#and technically I should have waited another month or so until they had started to flower

[cheol-e-kat]

• no blueberries, feat. mingyu, pt. 2 •

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁

pairing: kim mingyu x f!reader

mentioned: seungcheol, joshua, vernon, christian yu (dpr ian in part ii)

word count: 3.1k

genre: fake dating, college au, college student!mingyu, college student!reader, fluff, f2l, idiots, idiots in love, angst, pining, denial of feelings, established friendship (reader & ian), miscommunication

summary: mingyu was just your lab partner and study buddy for several semesters, but lately things seem to have changed, and maybe everyone else has noticed, but for the most part, neither of you even think about what you are to one another until mingyu asks you to be his 'fake' date for a long weekend trip so he can avoid an ex, the biggest problem is realizing that there's nothing fake about your relationship but when mingyu won't even talk about what you are to each other, you start to think things might be over before they even really start

warnings: explicit language, mentions of anxiety, sexually suggestive situations, drinking

a/n: they are literally idiots in love but they're so dumb they almost don't deserve a happy ending - i am screaming at them ;-; ooof writing part ii...and well, i need to update this with additional characters and genres...oops (if you don't know - i am not a planning writing - i just go where the characters take me - they get their shit together - trust the process) besides it's named for a dpr ian song anyway, might as well include him for his dilf status and the accent

xx kat

[part i] [part iii]

♡ if you would like to be tagged in my upcoming posts, go [here]

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁

𝒚/��

she hadn’t expected the multiple messages asking if she was free that weekend - there were even a few from guys she thought were taken. she didn’t respond, though. even if she was feeling petty and annoyed, she wasn’t that clueless about what was actually going on between herself and the dumb boy sleeping in their room. mingyu hadn’t ever answered her. and she kind of wanted to stay mad at him over it. but she also wanted to be curled in bed with him, like a normal weekend morning, all warm and cozy wrapped in his arms. 

she reasoned she could hold out a bit longer. besides, she remembered his messages from the night before - this was the perfect time to scroll through them and maybe find some tiny crumbs to reignite her annoyance.

she wasn’t annoyed, though - he was mainly asking if she was okay and wondering if she would come down because he missed her - wanted her - was she asleep? - he wanted to be where she was - he was tired - ‘plz come down’ x2 - ‘i’m all alone’ - he wished they were back home - ‘we shouldn’t have come’. she bit her lip gently, wondering half-heartedly if he had meant any of it or just needed an excuse to check his phone.

she knew he meant it - he was unquestionably honest when drinking. she sighed, knowing she was maybe just as bad at communicating as he was. but she knew she had asked him more than once to define what they were.

she couldn’t fully take back her shitty messages saying they weren’t dating, even though it was technically true. but she could tag him in a post - a really sappy post with pictures from the last six months. she could have gone back further, but then he would know more than she was ready to share, like how she thought it was serious much sooner.

she picked the photos she thought were cutest, especially the one where he had given her a piggyback ride when she got tired waiting in line for a roller coaster. she tagged his username, but then she stared at the blank description box because what should she even say, she wondered.

she scrolled back through all of her photos to the first one they had taken together - him hugging her from behind while they had walked around in the first snow the year before. he looked so cute and happy - she pressed her lips into a line, feeling way too vulnerable, but she added it in the photo set anyway.

and the description, she typed it super fast before she could talk herself out of it, ‘beautiful, perfect, smart, sweet @/ming0o - i probably don’t tell you how much i like you as often as i should but i hope you know how much i care about you - love’ - she immediately erased the 'love'.

she had the intense urge to throw her phone into the woods from embarrassment. it was way too honest and a display of pure feelings - things she did not do. because she knew putting herself out there like that was scary.

she stared at the draft for a few minutes - she couldn’t hit post. she decided to wait until that afternoon. or maybe never - maybe she should just tell him - that’s what ian kept saying when they talked - not to mention all of britt’s not so subtle comments about their apartment and how often mingyu was there. 

she could tell him that she thought things were serious, that she had broken off things with someone else for him, even - she had kind of been dating someone, but it hadn’t really mattered when mingyu first kissed her. she was pretty sure no one mattered when mingyu first kissed her - the earth could have flown into the sun, and she wouldn't have noticed.

she stared out at the water, imagining the conversation she could start with him - the one where she actually explained all the things she felt for him. but even thinking about it was nerve-racking. she would probably just end up making out with him before she actually admitted to having feelings. physical things were always safer.

she worried her lip and, insteasd of posting anything, went to ian’s account - she scrolled through his photos from greece - a trip she was meant to go on for friends-mas vacation. but that was the thing, they had known each other for ages and had been best friends for way too long. their closeness always kind of ebbed and flowed based on whether one of them was dating someone. but they also talked about everything, like when she felt like things with mingyu were getting serious, she had told ian about it, mainly because she was happy. she rolled her eyes, remembering those conversations.  

she went to her messages, they had talked a few weeks before about maybe going to a show together, a band they both liked was touring. her fingers hovered over the keys - she sighed and exited. she probably didn’t need to pull the rip cord just yet, she decided, because if she texted ian now, with the way she felt, she wasn't sure what would happen. even if she knew ian was probably awake.

she tried reassuring herself that she was just freaking out a bit, so she got up to go in and take a shower before anyone else was awake. she tried to stay in the shower as long as possible without being rude. she was slow drying off and throwing on fresh clothes, prolonging her time to think, she told herself.

she opened the bathroom door as quietly as she could, thinking she could tiptoe past the bed and back to isolate herself on the balcony. ideally, she could hide there and go unnoticed. but no, glancing at mingyu was enough to convince her that she should climb back into bed. she loved how was easily she was enveloped by mingyu. she tried to sleep, thinking it would make her feel better. 

instead, she felt him kiss her neck, “hey,” he whispered. 

“hey,” she worried that she sounded weird.

“good swim?”

she hummed in response, not trusting herself to talk. she wondered if she was losing her mind. they were both quiet for a few minutes, but to her, it felt like the quiet before a storm.

he sighed and nuzzled closer, “did you really tell people we aren’t dating?” his voice was soft against her skin.

fuck, she thought, of course someone had already seen that and messaged him. she rolled her eyes, “i mean, it’s not like we’ve actually had that conversation.”��

she tried to sound normal about it, even though she had literally asked him multiple times, and he refused to answer. she just wanted him to tell her whether they were dating, or if he even wanted to be dating, but he wouldn’t - anyone else, sure, he had an answer - but her, nothing but silence. and there was the annoyance with him. back in full force. 

“i know, but it’s kind of what we talked about before, right?”

she closed her eyes tightly, “no, we talked about fake dating - like me being your fake girl friend for this, not like ‘dating-dating - i'm just katie-prevention,’,” she wasn’t a fan of the revisionist version of the conversation they had had.

he sighed, “does it really matter what we call it for the weekend? we’re together all the time, right - that’s what's important,” he sounded like her dad explaining something that was just so simple, even as he ignored the real reason he had asked her, “even if you completely abandoned me last night.” he whined softly, emphasizing how he felt about her staying in their room.

“so tell everyone i had a migraine or something, and now everything is fine,” she knew she sounded more and more on edge, but really what was another lie anyway, she wondered.

he was quiet for a few moments, “y/n, you know you’re here because we’re together, which just happens to help me avoid katie - i would have asked you to come no matter what,” she could feel him squeezing her closer as he talked.

“right, i guess so, since you don’t really seem to have an issue telling her to fuck off, so i’m not sure how i’m helping with that anyway,” she knew it was a bitchy thing to say, but the words had already tumbled out of her mouth. 

he groaned, “you know it’s not really about that - i mean, i told her to fuck off when she said the shit about wanting to hook up - i told her i was taken, so here i am, very happily taken,” he sounded annoyed and nonchalant all at once. 

she shifted around to face him, “wait, you said someone told you about that?” she whispered, certain that she had heard him incorrectly.

he shrugged, “no, she cornered me after practice and told me we should hook up.”

“and you didn’t tell me about that super normal encounter?” she tried to keep her voice under control.

“why would i when i know it would just make you worry over nothing, plus i handled it - i told you, i wanted you to come and just relax and hang out - yeah, katie is here, but who cares? i’m here with you,” he tugged her tshirt gently as he spoke, pulling her close.

she truly had to be losing it - his ‘katie problem’ was the entire basis for him asking her. 

he seemed to register her anger and got up after a few moments of uncomfortable silence, “i’m going to shower, and then we should get food,” he murmured and kissed her cheek. 

she could only nod in response.

⋆˙⟡

she waited a few minutes before hopping off the bed and going out on the balcony to call ian. even if they had been on a friendship hiatus for a bit - in fact, most of her friendships had been since she had been with mingyu - she knew she could call him - it was the whole ‘basic trust’ part of their relationship. something she and mingyu didn’t seem to have.

besides, she had virtually only been around mingyu’s friends for months. she was feeling like it was starting to skew her view of the world.

“hi, love,” he answered on the first ring.

“hey,” she bit her lip, trying to think of how to ask what she wanted to ask.

“what’s up?” 

she sighed, “umm, just things,” she tried to sound normal as she paced back and forth.

“erm, yeah, can i guess - does it have to do with your, uh, relationship status correction comments?” he laughed. 

she nodded, as though he could see her, “yes - i - could you pick me up, please?”

it had been a while since she had called him this randomly and asked to be picked up. but that didn’t matter, he just asked for a pin drop, not an explanation. his friend would drop him off, and they would drive her suv back. she didn’t even have to ask if ‘back’ meant to his or not - she fully knew the answer. she was glad that she had done very little to unpack the night before, and that they weren’t that far from the city. she did go back out onto the balcony to watch her ‘find my’ like it was a lifeline to the world. 

she couldn’t wrap her mind around what mingyu had admitted this morning compared to what he had said before. it was shocking - he had at least withheld important details from her. and she was angry. but the worst part was that he also made her feel like she was the issue. not to mention, why couldn’t he just talk to her, she wondered for the millionth time. 

she needed a break. she needed to go back to her normal life. this whole thing had spun out of control, and she was deluded if she thought there was anything serious between her and mingyu.

⋆˙⟡

𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐲𝐮 

he took a long shower, loving the seemingly endless hot water. he wasn’t ready to be awake though - he had wanted to stay in bed with y/n like normal. he wanted everything with y/n to be like normal, but everything felt off, especially her.

it was like she was pulling into herself, which only reminded him of when he first met her, and his entire existence annoyed her. there were times when she was curled against him that he couldn’t help but remember exactly how cold and distant she seemed to him when they met. and how random it felt that they had ever moved past that point - he genuinely had no idea how he had managed it, which was reason enough for him to not say certain things. 

like when she asked why he had told everyone they were dating - he didn’t want to explain that he hadn’t, that they had assumed, and he couldn’t bring himself to say they were wrong because it was what he wanted. but it was embarrassing as fuck to admit to her that he wanted it as badly as he didn’t and couldn’t even ask her.

he had tiptoed around the thought for months - even the day before, he had been asking seungcheol what he could say to her. seungcheol had looked at him like he was insane, ‘you are fucking, and you’re asking me what exactly - dude you’re with her - just tell her you want some official stamp or whatever saying what a very good boy you are and she’s your owner - let her buy you a collar, but get the fuck out, you’re killing me with this.’ 

his thoughts were interrupted by seungcheol opening the bathroom door, “dude, if you use all of the hot water, i will actually kill you,” he proclaimed bluntly.

“yeah, yeah - if you killed me every time you promised, i would have been dead five minutes into our meeting - you need a better threat,” he still turned off the water.

seungcheol rolled his eyes, “maybe, but you still got out of the shower, right?”

“pure coincidence,” he mumbled as he dried off.

“umhm, coincidence like y/n openly saying you’re not dating and also being gone this morning?” 

mingyu paused for a moment but shook his head. he was sure seungcheol was just being a dick - there was no way she would have left without saying anything. but he couldn’t help wondering exactly how long he had been in the shower. 

⋆˙⟡

as much as he was shocked realizing that y/n had left, he was absolutely in no mood for the chorus of “so what did you do to fuck this up” that came from virtually everyone when he walked downstairs - he didn’t stay to eat, especially when he noticed katie looking way too perky. 

he had already tried calling and messaging her - he even texted her roommate to ask, which was pointless since britt left him on read. he thought of going back to campus when she wouldn’t answer, but he could imagine that would only make things worse.

if she wanted space, then he should give her space - even if knowing that another guy had picked her up completely fried his brain. he stayed in his room the rest of the day, staring at his phone, hoping for something to change. 

apparently, he seemed depressed enough that even seungcheol tried to make him feel better by leaving him some beers, mumbling something about not to freak out and that it was probably a misunderstanding. 

mingyu had just groaned, “pretty sure leaving with another guy is not a misunderstanding.”

“you’re acting like she doesn’t have friends, when you know she does, even if she’s been up your ass for months - maybe she just needs a break,” seungcheol was using his reasonable voice.

mingyu glared and shook his head, “needs a break? y/n needs a break from me that involves another guy?! yeah - you are excelling at making me feel so good about about all of this - plus like that’s one of those things, there’s always guys who talk to her, even when we’re out, i can be standing right next to her, my arm around her, and still, dudes approaching,” he popped the tab on one of the beers, gulping it down angrily.

seungcheol watched him for a moment, “right, who wouldn’t want to be around you to see the neuroticism up close - dude, she’s mainly friends with guys, that’s why she was at our parties before you ever started talking - pretty sure that’s when you noticed her even and started following her from a distance like the saddest lost dog,” he laughed as he dodged the pillow mingyu threw at his head.

“fuck you - fucking lost dog? and i am not neurotic!” mingyu threw back his head, downing the rest of the beer.

“yeah, stable king over here - also the most lost, most pathetic dog - ask anyone if i’m fucking lying - you’re whipped and have been, which like, cool, taste, she’s worth it, but then somehow katie was in the picture and we all decided you were a lost cause because how do you go from like a full out 10 to like a 3.4,” he dodged another pillow, not laughing this time, “if you make me spill this”—

“what you’ll kill me? you? you’re like a foot shorter”— he didn’t even get to finish the insult because seungcheol had already hit him in the mouth.

mingyu spent the rest of the break staring at his phone and nursing his split lip. to be fair, he'd given seungcheol a black eye in the process, which had made him feel slightly better. but then everyone in their gc started asking where his owner was - vernon even edited a lost dog poster with a picture of him. it was annoyingly funny. he couldn’t even think of a good response.

he hated the ride back to campus, knowing he would see y/n in classes but having no clue what to do was definitely killing him. he was so sure of it, which was why he planned to skip classes the next day. and maybe the day after too. their schedules were way too similar. he might be out for a week. he wondered if his parents really would kill him if he flunked out - that was the standard threat, but he had never really considered it quite as hard as he did on the ride back from joshua’s lake house.

⋆˙⟡

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁

a/n: they are such emotional train wrecks - i'm like kicking my feet at the insanity of these two, so yeah, hope you're finding it fun too - also cheol as the voice of reason but still roasting mingyu the entire time <33 also feel free to leave notes or asks or submit a lost dog poster for mingyu skskskskss - i do love to know what you all are vibing with /gen

♡ kat

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁

story navi: [part i] [part iii]

tag list: @syluslittlecrows

if you want to be tagged, go [here] & my [master list] if you want to read more

[bunnliix]

𝕋𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕞𝕪 ℍ𝕒𝕟𝕕

The first of 4 bouncy themed pairings, that Tumblr helped me decide that I should write first!

I was expecting this to be a quick lil one-shot, and it's now over 4,000 words and half of it is smut. Oops, sorry not sorry.

This was not meant to be smut, but it is now. This is my first Ateez smut, so please be nice, I usually write wlw smut, not fxm smut

This is a fem!reader x HwaSang, so other than saying the reader has fem body parts, I don't get into much detail.

MINORS DNI - If you are a minor and/or don't have your age indicated in your bio, I will block you if you interact with this fic

word count: 4.6k warnings: SMUT MDNI, implied assault, implied past attempted sexual assault, creepy men, reader gets called names and also terms of endearment (whore, Bunny, sweetheart, baby), reader getting touched unconsensually but like to her face, not anywhere else, violence, mentions of blood and injuries. smut warnings: blowjobs, face-fucking, knife play technically, there's a knife involved but like it never touches skin, Hwa kinda being a little bit of a mean dom, use of the word cunt, unprotected sex (Use protection please!), a bit of degradation and dumbification, breeding kink, mommy!Seonghwa, I think that's everything? Please tell me if I'm wrong and need to add something!

Y/n was wandering the streets of Sector One, which she knew better than to do, especially this late at night. Who knew who or what was lurking in the shadows, but honestly, she had no choice but to be walking home this late. She didn’t get off until well after conventional working hours had ended, but a job was a job, she couldn’t complain as long as it kept food on the table. 

It wasn’t exactly bustling out on the streets, she had seen maybe a couple of others on her long walk home. And maybe a motorcycle or two as well, but the streets were pretty deserted as the clock ticked closer to midnight. She usually was pretty safe on her walk home, there’s only been a couple incidents in the months she’s started walking home like this, but it was enough for her to arm herself with a knife. She hasn’t had to use it so far, but on this side of town, you never knew who could be waiting around for someone like her to walk by.

Just as she passed by an alleyway, the one right before her little shortcut home, she saw a shadow move, and this made her hurry along, not wanting to get caught up in something she shouldn’t. She glanced behind her, seeing a man following her slowly, but very determined to get her, it seemed. She heard the man’s footsteps speed up, and just as she reached her shortcut home, she heard him start running. She pushed herself, running down the alleyway not looking behind her to see how far away her pursuer was, not wanting to take the chance that it would let him catch up with her.

Unfortunately or maybe fortunately for her, she hadn’t really decided yet, she ran smack dab into some sort of meet up. Stopping herself before she could run right into this group of people, she tripped and fell onto the ground a couple feet away from the group of men. She left out a gasp as the fall pushed the air out of her lungs, and she was slightly struggling to get her breath back.

This caused the men to look at her, before looking up at the man who was chasing her. Who, upon seeing the group of men in front of him, simply ran back the way he came. Though, he didn’t get far as a yell was heard before another group came out of the alleyway. The men in front of y/n looked bored at the appearance of this other group.

“This one part of your crew?” The leader asked, as one of the others pushed the man down in front of them, his head hitting the pavement with a thwack, and he didn’t get back up.

“What are you doing here, Namjoon?” Y/n heard one of the men behind her call out, as she slowly tried to get up.

“Do I have to inform you of our every movement, Yeosang?” She heard the man, who she presumed to be Namjoon, reply. 

“You know better than to show up around here.” Was all she heard the other man reply with. She saw boots walk past her, and a long black coat one of them was wearing. She figured she’d be safe to stand up, but her movements caught the eyes of everyone.

“She one of your whores? Hmm?” One of the other men from Namjoon’s group asked, leering at her.

She took a step backwards, away from all of them, only to be stopped as one of the men from Yeosang’s group grabbed her by the arm. She was pulled to the front, as she struggled to get away, not wanting to be a part of any of this.

“Let me go!” She shouted.

“Oh I guess she isn’t. Well at least not yet, hm?” The same creepy man surmised. “Can I have her then? If you don’t want her.” He asked.

The man moved to reach out for her, not waiting for an answer, and she recoiled as he came close, flinching as his hand cupped her cheek.

“You’d be so fun to play with. So pretty now, you’d be even pretty covered in other things, yeah? I’m sure a pretty girl like you would enjoy it.” He said, the perverted fucker sounded almost gleeful.

That was until he pulled back, hissing at the cut on his hand. One of the men, who wore that long coat you saw, had a knife that he was cleaning off. 

“Don’t touch her.” He said, glaring at the man.

Namjoon interrupted before anything else could be said. “Jimin, come back here.” He told the creepy dude, who just glared at Yeosang before walking back to the men. Returning to his spot, he just stared directly at y/n, not taking his eyes off of her.

“Can’t keep your men under control?” Yeosang taunted Namjoon.

“You’re really itching for a fight tonight, aren’t you? Watch your fucking back, Kang Yeosang.” The other man said, before walking away, and his crew followed him, but not before Jimin winked back at her, making her shiver in disgust.

“Are you okay?” Yeosang turned to ask her, once the other men had left.

“What’s it to you?” Y/n questioned, just wanting to get out of here.

“I’m asking out of concern. You may have stumbled upon us, but we’re the ones who brought you into that whole mess.” He said to her, being as open as possible. 

Y/n huffed, “I’m fine, besides the odd injury or two.” She told him, not looking him in the eyes.

“Come on, I’ll take you to get your injuries looked at.” He told her, grabbing onto her hand and pulling her behind him as he walked.

“Why should I go anywhere with you?” She asked him.

“Because if you walked out of here by yourself, you’d be lucky if you didn’t get caught by Jimin, or one of his friends. Namjoon doesn’t care what they do, as long as it doesn’t bring attention to them. You’d be kidnapped off the streets, and never see the light of day. So really, I’m doing you a favor.” Yeosang told her, turning around so she could see how serious he was.

“Oh.” She said, now feeling guilty about her hostile attitude. He was doing her a favor and keeping her out of the hands of that creep.

“Thank you.” She said.

“You’re welcome.” He simply said, as he brought her up to a set of bikes. 

“Come on, let’s get you checked out.” He told her, handing her his helmet, seeing as he only had one with him, not expecting a passenger.

“But don’t you need one?” She asked, looking at him in concern.

“I’ll be fine.” He told her as he hopped on his bike. 

“Hop on behind me.” He instructed her, and she did so carefully, after she put on the helmet. He turned around to make sure the helmet was on correctly, and smiled and nodded when it was.

“Wrap your arms around my waist and pull her feet up please, sweetheart.” He told her, the endearment just coming out naturally, but unintentionally.

Y/n was glad she had a helmet on, so no one could see her blush. She didn’t need to go getting a crush on a man who was only helping her, and who she’d likely never see again.

Once Yeosang had made sure she was holding on tight, and his men were ready to go, he started his bike and they were off. She shrieked as he sped off, not prepared for the speed or the feel of the bike in motion underneath her. She quickly got used to it, thankfully, and just watched as they passed by the many apartments and closed businesses, every so often passing by someone walking down the sidewalk. 

The journey to wherever he was taking her seemed to take forever, but also feeling like it passed by in only minutes. She was unsure of which one was right, but as Yeosang turned off the bike and helped her off of the bike, she noticed that they had made it to an abandoned apartment building.

“You certainly know how to creep a girl out, yeah?” Y/n joked, making Yeosang laugh. God even his laugh was music to her ears.

“Hey, you’re the one who decided to come with me. Would you have rathered the alternative?” He asked, walking inside the building, as y’n ran to catch up with him.

“I never said that!” She rebutted, following closely behind, as he walked down the hallway, before turning and opening the door of a room.

“Yah, Seonghwa, care to come help bandage up an injury or two?” He called into the room, and a chuckle could be heard before footsteps got closer to the door. The man poked his head out of the door, looking at Yeosang before noticing y/n standing behind him.

“You seem to have picked up a lost little bunny on the way home.” He commented, smirking at her.

“Well, you know me, I do like picking up lost things.” The shorter man joked before he got serious. “She got injured, help patch her up?” He told the man.

“Sure, let’s see what we’re working with.” Seonghwa said, before leading the two of them further down the hall into a makeshift infirmary. He motioned for y/n to hop up onto the bed, before looking at her injuries.

“They’re not bad, which is good news.” He told her after finishing inspecting her injuries. “Some neosporin and bandages will do the trick, and you’ll be good as new.” He told her, before moving to grab said supplies, and quickly fixed up her injuries. 

She sported a couple new bandages, but at least now she wouldn’t have to worry about doing it herself. And no need to waste her supplies to do it either, though she was very grateful for the two men for helping her. 

“I’d take you back to wherever you live, but I don’t think it’s a smart idea. Jimin will be out looking for you tonight, and he has no qualms about doing something illegal or dangerous to get to you.” Yeosang explained.

“Then where will I go? I need to go somewhere to sleep.” Y/n asked.

“You could stay here for the night.” Seonghwa spoke up, to which they both turned to the older man. “What? You said Jimin was after her, that’s more than enough reason to let her stay.”

“He’s that bad?” She questioned.

“The women he pursues aren't seen again after he gets his hands on them.” Seonghwa said, not mincing his words, but not going into detail, even though it could be seen on his face that he knew more than he said.

The taller man turned to Yeosang, “She can stay in my room.” He told him, before turning to her, “If you’re comfortable with that.” He said.

“A bed is a bed, as long as you don’t mind, it’s fine with me.” The girl told him, shrugging.

“That’s fine, and it keeps her away from the others, which is better.” Yeosang reasoned.

Seonghwa took her hand gently, pulling her behind him till they reached the room they got him from, and pulled her inside, leaving the door open. Yeosang watched from the doorway, not entering the room.

The room was fairly simple, but it was decorated nicely, and the bed looked comfy, which was always a plus. He let go of her hand so she could look around, moving to sit on his bed. 

“I’ll share with Yeosang tonight so you can have the bed to yourself.” He told her, looking up at her.

“I don’t want to kick you out of your bed.” She said, feeling bad.

“It’s fine, unless you want me in bed with you?” He smirked, tone telling her that he was only half joking.

“I don’t really care as long as I have a bed to sleep in.” She said bluntly.

“Then we’ll share the bed tonight then.” Seonghwa said, finishing off that part of the conversation.

“I might have some clothes you can wear to bed, so you’re not stuck in what you have on now.” Yeosang piped up, before leaving to grab some.

“So how’d you meet Sangie, little bunny?” Seonghwa queried.

“I may have ran into him and then he helped keep me out of Jimin’s hands.” She confessed, going into more detail of her escapades that night.

“Well, I’m glad that little Sangie helped you out of a tough situation.” He said, before patting the bed next to him for her to sit. “Come on, sit down. We’d best get comfy with each other, if we’re going to sleep together.” He said.

She blushed at his wording, mind going in the not innocent direction, and he could see it happen, smirking at her reaction. 

“What’s got you so blushy, bunny?” He teased her.

“Nothing.” She said quickly.

He reached out and pulled her close. “Nothing, hm? Then why is your face so flushed?” He asked, a hand reaching up and cupping her cheek.

She looked away from him. “It’s warm in here.”

“It’s not that warm, bunny. I think something else is on your mind.” He further teased her, “Are you thinking about us sleeping together? Don’t worry bunny, I wouldn’t touch you unless you wanted it.”

Her blush darkened, and he pulled her down onto his lap at the sight of it.

“Or is that why you’re so flushed? You want me to fuck you, hmm?” He whispered in her ear. He saw movement from the corner of his eye and looked over to see Yeosang at the door, the man’s own eyes darkening at the position y/n was in currently.

She couldn’t look at the man, until a hand under her chin made her make eye contact with him. 

“Tell me bunny, what do you want?” He may have phrased it as a question, but it was an order.

She gulped, knowing that the next words out of her mouth would change how things went for the night. But fuck, she gave into what her heart wanted.

“Want you to fuck me, please.” She said, the please coming out as a whine unlike the rest of her sentence.

“Look Yeosang, it seems your little bunny is just like a bunny. She just needs a good fuck, and for someone to take control.” He said, cluing y/n on the fact that Yeosang was there.

She turned her head to see Yeosang push off the wall, heading towards her with lust in his eyes.

“You need someone to take control of you, hmm? So you don’t have to think?” Yeosang asked her, stopping right behind her as she strained her neck to look up at him.

All she could do was nod, unable to get any words out of her mouth.

“We need words, bunny. Yes or no.” Seonghwa told her.

“Yes. Please.” She said, the last word coming out more as a plea for them to do something already.

Yeosang threw the clothes in his hand onto a chair in the room, before grabbing her hands and holding them tight, as Seonghwa tilted her head back down and leaned in to kiss her. Her eyes widened before they closed, allowing the man in front of her to take full control of the kiss. He kissed her with such force and passion, she couldn’t help but squirm in his lap, only squirming further as hands landed on her hips, stopping her from moving.

She heard Yeosang whisper in her ear, “So impatient bunny. Hwa’s only kissing you and you’re already getting like this.” 

She moaned into Seonghwa’s mouth as she felt Yeosang’s hands move up from her hips to her breasts, groping them. Since her hands had been freed, she grabbed onto the shirt of the man in front of her, gripping it tightly. Once she was almost out of air, Seonghwa finally pulled away, and from the glee on his face, she must look thoroughly debauched after that.

“Mmm, look at you bunny, lips so pink and swollen and pretty. Wonder how pretty they’d look around one of our cocks.” He remarked, lifting a hand to rub at her bottom lip, and she took it into her mouth, sucking on it.

“Oh, looks like our bunny has an oral fixation, huh? I’d bet you’d love something to suck on then.” He taunted, looking up at Yeosang, who immediately knew what he was suggesting. 

Y/n heard the sound of a zipper and then pants being pushed down, before Seonghwa turned her head to the side, and she was faced with Yeosang’s cock in her face. 

“Wanna make me feel good, bunny?” Yeosang asked, a lustful look on his face. 

She quickly nodded, looking up at him as she took the head into her mouth, sucking on it softly before slowly taking more of him into her mouth. She kept eye contact with him the entire time, and he smiled down at her.

“Such a good bunny for us.” He told her.

Seonghwa had decided to go ahead and explore y/n’s body, his hands moving underneath her top and moving up her torso until he found her tits, pulling them out of her bra and fondling them, causing her to moan around Yeosang’s cock, and the man’s head tilted back in pleasure.

“Fuck Hwa, keep doing that.” Yeosang groaned.

Hwa took it one step further, grabbing a knife that he had nearby, and slicing her top open, exposing her chest, before he undid her bra leaving her totally exposing to them, a whispered “fuck” coming from both boys.

“So pretty, baby.” Seonghwa praised her.

As Y/n finally took all of his cock into her mouth, Yeosang couldn’t help himself, grabbing a hold of her hair, and keeping her there for a couple moments, moaning at the feeling of her throat around his cock. He let her pull away and once she had pulled away from his dick, she was breathing heavily, drool running down her chin and a string connecting from her mouth to the head of his cock, but she looked up at him with such need in her eyes, and he couldn’t control himself anymore.

“I’m gonna fuck your face baby.” He told her, looking down at her before shoving his cock back into her mouth. 

She loosened her jaw as much as she could, letting him fuck her mouth as he needed, and he often pushed in all the way to the base, feeling her gag on him when she wasn’t expecting it. 

He felt his own release getting close, “Fuck. Gonna cum down your throat baby.” He told her. 

She was struggling to concentrate on Yeosang, due to Seonghwa’s mouth on her nipple and his hand playing with the other one, but she did her best to make the biker cum in her mouth, needing it. He moaned as he came, pushing all the way in, his cum spilling down her throat as she swallowed what she could. He let go of her hair, letting her pull away and chuckled at her face, she still looked so pretty even after all of that.

“You did so well for me bunny. Such a good bunny for me.” He told her, running his fingers through her hair, as she looked up at him.

“It’s my turn now.” Seonghwa interrupted their moment, wanting his chance to play with the cute little bunny on his lap.

“Impatient as ever.” Yeosang commented, rolling his eyes.

Seonghwa ignored the younger man, moving to push off the clothes still remaining on her top half, before lifting her off his lap and tossing her onto his bed. He moved to kneel over her, admiring her for a moment before leaning in to leave a trail of bite marks on her shoulder and neck, before trailing down to her tits. He pinched and pulled at her nipples, her moans tumbling out of her mouth one after another.

“You’re so sensitive already baby, and I haven’t even touched your pussy yet.” He lightly mocked her, hand sliding down her torso and slipping underneath her pants and underwear, quickly finding her clit. She gasped as she felt his fingers touch her, her back arching off the bed as her eyes rolled back.

“Hwa, please. Need more.” She begged, moaning as the man rubbed slow circles around her clit.

“Patience is a virtue, bunny. Maybe if you beg enough, I’ll fuck you with my fingers, hmm?” He replied to her pleas.

“Fuck, please. I need you, need your fingers inside me please.” She begged him, tears filling her eyes.

He didn’t answer her, just smirking at the girl underneath him, before pulling away from her completely, causing her to whine and beg him to touch her again. She was filled with need, all she could think about was his touch and how desperately she needed it. He had barely done anything, and she could barely think at all anymore. He moved to pull off her bottoms and panties revealing her soaked cunt, and he cooed at seeing how wet she had gotten.

“Look at you, you’re so wet for us, bunny.” He said, continuing to smirk. He almost crawled towards her, like she was his prey that he was ready to devour. Taking a hand, he slid his fingers in between her folds a couple times, before bringing those fingers up to his mouth, moaning at the taste of her.

“You taste so good, darling, I want to devour you and make you cum on my tongue over and over again. But I don’t think either of us are patient enough for that tonight. Another time.” He said, staring directly into her eyes, and he moved his body in between her thighs.

He rubbed his cock up and down her pussy a couple times, before he slowly pushed into her. His pace as he slid into her was almost tortuous for y/n, and she whined and pleaded with him to go faster. He tutted at her, keeping his slow space until he bottomed out in her. 

“You’re so tight, baby. You feel like heaven around me.” He praised her, before pulling almost all the way out, before slamming back in, setting a fast pace.

She couldn’t think with how hard he was fucking her, any words coming out of her mouth half-formed and more like moans that have a resemblance to words. Both men chuckle at seeing how brain-dumb they had fucked the girl, but she looked gorgeous like this. Her eyes were glassy and glazed over, and she almost never stopped making noises that were music to their ears.

Yeosang watched y/n get fucked, eyes glued onto her and Seonghwa. It wasn’t the first time they had shared a girl, but this may have been his favorite time they’ve done so. She was perfect for them, and he was so grateful he found her. She took them so well, and he needed more, he craved her body, the noises she made, everything about her. And he knew Seonghwa was just as enamored with her, and they wouldn’t let her get away from them that easily. He slowly stroked his dick as he watched, sitting on a chair in the older man’s room, smirking as he silently observed.

Seonghwa grabbed her hips, his grip tight enough to leave lasting bruises on her skin. He felt his orgasm creeping up on him, and decided to pick up the pace. Skin slapping against skin, his almost brutal pace and the slightest change in position had him hitting that spot in her cunt, making her see stars, and she made sure they knew it, screaming out Seonghwa’s name as he hit it the first time.

“Come on bunny, cum on my cock. I want you to cum around me as I fuck you dumb. Gonna be my dumb little bunny who needs me to breed her full of my cum.” Seonghwa’s words brought her closer to her release, continuing to talk as he fucked her.

“Gonna cum on your cock. Breed me please, mommy!” Y/n babbled, feeling her orgasm rush over her as she clenched down on Seonghwa’s cock, bringing the man closer to his own release. She screamed his name as he fucked her through her orgasm, the pleasure coursing through her body almost too much for her to handle. 

“Don’t worry bunny, mommy will breed you like the little bunny you are.” He told her, moaning as he felt his own release wash over him, filling y/n's cunt with his sperm. 

He leaned over her, breathing heavily as he got his breath back. He leaned down, kissing her softly before he carefully pulled out of her pussy, watching his own cum dribble out of her. He looked to Yeosang, asking the man to grab a warm cloth, and watched the man get up and head out of the room for one. 

“Bunny, are you feeling okay?” He asked, looking down at the girl in concern.

She hummed a noise in the affirmative, looking up at him with glassy eyes, not fully in the present after getting the life fucked out of her.

“I need words, baby.” He softly reminded her.

“ ‘m good, promise. Just got the best fuck of my life.” She mumbled out, making the man above her laugh.

“I’m glad to get such high praise.” He told her, still laughing as Yeosang returned with a couple warm cloths. “I’m gonna clean you up now, okay baby bunny?” He told her, waiting for her to nod before he did anything.

He gently cleaned her up, washing away sweat and bodily fluids, taking time and care to make sure she was fully cleaned up. She smiled at him as he did so, grateful that he was as sweet afterwards, as he was a demon during sex. 

“You feeling better now that you’re all cleaned up?” Yeosang asked, reminding her of his presence.

“I’m feeling much better.” She promised him, smiling up at her savior. 

“Good. Now I think it’s probably best that you sleep now. It’s late and you need it.” He told her, reminding her of the time.

She nodded, already feeling a yawn bubbling up in her chest. The two men chuckled once she did yawn, and Yeosang grabbed the clothes he brought for her, as Seonghwa helped her get dressed in them. Seonghwa lent some clothes to his friend and they got dressed as well, before joining y/n in the bed, laying on either side of her.

“You guys know how to treat a girl well.” She said, sleep making her words slightly slurred.

“Sleep now bunny.” Seonghwa and Yeosang told her. 

With how wrecked she was after Seonghwa’s turn with her, it didn’t take long for her to fall asleep. The two still awake exchanged looks, silently agreeing to talk about everything in the morning, after y/n had gone on her way. Seonghwa laid an arm over her waist, as Yeosang wrapped one around her shoulder. The two men quickly fell into dreamland themselves, though neither of their dreams were in any way wholesome.

[7975348473]

The Proposal

——————————— Post- The Grandest Game. I would recommend you read ‘A Dancer’s Wings’ before this (another one of my fanfics, in my master list) but it’s not necessary. ——————————

It had officially been a year since Grayson and Lyra started dating, and sometimes it still felt too good to be true.

She sat on the sofa, deep in thought, while Avery and Max sang some song together.

Lyra had been working on a gift for this occasion since a month prior, well, technically a year prior. She had decided to embrace Grayson’s love for photography and give it a go herself.

She had taken multiple photos of the two together, from the beginning of their relationship to now, and she got the idea of making him a photo album one month ago.

Her hard work payed off, though.

When Lyra handed Grayson the photo album, his face took on a new glow. He looked at her in disbelief once he was done going through the entire thing and wrapped her in a tight hug.

Lyra had laughed as she stood in his strong embrace. They stayed like that for a while before Grayson let go.

“I have my gift ready too.” He said, giving her a gentle smile. Lyra gave him an excited grin, ready for the surprise.

Grayson playfully poked her forehead with his index finger, his smile taking on a teasing look, “But you’re going to have to wait until the evening.”

At that declaration, Lyra raised a brow at him, “But you said the gift is ready?”

“It is,” he nodded, “but I want to do a final sweep to make sure everything’s in place.”

Lyra looked at Grayson as she decrypted his words.

“Everything’s in place”?

“Don’t tell me you planned an entire event for me Gray.” She said, though her voice came out soft. Had Grayson really planned an event just for her?

Suddenly, Lyra didn’t feel so proud of her gift.

Grayson must have seen something in her expression because he took her chin gently, urging her to look at him.

“I love the gift, Lyra. It’s the last thing I was expecting. Yet, the best gifts are the ones you don’t know you need until you have them.” Grayson’s eyes took on a confident look as he quoted Nash, which gave Lyra the reassurance she needed.

She smiled as she freed herself from his gentle hold, “Of course you do Gray, I made it after all.” She joked, getting a chuckle out of the Hawthorne.

They then spent the majority of the afternoon together, laughing, playing around and just having fun. That is, until Grayson got a phone call and said he should check up on the gift.

And that left Lyra in her current state.

She was extremely curious as to what the gift would be. And, even though her curiosity would be satisfied in a few hours, she couldn’t help but wrack her brain cells.

Which is why Lyra had called over her two friends, Avery and Max, so that she could pass time without zoning out.

“Hellooo~ Earth to Lyra.”

Lyra snapped out of her trance and realised she had zoned out in the end, even with her friends being their chaotic selves.

Avery looked at her with a sceptical look while Max had her hands on her hips.

“Lyra. You’re worrying like— way too much.” Max said, making an entire show of her hands.

Avery shot Max a look before gazing back towards Lyra, “She’s right, Lyra. Loosen up a bit, you’ll know soon enough.”

Lyra gave them both a small smile, oh how she wished it was that easy.

It was obviously logical to drop the topic until she could figure out what it was, yet her mind seemed to forget logic when things came down to her boyfriend.

Just when the two girls finally got Lyra on her two feet to dance with them, her phone went off.

Lyra walked over and, upon seeing Grayson’s contact, quickly picked it up.

“Gray?” She asked, the excitement evident in her voice.

Grayson chuckled, “Hello to you too, sweetheart.”

Lyra smiled at the endearment, “So I’m guessing everything is ‘in place’, then?” She asked, as she quoted him.

“Indeed. The gift is all ready for you. I’ll be there to pick you up in… about fifteen minutes.” He replied, Lyra could hear the smile in his tone.

“Wait— what do I need to wear?? If we’re going out then—” Grayson cut her off.

“Lyra, calm down. Um, I think a dress would suit the occasion. We’ll be out for a while though, so choose a comfortable one.” He said.

Lyra gave a ‘hmm’ before hanging up and looking at her two friends, who had a devious look in their eyes.

“What?” Lyra asked, though she already knew where this was going.

Then Max tackled her onto the sofa as Avery rushed to Lyra’s room, returning in a record time of 33 seconds.

She dropped all the make up material on the sofa and handed Lyra the dress and jewellery she had picked out. Lyra looked to them both, smiled, and dashed for the washroom.

The dress was dark red in color, bordering brown, and shoulder less. It reached just a bit above her knees and fit her perfectly. She wore skin coloured stockings underneath. To finish the look, she wore a butterfly necklace made of pure gold and diamond and put on a bracelet to go with it. She stepped out.

The collective gasps she got from the two girls were enough to tell her she looked good.

“Now for just a little touch of make up.” Max said as Avery plopped her down on the sofa.

Max did her eyeliner, blush, lipstick and eye shadow while Avery put her hair in a half ponytail, leaving a few strands of hair out.

They then handed her slippers with small heels, which matched perfectly with her outfit and she was ready.

That’s when Grayson walked in and froze at the door for a second. He looked Lyra up and down before meeting her eyes. Lyra blushed slightly and ran to grab his arm and drag him out.

The last thing she heard from the room was Avery and Max giggling and squealing.

———————————

Once Grayson and Lyra were in the car, Lyra took her sweet time looking her boyfriend over, the way he had just a few minutes ago. He looked stunning, like always, but there was something different today.

Grayson had took his blazer off and put it in the back of the car, he wore no tie and his collar button was undone. His hair was also styled differently, with it being unevenly partitioned and pushed to the side.

It didn’t take away the quality of power from his looks but it added a sense of comfort. Warmth. Home.

Lyra smiled to herself. She didn’t realise how long she had been staring until she noticed Grayson’s ears looked red and he cleared his throat.

“Lyra.” He said, getting her attention. Lyra giggled at how flustered he looked.

“Gray.” She replied sending him a wink, he took one hand off the wheel and placed it on her thigh while the other one controlled the vehicle. (A/N: this brought back so many memories ARGHGHG—)

Lyra suppressed the butterflies that unleashed in her stomach, “So, where’re we going?” She asked.

Grayson smiled then, “A lot of places.”

“Okayyy, but where are we going now?” She asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

Grayson looked at her once before his eyes returned to the road, “You can’t tell me you don’t recognise this road.” He stated bluntly.

Lyra gazed out the window, taking in their surroundings when it clicked.

“Oh my god— We’re going to Homestlye Heaven??!!” She practically shouted. It was her favourite restaurant, but she hadn’t been able to find time to eat there between her studies and being madly in love with her Hawthorne.

“Yep.” Grayson replied. Lyra squealed in excitement.

This is going to be an amazing night.

Lyra was right. They had early-dinner at Homestlye Heaven, which was quite literally the best meal she had had in a while.

Then Grayson drove her over to ‘Euphoric Garden’, which was where they went on their first official date. Lyra felt nostalgic as she remembered how that day had convinced her that Grayson was the one.

Lyra smiled at the memory.

She didn’t think the day could get much better when they reached a wood workshop. Lyra was confused at first.

Grayson had told her that this was one of the many workshops the Hawthorne family owned, and that he had made something for her.

Lyra froze mid step to look at him. Grayson had made something. For her. With his bare hands.

Lyra took a deep breath as she tried to calm her swarming emotions. She grabbed Grayson’s hand and they walked in. Lyra’s breath hitched when she saw a sole figure on the table.

It was a ballerina carved out of wood. She was mid twirl, with one hand curving above her head and the other curved in front of her body. Her expression looked blissful, as if she was ascending.

Lyra grabbed the sculpture, looking it over as her emotions burned a fire in her heart. That’s when she felt something carved underneath the platform which held the ballerina.

Lyra looked to Grayson, as he gave her a small smile. His eyes said it all. Go on.

She did just that. She turned the sculpture over and felt her eyes well up with tears as she read it.

Why take away what’s a part of you?

To anyone else, this would have seemed to be a random quote.

Not to Lyra, though. Not with the true meaning behind that quote, not with the sculpture it was carved into, not with the significance of said sculpture, not with the man who had sculpted it.

This was his own way of telling her to let go. Of the past, of her trauma, of the horrific parts of her childhood. This was him pulling her into his embrace, towards a new life, new people.

A life where she could truly be herself again. Where she could dance without hesitating. A life with him.

Lyra set the ballerina down on the table and turned to Grayson. She then threw her hands around him and almost pummelled him to the ground.

They didn’t laugh nor did they cry, they just stood there in each others embrace, absorbing what they knew they would only ever find in eachother.

When they finally parted, Lyra wiped her nose as Grayson’s hand moved to her shoulders giving her a comforting squeeze.

“Gray. I—” Before Lyra could finish, Grayson moved his hands to her face, cutting her off.

“Not yet, Lyra.” He said, and something in his tone made her heart skip a beat. He traced her cheek bones with his fingers and held her gaze before letting go.

“We still have one place left.” Grayson reached for her hand and Lyra took it. They fell into a comfortable silence. A meaningful one.

————————————

Lyra couldn’t believe her eyes. She knew that Grayson had said they were going to one more place, but this seemed like a bit much.

“Gray. Care to explain why there’s a fucking helicopter seemingly waiting for us??” Lyra asked.

Grayson looked to her before replying, “We’re going to Hawthorne Island.” Lyra froze.

Hawthorne Island. The private island owned by said family, and also where Lyra and Grayson had the most history.

The history wasn’t… perfect, per se. Lyra and Grayson had both faced hardship, anxiety, panic and heartbreak there. Yet there was something to the place, to the memories they had of there.

Because despite all the negative things that had went down, the Hawthorne island was the where Lyra first saw Grayson for just who he was. Where Grayson finally found Lyra and helped her when no one else would.

It was where they had formed the base of their relationship, and Lyra couldn’t help the smile that broke out on her face at the bitter-sweet nostalgia.

Grayson was reading her expression. It was obvious that this was the step he wasn’t sure about.

He didn’t know how Lyra would react to going to the island, so she nodded to him. Grayson let out a small- relieved sigh before they both sat down in the helicopter.

—————————————

“Grayson.” Was all Lyra could say as they landed on the island and she took in the view.

Hawthorne Island had always been in equal parts terrifying and intriguing, but today it looked… enchanting.

All the trees had been regrown, and lightings had been added to the greenery— giving them an other worldly effect. She twirled as she looked at the beauty of it all.

The lighting’s were actually everywhere, yet they were set to a dimness that gave a calming vibe. A path was lit with lanterns and lined with bushes.

Lyra’s breath was taken away.

“Gray—” she managed again, Grayson looked at her and let her process the whole thing before she met his gaze.

“This is beautiful.” She really looked at him then, willing the rest of her sentence into her eyes.

You are beautiful.

And then Grayson smiled. Not a small one, or a gentle one or a shy one. He really smiled.

A full teeth grin with his eyes nearly shut and small wrinkles appearing at the adage of his eyes. If the world really was as beautiful as all the poets said it was, then it would look like Grayson Davenport Hawthorne. In all his glory.

Lyra and Grayson strolled through the island, laughing at the memories that resurfaced and reminiscing. They entered the huge mansion, which looked just as glorious as everything else on the island.

They both ran from room to room— sprinting, laughing, tripping, screaming— everything. Anything as long as they knew the other was there.

Eventually, they entered the karaoke room.

The moment Lyra stepped in she took a deep breath as her eyes scanned over the room.

This was it. The place where Grayson had found her, the real her. Where she had seen a glimpse of the real Grayson, underneath his dignified facade for the first time.

Where they had discovered each other’s wings.

Lyra looked to Grayson and he was already staring at her. Lyra didn’t know what to do but stare at him.

Grayson had other plans.

Finally, he took her hand and lead her to the garden. The same garden where Lyra had once been having a mental break down. The same garden where Grayson extended the hand she needed.

Lyra’s breath was stolen from her again.

The entire garden was lit with similar lights to the outside, but there were little glass decorations hanging from the trees.

She ran through the huge place taking in all the little details until she reached the center. The fountain.

A dim white light shine from inside the water giving it an ethereal look, she stared at the water as she felt her emotions try and well up again.

Just then her phone rang.

She took it out of her purse to silent it but she stopped when she realised what the contact name was.

My Asshole.

Lyra looked around, trying to spot Grayson, but she couldn’t see him. She picked up.

“Hello? Gray?” She said.

No reply came from the other side.

“Helloooo? This is Grayson Hawthorne right?” Lyra said jokingly and suddenly she went silent. A sense of immense déjà vu hit her.

“Yes?” A voice came from the other line.

Lyra remained silent in shock, she hadn’t expected him to pick up.

“Hello?” He said again.

Lyra calmed her racing heart and spoke, “Is this Grayson Hawthorne?”

“Lyra.”

Grayson’s voice pulled Lyra out of her spiralling thoughts, as reality caught up with her.

“Gray, where are you?” She asked, finally, regaining her voice.

Grayson let out a very audible- shaky breath, Lyra was taken aback for a second. He sounded off, almost like he was… nervous?

“This sure is nostalgic.” Lyra said, trying to change the topic and calm him.

He chuckled, “That’s the point, though, sweetheart.”

Lyra went still again. Grayson had planned this phone call. He was nervous. Something big was coming.

Grayson broke the silence this time, “You always intrigued me in a way.”

Lyra let him continue.

“From the moment you first called me, accusing my family for taking something away from you. To the time we met on this very island and you fled away from my every word.” Grayson took a pause as Lyra’s breath hitched.

She didn’t understand what it was she was feeling. Her heart felt like it was about to explode.

Grayson continued.

“Even now. Actually, it’s stronger than ever now. The pull you have, the way I gravitate to you, the way you throw me off balance the way no one else had done before and no one else will ever be able to do. I thought I hated the effect you had on me. I wanted to believe that. I didn’t.”

Lyra inhaled sharply, she needed to see Grayson. She needed him near now.

“Lyra Catalina Kane. I relish in the effect you have on me because I know no one else would be able to do the same. Because you are you and that’s more than enough. Lyra—” His voice cracked.

“Where are you Gray?” She didn’t realise she was crying until she heard her shaky voice.

“I need you here. Now.” She demanded. Then she heard the line cut and the slow footsteps behind her. They came to an abrupt pause.

Lyra whipped her head around, but she had to bring her gaze downwards to see Grayson.

He was down on one knee, his hands held in a box— a beautiful ring, white diamond with a pink crystal core.

Lyra couldn’t believe her eyes. For a second she thought she was dreaming, but Grayson’s voice grounded her.

“Will you marry me, Lyra?” His voice didn’t sound nervous now. He sounded sure, firm, unshakable. Like she was the only thing he truly wanted.

Lyra’s eyes watered and she choked up.

She had seen a million different kinds of proposals. And a million different kinds of reactions, yet not a single one seemed to fit her. Him. Them.

So she did the only thing she could think to do. She bent down to the floor with him, she caught the way his glass eyes widened slightly.

They both sat on the grassy floor of the garden, the fountain could still be heard some where in the background.

Lyra didn’t say a word as she sat down, didn’t say a word as a sob escaped her lips, didn’t say a word as she met his gaze and didn’t say a word as she put her hand out in front of her.

Grayson gazed down at her hand. For a second she could see him leave his physical form before he looked back up at her. His eyes held a glow she had never seen before.

A glow that could only be described as him. Him at his core. Just Grayson. Her Hawthorne.

With shaky hands, Grayson took the ring, he met Lyra’s eyes as he pushed the ring onto her finger. He let out a breath.

And then Lyra smiled. A smile that rooted out from what she felt at her heart, in her soul. Pure happiness. When Grayson returned a smile that mirrored hers, she didn’t try to stop the tears.

Lyra wrapped her hands around his neck and Grayson wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her up with him as he stood.

Lyra finally pulled her face from the crane of his neck to look at him. She assessed the way his eyes looked alive in a way that matched what she felt, the way he couldn’t stop smiling and letting out a little sob as he looked at her.

“I love you, Gray.” Was all she could manage to say, because words would forever fall short when it came to Grayson Davenport Hawthorne. Her, once, boyfriend and her now fiancé.

Fiancé. Soon-to-be-husband.

Lyra turned the words over in her head and, surprisingly, she didn’t feel much.

Because what were those words but titles given to satisfy human beings? What were those words but labels put on relationships that truly meant something?

No. Lyra didn’t feel anything when thinking about being Grayson’s wife.

But she did feel something when she looked into his eyes. She did feel something when he breathed “I love you, Lyra.” and looked up at her. She did feel something when he kissed her like she was absolutely everything he could ever desire. She did feel something when she kissed back and let her emotions swallow her whole.

She felt whole. She felt complete.

He was here. He was here and he would be for the rest of their lives. They broke apart for breath as they gazed at eachother once more.

No words were exchanged, yet something else was. As they stared at eachother they exchanged a promise. A promise that he was hers and she was his.

But not forever. Forever wasn’t eternal. Forever was ‘until death do us apart.’ They wouldn’t have it.

He completed her soul just as she did his, they would be eternal. In this life, in all the lives before this one and all the lives to come.

To love forever is a blessing. To love eternally is all that’s beyond.

————————————— THIS ISNT PROOF READDDDDDD. PLEASE. I WORKED FOR FIVE HRS ON THIS, IM PRETTY PROUD NGL. @lyrakanefanatic @alwaysthefangirl @inkstainsonmysheets, constructive criticism is much appreciated

[xiiithhazard]

Renewing

Word Prompt 42 – Werewolf

@year-of-the-echidna

…

“I’m telling you, it all fits.” Sonic proclaimed loudly, even though his whole family, minus one, were sitting only a few feet away and could hear him just fine at a normal volume.

“Sonic – I mean, I’ll be the first to say there are a lot of creatures out there that we don’t know about. But – I think we would have noticed by now if Knuckles was a – what was it?” Tails added, looking to Tom, who just sighed.

“A werewolf.” He answered.

“Well – I guess he would technically be a were – echidna.” Sonic corrected, but this only earned him a seriously disgruntled glare from his father.

“That’s it, no more horror movies for you.”

“I’m serious.” The hedgehog contended, before counting off his evidence. “Every time there’s a full moon; he disappears for three days. When he comes back, he’s exhausted, covered in bruises and in serious need of a shower. He eats a ton before he leaves and a ton when he gets back. He never tells us where he goes, and he never tells us what he does there.”

“Sonic.” Maddie insisted sternly and he stopped. “He’s only been here for a couple of months. We agreed that he could open up to us at his own pace. If he doesn’t want to tell us where he’s going, he doesn’t have to.”

“But –”

“Pal.” Tom added, before he could go on and leaned in close, until the two of them were nearly nose to nose. “Drop it.”

The hedgehog proceeded to fold his arms and pout into the couch, as the two humans got up to leave. Having given all of the patience they had to this ongoing conversation. “You believe me, right?” He asked, Looking to Tails, who winced at being called out.

“I – well.”

“You can’t deny that it’s suspicious.”

“Well – no, I guess I can’t.”

“Then you agree?”

“What?”

“We should follow him next time. See where he’s going.”

Tails winced again. “And – what if he is a werewolf? He’ll eat us.” The fox started a bit, as he found himself unable to comprehend why he had just said that.

“That’s a good point.” Sonic murmured, rubbing his chin in thought. However, before he could come up with a counter strategy, said echidna walked through the front door. Leaving them both looking surprised. “Wait – he’s back?” The hedgehog proclaimed, checking his phone to make sure he hadn’t gotten his days mixed up.

If his theory was correct, Knuckles wasn’t supposed to return from his moonlighting adventure for another day.

“Hey there, big guy. Back already –” Maddie announced from the kitchen, only to let out a sound of shock and maybe a little bit of horror. Which made Sonic and Tails look at each other, before they rushed to defend their adoptive mother. “Oh god, what happened?” She demanded, completely forgetting about her dishes, to instead kneel on the floor and wrap Knuckles’ right hand in her towel, only for it to quickly turn red with blood.

“I apologize. I merely require some supplies.” The echidna countered her. “I will leave you to your cleaning.”

This earned him a right scary look from their personal doctor. “I don’t think so. You’re staying right here and I’m taking a look at that.” With this, she rushed to the closet to find her first aid supplies. Leaving Knuckles looking surprised by this turn of events. However, he stayed where he was, not wanting to incur her wrath.

“So – what happened?” Sonic asked and the echidna turned to raise an eyebrow at him, picking up on his skeptical tone.

“I have injured myself. Is that not obvious?”

“Yeah – but how did you do it?” The hedgehog countered inching a little closer, waiting for his answer. But the warrior seemed to have locked himself down, in response to Sonic’s odd probing.

“Are you alright?” Tails added instead. Stepping forward to put pressure on the wound for him. Seemingly trying to make up for the fact that they’d just been talking about him behind his back.

“It is nothing. It happens all the time.”

“Yeah?” Sonic proclaimed suggestively and Knuckles glared at him.

“Yes.” He growled.

“Sonic.” Maddie insisted, as she returned with her supplies and shot him a warning look. “Make yourself useful and get me a bucket of warm water and some towels.” She announced, before pulling Knuckles over to the table, so she could start the process. Though the hedgehog pouted at the idea of leaving, he was back before they’d even realized he was gone. “I said warm water.” She countered, knowing that it was something he couldn’t rush, and he made a noise of pure annoyance, before leaving again.

“I am – confused.” Knuckles admitted, as he took a seat and allowed Maddie to unwarp his hand. “Why is he so suspicious? What have I done?”

“Nothing, honey. You haven’t done anything wrong.” She insisted, carefully removing the towel and hissed. “Oh, gosh – how did you manage that?” She proclaimed, gently testing the broken spike on the back of his hand, to find that the bone was now in several pieces.

“It was my fault. I should have prepared more.” He stated, even though she looked up expecting him to elaborate, he never did.

“Where are your gloves?” She asked instead. Knowing the fabric had been designed to protect him from this kind of damage.

“I removed them, so they would not be destroyed.”

“And why would they be destroyed? What were you doing?” Sonic suggested as he returned to catch the last little bit of their conversation. However, Knuckles was not in the mood to be interrogated.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” He growled. “Do you think I am a liar?”

The hedgehog opened his mouth to protest but seemed to run out of patience halfway there. “Are you a werewolf?” He spat out and Maddie facepalmed. While poor Knuckles just blinked at him.

“I am an echidna, not a wolf.”

“Not the point.” Sonic proclaimed. “Are – you – a – were – wolf?”

Knuckles blinked again, before turning to Maddie. “I am confused.”

“I don’t blame you.” She muttered, turning her attention back to his hand and started to gently remove the pieces of bone, without him so much as even twitching. Though it bothered her, she was aware that he naturally had very little sensation in his hands, so there was no need for pain meds.

“What is a – werewolf?” He finally asked, prompting Tails to step forward, already prepared with his little handheld computer that he’d used to look it up.

“A werewolf is a mythical creature that transforms from a human into a wolf, typically during a full moon, often due to a curse or infection from a werewolf bite. They are usually depicted as having heightened strength, animalistic instincts, and a vulnerability to silver.”

Knuckles still looked very confused, which allowed Sonic to speed to the kitchen and back with one of Maddie’s silver spoons, holding it out for Knuckles to take. Which he did – without anything happening.

“What?” The hedgehog proclaimed in disbelief. “But – the moon thing. Why are you always gone during the full moon? Where do you go?”

Maddie promptly took the spoon and slammed it down on the table, before leveling Sonic with her scariest mother’s glare, causing him to shut his mouth with a snap. Then she turned back to Knuckles, once again kind and collected. “You don’t have to answer him, if you don’t want to.”

He seemed to consider this for a moment, before turning back to Sonic. “I go into the forest to perform a Renewing.”

“A what?” Sonic asked, completely confused now. Prompting the echidna to sigh and raise his uninjured hand to show him his spikes and claws, which were unusually shiny and sharp.

“It is a ritual that renews our bones and sheds the old.”

“Oh.” Sonic muttered before shaking his head. “But – why the full moon?”

“It is best to do the ritual annually and the moon is the easiest way for me to keep track of it. As for why I do it on the full moon – there is more light.” Tails started to nod now, satisfied with this answer. While Sonic just stood there his left eye twitching with the precision of a malfunctioning Christmas light.

“Why do you always come back injured?” Maddie asked this time, gently smearing some ointments on his hand, before wrapping it in a bandage.

“The process requires that I remove the old bone. Which can sometimes be – difficult.”

“I see.” She said and didn’t bother having him elaborate, as that honestly made a lot of sense.

“Well – but – why didn’t you ever just tell us that?” Sonic proclaimed in annoyance.

“You never asked.” Knuckles countered and the hedgehog promptly shut up, as Maddie and Tails both burst into laughter.

…

Simple but sweet, because I was honestly having a hard time coming up with something for this prompt.

Please share some reviews and comments, I’d love to hear what people think of my work.

[seiya-starsniper]

oh oh! what about 3 for the smutty prompt list? for dreamling? it’d be funny to see which one has the obvious crush that the other is just waiting for them to act on it

3. A has an obvious crush on B and plans to finally confess. A chickens out and tries to opt out of the situation, but B presses them to speak in a spicy way.

Anon, I ADORE this premise, it's such a fun idea! Naturally, this is way more fun in a human AU setting, and of course I had to set it during a birthday party, hope you enjoy it! 💖

-----------------------------------------------

The thing was, Murphy knew that his crush on Hob Gadling was obvious. Murphy had always worn his heart on his sleeve, and when he fell for someone, he fell hard. Fast too. Overwhelmingly fast, if his last relationship was any indicator. He and Nada had gotten together and broken up within the span of two weeks, and then Murphy had spent the next two months completely avoiding all of his friends and family, until the day Didi broke into his flat and dragged him out for pizza and bowling.

Well, technically Didi hadn’t been the one who’d broken into the flat. She’d brought Hob for that. And for transportation too. She had known exactly what she was doing too. Hob was charming and funny the entire night, and seemed particularly set on making Murphy and his sister laugh as often as possible. Murphy had spent the better part of the night wondering if perhaps Didi and Hob were in a relationship and Murphy was just the awkward third wheel crashing their date. When pressed though, both of them laughed and told him no, they were simply friends. 

Murphy fell in love that night.

Now he just needs to figure out how to tell him that. 

Murphy is used to knowing right away when he is desired by another person. In every single one of his romantic pursuits, the chemistry had been instantaneous and impossible to ignore. He and Nada had gone to bed within hours of meeting, Calliope had moved in only after a month of dating and Cori well. He and Cori had broken up at least four different times in the last four years. Suffice to say, Murphy knew when he was desired, and he acted accordingly.

With Hob, however, he is not so certain. Oh sure, he likes Murphy, that much was obvious. Ever since the day he’d broken in his house with Didi, Hob had just…started dropping by. Bringing him dinner and sometimes staying over to watch a movie. Sometimes he even drags Murphy to hang out, sans Didi. But he hasn’t once made a move, or otherwise indicated to Murphy that he’d want something more than friendship. 

It was driving Murphy mad. 

Didi, naturally, thinks it’s hilarious, and won’t tell him one way or the other.

Murphy decides he’s going to confess at Johanna’s birthday barbecue. If Hob accepts his feelings, it’ll be easy enough for them to sneak off together, and if he doesn’t, then Murphy can get wonderfully plastered and hopefully find someone else to go home with for the night. It’s a full proof plan. 

What he doesn’t plan for, however, is for Cori to show up at the barbecue too. He really should have planned for it, Cori’s friends with Rose, and Rose and Johanna are dating, but Murphy had really only been thinking about the right words to sweep Hob off his feet. Cori wouldn’t be a terrible backup plan if Hob doesn’t work out either, but because he knows Murphy so well, he manages to corner Murphy before Murphy’s even had the chance to see Hob.

“Well, well, well, look at what the cat dragged in,” Cori purrs as he pushes Murphy up against the countertops of Johanna’s guest bathroom. “

“Cori,” Murphy growls, pushing at the blond’s, “I’m not interested.”

“That’s a lie, you’re always interested,” Cori replies, grinning as he mouths at the sensitive spot just below Murphy’s ear. Murphy groans, despite himself, then pounds on Cori’s shoulder to get his attention.

“Stop it!” Murphy demands. To his credit, Cori does stop, but not before leveling Murphy with a flat stare.

“What’s gotten you so uppity tonight then?” Cori presses him. 

“I’m here with my boyfriend,” Murphy lies. Cori snorts and crosses his arms.

“Please. If you were dating someone right now, the two of you wouldn’t even be here,” his ex tells him pointedly. He’s right, of course, but Murphy won’t let him have that victory. 

“Hob didn’t want to miss it,” Murphy says, deciding to double down. “He really likes Johanna’s ribs.”

“Hob?” Cori asks him incredulously. “What the hell kind of name is that?”

“It’s short for Robert, actually,” a voice Murphy knows all too well says, cutting into their conversation. Murphy’s heart seizes in his chest when he sees the object of his affections come into view. “It’s an old English nickname, actually, and I’ve found I like it a lot better than just Rob or Bob,” Hob adds.

“...Huh,” Cori says as he moves off of Murphy and then looks between the two of them. “Well, would you look at that. He brushes past Hob on his way out of the bathroom, but not before giving Murphy one final leering grin. 

“Let me know when he dumps you,” Cori practically sing-songs, and then he’s gone before Hob can react to the insult. 

Murphy and Hob stare at each other awkwardly for a few moments, before Hob coughs and then moves to stand next to Murphy by the sink. 

“So when were you going to tell me we were dating?” Hob asks after Cori leaves. Murphy groans and buries his face in his hands. He can feel his entire face flushing with humiliation. Nothing has gone right about tonight. He’s far too embarrassed to confess to Hob now.

“Can we pretend this didn’t happen?” Murphy asks, hoping Hob will take pity on him and let the subject drop. 

“No, now I’m really interested in our so-called relationship,” Hob teases him, which makes Murphy blush even harder. “Who asked who out? How long have we been dating? Why would we miss Jo’s barbecue if we were dating?”

That last question makes Murphy snap out of his mortification.

“Seriously?” he asks incredulously. “You'd rather go to a barbecue instead of—” Murphy snaps his mouth, suddenly realizing the inappropriateness of his comment.

“Instead of—what?” Hob asks, his tone innocent, but his expression anything but. He’s staring at Murphy with intent now, and oh. 

That’s what it looks like when Hob desires him then.

“Instead of—staying home,” Murphy answers, settling into the familiar song and dance of seduction. He licks his lips, and Hob’s eyes follow the motion with interest.

“And what would we do at home that we couldn’t do here?” Hob asks in a low voice, his body inching closer to Murphy’s now.

“Hmm,” Murphy replies, pretending to consider the question, right before he goes all in. “Perhaps I’d like you to myself,” he says, trailing a hand up Hob’s forearm, and pressing his body flush against the other man’s. “I can’t ride your cock very well in Johanna’s guest bathroom, after all.”

Hob hisses and then Murphy is once again pressed against the countertop, but this time it’s by the man he really wants to be under tonight. 

“Is that a challenge?” Hob growls into Dream’s ear. “Because she’s got a perfectly nice bathtub with jacuzzi jets right there.” 

Murphy hooks a leg around Hob’s waist and smiles. 

“That depends on whether you're willing to face Johanna's wrath,” he says right before he leans up to finally, finally kiss Hob. Hob moans into the kiss and grinds their hips together. It feels just as amazing as Murphy imagined it would.

“Of course I would,” Hob replies, now moving his attention to Murphy’s ear. “What kind of boyfriend would I be if I couldn’t?”

[janeyseymour]

Hii hope ur doing well x If ur still accepting requests for Mel x Reader could u do one where reader has some type of disability like chronic pain and they have a flare at school (cause they both work there) and Mel immediately runs to action and there's like Loooots of comfort etc hehe :3

I hope this is what you're looking for!

Too Late Now

WC:~4.3k

You usually have this under control. Since your fourth concussion, you’ve dealt with the headaches and the occasional migraines easily. Doctors have been helping you and make sure that you always have your emergency migraine medication at the ready.

On top of that, it’s been seven years that you’ve been living with this. You know the when a headache or a migraine is coming for the most part. You didn’t even bother writing down on your forms when you got hired that you should technically have accommodations due to your chronic migraines. You just know how to handle them at this point. It’s part of your everyday life. 

Melissa, your girlfriend, doesn’t even know about your condition. She doesn’t need to know. You saw the way she sprung into action when you had the flu a few months ago- or when you had caught the stomach bug from the kids. After taking care of you with absolutely no complaints, she got sick both times herself. You took care of her too, much to her dismay. She was a caretaker, she did not like to be the one being taken care of.

When you wake up, you feel a little funny. But something is going around the school, as it always is around this time of year. So you chalk it up to that, and you take an Advil and an allergy pill. 

When you’re leaving, you almost have half a mind to throw in your migraine medication just in case… but you get distracted by a text from Melissa asking if you wanted coffee this morning from Dunkin.

Of course I do, you reply back.

Your usual?

Please, and thank you.

Sounds good. I’ll see you at school gorgeous.

And because of that text exchange, you forget to throw your pills in your purse and leave the house. 

As you’re driving, your headache worsens just slightly, and you groan. Allergy season was bad at this time of year, and your sinuses have been paying for it- post nasal drip is at an all time high, you’ve already had an ear infection this season, and you’ve been getting sinus headaches because of it. You don’t realize a migraine is coming on yet, so you just pop another Advil before you head into Abbott.

Your girlfriend is waiting for you in the teacher’s lounge like usual, and she almost immediately sees how unwell you’re feeling.

“Hey, baby,” she says softly as she kicks out the seat next to her.

“Hey,” you sigh, but you don’t take a seat. You just lean down and peck her lips before standing back up straight with a grimace.

She hands you your coffee with a frown. “You feelin’ okay, hon?”

“Allergies,” you say through a yawn. “I think I’m gonna go sit in my classroom this morning, but you enjoy your news.”

“Alright, hon. Do you want me to come with you?”

“I know how much you like your news,” you tell her. “I’ll be okay.” You head to your classroom, and she watches you in concern.

By the time the kids are supposed to come in, you know exactly what’s happening- a migraine is coming on. And you, like an absolute lovesick idiot, forgot your medication because you were too busy texting your sweet girlfriend. Your head is in your hands as you massage at your temples, the lights are off, the sound of the barely functioning air conditioning is making your eyes throb in pain. 

Hypothetically, you could call out now. But there’s a shortage in substitutes, you don’t think you can even think properly to create sub plans, the thought of moving from your desk makes you want to cry, and you know it’s only a short amount of time until you’re unable to drive for the next… eleven hours. You probably wouldn’t even be able to make it the drive home.

You have no idea how you’re going to survive today without your medication.

When the kids start to make their way in, you nearly burst into tears. You silently thank God that you didn’t put any makeup on today. You throw your sunglasses on as they trickle in, and you stay seated at your desk. 

You can’t teach today, and you know this. It’s going to be a day where the kids sit quietly and watch magic school bus, you take them out for extra recess, and then they can sit and work on their projects, or read and draw. You don’t care what happens today, as long as they aren’t loud. 

Again, your kids think that they have a sub until they see you sitting at your desk in the dark.

“Ms. Y/N?” one of the girls comes in and runs up to your desk.

“Hey, sweetheart,” you say softly, and even the eight year old can see the pain etched in your face.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m okay, Skylar,” you tell her quietly. “Ms. Y/N’s head just hurts, so today is mostly going to be an independent and quiet work day. Unpack and get ready for today, love bug.”

The little girl gives you a gentle hug before going to her desk and unpacking. You keep your eyes closed as the rest of them trickle in, and they’re oddly quiet. They are never this quiet. You almost always have to remind them to do their handwriting pages and do their lunch count.

When you do open your eyes to take attendance and explain to them what’s happening today, you see that Skylar had quietly taken it upon herself to write the morning routine on the board.

Morning! The note on the board reads. Ms. Y/N’s head hurts, so come in quietly. Unpack, lunch count, the next page in journal, then DEAR. 

Your heart melts, and you realize how lucky you are that your students genuinely care about you the way that they do. Skylar is over by the lunch count board writing a tally for you, and she quietly comes and slips it over to you.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” you whisper to her, and you have a small tear trail down your cheek. “Do you want me to take it to Ms. Schemmenti to put in, or should I take it down to the office?”

“I can put it in, honey,” you give her a gentle squeeze before opening your laptop. You wince immediately due to the light, but you can handle this. You can’t have her go down to Melissa’s- your girlfriend would flip her lid when she found out how under the weather you were feeling and you didn’t stay home or ask for her help. 

All of your students watch you silently. They’ve never seen you this drained. Sure, they’ve seen you sick; you rarely call out. They’ve seen you tired after a night of volunteering or staying up late to finish grading papers and preparing for them. But they have never, ever seen you this down- to the point that your skin is pale and you can’t take off your sunglasses because your head hurts so bad.

“Miss Y/N?” one of the boys raises his hand quietly, and he’s usually known for giving you a hard time.

“Yes, Cameron?”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

You just barely nod and take a shaky breath. “Here’s what we’re going to do today,” you tell them. “We’re going to do our independent work for each of our subjects today- I know we have projects and papers in all of the subjects except math. For math, I’ll have… somebody… take you outside for extra recess, and if you’re good and quiet today, I’ll put on Magic School Bus at the end of the day for dismissal. Deal?”

All of your kids nod, and you give them half a smile. Then you get a shooting pain right behind your left temple, and you quietly cry out in pain. You grip the table for a few seconds and take a deep breath before you open your eyes again. They all look absolutely terrified.

“Nobody tells Ms. Schemmenti,” you tell them as you point at them all.

They all raise their hands in surrender.

“Okay,” you sigh deeply, shakily. “Who is going to lead our morning meeting?” It’s Rayna.

When that’s over, the kids quietly pull out their social studies projects and start to work on them. When social studies is over, they quietly move on to their independent reading for fifteen minutes. And then they line themselves up silently for specials.

“Can I trust you all to walk yourselves down to the gym silently?” As you write a note to the gym teacher explaining that they are coming on their own and to just send them back down to your room when gym is over.

“I take my line leader duty very seriously, Ms. Y/N,” Jayden tells you seriously. “If we aren’t quiet, I’ll tell you.” You nod, hand him the note with the instruction to give it to the PE teacher, and they’re off.

You get approximately forty-five minutes of peace and absolute silence. You close the door, grab your coat and throw it over your head, and lay down on the back table. You’re small enough to fit if you curl up.

On your kids’ way back to the classroom, they just happen to see your girlfriend in the hallway on her way out of the teachers’ lounge.

“Where’s Ms. Y/N?” the redhead asks with a popped eyebrow. You always walk with your children everywhere.

All of the kids look at each other nervously, remembering the way you told them that they weren’t to tell the second grade teacher. But Melissa is staring them down.

“She called the gym teacher and told him to just let us walk down by ourselves because she had to use the bathroom,” Jayden tells a fib, and he hates doing it to his former teacher. But he promised you.

Melissa furrows her brows, but Jayden’s always been a good kid. “Okay… Well, tell Miss Y/N to put up another class compliment star because you’re all walking through the hallway very nicely.”

The line leader nods and takes off in the direction of your classroom, while Melissa heads towards the office to make copies.

You’ve just barely managed to get yourself back to your desk when the kids come back in, but your migraine is starting to make you nauseous, and you don’t even know what to do anymore. You won’t even be able to drive yourself home, so you just have to wait this out- at least you should get paid for it.

“We saw Ms. Schemmenti in the hall,” Omari tells you quietly while everyone else is getting out their snacks. “She said to give us a class compliment star because we were walking so nicely.”

“Nobody said anything, did they?” you ask.

“Jayden told her you were in the bathroom and told the gym teacher to just let us walk down,” your student says. “I don’t think he liked having to lie to her though… and Ms. Schemmenti didn’t really look like she believed him.”

As if on cue, the second grade teacher is knocking softly on your doorframe. She looks so concerned for you. “Ms. Y/N?”

You thank God you weren’t facing the door and have half a mind to rip off your sunglasses before standing and meeting her on the other side of the room. “Class, eat your snacks while I talk to Ms. Schemmenti in the hallway.”

“Amore,” Melissa whispers softly as she gets a look at you. “You look terrible. Why don’t you go home? I can split your class between the other third grade class and mine- not like I haven’t juggled two grades at one time before.”

“I- I can’t go home,” you mumble, and you wince at the florescent lights that aren’t out for once.

“And why’s that?”

You bite your lip. You have to admit to her just how terrible you’re feeling. She’s going to flip out and become insanely protective. She’s going to be upset you didn’t tell her about your condition before. “I get chronic migraines sometimes, and I… I have one right now.”

“Oh, hon,” Melissa whispers sympathetically.

“I usually have meds for it to lessen the pain, but I left it at my house this morning, and I think if I tried to drive home, I would throw up or black out,” you tell her honestly. “The kids have been really great this morning though, and they understand.”

“How can I help?”

“During my math period, can you take them outside? They deserve extra recess today,” you practically whimper as you close your eyes and brace yourself for the shooting pain you can feel getting ready to come on.

“Why don’t I just split the kids for the rest of the day while you lay down?” your girlfriend suggests.

“I’m here, they’re behaving and quiet, and I need to get paid,” you tell her. “They’re okay with me for everything except math.”

“Okay, sweetheart,” the redhead sighs. “But you just call if you need me, you hear?”

“I know,” you say softly. “I’ll be-” You cut yourself off with a whine and grab her arm as the pain comes. When it’s over, you relax and finish, “-fine.”

Your girlfriend shakes her head with a deep breath before stepping into your classroom. Jayden looks terrified.

“Ms. Schemmenti, I didn’t mean to lie to you,” he says quickly. “I didn’t want to, but I-”

“It’s okay, buddy,” she says softly before looking to the rest of the class. “You be on your best behavior for Ms. Y/N, and if anything happens, you come down to my room. I’ll be over during your math time for extra recess if you continue having a great day. Capiche?”

“Capiche,” your students reply, and you walk slowly into your room before putting your glasses back on and putting your head in your hands. Melissa gives you a gentle pat on the back before squeezing your shoulder three times.

Your kids finish their snack, and when that’s over they work on their research project for writing. They line themselves up silently for lunch and walk themselves down. You take up your position on your back table again, and close your eyes. You beg God to make the pain stop, and you finally give in, crying.

What you don’t know is that your sweet, sweet girlfriend is on her way to your apartment to grab your medicine. She also grabs a gatorade and your favorite hoodie (that is actually hers). She stops at Wawa and grabs you a Tasty Cake before returning to the school.

When she gets to your classroom, her heart breaks. She can see the way that you’re shaking from underneath your coat, and she has no doubt that you’re crying.

“Oh hon,” she mumbles as she makes her way over to you. She lays a delicate hand on your back and rubs up and down soothingly. “I brought your medicine, your favorite hoodie, and a Tasty Cake from Wawa. Can you take the medicine for me?”

Her kindness and gentleness just makes you cry even harder- and that only makes your head hurt worse.

Your alarm on your watch starts to go off, and you whine. “I don’t think I can do my recess duty today.”

“I’ll get the music teacher to cover it- she’ll do anything to get some of my meatballs,” your girlfriend tells you. “You just take your meds, and hopefully they kick in.”

You nod, just barely manage to sit up and take the medication and you take the hoodie and ball it up and put it under your head. 

After she calls the music teacher and arranges your coverage, she asks, “Jeet today?”

“No,” you mumble.

“Can you try to eat the cupcakes I brought?” At your nod, she opens it for you and practically feeds it to you.

“Did you eat?” you ask your girlfriend.

“Don’t worry ‘bout me,” she dismisses your concern. “I’ll get my lunch in eventually- just might be while the kids are running around on the playground for math.”

Once you’ve had one of the cupcakes, you groan. “I don’t think I can eat anymore.”

“Okay, hon,” Melissa frowns. “You know your body.”

“My body wants to sleep.”

“Well, you have another thirty minutes of recess, and you know I’ll always take your kids for you,” your girlfriend reminds you.

You nod and close your eyes. “Set my alarm for the end of recess? And if you wouldn’t mind just sending my kids here from outside for me?”

She presses a delicate kiss to the side of your head, but she doesn’t set your alarm. She fully intends to let you sleep the rest of the school day, and she’ll take your kids for you- all twenty three of them. She can handle it.

It’s not like Ava is here to tell you you can’t get paid for today. And in reality, Ava wouldn’t care anyway.

Your perfect, wonderful girlfriend picks your kids up from recess, and she has no idea how she manages this, but every single child is able to grab their belongings without waking you up. They were even able to silently move their chairs.

When you wake back up, your head is still pounding. It’s starting to ease up though. You glance at your watch from underneath your coat.

4:12 is staring back at you. School has been over for an hour…

You take your coat off of your head to see a classroom without chairs and Melissa perched on the closest desk to you, glasses on the tip of her nose and reading something on her phone.

“There’s my gorgeous girl,” she says quietly as she puts her phone away. “How’re you feeling?”

“Mel, why didn’t you wake me?”

“You needed rest. Your kids’ chairs are in my room, and I told them to just come get them tomorrow.”

“I slept at school for almost four hours.”

“And how are you feeling now?” she prompts again.

“The prescription is starting to kick in,” you mumble. “But because I didn’t take it during the onset, I mostly just have to ride it out.”

“How long do your migraines usually last?”

“Hopefully, I only have another three hours of this hell,” you tell her.

“And are you feeling okay to go home?”

“I’m shocked Mr. J hasn’t come in here to kick us out,” you grumble.

Melissa flashes you that devious Schemmenti smile. “He did. But I told him… in a non-threatening way… that we would be staying here until you woke up on your own, and I would lock up the school.” She twirls the keys around her finger. “Now, do you need to stay here to ride it out, or…?”

“I really don’t know if I can drive to my apartment yet,” you admit sheepishly. “I’m still kind of nauseous.”

“Can I take you back home, then?” your girlfriend asks you softly as she fixes your wild locks.

You nod with a groan as you sit up. You go to grab your bags, but Melissa already has them next to her and both of your things are slung over her shoulders in a second. 

“You just worry about getting your pretty little self into the car, yeah?” She presses a gentle kiss to your temple, and you know it’s all in your head, but her kiss makes you feel even the slightest bit better.

She piles your things in her car as you slowly get in and close your eyes. She gets in not a few seconds later, closing the door as quietly as she can. As the two of you are pulling out of the parking lot, you feel her warm hand settle on your thigh, and she squeezes it gently. It shouldn’t affect you the way it does- especially given how you’re feeling right now.

When she pulls in, she tells you gently to head in and up to bed. She’ll handle all of your things, she’ll be right in to curl up with you and/or nurse you back to health.

“I just have to ride it out, honey,” you remind her.

“Well, we’ll curl up together then,” she tells you. “And when you’re feeling up to it, I’ll make us something for dinner.”

“I love you,” you sigh softly as you drag yourself out of the car. You get yourself into the house and are just laying down in bed as she comes in. She changes, lays down next to you, and pulls you into her arms gently.

“Hon, I can sleep on my own,” you mumble into her chest. “I know you have a shit ton to grade.”

“I can do that tomorrow during my prep,” she whispers. “Right now, my girlfriend needs some love and attention.”

Because of her warmth and the delicate fingers that are tracing patterns on your arms, you fall asleep easily. And when you wake up, she’s still laying with you, and she’s half asleep herself. You wake up to a mouthful of red hair, and you sigh in content. Your head is no longer pounding- you think your migraine is gone. 

“How’re you feeling?” your girlfriend asks you softly, eyes still closed.

“So much better,” you tell her truthfully. “You didn’t have to stay. You could’ve had dinner or graded stuff while I slept.”

“And what kinda girlfriend would that make me, hon?” Melissa retorts. “But I’m glad you’re feeling better. You ready to eat a real meal?”

“Yeah,” you sigh softly. “After a few more minutes of cuddles?”

“I can’t say no to that.”

After a few more minutes, and a rather loud grumble of both of your stomachs, you head into the kitchen hand in hand. She starts making dinner while you go over to one of her bags and start grading the math tests she gave to her class yesterday.

“You don’t have to do that,” she tells you as she stirs the pot.

“I have to make it up to you somehow,” you say as you mark a few questions wrong.

“You can make it up to me by tellin’ me why I never knew you got migraines… and frequently enough to have the good shit prescribed to you,” the redhead says as she turns to look at you pointedly.

You frown and keep your eyes trained on the papers in front of you as you shrug.

“Y/N,” she says sternly. “C’mon.”

“Nobody really knows,” you mumble before you clear your throat. You suppose you have to be honest with your girlfriend. “After my fourth concussion seven years ago… it’s just something I got used to dealing with. I usually have them under control and can just push through them.”

“Why didn’t you tell me, hon?” she asks softly. “Or at least told me this morning when we were in the staff room?”

“I thought I was fine,” you tell her honestly. “It didn’t hit me until after I had already walked into my room, and at that point… it was too late, and I didn’t want you fussing over me for something I could’ve prevented.”

“Hey,” Melissa turns the burner down to let her sauce simmer. “I always worry about you- whether you’re sick or not. But when I saw you this morning, I knew something was wrong. You shoulda told me. I would’ve driven to your place to get your medicine sooner.”

“I was just going to tough it out,” you sigh.

“You were going to pass the hell out in pain,” she tells you. “Your kids were really worried about you.”

“I know they were… They were so sweet today and made sure they were on their best behavior for me,” you say softly. “I wish I would’ve gotten a picture of the morning message Sky put up on the board for the rest of the class.”

“They were just as well behaved for me,” the second grade teacher tells you honestly. “Although that may be because I promised them all doughnuts if they were good.”

“So… we have to leave early to pick up doughnuts for the kids?” you laugh. At her nod, you shake your head playfully. “I’m buying.”

“With whose card?” she snorts out.

“Mine, thank you very much,” you tease back.

With your banter, Melissa knows you’re feeling much better and are on your way to feeling 100 percent again soon. 

After dinner, the two of you go back to lay in bed. 

“Put a few of your pills in a plastic baggie for me to keep in my car for you tomorrow,” Melissa tells you as she pulls you into her arms again.

“Babe, I usually have them on me,” you tell her. “This was a one time thing.”

“I don’t like seeing you in pain though,” she mumbles against your head, kissing it gently. “And if I can help prevent you from crying out in pain at a small noise, I will.”

“Okay, honey.”

The next morning, the two of you show up to school with dozens of doughnuts for the kids, and yours and Melissa’s classes enjoy the treats together. They’re all thrilled to be rewarded with the sweet treat. They’re happy that they can talk in their own classroom again. They’re glad to see that you’re back to yourself.

“Ms. Y/N?” Skylar asks as she gives you a hug that morning.

“What is it, sweet girl?”

“Can you like, not get sick like that again? I’m happy we got doughnuts, but I don’t wanna have to play teacher again for you… It was hard.”

You chuckle as you muss her hair. “I’ll do my best kiddo.”

Melissa just nudges you with a smirk. “I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again,” she assures your student. 

[britcision]

And part two! So a good chunk of the reason the chapter got so long is that around halfway through this part I realized… Danny and Jason didn’t have a single scene together

And we can’t have that!

And then they just kept being adorable

So this is my promise to y’all that whenever possible, we will have at least one scene of the lads directly interacting every chapter 😁

Part 1:

—————————

The Finished Core part 2

Jason was stable, his core fully formed for a little less than a month, and they’d hung out and done ecto shots until midnight last night. Danny had no homework due, but would be starting a big project by the end of the week. His schedule wouldn’t be this empty for at least another two months.

And if he delayed beyond that. He’d either never do this, or have to explain to Jason what he was doing, because Jason would probably ask.

Jason being unavailable tonight (something big was going on with his library project, which Danny thought was just adorable) was actually why Danny had to do it now.

Because Jason would want to come with him. And, as fraught as his relationship with Bruce Wayne obviously was, Danny was pretty sure it wasn’t “have a good reaction to hearing about Danny’s evil alternate self killing him” bad.

And. Y’know. The end of the world thing.

And that Danny wanted to put him on parole.

That was all gonna be way too complicated for Danny to explain easily, so he had to go talk to Nocturn tonight. While he could do it alone.

Because maybe “here is my formerly evil alternate self” would sound so much better all the problems would just melt away.

Whatever. That was Future Danny’s problem anyway, which was okay because Dan’s timeline divergence was now very firmly in the past.

Dan wasn’t the Ghost King. He should be comparatively harmless.

Danny wasn’t thinking about how comparatively harmless he’d been when he stuffed Dan into a thermos.

Sucking in a bolstering breath, he floated up to the deceptively simple door to Nocturn’s lair and knocked.

Waiting to be let in was a formality; technically Danny could have ripped open a portal right into the heart of Nocturn’s lair and there was nothing the Lord of Dreams could do about it, but. Nocturn had done him a favour. Danny was trying to be cool.

There was a long enough wait that he almost wondered if he should just push in, show that he wasn’t fucking around either, but then the door swung open.

Nocturn was waiting for him just inside, his white jester’s mask arranged into placid servility that Danny didn’t buy for a moment. Tendrils of night curled around him, swaying ever so slightly but tucked in close. He clearly didn’t want Danny too deep in his lair, and Danny decided to respect that, coming in just far enough for the door to close behind them.

Technically, it’d put him in Nocturn’s power, if he wasn’t the Ghost King. The whole Zone was his lair if he wanted it to be.

Nocturn inclined his head gracefully, his voice smooth and impassive as he spoke.

“You desire something, my king?” He asked carefully, and Danny hesitated.

He didn’t like doing the whole… thing. Would have preferred not to need it. But if they were standing on ceremony…

It was barely a thought before the Crown of Fire formed above his head, the silhouette of the crown itself fading in before it caught with spectral green flames, that themselves were overwhelmed by creeping spires of diamantine frost.

The cape spilled down from his shoulders, its folds lit with galaxies and nebulas far grander in scale than Nocturn’s own star-speckled form. There was no weight to it, and no wind, yet it rippled and swayed anyway, plucked by solar currents.

Danny consciously cut the change off there. Any of the armour or other regalia could be taken as a challenge, and while Nocturn was just as unwilling to actually become the King personally, it’d make him cranky. And Danny needed another favour.

“Yes, Dream Lord. It’s… it is about the charge I placed in your care. The one who sleeps in the Evermoving Now.” Ancients, Danny felt like an idiot every time he had to talk like this. He was sure he sounded like a particularly cheesy “historical” fantasy, and had to consciously avoid slipping into an awful British accent.

Maybe he should have brought Jason. Jason could have made it sound cool.

Danny’s best guess at formality was “no contractions”. Jason actually knew courtly manners from the Elizebethans to the Tokugawa shogunate.

At least it wasn’t like Nocturn expected better from him. He simply nodded, his expression unchanging.

“He is still sleeping, my king.” A flicker of annoyance skated across his face, gone before it was even there. “He is… not so resistant to my power as you are, but still exerts his own demands upon what dreams he will tolerate.”

Yeah, Danny had figured. Dan had damn near Ended his universe’s Nocturn, and he’d had to give Nocturn a chunk of his own power as the King to keep him safe enough to work on Dan at all. Keeping people unconscious was not usually in the Dream Lord’s power.

Honestly, Danny had been kinda hoping that all the time just in Soup Jail… the thermos might have made Dan a little more. Well. Not nicer? But. Less fussy about distractions.

He returned the nod a little awkwardly, offering a smile that he hoped wasn’t too sheepish.

“Yeah… yes. I was afraid of that. But… I want to speak with him. Perhaps make him a little more… amenable to your gifts. And maybe take him off your hands entirely, if all goes well.”

That did provoke a reaction, an eyebrow raising as interest lit Nocturn’s red eyes. Dan must be a real pain in the ass.

“It… can be arranged,” he said slowly, scanning Danny up and down for the first time. Looking for what, Danny wouldn’t even guess, but whatever it was he had no idea if Nocturn found it.

Danny nodded again, fighting the urge to fidget.

“Great… yeah. Yes. Good. Obviously not in physical forms, given his confinement, but.” He drew himself up, thinking back to all the shows he’d been watching with Jason over the last two weeks. Not many kings, but all sorts of stuffy nobility.

He tried to call up his best Liz Bennet.

“I would have you link our dreams, so that he need not wake, and we may speak entirely in your realm. Tomorrow night. Ah… I will… let you know how it goes?” He trailed off, and Nocturn let out a huff which might have been amusement or irritation.

Danny wasn’t gonna push for an aura read to check. He didn’t wanna know.

“I presume, my king, that I need not care how it goes until you ask that I remove him from my dreams. And in exchange for this…” he let the sentence hang, not actually asking for anything.

Technically, Danny didn’t have to give him anything. He could make it a Command, with the whole weight of the Infinite Realms behind his order. Nocturn would have no choice but to obey.

But he didn’t want to be a tyrant. And he’d expected to have to give something, and he’d come prepared.

A real, not entirely nice smile pulled at his lips.

“You must be tired of being confined to the Zone, and having to spend so much of your power catering to Dan’s dreams. For your ongoing service and assistance in this matter, I will give you the power to keep one single human asleep indefinitely, and you can give him any dreams you like.”

Now that definitely got the ghost’s attention, his whole posture stiffening, outline sharpening as he leaned in ever so slightly. There was a very real hunger in his gaze.

“Did you have a human in mind?” He asked, his voice a low hiss of want.

Firmly squashing any trace of discomfort, Danny nodded.

“The Joker.”

Nocturn’s eyes widened, and then a slow and far more genuine smile spread across his lips.

**

If he were being honest with himself, Vlad certainly hadn’t expected to hear from Wayne again so soon. They’d gotten along delightfully well the day after the gala, right up until Daniel’s little “rescue attempt”, which was just adorable.

Of course, Wayne had insisted any reconcilliation with Timothy or Richard would have to be between them as men, which was annoying. But Vlad could be magnanimous.

Thanks to Danielle and Daniel he was at least vaguely aware of what young people wanted, although Daniel was no longer a teenager. He’d never been a rich teenager though; doubtless the Drake-Wayne boy could afford any consoles or games he desired.

He was vaguely aware that Drake-Wayne was interested in technology, fully up to date with the workings of the company he was now CEO to.

Vlad wasn’t. He didn’t much care for what human technology could do without the boost of ectoplasm; Wayne Tech largely worked in communications devices and medical technology, all of which was easily reverse engineered and improved by Vlad’s own companies to run with ectoplasm.

It would mean far too great a loss to give the boy access to an ectoplasm battery… although if Daniel were cosying up to his brother, they’d have access to ectoplasmic technology soon anyway.

A loss to his corporate dominance, then, in exchange for a gain with his godson. It could only help their relationship if Vlad could endear himself to his future sons-in-law, and perhaps be yet more proof of his good intentions.

Of course, for it to be proof, an older battery wouldn’t have done. The technology remained proprietary, and the ecto batteries never broke down or lost charge (until Vlad wanted them to), so they rarely needed replacing, so Wayne Tech would need to be doing corporate espionage of their own to have any access at all (and be able to get past the little ectoplasmic tricks and traps that continued to befuddle poor dear Luthor’s attempts to steal his technology over at Lex Corp; Vlad did so enjoy reading of the corporate disasters that marked unsuccessful attempts).

A newer model of battery would make for a better gift. And an offer of a deal, to provide more for the next generation of Wayne Tech devices for only a meagre percentage. An apology fit for a king, or the regent of one, complete with diplomatic offers for the future.

Dick Grayson was some kind of police officer. Vlad just bought his department a suite of new computers and a new espresso machine. Simple.

He’d have liked to have it all delivered before he saw “Brucie” next, yet the man had been utterly intent on coming to see him as soon as possible, barely a week after their last meeting when he got in touch. That was unusual; Vlad usually had to be much more proactive to gain access to the kind of person worth overshadowing.

Not that he would overshadow Wayne now. Daniel had staked his claim rather firmly on the whole family, and Lady Gotham was not a spirit Vlad intended to cross. Honestly he was a little surprised she tolerated Daniel cuddling up to her pet socialites, yet the boy was king. She must approve of the match.

(Vlad might wish his own opinion mattered in such a situation, but Jason Todd had provided such a delightful opportunity to prove himself to Daniel that nothing else could touch it.)

Still, it was nice to know that Brucie at least already liked him. He’d made such a touching little speech to Jason at the gala, they simply had to be on better terms than he and Daniel, and hopefully he would also be on good terms with Daniel too by now.

He’d seemed very interested when talking to Vlad and the Mansons, and Vlad had talked up all of Daniel’s best traits; now they would have travelled back to Wayne Manor together and would surely be well acquainted. The man certainly looked enough like Jack Fenton for a sentimental soul like Daniel to get attached.

A slight grimace tugged at Vlad’s face as his limo pulled up to the airport. Really, that was the only downside with Brucie Wayne; it was like hanging out with a slightly more reasonably sized Jack. Intellect and all.

That would be trying over the man’s stay, but he had insisted on putting himself up in a hotel rather than staying at Vlad’s, and if he could just keep the two apart… Vlad reassured himself that the Fentons had gone to visit Jasmine over the holidays, and absolutely couldn’t have returned to town without him noticing.

Which, of course, was a thought as sure to summon Jack Fenton as an unwise wish to summon Desiree.

A large hand clapped across Vlad’s entire back just as he stepped out of the car, making him flinch.

“VLADDIE! Lovely to see ya, buddy! You’re not heading outta town again, are ya! You only just got back!” The man bellowed, and Vlad’s eyebrows twitched.

As if they weren’t both standing in front of the Arrivals lounge.

Perhaps Jasmine was making a late return, anything to avoid sharing a flight with her parents… it certainly couldn’t be Daniel, Vlad would have sensed him long before now. The boy couldn’t help travelling with a spectral fanfare these days.

He forced a polite smile onto his face, moving firmly towards the doors and hoping to lose the man inside.

“No, Jack, I’m here to receive a friend. As you are, I presume? I didn’t realize you were already back from your own trip.” He didn’t really bother listening to the answer, glancing around quickly to see if Madeline was also here. It would be nice to see her briefly…

Jack Fenton laughed boisterously, crowding along behind him far too close for comfort.

“Ah, that’s ol’ Vladdie! Sharp as a pin! Yeah, a colleague called and asked us to outfit some big wig visiting for his first trip to Amity Park! Maddie’s got the Spectre Deflector an’ a couple other toys, he’s some big tech guy from some other city, Gotham or something?”

For a second Vlad thought his ghost sense had somehow missed Daniel; the unmistakeable feeling of ice slithered down his spine. It took a moment to actually pinpoint the cause.

Gotham.

No.

He couldn’t be.

Vlad’s life could not be this cursed.

He’d done nothing to deserve this.

He’d fucking forgotten that Daniel was Jack and Madeline’s son, and had probably given Wayne his parents’ contact information.

He’d actually stopped walking as the impending dread washed over him, Jack leaving him behind by a few paces as they reached the terminal lounge that Brucie Wayne would be entering at any second.

He’d. Tried to emotionally prepare himself. To perhaps set up a meeting between the two parties. Where he could be on the other side of town.

But no, they were all here, and there was Madeline as resplendent as ever in her teal bodysuit, her arms filled with beeping and flashing Fenton junk. His heart still gave a flood of warmth at the sight of her, but that was all.

Just his heart. Not his core, not his Obsession. That was still a bit of a relief, every time. She’d made it quite clear that they couldn’t be friends while he was so fixated on her; on removing Jack.

He caught the moment that she spotted him past the exuberant and loving display she and Jack shared, as if they’d been parted for decades instead of minutes. Managed a small but genuine smile, and settled further when she smiled back.

Reserved, certainly, especially in the wake of her obvious passion. But it was a real smile, and meant far more to him than those she’d faked for Jack’s sake at the height of his mania.

Madeline’s friendship was infinitely more precious than any notion of possessing her, and he had been so lucky to have any left to rekindle by the time he’d finally gotten control of himself. They may never be as close as all three of them had once been in college, but for Madeline he could even smile and embrace Jack.

(Which had become immensely easier when he’d been able to rationalise that Jack Fenton was simply incapable of the intellect, malice, or even comprehension to have killed him. All three of them had worked on the portal; it was simply poor luck that had him take the brunt of the accident and the ecto-acne that followed.

Or perhaps good luck; after all, he was now essentially immortal, rich beyond his wildest dreams, and powerful. He’d finally acquired sufficient leverage to have effective control over the Packers, even if he couldn’t own them outright! He even had Madeline’s son for his godson, and one day the boy might even accept him.

They had all eternity to find out.)

His reluctance waning slightly with Madeline’s company, he made his way to join the couple; he may as well stand beside them, if they’d come for the same man.

Madeline even rewarded him with a handshake, and he easily resisted the brief urge to kiss her hand or try to extend the gesture. He truly was growing and improving all the time.

“Madeline. Jack tells me you are also here for Brucie Wayne? Making sure he’s safe for his visit to our fair city?” He asked cheerfully, nodding to the pile in her arms.

It didn’t even hurt when Madeline shot a beaming smile at her beloved husband.

“Oh! Yes, and of course we simply had to get to know him. Danny’s already told us that Brucie knows about his condition, though we’re never to mention Jason’s of course,” she added sharply, giving her husband a stern look which somehow cleared the ridiculous distance to fly right over his head, then smiled back at Vlad, “but since our boys are getting along so well he’s almost family anyway!”

That was an interesting tidbit which Vlad hadn’t previously been privy to; he hadn’t known just how far Daniel trusted Brucie. Not far enough for the details on his own son, which was… interesting.

Not that Vlad would have said anything; perish the thought. One simply did not out another ghost of any description. It was rude. And would have no benefits for him anyway.

Interesting to know that the man was in on the fact that halfas existed, if not how close he was to one of course. Perhaps he could get some extra points by sharing his own secret?

That would wait until he had some idea of how discrete Brucie was capable of being. Evidence suggested that it would be “not at all”, but… if Daniel had shared his…

It seemed Vlad would need to get more out of this little visit than he’d expected.

As if specifically to disrupt his thoughts, the man of the hour appeared at just that moment, all broad smiles even fresh from a commercial airline of all things. Not even a private jet, yet he still looked freshly composed and perfect even amidst the bedraggled public.

It was frankly unfair, but Vlad didn’t have time to sulk before he had to dodge one of Jack’s massive arms flying into the air to wave, apparently recognising the man on sight as well. It shouldn’t be unusual of Bruce Wayne, yet Vlad highly doubted Jack could have recognised the man a week ago.

Celebrities that were alive were a closed book to all four Fentons, as far as he knew.

“BRUCIE!” Jack bellowed, waving enthusiastically with both arms like he wasn’t head and shoulders taller than the entire rest of the building.

Even Brucie was momentarily taken aback by the sheer size of the man, which Vlad wasn’t remotely bitter about anymore. Then he clocked Vlad beside the Fentons and that perfect, vapid smile slid across his face again.

“Vlad! Won’t you introduce me to your friends?” He asked easily, ever charming as he slid over to join them.

Maddie and Jack began sizing him up immediately, not even waiting to say hello before grabbing at his arms to lift and turn them. Vlad sighed heavily and gave a tight smile of his own, Brucie looking quite alarmed to be manhandled by such a tall man as Jack Fenton.

“Brucie, it’s good to see you again. These are my friends, Drs Maddie and Jack Fenton. I believe an associate of yours has asked them to… outfit you for your stay in our town?” He asked smoothly, not even tripping over the word “friends” anymore.

Not even when it meant Jack. It meant Madeline, and they were a package deal. He’d come to accept that, and the place she’d allowed him in their life. That he only had because Jack had never noticed how their relationship had changed.

Shaking away the thoughts, he refocused on Brucie, who’d turned that so charming smile on the Fentons and was now allowing them to fit him with a Spectre Deflector, one of their wrist lasers, and… well, he had to assume the large and oddly rigid pocket-square had to be another of their new inventions.

Very new, since Jack hadn’t showered him in its praises yet, but he was quite happily trying to sell it to the head of Wayne Enterprises entirely unaware that he’d likely have to get the Drake-Wayne boy to get any actual decisions made.

Brucie did at least look fascinated, and managed to ask just enough questions to keep Jack going. Honestly, if Vlad wasn’t careful Brucie would keep them trapped there all day… although that might not be all bad.

If he could leave the man in the variably capable hands of the elder Fentons, he could at least get some actual work done. Get the details of the battery proposal for Timothy finalized…

Brightening up a little, Vlad clapped his hands.

“Why, I have a great idea! Jack, Maddie, I’m sure Brucie would love to take a quick tour of the portal, to really see what makes our little town special.”

After all, Brucie would certainly want to take the time to get to know Daniel’s other family, and if Vlad could just ensure that all the time he spent with Jack was away from Vlad… well, he’d also have a brief reprieve from them both, guaranteed.

All three of his companions were visibly surprised by the suggestion, with just the faintest flicker of suspicion in dear Madeline’s eyes… for her alone, he gave his best conciliatory smile.

“And I can think of no one better to prepare Brucie for the delights of our little town. They are our pre-eminent ectologists,” he told Brucie, even bestowing Jack with a mostly sincere smile.

As always, he swelled with pride at the compliment, and Madeline’s face softened. She gave a very tiny nod, her approval still chasing the warmth of a summer breeze in his heart. Worth the sacrifice.

That left Bruce, surprised and delighted as ever, smiling with as much thought behind his eyes as a hamster.

“What’s this about a portal? You’ve told me all sorts of tales of ghosts in Amity Park, is that what this is about?”

A bit of a surprise to Vlad that Daniel hadn’t already mentioned it, but the boy had been…. Distracted by Jason Todd. Perhaps it wasn’t so surprising.

Vlad kept his smile bright, clapping his hands.

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise. Jack gives such wonderful tours. And then perhaps once you’ve finished there and had a look around town, I could take Brucie off your hands for dinner and let you get back to work?” He asked somewhat hopefully.

Small, controlled doses of both mountainous men. That would be fine. It would have to be.

Madeline did truly hesitate, and he knew the passion for her work would be nudging at her. She was a dedicated scientist, as much as she loved their “field work”; too long away from the lab made her itchy.

Jack, of course, didn’t notice, clapping Vlad firmly on the back.

“Nonsense, Vladdie! You just come along down to Fentonworks when you’re done bustling about and we’ll cook you up a Fenton Family Feast along with our guest!”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to impose,” Wayne began as Vlad struggled to think of an argument.

The Fentons having anything even edible in the house was no guarantee, let alone the time to prepare a real meal. He was quite sure they’d been subsisting on ectoplasm alone since before they even recreated the portal.

Unfortunately, knowing Jack, there was only one way out of it.

“My staff have already begun preparing dinner, and I would hate to put all their work to waste,” he said silkily, making a mental note to message his assistant and have her set up something suitable. He’d been planning on a restaurant, but personal plans were harder to change. “And of course if you have the time we would love to have you both over as well.”

He didn’t even have to grit his teeth to finish the sentence, didn’t even have to focus solely on Madeline. It barely even twinged. That old, hateful Obsession would have no power over him.

Proof of his own progress put a more genuine note in his smile too, and Jack beamed back as innocently as ever.

“Aw Vladdie, that’d be great! So, the portal, a tour of Amity Park, and then dinner at Vladdie’s! We can tell you some of those good ol’ college stories from back in the day!” He told Bruce enthusiastically, slapping him on the back hard enough that the man stumbled.

Part of Vlad was beginning to wonder if he should have sent the poor man a warning packet on the Fentons. But then, his boy was courting Daniel. Surely that would have been Daniel’s job, if he’d wanted the man warned.

Brucie looked between them all with that same innocent smile, clearly not following… but he must be used to that.

“Oh, I’d like a chance to get to know the town myself for a little bit… y’know, stretch my legs a bit and get regrounded after the flight. Is there anywhere I could just take a little walk, maybe a look around? This all sounds like real important stuff and if I go in all fuzzy-headed I just know I won’t make heads or tails of it,” he laughed, waving a hand self-deprecatingly.

Vlad hesitated. The Amity Park (and ancients he still hated the name but it was better than Amity Park Park) would be the obvious choice, or perhaps the shopping district would be ideal. Yet since the Fentons were already here…

This time it was his own back that Jack’s meaty paw slammed down on. The only reason Vlad didn’t stumble the same way Wayne had was his resilience as a halfa. And even then it was a close thing.

“Sure, sure! Tell ya what, Vladdie, you run along and get to all your important mayor duties,” Jack tipped Bruce and Madeline a wink, clearly indicating that they were all going to have a lot more fun, “and we’ll take ol’ Brucie down to the park! And then when you’re feeling better we’ll get you right to Fentonworks for the portal tour and some of Maddie’s famous fudge! It’s a secret family recipe, there’s nothing better for getting your noodle cookin’!”

Vlad did not sag in relief. He had far too much pride for that. Instead he looked to Wayne for agreement, only raising one perfectly poised eyebrow.

“I hope you won’t think me a poor host if I pass you off so soon…” he trailed off, not quite hinting his own preference. Certainly not obviously enough that Brucie Wayne would notice.

And indeed the man just beamed at him, giving Jack a firm pat on the back too.

“Not at all, that sounds just the thing! Just a couple minutes out in some fresh air away from that tube and I’ll be right as rain! We’ll see you again at dinner, Vladdie?” He added with that far too charming smile, immediately picking up on the nickname.

That. Was pretty much the biggest thing Vlad had been hoping to avoid. His smile strained a little around the edges.

“That sounds perfect, Brucie.”

At least he’d have a little time alone to recompose himself.

**

Danny… dithered. That was the only way Jason could think to describe it. He’d been in an odd mood since he’d called that afternoon, and while Jason was getting used to Danny completely forgetting to mention important things, this looked like the opposite.

And given what he’d just blurt out apropos of nothing, whatever had him opening his mouth and abruptly reconsidering couldn’t be good.

He’d texted and said he needed to talk to Jason about something important (a message that totally never caused any additional anxieties), and then called the minute his last class ended (which was so much more reassuring), but when Jason dropped by the university to pick him up… Danny insisted they go grocery shopping.

So now here they were, an hour later, and Danny was reading the full nutritional information on every box of cereal.

Finally running out of patience, Jason plucked the Frosted Berry Crunch Whatever from his hands and tossed it into the cart. Danny was already protesting as he turned, but Jason and the cart had a head start up the aisle.

“C’mon, your highness, we’re putting at least two vegetables in here and then we’re going home.”

Because see, Jason knew what decision paralysis was like. He knew what brain fog was like. He also knew what procrastinating was like, and there was only so much he was willing to put up with it.

Especially when he was beginning to suspect that the tingling at the base of his skull had less to do with Danny being accidentally ominous, and more to do with Danny possibly actually being in danger.

What the hell in Gotham could lay a finger on the half-dead king of ghosts? Malnutrition, sure, given the state of their cart, but Jason didn’t think that was it. He’d have been summoned by the contents of the dorm fridge alone if it were that simple, weeks ago.

If Bruce had still been in town, he’d have suspected that asshole was up to something, but he’d flitted merrily away to Amity Park. Which… was still concerning, but Jason figured that his magic knight sense or whatever would at least give him some sense of how immediate the danger was.

This didn’t feel distant, like something all the way in Bumfuck, Idaho. This felt close, immediate, and the way Danny was acting? Only made him more sure.

Which meant the threat to Danny was probably Danny himself, surprising precisely no one and least of all one regent of Time.

So what the hell was Jason supposed to do about it? Other than not put up with the prevaricating.

Obviously Danny wasn’t going to just take it lying down, though. He was already half a Wayne that way.

“Hey! If I’m the king, don’t I get to decide what we do!” He argued half heartedly, still following Jason down the aisle.

Jason stuck his tongue out at him over his shoulder.

“Be grateful I’m letting you pick the vegetables.”

Danny opened his mouth on what was sure to be an utterly scathing retort (not), and was immediately side tracked by something at the end of the aisle. Which he immediately snatched up three boxes of.

“Oh no way I didn’t think these were real! I’m picking these!”

Jason fielded one on its way past, and glared at the cheap cardboard box.

“Lucky Charms pancake mix? Fucking seriously?” He asked incredulously, turning the box to look for nutritional information. Because he liked horror fiction.

(And a little bit to mock Danny’s earlier bullshit.)

Danny snatched the box out of his hand and added another two to the cart on good measure.

“Hey, fuck you, I was craving the hell out of exactly these way back when you went to put Tuck’s name on the gala list! This is a gift from the universe to make up for my shitty life and I will not be denied!” He declared dramatically, even throwing up an arm in full Shakespearian declamation.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Jason scooped up three of the boxes, now turning the sceptical glare on Danny.

“Dude, if you want pancakes that bad, I’ll make them myself. This is just an overpriced marketing gimmick!” He shook one of the boxes for good measure.

Danny snatched that one back right away too and stuck his tongue out at him.

“Listen, I’ll take you up on that too, but I’m getting these! If I only wanted marshmallow pancakes I could make those myself, I need the soulless crunch of Lucky Charms!”

And alright, Jason’s aura reading was definitely still off (at least around Bruce), but he was pretty sure he was getting better at projecting specific words and feelings. Because he managed to project some combination of disbelief and garlic powder hard enough that Danny punched him on the arm.

“That was literally one time!”

“And I don’t want garlic pancakes,” Jason shot back, mildly surprised at how much the punch actually hurt.

Danny stuck his tongue out at him and went for the display of boxes again. Rolling his eyes, Jason scooped the other man over his shoulder instead, hauling him and the cart away.

“Fine, fine! Get your boxes of garbage, you fuckin’ raccoon, but you don’t need the whole stand and we’re leaving,” he declared firmly, one hand still firmly pinning a wriggly fuck and trying not to think about how optional Danny’s bones were.

Danny grumbled something unintelligible but went limp (not no-bones limp though) and let Jason carry him to the cashier. Who smiled as she checked them out, but didn’t comment on Jason unloading the cart or bagging their supplies one-handed.

Danny gave a feeble wriggle of protest, both when they reached the register and when they left, but subsided quickly back into a sulk each time.

Which… convinced Jason that there was something wrong more than calmed him. Danny wasn’t one to miss an opportunity to tussle. Lie low until someone let down their guard, sure. Give up? No.

When Danny even let himself be tossed onto the back of the bike without complaint, Jason made up his mind.

They weren’t going back to the dorms. They were going back to one of his safe houses again. If Danny noticed before Jason pulled into a garage distinctly not near the university, he didn’t comment.

Hell, all he actually said when unloading the groceries was a terribly blasé “so is this a kidnapping then?” To which Jason obviously responded “yes now shut up”.

Luckily there wasn’t much perishable in their bags, and it fit in the slightly beat up fridge that had definitely been washed since the last time he stored human body parts in it (probably).

Danny took his kidnapping with good grace, flopping onto the only slightly beaten up couch to watch Jason fuss over the fridge. In between playing with his fingers.

Because he was definitely still procrastinating.

Leaving everything that wasn’t likely to go off bagged, Jason dropped onto the couch beside him and stuck a finger in his ear.

“Now tell me what the hell you want to talk about.”

Danny hesitated for a moment, visibly torn, and Jason pointedly licked his finger and held it up as a visual threat.

“No bullshit Danny. I was a fucking Robin, I know when some dipshit engineering student is trying to lie to me.”

Danny squirmed a moment longer, but caved when Jason reached menacingly for his ear again.

“Okay, okay! It’s… it’s not actually a big deal, alright? I’m just blowing it up in my head into something it really isn’t, and yeah, being a dipshit.” He gave Jason a self deprecating grin, and Jason gave him the respect of three seconds of consideration.

Then resumed his attack on Danny’s ears.

“That’s not an answer, asshole!”

This time Danny made an actual attempt to fend him off, and Jason was a little surprised by how strong he was. Sure, Danny’d easily hauled him around plenty, but that was when he’d been cooperating.

That was very different from Danny just grabbing his arm and Jason… completely failing to even budge him. He couldn’t even twist free, Danny’s grip was immovable as a rock.

Being hot also wasn’t going to make Jason any less worried, though, so he nobly ignored the way that made his insides squirm. Sobered when he realized that Danny’s smile had faded.

He was worrying his lower lip instead, and let Jason go when he pulled away more gently.

“This is not reassuring,” Jason prodded, settling in to sit beside him.

Danny gave him another attempt at a smile, still far too worried to be convincing.

“Yeah, that’s kinda the problem. I’ve been turning it over in my head all day, and like I said, it’s really not a big deal… but there’s no way to say it that doesn’t make it sound like a big deal.”

Jason raised an eyebrow at that, but did not react further. Because he was a mature adult, who could be calm about things, even when Danny was being an ominous piece of shit.

“Maybe there’s a reason for that?” He offered sceptically, and this time Danny swatted at him with all the force of a baby kitten. Stark contrast from the immovable grip, but Jason wasn’t going to guess why.

“Oh, shut up. Look, it’s just…” he subsided into silence again.

Jason considered him, this time not just with the hyper-observant eye of a Robin, but with his aura too. He was more used to reading Danny, and Danny actually communicated his emotions.

Kinda.

When he didn’t have to use words.

Which Jason wasn’t criticizing for the obvious (massively hypocritical) reasons.

It was confused at first, tangled and muddied on the surface. Jason took a breath too, settling into the silence, and stopped pushing. Let the right feelings come to him.

Regret. Danny regretted saying anything? Regretted letting Jason know anything at all? Little shit.

Guilt. No guess there, really, but Jason knew all about randomized guilt attacks.

Reluctance. And he didn’t need any magical fucking powers to guess that one, thanks. And underneath it all…

Yearning. Fear. That, at least, was more reassuring; Danny did actually want to tell him. And the fear didn’t even catch and snarl at Jason’s core, so he… didn’t think it was a fear of danger.

No points for guessing that either. He was scared of how Jason might react to whatever the fuck he was all knotted up about. Maybe of how he was already reacting; with no fucking clues, Jason couldn’t begin to guess just how concerned he should actually be.

Or what Danny could be afraid that he’d do.

Well, statistically speaking, Danny probably wasn’t scared that Jason would just. Be fucking chill. About whatever this crap was. Because that didn’t usually freak people out, not because Jason wasn’t usually chill about pretty much everything (the Pit’s lack of chill was not his fault and totally did not count).

Taking another breath, a little surprised that it was only the second since, Jason calmed down. Forcibly. Because winding Danny up more wasn’t going to help. He tried to project calm-understanding-acceptance, although he was pretty sure just fucking do it was sneaking in too.

Danny was quiet for another long moment, not even looking in Jason’s direction let alone meeting his eyes. Which was why Jason knew exactly what he was going to say before he even opened his mouth.

“I’ll… look, I’ll tell you in the morning, alright? Promise.”

Jason rolled his eyes. Like he wasn’t an expert in exactly this kind of shifty bullshit.

“Right, so whatever dumbass shit you’re doing goes down tonight. Good to know,” he snarked back, and Danny tossed both hands into the air.

“The dumbass part is not going down tonight, I don’t even know if I’m going to be doing the dumbass part yet!” He protested. Futilely.

Jason raised an eyebrow at him, waiting a few seconds after Danny had quieted. Just to prove a point.

At least he’d admitted part of it was going to be a dumbass decision. That was a start.

“So what is going down tonight then?” Jason prodded, once Danny was sufficiently squirming.

Danny puffed up his cheeks, clearly considering another smart ass retort, and surprised Jason a little by blowing it all out with a sigh of his own.

“Tonight, I see if it’s even worth trying the dumbass part. I’m not going to be in any physical danger,” he added quickly, raising both hands and rolling his eyes like he didn’t run around the shady parts of Gotham for fun and no profit, “honestly, the worst that’s gonna happen is I have to deal with some home truths. Nothing can hurt me, I’m fine.”

Jason noted the qualifier. Nodded down the hall towards what passed for a bedroom.

“Then you won’t mind spending the night to be sure.”

Not like it’d put him out; he’d not had any plans for the night, beyond more practice on going intangible at will… and more importantly, also becoming tangible at will.

Danny grimaced at their surroundings.

“Dude, this place is a wreck. I don’t even want you spending the night here,” he joked feebly. And deflated a bit when Jason just stared at him. Sighed heavily.

“Look, it’s not gonna make any difference where I sleep, or where you sleep, cuz nothing’s going to happen! That you can do anything about,” he added almost under his breath, and Jason fought back a wave of something hot and green that felt like jealousy-anger-denial-concern-offence all at once.

Because that was different from Danny wanting to run off on his own where Jason couldn’t protect him. That was Danny thinking that Jason wasn’t capable of protecting him. And that hurt.

“So what happens if it all goes wrong?” He asked quickly when Danny flinched, clearly reading all that and more from his aura. Well, tough titties for him, Jason’s pecs were rock hard and they weren’t gonna talk about it.

For a moment, Danny was definitely about to argue. Jason could all but taste the words lining up to be said. Then he sighed and flopped in against Jason, aura a gentle apology that made absolutely nothing better.

“That’s what I’m saying, man. There is literally nothing that can go wrong. I’m gonna go to sleep, I’m gonna have a dream, Nocturn’s gonna hook me up with a favour and then we both wake up in the morning. Nocturn can’t even make me fall asleep or stay asleep, and he doesn’t want the damn crown any more than I do.”

A wry smile tugged at Danny’s lips, and he reached up without looking to poke a finger into Jason’s mouth.

“And even if he did, I can fucking take him. I kicked his ass when I was fourteen and a nobody. There’s literally no risk here… besides hearing something I don’t wanna hear. But hey, what’s life without a little more emotional damage?”

Jason considered this, reasonably and maturely, like an adult, and bit Danny’s finger. With it out of his mouth, he gave the scrawny king another gentle nudge.

He definitely didn’t believe Danny was telling him everything. But he could read enough honesty through everywhere they were touching to know that Danny did also believe everything he was telling him.

“And you’ll tell me everything in the morning?” He prodded warily.

Didn’t actually smile at the wave of relief which coursed through the whole apartment as Danny finally relaxed.

“For sure. And then I’ll decide if I do the dipshit part.”

“We’ll decide,”Jason corrected firmly.

Danny snorted.

“Hey, I’m your king. If I wanna be a dipshit I can be a dipshit.”

“You may be King Dipshit all you want, but you’re not doing it alone,” Jason shot back, reluctantly pulling out a brand new trump card Frostbite had let slip last time. Definitely not smirking as he said it. “So you’ll be bringing a brand new baby ghost into whatever brand of dipshit you’re doing.”

Tensed to argue with whatever he said (although still more playfully than he’d been before), Danny inflated for a moment, then deflated with a hefty sigh and slumped.

“Oh that’s so not fucking fair.”

“I’ll tell Lady Gotham on you,” Jason added for good measure, with a vicious triumph.

“She’ll tell you not to go with me!” Danny protested, still utterly futilely.

Lady Gotham looked after her own. Not one part of that included even vaguely discouraging them from throwing themselves face first into danger.

She’d push him in, if she thought it needed doing.

“No she won’t.”

Danny groaned heavily and lifted himself up solely so that he could flop harder and heavier onto Jason. With, yeah, all the weight of a wet baby kitten. Jason didn’t even give him the satisfaction of a huff of air, which did make him smile even if it was reluctantly.

“Alright, fuck you. Can we stay at one of your good places instead, if we’re still doing totally unnecessary slumber parties? I wasn’t kidding, this is a fucking dump. And I live in a dorm. You coulda mentioned this place when we first started sprucing up your haunt, cuz it desperately needs it.”

And listen.

Robin training.

Lived with Bruce.

Even slightly self aware.

Jason knew exactly what deflection sounded like, even when done far more expertly. It was a choice to let Danny get away with it.

But knight pact or no, Danny was his friend, not his boss. And that also meant Jason wasn’t his dad, or anyone who could actually force him to do anything.

If it actually got Danny staying overnight, he’d do it. Soothe the part of him that fretted even with Danny’s assurances, make it easier to tell him in the morning, give him a chance to try and feed Danny decent pancakes over soulless commercial profiteering? All wins.

So he shrugged.

“Hey, this one’s closest to the campus. You got any morning classes?” He’d been intending to let Danny go back to his dorm (after he talked), so he hadn’t cared that it was one of his less cared for haunts.

For an actual sleepover though? Well, they’d already had one at one of his better places, nearly had another at his actual home. They could go wherever Danny wanted.

Danny made a face like he’d said something weird (or he’d forgotten he had classes), then pulled out his phone to check his schedule.

“Nah, I got a tutorial at eleven thirty but I can probably skip it,” he said a moment later, shooting Jason a wary look. Like he knew there was a trap in Jason agreeing with him, but wasn’t sure how to counter it.

Jason raised an eyebrow at him.

“What class?”

Danny rolled his eyes right back, glanced at his phone again, and stuffed it in his pocket.

“Just Mechanical Engineering. We’ll be starting a major project next week, but I know what I’m doing already and the prof cleared it. You can just drop me off at the dorm if you’re that worried,” he added, slightly smug with this new suggestion.

Jason considered it for a moment, mostly for the theatrics. Then he shrugged. He’d never willingly skipped a class, but it had still happened more than once. But he could still call Danny’s bluff.

“Sure, I’ll bring a pillow and camp out on the floor.” He’d never been back to Danny’s room, largely because other than the bed, there was barely enough floor for Danny to lie down on, let alone someone built like Jason.

Danny’s eyes narrowed, and Jason grinned. Try and bluff a bat; they were the kings of commit to the bit. Jason could and would squish himself to sleep damn near anywhere.

Clearly unable to deny that, Danny finally rolled his eyes and flopped back against the couch cushions instead.

“Fuck you and the horse you rode in on. All the groceries are in the fridge,” he added when Jason stuck his tongue out at him.

True, but not an issue. Untangling them enough to get up, Jason made for the kitchen.

“And they’ll go back in the fridge at my place.” He hesitated barely a second, but he’d already made up his mind, hadn’t he? As soon as the subject came up. “The place at the library nice enough for you?”

It was his home. Sort of. His real home, or the one he wanted to be, except that it still didn’t feel like it yet. Because he wanted to keep it nice, clean perfect and unspoiled, so he never really used it.

Having Danny over to watch truly awful sitcoms in the New Year had kinda highlighted that while all his nicest stuff was there, it wasn’t going to be a home until he’d lived in it. And having Danny there had helped start that too.

And sure, it’d be funny to use all the good stuff on Danny; give the world’s most reluctant king the royal treatment.

Little fuck was already pulling faces again, squirming on the couch.

“Man, that place is way too nice… I was scared to touch the floors.”

Which was kinda exactly what Jason had thought too. But he had to get over that part eventually; he could clean pretty much anything up. But living was messy, and apparently only more so for the half dead.

So he flipped Danny off.

“You can float. Just don’t cover anything in garlic powder this time,” he added with a snicker.

Danny flipped him off back, grinning reluctantly.

“And again, fuck you that was one time!” He protested with extra drama.

“Unless you make it a habit,” Jason shot back, restuffing groceries into bags. Danny hesitated a moment longer, then visibly caved.

Felt like agreeing to wait for morning had been the right move. They could both make concessions.

“Alright, but swing by the campus first. I wanna grab a change of clothes for tomorrow, I’m not doing another walk of shame,” he teased with a sly smirk, and Jason’s heart skipped.

For no reason.

Totally unnecessary.

It wasn’t like the memory of Danny running around in his clothes for a day was going to spark anything in him. Wait, actually…

“Yeah, you can grab my shirt too, I need it back,” Jason said with a snicker.

Danny’d gotten most of his stuff back to him within a week. Except the Soup Powered Fuck Machine shirt, which he’d worn to more than one of their adventures through the city.

Jason was well aware he wasn’t getting that shirt back. He even agreed it was much funnier on Danny.

(And, well, ridiculously oversized, which meant that once jackets and sweaters came off Danny still tended to tie it into a crop top like a country girl in her boyfriend’s shirt. It was cute.

Jason was maybe considering giving in and letting Steph get him in a crop top.)

Sure enough, Danny stuck his tongue out at him, reluctantly hauling himself from the couch.

“No idea what you’re talking about, I gave you all of your clothes back weeks ago.” The odds that Danny would bring that shirt along, just to wear tomorrow? High.

Chuckling softly, Jason grabbed the bags.

“Oh, then I must be mistaken. Clearly all of your clothes are actually the right size, right?” He asked sarcastically.

Danny nodded archly anyway, as regal as an offended cat as he flounced to the door.

“The right size is whatever size I want them to be,” he declared airily, and Jason… couldn’t argue with that. And then just as Jason had locked the door behind them and was reshouldering the bags, Danny turned back suddenly, all airs and graces apparently forgotten.

“Oh, and I need a thigh selfie from you. There’s some nerds in my class totally obsessed with Red Hood, but obviously yours are better.”

Jason didn’t quite drop anything breakable. But that was only because they hadn’t bought anything breakable.

Boxes of Lucky Charms pancakes spilled across the floor.

———————

And there we have it! 😁 our first timeskip, a couple plot beats all set up, and maaaaybe a little hope that by the end of next chapter we’ll have one less secret!

And Bruce is improving! Ish. Look how good he did though, said sorry and everything! And now he’s being subjected to Vlad and the Fentons, which can only possibly go well!

[thestarkerisobvious]

Daddy I Need You

inspired by this amazing moodboard by @muse-of-gods

TW: panic attacks, physical stress reactions

-----------------------------------------------------

Daddy I Need You

That wasn’t what the text said, of course.  Not on Tony’s main phone.  A phrase like that.

THAT kind of talk only happened on a different device.  And Tony wouldn't be looking for messages from Pete on THAT device until tonight.  Tony’s main phone, an SI prototype, was supposed to be unhackable.  But that, of course, just made it a target.  That’s why they kept that kind of talk on the special phone.

What Peter DID sent Tony on his main phone was in code.

//DINY//

Tony blinked at the four letters on his phone.  No one should have been able to text him during THIS meeting.  But Peter’s number was different.  Peter seemed to need something.  But it could probably wait…

//diNy//

Tony stood up, took his briefcase, and left the meeting.

There would be hell to pay later - Pepper’s eyes were daggers - but “Daddy I Need You” was one of the safe words.  Safe phrases, really.  It meant important business.  NOT arms-dealer-shipment-ship-cut-in-two business.  Not Avenger business.  It meant Peter business.

Personal business.

Usually, the kind you couldn’t really talk about with the lights on.  With your clothes on.  THAT kind of business.

Normally safety words were to make the intimacy STOP, but Peter had Tony had realized early on, they were anything but Normal.  That’s why they had an entire Safety Lexicon - things they could say that would stop ALL conversation or action and bring attention to the problem at hand.  Tony had just never received that phrase in a TEXT before.  His brain raced as he tried to find a private place to have the private conversation.  This wasn’t Avenger business - Peter SHOULDN’T be involved in Avenger business.

Peter was SUPPOSED to be preparing for his last final.  His FINAL final - the very last lest he would take before officially have enough credits to graduate.  He wouldn’t GRADUATE graduate until the end of the term, of course - thus Tony scheduling these back-to-back meeting on the other side of the country.  When Peter’s graduation ceremony happened in May, Tony would be there, along with a huge cheering section, ready to paint the whole Columbia campus red.  Hot Rod red.  That’s why Tony was spending December in LA, leaving his young lover alone.  Peter was using his entire Penthouse as a study-space for these last few credits.  They weren’t even HARD credits, just technicality-credits.  Classes he could breeze through and test out early, things he needed to officially get the first degree.

So why was Peter needing him now?

Finally Tony found a small room with a door he could close to have the conversation.  From his briefcase pulled out a special pair of glasses - another SI prototype that the world wouldn't see the market for another 5 years or so.  He switched them on and started talking.

“Hey Bambino, what's wrong?  Talk to me.”

There was a moment’s pause.  Then, much to Tony’s surprise, another text.

//Daddy, I need you.//

“I’m here, angel.  What’s wrong?” Tony said, trying not to sound impatient.  Peter KNEW how important these meetings were.  This time Tony and Pepper were investing in LA were necessary to free Tony’s schedule for the next several months.  They had PLANNED it this way - planned for Tony to be gone so Peter could focus on his last finals.  Planned on Tony and Pepper camping out in LA to wrap up all their business dealings in one fell swoop before Tony took a leave of absence from the company.  All so he could spend more time with Peter.  That had been the PLAN.  Why was Peter screwing with the plan now?

There was a long pause.  A pause Tony didn’t like.  There were times Peter “needed” him, like when he was feeling melancholy over the death of his uncle.  Then there were times Peter “needed” him as in a ferry full of people had split in half and he couldn’t physically keep the entire ship together by brute strength alone.

He tried a different strategy.  Using the holoscreen available with the glasses, he pulled up a keyboard and started typing.

//Daddy’s here, bambino.  Tell me what’s happening.//

//I’m scared Daddy// was the immediate reply.

That made Tony blink.  Scared?!  His Uncanny Spiderman?  The one with radioactive blood?  The kid who clung to and entered an alien ship after he had SPECIFICALLY ordered the kid to return to earth??   The kid who had saved the life of Dr. Strange with his arcane movie knowledge and his willingness to risk being sucked out of a space ship into instant death?  Already Tony’s mind was calculating how long it would take to get from LA to New York if he suited up and took off from on top of the building they were in right now.

Still, he texted calmly.

//Talk to me, baby.  Tell Daddy’s what’s wrong.//

//Its over//

//What’s over, baby?//

//The last test.  Differential Equations.  I’m done.//

//That’s good, isn’t it?//

//I don’t know what’s wrong my hearts hammering and I//

Tony watched the words appear on the screen.  Then he watched Peter delete them.  He waited patiently as Peter struggled to put it all into words. 

//I can’t breath and I//

Deleted.

//Concrete is hard to breathe//

Tony’s brow furrowed as he tried to translate the line even as Peter deleted it.  Finally Peter settled on a sentence that summed it up perfectly.

//I feel funny, Daddy.//

Tony took off the glasses.  He held them a few inches in front of his face, activating the camera.  He spoke.

“Peter, you’re having a panic attack,” he said calmly.  “Turn on your camera and talk to me.”

Silence.  

Tony took a deep breath and tried again.

“BABY, be a good boy and activate the camera now.  Don’t tell Daddy no.”

//You’ll be mad//

“Why would Daddy be mad?  Bambino, Daddy knows a lot more about panic attacks than you do. I promise I won’t get mad, but you're going to be a good boy now and do what Daddy says.  Activate your camera now.  Don’t make me count to three."

The audio came on before the visual.  Tony could hear Peter sniffle.  Then the image appeared. 

“Oh, angel,” Tony said softly, licking his lips automatically.  “Why do you have on your pretty clothes?”

“I don’t know,” Peter said in a tiny voice, sniffling again.  

He wore his special pink collar with the silver heart in the center.  His pale chest was bare except for the delicate white “harness” Tony had bought for him, made entirely of heart-shaped fabric.  He had his pink fan in one hand, but he was hugging it to himself.     

“I thought they would make me feel better.”

“Did it?”

“A little.  I was going to take a picture for you and save it for later, but I couldn’t…”

He sniffled again, and Tony knew all he needed to know.  Peter had tried to calm down and put on a cheerful face.  To make himself feel better.  But when he found he couldn’t calm himself down, it only made everything worse.  Until finally Peter had to call for help.

“Alright sweet angel, you’re with Daddy now,” Tony said calmly.  Firmly.  “I’m going to put my hand on your chest now - is this where it feels funny?”

“Yes sir.”

“Is your heart pounding?”

“It's been going on for hours.”

“Oh baby, that sounds miserable.”

“I was suited up so I swung around the tower forever but I couldn't make it stop.  “I came inside and took a shower but it just keeps going.  And I thought… I thought…”

“You thought getting dressed in your pretty clothes might help?  It’s okay, angel.  Daddy’s going to rub your chest for a while and try to make you feel better.  Can you tell me what concrete breathing means?”

Tears formed in Peter’s eyes.

“It’s okay, bambino.  Daddy’s got you.  Just help me understand.”

“I told you…”

He sobbed and tried to catch his breath enough to speak.

“I told you about how Tooms dropped a building on me once…”

“Yes, but that was ages ago.  Way back when you were in high school.  Why are we talking about concrete now?”

“That’s what it feels like… I can’t…”  He demonstrated, trying to take a deep breath, panting and moaning when he failed.  “I try to breathe but nothing… it feels like I’m breathing concrete dust.  I can feel it in my throat.  I think I’ve been poisoned Tony…”

“Shhhhh angel, you haven’t been poisoned - mean you HAVE.  That’s adrenaline surging through your system - angel you're a superhero, and you have superhero adrenaline poisoning you right now.  That feels EXACTLY like breathing concrete dust.  Your throat hurts because every muscle in your body is tense.  You can't take a deep breath because your lungs are trying to take shallow breaths to send enough oxygen to your muscles.  You’re whole body is ready to run, but there’s no where to run to.  

“But Daddy’s got you.  Daddy’s going to hold you very close, and rock you back and forth.  I’m even going to get a blanket.  And get you under it.  Daddy’s going to rub the back of your neck and see if that helps.  Maybe I'll get Baby some cold ice cream for your throat…”

There was silence for a moment.  Dammit this wasn’t working.  Tony needed to be there, on the other other side of the country.  Maybe if he…

“Will you feed it to me?”

Peter’s voice was so tiny it took a moment to understand what he had said.  Then Tony understood, and smiled.

“Of course I’m going to feed it to you.”

“With a spoon?”  

“Of course Daddy is… wait…”  Tony was all grins now.  “I thought Baby didn’t like it when I spoon-fed him before bed.”

“I think I might like it tonight, Daddy.”

"Okay then bambino, you’re the boss.  Now tell Daddy what happened .  Did something go wrong with your final?"

“No, it was so easy,” Peter said, his voice choking with emotion.  “And I was way over prepared, just like you said I was.  And it’s done.  And everything was going fine, and I had said goodbye to everybody, but then, just out of nowhere..."

"It hit you.  You're done, Peter.  You have your first degree in math from Columbia university.  You graduated in record time.  You didn’t beat MY record, obviously… but if you did you’d still be a minor and we wouldn’t be having this conversation..."

“But it should feel good!!”  Peter bleated out, sitting up for the first time, leaning into the holoscreen towards Tony’s face.  As if Tony were there (where he should be.)  As if Tony could hold him (as he should do.)  

“Shouldn’t it feel good!?  To graduate?!”

He broke out in fresh sobs, looking around him in terror, struggling to breathe.

Tony waited for the moment to pass.  Then, he spoke.

“Peter, look at me.”  He didn’t speak until he was obeyed.  “Come on, look at Daddy now.  You can do it…”

Finally, Peter’s eyes met his.

It wasn’t easy, looking into Peter’s tear-stained eyes, but he did it.  He leaned forward and he spoke.

“I don’t remember graduating, bambino.  I know there was a ceremony, because there are pictures.  Bu tI have no memory of it.  I went out with my friends that night and got black out drunk and woke up in rehab.”

He watched Peter blink and sat back in satisfaction.  “You didn’t read about that in your Tony Stark Research, did you bambi?  Obadiah was pretty good at keeping things like that under wraps.  

“Now you listen to me, little mister.  You know I’ve always admired you, the way you just tackle life without benefit of alcohol or substances, just raw-dogging it through sheer force of will.  But right now, I’m going to send Friday a selection of wine from the rack and Dum-E is going to deliver it to the bathroom.  I want you to draw yourself a very hot bath…”

“But I can’t get drunk, Daddy.  You know it doesn’t take…”

“But it tastes good, baby.  That’s all you can do right now, is try to feel good in your body until your superhero adrenaline leaves you in peace.  Is there any ice cream left in the fridge?  I’d order you some chocolate-covered strawberries, but then someone would have to deliver it…”

“You could have the delivery person just put it in the special elevator, then push the button, and step out.  Or someone could stand in the elevator and then just hand it to Dum-E…”

“If I do that, will you be in the bathtub, baby?  I want you to make it really hot, with lots of bubbles.  Make it  just as hot as you can stand it.  You’re going to…”

He took a deep breath and tried to speak as calmly as possible.

“You’re going to crash, baby.  There’s no stopping it.  So now your job is to find the softest place to land possible…”

“I’m scared, Tony…” Peter said, his breath hitching again.

“Of what, baby?”

“Of crashing.  I don’t know what it feels like.”

“It feels like this, angel.  It feels just like this.  This is the worst of it, Peter.  Now all you have to do is wait it out.  Wait till it gets better.  And it does get better, Pete.  I promise.  

“Now, what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to…”  

Peter took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders.  He shook his head a little.

Then he looked down at himself.  He grinned a little, as if remembering, for the first time, what he was wearing.

He opened up his pink fan and held it over his chest.

“I’m going to ask what Daddy is going to do to me when he gets home.”

“That’s not what Daddy said to… oh…”  Tony grinned.  He had ordered Peter into a hot bubble  bath and, well?  Tony knew what Peter liked to think about when he was bathing alone.

“Okay, well, what do you want Daddy to do to you first?”

“I want you to  - well not at first - but… I want you to put me up against the headboard.  On my knees.  Facing the wall.”

“Oh… oh that sounds very nice, baby.  But what is Daddy going to do first?”

“Oh, first you’re going to tell me to put on my pretty clothes.  And then you’re going to tell me to take off my pretty clothes…”  He touched the silver heart on his kitten collar, playing with it.  Tony’s heart swelled with pride.  THIS had been Peter’s plan from the beginning - to put on his special clothes and think of Tony.  Tony who would certainly take care of him in his hour of need… even if he shed some tears along the way. 

“All right then, angel.  So after the pretty clothes come off, and then you’re facing the wall right up against the headboard, with your hands on the wall?  Do you like it like that, baby?  And then what does Daddy do to you?”

“I like it when you kiss my face and scrape your chin against my neck and ear and… and I like it when you say ‘Daddy needs to be inside you.’  I like it when you’re so far gone you growl it…”

“You're a liar. Daddy never growls,” he said, his voice failing him.  He had to regain his composure, and soon.  He had to walk away from this conversation and walk back into a meeting.  There were millions of dollars on the line…

“You do growl it, Daddy.  And then your whole body shivers and you sink your teeth into my shoulder…”

Tony was speechless.  

“Will you say it when you get back, Daddy?”  Peter asked now in his perfect “kitten” voice.  He was wiping the tears from his eyes.  

“Say what, baby?” Tony managed.

“Say, ‘Daddy needs to be inside you?’”

Tony took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders.  He shook himself a little and then, staring straight into the camera, into Peter’s eyes, he spoke.

“This is what you’re going to do, angel.  You’re going to find the biggest mirror in the penthouse, and you're going to make a nice, soft pallet in front of it.  You’re going to be on your knees there, so use lots of blankets, and make it soft.”

“Why, Daddy?”

“Oh, because Daddy is going to be done with these meetings sooner than you think.  And when I get home, I’m going to put you right on that pallet, right in front of that mirror.  And do you know what I’m going to do to you then, baby?”

“Are you going to make me show you my pretty clothes?”  Peter asked.  He had his pink fan open and covering his chest.  He lowered it now, using the slender fingers of his other hand to play over the hearts that made up his soft harness. 

“Oh no, baby.  Daddy’s going to fuck you right in front of that mirror.

“And then Daddy’s going to make you watch.”

[thejujvtsupost]

My Blood Looks Good On You -> The Beginning

Filling in for a coworker who you moonlight with might lead you directly where you didn’t know you needed.

Notes: F!reader, Pro boxer!Toji, light age gap (Toji is early 30's and reader is mid 20's), pet names (angel, baby, sweetheart), reader is smaller than Toji, reader is a nurse, light violence (boxing injuries). <3 lmk if you want to be added to the tag list!

Technically you weren’t supposed to moonlight, it was against the policy of your job at the hospital to be employed by another healthcare company. Unfortunately you needed the money, so for the last two months you’ve been moonlighting at an independent hospital secretly.

You were careful, no one would find out. Which is why your current situation put you on edge…

Your friend, Shoko, stays on hand at some boxing gym on her days off from the independent facility- and Shoko had the flu and desperately needed you to fill in for her.

“Please? You’re the only other nurse certified for stitches and meds. I’ll do all your charting for a week, it’s just one night. All you have to do is meet up with Geto, he’s got long dark hair and I’ll text him so he’ll wait by the back door for you, then go to the locker room and treat Fushiguro. He’s hard headed and a little cold and barely talks to me but not so bad, and the gig pays more than six shifts combined.

You were helpless, naturally a people pleaser and unable to say no to a friend- or that money. There was a match tonight, someone would no doubt need care. But going to a high profile event would only make it harder for you. What if one of your coworkers saw you? You’d be toast. It would be fine, you just keep your head low and follow directions and nothing would go wrong.

The event already started and was close to finishing by the time you got to the door, and just like Shoko said there was a man waiting for you. “You the nurse?“

“Yes?” You give him your name but its hard to sound confident in front of such a large man and he chuckled at your nervousness.

“I’m Suguru. Relax, you aren’t the one in the ring. Toji’s already taken a few hits so far, might as well get set up in the locker room.”

He lead you through several hallways, the crowd cheering loudly, until you reached the locker room. “Does Mr. Fushiguro know I’m here in Shoko’s place? I don’t know if it makes a difference or if he has a preference- but she said he can be…”

“An asshole? Oh yeah, that’s Toji. But he’s not a bad guy, just a little rough around the edges. If he says something to you just brush it off, though he might not talk to you at all. I told him someone else would be coming but it takes him a while before he accepts newcomers.”

“I was gonna say cold, but thanks for the heads up.”

You set your medical bag on the bench and Suguru wheeled over a cart for you to work off of. “Thank you, anything else I should know about?”

“Don’t be too stiff and professional, he hates that shit. So just relax and do your thing, and don’t stare at his scar too long. I figure you know better as a nurse but it’s worth saying.”

“Got it. Do you have a sink? I’d like a bowl of water just in case I need to clean blood away.”

“You got it, he should be coming back here any minute. He showers first.” You nodded and set your supplies out for easy access, then washed your hands in the sink Suguru used for the water.

The door banged open and the sound of several sets of feet barged into the room afterward like a stampede; everyone trying to get Toji’s attention before they were pushed out by Suguru and another man you didn’t know.

You only got a glimpse of him, but Toji was huge. You didn’t know a guy could get that muscular…

Suguru noticed your face and laughed, “I’ll introduce you, he’s in a good mood too. He won, he always wins but his competitor was tough this match.”

Standing out of the way was a good idea while people in various roles made themselves busy, you made yourself invisible until almost everyone was out and Toji was dressed from the waist down with a towel around his neck and ready for treatment.

And oh… okay, you weren’t prepared for how attractive this man actually was… and you were staring. And by the smirk he was sporting, he noticed.

Thankfully Suguru prevented you from further embarrassment by giving him your name, “This is Shoko’s friend, she’s a trained medic and nurse like Shoko so she’s very capable.”

Toji was eyeing you up, and you did your best to put forward your confidence. “I’d like to disinfect-”

“Do your thing sweetheart, don’t need to explain everything.” He was talking smoothly for someone with a busted lip.

You nodded and ignored your blush at the nickname, and began pulling on gloves. You hated causing anyone pain but the cuts needed cleaned. His occupation meant he probably wouldn’t even flinch but it didn’t help the pit you’d feel in your stomach every time you had to do sutures or disinfectant procedures.

“Turn your head to the left please.”

Toji complied, “You just wanna look at my good side, huh?”

Was he… was he flirting with you? Wasn’t he supposed to be cold and grumpy? You looked to Suguru for help but he seemed amused. “Quit flirtin’ and let her do her job, you’re still bleeding y’know.”

“I think you’re just mad I’m talking her up before you can.”

That made you snort and immediately clear your throat to unsuccessfully cover it. “See? I’m already makin’ her laugh.”

“This is going to sting.” Your hand was ready with a cotton ball of disinfectant for the cut on his temple.

“Not when I’m looking at you- ow! fuck! What the hell is that?”

Suguru couldn’t contain his laughter and it echoed off the lockers. “Mostly alcohol, I have some stick on sutures for it after it’s dry. Other than your lip and temple, is anywhere else hurt?”

Toji waved his hand, “Nah, he didn’t get much of a chance to hit me before I took him out.”

You made quick work of the cut and swapped out your supplies, luck wasn’t on your side though, when you turned around and fell directly into him. Your heads collided (earning a groan from both of you) but he caught you around the waist otherwise. “Fallin’ for me already sweetheart?”

He was definitely flirting with you, Shoko must’ve been joking about him being closed off. “I am so sorry, I can’t believe I just did that- oh god your lip is bleeding everywhere!” You were fiercely embarrassed by your own clumsiness, flustered and trying to free yourself from Toji’s hold but he wouldn’t let go.

“Hey s’not a big deal. I’m hard headed though, you’re not hurt?” He sounded so concerned, so genuine. It made your heart race just the tiniest bit. “Huh…”

You were still too discombobulated to school your demeanor. You’ve never had a problem being professional, this man was effecting you way too much. “What? You gotta let me go so I can go gauze before you die from blood loss!”

“You got my blood on your cheek, it’s kinda hot.”

Yeah, you wanted to crawl in a hole and die. “Oh my god this is a disaster. I’m so sorry, just let me finish up?”

Toji didn’t stop staring at you (which was unnerving) while you finished treating him. “Sorry again! Shoko should be feeling better in a few days, I’ll make sure she knows about your cuts!”

The bag you came in with was packed away and the used materials discarded, without another word you beelined for the door. “Hold it!”

Your body betrayed you and listened. “Suguru get her number. That okay with you sweetheart?” His voice was much softer when directed at you.

You nodded and texted the number Suguru gave to exchange your information, and saved the contact. Technically they could call Shoko if they had concerns but still, she was sick and you were the one that treated him.

When you bid them goodbye and finally made it out in the fresh air you took your first deep breath in what felt like hours.

It was useless, because not two minutes later on your way to the station, someone ran into full force and knocked the wind out of you when you fell.

“Jeez you shouldn’t run-” and truly, you wish you hadn’t looked up.

Because right in front of you- the man that knocked you over while you were holding a full medical bag and wearing a jacket with a different company logo, was your boss. Tonight really wasn’t your night.

Fuck, you were caught.

• Series Index -> Next

Thinking about making your request? Check my bio to see if they’re open !

[mr2swap]

You're going to pay

-Are you serious? right now? ok boy but that will be another month in your body you fucking pervert!- I couldn't help but smirk when I looked at him he looked like shit, his t-shirt was so soaked with sweat I could see those 2 saggy full tits of fat through his shirt, I still don't understand how he can come to the gym with me every day and not have lost weight.

Anyway, that's not my problem, As long as he's a fagot he keeps paying for all this I don't give a shit, At this rate I'm going to have his life completely in one or two years. Anyway, I don't think he'll mind seeing apartments as long as he lives in the building. Maybe at some point I'll let him move in with me to help me out as a maid.

I own an apartment building that my father left me, it's pretty cool because I don't have to work and I could stay home and play video games or watch TV, well… technically I'm not the owner now But I'm the only one who knows the keys to the bank, maybe next year i'll buy a sporty lamborghini or something, these biceps would look great in one of those.

Jake was a very rude tenant, every weekend he would party with his friends until 3 am, he would leave the garbage outside his apartment hoping that one of the other neighbors would take care of it as if they were his servants or his parents, when Jake he was a month or 2 behind on the rent but when he started completely ignoring me for not paying, I decided to give him one last warning "you're going to pay me one way or another"

And of course he ended up paying, I could have taken anything from his apartment but I decided to take the only thing that really mattered to him, I wouldn't give him a chance to escape from that debt. He should have read the entire lease when he moved out.

Wasting no more of my time I flexed my hot biceps in front of him to show off my hot sweaty pits that he had been waiting so long to worship and lick in front of all the gym patrons, he didn't seem to care that all the gym patrons were watching while like a bitch played with the hairs of my armpit with his tongue.

The feel of her wet tongue moving under my huge arms slightly tickled him even more than the first time I let him do it in the gym bathroom.

He and I had an agreement that I would give him back his body while he trained mine to pay off his debts, at first it was a couple of hours a day I would walk her to the gym so I could have a little fun showing off his muscles while he soaked my shirt in the treadmill, then he was late paying rent again so I took his body back so I could have fun in some hotel fucking some of the girls on his cell phone while he cleaned my apartment, and now I don't think I'm back my body in two weeks or so.

I pushed him away from me and he fell to the ground, he looked so fucked up and disgusting that I could hardly believe I was the one who looked like this some time ago, I tossed my iPhone at his flabby belly, a smile on my face. handsome and perfect face flex my huge arms again to show my armpits that are already completely clean.

Hey folks! if you like bodyswap stories take a look at my patreon, I have a lot of more stories, and you can help me keep creating more stories!

[rius-cave]

OHOHOHHHOHO YOU AND THE ANON WANT ADAM REDEEMED?! I’LL GIVE YOU!

What if you couldn’t rise if your soul was owned?

And well, Lucifer owns Adam’s.

And Lucifer also knows he is redeemed now. Heaven told him. -Yes they can tell if someone’s redeemed now, this is like 4-5 years after that major battle, they found a way. Heaven and Hazbin have a deal now also, I’ll get to it.-

But he just wants to ignore and excuse it. He knows how much Adam wants this, he knows he deserves it, but he can’t bring himself. He and Adam finally made up and are a proper couple. Even though ex-sinners can visit Hell, he knows Heaven would never let Adam if it’s him.

And he manages to dodge them for a month until…

Sera.

Sera calls him to a personal meeting and demands that he lets go of Adam’s soul. Using the contract they have -It has an article that Hazbin has to do everything in their power to make sure a redeemed soul reaches to Heaven. If they are holding a soul there in purpose, Heaven is allowed to shut the place down and re-start the exterminations- to threaten him.

You wouldn’t want to be the reason why your daughter’s dreams are destroyed and Adam to see how you kept him to yourself like an obsessive maniac would you?

So uh imma skip these parts but basically Lucifer breaks Adam’s contract and Adam rises to Heaven completely clueless. -It’s another article in the contract that Hazbin also can’t do anything to erase the redeemed sinner’s progress. Sera made this don’t expect it to be in favor of Hazbin Hotel.- And he is BEYOND shocked and confused at why he woke up infront of the gates. -He died in his sleep and went there, that’s how you rise-

And once the shock is gone, he’s happy. Of course he is, why wouldn’t he be?! It’s the fucking Heaven, where he belongs.

But obviously…

He misses Hell. Especially Lucifer, obviously. But just assures himself that he can visit him, he just has to wait a little.

Except he can’t. Sera always dodges his questions and requests, until one day he’s had enough.

He confronts Sera and says it’s his right to go down there. But Sera tells him that it’s not allowed cause well he’s visiting a sin. Adam objects by saying that she never had problems with Angel and Sir Pentious talking and interacting with Lucifer, and Sera says they weren’t ‘corrupted’ and ‘brainwashed’ by him.

Oh that angers Adam of course. He yells at Sera by saying that Lucifer was there offering him his protection when he fell while Heaven was “too busy” to do so.

And Sera finally tells him that he is back here because Heaven ‘managed’ to get Lucifer to free his soul.

And… I’m not sure where I’d go from here. Another reason why I’m sending this actually hehe. I need ideas.

I want Adam to throw his halo to the ground out of anger and become a fallen angel at one point, but I’m not sure where I should put it.

How is this..?

Ooh, interesting, interesting!

I think what I like the most about this is having Lucifer having to pick between Adam and his daughter. Of course he chooses his daughter in the end, especially since it's technically what Adam wants too... doesn't he? This is for the good of everyone, it's not even really choosing between Adam and Charlie, it's about choosing between his own selfish wants and his loved one's sakes.

So yes, absolutely love Lucifer ultimately deciding to let him go, because of course he would eventually.

Also damn, the way Sera is antagonizing this is pretty harsh.

If I may, and since you're asking for more ideas, I kinda like the idea of Adam finding a way (possibly illegal) to contact Lucifer to talk about what the fuck just happened, confront him, maybe even accusing him of leaving him again (yay abandonment issues!) and then either making up or not, depends on how fast you want to take things.

He can throw away his halo if he wants, but that doesn't mean he can just leave Heaven, he has to find a way to sneak past Sera and security and whatnot, to actually leave Heaven and be considered "fallen" (like Vaggie). That, or he does something really big and really stupid that actually gets him vanished from Heaven.

Just brainstorming some ideas lol.

[dellalyra]

Family Formation - Part Seventeen

Request: yes but I have lost it

CW: pregnancy, doctors, a lil spicy, oral and breeding kink kinda vibe, nothing like crazy

A/N: sorry for the wait I was on a trip to see my familyyyyyy I forget who requested this :):) but someone wanted more about the pregnancy and I needed something light and easy to get back into the swing of things - gonna get maybe 3 parts this week !!!!

Masterlist

After the discovery of your pregnancy, you both waited to tell anyone outside of immediate family for several weeks.

Of course, that was the intention.

But things never go according to plan, do they?

Obviously, as your doctor – Shoko found out first. Well, technically – Gojo was the first, then you, then Shoko. Then Nanami walked in and found out. You obviously couldn’t keep such huge news from Megumi, so you told him after a few days.

“Hey ‘Gumi, can you pass me the syrup?” You say to the boy beside you. It had been Saturday morning tradition to have waffles (the only thing Satoru exceeds at making) for about 7 years by now, you no longer had Tsumiki – but it was still important to gather together, you hoped you could still do it every few weeks once Megumi starts at Jujutsu High in a few months. Today though, you and Satoru had made extra tiny waffles and put out a small plate and a small cup. Megumi, never the best in the morning, had yet not noticed the odd place setting and ill-fitting waffles.

But it didn’t take long.

“Why are the waffles so small?” He sleepily asks Satoru.

“For tiny hands, Megumi! Duh! Silly sausage!” He laughs at him, with a wink at you.

“Gotta gets practicing, good sizing ‘toru.” You say, winking back.

Megumi looks so confused between you both but brushes it off as the fact that both his parents are insane.

He eats another waffle (he’s a growing boy), and watches Satoru pile fudge and syrup on his and you put crushed Oreo’s and white chocolate sauce on yours and then moves to grab the coffee pot, when he sees the tiny plate and tiny cup.

“Are you two trying some Alice in Wonderland shit?” He says, completely aware of the harebrained schemes you both concoct.

“Nah.” Satoru says, shaking his head.

“Just getting used to having a little one at the table is all.” You shrug, as if this is a totally casual thing to say.

Megumi’s face remains uninterested if slightly irked for a few seconds before his eyes widen and jaws drops.

“Wait – mom, are you pregnant?” He asks staring at you.

“Yeah, sweetie.”

“Holy shit.”

“That’s what I said.” Satoru chimes in.

“Are you like – okay?” Asks Megumi and you nearly giggle at his awkwardness.

“A little nauseous and tired, but me and the baby are super healthy. You’ll have a baby sister or brother in 7 months' time.” You lean back in your chair with a hand on your slightly bloated belly.

“It’s definitely a boy! And we’re gonna call him Megumi 2.0.” Satoru chimes in.

“No, we’re not.” Megumi replies – sterner than a 15-year-old should be.

“Okay then how about Satoru Junior?” Suggests your husband.

“No.” You mutter, giggling at your boys.

Silence falls as you laugh.

Megumi is looking at the table, and you worry he is unhappy with the news.

But that’s swiftly assuaged.

“I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl - it’s gonna be really cool to have a baby around. I always liked the idea of being a big brother.” He shrugs, still looking at the table but you can see a small smile on his face and you and Satoru exchange smiles because for Megumi, this is the equivalent of jumping up and down in happiness.

You asked Megumi to keep it to himself until you were 3 months, he wasn’t really your concern – Satoru was the issue. He could barely contain himself.

At week 14, you were sitting waiting to hear from Shoko whether the little one was a boy or a girl, Satoru had taken to calling the baby ‘lil’mochi’ and you just about melted every time.

“Gojo, Y/N – I would like to formally introduce you to –” Shoko says as she turns the screen of the ultrasound machine toward you.

“Your son.”

You let out a sob and Satoru let’s put a cheer as you leap and wrap your arms around him.

“We’re gonna have a baby boy, ‘toru! Mochi is a boy!”

“Hi Satoru Junior!” He says pressing kisses all over your tummy.

“No.”

You told the rest of the students by getting them all T-shirts with ‘Gojo Babysitting Gang’ on them, squeals from Nobara and tears from Yuuji and Panda and cheers from Inumaki and Maki rang out across the field that day.

As your belly started to grow, your family became so protective that you never walked across the school alone. Megumi was tentative around you, completely unsure of how to handle and approach you, a pregnant woman, but Satoru was the worst.

He had become insatiable. Even more than usual. The first time you turned sideways, and he noticed your tiny bump underneath your pyjamas he went feral, thighs over his shoulders and you pinned against the walls as he worshiped you like a goddess on his knees.

The bigger the bump got, the worse it got.

“Satoru – you can’t get me any more damn pregnant.” You giggled one day as he wiggled your panties down your legs.

“I’m the strongest, I can do anything Princess. Just look so damn pretty, fuck, look at ya, all round with my baby.”

He had taken to loving having you on top, swollen tits bouncing in his face with every rise of your body. There was just something about every single person knowing that he had done that, you were swollen and glowing and plump with his child – that inside you was his baby.

You of course, weren’t complaining – hormones making everything so sensitive that your husband’s already phenomenal talents were even more valuable to your heightened body.

He was so soft with you too, bathing you when you got to the end of your pregnancy, catering to any craving, he would rub Shea butter into your bump with you laying with your back to his chest every night and then he’d put his hand on your lap so he could talk to the baby as you played with his hair.

You were his world, his princess, and you were making a whole entire human – he thinks you might actually be the strongest.

The nursery you guys had decorated was perfect. Forest green walls, fairy lights and toadstool lamps decorating the room – all the furniture vintage and dark wood and the crib for when the baby was older surrounded by the softest sheets money could buy.

The day you were waiting for wasn’t coming as fast as you wanted. You were two weeks overdue now – it was June, it was hot, it was humid and you were getting miserable. You were heavy and sweaty and tired and this damn baby was as stubborn as it’s father. You had taken maternity leave from teaching at the school a month ago but you still somehow ended up there daily. Today, loose flowing maternity dress decorated with strawberries swaying around you, you carried a basket of goodies toward the training field where you knew your husband would be with the first years.

“Guys! Stop! There’s a goddess on the field!” Satoru shouts at the kids, dropping to his knees in front of you and pressing kisses to the bump – receiving a few kicks at the sound of their papa's voice.

“Hi Y/N!” Yuuji says.

“Y/N! You’re the most stylish pregnant woman I think I’ve ever seen, omg!” Nobara squeals.

“Hey mom.” A shrug from Megumi.

“I brought snacks, I was bored as shit at home - there’s mochi and candied fruit, some sandwiches and lemonade.” You say, placing the picnic basket beside you.

“You okay, Princess?” Satoru rises and pulls you into his chest and kisses the crown of your head and you melt into him, feeling at ease now he’s with you. A twinge in your tummy, another Braxton hick's contraction.

“It’s hot and your baby is stubborn.” You mutter, pouting.

“He’s like his momma.”

“He’s like his papa.”

“He’s like you both.” Comes from Megumi who has opened the sandwiches.

He might be right.

You both sit and rest with the first years when you begin talking about your cursed technique and its effects.

“Vine whip? That sounds awesome!” Yuuji shouts.

You stand (with a lot of effort and help from Satoru) and reached out your arms, pointing it at a distant training dummy and using your technique to wrap a vine around them and then smack it to the ground.

You froze.

Cheers erupted from your tiny audience.

You slowly turned.

“‘Toru.” Your eyes widened.

“Princess?”

“It’s time.”

“Time for what?” He cocks his head – the kids are looking between you both.

“‘Toru, my water just broke.”

A beat of silence as everyone’s eyes drops and see the little wet patch of grass by your feet.

“Holy shit!”

And with that you were lifted bridal style and sprinted toward Shoko’s office – choruses of ‘we love you!’ And ‘you got this’ echoing from the field.

Akio Ryu Tadashi Gojo was born 13 hours later.

And welcomed by the most adoring, loving, doting parents the world had seen.

[wifafuckenchickennugget]

Elevator Affairs ; congressman!Bucky x Reader

** there are NO thunderbolts spoilers in this fic **

˖ ࣪⭑ prompt: the elevator stops working when you and bucky are on the way up to your floor, which just so happens to be your biggest fear.

˖ ࣪⭑ word count: 1,035

˖ ࣪⭑ cw : panic attacks, getting stuck in an elevator?

˖ ࣪⭑ a/n: thanks for reading :) hope to post more, my decade long love for bucky has strengthened (somehow) after thunderbolts lol

It was such a blessing that the subway was right next to your office building, because the box you were carrying was cumbersome. At this point, you felt like an idiot for packing so many things to bring to work. You started this job, working under congressman Bucky Barnes, about a month ago. It’s just been a trial period so far, but everyone in the office seemed to like you, so you wanted to bring in some things to spice up your desk and make it your own.

A cute mousepad, some photos of your friends and family, and random pieces of decor you liked. You were honestly confused how all of the bits and bobs made such a weighty package.

You ran through the door behind someone, unable to open it yourself. Once you arrived to the elevator, you struggled to reach your hand up to press the button. Thankfully, a person appeared on your right.

“I got it.” Mr. Barnes said, pressing the button for you both.

“Thank you, Mr. Barnes.” You replied, catching your breath.

“S’That heavy? You want me to carry that for you?”He pointed to your box.

“No, no, I’m good.” You smiled, but he was already grabbing it. You were sure it weighed nothing to the super solider. You stared at him, giving him a defeated smile as yet another thank you.

The elevator dinged, taking you out of your daydream.

“Ladies first.” He gestured.

You stepped on, and pressed the button for your floor.

“So, how are you liking it so far? Everyone treating you well?”

“Oh, I love it here! Everyone is so nice. It’s a really great work environment—“

Your words were cut off by the elevator halting to a stop.

“W-What? What just happened—“

“Dammit.” He set the box on the floor. “This happened a few months ago but they said it was fixed.” Mr. Barnes walked over to the control panel, pressing the emergency button.

You tried to control your heartbeat, but you could feel it in your ears. You started to feel dizzy as he spoke to the person over the intercom, losing your breath.

“Okay, first responders should be here ASAP.” is all you could hear.

“Perfect, thanks.” Mr. Barnes turns around to see you, hand over mouth, very obviously trying to not freak out.

“Hey, Hey.” He takes a step to you, placing his hand on your upper arm. “It’s okay. We’re fine.”

“I- I can’t- I feel like-“ You words come out strangled. You felt like you couldn’t breathe.

“Look at me.” He starts breathing slowly, in through the nose, hold it, out through the mouth. He’s staring at you, waiting for you to follow his unspoken directions.

You do, shakily, until after a minute or two when your breathing is as back to normal as it can be. Tears have formed in your eyes, but you keep breathing the same way, ignoring them as they roll down your face.

“Why don’t we sit down, yeah?”

You nod, and he helps you to the floor.

“That’s it, it’s alright.”

“Y’know… this is my biggest fear. Getting stuck in an elevator. Everyone always told me it was stupid but—“

“No fear is stupid. Even if you can’t rationalize it, it’s okay to be scared of something.” He interrupted.

“I guess you’re right… But I can’t exactly take the stairs to the 37th floor everyday so here I am.”

“Well, technically, you’re facing your fear. Right now. Albeit not on your own terms but you’re doing it!”

You sniffle, laughing. “Yeah. You’re right… Again.”

He pulls out his phone from his pocket, and quickly takes a photo of you.

“What was that for?” You ask in confusion.

“You’ll appreciate it, someday. Years from now, when you look back on this moment, you’ll wish you had a photo of you facing your phobia.” He laughs, lightly. His laugh makes you momentarily happy. It made you feel like there really is nothing to be scared of…

“Thank you. For everything.” You say.

“Of course.” He reaches over with his metal arm and pats your knee, lightly. You freeze, unintentionally.

By the look on your face, he thinks he did something wrong. “I’m sorry.” He pulls away.

“For what?”

“If this.. thing made you uncomfortable.” He raises the arm.

“No- No it didn’t. I just know you’re very.. cautious with your arm. Just caught me off guard.”

“Oh. Yeah… Maybe I’m trying to get over a fear, too. Subconsciously.”

You two smile at each other in silence before hearing shuffling outside the door.

“Fire department! Everyone okay in there?” A man yells. Mr. Barnes hops up to his feet.

“Yeah, we’re good.”

“Okay, stay as far back from the door as you can. We’re gonna pry it open, okay?”

“Got it.”

You stand up, stepping as far back as you can. Mr. Barnes stands in front of you, shielding you from anything that might happen, or that might scare you. It feels like forever, but eventually the door is open, and he moves aside ushering you both out of the elevator and on to the stable floor.

You immediately beeline for the chair, sitting down and pulling your knees into your chest. You hear Mr. Barnes thank the first responders, as you silently pray no one thinks you’re rude for not doing the same.

You feel tears prickling your eyes again. You try to blink them away as Mr. Barnes approaches you.

You start to breathe the exact way he did earlier. In through the nose, hold it, out through the mouth.

In through the nose, hold it, out through the mouth.

In through the nose, hold it, out through the mouth…

He rubs your back, “You got it.”

You blink up at him, trying to smile.

“Pull out your phone.”

You do as he says, confused, but then after a few moments, you see a text message from him, with the photo he took of you.

“God, I look terrified.” You laugh.

“Because you were terrified, but you were facing your biggest fear. That’s something not a lot of people have done.”

“Thank you, Mr. Barnes.”

He smiles again, “You can call me Bucky.”

[star--joy]

Repairs

In which Percy gets a date, is late to work, and fixes a broken espresso machine, not in that order.

-

Six Shot Americano Man leans over the counter, glancing at the scattered tools surrounding Vex as she kneels on the floor for easier access to the innards of her broken espresso machine “Hm. I could take a look, if you don’t mind."

-

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Warnings: None

Words: 1395

Originally posted: 8/2/23

Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49056469

“Is everything alright?”

Vex startles at the sudden voice, screwdriver slipping from her hand and clattering to the floor as her head jerks up, thumping against the counter-top with a painful thud. “Shit!”

“Ah, apologies. I didn’t mean to startle you.” 

At the counter of the small cafe, Six Shot Americano Man is staring at her. He always comes in ten minutes after open and orders his monstrosity of unsweetened caffeine. Normally, Vex has it on the counter waiting for him, but with her machine busted, there’s little she can do.

She presses a hand to the spot where she’d smacked her head, wincing at the immediate shot of pain. “No, don’t worry about it. I’ll have that Americano out for you in about…” she glances at the exposed innards of her broken espresso machine. “Well, probably not for a long time.”

Six Shot Americano Man leans over the counter, glancing at the scattered tools surrounding Vex as she kneels on the floor for easier access to the machinery. If it were anyone else, she might be annoyed, but Six Shot Americano Man is her favorite customer, partly because he’s polite, but mostly because he tips insanely well. “Have you called someone to fix it?”

“They won’t be here until tomorrow, and I figure I can’t make things much worse, can I? If I could just find out what’s wrong with the thing…”

“Hm. I could take a look, if you don’t mind. I’m rather good with these things,” he offers, stroking the stubble that’s just beginning to peek through on his jaw.

Vex peers at him with narrow eyes. Normally, it would be a quick and easy ‘no’ to a request like that, but, hell, she’s willing to try just about anything. After all, Scanlan had called out for his shift today, and although this hole-in-the-wall coffee shop is rarely busy, Vex doesn’t want to deal with a broken espresso machine by herself. Besides, Six Shot Americano Man hasn’t yet given her a reason to be overtly cautious. Fuck it. “Alright, but I can’t pay you.”

He shrugs off his formal jacket, walking around the corner so he’s behind the bar. “That’s not an issue. May I?”

She easily steps away to make room for him. “Be my guest.”

His face is quickly pulled into a look of consideration as he pushes the wires around to get a better look inside the machine. Vex leans against the back wall, keeping a curious eye on him as he fiddles with some mechanism or another, quietly muttering to himself. What little words she can catch are some kind of technical jargon.

“Have you worked on these before?” she can’t help but ask, watching his fingers move with practiced precision.

“Not this particular model, but I’ve always had a knack for machinery,” he hums, green eyes never leaving the task. Vex should probably be watching his fingers as they delve into the wires, in case this issue should ever arise again and she needs to fix it, but she finds herself studying the man, instead.

Objectively, Six Shot Americano Man is rather attractive, though that’s not a new revelation. It’s hard for anyone to not notice that the first time they lay eyes on him. Hell, when he first started coming in all those months ago, Scanlan had fallen over himself trying to land a date, though found himself unsuccessful. So, yes, Vex knew he was attractive.

Somehow, though, that had never really resonated with her until now. He’d always just been Six Shot Americano Man who tips well and doesn’t talk much, and Vex had been content with that.

So why is she feeling the sudden urge to have a name for him?

It probably has something to do with the small emoting of his expression, lips pursing and nose scrunching and eyes narrowing when he fiddles with what must be a difficult component. Or perhaps it’s the practiced, confident movements of his hands deep within the machine.

Either way, Vex figures it’s been a damn long time since she treated herself to a proper date with a handsome somebody. Might as well give it a go, now.

“You know, I see you nearly every day, but I don’t think you’ve ever told me your name,” she hums, trailing over to his side.

“My name is Percy,” he answers, only glancing at her for a second before turning his attention back to his work. “And you’re Vex’ahlia, if the nametag is correct.”

The way he says her name is strangely appealing, the syllables slotting together so perfectly when wearing his posh accent. “You can just call me Vex, darling. Everyone else does.”

She doesn’t think anything of the moniker, but it causes Percy’s hands to fumble for half a second. “Well. It’s nice to meet you, Vex.”

“And you, Percy.” If he were looking at her, she’d throw in a wink, but alas. “So, I have to ask, what keeps bringing you back here? You know there’s a Starbucks down the street, right?”

He laughs. “Is it standard practice to recommend the competition?”

“I would argue that this is more of a customer satisfaction survey. Something must be keeping you loyal to us, it’s only helpful to know what it is,” Vex says, finding herself leaning over him slightly. 

Percy glances up at her, then looks away a tad bit too quickly. His cheeks are beginning to turn a dusty pink. “I like the quiet. Everywhere else is too busy.”

“So you like that we get bad business? That’s not very helpful for my survey.”

There’s a short pause before he says, “Well, the baristas also provide excellent company.”

Vex’s smile grows. “Hm, good to know. I need as much detail as possible for this survey, could you be more specific?”

“The one named Scanlan is particularly enjoyable.”

His voice is so deadpan that it takes Vex a long second to recognise it as a joke, but the smirk on his lips gives him away. She snickers. “Don’t let him hear you say that, he’ll start trying to flirt with you again.”

Percy grins as he pulls his hands out of the espresso machine’s innards. “I’ve dealt with worse. And… there we are,” he says, pressing the power button and watching with satisfaction as the machine begins to start.

Vex’s eyes widen as the screen comes to life. “No shit, you actually did it?”

“Did you not think I could?”

“Of course not! I just figured you couldn’t make it worse,” she admits, clicking the single shot button and watching with awe as espresso starts to pour. “That’s amazing!”

His preening is subtle, but Vex is good at reading people, and she can see the way his chin lifts and his smile grows a centimeter. It’s endearing. “It’s nothing, really.”

“Oh, shut up,” she scoffs, easily grabbing a cup and beginning to prep his Americano. “You just saved my ass. I’m never letting you pay for a drink again, they’re all on the house.”

Percy considers something for a second. “The business is already struggling enough, I don’t think that’s the best idea. Though, if you truly want to repay me, you could let me take you out to dinner. It’s not in any way expected, of course, but I would enjoy getting to know you.”

Her heart thunders with excitement, but she keeps her cool. “I suppose I can manage that,” Vex teases as she hands him his Americano. “You free tomorrow?”

“I can be,” he quickly agrees, just eager enough to be endlessly charming. “Here, my phone number. Just text me a restaurant and time, I’ll be there.” He quickly jots his number down on a napkin. “Unfortunately, I must get to work. I’m already late. I look forward to tomorrow.”

Vex blinks. “You were late to work to fix my machine?”

“I’d say the outcome was well worth it,” Percy hums, grinning wide. “I’ll see you soon, Vex’ahlia.”

She shakes her head, exasperation and fondness mingling together in her chest. “Yes, yes, I’m excited, too, now get to work! I’m not going to be the reason you get fired!”

He’s still grinning as he races out of the coffee shop, though Vex is pretty sure she doesn’t have much room to judge, given she’s doing the same. God, tomorrow can’t come quickly enough.

[alectoperdita]

Can you tell us a bit more about the confrontation at the kink club (in bad guys have more fun)? I'm very curious!

Yeah, I'm happy to spill a bit on that!

So I am super tempted to dedicate a whole part in the series to this, but given there's actual character/relationship consequences to this one, it's harder to write than cranking out more PWP. But do not count it out. Just waiting to get into the right headspace to tackle it.

Hacker!Seto has a history of going to kink and BDSM clubs semi-regularly, since long before he started sleeping with Jou. Not only is it a convenient place to find sexual partners when he's bored and horny, he also finds subbing (in specific scenarios) is a good reset for his brain when he gets "stuck." But since he got together with Jou, he hasn't been to one.

Until they have a particularly trying job. Jou has a pretty well-developed sense of Seto's mood at this point. And Seto is vibrating. He is snappy. He is Wound Up. Jou half expects Seto will be tracking him down afterward so he can get the tension fucked out of him.

Except Seto doesn't go find Jou. They finish up the job and Seto splits. Jou, now even more worried, decides to follow him. When Seto is this Tense, he usually starts acting recklessly. Jou is invested enough in him he's concerned about his general well-being at this point. (Plus, if Seto can stalk him, Jou should be able to return the favor, right?)

Jou follows him to a place he figures out is a sex club as he grifts his way in through a service entrance. It takes a bit but he finds Seto with another guy, talking real close and being kinda touchy and obviously flirting. Jou watches them for a while, super conflicted. Now they never discussed being exclusive. Jou's always kinda thought Seto might be fucking other people, but convinced himself it was none of his business. It's harder to stay impartial, though, when he's faced with apparent evidence.

(Yeah, he's jealous, but he knows he shouldn't be jealous because it's not like Seto's his actual significant other. It's not technically cheating.)

Jou can't take it anymore when it looks like Seto and his companion are about to set away and go somewhere more private. He slips in and pretends all "hey sorry to keep you waiting." Other guy gets pissed (lol he did not sign up to get roped into a cuck fantasy or some other couple play). Seto is also pissed because he just lost his playmate.

But they can't come to blows in the middle of the open area of the club, so they make use of the private room to duke it in.

No small part of this confrontation is Jou being faced with his own hurt pride. What? Was he not good enough that Seto had to go cruising for other dick? He knows they're just fuck buddies, but he was under the impression that they were both satisfied with that.

Seto has to brutally correct him that this isn't about Jou, get over himself. (In his view, it's not about any deficiencies on Jou's part, but in a healthier relationship, this is also where you talk candidly to your partner, and they're not in a place to do that until they're absolutely forced to. Like right this moment, lol.) They've been having fantastic sex, but it's fantastic vanilla sex.

Seto sometimes craves more.

This doesn't reassure Jou at all. Does Seto think he's incapable of giving him what he wants? For crying out loud, he was straight like a month or two ago. Now look at him!

Seto questions if Jou actually can. Because this isn't like whatever he thinks from his porn. Seto likes impact play, specifically. And he knows, he can see that Jou struggles with the violence he can and has inflicted in his past. He doesn't want or need Jou's issues bleeding into this. It'd be bad for both of them.

But they're both stubborn and more than a bit reckless and determined to prove the other wrong. (Yes, a healthier thing to do would be to cool their heads and call it a night and revisit the topic another time, but that's not the characters I'm writing lol.) So they try out some light impact play, probably spanking to keep it entry-level.

Long story short, I'm hoping this is the start of Jou learning the ropes when it comes to kink. Much like using his strength as a hitter for the team, it kinda gives him another way to recontextualize it for good. Or at least I hope it can be pulled off that way haha.

[mythosidhesdollhouse]

Soooooooooooo I'm afraid your friend in doll collecting may have gone a tiny bit off the rails today. IN MY DEFENSE--I just got a refund from Aliexpress for an order that failed to arrive within their 'Delivery in 30 days or it's free!' window. So technically the money had already been spent. I just...stretched it a bit further ;p

The cloth doll in the middle is from HarperIman, another Black women-owned toy company. Their main business focuses on made-to-order, customizable, handmade linen dolls in the 18"-20" range, but they also have a line of 'petite' 14" handmade dolls that can be found at Target, FAO, and a few other retailers. The one I purchased, Sadie, is of the latter variety. I've seen this brand around for awhile, but this is the first time I've felt compelled to add one of their creations to my collection. I have a soft spot (LOL) for cloth dolls, but I'm also rather particular about them, so I don't have very many. This one spoke to me, she just feels like a good fit. I'm already having thoughts about embroidering flowers on her overalls ^_^

(Screenshots of some of the more bespoke dolls available directly from the HarperIman site)

I swear I made a genuine effort to choose between the two HBC girls and only get one for now...but I just couldn't. I made the mistake of browsing their Instagram, and the hair on these dolls is SO GOOD I am powerless to resist. I cannot wait to start designing outfits and accessories for them!

*sigh* so yes...I probably should have saved that money, but I'm also not exactly sorry it's gone...BUT REALLY THIS TIME, no more dolls. For a good minute. Between these latest shenanigans and Isabela and Moana and the factory Blythe from AE that hypothetically is still on the way, albeit extremely late...I have six dolls in transit. I need to slow the hell down and focus on making clothes for all these girls. I will make an honest effort to not go on ebay or Mercari or anywhere else I might be tempted by a deal at least until the end of the month. After that we'll see XD