#Alfred just pats/rubs his back n lets him let it all out

[spidvrbatz]

Regressor!Bruce Wayne

x - x - x

x - x - x

x - x - x

(headcannons in tags 🦇💕)

// pt - dni: nsfw accounts //

[fa-headhoncho]

Old Men

(Eventual) George Weasley x Malfoy!Reader

Summary: Aftermentioned gits put their plan into motion.

Word Count: 2453

Reader: Female

Warnings: Admitting your wrongs :(

Author’s Note: Inconsistently back as ever :)

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

=====

The group lets out a booming roar as Cedric drops his name into the goblet. You half-heartedly join in, clapping along with his friends while the blue fire eats his name. The sound of singeing seals Cedric’s fate; if his name is popped out tomorrow night, he was in the game. 

The Tournament was filled with hard tasks, doubling the intensity most likely since the volunteers were at legal age. Times were pretty messed up right now and you wouldn’t put it past whoever was behind this to make the students work for the reward. The uncertainty is what would kill you… and possibly Cedric. 

Alfred already has the blonde in a chokehold when you turn back to them. You watch as the rest give him pats on the back or words of positivity, the worry slowly dissipating when you see the smile on his face. He lets out a laugh before pushing his friend off of him and lurching off him and onto you. 

You barely have time to hug back as he starts to squeeze you, letting out another laugh. 

“Oi, Cedi, I don’t think they’ll let you participate if you’re in Azkaban for suffocating me to death,” You joke but he only tightens his hold. The pressure and his excitement rubbing off of you makes you giggle. 

He pulls back slightly and stares at you for a moment then he places a wet, sloppy kiss on your forehead and disappears back into his crowd of friends. A large blush appears on your face from his affectionate action. It wasn’t like you weren’t touchy with your friends, far from it, but the new crowd of students intimidated you. You could feel the eyes burning into your skin and you just wanted to combust. 

A tuff of red hair comes into view and you reach out for safety. Ron’s head turns as he feels a gentle touch on his elbow, his confusion dissipating when he sees you falling into step with him and Harry. 

“Oh, hi (Y/N).” He greets you with a small smile which you half return, “Pretty wild that Cedric put his name in the cup, huh?” 

You nod absent-mindedly, looking around the students standing about the room to see if you spotted the two nimrods you were searching for. “Have you seen the twins?” 

He shakes his head and you turn to Harry who does the same. You let out a sigh, dropping your hand from your hold on him and looking down at your shoes. You wanted to find the twin before they finished their potion, hoping to help them out instead of having them kill themselves prior to them even putting their name into the Goblet. There was an apology in order from you once you realized how your words had a double meaning to them. You weren’t trying to undermine them, you were just scared to lose them. 

Harry seemed to notice your face fall and the gears turning in your head, “Why are you looking for them? Is everything okay?” 

You bite your lip, debating telling the two what happened. “I kind of… yelled at them this morning for wanting to put their name in.” You shyly admit making Ron let out a light laugh. Your eyes immediately snap to him and send him a scowl. He doesn’t seem to get the hint until Harry knocks his shoulder with his. 

“Yea, I would be mad too if I were as close as you were with them.” The black-haired boy consoles, “Who would want to put their life at risk for a silly title and some galleons?” 

Sometimes you wonder how someone could be so rude to that boy. You didn’t interact with Harry a lot but when you did it was always pleasant. 

You open your mouth to respond but it dies in your throat when the room fills with cheers and hooting. All eyes turn toward the door as the twins bounce through causing an uproar. People clap as they hold up the long glass vials, showing off their finished product. 

Their cockiness makes every bit of guilt and remorse you feel fly out the window. Sure, it was kind of impressive that the two could whip up such a complicated potion within less than 24 hours but still. They were prancing around like it wasn’t going to be the thing that killed them. 

Maybe you were being a bit extreme. But, still, it was a stupid idea. They had an age restriction for a reason. 

After a brief conversation with Hermione who pointed out that the age line would just knock them out (something your brain failed to point out before your emotions took over), they make a show of linking arms like a couple at a wedding and down the liquid. 

Your breath hitches when they drop from the bench and leap over the age line, the room going silent in anticipation. When nothing happens, the crowd resumes praising the two. You can’t help yourself from smiling, a weird sense of pride replacing the worry since they outwitted Dumbledore himself.  

The boys dance around the circle, yes-ing and throwing thumbs up to everyone. They then both raise an arm and drop their papers into the Goblet. The same bolt of panic that surged through you when Cedric put his name in shoots through your spine again. You didn’t have any time to dwell on the feeling before their whole plan turns sour. 

Blue flames twist out of the goblet, swirling in the air before shooting out and blasting the red-haired nitwits. The blow sends them flying back, students circle them once they land. You’re too far away to see what they’re doing, too busy processing what just happened before chants fill the air. 

“Oh Merlin,” You finally snap out of it, rushing around the circle and rushing towards them. You wiggle through the crowd, pushing people out of the way and halting when you come to the front. The twins were rolling around on the floor, greybeards and all, wrestling each other. 

You let out an indigent sound, angry at the two for getting themselves into this situation in the first place but also at everyone who is just sitting back and watching. 

Rushing forward, you try to pull the two old men apart. You tug at whoever was on top’s robes and a hand flies back to hit you. You gasp at them, grabbing the hood and using all your strength to at least give them a hint. The twin on top rolls off beside the other and they both look up at you. 

You stare down at them, they both have long grey hair and matching fluffy beards. There was a small skip of a beat in your heart as you looked at what the two would look like when they were old. Hopefully, this won’t be the only time you would see the two like this. 

Shaking your head to knock the paranoid thoughts out, you focus back on the situation at hand. “Are you two stupid? Even Hermione told you that it wouldn’t have worked.” They just share a pained glance with one another. You snap your fingers, grabbing their attention again but all you get is their puppy dog eyes. “Why don’t you two listen to me ever?” 

They send you a sheepish smile, barely visible under their large beards. You let out a dramatic groan, “Get up, nimrods.” You signal them with one hand and turn around, not bothering to see if they are following. The sea of students part for you, the scowl on your face enough to strike fear into them to clear a path without question. 

None of you say anything until the three of you were out in the corridor, the only words being spoken along the way were Ron wishing the twins good luck. Once the doors shut, the two start bickering once again. 

You’re tempted to stomp your foot like a child, but you are too busy focusing your energy into not tripping up the staircase. People stare as you march through the corridors, some Beauxbatons students whispering in French as you pass. 

The twins bump into you when you stop abruptly. Both of them are about to mouth off something yet decided against it when you raise a finger. “Could you two stop for one second?” One of them, Fred presumably, opens his mouth to spit something back but George stops him with a light smack to his chest. You give him a grateful smile before digging into your robes for something. 

Two potions daggle in front of the two boys making the older, well usually older, one roll his eyes. “You really made a bloody antidote. Do you have zero faith in us?” He scoffs but takes the potion and storms off. 

You call after him, giving up when he turns a corner and disappears. As much as you like Fred and appreciate the friendship he forced upon you, he was quite difficult to make amends with when a problem arises. A frustrated huff escapes your mouth and your shoulders slump. Would he have rather gone to the hospital wing and get in trouble?  

Deciding it was better to talk to him when he cools off, you turn back around to face the remaining twin, “I’m sorry, Georgie.” A guilty smile crosses your lips, “You have to be a wiz at charms and potions to pull the pranks. I didn’t mean to insult your guys’ intelligence, just your decision making skills.” He rolls his eyes, “I mean, I just don’t understand why you two would just jump on the opportunity to basically kill yourself for money.” 

“Well, we’d rather die than not get the money.” 

“George— “ 

A small smirk appears on his face when your voice raises a few octaves, anything to release some of the tension built up between the three of you. “Love, I’m kidding.” He runs a soothing hand over your scalp, running it down your arm and ending its journey when his hand slips into yours. You lean into his touch easily, glad they’re not the wrinkled ones from moments before. “You really don’t get it, do you?” 

His tilted head makes you frown, you truly had no idea why the two were so adamant about joining this tournament. The risk outweighed the reward by miles. You felt guilty about calling them stupid, not about being protective of them. You just shake your head in return and let him guide you to a nearby bench. 

The red head opens his mouth then closes it, not knowing how to express his feelings without you taking it the wrong way. “Fred was right when he said we don’t have money like you do-- not that he said it in the nicest way,” He quickly adds when he sees your head tilt down in shame, “Nor do we have the same notoriety that comes with your last name. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just--” He trails off and looks past you, trying to reorganize his thoughts. 

“I don’t know my privilege sometimes.” You finish for him, and he nods to confirm. “I’m sorry, I guess I didn’t realize that.” The connections make sense, the glances shared between them when you went to the shop together, the nervous expression on George’s face every time you exchanged gifts during holidays, the staying at home during Hogsmeade weekends with “doing homework” excuses. 

“We needed the money to open the joke shop and the allure it would get being owned by a Triwizard Champion, not because we wanted it for anything else.” He explains fully, glad to the realization on your face. 

“What about the money from your bets at the cup?” 

“Bagman said we needed a lesson about underage gambling.” 

“That no good--” 

George lets out a chuckle at how easily you switch moods. “Love, it’s fine.” He doesn’t know what’s gotten into him when he goes to run his other hand over your head again. The clarification of you worrying about him -them- waters his insides as his crush on you blossoms even more, “We’ll figure something out, Fred and I already have some plans.” 

You huff and lean into him, “I am truly sorry, George. I really didn’t mean to insult you guys. I worry about Cedric but if something happened to you.” You look down at your intertwined hands, enjoying the moment before your eyes widen, “--Or Fred!” You quickly add, realizing what you said. If he heard your slip, he didn’t mention it. But, if you took a daring glance, you would see his bright red face. “Is there anything I can help with? As an apology?” 

He fiddles with a loose string on the sleeve of your robe, debating between his options. “Do my potions essay?” That earns him a slap on the wrist making him giggle and squeeze you closer to him. 

“I’ll be your first employee.” You offer, running through different ideas through your head. “I bet I can stock shelves faster than you.” A proud claim yet there is a mischievous glint in your eyes as you look up at him. 

His mind goes blank at the thought of you suggesting a future event with him after graduation even if it was to make up for some silly understanding. Add that to the way you’re looking up at him, he couldn’t tell someone his name if they asked. He’s glad Fred stormed off because if his brother saw him this way, he could never live it down. 

You call out to him, pulling him back into reality. 

He feels his cheeks start to heat up, so he just pushes your head back into his shoulder, “We’ll see if you’ll have time once you’re traveling the world saving creatures.” You easily tuck into his side and fall into step with him as he starts moving the two of you down the corridor. 

You falter a little at the mention of your dream career, the possibility of it slowly dwindling as time goes on. “I’ll always have time for my favorite Weasley.” The response comes so immediate, like it’s something you’ve said to him a thousand times. It’s like you don’t know what you do to him when you say those words— well, you couldn’t have since he’s never told you. 

“I mean Ginny, of course. Not you.” 

One last blow to regain the normalcy between you too. George recovers rather quickly this time, pinching your sides to make you as frazzled as he was. You let out a squeal, surprised by the action and push your face into him more. 

[dccomicsimagines]

Fatherly Bonds - Batfamily Imagine

Warning - Suicide, Dark Thoughts and Themes. Proceed with caution!

ALSO SPOILERS FOR GOTHAM KNIGHTS!!!

Requested by Anon - Don’t know if you played Gotham Knights, but could we get a imagine with some angst? Maybe Batfamily x reader? No pairing?

***

The cold wind bit sharply at your face. You took a deep breath, the air chilling your lungs. Gotham’s skyline sparkled like stars. Police sirens sounded in the distance. You frowned and stepped closer to the edge.

The top of Wayne bridge was not accessible to the public, but you were always good at climbing and made your way up after a cab dropped you off in the middle of the bridge. The cabbie had been concerned, but five hundred dollars wiped any worries from his mind. 

You looked down. The sound of the waves reached you, but you couldn’t see the water. It was only a black abyss. Just as you wanted. It was fitting. 

The siren got closer. You froze, looking down at the road to see a police car zooming onto the bridge. Holding your breath, you ducked down and waited for the car to pass. The last thing you needed was someone to call the cops. You just wanted it to end.

Yet you are taking your time, you thought to yourself. You stepped closer to the edge again and closed your eyes. 

A hum filled the air. You opened your eyes, looking up for a plane or helicopter only to hear feet land behind you. 

“Please don’t jump. My shoulder can’t take catching another jumper tonight,” a familiar voice said. You spun around to see Dick Grayson in his Nightwing suit. He rolled his shoulders, hissing in pain before his eyes widened at the sight of you. “(Y/N)?”

“Shit.” You turned back to the edge, crossing your arms. Why did you wait so long? You should have jumped as soon as you reached the top of the bridge. There was no way you were going to be able to end it now, not if Dick was here. 

The silence that followed was almost unbearable. You looked up at the sky, but no stars could be seen. Too much smog and clouds. Dick shifted behind you, stepping closer. You tensed. He stopped.

“It’s kinda cold up here.” Dick’s voice wavered slightly. You couldn’t blame him. If you had walked in on his attempted suicide, you wouldn’t know what to say either. “Why don’t we get down and we’ll take the cycle home, huh?” 

Tears filled your eyes. You wanted to shout at him, lay into him for interrupting you. A hint of shame burned your heart too. You didn’t want them to know you were this weak, at least not when you were alive to see it. Running a hand over your face, you sighed. “Okay.” 

His rough gloved hand took yours and gently pulled you away from the edge. You let him, the familiar numbness drifted over you. Despite how you hated it, you were grateful for it now.

How you got down was a blur. You vaguely felt Dick manhandling you, listening to him inform the Belfry that he had you. 

A cup of something hot was pressed into your hand. You blinked, staring at the cup before looking around startled when you were sitting at the table in the Belfry’s kitchenette. 

“Drink up, Mx. (Y/N). You are chilled to the bone,” Alfred said, patting your shoulder. Your eyes widened. It felt as if your world was collapsing on top of you. They all knew now. 

A thick blanket was gently wrapped around you. You recognized the hands as Barbara’s. They are all here to see your shame. Stupid fool, can’t even get your suicide right. You set the cup down and laid your head on the table with your arms over your head. 

Whispers of concern. Mentions about whether this had to do with the Court of Owls and the trauma you experienced in their mind-twisting maze. You heard a chair pulling out next to you. It creaked heavily, meaning it was probably Jason sitting next to you. You kept your head covered, hoping everyone and everything would go away. 

“Shouldn’t we ask them why? Demand to know why?” Tim said rather loudly. His voice thick. 

“Tim, now’s not the time,” Dick soothed. Jason’s heavy hand laid on your back, rubbing gentle circles. It felt nice. “Let’s get some sleep and we’ll talk in the morning.”

“But we can’t leave them alone?!” The fear in Tim’s voice cut you to the core. You sniffled, tears working their way free. 

“Master Tim, lower your voice please.” Alfred’s tone gentle, but scolding at the same time. 

More whispers. You whimpered, holding your head tighter. Jason’s hand stayed on your back. “It’s okay,” Jason whispered softly. You peeked at him. He smiled when he met your eye. His jaw was clenched, but his eyes were full of patience and kindness. 

A sob slipped out of you. You pressed a hand against your mouth to quiet it. “What do you need, kid? How can I help?” Jason said, still watching you. His hand still warm on your back. 

Not trusting yourself, you left your chair and crawled into his lap. He stiffened, but wrapped his arms around you. You buried your face into his shoulder and let the tears fall. 

Jason slowly relaxed. He leaned back in his chair, giving you all the time you needed.

***

You woke with a jerk, sitting up in a panic. Water filled your lungs. The cold paralyzed your body, making you unable to fight to the surface. However, you opened your eyes to find yourself on the couch at the Belfry with a blanket over you. 

Snores came from behind you. You turned, panting to see Dick asleep in the armchair. He looked tired. The shame overtook you again like a monstrous wave that was about to sink the city. 

You flung your legs off the couch and sat up, burying your face in your hands. They knew. You screwed up and now they know your secret. Your skin was clammy. You felt like you were underwater again. But you never went into the water. Why are you freaking out? You bit your lip, glancing around the Belfry. It was very quiet for this time of day. The late afternoon sun warmed you slightly as it shined through the clockface. 

Maybe you didn’t want to die... You shook your head and stood up. Dick was on his feet the moment you moved, eyes wide with panic. He relaxed slightly at seeing you standing. “Oh, you’re awake,” he chuckled and sat back in his chair. “Good. You gave us a scare.” 

Delicious smells came from downstairs. Some voices followed. You took a deep breath, looking into the sunlight drifting in. “How did you find me?” Your voice was caked with exhaustion and pain. You almost didn’t recognize it. 

Dick flinched at either the sound of your voice or your question. “I was flying by on the Flying Trapeze when I noticed you. Lucky I did.” He got up, wincing at his sore shoulder. “You were going to jump, weren’t you?”

You hardened your heart and glared at him. Dick took a step back. “Well, that doesn’t matter now.”

“Kiddo, it matters.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I think dinner is almost ready downstairs. Let’s eat. Some food will help.”

He walked ahead of you, stretching his bad shoulder as he walked. You watched him, not sure how to feel. “This wasn’t supposed to happen,” you mumbled to yourself, eyes on your feet. You swore you saw water around your shoes, but it was gone once you blinked.

“Hey,” Dick said, suddenly by your side. He wrapped his arm around your shoulders. “Come on. Food will make everything seem better. You’re not alone in this, (Y/N). You never were.”

On the tip of your tongue was an argument that you were alone. However, you knew there was no point in arguing. It would just reveal what you wanted to keep secret. Dick guided you down the stairs to join the others who were unfortunately waiting at the table for you.

***

Barbara, Alfred and Dick kept up the conversation. You stared at your soup bowl, taking sips quietly. Jason sat, observing the table, but mostly looking at you. Tim was nowhere to be seen. You remembered how upset he was last night. Biting your lip, you hoped he was okay. 

Everyone was avoiding the elephant in the room. The elephant used to be Bruce’s death, but now it was you. You could feel the presence of the memorial behind you. Anger bubbled back up inside you, but you pushed it away, embracing the numbness that always followed. 

Suddenly, the roof exit door flung open and Tim marched in like the demons of hell were chasing him. He saw you at the table and went straight for you. You couldn’t stop the flinch.

“Hey Tim, what’s up?” Dick said, standing up. Tim’s mouth twitched. He stopped in front of you before tossing an envelope at you. Your eyes widened, catching the envelope with your handwriting on it. Oh, he must have went into your bedroom and found your suicide note. Great. 

You sighed, blood turning into ice when you saw it was open. “What is that supposed to mean?” Tim said, pointing his finger in your face. “You were just going to die and only leave this crappy note that doesn’t explain anything?! Why would you do that to us?! Don’t you care?!”

“Tim.” Dick pulled Tim away. Tim jerked out of his grasp. 

“Tim, this isn’t the way to approach this. I know you know that,” Barbara said, getting up to go to Tim. She and Dick herded him away, whispering quietly.

You set the envelope down on the table as if it would explode. Picking up your spoon, you found your hand shaking so much that you couldn’t eat anyway. 

Jason switched chairs to be closer to you. “Hey, it’s okay.” He took your hand. “You know Tim is still developing his tact. Probably won’t get it, rich boy syndrome, am I right?” Jason chuckled. You snorted, smiling a little. It was an inside joke between you and Jason to explain Bruce’s and now Tim’s many quirks. 

Alfred shook his head, unamused. He had slipped the envelope from the table and hid it. You were grateful to not have to look at it. “I’m sorry,” you said after a moment. Rot ate you up inside. “I should have...went to you before things got so bleak.”

“I’m not one to talk.” Jason rubbed the back of his head somewhat sheepishly. “I lost my way too.”

“Not on purpose. You had outside factors.” You pulled your hand away from Jason to hold your wrist tightly. “Mine weren’t so much.”

“We are here to listen.” Alfred patted your shoulder. The worry in his eyes almost killed you. There no point of keeping it a secret. They’ll all know soon if Tim thinks about the note enough. 

You swallowed hard. “Well, you know Code Black released all of Bruce’s files to us.” Alfred and Jason nodded. You noted the others stopped whispering and eavesdropped. “I was going through them and I found one on...me and my mother.”

“Oh.” Alfred’s eyes widened. Jason just looked confused.

You glared at Alfred. “So you knew? This whole time?” Your words made Alfred flinch. 

Alfred sighed, reaching over to pat your shoulder. You pushed your chair away from the table so you were out of his reach. “It wasn’t my secret to tell, Mx. (Y/N). I told him he should have told you.”

“Right.” You stood up, shaking. Bruce’s memorial caught your eye. You grabbed your glass from the table and threw it. It shattered upon impact, but the memorial was unharmed. 

“Hey, (Y/N). Calm down.” Barbara stepped in front of Bruce’s memorial with her hands up. “Tell us what you found in your file.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Tim at the computer and accessing it. “Just read it yourself. I’m going out.” You stormed toward the roof exit only for Jason to step in front of you. “Get out of my way, Jay.”

Jason crossed his arms. “Running away won’t make it better, trust me.” He gave you a sad smile. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

Tim and Dick gasped from the computer. You sighed and hid your face in your hands. “Bruce was your father?!” Tim said loudly. 

Barbara stiffened, realization dawning on her face. Jason frowned and glanced over at Bruce’s memorial. Alfred was strangely quiet, still seated at the table. 

“That’s a lot to take in.” Dick broke the silence. His footsteps slow and even behind you. Suddenly, his arms wrapped around you tightly. 

You let him hold you, hands still covered your face. “Why wouldn’t he tell me? Was he ashamed? Did he mean for me to find out only after he died?” Tears burned their way to the surface and your cheeks were wet. “I thought all this time that my father didn’t want me, that he abandoned me.” You glared at Bruce’s memorial. “And he was right there!” You jerked away from Dick and took a step toward the memorial. 

Jason stepped in your path. “Attacking the memorial won’t help.” You pushed at his chest and, like a brick wall, he didn’t move. 

You growled, shoving at Jason again. “Get out of my way, jackass!”

Jason crossed his arms, not moving. The pity in his eyes made you want to tear apart everything in the room. Rage crawled up inside you. It was easy to be angry. You could avoid the grief weighing deep in your very soul.

“(Y/N)! Stop!” Barbara reached out to touch your shoulder, but you flinched away like she hurt you. You ran your fingers through your hair, pulling hard to feel pain.

“None of you understand. You all had parents, knew who they were.” You glared at them. Dick pursed his lips, shifting his feet. Barbara and Jason’s expressions went blank. “I never knew my mom except that she slept around and got what she deserved, at least that’s the story my gran told me every night as my bedtime story.” You gasped, wiping tears from your cheeks.

Jason stepped closer. “That’s not fair, kid.”

You back away. Your chest felt like it was going to explode. Dick and Barbara took a step toward you. You hugged yourself, trying to hold it together. 

“Why does it matter?” Tim stared at you. He looked bewildered. 

“What?!” It was getting hard to breathe. Your lungs refused to take in air. 

“Seriously, Timmy,” Dick mumbled. Suddenly, Dick was in front of you. He put his hands on your shoulders. “Breathe with me, (Y/N). Come on, kiddo. You can do it.” Black swarmed your vision. You blinked, trying to copy Dick’s slow, even breaths.

“I don’t get it. You should be happy. Bruce wanted you.” Tim shook his head. “You’re so lucky, (Y/N). Why can’t you understand that?”

Barbara hushed him. “Tim, stop it.” 

Dick pulled you into a hug, whispering nonsense in your ear. Your chest ached, but your lungs opened up. 

“No, Bruce was your father. He cared about you.” Tim rubbed his temples, backing away when Jason grabbed at him. “He took you in. Loved you. Why does it matter he didn’t tell you? He treated you like his kid anyway, more than other parents.”

“Master Tim, please,” Alfred said, rising from the table finally.

“No, it’s selfish!” Tim shouted, throwing his hands in the air. Barbara caught his shoulder to stop him from coming toward you. “You tried to kill yourself because Bruce was your father! I would give anything for Bruce to be my real dad!”

“Tim, you’re not helping.” Barbara hushed him, gripping his shoulder enough to hurt. You looked at Tim over Dick’s shoulder. His words were a knife in your heart. Shame on you. You are selfish for feeling the way you do. Tim has it worse. They all have it worse. 

“You’re right,” you whispered, pulling away from Dick. You wiped your cheeks with your sleeves. Dick reached to pull you back to him, but you shook your head. “I’m selfish.” You tried to swallow the lump in your throat. 

“No, kiddo.” Dick snatched you, holding you so tight that you thought you were going to be crushed. “You’re not selfish for feeling the way you do. We’re all different, we all have our struggles. I can’t explain why Bruce made his decision not to tell you the truth, but I know he loved you so much.” 

You pursed your lips, closing your eyes. The shame rotted your insides. You heard whispers from Jason, Barbara, and Tim. It didn’t surprise you that Tim would react badly. Tim told you many times in confidence that he wished Bruce was his biological father. Tim’s dad hadn’t even called when the news of Bruce’s death was released.

“Master Bruce was a stubborn man as you all know.” Alfred cleared his throat. You turned to look at him, slightly confused he was finally speaking up. The others went quiet as well. “When he believed he made the right decision, almost nothing could change his mind.”

Jason snorted. “No kidding.” 

Alfred nodded. His eyes studied you. “He didn’t know about you until he found your DNA at the scene of the Ratcatcher’s arrest.” Alfred smiled sadly. “He made his mission to find you, to make sure you were safe. When he realized you weren’t, he took you in and made you part of our family.”

“That’s true. Bruce was so impressed at how you took down Ratcatcher with only a slingshot and a firecracker.” Barbara said, stepping to your side and giving you a side hug. You leaned into her, she was so warm. “Whether Bruce being your dad or not, you would have always had a place with us.”

The rot inside you eased. You swallowed hard. “Why wouldn’t he tell me?” you mumbled softly. “I wouldn’t have been mad at him. If he didn’t know about me, he wasn’t to blame for anything.”

Jason snorted. “You’re being generous, (Y/N). He still slept with your mother without bothering to see if anything happened afterward.” Jason shifted on his feet as if debating whether to approach you or not.

“Your mom should have reached out to Bruce. That wasn’t Bruce’s fault,” Tim said, starting to fidget with a broken batarang. 

Tears filled your eyes again. Barbara hugged you tighter. “Master Bruce and your mother were very young,” Alfred said, shaking his head at Tim before focusing back on you. “Now he never explained why, but knowing Master Bruce, I imagined he was afraid of passing on the burden of the Wayne legacy.”

Dick opened his arms. Barbara nodded and he joined the hug. You were smashed between them. “What does that even mean?,” you said, wiggling away from the two of them. You wiped your cheeks, finding them traitorously wet. “That’s a load of bullshit, Alfred.”

Alfred frowned slightly. He sighed. “I believe Master Bruce was afraid.” You tensed. The room dead silent. You sniffled. Alfred pulled out a tissue and handed it to you. He rested his hand on your shoulder as you mopped up your face. “He was afraid of losing you. You were part of our family and I believe he didn’t want the knowledge of your true parentage to change that.”

“I guess.” You tossed your tissue away. A wave of exhaustion came over you. You glanced over at Bruce’s memorial. It felt like it was still mocking you. Maybe what Alfred said was true, but...it didn’t make you feel any better.

The others were watching you. You forced yourself to smile. “I’m sorry about scaring you all.” You wrung your hands. “Going onto the bridge was a mistake. I won’t do that again.”

“You better not, kid.” Jason nudged your arm. 

“Regardless, I have made an appointment for you with a trusted therapist.” Alfred put his arm around your shoulders, guiding you back to the table and your, now cold, soup. “You are going to meet with them and promise us that you will seek help if you should ever feel so hopeless again.”

“Yes, Alfred.” You took your seat. The family joined you at the table. After a minute of uneasiness, Dick took a breath.

“I can’t believe Harley gave me an ‘F’ in ‘glute-ability’. Has she seen my ass? It’s great,” Dick said with a carefree smile. 

Barbara rolled her eyes. Jason and Tim shared a groan. You bit your lip to keep from letting a giggle slid out. Gentle ribbing and teasing followed. You admitted you loved your family and you were grateful you didn’t leave them last night. However, you wondered if the little nagging feeling about Bruce would ever go away.

***

You ran through the forest on the Wayne Estate, dressed in your gear. 

The family had just discovered Talia had stolen Bruce’s body and found a  Lazarus pit in Gotham.  With the Court of Owls defeated, they all went after Talia.

Due to your attempt, you had been taken off missions as a whole. The family thought it best you focused on your recovery. You agreed, but you knew you had to do this. After their last signal came from the destroyed Batcave, you sprinted into action.

The boarded up well was right where you remembered. You knelt down, ripping up the boards and dropping down. On the way down, you realized you should have checked to make sure it didn’t collapse with the rest of the Batcave. Panic flared inside you, but you let out a breath before safely landing on the bottom of the well. 

You found the well when you were exploring the grounds after you came to live with Bruce. It led right to a small opening in the roof of the Batcave. 

A smile tugged at your lips. You used this tunnel to sneak up on Bruce. He almost broke your jaw when you surprised him. The look on his face was worth how stiff you got waiting for the right moment to drop down. 

“Please still be here,” you whispered, squeezing through the gap and into the tunnel. 

“Mx. (Y/N), where are you?” Alfred’s voice made you jolt. Your head bumped against the rock ceiling. You hissed.

“Around.” The passage narrowed. You laid on your stomach, crawling through the space. It was a tight squeeze. Tighter than it used to be.

“This isn’t a joke. You’re not at the Belfry. Where are you, kid?” Jason sounded angry, but the worry was hidden just underneath. You swallowed past a lump in your throat. 

You let out a slow breath to calm the panic. The walls closed in more, but you saw light ahead. Sounds of a battle echoed toward you. “Don’t worry.” You tapped your comm to turn it off. 

Peeking out of the hole, you saw your family fighting far below. You raised an eyebrow as you slid out of the hole and climbed down. The closest platform was the old Batplane landing pad. The Batplane was still there. Barely hanging on over the edge. 

You tapped your mask, zooming in to see your family battling Talia. A glowing Lazarus pit sat in the middle of the Batcave. A snort slipped out of you.

A shuffle came from behind you. You spun, slingshot ready.

“(Y/N)?” Bruce held up his hands. Your heart stopped. He had a beard, thinner than he should be, pale. A bloody stab wound in his stomach.

“Bruce?” You narrowed your eyes. Your slingshot still aimed for him. “That really you?”

Bruce coughed, stumbling weakly toward you. “Mostly.” He wheezed. “The owls are coming, (Y/N). Get out of here.”

“But the others, they stopped them.” You turned to see the Court of Owls appearing in front of your family. “Damn it.”

Suddenly, Bruce’s hand clapped on your shoulder. “(Y/N), I love you so much.” You froze as he touched his forehead to yours. “Go, get out of here.”

“Wait, what are you going to do?” Your eyes widened as Bruce stumbled toward the Batplane.

“It’s your city now. Your battles. Do well my child.” Bruce climbed into the Batplane with what seemed to be the last of his strength. 

You glanced back at the battle below. Your family was outmatched. Swallowing hard, you looked at the plane. Just by looks alone, you knew the weapons were offline. Heck, you bet the autopilot wasn’t working either. Your eyes widened once you realized what he planned to do. 

“Hell no.” You dropped your slingshot and ran forward, hopping into the plane with Bruce.

“(Y/N), get out of here!” Bruce’s eyes flashed a dangerous green. The green of the pit. You swallowed hard, but ignored him. 

“You’re not sacrificing yourself, you idiot. I didn’t get to find out you’re my dad only to let you kill yourself again.” You wrapped your arms around him, but the the cockpit sealed, locking you both inside. 

Bruce coughed again. He let out a moan. “(Y/N), now is not the time to be stubborn. Go!” He reached for button to open the cockpit, but you blocked him. 

“Nope, I’m in here with you.” You saw the Talons moving in on your family. Reaching over, you flicked on the lights of the plane to get their attention. “Guess we’ll just have to survive this together.”

“Bruce! What are you doing?!” Dick’s voice came over the batplane’s comms. Your eyes widened as the Talons climbed toward the plane. 

Bruce wheezed again. “Damn it, (Y/N). Get out of here.”

“N. O. No.” You flinched as a talon appeared in front of the cockpit, pounding on the glass. 

“Wait, (Y/N) is with you?!” Barbara said. The terror in her voice made you shiver. 

“Yes, I’m going to eject their seat. One of you needs to catch them before they hit the ceiling,” Bruce said, turning on the Batplane’s engines.

You growled. “No, I’ll catch Bruce when I eject his seat before impact. Meanwhile, you all should run.”

More Talons appeared, pounding on the glass. Some of their claws were making it through. “(Y/N), I’m giving you an order,” Bruce said softly.

“And I’m ignoring it.” You took your grapple gun in hand, seeing the ejector seat was still working, flashing it’s bright red. Bruce flicked a switch. The Batplane’s engines slowly built to full power. 

“Kid, listen to him,” Jason said, the rare panic in his voice surprised you.

“You won’t be able to stop the ejector seat. We’ll both die on impact.” Bruce took a deep breath. “You have to let me go.”

The hilarity didn’t escape you. “Like you let anything go?” You couldn’t stop your laugh. “I guess we’ll die together then.”

“(Y/N), you promised us.” Tim’s voice made your heart drop. “If this is about you not wanting to live. This is not the time or place to do it.”

Bruce glanced back at you. You didn’t meet his eye as the plane suddenly rocketed forward. “Sorry,” you said before hitting the ejector button for Bruce’s seat and held on tight. 

How you were going to do this, you didn’t know, but the only thing you knew for certain was that Bruce wasn’t going to die today.

***

Your chest hurt like it had been punched several times. You gasped, dust flying into your mouth. 

“Careful. Don’t move.” The voice was so familiar. You opened your eyes, blinking at the bright light somewhere next to you. 

“It hurts.” You coughed, choking on the dust. “I can’t move my arm.”

A low chuckle and a wheeze came from beside you. “You still have circulation, but it’s broken. I got a splint on it for now.”

Your eyes adjusted and you took in Bruce’s bearded face. Blood dripped down from a cut on his head. He still had the stab wound in his chest, but it appeared to have been treated. You recognized the gauze from the first aid kit in your belt.

His hand rested on your forehead. A smile pulled at his lips. “You miscalculated our landing slightly, but overall we survived. We’re still trapped though.” He looked up. You took in the rocks around you. Panic slowly crawled up inside you. “I set a distress call through your comm. We should be found soon.”

You hummed, shifting. Sharp pain shot through your chest and legs. “Ouch.”

“I said don’t move.” Bruce’s hand stayed on your forehead. “I can’t believe you did something so risky.”

“I can’t believe you were going to kill yourself after you got another chance at life.” You narrowed your eyes at him. 

Bruce snorted in response. He pursed his lips. “Is what Tim said true?”

You frowned, staring at the rock above you. “What did he say? I’m sorry, I don’t remember. I was too busy figuring out how to get you out alive.”

“Did you try to kill yourself?” Bruce stared at you, searching for answers. “Tell me.”

You let out a breath. Your eyes burned. “Does it matter? I’m not going to try again. My therapist is helping me with it.” 

“Why?” 

You looked back at him. The grief in his eyes made your heart ache. “Well, I...I felt like I was hated...by you. You didn’t want me to know you were my dad until after you died.” Tears filled your eyes. “What if I wasn’t worthy? What if you never really wanted me and just took me in out of obligation?” 

Bruce shook his head. ��No.” He stroked your hair. “I was afraid you would reject me. You always said you hated your parents, that you wouldn’t forgive them. I didn’t want to ruin the family you made with us.”

You chuckled, wincing when it hurt your ribs. “So we were both afraid of the same thing?”

He smiled. “I guess.” He leaned down to kiss your forehead. “I’m so proud of you.”

The rocks above you shifted. Bruce tensed, looking up. “Hopefully, they called in Superman to dig us out,” you said, reaching with your good hand to grab his. 

Bruce winced when the rocks shifted again. “If they don’t make it all collapse on us. Just our luck they got Superboy instead.” 

You laughed, gasping when it hurt. “Don’t make me laugh.”

Bruce chuckled softly. “Sorry.” He sighed, coughing a little. “Now tell me what’s been going on since I’ve been...gone.”

You snorted at the phrase. “Well, do you want the story in chorological order or just highlights?” 

Bruce rolled his eyes. “(Y/N), you might as well tell me the whole story. We aren’t going anywhere soon.”

You swallowed as the rock shifted again. A bit of dust fell. “Okay, well...” You started in on the story, hoping to forget about the tons of rocks shifting above. Bruce tightened his hands around yours, listening to your every word.

***

Six Months Later...

“Hurry up, Bruce,” you said, turning back to see him several feet behind you. The climb up the mountain had been steep, but the view was worth it. “It’s beautiful up here.” 

“I’m coming.” He panted, jogging up to you. A cough slipped out of him. You patted his back.

Bruce had recovered somewhat from the pit. He would never be Batman again, but he was getting stronger every day. Even the nightmares had faded somewhat.

“It is beautiful. Worth the climb.” Bruce flopped his arm around your shoulders, looking out at the view. 

You were doing better. Your therapist helped you work through things and your body healed. Of course, having a second chance with Bruce assisted with your recovery as well.

“This road trip was a good idea,” Bruce said after a moment. “I’ll have to thank Alfred.”

You chuckled, leaning into Bruce’s side. Alfred had suggested you and Bruce take a road trip across the USA. A chance to bond and see sights that neither of you thought to see before. 

The others had Gotham covered. They were over being upset with you for risking your life. For the most part anyway. 

You looked out over the mountain range. Nerves bubbled in your stomach. “Yeah, you’ll have to thank him, Dad.”

Bruce tensed, his arm gripped your shoulder. You smiled when you saw tears in his eyes. He pulled you into a tight hug. “I love you, (Y/N).” He kissed your forehead.

“I hope you know I need photo evidence that I made you cry by calling you Dad. Dick won’t believe me otherwise,” you said, laughing when Bruce spun you around.

“Little brat.” Bruce ruffled your hair. You squirmed away from him. Deep down, you knew you had the peace you were looking for and you couldn’t have been happier.

[supermarvelgirl15]

Losing Dogs

Summary: “I bet on losing dogs. I always want you when I'm finally fine. How'd you be over me looking in my eyes when I come, someone to watch me die.” You and Jason finally cross a line that you thought you'd never cross, but was it too late to place your bets on your future?

Pairing: Jason Todd × f!reader

Word Count: 4.4k

Warnings: Angsty babes, major character death, canon-typical violence, gun TW, in shock/panicky reader, poorly written fighting scenes

A/N: So, this is actually excerpts from a Jason × OC I've been writing about, but I changed it to be a × reader. If you want to hear more about them, please feel free to message me! I hope y'all enjoy this angst fest! Loosely inspired by I Bet on Losing Dogs by Mitski.

Main Masterlist

××××××

“We shouldn’t be out here, Jay. Bruce said—” 

“Since when do you always listen to what Bruce says?” Jason called back, continuing with his trek to the next rooftop. “If you don’t hurry up, we’re going to miss it!” 

You rolled your eyes, making the jump to the second roof. You had no idea what you were going to “miss” in the first place. Jason just came into your room and practically dragged you all the way into the city, refusing to tell you what he was doing. With your luck, Bruce would catch you in the act before you even reached your destination, wherever it was. 

Both of you should be back home, where Bruce told you to be. Alfred was going to freak out when he realized that neither of you were no longer in the manor. You could tell Jason was going stir-crazy ever since Bruce benched him from Robin for the time being. But did he have to drag you along with him? He didn’t even give you time to grab a coat. 

Even if Jason had given you a choice, you still would’ve gone. He’d been acting different lately. He’s been angry and taking too many unnecessary risks. Alfred said it had something to do with his parents who had died a few years ago, about him never having the chance to grieve them properly. You didn’t understand, but then again, you never had a family to grieve for before. 

So, you would brave this chilly Gotham night and take the repercussions, anything to see Jason be his upbeat happy self again. It used to annoy you; how happy he was to be Robin. Despite everything he had been through, he still only saw the joys of life. You hadn’t liked him for a long time, mostly because you misplaced your anger about Dick leaving onto his replacement. Jason’s constant flirting didn’t help either. 

It wasn’t fair to Jason, you had eventually realized. The day you finally let him in, you gained the most loyal friend you would ever have. Though, you would rather die than to admit it out loud. 

“Here we are!” Jason eagerly announced, turning to face you with a smile. You stepped up to the ledge, taking in the scene before you. You were on one of the taller buildings in Gotham, facing out towards the harbor. There were a few boats, but other than that...nothing. 

“You dragged me all the way out here just to sit on a roof? We could’ve done this at home,” you grumbled as you hugged your arms closer to yourself.  

Jason plopped himself down on the ledge, patting the place beside him. “Just trust me, will ya? It hasn’t started yet.” Begrudgingly, you sat down beside him, knocking your dangling feet into his to show your annoyance. 

A chill ran through you as you stared out into the dark water, your hands rubbing your arms to gain some kind of warmth. Jason must’ve seen you do it because he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over your shoulders. “For you, milady,” Jason bowed. You just rolled your eyes, knocking your shoulder into his, causing you both to laugh. 

“You could scoot closer, you know? I run hot. I promise I won’t bite, unless you want me to,” Jason wagged an eyebrow at you with a smirk displayed on his lips. You scoffed, but scooted closer nonetheless. He wrapped his arm around you, pulling you into him until your thighs touched. 

You had never been this close to him, outside of training anyways. He really did run hot, his natural heat only making you snuggle closer to him. You noted how your movement made him stiffen for a moment and his fingers twitch on your arm, as if your act had caught him off guard. Did his breath hitch as well? Surely not. 

The two of you continued to sit there in silence, practically cuddling while you waited for whatever it was Jason wanted to show you. You found yourself watching Jason out of the corner of your eye, observing as he watched the waves splash against the dock that stretched out below you with a content look on his features. The wind blew his hair, making it a bigger mess than it was from your parkouring; you fought the urge to fix it for him. Even the lights from the surrounding city casted a glow against his skin, making him look younger than he was. He looked...handsome. 

“Like what you see, sweetheart?” 

Caught red-handed, you coughed as you turned away from him. You can’t be having these thoughts, not about him. “You got something in your teeth,” you lied. Jason hummed, obviously seeing right through you, but you could see him still checking his teeth with his tongue in your peripheral.  

“Well, you for one, look beautiful as always. Stunning even. Breathtaking. Would you like me to keep going?” Jason smiled, batting his eyelashes at you. 

You shook your head. “I would like you to tell me why we’re out here in...” Your voice trailed off as you turned to face him again, finding him staring at you. He had a weird look in his eye. Why was he looking at you like that? He shouldn’t be looking at you like that. Was something wrong? 

He’s leaning in now. Why is he leaning in? Is he going to kiss you? He can’t kiss you, you’re friends, partners. Do you want him to kiss you? Your mind’s going haywire. What do you do? You were never trained to deal with something like this. It’s just Jason. You trust Jason with your life, and you would do anything to protect his. Anything. Was it getting hot all of a sudden? 

Your thoughts quieted when Jason reached up to grab your chin, gently turning your face to look out into the water. Before you could question him, a spark of light shot up into the sky, exploding into colors. Then another, followed by more.  

Fireworks. He brought you here to watch fireworks. 

You watched in awe as the fireworks exploded into a mass of colors in the sky. It was so beautiful. Why hadn’t you really appreciated the beauty of fireworks before? The colors were magnificent in Gotham’s night sky. 

You tore your eyes away from the scene, eager to share your enjoyment with Jason, only to find that he wasn’t watching them. His eyes were still on you. The reflection of the exploding fireworks in them was even more beautiful. Why hadn’t you seen it before? 

Your eyes stayed locked on each other, as if you were in a trance. Jason started to lean in again, stopping halfway. You watched as his eyes darted to your lips, your heart pounding in your ears. Or was it Jason’s? 

Did you want this? Could you risk something so delicate with the person that meant the most to you in the entire world? You can’t do this life without him. That in itself should be an answer. How long had you felt this way? Were you always this blind? 

The movement of Jason pulling away brought you out of your mental debate, the disappointment in his eyes tugging at your heartstrings. Before you could fully register what you were doing, your hand shot out to his cheek, making Jason pause. You both glanced at the other’s lips. There was no going back now. 

Your lips crashed into his, the action surprising both of you. Jason’s hand cradled the back of your head, pulling you impossibly closer to him. You couldn’t be close enough. What had stopped you from doing this sooner?  

Jason pulled back, the smile on his face contagious. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long, long time,” he admitted breathlessly as his thumb stroked your bottom lip. You smiled, kissing him once again. You were already addicted to the taste of him.  

His hand drifted down to your waist. “We could always take this—” 

“Don’t ruin the moment, lover boy,” you mumbled against his lips, earning a chuckle out of him. 

Reluctantly, you pulled yourself away from him, turning to rest your head on his shoulder with a content sigh. Jason continued to hold you tightly against him, kissing the top of your head. The long-forgotten fireworks still lit up the night sky, seeming to enter their grand finale. 

Jason watched as you gazed at the fireworks, a smile permanently etched on your lips. He couldn’t believe that he finally got to share a moment like this with you. He’d been dreaming of it for years. This has been the best night of his life. 

Especially after finding out his real mother was alive. 

He wanted to tell you about his discovery so badly, but he knew you’d talk him into waiting for Bruce to help. However, Bruce’s priority was the Joker at the moment, and he couldn’t wait for him to inevitably throw him back into Arkham. Jason needed to find his mom now. 

In the morning he’ll slip out while you're still sleeping, leaving a note on his bed. He’ll go get his mother and bring her back home. Then when he got back, Jason would have his very alive mother, but more importantly, he’d also be able to call you his. 

And he couldn’t be happier. 

You have to get there. This bike needs to go faster. Please God, let you get there.  

He shouldn’t have been by himself. Why did he go by himself? You should be there with him. This was your fault. Please God, let you get there. 

The warehouse was in view now. You're going to make it. Bruce was somewhere behind you, but you didn’t waste any time checking. You have to save him. 

You have to save Jason.  

You practically threw yourself off the bike, sprinting towards the door. This was it. You were going to make it. You were going to save him. You were going to save Ja— 

The warehouse exploded, the blast throwing you back a few feet, toppling into Bruce. It took you a few moments to shake yourself out of your stupor. When you looked back at the destroyed warehouse, everything stopped. 

No no no no no no no. 

“Jason?” His name barely left your lips in a whisper. This can’t be real. This had to be a nightmare, or maybe even a dose of Crane’s fear toxin. There was no way this was actually happening. 

Bruce’s voice sounded muffled in your ears. You couldn’t make out anything he was saying, but you didn’t care. You only cared about one thing right now, and he was somewhere out in the rubble. He could still be alive. Please God, let him still be alive. 

Your legs started running before you could register what you were doing. You had to find Jason. “Robin! Robin!” Please answer Jason. Why won’t he answer you? “Robin!” 

You came across a woman in the debris that was barely alive. She was the reason Jason was even here to begin with. His mother. Judging by her external injuries, there was no saving her. But there was still a chance for him. 

As Bruce tended to Jason’s mom, you continued your search. “Robin! Jason!” You didn’t care about aliases anymore. You just wanted him to answer you. “Jason—” 

Yellow. Red. Green. 

Oh God. 

Time froze when your eyes landed on Jason. Your body moved towards him, but it felt as if you were watching someone else take control of you. You grabbed his wrist, searching desperately for a pulse. Nothing. You checked his pulse point at his neck. Nothing. 

His face...Oh God, his face. What did that monster do to him? You could barely recognize him. Your Jason. You shakily reached up to cup his face, the coldness making you recoil. That’s not right. He runs hot, he should be hot. Why was he so cold? 

“J-Jay? Please, Jay. Wake up.” You couldn’t recognize your own voice. You cradled his body closer to yourself, searching for his warmth. “Jason, I-I can’t...you can’t leave me.” Specks of rain started to fall onto his lifeless face. No, that wasn’t rain. Were you crying? 

You choked out a sob, burying your face in his neck, willing him to wrap his arms around you. He didn’t. “Jason! Please don’t leave me!” Someone was screaming. Were you screaming? This can’t be real. “P-please.” 

Someone grabbed your shoulder, but that didn’t deter you. It could be the Joker for all you cared. At least he would put you out of your misery, take this pain in your heart away. 

The person said your name softly. You knew that voice. Bruce. It had to be Bruce. Why did he sound so far away? 

There was a lump in your throat. You couldn’t breathe. “I...Bruce, he, he’s so cold. He, he shouldn’t be...” You brushed his hair out of his face, your fingers numbly tracing the scars that now marked it. This shouldn’t have happened. Why did this happen? 

This was just a nightmare. A horrible, terrible nightmare. That’s all. This wasn’t real. 

Jason’s funeral was yesterday. It wasn’t a big turnout, but it was better that way. Even Dick showed up. It just goes to show that you don’t realize what a great thing you had until it’s gone.  

You hadn’t left Jason’s room since you came home from the funeral. You were content to rot right there in his bed. He wouldn’t want that, you knew, but it was the only way you could be close to him. 

You didn’t even hold back your tears anymore, letting them flow freely onto Jason’s pillow. God, it still smelled like him. It was almost like he was still here. He should be here. Why wasn’t he here? 

It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair. You didn’t get enough time. Oh, why hadn’t you come to your senses earlier? Why were you so blind? You could’ve had more time. This wasn’t fair. 

This should never have happened. 

You were angry. God, you were so angry. Angry at the Joker, at Bruce, at yourself, at Jason’s mother, at Jason. Why did he go in there? Why did he have to die? He should’ve never been in Ethiopia, in that warehouse. His mother said he took the brunt of the blast, his last act being to protect the woman that brought him there in the first place. You were so angry. 

You would give anything to be able to tear him a new one. To scream at him. To grab him and shake him to his senses. To hold him and sob into his chest. He should be here. 

Jason should be here. 

It had been a few months since you were last in Gotham. You had been in the Middle East tracking down and taking apart human trafficking rings. You did all you could there, making sure every victim you rescued was able to go home or have somewhere safe to stay. Bruce even donated a small fortune to help their efforts. 

Speaking of Bruce, he’d been acting strange ever since you came back. It was just minor things that threw you off, but it was enough to let you know something was bothering him. Even Alfred couldn’t seem to look you in the eye. You’d have to ask Tim or Dick about it whenever you saw them next. 

Gotham itself felt different since the last time you were in the city. But then again, it hadn’t felt the same the last few years. You couldn’t dwell on that now. 

There was a new crime syndicate running the streets. Someone had apparently stolen Black Mask’s crown. You had just left one war only to come home to another. Home sweet bitter home.  

You found out on your own that the new crime lord was someone who called himself the Red Hood. According to the papers, even Batman already had some run ins with him. Bruce didn’t mention it though when you told him you were looking into it. He just stiffened and muttered “be careful” before leaving the room. Nothing too out of character for him.  

Red Hood. Wasn’t that an old alias of the Joker’s? You could feel your nails digging holes into your palms. Calm down. Just don’t think about him. 

Taking a deep breath, you grounded yourself to the situation at hand. You had found one of Hood’s narcotic stash houses. It was somewhat heavily guarded; seven outside, five inside, all armed. Nothing you couldn’t handle. You’d just tie them all up with a bow and call Gordon to pick them up. Easy. 

One by one, you took down the guards outside quietly, making sure not to alert the others. This was light work. Hood needed to hire better goons. Goons? Did anyone even say goons anymore? Henchmen? Whatever. 

Once you were finished with them outside, you made your way in through the rafters, watching as the men below anxiously paced the floors. Did they know you were here? There was no way. 

You dropped down silently behind one of them, putting him into a sleeper hold. Wow, these guys really sucked. 

“Someone’s here!” A man shouted from behind you, firing at you. You quickly dodged, using one of the drug crates for cover. Now this was going to be fun.  

You threw one of your mini daggers at his hand, making him drop his weapon with a curse. You jumped over the crate, grabbing his head to bring it down on your knee. The man fell to the floor with a thud, and you punched him hard until he was out cold. 

The other men started shouting threats as they started to surround you, guns aimed at you. You raised your hands in faux surrender, smirking as you threw down a smoke bomb. You dropped to ground as the men started coughing, using the distraction to kick their feet out from under them. 

Swiftly, you disarmed them, kicking their guns away from them. One of the men attempted to grab you from behind, but you used his momentum to throw him into one of the others. The third one grabbed your arm, causing you to twist back, grabbing the back of his head and slamming it against one of the crates. Only one guy was left, and he was making a break for it. You just rolled your eyes, throwing one of your mini daggers, the butt end hitting the back of his head. His head hitting the ground as he fell was hard enough to knock him out.

Like you said, easy. 

Now you just had to call the commissioner, after you did some snooping around first. Done and do— 

“I didn’t know you made it back to Gotham.” 

You whipped around to face the source of the modulated voice, your hands posed in a fighting position. Your eyes took the intruder in, his height causing him to tower over you. He also had a broad frame, muscular too. A red bat-like symbol adorned his chest, partly covered by his leather jacket. There were holsters strapped to his thighs, along with various other weapons scattered everywhere else. Your eyes finally made their way up to his face, only to see that it was covered by a red helmet. 

Red Hood. 

“I’ll admit. I was a little disheartened to see that you stuck with the Bat. I thought if anyone would understand it’d be you.” Red Hood continued, squatting down to check over the contents of a crate that had broken open during your fight with the guards. 

You raised a brow, confusion evident on your face even with your mask. What was he talking about? “I... I’m sorry? Do I know you?” You had asked it half-jokingly, but the way Red Hood had tensed at your words made you question it. 

He stood back up to his full height, helmet tilting slightly as he watched you. “He didn’t tell you, did he?” A dry chuckle crackled through his modulator. “Maybe it’s better that way.” 

This was getting weird. Maybe the guy was just off his rocker. He surely wouldn’t be the first in Gotham. “Okay... Well, if you don’t mind, Mr. Hood, I’d like to get home at a decent hour tonight. So, it would really help me out if you just went ahead and surrendered.” You quipped, your fingers inching towards your daggers.  

Red Hood laughed, shaking his head as he turned away from you. “Not tonight, sweetheart. I still got some things to take care of,” he waved you off over his shoulder as he headed toward the door. 

Sweetheart. 

A surge of anger coursed through your body, your vision—fittingly—becoming red. You threw your daggers at Hood’s back, but he dodged out of the way, narrowly missing them. Before he could completely turn back to face you, you were already on top of him. 

“Don’t. Call. Me. Sweetheart.” You grunted between jabs, which Red Hood blocked with ease. He was an experienced fighter; he had to be if he had Bruce on his toes. But you weren’t Bruce.  

Your eyes latched onto a sliver of a bandage poking out from his collar on the left side of his neck. A weakness. You were quick to exploit it, ramming your elbow into it. Red Hood cried out and you used his momentary pain to swing him into the wall. 

Before you could do anything else, Hood kicked you back, pushing you away. He grabbed your leg when you tried to kick back, throwing you down on the ground hard. Using his knee to pin you down, he pressed his forearm against your neck. 

“When’d you start fighting dirty? Must’ve hit a sore spot, huh?” Red Hood teased, his words laced with some hidden meaning. Who was this guy? Why did he act like he knew you? You were getting sick of it. 

With your legs, you flipped Hood over your head, pushing his arm off your neck as he went. You jumped up only to fall once again when your ankle got yanked out from under you. Hood attempted to pin you again, but you kicked the side of his helmet with a frustrated yell. This time you were able to get away, jumping back up into the rafters. 

Hood climbed up after you, not giving up. You leaped over to another beam, the wood under your feet creaking loudly. It was about to give. An idea popped into your head. 

You stayed there, eagerly waiting for Red Hood to catch up. As soon as he made a lunge towards you, you jumped up and grabbed the beam above you. It was too late to realize his mistake when Hood’s feet landed on the beam, causing it to break under his weight. You even threw a couple daggers at him for good measure. 

However, Red Hood quickly flipped off the beam right before it completely gave way, twisting his body to also miss your daggers. He tumble rolled when he hit the ground, bouncing back up on his feet right after. 

How did he do that? You couldn’t believe it. He really was good. You hadn’t seen someone pull something like that off since you and Ja— 

No. 

Your recent fight with Red Hood flashed through your mind in spinning images, ticking off his every move. You had thought it seemed familiar, but not that familiar. Every move, every fluid motion Red Hood made was just like his. That can’t be. There was no way two different people that have never met fought the exact same way. It was too coincidental. 

You jumped back down to the ground, staggering slightly as you stared at the man before you. Neither of you said a word as you watched one another, not moving a muscle. Something wasn’t right. 

“Who... Who taught you how to fight?” You finally spoke, your words echoing in the space between you. Red Hood just continued to stare at you, his fingers twitching at his side. No. That was his thing. Why was Hood doing that? Why did he do everything just like him? He had so much to say earlier, what’s stopping him now?  

Hood didn’t even move as you advanced on him, pushing him back against the wall. You pulled out your own gun and held it against his throat. He made a surprised sound, his body tensing under you. It was only loaded with Bruce’s paralyzing snake venom, but he didn’t need to know that.  

“Who are you?!” You screamed at him, pressing your gun harder against him. There had to be some kind of explanation.  

Hood grunted uncomfortably, looking up at you. “I think you already know,” he muttered. You shook your head, your never ending anger bubbling back up to the surface. He didn’t know what he was talking about. There was no way. 

A sound came from behind you, but before you could react, Red Hood shoved you off of him. With zero hesitation, he unholstered his gun, shooting it beside your head. You whipped around, ringing in your ears, only to see one of Hood’s men with a gun in his hand and a bullet in his head. He just killed his own man. To save your life. 

Slowly, you turned back to face him. Red Hood was still holding his gun, already watching you, seeming to gauge your reaction. After a long moment, he mumbled “might as well” before holstering his gun. Then he reached up to his helmet, unlatching it and sliding it off his head. 

You stumbled backwards as all your oxygen left your lungs. He had dark hair with two white tuffs at the front. He had a scar that came down the side of his left temple, and another down his right jaw. There was a smaller scar at the corner of his mouth, along with one under his left eye which was partly covered by his domino mask.  

His eyes, oh God, those eyes. The last time you saw them there was no life behind them. There seemed to be more green in them than you remembered. But that can’t be right. Those can’t be his eyes. It’s impossible. You held his cold body for hours. You watched him get buried. This can’t be real. 

“Like what you see, sweetheart?”  

Your eyes widened as Red Hood spoke those words. His voice... 

No... It can’t be. 

But it is. 

“Jason?”

××××××

[lazycats-stuff]

Chapter 12

Okay, I know, it's been long, but I had a busy end of the school year. Please, have fun reading this.

Word count: 1.7k

Warnings: backstory of Elias' mom, Elias is an anxious boy,

Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11

Elias dreaded this meeting. Meeting with Ra's and Talia, his... Well, he couldn't really call them his dad and sister just yet. Just a thought about it made his mind swirl. After talking to his now brothers (Yes, (Y/N) saw them as siblings that he never had), (Y/N) has decided to meet with his dad and sister. After making sure that it wouldn't be a betrayal of sorts. And it's been weeks after Theo moved away and the hurt and sadness was still there...

Bruce assured him that they wouldn't feel betrayed. Ra's agreed to take it at Elias' pace and tempo. Elias is the one in control. Not the other way around. It eased Elias a tiny bit, however, it didn't fully erase the nervousness and anxiety he felt still.

From the moment he woke up until now.

Ra's was coming to the manor with Talia. Bruce outright refused to let Elias be somewhere alone with him and public places are not an option. I think the reason why doesn't need to be said. Elias was walking around the manor, not being able to even sit for 5 minutes. Everyone was a bit anxious, not really used to one of their coming over.

But they weren't that worried. They are on their own turf. They know the manor inside out and know what to do. They have been trained after all. Damian and the rest watched as Elias couldn't keep still. At all. He already walked 3 laps around the manor, Titus following him happily along, giving Elias some sort of relief.

At the moment, Elias was on the couch, Titus on top of him, giving him some comfort.

" Bruce? " Elias called out to Bruce who was sitting in his armchair, watching TV.

" Yes? "

" Can I get a weighted blanket? It's very comforting. " Elias explained to Bruce and Bruce nodded, smiling knowingly.

" Of course. I see that Titus' weight is rather comforting. You've been restless this entire morning. " Bruce noted and Elias nodded.

" How could I not? Meeting my... Father and older sister who are assassins is not an everyday experience... Oh my God... " Elias grumbled as he gently patted Titus, who let out a huff of happiness from being cuddled.

" I know. Just remember, if anything happens, scream as loudly as you can. We'll be near by anyway. " Bruce said, making Elias chuckle.

" I doubt he would kidnap me from here. Especially with Alfred, knowing that man wouldn't hesitate to simply blow his head of with whatever he has in his arsenal. " Elias stated and Bruce shrugged his shoulders.

" Look. " Bruce said as he put the TV remote on the glass coffee table. " You never know what he might try to pull. Is he a man of his words, although twisted? Yes. But can all people simply twist sides and do the unexpected? Also yes. I simply don't want anything bad to happen to you. " Bruce said, leaning back into his chair as he glanced at the clock on the wall.

" I've never been so tense in my entire life, " Elias muttered, rubbing his face.

" I know, but you got your backup. Us, " Bruce said and his eyes moved to the entrance of the living room, hearing familiar footsteps. Elias also managed to hear the footsteps as well, managing to remember the footsteps of... Well, he does consider them brothers. But should he call them that?

Either way, he knows everyone's footsteps.

Elias tensed up as he heard the doorbell and Bruce gave him a sympathetic smile.

" It's go time. " Bruce stood up and Titus moved away, but not before licking his face, seeming to understand that there was tension in the air. Elias sat up, taking a deep breath and stood up. He glanced at the hall, where he could hear the familiar voices. Bruce squeezed his shoulder, smiling at him. Elias felt a little bit calmer, but still anxious and nervous.

Soon enough, Ra's and Talia came into view. Ra's wearing a green suit, dark, emerald green and it was clearly tailored to him. Talia was was dressed in all black, although a bit more casually. It seems that she was ready for a thought.

" Elias, always nice to meet you. " Ra's extended his hand to Elias, who shook is, hoping that Ra's wouldn't notice the tremor in them. He shook hands with Talia and Alfred brought some drinks and snacks, putting them on the coffee table.

" Alright, we'll leave you 3 alone. Elias, if something's wrong, we'll be nearby. " Bruce already ushered the boys out, who really wanted to listen in, but they knew that this is something private and big for Elias. So, for his sake, they'll not listen in, but will ask Elias later.

Elias glanced back at his... Dad and sister, who were sitting across from him and Elias thanked whoever put this coffee table here.

Elias didn't know what to say. What the hell do you say to Ra's Al Ghul? How's your day? No.

" How is school going? I heard you are still doing online school. " Ra's crossed his legs, right over the left.

" I am... But I was thinking of going back to do it physically rather than being couped up here. " Elias put his hands in his lap, trying to relax and not be so tense. Ra's can't really do anything here. Bruce is nearby and he'll be here within second if Ra's, tried anything.

" That's good. It's not good to be couped up in the manor, " Talia jumped in and Elias nodded, seemingly agreeing with her. But there was something more he needed to know. And he didn't know how to breach it.

" I... " Elias started, clearly hesitant to even talk, but Ra's remained patient, Talia as well. " I want to know everything about my mother. From the moment she joined the League until the day she disappeared, " Elias said, voice shaky and clearly showing his anxiety.

Ra's eyes darkened for a few moments, before he looked Elias dead in the eyes.

" I have to warn you... It will change your perception of her. I don't want to tarnish your memories off her, " Ra's explained and I chuckled. I already know she is, well, was an assassin.

" My perception has changed since I learned she was an assassin. Ever since my uncle disappeared as well. I don't know who she is anymore and... I've been told that you speak the truth. Although twisting his words, as I've been told, " Elias stated and Ra's smirked.

Talia chuckled, nodding. " I guess that you are right. If you knew our mother was an assassin after the disappearance, since I'm sure that the detective did a little digging. " She took some snacks into her hand, popping them into her mouth.

" So Ra's. Tell me everything, " Elias stated, trying to portray some sort of confidence. Deep down inside? He's shaking and trembling.

Elias knew that Ra's saw right through that fake confidence, but thankfully didn't comment on it.

" Alright. I'll tell you what you want to know. Your mother came in her 20s, if I recall correctly, she was 25 at the time, fresh out of college. I was a bit dismissive of her at first, but soon enough she proved herself. She had a real talent for fighting, " Ra's said softly, a soft smile on his face. " Soon, I took her under my wing and trained her myself. A few years later, we got married and she gave me Talia. " Ra's took a sip of the red wine provided by Alfred.

He put the glass down and continued. " I was happy with her, I have to be honest. When Talia was around 20, she changed. At first, I couldn't tell why she changed. Soon enough, she was gone. To this day, I don't know how she pulled it off. But later, I found out she was pregnant with you. " Ra's sipped more of the wine.

" She was a good assassin too. Efficient, quick... She is... Or was, truly one of a kind. She was born to fight. She had that gift for fighting, that much I have to say... " Ra's leaned back into the couch, eyes softer as he remembered the good times.

Elias couldn't muster up words to even talk. He felt out of his depth. How does he respond to all of this?

" We know that this is too much for you, " Talia started, voice gentle, which has never happened with Talia, " But if you are willing, we would want to have a relationship with you. I would like to know my little brother, " She said and Elias blinked a few times.

" How do I know that this isn't some sort of manipulation? " Elias wondered and Ra's chuckled.

" I know that my name is not spoken positively here, but I can promise you there is no manipulation and deception. And I'm a man of my words, " Ra's said in a serious tone and Elias could see the pure honesty in his words.

Which is oddly surprising.

" So... Are we giving this a shot? " Elias mumbled, looking at the two.

" We would love nothing more than to get to know you better. I would like to know my little brother more. " Talia clasped her hands together and Elias nodded.

He always wanted siblings. But Talia is also Damian's mother and that makes him his uncle, which is already weird as it is. And Bruce made it clear that if he wanted to bond more with Ra's, they would not mind it. He would not betraying the family.

" I would like that, but slowly... It's still weird to think I have a nephew. " Elias reached for his glass of water, sipping it to ease his dry throat.

Both of Talia and Ra's chuckled at that.

" It must be weird, but I'm sure that you see Damian as a brother, no? " Talia asked and Elias nodded. He did consider them all as brothers. Even Damian, who was biologically speaking his nephew. Which is still weird to think about it.

[heli0s-writes]

see you in the darkest visions*

summary: It’s stupid how forbidden names can be. He’s given you his secrets—his bedroom, his body, his trust, yet the final arbitrary threshold is just a few letters. Precisely five.

a/n: 2.2k words of porn with (squints) feelings & angst for my favorite emo boy. no movie spoilers. please stop reading if you are not 18+

He slips into the bedroom sometime between four and four thirty, moving awkwardly like he’s either hurt or he doesn’t know how to work around the space you occupy in his bed. He can’t tell the difference anymore, not like he used to.

Before- before all this- when he was still a reclusive millionaire with vengeance burning on his tongue, pain was a singular, sharp wound. He’d twist the knife in like clockwork each time it dulled to keep himself vigilant, to remind himself there is no acclimation to this, no forgetting either the pain or the necessity of Batman.

Now, it’s the second night of crawling home to someone other than Alfred alive in the manor. And you are so, so vividly alive like some kind of infinite hearth. Warm and sleep-sweet, rustling groggily with your eyes still shut and patting around for his hand.

“B,” you murmur, raspy, “Mmm, come to bed, so late.”

His mind moves a couple thousand miles a minute. His knack for logic and contemplation has given him purpose and identity and all the necessary tools, but tonight only seems to be giving him trouble.

The blanket falls—cascades, slow motion just to tease him, he swears— off. In his bed, loose-limbed and hair mussed with playful shadows over the soft contours of your face, your breasts, the curve of your waist and tops of your thighs and god, he wants his hands on you yesterday.

He makes a low sound in his throat between a cat’s purr and a predator’s growl because someone plucked you right out of a Renaissance painting and dropped you in the deadly landscape of Gotham at his feet.

Part of him knows how the rest will go. It’s been the pattern from each reunion that sex is an inevitable act and no matter how he tries to reason or confront the trouble of entanglement and mistaken feelings and future grief—he’s not that strong yet.

He can’t think about that presently. No more hemorrhaging discourse on what are you doing, why did you stay, how can you let this continue. Only the ceaseless impulse of give me more, give me all of you, give me everything.

You nuzzle into his chest, lips lazy and happy. “There you are.”

You smell like his sheets; his sheets smell like you. The entire enormous bed, enormous bedroom, enormous manor, the whole goddamn haunted 150-acre property overlooking the hill reduces to nothing more than where you sit, the power you have over him by being exactly the shape you’re in, waiting for him to cast off the shadow of death at his back.

“Take one night off,” you suggest when he ghosts his lips down one side of your neck, “I can fill in for you.”

“No, you shouldn’t be in town at all,” and the unsaid weight of that statement hovers overhead because vigilantes sleeping with each other isn’t just asking for trouble, it’s creating a chemical cocktail of trouble. And vigilantes sleeping with each other and possibly confusing a few feelings in the process is drinking the cocktail straight from the flask.

But then you catch his mouth with yours, card your fingers through his hair, and he loses the distinction between right and wrong, should and shouldn’t.

There’s only you—again, always—arching into his chest, crawling into his lap, draping your arms and legs around him. Only you, asking for his tongue, nipping at him, shuddering when he licks his way into your mouth, down your collar, painting a circle around one nipple and brushing his thumb over the other before deciding that he wants to kiss you some more. Take it unhurried and agonizing because last night was all teeth and wordless animal desire.

He travels between your thighs—wet, touched yourself in his bed before falling asleep—and it forces a pleased moan out of him, makes his cock ache for contact.

“You were taking so long.”

“My apologies.” He drags one finger through your mess and groans again at the slick, soft feel, and the way you jerk when he slides over your clit. He hardly says it, just sort of feels it in his bones, “I want to see.”

He lays you out atop the silk sheets like a tapestry as moonbeams cut through, making you blue and beautiful. Inside the penumbra, where the light doesn’t reach, he noses the junction of your thigh and groin, pressing kisses from side to side while his hands spread your legs, thumb still stroking in slow contours.

Your body is highly responsive, legs trembling and hands curling at the sheets and the back of his hair. He likes it, no surprise there, when you yank, bucking up into his mouth. He places his palms at your hips, places gentle pressure on them until you relax and go boneless. His tongue continues laving, pressed flat as it can, up and down in long, sloppy strokes. He tugs down his boxers, feels his cock spring up into his palm, the head of it already leaking a heavy bead of precum.

Usually, you’d scramble to take him into your throat, licking and slurping until his toes curled and beyond. A quid-pro-quo via oral fixation he thoroughly appreciates, but he’d come back much later than expected and although you taste delicious all eager and pleased like this, you’re both out of patience.

“Get inside of me, B.” You wiggle, dodging his kisses to urge him up, reaching into the bedside drawer for a condom. He wipes his lips with the back of his hand and then catches the back of your knees, folds you into a vulnerable design of suspended limbs and exposed sex.  

You like it this way: him taking what he wants. Something unspoken here too, about power and how order keeps him upright, keeps him in forward motion. The few times he feels like he’s not perpetually wrong-footed and miscast in the body of a lonely orphan is when he’s fighting or fucking. Those times, he has purpose, a series of cyclical motions to follow through on, a clear objective he can accomplish. Order, power.

The condom gets fumbled by his thumbs before rolling down, snapping on and stretching too tightly over his cock, and then the length of his shaft is rubbing against your slit—slippery, noisy, hot. Each time he glides further inside of you, you clench your jaw, holding back from simply slamming yourself up because you think he wouldn’t like it.

He’s not sure he wouldn’t. But this is not the established order of his bedroom routine.

You kiss his fingers, holding his forearm in devotion as you caress each nail, each knuckle, words pressed up into skin. A simple, “I missed you,” and each hovering sentiment of should or shouldn’t rains down like daggers.

He flinches at the kick of affection in his chest, moving to rest your ankles on his shoulders— yes, even the hurt one because well, he’s him, isn’t he? Always finding some way to be punished in the face of tenderness.

“You’re spoiled,” he looks away. “It’s only been 9 hours.”

“I meant,” He knows what you meant. Before this week, it’d been 70-odd days since you were last in Gotham— he’s been counting them. “Well, maybe I am spoiled.” You arch, moving your foot from the bruise, angling yourself so that his cockhead is starting to edge in and he has to close his eyes to stay grounded. “But you’re the one spoiling me.”

He tugs the tops of your thighs until you’re flush, eyes magnificent and enamored by the line of his erection twitching between your bodies. “Come on, B, spoil me some more.”

He obliges, lifts on his knees for the right direction, watching your blissed face as he sinks in, cataloguing every tiny dance of your features: Lips pursing, tongue tip peeking out to taste where his spit lingers, the small, mischievous smile, the breaking sweat collecting between your breasts, the quiver in your belly.

You throw your head back, mouth open in a silent gasp, both of you skirting reality.

He concentrates on the sensation of you clenched and perfect around him because every night feels like it could be the last one for months, maybe a year, and this is how he communicates sentiments like don’t leave, don’t leave me, don’t leave me this time.

But he knows it’s futile. Some things haven’t yet been worked out no matter how much he tries to work them. Like the way crime persists despite the cape and cowl. Like the way some parts of him will always be dark. The way leaving is as natural as sleep, or death, and he’s been left before, and he’ll survive it again.

You gaze absently at the high ceiling, traveling to each tall pillar of his outrageous bedposts, registering nothing but darkness and swelling stars. A disciple making ecstatic pilgrimage, letting yourself be dragged along by his will.

He leans forward, drives your knees up to your shoulders, and listens to the way you whine.

“Focus,” he says as you squeeze your eyes shut, “I’m not done with you yet.” He scrapes his teeth along your jaw, drinks the sweat from your scorched skin, and picks up speed.

When you choke out his name it nearly rips him out of his body, a jolt of lightning down his spine and the back of his skull. Just barely-there raspy-hoarse “Bruce,” like nothing. Like an exhale. An afterthought.

But you’ve never—and he’s never—

“Oh,” you cover your face with your hands, “I didn’t mean— can we forget I did that? Shit, B, I’m sorry.”

It’s stupid how forbidden names can be. He’s given you his secrets—his bedroom, his body, his trust, yet the final arbitrary threshold is just a few letters. Precisely five. An identifying marker he’s never allowed anyone else who knows him as Batman to voice aloud. Never allowed Bruce to be conjured because Bruce is a boy. Bruce is a boy in an alleyway littered with garbage and his mother’s scattered pearls. Bruce is a flickering candle one splash of gasoline away from immolating.

But Batman—Batman—is the perpetual night itself. The wound and the darkness consuming the boy and the city—the anger, hate, the irreversible trauma of Gotham’s disease. Batman is the mirror, the answer, the affliction and the afflicted.

How long have you noticed him? Cowering there, behind the Bat, with his tear-stained shirt and gritted teeth and his father’s watch in his fist? How long have you kneeled before the boy, looked into his wretched face, and asked him to show you where it hurt?

How long has it been that you’ve come to him each time you’ve touched down in Gotham? Spread yourself open and given him everything he’s ever wanted to take.

How long have you wanted to call him by name?

Finally- finally- the shock ebbs away, leaving trails of raw welts and open gashes and it’s Bruce this time as he whispers, “It’s okay,” and kisses your stiff hands still clutching your eyes. He kisses around the lines, kisses at your nose as it’s revealed, your lips, kissing around the long vowel of his name, the sizzling consonant still between your teeth.

You’ve unearthed it, carved it from marble, set it free, and he’s floating and weightless and something natural, like air or light.

“Bruce,” you attempt with his blessing, touching your nose to his. A fluttery few more kicks in his chest he can’t quell and a shy lick to his reddened lips and then he nods, feeling warmth spread up his neck and cheeks. You smile, touching his flushed face, his damp hair. “Oh, there you are.”

He shudders outward from his soul— all the tension and hurt and endless midnight years. He leans into your quiet affection, your sweet labors, your patience like a service.

“Yes.” He moves inside of you, aching to be taken in entirely, to be handled with care. You cup his face in your hands, wiping away the blackened residue caught in his lashes, breathless in awe and pleasure all at once.

When you come, you’re looking at him with stars in your eyes, as if taking the entire galaxy into your body—as if he’s all the light in the universe. You’re calling, “Bruce,” over and over again like a prayer.

It had been one long, dark night after another, the dawn never breaking for him, but here, now, in his bed like a crypt suddenly bursting with life and love, there’s a lifetime’s worth of sunrise on your beautiful face. And when you come again, sucking on his fingers and knuckles, sucking the very breath from his mouth, the light burns like holy fire, washes him clean.

Devotion, suddenly, feels less like falling to your knees at the fractured altar of his small church and more like seizing immortality by the throat. Like holding a blade to a deity and proclaiming I am my own maker.

Like uncurling a young boy’s angry fist.

Bless the night. Bless the dark. You faithfully whittle away the edges of Batman. Bruce Wayne emerges like a long-lost god.

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

Disabled reader x jason angst?

You were used to feeling invisible. You and your cane and your dog against the world. For a long time, you'd even prefer it that way. It felt better. Safer.

No expectations. No disappointments.

And then Jason noticed.

It was impossible to hide from him. He was there. At every turn. Seeing things most people over looked. He wanted to protect you. Aware of you, hearing the things that you didn't say. He made you believe you deserved the things you'd quietly put away. As secret little longings, pulled out to torment yourself on the nights you were in too much pain to sleep.

With Jason you were never invisible. Until now.

From the minute you'd arrived at the Gala, he'd hardly had time to look at you. Pulled in different directions. People demanding his attention. Pretty women; women who didn't have to wear flats with custom orthotics and lean on canes, were flirting with him.

And you were relegated to the background.

No one noticed you- Or Cola, being the best boy. As you did your best impersonation of a potted plant, watching another woman hang on him, you felt stupid. "Time to go home, Cola?" you murmur, reaching down to pat his head.

A pathetic little tail switch and a whine made you smile a little and you let Cola lead you towards a door. It didn't, evidently, matter if you were there or not. So why be there?

It felt like Prom. And a dozen other parties and dances and Galas before. And all you wanted to do was cry. You hadn't even wanted to go. You'd wanted to stay home and get work done. But Jason insisted. If he had to go he wanted to go with you.

____

Alfred looked up from the letter he was writing and frowned. No one was supposed to be home for hours- but when he heard the telltale clicking of claws on the floor and the clack of a cane- and no accompanying heavier steps, his frown deepened.

"Everything alright, my dear?" he asked, standing, ready to offer assisstance.

"Fine, Alfred," you murmur, not looking at him. "I was just-"

"You've been crying," he said sternly, folding his arms.

"Just a headache," you sigh, wiping your nose on the sleeve of your coat before bending slightly to unclip the dog's leash. "I didn't want anyone to worry."

He made a soft disbelieving noise, but didn't press. He'd seen a headache make you cry. But this reeks of something far less medical in nature. "Master Jason didn't see you home?"

"He was busy," you answer shrugging, "It's aright-"

"It certainly is not," Alfred said, making a note to have words with him about it. While you were perfectly capable of getting around, he'd feel better knowing you had more than your faithful hound to protect you.

"Please," you sigh, "I just want to go to bed."

Alfred nodded, frowning. And watched as Cola trailed after you, keeping close to your side. His back against your hip.

_____

The slap caught him off guard when he walked through the door. To be perfectly honest, it caught them all off guard.

Silencing the chatter and complaining as they all walked through the door.

"Alfred what the-"

"I'm doing it because Miss Y/N is too upset to do it herself," he said sternly.

"She had a headache!" he protested.

"If you really believe that you're an idiot," Alfred scolded. "It's not like it isn't all over social media."

Bruce folded his arms, watching several pieces fall into place and suppressed and sigh with effort. He'd watched you leave. Slinking out like you usually did, as soon as everyone was distracted. Looking hurt. Looking tired. And like it usually did, it made his chest hurt. But this time it made him angry.

"Fuck." Jason groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Is she still awake?"

Alfred shrugged elegantly, "If she is, she declined to answer the door when I went to inquire if she wanted anything from the kitchen. And as is his custom, Cola kept his own council."

Jason nodded slowly and took off his jacket, rubbing the side of his face as he walked down the hall. He was genuinely surprised Alfred hadn't punched him. He would have punched him.

[ragingbookdragon]

I Won't Give Up On Us

Jason Todd x Reader Story!

Word Count: 12.5K Warnings: Explicit Language, Violence, Canonical Character Death, Angst

Author's Note: I wrote this a few years ago I believe, but hadn't posted it back. So I edited (mostly) and fixed it for y'all! Enjoy! -Thorne

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She sat on the water-tower and watched as they moved across the rooftops; they stopped in the middle and began discussing something. The tall one looked down at the smaller one and nodded to the street. “Stay along the rooftops and check the streets while I look for Selina.”

“Selina’s not around here Batman,” she called coyly.

The two of them whirled around, their eyes moving up until they found her. “Kit.”

She stood up from the water-tower and spread her arms. “In the flesh, Batman.”

The young boy beside him took a step forward. “Where’s Catwoman, Kit?”

Her eyes flitted to the bright colored boy, and she grinned. “Careful Robin…foxes eat birds.”

Scoffing, he crossed his arms over his suited chest. “You wouldn’t do a damn thing to me.”

She raised an eyebrow and hopped down, landing in front of them. “You aren’t the only one with skills, Robin. And we both know who’s the better fighter.” She walked by them, stopping at the ledge before turning to Batman. “Selina had business elsewhere.”

“Where is she?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Dunno. She might be my mentor, but she doesn’t tell me everything.” Gesturing to him, she quipped, “You’d have better luck using those detective skills of yours to find her.”

As she started to walk away, she paused and turned as if remembering something and looked at Robin. “Do you always keep your wallet on you? Or is it just right now?”

“What are you talking about, Kit?” he questioned, brows furrowing in confusion.

She flashed a grin and waved a black leather wallet, enjoying the way his eyes widened at the sight, then patted at his pants; her tone was heavy with challenge as she provoked, “Catch me if you can, little bird.” That was all she said before taking off down the wall, running along the streets.

Robin jerked forward, seemingly forgetting that Batman was beside him as he hauled after her. “GET BACK HERE, KIT!”

Batman sighed as he watched the two teens chase each other, one continually shouting the other giggling, then a voice called from behind him. “They’re almost like a miniature version of us, aren’t they, Bat?”

He tipped his head to the woman standing on the other rooftop. “Selina.”

She smirked and turned, walking away. “Let’s play a game of tag, shall we?” He grunted as he began running after her.

***

She could hear Robin’s feet slam against the pavement with each step he took, and she huffed a laugh. “You’re not supposed to let people hear you, Robin! I thought Batman taught you how to be quiet!”

“I’m gonna be quiet when I get my wallet back from you!”

“Is that before or after I take the money inside?”

“DON’T TOUCH MY MONEY, KIT!”

“So touchy, Robin.” Her hands gripped the ledge as she pulled herself up and onto the rooftop; her feet carried her to the edge of the building, and she peered over it, mumbling to herself, “That’s a little too big of a jump for me to make.”

She turned around and was met by his chest as he slammed into her; her eyes widened as everything moved in slow-motion as they fell over the edge. The wind whipped by them as they fell, and she couldn’t stop the blood-curdling scream that tore through her throat.

An arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close, then the click of the grapple-gun sounded in her ears, followed by his low and confident voice. “I’ve got us Kit, don’t worry.”

Her hands clenched in his suit as the grapple hooked into a building, and they swung down to the roof below. When their feet touched the ground, she pulled away and slung her fist into his stomach. He bent over, holding his stomach and she exploded. “Are you insane, Robin! We could’ve died! How about next time, you watch where the fuck you’re running!”

She turned away and stalked off when a hand curled in hers. “Wait a second, Kit.” She paused, glancing down at him, then he rose and rubbed the spot she’d punched. “Damn, you’ve got one hell of an arm.” She felt the corner of her mouth raise and he matched her grin. “See…you’re not that mad at me.”

Scoffing, she retorted, “Considering the fact that we almost became a giant splatter on the pavement? I’m a little mad.”

“I had us.”

She leaned forward and poked his chest. “And what would’ve happened if you hadn’t?”

He paused for a minute, then laced his fingers with hers. “Then we wouldn’t have been able to go to prom in a few weeks.” He went quiet, then looked at her. “You are still gonna go to prom with me, right, (Y/N)?”

“Yeah, Jason…I am.”

Grinning, he nodded to the diner just across the street. “Wanna get some food?”

“Sure.”

They began walking towards the diner, sliding down the fire-escape and to the street; they crossed the street and stepped into the joint. When the food was ready, they took it back to the roof, sitting down on the ledge, eating, while cracking jokes back and forth.

(Y/N) was sipping on her milkshake when Jason went quiet, and she eyed him. “What’s wrong, Jay?”

He glanced at her then shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s obviously something. You aren’t usually this quiet.”

Jason stayed silent for a moment. “…I’m going to Ethiopia soon.”

Her eyes widened, and she leaned close. “For what?”

His gaze seemed heavy when he looked at her. “I’m finding my mother.”

“I thought Catherine was your mom?”

Jason nodded. “She was…but she wasn’t my biological mother.”

“When are you leaving?”

“In a couple days.”

“You’re going to be back in time for prom, right?”

Jason snorted. “Yes, (Y/N). I won’t stand you up at prom.”

She grinned. “Good.” It was silent for a second, then she spoke softly. “Does Bruce know?” When he didn’t answer, she found her own, sighing, “Jason, it’s not a good idea to leave without letting Bruce know.”

He nodded. “I know…but Bruce isn’t who I need to tell right now.” He took her hand. “It’s you.” His other hand fumbled in his utility belt, and he pulled out a silver band that held a peridot in the middle; he held it out to her, and she took it, then stared at him.

“Jason…what’s this?”

“A ring.”

(Y/N) sighed and rolled her eyes. “No shit, Sherlock. Couldn’t figure that out myself.” She paused. “Why though?”

“It’s a promise ring.”

She felt the breath leave her lungs and her eyes went wide. “A promise ring?”

He nodded and squeezed her hand. “I know we’re too young to get married right now, (Y/N). But I love you, and at some point, in my life, I that to become ‘our life’.”

(Y/N) was speechless at his confession, and she pulled off her mask, questioning, “Are you being serious right now? Because if this is a joke, after I beat the shit out of you, I will break up with you, and never speak to you again.”

Jason snorted. “I’m being one-hundred percent serious, (Y/N). I want to marry you someday, and this ring serves as a testament to that.” He squeezed her hand again. “So, what do you say? Wanna make a promise?”

(Y/N) felt tears gather in her eyes, and she shifted, wrapping her arms around his neck; she nodded, and choked out, “Yes!” She pulled back, pressing her lips to his; she murmured against his mouth. “Yes, I do.”

Jason grinned, and pulled her close, and rested his forehead against hers. “I love you, (Y/N).”

“I love you too, Jason.”

***A Few Weeks Later***

She walked into the apartment, closing the door behind her; she kicked off the black heels and began fumbling with the dress zipper. Selina tipped her head around the wall. “What are you doing home so early, hon?” She glanced down at her wristwatch. “Prom wasn’t supposed to be over until eleven. It’s nine.”

(Y/N) glanced at her as she pulled the zipper down. “Jason wasn’t there.”

“He stood you up?”

She shrugged. “If he did, he’d better have a damn good reason for it.”

Selina observed her for a few seconds. “Are you okay, hon?”

“I’m beginning to worry about Jason.” She sighed.

“Why’s that?”

“Because ever since Jason left for Ethiopia, he hasn’t sent me a single message.” (Y/N) paused and looked at her. “Jason isn’t one to keep me in the dark. He would’ve called by now.”

Selina moved forward and placed her hands on (Y/N)’s shoulders. “He’s probably spending time with his mom.”

(Y/N) stared at her before sighing, nodding, “You’re probably right.” She pulled away from Selina’s grip and moved to her bedroom, stopping as she closed the door. “I’ll go see Bruce tomorrow and ask.”

“You might not be able to find Bruce.”

She cocked an eyebrow at her comment. “And why not?”

Selina’s gaze turned solemn. “Something’s wrong with Bruce he’s becoming…ruthless and careless.”

(Y/N) took in her words and nodded. “I’ll see if I can find him. That or I’ll just ask Alfred. He’ll know.”

Selina nodded. “Goodnight hon.”

“Night Selina.”

***The Next Day***

She stood in apprehension at the view of the manor; no matter how many times she’d been there, she was still shocked at the sheer size of it. She stepped up to the door and rang the doorbell, then turned and stared out at the long driveway, listening as the doorbell chimed.

The door opened and (Y/N) spun back around, expecting Alfred to be there. “Hey Alfred, is—Dick?” She stopped and stared at him. “Holy crap! Dick! I haven’t seen you in forever!” Dick smiled at her and opened his arms. (Y/N) leaned in and gave him a hug before pulling away. “What are you doing back in Gotham?”

Dick’s face dropped, and he stared at her. “Bruce needed my help.”

“Selina told me he’s been on edge for a while. It’s good that you’re here to keep him grounded.”

Dick nodded and motioned inside. “Want to come in?”

(Y/N) nodded and stepped by him. “This place gets even cooler every time I come over.”

He chuckled. “It does, doesn’t it?” They stepped into the kitchen and Dick went to the refrigerator. “Want something to drink?”

“Did Alfred make any fruit tea?”

“I think he made mango and peach tea.”

“I’ll take some of that.” He pulled out a pitcher and poured each of them a glass; he handed hers to her and she sipped it. “Alfred makes the best tea, I swear.”

Dick smiled and sat beside her, giving her a once over. “You look good, (Y/N).”

She was surprised at his comment and pointed to herself. “Me?”

“Yes (Y/N). You.” He snorted.

“Thank you, Dick.” She smiled. “Don’t ask me for a loan though, cause I ain’t givin’ you money.”

Dick laughed at her and shook his head. “I’m not going to ask you for a loan, (Y/N).”

“Good…‘cause I don’t have a lot of money.”

The two of them let out laughs, and Dick’s eyes caught the ring on her finger; he nodded at it. “Are you wearing a ring?”

(Y/N) glanced down at it, then back to him and nodded. “Jason gave it to me a few weeks ago.” She twirled it between her fingers, and she felt a smile form. “It’s a promise ring.” (Y/N) paused, then looked up at Dick. “Which brings me to the reason why I’m here…is Jason still in Ethiopia with his mom? He hasn’t messaged me yet, and I’m beginning to worry about him.”

Dick’s expression gave way from surprise to pure shock, and he leaned forward, his tone laced with disbelief. “…Have—have you not been told, (Y/N)?”

She blinked at him. “Told what?” Dick went silent, and (Y/N) cocked her head at him. “What haven’t I been told, Dick?”

He stared at her with a face that made her heart thump ominously and his voice held a tone of solemnity. “…Jason was killed in Ethiopia a few weeks ago.”

(Y/N) thought her heart stopped as she breathed out the only word she could manage. “…What?”

***Part Two***

Noise. Everything that came out of his mouth was pure noise. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think as she rose from the bar seat. Dick looked at her concerned and rose to follow her. “(Y/N)? Where are you going?” She didn’t respond, her feet carrying her towards the study; she entered the room and slid to the wall, moving the clock from its position. (Y/N) skipped the steps, moving as fast as she could into the cave.

She came upon him, standing in front of the Batcomputer talking to Alfred; he turned to her, and she let out a withering whisper. “Is it true?” His eyebrows furrowed and he opened his, but she cut him off, this time, her voice a screech. “IS IT TRUE?!”

He shut his mouth for a few seconds, then murmured, “…Yes he’s…gone.”

(Y/N) saw red and she flew forward, her fists pounding into his chest. “HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME! HOW COULD YOU KEEP THIS FROM ME!” Bruce didn’t respond, didn’t even react to her punches; he just took each blow. After a few seconds of continual punches, he reached out and grabbed her arms; (Y/N) struggled, thrashing against him. “Let go of me!”

He didn’t, instead he brought her forward and circled his arms around her; she struggled for a few moments, but then the realization set in, and she felt her knees weaken. They caved and she let him lower her down as she cried.

Her hands clenched in his suit, and she stared up at him, wailing, “What happened?”

Bruce’s eyes shut and he whispered, “Joker killed him in Ethiopia.” (Y/N)’s eyes momentarily widened, before shutting and she buried her face in his shoulder as she sobbed.

***

She cried for hours, and he sat with her on the floor of the cave the entire time; Alfred and Dick had gone upstairs earlier to give them privacy. (Y/N) didn’t feel like moving, didn’t feel like talking, but she forced herself to; she shifted her eyes to Bruce’s and whispered, “Why didn’t you tell me he di—why didn’t you tell me?”

He sighed and shook his head. “I didn’t know how to. I’ve been so occupied with Gotham that I didn’t have time.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit.” He looked down at her and she felt tears gather in her eyes again. “I deserved to know. I should’ve been the first person you told.”

Bruce looked away but nodded. “I know…I’m sorry, (Y/N).”

“How’d…how’d he die?”

There was a pause, then Bruce’s voice came out no higher than a broken whisper. “It was my fault…I wasn’t fast enough.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Bruce.”

“Yes, it was. I told him to wait but I should’ve known he would’ve gone to save her.”

(Y/N) glanced up at him at the mention of ‘her’. “Her? Who’s her?”

“Sheila Haywood. Jason’s mother.”

“So, he found her? Did he save her?”

Bruce let out a cold laugh that unsettled her. “He tried to…only to be betrayed by her and given to the Joker.” (Y/N)’s eyes widened, and he continued. “He beat Jason to a bloody pulp…then blew up the warehouse they were in.”

“He…killed them both?”

“Yes.”

She sucked in a breath, closing her eyes as the tears ran down her cheeks. “I thought he was still there…still spending time with her…I never imagined this would’ve happened.”

A comforting hand caressed the side of her head and Bruce apologized again. “I’m sorry, (Y/N)…I’m so sorry.” She said nothing and leaned her head onto his shoulder again and let the tears come.

***

The weeks after that were unimaginable, and (Y/N) couldn’t bear to bring herself to his grave. Too afraid that seeing it, would make it real. Make it true. But after wrestling with herself and telling herself that she owed it to him to go, she finally made her way over. Each step was heavy, and she found it increasingly hard to breathe as she walked; she stopped, a hand holding the cold iron. I can’t do this…I can’t…I’m not ready.

(Y/N) moved to turn when a hand rested on her shoulder; she looked up to see Dick smiling sadly down at her. “What are you doing here?”

“I knew at some point you’d go see him…I’ve been waiting to go with you.”

She reared back and glared. “How do you know I need someone to go with me?”

“Because you can’t even open the gate, (Y/N).”

She looked back to her hand, seeing it begin to turn a shade lighter from clenching so tightly; (Y/N) let out a shaky breath. “I need help, Dick. I’m…scared to go alone.”

“I’ll go with you.” He said, his hand shifting from her shoulder to her hand, and his fingers curled around it.

She glanced at him through the tears in her eyes. “You will?” He nodded and she stepped back, letting him open the gate.

Their steps were quiet as the moved through the cemetery, and eventually, her eyes landed on his headstone. (Y/N) pulled away from Dick and stumbled to the stone, dropping to her knees in front of it; her fingers rose shakily, and she placed a hand to it.

It was freezing, and it made her throat close as she traced the letters of his name. “I didn’t…I didn’t even get to say goodbye. The plane was boarding, and he could only wave as he ran to catch it.”

Dick knelt beside her and rested a hand on her back. “None of us did (Y/N).”

“I thought he was still in Ethiopia with his mom…” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him; (Y/N) wrapped an arm under his and around his back, resting her head against his chest. “I don’t know what to do, Dick.” (Y/N) gazed at her hand to the silver band resting on her finger and choked out a sob. “What do I do now?” She stared up at him, hoping he had the answers, but all he did was close his eyes and shake his head.

“I…I don’t know, (Y/N).” he whispered.

Her eyes moved back to the stone, and she felt the tears run down her face. “This can’t be real…he can’t be gone.” (Y/N) sobbed, and the words poured from her mouth. “We were supposed to go to prom. We were supposed to graduate and go to college. Move in together and get…and get…” She couldn’t bring herself to say ‘married’, and she felt Dick’s arms tighten around her and his head dropped to her shoulder.

Soon, she felt the material of her jacket go damp and he whispered, “I wasn’t the brother I should’ve been for him. God, I was so angry at Bruce that I stayed away from Gotham, and I never got to know him well enough as I should’ve.”

(Y/N) pulled back to look at Dick, and she took one of his hands; he met her eyes and she murmured, “You were enough, Dick. He knew you cared for him.” He nodded, and (Y/N) rested her head back against his chest. After a few moments, she whispered, “I don’t know what to do anymore, Dick. I can’t even bring myself to leave my room most days let alone putting on my suit on anymore.”

“Why not?”

(Y/N) let her eyes trace his name and she confessed brokenly, “Because I can’t be Kit without my Robin.” She shut her eyes and brought a hand to her face and cried into it. Dick said nothing, he just held her as she broke down, and he let himself break down too.

***Five Years Later***

She gripped the handle of her whip and followed after Selina as she stepped into the jewelry store. Her eyes moved around the room, then went back to Selina who was busy cutting a hole in the glass case. “Selina…what are we doing?”

Selina snorted. “I believe we’re stealing this six-million-dollar diamond and ruby necklace, (Y/N).”

“No. I mean what are we doing, Selina.”

She stopped cutting and rose, arching an elegant brow at (Y/N). “Alright. You’ve been acting like this for a few weeks now. In fact, it’s been like this since you’ve put the suit back on.” She motioned to (Y/N). “What’s up with you?”

Taking a few breaths of courage, she removed her mask and stared at her mentor. “I’m not doing this anymore.”

“And what does that mean?”

(Y/N) loosened the whip at her side. “It means that you’re breaking the law, Selina. And it’s wrong.”

Selina huffed a laugh and turned back to the case, beginning to cut again. “You’re a little old to be playing Cops and Robbers, Kit.” The crack of her whip sounded, and she watched it curl around Selina’s wrist; her eyes turned back to (Y/N), gaping at her. “(Y/N)?”

(Y/N) narrowed her eyes. “I’m not letting you take this Selina. It’s wrong.” Selina huffed a cold laugh and gripped the whip in her hand, tugging it roughly; (Y/N) flew forward and she landed at her feet. She looked up and saw Selina picking up the necklace, then glance down at her.

“All these years I’ve taken care of you. All these years that I’ve trained you and this is how you give it back to me? By turning sides?” Selina scoffed. “You can get the hell out of my place and find your own.” (Y/N) scrambled to her feet beginning to give chase; she ran past the alarm and threw an arm out, slamming her hand down on the switch. Selina glanced over her shoulder. “You little bitch!”

“I’m going to be a bigger bitch when I take that necklace back from you Selina!” The two of them slammed through the doors on the roof, hands and feet flying.

They both fought and (Y/N) felt Selina’s claws dig into her shoulder. She let out a cry and slammed her palm up into Selina’s chin. The older woman fell backwards, and (Y/N) watched the necklace fly from her pouch. Their eyes met and each of them scrambled, trying to reach it first. (Y/N) gripped the bolas at her side and slung them as hard as she could. They caught Selina’s ankles, and she dropped; she slid to her feet and scooped up the necklace, and she didn’t look back as she ran, hopping ledges and rooftops, listening to Selina cuss at her the entire way.

(Y/N) ran for what seemed like hours, and once she made sure she was safe, she sat down on a rooftop and caught her breath. Her hand shifted to her pocket, and she looked at the necklace. I could sell this if I wanted to. (Y/N) shook her head and shoved the necklace back in her pocket. No. I made my choice. No more stealing. She sighed and turned back to go to Selina’s apartment when she remembered that she couldn’t go back there. So where to now? (Y/N) looked around when a building caught her eye. I can go to him…he’ll help me. She began running again, moving in the direction of the manor.

***

Bruce stood in front of the Batcomputer, moving through the cases when Tim walked up. “Bruce? Can I help you with anything?”

“No. Go see if Dick or Alfred need anything though.”

Tim nodded and began moving when a figure came into view. “Holy crap! Kit?!”

Immediately, everyone was facing the entrance of the cave and they watched as (Y/N) stepped closer; Bruce rose from his seat and moved in front of her, noticing she was out of her suit. “What are you doing here, (Y/N)?”

Her eyes moved from his to the Batcomputer and she nodded at it. “Selina got arrested then.”

“You knew?”

(Y/N) looked at him and stepped forward, moving her hand towards him to reveal the necklace. “I came to give this to you…to return it.”

Bruce took it, looking at her curiously and the others stepped towards her. “Why’d you turn on Selina?”

She took a deep breath and held out her suit, declaring, “I don’t want to be a criminal anymore. I’m tired of breaking the law and seeing other people get away with it.”

To say that they were surprised at her confession was an understatement; Dick tipped his head. “But…stealing is kind of your thing? Why don’t you want to do it anymore, (Y/N)?”

“Because it’s not what Jason would want me to keep doing.” (Y/N) looked at Bruce. “I’ll do whatever it takes to prove I’m ready to change but I don’t want to be a criminal. I want to be like you guys…” She swallowed thickly. “I want to be someone that would make Jason proud.”

They were silent for a moment, then Bruce took her suit from her and passed it to Alfred. “If you’re going to join us, you’ll need a new training regimen. We start at dawn.”

That was all he said before turning around, and (Y/N) called out to him. “By the way…Selina kicked me out. So…can I maybe stay here?” He waved a hand and (Y/N) let a smile grace her face.

“Welcome to the Batfamily (Y/N).”

(Y/N) glanced at Dick’s hand held outwards and she smiled, taking it firmly; he shifted and pulled her into a hug, listening as she giggled. “Thanks Dick.”

They pulled away and Bruce walked back over. “You need a new suit Kit. Yours is ripped.”

“Vixen.”

“Beg pardon?”

“Everyone has to grow up sometime. I’m not Kit anymore…I’m Vixen.”

Bruce eyed her before walking past her. “You prove to me that you can be like us, and you can be Vixen…until then you’re Kit.”

“Looks like you have a long road ahead of you (Y/N).” Dick remarked.

She nodded at him. “Right on.” She glanced over at Tim who was still wearing his suit. “Hey…Robin.” He turned to her, and his eyes flashed with fear as she stepped in front of him; (Y/N) pointed to the symbol. “Make sure you honor that uniform. Are we clear?” Tim nodded fervently and she reached up, ruffling his hair. “Good.” (Y/N) walked away and stopped at the stairs, glancing over her shoulder at him. “He’d be proud someone like you filled his shoes.”

“Are you okay with this, (Y/N)?”

Her eyes moved to Dick’s, and she nodded, her voice solemn. “Jason’s gone, Dick. I can’t change that.” (Y/N)’s hand rose to close around the ring on the chain at her neck. “But I can honor him by knowing that Tim’s doing a damn good job as Robin.” She began moving up the stairs and murmured, “And I know he’d be proud that I’m fighting crime instead of making it.”

***Part Three***

She hit the floor, listening as the sound echoed through the cave, and grunted, grabbing her side, the throbbing telling her she was going to see a black bruise soon. He shifted over and knelt beside her. “Are you alright?”

She nodded and clamored to her feet, assuming another defensive position. “Let’s go again.”

“This is the fifth time we’ve done this, (Y/N). Aren’t you tired yet?”

“Again.” She reiterated.

Bruce complied and entered an offensive stance. “Remember (Y/N), it’s not just about blocking each hit, it’s knowing what’s coming next.”

“Got it. Go.”

They circled each other for a few seconds, each of them wondering who was going to move first; Bruce shifted fast, and she readied herself for the coming blows. They came swiftly, and she reminded herself to focus on what he was going to do next. Who am I kidding? The man is unpredictable. (Y/N) kept up, and she saw him grin ever-so-slightly.

“Good. You’re keeping up well.” She blocked the palm he threw at her, returning it with a kick to his side, then backing up; he followed her. “Let’s see if you can go faster.”

“Wait don’t go faster! I’m barely keeping myself on track right now!” Bruce chuckled, but went faster anyway and (Y/N) found herself panicking as each fist came.

“Don’t panic, (Y/N). Focus.” She took a deep breath as she blocked his foot and he said, “When it comes down to a life-or-death fight, you need to be able to keep calm. If you let your enemy get the better of your fear and panic, it’s all over.”

“Is that how you felt when you fought Bane?”

He nodded. “I will admit, that was one of the most fearful moments of my entire life.”

“I imagine having your back broken is.” Bruce shifted again, and (Y/N) saw his foot fly. “Fuck.”

She saw it too late, and it hit her square in the chest; she dropped to the ground, the wind knocked from her lungs. (Y/N) put her hands to her chest and tried to breathe, but the air wouldn’t come in; her eyes widened in panic, and she looked up at Bruce who immediately moved to her side.

“(Y/N).” She motioned to her chest, and he placed his hands on her shoulders. “Just relax. The more you panic, the harder it will be for you to breathe.” She closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down, then she inhaled deeply, feeling the breath expand in her deprived lungs. She let out a shaky breath and he asked, “Are you alright now?”

(Y/N) opened her eyes, and she jerked, elbow meeting his chest; Bruce’s eyes widened, and she shifted again, taking advantage of the opening he’d given her. The arm she’d hit him with came back and gripped one of his arms and she swung herself around it, placing her legs over his chest, as she pulled it back. Bruce’s back bent on the mat as he tried to move, but she tightened her grip on his arm and her legs, keeping him locked in place.

“Tap out.” He grunted and tried to move but couldn’t and she said again, this time firmer, “Tap. Out.” After a few seconds, she heard his free hand tapping the mat and she let go, rolling off. (Y/N) rose to her feet and crossed her arms, smiling triumphantly. “I win.”

Bruce climbed to his feet and stood in front of her, a hard look in his eyes. At first, (Y/N) began to panic at the look, then the corner of his mouth turned up and he passed her murmuring, “Good job.”

She turned around and watched his back in disbelief as he walked to the shower room and then turned to Dick who was walking over, a towel in his hand. “Did…did that just happen? Did he just give me approval?”

Dick snorted as he passed her the towel. “Don’t get used to it, ‘cause it probably won’t happen again for a long time.”

Tim walked up beside her as she laughed. “Here (Y/N). I got your water.”

She smiled as she took it from him. “Thanks kiddo.” (Y/N) drank from the bottle then glanced at Dick. “I thought you were supposed to be in Blüdhaven. Why are you here?”

“Bruce said there’s some new player in Gotham and I figured he could use a hand.”

“Yeah, that Red Hood guy.” She replied.

Dick raised an eyebrow. “You know him?”

“Hardly,” she scoffed. “Bruce hasn’t let Tim or me patrol since he’s come into town.”

“Is he that dangerous?” (Y/N) passed him and walked over to the Batcomputer, typing on it; a few seconds later, the image of eight decapitated heads appeared on the screen. “Holy shit.”

She nodded at his shock. “He’s effectively taken over the drug trade in Gotham City, and is waging a one-man-war on Black Mask.”

“Is he winning?”

“So far? It appears so.” She paused and clicked the mouse. “I can’t exactly condone his actions because he’s killing people, but he’s keeping the drugs away from children and schools, so I’m not overly angry with him.”

Dick hummed, glancing at Tim. “You doing good, Timmy?”

The young boy nodded with a smile. “(Y/N)’s been helping me a lot.”

“Shove off, Dick.” She muttered when she saw the look on his face.

He spluttered. “I didn’t say anything!”

“You were thinking it.” She moved towards the steps, climbing them towards the door.

Dick followed her. “Going to see Jason?”

(Y/N) nodded as they stepped into the study. “Didn’t get to see him last week because of exams.”

“How’d those go?”

She flashed a grin over her shoulder. “Passed with flying colors.”

Dick reached over and patted her head. “Good job, (Y/N).”

She swatted his hand but smiled nevertheless at his congratulations. “Thanks Dick.” He smiled as he watched her climb the stairs and move towards her room.

(Y/N) walked inside her room and closed the door, immediately stripping from the sweaty work-out clothes; she dropped them into her hamper and moved into the bathroom, stepping into the shower. Once she was finished, she pulled on her underclothes, then put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Her eyes drifted to the zip-up hoodie in her closet; she pulled it off the hanger and slipped it on. Even after so long, it still fit her; she could faintly smell the scent of his cologne in it and she sighed, closing the closet, and moving to the door. (Y/N) walked down the steps and to the garage, grabbing her keys as she walked by.

***

The drive to the cemetery didn’t take long, and she stepped across the grass, still covered with dew. She pulled out the bottle of water from her bag, along with the old rag she’d grabbed; she poured the water on the rag then ran it over the surface of the stone, cleaning away the dirt.

“Sorry I wasn’t here last week, Jay. I had exams that week and I was too busy cramming. Honestly, it feels like a shit excuse on my part, but I know you’d understand.” (Y/N) grinned. “I remember how well you did in school. Right next to me, you were the best there was.” She pulled the rag away and wrung it out, putting it away, then she placed the vase of flowers at it, shifting it into place.

“I should mention that I passed my exams with A’s. (Y/N) (L/N) is one step closer to graduating. To be honest, school sucks. My nights are much more fun.” She snorted and pulled a photo album from her bag. “Tim helped me put this together a few days ago. He likes photography a lot.” (Y/N) opened it and reclined against the headstone. “You’d like Tim, Jason. He’s a good kid…smart, God he’s smart. Probably smarter than all of us…even Bruce.” She flipped the pages. “This is an old picture…the first gala you ever dragged me to.”

(Y/N) snorted. “I kept stepping on your shoes when we danced, but you just smiled at me…here’s you and I at the fairgrounds. I remember you threw up on the teacups because you ate too much. Ugh, that was so gross. Hilarious, but gross. Here’s that photo of you, Dick, Roy, and I at the pool. The chicken fight was fun and watching you and Dick pout because Roy and I beat you both was even more so.” Her fingers moved the pages, and she came across one of them; they froze on it. “…This was the last photo you and I took together. The Christmas party Bruce threw the year before you died.” A sad smile crossed her face, and she flipped the page again. “For now, that’s all we have.”

She closed the book and turned to the stone. “But I’ll make sure to take more photos so I can show you. Something tells me that the family is going to get a lot bigger in the future.” (Y/N) rose from the ground and collected her things, then stood in front of the stone. All at once, she felt someone’s eyes on her and immediately, she turned and eyes darting around, but saw nothing. Confused and unnerved, she faced the stone again. “I’ll see you later, Jason. I love you.”

(Y/N) quickly walked to her car and climbed in, pulling away from the sidewalk; she picked up her phone and pushed a button, listening to it ring.

Hello?

“Hey Bruce.”

What’s wrong?

“I think someone was around Jason’s grave.”

There was silence on the line, then his voice came over low and quiet. Why do you say that?

“Because it felt like someone was watching me.”

You sure it wasn’t someone else visiting?

(Y/N) huffed a mirthless laugh. “Bruce, I was the only person in the cemetery.”

I’ll see about putting up a camera in the quadrant that Jason’s grave is in.

“Alright. Hey…about patrol tonight. Can—”

We’ll talk about it tonight.

“Okay.” (Y/N) hung up and continued her drive towards Gotham University.

***

She stood in front of the Batcomputer, watching Bruce type away. “Have you found anything else about him?”

“Not yet. Dick’s going with me tonight, so we’ll see what it brings.”

“About tonight…Bruce, I think you should let me patrol again.”

“No.”

She sighed and leaned against the panel. “C’mon, Bruce. You can’t beat this guy on your own, not even with Dick’s help.” (Y/N) reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Let me help you, Bruce. It’s what you’ve been training me to do.”

“She’s got a point Bruce.” They turned to see Dick walking towards them, already suited up. “(Y/N)’s been working her ass off to get back into the field. And after what we saw this morning, she’s damn sure earned it.”

(Y/N) turned back to Bruce who took in Dick’s words, then he rose from the chair and began walking off; she sighed and scratched the back of her head. “I swear it’s one step forwards and two steps back.”

“Don’t take it too personal (Y/N). He’s just worried about the new guy.”

Her response was cut off by Bruce who stepped up to her. He held out a black suit with silver streaks on it; she eyed it. “What’s this?”

“That’s your new suit…Vixen.”

(Y/N)’s eyes went wide, and she gaped at him. “Are you…are you serious right now?”

Bruce nodded. “Dick’s right. You’ve earned the name and right to start patrolling again.” He took in the joy on her face and thumped her forehead. “Go suit up. We leave in ten.”

She scrambled to the changing room and stripped her clothes, pulling on the new suit. It fit like a glove, and she admired the suit in the mirror. She pulled on the domino mask and walked back out to them.

Bruce handed her a grapple gun and motioned to a sleek-black bike. “New bike’s yours too.”

“Holy crap this is awesome!” she yelled, pulling him in for a hug.

“Are you done yet?” Bruce sighed, patting her head.

“Don’t be an ass, Bruce. Enjoy the moment.”

He let out a chuckle as she pulled away, then his tone dropped into a serious one. “Listen to me very carefully, I don’t want you engaging the Red Hood, understood?”

She tipped her head. “I get it, but why not?”

“He’s too dangerous and unpredictable. Leave him to Dick and me. You stick to South Gotham.”

(Y/N) nodded and made her way to her bike. “I’ll stay in contact. Good hunting boys.” She pulled off and drove down the ramps.

***

She stood along the ledge of the building, watching the city below her; the night hadn’t been busy, but it certainly stretched along. Her eyes followed the cars and pedestrians when a flash of red caught them. Holy shit! It’s him! He paused on a roof top, then kept moving; (Y/N) grabbed her gun and aimed it for the building he’d just left when she paused. Maybe I should call Bruce…I’ll just tail him for now and get Bruce information.

She nodded her head and fired, slinging to the other building. Her feet hit the top and she was thankful that her shoes muffled noise as she began running after him. Tailing him wasn’t so hard as he didn’t turn around; he obviously wasn’t expecting someone to follow him. (Y/N) followed him, then, she lost sight of him.

Dropping down into the alley she’d seen him drop into, she let out a ‘huh’ and looked around, whispering, “I don’t understand…he was just here?”

“You’re good, but you aren’t the best.” She spun around to see him standing in front of her; (Y/N) reacted, throwing a fist. He caught it, and she brought her knee up to his stomach; he must’ve been expecting it too because he blocked it with his palm. “Relax. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Too bad pal. I’m on the job right now.” (Y/N) jerked her fist from his grasp and threw her other one.

He dodged each punch and kick she sent, and he sighed. “I’m not going to fight you.”

That made her pause and she stopped with her hands raised defensively. “And why not?”

“Because I don’t want to hurt you, Kit.”

Her eyes widened, then narrowed. “Look you’re obviously new in town, so I’ll give you this one for free. My name isn’t Kit anymore. It’s Vixen.”

He leaned against the wall, his arms crossing over his chest; he tipped his head back and flirted, “Vixen, huh? That referring to you growing out of Kit…or becoming a rather alluring seductress?”

(Y/N) uncurled the whip from her side. “Depends on who’s asking.” Whatever response he had was cut off as she cracked it towards him.

Quick as flash, and obviously well trained, Red Hood grabbed the whip and curled his arm around it, jerking it roughly. (Y/N) flew forward and he shifted, grabbing her wrists; he turned them around and her back hit the wall as he shoved her arms above her head. She thrashed until he murmured, “Stop moving.”

She yanked at his grip, then looked at his helmet; she spit at it. “Let me go you fucker.”

He chuckled at her. “Man, you’ve certainly grown a mouth.” He observed her. “Those were nice flowers you left.”

(Y/N) stilled at that and she stared wide-eyed at him. “…What?”

“A nice mix you had going. Forget-Me-Nots, that’s self-explanatory. Primroses for eternal love, Red Tulips for undying love, Rainflowers for atonement, and Sword Lilies for an August birthday.” (Y/N) felt the breath leave her lungs, and all she could do was stare, too stunned to speak. “You’re still holding onto him, aren’t you?”

Her eyes narrowed and she felt tears swim in her vision as she tugged at her arms. “You sonovabitch. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You’ve visited his grave every week for the past five years, always bringing the same blend of flowers, and the same rag to clean with.”

“So, you’ve been watching me?”

“For a while…I wanted to know if you cared.”

“…Why?” His hands shifted, taking both her wrists in one, and the other went behind his head and pushed the button. She watched the helmet unlock and he pulled it off, dropping it do their feet, then he pulled the domino mask from his eyes and gazed at her. (Y/N)’s jaw went slack, and she could barely breathe.

“Because I still care.”

She could barely get his name out. “…J-Jason?”

His free hand came up and cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing against her skin. “Hey (Y/N)…been a long time.”

Her heart slammed against her ribcage, and everything began to spin; the last thing she remembered was Jason calling out to her as she fell into darkness.

***Part Four***

Her eyelids peeled open, and she looked up at the ceiling blearily. Upon seeing that it wasn’t the ceiling in her room at Wayne Manor, shock registered in her brain, and she shifted to sit up.

A hand rested on her shoulder and gently pushed her back down as a low voice followed. “Don’t sit up too fast. You’ll make yourself sick.” She looked over to see him sitting there on the edge of the bed; his hand moved from her shoulder to the nightstand beside her. He passed her a warm cup, which she took lightly. “Here. You’re recovering from shock, something warm will help.”

She brought the cup to her lips, and the scent of freshly crushed peppermint leaves wafted up her nose. “Peppermint?”

“Peppermint reduces anxiety and makes you calm.” He nodded to it. “Drink.”

“Don’t be bossy…I’m doing it.” She took a few sips then handed it back to him; he took it from her and set it on the nightstand, then looked at his hands. There was silence around them, then she sat up, scooting closer to him. “It’s really you, isn’t it?” The silence he gave her made her heart wrench, and she reached out, curling her hand in his. “Jason?”

He finally looked at her, and she took in the sight of how clouded his teal eyes were. She rested a hand on his cheek, her thumb caressing under his eye. She stared at him, then whispered, “I don’t understand…how are you alive?”

Jason closed his eyes and shook his head murmuring, “I don’t know (Y/N). I remember everything coming back in the Lazarus Pit…but that’s about it.” She tightened her grip on his hand, feeling his thumb run across the back of hers. “I’ve been waiting for the chance to talk to you…but I didn’t know when to.”

“You could’ve talked to me at the cemetery.”

Jason snorted and glanced at her. “And send you into cardiac arrest where I was buried? No thanks.” (Y/N) felt the corners of her mouth rise and she leaned forward, pressing her forehead to his; they stared at each other for a few moments, then Jason reached forward and pulled her into his lap, burying his face in her shoulder. Her arms came up and wound around him, threading a hand in his hair.

“I’ve missed you, (Y/N).” he whispered, tightening his grip on her waist.

She nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. “I’ve missed you too, Jason. Everyday you’ve been gone.”

They stayed that way for a while, simply holding each other, remembering what they had. (Y/N) pulled away after some time and took his face in her hands, observing him. She could tell how much he’d changed since they last saw each other those five years ago; he’d grown, and not just in his body and facial features. (Y/N) had seen the videos of him fighting; he’d become more skillful at fighting, deadlier too. Whoever trained him after Bruce had honed his senses to a razor-sharp edge. But what stunned her the most were his eyes. When they were younger, his eyes were always bright and full of mirth, always willing to spark some type of trouble…but now? His eyes were dark and cloudy, haunted by his past, a stark contrast from what she remembered.

(Y/N) reached up and twirled a finger in the tuft of white hair at his head. “That’s new.”

He smiled and nodded. “Was like that when I woke up.”

“Jason…what are you doing?”

His eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

(Y/N) shifted, pulling herself from his grip and rising to stand in front of him. “You know exactly what I mean.” She gestured to his suit. “This Red Hood business? Fighting Bruce? The war on drugs against Black Mask?” she shook her head like she couldn’t understand any of it—and for the most part, she didn’t. “What are you doing?”

Jason stood from the bed and wandered over to a table, his back to her. “I’m doing what Bruce won’t.”

“And that is?”

His hands shifted to the guns on the table, and he picked up a rag, beginning to clean one. “Controlling crime.”

“You’re not controlling crime, Jason. You’re acting like a mob boss.”

He snorted and glanced over his shoulder. “Maybe, but it’s getting the job done.”

(Y/N) thought her head was going to explode, and she crossed the room to him, grabbing his arm and spinning him around to face her; she glowered at him. “You’re not ‘doing the job’, Jason! You’re killing people!”

He jerked his arm from her grip and leaned in, his voice harsh. “Bad people! I’m putting down dogs that deserve it!”

“It doesn’t matter what they deserve, Jason! It’s murder! We aren’t executioners!”

Jason stood back up to his full height, and she watched his eyes turn to slits as he murmured, “I thought you of all people would understand why I’m doing this.”

(Y/N) thought he’d slapped her with how disappointed he sounded, and her voice turned incredulous. “Are you shitting me right now?” She reached out, her pointer finger jamming into his chest. “Don’t you dare turn this on me.” (Y/N) shook her head. “I left Selina and joined Bruce because I didn’t want to be a criminal anymore. I wanted to be a better person in your memory.” She stared into his eyes and spit, “You know damn well I’d never condone this…not even for you.”

“So, you’re choosing him over me?”

“Oh, don’t even go there, Jason. It’s not like that and you know it. Bruce helped me turn over a new leaf. He’s helped me become who I am.” (Y/N) reached out and took his arm. “Come home, Jason. Bruce and I can help you.”

This time, he gripped the hand that held his arm and he yanked her off. “I don’t need his help. Not when he did this to me.”

“Are you…are you blaming Bruce for this?”

“Of course I am! He left me to die!” The sound of a palm against skin echoed in the room and Jason reached up, holding his throbbing cheek.

(Y/N) glared as she whispered frostily, “He didn’t leave you to die, Jason! He told you to wait until he got back! I will admit that he wasn’t fast enough to save you, but he didn’t do this!” She tugged her hand away from his grip. “You’ve done this all on your own.”

His Adam’s apple bobbe4d as he swallowed, and he huffed a mirthless laugh. “You’ve changed, (Y/N).” He passed by her, muttering as he did. “You act so high and mighty, but you forget that you used to be a criminal too.”

She looked at him through the mirror beside her and she murmured, “I think it’s you who’s changed.” He turned and met her eyes and she added, “My Jason knew the difference between right and wrong.”

Jason flashed her a smile that made her stomach curl and he declared, “I don’t know if you know this, (Y/N)? But your Jason died.”

(Y/N) swallowed thickly and turned around, meeting his gaze. They stared at each other, and she affirmed, “Yes…he has.” Her hand reached up tugged at the silver chain around her neck; she walked past him to the door but stopped beside him. (Y/N) took his hand and placed the necklace in his palm; he looked down at it, then back at her, his eyes widening, and she hissed, “You can take this back. I’d rather die than marry what you’ve become.”

Jason’s hand curled around the ring, and he narrowed his eyes in amusement. “Don’t know if you know this, doll…but dying isn’t all that hard to do.”

(Y/N) glared as she passed him to the door, slamming it on her way out.

***

She wondered aimlessly through the streets, not caring where she was headed. After a few hours, a beeping sounded from her wrist; she raised her wrist and pushed a button on it. “Hello?”

Bruce’s worried voice came over the comm. (Y/N)? Where are you?

She looked around, taking in the view of the bay. “At the docks.”

Stay there. I’m coming to get you.

The call ended and she collapsed onto the bench, staring out at the water. Her hand reached up to hold the ring that hung at her neck but clenched around nothing. (Y/N) glanced down, then remembered where it went; tears filled her eyes and she reached up, covering her eyes as she sobbed.

A few moments later, the sound of the Batmobile pulling up came behind her, and then, a hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up, blinking through the tears to see Bruce frowning at her. “Let’s get back to the cave (Y/N).” She nodded and he helped her stand, walking her to the passenger side; she slid in and buckled the seat belt, staring out the windshield as he climbed in the driver’s seat.

The city passed them in a blur, and soon, they were back in the cave; Bruce turned off the Batmobile and they sat in silence until she whispered, “I know who he is.”

Bruce was quiet a few moments, then he murmured, “…I know as well.”

(Y/N) turned to him. “Ra’s brought him back.”

“It was actually Talia. Ra’s apparently called him a curse set upon the world.”

She huffed a laugh, but it was anything but humorous. “Right about now, I’m not sure whether I should agree with Ra’s or not…I’m inclined to agree with him.”

“How did you find out?”

“I saw him from the ledge I was on. I tailed him to an alley, and when he showed his face, I passed out from the shock.” (Y/N) looked at him. “Woke up and we got into it about what he’s doing…I left.” She paused. “How’d you find out?”

He sighed and reclined against the headrest. “We fought after I found Onyx, he revealed himself and...”

“And?”

“And after testing the coffin and the blood samples he left…it’s him.”

(Y/N) snorted and shook her head. “I could’ve told you that.”

They lapsed into silence, then Bruce murmured, “You aren’t wearing the necklace.” (Y/N) rested a hand along the base of her throat then shifted, climbing out of the Batmobile; Bruce followed her.

They walked a few feet, stopping in front of Jason’s old suit; (Y/N) stared at it, then turned to Bruce. “We made that promise when we were young and naïve…but now?” She turned around and began walking away. “I don’t think there’s a place for him and I in this world anymore. Not like this there isn’t.”

***Part Five***

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”

His hands halted at her question but continued a second later. “You being there will only make a distraction.”

“Maybe, but it might also make him give in easier.”

He clicked the utility belt around his waist and looked up at her. “He had his chance to surrender when you two were together, (Y/N). Now I’m putting my foot down.”

She watched him move past her towards the Batmobile, and she reached out, griping his bicep; his eyes met hers and she said, “Call me if it gets bad.”

“It won’t.”

“It will.” (Y/N) squeezed his arm firmly. “And when it happens, you’ll need me to talk to him. We both know I’m the only one who can even begin to reason with him.” He said nothing, and she let go, watching him climb into the Batmobile and speed off.

After a few moments, she walked over to the Batcomputer and sat down, hitting a few keys until the monitor displayed Bruce’s cowl camera; she watched the scenes play in front of her, the mess with Black Mask, up until Bruce leaving to go find Jason.

Footsteps sounded beside her, and she glanced up to see Alfred looking at the screen. “So Master Bruce is going after Master Jason?”

(Y/N) looked back at the screen and nodded. “Yes.”

“Hmm. And you stayed behind?”

She bit her lip, eying the screen. “…It’s not my place to get between them.”

“It’s not?” he almost sounded shocked at her admission.

“No. This is Bruce and Jason’s fight now. It’s dragged on long enough.”

Alfred watched her for a few moments before humming again. “Hmm. And here I thought Master Jason still held privilege in your heart Miss (Y/N). I must admit it is hard to see that you have moved on so soon.” It was all he said as he turned on his heel and crossed the cave floor, leaving (Y/N) with her thoughts.

She stared at the screen for a few seconds, taking in Alfred’s words before mumbling, “Ah fuck it.” She rose from the chair and made her way to the case where her suit was, reaching out and pulling it from its holds; she slipped it on and tightened the straps and belts, moving to her bike.

Alfred stood beside her, holding out her whip. “I do believe this is yours, Miss (Y/N).”

“Make sure to keep in radio contact with us…we might need you Alfie.” He nodded and saw her off.

***

(Y/N) arrived in the nick of time, seeing Jason and Bruce moving into fighting stances. She pulled out her grapple and swung up to the fire-escape, standing between them; they were shocked to see her there. “(Y/N)?”

She eyed Jason and squared her shoulders, her back to Bruce. “Enough Jason.”

He stood up straight and glowered at her. “Move (Y/N).”

“No.” she retorted; she wasn’t afraid of him. This was still her Jason. A little worn and little darker, and a lot more damaged, but still him. Still good.

“This doesn’t concern you. This is between me and him.”

(Y/N) shook her head and pointed between them. “This concerns me just as much as it concerns you, Jason.”

His response was cut off by Bruce who gripped her arm firmly. “You need to leave (Y/N).”

“I’m not going anywhere Bruce.” She looked between them. “I’m stopping this before it goes too far. Let this end so we can talk.”

Bruce squeezed her arm, his voice hardening. “Your place isn’t here right now, (Y/N).”

She gazed at him for a few moments, before jerking her arm back, this time turning her back to Jason, as if protecting him. “This is my place, Bruce. Right here. Between you,” She paused and glanced over her shoulder, catching Jason’s eyes. “And Jason.” His eyes widened ever-so-slightly, and she turned back to Bruce. “Fighting isn’t going to solve our problems. We’re all suffering from what happened in the past and what’s happening now. Stop this so we can help each other.”

Bruce went silent at her mini-speech, and she thought he was going to agree until he shook his head. “Jason plans on killing Joker…I’m stopping him tonight.”

Jason barked a laugh. “You can try and stop me.” The two of them shifted but stopped when the sound of a devastating explosion rocked the city, and an angry green light covered them; they all turned to the sight and Jason murmured, “That’s Blüdhaven.”

(Y/N) and Bruce’s eyes widened, and they both breathed in disbelief. “Dick?”

Jason chuckled at them. “My God…is Nightwing there? Imagine that. One son returns from the grave as another one enters it…what a fitting ending this has become.” Neither Bruce nor (Y/N) could form words as they watched in horror as the sister-city disintegrated before their eyes. “Good God, the ironies around. Here we are and you have to run to the site of an explosion to dig through the wreckage and find the body of your ‘Boy Sidekick.’ If he’s there, Bruce…you’re too late. Again.” Bruce shifted, starting towards Blüdhaven when a blast knocked him sideways. “No! You’re not leaving! Not now! Not this time!”

Bruce looked back at Jason, his voice and gaze pleading. “Jason. Please. I—”

Jason cut him off, his voice angry. “What! You ‘have to be sure?!’ Getting out of that alive would be one neat trick. It’d take a hell of a lot more than batarangs and a few escrima sticks to survive.” He paused, a smile playing at his lips. “If Ol’ Dickie is there. He’s dead. And if you leave…someone else dies tonight.”

(Y/N) shook herself out of her stupor and put a finger to her ear. “Alfred! Can you read me?”

“Yes Miss (Y/N). What’s wrong?”

“A nuclear bomb was just set off in Blüdhaven.”

“My God…Master Dick—”

“Send the Batplane to my location.”

She felt an arm curl around her bicep, and she glanced up at Bruce. “(Y/N) the Batplane wasn’t made to withstand such high levels of radiation. You’ll die if you’re exposed too much.”

Pulling her arm from his grasp, she began walking towards the ledge. “Alfred send the Batplane. Now.” She heard Alfred give her confirmation that it was on its way, and she turned to Bruce. “I’ll go find Dick…you end this here. Tonight.” Her eyes passed over Jason who wore a dark expression and the sound of the Batplane echoed in the sky.

She climbed in and spared them one last look before turning the Batplane away and flying towards Blüdhaven. She pushed buttons on the screen and talked to Alfred. “Alfred, scan for the tracker in Dick’s suit.”

“At once Miss (Y/N).” There was silence for a few moments then he came back over the comm. “I’ve got a location Miss (Y/N). But it isn’t the exact. Too much radiation interfering with the radar.”

“I’ll find him Alfred. Just upload his suit vitals into the system.” The sound of tapping came over and then a blinking line shot across the screen. “Alfred, how insulated is my suit to radiation?”

“As best as it can, be Miss (Y/N). Though with the lower half of your face exposed, you’re risking high exposure to the radiation, you’d be overcome with radiation sickness within the hour.”

“Does Bruce have any type of mask I can wear?”

“Check the bin beside you. There might be one.”

(Y/N) pressed a button, halting the Batplane and reached over, searching the bin; she pulled out a mask and fit it around her face, pushing the button on the side that sealed it. “Alright. I’m good.”

“Master Dick is in the outskirts of the city. Hurry Miss (Y/N)…too much exposure will kill him.”

(Y/N) disengaged the lock and began scanning the perimeter of the city for him. It took her about thirty minutes to find him, and when she did, she saw the radiation already beginning to affect him; she lowered the Batplane to the ground and ran out, crossing the street laden with debris until she got to him.

“Dick!” He turned in the direction of her voice, but she could tell he was disoriented; he staggered towards her, falling to his knees just as she reached him. (Y/N) caught his upper body before he fell over and she wrapped an arm under his and across his back, heaving him to his feet. “It’s alright, Dick. I’ve got you.”

He moaned trying to find his feet, and she began pulling him towards the Batplane. “Need…to check…for survivors.”

(Y/N) shook her head at him, heaving him closer. “We can’t do anything right now, Dick. We need to get out of here.”

“But…the survivors—”

“Dick. We can’t save them. I have to get you out of here before the radiation makes you sicker.” He relented his fight and allowed her to carry him to the plane; (Y/N) got him into a seat and strapped in, handing him a bag. “You’ll probably be sick for a while, so try to throw up in the bag.” He nodded weakly and she sat in the seat, then the Batplane rose and made its way back to Gotham. “Alfred, I’ve got Dick. Get some KI ready for him to take when we get back to the cave.”

“Shall I update Master Bruce?”

“Just tell him I got Dick and that he’s okay.”

“I will. Hurry back.”

“Will do.” The comm went silent and she glanced over her shoulder at Dick. “Dickie? You good?”

He was moaning lowly, but moved a few fingers, telling her he was. “…Where’s…Bruce?”

She felt her heart tighten, but she pushed it aside. “Fighting Red Hood.”

“Alone?”

“Yes.”

“You…should’ve….stayed.”

“Stop talking Dick.”

“…M’kay.”

***

The rest of the ride was silent, and when she returned to the cave, Alfred was waiting for her with a gurney. They got Dick on it and wheeled him to the med-room in the cave; they rolled him onto the bed and (Y/N) gripped the zipper at his neck, pulling it down. Alfred helped her pull his suit off, and soon, Dick was asleep in the bed, the two of them resting in the chairs beside him.

“How did you find Master Dick?”

(Y/N) watched Dick’s chest rise and fall with each breath and she murmured, “Dick’s always put the safety of others above himself.” She glanced at Alfred. “I knew he’d try to help survivors in the area.” She rose from the seat and rested a hand on Alfred’s shoulder. “I need to go find Bruce. You look after Dick.”

He nodded and she left the cave, climbing back into the Batplane and taking off.

***

She scoured the city until she caught Bruce’s signal; she tapped a few buttons, connecting into the comm. “Bruce?”

(Y/N). Is Dick—

“He’s fine, Bruce. I got him back to the cave.”

There was a pause, then Bruce’s voice came over relived. Good.

“Where are you?”

Delivering Joker to the Asylum.

“And Jason?”

Gone.

She paused, inhaling shakily before murmuring, “I’ll find him…you go back to the cave and see Dick.”

Are you sure?

“I need to do this Bruce. Let me.”

Be careful, (Y/N).

“Jason would never hurt me, Bruce. You don’t have to worry about me.”

…I always worry about you all.

The corners of her mouth rose, and she quipped, “Yeah, we know.” The comm went dead and she turned the Batplane in the direction of Jason’s apartment. She landed on the opposite roof and swung over, lifting a window, and slipping in.

(Y/N) crept across the floor, taking in the view of the small blood puddles on the ground. She followed them into the bedroom and saw him resting on the bed, a blood-soaked towel held to his neck; he was sweating and letting out low groans. (Y/N) walked towards him and reached out, her hand covering the one that held the towel.

His eyes snapped open at the touch and his other hand came up defensively; she caught it and his eyes widened at the sight of her. “…(Y/N)?”

She sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over, pressing the towel harder to him. “Where’s your first-aid kit?”

He nodded towards the bathroom. “Under…the sink.”

(Y/N) nodded and rose, moving into the bathroom; she returned a few minutes later holding the kit and a bottle of alcohol. She took her seat back on the bed and moved his hand, pulling the towel from its position; she worked quickly, running the alcohol over it, and murmuring a soft “sorry” as he hissed in pain. (Y/N) dabbed the wound before pulling a needle and thread, suturing his wound.

After a few minutes, she pulled the knot and clipped the leftover string, running a pad of alcohol over it once more. She put everything away and found some washcloths, dampening one; then, she moved back to him and wiped away the sweat from his upper body before running the dry one over him, collecting the moisture.

(Y/N) could feel his gaze on her the entire time, but she refused to make eye-contact, instead murmuring, “Feel any better?”

He was silent a few moments, then he mumbled, “…Yeah.”

(Y/N) wiped her hands on the towel and rested them on the nightstand; she cleared her throat and moved to stand. “Then since you’re fine, I’ll leave.” She got to her feet when a hand curled around her fingers, and she looked down at him.

His eyes no longer held the fury they’d held earlier, instead, they begged for help. “Stay with me, (Y/N).”

She swallowed and shook her head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to stay here, Jason.” She started to pull away, but the hand tightened.

“Please don’t leave me, (Y/N).” he plead, and she met his eyes, shocked to see tears forming in them. “Please don’t leave me alone again.”

“Jason, I—”

“I need you…please.”

She stared at him for a few moments before nodding. “…Okay…I’ll stay.” (Y/N) moved, climbing onto the bed beside him; she rested her head on his chest, feeling his arm curl around her waist. “…You know he loves you…don’t you?” Jason didn’t say anything, she knew he wasn’t going to immediately, so she did. “There isn’t a day that goes by that he doesn’t think about you…that he doesn’t think about how he failed you…that he was responsible for you.” She paused. “You claim he loved you like a son and left you…”

(Y/N) inhaled and lifted her head, locking eyes with him and she declared, “But you were—you are his son, Jason. And he loves you more than life itself.”

He swallowed thickly, and she watched him raise his hand to his eyes; his face morphed in agony and (Y/N) listened as he sobbed. She shifted, crawling up the bed and pulling him to her; his face buried in her chest and his arms wound around her waist, holding her. She raised a hand and gently ran her fingers through his hair, comforting him.

***

After an hour or so, they were still lying in the bed, Jason resting his weight on (Y/N) as she sat against the headboard. Her fingers still ran through his hair, sometimes lightly scratching his scalp, like she remembered he loved, and her other hand rested on his shoulder, gently massaging. They said nothing, just entranced in each other, until Jason broke it, whispering, “…I’m sorry, (Y/N).”

She took a deep breath and nodded. “I am too, Jason.”

He tilted his head up, giving her a stunned look. “For what?”

“I turned my back on you…when I should’ve been there to help you.” She paused, looking at him. “I was wrong to damn you without trying to understand what you were doing, and why.”

He swallowed, nodding his head to her words; his gaze drifted to her eyes, and he mumbled, “I never meant to disappoint you.”

(Y/N) stared into his teal eyes, and raised a hand, gently brushing the hair away from the tips of his cheekbones, setting it behind his ear. “Neither did I.”

Jason swallowed and raised his weight on his forearms, crawling up her body. “I never wanted to be at odds with you...I wanted to explain everything to you…but I was scared of your reaction.” His face was in front of hers now.

She sighed, nodding, “I know.”

He went quiet for a moment, then reached out and cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing along it. “I still love you…and I want you beside me.” (Y/N) met his eyes, watching as he leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers. “Will you come with me?”

“Where?”

“Anywhere. Everywhere. Somewhere far away from Gotham.” He paused, a hopeful look in his eyes. “Come with me, (Y/N)…we can go anywhere we want.” Her hands came up and rested along his shoulders, gently pushing him away. His face twisted and he sat back, watching her rise too.

(Y/N) took his hands, brushing her thumbs along the backs of them; she met his gaze and she spoke firmly. “I’ll go with you.” His eyes widened and his face began to turn joyful until she said, “But you have to do something for me.”

“What?”

“A lot of the unnecessary killing has to stop.” His eyebrows furrowed and she squeezed his hands. “If you want me to come with you? To stay with you and to be with you? You’ve got to try.” (Y/N) pulled her hands back and sat up straight. “Jason, I know you do what you do because you think it’s right. And while I understand that there are some people who don’t deserve to breathe? They’re still human beings. Rapists and murderers, I can get behind your guns. But the petty drug dealers and small-time criminals? Jason, they aren’t worth the bullets you’d spend.”

He observed her for a few moments before reaching past her, opening the nightstand, and pulling something out; his hand was clenched and he spoke quietly, “When I first gave this to you, we were fifteen…we had our whole lives ahead of us. And when I was gone, you never stopped holding on.” He looked at her and said, “That kind of love isn’t something that just dies, (Y/N).”

His hand uncurled and the saw the familiar ring in his open palm. “When you gave this back to me…I was devastated. But…I think it started to open my eyes about us. And I think as long as you’re with me, I can get through anything.” He held out his palm again. “If I ask you again, will you accept?”

“Will try to honor my side of the arrangement?”

“I’ll…try to...I can’t make a promise to it though.”

(Y/N) nodded. “The fact that you’ll try is good enough for me.”

He took her hand and held the ring. “(Y/N) (L/N)…will you marry me?” Tears welled up in her eyes and she nodded silently, too choked up to make words; Jason slid the ring on her finger and held her hand, his thumb rubbing the back of it. (Y/N) leaned forward and Jason pulled her into his lap, holding her to him. “I love you, (Y/N).”

“I love you too, Jason.” she whispered against his shoulder.

After a few minutes, she mumbled against his shoulder; Jason chuckled. “(Y/N), I can’t hear you clearly.”

She pulled back, giving him a smile. “I want to get married in Switzerland.”

“Why Switzerland?”

“So, I can shove you into the snow after you kiss me.” The two of them laughed and Jason shifted, wrapping an arm around her waist; her arms wound around his neck, and he gently lowered her back against the bed. They stared at each other until (Y/N)’s eyes darted to the side. “So…are you going to kiss me? Or are you gonna keep staring at me like a weirdo?”

He snorted at her question and shifted a hand, tracing her cheek. “Just thinking about how pretty you are, doll.”

(Y/N) raised an eyebrow. “When did you start calling people doll?”

“Kinda just caught on.” He shrugged.

“Mhm.”

The two of them laughed again, then Jason admitted, “I don’t know if I can be the man you deserve, (Y/N).”

She shook her head, threading her fingers in his hair as she said, “You are already more than enough for me, Jason…if anything, I’m not sure if I’m the one who’s deserving of you.”

“Will you stay with me?”

(Y/N) leaned up, pressing a kiss to his lips, and whispered, “Now and forever.”

[rent-a-bat]

In the end, no

Drabble #5

Promt: #87 “Don't be scared, I’m right here”

Pairing: Jason Todd x Reader

Requested by: Anonymous

A/N: Thank you all who waited to see this one posted! and thanks to the one who requested it, im sorry it took this long but I had a serious case of procrastination. Hope you guys enjoy!

tw: character death

To say you were tired wasn't even close to how you felt.

You were exhausted. Mind, body and everything in between. You had been working nonstop for too long, you were starting to burn out. But as things started to ease out, you finally had time to relax. Today was the first time you'll be going home early and you no longer had to be the first one in the office to begin the day, which meant you'll finally enjoy your free time.

The trek from work to your home was long enough to allow you to list all the things you've stopped doing so far.

You haven't watched your favorite show, too tired at night to even look for it. You haven't read your book, started since the beginning of the year, and six months later still not even half finished. You haven't felt your bed, your body too tired to even feel how comfortable it was before sleeping. You haven't enjoyed your home, barely basked in its warmth and felt its love.

You haven't seen him.

That's what you missed the most. You would arrive too late to see him off before patrol, and your work was too early to say goodbye in the morning when he just came back.

A hand on your shoulder took you out of your trance. You jumped, your mind still somewhere in your thoughts. Your first reaction was to move away, but that only made them hold you closer, their grip on you too strong to break. Before you could panic, a laugh behind you made you react.

“Jason!” You shouted, getting out of his grasp as relief washed over you.

He smiled, clearly amused at your reaction.

“Hello, y/n.” His lips warmed you as he kissed your forehead. You rolled your eyes, not letting him get away with it.

Your fist collided with his arm as you scolded him. “Don't do that again.”

He laughed, holding you once more. Your body relaxing almost instantly.

“I won't do it again… maybe.”

“Hmm.” You answered, your arms circling his waist, pressing yourself more to him. It was an awkward position to walk, but you didn't care, it's been ages since you've been like this, and you weren't passing on the opportunity.

You walked for a few blocks in silence, taking your usual shortcut through the alley, Jason's presence enough to make you feel safe even in Gotham, before you talked again. “Hey, Jay?”

He made a questioning sound. “What?”

“Dick called.” You braced yourself for his reaction. Seeing as he was waiting for you to continue, you did. “He wants us to come for dinner tomorrow night.”

“He does now.” was his answer. You pushed yourself away to look at him, not leaving his arms.

“Yeah. He said, and I quote, ‘He misses his baby bird and wants to see him now that he's in town’” You said, your smile growing with his reaction.

He huffed, shaking his head, looking up at your building.

“Come on. Let's go for a little while and then we leave.” You tried to plead as you went inside.

“Are you sure?” He asked, already walking up the stairs, you followed him behind as he took the lead.

“Yeah. Besides, I like Dick.” He brushed against the walls as he turned to look at you, the hallway to your apartment barely wide enough for the two.

“Of course you do.” He gave you a smile that made you think he wasn't talking about his brother.

You turned away, not wanting to let him see you blush. ”And..., I want to say hi to Alfred”

You stopped at the open door, Jason moving aside to let you go first.

“I’ll think about it.” He finally said, your smile widening at his answer. With a kiss on his cheek you let the door close as you both were finally home.

Tomorrow came faster than you thought.

It was a nice dinner, even if Jason would rather eat his words than accept it.

You arrived at quarter past six, 15 minutes before you agreed, the nerves not letting you stay calm. Dick was already there before you could even knock, Alfred waiting by the door, as he came forward to hug you. You returned it just as earnestly, it had been a while since you last saw him and he definitely was your favorite of the brothers. Letting you go with a smile, he took you to the dining room, taking Jason with him by the shoulder in a half hug. Fighting to hold back your laughter, you followed, hugging Alfred as you passed him.

It was a surprise once you arrived, not expecting Bruce or Tim to be there as well, the two of them receiving you just as warmly.

Everything was great. Once in a while you would sneak a glance at Jason, the way he smiled and how he laughed told you he too liked these little moments with his family, when everything is simple, easy, and you loved seeing him like this, your heart a little warmer at the thought.

Bruce and Tim left after dinner, not waiting for dessert, saying they had business to attend to. Dick followed not long after, asking Jason to go with him. Which left you alone with Alfred, the two of you chatting over a cup of tea before cleaning up.

You helped Alfred wash the dishes and clear out the dinner before heading down to the cave.

You could hear a fight going on as you made your way down, shouts getting louder the closer you got. Jason was pacing as he talked, screamed, at Dick who remained silent, arms crossed while he looked at Jason, his troubled expression the only sign of his emotions.

"How's everything going, guys?" You asked as soon as you stepped out of the elevator, brow raised knowingly at them.

“It's going great” Jason's smile as he came towards you showing it was anything but. “Come on y/n, we're leaving”

“Jay, please, just think about it.”

“I said, no, Dick.” Jason said, taking your hand as he walked towards the elevator.

“What is he talking about?” you asked, pulling back to stop him.

“Nothing.” His answer was short, not looking at you.

"How is it nothing? I wouldn't ask you, beg you, if it were nothing." Dick sighed, pulling at his hair as he looked down, almost defeated.

"What is it?" You asked Dick, his head shooting up to look at you.

"It's this case we've been working on..."

"Don't tell her! She does-"

"No," You cut him off, "I want to know. What is it Dick?"

He shot a glance at Jason before he answered.

"We've been tracking an organization that's been involved in drugs for the most part, but as of lately, they've moved to weapons and human trafficking." He shook his head. "Guess they found a better way to make money."

"Those bastards." Jason said under his breath, huffing behind you.

"We've been following them in Gotham and Bludhaven for a while, but never got to the source." He looked at Jason, "that is, until Jason's last report."

You suck a breath. If they found the source then it means they could take them down forever. They could free not only Gotham and Bludhaven, but any other place they could have a base.

"We are going to the location. Take them by surprise, before they leave." Dick finished, crossing his arms.

You grabbed Jason's hand, feeling the heat of his body behind you. This was big, too important to let it pass and he knew too.

“When are they leaving?” you asked Dick, ignoring the look Jason was surely giving you.

“Right now.” he grimaced, “Bruce and Tim just left, they are on their way to the airport.”

You looked back at Jason, his eyes already on you. You could tell what he was thinking, you just got your time back, and now he was leaving, but you could also tell how much he wanted to help. That's why you knew what to say next.

“You should go, Jason.” The surprise on his face as you answered was one for the books.

“Y/n…” He began to say, still confused. You smiled in reassurance, taking his hand in yours.

“Even I know this is your best chance at getting them.” you squeezed his hand. “So, go.”

He stared at you for a while before he asked, “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. Go.” You patted his arm, giving him a little push towards his bike.

He stumbled back a few steps, his eyes never leaving you. He looked like a kicked puppy, and you couldn't help laughing a little.

“I’ll be fine , Jason." You fought for your smile to reach your eyes. "I'll be here when you get back."

“Okay.” was all he said after a long pause, barely a whisper, his eyes never leaving yours until he moved. He got into his bike, sending a quick message to Bruce to tell them he was going.

"I love you." He said before putting on the helmet, starting his bike before he left.

The sound of the engine almost covering your answer. "I love you too."

You watched him leave with Dick at your side, the cave suddenly too quiet for the two of you. Now that he had left you couldn't hold onto the smile anymore. You sighed, rubbing at your eyes to keep the tears threatening to come out at bay.

You paced the cave for a while, not wanting to stay still, too afraid of what would happen if you did until you finally stopped, letting your mind do the pacing.

You felt Dick at your side a moment after, his hand rubbing your shoulder to comfort you.

“Don't worry y/n. I'll stay here to monitor if there's any movement in Gotham”, his hand on you a comfortable weight, “I’ll also be in contact with them 24/7. If anything happens, you'll be the first to know.”

You sighed again, something you've been doing lately, tension leaving your body at his words. At least there'll be someone taking care of him.

“Thank you, Dick.” He flashed you a smile, offering his arm to you

“No problem. Come on, I'll take you home.” You smiled in response, taking his arm in yours.

Like that, hours became days, days became weeks, and before you knew it, 2 months had passed. Two months since he left. Two months since you've been alone. No. You weren't alone, he was still out there, working hard, saving people, and yet, you couldn't help feeling that way.

Dick was true to his word, letting you know everything as it happened, day by day, he would call to update you on the mission. Even when there was nothing to report he'd still call you, sometimes to talk, sometimes to listen, you knew he was trying to cheer you up, and you were grateful for that.

Other days you would go to the mansion, spending time with Alfred, letting him guide you through the mansion, telling you stories about Jason and the rest when they were young or chatting through a cup of tea, and with Dick down in the cave, as the two of you checked on them, how they were doing, if they were okay. It had become sort of a routine as you waited.

You were making your way home when your phone went off, your boss sending you home earlier and giving you the next day free after spending the last weeks working overtime, threatening to fire you if you came back without resting. You checked the id before answering, smiling when Dick's name showed on the screen.

"Hey Dick! How’s everything going?" You answered cheerfully, your good mood coming out.

"Hey y/n"

"I just saw Bruce giving an interview. Why didn't you tell me they were back?"

"Y/n…"

“And why hasn't my boy called to tell me? I swear if he tries another of his surprises…” you stopped mid sentence, Dick unusually quiet for a call like this. Anxiety building up inside you before you asked, ” Hey… what is it Dick?”

"Y/n…"

"What?"

"Is Jason.."

"What happened?" you said, dread gnawing on your insides

"I think it'll be better if you come to the mansion."

"I don't see how going there would be any different from telling me now."

“…” His silence became unbearable, your patience thinning with every second that passed.

The last of it breaking as you shouted, "Dick! Tell me!", worry more than clear in your voice.

He heaved a sigh before speaking. "They managed to get most of the men, but their leader managed to escape. He and another guy got into a plane and Jason followed them."

You breathed in sharply.

"He got onto the plane. It was loaded with weapons, mostly explosives. It took off before they could go with him"

No.

"A fight broke and there was a shooting"

No.

“A missing bullet must've hit one of those crates and” he took a deep breath, “the plane exploded.”

No!

"It fell into the sea"

You held onto the wall, your legs giving out, making you slide down to the floor

"Where is he?"

"They've been looking all through the ocean nonstop. So far, they've found two bodies. They’re still looking for hi.., him."

“Don't you have a way of knowing this!? A signal, something?” You were shouting, not caring for the looks people were giving you as they passed.

"The tracker was on his helmet, we believe it got destroyed in the explosion, that's why they haven't been able to find him yet."

It couldn't be. This isn't happening. Not- not again. Not to him.

“Y/n-”

“I'm going there” you cut him out, ending the call.

The next thing felt like a blur, each of his words ringing over and over inside your mind.

The plane exploded.

They are still looking for him.

There's still a chance.

You took a cab to the mansion, barely paying attention to the ride. You jumped out once you reached Wayne Manor, running as fast as you could to the entrance, Alfred already there before you could reach the door, so you went straight down to the cave, Dick waiting for you at the elevator.

“Hey y/n…”

“Please Dick. Tell me it isn't true” you shook him by the shoulders, trying to to stop yourself from crying. “Please tell me it isn't”, eyes burning as you pleaded

“I wish it was” he grabbed your wrists, rubbing circles, trying to comfort you as much as he could.

You shook your head, casting down your eyes, not wanting to see the truth you'd find in his. You didn't want to believe it.

“Please, please please please….” You could feel yourself falling down, your legs no longer holding you for a second time this day.

Dick hugged you, keeping you from reaching the floor. “I'm sorry y/n”

“No!” Tears blurred your vision. Your arms rounding his neck as you hug him back, his hold on you tightening.

It was your fault.

Maybe if you hadn't told him. If you had stopped him before he left, maybe then he'd still be here, still with you. Still alive.

No.

You wouldn't have changed a thing.

You knew Jason, you knew he thought the same. He wanted to help, that's all he's ever wanted. To give a meaning to his actions. He wanted to help those in need, to be useful, to be good. That's why he went, your words only helping to ease the worry of leaving you alone. That's why you said it, and you'd never regret it, and neither would he.

It wasn't your fault.

A sound from behind made you look back. Batman turned from the computer, taking a few steps before removing his cowl. He looked tired, defeated. So different from the looks he had for the cameras not long ago.

You ignored the way he looked, anger rising like a fire making you move away from Dick.

“It was you!” You shouted across the cave. Tears sliding down your cheeks as you made your way to Bruce

“You did this!” you hit him on the chest, your fists colliding with his armor. His face was tired, eyes filled with sadness. He had failed him again.

“You had to look out for him!” Another punch.

“You had to save him!” you said through your tears, your fists losing force.

“Why didn't you save him?” you finally sobed, pressing your forehead against him. The fire burning away, leaving only ashes, your body suddenly cold.

“I’m sorry” was all he said as he held your shaking body while you cried. His warmth and the feel of his arms on your back a comfort around you, but not the one you wanted, the one you may never have again.

You stayed at the mansion after that. Once you had calmed down Dick took you to one of the rooms, giving you a little briefing of what was going on. Tim had stayed on the island, looking over the search in case they found him. Meanwhile Bruce tried looking with the satellites, see if any of the old trackers in his body were still active. If what you knew was true, there was no point on doing that. Jason had taken them all out long ago, not wanting any of them keeping checks on him. Still, it was something, better than nothing.

You felt empty, and yet, hope remained in you, like embers of a fire not quite out, waiting for any kind of fuel to light up again.

You stayed for a week before deciding it was time to go back, those days barely spent doing the bare minimum, crying yourself to sleep every night, trying to console yourself as much as you could, after all you only had so much time off work, you still had to live your life, try to move on and wait.

So you did.

You kept working, doing as much to keep your mind from spiraling that way, from staying as far from your apartment as you could. Still your home but one that's grown colder with every passing day. It was hard, sadness and despair threatening to keep you from doing anything every day, and yet you pushed. For him. Moping around was not something he'd like for you, even if he wasn't here, but he could, if they haven't found a body yet you could still hope, you could still wait.

Hope was slipping down like water through your fingers. You tried to hold on to as much as you could, as long as there was even the tiniest possibility, you would, you could still believe he was coming back, coming home, coming to you.

What else was left?

The sound of your phone woke you up. You checked the clock on your stand. Not yet time for you to wake up, and barely one hour sleeping. Another night of tossing around, unable to sleep, the thoughts in your head too loud to let you rest.

You grabbed your phone, the name on the screen no longer making you smile. You sat up, moving your covers aside, letting your feet touch the floor, the coldness of it waking you up.

You took a deep a deep breath, steeling yourself before answering, getting ready for whatever was going to happen.

But nothing in the world could have prepared you for what was going to happen next.

"Hello Dick." You said, breathing deeply through your nose.

"Hello y/n. How are you?"

"What is it?" You ignored his question, going straight to the point. Whatever it was, you could take it.

You could hear Dick pacing around, almost hear the gears in his head trying to think a way of telling you the news

You could take it.

"There's been news on Jason"

You could.

"They found him"

You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding, a wave of relief washing over you.

"You did!?" you shouted, "How is he? Is he- ?" You tried to ask everything at once, barely able to contain yourself before he stopped you.

"We don't know, y/n. The body-"

Your heart went still.

"It's been too long. "

The body.

"We are waiting for it to arrive. Run some tests, dental records, DNA.."

Not him.

"Due to his legal status we can't let them know it's him. We have to wait until he's back with us in Gotham"

"You're sure it's him?" you felt yourself asking, no longer connected to your body.

"There was no one else on that plane they hadn't found"

The last ember of hope went off inside you, leaving smoke to fill its place.

"Y/n?"

"I have to go."

"Wait, y/n! Let me come get you-"

"Goodbye Dick."

You ended the call.

Your phone hitting the floor at the same time you did, hugging you legs tight to your chest, tears burning your eyes, wetting your cheeks. The lump in your throat making it hard to swallow.

And just like that, as if a switch had turned inside you.

You screamed.

Screamed with every fiber of your being, your body shaking every time you did. Your tears falling down like rivers you wanted to drown in. You weren't crying, crying meant sadness, sometimes even happiness, an emotion so big it couldn't be contained inside, whose only way out is like that. This was so much more.

It was pain, full, raw, unbounded. It was despair and sadness, all coming out at once. It was your soul breaking, its shards leaving you with every scream, with every tear, making your face wet, your eyes burn, leaving your throat raw and hurting.

You did it until the smoke inside you left, leaving you hollow. You had to calm down, sobbing thickly, your vision blurry with drying tears.

You tried to breath, the air suddenly becoming too thick, making you dizzy. You could feel the walls pressing on you, too tight, too cold.

You were breaking, your chest hurt, like it would collapse any time now, taking your heart with it.

You needed to leave.

You left your apartment, not bothering to take a coat, welcoming the freezing air, letting it's bite bring you alive.

The streets were empty, fitting for the occasion, like they knew you needed to be alone. You closed your eyes, letting your head fall back as you took a deep breath, and began to walk.

You didn't know how long you were out. Walking aimlessly around letting the pain take you whole, your mind no longer there, trying to escape the grief that consumed you.

You felt hollow, empty, and yet, so full at the same time. Full of fear, of sadness, of anger. Jason was gone, and you didn't know how you'll fill the hole he left inside you. You weren't sure you could. You could only hope you'd learn to live with it, learn to ignore the pain and maybe one day, heal. Just not today, right now you would mourn, let everything out, even if there was nothing left inside.

Your feet were hurting, cold biting your skin, making you shiver before you decided to head back home, taking your usual shortcut through the alley.

Your head was still somewhere else, not even stopping to think about the dangers of your actions. It was Gotham after all, and Jason was no longer here to protect you.

By the time you realized what you’d done, it was too late.

With your head down you made your way to your apartment, less of a home now that he was no longer here, hugging yourself tightly, trying to keep the warmth from leaving. The sole of your shoes echoed through the alley with every step, digging into your flesh, making it hard to walk. The sky rumbled in the distance, which meant you had to hurry if you didn't want to get caught in the rain.

A sound ahead of you took you out of your musings, a second pair of steps joining yours making you look up. A man appeared right at the entrance of the alley, hood up and hands tucked inside his pockets, he walked confidently, like the biggest fish in the pond. The faint light of a nearby post lighting up his face, you could see his eyes fixed on you, his mouth turning to a smirk, whistling as he looked at you.

“Hey pretty, what got you out so late at night?”

You lowered back your head, still moving forward.

“I have to say, I wasn't expecting such a beauty to be roaming here when I came to to see who’s coming, but am I glad it is” he kept talking, almost too close now, making you slow down a fraction as you tried to get out.

“Haha, what is it? Cat got your tongue?” you could fill him right in front of you, making you stop before you could collide with him.

“Is it because we're alone? You don't feel comfortable talking with me? Is it the street? Maybe you need to warm up a little, the street is too cold to be out like that. Don’t worry sugar, we can fix that right away.”

You began to panic. One you could take out, outrun him and lose him, but if he was bringing more. You tried to stay calm.

“Hey, boys! Why don’t we help them feel more comfortable.” You raised your head, fear almost taking over at his words.

From the same place the first one came, two other men joined him, each of them flanking you on either side, both just as big, and the three of them smiling, their eyes roaming your body like they could see what's underneath your clothes.

“Leave me alone.” you said, trying to sound as confident as you could.

“Heh, looks like you're not a mute after all.” He laughed, taking a hold of your arm in a vice grip

“Don't touch me.” he laughed again, turning to look at the others, both doing the same.

“Let me go!” you shouted, pulling at your arm, trying to hit him, kick him, anything to get you free.

“Feisty, we're gonna need to fix that. Can't have you misbehaving like that, can we?” He let you go with a push, making you fall to the ground, the three of them laughing down at you.

You shook yourself, wincing as you stood, your left foot probably hurt. Your mind was running a mile per hour, adrenaline pumping through your veins with every breath, trying to come up with a wayout, a way to escape. You tried to look at your surroundings, taking deep breaths to calm you down, nothing good comes out from being anxious.

You were surrounded by residential buildings, maybe you could scream, ask for help, but screaming in Gotham did the opposite, people ignoring it for the sake of remaining safe.

You could bolt it, turn around and run as fast as you could, go back to the street and hopefully they'll avoid going after you. The guy on your left seemed to think the same, his hand going for the gun on his hip.

You could try calling Dick, or Bruce, but something told you he'd shot you the moment you even tried to pull out your cell phone. Maybe they were already on their way, looking for you, seeing how distressed you were by the news, but maybe not, maybe they were trying to give you space, let you sort things out. Alone.

You were trapped.

“Don't worry, we’ll be leaving soon. Ride's almost here.” the man on your right said, his smirk getting wider.

So much for being calm. You began to panic, breaths coming short as the men in front of you laughed, snickering between them, watching you crumble.

The sound of tires screeching behind you had you covering your ears, the echoing almost deafening, freezing you on the spot.

No. Not like this. They can't take you away.

You closed your eyes, as if it could somehow block out the world, make it turn into a dream, a nightmare you would wake up from. The pounding of your heart too loud on your ears to hear anything else, almost missing the presence behind you.

Your body moved on its own, going backwards like you could escape from it. The sound of someone coming closer hitting like a bullet with every step. They walked with confidence, fast, like an animal who had caught its prey, sure they couldn't escape.

You could feel your heart fall as you collided with a body, stopping you from moving any further, making your eyes burn as you tried not to cry, not in front of them. You jumped as he held you, his chest shaking behind you as he laughed.

The way he laughed sent shivers down your spine, the hands on you too hot. Too wrong. He squeezed your shoulders once before you felt the air on your back, freezing you as he moved away, his hands sliding down your arms as he bent down, his face getting closer to your ear.

“Don't be scared” his breath felt hot, making you whimper, no longer able to hold it in, letting your tears fall freely as you cried. Closing your eyes tighter, not letting them open.

You could feel him move in front of you, his face still close, nuzzling your neck as he whispered, “I'm right here.” You let out a sob, the force of it bringing you down.

It had to be a dream, it had to. There was no way this could be real, for he voice that spoke just moments ago was supposed to be dead.

Your love.

Jason.

The men that held you captive went silent. Holding their breaths at the sight of him, the Red Hood. The deadliest vigilante in all of Gotham crouching in front of you.

He raised his hand to brush away your tears, kissing your forehead before he stood up

“Keep your eyes closed.” he said. You let out a huff, only he could sound amused in a situation like this.

The whole thing was over in seconds. The sound of flesh hitting flesh, bones cracking, the smell of gunpowder flooding your nose with each shot fired, all of it filling the silence. One by one, they all went down, their screams stopping as they each fell. Only when the last of the bodies hit the ground were you able to relax. Your eyes still closed for another reason entirely, now wishing it’d be anything but a dream.

How could you live if it turned out to be just that, if you opened your eyes just find yourself back at your apartment, your tears still fresh and Jason still gone, dead once more.

“Y/n.” You heard him call your name, his voice ever so soft, cautious not to scare you.

You heard him shuffle, crouching once more in front of you. His body blocking the cold air of the night.

“Y/n… Look at me.” he held your face like you were precious, delicate, capable of breaking at the slightest movement, the pads of his thumbs brushing your lashes, trying to coax your eyes to open.

You shook your head, feeling tears fall again, the hands on you catching them before they fell to the floor.

“Please.” he pleaded, his voice full of want, of longing, as he whispered the word, his forehead warm against yours as his hands fell to your neck, rubbing your chin and behind your ears trying to get you to open, to see.

You took in a couple of breaths, steeling yourself before opening your eyes, the faint lights blinding you after having them closed for so long.

The moment you could focus on the person in front of you making you sob. The sight of him threatening to make you cry for the third time this night. He looked just like the last time you saw him, a couple of scratches here and there, but the same nonetheless. The same face, the same smile, the same pair eyes full of warmth, full of love as they looked at you.

You raised your hand to his face, slowly, careful, still not believing this was real.

“Is it really you?” you asked, voice shaking as you looked into his eyes.

“It's me.” a faint smile drawing on his face as he answered, placing his hand over yours, keeping it in place.

You cast down down your eyes, head hanging low as you shook it, not sure if shaking away the tears or something else.

His other hand came up, his fingers hooking up under chin, warm and gentle as he made you stop, tilting up your head, guiding you to look at him.

“It's me.” he said again, his eyes filling up with tears as he held your stare.

You grabbed his hand, placing it against you like he did with yours as you let out a laugh, happiness bubbling inside you before exploding, flinging yourself to hug him. Your arms tight around him, trying to bring him as close as you could. The force of your hug almost made him fall back, losing his balance before he recovered, putting his arms around you as he returned the hug just as fiercely, careful not to hurt you.

“It's you.” you said it over and over like a prayer.

You stayed like that for a while, basking in each other's presence, finally together. You weren't sure how much it had passed before you both let go, a thunder rumbling in the distance reminded you of your situation. You had to hurry if you didn't want to get caught in the rain, and yet, none of you made the effort to move.

A thought came to you as you looked at him, a memory of a conversation that now feels from too long ago.

“You promised you wouldn't do it again.” You said, your fist colliding with his arm.

His hand went to the spot you hit, feigning hurt as he laughed. “I said maybe.”

You couldn’t help but laugh too, too happy to stay mad at him. Not when he was here, when this wasn’t a dream.

With that thought you held him again, nuzzling your face to his chest, inhaling his scent, his hands rubbing up and down your back before settling on your waist, drawing you closer to him.

“Thank you for coming back.” you whispered softly, not sure he would hear you.

“Thank you for waiting.” he said in the same way.

You kissed as you both embraced, your arms around his neck, pressing your bodies tight against each other, the warmth between the two enough to ignore the cold as it began to rain.

Tag list: @togasknifes @thelindalorian @fizassyeda @apric-t @brightjimini @candlestudy @dickgraysonsscrumptiousbooty @profoundgreenturtle @little-miss-naill @drebi-san @vanessafinessa473 @hamilstuck99 (Message me if you want to be added!)

[peaceisadirtyword]

Heathen VI (Ivar/Edlynn)

A/N; Hello!♥️ I’m back after a short, holiday break! And even if these next weeks are going to be chaotic, I will try to keep posting Heathen once a week as I did before! There’s only another four (five with this one) left until the end👀, so I hope you enjoy it a lot🥰 I didn’t have time to reply to your comments on last chapter but I read all of them and I’m so happy to see you’re liking it🥺 thank you so much, it means the world🙏🏻 took a bit longer to finish this one because I wasn’t too convinced but I hope you like it too♥️

Warnings: smut ( 👀), talk of feelings, my cringey writing, Ivar is the best, mentions of alcohol, violence, sex and talk about arranged marriage and religious things!

Words: 4823 (will I ever stop)

Heathen Masterlist

gif belongs to @therealcalicali​

"We could move here" Harald pointed at the map. Hvitserk followed his finger and pressed his lips together. Maybe a bit risky, he thought, but he didn't dare contradict the king because of strategical differences, that was Ivar's job "It's closer to the sea, and it would be easier to run away if the saxons decide to attack us once we don't have the saxon girl as leverage"

"It could be" he nodded, as he waited for Ivar's opinion. But as the minutes passed and his brother didn't say a word, Hvitserk raised his head to look at him. 

Ivar was sitting in front of him, with a drink on his hand, but looking away. He didn't seem to be even listening to what they were saying, and when Hvitserk's eyes followed his gaze, he understood why. 

His lips curved on a small smirk and immediately turned to look at Harald, who also seemed amused to have caught the ruthless Ivar the Boneless sneaking glances to a lady. 

Edlynn was sitting on a cut tree, not very far away from them, and her eyes were fixed on a book that Hvitserk had seen on Ivar's tent. She only had a couple of guards with her, and her wrists were untied, giving her much more freedom than Hvitserk ever thought Ivar would give her. 

"Ivar" he called his name, making him turn his head with a frown, almost like he was annoyed by his interruption "Are you listening?"

Harald held back a laugh when Ivar blinked, somewhat confused, until he spotted the map and the pieces the king had moved, and seemed to get out of his trance. His cheeks reddened softly, but he pretended not to realize as he scrutinized the map, trying to remember what had changed since Edlynn stepped out of the tent and his eyes wandered off. 

Hvitserk raised his eyebrow. He already knew what was going on, since he caught Edlynn leaving the tent with swollen lips more than once and had seen them sleeping together, with her face hidden in Ivar's neck. But at first he thought his brother was just having some fun, not falling for the saxon girl. Those glances said otherwise. 

"It would be risky" Ivar cleared his throat "I don't think Alfred would attack us once Edlynn is with him" 

Harald raised his head again. Edlynn? He didn't know when Ivar started calling the prisoner by her name, but found it amusing. 

"Then what do you propose?" Hvitserk tried to ignore it, but he would ask his brother about it "Shall we stay here?"

"I think we should move a bit closer to the boats, but not like it seems we're retiring" he shrugged "But it's your decision, king Harald"

Harald had gotten used to the mocking tone whenever Ivar said his title out loud. He didn't really care, it had started to sound like a joke to him too. 

"I will think about it tonight, and tomorrow we'll decide" 

But just when he was about to stand up, maybe too eager to go back to his tent, a guard approached them. 

Edlynn pretended not to realize he was staring. Neither of them talked about it but both of them seemed to think the same: no one should know of their... Affair? She couldn't help but blush whenever she thought about it. Well, she didn't even know if it could be considered an actual affair. There had been kisses, some more innocent than others, Ivar had touched her body in a way no one had in her entire life, she had let her hands wander down his strong arms and chest, but nothing more. It was still a sin, something she didn't want people knowing. Edlynn would be mortified if someone heard about it, about what she was doing with a... Heathen. 

But the thing that alarmed her the most weren't the kisses or the caresses, not even the fire that Ivar awakened in her, but the warmth that expanded through her chest whenever she saw him, the smiles, the little laughs, the reddened cheeks... She couldn't think about anything else that weren't his blue eyes and his pouty lips, nor could pray in peace without remembering how soft his hair was under her fingers or what a beautiful smile he had. Every night she promised she'd stop, that she wouldn't let herself fall in love with him, but sometimes, especially under the furs and between his arms, she thought there was nothing she could do now. 

It was temporal, Edlynn tried not to think about what would happen when she had to go back to her family, to Lord Edmund, the man who was supposed to be her husband. Would she ever feel the same with him? Probably not, and the thought saddened her. It was such a beautiful feeling she wished she could carry forever. 

Even if it was hard, and even if she knew many people in the camp suspected it, Edlynn tried to act like nothing had happened. They barely talked to each other in public, but she noticed he was always close to her, or at least close enough to be able to watch her. She liked that. 

Edlynn was reading, but she hadn't turned the page in what felt like hours, too focused on the glances that certain man threw her way and on hiding her blush. Until someone else approached the three men that sat down not too far away from her. She raised her head, interested, as the man seemed to carry important news. Even if she had understood their language, she wouldn't have heard anything, as the noise of the camp was too loud. But she could see the king with a big smile, celebrating something. And Ivar had frowned and his eyes were now fixed on the ground at his feet. 

When he finally looked her way again, he ignored the silent question on her eyes and looked directly at the guard that stood next to her, pointing to his own tent with his head. And Edlynn was practically dragged towards it. 

____________________________________

That night they celebrated. The reason was still a mystery to her, but Edlynn tried to ask every single person that entered the tent, from Brianna to Hvitserk, without receiving any answer. She could hear the happy screams and laughs, and figured it couldn't be bad, right?

At least not for them. 

A shiver travelled down her spine when she thought about her family, would they be alright? Had those heathens killed them?

And then Ivar came back. 

His eyes were bright and Edlynn figured he had been drinking too. His movements were slow, and let himself fall on the bed with a grunt, letting his crutch go before rubbing his face with his hands.

"Hello" Edlynn raised an eyebrow, why do men drink so much if they feel bad afterwards? 

"Hi, princess" he muttered, grunting "How was your day?" Ivar sat on the bed, sighing. It had been a long day, and it seemed it would be a long night too. 

"Clearly not as interesting as yours" 

He raised an eyebrow, but didn't turn to look at her. 

"I was trying to negotiate" he shrugged "And king Harald negotiates better when there's ale" 

"Negotiate what?" Edlynn narrowed her eyes, moving a bit closer to him. 

_____________________________________

"The saxons will agree to our terms" the messenger smiled proudly as he delivered the news "They will pay, and give us land and time to settle" he nodded "In exchange for the saxon girl" 

Harald's laugh startled Ivar, who stared at the messenger intensely.

"Of course they will!" he celebrated, nodding his head and patting Ivar's back softly "You were right, once again" 

He shot him a fake smile, which faded as soon as the king turned to Hvitserk. He thought he'd have more time, that asking for such a ridiculous amount of gold, land and a truce would be too much to give for just one girl, and that the saxons would try and change the terms. That would've given him weeks, even months. His eyes went back to where Edlynn was sitting, and silently told the guard to take her away. 

"The saxon king said they shall wait for us in the battlefield to make the exchange, and that the girl must be unharmed and well, otherwise they won't give us what we asked for" 

"Thank you, my friend" Harald patted the soldier's shoulder with a bright smile "Go, eat and rest, tonight we'll celebrate" 

Hvitserk didn't stop looking at Ivar. He noticed how he clenched his jaw and licked his lips repeatedly. He felt his own lips curving on a smile, but just slapped his head playfully. 

That night they did celebrate. Everyone sang, drank and ate next to the king, around a fire. Another victory, thanks to Ivar. But Ivar didn't seem too keen on participating on the celebrations.

"What's it, Ivar?" Hvitserk sat next to him as he saw him pour the ale on his horn for the fifth time "Aren't you happy to get rid of the saxon girl and get paid for it?" he chuckled, but his brother didn't laugh with him. 

"I just think..." Ivar clenched his jaw again "Maybe the price is too low" 

"Low?" Hvitserk raised an eyebrow "We didn't think they'd agree, it's too much, that price would fit a queen, but not a noble girl" 

"Yes but they did agree to it" he shook his head "What if... What if we ask for more?" 

"They would say no, and the negotiations would continue, we don't want that" his older brother frowned and shook his head, taking another sip from his horn "Because we don't want that, right?" 

"No" Ivar replied maybe too fast, and then scowled "It's just that I don't think we've benefited enough from holding her captive, she's obviously more important than we thought" 

"Well, dear brother, if I'm honest, I think you've benefited quite a lot from having her here" he chuckled, patting Ivar's leg softly. His brother widened his eyes at him, but managed to hide his surprise and go back to scowling.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Hvitserk" 

"Sure" he laughed, shaking his head "Sure, you don't know, but it's quite obvious, Ivar" he shot him a soft smile "I can't blame you, she's pretty, innocent... I thought you didn't like saxon girls" 

"Shut up" he rolled his eyes, but Hvitserk saw the little smile he tried to hide "I'm not trying to keep her here, I just want to make sure we get the deal that benefits us the most, that's all" 

"Fine, I believe you" this time it was Hvitserk's turn to roll his eyes "Tell Harald, then, but I don't think he will agree" 

"I was waiting for him to get drunk" Ivar shrugged, making his brother laugh. 

"Good luck then" Hvitserk winked at him before getting up "Want advice?" 

"No" 

"Don't fall in love" he ignored him "That doesn't end well" 

_________________________________

Ivar finally gave up, and went back to the tent, in need of some peace and maybe the soft touch of the woman that sat on he bed behind him. Harald didn't listen, and they kept celebrating. 

"Your king agreed to our terms" he said, finally turning his head to look at her. Edlynn wore another dress they had found for her, with her auburn hair loose, and she looked so beautiful Ivar had to blink a couple of times. He wanted to see her reaction, would she be happy? Or would she feel as weird as he had been feeling all day?

But instead she looked confused. 

"What... What does that mean?" 

"That means we'll meet them in a few days and I will let you go"

Edlynn gasped, but instead of feeling relieved and thankful, eager to see her family again, to see Mildrith, to go home... She looked into those ocean eyes and only felt a strange emptiness inside her. 

I must be insane, she thought as she crawled closer to him. Ivar's eyes didn't left her face, almost like he was waiting for her to smile, laugh and sigh in relief. 

Edlynn didn't do any of those things. 

"Aren't you happy?" he gulped. 

"I... I suppose I am" she muttered "But..." 

I know, he thought, nearly desperately. He couldn't describe it either. 

"You'll go back to your castle, you'll marry your lord, you'll be with your family and will have a church to pray to your God every time you want" 

"Yes, but..."

"Wasn't that what you wanted?" he sounded sharper than he intended. 

"I don't want that anymore" Edlynn scowled "I don't want to go back and marry, I don't want to spend my days sewing, gossiping with other women and praying"

Not so long ago, she wouldn't have even imagined she'd say those words, that was her life, a life she had enjoyed and lived happily. But now... Now she had tried other things, new things... Was it that bad to want to keep them?

"I know it's my duty" she continued, the tears threatened to fall down her cheeks, but she held them as she had been taught "And I know I will have to do it someday but I... I will miss you"

Ivar looked away, clenching his jaw again and hoping she didn't see the tears filling his eyes. The thought of entering that tent and finding it empty, without the familiar presence of the annoying saxon girl praying or reading, of spending his nights studying maps alone instead of the books in latin Edlynn would read for him, or talking about the Gods, about the adventures of Thor and Loki or the golden apples of Idunn was... Not what he wanted. 

Not even the possibility of conquering England was helping. 

He felt Edlynn getting closer, and her small hand, with her soft fingers that had never held any kind of weapon, touched his shoulder. Ivar felt dizzy, but couldn't know if it was because of the ale or because of her. 

"I will miss you too" 

The words left his lips before he could hold them back, and when he raised his head to look at her, Edlynn had the biggest smile on her lips. She almost made him smile too. 

"I... You could come and visit me someday?" she muttered, biting her lip "My friend Mildrith would love to meet you, she's obsessed" 

Ivar raised an eyebrow. 

"Do you think your father or your husband would let me visit you? You're supposed to hate me" 

Edlynn's smile faded. 

"I don't hate you" she tilted his head in an adorable way, and Ivar had to look away again "You were a bit mean at first, but you're not like they say you are... And he's not my husband" 

"Yet" he shrugged "What do they say about me?" 

Edlynn giggled, shaking her head.

"Mildrith said you're the Devil, in a human shape, that you are ruthless and... I heard you drink blood and eat human flesh" 

Ivar couldn't help but laugh. 

"I don't eat human flesh" he scowled in disgust "Do you think I could be that Devil you talk about?"

Edlynn took a deep breath, and her fingers caressed softly his cheek. 

"You could be" she said, nodding slowly "You're smart, ambitious, ruthless, but also beautiful, like a fallen angel" Edlynn blushed "You do tempt me to sin"

Ivar smirked, humming in delight. She had a lot more to say about his looks, but decided to keep it to herself to avoid feeding his ego. 

"And you would invite me, the heathen who tempts you, to your home with your father and your husband?"

Edlynn blushed again. 

"He's not my husband" she repeated.

"But you're going to marry him, princess, he will be your husband soon, unless..."

His eyes fixed on the axe he had next to the bed, and Edlynn gasped and punched his arm. 

"Don't even think about it!"

Her reaction amused Ivar, who shook his head laughing. Even if he wasn't actually joking. 

"Lord Edmund is a good man, a good christian, he will take care of me" she said quietly, almost trying to convince herself "And it will be a good thing for my family"

"From what I've seen, princess, you don't need anyone to take care of you" he sighed, leaning to undo his braces. She smiled at that, feeling that warmth fill her body again. It was a huge compliment coming from him. 

When he finished taking off the braces and removed most of his clothes Edlynn was already under the furs, her eyelids felt heavy but she forced herself to stay awake. She wanted to enjoy every moment she had left with him, knowing she wouldn't see him again. They still had some days, though, that comforted her. 

Ivar nearly moaned when he finally was able to lay on the bed. His eyes had been a bit more blue that morning, so it had been a difficult day. Edlynn watched him in silence, amazed by the perfection of his features. How could he be the Devil when he looked sculpted by God? He was too beautiful to be impure, but then again, he was a heathen. Her mind went back to his wife, and a strange pang of jealousy stroke her. What would he do if she kissed him now? 

"It's rude to stare, princess"

Ivar had an amused smirk on his lips, which only grew when he saw Edlynn's glare. 

"Remember when I said I'd miss you? Well, I take it back" 

That made him laugh. 

"Go to sleep, little one" he muttered, already closing his eyes "Maybe I can teach you some more archery before you leave, but only if you rest" 

He could hear a little gasp and imagined her excited smile, but didn't open his eyes until he felt her crawling closer to him and leaning her head on his shoulder. When he did look at her, she was already ready to sleep, with her eyes closed and breathing slowly. 

"Good night, heathen"

Ivar couldn't help but smile, too. 

"Good night, princess"

______________________________________

Ivar was cold. He stirred in his sleep looking for the source of warmth he was missing, but opened his eyes when he couldn't find it. 

The bed was empty, he frowned and pawed at the furs, confused. Where is she? 

The thought of her escaping made him more sad than angry, and he was nearly gasping when he finally spotted her. Edlynn sat on the wooden stool next to his table, studying the paintings of one of the books he had at the dim light of a nearly melted candle. 

"Sorry" she pouted, looking at him with widened eyes "I didn't mean to wake you up" 

"You didn't" he groaned, rubbing his eyes "What are you doing awake? It's the middle of the night" 

He couldn't hear anything outside the tent, only the hushed voices of some guards, and it was still dark. 

"I couldn't sleep" she shrugged. 

"Come back to bed" he nearly ordered, narrowing his eyes at her. Edlynn held back a laugh as she closed the book, leaning in to blow the candle before making her way back to the bed. Ivar watched her as she crawled under the furs and laid back, with her eyes still open. 

"It feels strange to go back and marry someone else"

Ivar frowned in the darkness of the tent. 

"What does that mean?"

"You're the first man I shared the bed with" she muttered "The first man I kissed... The first touching me. I always believed that man would be my husband" 

"I'm also the first man that made you a prisoner" he teased, and Edlynn rolled her eyes with a small smile. 

"I don't think you understand"

"Then tell me"

"I want you to be the last, too" 

Edlynn bit her own tongue after saying it, taking a deep breath as Ivar turned to look at her. She nearly regretted it, but... Why hide it? They probably wouldn't see each other again. She was just telling the truth, like a good christian.

"You don't know what you're saying" 

His answer confused her even more. 

"What?"

"I... We're on different sides, princess" he sighed, and held himself back from reaching out to caress her cheek "I am a heathen, remember?" 

"But you're good to me" she pouted, and Ivar nearly leant in to kiss her "I've seen you talk about your Gods with passion, laugh with your brother, I've seen you bonding with your men and even stroking horses... You're not the monster they talk about, at least not now... You treated me well... As well as you can treat a prisoner, I don't see how you're different from any christian man I know"

Ivar couldn't help but smile and lean his forehead against hers, his fingers tingled, desperate to touch her. He felt a faintly familiar warmth inside his chest. 

"You have to go back home, princess" he insisted "You'll forget about me and will learn to hate me again" 

"I will never hate you" she muttered, and then there was silence. Ivar nearly thought she had fallen asleep again, and kept relaxing against her body, listening to her breathing.

"Ivar" it was the first time he had heard her saying his name, and it sounded so soft with her voice... He looked at her, who had her eyes fixed on his Mjölnir necklace "Kiss me?"

It sounded more like a question than a demand. Edlynn wasn't nearly ready when she felt his strong hand around the side of her neck and his lips pressed against hers. She sighed in delight and kissed him back, grabbing his arm shyly. She had missed his kisses so much... What would she do without them? 

Ivar deepened the kiss, making Edlynn moan quietly and mover her hand to his face, cupping hit softly until her fingers touched his hair. Ivar's hand roamed down her body, settling on her waist and nearly touching her ass. Things were getting out of control, and Ivar didn't know how much he could keep things... Like that. 

Edlynn moved even closer, and now he could feel her breasts against his bare chest. Ivar sighed and smiled against her sweet lips, tightening his grip around her waist. They broke the kiss to breathe, and Edlynn smiled brightly at him before leaning in to kiss him again. 

"We can stop whenever you want" he groaned as her thigh pressed against his cock, making it twitch. 

"I don't want to stop" she replied, frowning, and he nearly laughed. 

Edlynn was serious. She had heard about it more than once, her whole life everyone assured that it was painful and not enjoyable at all for women, but everything Ivar did in that moment felt good... Why wouldn't that feel good then?

"I thought you weren't allowed to do this" he panted as Edlynn's lips landed on his jaw softly. Her kisses were shy, inexperienced, innocent... Completely different from Katia, Freydis or Margrethe, the only women he had ever kissed, but just as effective. 

"I'm not" she giggled "Should I stop?" 

"No" Ivar groaned and tightened his grip on her waist. If they stopped now, he was going to go crazy. He had tried to erase her body from his mind since he saw her in the river that day, and he had failed. 

"I want to do this" she muttered, interrupting their kisses to look at his eyes again "Because I've been told men like it, a lot" she blushed, but the darkness hid it "And I want you to remember me"

"Trust me, princess" Ivar squirmed under her, his body reacting to her closeness "I was going to remember you anyway"

When they kissed again, he tugged at the skirt of her dress, nearly moaning when he finally was able to touch her bare skin. It was soft, warm, and Ivar felt her stiffen when he caressed her leg. Her hand traced the ink lines of his chest as his lips traveled down her neck, Edlynn gasped and let out a shaky breath, biting her tongue. She was supposed to be silent, right? 

"Women can also enjoy this" he said against her skin, his fingers reached her inner thigh and Edlynn's muscles tensed under his touch "Want me to show you?" 

He smirked when she nodded shyly. Edlynn was biting her lip and looking down in curiosity, even if she couldn't see his hand approaching her sex. Ivar wasn't too sure of what he was doing, but kept reaching until he finally touched her, and Edlynn let out a strangled sound and he quickly looked at her. She had closed her eyes and her nails were digging on his skin. Ivar kept caressing her folds until he reached the place that made her jump and moan loudly. 

Edlynn quickly covered her mouth as Ivar smirked with pride and started circling his fingers as his brothers had said more than once. He would have loved to go down and kiss her properly, but didn't want to scare her so soon. 

When Ivar finally pressed two fingers to her entrance, Edlynn opened her eyes, looking both aroused and confused at the same time. 

"Relax" he whispered, reaching to kiss her softly "How does it feel?" 

She was gasping, but managed to reply with a small moan and a frown. 

"Weird" she muttered "But... Good" 

"Good" he nodded, and increased the pace, making Edlynn moan again and grab his arm "I've got you, princess" 

She was shaking between his arms as he started curling his fingers inside her, enjoying the way her walls clenched around them and the incoherent moans she let out. His hand was covered with wetness, and finally Ivar retrieved his hand, making Edlynn whimper in protest. 

But he needed both hands to tear that stupid dress apart. 

She gasped and blushed when he finally was able to throw the pieces of fabric away, to reveal her entire naked body to his eyes. Ivar growled and his lips collapsed against hers again. His hands were everywhere, touching her breasts, her belly and her ass at the same time, and soon his mouth followed them. She nearly felt overwhelmed, where she expected pain and discomfort she only got pleasure, a different kind of pleasure, and she needed more, so much more. 

Ivar finally pushed her to lay down on the bed, and moved to crawl between her legs to keep kissing her. 

"Want me to fuck you, princess?" 

Edlynn widened her eyes, but her legs tightened around his waist and Ivar put his pants down just enough to free his cock. He enjoyed the surprise on her face when she saw it, not used to women being impressed by him. 

"Look at me" he muttered, noticing how she grew nervous "Do you trust me?"

Edlynn allowed herself to get lost into his eyes again, nodding slowly and grabbing his neck as he pressed into her slowly. Ivar needed all of his willpower to keep a slow pace to avoid hurting her too much. She scrunched her nose in pain and closed her eyes. Ivar wasn't an expert, but he knew that, for women, it was painful the first time. Her little shrieks of pain brought back some not very nice memories from his own first time. 

"Hey, princess, open your eyes" he stopped moving, even if he was already shaking from feeling her tight walls around him, when Edlynn obeyed, she had tears in her eyes "Am I hurting you too much?" 

She shook her head and licked her lips. 

"Just a bit"

"I'm sorry" he kissed her temple and let out a shaky breath "I promise it gets better" 

His own eyes were fluttering and he could barely stay still. 

"Keep going" she muttered "I'll be fine"

As he started moving again, Edlynn felt the pain fading slowly. It didn't became pleasurable, like it had when he had used his hand, but it became more... Tolerable. She even felt some pleasure, and it wasn't as bad as she thought, in fact, she enjoyed the way Ivar muttered some strange words in Norse she couldn't understand, and how he moaned and sighed against her skin. It was truly a sight, to see him with his eyes closed in pleasure, enjoying her body in ways she never thought anyone would. 

When Ivar finished, he captured her lips with his again, drowning the sounds they both made as he finally stopped moving. His forehead rested against hers, and their hands were intertwined. None of them said anything at first, enjoying the feeling of being so close, and Ivar let himself hide his face in her neck, sighing. How was he going to let her go now?

___________________________________

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[writing-blog-iguess]

Stories

Summery: Everyone has a life a past before they become someone else. Some people flaunt it and others keep their past to themselves. The boys discover something about their mom, and now all they want is to hear about what she was like before she married Bruce Wayne.

Warning: mistakes probably. Like one swear word.

A/N: This is more of an introduction more then anything. I want each story of Batmom with different people as there own chapter and not cramped into one big fic. This is also my first Batman fic so feedback with welcome! And let me know who you'd want to see!

---------

The second she walked into the manor, she took off her shoes with a sigh of relief. With the intent of a shower and some sleep, she eagerly made her way up the stairs. But luck wasn’t on her side when she heard Alfred call her name.

Sighing, she turned around and looked down as the butler walked into the hallway. “Yes Alfred?”

“I’m afraid the boys are in need of your assistance tonight,” he said, giving her a worried look. There were days where she wished she wasn’t a doctor. And long nights like tonight was one of them. But she wouldn’t change it even if she wanted to.

“Which one was hurt tonight?” she asked, as she walked down the stairs.

“Jason,” he answered, taking her coat. She gave him a smile as thanks. “But the others might need looking at as well.”

Heaving a sigh, she walked around Alfred and made her way to the Batcave. As she walked down the stairs, she heard her kids bickering over something. She didn’t have enough energy to care at the moment, so she tuned them out.

“Alright, who’s first?” she asked as she came closer to the med-bay area.

“Jason,” Bruce answered without looking up from the bat-computer. But he did take her hand and kissed the back of it when she walked past him.

“Thanks for putting me first Bruce,” Jason snarked.

“You’re the one that got shot.”

“In the shoulder!” he exclaimed. She gave a pointed look at Jason; he’s shoulders sagged and went to sit down. Nodding, she got to work as the boys continued to talk about their night of patrol.

“So, who’s the unfortunate soul tonight?” she asked, as she set up her supplies she needed.

“Joker and Harley,” Tim answered, sitting down in one of the other cots. His brothers soon followed, sighing in relief of finally sitting down.

Her hands stilled on Jason’s arm at the answer. No one seemed to notice though, all too preoccupied with their conversation. Taking a deep breath, she began to work on cleaning Jason’s wound.

“I can’t believe she got a shot in,” Jason grumbled, hissing at the sting on his arm. “I didn’t see her coming until it was too late. I should have seen it, but I don’t know what happened.”

“You underestimated her is what happened,” Bruce pointed out.

“I did not! I don’t know how I could have!” he exclaimed, pulling a face as she began stitching up the bullet wound. “She’s Joker's girl, it should have been easy.”

“But you’ve fought her before, Todd. You know what she’s capable of,” Damian mused.

“But still…”

“She’s more than just Joker’s girl,” she broke in, “and if that’s all you think about her, then you don’t know her.”

“And you do, Ma?” Jason asked, not seeing the warning look Bruce was giving him. He took his mother’s silence as an answer and continued, “that’s what she is to everyone in Gotham.”

“Well, then Gotham doesn’t know shit,” she huffed out, ignoring everyone's surprised looks. “And Gotham and everyone else seem to forget that Harley and the ‘villains of Gotham,’” she said that in a mocking tone. Jason winced as she tugged on the thread a little too harshly, but she didn’t pay much attention to it. “That they were people before becoming who they are.”

“Mom?” Tim called, realizing how sore the subject was for her. But she paid him no mind as she continued to stitch up Jason’s wound, and continued talking.

“And that some of them were victims. Sure, there are some who went down the bad path, I’ll give you that. But if it wasn’t for Joker,” she spat the name like it was a poison for her. And in some ways, it was. “Gotham wouldn’t be what it is today.”

“You can’t blame Joker for that, Mom. Gotham’s been always like this,” Dick pointed out.

“No, but I can.”

“But blaming the Joker for bringing out the villains is like blaming Batman.” Tim’s statement made her freeze as she just realized what she was talking about. She narrowed her eyes and finished off tying the stitches and stood.

“Ask Alfred if you need stitches or whatever, I’m going to bed.” With that, she ignored everyone’s, especially Bruce’s, worried gaze and left the cave.

“I’ve never seen Ummi so upset before,” Damian voiced.

“What’s wrong with her?” Jason asked, turning back to Bruce who was rubbing his face. “Bruce?”

“She knew Quinn before she became Harley,” Bruce answered, standing and making his way to the dressing rooms.

“Has to be more than that,” Dick mused, “she became heated about it.”

“That’s because she almost married Harley.”

“What?” came from all four boys, but Bruce was already gone.

A little while later, Bruce found her in an old room that used to be hers. Walking into the room, he sighed as he looked at the mess around the room. It must have been bad judging by the mess.

“Was I not worth it?” she asked, bringing Bruce’s attention to her. He found her curled up on the bed, and he could imagine she started crying after she destroyed her room. “Did I do something wrong for someone to leave me like that?”

“No, honey,” Bruce answered as he walked over to her. He bent down, maneuvered his hands underneath her knees and neck, and lifted her up. “You did nothing wrong.”

“Then why does it feel like it?” she sniffed, nestling her head in his neck as he walked out of the room and towards theirs.

“I wish I could tell you,” Bruce whispered. They’ve had this conversation occasionally. And he never knew what to say to make her feel better. But the day after, she was herself again and everything was okay.

Bruce understood the heartbreak of leaving someone behind, he understood how she felt loving someone only for them to leave. And if Bruce was honest, he was a little jealous that she still loved Harley after everything.

But he always squashed it, knowing she loved him just as much, if not more.

“I miss her,” she whispered, into his neck.

“I know.”

When he walked into their room, he set her down on the bed and moved towards the bathroom, getting the bath ready. As the tub was filling with water, Bruce moved back to the bedroom and rummaged around until he found your favourite pajama's.

After her bath, she curled into Bruce, lightly tracing shapes on his chest. Bruce ran his fingers through her hair and she leaned into his touch.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, “I wasn’t blaming you for what happened with Harley.”

“I know. But if I recall correctly, there was a time you did,” he said, and she winced burying her face into his shirt.

“I was angry and I took it out on the wrong person. I’m sorry,” she said as her mind went back to that day they had the fight.

“I know, and I’ve forgiven you for it.” Silence fell between the two of them, but it didn’t last long when the door was thrown open. She lifted your head to see Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian standing there.

“You were going to marry Harley Quinn?” Dick all but shouted in disbelief. She hummed, dropping her head back down. The boys rushed into the room and jumped on the bed, crowded the two of them. “But you loved Bruce!”

“That is a story for a different day,” she mumbled out.

“How’d you meet?” Tim asked instead of pushing for the story. “Are there anyone else you knew before they became villains?”

“Med school and yes.”

“Who?” Damien asked.

She squinted her eyes as she thought. “…most of them maybe?”

They gawked at her, waiting for her to elaborate. When it became apparent that she wasn’t, the four of them bombarded her with questions, all talking over her.

“Okay that’s enough,” Bruce voiced out, and they became quiet. She patted his chest, and moved around so she was looking at her sons.

“I used to work for Penguin in his club back in school, I needed help with an assignment, so I found Nygma. Ivy was a patient of mine when I started residency. Dent was a friend and so was Selina. I also went to school with Crane. I was friends with Nora Fries, that’s how I knew Mr. Freeze.”

“What about the Joker?” Jason asked.

“No,” she stated, voice firm. Everyone shared a look, confirming that their mother was not the biggest fan of the Joker. She softened a little and offered her a smile before saying, “it’s been a long night. How about, when I feel up for it, I’ll tell you all about my friendships?”

They lit up, each giving her a kiss and rushed out the door. Talking to one another as they tried to figure out which story they wanted to hear first.

“Are you sure you’re up for that?” Bruce asked, as she snuggled into him again. She let out a yawn and nodded.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” she answered. “I just wonder who they’re going to ask for first.”

[random-imagines-blog]

Voices {Diana Prince x Fem!Reader}

Requested by: Anonymous Wordcount: 2343 Summary: Jealousy is hard to tame, even in an Amazonian Princess. Warnings: Smut.

Diana had never been the jealous type. That was until had come along and joined the Justice League, the only other female in this male-dominated group. You weren’t quite as powerful as Diana, but you contributed a lot to the team, and knew how to handle yourself in a fight. Your powers of creating a force field had saved the ass of each one of these lunatics at least once. Even Superman had owed you a debt of gratitude for your powers, all of which you took with a grin. But out of all of them, the one that you seemed to be the closest with was Bruce - and that is where Diana’s jealousy came in.

You, like Bruce, were also from Gotham, so there had been that instant connection there. You would often talk about restaurants, about high school, about people and if there was any overlaps in where you used to hang out. It turns out you used to frequent some of the same places, despite being from totally different backgrounds. You two could often be seen talking and laughing around the coffee machine, or going out to dinner - which made the tabloids go wild. The rest of the league knew that you two were just friends but Diana had always suspected something.

She had originally thought that she would be the one that you would bond with, given that you were a woman. And yes, you two were friendly enough but it wasn’t quite what she had pictured. You would catch eyes in the hallway and nod at one another, and you worked well out in the battlefields of the world. When she saw you with Bruce, your voice would flow through her head like music, while Bruce’s was grating, like nails on a chalkboard. It affected her relationship with Bruce, which had once been friendly but now, being around him just felt like the annoying co-worker.

You and Bruce came into the Batcave from going out to dinner, and you were talking about the couple who had been sitting next to you. “I think it’s romantic,” You were saying about them.

“I think it’s convenient,” Bruce was shrugging off his jacket. “I know a thing or two about gold-diggers, y/n, and that man was one of them.”

“Sometimes, Bruce, I think you see the world in too dark a light,” You said, finally noticing that the others were gathered around, with only Diana and Barry eavesdropping. Cyborg was hooked into a supercomputer, and Clark was in his ordinary Clark attire, looking at his phone. “Oh, was there a meeting?”

“No, I was just bored,” Barry said. There was a flash of yellow, and he was standing right beside you, offering you a bag of chips. “Hungry?”

“Just ate, but thank you. I don’t think I could take another bite,” You protested. Bruce did the same with an elegant gesture of his hand, and you went your separate ways. Bruce went to hang up his jacket while you strode over to see what Clark was doing. Diana was sitting alone at the table now, watching the way that your dress moved about your body. She admired it on you. It was white and gold, and reminded her of home, though this was much more formal than functional. The sleeves draped over your shoulder, exposing the soft flesh of your collar and arms. As you bent over to peek at his phone and see who he was texting, she caught the curve of your breast, and looked away quickly, face glowing red in shame.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to look. But rather, she wanted you to be the one to show her, of your own free will. She wanted you to ask her to unzip the dress and watch as you stepped out of it, completely bare. These thoughts clouded her mind to the point where she didn’t notice that Barry had slipped into the chair beside her and was staring at her, grinning.

“You’re so obviously in love, just go ask her out!” He said, a little loudly. Diana shushed him quickly, and darted her eyes back to see if you had noticed. But you were teasing Clark about his girlfriend, Lois at this point and didn’t seem to have overheard.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Diana said, turning back towards Barry. “Isn’t there some marathon that you should be running?”

“Ouch, you get mean when you’re jealous.”

“I am not jealous,” Diana said, though she knew that it was a lie. Jealousy was a snake that was making it’s way through her nerves, and if she didn’t do something about it soon, she was afraid she was going to burst. The toxicity was unscrewing itself.

She stood up and made her way to the bathrooms. There were two, side by side, neither of them labeled as male or female because it seemed stupid. Just pick a bathroom and use it. She went inside and ran some cold water over her hands and patted at her flawless face. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw the red coming across her cheeks. She saw that glint in her eye that she didn’t like. Though alone, with the only sound being the pipes, she thought she could hear your voice. Laughing. Then Bruce. Probably saying something witty. Oh, I’m Bruce Wayne, I’m rich. I’m Batman.

She splashed herself again, trying to get control over these negative emotions. She dried her face with some paper towel and went to step out, planning on leaving the Bat Cave since she wasn’t needed here, but when she opened the door - you were standing there. You looked startled by the door opening, but your open mouth turned into a frown. “Are you okay?”

You pushed your way into the well lit bathroom with her, and closed the door behind you. Your hand then went to her forehead, reaching up because the Amazonian woman was so tall, and tried to feel for a fever. “Do I look sick to you?” Diana asked, raising an eyebrow, but let you touch her skin, her face. It brought that heat back but it was a different kind.

“Well, your cheeks look a little flushed, and you have been more quiet than usual,” You said, stepping back with a frown. “But you don’t have a fever, so hurray for small miracles.”

“Good,” Diana said with a nod. “But I could have told you that I’m not sick. I don’t get sick.”

“Of course, your immune system is probably as crazy powerful as you are,” You chuckled. “Is there something else wrong then? I mean, you look amazing as usual but there’s something up with you. If you wanted to talk about it, you know I’m here, right?”

You were just so nice, it was hard for Diana to really comprehend it. She only wished that you were this nice to her, and not to everyone else, as cruel as that seemed. In what was at first meant to be a reassuring motion, she put her hands on your arms and rubbed up and down, and then up, past the thin off-the shoulder sleeves, to your shoulders. Once she had started, she found it hard to stop.

“You’re here, and that’s part of the problem,” She admitted. You tilted your head in confusion, exposing more of that beautiful neck that so tempted her. The way that she was looking at you - with eyes ablaze - it was a wonder you weren’t running off. “I have to ask you a question, and it may sound a little strange.”

“Of course, what is it?”

“Do you have feelings of any sort for Bruce?”

“Oh, gross, no,” You said, shaking your head. Her hands were still on your shoulders, keeping you grounded. “He’s like a brother, especially since we grew up in a lot of the same places. Why do you ask?”

“You two seem very close... very close.” Her hands went up your neck, caressing the soft and exposed skin until she reached your jaw. Your breath hitched in your throat, she could feel it. But you didn’t become meek or shy. Instead, you surprised her.

“Hmm... are you jealous, Diana?” You asked. You didn’t attempt to push her off, or get her to move. In fact, the reason why you had been going towards the bathroom in the first place was easily forgotten. Diana was caught of guard by your direct question, and responded to it with a nod rather than verbalizing. A smile went across your lips - closed lipped, tantalizing. “Then my plan has been working.”

You were the one that initiated the first kiss, wrapping your arms around her neck, bringing her in. She was in her full gear in case something had come up, and her metal breastplate rubbed roughly against the soft fabric of your dress. It was a good feeling though. It was a bit cold - and it permeated through the dress until you could feel it on your nipples, making them grow hard. In contrast, Diana was now feeling the soft, the flowing feeling against her elbows as her arms bent when she came closer. Lips smashed against lips, and that jealousy melted away.

You were the first one to pull away, take a step back and looked over that outfit of hers. The infamous Wonder Woman outfit. Turned into cheap costumes the  world round. “How do you take that thing off?” You asked. Surprising her again.

“Are you asking me to take it off, or are you curious?” Diana asked, pushing her hair out of the way, behind her neck, so that she could get back at yours with kisses.

“Both,” You said, leaning your head back so that she had more skin to get at. Diana grinned into these kisses, and showed you exactly how the form fitting top came off.

Diana felt very comfortable in her skin, and was fine with showing it off - to you. There were plenty of perverts out there who wanted to see this view, but it was only for you. Her chest was heaving with excitement, the pink that had been on her cheeks blushed her tan body. The skirt had come off as well, it being a one piece, and now she was standing there in only her underwear. For you.

You brought her back in for another kiss, this time with no hard breast plate in the middle. Diana’s hands deftly made their way to the back of your dress, and found the zipper. You moaned in encouragement, and gently - so as not to ruin the dress - she pulled it down until it reached your lower back. You shrugged your way out of it, pulling your arms out of the sleeves and let it fall onto the bathroom floor. At least Alfred kept this place spic and span himself. These floors had only been mopped that very morning.

Diana kept the kisses raining down upon you, your neck, your shoulders, your breasts once they were exposed. It was just the two of you in your underwear now, pressed against one another but it never felt close enough. Lifting you with ease, Diana swept you off of your feet and put you up onto the sink. You leaned back against the mirror, surprised at how quick all of this was going on. Both of you were. But neither of you were putting a stop to it. This was what she had been thinking about doing. Taking you from Bruce’s side and showing you how she really felt. This, this was a dream come true.

She kissed her way up one of your thighs, right along the inner skin, got to your underwear and started to pull it off slowly, leading it with kisses among the other thigh, to the calf, the to your pretty feet, bound in heels. Those, she would leave on. Just like she would her own thigh-high boots. “You’re very beautiful, y/n,” Diana said, getting a real good look at you.

“So are you, Princess,” You said with a smile, watching with eyes full of adoration. She existed for your compliments, and made her way hungrily between your legs. She was soft, just like those plump lips of hers, and she was gentle. She was also quite slow, which made you want her all the more. Her tongue was wet and warm and seemed to know exactly where to go to bring out the little whimpers in you. Your hands went to your own breasts, squeezing them. You pulled at your own nipples, making a display of it as Diana watched. Her dark eyes stayed focus up on you as her mouth worked.

As you began to reach your climax, miscellaneous things in the bathroom started to rumble. The garbage can for one, began to shake. The paper towel roll became entirely undone. The soap started to squirt out on its own. The lights flickered on and off as that force-field of yours affected the electricity around you. When you did finally reach it, your legs tightened around Diana, trapping her there as you thrust your hips up and down against her face, mewling with satisfaction.

The afterglow must have been amazing, for you grew a lot more loose and limber afterwards. Once you let Diana out of your grip, she joined you, hopping up onto the counter and put her arms around you, bringing you in for more kisses. These ones were more so lazy, just little pecks, as you started to recover from that rush of emotions. “What about you?” You asked, looking her over with a grin on her face.

“In time,” Diana smirked. “We have all of that in the world.”

[dccomicsimagines]

When We’re Together - Batfamily Imagine

Requested by @awickedsinger​  - Hi there. First of all I wanted to say that I absolutely love your writing. Like not even exclusive to a particular ship or batch of characters, just all of it. If it's not too much trouble, in the spirit of the holidays, could you write a Batfamily one where they are at the Wayne Christmas Gala and the reader (daughter) is singing a special solo song as a surprise (When We're Together from Olaf's Frozen Adventure) and the family gets emotional hearing her sing it??Again, only if it's not too much trouble. Thank you!!!

***

You pinched Dick’s arm. “Ow.” He turned his attention away from Barbara and back to you. “What was that for?”

“Where’s Jason?” you whispered, glancing around. You went on your tiptoes, hard to do in the high heels Alfred insisted you wear, to search the room. The ballroom was crowded with guests to the Christmas Gala. “He’s not here yet?”

“No. I don’t think so, kiddo. Give him time. He’s always late to these things.” Dick’s hand moved to ruffle your hair, but stopped when you leveled a batglare at him. It took you hours to get your hair done. “Sorry.”

You left Dick to flirt with Barbara to go find Damian. He was off in the corner with a plate of food. He nibbled on a piece of cheese, eyeing the room. “Have you heard from Jason?” you asked, nerves eating at your belly. Why couldn’t he be here on time? You begged him to be.

“TT, no. Why would he contact me?” Damian snorted, rolling his eyes. “Ask Drake.” 

You grumbled, marching away to find Tim. He sat at a table with Bruce, Selina, and a couple of businessmen. You slid up to him. “Is Jason coming?” you whispered in his ear.

Tim glanced at you. “Yeah, but he’s always late. Don’t worry.” He rubbed your back. “Stop looking so nervous. It’s going to go fine.” You noticed your father glanced over. Swallowing hard, you tried to smile at him calmly. Tim was the only one who knew your secret because he walked in on you practicing. He was so nosy. 

Duke came over and took a seat next to Tim. “I saw his bike outside if that helps,” Duke whispered before you could ask him. You grinned, running off toward the door. 

Cass and Steph were by the door. “Have you seen Jay?” you asked, grabbing Steph’s hand. 

“He just parked.” Steph squeezed your hand. “Give him a minute.” 

“Awesome, just in time.” You looked at Cass. “Can you make sure everyone stays in the ballroom? I have a surprise.” 

Cass nodded. Jason stepped through the door, dressed in an untucked button down shirt and slacks. You ran to him and jumped into his arms. He grunted like you took the breath out of him. Of course, he was faking. “Hi princess.”

“Finally. You were late.” Jason spun you around before setting you down. “I was waiting for you.” 

“You were?” Jason chuckled, letting you grab his hand and drag him deeper into the ballroom. You put him next to Dick. “What’s going on?” Jason asked him. Dick just shrugged. 

You left them quickly and went to find Alfred in the kitchen. He was organizing the appetizers to make sure they were sent out in the correct arrangements. “It’s time, Alfred.” You tugged on his sleeve. “Everyone is here.” 

“Good, Miss (Y/N).” Alfred smiled, leaving the kitchen with you. “I will prepare the music.” He patted your back. “Go up to the stage and get ready.” 

You hurried over, slipping around people to get up to the stage. Alfred was talking quietly to the band leader. You greeted them shyly. One came over. “Here you go, honey.” He handed you a mic. You smiled at him. He stepped to the side and held out his hand to let you go onto the stage. You slowly walked out. Your family was in the front as Cass had dragged them all up there. 

Most were confused when they saw you on stage. Tim smiled proudly, sending you thumbs up. You waved back at him as the music started. 

Sure, it's nice to open a gift That's tied up with a perfect bow But the greatest present of all Was given to me long ago  t's something I would never trade It's the family that we've made

Everyone in the room stopped to listen. You kept your eyes on your family. Damian was blushing while Steph, Cass, Tim, and Duke started to sway together. Bruce was dumb stuck. You had to swallow back laughter. Jason just grinned. Dick looked teary-eyed. Barbara patted his arm to comfort him, sending you a wink.

'Cause when we're together I have everything on my list And when we're together I have all I wished All around the Christmas tree There'll be dreams coming true But when we're together Then my favorite gift is you

Alfred caught your eye from the side of the stage. He nodded his head to the tune, smiling when he saw you watching him. 

I would travel miles and miles And I would follow any star I'd go almost any place If it's any place you are

Bruce crossed his arms, the pride shining in his eyes. You smiled brighter than before.

'Cause when we're together I'll forever feel at home And when we're together We'll be safe and warm Doesn't matter where we are If you're there with me

You took a deep breath to sing the next part only to feel someone’s hand your shoulder. “We got this sweetheart,” Selina whispered in your ear. You looked at her in surprise before grinning. She sang the next part with you.

'Cause when we're together That's my favorite place to be 'Cause when we're together It's a holiday every night And when we're together Then the season's bright

Selina kissed your cheek. Your family was still in awe. Their love and pride flooded over you.

I don't need the bells to ring I don't need the bells I'll know when it's here I'll know when it's here 'Cause when we're together I could stay forever And when we're together It's my favorite time of year

Applause filled the air. You grinned up at Selina, panting slightly. She hugged you tight. “Thank you for joining me.” 

“Well, you needed an Anna to your Elsa and I don’t think anyone else is up for the part,” Selina teased, kissing your cheek. 

You giggled, turning to be swarmed by the rest of the family. Dick kissed your cheek, tossing you in the air for a flying hug. Barbara, Steph, and Cass stole you from him and gave you a big group bear hug. Duke and Tim patted your back once you were freed from the girls. Jason grabbed you from them and flipped you over his shoulder. You screamed, laughing when he tickled you. Damian just nodded at you with a rare smile on his face. 

“Enough.” Bruce saved you from Jason. He hugged you tight. “I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.” You melted into his arms. “Thank you.” 

“I wanted to surprise you all and show you how I felt.” You buried his face into his neck. “I love you, Dad.”

“I love you too.” Bruce kissed your cheek, setting you down on the ground and turning you to see Alfred. You ran to Alfred who opened his arms for you. 

“Thank you, Alfred. They were so surprised.” You hugged him tightly. Alfred rubbed your back, kissing the top of your head. 

“You’re welcome.” Alfred turned you to face the crowd. “Now I think your fans want an encore.” 

“An encore?” You blushed, but you looked at the rest of the family. “I suppose we could do something.” You giggled, taking the mic again. “We wish you a Merry Christmas.” The entire family joined in. Bruce scooped you up again. Selina hugged you from the other side, smashing you between them. You never felt so happy. 

[kallulovesu]

I just read your Yandere Spain going after a Witch country reader. So hear me out on this one, What if England was low-key still into is ex... and is a Yandere. Like reason why they broke up with him in the first place was he was becoming a power hunger bastard they warned him he'll become if he doesn't stop or at least slow down; and he was becoming to over bearing and controlling in their relationship ( this was back when he was the British Empire BTW ). Bonus points if Both America and Canada is platonic Yandere for the witch country. Basically the reader was the mother and care taker they never really had. The reader took care of them more than England did and they were pretty close up until England made them break up with him.

(A/N:) Anon you’re such a big brain...I just had to write a little story for this 👐

You couldn’t stand any of it anymore.

His persistent need to know everything about you, how he started controlling every little thing in your life as your relationship progressed, the way he would manipulate you into thinking that you were in the wrong for wanting to break it off multiple times. It all felt so draining.

"No one other than myself would even think of getting close to you. After all, who would want to be with such a small, lonely country that has barely anything to offer?" "What about Alfie and Mattie? You know how much they love you, and you’re just going to let them down like that? You’re just going to let us down like that?" "You’re only overreacting. So just stay with us, okay?" "You’re nothing without me."

"You belong with us, love. Can’t you see that?"

The words he spoke lingered with you everyday, chipping away at the little confidence you had left and slowly breaking the happy facade you had always tried putting on. Even your two little boys started to seem like nothing but a reminder of your shackles.

You felt as if you were a mere marionette; each inch of you being controlled by his strings as he formed you into his idea of a perfect little darling.

It was becoming tiring. The mind games, the puppeteering...all of it.

And so, you had decided on running away from it all, no matter how much you just wanted to brush it off and stay with your ‘happy’ little family, no matter how much you hated doing his plan. You packed your bags before carrying out your plan, waiting until night fell to finally sneak out. You, of course had plastered that usual smile on your face, the gesture just feeling...fake and empty to you now, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care anymore. You had to pretend everything was going according to his plans.

Arthur was a smart man, but even he got blinded by simple gestures at times.

you hated doing this, but decided to suck it up and carry on with your little plan. Everything was going well, it seemed like no one noticed you acting a bit...off, and you only had to put your children to sleep before finally sneaking out.

"Mother, are you okay?"

Ah, speak of the devil.

You blinked, finally noticing said child before you. He had a worried look on his face, the nudging he gave your shoulder eventually stopping as he saw you paying attention again.

"Ah...! You’re okay, I thought you had forgotten about me..." a shy smile graced upon his lips, fingers slightly fidgeting with each other. You smiled at him, seeing him being enough to somehow cheer you up a bit.

"Of course I wouldn’t forget about you, Mattie." You pulled the child into your arms, hugging him. "I love you way too much for that! Besides, you’re my little angel." You said in a quiet voice, as to not wake up his twin brother.

It broke your heart having to say this all while you planned on running away, basically abandoning them. Arthur’s previous words, while you didn’t want to admit it still stuck with you, and you started to have second thoughts...almost wanting to give up on the plan and stay with your two little boys whom you loved way too much.

"Mattie, can you promise me something?" You suddenly spoke up, patting the boy’s hair.

...but it was for the better. You could only sit there and pray that the children you took care of turned into fine men while you were away, unlike their father.

The Canadian nodded, eyes looking up at you in innocent curiosity. "Promise me that no matter what happens you’ll forever stay the same, sweet boy that I’ve always known...even if I were to disappear one day." You held him a bit tighter, the troubled expression on your face hidden away from him.

"Mother...?" He gripped onto your clothing, confusion written all over his face. The question seemed innocent, but he couldn’t help but pick up the strange tone in your voice, which he couldn’t recognize...and it worried him.

"Please just answer." You pressed a bit more, though your voice was barely above a whisper.

Matthew opened his mouth, about to answer before a booming voice interrupted him.

"Not fair! I want hugs too!" Alfred, who you didn’t notice until now yelled. The boy pounced on his brother and tried pulling him away.

"Nu uh! You always hog her attention away from me!" Matthew resorted, clinging onto you with all of his tiny might.

"Lies! You’re the only attention seeker here!"

"That’s because everyone else forgets about me you meanie! Even you and father!!" Matthew cried, and you couldn’t help but snort a little at the remark, despite how sad you found it to be...poor boy.

You watched the two bicker, amusement written all over your face. It was better to enjoy the short amount of time you had left with your two boys.

"There, enough fighting you two. It’s past bed time," you clapped your hands, grabbing their attention. "you wouldn’t want me to tell father about you two misbehaving, do you?"

"No ma’am!" A small chuckle escaped from your lips, seeing the children immediately freezing and crawling back to their beds. Guess you weren’t the only one intimidated by Arthur, eh?

You went over to Alfred, giving the boy a soft kiss on the cheek and wishing him a goodnight before making your way to his brother, repeating your previous actions.

"Sweet dreams, I love you." Was the last thing you said, sparing them one last glance before closing the door behind you.

It felt as if your heart was clenching, already feeling a sickening emptiness in your chest as you just stood in front of the door, trying to recollect your thoughts.

There was no use in sulking, you had to go. Now.

And so you scurried away, making your way towards the front door. The few items you truly needed were already brought down to your house, with the help of magic of course. You couldn’t waste any more time being here.

You disregarded things such as clothing and other unnecessary things, only caring about the potions and magic handbooks that you had brought along the way. You couldn’t even begin to imagine what Arthur could do with these in his possession— recalling that one of them had a receipt for a never-ending love potion, and god did you fear what he could do with that...even a stronger witch such as yourself would have trouble dealing with that, especially if it was casted upon yourself.

...what a dangerous situation you put yourself in. You should’ve never interacted with that bastard in the first place.

You sighed, snapping out of your thoughts and turned another corner. The house was large, and you had found yourself getting lost multiple times...but it wasn’t the time for any of that, you had to get out. Now.

And luckily, you soon found yourself standing in front of a familiar, large door. You took a deep breath, relieved that you managed to make it here without the idiot finding you.

"(Y/N)?" A voice spoke from behind you. "It’s late, where are you going?"

Oh, never mind.

You turned back, facing the very man you wanted to run away from. It was obvious that he was woken up from his sleep, seeing that he was wearing his pajamas while lazily rubbing his eyes. A small candle was in his hands, most likely to help him look through the dark mansion halls.

"Why are you awake?" Was all you said.

"I was waiting... I wanted to rest with you, but you never came." Arthur said, slight disappointment evident in his voice as he walked over to you. "Now answer my question, where the fuck are you going?"

You stayed silent, merely staring at the man before averting your gaze. "Away from this house, away from you." He froze, eyes widening as he seemed to process your words

"Can you repeat that? I...i don’t think I heard you correctly," he lightly tilted his head to the side. "you wouldn’t do something that foolish, would you?"

"Oh, I would." You took light steps back from him, distancing yourself from your boyfriend— no, ex-boyfriend. "I’m not doing this anymore, Arthur. This is becoming too much for me."

"And? What about it? I pour my heart and soul for this relationship... and you just run away like that? Love, you can’t just do that..." every step you took was repeated by him, his hands clenching into fists as he tried so,so hard to not just burst right then and there.

"I know, I’m sorry but I just...I can’t." You looked down at your feet, avoiding his piercing gaze. "Look out for them while I’m gone." And so, you turned around completely and walked towards the door, almost reaching towards the handle before abruptly getting stopped by a hand pulling you back.

"No!" Arthur yelled, his grip only tightening on you.

"England, you’ll wake up the kids-"

"Shut up." The man didn’t say anything for a while, trying to calm himself down. "Call me Arthur...please just call me Arthur."

"How about we just get inside and— and drink some tea while talking? I still have some sweets left from earlier today, so we could add that." He offered, pulling you closer towards him. "Please?”

You were looking at his hand, the hand that brung you comfort so long ago...but you couldn’t help but feel your skin crawling every time he held you now, fear overtaking you at the thought of what he could possibly do with them.

He was dangerous.

"Why?" Was all you could bring yourself to say. Arthur‘s grip softened, wide eyes looking at your downcast ones.

"...Why?" He repeated, "why what?" his eyebrows furrowed.

"All of this, why did you do it? For what?"

"Is it because you want my land? You already said it yourself, my country is basically useless...so why are you so persistent on keeping me here? Or perhaps it’s because of Alfie and Mattie? I’m sure they...wouldn’t really mind me going, they still have Francis and you after all."

"So why? You could have everything you wanted without me."

"Darling..." his eyes faltered for a minute, most likely taking all of it in and thinking of what to do. Arthur opened his mouth, wanting to say something-

"Arthur, do you even love me?"

Before being interrupted by your voice, which slightly cracked.

The man could only stare at you, mouth slightly agape. Whatever he wanted to say was completely forgotten about, instead being overtaken by his sudden shock— then panic. "Darling...what are you talking about? Of course I love you, I love you lots and lots. Everything I do is for your own well being."

"I’ll even change myself if it means having you by my side, so please..."

Love... Could this really be called love? You thought, finally mustering the courage to look up at the man and studying his face.

Confusion. Sadness. Distraught. Interest.

He looked conflicted; obviously not knowing what to do with his control on you slowly slipping away. Your actions were a mystery to him, and he wondered...what were you planning? What was going on in that little mind of yours?

"Ah," your eyebrows furrowed. "I see."

Your question had most likely caught him off guard, which was a good thing... you supposed.

Arthur gently tugged onto your arm, bringing you closer to him. "I-I can’t put it into words how much I love you...so just come inside, and let me show you." He offered again, eyes calculating, as if he were deciding the best course of action; whilst yours were sharp, refusing to show weakness.

"This isn’t love, England. You’ve done nothing but hurt me in various times by now, and I’m sick of it." You stood your ground, willingly stepping closer to look at him directly in the face— "Threaten me, physically harm me...hell, beg on the ground for all I care! But I’ve finally made my decision." and so, you took advantage of his weakened state to rip yourself away from his grasp, making him flinch.

"I’m not doing this anymore Arthur. You can figure everything out by yourself now, I’m done. We’re over."

You loved him, you truly did love him from the bottom of your heart...but you just couldn’t be with him anymore."

"Dear—"

"Enough. I’m- I’m done listening to you." Walking back, you took a deep sigh of relief; glad that you were finally able to stand up for yourself.

"Don’t even think of following me, unless you want to get turned into a mere frog."

[iphoenixrising]

DickTimWeek2021 Day 2

** Day 2: Time Loop | Jealousy | Stray AU

Welp. Time to break some hearts.

They’re laughing like assholes as they climb through Timmy’s penthouse windows. 

“Did you see that thug punch himself in the face?”

“That’s the right way to get out of an ass beating by the Batman.”

Tim, still in Red Robin, doesn’t even bother, just lets his knees buckle so he can slide down to the floor and laugh until tears are rolling down the dominio still plastered on his face.

He’s riding the concussion train with 

(J)

Josephine and she’s not as bad as some of them are. 

Dick at least tosses the gloves and gauntlets before hauling Timmy’s bruised ass up off the floor, throwing the arm around his shoulders.

“C’mon, you butt. Really Timmy, just laying here in your suit? Alfred would be appalled.”

“S’why I don’t go to the Manor much anymore.”

“Ooh, I’m telling. You’re going to be in so much trouble,” as he gets Tim down the hallway to the bathroom.

“Y-You can’t! You’re the oldest! Dami’s supposed to be the tattle-tale!”

“Nu-uh. As the oldest, I can do whatever the hell I want.”

And does he tell on Timmy? You bet your ass he does.

It’s nice when Alfred can look at someone else in the family with extreme disappointment.

Tim comes by the Manor the day Alfred video chats him, shuffles down to the Cave behind the butler and absolutely sticks his tongue out at Dick’s smarmy grin.

**

His apartment is a literal mess and Dick can’t be bothered to do much more than flop on the overstuffed couch with a groan. 

Still in his uni from the day shift, he’s too bruised and battered and tired to even think of suiting up for the night. He’s been running himself ragged for two months, the day and night shifts blending together along with the usual bullshit of daily human life, and he desperately needs a night of terrible television, junk food, and snuggles.

Like he’d been reading the room, Timmy walks out of his bathroom, towel around his shoulder and hair just this side of damp.

“Hey, you made it home in one piece.” Tim’s long fingers in his hair literally pulls a noise out of Dick he can’t ever remember making.

“Yeah, I drove down because you looked like death warmed over when we talked last weekend. Luckily for you I went grocery shopping, did a few loads of your laundry, and cleaned up a little so you don’t have to worry about housework.”

“I love you. Have I told you that recently? Like, so, so much–” is muffled by the couch cushions, but he thinks Tim can probably still make it all out.

“Mmhm, I know,” and the gentle scratching against his scalp doesn’t stop, and Dick goes a little boneless with it. “I even brought my Roku so we can binge watch terrible television while you eat something more substantial than cereal. Alfred is going to be so proud of you.”

A pat to his head and Timmy is off, slinging his towel on the rack, turning on the shower again to make sure it’s nice and hot for all those bruises and contusions.

He’s no-nonsense about picking up his previous mentor and best friend, literally stripping him down and manhandling him in the shower after a low whistle at the span of blue/black across Dick’s chest and ribs, the scrapes across his back and shoulders. 

The first aid kit tackle box makes an appearance because Tim plans for literally everything ever, and Dick finds himself sitting on his sink wearily while his injuries are meticulously treated.

He knows he eats something super tasty with meat and vegetables, his belly full, before Tim pulls him down on the couch and lets Dick lay against his chest, between his legs to sleepily float while watching God-awful B-movies.

It’s the most relaxing weekend he’s had in a while.

**

Dami sneers at Tim, arms crossed over his chest, the expression on his face begging Tim to try to deny it.

The third Robin however, is looking over at Dick with horror that the big secret is finally out in the open.

“Th-that isn’t– it’s not–” Tim fumbles desperately, “he’s been my big brother forever, that’s it!”

“Tt. Grayson may be painfully oblivious, Drake, but the rest of us are detectives. Even Todd knows of your feelings and he rarely even comes to the Manor!”

Tim’s soul literally leaves his body.

Dick blinks, completely taken back, mouth open without anything coming out.

Damian raises his eyes skyward and prays for patients dealing with these two. “What I am saying,” he tries, he really is trying here, “is that you two must cease and desist this pointless–” vague hand wave– “pining for one another. It is getting to the point of absurdity. I demand you two either discuss your need for one another or take this ridiculous mooning elsewhere. The rooftops of Gotham is no place for this,” another hand wave, “utter nonsense.”

Tim’s mouth goes dry, subtly backing away to be closer to the Ducati’s waiting for tonight’s ride. He’s pretty sure he has enough energy left in his shaky knees to hop on one and be the fuck out of the Cave before his face literally bursts into flames.

But, well. Dick was Batman.

His strategic retreat is stomped into the ground by acrobatic leaps and a very well done joint lock to keep him from immediately taking off.

Dami scoffs at them on his way up the winding staircase. He stops Pennyworth on the way and turns the butler to return back into the Manor proper, citing those two needed time to figure themselves out.

**

After several weeks under deep cover, Nightwing wearily hacks into Titan’s Tower and makes his way through the maze of hallways until he hits a hidden panel. 

Tim is sleeping on his desk, only one empty coffee mug at his workstation. Even dead in his boots, Nightwing can take a second just to look, just to sigh, just to enjoy how much every inch of this boy is his.

He journeys down the hall, flips the bed covers up, carries his sleeping partner in and tucks the blankets around him, a quickly there kiss to the top of messy, too-long hair. A shower in Tim’s perch literally makes everything in life a little less awful and exhausting, not enough for him to do much more than crawl in bed against Tim’s warm body and snuggle up close.

He gets breakfast in bed and blue-violet eyes looking at him with fondness rather than awe, gets coffee flavored kisses and a slow-paced back rub that continues down to his thighs and calves and feet. Later, he gets a date night in a nice restaurant and a sweet San Fran club scene for dessert. He gets to let loose and hold Tim’s body against him, to play them both until the gazes are intense and the low key UST between them makes other people on the dance floor give them space.

**

Witty banter is a primary weapon against megalomaniacal bad guys of any flavor. For some former Robins, it’s an art form.

Over the years, they’ve cultivated their dip and distraction to bounce off one another like a well-oiled vigilante machine. 

It should have been a standard take-down because it’s not one of their more dangerous, deadly villains. It’s not one of the Rogue Gallery baddies. It’s not one of the mobster families, not one of the super powered groups come to call. It’s not someone with hordes of thugs and deadly science waiting to take them down.

It’s a simple B&E, just Nightwing talking it up to draw gunfire while Red Robin is creeping up from behind to get the last laugh.

It’s one of a thousand times they’ve done this. 

It’s a guaranteed win.

It’s the last hour of patrol before they get to go back to Red’s penthouse and snuggle together, eat and show, probably have some fantastic sex before passing out.

The .45 shell, however, cuts through the suit, between armored plates. 

Going after the running baddies is automatic, taking them down, zip ties, and viola. They’re ready for GCPD to pick-up, all kinds of gift-wrapped.

When N finally realizes Red isn’t with him, isn’t answering comms, isn’t waiting for him on the roof, he goes back inside. He hits up B for a ride in the big car in case he missed –

– anything.

The pool of blood around Red Robin is more than he can afford to lose, and Nightwing has been in the vigilante life for over twenty years, has been official with Red Robin for a little over two, has personal experience on how his Baby Bird can take a mostly-fatal beating and still keep moving. He’s seen Tim come close with the Clench, with horrifying injuries, with any of the many bad guys they fight holding him hostage.

Nightwing has seen him perform literal miracles.

And tells him so the entire time he’s got Red Robin up in his arms, carrying him through Gotham’s skyline to the waiting car, falling in with Red on his lap when the familiar hatch slides back, the tourniquet already applied before he even shot a grapple. The struggling pulse is enough of a concern to get it together.

And even if they all gather to strip off the suit, and now it’s on to get vitals back to an acceptable range. Even if the Bats cry overhead, even if the equipment is top notch in the Cave, even if Dick is still talking the whole time, and Alfred is keeping a cool head and Bruce is gripping a hand and Damian is standing at the ready to hand implements and Cass is biting her thumbnail while she hovers and Steph is moving from empty space to empty space around the gurney –

The consistent beep of the flatline cuts through it all.

**

The Titans make it for the service. 

Each of them make a point to hug Dick for as long as possible, holding on tightly.

Bruce is silent and stoic, a little boy again when he has to watch someone else he loves being lowered into the cold, unforgiving ground. Another Robin taking a piece of his heart to the afterlife. 

Steph is red-eyed, a ghost moving around to individual circles, listening to stories she might not have known. 

Cass grips the coffin with bruised knuckles, her whole body wound tight as a string ready to snap. She doesn’t move the entire service, is already convinced leaving him to his own devices caused this whole thing. She doesn’t blame the thugs or Dick or Bruce. She blames the boy that never understood how much it all means.

Duke Thomas is back in Gotham, taking leave from the Outsiders to be here for the family that took him in after the Joker drove his parents insane. He hovers in the doorway to welcome mourners, direct them toward the book to sign-in, talks about Tim Drake with regular humans and other metas in disguise, accepts condolences with his throat tight and his eyes watery. He makes sure Dick has a bottle of water after the first hour, pats Damian’s shoulder, grips Bruce’s arm, weaves an arm around Cassandra’s back to give her a squeeze, obediently looks at the old pictures of Tim on Steph’s photo roll when she’s overcome and has to see that smile again.

In the back, Jason Todd wears dark shades and a clean black suit. Roy Harper is beside him, a hand on the broad back to keep him grounded, to keep the Pit rage at bay. If anyone knows how far Tim and Jason had come over the years, it’s the former Red Arrow. If anyone knows how much agony Jason is in at this moment, at another fallen brother, another Robin gone, if anyone had held the Red Hood while he screamed and cried and broke the utter fuck down, it’s Roy Harper.

Damian Wayne hovers right by Grayson’s side, silently supporting his first Batman, his first brother. Whenever Dick’s eyes start going hazy, glazing over, Damian gently grips a wrist to bring him back, allows fingers to lace through his own and tolerates the tight squeeze that obviously assists in grounding the oldest Robin. 

(Later when the night is crowding grief-stricken Wayne Manor, Damian will be the one to open Grayson’s bedroom door, lift the covers to crawl in behind him, to wind both arms tightly. He will be the one to take the onslaught of grief, to be soaked in tears and snot, to listen to the broken, hoarse voice, to make soothing hums that ultimately mean nothing.)

Alfred Pennyworth quietly talks with the funeral director about the arrangements. Of course Master Timothy would want to be laid to rest with his parents, and the family appreciates all the support and ease of process as the deceased was an important part of the Wayne family. 

When he gets a phone call, he firmly verifies the name on the tombstone is Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne Grayson.

**

Exactly four days after the service, the Flash is staring at him helplessly, gripping Nightwing’s arm tight, “please, please, Dick, don’t do this. You can’t think this is the answer!”

He can barely hear Wally with the absolute destruction going on around them, the machine they’d inadvertently stumbled upon (which is a lie, Nightwing had been looking for it and the Flash basically caught him red handed). 

“You know you aren’t going to be able to stop me.” Standing between the glowing portal and Wally, debris from overhead crashing down on them at intervals, Nightwing is at his peak stubborn, “no matter how fast you are.”

“You don’t understand what’s going to happen,” Wally yells desperately as the vacuum starts pulling at Nightwing’s other arm, pulling him into–

–the Speed Force.

“You don’t have the lightning, Dick, you won’t be able to get yourself out, and I won’t have any way of tracking you!”

The small smirk as the machine’s panel starts going haywire, lights blinking and readings off the charts, makes Wally’s heart clench hard in his chest, makes him try to dig in his heels, makes his stomach tremble.

“You have no idea how many times I’ve already done this, Wally. And I’ll do it as many times as it takes until I change everything.”

The pellet Nightwing palmed before the Flash grabbed his hand goes off the same time the machine hits the highest ratings and a low boom is followed up with an intense swirling suction, pulling the heroes closer to the portal’s surface.

The light grenade goes off without a hitch and the Flash has no choice but to let Nightwing go.

**

They’re laughing like assholes as they climb through Timmy’s penthouse windows. 

[redhoodssweetheart]

Blackbird | Epilogue

Pairing: Jason Todd x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 1.6K

Requested: No

Warnings: Swearing, angst, some fluff, talk of having a dark soul and not being a good person, death mention, shot with a gun

Description: You were once a member of the BatFam known by the moniker Blackbird.   You and Dick Grayson were close, but when a tragic accident left many members of the team thinking you were dead you went into hiding and tried to build a new life for yourself. But now Dick is back and he’s about to find out your secret.

A/N: Thank you for following along on Blackbird's journey with me.  This was the first DC story I ever wrote, it was actually the first ever fanfic I started.  Back then it was an OFC story and when I started my blog I made it into a Reader Insert.  It was meant to be more of a healing journey for Blackbird than anything else.  Her coming to terms and confronting her past while finding love with her best friend and the one person who understands her pain more than anyone else.  I hope you all enjoyed it and thank you for your comments and love on this journey! 

One Year Later

The plane touched down in Gotham and Y/N stared out the window at the familiar setting.  Despite how much fun she had had on her year long sojourn with Jason there was still a part of her that had missed home.  She missed the way the city sounded during the day with the hustle and bustle of people.  She missed the pancakes from that shop she had frequented as a teen.  It wasn’t perfect, but it was home and she didn’t know how she had done without it for all those years after her rebirth.

That was how she had come to think of her resurrection.  It was a rebirth.  She wanted to put a positive spin on it after so long of it controlling her and bothering her.  She still had her bad days, but she wasn’t going to let her past and the bad that she had done after coming back define her any longer.  With Jason’s help she had come to terms with her past and learned that she was worthy of love.  

“How did you convince me to give you the window seat… again?”  Jason’s voice came from beside her, it was a little groggy from sleep, but he was looking at her with a mischievous spark in his eyes.

She stuck her tongue out at him, “Because you love me?”

He moved in close to her and smirked, “I do love you.”  Then he kissed her sweetly.

The two of them had grown a lot over the past year together.  They had been all over the world from Lagos to Paris to Tokyo and so many others.  They had shipped souvenirs of their time in these countries to Bruce for safekeeping until they got back.  Y/N had gotten snow globes and flags of each of the places they had gone to visit.  Jason had been in charge of pictures and he gathered postcards that he meant only for himself.

With their bags collected they headed to their apartment which looked the same as always.  Tim had made sure nothing happened to it while they were away.�� They tossed their bags down and collapsed onto the couch together, tired but happy.  “You need to call Bruce,” she reminded Jason.

He groaned, “He’s gonna want to see us.”

“I don’t care,” Y/N poked his stomach.  “You promised that you would call once we landed and were home safe and sound.”

Jason sighed and dug his phone out of his pocket and pulled up Bruce’s contact info.  “If we have to go to the manor I’m blaming you,” he told her as his finger hovered over the call button.

She laughed and stood, “Let me know what he says.  I’m gonna go shower the plane off of me.”  Then she disappeared into the bedroom to take her shower.

Just as Jason predicted he wanted them to come by the manor and he said to dress appropriately which meant there was gonna be a surprise party.  “He’s not slick,” Jason said around his toothbrush.  “He wants us to believe that it’s just gonna be a quiet dinner at home and then everyone we know is gonna be there and we’ll have to tell the same stories at least fifty different times tonight.”

“And it’ll be fine.  I’m sure they won’t make us stay too long.  Plus we got gifts for the others that I want to hand out,” Y/N told him as she put the finishing touches on her outfit.  She was wearing a dress she had bought in Paris, and Jason was already eying her.  “No,” she pointed a finger at him.

“Come on, babe, I’ll make it worth your while,” his arms went around her waist and his minty fresh breath fanned across her neck as he bent to kiss her.

She gently pried him off of her, “Nah-uh, you’re not going to rope me into doing anything because we’re already running behind because you wanted a quickie in the shower.”

That got him to smirk, “Sweetheart that was definitely not a quickie.”

She tried to glare at him, but she couldn’t help the grin forming on her face.  “I hate you,” she said.

He chuckled, “No you don’t, you love me.”

“I do,” she sighed.  “So damn much.”

“That’s my girl,” he said as he sat her on the counter of the sink and began kissing her neck again.  

An idea struck Y/N and she said, “Jay if you stop and finish getting ready I’ll make it worth your while later tonight.”

His hand paused on her calf, and he looked up at her, “I’m listening.”

She smirked, “Oh sweetheart,” she turned his nickname against him.  “I’ll make your wildest dreams come true.”  She gripped his chin between her fingers, “But you have to behave.”

He stole one more kiss, “You win, Blackbird.”

Slipping off the counter Y/N moved back into the bedroom, “I knew I would.”  The sound of his chuckle followed her.

Jason was ready five minutes later and they were off.  The manor was lit up like a Christmas tree when they pulled in, and there were several cars in the driveway along with motorcycles that they knew belonged to the boys.  Y/N wondered just how many people were actually waiting inside when they entered.  Bruce knew that they knew something was going to happen, but he was still going to try and surprise them.

“Miss Y/L/N, Jason,” Alfred smiled when he opened the door for them.  “It is wonderful to see the two of you again.”

“You too, Alfred,” she said as she kissed his cheek.

Jason patted Alfred on the shoulder, “So how many people are we going to be greeted by?”

“I am not at liberty to say,” Alfred told them.  “This way.”  He ushered them into the living room where a group of people was waiting.

“WELCOME HOME!”  They all shouted when they saw Y/N and Jason round the corner.

Bruce was the first to greet them, followed by Tim, Damian, Barbara, Duke, Cassandra, Stephanie, and Kor’i.

Y/N’s eyes went to the back of the room where Dick was lingering, he offered her a smile when he noticed her looking and she gave him a little wave before her attention was pulled away by something Barbara was trying to tell her.

It wasn’t until later that she finally got to talk to Dick.  He had pulled her aside after the gifts had been given out that they had a moment.  Together they stepped outside onto the back patio where they could have a moment alone.

“I should probably say sorry first and foremost,” he said as he rubbed the back of his neck.  “I didn’t handle you coming back to life in the best way.”

Y/N chuckled, “I think you handled it the best way that you could, Dick.”

He smiled at that, “It took me awhile to realize that things couldn’t be the same.  We’ve both changed since that day you died.  I was just so caught up in the past that I didn’t realize that we couldn’t just pick up from where we left off.”

“If things had been different maybe we would still be together,” Y/N admitted.  “But we’ll never know now and to be honest I’m pretty happy where I am.  I’ve grown a lot in the past year with Jason and coming back.  And I’m sorry I never told you I was still alive and that you found out like you did.  But I just wasn’t ready to see you, not after I tried killing you.”

He nodded at her words, “Kor’i really helped me understand things from your perspective and helped me grow past them.  I realized that you were right, we were different people and that  that’s okay.  All that mattered to me was that you were still in my life in whatever way possible.”  He placed a hand on her shoulder, “As long as you’re happy that’s all that matters to me.”

Warmth spread through her and she wrapped her arms around Dick, “Thank you, Dick.  And I just want you to be happy too.  That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”  They broke apart and she nudged him with her shoulder, “So you want to tell me what’s going on between you and Kor’i?”

His cheeks heated, “We’ve been dating for a few months now.”

“That’s great!”  Y/N gushed.  “I’m happy for you, she’s a great person.”

“She is,” Dick said, happy that you agreed.  “And you and Jason seem happy together, I’m glad he was there for you when you needed him.”

“Me too,” she said softly.  “I didn’t feel so alone after I came back.  Jason knew what it was like and he was really there for me.  I love him.”

“He loves you too,” Dick glanced inside and saw Jason watching them, he didn’t look mad or upset, just curious.  “Do you think he’s gonna ask you to marry him?”

“Oh God, I don’t know,” she laughed.  “We talked about it a couple of times, but I think we’re just enjoying life right now.  Plus I think he wanted to wait until we got back to Gotham before we made any big life decisions.”

“Can I make one request?”  Dick asked.

Curious she asked, “What’s that?”

“If the two of you do get married, could I… be the one that gives you away?”  It was a weird request, but it made sense.

“I’d really like that, Dick,” she took his hand and squeezed it.  “But I have to get engaged first.”

Dick looked at his brother again and knew it was only a matter of time before Jason asked Y/N to be his for the rest of their lives.  “Yeah, we’ll just have to wait and see.”  He slung his arm around her and said, “Come on, we’re missing out on the party.”

And the two of them walked back inside together.  Laughing as they caught Tim recounting a funny patrol story to Damian from their younger days.