cares about his existence in front of Bruce or the batfam) 

how Danny plays into his either this is alternate Jason and Danny being one person and Danny being in an accident which kills him half not and half did or Danny is dead Jason’s minder and they get teleported to another universe where canon is idk :)

Jason, a dead man walking and Danny, the only guy who seems to know at least something without questioning why he knows the things he does.

Unfortunately, and as much as Jason asks, begs, wishes, Danny doesn't know who he was before his death.

You could even pit him up with the League a bit, more specifically Talia Al Ghul, who feeds him crumbs of information to keep him on some sort of leash, which eventually leads to him coming back to the Gotham with a vengence.

But here's the thing I'm considering.

What if he doesn't ask Batman, Bruce, or any of the Batfamily. No.

He asks the Joker.

[hearts-hunger]

home for the holidays — chapter three

Read on AO3 | Masterlist | Cabin Fever Masterlist

Series Summary: The Cabin Fever gang spends Christmas in Frankenmuth.  || Chapter Summary: Jake has an important question to ask you.

⮡ part one | part two

Pairings: Jake x Reader, Sam x Danny, Josh x Baby | Genre: holiday fluff | Word Count: 3k | Chapter Warnings: none!

A/N: I'm finally updating this fic can you believe it!! Everybody blow a kiss to the sweet nonnie who asked if I was going to write more for this fic, because their encouragement and interest gave me the motivation to write this chapter that I've been daydreaming about for year now. I hope you like it, and nonnie, this one's especially for you! ♡

You woke gently to the strains of a crackly Christmas vinyl and your boyfriend’s soft voice singing along, snuggled in blankets that smelled like him and blissfully content. You opened your eyes but stayed still for a moment, enjoying the peaceful, comforting air of Christmas: you felt the afternoon sun shining all golden over the snow-covered windowsill, smelled cookies baking from the kitchen, saw your boyfriend’s childhood bedroom in all its cosy clutter. You also saw Jake, sitting on the floor as he sorted through a wooden jewelry box, leaned against the bottom bunk you were curled up on.

“What a wonderful feeling, watching the ones we love,” Jake sang with the record, his voice quiet to keep from waking you. You had to agree with Ray Charles; you loved to see Jake back in his parents’ house, comfortable and settled among all his boyhood memories. He sifted through the jewelry box, and the necklaces and bracelets jingled musically as he untangled them. 

“Hi Jakey,” you said softly. 

He turned, a sweet smile lighting his handsome face. 

“Well hi, sweetheart.” He reached a hand to gently brush your hair back from your face. “Did you have a good nap?”

“Wonderful,” you agreed, stretching a little under the warm blankets. “Thanks for letting me sleep.”

He chuckled. “You’re welcome, honey. You were almost asleep at lunch. You needed a little rest, huh?”

Your early-morning flight from Nashville had led right into a trip to downtown Frankenmuth where you visited some of the old holiday haunts; and though you’d loved being back in your hometown with your little family of Jake’s brothers and their partners, you’d all needed time to recharge before the rest of your planned Christmas Eve fun.

Jake turned back to his jewelry for a moment before he pulled out a well-loved Atocha coin necklace.

“Here,” he said, handing it to you. “I forgot I had one here. Now we can match.”

You smiled and cradled it in the palm of your hand. “You could have wrapped it and given it to me tomorrow,” you said.

He shrugged, a little bashful. “I guess I could have. Consider it an early present.”

You closed your fingers over it. “Thank you. I love it.” You liked it even better than you would have liked a new one, knowing it was one he’d worn and loved for a long time before you were together and wanted to share with you now.

He angled his body closer to you for a kiss, and you brushed your fingers through his hair as you gave him what he asked for so gently. It was a little awkward with him still on the floor and you on the bed, and you giggled as he made his way onto the bed with you without breaking the kiss.

“Are you sure we’re gonna fit on this bed tonight?” you asked, scooching over to make room for him, even though there wasn’t a lot of room to be made. The twin bunk beds he and Josh had had since childhood were comfortable enough for one each, but two adults had to squeeze if they wanted to share.

He hovered over you and kissed your neck. “It’ll be nice and cosy,” he said, his breath warm on your skin. “Don’t you think so?”

You laughed and tucked your necklace into the pocket of his jeans, freeing up your fingers to comb through his hair. “Yeah, I think so.”

He kissed you for a long while, loving and lazy and humming along with the music as his hands wandered over you. You relaxed completely under him, thankful you were spending this Christmas and every one to come with the man you loved and the family you had together.

He groaned a little when the alarm on his phone went off, indicating it was time to start getting ready for another round of holiday fun. You, Baby, Danny, and the Kiszka boys were going to walk around downtown some more; later, when the sun set, you were going ice skating before you went to the local pub to watch Papa Kiszka’s set with his band. You were looking forward to it even if you were reluctant to leave Jake’s bed, but Jake buried his face against your neck as you started to get up.

“I’m not letting you up,” he said, wrapping his arms around you and pressing kisses to your jaw. “Let everybody else go bust their asses trying to ice skate. We’ll stay nice and warm right here in bed.”

You giggled. “Jakey,” you cooed. “You can’t be a Grinch on Christmas Eve.”

“Oh yes I can. My brain is full of unwashed socks or whatever.”

You laughed out loud, and he beamed at you like it was the prettiest sound he’d ever heard. 

“It’s his heart that’s full of unwashed socks,” you told him. 

“You’re the boss,” he said. He kissed you again. “I love you very much, you know.”

“Enough to go ice skating with me?” you teased.

He gave you a wry smile. “Yes, and that’s saying something.”

You smiled. “Aw, Jake. I love you very much too.”

—

“Jake, it looks wonderful. Quit fussing.”

He didn’t answer you right away, tongue caught between his teeth in concentration as he tried to get the placement of one particular clove bud just right. Though you’d thought the soy candle making at the Frankenmuth Historical Society would be a fun little diversion, Danny and the twins had turned it into a competitive sport. Each one of them had painstakingly attended to every last detail in a way that seemed totally unnecessary and amusing to you, Sam, and Baby.

After a few moments, Jake stepped back when he’d arranged the cloves and pieces of dried orange just the way he wanted them on the top of your candle.

“There!” he said. “I know I was driving you crazy, honey. Sorry. But it had to be done.”

You smiled and looked over the candle you’d made together — or, at least been together for while Jake made it. He’d done the lion’s share of the work, not because you’d been unwilling to help, but because you had figured out five minutes into the process that he was going to be particular about it.

He’d let you pick the scent, though, and you were happy enough with that as he poured the last layer of wax over the top to set the decorations. Besides, you had to admit that it looked beautiful. You tied a festive piece of twine around the ring of the mason jar, and you stifled a laugh as you saw Jake’s face.

“Does that look okay?” you asked, a little too innocently.

His expression was pained with stress at the crooked bow and an intense desire not to upset you. He reached his hand out to the bow, stopped short, and reached out again.

“Don’t be mad,” he said, glancing up at you before he quickly straightened the bow. “It’s really nice, honey. It was just a little crooked.”

You laughed, not unkindly, and kissed his cheek.

“I’m not mad,” you said. “I know you just want it to be perfect, and that’s okay. Is it perfect now?”

“Yes,” he said with a grin, holding it up to look at it more closely. He met your eyes. “It was a good idea to come do this, sparrow. I know we had to kill time before ice skating, but now we have a beautiful Christmas candle.”

You gave him a slightly weary smile. “I’m glad you liked it.” It wasn’t as relaxing an activity as you’d thought it would be, but hey, he was right. You had a lovely Christmas candle to show for it.

Jake showed off your creation to the others, graciously buffing up your contributions to the creative genius, and you got to see the candles Danny and Josh had been fussing over while their partners looked on with amusement. Josh’s was eucalyptus and grapefruit, decorated with dried lavender — not exactly Christmassy, but it would fit nicely in their home. Danny’s was warm and spicy with star anise and cinnamon sticks on the top, and it was perfectly him.

Jake, Josh, and Danny started examining the other’s candles, and they quickly started coming up with ideas for other candles they could make. The rest of you coaxed them out of starting their own candle business with the promise of a stop by the popcorn shop, and as soon as you got their masterpieces put safely in the car, you headed down the street for their prize.

You all perused the selection of flavored popcorn at the sweet shop, enjoying the warm, sweet air and the strains of festive music piped through the rows upon rows of treats.

“I’m gonna get some of the salted caramel,” Jake said, taking a sample from the tray and sharing it with you. “I know you’re not big on caramel, but just try it.”

You did, and it wasn’t terrible, but it wasn't your favorite. Jake smiled when you handed the little cup back to him.

“Which one do you want?” he asked.

You walked a little further down the display, perusing your options.

“Oh, never mind, I know which one you want,” he said sweetly.

You grinned up at him. “Oh yeah? Well, if you’re so smart, you get it for me.”

Jake did, getting a bag of the caramel and another of the Oreo flavor for you. He handed it to you with all the confidence and pleasure of a man who knew he’d picked exactly which popcorn his lady wanted.

“Aw, Jakey, you did know which one to get me,” you said happily. 

He shrugged. “I’m a genius, what can I say?”

The six of you walked down the darkening streets of downtown Frankenmuth, munching your popcorn and enjoying each other’s company as you admired the Christmas lights and sparkling decorations. Eventually you made your way to the ice rink, taking a moment to ooh and ahh over the twinkling lights draped overhead and the beautiful Christmas tree in the middle.

“Isn’t the tree beautiful?” you asked.

“It’s very pretty,” Jake agreed. “And I’m glad you like it, because you’ll be seeing it up close the whole time we’re hanging with the slow skaters in the middle.”

You smiled, and as you got your skates, you noticed that Jake kept glancing at the ice with more and more apprehension.

“Are you sure you want to skate?” you asked. You thought it was kind of charming and funny that a man so graceful and skilled on stage in front of thousands of people was worried about a little ice skating. “I don’t mind sitting this one out, honey. We can get some coffee and just watch.”

He frowned. “But you want to skate, right?”

You shrugged. “I want to be with you,” you said simply. “And I don't want to make you do something you're not comfortable with.”

A slightly bemused smile crossed his face, as if he couldn’t quite believe you were real, and he studied you with that loving gaze you knew so well.

“What?” you asked, feeling your cheeks warm.

He shook his head. “Nothing. I don’t know.” He smiled. “You’re something, aren’t you sparrow?”

You pressed closer to him on the bench, remembering another time he’d said that to you.

“Something good or something bad?” you asked.

He grinned and kissed you. “Something good, for sure.”

After a few more kisses, he knelt in front of you and helped you out of your boots.

“You don’t have to, Jake.”

“No, I want to. See, this is one part I can do.”

He set your boots to the side and ran his thumb over your ankle as he grabbed your skates, loving you without even having to try with his absent, comforting touch. For Jake, showing you love was as easy as breathing, and you felt your heart squeeze at the gentle way he cared for you above himself.

“Thank you,” you said softly.

He smiled up at you. “You’re welcome, sparrow. It’s my pleasure.”

When both pairs of skates were laced, you took his hand and led him onto the ice. He took your other hand too, almost immediately unsteady, and you leaned close to kiss his nose.

“Thanks for skating with me, Jakey.”

He gave you a rueful smile. “You’re welcome. You sure you don’t want to do a couple laps without me?”

“Nope, I want to be right here with you.”

You skated together for a long time, holding hands, managing to keep him upright most of the time. You watched Baby and Josh skating gracefully, his fantastic agility on the ice making up for her slight clumsiness; Danny and Sam were slow but steady, attempting tricks and laughing when they went awry. When the crowd thinned, you, Danny, and Baby raced each other while Josh and Sam tried to keep Jake steady; all three of them ended up in a heap, and you three came back to your partners and laughingly helped them back up.

“Go skate for me,” Jake said when you’d gotten him safely to the wall. “I want to watch.”

You did, flying across the ice, loving the feel of the cold air stinging your face. When you finally came back to Jake, you were breathless and flushed and very happy.

“You’re beautiful,” he said, brushing your hair back from your face. “Like the sugar plum fairy or something.”

You beamed and kissed him. “Thanks, honey.” You took his hands again. “I missed you, though.”

Back near the tree, you skated slowly as a light snow started to fall.

“You did that whole loop without falling!” you said. You moved in front of him and skated backwards, holding his hands and leading him. Though he’d gained some confidence, you felt a new sort of nervousness come over him, something more like excitement than anxiety, and felt yourself start to get excited too without even knowing what it was for.

“I want to try a trick,” Jake said. “Since I’m getting so good.”

You laughed. “Are you sure?” You weren’t convinced you’d make it out of this attempt without a few bruises, but you were willing to try whatever he wanted.

He grinned and squeezed your hands. “I’m sure. Absolutely sure.”

“Is it a trick for both of us, or just you?”

His brown eyes twinkled with mischief. “Both of us, if I have any luck. You ready?”

You nodded, still holding his hands and watching as he slowly lowered himself to one knee in front of you. You couldn’t imagine what kind of trick this was, but you held off asking before he’d shown it to you.

He let go of your hand and reached in his pocket. “Sparrow, will you marry me?”

You blinked. “Wait — what?”

He laughed, big and bright, and for a moment, all you could think of was how handsome he was. His soft brown waves were dusted with snow; his face was rosy with cold; his smile lit up his features until you felt like your heart might break just looking at him.

“Will you marry me?” he asked again, patient and attentive.

You looked from his handsome, bashful smile to the little black box he held. Inside was a beautiful ring, all rainbows in the rosy glow of the Christmas lights, and you couldn’t think of a single intelligent thing to say. Something tight and wonderful felt close to breaking apart in your chest, and you tried to keep from crying, but all of a sudden he was blurry and the lights were a swirl and there was nothing on earth but the feel of his hand holding yours.

“Jake, are — are you serious?” you managed.

His smile was so tender as he looked up at you with nothing short of adoration.

“I’m serious, sparrow.” He squeezed your hand. “I love you, sweetheart, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

And oh, there it went. The most fragile part of your heart shattered into a million shiny bits, making room for a flood of emotion you couldn’t have held back if you tried.

You fairly threw yourself at him, and it was his turn to keep you steady as you put your arms around his neck and kissed him like you’d never kissed him before. He laughed and hugged you tight, joy and wonder coming off him in waves.

“Of course I'll marry you,” you said, and your voice was wrecked, and you hadn't even realized you’d started to cry. He pulled back just enough to see your face and tenderly brush the tears from your face.

“My sparrow,” he said, just for you to hear. “I love you so much, Mrs. Kiszka.”

You’d never heard anything more wonderful. You cried harder and kissed him again.

“Aw, sweetheart,” he laughed. “Don’t cry. Are you happy?”

“I have absolutely never been happier in my whole life,” you said with a joyful, watery laugh. “I can’t believe you. What on earth am I going to get you for Christmas that could top this?” 

He grinned. “Just you.”

You cradled his beloved face in your hands and tried to stop crying, but you loved him so much, and he was looking at you like you were the most wonderful thing in the world.

“I love you, Jake.”

He kissed you, and everything was right in the world. “I love you too, my little sparrow.”

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[piss-bread]

Yo Danny Fenton he was just 14...

He was 14. He definitely had an unusual relationship with his parents, but not too far out from a normal teen. He's embarrassed by them in public, but he truly loves his family. And they love him, in all his nerdiness and cowardice.

Then the accident happens. His parents (and Jazz) know that something happened, but only his friends know what he went through that day. Even after Jazz finds out, she isn't told exactly what occurred.

Tw under the cut for Death Mentions! It is Danny Phantom, after all.

It's a well-known fact that Danny Fenton is Schrodinger's boy. Both alive and dead. And the fandom sure does put our favorite paradoxical anime boy through some shit, but it's not talked about a whole lot the absolute horror of his death.

We see a recreation of what happened in Memory Blank (Season 2, Ep 1). We've been rewatching some of this show with our mother, and we had her watch this episode. I had told her beforehand that Sam basically went "the boy needs to die" as soon as she realized that Danny didn't have his powers. And surprisingly, after watching the episode, our mom agreed that Sam really should have thought of something else. But anyway, it really cements the fact that going into the portal was Sam's idea. Not Tucker's. Not even Danny's. Sam is absolutely the one who got him killed. Yet Danny doesn't harbor any resentment. In fact, it's shown in the same episode that Danny looks for reassurance from Sam (and Tucker) after getting his powers, quite literally asking if it's cool that he has powers.

Quote from me to my mother:

"Danny walks around a dark portal, and he accidentally turns it on from the inside. He gets electrocuted and basically watches himself die, not knowing what's going on except for that it's bad. He stumbles back out, knowing something is very wrong and passes out. His friends think he's dead, he literally phases through Sam's hands as she tries to pick his body up, and when he does wake up he's faced with the fact he's a ghost. he's been told that all ghosts are evil and dangerous, and now he is one. Yeah sure he must've figured out he could change back pretty quickly, but still."

And something else. Vlad has powers too, but he didn't die for them. He got a bad case of ghost acne and gained powers that way. I feel like if Vlad knew what Danny went through, he'd at the very least have a bit more respect for the boy.

Anyway, I love the characterization of Tucker and Sam. It's shown that Tucker is shallow on the outside, but he truly deeply cares for his friends. Sam is shown to put up walls around other people, to the point her friends know a completely different person than the outside world does. And damn, I wish we could see the two's reaction to the accident in the show. But we'll just go headcanon-ing for this one. In my opinion, Tucker would be the quietest he's ever been. He's shown to cower and close up when bad things happen (when he's actually aware of said things). I think Sam would be the one screaming. I think she'd be screaming and crying and just let her emotional state consume her until her friend wakes up.

That's it for now 👀 count on more text posts in the future tho

[vigilant-insomniac]

Ashes rain upon your scalded palms final part

Prev | Part 3/3 | or read on AO3

Chapter words: 2205

Fic word count: 9655

Maddie is yet again displaced and has to face another ghost. One that claims to be the god of time. He is the one behind it all it seems

Contains Clockwork and Maddie having a chat. And descriptions of off screen death.

Made for @phicphight

____

Chapter three

Never in her life had Maddie ever felt more helpless than when she opened her eyes and she was, again, somewhere new and alone. Unharmed, even though she was certain her son’s grief had torn her apart. There was no rubble this time. No destruction or any other signs of the nightmare she had just lived through. She still was way from home and her family. Instead she stood in a place like the inside of a clock. Gears floated and spun around pointlessly and she herself was standing on something that seemed to be a giant clock face. The sound of slow ticking was the only thing she could hear for a while and she wondered if this was another quest to find her son.

She closed her eyes and exhaled shakily. He must have been so scared. So lonely. She could feel it back there, what had happened to him.

That last wail, it did something, since her head was filled with memories. It was like all his grief and despair had been projected right into her min. 

She really didn't like any of what had happened to her son. And that he was. Maddie had no doubt. Actually she had lost that doubt the second Danny had looked at her back there. 

But there was undeniable truth to the things she saw during those last moments.

Her Portal had done this to him. It had been nothing other than his well intent, that made him step into the machine in an attempt to fix it. It cost him his life and the destruction of everything he had known. Himself included. And then there was a hundred years of grief and despair while his heart broke to pieces.

When she had found him, he had already been fractured beyond saving.

Maddie didn’t get time to release the tears that were welling up, because just as uncannily and unexpectedly as before, she was face to face with a ghost. 

Resignation made her merely frown at the purple cloaked spirit who shifted his appearance like they were made of sand. 

"You've found your son." The old man stated. 

"I have." She replied. 

He studied her intensely, and Maddie had the impression he was seeing more than just her face. 

He didn't seem very forthcoming, Maddie realized, he was somewhat distracted. 

“So I assume, you are the one who’s been pulling me along?” Maddie didn’t have it in herself to keep her hostility in check.

“you are correct.” The ghost replied almost sagely. 

“Who are you? What’s the purpose of this?” she demanded.

The ghost turned away from her, and stared at who knew what. Was he senile? After a moment too long, he began his introduction.

“I am Clockwork. I am Chronos. I am The Ancient of Time…. some even call me Time itself. I have many names, but I am not known to many mortals. Yet still I felt the need to talk to you, Maddeline Fenton. You were a necessary exception.” Maddie already knew this conversation was going to be miserable. She just wanted to have a good cry and go back to her family. She wanted to hug Danny while he was alive and happy. She did not want to deal with this ghost. Even her scientific interest was not enough at this moment to push itself to the forefront of her priorities.

“You were the voice I heard back then? The one to send me to find and save Danny? The one to send me there, into the future?” she pressed when it seemed like the ghost was again just staring off into space.

“I was.”

Maddie was going to strangle him.

“So what now? I failed him. I couldn’t save him at all. Whatever I was meant to do back there, I didn’t and my son-” She couldn’t say it.

“You didn’t. Not yet. Not anymore.” Clockwork turned to her with sorrow.

“But you want me to? Right? I don’t know why someone akin to a god would be concerned with my family, but for some reason, you care about him and you want to save him, but you can’t do it yourself, you need me to do it.” He confirmed it with a sage nod.

 “So send me back!" Maddie pleaded. "Send me back to a time when it isn’t already too late, and I will make sure the portal won't ever find its completion. Let me prevent this. Even if I have to turn my back on science and everything my life stands for. Even if I have to tear everything I’ve built, down with my bare hands. If it means I can stop this future I would do anything.” 

And Maddie meant it. Her Portal was a scientific marvel and the pinnacle of her achievements to date. But if it killed her son and her family and everyone else in the neighborhood, then she wouldn't. It was as simple as that. Even if it hurt.

For a long time, Clockwork just watched her as she fought back her grief. This ghost, so powerful, and apparently yet so impotent, oddly enough, seemed to share her grief. His expression wasn’t an easy one to read, especially on someone who’s face kept shifting between ages. But Maddie could tell. 

“You cannot interfere with this. The portal needs to be. And so does he need to be as he will be. This cannot be changed.”

“You are telling me, what,... That this is his Fate? Some perverse Destiny that chains my son to an early death? How dare you call yourself a god.” Maddie spat.

“Let me show you something.” he said calmly even in the face of her disdain.

Without waiting for her reply, vivid visions erupted in her head. Maddie doubled over in pain. Her head was bursting, but what really made her scream into her balled up fist was the endless stream of-

.

.

.

When it was over Maddie was rendered breathless. 

“Is there really none?" She asked with growing hopelessness. "No future in which he will get to grow old?” she managed to whisper.

The after images of blood, broken bones and so so much sickness haunted her head. This time she was glad the ghost took so long to reply she struggled to gather herself. It had hurt, to get Danny’s death shown to her when he had broken apart in her arms. But what the ghost, Clockwork had done, was as if she had seen into an infinite amount of realities and in each one, Danny would die. Sometimes he wouldn’t make it out of infancy, sometimes it would be a sickness or an accident. Sometimes it was murder or catastrophe. No matter the cause, the effect was always the same.

“That is why you won’t let me go back to tear down my portal? Because it would not make a difference?”

“He will die. That is Fate.” said the God with regret in his voice. “But, you are misunderstanding the crucial part." 

Maddie looked at the ghost with weariness. "Danny will always die early. In every reality, no matter what measures are taken. Yet in the timeline you hail from, in which he steps into your Portal, he conquers and fools the very Destiny that has him bound. He died, yes, but just this once, he did the unimaginable-”

It suddenly clicked for her. All those deaths blinded her to what Clockwork was trying to get her to focus on.

“He lived.” Maddie concluded.

"He did."

“You.. you don’t need me to save him from the portal at all, then?”

“I do not.” 

Hope was a mean beast. But she welcomed it with open arms. Her mind reeled at the implications of an existence that would be torn between life and death. 

She had seen Danny. He had been a ghost, yes, but then he had turned back into a human. He had been alive. Even the short moment she had to embrace him, she could tell he had breath and a pulse. 

Suddenly though, she wasn’t sure if she should be as relieved as she was. That version of Danny had been miserable.

“So as long as he lives on after his death, he will be… safe?”

“Fate isn’t easily fought,” he stated.

Maddie considered this. “He still… died. In the Time you sent me to. Not just that, he lived in a wasteland for a century and suffered through every moment of it, I… I don’t want that for my son. This can’t be the timeline you want him to arrive at. Surely it’s not.” 

“Fate has a will of its own and will not let go of who it has burrowed it’s claws into. It is determined to drag Danny back by force. After he enters the path towards becoming fully liminal, he may be one step ahead of Fate, but its meddling will have already set off the chain of events that will cause him to break. His Heart, you see, which is his greatest strength, is also Fate’s final attempt to stop him.”  

The way the Ghost spoke of it, it almost seemed like Fate was its own entity. Standing here with Time itself, as he had called himself, it made sense that it would be. But then…

“I’ve asked you before, why you were so concerned with my son, but the way you speak, I would rather know why Fate seems to be so determined to interfere with him. What is…Fate so afraid of.”

The Ghost’s eyes glinted “Because if he isn’t stopped, Danny will be something beyond Fate's reach. That’s the loophole. Danny is effectively running a race to become an entity that will be above mere things like Fate. And Fate was never fond of having anyone oppose it.”

Maddie’s eyes widened “He’ll… He’ll be like you.”

The God of Time smiled gently, neither confirming or dismissing her.

She needed a minute to just sort her thoughts. Danny would… live. As long as he escaped fate and became something beyond a human or a ghost. But it was a race to find a path that would lead to that result before he died without the portal or despaired after the portal.

There were conditions he had to meet and Maddie wasn't a scientist for nothing. 

So she sorted it in her head:

1. Danny had to die in the portal.

2. He had to ascend in some way or form.

3. … and he had to do so without having his heart broken irreparably.

So her portal needed to turn on, but without causing the apocalypse. Her portal had to work. So all she needed…

“I see.” she sighed. Her smile was accompanied by tears of relief. “So this is what needs to be done. You know, you could have just said so.” She wiped at her eyes with something between a laugh and a sob.

“Your stubborn nature is a great strength, Maddeline,” Clockwork said warmly, “strong enough to rebel against Fate and Time. I know not one reality in which you would follow a plan, not forged by your own mind. You had to see for yourself, know for yourself and come to your own conclusion.”

Maddie wished he wasn't speaking the truth, but she was glad. They would save Danny.

“I never liked those things like Fate. But Time, I see, can be tolerable.” she admitted, “Although, do not be fooled, I intend to stay ahead of my Time. Who knows, maybe someday I will even show you something you couldn’t see coming.”

“I will be keeping my eye on you and your family." The god of time promised.

_________

Maddie woke up like she had for the last many years. Next to Jack and with her kids still sleeping just down the hall. She stretched languidly before picking up her phone and skimming her to-do list.

Today would be the day.

Maddie hummed along to Jack’s favorite playlist while they were down in the basement lab. She installed the final piece of titanium plating in her portal's insides with a triumphant cheer that Jack joined in from the outside where he ran a final check on the programming. 

Today they were writing history.

Before joining her husband outside to do the honors of plugging in the portal, she paused in front of the small console she had added to this version of the portal.

With a melancholic smile she pressed the “off” button.

Today they would be “failing” to turn on the portal.

She consoled her husband when the Portal stayed silent after plugging it in. “We'll have it up and running in due Time, Jack.”

Today their son would die.

Jack cried when they returned to the lab after their break, to a functioning portal.

Maddie did too.

Today their son would live.

Maddie stepped out on the roof of the ops center later that day for some fresh air. There was not a cloud in the sky and the dusk colored the wide expanse in front of her in a beautiful set of colors. She let herself breathe deeply. 

Today their son had defeated Fate and the future never looked brighter.

[sleepy-writes-stuff]

(continuation of short prompt #6. This prompt has me in a chokehold now.)

Ok, so hear me out. Going the "Jack is secretly another Kryptonian" route, what if Jack didn't even know he was from another planet?

(#) = Notes at the end of the post

← previous next →

✦

Jack (kryptonian name?) gets sent away at the same time Clark does, but neither parents nor children know it and Jack is quite a few years older than Clark too. What if along the way to Earth Jack's pod gets damaged, causing a brain injury (explains his absent-mindedness and terrible memory in the future and possible terrible hearing). He no longer has any memory of where he came from, the few memories he had at least, and where he crash lands, it's miles from any town.

So here's itty bitty Jack wandering around, following the roads because why not, and he gets picked up by a couple driving by, who actually almost run him over. They step on it to the nearest hospital in the next town to get him treated for his injuries from the crash landing. When it's discovered he has no memory of where he came from and no one steps forward to claim him, they file to adopt him. The name Jack Fenton is born.

He grows up his entire life as a normal human being aside from his unusual height and a bit of ungodly strength that he has to be really careful of. Despite living a normal life he always feels like he's been missing something, always wonders where it is he came from. He gets small snippets of information that pass through his head, but they're there and gone in the blink of an eye, except for one thing.

The Phantom Zone.

Not knowing that it was the form of prison used by Kryptonians for their criminals and confusing it for the "Ghost Zone", home of ghosts(1), Jack dedicates his entire adult life to figuring out how to get to it to study anything that lies beyond it so that maybe he'll figure out what he's been missing. He meets Maddie along the way, falls in love, and has two incredible, brilliant kids. Him and Maddie build the ghost portal, Danny steps inside of it and accidentally gets it to work while being fused with the essence of an entire new dimension crashing open on top of him. His Kryptonian heritage is what allows him to survive.

Everything that happens in DP still happens, except maybe Jack pays just a bit more attention to the subtle changes in his son. With the help of Maddie, he figures out Danny's secret identity a year and a half in and they use the security logs in the lab to figure out what caused it. They are absolutely devastated, Jack especially so, because it was his obsession to start with that led up to the accident happening. Jack and Maddie both agree to wait for Danny to feel comfortable enough to tell them on his own (just like Jazz. She learned that kind of patience from her parents at some point).

At some point, Jack learns the existence of Superman and the fact that he's an alien, a Kryptonian. This triggers a few memories for Jack, he discovers snippets of his heritage, and he rejoices in the fact that he might have family after all. The emptiness he's felt since he landed on this planet has been partially filled. Through some grade A snooping with the help of Maddie, they track down and discover Superman's civilian identity and where the Man of Steel grew up. Jack keeps that information close to his heart and saves it for a rainy day.

That rainy day comes when the GIW bust down his front door and open fire on his son right at the dinner table. Once barricaded in the Ops Center, he decides to send Danny to the only place he can think of where he might be safe and hidden. Smallville, Kansas. Hometown of the Man of Steel himself.

Giving his son everything he might need on his way to safety, he also includes a personal letter of introduction to Clark in the travel pack and then proceeds to turn around and give the GIW hell with the love of his life by his side.

✦

Are there any fics centered around the perspectives of Danny's parents? If so, I might need to find some. This has lit a fire and I had no idea it would grow this big. This is not the direction I thought the short prompt would be going but I'm seriously liking it.

Notes:

(1) I mean, he technically isn't wrong? I read that anyone imprisoned in the Phantom Zone are basically reduced to the form of a shade, i.e. they can't interact with anything or talk to anyone besides with the use of telepathy. Correct me if I'm wrong tho! I'm not as well versed in DC lore but I'm doing my best to learn.

_

@my-perfect-storybook-love

You commented right as I was finishing this! Hope you like it!

[rhoorl]

Working Title | Extra: Dieter's Morning

Pairing: Dieter Bravo x OFC Belle

Rating: Mature, 18+, for the love of all things please don’t engage if you are a minor ok? 

Word Count: 4.7k

Series Masterlist

Chapter Summary: What if we took the events from Chapter 6 and saw them from Dieter’s perspective?

Warnings: This chapter has some swearing. I don’t want to spoil anything, but here’s just a blanket “there could be adult stuff happening” warning. There is also a brief mention of Dieter’s former substance abuse issues, including an overdose. 

DIETER: Sweet dreams, Belle.

Dieter smiled to himself, rereading the short text exchange with Belle. He didn't sleep great most nights, but with the anticipation of having some time alone with her in the morning, he knew sleep was almost a lost cause for tonight.

Feeling a little antsy, he walked over to his kitchen for a snack. The box of cookies on the counter made his heart flutter a bit. He's relieved that the surprise went over well. It wasn't the grandest of gestures he could muster, but something about it just felt right for the two of them. 

From the outside, many assumed his love language was giving gifts. He was always generous with his family, friends, and those who worked for him. That same generosity was extended and, more often than not, exploited by his past lovers. 

What he valued more than anything else was quality time. Through therapy and introspection, he realized just how much his previous romantic relationships revolved around things he could give someone – drugs, sex, money, clout.

But Belle seemed different. Tonight at the party he felt so relaxed talking with her, even though he was flustered as hell. It was an exciting and new feeling for him, but also made a lot of his insecurities and vulnerabilities bubble to the surface.

He tried to calm his mind down enough for sleep. Tucking himself into bed, he set an alarm for the next morning – even though he knew he would be up well before it. His mind continued racing, so he tried closing his eyes to quell the swirl, but it didn't work.

She seemed to like the gift, right? Danny thought it was a good idea. I wonder what Liz is going to think … she’s probably going to think I’m doing too much too soon. Ugh, I need to go to sleep. Sleep. Go. To. Sleep. Dieter.

Frustrated, he let out a huff and threw the covers off, heading to the balcony. He needed to be outside to feel the breeze and hear the waves. Any type of water sound was always his go-to when using a sound machine or app to relax, but having the real thing was even better. Eventually, he felt himself getting drowsy so he crawled over to his bed.

His eyes fluttered open, checking his phone for the time. 

Hmm, 4, not bad.

He sat up in bed catching up on the family group chat. His brother’s family was on a trip to Disneyland that Dieter organized for them. He got them a VIP tour and put them up in the best room. He smiled as he scrolled through the photos, wishing he could be there making memories with them. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a warm glow emanating from the room next door. 

I wonder if Belle is up. I should text her. No, it’s so early. She’s probably going to turn the light off soon.

Ten minutes turned to twenty minutes, and he noticed the light was still on in her room. He thought he heard the sound of her balcony door sliding open, so he decided to throw on a T-shirt to go check.

He quietly stepped outside, seeing her sitting on a lounger. It looked like she was doing some breathing exercises that looked similar to what he would do when he tried to center himself. 

You should probably say something to her. It’s going to be creepy as fuck if she opens her eyes and sees you staring at her. 

“I knew I should have suggested we meet earlier,” he said in a raspy voice.

She jumped a little at his voice, clearly startled. 

Great move jackass.

He noticed she was in the same pajamas as the day before and he felt his face get warm.

Don’t look at her boobs, keep your eyes on her face. She’s so pretty.

She stared at him wide-eyed, clearly surprised to see him on the balcony again, and so early too. 

“We really have to stop meeting like this,” he winked.

“Ha, s-sorry I … did I wake you?” She pointed toward the light coming from her bedroom.

“Oh, ah,” rubbing the back of his neck.“I was already up. I was a-actually going to text you but it was so early,” he said looking down.

“You can always text me.” 

Oh. Ok, I like the sound of that.

He smiled, “Oh, well, that’s good to know.” His eyes betrayed him as he gazed down her body, stopping when he noticed her crossing her arms over her chest. “So, looks like we’re both up.”

“Yea.”

“I believe I promised you a hot cup of coffee,” he teased. “So, wanna have coffee now?”

“Uh yea, let me go grab the cookies.” She started to turn toward her room to go fetch the cookies.

I don’t want to do this across the balcony. I want her here. Fuck it.

“Hey, wait!” he called over. As she turned around he mustered enough courage to say, “Uh, you can totally say no, I won’t … ugh … um, do you want to come over here?”

“To your room?”

Ugh fuck. That was too much. Too bold.

“Uh…” he looked around nervously. Fuck, she thinks I’m some creep now. “Uh, nevermind mind, we ca-”

“No, it’s ok.”

“What?”

“I can come over. Can you give me a few minutes?”

“Yea,” he exhaled. “Yea, take all the time you need.”

“Ok. Uh, I’ll knock?”

“Yea, sounds good.”

They both stayed locked in each other’s gaze for a moment. Dieter was mesmerized by her eyes, trying to get a read of what she was feeling or thinking. He couldn’t help the grin that came across his face, noticing that she was reciprocating. Time seemed to stand still. Eventually, she was the one who snapped him out of his trance.

“Oh ok, I’ll be over soon.”

“Ok.”

She scurried into her room, but Dieter still couldn’t move. Knowing that she was going to be in his space, close to him again made him a little giddy, and frankly turned on. He wasn't expecting anything physical to happen, but just seeing Belle in her little sleep shorts and tank top, her nipples just barely poking through the cotton made him excited. He couldn’t help how his body was reacting and how thankful he was that she wasn't there to see it.

Fuck. I need to take a shower. A cold shower.

But first, he made a quick call down to room service. He wasn’t sure how Belle took her coffee, so he asked for them to bring up a few different options for milk and sweeteners. 

“I hate to be this guy, but could you hurry?” he asked the person who took his order.

“Absolutely, Mr. Bravo, it will be upstairs in 10 minutes.”

Knowing he had limited time, he decided to quickly hop in the shower to stave off any feelings of lust that were further infiltrating his system. Within no time, he was back dressed again, toweling off his hair and heading to the kitchen.

He heard a knock at his door, his stomach flipping thinking it was Belle. He looked through the peephole and saw a hotel worker with a cart.

“Oh hey, come on in,” he opened the door for the man who wheeled the cart in.

“Good morning, Mr. Bravo. Where should I set this?”

“Ugh, the kitchen is fine, thank you.”

The man quickly placed the different containers of milk on the counter followed by a dish of assorted sweeteners.

“Anything else you need, Mr. Bravo?”

“No-” looking at the man’s name tag “Lou. No, Lou, I’m all set. Thanks for getting up here so fast.” He grabbed his wallet and fished out a twenty-dollar bill, handing it over to the man.

“Absolutely, you’re very welcome.”

Once Lou was out of the room, Dieter went back to the kitchen counter, fidgeting with the placement of the containers, trying to busy himself to keep the nerves at bay.

He looked at the clock, it had been almost half an hour since he and Belle parted ways. 

I wonder if she decided not to come. Well, maybe I’ll just head over there. No, that is not a good idea.

He couldn’t handle this inner battle so, without thinking, he opened the door surprised to see Belle.

“Shit, I’m sorry, I really don’t mean to keep scaring you,” he chuckled. “I was starting to think you may have changed your mind.”

“Oh, sorry! I … uh I couldn’t find my…flip-flops!” she laughed nervously.

Oh, she changed. I like this outfit. Fuck, she looks good.

“You didn’t have to change for me,” he said looking her up and down, voice going a little bit lower than he intended. “But I’m not complaining.”

A little forward, but she seems to be ok with it.

“Come on in,” he opened the door, letting her pass by him before closing it and ushering her to the kitchen. “Here, let’s get you your coffee.” 

He wanted to touch her or bring her into an embrace. He lightly put his hand on her back as a compromise to himself. He took a breath as his fingers caught the warmth emanating from the sliver of her exposed skin between her pants and top.

“Uh, I never asked how you took your coffee, so I uh … I got you some options,” he said biting the inside of his cheek. “I called down to room service and they sent up half and half, skim milk, oat milk, almond milk,” pointing to each container. “And then there’s different sweeteners over here too. Sugar, Stevia, Splenda.” 

He had to admit that he was pretty proud of himself for not only thinking through different options but for having it arrive on time too.

She didn’t say anything, her eyes grazing over the kitchen island, taking everything in. 

Ugh, shit. I overdid it, didn't I?

“Uh. Sorry, this was probably too much…I always do too much,” he mumbled to himself, ruffling his hand through his hair.

“Wha-what, no! No, sorry, I just. I’ve never...um, I usually just take it black…most of the time."

She’s being sweet. I got too excited, I did too much. She’s going to get weirded out.

“But, I do have … um …oat milk from time to time in my coffee. It was this one, right?” she asked, pointing to one of the containers.

“Uh-uh yea, that one,” he gave a small smile. 

“Ok,” she said as she grabbed the container, looking around for a coffee cup.

“Oh, here, let me,” he moved around her to pour a cup. He didn’t think she’s being one hundred percent truthful so as he handed the cup back to her he decided to tease her a bit. “So you take it black all the time, huh?”

“Yea. Uh-” Caught you. “Shit. Uh, no I mean -”

“It’s ok,” he laughs. 

“You caught me,” she put her hands up in surrender. “I just take it black…all the time.”

“I guess you’re sweet enough, huh,” he winks.

She gives another nervous laugh, not meeting his eye contact and instead looking down at the ground.

“Ugh sorry that was pretty lame, right?”

“No, it was cute.”

Oh, okay. 

“Aww you think I’m cute?” he wanted to get closer so he leaned up against the counter next to her.

She blushes, still not being able to meet his eyes.

“Sorry, I was just messing with you,” he says playfully, knocking her shoulder to get her to smile. She has the most beautiful smile. “So, uh, let’s go outside? I want to try some more of those cookies.” 

He grabbed her tote off the counter, swinging it over his shoulder and collecting their coffee cups, leading the way outside.

She took a seat in a lounger. Not wanting this much distance between them, Dieter dragged the other lounger closer.

“So, what did you decide on?” 

She fished one of the boxes randomly out of the bag, “I brought the…coffee-flavored one.”

“Good choice, coffee squared." Lame fucking joke Dee.

“Ha, Yea, and then there’s…” she went to grab another box, “chocolate chip.”

“Solid.” 

Is there another box in there? There has to be right? 

Dieter’s mouth turned up a bit at the prospect of what flavor he was hoping she would pull out of the tote.

“And last, but not least … macadamia nut,” she said, dramatically pulling the last box out of her bag.

Hell yea.

“You brought the macadamia nut one? Good girl.”

He looked from her eyes down to her lips, biting his lower lip slightly. He heard her breath hitch as she squirmed a little bit in the chair. Although it was still a bit dark outside, he could see she was a bit flushed.

“Ha, I uh, I take direction well, what can I say.”

Dieter's brain short-circuited and he felt a surge deep in his groin. He suddenly had a flash to Belle sprawled out on his bed, his head in between her legs and she writhed in pleasure. Trying to hide the growing bulge in his shorts, he shifted in his seat and tried to inconspicuously adjust himself.

Belle kept her eyes on him, taking in his flustered state. He was thankful when he saw her gaze shift down to one of the boxes of cookies, fishing out a cookie and splitting it in half.

"We can share, that way we don't get too full?"

Their fingers brushed against each other slightly as she passed off the half to Dieter. He so desperately wanted to just take her hand in his.

Dieter racked his brain trying to think of something to talk to her about. 

This is so unlike me to be at a loss for words.

He cleared his throat, “So uh…Indy said you’ve known each other since you were little?”

He took a bite of his cookie as he waited for her reply.

“Uh yea. I guess I can’t remember a time when I’ve ever not known Indy. Our moms worked together and were pregnant at the same time. They even had a joint baby shower at work because once their boss found out they were both having girls he figured he could save money by just having one party with one cake,” she laughs, taking a bite.

He smiles seeing her relax a bit more as she talks about her best friend. “So then, which one of you is older?”

“Technically me. Indy gives off that big sister energy but she's two months younger.”

“Do you have any siblings?”

“No, just Indy. And her brother Ben. They’re like family.”

“That’s nice.”

“D-do you have any siblings?”

“Uh yea, I have a brother. He’s younger, like five years younger than me. He’s married with kids.”

“Oh, I bet you are a fun uncle!” 

I haven't always been. Those kids deserve the world.

“Ha, I didn’t always use to be,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was a pretty shitty uncle for a while there, but these last few years have been awesome. They’re such cool fucking kids,” he smiled, but some melancholy settled in as the thought about the years he wasted and could never get back.

“Well, that’s awesome you can have that time with them now."

“Yea, it really is.”

He heard his phone buzzing, frustrated that something was interrupting his time getting to know her more.

Goddammit Liz of all the fucking times for you to call.

“Ugh, sorry I- I have to get this, it’s Liz. If I don’t answer she’ll freak out and keep calling til I pick up…old habits." 

She'll send the goddamn calvary.

“No, I get it. Need me to go?”

He mouthed no and motioned for her to stay.

"Hey, Lizzie…"

"You got her a surprise didn't you?" He could hear the smirk in her voice. 

Danny must have told her.

"Yea…"

“Did she like it?”

“Uh huh.”

“Did she spend the night Dee?”

“No…” He looked over apologetically at Belle that this conversation is even happening.

“Hmm ok. That was probably too early anyway. Hey, I’ll be out in a few days.”

“Ok, sounds good.”

“Don’t forget we have that interview.”

“Uh huh.” He wanted to get her off the phone as quickly as possible.

“And we need to figure out who is going to do your hair and makeup. Can you ask Meredith?”

“I will.”

“Ooo wait! Let’s have Belle do it. You’ll be able to spend all day with her-”

“Ok Liz, byeee!” He cut her off, hanging up the phone quickly. “Sorry about that,” he chuckled.

“All good, Liz is your…agent, right?”

“Yea…” he wasn’t sure where she was going with this.

“Oh, it’s just that I think she knows Indy’s agent Rhys.”

Oh duh! Rhys is Indy’s agent!

“Yea! Rhys! Rhys used to work for Lizzie. I’ve known him since he started.”

“Oh, cool! So, you’ve been with Liz for a long time, then?”

“Yea, since I was 20. She’s the only agent I’ve ever had, she’s been there through a lot.”

Dieter didn’t like thinking about his past too often. He’s made a lot of progress, but there are certain events that were still hard for him to process. And the unfortunate part is that Liz has been there through it all. She was the one who walked in on him when he overdosed, administering the Narcan to him just in time. She had been there for his countless trips to rehab, all the times he said he was going to do better and didn’t. He kept failing her, but she never gave up on him. 

He started rubbing his hands along his thighs, trying to center himself.

“Well, she must mean a lot to you after all of these years,” she gave a small smile.

She has to know about all of the shit that was in the press, right? Fuck. Even so, she doesn’t want to interrogate me or lecture me. She’s just … listening. 

“Yea, she’s never given up on me,” he confessed.

Dieter was a bit uncomfortable about how raw and vulnerable things were starting to feel, but he felt almost empowered by Belle’s compassion. All he craved at this point was her touch. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and ground himself in her presence. 

They looked at each other for a moment, before she leaned over and reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze.

“It’s great you have someone like that.”

I want someone like you. 

He always fell fast, but even he was surprised at himself for how quickly he was already falling for Belle. Trying to snap himself out of his thought process, he decided to try another cookie, breaking it in half and giving her a piece.

“Enough about me,” he chuckled, wanting to get the conversation off of him and back focused on her. He angled his body to face her. “I want to know more about you.”

“Me? Oh, I’m not that exciting.”

“Oh, I don’t believe that.” 

They spent the next couple of hours talking about everything from favorite movies and TV shows, he found out she was a huge Jurassic Park fan. They debated whether or not pineapple belongs on pizza, even though she was wrong it was cute to see how passionate she was. And they talked about what they wanted to be as kids, she wanted to be a teacher. 

The conversation flowed freely. She was funny, smart, and easy to talk to, and radiated empathy.

After a while, Dieter noticed that they were both out of coffee. Pointing to her cup he asked if she wanted more.

“Uh yea, maybe a little bit more before I head out,” she looked at her phone checking the time.

No, I don’t want you to leave. I don’t want this moment to be over yet.

“I uh … since tomorrow is officially our first day, I want to make sure I have time to get everything done,” she explained. “Plus, we have to prep for a meeting with the cast.”

“No, I get it, here let’s go,” he got up and led the way back to the kitchen. 

Once there, he filled her cup about halfway and handed it back to her. 

“I, I really liked this.”

“The coffee? Yea, it's pretty good. Dan says it's local too,” he chuckled

“No, I mea- … it’s nice to talk to someone…and have them listen,” she smiled.

You don’t even know.

“Oh. Yeah, it is. W-would you want to do this again?”

“Have coffee? Yea!”

“I meant talk,” he said softly.

“Oh. Oh yea, I’d love to.” 

Hearing this admission made Dieter’s eyes instantly light up.

“What about tonight? You’re probably busy…but if you’re not, and you’re looking for something to do, I think … uh … I’d like to see you again.”

Dammit Dee, you’re rambling and also smothering her, give her space.

“I’m not busy tonight,” she cut him off. “Text me and we’ll figure something out.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, “Yea, ok sounds good. No pressure though, I don’t want you getting sick of me.”

She closed the distance between them and put a hand on his forearm before saying in a flirty tone, “I very much doubt that.” 

Her touch was electric, igniting something in him he didn’t even know was there. Now it was his turn to suck in his breath. She smiled, put down her cup, and grabbed her bag to leave.

"Wait,” he said as she turned back towards him. “We never tried the macadamia one," he smirked, looking at her mouth where that sinful moan emanated from the morning before. 

I can’t wait to hear that again.

She bites her lips, looking down coyly, but there was something almost devilish in her eyes. 

Is she flirting with me?

"I don't think you're ready for that again," she said as she slowly turned away and looked over your shoulder.

Images raced through his brain wondering how she would feel, sound, taste. As she headed toward the door, Dieter felt compelled to do something, so he reached for her arm as she turned back to look at him.

“C-can I give you a hug?” he said with big puppy dog eyes. 

A hug is innocent enough, right?

“Yea, I’d like that.” 

He smiled and covered the space between the two of them. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she rose up on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck. Bringing her in closer, Dieter nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, taking a deep breath. He had to resist the urge to pepper kisses down her neck, so he just hovered his lips centimeters from her.

She smells like citrus and something sweet.

He felt her breath on his neck, sending a pulse down his spine. The proximity made his cock grow. The two stayed in this embrace for what felt like minutes. Dieter could feel himself relaxing, being held like this gave him a sense of safety.

She feels like home.

He could have stayed like this longer, but unfortunately, his dick was starting to take over and he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize the tender moment they'd shared. But still, he had to get at least one more flirty comment in.

As he started to pull away he brought his mouth to her ear, whispering "For the record, I am very much ready for the macadamia ones again." 

He pulled back from her, bringing his arms from around her waist to rest on her forearms, rubbing small circles down them.

“I hope you have a great day, don’t work too hard,” he winked.

She looked flustered, blushing, and barely able to look at him.

“You too."

Shit, was this too much too soon? No Dee, get it together. You once fucked a girl after knowing her for five minutes. Giving someone a hug is literally fine.

Trying to gauge where her mind was he cleared his throat asking if he could text her later. Seeing her nod and give a little smile he exhaled, relaxing a bit at the confirmation that she too wanted to still see him later.

“Ok, sounds good.” He smiled and watched her walk out the door, discreetly trying to check her out. He had been trying to be respectful, stealing glances whenever she looked away.

Once he closed the door, he turned resting his back against it, leaning his head back, and closing his eyes. Today was going to be full of meetings and the script read-through, so he didn't have too much time to organize something grand.

You don't need something grand. Something that is special to her … to us.

Dieter thought of ideas as he walked back into the kitchen, leaning against the kitchen island, elbows propped up with his head in his hands.

Think. Think. Think.

He turned his head slightly and caught a glimpse of the bag of coffee he used this morning. The wheels in his head started turning, so he reached for his phone to call Danny.

"Hey, Dieter! I was trying to let ya sleep in a bit. What's up?"

"Did you say the coffee in the room is local?"

"Wha- ye- yea. Why?"

"Is it like the cookie place, can you visit it?"

"Are we going on another adventure today?" Danny chuckled, amused that his boss was so smitten. 

"Yes. Well, not with you. Can I borrow the car this afternoon after the meetings wrap up?"

"Ooo, are you going to take her?" 

"Near this coffee place, are there places to eat … like for dinner?"

"Ohhhh okay, I see how this is. You’re going to ignore my questions,” Danny chuckled. “But to answer your question, yea there are places to eat out that way.”

"Do you think you can help me get some details ready for this afternoon?"

"Are you kidding? I love this stuff."

After he hung up with Danny, Dieter started cleaning up the kitchen a bit, putting the containers of milk into his fridge and tidying up the counter.

He got himself dressed for the day and grabbed the script to reread it. With his glasses and a bottle of water in one hand, and the script in the other, he headed to the balcony. He took breaks, closing his eyes, trying to listen to the calming waves, but his thoughts went immediately to Belle. Her smile, her eyes, the way she felt in his arms as if they were two puzzle pieces.

His thoughts were broken up by a sound he couldn't quite place. Opening his eyes he strained to try and make out where this noise was emanating from. To him, it sounded like heavy breathing and moaning as if someone wa-

Holy shit. Is she?

Dieter got up and walked to the edge of his balcony, peering over to Belle's. He noticed that her balcony door was open, confirming that the sounds were coming from her room.

She is totally getting herself off. Fuck. 

Part of him wanted to give her some privacy, but that part of him was quickly being drowned out by the part controlled by his dick. He was quickly getting more and more turned on. It sounded like she was getting close as her breathing and gasping increased. He felt himself growing, stretching against his pants, so he palmed his crotch a bit to relieve some pressure.

Is she about to say my name? No there's no fucking way. This is so fucking hot, though. If I was younger I would fucking jump this distance between these balconies and head in there to help.

He heard her come undone, gasping for breath.

"Fuuuuuck," he could faintly hear her say as she tried to catch her breath.

"Fuck," he softly repeated.

The images in his mind raced through all of the different ways he wanted her. He wondered what she looked like when she came, just knowing it had to be one of the most beautiful sights and hoping he’d be lucky enough to see it sometime. Craving that knowledge and now armed with more evidence as to what she sounded like, he walked into the living room and quickly unbuckled his pants, sitting on the couch. He came in near record time after spending the entire morning trying to keep it at bay. As he sat there panting, his mind wandered.

She is either going to be the best or worst thing to ever happen to me.

A/N: This little extra was purely self-indulgent on my part … I was curious what Dieter was up to and thinking. We’ll find out more about these plans Dieter has in Chapter 7. As always, thank you so much for taking time out of your day to read my little story. It means so much!

Tag list: @musings-of-a-rose / @legendary-pink-dot / @bitchwitch1981 / @mysterious-moonstruck-musings / @gracie7209 / @amneris21 / @pastelnap / @maryfanson / @sunnywithachanceofjavi / @sin-djarin / @winchestergypsy90

[cursedzucchini]

Well fuck me, i just spend an hour looking through my liked posts, to find that one angst Damian and Danny twins. Still didn't find it. Imma describe it lil more bellow, but if anyone knows what prompt I'm talking Abt pls tell me, imma tag it in the morning.

Prompt: Danny and Damian twins, but they hate each other. I think in the og post there were two versions, like Danny hoping Damian likes him now, but Damian tries to stab him, or both of them hating each other. I didn't take any route, i just wrote this prologue thingie. I think i might continue this, but if anyone gets inspired, feel free to add anything?

Something Abt Danny and Damian hating each other (or Damian hates Danny, Danny... Tried to survive, and later Damian regrets everything and Danny is bitter/scared of Damian) just scratches this part of my brain. Anyway yee that's all

Danyal al Ghul was gone.

His body was left to rot in some abandoded bunker. His grave empty, because Damian never bothered to bring his body back. His name deleted from every record, no failure has place between the best.

Damian didn't remember much about him. He knew his brother looked similar to him, they were twins after all. He was also pretty sure the younger one was shorter than him, though that couldn't be correct. There weren't any memories of Danyal being sick, so how could he be shorter than Damian? There was also the distinct impression of an awkward smile, but he might've mixed the memories up. Why would his twin wear such an unsure (pathetic) expression (grimace)? He was also the son of the demon, even if he was a failure. There is no such a place for weakness.

No, it must have been someone else. Damian had another clearer memory where his face was perfectly neutral. There is no reason to make such a face, if you are able to hide it.

Though that... Wasnt correct either?

Richard had recently taken to try and explain more about how their family functions. He reasoned that surely the League and Batman work diffefently, giving Damian many sound arguments. Yet he was sure the real reason for these... Lessons, was to explain more about the mundane side of things.

In one of the evenings spend arguing with the older man over the most idiotic things (if Drake was acting stupid, obviously he deserved a knife thrown at him), Damian somehow found himself talking about his annoyance, with his family uselessly emoting. How is Damian supposed to know, when they are truly proud of him, when they are truly disappointed, when they always show all of their emotions? How is he supposed to see which one is just them being weak, and which one is true?

His brother looked at him. There was pity in his eyes. And guilt. And pain. Damian wished Richard wasn't his brother.

Richard explained it. He spoke of emotions, and how they are natural, and none of them are false.

Damian didn't understand. He's not sure if understabds them now. But. If no emotions are false. And none of them make him weak. [Than why did mother taught them]

He doesn't like thinking about it.

But he hates thinking about Danyal more.

All his supposedly true emotions don't make sense. He... He feels his chest fill up with warmth when he thinks of him. He feels similar pain as when he is hungry in his chest. A strange mist falls and chokes his mind, whenever he is even reminded of his younger twin.

And there is bead of pure hatred inside his lungs, hating his crooked smile, detesting his small hands and despising his bright eyes.

[Wishing death on himself for not remembering their color. How could he forget his own twins eye color? Why does he only remembers the disgusting lightness making his stomach churn, their ugly staring at all his faults, wishing him fail]

Damian is quite sure Richard lied. There is no way all these foolish emotions are true. They don't make sense by themselves, how can they make sense mixed together? And after all they aren't strong enough to overcome hus brilliant self control, so they cannot be that true.

Or they weren't, until he caught the eye of a stranger.

A stranger with bright eyes.

With an awkward crooked smile, but other wise empty face.

A stranger with their hands playing with their shirt in obvious show of nerves

A little shorted than himself and...

A face almost the same as Damian's.

[five-rivers]

Cult Division 4

Part of this series.

“Vlad,” said Maddie.  

“Maddie,” purred Vlad.  “What brings you here today?”

Maddie repressed the desire to curl her lip.  “I am informing you that we’re exhuming Phantom’s body, following the activities of the unidentified cultists last night.”

“Oh, but, Maddie, only family members can do that.  And unless you and Phantom are suddenly family members…”

“Don’t give me that,” said Maddie.  “I.  Know.”

Vlad’s expression soured.  “Yes.  Quite,” he said flatly.  “I am aware.  However, unless you want to make your relationship with the boy public, there’s nothing I can do about the law.”

Maddie, having anticipated this, slammed a piece of paper down on the desk.  “You won’t have to,” she said.  “The law is very much on my side for this one.  Municipal Ordinance 10776.  Investigative professionals registered with the city can request that any grave be exhumed.”

(Investigative professionals here meaning ghost hunters.  Not everyone had the kind of open-mindedness as the average Amity Parker, and although a ordinance against summoning ghosts could be laughed off, things like this tended to be taken a little more seriously.)

“Request,” stressed Vlad.  “Requests, by their nature, are not automatically granted.”

“Maybe,” said Maddie.  “But when word gets around about the cultists, and it will, people will start asking why we aren’t investigating.”

“Is there even anything to investigate?” asked Vlad, putting on his fake innocent act again.  “Goodness, I thought the cultists left the memorial intact and undisturbed.  Are you saying I was misinformed?  Or has something happened to poor Daniel?  I’m sorry, to Phantom?  It really is fascinating that they both have the same first name.”

They glared at each other over the mayoral desk.  

“If I have to,” said Maddie, “I can always reveal you.”

“And I’ll deny everything, or reveal Phantom.”

“Not your ghost half,” said Maddie.  “Your continued sexual harassment.  There might not be enough of it to get you arrested, but there’s certainly enough for some interesting headlines.”

(She could also just wait for the police to get a warrant from a judge, but figuring out how to word it without saying anything about ghosts, cultists, or other things that would make outsiders overly curious took time.)

“You wouldn’t.”

“I would.  Jack would be upset, but if it's for Danny, I think he���ll get over it.”

“Very well,” said Vlad, who looked like he’d swallowed a full box of spiders.  “I will approve your request.”

“Thank you,” said Maddie.  “I–”  Her phone went off.  Relishing the chance to be rude to Vlad, she answered it.  “Hello?”

.

“Kidnapped?” Maddie Fenton repeated again.  “How?”

“Er,” said Collins, drumming his fingers on the wheel of his car.  This was not the best place to have this conversation, but there weren’t a lot of better options, so…  “The normal way, I suppose.  Someone broke into the house and took him.”

“Through Jack?”

“That’s something we’re investigating.”  Jack Fenton had been found passed out near the front door, and was one of the reasons they’d been called in.  Apparently, bright orange hazmat was visible.  Who would have thought.

“But,” said Maddie, “you think Danny’s okay?”

‘Okay’ was probably an overstatement.  An overstatement at best.  They hadn’t found any major organs or limbs strewn around the house, but there were signs of a struggle, and kidnapping victims were, as a rule, never okay.  

Also… Collins made the decision to not mention the bloody backpack.  Some things mothers (and potential suspects) were better off not knowing.  He was fairly certain it wasn’t Danny’s blood on the bag, anyway.  He almost felt bad for whoever kidnapped him.  

Almost.

Whoever those people were, he doubted they were aware of even a tenth of what Danny did for Amity Park.  

“At this point, he is most likely still…” he hesitated slightly before the next word, “alive.”  He wasn’t convinced anything could kill Danny.  The kid seemed invulnerable, for all intents and purposes, and even as a human, he could do incredible things.

Maddie made a strangled noise on the other side of the line.  

“We’d like you to come down to the station,” continued Collins.  “Keep your phone on and with you.  It’s possible you’ll be contacted for ransom.”  Possible, but highly unlikely.  The Fentons were well-off, but not to this degree.  

“I don’t have time,” said Maddie.  “I have to look.”

“We’re looking.”

“You aren’t ghost hunters.  It’s almost certainly a ghost that took him.”

“There’s reason to believe that is not the case.  Mrs. Fenton.  Maddie.  It’s possible that you saw or heard something important before you left or earlier this week.”

Maddie was quiet on the other side of the line.  “You think I had something to do with this?” she asked, a thread of danger running through her words.  

“Not as such, no.  This is just– this is just procedure.  We need to look into everyone.  We’re talking to Jack, too.”

“Is that why you think it was humans who did this?”

Again, the reason for that was more the bloodied bag, but, again, he wasn’t talking about that.  “Go to the station and you can ask him yourself.”

“Are you not at the station?”

Crap, what had he said to make her think that?  “That’s–”

“You’re still at Fentonworks, aren’t you?”

“No?” said Collins.  

Maddie hung up on him.  

Great.  She was on her way and she’d be on the warpath.  He hit redial.

“Hello?” said Maddie, in a way that told him that she hadn’t looked at the caller ID and that she was considering what he’d said about ransoms.

“Look, Maddie, I know you were going up to see if you could get permission to exhume the body.  Could we– If you go to the station, we can get that started right away.  We have the equipment ready to go, the medical examiner is ready.  Everything is ready.”

“You–”

“This is a crime scene, Maddie.  You can’t be here.”  

“It’s my house.  And my son.”

“I know, I know.  We care about Danny, too.  But he’s not here.  You can’t help him here.”

There was quiet on the other side of the line.

“Fine.” 

.

“So,” said Paterson.  “You went to the door and… what, again?”

“I already told him,” said Jack, who was sitting on the back of an ambulance, getting poked and prodded by an EMT.  “Can’t he tell you?”

“Sure,” said Paterson, glancing sideways at McGee, “but can you run me through it again?  For reference?  Sometimes, we remember things better the second time around.”

“I went to the door, and started feeling dizzy, but I opened it up - I shouldn’t have done that.  Should have realized that something was wrong.  I opened it up, and there was this duffel bag there.”

“Do you remember anything about the duffel bag?”

“It was taped over in weird places.  Patched.  Uh.  It might have been blue?  Or green?  But after I saw it, I just passed out.  I don’t know what it was about it that made me pass out.”

“Oxygen deprivation,” said the EMT.

“What?”

“Right, you said I wasn’t breathing before, so–”

“Which was caused by oxygen deprivation.  You show all the signs.  Whoever it was that did this must have released a huge amount of nitrogen or something similar into the area immediately in front of your door.”

“I didn’t feel like I couldn’t breathe, though.”

“You wouldn’t.  Our reflex to breathe is triggered by the presence of carbon dioxide, not the absence of oxygen.  Without rescue breaths, you would have died of asphyxiation.”

“That’s a thing?” asked Paterson, scrunching her nose.  

“Yeah,” said Jack.  “You can’t really work as a scientist without at least hearing about it.”

“People have died from it before,” said the EMT.  “You’re probably going to be fine, you were found fast, but you still need to go to the hospital.”

“But I need to find Danny.”

“They wouldn’t have stuck around,” said Paterson.  “We’ve already got everyone looking for Danny.  Amber Alert and everything.”

“Do you think they did the same thing to Danny?  The nitrogen thing?”

“It would have been in the house, yeah,” said the EMT.  

“Okay,” said Paterson, “so we should look for someone who bought a whole lot of nitrogen tanks or something?  What do people even use those for?”

The EMT shrugged.  “Science, I guess.  You ready to go, Mr. Fenton?”

“Alright,” said Jack.  

“Hey, wait,” said McGee, “I’m not done yet–”

“Then you can come talk to him at the hospital,” said the EMT.  “George!  Come over and help me!”

The EMTs packed Jack into the ambulance and drove away.  

McGee stared after it, tapping his foot.  “Do you think these kidnappers were able to revive Danny, or are we going to be looking for a corpse?”

“Don’t say things like that,” said Paterson.  She’d already seen Danny’s corpse once, after all, she didn’t need to see it again.  “It’s bad luck.”

.

Danny woke slowly.  He felt unpleasantly bruised, for one, and for another, the last thing he remembered was getting kidnapped, which was generally not a precursor to happy fun times.  

He peeled open eyes that felt disgustingly bloodshot, and looked around.  There wasn’t much to see.  The room he was in was small, clean, and bare, and he was lying down on a bed.  Someone had even tucked him in.  

Creepy.  Not that kidnapping wasn’t creepy in and of itself, but this was especially creepy.  

He struggled to sit up, and discovered that he’d been wrapped in a kind of improvised straitjacket.  Several layers of blankets were wrapped around him and held in place by belts.  He strained against them, but unfortunately whatever the cult from the other night had done was still holding strong.  No powers for him, not even a little bit.

And Danny didn’t even know why these people had taken him.  

His legs were still free, so, with a little extra maneuvering, he got up and walked around the room.  The one door didn’t even have a handle.  

He was stuck.  

His mouth suddenly even drier than it had been, he swallowed.  He was stuck.  Trapped.  Hadn’t even figured his way out of this frankly embarrassing ‘straightjacket.’  

The door opened, and Danny stumbled back, overbalancing and thumping into the wall.  Severa masked figures walked in.

“Oh, he’s perfect!”

They came in, crowding him.  

“Back off!”  Danny kicked out, but he was at a bad angle, and the first of the mask-wearers was able to get close enough that Danny couldn’t do anything other than try to bite, which didn’t really work if the person you were trying to bite was holding your face.  

“Just perfect.”  They tilted Danny’s head this way and that, and Danny couldn’t pull away.  “Age, of course, is important, but appearance, too.  I hadn’t realized…”  They fell to muttering.  

Danny’s eyes flicked from mask to mask.  They were plain white plastic with the eyes blacked out with some kind of fabric.  Simple, but effective.  Danny didn’t know who these people were.  

“Yes, our sponsor was right.  You’ll do perfectly.  Perfectly.”  They patted Danny’s cheek.  

“Sponsor?”  Danny didn’t want to interact with these people at all, but he needed information.  

“I know you must be so frightened.  We would have tried a more peaceful way, but those ghost hunters…  They would never see reason.”

The other mask-wearers shifted, grumbling.  

“The number of times they have assaulted our lord–  No, no, we had to get you somewhere safe.  After all, you are to be the host for our lord, Phantom.”

Well.  That.  

What?

He stared at the masked person, uncomprehending as they waxed poetic about Phantom’s - his - virtues.  Many of which Danny didn’t have.

“... honor, to be chosen, and an honor, too, to be here to witness.  But, of course, you’ve asked after our sponsor.  He asked to meet with you.”  They ran their hand through Danny’s hair, which was just.  Bad.  “Yes.  We have followed his word for some time, and he has never led us wrong, you know.”

Danny didn’t know.  And he didn’t want to meet this ‘sponsor’ they were talking about.

“He’ll be coming soon,” said the masked person.  “You’ll talk, and then… then we prepare.”

The masked people filed out of the room and closed the door behind them.  Danny futilely tried to open the door, in case they hadn’t closed it properly.  Frustrated, he sat down on the bed.  

Another cult.  A different one, too, if he knew anything about cults, which was not a sentence he’d have expected to say before he became a half ghost.  Worse, not only was it another cult, it was another Phantom cult.  What part of his behavior as Phantom made people think he wanted cults?  

Superman didn’t have to deal with this.  

Superman was fictional.  

Maybe he could use the walls or the edge of the cot to shift the belts around, and from there he could use the buckles to… pick the nonexistent lock on the door.  Right.  Not likely.  Maybe he could do something to - no, the hinges were on the outside.  At least, he could use them as a weapon, probably?  Maybe–

Danny’s ghost sense went off, and he tensed.  He wasn’t ready for a fight, but he was ready to be a pain, assuming this ghost was involved, and make a plea for escape, if they weren’t.

A ghost phased through the door.  

Danny hissed.  

“Plasmius.”

“Hello, little badger.”

[hauntedjohnny]

REFLECTIONS

julie crawford / danny gaines

wc: 2k synopsis: julie has some car troubles, who else would she call?

The empty diner was her sanctuary, the rusty payphone her salvation. Julie had passed the quaint place many times, telling herself she had to check it out one day. Fate decided today was that day... just not in the way she expected. As the phone dialled in her ear, she stared at her beloved car smoking through the window, waiting for a gruff greeting.

"Oh God, Danny, Grumpy is dying, like, for real this time. He's wheezing and smoking more than my daddy and that’s saying something," Her accent grew stronger as her words fell faster. "I thought it was the end for us both, like, I saw my life flash before my eyes and I know you told me to get it looked at and you know I don't even want to tell you this right now because you get that stupid look on your face when you're right but it was really scary and I pulled over but I don't know what—"

"Woah, woah... Slow down, take a breath, you're talkin' nonsense," He lightly chuckled to mask his worry. They stayed silent for a moment as Julie caught her breath. He could understand her just fine but it was no use them both panicking. Her eyes flickered to the waitress, who witnessed her crazed dramatics.

"Will you come help me?" Julie mumbled sheepishly.

"Hmm... Only if you admit I was right," Danny offered, trying to lighten her mood. The worry was still tight in his chest but she sounded safe and that was enough for him.

The heaviness on her chest lifted slightly at his teasing tone. She feigned annoyance with a scoff and an eye roll, but the tight smirk on her lips gave her away. He was right. Not that she would tell him that. He gets that dopey grin and a glint in his eyes that pokes at her soul to make her flush. It's a feeling that makes her nervous. It was evident in her face as it flushed at the sound of his muffled voice through the telephone.

“Ya still there, sweetheart?”

Her soft inhale gave him the answer.

“Gonna need you to tell me where y’are if you want my saving.”

She could hear the grin she imagined growing wider. Unable to handle the teasing any longer, she quickly gave him the name of the diner, hoping he would know where she was. Danny knew where everything was around here.

“Don’t go prodding about under the hood now, knowing you it’ll explode” A final teasing joke slipped in before she heard the jingle of his keys.

“Yeah, yeah. Bye, Gaines.”

Julie’s sarcasm was bitter, but to Danny, any sound that came out of her mouth was sickly sweet. Her words dripped with sarcasm but her voice dripped in honey.

“See ya in a tick, darling.”

As her initial panic faded, she studied the quaint diner that sheltered her from the glaring sun. Giggles from a small family in the corner echo as she reflects on her time with Grumpy. It was the only real memory of home; her parents bought the car for her when she passed her test; it was where she and her dad would belt out tunes whilst driving to the beach; it was where she and her mom would gossip and cry while watching the sunset in the hills; it was where she lost her virginity; it was where she had her first major break-up; it was where Julie became Julie. Her lips formed a small pout at the thought of closing that chapter of life.

The clink of glass in front of her prevents her from spiraling. With a confused look, she meets the kind eyes of an elderly woman- the waitress from earlier.

Before she could speak, the woman held up her hand. "It's on the house. Looked like you could use it."

The dazed look on Julie's face made the woman chuckle.

"That yours?" She inquired, gesturing to the car croaking like a chain-smoker in the corner of the parking lot. Julie nodded with a slight grimace, expecting to get an earful for parking a potential explosive in this woman's diner. All she did was hum in reply.

"Good thing you got a nice boyfriend who'll come fix it up for ya... or at least I assume that's who you were flirtin' with on the phone..." she pried, needing some gossip to get her through the workday.

"Yeah," An unusually shy smile danced on Julie's lips. "Well... Sorta. Kinda. He's not my boyfriend, like, officially. We're mostly just friends, but that's not what our other friends think. It's just, uh, complicated, I guess?" She rambled, eyebrows furrowing the more she talks.

The woman gave a knowing hum, unable to hide the smirk on her plump lips. Before she can say another word, she catches sight of a tall scruffy man peering into the window of the wreckage outside.

"That yours?" She inquired again, smirk now fully formed.

Julie's head span round, a giddy beam radiating off her when she sees him. Without a second thought, she jumped from her seat, cola bottle in hand, and bolted towards the door. With a second thought, she turned around to thank the woman she momentarily forgot about.

"Go on, get outta here!" She heard as the door closes behind her.

A loud squeal caused Danny to look up from the car, hands still cupped from where he was inspecting the inside. His face reflected her own as the hurtling figure came into focus.

“Here comes trouble,” he remarked to himself before Julie wrapped her arms tight around his neck.

Putting on her serious face, she pulled away and held his head in her hands so he couldn't look away.

“Please dont break my heart. I don't think I can handle the news of her death.” She shook her head as she spoke, as if she were trying to rid the thought from her brain. He couldn't help but chuckle at her dramatic nature. Removing her hands from his face, he held them in front of their face, kissing her knuckles before he broke the news.

“M'afraid to say but Grumpy's been on death's door for months now,” he informed, swiping at the black mascara smudge below her waterline. “I’ll give 'er a once over and tell ya how fatal it is, alright?”

She nodded in reply, slowly coming to terms with the death of her baby.

The warm flush on her face contradicted the coldness she felt from his absent touch as he moved to open the hood of her car. He started digging around as Julie leant against it, staring as he worked. She couldn't help it. His sleeves were pushed to his elbows, exposing his flexing arms. With a furrowed brow, he tried to find the root of the problem, greasy fingers glistening with each movement. His murmured remarks were like a fresh breeze cutting through the suffocating summer, but his pained hiss cut Julie out of her daydream.

"Are you okay? What happened?" The panic in her voice was evident as Danny tried to shake the pain out of his hand.

"S'nothing. Just hotter than I thought it would be- my fault, it is smoking after all," He joked softly. “You got a dirty rag or something in there I can use?”

She took a quick glance at the backseat, weighing up her options. Danny had been fawning since she called, trying everything to lift her mood. So, naturally, she decided to push her luck. She hummed in consideration before popping out a nope. Her teeth grazed across her lower lip to prevent the hopeful grin from growing across her face.

There was definitely some dirty shirt back there he could use, but he didn't need to know that. Except Danny did know that. He could read Julie like a book; the mischief twinkling in her eyes exposed her little lie. Looking away from her, shy eyes scouted the parking lot; there wasn't a person in sight. He decided to bite his tongue and humour her. She’d had a bad day, after all. With a roll of his eyes, he stripped the shirt off his back, pretending that the red tint on his cheeks was due to the heat and not embarrassment. Not looking her in the eyes, he continued digging around, attempting to inspect and remove the source of the smoke.

Julie shifted the weight of her footing as warmth bubbled inside her — not a feeling of lust, but that of admiration. The redness creeping up his neck and ears spoke for itself; she expected some taunt about her being a horndog, not him putting himself in an uncomfortable position to make her smile. A dumbfounded look took place of the expected smile as she studied the man in front of her. He glowed even brighter than before, a golden halo surrounding him as if he were an angel assigned to her by the heavens. The aureate hues brought life to his freckles, speckled kisses on his broad shoulders she wished to replicate; his soft stomach like the beach dunes she used to lay her head on. Something hidden to herself awoke in Julie's soul. He reminded her of home. He was her home.

"M'sorry, baby, aint nothing to be done." He concluded with a pinched brow. "I'll call up my guy to take her to the boneyard. Maybe we can throw a party in her honour this weekend?"

Julie instinctively pouted at the outcome, but she couldn't find it in her to be distraught. A celebration sounded nice — not only to say goodbye to her old life, but to welcome her new revelation. Seeing the small pout on her lips, Danny made his way to her with an outstretched hand, but was blocked before he could make contact.

"Don't you dare come at me with those gnarly greasy hands," she lectured facetiously, a manicured finger pointing at him in accusation.

Danny raised his eyebrows in challenge, squinting to read her next move. She didn't have a next move. Before she knew it, she was pinned to her car, legs entangled together to prevent her from leaving. Airy laughs weaved with dying pleas as his hands made their way to her jaw, calloused thumbs tarnishing her skin with brown smears.

"A lil grease ain't stopping me from comfortin' my girl," He drawled lowly in her ear.

The warm metal on her back was nothing compared to the warmth dancing in her stomach as Danny held her head still, peppering kisses anywhere he could find — her cheeks, her forehead, her eyes, her nose, her neck. Giggles bubbled up her throat as stubble pricked at her skin, accentuating each peck. Kisses became sloppier as a lazy grin formed on his own lips. Her smudged eyes fluttered open when he pulled away slightly. The pounding in her chest grew heavier as the heat rolled off his naked torso; the playful glimmer in his eyes made her dizzy, drunker than at any party she's been to.

Looking into his amber eyes was the most natural thing in the world, she couldn't fathom looking away. Most cower from his scorching stares, as if he were the sun ready to burn and blister, but Julie was a sunflower; she thrived under his warm gaze, unknowingly searching for it in the darkest hours. What Julie didn't know was the light in Danny was a reflection of herself.

For a moment, all they did was stare at eachother. Danny's blackened thumb idly stroked her besmirched jaw while Julie's slender fingers pushed stray hairs away from his sticky forehead. A low sound vibrated through his chest as she tangled her fingers into the hair at his nape. Tenderness lay heavy between them as their noses nudged together. A silent confession, a silent promise. High on intimacy, the words tumbled out before she could catch them.

"I'm so in love with you."

He couldn't help but laugh, the corners of his eyes crinkling at her words. Despite never saying it, he knew. They both knew. It's why she called him. It's why he came. The love they shared was in every unspoken word. She could feel it as he pressed his chapped lips against her own, breathing the words into her. There was nothing complicated about it.