#I mean Tim's friends would have come to grab him eventually

[chiyana]

Like Ra's, it was right there, you were SO CLOSE. You could have had it all if you had just eased off the megalomaniac bit and played the long-con! Tone down the assassinations, play up the redemption angle, give Tim more little guys to protect and bond with, give him his own new little bird mantle, give him a few headpats and tell him what a good job he's doing, you could have had him for life!

Striking out on his own during Red Robin must have been the hardest thing Tim has ever done. Tim who’s greatest fear is loneliness, who throws himself into befriending everyone and leaving no bridges burned. Who Bruce admits is the Robin that LOVED the teamwork moves so much that he and Bruce developed entire playbooks together so they can take down overwhelming forces with perfect synchronicity. WHO developed even MORE team tactics with Nightwing to the point they learned each other’s signature weapons and their own weapons can be broken down or put together with a twist to form the other’s. Tim is the Robin the others turn to for Ðick’s flippy acrobatic bullshit when he’s not there because they practiced every move together until Tim can do Dick’s part with any of the bats. Tim who makes allies to fight with even on his solo cases and with people no one else would DREAM of allying with like Klarion, lady shiva, early days Red Hood, and all his fellow Young Justice kids. Tim’s been on like 10 separate teams over the years from the batfam to Young Justice, to the Titans, to the Outsiders, to the freaking Psyba-Rats.

So think of how soul crushing those first months were entirely alone. No family, no team, no friends, no backup because they’re all dead, missing, or gave up on him (in his mind). Ra’s sending the agents he did to Tim was a stroke of diabolical genius. How do you steal the loyalty of a person who’s loyalty is their defining trait? Take a look at Pru, Z, and Owens and tell me they don’t remind you of the original Young Justice team? Misfits who love too deeply and NEED someone who cares are Tim Drake’s personal kryptonite. His fondness for them has been both his biggest weakness and his greatest strength. It was a gamble on Ra’s part because yeah, Tim fell for his weakness hook, line and sinker but his strength kicked in and he walked away with Pru’s total loyalty. With Ra’s pouring on the paternal approval on top of it might have worked to at least divide Tim’s loyalties a bit if Ra’s hadn’t tried to control Tim by keeping Tam hostage. No one can control Tim, he’s the ultimate wild card and threatening innocents hits his rage button.

[luckhound]

wardrobe mishaps.

↻ pairings ✦ jon/reader, elias/reader

↻ summary ✦ You get ready for a date after work, only to run into a little trouble. Your boss graciously helps out.

↻ wordcount ✦ 3.4k

↻ warnings ✦ reader leans more masc or fem depending on scenario, elias being elias (meaning: a freak)

author's note: got back into tma thanks to my friends and found myself more immersed in it this time around. hence this lol. big thanks to @peonysgreenhouse and her lovely christmassy scenario for inspiring this fic. happy 2025!

You double check the time on your computer before you shut it down. It’s officially the weekend, and you ended up staying a little longer than usual, but you’d been determined to complete your report before you left.

Jon expects your findings on his desk come Monday morning, so he can wrap up the case at hand, and you don’t want to hand it in late. Having seen the verbal lashings that Martin has endured in the past for such a transgression, you intend to stay on your boss’s good side.

(If such a side even exists, a voice in your mind—one that sounds suspiciously a lot like Tim—adds. If it does, though, Sasha manages to remain on it somehow. You should ask her for pointers.)

Thankfully, you won’t be late for your reservation if you leave within the next twenty minutes. Good thing you brought everything you needed to work for this very eventuality.

You rise from the chair and stretch your back, wincing at the many cracks and pops that ensue, before poking your head out of your office. The Archives appear to be empty. (Well, you can see light spilling out weakly from beneath Jon’s door, but you expected that. The day he leaves before you is the day that Hell freezes over.) You faintly recall some of the others popping in to say their goodbyes, and you had to have responded, but you must’ve been too immersed in work to pay proper attention.

That’s fine. You will be seeing them on Monday, after all.

You grab your bag and head to the loo. There, you put the final touches to your outfit. Taking a quick look in the mirror, you exit, the door swinging shut behind you. All that’s left is to grab your phone and jacket from your office. Once you’ve gathered your things, you can head to the restaurant and meet your date.

You pick up the pace a little, eager to leave the Institute...

Before you can reach your office, however, the door nearest to you opens. Jonathan Sims steps out. You gasp, digging your heels into the wooden flooring to prevent yourself from barreling into him. You succeed in the nick of time.

Had you not been so startled yourself, the way his eyes widen behind his glasses and his mouth parts in shock would have delighted you.

These days, Jon oscillates between two expressions: like he’s trying to fight off a headache and failing, or is one slight inconvenience away from snapping at the next person to approach him. You aren’t sure when was the last time you saw him smile, or relax. Before he became Head Archivist, that’s for certain.

Everyone is working hard to manage the disorganized chaos that is the Archives, but Jon puts you all to shame. It’s as if he’s working on a strict deadline that is fast approaching, one he has neglected to inform the rest of you about.

You admire his work ethic; it may not seem like it, but you do. You just wish he’d slow down once in a while, for his sake as well as yours.

To his credit, Jon gathers himself quicker than you do. He sighs wearily. “I understand you’re in a hurry to get home, but please, try to watch where you’re stepping.”

“Hey, I stopped before I knocked into you, didn’t I?” you say with a crooked smile. “And anyway, I’m not rushing because it’s a Friday night. I happen to have a date that I don’t want to be late for.”

Jon blinks, taken aback. “A date?”

“Yeah. A date. You know, that thing you plan when you want to enjoy time off work with another person?”

He rolls his eyes. “Yes, thank you for the definition, Tim.” After a moment, his gaze sweeps over your outfit. “Well, that explains why you’re so dressed up for a change.”

You frown, offended. “Hey, what is that supposed to mean? I might not look like a professor on his way to lecture, like you always do, but that doesn’t mean I never dress up.”

“You’re exaggerating. I do not look like a professor.”

You say nothing, only stare pointedly at his lanky frame. He’s wearing a dress shirt with a tie knotted at his throat, a jumper thrown over top for good measure. His pressed slacks end an inch or two above his Oxfords. It’s the end of the day, so his clothes are somewhat rumpled, but it only adds to the look. You can clearly picture him dressed as he is now, standing behind a lectern and scowling at a lecture theatre full of petrified first years.

Jon shakes his head with a huff, his gaze almost absentmindedly falling on something below your chin, before he meets your eyes again. Then he does a double take. To your surprise, the corner of his mouth twitches, as if he’s stifling a smirk. “At least I know how to correctly tie a tie.”

“What?” You look down at the tie you’d laboured over in the loo, pressing a self-conscious hand over the silk. “What’s wrong with my tie? It looks fine.”

“It looks like you tied it in the dark. Have you never worn one before?”

“I have!” you retort. “Just, you know... It's been a while.” You had even watched a tutorial on your phone while munching on your breakfast this morning. Not that you’ll admit it to Jon, of course.

The man in question doesn’t respond, only stares at your tie as if it insulted him personally. With a put-upon sigh, he motions you closer. “Allow me, then.”

It takes you a second to understand the meaning behind his words. You consider rejecting the offer; you don’t know what time it is, exactly, but you know you’re getting late. Surely your date won’t mind if your tie looks a little sloppy.

Instead of following through, you find yourself shuffling forward.

Long, tapered brown fingers make swift work of unknotting your tie. Once the fabric is unwound, Jon gets to tying it once more. His hands are more practiced than your clumsy ones had been. Almost like he ties other people’s ties for a living, or something.

You duck your head so you can watch, take a mental note of how it’s done, only to freeze when your chin brushes against the curve of his thumb. There’s a faint smell of fresh pine—the hand soap that the Institute religiously uses. The touch is slight, like the times your fingers overlap with his when you hand over a file or report. Yet it feels more significant, somehow.

It must be the proximity. There isn’t a desk separating the two of you, as is often the case. He has breached your personal space in order to assist you, the tip of one Oxford resting between your loafers. Or maybe it has to do with how close his hands are to the vulnerable stretch of your throat. You swallow involuntarily at the thought.

Either way, you are aware of him in a way you tend not to be. In a way you have instructed yourself not to be.

Jon is no longer the cute co-worker you like to steal glimpses of; he is your boss who must be held at a certain distance. He certainly has no trouble acting professional and aloof, so neither should you. Even if the two of you have been bantering for the past few minutes in a way that you haven’t in some time.

Regardless, you shouldn’t be mooning over your direct superior. You should be interested in other people—like your date, who had asked you out last week. You’d dithered over accepting, but eventually decided to make plans with them. It’s time for you to move on from your ridiculous crush.

(A stubborn part of you can’t help but note how smooth his skin feels against your own. How warm.)

When you feel the digit twitch, nearly grazing your bottom lip, your head snaps up. “S-sorry,” you say hastily, unable to meet the archivist's gaze.

“...It’s all right,” Jon murmurs. He resumes twisting and folding the silk around your throat, as if nothing happened. Because nothing did happen. It was an accident, and the smallest of touches at that.

You still have some difficulty getting your heartbeat to settle, as if you’re some Victorian nobleman who just caught your first glimpse of an upturned ankle.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), it doesn’t take much longer for Jon to finish. “There,” he says, eyeing your collar critically one last time before he lets go of the tie. He pauses with his palms hovering over your chest, like he wants to smooth the material there down, before he lets them drop. His arms hang limply at his sides. “All, ah, all done.”

“Thanks,” you say, glancing down to inspect his handiwork. You have to give it to him: he knows how to tie a tie. The half-Windsor knot looks crisp and sits nicely over your shirt, not at all as frumpy or lopsided as your own attempt had been.

Jon nods and steps back, widening the gap between you. “See you on Monday.” With that, he goes to walk off, interaction already forgotten.

“Let me guess,” you say, stopping him in his tracks. “You’re not leaving yet.”

He looks over at you. “Very astute,” he replies, a hint of amusement suffusing his dry tone. “I am just finishing up some last minute work. I’ll be heading out shortly.”

You hum at his response, crossing your arms over your chest. “Good. Best not to go to the break room and brew any tea, then. If you’re ‘heading out shortly.’” The way he shifts his weight from one foot to another, his eyes flitting away from yours, that must be exactly what he was planning to do. Bullseye.

Jon clears his throat unnecessarily. “Yes, well. Don’t forget that I’ll need your report—”

“Bright and early on Monday, I know.”

“Right.” He shuffles backwards. Slowly, as if reluctant to. “Have a good night. Enjoy your... date.”

“Good night, Jon.” You watch, smothering a grin, as he enters his office and shuts the door.

You aren’t in high spirits for long. You are fifteen minutes late for your reservation, to the annoyance of your date. Though you try to make up for it with your sparkling personality and witty repartee, you get the feeling that a second date is not in the stars for you.

You feel very little disappointment over it. You refuse to think hard about why that is.

Upon entering your office, you spot your earrings on your desk. You must’ve forgotten them. With a groan, you touch an ear and feel the stud nestled there. You like them just fine, normally, but they aren’t fancy enough for a dinner date.

All of a sudden, the back of your neck prickles. The tiny hairs there stand at attention. You glance over your shoulder, at the open door to your office. It’s empty. Your brows furrow, but you shake it off. It’s not fun, feeling like you’re being watched, but you’re used to it by now. It tends to happen from time to time, especially when you’re in the Archives. Must be nerves or something.

Best to focus on the issue at hand.

You briefly consider returning to the loo. No, you decide; it’ll be faster to switch earrings here. You get to work on removing the first stud. It proves harder than expected. After a few more fumbled attempts, you scowl to yourself. Other than pinching your earlobe somewhat painfully, you have achieved little.

Has it always been so difficult to take these off without a mirror?

“Stupid things,” you mutter crossly under your breath. “Would you... just...”

“Having some trouble?”

The question, voiced from directly behind you, startles you. You yank at your stud. Hard. Your earlobe twinges sharply, causing you to yelp in pain. You let go and whirl around to see Elias Bouchard standing in the doorway.

“Mr. Bouchard!” you blurt, blinking owlishly at him. Then you regain your composure. “Sorry. I, uh, thought I was alone.”

“No, I should be the one to apologize. I should’ve announced myself sooner.” His head tilts to the side. “And it’s Elias, remember? Mr. Bouchard was my father.” A small smile plays upon his lips, as if he’d told a particularly amusing joke.

“Right, of course. Elias.” The name feels strange rolling off your tongue. You have always called Jon by his first name, never Mr. Sims, but it’s not the same. Maybe because Elias is your boss’s boss. Yes, that must be it.

You wait for him to say something, explain why he’s here. He just stares back, silent. Under the weak fluorescent lights of the Archives, which cast shadows over his tall frame, his grey eyes appear darker than usual. You resist the urge to shiver.

As the silence stretches on, pulling taut between you both, you come to the realization that he expects you to break it.

“I, um,” you say lamely, “I was just on my way out.”

Elias hums, but continues to regard you with that piercing gaze. “It appeared as if you were busy, though.”

“Ah, yeah. I wanted to switch my earrings, except these damn studs refuse to budge. It’s been a while since I took them off, I guess.” You chuckle, even though it’s not funny. His smile widens a touch, but he doesn’t join in. “I can just do it in the car.”

Before you can turn back to your desk, Elias speaks. “Would you like some assistance?”

You stare, caught off-guard. You hadn’t expected him to offer. “Oh, um. If you aren’t too busy...?” You glance in the direction of Jon’s office. Elias must have come down to see the Head Archivist before the weekend. Had he already spoken with him, or had he noticed your door open and thought to check in on you first?

“Not at all.” He lifts a pale hand. It resembles a pianist’s, slender and elegant. “If I may?”

He’s asking for permission to remove your earring. To touch you.

You tilt your chin up and to the side, to make it easier for him to reach over. No need to make this any more awkward. “Please.” You hoped that you would feel less nervous if you weren’t staring into those eyes, but looking away does little to help. He’s in your peripheral vision, his dark suit and hair rendering him an ink blot. A very tall, very intimidating, very handsome ink blot.

This situation, you realize, does nothing to quell the teeny tiny attraction that you’ve been harbouring for your boss. Quite the opposite. You have only had the opportunity to speak with him a handful of times, but you admire his dedication to the Institute. His intelligence and extensive knowledge of the paranormal. The fact that he’s easy on the eyes only further complicates the matter.

You’d been certain that you could dispel your wildly inappropriate feelings for your boss. Going on a date with the first person to catch your interest was step one. Now you aren’t so sure.

Elias steps forward, so he is closer to you. The scent of his cologne, spicy and rich, washes over you. You hold unnaturally still when his forefinger grazes the shell of your ear. For some reason, you expected his skin to feel cold, but it’s not. His hand is as warm as anyone’s would be.

Belatedly, you recall that you haven’t instructed him on how to remove the earring. His own ears aren’t pierced, so he might not know how. “It’s a push-pin stud,” you explain. “I think it might be secured too tightly, so you should hold both ends and—”

“Twist it,” he finishes for you. “Don’t worry, I know.”

“Oh. Great.”

His forefinger rests against the top of the stud as his thumb gently rolls your earlobe over, to expose the flatback. To your horror, your breath hitches. Please let him not have heard that. He pauses, causing your heart to nearly shrivel up in your chest, before resuming his ministrations without comment. False alarm.

The thumb and forefinger on his other hand pinches the post, holding it firmly as he begins to twist. Your earlobe twinges again, but you grit your teeth. You refuse to make another embarrassing sound.

Finally, the two ends pull apart. Your eyes almost close in relief. Thank God.

Elias’s lips turn up at the corners. “There you are.”

You hold out your hand, palm up. He carefully places the silver ends on it. “Thanks.” Your fingers curl into a fist, caging them inside.

“Of course.”

There’s still the other ear, though, so you tip your chin to the other side. Elias shifts a little too. Now you’re leaning towards him instead of away, his form inches from yours. It’s the nearest you have ever been to him.

His suit is made out of thick wool. You have the craziest urge to reach out and rub the material between your fingers. Find out if it feels as soft and warm as it looks. Elias removes the other stud before you can give in to the impulse. Which you wouldn’t have. Obviously.

He places the last two ends in your palm as well, watches as you move to your desk and tuck them away.

“Thanks again, Elias. I appreciate it.” You pick up your fancy earrings. They glimmer under the overhead lights. “I don’t think I would have been able to take them off without a mirror.”

“It was no trouble.” He clasps his hands together, observing idly as you put on the first earring. The fish hook goes through with little issue. “Any big plans for tonight?”

“Just a dinner reservation,” you say as you move on to the other ear. It’s as easy as the first, but you wince when you feel a dull pain. The lobe must be sore from when you’d yanked on it earlier. “I need to be out of here within the next...” You glance at the clock situated beside the door. Your eyes widen. “Five minutes ago.”

Elias arches his brows, looking faintly amused. “You’d best hurry up, then.”

You have already started throwing your things into your bag. Once you’re done, you grab your phone off the desk and make a beeline for the door. Your boss is kind enough to step outside so you can turn the lights off and shut the door.

“Drive safe,” he says, inclining his head. “I hope your date goes well.”

“You too,” you respond automatically. It’s only when you’re turning the corner that you realize your goodbye made no sense. Your eyes fall shut briefly in mortification. Oh well. Nothing you can do about it now. He’ll have forgotten all about it the next time you see him.

In the end, you are only a couple minutes late to the restaurant, but you find yourself distracted. You’re unable to focus on your date or your food. All you can think about is that moment you shared with your boss. The long line of his body so close to yours, his fingers brushing your jaw...

But that is not what your mind lingers on the longest. There is one burning question that remains with you, even once you’re tucked into bed, unable to fall asleep. It must have been a good guess, that’s all. Yet you’re convinced there is more to it than that.

How had Elias known that you were going on a date? Hadn’t you only mentioned a dinner reservation?

(Earlier:

Elias watches as you turn the corner and disappear from view. He huffs a quiet laugh. He had come down to the Archives to touch base with Jon, when he noticed that you were here. What a treat it had been to speak with you, provoke you into abandoning your pitiful attempts at professionalism. Perhaps he should drop by more often.

He looks down, inspects his thumb. A small bead of red glints back at him.

Your right earlobe had been bleeding, just a little, from when you’d gotten startled and pulled too hard. The blood had transferred onto the digit when he removed the stud.

Elias smiles at the drop of blood. Then he raises his thumb to his mouth and licks it off.

Though the Head Archivist is his main priority, he intends to enjoy the time he has with you.)

[igotanidea]

Batboys x albino!s/o headcanons

Requested : yes

This one was truly a challenge and got me thinking. But I like nonobvious requests, so if anyone else got anything specific in mind, ask away :)

DICK

He would notice it straight away, like he is tuned into spotting extraordinary looking people

Definitely staring at first, but not in the creepy or judgmental way, rather astonished

He would love you, I mean, consider the fact that he had dated a princess from Tamaran with purple hair and eyes glowing green,

I believe he would be the one to try to get the attention of such person by showing off a bit, trying to display all his best feature to match your outstanding ones.

“Hey, let’s be friends!”

He would show you off as well, sometimes making you blush or causing a bit of a drama when you feel a bit insecure about going out or being put on the spotlight

Once you get into a relationship with him, he would be the protector, always ready to assure you how amazing you are, and that people are only talking because they are jealous

Definitely doing self-care together, he would love to help you oil your hair and moisturize the skin (face mask first!)

And on sunny days he would never let you leave the house without putting a ton of sunscreen on, always having a sun umbrella to protect you from the rays and/or a bag otf other accessories (sunglasses, hats, etc.)

Casually running fingers through your hair or stroking your skin, just because he can

JASON

I think he would be the one to miss your pale skin and unusual hair color

at first

come on, this guy has  a white hair strand in the middle of the forehead and a tone of scars, I don’t think he focuses on the looks that much

But he has to notice eventually (probably by being called to order by Dick or Tim because of how insensitive he is)

Cause yes, he may seem a bit insensitive and rough on the outside never really addressing the matter of your albinism, but we all know he cares much more than it shows

You want to go out, but feel shy? – he will hype you and kill scare off anyone who may even look at you in a judgmental way.

You want to stay home and watch movies, but get insecure because of the way the lead female character looks? – screw the movie, he will kiss you until you forget about the whole world and just believe in yourself

I strongly believe he would be the one to understand why you feel down the best of all the batboys

He would stand with you in front of the mirror, pointing out all those little things you feel insecure about and then his own

“See, baby? We match.”

forehead kisses and cuddling on the couch (he won’t let you leave, just holding in that iron-clad embrace, not that you care).

TIM

Oh my god …

He’s like a walking encyclopedia and that is not necessarily a good thing

The most open about the matter, but the most awkward about it as well.

Once he started getting interested in you as more than a friend, he read like a whole library about albinism and approaching you without causing any psychological pain or hurt

And with that he pushed the point to the other side

“You don’t need to walk on the eggshells around me, Tim! You treat me like an alien or something like this! I am a person!”

And after a little fight he would confess that in fact he likes you and therefore all that embarrassing behavior

He would be the one to create a safe space for you both, like a bubble,

He’s been judged before and kind of learn how to not care and just be happy and content with himself and is more than willing to share his methods with you

Grabbing your hands the second he notices you getting insecure, arms rubbing and temple kisses

Making you meet all his friends, who will love you the first second they saw you

DAMIAN

Oh, he’s the one to stare at you with that impenetrable gaze which also seem judgmental, but it’s just curiosity

He’s been raised by a cult of assassin, there are so many things he knows shit about

Making you blush hard, which is way too visible on your pale skin

No one can really tell what he thought when you first met.

Not saying  a single word, just gawking

Pushing your limits to the point when you either cry or yell at him and it makes him even more interested (and maybe tiniest bit sorry)

Since then, he’s been the one to spite you just to see your reaction

Slowly getting addicted to that, to the point where any other girls just seem to ordinary and he misses having you with your astounding features around

“You are a jerk, Damian!” “Why? Because I find you the most interesting person on the planet?”

And once you get together ? he would probably go everywhere with his katana

And I mean everywhere, just to scare everyone who may say a single bad word about you

No one would dare

Even when you are in a relationship, he would still stare at you at times, when you don’t see that

He just can’t seem to keep his eyes of you, but is never going to straightforwardly admit how much you mean to him

[life-winners-liveblog]

So the problem that Scar is helping them with would be lim!jimmy assumedly.

Grian, we have been trying to tell you that Scar doesn’t blame you, and is in fact really happy. We’ve been able to talk to him for quite a while, he just didn’t want you to know for some reason. I think you need a little lay down now, you’ve been through a lot. Here’s some chocolate chip cookies for you as a treat.

-Neko

Also merry Christmas from Australia!

3L!Scar: How did you guess- nevermind I am not surprised anymore at this point... how can you predict stuff like that?

(I wonder

I really wonder)

3L!Scar: No matter... I just need to go in, grab him and get out.

~~~~

LimL!Jimmy: Oh It's you Scar what are you- wait you are not Secret Life Sca-

3L!Scar: Hi Jimmy, first of the bad boys, how are you doing my friend?

LimL!Jimmy: Who are you and why are you here?

3L!Scar: Listen... I am a friend ... 3rd Life Scar...I just want you to come with me back to the loser void.

LimL!Jimmy: You can do that????

3L!Scar: It's complicated... so do you want to-

LimL!Jimmy: Yeah! I got the bad boys back in the void.

3L!Scar: Oh ... That's easier then I expected... well come on then!

LimL!Jimmy: But not now...

3L!Scar: Of course it wasn't that easy... why not now?

LimL!Jimmy: I need to say bye to everyone first of course, I am not going to just disappear randomly.

3L!Scar: ...And then you'll come with me?

Liml!Jimmy: AND you need to promise me I can come visit eventually.

3L!Scar: Sure, sure I can do that. (he can't)

LimL!Jimmy: Then yeah!

~~~~~

Scott: Oh! Jimmy! Did you need something?

LimL!Jimmy: Yeah... I found a way to go back to the loser void...

Scott: Oh! Is this way going to be painful? Are you going to be ok?

LimL!Jimmy: Oh yes! Of course Scott! Don't worry about it.

Scott: Then thats wonderful! Do you need anything before you go? For the travel?

LimL!Jimmy: Oh no no, just wanted to say bye before I go.

Scott: Awwww thats so cute!

LimL!Jimmy: Excuse you?!? I am a bad boy! I am cool, not cute!

Scott: Sure Jimmy, sure... well be safe then!

~~~~~

Martyn: What do you want now?

LimL!Jimmy: I am leaving.

Martyn: What?

LimL!Jimmy: I am going back to the loser void.

Martyn: Uhhh just like this?

LimL!Jimmy: What? Are you sad?

Martyn: Pshhhh as if... I am just surprised that you are already leaving. Well then, bye I guess.

~~~~~

Liml!Jimmy: So Pearl-

Pearl: You are leaving?

LimL!Jimmy: How-

Pearl: I overheard you talking to Martyn.

LimL!Jimmy: Ah... well thats one explanation less.

Pearl: Do you want to share how you are going back to the "loser void" with the rest of the class?

LimL!Jimmy: Not really.

Pearl: Alright, but if you don't come visit on your own I'll go to the loser void, I'll find you and force you to visit us myself.

LimL!Jimmy: I will come visit... say bye to Olive for me.

Pearl: Will do mate, will do.

~~~~~

Scar: Oh Jimmy! Do you perhaps want a therapy session?

LimL!Jimmy: Ehm... not really ... I wanted to say bye... I am going back to the void with the other losers.

Scar: Oh! That's good right?

LimL!Jimmy: Yeah! I get to reunite with the Bad Boys and the Duskbringers!

Scar: I have no idea of what any of that means! Well, if you see my Pearl thank her for me...

LimL!Jimmy: Sure!

~~~~~~

Grian: Jimmy.

LimL!Jimmy: Grian.

Grian: I heard you are leaving...going back to the loser void.

LimL!Jimmy: You heard about it too??

Grian: You are not exactly quiet about it Tim.

LimL!Jimmy:... I guess thats fair.

Grian: You are going to visit, maybe bring other me and Joel with you.

LimL!Jimmy: Yep, will try to bring them as well.

Grian:... Hug?

*they hug*

LimL!Jimmy: You are surprisingly touchy aren't you?

Grian: These last few days have been franklh a roller coaster.

LimL!Jimmy: Understatement of the century pal.

Grian: Ah! And don't forget the spare Ariana Griande suit for your Grian!

LimL!Jimmy: Oh! Yeah! I did say I would bring it with me didn't I? Well then... bye Grian!

~~~~~

LimL!Jimmy: Okay I am ready! I said bye to everyone!

3L!Scar: Finally... well then let's go!

[ghost-bxrd]

Dick making friends with Mockingjay.

The thing is, Jason doesn't have any particular hatred towards Dick - just the general hate towards all Bats and all heroes.

He hates Bruce and Tim for obvious reasons, but he and Dick were never close enough to feel strongly one way or the other.

He isn't surprised Dick didn't avenge him, because why should he? It isn't like Bruce, Dick never made the choice to take him in, if he didn't want to play big brother to the random kid, well, annoying, but okay.

So unlike with Bruce or Tim, Jason doesn't spew quite so much vitriol about Dick to MJ. So already it is a 'the least horrible among the Bats' impression. Which is not saying much, but still.

More to the point? Mockingjay is basically what Baby Robin Dick was - I mean, waving a severed arm? That's 100% something feral robin Dick would have done.

So Dick has a much better idea than the others on how to deal with the gremlin.

He knows better than to talk the kid into leaving Hood, he knows how he would have reacted to anyone taking him away from Bruce in the early years.

So he just, kinda offers random tips to the kid? Like, "Hey, that mob guy your boss is after? He's got arachnophobia. So if you guys wanna have some fun questioning him..."

Or

"Come on, kiddo! You grabbed the arm when the head was right there? Imagine how it'd look if you just pushed it at the right angle to make it look like it's nodding!"

Stuff like that. And laughs at the insults the kid spews at him. There isn't really much the kid can say which will get to him - school pretty much immunized him to any surprise at kids being absolutely brutal.

And has practical answers to the ' why won't you kill' question. Like, "Kiddo, we start killing, we lose Gordon. The Mayor is already bought, just looking for an excuse to sic the cops on us. We lose ability to coordinate with the idiots in charge, good luck dealing with anything city wide - like that Man Bat invasion last week. We'd be fighting both the cops and the bad guys. Fine if you're just a dealer defending your territory from regular bad guys, but not gonna work on a larger scale. I mean, there's a pretty good reason your boss isn't going after any big name Rogues or even going out the Alley"

Of course, there's still absolutely no doubt where MJ's loyalties lie, but still, MJ with enough of a semi amiable connection with Nightwing to go to him if Jason is in trouble and MJ can't get him out of it alone, or if MJ is being chased or something and Jason isn't close enough to help.

In the beginning I think Dick will be too angry over the bastardization of Robin to even consider taking this route with Mockingjay. Like everyone else, he’s convinced Hood must be abusing/grooming Mockingjay and attempt to do the “you’re safe with us spiel”, which is just going to annoy MJ so much more.

But eventually, if Dick stops to think long enough about it, then I can see him trying to take the route you suggested and attempt to establish himself as a trustworthy adult in MJ’s life, in the hopes that the kid will realize how messed up his situation is and come to Dick for help.

Of course that would also mean he has to stop insulting Red Hood around Mockingjay, which is very hard for poor Dick.

But we’ll see how the Nightwing situation is going to play out in AoM 😌✨

[swanqueenfeathers]

Jason opens his eyes to the inky blackness of his darkened bedroom, his body on high alert. He’s not alone - a sixth sense picking up what his ears can’t. He stands without so much of a rustle of the sheets and grabs the fully loaded .22 Beretta from his nightstand, switches off the safety and stalks towards the open doorway with silent footsteps. 

From the hallway, he can see the faint outline of someone standing in the kitchen. He points the gun at the silhouette of their head and flicks on the lights, flooding the apartment in a warm, yellow glow.

“Wrong move, motherfu– Dude, the fuck?” 

Tim, who was just elbows deep in the snack cabinet - Jason’s snack cabinet - turns slowly to face him, looking like a deer in the headlights.

“Didn’t mean to wake you,” He says sheepishly, but he’s stuffing a pack of Oreos into the pocket of his oversized hoodie which voids his half-assed apology, in Jason’s opinion. 

Jason tucks the gun into the waistband of his sweats with an incredulous scoff. “I was gonna shoot you.” 

“You didn’t, though, so it’s cool.” 

Jason shakes his head, somewhat aghast at Tim’s nonchalant reaction to nearly being shot. Fuckin’ psycho. “So you came here because…?”

“Uh,” Tim averts his gaze and fidgets with the corner of the cookie pack in his pocket, crinkling the plastic. He mumbles something, too fast and low for Jason to make out. 

“Tim, I can’t hear you,” Jason says, exasperation making the words come out sharper than he intended, which he immediately and uncharacteristically regrets when the line of Tim’s shoulders tense.

“Sorry,” Tim says stiffly, “I’ll just go.” 

“Whoa, man. Hold up.” Jason quickly steps in front of Tim and places his hands on his shoulders, placating. “What’s up with you? Is it Bruce? You know he can’t help being an asshole, it’s a condition.” 

“It’s not Bruce,” Tim says, and he’s still not meeting Jason’s eyes, but his lips twitch into a ghost of a smile that Jason counts as a win. “I just… I didn’t want to be by myself.” 

“So you came here? Why?” Jason asks, taken aback. He and Tim hadn’t started out on the greatest of terms, but time heals most wounds, and he likes to think that they could be considered friends now. Tim was one of the few people he could stand to be around for more than five minutes - he was incredibly brilliant, and witty to boot. Their back and forth banter during the occasional team-up was something that Jason sometimes found himself looking forward to, which he would never admit to anyone, ever.

“I don’t know,” Tim shrugs uncomfortably, “Because your place is the closest? I wasn’t really thinking about it, I guess.”  

An unfamiliar albeit not unpleasant feeling settles in the pit of Jason’s stomach. Pride, maybe? For some reason, Tim had sought him out. Not Dick, or Bruce - him. The thought fills him with a strange warmth that he’d rather not dissect at the moment. 

“You can stay,” He says instead, moving his hands from Tim’s shoulders to flick his forehead. “Just don’t expect any coddling, and next time? Bring your own fucking snacks.”

“But it tastes better when I don’t have to buy it,” Tim says, and he’s finally looking up at Jason, smiling as the tension in his frame visibly melts away. It’s weird, seeing Tim relax around him, because of him. It’s new, kind of unnerving, and yet - he still feels warm. 

They spend the next hour camped out in the kitchen, talking about everything and nothing. Tim sits on the counter, legs swinging back and forth as he happily inhales Jason’s only tub of orange sherbet, the bastard. Jason sits across from him, munching on the Oreos that Tim so kindly offered, as if they were his in the first place. 

Eventually, the lack of sleep starts to catch up to them. Jason can’t stop yawning, blinking slower and slower as the seconds tick away. Tim has dark circles under his eyes, but says nothing, like he’s worried Jason might make him leave if he acknowledges the time.

“I’m calling it a night,” Jason says at some point. Then, he adds, “The couch converts to a bed.” An invitation to stay without putting it into exact words. “S’already got a blanket and whatever.”

“Thanks,” Tim says, genuinely enough that Jason feels a little embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck before he stands and pads towards his bedroom. He throws a wave over his shoulder.

“G’night, Tim.”

“Night, Jason.” 

[mouthsfullofsharpteeth]

GODDDD I LOVE THE VAMPIRE ALEX STORY

I wanna know how he bites them bitches (gay as hell)

ok so, im kinda using the sims4 vampire logic here, where if alex just needs a little snack he drinks from the wrist, but when he's having a full meal he would drink from the neck.

i feel like even though alex and brian were such close friends in college, brian would get a bit squeamish about the blood. he would try to act unbothered, but it hurt, and seeing alex with some pinkened drool dripping out of the corner of his mouth is both too unnerving and too attractive. brian would prefer alex bite his neck during a make out session, because at least that doesn't involve him drawing blood for over five minutes straight. so alex typically just has snacks from brian's wrist. eventually he does get over some of his discomfort, and alex gets a nice little meal from his neck.

jay doesn't mind blood at all. he's happy to let alex drink from his neck, except for the fact that yk, hes kinda skinny lanky and anemic, and after alex takes those big drinks from his neck jay looks close to passing out. they end up needing to just have alex drink from his wrist, which jay soon comes to enjoy a lot more because it means he can see alex's face while he's feeding. he likes to watch how into it alex gets, how he wraps his hands around jay's arm to hold him still, eyelids fluttering and face slowly gaining some color again. jay definitely would take on a very knowledge hungry researcher role here, he helps alex a lot with finding out information on vampires, and he and brian sort of lead the hunt for knowledge on the local vampire that turned alex, as well as any other's that are in their area.

lastly, tim. so as previously stated, tim is a werewolf. the werewolf is sort of like his masky side in this case. he's well aware of being a werewolf, and so is his family, as he's been one his whole life. none of the other's know however, initially because brian was his only friend and he didn't want to scare him off, but now because as he's gotten closer with jay and alex, he doesn't want to infringe on alex's being a vampire. he's worried that could drive them apart and ruin the friend group. tim heals very fast though, and can handle a lot more blood being taken from him than the others, which he thinks might be suspicious, so he holds off on letting alex drink from him for a whileee.

however, it soon becomes necessary for alex to feed from tim, because with jay unable to handle giving alex the large meals, and brian currently too squeamish to, alex is getting weaker. he asks for snacks more and more frequently, and it becomes clear that he's just not getting enough. so tim finally offers. tim has a low pain tolerance, and the first three times alex tries to latch onto his neck, tim jerks away in pain. their solution to that is a bit extreme, but it involves tim crawling into alex's lap and grabbing onto his shoulders, burying his face in the crook of alex's neck, whimpering in pain, fur all fluffed up, maybe biting into the fabric of alex's shirt while he tries to keep his little whines muffled. meanwhile, alex clamps onto tim's neck, teeth puncturing the skin sort of like a can opener, and then sucking and licking up the blood that spills from those holes. tim is intoxicatingly delicious, the werewolf in him flavoring the blood in a way alex has never experienced. alex feels more alert than ever, but also almost loopy, drunk on that blood lust. tim finds it painful, but it will be a pain he will grow to love.

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Hair Trigger

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam, Superfam, YJ98

Summary: A junior at Gotham University, Jason finds it difficult to conceal his worsening mental health from his family and his friend, Jon Lane Kent. Family secrets are revealed and boundaries are pushed as Jason and Laney struggle to navigate through school, their romantic feelings, and their trauma. Could the reintroduction of Laney Kent be more trouble than it's worth, or is it just what Jason needed to confront the demons of his past?

I will also do trigger warnings for chapters and if there is smut I have the chapter(s) tagged so you don't have to worry about nsfw in the fic if you're just here for the story itself.

Chapters: 20/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Jonathan Lane Kent, Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake, Conner Kent, Natalia Knight, Jonathan Samuel Kent, Cassie Sandsmark, Chris Kent, Bart Allen, Original Character(s)

Relationships: JayLaney, Clois, TimKon

Additional Tags: University AU, No Powers AU, Sharing A Bed, Romance, Angst, TW // Kidnapping , TW // Gun Violence

Chapter Twenty: Disjointed

Laney sat on Jason's bed as Jason picked up their dirty laundry and put it in the hamper. "Jason?" Laney whispered. Jason took the blankets off his bed and checked the plugs to make sure everything was plugged where it was supposed to be. "Jason—."

"Who is Caleb Forrester, and why do I feel like he means something to you?" Jason raised his voice slightly. Laney's shoulders tensed.

"He was my counselor when I went to boarding school... And I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just wanted to put it all behind me. Jason, he doesn't mean anything to me anymore. I'm terrified of him," Laney's voice cracked. Jason sat across from Laney on the bed. "I told you a lie about the first guy I was emotionally involved with, and I had to change details about it because I didn't know how you would see me—."

"I love you, Laney. Even if we were just friends or married or any of it... I love you in every way, and I wouldn't have judged you, but I'm sorry for being pissed. I just thought that maybe you wanted someone else," Jason whispered as he grabbed Laney's hand.

Laney kissed Jason's knuckles. "Jason, no, I don't want anybody else," Laney mumbled as tears flooded to the surface. "And I don't wanna cry... Caleb and I might've had something, but whatever that was was wrong. I just want it to be over. I want him to stop following me." Jason held Laney's hand over his mouth and kissed his palm.

"Wait, how long's he been following you?" Jason asked. Laney took Jason's hand and tried to cover his face. "Lane, please. Be serious with me."

"Since I was seventeen. Caleb showed up at a party I went to, then in Metropolis, he showed up at my dorm room, and now he's here in Gotham. I don't know," Laney whispered, "Maybe this is my fault for trusting him so much at first."

"It isn't your fault... Hey, look at me. It's not," Jason whispered. Laney looked up at Jason, and they met eyes.

Laney lay back on Jason's bed and took a deep breath. "Jason, I don't know what to do other than put down roots and hope that he will eventually go away," Laney mumbled as he pushed his hair back.

"Lane, I know you don't want to hear this, but I think you need to get a restraining order. I will go with you, and we can go out of town for a little bit. Okay?" Jason asked. Lois knocked on the door, and Jason invited her in.

"Your dad is on speaker right now," Lois whispered.

"Lane, how do you feel?" Clark asked.

"I'm okay... I mean, I'm screwed up because I knew Forrester was following me. I'm sorry," Laney mumbled.

Clark clicked his tongue. "Laney, maybe you should come home—."

"Dad, I can't come home. I came to Gotham because I thought he wouldn't follow me here. If I go home, he'll just follow me there... Jason's right. I have to make this stop. I'm gonna go down to the courthouse in a little while," Laney mumbled.

Lois leaned against Jason's nightstand, still holding the phone. "Lane, take the phone. Jason, can I talk to you?" Lois asked. Jason nodded, and Lois gave Laney her cellphone.

Jason stepped into the living room with her, and Lois plopped down on the couch. "Did you know anything about Laney's counselor?" Lois asked. Jason shook his head.

"Laney told me something about some guy from boarding school, but it wasn't true... I didn't really know anything about the counselor until this morning after breakfast," Jason answered. Lois pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I thought that maybe he said something to you about it... Maybe I should stay longer—."

"No, don't worry... I've got him. I'm gonna take him to the courthouse later on today, and—."

Laney came out of the room and grabbed his keys off of the kitchen counter. "Laney, where are you going?" Lois asked. Laney took a deep breath.

"I have to go get my laptop from my apartment. I forgot I have an assignment due at eleven... I'll be right back," Laney replied as he left the apartment. Jason went back to doing his laundry and cleaned his room before noticing something strange.

"Mrs. K.? Can you come in here for a second?" Jason asked. Lois came to the door and looked at him.

"Jason—."

"His laptop is in the bedroom," Jason pointed out. Lois cursed and slipped on her shoes, and she asked Jason to follow her downstairs. They got in the car and drove straight to Laney's building.

Jason texted Sylvia and motioned for Lois to stay out of sight while waiting for Sylvia to answer the door. Sylvia answered the door in tears, and she embraced Jason.

"Hey, Sylvie, is Lane here? We just had a weird conversation before he left, and I just wanted to come and apologize to him," Jason whispered. Sylvia burst into tears.

"I said that guy was weird, and Laney came here and left with him—."

"Sylvia, slow down," Jason whispered, "So he's not here?"

"No, Laney went with the guy, and he told me not to say anything, but he packed a bag—."

Jason cursed. "Sylvie, stay here, and I'll call you when I see him—."

"Jason, I'm so—." Jason smiled and shook his head.

"It's okay... I'll find him in a minute," Jason whispered as he left the apartment with Lois.

"What happened?" Lois asked as she rushed behind Jason.

"He left with him. Lane went with him. Sylvia said Laney packed a bag and went with him," Jason replied as he unlocked Lois's car door, and Jason's phone rang. Lois answered and put it on speaker.

"Caleb, I get why you're mad. I said a lot of crazy things last night," Laney said over the phone, "We can go to the farm, but I need you to tell me why you're still so mad at me."

"Because you said some really nasty things to me last night. Lane, you know that I adore you. You know that, but it hurts me when you run from me," Mr. Forrester replied.

"But, Caleb, listen to me. What do I have to do to prove it to you? Hm?" Laney asked.

"Come to Hershey with me. To the farm," Mr. Forrester answered.

"Caleb, baby, I said I was gonna go with you. I did. I wanna go to Pennsylvania with you. I want to, but you're scaring me. Can you please put that away?" Laney asked. "No, Caleb, please. We can do whatever you want to do. I just can't be honest with you when I'm scared like this."

"Lane, do you think I'm stupid—?"

"No! But I'm gonna be sick if you don't put the gun away!" Laney screamed. "Like I'm so upset right now because I feel like you want to hurt me, and all I want is to go away with you! Can you please pull over behind this grocery store? I feel like I'm gonna throw up!"

"Lane, okay... I'm gonna put the gun away. Just calm down," Mr. Forrester's voice softened, and the call grew near silent. They heard a smacking noise, and Jason looked at Lois and back at the road. She took the phone off speaker, and Jason wiped a few tears from his eyes.

"Jason, are you okay?" Lois asked as she held the phone to her ear.

Jason chuckled uncomfortably and shook his head. "No, no, I'm not okay. It's not that, though. It's not the kissing. It's just—."

Lois gasped and put the phone back on speaker before yelling for Laney. "Laney! Lane! Answer the phone!" Lois yelled.

"What happened?" Jason asked.

"Mom? Jason?" Laney sobbed before telling them where he was, and he hung up. Jason sped to where Laney was, and he ran into the police and the ambulance.

"Lane! Laney!" Jason screamed as he jumped out of the car, and the police stopped him and Lois from entering the scene. Laney sat in the back of an ambulance wrapped in a blanket with blood on his face and hands, and Jason and Lois ran to him and embraced him. Laney sat there in a daze.

"Cricket, look at me," Lois whispered, "Cricket, it's Mama."

Jason got on his phone and called Clark. "Hello?" Clark's voice answered on speaker, and Laney blinked hard before bursting into tears. "Jonathan?"

"Is he dead?" Laney asked. Lois looked around, and she shook her head.

"Don't worry about that. Did you talk to the police?" Lois asked. Laney nodded.

"What happened?" Clark asked.

"He pulled over, and I shot him," Laney whispered. Lois wandered off, and Jason stood with Laney.

"I'll be there tonight," Clark replied before hanging up. Laney reached for Jason, and Jason embraced him. Jason moved to kiss Laney, and Laney turned his head.

"Don't kiss me. I threw up," Laney mumbled.

"I don't care. I'll gargle," Jason whispered, and Laney let Jason kiss him. "Please don't scare me like this again. You know how scared I had to be to kiss you after you threw up?" Laney let out a little laugh.

Lois came back. "Let's go home... Okay? I talked to the police, and they said it's okay. Let's go home," Lois whispered as she took the blanket off of Laney, and Laney grabbed Jason's hand as they walked to the car. The ride to Laney's apartment was silent.

When they got back to Laney's apartment, Sylvia hugged him. "I thought you'd be hurt," she wept, "Are you okay?"

Laney didn't say anything for a moment as he looked around the apartment. "I need to take a shower and lay down. Sylvie, I'm sorry," Laney whispered before kissing the top of her head and going back to his room.

Jason waited until Laney went to the bathroom before making sure Laney's CPAP was plugged up and pulled the sheets back. He burst into tears. Lois entered the room and gave Jason a hug. "Jason, it's okay. Don't worry," Lois whispered.

"No, but it's not. I've never seen Lane like that," Jason wiped the tears from his eyes. "There's so much that I really don't know about this."

"Jason, Laney isn't guarded because he wants to be. Lane's got so many feelings about everything, and it's easier for him to push through them or lie about them than it is to just stop and feel something...

He loves you. He's just gonna need time to sort through this. This all seems sudden for us, so imagine how it was for him. I'm gonna order us something to eat," Lois whispered. Jason nodded.

"Mrs. K.?" Jason stopped her.

"Yeah?" she asked in a soft tone.

Jason stood there for a while in near-silence before whispering, "Did Laney kill him?"

Lois shook her head. "Almost," Lois whispered, "But I think it's better for Lane's conscience this way." She closed the door behind her on her way out, and Jason sat in a desk chair, waiting for Laney to return.

When Laney came back to the bedroom, he took off his shirt, climbed into bed, and lay there, staring up at the ceiling. Jason opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't know what to say. "I can understand if you're mad about what you had to hear," Laney whispered. Jason rolled the chair around to Laney's bed.

"I'm not mad at you. You did what you had to," Jason whispered, "I just hate I wasn't there for you." Laney turned on his side.

"Jason, I have to tell you something," Laney whispered, "I didn't want him to die... I still don't." Jason nodded.

"That isn't a bad thing... That's just how you feel—."

"How do you feel?" Laney asked.

"I would've put him in the ground," Jason whispered. Laney looked at Jason's unflinching face before turning away. "I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but he could've killed you."

"Jason, can you sit by me?" Laney asked. Jason climbed over Laney on the bed, and Laney rolled onto his stomach and turned to look at Jason, wincing as he settled into the bed.

"Where does it hurt?" Jason asked.

"My back's been hurting ever since we got home," Laney whispered. Jason reached over Laney and went into his drawer.

"You don't have any heat cream for your back," Jason announced.

"I know. I've got a little massage oil to the back right of the drawer," Laney explained, and Jason took the small bottle of massage oil and squeezed a few drops into his hands.

Jason pressed his hands into Laney's back firmly, and Laney took in a breath just loud enough for Jason to hear. "Too much pressure?" Jason asked.

"No, you—. It just startled me," Laney murmured. Jason nodded and continued to apply pressure, loosening the muscles in Laney's back. Silence fell between the two of them, and Jason's mind drifted away as he massaged Laney's lower back. Laney clutched his mattress before letting out a faint crying noise. Jason stopped and snapped back to attention.

"Does it hurt?" Jason asked. He took Laney's shirt and wiped his back off. Laney pressed his face into his pillow and burst into tears. "Lane?"

Laney curled up and grabbed the bottom of Jason's shirt, pulling it to his face as he let out loud gasping sobs. Jason froze as Laney pulled himself up onto Jason's lap and continued to cry. "Lane, I've got you. I promise," Jason reassured him as he pulled Laney up into an embrace. Laney sobbed until he was too tired to cry anymore, and he drifted off to sleep, still holding on to Jason. Jason lay down beside Laney, watching as he slept.

As the sunset on Gotham, Jason lay still, only moving to put his arm over Laney. Jason never realized how painful silence was between them. Someone knocked on the bedroom door, and Jason sat up slowly, careful not to wake Laney from his sleep. "Come in," Jason whispered. Clark cracked the door and slipped through.

"How long has he been asleep?" Clark asked.

"Just before sunset... Maybe four o'clock, five-ish," Jason whispered. Laney made a soft noise before complaining about the cold.

"Hey, Laney... It's dad," Clark whispered. Laney perked up and opened his eyes before throwing himself into his father's arms.

"Dad!" Laney exclaimed. Clark relaxed his shoulders before giving Laney a tight hug and a kiss on top of his head. "What are you doing here?"

Jason and Clark exchanged looks before Clark answered with a gentle, "I wanted to check on you. Remember we talked on the phone?"

Laney shook his head. "No? Not today, I don't think," Laney mumbled.

[unreadpoppy]

Must like dogs

Raphael x Fem!Tav; Modern AU

Summary: Raphael meets Tav's dogs

Read on AO3

A/N: I thought if I'm going to come back to writing, it needs to be something near and dear to my heart. And what's nearest and dearest then my dogs? This is very self indulgent, very self inserty and possibly a bit OOC. Also, the dogs used here are my IRL dogs, because I love them.

After three months of talking and going on various dates with each other, Raphael and Tav had officially begun dating. During a monthly get together, Tav broke the news to her friends. While some of them did question the age gap between the two, overall, everyone had been supportive.

The night went on as usual, and Tav couldn’t be happier. She was finally in a relationship with someone she really liked and that she could see a future with. Tav was texting Raphael about people’s reactions when Karlach approached her. 

“You know, I never struck Raphael as a dog person.” She said, while drinking some beer. 

Tav put the phone down and frowned. “What do you mean?” 

“Oh, you know, cause you have three dogs.” Karlach took another sip. “And since you guys are dating, he has met them, right?” 

Tav’s eyes widened. “Uhm, not…exactly.” In their short time together, while she had visited - and slept - in his place numerous times, Raphael had never actually set foot inside Tav’s home. Tav could feel herself descend into anxiety. “I-I-I never brought him to my house because I didn’t mention my dogs to him, ‘cause you know, some people are put off by that.” She grabbed the tieflings biceps. “Karlach, what if he doesn’t like dogs and breaks up with me?”

The tiefling woman chuckled. “Wow, soldier, breathe.” She said. “I don’t know him very well, but I doubt he would end things because of a few dogs.” Karlach put a hand on Tav’s shoulder. “Besides, who doesn’t like dogs?”

Tav gulped and nodded. “You’re right. I’ll talk with him about it.” She hugged Karlach. “Thank you.” 

She put a hand on Tav’s head and ruffled her hair. “No trouble, soldier. And if anything goes wrong, you know who to call.” 

Tav nodded, and excused herself, saying she needed to use the bathroom. She locked the door and called Raphael’s number. He quickly picked it up. 

“Hello?” 

“Raphael? It’s me, Tav.” 

“Hello, dear.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “In need of something?”

“No…actually, yes. I need to ask you something very important.” Tav cleared her throat. “In fact, it might be the most important thing I’ve ever asked you.” 

“...go on.” Raphael briefly hesitated. 

“What’s your opinion on dogs?” 

There was a pause. “Why do you ask?” 

“Just answer the question.” 

She heard Raphael sigh. “I am not particularly fond of how energetic and loud dogs can get. I much prefer cats.” 

Tav sighed and then groaned, placing a hand on her forehead. That was not good at all. 

“Tav? What is wrong?” He asked. 

“It’s just…I may or may not have three dogs.” She spoke fast but he was able to understand it. 

“What? How come you never told me about them?” 

“Well, I just thought I would say it if you ever came to my house but you never did so I…I never talked about them.” She heard him sigh. “Please, don’t break up with me.” 

Hearing the way Tav said that, Raphael said that. “I would not do that, dear.” He cleared his voice. “However, if we are to continue this relationship, I will have to go over to your house eventually.” 

“Yeah…” Tav said. She took a deep breath. “We should get this over quickly.”

“I agree. I’ll go to your house tomorrow, around 5 pm-”

“No! That’s the time they eat and they will be very frisky. It’s better if you come earlier, like 2 pm.” 

“...Alright, then I’ll be there at 2 pm. Until then, Tav.”

“Until then. Love you.” She said and turned the call off. She sighed. She would have to have a very serious conversation once she got home. 

…

Raphael didn’t know how he felt. It was not nervousness, as he would never be afraid of meeting some dogs. But he couldn’t help but..worry? He never spent too much time around these animals and so, he didn’t know what to expect. The possibility of things getting out of control made him antsy. On one side, Raphael needed to trust Tav and her competence in keeping her pets in check. On the other, these creatures were unpredictable. 

Reaching his destination, Raphael parked the car outside the building. Tav lived in an apartment, and although he had dropped her off there time and time again, he never entered the building. 

Earlier, Tav had texted him what the number of her apartment was and as he made his way towards her door, Raphael could hear her voice from the other side. 

“You all have to be nice and behave, okay? I really like this guy so don’t blow it for me.” 

Raphael wondered. ‘Was she talking to the dogs?’ He shook his head. ‘No, Tav wouldn’t do this type of thing.’ 

He pressed the doorbell and there was the noise of barking from the other side, followed by Tav saying “Shuuu” to all of them. Raphael took a deep breath.

It would be an interesting afternoon. 

Tav opened the door. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt that barely covered her tights, though he could see that she had shorts on as well. Alongside her, three dogs passed through the door, one barking at him, quickly shushed by Tav. The others sniffed at him. Raphael scrunched his face as he looked at them. 

There was a small one and two medium sized dogs. The smallest has big dark eyes, with gray, white and brown fur and was the first to walk away from him. The one that barked had white and black fur and seemed to be the most agitated. Lastly, the third one had somewhat long black fur, and as soon as Raphael took a step forwards, the black one moved back. 

Tav took his hand. “Come, get inside and I can properly introduce you all.” She brought him to the couch, letting him sit. As soon as he did, the black and white dog walked towards him. 

“That’s Malta, she’s the only girl. Come here.” Tav motioned for her to come near them. Tav grabbed one of Raphael’s hands. “You gotta let her sniff you first. Then, give her a little pet on the head.” 

Raphael looked down at the dog and did not like the way she looked at him. Malta huffed at him. Tav turned to him and said “You have to relax or else they’ll act up.” 

“I am perfectly calm.” Raphael said, prompting Tav to raise a brow at him. His lips formed a thin line. Almost as if to prove a point, he put his hand forwards, allowing Malta to sniff it. Then, he lightly grazed his fingers on the top of her head. 

“Gods, you really are bad at this.” Tav said and chuckled. Raphael raised a brow. “You call that petting?” 

She swatted his hand away and properly gave Malta some love, putting both hands on the dog’s head and scratching her. Then, she kissed her head. Malta’s brown eyes almost turned black with how dilated her pupils were as she looked at her owner. “Good girl! Sit here.” Tav motioned to the spot on the couch next to her that was free, and the dog jumped there, laying down and placing a head on Tav’s lap. 

Raphael couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy, until he reminded himself: It’s just some dog.

During this interaction, Raphael noticed how the small dog and the black dog had laid far away from them on the floor. “Okay, now it’s time to meet the others. Billy, come here!”

The black dog stood up and slowly walked towards Raphael, sniffing his boots. As he did so, Tav caressed his backside. “Billy is the youngest and filled with energy, but he gets a bit shy around strangers. If you give him some scratches, he’ll get back to his normal self.” 

Raphael followed the same motion as Tav, petting his fur. Billy’s tail wagged and he place his front paws in between Raphael’s legs on the couch, getting closer to his face and putting his tongue out to lick his face. Immediately, the man turned his head. “Ugh.” 

Tav chuckled. “I forgot to say. Billy really likes giving kisses.” She put his head towards the dog and he licked her chin. Raphael’s face scrunched. Tav then put a hand on Billy’s chest, where there was a tuft of white fur, and made him get back down. Quickly, the dog settled on the man’s feet, to his dismay. 

Finally, the small dog walked towards them, in a funny way. “That’s Garu. He’s the oldest, at fourteen years old. And he’s the only one that I know the breed of, shih tzu.” 

Garu barely sniffed Raphael and then walked away to somewhere near the couch. Moving his head, Raphael saw a small dog bed on which he laid on. “Garu doesn’t really like hanging around with people. Nowadays, he practically only sleeps.” 

“I see.” A lazy dog. How…charming. 

“So, that was all of them! What’d you think?” If he was honest, he did not like dogs. But, looking at Tav’s face, how she loved these little creatures and how they obeyed her, he could not bring himself to be so harsh. 

Instead, he said. “I could get used to them.” 

Tav gave him the brightest of smiles and kissed his cheek. “Great! Now, let’s watch something.” Tav grabbed the tv controller and turned it on, putting on some cheesy romantic comedy. 

The dogs had behaved throughout the rest of the day, and while Raphael still thought the idea of a loyal dog was boring, if tolerating them would make him look better in Tav’s eyes and allow him to enter her home, he could at least put some effort in. 

[alabasterwasps]

with the tugging of the mask out of the mouth would that mean that Alex just wakes up to a really fucked up jaw and possibly a few teeth out of place; but also in turn when his hand is broken would there be another alter that comes forward? Kind of like Masky was to Tim before it repressed itself, would there be another alter like that for Alex who would take care and try to act like Alex during the few months in between trying to hide from Tim and Brian but also stalking their movements since they don't post anything (if to go by vaguely from the upload timeline for the OG series) for months at a time. And then there would be very few times that Alex would actually wake up in either random places or just in his bed but there would probably be sticky notes or something from his alter giving him a vague list of things that he needs to grab or buy????

I don't know I just remember that there was a story of a woman who has DID and so when she was younger she would write in a journal to communicate to her other alters as a way to get to know them and fit the pieces together. From what I inferred from the little explanation Alex is semi aware of the fact that he has more than one alter in his body and just doesn't know the purpose or what they serve for the body and just knows that a lot of his trauma probably a chunk of it coming from the Operator itself.

Anyways thanks for making more of this AU I adore it to pieces and I also love the art that you've made for it, you're really talented! Also, I'm so sorry that this is such a long ask I just had a few things that I needed to get out of my brain.

Its okay lol! I don't mind long asks.

For Alex, just like Tim & Masky, he sufferers memory blockages between himself and Messie.

He is marginally more aware of Messie's existence because of Jay. He and Jay were childhood friends so he has some vague idea of a him that's not really him that appears sometimes, but frankly as much as it scares him he really tries to ignore it. It's a product of the time he lives in, and that he has way too much else on his plate. I think he's also in general just, scared, which is why he doesn't mention a thing to Brian. Don't get me wrong, he genuinely doesn't remember anything that Messie experiences, but he also isn't blissfully unaware of their existence either.

When Alex wakes up, he does wake up with this fucked up jaw and hand. Messie managed to get them out of the shack and the woods, and he woke up somewhere where he could go get help. Usually, Messie is the alter who takes over for Alex when he's unable to do things for himself (work, self care, etc). Though, much like how Masky limps long after Tim is healed, it.. takes Messie awhile to mentally recover. This is fine though, because at this point Alex is sure concerned about how he got into that much trouble, but he isn't involved with Operator search, for him its just work as normal except he has to experience his depressive episodes.

Messie and Alex will eventually have a way to communicate! That is through notes, and through Birdie (Jay), eventually Brian, but there's a long road of Alex kinda accepting that Messie fully exists. It wasn't until Brian contacted him that he even thought the Operator was real. He thought it was nightterrors he'd had since he was a kid.

[bonbonshideout]

Alex laid on the floor, coloring away, he set his crayon down before he stood up, grabbing his drawing and running out his room and into the kitchen.

"Mama!" He shouted, Susan quickly wiped away a few tears and turned around.

"Alex, what is it?" She asked as she crouched down to be at his level.

"I drew something for you! see? this is you and me! and papi!" He smiled brightly as he pointed at his father in the drawing. Susan couldn't help but smile as she took the drawing from him.

"Oh mijo.. I love it" she smiled as she reached up, ruffling his hair causing the boy to giggle. "Oh, Alex, uncle Tim will be coming over"

"Uncle Tim? Really!?" he smiled, seemingly excited. Susan nodded. "Yay!" Alex cheered before he ran back up the stairs and into his room. He seemed to calm down from his excited jitter as he sat on the ground and began drawing again.

⚝╌──┈⊰𖤐⊱ 𐦍 ⊰𖤐⊱┈──╌𖤐

Tim soon arrived, Alex waited eagerly by the window, as soon as Susan opened the door, Alex ran over and hugged Tim.

"Uncle Tim!" He smiled. Tim stumbled back but he smiled, reaching down and ruffling Alex's hair.

"Hey, kiddo. How's it going?"

"Great!" He smiled..

"Good, good. Susan, can we talk?" Susan nodded.

"Alex, go to your room ok? I'll call you down for dinner"

"Can I play outside?"

"Hm... OK, but be careful, alright?" Alex nodded, letting go of Tim before running outside.

Alex looked around before he spotted some neighborhood kids, running off to play with them he goes.

Tim and Susan sat at the dining table.

"Tim, it's great to see again, it's been so long." Susan smiled as she looked Tim over, taking every detail that was now different from him.

"It has been so long, probably since your wedding," He chuckled, "and now here you are, as beautiful as ever... and with a son." His tone dropped for a second, "Such a lovely boy he is too." Susan nodded.

"He reminds me so much of Grayson" Susan's smile softened, Tim's smiled dropped completely at the mention of her late husband.

"I can see that." He grumbled. "Listen, Susan. I have a proposal, for the benefit of both you and your son." Tim quickly changed the topic. "What are your thoughts on me moving in and helping you? And maybe eventually marriage?" Susan froze, staring at her friend.

"I don't know Tim... I.. I mean Alex barely understands his father isn't in the picture anymore. I would appreciate your help but marriage? I'm not sure.." she stammered out as she tried to think about Alex.

"Oh, Susan.." Tim reached out, taking her hand. "But you're so young and beautiful... you need a man, a-and Alex does too! He needs a good father figure to look up to and follow his lead."

"I suppose you're right..." Susan whispered as she looked down at her wedding band. "Only the best for Alex.." she whispered to herself.

"For now, let's just stick with the help, I want Alex to get comfortable around you." Tim nodded, seemingly proud of himself.

Pt.2 Pt.4

[mutable-manifestation]

Extremely funny if this stress causes Tim to also start crying.

Can you imagine the looks on Dick & Jason's faces as Tim just absolutely bursts into tears.

I mean he's going down on both knees and straight up begging. Like "it's not true I swear I'll prove it I'll do anything please please PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME" levels of desperation

Tim does not have room for dignity right now this guy is his last link to his favorite coffee brand.

Of course, Danny just figures he's playing along. They've met a few times now, he knows enough to know that Tim's sibling are on the same wavelength as his dad about the coffee. So he just plays it up the distraught boyfriend angle like "I- I don't know I can trust you/how can I believe you/I don't know if I can do this anymore/etc" figuring Tim would just come back to the shop at a later time and they could work out a better meeting point/time.

Tim goes full unhinged stalker-mode... but on himself. Like. Stands up to grab Danny by the shoulders with a manic look in his eye and just. "I'll prove it. I'll give you a link to all of the trackers I have planted on my person, I'll give you access to my apartment cams, I'll wear a bodycam everywhere I go, I'll hire someone to build an AI to go through the footage and separate out any instances o unfaithfulness for you to peruse at your leisure - or, no, I'll give you the money to hire someone to do that so that you know I didn't order them to make it not work, I'll-"

That's about as far as he gets before Dick frantically slaps a hand over his mouth, absolutely horrified, and confesses that they thought Danny was trying to sell Tim drugs.

Is it embarrassing? Yes.

Will Danny and Tim both probably be insulted and pissed about the assumption? Yes.

But he does not want to know what else Tim was going to offer. He's half-sure he was about to out them all by offering to bug the batcave - assuming he hadn't outed them to this guy already.

Because, yikes, was that an obsessive attachment or what.

Leaving out the previous access to cams, Dick explains the whole brother + alley + unknown hooded figure = drug deal.

Jason throws him under the bus via "Actually, I figured you guys were friends or something. I was just joking about the drug deal thing. Apparently Dick thinks you have drug dealer vibes."

Eventually all of the tears peter out and Tim & Danny "make up."

Dick tries to invite them to Batburger to "make up for the unfortunate meeting and get to know you better!" but Danny is like "nah, I got *plans here*" and dips after saying he'll see Tim tomorrow.

Tim is very grateful it's only for a day, but his coffee has once more slipped away from his grasp. He's Big Mad at Dick and Jason about it, so he stomps off.

Dick and Jason? Very glad Tim isn't doing drugs.

But Very Concerned about just how far he was willing to go to get his boyfriend to not leave him.

Like.

Calling Alfred while following him home from a not-good-enough-for-him-not-to-notice distance and asking him to get the others there for an intervention about setting healthy boundaries in relationships.

And also to talk about the fact the Tim has a boyfriend and never told them???

Except Tim goes to his apartment instead of the manor. And doesn't let them in.

And bars the windows with Traps (TM).

He's big mad.

Dick tries to call & apologize but Tim is just. "I almost lost him because of you. You wanna talk to me again it'll be after I see him again and not before."

Which is really helping with the boyfriend assumption but is purely incidental from Tim's perspective as he's too lacking in caffeine to remember at the moment. this is just him being a coffee fiend.

Next time he visits the shop he's sure to give Danny a camera-free and well out-of-sight from almost all angles place to meet. He gets more coffee.

He goes back to the manor, mercifully full of coffee and practically cheery.

Dick, watching him arrive practically glowing with happiness: ...so how's Danny?

Tim, brightly: Great! He's the best!

It's only when the whole family emerges to drag him into the sitting room for questioning that he remembers the whole "boyfriend" thing.

He hasn't blown his cover yet, but oh boy. Time to Make Things Up.

(He's very insulted with the healthy boundaries talk. Like "I literally have trackers and cams on most of you. And you all do the same thing back." "He's a civilian! It's different!" "So are we! We just do non-civilian things! Illegally! Hypocrites!")

Danny, working as a cashier: Can I help you?

Tim half-deranged: Please I just want a cup of coffee

Danny squinted, then pulled out a binder: I'm sorry, sir, but you are on the Don't Serve Coffee list. I can offer you some tea instead-

Tim: NO. THIS IS THE FIFTH PLACE. BRUCE CAN'T OWN YOU ALL!

Danny leaning in to whisper: Look, man, I can't give you coffee under the cameras. Meet me in the back alley in twenty minutes and I'll get you a coffee. Bring Cash.

Tim: how much? Five hundred, six hundred or hell even a thousand? I'll bring whatever you want.

Danny: Chill dude, it's a cup of coffee. Three dollars is fine.

Tim: It's not just any coffee! It's my favorite brand and Bruce bought them out just to make sure they wouldn't sell to me anymore!

Danny: okay okay, this coffee means a lot to you. I get it. Twenty minutes alright?

Jason three weeks later in Bat cave: Tim's on drugs! I've caught him trading cash for small containers in a shady alley six times. We need an intervention.

Dick: What?! I thought that was his boyfriend!

Bruce: I also thought that was Tim boyfriend but if it's a drug dealer we have to help him.

Tim hiding in the shadows: shit.

Tim texting Danny: If anyone asks your my secret boyfriend who been making me teas in allies

Danny: who the hell would believe that? But I've had a boring week, so yeah, I'm down to be a pretend boyfriend.

[captain-habit]

Summary:

How much of yourself would you be willing to destroy to save the ones you love? This is a question Tim Stoker must ask himself time and time again, when the sheer destruction of his intended final act catches the attention of an unexpected Power, granting him a second chance at life. Or something like it. After being reborn in the aftermath of his own catastrophe, with at least most of himself intact, he finds that things aren't quite how he'd thought he'd left them.

Prelude:

More often than not, people will eventually die.

Some die quietly; peacefully, and some tend to go out with a bang… quite literally.

What's significantly less common, is when they come back for round two...

Twisted limbs of clay and wire; metal and gears; flesh and bone. It writhes and lashes out, reaching to grab him, to tear him to pieces in its fury.. but his anger burns brighter and hotter, and it’s at a breaking point.

…and it burns, burns, burns…

“You bastards sure are greedy, aren’t you?” There’s a growl in Tim's throat and a gleam in his glare, the air where him right arm used to be crackles as temperatures suddenly rise. Gritting his teeth, he moves forward as the thing jerkily rushed in for it’s intended kill.

“You took my brother, and then you took my best friend..” It gurgles and grinds and screeches. It lunges… and Tim ignites. “And I’m not going to fucking let you take anything, EVER AGAIN.”

There’s a spark and in the absence of flesh and bone, forms something in the semblance of skeletal; of cinder and shadow and fire. Tim grits his teeth and moves in, grabbing the thing at it's center before it can reach him, now with both hands. It stops for a moment, as if surprised, then let’s out this horrible shriek and thrashes, trying to rip him off of it, but he only tightens his grip and forces all that heat and fire fueled by his fury directly into it. Even when its claws and its thorns and its teeth dig into him, he doesn't let go, and the area around where he holds tight blackens.

An appendage that Tim's pretty sure wasn’t there before comes around from behind the thing like a scorpion’s tail, complete with a vile looking blade of a stinger. It comes down behind him like a whip and the end cuts straight through his left shoulder. He's flung from the thing before he can even react with a scream or a curse, and he hits the ground hard, leaving some kind of skid marks like a trail of embers from the gaping wound.

The thing shudders and growls. It starts making its advance to attack once more, it's tail whipping back and forth, but stops and starts to frantically scratch and claw at its center; what would have been its chest. A deep and sickly glow begins to show from inside the thing, growing brighter till its exterior splits with a loud crack. It screams again, louder than anything Tim thinks he's ever heard, and it writhes as it burns from the inside out.

With a grunt, Tim forces himself to sit up and watch as the thing made of the flesh of many and their own creation becomes a hollow carcass of scorched metal and charred carrion. He gets himself up on unsteady feet and look down at the hole in his shoulder as the wound sizzles and crackles like the remnants of a camp fire as it begins to rain. He's suddenly very tired.

There’s movement from behind him and a quiet voice calls out, confused, concerned, bewildered… maybe even hopeful.

“…Tim?”

He hesitates a moment, then turns his back on the smoldering thing of twisted limbs to look over and see Martin helping Jon to his feet, the both of them staring with weary anticipation. Jon looks... ragged; a lot worse off than Tim remembered.

“I mean, yeah, who else would it be?” Through his exhaustion, he gives a weary rendition of a goofy smirk, and walks over, helping Jon the rest of the way to his feet, which is met with a quiet 'thanks'. “Sure thing.”

“Tim, you're alive!” Martin exclaims in bewildered excitement, and catches Tim off guard with a hefty hug that nearly knocks them both over, but is also quick to let go and comment, “You're also very hot, wow.”

This gets a laugh out of him and he jokes, “Well, hey, you're not too shabby, yourself!”

“Oh, you know what I mean.”

Jon is watching with weary consideration, but Tim feels like that's just what Jon looks like naturally, so he doesn't take it personally. He'd be cautious around himself, as well. “It's good to see that you're...” his eyes wander to the modified eye patch that covers a decent portion of Tim's face around the right eye, and to his blatant lack of a right arm, with the sleeve of the jacket he wore modified to compensate, and just a bit singed, “...okay, more or less, I can't help but wonder how. We were all aware of just how much explosives were planted inside that building, and you were dead-center when you-”

Tim held up his good hand in silent protest before Jon could get himself too worked up; he's words had already started to pick up speed, and Tim wanted to get a few in before the other could get too riled up. “How bout this? Let's get out of the rain and the dark, and go get something to drink. Then I can tell you the hows and the whats, yeah?” Without giving them a chance to answer, he turns on his heel and waves for them to follow. “C'mon, I know a good place around here.”

Jon and Martin glance at each other as he begins to walk away, before following along. Martin gives one more look over his shoulder at the remains of the thing that Tim had so suddenly showed up to save them from, and couldn't help a small smile before picking up the pace after his two companions.

-/-/-

“So… You, ah, you died.”

“Sure did. As far as I can tell, so did you.”

“I suppose that’s true… But I wasn't in the middle of an explosion.”

The three of them sat in a window side booth of a cafe, two with tea and Tim with coffee. There had been a bit of momentary silence as they had gotten their drinks and let their nerves unwind.

Martin kept glancing from where there was, again, an absence of an arm, neither physical nor whatever he had seen manifest back in the lot they'd been attacked in. Tim was wearing a jacket that Martin had only seen a few times before, worn but decent quality leather, only now the right sleeve had been shortened and pinned up under the shoulder strap. One of his usual, sometimes obnoxious, patterned shirts could be seen poking out from where he'd unzipped it a bit. He then glanced at the opposite shoulder, which now had a fresh jagged hole near the inner arm seam of his coat. “Shouldn’t we, you know, do something for that wound of yours? I mean I know a hospital is probably out of the question? But you took quite a hit from that... thing.”

“Nah.. Any injury I’ve gotten since, well, y’know, has eventually kind of gone away after a while. Except for my reminders, of course.” Tim waved where his arm would be, jokingly, rotating at the shoulder. “Those don’t come back. Not in a, uh, normal way, anyway?”

“So what exactly, happened?” Jon took a sip of his tea and cleared his throat, taking a good long look at the man across the table from him. “While your… current state is a lot different from the others we’ve personally encountered, it’s pretty obvious it’s the Desolation that has its hooks in you now. Though, I can’t recall you having much prior direct contact, before this. T-To my knowledge, at least..” There was a pause, a look of sadness. “When we left you.. When you had us promise that we’d leave, you were entirely keen on dying in the act. So what happened?”

Tim gave a flat, sort of half hollow smile, but then gave a small laugh, tilting his head a bit to scratch at the right side of his face, next to the fabric of the fastening that covered where his second eye used to be. “Well, I’m gonna start by saying that I don’t regret it. To see the look on that dumb clown’s stolen face when she knew she’d lost. When she knew she’d lost to me…” He smiled, but there was something bitter underneath the expression. “I’d waited a long time for some payback.”

He looked out the window, into the night, and tilted his cup lightly with his fingers just around the rim. “There’s still a lot I don’t remember. It hurt.” He tilted it the other way, almost spilling his drink, then grabbed it and downed the rest of its contents. “It hurt a lot. There was chaos, there was heat and pain, and then there was… nothing” He frowned and scrunched his nose, trying to recall the experience. “And then it was like every single sort of destructive anything I’d ever done, ever, was replaying all at once. And then beyond how ridiculously disorienting that all was, I was suddenly aware of being alive again.” He paused for a moment and glanced at the other two before looking into his empty up.

“Well, not really alive… It didn’t really feel like I was alive. But I was aware of my own existence, I guess. And I was aware that I was very much not alone. Exceedingly.” He laughed with a hint of bewilderment and shook his head. “I can’t even remember if it looked like anything, or if it even used words, or if I just put my own words in to fill in the concept it was giving off.” He tapped the ceramic of the mug, struggling for words. “Either way, it made me understand that it had noticed me.” He scoffed a bit at this and continued. “And I’m pretty sure it had even been in, y’know, cahoots with the whole Stranger lot to some extent before, but I guess it was, I don’t know, impressed? While the whole set up was a team effort, the fact that I was the one to go through with it..” He stared off. “The fact that I was fully willing and determined to destroy myself to bring their whole world to ruin.”

A silence fell over the three of them as they considered the situation at hand, and a waitress came by with refills. Tim let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been keeping in, and gave a small smirk before taking a swig of the fresh coffee. “Aaaand now I’m here, I guess! I’m not sure how long I’d been… gone, but when I woke up in the blackened rubble of that place, it was dark and cold. It looked like the authorities had already cleaned up a bit but not much. It was all still taped off, but it was still smoldering in places.”

“And fuck, it hurt,” he said again, shaking his head. “Like the blast was still on my skin and like I’d swallowed hot coals. Like there was one right in my head where my fucking right eye used to be. I could, and can, still feel my right arm. I’ve managed to figure out a way to make that feeling a bit more tangible, as the two of you saw.” He glanced at them and smirked, shaking his head again. “I don’t know what’s coming. I don’t know if it has plans for me, or if it brought me back for kicks. Just for the hell of it.” Swallowing hard, his throat suddenly dry, he downs the rest of what’s probably the fourth cup of coffee that night. “What I do know is that I’m going to damn well take advantage of it’s perks.”

“Well…” Jon pondered his words for a moment. It was all a lot to take in, and then some. “No matter what comes next, we’re glad to have you back.”

He laughed, genuinely, and replied, “Glad to be back, boss.”

---

Author's Note! This is the first time I've written something to be read by others in a long, long time... so I hope its well receieved! I have a lot more to this, written in chunks, so if this little intro is liked enough, I'll work on editing everything else into something more structured! I'll also look into seeing if I've got an intact Ao3, since its been a while.

I also have an ever-growing playlist for this AU that's run rampant in my head, that's mostly specifically for Tim, and another for something later down the line. (I'll try to add a link at some point, but feel free to ask for it! I wanted to attach it to this post on its own, but then it wouldn't show up in the tags because tumblr hates fun.)

EDIT! I've made a post with the spotify playlist, but it most likely won't ever show up in the tags because tumblr hates links?? But if you look for "Desolation Row AU" on my page, you should be able to find it ☆

EDIT2!! Added to Ao3

So, please enjoy, and feel free to tell me your thoughts on it! I have some illustrations in the works too, though I'm not sure when I'll be able to finish them. The last few years have been hard on my creative process, so here's to starting things up again. ★

[navalcriminalimagines]

Hi!! It's me AGAIN! 😝 May I request "OH, you're jealous!" with Gibbs? I love jealous Gibbs so much!! 🤭👀❤️

I love writing jealous!Gibbs!! Thank you for your request! This took an unexpected turn, I hope you'll like it! 👀❤️

Warnings: smut, dom!Gibbs, blowjob

Tags: @hotch-meeeeeuppppp

Oh, you're jealous

You met Leroy Jethro Gibbs a couple of years ago. You had just started as an FBI Agent, and you were Tobias Fornell's partner. The case with NCIS was your first interagencies encounter, and not on your life would you have thought about meeting the most amazing man.

But you did and you spent the next year hoping something would happen with him. Every time you heard about NCIS through a case, you made sure to be involved. It's only after Diane's wedding with Victor that things finally took the turn you were waiting for.

Tobias had a hard time seeing his ex-wife and mother of his daughter getting married again, especially after he learnt that she had cheated on him with that Victor. After the wedding, you invited him for drinks but he told you he already planned on getting at Gibbs's house and he told you to join.

You did, and by the end of the night, Gibbs and you were making out in his basement while Tobias had passed out upstairs on the couch.

That was a year ago and since then, your relationship with Gibbs has been amazing. Unfortunately, you don't see each other as much as you'd liked to. You're both committed to your jobs and you knew about your boyfriend's past. You don't want to pressure him into anything, it may scare him away.

There are actually good sides of not seeing each other much; when you and Gibbs manage to get together, you just enjoy one another's company and there are no fights. What would you two argue about anyway?

You can't say you and him are clearly dating, since you never used that word and actually, you never talked about what the relationship is and where it's going. Eventually, you'll have the talk, but not for now. You don't want to ruin it by asking it to be serious or planning a future.

Finally, a new joined case came in. Gibbs called Tobias and quickly, you two were driving to the NCIS headquarters.

Of course, Gibbs's team doesn't know anything about whatever is going on between you two. To be fair, Tobias was suspicious, but you - or Gibbs - never told him anything.

When you arrive in the bullpen, you can see Tony DiNozzo's face lighten up. He greets you with a huge smile, clearly avoiding Tobias. "Y/N, it's nice to see you again! This case just became very interesting," he winks at you and you chuckle. Tony has been very flirty with you for the beginning, and if you hadn't had a crush on Gibbs at the very first second, you probably would've hooked up with the Very Special Agent.

"Nice to see you too, Tony. I like working with you, guys," you smile and your eyes finally settle on your 'boyfriend', sitting at his desk, already talking with Tobias. He doesn't greet you at all, instead he just asks his team to do a sit-rep.

As you're staring at the screen and listening to McGee, you can feel Tony's body on your left and Gibbs's on your right. Gibbs's fingers are gently brushing yours and you can feel shivers running down your spin.

"You cold, Y/N?" Tony whispers in your ear. "Want my sweater?" he offers and before he knows it, a hand slaps the back of his head. "I'm just being nice, boss," he complains. Boss doesn't answer.

Tim finishes the sit-rep, and orders are given. Of course, Gibbs asks you to be with him and the two of you are on your way down to Autopsy. As soon as the elevator's doors close, Gibbs's mouth is all over you.

"Hey," he finally greets you.

"Took you long enough," you say between two kisses. He smiles against your mouth, ready to kiss you one more time but the ride is over and the doors open.

After that stop in Autopsy, Ziva tells Gibbs that the BOLO they sent gave results and they need to get going. He tells her to go with Fornell. As you need to check a few things in the FBI database, you settle at an empty desk with your laptop and get into work.

Quickly, you notice someone putting a coffee next to you, "Latte, two sugars, am I right?" Tony asks.

"Wow, no one brings me my coffee at the FBI. I'm gonna need Fornell to steal you," you smile at the Agent.

"I'd rather have you joining us. I'm sure Gibbs would be okay," he says. "Although, if I break rule 12 again, I'm a dead man,"

"Wait!" you think for a moment, "Rule 12 is--never date a coworker, right?" Tony nods. "Very presumptuous of you, Tony DiNozzo," you grin at him.

Not that you enjoy flirting with DiNozzo - even if it feels nice that a handsome man like him is hitting on you - but you can see Gibbs's pissed off face in the corner of your eye and you do enjoy that. "Well," as he's practically sitting on 'your' desk, Tony leans over you and whispers, so no one can hear, "You're pretty, I'm pretty. We can make pretty good things together, don't you think?"

You only have time to softly laugh, since Gibbs got up and headslaps DiNozzo again. "Quit flirting at work, got it, boss,"

You watch Gibbs walking to the elevator while Tony puts his hair back in place, "We'll continue this tonight, if you want to join us? We're celebrating Ziva's citizenship at a bar,"

"I'd love that,"

Gibbs comes back half an hour later with a fresh coffee. You can see on his face he’s clearly pissed but you decide not to do anything about it for now.

* * * * *

The rest of the day went smoothly. There was no big breakthrough in the case, for a moment you thought that the celebration might be canceled. But to everyone’s surprise, Gibbs and Fornell decide to call it a night. “We won’t be able to get anything done before tomorrow morning anyway,” Fornell says.

The NCIS team didn’t need much to start packing their things. As you’re putting your laptop in your bag, Abby, Jimmy and Ducky appear in the bullpen, “Celebration night!” Abby exclaims, “Gibbs, Fornell, you’re joining?”

“What are we celebrating?” Your boss asks.

“Ziva David, being officially a citizen of the United States of America!” Jimmy explains, wrapping his arm around Ziva’s shoulders.

Fornell looks over his shoulder, down to Gibbs. “You going?”

“Pass,”

Then, Fornell puts his eyes on you, “You?”

“Yup, Tony offered me to join. If anyone minds,”

“Of course not!” Abby happily grabs your arm and walks you to the elevator. You don’t have time to give one last look at Gibbs, as you’re all taking off to the bar.

Only Fornell and Gibbs remain in the bullpen. “You sure you don’t want to keep an eye on DiNozzo?” Fornell teases his best friend.

“Fornell, if you want to go, just--leave,”

“Fine, I’ll protect her myself,” he says, “Unless I get too drunk and don’t see them sneaking out to the bathroom,”

Gibbs growls before standing up, “I hate you,”

* * * * *

At the bar, you and the team got into a booth in the back. Of course, Tony made sure to be right next to you and Abby was on your other side. You all ordered your drinks and when the waiter brought them, you toasted, “To Ziva!” everyone says.

You have barely swallowed the first sip of the Champagne when you see Gibbs and Fornell entering the bar. Abby sees them too and calls their names. “I don’t know what you told him, Fornell, but I’m so glad to convince him to come,” Ziva confesses. It really means a lot to her that all of her team - her other family - is here to celebrate.

Even if he joined, Gibbs is being himself and doesn’t talk much with anyone, except some quick exchanges with Ducky. He’s sitting across the table from you, and you can see his eyes darkening as Tony whispers something in your ear that makes you giggle. He drinks his second bourbon in one swallow and goes to the counter to order another one. You excuse yourself to Tony, and join Gibbs.

“You okay?” you ask him, innocently.

“Perfect,” he mutters.

“Wanna spend the night at my place, tonight?” you whisper in his ears, gently nipping his lobe.

“Why don’t you ask DiNozzo?” he answers.

"Oh, you're jealous!" you exclaim with a chuckle, as the bartender puts the glass in front of Gibbs. His hand grips on the glass hard, his knuckles are turning white.

“Why would I be jealous? We’re not dating,”

This sends you off, you bit your bottom lip to avoid shouting in the middle of a bar. You take one deep breath to remain calm and answer, “Of course. I wonder what you’ve been doing for the past year, if not dating,”

Even with the dim light, Gibbs can see your cheeks turning red from anger. He shouldn’t have said this, because obviously, he has strong and deep feelings for you, but he hates to admit that he’s indeed...jealous. “Maybe I’ll indeed ask DiNozzo. Or maybe I’ll ask a stranger. Or--Or maybe, I’ll ask DiNozzo and a stranger,”

You’re about to leave him here when he grabs your wrist, ever so gently. You can see that his face had softened a bit. Then his hand moves from your wrist to your hand and his fingers intertwine with yours. Gibbs starts to walk away, taking you with him. He doesn’t say a word until he reaches his car. He opens the door for you, “Are we really sneaking out?” you ask.

“Just get in,” he orders, along with smack on your ass.

This gesture sends something right down to your core. You smile and get in his truck, shortly followed by him.

The parking lot is dark, the car is only facing trees and bushes. But you don’t have time to overthink what’s going on, as Gibbs’s lips crash on yours. He immediately asks for access with his tongue, which you happily grant him. One of his hands gets under your top, feeling your skin under his fingers. It keeps getting higher, until he cups one of your breasts and squeezes. You moan in his mouth, and your nails scratch on his scalp. He growls at the feeling, and quickly grabs your hips to make you sit on his lap. “You seriously want to do this in the car?” you ask, but it seems obvious as you can feel him getting hard.

“I want you to make yourself forgiven,”

His blue eyes are dark with lust. You know exactly what that means. You haven’t experienced the dominant side of Gibbs yet and god, is it turning you on. You can feel yourself getting soaking wet in your panties. You approach your lips to his to kiss him again but he only lets them brush. “Your mouth should be busy somewhere else,” he says.

“Yes, sir,” you agree and work on his belt.

You don’t know if he’s ever done something like this before, but his painful erection lets you know how turned on he is. You give him a few strokes, feeling some precum on your hand. He groans under your touch and then, you bend your head over to lick the head of his cock, tasting him. “Fuck!” he mutters. You play with the head for a moment before taking him inside your mouth.

As you blow him, Gibbs has one arm stretching over the seat and his other hand is settled in the back of your neck, guiding you. You can feel him grabbing your hair into his fist from time to time. “You’re so good at this, sweetheart,” he praises you and you hum in response, with his cock still inside your mouth. It sends shivers down his spine, and he bucks his hips, making his length go as deep as possible inside your throat. When he hits the back of your throat, Gibbs lets out such a huge moan, people in the bar may have heard him.

“Who does this mouth belong to?”

You relish him briefly, “You.” you answer.

“Good girl,” he growls. “Now, make me cum in that pretty mouth of yours,”

You go back to your oral ministrations and quickly, Gibbs is coming inside your mouth, shooting his load inside your throat, as your name leaves his lips in the most erotic sound you’ve ever heard. You couldn’t be any more turned on at this very moment. As he’s catching his breath, you make a big show of swallowing every drop of him.

Finally, he grabs the back of your neck a bit roughly to make you kiss him. He can taste himself on you and from the sound you’re making, he understands that you love that side of him. “I’m not done with you,” he says, brushing his lips against yours. “We’re going back inside, like nothing happened, but if you keep flirting with DiNozzo, or anyone else, I’ll deny you for such a long moment, you’ll beg me to shot you,”

You may be crazy, but this makes you want to piss him off a little more.

[eponymous-rose]

Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E123 (Feb. 2, 2021)

After last week’s thoroughly relaxing and brief episode, tonight’s guests are Sam Riegel and Liam O’Brien!

Brian, to Sam: “You look like Tim Curry moved to Nantucket to become a sommelier.”

How did Caleb and Veth approach the ally-ship with the Tombtakers? Sam: “I mean, we got some information, and I think we got a little closer to Lucien and knowing whether he has any of Mollymauk inside of him, which is I think the most important knowledge that we’re seeking right now. Is there someone to be saved inside there? We got glimpses, and we got a little hint that Mollymauk is maybe still in there? Maybe? And we got a little more insight into their plans, so that was useful.” Liam: “We know why we were having that fucking dream.” Sam: “But other than that, it was just a road trip with assholes.” Liam: “All our plans have been ripped in a new direction, and it’s just been improvisation.” Sam notes that it feels like we’re always about to rip into Caleb’s backstory, but haven’t yet followed that thread all the way through. Liam: “It’s partially frustrating, to be sure, but also I like the idea that-- his whole shit has been selfish, it’s been dealing with the trauma that he’s been through and not the greater world, and that’s been shifting somewhat.”

Does Caleb think the book was worth it, and is he still interested in reading more? Sam: “How do you ask Caleb not to read a book?” Liam: “Caleb has spent enough time with the Nein to know you shouldn’t put a hand on a hot stove. After what happened with the book, he knows it’s a terrible idea. But maybe. But it’s a really bad idea. But reserve judgment, but it’s a really terrible idea. I think that Caleb is very aware that mages and people like him very easily fall prey to their curiosity and it can lead to bad places. But there is still that amount of scientific endeavor where you think there is value in knowing and learning, and maybe we can ride that line. He was True Neutral at the start of the campaign, and maybe he’s Chaotic Good now, but part of him is hubris, even if it’s a little bit, still.”

What about Otis has drawn Veth’s focus? Sam: “I mean, he’s a little shit. She was curious about Otis because he’s a small like she is, and in talking to him, he seemed to be real creepy, but he was just creepy and distant and didn’t value his past or family or anything like that. She sees someone who’s like her, but so not like her, and maybe that scares her a little bit more.”

How does Caleb feel about Beau being on this ride with him? Liam: “The dream is another example of how Caleb had very narrow vision of the things he wanted to do. It used to seem so massive to him, but now... To have Beauregard involved feels right. If anyone in the group is going to stop him from grabbing something he shouldn’t, it is probably Beauregard. She’ll punch him in the fucking face to stop him, which I think he needs, to a certain extent. They’re two different kinds of nerds, and I kind of like that, that this group of nine philosophers, they’ve reached out and somehow grabbed the two nerds in the party.”

How do Caleb and Veth see the Somnovum? Sam: “I mean, they seem real bad. Anything that’s a quorum of powerful entities heading towards your planet to unleash an energy of any kind, typically bad? I assume they’re bad, or at least the Tombtakers wish them to do ill.” Liam: “I think they want the kind of peace that comes from snapping your fingers and turning people to dust. Caleb sees them as a cautionary tale; they’re the worst-case scenario for arcane inquisitiveness.” He sees Allura Vysoren as the antidote to that.

Why the staunch refusal to use Halfling Luck? Sam: “I don’t like Luck! I just don’t like Luck. I think it’s cheap, I think it’s a cheat, I think it’s stupid. It just feels like a do-over.” Liam: “I am your antithesis! If I ever voice a halfling, I am going to hammer that feature!” Sam: “What I love about D&D is that you don’t know what’s going to happen. If you roll bad, okay, that’s it. If you roll well, it makes the success more enjoyable to know that it’s a pure success and don’t one where you’re like well actually... it’s so stupid. If someone was about to die, I would probably use the fuckin’ Luck feature. Well. It depends who. If it was Travis, yeah, no, he’s fucked, sorry.”

Liam drops that he’s picked Sam’s character class and race again for a hypothetical campaign three. Sam: “It’s not what I was thinking for future characters, but I’m excited to explore.”

Cosplay of the Week: an amazing Mollymauk by KatofValkyrie!

What was it like to bring the Tombtakers into the tower? Liam: “It is complicated, because he does not like him. Lucien’s just a fucking dick. But Caleb also knows that Molly’s in there somewhere. That tower’s only for the M9, and Lucien’s not in the M9. Their situation with these people is shitty, it’s terrible. Caleb doesn’t feel like they have the upper hand. He doesn’t like that they’re even going on this journey per se, because life is bigger than his bullshit. He feels like they’ve been losing over and over again, so it was a gamble to try to get on equal footing.

What spurred Veth into making sure she and Yasha have some one-on-one time? Sam: “Yasha hasn’t been getting a lot of moments to shine. Now that she’s back, I just got the impression that Yasha feels out of place sometimes, or timid, or unsure of herself. When Veth was Nott, Nott certainly had her share of those moments. I think she sees a kindred spirit and wants to make sure that she’s been giving all the opportunity she can to flourish and thrive. Dani, you’re just laughing at my mustache, aren’t you?” Dani: “Yes, that’s the only thing I’m laughing at through this whole bullshit.” Sam denies all knowledge of trolling, but eventually admits, on the topic of Yasha and Beau getting together: “They’ve made me wait this long... I’m going to make them wait a little bit longer!”

What was it like to show his friends the upper floors? Liam: “I kinda expected somebody to sneak up there before that. That being part of the tower is not even a conscious choice of his, it just is. The reason Caduceus has creeped Caleb out for a long time is because he talks about how-- Caduceus is a really kind person and wants Caleb to let go of the past. And in a really simplistic way, turn that frown upside-down. And that’s just not who Caleb is, and it’s not who everybody is. There is something to be said for trying to stay open and positivity, but thinking you can shut out the past, especially a traumatic one, is just not true. When things happen to us, we carry them. But to candy-coat it and say, ah, I’m free, or everything is good, or I’ve turned the corner... life is way messier than that. It’s not flipping a switch, it’s not bad-to-good, it is such a work in progress. Even when you make strides and start to get to a better place, you can backslide a lot. So the tower is who he is, and the tower is 7/9ths love for his friends, and 1/9th hope, but there’s still a percentage of him that carries everything from the past, and knows that he should, and knows that he should not go back to where he was. And the way to do that is not to say everything is rainbows, but to remember it. The tower is just like an extension of who he is. He’s never going to forget the past, and he’s never going to be like, I’m good, or I’ve turned a corner. He should remember the past, and he should do better, always.”

Does Veth still believe it’s possible to get Molly back? Sam: “Well, she was a person trapped in another body for many years, so has some experience there, and definitely believes that the spirit and soul of Molly is in there and just needs to be unlocked somehow.”

Fan Art of the Week: an amazing group shot by HarpySN!

How are Caleb and Veth dealing with their guilt and fear about being in the middle of this? Sam: “It definitely was a deep conversation that might have repercussions going forward. The problem with all of what we’re doing now is that we don’t have time to deal with our petty problems anymore. It’s all high tension all the time!” Liam: “It’s true; they’re not in control of their situation at all anymore.” Sam: “It’s good to have these check-ins, but it’s not like we can do anything about them. We’re reactive right now.” Liam: “He’s not happy with where they are, but they wouldn’t even be this far if the goblin hadn’t pulled him out of the mud. So part of it is, you saved me from where I was and got me on my feet again, and now it’s disconcerting to see it all just get knocked sideways by something he never could’ve predicted. I think Caleb felt nostalgic for when things were simpler, in a way, for them, when we’re both troubled drifters.”

What was it like to see Gelidon’s return? Liam: “I am the least superstitious person at the table. Ashley’s dice suck.” Sam: “It was fun fighting a dragon!” Liam: “Two massive battles in one episode, neither of which came away with a victory. I guess surviving is a victory.” Sam: “I’d forgotten about the dragon, honestly.” Liam: “I loved it. I was so upset at the idea that we were going to stealth and not get into it.”Sam: “Mercer doesn’t keep a live dragon around and not do something with it. That dragon’s coming back.”

How do Caleb and Veth feel about going to see Essek? Sam: “He can be very helpful, I believe, but as Sam Riegel, a player of D&D, I’m super suspicious. What the fuck is Essek doing up there, so close, now? I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him. And I can throw him pretty far because he floats.” Liam: “I 100% agree with you. I do not understand what Essek could bring to what we are going through. I know the audience loves him, I love him too. He’s a really cool character. But he’s fucking toxic. He out of curiosity caused a war between two nations. And Caleb has been changed for the good by the M9 from months of travel with them. Essek has had none of that. Caleb has changed for the good, but not because of people like Essek. Essek is where Caleb came from. We kept the lid on the pot during the whole treaty at sea and it almost all went fucking sideways, and only because we pressed him into a corner. I hope that guy finds some sort of balance and peace for himself, but I do not see how his input here would be helpful. There’s other heavy hitters that I would try to pull in.”

Liam notes that the Cloven Crystal is in the Bag of Holding. Sam: “Do I have Fluffernutter, or is Fluffernutter gone?” Liam: “Nope. 300 pounds of fireworks? Gone. A dead mage, a threshold crest, and fireworks.” Dani: “Your basic essentials.”

[woahajimes]

So i have this small little headcanon that when Dick was robin and he met Babs as batgirl, and they became friends, and they went on constant, you know, dates. 

But not like, romantic dates. Just random ‘dates’ in which they got... let’s say, donuts or burgers, happy meals, whatever. And they’d sit on rooftops, talk about anything, a box of donuts between them. 

And then Babs would struggle to eat the donut because her hair was in the way, and the wind was always against her, and she’d always get her hair in her mouth and it was such a bother and every night she’d ask robin,

“Do you have a hair elastic?”

To which Dick would apologetically answer with a ‘no’ and then maybe offer to hold babs’ hair while she ate her donut in peace. 

And then things repeated themselves, and literally every time they ate something, Babs would ask Dick for a hair elsatic. She always forgot. To which Dick would answer ‘sorry, i don’t’ and then it became a practical routine, until Babs sorta bit her tongue when she felt the urge to ask. 

Until Dick went to the confectioner’s store (im telling you, it has EVERYTHING) and bought a packet of like ten hair elastics, and he wore one on his wrist until that night, in which Babs didn’t ask, so Dick just stretched his arm out to her. Babs looked at him confused and asked him if he needed her to fold his sleeve or fix his glove or something, and dick just waved his hands around and gave her the hair elastic, and she was like “OH thanks!” and she wore it that night. 

but she lost it (duh i mean which girl hasn’t lost hair elastics) 

and the NEXT NIGHT (or the night a next two days) she AGAIN struggled to eat whatever they were eating and she was brushing her hair out of the way and she eventually gave up, yk? 

But luckily for babs, dick had left the opened bag of hair elastics in an alley, where a brick was off. So they went, and he gave her another hair elastic. Yet he knew what to expect. So he grabbed another one, he slid it on his wrist. He took the bag home. 

And it became a whole thing. Dick gave Babs a hair elastic and babs lost it (sometimes she didn’t and they had a streak of a week) and then he gave her another one. No matter what, Dick always had a hair elastic on his wrist. And sometimes, when hair elastics are new, they’re like.. tighter? I guess because if you have them for too long then they leave marks on your wrists (because its too tight) and anyways that has happened to Dick wAY too many times and he’s just so used to having a hair elastic on his wrist, then giving it to babs, and sorta repeat. 

When he was with the teen titans, it didn’t matter.  Donna never needed a hair elastic, wally didn’t either, nobody did. But Dick kept his stupid little hair elastic on his wrist, and he’d wait until he met babs on patrol.  But then they grew up, and Batgirl and Nightwing didn’t sound as great as Batgirl and Robin, and they drifted apart for some while, but Dick never really lost the hair elastic. 

But there wasn’t ANY use for it anymore. Donna had her hair loose but it never bothered her. Wally’s hair had grown a little, but not long enough, and Garth seemed to have his own hair elastics. 

It felt useless. 

Until it wasn’t. Dick saw Tim sitting with Steph, respective Robin and Batgirl, he saw the same scene of the donut playing out. Steph has her hair all over the place, Tim is eatinghis donut in peace. And then Dick calls tim over, he slides the hair elastic off his own wrist, he gives it to Tim. He knew it would have come in useful. 

And then Tim lifts his sleeve to reveal two hair elastics on his wrist, but these are bright, neon colors. And then Tim smirks and lifts his other sleeve, with three other hair elastics. Some even have faint patterns. 

Tim looks at him and shrugs. “Did you really think I needed a hair elastic? Have you even SEEN Bart’s hair? It’s like a mess of a jungle. And with wind? Hoo, boy. Don’t even get me STARTED on Bart’s hair when the wind is against him. Kon has a few headbands and barettes in his jacket.”