#ALL I CAN DO IS TRY TO LEAP OUT OF THE WAY WHEN HE AIMS AT ME

[pangur-and-grim]

WOW DEVON REX CATS ARE SO UNCHILL

[luxaofhesperides]

Dancing in the rain ; requested by @wandixx!

He hadn’t been expecting the Signal to chase after him. It is, after all, well after midnight, and he had seen the vigilante out earlier during the day. 

Maybe the Bats are understaffed tonight, he muses as he leaps over the rooftops, a wild grin on his face. Being on the other side of a chase is a lot of fun, he’s discovering. He can see why Selina enjoys it so much.

Though, it probably has to do more with who’s chasing her than it is the chase itself.

But Danny’s become a bit of an adrenaline junkie after a few years of being a hero, fighting ghosts and governments. He’s not a hero anymore, especially not in Gotham, but being Catwoman’s partner in crime is way more fun than being responsible for everyone’s safety.

It’s like he’s doing anything bad, either. Selina can steal whatever she wants; if they couldn’t protect things against her, then should they really have it? Danny doesn’t focus on jewelry or gems. No, he takes ghost artifacts or items contaminated with ectoplasm back to the realms where they won’t cause problems to any humans. There are enough ecto-contaminated people in this world, solely from Amity Park. Best not to let that number grow.

So here he is, leaping over rain-slicked rooftops and only using a little bit of flying to keep ahead, holding a cursed pocket watch that a ghost had requested he return to them, with the Signal chasing after him, disappearing into shadows and popping up unexpectedly. 

“Stray! Get back here!” Signal yells, and Danny takes a moment to spin on his heel to face the vigilante to stick his tongue out at him, then backflips away.

“I didn’t even steal anything important!” he returns, tossing the pocketwatch in the air ahead, then jumps up to catch it and scales his way up to the roof of the next building. 

“Seriously,” Signal says, suddenly in front of him. “Stop running and we can talk this out.”

“Woah!” Danny tries to get around him, trips over his own feet, and crashes into the Signal’s chest. 

“Careful, there.” He looks up to see the Signal’s smile, and he absolutely can not be blamed for having his half dead heart skip a beat. He’s in the arms of a hero who’s smiling at him so sweetly, what’s a guy to do? “Ready to talk now?”

Danny goes intangible for a moment, smoothly sliding out of the Signa’s grip. “Nope,” he grins, starting up the chase once again.

The rain isn’t very strong, and the drops feel cool against his face as he runs, getting a little more air with each jump as he uses more of his flight to keep ahead. He can hear the Signal chasing after him again, heavy footsteps that start and stop unpredictably as he travels between shadows. 

Just to be safe, Danny stashes the pocket watch inside his chest, leaving his hands free to grab onto the rough brick of the walls and scale them up, aiming to go higher and higher. Maybe if he finds a good building, he can dramatically fall off the edge and fly away invisibly. 

“Got you!” 

The Signal pops up out of the wall and grabs Danny, who yelps and tries to pull his arms away. The Signal is too strong, and his tight grip on Danny’s wrists is warm against the chill of the rain. 

They stand there for a moment, just staring at each other as they try to catch their breath. And then, “Is that any way to treat a guy?” Danny jokes, trying one last time to pull his wrists free.

“It is when it’s you,” the Signal replies. “Man, you sure know how to run.”

“I’ll be sure to put that on my resume for my next heist.”

“Seriously, can we talk?”

Danny eyes him curiously. The other Bats mostly tried to take back whatever it is he’d stolen that night, occasionally trying to get information from him. None of them had outright asked to have a chat with him. The Signal at least has some manners, compared to the rest of him. There’s no harm in sticking around for one conversation.

It helps that the Signal is cute, especially when he had saved Danny a few weeks ago. 

Sue him, he’s a bit soft on the Signal. Wouldn’t anyone be with their favorite hero?

“Alright,” Danny says, relaxing. “Go ahead. Talk.”

“Great! Okay, um.” The Signal bites his lip and Danny should really look away, but his eyes are fixed to his mouth. He doesn’t speak for a solid minute, during which Danny really begins to feel the chill of the rain. “Can I get less comments from the peanut gallery?” he says suddenly.

“What?” Danny laughs, confused.

The Signal sighs. “My comms are on. The others are being annoying. If they wanted to ask you questions, they should have caught you first.”

“Oh, protecting me from the big bad Bats? My hero,” Danny says sweetly, pretending to swoon. Except, the Signal follows his movements, releasing his wrists to catch him by the waist, holding him steady. Danny’s breath hitches, and from how close they are, he has no doubt that the Signal heard it. They freeze for a moment, then the Signal dips him like some fainting Victorian maiden.

“Well, I certainly wouldn’t mind sweeping you up in my arms.” The smirk on his face only lasts a moment before he grimace and says, “I shouldn’t have said that on open comms. Man, they’re annoying. It’s not my fault I know how to flirt.”

Danny…

Well. Danny short circuits for a moment, running the words over his mind again, then blushes so hard he’s sure there’s steam coming off his cheeks. “You’re flirting?” he squeaks. “With me?”

“Flirting,” a new voice confirms, making them both jump, stumbling against each other as Black Bat hops down onto their rooftop. “Both shy and silly. I’m better.”

“You can’t even ask out Spoiler,” the Signal retaliates.

“She can’t even WHAT?” Spoiler yells as she also vaults herself over the alley below to join them. “You want to ask me out?”

Though she doesn’t say anything, Danny can practically feel Black Bat’s glare through her mask. The Signal winces, then says, “Oops.”

“Man, you can keep yourself busy, clearly Sig doesn’t need backup,” Spoiler says. “I need to go on a date with Black Bat. The rest of you suckers are on your own!” And then she grabs Black Bat’s hand and grapples away.

There’s a beat of silence, then Danny and the Signal share a glance and start laughing. 

“Well,” Danny says, “Good for them! Good for them.”

“They’re probably just going to Bat Burger.”

“And are you going to be treating me to a burger any time soon? I should be compensated for this conversation, you know.”

“Please, if I was taking you out on a date, it wouldn’t be to Bat Burger. I’d take you out dancing.”

It sounds like a date his dad would take his mom on. It sounds nice. Danny smiles and leans in closer to the Signal, taking hold of one of his hands. With the other, he puts Signal’s hand on his waist, then brings his own up to the Signal’s shoulder. 

“Why not dance with me now?”

Danny leads them in a few clumsy turns of a waltz, silently thanking Sam for forcing him to take a few ballroom dance lessons with her. The Signal seems a little dazed, following his lead, and when he lightly squeezes Danny’s waist, he shivers. 

Catwoman should be done with Batman soon. They had agreed to meet up at the newly opened Vintage Boutique in Diamond District, and he intends to beat her there. 

Reluctantly, Danny pulls away from the Signal with one final spin, and hops up onto the edge of the roof. “If you can find me during the day,” he says, “Then I’ll dance with you again. See you around, Signal!”

And with that, Danny hops backwards off the roof, free-falling towards the ground before he lets gravity lose hold of him and slips into invisibility, flying up just as the Signal peers over the edge, searching for him.

Unable to help himself, Danny floats closer until he can give the Signal a quick kiss on the cheek, then flies off, grinning wildly. 

He certainly can’t wait to see the Signal again. 

Maybe if he hired a few guys to pretend to rough him up while Signal’s out patrolling…

Well, either way, this cat is already half dead so he can jump straight to satisfaction bringing him back. And, hopefully, back into Signal’s arms again when they won’t be interrupted by other Bats. 

He’s already looking forward to it.

. . .

[send me a ghostlights prompt!]

[meanbossart]

I was wondering, what with the lovely couple aiming to cure Astarion's vampirism and all–

when the time actually comes, if ever, for Astarion to take that leap and abandon immortality, would DU!Drow have second thoughts? Perhaps, even, try stopping him? Not because he doesn't want Astarion to be happy, but because he would begin to age and has new vulnerabilities, making DU!Drow immensely paranoid/insecure.

This came to me because of the Bhaalist!AU where we see him sabotage Astarion's ascension. I mean, I'm going to assume he's much less toxic in the canon path 👀

Yes he is not as humongous of an ass canonically, LOL. Still an asshole, but he's very earnest and fairly eager to learn how to be a better person to those he cares about, not to mention the random bout of stranger's empathy here and there.

But for your actual question, it depends! There are two wolves inside the man: one who suffers whenever he has to see Astarion being hindered by his vampirism, and one who still secretly enjoys him depending on him to an extent because of it. There is also a third, secret wolf called "maybe he's trying to be okay with this vampire thing and he would be better off for it, actually" that has been trying to crawl its way to the forefront on two broken legs for months, but we ignore that one.

And, of course, DU drow is easily swayed by Astarion's will when he puts things just the right way to convince him - which he knows how to do. If becoming mortal was a snap of the fingers away, all Astarion would have to do is get the wet eyes out and he would probably get his way.

His "baby please I only wish to take one last mortal piss before I perish for good" face. (I was laughing at some screenshots on another tab and had to come up with an excuse to put this one here, sorry.)

Anyways, while DU drow is canonically and vehemently searching for a "cure" for Astarion, his actual opinions on how the outcome of such would affect them vary depending on the day you ask him about it, and just how much thought you can assuade him to put into it. Things definitely begin to fall apart when you press.

But, generally, I think spawn Astarion would be ecstatic about having his mortality back. Sure, that means foregoing things like eternal "life" and regenerative powers, but no longer having to worry about daylight, rivers, and holy artefacts would very much balance it out. Astarion's hapiness would be enough to give DU drow the necessary peace of mind when facing any of the related downsides.

Also - they are still relatively ambitious and power-hungry. When time started rolling through, DU drow would prooooobably come up with the brilliant idea to pursue some other means of immortality for themselves, which for the record I think is absolutely hysterical and says a lot about the guy's thought process (FIRST, we cure you of your vampirism, THEN, we give you immortal life - the logic is infallible).

But also this is all presupposing he wouldn't come to accept Astarion's eventual death through old age just through like, you know, personal growth. I don't have these guys' lives planned from start to finish, and anything could happen.

(As an addendum, this ask isn't about my thoughts on whether or not it is thematically better for Astarion to turn back or not - I'm just entertaining the concept.)

[accioscarheadthings]

↳ 𝗢𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 - 𝗛𝗮𝗶𝗸𝘆𝘂𝘂! 𝘅 𝗳𝗲𝗺! 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿

karasuno boys x fem! volleyballplayer! reader

summary - you're a member of the girls' volleyball team at Karasuno High getting ready for a friendly match against the guys' team. during the game, you manage to catch the attention of one of the boys who can't keep his eyes off you while you play.

warnings - fluff, vague description of volleyball matches (i apologize in advance)

author's note: a little self-indulgent fic. this is for all my volleyball girlies who dreamed of playing with the haikyuu boys. :) <33 also, i've used the names from the actual Karasuno High girls volleyball club.

featuring characters — TANAKA, NISHINOYA, SUGAWARA, DAICHI

main masterlist !

TANAKA

your position: middle blocker

it was your team's serve and the score was at 14: 7 in favour of the boy's team. with each cheer of the boys' team, your team's spirits were dropped.

hinata hit his serve on the net; the red-haired boy blanched while kageyama sent him a death glare.

your serve was up.

your body buzzed with anticipation as michimiya tossed you the ball, giving you an encouraging nod, "give us a good serve. make it curve,"

you blinked, mouthing helplessly, "i'm not sure i can pull it off,"

but michimiya gave you a strong look that said 'just do it'

you got behind the line, tapping the ball, and tried to shake off the nerves. the sound of the impact echoed through the air, filling the atmosphere with a satisfying thud each time it made contact.

the whistle was blown and you looked up.

your eyes unexpectedly locked with tanaka's, which caused both of you to blink rapidly and snap out of it.

you tossed the ball, delivering a powerful serve. it soared through the air, passing barely above the tape of the net.

tanaka straightened, calling for the ball, "mine!"

but the ball curved at the last minute, which resulted him in shanking the pass.

tanaka initially panicked, fearing that he had ruined the play. however, when he saw kageyama successfully complete the second touch, prompting him to release a sigh of relief.

tanaka took a step back, getting ready to approach for a spike.

kageyama set the ball to him and tanaka jumped into the air.

you tracked his movements, jumping in the air with arms up to block him. your setter, manami, followed your movements.

tanaka hit the ball perfectly, aiming for the line of your side of the court. but you read him easily, and moved your arm a bit to the side, blocking him.

the ball rolled and dropped right in front of the net as daichi dived for it, but in vain.

you pumped your fists in the air in victory while the rest of the team huddled around you in cheers.

tanaka was in absolute shock, as he stared at his palms, "she just-what-i-"

"it's okay, man," noya slapped his back, "we'll get the next one,"

"no, but-" tanaka looked up to the side where the girls team were still cheering.

michimiya smothered you in a hug, squealing in delight while manami, your team's setter, smacked your ass playfully.

tanaka darted his eyes away quickly, trying not to fixate on the way your ass jiggled.

the whistle was blown again and you served with so much power that it landed on the end line of the court. even daichi was stunned.

this went on and you served for straight 7 points till the score was at an even 14-14.

manami set a high-ball, calling your name.

you took a step forward, arms swinging at your sides as you leaped into the air and spiked it hard.

the ball landed in tsukishima's positioned arms, but it ricochetted away.

coach ukai called a timeout and was yelling at the boys to get it together. tanaka found himself ogling at you, tracking your movements, unblinking.

the way you adjusted your shorts and tugged at the edge of your jersey. the way your throat bobbed with each sip of water. the way a bead of sweat rolled down the column of your neck, down the rounds of your - oh.

tanaka squeezed the water bottle in his clutch, gulping nervously.

"you're staring at her, tanaka," asahi pointed out, "that's not very nice. you look like you want to take her down,"

"ah, so i can worship her on my knees," tanaka shot back, a hazy smile spreading his face.

asahi turned red, giving his teammate a bizarre look, "huh?!"

"did you see how she read me and blocked my spike before? and did you see that counterattack? do you realize how incredibly hot that is to me?!"

"not really," asahi admitted.

"very, i agree," noya nodded.

"she's probably out of your league," tsukishima put it bluntly, pissed that he couldn't receive any of your serves.

"exactly!" tanaka exclaimed, clutching his heart dramatically, "what a woman," he sighed dreamily with heart eyes.

"get a hold of yourself!" suguwara slapped the back of his neck.

the match ended with a score of 24-26, and the boys won the match.

your coach was conversing with takeda and ukai, planning on conducting more such practice matches.

tanaka marched over to the other side of the court where you and your team were warming down after the match.

aihara, the vice-captain, nudged your elbow with hers and jutted her chin in tanaka's direction when he came to a stop in front of you.

you sat on the floor with your legs bent and your knees raised high in front of you. your arms were behind you, supporting your body as you leaned back. you blinked at tanaka in confusion, wondering why he would be approaching you.

the way your calf and thigh muscles flexed while you looked up at him added a touch of sensuality to the scene.

well, at least in tanaka's head.

tanaka couldn't comprehend the sight of you looking so effortlessly breathtaking.

"marry me!" he hollered at you.

the entire girls' volleyball team turned towards him, pinning him in his place with their gaze. some of the girls gasped while the others suppressed their giggles.

his fists were clenched at his sides and his face flushed red. he had been loud enough for the entire gym to hear.

you mouthed helplessly like a goldfish in water, eyes wide.

the entire gymnasium heard his loud command, the air thrumming with tension.

"no," you deadpanned at him.

"why!" tanaka fell to the floor in front of you with a cry, falling to his knees melodramatically.

daichi and suguwara mumbled their apologies for his behaviour and dragged a weeping tanaka back with them.

NISHINOYA

your position : outside hitter

as the boy's and girl's volleyball clubs lined up for a practice match, nishinoya couldn't help but steal glances at you— the girls' team's outside hitter.

he had been secretly crushing on you for a while now, admiring both on the court and in the classroom, staring at you shamelessly.

he even told tanaka all about you.

"you mean she's the one, bro?" tanaka glanced at noya over his shoulder, jutting his chin in your direction.

both teams were doing their warm-up drills before the practice match and everyone was practicing their attacks. you were with michimiya, as the setter explained something to you in a hushed voice.

noya saw you, making a funny face at something michimiya had said, and tipped your head to the side adorably.

you tapped the volleyball on the rubber floor couple of times, spinning it on your palm gracefully. your hair tipped back when you rotated your head, eyes closed and brows furrowed in focus.

noya grinned dreamily at you, shoulders sagging and mouth spreading wide, "yeah, her. the one,"

tanaka watched his mate drool over you, smacking his shoulder with a snicker.

noya snapped out of his daze, "every time she spikes, i always end up on the receiving end of it. as if, i was made to take what she gives me,"

"a bit weird, if you ask me," tsukishima commented.

"shut it, tsukishima!" noya snapped at his junior.

"you know, it's like a secret dance between us. she spikes the ball, i take it," he sighed pensively.

the match began, and noya found himself facing you on the other side of the net.

every time you sent over a powerful hit, he matched it with a perfect receive, sending the ball to his teammates.

you were impressed with his receiving skills but also annoyed that he received your attacks as if they were weak.

"manami, set it to me!" you called your team setter.

manami tossed the ball as you requested, setting the ball near the net.

you approached with precision, arms swinging back.

tanaka and kageyama were on the other side of the net, arms raised to block your shot.

the two boys stiffened when they realized you hadn't jumped yet and cursed in their heads.

"a time lag attack!"

even coach ukai was surprised. your coach wore a proud grin, mocking the boys' team coach with a taunting look. takeda watched you in wonder.

as tanaka and kageyama went down, you jumped, hitting the ball with everything you had, sending it soaring to the other side of the court.

unfortunately, none of the boys were prepared for your time-lag attack.

the ball hit hinata square in the face, ricocheting away to the other end of the gymnasium.

the entire girls' team gasped together. the boys watched their teammate fall flat on his back, grunting in pain and held his nose.

everyone crowded around the boy and you kneeled next to him, mumbling apologies, "shit, shit! i'm so so sorry. are you alright?"

"did you have your head up your ass?!" kageyama snapped at his teammate.

daichi and asahi helped him sit up; hinata watched everyone stare at him wearily, "y/n-san, i'm fine. you shouldn't worry too much. it would make noya-san very sad. he wouldn't want you sad,"

"huh?" you blinked unawarely.

michimiya and daichi exchanged a knowing glance; both of them knew their team members very well.

"shoyooo!" noya slung an arm around his neck, chuckling nervously, hoping you didn't listen to what the first year had let slip, "no, you see, the ball hit him too hard and he's— uh, all jumbled in the head. so we must take him to the infirmary!"

the crowd dispersed and hinata was taken to the infirmary, yamaguchi accompanied him.

ennoshita was subbed in for hinata and the match ended in the boys' team's favor.

even as you packed your stuff and got ready to leave you felt guilty about being the reason for hinata's injury.

you got so riled up by noya's receives that you went as far as to hit that hard and hurt someone.

hinata returned from the infirmary, striding back into the gym. his nose was bandaged up and streaks of purple bruises peaked from under it.

"the nurse told me all all the blood is internal. its where the blood is supposed to be, so i'm good to go!" hinata stated proudly.

kageyama palm-faced, dragging his hand down in frustration.

tsukishima and suguwara snickered, while asahi scolded them saying it wasn't so nice of them.

adjusting your bag over your shoulder, you approached the redhead, "hey, um, hinata. is it?"

the boy turned to you, eyes widening, darting to noya at the far end behind you before looking back at you, "yeah,"

"i just wanted to apologize," you stated, wincing sheepishly.

"what—no!" hinata smiled, but then grimaced when his nose ached from the action, "it doesn't even hurt.

you gave him a doubtful look, "are you sure?"

"yeah,"

you weren't convinced, but you had to get home and you bid your goodbye, spinning on your heel.

you double-stepped back, having nearly running into noya who was behind you.

"oop—hi," you chuckled awkwardly, "didn't see you,"

"er, yeah," noya rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "i wanted to tell you you were amazing on court,"

you froze for a second. no one had really appreciated you or praised you for your game, you were pushing yourself forward convincing you didn't need any. but his words were like a salve to your yearning soul, "thank you. i could say the same thing about you. those receives of yours were pretty impressive,"

noya's cheeks turned even redder at your praise, his heart hammering in his chest, "well, i was a bit distracted there, with you looking so good when you play," he joked, trying to cover up his flustered state with a cheeky grin.

you chuckled, feeling a little coy, "is that why you keep staring at me instead of the ball, noya?"

noya's heart was racing as he tried to come up with a response to your compliment. he opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a jumble of stammered words and incoherent sounds.

the usual confidence he felt on the court had disappeared. he couldn't seem to form a coherent thought, let alone respond to your words.

"i—what—uh, you know my name?" he asked, flabbergasted.

"of course, i do," you looked at him with a weird look, head tilting back and a strand of hair fell from your head. noya itched to tuck it behind your ear.

"i'll see you around, noya," you waved your goodbye and walked out of the gymnasium.

as soon as you were out of view, noya snapped out of his day-dreaming and processed what had happened. he flirted with you. and you flirted back. AND YOU KNEW HIS NAME!

noya ran over to where tanaka was doing his stretches on the floor with suguwara, arms flapping above his head in excitement, "dude, DUDE! she knows my name!"

SUGAWARA

your position: middle blocker

sugwara was practicing his setting, tossing the ball up into the air and waiting for it to drop into his hands. while he was at it, his eyes caught a glimpse of you on the other end of the volleyball court where the girls were practicing for their match up against the boys.

you were struggling with a roll of tape, trying to wrap your fingers with it, but your hands seemed to be trembling. you grimaced in frustration, "damn it!"

sugawara set the ball down and quickly walked over to you, his voice gentle and soft, "do you need some help?" he asked, taking the tape from your shaking hands.

you looked up at him, nodding almost immediately, feeling a little embarrassed by your difficulty with the task, "yeah," you muttered, "i just can't seem to get the tape on straight. need to wrap 'em on my fingers,"

sugawara smiled kindly and gestured for you to hold out your hand, "here, let me do it," he said, his tone reassuring.

you held out your hand and sugawara took it gently in his. his other hand brushed over yours, spreading open your trembling fist. red and purple bruises were litterd on the sides of your fingers.

you spared a glance at him, assuming he'd be bombarding you with questions about all your injuries. but to your surprise, he remained silent.

his fingers were cool and firm against your skin, oddly comforting. he carefully began to wrap the tape around your fingers, careful not to wrap it too tight or too lose, his movements precise and practised.

every now and then, his thumb would brush against your knuckles, sending a small shiver up your spine.

as he worked, sugawara couldn't help but notice the way your eyelashes fluttered each time his fingers touched your skin, or especially when it grazed the inside of your wrist.

he tried to keep his focus on your hands, but his eyes kept wandering to your face, watching as you tried to suppress your reactions to his touch. the way your shoulders were taut. the way your throat bobbed when you swallowed nervously. the way your chest rose and fell with each breath. the way your teeth dug into your lower lip, and how badly he wanted to relieve it with his thumb— nope, don't go there.

sugawara blinked at the floor with wide eyes, surprised by his own thoughts and shook his head lightly.

as he continued, he realized that he was becoming increasingly distracted. he tried to focus on the task at hand, but his mind kept wandering, and taking in every detail of you.

the way your jersey and shorts clung to your body like second skin. the way your hair was tied back and draped over your shoulder with a few strands sticked out at the side of your face. the way you rolled your shoulder back, every rippling motion of your body.

he found himself blushing involuntarily, and he silently cursed his lack of control.

sugawara tried to distract himself from his growing distraction by making casual conversation, "you're on the girls' team, right?" he asked, keeping his tone as neutral as possible.

"yeah, no shit," you smiled sarcastically, raising your brows in amusement.

sugawara chuckled awkwardly, "of course, silly me,"

he continued wrapping your fingers, trying to keep his hands steady, "so, how long have you been playing volleyball?" he asked, hoping to get you talking and distract himself from the growing tension between you.

"since middle school,"

"ah," sugawara nodded, his eyes flickering to your face for a brief moment before returning to your fingers, "so you're a seasoned player, huh? no wonder you're giving us a run for our money,"

"you've seen me play?"

"couple of times," he replied, turning your hand over to check if he covered the injuries on your hand, "michimiya says your blocks are impossible to get through. I've seen them a couple of times myself,"

"hope you weren't stalking me," you joked, smiling lightly.

Sugawara chuckled, "i wouldn't mind stalking a pretty girl like you,"

but as soon as you look up at him in surprise, he blushed and quickly looked away.

"i—i mean your playing style. not stalking, observing, yes. that's the word. observing," he tips of his ear were beginning to turn red.

"i see," you held back a smile, itching to poke fun at him.

as sugawara finished wrapping the your middle finger, he held your hand for a moment longer, his fingers gently tracing the lines on your palm. he looked up at you, his eyes meeting yours, "there," he said softly, "all done,"

sugawara found himself completely flustered by your stare, his mind going blank. He could barely form a coherent thought as he looked into your eyes, drowning in them. those eyes, those eyes… they seemed to be reaching into his very soul, and he was powerless to resist.

his eyes flickered over your face. he was trying to keep himself composed, but he could feel his heart racing in his chest, and he was sure you could hear it too.

you both look down at your hands, you noticed that his pale skin was a stark contrast against your own, your taped fingers are intertwined with his. slotting together like puzzle pieces. a perfect fit.

you moved your thumb over his knuckle, transfixed. the tenderness in your touch made him feel vulnerable and weak in the knees. he could feel the heat rise in his cheeks as he attempted to steady himself.

the sensation of your fingers intertwined with his was both soothing and electrifying. He unconsciously squeezed your hand tighter, finding solace in the touch.

suddenly, a volleyball suddenly dropped right front of you two; you both startled apart. the interruption broke the moment, and you both quickly withdrew your hands.

yamaguchi clumsily retrived the ball, muttering a quick apology and head back to pepper with tsukishima.

he swallowed hard, his eyes never leaving yours. "uh, sorry," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to hold your hand for so long. it's just— your fingers felt really nice, and i—" he trailed off, unable to find the words to explain his own actions.

you could see the embarrassed blush on sugawara's face, his ears turning even redder as he fumbled over his words. his eyes kept flickering between your face and your hands, as if he was still struggling with the lingering sensation of your touch.

"It's fine," you managed to say. you couldn't hide the fact that you were flustered, "i didn't mind. also, thanks koshi," you held up your taped fingers.

he felt a surge of surprise and warmth at your use of his first name. it was rare for anyone outside of his close friends and teammates to use it, and hearing you say it made his heart skip a beat. his cheeks turned even redder.

sugawara felt a sense of relief that you weren't upset or uncomfortable with his actions. in fact, the subtle blush on your face seemed to indicate that you were indeed flustered. this observation only fueled his own desire, causing a newfound confidence to wash over him.

he noticed an edge of tape sticking up and smoothed it down on your finger, letting his touch linger.

"careful with those fingers of yours," he teased, "can't have the team lacking a middle blocker, can we?" he lifted your hand and playfully kisses the tip of your middle finger, his thumb grazing your knuckles. when he looked up at you, his eyes were filled with a tenderness that sent a flutter through your heart, "a little kiss for luck never hurt anyone."

"do you talk like this to every girl you meet?" you questioned with a quirk of your eyebrows.

"only to the one girl i'm trying to impress," he didn't miss a beat, winking at you, "and I can tell it's working," he teased, nodding at your flushed cheeks.

narrowing your eyes playfully, you snatched your hand back to your chest and got to your feet, "i'll see on the court, koushi," you let out a breath, giving him a sly grin.

sugawara smiled, his heart fluttering at the sound of his name on your lips, "yeah," he said, his voice a little huskier than usual, "see you on the court, y/n."

as you walked away, sugawara too got to his feet and headed back to where his team was doing their warm ups. he couldn't help but smile giddily as he looked at his own fingers, knowing that he had touched yours and felt your skin against his.

daichi, who had been watching the interaction between you and Sugawara from across the court, approached with a smirk on his face, "I see you got yourself 'wrapped up' in a little situation, didn't you, sugawara?" he teased, his voice dripping with amusement.

asahi was following behind daichi, blushing slightly and tried to hide a smile, "looks like someone has a crush," he teased, giving sugawara a nudge in the ribs with his elbow.

sugawara scowled at his friends, "quiet, you two," he muttered, his eyes flickering over to you.

you were flexing your fingers, making sure you could move them about and grinned to yourself. suguwara felt a stupid smile grow on his face, but it was quickly wiped when daichi and asahi descended upon him with their teasing, nudging him playfully.

sugawara's cheeks reddened as the two kept making playful comments about his obvious crush on you. he tried to act nonchalantly, but his flushed face betrayed his true emotions.

DAICHI

your position: setter

daichi sat across from you, trying to explain the complexities of modern japanese literature.

however, you were having a hard time focusing on the material. your mind was elsewhere, and you were desperately looking for a way to escape this tiresome tutoring session.

michimiya had reached out to you about a practice match today and needed you as the team's setter.

you kept bouncing your leg, blindly nodding along to whatever daichi was saying, trying to grasp onto it. you spared a glance at the message michimiya had sent you, thinking of a way of out this tutoring session.

finally, an idea popped into your head, "daichi," you began, making your voice sound solemn, "i can't stay for today's lesson. i just got a message. my grandmother's funeral is tomorrow, and i have to help with the preparations,"

daichi's expression softened as he heard your explanation, "oh, I see," he said gently, his voice laced with a hint of pity, "i'm sorry to hear about your grandmother. go and take care of your family. we can continue the lesson another time," he closed the book open in front of him.

you nodded, expressing your gratitude for his understanding, "thank you, daichi," you said quietly, "i really appreciate it. i promise i'll reach out to you when I'm ready to continue,"

he gave you a small nod and a faint smile before turning to leave, "take care of yourself," he said, his voice low, "and don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything,"

with that, he left the room, leaving you alone with your thoughts. you couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for lying to him, but you also felt relieved that you had gotten away from the painful tutoring session.

later that evening, you had met up with the girls team and you were all stretching, preparing for the practice match.

michimiya arrived with the news that you were going to play with the boy's volleyball club team.

the girls were buzzing with nervous excitement as they prepared for the upcoming match. everyone knew the boys' team was strong, especially with their renowned setter, who was a first year. while some were intimidated, others were excited about the challenge.

as you warmed up with your teammates, you couldn't shake off a nagging feeling of worry. you wondered who the boys' setter was and how skilled they would be.

aihira, the vice-captain, patted your back, assuring you when she noticed your frown of doubt, "you can handle those first years, all you have to do is get under their skin, i've seen him play,"

the door of the gymnasium banged open, and the boys' team entered with a ruckus.

"that's the first years," aihra nodded to a short ginger, who was locked in a stare with a raven-haired boy who was taller than him, "their quick attacks are something else,"

"that's the second years," she gestured to boy with a buzz cut and the other who was almost in the same height as that first year ginger.

"you know suga, and asahi. oh, and that's—"

"—daichi," you completed when you spotted him. your heart skipped a beat and you couldn't help but freeze in surprise.

he had stepped in to separate hinata and kageyama arguing, chiding them for their behaviour.

as if sensing your presence, daichi looked up and his eyes locked with yours, widening in surprise.

you could feel your heart racing in your chest as his eyes met yours. a mixture of emotions flooded you — surprise, nervousness, and a hint of fear.

you cursed internally, knowing that your plan to avoid him had just been foiled.

"michimiya, hide me, please," you covered your face with your hands.

the captain blinked at you in confusion.

footsteps grew closer to you and within a few strides, daichi was in front of you, "y/n, didn't think you'd have time to join the volleyball club. thought you had to attend your grandmother's funeral,"

you winced a little and smiled sheepishly, "yeah, she's been dead for about five years now. i bet she's having a good laugh about it up above right now," you glared up at the sky.

daichi gave you an unimpressed look, "michimiya told me that you guys had a new setter. but i didn't know it was you,"

"new secret setter," you shot your teammate a glare.

she simply raised her hands in defense, "i didn’t know you guys knew each other," she said, bewildered, "and I didn’t know you were failing modern japanese literature, y/n," she chided.

"yeah, i'm her tutor, she's struggling with that particular subject. and she gave me the excuse of a funeral to attend to run away from me,"

"see, i'm struggling. not failing," you stated as a matter of fact.

"you better not," michimiya said, resting her hands on her hips, "or takeda will have u out of the team,"

daichi suppressed a smirk at your interjection, clearly amused by the exchange between you and michimiya, "she's right. you better not fail. i wouldn't want to be the reason you're kicked off the team,"

"you mad at me for lying to you?" you questioned, grimacing a bit.

daichi shrugged slightly, a small sigh escaping his lips, "i'm not mad," he said, his voice soft., "just a bit disappointed. i'm not too happy being lied to, but i understand you had your reasons,"

you look over your shoulder when you hear michimiya call you over to the court where the rest of the girls' team was warming up.

daichi watched as you made your way to warm up with the other girls, a slight smirk playing on his lips, "i look forward to seeing you play in the game," he called out, a hint of challenge in his tone, "i'm not going to go easy on you just because we know each other, you know,"

you glanced back at him, a mixture of determination and annoyance in your eyes, "i wouldn't worry about me if i were you," you retorted, a determined look on your face.

daichi chuckled at your threat, amused by your competitive spirit.

The match between the two teams commenced, with michimiya beginning with a serve.

the ball curved high into the air, sailing over the net with a satisfying hum. it descended on the boys side, and daichi quickly moved into position, ready to return the serve.

with precision and control, he executed a perfect pass to kageyama, who set the ball for an attack.

tanaka, positioned at the net, lunged forward and executed a powerful spike with a dramatic yell. the ball hurtling towards your side with impressive force.

anika leapt up to receive the ball, her arms stretched out in a desperate bid. she managed to get it high in the air.

you saw your chance and called for a set. aihara took a step back, swinging her arms, and jumped high to attack.

but you tossed the ball right over the net, to execute a drop.

"a setter dump!" someone shouted from the sidelines.

the unexpected move caught both daichi and noya off guard. they dove for the ball, but it landed right between them.

"damn it!" daichi exclaimed, his face flushed with frustration.

"a setter dump at the beginning of the game?" noya grumbled.

as the ball landed and the cheer erupted, your eyes met daichi's through the net. there was no mistaking the flicker of surprise and admiration in his gaze.

daichi gave you a sarcastic grin, a silent message, "nice move,"

you could see his composure waver momentarily, his initial arrogance giving way to a newfound respect for your skills.

a sly grin tugged at the corners of your mouth, satisfaction coursing through you. you knew you had surprised him, and it felt good.

returning his gaze, your eyes sparkled with confidence, silently gloating at the fact that you had managed to catch him off guard.

the match was a thrilling back-and-forth affair, with the score finely balanced. it was now 21-23, the boys team holding a slight edge.

asahi stepped up to serve, his powerful arm coiling back for a jump serve.

michimiya reacted quickly, diving to retrieve the powerful serve. however, the ball slipped past her, rolling sideways toward the backline.

you chased after the ball, leaping high to set it over your back. it was a risky maneuver, but you managed to elevate the ball just enough for your teammates to react.

hinata and yamaguchi watched set the ball in awe, jaws agape. even sugawara was staring at you in bafflement.

kageyama and tsukishima rose up to block, their arms outstretched, ready to intercept the attack. Aihara with a quick flick of her wrist, tipped the ball over their block, sending it back towards the opposing side.

noya dove to receive the ball, but it slipped past his outstretched hands.

asahi, realizing the opportunity, pulled off an emergency set, directing the ball toward their captain.

daichi, with a powerful leap and swing, spiked the ball back towards your side.

you reacted swiftly, blocking the spike with your outstretched arms.

however, the ball rolled off your hand and fell on the boys side of the court. getting on one knee, kageyama managed to set it in first touch, tossing the ball high.

tsukishima, seizing the opportunity, spiked the ball with all his might.

watabi, the girls' libero, dove to receive the ball, but it landed just outside the sideline.

the boys' team had won the point, bringing the score to 24-21 in their favor. the match was reaching its climax, and the tension on the court was palpable.

"it's okay, we'll get the next one!" michimiya cheered, her voice filled with optimism.

you exchanged nods and smiles, each player recognizing the effort and determination put into the match.

daichi stepped up to serve. as he tapped the ball on the floor a couple of times, he looked up, catching your eyes. you shot him a playful wink, causing him to stutter momentarily.

daichi served the ball and it sailed over the net.

"i got it!" you called for it, stepping back and took the pass that would've been your libero's receive.

sugawara was watching with hinata and yamaguchi, "why would she go so far as to take a ball that would land in the back court?"

michimiya approached the net as if to attack, but instead, she did an overhead pass to you,

tanaka and tsukishima, expecting her to attack, were caught off guard.

the ball soared in your direction and you spiked the ball with a grunt.

the ball landed on the sideline, passing past daichi, surprising everyone.

hinata, ever enthusiastic, couldn't contain his excitement, "she's so cool! way cooler than kageyama!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide with admiration.

kageyama shot him a glare, causing hinata to wince and look away. but even he couldn't deny, you were pretty impressive.

you pumped your fist in the air, celebrating your successful play. your teammates gathered around you, complimenting you on the impressive move.

daichi watched you intently, noticing your manic focus and competitive spirit. this level of intensity was something he had never seen before.

eventually, the match ended in favor of the boys' team, but the memory of your exceptional play would linger in their minds for a long time.

warming down after the match, you were gathering your things when you heard footsteps approaching.

turning, you saw daichi making his way towards you, "you were amazing on the court,"

you slung the duffle bag over your shoulder, a grin spreading across your face, "thanks," you replied, feeling a flush of pride welling up inside you.

"and that little wink you sent me during my serve earlier," he said, giving you a pointed look.

you couldn't suppress the grin that spread across your face as you replied, "ah, so you did see it,"

"of course, i did," daichi said, "you're not exactly subtle, you know,"

"but careful with that attitude sweetheart, or i'll have to teach you how to behave yourself," he reached up and tucked a strand of hair heind your ear, dragging his finger down the curve of your face.

you felt a shiver run down your spine at his words, a mixture of excitement and nervousness swelling in your chest, "is that a threat, daichi?" you asked, unable to keep the cheeky tone from your voice.

he chuckled softly, a mischievous gleam in his eye, "it's a promise. but I have a feeling you might enjoy it,"

with that, daichi walked away after sending you a sly look. you could feel your cheeks flushing with a mixture of embarrassment and excitement.

meanwhile, noya and tanaka were watching the interaction, their eyes wide with disbelief and amusement.

"did you just see that?" noya gasped, turning to tanaka, "our captain was totally flirting with her!"

"and not just flirting," tanaka chimed in, a sneaky grin spreading across his face, "he was laying it on thick, man. i think he's got some serious skills,"

"yeah, he definitely does. but I still can't believe he had the guts to do it right in front of us. our captain's got game, man,"

daichi spun around as he heard the sound of noya and tanaka's voices, his eyes narrowing as he shot them a warning glare, "shut it, both of you!"

[bruciemilf]

Re-watching Spiderverse. My curiosity wills me to make an AU where Jason gets thrown in an intricate mess of multiverses where he's adopted by almost all Bruce variants.

"So let me get this straight,"

of course, he's god's most hated freak, and the ONE person who can guide him through this mess is a small, annoying, cartoon version of Dick.

"This is a network of intricate, interdimensional realities stitched to a 'canon' tapestry. And Batman has to lose me in every single one to hold it up."

"Sure! There's a less idiotic way of putting it, but I like your enthusiasm. "

Jason's urge to squeeze this funko pop motherfucker until the life slowly bleeds away grows. It can wait, thought.

Currently, he's trying to help with neutralizing a version of Bizarro. Poor guy must've gotten lost again. Very strange that only one Bruce accompanied him, thought.

"So how many Batmen are there, exactly? Seems like one's enough." He mutters, refusing to let the familiar warmth infest his body when thinking of how they look at Jason.

Like the universe ends and starts with him.

"Oh there's a whole bunch! We have 80s Batman, cowboy Batman, Batman who cries, Batman who sings opera, Looney Toones Batman, -- a personal favorite, -- really the numbers are unlimited!"

Jason watches with strange sense of unease as this one variant handles Bizzaro. "And that's who? Biker gang leader Batman?"

Nightmite gets quiet for a second. Jason pauses, because THAT’S strange.

This eery nervousness only springs when this Bruce, -- not as old as everyone, hell, not even as old as JASON, -- glues a green device on Bizzaro's chest and leaps away.

"That's, uh...Batman who kills."

Jason doesn't have time to react as a booming explosion overwhelmes his senses. His knees are weak. And not just because the ugly stench of burning flesh invades his senses.

But because this Bruce, this Batman, is aiming for him and quick. That mask sends him right on edge. He hates the way it only covers Bruce's mouth, forcing Jason to gaze into sharp, brutal blue eyes.

"Jason?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you," Jason snarls before anything else. "He was detained! He wasn't a threat anymore!"

"He got roofed with red kryptonite and destroyed half a neighborhood. What did you want me to do?"

"Come up with another plan! Trap him, knock him out! Blowing him to pieces doesn't solve anything!" Jason yells, Nightmite looking incredibly worried and hiding behind his shoulder. "Try TALKING to him. Show him some fucking mercy."

"We tried that before. It's not working." He says, "Mercy doesn't get results."

"It gets you HUMANITY."

"If your Batman thought you that, he already failed."

[dickmedowndc]

Heart Stops - Bart Allen x Meta!Reader

Word Count: 1,731

Summary: The last anyone sees of you, it isn’t good. The fight goes south and any communication with you goes dark the moment the ceiling caves in on top of you. Bart is fast, faster than anyone on his team, but with a bum leg he feels like he won’t be fast enough as he searches for you among the aftermath.

Notes: The request from an anonymous user was for a Spiderwoman like character, but I do not do crossovers or gender specific (if I can help it). So, I gave the reader Spiderverse like powers and made them a meta. There was no prompt after that, so I used another “100 kisses” prompt: #86; “reunion kisses, “I thought you were dead.’”

…★…

It was supposed to be an easy mission. That was what had been murmured between the two of you as you had loaded up alongside your teammates and taken off for your mission. A soft squeeze of your hand in his was the last bit of physical contact that you had with him. 

It was supposed to be easy. 

It never was. 

Granted, you thought as you saw the ceiling give way and come rushing towards you, things never seemed this bad. You tried to move, weaving through jagged stone that cut at your suit and skin where it came in contact with you, but you just weren’t fast enough. The injury to your knee and upper leg significantly slowing you down. As if your entire body wasn’t screaming at you from how you had been tossed around like a rag doll by the enemy between leaping from one wall to another – using an excess of webs and movement. 

Everything was autopilot by this point. The aim of your arm and wrist, the twist of your hips. The world was hazy behind your mask, eyes bleary and unfocused. It was all you could do to just keep chanting to yourself, a repeat reminder that you just had to make it to the entrance of the collapsing building where you could already see the rest of your team. You focused on Bart the best you could, your heart twisting at the state he was in. One of his arms was slung over Wondergirl’s shoulders, supporting his entire weight as his head hung and he limped beside her, glancing around. You weren’t sure what he was searching for until a moment later when he looked in your direction and stopped, leaning forward like he was going to take off running and come get you. 

There was a voice, rasped and worn, yelling out for him to stay put. A moment later you realized it was your own. A desperate plea to try and keep your partner safe. He was in no shape to run, and if you were going to get caught under the rubble, you were going to make sure that he was a safe distance away. He wouldn’t be fast enough like this, you knew it, especially not if he was dragging you out with him. 

All you could think of was the one last swing you needed to throw yourself out. Just before your wrist was yanked back violently and your whole body lurched backwards, right towards the center of the chaos. One of the men you had been fighting earlier hadn’t escaped, too focused on taking one of you down with him – and since you were the only one left, his sights were set on making sure you would never walk back out alive. 

It was terrifying, you thought, mind spinning too fast to really comprehend that you needed to move from the building raining down upon you as your body hit the stone floor and metal scraps. 

It was terrifying to watch, and Bart had ripped himself away from Wondergirl before the stone had even encased you. But with his leg busted all the way up to his hip he collapsed almost immediately, grabbed by Beast Boy just in time. He wanted to scream your name, but his voice was caught in his throat, and nothing more than a garbled cry came out. 

Everyone stood still for a moment, but that was all the time to pass before everyone who could move was lunging forward and heading for the rubble. Nobody said a word. Nobody needed to. They had all seen roughly the last spot you had landed, and really it was all the information that they needed. 

Someone, Terra, Bart realized absently, was putting in a call for backup. “One down” was all he heard before he limped forward, determined to find you, even if it meant he would have to dig all night. 

He would. Without a second thought, Bart would. Just like he knew that you would do the same. 

It quickly became frustrating, however. His arms and hands could move just as fast as before, but he couldn’t get his feet to work alongside him. Barry was off world, so that wasn’t an option at the moment, and Jay likely wouldn’t be told. But this was time sensitive. You could take a beating, Bart knew that, but you were already so tired. 

He had kept an eye on you through the fight, moving you himself when he could. But it was clear just how quickly you had been injured and worn down. 

And Bart feared that if they couldn’t move the stone fast enough, that super strength wouldn’t matter. If it even mattered now. 

It was a thought he wanted to tear apart immediately. It sat like bile in his throat. That devastating little whisper of “it’s too late.” 

But he wasn’t going to accept that. You had a family to go home to. The two of you had a date that weekend – watching bad retro movies and eating junk food until the morning light streamed in. You had things that you wanted to do. And Bart wanted to see them happen. So that voice in his head was just going to need to be wrong. He was going to be fast enough. And you were going to be okay. 

You had to be. 

Bart didn’t even register the arrival of Superman. Not until the first boulder went crashing down behind them; it startled him as he looked up, bewildered just like the rest of his team. It seemed to be the call just before the rest of the League arrived. But as much of a blessing as it seems to be, Bart finds himself being pulled away by Black Canary a short few moments later to tend to his leg before it has time to heal back fully, before they can set it right. 

So, Bart can’t see you, can’t see anything outside, when he hears over the commlink that they found you. That you’re unresponsive. And after that everything seems to go by in a blur as they rush you back to the medical wing through boom tube, because your chances are slim without immediate intervention. 

That is how the next three days go. Bart barred from the room while you recover, still in critical condition. It doesn’t stop him from camping out in front of the door, however, his own leg long since healed and nothing to keep him on bed rest. 

Unable to convince him otherwise, and your status slowly ticking upwards, the Leaguers charged with your recovery finally relent, allowing Bart at your bedside where he promptly refuses to move, keeping a hawk's eye on your vitals. This at least placates the speedster, for the time being, but everyone knows it won't be better until you finally wake up. 

You’re still a long way off from being better, so when Bart feels you squeeze his hand, waking him from his half-asleep state, he thinks little of it. Until you do so again, this time refusing to let go as you let out a pitiful groan. 

He’s sat up straight in an instant. “Take it easy, hot shot.” 

His voice is enough to stir you, but you still look comical squinting at him in the dim lights. In your defense, you felt like you had just been hit by a truck. Or had a ceiling collapse on top of you. “I feel terrible,” you groan, your one free hand barely working enough for you to cover your eyes. 

“You’ve had better days.” 

You can hear the way Bart’s voice cracks, that little sniffle – and light be damned – you pull your arm away to take a good long look at him. He has dark bags under his eyes, and you can see old tear tracks on his cheek. More importantly, you can see the fresh ones threatening to fall. It has you breathless for a moment, your heart tight as you take in the way your partner looks so small in front of you. A rarity. One you’re happy to not subject him to on a regular basis. “That bad?” 

Bart sniffles once more, looking down at where your hand lays in his before he covers your own completely with his other. “You gave us plenty of scares these last few days. I couldn’t even come in here.” 

It breaks your heart to see him like this, and you do your best to add a bit more pressure where your hands are linked. “I’m awake now though. I’m gonna be okay.” Your words don’t seem to get through to him for the moment, so you tug at his hand, trying to get him to look you in the eye. “Bart, baby, what’s wrong?” 

The breath he lets out is choked, and it takes another minute before he can get his words out, practically spilling onto the bed next to you as the relief finally takes hold. “I thought you were dead.” 

It catches you off guard, but despite the pain you never even consider shoving him away when he drapes himself on top of you. It feels right. Feels safe. Even if you can feel the way he tenses, trying not to shake. “Bart?” 

“I really thought you were dead. When nobody could get to you.” His voice raises for a millisecond, but when you flinch from the way it makes your head throb, he manages to get it back under control. “When I couldn’t get to you.” 

All you can do is hold him for a moment and let him get himself under control – he hates crying in front of others and you know it, so you pretend that you don’t see it. But when the shaking has subsided, at least for that second, you manage to catch his eye. “I’m not going anywhere now.” 

Bart stalls for a moment before flashing that loving little grin that he gives you when he’s trying to make you both feel better, before nodding his head in agreement and leaning forward. 

You might be sore, but you waste no time in closing the distance to kiss your speedster. After all, you have a few days' worth of kisses to plant on him, until you really see that sunshine smile you love so much.

[lady-pug]

Anything For You

Summary: 5 times Crosshair protects you and 1 time you do the same for him.

Pairing: Crosshair x Reader

Word count: 5k

Warnings: canon-typical violence, one dude being kinda creepy at 79's

Notes: Hello hello everyone! It's been a hot minute since this series has seen an update, but after season 3 I had some inspiration (I know it has been a while since season 3 actually come out, but some things had happened that needed my sole attention, I didn’t have the time nor the energy and motivation to write for quite a while). But now I’m back!

I really hope you, dear reader, enjoy this and have fun while reading it. If you spot any mistakes, please feel free to warn me and I'll correct it right away, and feedback is always welcome and appreciated. I hope you truly enjoy this story.

Reader is female, but no physical descriptions provided. Also, when describing the formal attire in topic 3 I tried to keep descriptions to a minimum so you can imagine what the reader is wearing in this scene (I’m a sucker for women in suits, but it’s up to you to imagine)

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1.

The Batch’s mission on Taanab had gone south very quickly. The Separatists had aimed to cut the commercial lines the planet held with Coruscant, which would pose a major problem as it could possibly throw the entire Republic into starvation. So Clone Force 99 had been sent to scout the planet and possibly find Separatists spies stationed there. What they didn’t count on was being ambushed by Norulac pirates almost as soon as they tried to leave the planet.

Tech and Hunter had gone inside a facility suspected of housing the spies they were looking for, while Wrecker kept watch by the entrance, and you and Crosshair covered their shebs from a hill a few klicks away. What you didn’t expect was for Tech to take a major hit as soon as they walked out the door with the spy. In order not to compromise the mission, Wrecker pushed the cuffed nautolan back inside the compound and closed the doors behind them. 

As soon as the first blaster bolt was fired, you leaped to your feet, much to Crosshair’s protests, and started running towards Tech, medkit clutched tightly under your arm. Crosshair, ever the marksman, kept shooting his Firepunch, trying to get rid of as many pirates while you pushed forward. As you approached the place where Tech had gone down you skidded to a halt, keeping your head down as to avoid the blaster fire. Slipping your hand under his armpits you dragged him across the pebbled ground (and mentally apologized for any scratches he might find on his backplate later on), taking cover behind a short wall and starting to patch him up.

What you didn’t notice, however, was the pirate approaching from behind you and Tech while you assessed his injuries, who must have either slipped unnoticed by Wrecker and Hunter or come up all the way from behind the facility. You only seemed to notice him once Tech, coming back to his senses after a stim shot, pointed over your shoulder and told you to look out. By then it was already too late, as the pirate had his vibroblade raised and ready to strike.

As you fumbled with your blaster to at least try and protect the two of you a long blaster bolt came scorching through the air, hitting the man right on his temple and sending him tumbling sideways, dead. You glanced back towards the hill you had just climbed down from, sending a nod in Crosshair’s general direction, knowing he could see you with his scope.

“Thanks for having my back, Cross.” you spoke into your commlink before resuming your work on Tech’s wound, barely catching Crosshair’s reply.

“Anything for you, Copikla.” he mumbled, going back to firing his rifle in order to help his brothers take out the remaining pirates.

2.

The woman was definitely moving too fast for someone who allegedly had nothing to hide. And Clone Force 99 was hellsbent (more like ordered to) figure out why.

Your current mission, issued by Commander Fox of all people, albeit a stealth mission of sorts, wasn’t like anything you had ever done before. A Gran representative of Malastare, acting as a temporary substitute for Senator Ainlee Teem while the senator went back to his home planet to help calm the nerves and appease the public opinion of the citizens of Malastare about the rampage caused by the Zillo Beast, was suspected to be working for the Separatists. Afraid that an investigation lead directly by the Coruscant Guard would be too on the nose and she might try to cover her tracks, Commander Fox had surprisingly, as him and the Batch often didn't see eye to eye, requested that the Bad Batch be the ones to follow her around and figure out her intentions.

So here you and Crosshair were, following the woman a few paces behind her all throughout Coruscant busy streets. The plan of action had been to split up, Hunter and Wrecker taking the two parallel streets to the one where the woman was currently speed-walking while you and Crosshair followed behind her. Tech had stayed behind at the Guard’s headquarters, tracking the woman’s movements using the surveillance system. 

As the teams were being separated Crosshair had demanded that you go with him (although ‘demand’ might be too strong of a word, as he knew Hunter, as his commanding officer, could very well tell him to shut up and take a step back, which he thankfully didn’t), internally reasoning with himself that you could very well get lost and compromise the mission, even though the knowing smirk the Sergeant had sent his way after agreeing with his suggestion told him he might have other reasons. And now he was glad he insisted on that.

As dusk fell over the city and rush hour approached, more and more people filled the streets eager to head home. This didn’t pose a problem for Crosshair as his height, greater than that of the regs (and quite greater than Hunter’s, as he often liked to tease his vod about) paired with his extraordinary eyesight allowed him to keep his eyes on the Gran woman at all times. You on the other hand weren’t so lucky, as people bumped into you and tried to squeeze their way past the both of you. Concerned you’d slip away, dragged by the sea of people, he snaked his arm around your waist, his hand lazily draped over your hip, keeping you close to his side and not letting you venture away from him.

You looked up at him, a tiny grin gracing your features.

“Thanks Cross.”

The only response you got was his grip on your hip. tightening almost imperceptibly.

3. 

“I don’t like it.” 

Hunter sighed for the umpteenth time in the past hour.

“I already told you, these are our orders.” he turned towards his brother, who scowled in return.

“Why can’t one of us go in?”

“As a matter of fact, that option has been brought up to Commander Cody,” Tech chimed in, not once taking his eyes off his holopad “but he has reminded us of a crucial fact: no matter how much our phenotype might differ from that of the regs, we’re still clones. If a single slightly more enlightened individual in that ballroom catches sight of our resemblance to our mandalorian progenitor, the mission would be compromised.”

Crosshair huffed, still not convinced.

“But why does it have to be her?” he argued “Why couldn’t they have brought another natborn specialist? Or, kriff, even a senator? Senators are good at these sorts of events.”

“Senators are public figures, they would be recognized in an instant.” Hunter promptly answered “And all other female natborns were unavailable.”

“And the Seppie likes pretty women!” Wrecker laughed “I mean who doesn’t? I’m sure none of us would be able to seduce him!”

“I still don’t like it.” unsatisfied, Crosshair picked up his Firepuncher to check the scope, even though he knew for a fact it was pristine as always. 

A beneficent gala was being held by the InterGalactic Banking Clan to members of the Confederacy of Independent Systems council in Cantonica. One Separatist senator, a sleazy old quacta of a man, was rumored to have information on the next course of action regarding a siege against Republic forces in Ansion. So, given the sensitivity of the mission ahead, Clone Force 99 was called in. However, none of them could go in without the risk of being recognized as members of the GAR, so they had to send in-

“How do I look?” he was buried so deep in his own thoughts he didn’t even hear the door to the fresher opening and you stepping out into the hull of the ship. As he looked up to glance at you, he thanked the maker he was already sitting down, otherwise his knees would have buckled and he would have been sent tumbling down.

You looked gorgeous. 

Your hair was styled in a completely different style than you normally wore it, a few delicate pins adorning it. Some light makeup covered your face, accentuating your natural beauty. And your outfit… Crosshair had only seen you in your uniform and armor in the battlefield, or in your GAR-issued blacks around the ship. He had never seen you wearing anything like this, so formal and fitting for your exact frame.

He couldn’t even speak. He just kept staring at you, his eyes moving up and down your frame.

“You look beautiful, baar’ur’ika!” Wrecker’s booming voice brought him out of his stupor, as he shook his head.

“You really think so?” you asked, feeling a little shy “I never usually wear something so nice, this is a bit out of my comfort zone.”

“You look amazing Doc.” Hunter chimed in, nudging his brother with his elbow, his lips pulled in a knowing smirk “Doesn’t she, Crosshair?”

He was still collecting his thoughts when you turned to face him, eyes gleaming with… hope? 

“Yeah,” he dared answer “yes, she does.”

You beamed at him, smiling so brightly he felt his heart skip a beat for being the reason for your happiness. He wasn’t even bothered when he heard Hunter chuckling under his breath, no doubt catching on his vod’s reaction to your presence. 

As your squad started diskimbarking to start the mission, Crosshair reached out to hold you in place, his fingers gently encircling your wrist, leaving just the two of you still on the ship.

“If-” he swallowed thickly, not knowing how to say what he was thinking. 

“What is it, Cross?” you turned towards him, giving him your full attention.

“I’ll be keeping watch on the roof the entire time.” he breathed out “If anything happens, if at any moment you feel like you might be in danger, comm me. I’ll find a way to get you out, Copikla.”

You smiled softly at him, turning your palm up and intertwining your fingers.

“I’ll be fine, Cross. Really. You don’t have to worry about me.” Impossible, he thought, and as if reading his mind you squeezed his hand gently “But thank you for keeping an eye out for me.”

He squeezed your hand back, lips turning up in the tiniest of smiles.

And if at a certain point during the gala, a glass of wine carefully balanced on a tray on a waiters hand spontaneously exploded, startling the waiter and making him drop the entire contents of the tray over the separatist senator as he started getting handsy with you, Hunter’s scolding for nearly compromising the mission was definitely worth it as you giggled at his antics behind the sergeants back.

4.

79’s was certainly more packed than usual for a standard Taungsday. It seemed like most battalions were on leave at once, hence the more chaotic atmosphere and the crowd forming around the bar. 

It had been forever since Clone Force 99 had shore leave scheduled on Coruscant instead of being called back to Kamino, so you intended to make the most of it. Wrecker was already a few drinks in, arm wrestling some of the boys of the 212th; Echo was catching up with some of the boys in blue, having spend so much time away from his old battalion; Tech had already gone back to the barracks to read some articles on his holopad, the weird neon green cocktail he had order right at the beginning of the night only half empty and long forgotten; and Hunter had already scurried off with a gorgeous orange Twi’lek. 

Only you and Crosshair remained at the table, chatting idly, your thigh pressed against the side of his and his arm slung over the back of the seat behind you. Your heads were tilted close together in order to hear each other over the beat of the music in the club. For a moment Crosshair thought it felt weirdly… intimate, even though you weren’t actually doing anything. He’d never been this close to anyone, where he felt he could just let himself be. It was nice.

“I’m going to get another drink.” you whispered-yelled at him at one point, gesturing at his own cup “Want anything?”

He pondered for a moment, before declining with a shake of his head.

“Someone has to keep a clear head in order to babysit the lot of you.” he motioned to where Wrecker, clearly a little more than tipsy, was celebrating another victory over a shiny.

You snorted, before quickly turning around and walking towards the bar. He couldn’t help but silently watch over you, always keeping you in his line of sight.

It had become second nature to him, watching you. At first he tried to argue that it was only to ensure you didn’t do anything stupid and risk one of his brothers, but it slowly ended up becoming something he just did naturally. He wanted, no, needed, to ensure you were safe at all times, and not just on the battlefield.

As he watched you lean over the bar and signal the bartender, your back turned to him, he noticed a devarionian man quickly glance over at you from a few seats away. For a few moments nothing happened, he kept his eyes trained on you, occasionally catching sight of the devarionian from the corner of his eye. 

And then the guy was moving.

He slid up next to you, standing way too close for your (and Crosshair’s comfort). The mirror above the shelfs in the bar let him see your face,  and you did not seem too happy with your new company. At first you tried ignoring the man, he noticed, giving him very clipped answers and only nodding along. The guy, it seemed, couldn’t seem to take a hint, as he kept rambling on and on about something the sniper couldn’t bother reading his lips for. And the moment his hand brushed against your arm, startling you and prompting you to take a step away from the man with ‘uncomfortable’ and ‘creeped out’ written all over your face, Crosshair was out of his seat and crossing the dancefloor towards you in quick strides.

Once he approached the pair of you, you noticed him over the man’s shoulder, your face relaxing slightly at the sight of him.

“Is everything all right?” he asked, to which the devarionian turned to him seemingly undisturbed. 

“Yeah, me and the lady over here were having a wonderful chat.” the devarionian dismissed him “ Now if you’ll excuse us.” 

Crosshair knew he was tall. He, along with Tech, was the second tallest amongst all clones, shorter only than Wrecker. It wasn’t something he usually cared for, unless when he got to tease Hunter about his own height, which was shorter than the regs, but he knew for a fact he was taller than most people. So he decided to use this to his advantage. As his face contorted into the deepest scowl he could muster, he crossed his arms over his chest, squaring his shoulders. This meant he was absolutely towering over the man. He didn’t even have to say anything and the devarionian was already cowering.

“A-actually, I think my buddy over there is calling me over.” and he rushed off without even looking at you again.

You looked at Crosshair as he relaxed, a mixture of gratitude and a sense of residual unease written in your face.

“Thanks Cross,” you started “but I could’ve handled him. You know I can take care of myself.” 

“Trust me, Copikla, I know.” he shrugged “But you shouldn’t have to.” 

Your face softened at his words, and you leaned your head against his arm. 

“Thank you anyway.” 

His response came in the form of a wordless hum, but which carried a whole lot of meaning to it.

‘Always’.

5.

Crosshair absolutely hated keeping watch. He would take Wrecker’s snoring and Tech’s endless tinkering over this any day. They were in hyperspace, for maker’s sake! What threat could be so dire that one of them had to stay awake and alert for hours, freezing cold as Tech refused to fix the cockpit’s heating system?

But Hunter insisted. And as their sergeant, Hunter was in charge and whatever he said goes. And so here Crosshair was, watching nothing go by bored out of his mind.

All of a sudden he heard the soft pattern of bare feet against the cold floor of the Marauder, approaching the cockpit. It couldn’t possibly be Wrecker, he could still hear his snoring from all the away from the bunks. It wasn’t Echo either, as the clanking of his mechanical legs against the durasteel floor would have given him away. It probably wasn’t Hunter, as the man was an incredibly deep sleeper, his slumber being one of the only one moments his heightened senses gave him a break. And Tech wasn’t supposed to come relieve him from watch duty for at least three more hours or so. So that left only you.

Because of this line of thought he was unsurprised when you joined him in the cockpit, dropping onto the co-pilot seat next to him.

For a moment neither of you uttered a word. He stayed silent as he took you in, noticing the way your shoulders trembled slightly and the soft sniffles you were trying to contain.

“What’s wrong?” he asked at last.

You startled, as if only now noticing his presence next to you. Once you calmed down you simply shrugged in response.

“Nightmare, ‘s all.” your voice wavered a tiny bit, but it was enough for him to notice.

Silence permeated the room once more as he thought about the situation. You clearly seemed shaken by whatever was plaguing your mind when sleeping, yet he didn’t really know how to help. He wasn’t the best with words, Hunter and even Wrecker were way better than him when it came to comforting people.

But then he paused. Thinking about Hunter reminded him of something his older brother would do whenever one of them had nightmares as cadets.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

As a kid Crosshair never took Hunter up on his offer to listen, but he would still sit with him in silence and let him wind down after the dream. Wrecker on the other hand often rambled about what had scared him and Hunter always found a solution for him. Tech often kept to himself, never mentioning when he had nightmares of his own, but he knew Hunter had his back should he ever wish to talk.

You chuckled, though it was humorless and heavy.

“You know I have worked with other clones, right?” he nodded, remembering the medical base you used to work at before joining Clone Force 99 as their field medic “I had a lot of patients there. Most we were able to treat, but… we lost a lot of them as well.” 

He could only imagine the kind of toll that took on someone.

“And it’s like they weren’t even people!” you whispered, frustrated tears collecting in your eyes “There wasn’t any family we could contact to deliver the bad news, at best one of his batchmates or another brother from the same battalion. But in the end it was just… crossing numbers out of a spreadsheet.” 

You took a deep breath in order to collect your thoughts.

“I see them when I fall asleep sometimes.” you smiled, but it was a sad smile, one that Crosshair didn’t think suited you at all “The ones I could save.” 

Crosshair didn’t know what to say to that. How much death had you witnessed before you met the Bad Batch? Before you met him? You had your own demons haunting you, and it served to show him that them, the soldiers fighting this war, weren’t the only ones affected by it.

“Come here.” he extended a hand to you.

“What?” you looked at him, confused.

He repeated himself, and when you stood up and stopped in front of him he gently grabbed your wrist and pulled you onto his lap, maneuvering you so your head was resting against his shoulder, your ear right above his heart.

“It’s not your fault.” he spoke into your hair “You cannot save everyone. All you can do is try.”

“What happens if I’m not able to save one of you?” he heard the terror in your voice and he couldn’t stand it.

“I won’t let that happen.”

“Cross…”

“I won’t.” he affirmed firmly “I watch over you so you can watch over us. Always.”

He could feel the tension in your body vanishing, as a comforting silence enveloped the both of you. Slowly, as your breathing slowed down and you fell back asleep, he tightened his grip on you, keeping you close to him. And you slept soundly and peacefully through the night, with Crosshair keeping guard of your dreams. 

+1 

Another mission, another success. Clone Force 99 was ordered to infiltrate a Separatist base on Agamar and retrieve some sensitive information regarding the former Separatist rule over Onderon. The mission was easy (at least by the Bad Batch’s standards) and Wrecker was overjoyed over getting to blow a droid tank up. But it was time to head back to Kamino, resupply and wait for new orders.

Wrecker practically barged out of the ship as soon as the Havoc Marauder touched the hangar on Tipoca City, claiming to be starving even though he had eaten not even an hour before. Tech, Echo and you followed him to the mess hall, and Hunter headed to the commander’s office to submit the several missions’ reports he was due, promising to join the four of you later. Similarly, Crosshair mentioned stopping by the armory to grab some more reflective disks as he was running out, shooting a wink your way as you promised to save him a seat next to you on the squad’s usual table.

On the way back to their quarters following his visit to the armory Crosshair bumped into Hunter and after a few words both decided to stop by their quarters in order to leave their equipment before heading to the mess hall to meet the others. As they wandered the sterile halls of the kaminoan facility, however, an incoming transmission from Hunter’s comm made them stop short.

“Hunter, where are you?” Tech’s usually calm and collected voice came through sounding a bit… panicky. Strange, Crosshair’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked at his brother; Tech didn’t panic.

“Crosshair and I are on our way to our quarters, why?”

“You might want to make a detour to the medbay.” Echo’s voice came in as well. “A fight broke out in the mess hall.”

Hunter pinched his nose as Crosshair sighed in annoyance. Typical. They’ve been back on Kamino for less than a standard hour and they were already in trouble.

“What did Wrecker get up to this time?” Crosshair spoke into his brother’s comm.

Echo and Tech paused, the silence on their end stretching for a moment.

“It wasn’t Wrecker.” Tech answered.

“This time.” Echo chimed in.

A distant ‘Hey!’ was heard as Hunter and Crosshair exchanged a confused yet concerned glance before rushing through the halls. Tech and Echo were waiting for them before the closed doors that lead to the medbay.

“What happened?” Hunter asked, his tone laced with tiredness, clearly fed up with his brothers’ antics. 

But before either of them could respond a pair of troopers, regs by the looks of it, walked out the doors. And they couldn’t look worse for wear; one of them had a busted lip and the other was sporting a broken nose, two large bruises already starting to climb up towards his eyes.

“Oh, look, the rest of the anomalies are here.” the one with the cut lip snickered, grimacing as the action pulled against the wound.

“How about you control your little shabuir next time, eh?” the other scoffed as they walked away “Crazy shebs medic and the genetic freaks, it’s like they were made for each other.”

As soon as the word ‘medic’ crossed the reg’s lips Crosshair was moving, busting through the doors of the medbay. What he saw made his heart clench with worry; you were sitting on a cot, holding Wrecker’s hand rather tightly as a medical droid worked on your face. Crosshair could see some caked blood on your hair as the droid cleaned the side of your forehead where it had dripped down. As the droid went over where the cut must have been you winced, to which Wrecker rubbed up and down your back.

“There, baar’ur’ika. It’s all better now.” Wrecker whispered, or at least tried to.

“Thanks, Wreck.” you smiled up at him “I’m just not used to being on the receiving end of medical care, that’s all. I’m always the one cleaning up your cuts, not the other way around.”

Crosshair was so engrossed in watching the exchange he barely heard his brothers follow him into the medbay.

“Some regs started provoking us as we were walking to our table in the mess hall.” Tech explained “She started getting agitated but we told her to just ignore it. But then… a pair of regs said something under their breaths only she could hear, and she…”

“She went ballistic.” Echo completed for Tech, who looked unsettled for once “It looked like she was out for their heads. So much so that Wrecker had to step in.”

Crosshair heard Hunter sigh behind him.

“Command is not gonna be happy with him for getting into a fight. Again.”

“Oh no,” Tech corrected “Wrecker intervened in order to pry her away from the regs. The two troopers who just walked out? That was all her doing.”

A strange sense of pride bloomed inside Crosshair’s chest and started crawling up his throat, his lips threatening to curl into a small smile. Not only were you always looking out for them on the battlefield, but also outside of it? The trust he had been building over time seemed to solidify at that very moment.

As the droid finished wrapping your injury and walked away, Wrecker finally seemed to notice them. 

“Look! Crosshair and Hunter are here!”

As your eyes finally found his, you seemed to light up entirely, akin to a little kid on Life Day.

“Come on, Wrecker, let’s get you some food.” Hunter called, a barely contained sigh escaping from his lips “From what I hear you didn’t get a chance to eat yet. And I have to go back to Command and report this incident.”

Your smile turned sheepish and Crosshair couldn’t tell if you were embarrassed over the slight reprimanding tone in the sergeant’s voice or because your shenanigans had caused everyone to miss dinner so far.

As the other’s left, he sat down on the foot of your cot next to your legs, his long fingers wrapping around your ankle.

“So” he drawled out, a small smirk pulling at his lips “I hear you got yourself in trouble?”

You chuckled, to which he squeezed your ankle playfully in return.

“Yeah, I guess your affinity for trouble is rubbing off on me.”

“I mean, you were assigned to us after all, you obviously aren’t the little angel Commander Cody made you out to be.” he joked, before letting his curiosity get the better of him “What did they say anyway to make you snap like that?”

He noticed the very moment your face fell, your smile slipping off your face and your eyes turning slightly dull.

“Oh, Cross.” there was something so sad in the way you said his name that he never wanted to hear again, even if it meant he never got to hear his name fall from your lips for the rest of his life “They were so vile. First they started talking about Tech, Wrecker and Echo and they just told me to ignore it, but then…” a very soft, almost unnoticeable sheen of tears brimmed in your eyes “They started talking about you, Cross.”

The grip he had on your leg grew even tighter as he physically recoiled, taken aback.

“They started saying these awful things about you and you weren’t even there.” you stammered “They were being cruel and mean to you behind your back and I couldn’t let that slide. I just remembered what you once told me, about how the regs treated you as cadets and I just… saw red. I didn’t even think, I just acted.”

Crosshair felt his heart skip a beat. You, their sweet medic, got into a physical altercation… because of him? Because you felt the need to protect not only him, but his vode as well? You, who baked cookies and was nice to him even when he pushed you away and insulted you, broke a soldier’s nose… for him?

“I-I’m sorry.” you sighed “I know I shouldn’t have, but-”

“Would you do it again?”

Now was your turn to be taken aback.

“What?”

“If a bunch of regs ever insulted me or my brothers again,” he said slowly, the words feeling heavy on his tongue “would you defend us again, even if it meant getting hurt?”

Your lips curled up in a gentle smile, one he came to realize was reserved for him and him alone.

“I’d do anything for you, Crosshair.”

In a moment he was by your side, not even realizing he was moving. He sat on the bed by your side as you scooted over, making space for him, and wrapped an arm around your shoulders. His lips pressed softly on the hair on the crown of your head as he spoke.

“I won’t let you get hurt, Copikla.” he whispered, the most vulnerable he had ever been “Not on my watch, you’re never getting hurt again.”

He sighed contently as you relaxed by his side, laying your head on his shoulder.

“I promise.”

[itsybitsybatsyspider]

The Dragon Prince Au Masterpost

So since i got so many ideas and thoughts for this au, imma just make a masterpost for this since i plan on expanding and adding more to it in the future. Thought it’d make context a bit easier to understand. There's quite a bit so buckle in fellas

Berk is an outpost village that lies along the border of Katolis and Xadia. The people and battalion there are known for their duty to ward off dragons and drakes when they get too close to the border, and they are based right on the edge of the border where both lands meet at the Gulf of Tenebris. 

The events from the first movie still kind of play out. Hiccup shoots down Toothless and hides it from everyone, but after learning about dragons and seeing that they’re misunderstood and that Berk has been provoking them, he then creates a disguise to help the dragons.

Of course, now everyone thinks that there’s a Sunfire elf out there fighting against them and why do they think he’s a Sunfire elf?? Because he creates Inferno in an attempt to mimic a Sunforge blade and paints his helmet to look like elf markings and builds in horns.

Jack is a Skywing elf, and a mage-in-training. He’s doing his best and lives with his mother and sister, Emily. Their village is to the north of the Ruins of Elarion and resides in the mountains.

He's out flying one day when he hears a dragon's roar and when he flies down to investigate he sees a human trying to catch a dragon. Filled with anger he jumps down and pulls up a spell, aiming it at the human, who stares back with his eyes wide and hands raised.

Hiccup was only trying to wrangle Toothless to try and put on a new and improved tailfin when out of nowhere a Skywing elf leaps out and points lightning at him???

So they get off on the wrong foot. But after seeing that Hiccup wasn't harming Toothless and Toothless was friendly towards Hiccup, did Jack lower his staff. He truly thought the human was going to try to kill the dragon to take it apart to send to the dark mages of the Katolin court. He'd heard stories of human "mages'' and their brand of "magic". But no. All that was in front of him was a startled human who had only been wanting to help a creature of Xadia.

and from there, their friendship begins.

Jack tells Hiccup about Xadia and Hiccup tells Jack about his home. They sneak off to hang out and take Toothless out flying. Jack uses Sky magic to make them go faster and higher and blows snow flurries their way to mess with Hiccup.

Hiccup brings pastries and food for Jack to try from home and gets him to try brown morning potion. It ends with Hiccup laughing on the ground and a cup frozen to the ground as Jack sputters in distaste at the bitterness

Jack manages to find a real Sunforge blade and gifts it to Hiccup. "Now you can pass off as a real Sunfire elf. Or at least close enough."

Toothiana is a Skywing elf. One of Jack’s friends and a family friend to the Frost-Overlands. She’s helped teach Jack some Sky magic but it’s not much. She tries to help him by hunting down books, tomes, and scrolls in her free time when she’s not busy

Bunny is an Earthblood elf who doesn’t stay in one place too long. But he does have a place on the outskirts of their village and sometimes lingers for a few weeks at a time before going back to his travels. His real home is in the Uncharted Forest.

Sandy is a Sunfire elf who passes through occasionally and is Tooth's source for magic books for Jack. Sandy lives near Lux Aurea but his work keeps him traveling around. He's a Sun mage and is currently hunting for the source of whatever magic has been corrupting creatures in Xadia and turning them into monsters made of nothing but shade and decay.

North is a human dwelling in Berk. He and Gobber run the smithy and create the defenses for the outpost and take turns running the shop. But North is actually a friend to Xadia (*cough* Bunny *cough cough* Tooth *cough* Sandy). It was the time before he came to Berk and he keeps these opinions to himself until he discovers what Hiccup has been doing in his spare time.

Astrid is the top-cadet in the training program at the outpost. Best in her class and has the highest chance of joining the Outpost Guard right off the bat. She and Hiccup are friends and she has trouble understanding his sudden reluctance to want to fight dragons and keep enemy forces at bay. This is their home. Doesn’t he want to protect it? Surely he must understand what’s at stake if creatures from Xadia were to invade. 

the rest of the teenagers are in the training program a well. Snotlout has aspirations to join the Katolin army at the Breach, Fishlegs just wants to study the flora and fauna of Xadia without it trying to kill him, and the twins... well they're the twins. They want to learn primal magic for pranks and get chased by a drake and cause havoc in general.

Jamie Bennett and his family live in Berk and Jamie has a secret that he's never told anyone. His best friend's an elf.

Jamie and Emily become friends before the events of the story start. And have been friends for months at this point. They've been lying to everyone to keep their friendship. So when Jack starts acting suspicious at home, claiming to go see some friends (he doesn’t have friends aside from her and Tooth) she starts paying attention to what he’s trying to hide. She fills Jamie in on it as well during one of their hangouts and he’s like “Oh weird, you know I've been noticing the Commander’s son has been disappearing as well.”

At one point Jack manages to get his hands on an illusion necklace, and gives it to Hiccup so that he can be fully disguised as an Earthblood elf. He wants to show him the beauty of his home and Xadia without the worry that he’ll get captured or killed and they spend a whole day going through Jack’s village and showing him everything. Emily follows along and keeps a sharp eye on Hiccup. 

She brings it up in their following recap. "So my brother had a friend over the other day... it was an Earthblood elf i had never seen before... he acted really weird." "Huh that's weird... Hiccup was gone the other day... no one could find him..." ".... Hiccup?"

and Pitch is a dark mage :)

At some point i may add more, but for now this is the base context for the Au. it was hard not to get carried away with adding even more but i think that about sums it up for now! Below is the art that's been posted already. I'll edit it as i post more but for now that's it!

Jack, Hiccup, and Toothless designs

Sunfire Elf Hiccup disguise

Jack's Wing Maintenance

First Meeting (and misunderstandings)

Questions Ask

Ask #2

Jack and His Sister

Astrid, Jamie, and Tooth Designs

Earthblood Elf Hiccup Illusion

Some Plot

[b0r3dtod3ath]

Jealous! Andrey who sees his gf laughing and getting along with famously outgoing players on tour like tommy, grigor, ben shelton etc and thinks he’s too shy for her etc or something along the lines of that

an: i changed it up a bit, i hope you like it!

cw: make out, curse word

Being in a relationship with a person who’s also a tennis player has advantages as well as some downsides. Sure, you traveled, practiced and prepared together but the atmosphere of a competition was noticeable. You two weren’t competing against each other but the feeling of your significant other talking to a person you have to beat in a tennis match isn’t the best.

This tournament you were assigned doubles with Ben. You have spoken a few times before but nothing more. As Andrey didn’t play doubles that time, you had to get a different partner. Nonetheless, you were still happy with the result, Andrey not so much. It’s not like he didn’t trust you, he just didn’t trust Ben. You were in the middle of a practice when you got the news. "Honey, guess what? I'm playing doubles with Ben! Isn't that amazing?" Andrey's fingers clenched around his racket, a sudden surge of jealousy flooding his mind. He forced a smile, but inside, a storm brewed. “That’s great. I'm sure you two will make a fantastic team”. He felt a hit of insecurity. Ben was everything he wasn't - outgoing, confident, and effortlessly charming. Andrey, on the other hand, often struggled with his shyness and self-doubt, especially in social situations. And you knew it. You were always the person to ease his mind, to help him overcome his anxieties. He had completely opened up to you, shared all his worries and emotions. 

Soon you continued the practice. It was time for Andrey to do a few serves. As he hit the ball a ‘bwoah” escaped his mouth. Struggling you returned, slightly losing your balance. “That was a bit too fast, don’t you think?” you said with an alarming voice “You nearly took my head off”. Andrey’s brows furrowed as he mumbled a quiet “Sorry” under his nose. But as he lined up for his next serve, his frustration bubbled to the surface once more. With a grunt of effort, Andrey unleashed another powerful serve, this time aiming it directly at your feet. You leaped out of the way just in time. "Andrey, what are you doing?" you exclaimed, your eyes wide with concern as you retrieved the ball once more. "You're being way too aggressive!". You rarely called him by his name. His temper flared at your words, his frustration boiling over into anger. "I'm just trying to get it right!” he snapped, his voice laced with irritation. "If you can't handle it, maybe you should go somewhere else!". Your eyes widened in shock. He was never harsh towards you. “Andrey, I’m trying to help, you know? But if you are going to behave like that for no reason then yeah, maybe I will go somewhere else. I’m not your fucking employee, get somebody else to get your frustrations on”. You said as you gathered your things. You looked at him once before exiting the court, he didn’t say anything, he didn’t even look at you. 

He sat at the bench alone for some time. He felt his thoughts eating his brain. Doubt clouded his mind, what if Ben's charm wins you over? What if you realized you preferred someone like him - someone more extroverted, social and fun? With a weary sigh, Andrey gathered his things and made his way back to the hotel you were staying at. When he arrived, he found you sitting on the balcony, your eyes as if made of glass. You looked up as he approached, yet there was no emotion was visible on your face. “I’m sorry” he said with regret “I didn’t mean it”. You studied his face for a moment before speaking up “I know, I forgive you. But we have talked about it. You shouldn’t bottle your emotions. Remember, you can always talk to me. And if you don’t want to talk to me you can talk to someone else, we are happy to help you. I’m not angry, I’m just a bit disappointed. But it’s alright.”

As days went by and you started training with Ben more you couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with Andrey. You tried to spend some extra time with him, even more than usual during the tournaments, but as you two focused on your own matches it was hard. One evening, as Andrey sat alone in the players' lounge, Ben approached him with a friendly smile. "Hey, Andrey! How's it going?" Andrey forced a polite smile, though his discomfort was evident. "Hey, Ben. Just... trying to stay focused on my matches." Ben nodded understandingly, sensing Andrey's unease. "I get it, man. Tournaments can be stressful. But hey, don't worry about y/n and me. We're just having fun out there." Andrey's jaw tightened at Ben's words, his jealousy flaring once more. He didn’t know if he was going to punch him first or vomit. "Yeah, well, some of us have more fun than others," he muttered under his breath, unable to hide the bitterness in his tone. Ben's brow furrowed in confusion, but before he could respond, Andrey excused himself, trying to find you. 

Although you didn’t complain, you were surprised at how touchy he was once he found you. Yes, he usually was quite cuddly and clingy, in a good way of course, but he definitely wasn’t a big “makeouts” guy. Once you two were alone in a hotel room he kissed you. His kisses were hard, needy - almost desperate. The room was filled with the sounds of heavy breathing and wet lips. His hands rested on your waist as you gave in. You played with his long hair, you loved it that way. Before you could even register, his lips moved from your lips to your jaw, stopping at your favorite spot. You thought your legs were going to give up as he took care of your neck. He quickly switched from soft kisses to intentionally sucking on your skin. The intensity and sensuality of pleasure mixed with pain created a wonderful experience. It didn’t last long as he detached himself from you, leaving you with a confused look on your face. "Did... did you just bite me?" you saw the way his face was becoming red and he avoided your gaze “Now you're quiet, great”. 

Later that evening as you were applying your skincare you noticed the way your neck looked. “You must be kidding me..” you whispered as your fingertips ghosted over the bruises. “Andrey! You bastard! Come here!” The echo from the bathroom made your voice two times louder. You looked at him in the mirror as he made his way to you, looking like a lost puppy. “Are you going to explain yourself?”.

Your own makeup didn’t help a lot so the purple marks were still evident. Ben made fun of you because of it during practice, but when he saw he hit a sensitive spot he stopped. Before playing a match, your friend helped you cover it up. Nonetheless, it still left a mark on your ego, you wanted to be seen as a tennis player and not just as a lover of Andrey. He has apologized numerous times for his boyish behavior, you weren’t mad at him but the whole situation was getting more and more frustrating. 

Despite your best efforts and great chemistry with Ben you two lost just before the final. Your shoulders slumped as you walked off the court, disappointment visible across your face. Andrey couldn’t help but cringe when your teammate tightly hugged you. He felt like it should have been him in that spot, cheering you up immediately after a loss.

Later that evening, back at the hotel, you and Andrey found yourself alone in your room, the weight of the day's events hanging heavily between you, no words spoken. Andrey couldn't bear the tension any longer, his heart heavy as a result of his earlier behavior. With a deep breath, he looked at you, his voice hesitant but sincere, his face tired. “Look at me, please”. Your eyes met his glossy ones. His posture was slumped as he was sitting at the edge of the bed. “I want to apologize for my behavior. I acted like a stupid teenager. I was jealous of you and Ben, I was insecure. It wasn’t fair to you. I’m sorry and I promise I will be better to you. I feel awful with what I did to you”. You walked up to him and stood between his legs. He immediately wrapped his hands around your thighs, and rested his head on your lower belly. Your fingers played with his hair, giving his head a gentle massage as you spoke. “I’m sorry too, I should have noticed and I should have asked how you are feeling.” “No, no. It’s my fault. I was disrespectful. I have to work on my insecurities”. 

May 16, 2024

[captain-mj]

Hmm what if—

Little red riding hood Soap and big bad wolf Ghost but—

Soap is not a little girl going to grandma’s house but a hunter in disguise trying to lure the wolf out to kill it, however—

Ghost has been watching the hunter with interest for a while and didn’t fall for Soap’s little trick, so—

They somehow ended up fucking :)

OH absolutely!!! Been a while since I wrote straight smut

CW: slight Dubcon? It’s super clear that Soap is interested, but he won’t admit anything because he’s a hunter

Ghost spent a giant portion of his time hunting, so he didn't fall for the little act of Soap's. He knew exactly what he was doing. The little glances around were not the actions of a nervous little prey item, but the experienced actions of someone who knew what to look out for.

It was currently February, meaning it was smack dab in the middle of his normal mating season. The scent of this hunter set his senses alight. They smelled of wolfsbane and... wolf? Right above human? Either way, they certainly got his instincts going if nothing else. Something just rugged enough to tie it up in to a nice little present for Ghost was there too.

He wondered what this hunter would do if they knew the monster they were hunting was not only hunting him back, but thinking of how he'd look knotted and fucked out.

This guy looked very much like he'd whimper if Ghost railed him just right.

Soap went down the trail, spreading their scent. His crossbow was clipped to his belt, Ghost just barely seeing it.

He snapped a twig and silently disappeared in the other direction, watching Soap whip it out and shoot a bolt exactly where he had just been.

Ghost circled around, doing it a few more times until Soap was on edge and aiming at one specific spot. All of his focus was on the small area where twigs kept snapping and not Ghost sneaking up on him.

His hands fit around Soap's waist as he dragged him to the ground.

Soap tried to defend himself but they were too close now and he couldn't get the crossbow between them to hit him. Ghost put one giant clawed hand around Soap's throat and pinned one of other arms, leaving him to pathetically kick and hit at him.

"Stop squirming."

Soap paused. "You can speak? Wasn't expecting that."

Ghost flipped him over and shoved his face into the ground, looking at the red hood that covered him. It went down his back like a cape and it was in the way.

Ghost shoved it to the side and paused.

Soap grabbed one of the knives on his belt and embedded it in Ghost's arm. He quickly bit him where his scruff would be and snarled, both of them at a stand still.

"Knife catch you by surprise?" Soap referred to when he paused, wondering if it was because he had more weapons.

Ghost laughed. "How fat your ass is."

Soap became belligerent. Quickly gasping and thrashing and acting like Ghost had been wildly inappropriate. "You! Don't look at my..." his ears were bright red.

Ghost bit down a tiny bit harder. "Take that fucking knife out of me before I break your spine."

Soap hesitated before yanking it out. "You murderer."

"I've only murdered deer." Ghost crouched on top of him. "No human murdering here."

Soap scowled. "Liar." He finally got the upper hand, kicking Ghost directly in the ribs.

Ghost yelped and leaps back. “I haven’t. Humans have too many bones And the meat is too sweet. Might make an exception for you.”

Soap frowned at him but didn’t move. They both stayed still and just stared.

“Huh.”

“What?”

“For some reason, I believe you.” Soap sat up and slowly got up. “You really haven’t eaten anybody?”

Ghost shook his head. “Plenty of deer to go around.”

Soap slowly raised his bow. “Why did you attack me then? Why not leave? And why make that weird comment??”

Ghost stretched to his full height of 6’4 and his fur stood on end to make himself look bigger. “You hunted me first.”

“Fair point. And that comment?”

“An observation.” Ghost growled softly and Soap scoffed, glancing away. He took advantage of that moment of weakness, running at him and grabbing him again, letting them both fall. Soap’s hands were trapped under Ghost’s legs and he couldn’t move more than an inch. “You should really research creatures you hunt.”

Soap scowled at him before flushing as Ghost forced his legs open. He didn’t plan to do anything to Soap. Especially not anything unwanted. However, he definitely wanted one thing and that was to find out where the scent of wolf was. And also to maybe enjoy more of him. Perfect material for later.

He pressed his nose to the inside of his thigh where his arteries were.

Soap was hard. He felt it against his cheek. His entire face was bright red as Ghost kept his legs open. There wasn’t an ounce of fight in him as Ghost continued to sniff over him. He found the piece of wolf hide in his pocket and felt a tad betrayed.

Soap hummed. “It was that or dog piss. Heard both attract you guys.” He glanced down and saw the way Ghost was tensed.

Ghost ran his nails gently over his chest. “How evil. To trick a wolf looking for a mate like that.”

Soap turned bright red. “Oh. Oh.”

Ghost grinned, giant teeth showing. He started to drag him to his cave and Soap started to fight again. “Wait. Wait!! I wouldn’t be a good mate. I’m terrible at cooking.”

“Got thick thighs. All I really need.”

“You can’t even breed me!”

“I’m sure I could try.” Ghost looked down, noticing that Soap was not bothering to grab his crossbow. “I should at least try knotting you a few times.”

Soap flushed as he was put in Ghost’s nest. The bow was clearly dropped by the entrance. “What about…” He went quiet as Ghost grabbed him and undressed him roughly. His thighs went around Ghost’s shoulders.

“You smell sweet.” He ran his tongue over the vein in his leg before nuzzling into the soft skin. “Really sweet.”

Soap tried to kick him but Ghost wouldn’t let him. “Awa' an bile yer heid.”

“Speak English. If I can learn your language, you can speak the one I know.”

That red cape stayed on.

It was the only thing that stayed on Soap as Ghost started to lick at his body. He couldn’t use his claws to prep him so his tongue would have to do.

Soap did whimper. They were small and stunted, clearly he wanted to cover them. But Ghost heard everything. So he pushed his tongue into him instead of just teasing.

Soap jackknifed, hands scrambling to tangle into his hair. He shook slightly before a tremble ran up his spine. “So good. So deep, Jesus.”

Ghost didn’t bother responding. He just enjoyed his meal until Soap had saliva running down his thighs and he had been loosened up. Soap had long started begging for something. Ghost wasn’t sure if it was for him to stop or give him more but he was yanking Ghost close and crying in pleasure every second he could.

Slowly, making sure to draw it out, Ghost pulled his tongue away from Soap’s now gaping hole. Soap whined and clenched desperately around nothing.

Ghost yanked him around, positioning him so he was presenting. Soap arched his back like he was trained to do it, hiding his face in his arms as if embarrassed.

“Are you big?”

Ghost lined up, not answering verbally. Instead he just started to press himself inside.

Tight.

So tight.

His brain stopped functioning, only able to focus on thrusting more of himself in.

Soap panted in arousal and he spread his legs a little to give Ghost more room. Despite how big Ghost was, he made it look easy as his eyes rolled back. He whimpered once Ghost had almost finished sliding in.

“So big. What the Fuck.” Soap wiggled his ass enticingly and Ghost slammed in the last couple of inches. He wailed at the feeling and then broke off into little whimpers. “Splitting me open.”

Ghost’s head felt fuzzy from a mix of Soap’s compliments and the tight, hot thing around him. He was supposed to let him go for other people after this? No. He’d convince him to stay. Only Ghost got to enjoy this.

Maybe he could train him so he could only cum on his knot. Imagining Soap having to come back, sexually frustrated and needing something only Ghost could give him.

He finally started moving, now sure Soap wouldn’t break apart if he did.

“Soap right?”

“You can call me Johnny.” He said, looking blissful. Tears were running down his face and one hand was now pressed to his stomach where Ghost was. “Oh god, it’s so good. So much.” He cut himself off to scream as Ghost found something.

Ghost sped up and planted by his ear. He bit at his throat gently, slamming in over and over and over again.

Soap sobbed as he came all over himself, eyes rolling back. His legs were shaking so hard, they gave out, only held up by Ghost’s hands.

Soap sobbed harder when Ghost started to knot him. Ghost worried for a minute he might actually be hurting him until he heard the frantic pleading for him to break him open. He was clearly enjoying himself.

When he finished knotting him, he came, rocking insistently right against his prostate the whole time.

“There we go.” Ghost slapped his ass. “Told you, nice thighs were all I need. An accent doesn’t hurt.”

Soap nodded. “Aren’t you going to pull out?”

“You don’t want me to do that.”

Soap growled at him before shifting and gasping. “How long until your knot goes down?”

“Long enough for me to recover for round two.”

“And how long do you plan on keeping me here?” Soap sounded cheeky.

“As long as you’ll let me.”

-

Ghost proceeded to pin him to the wall and fuck several orgasms out of him. Soap barely seemed coherent towards the end, legs trying to keep Ghost moving.

Cum was running down Soap’s legs as Ghost continued, searching for his own release. He felt Soap shudder and cry into his shoulder.

“I can’t keep… Fucking hell, you’re going to drive me insane.”

Ghost picked up the place at that and Soap held him tight. He screamed properly when knotted this time, sensitive and sore and open enough that there was a sweet sting of pleasure to it and Ghost watched his cock twitch.

Soap stared at the ceiling, clearly trying his best to collect himself.

“So what position do you want to do next?”

Soap whimpered but when Ghost licked at his tears Im apology, he leaned in.

“Can we do it on the floor again? Me facing you this time?”

Done.

-

Ghost regretted not doing this first. Soap’s ankles were by his ears as he pounded into him. His whole body was getting more and more instinct driven. It was a shame Soap simply wasn’t capable of really coming anymore. The little masochist was still enjoying it, but he was tapped out.

That didn’t mean Ghost didn’t put all his effort into making him. Poor thing looked positively broken.

“Johnny.”

“Mmh.” Soap managed, clearly in a state of bliss.

“You alright?”

“Please keep knotting me.”

That was all Ghost needed. He adjusted his position and started to pound into him, making Soap twitch and clench around him with every thrust.

“You were made for this. Being bred by me. Wonder what everyone would think if they knew you. A great hunter was so easy.”

Soap whimpered And his cock started to leak again.

Ghost grinned. “Forgot to check the month and now does nothing but take a monster’s knot. Being bred and broken, yeah?”

Soap nodded immediately. “I want that. Yes.”

Ghost knotted him right then and there’s, watching him almost pass out as they came at the same time. He knew he could drag another one out of him.

“I’ll give it to you, Johnny. Don’t worry.”

[hitlikehammers]

almost out of time

rating: t ♥️ cw: boys being very unserious ♥️ tags: established relationship, featuring the party as supporting cast, also featuring shootouts! (with the most negligible stakes), post S4, slice of life, softness

for @steddielovemonth day twenty: Love is saying "I love you" even when you're scared (@quinns-shadowy-arts)

early 90s rockstar husbands, baby ♥️ this is apparently what happens when you say 'oh I'll skip day 20 because I have no ideas' and then ideas come for you because you were arrogant ♥️

“Stevie,” Eddie’s breathless, and he is, in fairness, often breathless around that name but this…

Not like this.

“Shh,” Steve bites out, hisses low through clenched teeth as he presses Eddie into the wall a little harder, chest heaving against Eddie’s; “quiet.”

“Steve,” Eddie pants, looking over his shoulder in the dim, there’s fog too, from where Eddie has no fucking clue but it cuts his line of sight to only just beyond Steve’s reach; he’s no use, and he tries to listen for the approach, for footsteps, but his heartbeat’s too loud; “Steve, we’re—"

A finger presses hard, jams his lips up against his teeth as Steve glares out the corner of his eye.

“They’ll fucking hear us,” he leans so close Eddie can feel the dampness of his words when he speaks, then the full drag of his lips; feels the instruction more than hears:

“Stay quiet.”

And Eddie’s trying, he really is, but they’re…this is fucking hopeless, isn’t it? They’re outnumbered, they’ve been running for fuck knows how long. Everyone else is already gone, it’s just them, and they…they can wait it out as long as they want and Eddie would take forever with Steve, he would, but not like this, and fuck, fuck—what good is it, what’s the point when it’ll change nothing—

“But Steve,” Eddie whispers, but his breath catches it and threatens to whine through his words; he nearly chokes trying to rein it back but Steve’s got his whole hand against his mouth, now: not hard, but present. Like a bolster. It feels protective. It feels safe where there’s no safety left.

The red flashes in the dim and fuck; fuck

“Stay down, and don’t fucking talk, okay?” Steve breathes harsh right against Eddie’s ear, and Eddie’s shoved up against him so close, so close that his warmth is Eddie’s warmth in the chill, so close he can feel Steve’s pulse inside his own; they’re, it’s—

They’re almost out of time.

“St—"

And then Steve’s lips are on his, insistent, demanding, claiming, keeping, his tongue in Eddie’s mouth and sure, it’s a very effective, tried and true way to shut Eddie up, but this: this feels like so much more; it’s all passion and feeling, adrenaline and that tip-of-a-knife feeling, that plunge-before-the-plunge and Eddie’s heart feels bold for it, and he sucks at Steve’s lip and kisses once with force of his own before he breaks off and cups Steve’s cheek, reaches to cradle his face full-on and steals one last kiss before looking him square in the eye, decision made, though—

There wasn’t really a decision to it; there’s no choice to be had when it’s him, or Steve.

“I love you, baby,” Eddie tells him fierce, with all the feeling in him; “so fucking much,” which is always true, not just here at the end. He hopes Steve knows that.

“Eddie, what the hell—"

And Eddie’s scrambling up, creeping out from their hiding place and toward the shuffling approach incoming.

“What are you doing?” Steve rasps, lunging to grab at Eddie’s ankle but Eddie’s determined, he’s got momentum, he’s already up and clearing the corner and—

“For love!” he cries out as he leaps into the open, arms wide and asking for the hit—

And it comes, it fucking comes almost immediately.

Eddie drops to the ground, gasping.

And then they’re on top of him.

“Fucking drama queen,” Dustin, Dustin of all of them has the goddamn audacity to say to him as he walks over his prone frame and takes aim at Steve who, in fairness, does take out Mike before Dustin takes three pulls to hit him and win the game to screeching digital fanfare through the speakers.

“You could have just stayed down, man,” Steve huffs with a roll of his eyes as he stands up and unbuckles his vest.

“We were almost out of time!” Eddie gapes a little, sitting up and pointing forcefully toward the big red numbers counting down how many seconds they had left in the arena. Less than three minutes.

“We could have made it, these shitheads still don’t have any aim,” Steve purses his lips with so much of that…that glorious bitchy judgement Eddie loves most to lick off of him, he wonders where he can drag him to—

The flickering of colors next to him catches his attention and: oh. Right. They dragged the kids here. It’s fucking sweltering, they’re all back from school, and the options were swimming or something air-conditioned. And the new releases at the movie theater were all kinda shitty.

And Eddie cannot risk getting them thrown out of here for public indecency at the minimum: the laser tag’s connected to the best fucking arcade in town.

And frankly, yeah: it’s been years in the plural now since they shut the Upside Down…y’know, down, but he’s kinda proud of the guys, extra proud of his Stevie, and actually, yeah, kinda proud of himself, that what with the dark, and the lights, and red and the guns: they were fine. They were safe.

It was fun. It was just a game.

“I mean,” Eddie picks back up his defense, gesturing at the at the kids with their little chest plates all blinking a celebratory red-blue-white-blue-red that feels either very patriotic or very law-enforcement-themed while his and Steve’s remain dark; “they were on their way to our location, one of us had to draw their attention,” and it was going to be Eddie because…

Because: for love.

“We weren’t gonna look there,” Lucas deadpans as Mike snickers and high-fives Dustin a little…a little too triumphantly and okay, fine, he thinks he’s starting to get why Steve had been taking this so seriously: to keep the shitheads from this kind of ego-inflating victory; “we were headed the other way.”

Eddie doesn’t even have to turn to feel the weight of Steve's stare, the vindication and self-congratulation in it's just…tangible in the air.

“Oh,” Eddie bites his lip, tries to think of an angle; “umm,” he twirls his hair and then Steve’s at his side, bumping his shoulder and he can’t really hide, or delay any further—and it’s Steve, next to him, so: he doesn’t exactly want to that bad, anyway, so he turns and gives the softest, widest-eyed look he can muster:

“Good intentions?” he sells it for as much as he can gather up, and Steve?

Steve just snorts, and bumps his shoulder, pretty fucking hard.

“You’re unbelievable,” Steve chuckles a little, shakes his head but doesn’t rush to follow the boys to the armory; he glances that way, but turns back quick, and then he’s grabbing the back of Eddie’s neck and: oh.

Yeah, this was more what Eddie’d been going for with the farewell-forever-my-most-beloved kiss he left Steve with before his grand-though-arguably-unnecessary sacrifice.

“And you’re buying lunch,” Steve breaks off with a nip to his lower lip before shoving his target-vest at Eddie’s chest and making for the door.

And Eddie’s a little breathless again, as he whines Steve’s name—so fucking often, just, breathless around that name—before he struggles a little to unhook his own vest because he’s actually hungry, now that Steve’s landed him with the bill for lunch, but really: it’s a fucking empty threat, either way.

Like: they share a fucking bank account.

tag list (comment to be added): @pearynice @hbyrde36 @slashify @finntheehumaneater @wxrmland @dreamwatch @perseus-notjackson

♥️

divider credit here

[yanderemommabean]

Southern yandere being raised on those good morals and Christian values until they meet reader. Being the apple of the towns eye and everyone’s favorite golden boy turned into a savage mess when anyone dares to mess with his darling! Perverted once he see’s reader in revealing clothes for the summer (to beat that southern heat!). Suddenly he has to pray more often since only not so sacred thoughts come to mind when he thinks of you (which is ALL the time). The polite manners being CRANKED UP when they are in ur vicinity. The oh so bold flirting! BEING COURTED by the most desired guy in TOWN. And no one would help u girl, u think THE (his name) would bother stalking YOU? How pretentious. Knows how to court a lady but if you keep on playing hard to get he’ll just have to show you he’s the BEST and ONLY option for you.

“Well hello there August!” You say with a sweet smile, fanning yourself by tugging at your shirt as sweat seeps into the fabric. “What brings you by? Needing more chicken eggs?” you ask, used to the man asking for one or more things he could buy from you or help you out with. Always so courteous and gentlemen like, even when you insist he doesn’t have to be. 

It’s sweet, you’ll admit. He’s been trying his best to be sweet and kind to you, even the town is beginning to think you’re all he worries about anymore. His duties often get neglected when you’re on his mind, which seems to be every hour of the day. 

“No, no, I was just comin by to see why you’re working in heat like this. You could get killed if you aint careful y’know? Jesse nearly had a heat stroke a few days ago ‘cause he thought he could handle the stables all by himself” 

You snort, dusting your hands off on your jeans “Well, I ain’t Jesse. Jesse needs to learn a thing or two about asking for help when he needs it too, I learned that lesson the hard way”. August laughs at that, tipping his hat as he does so. “Yeah, boy aint the brightest. I’ll give you that. You wouldn’t mind taking a break for sweet tea or anything would ya? I’d love to waste your time for a bit”. 

Nodding, you begin to walk into your house, heading to the sink to wash your hands from the dirt and muck covering them from the chores. “I’ll make ya a glass in just a sec, let me get a bit cleaned up. You get your things done today? Pastor told me to yell at you a bit if you lagged behind one more time. Think he meant it too, ‘is face was redder than hell”. 

August comes up from behind, wrapping his arms around you as you stand at the sink. Your face dusts pink as he lays his head on your shoulder, his breath right on your ear as he gruffly says “Don’t worry about what he says. I know what I’m doing, and how I’m gonna do it. Anyone gives you more trouble you come to me alright?” 

The sudden playful mood felt more tense, his arms squeezing you tight against him as your voice struggled to come out. “You’re like a hen, I swear. I'm not some dainty little belle, I can tell a pastor off if I need to. Now sit down, I’ll make you a glass”. 

You two sit and chat for a while, August giving you stares that you couldn’t quite read from time to time as you mention how your life here was going. He was a real sweetheart, a man of manners and good values, it’s no wonder the whole town loves him. But there's something there, stirring and growing, you just don’t know it yet. 

It’s a dark, unleashed beast of a thing for sure. 

-------------

Six months have passed since you’ve moved down here, and the winter seems awfully brutal. Your house is refusing to stay warm lately, and as much as you hate to admit it, you’re terrible with a wood cutting axe. Never could get the aim right. 

As if on cue, the towns most beloved bachelor comes driving into your yard in his truck, practically leaping out as he runs to you with a worried and dare you say frustrated appearance. “What on earth has gotten into you? Put me down!” you hollered, being lifted up over his shoulder with ease as he carries you inside without so much as a hello. 

“Me? What’s gotten into you? It’s below freezing and you’re out there trying to cut wet wood that won’t burn! You’re gonna get frost bite, and momma won’t let me hear the end of it if I let you get hurt!” 

“For your information I was doing just fine!” you scold, being dropped down gently onto your couch as he stands over you, arms crossed over his chest. “...I ain’t moving until you promise me you won’t go back out there in weather like this” 

“Unfair game to me. Seeing as alls I gotta do is tickle you in the right spot to get you out of my way” 

“Dangerous game to play to me, seeing as your touch would do a bit more than tickle me” he says with a seductive tint to his voice, his face coming down to meet yours as you become more flustered “A touch from a sexy thing like you, wouldn’t make me move out of the way. It’d make me pick you up and show you how I wanna touch you too” 

You both stay there for a minute, your eyes becoming playful and your tone more flirty as you lean closer, daring to kiss his lips. “Hmm. And what would your momma think if something happened before marriage?” 

“Who says I can’t make you say my name without breaking that rule?” 

“Oh now you’re just being a mean old flirt. Is this your way of warming me up? Cause as much as I like it, I do need to get work done” 

August doesn’t budge. If anything, he seems determined to tower over you like this, keeping you in place. “I think you’d be better off at my house for a few days. Especially since the holidays are coming up and the weather is only gonna get worse” he says as if he didn’t just act like he would go a few rounds in the bedroom with you. 

“We’ve talked about this-” 

“I know. You’re worried about the animals and such. Never said I wouldn’t let you come by to do your stuff, I just think you need a place with actual heat since this place is clearly in need of more repair than we thought. It ain’t gotta be a month or nothing, just til we get it fixed” 

You worry your lip, unsure and not exactly comfortable with just staying a few nights at his house. “The town will think we’re being a bit-” 

“The town also thinks aunt Susie's pie is the best, but they ain’t right in that regard either” he cuts you off, taking your cold hand and kissing your fingertips softly “I won’t do nothing, I promise. I’ll even let the church and every gossiper in town have a piece of my mind if they start making you upset. Just please, let me keep you warm. It’ll break my heart if I know you’re suffering like this any longer” 

His eyes are so sweet as they plead, and how he holds and warms your hands makes this deal all the more enticing. What can you say? You really have no other choice, and you’re so lucky to have him here for you like this. “A-alright, August. Just until we figure out why my heat aint working. No more than that” 

Oh, just knowing you’d come willingly at all is more than he could’ve asked for. He hates having to force his hand in these situations, but it’s needed! That’s why he had to ruin your heating system, to show you that he’d be the better option in the long run and he could get you out of that shithole house faster. 

But he won’t tell his little secret. The plan is to get you in his home, then in his bed, and in his arms. Town can think whatever they want, but no one would suspect him of sabotage and stalking. He plays his role very well, knows how to manipulate anyone who tries and ruin his chance with you. If they push too hard for you to leave, he might just stage another accident or two. 

Whatever it takes to keep you with him and him only. 

((HI! I hope this didn’t go too off the rails, I really enjoyed it! I hope you did too! -Mommabean))

[heavenlytouches]

Erik Lehnsherr- my hero

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝

GN reader

<3 (SFW)

TW-none

Erik saves you with his powers <3

I know his name is Max but I'm used to -Eric- TwT

Erik Lehnsherr

The midnight air was crisp and eerie, the streetlamps barely piercing the darkness that enveloped the small, empty town.

You strolled alongside Erik, the glow of distant stars reflecting in his eyes. Even in the hushed silence of the night, you could feel the warmth radiating from him, a blend of bravery and an aura that drew you in.

Erik was unique—self-conscious yet sarcastically funny, and somehow heroic without even trying. With every step, his casual jokes eased the tension of the deserted streets, making you laugh despite the chilling wind that bit at your cheeks.

An ordinary evening had turned into something enchanting, and part of you never wanted it to end.

Suddenly, a loud clang echoed down the street, shaking the stillness and causing your heart to race.

You both turned toward the source of the sound: a rusted metal sign teetering above a forgotten storefront. You barely had time to process the sinking realization when it came crashing down, aimed straight for you.

In an instinctual blur, Erik leaped forward. Time slowed as you watched him extend his hands out towards the sign, and with a flick of his wrists, the metal twisted mid-air, veering away from you and slamming harmlessly against the pavement a few feet away. Stunned, you stood frozen as he turned, breathless but steady.

“Did you just-”

You stammered, looking at the now-still sign with wide eyes.

“Eh, just a lucky catch.”

He replied with a dismissive wave, although the humor in his voice was tinged with relief. Yet, the way he brushed it off didn’t convince you.

Your heart raced not just from the near-miss but from the realization of how close you had come to disaster, your thoughts swirling as you attempted to comprehend what just happened.

“Lucky? Erik, that sign could have crushed me! You… you just moved it with your...with...”

He looked at you, an awkward smile creeping across his face.

“I don’t have a mind, just a really good reflexes.”

“Reflexes? Come on. That was amazing!”

You felt a tingling warmth spreading through you, not just from gratitude but an undeniable spark of connection.

“You saved me, Erik. You’re a hero.”

You said, a small but terrified grin on your face, your eyes widening.

“Hero?”

He chuckled, yet you saw a hint of pink creeping up in his cheeks.

“I just don’t want you to end up as a pancake. That’s not exactly my idea of a good night out.”

As the adrenaline faded, a comfortable silence replaced the previous rush. Stars twinkled overhead, and you both stood in the middle of the desolate street as if the world had paused.

“I want to know more about you...”

You finally said, words spilling out before you could think them through.

“About your powers… How do you do that?”

His gaze caught yours, and you could see a glimmer of reluctance mingled with curiosity.

“I’ll tell you everything. It might be a long story, though.”

“Perfect. I’ve got all night.”

You grinned, trying to lighten the mood, but deep down, you could feel the impending weight of his truth.

“Okay. How about this…”

Erik’s demeanor shifted, the care in his voice overriding his self-consciousness.

“Let’s make it a date—just the two of us. Tomorrow night, same time? You can ask all the questions you want then.”

You felt your heart flutter at the prospect.

“A date sounds fantastic—if you promise no more heroics.”

“I make no promises.”

He winked, and for a fleeting moment, the normality of it all felt surreal.

As you both continued your walk—slower now with a different kind of energy buzzing in the air—you felt a sense of gratitude wash over you. Not just for his powers saving you but for his courage to open up, to share his unique world with you.

The chilly night air no longer felt as empty as it once had. It was filled with possibilities, with a spark of something that was as intoxicating as it was scary.

You couldn’t help but wonder how many more hidden depths this man had—this hero who was so much more than just a power, and how he might change your world.

As you approached the edge of town, where streetlights flickered a bit brighter, Erik turned to you, a teasing glint in his eyes.

“So, do you always get nearly crushed by signs on your evening outings, or is it just an exclusive thing for us?”

You laughed, your heart racing at the thought of what more was to come.

“I hope it’s just a one-time thing.”

And in that moment, you knew this was only the beginning of something brilliant, a magnetic force pulling you together into an adventure neither could have predicted.

Well, well, Erik welcome in my Marvel universe! This was such a sweet one, idk why I love it so much TwT

I write for multy fandoms, just ask and remember, requests are always welcome!

I love you guys so much

El <3

(all images were made by: El via canva & paint)

[falling-star-cygnus]

First time asking for a request...uhhh if you're still doing em. Have Billy angst of being trapped somewhere (my mental thought is under a building and some rubble keeping him pinned) and waiting for rescue, in a hollow. Make him wait a long time before help comes and debate morbidly what will kill him first: the corruption or the crushed body parts ;))

i am still doing requests!! honestly my inbox is always open to any kind of question, or thought, or request you want to share! -> i love interacting with you all, even if i don't respond right away

this is a great idea btw, yet another fantastic trope i wish was exploited more

im taking several liberties with the process of corruption :D -> brief references to Dismemberment in the beginning

All things considered, fighting an Ethereal inside a.. relatively small building was not their best idea. Neither was fighting four stories off the ground, but... well.

Nicole had taken on a client that had insisted on going with them- to make sure the Cunning Hares didn't 'pull the wool over his eyes' or whatever. Billy hadn't really listened to his tirade.

He probably should have, considering then he might've caught on to the fact that the client's Ether aptitude absolutely SUCKED.

Corruption was never a pretty thing to watch, sickening in the way stalagmite and geode petal like appendages forced their way through bone and skin and downright painful to hear the tortured wails that ripped through the air. Their former client clutches his- its?

"...Look.. if it'll make you feel better, I'll return it to you. Er- it's parts anyway."

-his newly orb shaped head and bashes it against floors and walls. Each crash spiderwebs across the feeble foundations and shakes the Hares up like a children's toys. The android's back hits the ledge of a window.

This wasn't good, if the fight lasted any longer it'd send all of them crashing down to their deaths. Billy couldn't even find stable enough footing to shoot! Which- normally wouldn't be too much of a problem, but he absolutely would not risk hitting the girls in this sardine can proximity.

He lines up a shot.

And is immediately knocked off center when Nekomata is flung towards him. Billy yelps and catches the small Thiren as softly he can, thankfully avoiding firing his gun directly into her back.

...that was going to keep him up later.

"ACk... sorry Billy," Nekomata yips out, leaping right back into the fray after getting steadied. Her cat paws navigate the crumbling floor deftly, even if her attacks don't do much damage.

None of their attacks did.

What the hell.... we need to get out. Billy takes aim once more.

"Billy!" Nicole scolds, struggling to keep her footing and bludgeon the Ethereal, "why aren't you doing anything!?"

"What? I'm trying, Boss!" he snaps back, uncharacteristically waspish in the face of their... situation, "do you want me to shoot one of you??"

Billy refocuses on the Ethereal as it lunges towards him, missing the way Nicole cringes and sputters out a cowed rebuttal. It- he was finally close enough that the android didn't have to worry about... less then friendly fire.

He slides into a dodge, lining up his shot just right as time seems to slow down and-!

The floor gives out under his foot.

The bullet goes wide, just barely glancing over the Ethereal's sickle like limbs. Thankfully it doesn't hit anybody, but Billy's head cracks into the edge that his foot fell into.

His vision sensors go white, blanking everything out in an awful burst of static.

The next thing he remembers is calloused- small- hands tugging at his jacket, raised voices, ringing, and then...

....ow..

Billy powers back on, very much against his will.

He doesn't remember powering off, ever, sure, but the bliss of unawareness had to be better than- whatever this was. His limbs hurt, and there's a crack over the right glass of his eye- and it hurts.

Heavy, heavy weight pins his lower torso down, and he can vaguely feel something stabbing between the plates of his stomach, but it's hard to make out what exactly it was in the dim surroundings.

Where was he anyway? Wasn't he just-

Awareness jackknifes through him.

The building. The building had crashed, the building had crashed and Billy was underneath it. The building had crashed and Billy had no idea if the girls had made it out okay. The building had crashed.

He could be rebuilt, if it came down to it, he could be repaired like nothing had ever happened, but their human skin couldn't. Circuitry sputters into a higher power under the wrecked metals of the android's body, a mimicry of the way a heart accelerates under stress.

The rubble refuses to budge no matter how much he scrabbles at it.

Not good... Billy thinks, giving the ground under him one final shove like it might dislodge the cement blanketed over him. The wires exposed on his arms spark in protest before deciding to fail entirely and send him back to the floor.

This had been... the worst mission the Hares' had taken.

How long had he been here already? How much longer did he have until he turned into an Ethereal? Billy had never been the best at sitting still, even when he was powered off- and he did even worse in cramped spaces. And now...

This was hell, the android was sure of it. A liminal space of torture just for him. He wanted to go back to being offline.

Why was he always getting the short end of the stick when it came to the Cunning Hares', anyway?

Billy swats that thought away as soon as it forms, feeling guilt settle into whatever was left of his wiring. It was a good thing that he took more blows than the others, he could handle it better.

He could be put back together better. Like nothing had ever happened. He could withstand Ether corruption longer, even if it made him feel sick and sluggish.

This was nothing.

...Are they even looking for me? A traitorous part of Billy's mind whispers. A seed that takes root.

But- of course they were! The android was an integral part of the team!

...wasn't he?

Green- like Anby's hoodie, or Nicole's eyes- flickers to life between the lines of his plating.

He was good firepower, at the very least. Even if Nekomata could hit twice as hard, twice as fast. Free labor? None of them really got paid to be a Cunning Hare.

...their- friend?

"Meeting Billy Kid increases my chances of survival by over 67.8%. I'm glad you're ok, Billy." "It wouldn't hurt him if he's wearing a thick sweater"

"Billy-!" Nicole had sounded worried... "Can't you be more like Nekomata?"

Metal creaks as black buds sprout between his joints.

The Cunning Hares' cared about him right? Sure- they didn't let him join in on hugs or affectionate leans or high fives, but that's just 'cuz he was metal! It was uncomfortable to touch his unyielding make.

That didn't really stop them from hitting him though, even if it didn't hurt. Much.

Physically.

...they weren't going to come for him.

The buds bloom into hauntingly pretty geometric flowers.

[nekassvariigs]

Shanks, mihawk with an s/o who is secretly very strong like y/n can be getting yelled at and she doesn't do anything and if y/n is in danger she was always saved.but this time Y/N kinda just snapped like she made a whole bloodbath

(its a bit harder to write some gore for mihawk since the man is known not to go looking for trouble so this was my best idea for him)

Shanks

he's seen you loose your shit once but he was still suspicious that it wasn't your full extent of emotions.

Shanks had a bone to pick with a certain crew for a long time however it wasnt until the bastards showed up trying to put holes in his ship that he began getting really upset with them.

"Duck!" he'd jesture for you to evade the oncoming attack knowing fully well you liked when he showed up in a blaze of glory to save your ass.

And so, you stood there waiting for the blade to strike you to feel the sting of ripping skin and yet nothing, a strong clash of metal echoed before you Shank's sword glistened in the sunlight his aura irreversably tense.

"I told you to duck, it's the last time i'm doing this." his usually soothing voice came off as an abrupt shout at you, his eyes never looking near you as he plunged the sword in the man before him.

Truth be told that ruined the picture perfect moment of saving the underdog and left you feeling bitter.

Without a warning the body he shielded with his own was long gone when he tried taking a step back to guard you from the fallen man. He looked around for you as if you had dissapeared in thin air, a loud trail of groans and painful whimpers clouded his ears as he looked forward to the sight before him.

They didn't aim to be killing anyone, however it seemed the battle had reached its peak, the floorboards creeked under your weight, the sound of bodies collapsing in loud thuds only reassured Shanks' earlier doubts about you.

You lay upon a pile of men their blood trickling down in an upsetting and horrid manner, Shanks' was stunned to say the least, he thought of you as a powerful fighter but even this beat what he had in mind.

You sat there a trail of steam forming from your breath in the cold air, nothing in your body moved, only the rise of your chest as you took deeps breaths.

There was a slight klinch behind Shanks a gust of wind going upwards as someone reached behind him their sword drawn with a coarse battlecry.

He looked at you confidently making a split second decision to see what kind of beast truly lays under this calm facade you've always put up.

In a seconds notice the strong gust of wind from your body making its way past him sent his red hair sweeping across his face. With a proud smirk he looked past his shoulders, your sword seethed in its place the man before you already out cold in his own blood.

Before he got a word in you were already gone onto the next leaving a wake of men shouting for their crew to leave before theyre all dead.

He chuckles with new found confidance in you albeit the dripping blood that neared his shoes made him realise he might need to interferre with you personally.

Your heart was in no way weak of will yet the moment he used his Haki on you left you with a stumble to your step. His gaze was certain without a mistake he was ordering for you to stop, the battle was over they had lost and you had won, so theres no more need for you to slash through even half awake bodies.

Your eyes met his in an instant the sour urge for blood had dissapated, you sighed, a long drag to seethe your sword for the last time you walked to gaze over at the sea. There were no birds in sight only a pair of sea kings leaping through the deep sea waters.

Shanks came to stand beside you his arms hovering over the end of the ship he spoke up.

"Didn't know we kept a beast locked up for so long." he laughed the pleasant roar of his chest made even you smirk under your composure.

Mihawk

He's a man who goes out at sea only when necessary therefore hes had his fair share of witnessing you fall helplessy many times.

He nearly pities you, your way of fighting was ineffective against most who've went through the basics of swordsmanship. His constant passive insults seemed to build up in your head, his judgemental stare each time you fell down, the coldness in his eyes as he retorts to how you should work on your balance as he steps over to shield you from an attack.

Well theres a time for everything.

He agreed to take you along on one of his voyages you were standing behind him the entire time watching how the water spilled over his makeshift raft.

"Try not to fall." He spoke up clutching his black sword over his shoulder eyes pointing over to the ship before him.

It was rare when he decided to dock the ships he passed however since you were with him he wanted to see if you improved atleast a bit.

Much to his surprise a clash of green swiped past his face, it wasn't an attack he insinuated and yet it it sliced the ship clean.

He watched at the sight before him, the massive ship splitting open as it held no common ground to steady its split parts.

You walked before him and without explanation started throwing long range attacks, he stepped back a foot, his plan to passivley scold you had been taken out of the books.

He was notcing your footwork, your stance and breathing. There had been no flaws in it which left him questioning if it all had been a fluke this entire time. He watched you swing your sword in everywhich direction which made it painfully obvious you were aiming at something to be hit and yet what caught his eye was your concentration and the blood thirsty aroua around you, you were allowing no mistakes to be made.

The way you changed the angle of your attack as if you sensed someones movement on the ship, landing throws wasn't random anymore it had a purpose even he didn't see.

He was beginning to wonder when did you have the time for training with how busy he liked keeping you.

You quickly ended your attacks throwing your sword over your shoulder. In a moment of silence and crashing waves a chorus of pained wails was heard.

It had to be one of the most eerie sounds he's ever heard on the open sea as his eyes windened to the sound his scowl growing a bit more dense he kept looking between you and the now collapsed ship.

He was heavily intrigued his eyes told that much.

When you turned around nothing prepared for the total calmness he felt over the eased look in your eyes, however the glint that shined within them spoke volumes of how much expetise you had.

"Fight me." He spoke calmly haven't witnessed a power like his in a while, the water before his raft floating with debris and unmistakenly blood from the men you had attacked. You smiled at his request the two of your shared little to no place for footwork and his sword was long enough to reach the other end of his raft.

He wasnt sure if it was an intimidation tactic but the way you dipped your sword in the blody water to let it drip on his raft left him a little on the edge.

After reaching a draw he sat back, his large black hat tipping over his eyes he told you "Why have you been fighting like a newborn chick?"

You caught your breath sitting down before him on the raft you spoke with your sword resting on your shoulder. "You've never asked to fight seriously." a chuckle from you made him feel like a bit of an idiot, perhaps he should have challenged you sooner or atleast once told you to fight like it meant your life.

He sighed noticing a mark on his boot, it had been cut, not enough to fully cut through but enough to leave a mean scuff on it, no doubt your doing.

He stared long at the mark until you reached your destination, his eyes boring into the back of your skull as you offered him your presance. He had lost the duel without noticing, you left the scuff there to show him he needed not to underestimate you.

The following ride back he continued to slash his sword at you in moments where you werent paying attention, watching how effortlesly you doged his attacks you warned him "If you're attacking me, aim to kill me." You smiled with a twisted twinkle in your eyes, and he did as you said slashing true his blade left a soft incision over your cheek, payback for his scuffed boot.

[sansypansy]

"You'd miss me too much."

Robin landed on the building right on Batman's heels, his bo staff at the ready as they faced the fierce and deadly Talia al Ghul with her loyal son.

"The League has no business here in Gotham, Talia," Bruce grunted.

"How else can I get your attention, Beloved?" Talia's smirk was beautiful, but sharp. She drew her sword as Bruce lunged. Damian had his own blade unsheathed as well and intercepted Tim immediately. The two pairs broke off into their own fights and with little chases and flips, the teens found themselves on another rooftop entirely.

"So uh," Tim began with a small hopeful grin, "haven't heard from you in a while. Think you can block out a date on your busy assassin calendar for me?"

A quick counter with his staff clashed harshly against Damian's sword.

"You must believe to be so charming, Robin." Damian's face was impassive, but his pretty green eyes reflected a different story. Tim could see, especially when they were this up close.

"Maybe." He shrugged, then flipped to dodge Damian's kick. "I just like to take my chances with a beautiful assassin prince like you."

A smirk painted Damian's lips. Tim swore he saw those long black eyelashes flutter. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Detective."

The vigilante narrowly dodged the sword thrusting for his abdomen.

"Alas, I do not think you would want a repeat of last time," Damian purred seductively.

How could Tim forget? He had to do the walk of shame when he'd woken up clotheless, walletless with his laptop containing all secret files stolen. Bruce had been insufferable that day.

It'd been so, so worth it. He would do just about anything to have a taste of the little prince again.

"Not that I didn't enjoy it. I'd like to see you try pulling a honeypot on me again. Might just tie you down," Tim grinned wolfishly as he lunged and swept Damian's feet with his staff. The latter leaped, trapping Tim's head between his thighs and flipped him over on his back.

Tim's mouth fell open as the breath was forced out of him due to the impact. And also the fact he just had a full face of Damian's crotch.

Fuck, not now Timmy Junior™!

Damian held his torso down with one foot pressed to his chest and a sword at his neck. "One day, your infatuation shall be the death of you, Robin."

Tim exhaled in awe as the subtle scent of royal jasmine flooded his nose, his eyes becoming smitten.

"Wouldn't be the worst way to go, honestly." His smile was loop-sided. "Besides, you'd miss me too much."

He noticed the slight falter in the blade aimed at his throat, and Tim took that momentum to swipe at the assassin's leg and rolled a few inches away. He moved to a low crouch just Talia suddenly dropped down next to her son.

"We are leaving, Damian," she ordered curtly before disappearing over the edge the building like a silent shadow.

Damian sheathed his sword without any questions, pulled up his hood and prepared to follow his mother. However, Tim didn't miss how he gave him a secretive smile before falling backwards into the alley below. Tim rushed forward and looked down, but there was no human trace.

It was then that Batman commed him to return to base as he'd already dismantled the League's mission. Tim sulked about Damian seemingly rejecting his offer until a few hours later, he received a cryptic, anonymous text on his phone with a single date and a meeting location.

'Do not be late, Detective.♡' the second text read simply. Tim let out the loudest whoop and fist pumped the air.