#Damian is not even fazed anymore

[blueboybot]

Oh My God Another One

Danny: *laughing like a maniac after discovering a new power he could use to torment Vlad*

*Batfam arriving at the scene*

Danny, a bit high on chemicals: HI DAD! :D

Batman: ?!?!?

Red Hood: God not another one.

Red Robin: Black hair and blue eyes combo number four, now with meta powers.

Robin: Father your knowledge of basic intamacy practices needs to be revisited.

Batman: !?!?!?!?!?

Nightwing: Jeez B, don't you have enough already?

Stephanie: Right! It's just getting ridiculous at this point old man, pack it up!

Duke: He just blew up that construction site.

Cass: New brother.

Batman: ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!!?!

[iguessthisisanewobsession]

Jason can clearly say that becoming a halfa was the best thing that ever happened to him.

If not for the lack of green in his head now a days than it’s because of all the new material he now has to fuck with his family.

He has successfully tricked B into thinking he can stick to things like Spider-Man instead of just turning off gravity.

Damian is now much more wary about threatening people with his sword now that Jason let him cut off a hand without telling him it would grow back.

Currently, he’s slowly gaslighting his brothers into thinking he’s pregnant.

Man, he has really been enjoying his new ability to turn invisible.

Dick, flicks on the closet light: okay now that everyone’s here-

Danny: why am I here again? I’m not even adopted.

Dick: you and I both know that it’s not because B hasn’t offered in his own emotionally constipated way. Anyways we are here to discuss the elephant in the room, Tim, the board.

*Tim, whipping Sheet off, revealing a cork board with strings*

Damian: Grayson. Drake. this is getting ridiculous.

Tim: but it makes sense. Last week Jason started looking up pregnancy symptoms! He claimed they were so that he could help his girls out but then why did he use his personal computer for this “research”?

Dick: now this wouldn’t be concerning in of itself but the last few days Jason’s fighting style has changed.

Tim: he’s still being out “hard hitter” but his style has suddenly became more defensive and focused on blocking his center and core.

Dick: he has also been complaining about aching back and weight gain! He hasn’t drank in two weeks and I swear I saw a bump last night while changing!

Tim: the nausea, the dizzy spells! He was searching up doctors last night!

Damian: Have you buffoons forgotten the fact that Todd is in fact a cis male?

Danny: Actually he’s a halfa, so gender isn’t quite as strict on him anymore.

Dick: .. what do you mean?

Danny: well, ghost are just made of emotions..? So besides a core everything is just subjective preference? Sure he’s not full dead but there’s only like four of us so we don’t really have a lot of knowledge on the inner workings so..

Batfam: …

Damian: Dear lord Todd is with child

Tim: how’re we telling Bruce?

Dick: forget Bruce, HOW ARE WE BREAKING THIS TO ALFRED??

Batboys: *frantic bickering*

Danny: *fazes into the room next door*

Danny: So why did you choose pregnancy of all things?

Jason, gleefully snickering as he brings his head out of the wall: Steph made a bet that I couldn’t and now she has to run around in the scaly pants again for a week!

[siddyyyyyyyy]

damian has a magic girlfriend. you can choose what powers they have. but reader sometimes uses her powers to play tricks and or entertain depending on the circumstances. maybe reader saves him with her powers and idk angst?

Is this Witchcraft?

Older!Damian Wayne x fem!Reader

wc: 0.6 K summary: small prank teehee warnings: none, no use of y/n a/n: loooooove the idea, THANKYOUSOMUCH!!! But I just made a small drabble about it, I'll probably do another part to it, but currently I'm working on something bigger,so....... just wait it out(thanks again for the request)

»Could you pass me the book over-« And the book he wanted to grab is already in his hands. No matter how many times you do that, it never fails to faze him. He tried to figure out the science behind your power, but never got further than researching for telekinesis, reading hundereds of books about it, and learn that there is no possible way of him to fully understand it.

You, however, think it's amusing and also admireable how he tries and wants to figure it all out. Good thing he gave up after a few weeks, but still studies you intensely whenever he thinks you aren't looking.

Once, he got scared because you moved his stuffed animal to another place when he wasn't looking, doing it every time he turned his back to the plushie. He thought he was going insane until you revealed it and had to deal with a grumpy Damian for the rest of the day. But that didn't stop you from pulling pranks on him at all. In fact, it was funny to mess with him in various ways, especially when he doesn't get it at first.

Like now, he is focused on some case, sitting by his computer and currently solving it slowly but surely. Hanging out like this was usual between you two, just enjoying each other's presence like this while doing some stuff. But it does get boring sometimes. Especially when he has been at it for four hours and haven't said much.

You look through his room again, searching for something to distract him with. It won't hurt distracting him a little, right? You focus on his bottle water standing by his desk, carefully moving it up and let it circle around his head. Damian sighs out, trying to fetch the bottle in the air that floats around his head. He fails as you get the bottle out of his reach when he does so, getting a kick out of his attempts to stop your shenanigans. Finally, he turns around in his chair and looks a little annnoyed, while his water bottle still floats around by his face, even doing some small flips and circles right in front of him.

He manages to snatch it from the air, putting it back onto his desk with a small thud. »Are you doing this on purpose?« Bad question, but he still asked it.

»Do what on purpose?« Damian rolls his eyes at your words, standing off his chair and walks over to his bed, where you lay sprawled out on. He doesn't waste any time on laying down beside you, laying on his side to wrap his arm around your middle.

»Sorry for neglecting you. The case is really interesting.« He murmurs softly as you shift to wrap your own two arms around him.

Once he feels like you are getting comfortable to cuddle, the water bottle from before nudges his head gently, but irritating enough for him to curse it out in arabic. He knows it's you who does this all, but it doesn't stop him from getting at least a little grumpy again.

»I swear, if I see or feel this bottle move on its own, I will figure your power out just to make sure you won't be able to use it anymore.« Now, that's a threat. But you know he isn't serious. Maybe.

»You're no fun... can't even annoy you without getting death threats.« You sulk and place the bottle back onto his desk before snuggling closer to his chest.

He huffs out at your words and wraps his arm tighter around you. »That was not a death threat. Just a small warning.«

A small warning. Sure thing. But now with you both cuddled up, you are not complaining or messing around with his stuff anymore. Finally some peace.

a/n: I promise you all, there is going to be more parts to it probably but not now 😭😭 have a few things going on, i'm sure i'll get to it sooner or later. hope you enjoyed it!

←MASTERLIST

[rapz-rites]

Demon Daughter

Damian Wayne x Reader, Damian Wayne x Daughter!OC, Reader x Daughter!OC

Time travel is tricky. So of course your daughter is accidentally going to come home early, 20 years too early to be exact.

Inspired by @cipheress-to-k-pop

A/N: this was kinda requested after Demon Spawns which some of you really enjoyed so I hope you all enjoy this one too. I did merge several dc worlds together so sorry if it’s a little confusing

Word Count: 1.3k+

Warning(s): idk 🤷🏾‍♀️ (I’m honestly too lazy atm)

Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!

“I’m never time traveling with Willow every again!” Milena whispers harshly to herself as she sneaks back into the manor. She sighs as her feet hit her bedroom floor only to realize she forgot something in the Cave from earlier in the day.

After being chased by dinosaurs and almost dying from a meteor shower, Milena decided to be lazy and just boom tube to the Cave. It was only a 5 minute walk but hey, it’s okay to be lazy every now and then. What she didn’t expect to see was strangers in costumes ready to attack her.

“Who the hell are you?” A voice asks as she readies her weapons in response to seeing them. She turns to face the voice.

“I should be the one asking you,” she says as she faces one of her weapons toward them. “Who are you people and the hell did you get in here?”

They could see Milena was a bit shaken up and confused. But it didn’t explain what she was doing in the Cave. After a few moments of silence, Dick was the first to speak.

“How about we all put our weapons down and talk like adults,” he said hands up in surrender. His hands have been up since the moment Milena pointed a weapon at him. Normally, he wouldn’t be fazed but when the weapon looks like one of Cyborg’s, he wasn’t going to take the chance. Especially considering that Cyborg’s canons can easily blast through thick walls of concrete.

“Listen kid-”Jason started thinking he might try and break the tension, only for you to cut him off. “I’m not a kid. I’m 19.”

“Why are you dressed like old heros?” Milena asked. “Those costumes aren’t even sold anymore.”

“What do you mean old?” Dick asked, clearly confused.

“Old as in 2010s-2020s old get with the times,” you say, as if you just stated the obvious. Now they were all confused.

“It’s 2023,” Tim said.

“What?” you questioned in a confused voice. How could it be 2023? How could you be 20 years in the past?

After retracting your weapons you let out a sign. Under your breath you whisper, “I’m going to kill Willow.”

“Willow?” Dick asked.

With slumped shoulders, you turned to look at him.

“Willow West. Wally West and Athemis’ daughter,'' you stated nonchalantly. At this point, you were done with everything. Heading back into the manor you say, “I'll try to reach Willow and get back to my time.I'm going to bed.”

“Hey hey hey! We can't just let you in the manor. You know our identities and we have no idea who you are” Jason retorted. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes at him. Was he being serious right now? How does he think you got in the Cave?

‘Dimwit’ Milena thought to herself. But just as she was going to say something three people entered the Cave. It was Bruce, Damian, and you. Milena couldn’t help but stare in awe.

“Who is this?” Bruce asked in a husky voice.

She paid him no mind, eyes trained on you and Damian. You stood 7 inches below Damian’s 6’1 frame, head tilted up to look at him as you spoke to each other. No one could mistake the look of love in Damian’s eyes as he looked at you while you spoke. He listened intently as you talked about God knows what. But what really struck her was your swollen belly. You were possibly 4 or 5 months pregnant: at the stage were it was kinda obvious you were pregnant but your belly wasn’t huge.

In your peripheral, you saw a girl looking at you and Damian. You gave a small smile as you walked towards her to greet her. Every step you took, you realized she looked more and more familiar. However, just as you were about to reach her, Dick stopped you.

“We don't know who she is or how she got in here. She could be dangerous and she could hurt you,” Dick spoke. But the entire time he was speaking you just looked at the girl. Taking in her features you realized who she was. Your daughter.

“Dangerous? Most likely, but i know my daughter wouldn’t hurt me”, you said smiling at her, your hands on her cheek. Milena couldn’t help but smile at you too. She let out a soft, “Hi mom.”

You didn’t even realize the tears streaming off your face until Milena wiped them away. You turned to look at Damian, teary eyed with a huge smile, “She looks exactly like I dreamed.”

Looking back and forth from Milena and Damian you started to list any and all similarities between them. “She has your eyes. The shape is sharp and green like yours, but is kind of softer like mine.Oh her nose. And-”

“Beloved, she’s tired, let's give her a break,” Damian said. If Damian hadn’t stopped you then you would’ve done a full head to toe assessment to find any similarities you could. The others didn’t know how to react. Tim honestly couldn’t care less. He just wanted to finish his work to go to sleep.

With the help of Alfred, Damian ushered everyone back into the manor for bed.

“Well this is my room.. Well it’s supposed to be. It’s probably a nursery now isn’t it?” You mutter shyly, stopping in front of your room. You and Damian stood in front of the room across from her. With a sorry look you gave her a small nod.

“You can stay with us,” you offered without even thinking about it.

“Absolutely not,” Milena and Damian said at the same time. Milena grew up with you. So she knows how you get sometimes, especially when you were pregnant with her siblings. She’d rather let her father deal with a pregnant and hormonal you. “Thanks but I’m pretty sure there’s an empty room somewhere.”

~

The next morning you and Damian were in the kitchen having breakfast with the family. That’s when Milena came rushing in from up stairs. You watched her as she hurriedly greeted everyone while fixing herself a plate. Once she sat she began inhaling her food. You don’t even think she chewed any of her food. “Mina, honey, maybe you want to slow down a bit and actually chew your food.”

“Sorry Mom-” Milena started. She whipped around the kitchen like it was second nature. Like she did this all the time. She placed her dirty dishes in the sink and thanked Alfred for the breakfast. “My ride is going to be here soon.”

Suddenly what even one thought was a boom tube appeared at the entryway of the kitchen. Everyone looked back at it to find a teen girl, not too much younger than Milena walking out of it.

“Sorry to drop in unannounced,” she said with a small smile. You could tell by her fighting to stay still that she was a speedster, most likely Wally’s daughter at that. “Milena time to go.”

Milena came around and gave Damian quick hug and a ‘see you son’ before stopping in front of you. You couldn’t stop the tears in your eyes as she hugged you goodbye.

Walking up to the boom tube, she turned to look at you. “Don’t worry. You’re an amazing mom. I couldn’t ask for a better one,” she says, disappearing.

Hugging your side, Damian rubbing his hand up and down your arm. Tears were flowing down your cheeks as you muttered to yourself . “Damn hormones. I’ll see you in a couple months, Milena.”

~

FUTURE

Walking out of the boom tube, Milena was face to face with her father. She couldn’t help but crumble into his arms. Keeping them both steady, Damian brings them to the floor.

“I saw her. I saw her Dad.” Milena cries into her father’s chest. Damian just rubbed her back, trying to console his crying daughter. “But she’s gone and I miss her so much.”

“I miss her too,” he said in a low whisper. “Every single day.”

Plot twist 🫢

Did y’all enjoy it tho??? 🤔

Taglist:

@devotedlyshadowytheorist

[cowboywritersworld]

Can I prompt Fem!Reader wants to join the TJD but has to *show* it. When she loses against her opponent in front of TJD they leave. When the Reader is mocked & laughed at by her opponent the Reader suddenly snaps & attacks her, showing ruthlessness for the first time. While being interviewed backstage about what just happened Reader is encountered by Damian Priest who on behalf of TJD welcomes her to join them after what they saw.

Determination

General Masterlist | WWE Masterlists |

Requests are: OPEN

Characters: Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterious, Finn Balor, Damian Priest, JD McDonagh, Reader, Tiffany Stratton

Prompt: Can I prompt Fem!Reader wants to join the TJD but has to *show* it. When she loses against her opponent in front of TJD they leave. When the Reader is mocked & laughed at by her opponent the Reader suddenly snaps & attacks her, showing ruthlessness for the first time. While being interviewed backstage about what just happened Reader is encountered by Damian Priest who on behalf of TJD welcomes her to join them after what they saw.

AN: I know it has changed now, but you can read under characters, who it involves.

If you want a part two, send me an ask with a detailed idea, or I'll find something to write.

Ever since you got called up from NXT to the main roster - Raw - you have your eyes set on joining the Judgement Day.

You feel sure of yourself, you just know that you would be a perfect fit with those guys, but it's not that easy.

~ Ehy doll, you want to join us? Prove it. Next week, you against someone Pearce decides. We'll watch closely. Don't let us down or waste our time. ~

It had been Dominik who had told you that in an interview backstage. His words still swim in your head while you wait at Gorilla for your music to hit.

Today is your day, Pearce has chosen Tiffany Stratton as your opponent and you can't stand that girl at all. So full of herself, - even more than you -, her voice just irritates you on so many levels. As your music finally hits, you get out, focused on what awaits you in the ring.

As you go down the ramp, you can see the members of Judgement Day already out there, but you try not to let that faze you. You just have one match ahead of you and maybe you can join them.

"And her opponent... Y/r/n!"

You get in the ring as the announcer says your name and grin at Tiffany. As soon as the referee calls to ring the bell, you attack her, but that girl provokes you, making you angry as the match goes on. She gets the win after a low blow the ref didn't see, pinning you easily for the three count.

Fatality wants, that as you lay down in the ring, you are facing the ramp, so you can clearly see their unsatisfied faces as they start going back.

You close a hand to a fist and get up, shoving the referee away, before you hit Tiffany on the back, sending her to the mat. You get on top of her, you can see her grin.

"Oh? What is this all about? Can't accept the fact that you lost to someone like me? Or deep inside you know that you'll never get accepted by... Them?" She teases you while she points to the ramp, where the Judgement Day has now stopped and is watching you." Guess you are not as though as you thought."

"Shut. The. Hell. Up!" You don't want to hear her anymore, you don't want to see that stupid grin anymore. Rage fills your heart and your body. You can't... You start hammering down on her, punches, slaps... Tiffany almost can't keep up with you anymore. You can barely hear anything, while the crowd gasps in shock.

Someone tries to shove you off of her, but you get free once again and hit her more. It's only when Adam Pearce gets involved, that you stop and retreat, without looking back. Your heart is racing very fast and threatens to break out of your chest. What you just did is destabilizing you, because it is the first time ever that you had such a violent reaction. You try to go to the locker room to gather your thoughts, but the interviewer stops you and you can't help but sigh for a moment.

"I am here with Y/r/n. You just lost against Tiffany Stratton, what does this loss mean to you?" She stepped aside a little, scared from your look.

"I had one job to do today and I failed. Like everyone else, I saw the look on the faces of Judgement Day's members. They weren't happy with the outcome." You say, frustrated. "Tiffany cheated to get this win, I may have lost my possibility to join them, but she paid the price afterwards." You add, sharp.

"Speaking about that... What has gotten into your mind, to attack her like that?" The interviewer asks and you can simply fake a smile to the camera.

"Frustration...? I was nervous because she mocked me the whole match and even before I attacked h-" You can't go on, because someone joins the both of you.

"What you have done after the match... That was what we were searching for in you, Y/r/n." He grins at you, towering you with his height. "You have earned your place here. On behalf of the whole Judgement Day, welcome." He looks at the interwiever. "Now, if you'll excuse us."

He starts walk away and you follow him quickly, a happy smile on your lips.

[sun-moon-stars-jedi]

So, I have this idea for a Batfam time travel fanfic that starts when Jason, Tim and Damian are somehow teamed up for a mission (the disaster is practically inevitable from the beginning, but everyone else was either busy or injured, so Bruce had to begrudgingly send them out together) and just as you would expect, something goes terribly wrong.

Later Jason will say it was Tim’s fault because his cape got in the way and tripped Jason up, Tim will say Damian pushed him into Jason’s path so it was really Damian’s fault, and Damian will say that it was a reflection from Jason’s dumb helmet that blinded him and made him stumble into Tim, but regardless of what really happened, they somehow land right in the path of the strange ray gun their villain-of-the-week is wielding and are all hit by something that looks and sounds and feels like a bolt of lightning.

When they wake up, miraculously still alive and only a little bit sore, the warehouse around them is empty, their comms are dead, and once they make their way outside they quickly realize they’re in a Gotham years before their time.

Now, there are of course some very strict rules regarding time-travel and interacting with people they know in the past, but as their luck would have it, their entrance wasn’t exactly subtle (even in Gotham people notice lightning and thunder whithout a thunderstorm), and before they can even make it a block away from the warehouse Batman and Robin swing down from the rooftops and confront them.

Batman of course does his whole “Who are you and what do you want in my city” thing, complete with the growly voice and intimidating loom, but it’s not like that can faze any of his kids after all this time.

No, what gets to them, particularly Tim and Damian, is the teeny version of Dick standing next to Bruce. He can’t be any older than 11 or 12, and while Tim and Damian had both seen pictures and heard the stories, seeing their older brother standing as tall as he can (which isn’t all that tall even compared to them) in his bright yellow cape and the short pants next to Batman...well, can anyone really blame them for bursting out laughing?

That’s of course not the reaction Batman and Robin expect, and for a few seconds they just seem to freeze up in the face of these new costumed...cosplayers?? criminals?? vigilantes?? who are just laughing their asses off when faced with the dynamic duo.

Jason is the only one who doesn’t fall into hysterics (he can’t start laughing; he wore the short pants too and would only open himself up to even more ridicule in the future than he would already undoubtedly get from the two little twerps), and he’s also not stunned with surprise, because he knows exactly what’s going on here.

So, as the only capable person around (what else is new) he barks at Tim and Damian to cut it out and behave professionally. They’re on a mission after all, and they don’t want to antagonize Batman and Robin, do they?

Surprisingly they listen, Tim even mumbles somewhat of an apology at Robin, who still looks kind of sulky, but accepts it after a nudge from Batman.

Then there’s an awkward silence where both sides just look each other over, though it’s not as hostile as it was before, and with some quick mental math on how much he can tell Bruce Jason starts to explain that they’re also a vigilante team like them and don’t want any trouble, they had only made their way into Gotham because they’d tracked a lead.

Jason keeps everything deliberately vague and doesn’t mention the time-travel (he’s not even sure if Bruce and Dick had encountered something like it at this point and he absolutely doesn’t want to get thrown into Arkham because they think he’s delusional), but apparently his answers satisfy Bruce, because he loosens his stance and nods in approval.

Bruce asks if they need any help, what kind of case they’re working on, what their code-names are - they all have to come up with something fast here, because obviously Red Hood, Red Robin and Robin are precisely the worst names they could give Bruce and Dick in this time, so Jason calls himself Arsenal, Tim says Drake (still the worst name Jason has ever heard) and Damian says Flamebird, which is pretty cute Jason has to admit, though he will still definetly tease his brother about his choice once they’re back home.

It’s only when Bruce asks “And how long are you and your sons planning to stay in the city?” that Jason realizes Bruce thinks they’re a father/son(s) crime-fighting team the same as him and Dick and before he can think better of it he says “Not long.” in answer and leaves the other part of the question uncorrected, even though he can practically feel two pairs of eyes burning into his back with indignation.

The conversation moves on and somehow there never seems to be a good opportunity to rectify that, and so they eventually part ways with Bruce and Dick, planning to meet again the next night to exchange information.

Jason, the chaotic older brother that he is, can’t resist a “Come along now, sons” just as they leave - Tim and Damian are pissed, Jason isn’t their dad, he can’t tell them what to do, and once they’re out of Batman and Robin’s earshot they make their opinion on that very clear, but it’s too late now - for as long as they’re in this time they’ll have to pretend in front of Bruce and Dick.

As it turns out getting back home takes a little longer than Jason, Tim and Damian had initially hoped for, so they spend at least a week or two in this time, during which they meet Dick and Bruce pretty much every night and even begin to help out a little when something more dangerous goes down (though compared to what they’re used to, this version of Gotham is pretty tame).

Because Jason can’t resist annoying his brothers he fully lays into the dad role, calling them “son” or “sport” whenever he can and delighting in the furious glares he receives in return.

At some point it also becomes clear how much more experience the three of them have compared to Bruce and Dick, who have only been vigilantes for a couple of years at this point, and when this young Bruce openly asks Jason for advice on how to be a good vigilante dad because Jason obviously seems to have more experience than him, Jason doesn’t know if he should laugh or cry.

This young Bruce is still Bruce Wayne with all his faults of course, but he’s also a lot less jaded and world-weary and sad, so Jason gladly gives him some advice that he hopes makes some things better without breaking the entire time-line.

Meanwhile Tim and Damian learn first hand what a menace young Dick Grayson was - he disobeys orders, pulls dangerous stunts, fights in freaking short pants, but gets away with everything because of his puppy-dog-eyes and because Bruce was even more of a pushover back then than he is in their time.

Obviously Bruce and Dick never learn the true identities of their visitors or their connections to them in this time - one day the three of them just don’t show up anymore and when they investigate they find a post-it note in the warehouse where they’d first met them that just says “Gone home. See you some time in the future.” with the three names Arsenal, Drake and Flamebird signed underneath.

“It was pretty fun having other kids to talk to about all of this,” Dick says, sounding subdued as he looks at the note and Bruce knows he will probably regret this, but he just can’t stand to see his son sad.

“I heard Green Arrow has a side-kick now,” Bruce says, trying to sound casual, but the way Dick looks at him with tentative hope just makes his heart melt instantly. He would give this kid the world if he asked for it. “Maybe it would be a good idea to meet them.”

[catxsnow]

CIRCUS FREAK D.G.

Request: okay so i was listening to rewrite the stars and got the idea where the reader is a socialite from a very wealthy family, and she fell for dick grayson but her family doesn't approve because he's not a real wayne/rich. so can i request that? thank you once again!!🥺❤️

Warning: swears, having really shitty parents

A/N: That gif just melts my heart every time I see it. 

Word Count: 2k

Dick Grayson was an unexpected surprise in your life.

Your parents were the kind of people that expected you to marry a literal prince. They wanted you to continue the family legacy of money, power, and popularity. Generations of marrying important figures to keep the family name from being tainted. Your family took pride in their place in the world.

When they moved to Gotham, there was only one family that was going to be good enough for your parents: The Wayne's. Bruce Wayne was the richest person in the city - maybe even the entirety of the country. When you parents wiggled their way into his life and to his famous gala's, you were to be dragged along as well.

Your parents pointed out dozens of rich men, those who owned big businesses or were part of world affairs. They wanted you to talk to them, date them, and eventually marry one of them. It wasn't those snobby men that you were intrigued by. It was the man across the room with a genuine smile.

At the time you weren't aware that this was Bruce's oldest adopted son. He didn't seem like the rest. Dick wasn't trying to prove his worth by being there, in fact it almost seemed like he didn't want to be there at all. Behind his smile, you could see that he had places he'd rather be - but his kindness to others never faltered.

Out of all the people in that room, he was the only one that you wanted to talk to.

Dick felt your eyes on him. He looked up from the person he was having a conversation with and gazed at you from across the room. A smile lit up his face at the sight of how stunning you looked. He no longer cared about the man he was chatting with - he wanted to go talk to you instead.

That was how you met the love of your life. The second that he asked you to dance, you knew that you never wanted to let him go. You danced your heart away that night, twirling and spinning until your legs were ready to give out on you. Being with Dick... it was like floating in the stars.

You met with him again and again after that night. Every meet up seemed to last shorter than the previous, you never seemed to get enough time with him. There weren't enough hours in the day for you to be with Dick as much as you wanted to. He had cut down on his over time at work, even patrol to be with you.

He was in love.

You weren't like the rest of the snobby rich, young adults that attended these gala's. Unlike so many of these families that just wanted to make money, you wanted to make the world a better place. Dick respected that about you. While you were both trying to change the world in different ways, it seemed to bring you closer together.

Bruce knew who you were. He was aware of your parents and their appearance in Gotham. Thinking like a business man, he assumed that you were only interested in Dick for the money in his name. Upon meeting you, he could clearly see that wasn't the case at all. You were completely head over heels for him.

The issue arose when Dick was meant to meet your parents for the first time. Every man that you had brought home to them wasn't good enough. They drove him away until you were left heartbroken. As the son of Bruce Wayne, you assumed that they would approve of him. Even so, Dick was brave enough to stick around through your parents wrath.

Dick was dressed in his best suit. You were looped around his arm in your best clothes as well. The two of you stood outside the doors of the fanciest restaurant in the city. Your parents were already inside and waiting upon the two of you. Dick leaned down to give you a quick peck on the lips.

"Stop worrying so much."

"Aren't I supposed to be telling you that?" You chuckled. Dick rolled his eyes and led you through the doors. Truth be told, he wasn't nervous. Throughout all his years, he had impressed every set of parents that he met. Yours couldn't be that different. "Just... don't think of me differently after today, okay?"

"I would never, my love," Dick assured. You switched from having your arm around his to intertwining your hands. The server led you towards the table your parents were sitting in. They looked to be in a good mood. Hopefully they would keep it up when you arrived with Dick.

Dick Grayson should have been nervous. After knowing you this past half a year, he didn't think that anyone related to you could be cruel. You were the kindest person that he had ever met, always worried about everyone around you before yourself. He assumed that it was your parents that raised you like that.

He was wrong, very wrong. Your parents seemed to be angered the second that you two sat down at the table. Dick was on his best behavior. He made sure to give the biggest smile, shook their hands, and referred to them with the utmost respect. It didn't seem to matter, the second they laid eyes on him they weren't impressed.

When you told your mother that you were bringing a Wayne to dinner, they assumed you meant a real Wayne - not an adopted one. Bruce was far too old for you, Damian far too young. Tim was the one that they were expecting, even if he was considerably younger than you as well. Even if he wasn't a real Wayne, he was the one to run WE.

Dick Grayson was nothing but a circus freak.

A boy who was born from poor parents and grew up in the circus. He was the exact opposite of what your parents wanted of you. Even with being adopted by Bruce, it wasn't enough for them. You were tired of pleasing your parents. Dick was the love of your life, you knew it in less than a year of being with him.

"You're lucky Bruce Wayne adopted you. I suppose living in a circus you had no where to go but up," Your mother spoke. She sipped her wine, acting as if what she had said was a compliment. Dick's eyes widened in shock but he remained quiet.

"You're not a real Wayne, though, right? Like Bruce's inheritance isn't going to go to you, it'll go to his youngest, the blood son?" Your father pitched in. "(Y/N) are you sure you want this one? What about the other, the one running Bruce's company - at least he has something going for him."

"That's enough!" You raised your voice. Your parents were not-so-subtle about their dislike towards Dick. They shamed his upbringing, saying that he was lucky to be taken in by Bruce rather than continue his life in the circus. Though you knew their words hurt him, he stayed calm throughout the matter.

You on the other hand, couldn't hear anymore of it. "Who the fuck do you think you are to say those things? Huh? You're nothing but snobbish pricks who only want me to marry for money! I'm sick of it! I'm sick of seeing you on your high fucking horse thinking you're better than everyone!

"I'm ashamed to call you my parents. You don't care about Gotham or your own daughter! You only care about yourselves and money. Have fun being fucking miserable, I'm not putting up with your shit any longer. Never again."

The restaurant had gone silent. All eye were on your table, listening in to the scene that you were causing. Your parents sat there in shock. you had never showed any signs of aggression like that before. Not once in your life had you went against them so fiercely and so publicly. Unfortunately, they blamed this attitude on Dick.

Before they could say anything about your outburst, you grabbed Dick's hand and nearly dragged him out of the restaurant. You were beyond angry. So full of rage, humiliation, even guilt. You so desperately wanted this dinner to go well and it had gone anything but. Dick finally stopped you from racing back towards his car.

Tears spilled down your cheeks as he looked down to you. Without hesitating, he pulled you into a much needed hug. You sobbed into his chest, your heart aching for the words that your parents said to him. He didn't deserve that, any of it. Dick was too polite to stand up against strangers like that - especially when they were your parents.

"I'm sorry," You whispered. Dick kissed the top of your head before wiping away your tears. When you asked him not to judge you for your parents, he never thought you would mean to this extreme. Still, he kept with his promise. You weren't your parents, you were nothing like them.

"Don't be," Dick assured. He had gone through far worse things than some angry parents. He got broken, battered, and bruised every week - a few hurtful words shouldn't have fazed him. But seeing you so upset because you cared this deeply about him? That broke his heart far more than what your parents said about him.

"My parents are horrible people. They've always only cared about keeping the family name as an important figure. I've pretty much would be stuck in an arranged marriage if they got what they wanted," You squeezed your eyes shut, remembering the hurt looks on Dick's face as they spoke poorly about him.

Dick didn't know what to say. To be honest, he was still in shock over the events that had just happened between you and your parents. Firstly with how horrible they were, and secondly, how quick you were to stand up for him. You had only known him for six months and you were willing to throw away your relationship with you parents for him.

Realizing just how committed you were to this relationship sparked something in him. He knew that he loved you, and even if it was a relatively short time together with you, he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you. Dick was completely and utterly in love with you.

"You're not a freak, Dick," you continued as he didn't speak. Without him saying what was on his mind you were left to believe that he was thinking the worst. He no longer wanted to be with, he didn't love you anymore. It broke you to think like that, you would do anything to change it. "You're not a Wayne, you're a Grayson. A Flying Grayson, that's the man that I love."

"I love you," Dick finally spoke his mind. Relief flooded you; that was what you wanted to hear. "You aren't your parents, I see that more than ever now. Just like how I'm not Bruce. We're meant to be our own people, to live and grow and discover who we really are. Right now, I know that I'm meant to grow with you."

"You make me a better person every day, Dick Grayson," You smiled up at him. Dick pulled you closer by your hips and lowered his lips to yours. He didn't care about the random people walking by you or the sound of car horns in the background, you were all that mattered.

It didn't matter if you parents didn't approve of him. He had your heart, and you hoped that he never let it go.

[nxrthmizu]

| the detective and the blue-eyed fox | ch.4

»»——⍟——««

title | denial will be your downfall 

prompt | detective and criminal AU (Oh my god how did I go from that prompt to this) 

pairing | Damian Wayne x Marinette Dupain-Cheng 

words | 1.9k 

author’s note | I enjoyed writing this so much! :3 ppl out there on ao3 being like ‘omg I can’t wait to see what happens’ and I’m here like ‘yeah I can’t wait to see what happens too I haven’t figured it out yet’ 

 »»——⍟——««

| beginning | previous part | ao3 | 

»»——⍟——««

What, exactly, had Marinette been expecting, you ask? 

Anything except Damian Wayne somehow uncovering her alter-ego (Both of them, might she add) and acquiring the miraculous of the black cat under two days. She had to admit, she knew he was something- That's why she recruited his help in her desperate search for Chat Noir's former miraculous- But in under two days? That was just appalling. 

And if you had told Damian Wayne three months ago that he would, three months later, be sitting in his apartment across his coworker, who had been moonlighting as Gotham’s newest vigilante, Lan, and also happened to be Paris’s former superhero who fought villains induced by butterflies (Of all things), accompanied by two practically-god creatures that were the size of flying mice, he would’ve called the mental hospital. Not to mention that they were discussing the murder of her former partner slash newly appointed CEO of Agreste Enterprises. Throw in the fact that the murderer happened to be a musician who probably had a crush on her civilian identity and wanted to use magic jewellery to bring back his crush’s parents, and the whole thing just sounded like a fifth-grader’s vivid imagination. 

He had considered admitting himself into the mental hospital, but at that point he was way too invested in the ‘case’. 

“Luka?” Denial was a clear ring in her voice, disbelief a close second in volume. 

For weeks, the one thing she wanted to know was the name of her partner’s killer, and now that she knew it, she wanted to give it back. Luka, sweet, kind-hearted, generous Luka- A murderer? 

Plagg nodded grimly in confirmation. 

“I don’t believe this.” Marinette shook her head defiantly, refusing to believe the truth that the god of destruction laid out for her. “He would never...” 

“We literally have an eye witness.” Deadpanned Damian, straight-forward as ever. The bluenette sucked in a breath, lowering her head to avoid her coworker spotting the tears that pricked her eyelids like ice needles. Everything hurt- She had lost her parents in a final battle to win Paris its’ normality back, then she lost her partner, and now she was faced with the truth that the one man she thought she could trust- Was a killer. 

The detective’s eyes softened. “I know it’s hard to take in, and I know I shouldn’t ask you for this- Especially after everything you’ve sacrificed- But Couffaine probably isn’t the same person you knew anymore. You need to stop seeing him as your friend, and hard as it is- You need to start looking at him as the man who killed your partner- And wants to kill you. If you keep going like this, denial will be your downfall.” 

A droplet of blood formed on the bluenette’s lip as she bit down hard to hold in her pain, her agony, her tears. How much longer did she have to suffer? How much longer did she have to be brave? How much longer did she have to endure what the world threw at her? 

“... You know, you can cry if you want. I can’t say I understand, but being in your position now must be pretty hard. You’ll only hurt yourself if you keep everything inside.” 

Damian had seen victims. Too many. He knew and saw first-hand the overwhelming emotions that could surge over one, the unstoppable tsunami of feelings that could wipe out the legs you thought were strong enough to hold you, the wave that could destroy everything and leave you with a broken wasteland as it receded. 

He knew the harm of pent-up emotions. Pent-up emotions were like a jar filled with explosive gas, waiting for the slightest spark to trigger an explosion. And when it did explode, you would find shards of glass digging in to your skin, digging into the skins of the ones around you. He knew the harm of pent-up emotions, because he had felt it first-hand. Because as cold, as uncaring and blunt his exterior could be, Damian Wayne was a human, and he knew what it was like to hurt. 

“You don’t have to hold it in just because you want to hold an image of a strong person in front of me.” He continued. “No matter what happens from here on out, you’re already very strong to me. Emotionally and physically. You were thrust into the role of a superhero with no guidance, made to deal with all the pressure with no one to confide to due to the risks it made to the ones around you. You fought without pause ever since you were a teen, only to lose so much when everything was over. You tried to start again, only to be faced with more pain. The fact that you’re still standing, that you’re still doing something to fight back- That’s amazing in itself.” 

A dry, choked-out sob of a laugh startled him. “Of all people. I never expected that you to be the one that would understand.”

“Hmm.” Damian shrugged, leaning back into his chair with an air of looking unbothered. “I have a rather high standard for what I consider to be strong- Emotionally, anyway, and you just so happen to have been through enough to pass that standard.” 

She cracked a small smile at his feeble attempt to shrink back into his ‘I’m-cold-and-I-don’t-care’ shell. “Back to business- Since you’ve found the ring and the person behind this...” Luka’s name stung the tip of her tongue, and it was too soon and too painful to say- But much to her gratefulness, Damian didn’t bring up her avoidance of his name. “I better contribute by telling you I think I know where he’ll be.”

The green-eyed detective perked up instantly, moving from his relaxed position to one that was leaning forward, eyes wide in curiosity. 

“I don’t where he is now, per say, but I know where he’ll be.” She continued with a smile. “Have you ever wanted to visit the City of Love?” 

»»——⍟——««

What was formerly the City of Love was now a mourning city, shrouded in rain clouds and misery. The murder of Adrien Agreste tightened like a noose, gradually strangling and suffocating the city below. Rain pattered onto Paris’s black cobblestone roads, the streets empty with the exception of one or two pedestrians, walking as quickly as they could to avoid being alone with the deafening silence of post-war Paris. 

The silence was accented by the steady splash of rainwater as a lone figure walked slowly down the street, a black hood shielding his face. Turquoise eyes gleamed as the man approached the house of the woman expecting him, raising his hand to press the doorbell once. 

“Luka.” 

Chloe Bourgeois stood in the doorway of her apartment, eyeing the drenched man with a purse of her lips. “You are not stepping into my apartment like that. If you get a single splotch of mud on my carpet...” She glowered at him, unsatisfied until he grumbled, removing his cloak and muddy boots. 

The deceased mayor’s daughter scrunched her nose in disgust, handing the man a towel to dry off with. 

“Wipe your feet on the towel until they’re clean. Don’t step all over my house with those dirty feet of yours.” Chloe scoffed, leaving him in the entrance of her apartment while she strolled back inside, her golden silk robe fluttering behind her movements. 

“Any progress?” Luka asked gruffly, looking as uncomfortable as he could be, seated on the pearl-white couch inside the blonde’s luxurious apartment. The mayor had left his daughter quite the fortune. 

Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Chloe rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her tea. “Luka, my answer will be the same as the one I gave you yesterday.” 

The man resisted the urge to slam his hands on the glass coffee table in frustration. “You’ve been searching for Ladybug for weeks. What is taking you so long?” 

“Excuse me.” Chloe cleared her throat, looking rather offended. “If I’m not mistaken, you had three months ever since Ladybug left, and you didn’t find anything, either. I don’t think you’re in the position to criticise my progress.” 

He shot a glare in her direction, displeased with her jab at his failed attempts to locate the holder of the Ladybug miraculous. “Find her,” He hissed, standing up abruptly. The blonde wasn’t fazed at all, taking another sip out of her tea with a bored expression. “Find her if you want to bring your father and butler back.” 

The heavy footfalls belonging to the impatient man made Chloe scoff, the loud slam of her front door causing an angry ‘Hey! Watch it!’ from the blonde. She sighed softly, reminiscing of the days when things weren’t so complicated and everything was alright. Across her living room sat two framed pictures, sitting next to each other serenely. 

The first was a photo of herself, Mayor Bourgeois, and the butler, Jean, the three of them standing in front of Le Grand Paris, in all of its’ golden glory. The second was a photo of 5-year-old Chloe, smiling toothily with her arm slung around another blonde- Adrien Agreste, with his soft green eyes and his shy smile. 

“I won’t let you be forgotten.” She whispered to no one in particular, still staring at the two framed pictures. “That’s a promise.” 

»»——⍟——««

Meanwhile, in the dreary corridor leading to Paris’s highest-security-prison, was a displeased woman, glaring daggers at the guards who were denying her entry. 

“You morons.” She hissed, her French slanting off with a clear American accent that resounded even clearly in her anger. “For the last time, I’ve told you, I work for the FBI, and I need to talk to him.” 

“Ma’am, we’ve received no sort of alert that an agent was coming to visit.” The guard defended, baring her from highest-security-cell in the whole building. There had been at least five other gates before the one she was at, and at everyone of them she had been throughly questioned and checked for anything that could result in an outbreak of disaster. 

A dry laugh echoed off the grey cement walls of the holding. “Well, then you go ahead and tell my superiors that I’ve come here for nothing and that they have to pay for a second flight.” The woman smiled when sparks of fear alighted inside the two guards’ eyes- She had come so far, and she wasn’t going to let two measly guards stop her when she was just one wall away from her target. 

“I... Alright miss. You should know the rules, don’t get too close to him.” One of the guards said reluctantly, sharing hesitating looks with his partner, but they opened the heavy metal door for her nonetheless. The woman, dressed in a black blazer, a white blouse, and a dark-coloured pencil skirt, nodded her appreciation, heels clicking as she stepped into the holding. 

A two-inch thick glass separated her and the grey-haired man, who looked up in surprise, eyes flashing in recognition of his visitor. 

“Mr. Agreste.” She addressed politely, dark red hair tied up in a formal bun. 

The man that was formerly Hawkmoth glanced at her up and down, and then at the closed metal door. “I have to say, I’m impressed you managed to get in here.” A low laugh rumbled from his throat, cracking out of the speaker by the side of the glass wall that allowed the man to communicate. 

She smiled at his compliment. 

“It’s been a while, Lila Rossi.” 

»»——⍟——««

taglist. @demonicbusiness @animegirlweeb @roselynfey @2confused-2doanything @insane-fangirl-of-everything @promiswords @galaxylightmoon @fusser90 @ira-sairain @liquid-luck-00 @glastwime859 

gen. daminette taglist. @maskedpainter @animegirlweeb @missmadwoman

*rubs hands together* I have soo many plot twists for this baby planned *cackles evilly* everything’s coming together... Also the story has strayed so far away from the original plot but eh whatever 

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| next part | ao3 | 

»»——⍟——««

[sparkle9510]

Baby Robins and Tiny Ladybugs Ch. 2

Hey guys! Happy holidays! I’m so terribly sorry this is so late! Honestly, I got lazy, wanting to do other things (making presents and drawing stuff), but writers block kept getting to me. I wasn’t satisfied where this was going, so I decided to let inspiration hit me and I am so glad I waited cause indeed it did, and I am much more satisfied with this chapter than my previous idea. With that said, let’s move on with the show!

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Masterlist

First Prev Next

It was a beautiful day at the city of Paris, France. It was peaceful and quiet. All until laughter filled the air near the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie.

“Grayson did what?” Marinette giggled. “I can’t believe he burnt the pancakes.”

“Grayson was always inept in cooking. Though everyone in the family is. You should see father burning the water,” Damian rolled his eyes. “We’re lucky to have Pennyworth with us.”  

Marinette chuckled, understanding that Damian was actually showing that he cares for his family. It has been 2 years since they had first met and exchanged numbers. They had exchanged emails very frequently, and emails then turned to phone calls before it turned into video calls. All that time spent talking to each other helped them both know each other’s quirks. At least, she hoped so.

“I’m glad your father’s back safe and sound,” Marinette smiled. 

Damian had informed her that his father, who was missing or most likely dead, had been found. He was injured and needed time to heal, but overall, was relatively safe and sound. She was so happy to hear that, especially since his mother figure was not a part of his life anymore so he said.

“I am too, although,” Damian frowned. “now that he’s back, things will be different.” Will I be accepted? He seemed to radiate, from what Marinette can tell.

“Damian,” Marinette decided to interrupt his thoughts. “you are amazing, and from what I hear, your dad will love you.” 

“Angel, thank you,” Damian gave her a small grateful smile.

Marinette grinned, opening her mouth to respond when her mom called her. 

“Dami, I got to go,” She frowned. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

Giving their goodbyes, she ended the call before heading downstairs. Down in the kitchen, her dad was kneading some dough and her mom was nearby, a phone in hand.

“Maman?” Marinette called. “What did you need?” 

“Marinette, we just got a huge order of catering, though the location is pretty far.”

“Where Maman?”

“Gotham.”

———-

Damian sighed, hands in the pockets of his jackets. He observed his father looking over the decorations and progress of the setup. His father had decided to hold a gala in honor of his return. He had understood his father had to show he wasn’t fazed and pick his playboy facade back up, but Damian so did not like these meaningless social interactions.

“Why the sigh, Lil’ D?” Dick asked. “You’ve been doing it more often.”

“Probably cause he hasn’t done his weekly thing,” Tim yawned, typing away on his laptop. “Whatever that is.”

Damian scowled and looked away. He couldn’t be bothered with Drake at the moment. It’s been around 2 weeks since he had last called Marinette. She hadn’t shown up and picked up the call the last two times he called, the most recent being yesterday. She had said she was busy and went awol. O-of course he wasn’t really worried, he told himself. She could just be really busy.

“Ooh, you may be right, Replacement,” Jason smirked, leaning onto Dick. “The demon spawn hasn’t stayed his room for hours. I wonder, maybe he’s hasn’t been-” 

Before he could continue, Dick elbowed Jason in the ribs, earning a yelp from the latter. Jason glared at his older brother, only to receive an annoyed look that said, ‘Are you serious?’ In return, he stuck his tongue playfully. 

“You don’t know what you’re saying Todd,” Damian scoffed, narrowing his eyes when he felt someone ruffle his hair. “Cease that, Grayson.”

“Dami, you know what you need?” Dick grinned. “Sugar. And you know what? they have some desserts at the cater table and I’ll bet they’ll let you have something sweet.”

“You know I don’t care for sweets.”

“Just have something, Lil’ D. If anything, you can check on the food,” 

“Very well.”

And with that, Damian begun heading over to the food, but not without hearing Jason whispering to Dick. 

“Dickie Bird, you’re up to something. Spill,” Jason interrogated Dick.

“Just being a good big brother,” Dick cheerily replied.

A good brother? Very unlikely. Damian rolled his eyes. When he got to the area, he saw a large man and a woman setting up the food. It smelled good, and somewhat…familiar? There was one place he thought up, but how could it be here when it was at-

“Maman, Papa! Here are the rest of the order!” a girl, carrying multiple boxes tried to rush past him. 

However, she didn’t notice him and bumped into him, sending her almost tumbling down. That is, until Damian helped steady her. 

“I’m sorry,” the girl replied. “I’m so clumsy. I-”

Damian’s eyes widen. He knew that voice anywhere. Adding the clumsiness, that could only mean…

“Angel?”

———

Marinette’s eyes widen, realizing who it was that stopped her. She figured there was a good chance of seeing him, but she thought it would be more of her telling him than running into him.

“…We’ve got to stop running into each other,” she smiled, slightly embarrassed she had yet again, ran into him. 

“I don’t mind,” Damian chuckled. “Let me help you.”

Grabbing two-third of the boxes, he begun to walk to the table. Marinette immediately followed, still stuck in a dazed state. 

“Oh! Thank you, sir,” Sabine quickly relieved Damian’s load. “I hope our daughter didn’t cause you any trouble.” 

“It’s no problem, Mlle.” Damian smiled. “It’s an honor to finally meet Marinette’s parents. She told me so much about you during our chats.”

“Chats?” Tom questioned. “Oh! You must be that boy she calls frequently. She mentioned how-”

“Papa!” Marinette called. “Don’t you need to finish setting these up or something?”

Her dad chuckled before going back to his work. Marinette sighed, feeling the heat still on her face. Damian didn’t need to hear what she said about him. 

“Marinette,” her mother called, catching her attention. “We’re almost done here. If you want, you can go spend some time with your friend.” 

“Really?! Thanks Maman!” Marinette kissed her parent’s cheeks before grabbing Damian’s hand. “Let’s go!”

———-

“So that’s the Wayne Memorial Clock Tower, that’s the Wayne Animal Sanctuary, and here we are at the Gotham City Central Park.” Damian pointed out to Marinette. 

“The park’s beautiful Damian!” Marinette grinned. 

The plants looked really taken care of. The flowers planted were blooming and bright and beautiful. But before she could say anymore, she felt her stomach rumble, and it wasn’t quiet at all.

“…I’m feeling a bit famished.” Damian looked away. “Do you want to accompany me?”

“S-sure!”

“I know the perfect place.”

———-

“Welcome to the Wayne Manor,” Damian smirked and gave a playful bow. 

“Damian, a-are you sure?” Marinette seemed unsure. “It’s a bit sudden and what if your family doesn’t like me?”

“It’ll be alright. They're probably still handling the arrangements for the gala anyways,” Damian assured her. “Nevertheless, they will like you, I’m sure.”

After all, Damian inwardly, this was all set up by at least Dick.

“Welcome home, Master Damian,” Alfred greeted them. “And I see you brought a guest. I hope he has been well behaved?” 

Marinette giggled and stuck her hand out.

“He’s been quite the gentleman,” she replied. “Though I’m guessing that might not be normal? I’m Marinette Dupain Cheng. Is it safe to guess you’re the all knowing Pennyworth?”

“How right you are Mrs. Dupain Cheng,” Alfred confirmed, reaching out and shaking her hand. “Just Alfred is fine. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m glad Damian made a friend. As you may guess, he has some difficulty getting along with many of his age.”

“He has his quirks,” Marinette admitted. “But he’s a sweet guy once you get underneath the tough layer.” 

“Pennyworth,” Damian interrupted. “I would like to request a meal prepared for both of us.” 

Alfred nodded. “Very well, young Master. While I do that, you may keep yourself occupied in the living room.”

Damian took that time to do a quick tour of the house. Of course, he avoided the areas that could reveal the family’s nighttime occupation. They may have made it hard for visitors to figure it out, but Marinette wasn’t normal. Of that, he knew. She probably will figure it out within the day if he wasn’t careful enough.

He did show her a quick view of his room. It was the place where they chatted anyways, so Marinette was somewhat familiar with it. She complimented many of his drawings hanging on the wall (No, he was not blushing. It was just kinda hot in the room), and was curious about his weapons in the room. Not long after, they decided to hang in the living room, where they quietly conversed.

“Alfie!” Dick’s voice rang out. “We’re home~ We got hungry and thought we might as well have some of your wonderful cooking.” 

Oh no. This is going to get troublesome pretty quickly.

“Hey, look who the demon spawn brought in,” Jason’s voice rang from the door entrance of the living room. “Looks like the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” 

“Close your mouth before you sprout even more ridiculous ideas, Todd,” Damian spat. “What are you doing here.” 

“We got hungry,” Tim replied, walking into the room while typing on his laptop. “We didn’t want to go out and eat.” 

Damian scoffed. “Nice cover up. Did Grayson tell you to say that?”

“Chill, Lil’ D,” Dick appeared right behind him. “Let’s not have our usual fights while your friend is here. Speaking of which, introductions are due. Hello miss, I’m-”

“Grayson,” Marinette interrupted. “And you’re probably Drake, and that’s Todd. A-ah! I’m sorry I interrupted! I’m Marinette Dupain Cheng.”

“It’s all good cupcake,” Jason grinned, “but call me Jason. Jason Todd’s my full name.”

“Tim Drake’s mine.”

“Richard Grayson, but call me Dick.” 

“D-dick? But isn’t that…?” Marinette questioned, but decided to drop it, deciding to turn to Damian. “Wait, I thought- Damian, you didn’t tell me that those were their last name.”

“It wasn’t important,” Damian shrugged. “They’re not of importance.”

He looked at Marinette to see her eyebrow raised. A silent scolding clear on her face that made him feel a twinge of guilt.

“Ignore him,” Marinette turned back to the group. “He doesn’t say it often, but he does care about each of you.”

“Marinette,” Damian glared at her, but unfortunately it didn’t seem to faze her.

“So, the Demon Spawn actually cares for us,” Jason grinned, earning Damian’s death glare, “How sweet~ The devil has a soft side.”

“Todd,” Damian began before he was interrupted. 

“Demon Spawn?” Marinette asked. “Isn’t that a bit harsh?”

“It’s a bit of an inside joke,” Tim explained. “Though he does acts like one sometimes.”

“It’s a term of endearment,” Dick whispered to her. 

Marinette nodded, “Ah. Wait, Dami, is that also why you call me Angel now and then? You know, Demons and Angels are...?”

Damian winced. Maybe it was a mistake bringing her to the manor. He wasn’t going to escape with his dignity intact.

“He calls you Angel?” Jason’s eyes bulged in glee. “Ah, this is good blackmail.” 

“Don’t you dare,” Marinette warned. “You’re not gonna use this as blackmail.”

“And what are you going to do about it, munchkin?” Jason smirked. “You can’t stop me.”

“Can too,” Marinette stuck out her tongue. “Bet this tiny girl can beat your butt.”

With that, they decided to have a match after lunch. Damian knew she could take care of herself. Hell, that was a part of why he quickly was taken in. But Jason was older and had more experience, he was sure. Plus, his violent tendencies might take over, and he didn’t want her to get too hurt.

———-

Marinette was in awe when she got into their workout room. It was huge, with many equipment that she had not seen used as a workout as well. But luckily, there was a large empty area, with mats she assumes is the area where they spar. Damian had told her they do that to practice their self defense.

“Ten bucks that Marinette is going to beat Jason,” Tim grinned, looking over to Dick. 

“Fine,” Dick agreed. “She’s a firecracker, but don’t think it’s enough to beat Jason just yet.”

“Tt,” Damian scoffed. “Imbeciles. Betting over things like this?”

“Dami, it’s alright,” Marinette grinned, feeling a bit mischievous. “It’s nice that Tim believes in me. And if anything, it’ll be fun to rub the fact I wiped the floor with Jason to both him and Dick right?” 

“No mercy,” Damian smirked. 

Marinette shared his smirk, taking position on the mat.

“I’ll go easy on you,” Jason announced. 

“Big mistake,” she chuckled. 

With that, they began. She sent a big punch followed by a side sweep, predicting where he would move next. He was good, dodging and landing his own hits, but she also was able to land her own. After a few minutes, she did see a certain pattern. He tended to reply on his fists more than his feet and left his side open. It wasn’t a big blind spot from what she could tell, but a blind spot, nonetheless. It was obvious that he spent some training making sure his weaknesses were minimal.

Looking for the right opening, she noticed he still had his leather jacket on. Maybe she could… She looked at her surroundings. Okay, nothing else to work with but she could still do something.

Dodging a right punch, she spun behind him. Before he could react, she grabbed onto the back of his leather jacket, and flipped over him, letting the jacket go over his head. She yanked on it so that it started to come off, but before it completely came off the sleeves, she dived under him before using that sudden weight and pull to keep him pretty subdued as she dragged them both on the floor, her being on top of him.

“Owned by a pixie,” Dick teased. 

“Fuck you,” Jason replied. “though he’s right. You got me. Nice job kiddo. Clever idea. Though… hm, I think there might be a slight rip now.”

“Ah! Sorry,” Marinette apologized. “I tend to use my environment to help me, and your jacket was the only thing…”

“It’s alright,” Jason waved off. “I can get Alfred to fix this.”

“No, wait, lemme fix it since I caused it.” She insisted.

Relenting, Jason handed over the jacket. Quickly, she grabbed her sewing kit that she carried everywhere with her. Taking out the necessary items, she quickly went to work. It took 10 minutes, she fixed up the jacket. It was just the stitching that came undone.

“Good as new,” she cheered, handing it back to him. 

“Thanks Tinkerbell,” he grinned. 

“Tinkerbell?” Tim raised his eyebrow. 

“Yeah, she can find things and make something new out of it, assuming she can, and she can fix things,” Jason shrugged. “Plus, she’s as small as a pixie.”

Marinette rolled her eyes at his jab at her height. Damian walked next to her and gave his hand.

“Good job Angel,” he praised. “Knew you could do it.” 

“Thanks Damian,” Marinette smiled. 

“Dick, you lost the bet, so pay up,” Tim cackled. 

“So you were betting instead of getting ready for the gala?” 

Everyone turned and standing at the doorway was a man in a suit. Tim and Dick had quickly walked over to him and informed him of what was going on, from what Marinette was hearing. 

“Welcome to the manor,” the man smiled, sticking his hand out. “I’m Bruce Wayne. Thank you for taking my son down a peg or two.”

“A pleasure,” she replied. “wait, Wayne, then does that mean?” 

She swiveled to Damian, who only smirked and nodded. Oh dear. Ooooh dear. She was with the Waynes. The rich billionaire family, and she just beat one of them. 

“Wait,” Dick was laughing when he realized. “Marinette, you didn’t realize we were Waynes?” 

“I-I just thought,” Marinette sputtered, rambling off a bit. “the W-waynes were pretty common. I didn’t think you guys were the Waynes. Though I guess the manor and butler should've tipped it off.....”

“… I like her,” Jason grinned. “Can we keep her?” 

Marinette still felt a bit embarrassed, though Damian gave her a small pat.

“She’s not a pet,” Bruce joked back. “Marinette, I know your parents will be catering during the Gala, but how would you like to accompany my sons and keep them entertained during that time? They tend to find trouble when bored.”

And that was how Marinette got swept up into more of the Wayne’s shenanigans (with her parents’ permission of course). They gave her a beautiful dress to wear (where did they get it so quickly?). And at night, they came to the gala by limo. 

“Ready, Angel?” Damian offered his arm as Marinette came out of the limo. 

“It’s now or never,” Marinette took it, letting him lead into the building. 

 The night was fun. She danced with all of the members of the Wayne family. Jason, pulling her into a very energetic tango. But she danced with Damian the most. Though like Bruce had predicted, she had to stop the boys from starting bits of trouble here and there, especially when they would try to do it behind her back. Jason did take a picture and suspiciously began typing on his phone, but she did not give it any thoughts. Before they knew it, the night was over, and they dropped her off to the  Gotham Royal Hotel.

“I had a great time,” Marinette chuckled. “Thank you, guys! I had a great time!”

“No prob, Tinkerbell,” Jason grinned. “We’ll keep in touch.”

“We’ll come visit,” Dick winked. 

Waving them off, Marinette stood by the doors for a few seconds. She then felt the vibration from her phone. Pulling it out, she saw she had a new message, from Damian. It was a link followed by a, ‘Todd is an imbecile’.”

She pressed it, noticing it took her to the social platform, Tweeter. 

@JayTodd

Welcoming Tinkerbell as an honorary member of the Wayne family. Don’t let looks fool you. This pixie can beat your ass.

The picture earlier! She realized. At least, he didn’t actually show her face, not completely where people can identify her. But this tweet he sent was already at 1.3K and counting. 

“JASON!”

———-

And after that, they did meet up more often. Sometimes Damian and his family would visit her, and sometimes they flew her over. She felt bad and didn’t want to keep having them fly her over, but they insisted.

After the first social media fiasco, Marinette did appear more frequently on their social media, though hidden. She ended up making an account for it though, but everyone didn’t know who she was, only knowing her as Tinkerbell.

It was a fun time, and she was really happy. She had another family that cared for her, who she cared for. And she wouldn’t change it any other way.She hummed softly, sewing her newest idea when her phone rang. 

“Hello? Jason?” Marinette greeted, a bit curious.

The other line was silent for a while, making her worry.

“Jason what-”

“He’s gone.”

“What?” Marinette’s eyes widen with worry. “Who are you talking about? Who’s gone?”

“Damian, Marinette,” Jason replied, his tone dead. “There was an accident and…”

“He’s gone.”

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Masterlist

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ANNNNND THERE WE HAVE IT! THE NEXT CHAPTER FINISHED. AND THIS WAS TOTALLY LONGER THAN THE LAST ONE AS A TREAT. (Ahhh I wrote a lot of interruptions haha ^^;)I hope you guys liked it!! Any questions, then let me know here or in my ask, whatever’s fine! Btw him disappearing is during the time he died from Heretic. So, he’s gonna be dead for a bit 0w0. 

Taglist (let me know if I forgot anyone):

@mooshoon @bluerosette23 @zestyzealot @luciferge @gingerdaile @crazylittlemunchkin @queenmj10 @hypnosharkrebeldreamer @razzledazzle247 @dorkus-minimus @this-is-vander​

[otpnessmess]

For you, there’s nothing I wouldn't do

Here it is finally! The first part of the Jasonette fake dating AU I had promised. I’m working on the following parts already as I will have a couple of weeks with a lot of free time. I’m so sorry for disappearing. Enjoy!

Ao3 - Masterlist

Next

-

“You’ve officially lost your mind, Jay, I swear to God.”

When Marinette had agreed to get up early on a Sunday morning because Jason had asked her to hang out, she didn’t think she’d regret it five seconds into meeting her best friend at their favorite restaurant. And she hadn’t yet, but it was very close.

“Nette, please, I’m begging you right now. Do you want me to kneel and plead? Because I will, don’t try me.” His blue eyes had always been her weakness and the puppy face he was making at her right now almost made her agree on the spot to whatever insane plan he had come up with. The keyword being almost.

“Alright, let me just reiterate to make sure I’m understanding. Your father is hosting a gala in a month and you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend?” Marinette tried to keep her face as straight and serious as possible but it was proving hard since the words she had just said sounded utterly ridiculous.

“Pretty much, yeah. So, will you? I swear I’ll pay you if I have to, I just need you to help me out with this.” He had started to look hopeful since she had yet to outright deny him his request. “You know I love you Bug, and you’re the only one I can trust with something like this.”

Damn, he was good at telling her exactly what she liked to hear, and Mari was just not strong enough to say no to him, though she did plan to at least make him sweat a bit more for it. “Oh really? And what if I asked you for, I don’t know, a new car?”

Her forced attempt at being difficult hadn’t flown under Jason’s radar as he seemed to pick up on it and smirked. “We both know you would never ask for that since you refuse to let me pay for anything every time we go out, but if you did ask for that, know that I’m ready to do whatever you wish me to do. Do you maybe want an apartment? You did mention wanting to stop paying rent… ”

Despite the teasing tone in his voice paired with the sly smirk on his face Marinette knew he was dead serious which, even if it flattered her that her friend would even think about doing such a thing for her, made her backtrack on being difficult immediately.

“No! Argh, you’re impossible. Fine, I’ll follow along to whatever your brilliant plan is, but don’t you dare buy me an apartment, you crazy knobhead.” The look she shot at him tried to be venomous but seemed to be ineffective when the brightest grin took over Jason’s face as he moved to sit by her side to squish the living daylights out of the tiny woman.

“I swear I don’t know what I did to deserve you Nette, I love you.”

That earned him a playful smack on the arm as Marinette gave in and chuckled at his antics. “I love you too, you goofball. Now, get off of me and finish your breakfast.”

The man sat across her once again looking like the cat that got the canary, Cheshire grin in place. “You’re the best."

She pretended not to notice the way her heart paused for a beat when she saw the way Jason was looking at her, with caring eyes as if she was incredibly precious. Instead, the woman hid her face behind her mug of coffee.

"W-why do you need me to do this anyway? What do you need a fake girlfriend for?”

Jason’s demeanor instantly changed, his shoulders squared up and he frowned. “The annual gala my father holds for the company’s investors and partners is always full of old men who are full of themselves-”

“Doesn’t that remind me of someone?”

“Oh shut up, I at least have a good reason for it. They’re nothing more than a bunch of old hags who like to brag 24/7, and since this gala is in their "honor” they can bring guests with them. If I have to go by another year hearing them pitch their daughters and grand-daughters to me hoping I’ll date one of them, I’ll simply kill one of them. Some of the girls over the years have been nice but for every decent one you can actually talk to, you have at least 9 others doing the most ridiculous things to try and get your attention. I assume it’s what they are asked to do but I swear��� And everyone else gets out of it too. Dick is already married to Kor'i, Tim is forever married to his job and Damian is not old enough for most of them. So that leaves me, the handsome Jason Todd, to carry the family’s weight on my shoulders.“

She snorted at the theatrical sigh he let out before laying his head on the table, immediately regretting it as he looked up at her with a glint in his eyes. "That’s where you, my dear Miss Dupain-Cheng come in. If I have a girlfriend, those girls will have to effectively back off of me as well, and I won’t have to restrain myself from being incredibly rude to them.”

“As if you could actually restrain yourself from being rude.”

Whether he didn’t hear her or just decided to ignore her comment Mari didn’t know, but once the monologue had been delivered, he leaned back on his seat with his signature smirk. “I’m a genius, I know.”

It took a whole lot from Marinette not to smack her dumbass of a friend again, but even she had to admit no one deserved to have their space invaded as she knew Jason had had in some of the other events his father organized, and if he was being truthful with her, then this gala was shaping to be even worse in that regard. If she could help her friend it would be enough for her, but in doing this she would also have an opportunity to design a gown to wear and hopefully get some people interested in her designs. Maybe she didn’t regret agreeing to this that much anymore.

“You’re one hell of a crazy person, Jay. You’re lucky you’re my best friend.” She rolled her eyes and nudged his leg with hers under the table with a smile. “We’ll have to do some planning this month and you better be ready. I’m not meeting your family for the first time as your fake girlfriend without running through each and every way this could catastrophically end.”

His shoulders relaxed as he nudged her leg back, relief flooding his face seeing her so committed. “Don’t worry Bug, they will love you, and I’ll explain everything to them after this is over, but if they are in on it from the start I just know one of my brothers will screw it up. I think we can pull it off though, and you know I’m always up for a challenge.”

The already familiar confidence rush that ran through Marinette whenever Jason reassured her that everything would be fine made an appearance once more, and at that moment she completely trusted themselves to be able to make do with this crazy-ass plan. After all, Jay was stubborn and always ready to jump in head-first into the weirdest situations.

Newsflash. This time he wasn’t.

Jason had known it was risky to ask his best friend to play pretend so he could get rid of the sticky girls from the gala.

Not because he thought she would refuse, but because of his own feelings.

Truth is, he was in love with Marinette and had been ever since five months into their friendship they encountered two thugs trying to rob a teenager on their way to school. Jason had put one of them down but, before he could go for the second one, Marinette already had knocked him out.

Her breathing was just a bit labored from throwing the man over her shoulder and one of her pigtails had come off from where the robber had grabbed it, but then she turned to wink at him with a smile before going to see if the teen was alright. Red Hood could only feel the sound of his heartbeat in his ears.

Knowing Marinette was potentially able to kick his ass at any given moment had made him feel all kinds of things, and he was already a goner by the time she was back by his side.

That same night, and back in his bed, Jason was mulling over the earlier events. Read: thinking about Marinette. He had never felt so flustered around the tiny woman and it had proven to be a hard task to get her out of his head even when she had left for her own house several hours ago.

One thing led to another and soon he found himself reminiscing about the past months spent in Marinette’s company. How she always seemed to brighten up any room she walked into, making him feel like he should look away but being unable to. Her caring nature taking over whenever someone in need of help was in the vicinity, the tenderness with which she treated people’s injuries, be it physical or emotional.

Jason remembered the first time he had been at the receiving end of it. It had been the time when his identity as Red Hood was also revealed to her.

In his defense, he hadn’t expected Marinette to arrive early to his flat for their movie night only to find him trying to get the cuts all over his abdomen and arms to stop bleeding. Time seemed to freeze as they stared at each other, one sitting on a barstool at the kitchen isle, the other standing at the door with a bag of snacks in her arms. Marinette, being the quick-witted and resourceful person she was, recovered astoundingly quickly from her stupor and started chastising him while tending to the cuts herself while he could only look at her in awe.

Later, when he explained where he got injured, she didn’t seem fazed by discovering his identity. If anything she seemed…smug?

“What’s with that face? I expected more of a reaction:”

Her smile only grew at that as she put on the last bandage around his arm. “I’m glad you finally told me, but I kind of…already knew? I mean, I had my suspicions. You two had roughly the same measurements as far as I could tell, you also happened to go MIA whenever there was an emergency a time too many for it to feel like a coincidence. Also the little stunt you pulled the other day talking to me in the mask? You should’ve at least tried to fake your voice or something.”  Once she was done she patted his head with a wink and left him to process everything while she prepared the popcorn.

That wink had been so cheeky it left him swooning, heartbeat pounding in his ears.

Wait. That had felt familiar.

Oh.

Oh.

Jason was brought back to the present with such force he thought someone had slapped him. Laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling at 3 am he couldn’t tiptoe around the issue anymore. He wondered how he hadn’t reached this conclusion much earlier.

He was in love with Marinette.

He was in love with his best friend.

Dear God, he was so fucked.

That had been the moment he accepted he was so utterly in love with Marinette, and even though Jason had hoped that what he thought was a very one-sided love would subside eventually, with each passing day where he got to know her better and better he only fell harder for her.

Why was he even thinking about all of this? Oh right. He had asked Mari to play pretend as his girlfriend that same afternoon.

What could possibly go wrong?

Marinette had taken it upon her to have their lie be as believable as possible, which meant she wanted them to at least plan out what they’d do if certain situations arose while they were navigating the gala. What this meant was that the following month they had spent a whole lot of time together, maybe too much for Jason’s sanity to remain as stable as it could.

Even if he was used to meeting her at least twice a week and spending their weekly movie night together, Mari practically lived in his apartment now. And he wasn’t complaining at all, but by the gods, if it wasn’t so damn distracting to have her around. She would often keep him company while asking questions about the people who would attend the gala, working on her dress for it, or simply walking around the house jokingly complaining about how Jason tasteless choice of furniture and decorations made the living room look like a yard sale.

Oh, and there was also all the teasing. There had been a consistent amount of it between them before, but now it had turned into a constant stream of cheeky comments, smirk exchanges and usually a smack or two from Mari.

All in all, Jason had lived through both the most blissful yet most frustrating month of his life and the worst of it had yet to arrive, though time did pass by way faster than he would’ve hoped for.

And just like that, the big night was upon them.

-

And that’s it! Hope you liked this little thing and look forward to the next parts! Thank you a lot for reading <3

Tag List

@vixen-uchiha @18-fandoms-unite-08 @tbehartoo @queen-of-the-trash-planet-tm @queenmj10 @mochegato

[internalsealpanic]

I Will be Your Tim Drake for Tonight (3) (Jason Todd/ Reader)

Summary:  Preferring to do anything but your physics project, you decide to accepts Tim’s proposal. It’s simple. He does your project, you try to figure out whether Jason Sionis is criminal. Easy, right?

masterlist

A/n: This takes place in a world where Jason is adopted by Black Mask. Inspired by Building Interest by Zoeleo.The events and characterization in this story are very heavily based on Zoeleo's Long Term Investment series. It is fantastic and I really highly recommend all of her fics.

a/n: For clarification, Reader does have psychic powers but it only lets her sense people's emotions physically. No mind-reading. Her power is more like an overactive sense of empathy which may force her to dissociate into someone else.

There will be violence and mentions of alcoholism (used as coping mechanism for physical pain) and chronic pain.  

As for the additional warning, an animal is harmed but it is barely described. I could not bring myself to actual describe it but the aftermath is described.

I also just converted this from an OC so I apologize for any grammatical mistakes.

Without further a do:

Your stomach drops.

Fuck.

Of course, Damian just had to be the one to pick up.

"Hey baby bro, could you pass the phone to dad?"

"I'm sorry who is this?"

This little shit.

"You're such a kidder! Dami, it's me, Tim. "

“Ah yes, Drake-” You can hear Tim choke in the background. “What do you want?”

“Please Dami just pass the phone to dad, I- I really need to talk to him”

“Very well,”

“Tim?” The voice sounded like Bruce’s but the intonation was all wrong. The voice changer Tim and Babs were working on seems to have made progress.

“Hey dad, I- uh. I might have gotten kidnapped.”

Tim makes another choking noise. “Might have?”

“I was at the party. I think I had around 13 drinks. 13 ! Can you believe it? I felt like a right sailor after that, like the harbor workers, y’know? Anyway, I was taking a smoke-”

“Enough!” The large man roared, snatching the phone from you. “Send us $100 million by tomorrow or your kid’ll be shark bait!” Who says that anymore?

“Of course! Of course! I’ll have the money sometime this evening. Please don’t hurt him.”

Tim, God bless him, does not laugh. Tim’s acting needs some work but he sure does know how to act worried.

The line dies and they tie you back up to the post.

“What the hell?!”

“We have to make sure you don’t just runoff.” The large man says tightening your bonds. Truthfully, you’ve felt far worse. After all, corsets exist. However, this was still a close second.  

“Do I look like I could outrun a snail?”

“He’s got a point boss. He looks like he hasn’t even seen the sun in ages.”

This, you decide, is true for Tim. When was the last time he went out before dark? Maybe he got sunlight when he stayed over at Eddie’s place.

The large man grabs Jason by the collar and throws him to his men.

The 3 men kick and curse at him. They mock him and beat him down. They wail on him with their fists, their steel-toed shoes, and sometimes brick. Jason takes it all with a crooked grin and a sharp tongue. You watched in awe. Even on the floor, Jason looked sturdy, ferocious, and indomitable.

"They all break, sweet girl."

Jason is on a tiled floor. No, he should be on concrete. His blood is on the tile. They’re hitting him. They’re hitting him with a bat. No. They aren’t supposed to be holding a bat. They were kicking him but now they’re holding a bat. No, She’s holding a bat. There's supposed to be three of them, three men,  but their forms coalesce into her .  You can hear his ribs cracking. Next are his legs. His legs are always next. Then his arm. She'll break each bone in his arms and his hands.  He’s wheezing. His voice sounds hoarse. His voice is too hoarse. He sounds like he’s been starved and dehydrated for at least a day. They’ve only been here for an hour. That isn’t right. Oh God! Now she had a cleaver in her hands.

No!

No!

He doesn’t need to die. She can’t.

no.

No.

No!  

 The scene crescendos as the tall, dark, sinewy silhouette towering over Jason raises the butcher's knife above her head.

“Harder, daddy!”

“Son?”

The scene of the kitchen fades and the shit-eating grin on Jason melts into view which shifts from amusement to confusion then back to amusement.

You blink seeing his stupid grin far too clearly.

You let a bark of gut-busting laughter out as you strain against the rope. Your brow pinches with concern but based on the scowls you’re receiving they're more focused on the fact that you were laughing like a mad man.  

Jason looks like he’s about to laugh from the absurdity as well when the man in charge picks him up again tossing him into a chair. The other men tie him down binding his wrists and ankles.

"I've had worse." He spits out.

The phone rings again, the dial tone echoing. Jason looks like hell with his face swollen and bruises beginning to bloom on every surface but he still looked like he was 5 seconds from starting a fight.

The large man punches Jason hard in the gut knocking the air out of his lungs as the dial tone cuts off.  “Hear that, Sionis? Your little bitch is pretty soft.”

Oh God, are they serious?

“Who is this? Nevermind. You ok there, sweetheart?” Roman Sionis’ ‘concerned’ voice carries over the line.

They are.

“Nothing I can't handle, daddy.” Jason chuckles with the utmost casualness. You, on the other hand,  instantly want to disinfect your brain. Thankfully, before your mind could wander somewhere it can't return from,  the big man growls into the phone.

“Don't you recognize the voice of the man whose life you've ruined?!”

“You've gotta be more specific than that. I've ruined quite a few lives but I would like to know whose brain I need to put a bullet in.”

“IT'S ME  BRUNO HARDIN!”

“Doesn't ring any bells.” Roman deadpans almost sounding completely disinterested. “Sweetheart, you remember anyone like that?”

“Nope,” Jason replies letting the p pop. It seemed like a strange sort of triumph before it all crashes down with another swift punch to the ribs.

You stare at the strange scene torn between amusement and horror.

“Take this seriously!” Bruno roars.

"I'm taking this about as seriously as it deserves."

A part of you thought 'yeah this is ridiculous enough to warrant nonchalance' while the other part wanted to scream.  On one hand, even you found his identity anticlimactic. Doesn’t he know just how many small-time businesses Roman has ruined? He’d be lucky to get into the top 50. It’s not like he was running a pretty ethical establishment either.  On the other hand, your freaking kid is getting the shit kicked out of him. Emote damn it.

“Jason. Don’t you worry. Daddy’s going to take care of this. Your Uncle D happens to be in town. He’s on his way to pick you up. Love you, baby. See you soon.”

The line dies. Your stomach sinks further somehow. You don’t know if the nausea is due to the fact that the line died, the threat, or the number of times the word ‘daddy’ came up. Who the hell is Uncle D? How is he supposed to help? Your gaze trails to Jason who is now lowering his head to the floor seemingly tired. Maybe that last punch finally drained the fight from him.

“You're all so fucked.” Jason barks out in a fit of laughter. The men around him, jumping from the volume of his voice.  

Bruno grabs Jason by the collar and begins to shake him as if the  “Shut the fuck up you little bitch! Whoever your Uncle D is he's-”

“Deathstroke”

You feel like someone kicked you in the chest. First of all, Uncle D? Really? You guess that there are worse hills to die on. This was somehow weirder than hearing Faust and her siblings call him pops. Second of all, Fuck. You'd never gotten your asshanded to you by Deathstroke but based on how banged up the Titans looked after fighting him this wasn't gonna be pretty.  All you could hope for was that you wouldn't get caught in the crossfire. Although, the image of Deathstroke grudgingly letting a kid call him Uncle D lightens your mood a bit.  

Bruno throws Jason on the floor hard enough for his body to bounce. Like Jason earlier, Bruno is radiating murder.

Just run, you thick motherfucker.

You, being the ‘nice’ Wayne kid that you are,  try to tell him as much but sadly that was halted by shattering glass. A flurry of black, orange, and metal crash through the glass and cut through the crowd of men.  

They fire at him, panic making their faces even paler. They hit him, bullets sinking into his flesh, blood splatters but none of it fazes him. He skewers and cuts them down with ease. His swords and suit are liberally decorated with their blood when it’s all done.

He steps over Bruno’s body. From the grunt that comes out, Bruno is still alive. Dumb bastard doesn’t know how to play dead. He’ll die from blood loss anyway.

“Hey, kid-” Deathstroke greets tersely,  picking up Jason’s nearly limp body.  “We’re gonna get you home.” He slings Jason’s arm over his shoulder.

“Wait!”  

Deathstroke stops sounding slightly annoyed.

Jason turns to you, who’s still unhappily tied to a post.  “We gotta get him out.” He rasps.  

“Kid, you’re the only one I’m getting paid to rescue.”  Deathstroke helpfully informs as he carefully adjusts his hold on the struggling young man. You blow out a breath somehow more irritable than scared.  “Just cut me out. I can make my way back just fine.”

“Walk in Gotham, are you stupid?” Jason hisses. The concern bleeding through.

“Which one of us charged at their captors while they were armed?”

Jason scowls at you with a petulant twist in his lips. “Yanno what,  Leave ‘im.”

“Ok, ok, I’m sorry and yeah I’ll be fine. I know where to avoid. Just please don’t leave me with them” you plead, throwing away any pride you held as you glance at the most likely dead bodies. Deathstroke cuts you out. Your skin feels raw but you’re otherwise unharmed.

You walk out of the warehouse and Dick practically throws himself at you. “Oh thank god, they didn’t shoot you in the head.” He mumbles into your wig.  

"Why would you think they would shoot me in the head?"

Dick pulls back and frowns at you through the domino mask.  “You aren’t exactly the most pleasant-”

“ We were model hostages.” you squawk.

Jason snorts far too loudly to be helpful.

You glare at him but you weren’t about to say fuck off to him while he has one of the world’s deadliest assassins right next to him.

Deathstroke coughs.  “Well if you don’t mind we’ll be taking our leave.”

Dick holding you protectively, glares but says nothing. Maybe he does but you faint before you can hear it.

A/n: Thanks for reading!

[aquariusrunes]

The Superfriends AU (part 14)

It had only been five days since she’d left Paris. 

Six days ago she had a solid plan to prove Lila was working with Hawkmoth, to take down the Italian girl and cause a major blow to her worst enemy. She had a timeline for the issue of her and Chat’s identities. She was blissfully unaware of Chloé’s vast amount of knowledge, the blonde seemingly having deduced the identity of every person Marinette had ever asked to wield a miraculous. And she and her cousin had been on fabulous terms. 

Oh how quickly the world came crashing down around her. It was like Atlas had decided to stop doing his job, quite literally dropping the ball and throwing Marinette’s life into turmoil and chaos.

Though perhaps, things weren’t as bad as she was making them out to be. After all, no one in school trusted Lila anymore, save for Sabrina, weirdly, so that was something. She now knew for sure that Adrien and Chat were one in the same. And yes she was still trying to fuse them together in her head but it was still nice to know. Plus, she and Chloé were...friends now? A weird thought but not one she disliked. 

And yet she felt like complete and utter shit. 

She sat outside of Edna’s office, leaned forward with her elbows resting on her knees. Gaze intently focused on the painting hug on the wall in front of her. It was a rectangular canvas with an abstract college of red and black paint splotches coating the linen material. Flecks of silver and gold metallic paint outlining oblong shapes that Marinette could swear were almost humanoid. The whole thing was tucked into a gaudy golden frame with swirls and diamonds studded into it. 

She had been up for hours after Chloé had left her. The blonde having been properly introduced to Tikki before dropping the bombshell that she’d managed to guess the identity of practically everyone who wielded a miraculous. Viperion being the only exception. Once the blonde was gone Tikki set in on Marinette. Erupting in her stern motherly way about the rules, lecturing her like it was the bluenette’s fault Chloé had figured next to all of them out. 

The heroine had barely gotten any sleep. Once the tiney god was done with her, the Parisian girl’s subconscious took over the tourture. Replying to the events of the photoshoot over and over for hours in her head.

Because it had been her fault.

She was the one who used Rose. She knew how the petite girl would explode once she knew the truth. And yeah, she felt a little satisfied seeing Lila runoff in what she knew were fake tears. And on some level, she knew her partner wouldn’t approve, not with how he preached the high road to her. But she still did it, and now she felt like shit because of how disappointed Adrien looked when he had watched the video Nino had sent him.

It felt like someone had stabbed her in the gut and every gaze the partners traded was a twist of the knife. 

And Damian had been worried. 

Of course he had been worried. He was very intune to the emotions of the people he cared about. He had tried to help, and when he knew he couldn’t he thought Adrien could. It was her fault, because she shut him down so quickly. He knew something was off between them, probably thought Adrien had done something to hurt her. 

And that’s why it was her fault. No matter how badly she wanted it not to be. How quick she was to blame her cousin. No, this was on her. So, she felt like shit and couldn’t even begin to work out in her mind how to make the situation right.

And on top of it all she had gotten maybe twenty minutes of sleep before Violet came knocking on her door, telling her Edna wanted to speak with her. So, there she sat, in front of Edna’s office at seven in the morning trying to dissect the damn painting in front of her, while also trying not to simultaneously pass out and vomit. 

“She’s ready for you Marinette.” Her bluebell eyes snapped up to Violet’s thin form. The girl gave her a sympathetic smile as she offered her a small styrofoam cup. 

Marinette took it as she stood, peering into the drink. Coke with crushed ice. So she must look like shit too. “Thank you.” she whispered, taking a small sip of the fizzy beverage as she walked towards the large red doors. She was unsteady on her feet and her head hurt, she definitely was not prepared to deal with her eccentric aunt this early in the morning. 

Marinette softly shut the door behind her, eyes going to the back of Edna’s large office chair. It was turned so the small woman was facing the wall of windows taking up the largest portion of her office wall space. “Good morning dahling!” She chimed, chair swiveling around so that she could look at her niece. Edna’s large smile fell instantly. “My god you look like shit.”

She silently wondered if she got her blunt charm from the Mode side of her family.

Marinette gave a weak salty smile and an eye roll as she sat down in one of the chairs in front of Edna’s desk. “Didn’t sleep well.” The Parisian supplied, taking a large gulp of her drink. God she missed coffee.

“Obviously.” Edna’s faze was scrutinizing as she drank in Marinette’s appearance. “What was keeping you up dahling?”

Marineette thought for a moment. She could just unload on her aunt, maybe get some good advice out of the woman. But most likely she'd just get lectured for a couple more hours. Or, she could lie, get through whatever Edna wanted to talk about as quickly as possible and go back to her room to pass out, leaving all of her problems for Future Marinette to deal with. 

“Just home sick I think.” Option two it was.

“Hmm.” Edna looked her up and down, obviously trying to decide if she believed her or not. Hopefully she’d just let it go. “Well, we can unpack that later. For now I have some important things to discuss with you. Then maybe you can get a nap in before getting ready for dinner.” 

“Dinner?” She blinked owlishly at her aunt. 

“Yes,” She folded her hands together. “Tonight you and Damian will be going to dinner with a pair of models from a rival brand.” 

“We will?” She blinked a few more times.

“You will.” Edna shot her niece a look. “I need you and Damian to size the two up, feel them out and most importantly, collect as much intell on them as possible. The two just appeared on the scene a while back and no one knows much about them save for what is on their social medias.” Edna’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. “And yet they agreed to have dinner with the two of you tonight.” 

“Well, Aunt E.” Marinette’s gaze fell to her lap. “Things are a little…strained between Damian and I right now. I don’t know how well we’ll work together-” 

“Now I’ll hear none of that.” Edna cut her off, silencing her with a raised palm. “I have a meeting with your cousin scheduled for later today. Mainly to make sure the Agrestes don’t pull out of the collection. I will deal with Damian then.” She crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair. “This dinner is very important, so you two will just have to suck it up and act like adults.” 

“Y-yes ma’am.” So much for not getting lectured. 

“Now, onto other business.” Edna’s chair turned slightly as she reached for something on the far end of her desk. “How are things in Paris?” 

Marinette stared at her aunt for a long moment, trying to find the hidden meaning behind her question, certain she was stepping into some sort of trap. “Paris is…fine…” 

“And Hawkmoth?”

“Still a menace.” She replied, leaning forward to place her drink on her aunt’s desk. “My plans have recently been derailed a little but once I’m back I’m sure I’ll be able to get things back on track.” 

“So, you think you’ll have the butterfly miraculous back soon?” Edna asked. 

“I...um, am not sure.” 

“And he has the Peacock Miraculous too, correct?” Edna’s eyebrow raised. 

“Well, we think. He’s working with the wielder of the Peacock Miraculous but the nature of their relationship is still unknown.” Marinette’s eyes traveled back to her lap. “Lots of questions today.” She whispered.

“Just checking in Dahling.” Edna smiled. “I like to keep up with superhero events around the globe. Bruce calls to check in at least once a month with Justice League matters.” 

Marinette simply nodded. She hated when Edna would call to ‘check in’ on the situation in Paris. She hated when her cousins or uncle did the same. She was handling Paris just fine, at least Tikki told her she was. Or she had, up until the Mayor’s daughter somehow figured out everyone’s identities save for Hawkmoth and Viperion. 

“Any issues with young Adrien?” 

Marientte’s eyebrow raised. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, he’s your friend isn’t he?” Edna asked. “And he had a traumatic encounter yesterday. You seemed very concerned, but I couldn’t help but notice you also seemed to be avoiding him.” 

“It’s fine.” Marinette glanced around the room. “I’m working on it. We’re fine.” 

“I’m sure.” Edna said flatly. “It’s important that the two of you remain on good terms, you know…we wouldn’t want anything to sabotage your relationship.” Edna gave her niece a soft smile, despite the girl not looking at her. “I’d hate for you to regret something in the future that you could easily fix now.”

“What?” Marinette asked, eyes going back to her aunt. “What do you mean by that?”

“Oh nothing dear, just that I’d hate for you to lose your partner over something dumb.” Edna’s gaze fell onto a picture on her desk. “You’d be surprised how easy it is to lose people that are important to you. How easily strong bonds are broken.”

“Actually I don’t think I would.” A sting ran through Marinette’s heart as she thought back to her friends in Paris, one person from her class in particular sticking out in her mind. “Aunt Edna could I ask your opinion on a situation I’m in?”

“Of course,” Edna leaned back in her chair, hands folded in her lap. 

“I have a friend, a best friend, and well, some stuff happened between us.” Marientte worried her lip between her teeth, trying to sort out the phrasing of her next few sentences in her head. “She took someone else’s word over mine, or well, she trusted someone else over me.” Marientte’s eyebrows furrowed. “See, this girl, she’s sneaky and manipulative and a liar. And my friend, best friend, trusted her, and listened to her, over me.”

Edna nodded, waiting for her niece to continue. 

“And I tried to give her proof, but she just brushed me off as being jealous. And it hurt. Auntie it hurt like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I cried myself to sleep some nights because of how much it hurt. But then she was faced with evidence she couldn’t dismiss.” 

“So she believes you know?” Edna asked. 

“Yes.” She whispered. “But only because she found something out that she can’t twist around into me being jealous.” Marinette quickly pointed out. “And now she’s helping me with some stuff…”

“But?”

“But I still feel weird about it.” Marinette rubbed at her arms. “Like for the time being I have to trust her, I just have to. But, I’m not sure if I would choose to trust her if given an option, does that make sense?” The bluenette asked, looking up at her aunt through her bangs.

“You didn’t choose to trust her.” Edna supplied.

“Yeah.” Marinette’s gaze dropped again. “And I just don’t know if given an option I would trust her with everything that she knows now, I guess...is what I’m trying to say?” 

“Yes dear, you said that.” Edna gave her an understanding nod. 

“I just don’t know if I really do trust her.” Marinette folded her hands together, fingers sliding together into a tight lock. “I mean, I just don’t feel good about it? I guess. Like, I was happy at first but the longer the information’s set with me the more it has started to upset me…I guess.” 

“You guess?” Edna’s eyebrow quirked up.

“Everything is just a mess right now.” She whispered. “And she’s so eager to prove herself to me but I can’t tell if it’s because she’s sorry that she hurt my feelings and took Lila’s word over mine or if,” Marientte bit her lip. 

“If?” Enda asked. 

Marinette’s teeth plunged into the soft flesh of her lip as hard as they could. A spark of heat shooting up her spine as her anxiety took over. This wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have, with anyone, and especially not with Edna. But she wasn’t going to get out of this office until she told her everything. With the look her aunt was currently giving her she doubted she could come up with a lie convincing enough to get out of here without coming clean.

“She found out.” 

“Found out?” Edna’s eyebrow somehow raised higher. “Found what out?”

Marinette swallowed hard. 

“My identity.” 

Edna’s eyes widened as she leaned forward. 

“Your secret identity?” 

Her head snapped down in shame. “Yes ma’am.” She whispered, voice tight and high. Edna immediately fell back in her chair, exasperated expression overtaking her face as she let out a deep breath. 

“Good god.” She mumbled. “How?” She jutted forward. “How did this happen? Marinette, you are so careful!” Edna threw her hands up. “Your cousin is Batman for gods sake and he’s not even as careful about is identity as you are!” 

“I know! I know!” Mariette raked her hands through her hair, pulling at the braids she had earlier styled her blue locks into. “I just-well, I was so overworked and it was cold and I hadn’t slept in like three days-”

“So you just slurred your identity out to the first person you recognized?!” Edna scolded. 

“No!” Marinette squeezed her eyes shut. “No! No! That isn’t what happened!” She shook her head violently. “I just-well-well…” She bit her lip, giving her aunt a pathetic look. “I had gotten sick and Hawkmoth kept sending out midnight akumas and well…” 

“Stop saying well.” Edna demanded, eyes narrowing as she folded her arms over her chest. 

“I guess I passed out?” 

“Is that a question?” 

“It’s what-” Marinette bit her lip once again, slightly fearing that she was going to draw blood. She had avoided mentioning the kawamis to her family. As far as they knew the earrings were magic, full stop. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to tell any of them about Tikki just yet. “It’s what she told me.” 

“She?”

“My friend.” Marinette quickly supplied. “Best friend.” She corrected. “I guess I passed out mid-yoyo swing. She said that I fell and landed in a dumpster, and that if someone hadn’t of recently thrown some pillows away I could have seriously broken something.” 

“Ladybug luck I suppose.” Edna mused, eyes sliding away from her niece. 

“She saw me fall and went to check on me because Ladybug’s her hero you know? And then I detransformed and…” Marinette shrugged. “She got me home and wel-I don’t know if she believes me now because we were friends or because I’m Ladybug.” 

“What did your Kawami say about the situation?” Marinette’s breath hitched as she stared blankly at her aunt. 

“What?” 

“Your Kawami, the goddess of creation?” Edna’s eyebrow raised. “What did she have to say about this disaster?” 

“I uh.” She blinked a few more times, face twisting in confusion. “She-uh, actually is the one who explained everything to my friend while I was passed out. I guess.”

“Stop saying I guess as well. It makes you sound stupid.” Edna barked. “And you are not a stupid girl, Marinette. Perhaps a little misguided at the moment but not stupid.” 

“Yes ma’am.” 

Edna shook her head, taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it through her nose. “Past out mid-yoyo swing?” 

“Yes ma’am.” 

Her aunt’s gaze softened slightly. “I really do think you should tell one of your parents dahling. If something were to happen-” 

“I’ll think about it.” Marinette whispered. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot actually. I just don’t want to worry them.” She rubbed at her arms. 

“They will be more worried if something happens to the Heroine of Paris and no one has seen or heard from their daughter.” Edna moved to adjust a photo on her desk. “Trust me dahling, I know these things.” 

Marinette only nodded, stomach still knotted from their conversation. 

“Have you spoken to young Adrien about your friend?” Edna asked, a bit of concern in her voice. 

“No ma’am.” Marinette’s eyes stayed lowered. “Tikki’s the only one I’ve talked to about it. Oh, and the guardian. I briefed him on the situation after it happened. Well, as soon as I was well again, which took a few days.” 

The small Japanese woman nodded, seeming to take a few minutes to process the information, either that or she needed to buy herself time to come up with a good response for her niece. “I think you should tell him.” She finally said, “Partners shouldn’t keep secrets from one another. And now that your identities are out of the way, I think keeping something like this from him could cause serious problems down the line.” 

The bluenette nodded. Her aunt was right. She did need to come clean with Adrien, about everything. She always considered Chat in her plans, but never considered consulting him. He was always just a factor or variable. Something to manipulate to her advantage. She valued him of course, but she didn’t always listen to him in the heat of the moment. And now that she could talk to him, literally whenever she wanted, maybe it was time to bring him in on her master plan. Her master plan that still needed a serious overhaul thanks to Lila’s meltdown. But she definitely needed to come clean about Alya. And talk to him about Chloé. She should probably tell him about Edna too, and maybe her cousins, as soon as she could figure out a way to explain why they knew her identity without outing all of theirs. 

She had a lot to talk to him about. 

Marinette let out a sigh, looking up at her aunt with a tired smile. “I’ll talk to him.” She promised with a nod of her head. “After I take a nap.” 

“And dinner.” Edna quickly added.

“And dinner.” Marinette smiled a little brighter. While she didn’t really discuss any of her current problems with her aunt, she did feel a little better. Hopefully this was a good sign, like a turning point for all her problems. She just had to believe that things would start going up from here. Who knows, maybe a little positive thinking would kick start her ladybug luck. 

… 

Damian Wayne was designed to be perfect, in every single way. Abilities, speech, posture, looks. God, did he have perfect looks. Though he didn’t always have them, he most definitely had to grow into the designer genes his mother had specifically picked out for him. Talia al Ghul may be a sociopathic murderer, trained assassin and seductress, but damn did she know what she was doing.

Colin could picture a ten year old Damian in his head so clearly. The square skull with tufts of black hair sticking up towards the sky, usually dowsed in sweet or on occasion gel. Back before the boy’s nose went crooked, it only happened after one too many breaks, in fact Colin used to compare Damian’s nose to that of a pig. He held his chin so high when they were young, it was hard not to. Back when his eyes were a much darker green, splotches of brown in them hinting at his Arabic and Chinese heritage. The glowing Lazarus green color only appeared after the boy’s resurrection. Colin was still confused about where the color had come from, seeing as the pit had nothing to do with Damian’s second life.

It happened so suddenly, almost overnight really. One day he wasn’t as stocky as he used to be, his limbs had become longer, lither, his muscles becoming tightly fit to his body. He grew taller, was still growing taller. Colin having the current advantage, but was convinced by their twenties Damian would be taller than him. His cheekbones became more prominent, chin thinning into a point. And that damn crooked nose, probably Colin’s favorite thing on Damian’s face. His cute little crooked nose, ending in a point that Colin had kissed on many occasions.

Damian became beautiful overnight and it was probably the only thing he’d ever said was unfair. He never went through an awkward phase, never had acne or braces like Colin. He developed a style in an hour, with his form fitting jeans and slacks, closet full of blazers and tight V-neck tees. He started styling his hair like Bruce’s. He grew up before Colin’s eyes and it wasn’t fair. Colin still hadn’t developed at style, he still broke out often, he’d had braces for two years, his gangly limbs took years to start absorbing the venom and bulk up.

And yet Damian had this habit of looking at Colin like he hung the moon.

He called him Beloved. Because he thought him precious, because he loved him. Because it was the only term of endearment he’d ever heard his mother use and it struck a chord with him. That word was the only way Damian could identify love when he was growing up and he chose to give that word to Colin. And in return Colin called him more casual things, making their love common, less breakable like he knew the boy feared it was. Sometimes, when alone, he called him Angel. Something rare and ethereal and good. Because Damian was good, no matter how hard it was for the boy to see.

Dating the former assassin had always been frustratingly difficult. It took time and Colin had to be patient and cautious. It was like they started over and were barely even friends again. He had to re-earn Damian’s trust and affection. And it was so fragile, so very fragile. Because one slip up and Damian would close himself off, their friendship was like that too but somehow it was easier before Colin’s heart got involved. Because sure when they’d fight Colin would feel guilty about it but he didn’t lay awake at night thinking of how to make it right, how to lessen Damian’s hurt. His heart never ached in pain before. If he reached out to Damian and the boy pulled away, it would shatter his heart, and that had never been a problem before. 

That’s why he never let them go long without talking. Especially after a fight. He never wanted to sleep with a broken heart and he never wanted Damian to go too long thinking Colin didn’t love him as fiercely as Damian loved him.

He’d messed up.

He had been exhausted.

Colin was a very smart boy, the nuns told him so all the time. So much so that they would give him advanced books and encourage him to take college courses through his high school, classes typically reserved for seniors. But Colin loved to learn, particularly about psychology. He was pretty sure he wanted to do something with psychology, maybe social work but he was also playing with the idea of becoming a therapist.

Last night he had been a therapist, had played therapist to one Adrien Agreste for hours. Damian and Jon were both nowhere to be found, and Chloé had dragged Marinette away as soon as they both had their food, leaving just Colin and the blonde model. They had sat together and made idle small talk for a while, and then they were suddenly on the topic of childhood trauma. And it was like they had been friends for years, Colin told Adrien what his life was like growing up in Gotham and Adrien opened up about his own childhood, about losing his mother about his father’s coldness. They discussed anxieties and pet peeves, worst fears.

Colin had literally never bonded with someone so quickly. It was alarming. But also, fun. At one point they were just tossing depression jokes back and forth for a solid thirty minutes. Adrien talked about Lila Rossi, about how hard his father was pushing for her and Adrien to be friends and how uncomfortable he was around her. Colin did his best to advise him, having minimal experience with Damian and the Wayne Fangirls. Adrien talked about his friends, a girl named Kagami came up quite frequently, Adrien telling Colin how much Damian reminds him of her. And eventually, they started discussing love.

They talked about the big questions, soulmates and love at first sight. What their own beliefs were. Colin told Adrien his insecurities about dating someone like Damian, someone made to be perfect. Though Adrien thought a lot of what Colin said were metaphors. He did his best to explain Damian to Adrien. His boyfriend had so many quirks that most found scary or unflattering. He tried apologizing for the photoshoot but Adrien had told him that there was nothing to forgive. It was an accident, that’s what Adrien had said. And for some reason those words put a pit in Colin’s stomach.

Adrien then opened up about his feelings for Marinette. How scared they made him. He discussed how he’d never felt so strongly for someone before, that it terrified him. And even more he thought that sharing them could cause him to lose her. He discussed how strongly he used to come on and how he’s become more docile as their friendships progressed. How unattainable she’s always felt, how unworthy he’s always felt. Colin did his best to convince the blonde otherwise. After all, he’d heard a bit about Marinette’s feelings from Damian, not much, just complaints about how much the girl talked about her model crush. 

Eventually the two were just brainstorming romantic scenarios for each of them and the people who held their hearts. They talked till the lights in the Mode Cafeteria shut off, which is when they both noticed it was well past one in the morning. They’d ridden the elevator up to their rooms in silence, said a quick goodnight and went their separate ways.

Colin’s plan was simple. Change into his pajamas and then go talk to Damian, wake him up if necessary. But he’d already gone too long without talking to his boyfriend. They needed to reconcile after how things were left at the photoshoot. Colin got half way undressed before falling face first on his bed and passing out cold. 

He rarely slept well. Normally the redhead ping ponged between sleeping too heavily or too lightly. Either waking up at every little sound or falling asleep in an awkward position, dead to the word, till morning when he woke to shooting pain running high speed throughout his body. Last night had been one of those dead sleeps. He slept shirtless, face smashed into his comforter, and above all the blankets. He hadn’t even taken his shoes off. 

Colin had intended on talking to him. 

He really had. 

And when the redhead’s eyes opened slowly, neck aching from how his head turned to the side in the midst of the night, fear shot through him as the daunting realization set in. He’d fallen asleep and there was now sunlight streaming in through his window. He wasn’t even sure how long it’d been since the shoot incident. But he’d left Damian alone to deal with whatever complex and wild emotions he was currently trying to bottle away. 

He felt queasy as he sat up, hands trembling. He needed to talk to his boyfriend immediately. He almost ran out of his room before slipping a shirt on, but thought better of himself. Quick to brush his teeth and his hair. 

By the time he exited his room Jon was waiting for him, coffee in hand and smile plastered on his face. The half kryptonian looked off though, Colin could tell immediately. The boy’s smile was too tight and his arm muscles were strained, like it was harder than it should have been to keep from smashing the styrofoam cup in his hand. 

“I need to catch you up on some stuff.” 

And that had been that.

… 

He’s never felt such a strong urge to slit his own throat. If anything, he just wanted the shock value, wanted the look on his aunt’s face and the blood splatter that would ruin Gabriel Agreste’s designer suit. Adrien would be unfortunate collateral damage, but he was a superhero, surely he’d seen worst.

“He could have killed my son!” Gabriel shouted, reiterating the fact for the seventh time. If he brought it up once more Damian would be shooting a different Agreste, no voices necessary.   

“It was an accident father.” And again the young blonde came to the former assassin's defence. Adrien seemed to be more actively defending him then Edna at this point. Everytime his father said a damning word against the Gothamite, Adrien was quick to come to his aid. “And I wasn’t even hurt.”

“Your cheek-”

“It was just a scratch Gabriel.” Edna interrupted. “It’s not like the boy gouged your son’s eyes out.” Arguably an easier task then knocking the arrow off target had been. “You can’t even see it.” 

“But it’s there.”

God, Damian was going to kill this man. He wouldn’t be able to hold himself back much longer. It wouldn’t even be the voices fault this time, no it would be all Damian. The beast laying dormant inside him could only hold itself back so long, and Gabriel’s voice was like nails grating against a chalkboard. 

He needed this meeting to be over. He needed out of this room before something ugly burst from his chest and ripped the man’s intestines out. It wouldn’t be his most graceful kill, doubt anything about it would be beautiful, but he didn’t care about beauty or justice. He just wanted the man to shut the hell up. Which meant Damian had to do something drastic. 

With a heavy sigh the dark haired boy leaned forward in his chair. “Mr. Agreste,” He began, his next words already heavy in his throat as he choked the beast back. “I can not begin to express the regret I harbor for my actions. Please know, I never meant your son any harm.” Damn, he was getting better at this. It was actually sounding quite sincere. “Nor can I ever a-polo-ahem,” He quickly cleared his throat, silently cursing himself. “Pardon me.” He took a quick moment to collect himself before continuing, swallowing the horrid taste in his mouth. “I cannot apologize enough.” He let out a deep breath. “It was a very unfortunate accident. One that will not happen again.”

Edna gestured to Damian while looking at Gabriel. “See, the boy is sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“It would be guaranteed not to happen again if I pulled my son out of this shoot and took him back to Paris this afternoon.” 

Well that was a red flag. Damian thought to himself. If Gabriel pulled Adrien out of the shoot he’d never hear the end of it form Edna. Her wrath was legendary and feared by gods, literally. 

“But father, we signed a contract-” A very good point, Catboy. Damian’s brain began to whirl a plan forming as he scooted his whole body forward in the chair, sitting on the edge of his seat as his eyes fell from Gabriel, slowly moving to his aunt. He needed to get Edna’s attention for this. 

“Yes.” He spoke, voice low. “And wouldn’t it be unfortunate if word got out that the Gabriel brand had no qualms about breaking contracts.” 

“We would be releasing an official statement,” Gabriel was quick to counter. “Telling the whole story of how the Mode Brand had no qualms with endangering Adrien.” 

Too late. Damian had to force back his smirk as Edna caught his gaze, seeming to instantaneously understand his plan.

“We’d release our statement first.” Edna said, voice low and dangerous like Damian’s had been. “About the outrageous demands and the blackmail threats made.”

“Excuse me-”

“My troubled childhood is well known, while the details have always been kept secret...” Damian’s eyes traveled to the young blonde in the chair on the other side of Gabriel’s form. Again, for Marinette’s sake he hated that the model had to be caught in the cross fires, but collateral damage was always a part of battle. “Perhaps Adrien and I struck up a friendship and I confided in him.”

“And he took that information to his father.” Edna continued her nephew's story. “Who thought he could use it to get a bigger piece of the pie.” 

“There were witnesses!” Gabriel screamed, a vein in his neck beginning to throb. 

“All on my payroll.” Edna leaned forward, elbows propped on the table as she laced her fingers together. “And they all know how highly I value loyalty.”

Gabriel’s brow set in a glare focused on the small woman. “The Great Edna Mode.” He spat in mockery. 

“The one and only dahling.” She smirked.

Gabriel huffed turning his back on them and headed for the door. “Come Adrien.” He shouted, voice filled with rage. Damian felt a small twinge of pity as he watched the nervous expression on the young blonde’s face, looking at his father’s back. Slowly his eyes shifted across the room to the small smirking woman behind her desk. Her face quickly shifted to give the boy a reassuring smile and tiney nod. 

“Yes Father.”

Damian watched the two go before turning back to his aunt. “Well,” He rested back in his chair as he heard the door to her office slam shut. “That went better than I thought it would.”

“Agreed.” Edna too fell backwards into her oversized black office chair. 

“Think he’ll stay?”

“After that little double team?” Edna cocked an eyebrow. “Gabriel is a coward who let’s his reputation run his life. He wouldn’t dare misstep now.” Her eyes lost their focus on him, instead she seemed preoccupied with some sort of smudge on the lenses of her large glasses. “That was quick thinking, the contract.”

“You would have thought of it.” His eyes slowly lowered to the surface of her desk top. He heard her deep sigh. 

“Just take the compliment Damian.” 

He stayed silent, eyes focusing on one of the pictures in front of him on Edna’s desk. It was of her as a young girl, probably around the time of her first collection launch. She was with three men, all of them much older than her. One he recognized as his father’s grandfather, Bruce Kane, with salt and pepper hair and the jawline of Batman. The other two he didn’t physically recognize but he still knew their names. The other caucation man in the photo had to be Marinette’s great grandfather. He was slightly more robust with the height of his Uncle Tom, a balding head and strangely, Edna’s large circular glasses. The last man was Japanese, shorter than the other men and possibly the eldest out of all of them. Obviously he was Edna’s biological father, but Damian couldn’t remember his name.

He knew all three of them were dead now, but wondered if this photo was taken the last time Edna saw them. What was that conversation like?

“We need to talk about what happened.” Edna said, glasses now back on her face, like she’d decided to live with the smudge that had consumed her focus. 

“I’d rather not.” Damian hummed, eyes still focused on the picture. “Agreste isn’t going anywhere, problem solved. End of conversation.” What was his damn name? It started with an O, he was almost positive of that. 

“Your father seems certain that you wouldn’t lie about the incident being an accident.” 

“I woul-didn’t. It was.” Damian’s fist clenched as his eyes bore into the glass covered ones of his great grandfather. He looked alarmingly like Bruce. He’d always assumed his father took after the Waynes, from the photos he saw. Obviously he hadn’t seen enough of the Kane side. 

“Explain what happened to me.” His eyes flickered back to Edna’s biological father. His name resting on the precipice of Damian’s mind. 

“I’m tired of explaining it.” He growled. “Tired of having to explain myself to everyone.”

’ CLACK ‘

Ootori. His name was Eiji Ootori, or rather Ootori Eiji. 

Damian blinked hard as Edna slammed the picture down on her desk. His eyes trailed up to her. “What’s going on Damian?”

“Lex Luthor was released from prison, our witness is dead. Marinette’s upset about something, something that isn’t me shooting an arrow at chat noir, but she’s mad about that too. My boyfriend hasn’t talked to me since yesterday, when he yelled at me for shooting that dumb blonde, so who knows where we stand right now. Oh, and the voices in my head have come back.”

Why it happened, he wasn’t sure. Why he just vomited all of his problems out in one quick go, but he did. It was like a dam broke and he couldn’t hold back the raging waters. Perhaps the night alone had put more distress on him than he originally thought. In any case, he couldn’t take back what he said, Edna wouldn’t let him talk his way out of any of it now. 

Slowly Edna leaned back in her chair, sighing as she went. Reaching up she plucked her glasses from her face, the smudge apparently getting to be too much. Damian watched as she opened a drawer from her desk and pulled out a small grey cloth, bringing it up to clean the large circular frames. 

He was left to stare in silence as she dutifully rubbed at her glasses. It felt like hours, but in actuality it was only a few minutes. He knew because of the loud ticks of several clocks placed decoratively around the office. Perhaps it wasn’t the smudge that got to her, but rather she needed to buy herself time to think of a response. 

“Okay,” Se finally said, gently placing the frames on her nose, using her free hand to push them back into place. “Well, I can’t resurrect your witness, nor can I rearrest Mr. Luthor. But I can offer my support, whatever that looks like, as well as promise that no harm will come to Mr. Kent while he is in my care.”

“Which he won’t be forever.” Damian throughout. “He’s far too rambunctious to be watched twenty-four-seven.” Damain’s eyes fell. “And he’s much too trusting to be able to protect himself.”

“I think you underestimate the boy.” Edna spoke quietly. “You are worried, of course you are worried. But I think you forget all too often just what the boy is capable of.” 

Damian didn’t respond to that, he just kept his eyes firm on his lap.

“As for your cousin, she won’t stay upset forever. We both know when it comes to family she can’t stay mad long. And once she is no longer angry with you, you can get her to open up about what is bothering her.” 

Damian rolled his eyes at how easy she was making it sound. 

“In fact,” Edna began. “The two of you will be going out to dinner tonight.” Damian’s gaze shot up. “I need the two of you to meet with a few up and coming models from another brand. Get to know the competition and what not.” 

“But Edna-”

“Eh eh eh, no buts.” She wagged her finger. “This will be your way of making up for shooting my model, accident or no.” 

“That’s bullshit.” Damian didn’t mean for the outburst to be so loud or forcrefull, but he couldn’t take it back now.

“And manure is a wonderfully useful resource.”  She retorted. “You’ll do this favor for me Damian.” She said, voice a little softer. “I need good intell. No one sizes up the competition like you and she.” 

Damian kept his eyes down. Of course he would do it, to make up for what he did, accident or no, like she had said. But also, hopefully this would jump start Marinette forgiving him. He just wasn’t going to be happy about it, and Edna was going to know that.

“As for the young Mr. Wilkes-” Oh god, why had he opened his mouth? “Well we both know I am not well equipped to give relationship advice. But I’m sure if you just sat down and talked to him, things would work themselves out.” Edna gave a small smile. “He’s a sweet boy, and seems to really care about you.” 

“I know.” And he did, but still...he couldn’t explain just yet why it hurt so much. He wasn’t ready to talk to Colin yet. He needed time, especially if he was going to have to sit through dinner with a couple of airhead models, he couldn't be analyzing he and Colin’s conversation all evening long. 

“Now,” Edna’s loud voice quickly pulled Damian out of his thoughts. “Let’s talk about these voices.” 

_______________________________________________________________________

(part 1)  (part 2)  (part 2.5)  (part 3)  (part 4)  (part 5)  (part 6) (part 7) (part 8)  (part 9)  (part 10)  (part 11) (part 12) (part 13) (part 14) - here (part 15) - soon

Y'all 2020 has been a wild ride and were barely even started. I hope to god now that I am back in the swing of things updates will be coming more frequently. All I ask is that you please bear with me while I try to navigate the next few months. There will be more updates though! They just may take longer then I would like. Please let me know what you guys think of this part and let me know if you have any thoughts for what might happen in future parts! As always if you have any questions about the story or AU feel free to ask, I love getting them and will happily answer any question you got (even if it’s not about this AU)! And if you want to be tagged let me know! 

@graduatedmelon @northernbluetongue​ @violatiger8​ @bamagirl513​ @vixen-uchiha​ @beaversuenightly​ @tumbling-down-hills-and-stuff​ @todaylillypads​ @laurakinneylance​ @vgirl-10123​ @wellcrud-blog-blog​ @silvergold-swirl​ @crazylittlemunchkin​ @an-ahez​ @queencommonsense​ @ladybug-182​ @meganemily231​ @driftingmoonlitpetals​ @kand-roo​ @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry​ @theatreandcomicfreak​ @paradoxal-occurance​ @miraculousl4dybug @thanks-captain-obvious​ @sassydepression​ @multishipper1needshalp @wegan97​  @redscarlet95 @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen @synnesstra @fandomkitty8 @tired-yeetling @saluteswifties @kanamexzeroyaoifangirl @dast218 @naclychilli @royalchaoticfangirl @panda3506 @nataladriana9 @shreky-boi @my-name-is-michell @dawnwave16  @thethirdwheelfriend @quiet-oracle @heaven428 @dabub167 @kris-pines04 @severelyenchantedwonderland @urbanpineapplefarmer @goblinwhoships @fertileleaf @almstreet @bluefyoto94 @sassakitty @mermaidreject @thestressmademedoit @pirats-pizzacanninibles @vgirl-10123

[itsthebatboys]

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS: DAY 6 (DAMIAN WAYNE X READER)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | x | Part 7 

Your heels clicked against the marble floor as you ruffled the ends of your dress before smoothing out any creases on your dress. Taking a deep breath while closing your eyes, you exhale slowly before snapping your eyes opened. Suddenly, the world was bright and you swore you could feel a gush of wind brush past you at the sight of the bright warm yellow from the candles, the soothing music, the smell of delicious food and mutters of people among the large crowd. Everyone was smiling, and you ignored the fact that it was probably pretty fake, but you didn't let that affect the happy atmosphere that was held at the gala.  

You knew Bruce held magnificence galas, but seeing them each time, they never fail to amaze you. Your eyes shine at nearly everything as you wandered around the place, exploring every inch of it again despite knowing every nook and cranny. You weren't with Damian at the moment. But you didn't mind. You wanted to explore first so you can spend time with him. It was also to buy some time for him to quickly finish off his business with his father and the rest of his brothers.

Though, you did sort of question why you noticed Damian chasing after Dick, who was holding four geese and rushing to a random room. Other than that, you shook it off and began to snack a couple of snacks here and there while Bruce gave his speech while introducing his sons like every gala he would do. Of course, people wondered why both Dick and Damian were covered in feathers but was easily saved someone by Bruce's amazing talent of distraction.

Even still, after that, people began to separate into their own little world, and sadly, Damian wasn't here right now. You idly drew circles on a pillar next to you as you waited for Damian. You didn't feel like eating anymore. You probably ate enough. You pouted slightly at the still delicious food on the table, until you noticed a hand extended out into your view. You blinked, before flinching up and quickly look up who it was. Deep down hoping it to be Damian, but to only see Dick. Still, you kept a smile on. "You seemed bored, how about a dance?"

"I don't know how to dance." You answered honestly but still took Dick's hand. As obvious, he was much older than you, so feeling his large hands covering your tiny one was rather weird, but you felt like you were in the hands of a big brother. But not as nice as yesterday with Damian at the jewelry shop. Damian's one fits yours perfectly compared to Dick's. It was a nice feeling.  It made you miss your family a bit, but you also sort of considered the Wayne family as your own.

"That can be solved." Dick gave a mischievous smirk and tugged you towards and slightly upwards. You gasped silently as your feet were on top of his own polish shoes. You were slightly unsure whether it was alright to step on Dick's polished shoes, they were probably pretty expensive! But Dick reassured you it was completely fine before he easily took you down the dance floor.

Tapping his foot impatiently against the marble floor, Damian held a scowl on his face as he stiffly crossed his arms as older ladies began to pinch his cheek commenting here and there about how adorable he looks, and how he was the spitting image of his father. Damian sent a glare towards his father, who merely ruffled Damian's hair while continued talking with the women around the both of them. Damian sighed inwardly as he let his eyes wander around the place, unknowingly searching for you until the crowd of dancers seemed to stop dancing all of a sudden and stepping back.

Seeing a glimpse of your dress between the body of people, Damian could feel red flags waving urgently about you, as he quickly shrugs his way out of the women's touch. "Excuse me.." Damian mumbled out a couple of times as he pushed his way to the front of the crowd, and then a blur of you and Dick past him. Time slowed down and Damian could see you completely crystal clear. The way your brows furrow, but you had such a large smile on your face, your cheeks pink as slight sweat slide down the side of your face despite you still on Dick's feet. Strands of hairs stick to the side of your face, you looked like you were having the time of your life. One of your legs were stretched out to the side, pressed along Dick's as he dipped you down as you shut your eyes in a relaxing way.

Seeing how his brother leaned down close to you for a dramatic effect, still made his blood boil uncomfortably, as his finger tug his collar as you both returned to dancing around in the circle that the crowd had made. Damian could feel his fingers twitch, and the moment Dick led you close to Damian once again, Damian cut in and swiftly took your hand. Now, no longer on Dick's feet and feeling the marble floor you snap out of your little faze and stopped along with Damian. You both ended up staring deep into one another's eyes as Dick was shocked that his dancing partner was taken away, but seeing who it was, he couldn't help but cover his laugh slightly at the possible jealous Damian before disappearing away.

"D-Damian?!" You squeaked out.

"Let's go." Damian pulled your body close to his. Far closer to how Dick was to yours. Your heart began to beat faster and you hope Damian couldn't hear it. It felt like he was showing his dominance on you.

"I don't know how to dance though Damian!" You flushed red at the thought of possibly stepping on Damian's feet or tripping.

You could feel Damian lean his head against yours as his lips were close to your ear. You shivered as you felt his warm breath tickled the shell of your ear. "Trust me." You blinked but nodded stiffly and soon, you were easily moved around the dance floor by Damian. You were amazed at how he was able to lead you so naturally, and you couldn't concentrate on anything but Damian. Your eyes traced on every single detail that was on his face as he concentrated on showing off his dance partner, and soon, everyone's attention was on the both of you. It as silent aside from the music and everyone could see a vivid image of what looked like a frame with a flower painting. How the strong wooden frame made the flower pop out, and mostly, bring out the most utter talent in the partner.*

You felt like you were in a Disney movie dancing with her prince.

Deeply.

In.

Love.

And you hoped that Damian was also feeling the same.

~

* Reference to the 'Frame and Flower' from 'Welcome to the Ballroom.'

[schninner-writes-some-stuff]

Never Again (Older! Damian Wayne x Reader)

@eblades: “Could you do a Damian x reader where the reader has self harm cuts on her wrists and she hides them from everyone and makes everyone think they are ok when they aren't at all but Damian notices that something is wrong when he grabs her wrist and she flinches but she keeps acting like everything is fine”

Schninner: Hey squad, this got really dark somewhere along the lines, and I just wanted to tell you guys, if you are ever in this position, I just want to let you know that you have people out there that love you, and I know it doesn’t mean much, but I’m always here if you ever need to talk to someone. (Also, this turned out really bad(?) so sorry in advance.)

(Reader is a girl)

Warning: Mentions of self-harm, some serious dark stuff

Word Count: 1146

Master List

“You’re okay, you’re okay, everything is just fine.”

Words were mumbled under your breathe, words meant to reassure, to comfort, only to aimlessly leave your lips. Your hands tugged at the base of your sleeves, pulling them well past the base of the palm of your hand. The rough fabric irritated the already red and swollen skin on your wrists, causing you to wince.

It hurt, it always did, but it was nothing compared to the internal turmoil that you felt on a daily basis.

“[L/N]!” A familiar voice called from behind you causing you to form the smile that was your disguise.

“They must never know.”

“Hey Dami!” Your voice dripping with cheerful and a smile stretched across your face.

He can closer to you eyeing your smile warily, matching concern in his eyes. “[L/N], is everything okay?”

You involuntarily tugged harder at your sleeves, your hands balled into fists clutching the fabric of your long sleeves. “What do you mean?” Your voice was forced into a false curiosity as you cocked your head to the side ever so slightly.

Damian’s eyebrows furrowed, you tried to hide it, but there was no way of hiding the slight quiver that trembled through your voice.

“Please, [F/N], talk to me, tell me what’s wrong.”

You pretended to check the time on your phone, “Look, I have to go, I’m going to be late,” You forced the urgency into your voice, and began to hastily walk away. You needed to go, now. Before you broke down in front of him, before you showed him how much of a mess you truly were.

“[L/N] Wait!” He grabbed your wrist, causing you to breathe in sharply from the pain and winced.

Of course, he noticed it, he was the Son of Batman after all, you would have been worried if he hadn’t. Realization flashed in his eyes as he loosened his grip on your wrist and placed a gently hand on your shoulder, guiding your trembling body toward your nearby apartment. You didn’t fight it, what would be the point of fighting it? He knew, after all this time of trying to hide it, he knew.

And you knew what was going to happen next, the unavoidable pity talk.

Where he’ll tell you that it was just a faze, that your jut some hormonal girl who was just doing this for attention, then proceed to tell you that you have no reason for doing this, for hurting yourself. It was the same conversation, same talk that you always had, but with different people. This was the reason for keeping it a secret for so long, you didn’t want to see the look of disappointment and disgust on his face, not Damian’s.

You were both silent as the elevator doors opened to your floor, and the silence remained as you walked closer to your apartment door. Damian opened the door for you, unlocking it with the key that you always kept underneath the door mat. You walked in, looking at the floor the entire time.

He shut the door, locking it behind him, then turned to you, his expression unreadable. You opened your mouth to say something, but before you could speak, his arms were wrapped around your body, his head burrowed into the crook of your neck.

You stood there for a moment, not sure how to respond to his embrace, you eventually returned his embrace, managing to wrap your smaller arms around his torso.

“When?” He simply asked, his head remaining where it was.

“For about four years now.” Your voice coming out as small and helpless.

There was silence as you both continued embracing each other.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He inquired, nearly whispering into your [H/C] hair

Tears began streaming down your face, this was… different. There was no shouting, no judgment, just concern. Pure undefiled concern for your wellbeing.

“I-I didn’t want you to th-think less of me,” You stuttered through your tears, hugging him even closer to you.

“I- I thought that if I showed you how, just, messed up, I am,” You sobs interrupted your sentence, Damian remained silent, letting you cry into his shoulder. You attempted to catch your breath before continuing, “I-if I showed you how broken I really was, y-you would leave me.”

“Tt, [F/N] that’s ridiculous,” You gently pulled away from the embrace, gingerly placing his fingers under your chin, lifting your face to his, “I could never, and would never leave you.”

He looked deeply into you [E/C] eyes with you staring right back into his. His hands slightly shaking underneath your chin, “[F/N], I-“ he hesitated his mouth forming into a slight scowl as he turned his head away from yours.

“I love you.” He finally blurted out causing your eyes to go wide in shock.

“I love you too much to see you do this to yourself,” he continued, once again coming into eye contact with you, his hand moved to your cheek, and the other on your opposite cheek, his thumbs wiping away the tears from your puffy red eyes.

“Please,” he started, his voice cracking with emotion, “please stop this.” The tears that sprang from his own eyes caused you to stare at him in disbelief.

“Promise me that you’ll never do this, never again.” His voice filled with remorse and care caused your heart to leap out to him, all you wanted to do was to stop those beautiful eyes of his from crying anymore, you wanted, needed, to see him smile, to hear his laugh; but you also needed to be realistic.

“I’m sorry Damian, but I don’t know if I can,” you replied, you glanced downward at your feet, not able to look at him in the eye.

The silence was und=bearable. You were expecting him to leave, to slam the door in your face, and leave you to cry to yourself.

But he stayed right there.

With his hands placed on either side of your face, his green eyes staring intensely at you as tears continued to stream down.

“We’ll make a deal then,” He stated, clearing his throat from any potential sob, “Anytime you feel like your going to cut, or harm yourself, you call me.”

You directed your eyes back to his, seeing the earnest and genuine compassion in them.

“It doesn’t matter when or where, I will be here.” He let go of your face and stuck a hand out for you to shake. “Deal?”

You looked at his face, then to his outstretched hand. In one fluid and sudden motion, you had nearly leapt into his arms, hugging tightly as new joyful tears came tumbling down your cheeks. You held his close to you, a small smile forming on your lips.

“Deal.” You whispered into his broad chest as he hugged you back.

“Thank you.”

[a-wayne-at-heart]

Some thoughts on “Martha”

For those unfamiliar with the Batman mythos outside of the films (with or without bias in favor of a competing comic universe), or even some intimately acquainted with it, Bruce’s 360-degree change in attitude towards Clark during the culmination of their one-on-one in “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice” at the mention of “Martha” (both their mothers’ name) may seem ludicrous - that a mere mention of a name could end the most anticipated battle between two of the most iconic superheroes of all time on the big screen. Disappointing, right? But to lambaste Zack Snyder and the rest of the cast and crew for letting that happen is to ignore 75 years worth of reasons that make Bruce and Clark iconic, at the forefront of which is their love for their respective families juxtaposed with their orphaning.

I’ve only recently immersed myself in comic books, specifically in the DC Universe, particularly on the Justice League and the so-called Bat Family and their related titles. At the moment, I can hardly focus on any other family than Batman’s. I... I love them, especially Bruce, Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian, and Alfred. They feel like a home away from home sometimes. Like they could be living under your roof. (Anyways. I digress.) And while almost 100% of what I’m reading from cover-to-cover are from the Modern Age, I’ve done a bit of research on the Golden, Silver, and Bronze ages, including alternate universes and timelines. 

If one thing is consistent, it’s that Thomas and Martha Wayne’s death in Crime Alley basically created Batman. Apart from the Flashpoint Paradox where roles are reversed (Thomas becomes Batman in response to his son’s death), this seems to be a DC universal constant. How many writers have taken over the mantle of recreating Bruce Wayne since Bill Finger and Bob Kane introduced him? Bruce has come to have multiple titles (Detective Comics, Batman, etc.) since then, but he remains driven to be Gotham’s protector by that night, albeit an altered detail here and there.  The writers basically rub it in our faces time and time again: if Thomas and Martha Wayne lived, perhaps there would be no Batman, no Dynamic duo, no international crime-fighting enterprise known as Batman, Inc. The trauma of seeing those precious pearls drop to the ground on that fateful night turned a child into a legend of the night.

Clearly not everybody copes the way Bruce does. His “children” were orphans, too. They each dealt with the darkness their own way, yet none of them matched Bruce’s obsessive nature, his channeling of practically his entire being and all of his resources towards an endless pursuit of justice. 

So, yeah. Bruce Wayne coped differently, end of story. As a fictional character, he can afford that much exaggeration and extravagance.     

The version of Bruce Wayne that we meet in the film is reminiscent of Frank Miller’s version of the Dark Knight - older, more jaded, still wary of anyone who poses a threat to Gotham. He’s definitely been through too much to be surprised by much anymore. Yet the one thing that can throw him off is his one vulnerability: his parents.  When Clark choked out “Martha” in that scene, he and Bruce weren’t yet the best friends - BEST FRIENDS - they are in comic book canon. They were strangers, and in Bruce’s mind, enemies: Clark was an overpowered alien, a threat to the planet that had to be stopped. They hadn’t yet discussed personal histories or shared tragedies. 

Given this context, imagine the wheels in Bruce’s mind stopped dead in their tracks when this ALIEN, this THREAT, utters that name. (Imagine you were Batman and you overhear a stranger mention your ex’s name, which happens to be “Martha”. You had a bad break-up, so this at least makes you cringe, right?)

Bruce is a man who isn’t fazed by his mortality, with a reputation among the JLA and his own family for rarely showing emotion. A man without superpowers, yet near-invincible due to his brilliance and sheer willpower.  Kryptonite is to Clark, as a death of a loved one is to Bruce. They each have one major weakness, it seems.  So, maybe “Martha” wasn’t so far-fetched, after all? Maybe a three-hour movie simply couldn’t just convey the depth of “Martha” to everyone’s liking?

I loved the film so much that I watched it twice - once alone - during its opening week. I felt that almost every aspect was on point, with some acceptable re-imaginings for the sake of telling a story on the big screen. Most of all, it felt very... DC. Very Bruce. Very Clark. In the Modern Age, at least. It wasn’t pretending to be anything else. I made this post because I was thinking about that whole “Why did you say that name???” spiel, when I vaguely recalled reading “Bruce was traumatized as a chlid” or something to that effect. So, yeah.

[gaddaboutgriffon]

Oh now that is a fun twist.

Oh My God Another One

Danny: *laughing like a maniac after discovering a new power he could use to torment Vlad*

*Batfam arriving at the scene*

Danny, a bit high on chemicals: HI DAD! :D

Batman: ?!?!?

Red Hodd: God not another one.

Red Robin: Black hair and blue eyes combo number four, now with meta powers.

Robin: Father your knowledge of basic intamacy practices needs to be revisited.

Batman: !?!?!?!?!?

Nightwing: Jeez B, don't you have enough already?

Stephanie: Right! It's just getting ridiculous at this point old man, pack it up!

Duke: He just blew up that construction site.

Cass: New brother.

Batman: ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!!?!