#Sleeping on the couch

[atths--twice]

Had an ask for a happy story during these moments we might not be feeling so happy. So… 💙💙

For the Moment

Her house out of commission, Scully receives an offer she can’t disregard.

2018

“Hey.”

“Hey, yourself,” Scully said, turning to smile at Mulder as he came out of the diner.

“So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?”

“My plans?” she asked with a chuckle. “Well, I was thinking of going home, taking a bath, maybe reading a book… oh wait… I can’t. What with the explosion at my place and all.”

“Huh… well…” he said, taking the keys from his pocket. “I suppose you could, but I think it might be awkward doing that, what with the group of men working there at the moment.”

“I don’t know,” she said, walking toward the car. “It would be nice to have admirers.”

“Hmm,” he hummed, his arm brushing against hers. “Never knew you to be an exhibitionist.” She tried to hide her smile, but failed miserably.

“Pretty sure I’d stay covered up. Although, all those men…” He scoffed and she smiled again, bumping his arm lightly. “What are your plans?”

“I have none. I’m free as a bird.”

“Must be nice,” she said, catching his eye as she walked around the back of the car toward the passenger door. When she heard the click of it unlocking, she opened the door and got inside.

“It is nice,” he said, getting in beside her.

“Hmm,” she hummed, putting on her seatbelt.

“You know,” he said, putting his seatbelt on as well. “You packed a bag as you can’t go back there for a few days.”

“I do know.”

“You don’t have a hotel booked.”

“Oh yeah, thanks for the reminder,” she said, unlocking her phone and opening her search engine. “I could find a place now.”

“Well, now,” he said, putting his hand over the screen and pushing her phone down gently. “That wasn’t what I was thinking.”

“No?” she asked, knowing full well what he had meant.

“I was simply stating,” he said, taking her phone and locking it before setting it in the cup holder. “Your bag is packed and in the back of this car. You mentioned taking a bath. Maybe reading a book.”

“I did,” she said, nodding slowly.

“I… well…” He turned his hands palms up and shrugged, giving her a lopsided smile. “You don’t need a hotel when all of those amenities are at our… my… place. Plus free use of all areas of the house and food.”

“You have food? Because last time I was there, all that was in the fridge was orange juice, iced tea, and condiments. I don’t know about the cupboards.”

“We could stop and get some things. Whatever you’d like, no charge to you.”

“Hmm,” she hummed, tapping a finger to her chin. “No charge for food. No charge for the room. And access to all areas of the house… this is sounding like a pretty deluxe deal.”

“It is.”

“Do you have WiFi?”

“The best WiFi,” he said with a grin.

“Chocolates on the pillow?”

“If that’s what you would like, I’ll speak to the manager.” He nodded, still grinning.

“I don’t think I can pass this up.”

“I don’t think you should.”

“Are there other patrons?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head, his fingers gently tapping the top of her thigh. “Just me.”

“Hmm,” she hummed, glancing at his lips and then looking back into his eyes. “So it’s a two bedroom?”

“It is, but…” He let out a gentle sigh, his fingers now swirling gently against her thigh. “The choice will be yours where you want to sleep.”

“I’ll take it,” she whispered. His swirling fingers paused and then he was squeezing her leg softly as he nodded. “I mean, the house is going to be expensive to repair, so getting freebies where I can will be helpful.”

“It will,” he agreed, moving his hand, but she caught it.

“And I’ll take whichever bed is the biggest.”

“What if that’s my bed? Or the one I sleep in, I mean?” he asked, their fingers intertwining.

“I’d be okay with that.” She smiled and he smiled back, squeezing her fingers gently.

“Okay,” he whispered before letting go of her hand to start the car. “Good.”

“Mmhmm,” she hummed, turning her head to look out the window.

They stopped at the store for some food and she smiled as she saw him add a bottle of the bubble bath she liked as well as some individually wrapped chocolates. He winked as he paid the bill and she smiled as she shook her head.

At the house, he made a show of letting her enter first, informing her of the amenities offered. She just smiled and nodded, falling further in love with him.

He put her bag in their bedroom, glancing at her with questions in his eyes. She nodded, running a hand down his arm and squeezing his forearm.

“I’ll go get the bubble bath if you’d like to take a bath now.”

“I’d like that,” she said, looking around the room that had not changed since she had left.

“Be right back,” he said and she nodded as he walked out of the room.

Choosing to not dwell in the past, she entered the bathroom and turned the water on to begin filling the tub. When it was at the desired temperature, she placed the plug and dried her hands on her pants.

“Hey,” he said, walking back into the room and handing her the bottle of bubble bath. “Here you go. Come down whenever you’re ready.”

“Thank you,” she said, holding his gaze as their fingers brushed.

“Yeah,” he said softly with a nod. “Enjoy your bath.”

“I will.”

He nodded again and turned to leave. Turning back around, he stepped closer to her and placed a hand on her cheek.

“Thank you for deciding to come here instead of going to a hotel.”

“It’s for the amenities,” she whispered and he laughed through his nose as he nodded again.

His thumb stroked her cheek as her eyes fell to his lips once more. He stepped one step closer and she drew in a deep breath.

“I’m glad they were to your satisfaction,” he whispered, his lips pressing to hers so softly it made her ache. She opened her mouth, but he kept the kiss chaste, leaving her stumbling forward as he stepped back with a smile. “See you soon.”

“Yeah,” she breathed, licking her lips and tasting his kiss. He smiled and turned around, closing the door behind him. She shook her head and drew in a deep breath. “Hoo boy.”

After her bath, she dressed in yoga pants and a long sleeved shirt. She brushed her hair and wrapped it up in a towel, leaving the bedroom to go find him.

He was on the couch, watching a movie they had watched at least ten times. Sitting down, she put a pillow against his leg and then laid down. He placed a blanket over her and rubbed a hand up and down her arm.

“Feeling better?”

“Hmm,” she hummed, closing her eyes as she suddenly felt exhausted. “Much.”

“Good.”

She woke up sometime later to the sound of Mulder snoring. She smiled and closed her eyes as the scent and sounds of home filled her senses.

Not moving until he woke up, they got up together and made a late lunch, eating it on the porch. They did not speak much, happy in the silence.

She perused the library of books they had collected over the years and picked a favorite, sitting in one of the room's overstuffed chairs.

“Oh, that’s a good one. Read it to me,” Mulder said, coming into the room a few minutes later and sitting in the other chair.

And so she did, both of them laughing at the more humorous bits.

Dinner was forgotten as neither felt hungry. Instead they decided to go to bed early, the previous evening finally catching up to them.

He took a shower as she brushed her teeth and applied her nighttime face lotion, the familiarity of it not lost on her.

Walking out to the bed, she smiled at the sight of the single, golden wrapped, chocolate lying on her pillow. Glancing at him, he winked as she laughed quietly.

“Only the best for our patrons,” he said and she laughed again.

“I’ll enjoy it tomorrow,” she said, moving it to the nightstand as she pulled the covers back and got into bed.

He shifted beside her, his arm going around her and pulling her to him. She closed her eyes, letting his scent wash over her.

“I’m sorry your fancy house blew up,” he said softly, his fingers running gently over her stomach.

“How sorry?”

“At the moment?” he asked, pulling her closer. “Not too sorry.”

“Hmm,” she hummed with a chuckle.

“I love you,” he whispered and she froze, the words so simple and easily spoken. “I know that we’re not-”

“No,” she whispered, turning over and placing a hand on his cheek. “Not tonight.”

He moved his hand from her hip and covered her hand on his cheek.

“Not tonight,” he agreed.

“No,” she confirmed. He smiled and she let out a breath. “I love you too. So very much.”

Her thumb brushed across his lips and he kissed it tenderly. She moved closer and pressed her forehead to his as they both drew in a deep breath and released it.

And for the moment, it was enough.

[one-man-ticket-stand]

My partner said Aldrich (the slug part) would be a good bed and I said no because he is gross in my opinion.

Now I am sleeping on the couch tonight.

[youarenogood]

rule

Hey, Tumblrettes, Tumblrpersons, Tumblrinas? Wtf do we call you, anyways? I'm following the r/196 rule of old by reblogging and just writing "rule" & tagging the word rule & 196 and/or anything else it may be pertaining to. Is this the thing to do so I don't dirty the carpet or stain the couch while I'm here, or?

[sirlonius]

Why does the sleep I get when I fall asleep on the couch feel so superior to the sleep I get in my bed? 🤔

[kryolf]

i love animals, all are fun and lovely, til it's a hornet at 00:36 in my room

[sohannabarberaesque]

Meanwhile, which among your Funtastic crowd could you imagine sleeping on the couch in this manner?

Accurate depiction of the way I was sleeping earlier xD

[onlydragonsmaychange]

Falling asleep is a lot like having an orgasm in that both are a lot easier when you're not thinking about them.

[jfkkenndy]

need the world to know how much it means to me when james wilson wears his cozy clothes

[cj-the-random-artist]

I let them get friendship married so Narinder can get his tax benefits lol

But legitimately. I mulled this one over repeatedly for literal months. Like. Do I want them to get married in front of the cult? Should they even get married? It would be hilarious if the Goat married them and then cried at the altar the whole time, but also... that doesn't feel right, so maybe I won't do that. And then once I decided it should be a personal friendship-marriage ritual where it's just the pair of them making vows to each other, I wrote four different scripts and hated them all and ended up just pulling this one out of thin air pretty much on the spot and that was that. At one point, I wanted Lambert to basically suggest this idea and then have them get friend-married on the spot, but that didn't feel right (and it was also gonna be unreasonably long) so that's why there's no context going into this one. And the actual friend-marriage ritual is... maybe not the best designed one ever? I wanted it to in some ways be similar to like, the way I imagine a romantic marriage happening in the cult- the parties exchange vows and do rings and stuff...? (If it's not obvious, I haven't been to many weddings...) But I figured they wouldn't want an audience, or to party with the whole cult afterwards, or anything like that. I also had them kiss each other's rings as opposed to like... faces... because one of the fights I had with myself in deciding how I would want this to go was whether it would make sense for them to kiss or not. And I ultimately decided that in this AU at least they just wouldn't want to. They're also wearing the rings on their not ring fingers cuz. Honestly it just felt right that way. Based on vibes. But basically I just wanted them to exchange a vow of eternal partnership in a very casual, chill setting, because I don't picture QPR AU Narilamb doing... anything other than that.

Also this is the rest of Lambert's office, which I actually had a pretty clear vision for after my last doodle but I didn't really bother to draw before starting this comic. Maybe I should've but eh it looks good enough. Interior backgrounds are hard......

Anyways. I think I'm happy with this one? I was enamored by the concept of a chill friendship marriage, so I definitely leaned into it here. As per usual, it's not perfect, I think I could've done a lot of stuff better / differently, but honestly?? If I were to ever get friend-married I would want it to go about like this, it makes my little aroace heart happy, and I spent too long on it to not show it to anybody. Thus. Enjoy, and also happy new year cuz I totally forgot to make a post individually about that...

[newmiemew]

ferret coded critter

[atths--twice]

Germs and All

After attending a conference, Scully falls ill. Not wanting to be alone, and missing Mulder, she heads to his apartment.

I've been fighting through a cold the past few days. As a result, I've had extra time on my hands as I've been resting. Because of this, my mind wanders to MSR more than usual. I love stories where they take care of each other and so, I've written this little fic.

Hope you enjoy. 💓

Scully woke up, her mouth dry and nose stuffy. Groaning, she rolled over and glanced at the alarm clock before closing her eyes in the gray light. Opening her eyes again, she looked back at the clock as she drew in a breath. 

11:30. 

It was eleven thirty? 

Sitting up, she looked around the room and then picked up her watch to be sure the time was correct. 

11:30. 

“Oh, God,” she whined softly as she fell back onto the pillows, sniffling deeply. “How is it so late?” 

Rain hit the windows and she sighed as she sat up again and laid her watch back beside her half drunk cup of tea. Pushing herself up, she groaned again, her body aching. 

Stumbling to the bathroom, she used the toilet, washed her hands and brushed her teeth. Staring at her reflection, she sighed and made a face before turning off the light and leaving the room. 

Shivering, she grabbed the comforter off of the bed and wrapped it around herself as she groaned again and opened the bedroom door. 

Pausing just past the doorway, she looked to her right and saw Mulder sitting on his couch, smiling at her. 

“Hello,” he said and she frowned with another groan. “I take it you’re not feeling better.” 

“It’s eleven thirty,” she complained and he nodded, glancing at his watch. 

“Nearly quarter till twelve now,” he said and she whined. 

“Why did you let me sleep so long?” she asked, kicking the comforter back from her feet as she walked over to him. 

“Let you?” he asked with a chuckle, as she sat on the end of the couch with a huff and then laid down, her head resting against his thigh. 

“I’m tired,” she complained, letting out a deep breath. “And my nose is stuffy.”

“I know,” he said, his fingers rubbing her head and running through her hair. “Well, about the stuffy nose anyway.” 

“I slept all night. How am I still tired?” she whined and he chuckled again. 

“You have a cold, Scully.” 

“Mmmm,” she moaned with a frown. “This is all Skinner’s fault. I didn’t want to go to that stupid conference. He made me.” 

“Hmm,” Mulder hummed, his fingers rubbing her neck. 

“That feels good,” she whispered, her eyes closing. 

“Skinner wasn’t sick,” he mused and she sighed heavily. 

“No. But someone there was and I got it from them. You didn’t go, so you’re fine.” 

“I won’t be in a couple of days, seeing as you brought all the germs with you. This place is ground zero now. The bedroom in particular is highly contaminated.” 

“I know. I should’ve gone home,” she admitted with a nod. “I just…” 

“I was just teasing,” he said, his thumb pressing firmer into her neck and causing her to moan. “I’m glad you’re here.” 

“Even though I’ve…” She sniffled deeply and let out a deep breath. “God. Even though I’ve brought the plague upon you?” 

“It’s just a cold,” he said, laughing softly. 

“Feels worse.” 

“You say that every time you’re sick.” 

“Because it does. It always does,” she whined, breathing through her mouth as her nose had become far too stuffy. 

“I’ll get you some medicine,” he said, scratching her scalp lightly and moving gently from the couch. “You want anything to eat?” She moaned and shook her head. “Tea?” She shook her head again and he chuckled softly. “Okay, just the medicine.” 

She nodded as she burrowed into the comforter, finding a more comfortable position. 

A kiss was pressed to her temple and she smiled. 

“Even full of germs, and wrapped like a mummy, you’re adorable,” he whispered, kissing her again before he left the room. 

She smiled and then coughed, groaning as she shook her head. The comforter was pulled even closer and she took a stuffy breath. 

“Hey,” Mulder said and she opened her eyes. “Here’s the medicine and some water. You need to sit up to take it and the cough syrup.” 

“I hate cough syrup,” she grumbled and he hummed as he helped her sit up. 

“I know,” he said, handing her the syringe in his hand. 

“You like using this, don’t you?” she asked, putting the syringe in her mouth and pressing the plunger, swallowing the medicine quickly. Making a face, she took a sip of the water he offered. 

“I do. I’m glad you gave it to me,” he said, smiling as he handed her two large liquid filled pills. “These should help too.” 

She took them and placed them into her mouth, swallowing them with the rest of the water in the glass. Pouting, she handed the glass back to him and then coughed, turning her head to avoid coughing directly on him. 

“I’ll get you some more water,” he said as she coughed again. She laid back down with a moan, cursing that stupid conference. 

It had been monotonous, uninspiring, and lonely without Mulder with her. And then the last night there, she had felt the telltale signs of a cold brewing as her throat was scratchy when she swallowed. 

Waking up to a stuffy nose and achy body, the flight home had been miserable. Hailing a cab, she had given the driver Mulder’s address, closing her eyes as she rested her head against the window. 

When she had made her way to his door, her suitcase feeling exceptionally heavy and clumsy, she swayed as she knocked twice and waited. 

His happy smile had vanished at the sight of her, concern quickly replacing it. 

“I don’t feel so good,” she had said, pitching forward and falling into his arms. 

“Aw, Scully,” he had whispered, pulling her and her bag inside. 

He had brought her into his room, turned on the shower to warm up, and helped her undress. 

While she had been in the shower, he had changed his sheets, found some clothes for her to wear, and made her some tea. 

When she had dressed in one of his long sleeved shirts and a pair of cuffed sweatpants with the drawstring pulled as far as it could go, he had sat her down on his bed and blown her hair dry as she moaned repeatedly, her eyes closed. 

When he had finished, he brushed her hair and kissed her on the forehead. 

“Why don’t you lay down and I’ll go get you some medicine?” he had asked and she had nodded. “Come on, come and lay down.” 

He had helped her up and led her to the other side of the bed, pulling back the covers and then tucking her in once she had laid down, her head pounding. 

“I’ll be back soon. Rest.” He had kissed her head twice, ran a hand down her side, and whispered goodbye as he left. 

He had woken her to take some medicine, sitting with her until she had fallen back to sleep, stroking her hair as he spoke quietly about his last couple of days without her. 

She had woken throughout the night, his arm around her waist or fingers locked with her own, her nose stuffy and head still aching. 

“Hey,” he said softly and she opened her eyes, looking up at him. “Do you want some more water? Luckily, I found a bendy straw so now you don’t have to sit up.” 

“Hmm,” she hummed, nodding slightly. “I’ll have a little bit. Thank you.” He sat on the coffee table and held the glass and straw for her as she took a few sips. 

“Feeling any better at all?” he asked and she sighed as she pulled back from the glass of water. 

“Not at the moment,” she said, closing her eyes and sighing again. 

“Well, hopefully that medicine will help soon. I brought over another box of tissues and a paper bag for the used ones. Do you need anything else?” 

“No, not right now. Thank you,” she said, attempting to breathe through her nose and giving up to take a deep breath through her mouth. “I’m just so tired.” 

“Rest, Scully,” he said, kissing her temple again, the glass of water set on the coffee table. 

And she did, dozing in and out as he sat on the couch beside her, his fingers in her hair or resting on her shoulder. She heard baseball being announced, the crack of a bat, and organ music playing. Then she heard the dialogue of a movie as she turned over and sighed, the comforter tucked around her when she did. 

“Thank you,” she breathed and he hummed as his fingers rubbed her scalp again and she fell back to sleep. 

Her bladder woke her and she moaned as she stirred, extricating herself from her comforter cocoon. 

“I ordered some food,” Mulder said as she stretched and rolled her neck. “Matzo ball and chicken noodle soup. Waiting for you, whenever you’re ready.”

“That sounds good,” she said, her voice hoarse. “Not sure how much I’ll be able to eat.” 

“I know. But you haven’t eaten anything all day. You need something.” 

“Okay. I’ll be out in a few minutes.” 

When she came out of the bedroom, she was wearing one of his hoodies, as she had lost the warmth of the comforter. She had also put on a pair of his thick socks and pulled her hair back into a small ponytail. Yawning, she padded to the dining room and sat down. 

A small bowl of matzo ball soup had been placed at her spot, the spoon resting inside of it. She smiled at the sight of the cut up matzo ball, making it easier to eat. Glancing up, she watched him walk in with his own bowl of soup and a plate of sliced bread. 

“You cut my matzo ball,” she said with a sniffle as she reached for her spoon. 

“Yeah, I did,” he said, setting his stuff down and sitting beside her. “Easier and quicker for you to eat.” 

“Thank you,” she said, filling her spoon with broth and a piece of matzo. 

They sat in silence as they ate, Scully taking her time to eat as much of the soup as she could. 

“I can’t taste any of this,” she said, shaking her head, leaving her spoon down in the bowl. “Not one bit, but I’m sure it’s really good.” 

“It is,” he said and she nodded as she pushed the bowl from in front of her. 

“I’ll take your word for it,” she said, watching him finish his bowl of soup. He smiled at her and she smiled back, suddenly overwhelmed with affection for him. “I love you.” 

He stopped eating and stared at her, his smile growing. 

“I know I’ve told you before, but I just wanted to say it again,” she said, sniffing and letting out a deep breath. 

He set his spoon in his bowl and made to move towards her, his hands reaching out. 

“No,” she said, putting up a hand. “Contagious, remember?” 

“Ground zero, remember?” he asked, his hands now cradling her face as he smiled. “The damage has been done. Therefore, a kiss on the lips won’t cause any harm.” 

“Hmm,” she hummed, closing her eyes as his lips met hers. 

He kissed her gently, his thumbs slowly rubbing against her cheeks as she hummed again. Needing air, she pulled back slightly and drew in a breath, before his lips were on hers again.  

“I love you too,” he whispered, kissing her one more time. Smiling as he pulled back, his thumbs stroking along her cheeks. “Germs and all.” 

“Ha ha,” she said, opening her eyes and looking at him. “Ugh. I think I need to lay down.” 

“Yeah,” he agreed, moving his hands from her face. “Let me clean this up and get you some more medicine. Then bed.” 

She waited at the table for him as he quickly cleaned up. More cough syrup and pills were brought to her along with a glass of ice water. She took it all with only minimal complaints, thanking him with a nod. 

“Come on. Let’s get you to bed.” 

He led her through the apartment, turning the lights off behind them. He grabbed the comforter and followed her into his room. 

She went into the bathroom, used the toilet, washed her hands, and brushed her teeth. 

Mulder had put the comforter back on the bed and pulled back the covers on her side once again. Waiting while she laid down, he tucked her in and kissed her head. 

“Be right back,” he said and she hummed as she closed her eyes. 

When he finally laid down, she was nearly asleep, but she opened her eyes to look at him and give him a small smile. 

“Thank you for taking care of me,” she whispered, closing her eyes as she reached for his hand. 

“That’s why you came here, isn’t it?” he asked softly, kissing her knuckles. “Knowing you were ill? Wanting to be cared for?” 

“Yes and no,” she said, moving closer to him. 

“How’s that?” he asked and she opened her eyes again.  

“I missed you. I wanted to see you,” she said, her eyes rolling back as she shut them again. “I didn’t plan on being sick. I just missed you.” 

“I missed you too,” he whispered, pulling her close. “I’m glad you came over.” 

“Germs and all?” she asked, her words slightly slurred. 

“Yes. Germs and all,” he assured her, kissing her forehead and whispering his love for her as she fell asleep, held safely in his arms. 

[drgstore]

no remorse

[spoksstuff]

Home 🏠❤️‍🩹

all credits to the original artist @zaerxa on X, ig & tumblr

[tanuandthetriplets]

When Ants Attacked Triplet Dad! | Triplets Vlog 31st May'23

[dcxdpdabbles]

For The next part of freelance inventor, you should do more parent trapping(if you want, of course) I was just picturing cartoon level schemes trying to get these two to kiss.

On the flipside, what would happen if the two of them had a fight? I can see the kids and Alfred just kind of trying to make Bruce agree how wrong he was.

"Bruce?"

His heart stops at the sound of that voice, and then it speeds up before he can look over his shoulder. Not that he needs to. He already knows who called out to him.

Only one person in the world adds a certain ring to his name when they speak it.

Bruce turns away from his laptop, displaying some spreadsheets of the upcoming term, coming face to face with Danny Fenton's beaming smile. Behind him, the ocean gleams like liquid sapphire, highlighting the brightness and warmth in Danny's aqua-blue eyes.

He once thought Danny wasn't human; surely, no human could have eyes like those. The sunlight bounces off the dark of his hair, swaying in the breeze, and it somehow calls attention to the laughing lines around his eyes and mouth.

He's shirtless, showing off a physique that would fit a swimmer. His black swimming shorts are covered in the NASA symbol, which is such a Danny thing to do that it makes Bruce's heart skip a beat.

It's odd. As one of the wealthiest bachelors in the world, Bruce had always been surrounded by gorgeous people. Usually, women and men flung themselves at him, whispering false claims of eternal love while displaying teasing hints of the bodies. It was a tool they wielded to charm him into doing what they wanted, but none of them could even compare to Danny's looks.

Perhaps it was due to how effortlessly beautiful Danny was. He didn't spend hours and hours on his looks. Bruce had heard people claim the inventor was plain, but he could never see it.

Bruce had always thought he was pretty from the moment Dick wandered to his table. The gentleness with which he spoke to his then nine-year-old son with respect and full attention as he explained his first intention- the portable charger. How could anyone not be memorized by him?

"Danny? What are you doing here?" He asks after realizing he is gawking like a fool.

His friend's eyes crinkle further as he laughs. "On vacation. Jay and Dick told me about this place, and since I had a conference on the island, I thought I would spend my off time at the private huts. What about you?"

Oh, those little rats. This was all a setup. He should have known something was up when they all forced him to accept it.

"The kids bought me a private hut for a weekend." He answers, moving his eyes away from Danny's lips with great effort. "They said it was a gift and a means to follow my doctor's orders."

"Dami told me about that. The doctor said you have been putting too much stress on your heart, and yet, here you are, working on vacation." Danny planted his hands on his hips, shaking his head in mock pity. "I bet you haven't even frolicked through a field of flowers or jumped over waves since you arrived."

Bruce feels a burst of amusement and slight anticipation tickle the bottom of his stomach. "Well, I just don't know how to do any of that."

"Since we're hut neighbors, I could show you how to have fun. You rich people know what that is, right? Fun?" Danny asks, reaching down to grip Bruce's wrist. Where he touches, tringles of flames light up his skin, and Bruce fights to keep the blush off his face. "I suppose you don't. The first lesson must be how to frolic through the ocean waves, and it starts right now!"

"I thought it was a field of flowers?" He laughs, allowing the shorter man to pull him toward the blue water.

"It's a hybrid course, Bruce," Danny laughs, splashing through the first wave until they are waist-deep and spinning around to grin at him. Bruce practically swallows his own tongue as the man shines in the sunlight, with a beaming soft smile that makes him feel like the only man in the world. "Prepare for the best weekend of your life. No kids. No work. Just us, the ocean, and some tasty meals!"

"That sounds like heaven," Bruce tells him, wondering if Danny can tell how soft his eyes have become or the yearning in his voice. He just knows somewhere in Gotham, all his children are high-fiving each other and scheming up another ill-fated attempt to get Bruce with the man of his dreams.

It's not that he's unaware of their goals. But over ten years after he'd known Danny, silently pinning for him, Bruce realized it would never happen. His friend didn't feel attraction like that.

If Bruce had told him how he felt, he would have lost Danny forever. He would rather live with this buckling longing for the rest of his life if it meant he could be gifted with Danny's friendly smiles and presence.

Danny reaches back, cupping his hands to gather water and splashing Bruce with a gleeful "What are you standing around for? Come! Frolic!"

Bruce grins, throwing back some water in a bigger splash as the young man screams, attempting to escape. He follows close behind, trying to drown the other between gasps of laughter. For a brief moment, he allows himself to live a fantasy life where this was a real romantic getaway, not a setup by his less-than-subtle children.

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"Fine! Be that way! Excuse me for having a fucking opinion!" Danny hisses, swinging around and stomping out of the room. Bruce's chest feels hot with anger; the angry words that had fallen from his mouth taste bitter and satisfying simultaneously. It's a whirlwind of contradicting emotions that he does nothing when the other man slams the door behind him.

He slams his hands over his eyes, willing himself to calm down but it's hard when Danny is the one who set him off. Danny is the only one in the world that made him feel everything like an explosion.

Both the positive and negative emotions.

How did things come to this? The conversation was going well until the two started talking about the Joker. He's always known his friend had a less white and dark point of view regarding the clown, but to actively claim that Batman was a coward for not killing him when he had the chance?

Yes, Danny didn't know Bruce was Batman, so when he tried to explain that the superhero was afraid that if he started taking lives, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop Danny had grown dismissive. It wasn't meant to attack Bruce, but he knows that logically.

But it still felt like the man he was in love with was calling him a coward straight to his face, and Bruce grew defensive. He tends to lash out when he's on the defense, and before long, the two were in a heated debate about vigilantes in general.

Suddenly, Danny was his face, sneering and growling, when Bruce pointed out that Phantom was the small-town hero of Danny's boyhood and someone he felt jealous of. Danny obviously held the hero in high regard to the point it felt like he was in love with him if Danny was inclined to such emotions- he was just if not more dangerous than Batman would ever be.

It went even worse when Bruce spoke his support for the Anti-Eco Acts that were currently being discussed.

A lot of hateful words were spoken in ten minutes, and by the end of it, Bruce couldn't even figure out how it ended, with Danny's eyes watering up with angry tears or his chest heaving with the screaming.

Why did he even say that? Bruce had a lot of issues with the Anit-Eco Acts. They were far too seated in bigotry to be anything but an excuse to hunt a different race.

He regretted his words, though he doubted he could ask Danny for forgiveness soon. That man was known for holding a grudge and giving the cold shoulder when angry.

Bruce would have to grovel later.

The door to his study slams open, and his children crowd the entrance, looking alight and outraged.

"Why did you make Dad cry!?" Jason demands, crossing his arms and looking ready to throw down. The kids started calling Danny Dad a few months ago when Tim accidentally slipped it into a conversation, and Danny thought it was sweet.

They played it off as a joke, but Bruce knew they liked referring to him as Dad. Bruce was Father in formal events, B in casual moments, and when angry with him, the kids simply referred to him as B.

B for Bitch since you act like one, Dick once explained, eyes burning with anger and a smile as sharp as broken glass.

"You better have a good reason, B." Tim hisses, voice low and anger tightly coiled like a snake ready to strike. It's a violent reminder of Danny that Bruce can only place his hand over his eyes again and groan.

"We had a disagreement."

"What did you do?" Damian demands next, tapping his left foot impatiently. He picked that up from Jazz the last time Danny's sister was in town. "Before claiming innocence, just know you're always at fault. Dad can do no wrong."

"Hear, hear," Steph, Duke, and Cass say together, glaring daggers at Bruce.

Great. The kids have unionized against him.

"We had a disagreement on the Anti-Eco Acts." He grits through clutch teeth, trying to get his shimmering anger to calm down. The children are not helping, and his frustration rises slowly at the avalanche of noise his children release.

"How dare you!"

"Those acts are a blatant disregard of human decency!"

"I always knew you were a white privilege asshole but this!?"

"I will stay with Danny for the rest of the month! I can't believe this!"

"Look here, you Father. You will not support those act,s especially at the expense of Dad!"

"You blue-eyed demon."

Bruce puts his head into his hands and screams. Danny returns to talk this over hours later, but Bruce is right.

He has a lot of groveling he needs to do. His kids still lock him out of his room. They have a sleepover with Danny, dragging in their mattress and watching movies late into the night.

He sleeps on the couch, listening to their merry-making with a heavy heart. Aflred refused to let him sleep in a guest room once Dick informed him that Bruce was in the dog house with Danny.

Betrayed in his own home.

The Anti-Ecto Acts are rejected primarily due to Bruce Wayne spearheading their resistance. Danny hugs him when he reads the paper, and all is right with the world. The Kids still don't let him sleep in his own bed, and for a month, Bruce's back hurts from the lumping couch cushions.

Clark tells him jokingly the children would choose Danny in a divorce, so he starts carrying around Kryptonite.

[cryptidclownz]