#Look at these freakin bats

[nursewhatsherface]

Completed the crosstitch I started from when we were snowed in last week.

[othmeralia]

Look! It's freakin' bats. I love Halloween.

Image from: A philosophical account of the works of nature (1721) by Richard Bradley

[realjem-art]

been thinkin about delilah bat form again recently so i FINALLY drew it. teehee

[foldingfittedsheets]

FFS’ Guide to Mattresses:

The following is a non-comprehensive list of questions I get asked a lot and is hopefully a good resource for anyone looking for a new mattress. I am not a scientist. I just sell beds. All bed knowledge is centered in the US, my apologies to international folks.

If this guide proves helpful you can consider popping a tip over on my Ko-fi to say thanks!

What’s the first step?

Well, first thing is gonna seem kind’ve obvious but a lot of people get mattresses secondhand and don’t think about it. Determine the feel you like! There’s no reason to sleep on a hard bed unless you like it, it’s not any better for your back. The three standard feels are firm, medium, and soft. Soft is called plush for stupid reasons. So find out which you like! It’ll narrow down what you look at, and save you time.

When trying out mattresses, use an A-B method. Do not compare every bed. Compare two at a time, otherwise you end up a confused mess. Pick one between the two that you like better, then put that one up against the next choice.

When you eliminate a bed it’s dead to you. Forget it. It was not as good as your new favorite and does not deserve to be remembered. If you cannot pick between two you will be tempted to try a third- this is the devil talking. A third will just make your life harder. If you truly can’t pick between beds that are comparable and they both feel nice after feeling your feelings then pick the cheaper one.

Lastly, mattresses are a huge example of “you get what you pay for”. Investing will pay off. Don’t get sticker shocked, budget what you can but know that mattresses can be freakin expensive. If you go into a store and see $5000 price tags, don’t worry, that’s not all they carry, but focus on the feel of the bed at first rather than price tag.

If you find one you love but it’s too much, the salesperson will know a comparable roll down or will usually try to help you get a deal. If you can admit, “I like this but it’s too much” they’ll work with you to find a solution.

What firmness is best?

This varies person to person but firm beds are not necessarily better for your body. Really. There’s two parts to a good mattress: support and comfort. Support goes underneath and is generally springs or incredibly dense foam. If a bed has good support, you can get away with lots of comfort.

The comfort layer exists to be gentle on your joints and pressure points. People who sleep on their side really need this comfort layer. Without this your shoulders and hips can’t circulate blood and you’ll end up tossing and turning every time your arm starts to fall asleep.

Back in the 1950’s when interconnected coils were the only thing on the market it made sense that you needed them to be firm, otherwise you’d get no back support. But nowadays coils are individually free standing, they do a much better job supporting bodies and bonus, they don’t have to be rock hard.

Most people should get somewhere around a medium bed rather than super firm or super soft but it depends on the persons preferences as all three can be good for you.

How can I tell if a bed has good support?

I’m so glad you asked. You lay on it. There’s a natural curve to the human spine. Lay first on your back. The arch in your lower back, that’s your lumbar. A good bed will push up and fill that area. If your muscles are trying to maintain that arch all night without help it will cause back pain and tossing. The more a bed fills your lumbar the better you can sleep.

Next, lay on your side. You’ll want to focus on your shoulders and hips. Good support on your back is great, but a mattress should have enough squish not to pinch off circulation. Lay for at least five minutes on your side unless you hate it right off the bat, I’m not saying every bed needs this in depth just the one you’re seriously considering. If you feel like you already need to roll over it’s too hard, go softer.

Should I get a topper?

A thousand times no. Toppers are used as a wide ranging bandaid from “there’s a hole in my bed” to “my back hurts”. Commercially available foams in toppers are significantly worse than the foams found in beds. They break down faster and sleep hotter than what they make mattresses with.

The only scenario in which you need a topper is if you’re stuck with a bed that’s too firm for you and you need it a little softer. That’s it. It can make your bed a little softer. It cannot fill holes or fix a bed with bad support. Generally aim to be over $200+ or the topper will break down ridiculously fast and be super hot to sleep on.

What do I do if there’s a divot in my bed?

First off, waterproof protectors can help avoid this problem, so take your bed divot as a life lesson and use a protector on all beds going forward. Our sweat and humidity breaks down foam like nobodies business, causing permanent damage.

So you have a divot, what now? Depends how entrenched it is. When beds get slept on every night for years the foam where a body lays compresses down, and the foam around it stays untouched. You’ll naturally start sinking. But you can get up and walk or crawl along all the foam that isn’t get slept on. If your divot is years deep it may be beyond saving but it’s worth a shot.

You can also rotate beds head to foot every six months and switch the side you and your partner sleep on or sleep all over the bed if you’re alone in it.

If the bed is over ten years old thank it for its service and get a new bed.

When should I get a new bed?

It’s worth checking your sleep quality at ten years into a mattress. The average life expectancy of a bed is 7-9 years. Not because the bed gave out necessarily but because human bodies change. We gain and lose weight, suffer injuries and age. A bed that worked for us eight years ago might not be what we need anymore. So just general age check is good. This is subject to the kind of mattress, bed in a boxes average 3-4 years of comfort so check in sooner.

But additionally: if your bed has a deep body trench where you’ve been sleeping, or if you’re waking up achey or in pain. There’s health problems that can reduce your sleep but a lot of people never suspect their mattress is sabotaging their rest, so keep it in mind.

How do I clean my bed?

Oh boy. You don’t. This goes back to water proof protectors. Your bed is not something you can pop in the wash. But it is something you will sweat and live in for upwards of ten years. Dust mites, dead skin cells, dust mite corpses, dust mite feces, allergens, skin oils. All those things will seep into the bed over time and spoiler alert it’s not great to breathe it in every night.

Sheets only catch a fraction of it, so a waterproof protector keeps the bed safe from your sweat breaking it down, but it keeps you safe from all the things that can build up in a mattress.

If you must clean a mattress I recommend a professional steaming service rather than trying to do it on your own but take this going forward: always protect your bed.

When should I get a new pillow?

Does your pillow have a waterproof protector on it? If no the answer is probably “right now”. Doctors recommend keeping a pillow no more than two years. This is because they’ll lose support and get yucky gross over those two years. If you get a memory foam pillow and get a protector on it they can last way longer. My oldest pillow was around seven years old.

Cheap polyfill pillows you buy at Target or Walmart are really only going to last three months before they wear out. If you are using more then one pillow at night you need a new pillow. Every time you have to wake up and adjust the multiple pillows you’re losing sleep.

Memory foam pillows can be more expensive but will last exponentially longer so save up and spend $50+ on a pillow you’ll actually get to use for a long time rather than $10 on one that will give you a few months of comfort.

What do I look for in a good pillow?

A good pillow is an extension of your spinal support. It should keep your neck aligned with your spine. Ideally, you are laying on a bed to try out a pillows height. It should match the width of your shoulder.

Most mattress stores can fit you for a pillow, but you can also bring a buddy to check your spinal alignment is straight. Side sleeping is most critical to get the height right. Back sleeping you just don’t want it too tall to force your chin down, and stomach you want it low enough not to push your neck up.

I replaced my pillow, now what?

Okay so now you might curse my name for a few days. Bodies are creatures of habit and hate change. Your neck might be in agony on the old pillow but it's familiar agony. So when you boot that sucker to the curb don't throw it out right away. As if I'd ever actually throw away a pillow when I could just hoard it forever.

Start each night on your new pillow. If you wake up in pain, switch back to the old one. Each night you should be able to stay on the new pillow longer and longer until your neck is finally happy. If the new pillow is consistently an issue after a week or more it may be too tall/low for you, unfortunately.

If I’m sleeping well do I really need to replace it (beds/pillows)?

Are you really sleeping well? Replacing beds or pillows is inherently stressful and a lot of peoples happy place is their bed. It’s hard to give up aspects of that cozy zone. If you’re really truly sleeping well no one is gonna make you change.

But generally if you find yourself asking this question you may be trying to convince yourself that things are good enough and ignoring that they could be much better.

Get a sleep tracker if some kind. Let it run for a week or two to see how much you’re tossing and waking up. If it’s a lot and your bed/pillow are old, it’s a good bed they’ve served their time.

If you ever wake up to readjust pillows (or at any point you’re using more than one pillow or mattress) then yes. You need a new one.

Good sleep is the result of the least disruptions. Anything you need to adjust in the middle of the night deserves a hard look and a boot to the curb.

Why shouldn’t I have my mattress flat on the floor?

Mold. Mold mold mold. Remember when I talked about how human bodies are humid? We put out a ridiculous amount of moisture as we sleep from exhalations to sweat. That builds up in the sponge under you and then your body heat maintains the ideal temperature to grow all sorts of nastiness.

You would not believe the amount of molded out beds I’ve seen. Even in the most arid areas, mold. It’s not worth it. Do not leave your bed on the floor. There’s like 2” frames if you like a low bed. If you must have your bed on the floor tip it up against a wall to ventilate every day. Mold will not wait for an invitation.

Japanese futons get brought up a lot here and first off- they get moved every night and washed regularly. Then left to ventilate. They understand that if they left it there it would mold.

Why do I sleep in X position?

Generally your body really wants your spine to curve in the right ways. Sleeping on your back would be ideal if the bed gave you everything you needed but most beds struggle to fill the lumbar. So when your muscles can’t hold your lumbar curve and want a break you roll onto your side.

Stomach sleepers are a case of back muscles fully declaring that nothing can support them and opting to invert rather than deal with poor support. It’s fully the worst sleeping position.

Before I sold beds I was almost 100% stomach sleeper due to scoliosis and back pain. Sometimes side. When I got my new bed I switched to only side and occasionally even back, which astonished me. As my bed has become less what I need I’ve reverted to occasional stomach bouts and less back sleeping.

Why don’t you like bed in a box?

Let me count the ways.

Box beds are the fast fashion of the bed world. They essentially corrupt the support part of the bed equation in order to get a product that can feasibly roll up and be compressed down. The foams are all lower density than they should be and give out quicker. The coils are significantly less steel.

The world cried out for an inexpensive bed and companies responded by giving you significantly less bed per dollar. They often use fiberglass as their flame retardant a requirement for all beds and there’s many testimonials about how poorly that’s gone for people.

But now the greatest sin of boxed beds is that they have the audacity to be marketed at the same price points of traditional beds that don’t roll up.

This robs the consumer of longevity. They’re a rip off. I sell them now at my store and I will do everything in my power to turn folks away onto beds that will actually do their damn job rather than bed mimics.

If you have a bed in a box, please understand that you’ll still get up to five years out of it, and you’re not foolish for buying one. They’ll still always be better than an old broken bed, just look to replace it sooner.

What is a good price point for a new bed?

This is really subjective, but you can get a queen size bed with independent coils for around $600. That’s the lowest good back support I’ve seen. You’ll get ten years out of it and it’ll be a bed.

Stepping into the $1000 mark gives better back support and pressure relief. Up from that they’re going to get more conforming.

Beyond $2000+ you’re generally paying for cooling. It’s the number one thing people want in a new bed but it costs more to give.

Rank Costco, IKEA, or bed in a boxes?

Bed in a box are my lowest tier, for reasons I’ve spoken of at length.

IKEA is next. They’re generally not boxed as of the last time I investigated ikea beds but they’re also just bare bones. Not a lot of either support or comfort, they tend to be around dorm quality.

Costco is a bit of a cheat here. See, they’re a wholesaler but mattresses aren’t something that overstocks- they’re made to order. Costco still wanted to offer a cheap option. So Costco gets beds made to order for really cheap. Now how can Costco offer it so much cheaper? By putting roughly 1/3 less stuff in it by category.

I had a spreadsheet laid out at one point to compare a sealy I carried against what looked like a comparable Costco bed. Every single component was shaved down. Each layer of foam, each coil, they all were about 1/3 less material than our better bed.

Now of course Costco sells boxed bed. So a non-boxed Costco bed is still better than an old broken bed and Costco will basically always take it back which is why they score higher than others but you’re still only going to get about three to five years out of it.

Do I really need a new boxspring? My old one is fine!

Is it really actually 100% fine? Is it just as old as the mattress? Are you willing to gamble the price of the new bed on the existing structural integrity? It’s been load bearing for the lifespan of a bed and the amount of boxes that are actually good to continue service are few and far between.

A few reasons to get new boxes: new beds are made much more floppy than old style to accommodate adjusting on adjustable bases. Old boxes may not offer adequate support for a new bed. Ideally what’s going under a new mattress is solid. No gaps. If you have slats it’s still ultimately better to put a bunkie board under the mattress rather than sitting it right on the slats. Also mattress manufacturers won’t warranty a bed that is on old boxes or improper support.

Adjustable bases are a wonderful replacement for box springs, bunkie boards should go over slats greater that 2” apart, and try to avoid frames that leave big open spaces under the bed.

If this guide was helpful you can consider popping a tip over on my Ko-fi to say thanks!

[carronpatrick]

@thevampywolf

lubeebatconservancy on tiktok

🦇-🦇-🦇-🦇-🦇

[estrellami-1]

Ten Minutes

Didn’t love this when I first wrote it. Left it in my drafts for a LONG freakin’ time. Found it again and no longer care, so here yall go; have fun! Probably not a part 2 to this one.

Steve takes a breath, then another, as he waits for the line to connect. He grits his teeth, feeling eyes on him. He does his best to ignore them.

“Munson residence, if you’re calling about the murders I’ve been absolved of, try going to hell instead.”

“I need you to pick me up.”

A pause. “Stevie?”

Steve takes another breath. Tries to unclench his jaw. “Please.”

“Yeah, of course, I’ll be right there- what-”

“My parents are in town.”

Another pause. “I’ll be there in ten. Try not to kill them.”

Steve laughs humorlessly. “Just hurry.”

“Ten minutes,” Eddie says, and hangs up.

Steve sighs, places the phone in its socket, and turns back to face his parents.

His mother is narrowing her eyes at him. “Who was that?”

“A friend,” he says lightly.

“Who, that Hagan boy?” His father scoffs.

“No. Not Tommy. I haven’t spoken to him in years.”

“Oh, Steve,” his mother tuts. “Always so dramatic. We’ve not even been gone a year-”

Steve laughs. It sounds hollow. “Try four years,” he informs her. “And three concussions. Did you hear about the mall two years ago? Or the boy who went missing four years ago?” He shakes his head when his mother looks at him blankly. “That’s what I thought.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” his father snaps. “And don’t you dare speak to your mother in that tone again, Steven. You’re still a child and I won’t hesitate to reprimand you as such.”

“I’m twenty,” Steve says evenly. “I’ll be twenty-one in five months.” He crosses his arms. “The last time you saw me, I was a freshman in high school. I’ve graduated. I found jobs. Lost some friends and made some better ones.”

“And what of that girl you were dancing around?” His mother asks. “Karen’s daughter?”

“We’re friends,” he says shortly, then moves through the kitchen, to the stairs. “Excuse me.”

“No,” his father says. “You’re not excused. Where do you think you’re going?”

Steve turns, one hand on the bannister, to look at the man who had terrified him the last time he’d seen him. It’s funny what interdimensional threats will do. “To pack a bag. I’m not going to stay here while you are.”

“And if I were to say we’re staying for good?”

Steve laughs. “Dad, you’ve said that before. Multiple times, actually. Those words mean nothing to me anymore.”

“And where are you planning on staying?” His mother asks. “Honestly, Steven, I thought we raised you to make better decisions than this.”

“Oh, I see. So it was raising me when I woke up at nine years old to discover you’d left and I’d have to find my own way to school. Then a week later when I had to ride my bike to the store to buy groceries. At eleven, when I looked the school counselor in the eye and said you’d be back soon. I had to go to my own parent-teacher conferences. At fifteen, trying to figure out high school classes. At seventeen when I got my first concussion. At eighteen when I signed my first legally-binding NDA. You hadn’t abandoned me. You were raising me.” He sighs, shakes his head. “Forgive me if I don’t believe you.”

He makes his way up to his room and packs as much as he can. Clothes. Vinyls. The box of cash under the loose floorboard. Then into the bathroom. Toothbrush, deodorant, even his shampoo. Doubles back into his room to grab a bracelet off his nightstand; one El made him.

He looks around, grabs the nail bat, and makes his way downstairs. His mother gasps when she sees him. “What on earth is that?”

He looks at the bat. Adjusts his grip, twirls it around. “An NDA.”

The doorbell rings. Steve grabs his bags and moves towards it. “If you walk out that door, you’ll never walk back in.”

“Fine by me,” Steve says. He grabs his keys, tosses the house key at his father, and pockets the rest.

He opens the door and grins at Eddie, who’s looking at him worriedly. “Hey, Eds. Ready to go?”

Eddie blinks. “Um. Sure? Are you okay?”

“Sure,” Steve shrugs. “I’m getting kicked out. If you don’t want to take me I’ll just go bug Robin. It’ll only be for a little while, though, just until I find a better job and an apartment or something.”

“Like hell Wayne’s gonna miss this chance,” Eddie grins. “You know you’re his favorite.”

Steve smiles back, tosses his things into the back of Eddie’s van. “I hoped you were gonna say that.”

Permanent Taglist: @justforthedead89 @ilovecupcakesandtea @madigoround @bookbinderbitch @suddenlyinlove @nburkhardt @artiststarme @paintsplatteredandimperfect @i-less-than-three-you @alyelf @quarble @messrs-weasley @littlewildflowerkitten @vankaar @starman-jpg @bornonthesavage @steddie-there @goodolefashionedloverboi @andienotannie @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @platinum-sunset @just-ladyme @steddiestains @swimmingbirdrunningrock @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme @martinskis-lydias @notaqueenakhaleesi @sleepyboosstuff @bestwifehaver @m-owo-n @thatonebadideapanda @finalmoondragon @velocitytimes2 @callmeanythjing @ajeff855 @ilikeititspretty @knitsforthetrail @sillysparrow @that-one-corvid @ace-is-bored @muricel @harpymoth @weirdandabsurd42

[sanguineterrain]

Hello! I recently found your blog and bruh I'M SMITTEN by your works.

Would it be alright if I requested Jason Todd x gn reader (also vigilante but only works on small cases and in safer places... Jason wouldn't let them anywhere else after a heavy injury they sustained in the past)...

Maybe they're searching for clues in one of the alleys and reader finds a baby there and takes it home (or maybe they fall upon a tired-looking woman throwing her baby over the bridge, reader manages to catch it but when they get back up the woman is gone)? Just overall how would Jason react to his partner finding a kid and bringing it home and what would happen after.

I made myself laugh bc I thought Jason would be like "good thing you went home and not to a bat cave, can't handle another sibling, the last one is already a living hell.

And I wanted to ask if it would be alright if I requested more than just one thing? Completely fine if not.

❤️❤️❤️

This is a super cute prompt!! Thanks for sending it in. And yes feel free to send more than one request 💓

Jason Todd x gn!reader. Abandoned baby, established relationship, Jason being a cutie patootie.

****

You find the baby in a grocery store basket stuffed with blankets behind a Walmart.

She's a tiny thing, with fat cheeks and a permanent wrinkle between her brow. She's frighteningly quiet.

You take her home.

Home has become synonymous with Jason's apartment. At some point, it just made more sense for you to move in long-term. Jason had gingerly brought it up to you one night and kissed you hard when you'd said yes.

You pick up some formula on the way home and a few other things. The baby starts to cry after a bit, to your relief, and after feeding and changing her, you sway her until she falls asleep.

You're content to hold her until you get a crib. You fully intend to do so.

You hear the first lock turn, then the second, then the third. There's no worry that Jason will wake the baby; he always enters a building like he's casing it.

You have the TV turned down low, channel switched to some late-night sitcom. Jason comes in and closes the door with his foot. He takes off his helmet, revealing his messy curls. You smile.

"Hey, Jaybird," you say.

Jason glances at you as he walks to the bedroom, unzipping his vest as he goes. He grins tiredly.

"Hey, sweetheart. Hello, baby."

You watch him disappear into the bedroom. The baby is still fast asleep. You adjust your legs to get more comfortable in the chair.

Jason backs out of the room a moment later, gear still on. His vest is half-unzipped.

"That's a baby," he says.

You nod. "Yep."

Jason pulls a face like he's doing calculus in his head. "Did—do we have a... did I...?"

"How would that even work, Jason?"

"Look, there's many ways that can happen! Y'know how many freakin' clones are in this city? My freakazoid brother could get you a genetically engineered baby in twelve hours."

"She is an organically produced baby not related to either of us. Okay?"

"Oh. Sure, yeah." Jason starts to turn, then comes back. "Wait, no, I still have questions. Why do you have a baby?"

"I found her."

Jason squints at you, then at the baby. "You found her."

"Uh-huh."

"I don't think that'll hold up in court, sweets."

"Relax, Jason. I'm ninety-nine percent sure she was abandoned. I found her behind a Walmart. I know I could've dropped her at the hospital, but I just..." You look down at her sleeping face. "She's just so little. And she needs human contact. Nurses are already overworked as it is. What harm is in taking her home?"

"Yeah, y'know what that is? A siren song. Pretty soon, you'll be fitting her for a domino mask and dressing her like a traffic light."

You roll your eyes. "Don't be silly. I wouldn't dare try to take Damian's title. Plus, traffic light color palettes are so outdated."

Jason pouts. "Are not."

You carefully stand, baby in your arms, and walk over to peck Jason on his cheek.

"Are too. Wanna hold her?"

Jason looks at her like she's a bomb. "I dunno. I might... what if I... hurt her?"

You frown. "You wouldn't hurt her, Jaybird."

"I might hold her wrong or make her cry, and then I'll have to throw myself off the roof."

"You are such a drama king. She's sleeping like a log. You won't wake her unless you scream in her ear."

Before Jason can reply, you're unloading her into his arms. He jumps into action, arms and hands awkward but trying. You smile gently.

"Put her head in the crook of your elbow. Yeah, good. Support her butt. Both arms. Yeah, good! Good job, honey."

You pat his arm. Jason looks spooked for a second, then seems to relax when she doesn't stir. She's cradled in his arms like she was made to fit there.

"Isn't she so cute?" you whisper.

"She is really cute. So small. God." He watches her for a moment, mouth downturned. "I was a small baby too."

"I bet you were a cute baby," you say, tucking a curl behind Jason's ear.

"Oh, sure. People came from all over the world to have a gander at the cutest baby on the planet. Looks like she's taken my title."

Jason starts to sway lightly, holding her like she's gold. You feel your face soften.

He must feel your eyes on him, because he looks up after a moment like he's expecting you to correct his posture. "What?"

You shake your head. "Nothing. Just... I'm just really in love with you, Jay."

Jason's cheeks turn pink. He bites the inside of his cheek.

"Oh. I'm, uh, really in love with you too."

You kiss him properly for that, and Jason hums into your mouth, then pulls back slightly.

"We can't keep the baby. Y'know that, right? I gotta marry you properly first," Jason says against your lips.

"This is the twenty-first century, buddy. People keep babies all the time, unwed or not."

"Yeah, I know. Still wanna marry you first."

You look down at the baby and give her an air kiss. Then you look up at Jason, putting on the saddest face you can muster. He sighs.

"Well," he says, gently touching her fingers. "Maybe we can keep her for a little while."

[princessbrunette]

Innocent reader who’s never had a high sex drive like at all and then she meets JJ or rafe and struggles to handle the switch up. She’s constantly wet needing them all the time. Clinging to them practically grinding on them in public and she doesn’t know what to do with herself cause she’s never been like this before

-🦜

༄❀*ੈ✩‧₊˚

sometimes just watching jj is enough to set you off. the way he speaks, the way he commands a conversation with his sarcasm and clever argumentation, the way he casually keeps an eye on you at all times— whether that’s by keeping a hand on your waist or glancing at you mid sentence to make sure you’re engaged. it’s true what they say, a girls sex drive can be totally influenced by the person she’s with and the way they treat her!

you don’t realise just how clear you make it when you need him, and it almost snaps you out of your haze when he clocks you each and every time. he’s yapping away, everyone stood outside the chateau drinking and having fun, jj creating a whole debate over something pointless just for entertainment when you move impossibly closer, practically smushing into his side.

“no okay i remember— i remember so freakin’ vividly that john b was the one who came up with it. now i know y’all wanna blame me, cos realistically yeah— only jj maybank could come up with something that stupid but i swear dudes, it was mr jb over there. you know it bro!” the blonde laughs, pointing a finger to the brunette as everyone laughs and chimes in.

you hear them laughing, but you’re kind of zoned out— staring up at your boyfriends profile, hand stroking his back through his tshirt. he glances at you, doing a double take when he sees big doe eyes staring back.

“howdy there.” he smirks, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. “you okay? look like you’re bouta ask for something.”

you shrug with a shy smile, practically batting your eyelashes at the blonde.

“hmmm…” you giggle.

“hmm…” he repeats back quietly, a grin on his own. it was like everything else faded to background noise, leaving just the two of you in your own world.

“kinda need you.” you admit bashfully and he blinks, words sinking in.

“you— like need me need me? or…” he gapes, eyes a little wider and hopeful.

“mhm.” you press your lips together, embarrassed. he stares for a second before directing his attention toward the group.

“on that note, we will be heading inside. duty calls. it’s been real.” he faux curtsies, patting you on the back and walking you away back to the chateau.

“gross.” kie shakes her head, the boys bursting into woops and hollers.

“you kids have fun!” john b calls out.

“not too much fun, you’re too young for kids remember that!” pope stresses as you skip alongside the blonde, the two of you giggling as you hurry inside.

༄❀*ੈ✩‧₊˚

[tillxthexearthxstartsxtoxcrumble]

Obsessed with the fight scene between Clarisse, Percy, and the other ares kids during capture the flag. Specifically the moment where Percy grabs the spear and uses it to get the other kids away and then rolls to grab his shield, AND THEN GOES RIGHT BACK TO FIGHTING LIKE A FREAKIN PRO

Like are you KIDDING me? He has been in (1) fight before this and he's improving so much so quickly this kid is insane and I love seeing them show just how powerful Percy is right off the bat. Like yes he is insanely powerful but he is gonna be able to best a group of kids BORN FROM THE GOD OF WAR with so little training. Look at him go.

[escelia]

I took a prompt from @ghostreblogging and ran away with it. I have other parts in progress that I'd be willing to post if you guys are into it. I'm not saying it's good, but I definitely had fun with this and got wild with the next part.

Danny Fenton-Wayne: Big Brother

To say Danny was excited to be a big brother was an understatement. He was so ready to finally be the older one, in a position where he was allowed to be protective but not overbearing. Jazz had trained him well for this. And Damian was just the perfect little brother to him, though he was sure that was weird to everyone else. It was so refreshing to have a sibling that didn't treat him like glass. He reminded him a lot of a smaller, angrier, less tech oriented Skulker. And it was great seeing the others' confused but entertained expressions.

"I will slit your throat while you sleep," Damian had glared at his new big brother. "You are not my big brother!" He insisted. Danny thought it was so cute! Skulker would love him. The other Wayne's had looked mortified as though the comment would scare Danny away. Really, the threat was weak. Slitting Danny's thought wouldn't be nearly as effective as Damian was hoping, and it wasn't even that creative. But Danny was a good big brother, and rough housing was a great way to let off steam and get in exercise, so Danny just laughed and responded,

"You could sure try!"

Damian lunged at him in rage. The kid was fast and efficient; he'd give him that. But Danny had faced things much worse than a 10 year old with a penchant for violence. He dodged and snagged the back of his shirt, scruffing him like an angry kitten.

"Damian! No! Bad!" Tim scolded. "Danny, I would tell you not to take it to heart, but he really will stab you, so please be careful?"

"Stab me? That's adorable!" Damian squirmed in his hold while Danny manhandled him into a hug. This didn't really count as being overbearing if it didn't last too long, right? Besides, with Damian fussing so loudly about it, he was sure this was exactly how Jazz felt when she smothered him. It was amazing. Being a big brother was the best.

He eventually let Damian go and he sped away like Pariah Dark was personally nipping at his heels. No doubt to go plan Danny's demise. He was kind of looking forward to it actually.

~~•○•~~

Dinner that night was eventful. He'd learned that Duke was a meta with an ability that affected his sight. Not that he'd outright said so, but Danny could tell. He also gathered a few inklings about his family being the freakin Bat Brigade? They were all vigilantes, and they thought he was some normal civilian! So was Damian being protective of his family in the face of some stranger? That was understandable. Respectable even. Jazz would have said that he was a newcomer in their space and that he needed to respect that. He wouldn't pry if they didn't want him to. Across the table, his baby brother waved a fork at him menacingly. Danny snickered.

"Damian…" Bruce warned. Dick tutted at him from his seat.

"Sorry about him, Danny. You can just ignore him," Dick assured. Danny found he really liked Dick too, what with his similar penchant for puns.

"Thanks, but I think I can handle him. He's what, 10 years old?"

"I'm clearly 12, you imbecile!" In the next moment, Damian was scrambling across the table embedding his fork into the back of Danny's chair, but Danny was no longer in it. Damian hadn't even seen him move if his stunned blinking was anything to go by.

"Trust me, I would not be good for your diet," Danny joked.

~~•○•~~

Danny had gotten a great idea when several days later Damian rushed him with a whole sword. Even as Phantom, Danny was never familiar with traditional weapons. He'd always wanted to learn, but knew that with Fentons it just wasn't a safe idea. So when Duke came running to reprimand Damian and the child saw an opening, Danny redirected the blade down and out of his hand, offering it back with a question about lessons. Perhaps he could bond with Damian by letting him teach him about his favorite weapon.

Their "training," as Damian put it, was going well. Danny genuinely felt like he was learning a lot from him as well as about him. And even with his ghostly enhanced speed the brat was keeping him on his toes. When Damian nicked him with his blade for the time Danny had been so proud. He knew he wasn't easy to hit.

"Say cheese!" Danny exclaimed, shoving his uninjured cheek up against Damian's for a photo. It had turned out amazing, with Danny pointing to the oozing scratch on his face while Damian scowled at him for enjoying himself.

"Please desist. You're taking all the fun out of trying to kill you." Danny just laughed

~~•○•~~

Damian's new brother was just weird. And apparently Damian was the only one who really knew it. At first he'd thought the fool was underestimating him, but boy was he mistaken. He was a civilian, right? Then why could he not land a hit on Fenton even without the interference of his inferior siblings? The wretched thing was able to snatch him mid air and wrestle him into a hug like it was nothing. He was a professionally trained assassin! This was embarrassing! The others thought Fenton just had decent reflexes and a lack of self preservation instincts, but Damian knew better.

The day Fenton disarmed him quickly went from infuriating to intriguing. His brothers had admonished him for attempting murder again, but Daniel had stood up for him and handed his precious blade back to him, going as far as asking if he was willing to give him lessons. Tt, at least one of his brothers could tell he was a superior warrior. He obliged, eager to show off his skills with a sword. And Daniel wasn't actually bad at it per se, but it was clear he wasn't versed in swordplay. After a few sessions with Daniel, he noticed something odd. Not bad, but odd. The room was always cooler when they sparred, and he found that he didn't often overheat. Daniel was a quick learner and very light on his feet. So light, in fact, that he sometimes seemed to float. And Damien would swear on his grandfather's blade that when Daniel got serious, his eyes would flash a bright, toxic green. Damian was determined to get to the bottom of this, and because he was, in fact, the smartest of the Wayne's, he would do it on his own!

Turns out, he didn't have to try that hard.

Damian woke with a start at the knock on his door. He didn't have patrol so he'd tried to turn in early for the night. Grumbling, he went to see who it was. He swore, if it was Drake and he wasn't sleeping even though he'd been kicked off the schedule for sleep deprivation, he would strangle him. He cracked the door to see glowing green eyes. But Danny didn't seem irrationally angry like Todd did when the Pit Rage consumed him.

"Can I come in please?" Danny pleaded. "I had a nightmare and don't wanna be alone, but the others are out and Tim needs his sleep…"

Damian sighed and opened the door for Danny to come in. He sat at the foot of the bed and curled his knees to his chest.

"I don't know what you expect me to do for you. I'm not some counselor." He closed the door and crossed his arms with an annoyed huff.

"I don't need a counselor, I just need my brother." Danny's tired smile was soft.

"Why? I've been told I don't have a comforting personality." Damain took a seat next to him.

"I don't need to be coddled, I'm not a baby. I really appreciate that you're straightforward and rough toward me. I'm traumatized, but like, I'm not gonna break, ya know?"

"You… like that I'm rude to you?" This had to be the first time anyone had ever said that to him.

"Do you know why I'm here? Why I was taken in?" When Damian shook his head Danny continued. "My parents were always pretty careless when it came to raising my sister and I. Their science always came first. We had to grow up pretty fast. And once you grow up, it sucks to be treated like a kid again. It's what got my sister into psychology, and she was constantly trying to psychoanalyze me. Well, I'd had a lab accident that… changed me. When my parents found out, they vivisected me. Bruce found out and got me out of there, but Jazz was already 18 and in college so she couldn't come with me."

Damian was horrified. Even the League with their harsh rules and cruel nature would never do something like that. Even so, it did explain a lot, and Daniel seemed to know how to handle his trauma. An accident in a lab would definitely explain Daniel's more meta-like features as well. He wondered if his father knew, but figured he didn't because the boy had been very secretive about any abilities he might have gained.

"So to summarize, your parents were atrocious to you and now instead of being coddled or analyzed, you prefer to spend your time with people trying to stab you? I tried to kill you." He pointed out.

"Yea, well so has everyone else in my family at one point or another. It's sort of like a rite of passage and you're the only one that's done it," Danny smirked and nudged Damian. The younger boy could admit he found the humor in that, dark as it may be. "Besides, you get it: not wanting to be underestimated or looked down on just because you're young even though you've been through hell." Damian couldn't deny that. Maybe they were more alike than he had anticipated. Interacting with him didn't grate on his nerves like the others did at least. He sighed.

"So, what now Daniel? We sit in silence until you feel safe enough to go back to your own room?"

"I strongly prefer Danny for reasons I'm not willing to talk about yet, but I get the feeling this is as good as I'm gonna get, huh?"

"Correct."

"Well then, do you mind if I call my dog? He's a good boy, I promise," Danny pleaded.

"I do like the company of animals. I didn't know you had a dog, I haven't seen a new one on the grounds." Danny took this as a go-ahead to summon Cujo.

"I don't take him many places, he can get rowdy and protective sometimes. But I'm positive he'll love you." He let out a sharp whistle and the green ghost puppy phased into the room from under the door. He trotted over to the boys, tongue flopping as he did. He pounced excitedly on Danny before giving Damian a thorough sniff and deeming his presence safe and acceptable. He happily let the boy scratch his belly.

"He's… uh, green. What breed is he?"

"The ghost kind," Danny replied sadly. The implications were heartbreaking. "My accident turned me half-ghost so now I have a ghost puppy," he said as if that explained everything. "You uh, won't tell the others about this, right?"

Damian tilted his head in thought while he scratched Cujo behind the ears. He'd definitely want more details on what exactly Daniel meant by "ghost," but for now, he felt pride at being the one family member Daniel actually felt comfortable talking to. He could lord that over his siblings later.

"We'll, you're no longer in any danger, and your past is none of their business unless you want it to be, so I don't don't see a reason to tell them."

Danny grinned at his little brother. He knew Damian would be his favorite! He already knew he would do anything for him.

[toulousewayne]

🌿🍃Toxic Lover: Pt: II

Nightwing X male!reader with a former team who had become Poison Ivy like meta-human.

Summary:Your a former Titan teammate, you and Dick have unresolved feelings and you become infected with the same toxins and chemicals that turned Poison Ivy into a meta-human.

————-

“They Can Bury Us Deep, But We Always Grow.”

Batman sat perched on the rooftops of Gotham. It was a rainy night, much preferred these nights. Most of the crime was kept to the shadows it made it easier for him.

“Batman,we’ve got a problem,”Oracle’s voice filled his coms. “Fill me in.” He jumped off the building and glided north of his location.

——

A man walks outside of the Stacked Deck Bar, and takes a puff from his cigarette. He walks into the alleyway and takes a swig of his flask.

He rounds the corner to see a shadow figure standing before him.

“It’s the freakin’ bat,” he takes out his pistol but it’s knocked out of his grips my a WingDing. The next thing he knows he’s thrown against a nearby dumpster.

“You murderer.” Nightwing snarled at the man before his feet. He kicked him in the stomach, then picked him up and flung him to the other side of the alley.

“L-look I’m sorry about you friend—it’s wasn’t personal.” He’s met with a powerful shock to the gut.

“AHHH-pplease.”

“That’s enough, honey,”A thin cloud of pink and gold mist surrounded the two men, Y/n emerged be held by tree branches pink petals. “It’s good to see you,Nolan wasn’t it. however, the last time we meet you killed me along with your friends.” Y/n grinned. He sported a new pale green skin tone now, his normal (E/C) eyes were a deep emerald. Leaves and vines woven together to map pants and some wrapped around his forearms and torso.

He lowered himself and walked over to Nightwing placing a hand on his emblem. “You know I should really thing you, you allowed me to be a better version of myself,”

“You’re welcome-“Nightwing kicked him in the gut again.

Y/n crossed his arms across his chest. “Though I could have done without the new color. No matter it’s time you answer my questions.” He waved his hand and Nightwing backed away from the goon. Y/n crouched down and blow from his palm, more of the same pink dust engulfed him squared in the face and almost immediately his grimace morphed into a blank stare.

“Now what I want to know two things. What is the name of the scientist that gave you the order to kill me, and last where is Poison Ivy?”

———

The Batmobile came to a screeching haunt behind several police cruisers. He leaped out and walked past the small crowd held back by officers.

A officer lifted a yellow tape and he entered the crime scene. Gordon stood a foot away from two white sheets, Spoiler and Red Robin stood at the bodies scanning them before joining Batman and the Commissioner.

“They two of the best people on the force,” Gordon puffed after taking a drag from his Pipe.

“Any leads?” Batman turned to the two heroes. Red Robin hand him a zip lock bag with several deep green leaves.

“Posion Ivy, she’s been quiet.” Spoiler folded her arms.

Batman walked past them and removed the sheets to observe the bodies. It’s definitely something Ivy could have done but Batman isn’t so sure. He knows that’s she’s been MIA for months.

He rises his head and looks straight ahead. “Gotham Cemetery.” He mumbles. He stands up and walks towards it.

“Is he himself?” Gordon turns to the two who shrug.

—

Batman enters the cemetery and walks past the stone statues. He moves like a black phantom through out the grounds until he stops in front of what was supposed to be a fresh grave. Red Robin and Spoiler approach and stop themselves.

“What happened?” She questions. Vines and purple flowers grown from the grave and have consumed it. The casket is in the heart of the greenery and is split open. And no body inside.

Batman turned to the two, before worry took over his masked features. “Has anyone spoke to Nightwing tonight?”

“Not since the afternoon, he said he was patrolling the East End tonight.” Red Robin replied.

“You think Y/n did this?” Spoiler looked back at the grave and back to Batman who was practically running towards the entrance.

“Alfred I need to find Nightwing he’s not answering his com links.” The Batmobile came to a roaring stop at the cemetery gates and Batman hopped inside before racing down the street.

“I’m afraid I haven’t been able to locate him Sir. His tracker when down two hours ago.” He sighed.

Batman gripped the steering wheel.”Any last know location.”

“Allow me to check,”Alfred typed a few keys before giving him the last location,”Robinson Park Sir, the Botanical Gardens.” The Batmobile raced and roar onto Pioneer Bridge towards the other part of the city.

——

One man stumbles and falls down a few stairs and coughs. As he runs down a hallway into a warehouse.

“Please have Mercy!” He cries as he ducks behind a crate.

“Mercy,I’ll show you mercy.” A voice boomed in the dark room. The man cowered in fear before he flew back from his hiding spot and was carried up fifty feet in the air. He was wrapped in an oversized vine and was being constrained.

Y/n moved into his view ontop of an another vine and smirked. He had his arm resting on his knee and leaned forward towards the man’s face.

“So sad isn’t it. We take for granted the gifts Mother Nature can offer us,” he plucks a maroon flower from his vine that looks between a cross of a tulip and rose. He twirled the flower and looked back at the man. Before smirking.

“So tell me Wilson, where can I find the scientist?” Before the man could reply Y/n blow on the flower and black particles landed on his face. He started to cough and scream in pain.

“He’s meeting the Boss I don’t know who but he’s meeting him Chinatown. PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!” He screamed in terror before a massive coughing fit and his limbs go limp.

Y/n lowers himself down and allows the vines to drop the body with a loud crack. Nightwing stood a few feet from where the man landed. He stare at him for a while before Y/n came into his view.

“Where are we going?” Y/n placed a kiss to his cheek. Y/n took his leave with Dick in tow.

“To make one more stop.”

——

Batman crashed through the same skyline Nightwing had to find the place abandoned. He took a look around with a flashlight.

He came to a makeshift bed and found the same leaves Red Robin gave him.

He turned on his scanner and turned the leave over. “Alfred identify and breakdown these leaves basic components.”

“Right away Sir. These two leaves have the same trace amount of pheromones. The scanners indicate they are of a stronger concentration. The combination is similar to the lab where Nightwing and is team were a few nights ago.”

Batman turned and looked at the ground. He found a WingDing and a remnant of a sleep dart. The same Nightwing gauntlet. “Nightwing must of found Y/n and tried to stop him.”

Alfred hummed, “Do you think he killed Master Richard.”

Batman kneeled down a traced his finger to find them covered in a green dust. “Unlikely, what happened to him he still cares for Dick.” He stood up and grappled out of the greenhouse. He glides down to the street and gets back into the Batmobile.

“The attack on Y/n in the lab must of caused a biological shock and rewrite his DNA the same way it did Ivy. But what I can figure out is what’s motivate?” He began to drive before another call rang.

“It’s Ms Gordon I’ll patch her through.” Soon the ringing stopped and Barbara’s voice filled the car.

“Batman we found two bodies.”

“Where?”

“One at the Stacked Deck an hour ago Red Hood is on the scene with Bullock. And another at a warehouse at Dixon Docks,Batgirl is there with Robin now.”

“My word, Sir my analysis is completed. There is another drug mixed in that was scanned at the fire. It’s a drug called Tomgenalixe. It’s a substance used in modern day Hallucinogens and can be used to create mind altering effects.”

“Mind Control.” Batman and Oracle reply.

“So Y/n isn’t just killing people for fun, he’s been controlled too.” Oracle took a deep sigh.

Batman gripped the steering wheel.”We need to find them. Alfred can you track Y/n’s pheromones?”

Alfred typed at the Batcomputer. “Sir his tracking is leading to the Diamond District.”

Batman raced back towards the highway. “Oracle take the components of the drugs and chemicals and synthesize and antitoxin. Have someone bring it to me. Alfred, have Red Robin and Spoiler meet me at my location.”

“Working on it, I’ll have Red Hood and Batgirl pick up the antioxins as soon as it ready.” Oracle signed off.

“Sir, when you arrive what will you do?”

Batman didn’t answer as thunder crashed across the night sky.

“I’m going to save them.”

———-

“Where’s my cut?” The scientist hissed at the man in a chair turned away from him.

The man chuckled. “Your cut, you were supposed to bring me a new drug. You burned your research. I can’t get any of that funding back, and now Lex Luthor has questions about fire you caused.” The man stood before as Black Man rises from his seat and the scientist cowers.

“I’m—“ SMACK

“You little runt, you work for me and you’ll get paid when the fuck I say so.” He snarled. He grabbed a wad of cash from his pocket and threw it at him.

“Now get back and figure out the poison, you still have the plant woman in holding?”

“Yes, she’s secure downstairs.” He took the cash. But before he could leave he was kicked square in the jaw and crumbled to the floor.

Black Mask turns to see Nightwing giving his a death stare. “What brings you here?”

The doors burst open with three of his goons with green glowing eyes and Y/n strolling behind them.

“I’m here for a little payback.” Y/n smirked. He outstretched his arm and vines bursts from the floor and tied up Black Mask.

“You crazy bitch I’ll kill you.” Y/n yawned. “Boys take care of him,” he turned to the scientist. “I think you have someone who doesn’t belong to you, don’t worry I’ll kill you when this over just like I did you henchmen.”

“Boss!” The large man who had did most of the damage to Y/n emerged through another door. Nightwing sprang into action and brutal fought him. It didn’t take long before he hit the ground hard.

Y/n crossed the room and stood over the dazed man.

“Remember it’s nothing personal.” Y/n dropped seeds into his gapped open mouth and vines and flower rapidly grew from his mouth and stomach.

“That’s sick.” Black Mask gagged before getting punch by Nightwing.

Y/n nodded and then two armed guards took Black Mask away. The other waiting for them and Nightwing grabbed the Scientist.

“Let’s go.” He barked. Y/n and the other guard followed him. The arrived in a basement that was like a huge underground bunker.

They ventured until the came to a catwalk and bellow was a cell in center with Ivy unconscious.

“Well it seems you’ve severed your purpose.” Y/n turned to the man that uttered the order to kill him and before he could grab him a Batarang nearly took his hand off.

Batman leaped down and glared at the group.”That’s enough, you’ve taken to many lives tonight I won’t let you take more Y/n. This isn’t you.”

Y/n pursed his lips and brief a chuckle. “What do you know about Y/n?” Batman eyed down below and saw Ivy talking almost as a puppet.

“Ivy, you’ve been controlling him from the start.”

Ivy/Y/n chuckled. “I can’t take all the credit you seen when they turned Y/n into this new and improved version of himself. We form a connection, and the more his powers grew—“

“The greater your control became.” Batman finished. Ivy chuckled in her cell.

“He makes a fine successor, does need some weeding but no matter he’ll do fine to kill you.” Y/n caused two large vines to sprout beside Batman who leaped down and landed on his feet. He cartwheel out the way of a shock from Nightwing.

“I know you can hear me, don’t make me have to put down.” Nightwing smirked,”Come and try.” He lunged at Batman and the two attacked and blocked each others moves.

Red Robin and Spoiler crashed the room and took out the guard and Spoiler went after Y/n to jumped onto a moving vine.

“Y/n snap out of it you’re still in there.” She pleaded. Y/n formed another overgrown plant to seat her away like fly. He caused a giant Venus Flytrap to sprout and it held him in place.

“This will be your tomb.” He laughed wickedly.

——

Black Mask stood ontop of the building with rifles at his head.

“Jump.” One order. He moved his leg out to jump before he heard gunfire and the sounds of punches. He nervously turned to see Red Hood and Batgirl.

“I’m saved—“ he was lassoed by Batgirl who tied him to a pipe. Before following Red Hood into the building.

“Hell let me Go!”

—-

Nightwing kicked Batman in the chest sending him stumbling.

Red Robin back flipped out the way of a vine nearly crushing him.

“Give up.” Ivy hissed.

Red Hood and Batgirl arrived. Batgirl grabbed a vine and began to run up it to Y/n and Red Hood leaped down and fired a few rounds at Nightwing which distracted him long enough for Batman to land a punch.

He stagger and when to fight him some more giving Red Hood the chance to fire a dart the hit Nightwing in the neck. He growled before he slowly turned and fell into Batman’s arms going limp.

Batgirl managed to get a clear shot and injected Y/n with large dose. He felt tired fell onto the catwalk, Red Robin check on him before injecting an orange liquid into Y/n arm.

“This will break the connection to Ivy.”

Ivy screamed in pain like a part of her had been stabbed. “You’re going to Arkham.” Batman stood before her and she was about to shout before green mist filled her cell and she collapsed.

“Hey Oracle whip up something for her too.” Batgirl chimed in.

Batman grinned and turned to Nightwing and sighed.

———-

Y/n felt like everything that happened was a fever dream. Killing them men that assaulted him, rising from the dead like an uprooted carrot and his finale fight with the Batfamily.

He sat up with an instant migraine. He rubbed his temples from the bright lights and turned to the side to see a shadow.

“Where am I?” His voice was hoarse and scratchy.

“You’re in Arkham.” Batman sighed and came into the light of the cell.

Y/n took in his surroundings and it was in a cell in Arkham. He was also in hospital gown with a collar around his neck.

“So I’m in jail?” He raised a brow the Dark Knight. Batman took a stance at the foot of the bed.

“Not exactly, what do you remember?” His voice was full of concern and worry. Not the same voice typical of Batman.

Y/n rubbed his temples for a brief movement. “I remember the taxi driver…I vaguely remember two officers and then everything went black. Did I hurt them?”

“They’re dead. Poison Ivy took control over your mind after you transition into a meta-human.”

Y/n felt all the air suck of his lungs. “You’re here because I know you’ll be under careful observation,” he lifted his gaze to the ceiling and Y/n followed. Vents were overhead them.

“This cell is constantly being pumped with an antitoxin that helps with the more advanced powers. It won’t rid them completely but you’ll be in control.” He walked closer to the doors.

“You should be in for a few more days, once that finished I’ll come get you myself. Gordon has already dropped any charges and no one knows Y/n L/N was the new Poison Ivy.”

“Did I hurt him?”

“I don’t know what your—“

“Damnit yes you do. I know I didn’t just kill two people. I hope I can..live with that. But did I hurt him?” Tears formed in the young man’s eyes and streamed down his face.

“No.” Batman whispered.

“Oh.” He wiped his face. “Can I see him?”

“I can’t allow that, you didn’t hurt him but Ivy used your feelings for him to make into your mind-controlled bodyguard. You killed people Y/n…He’s still recovering in the cave. Y/n it may be best to give it time.” Batman exited the cell where Gordon was waiting and the two walked away into the Asylum.

Everything began to flash before Y/n and he flopped back on the uncomfortable cot. Before sleep took him back and he dozed off.

[merrylou-mas]

It's Freakin' Bats!

title change! It's been brought to my attention that a certain word in the other title was considered a slur in some countries, so I changed it. Thank you @ultratradmalewife, for letting me know.

Hey guys! So, this started out as a spec fic for 8x05 and the idea that Buck's Halloween decorations get a little scarier than he wanted, but got entirely away from me, lol. It's really just silly Halloween fluff. I hope you guys like it.

Thank you to @desert--moonchild for helping me with this! ❤️

bucktommy - Words: 3.8k - Rating: Mature - Complete

He startles awake with a gasp, sitting straight in bed. He’s scared and he doesn’t know why so he closes his eyes, breathes deep, and feels himself start to relax. Once the feeling fades, he looks at the time, and sees it’s just after 2AM. Grabbing his phone, he opens his text thread with Tommy and sends a heart.

Or: it's Buck and Tommy's first Halloween together and Buck's not quite feeling himself.

Read on Ao3

Tag list:

@desert--moonchild, @sazzynatural, @multishippinghussy, @mmso-notlikethat, @tommy-kinard-buckley,

@sunnywithachanceofbi, @sleepywinchesters, @buck-up-buckley, @manifestingchaoticvibes, @corvid-cryptidd

@lbltpsmspenguin, @theotherbuckley, @cliophilyra, @actuallyitsellie, @waywaychuck

[hearts-hunger]

Read on AO3 | Masterlist

Summary: Danny's having a rough day, and sometimes all you need is love and a little magic to make it better. || Companion fic in the Kitkat universe

Pairings: Danny x Reader | Genre: fluff, angst, h/c | Word Count: 3k | Warnings: none!

A/N: Evidently I'm back in my Kitkat era hehe :) I think this is my first time giving them any real angst, but of course it has a happy ending. I hope you like it! ♡

“I saw my baby, trying hard as babe could try — what could I do?” 

You belted the verse into your wooden-spoon microphone, dancing around the kitchen as you waited for the oven to preheat. You had the music cranked up to the highest volume, filling the empty house with Bowie's dulcet tones and funky grooves; it was helping take the edge off being alone on your one-year anniversary, and dancing always put you in a better mood. By the time Danny got back from whatever he'd insisted had to be done today but wouldn't explain, you'd be ready to forgive the sting of hurt and enjoy the rest of your evening with him.

You were just putting the pumpkin pie in the oven when the door opened, and you turned with a bright smile to greet your boyfriend. You didn't know what you'd expected — some flowers, a gift he’d wanted to keep a secret until now, even just a smile — but all you got was a stormy expression and the door closing behind him with a little more force than necessary. 

“Hi, honey!” you said, trying to stay cheerful. You liked welcoming him home to baking treats and fun music and a warm, sun-bright kitchen, and you hoped he liked it too.

“Hi,” he said, his voice distracted and flat. He winced at the loud guitar. “Geez, kitkat, are you trying to make me deaf? Turn that down.”

You hurried to do as he said, looking over at him with a cautious expression. He hadn't been in a great mood when he left, but you'd hoped that running whatever errand he was so concerned about would make him feel better; evidently, he was just as grumpy now as he had been earlier, and you tried not to let it hurt.

“Sorry, Danny,” you said when the music was quieter. “I guess I didn't realize how loud it would be if you just walked in on it.”

He gave a doubtful hum but didn't say anything else, leaving kind of abruptly to go further into the house. Surprised, you followed to see what was wrong.

“Did you get done whatever you went out for?” you asked. 

He went into the bathroom and started rummaging around in the medicine basket.

“Do we have any freakin’ Tylenol in this house?” he asked irritably.

You went in to help him and easily found the bottle he was looking for. When you handed him two pills, he didn't offer any thanks.

“What’s wrong, honey?” you asked. You stepped aside as he elbowed his way to the sink. “You don't feel good?”

He cupped some water in his hand and downed the medicine before he washed his face. “Head’s killing me.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” You reached to brush his hair back from his face. “Do you want something to eat?”

“No, I don't,” he said stiffly. He batted your hand away. “Please don't hover, kitkat. You're stressing me out.”

You drew back, stung, and felt something crinkle up in your heart that would take some ironing out. 

“I didn't mean to,” you said softly. “Will you...” You hesitated to ask for anything, but you'd missed him while he was gone, and you wanted to spend time with him if he wanted to spend time with you. 

He sighed. “Will I what?”

You bit the inside of your cheek. “Will you come back in the kitchen with me when you're feeling better?”

“Why, so I can get roped into doing the dishes after your little baking extravaganza?”

“No,” you said, feeling an unhappy twist in your chest. “Just to hang out. You don't have to if you don't want to.”

He softened the slightest bit, perhaps a little chastened by your hesitant tone.

“Yeah, maybe,” he said, and it was almost worse than a flat-out no. “Let me get in the door, babe. It's been a long day.”

You held back from saying that you knew what he meant; it had been a long day for you too, waiting for him to come home to celebrate your anniversary. Granted, it wasn't your official dating anniversary — that was still a week or so away, and it was marked on the calendar in his bedroom. But one year ago today, you'd met him at the haunted house he worked at, and you wanted to celebrate the day you'd been rescued by a big guy in a werewolf costume and fallen head over heels for him.

You supposed you couldn’t hold it against him that he didn't remember the exact day you'd met. But even if it had been a regular day, his uncharacteristically moody and irritable homecoming was weighing on you. It made you feel funny, all sad and nervous and on edge, and you wished he'd just talk to you instead of merely inflicting his dark mood on you.

“Okay,” you said in a small voice, ever the peacekeeper. That wasn't a bad trait necessarily, but it sometimes led to you bottling up your thoughts and feelings instead of expressing them. You weren't sure now was the best time to tell him how you felt, though. A needy girlfriend seemed like it might be the last straw for his tenuous grip on civility.

You went back to the kitchen and turned off the music altogether, your cheerful, dancing mood pretty much killed by Danny’s gruffness. You started to clean up after your “little baking extravaganza”, as he'd called it with less affection and more irritation than you would have liked. You'd spent the better part of the afternoon crafting a beautiful, perfect pumpkin pie — his favorite — and had made a jack o’ lantern face out of dough to go on the top. Your heart sank as you wondered if he'd even want to try it when it was done baking.

He went out to the porch, talking on the phone about something that was evidently less than pleasant. You couldn't make out what he was saying, but from the tone of his voice and the glimpses of his body language you got through the window above the sink, you could tell he was upset about something. You determined to be kinder and more gentle to him when he came in, hoping you could soothe his worries and coax him into talking about whatever was bothering him.

You were finishing up the dishes when he came back inside, and you offered him a smile. You intended to ask him if the medicine was kicking in, but he spoke before you could say anything.

“Something’s burning,” he said.

You blinked. “What?”

He nodded to the oven. “Whatever you're making. It smells like it's burning.”

With a jolt, you realized he was right; the timer had gone off and you hadn't realized it, and now there was a distinctly burnt smell permeating the kitchen. You whirled to open the oven and take the pie out, haphazardly grabbing a dish towel to cover your hands.

“Careful, kitkat,” he warned. “You don't — ”

In your haste, you didn't have time to process his warning before your uncovered ring and pinky finger met the hot pan. With a yelp of pain, you snatched your hand back and jerked the pan until it listed off the rack and tilted sideways to land lopsidedly between the rack and the oven door.

“Oh! Oh no!” You watched, distraught, as the jack o’ lantern face started a slow, precarious slant off the perfect placement you'd given it. You reached to right the pan, feeling the sting of tears at the foolishness of your blunder and the pain in your fingers, but Danny quickly eased you aside and took the dish towel from you.

“Let me get it, honey,” he said, and for the first time, his voice was kind, albeit a little harried. “Run some water over your hand.”

You did as he said, watching as he got the pie out of the oven and set it on the stovetop. He closed the oven and turned it off, tossing the dish towel over his shoulder as he crossed to you.

“Let me see,” he said gently, taking your hand in his and pulling it away from the water for a moment. You winced as the pain came back more sharply and tried not to cry as he cradled your hand in his.

“Alright,” he soothed, turning your hand to see your burned fingers better. “It doesn't look too bad. Keep it under the water for a minute. I’ll be right back.”

Alone again in the kitchen, you tried to collect yourself; you glanced over at the pie and saw that it was a burnt, lopsided mess when you'd taken such care for it to be perfect for him. You swallowed, feeling tears stack up in your throat.

When he came back, he stood with his hip leaned against the counter as he dried your hand, smoothed Vaseline over your tender fingertips, and put bandaids on both fingers. You still stood at a distance, even as he was holding your hand, fearing another irritated scolding for your absent-mindedness.

“How's that?” he asked, looking up at your from under his dark lashes. He didn't seem angry any more, and you were so relieved at it that you suddenly couldn't stop the tears that spilled over.

His brow crinkled. “Hey, hey,” he said, worried and gentle. “Does it hurt that bad, honey?”

“No,” you said honestly, quickly trying to brush the tears from your face. He did it for you, soft and patient and understanding.

“Why’re you crying, then?” he asked.

You drew a choppy breath, trying to stop. “I’m sorry.”

“I didn't mean you had to apologize,” he said kindly. “You're not in trouble, kitkat. I just wanted to know what was wrong. Did it scare you?”

“Well, a little,” you admitted. “But I’m just...” 

You were embarrassed by the stupid way you’d hurt yourself; you’d been sad and uneasy at Danny’s mood and now felt a little overwhelmed with emotion at his apology and the much-needed tenderness and affection that came with it.

“I’m glad you're not angry any more,” you said pitifully.

He softened, chagrined and understanding. “Oh.”

“You're not, are you?” you asked.

“No.” His big, strong frame seemed tense with discomfort. “I'm not angry any more, kitkat.”

“I’m sorry if I made it worse,” you said sincerely. “I should have let you come in without asking a million questions and having the music on so loud.”

He gently squeezed your hand. “No, honey. It wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong. I was the one who was out of line.”

He ran his thumb over your palm in a gesture of tenderness. 

“I’m really sorry for how I spoke to you, kitkat,” he said gently. “I was frustrated, but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. Please forgive me.”

“Of course I forgive you,” you said, your voice a little wobbly. “I just wish... Well, I was trying to make it nice, since...”

He brushed more tears from your face. “Since what, honey?”

You looked up at him, your expression crumpling. “Since it's our anniversary.”

His eyes widened. “No it's not,” he said, obviously hoping it wasn't true. “It’s next week, isn't it?”

“Yeah, I mean, the real one,” you said weakly. “But today's the day we met.”

He softened and gave a regretful sigh, pulling you close.

“Oh,” he said. “I see. I didn't remember, kitkat. I’m sorry.”

You wrapped your arms around him and buried your face against his chest, treats falling in earnest now. You weren't exactly sure what you were crying about, but you were sure you were happy to have him home and not so angry any more.

“I made a real mess here, didn't I?” he said.

“It’s okay,” you said, your voice choppy and unconvincing even though it was true. “You didn't know.”

“Yeah, but I still shouldn't have acted like I did. I want it to be a nice thing to have me come home, not a burden.”

You hugged him tighter. “It's not. You're never a burden, Danny. I love you. Even when you come home grumpy.”

You felt his gratitude and relief in the way he held you.

“I love you too, kitkat.” His voice was a little rough around the edges. “Thank you for loving me like you do. I don't deserve you.”

You stayed that way for a long moment, resting in each other, letting the worries of the day fade in the peace of being with the person you loved and trusted more than anyone else.

“I wanted to surprise you,” you said softly. “I made pumpkin pie for you. Your favorite.”

He rested his cheek on the top of your head and hugged you tight. “It is my favorite,” he agreed. “That was really sweet of you, honey. Thank you for thinking of me.”

“But now it’s ruined,” you said miserably, pulling back to swipe a hand over your cheeks and look at the charred, cockamamie gift you'd wanted to give him. “I’m sorry, Danny. It's not much of a surprise.”

He chuckled, and the sound was warm and comforting. “It’s not ruined, kitkat. It's... unique. And I see the vision. You think I won't still eat every bite of it?”

“Even the burnt parts?”

“Well, maybe we can cut those off. Looks like it's only the top of the crust.” He drew you over to look at it with him, and his smile was very gentle and forgiving.

“I like the jack o’ lantern face,” he said. “You’re so clever and creative, kitkat. I think it's a great surprise. I love it.”

You looked up at him. “Yeah?”

He kissed your nose. “Yeah. Let me put on some coffee to go with it. I'll even let you have a slice.”

You gave a watery laugh. “Thanks. That's nice of you.”

He helped you finish cleaning the kitchen, and the acrid smell of burnt pie crust was washed out with the comforting aroma of coffee as it brewed. You went out on the porch to sit in the chilly evening air with your plates piled high with the not-burnt parts of your pie, and you enjoyed how Danny dug in with gusto, complimenting your baking all the while.

You snuggled closer to him on the porch swing, cradling your steam-wreathed mug, careful of your sore fingers. 

“How’s your beautiful little hand, my dear?” he teased gently, holding his hand out for you to place your hand in.

“Better,” you said. Your heart tilted when he kissed your fingertips. “Thank you for taking care of me, Danny.”

He hummed. “You’re welcome, kitkat. It was the least I could do after being so ugly to you. I know I said it before, but I'm sorry for acting like that. You don't deserve for me to talk to you that way.”

You brushed your fingers over his cheek. “Thank you. Would you mind telling me why you were so frustrated? I want to help if I can.”

He sighed, and his expression scrunched a little with worry and weariness.

“Money’s a little tight,” he said after a long moment. “The gig we booked for this weekend fell through.”

“Oh, Dan, I’m sorry,” you said sincerely. You knew that the paycheck would have been nice, and a canceled show was never what an aspiring band wanted to deal with. You knew he and the boys would have liked to play the gig anyway, even if they didn't make any money off of it.

“Was that what you were on the phone about?” you asked.

He nodded. “Josh told me this morning, and he tried to figure out a new date with the guy we booked with, but he told me when I was out here earlier that he wouldn't reschedule.” He shook his head. “Josh is pissed. I guess I am too. It sucks.”

“Yeah,” you said gently. “I’m sorry, honey. Can I help? Financially, I mean?”

A dull, uncomfortable blush darkened his face. “I don't want to ask you for money, kitkat.”

“I know,” you said kindly. “But I'm happy to help. I practically live here anyway. I can pitch in with rent or groceries or something.”

He looked at you with such humility and gratitude that you thought your heart would break.

“Thanks, honey,” he said. His voice was a little hoarse. “That’s very kind of you.”

You gave him a gentle smile. “You’re welcome, Danny. I love you. Let me help you.” You didn't make a ton of money either, but you'd gladly do whatever you could to help your boyfriend and his brothers that were as good as family to you.

He ran a hand over his face. “I was trying to get you a present, earlier,” he said. “For our anniversary.” He gave you a teasing smile. “Our real one.”

You laughed. “Oh yeah?”

“That’s why I was gone all day,” he agreed. “But it...” His jaw worked uncomfortably. “It ended up being pretty expensive. More than I budgeted for. So that made me feel like a schmuck.”

You took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I don't need anything to know you love me, Danny. But thank you for thinking of me.”

He looked over at you. “Do you wanna know what it was? Since it's the thought that counts, I hope?”

You smiled. “It is the thought that counts. And yeah, if you want to tell me.”

“A lady we work with breeds dogs on the side,” he said. “All official, fancy, pedigree labradors. I was gonna get you a puppy, like I talked about. You know. Start our family, or whatever.”

He was bashful as he told you, the embarrassment of having to say no once he'd learned the price obviously still stinging him. But it was such a nice thought, such a sweet present that he'd wanted to get, that just the idea alone was enough of a gift.

“Oh, Danny,” you said sweetly. You kissed his cheek. “That would have been a really good gift. But I'm glad you made a smart financial decision.”

He sighed. “Yeah. Wish I didn't have to make such smart financial decisions all the time.”

You brushed his curls back from his face. “I know, sweetheart. But I admire you for making wise choices for our family of two, and I know I can trust you to make wise choices for our family of three when we finally do get our puppy.”

He brightened then. “We could always get a pound puppy. Some two and a half dollar mutt that needs somebody to love ‘em.”

You smiled. “We could,” you agreed. “Maybe that's what we should do for our anniversary. Our real one.”

He chuckled and drew you close with his arm over your shoulders, pulling you snug against him. 

“I’ll remember next year,” he promised. “This is a good anniversary to celebrate too.”

You kissed under his jaw. “I think so too.”

When the sun set and the chilly air turned cold, you went back inside and started to get dinner on. They boys were working tonight, and since Danny was off, you had the house to yourselves. He still seemed a little down as you cooked together, though he was good company, and you wished there was something you could do to help cheer him up.

“Do you mind if I put some music on?” you asked, not wanting to overstimulate him like you had earlier. “How’s your headache?”

He smiled. “Better, thanks. Crank up the tunes, honey.”

You put your Halloween playlist back on, and when Bowie’s “Magic Dance” came on, you had an idea of something to help loosen Danny up.

You held out your hand. “Dance with me.”

He grinned and took your hand. “As you wish, my love.”

There in the middle of the kitchen, while dinner simmered on the stove, you drew him into a footloose and fancy-free dance of careless steps to the funky tune. You sang along, swinging and twirling and grooving to the music; he mimicked you with much more grace and effortless cool, complimenting your awkward, happy dancing. Both of you danced and jumped along with the song, laughing and crashing into each other with clumsy, carefree movements that brought you together in the joy and comfort and ease you shared.

“Is my dance magic working?” you asked.

He laughed. “I think so, honey. I feel all limbered up.”

He listened to the music attentively for a moment.

“There’s kind of a sexy little guitar riff coming up, if I remember correctly,” he said.

You knew exactly what he was talking about. You tossed your hair and gave him a hooded smile when the riff played, skating your hands over your body. He pinked and gave you a devilish grin.

“Better watch out, kitkat,” he teased. “You’re gonna get yourself in trouble dancing like that.”

You put your arms around his neck. “Put that baby’s spell on me, loverboy.”

He scooped you up and held you in his strong arms, your legs wrapped around his waist. “Don't have to tell me twice, honey.”

You giggled. “What about dinner?”

“Let it burn. I've got a taste for burnt food now.”

You laughed, big and bright and joyful, and held his face as you kissed him deeply.

“I sure do love you, Danny.”

He smiled and looked up at you with nothing short of adoration. “Aw, kitkat. I sure do love you too.”

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[luminouslywriting]

Hey! Novalis here again with another Winters request lol. This time it's based on that scene in Captain America: The First Avenger (one of my favorite films of all time) where we meet Peggy and she's confidently speaking with this guy who's making fun of her before she decks him in the face. Could we have something based on that where maybe one of the guys messes with the reader like that and ends up punching the guy in the face -> also pairing reader and Winters somehow in this request? Thanks!

Iconic of you to request this!! I would be HAPPY and thrilled to do this for you :) Reminder that my requests are open and I don't mind spam haha!

More under the cut, cut for length, slight sexual harassment/intimidation (not from Winters) mentioned, medical jargon and speak mentioned as well:

-Listen, I've said it once and I'll say it again, Dick Winters is a man who drinks his respect women juice

-So when the head doctor is introducing herself during the training and preparation for D-Day, you tend to listen to her because her instructions could mean the difference between life and death

-For Dick Winters, he's an attentive man who has already struck up a friendship and correspondence with you. And maybe, just maybe, if things go well, he'd like to ask if he can write you and if he can take you out sometime.

-But for right now, he's dutifully staying within the respectful bounds of a workplace relationship and no fraternization

-So there he is, standing at attention and listening to your instructions about how best to tie a tourniquet if there are no medics around (which is really quite useful, especially if something goes wrong with the jumps)

-And someone dares to question what a woman would even know about medical needs

-And he goes on and on about how women aren't meant to serve their country in the same way and how they need to be at home waiting to make babies or be filled up by some man

-So naturally Dick Winters is fuming about the entire thing and flabbergasted at this man's audacity

-And just when he's about to say something, you step up to the bat, ask the man's name, rank, etc.

-Once you have the information, you gracefully punch him in the nose and there's a very satisfying crunch of things. And the thing is?? You're a doctor. You know exactly how much force is needed to break a bone and how much is needed to set it back in place

-So there are the medics, bustling around because WTF??? And you just have them re-set his nose right then and there

-In that moment, Dick Winters has never been more in love in his life and he's got those googly/starry eyes that has Nixon looking at him like he's a freakin' simp or something

-The man is howling all sorts of things

-And you're just, "I outrank you. What are you gonna do? Court martial me? After all of that harassment? I don't think so, buddy."

-Dick Winters decides on the spot that he wants to marry you

-So yes, after the whole training is over, he does in fact, go for it and ask you out :) He also commends the punch and gives a kiss to the forming bruise on your knuckle

-We stan a supportive husband lol

[justmeinadaze]

Not Alone Part 3 (Eddie X You)

A/N: This Y/N is currently me and while out getting snacks I realized I needed to write this into existence. Maybe one day I'll meet a partner like this... If you're spending the holiday by yourself, know you aren't alone <3

Warnings: being alone for the holidays, mentions of grief, Eddie comforting

Word Count: 1056

Eddie Masterlist

Eddie heard it in your voice and saw it in your face when he talked about Christmas with his uncle.

“Yeah, he usually gets the day off so Wayne makes some burgers and we watch A Christmas Story.”

“Aw that sounds like fun!”, you grin as you take in how his face lights up. 

You loved seeing how animated he got when he talked about certain things but when it came to family sometimes his face would drop. He missed his mom and told you that his dad used to ruin the holidays most of the time by being drunk or absent all together. From what he told you, it sounded like Wayne was making up for lost time and new memories that couldn’t be made since his sister-in-law passed. 

“What do you guys do?”

“Oh, uh, my dad used to make a big show of Christmas and make a huge meal. Pull out all the stops.”, you giggle. “He loved giving us presents and seeing us smile.”

“Sounds about right from what you told me.”, he chuckles. “What about now? Do you guys carry on the traditions?”

“Um, yeah absolutely. My mom makes a turkey and we get to together to just talk and watch Christmas movies like you and your uncle.”

Your smile fell ever so slight as your eyes glazed over causing him to reach for your hand. 

“Well, after, if you want to come over and share a burger you absolutely can. You know you’re always welcome over here, sweetheart.”

“Oh, thank you, but I don’t want to intrude.”

“You’re never intruding, babe.”

After knocking on your apartment door, he waited, hoping for your sake he read the signs wrong but as the door slowly opened his heart broke. 

“Eddie? H-Hey, baby, what are you doing here?”

Your voice was gravelly telling him immediately you had been crying. 

“Come on.”, he murmured as his hand gestured absently out the door. “Come on. You’re coming with me.”

“Sweetie, I can’t. I don’t want to bother you—” Before you could finish your sentence, he collected you in his arms and began heading towards his van. “Eddie, wait! I’m in my pajamas! I haven’t even done my hair.”

“You still look beautiful to me.”

***

“I can’t put my arms down!”, the little boy in the movie whines eliciting a loud cackle from Wayne as he sips from the beer can in his hand. 

“You know, Y/N, my mother, Eddie’s grandma, used to dress up me and Allen in all those layers like one gust of wind would freakin’ blow us away.”

“Pfft, thankfully my mom didn’t hate me that much.”, Eddie teased as his uncle tossed him a playful glare. 

You laugh as you curl up closer to the metalhead’s side and take a bite of the fry on your plate. 

“Ah commercial. I’m gonna go smoke a cigarette real quick.”, Wayne announced before rising to his feet and disappearing out the door. 

“How are you doing down there? You alright? Need a refill?”, Eddie asks as he cranes his neck to meet your gaze and his fingers brush your hair away from your face. 

“No, I’m alright.”, you smile as you tilt up to kiss his lips. “Thank you for this.”

“No problem. You’re always welcome here, baby. You’re never a bother. I’m going to get that tattooed on you somewhere so you can look at it and always remember.”, he jokes as he pokes your side. 

After you pull back to fully sit up, he does the same knowing you’re about to tell him something you struggle to say. You always pulled away slightly when you felt like you were about to tell him something heavy. He thought maybe it was your physical way of protecting yourself. As if you were expecting him to explode by your news so you wanted to be able to run and be safe. 

Eddie did everything he could to make you feel physically, emotionally, and mentally safe but he understood that sometimes your mind won the internal battle over anything else. 

“I haven’t spent Christmas with my family in years. When my dad died… my family struggled to cope especially my mom. She’s strong willed you know? ‘I don’t need therapy. I’m fine. I can handle it.’ But…every holiday…it’s like she forgets about me. We don’t do anything.  I don’t even get a text or a phone call… Then of course my siblings have their own families with their own traditions and since my mom is in her own head she doesn’t scold them for not even calling either. 

For years, I called or invited myself over…forced the family to spend time together…but these past couple of years…I can’t do it. I want them to think of me first for once. God, that’s so selfish.”, you sigh as you hide behind your hands. 

“No, baby, no it’s not. Hey. Look at me.”, Eddie coos as he lightly pulls at your wrists and reaches out with his fingers to dry some of your tears that had fallen. “It’s not selfish. Like you said, you tried for so many years and it went unnoticed AND unreciprocated. You deserve to have someone put in the same effort you do and then some. Your dad always did, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Come here, sweetheart.” After moving your plates and drinks to the side, he collects you in his arms and holds you tightly to him, rocking you gently back and forth as he pets your head allowing you to cry in his embrace. “Everything’s ok, Y/N. You’re safe with me, babe.”

After a while, your tears stop as you both focus on the tv in front of you and he smiles when you laugh at the boy on the screen. 

“You know I did that once.”

“Eddie, no!”, you tease as you lightly smack his chest.

“Oh, of course. Put my tongue on the pole and it got stuck. No one had to dare me or nothing. I just did it.”

“Oh my god.”

The door slams shut as Wayne wipes his boots on the mat and grins when he sees you in his nephew’s arms before taking a seat back in his chair. 

 “Hey, Ed. Remember your junior year of high school when you stuck your tongue to the pole?”

[theegemini92]

Potential Tamlin Mates: (not briar)

@thefatesofspring made a great suggestion when it came to Tamlins mate not being Briar and i totally agree. She could be someone older, with raw pure magic, and hopefully ANOTHER SPECIES of fea. Kinda over the humanoid looking ones. She could have horns, wings (something other than bat or angel, kinda tired of that) a true fairy 🧚 feature. Heck a tail would be nice. And honestly a little diversity too. ( I know some authors like to stay away from other characters because they can’t describe them or their “sexy time” but it just shouldn’t be that hard 😂 you know what we aren’t being picky here. She can be as black as night or have blue skin, green skin… red skin… that would even be perfect but fae at her true core. Below are some examples. Let me know your picks I’d love an imput. Also please I just randomly selected of the internet no ai brigades please it’s an idea I’m throwing out there.

I love the freakin fairy with leaves in her hair 😍😍