#Hug | Oliver and Barry

[kent-farm]

—Arrow, “Legends of Yesterday”

[amelia-queen-black]

Night Visit

An unusual noise disrupted the calm of the night. Oliver sat up carefully, his eyes wide open in the semi-darkness of his cell. Muffled voices. People walking down the corridors. This was strange, the guards patrolled alone at night, and if prisoners had somehow escaped their cells, they wouldn’t be chatting away but would try to be discrete. Intrigued and on guard, he sat on the edge of his bed, the cold concrete under his naked feet chasing away the last remnants of sleep.

Two figures recognizable at a glance appeared in his field of view through the bars and his jaw almost dropped in surprise. He had to resist the urge to pinch his arm in order to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. No way. These two idiots didn’t just break into the most secure jail of the country to help him escape.

“We should have gone by the control room to find out which cell he’s in.”

“No need, we’ll find him easily, super vision, remember?”

“If I used my speed, we would find him even faster.”

Oliver rolled his eyes and moved to the bars with muffled steps. They didn’t even have a well-established plan for their attempt to free him. These two were incorrigible.

“We’ve talked about it, you’re likely to wake everybody up by entering their cells and raising their sheets to see their faces.”

“Not to mention that some sights might scar you for life,” Oliver said.

Barry pulled a face in disgust before reacting and running up to his cell while Kara smiled from ear to ear as she came up at normal speed, carrying two boxes in her arms. The two superheroes seemed out of place with their colourful suits in this grey setting. They shouldn’t be here.

“You should leave,” Oliver said. “I can’t escape and become a fugitive, my family…”

“Yeah, yeah, we know, Dig explained everything,” Barry interrupted. “Is that how you greet your friends? Also, can we talk about the beard?”

More on AO3: Night Visit

[briarmoon1015]

The league being sillies :))). Dc make them actual friends and not just coworkers I dare you

[lands-of-fantasy]

The Flash 9x09

[jewishraypalmer]

I talk a lot of shit for someone who teared up during the Flash promo after last night's episode

[chicken-nuggs-and-cozy-hugs]

My favorite TV trio ever! I need a series of the 3 of them just being BFFs and saving the world together.

— the harry, ron, and hermione of dctv // “All I know is that whenever the three of you show up, it usually means we have one huge problem.” 

[aangelinakii]

JUSTICE LEAGUE LOVE LANGUAGES.

characters written about in this piece : clark kent, diana prince, barry allen, oliver queen, dinah lance

not proofread !

note : i was gonna include hal and arthur curry but i decided it would kindaa be a lot, so i narrowed it down to my favs 😙 if you're looking for bruce, bc he's quite obviously missing, you can find his here with the rest of the batfam :)))

CLARK KENT — acts of service

clark is just a big ol lover boy who wants to make sure his significant other is happy at all times, and he wants to show his adoration by helping them out here and there, and making sure they feel more than loved. he will be more than happy to do something for you if you ask, but he prefers surprising you with little things instead, because part of the reason this is his love language is seeing your reaction. but a fundamental part to being in a relationship with clark, is that these acts also need to be reciprocated. i feel like he may have a slightly lower self esteem than expected, so if he doesn't receive kind acts, then he may become insecure.

ways he likes to show his love : delivering your favourite lunch while you're at work , walking your dog , brewing you a warm cup of your choice in the morning , cleans your shared apartment for when you return from work or a weekend away

ways of showing love that he appreciates : cooking his favourite meals , shoot him a call or text when going grocery shopping to ask if he wants anything , caring for him when he's sick , opening his car door (even though he will tell you not to, but will secretly be loving it the whole time)

DIANA PRINCE — quality time

she came from a community that wasn't explicitly affectionate in a sappy way, so i think she has partly internalised that. that isn't to say that she can never ever be sweet, because of course she can, but i think she's more comfortable having her own space, whilst still being with you. like, i don't think she's big on physical affection. i don't think anything traumatic happened, i think it's just a preference, and partly because she knows she's a killing machine, so she wants to be careful, treat you with fragility. after a long day, she feels as though there is nothing better than to wind down beside her lover.

favourite ways to spend quality time : you tending to her wounds , going for walks or exercising together , museum trips where she tells you the truth about all the ancient artefacts , going on grocery runs together , laying in bed and talking about your days

BARRY ALLEN — physical affection

i think barry is similar to how i described wally in the young justice one, but like more mature. like he is better at understanding boundaries than wally, and certainly more romantic. despite being the flash, barry's a slow guy. he loves slow, lives slow. he doesn't rush romance, or force anything. his touches are soft and deliberate. barry's a sweet guy, and an especially sweet lover. he sees a warm hug as the perfect way to end a long, harsh, dirty day, and to keep his work as the flash separate from his home life.

favourite forms of physical affection : fixing hair or brushing it behind ears , bathing together and washing one another , wrapping his arms around your waist whilst you cook , pressing soft kisses to temples

OLIVER QUEEN — physical affection && words of affirmation

ollie is an all-rounder when it comes to his love languages and ways of showing love; he's great in all aspects. but i'd say his favourite ways of showing his affection would be through both touch, and telling you how he feels about you through words. he's great at reassuring you as he always sounds genuine. never a tinge of sarcasm or condescend. and his touch alone is reassuring. when he holds you, he holds you tight and long – forever, if he could. i think he invests a lot into a relationship, although it may not be inherently obvious. by this i mean, within himself he finds the relationship incredibly important, but doesn't exactly let you know how much he has going for it. he thinks about the future all the time, but doesn't talk about his dreams in fear of scaring you away, so stays silent. are you with me?

favourite forms of physical affection : laying in bed or on the couch, looping an arm around you as you lay on his chest , piggybacks when you're tired , taking your hand while he drives , kissing your knuckles

words he means : " i don't think you realise how much you mean to me. and you really mean so much " , " for you, i would do anything " , " i'm always so in awe of you " , " you're just so amazing "

DINAH LANCE — words of affirmation && acts of service

anybody would be lucky to have dinah as a lover. she's passionate and deliberate, and can read your needs like a book. she's incredibly attentive, and always makes sure your needs are tended to. although i wouldn't say she's incredibly romantic, per se, through her words, they are comforting. like she's not the type to drown you in compliments, but the fact she waits for the right time makes them more meaningful when she does so. but when i say that she's a passionate lover, i truly mean that she takes her love for you in stride, and makes it her drive to live and survive each day.

words she means : " i am here for you " , " i'm so lucky to know you " , " you're my best friend, i hope you know that " , " i can't imagine my life without you "

ways she likes to show love : noticing when you're feeling down, and suggesting a way to cheer you up , brushing, combing, picking your hair, or just playing with it , buys extra of your favourite things to have in the house , not to brag but she would totally kill someone for you, or even build you a palace if you asked

[bruciemilf]

Okay besties, I have an idea for you;

AU where the justice league was rooted in a small town; everyone knows everybody and no one knows anyone. Not really. But them? Oh, they know eachother.

They knew Clark and Bruce would tie the knot right after graduation.

They knew Diana would take new York museums by storm. They knew Hal would grow into his dad's aviator jacket. They knew Barry would wear gold around his neck in the Olympics. They simply knew.

Except for the fact that Clark had no idea Bruce would go on to divorce him just to marry an old sparring buddy, -- Khoa something; he doesn't know to this day, and he refuses to learn, -- for reasons he wouldn't divulge.

And bruce didn't anticipate his ex husband being the one who would investigate his husband's murder.

Funny how death brings people together.

Not until Dick, their boy, his boy, too, - He's Jon and Kon's brother just as much as he's Jason's, Tim's, and Damian's, and no piece of shit paper could take that from him, - told him, a bone white paleness to his cheeks the day of his weekend.

Their home is chaos; Not a chaos he knows, a chaos he loves, but a disservice on their once home.

Four different cars parked in front of Bruce's manor, dark enough to blend in the depth of night, give Clark a pretty good idea of what he'll find.

" This is bad. This is really bad, right? Oh god, is he moving? He just looked at me, I SWEAR he just looked at me,--"

'' Who gave Barry coffee?" Clark doesn't want them to be shocked when he enters, because really, he's not supposed to be here. The spark of twisted pleasure when they see him Is small, but it's there. " Who died?"

Hal skips over the corpse currently occupying the living room carpet, a frenzy in his eyes, " We do NOT have time for your shit, Kent. It's bad enough Wayne dragged us along to his little graveyard shift,--"

Clark doesn't particularly want to know who's that Oliver tosses Russian words with over the phone, but he takes a pause, only to point sharply at the pilot, " As if you have anything better to do you plane crushing fuck--"

" One time! One time!"

" Quiet down! You're upsetting Bruce," Command and order came to Diana as naturally as flight does to birds; Out of them all, -- jaded and secretive and wore out by life like a pair of shoes, -- she holds the crown of stability for sure.

Clark envies her. Maybe because she's her, or because she has an arm around Bruce.

He's tired; And scared. Clark's pretty little ghost.

Blanket over his lean, strong shoulders, knees nestled to his chest, shivering under Diana's arms. His eyes haven't left the living room.

Not until Clark walked up to the bottom of the stairs, where he could catch a better view of purple and blue rendering Bruce's sharp cheek.

There's something undeniably demure about Bruce Wayne; Youngest of them, softest of them. Clark adored it; He's always been a beast of a man, -- granted, raised with Martha Kent's southern loving ways, but you can't make a puppy from a wolf.

Bruce very much disagreed, and told Clark as such. That they compliment eachother.

Clark can't help but be sad at Bruce's softness now; But he's not stupid enough to think Bruce weak, and God help you if you're that man. Maybe Khoa was that man.

Bruce's eyelashes flutter like a butterfly's wings, " ...Clark." You came.

" Hi, baby." You called.

He closes his eyes, silently letting embarassment take him. Hal facepalms behind him.

" Not to interrupt your weird Eye Make Out slash Emotional Hug contact, but seriously, we need to call the police!"

" No!" Bruce raises to his feet, fingers twisting and fiddling, a nervous habit. Clark wants to capture him in his arms and never let him move, " No. No police."

Diana's voice is gentle, " Why not?"

" Because he did it!" Hal says, " I mean, it's pretty obvious!"

" Oh shut the fuck up-"

" That's absurb--"

" Hal, you're scared I get it, but Bruce would never,--"

" I did," Bruce declares, sentencing them to silence. " I did it. "

A tension filled cloud slowly drips over them. Hal begins pacing even more. Barry joins him. Oliver's yelling gets louder, and the Bruce's fingers shake worse.

Clark, wordlessly, pulls him upstairs, hands gentle on his smaller wrists, ignoring the call back from downstairs, where death still lingers.

Bruce won't look at him when he asks, " Did you do it? Really?"

" He was going to hit me."

" He was already hitting you," Clark spits the hateful truth, acid hissing over his tongue like a well-sharpened knife, " He was already hitting you. And you didn't kill him then. "

A shiver, a tremble, Bruce turning his back as if to protect himself. Clark's heart hurts. He's never been someone Bruce needed protection from, " Please, --"

" So you were either going to stop him from hitting you... Or from hitting someone else," Bruce's frame moves from him, departs again, and Clark follows, because he let Bruce walk away one time and it got them here, " ...Or someone was gonna stop him from hitting you."

Bruce freezes, gaze wide. Only he's not looking at Clark. He's looking at what's behind him.

Clark follows the line of sight.

There's Jason, their youngest, their tallest, terrified, and teary, and blood soiling his hands.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

The Batkids' incredible ability to make JL believe whatever they want them to believe

by ValletyDarwin The Justice League decides to add a new member to the team, choosing Nightwing, despite Batman's obvious reluctance. And soon, a bunch of idiots, aka Barry, Oliver, Hal and Arthur, spread gossip throughout the Watchtowers that Nightwing and Batman are lovers. And when the BatKids find out about this, they decide to play a prank on the League. And suddenly the 'supposed children' of Nightwing and Batman appear out of nowhere in the Tower. Meanwhile, Bruce just gave up the second he witnessed his kids sitting in a circle like a fucking demonic cult in a very dark part of the Batcave with candles in their midst being their only illumination as they discuss plans to mess with and traumatize the League. Unfortunately he was noticed, and after his kids exchanged silent glances, Cass, Duke and Damian gave Bruce puppy dog eyes, and he was in on the plan. And Alfie will surely make extra cookies for everyone since they're getting along so well, because who cares if the Justice League gets traumatized? Not Alfred, and neither does any of the Batfamily. Words: 1601, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Clark Kent, Barry Allen, Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), Oliver Queen, Arthur Curry (DCU), Diana (Wonder Woman), Victor Stone, Jason Todd, Damian Wayne, Tim Drake (DCU), Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, Duke Thomas, Jarro (DCU), Billy Batson, Queenie (Harley Quinn Comics), Pamela Isley, Kate Kane (DCU), Selina Kyle Relationships: Dick Grayson/Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Justice League, Barry Allen & Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) & Oliver Queen, Pamela Isley/Harleen Quinzel, Kate Kane/Selina Kyle Additional Tags: Batfamily Shenanigans (DCU), Dick Grayson Meets the Justice League, Batfamily Meets the Justice League (DCU), Cryptid Batfamily (DCU), Billy Batson is a Batfamily Member, Romani Dick Grayson, Barry Allen Needs a Hug, Oliver Queen Needs a Hug, Confused Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), Barry Allen has ADHD, Dick Grayson is a Ray of Sunshine, Dick Grayson is a Menace, Jason Todd is a Menace, Jason Todd is Built Like A Tank, No Angst, Justice League Doesn't Know Bruce Wayne is Batman, Billy Batson is Captain Marvel | Shazam, Damian Wayne is a Menace, Damian Wayne is a Little Shit, Tim Drake is Flamebird, Bruce Wayne is a Little Shit, Bruce Wayne is So Done, Bruce Wayne Tries to Be a Good Parent, Bruce Wayne is Good With Kids, Tim Drake is a Menace (DCU), Duke Thomas is a Ray of Sunshine, Duke Thomas Being a Little Shit, Good Older Sibling Barbara Gordon, Not Beta Read, Jewish Bruce Wayne, Jewish Batfamily (DCU), Not Canon Compliant via https://ift.tt/OqvJYXK

[that1emowitch]

At the end of the world / Or the last thing I see / You are never coming home, never coming home

Prompt from @tuna-f-b: Do you still do request? If yes and angst is o.k: what would happend i all the bats died? Like how would the hero community react. The supers alone. Clark having to deal with losing his best friend(?) and the kids he basically co parented- as well as seeing his sons lose their best friends(?) Specially as ships that would be awesome angst

A/N: I'm not crying you're crying (Also, for those who don't know, Izzy is Duke's canon gf and one of the Robins from We Are Robin)

Words: 2504

TW: Mentions of blood, Major character death, Coping with loss, Self-blame, Mentions of relapse (drugs)

“If you’re watching this, I am either deceased or indefinitely unable to continue my duties as Batman. But the world still needs Batman. Gotham still needs Batman. My son Damian Wayne, if he is an adult, shall inherit my mantle— if not, Dick Grayson will take over until he is. In the event that he, too, is unavailable for any reason, the mantle goes to Tim Drake, after him, to Cassandra Cain, then Duke Thomas, then Stephanie Brown, then Jason Todd, should he accept it.”

In the video recording, Batman pauses, taking a deep breath.

“In the unfortunate event that the entire family is… deceased… I have a list of contingency plans on both the Bat-Computer and the Justice League’s primary databases. Oracle will help you access it, but in her… absence… the password is “a6ghr83kc02m”.”

Then video-Bruce takes off the cowl, his pale blue eyes looking straight into the camera.

“I know I was never the best with feelings. But I would like my children, my allies, and friends to know that I’m proud of you. And to my fellow Justice Leaguers… Diana and Clark, I am truly grateful for your companionship. I would never have made it this far without you. Barry, Arthur, Dinah, J’onn, you’ve all been good friends. Oliver, Hal… you’re not so bad either.”

Bruce turns around, and looks over his shoulder, the shadows of the Batcave making the scene even more dramatic.

“I wish you good luck.”

Then the clip ends.

A shuddering breath leaves Clark.

It’s real.

He’s really… They’re all…

He can’t do this anymore. He turns around and walks out the door, leaving the other core Justice Leaguers staring sombrely at the now-blank screen.

He doesn’t know when he started flying, when he started trying to escape. The walls of the Watchtower seem to be suffocating him, but he has enough sense not to just leave the airlock yet.

Instead he finds a corner by a window, far, far away from the others, where he can see a majestic view of Earth, the moon, and the Sun in perfect sync with each other.

He falls to his knees.

His breathing’s uneven, a tear rolls down his cheeks.

Then he feels a hand on his shoulder— soft, trembling, yet steady.

“Kal,” Diana whispers, sitting on the floor next to him. She doesn’t continue— she isn’t sure what to say.

“They’re all going to die, you know? We’re going to bury all of them. Everyone on Earth, everyone we know.” Clark’s voice trembles, in a way Superman’s never does. “It scares me so much.”

“Kal,” Diana says again, pulling Clark into a hug. “It’s okay. We’ve lost… We’ve lost so many of our friends. It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to grieve.”

“How are you— how are you so—” Clark can’t form his words properly. He turns to Diana, to see her face tight with grief, eyes misty with unshed tears.

Her voice breaks slightly as she speaks. “I don’t want to believe they’re gone. But… we have to carry on. We’re the Justice League. Our people need us, Kal.”

“So we just go on and on? Forever?” Another tear runs down his cheek. “Ollie, Hal, Dinah, Lois, Jon, they’re all going to… they’re all going to die one day and we just have to… to go on?”

“I’m sorry, but it is the truth,” Diana whispers, her eyes stinging with hot tears. “We must find peace in the fact, right now, that Batman— Bruce, the Robins, they— they were so brave. Brave till the end. And they fell as warriors, defending our world. I’m sure they’ll all reach Elysium.”

“And Dickie, Damian, Jason, Tim, Cass, Duke—” Clark’s voice is hoarse. “They were so young, just kids… I… I know Dick, Jay, Tim, Cass… they were adults, but… they’re gone, they’re gone…”

“They were heroes, like you and me. Don’t forget that.”

“I… I know, I just—” Another shuddering breath escapes Clark. “I just— I…”

“It’s okay,” Her voice is forcefully steady, but with an undertone of heartbreak. “It’s okay…”

Dinah looks around the room, her heart heavy.

Clark has left, Diana’s gone after him— both of them need their space, she knows. They were close to Bruce and the other Bats in a way no one else in this room was.

Was.

The word still weighs down on her.

Hal speaks up finally, breaking the deafening silence. “I always thought he hated me.”

No one replies for a long moment.

“I miss the kids,” Barry says finally, his voice quiet. “They were just… Robin was only 14. The others, even Nightwing, they had… they had their whole lives ahead of them.”

More silence.

“Jason, when he was Robin— do y'all remember? Kid was always my favorite,” Ollie says finally. “Was always so sassy. Roy loves him.”

Loves. Dinah winces, but doesn’t correct him. It’s easier to believe they’re just gone for a little while.

“Bruce was a good man,” Arthur adds. “They all were.”

“Tim was, I believe, the smartest,” J’onn says, somber. “It was his plan that allowed us to save Earth.”

“Damian!” Dinah says suddenly, jumping from her seat. “His… his mother. She shouldn’t have to find out from someone else.”

Everyone freezes, faces tight.

Dinah sighs, looking down. “I’ll do it.”

Then she leaves the room, dragging what feels like a heavy weight tied to her soul. She has to do this.

Roy’s sitting in a corner of his apartment, hugging his knees. All he can think of is Jason.

He’s never coming back.

He can still feel the lingering ‘goodbye’ kiss Jason gave him not two days ago, he can still hear him say, “I’ll be back before you know it, babe.”

He never came back.

He’s dead. Dead— dead dead dead DEAD DEAD—

“Small Red not okay?” A booming voice snaps Roy out of his thoughts. He looks up to see Bizarro’s pale blue skin and cold eyes looming over him. He’s crying. “Red him coming back.”

It takes Roy a second to register that Bizarro speaks backwards. It takes everything in him to not punch him for saying that, for giving him false hope.

He feels something he hasn’t felt in years— feels that whisper in his mind— one hit and it’ll all feel better. Just one hit.

NO! He screams mentally. He feels like bashing his head open.

Instead he lifts his dead eyes to survey the rest of the room— Kori’s on the couch, staring into space. Artemis has a crying Lian in her arms, she’s showing her something— old photos of Jason. Talking, whispering in a broken voice.

No, no he should be the one comforting Lian—

What’s he gonna say?

That— That Jason— That her Papa’s gone forever? That he’s never— he’s never coming back?

No— Jay— Jay deserved so much better, he— he already died once before, he’s been through so much, things were supposed to be better now— not— no, he’s— 

Roy feels Bizarro sit beside him, gently patting his arm.

He snaps out of his thoughts again, turning to Jason’s former teammate, his eyes red-rimmed. His voice raw, he whispers, “Jay’s gone…”

Wally’s standing in the Hall of Heroes, staring up at the holographic projection of Dick— he looks so majestic, so mighty, staring ahead with nothing but hope and courage in his eyes.

Nothing like the cold, dead body that Wally held in his arms just two days ago.

He’s surrounded by his teammates, his friends— Kaldur, M’gann, Artemis, Zatanna, L’gann, Garth— yet he feels so alone.

He sees it again— Dick bleeding out it his arms, his wounds so fatal he died before help arrived. Wally’s the fastest man alive, damn it, yet he couldn’t even save his best friend— his boyfriend. He feels the moment when Dick’s breathing stopped, when his body went limp, when his grip on Wally’s hand loosened.

Everyone’s quiet. M’gann’s stress baking again, L’gann by her side. Artemis and Zatanna are sitting together, Garth’s lingering in a corner, and Kaldur’s standing right beside Wally— close enough for comfort but not so close he’s lurking. He’s shaking.

He can still hear it, hear Dick forcing out his last words, telling Wally it’s okay, that he loves him, that it’ll be fine.

It’s not fine. Not without you.

He wants to scream.

He wants to cry, yell, hit something, do anything.

But he can’t move.

So he just stands there, almost as still as the holographic projection of Dick before him.

Kon is left reeling.

Tim… Tim is…

Tim’s dead.

Tim’s really gone.

He thinks, for just a second, that this is how Tim and Cassie must have felt when he and Bart “died”.

Bart is sitting beside him on the couch, leaning on his side, Cassie’s got her head on his lap. Neither of them speak— Bart’s not even fidgeting— they’re all just trying to be there for each other.

The other Titans are up and about, but staying close for comfort. Jaime and Gar are making food for everyone in the kitchen, Raven and Vic have come back to the tower to make sure the others are okay, and he’s sure Karen’s around too, somewhere.

Yet he feels so empty.

Feels nothing at all.

How can he, when his best friend is dead?

Jon hasn’t spoken in a bit. Not when his Mom brought him his favorite soup, not when Grandma and Grandpa showed up to ‘help’ him and Dad through this, not when Krypto plopped down beside him to comfort him.

He hugs the dog close.

Krypto’s technically Kon’s, but Jon’s sure Kon wouldn’t mind if he stole Krypto for a day.

Another sob escapes him, and he buries his head in Krypto’s back. The dog whines, licking Jon’s hand.

He can’t believe Damian’s gone. 

Really gone.

And he didn’t know just how much he would miss his friend.

Dinah finds Talia Al Ghul on a building in Metropolis, overlooking the city. Her face is tight with sorrow, but she keeps herself in check, her back straight, head held high.

She already knows, Dinah deduces.

“I… I’m sorry,” Dinah starts, unsure of what to say. She knows, from her experience as a psychologist, that ‘sorry’ is the last thing a grieving person wants to hear, but she doesn’t have anything else to say.

Talia doesn’t reply for a long time. Then she says, her voice numb, “I should have known, when bringing Damian into this life, that I would also be bringing him amidst the dangers that come with.”

Dinah’s brows furrow. “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have done anything at all.”

“I should have trained him better, I should have kept him close, I should—” Talia takes a shuddering breath. “I should have never brought him into this life.”

Dinah can’t argue with that— she knows how Damian had come to be, and it… wasn’t the best birth ever.

“Now leave, hero,” Talia says, her voice numb and cold. “Go back to protecting the world. Leave me be.”

Dinah wants to say something better, comfort the woman, but she can’t. So she just turns back, and leaves.

By the time Harper Row makes her way to the Clock Tower, there’s already quite a crowd there— Kate, Renee Montoya, Harley, Ivy, Silena, and Helena Bertinili— they’re crowding around Babs, comforting her. Luke Fox and Isabella Ortiz are at the computer, looking through something.

Harper tries to open her mouth to speak, but she can’t get the words out.

She makes her way over to Luke and Izzy, shoulders hunched.

Just three days ago she’d been hanging out with Duke and Izzy and Cass and Steph— they’d all been so carefree, so happy…

And now…

Once she gets close enough she realizes Izzy’s crying, and immediately wraps her arms around the shorter girl. Harper’s trying to hold back tears of her own, too. She feels Luke putting a hesitant hand on her shoulder, squeezing tight.

No one speaks for a long time, they just stand together, seeking comfort in each other.

Then Babs rolls her wheelchair to the center of the room, wiping at her bloodshot eyes. But when she speaks, she sounds surprisingly steady. She’s compartmentalizing, Harper realizes. Putting away Barbara and bringing Oracle back.

“Gotham needs her heroes, now more than ever,” Oracle says, head held high. “We must honor our friends by doing the one thing they’d have wanted— to keep fighting. Keep Gotham safe.”

She sighs, her face tight to fight away tears. “Luke. Batman’s contingency plan, in the Robins’ absence, was to pass you the mantle of Batman. Do you accept?”

Luke’s eyes grow wide slightly, but he straightens himself, looking away. “I… I accept. Dad isn’t going to be happy, but… Gotham needs Batman.”

“Thank you.” Oracle nods at him. “As per Bruce’s will, all Wayne assets, the Manor, and the Batcave are split between Kate, me, Alfred, and Lucius. I… Lucius and I are still figuring out who’s going to take over Wayne Enterprises, but on the vigilante side, I’ve got a plan.”

She turns to Ivy, Harley, Kate, Silena and Helena. “The Birds of Prey are needed here, now more than ever. Dinah— Black canary has offered to help us with Gotham, too.” 

Harley nods, sniffling. Beside her, Ivy speaks up, “The… Most Rogues aren’t happy about this. They’re not rampaging— Bane has fashioned his own version of the Batsuit, he’s going around ‘saving’ people, screaming that Batman never dies. The Joker’s searching for Lazarus Pits and Bruce’s body. Jervis Tetch and Nygma held a get-together yesterday, in the memory of the Bats. I… I think they might help us.”

Harper’s gotta admit, she’s quite surprised about this. Even Babs freezes, taking in this information.

“Gotham needs Robin as much as she needs Batman,” Izzy speaks up from beside her, her voice small but firm. “The Robins can come back, this time you can give us formal training so we can actually help.”

Oracle turns to Luke. “Taking on Robins is your decision, Batman.”

Luke winces at that title— it doesn’t feel like an honor to him, it just feels like an incessant reminder that he’s the last one left. Because his friends are dead. But he nods, anyway, not trusting himself to speak right now.

Then Oracle addresses Harper. “I… would you like to be Batgirl?”

Harper’s heart stops. Memories flash into her head— seeing Steph in the Batgirl costume, seeing Cass in the Batgirl suit, both of whom are now gone.

“N— No,” Harper stutters out, eyes tearful. “I can’t— I’m sorry, Babs. I appreciate the offer, but… Cass was Batgirl. I can’t take her place.”

“I understand.” Babs just nods, lips pursed, misty-eyed. “We will all need to work hand-in-hand until everything settles, we will need to be vigilant. Carry on Batman’s legacy, for as long as we may need to.”

No one speaks again.

They all just let it sink in, hearts heavy.

They’re going to have to do this alone now.

[hiso03]

Oliver can't stand being around the Halbarry.

Sometimes I get to thinking, how must Ollie feel knowing that his best friend, with whom he has had incredible adventures and whom he loves like a brother; is in love with the guy he can't even stand?

Imagine.

You're Ollie and one day out of nowhere your best friend starts making a bunch of comments about how cute Barry is and how much he wants to hug and spend time with him. At first you ignore him and think he's just obsessed with another blond, until you start to realize how really pushy Hal is on the subject without him even realizing it. Ollie realizes what's going on, but denies it.

He can accept anything but that.

So he talks to Dinah about it, trying to calm her paranoia.

He wants his wife to tell him that she hasn't noticed anything unusual, but his wife was quite calm on the subject and even proposes to help them be together. Of course Oliver refuses at first, not planning to accept Barry as his other brother; but after realizing how fucking in love they were and how obvious it is, he ends up disgusted and desperate to see how neither of them do anything and finally along with Dinah end up getting them to be together. Still Ollie wasn't thrilled and perhaps on more than one occasion tried to find him a date with any blonde, blue-eyed guy who was more fun than Barry, hoping his best friend would reconsider his crush.

Evidently it didn't work out.

So he ends up accepting his brother's relationship against his will.

(Deep down he's happy to see Hal so excited and knows Barry is a good choice, but Ollie is proud enough to never accept that he does like Barry a little. But only a little.)

[hyperblue]

Clark, Barry and Oliver are really afraid that the marriages of Bruce's daughters with their close relatives were really part of Batman's plan "just in case"...

And they're especially thinking about it right at Roy and June's wedding.

Imagine how awkward it is — the newlyweds dance their first dance, Roy gently hugs June, Elissa and Maris affectionately call her "Mrs. Harper", and Oliver just looks at Bruce and thinks that he may be killed as soon as June carries Roy's baby. Barry and Clark, meanwhile, are actively engaged in looking at the pattern on the cloth napkins.

sometimes you gotta work smart, not hard

bruce: well, in case I'll have to take down half of the league, at least my grandchildren will be there to take their places

[haveihitanerve]

Nightwing was hurt. That, in and of itself, was bad. Nightwing panicking because he was hurt however? That was downright horrifying. Nightwing didn't panic. He didn't squeal. He laughed and smiled and offered high fives and hugs. He was calm and collected. The Justice League had once watched him get shot twice in the leg and he had still talked the girl off the ledge without a dip in his voice. But this was bad. Blood was streaming down his chest, little rivers running down his cheeks and chin, teeth coated red. They hovered around him, anxious, unknowing, Diana attempting to staunch the flow of blood, Clark and Barry trying to calm him down but Nightwings voice was too high pitched, his voice too frantic, screams to desperate. The doubles doors slid open and Batman billowed into the room like a phantom ghost. Hal tried to stop him, to explain what had happened, but without even glancing his way Batman zeroed in on Nightwing, stalking for him. “Hes hurt Bats! Badly.” Oliver stressed. At the name Bats, Nightwings scream died in his throat. Batman pushed Superman away, kneeling at the young heroes side and cupping his chin in his hands. “Robin.” He breathed softly. Nightwings shaking had ceased, his pleas and whimpers gone. “Status report.” Batmans voice was anything but harsh, gentle and soothing and calm in a way the League had never heard. And Nightwing was responding to it in turn, relaxing almost completely with only Bats hand on his cheek. “It hurts B.” Nightwing breathed, and a tear slid down his cheek. Batman wiped it away, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. “Its okay.” He whispered, glancing at Diana. She showed him her empty hands, free from gauze and needles. She had finished her patching up to the best of her abilities. He would be fine, but he needed rest and to calm down. “You'll be alright chum.” Batman murmured, and then he lifted the fully grown male into his arms bridal style like he was nothing more than a toddler, walking out of the room. Nightwing let his head drop onto the Dark Knights shoulder, and closed his eyes. The JL stared at each other, mouths dangling open. 

[highly-opinionated-ramblings]

I left myself this note, like, a year and a half ago, and I have yet to actually act on it, so. “People who have secret identities who could conceivably find themselves at the same holiday party as Bruce Wayne”, let’s go. 

Feat. Clark, Diana, Barry, and Oliver

Clark: Gotham’s elite often goes out of their way to invite members of the press to their parties, in the hopes of ‘building good connections’- a rather thin disguise for what’s essentially bribery, but hey, at least he gets a really good meal out of it every year. He’s not sure when it started- not like he spends a lot of time writing about Gotham from Kansas- but it’s become an annual thing, somehow. He and Bruce exchange pleasantries every year. Outside of their suits, they’re friendly, but not friends...that’s all that makes sense between a billionaire and a newspaper reporter, after all. Clark almost wishes they were in the suits. At least he’d have a friend to talk to, then. Sometime towards the end of the night, when the people around him are beginning to stumble and proclaim loudly that they really should be getting home, they really shouldn’t have another drink, and he’s wondering how soon it’d be socially acceptable to leave, he feels someone step up behind him. “You should be more careful where you’re standing,” an all-too-familiar voice murmurs in his ear before a quick kiss lands on his cheek, catching him completely by surprise, and then somehow Bruce is practically across the room, approaching some woman he doesn’t recognize with open arms and a friendly grin on his face. He hugs her when he gets there. Doesn’t kiss her cheek, though.

Diana: They actually run into each other quite a bit outside of work- museum galas in DC, charity balls in New York, private gatherings all over the country. She’s been asked on numerous occasions why the two of them have never dated, which, she supposed made sense given the whole ‘playboy’ act. Such a flirt. Before she got to know the real Bruce, Diana hated him. But, of course, things were different now that they actually did know each other. Now that they did know each other, she never hesitated to strike up a conversation with him whenever she needed a break from the other guests. He was actually the first one to warn her about a host who liked to make a big deal of mistletoe, way back in the day. So, knowing each other the way they did now, it really had been a careless mistake of him to stand under the mistletoe and not expect her to take advantage of the opportunity to tease him with it.

Barry: This one’s a little bit of a stretch, maybe, but let’s say local charity event that Barry was invited to, that he in turn invited Bruce to. Neither of them are paying attention- well, Batman is, but pretending not to for Bruce Wayne’s sake- so it’s one of the other party goers who calls them out for standing under the mistletoe. Barry sheepishly protests, but Bruce takes it in good stride, and pushes in close to give him a kiss on the cheek anyway, to cheers and laughs from the other guests.

Oliver: They’re hanging around after a private party at the home of a mutual acquaintance, helping clean up while she’s seeing the last of the guests out, when Bruce gestures over to Oliver and says, “You’re doing it again” “Again? How many of these things did she put up?” Bruce shrugs, holds out the trash bag he’s holding for Oliver to toss the fourth sprig of mistletoe of the evening in, and then gives him a kiss on the temple as he passes by, anyway.

[avatarskywalker78]

It's Work in Progress Wednesday and I've been trying to make a dent in my WIP list!! I completed and uploaded the Wario centric one yesterday and I've been trying to make some headway into the others using the advice from the WIP clearout post. The first extract is from my 'Alex & Daniel' wip - where Daniel Sousa offers to look after an eight-year-old Alex Thompson for the day, and is a little apprehensive about it.

Daniel would like to say that he didn’t know how he’d been talked into this, but that would be a lie – he’d been talked into it because the Thompsons were practically family and had asked for this favour, and because Peggy was too busy at SHIELD to help look after Alex for the day, so it had been left up to him.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t had to look after children before, of course, but still, he couldn’t help but be a little nervous – he’d only looked after Alex a handful of times and those had been when she was very small, not the bouncy eight-year-old who’d be coming to stay for a few hours, and there was always a worry about having to look after someone else’s child. Especially the granddaughter of one of his closest friends. Plus, he wasn’t exactly getting any younger here, so he wouldn’t be able to keep up as much as he might’ve done back in the day – and he already felt exhausted as Sophia parked the car and Alex came running over with a speed he envied. “Uncle Daniel!” She rushed towards him and for a second he feared she was about to leap at him and expect him to catch her because that really would send him crashing to the floor— She didn’t. She did, however, knock the wind out of him and almost bowl him over with the force of the resulting hug. “Oof.” “Sorry!” She jumped back, apologetic. “I didn’t hurt you, did I? Mom says I get too overexcited sometimes.” “I’m fine.” He assured her as he got his breath back, Sophia coming over and looking faintly amused. “Nothing wrong with a hug, kiddo, you just gotta be a little careful - you could’ve knocked me flying.” “Sorry.” She hugged him gentler this time. “I’ve just been looking forward to this for ages.” “I got that.” He said with a laugh, returning the hug. “It’s great to see you too, Alex.”

I have identified a couple of the main blocks; not only have I not watched the source material for a few years, but...I also don't have a clear plan for the fic!! Which isn't helpful, but now I know I can work on it - I've already found both seasons so a rewatch will be a great help (and not just for this one).

Another one I've been working on is...the Sad Westhallen Fic!! Which might not be as sad as it originally was - Barry's still dead but the bulk of the fic is going to be his friends and family sharing all the good memories they have and celebrating his life - but, of course, Eddie and Iris are still dealing with the loss, compounded by the fact their twins have basically no memories of their dad.

It wasn't meant to be like this. Days after Eddie had been freed from captivity, days after Barry, Oliver, and Teams Flash and Arrow brought down Eobard and called in Rip Hunter to see justice served, that had been when he'd finally start to believe - at least a little - that maybe, maybe things would get better. It had been far from easy, of course - Eddie and Iris's relationship was...not on hold, exactly, but any talk of marriage was shelved for the time being until he got the help he needed, which had made sense, of course, but...part of him had worried that she'd choose Barry in the end after all, because the other man was kind and brave and unflinching, someone who would treat Iris right and all Eddie had ever, ever wanted was for Iris to be happy. And if Barry was the one to make her happy... Who was he to stand in the way of that? Course, this had been a symptom of his depression, and once he'd started going to therapy he'd realised how spectacularly untrue it was. Iris and Barry were nothing but supportive the whole time and Iris assured him that she still loved him and always would. She wasn't going anywhere - and neither was Barry. This had made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside - and he'd finally had to admit that yes, he was in love with Barry too, and had been for some time.

This one needs a rewatch too, so it'll either be this or Agent Carter that I rewatch after I finished OUAT S1.

Tagging (let me know if you want to be added or removed): @shrinkthisviolet @starstruckpurpledragon @dream-beyond-the-fantasy @daughter-of-melpomene