#and ready for a real vacation without having to work or sleep in the bed my stepfather died in

[kfedup]

Lila and I went to the Wrentham outlets to shop for a dress for her to wear to my niece’s graduation and I’m good, I don’t need to go to an outlet again for another ten years. In fact, I despise clothes shopping. But, I did find a pair of pants and a top at Banana Republic and a pair of Lucky jeans for half off, so that was a plus. So much easier to find what works when you can try it on, but so hard to find anything that works when you’re forced to try it on in a little closet with the worst lighting on the planet highlighting all the ways age and gravity and that cookie addiction is playing high and loose with your body. Shopping is terrible and I don’t understand people who enjoy it enough to purposely spend time doing it for fun. 

Also, the air quality was completely fucked from the Nova Scotia fire smoke - hazy yellow sky that made it feel like it’s 15 degrees warmer than it actually is, and the taste of burnt universe in our mouths. Weirdly a half hour south in Bridgewater, it’s fine, with a deep blue sky and the smell of freshly cut grass and the Black Locust trees in full bloom filling the air with their intense fragrance. 

After shopping I required a 20-minute power nap in which I fell to the very bottom of the lake. Now, I’m at the dining room table attempting to engage my brain enough to do some work, listening to the traffic that’s primarily made up of diesel four-door pickup trucks that race down the 35 mph residential street going at least double that, and often much faster. Many have Trump signs and giant American flags mounted to the back, unfurled behind them, snapping in the wind. Even in this blue state, so many Trumpsters. 

It’s so crazy to me that in the 70s and 80s we all (dozens of neighborhood kids) played in the street every day - riding bikes and skateboards, bouncing on our pogo sticks, jumping rope, stopping our endless street hockey game to move the net every now and again to let a neighbor pass on their way home from the grocery store or work or to crowd around the ice cream truck to buy banana and root beer popsicles and sherbet cannonballs with bubble gum balls melted and gooey in the bottom of the plastic cone. Now there’s a car every ten seconds or less at rush hour and a steady stream the rest of the day and the trunks of the once-young Maples we climbed in the front yard are too big to get our arms around. 

I’m trying to tie this up neatly, but I think I need to let that idea go and move on to the client work I keep avoiding, so enjoy this thematically-challenged post about too many things, or don’t, as @thecasaofjulesie2 would say – I’m not the boss of you. 

[harryforvogue]

harry and mia on their first vacation together <333 smutty because it's harry and mia duh! 2k words

***

The first time Harry and Mia ACTUALLY go on vacation, it's months after they get back together, and it's Harry's idea.

Of course Mia agrees, but she's not quite sure what she's agreed to.

Because as far her knowledge of Harry traveling goes, the first thing to get checked in is his laptop bag. Harry has always brought work along with him, even when she was his submissive. And that always irked her, but no matter how much she used to complain about it, he never really changed his ways.

So when Harry suggests the vacation with just them two to a nice, quiet place, Mia's jaw is on the floor when Harry doesn't even take his laptop with him.

She eyes him as he's locking his door. 

"What is it?" he asks, reaching for his luggage. "I said the Uber will be here in a bit. Just two minutes. I know you can wait two minutes."

"I'm not that impatient," Mia says, though she was definitely annoyed moments ago when he told her that the Uber was going to be a few minutes late. "Are you sure you have everything?"

Harry frowns, looking at his carry on and suitcase. "I'm pretty sure. Why? Are you missing something? It’s not too late to run in and grab it.”

“No, no. I’m just…confused. So you’re not bringing work with you?”

Harry blinks. “No. I’m going on vacation.”

“But you always bring work with you.”

He frowns deeper. “But I’m going on vacation.”

“Without your laptop.”

“Exactly.”

“I am just concerned.”

“For what reason, Mia?”

“Because you always bring work with you.”

“Do you want me to bring work with me? On our first ever vacation together?”

“Of course not. And we’ve done vacations together.”

“Those didn't count.”

“Why not?”

“Because I brought work with me.”

Mia suddenly smiles. She hears the car pull up to Harry’s driveway behind her. She loops her arm around Harry’s and rests her chin on his shoulder, looking up at his with innocent eyes. “So for the whole week, you’re not working? No phone calls, no emails, nothing?”

Harry shakes his head, tapping her bottom lip with his thumb. “Just you and me.”

And he stands by his word. In fact, Mia’s not sure she sees him on his phone at all for the entirety of the week aside from looking at Google Maps and researching places he wants to visit.

And the truth is that Harry really doesn’t have a lot of places in mind for visiting. He mostly looks up dinner places and cafes he thinks Mia will like. Every night, he sends her a list of them and lets her pick the best one in the morning, but aside from that, there’s no real planning on either of their ends.

Mia, however, quickly learns that she very much likes the person Harry is on vacation.

He wears loose shorts and flowy button down shirts. His hair falls onto his forehead in curtains, and he tans very quickly, the freckles on his face reappearing after quite some time. He always has sunglasses on, either perched in his hair or on his face, and despite the casualness about his attire and mood, she finds it all so incredibly attractive.

Every morning at the hotel, she wakes up to a nearly naked Harry in between the sheets. Something about hotels makes Harry needy, which is something she already knew, but the occurrence is always so pleasant. He’s all long tanned legs and golden bare chest beside her, one arm slung over her stomach, his face pressed against her hair as he sleeps. He looks so peaceful.

When he wakes up, his eyes still unfocused and curls unruly, he smiles sleepily at her, and despite how sticky it is from the sweat and humidity, Mia doesn’t mind when he kisses her softly, holding her jaw between his hands. When he showers and returns in his vacation clothing, his face smoothly shaved, Mia feels as if she’s losing her mind.

Mia watches him put his shoes on. She’s still in bed when he gets ready because no vacation will ever prompt her to get out of bed earlier than him (even though he’s also “sleeping in”). She holds the duvet to her bare chest and stares at him.

“I think,” Mia says, “that I find you ever hotter like this than I do when you wear a suit.”

“I’m always in a suit.”

“Mm. Lucky me.”

Harry looks over his shoulder and smiles. “Go get changed and pick a place to eat, yeah? It’s so late, we might as well do brunch.”

She pushes the duvet off of her and stretches, aware of Harry’s eyes on her. She walks around him, fluffing his hair as she goes. When she returns from her own shower in a sundress and her hair wet, Harry looks at her the way she imagines she looks at him.

Because another thing she’s learned about Harry during their first official vacation together is that when work isn’t on his mind, she is. Specifically Mia naked in his bed under him.

And Mia doesn’t mind at all. He’s more handsy than usual, more flirty. More often than not, the hand on her waist or back travels down to her ass, and his eyes that are usually very attentive when she speaks often slip down to her mouth or neck, distracted.

“It’s the fucking dresses,” Harry groans, reaching for her whens he comes out of the bathroom. “They’re so short.” He makes her straddle his lap on the hotel bed. “Gives me such…easy access.” To prove it, he runs his hands over her thighs, inching higher and higher.

“That’s the point,” Mia murmurs, leaning in for a kiss. His fingers grip her skin tighter when she twirls her fingers against his hair, pressing herself closer to her. 

“And the bras,” he whispers, grabbing her hair and pulling her head back to expose her throat. She whimpers when he presses hot kisses to her neck. “Or the lack thereof.”

“Don’t use fancy words right now. I'm too horny to think."

He only laughs and tightens his grip on her hair. She whines again, her breath coming faster. He drags his tongue up the column of her throat, making her tremble in his lap. She’s already unbuttoning his shirt when he grabs her waist and flips her over onto the mattress.

Mia’s working on removing her dress when Harry stops her, shaking his head. “Leave it on.”

She drops her hand, letting him turn her over again so her face is in the sheets. “Fuck,” she groans, grabbing them. She hears Harry rip a condom packet, and she impatiently waits until his hands are back on her, flipping her bright yellow dress up. He doesn’t even bother taking her underwear off. It seems like he’s impatient too from the way he pushes her underwear to the side and slides into her.

Mia closes her eyes, her moan muffled into the duvet. He’s holding her hips firmly, moving her against him rather than pushing into her. She likes it, letting him do as he pleases because it feels too good to stop him.

Harry is absolutely insatiable. He needs to fuck her or make her come on his fingers or mouth multiple times a day. This will be the first of today. He woke up needing her so bad after a night of her ass pressed against his crotch, her soft sighs, and her pouty mouth, and he knew they wouldn't leave the hotel this morning without having sex at least once. Most of the time, he’s gentle and needy and careful with her, but sometimes, like now, he requires something else.

So he lets go of her waist and uses his free hand to gather her hair up in a ponytail and pull her up slightly.

Her fingers flex against the sheets, hot, white pleasure coursing through her. “Fuck, Harry,” she cries, crying out when he picks up his pace. “Always feel so good.”

Harry loves when he fucks Mia so well that she’s only able to say a few words at most, her brain barely able to keep up. It’s exactly how he himself feels, but it’s so much hotter to him when Mia tries to talk to him when he’s that deep inside of her, being that rough.

“Yeah?” he murmurs, tightening the hold on her hair. “Always feels this good when I fuck you, Mia?”

“Mhm,” she gasps. “Always. Always.”

He fucks her from the back for a while, enjoying her strained whimpers into the mattress, before letting go of her hair and slowly pulling out. “Turn over, baby.”

She does, shakily, and looks at him with so much love in her grey eyes when he leans down to kiss her forehead. He slides back into her and her arms immediately go around his neck, reaching up to kiss him again and again until it feels too good and she can’t keep up with him. She’s moaning against his mouth, kissing away all the swears he mumbles against her lips.

“Harry,” she whispers, though it sounds like a plea. He lazily drags a hand down to her throat, wrapping around it. His other hand tenderly cradles the back of her head.

“Mia,” he says back, kissing her jaw hungrily, making way up to her ear. He gives a slight bite, making her legs tremble. He can’t hold his orgasm back, dropping his head to the pillow beside her own head, wary of the hand around neck. For a brief moment, he finds himself lost in the blinding pleasure, and when he comes to, Mia’s on the verge herself.

“Please,” she whispers, as if he’d ever deny her. He kisses her hard.

When she’s about to come, Harry drops the hand around her neck to gently thumb her clit and she cries out sharply. She squeezes him tight, making him bite back his own groan and thank his past self for getting a room with soundproof walls. She has tears in her eyes when she’s finished, and Harry gently pries her aching fingers away from his hair, which she’s gripped very tight during her orgasm.

He kisses her fingers, then her palm, her wrist, and all the way up to her elbow, making her quietly giggle. She watches him pull out, discard the condom, and return to her, kneeling beside her on the bed.

Harry gently pushes her hair out of her face, clipping the stray tendrils back again. “You’re so fucking pretty, my love,” he says, in awe. “Look at you. Absolutely insane to me how pretty you are.”

Her hair is fanned out on the pillow, her pale skin slightly red from where he held it, her chest flushed. She smiles so beautifully up at him when he runs the back of his knuckles against her cheek and leans down to kiss her again, softly this time. 

“It’s the dress, I think,” she tells him, taking his hand when he helps her up. Her legs are still too shaky to actually stand on.

“Partly, but mostly it is you.”

“I, um, may need a minute before we go out. Or ten.”

“Anything you want.”

Harry makes sure she’s able to sit upright herself before he plugs in the hair dryer and kneels behind her on the bed, gently running his fingers through her damp hair as he dries it. Every so often, he’ll lean down to press wet kisses to her neck, making her shiver. When her hair is mostly dry, he’ll turn off the dryer, and hop off the bed.

He holds her chin up, grinning. “Ready to go?”

Mia nods. “Let’s go before I make you do all that again.”

He kisses her once more, so lovingly that she feels like crying. “You know I’d never mind, baby.”

[mrs-johansson]

Strangers in the night - Scarlett Johansson x Fem!Reader

Part 21:

“That was amazing guys. Let’s do it one more time and we’re all done for the week,” Greta said from behind all the cameras and we all got back to our starting spots. “And action!” She yelled out and everyone was focused on their lines.

Speaking over each other, bumping into each other, working out every little thing that Greta asked for the scene.

“Christopher Columbus, look at that,” I walked in front of the painting, Timothée joining me. “That’s my grandfather. Are you scared of him?” He asked with a calm tone. “No, I’m not scared of anyone. He looks stern, but my grandfather was much more handsome,” I said. “Jo! We do not compare grandfathers,” spoke Laura from behind us and that was our cue to turn around surprised.

***

“When are you coming back?” Asked Flo as she was laying on my hotel room bed while I was packing a bag. “In a week. I won’t be needed for that time anyway,” I said. “Ah that’s a shame, but tell Scarlett happy birthday for me. What did you get her by the way?” She asked while munching away on her dinner. “I made a painting for her because she wanted one for a while now. I got her a bunch of little things, like new sunglasses because she broke her favorite pair, a necklace, stuff like that. And booked us a 5-day vacation between Christmas and New Year’s. I checked with her assistant and she doesn’t have anything booked and Rose will be with her dad, so we’re free to go.” “Aw, that’s nice. Where are you guys going?” “The Maldives. I haven’t had a real vacation all year and neither did she so I think we both deserve it,” I said and Florence nodded with a smile. “Yeah. I can’t believe you guys are going to be together for a year soon. It’s crazy, isn’t it?” She said and I was quick to let the smile loose on my face and think about my relationship. Oh, how I love my girl. “How you were pursuing me to get together with her because we were supposed to do a lesbian drama together?” I smirked and laughed after Flo’s face dropped. “Okay, now that’s not true,” she pointed her finger at me and I spread my arms with a smile. “Well, it worked, didn’t it?”

Hours later Florence was kind enough to drive me to the airport and after a quick goodbye, I was on my way back home, ready to kiss my girlfriend and see little Rose running around my living room.

Rolling my suitcase out with a hat on my head, trying to be very low profile, and find Scarlett quickly. As I exited the building I called Scar, looking around the parking lot. “Hey, are you out yet?” Spoke my girlfriend on the phone. “Yeah, I’m at exit B. Where are you?” I asked and the next second her car pulled up in front of me and the window started rolling down. “I could’ve spotted you from the other side of the parking lot,” she said as she hung up the call and I walked closer to the car. “No, you couldn’t, you can barely see without glasses,” I put my suitcase in the back and jumped into the passenger seat. Scarlett’s hand quickly found mine. “Hi,” I leaned to kiss her cheek, but she made sure that I gave a kiss to her lips also. “Missed you,” I mumbled against her soft skin. Looked from her lips to her eyes and I just fell in love with her eyes again and again. They are so inviting and warm and so seductive the way she could look. “I missed you too. Couldn’t really sleep without you,” she said, making me smile giddily. “Yeah?” Her eyes were just stuck to my lips and I could never get enough of that. She was magnetic, pulling me in with only a look.

But the next moment ruined the vibe very swiftly. Camera flashes lit up the car during the early hours of the New York night. Scarlett let out a heavy sigh before we both settled into our seats and she drove off with a huff. I took hold of her right hand and planted a soft kiss on the back of it. “Relax, baby. Frowning attracts wrinkles,” I said and a small smile pulled on her lips. “What, you’ll leave me once I have wrinkles?” She suggested jokingly and I chuckled while shaking my head. “I will love you and your wrinkles until my last breath, babe. Remember that when you first have wrinkles.”

About a 40-minute drive later we finally pulled up to my house. It was 10 pm already so I was a little tired but I wanted to spend all my time with Scarlett while I was here.

I brought my suitcase up to my room and then rushed down the stairs. Scarlett moved around the kitchen, looking for something edible but to her luck I cleaned out the fridge before I left so I wouldn’t come home to a rotten kitchen.

Quietly snuck up on her and wrapped my arms around her waist and left small kisses on the back of her neck and shoulders. Her hands held onto mine which was secure on her stomach while a light chuckle left her mouth. “What are we gonna eat? There’s nothing here,” she said but I couldn’t really care less about food. “We’ll order something,” I leaned my head against her back, closing my eyes and letting myself soak in the warmth of her body. “You’re very clingy, everything okay?” Scarlett asked rightfully because I’m not always this touchy. “I’m just happy to be home,” I mumbled. “Yet you’re not hugging your couch,” she chuckled but I just turned her in my arms and leaned on her shoulder, nuzzling my face into her neck. “You’re my home, you crazy woman,” I said, her arms wrapping around my shoulders. “I love you with all my heart baby,” said Scarlett then leaving a kiss on the top of my head. “And I love you forever.”

Soon we ordered some food and watched a movie. My choice was Grown ups but I was quickly shut down so we watched Dirty Dancing for the 100 time. I swear Scarlett acts like it’s her first time watching every single time but she’s cute about it so I don’t mind it.

We took a long shower and it was 1 am when we finally got to bed. I basically pulled the cover up to my ears and turned towards Scarlett. She was on her phone, just going through some emails before she put her phone down for good. “How’s the skincare stuff going? Any progress?” I asked and she nodded. “I found a potential business partner, so it’s coming together. If that works out we’ll have a great deal and it should be fine from then,” she explained and closed her phone, putting it on the charger.

Moved her pillow just a little closer to mine then got under the covers, wrapping her arms around me. “This is my favorite moment in the day,” I said with my eyes already closed, snuggling my face closer to her neck. “Yeah, mine too.”

***

Waking up in the morning I was very tired. It was 7 am when my eyes shot open and I couldn’t go back to sleep at all. I looked over at Scarlett to see her still fast asleep, so I got out of bed as gently as possible and pressed a soft kiss on her head before getting dressed and brushing my teeth, getting my hair ready before making my way to the grocery store.

Got enough food for the remaining days of my stay. I thought I’d make some great breakfast for Scarlett’s birthday tomorrow, so I got the ingredients for that. Bought some wine and a couple of candles for my bedroom because I’ve used up all of that was there. After paying I packed everything in the car and made my way home but as I was stuck at a red light, Scarlett’s small picture popped up on the console screen.

“Good morning,” I picked up the call with a small smile. “Where are you? It's 9 in the morning,” Scarlett’s raspy, heavy morning voice rang through the car as I drove on the streets of Manhattan. “I was at the store but I’ll be home in like 10 minutes. Did you sleep okay?” I asked. “Yeah, would’ve been better if you were here but it’s fine.” “Sorry, I just got some food and stuff. I’ll be there soon though.”

Once I got home, Scarlett was already sitting in the kitchen, drinking her coffee. I made breakfast for the two of us then we answered some emails and I approved some of the fresh cuts from Jojo Rabbit.

In the afternoon I made sure everything was set for Scar’s birthday dinner. I asked whether she wanted something smaller with a few close friends or more like a party thing, and to my surprise she asked for the party so I made sure to invite everyone she requested. I still haven’t met a lot of her friends so I was a bit nervous but I was happy to finally meet them.

Rose sadly only arrives on my last day in New York but it’s still better than nothing. So Scarlett suggested we stay home and hang out, rather than going somewhere public.

The next day rolled around quickly and when my eyes opened in the morning I was way too excited. Scarlett was obviously still sleeping so I gently slipped out of bed and made my way to the kitchen. I thought through the whole breakfast that I’d like to make for Scarlett’s birthday. It’s our first birthday together and I just wanted to go all out.

I made the fanciest breakfast I could think of that Scarlett liked. I prepared mimosas with the prettiest cutlery and plates that I had. And by the time I was finished, it was already 10 am so I went upstairs to wake Scarlett up.

She was wrapped up in the covers like it was freezing cold in the room and it obviously wasn’t. The blinds were still closed off, not a single source of light in the room. I got on my knees next to the bed and brushed a piece of hair out of her face, smiling like an idiot. I love this woman with my whole being.

“Scar,” I said softly. Put my hand on her shoulder and brushed along her arm. “Wake up baby,” I tried again then her eyebrows furrowed slightly before she let out a deep sigh. “It's morning already? We just went to sleep,” Scarlett murmured, her voice very deep and raspy. A smile pulled on my lips as she said those words, and even though she didn’t see me yet I nodded. “Yeah, it’s 10 actually. Slept well?” I asked but she still didn’t open her eyes. “Mhm,” Scar pulled the covers off herself a bit and turned to her back. I sat on the edge of the bed, putting a hand on Scarlett’s side to hold myself up. “Happy Birthday baby,” I leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Thank you,” her hand blindly found mine and placed it on her stomach as she kept her eyes closed. “I’ve made breakfast,” I said and she opened one eye, eyebrows furrowed. “Really?” I nodded to her question then she closed her eyes once again making me chuckle. “Get ready, and downstairs,” I left a kiss on her cheek before I got up. “You’re the best,” heard Scarlett say as I walked out of the room. “Just for you, love.”

I already started plating our food when I heard footsteps on the stairs. “Whatever you made, smells good,” Scarlett said as she entered the kitchen before I felt her arm being wrapped around my waist then a kiss on the side of my head. “Here,” I handed her a mimosa and grabbed one for myself. My free hand rested on her shoulder as she patiently waited for my next move. “I love you and I hope everything you wish for will come true. You’re amazing and I’m honored to spend this day with you. I love you. Happy birthday my love,” I said, short and sweet. Leaned in to give her a long kiss, purring all my love into it before Scarlett smiled into the kiss and we pulled away. “I love you and thank you. I wouldn’t want to spend this day with anyone else.”

We sat down at the table and had breakfast in peace. It was a lovely thing really. Very quiet music was playing from the radio in the kitchen and we had light conversations and just soaked in the moment. Scarlett praised my cook all along and I was just happy she liked it. I wanted her to know how much I appreciate and love her, and sometimes my only way with that is food.

“So, first gift, are you ready?” I asked once both of our plates were empty and we had time to relax. Her hand fell off my knee as I stood up and walked behind her to get the painting I made for her. “First? Baby, you really didn’t have to,” she insisted and I just shook my head as I pulled out the wrapped-up canvas. “I didn’t but I did at the same time.”

Got back to the kitchen and stood beside her as she now turned her chair outward and looked up at me. “Please tell me you painted something,” she said with a smile and I just checked before handing it over. “Well, open it,” I shrugged and stood behind her, putting my hands on her shoulders as she ripped the wrapping off then when she saw the popping colors she let out a relieved sigh. “Wow… this is beautiful. I’m still amazed that you can do things like this. Thank you,” she grabbed my hand and planted a kiss on the back of it. “You said you wanted something in the dining room, so I tried to make something that fits in there aesthetically.” “Yes, this is perfect. I love the peaches, it’s amazing.” “I’m glad you like it,” I gave a kiss on the top of her head. She slid the painting away carefully then looked up at me, and pulled me in front of her. “Honestly, I don’t even need anything else,” her smile was everything. Scarlett’s hands were on my thighs, running up and down my skin. “But you will, I thought out everything very well,” I said and she shook her head with a sigh before she pulled me down onto her lap. “I have everything I need right here,” she said gently, although a seductive smile pulled on her lips, and her hands slid up to my bum. I chuckled and shook my head lightly. “Is that a subtle hint for my ass or…” I let the end of the sentence linger and Scarlett just rolled her eyes then put a hand on the back of my head and pulled me down into a kiss.

Her touch was soft but her kiss was passionate and fierce. My hands quickly found their way to her shoulders, before one of them slid to the back of her head, my fingers tangling in her short hair. I pushed myself a little on my tippy toes, and slowly started to grind my hips, kissing her deeply. Scarlett hummed against my lips, her hands sliding around my waist, pushing me down on her lap.

My hands trailed down on her chest, fingers tangling in her hair as she whispered, "I want you." With a smirk, I whispered back, "For what, may I ask?" Scarlett’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she replied, "To make my birthday even sweeter."

I smiled, kissing her soft, plump lips once again. She did not waste any time to take my shirt off, letting it fall by her chair. Her hands eagerly explored every inch of my exposed skin, with her mouth following suit, leaving a trail of kisses and gentle bites.

My breath hitched as I arched into her touch, her fingers digging into my back. My boobs rose and fell with each ragged breath, my eyes darkening with desire as she placed one of my nipples between her lips, causing me to gasp and arch further into her.

Her hands explored every inch of my body, tracing every curve and dip until she reached my shorts, which she slowly slid down my legs along with my underwear. Allowing her, I lifted myself to help her remove them completely, revealing my naked body to her.

She watched the way the light of the room danced across my skin, highlighting every contour. With a soft moan, I reached for her, pulling her closer and pressing my lips against hers. My wetness was evident against her thigh as I pressed myself against Scarlett.

Her hands landed on my hips, pressing me down onto her thigh, allowing me to grind against her. My soft whimpers filled the room as I moved with increasing urgency, my body responding to her touch. As her hands moved my hips at a slow, agonizing pace, her lips sucked hungrily at my neck, leaving a trail of kisses down my collarbone.

"Please," I gasped, my voice barely above a whisper. "Faster."

She obliged, increasing the pressure and speed of her movements and feeling my body tremble in response. With each movement, her name became a desperate plea on my lips, my breath coming in short gasps as I surrendered to the pleasure she was giving me.

My nails dug into her back, my body arching in pleasure as I cried out her name in a mix of pleasure and desperation.

"You want to come, baby?'' Scarlett whispered in my ear, teasingly, as she felt my body shudder with anticipation. All I could give in response was a breathless nod, my eyes pleading for release as she continued to push me closer to the edge.

Her grip on me tightened, helping me speed up as I finally reached my peak, my body trembling in pure bliss as my eyes rolled back, lost in the overwhelming sensation of pleasure.

"You’re doing so good for me," she encouraged me softly, feeling a sense of satisfaction as I finally found release in her arms.

As I came down from my high, she held me close, kissing my forehead gently as I caught my breath. I stood up from her lap, my legs a little wobbly but I pulled her up from the chair and led her to the couch, pushing her down on her back.

“Your turn.” My hands explored her body as I sucked on her neck. She couldn't help but let out a soft moan of pleasure.

Pulling her underwear down, she lifted herself slightly to allow me access, eagerly anticipating the pleasure I was about to give her in return.

With each caress and kiss, I felt her surrendering completely to me. "Please, Y/n," she gasped. My fingers expertly found their way to where she needed them most, sending waves of pleasure through her body.

As I circled her clit with just the right amount of pressure, she arched her back in ecstasy, unable to contain the overwhelming sensations she was feeling.

“Baby, your fingers," she moaned, wanting them inside of her. My fingers slid inside her effortlessly, matching the rhythm of her body's response.

"You're so perfect," I whispered, my voice husky, nipping her jawline as I continued to please her. The combination of my words and touch drove her wild, pushing her closer to the edge of release.

Her walls clenched around my fingers, her breaths coming in short gasps as she surrendered to the intense pleasure building inside her. My skilled touch and whispered words sent her over the edge, her body trembling with the force of her climax.

As she collapsed back against the couch, panting, I couldn't help but marvel at how effortlessly beautiful Scarlett was.

"Come here baby," she whispered, pulling me into her arms and kissing me deeply. Straddling her, I smiled down at her, "I'm not done with you yet, love."

My swollen lips brushed against hers as I leaned in for another kiss, my hands already starting to explore her body once more. I moved her legs to allow my sensitive clit to meet hers, sending a surge of pleasure through both of us. The room filled with the sounds of heavy breathing and soft moans as we both lost ourselves in each other, completely consumed by desire.

"Baby, go faster," she gasped, unable to control the overwhelming sensations coursing through her body.

I picked up the pace, my movements becoming more urgent as we both raced towards ecstasy.

As the intensity grew, I felt a wave of euphoria building inside me, pushing me closer to the edge. Scarlett’s breath hitched as she matched my pace, her own pleasure evident in the way her body responded to mine.

With one final thrust, we both reached the peak of pleasure, exploding in a shared moment of pure bliss and our juices mingling in a beautiful, messy symphony. As I collapsed on top of Scarlett, the scent of sweat and sex lingered around us.

“Happy Birthday baby.”

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y/n_cole: happy birthday to my Scarly💐🌼 you’re the coolest and sweetest person ever, I love you lots✨❤️ thank god you didn’t get snapped away🕷️❤️

tchalamet not the Infinity War shade👀

y/n_cole it was a must!

florencepugh That cake! Iconic!🍒

y/n_cole I love to be appreciative😌

natasharomanoffsupremacy Y/n is just like us, a huge simp for Scarlett

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Y/n’s painting for Scarlett

[where-dreamers-go]

"Summer Dreams And Warm Emotions" Dick Grayson x Reader

(A/N: Welcome to Part 6 for the soulmate au series for 60s Robin! Just in time for the middle of summer. This goes through the pair’s summer vacation while Reader is staying at the beach outside of Gotham City. These two have a lot on their minds while away from school and each other. They’re teenagers, so I wonder what’s on their mind? Or who?

Honestly, I’ve had notes ready, but started writing after I got back into reading books for fun.

Warnings: Some angst. Reader has social anxiety? Fluff. Use of (Y/N). Using the older name of: starfish instead of sea star.(If I left it in there.) Food selection made.

Word Count: 10,127 words)

<- Previous

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Salty air of an early afternoon breeze welcomed you through an open window, cleansing the bedroom you were to share with your good friend Charlotte.

What a start of summer vacation! No dark cloud in the sky nor unsavory sights in the house.

I’d prefer my bed, but this isn’t bad at all.

A long way from Gotham City, you were given clarity and space from others’ loud opinions. Even if those with the loudest preferences traveled with you; the change in scenery preoccupied their thoughts.

Two months of sand, fun, sleep, an no street lights shining in at night, you thought happily as you unpacked your plush Sir Hopps. You had debated with yourself whether or not to bring your small blue and trusted companion along for the trip. There remained a sliver of guilt at considering leaving without him.

Your plush was dear to you. Why stop bringing Sir Hopps along when you had always done so?

The strange duality of change and sameness followed you from Gotham City. An air of familiarity with a scheduled vacation carried spots of reminders of what you left behind. Who you left in the city, with scarcely a well-worded farewell, to ponder on growing relations.

It’s like nothing happened, but . . . I know who’s emotions I feel every day now.

The thoughts, knowledge of your soulmate, made you smile unabashedly. You truly happy to know him. Grateful even. Dick Grayson was a friend you held dear to your heart; a hidden gem you were surprised to find.

Parting from him still played in your mind since you left his tight embrace.

It’s almost like a strange dream. You thought, watching the palm leafs sway outside. Hopefully I won’t have to remind myself it’s real. From school days to beach days.

Stretching your limbs relieved some discomfort from the car ride. Long hours of listening to the radio and conversing excessively was finally behind you. A summer of whatever you pleased lay ahead; restricted to the beach of course. You were a teenager not a bird.

From down the hall, you heard Charlotte’s mother announce gleefully how she was to walk down the beach, eager to see it.

Pushing your luggage to the end of the bed, you quickly changed into sandals. You were not yet ready for a swim, but you definitely wanted to see how the area may have changed.

“You coming?” Charlotte appeared at the door, all ready changed into her swimwear.

“Yeah.” You snatched a hat and left Sir Hopps to test out the bed.

Outdoors, a warm summer day surrounded you. A mixture of various tree species decorated the area around the beach house. Tall grass gave way to well-worn paths; an easy marker to find a popular location.

Happily thrilled to not be at work, Charlotte’s mother led the way over a short wooden bridge. A functional decoration your guardian had made fun of in the past for its lack of grandeur.

Thankfully, for the bridge’s sake, your guardian had volunteered to sort food into the kitchen. Likely an excuse to do it themselves or make a call to reassure someone of all of your arrival. Perhaps all of the above.

Ahead of you, Charlotte gasped, “People are surfing.”

Softly shuffling through the sand, you gazed into the distance and beheld more blue water in sight than people.

“Do you see them?” Charlotte asked and hurried closer to the shoreline.

Uh, you thought as a splash caught your attention.

“Were they far left of the rocks?” You asked, unsure.

“They were right there.” She urged, stopping before she reached the wet sand.

“I’m sure there will be plenty of time to watch surfers, volleyball players, and the like. We have all summer.” Her mother pointed out with a calm air.

Charlotte does not get the majority of her personality from her mom. You smiled at the thought.

She kicked at the sand and resumed her inspection as someone paddled through the water.

Well, you thought, at least the surfer is okay. Your sandals made prints atop of the sand as you headed to the right. The tide doesn’t look high right now.

Not far from sight of your friend, you ventured to the tide pools. A decent sized area with dark rocky surfaces trapping water and hopefully home to some sea creatures. A curious and always surprising spot to visit.

Cautious near slippery rocks and unseen animals, you got a closer look. An enclosed, wondrous little world was there to greet you. Tiny fish dodge any would-be dangers and a starfish clung to the side of a rock. Natural beauty free to see.

A light breeze returned to tickle your skin with fresh air.

You smiled again. You could almost laugh with the emotions overtaking your being. All positive with feeling more free to discover, go your own pace, touch the world, make any expression, and feel alive. The vacation had it all laid out before you. Any day of the week.

A slight flip of warm emotion, familiar, made itself known in your chest.

Lifting your gaze up, you smiled towards the horizon.

I wish Dick could see this place, you thought, hoping he knew you were happy. He could even meet Charlotte. That’d be entertaining.

Your thoughts veered back to when you parted ways for the summer break. All mixed emotions and words; you kind of wished you had told Dick more.

Told him, what? You sighed.

Some emotions were nameless and descriptions proved difficult in your mind. Being young meant your future held many learning opportunities. Perhaps experiencing more would aid you in recognizing feelings.

No matter how new and complex your emotions, you knew your soulmate was on your side.

✧ ✧ ✧

Back inside the stately Wayne Manor, Dick Grayson sat on the end corner of his bed. Calm, thoughtful, and slightly restless. He couldn’t concentrate in the living room or even Bruce’s private study.

Routines remained upheld even when the young ward would rather talk to you than memorize another Latin verb.

Dick Grayson’s mind was busy. No book or old toy plane in his room could gain his attention. An unfinished puzzle sat atop of a wooden board in a corner of his bedroom, a firm reminder of who he was missing those early summer days.

The familiar warmth of your voice that made him smile, how your hand fit comfortably with his own when you needed each other, your stories that grabbed his full attention, and hugs he never wanted to end were all cherished memories while you were away on a beach vacation. Without school days, it became difficult to think of anything else with his free time besides Robin duties and a soulmate’s bond.

Too bad that storm showed up, Dick thought. I don’t know what else we would’ve talked about, but it still would’ve been nice. He glanced down at your essay beside him on his bed. I wonder if they’d be nervous if I read their essay—while they were here.

Dick smiled at the mental image of you sitting in his room while eagerly awaiting his review of your end of year paper.

Exhaling quietly, he leaned back on his hands.

No homework or studying. We didn’t get much of that. He thought back to the day you two went out for milkshakes and how he drove you both back to the manor. We had to ask Bruce what we could do. Shaking his head with a smile, he remembered his first outing with you. I don’t think I’d ever had so much fun at a baseball game. Gosh, we barely knew each other then. His face warmed at the thought. At least it’s not all work. We can even have fun in a library!

Again, Dick pictured you in his room. All curious to his belongings and keepsakes. Questions on the tip of your tongue and a thin sweater the prettiest shade of ocean blue.

But his soulmate was not there. Not even a phone call to hear your voice. No number to memorize and a call to tell you that he hoped you were having fun.

Imagining you having a bright grin at some beach, somewhere, could almost mask how much he truly missed being with you.

It didn’t always work, especially for a teenager with growing feelings for his soulmate.

What a predicament.

A sliver of cold covered his fingertips.

Being alone made Dick Grayson greatly aware of himself. His breathing and even the feel of his socks were more noticeable. It was quiet, no distractions except for his own mind. His own excited curiosity of what his soulmate could be doing and what could be.

Dick no longer had a nameless shape of a person in mind, he knew you.

They could be doing anything right now, he thought while pulling at the corner of your essay papers. Maybe not anything like singing in front of a crowd or causing trouble.

He sighed.

I could be doing something besides sitting here.

Of course there was the obvious: to read your paper.

The youth had been looking forward to reading your paper since you offered. It had sat in his bedroom for days. Yet he wondered if he should wait, to keep it for a later time; like a surprise treat from you.

He couldn’t talk to you or see you during the summer. Your essay was the closest thing to hearing from you. Waiting to read it on a day he particularly missed you could prove to be helpful in the long run.

That all left Dick with two questions:

What was he going to do the rest of the afternoon?

And, how was he going to react when he saw you after summer break?

Heck, Dick thought with a slight twist in his stomach and heat to his cheeks. I hope I don’t kiss them in front of Aunt Harriet.

✧ ✧ ✧

Dawn had long since casted its blue-pink dewey glow over the horizon and trees. The earth’s temperature rising and creatures starting their day.

Without a need to rush, you sat down at the dining table with your breakfast.

“Dolphins!” Exclaimed your guardian from the front windows.

“Where?” Charlotte’s voice traveled from one of the bathrooms.

“They’re jumping!”

You chuckled into your breakfast as the excited chatter went throughout the beach house.

Again, you had no reason to run around. You had slept in well passed mid morning and did not regret a minute. You needed sleep.

To start a day relatively slow was almost abnormal for you, a teenager with school and social responsibilities.

It’s definitely a vacation, you thought with a smirk. And no social event for miles. You sat back and stretched your legs. Miles and miles away.

No anxiety with that any time soon.

If there was one time of year both you and your guardian looked forward to it was leaving the city to enjoy a mostly quiet beach. Sure, Gotham City had a beach, but it was incredibly popular by locals and tourists alike. Vacation meant relaxing. Relaxing to its fullest meant time away from the everyday rush.

No work. No projects. Not a morning full of traffic.

“(Y/N),” your guardian walked into the room, wiping their sunglasses with a cloth. “Did you want to see the dolphins?”

“Not right now.”

“They’ll swim away.”

“It’s okay. They might make a surprise return later.” You smiled playfully. “Never know.”

“Never know,” they repeated. “Any plans today? You remembered to bring a book?”

“I did. Uh… I think I’m going to look for different animals today. Maybe even a stingray when the tide goes out later.”

“All right, but don’t get too close.”

You shook your head immediately.

No way am I touching wildlife!

Knowing you understood, your guardian grabbed their beach bag from a chair and said, “I’m going to join Lauren. If you’re the last one out, can you grab the key?”

“Will do.”

“Remember to put on the sun lotion.”

“I will.”

“And please lock the door.” They added as they neared the front door.

“Okay.” You answered. “Where’d you leave the key?”

✧ ✧ ✧

A beautiful summer morning in the Wayne Manor. Most of the occupants were sitting around the coffee table, each reading, enjoying their time.

Only Dick Grayson read from an original work by someone he knew. Handwritten with purpose and knowledge of how the papers were to be held by his hands. A copy made specifically for him.

Seven sheets of paper, handwriting on both sides, held his curiosity. Edgar Allan Poe: Dark Masterpieces, a descriptive essay written by you. A short journey of three of Poe’s works and how each made you feel.

An interesting read for someone who could sense and feel your emotions. Having words help decipher your feelings was a definite bonus.

Is the poem not suppose to be creepy? Dick wondered as he read on to another page; your descriptions of The Raven making the youth question what he thought of the famous poem.

Each paragraph drew him in. Your words annotated the poems’ stories of grief, love, and reality. The works of Evening Star and A Dream Within A Dream were new to Dick, yet the familiarity of your words helped form images with understandings wrapped within your detailed emotions written so clearly.

Learning more of you in each sentence surprised Dick.

I sure didn’t think an essay would let me know how (Y/N) thinks. What they think about these topics anyway. Dick swallowed and shifted in his seat.

The initial expectation of reading your essay was to see Poe’s work through a different lens. Your writing in front of him gave him much more and Dick wasn’t sure he had been properly prepared. Between the talks of struggling with grief, love for something warm, and how people perceive reality—Dick knew he had to sit for a good while to think everything over.

I guess everyone has some sort of painful memories and thinks deep on what life means, Dick thought with a dip of cold in his chest, even (Y/N).

Surely, there was nothing to be worried about. It was all about life, the uncomfortable parts.

The Evening Star still confuses me though. Sure it’s warmer than the moon…but… Am I missing a metaphor or something?

Running his fingers along the margins, a soft glow of warmth bloomed high in his chest. Your words on the poem made Dick wonder with a glimmer of hope. For your words were a reaction to the poem as well as a glimpse into your heart: To love someone more than another, happily and in full acknowledgment, with their bright light of being must be a great shameless joy, familiar or otherwise. Perhaps that is what people seek and imagine with thoughts of their soulmate.

The mention of soulmate—your mention—had him tucking into the couch to cover his smile and whatever happy expression he wore. No logical reason had Dick react in such a way. No other words made him feel happier amidst the essay.

What complex emotions to have for an excitable youth. What a smile to have while thinking of one of his favorite people. His soulmate was quite a person indeed.

✧ ✧ ✧

Air rushed passed your ears and soft sand kicked up behind you. Ahead lay a partially full parking lot.

“Hurry!” Charlotte panted from about three paces behind you.

“We can make it!” You pushed yourself to run faster across hot sand.

“I can’t see it!”

“Come on.”

Reaching the edge of the beach, you vaulted yourself over a short concrete wall. A burning texture rubbed onto your bare hand.

“Whoa.” Your feet hit the heated pavement of the parking lot and motivation to move struck you. You took off towards the exit by the street in the distance where a familiar jingle rang out.

Late afternoon sun evaporated most of the standing water from the long thunderstorm that had washed the area for hours. Each step felt hotter than the last. Yet you two pushed onward.

There was a mission in place.

“I can still hear it.” Charlotte said from the other side of a truck as you two progressed. Waves of blonde hair billowed behind her.

Thank goodness, you thought, focusing on your breathing. Coins shook within the small zipper bag in your grasp.

Your feet struck the sidewalk and the path lead you closer to victory. Only half a block to go.

A familiar jingle of a song grew louder. Sunlight reflected off of its source, speakers set atop of a white ice cream truck. The brilliantly mobile store of limited frozen delights.

Sides pinching and feet burning, Charlotte and yourself made it to the end of a relatively short line for frozen sweet treats.

Less than fifteen people in total within a line at a beach was not bad at all. Unless the truck had a low supply of your favorites.

“What…was that?” Charlotte huffed, “Three blocks?”

“Felt like,” you coughed, “a little more.”

But we made it. Ha ha!

You were proud of you both. That truck could had taken off if no one eager was around. If you two had merely walked you would surely had missed the opportunity. Neither of you would had heard the song if you two weren’t outside looking at the effect the thunderstorm had on the beach.

The hard part was over and treats were hidden only about ten feet away.

Beside you, Charlotte smiled, “Are you going to tell Dick?”

Frowning with every ounce of bewilderment, you asked simply, “What?”

“About what we did.”

“Running to catch the ice cream truck?”

“No. How you leapt over the wall.” She clarified. “Didn’t you say he’s an expert in rope climbing at his school?”

“I didn’t say ‘expert’.”

“Sure.”

Her playful words held back a fraction of her underlying thoughts; how you spoke of your soulmate so graciously and complimentary.

“But he might be impressed by our athletic prowl-ness.” She nudged your arm with her right one. “He can hear how exciting you can be. You’re not all studying and books.”

You shook your head without a quick response. It never was easy to have one when a conversation came unexpectedly.

The two of you took two steps forward.

“I’m serious.” She stated more softly. “Show him how fun you can be. He knows how smart you are. From what you’ve told me Dick is one heck of an observant guy. Emotions are one thing, I know, but…”

You two shuffled closer to the truck.

“But maybe you can help him see there’s more out there than fancy dinners and school.”

You chuckled. Oh, he knows, you thought.

“And I don’t mean secretly meeting at the library.”

“Oh, no,” you laughed. “No running between shelves?”

“Not one. He’s your soulmate. Go out.”

Smile disappearing, you turned to your friend. You were met by an air of stubbornness.

“Out as friends.” You said clearly.

Charlotte gave you a hard look. “Fine.” She conceded. “We should get to meet him before you two catch feelings anyway. It’s our duty.”

“Our duty?” You repeated.

“As your friends, we hold the right, duty, and obligation to meet and give judgement to your soulmate. It’s required.”

“It’s in the friend contract?” Your smile slowly reappeared, egged on by your friend’s deep, genuine care.

“Always has been. Right after sharing fries.”

Smiles and laughter passed between you both up until you reached the open service window of the ice cream truck.

Finally.

Purchasing two treats each came easily for everyone involved. The two adults back in the beach house would surely be pleased with their surprise favorites.

After thanking the vendor, Charlotte and yourself started the walk back to the beach house.

One Fudge Stix for her and one Strawberry Shortcake for you. A sweet refresh to get you both through more walking.

Balancing a pouch of change and an Italian Ice in one hand and your treat in the other, you glanced up to the sky. Grey clouds dispersing to reveal more of the grey-blue sky.

Earlier in the day, the sky was bright as you all had gone swimming between looking for dolphins, stingray, and fish. It wasn’t until later that all of you ran indoors before a large thunderstorm reached the shoreline and drenched the area. You had spent those hours reading on the cool floor indoors.

The tile will feel real good now, you thought. I think I’ve had enough physical exercise today.

Laughing internally, you remembered a phone call you had with Dick weeks ago about running. True to your word, you ran after dessert. Perhaps not cookies in an oven, but ice cream that could had been driven away had given you a lot of motivation to move quickly.

“Sorry I bought the last Fudge Stix,” Charlotte said before taking another bite.

“It’s fine.” You managed to reply with your senses fully absorbing strawberry. “They didn’t have any cones either.”

It’s getting later, so, we’re lucky there were any left, you thought. Still bright out though. Oh! And the storm could have brought a bunch of shells and shark teeth. You passed through the emptying parking lot and considered the time. I could still look tomorrow. But I better focus on this ice cream.

You didn’t want it to drip and waste the wonderful taste. With that in mind, you still had to deliver the frozen surprises before it melted completely. An Italian Ice and an Ice Pop ready for the others.

✧ ✧ ✧

In Gotham City, among the moving traffic and popular buildings, Dick Grayson sat in the back of the car with both Bruce Wayne and his Aunt Harriet.

Conversation had settled and with the ever loyal Alfred behind the steering wheel, Dick looked out the window. The quiet and steady hum of the vehicle pushed the youth’s thoughts to be louder.

I should ask (Y/N) if they’d like to stay for dinner, Dick thought and pictured you at a table. Aunt Harriet wouldn’t say no to that. But what would we eat? I don’t know what (Y/N)’s favorite meal is. They like desserts. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t.

Streetlights casted a faint glow even as the sun continued setting. Light reflected off the city’s many windows.

Gosh, there’s still so much we don’t know about each other. Like, is there a class they don’t like? Where’s the furthest they’ve traveled? Is there an event they wouldn’t mind going to?

Sitting quietly, Dick considered the car’s current destination. Dinner, not a special occasion or celebration.

That could be an option, he thought, all of us out to dinner. One day.

The youth’s stomach growled.

At least he didn’t have to wait until that one day to eat.

✧ ✧ ✧

A light breeze came in from the beach, an added ingredient to relaxation with the slow sway of the couch swing.

You could fall asleep that way. Still digesting dinner, relaxing beside Charlotte, and enjoying the view. After another day of fun, it was nice. What vacation should feel like.

The horizon spill further into blues as the golden hues disappeared. Each sunset later than the last. Days grew longer as night shortened in the summer. Vacation, like most days, seemed to speed by more every year. So finding space to sit and absorb the moment as it happened was precious. Even more so when you were able to share it with a friend.

Charlotte was someone you had known prior to becoming a teenager. Ever since you two had sat next to one another in a science class, you had been as close as Chip and Dale.

Students who struggle to read a teacher’s handwriting stick together. That was the shared motto for a couple of years.

As of late, the motto was: sleep is gold.

And goodness was it ever! Maybe even better than gold. Sleep was definitely needed and, to you, preferable.

I feel like I can do much more during the day now, you thought. Almost forgot what it felt like to not be busy and tired. Thank goodness for breaks. Thank goodness for a bed!

You smiled to yourself.

Still using her leg to softly move the couch swing, Charlotte inquired in a hushed voice, “How did you know for certain—absolutely—that Dick Grayson was your soulmate? Minus anyone telling you?” Her gaze was fixed on the sunset.

“Umm. Beside a gut feeling…I guess it was between reactions that couldn’t be coincidence and kind of just knowing.”

“Just knowing?”

“I don’t know,” you shrugged. “Like how you know you like something or know you’re in the right place. It’s weird, I guess, but not any weirder than feeling someone else’s emotions.”

“Would it be strange if someone only felt their own emotions?”

“I don’t think so. Some people—”

“Elliot.”

“—can’t tell what most emotions are anyway.” You turned to look at your friend. “Did he say something?”

Charlotte shook her head. “Not to me. Lucy said he was borrowing one of her psychology books.”

A reactive frown formed on your face.

“I know,” she replied. “Not mathematics or architecture? Who knows, maybe you and Dick Grayson got him thinking.”

“Maybe.”

Both of you silently considered the possibility of your mutual friend’s new interest.

It would be neat if Elliot did research soulmates in any capacity, you thought. We could all learn something new.

✧ ✧ ✧

A summer night in the quiet, stately Wayne Manor and all was peaceful.

The Batcave remained dark and the manor’s lights were off. Everything was still.

Young Dick Grayson laid in his bed, awake and thinking of anything but sleep. Preoccupied by events that did and did not happen.

Earlier in the night before his drink of warm milk, as his aunt encouraged, and dental routine, the household had been stargazing. Bruce’s telescope had much use.

Out there, he found himself really wishing you were with him. Between listening to Bruce and gazing at the celestial bodies, Dick imagined what you’d say and do. He pictured you staying warm by his side. Just being happy. Two of you together and studying the night sky.

Dick Grayson smiled and rolled to his side. What a day, he thought. His mind was occupied by curious thoughts once more. From what the night could had looked like to next call on the Batphone to what his soulmate could be doing.

(Y/N) is probably asleep all ready. He tucked his hands underneath his pillow. The soulmate bond within him felt calm from your side.

It was odd for Dick to fully comprehend the situation alongside his feelings. He knew where you were and that you were fine. Yet, unfortunately for him, he wouldn’t hear from you. Not too unlike when you were punished unfairly for not attending a lunch. Even so, it would be the longest without hearing from you by far.

But they’re more than okay. They’re happy and haven’t been nervous at all. Not that I’ve noticed.

His smile grew picturing you at a beach house your guardian described to his Aunt Harriet. Perhaps you had also looked up into the starry night. Maybe you thought of him while taking a walk along the sand. Perhaps late at night you wondered if he read your essay or if he traveled to Gotham’s beach.

Does (Y/N) think of me often?

Inside, Dick felt sparks of delight in his chest.

Dick’s imagination surged on.

A warm, blue sky afternoon set the scene.

Dick, dressed in his swim trunks and shirt, crept across the white beach towards you. Your attention held by flying seagulls.

“Enjoying the view?” Dick asked with a growing smirk.

You pivoted on the sand with wide eyes and a beaming grin.

Like magnets, you two were instantly embracing and holding on for the longest time.

“You’re here!” You exclaimed, pulling away slightly. “How are you?”

“I’m fine.” Then with a small laugh, he asked, “Are you all right?”

The two of you shared a joyous laugh.

Your eyes quickly downcast as you without a doubt sensed his many feelings for you.

Would you be able to decipher them all?

Images slowed and Dick’s imagination ran off the sleepier he became.

Contently, you held his right hand.

Your lips pressed against his cheek. You kissed his other cheek.

Once more you kissed his face and whispered his name.

Fading images dispersed completely as Dick fell asleep with a faint smile on his face.

✧ ✧ ✧

Morning in the Wayne Manor brought warm sunlight into the rooms of the stately home. Birds chirped outdoors and the appearance of the sky hinted at a beautiful summer day.

Dick Grayson surely saw it as one.

The youthful ward had a bounce in his step since hopping out of bed. His mood was not unusual and therefore not questioned.

Hopefully not, Dick thought from his seat in Bruce’s private study. His mind replayed his dream again as he flipped pages in his Latin binder.

The familiar and partially restricted study of the millionaire Bruce Wayne should had been empty. A person who should not know the location of the Batcave should not be near its entrance.

You and Dick had been in there at night instead of keeping Aunt Harriet company.

Trying to keep quiet was difficult when books and papers were everywhere. He didn’t know why. Searching through the mess, Dick tried finding your essay to show you he still had it, that he read it.

It wasn’t until you walked passed him, did he realize you two shouldn’t be in there without Bruce.

Well, he could be.

Forgetting his first intentions, Dick grabbed your hand and held on tightly. He tried to pull you closer.

You were not to be there. Too close to the bust on the desk.

The thought of you in there, close to his secret, was alarming. He was thankful that part was a dream.

The dream version of you was much too interested in the bust for Dick’s liking.

Dick tried steering you away.

Until you turned and your open palm rested on his chest. His anxiousness forgotten. He found himself running his free hand up and down your arm slowly.

Dick sighed into the open binder.

The dream had ended before he could press his lips to your cheek.

I’m surprised I haven’t dreamed of them much before, Dick thought.

“Dick?” Bruce Wayne’s voice broke through his ward’s inner most thoughts.

“What is it, Bruce?”

“I had asked you a question about the current Latin verbs you have been studying.” Bruce eyed him thoughtfully.

“Oh. I’m sorry, Bruce. I was…remembering something.”

“Perhaps you’re distracted by romantic thoughts.”

Dick didn’t reply. Blue eyes downcast to his notes as his cheeks warmed.

Beep Beep

A call on the Batphone!

I have to really focus today, he thought as he rushed to Bruce’s side. I can’t let Bruce down.

✧ ✧ ✧

Summer vacation at the beach continued on. Hot days and warm night for you.

Cool air of the bathroom was something to hang on to before heading into the morning light.

Changing into your swim attire, you had a short time to yourself and a sense of peace while everyone had their own schedule. No work or school. Time for your thoughts to wander

Even miles away and days a part, you too had a dream featuring your soulmate.

Your first?

In complete privacy, you smiled.

The dream had been short, but delightfully cute.

You had been sitting on the ottoman in the Wayne Manor and looking through an encyclopedia when Dick sat behind you. Resting his chin on your right shoulder, he asked if you’d wanted to go somewhere.

After pondering over the sweetness of the dream, you couldn’t remember where he said.

But that doesn’t really matter. It was a dream. I don’t need to go anywhere, you thought. But it was cute. Peaceful. Better than those school nightmares.

Better indeed.

After sorting your belongings in your side of the room and leaving Sir Hopps to guard the room, you headed out to the water with Charlotte.

“OH. It’s always so cold,” Charlotte exclaimed as she stepped ankle-deep into the water.

“Better than it being hot. Just go and we’ll get used to it.” You shuffled further into the small waves faster.

“We did that yesterday and you fell in.”

“I was fine.” You turned your head to look at her only a moment before rushing passed the breaking waves.

“Good! I might still look into being First Aid certified.”

“Good.” You were far enough out to float comfortably. “Then Willa won’t think it’s strange for me to carry around bandages.”

“It’s a little strange,” she said as she soon joined you, “but only because we’ve needed them. That’s why I didn’t pack any.”

You laughed.

She’s never packed bandages!

“Watch out,” Charlotte started with a smirk, “I’ll tell Grayson about your bag of bandages.”

You laughed harder.

“And when I see him, I’ll tell him how you love The Monkees.”

“Oh, no,” you giggled, unafraid.

Floating about in the undulating water, your laughter settled as Charlotte started humming a theme song.

Between listening to the sound of the waves, your friends’s humming, and the breeze, you were being lulled into relaxation. Nothing too loud to disturb you.

The world around you appeared calm.

Waves carried you and your hidden worries away.

You closed your eyes, fingers skimming the water. Smooth. It reminded you of how dream you had fixed your soulmate’s hair after he approached you with such gentleness.

“Now, I have to ask…,” Charlotte treaded water closer to you. “What’s Dick Grayson like as a soulmate?”

“A person?” You looked over at her and caught her playful expression. “He’s a good friend. I’ve told you that before.”

“I saw that little smile. You thinking about him?”

“I think of other things.” You defended.

“Except about thirty seconds ago.”

You flicked water at her.

“That’s true, but that wasn’t your thinking-of-cute-animals smile.”

“… That raises questions.” You blinked at her. “But…um… What was I even going to ask?”

Looking around, your gaze surveyed the beach line.

Goodness, what’s it with her questions? Dick’s personality, soulmates, and repeating questions—

“Why is it that you want me to admit feelings for him?”

Charlotte no doubt knew which him.

“Because you’ve been getting defensive lately.”

“It’s like you’re asking the same questions. You, Lucy, Nathaniel… You’ll meet Dick eventually, yah know.”

Quiet settled between you both. Two pairs of eyes staring at the other.

This really is about if I have a crush on Dick or not, you thought sourly. Exhaling slowly, you swam a little closer to shore and glanced at the puffy clouds. I don’t think I’m ready to fully answer that question.

✧ ✧ ✧

One beautiful Wednesday morning in Gotham City, curious shoppers roamed a hat salon.

Harriet Cooper stood thoughtfully as an employee displayed a new decorative hat.

“Oh, I just don’t know.” Aunt Harriet said as she checked herself wearing the hat in a small mirror.

“I believe the blue one had suited you better,” said Bruce kindly.

Aunt Harriet considered it silently.

All the while the employee excused themselves to fetch the other hat again.

The hats are all so different, thought Dick. I don’t see how she can pick one.

Standing quietly and patiently, Dick Grayson viewed the salon as decently busy.

Suddenly, a teenager no older than him walked up to him with a smile.

“Hi,” said the teenage boy with light brown hair and a bright shirt. “Dick Grayson, right?”

“I am.”

Who is he? Dick thought as he held out his hand.

“I’m Nathaniel. (Y/N)’s friend.”

Surprise and delight came from hearing a familiar name.

Holy coincidence.

“Hi. How are you?”

The two shook hands enthusiastically.

“Fine.” Nathaniel answered. “It’s good to put a face to the name in person. (Y/N) has spoken highly of you.”

“Oh.” Dick smiled. “Likewise. (Y/N) has said how you want to be a movie director.”

He laughed, “Or critic, whichever gets me closer to watching more movies and how they’re made.”

Dick found his soulmate’s friend easy to talk to. He definitely didn’t expect to cross paths with one of your friends by chance.

A hand touched his shoulder. Bruce Wayne.

“Aunt Harriet, Bruce,” said Dick, “this is Nathaniel. One of (Y/N)’s friends from school.”

“It is so good to meet you.” Aunt Harriet smiled sweetly and genuinely.

“Likewise ma’am.”

Stepping forward, Bruce shook hands briefly with your friend and said, “It’s nice to meet you, Nathaniel. May I ask which movies you’re interested in?”

“Yes, sir.” He nodded. “Mainly documentaries, mysteries, and historical fiction. Anything that has the audience thinking during the film and after.” Nathaniel glanced over to another part of the store for a second then said to Dick, “You’re welcome to join our group to the movies. We usually go watch something before the start of school. Catch up and all.”

“That’d be fun. Thank you.” Dick grinned.

“We’ll both have to tell (Y/N) I invited you.”

“Right.”

He looked to the side again and gestured with a hand. “I’m picking out a hat for my mom. Her birthday’s soon and I have to hide it.” Nathaniel chuckled. “It was nice meeting each of you.”

“You too.”

With a nod, your friend walked back to another smiling employee.

“What a sweet young man,” Aunt Harriet stated.

Before anyone could reply, the well-dressed employee took their chance to step in with a blue hat from earlier.

The movies. Dick thought with growing excitement. Would all of their friends be there? And—GOSH—I didn’t expect to meet (Y/N)’s friends soon. Well…one of them right now. He rubbed his hands together. (Y/N) and I really should talk about it. They are (Y/N)’s friends after all.

A swirling feeling in his gut continued as he considered a future meeting with your friends.

✧ ✧ ✧

“There’s sand here too.” Charlotte pointed to the edge of the hallway.

“Didn’t we just sweep?” You asked, tip-toeing around the small sandy path and entering the bedroom.

“Yes, but you’ve seen my shoes. It’ll be weeks before I get all the sand out of them to—I swear he didn’t have that book before.”

Huh?

You glanced over to see Charlotte pointing at Sir Hopps. Your small blue plush bunny had the Prince Caspian book beside him.

Smiling and heading to your luggage, you decided not to reply.

Charlotte gathered a set of fresh clothes and headed out to the bathroom down the hall.

I can do it now, you thought.

Slipping out a bright, loose leaf paper as quietly as you could, you settled yourself on the floor between the wall and your bed. Time to yourself. A quiet secluded spot to attempt working through developing thoughts and feelings.

You twirled a pen between your fingers.

Being more around Charlotte and talking a little about your soulmate made you wonder a few things. All right, a lot of things were on your mind and thankfully writing them out helped you at least keep track of where your thoughts were headed.

Crush or no crush, he’s my friend. Just a little different. You thought as you scribbled down a question.

What made Dick Grayson different than your other friends?

An important question to revisit.

Sure, you could sense each other’s emotions, but you knew your friends well enough to know how they felt most times. Observation and all. Maybe it was his large capacity for empathy.

He cares so much! Even for those he would never know. And helpful. You thought briefly of his secret life. Kind of almost unbelievable at this point. It’s a lot to comprehend and I don’t think he’ll ever bring it up.

It was probably for the best.

All of that in his heart and weight on Dick’s shoulders. You admired that about him. He acted out of selfless compassion.

He’s always working on improving. At this point, I really don’t think he goes to spend time with his own friends at school. You couldn’t help but to frown a bit at that. Robin duties?

Exhaling, you focused on your emotions. Nothing too out there. Thinking of your soulmate as also being Robin the Boy Wonder felt like a fictional story. That’s as comfortable as you could get with the fact.

None of my other friends have drastically different activities in school versus at home. Not that I know of.

You elected not to write down any secrets that were not our own. Just in case.

Even with your private writings, you would not risk it. Not him, you could not handle ruining a part of Dick’s life. You would never dare to even leave a mark.

People need him. And Dick always puts others first. Heck, he helped me before we officially met! You thought, leaning back against the bed. We know each other now. Mostly study habits and little things like after school activities.

But you wanted to know more. There was nothing odd about wanting to share more interests with Dick. Nothing strange about hugging your soulmate more than friends you’ve had for years.

Being soulmates is…like being connected more. A quick glance out the window and the trees looked to be swaying slowly. Another calm summer day. Just a couple of weeks left of vacation.

Once you were back home in Gotham City, you weren’t sure what you and Dick would be up to later in the year. A new school year and holiday seasons were on their way.

“Oh,” you said quietly. Pen and paper set aside.

Would we be together during certain holidays? Or are we not close enough for that? I’m not sure how this works. My guardian might like it. Charlotte and Willa have come over during winter break once. We exchange gifts—OH!

Snatching up the pen, you wrote quickly: When is Dick Grayson’s birthday?

I don’t think I’ve missed it. I hope I didn’t. Aunt Harriet would’ve said something. What would I even get him? You were mentally drawing a blank. I have time. Hopefully. I guess I’ll have to ask. If I can hold his hand in public, I can ask him when his birthday is. No big deal.

Despite your thoughts, your stomach still fluttered.

A small worry about finding a perfect birthday gift couldn’t be all bad. You wanted to get him something he’d like; of course. Something that’d make him happy. To smile.

For Dick to smile like when you slid into Aunt Harriet’s car. To see him grin as that time you made a silly face. Or even the joy he had shared while you told a story side by side at a baseball game.

Your mind flickered back to the car ride back home when his knuckles went from red to white and his eyebrows knitted together.

You swallowed as a heaviness settled over your heart.

He really didn’t want me to go yet, did he?

Memories of resting your head against his and trying to keep emotions in check for both your sakes could almost be felt. Reliving it tightened your throat.

I guess I mean a lot to him.

It was hardly a guess. Caring and respecting the other was mutual. To holding hands tightly to holding discreetly, there was something left unsaid. A warmth you were growing familiar with.

Dick acted upon it more.

You weren’t sure how to react or view your surprise to Dick’s kiss on your cheek and his sweet smile. It was different. New from him.

How it was specifically different and why?

You had no idea where to start. But the heat that rose to your neck and fluttering in your chest hinted at something still developing under each smile. Would you write that down too?

✧ ✧ ✧

Back in the stately Wayne Manor, Dick Grayson sat in the living room with a binder of Latin on his lap.

Sights on paper and mind busying itself with internal images, Dick might as well set his studying aside for the day. He had been brushing up on a few words. Honest, he was.

Until one word switched his train of thoughts and he was able to remember more of another dream he had of his soulmate.

A less frantic dream. One where he was attempting to take you to his room, to show you, but Dick had trouble finding the right door. Confusing as it was, he mainly held your hand to make sure you were still there. Dick didn’t want to lose you, even in the manor. Throughout it all, dream-you kept reassuring him everything was fine.

A light comforting warmth settled in his chest. To his annoyance, the fumbling feeling of embarrassment joined in.

I must think of (Y/N) so much that I’m dreaming about them. Dick figured that was far better than any bad dream about large clams, forgetting homework, or being trapped.

Fingers clenching and relaxing alternately, Dick didn’t bother looking at his notes anymore.

“Is everything all right, Dick?” Bruce asked as he set down a textbook.

The youth sighed, “I guess.”

“You guess?”

“It’s… I was thinking about (Y/N)—I was studying, I promise,” he reassured Bruce. “This sounds ridiculous, but I was thinking of how I think of (Y/N). Well, how often. Some times it feels like a lot.”

“It’s normal to think of others, but you have to be mindful not to let your romantic imagination distract you.”

Dick nodded solemnly.

“You’re soulmates and you each have responsibilities.”

“I know, but we don’t have any examples of people like us together.” Dick spoke more passionately. “No one to look to. Heck, I never thought much of it when I was a little kid. Now… Well some times I barely notice their emotions and other times…”

“It’s overwhelming.���

“Yeah and I think when we’re together it’s easier to feel or it’s more noticeable. I dunno.” He shook his head and leaned further into the couch. “What are soulmates supposed to do?”

“Be authentic to yourselves.”

“But why do we feel each other’s emotions? Is there a reason? We can help each other, in our own ways.” Dick exhaled and lightly hit the armrest. “But I’ve worried about them too with nothing I can do.”

Bruce was quiet for a moment, contemplating.

Dick Grayson didn’t know what else to say. Too many questions repeating in his mind. A sharp contrast to the silence of the room.

“(Y/N) and yourself have an opportunity to learn what many of us can only theorize or hope to experience. The two of you will be future examples for soulmates who find one another.”

Mixed emotions in the youth settled as an understanding was accepted.

Blue eyes looked to Bruce.

“I still wish there was a book about soulmates.”

Bruce chuckled, “There are, but I’m afraid they won’t answer your specific questions.”

“Darn it.”

Bruce rose an eyebrow and added, “You could write a book yourself.”

And write what?

✧ ✧ ✧

Waves were perfect and picturesque. Rolling onto the shore in a soothing rhythm.

The ideal sounds to listen to as opposed to Charlotte and her older cousin talking to some boys with surfboards.

You weren’t quite in the mood to socialize a great deal with strangers. Added the your friend’s eagerness seemed almost forced. So, instead, you took to walking the shoreline barefoot.

Smiling, you watched as the water slowly moved in to tickle your feet. In another second or two, the sand beneath you softened.

I could easily sink into the sand, you thought. Like a little crab. Minus the claws.

You glanced further up the beach to where your guardian and Charlotte’s mom Lauren sat under an umbrella. No doubt they were still switching stations on the portable radio. The pair had been having just as much fun as you and Charlotte.

Thankfully it was that sort of vacation and not a stressful schedule filled one. At least it wasn’t boring either.

Dick would’ve loved seeing all the birds yesterday. Probably would’ve debated whether or not one was a flamingo… Charlotte thought it might’ve been a crane.

Laughter caught your attention. A sudden mixture voiced by the small group that included your friend down the beach. They all seemed friendly together.

A faint coolness filled your stomach and limbs.

Should you had joined them? You weren’t about to ask your guardian that.

Dick would talk with them.

You sighed.

Oh, well, you thought and continued your walk. I don’t want to intrude on their surfing anyway. The waves are —

A large jolt of surprise hit you like a wall. You barely got a breath in before waves of panic and worry also flooded through your soulmate bond.

Your own spiky anxiety surfaced.

Looking around you quickly, you shuffled across the sand away from the water. You needed to be alone. Out of direct sight from others.

There was a soft thump as you sat upon dry sand. Distanced enough from others, you were a little more free to focus on your breathing than worry about keeping a neutral expression.

You could keep calm for your soulmate. You knew that. It had been done before.

Images in your mind filled with red, green, and yellow of a familiar suit.

You can do this, you thought, but not solely for yourself.

On the beach, unbothered by anyone, you sat for some time thinking of happier thoughts.

Sitting side by side with a smiling Dick Grayson, close and secure. Both of you holding hands while birds flew by.

He’ll be okay. You told yourself repetitively. He’ll be okay.

✧ ✧ ✧

Late evening, back and safe in the Batcave, the caped crusaders exited the Batmobile. Both were relieved to have escaped and foiled Egghead’s plans.

Stretching his arms, Robin announced tiredly, “Boy, did I work up an appetite.”

“I’m sure Aunt Harriet will have a nutritious meal ready.”

“Mmm.”

Robin had no idea which dinner was to be shared up in the manor, but he knew without a doubt he’d clear his plate. Or bowl, depending on the meal.

After sorting everything in the Batcave, lights off and put away, the duo went up the Batpoles.

A long day of crime fighting left Dick Grayson in need of rest too. Not just food was on his mind.

All right, the teenager was thinking of his soulmate again.

Could you blame the excitable youth?

It wasn’t as if he was the only one.

“Gracious me,” said Aunt Harriet at the dining table, “today must have been the warmest yet. I could hardly stay in the garden to tend to the flowers.”

“Yeah. The sun was hot enough to fry an egg.” Dick announced over a plate. “Or the hair off my head.”

“What?”

His aunt’s perplexed expression made Dick realize his slight slip in words.

“Oh. Well we could all imagine the great temperatures at a desert in Arizona or the beaches in Florida.” Bruce Wayne changed the direction of the conversation.

“Oh. A trip to the beach would have been so refreshing today. Too bad you boys had to attend that meeting.”

“Our responsibilities do come first.”

“Well,” she tilted her head in thought with a soft smile, “I am glad that (Y/N) at least gets to enjoy the sun properly. Oh, but imagine the sunsets they’ve seen on the beach. The sound of the waves.”

Does (Y/N) watch sunsets? Dick wondered to himself.

“I’m sure (Y/N) has many opportunities,” Bruce said before looking to his young ward. “It’s nearly the end of July.”

The youth’s eyes widened and he exclaimed, “Holy time clock. (Y/N) could be back next week.”

“Or earlier.”

For Dick Grayson, both excited and eager, counting down the days until your return started then at dinner. The mere mention of the end of your beach vacation gave him hope for a summer together. Even a short one.

Summer holiday from school appeared long on a calendar, but days went by fast enough. Some times in a blur of other events.

Days without hearing from you and seeing you gave an eerie sense that Dick made everything up in his mind. Everything was as it had been.

But he knew that wasn’t the case; you were real. You were his friend and Dick cared about you deeply. He had protected you from Penguin’s goons before he knew your name! He had held your hand to reassure you everything would be fine on numerous occasions. Dick had helped sneak you out of a library. Overwhelmed, he had kissed your cheek. And he missed you.

Dick wanted to hear you laugh again and sit so close to you that he would surely be scolded by his aunt.

They could be back in Gotham any day. Dick thought joyfully and ate the rest of his dinner in gusto.

✧ ✧ ✧

I forgot how loud my family can be, you thought as you walked down to the beach.

Later into the morning, Charlotte and yourself found yourselves listening to all sorts of gossip from your two cousins. The pair had managed to drive out to the beach to stay the night.

The beach house was more crowded and filled with laughter than ever. Hugs had been shared most of the morning.

You hadn’t seen your two cousins in months; around the last birthday of an older relation.

A day of relatives roaming the rented home. You and Charlotte were thankful her older cousin had gone days prior for the sake of sleeping arrangements.

“I couldn’t sleep hearing those trees move at night,” exclaimed your tallest cousin in blue. “Doesn’t it sound like an animal?”

“We’re sleeping,” replied Charlotte. “How should we know?”

Smiling, the four of you crossed the wooden bridge in no time.

“The beach is much quieter than a big city like Gotham, I’m sure.” Said your second cousin, wearing one of the biggest hats you had ever seen.

“It’s different noises.” You shrugged.

Pulling briefly on their blue shirt, your cousin looked over their shoulder.

No adult guardians in sight.

Your shoulders tensed, knowing general conversations were off the table.

“All right,” they said grinning. “We’ve been dying to ask for weeks. Did you really find your soulmate!”

Two sets of eyes tried boring into your soul with their intensity. Waiting for your answer wasn’t something they could handle for long.

“Yeah.” You answered as simply as possible. Letting a small smile form wasn’t the end of the world.

“And you just ran into each other?”

“Not literally…”

“But you knew somehow?” Asked your cousin who adjusted their hat.

“It was kind of weird, but yeah.”

“Wow, (Y/N) has a millionaire as a soulmate. What are the odds?”

You frowned.

Meanwhile, Charlotte bursted out laughing. Her hand holding onto your shoulder for balance.

Dick…a millionaire? Well some information didn’t travel to everyone.

“Someone said he was.”

“He’s a ward to the millionaire Bruce Wayne,” you clarified.

“Your guardian must love that.”

You held in a reply.

Abruptly ending her laughter, Charlotte replied firmly, “At least (Y/N) won’t be completely bored when going to the higher social events in Gotham City. They have their soulmate now too.”

Yeah, you agreed silently.

Over the sandy beach, the four of you stood in an odd circle. Grouped together, but not on the same page.

The tallest of your cousins squinted at you and asked, “You’re not left alone with him, are you?”

“What? No…” You glanced between your family, attempting to get a read on their emotions.

Why would they ask that? You wondered, Dick’s my friend.

“That’s good.” They nodded, satisfied.

“But… Why did you ask that? We’re not dropped off in the woods alone or anything.”

“You’re both teenagers.”

“So? We’re friends not complete strangers.”

“Still.”

If you were confused before, you were bewildered and lost right then.

“He’s nice and a caring person,” you insisted.

Your cousins regarded each other silently.

Teenagers. Alone? Are they serious right now?

Heat radiated from your jaw and chest as it quickly expanded over your fists.

Voice seconds from cracking, you declared, “He’s not a bad person and just because we’re soulmates doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”

“We didn’t say that.” The cousin holding their hat said immediately.

Charlotte stepped forward, alarmingly calm. “He’s a millionaire’s ward who spends most of his time learning random things like Latin and world geography. (Y/N) and Dick put school before anything else. They’re the perfect study partners. Someone would have to kick them and give an hour lecture before those two would even consider going for a drive alone.”

Again, your cousins exchanged looks.

You felt no closer to knowing what was going on in their brains. Yet you were grateful for Charlotte’s help.

Your increasing heart beat didn’t help your train of thought.

“Wait. You’re not secretly dating him? Your soulmate.”

“No.” You gestured widely and asked sharply, “Why is that the first thing people go to? There are other things. Like…just living more comfortably with someone who actually knows how you feel. Someone to be honest with, without pressure of trying to figure out if you unintentionally made someone mad or if they had a bad day.” Chest heaving, your words stopped.

“Sorry.”

And just like that the conversation was dropped.

You were relieved it was over. Questions and assumptions could go so far before they hit a nerve.

A walk around the beach soon ended as well. The group of teenagers headed back indoors to take a break from sunlight and awkward chatter.

Door partially shut, you sat beside Sir Hopps on the edge of the bed. From there you could hear the others singing along to an Elvis movie.

You weren’t in the mood. Earlier you would had been, but not after the short interrogation from your cousins. A sour turn on the day.

Again, you had turned to writing. Your notes formatted into a letter for Dick Grayson full of details you wanted to tell him. Even with the letters addressed to your soulmate, you were the only one who knew of the letters’ existence. For that, you were satisfied. This one would join the others hidden in your bedroom back home.

Writing letters helped sort some thoughts. Your cousins’ choice of words among them. It annoyingly repeated in your mind.

You figured there were an amount of people, you didn’t know how many, who thought soulmates were immediately romantic.

How fast did people want to go? You shouldn’t force anything. You frowned while glancing at the wall. Is that why people really talked about me and Dick more? Because we’re young? Because teenagers are known for sports, school, loud music, and late night dates?

If you were home, you would had resulted in screaming into your pillow as a last resort to get out the day’s frustrations.

Okay. Breathe, you thought. Uncomfortable heat had already returned to your hands. It’s just odd. That’s all. People are just being weird for thinking two people who know nothing of one another should run off to an empty room and kiss. This isn’t a movie!

You blinked and twirled the pen around.

What movies have they been watching? You weren’t quite sure you actually wanted to know.

Squeals came form the living room. Happy movie watchers.

Mind trained on calming yourself, you thought, a soulmate is a stranger when first meeting and only then an acquaintance after that. A trusted acquaintance hopefully for most. Emotions give everything away. Unless someone can’t tell the difference between them all, I guess.

Logical words for a rightly emotional teenager. Much was already on your shoulders.

Being a teenager came with many changes, challenges, and lessons. Navigating what people thought about you and your soulmate added questions to your still developing mind. Doubts was something you didn’t want.

Some times it was too much. People’s opinions and unsolicited advice were striking even if they were spoken evenly.

Must it always be what others think? You wondered as you folded the paper into your luggage. They’re not me and they don’t know Dick. Some don’t know their soulmate. You glanced over to Sir Hopps, quiet and reserved. Why do they speak the loudest about us and how we should be? Always other people…

You placed your hand over your heart. A steady rhythm felt under your open palm.

What does being soulmates mean to me?

Best wishes and happy reading.)

~~~

Part 7 -> "

---

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[lucy-dulap]

Happy 18th birthday

Index _ Next>

It was the middle of summer, the tempersture so much higher than anyone was used to for the end of July. Minhyeok had been awake for sometime now, scolling on his phone as Lucy spooned him. It has always been like that, since the day they got adopted, Lucy would refuse to sleep anywhere but Minhyeok's bed. Even with how warm it was, they were still pressed to his back, with an iron grip on him. The last time he tried to leave before Lucy woke up they had such an overwhelming breakdown that they cryed their way into a fever.

Minhyeok was trapped by Lucy in more ways than one. He watched all his friends go on vacations and at music festivals he always dreamed of attenting, yet he was stuck here, stuck with... them. He checked the calander and realised that it was his burden's birthday.

8 years... for 8 years he had been stuck with them. How much could have he done in those 8 years were it not for them... at this point he was questioning if his love for them was even real or just out of professional obligation.

As Minhyeok was lost in thought as a random tiktok played on his for you page, Lucy nuzzled into his back, signelling they're awake. To try and prevent a sigh, Minhyeok takes a deep breath in and turns to Lucy, petting their hair.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy bir-"

"Stop. I don't want to hear that." Lucy shoved a pillow in Minhyeok's mouth before streching and getting up. It was their 18th birthday, and like any traumatic event, they were just ignoring it.

Minhyeok was disappointed, but not surprised. Lucy was just like that... violent, angry, blunt. Selfish. Prideful. Annoying. He stopped himself before he could continue that trail of thought. Today was the day he will ask Lucy to move out. He had started working part time since he was 14 and with some help from his parents and the inheritance Lucy will finally be able to touch, he bought them a one room apartment. It was close by, so if anything happened he will be close, but at least for the 9 hours of sleep he got, he would be left alone.

He needed to be nice today so Lucy will recieve the gift nicely without another outburst. They were an adult now, they needed to act like one.

"What do you want for breakfast? Should I make you something special? What about... pancakes?" Minhyeok was trying very hard, but Lucy was anything but warry of malcontempt.

"I'm not hungry." That answer. That damn answer. It was always I'm not hungry, or I don't know. If only they knew how many times he was called to their school to be told that Lucy is malnurished and lacks every vitamine under the sun. How many times had he found his cooking hidden under the sofa or behind the oven, how many school lunches they must have thrown away instead of eating them? He was despretly trying to keep this kid alive and every time they just refused all his help.

"Pancakes take a while to make, even if you're not hungry now, I should probably start so they'll be ready when you do get hungry. Also, please change in a different room."

"No. What if someone's watching me strip?"

"I am, and I don't want to. Go strip in another room."

"I don't want to. You've seen me naked since I was 5, what's the difference now?"

Minhyeok knew that there was no getting through to them so he just turned and closed his eyes until he felt Lucy wrapped around him. The following "I love you." that escaped their lips was more desprate to quell out any annoyance in Minhyeok than to sugest their care for him. Until now, this had been a constant of their relationship; Lucy and Minhyeok would disagree on something, Minhyeok will try to take some time off to think things through and Lucy would force themselves in his privacy and apologise for being rude.

He pets Lucy's hair, trying to calm himself down more than anything else. He gets up and takes the set of keys to Lucy's new apartment. He had to do it.

"I know you don't want to acknowledge it, but you're an adult now, Lucy." Minhyeok's voice was shaky, bottled up feelings for 8 years threatening to come out against his will. "So I... I got you something that will help you get started on your journey." He turns to them and presents the set of keys. Lucy's face was pale their whole being frozen, paralysed in overstimulation.

"Do you know what these keys are for, Lucy?" Minhyeok was speaking in a melancholy sweet tone, like a parent to a child they're angry at. Lucy's bottom lip was quivering as the realisation started to set in. No. No, this isn't happening. They look at Minhyeok and they can practicly see his resentment. They've been feeling it for a while now, the quiet anger, the disregard and annoyance. They were a burden and they've always known it.

"Please don't." Lucy whimpered patheticly as they took a step back. Closer to their room, to his room... the room they've just assumed they were welcome in without knocking first. It was a desprate plead, a plead for Minhyeok to not speak out the conclusion everyone has taken at this point.

"They're keys to a new apartment. The keys to your new apartment." Minhyeok places the keys in Lucy's trembling hands. They were white, all the colour dried up from them when he spoke. But he was feeling great. This was his revange for it all. He will finally part from his parasite and be able to live the life he couldn't before.

Lucy drops the keys, just staring at Minhyeok's sweet smile as they whisper through tears. "Why?" It was their only question. It wasn't even directed to Minhyeok, it was just an inquiry Lucy needed answers to. They get back the keys while Minhyeok tried to explain himself and they just rushed to the attic. The only place they knew peace.

The attic was almost always dark and not made for living conditions. During winters it was colder than the outside and during summers it was like an overheated sauna. Today it was the latter.

In one of the tight corners of the attic stood a shrine covered with pretty rocks, shells, feathers and jewlery. Around it where drawings of a fallan angel and his sigil. Lucy knealed before them and started whipping. If they could trust anyone to see them cry, it was their god, it was Lucifer. Stuffing their wrist into their mouth to silence the broken whailes and sobs Lucy was letting out.

Minhyeok could do nothing as he saw them going upstairs. Lucy was the only one that had the key to the attic and they were as protective of it as they were of him. He sighed in relief and started preparing breakfast. He was numb to hearing Lucy cry at the top of the house since that's what they often did. He was more concerned with them fainting due to a heat stroke up there, but he knew better than to intrude into one of their sessions.

But this wasn't like any other session, Lucy was hurt, wounded in a way that words could not convey. In the hot attic, they shivered with sadness. This is it. He said it. They're an adult now, so they're up for grabs. No longer protected from the vultures outside, a lost rotent through the dessert, waiting to be swallowed whole.

They cryed for an hour. At points so loud that they were rolling on the floor to try and screap their skin for stimulation and at point just whispering pittyful remarks about how lost they are. Lucy looked at the icon of Lucifer where he's whispering in a peasant's ear. They just stared at it for a long while as they gasped for air. It was so hot... and their head was throbbing... their eyes slowly closing in exhaustion. They just wanted to rest in front of him. Minhyeok resented them since they could remember... but Lucifer never did that. If they believed in him enough, he will show himself to them, at least in death.

When the crying seized but Lucy didn't show themselves, Minhyeok started to get worried. He can't have a corpse in his attic, that would look really incriminating. Plus, Lucy was a burden, but he didn't want them dead. Just far away on the other side of the planet with no way of contacting him directly. He goes up to the attic and peeks through the door. Lucy was lying on the ground drooling as they stared up at Lucifer.

"You're going to be the death of me." Minhyeok whispers and grabs Lucy in his arms, bringing them down to the kitchen and shoving an ice-cube in their mouth. This snaps Lucy awake and they begin to lewdly suck on the icecube.

The atmosphere was dreadfully quiet and ackward, not what either would have expected an 18th birthday to be like. Minhyeok was having a lot of conflicted feelings. On one hand, he didn't want to traumatise Lucy more, they were already too broken to fix, but, on the other hand, they ruined his 18th birthday as well.

"Eat." Minhyeok places the pancakes on the table with the brine cheese. He stopped questioning their culinary choices a while ago, he was just happy they were putting food in their body.

Lucy knew better than to annoy Minhyeok more and they just forced some food down their throat. Silence once more.

.

.

.

"I'm going to the store to buy some stuff." Minhyeok whispered and got up ubruptly. He knew this was the only way to get some alone time without Lucy begging to come with him. They hated crowds more than they loved him.

"Ok... can you get me chicken nuggets?" Lucy crunched on the remaining ice cube and regretted it instantly.

"No. You're an adult now. Buy your own chicken nuggets. You clearly know how to shop online cause I keep getting updates on your Bad Dragon orders." Minhyeok had to leave, he was feeling himself give into his anger. Lucy was already in a defensive possition, their dirty hair making them look even more like a scared mutt. "And go take a bath, your hair is filthy."

"I'm an adult now, I don't take orders from you"

"...touché. Do you want the dino kind?"

"Yes please!"

With that Minhyeok left, not even hearing Lucy's faint "I love you". When Minhyeok wasn't at home, Lucy masturbated to try and ignore the fear. Lucy always felt watched, judged and repremended. Grabbing the new dildo they ordered on Minhyeok's behalf, Lucy prepared themselves by clicking on a video that seemed weirdly accurate. "Step bro punishes little slut sister for misbeheving" taking back their trauma was what they were doing, clearly.

In the middle of a great masturbation session a strange figure pops their head from the computer.

"Did I say, I've been waiting for this day since you were born, spawn of Solomon."

[gemini-sensei]

Today I am thinking about poly Eli and Demetri who have been working a lot recently. Demetri spends some overtime at his office job working on a project and Eli took on another class at the dojo. They want to make a little extra money to surprise their lovely little wife with a vacation away, so they're hard at work looking to make that happen.

Downside is that they come home later. Demetri is overseeing a whole group of people, so the reports he'd usually review in the morning, he stays in late to go over for that overtime bonus. Eli's new class goes over a few days and then he finds himself cleaning up or fixing things around the dojo, even running errands. Anything for a little more cash for his pretty wife. But sometimes they come home and she's already in bed, fast asleep, their dinner on the stove with a little ily note.

She'll wake up in the morning amd they're leaving, giving her quick kisses on the cheek and lips, telling her they love her to the ends of the earth before walking out the door. They hardly have time to talk, which is a real problem for Reader.

For weeks, she's needed to sit down with them. However, they come in needing a shower and go straight to the bathroom with little hellos to her, or they're drop dead tired and all they want is to go to be so they can get up in the morning and do it all over again. Weekends would be ideal if only Eli didn't teach those days. It's turning into a big mess and she doesn't even understand why.

Finally, she throws a wrench in this routine when they walk in and find a box on the living room table. It's not very big and there's a piece of paper on top. They sit down and Demetri reads the small note aloud:

I know you two have been busy, but so have I. There hasn't been a good time to talk to you and that's okay, I know you work so hard for us to live as well as we do. However, there's been something on my mind that I thought you two should know about.

I'm already asleep, but you van open this without me. I hope you like what I've been working on, it's taken a lot of time and energy so far.

Love, Reader ♡

With that said, Eli tries to open the box, but Demetri stops him.

"We should really wait for Reader," he tells his husband, feeling bad that they haven't been able to spend time with their wife recently. "I mean, this is obviously really important to her."

"The note said we could open it now, so we should just open it nlw," Eli argues. He has the box lid in his hands, ready to rip it off. "Plus, if we don't open it and she asks us tomorrow how we liked her surprise, she'll be upset we didn't open it."

Demetri bites his cheek, then nods. "You have a point there."

"I know I do," Eli smirks, then turns his attention to the box

When he pulls the lid off, they both peer into the box and are shocked by what they see. Inside are two baby onesies laid atop two rolled up baby blankets. On top of that is a string of ultrasound pictures and two pacifiers and two rattles around them.

The lid falls from Eli's fingers as he stared and Demetri takes out the pictures. They look at them closely, silently letting the surprise sink in.

"Oh my god, I can't believe it," Demetri mumbles.

"Well believe it," Eli tells him, picking up one of the onesies and reading the front of it that says MY DADS KICK ASS. He can't help but smile. "Reader wouldn't make this up."

"I mean I can't believe we didn't know," Demetri clarifies.

Eli looks at him, deadpan expression on his face. "I wonder why that might be."

They argue about the logistics of knowing versus not knowing before they turn back to the pictures and stare at them. It's another several minutes before Eli points out how they're labeled A and B, at which point he starts crying because holy ahit it's all sunk in and they're having twins.

Demetri has to hold him and calm him down, but Eli is just so happy and bawling, hugging the onesie to his chest. Dem won't let him go to their room where Reader is sleeping until he stops crying, so once he's calmed down, they get up and go get ready for bed as quietly as humanly possible. Eli carries that fucking onesie with him too.

Then once they're ready, they crawl into bed with Reader. Eli's so soft and needy, Demetri lays with him and holds him while he holds Reader, making Eli the middle spoon. He puts his hand over Reader's belly and for the first time he feels how different it is.

Instead of her normal pudgy fat that he loves to squeeze from time to time, it's more solid and firm. There's a roundness to her belly hidden under his hold sweaters and Deletri's punny t-shirts. He realizes she's hidden this little secret so well so that they could be thoroughly surprised, which is a far better one than they were going to give to her.

He falls asleep with his face buried in her neck, whispering "I love you" over and over again softly. Demetri doesn't fall asleep for a while, just watching over the two loves of his life, pleasantly happy with the idea of calling in one of his vacation days tomorrow so that they can all celebrate their twins and Reader.

[snelbz]

Better Or Worse {10}

Nessian. Angst. Modern AU.

@snelbz x @theladyofdeath collab

Better or Worse Masterlist

Warnings: language.

We sit in Gwyn’s office, holding hands on the couch.

The last few weeks have been good. Really good. Cassian has slept with me every night, his arms around me, tucked in close to him. We’ve kissed, we’ve snuggled, but nothing more has happened, even though I’ve been tempted. 

Especially when I can feel my husband’s cock against me for half the night and in the morning, long, thick, and hard. 

I know it’s been trying for him, I know he’s wanted me, I know he’s been holding himself back, but he hasn’t tried anything. Even if I’ve wanted him to, not that I’ve said anything to him, but sometimes when we’re lying there all I want is for him to slip a hand in my clothes, to touch me, tease me, fuck me until I’m nothing but a puddle in his hands.

Still, he’s respected my boundaries. He always has, which is one of the many reasons why I fell in love with him in the first place. 

Even if I think I’m ready to take that next step, to have sex again — protected, of course. Double protection. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be ready to try and have kids again, and if it happens by accident…

I shake the thought away before I can psych myself out. Sex, with my husband. I think I’ll bring it up soon, very soon. Either that or I’ll just try jumping him once we’re in bed.

Something tells me that he’d like that. A lot. 

“Nesta?”

“Hmm?” I know my cheeks are warm as I focus my attention back on Gwyn. Apparently she had asked me something while I was lost in my lust filled daydream. I look at Cassian.

He’s grinning, like he knows perfectly well where my mind has gone.

He’s always known my tells. 

“Cassian said you two have been sleeping in the same bed every night,” she says, politely, as always. “What has that meant to you?”

“Oh.” I clear my throat. “Yeah, it’s been great. I’ve forgotten how much more…I don’t know, secure I feel when he’s in bed with me. I’m more at ease when he’s sleeping beside me. Comforted.” 

“So it’s been a good change?” she pushes.

“A great change,” I say, and when I look at Cassian again, his eyes have softened.

My knees are weak. 

“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” Gwyn says, closing her notebook and I have no idea how an hour has already passed. It always seems to go so quickly. “After reflecting on your progress, I think it’s time that you two took the next step. At this point, I usually recommend a couple’s vacation. It gives you time to ignore the real world and just focus on one another for a few days without any interruption.” 

“A couples vacation?” Cassian asks, intrigued. “That sounds—”

“I can’t.” The words are out of me before I can stop them. Cassian’s smile has faltered. “I just…my new book is set to come out next month and there’s still so much to do. I have nonstop deadlines. Unless we wait until after—”

“After you’ll have to do press shit,” Cassian says, his voice quiet, and I can tell he’s trying to keep his calm. “You’ll be even busier after the release than you are now. I think getting away for a few days would be good for us. I can sneak away from the restaurant for a long weekend, at least, and if I can ignore my work for a few days, you can, too.”

Don’t snap. I take a deep breath. “You don’t understand—”

“Then bring your laptop with you,” he suggests, taking a deep breath of his own. He looks at me. “You can get some work done in the mornings, then we can be together later in the day.” 

“I would recommend keeping your laptop at home,” Gwyn says, as if she was preparing for my argument. “If you bring it, it will be all you want in front of you, it will be all you’re thinking about. As Cassian said, you can even go for just a long weekend. Thursday through Monday. Find someplace you want to go, relax and reconnect for a few days, then come back and resume your work schedule.” 

I nibble on my lip and I know that Cassian is looking at me, waiting for me to respond, so I don’t make eye contact. “I just…I’m sorry, I don’t think I can right now, it’s not a good time.”

Cassian drops my hand, but before he can say something out of his frustration, Gwyn says, “Why don’t the two of you think about it and talk about it? Nothing has to be decided today, but I do think it will be good for you.”

Cassian says nothing else but I nod. We wrap up our session and make our way to my car, which Cassian hates because he’s a giant and can hardly fit in the passenger seat, but the truck had a flat tire and we didn’t have time to change it before we had to leave to make our appointment. If I know Cassian at all, which I do, I bet he’ll be angry-changing the tire the second we get home. 

He opens the passenger side door the second I unlock the car and shifts awkwardly into the seat until he’s comfortable enough before closing the door.

Opening my own door, I get in the car and turn the engine over, glancing in the mirrors before putting the car in reverse.

“It’s four days, Nes.”

Sighing, I shift back into park. “Four days is a lot longer than you think.” I don’t mention that I get the bulk of my writing done on Friday and Saturday nights when he’s at the restaurant. Uninterrupted time isn’t something I get often, so a long weekend is too long for me to be away. “I can’t take any time off from edits, Cassian, not if I want the book to come out on time.”

He doesn’t immediately say anything, so I shift into reverse and start heading home. “It’s not that I don’t want to, but the timing isn’t great. We can do it later, I promise, but right now isn’t good.”

“It’ll never be a good time,” he says, slumping down in his seat. It makes him look like a petulant child.

“I just said we can go after the book comes out,” I say, trying my best to keep my tone calm, but I can hear the bite in my voice. 

He turns to face me in the car, his shoulder pressing against the window in the process. “I think we should go now. We’ve been doing great, Nesta, this can only help.”

I get where he’s coming from, and I’m really trying to keep my rising temper in check, but it’s challenging. “I agree, but I already have Eris up my ass—”

“I don’t give a fuck about Eris,” Cassian snaps. His calm demeanor has vanished. I should’ve known that he wouldn’t be able to last much longer. His temper, even worse than mine, has always been a stumbling block. 

“Well, you should, because he’s the reason I’ve been so successful,” I snap back. “He’s given me a schedule, I’m following that schedule, I have no choice but to follow the damn schedule, and there’s nowhere on that schedule that says I have time for a four day vacation.”

“Four days is nothing!” He shouts.

“I don’t expect you to understand, Cassian,” I hiss, “but I didn’t get to where I’m at because I neglected to do what’s necessary. I have fucking deadlines, and I’ve told you that I can’t fucking go, so I can’t fucking go.”

His jaw snaps shut and there’s a storm in his eyes that I haven’t seen in weeks. He stares at me for a moment, and even though I look back to the road, I can feel his eyes lingering. We ride like that, him staring at me, pissed; the silence overwhelming until we pull onto our street. 

Once I pull into the driveway, he’s already got the door open before I can even put the car in park, as if he can’t stand to be within a confined space with me for a second longer. 

Good.

I can’t stand him at the moment, either.

He’s being unreasonable, refusing to see where I’m coming from. 

As I expected, he’s storming toward his truck in the garage, opening the hatch to grab the spare tire. Without another look in his direction, I go inside.

Greg greets me, and I curse Cassian outloud to my furbaby before going straight for the wine cabinet. I pour a glass but don’t drink it. Instead, I lean on the counter, letting my face fall into my hands. 

What the hell is happening?

I went into Gwyn’s office today excited to talk about our progress, and now I feel like we’ve made no progress at all. 

Or maybe we have made progress and that’s the issue. 

I know there are worse things than my husband wanting to spend time with me, but he just doesn’t get it. He has no idea what it takes to be a published author, and I know I’ve subjected myself to my job too much in the past few years, but I don’t want to let my readers down. 

I stay leaning against the counter, closing my eyes, taking deep breaths. I don’t want this to get out of hand. I can’t let this get out of hand.

Cassian’s right. We’ve been doing really well. And a little couple’s vacation would be good for us. Great, in fact, especially now that I’m ready to be intimate again. We don’t need to be having these stupid little fights. Even if I feel passionately about what I’m fighting for, I know he does, too.

I try to think of a compromise. 

After taking a sip from my wine glass, I wander to the backdoor, where I can see through the little window into the garage. Cassian, with his jacket now off, is tightening the spare. His brow is set, his lips thinned, and he’s tightening the bolts probably way more than he should.

Cauldron help him next time he has to change that tire.

I watch as he finishes up, but rather than come inside, he continues around to each tire, checking them out one by one. Rolling my eyes, I take another drink of my wine and retrieve my laptop before settling in at the kitchen counter. Clearly, Cassian isn't interested in coming inside yet, so I’ll just sit and wait until he is.

It’s nearly twenty minutes later before the back door opens, my husband entering with grease on his hands and his hair tied back. When his eyes fall on my computer open before me, I can almost feel the ire radiating off of him. He doesn’t speak to me, goes straight to the sink and begins washing his hands.

Plopping my chin in my hand, I ask, “Do you think Skull’s Bay is nicer this time of year or the Coronal Islands?”

He’s in the process of trying to get the grease out from under his nails when he freezes and looks at me.

When he doesn’t say anything, I hum. “Or maybe Adriata. We’ve been there before, but who says it has to be somewhere new.”

Cassian turns off the tap, wiping his hands off on one of the kitchen towels. Turning to face me, he leans a hip on the counter and slings the towel over his shoulder. “When?”

I clear my throat. “I was looking at flights for next weekend.”

He’s moving before the words are fully out of my mouth, crossing the kitchen. “I promise, baby, this is going to be worth it.”

“I have some conditions though.” I push my laptop to the side, the travel sites half forgotten. “I know Gwyn said I should leave my computer. I can’t, Cass. There physically isn’t enough time for me to take four full days off.”

“That’s fine,” he agrees, his eyes bright.

Toying with the stem of my wine glass, I add, “I’m also probably going to be…distant in the days leading up to the flight.”

That grants him pause. “Why?”

“Because I’m going to try and get as much done as I possibly can before we leave, so I can ignore my laptop as much as I can while we’re there.”

Cassian stares at me.

I stare back.

“If you can’t go—”

“Are you seriously trying to persuade me not to go now that I’ve made up my mind that I’m going?” I scold. “Cassian—”

“I was pressuring you,” he says, shaking his head. “I don’t want to pressure you.”

It only occurs to me now that I’ve put him in a tough position. Since we’ve been distant with one another, since things have been weird, he’s probably extra cautious about pressuring me into things. 

I hesitate.

He picks up on it.

“Cassian—”

“If you can’t go—”

“I want to go—”

“But if you really can’t—”

“I want to go!” I laugh, unable to control the countless emotions running through me. I’m frustrated, but also excited and vulnerable. I stare at him, shaking my head. “I want to go. I just need you to meet me halfway. I know it’s not ideal—”

“You’ll go?” He asks, interrupting me.

I nod, taking a step towards him. “You were right. This will be good for us. I owe us this.”

Cassian is looking at me like he doesn’t believe a damn word that comes out of my mouth, and it hurts. Yet, he nods. “Okay.”

I haven’t realized how close we’re standing, how near he is to me. His eyes are still searching mine, his disbelief and suspicion on full display. 

“It’s almost as if you’re the one that no longer wants to go,” I say, quietly, and I mean it as a joke, to try and ease the tension, but it doesn’t come out like one.

Cassian doesn’t disagree. He says, “I’ve learned not to get my hopes up. I’ll believe we’re going when we’re on the plane. Until then…” he shrugs and takes another step closer.

He’s close enough that I can breathe him in. I want to reach up and run my hands down his chest, but I don’t. I just meet his gaze. “Aren’t we supposed to be working on trust? Trust me a little, Cass.”

“I trust you,” he says, and I note how his eyes dart to my lips for a split second. “But I also know you. You’re saying you want to go because you feel guilty, not because you’d rather be on vacation than here, working. I also know that when you’re stressed, it’s impossible for you to enjoy yourself or, you know, be pleasant.” He reaches up and brushes his thumb along my bottom lip. “Promise me that we’re going, and that we’re going because it’s what you want to do, and that you won’t get sucked into work while we’re there.”

“I promise,” I say, and I allow myself to touch him now, sliding my hands up his chest and around his neck. “I promise I want to go and have this time with you.”

He searches my eyes for another minute before nodding, and his eyes are back to being bright and filled with excitement as a small smile twists his lips. His arms snake around my waist as he says, “Good.”

Making my promise more convincing, I kiss him.

Whatever tenuous hold my husband had on his self-control snapped, just like I expected it to.

He crushed me against his chest, his lips devouring mine. I wasn’t surprised when I felt his tongue against the seam of my lips, begging for entrance. I parted for him, relishing in the feel of his kiss.

It had been so damn long since he kissed me like this.

My nails dug into his back as I kissed him back and before I knew it, he was cupping my ass, lifting me up and setting me down atop the counter. He no longer had to hunch over to kiss me, nearly the same height now and I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders.

Cassian stepped between my legs, tugging me toward the edge of the counter, his mouth still ravaging mine.

This passion, this heat between us was what had drawn us together in the first place. He was my match, my equal, as ravenous for me as I was for him. In ten years, that fire had never gone out.

Until it did. And that’s something I will never let happen again.

I gasped as Cassian ground himself against me, his length thick and hard, telling me that this was affecting him as much as it was me. The second I broke the kiss, his lips found my neck, sucking and teasing the sensitive skin there.

I moan, quietly, and his hands on my upper thighs tighten. My head falls to the side, giving him better access and he licks his way up the side of my neck until he’s nibbling at my jaw, then trailing back down until his mouth is sucking at my collarbone. My hands can’t stay still, can’t stay off of him, and I don’t even realize that they’re slipping beneath his shirt until he growls against my skin. I don’t give it a second thought. I pull his t-shirt up and he leans back, meeting my gaze as I pull it over his head and toss it aside. His lips are swollen and he’s breathing heavily, his eyes wild and full of lust. I lay my palms flat against his chest and run them down his stomach, my fingers running over every hard, defined muscle before I grab him by the waistband of his jeans and pull him back to me. 

My legs wrap around him, getting him as close to me as possible, as our mouths clash. There’s nothing holding us back, not anymore, not now. He’s kissing me like he needs me to breathe, and the throbbing between my thighs has become nearly unbearable. Needing any sort of friction, I rock my hips against him and he groans into my mouth as he pushes off my sweater and grabs my breasts through my t-shirt. 

Apparently not finding that good enough, my shirt is quickly removed, and it’s only then that Cassian’s mouth leaves mine. He reaches behind me and unclasps my bra. I’ve always known that my breasts were one of my husband’s favorite assets of mine, and I can’t even remember the last time he’s seen them. 

He makes a show of it, dropping my bra, releasing the hook and letting it fall. I sit still, letting him admire me. As he does, I glance down where I can see him perfectly outlined in his jeans, doing a little admiring myself.

His eyes, impossibly dark, rove over me, his hand clasping the back of my neck as he kisses me again. Then he’s lowering me back, down against cool marble of the countertop. My gasp as the shock of the cold surface presses into my skin has me throwing my head back and his lips are no longer near mine.

I feel his warm breath against my stomach, just beneath my belly button, and I freeze. He presses the gentlest, most unexpectedly sweet kiss to the slight dip there, before trailing upward with another and another.

I was so focused on his mouth that I didn’t notice his hands until one was cupping the swell of one full breast. Arching into him, I whimper softly when his fingers brush over my nipple, the sensitive bud tightening almost immediately under his touch. His thumb sweeps it the other way before his forefinger joins in, rolling it between them. I’m unable to stop my groan as I look down to find his eyes w bb already on mine.

And his lips hovering over my other breast.

With slow, restrained movements, Cassian lowers his mouth, letting his tongue drag over my nipple. Fighting to keep my eyes open, my hand dives into his hair, his own hand working my other breast in time with his tongue.

I curse, which only encourages him. I can’t keep my eyes open any longer as his teeth graze my nipple.

I shift beneath him, a curse on the tip of my tongue, but then my phone is vibrating on the counter a few feet away. Unable to help it, I glance over and see Eris’s name flashing across the screen.

Every thought I have leaves my mind. 

My first instinct is to reach for it, but I hesitate. Then again, if it’s something important, I need to know now. Especially considering we’re now going on this vacation and I have to get as much shit done as possible before we go. 

He must sense the fact that I’m distracted, because he looks up at me. “Ignore it.”

I should ignore it.

I know I should ignore it.

But whatever the hell Eris has to say is all I can think about. He rarely calls after my office hours, only with important news to relay. 

Cassian sucks my nipple between his lips once more as I say, “Cass.”

He freezes, his body tensing, and looks up at me again.

“Just…it’ll only be a minute.”

His brows furrow but then the recognition hits as I reach across the counter and grab my phone, just as it stops ringing. I sit up, moving Cassian away from me as I do. When I unlock my phone to call Eris back, Cassian speaks up.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” His voice is quiet, his breathing still ragged. “Can’t this wait until we’re done?” 

“It’ll only be a minute,” I say, pleadingly. “I promise. Then we’ll pick up where we left off—”

“No.”

My thumb stills where it hovers above Eris’s contact information. His voice is still quiet, but there’s an edge to it. “No?”

“Don’t, not right now,” he says, and steps between my legs again. He palms my breasts as his lips find my neck.

“Cass, it’ll only be a minute.” The words barely leave me before my phone starts ringing again. Apparently Eris isn’t waiting for me to call him back. 

Against my better judgment, I answer the call.

The warmth of Cassian’s body on mine is gone immediately and he’s scooped his shirt off the floor and is headed for the living room before I can speak.

But that’s mostly because Eris doesn’t give me the chance.

“Checked your email lately?”

I blink. My email? What about my email could be so important he’s calling me so late? “No, I’ve been busy this evening. Why, what’s—?”

“Your extension has been approved.”

My entire being goes still. “Oh.”

Pulling my phone away from my ear, I quickly skimmed over the email sitting in my inbox.

I had emailed one of the reps for the publishing company earlier, asking about an extension on the release. Although Eris is usually the go-between between the company and I, I’ve always had a good relationship with them. I’ve never missed any major deadlines or had a delayed release, but only because Eris would never allow it. I wasn’t even sure what the process to officially request for one was.

So I sent an email asking for information.

Apparently, all I’d needed to do was inquire, with my stellar reputation with them.

I hadn’t mentioned it to Cassian because, like he said, I hadn’t wanted to get his hopes up.

“We don’t have time for an extension, Nesta.” He sounded calm, but I knew he was anything but.  He was likely pacing, AirPod in one ear, his fingers steepled together. It was his standard not happy pose. “You are not pushing back this release.”

“I have to,” I argue. “I have too much on my plate right now. I need more time.”

“Do you know what I need, Nes?” Unlike when Cassian shortened my name, I hated when Eris did it. It sounded condescending and it infuriated me. “I need the final ten chapters emailed to the editors by Tuesday. I need you to respond to the email I sent you about cover artwork for the special edition we’re releasing later this year. I need you to get to work and leave the publishers to me.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “And if I say I can’t do that?”

“You will,” he says, tone final, and hangs up.

I sigh, dropping my phone on the counter. My hands rub down my face before I look back up, expecting to see my husband there.

But he’s not.

I didn’t even notice that he had left the room.

“Cassian?”

He doesn’t respond.

And later that night, he never comes to bed. 

[livelovesimallways]

"The Weekend...." Pt. 2

(Previous)

When Sean decided to barge his way in here, the last thing I expected was for things between us to end up how they started. Although it may not seem like it, sleeping with my sister’s man was something I never thought I was capable of. I swear if he was anybody else, this wouldn’t be happening. But he’s not, and that’s a choice I have to live with. From the outside looking in, it seems like I’m a villain…A jealous, bitter, hater that’s hell bent on ruining her sister’s relationship. In reality, I’m not. Our history goes much deeper than anyone could imagine. Dana thinks I met Sean when she first introduced him. The truth is, I knew him before they laid eyes on each other.

We met at a small “get together” during my freshman year in college. He was there celebrating our school’s first March Madness Playoff victory since he once played. Initially I figured he came over to secure his, "Ho" for the night, so I casually brushed him off. His tune changed real quick after that, with him trying to assure me that wasn't the case. I let it slide and after a nice conversation, we exchanged numbers. To be honest, I didn’t expect much to come from it…Dana always told me that men like him were not going to give me the relationship I wanted. But shit, in the weeks following, that man swept me off my feet. Even though he asked me to keep everything private, I never felt like a secret. We spent that summer vacationing all over…From Sunlit Tides to Monte Vista, we went everywhere. He made damn good use of that NBA contract. Sean was it for me. He was my first real situation and what felt like my first love. Things were great until he started pulling away. Soon after that he told me we were done. I was hurt, but thankfully had school to keep me distracted. I stayed on campus most of my sophomore year, including winter and spring break. Going home consisted of Dana gushing over her new Boo and that was something I couldn’t handle. As the school year ended, they finally decided they were ready to go public. After all, it was his birthday and what’s a lavish party without a trophy standing by your side? She wanted me to meet him first so I reluctantly came home. As she was ready to leave he popped in to say hello. Humph, I tried so hard to hide the shock, embarrassment, and disgust from my face when I realized who was extending his hand. I swear, Sean had some mothafuckin nerve. Unfazed though, he continued as if he never knew me. Everything happened so fast that I could barely get a word out and before I knew it, they were gone. He eventually tried to explain, claiming that he didn't know we were sisters until earlier that day. Although it was believable with Dana's over protectiveness, absence on social media, and the fact that I hated talking about my family, the entire situation didn't sit right with me. I didn't know how to or if telling Dana was a good idea so I left it alone. Seeing them together hurt, especially with the way Sean ended things. But with school creating a nice distance, I was able to move on.

Everything was good. I had my life and they had theirs. Although Sean's place was our new home, I managed to keep myself separate from them for a while. But once they started having problems, humph, shit got messy. After arguments he came to me. It went from venting, to apologizing, to having regrets, to making his way to my bed. It's been three years since we first crossed that line. I don't get any joy from doing this behind my sisters back. And like I said, if he was anyone else. I fell in love with Sean first and as much as I tried to forget him, it never worked. Yesterday he finally admitted what I knew all these years...He loves me too. With Dana on verge of leaving, I don't know what will happen between us. One thing's for sure though...I'm about to put this lingerie set to good use.

"Well damn, you were just sleeping." *walking up closer* "You know, you don't have to get dressed. Security stays upstairs and outside."

"I know...I ain't worried about them."

"Okay?...Then why are you getting dressed? You leavin?"

"I don't want to but..."

"Then don't. If you turn around you'll have a good reason to stay."

It was impossible for him to hide his excitement when he saw what I had on. His smile, his dimples and his beat red face told me everything I needed to know. He was just as enamored as I was. Regardless of any conflicting feelings he had, there was no denying how he felt about me. I gave him a kiss that led to his hands planted firmly on his favorite spot. Shit, he needed that reminder. As things were progressing, with me unbuckling his pants, his phone started ringing. He ignored it, but after getting a text, he gave up, slowly pulling away.

"Just put it on silent Boo..." I said, gently stroking his dick.

"You know I can't..." *moves my hand*

"This is so fuckin stupid! Its only been two days since she found out about Julia and she's already calling. And you?...You don't make any sense! You finally admit that you love me but now you're doing this? You ain't have a problem fuckin me all over this room. What Changed?"

*Briefly closed his eyes* "I don't wanna hurt you Dee..."

"Well, it's too fuckin late for that! I don't get it. What happened to all your regrets? How you wish it was me? How long you've been in love with me? Be a man and stand on that shit! Dana will be fine, its not like you've been the best to her anyway. I can be your secret until you're ready. I clearly don't have a problem with it. Hell, you can keep doing your thing on the side too. Bitches like Julia don't scare me because you know where home is."

"Look, I would love nothing more than to have that with you but I can't. It's too risky and you know it. I'm a starter now and I'm trying to secure my biggest contract yet. That shit is gonna change my life, Dee. If it got out that we're together, it would be over. Controversy only works on tv and social media. I'm sorry."

"You always say that, yet you've risked it all every time we messed around. Moses knows. He hates me and definitely wasn't okay with it. What if he let it slip?" I said, as his phone rang again. "Oh my god, is she stalking you now?"

"No. She's waiting for me. I already talked to her when you were in the shower."

"So that's it? You're ready to spend the rest of your life with someone you barely love?"

"Don't do that. I never said no shit like that and you know it. You really think I put damn near six years into this without truly loving her? Come on now. She may not be the ideal choice, but it works. We can't always get what we want." *looks at his phone* "I gotta go. And yeah, about this...It ain't happening again. I fucked up, I'm sorry."

I hoped he'd turned around and realize the mistake he was making. Humph, but once that front door closed, I knew he wasn't coming back.

Just like the end of summer, freshman year, I was left heartbroken by his ass. I had been suppressing a lot while we went back and forth, only to have it all resurface yesterday. This love shit really feels different when its reciprocated...Damn it's not fair. After crying my eyes out, I grew angry. How does he get to play in our faces like this? I know I was wrong, but him?? I can't do these mental gymnastics again. I don't want to lose my sister but at this point it's gone too far. He did say "we all can't get what we want". She needs to know and he needs to pay. I'll find the right time to do it...Definitely before their wedding. Since I can't talk to anyone about him, music usually helps calm me down.

"Alexa, play Kill Bill by Sza..."

To Be Continued.......

Next

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

Identity Crisis

The first chapter of this fic is now here. I hope you like it!

HERE: Chapter One - Identity foreclosure

NEXT: Chapter Two - Changing perspectives

Identity foreclosure is an identity developed by an individual without much choice.

The first thing Mo Xuanyu becomes aware of is how soft and comfortable the mattress is - undoubtedly expensive, one of those fancy memory foam types for sure, the kind people like him can only test out in mattress stores for a few seconds before moving to the low budget, low quality alternatives they can afford.

He then feels the delicate fragrance of the fabric softener, fresh with an indistinct flowery mix, and the watery feel of real satin bedsheets that he could have only imagined touching in this lifetime.

Floating in the plane between dreams and consciousness, Mo Xuanyu feels himself smiling at the lavish sleeping experience and stretches underneath the light but surprisingly warm blanket.

He notices two more things: one, that he is pleasantly sore everywhere, especially around his thighs and ass, and two, that he is entirely naked, with only one arm draped over his waist in a gesture of both affection and possessiveness.

He burrows into the bedding a bit more, placing his own hand over the one holding him, and he's just about to fall back asleep, when his brain catches up to him and his eyes snap right open.

His pupils move haphazardly around the room, struggling to recognize it - white walls with pastel blue accents, elegant mahogany furniture, tall windows that overlook the city from a double-digit floor number, a mirror above the bed and a vanity in front of it.

This isn't his room and this isn't his life.

Next to him, he feels the strong figure of a man he knows - but not in the way his body tells him he now does. He knows him because he's-

"Wei Ying..." he mumbles, hoarse, half awake and in a way that has Mo Xuanyu's insides twist with both panic and the beginnings of arousal.

Mo Xuanyu's thoughts scramble together in his brain, crashing into each other, like children running around to do the chores their parents assigned them hours ago.

"Hm...?" he finally responds, mimicking sleep, hoping he sounds convincing.

The man doesn't answer, pulling Mo Xuanyu closer to his body, so close that he can feel the outlines of his muscles against his back, the contours of his body and his-

The harsh sound of an alarm clock ruinsthe moment and the tension between the two as Lan Wangji reaches to turn it off. Mo Xuanyu wants to scoot away so badly his joints burn with the unsent command - but he doesn't. He knows it would be out of character, it would raise suspicions.

Instead, he only pulls the blanket over his head and grumbles about wanting to sleep more. That part, at least, is true. Judging by the light filtering through the pristine windows, the sun has yet to fully rise, not at all visible from underneath the horizon despite the sky lighting up with whites, blues and yellows.

Lan Wangji huffs, affectionate, and leaves a kiss on the top of Mo Xuanyu's head before getting up from the bed to go to the bathroom. The shower turns on soon after that, and there is a low hum echoing off the bathroom walls.

He must be getting ready for work now, which means it is around 5 am - Wei Ying always complains about how Lan Wangji wakes up so early and he hasto deal with an empty bed when his late mornings start.

Mo Xuanyu can finally emerge from under the blankets, running a hand through his messy bed hair. He's used to waking up to a horror story in his locks, but today it seems to be worse than ever. It's quite obvious why.

His eyes inevitably land on the mirror in front of the bed. It's almost as long as the wall and half its width, with a large dresser underneath it. There are some pictures on it - a wedding day, family vacations and pets - as well as some neatly arranged makeup supplies.

When he looks at himself, Mo Xuanyu is both a mix of pleasantly surprised and downright horrified. With his hair down and a litany of bitemarks all over his neck, chest and collarbones, he looks so much like Wei Ying he almost thinks they've exchanged bodies.

His hand reaches to touch his own face, and he follows the movement in the mirror as if bewitched with it. Briefly, he wonders who he is.

Lifting the blanket only a little, he sees the bitemarks blooming everywhere on his skin, and his eyes catch onto the rope marks around his wrists as well.

He shouldn't be embarrassed, given the nature of his job and all that he's done so far - but he feels a blush climbing up his face ferociously, and he hides into the blankets with a hand covering his mouth. He's impossibly flustered, guilty and satisfied, all at once.

He registers the shower being turned off and hears Lan Wangji emerge from there only to disappear in the walk-in closet. Mo Xuanyu wants to see him when he comes out, dressed to the nines as he always seems to be, elegant and refined and so fucking hot.

But Wei Ying is never awake for this part of the day (Mo Xuanyu isn't either, to be honest), so he fights the impulse to peek from underneath the blanket and only gets up from there when he hears the lock to the front door click closed.

He almost jumps out of the bed after, careless of his state of undress, and rushes into the bathroom. It's so large and so luxurious it looks almost as if it's taken out of a catalog.

Mo Xuanyu pointedly refuses to look at himself in the large mirror and enters the shower. It's not your regular, run-of-the-mill kind - there are so many options Mo Xuanyu feels like he's commanding a spaceship for a moment.

Everything is touchscreen and motion-activated, there is an option for ambient sound and lighting, and there are so many customizable functions for water pressure, spray and temperature - Mo Xuanyu feels at the height of decadence when the led lights turn red at the press of a button and upbeat instrumental music starts filling the bathroom.

Reality crashes on him yet again as he's reaching for a bottle of shampoo he can't even bother to pronounce the brand of. What is he doing? This isn't for him, none of these things are. Nothing here belongs to him. Neither the fancy bottles of body wash and shampoo, nor the futuristic-looking shower, the bedding, the house or the man he's just spent the night with.

This isn't his life. His life isn't luxury and domestic bliss. His life isn't waking up to the love of his life every morning and having passionate, loving sex every night. His life isn't comfort or safety or family.

His life is a dingy apartment in a terrible part of town because he can't afford rent elsewhere. His life is a shitty shower that keeps leaking no matter how many times the landlord fixes it and a sink with chipped off paint. His life is a disgusting strip club that's a front for a prostitution ring where he's having degrading sex for drug money and bills that keep getting higher. His life is loneliness, despair and a man that he doesn't know if he loves or hates, a man that slips in and out of his life at his convenience.

But now, all that has turned upside down.

He gets to take the fancy utilities and the penthouse and the loving, attractive husband because the person that all these things belong to is dead now. Mo Xuanyu found him dead in his shitty apartment and until he finds out what happened, he's going to borrow his life a little bit.

It was Nie Huaisang's idea - surely, the police and everyone would first suspect Mo Xuanyu of foul play, no matter what the truth might be. After all, he's a penniless prostitute and Wei Wuxian is a very rich and successful man - everyone would accuse Mo Xuanyu of murder even if all Mo Xuanyu did was find his friend's dead body lying in his living room.

Nie Huaisang promised he would handle the investigation himself - he knows a lot of people and he's powerful enough to keep media attention at bay. He can keep Mo Xuanyu safe and make sure the truth is uncovered without putting his life in danger.

Nie Huaisang is someone Mo Xuanyu has always trusted, he'll surely do everything within his power to find out who killed Wei Ying. But until then, to ensure secrecy, Mo Xuanyu has to pretend to be Wei Ying.

They look a lot alike, and they spend enough time together for Mo Xuanyu to know how to act like him. Wei Ying is currently not working, so Mo Xuanyu won't raise suspicion by not being as smart or skilled as Wei Ying, and he likes kids, so he's going to get along really well with Wei Ying's adoptive son, A-Yuan.

He gets to live well for a while, and at the end, Nie Huaisang will tell him why Wei Ying was dead. But that's going to take a long time, even with all the strings Nie Huaisang may pull - so Mo Xuanyu doesn't have to think of how he'll tell Lan Wangji, or how he'll react. At least, not for now.

For now, he gets to be loved and pampered - and a liar.

And he tells himself he doesn't mind that the love and care aren't really for him. Wei Ying has had plenty, he won't mind sharing some of it... will he?

Mo Xuanyu comes out of the shower in Wei Ying's fluffy bathrobe and his matching slippers and he goes to the kitchen to make himself some coffee.

The sun has risen now, bright, inundating the apartment with light and warmth. Mo Xuanyu drinks his coffee on the balcony and watches the city awake for the day, traffic and pedestrians moving like ants from his view high above the ground.

He can almost make out the shapes of the buildings in his shitty part of town.

[everythingcanadian]

Under The Covers I Find You

Pairing: John Watson/Greg Lestrade/Sherlock Holmes

Rating: G

No Warnings

Summary:

The first night in the lovely little rented home for the weekend. The three of them settle in for the night.

Day 14 of promptober: Cozy This one was nice and cozy and I hope it came out alright.

AO3 Portal On Tumblr: Part 1 Part 3

They had spread the coals thin in the fire pit when they were ready to go inside. The little cottage they were renting for the weekend was lovely. A fresh interior that was remodeled a couple years ago. A nice big shower in the bathroom. A side by side sink too. In the back of the house was a nice sized bedroom with a large king bed and what looked to be fresh sheets. 

When John and Greg had looked for places to use, they had originally thought of a hotel. However, Sherlock had suggested a vacation house. One used only for renting. They had found this place. Not too far from London proper. Geared towards couples as a romantic getaway close to the waters of the straight outside of Whitstable. Coming upon this place they had miraculously all agreed to it. 

They were getting ready for bed. John was exhausted from the clinic, ready to turn in for the night and already having issues keeping his eyes open. Greg still had a case to finish that he had left in the hands of his team, hoping they were capable of doing some legwork without needing to call him every five minutes. Sherlock himself left a lot of his own research and work at Baker Street, electing to take only one experiment with him on this trip. It was quite sweet of him really. 

The oven was off and the drying bladder was put into muslin cloth and into a glass container used only for Sherlock’s work. John made him bring it so the kitchenware of the rental house was free of his experiments. The bladder in the salt was shaken a couple times to shift the damp salt and disperse the dry over the organ. Sherlock had hummed quietly to himself before writing his notes on his phone to compare to the morning. Greg had come to herd him from the kitchen to the bedroom when Sherlock was finishing his notes. 

The older man was cozy looking. In soft grey boxer briefs and a nice, old band shirt with a hole in one armpit that was soft from wearing it over the years. Sherlock’s eyes darted over his older partner and he slowly relaxed as Greg held out his hand. 

“C’mon sweetheart. Come have a cuddle and you can come out here once we’ve both dropped off.” Greg knew better than to force Sherlock to sleep when he didn’t want to. He also knew that keeping Sherlock from his own work was an idiot’s task that no one could do. 

This time it was a bit different. Sherlock yawned a real yawn and moved into Greg’s space then just past him toward the bedroom. Greg followed behind. It was a rare occurrence when Sherlock was actually tired both in mind and body. But it was nice when they all knew he’d be out for the night beside them.

John was already in bed, eyes tracking the words of the novel in his hands. He was propped up against the headboard with a pillow behind his back. He looked up as Sherlock and Greg padded into the bedroom. It was a bit chilly despite the heat being on. Even though it had been redone, it was still an old house. The long sleeve shirt John was wearing would come off just as he shimmied under the covers, but for now he kept it on, and he looked as soft as the warm toned light made him. 

John’s eyes watched Sherlock unbutton and unzip and undo until the younger man was in nothing but his briefs. All pale skin and a soft trail of hair leading from navel to elastic band to more. It was always a lovely sight and John sighed softly. The open affection on his face was a sign that he was happy and relaxed.

Sherlock waited for Greg to crawl into bed first. He didn’t like being the center as it got too crowded and too hot. He enjoyed being on the end so he could come and go as he pleased. And he could get close to the pair that liked to sleep snuggled up or back away from their warmth when it was too much. 

“I’m knackered. I’m just going to drop off.” Greg said softly as he settled in the king bed next to John. His voice was warm gravel and both Sherlock and John enjoyed the way he sounded, especially when he would purposely purr and growl for them. But the weight of needing sleep made that gravelly edge a nice rumble instead. 

John hummed his answer, reaching out to take Greg’s hand and bring it up to press a soft kiss to the knuckles there. 

Greg’s own happy hum was followed by an equally happy sigh as Sherlock slid into bed next to him, shuffling down a little so Greg’s arm could hold him. Another sigh came with a soft chuckle as Sherlock rested his head right against Greg’s chest, ear to a strong and steady heart. “Are we going to see you stay in bed for a while?”

“Quite possibly. Although there isn’t much stimulation I find myself- at peace here.” Sherlock stated quietly, aware of the invisible bubble containing the moment. The bare sentiment flooded both Greg and John with a deep seated warmth. “It’s an odd feeling really. But one I find to be comforting. Nice even.” He turned his head a touch and pressed a soft kiss to Greg’s chest, just to the side of his heart behind his ribcage before resting his ear to Greg’s chest again. 

Greg smiled, eyes heavy suddenly. He knew the little pick up in speed in his heartbeat could be heard by Sherlock, but it was a sign that Greg liked this too. He brought his arm up around Sherlock, hand going into black curls and tugging lightly before he rubbed a bit at the skull beneath his fingers. “I love you, darling.”

Only John noticed the smile that graced Sherlock’s face. His eyes were closed as he listened to Greg’s body. But John could see the happiness and contentment on his face. “Goodnight Sherlock. Love you, love.” John was moving to take off his long sleeve shirt and to turn to shut out the lamp on the bedside table. He finally got settled after a few moments, pillow back on the bed properly, and tucked under the sheets. A leg thrown over one of Greg’s and his hand just resting on Greg’s belly over the warm cotton of his shirt. He smiled in the dark when he felt Sherlock’s hand reach his and just rest there. “G’night Greg. Love you as well. Have a good sleep.”

“Night, John. S’you in the morning. Love you” Greg slurred as he was being taken by sleep’s gentle hands. Finally all cozy under the covers and within his partners’ arms.

Just before Greg was passed to point of no return they heard Sherlock whisper, after what was probably weeks of not saying it directly, “I love you both too.”

[kaminocasey]

Hello lovely☺️ I love your fics, they’re so good! I hope you’re doing well and this ask isn’t boring🥲

Interesting/Random Questions Ask😜

* 1: what made you start liking the person you like right now?

* 2: what on your body is hurting or bothering you?

* 3: what was your last thought before going to bed last night?

* 4: what are you listening to?

* 5: what’s something you’re not looking forward to?

* 6: where is your best friend is right now?

* 7: last time you kissed someone?

* 8: favorite song?

* 9: top 3 comfort movies?

* 10: is there one person you want to be with right now?

* 11: are you seriously happy with where you are in life?

* 12: is there something you would like to say to someone?

* 13: what are three things you did today?

* 14: would you rather sleep at a friend’s or have them over?

* 15: what is your favorite kind of gum?

* 16: are you friends with any of your exes? could/would you ever be?

* 17: if you are outside what are you most likely doing?

* 18: ever liked someone you thought you didn’t stand a chance with?

* 19: does anyone have strong feelings for you?

* 20: are you slowly drifting away from someone?

* 21: have you ever wasted your time on someone?

* 22: can you do the alphabet in sign language?

* 23: how have you felt today?

* 24: if you were to receive $50 without any reason, what do you spend it on?

* 25: what time do you usually wake up?

* 26: is there anyone you’re really disappointed in?

* 27: salty or sweet snacks?

* 28: why aren’t you in ‘love’ with your last ex anymore?

* 29: how late did you stay up last night and why?

* 30: when was the last time you talked to your best friend?

* 31: when was the last time you talked to your ex?

* 32: what are you looking forward to in the next month?

* 33: what is your religion?

* 34: are you a patient person?

* 35: if you’re not leaving the house do you still get ready for the day or stay in pajamas?

* 36: do you tend to hold grudges against people who have wronged you?

* 37: what 3 moments in your life would you like to relive all over again?

* 38: favorite weather?

* 39: if someone could be cuddling you right now, who would you want it to be?

* 40: 3 favorite vacations you’ve ever been on?

* 41: if someone liked you right now, would you want them to tell you?

* 42: do you like meeting new people?

* 43: are you afraid of falling in love?

* 44: favorite season?

* 45: what are your plans for today?

* 46: what’s the weather like currently?

* 47. do you have trust issues?

* 48. favorite Christmas movie?

* 49. favorite hobby?

* 50. name one song that makes you happy and one that breaks your heart.

Awww thank you so much!!! I appreciate you so much!!! 🥹💕💗 I'll try to answer these as well as I can lol.

* 1: what made you start liking the person you like right now?

His humor haha.

* 2: what on your body is hurting or bothering you?

Everything lol. No, uhhh... I have a cavity so like, that's been bugging me real bad the last few days.

* 3: what was your last thought before going to bed last night?

I have so much to do in my bookshop before opening on Friday.

* 4: what are you listening to?

My Bonsoir playlist!!

* 5: what’s something you’re not looking forward to?

The dentist apt I have to make lol. (I'm severely claustrophobic and hate people near my face...)

* 6: where is your best friend is right now?

Well... One is in FL and the other is in IL.

* 7: last time you kissed someone?

An hour ago lol.

* 8: favorite song? Rn it's "From the Start" by Laufey!

* 9: top 3 comfort movies?

Practical Magic, Elemental, and Revenge of the Sith

* 10: is there one person you want to be with right now?

I'm with him lol.

* 11: are you seriously happy with where you are in life?

I am!

* 12: is there something you would like to say to someone?

I'd tell Mitch McConnell to "Get fucked" if I could lol.

* 13: what are three things you did today?

Worked in my bookshop, took care of my little one, and talked to an old friend on the phone.

* 14: would you rather sleep at a friend’s or have them over?

Have them over.

* 15: what is your favorite kind of gum?

Orbit bubble mint

* 16: are you friends with any of your exes? could/would you ever be?

Lmfao no.

* 17: if you are outside what are you most likely doing?

Reading/Writing

* 18: ever liked someone you thought you didn’t stand a chance with?

Yeah

* 19: does anyone have strong feelings for you?

I think my partner probably does lol

* 20: are you slowly drifting away from someone?

I hope not.

* 21: have you ever wasted your time on someone?

Haven't we all?

* 22: can you do the alphabet in sign language?

I can do some of it!

* 23: how have you felt today?

Exhausted.

* 24: if you were to receive $50 without any reason, what do you spend it on?

My little one.

* 25: what time do you usually wake up?

8 AM if my partner lets me sleep in.

* 26: is there anyone you’re really disappointed in?

Nah.

* 27: salty or sweet snacks?

Both.

* 28: why aren’t you in ‘love’ with your last ex anymore?

He was a piece of crap.

* 29: how late did you stay up last night and why?

2:30 AM working on my "Blind Date with a Book" books for my shop!

* 30: when was the last time you talked to your best friend?

Literally a little bit ago.

* 31: when was the last time you talked to your ex?

A few years ago.

* 32: what are you looking forward to in the next month?

My bookstore being more consistent.

* 33: what is your religion?

Don't have one really.

* 34: are you a patient person?

Trying to be!

* 35: if you’re not leaving the house do you still get ready for the day or stay in pajamas?

I love to get ready. I think it helps me be more productive.

* 36: do you tend to hold grudges against people who have wronged you?

Ehhhh... lol. It depends what they did.

* 37: what 3 moments in your life would you like to relive all over again?

Too personal.

* 38: favorite weather?

Rain or Snow!

* 39: if someone could be cuddling you right now, who would you want it to be?

My partner or Gregor lmao.

* 40: 3 favorite vacations you’ve ever been on?

Las Vegas, Disney, Washington DC

* 41: if someone liked you right now, would you want them to tell you?

No thank you lol.

* 42: do you like meeting new people?

Yeah!

* 43: are you afraid of falling in love?

Nahhh.

* 44: favorite season?

Fall/Winter

* 45: what are your plans for today?

(Tomorrow lol) Working in the shop!

* 46: what’s the weather like currently?

Rainy!

* 47. do you have trust issues?

Sometimes.

* 48. favorite Christmas movie?

Elf, hands down. I'll watch it in Summer.

* 49. favorite hobby?

Writing/Reading!!

* 50. name one song that makes you happy and one that breaks your heart.

"I Wanna Dance With Somebody" by Morgan Harper-Jones

[sheloooveswomen]

the tok - wilhemina venable x billie dean howard x reader

masterlist

summary: oh my golly you have two fiancées? wild. you decide to try dirty pick up likes on them for your tik tok as you go on vacation (no real plot to this, just moments throughout your day).

includes: lilac!wilhemina x billie x fem!reader, thoughts are italicized, change in POV.

warnings: just barely nsfw because of the dirty jokes.

2,350 words

MINA POV//

As always, I’m the first to wake.

The sheets are everywhere, Y/n lays in the center of our king sized bed. Her head on my shoulder. Billie is not only spooning her, but her hand has made its way to my breast in the middle of the night. Asleep or awake, the woman always wants some form of contact.

We don't have to leave for another two hours so I let them sleep for a bit longer as I get out our clothes for the day. Casual dress pants with a knitted sweater for myself, in an eggplant shade. Hoodie and sweatpants for my little one, since she's bound to fall asleep on the plane. A silk blouse and skirt for Billie because 'Have we met? Do you know who I am? There is no such thing as dressing down, I'm offended you even asked.'

I put on my robe and go turn on a pot of coffee.

When I return, my angel is still very naked and very asleep. Now laying almost completely on top of an equally nude Billie, who is on her phone. Presumably checking her email.

"We promised no work for the week, Billie Dean." I remind her, placing a steaming mug on her nightstand.

"We aren't on vacation yet and I'm only reminding my staff of a few things before I go off the grid, Wilhemina." she mocks my use of her first and middle name.

I glance towards our fiancée, "Mhm. She'll have to get up soon."

"She's gonna be hard to get moving today" Billie continues to stroke the sleeping girl's hair.

I sigh.

"It's your fault. I mean really Mina, 'Be a good girl and go one more for me'? In what realm would she have said no to that, she could barely form a sentence as it was."

I raise my hand in surrender with a smile, "I take full responsibility, but I couldn’t help myself. Besides she doesn't have much to do except ready herself.” I lay our clothes for the day on the empty part of the bed, “What did you do with our bags, darling?"

"Oh right, I had them brought to the car yesterday so Y/n won’t have a chance to second guess what she packed."

"Good. I have more coffee ready to go- although she will probably need a shower to wake up first."

"That'll definitely wake her up" Billie smirks.

"I'll ready the water then"

______________

BILLIE POV//

"Babydoll?" I whisper, moving Y/n’s hair from her face.

"Hm?"

"Baby" I nudge her onto her back, placing little kisses all over her face, "we have to start getting ready, my love." She scrunches her nose before trying to curl back into my side, "Ah ah ah, you need to get your cute butt up and in the shower."

"Why"

"Doll, we have a plane to catch."

She groans into my neck, "It's a private jet, Billie, it literally can't go anywhere without us."

She’s got me there, "You know Mina doesn't like to be kept waiting so cmon, she started the shower alrea—"

"Shower?" she asks.

"Yes—"

She sits up, "We're all showering?"

I suppress a smile, "Did I not mention that?"

She runs to the ensuite bathroom.

"Well good morning to you too, sweetheart!" I shout after her.

Y/N POV//

I walk up behind Mina just in time to help her remove her robe. I then wrap my arms around her waist from behind. Kissing along her spine, I greet her, "Good morning, gorgeous."

"Good morning, my angel."

Billie soon enters, "All I had to say was Mina and shower in the same sentence and suddenly she's wide awake!"

"I'm flattered." Mina turns in my arms and kisses my forehead before opening the shower door.

Having no clothes to take off, we follow her in. Occasionally sharing kisses and gentle touches, making out for a few minutes because they're insatiable, but overall nothing too heavy or we could take hours.

(( time skip / waiting to leave the house / still your POV ))

As usual I finished getting ready first, followed by Mina who is triple checking her lists and ordering breakfast to arrive at the airport when we do.

Billie, of course, is still doing her hair.

After responding to texts and checking social medias I end up on tik tok. I have a pretty decent following. Considering Billie is already famous and the fact that I have two hot, wealthy, beyond attractive, older, stunning, did I say hot? HOT girlfriends who actually as of last week are now my fiancées. 

Dreamy sigh.

Mina and Billie don't really get "the tok" as they call it -I gave up on correcting them- but I often show them some videos and they like being involved in relationship or vlog-type ones. People like to see how the three of us function day to day, also Billie and Mina like to remind people 'who I belong to'.

I've recently seen a bunch of videos of people trying dirty pick up lines on their partners so why not do that with my women.

What could go wrong?

I could be punished...

Pfftt, because that would be so bad.

Again, I ask what could go wrong.

Billie will probably get turned on and Mina will be shocked to ‘hear such things’ come out of my mouth. I finish making a list in my notes of possible lines to use when Billie is finally ready. Once in the back of the car we head off to the airport.

I slide closer to Mina, readying my phone to record her reaction.

She glances between me and the screen, "Hello?"

"That sweater is very becoming on you" I smile.

She relaxes a bit, glancing at the camera again, "Thank you, darling, it's ne—"

"Although if I were on you right now I'd be-cumming, too." I attempt an innocent smile.

Her eyes widen a fraction and I hear Billie chuckle from her seat.

"You seem to be having trouble breathing, may I suggest mouth to mouth?"

Mina's mouth falls open and Billie lets out a loud laugh. I end the video and start to giggle.

"Pet?"

"Mina?"

"I suggest you behave" she slowly looks me up and down.

Not intimidated at all, I give her a kiss on the cheek, "No promises!"

"Cmon darling" Billie takes my hand to help me out of the car after Mina.

I follow her towards the private airport, readying my phone again.

"B, you have something on your butt"

She turns to see her backside, "I don't see anything- can you get it?"

"Sure" I wind my hand back and land a slap on her ass, leaving my hand to rest there. She jumps a bit in shock, hitting my shoulder playfully when she sees my phone being held above our heads, "Never mind. Just my hand!" I grin, drafting the video now that I have the second clip.

Billie chuckles lowly, grabbing my chin and giving me a quick kiss, "God, I love you." she laughs.

We're interrupted by an angry Mina, "Unbelievable. The plane is fucking late. How the fuck is it late."

Billie furrows her brow, "It's alright, darling, we can just eat here instead. Check that off your list in the mean time."

"Fine." Mina heads towards the dining area, using her cane with more force.

(( time skip / after lunch at the private airport / still your POV ))

"Say hi!" I hold my phone up.

Billie pulls me closer by the waist, resting her chin on my shoulder, "Hello viewers."

We start updating our followers on the recent turn of events.

"The plane is about to arrive, do either of you need anything before we go? Oh, hello again." Mina gives a stiff wave to the camera.

"Actually, I am kinda thirsty."

"What would you like, darling?"

"You're 70% water, right?" I smile, zooming in on Wilhemina's shocked face.

She grips her cane tighter, cheeks turning pink, "I'll get you a soda." she says curtly before turning towards the fridges.

Billie laughs into my neck when I end the video, "You are so bad."

(( time skip / on the plane / still your POV ))

After Mina yelled at the flight crew for ‘being tardy’ we are on our way to the Greece mansion she bought as an engagement gift. I head over to my fiancées on the couch and lay across their laps, phone ready, and I sigh dramatically.

"Can we help you, babydoll?" Billie asks without looking up from her magazine.

"Are you guys ever jealous of my heart?"

Mina looks up from her crossword puzzle, "What on earth?" she mutters to herself.

"Are you guys ever jealous of my heart?" I ask slower.

They look at each other confused.

"Don't look at me- I don't know what she's on about." Billie shrugs and sips her complimentary champagne.

"Because it's constantly pumping inside me and you're not." I clarify.

Billie chokes on her drink and Wilhemina's pen goes through the paper, "I- I must say I'm rethinking the pet name 'angel'." she shifts in her seat.

"I must say I am jealous now that I think about it... yes." Billie adds thoughtfully.

"I think you both need a nap" Mina chuckles, rubbing my back out of habit.

________________

BILLIE POV//

"It's nice to see her so upbeat" I smile.

"Agreed. She's been a bit down recently. Of course she never says anything, no matter how many times either of us tells her she should and can- but I digress. Anyways, that's why I thought the trip necessary."

"You’re very sweet."

Mina scoffs.

"Don't do that, you've always been soft to me but you're real sweet for our angel and you know it."

"I'll deny being soft and sweet till my death."

"I've always found you very sweet"

Her eyes cut to me when she understands my sexual innuendo, "Not you, too." she smiles.

"I know!" I laugh, "She's certainly enjoying herself so far" I look to Y/n's head in my lap

"But what is this tik nonsense she's up to?"

I look back to my redhead, "I think it's tok. I know she already explained it to us but I barely understood it the first go around. What I did get is that it's an excuse to show the world she’s ours so why not."

Mina furrows her brow, "Do love bites and the ring on her finger mean nothing anymore?"

"Oh she gets plenty of those and you know it, but she likes making these little videos to show us off a bit along with one of the biggest fucking diamonds on the continent." I shrug.

The corners of Mina's mouth turn up slightly as she watches our babydoll sleep.

"We should try them" I blurt out.

"What?"

"The tok things"

"What do you mean?" she asks.

"I mean I've seen how she films them. I could do it. We just have to come up with some of the lines like she's used on us. We could just use our own phones since she puts the little clips into one video to post once she’s filmed enough."

Mina starts to smile, "Clever girl..."

"Thank you baby." I lean over to kiss her, "It'll be easy to get a rise out of her. She blushes when we look at her for more than two seconds."

"She does get rather flustered doesn't she."

We laugh as we come up with lines, Y/n still fast asleep.

(( time skip / at the vacation home ))

Y/N POV//

"HOLY SHIT!!!!" I yell running through the house.

"Careful!" Mina warns.

Later that night, tired from flying and swimming, we lay outside to watch the sunset over the hills. 

"I was thinking we could go shopping tomorrow, what do you think?" Mina asks.

"I never say no to shopping" I smile to myself.

"I heard Greece is famous for its clothing sales" Billie adds, making me laugh.

"Why would you need sales? I'm the broke one." I remind her.

"The sales are working in your favor already, our clothes are 100% off." Billie replies.

"Huh?" suddenly I'm hit in the face, sitting in my lap are a purple one piece and a baby pink bikini.

My jaw is on the floor.

I look up from my book to see them both wearing nothing but a smirk and Billie filming.

"Thank you- I mean- what are y-you- what is happening?!" I ask pleasantly surprised.

"Just what you were doing" Mina shrugs.

"Using the tok."

I chuckle before clearing my throat, "I- Wha- I didn't- but- mhm...okay...I see... Are we sure I'm not still asleep on the plane?" I tear my gaze from their bodies.

Billie sets my phone down, having gained the reaction they wanted and they make their way towards me.

Time to christen the vacation house.

(( time skip / the next day / still your POV ))

"Say good morning!" I set the phone up in front of us to vlog as Billie asked.

Billie puts my breakfast in front of me, "It's actually the afternoon. So hello and kalispera vlog"

"What is that?" I ask.

"It's good afternoon in greek, my love." she pecks my cheek and takes a seat.

"Well kalispera and happy vacation day two!" I smile.

"Oh! We came up with a new nickname for you last night. I just remembered." Mina perks up as she sits.

I start to smile, "Go on..."

"Winter." she states.

"Winter?" I look to B for clarification.

"Because you'll be cumming soon." Billie adds.

I immediately feel heat rush to my face as I struggle to find words.

"Then, to go with the theme, you can call us snow and storm." Billie adds.

"Why?" I whisper hesitantly, not at all prepared for the answer.

"Together we'll give you 5 to 8 inches and make it hard for you to walk anywhere." Mina smirks.

gay panic gay panic gay panic

Billie taps the phone to adjust the brightness, "I think she's broken. That's enough for today... bye vlog."

cut the cameras

[a-reader-and-a-writer-for-all]

I'm So Sorry (Part 3)

Fandom: Batman, Batfam, Jason Todd, Red Hood, Dick Grayson, Nightwing

Word Count: 5035

TW: Whump, Secrets, Heartbreak, Self-Loathing, Blood, Angst

Series Masterlist

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Dick found your weeping, crumpled form on your bedroom floor moments after you discovered Jason had left. He had noticed Jason’s absence in the living room and bathroom and had figured out what happened. Silently, he lifted you off the floor and carried you over to the bed. After tucking you in, he left so you could have some space and hopefully, some sleep. But the sheets still smell like cigarettes and aftershave which just made you miss Jason even more. After tossing and turning half the night, you finally drifted off into a restless sleep full of clowns, knives, and Jason’s blank emotionless stare.

The next morning you sent Dick home. You felt awful he had slept on your couch as well as having spent most of the last few nights in the hospital with you. He hadn’t been on patrol since the night he found you and Jason, and you suspected he was using a few of his vacation days at work to be with you during the day. So, after much silent gesturing and prodding, you finally convinced him to leave.

But you quickly began to regret it. It was the first time you had truly been alone since you were taken and without the usual distractions, your mind would not stop replaying what had happened. Finally, you decided to take a nice long bath. Which was a mistake. Because the moment you flipped on the light in the bathroom, you caught your reflection in the mirror.

Blood had seeped through the bandages on both sides of your face, forming a scarlet stained smile across your cheeks. Just like your dad had wanted. No wonder Jason left you. How did you expect him to even look at you with this sickening reminder of what you were carved into your face?

With a muffled cry of rage, you pried the mirror of the wall and hurled it to the floor. The glass shattered across the tiles, sending tiny, jagged shards flying through the apartment. But you didn’t care. You ran to the guest bathroom and tore the mirror off that wall as well. This time as it crashed to the floor, pieces ricocheted up and cut into your feet and legs. But you didn’t care. Mirror after mirror (you owned an annoyingly large amount of them you realized) ended up in shattered heaps on your floor. Bloody footprints mapped your crazed path throughout the mess. But you didn’t care. Anything with a reflective surface soon joined the glass on the floor, until it looked as if a tornado had ripped through your apartment. But you still didn’t care. You grabbed the reflective photo frame Tim had given you and Jason for Christmas, ready to hurl it to the ground. But at the last second, you caught a glimpse of the picture.

You had just recently replaced the original picture with one from the day Jason proposed. In it, you were smiling wildly up at him. A real smile, not this horrific mockery of one that now permanently adorned your face, but one full of love and happiness. And Jason…. his cocky little smirk couldn’t hide the adoration you could see sparkling in his eyes. Even in this single moment frozen in time, you could see his love for you shining through every inch of his body. The love that you ruined with your lie. And, oh, how you cared. Drawing the frame tightly against your chest, you sank to the floor amidst the broken glass and bloody footprints. Just another one of the things you had destroyed.

Dick found you hours later, curled up in a ball on top of what was left of your mirrors, arms still clinging to the frame even in sleep. He hadn’t said a word about the mess, and he asked for no explanation. He simply lifted you carefully from the debris and carried you to the shower. It took a lot of convincing, but he had eventually coaxed the frame from your hands and helped you brush off as much glass as possible without cutting yourself further. Then he left the bathroom to give you some privacy.

An hour later when you finally emerged, you were shocked to see most of the mess had been cleared. Two full trash bags by the door were the only real indication that anything had happened. Dick sat you down and rewrapped your face since you had no way to see what you were doing without a mirror. He smiled sweetly at you when he finished and stood. “I’m going to run down and pick us up some food. Anything sound good? I know that place on the end of the block has that soup you love.”

It was all too much. Dick was too kind, and caring, and amazing to let this go on any further. So, you slipped into your room and returned with the letter you had written in the hospital. It contained the truth about everything: who your father was, how you escaped his clutches and avoided him for so long, why you and Jason were taken, and what had really happened in the warehouse that night. It ended with a promise not to argue or put up a fight if Dick or the other Bats decided they wanted nothing further to do with you or they wanted to arrest you or something. You handed it to Dick.

He took it from you, hesitantly but he opened it and began reading. You watched as his face shifted from confused to astonished to horrified as his gaze traveled further and further down the page. It finally got to be too much for you, and you dropped your eyes to the floor as you shrunk further into yourself, just waiting for the angry uproar or cry of disgust you knew was coming. Instead, you felt Dick gently grab your hand. Looking at his face, you could see tears teetering at the corners of his eyes. “Your own father did this to you? I knew he was a monster, but to do that to your own child…. Y/N, I’m so sorry.”

He pulled you into a tight embrace, but you resisted. Still unable to speak, you gestured wildly at yourself then the letter trying your best to mime I lied or I hid. Dick understood your vague message and shook his head. “It’s okay. You did what you had to do to survive. And you aren’t your father. How am I supposed to hold something like parentage against you? You didn’t have a choice in that. But for the past two years, I have seen you be nothing but kind, considerate, and loving to every member of my family. So as far as I’m concerned, this doesn’t change anything.”

The dam you had built up to hold back your emotions imploded in an instant. You fell into Dick’s open arms and sobbed loudly into his chest. Your cheeks felt as if they were being ripped apart once again, but you couldn’t stop as relief floods your body. Dick wasn’t going to leave you. No matter what happened next with Jason, no matter what the other Bats say about your letter, you won’t be all alone.

As you released all your pent-up emotions, Dick rubbed your back and softly murmured, “It’s okay. No one will blame you for what happened because it wasn’t your fault. Please don’t blame yourself for this.”

When you had eventually calmed down, you pulled away from Dick and looked up at him. He grimaced slightly when he saw what had become of your freshly changed bandages but then smiled. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t put the medical supplies away yet.”

He started to turn away, but you grabbed the sides of his face gently between your hands. You pulled it down until your foreheads were touching and you desperately wished he could read your mind right now. You wished you could express what his help and support meant to you. You wished he knew how deeply you appreciated every little thing he did for you these past few days. You wished he knew that he was the only thing keeping you from completely falling apart. But even if you could speak, you didn’t know how to put any of that into words.

However, if you had learned nothing else over the last few days, it was that Dick Grayson somehow always understood exactly what you meant. He smiled at you, slightly cross-eyed due to your closeness, and whispered, “You’re welcome.”

At their request, Dick brought you to the manor to see the rest of the Bats a few days later. By that time, you were no longer wearing the sling or the bandages. Though you were still very self-conscious about your scars, so you wore a turtleneck pulled up to right under your nose. You knew you looked like an idiot, but at least it was better than the alternative. This was the first time you were seeing any of Jason’s family, besides Dick, since they learned the truth about your parentage. Dick had gotten your permission to let them read your letter and he assured you they all felt the same way he did about the situation. But you were still worried about how they would act towards you, especially Bruce. Other than Jason, Bruce had the most personal history with your dad and all of it was horrible. Regardless of what Dick said, you couldn’t imagine that he wasn’t the least little bit bothered by your confession.

Alfred greeted you and Dick at the front door the moment you walked up. The butler had always treated you like part of the family, and you were relieved when your interaction felt no different than before. As soon as you stepped inside, you were immediately tackled by Tim. You stiffened under his embrace as you tried to remain calm. For some reason ever since the warehouse, the smallest touch made your skin crawl and your anxiety skyrocket. It didn’t matter who it was or what kind of physical touch it was, it just put you on edge. With everyone but Dick. He was the only person’s touch who didn’t make you uncomfortable. Neither of you were quite sure why, but your best guess was that you still had vague flashes of him caring for you and carrying you while in the warehouse. Maybe your brain recognized him as your savior that night and gave him a pass. You often wondered what would happen if Jason touched you now but…..

Dick softly pulled Tim away from you, “Hey, bud, remember what I said.”

Tim let go immediately and took a step back. “Oh yeah, sorry. I’m just so glad you’re okay! I’ve missed you this past week.”

“I missed you too, Timmy. Sorry I missed our coffee date.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll just order twice as much next time.”

You laughed, “I don’t know if they’ll sell us that much coffee at once.”

For the past year, you and Tim had met for lunch every Friday. Jason never understood why you wanted to spend that much time with his brother, but the two of you had a surprising amount in common. You had often teased Jason that if they ever broke up, you might have to give Tim a call. He did not appreciate the joke.

“Y/N.”

You jumped as Damian materialized next to you. “Jeez, Dami. A little warning next time.”

“I was sorry to hear about your encounter with your father.” Both Dick and Tim froze and quickly shot you a worried glance. They both knew Damian wasn’t known for his tact or considerations when it came to the feelings of others. But you just motioned for him to continue. “As you are aware, my mother and grandfather are two of the greatest assassins in the world and both have tried to kill me on multiple occasions, one succeeded. I know the burden of that kind of parentage, and I understand why you hid the truth. But remember, my family has never judged me based on that fact, just as they will not judge you on yours.”

Tears immediately sprung to your eyes. Damian had always been civil with you, but you would by no means say you were close. But you knew the young boy had trouble trusting others and if he was willing to share this with you, he must truly view you as part of his family. You nodded in gratitude and hoped he could see the smile in your eyes, even if the one on your lips was covered.

Dick and Tim were both staring at their youngest brother, mouths gaped. Finally, Dick said, “Wow, Damian. That was really nice.”

The small boy just shrugged. “I didn’t mean it to be nice. I just spoke the truth.” He turned and walked into the dining room where Alfred was getting the table set for dinner.

Dick took a deep breath. “Well, okay. So, are you guys ready to eat?”

“Ummm…. Actually… Bruce wants to see Y/N in his office before dinner….. Alone.” Tim looked nervously at you.

You swallowed sharply. So you were right, Bruce wasn’t as accepting of the news as the rest of the family had been. But, then again, why would he have Dick invite you over for dinner if he was just going to kick you out?

“Okay, but I didn’t even realize he had an office up here. I’m not…. I don’t have to go down there, do I?”

Dick quickly reassured you, “No, no. Bruce does do most of his work down in the cave but he has an office upstairs for more ‘Wayne related matters’. I can show you where it is.” He gently took your hand and led you upstairs.

Even though he had lived there since he was a kid, you were still amazed that Dick didn’t get lost in the vast expanse of corridors and doors that made up the manor. The place was huge! Jason and your entire apart – your entire apartment could fit inside some of these rooms. Dick started to turn down one hallway, then quickly decided against it. Before you could ask why, you recognized the familiar decorations at the end of the hall.

“It’s okay, Dick. We can go that way. I’ll be fine.”

Dick still hesitated. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’m living in an entire empty apartment. I think I can walk past an empty room.”

Dick nodded and led you down the hall. But as you approached the last door on the right, you wished you had let Dick take you a different way. Seeing the familiar “Keep Out” sign scrawled in Jason’s messy handwriting was more painful than you had expected. You stopped outside the door and placed a hand softly over the “please 🙂” you had added the first time Jason had brought you here. You bowed your head as you tried to control the storm raging within you. You felt Dick place his hand on your shoulder.

“Has he stopped by since…”

Dick shook his head. “No, or at least not that anyone has noticed. I call and leave him a message every few days just to let him know how you are doing, but I haven’t seen or heard from him since he left the hospital. I’m so sorry.”

“I don’t blame him, Dick. I know you guys probably think I should, but I don’t. I didn’t lie to him about the Riddler or Bane or Poison Ivy. I lied about the Joker. The man who literally tortured and murdered him. I mean, my dad killed Jay. Regardless of whether or not he came back, he was dead. And the person that experience turned him into, that was all because of my dad. All the terrible things that have happened since that moment can be traced back to him. And I fucking lied about it. What’s worse is I lied because I knew this would happen. I knew the second he found out, it would be over between us, so I kept my mouth shut. For two years. So, yeah, I hate that he’s gone and it kills me everyday I wake up and he’s not there, but I understand why.” You turned to face Dick. “You told me what happened wasn’t my fault and that I couldn’t blame myself. But it is. Not what happened to my face, my dad is a psycho and I was kidding myself to think I could hide forever, but what happened with Jay… that’s completely on me. And I’m going to have to find a way to live with that.” You gave the door sign a tender pat and then started back down the hall, Dick close on your heels.

Bruce’s office looked just like all the other doors in the manor, but you could almost sense the powerful presence that lay on the other side of the wood. Dick knocked on the door and opened it slightly, “Uh, Bruce? Tim said you wanted to speak to Y/N before dinner? I was just showing her how to find your office.”

Bruce glanced up from whatever he was working on at his desk. “Yes, thank you, Dick. You can join Tim and Damian. We’ll be down shortly.”

Dick gave your shoulder a small, reassuring squeeze then left the room, pulling the door shut behind him. You nervously fidgeted from one foot to the other and pulled the collar of your turtleneck up higher, almost covering your nose completely.

Bruce motioned for you to sit across from him. Once you were seated, he cleared his throat. “So, Dick let me read your letter and he has been filling me in on your prognosis. I know the doctors at Gotham General don’t think there is much more that can be done about the scarring, but I wanted to assure you that if you want, I am more than happy to pay to fly in the top surgeons in the world to see what they can do.”

You blinked a few times in quick succession. “What?”

“I can’t make any promises they’ll be able to do any better than the doctors here, but whatever options are out there, they will be taken care of if you so choose.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just a little confused…. You want to help me with…. But I thought…?”

Bruce smiled sadly. “You thought I wanted to talk to you about your father. I probably should have made that a little clearer. To be frank, I don’t care who your father is.”

You blinked again. “Really?”

“Damian is the only one of my children who is related to me by blood. Yet each one of them is as much my son as the others. And I was raised by a man I view as a father even though we are not related. Blood alone does not make you family. You get a say in who you choose as your family, and you made it clear long ago that he wasn’t part of yours. That is good enough for me. As for Jason….” Bruce hesitated. “My son can be a bit stubborn at times and he holds grudges better than anyone I have ever met. It took us a long time to get back to a civil relationship and it has only been recently that he has started viewing us as family again. And I owe a large part of that to you. You helped Jason when he refused to let us help him, and I will be eternally grateful for that. Your father may have taken my son away from me, but you helped to bring him back. And if that was the only thing I knew about you, it would be more than enough. However, having gotten to know you these past two years, I have been greatly impressed with your intelligence, kindness, and strength. And if my son knows what is good for him, he will come to his senses and beg you to take him back.”

“Bruce, I…. Thank you.” This was not at all how you expected this conversation to go. Not only did Bruce let you completely off the hook for your lie, he also gave you his blessing for your relationship with Jason (not that it mattered at the moment, but still). “It means so much to me that you don’t hold my lie against me or my relationship to your family. I never meant to hurt anyone, I just wanted to be free of him.”

“I know better than most people the depth of depravity that man is willing to go to, so I could never blame anyone for trying to get away from him.” His eyes softened as he smiled at you. “And as I mentioned, you get to choose your family and we have chosen you as a part of ours, whether Jason decides to forgive you or not. I just hope that one day, you can view us as part of yours.”

For about the hundredth time that week, you felt a flood of tears flow down your face. Smiling broadly behind your turtleneck, you whispered, “I would be honored.”

You had been back home for a few weeks now and things were slowly getting back to normal. Or as normal as they could be when you were still struggling to eat or talk, people knew the truth about what you had tried to run from for years, and Jason had vanished from your life. Your once cramped apartment seemed so spacious and empty without him in it. But at least you had Dick and the other Bats, your new family. It wasn’t the same as having Jason of course, but at least you no longer felt as isolated or alone. However, you couldn’t help but wonder if you would ever see your fiancée again….

One night, you woke up from your restless sleep to see a familiar shadow standing at the end of your bed. You immediately pulled the covers up over your mouth, hiding the scars. This was going to be a difficult enough conversation, you didn’t need to remind him of what happened or what those scars represented. It was much too dark to make out any more than the outline of Jason’s body, so you couldn’t gauge his mood. Every scenario that had crossed your mind in the past month of how he would react if he ever returned played through your mind instantly.

While still covering your mouth, you called out in the steadiest voice you could muster. “If you’re here to kill me, can you please make it quick?” You didn’t really think he would take things that far, but you were hoping that comment might reveal how he was feeling about the situation. Unfortunately, it didn’t work.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” His voice was so emotionless and flat that it pierced your heart. Did he really feel nothing towards you anymore?

“Jay –” you saw his body tense at the nickname so you alter what you were going to say “- son, what was I supposed to say? You remember that guy who killed you? That’s my dad! Small world, right!” He tensed even further, almost hunched over at this point. You took a deep breath. “No, that’s not fair. I know this is all my fault and you aren’t to blame. In any of this. You’re right. I should have told you the truth a long time ago. And I was going to! I swear, I had it all planned out. I was going to make you your favorite dinner, with a bottle of your favorite whiskey and I was going to sit there and tell you everything. Any and every detail you wanted to know…. But two days before I had this planned, you told me your secret. And how was I supposed to tell you then? It was no longer a conversation of ‘Hey, you know the biggest villain in all of Gotham City? That evil clown who terrorizes people every chance he gets? That’s my dad!’. It was now a conversation of ‘Hey, you know the biggest villain in all of Gotham City? The evil clown who murdered you? That’s my dad!’.

“I knew the second I told you, you’d be gone, and I couldn’t lose you. Even after only the few months we had been together, I loved you too much. So, I took the coward’s way out and decided to never tell you the truth. I thought I had hidden my tracks well enough that he would never find me. And if he never found me, then the truth wouldn’t matter. I mean, even he thought it was crazy that I stayed in Gotham, hiding right under his nose. I thought it would be the last place he would look. But then that stupid newspaper announcement came out….”

Your face was burning in pain by this point. You hadn’t talked for this long since getting the scars and it was really working your muscles in ways you probably shouldn’t be yet. But you couldn’t risk Jason leaving before he heard everything you needed to tell him. “I fell in love with Jason Todd, the kindest, most loving, greatest man I had ever met. I swear, I didn’t know the other side of who you were until you confessed everything to me. Of course, I knew my dad had killed one of the Robins but how was I supposed to know that he came back to life, or who he was behind the mask? How was I supposed to know that the man I loved, was also the man who saved my life, by giving his?” You saw Jason’s head tilt to the side, uncertain of what you were talking about. You hesitated, unsure if you should share the next part or not. But you had come this far, and you wanted Jason to know everything. “l had wanted to escape from him for so long, but I never had a chance, there was never that perfect opportunity….. Until he killed you.”

Jason’s outline jerked in the darkness. You could see his hands clenched into tight fists, but you continued. “He knew he crossed a line and Batman would be coming for him in ways he hadn’t dared to before. So, my dad ran. He faked his own death by jumping out of a helicopter or something to avoid ‘the bat’ for a while. Normally when he was out of town, he tasked one of his goons to keep an eye on me, but things had escalated so quickly, he forgot. And I was able to slip away unnoticed with a few weeks head start before he discovered I was gone. By that time, I had a new name, a new look, a new life.

“And it was all because of you. That horrific, live-ending experience that has haunted you for so long, was the best thing that ever happened to me. It freed me from a man who had physically and psychologically tortured me for my entire life. It allowed me to feel safe for the first time I could remember. It let me see a future for myself that I never could have had before. And, eventually, it gave me you and your family. But I have never lost sight of what it cost you in return.

“I have lived with this guilt since the day it happened. I recognized that for me to gain my happiness, someone else had to lose their life. And I carried that with me every day. But then when you told me that you were that Robin, that you had come back…. It seemed like fate. And, I don’t know, I guess a small part of me thought, why fight fate? So, I never told you the truth. And I’m sorry, Jason, I’m so sorry.”

You looked at him expectantly. He had been absolutely silent for your entire story, face still hidden in the shadows. You needed him to say something, anything, just to get some idea where his head was at. But instead, he just noiselessly backed out of the room and shut the door. You stared dumbstruck at the place he had just been standing. No, this can’t be happening again! I can’t lose him again! It took almost a full minute for you to accept he wasn’t coming back. And it was only then that you fell apart.

The next morning, you reluctantly drug yourself out of bed. Before this past month, you had never realized how exhausting crying could be, especially the full body sobbing you had spent half of last night doing. You needed coffee and you needed it now. Maybe Tim’s awake and would meet me. What am I saying, of course Tim’s awake.

Shaking your head, you turned on the coffee pot and glanced out the living room window. You quickly did a double take as you noticed Jason stretched out asleep on the couch. He’s here. He’s still here. He didn’t leave again.

You wanted desperately to tackle him into a massive hug, squeezing him so tightly he couldn’t breathe, but you weren’t sure what he thought about this situation. Sure, he stayed but he also gave you no indication last night about his feelings or level of acceptance of you.

You pulled a second coffee mug from the cabinet and filled them both with the fresh brew. Then you added just a dash of creamer and a sprinkle of nutmeg to one cup and two sugar cubes to the other. Sneaking over as quietly as you could, you placed the cup with the creamer and nutmeg on the table next to Jason’s head. Then you slipped back down the hall and into your bedroom, leaving the door open just a crack.

A real smile was displayed on your face for the first time in a month. It might not be much, but it was a start.

[a-reader-and-a-writer]

I'm So Sorry (Part 3)

Whumptober 2021: #9. Tears, #16. Scars, #21. Bleeding Through the Bandages, #31. Hurt & Comfort

Fandom: Batman, Batfam, Jason Todd, Dick Grayson

Word Count: 5035

Masterlist

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Dick found your weeping, crumpled form on your bedroom floor moments after you discovered Jason had left. He had noticed Jason’s absence in the living room and bathroom and had figured out what happened. Silently, he lifted you off the floor and carried you over to the bed. After tucking you in, he left so you could have some space and hopefully, some sleep. But the sheets still smell like cigarettes and aftershave which just made you miss Jason even more. After tossing and turning half the night, you finally drifted off into a restless sleep full of clowns, knives, and Jason’s blank emotionless stare.

The next morning you sent Dick home. You felt awful he had slept on your couch as well as having spent most of the last few nights in the hospital with you. He hadn’t been on patrol since the night he found you and Jason, and you suspected he was using a few of his vacation days at work to be with you during the day. So, after much silent gesturing and prodding, you finally convinced him to leave.

But you quickly began to regret it. It was the first time you had truly been alone since you were taken and without the usual distractions, your mind would not stop replaying what had happened. Finally, you decided to take a nice long bath. Which was a mistake. Because the moment you flipped on the light in the bathroom, you caught your reflection in the mirror.

Blood had seeped through the bandages on both sides of your face, forming a scarlet stained smile across your cheeks. Just like your dad had wanted. No wonder Jason left you. How did you expect him to even look at you with this sickening reminder of what you were carved into your face?

With a muffled cry of rage, you pried the mirror of the wall and hurled it to the floor. The glass shattered across the tiles, sending tiny, jagged shards flying through the apartment. But you didn’t care. You ran to the guest bathroom and tore the mirror off that wall as well. This time as it crashed to the floor, pieces ricocheted up and cut into your feet and legs. But you didn’t care. Mirror after mirror (you owned an annoyingly large amount of them you realized) ended up in shattered heaps on your floor. Bloody footprints mapped your crazed path throughout the mess. But you didn’t care. Anything with a reflective surface soon joined the glass on the floor, until it looked as if a tornado had ripped through your apartment. But you still didn’t care. You grabbed the reflective photo frame Tim had given you and Jason for Christmas, ready to hurl it to the ground. But at the last second, you caught a glimpse of the picture.

You had just recently replaced the original picture with one from the day Jason proposed. In it, you were smiling wildly up at him. A real smile, not this horrific mockery of one that now permanently adorned your face, but one full of love and happiness. And Jason…. his cocky little smirk couldn’t hide the adoration you could see sparkling in his eyes. Even in this single moment frozen in time, you could see his love for you shining through every inch of his body. The love that you ruined with your lie. And, oh, how you cared. Drawing the frame tightly against your chest, you sank to the floor amidst the broken glass and bloody footprints. Just another one of the things you had destroyed.

Dick found you hours later, curled up in a ball on top of what was left of your mirrors, arms still clinging to the frame even in sleep. He hadn’t said a word about the mess, and he asked for no explanation. He simply lifted you carefully from the debris and carried you to the shower. It took a lot of convincing, but he had eventually coaxed the frame from your hands and helped you brush off as much glass as possible without cutting yourself further. Then he left the bathroom to give you some privacy.

An hour later when you finally emerged, you were shocked to see most of the mess had been cleared. Two full trash bags by the door were the only real indication that anything had happened. Dick sat you down and rewrapped your face since you had no way to see what you were doing without a mirror. He smiled sweetly at you when he finished and stood. “I’m going to run down and pick us up some food. Anything sound good? I know that place on the end of the block has that soup you love.”

It was all too much. Dick was too kind, and caring, and amazing to let this go on any further. So, you slipped into your room and returned with the letter you had written in the hospital. It contained the truth about everything: who your father was, how you escaped his clutches and avoided him for so long, why you and Jason were taken, and what had really happened in the warehouse that night. It ended with a promise not to argue or put up a fight if Dick or the other Bats decided they wanted nothing further to do with you or they wanted to arrest you or something. You handed it to Dick.

He took it from you, hesitantly but he opened it and began reading. You watched as his face shifted from confused to astonished to horrified as his gaze traveled further and further down the page. It finally got to be too much for you, and you dropped your eyes to the floor as you shrunk further into yourself, just waiting for the angry uproar or cry of disgust you knew was coming. Instead, you felt Dick gently grab your hand. Looking at his face, you could see tears teetering at the corners of his eyes. “Your own father did this to you? I knew he was a monster, but to do that to your own child…. Y/N, I’m so sorry.”

He pulled you into a tight embrace, but you resisted. Still unable to speak, you gestured wildly at yourself then the letter trying your best to mime I lied or I hid. Dick understood your vague message and shook his head. “It’s okay. You did what you had to do to survive. And you aren’t your father. How am I supposed to hold something like parentage against you? You didn’t have a choice in that. But for the past two years, I have seen you be nothing but kind, considerate, and loving to every member of my family. So as far as I’m concerned, this doesn’t change anything.”

The dam you had built up to hold back your emotions imploded in an instant. You fell into Dick’s open arms and sobbed loudly into his chest. Your cheeks felt as if they were being ripped apart once again, but you couldn’t stop as relief floods your body. Dick wasn’t going to leave you. No matter what happened next with Jason, no matter what the other Bats say about your letter, you won’t be all alone.

As you released all your pent-up emotions, Dick rubbed your back and softly murmured, “It’s okay. No one will blame you for what happened because it wasn’t your fault. Please don’t blame yourself for this.”

When you had eventually calmed down, you pulled away from Dick and looked up at him. He grimaced slightly when he saw what had become of your freshly changed bandages but then smiled. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t put the medical supplies away yet.”

He started to turn away, but you grabbed the sides of his face gently between your hands. You pulled it down until your foreheads were touching and you desperately wished he could read your mind right now. You wished you could express what his help and support meant to you. You wished he knew how deeply you appreciated every little thing he did for you these past few days. You wished he knew that he was the only thing keeping you from completely falling apart. But even if you could speak, you didn’t know how to put any of that into words.

However, if you had learned nothing else over the last few days, it was that Dick Grayson somehow always understood exactly what you meant. He smiled at you, slightly cross-eyed due to your closeness, and whispered, “You’re welcome.”

At their request, Dick brought you to the manor to see the rest of the Bats a few days later. By that time, you were no longer wearing the sling or the bandages. Though you were still very self-conscious about your scars, so you wore a turtleneck pulled up to right under your nose. You knew you looked like an idiot, but at least it was better than the alternative. This was the first time you were seeing any of Jason’s family, besides Dick, since they learned the truth about your parentage. Dick had gotten your permission to let them read your letter and he assured you they all felt the same way he did about the situation. But you were still worried about how they would act towards you, especially Bruce. Other than Jason, Bruce had the most personal history with your dad and all of it was horrible. Regardless of what Dick said, you couldn’t imagine that he wasn’t the least little bit bothered by your confession.

Alfred greeted you and Dick at the front door the moment you walked up. The butler had always treated you like part of the family, and you were relieved when your interaction felt no different than before. As soon as you stepped inside, you were immediately tackled by Tim. You stiffened under his embrace as you tried to remain calm. For some reason ever since the warehouse, the smallest touch made your skin crawl and your anxiety skyrocket. It didn’t matter who it was or what kind of physical touch it was, it just put you on edge. With everyone but Dick. He was the only person’s touch who didn’t make you uncomfortable. Neither of you were quite sure why, but your best guess was that you still had vague flashes of him caring for you and carrying you while in the warehouse. Maybe your brain recognized him as your savior that night and gave him a pass. You often wondered what would happen if Jason touched you now but…..

Dick softly pulled Tim away from you, “Hey, bud, remember what I said.”

Tim let go immediately and took a step back. “Oh yeah, sorry. I’m just so glad you’re okay! I’ve missed you this past week.”

“I missed you too, Timmy. Sorry I missed our coffee date.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll just order twice as much next time.”

You laughed, “I don’t know if they’ll sell us that much coffee at once.”

For the past year, you and Tim had met for lunch every Friday. Jason never understood why you wanted to spend that much time with his brother, but the two of you had a surprising amount in common. You had often teased Jason that if they ever broke up, you might have to give Tim a call. He did not appreciate the joke.

“Y/N.”

You jumped as Damian materialized next to you. “Jeez, Dami. A little warning next time.”

“I was sorry to hear about your encounter with your father.” Both Dick and Tim froze and quickly shot you a worried glance. They both knew Damian wasn’t known for his tact or considerations when it came to the feelings of others. But you just motioned for him to continue. “As you are aware, my mother and grandfather are two of the greatest assassins in the world and both have tried to kill me on multiple occasions, one succeeded. I know the burden of that kind of parentage, and I understand why you hid the truth. But remember, my family has never judged me based on that fact, just as they will not judge you on yours.”

Tears immediately sprung to your eyes. Damian had always been civil with you, but you would by no means say you were close. But you knew the young boy had trouble trusting others and if he was willing to share this with you, he must truly view you as part of his family. You nodded in gratitude and hoped he could see the smile in your eyes, even if the one on your lips was covered.

Dick and Tim were both staring at their youngest brother, mouths gaped. Finally, Dick said, “Wow, Damian. That was really nice.”

The small boy just shrugged. “I didn’t mean it to be nice. I just spoke the truth.” He turned and walked into the dining room where Alfred was getting the table set for dinner.

Dick took a deep breath. “Well, okay. So, are you guys ready to eat?”

“Ummm…. Actually… Bruce wants to see Y/N in his office before dinner….. Alone.” Tim looked nervously at you.

You swallowed sharply. So you were right, Bruce wasn’t as accepting of the news as the rest of the family had been. But, then again, why would he have Dick invite you over for dinner if he was just going to kick you out?

“Okay, but I didn’t even realize he had an office up here. I’m not…. I don’t have to go down there, do I?”

Dick quickly reassured you, “No, no. Bruce does do most of his work down in the cave but he has an office upstairs for more ‘Wayne related matters’. I can show you where it is.” He gently took your hand and led you upstairs.

Even though he had lived there since he was a kid, you were still amazed that Dick didn’t get lost in the vast expanse of corridors and doors that made up the manor. The place was huge! Jason and your entire apart – your entire apartment could fit inside some of these rooms. Dick started to turn down one hallway, then quickly decided against it. Before you could ask why, you recognized the familiar decorations at the end of the hall.

“It’s okay, Dick. We can go that way. I’ll be fine.”

Dick still hesitated. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’m living in an entire empty apartment. I think I can walk past an empty room.”

Dick nodded and led you down the hall. But as you approached the last door on the right, you wished you had let Dick take you a different way. Seeing the familiar “Keep Out” sign scrawled in Jason’s messy handwriting was more painful than you had expected. You stopped outside the door and placed a hand softly over the “please 🙂” you had added the first time Jason had brought you here. You bowed your head as you tried to control the storm raging within you. You felt Dick place his hand on your shoulder.

“Has he stopped by since…”

Dick shook his head. “No, or at least not that anyone has noticed. I call and leave him a message every few days just to let him know how you are doing, but I haven’t seen or heard from him since he left the hospital. I’m so sorry.”

“I don’t blame him, Dick. I know you guys probably think I should, but I don’t. I didn’t lie to him about the Riddler or Bane or Poison Ivy. I lied about the Joker. The man who literally tortured and murdered him. I mean, my dad killed Jay. Regardless of whether or not he came back, he was dead. And the person that experience turned him into, that was all because of my dad. All the terrible things that have happened since that moment can be traced back to him. And I fucking lied about it. What’s worse is I lied because I knew this would happen. I knew the second he found out, it would be over between us, so I kept my mouth shut. For two years. So, yeah, I hate that he’s gone and it kills me everyday I wake up and he’s not there, but I understand why.” You turned to face Dick. “You told me what happened wasn’t my fault and that I couldn’t blame myself. But it is. Not what happened to my face, my dad is a psycho and I was kidding myself to think I could hide forever, but what happened with Jay… that’s completely on me. And I’m going to have to find a way to live with that.” You gave the door sign a tender pat and then started back down the hall, Dick close on your heels.

Bruce’s office looked just like all the other doors in the manor, but you could almost sense the powerful presence that lay on the other side of the wood. Dick knocked on the door and opened it slightly, “Uh, Bruce? Tim said you wanted to speak to Y/N before dinner? I was just showing her how to find your office.”

Bruce glanced up from whatever he was working on at his desk. “Yes, thank you, Dick. You can join Tim and Damian. We’ll be down shortly.”

Dick gave your shoulder a small, reassuring squeeze then left the room, pulling the door shut behind him. You nervously fidgeted from one foot to the other and pulled the collar of your turtleneck up higher, almost covering your nose completely.

Bruce motioned for you to sit across from him. Once you were seated, he cleared his throat. “So, Dick let me read your letter and he has been filling me in on your prognosis. I know the doctors at Gotham General don’t think there is much more that can be done about the scarring, but I wanted to assure you that if you want, I am more than happy to pay to fly in the top surgeons in the world to see what they can do.”

You blinked a few times in quick succession. “What?”

“I can’t make any promises they’ll be able to do any better than the doctors here, but whatever options are out there, they will be taken care of if you so choose.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just a little confused…. You want to help me with…. But I thought…?”

Bruce smiled sadly. “You thought I wanted to talk to you about your father. I probably should have made that a little clearer. To be frank, I don’t care who your father is.”

You blinked again. “Really?”

“Damian is the only one of my children who is related to me by blood. Yet each one of them is as much my son as the others. And I was raised by a man I view as a father even though we are not related. Blood alone does not make you family. You get a say in who you choose as your family, and you made it clear long ago that he wasn’t part of yours. That is good enough for me. As for Jason….” Bruce hesitated. “My son can be a bit stubborn at times and he holds grudges better than anyone I have ever met. It took us a long time to get back to a civil relationship and it has only been recently that he has started viewing us as family again. And I owe a large part of that to you. You helped Jason when he refused to let us help him, and I will be eternally grateful for that. Your father may have taken my son away from me, but you helped to bring him back. And if that was the only thing I knew about you, it would be more than enough. However, having gotten to know you these past two years, I have been greatly impressed with your intelligence, kindness, and strength. And if my son knows what is good for him, he will come to his senses and beg you to take him back.”

“Bruce, I…. Thank you.” This was not at all how you expected this conversation to go. Not only did Bruce let you completely off the hook for your lie, he also gave you his blessing for your relationship with Jason (not that it mattered at the moment, but still). “It means so much to me that you don’t hold my lie against me or my relationship to your family. I never meant to hurt anyone, I just wanted to be free of him.”

“I know better than most people the depth of depravity that man is willing to go to, so I could never blame anyone for trying to get away from him.” His eyes softened as he smiled at you. “And as I mentioned, you get to choose your family and we have chosen you as a part of ours, whether Jason decides to forgive you or not. I just hope that one day, you can view us as part of yours.”

For about the hundredth time that week, you felt a flood of tears flow down your face. Smiling broadly behind your turtleneck, you whispered, “I would be honored.”

You had been back home for a few weeks now and things were slowly getting back to normal. Or as normal as they could be when you were still struggling to eat or talk, people knew the truth about what you had tried to run from for years, and Jason had vanished from your life. Your once cramped apartment seemed so spacious and empty without him in it. But at least you had Dick and the other Bats, your new family. It wasn’t the same as having Jason of course, but at least you no longer felt as isolated or alone. However, you couldn’t help but wonder if you would ever see your fiancée again….

One night, you woke up from your restless sleep to see a familiar shadow standing at the end of your bed. You immediately pulled the covers up over your mouth, hiding the scars. This was going to be a difficult enough conversation, you didn’t need to remind him of what happened or what those scars represented. It was much too dark to make out any more than the outline of Jason’s body, so you couldn’t gauge his mood. Every scenario that had crossed your mind in the past month of how he would react if he ever returned played through your mind instantly.

While still covering your mouth, you called out in the steadiest voice you could muster. “If you’re here to kill me, can you please make it quick?” You didn’t really think he would take things that far, but you were hoping that comment might reveal how he was feeling about the situation. Unfortunately, it didn’t work.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” His voice was so emotionless and flat that it pierced your heart. Did he really feel nothing towards you anymore?

“Jay –” you saw his body tense at the nickname so you alter what you were going to say “- son, what was I supposed to say? You remember that guy who killed you? That’s my dad! Small world, right!” He tensed even further, almost hunched over at this point. You took a deep breath. “No, that’s not fair. I know this is all my fault and you aren’t to blame. In any of this. You’re right. I should have told you the truth a long time ago. And I was going to! I swear, I had it all planned out. I was going to make you your favorite dinner, with a bottle of your favorite whiskey and I was going to sit there and tell you everything. Any and every detail you wanted to know…. But two days before I had this planned, you told me your secret. And how was I supposed to tell you then? It was no longer a conversation of ‘Hey, you know the biggest villain in all of Gotham City? That evil clown who terrorizes people every chance he gets? That’s my dad!’. It was now a conversation of ‘Hey, you know the biggest villain in all of Gotham City? The evil clown who murdered you? That’s my dad!’.

“I knew the second I told you, you’d be gone, and I couldn’t lose you. Even after only the few months we had been together, I loved you too much. So, I took the coward’s way out and decided to never tell you the truth. I thought I had hidden my tracks well enough that he would never find me. And if he never found me, then the truth wouldn’t matter. I mean, even he thought it was crazy that I stayed in Gotham, hiding right under his nose. I thought it would be the last place he would look. But then that stupid newspaper announcement came out….”

Your face was burning in pain by this point. You hadn’t talked for this long since getting the scars and it was really working your muscles in ways you probably shouldn’t be yet. But you couldn’t risk Jason leaving before he heard everything you needed to tell him. “I fell in love with Jason Todd, the kindest, most loving, greatest man I had ever met. I swear, I didn’t know the other side of who you were until you confessed everything to me. Of course, I knew my dad had killed one of the Robins but how was I supposed to know that he came back to life, or who he was behind the mask? How was I supposed to know that the man I loved, was also the man who saved my life, by giving his?” You saw Jason’s head tilt to the side, uncertain of what you were talking about. You hesitated, unsure if you should share the next part or not. But you had come this far, and you wanted Jason to know everything. “l had wanted to escape from him for so long, but I never had a chance, there was never that perfect opportunity….. Until he killed you.”

Jason’s outline jerked in the darkness. You could see his hands clenched into tight fists, but you continued. “He knew he crossed a line and Batman would be coming for him in ways he hadn’t dared to before. So, my dad ran. He faked his own death by jumping out of a helicopter or something to avoid ‘the bat’ for a while. Normally when he was out of town, he tasked one of his goons to keep an eye on me, but things had escalated so quickly, he forgot. And I was able to slip away unnoticed with a few weeks head start before he discovered I was gone. By that time, I had a new name, a new look, a new life.

“And it was all because of you. That horrific, live-ending experience that has haunted you for so long, was the best thing that ever happened to me. It freed me from a man who had physically and psychologically tortured me for my entire life. It allowed me to feel safe for the first time I could remember. It let me see a future for myself that I never could have had before. And, eventually, it gave me you and your family. But I have never lost sight of what it cost you in return.

“I have lived with this guilt since the day it happened. I recognized that for me to gain my happiness, someone else had to lose their life. And I carried that with me every day. But then when you told me that you were that Robin, that you had come back…. It seemed like fate. And, I don’t know, I guess a small part of me thought, why fight fate? So, I never told you the truth. And I’m sorry, Jason, I’m so sorry.”

You looked at him expectantly. He had been absolutely silent for your entire story, face still hidden in the shadows. You needed him to say something, anything, just to get some idea where his head was at. But instead, he just noiselessly backed out of the room and shut the door. You stared dumbstruck at the place he had just been standing. No, this can’t be happening again! I can’t lose him again! It took almost a full minute for you to accept he wasn’t coming back. And it was only then that you fell apart.

The next morning, you reluctantly drug yourself out of bed. Before this past month, you had never realized how exhausting crying could be, especially the full body sobbing you had spent half of last night doing. You needed coffee and you needed it now. Maybe Tim’s awake and would meet me. What am I saying, of course Tim’s awake.

Shaking your head, you turned on the coffee pot and glanced out the living room window. You quickly did a double take as you noticed Jason stretched out asleep on the couch. He’s here. He’s still here. He didn’t leave again.

You wanted desperately to tackle him into a massive hug, squeezing him so tightly he couldn’t breathe, but you weren’t sure what he thought about this situation. Sure, he stayed but he also gave you no indication last night about his feelings or level of acceptance of you.

You pulled a second coffee mug from the cabinet and filled them both with the fresh brew. Then you added just a dash of creamer and a sprinkle of nutmeg to one cup and two sugar cubes to the other. Sneaking over as quietly as you could, you placed the cup with the creamer and nutmeg on the table next to Jason’s head. Then you slipped back down the hall and into your bedroom, leaving the door open just a crack.

A real smile was displayed on your face for the first time in a month. It might not be much, but it was a start.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you everyone for reading, liking, and commenting! I appreciate all of you!

[katsukikitten]

Part one. Master list for plus one can be found here.

Just a nice fic I decided to write for fun. Please enjoy!

Asshole!

He was nothing but a huge, giant fucking ASSHOLE for the entire two years the two of you were dating and he decides NOW is a good time to break up with you?

Two days before your cousin's wedding and over TEXT MESSAGE?!

That fucking asshole.

He knew how you felt. Exactly how you felt about going alone to your cousin's wedding after your family begged to meet your boyfriend and teased you for "probably making him up." Which hell, he may as well have been made up considering how absent he was in the relationship. Using work as an excuse to come home late but forgetting to turn off his snap location when he showed up at the bar.

So you did what any rational woman in her upper twenties would do.

You drowned your sorrows in booze, tonight red wine as it was the only thing around, and you scrolled through your socials in hopes of distracting yourself from your suffering.

Alas the devil that is Instagram only amplified your sadness and irritation. Showing couple after couple, your friends on hikes kissing on the mountain top, kissing in the flickering light of candles at a fancy dinner or, worst yet, getting proposed to. The video showing her in hysterics screaming, "YES I DO I DO!"

And it feels terrible to feel this way. Especially about your friends, the people you love and want to support, still it stings. You hadn't told anyone about the breakup, you weren't even sure your friends even remembered that asshole's name.

A teardrop lands on your screen, magnifying all the magical lights of the led beneath the glad. You wipe away the tear and with that the feed refreshes. A new post has come in at the top, Res Riot's official account.

Kirishima stands with a fat white cat in his arms. He dwarfs the animal with his large stature that looks larger as he still has his Red Riot gear on. The caption reads something along the lines of "missed my precious baby."

Red wine is a dangerous thing as your body acts on its own. You go to his page to hit the little arrow to DM him. Typing out and backspacing your message as you struggle from the booze, you decide to say fuck it and use the voice memo feature. Before you know it your sniffling voice is playing back to you after you've hit send.

"My ex broke up with me before this stupid wedding. It's in two days and my family is going to roast me big time when I show up alone. They think I made that asshole up. I don't know why I'm even in your dms. Your account is probably run by some dick head who can't even capture your kindness. I guess I'm here cause my first thought seeing you on my timeline was Red Riot has always been my hero…"

Ugh totally fucking cringe.

There is no surprise as you see the three normally ominous dots pop up, probably his social media manager about to ask you to stop your "advances" as Kirishima is too busy to date and he'd hate to block you or some other bullshit.

But there it is a surprise to see a little bubble with the play button and some vertical lines in various heights. It takes your sluggish brain a moment to realize you've been sent a voice memo. Odd. Your thumb smashes the screen faster than you can think and a deep voice rumbles through the speakers of your phone.

"Actually I run my official and personal socials. And I'm sorry to hear about your ex doll. He sounds like a real ass. I'll be your hero, I'll go with you to the wedding."

Your heart stutters, no way, no way in HELL this was Red Riot. You had read about the horror stories before or pervy account managers taking advantage of women who so desperately wanted to talk to their hero.

Hell, it's happened to Dynamight plenty of times.

You swallow quickly but the bile rushes up your throat. Not just from the anxiety of a possible con but from drinking an entire bottle of wine with nothing on your stomach after months of sobriety. Quickly you stumble to the bathroom, abandoning your phone on your bed. You barely make it in time to praise the porcelain Gods before you fall onto your back. Looking up at the light in your cramped bathroom, the orb doubles and spins as you feel the Earth turning on its axis. You curl into your side using your bathmat as a pillow as you drift off into sleep, totally forgetting about the voice memo on your phone.

As you sleep peacefully on your memory foam bath rug, Kirishima settles into his nightly routine. One giant hand grabbing strands of long dark red hair into a towel while another sits snugly around his Adonis belt and the thick, black happy trail that follows up the center of his abs before spreading out onto his chest. He tosses the towel over the open door of the bathroom before sitting in his favorite armchair with phone in hand. Diamond, his beautiful white cat he rescued a few years ago, jumps onto the arm of the chair, purring loudly when Kirishima's free hand scratches her ears absentmindedly.

He chuckles to himself as he realizes exactly what he's done. Acting on a feeling instead of logic all because he heard a "damsel in distress." Starting off his rare vacation with spontaneity starting with an impromptu date with a stranger. He really isn't sure what you look like and it's obvious your handle doesn't have your real name in it, just PrincessPeach with some random numbers at the end. He takes the time to scroll through your profile. Seeing pictures of food, of many sunsets, a friend's dog that guest appears often, your own cat and plenty of strays.

It takes him a while before he sees a photo of you. His heart stutters in his chest as he looks you over. Laughing with a friend, soft lighting from strings over head that blur like little fireflies. Your smile is wide, half hidden by your hands as your eyes seem to smile with you. Sparkling as if they held stars.

For a moment Kirishima forgets how to breathe, it isn't until Diamond jumps down from the armchair does he inhale. He smiles softly to himself before he drops his towel, puts his phone on charge and promptly falls asleep in his bed.

Kirishima rises before the sun even has a chance to filter through his blinds. He sighs softly, getting up to a sitting position disturbing a fluffy white ball that lays beside him.

"Mmrow." Moon stone eyes blink slowly as they look at the mountainous man hogging the bed.

"I didn't mean to wake you sweet baby." He says softly, going to pet the soft white fur only for her to get up stretch and give him her butt before plopping back down.

"I know, mean ol' daddy woke you up too early again." He says softly, his hand falling onto her back before he rises from the bed. Fishing for his running shorts, socks, headphones and shoes. He makes his protein shake, leaning on the counter as he drinks it, looking at how you read, or better yet, listened to his message but still no reply. It was late and there was a small slurring of your words, he figures you've passed out. He just hopes you're okay.

His run goes as usual, up before anyone else unless they were the normal avid runner. Passing by the usual array of people. An old man holding onto his youth by jogging through his daily five mile morning run, Kirishima knows he runs another five in the evening while the sun is setting. He hopes he can embody some of this man's commitment when he is older. Then he passes a middle aged woman, who gives him the biggest smile as she pases, jogging backward to send him a wink before plowing ahead. Occasionally he'll see a running group or a few teens training to be heroes, they always ask if they can run his route. "It's long." He always warns in a kind, warm voice. They assure him they will be fine so far only one other person could handle his 12 mile morning run. A young woman in her second year of hero courses at UA. Since then Kirishima put in a word with his boss and so every time internships roll around she's in the office.

By the time Kirishima is rounding back towards his high rise apartment, the city begins to stir. Slowly waking as men and women in business suits rush towards the train, parents flinging open the doors or curtains fussing at their children who cling to an extra few minutes of sleep before school.

This was always his favorite part of the run, not because it was almost over, oh no it was because he had a chance to glimpse at everyday life. Of nine to fives, of school hours and after school hangs outs at snack bars or the library.

What most would call the mundane but Kirishima would never call it that. It's why he worked so hard to protect it.

Diamond greets his sweaty form at the door. Glaring angrily with her moon stone eyes. Tail swishing before she goes to the kitchen by her bowl. Waiting impatiently.

"I'm not late, sweet cheeks." He coos, and she glares, "I know I know. You're hungry now."

He opens the fridge, gets out the highest quality food there is and places it on her dish, sure to keep it all in the middle or she'll claim her bowl was empty. He added a splash of water too since the weather was starting to get hot.

He sucks down a water or two, demolishes a protein bar and then heads to the apartment gym.

A few hours roll by and without hearing from you yet his worry over your well being begins to cloud the forefront of his mind. He pauses his music, picks up his phone and talks out a voice memo.

A loud DING echoes from your room and around your skull as you rise with a throbbing headache.

"Fuck." You hiss to yourself grabbing at your head as you shakily rise to your feet. Yanking the handle of the faucet to drink from the stream before looking at yourself in the mirror.

"Ugh." You grunt ignoring your swollen face and eyes, yanking the mirror door open to snatch at the bottle of aspirin. Swallowing THREE extra strength pills before slamming the door shut and turning off the faucet. You make your way towards your bedroom, more than ready to sleep the rest of your day away. Grabbing at your phone to charge it you see the push notification of an Instagram message from Red Riot.

The fucking Red Riot.

Internally you scream before it bubbles up your throat and escapes. You fumble to unlock your phone before looking that it's a voice memo.

Mortified you realize you sent one too. And first at that.

"Fuck MEEE!" You plop onto the bed. Nervous this second voice memo is probably about how you're a weirdo or something as you relive the memory of asking him to be your plus one.

Hesitantly your thumb hovers over the play button before you find the strength to press the cool glass. A soft thunderous voice plays out.

"Good morning sleepy head. I haven't heard from you yet, I hope you're okay. Be sure to drink some water and eat something greasy. Trust me, late nights with Denki and Bakugou taught me something. Since the wedding is tomorrow I'll need a picture of your dress for the color and style so I can match you Sweet pea. Contact me soon so I can know where to pick you up."

Did he… did he just call you SWEET PEA? Your heart pounds in your chest before it registers he's asked for your dress color and lowkey asked for your address. This couldn't be real. It sounded like Kirishima, his voice familiar from interviews you've watched but it very well could be a prank. Defeated you hit the small microphone and reply.

Kirishima hears a sharp DING in his headphones over his music as he finishes his set. He wipes the sweat from his face on his shirt giving the few people in the gym a lovely view of his sweaty and thick torso. One woman trips on the treadmill but it goes unnoticed by Kirishima. He pauses his music and hits play on the little memo. Your beautiful yet groggy voice comes in through his ear buds causing Kirishima to bite his lip. It causes such a flutter of butterflies in his stomach he has to listen a second time to actually hear what you said. Although he understand, he cannot help but feel hurt by your reply.

"How do I know you're not just some pervy guy using Kirishima's Godly looks to prey on unsuspecting people."

Your phone chirps at you from the bed stand and you growl reaching for it. You had hoped your message would have been clear. An unspoken of you know they're a fucking creep taking advantage of their PR job.

"What can I do to prove it to you, Sweet Pea?"

You hate how that cute nickname sends your heart into a somersault and your stomach in delightful knots. Still your doubt pulls a harsh tut from your lips before you reply.

Kirishima doesn't need his phone to alert him that you've messaged him, he's been looking at his screen for far to long without having to restart his set. He listens to your voice as if it were music.

"Fine, you wanna prove it to me so bad. Take a picture of yourself shirtless with the word 'Sweet pea' you love so much and send it to me. No photoshop I know what my favorite hero looks like!"

For over an hour you don't hear back and you figure you showed that perv.

But now you can't sleep so you nurse a water, door dash a "greasy" breakfast all before cranking your shower as high as it can go. Your phone dings and you try to ignore it. You really do but as the saying goes curiosity killed the cat. Opening the message you see a classic guy mirror selfie. Kirishima is clear as day in the photo, his large hand pointing to his bare, hairy chest where sweat pea is scrawled in his adorable handwriting. He winks at the camera as his kissable lips wear a dangerous, almost cocky eyes travel down his bulk following his happy trail that dives under a pair of black shorts, the best part of the view getting cut off by the vanity. At first you try to rationalize that this was fake but damning evidence was sitting on the vanity. A fluffy white cat in a diamond and ruby encrusted collar sits on the counter giving her owner an odd look.

His cat Diamond that everyone knows he loves and adores. Slick begins to collect between your thighs and especially so after you listen to the voice memo that comes through shortly after. His normally friendly and soft voice comes out a bit dark, husky as he says in a playfully annoyed tone.

"Now send me a picture of that dress, Sweet Pea."

[hyunsuks-beanie]

Running Away With You

*Image Credits to rightful owners*

Bang Chan x reader; non idol AU; established relationship; fluff; midly suggestive at places

Word Count: 4.25k

A/N: A huge thank you to @youn9racha, for this super cute request. I am as much a sucker for road trips as I am for Chan, so I really enjoyed writing this!! I hope you like it as much as I did.

"Do you ever just want to pack your bags and run away in the night, without telling anyone?," you ask your boyfriend, Chan, as you both lay in bed one night. "That's an interesting question," he says, playing with your hair, "Though first I'd like to know what made you think of that." "Pfft. It's nothing too complex, Christopher. It's just a random thought that popped into my head," you say, while rolling your eyes at his inquisitive nature.

"Y/N, I know you, and I can sense that you've got something bothering that pretty head of yours, and making you want to run away. So tell me, what is it?," Chan speaks in a soothing tone, making you snuggle into his chest even more, while letting out a sigh. "It's just, work has been so crazy these past few days, and the pressures of the real world are getting to me. You remember when we were back in college? Whenever things got too hard, we used to go on road trips to clear our heads. Even a couple days away from the harsh real life were enough to rejuvenate us. I guess I just miss those times, now that real life responsibilities are wearing us down."

Once you're done with your little rant, Chan pulls your head up a little, making you look at him. He softly says, "Aww baby, I'm so sorry I didn't realize you've been struggling these past few days. I guess I've been too busy with my own work tonoticee. I know we're no longer in college, but I promise to you, that whenever the going gets tough, I'll do everything in my ability to help your through." "I know Channie, I know. I have you, and it's more than enough."

You give in to sleep after a while, and so, you fail to notice that Chan takes a little longer to fall asleep that night. He keeps thinking back on what you said earlier, carrying out an internal debate with himself. "Y/N is right. Work and responsibilities have taken a toll on us, and a road trip may be just what we need. But can we really afford to just 'run away?' There are too many projects, too many commitments. And we owe it to our colleagues to tell them that we will be away for a few days," he thinks to himself, before slowly drifting off to dreamland.

The next morning brings with itself a fresh hustle, but your face doesn't betray any sign of the frustrations you let come to the surface last night. But Chan knows better, and, seeing his reflection while getting ready for work, he realizes that his own expression mirrors yours. A thin veil to hide the fact that it's getting too much. At his office that day, he can't seem to focus on his work, since his mind keeps drifting back to your words. By the time the evening rolls around, he has made up his mind. He's going to run away with you, for a week anyway.

But a road trip needs some planning, and Chan wants this vacation to be the perfect little surprise for you. So, on his way home, he stops by at the convenience store to buy some essentials. Instant noodles, a few bottles of beer, disposable utensils, rental DVDs, he collects quite a few things, being reminded of your college days with each item he adds to his cart. In a moment of impulse, he even purchases a tent fit for two, and once he's done shopping, he hides everything in the boot of his car. You don't need to know of his plan, yet.

The following day, he leaves his office early, calling in a week's leave of absence due to some made-up reason. Instead of going home, he first drops by at your office. Not to meet you, but to get a similar application for leave approved on your behalf.

He finally heads back home to pack and ready a couple of things for your trip. "Y/N wanted to run away in the middle of the night, and that is what we'll do," he smiles to himself. When you come home, he remains tight-lipped about his little surprise for you, even though his excitement is trying to get the best of him.

Once the clock strikes twelve, he brings you out to his car, without telling you the reason. "Just please, come on! Don't you trust me?," he says, pouting. On his way out of the house, he picks up your phone from the couch, along the house keys. You don't notice this, however, as you're busy pestering him with questions. "Chan, why are we going out so late at night? What's going on? Tell me!" "You wanted to run away, right? Well, how about running away...... to the convenience store?," he smiles cheekily, making you giggle. "Gosh you're such a cheesy idiot," you say, getting into the car, still blissfully unaware of his intentions.

"Yeah, but I'm your cheesy idiot," he laughs, pressing his foot on the accelerator.

It doesn't take you long to realize that instead of driving over to the 24/7 close to your house, Chan has pulled onto the highway. You turn to look at him, only to see him smiling brightly, his eyes trained ahead. "Chan, what are you doing?," you ask, though feel like you already know the answer. "Running away with you," he says, taking your hand in his his, and bringing it up to his lips.

"What? But that was just a random rant! And what about work? We can't just disappear like that," you exclaim, to which, he only replies by giving you a knowing look. "Let me guess, you already informed our offices?" "Yes, and no," he quips. When you look at him quizzically, he elaborates, "I submitted applications for leave, making up some random excuse. So we have a whole week to ourselves." "But, what about essentials and supplies? We don't have anything to eat," you try to reason. He counters, "Babe, I've been planning this for two days, and I already stocked up on all our favourite snacks, drinks, and movies. I even got us a tent for days we want to sleep out in the open. I've got it all set, so don't you worry. The only thing I need you to do is to promise me that for the next seven days, you won't check your phone. I've already downloaded tons of songs and created at least 20 different playlists. You won't be getting any work-related messages, since I've taken care of that as well, and for directions, we'll take the traditional way, and ask around."

"Directions? Where exactly are we going anyway?," is your next question. To your surprise, he simply shrugs, before telling you that he doesn't have any specific place in mind. "Let's just wander away, going wherever the road takes us," he says, rather poetically, to which, you can't help but laugh. You then let out a soft sigh, making him look at you. "Sounds like a plan to me. Chan and Y/N, running away together, with no destination in mind," you smile, before reaching over and kissing his cheek.

"Let's play some music, shall we?," you ask, before hitting shuffle on the first playlist that pops up on your phone. You both settle in a comfortable silence, and soon enough, you begin to get drowsy. Chan notices this, and tells you to rest your eyes for a bit. "Promise to wake me up in like, two hours, so that I can take over the wheel," you yawn. "Okay fine bub, now sleep." Chan continues driving, occasionally stealing glances at your sleeping form. "How did I get so lucky?," he wonders, just like he does every day.

Morning finds you to be the one behind the wheel, as Chan naps contently in the passenger seat. The brightness of the sun finally wakes him up, and he realizes that you've left the highway, and are now driving through what appears to be the countryside. "I wonder where we're headed," he says while yawning. "Well, a signboard I saw earlier told me that we are somewhere in Jeonju," you reply. Instead of words, Chan's reply comes as a grumbling from his stomach. "Hungry," you quip, making him nod his head vigorously. You hit the breaks, before preparing some instant ramen for breakfast.

You eventually continue on your trip, and after a few hours, you find yourself in the midst of traditional Korean buildings, which seem to be from the Joseon dynasty. "Is this perhaps a tourist location?," wonders Chan loudly, making you reply, "Only one way to find out." You both get out of the car and do some asking around. You find out that the place where you houses the residences of the noblemen of old, and has now been converted into a shooting-cum-tourist spot. "Tourists can get traditional hanboks from that store, to complete the experience," an old woman tells you.

You turn to look at Chan, your eyes shining. Twenty minutes later, you exit the store, dresses from head to toe in a light blue hanbok. Chan's eyes nearly pop out when he sees you, and when he tells you the same, you can't help but blush.

You continue to hang around the place little while longer, and have dinner at a small eatery nearby.

"I feel like I'm 20 again. Thank you Channie," you say, holding his hand across the table. "Anything for you love," he winks.

Evening eventually comes around, and you guys hit the road once again. Around dinner time, you notice that you are crossing by a wood and supplies shop, and an idea strikes your mind. "Let's buy some wood and grill our meat!," you say excitedly, making Chan coo at how adorable you are. "Great idea babe. Let me park."

You quickly exit the car and visit the shop to buy some wood, then get started on your mini bonfire. It proves to be more difficult than you had thought, given how inexperienced the both of you are. In the end, you manage to get the fire going enough for the meat to be grilled, and turn around to ask Chan to bring in the eatables, when you see his face. It's completely covered in soot from his failed attempts at lighting the flame, making you double over in laughter. "You look so funny," you say while gasping for air. "Wouldn't be so funny if I got this soot on your face now, will it?," he retorts, coming after you. You try to run, but it's obviously in vain, as Chan grabs hold of you in under a minute. You both laugh harder than you have in months, and when you finally calm down, you give your boyfriend a tight hug. He hugs you back, and whispers, "I love you." "I love you too, Channie," you say, "Now go and get the meat, I'm hungry." "Way to ruin the moment, Y/N," he grumbles as you push him away.

After dinner, you walk up to the shop owner to thank him, and ask his permission to camp nearby. "It rained a few days ago, so the ground is still wet, and will be uncomfortable. But you can rent a room here for the night if you'd like," he offers. "That'll be great sir, thank you for the help." Chan says, coming up behind you. The shop owner gives you the keys to a room, and before leaving, says something that leaves you both red at the ears. "No funny business here, please. I know you both are young, and controlling yourself is hard. But I'd rather you didn't 'play around' unnecessarily on my bed."

You get changed and climb into the bed, snuggling up to each other. "First day down, babe," you smile with your eyes closed. When Chan doesn't reply, you open them, only to find your man staring at you with love in his eyes. "This is pure healing for me, thank you for suggesting this trip, love," he says. You talk about anything and everything for a while, and then suddenly, you feel Chan's soft lips pressing against yours. He gives you a sweet kiss, and pulling away, says, "About what the old man said earlier.....," while smirking. You shove his chest, saying, "We shouldn't," making him pout. "Although, making out doesn't count as 'funny business,' does it?" And that's enough to make him press his lips back to yours, moving so as to hover over you.

You wrap your arms around his back, pulling you closer to him. He licks your lower lip, making you part your lips and allowing his tongue to enter. After a while, you break away, only to grab his T-shirt and take it off his body, before wrapping your hands around his bare back. Needless to say, the two of you didn't get much time to sleep that night.

You get started on your way again the next day, and around mid-day, you see a milestone telling you that you are entering Iksan. The small town seems a lifetime away from your hectic lives in Seoul, and you spend the day going from shop to shop, buying small trinkets and stuff that are reminiscent of the country life. The residents welcome you with open arms, and more than once, you find an old couple telling you how cute you look together.

"He's a keeper, that one. Don't let him go," a lady says to you, pointing at Chan, who can be seen playing with some kids. "I won't," you smile.

That night, you stay over at a family's house, who were nice enough to allow you to sleep on their futon. You have dinner with them, during which the kid's ask Chan, "Are you two married?," making him choke on his food. "I'm sorry for that, they are learning about families and marriage in school these days," says their mother. "It's all right," you smile, "But no, we aren't married." "But do you plan on getting married soon?," the kids persist.

You and Chan look at each other and smile, before saying in unison, "Yes. One day."

The next morning you take the wheel from Chan, and the both of you drive of in silence, as High School Musical plays on your dashboard screen. After a while, you say, "What is it, Channie? You've been staring at me," "It's just that, you seem way too quiet. You've been like that since last night, after dinner," he replies, "What's the matter? Are you okay?" "I'm fine, just been thinking." "About?" "About us," you begin, elaborating when you see him looking at you expectantly. "When those kids asked us if we were married, it got me thinking.....I love being with you, I love waking up next to you. We live together any way, and share all the burdens that come with it too. So I guess...getting married to you wouldn't be so bad after all," you say softly.

"Is this your way of proposing to me?," giggles your boyfriend. "What? No! I mean, I did say it would be nice to get married, but I don't have a ring right now. And I meant it when I said 'one day,' but it's not today," you hurriedly say. Chan bursts out laughing at this, "I know love, I'm not ready yet either. But yes, if I have to get married, I'd rather marry you than anyone else."

Around noon, you decide to set up camp in a forest clearing. It takes you a few hours to get the tent up and ready, as you keep getting delayed because you can't stop fooling around. Amid Chan getting himself wrapped with the tent instead of unwrapping it, and you assembling the rods the wrong way up, you spend some not-so-productive, but enjoyable quality time in each other's presence, something you didn't know you had been craving for.

Evening rolls by, and you have a light dinner with ramen, some roasted chicken, and beer, following which, you lay down on a picnic mat, with your head on Chan's arm. "The stars look so beautiful, don't they Channie?," you softly ask. "Not as beautiful as you," he says cheesily, making you hide your face into his side. "But yeah, you're right. I really wanted to go stargazing with you, but we never got the time," he sighs. "I'm so happy we came on this trip, love." You open your mouth to speak, but just then, you notice a star shooting across the sky. "Channie! Channie get up, it's a shooting star!," you squeal, before closing your eyes and praying. Once you open them, you notice Chan looking at you with a gaze full of love. "Didn't you wish for something?," you ask. "I did," he smiles. "But what about you? What did you wish for?"

"Come closer Mr. Bang, I'm not about to announce my wish to the whole world," you whisper slyly. He leans in closer to you, only to have you say, "You don't tell others what you wished for," before pressing a sweet kiss to his lips. He smiles into the kiss, before breaking away and hugging you tight.

The next day turns out to be the last before you have to turn back homeward, and so, Chan suggests you make the best of it. "From what I know about the country's geography, we should be close to a beach somewhere here," he says, making you look at him with your eyes shining. "Too bad we're not going to get help from the GPS, but I'm really enjoying the phone detox," you smirk. "Who needs GPS when we've got people? Look there, we're gonna enter a city soon, so let's ask our way around," he replies. An hour and a half later, you come across a milestone that tells you the beach is a mile away. Once there, you look for a deserted spread of sand, keen on not getting stuck in an unnecessary crowd. "We face enough of that in the city, I just want to be alone with you," you whisper, taking his hand in his.

When you finally succeed in finding such a place, Chan giggles, "Good thing I packed our swimming gear as well, right?" "You did well sweetie," you say, booping his nose softly. After getting changed, you spend the next few hours playing in the water. Suddenly, Chan pulls you flush into his chest, and whispers in your ear, "You look so hot wearing that, and with water dripping down your body, I'm really finding it hard to stay away." "Then don't," you say, biting your lip. One thing leads to another, and you're thankful for the changing shack nearby.

By the time the sun starts to set, Chan has pulled you out of the water, and is making you dance with him on the sand, after bringing your phones and portable speaker from the car. Waltzing to the music, you shyly say, "I love you Channie," making him blush and reply with an "I love you too, my cute baby."

After dinner you climb atop the roof of your car, talking about your younger days. "You remember when we got into a huge fight once, back in college? And I was about to break up with you, only to have you whisk me away on a road trip, just like you did this time," you say, laying your head on his shoulder. "It did get you to stick around with me though," he replies, laying his chin on your head. "And you remember how we first met? You spilled your latte all over my T-shirt, and then took me to the infirmary to check for any burns," he reminds you, making you throw your head back in laughter. "You kept whining for a year over how you missed out on being the 'campus heartthrob' because of that incident, when in reality, you still were the most popular freshman," you jab a finger at his chest, smiling.

"Okay, I've got a secret. I wasn't actually sad about the campus heartthrob thing, since I already knew everyone was head over heels for me," he grins, making you punch his arm. "Hey! Let me finish first. I knew everyone loved me, but I only had eyes for you. And whining was just a tactic to get you to feel sorry for me and go on a date with me." You fake gasp at this, exclaiming, "Treachery! And here I thought you were genuinely sulky about that. do you have any idea how guilty I felt that whole year?!" When he simply states at you, unamused, you add through a pout, "I'm planning on revoking your cuddle privileges."

All of a sudden, you realize that Chan is moving over to lay on top of you, trapping you between him and the roof. "You know you can't resist me, babe. So don't even try," he says. "You are right about that," you say, pulling him for a kiss.

You both end up remaining awake till dawn the next day, and decide to start on your journey home around mid-way, after having napped inside the car for a few hours. You get started on your way just after noon, with Chan behind the wheel, and you eating (and feeding him) from a packet of gummy bears in the passenger seat. You re-enter the city you had seen earlier the previous day, and decide to spend some time roaming around. It's a fairly big city, but still much quieter and more peaceful than Seoul. You pass on visiting the mall, reasoning that you do so too frequently back home.

Soon enough though, you come across a store that displays a signboard saying, "Free wine tasting session for couples." You both look at each other, and with a smirk, Chan says what is on your mind. "Can't pass up on sophisticated wine for free now, can we?" You giggle and say, "Nope, absolutely not." And so, in you go. The session proves to be equal parts fun and educational. From the Chardonnay to the Pinot Noir, you go through with the tasting of at least 20 different types of wines. While you actually stick to the literal meaning of the word "tasting," drinking no more than a sip per drink, Chan goes all out, and not too long after, he's totally drunk. "Hey there beautiful, mind telling me your name?," he tries to act smooth with you, making you facepalm as you say, "I still get surprised about how low your alcohol tolerance is for your size," you shake your head.

Once you leave the tasting, half dragging, half carrying a wasted Chan who continuously tries to flirt with you, you decide to take the wheel and hit the road to the outskirts of the city, and cover the remainder of the trip once you're fully sober. When you cross over the city's borders and re-enter the road in the wilderness, you hit the brakes. You let Chan sleep, knowing that waking him up will only give him a hangover. Getting out of the car, you get yourself something to eat from the boot, and once you're full, you snuggle up to him, throwing a blanket over the both of you.

You wake up around nine at night, and as you had predicted, you see Chan holding his head in agony. You nurse him for while, before putting him back to sleep, then continue down the road. You keep sneaking glances at his sleeping form, smiling to yourself when you notice how peaceful he seems, something he hasn't looked like in ages. "We really needed this. Thank you for always knowing what I need, and for always taking care of me. I love you," you thank him silently.

When he finally wakes the next morning, he sees you huddled up in the driver's seat, and he can feel his heart swell with love for you. He gets out of the car, then picks you up and softly places you on the backseat so that you can rest well. Looking at your expression, he can easily see how content and truly happy you are. You are his reason to keep going, and if this little getaway idea of his could help you find your reason to keep going (unbeknownst to him, he himself is your reason to endure too), his heart is at ease. Sure, your week off is going to end soon, but he's positive that you will have rejuvenated yourself and would have gathered enough beautiful memories to last you a while.

Sure, going back to Seoul would mean going back to the hustle and bustle of your lives, but hey, he knows that that you by his side, he'd be ready to run away from home again any day, because his home is with you. But even more than that, he knows that with you by his side, life will be just a tad bit easier. Because you will always be there to remind him of who he was back in college. You will keep the young, carefree boy who loved you to bits, alive in him. And he'll do the same for you. And with that thought, he drives off into the distance, back to where you started from, with a smile on his face.

Because at the end of the day, you both have each other, and that's all that matters.