#Why is vigilantes boss fight so hard

[h0wlthew0lf]

hi tumblr

Some silly warrior cats designs for uhh pizza tower i guess!! the quality got absolutsly destroyed im crying

[solar-wing]

⚣ Nightwing's Shadow 🌙

🌃 | Part 1 | 🌃

⚣🌙 A/N → had to re-upload since it wasn't showing up in tags and I couldn't figure out why. very different from the original I posted. may end up turning into 4 parts... dear lord help me. anyway, someone get me some holy water...QUICKLY! WARNINGS: 18+ MDNI | Omegaverse | Alpha Dick Grayson | Omega Male Reader | Dub-Con | M-PREG Themes | TW: B!ackmail/Coercion | Oral Play | Fingering | Full Sex | Obsessive Behavior

⚣🌙 Summary → So much for being a symbol. He gave in to Dick, gave into the thing he was fighting so hard against. And now, he's about to find out the consequences of his actions. Y/N's life as well as Shadow's is about to flip upside down.

⚣🌙 Words → 11.3K

REBLOGS & replies are greatly appreciated, please! 💜

⚣ ENJOY 🌙

Well, so much for being a symbol.

Y/N, aka Shadow, the Omega Savior, could not think of any other moment in his life where his ego and dignity were this bruised. How did he go from this prideful, independent Omega, who fought against society’s rules and roles that allowed barbaric Alphas to treat his kind like sex objects, only to give in just because he had this intense curiosity and attraction to his former boss’ adopted son?

Serious question, like an answer is needed.

Even if no one else had been a witness to his deplorable choice and weak resolve against a hot and demanding Alpha, Y/N couldn’t help the shame and humiliation he felt after letting himself get fucked and bred in his old office by Dick Grayson. The same Alpha who had been pursuing harassing him for months as both Dick and Nightwing, his vigilante alter-ego which Y/N had also just discovered as well.

How he didn’t make the connection earlier that they were the same person was beyond him.

Thankfully, the only other potential witness to Y/N’s display of horrible decision-making had hopefully run and left the building as instructed. The last thing he wanted and needed was for his former co-worker and friend, Wyndall to see him become another victim/statistic to the fucked up society they lived in that made Omegas nothing more than house slaves and fuck possessions for their Alpha counterparts.

Again, so much for being a symbol.

And now, as he was carried over the shoulder of Nightwing, bound and gagged with a freshly fucked and bred hole, he began to realize just how much his curiosity was about to cost him.

They made their way from Y/N’s office to the parking garage where the Batmobile waited for them. The acrobat deposited them both into the vehicle, setting the Omega down on his lap rather than the passenger seat while plugging in their route back to the Batcave.

As the car made its way out of the garage, Y/N struggled in his restraints, feeling uncomfortable not just from the situation, but from the noticeable hard-on currently pressing into his bottom from the Alpha.

Nightwing chuckled, tightening his grip around the Omega, and nuzzling his face into the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent.

"You smell so good, baby. So sweet. I can't wait to get you home and take my time with you," He said while rubbing his fingers up and down the Omega's body creating a light tickling sensation through his spandex suit.

Y/N moaned softly through the cloth gag Dick had put on him when he wouldn't stop making noises in the hall trying to alert anyone of the security guards that were probably still knocked out. His body was still sensitive after their little 'fun time' in his old office, and the Alpha's touch was sending shivers all throughout his body.

He hated how easily his body responded to the man while Nightwing chuckled, his hands moving to the Omega's hips, holding him still.

"Don't worry, we'll be home soon. Then I can take care of you properly."

Y/N whined, trying to move away from the man's touch, but the Alpha held him firmly on his lap. He even forced the Omega to lean back against him so he could nuzzle his face and neck while ghosting his fingers down the front of the smaller male's body.

"Hmm, if only this ride wasn't so short and we weren't being expected. I'd love to just slip my cock into you right now and fill you up again. Or maybe I could bend you over the console and we could do it doggy. I think there's enough room in here for that," Nightwing mused, his hand slipping inside the front of the Omega's pants, and rubbing his fingers over the still throbbing and leaking cunt under his suit.

Y/N whimpered, his eyes rolling back as the Alpha continued to tease him, his fingers slowly dipping inside him, and rubbing his nub and cocklette.

"You're still so wet and open for me, baby. I bet you'd love to have my knot buried deep inside you, wouldn't you?"

Y/N moaned through his gag, his mind becoming clouded by the pleasure the Alpha was giving him. He didn't want to admit it, but the idea of the vigilante fucking him while driving sounded so hot.

"What's that, Y/N? I couldn't quite understand you," Nightwing asked, clearly mocking and teasing him while his fingers stopped their movements and pulled out of the Omega's pants.

Y/N groaned, his body trembling and shaking from the sudden loss of stimulation. He knew Dick was an asshole, but this was just an even bigger reminder of how much an asshole he could be. He tried to grind his hips back against the growing hard-on, hoping to get him to continue, but the Alpha held him still.

"Ah, ah, ah, Y/N. You're going to have to use your words. If you want something, then you're going to have to ask for it nicely."

Y/N growled, his cheeks turning red from embarrassment and anger.

"Mmmph!"

"Oh, come on, baby. Don't be like that. Just say the magic word, and I'll give you what you want," Nightwing purred, his fingers lightly tracing the outline of the Omega's covered hole through the spandex pants of his suit, teasing his opening.

Y/N shook his head, refusing to give the Alpha the satisfaction of hearing him beg.

"Okay, if you're not going to cooperate, then I guess I'll just have to stop," Nightwing sighed, pulling his hand away.

"MMMPH!"

"I'm sorry, baby, I still can't understand you," Nightwing teased, his smirk evident in his voice.

Y/N groaned, his cheeks burning with embarrassment and arousal while he just lay his head back against the glass window in defeat. He was so turned on and needy, and the Alpha was just taunting him.

Nightwing, ever the sadistic tease, chuckled at the Omega's frustrated and aroused state, "Oh, Y/N. You have no idea how gratifying this is. I mean, look at the irony of this whole situation. You spent months refusing and resisting me, acting all proud and mighty like you were too good for me. And now, you're sitting here on my lap helpless, filled with my cum, and begging for me to just touch you. It's almost poetic, in a sense. You're not the only one who's curious, Y/N. I've been dreaming for months about what it would be like to have you, and now I finally do. And I'm never letting you go."

Y/N's eyes widened, his heart racing as he listened to the Alpha's words.

"And tonight's only the beginning. We're still working on the smaller details, but our lives together are just starting," Nightwing whispered against the Omega's ear, his lips ghosting over the soft and delicate skin while his hands continued to play with his body, "I can't wait to make you fully mine."

The Omega shivered, his body tingling from the Alpha's words and touch. He couldn't deny that a part of him was excited, but the other part was terrified.

What exactly did the vigilante mean by their lives together? And what smaller details was he vaguely speaking about?

Y/N's mind was racing, his thoughts and emotions swirling in his head. His mind was so unfocused, that he didn't even notice as they broke off from the main road, driving around a small mountainside while approaching a hidden entrance in the cliffside.

"Welcome home, babe," Nightwing muttered into his ear while softly nibbling on the lobe with his teeth before pulling off with a smirk, "Don't worry, we'll christen the car later. Batman won't mind."

Y/N's eyes widened, his body stiffening as the realization hit him.

This was the Batcave.

He was in the Batcave.

Shit.

After the autopilot parked the car and the hatch opened, Nightwing hopped out with Y/N back over his shoulder, the Omega grunting and struggling in the hold as he made his way over to the center console where Batman was waiting for him.

"Nightwing." Y/N's body stilled at the sound of the Dark Knight's voice.

"Batman," Nightwing greeted, his tone cheerful and relaxed.

"You're late."

"Yeah, sorry about that. We had some issues we needed to work through first before we could head back," Nightwing apologized, his tone not sounding apologetic at all.

Y/N rolled his eyes at the vague, but obvious statement, trying to ignore the hand slowly creeping between his thighs. It was already embarrassing enough that his first time meeting Batman started with his lower half basically being on full display as he hung over the acrobat's shoulder, but, Dick clearly had no reservations about his actions.

This man had no shame. Y/N would say it was admirable if it didn't come at his expense.

"I can see that," Batman replied, his gaze looking over the Omega's bound and gagged form, "I assume your mission was a success."

"Yep, and I have the proof right here," Nightwing stated, his hand cupping the Omega's ass, squeezing his cheek.

Y/N jumped, his body jolting in surprise and embarrassment.

"Nightwing, please."

"Sorry, B. I'm just really happy," Nightwing chuckled, his hand moving down from the Omega's rear, and resting between his thighs again.

Y/N had never felt more mortified in his life. If Batman was who he thought he was, then Dick had just groped him not only in front of the Omega's former boss but his own adoptive father.

"I can see that," Batman remarked, his eyes glancing over the Omega once more, "If you're done, I'd like to speak with Shadow."

"Sure, B. I'll leave him in your capable hands," Nightwing agreed, his fingers lightly brushing the Omega's clothed cunt, causing him to squirm.

"Nightwing," Batman warned.

"Sorry, B. I'll be good," Nightwing apologized, his hand moving away from the Omega's nether region before slowly letting him down onto his feet, copping another feel of the smaller male's plump behind in the process.

Y/N jumped at the feel, throwing a heated glare at the Alpha who had a shit-eating grin on his face while turning him to face the Dark Knight. Seriously, did this man not have any shame?

"Alright, baby, I'll leave you in the capable hands of the Bat. Behave yourself," Nightwing ordered, kissing the top of his head, and smacking his ass before walking away.

Yeah, that answer would be a strong no still.

Y/N yelped, his cheeks flushing red as the vigilante walked away, leaving him alone with the Dark Knight.

"Shadow," Batman spoke, his voice low and commanding, "It's good to finally meet you after so long. I trust your trip was uneventful."

Y/N narrowed his eyes, glaring at the man. Was he playing with him? Because if he was, it wasn't funny.

"Normally, I prefer speaking under more hospitable conditions but seeing as you weren't cooperating before, some drastic measures had to be taken," Batman explained, his eyes glancing down at the restraints and gag, "Now, I'm sure you have a lot of questions, and I'm willing to answer them, but I'm going to need you to listen and follow my instructions. Can you do that?"

Y/N nodded after a moment, his eyes watching the man carefully.

"Good. Now, I'm going to remove the gag, and then I will release you from your binds. However, if you try anything, I will have no choice but to restrain you again. Do you understand?"

Y/N nodded, his body tense and ready to bolt.

"Alright, I'm going to release the gag now."

Y/N watched as the Dark Knight reached out, his gloved hand gently gripping the back of his head, and slowly removing the cloth from his mouth.

"There, is that better?"

Y/N nodded, choosing to remain silent since his throat was dry from his mouth being gagged for such a long period, and since he didn't quite trust himself not to immediately start cursing him and his arrogant son to the 7th circle of hell the moment he opened his mouth.

"Good. Now, I'm going to remove the restraints. Please don't move," Batman instructed, his hands moving to the rope bonds around his wrists, legs, and arms.

Y/N watched as the Dark Knight cut and removed the rope, his eyes darting around the cave, looking for a possible escape route.

"Don't bother. Even if you managed to get past me, you wouldn't make it far," Batman stated, his eyes focused on the task at hand.

Y/N glared, his eyes narrowing at the man.

"I'm not trying to threaten you, Shadow. I'm just trying to make this transition easier for you in any way that I can. It's understandable if you are upset and angry, and I'm not trying to force you into anything, but I hope you'll consider listening to what I have to say."

Y/N looked up at the Dark Knight, his eyes studying the man's expression. He didn't seem to be lying, and his scent nor body language was giving off any signs of deceit. He'd listen, only if it gave him more time to think of a way out of this mess.

"Thank you. Now, I'm sure you have questions, and I'm willing to answer them, but there are some things that need to be discussed first," Batman said, his voice calm and collected, "First, I would like to apologize for the methods used to bring you here. They were not ideal, and I know they were probably not the best first impression, but it was necessary. I'm sure I don't need to inform you of the importance of keeping your identity a secret."

"No, you don't," Y/N answered, his voice hoarse and scratchy.

"Good. Now, I'm sure you're wondering why we brought you here. At first, it was merely to discuss the effects of your presence in Gotham and the impact you've had on the city. While I was impressed, I prefer to have a tight rein on what goes on in this city, and that includes those who protect it and its people," Batman explained, his eyes staring down at the Omega.

"So, what? Are you saying I'm a threat to the city or something?"

"No, not a threat, but a potential liability. You've been running around the city, taking matters into your own hands, and while I admire the effort, it's not safe. There are a lot of dangerous people in this city, and the last thing I want is for someone else to get hurt because of their actions."

"I'm not a child. I can take care of myself," Y/N argued, his eyes narrowing.

"I'm not saying you can't. But, the fact is, you're an Omega, and while you may have a high tolerance, you're still susceptible to the effects of an Alpha's pheromones. Especially when they're using their pheromones to control or manipulate you," Batman countered, his eyes watching the smaller male.

Y/N's fist clenched under his folded arms, "Oh, so because I'm an Omega, I'm not fit to protect this city. Hmm, that's a bit hypocritical of you, Bruce. Considering all the work I did and you signed your name on while I was working for your company," Y/N spat, his anger and frustration getting the better of him.

A moment of silence passed before the Dark Knight moved his hands up, removing the Bat cowl from over his head, revealing his true identity as Bruce Wayne.

"Apologies if I've offended you, but the truth remains as is. You're an exceptional individual, Y/N, and I'm not denying that. But, the fact is, you're an Omega, and there are a lot of Alphas out there who would use that to their advantage. I'm not saying you're incapable, but I am saying that it would be safer if you were under my guidance and direction and had someone watching your back."

"And let me guess, that's where you and the rest of the Bat-family come in," Y/N scoffed, his eyes glaring at the man.

"Yes, and no. The others will be informed, and they'll be available should you ever need their assistance, but the one who will be primarily responsible for you will be Nightwing."

"Excuse me?!"

"Nightwing will be the one who will watch over you and assist you during missions. He'll also be the one who will help you learn and adjust to the new changes and rules that will be put in place," Batman explained, his tone firm and unwavering.

"New changes and rules? What the hell are you talking about?"

"As I mentioned earlier, the main reason we brought you here was to discuss the effects of your presence and how to proceed from here. And in doing so, I'm sure you've noticed that Nightwing, or Dick, has become quite smitten with you," Bruce stated, his eyes staring down at the smaller male.

Y/N's cheeks flushed, his eyes holding his silent fury (and arousal), "Oh, I'm more than aware."

"Good. Then, I'm sure you're also aware of his intentions and desires."

"Unfortunately."

"Then, you'll also be aware of the fact that he's not going to stop until he gets what he wants," Bruce continued, his eyes never leaving the Omega's, "Now, I consider myself to be a simple man. While I'm aware I don't have the most traditional parental relationship, it doesn't make my desire to provide my kids with what makes them happy any less."

"And what exactly does that have to do with me?"

"Everything. Biological or not, Dick is my son, and as his father, it's my job to make sure he's happy. And, while I may not be completely supportive of his methods, I'm not going to be the one that denies him his happiness. So, I'm willing to compromise and allow him to have you."

"Allow him to have me? Excuse me, but I'm not a possession, Mr. Wayne. I'm a person, and no one, not even you or your son, can make decisions for me and my life like some puppetmaster," Y/N growled, his eyes narrowing at the man.

"I'm sorry you see it that way, Y/N. I'm just offering a solution and a chance for us both to get what we want."

"And, what exactly is it that you believe I want, Mr. Wayne?" Y/N asked with a cold glare.

"You want to protect and save the people of Gotham, especially Omegas, and I'm willing to let you, but only if you agree to my terms."

"Which are?"

"For starters, you will no longer be operating as an independent hero. From now on, you will be a part of my team, or "Bat-Family" as you so-called it, and you will report directly to me and the others. You will also be required to undergo training and conditioning, which will include the development of your skills, knowledge, and abilities. This will also include a physical examination and assessment, which will determine the best course of action and regimen for you," Bruce explained, his eyes watching the Omega's reaction.

"You're joking, right? You want me to join the Bat-Family and go through a physical exam and training? Why? What's the point? I've been doing just fine on my own, and I've done more for the Omega population of this city than you and all your little sidekicks combined."

"I'm not denying that. In fact, I'm quite impressed by your work. But, the fact is, you're an Omega, and despite the strength and determination you have, you're still susceptible to the influence and manipulation of an Alpha. Not only that, but you're not the most skilled fighter, and while you have a strong will, you're not the most disciplined."

"Oh, and I suppose you are?"

"How exactly did you end up here again, Y/N?" Bruce asked, though his tone communicated that it was a rhetorical question.

One that had Y/N's cheeks flushing in embarrassment and anger.

"I'm not trying to insult or degrade you, Y/N. I'm just trying to be realistic. You're a smart, talented, and hard-working individual, and I'm not trying to take that away from you. But, the truth is, you're an Omega, and no matter how much you try to deny it, some things will always be out of your control," Bruce stated, his voice calm and rational.

Y/N's nose twitched, his anger rising rapidly. It was ridiculous what this man was even suggesting. And here, the Omega used to have such a higher opinion of the man he used to proudly call his boss. But now, at this moment, all he could say was another barbaric Alpha saw Omegas as nothing but prizes and trophies.

"And your other terms?" Y/N asked, biting down the vile words he wanted to spit out at the man.

"You will be required to live here at my family estate. This will not only allow you to better adhere to the first terms I've laid out, but it will also allow you but it will also allow myself and our family to better support you. It gives you a chance to connect and bond with the others," Bruce answered, carefully observing the Omega and his reactions.

"What about my apartment? My belongings? What happens to all of that?"

"It will remain yours, and you'll still have access to it along with your belongings, which we can have moved here at your request. I would be in charge of your finances, of course. But, I'd be willing to let you return to your position at Wayne Enterprises with a raise to allow you to have your own money, should you wish," Bruce explained.

Looking at the situation as a whole, someone would consider the offer from the Alpha and billionaire as a no-brainer. Getting to live in a mansion rent-free, and having all your expenses taken care of without needing to work? Who wouldn't want that?

Y/N.

While he couldn't deny the appeal of certain terms that Bruce outlined, he knew there was a catch. There had to be if Bruce was willing to lay it out good for him like this.

Y/N poked his tongue against the inside of his cheek, something the Playboy Billionaire found somewhat amusing, "I see. And, where exactly does your son come into this? How exactly does that work?" Y/N asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, that will ultimately be up to the two of you. However, I do consider myself a bit of a traditionalist despite any titles attached to my bachelor status," Y/N did his best to not interrupt and comment on the irony of that sentence, "Since you're an unmated Omega. Dick is an unmated Alpha, I wouldn't find it appropriate for the two of you to share a room or bed."

“Excuse me?” Y/N questioned with a tone of malice to his words.

"The final terms are more personal and should be discussed between yourself and Dick. However, the basic gist is that you will be required to spend time with him, with the eventual expectation that you become his mate. The details regarding that are entirely up to the two of you, but the expectation is that you will be his, he will be yours, and you will bear his children," Bruce stated, his expression and tone not showing any signs of deceit or dishonesty.

Y/N's eyes widened, his heart racing as he listened to the man's words, "What kind of drugs are you people on? "Yeah, that's not happening. I'm not some piece of property or a prize to be won nor am I someone's babymaker. I'm a person, and I'm not going to let you, your son, or anyone else dictate my life and tell me what I can or can't do," Y/N snapped, his body trembling with rage.

Bruce gave him a dissatisfied expression, "Then, I'm afraid we're at an impasse. As much as I would love to continue this discussion, I have other matters to attend to. If you're not going to cooperate, then I'll have no choice but to have you restrained again until you can be turned over to the proper authorities," Bruce stated, his tone firm and unwavering.

Y/N's stomach sank, "Are you serious?!"

"Deadly. You're a vigilante, and while I've allowed you to operate in my city, I'm not going to allow you to continue if you refuse to abide by the rules and regulations I've set forth. I'm not asking you to do anything unreasonable, Y/N," Bruce said, his eyes staring down at the Omega.

"No, you're just asking me to give up my freedom and autonomy, and basically become a glorified house-husband and baby factory for your son," Y/N spat, his fists clenched tightly.

"If that's how you feel, then I'm sorry. But, the decision is yours. Either you can agree to the terms and conditions, or you can refuse, and I'll have no choice but to have you sent away," Bruce replied, his tone and expression not changing.

"And what if I say no to either and just stop being Shadow? I go back to my life, even move out of Gotham, and you continue your little operation here with your rat pack, and everyone's happy," Y/N suggested.

"Everyone except my son," Bruce replied, his gaze looking past the Omega and focusing on the acrobat who was leaning against a pillar in the background, watching the scene unfold.

"Your son's a big boy. He'll get over it," Y/N scoffed.

"Maybe, but I doubt he'll ever forgive me. Or you."

Y/N's eyes widened, his mouth opening and closing before his eyes darted behind him, spotting the vigilante standing there, his arms crossed and a dark expression on his face which was much more intimidating with the lack of his domino mask.

His chest spiked with unease and anger at the sight of the acrobat, wanting nothing more than to take his fist across his face repeatedly. Y/N's fingers twitched, his nails digging into the palm of his hand as he glared at the Alpha.

"I'm not asking you to marry him, at least not yet. I'm asking however that you just give him a chance. Save me, him, and yourself a lot of trouble," Bruce suggested, his eyes glancing over at his son.

The room was silent and the air was filled with tension.

"I'll talk. Even if you send me to jail, I'm sure lots of criminals and people would love to know the identities of Gotham's two most famous protectors. They'd probably pay a pretty penny for that information," Y/N threatened, his eyes never leaving the vigilante.

"You wouldn't."

"Try me," Y/N challenged, his eyes narrowing.

"Fine. Then, I guess we're done here. Dick, please escort Shadow to the holding cell," Bruce ordered, his eyes focused on the Omega.

"Sure thing, B," Dick agreed, his tone casual, but the look in his eyes was anything but.

"What?" The Omega questioned, "I thought you said you'd turn me over to the authorities."

"I did. But, since you've threatened me and my family, I'm not going to risk it. So, you'll be locked down here in our holding cell until I figure out something else for you," Bruce explained, his tone and expression not giving away any hint of emotion.

"You can't do that!"

"I can, and I will. Unless you'd like to reconsider, of course. Your choice, Y/N," Bruce stated, his tone and expression not wavering.

Y/N's mind was racing, his heart pounding as he looked between the Dark Knight and the acrobat. His eyes were wide and frantic, his body shaking slightly.

"Fine. I'll do it," Y/N sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

Bruce's shoulders relaxed, showing his satisfaction with the Omega's answer while Dick was grinning ear-to-ear, his excitement and happiness evident.

"Good. Now, we'll have to discuss the finer details, but for now, I think it's best if you get some rest. You've had a long day, and I'm sure you're exhausted. We can talk more tomorrow," Bruce stated, his tone and expression softening.

"Okay."

"Dick, please show him to his room and make sure he gets settled in. I'll have Alfred bring him some clothes and toiletries," Bruce instructed, his eyes glancing over at his son.

"Sure thing, B. Come on, baby. Let's get you cleaned up and tucked in," Dick purred, his arm wrapping around the Omega's waist, pulling him close.

"I can walk on my own," Y/N growled, his eyes glaring at the Alpha.

"I'm sure you can, but I'd rather not risk it. Besides, I don't mind carrying you," Dick smirked, his hand moving down the Omega's ass, squeezing the plump flesh.

"Stop touching me," Y/N hissed, his eyes narrowing.

"Oh, baby. I haven't even started yet," The Alpha chuckled, his lips ghosting over the shell of the Omega's ear, "But, I promise, I'll be gentle."

Y/N's cheeks flushed red, his body shivering as the Alpha's warm breath tickled his skin.

Before he could move, Y/N found himself back over the Alpha's shoulder, his ass in the air and his face pressed against the vigilante's back.

"Dick," Y/N growled, his fists punching at the Alpha's strong back.

"Don't stay up too long B! See you tomorrow!"

"Goodnight, you two. And, Y/N," Bruce called after the couple, Dick pausing in his strides and turning to the side so they could look back at the older Alpha, "Welcome to the family," Bruce smiled, a tiny one that is.

Y/N's eyes widened, his heart sinking to his stomach.

Dick was grinning even wider, saluting his adoptive father before turning back and continuing his journey out of the cave and up to the manor with the Omega struggling over his shoulder.

"You heard the man. Welcome to the family, babe," Dick said excitedly, his hand firmly gripping the Omega's ass.

"Put me down, asshole," Y/N growled, his hands pushing against the Alpha's back.

"Not a chance, baby," Dick chuckled, his hand smacking the Omega's ass, causing him to yelp.

"Ow! Asshole!"

"Mmm, I can't wait to hear more of those sounds later," Dick purred, his voice low and husky.

"Fuck you."

"Soon, baby. Soon," Dick purred, his fingers lightly tracing the outline of the Omega's cunt through his suit, making him squirm.

"Stop touching me," Y/N growled, his hips pressing closer to the Alpha's hand.

"Mmm, you say that, but your body says otherwise," Dick teased, his finger slowly rubbing the covered slit, his smirk growing when he felt the slick starting to leak through the fabric.

"Fuck you," Y/N hissed, his teeth biting into his lower lip as the Alpha continued to tease him.

"Oh, I plan to, baby. I plan to," The Alpha promised, his hand moving away from the Omega's cunt, and grabbing his ass, squeezing the plump flesh.

Dick hurriedly ran through the manor's halls, heading for a specific destination. One that Y/N noted did not seem to be towards any bedrooms.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere you should remember quite vividly," Dick answered, his grip tightening on the Omega's ass.

"But, Bruce told you to take me to my room," Y/N reminded, though he figured the Alpha was ignoring him.

"He did, and I will. Once we're done," Dick answered, his tone not leaving any room for argument.

"Done with what?"

"This," The acrobat answered as they reached a door.

It was dark in the halls so Y/N couldn't exactly tell where they were, but he couldn't deny the familiarity of the location.

"Where are we?"

"I think you know," Dick answered, his hand reaching out and opening the door.

He swung the door open and switched on the light while keeping his other arm wrapped tightly around the Omega's thighs, right above the bend of his knees. When Y/N could finally see where they were, the realization hit him like a brick and he immediately began struggling to free himself from the Alpha's hold.

"Oh, so you do remember this place. Good," Dick chuckled, his hand squeezing the Omega's ass, "Now, let's have some fun, shall we?"

Dick closed and locked the door to the bathroom before lifting Y/N off his shoulder and placing him against the countertop sink. The same sink he had pressed against when he ambushed the Omega during the gala celebration.

The moment he was down, the Alpha was on him like a lion on a gazelle. He forced the Omega's legs apart, his hands gripping the smaller male's thighs tightly as he leaned forward and captured the Omega's lips in a heated kiss.

"Mmm, fuck, baby. I've been waiting for this for so long," Dick groaned, his lips trailing down from the Omega's lips to his jaw and neck, his teeth nipping at the sensitive flesh.

"Dick, stop," Y/N gasped, his hands pushing against the Alpha's broad chest.

"I can't, baby. Not now. Not when you're finally mine," Dick growled, his hands moving from the Omega's thighs to his hips, his fingers digging into the soft flesh that was still covered by his vigilante suit.

"I'm not yours," Y/N argued, his hands pushing harder against the Alpha's chest.

"Yes, you are. You've always been mine, and now, I'm going to make sure you know it," Dick growled, his lips capturing the Omega's once again, his tongue slipping into the smaller male's mouth, "Mmm, fuck, baby. You taste so good," The Alpha moaned, his hands moving from the Omega's hips and sliding down his thighs.

"Dick, please... p-please ... please," Y/N begged, his body trembling as the Alpha's hands moved further down his legs, his fingers brushing against the wet patch of his suit.

"Please, what, baby? What do you want?" Dick asked, his lips moving down the Omega's neck, his teeth nibbling and sucking the tender flesh.

"Please, stop," Y/N pleaded, his hands gripping the material of the Alpha's suit, pressing his knuckles into the mounds of his hard pecs. Y/N tried to ignore the way his body was responding to the Alpha's touch, his cunt throbbing and leaking with slick.

"No, not yet. Not until I've had my fill," Dick growled, his hands gripping the Omega's thighs, his fingers digging into the soft flesh.

"n-nh ... ah ... n-no," Y/N breathed out in stutters, his body trembling as the Alpha's hands moved further down his legs, his fingers brushing against the wet patch of his suit.

"Mmm, fuck, baby. You're so wet. I need to have you," Dick groaned, his lips moving down the smaller neck, his teeth nibbling and sucking the tender flesh while his hands went to work ripping off the Omega's suit.

"H-hey! This suit is custom made you asshole," Y/N snapped, his hands pushing against the Alpha's chest.

"So? It's not like we can't get you a new and better one," Dick replied, his hands tearing the material apart, revealing the Omega's bare chest and leaking nipples.

"You're a fucking prick," Y/N growled.

"And, you're a brat. Now, stop fighting and just enjoy yourself," Dick ordered, licking his lips at the sight of the Omega's chest before leaning down and capturing one of the hardened buds in his mouth.

"Ahh... ahh," Y/N moaned, his hands gripping the Alpha's shoulders tightly as the vigilante sucked and licked his nipple, his teeth lightly grazing the sensitive flesh.

"Mmm, fuck, baby. You taste so good," Dick groaned, his hands running down the Omega's stomach and sides, landing at his waist.

"A-ah, fuck ... !" Y/N's body arched up as he was positioned on the sink by the Alpha so he could rut his body into the Omega's pulsing and wet heat.

"Fuck, baby. You're so wet. I can't wait to feel you wrapped around my cock," Dick growled, his hands moving to the Omega's ass, his fingers digging into the soft flesh.

"You—f-fuck... Y-You already had me around your cock earlier, remember?" Y/N said, keeping his eyes closed, cause the hot sight of the Alpha towering over him in his vigilante suit and his muscles on display under the tight material was too much for him.

"Yeah, I did, but that was just a preview. Now, I'm going to show you how a real Alpha takes care of his Omega," Dick growled, his hands returning to the tear over the Omega's stomach, his fingers ripping the fabric apart until the suit was in tatters, his body on full display under him like a trophy.

"Fuck, baby. You're so beautiful," Dick groaned, his hands running over the Omega's body, his fingers tracing the curves and dips of the smaller male's form.

"Shut up," Y/N growled, trying to cover himself from the Alpha's prying eyes.

"Stop that. Don't hide from me, baby. I wanna see all of you," Dick growled, his hands grabbing the Omega's wrists and pinning them above his head.

"D-Dick," Y/N moaned, his eyes fluttering shut as the Alpha leaned down and began sucking and biting his neck, his hands keeping his arms pinned above his head.

"Shhh, baby. Let me take care of you," Dick whispered, his lips leaving a kiss on the Omega's swollen and red ones as he moved down his body, bringing his hands with them, "Leave these here," the vigilante commanded, his hands giving the smaller wrist a gentle squeeze.

"F-fuck you," Y/N whined, but he did as he was told.

The Alpha smiled at the obedience from his Omega, his lips continuing their trail down the smaller male's chest and stomach, his teeth nipping and teasing the sensitive skin.

"Mmm, fuck, baby. You're so sexy," Dick moaned, his tongue swirling around the Omega's belly button, his teeth biting and tugging on the skin, "I can't wait to put a baby in you."

Y/N's face turned a deep shade of crimson, his hands clenching into fists as the Alpha's words hit him like a freight train, "S-shut up. Don't say things like that," Y/N stuttered, his body trembling under the Alpha's touch.

"Why not, baby? It's true," Dick whispered, his lips moving down the Omega's body, his tongue licking the wet trail his lips had left, "Mmm, I bet your cute little cunt is going to look so good filled with my knot," The Alpha growled, his hands moving to the Omega's hips, his fingers digging into the soft flesh.

"F-fuck, Dick...," Y/N moaned, his head falling back against the mirror as the Alpha's hands trailed down his body, his fingers brushing against the soaked folds.

"Mmm, yeah, baby. That's it. Let me hear you," Dick growled, his lips kissing and sucking the inside of the Omega's thighs, his teeth nibbling and biting the sensitive skin, "Mmm, fuck, baby. You're so wet. I can't wait to bury myself deep inside you," His tongue traced around the Omega's entrance, his nose breathing in the sweet and musky scent of the slick, "You smell so good, baby."

"D-Dick... a-ahh... n-ngh," Y/N's body was shaking as the Alpha's mouth was doing wonders on his lower half, his tongue lapping and slurping up the thick juices coming from his core.

"Fuck, baby. You taste so good," Dick moaned, his fingers moving from the Omega's thighs and spreading his glistening cunt, his tongue sliding between the damp insides, "Mmm, fuck. You're so wet," Dick groaned, his tongue thrusting in and out of the small hole, his hands gripping the smaller male's legs.

"F-fuck... a-aah... a-ahh... D-Dick," Y/N cried, his back arching off the cool porcelain counter, his legs wrapping around the Alpha's head, his heels digging into his strong shoulder blades.

"Yeah, baby. Say my name. Tell everyone who's making you feel this good," Dick growled, his mouth attacking the Omega's cunt, his tongue lapping and slurping up the thick fluids.

"F-fuck, Dick... a-aahhh, f-fuck, oh god, yes. Please...," Y/N moaned, his hips rolling against the Alpha's mouth, his legs squeezing his head tighter, "F-fuck, I-I'm gonna...," the Omega's head fell back against the mirror, his eyes closed tightly, his body trembling.

"That's it, baby. Cum for me," Dick purred, his tongue darting into the wet cavern, his hands squeezing the Omega's thighs.

"f-fuck ... oh god ... !"

Y/N's eyes shot open, his body tensing as he felt the Alpha's mouth sucking his nub, "O-oh, oh my god," Y/N whined, biting his lip pathetically as his back arched off the porcelain countertop, his hands flying down to grip the back of his neck and his shoulders.

Dick turned stern eyes up the Omega while lapping up the slick around his mouth, "I thought I told you to keep your hands against the mirror, baby," the Alpha's tone was low and threatening.

"I-It was a reflex" Y/N's voice shook as he looked down at the Alpha, his body trembling, his chest heaving.

"Oh, yeah. Well, guess we're going to have to work on your obedience, then, aren't we?" Dick smirked, his tongue flicking out, collecting the remaining slick around his mouth, his fingers rubbing against the Omega's twitching hole.

Dick stood back up, grabbing Y/N and pulling him off the counter before turning him around and pressing his back toward his front. His large hand gripped the smaller male's jaw, forcing the Omega to look into the mirror in front of him, his insides jumping at the sight of the size difference between himself and the Alpha.

"Look at you, baby. So fucking gorgeous. Just begging to be bred and knotted," Dick purred, his hand cupping the Omega's throat, his lips trailing down his neck, "I'm going to breed you so good, baby. Fill you with my seed, watch you swell and round with my babies" Dick groaned, his other hand slipping between the Omega's legs, his fingers rubbing the wet slit.

"But first, we're going to teach you some self-control," Dick whispered, his fingers sliding through the Omega's wet heat, his thumb circling the swollen nub, causing the smaller male to squirm.

"F-fuck, Dick..."

"I want you to hold still. No matter what I do, no matter how badly you want to move or touch me, don't. Got it, baby?" Dick purred, his teeth nibbling on the shell of the Omega's ear.

"O-okay," Y/N breathed, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Good boy," Dick cooed, his hand jerking and squeezing his head up as the other player with his damp entrance, "Now, watch and learn, baby."

"W-watch what?"

"This," the Alpha grinned wickedly.

All of sudden, Y/N felt himself get stuffed with two long digits, his body jerking in reflex as his hands flew to grip the Alpha's strong body.

"Ah, what did I say?" Dick grunted, jerking his head up with his hand while pushing his fingers even harder inside him.

"T-to stay still," Y/N whined, his head rolling back onto the broad shoulder, his hips grinding back into the Alpha's crotch.

"And you're still not listening baby," Dick hissed, his fingers thrusting in and out of the smaller male's cunt.

"I-I can't help it," Y/N whimpered, his hands gripping the Alpha's forearms.

"Oh, really? What if I told you that the longer you do this, the longer it will take before you can cum again. That you need to focus and listen, or you're going to have to go without an orgasm," Dick purred, his thumb circling the Omega's cocklette with his thumb, his teeth nibbling the shell of his ear while staring into the Omega's eyes through the mirror.

"O-oh," Y/N's voice came out more like a gasp as the Alpha's fingers continued to stretch and rub his insides, his body trembling and twitching.

"You think you can handle that, baby?"

"Mmm, f-fuck... n-no."

"Oh, so I guess I'll just stop," Dick stated, beginning to pull his hand away, a string of slick connecting his digits.

"No, wait. Please," Y/N cried, squeezing his hands against the Alpha's forearm still holding his jaw.

"I'm sorry, what did you say, baby?" Dick chuckled, his finger ghosting along the edge of the Omega's entrance, his free hand moving from his chin and cupping the front of his throat.

"P-please. Don't stop," Y/N begged, his back arching as the Alpha's hands resumed their previous activities.

"Then take your hands off me, keep them at your sides, and hold still," Dick ordered, his fingers plunging into the smaller male's core, his other hand squeezing his throat gently.

"H-haaah! F-fuck!" Y/N nodded, his hands falling back to his sides, his fingers digging into his thigh, his eyes closing in pleasure.

"Keep those eyes open and looking at yourself. Watch every move I make, and if you can't, I'll stop," Dick growled, his hand pumping in and out of the tight channel, his palm rubbing the Omega's throbbing cocklette.

"A-aah, okay," Y/N gasped, his body shuddering as the Alpha's fingers continued to pound into his cunt, his thumb circling the sensitive nub, "A-aah, oh fuck."

"Good boy. You're being such a good boy, taking my fingers so well. Think you can take a third one?"

"Y-yes, please. Yes," Y/N whimpered, his hips rocking back against the Alpha's palm, his fingers sinking into his ass, "M-more."

"Keep still," Dick warned, his fingers slowing down, his third digit teasing the rim, "Relax, baby."

"S-sorry," Y/N mumbled, his muscles relaxing, allowing the Alpha to push his third finger into his already stuffed hole.

"Fuck, baby. You're so tight. And, hot," Dick groaned, his hand turning the Omega's head towards him so he could capture his lips in a heated kiss, his tongue tangling with the smaller man’s while his fingers pumped in and out of the dripping entrance.

"A-ah, f-fuck," Y/N whined against Dick's lips, his nails scratching the insides of his palms as he did his best to hold his body still, wanting nothing more than to achieve his release.

"Are you getting close, baby? Are you going to cum soon?" Dick whispered against Y/N's mouth, taking his bottom lip between his teeth and nibbling on it.

"Mmm, f-fuck, a-aahh," Y/N nodded, his eyes rolling to the back of his head, his hands clenching hard into fists.

"What's wrong, baby? Can't speak? Is my baby overwhelmed? Hmmm, maybe you'd like me to stop," Dick teased, his fingers slowing their pace, his thumb ceasing the pressure on the Omega's aching core.

"N-no! Fuck, please, don't stop. I-I'm going to...," Y/N moaned, his eyes shutting as the Alpha's hands slowed, his body trembling.

"Eyes, baby," Dick reminded, his lips trailing down to the side of the Omega's neck, his teeth nibbling and sucking the tender flesh.

Y/N quickly obeyed, his eyes shooting open and focusing back on the two figures in the mirror. He bit his lip hard, his hips rocking and grinding, trying desperately to bring his release.

"A-ah, f-fuck," Y/N breathed heavily, his back arching, his head leaning back onto the Alpha's broad shoulder.

"Look at you. Such a pretty little slut," Dick cooed, his finger's movements becoming more intense, his lips leaving kisses and bites along the Omega's exposed neck.

"A-ah, h-haaa, o-oh god," Y/N cried, his back arching further, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, and his hands balled into tight fists.

"Yes, baby. Cum for me. Show me how much you like my fingers, how much you like the way I finger you," Dick groaned, his fingers curling and thrusting deeper inside the smaller male, his thumb pressing harder against his cocklette.

"Fuck, baby. You're so tight and hot. I can't wait to feel you wrapped around my cock," Dick rumbled, his hand releasing the Omega's throat, moving to cup his chest and twist and squeeze his nipple, "Mmm, I can't wait to see these things full, feeding our babies."

"F-fuck... y-you're... n-not going to knock me u-up," Y/N growled, his back arching, his ass grinding and rolling back into the Alpha's front, his nails breaking the skin on his palms.

"We'll see about that, baby. I'll bet you're already so fertile. And, when I'm done, you'll have no choice but to carry and give birth to all the babies I put inside you," Dick purred, his fingers twisting and rubbing the smaller male's nipple.

"O-oh, oh fuck. Mmm, fuck," Y/N breathed out, his body shaking and trembling, his nails now scratching at his thighs.

"That's right, baby. Cum. Cum for me. Show me how much you love my fingers fucking you," Dick cooed, his thumb pressing hard against the Omega's aching nub, his fingers twisting and pumping inside his tight channel.

"A-ah, h-haaa... f-fuuuuck," Y/N whined, his head falling back onto the Alpha's shoulder, his back arched and his chest heaving.

"Yes, baby. Let go. Cum for me. Cum," Dick whispered, his lips leaving kisses and bites along the smaller's male's jaw and neck, his hand pinching and squeezing his hardened bud.

"H-ha, ahh... !"

The Omega's vision blurred and his hearing became muffled. His body convulsed and spasmed, his hips buckling wildly, barely managing to keep his eyes open as he climax splashed onto the floor below, his thighs and Dick's fingers covered in slick.

"Fuck, baby. You're so beautiful," Dick purred, his fingers pumping the Omega through his orgasm.

"A-ah, f-fuck," Y/N panted, his chest heaving and his hips twitching.

"You did so good, baby. Such a good boy, listening and obeying," Dick praised, his lips leaving a kiss where his mark would go on the Omega's neck, his hands moving to his hips, pulling the smaller male closer, his hard bulge rubbing against his bare ass.

"M-mmm," Y/N whimpered, his body still twitching and shivering.

"Now, be a good boy and turn around," Dick instructed, his hands giving the smaller male a light squeeze.

Y/N turned, his legs shaking, his heart pounding. The vigilante wasted no time grabbing his hips, hoisting him up, and sitting him on the countertop.

"Put your hands on the sink, spread your legs, and don't move," Dick instructed, his eyes burning into the Omega's, his fingers tracing the shape of his slick-covered hole.

Y/N did as he was told, his body trembling as the Alpha's eyes looked him over, a wicked smirk appearing on his face.

"So pretty, all spread out and ready for me," Dick cooed, his large hands spreading the smaller male's thighs apart, his eyes raking over his glistening slit, his cocklette still pulsing, his hole winking, "You look so good, baby. So sexy."

Suddenly, the bathroom was filled with a deep and musky scent, it sending Y/N into a pleasurable spasm as his eyes went wide at the smell, "O-ohh, fuck ... ! Alpha!"

Dick smirked at the Omega, writhing and begging for him on the counter, realizing what was happening. "Looks like I started pouring, baby. Couldn't help it though, you're just so sexy."

The acrobat pulled the smaller male to the edge, his knees resting on the Alpha's hips.

"Dick, please, I can't—," Y/N begged, his mind a scrambled mess from the Alpha's pheromones clouding every brain cell in his head.

"Shhh, baby. I've got you," Dick soothed, his hands gripping the smaller male's thighs and pulling him against his crotch.

"get inside of me ... now ..." Y/N whined, his chest rising and falling, his cunt gushing even more slick and his nipples leaking even more cream, his body begging to be fucked.

"Do you really think you’re in a position to give orders?"

"p-please ... please give it to me ... " Y/N whimpered, his hips squirming, trying to get some form of friction, "I need you. I need your knot."

"As much as I love hearing you beg, and I do, you have been quite a handful today," Dick's voice dropped, his grip on the Omega's thighs becoming painful, "Maybe you're not worth the effort. Maybe I should find someone else, a proper Omega who knows how to listen," the Alpha threatened, his fingers digging into the soft, yielding flesh.

"No! Please, no. I-I'm sorry, please. I'm sorry," Y/N pleaded, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his arms threatening to give out, "I-I'll be good. I'll listen."

"And, why should I believe you, baby?" Dick chuckled, his thumbs lightly brushing the underside of the smaller male's supple, thick thighs, his fingers still digging into the plush, warm flesh.

"I'll be good, I promise. I'll be your good Omega, let you fuck me, mark me all you want, give you lots of babies, and do whatever you say," Y/N whimpered, his chest heaving, his nipples and cunt aching, his legs trembling.

"Oh, and you're going to listen, aren't you?" Dick teased, his fingers trailing along the inside of the Omega's quivering thighs, his thumbs ghosting over his swollen and dripping core.

"y-yes. whatever you want!" Y/N whined, his hands clawing at the counter, his legs shaking, his eyes locked onto the Alpha's, his hips rocking, spreading his legs even more to get the Alpha to fuck him.

"Such a good, little Omega," Dick growled before working to remove his suit, Y/N watching in anticipation, his heart racing.

When his suit was fully off, his length throbbing and standing at attention, he lined himself up with the Omega's leaking entrance, the head of his cock teasing the twitching hole, his fingers spreading the wet folds.

"Please, Dick, no teasing," Y/N whined, his chest rising and falling as he felt the tip of the Alpha's cock tease his entrance, his body screaming for him to fill him and take him.

"Don't worry, baby. I'm gonna give you what you want," Dick cooed, his free hand cupping the back of the Omega's head, his lips capturing the smaller man's in a heated kiss, "But first..."

Dick grabbed something on the side of them, holding it up as he kept rubbing his length over the Omega's throbbing cunt. When he held it up for Y/N to see, the Omega felt his chest almost seize up.

"Remember this," Dick held up the candle holder Y/N used against the Alpha's head when he had him pinned in here the last time, "Answer me," The Alpha's tone was dangerous.

"Yes, I remember," Y/N's voice was small, his entire body on edge and trembling.

"Good. You remember what you did with this the last time we were in here?" Dick asked with an angry fire in his eyes.

"Yes,"

"Say it."

"I knocked you over the head with the candle holder,"

"Correct," Dick replied, "Now, say you're sorry."

"What?!"

"You heard me. Apologize for knocking me over the head with this, and I'll fuck you and let you cum. And if you don't, I'm not going to fuck you. I'll leave you here and have Alfred show you your room."

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"Very," Dick nodded, the anger in his eyes was unmistakable.

"Okay, okay. Sorry," Y/N muttered.

"Excuse me?" Dick said, his eyebrows raised, "You'll have to speak up."

"Sorry,"

"Sorry, what? Try again," Dick ordered.

"I knocked you over the head with a candle holder."

“I hear an acknowledgment, not an apology.”

"Ugh, I'm sorry! I'm sorry, for knocking you over the head with the candle holder," Y/N whined, his entire body feeling like a livewire.

"Good, good. See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Dick smiled, his hand gently stroking the Omega's hair, "Now, apologize for denying and rejecting me."

"Dick," Y/N growled, his fingers clenching into fists.

"If you want me to fuck you, apologize. If you don't, we can call it a night, and you can go to your room without my knot," Dick warned, his eyes locking onto the Omega's, "Your choice."

Y/N clenched his teeth, his eyes glaring at the Alpha. He didn't want to apologize, didn't think he had any reason to.

But, his body was aching and throbbing, his chest was leaking, his cunt was soaked and aching, his cocklette was throbbing.

"Fine," Y/N finally agreed.

"Apologize, then," Dick stated, his gaze not wavering.

"f-fuck, fine. Fine, I'm sorry, alright?! I'm sorry," Y/N snarled, his knuckles turning white.

"Good, and I forgive you," Dick's leaned down, his naked, muscled covering the Omega's as he delivered a fiery kiss onto his lips, his tongue dominating the smaller male's mouth.

Y/N melted into the kiss, his arms wrapping around the larger man's neck, his nails scraping along his shoulder blades feeling the hot skin of the Alpha under his fingers while his legs wrapped around the larger man's waist.

Dick's hand slipped between them, taking his cock in his hand and lining it up with the Omega's entrance, his lips never leaving the smaller man's, his tongue tangling and fighting against the Omega's.

Y/N groaned and moaned, his hips rolling and grinding into the Alpha's, his cunt already starting to drool even more slick, his chest heaving.

Dick broke the kiss, a line of saliva connecting their lips, his breath mingling with the Omega's, his eyes locked onto the smaller man's, "I'm not going to be gentle, and you better not fight me, or I'll make sure you won't walk for a week."

"n-nh ... ah ..." Y/N shuddered, the heat of the Alpha's body was making him dizzy while his pheromones from his pouring were making him lightheaded.

"That's right, baby. Fuck," Dick purred, his hips thrusting forward, the head of his cock sliding through the Omega's wet slit and popping into his tight, dripping, hot hole, "Fuck, you're so tight. You feel fucking amazing," the Alpha rumbled, his cock pushing deeper into the smaller male's channel, his eyes trained on the Omega's.

"h-haaah! f-fuck ... oh god ... !" Y/N's nails dug into the larger man's skin, his chest heaving and his thighs clenching, his legs and toes curling as the Alpha's cock pushed deep inside him, stretching and filling him, "A-ah, o-oh fuck, s-so big."

"Mmm, fuck, don’t you dare fucking move..." Dick moaned, his hips pushing forward until he was buried inside the smaller male's core, his shaft coated with slick and his walls tightly clinging to his length, his hands squeezing the Omega's soft thighs, "God, baby, you're so fucking hot and tight. Even better the second time."

"S-shut up," Y/N hissed, his back arching, his fingers and nails scratching and digging into the larger man's shoulders.

"Aw, does that mean I wasn't good enough for you last time, baby?" Dick teased, his nose and lips brushing against the smaller male's, his tongue running along his bottom lip.

"S-stop teasing me and f-fuck me already," Y/N breathed, his chest rising and falling as he looked into the Alpha's burning blue eyes.

"So, needy," Dick cooed, his fingers gripping the smaller male's thighs, his hips snapping forward, his cock pulling out until only the tip was inside the Omega's quivering entrance.

"H-aaah, o-oh fuck... a-ah,"

Without warning, Dick thrust back inside the Omega, his pace quickening and his thrusts becoming more brutal, the sounds of skin slapping and moans filled the bathroom, the mirror fogging up and the cabinets under the sink rattling.

"Fuck, baby, your cunt is just sucking me in. Mmm, fuck, you're perfect," Dick moaned, his hips pounding and bucking, his balls slapping against the smaller male's ass, his cock hitting his G-spot with each thrust.

Dick was a merciless fuck.

Appearances really were deceiving, as Y/N thought about any person who thought of Dick as a lighthearted, gentle person. This motherfucker could be a cruel villain when he wanted to be, especially when it came to the down and dirty.

He had Y/N's arms wrapped around his sweaty back and his legs around his waist like a child holding on to a parent while he rammed into his body. His fingers dug into the smaller male's thighs and ass, his nails leaving scratches and bruises on his hips and back, and his teeth sunk into his skin, marking him with hickeys, bites, and bruises.

Y/N could already feel his legs and bottom becoming sore from the Alpha's harsh treatment of his body, but the pleasure of being stuffed and taken was making him feel a high he didn't want to come down from.

"F-fuck, Dick," the Omega whined, his nails digging and scratching the Alpha's skin, his heels pressing hard into the bigger man's lower back right about his butt.

"Mmm, yeah, baby. That's it. Say my name," Dick growled, his hips pistoning, his balls slapping against the Omega's ass.

"O-oh, fuck Dick... y-your so big," Y/N moaned, his body arching into the acrobat's sweaty chest

"Yeah, baby. Take all of it. Feel me stretching you, stuffing you, claiming you," Dick hissed, his tongue licking and lapping at the smaller male's ear, his teeth nibbling the shell.

"I-it's too much. You're too big. h-haaah! o-ohh, FUCK ... !" Y/N cried, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his nails digging into the skin on the larger man's muscled back, his teeth sinking into the meaty flesh of his neck.

"Aww, baby, do you want me to stop, pull out?" Dick asked, his hips stilling, his cock resting inside the smaller male's fluttering channel, the tip of his cockhead brushing against the Omega's sweet spot, his hands gripping his ass.

"w-wha—? n-no! please, keep going," Y/N begged his cunt twitching, his nipples aching, his body desperate for release.

"Then beg. Beg for it. Tell me how badly you want my knot, how badly you want me to breed you," Dick purred, his lips peppering kisses and love bites along the Omega's throat, his teeth tugging and nibbling his earlobe.

"P-please, Dick, I-I can't ... please, I need you," Y/N pleaded, his arms tightening around the Alpha's sweaty body, his nails digging and scratching the larger man's broad shoulders.

"Need me to do what, baby?" Dick teased, his hips slowly grinding and rolling, his length massaging the Omega's walls, his lips and tongue leaving kisses and bites on his jaw.

"F-fuck, Dick. P-please, knot me. f-fuck ... god ... !" Y/N wailed, his nails dragging and scratching the large man's back, his body writhing and twitching, his legs wrapping tighter around his waist, his feet digging into his ass.

"Who's Omega are you?" Dick grunted, his hips bucking, his length pumping in and out of the smaller man's gushing and twitching entrance.

"y-you're! f-fuck ... a-ah ... yours. I'm your Omega," Y/N cried, his chest rising and falling as he clung to the Alpha's larger body, his hands clawing and grasping at his muscled back.

"What else?" Dick asked, his thrusts becoming faster and harder, his hips slamming and pounding, his balls slapping and hitting the Omega's ass.

"I-I belong t-to you, a-and no one e-else," Y/N whimpered, his head dropping to the Alpha's broad shoulder, his hands sliding down to grip his strong biceps, his chest heaving.

"Tell me, baby, will you ever deny or reject me again?" Dick demanded, his tone serious, grabbing the Omega's jaw again and forcing him to look into his eyes.

"Never," Y/N answered immediately, his body shaking.

"And, why not?"

"Because I'm your Omega, and only yours. No one else's," the smaller male replied, his heart hammering and his stomach twisting.

"Good, good. Now, tell me who I am," Dick growled, his hips picking up speed, his cock slamming into the Omega's twitching and spasming entrance.

"Y-you're my Alpha, the only Alpha I will ever take, the only Alpha that can knot and breed me," Y/N moaned, his head dropping back, his body jerking and trembling.

"And, who am I going to breed and claim? Who am I going to mark and put a bond on?"

"M-me, fuck, me, please," Y/N cried, his entire body on edge and ready to snap.

"Are you mine, baby?"

"Y-yes! yes, Dick, I'm yours,"

"And, are you going to be my perfect little Omega, let me do whatever I want to you, let me mark and fill you with my seed whenever and wherever I want, carry my babies, and give me a family."

"Yes, o-ohh FUCK yes!"

Dick's thrusts increased in speed, his rhythm faltering as his knot began to form.

"You're gonna take my last name, aren't you, baby? You're going to be mine, and only mine,"

"Y-yes. oh, god, y-yes," Y/N cried, his body trembling and his cunt dripping, his cocklette pulsing and aching, his chest leaking.

"Y/N Grayson, mmm, sounds so fucking good, baby," Dick groaned, his hips bucking and jerking, his knot getting larger.

"Oh, fuck, fuck, FUCK," Y/N screamed, his head thrown back and his body arching, his eyes shut tightly as his vision went white, his orgasm splashing and coating their fronts.

"Oh, fuck, baby. Yes, cum, milk me," Dick ordered, his hips pistoning, his cock ramming and rubbing the smaller male's walls, his balls slapping against his ass, "Fuck, you feel so good. Such a good boy. Take it, take my knot. Fuck."

"f-fuck ... god ...! O-OHH, FUCK!"

"That's right, baby. Let me fill you. Make you mine," Dick snarled, his hips slamming and bucking, his hands grabbing the Omega's thighs and lifting them up, his lips sucking and biting his nipples, "Mine, my mate, my Omega, MY Y/N."

"F-fuck, p-please ... !"

"Gonna claim and breed you, baby. Give you a big, fat, happy, round belly,"

"O-oh, Dick. D-DICK, PLEASE," Y/N moaned, his chest arching, his nipples and cunt throbbing, his stomach flipping, and his cocklette twitching.

"You'd love that, wouldn't you, baby?" His knot was right there...

"Y-yes, please," Y/N sobbed, his head bobbing, his hair flopping in his face.

"Yes, what, baby? Yes, what,"

"Make me yours, fuck me, breed me, mark me, claim me, make me your Omega,"

"Say my name, baby. Who do you belong to?"

"You. f-FUCK. You, Dick. I belong to you Dick."

"That's right. All mine, baby, only mine," Dick's hips started moving again, his knot popping in and out of the smaller male's soaked hole.

A few thrusts later and Dick was letting out a guttural roar as his knot finally popped and locked the two of them together, his seed painting the smaller male's walls.

The Alpha groaned, feeling his cock throb inside the walls of his Omega as he leaned down, capturing the exhausted male in a sweaty and tired kiss as he pumped him full of his seed. When they broke the kiss, both of them breathing heavily and covered in sweat and cum, Dick smiled, cupping the smaller male's cheek and looking into his eyes, his own shining with pride and adoration.

"You were so amazing, baby. You did so well, Y/N," He whispered, his thumb stroking the side of the smaller male's face, his hand running through his hair, "You'll see, soon. You're gonna love me, and we'll have a beautiful life together. I'll teach you to love me."

His face fell into the Omega's neck, leaving small kisses along the bruises, especially over where his scent gland, where his mating mark would go, "You'll see. Soon, you'll be mine," The Alpha muttered into his skin.

Y/N rubbed his hands up and down the sweaty back of the Alpha, his eyes opening in narrow slits as he looked past the up and down rising back of the man on top of him, a firm resolution in his mind.

'We'll see about that.'

☀️ | Dick Grayson/Nightwing | ☀️

☀️ | Masterlists | ☀️

🌓 | Part 3 | 🌓

🌙 | Nightwing & Shadow | 🌙 (this image was genrated by Bing AI)

[thirtysomethingloser92]

Remy Lebeau x Reader Masterlist.

Multi-Chapter:

Who's Afraid of Little Old Me? Masterlist. (Prequel of 'The Last Great American Dynasty). Mafia!Remy x Reader. Warnings: Smut, Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Swearing, 18+. Summary: In the shadowy underworld of New Orleans, where power is currency and loyalty is a fragile thread, you find yourself entangled with Remy LeBeau, a charismatic and dangerous mob boss. What begins as a chance encounter soon evolves into a complex, intense relationship that neither of you can escape.

Mini Series:

Daddy Issues Masterlist:

Summary: There were five rules to being a sugar baby—or so you’d heard.

If an opportunity falls into your lap, you take it.

Everything is purely transactional.

Don’t let the lines blur between your sugar daddy and your personal or professional life.

Never meet anyone in his inner circle—no close friends, no family.

Unless it’s in writing, underlined, signed by two lawyers, and you get a new Hermes handbag afterward, don’t fuck your sugar daddy.

So why was it so damn hard to keep these rules in place when it came to your CEO Remy LeBeau?

Just Tonight Masterlist. Mini-series based off Cherry Lips. Summary: One night with world famous Remy Lebeau turns into something neither one of you expected. Warnings: Smut, Daddy Kinks, Bondage, Spanking, Choking, Threesomes (Amongst so much more), angst, fluff, romance.

One Shots:

Breathe Rogue/Reader/Gambit smut.

Cherry Lips Rockstar!Remy (Smut).

The Last Great American Dynasty. Mafia!Remy. (Smut) Just Friendly Banter Huh? Xmen (Smut) It Must Be Exhausting Always Rooting For The Anti-Hero. Vigilante!Remy (Smut) Voided. You and Remy are stuck together in The Void. Clean. Jealousy is a curse (Smut) Alleyway Fights. Remy always has your back, even when you feel like you don't have your own.

[ladyredmoon13]

DCxDP prompt

The Legacy of Carrion Crow

Ida Manson has seen many things in her days. Many good and bad things that have passed before her eyes at moments without her control. She's just glad that the creation of the Justice League was one of the good things she could see happen in her life time.

Back in her day there was no JL, and it showed; but that didn't mean there weren't heroes. There were, just not as many as there were today. And as spread out as they were they would rarely cross paths with one another. She would know, she kept tabs on all of them.

Now back when she was young the thought of a woman fighting at all let alone fighting crime was simply not excepted. That didn't stop her though. Ida started the way most heroes now began. With a crime-infested city, a father in peril, and a desire to change things for the better.

She became something of an urban legend. The Mob feared her. The streets whispered about her. The police respected her, or rather the cops who weren't dirty did anyways. Hey, what do you expect from 1960's Chicago?

Anyways she was something of a Batman in her time. A vigilante, a detective, a hero to many, and a nuisance to many more. You couldn't prove she was real but you know she existed. There was just one difference between her and him though.

She's not proud to say it, but Ida had blood on her hands. Both as Ida Manson and The Crow. The number of times she had to take out a monster not worth redemption could be counted on one hand, but it was there all the same. This was how she got the name, Carrion Crow. She thinks that's why she respected the Bat so much. He never killed. He never thought there was no other option. No other way out.

Then again Batman never looked Richard Speck in the eyes and saw no hope. She's just happy she managed to find enough evidence to put him away for life. The cops were happy about that.

Working with the cops was also how she met her late husband. He was a detective and a damn good one at that. He had a 97% conviction rate but he never bragged about it. He was just focused on doing the right thing and helping clean up the city he loved. It was no wonder he became commissioner later on.

They met on the rooftop of the old Chicago PD building. The commissioner at the time, Johnson; introduced them and later made him the liaison between the police and the Crow. They hit it off. Like two peas they were.

She shared her identity with him and he shared his past with her. She knew he was the bastard son of a mob boss and yet she didn't care. He was a good man with a good heart and that was all that mattered. The fact he didn't mind and even encouraged her to be the Crow didn't hurt either.

Time passed, and she got older. Deciding to retire was a hard decision but one she was forced to make. Only for the youngest of her two sons to take up the mantle. She was mad, downright furious when she found out.

She should have expected it, of course. Out of the two he was the one that was the most like her. Her oldest son taking after Idas' late mother. As much as that annoyed her. She still loved Jeremy but goodness he needed to loosen up.

The decision to leave Chicago was a hard one. She was born here and grew up here, but her husband wanted to live someplace a bit quieter than the bustling city in his old age. So they moved to a quiet little town almost an hour away from the city.

Leaving the house to her youngest son so that he could still use her old Crows Nest. Jeremy didn't seem to mind much about his brother getting the house. After all he and his new fiance were going to be coming with them to Amity Park.

Time passed and she lost her husband. She became a grandmother and boy did her granddaughter remind her of, well her when she was young. And boy did little Samantha love her uncle. She thought he was so 'cool' and was practically glued to him when he came to visit.

He once jokingly said that if she keeps growing up the way she is we might have another Crow flying around. He made the mistake of saying that right as little Sam skipped into the room. They were forced to lie to her. She didn't want to but Jeremy didn't know about her nightly activities from years ago. Nor did he know that his baby brother was now doing the same.

So lie they did. Sam for her credit was very smart and had known that something was up, but still let it go because her 'awesome' uncle asked her to. And because he promised her ice cream, before dinner!

Tragedy struck not long after that. Her youngest son, her baby boy died. Not as the Crow though but in a motorcycle accident involving a police car chase of three bank robbers. They were devastated, none more than poor Samantha.

Crime got worse in Chicago after that. Apparently crime bosses were smart enough to realize that the Crow was gone but not smart enough to figure out who he was. She made sure of it. She had done worse than send mobsters on wild goose chases before after all.

Soon Sam grew into a spectacular young spitfire. Much to Ida's delight and her parent's chagrin, they could get over it. After all, it was genetic. Though she couldn't say the same for that little friend for her granddaughter's.

Yes, she knew all about Danny and his little secret. She suspected as much when she noticed him acting strangely not too long after his little accident in his parent's lab. An incident that coincided with his shift in behavior and after some digging Ida found what they were hiding. She was still a detective after all. Retired as she may be, but still sharp as a tac.

She decided to help where she could. Jumping in when she knew she could get away with it. She even began teaching Sam some martial arts when things seemed to be escalating. Then the GIW showed up and things only got worse.

Ida tried to get ahold of her some of her old contacts. She even tried some that were even affiliated with the JL, but nothing went threw. For the first time in a long time Ida was afraid for her family, for her home. Danny could only do so much for this town and she could see that it was weighing on the poor lad.

He needed help. He needed someone to watch his back. Not just the way she had been for almost a year now. Ida Manson knew what she needed to do and with a little convincing, she could manage to pull it off.

Once summer came Ida and Sam would go on a little pilgrimage to Chicago. Maybe take her friends with them if they can manage it. Once there this old Crone will take them down to the Crows Nest and do what should have been done long ago.

The Carrion Crow will fly again, and this time they're not coming for mobsters and petty thieves. She's coming for the GIW.

[shiorimakibawrites]

Idea: Adrift (Spider-Man)

Again, these are rough brainstorming notes and therefore subject to change. Any suggestions are welcome.

Warning: Spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: No Way Home - Angst - Complicated Feelings - Referenced Character Deaths - Mention of the possibility of suicide

Adrift

Peter Parker / Spider-Man x Reader

You disappeared during the Snap. When you came back, five years later, everything had changed.

None of your friends had been Snapped – they have finished college or have entered grad school . . . some have gotten married . . . at least one is a parent now . . .

Your parents had another kid while you were gone – SISTER is cute, a very sweet little girl. You love her but her existence hurt – it feels like your parents tried to replace you. Like they don't care about you. You know logically that isn’t true – they were so happy when you came back. Even DAD had cried. MOM never lets you leave anymore without a hug, a kiss, and ‘I love you’ like she is afraid you will disappear forever.

Going to school is hard – the work isn’t difficult but you have no friends anymore, some of the teachers are different.

In short, you feel out of place in your own life. Like you didn’t belong. The world had moved on while you had stayed still.

One night, when you were on the roof of your building despite the cold weather when something feel on the roof. Or rather someone. Spider-Man – injured, cold, and it turned out hungry. You shared the snacks you had brought up along with your blanket. The vigilante claimed that the injury would fix itself, that he healed fast.

One day, when you arrived at your job at Cool Beans, your boss leaves you in charge of training a new hire. Another teenager named Peter Parker. You learned that he had also been Snapped and recently his aunt, his only living family, has died. Which explained why he seems so sad and just as adrift as yourself.

You keep having encounter with Spider-Man involving food, shared warmth, and talk. Nothing about his identity but the vigilante got how alone and disconnected you feel. Listened without judgment when you talked about your contradictory feelings about SISTER, DAD, and MOM.

Spider-Man shares some tidbits of his vigilante work, nothing really scary. More like the interesting or funny parts like the weirdest places he had found someone’s cat. Sometimes warnings about places that are getting dangerous. His excitement when Daredevil agrees to help him learn how to fight. Apparently his hand-to-hand needed work. Lots of work. There is another thing Daredevil was helping him train but Spider-Man told you that he couldn’t explain that without giving away someone else’s secrets.

As you observe things about your co-worker Peter, you get more and more concerned. He’s rail thin, often shows up with bruises. You can tell he’s very smart but quit school and doesn’t seem to care very much about getting any further education. Like he is just going through the motions, making you worry that he is suicidal. You get worried enough to ask Spider-Man to keep an eye out for Peter, just in case he does something drastic when he’s on the roof (you noticed that he is very fond of high places).

One day, you drag Peter back to your apartment. MOM takes one look at this sad, skinny teenager and immediately makes him sit at the table and eat a sandwich.

SISTER is a big Spider-Man fan. Thinks J. Jonah Jamison is a ‘big meanie’ something that seems to amuse Peter greatly. It's nice to see him with a real smile on his face.

[the-aesthetic-weasel]

Some things that are wrong with s4 Umbrella Academy in no particular order:

I love this show and the characters and I just wanna vent about everything that pissed me off the most ok? Obviously super spoiler heavy so I'm putting it under a cut

Even the setup at the beginning was weird and made no sense. I get what they were trying to show - all of them are trying to live in reality without their powers and they are all miserable. Some of it was obviously just like. Could happen but a lot of it was just out of character and made no sense:

1.1 -Alison: Where the fuck is Ray. Are you telling me that Raymond Chestnut, who was a proper pillar of morality with 50's sensibilities, just WALKED OUT on his family? Bullshit. Someone had the idea "make them all miserable" stuck in their head and got way too trigger-happy.

1.2 -Diego+Lila: It's highly improbable they would end up like this. Why are show writers so fixated on the idea that this is what having kids has to look like? Even if they did very well end up living in the suburbs, they would have some kind of secret bullshit going on with Diego being a batman-style vigilante and chasing the city's crime boss Lila. Job wise it's also stupid - Lila is smart, capable and speaks a million languages, there's no way she would be a stay at home mum, especially with her whole family living with them. Diego could definitely also find a job that would make him happier - a cop, bouncer, even working a trade, something to do with metal. Also six years is actually not that long. Even if the marriage didn't last, they wouldn't change so completely into different people.

1.3 - Why is Five working for the CIA, and why is he taking orders from some rando without even argueing. He should be drinking mimosas and growing orchids in Florida. I feel like he would probably enroll in university just to tell all his professors they are idiots.

2. Why does Klaus, who is obviously having a very hard time without his power, protest so much against getting it back? He doesn't need drugs anymore to keep the ghosts from his brain, he's spent three seasons coming to terms with his powers and not needing to surpres them with drugs. Did we just forget about that? Also his whole plot is completely pointless. It was just the writers going "What should we do with Klaus? Idk give hime a weird adventure with sex and drugs. Also make sure the CGI dog is so bad it pulls you out of the story and makes you think this is pixar for a moment)"

3. Also, where do they all live? Why were they driving all day to Maine or something and then they get into a car accident and Klaus just walks off, resurfacing in Alison's house? What?

4. Why was that girl in a squid? That was never explained and how did the Keepers know she was important?

5. Now the big one - the absolute lunacy of Lila/Five. The whole thing was BAD. Not just because Five wouldn't fuck his brother's wife (I actually don't think he would have such a moral problem with cheating, but he would at leas acknowledge it), but he would never fuck Lila. It would actually be Lila who wouldn't cheat on Diego, originally she fell in love with him against all odds and it was such a massive, complicated lovestory, she wouldn't just completely forget about all that. And even if they did fuck, they would never fall in love and be all disgustingly sweet about it. Also neither of them would ever settle down in a house and just stop trying to get back to their family and the apocalypse. Especially Lila just spent the whole season unhappy about being settled down - she wouldn't just grow strawberries while her husband is fighting the apocalypse. It was complete bullshit.

6. Why didn't Victor just tell Ben about the particles and about how can they go on happily snogging forever if he just lets him suck out those particles. It's not that difficult to say.

7. Abigail Hargreeves could do a lot of smarter things than just orchestrate the apocalypse because she's mad at her husband and she thinks they should all die. Also Reginald going "Oh yes love, that's actually the best solution you are so clever. Let's die"

8. What are Alison's powers. Is it just "general superpower" now? I've been wondering that about Victor for a while now but they were always quite vague with it, now it just seems they went completely off the rails.

Ok I think I'm done now. There was other dumb shit but these are the things that made me the most angry.

[kanerallels]

A little late, but the first few chapters of my first-ish Chenford fic are up! They're also prompt fulfillment for @monthly-challenge's Februfluff, day 27: stuck together. First chapter under the cut, the second is up on AO3!

Some people had a hard time believing in the impossible. Lucy Chen had never been one of those people. Sure, it probably helped that she was a vigilante who could manipulate light energy with her bare hands, but that hadn’t always been the case. There had been a time she was just like everyone else.

But that had been a long time ago. Now, when night fell, she was Lyra, one of many vigilantes that patrolled the streets of L.A., looking for people in need and crime to fight. 

Usually, her version of crime fighting saw her out on the streets in her disguise, fighting muggers. But there were the occasional circumstances that required a slightly more delicate approach. And today was one of those circumstances— a restaurant that one of her fellow vigilantes suspected was running drugs out of the back room.

Hence why she was sitting at a table in a nice dress, eating dinner across from the last person in the world she would have expected to be sitting across from about two months ago.

Lucy had met Tim Bradford approximately three months into her work as Lyra. Ex-cop turned woodworking shop owner, he’d been serious and a little grim, but respectful. Lucy had been curious about him when Jackson, her roommate, mentioned him, and had slowly gotten to know him better as time went by— his shop was a few storefronts down from the coffee shop where Lucy was currently employed.

Around the same time, she’d met Orion— the stern, incredibly boss vigilante who was known as the Huntsman by local gangs. He was notorious for his intense attitude, vicious but generally nonlethal attacks, and strict adherence to police procedure when necessary.

Lucy had mostly just found him annoying. Especially since he had a habit of showing up in the middle of her work and lecturing her on what she was doing wrong. And he called her “boot” a lot— which, thanks to being roommates with a cop, she knew what meant. This did not make it any less obnoxious.

They’d gotten off to a rough start, but it wasn’t long before Lucy found herself working with Orion more and more often. He was smart, and they made a good team. And he’d saved her life more times than she could count at this point— although it was definitely true the other way around as well. Which Lucy never let him forget.

All things considered, she shouldn’t have been surprised to find out Orion was Tim. The attitude, some of the jokes, the rookie cop nickname and the stickler for procedure attitude? It made perfect sense.

Somehow, it had still surprised her when she found out. Although her reaction had definitely surprised Tim, and Lucy snorted in amusement at the memory.

Glancing up from his steak, Tim lifted an eyebrow. “What?”

“Nothing,” Lucy said, waving a hand. “Just— do you remember when I found out who you were?”

“You mean when I found out who you were?” Tim corrected her. “I basically handed it to you on a platter.”

Rolling her eyes, Lucy said, “As if I didn’t do the same thing for you. Anyways, I was just thinking about it, how I reacted.”

“Oh, I remember that part pretty well,” Tim said with a dramatic wince, and Lucy scoffed.

“If you didn’t want to get slapped, you shouldn’t have called me boot so many times.”

“You’re sounding a little too pleased with yourself there, Chen.”

“Uh-huh.” Holding back a grin, Lucy glanced around the restaurant again. It was a nice place, with a bar at the back and instrumental music playing in the background, overlaid with people’s conversation. You wouldn’t think a place like this would be a front of some kind.

“Hey.” Tim’s voice cut through her thoughts, and she looked back at him. His expression serious, he said, “Stay sharp. Just because it’s got a pretty cover doesn’t mean the Ghost’s intel is off. Generally, she knows what she’s talking about.”

Nodding, Lucy said, “Right, got it. But— how exactly do we find what we’re looking for, here? I mean, we’re probably not going to just stumble across a cash exchange— and even if we did, we’re civilians right now.”

“Which is why tonight is about surveillance and keeping a low profile,” Tim told her. “We watch the waiters and the rest of the staff, and if we can, we’ll get a look inside the kitchens. Anything we can get pictures or proof of, we bring to Lopez, and she gets a search warrant.”

“Got it.” Tapping her fingers against the tabletop, Lucy resisted the urge to look around the restaurant again. No matter how much she wanted to catch these people, she couldn’t make herself conspicuous. It was better to focus on what was in front of her instead.

Namely, Tim, who looked just as impatient as she felt— if the people around them were supposed to think this was a date, they weren’t giving much of an impressive performance. Time to change things up a little.

Leaning forward, Lucy said, “Okay. Tell me about work.”

“What?”

Lucy couldn’t hold back a grin at Tim’s baffled expression. “Come on— we’re supposed to be on a date. If we just sit here in impatient silence, that’s not really going to sell it.”

Nodding, Tim said, “Good point. Uh… work was good. Celina’s finally learning how to use the woodstain without getting it everywhere, which is an upside. She’s a good kid, though. Nolan was right to hire her— don’t tell them I said that, though.”

“What, do you think they’ll figure out that you have a heart?” Lucy said, raising an eyebrow.

“Exactly. I can’t be seen as the good guy here, you know.” Tim quipped back, and she laughed.

“I’m pretty sure that ship has long since sailed.”

“That’s not what you said when we first met.”

Rolling her eyes, Lucy said, “Okay, that barely counts. You were intentionally mean then— wait. Which time are we talking about?”

“Which time are you talking about?” Tim countered.

“The second first time,” Lucy said. “You showed up and immediately started telling me everything I was doing wrong—”

“To be fair, you could have been killed if I hadn’t—”

“—and you wouldn’t stop calling me boot. The first first time you were a lot nicer. Or… less mean, at least.”

“Because you were a customer,” Tim said, taking a drink from his glass of water, “not a rookie vigilante who was about to let a two bit criminal stab her because she hadn’t secured him properly.”

Pointing at him, Lucy said, “See, if this was a real date, this is the part where I’d throw a glass of water in your face and stomp off dramatically.”

Holding up his hands, Tim said, “Hey, you’ve improved a lot since then.”

“Improved?”

“Well, what do you want me to say?”

Tapping her finger against her chin thoughtfully, Lucy said, “Hmm. How about… “Lucy, you’re the best rookie I’ve ever trained”?”

“First of all, I already said that you were one of the best,” Tim pointed out. “Second of all, you’re not a cop, so it barely even counts.”

“It counts!”

Tim opened his mouth to argue, but something caught Lucy’s eye— a man moving towards the kitchen. In one hand, he held a briefcase, and Lucy could make out the clear outlines of a gun under his suit coat.

“Tim,” she said quietly. His gaze snapped to her immediately, and she nodded to the man disappearing into the kitchen. 

Understanding flashed across his face, and she saw his hand twitch, the way it did when he wanted to reach for a gun he no longer wore at his side. “Let’s go,” he said, getting to his feet.

Lucy rose and followed him across the wide main room. None of the other customers so much as glanced at them, and Lucy silently thanked her lucky stars for that.

The main room was partitioned off by low wooden walls framing, but not completely obscuring the dining area. To their left, a walkway led to the entrance. To the right there were two doorways— one leading to the bathrooms. The other at the end of the hall, a swinging door, opened into the kitchen.

As they moved around the corner, Lucy glanced at Tim. “Hey— let me take the first look,” she said, keeping her voice low. “It might look less suspicious if I’m spotted then if you are.”

He gave a brief nod, hanging back a little. As Lucy headed towards the kitchen door, she couldn’t hold back a flicker of pleasure. It couldn’t have been that long ago that Tim wouldn’t have trusted her with this role. Things had changed a lot between them.

Coming to a stop next to the door, Lucy peered over the low swinging door. There was the usual bustle of a restaurant kitchen— cooks weaving their way around each other, the clatter of pans and sounds of voices.

And then Lucy spotted the man with the briefcase. He was talking to another man, with short blond hair and a scar cutting across his brow. The two of them spoke in voices low enough that Lucy couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. 

The briefcase sat open on the counter in between them, the contents obscured by the blond man. If I can just get a better angle… Quietly, Lucy stepped closer, her hand coming to rest on the top of the door as she peered into the kitchen.

She caught a brief glimpse of what could only be cash— stacks of it, lining the inside of the briefcase— before the door under her hand moved slightly, letting out what felt like a shatteringly loud creak.

Both men turned at the sound. Lucy’s heart nearly stopped, and she ducked away, turning her face so they wouldn’t catch sight of her. She couldn’t hear what they were saying over the noise in the kitchen, but she knew criminals. They were paranoid, and with good reason. Which meant there would be someone out here to check in a few seconds.

She sensed rather than saw Tim moving up behind her. “They saw you?”

“Only barely,” Lucy said. Her heart had regained momentum, and was pounding against her collarbone now. “But someone’s going to be out here soon.”

It wouldn’t be long— and they wouldn’t be able to make it back to their table without being spotted. Better to stay here and come up with an excuse, and there was only one that Lucy could think of.

Spinning to face him, she said, “Kiss me.”

His jaw dropped, just slightly. “What?”

Lucy caught what sounded like a creak behind them. Abandoning any pretense of explaining the situation to Tim, she caught hold of his face, and kissed him.

He didn’t freeze, which shouldn’t have surprised her. Tim was a natural at adapting, and they’d been working together long enough that it wouldn’t be too hard for him to pick up on what was going on.

What did surprise her was the kiss. It was supposed to be awkward, embarrassing even, to kiss Tim. It was supposed to be something she wanted to get over with quickly, and not linger on.

It was none of those things. It was the opposite, and so much more. Her heart was pounding and she knew there was something she was supposed to remember, but all she could really register was Tim— his lips against hers, his hand at her waist, tangling in the fabric of her dress.

And then someone cleared their throat, loud enough that it broke through the trance she was in and reminded Lucy where she was, and why. Pulling back, she made eye contact with the man who’d been carrying the briefcase.

Before he could have a chance to speak, she did. “Oh, I’m sorry,” Lucy said, letting an embarrassed half-smile cross her face. She was pretty sure she was a little flushed, which definitely couldn’t hurt the illusion. “We, ah, we didn’t realize anyone was back here, did we?”

For a minute, she didn’t know if Tim would chime in— he was completely still. Lucy could feel his heart beating against her palm resting on his chest. But then he said, “Nope. Is this area off limits?”

“No,” the man said after a brief pause. “But the kitchen is. Why don’t you two go back to your seats?”

Lucy shrugged, flicking a nonchalant look at Tim. “I guess this can wait until later. Come on, babe.”

Catching hold of his hand, Lucy gently tugged Tim after her, forcing herself to move casually and not look back. When they reached their table, she sank into her chair and looked down at her half empty plate. As Tim sat across from her, she asked quietly, “Is he still watching us?”

“He just turned and went back into the kitchen,” Tim told her, and Lucy let out a long breath.

Finally, she looked up at him. His expression was set in the Tim Bradford Cop Expression, which was… understandable, honestly. “Hey— I’m sorry about springing that on you,” Lucy told him, feeling herself flush a little. “It just seemed like the best move at the time.”

“It was,” Tim said, shrugging. “It kept us from getting caught, so, you know. Good work on that.”

“Yeah, you too,” Lucy said, and nearly groaned at her own words. Things were awkward now— and why wouldn’t they be? It made a lot more sense for things to feel awkward than for them to feel… the way they had earlier.

She shoved the thought aside as Tim said, “I don’t think we’re going to get anything else here tonight. Should we—”

“Call a night, yeah,” Lucy finished for him. “Great idea. We can debrief and regroup tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.” Tim turned and waved for a waiter, and Lucy sat back in her chair, holding back a wince.

They paid for their dinner and left the restaurant. Tim had driven them there, so he drove her back to her place first, and walked her up to her apartment. When they reached the door, Lucy hesitated before she went in.

“We’re okay, right?” she asked. The rest of the thoughts that had been boiling in her head came rushing out as she continued. “I— I know it was out of nowhere and— and weird, right? Obviously it was weird, I just know that PDA makes people uncomfortable, so the guy wouldn’t have questioned it as much, and… yeah.”

Tim had waited patiently through her whole rant. When she finally trailed off, he said, “Lucy. It’s fine. I was a cop, remember? I wasn’t a UC, but I still get it. It’s not a big deal.”

“Oh— of course, right,” Lucy said, a little twinge going through her. Of course he’d get it. And of course it wouldn’t affect him. She should never have thought otherwise, even for a second. “Okay, glad we got that settled. Um— talk to you tomorrow?”

“Talk to you tomorrow, Chen.”

And then Lucy was stepping into her apartment, the door was closing behind her, and she was pretty sure she had a headache.

So she did the logical thing and went to bed before Jackson or Tamara could show up and interrogate her about her date or who she’d been with, internally swearing to not think about the whole thing until tomorrow.

Her dreams had other plans. It was like her traitorous brain insisted on reminding her of the kiss— replaying parts of it over and over again until it was hard not to think about it.

Which was stupid. She didn’t have any reason to think about this so much, Lucy reminded herself as she got up to have breakfast before work. It was just one kiss. Didn’t mean anything, especially not from Tim of all people.

Right, her mind said. Tim. Who you used to be interested in. And WHY did she have to remember that right at this moment?

So she’d been interested in him when they first met. She’d been curious about the admittedly handsome, stern stranger who only softened on very rare occasions. But it hadn’t been long before it had been clear to Lucy that Tim wasn’t looking for romance, with her or anyone else. So she’d stuck with just friends, especially after finding out he was Orion. Romance with Orion was unthinkable on a level she couldn’t begin to comprehend.

Or it had been, anyways.

Okay, enough of that. Lucy pushed the thought out of her mind. And continued to do so as she got ready and went into work.

Lucy had worked at Wellington’s Coffee for almost a year now. It was a nice shop— the decor practical and sturdy, matching the personality of the owner, and the wide windows at the front filled the blue walled shop with light. And, luckily for Lucy, she clocked in today right when the lunch rush started. So she had plenty of time to take her mind off of the fiasco that was last night.

Not that that stopped her co-workers from bombarding her with questions. And they weren’t the only ones.

“So, did I hear you went on a date last night?”

As Lucy passed Aaron his coffee, she frowned at him. “Where did you hear that?”

“If I tell you, will you answer the question?” he countered. The younger man was a usual at their shop, and a good friend. He was also a little too invested in Lucy’s love life ever since she’d asked for his advice on how to break up with her last boyfriend. 

Sighing, Lucy said, “Yes. To both, but it wasn’t a big deal— I don’t think we’re going to go out again.”

Aaron’s eyebrows went up. “Really? Cause that’s not what I heard.”

Lucy frowned. “Okay, where exactly are you getting this information?”

“Uh—”

“Lucy!”

Both she and Aaron looked up at the voice calling her name. Tim was striding across the coffeeshop towards her, his expression serious. Which was pretty on brand for him, but Lucy had gotten good at reading the different types of seriousness. There was definitely something wrong right now.

Giving Aaron a brief nod, he turned to her. “Hey. We need to talk.”

“Okay,” Lucy said. “I don’t think anyone’s using the break room right now— follow me.”

She moved out from behind the counter and towards the door marked “employees only” at the back of the shop, Tim on her heels. As she moved, she saw her co-worker, Dark, moving out of the back room, and waved to get his attention. “Hey— I’m taking my break. Can you watch the register?”

“...sure,” Dark said slowly, his voice making it clear he had some questions. Most likely about Tim being there— but honestly, Lucy had neither the time nor energy to handle that.

The break room was, as predicted, empty. Lucy didn’t bother taking a seat, but turned to face Tim. “Okay— what’s up?”

He hesitated, which was definitely rare for him. “Ah… okay. We were seen last night?”

Frowning, Lucy said, “Wait. What do you mean— we weren’t even there as Lyra and Orion, how could we be seen?”

“Not… that kind of seen,” Tim said. “My former watch commander was there having dinner. With his wife.”

What does— and then it clicked, and Lucy’s eyes widened. “Oh. Oh, no— did they see—”

“If he and Luna’s visit to the shop this morning, and her comments about the lovely young woman I had with me are anything to judge by… yeah.”

“Crap,” Lucy whispered, with as much emphasis as she could muster up. Starting to pace back and forth, she rubbed a hand across her forehead. “Okay. This is fine— we can figure this out. I mean, we can’t tell them we were undercover, but we can figure this out. What did you tell them?”

Grimacing, Tim said, “That it was a one time thing, and they were reading too much into it. I don’t think they bought it— and they’re not the only ones who know. Luna told their daughter, who’s friends with Nolan’s kid, who told him, who told Celina—”

“Who told Aaron,” Lucy finished, the realization hitting her like a bus. “That explains a lot. Ugh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to blow up this way.”

“Hey,” Tim said, his voice stern but with just a hint of gentleness that definitely didn’t make Lucy’s heart flutter. Because that would be absurd. “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have predicted this.”

“Couldn’t have predicted our friends being incredibly nosy?” Lucy said, lifting an eyebrow.

“Well, that’s pretty much a given at this point,” Tim said wryly. “But it’s still not your fault. They’ll forget about this after a week or two— let’s not worry about it right now.”

“Right,” Lucy said, nodding. “Focus on the job instead. Um… oh! I saw what was in the briefcase last night.”

She gave Tim a quick recap of what she’d seen, from the cash to the man with the scar who’d received it. He listened with a deep, thoughtful frown, not speaking until she finished her description. “I’ll have to check with Lopez— but that does sound like a felon she’s been watching for a while now— Valen Rudor, I think. Guy’s got a long list of charges, and a warrant out for his arrest. But if we can’t get proof he’s there—”

“It doesn’t matter,” Lucy said, nodding slowly. “Okay— any ideas how?”

“Actually, yeah,” Tim said. “It involves going back to that restaurant again tonight, and you doing some light sneaking while I start a fight. You game?”

Oh, this was a bad idea. After the first time, putting herself in a situation where she had to pretend to be Tim’s date again? There was potential for this to end very badly.

But there was a dangerous felon out there who needed to be stopped, and Lucy didn’t back down from a fight. “Count me in,” she said.After all, she thought as she headed back to work, what’s the worst that could happen?

[skylarmoon71]

Miguel O' Hara (Across the Spider-Verse) AU- Oneshot

Word Count: 7k+. Opps, I did it again XD

Enjoy!

Life really had a way of throwing you into the blender. 

First you had to deal with your jerk of a boss who apparently didn’t do much but scowl and give demands without a single thank you.

Not one!

But that's besides the point.

Your current predicament was much more dire than a self centered superior.

“PLEASE DON’T KILL ME I’M TOO PRETTY TO DIE!!”

Case in point.

You are presently in the air being carried by some man in spandex and as he swings through the streets of New York. You were clutching onto him while screaming and trying to break free. None of which he seemed to like because his head turned in your direction and the red markings on his navy color suit just made you that more terrified.

“Would you stop yelling I’m trying to save your life!!”

He sounds pissed and when he finally releases you, it’s after he’s landed safely on the top of a very high building.

In his defense, he did stop you from being attacked. Most people knew better than to walk the streets of New York that late. You’d just been dealing with so much. The second he’s no longer holding you, you grip your purse, scampering to a corner. There’s really no way for you to run and when he straightens to his full height, it does nothing to ease your nerves.

“It’s stupid to be out on your own this late.”

His lecture kind of pisses you off.

“I thought you said you were helping me! What kind of hero talks trash to the person they are saving!!”

“I never said I was a hero.”

“Yeah, well good, you would suck at it anyway. I-I didn’t even need your help.”

“Por supuesto.”

The little grumble in Spanish catches your attention and you inch away from your cowering position, recognition flashing over your features.

“No way..”

A part of you thinks it’s a delusion, but you know that voice. That exasperated tone. You heard it too often not to recognize it.

He’s still standing there clearly agitated, but when you no longer look scared, his body language shifts.

“M-Mr. O’ Hara!!”

You yell in surprise. He turns his back abruptly.

“You got the wrong person.”

It sounds like he’s trying to mask his voice now and you growl, charging at him.

“Oh no you don’t!”

It’s clear he doesn’t expect you to fully attack him, when you jump on his back, he stumbles.

“W-What the hell are you doing get off me!!”

You grab the top of his mask and when you yank it off. Those thick brown locks are hard to miss. He turns to you in surprise.

“ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!!”

Of all the people, why did it have to be him?

He shrugs you off, and you almost tumble, but he grabs your arm before you fully meet the concrete. His glare is fixated on you. Much like the other times in his office, you feel so small under it.

“Give me back my mask.”

It doesn’t take a genius to see that he’s pissed. You hand it to him shakily and he runs a hand over his head with an aggravated huff. This wasn’t making any sense.

“W-Why are you running around the city as a vigilante..”

His gaze is still somewhat boring to you.

“The better question is why the hell are you out this late with no protection. Are you really that reckless? You were basically asking for trouble. “

“Y-You have some nerve!! You’re the one that gave me the shitload of entrance forms and told me to have it done by Monday. You think I enjoy getting mugged!!”

Maybe it was the darkness playing tricks on you, but for a second he actually looked a bit guilty. It disappeared within a second, and you were once again being hoisted into his arms. You screamed.

“P-Put me down!!”

“Stop fighting me, I'm going to take you back to your home!!”

You intended to protest, but then you realized you were in fact on the top of a very large building that you would not be able to climb down on your own.

“I guess that finally shut you up.”

You had every intention of firing a response, but he took off in the air again and you could only shut your eyes as you tried not to look down at the daunting buildings. Miguel’s eyes strayed only for a moment when he felt you bury your face deeper into his chest. He brushed off the thought that ran across his mind the second it appeared, focusing on getting you back.

That night was eye opening for the both of you. Not only were you an assistant for the world’s most grumpiest boss, but apparently you were also his accomplice in crime.

In his case it was more justice..maybe?

You were still trying to wrap your head around the whole vigilante situation. That’s why you decided that you were going to be anywhere he wasn’t. You couldn’t continue working there knowing who he was.

“He’s crazy if he thinks I’m staying.”

You’d already quit and you were at home packing up your things. The plan was to move to another state and start fresh. You could do temp jobs until you found a solid one.

“Where exactly do you think you’re going?”

Your screech must have been heard from every floor.

“H-How did you get into my house!!”

“Your bedroom window was open.”

“What kind of psycho does that!!” 

You grabbed a mug from the box, chugging it at him in which he caught easily, placing it on the table nearby. You swallow when he approaches. His stature has always been intimidating, but now, it’s more daunting. Knowing what he was fully capable of was terrifying. It didn’t help that he was wearing that suit again. Something about the way those eyes were painted over just had you so unsettled. The design of his outfit was just as unnerving as his personality.

“Do you really think I would let you leave my company with all you know? You’re my assistant and since we’re both in a compromising position, there’s no way I’m letting you out of my sight. You know my secret. Knowledge is power.”

You shook your head.

“P-Please, I promise I won’t say a word to anyone. J-Just let me go. You won’t ever hear from me or see me again I swear.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. I wish I could take your word for it. But you’re a liability that I can’t afford. “

You managed a glare.

“Y-You can’t force me to do anything!”

He turned his palm over and when he drew those claws, you could physically feel your heart stop for a second.

“Try me.”

He approaches and you stagger backwards in an attempt to run, but in a matter of seconds, you're pinned to the door. Miguel leers down at you.

“I know where you live, who you are and where you might run to. So I insist that you reconsider my offer Ms. Caine.”

From his tone, you really don’t have a choice.

You’re stuck.

That’s how the partnership started. You showed up the very next day, and the whispers were non-stop. A lot of people speculated that there was an affair, or that you were almost taken by another company. There’s a long list of rumors and assumptions. You should have been more affected by the voices, but all you could think about was him. Your ill tempered jerk of a boss who was basically holding you hostage.

“Why did it have to be him!!”

Of all the people, why did he have to be the vigilante?

Following the encounter you conducted some very in depth research. As it turns out, Miguel was actually cleaning the streets of New York, both with his companies and his skills. It was bad enough that he was a pompous rich guy. He just had to be a superhero too. It was infuriating.

He got to spend his day bossing you around and then his nights kicking the butt of bad guys. You didn’t understand how such an unlikeable man could be doing such good deeds. There was no press in it for him if he was insistent on keeping his identity a secret. Honestly, with what he was capable of, he could have turned into a crime boss. With some of the things you saw on youtube, the man was next to unstoppable.

Incredible.

You would have admired the cause if you didn’t know who was under the mask.

“What are you doing?”

You blink.

You hadn’t realized that you’d completely zoned out. You turn your head, getting back to work organizing his files.

“Nothing.” You mutter.

Miguel is at his desk, and you’re shuffling through his cabinets as you put everything where it belongs.

“I hope you’re not getting any crazy ideas. “ He stands and you tense up because you think he’s about to head right over to you and tell you off, maybe offer another threat.

“Have my schedule for this month done by today.”

Your eyes widen.

“S-Sir, that's impossible. I usually take at least three days to have everything sorted.”

“You better get to work then.”

You aren’t given a chance to retaliate because he’s already out the door, heading off to another meeting. You’re beyond pissed. Not just for the inconvenience that being his assistant has always brought, but the sheer fact that tonight you actually had a date and this is the third time you’re canceling. You slide out your phone begrudgingly.

“I’m sorry, I’ll be working late again. Could we maybe meet on Saturday.”

The response you get is almost immediate.

“I don’t think this is going to work.”

That’s all the message says. You try to respond, but it appears he’s blocked you.

“AHHHH WHY ME!!

You can’t really blame the guy. Neither of you had met yet, but you’d spent the last two times explaining why you couldn't make it. All because your boss is a grade A asshole.

The next few hours you drown yourself in tasks. The only good thing this man has ever done is make your office fairly close to his. Throughout the day you move back and forth. Even when Miguel returns, you don’t give him the satisfaction of seeing your displeasure. At this point it’s obvious he doesn’t really care. When your friends had warned you about taking the job five months ago you should have listened. Everyone heard the rumors of him being a difficult person to work with but you wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. That and the pay was amazing. So you just dove in because you knew rumors weren’t always true. As it turns out he wasn’t difficult.

He’s insufferable.

Regardless of your situation you continued to do your job. You’d only stopped when you happened to glance at your cell phone. It wasn’t strange for you to work late. There was a knock on the door and the person that stepped in didn’t even look surprised.

“Figured it was you? Working late again.”

You let out a heavy sigh.

“Yeah, I’m just about to wrap up. Thanks for bringing me back to earth John.” He nods, stepping inside. He pulls out something from his pocket.

“Here, my Elizabeth made this for you. She’s just recently got into bracelet making.” Your eyes lit up at the bead style accessory with your name on each colored bead.

“It’s so cute!”

John smiles.

“My wife wouldn’t stop gushing about the outfit you bought for Elizabeth either. You’re basically a part of the family now. Don’t work too hard kid.” He gave you a little pat on the shoulder, and you smiled in thanks, sliding the little gift into your bag.

That small interaction had already brightened up your night. You cleaned up the space, exiting the building in a few minutes. On your way back, you couldn’t stop the little giggles at the thought of John’s family. He’d spent the first few months of her birth showing everyone pictures of his kid and wife, it was endearing.

You envied it

At this rate you wouldn’t get there because Miguel wouldn’t offer you even a chance to breathe. You tried your best not to dwell on that. Increasing your pace. Whenever you got out this late it always made you weary. You needed to take the train back to your place and all the creeps tended to come out at these hours. You buzzed right by a bar, keeping your head down to avoid drawing any unwanted attention. 

Fate wasn’t too kind because for the last five minutes you were certain you’d felt the same figure following you. Your heart rate increased and you clutched your pace, speeding up. For a moment you turned behind and when the lights flashed on the street, you could see a smirk on his lips. At this point you were full on panicking. This particular street was vacant, so throwing caution to the wind, you began sprinting the best you could in heels. 

Better to look crazy than to be attacked.

You took one turn and you were pushed against the wall. You staggered, hitting it roughly. Just as you moved to pull out your pepper spray you were punched in the gut. Your body hit the floor like a brick, and you gasped when the man jumped on top of you, holding you down.

“Pretty thing like you shouldn’t be out so late.”

The taunting in his voice just spiked your pulse faster and you tried to fight him off, you really did.

“H-HEL-”

His hand pressed against your lips and he ripped your blouse. The tears were coming before you could stop them.

“Be quiet and you just might leave here alive.”

Dread struck you.

This was it. 

He was too strong, you were too tired and weak. You hadn’t even had a full lunch. The stress from your job had been weighing on your mind so much that you hadn’t realized how exhausted you really were. Now you were about to be assaulted in the back of some alleyway.

Your sobs continued and he began moving his hands lower. You weren’t even sure if you were fighting anymore or if you’d just given up.

One second he’s on top of you and the next you hear a grunt. The weight is gone almost instantly, and you briefly process the sound of punches making contact. Each one that hits makes you jolt. You’re still actively crying, now pressed to the wall as you pray for help.

One last hit and something hits the ground. Your entire body is shaking, and when the figure rises from over the man who’s now laying on the ground, you want to scream. You wonder if you’d just escaped one monster to get jumped by another. He steps out from the shadows and the crimson and navy patterns are the first thing you see. It’s a breath of relief that leaves in an instant.

“You’re-”

He barely gets a word out, because you run right into his arms.

Crying.

Bawling.

Miguel looks down at your state. Your clothes are a mess and he can still feel you trembling. You’re holding unto him as if you never want to let go.

“This is my fault.”

If he hadn’t been such a jerk about getting his tasks done you would have been home safely like all the other employees. You were attacked again and it was all his fault. Sliding his arm under your legs, he lifted you up. His free hand slicks a web to grab your bag. The second he has it all secured, he’s gone in the darkness of the night.

After he’d dropped you home, you seemed a lot more settled. He’d given specific instructions about reporting your attacker and he made it his mission to head back there and kick the guy some more just for the hell of it.

At the moment, he’d found himself just watching you. There was still a slight tremble when he looked at you, but you’d thanked him and turned around. You were a mess, he could understand why. So he stayed. You didn’t ask him to, but he caught the look of relief you wore when you stepped out the bathroom and he was still standing by the bed. He watched you get tucked in and had every intention of leaving, but you grabbed his arm.

“Can you..stay just a little longer…”

The vulnerability displayed made him feel like shit. Right about now he would have loved to see you yell at him or fire a crafty insult. Anything other than the pain you were now experiencing.

“I’ll stay as long as you want.”

He owed you so much more than that.

For the very first time, you actually smiled. Not at a coworker or some friend, but at him. You slid into the bed, and he could see your features begin to even out with the sounds of your breath. Some point early that morning he’d finally gotten himself to leave.

That’s why the following morning he’s anxious. He knows that you probably won’t show up. But he’s not certain if he should drop by to check on you or simply just call.

The soft knock makes his head raise.

“Come in.”

Someone does walk in, to his surprise it’s you. You’re holding his calendar that he’d been adamant of you finishing.

“Good morning Mr. O’ Hara.”

He stands almost out of impulse. You look physically alright, but that expression from last night is engraved in his mind. You walk right over so casually. It almost makes him wonder if he imagined the entire ordeal.

“I finished your calendar. It’s been fully updated. I also adjusted it on your computer. You should receive the updates in a few minutes with a link to forward it directly to your phone as well. Your 10 am has been pushed to 11am today because the benefactor is currently stuck in traffic due to an accident on the main highway. He sends his apologies.”

You place the binder on his desk.

“I set all the new applicants for the internship on your desk for you to look over. The interviews went very well, but we only have six positions open. I made notes to help you get a better understanding of the individuals. Is there anything else you need at this moment before I go for a small break? I skipped breakfast this morning. “

He’s not sure what to make of this.

“Are you..is this..”

He can’t really form a proper answer.

You hold his gaze for a few moments, then look down.

“I filed the report this morning at the precinct. They found him tied to a post on ninth avenue. He’ll be charged accordingly thanks to you.” You still refuse to look at him.

“Thank you so much for..saving me..”

It sounds like you’re about to cry again and he grits his teeth.

“It’s my fault you were in the position in the first place. From now on you leave here at 6pm for the latest, do you hear me!”

It’s a very sweet gesture, but he’s yelling. It’s become clear that he’s not truly a heartless asshole, he’s just not good at communicating when he’s worried about someone.

“Yes, I will. Thank you Mr. O’ Hara.” 

He grumbles, running a hand through his hair, taking a seat. Now that the atmosphere is much more mellow, you can’t help but ask.

“So how did you get your powers? Were you bitten by a cat-spider?”

He looks annoyed.

“Are you serious?”

“Well you have spider webs shooting out of your hands and you have claws and fangs. Plus I'm positive your eyes changed color last time.”

You place your hand on the desk, leaning over as you squint at him.

He’s a little unsettled by how intently you're looking at him now. He doesn’t like the way his heart reacts to the attention.

“Get back to work before I change my mind and make you work until the morning.”

“You can’t do that, it’s against company policy.” You fold your arms proudly.

“I own the company.”

Damn, you forgot about that.

Dropping your arms, you brush it off.

“You wouldn’t do that. I can tell that you’re starting to warm up to me. I think this whole tough guy act is just a charade. You’re actually a teddy bear aren’t you.”

“Please leave my office.”

“See, you don’t deny it!”

“GET OUT!!”

“Okay okay I’m going.”

You make a sharp turn, happily walking to the door. When you’re halfway out, you look back at him. He expects another snide remark, but your expression is nothing but warm.

“Thank you again for last night sir.”

It’s just above a whisper. For a moment he’s taken in how nice it feels to be thanked by you. With one last smile, you leave.

Miguel frowns.

“Meirda..”

He never thought he’d ever really trust anyone. Especially with the secret he holds. He’d gotten so good at keeping others at a distance. You finding out was never the plan. But it was surprisingly easier when he didn’t have to lie about his whereabouts to an unsuspecting assistant. Especially when he showed up at random times in the morning, covering it with poorly made excuses of sleeping in or unplanned meetings.

To his surprise you’d even gotten him a small wardrobe in his office to keep an array of business suits. It was after that one time he realized that he couldn’t show up to a meeting dressed as Spiderman.

This particular afternoon he was actually working on a crime syndicate he’d intended to take down. He had the files and pictures he needed to bring them down. Now it was just a matter of linking it all to the politician he was certain behind the whole operation. You walked in, carrying two bags of what looked like chinese food.

“You should have dinner. I’m just about to leave.”

He was relieved you were now sticking to the agreed time. That moment felt so far in the past.

“Thank you, I’ll be done in a second.”

He barely gave another glance after he said that. You dropped the food on his desk, but he noticed you hadn’t moved. Raising a brow, he looks up.

“Is there something else?”

You shook your head.

“Not really, I just think you’d have an easier time getting a date if you spoke to people like this rather than barking orders all the time.”

“WHO SAYS I HAVE A PROBLEM GETTING A DATE!!”

You grin.

“That defensive response just proved it. Besides this is a cooperation. People talk.”

“I should fire you all.”

You just laugh.

“Then who would keep this place afloat. I doubt you’d be able to be out there galavanting and run an entire company all by yourself.” You tease.

“I’d manage somehow.”

He directs his focus back to his work, and you admire him. For so long you’d convinced yourself that he was just a narcissist that enjoyed making others miserable. But the truth of the matter is he was shouldering quite a lot. If word got out of his nightly adventures, he could lose a lot. Regardless of how rich he is, there would be consequences. 

The media would probably run his name through the mud, then when he finally picked up the pieces, his image would be tarnished. In an instant he could potentially lose all of this. Yet he still went out there to protect people. Suddenly his distant personality makes sense.

“Why do you do it?”

You can’t help but ask. His eyes don’t move from the computer.

“You seem to have everything figured out, why don't you tell me?” His sarcastic reply is what you expect.

“I think it’s because of what happened to your brother.”

He stops altogether.

It looks like you were right.

“After that night I found out I did a little research. He was a reporter and a good one. He uncovered that Alchemax was using lower class people to experiment on. He got too close and they killed him for it. A month after the whole thing was brought to light. Families were reunited and reimbursed by an anonymous source. They honored Micheal O’ Hara down at city hall. If not for him, no one would have known. “

His entire body is tense, and when his gaze finally meets you, there’s a strange vulnerability that you’ve never witnessed before.

“He wasn’t supposed to die like that. I kept telling him to let it go. But he never listened. We both know what it’s like to be taken advantage of when you don’t have much. Micheal was always fighting for the underdogs. He didn’t live in a big suite or mansion even though he was making six figures. He donated most of his funds to the orphanage that we grew up in."

You’re a bit shocked to learn of his background.

“Surprised that I wasn’t born into wealth.”

You nod.

“A little, yeah.”

“Micheal and I grew up dirt poor. Parents abandoned us when we were three. We spent those years on the streets until social services caught us and forced us into the system. Almost got separated. We promised that if we ever made it big, then we’d give back.”

This is quite the discovery. You always assumed he was linked to so many nonprofits to help his image, but he was actually making good on the promise. His eyes drifted to a picture on his desk, and you stare at the image of him with another man who bore a striking resemblance to him. Both men were grinning so widely.

“People are scum, but he wasn’t. He was the greatest person in the world. He died doing what was right.”

You could see the pride as he spoke.

“That’s the only thing I care about.”

Who would have thought. You have a newfound respect for him.

“Micheal would be proud of you. I know it.”

You find yourself reaching over and placing a hand over his on the desk. Miguel looks up, shaken by how easily your smile causes his thoughts to jumble.

You give a soft pat, pulling away.

“Well I’m turning in. Have a good night sir.”

Miguel stands abruptly and you slow your steps.

“Everything okay?” You question.

He nods.

“Yes. Just..let me take you home.”

You tilt your head in confusion. You’ve been going home alone for the last month or so. It was a bit scary at the beginning, but you are better now.

“You really don’t have to. I’m fine, I promise. “

“I want to.”

If you didn’t know any better, you would have thought that expression on his face was bashful.

“I didn’t know he could wear such a cute expression..”

You push back the thought.

“I’ll go grab my things.”

You pace out of there, slapping your cheeks for almost giving you away.

“Calm down, he’s just being nice!”

That’s what you were trying to convince yourself.

But for the nights that followed, he kept driving you home. It has gotten to the point that it was routine. He’d wrap up his work and then drive you back. It was weird being this close with him. He was maybe ten years your senior. You always knew that, but it seems like recently you started to take notice of the way he did things that just oozes maturity.

His gait, the way he spoke during conferences or meetings. The sharp suits. You’d been so fixated on the bad qualities at the start that you wrote off him having any good ones. He was so put together. Sure of himself. Whatever he did there was no doubt or uncertainty. Whether it be closing a contract or addressing an unreasonable client.

Although it was a change, it’s nice to see the different sides of him.

Like that one time you caught him singing to himself. You both had been working to close a contract, so it’s not shocking that he’s distracted. His door was slightly ajar, and the soft tune is what drew you inside

Ya hacen día' que no' vemos

Y creo que un tesoro encontré

¿Será verdad? Aún no lo proceso

Es que eres tal como te soñé

You were surprised to find out that he had a pretty nice voice.

Cuando me ve, no le tengo que decir

Si mi sonrisa no sabe mentir

Lo que no sabe es que mi sueño me va a cumplir

Si tú me ves y te empieza' a desvestir

Sneaking into the room, you just enjoyed the melodies. He was sitting in his chair, but his back was turned, grabbing something from the shelf at the side. When he got what he needed, he wheeled back to his desk. It’s then he takes notice, and he fumbles, almost falling out of the chair.

Your grin is stretched wide.

“I didn’t know you could sing sir. Quite a nice voice you got there.”

He straightened in the chair, and you could have sworn you saw a light dust of red on his cheeks. It was honestly adorable.

“Don’t you have anything better to do than sneak up on people.”

He stood, getting busy around the room in an attempt to play off his embarrassment.

“I’m pretty much free for the moment.” You hum, walking over to him.

You’d planned to ask if he needed any assistance, but he turned suddenly and you found yourself looking up at his massive form. The way he stared down always seemed to make you feel small. Not so much inferior, just, tiny.

Like he was the lion and you were the mouse.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re built like a bulldozer?”

“It’s come up.” He groused, stepping to the side, staying on task. You turn, following him to the desk.

He might have had a bit of a short fuse, but you were a little surprised he didn’t have a girlfriend.

Possibly relieved.

Miguel picked up his glasses from the desk, slipping them on as he read over a document. You couldn’t help but drink in the sight of him. There were a few stray locks that lay just over his forehead. He’d discarded his jacket and his shirt appeared to strain against his broad shoulders. Even with his perpetual scowl, you couldn’t deny that he is a very very attractive man.

“Are you interested in dating Mr. O’ Hara?”

It was a personal question, but if you were being honest at this point the both of you had already crossed so many boundaries that fell under normal boss-employee relationships.

What’s one more to that?

You can tell by his gaze that he expects some snark that follows on your part. Yet he’s met with nothing but your curious eyes. You looked generally interested in what he thinks of the topic. He stands from his seat, and once again you feel as though you shrink back when he moves into your space.

“What if I was cariño..”

You don’t really expect the lowered tone. His hand comes down on the desk at the sides of your waist and you exhale shakily. Somehow the spectacles on his face had made him ten times more handsome.

That or you have a serious kink.

“I-”

There’a a knock and you both seem to snap out of the short daze.

Miguel draws back and you’re a little afraid to move. Your legs feel a bit unsteady.

“Yes.”

The person enters and you do your best not to look frazzled. It's another manager presenting reports. Miguel dives right into work, exchanging notes.

You just take it all in.

A sudden realization seems to hit you that you no longer see him as the pissy superior you used to detest.

Rather than deal with your new discovery, you decide to just brush it off. Your dynamic with Miguel is already complicated at the moment. It’s better if you just don’t think about it.

Instead, you distract yourself with episodes of your favorite show.

When you’re settled in the comfort of your home, you finally have a chance to decompress.

Grabbing a bowl of popcorn, you got comfortable in your sheets as you got ready to watch a much needed movie marathon with your favorite district attorney.

“Barba for the win.”

You grin to yourself as the episode starts. Just as you were stuffing your face with the buttery goodness, there’s a harsh collision at your window. You’re startled, but you recognize that tall figure.

Pausing your show, you practically toss your bowl to the side.

“Hey did you forget how to land sir.” You joke.

When you fully opened your window, you took in his bloodied form and your heart dropped.

“Sir..”

You reached for him instinctively, guiding him from your balcony into your room. Sliding the window close, you moved him to lean against your bed. It was tough managing his weight.

His breathing didn’t sound that great. The very prominent slashes to his chest were hard to miss. His suit was a mess of materials. There seems to be blood everywhere.

You’ve never seen him this bad before.

He looks like he’s on the verge of death and you have no idea what to do.

“I-I need to call the ambulance, we have to get you to a hospital!”

You’re about to go search for your phone, but he takes your head, halting you. You lower to the floor slowly.

“No..no hospitals.”

His voice is strained.

“T-Then how am I supposed to help you. I-I don’t know what to do. I’m scared. I-I don’t want you to die!”

You’re on the verge of tears and he does his best to straighten his leaning form. He always lectured himself against resorting to this method. He wasn’t even sure why he came here in the first place. It just felt right at the moment. Like no matter what, everything would be alright if he just made it to you.

“I need..blood..your blood..”

It sounds a bit ridiculous. You’re convinced that he’s somewhat delirious. But he doesn’t look hazy, just in pain.

“M-My blood will help?”

He nods, groaning under his breath.

“It plays the same purpose as vitamins or herbal remedies. I don't usually need to ingest blood to survive. But when I’m injured, it helps me recover faster.”

None of it made sense to you, but if this would heal him, then you didn’t care. Miguel tried to look up when you ran into your kitchen. You’re walking back and he sees the knife. He feels a bit panicked.

“W-Wait what are you-’

You slice it across your palm before he says another word, and the red flashes over his usually honey brown eyes. You're on your back in seconds, the knife sliding out of your hand across the floor. You can only stare. Miguel’s tongue darts out and his fangs become visible.

You half expected him to bite you, you’re fully prepared, but he licks instead and your face heats up at the contact. You should be grossed out by this, but the way his wet appendage runs over your digits almost makes you blush. You close your eyes, and just when he pulls back, you wait.

All that follows is a thud.

You jump, because he’s now passed out on the floor. To your relief, the color has begun to return to his features.

You sigh to yourself, because it dawns on you that you can’t leave him here on the ground.

Oh joy.

It took maybe five minutes for you to get him into your bed. The top half of his suit was already pretty torn, so you ripped the remainder, tossing it on the ground. He’s set comfortably and you get busy, grabbing a washcloth and wiping the blood that’s stained on his skin. You would have to toss out all your sheets in the morning, that was for sure. But you can sleep much easier knowing that he’s alive.

At some point in the night you’ve fallen asleep.

You’re shaken awake when you feel movement on the bed.

“Are you going to sleep all morning?”

Rubbing your eyes, you try to adjust to the surroundings. You finally make out the towering form of Miguel.

He’s wearing that usual scowl.

“I guess I have you to thank for the scrap of my suit.”

For a moment you just stare at him. Last night he looked so weak and frail. Now watching him frown as he addressed you is comforting.

You run right into his arms, and he’s frozen.

“You’re okay…”

Miguel finds himself returning the embrace. He never imagined that he would have gotten so close. The both of you had barely been able to stand each other at the start. It was a miracle you both were able to be in the same room together without tearing the building apart.

“Don’t you ever do that again.”

It’s mumbled into his chest. His eyes soften.

“I’ll be more careful from now on. Thank you for taking care of me.”

Possibly the first sincere thing he has said to you. You move back slowly, and when you look up at him, you can see from his expression he’s confused.

“What?”

You shake your head with a little smile.

“I’m just really happy that you’re okay Mr. O’ Hara.”

He never thought he’d hear those words coming out of your mouth. Everything that usually followed those pretty lips of yours often came in the form of a heated insult.

“Her lips..”

His eyes couldn’t help but stray. You look so innocently happy. Miguel gulps and he almost bites into his lips when he feels the dryness that follows in his throat. His hands lay on your shoulders and he pushes you away, lowering his head.

“W-What’s wrong!”

You immediately assume the worst.

He shakes his head.

“I-I’m still recovering. You should keep your distance for the time being.”

You don’t get it, not at first, but then you remember his words from last night.

“Is it because of my blood?”

The cut is still present on your palm where you’d slide the knife. You’d just wrapped it with some gauze.

“It has nothing to do with your blood. I just need to be careful.”

“Then why won’t you look at me? I let you guzzle down some of my delicious iron, the least you could do is say thank you.”

“This isn’t the time, Caine.”

“Just look at me!”

He meets your gaze, but the power behind that stare isn’t what you expect. Nor is the ruby color of his irises.

“This is what you wanted, are you scared?”

He takes one step and you try to move back. It results in you almost falling right onto the bed. His pointed stare is still on you and this time you frown. You hate when he does this. You’ve been around him long enough to know when he’s trying to distance himself. Create that barrier. It's cowardly.

Turning your body, you shove him. You can see the clear shock as he falls right onto your bed. He means to yell at you, but you climb on top and he grows completely silent. Unable to breathe or talk or think.

“The only thing I’m scared of is losing you. Even if you’re a jerk, I care about what happens to you. Someone has to. You refuse to show anyone who you are or how you really feel. I’m done playing this game. I know you care. You care a lot and I think that you..t-that you might actually care about me the same way I care about you. Y-You could have gone anywhere last night but you came here.”

You pin his wrists to the bed the best you could. Given the clear size difference, he can easily push you off the bed.

“I-I’m not moving until you admit it!!”

You’re aware of how childish it sounds, but you couldn’t have imagined it.

His eyes hold uncertainty that you’ve never truly seen. When his gaze falters, a strange feeling erupts in your stomach. He wasn’t fighting back. Even though this was clearly breaking the rules of conduct.

“I care about you..”

It’s said so softly that you almost miss it.

“You do..”

Now he’s glaring.

“You pinned me down and demanded an answer when you weren’t even sure!!”

“Well I had a hunch but I could have been wrong.”

Miguel turns his head in the opposite direction.

“I can’t believe this. I should have fired you when I had the chance.”

You grin at his little mumble.

“Hah, like if. You’re crazy about me. I’m barely holding you down right now yet you haven’t budged. You’re secretly into this kind of stuff aren’t you sir. You want me to hold you down and have my way with you.”

You smirked and he rose to his feet, taking you with him. He was holding you in his arms and he could see the taunt about to follow, so he dropped you back on the bed.

“Oooof!”

Miguel rolled his eyes.

“I’m heading back.”

You scramble off the bed.

“W-Wait you can’t go out like that!”

“My mask is still intact.”

He was right, it’s just his top that was missing.

“You’re half naked, what kind of hero would you be if you went out like that. N-Not a very good one.”

Truthfully you just didn’t want other women seeing his beefy body.

That’s for your eyes only.

“Just stay here. I’m going to run to the store and get you some clothes.”

Before he could protest, you’re out the door.

From the moment he hired you he knew he was in trouble. 

[yeehanfrf]

Week 17 Recs: Better Get Comfy

This week, the theme was "Better Get Comfy." I asked for fics between 25,000 and 50,000 words (or thereabouts). These are the fics that are just long enough to cuddle up with for a while!

Behind the cut, you'll find the fics gathered from the Yeehan community, organized by rating and then alphabetically by title.

General Audiences

The Sacred Heart of a Lost Sharpshooter by illune [54,037 words] Reccer comment: "when i tell you this fic in particular changed my life and the way i perceive yeehan... i feel like very few people understand both hanzo and cass as characters, but nestor just *gets it*"

Teen and Up

Discontinuity by SaltCore [25,469 words] Reccer comment: "That fic is so beautifully written!"

They tell him his name is Cole Cassidy. They tell him he’s a vigilante and a mercenary and a brave man and a good man. He supposes he’ll have to take their word for it. He can’t remember for himself.

Mature

Civic Duty by Liquid_Lyrium [40,256 words] Reccer comment: "a fun romp"

When Jesse McCree pulls jury duty—twice—for his writing personas, Hanzo will do whatever it takes to save the reputation of one of his favorite romance/erotica authors. Especially if it means that his favorite series on hiatus will return. The fact that he has feelings for McCree has nothing to do with his equations. Jesse and Hanzo will need to sort out fact and fiction between their accumulated identities.

Threads by CommonNonsense [49,230 words]

Despite being 38 years old, Hanzo has never met his soulmate. He's learned to ignore the red string on his left hand for the last ten years, knowing he is destined to remain alone as he atones for his mistakes. It is for the best. Jesse McCree, however, isn't one to take that lying down.

Explicit

A Losing Combination by manic_intent [42,402 words] Reccer comment: "one of my early favorites in this fandom"

“Do you know what you are here for?” Jesse scratched behind his ear, a little thrown. This, right here, was why Jesse fucking hated going undercover. Talk, talk, talk. Usually, Jesse got bored very quickly, and when Jesse got bored, his trigger finger tended to get itchy. Besides, they’d confiscated his goddamned gun. That was a downright depressing thing to do to a man, that was. “I’m here as hired muscle, yeah?” “Yes,” Hanzo said disdainfully. “‘Hired muscle’. What do you know about me?”

Against the Ropes by Ziane [39,147 words] Reccer comment: "hanzo gets a proposition of a lifetime"

When Jesse McCree met Hanzo Shimada, he never expected to fall so hard so fast. Despite the imminent fight that looms over him, he can only think about how would Hanzo feel under the sheets. In a last-minute impulse, McCree surprises the yakuza prince with a shameless proposition that leaves him stunned.

Boy Next Door by rebeccastceir [35,387 words]

“You know of course,” Hanzo said, “that at some point I am going to have to try to kill you, simply to appease my bosses.” “An’ you know at some point you an’ I are gonna be having lots and lots of sex,” Jesse replied. Hanzo nodded. A smile flickered across his lips. “At many points, if you are any good.”

Coyote Lovely by t_pock [WIP; 38,969 words] Reccer comment: "no way this one hasnt been recced a bajillion times but just for good measure (old name for cowboy and explicit)"

After a mission gone wrong, Hanzo and McCree must lie low in New Mexico for a week. Together.

decalcomanie by a8eja [23,574 words]

Hanzo has a knack for deluding himself and a penchant for will-they-won't-they bullshit.

Ichigo by morrezela [27,121 words]

They break up on a Wednesday

It's All Your Fault by Cadeykat [25,100 words]

Hanzo Shimada joins the ranks of Overwatch and finds that he quite likes teasing the resident cowboy. That is, until a single compliment ruins his thought process, and he has to deal with feelings he's not exactly well versed in.

Puppy Love by MarquesGillette [58,047 words]

Genji signs Hanzo up for a wolfmen/human speed date. Hanzo falls head over feet for a wolf well versed in weather trivia. -  Squinting at his brother, Hanzo mumbles, “I do not understand. What is a ‘furry?’”  Genji rubs a forefinger under his nose to hide his face-splitting grin. “Literally you."

Ride for the brand by Ziane [37,411 words] Reccer comment: "yakuza hanzo & bodyguard cass are a delicious combo"

Jesse McCree has been working as a bodyguard for the Shimada-gumi for the past two years. He's making a living and he has met Shimada Hanzo, a spoiled brat, his worst nightmare, and his most shameful wet dream.

The Ink Dark Moon by Miko [24,975 words]

Wolf youkai Hanzo has sought only solitude since the disastrous battle with his brother Genji, that resulted in the nekomata's death. Roaming the world, he finds himself settling in a remote area of what humans call the Wild West. It has everything he could ask for; a forest with abundant food, a local wolf pack who are willing to accept him as a friend and ally, and most of all, peace and quiet. Until a gravely injured coyote shifter stumbles almost into his lap, chased by a pack of vicious wolfman creatures. The last thing Jesse McCree ever expected was to find somewhere he wanted to call 'home' again. He's lost too many people that he cared about over the years, and he'd thought he was permanently gunshy. Hanzo is standoffish and arrogant, but Jesse can see there's so much more beneath the wolf's harsh surface. The more he learns of who Hanzo really is, the harder Jesse starts to fall. Problem is, Jesse may well be infected by the werewolf virus in the wake of the attack. And if that isn't enough to tear them apart, the truth of Hanzo's past might be, when Jesse finally discovers how the man is connected to his former packmate Genji. Is love enough to hold them together?

This World Can't Tear Us Apart by ChillieBean [27,894 words]

It was supposed to be a quick and easy surveillance mission. It was supposed to be just another mission. When a series of unexpected events bring Hanzo and Cole closer together, their hidden feelings for each other bubble to the surface.

to say that we're in love is dangerous by kettuluv [31,228 words]

Hanzo Shimada knelt for no man. He would never, ever waver in the presence of someone he deemed lower than him. Never would he bow, never would he get to his knees, never would he show any sign of weakness towards anyone. And yet… Here he sat, knelt in front of that ridiculous man who never stopped talking, who didn't know boundaries, who would've done anything to make someone smile, or laugh. The man who just cared so much. The man whose touch was soft but firm, eyes dark but warm, voice rough yet so full of love. Here he sat with his body trembling, his breath sharp and shaky, face flushed hot, in front of Jesse McCree, the only man he's ever knelt for. *** Letting himself fall for Jesse like this was dangerous for both of them, in more ways than one.

Unabashed by sciencefictioness [36,778 words] Reccer comment: "read it if you love scion - fuck it - read it if you love yeehan"

“Not that I ain’t happy about where this is going, but I’m a fuckin’ mess. You don’t want me wash up first? And I still ain’t got your name, beautiful.” Hanzo pulls the tie from his hair, letting it fall loose around his face and spill over his shoulders. Jesse slides a hand up his side and tangles his fingers in it, like he can’t quite help himself. Behind enemy lines, playing a perilous game, and still Jesse is losing himself, his world realigning with Hanzo at its center. Hanzo preens under the attention, powerful like he only ever is with someone underneath him. Begging, or bleeding, or calling his name.

Willing to Lie by Ilyen [WIP; 69,622 words] Reccer comment: "unfinished, but you know it's good when someone recs that regardless"

"It's Thanksgiving. Want to skip that long, insulting conversation about how you're still single? About how your parents really want more grandchildren? Well, look no further! I am a 28 year old felon with no high school degree and a dirty old van one year younger than me painted like Eddie Van Halen's guitar. I can play between the ages of 20 and 29 depending on if I shave. I'm a line cook and work late nights at a bar. If you'd like to have me as your strictly platonic date for Thanksgiving, but have me pretend to be in a very long or serious relationship with you, to torment your family, I'm game." -Jesse McCree probably A story 110% based on this craigslist ad - http://cdn.foodbeast.com/content/uploads/2014/11/craig.jpg

---

And that's it for Week 17! Thank you so much to everyone who submitted a rec.

If you find a fic you like, please be sure to let the author know you enjoyed it through comments or kudos!

Tune in for the Week 18 theme, "By the Numbers," for all those 5+1, 3+1, etc., fics.

In the meantime, you can also check out the Week 16 recs here, or check the full list of past and future themes here.

[isfjmel-phleg]

If you've read Young Justice 1998, you'll be familiar with Bonnie King-Jones, mother of Cissie, former Miss Arrowette and current stage mother. Her character was created in the 1960s and made a few guest appearances in Green Arrow stories, and I stumbled across these while looking for something else.

Those 1960s comics really contextualize where Bonnie is coming from during her appearances as an older adult in the 1990s.

Bonnie King is introduced after having won an archery contest that grants her the title "Miss Arrowette." Encouraged by this success, she determines to use her skills to help Green Arrow and Speedy.

(World's Finest Comics #113)

Like Green Arrow, she uses trick arrows, but they're all themed with beauty products or other stereotypically feminine objects. In universe, this is likely because those items were what Bonnie had on hand; presumably she makes all these arrows herself. From a Doylist perspective, however, this seems a lot like a male writer trying extra hard to make this character A Girl rather than a hero using situationally appropriate tools.

Bonnie's trick arrows do get put to some clever uses! But note that the guys get to use things like "boxing glove arrows."

And Oliver's immediate response to her is to hope that she will stop what she's doing, because girls shouldn't be vigilantes. Actual children, as long as they're male, sure, why not. But "this isn't a game for girls!"

And the narrative reinforces this by having Bonnie's efforts result in Oliver and Roy getting kidnapped. See! Girls are incompetent in this area. But the guilt doesn't stop Bonnie.

Her aggressively girly arrows continue to prove quite useful, and even Oliver wants to borrow some of them once she catches up to him. He gets to use them, because she is finally behaving like a proper girl and is now too scared to get involved anymore. Leave that to the men.

And she duly swears off crime-fighting at the end--it's "not for girls like me!" The moral of the story seems to be: girls, don't meddle in men's business because you're too incompetent to keep up, and any innovative ideas you might have need to be turned over to men who can utilize them properly.

Bonnie, though, can't be kept down. She still practices her archery, and she's ready to jump in and help at the first opportunity.

(World's Finest Comics #118)

She's still using her trick arrows, which are still confined to the beauty products theme. Green Arrow uses firecracker arrows; Miss Arrowette has...bubble-bath arrows?

This isn't really Green Arrow and Speedy whom she comes to assist; they're crooks who are impersonating them in order to steal from a charity event. Bonnie doesn't know that, but she picks up on something being off, assumes they're ill and hiding it, and determines to look out for them. But of course the narrative can't let her be seen as competent, and she throws off Oliver's already-in-place plan to foil the criminals.

Nevertheless, she stands up to the criminals and finally detects that they're imposters (by, of course, means that are connected to stereotypical expectations of a woman).

Even though her contributions help save the day, in the end she has to apologize to Oliver for messing up his plans and gets reminded that crime fighting is Not For Her.

And once again, she does not take that advice to heart. The next time she appears, she picks up on something that Oliver has missed, which sends him on the trail of a new case. Even so, he remains condescending and tells her to "keep your pretty powdered nose out of this!"

(World's Finest Comics #134)

Has this man learned nothing? Bonnie's trick arrows once again prove useful and ingenious, and her involvement helps save the day.

And finally, at the end, even though Oliver chides her for not obeying orders (like he's her boss or her dad or something), he acknowledges that her contribution was valuable.

And then she never shows up in another Green Arrow story again!

The account of Bonnie's past that her daughter Cissie tells in Secret Origins 80-Page Giant #1 is a bit different. In this version, Bonnie is the daughter of a mother who pressured her into training for the Olympics and was disgusted with her for only getting a bronze medal. Bonnie temporarily gives up archery but resumes it to help Green Arrow and Speedy. "She wanted to be treated like a hero," says Cissie, "but after the childhood she had, she couldn't bring herself to train like one." Her incompetence nearly gets her hurt, and Green Arrow has to rescue her. Her archery career comes to an end shortly after.

But this is Cissie's version of what happened, and she's not too fond of her mother when she's telling it. I think there's room in this narrative for the 1960s version of Bonnie's career to fit in too.

All this to say, no wonder Bonnie ages into an aggressive, ambitious woman determined to see her daughter succeed. No wonder she pushes for fair treatment of Cissie in any potential merchandising for YJ when the group forms. She has had to put up with sexism in her career from the beginning, gotten told over and over that she couldn't and shouldn't use her gifts, and then finally lost her chance to succeed on her own account. She's got something to prove to the world, and she, unfortunately but understandably, transfers these goals and dreams to her very talented daughter who can carry them out. Bonnie has been hurt by life, and her coping mechanism is to lash back through the only means she has. Regrettably, she inadvertently ends up hurting Cissie too.

[bippot]

Summary: When the new government issued 11th Street Kid arrives, the team soon finds out why Waller picked her. They don't really know how Adrian pissed off their boss so much, but he sure isn't happy with their new colleague.

Additional Tags: Manipulation, Past Relationship(s), Co-workers, Angst, Secrets, Canon-Typical Violence, Broken Engagement, Double Agents, Emotional Hurt, Betrayal, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, Family Drama

Music Recommendation: I Knew You When by Marianas Trench

Peacemaker, Adrian Chase Masterlist - here

└─────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────┘

Amanda Waller had added another member to the 11th Street Kids. Why? They had no idea. Their little strike force was going well. Under Harcourt's leadership, they were effective and getting more discreet by the day.

Obviously, there were slip-ups because of the two idiot crime fighters that were part of the gang. Like the time that Vigilante taped himself to a bunch of government drones when Economos wasn't looking because he believed that they were strong enough to hold his weight. They weren't. The target heard a high-pitched yelp and fled before the team had even tried taking a shot.

Yet, despite how well they were doing, Waller still wanted to add a member "in case of emergency". Well, that's what the paperwork had said. It was safe to say that everyone was suspicious of the newbie. They'd tried to dismiss the addition to the higher-ups, but no.

As always, Amanda Waller gets her way.

Okay, so they were definitely getting a new member. They could pick them, at least, right? Wrong. Waller was very adamant and careful when selecting her pick. Her choice was perfect. A dab hand at weapons and tactical fighting. Came from a long line of ex-military so she surely was somewhat patriotic. And maybe her best asset, she was an expert when it came to seduction.

The Siren was Waller's one and only contestant. She couldn't go wrong. Not with the Siren on her side.

Now, with a codename such as the one Y/N had, the team half expected a leather-clad dominatrix to strut through the door, whip already in hand. But, they got something far different. The 'Siren' in question was a thirty-ish nerdy-looking girl in sneakers, rounded spectacles and a Lord of The Rings t-shirt. No makeup. Nothing. Just plain clothes. She seemed uncomfortable with the whole arrangement, but if Amanda Waller was satisfied, she'd keep quiet.

Awkwardly, Y/N gave a wave and greeted with a simple, "Hi." She felt weird just standing there like some kind of alien that they were staring down as if they were trying to figure out how they were going to dissect her or some shit.

"You're the Siren?" Adebayo asked, trying to gauge whether this was an innocent pedestrian that walked into the wrong building, a disguise this agent wore, or if that's just what she usually looked like. Maybe it was just a costume or something. Who knew? Certainly not Adebayo.

"I am. I did ask them to stop calling me that, but nope. It was revoked." She shrugged and walked closer to where the group were gathered. "You can call me Y/N instead."

She held out a hand towards Harcourt, who took it cautiously. Emilia's eyes scanned Y/N for any kind of hint. Nothing. Y/N looked fine. A little bumbling perhaps, but nothing threatening, no indication of her inner evil mastermind hiding in the closet.

Yet. There was still time.

"Why did they pick you?" Harcourt asked, trying and failing to keep the scepticism out of her voice.

"I have one idea why."

Like usual, Peacemaker and Vigilante were late. They were loudly arguing as they burst through the doors. Chris was spouting some bullshit about his recent sexual escapade and Adrian found it hard to believe that a human body could bend in such a manner. Their voices came to a halt when they saw who was before them.

Y/N swivelled to look at the pair and made eye contact with Adrian for two milliseconds. That was enough time for him to recognise her.

"Nope."

Vigilante immediately turned on his heel and walked back outside.

Waller is an expert at revenge. She doesn't do anything halfway. And she certainly doesn't play fair.

"That's why."

Peacemaker didn't follow his buddy out. He simply stared at her with wide, shocked eyes and said "Hey, Angel," greeting his old friend with the hero name he knew her by. Chris almost couldn't believe his eyes. It had been years, four, maybe five, and she looked exactly the same. Fuck, the outfit she was wearing was similar to what she used to wear.

"Long time no see, Chris."

Years before, Evergreen had three heroes patrolling. Peacemaker. Vigilante. Angel. Back in the good old days when all three stuck to a rigid no-killing rule. The trio worked together often and were rather effective. Except that time when Peacemaker loudly whispered a very crude remark to Angel in front of Vigilante and, to this day Adrian is still in disbelief that he did it, Vigilante punched the helmet off Peacemaker's giant head with an angry yell of, "That's my fucking fiance, asshole."

And now Adrian didn't even want to be in the same room as her. Times change.

Economos couldn't stand the awkward silence that was suddenly filling the room and piped up with "You know Peacemaker?" He jolted his face in the direction of Harcourt and repeated, "She knows Peacemaker. Suspicious."

Y/N could've sworn that her time as Angel was in her file, and they must've got sent it before her arrival. Who knows, maybe they were sent a reduced version that omitted these details. Had her file even been sent?

"I swear you should've been informed of this, but yes, unfortunately I do know Peacemaker...," Y/N replied coolly, not looking away from Emilia as she spoke. She was being polite after all. She needed to be to get these people to eventually trust her. As much as she could help it. They wouldn't understand until she explained everything. "And Vigilante."

Or the way Chris explained it for her. He scoffed and exclaimed, "You did much more than know Vigilante, Mrs Chase."

Mrs Chase. Fuck. Y/N wished she was Mrs Chase, but she completely fucked up and that no longer was an option. Once upon a time, it was a possibility. It was almost a certainty at one point. Now they were nothing. Less than nothing.

The dorky facade dropped for a moment as Y/N glared at Chris. Then she warned calmly, but coldly, "Don't call me that."

It might have come out meaner than intended, but she couldn't control it. This guy was insufferable and annoying, always had been. His actions were petty and unprofessional, too. Always asking inappropriate questions. Making fun of her for having boobs then blatantly staring at them. Being so loud and alerting the police, which meant that they had to hurry to whichever one of their cars was the nearest. Seemingly, he hadn't changed. Still as bad, still as arrogant and full of himself as ever.

"Why? That's what it was going to be, huh? If you didn't run away."

"I didn't run away, jackass. I was in prison."

Oh. Chris didn't know that. He was sure Adrian didn't know that either. When Adrian got drunk and told Chris about it - which was the only way he ever spoke about Y/N - he'd always claimed that he had no idea why she left. The story that Chris had heard that one day Adrian returned home from his shift at Fennel Fields and Y/N was nowhere to be found. He called out, humour in his voice, "Oh honey, I'm home," and heard nothing back. Crickets. Metaphorical crickets.

And, after thoroughly searching their apartment, he came upon a note on the kitchen counter with her engagement ring placed on top. It simply said, 'I'm sorry'. She didn't show up for work, didn't answer her phone, and had completely vanished. That was it. No goodbye. No explanation. Just poof, gone. The message was clear: she wasn't going to return any time soon.

Fuck did it hurt. It hurt to the point where all he could do was stare at the ring in his palm. And, he didn't move for a really long time. Hours. It was as if his brain had shut off. He didn't know how to process this information. He didn't know how to react. And, then he snapped out of it and quickly changed into his suit, making it out of the door in no time. That night he got his highest kill count ever, which was weird because he'd never purposely killed anyone before.

Now there was no turning back.

Adrian would never admit to Chris that he cried over her so many times. Not even when he was drunk did he say how truly fucked up it had left him. In truth, Adrian had spent days, even months, maybe he still did sometimes, crying over Y/N. The pain of having lost someone close to him hit like a ton of bricks and Adrian didn't think he'd ever get better without Y/N there to comfort him. He missed her. Every single day.

In his mind the message was clear: she'd left him. She'd left him with just Gut, and he didn't want that. Gut was, well, he was Gut. He was his older, cooler, more well liked brother who constantly picked on him despite the fact that they were adults now. But hey, that's siblings for you.

What Adrian could've never predicted was that he got a phone call in the morning. He woke up groggy and sore and not prepared for the police.

Gut was dead.

Y/N. Gut. His parents. Was there anyone else that was going to be taken from him? That answer was easy. No... because he didn't have anyone else. Well, except Peacemaker, and Chris wasn't aware of his secret identity yet. He couldn't go to him. Then Peacemaker went to prison, leaving Vigilante totally and entirely alone.

One day, he decided that it was easier to ignore that they ever happened at all. Who was Y/N? He'd never met a Y/N before. You can't miss someone you don't know.

ARGUS stared at the new arrival. Adrian, at one point, was engaged? That was crazy to them. How? How does that work? The mere thought of him in a relationship was insane, but marriage? That was something none of them could comprehend. The Adrian they knew? Him? He could even love someone? He was capable of that? It just didn't make sense. But then again, neither did anything else about him.

"Belle Reve?"

"For a while."

"Why didn't I see you in there then?"

"I made a deal with Waller to get out and I'm still paying for it," she explained and gestured around her, implying that joining the team was part of the agreement.

Waller deals were tricky. The 11th Street Kids knew that. Chris knew that too. Technically, the only person who wasn't fully aware of how brutal Waller deals were was Vigilante. Being a freelancer of sorts meant that he wasn't actually an official member of ARGUS on the books and, by that admission, he wasn't directly under Waller's thumb like the rest of them. He was granted immunity from the police for his 'heroic deeds protecting the human race against the Butterflies', but didn't have to become an actual agent.

"Wait, wait, you and Vigilante were a thing?" Harcourt asked as she was still hung up on that. Why would Waller single out Vigilante in whatever plan she had? It was clear that was why Y/N was picked. She was picked to fuck with him. Was it punishment for that mission he messed up?

Seems a little drastic, but that is the Waller way.

"We were a thing, yes," Y/N answered, crossing her arms across her chest and leaning back against the table behind her nonchalantly.

"How long?"

"Five years."

Harcourt blinked at her for a few seconds. She opened her mouth and closed it again several times like she wanted to say something but couldn't seem to find the right words to respond with. Finally, she settled for shaking her head with a sigh and muttering under her breath, "I don't get it."

Five years was a hefty amount of time. Y/N had known Adrian for longer but they hadn't gotten together until they were eighteen. He'd always made it apparent that he worshipped the ground she walked on, but she took so long to finally pick up on it. They were pals, best buds for most of their high school years and beyond. After all that time, she still cared deeply for him. How could she not?

"Aren't any of you going to check if he's okay?"

"You made this mess, you see if he's okay."

"Fuck you, Chris."

Nobody had made any attempt to check up on him. It was obvious he was uncomfortable. He was uncomfortable because of her, so Y/N checking up on him was probably the last thing he wanted or needed, but nobody else was doing it. None of them had even moved.

Did they not care for him?

That thought is what gave her the impetus to push herself off of the table she was leaning against and stalk towards the door. Her footsteps echoed throughout the building as everyone's eyes followed her as she exited.

Sat on the ground outside the door with his hands covering his face, Adrian looked up when he heard steps approaching, peeking out from between his fingers. She greeted, "Hi, Ade," as she glanced down at him.

He looked up at her and his handsome face was full of pain. She felt her chest tighten as his bottom lip trembled slightly and his eyes watered a little, but he managed to keep his gaze painfully trained on hers. She didn't know what to say.

"Hi, Ade," he repeated in disbelief, breaking his focus and staring at his lap. "All these years and 'Hi, Ade'?"

"I'm sorry."

Without moving, he mumbled, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," Y/N replied calmly as she knelt between his knees. He let his hands drop from his face, allowing his expression to show the turmoil within his mind. It felt like someone stabbed straight through him every time he breathed the air she was breathing and the way her lips curved into a tiny, sad smile broke his heart further.

He couldn't handle this. He really couldn't handle this. And the worst part was that he actually didn't have a clue about what to do now. The fact he was trapped here with her was just one more sign of his helplessness. Of course, he couldn't escape. God no. The 11th Street Kids were all he had.

With the 11th Street Kids he wasn't alone.

His glare was intense enough to burn a hole through her skull, his eyes were filled with pure anger and betrayal, and it cut through Y/N like an arrow. She deserved that, and more. A moment passed in silence. It felt like it went on for hours, maybe days. But it was around twenty seconds and Y/N didn't move an inch. She couldn't. Eventually, she dropped her head to focus on the ground, staring at the cracks in the concrete with a pained look in her eyes.

A long, low sigh left his lips, and he looked back up at her. It had been so long since she'd seen him last. He mostly looked the same, maybe a little buffer, and more mature, but it was still her Adrian. They were the green eyes she remembered. Those were the eyes that haunted her dreams.

"I really am sorry."

It came out weak and quiet as if her voice didn't even belong to her anymore. It was soft and fragile and broken in more ways than one. But Adrian knew she meant what she said. Hell, she meant it more than she had meant anything in a long time. Her sincerity tore him apart inside, but he wouldn't forgive her. He had no idea whether he could.

"You're sorry? That's all you have to say?" He scoffed in response as he raised an eyebrow, glaring at her once again. "Sorry won't change things, Y/N."

Even her name hurt to say.

She sighed and bit the inside of her cheek as she lifted her gaze to meet Adrian's, forcing herself to remain calm. He was going to hate her even more. There was no use in fighting it. It was an inevitability.

"No, it won't." With an ashamed smile, she complimented, "I like your new glasses," as an attempt to ease some of the tension.

"They're not new. I've had them for years."

Fail. It didn't work.

Correcting herself, she retorted, "Well, I like your old glasses then," watching and just waiting, expecting him to make some comment or reaction as he always used to at her compliments, but no, he stayed silent.

Her expression hardened as she stood up, brushing some dust off her pants as she did so. She held out her hand to help him up and he refused to take her offer. She deserved his wrath. As much as he despised her, he still loved her too, more than anything else. And deep down inside, he didn't want her to leave. He couldn't bear it. Not again. So he got to his feet as well.

As soon as he was up, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer, whispering, "Camera above us to the right." He went to find the camera, but she quickly added, "Don't look."

Obliging, he could help his curiosity and didn't shake her off, actually surprising himself when he felt how he instinctively placed his hand on the small of her back. It was a gesture that felt a little like time travelling. She was here. She was in front of him and within touching distance. He'd forgotten what that was like.

Instead, he allowed her to get closer to his ear to divulge, "Waller wants me to drive a wedge between you and Chris so your little squad will become less effective, and she'll have a real cause to shut you guys down. I don't want to do it, but I will if I have to." She stepped away as soon as she was done talking and went back inside, not even bothering to wait for him to follow after her.

Adrian was taken aback by her words but followed her inside despite the strange sense of dread settling into his stomach. This had all happened far too fast for him to process. Everything about this situation was wrong.

Yet, there was one thing he clung to - even though he knew he shouldn't - and that was the fact that Y/N had returned to him. He wasn't a religious man by any means, but he had prayed for this moment so many times.

Everyone noticed how quiet Adrian had gotten over the past few weeks while working with Y/N. Nobody mentioned anything about it. It was very unsettling to see him so un-Adrian-like. He couldn't hide the emotions in his eyes, and the way he would frown whenever he was in the same room as Y/N. He had been acting like an asshole, and everybody knew it, yet they tended to ignore it in favour of pretending nothing was wrong.

He was distant. He didn't talk that much. He kept to himself more, which was incredibly concerning for Y/N. Everyone else rather liked it. Though, they did find it unsettling at times. It was as if he had been completely zapped of personality and was replaced by a grumpy, silent killing machine.

Black Noir would've been proud.

"You have to stop glaring at Y/N," Adebeyo whispered harshly in his ear one day. She was sitting next to him, watching as he fiddled with the pen he used to write and draw crude things in the margins of his notebook. The sound of the pen scratching away against paper was the only thing filling the space between them, but he stopped anyway, glancing over to meet Adebeyo's gaze.

"...Why?"

"Because it's fucking creepy!"

Y/N chuckled from her seat across the room before clearing her throat, trying to pretend she hadn't heard their interaction. His gaze snapped back towards her instantly, and he swallowed hard before turning his attention back to his notebook.

Moments like that surprised Y/N. Despite how hard he tried, he was always aware of what she was doing, even if he did scowl at her every time she passed him. There was no doubt that Adrian cared about her a lot. She knew this. And he showed it. Not often. He would try and conceal it whenever he could, but some instances slipped through the cracks.

They were always brief. The slightest glance in her direction that seemed almost longing, or at least like he didn't want to brutally torture her for days on end with a rusty spoon. She'd caught him humming her old favourite song once and smiled to herself. John fell off his chair and Adrian could help but snigger and playfully elbow her to point it out. The real Adrian was in there somewhere. He revealed himself with the little things.

Like the time that Chris and Adrian were sent to pick up takeout for the squad and when they returned, Adrian slammed down Y/N's old favourite in front of her. The order was perfect. It was exactly what she always used to have. She didn't recognise it at first. It had been so long that she'd been to the restaurant, not only because she no longer lived in Evergreen, but it was their regular. Going without him would have been borderline blasphemous at one point.

"You remembered?" she asked in surprise, looking up at him. His jaw clenched as his eyes narrowed. He nodded slowly, averting his gaze to stare at his feet instead. The tension in the air was unbearable, to say the least, and Y/N had a feeling it wouldn't dissipate anytime soon.

In an attempt to ease it, Y/N kicked the chair next to her to imply he should sit down so they could eat dinner together. It seemed to work as Adrian reluctantly obliged, dropping down onto the seat next to her while she began eating. It was silent for a good five minutes before he spoke up, his voice barely audible.

"Want my salad?"

Maybe times don't change that much.

"Sure," Y/N replied easily. He pushed it onto her plate without another word. It was her turn to offer, "Want my soda?" and handed it over when he nodded without a second thought.

They both ate in silence for a few minutes, neither knowing exactly what to say to break the suffocating atmosphere that had settled itself between them. Things never used to be like that. Meal times always used to be filled with laughter. Making dumb comments over whatever TV show they were half paying attention. The odd occasion when they playfully threw food at each other. How Y/N would giggle after he would insist on feeding her something. Or sometimes, when Adrian couldn't wait when he got home and she ended up burning the dinner as they were too busy fucking.

It was fun. Comforting. It felt easy, as easy as breathing. Yeah, it always seemed as if they were one bad Brussel sprout away from choking these days.

One of Y/N's favourite memories actually happened during one of their dinners. It wasn't anything fancy or sophisticated, but it was imperfectly perfect. Adrian had insisted that he wanted to cook, which was an awful idea because he was just plain shit at cooking. She had no idea why she agreed. Maybe it was the look of pure love and contentment in his eyes as he begged. Who could say no? What was the worst that could go wrong?

He burnt everything he tried to make. The casserole. The pie that Gut had given him the recipe for. Somehow even the tea towel had managed to catch on fire. It had all gone tits up and he was panicking, not knowing what to do, not wanting to fuck it up and burn their apartment down.

"Something smells...." she began as she got home from work. She was going to say good but stopped herself before she lied. The smell of burnt butter and flour and who knows what else assaulted her nose. But, it didn't matter. The sentiment was there. He tried. He tried as hard as he could and that was enough.

"Hey, mush," she cooed when she reached him and hugged him from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder to plant a kiss on his cheek. He turned his face to the side with a slight smile appearing on his lips before placing a kiss on her forehead in return.

"I don't think the oven works properly."

"What even was that supposed to be?" she asked quietly, her lips turning upwards on, her eyes squinting as she looked over his shoulder at the pot of burnt sludge.

"Chicken casserole with dumplings."

Unable to contain it, she let out a cackle and tried to hide it by resting her forehead against the soft fabric of his back, lightly gripping onto his waist as she tittered. He was so tense, which was usual when things didn't go as he'd planned. His posture was stiff. He wouldn't relax. She could feel it.

Trying to ease him, she comfortingly brushed her hands up and down his biceps as she spoke, "Thank you for trying."

"You're not mad?"

She turned him around to face her so he'd be able to see her grin as she joked, "Oh, I'm absolutely fuming," and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, planting a chaste kiss on his cheek then making sure to clarify, "I'm kidding, mush," so he was one hundred percent sure.

Still, he seemed like it was still bothering him, so she tugged on his hair to expose his neck and started placing tender sloppy kisses down it since that had a tendency to calm him. His stress started to melt away, which made her chuckle and tighten her arms around his torso to pull him closer and say, "Thank you for giving it a go, baby. I know you put a lot of effort into it. I'm sorry it didn't work out."

"Yeah, I really fucked it up."

He buried his head in the crook of her neck and breathed in, taking solace in the familiar scent of her skin as she ran her fingers through his hair. After what felt like hours, he pulled away and smiled, reaching up to cup her cheeks tenderly in his hands as he brushed the pad of his thumb along her cheekbones, moving his hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I've ruined date night."

"That's impossible." She gave him a reassuring smile and leaned forward to peck his lips once. Then twice. Then three times. "If anything, you made it more interesting."

Sheepishly, he grinned before leaning forwards to give her a kiss, lingering against her lips for a bit longer than she expected. She pulled away first, but kept her hands in his hair as she looked up at him fondly, gazing into his eyes.

"What takeout are you in the mood for?"

Weirdly, Adrian took a while to respond. It looked as if he was trying to figure out an equation in his head, but she decided not to pry too much and let him work it out. After a few minutes, however, he finally said, "Pizza. I'll do it. You place that perfect ass of yours on the couch and I'll order and go and get it and everything."

"Aye aye Captain," Y/N said mockingly, raising her brows in amusement before giving him another kiss on the lips. "Try not to set fire to the phone too."

"You little asshole." He placed an arm under her knee and swooped her up, carrying her bridal style to the living room before setting her down on the couch with a smirk on his face. Once she was seated, he ordered "Now stay."

"I'm not a dog, Ade."

"Nope. But you are my bitch."

"How charming."

When they ordered food to replace his burnt attempt, he was very covert about it. They had been together long enough that he knew what she'd wanted and went into their bedroom as he spoke on the phone with the pizza place, closing the door behind him for extra secrecy. Then after a quick forehead kiss, he was out the door and prepared to pick up the delivery. She wasn't allowed to come with him, which was weird but she went with it.

Twenty minutes or so later, he was back with a "Honey, I'm home," as he walked back into the living room holding a large box of pizza in one hand, and a bottle of champagne in the other.

"Woah. What we celebrating, baby?"

"Nothing yet."

Quickly, he placed both items on the table and gestured for her to open the pizza lid, still standing and keeping one hand in his back pocket. So, Y/N curiously opened the box, flipping the lid over and not noticing that there was something written there, but immediately seeing how the pizza was in the shape of a heart.

"Aw, cute. Is that why you were all secretive on the phone?"

Adrian didn't answer but kept nodding his head in the direction of the lid of the pizza box, watching her with a nervous glint in his eyes as she lifted the cardboard and read aloud.

"Will you murry me?"

Shit, he reached into his other pocket and quickly added the top of the a that he'd accidentally missed off. He was so excited that he must've not even registered that he'd spelt it wrong.

"I was going to squish the ring into the stuffed crust but that would get it all cheesy," he declared as he got down on one knee with the ring box in hand and managed to bump his hip on the coffee table with a quiet, "Ow. Shit."

Y/N didn't verbally respond at first. She ignored the food and leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she tackled him to the ground with a giggle. Her body pinned his down as she kissed every inch of his face and he joined in on the laughter with her, his own grin growing even bigger after every second that passed.

"At least let me give you the ring, angel."

With one quick peck on the lips, she sat up, which allowed him to rest on his elbows and take the ring from the box, slowly inching it towards her ring finger.

"Other hand, mush."

"Oh shit."

He slipped it on her finger and held her left hand up in front of her, showing off her engagement ring to her. It was a simple band of silver metal with a small diamond in the middle surrounded by a tiny floral print. She let out a soft gasp as she inspected it and brought her right hand up to trace over the delicate design.

"Wow," she breathed, looking back up at him with a loving smile. Y/N moved forward to press her lips against his, one hand on his cheek and the other pressed to the floor beneath him.

"Just checking, that was a yes, right?" he mumbled against her lips and then he felt them curl upwards again as his own formed a grin in response. She leaned back for a moment to take in the view of his happy expression below her, his green eyes sparkling with joy. He was adorable. Absolutely fucking adorable.

"Of course it is, my darling fiance." She nodded her head enthusiastically, grabbing his face and kissing him again until they both were giggling uncontrollably. "We can always reheat pizza, right?"

"Fuck yes," he breathed, sliding his hand up her shorts to rest on her bare ass, squeezing to make her gasp softly and rock her hips against his crotch suggestively. He groaned low in his throat, letting his hands drop as he stared lustfully at her.

That had been the happiest day of her life. The smile that appeared because of that memory faded as she took in his current sullen attitude and distant manner. She'd done this. She was the reason he was no longer happy. And all because she had gotten too reckless one time while out on patrol and...and...

Why the actually fuck did she agree to this? Well, Waller had made it very clear what would happen if she refused and that was something that Y/N would give up everything for that to not happen. So, she was planning to give up everything from her old life and focus on her new one.

Taking a moment to compose herself, Y/N glanced over at Adrian and caught his eye, mouthing, "Thank you," when it was clear he was staring at her. He simply nodded and averted his gaze, but she did catch the moment he looked down and briefly smiled to himself. It was progress.

└─────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────┘

More progress was made over the next few weeks. Admittedly, some of it was orchestrated, like when Y/N's car 'happened' to break down so she needed a few rides until it was 'fixed'. Adrian jumped at the chance, but pretended like it was an inconvenience with a huffed out, "Fuck, I guess I can."

They managed to make idle, surface level chatter. Shit about the weather, or if they slept well, or if his shift at Fennel Fields went okay, and things like that. Their relationship had reverted back to being acquaintances, which was hard to deal with. Y/N could tell that he was still sulking, but that was to be expected. That was totally valid of him. She completely understood.

All that changed on a recon mission when they were sent to scout the location of a suspected hive of butterflies that were attempting to body swap with a buffalo at the zoo. Harcourt suspected that they intended to experiment with the milking process of the animal, substituting this new animal for their sacred cow. Whether it was possible for the buffalo to generate the appropriate food for the hive was yet to be found out.

"Ads and Peacemaker to the left, Vigilante and Siren to the right," Harcourt ordered, handing Leota an earpiece.

"Can I go with Peacemaker instead?"

"No, Adrian. You can't."

"Fuck you, Harcourt."

Y/N couldn't contain her laugh at his remark as she turned away, feigning indifference to the conversation between him and Emilia. Vigilante caught up to the Siren and she could tell he was pouting beneath the mask. He even grumbled, "What are you laughing at?"

She merely shook her head with a slight smirk as she skimmed their surroundings for oncoming threats. There weren't any. They had arrived without being spotted so far.

And since she hadn't answered him, the man beside her tried to send her an irritated look with the most adorable pout - completely forgetting that his face was obscured - and crossing his arms. He always did get more childish if things weren't going his way.

"I bet she did that to piss me off."

"Maybe she did," Y/N started as they turned a corner, coming closer to where the nest of the butterflies should be. "Or maybe it's because Peacemaker always insists on protecting Adebayo whenever he can. You boys are the better marksmen of all of us but you need someone to keep you on track. Leota for Chris. Y/N for Adrian. Keeping you focused so you don't kill yourself is most likely her main priority." She paused to joke, "Pissing you off could be number two, though."

Adrian rolled his eyes, turning his attention back onto the walk ahead of them with a small nod. She knew he was trying really hard to play up his annoyed demeanour as much as he possibly could. It was merely a ploy to hide the fact that he wanted her to stay close, just in case something went south.

But she was able to spot through his little act with ease - it wasn't exactly difficult considering how long she'd known him - and complimented, "Have you been working out more recently? You look buffer, big guy" as she knew he'd feel much better and stop being so grumpy for a minute or two.

"Uh...yeah," he replied, trying to keep his cool despite the blush that grew on his cheeks. He shouldn't care what she complimented him on. He shouldn't care if she thought he looked good. And he definitely shouldn't be having that stupid fuzzy feeling that arose when she was around.

He shouldn't after everything, but he did. And he couldn't deny it either. He hated admitting it to himself but he really couldn't keep the feelings he had for her down; he just didn't know how.

"Well, keep on doing it. You look good, mush."

"Don't call me that."

"Sorry. Old habit."

As they drew nearer, she could see the swarm of butterflies positioned near the amphibian room, waiting patiently for any disturbances to occur before they began attacking their prey. The Siren and Vigilante were disturbances so they retrieved their guns from the holsters and began picking them off one by one until there was only one left.

"Don't shoot yet. Let him radio for back up," Y/N whispered quietly as she peered along the corner she was hiding behind. She could already hear him talking into his comm unit. "Okay, now shoot him."

Without hesitation, Vigilante did as she said and placed a bullet right between the butterflies eyes, managing to kill both the human and butterfly in one perfect shot. It was so good that Y/N's praise left her lips before she'd even thought what she would say.

"Holy fuck! That was hot."

Despite all his grumpiness, he let out a flustered giggle before he quickly regained his composure.

"We've got a job to do, Angel," Vigilante pointed out, her old name slipping past his lips before he had a chance to change course. He pretended to not notice how her face lit up.

The pair proceeded to enter the room, taking cover in the dark corners of the room just in case they were confronted with another swarm as soon as they passed the threshold. The place was eerily silent except for the sound of their light footsteps on the wooden floor and the occasional rustling of leaves outside. Even though they were used to this kind of stealth operation, the silence made the hairs on the back of their necks stand up.

"We're at the east gate. There's a good chance we'll be encountering the buffalo herd. Swarm heading towards the entrance of the... frog fuckers. What's the science word for frog?" Chris said over comms, signalling that the old couple had been a decent enough distraction for Peacemaker and Adebayo to make it to their checkpoint.

"Amphibians, dude!" Adrian called happily to his best buddy. Y/N lightly hit his arm and gave him a look that said 'too loud' as she glared at him, silently warning him to keep his voice low.

Harcourt instructed, "Barricade the door to give Economos time to fly the drone strike in. As soon as it's in place, make sure to exit to the next enclosure as quickly as possible."

So that's what the couple did. Using every single piece of movable furniture they could find, they stacked it in the doorway as the very confused frogs watched on from inside their tanks. The frogs were used to curious tourists flicking on their glass and not whatever the weird dude in the visor and his scheming friend? girlfriend? accomplice was doing.

Out of nowhere, Vigilante began to sing as he threw random pieces of wood to the pile.

🎵Do you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men?

It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again.🎵

Y/N couldn't help but laugh at his antics. "That's enough wood. Come on, Enjoras," she teased as she pulled him to the exit of the enclosure and towards the one opposite. Yet, she forgot to check the sign above.

The first clue about what room they'd walked into was the hissing. Very few people knew Y/N's fears. Adrian knew with one hundred percent certainty that she used to have a fear of snakes. It seems as if she still did because she flinched in surprise when she saw a rattler slithering its way slowly along the ground towards the pair.

Who the fuck had let it out?

"Hey, hey, I've got you. I've got you, angel."

It was only small, so Adrian wrapped an arm around her waist as he guided her forward, leading her further into the room. It was a subconscious action and it was almost as if they fell into step as efficiently as they used to. Y/N had to admit, she was starting to miss that feeling of closeness, the familiarity, and the trust that came with working alongside him.

Yet, she kept her guard up the entire time until they reached the door, having walked the long way around the snake as Y/N's leg wouldn't let her move past it. But luckily, she was able to get through safely with Adrian right beside her.

"It's okay, we've made it to the exit. Want me to kill it?" Adrian asked as they stood together, Y/N gripping the handle on the side door tightly, ready to run if she had to.

"No. It's probably endangered, best not."

Stepping out of the back exit, the couple came across a huddle of King Cobras that had been let out of their exhibit to roam about, and immediately trained their gaze on the pair. To put it politely, Y/N was absolutely shitting herself.

There were no words. Adrian knew. He could feel her shaking beside him in fear as his grip tightened on her hip as he took slow steps, trying to go around the group of snakes but they had spread out and were taking up the entire walkway, making their escape impossible unless they went right through them.

"Guys, someone let the King Cobras out. We're staring at five, no six. Six hungry looking, fucking huge snakes right now. No exit available," Vigilante informed the others, his voice calm and collected despite the situation.

"Don't provoke them. Any sudden movements and they'll attack," Harcourt warned.

"Back up, slowly," Economos ordered, maintaining a professional detachment. They did as they were told. But, the cobras were getting closer, rattling with every inch they moved. "They are about four metres away. Do you guys think you can get around them?"

"Probably, but we might get bitten too," Adrian answered.

Siren didn't respond. She couldn't. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. All she could focus on was the large serpent that was dangerously close. Adrian noticed her panic and gently squeezed her hip, trying to comfort her in some way. Whatever it took to get her out of there alive, he would do it.

Over comms, Emilia notified the others and urged, "Ads, stop where you're standing and throw one of Peacemaker's stun grenades over the wall."

What Leota didn't know was that Chris had two types of bombs on his belt. Stun, one of his father's inventions that was totally silent and omitted a bright light to blind whoever looked at it as it hit the ground, which was the one she thought she'd grabbed. And a good old fashioned TNT explosion one - that was the one she picked.

And, the area in which she threw it in was rather small. Both Vigilante and Siren would be in the blast, and Adrian knew that as soon as he recognised the bomb that was flying towards them.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" he kept saying as he quickly grabbed Y/N by the waist and slammed them into the nearest wall so his body was shielding her from any shrapnel that was bound to come their way.

The sudden movement caused the snakes to rear up and jump to attack. They never got close enough as the TNT exploded any chance they got to bite, tearing their gross slimy bodies apart in seconds, scattering their skeletons and pieces of scale all over.

A thick cloud of debris covered their surroundings as the dust settled down, allowing Y/N and Adrian to catch their breaths as they peeked cautiously out to see the chaos that their little stunt caused.

"Now that's what I call a distraction," Adrian quipped as he looked down at Y/N in his arms. She was trembling from head to toe. He couldn't help himself and leaned down to press a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Her fingers were grasping at his shoulders and he could feel her heart racing against his chest. She needed him badly. Which was why she reacted with such a loud gasp when she opened her eyes and saw how a sharp part of one of the metal railings had impaled itself into his hip.

"You alright, big guy?"

"Do I look alright?"

That's when she realised she could feel that the impact had managed to singe off parts of the back of his suit and she was touching parts of his bare skin. His hand went to reach behind to pull the shrapnel out, but she grabbed his wrist before he could.

"Vigilante is injured. We've got to retreat. Prepare the van to take him to the hospital."

The Siren hooked her arm under Vigilante's shoulder to keep him standing, but he kept trying to sit down. He waved off her attempt to help him, arguing that she should, "Leave me and finish the mission. I'll be fine."

"Absolutely fucking not."

Her hand came up to cradle his cheek and she stared into his eyes with such determination that he could practically melt into a puddle of pure emotion.

"Let me help you."

Weakly, Adrian mumbled, "Y/N, no. We can't leave without finishing the mission. You don't know-"

"I don't care," she cut him off. "Come on. Don't put up a fight or I will knock you out and get Chris to carry you."

"Like you could knock me out."

"I think you've forgotten how we met."

That was back when Adrian was a wimpy, scrawny little thing and Y/N had just transferred to Evergreen High after a string of moves. Military family, you know. Though her mother had promised that this was the final move.

It seemed as if all eyes were on her as she made her way in her first biology class and was directed towards the only empty seat. It was next some weird kid called Adrian Chase who had an Eminem shirt on with a puka shell necklace peeking out from under the neckline. Y/N sat down next to him with a smile, unknowingly making him sweat and fidget.

Some other student was speaking so Y/N quickly scribbled a little 'Hi :)' on a scrap of paper and slid it towards him.

Unsurprisingly, his writing was quite messy as he wrote back 'HI!' with that grin she would come to love.

'I'm Y/N.'

'ADRIAN.'

'I don't know anyone yet, can I sit with you at lunch?'

'YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.'

'Why?'

In response, he wrote 'NERD.' and an arrow that pointed to him. So, she added another arrow that was directed at herself and pulled her necklace out to show a chain with a very familiar gold ring on it.

'NO WAY! THE 1 RING?!?!'

She unclipped the necklace and held it out for him to look at it properly. His expression was priceless as he took the ring carefully from her hands and inspected it from every angle before he finally returned it to her.

'SO COOL!'

He looked up and locked eyes with her once more, both of them blushing madly as he handed it back to her. Their interaction was halted however by the teacher telling them off for passing notes.

Back in those days, Adrian was substantially more squeamish so when it came time for the practical part of the lesson to start, he let Y/N take the reins. She had no qualms about dissecting a frog. She cut into the frog's chest without batting an eye while Adrian watched on.

He was doing fine - admittedly he was feeling queasy just looking at it - but he hadn't made any big, obvious signs that he was having trouble. That was until she got the tweezers and plucked the heart out, placing it in the palm of her hand to show him. The sight of it made his face turn completely pale.

"Uhh... Y/N..." he stuttered nervously, his eyes rolling back in his head as he suddenly got lightheaded. Boom. Just like that, he hit the deck. He fainted at the sight of it.

Young Y/N quickly threw the stuff down in her hands and whipped her gloves off as she knelt beside him. Before the teacher had reached them, she'd taken off her cardigan and placed it under his head whilst checking his pulse.

A little crowd of other students had already gathered when his eyes finally opened again and sluggishly mumbled, "Are you an angel?"

Angel? Huh, she liked that.

Tittering began to fill the room as the other students began to tease him and whisper about him fainting. And the fact he'd completely given his new found crush away in less than thirty minutes of meeting her.

"Uhh...my brain's all mush."

"Let's get you to the nurse, ol' mush brain? You might have a concussion," she softly said as she helped him to his feet. Why the teacher wasn't doing anything, she had no idea. As she guided him to the general direction of the nurse's office - she had no idea as it was her first day - his cheeks were a beautiful red shade.

Similarly, his blood that was covering her hand was a similar shade of crimson as she applied pressure to the surrounding area of his wound. He lay face down in the back of the van - a situation he'd been in too many times to count - while John raced to get medical aid.

"Can we go one fucking mission without you ending up with a goddamned injury?" Harcourt sighed, running her hand through her hair in frustration before leaning back in the chair. To which, Vigilante just grunted in response, his eyes never leaving Y/N and the immensely worried expression on her face.

Chris and Leota hurried back to the van.

"They knew we were coming."

The butterflies managed to win today.

John pulled to a stop in front of a veterinarian, and Chris and Y/N both helped get Vigilante inside, his mask still firmly covering his face. After bribing the vet with a lot of government money, they got to work on Adrian, sedating and patching him up in no time flat.

After getting into a shouting match with Waller - it was mostly about who tipped off the butterflies with information that the strike team not only were attempting their mission today, but that a member had an intense fear of reptiles - Y/N was by Adrian's side as he woke up. Once his consciousness came to, she gently caressed his cheek with her thumb and smiled warmly at him.

"Hey," she greeted him. "You're safe now."

He blinked a couple of times before looking around the veterinary clinic in complete confusion, then he turned to stare at her wide eyed.

"Don't worry, they haven't seen your face."

How did she know that was what he was going to say? It seemed she had a sixth sense whenever it came to knowing exactly what was on his mind or what he needed. If anything, it seemed as though Y/N knew things about him that he didn't even realise. It was written all over her face whenever he glanced up from where he lay. She knew way more about him than he did about her it seemed.

"You had me scared for a second there, mush," she softly admitted, brushing some of his hair out his face.

Despite how groggy he felt, he still warned, "Don't call me that."

She hadn't meant to. It just slipped out. In shame, she retracted her hand and apologised, "Sorry. I shouldn't have done that," but instantly gripped his shoulders to gently push him back onto his side when he tried to sit up. "Woah, not yet....bud."

Of all the nicknames in the world? She went with 'bud'. The first word that came to mind was fucking 'bud'.

"Nope, that hurt way more."

"I'll work on it."

He rolled his eyes fondly, smiling to himself. He leaned back against the soft pillow and closed his eyes as he teasingly pointed out, "So you've still got a fear of snakes" with what she assumed was a shit-eating grin.

"Some things don't change." He gave a short chuckle, and for the first time in a really long while, she got to hear his laugh again. She patted him on the hand and declared, "Thank you. You're still my hero. It seems that that hasn't changed either."

Strangely, he felt the need to grab her hand when she touched him, placing his fingers in hers at her admission and squeezing gently. The warmth of his palm against hers was comforting, the connection between them strengthening once again.

"Do you want me to get you anything? Food? Water?"

Whether it was the drugs or the mass amount of memories of them being in similar situations when they were younger, he flirted, "How about a kiss to take the edge off?" and lifted the bottom of his mask up to expose his lips.

No. She couldn't do that. That would be foolish. She settled with lifting his hand to her lips to place an innocent peck upon his knuckles.

This clearly wasn't sufficient for him as he pouted and whined, "No. A real one."

"No."

"Come on, I saved you from those super scary snakes today."

Still, she just stared at him. She wanted to. She really did.

"I think I'm dying and I need someone to kiss it better. I'm like that Snow White chick, gotta get a smooch or I'll fall into eternal slumber." She snorted at his stupid joke and reluctantly gave in.

A quick peck on his cheek.

"Warmer."

A light kiss on his forehead.

"Now you're getting colder."

Then one on his dimple.

"Warmest. Like, so warm."

Finally, she kissed him on the lips this time. He responded instantly, his hand moving from his side to wrap itself around the back of her neck, pulling her in close, and deepening the kiss. For a moment, she forgot all about everything else. She could only focus on his taste, his touch, the smell of his cologne, the feel of his lips, and everything around them faded away to nothingness.

It was just the two of them; alone, together, and loving each other. Like they always used to. No worries. No demands. No orders. No crimes. No threats. There was only this. Just them.

"This is such a dumb decision," she murmured against his mouth, which caused him to smile. His tongue swept across her lower lip, coaxing entry which she obliged. Her tongue danced with his, tangling with his, tasting him. It was a natural thing, something they were born to do like a well tuned dance; perfectly synchronised.

"Dumb is my middle name, angel."

"Weird, I thought it was Allen."

After that, Adrian seemed more like himself again; although they didn't let anyone else on the team know about the kiss. Not even Peacemaker knew. They all kind of guessed that the two had a heart to heart (rather than a mouth to mouth) when he got hurt. That must've been the reason for the lack of murderous glares and grumpy behaviour

"You're like my own personal sexy nurse," he flirted as she redressed his bandage. She rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless, because even though he was teasing her, she could tell he genuinely liked having her around again. "If I ordered one of those slutty Halloween costumes would you wear it for me?"

She snorted, not bothering to hide her amusement. "No way." He stuck out his bottom lip once more, looking like a child who'd been denied ice cream. Which made her laugh more. "No chance."

He grinned then leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on either side of her, trapping her before him. "Hypothetically, what if one glance at you dressed up, like, made me indestructible and all my wounds healed in no time, would you do it then?" he continued with a grin, making sure to look deeply into her eyes as he said these words.

"Keep dreaming, Ade."

His arms shot around to her and tightened in a way that she could feel the strength of his muscles behind her back. He was strong, no question. "That's not too bad of a dream, huh?" she felt his breath brush lightly against her ear as he hugged her.

It felt too good to stop. Her arms snaked themselves around his shoulders and pulled herself closer to him, burying her face against the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent deeply, savouring the feeling of being held. When he pulled away and looked down at her, his expression softening, she almost couldn't bring herself to let go. Almost.

But she did anyway. "Okay, enough of that. You'll reopen your stitches if you squeeze me any tighter." His cheeks coloured slightly and she chuckled, leaning up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Go home, Ade. You should rest."

He nodded silently, giving her a smile before disappearing out of sight down the hall.

Once he was gone, she stood there for a few moments longer, her heart beating wildly and her palms sweating. How could she have been so forward? Stupid. Unwise. Dangerous. A traitor. That was exactly what she was, wasn't it? A traitor? A liar? A whore? A murderer? All of the above.

└─────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────┘

Throughout his recovery time, Adrian was forced into paperwork duties. He despised it, especially since he was forbidden to patrol while he was healing. The first few days, he refused to do any work. He'd spend hours staring aimlessly at the papers stacked high on his desk until his gaze became unfocused as he drifted in his thoughts.

But, like usual, he made a speedy recovery and was back in his newly repaired Vigilante suit in no time. He was back out on the streets and helping the people of Evergreen. Although, there was one girl he knew very well that had a problem he could easily solve.

The motel where Y/N was staying happened to be on the opposite side of town than the laundrette and it was a big hassle to go there, so Y/N had done very little laundry and was quickly running out of clean clothes to wear.

Y/N perched herself on the edge of Adrian's desk to face Peacemaker as she inquired, "Chris, do you know if Samuel's is still open after all these years?"

"Closed down two years ago when the old man had a stroke."

"Shit," Y/N cursed, tapping her fingers against the wood in thought. Maybe she could buy some febreeze and do it the gross way. "Any other clothes shops left? I've got one pair of clean jeans left. Shit, I ran out of underwear a few days ago."

Both Chris and Adrian tried to hide how they were both now thinking about how Y/N admitted she didn't have any panties on. That was a distracting notion.

"Ade, you okay?" She asked as she saw how Adrian had zoned out when she turned to see if he had any suggestions. When he made a confused noise, she repeated her question, tilting her head curiously. He shook his head, momentarily snapping out of whatever thoughts had gotten him distracted, and gave her a smile.

"Oh yeah, better than a dog in a graveyard," he replied dismissively as he continued to play with his hands, avoiding eye contact and trying his damnedest to look anywhere but his underwear-less ex-lover.

"What the fuck does that mean, dude?"

Y/N explained for him, "Dogs like bones."

Like always, Y/N understood him and his little quirks and habits. Adrian was always thankful for that when they were together. Throughout his life, he was always weird and quirky and Y/N understood, somehow, exactly where he was coming from. Ever since they'd met, it was as if she could translate all of his Adrian-isms. She always used to be a useful ear to vent to, a helping hand to explain the complexities of 'normal' people to him, and an attentive friend to help him find the words he really wanted to say.

"Why wouldn't you say 'like a dog with a bone' then?" Chris argued. Adrian just shrugged, not having an answer for him. For the life of him, he had no idea why he said the things he said.

Yet, neither of them had answered Y/N's question so she repeated, "Clothes shops? Any ideas?"

Now, Adrian did have an idea. A sad idea. One that would make him look like a sad, brokenhearted fool of a guy that had desperately held onto a bunch of his partners stuff for years. Because that's exactly what he was. Before he could stop himself, Adrian admitted, "I have some of your old stuff if you'd like me to bring it to your hotel room later?"

"You do?"

"I say some of it, I have all of it still. Yeah, put it in a box on top of my wardrobe. It's not like I'm doing anything with it and... and it is your stuff - you still own it - so, yeah. Do you want it?"

How sweet. Somehow her heart broke even more, if that were even possible. She reached out and gave his hand a grateful squeeze. "I would love that."

When her words sank in, he finally smiled up at her and nodded in approval, his eyes flicking between hers. His smile disappeared instantly however as he remembered why he had the box there in the first place, and slowly wiggled his hand away from hers.

That night in her hotel room, she initially thought he'd forgotten. She waited, but gave up after a few hours and went to bed, kissing the picture she kept in her wallet before falling asleep. Yet, her sleep was rudely awakened by a set of rough bangs on her door. Probably a drunk, she thought. But it may have been trouble, so she retrieved her gun from under her pillow and opened the door a smidge.

"Shit, were you sleeping? I knew I should've come before patrol."

With the sound of Adrian's voice, she opened the door wide enough for him to enter and see that she was just in a bra and tiny shorts - that he knew for a fact she was using as underwear. It was a sight he'd seen before. Many, many times before. Yet, he appeared to not notice or care (he did and was trying desperately not to show it) as he heaved the box onto the hotel table.

"Thank you. You're a lifesaver," she exclaimed as she rifled through the box, pulling out garments that she hadn't seen in so long. Adrian stood behind her silently for a second, watching her pull out a green slip dress that he bought her. "Woah, remember this little number?"

"I remember you only managed to wear it out of the house twice because you looked too good in it." Adrian shrugged with a small chuckle, leaning against the door frame and watching as she held it against her body to examine it closer. He couldn't help but joke, "Don't do that, it reminds me of my twenty-fourth birthday."

Y/N laughed as well, shaking her head before turning around and looking at him. "Surprised you remember that based on how much you had to drink that night."

"How could I forget?" He raised an eyebrow, his smile turning into a full blown grin that showed all of his teeth. He was acting differently tonight. More playful, more relaxed, more confident. Y/N wasn't sure what was causing him to suddenly become so comfortable, but it was definitely a welcome change.

Despite how his compliments still caused a blush to her cheeks, she ignored it and continued looking through her box of memories, until she got to the squished pile of her underwear.

"Don't know why, but I assumed there would be more."

Should he admit it? No. Did he?

"I went through a phase of jerking off into your underwear then lighting them on fire." That was probably the most direct answer he could give her. No bullshit. 'I did this and this, now you react to what I've said'.

Though, her reaction was just an "Oh" because she'd expected way worse shit than that. The thought alone was amusing and she let loose a laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.

"You were gone and I was horny and angry so -" She gently placed her hand on his arm and he stopped talking. His expression faltered slightly as he stared down at her and waited for her to speak up, wondering if he'd said too much or not enough. Should he have kept it inside?

"I understand and I cannot apologise enough for my absence. You don't need to justify yourself to anyone, least of all me. Okay?" She said it all sincerely, and Adrian knew she meant every word. Even though the words were somewhat blunt, it was the same kindness and sincerity that always seemed to radiate from her whenever anyone was ever brought into her world. It was something that no one else was ever able to replicate.

He simply nodded and replied with an "Okay." He wasn't going to complain about the apology; he deserved it.

The pair of them continued going over all the old memories that came out of that box until it had begun to pour it down outside. "You're not driving in that," she stated as he went to open the door. Before he could leave the room he felt something soft brush the back of his arm as she pulled him by the bicep back into the safety of her hotel room. "Come on, get your ass back here."

"I think you forget that I'm a super cool superhero and rain can't stop my awesomeness."

"What powers do you have again?"

"I will come back inside."

Within no time, he had stripped down to his underwear and was laying like a stiff board on the other side of the bed, staring straight at the ceiling because he knew if he looked at her, he'd immediately weasel himself into her arms.

"This hotel room reminds me of prison," he commented and was totally right. It was the cheapest on offer.

There were no windows, the walls were plain white with gross smudges and paint cracking off, the bed was uncomfortable and there was a spring out of place that was poking Adrian right in the left but bum cheek. The only other furniture was a beat up old chest to put her clothes in and thick 00's style television. It was gross and bland and cold.

But at that moment he didn't care about any of that. Not when she was lying next to him.

"Yeah, it does remind me a bit of Blackgate," Y/N chuckled softly, rolling onto her side to face him. He shifted his position to face her, mirroring her movement and stared at the girl he loved. Her hair was a mess and the dark circles under her eyes were prominent, but she smiled at him anyway.

They'd never spoken about her incarceration before.

"What was it like? In Blackgate?" Adrian asked quietly, wanting her to talk. There were so many things he wanted to ask her but couldn't find the words to, and now seemed like a good opportunity.

"It was...loud," she answered after a brief silence. Her eyes trailed towards her hand which was laying next to his and slyly moved it further away so she could admit, "A lot of mentally ill people get put there so it was constant. The yelling, screaming, crying. It hardly ever stopped."

Adrian listened carefully as she spoke, his brow furrowing at how serious she sounded and the look of sadness she had on her face. It made him wonder what she'd been through and whether he'd even be able to fully understand the pain she must have endured while being locked up, but she quickly squashed that thought as she added, "Yeah, I was only there for a month before I got transferred to Belle Reve."

Belle Reve? Peacemaker had also got sent to Belle Reve, why hadn't he seen her during his time there?

"I cut a deal with Waller. Originally, it was ten years of my service to her, but over time I made more and more deals. This year should be my last," she explained as she saw he was struggling to piece things together. And she found that adorable.

He was silent for quite awhile as he mulled over her words, his mind working furiously to put the pieces together. But when they weren't connected together, he shook his head in disbelief. Why the hell would she be willing to go to jail? That was the part that kept tripping him up. She handed herself over, only to jump through hoops trying to get herself back out.

"What case are you cracking wide open, mush?" she teased and reached out to poke his bicep to get his attention. He snapped his gaze up to hers, almost expecting a glare to follow his outburst, but instead was met with laughter and a warm smile that melted his heart.

Yet, he still felt nervous as he asked, "So...so you preferred to be in prison than to be married to me? To spend your life in a cell rather than be with me?" and couldn't help as his voice cracked halfway through his question.

Her eyes widened momentarily as she realised what he said and her hand flew to cradle his head, her thumb brushing comfortingly against his cheek. "No, no, no, Adrian, I didn't mean it like that. I'm so sorry if I ever gave you the impression that I didn't want to see you again," she tried to calm him and he could feel his anger subside as she did so, allowing her to continue. "I messed up and I needed to pay for it. You were never the issue. I'd give anything to do it right, but... I can't, mush."

She sighed sadly, smiling at the familiar warmth that spread throughout her whole body as he placed one of his hands on top of hers and closed his eyes. He leant into her hand a little, taking deep breaths, calming his racing heartbeat and relaxing as he tried to get everything together in his head.

As he finally opened his eyes, he noticed the tears forming in the corner of hers as she gazed at him, waiting for him to say something, anything, in return. He was never really one to express his emotions very easily but tonight it seems like his brain couldn't hold all of his thoughts and he ended up speaking without thinking first.

"Can you hold me?"

"Ade, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Please, baby?"

She hesitated and for the slightest moment she considered refusing but something told her this was something he truly needed. So, with a small nod she shuffled closer to him and wrapped her arms around his middle, pulling his chest flush against hers as his hands found their way to her waist. He buried his nose into her neck, breathing her in, relishing the feeling of her warm breath fanning across his skin and he felt like he was home once more.

Home. A place he hadn't experienced in five long years.

With a sigh, he relaxed into her touch and held her tighter. He took in several slow, deep breaths before he finally began to relax completely and fell asleep. The warmth of her embrace and her soothing scent eventually lulled him into unconsciousness and, all too soon, the nightmares he had become accustomed to disappeared for the night.

Y/N smiled gently as she watched him sleep. Her baby was back in her arms again, safe and sound. But, she couldn't help but feel guilty. She had no right to hold him again. She wasn't allowed to. She had taken so much of his time and happiness already, yet she planned on taking more from him.

But she couldn't bring herself to let him go, especially when he looked so peaceful. His lips were slightly parted, his expression relaxed, almost ethereally beautiful in the darkness of the room. And most of all, he looked at peace. He looked like he belonged.

The fact of the matter was that he couldn't belong with her, or least, he shouldn't. He deserves someone who would treat him well. Someone who wouldn't take advantage of him like she had done. Someone he could count on and trust in the end. And, once upon a time, she was determined to make sure that someone was her. These days? She wasn't so sure.

Not knowing she was crying until he woke up due to her shaky breaths, she quickly wiped her tears away and gave him a fake smile. "Go back to sleep, mush. Everything is fine."

"You're crying," he pointed out as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up slowly, but she gently guided his head back to her chest and pulled the covers up higher around them.

"It's nothing," she said firmly, hoping he'd drop it, but he clearly didn't believe it because he raised his head to meet her gaze.

"Don't lie to me," he whispered, his eyes full of concern and love as he stared up at her. She swallowed hard and fought the lump that suddenly formed in her throat and looked down at the blanket beneath him.

Since his words weren't working, he sluggishly crawled further up until his nose poked into her cheek and teasingly poked his tongue out to prod her skin which caused her to giggle. He always used to do that when she was sad. She ran her hands through his curls, smiling as the soft hair tickled her fingers and he closed his eyes as a smile appeared on his face.

"Just remember what I told you on day one."

"Mmhmmm," he mumbled into her cheek as he had obviously got too sleepy to pay attention to her words. Her heart ached a little as she watched him fall back asleep, her grip tightening around him protectively.

"Please, mush. Please don't trust me."

However, it was too late. He was out like a light.

Waking up in the morning, Adrian couldn't quite believe it. Here he was, cuddled up to his girl like nothing had happened between them. It felt like he was twenty-five again. It was surreal but in a wonderful kind of way. She was snuggled up to him, holding on tight and a few stray strands falling across her face so he brushed them away gently.

She stirred at the sensation and hummed quietly as he continued to stroke her hair. She gradually awoke, her eyes slowly fluttering open. She lifted her head to stare up at him and gave him a lazy, sweet smile, one he returned.

"Hi, stranger," he greeted softly as he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. He loved the way she looked in the morning, looking adorable as she yawned and stretched her limbs, her cheeks turning pink when their noses brushed each other. It was a sight he could never tire of. Never.

His hand continued to card idly through her hair as she moved upwards, tilting her chin upwards until she finally was looking up at him. They remained staring at each other in silence as their eyes roamed over each other, searching for any signs of doubt.

"We should get ready for work."

Then she was out of bed and hurrying to the bathroom, leaving him alone in the bedroom. With a slight frown, he watched her leave and decided not to bother getting up himself.

As she shut the bathroom door behind her, she leaned back against it and breathed deeply, trying to keep herself from breaking down in front of him. If she was going to go through with her plan, she needed to seem unaffected and collected. But there was just so much pressure weighing down on her now, making her unable to breathe. And she knew what she had to do next and that made it all the more painful.

Taking another deep breath, she slowly pushed open the bathroom door and returned to him, sitting back down beside him. He glanced up to meet her gaze and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips, his thumb rubbing circles on her thigh as he watched her silently. She bit her lip as she took his hand into hers.

"How about breakfast? There's a Dennys down the street."

"Can't we stay in bed forever?"

She smiled at how cute he looked as he asked her the question. He turned to face her fully, his face only centimetres away from hers so she wouldn't be able to miss how he childishly pouted and batted his eyelashes at her.

"You need your breakfast," she countered but he was having none of it. He let out an exaggerated groan causing her to laugh as he flopped onto his back dramatically, throwing his arm over his forehead and closing his eyes. She couldn't help but tease, "Still a big baby, huh?"

He shot his hand up into the air, grabbing her wrist and yanking her downwards till she was against his chest and resting her head against his sternum. He wrapped his arms tightly around her to ensure she couldn't get up again, and if he was being honest with himself, he wanted her to stay exactly where she was forever. After a brief struggle, he managed to stop her, pressing a firm kiss on her cheek and nuzzling his face into the side of her neck, inhaling her sweet vanilla shampoo.

"Okay, okay...I surrender," she giggled as she laid her head on his shoulder, enjoying the feeling of his strong arms around her.

"Good girl."

"Don't start that now."

"I don't know what you mean."

Total lie.

They spent the morning doing absolutely nothing; just lying around in bed, cuddling, watching TV and laughing. They didn't talk for a while, letting the contentment they shared wash over them like a wave, washing away all the worries and doubts they usually carried with them. For now, they could pretend everything was normal and nothing could change that.

"We really need to get ready for work now, Ade," Y/N murmured, rolling onto her side and reaching for his hand.

"But…" He trailed off, looking down at where she was still tangled in his arms and biting his lip in an effort to appear nonchalant about what he wanted, but she could tell he was dying to stay like this. "What if we stayed like this all day and get fired?" he half joked.

"Come on, out of bed."

"But you're warm and comfortable and here."

Absent-mindedly, she scratched the back of his head as she thought of a way to get him ready for work. Back in the day, they used to do stupid deals in an effort to get the other to do something. "Deal time. What do you want? Anything?" She announced with a mischievous grin plastered on her face. He furrowed his brows and tilted his head to the side, his lips pursed together as he tried to think about what he wanted.

After some thought, his eyes lit up with excitement and he scrambled on top of her, pinning her arms either side of her head as he whispered against her ear, "I've missed eating you out," and dragged his nose down her neck. His breath sent chills down her entire body and caused goosebumps to rise on her arms.

She froze at his touch, not daring to breathe, not wanting to give away how much she wanted it to happen. But no, she couldn't. As he slowly moved down her body, his hands travelling where his eyes lingered, she held onto the sides of his head, stopping him in his tracks. "Stop," she murmured as she met his gaze, and he tilted his head at her curiously before he dropped to rest his chin on her stomach.

"Hmm?"

"Stop, please," she whispered hoarsely, blinking away the tears that welled up in her eyes. "I can't... Sex and stuff isn't fun for me anymore. I'm sorry. I know you want..."

His expression morphed into one of disbelief before he abruptly sat upright and frowned at her as he studied her. His eyes were clouded with worry as he regarded her carefully. He reached out and caressed her cheek, wiping away a lone tear that was rolling slowly down her cheek.

"What is it?" he whispered as concern crept into his voice. Not many people got to see Adrian's softer side. To see his genuine curiosity. To experience how utterly caring he truly was and to realise how much he cared about others. How hard he worked to make sure nobody suffered or got hurt, especially not the ones close to him. The people that mattered most in life.

"Let's just say I got the codename Siren for a reason."

His mouth formed an O of surprise as her words struck right through him. He could feel his blood run cold. It was quiet for a moment and it seemed as though even the walls had fallen silent at her confession.

"Waller made you... you know, gather Intel that way?" he questioned tentatively. Her nod was almost imperceptible. "That's fucked up."

A small laugh escaped her and suddenly she found herself being pulled into his arms again, her head cradled gently in his hands as he gazed lovingly at her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he questioned gently. She shook her head and stared straight ahead. "If that's the case, then I won't mention it again. You'll tell me if or when you're ready and I'll kick her fucking ass."

Her shoulders trembled with restrained laughter as he hugged her, rubbing her back soothingly as he waited patiently for her to compose herself.

"I just wish they'd leave us alone already."

It was almost as though she could feel him smiling softly into the side of her head after he said that, kissing her temple before releasing her and moving back from her. She blinked and sat back up, watching him as he stood back up, grabbed his shirt and slipped it over his head.

"Are you ready? We need to leave soon."

"Yeah, I think I am," she replied quietly, rising to her feet and smoothing out her clothes.

They were late but they eventually arrived at work. As they walked in, they received curious glances, but no comment from anyone as they went directly to their desks. They exchanged knowing looks with each other but neither one dared to mention their earlier conversation. Once everyone else started working, they did their best to ignore the tension between them and focused entirely on their jobs, hoping nobody would notice.

Obviously, it was noticed. Especially when Chris arrived and Y/N casually complimented, "Hey, I like your shirt. It looks nice on you."

"Back at you, sugar tits."

Adrian tried to hide it, he did. Snapping the pen in his hand was pretty obvious though. He'd just gotten back on really good terms with Y/N and here Chris was fucking calling her 'sugar tits' in front of him. Y/N glared at him, but there was a hint of amusement glinting in her eye, giving him hope that maybe things weren't that bad in the overall scheme of the universe.

Progress on the Water Buffalo mission was slow for a while. That was until one lead reared its head.

Chapter 2

[merwynpersonalhub]

screw it im rambling about his lore

bc i dont have his lore on here even though istg i thought i did. i wrote this alot so i remember alot of it OK SO MARGARITA LORE IS he had a god awful boyfriend i mean he would manipulate margarita or gaslight him and other awful crap like that the ex worked for pizzahead for awhile so one day solano (the ex) told margarita to work for pizzahead. margarita who was already mentally worn down just accepted and worked for pizzahead. pizzahead reallllllly liked margarita as a worker since 1) he was easy to use 2) he scares the hell outta him. pizzahead mentally messed margarita up and solano was physically and mentally messing margarita up (why the hell do you think he has that neck scar?)

so one day margarita ran off, tired of it. pizzahead and solano was pissed at this and told everyone pizzahead hired that if you see margarita he is a traitor and everyone except noise and fake pep believed him. (noise didnt give a fuck and fake peppino didnt know who this margarita person was)

margarita was homeless for a few weeks till he found a flyer for peppino's pizzeria and he just ran to the pizzeria and showed the flyer and was a fucking sweetheart. peppino was sorta confused (since like damn it was a few hours since he put those up) but hired him. peppino was sorta stand off-ish (bc trust issues and other shit) but after a bit he warmed up to margarita. margarita was and still is a hard worker for peppino's pizza! just because he cant cook doesnt mean he cant work! he cleans, he gives the food out, he does the register- anything to help peppino. margarita and peppino get really close since margarita is really supportive and sweet to peppino. anyways the tower shit happens.

peppino tells margarita to wait here and he runs off with gustavo to the tower. margarita waited in the pizzeria for a few hours but peppino wasnt back yet. so he runs up to the tower and goes on his own journey to find peppino and also beat pizzaface ass.

the bosses already fought peppino but when margarita came they fought him too since yk the traitor shit. he fights pepperman and the vigilante and wins. the noise and him just sorta rambled to eachother and noise let him by and fake peppino...man he mach 6 that bitch- he RAN. and found peppino and they had a sweet little reunion and then they both fight pizzaface and pizzahead. they run down the tower when it was crumbling. margarita noticed poppe (friends oc!) was missing from the group and he ran back up to the top and bc poppe is a stubborn bitch they sorta fought but margarita picked her up and just ran back down. they are both safe and stuff

margarita still works for peppino and he loves his job with peppino.

i might ramble about margarita x peppino later hehe

[majimemegoro]

Hello Ms. Majimemegoro! I saw that you're playing Lost Judgement now, so I have a few questions I'd like your opinion on (feel free to answer as seriously/un-seriously as possible sgsggdsds this is def for fun)

1. Why do you think RGG Studios decided to name the generic boss fight theme song in LJ as "vore"?

2. In Soma's theme song "Viper", there are at least 2 (3?) instruments playing. Obviously Soma can't be playing his own music since he's busy doing the stabbing, so do you think he outsourced the job to his RK lackeys? Or does he only trust Akutsu to play all instruments? He is a very competent subordinate after all!

3. What is your opinion on this detective?

For me, Nabe-san's the hottest man in the entirety of LJ hands down, but also he ruined my Hard mode streak because my controller wouldn't respond to his QTEs and I had to switch to Easy for his fight only, which I'm still bitter about

4. Which do you side with (aesthetically or morally or whatever), Black Leather Jacket with Cigarettes, or Brown Leather Jacket with Vapes? (follow up question: does your mom agree?)

1.Why do you think RGG Studios decided to name the generic boss fight theme song in LJ as "vore"? I saw the full name is vorarephilia and i was like 'oh but thats just latin, i wonder what it means'

ok. no further comment.

2. In Soma's theme song "Viper", there are at least 2 (3?) instruments playing. Obviously Soma can't be playing his own music since he's busy doing the stabbing, so do you think he outsourced the job to his RK lackeys? Or does he only trust Akutsu to play all instruments? He is a very competent subordinate after all!

i think soma has no boss theme, that wonderful terrifying slasher music was in my mind. a reflection of my mental state.

3. What is your opinion on this detective? Well I think he should be friends with Date-san because they are both gruff slightly rumpled but competent detectives whose hearts are in the right place. I don't have strong opinions with him really but my SISTER. well she thought this dude had mad chemistry with Yagami. and also with her.

4. Which do you side with (aesthetically or morally or whatever), Black Leather Jacket with Cigarettes, or Brown Leather Jacket with Vapes? (follow up question: does your mom agree?)

aesthetically kuwana's outfits suck, he has a big baby head, and vaping is yuck. i also find his voice in the dub really annoying. finally I think he is, frankly, an idiot.

*BIG SPOILERS ALSO MENTIONS OF BULLYING AND SU*CIDE* there's room for nuance and im not categorically opposed to vigilanteism in principal. But there's one thing I can't get over: out of people who kill themselves, a certain proportion of them will have done so partially in response to someone who was harming them in some way—emotionally or physically or whatever. but only a specific subset of these harm-creating people are going to be called 'bullies': and that's kids. Kuwana is choosing to go after specifically children whose behavior led someone to su*cide, and not adults whose behavior did the same. WHat the heck kuwana!! did you even think this through !! hes a deranged little man. i can appreciate that in a character but sadly coupled with his lacklustre aesthetic this is an L for him on all sides. and my mother:

"This is easy! Black and brown leather jackets are both fine, but more important to have a vintage/used one! Cigarettes - you actually know what they are doing to you. Sorry, vapers, but to me those look stupid, like sucking on a great big ball point pen. Plus, popcorn lung."

After i gently suggested that the question was supposed to make her pronounce on yagami vs. kuwana, she said the following:

"One. *disparaging tone* Kuwana's voice.

"Two. Yagami is cute but in a mainstream way that's a bit irritating.

"Three. Well I might get in trouble for saying this. But I like the way his jeans fit and the way he walks. They did... a good job on that.

"Four. Yagami is better in every way.... except when he's dancing and he SMILES."

she also drew a picture of yagami getting hit by a car <3

[maraienna]

And now finally after many failed attempts to draw, here’s my Pizza Tower OC, █████ "Swirl" Chiffon! (I'm not much of an artist, I'm more of a writer, but I wanted to try anyways.)

Swirl (she/they) is currently in her late 20's and is a barista at her own tea café selling loose-leaf tea, tea accessories, and also various baked goods (which is similar in function to Teavanna when it was still its own corporate entity, minus the baked goods), While not struggling as much as Peppino, Noisette's café does occasionally give her café a run for its money! Though envious at times, ultimately she doesn't let the jealousy get in the way. Sometimes tea is bitter rather than sweet, after all!

(More information if you want below the cut but for the most part this is what you really need to know about her. Thank you once again to Bean, specifically the blog @ask-the-totally-real-peppino ,for inspiring me to create her!)

Before the Tower fell, she was a scientist helping create the clones as Pizzahead exploited her emotions around having children... as well as paying her a great deal for her assistance! (I have my own headcanon that Pizzahead is more of an engineer than a biologist, which is why the clones came out all weird) Though the only stipulations were that if a man named Peppino ever came around to the staff room that she was to fight him off, and to never enter behind one of the doors labeled "War".

Needless to say, she would eventually ignore both, but long after she served her purpose. In fact, the reason she broke those rules was the fact that she'd grown attached to all the clones that she successfully created and wondered where all of them would go. Upon entering the War level, she was pretty much tackle-hugged by all of the clones she helped to create, but was only able to rescue one - the same one that would become a boss in Pizza Tower!

Pretty much she'd already quit by the time that the game's events started getting sick of the manipulation tactics, but Pizzahead still went ahead with his plans in spite of missing an extra boss. Though before she left, she would leave things behind for Peppino to help him reach the top and also undo everything Pizzahead did.

Also, as a small aside, before she went to college, her family ran a bakery. They called her Swirl as a nickname since one time she got into the icing as a baby and it looked like she had colored swirl dyes in her hair.

As for relationships! I'll run through them very quickly:

Peppino: She knows about him, but hasn't met him (yet!). It's kinda hard to not hear an entire tower crumbling - and that was before the news of him being a hero! Though if they ever met she'd be super anxious considering she helped to create the clones and as an extension fears his wrath about it.

Gustavo: Also does not know him. She'd be a lot more chill around him though.

Brick: The rat is fluffy, and big, and soft, and that's all there really is to say on the matter. (Jokes aside, she would love Brick so much.)

Mr. Stick: Doesn't hate him, but also doesn't like him. She respects the hustle, but avoids him and refuses all deals with him.

Pepperman: Not the biggest fan of him, but ultimately she thinks he's harmless. She gets tired of him pretty quickly and ultimately finds excuses to escape social interactions with him.

Vigilante: Loves to hang out with Vigilante. She loves to hear stories about Vigi's grandpa, and before she left the Tower she'd visit Noisette's café just to talk with them.

Noise: She's more skittish and afraid of him if anything else. She doesn't like the pranks he does and often curls up into a ball trying (and failing) to not cry about it.

Noisette: Honestly they consider Noisette one of their (two) friends. Despite the fact that Noisette's café tends to do better than their own café, they don't mind.

Fake Peppino: She loves all of them. Every single one. Without exception. Even if they're from different universes, or have more murderous tendencies. She views all of them as her children and loves all of them equally.

Pizzahead: Without mincing words - she hates the guy. Plain and simple. Pretty much the only person she genuinely hates.

Snick: Absolutely loves the little porcupine dude. She would give him pets if he allowed it.

Honorable mention to Pizzelle!: She would love to hang out with Pizzelle much like with Noisette. She's anxious too, so they could bond and help each other overcome their anxieties!

Other minor characters I didn't mention: Either I forgot about them, or Swirl doesn't have a strong opinion either way.

Other fun facts about her:

She's pretty shy and also has general anxiety, which makes customer service very hard for her. Even though she runs a café, it often smells of lavender and other calming scents from her burning scented candles and incense in an attempt to keep her calm during work hours.

The scribbled out name isn't exactly a "dead" name, but after years of Pizzahead calling her by her first name, she decided to go by her childhood nickname to distance herself from the painful memories.

Swirl is pan! As long as you're not a bad person, she's willing to give people a chance.

She is plus-sized! I tried to convey that in the art but I feel I kinda failed on that front?

She doesn't have a strong leaning towards gender identity, but isn't agender and uses she/they for the sake of ease. One day she'll wear a dress with makeup and jewelery, and then the next she'll wear a tank top and knee-shorts without brushing her hair.

Her Sugary Spire counterpart would be Cream, a disgruntled coffee barista who is a very guarded individual with a goth style. She tries (and fails) to not form an attachment with whatever the Sugary Spire equivalent to the clones will be - though Cream views them more like pets than family.

[pizza-games-and-more]

Okay, here's my promised Pizza Tower boss tierlist and detailed explanations

Before we go through this, I have a confession to make though: I haven't actually played any of these bosses so this is just going to be based on what I like from watching them.

The reason I haven't played the bosses is kinda embarrassing. I... don't have the reflexes for this game at all. I struggled with the tutorial and couldn't beat Pizzascape.

So while I'm hiding in shame, have my tierlist and explanations under the cut. I AM SO SORRY.

Best Boss: The Vigilante

The reason I rank him so high is NOT because of bias, believe it or not. I enjoy watching people playing super-intense boss battles that throw a lot of shit at you (I like watching Cuphead and Mega Man playthroughs for that, and this boss has been compared to both), and on top of that, it references two of my favourite game series: Kirby and Worms. Yeah, it may surprise you to know considering what I just admitted, but I actually love a wide variety of games, and seeing them being referenced here just sold me on it lol.

Second Best: Pizzahead

Yes, really. Pizzahead is my second favourite of the bosses to watch. The reason is actually very simple: The boss rush. When I saw the other bosses being pulled out and refought, I thought that was the coolest thing ever. Even if my first exposure to it was (no, I'm not kidding,) an Ed Edd n Eddy sound effects meme. Seeing Peppino go absolutely apeshit on everyone and even Gustavo joining in was so cool and I can see why many people consider this their favourite.

Third Best: Pepperman

Pepperman looks just... fun. His boss battle manages to be goofier than The Noise's. How in the fresh hell is that possible? In addition, there's another load of references in the battle (some of which possibly unintentional) that earns it a few more points. His moveset is basically Wario, but if you combined his Land self with his Ware self. In fact I actually like joking that the bits where you have to make a statue to distract him as "Playing the chisel microgame from WarioWare and then slapping him on the ass". (Fun fact: WarioWare is actually my favourite game series of all time lol) In addition, something about the fact that he's an artist that fights with animated drawings in a medieval themed area brings the Painter from Castle Crashers to mind. Anyway, Pepperman is great.

Fourth Best: Fake Peppino

Fake Peppino is a bit of an interesting case. His boss battle looks really cool and intense the first time you see it, but becomes a bit less so on subsequent plays/watches. Don't get me wrong, I do still like him and his weirdness, but it just doesn't hit as hard as it did when my boyfriend first showed me. That being said, one thing does keep me coming back to watching it though: The music! I've already mentioned it but PIZZA TIME NEVER ENDS is my favourite boss music in the game, and I actually like it considerably more than the song it's remixing.

Least Best: The Noise

The Noise is... I like him as a character, but his boss fight, not gonna lie, looks like it's designed to piss you off as much as possible. Granted, it makes sense considering the character, but while I do still like watching it, I can't imagine myself enjoying playing at all. Hence why it's so low on the list. I do, however, like the presentation. Particularly the phase transition and the ending. Those are hilarious.

[jojosquires]

Wow!

This is why I always choose to ask an expert everyone!

I think... That Dick is such a fundamentally "only child turned oldest child" that his feelings about Tim are very mixed up in his own brain. He enjoys that he gets to boss him around, but isn't sure he should be left in charge. Thinks the kid is an annoying tagalong, but can't pinpoint the moment he started enjoying the kid's presence so much that he *asks* him along (sometimes just to goof on him, but still). Holds him as his closest ally to the point that he kinda forgets that Tim *is* his own person with his own thoughts and feelings and approaches to things. And, in the end, he kinda sucks at sharing Tim. It's all very complicated and he thinks about all of this but rarely says it *to* Tim... And, because he's an oldest child, he doesn't always *listen* to Tim either (or anyone else's insights on Tim... Cause that's his brother... No one could ever know him better than Dick) so he misses exactly why (even when he can't trust Bruce) Tim always trusts Dick.

Tim is somehow (from minute one and not just when Damian shows up) an only child turned middle. Because he's a mediator for Bruce and... Like everyone? Middle children kinda... Grow up in response to the oldest children. They watch the oldest and the response to the oldest and their experiences and pick and choose what works and throw out what doesn't. Parents raise them, but they *watch* their older sibling and that teaches them a lot. Tim's vigilantism is only partially Bruce's training...a hefty portion is about watching Dick (and the results of Jason). Youngest children... Well, the rules don't apply to them so... Even when Tim *is* the youngest, he isn't because so much of who he is is a response to what worked and what didn't before. The reins may be looser, but it's more that he's given responsibility earlier than the older kids than that he's not got any responsibilities at all. He continues to watch Dick as he grows (which annoys Dick) because that's the only "life" he knows. It's the way he learns and grows. Siblings see things that parents can't. He's more objective about Dick than Dick is because he can see everything playing out from the outside. So, Dick is confused how Tim can't see how "horrible" he is while Tim is over here saying "wow, look at this detailed graph of all of his success"!

At this point I'm just be babbling, but I appreciated the "It's a Wonderful Life" comparison because I adore that movie. George/Dick wouldn't trade their younger sibling for the universe.. For a different life. (a "better" life, a quieter life, not having to fight a butt load of ninjas). Harry/Tim would trade away the rewards for their accomplishments (a spot on a team, a fancy job, a big party dedicated to their success-Harry. Tim took on Robin so that Dick could continue doing his solo thing so... He sacrificed his childhood and innocence) because they know they wouldn't have been able to accomplish any of it without their big brother, their hero, the "richest man in town". And these views are so contrasted because... If they knew how the other felt they'd argue about it so much. Because... Tim/Harry would change the universe for their sibling I believe. And... I sincerely don't know how Dick/George would respond to that. Cause there is resentment over what has happened to them, but some of the *best* things they've ever done are tied up in their little brother. It's complicated and messy and... How could they be willing to give up everything when I worked so hard to teach them and get them there?

So, uh, thanks a lot for answering! I really loved reading through it! Your analysis is great as always.

So you're a go to source for all things Dick&Tim bros and you tend to write primarily from Dick's POV. So, odd question, but if you were to summarize their relationship from his POV in FIVE panels which panels would you pick? Keeping in mind that one specific aspect of their relationship that you love needs to be clearly represented by each panel (loyalty, trust etc). I hope this is a fun challenge and not an annoying question so if you don't want to answer that's cool! Have a wonderful day!

No more talk. The same thoughts run through two minds... (SotB 29) / You're my equal. My closest ally. (RR 1) / I can't stop thinking how much I rely on him. (GoG 3)

25 Feelings Dick Has About Tim

This was such a kind ask & a cool challenge which I totally failed; here are TWENTY-five panels of Dick's POV on Tim sdfdsfds Look, I got carried away! Marcia and Cindy! The boys!!

OKAY SO BEFORE I GET TO THE PANELS A FEW NOTES:

WARNING THAT THERE ARE SOME NEGATIVE EMOTIONS IN HERE because I love conflict but but but you gotta remember those are not the final word!! They are complicated people and sometimes they get mad at each other BUT ultimately their relationship is so hugely important in both their lives & they love each other and rely on each other so much -!!! <3

Also I have CONCLUDING THOUGHTS at the end about what Dick's POV leaves out (mostly: a lot of Dick defending & protecting & supporting Tim, which Dick does instinctively but isn't very self-aware about most of the time)

I have loosely organized my list into 5^5 format (5 categories with 5 examples each!), so if you want to skip to a relevant one, here are the categories!!

Below the cut:

I hate him and find him infuriating (#1-5)

On second thought, he's endearing & fun (#6-10)

Grief is complicated & he's all tangled up in mine (#11-15)

I love him & think highly of him (#16-20)

I rely on him & though it's hard for me, I trust him (#21-25)

Final thoughts a.k.a. if you ask Dick to tell you about Tim, you will be there all day and he will never once mention any of the times he saved Tim's life because they will genuinely not occur to him

I hate him and find him infuriating (#1 - 5)

1) He thinks he’s so smart and can psychoanalyze me and Bruce, but he doesn’t know me at all, he should get lost (New Titans 61)

2) He thinks he’s so smart and can psychoanalyze Bruce but he doesn’t know Bruce at all, he should get lost (Gotham Knights 26)

3) He is so nosy about stuff that is MY business (Robin 0)

4) He sounds like an insincere suck-up half the time... but okay, fine, if you push him he's got a sense of humor about it (New Titans 65)

5) I'm sure he's a better vigilante than me. It's my fault for being a failure, but I resent him anyway. (Nightwing 9 - Dick's having a nightmare)

On second thought, he's kinda endearing (#6-10)

6) He worries too much and gets anxious so easily, but it makes him fun to tease (Robin 67)

7) I'm not that competitive - okay, so maybe I'm a little competitive, I gotta make sure he doesn't get a swelled head (Prodigal)

8) I'm supposed to be his favorite! It is not cool for him to be fanboying over my not-girlfriend's not-boyfriend!! (Birds of Prey 19)

9) We have fun together. I can kick back and relax when it's just the two of us. Plus I get to boss him around a bit. (Prodigal)

10) He’s always trying to reassure me, and I guess it's a little comforting, but also he doesn’t really get it. Or me. He makes excuses that he shouldn't, because he doesn't understand that I suck. (Nightwing 64)

Grief is complicated and he's all tangled up in mine (#11 - 15)

11) He reminds me of everything I try not to think about. Sometimes the memories are so strong it hurts to look at him. (Batman 441)

12) WHY IS HE BEING IMPOSSIBLE ALL OF A SUDDEN??? THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING (Nightwing 139)

13) We're the same. He says all the things I don't let myself think about. It's like arguing with myself. (Nightwing 139)

14) He thinks he gets to tell me what to do but he doesn’t, fuck him (Battle for the Cowl)

15) Life sucks, so what. I sucked it up so he should too (RR 1)

I love him and think highly of him (#16 - 20)

16) He’s the closest thing to a brother I’ll ever have.  If someone hurts him I will hurt them harder. (Nightwing 6)

17) I can't handle the idea of losing him. (Nightwing 97)

17) He’s so good and I’m not. I'm afraid I’m bad for him. (Nightwing 110)

18) He’s better than me, and it’s kind of a relief because I know no matter what he’ll be okay. (Gates of Gotham 3)

19) In my head he’s the responsible one.  (Gotham Knights 10)

I rely on him, and though it's hard for me, I trust him (#20-25)

20) I know I have to trust him but I'm afraid he'll make the wrong choices and get hurt (Nightwing 139)

21) I'm sure I know what he should do because I see myself in him - not that I can take my own advice, but he should (Blackest Night 3)

22) I trust him.  When I’m losing my grip on things, he pulls me back. (Gotham Knights 10)

23) I want him to trust me (Red Robin 12)

24) He can tell when I'm lying. Sometimes he sees my weaknesses better than I wish he did. (Detective Comics 874)

25) He’s always there when I need him. (Teen Titans / Outsiders Secret Files)

Final rambling thoughts:

TIM: Uhh, okay, so I'm just skimming this list - do you really trust me? you're not just saying that? - but anyway, I'm confused because you left some stuff out? Like some stuff that's kinda important? DICK: No? I think I got everything? TIM (starts counting on his fingers): The time I was having a bad day but then I called you. The time I got captured by Two-Face but then you saved me. The time I fell off a train but then you saved me. The time I fell off a building but then you saved me. The time I fell off a different building - DICK: I feel like you're trying to make some kind of point but I'm not sure what it could be.

SO THE THING IS, I put 25 panels in here and not a single one has Dick catching Tim when he’s falling!!! But I think that's a central motif of their relationship from Tim’s POV, not Dick’s. I love Dick, but in some ways I think he is spectacularly un-self-aware.

And I think he especially has a lot of blind spots about Tim. He kinda intermittently gets that Tim admires him, and he enjoys it in a playful I-get-to-boss-you-around way. But Dick tends to consistently underestimate all of his own good qualities & skills, and he meets Tim at a point in his life when he's especially down on himself & his abilities. And so he's unable to see his own influence on Tim, & therefore unable to fully understand a lot of Tim's priorities and loyalties and motivations, because you can't actually understand Tim without understanding Dick's impact on him. There's a fascinating moment in Bruce Wayne: Murderer when Dick's completely blindsided & upset to discover that Tim doesn't entirely trust Bruce, even though this has been a definitive fact of Tim's whole thing ever since he showed up with his Batman needs Robin theory, and Barbara has to actively remind Dick of the obvious-to-everyone-except-Dick fact that a lot of Tim's loyalty is to Dick, and Tim loves Bruce but feels free to be more wary of him. (And to give Bruce credit: this is not something he ever begrudges.) But anyway Babs points this out, and Dick manages to sorta process it for about five seconds, but he cannot actually accept it into his worldview so instead he discards it at the speed of light and goes off and has an argument with Tim instead sdfsfdsf

All of Dick's virtues - Dick's kindness at the circus and Dick's determination to fight through grief and Dick's rigid sense of morals and Dick's vigilante skills and every time Dick has ever backed Tim up or listened to him or protected him or saved him from something or just been casually kind to a stranger in Tim's presence etc etc etc - all these things loom really large in Tim's mental story of Who Dick Is, and What Dick And Tim's Relationship Is. Tim meets Dick before he meets Bruce, trusts Dick more than Bruce, aspires to be Robin instead of Batman. And so in Tim's default version of the story, Dick is the super-special and admirable hero and Tim is... nobody in particular, a tagalong outsider who's barely managing to be a hero, not part of Dick and Bruce's family and not part of their story, who, if he's VERY LUCKY and tries REALLY HARD, might be able to fight his way to proving himself and offering something to Dick that Dick will value, if Dick doesn't get fed up with him first.

But that's not Dick's version of the story!!!

Dick's version of the story is almost the exact opposite, a story where Dick's an outcast failure black sheep who's screwing up everything he tries, and meanwhile Tim is The Sudden New Perfect Robin Who's Better Than Me And Probably Bruce Loves Him More And Probably They Gossip About What A Loser I Am, mixed with a complicated edge of Tim Thinks He's So Smart But He Doesn't Know Me/Us At All. Dick gets much more attached to Tim over time, and Tim gets unnervingly better at the know-it-all psychoanalysis so then Dick gets to have complicated feelings about him being right instead of just annoyance at him for being wrong, plus Dick's relationship with Bruce improves a lot, so Tim stops feeling so threatening. But Dick never fundamentally changes his basic theory of their relationship in which Tim is highly impressive and capable, and Dick is not so much.

And so asking Dick about Tim is kinda like if you asked George Bailey to tell you about Harry Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life; like, you'll be there for five hours while he tells you how great Harry is, and how accomplished Harry is, and how he doesn't really get how or why Harry does the things he does, and maybe George does feel a little resentful or jealous sometimes, but that pales in comparison to all his admiration and trust for Harry who he loves so much, who's better than him in so many ways, and he's not gonna openly gripe but secretly he can't help but feel sometimes like he's such a failure in comparison to Harry, a perfect person who emerged fully formed from Zeus's head with all the virtues and also all the accomplishments, etc. etc. etc. --

-- and he will not actually remember the part where he changed and saved Harry's whole entire life unless you literally send him to an alternate timeline in order to force him to remember it. <3