#at one point i was a dove. trapped in the warehouse that was my home and unrecognizable to anyone who would have known me

[aedelia]

I had a dream about being so beloved that they wouldn't let me go. That they preserved and held onto me for so long that all my value and meaning had been forgotten and only nostalgia and familiarity remained. But it was a false familiarity for they didn't know me anymore. I would share my stories and the things that made them funny or clever were so irrelevant to modern life that they had no context and only bits and pieces were relatable to them. They kept bringing me back until I no longer resembled myself and I wondered how long it would be until I would be truly forgotten and could walk out the doors of the museum my life had become.

[ckbookish]

BATMAN BINGO MASTER POST 2020

1 "I thought you were dead.": I Still See Your Ghost 

Today was just not Dick's day. First he overslept his alarm and was late to work. Amy had been less than impressed at his tardiness... Then He had bungled what should have been an easy take town... But the straw that broke the camel's back was Tim. Dick had forgotten to call Tim. 

2 Friendly fire: Fratricide 

Jason was pissed. No, Jason was enraged. Yeah, he was enraged at the whole mess his family-- if that’s even what they were to each other anymore-- had gotten him in. It was meant to be a simple night. Break in. Torch the drugs. Maybe shoot a couple of people and go home. But no, Batman heard about his plans and decided that arson was too extreme. “Someone could get hurt.” Well someone had gotten hurt, a lot of someones. 

3 Hypothermia: Weekend Commute 

Dick Grayson makes his way home during the first snow fall of the year, when he finds himself confused and cold, miles from home.

Chapter two Bruce's perspective.

4 Superman: Bringer of the Dawn

The Aftermath of when the Joker shoots Dick.

or

Where do you go when your family tells you to get out?

5 Shot: The Gratitude Trap

Bruce finds himself in the dark, a place he never thought he would be when it came to Clark Kent and Dick Grayson. Yet here he is digging for answers, because he is too scared to pick up the phone and call. 

6 Two-face: The Better Choice 

How do you reconcile the man who was once your friend with the monster he has become? Bruce reflects on how the man he once called his best friend changed. How could the man who helped him foster Dick, hold that baseball bat? 

7 Drowning: Omori’s Law

Deep in the sewer's under Gotham, Batman is trapped. There is no back up, no Robin. He is faced with the single truth that he tried to teach each of his partners... You have to save yourself. 

  8 Found Family: A Restoration from a Resilient Heart

Dick just wants to not be alone with the shadows in the house. Bruce doesn't realize he has lived with them for far to long, and maybe he doesn't have to anymore.

9 Adoption: The Irrefutable Truth

When he reached the reception, he found himself looking around a fairly empty room. There were a few call girls in the corner filling out forms, an older woman holding a dog, a kid that looked about twelve and a middle aged man who looked like he was ready to cry. He knew no one. Dick was about to turn around and head back to his desk when the on duty officer called out to him. Officer O’Conner was one of his fellow rookies, he had a thick accent. Dick thought he might be from Louisiana. “Grayson! Why didn’t you say your brother was coming to see you?” Dick looked at him with his mouth slightly open. There was no way he heard that right. “My what?” 

10 Bruises: Mr. Wayne

Tim is new to this. He's only been Robin for a little over six months. It was going well. But now he was going to be fired. Batman wouldn't want a partner who got caught at school with a black eye. Would he?

11 Bruce is dead: You Have One Saved Message 

Gotham gossip columns spread lies and smear good people's names. But yet Damian can't help but think maybe this mornings article was true.  That despite all his claims of being the true son of Bruce Wayne, he was in fact the only unwanted one.

12 CPR: Vital Signs 

Robin wakes to find him and Batman in an exploded factory. With Batman injured and the building burning around them, Dick struggles to get them both to safety.   

13 Dad:  Storge 

Bruce could have sworn his spirit had left him momentarily.  The sudden hollowness that filled him couldn’t be explained in any other way. 

 “Your dad must have his hands full with you.”  Elizabeth Ribbons leaned forward and patted Dick’s shoulder, as he reached for yet another slice of cheesecake from a passing waiter’s tray.  

Bruce fixed his eyes on the ice sculpture that hid him from view.  It suddenly seemed like the most interesting design in the world.  The soft lines of the ice on the otherwise insignificant over sized swan seemed like a lead shield...  Because Dick would read it easily in his expression. He wanted to be Dick’s dad.  But he wasn’t. 

14 Stealing the Batmobile: T-Minus Six Hours

Some days Tim is sure that he’s gonna be killed. Usually it’s some luck shot or near miss that made his life flash before his eyes. Not today though. Today he was positive Bruce was going to kill him. Yes, today was the day that Timothy Jackson Drake was going to be put down. He’s not sure that even Nightwing could save him. He was going to go down in history as the first sidekick to be murdered by their mentor. Because the Batmobile was definitely not where he’d parked it.

15 Wayne Enterprises: Amidst the Absence of Meaning 

Bruce is worried. He's running on less than three hours of sleep, and way too many cups of coffee. He had messed up. That much was obvious. The question was would Dick forgive him?

A gruesome night on patrol bleeds into Bruce's work day and now all he can wonder is if this is the thing that will push Dick over the edge? Had he finally seen to much pain?

16 Ransom: Sum of My Worth

The ring of the phone seemed to echo through the manor’s still too quiet long, winding halls, and everyone present collectively held their breath. Bruce lunged for the phone.   

17 Secret Injury: Hiding in Pain Sight

“What?” Dick asked sharper than he meant to. He was tired.

“Nothing.” Tim said with a small smirk. “Heavy is the head.”

Dick closed his eyes, glad that Tim couldn’t see them. He was so sick of this. Tim, Jason, Damian and Cass all didn’t think he was good enough, well Cass hadn’t said that, but Dick could read her. They didn’t think he was up to the job. Well they didn’t need to tell him that. He knew it.

18 Superboy: An Interlude in Breathing 

Tim looked out over the water in a daze. Bruce and Dick had gone somewhere below deck and he was alone. Well there were strangers on the ship mingling and talking excitedly--but Tim gave them no notice. Instead he watched the water lap up against the hull and crash down back to meet the dark, cold waters. They were far enough out that he could no longer see the shore. It was just endless expenses of sea and sky. Something tickled his neck and he started, only to realize he had been crying. It was only a tear slipping under his collar.

The days after the battle of Infinite Crisis

19 Betrayed: Smother

She took another drag of the cigarette, letting the smoke roll in her lungs for a long moment before allowing it hiss out between her teeth. The screams from the warehouse weren’t completely muffled by the distance, or the walls. Perhaps she was only imagining them. But then, sounds like that, she didn’t think she could dream up. She jumped after a particularly high pitched yelp. “Get a grip.” She dropped the cigarette and pulled out another. Her hand shook as she lit it. “It’s just some random kid. He’s not--” She bit back a sob. She didn’t deserve to cry. She had no right to tears, not when it was her fault.   

20 Crowbar: Breaklights

The mail fell to the ground and the paper smacked the tiles hard.  The sound in reality couldn’t have been all that loud, but it seemed to echo around the entryway.  Bruce didn’t look at the dropped bills and the invitation to a fundraiser for the new Gotham women’s shelter.  He was too fixated on the small stamp with the queen of England's head on it.  Wolverhampton.  

The large envelope was far heavier then it should have been.  Bruce could feel bile crawling up his throat.  

He had forgotten.

21 Deathstroke: Debts and Dues

There were some things that were never pleasant, getting caught in the snow without socks, losing your keys, and not being able to remember the name of a song. Having a gun pointed at your chest, Dick felt, qualified as extremely unpleasant. He stood stock still. The barrel of the gun was still hot, it burned slightly as it dug into his sternum. Even with his uniform he could still feel the heat left over from previous rounds fired. He didn’t flinch. He couldn’t flinch. “Move.” “You know I can’t.” Dick wondered if Slade had the guts to do it.   

22 Mission Gone Wrong: Murmur in the Quiet Hours

Superman? Clark froze. He knew that voice. But-- he had never heard it sounding so sad. Was that-- no. Clark dove for his phone, still on the counter from when he got home last night. The screen was black. Dead. Clark swore and dropped it. He was in his coat and shoes before it hit the counter top.   

23 Kidnapped:  Chum 

Dick trumped through the leaves, stopping his feet roughly. He relished the sound of the crunch beneath his shoes as he tread on the brown, dead leaves before him. He felt rather justified in his satisfaction. After all the world had taken so much from him, why wouldn’t he do his best to crush it in return. The woods were cool and as he went deeper into them they grew darker. The sun had long set, and the sky was quickly vanishing as the trees grew thicker. Wayne Manor was far behind him. He was never going back. He hated those pristine walls, those old floor boards. He hated the quiet. He hated the stuffy furniture and the rules and the vases and pictures. He hated his new guardian and that… that… Dick couldn’t remember what Alfred was called, but he hated it. The bag on his back felt heavy. It had everything Dick owned in it. Well and a toothbrush that Alfred had given him. But he didn’t think that was really stealing. 

24 Riddler: Seeking Silence on Shortwaves

Normally Dick would be happy to listen to Tim talk. In fact, Dick thought it was one of his favorite sounds in the world. Tim rarely allowed himself to be excited about things. Hearing him speak so freely and openly to Bruce and him about his plans was refreshing. Dick only wished it wouldn’t be at the cost of his life.

Batman hadn't always been so strict about talking unnecessarily over comms. When it was just two of them it hadn't mattered, their walkie talkie system had always worked. But now that Nightwing and Robin were in Gotham, it seems insane that they never realized: if only one person can talk over the radio at a time... how could they call for help?

25 Mr. Freeze: Glimpsing the Sun While Trapped in the Rime

He almost called Bruce between his fourth and fifth class. He pulled his phone out, leaning against his locker, and half dialed his number when a warm hand fell on his shoulder. “Hey.” Dick spun around and blinked back black spots as his body protested the sudden movement. A blaze of red hair filled his vision and Dick felt a small fire build in his chest. His face split into a wide smile.

After a run in with Mr. Freeze Dick finds himself feeling odd at school, but he can't go home, not when Barbara's asked him to drive her to Betty's party after school.

[dreamescapeswriting]

Unfinished Business ~ Part Eight

WORD COUNT: 4.9K

WARNINGS: Mentions of mafia, strong language, murder, blood, torture

PAIRING: Bang Chan X Reader

DESCRIPTION: Part eight of nine of my new Bang Chan series. 

You’re taken hostage but one of Seoul’s leading mafia families Bang Chan but he doesn’t take you because he wants to fake a marriage or make you fall for him in 365 days no…He wants to use you for his own personal gain. To take over another family but when you try to escape things take a turn for the worst and you learn Chan isn’t one to be messed with.(Please I suck at describing stuff)

THEMES: Chan x Fem!Reader, Self insert

MASTERLIST | PREVIOUS | NEXT

"I asked you a question, it's very rude not to respond to me." Namjoon snarled at you, you stared up at him through your lashes and licked your lips to remove some of the blood. The taste of blood ran through your tongue and you spat down onto the floor beside his foot, which he didn't like. Blood was dripping from your busted lip and some from a cut near your back that would need some form of stitches, if you ever got out of the warehouse he was keeping you in.

"I won't tell you anything about him." Your voice was laced with poison, and you got another slap across your cheek for speaking to him like that. No one was allowed to speak to him that way, it had been this way from the moment he got you back here. He'd slap, kick, punch and even threaten you with weapons unless you gave him what he wanted from you.

"You know," You spat blood by his feet once more. He stared at you with a raised eyebrow, wanting to know what you had to say to him,

"At least when Chan kept me tied up I was warm." He growled, grabbing onto your face by each cheek he forced you to look at him in the eyes as he spoke to you. You could practically smell what he'd eaten all day and you groaned at him.

"At least have a breath mint if you're going to get this close to me." He gripped onto you tightly and sneered at you. He was pissed that you were trying to act like someone you weren't.

"If you're going to pretend to be tough you better be ready, doll face." He smirked at you, looking over his shoulder at something. There was the sound of a blow torch turning on and your face was forced to look in the direction he'd been looking in.

"A nice red hot poker for the pretty skin of yours, I'm sure Chan will love you all marked up." You tried to kick your legs at him, but you were tied down to the chair, so it wasn't as if you could go anywhere or do anything to him.

"Talk or I start burning." You stared at him, holding your ground. He'd done nothing but ask you questions about Chan since the moment he got you there, he wanted you alive so you knew you were safe for now. You hadn't slept or eaten anything for god knows how long and you didn't even know if Chan was going to come looking for you. Your mind just kept going back to the night before when he left you there, alone, and abandoned without protection. He'd promised to look after you.

"I can give you whatever he was giving you, money, power, anything. Name it and it'll all be yours...He's not going to come back for you sweetie." His voice was strapped with a condescending tone, so you spat more blood on the floor beside his foot. Sharp pain rushed across your cheek as he slapped you across the face with the back of his hand, cutting it with a ring he had on.

"He's not going to come back," Your face was once again in his hands as he forced you to look at him,

"He left you there," Another slap across your face, knocking your head limply from side to side,

"He let me find you," Another slap on the other side of your cheek, you coughed up some blood you'd swallowed and he grabbed your cheeks once again. A sharp pain ran through you as he gripped each cheek where he had been slapping with his ring covered fingers,

"One last chance before I go hard on you, where is he?" You stared into his eyes before looking down at the floor, not wanting to give up anything on Chan. He'd already been through so much with Namjoon killing his wife, you weren't about to make him lose everything he'd worked towards.

"Oh I get it," Namjoon started laughing loudly and he dropped your face as he knelt down in front of you. You avoided his eyes as he started laughing even harder,

"You've fallen in love with the monster. Oh little dove," He kept laughing and sniggering as he stared at you, all of his men laughing along with him as they stared at you,

"Can you believe it guys? The little one has Stockholm syndrome." You hissed at him as he ran his thumb along your bottom lip where he'd busted it open,

"He's a monster darling-"

"HE IS NOT!" You screamed at him, lunging so hard that the chair fell forward catching Namjoon in the leg.

"Bitch!" He cried out, slapping you across the face once again only this time everything snapped into black.

"I said find her and I meant it," Chan growled as he stared down at his desk, he had countless photographs of you and him together. All of them taken from the night before when you had been on your date. Including some when he was making love to you in the gardens.

"We're trying but it's hard, she tried to get back here last night but from the tracks on the road it looks like someone-"

"Not someone! Namjoon! Namjoon got her and I want her found now!" His fist slammed against the desk so hard it knocked over the drink he had on his desk, he didn't care that it was spilling onto the floor. He didn't care that he hadn't slept in a day all he cared about was trying to find you before something bad happened.

Why did he have to leave you there?! He should have just stayed there with you and let you say what you wanted to say instead of running away scared, he should have stuck to the plan with Changbin. The plan to take you out and show you off, make sure to grab the attention of Namjoon and have a public date right? He was just supposed to leave you there for an hour or so and come back to Namjoon being there with you, but after the words left your mouth he just ran.

"I think I have it," Changbin said as he walked into the room, Chan came out of his daydream to look at Changbin. His hair was pushed back and he hadn't changed from the suit he'd worn the night before, he'd be working harder than anyone else - besides Chan -  since it had been his plan in the first place.

"Show me," He laid out floor plans of an old building Namjoon had bought under a fake name, and he'd been there that morning to get thermal images of the inside of the building.

"It's got to be her, look." He circled where a bunch of people seemed to be hiding in one spot, but it was far too obvious for it not to be some kind of trap set up by Namjoon. But right now all Chan cared about was getting you out of there before something could happen to you.

"Get your guns and get extra ammo if you want it, let's go."

"Chan I think we should-" Jisung tried to talk to him about coming up with some kind of plan,

"I said let's go! I'm not letting her go!" Jisung nodded, he knew that and he wasn't suggesting that he was suggesting going in with a plan instead of just running in without some kind of plan.

"You're going to tell me everything I need to know." Your hands were chained above your head on a hook as you were being knelt on the floor. Your knees were cut up as they dragged along the harsh flooring that was inside there.

"I'm not going to tell you anything," You repeated, looking at Namjoon who groaned, rolling his eyes at you. He wiggled the chains to make sure they were secure and that you couldn't get out of them.

"You're going to have to talk at some point, he's not going to come back so you might as well talk to me now." You stayed silent and he sighed, dropping to his knees and squatting onto the floor in front of you,

"I'm going to tell you what I did to his pretty little wife, all of those beautiful details he probably left out," He said as he picked out his gun and cocked it back - you'd seen him loading it less than 20 minutes ago so you knew it was real,

"You're going to be a good little girl and listen to me," He placed the gun on your temple to make sure you knew he was serious about this. You looked at him, giving away no sign that you were terrified of him even though on the inside you were crying and screaming to get away from him.

"He went away on some trip and she was home alone, we broke in and we took her just like I took you last night." You swallowed the lump that was starting to form and you nodded along to what he was saying, not wanting him to shoot you, he was clearly unstable.

"We took her to my place where I chained her up just like this." He uncocked the gun and put it down out of your reach, before he took out a blade from his jeans.

"Then, when she didn't give me what I wanted we tortured her for a week until he came home and then we left her on the floor for him to find," He started laughing loudly, you felt your eyes well up at the thought of Chan walking in and finding his wife on the floor like that,

"Gutted her like a fish and left her on the carpet, you should have seen the look on his face when he found her. That was before he moved of course, so we're going to have to find somewhere to put you where he can find you." You threw yourself at him, but the hook of the crane you were being held on yanked you backwards, scraping your legs across the floor creating burns on your knees and shins from the dress.

"Ooo angry, I love it. You must really love him huh? To get angry at me for something I did to his wife?" The blade was being held against your neck with the blade just touching your skin, barely cutting it but just enough to draw some blood.

"Don't think for one second that I wouldn't do this to you, because I will darling, I just want a little something from you first." He threw you forwards onto your knees again, before one of his men came up and tried to play a gag into your mouth. You were making it difficult by moving your head and biting them whenever they got to close.

"They're on their way sir," Your eyes widen as you realised that Chan was on his way, and this was all some kind plan to get him in here so Namjoon could kill him.

"I'll give you whatever it is you want just don't hurt him, please." You begged, looking at Namjoon willing to do anything to save Chan from any harm. But it was too late, the gag was placed into your mouth to stop you from talking and you whimpered, watching him get into his car and tell everyone to leave except for one of the men, Jungkook. The boy nodded, looking at you as Namjoon got into his car and pulled out of the warehouse. Jungkook pulled out his gun getting it ready for any kind of fight Chan might put up.

"He doesn't mean it, he's just-" You stared at Jungkook to stop him from speaking bullshit about his boss. Namjoon and his men had all driven off an hour ago, your arms were numb from the restraints. All you wanted to do was go home to Chan and sleep everything away like it was some kind of bad dream.

"You're sure she's here? We've been here for an hour!"  Chan's voice yelled out as he walked through the halls of the giant warehouse to find you. The place had been like a maze to get into but there was one clear exit at the back. You looked at the door as you heard hushed tones. Jungkook's hand was on his gun and you started screaming under the gag to try and make sure they could hear you, trying to warn them that you weren't alone. None of this made any sense though since your voice was muffled. Namjoon knew that Chan would bring all seven of his men, so why would he then leave only one behind? It had to be some kind of trap set up to get Chan.

"Y/N!" Chan breathed seeing you knelt there. There was a quick shot and Jungkook was down on the floor bleeding from his shoulder, while Seungmin and Felix went to chain him up. You began crying heavily as Chan rushed over to you and lowered you down from the hook, your chained hands fell around his neck as you cried into him.

"They left an hour ago, you have to get out of here it's a trap." You sobbed to him and he started chuckling as he picked you up from the floor.

"A trap is what we were hoping for, get him in the car." You frowned as he began hurrying you out of the building and towards the cars that they'd come in,

"Y/n you're driving, I need to get some answers out of this one." All of the cars were identical with identical number plates, which meant he was trying to confuse Namjoon and the other boys.

"Changbin, you head east, Jisung and Minho I want you in the North, boys just drive around where they can see you but in opposite directions." They all got into their cars and Chan undid the ropes from around your wrist before handing you the keys.

You'd been driving for an hour in a circle, you had no idea where you were going, you just kept driving as Chan told you to. By the time you'd circled around again Jungkook had a bloody nose - you were pretty sure it was broken and his lip was burst in several places making it look like one big bloody mess just like your face.

"C-Chan maybe that's enough-"

"Enough?! They took you! Where did Namjoon go?!" He snapped punching Jungkook in the gut, he wasn't angry with you, he was mad at himself for going along with the plan. You flinched looking up at the road again, instead of in the mirror at Chan in the back of the car. You knew why he was doing this but it didn't make it any easier for you to watch it happen.

"C-Chan?" You stuttered, seeing headlights coming straight towards you. They were driving on your side of the road at a fast pace, so whoever it was clearly wasn't planning on moving any time soon.

"Seatbelt." You warned him, as you shifted into sixth gear and pushed your foot down onto the floor. He scrambled to put his seatbelt on, watching through the window in horror as you headed straight for the headlights before swerving at the last second drifting slightly. Your backend clipping into their car, spinning them out to the side of the road and so you began turning the car around to face them again. You slammed on the handbrake and brakes to stop yourselves from rolling into the ditch at the side of the road and Jungkook was out cold in the back from hitting his head so much.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Chan asked, watching as you slipped it back into gear and started revving the engine.

"I like the fast and furious movies," Never in a million years did you think it would ever work but everything was worth a shot. Looking at the car you realised it began to head towards you again so you panicked telling Chan who it was,

"It's Namjoon, or one of his men we have to get out of here Chan." The car in front of you began revving so much that exhaust was pouring out of the back of the car.

"Drive back to the warehouse, I'll text the guys." You slammed the car into reverse and began driving backwards instead of heading right up to their car. Having no idea what Chan's plan was, you followed his orders getting back onto the main road and driving normally.

"Give it up." Jungkook mumbled drooling blood down onto the floor behind your seat. He'd woken up about twenty minutes into your drive and began telling you how dumb this plan was, that you wouldn't get away from Namjoon. You pushed the brakes when you saw Namjoon standing in the doorway to the warehouse from before, the four cars that had begun tailing you blocked you at every exit point. You shut off the engine, throwing the keys onto the floor to give yourself an easy give up to him.

"Y/n-" You didn't let Chan finish talking, you just got out of the car and put your hands up.

"What do you want Chan so badly for?"

"I just want everything that he's got, the money, the house, the girl, he doesn't deserve it." You walked closer to Namjoon with your hands behind your head. What had Chan ever done to this guy to make him hate him so much? You only knew about property takings and drug deals but nothing warranted killing his wife.

"If you get it will you leave him alone?" He shrugged his shoulders,

"Possibly." You needed a definite answer before you gave yourself away to save Chan. You needed him to be safe. Even if he didn't love you back, you still loved him and you do what you can to protect the ones you love.

"I want your word." You demanded and Namjoon held his hand on his heart while holding up the other in the air.

"I promise I won't harm a single hair on his head if you come with me." You looked down at the ground before over your shoulder at Chan. Who was begging you not to leave him as he got out of the car, several guns being aimed at him as soon as he did.

"Then let him leave." Namjoon nodded his head, all six of his men stood down and Chan rushed to your side holding onto your hand. He was begging you not to do it in silence, looking into your eyes, he'd only just gotten you back he couldn't lose you now.

"It saves you, just leave okay? I'm out of your hair now, I'm gone. You don't have to worry about last night or anything, I'll be fine." He cupped your face in his hands, looking deep into your eyes trying to search for any sign that you wanted him to rescue you, but your eyes were dead. It was like someone had shut off the light behind them and you weren't you anymore, not the one he'd fallen for anyway, but you had to be this way. You had to come across as cold to be able to let him go so he could be safe.

"Y/n, come on now dear." Namjoon purred, and you sniffled looking into Chan's eyes and mouthing goodbye as you walked over to Namjoon.

Everything happened far too quickly, you and Namjoon had been walking towards the warehouse where his car was waiting. When gunshots began to sound, being fired in every direction, Namjoon was on the floor next to you bleeding out from his leg as whoever got him shot him close to one of the main arteries. He began whimpering and coughing up blood onto the floor beside him so you moved away,

"Y/N GET DOWN!" You dropped to the floor upon hearing Chan's voice in a panic, he was freaking out after he heard the shots being fired. Changbin and the rest of the boys all came to find you once they never got a call from Chan to signal an all clear, you scrambled to hide behind something that was in the warehouse and Chan lost you in the fight. Guns were firing too quickly for you to even hear anything that was being yelled.

"Changbin?" You questioned, as he came over to you to make sure you were okay. He shot off directly behind you, causing a body landing next to your feet, you tried not to scream as you saw Jungkook on the floor dead. Changbin looked at you and smiled sadly as he realised you were scared.

"Sorry for leaving you there-" He shot off again and you screamed holding your hands over your ears, the guns being too loud for you.

"Y/n?!" Chan sounded panicked, but you stood up once the shooting stopped. The only thing filling the air was the sound of whimpering, he smiled at you rushing to your side. Everyone that had been working for Namjoon was on the floor either dead or in serious need of some medical attention,

"You okay? I heard you scream." His hands were turning your head from side to side to look at the marks Namjoon had left you with earlier. You shook your head promising him that you were fine and that Changbin had just scared you by shooting someone from behind you.

"Are you okay?!" You asked, looking at him as he cupped your face in his hands, he bent down to kiss you when another shot rang out through the air. The room seemed to fall into a deathly silence as Chan sank down to the floor knees first as he dropped his gun,

"C-Chan?!" You panicked, kneeling down beside him his white shirt was covered in blood as the bullet had ripped through his body and came out of the other side. It had hit his kidney and something else causing him to bleed out profusely.

"CHANGBIN!!" You shrieked at him to come over to you, you had no idea what to do but he was the closest one to you and he had just shot the person who had shot Chan. Your hands were pressing down on the bullet wound Chan had, Jisung rushed over to you, pushing your hands down on him as well. Applying pressure to a wound was the best option, but blood was sputtering out between your fingers.

"I know it hurts but we have to keep-" You tried to tell him it would be fine as long as you kept the pressure on it.

"It's not hurting Y/n." Even as he was dying he wasn't whimpering or crying, he just accepted that this was happening.

"J-Jisung what's happening?" You whimpered when the blood kept pouring out, it must have hit the main artery for it to be bleeding this badly and this quickly just like Namjoon on the floor.

"Get an ambulance!" You screamed at Jeongin, who was now hovering above his leader who was struggling to breathe now. Jisung kept the pressure on Chan as Chan weakly took your hands into his and stared at you.

"It's okay to love me you know, please love me." Your eyes teared up as he begged you to love him, as if you weren't already madly in love with him.

"I do love you Chan, which is why you have to stay with me, come on. CHANGBIN! AMBULANCE!" You screamed, but Chan's hand on yours tightened as he tried to get your attention back on him/ He wanted you to focus on just him, he stared into your eyes as you began to sob heavily.

"Don't cry, hey. You're way too pretty to be crying." You sniffled as he reached his hand up shakily and ran his thumb under your eye.

"I'm madly in love with you Chan okay, so you're not allowed to die on me." He choked on some of the blood that was coming up into his mouth as he tried to laugh about it, and blow it off as if this was nothing.

"I love you too." His eyes travelled off behind you and you saw the light leave his eyes. You shook your head trying to shake him to bring him back, Jisung moved his hands away so he wasn't applying pressure anymore.

"You have to keep the pressure on!" You yelled, holding down onto the wound as you tried to keep Chan alive. But Jisung pulled you away from his body, as you kicked your legs trying to get closer to him again, he struggled to keep you back.

"He's gone Y/n, he's gone." He whispered, moving you away as you screamed, wiggling around as you tried to run over to him. You were covered in his blood and watched in horror as Changbin covered his body up with a blazer, looking at Jisung shaking his head to declare that Chan was gone.

"Get her back to the house, get her cleaned up we'll take care of this." Minho walked over to Jisung and helped him to get you into the car, since you were still screaming with tears gushing down your cheeks. It was a struggle as you continued to try and free yourself out of their hands, yelling and crying about wanting to be with Chan instead of back at the house alone, you didn't want to go home without him.

"There's a problem," Changbin said as you sat in the office, you were staring down at the photographs of Chan as they all spoke about that night. You were still sitting there in the dress that was covered in his and your blood, they'd tried to get you to shower but you wouldn't move.

"Namjoon can't be found, we think he got away when Chan got shot." You frowned looking at him, you could remember Namjoon on the floor clear in your head. He was right next to you when he went down, he had to be dead or Chan would have died for nothing.

"I saw him on the floor." You whispered, looking up at Changbin who just shook his head.

"Not dead." He whispered, you let out a sob as you looked over at the door to see Minho and Jeongin walking into the room. You'd wanted it to be Chan but it wasn't, it was clear they'd both been crying though as they wiped their eyes.

"Everything will be ready for the funeral, just like he'd ordered." You looked at them and swallowed the lump in your throat.

"He had all of this stuff planned?" They nodded and you wiped your eyes on your hands when you saw the blood, it was starting to sink in now that he was gone.

"You should get some sleep," Changbin stated, coming over to you and helping you stand up from the giant chair. He walked you towards your room but you shook your head not wanting to be in there tonight or any night ever again.

"I want to sleep in his bed." You whimpered, walking to the door and opening it. The room was freezing and dark, so you flicked the switch on lightening up the room as you looked inside; everything was just how he'd left it that morning as if he was coming home any minute.

"I'll leave you to it." The door shut and you walked further inside going over to his en-suite to have a shower, you had to get out of the dress that was covered in his blood and wash everything off from that night. You stripped down, throwing it into a basket and stepped into the hot water. The floor of the shower turned red and you swallowed the lump that formed in your throat, as you realised it was Chan's blood more than your own.

You climbed into the bed after your shower, wearing one of his white work shirts and stared around the room, it felt empty without him being there next to you. The night before had been so peaceful even if it was when you rushed into the room scared of the storm, he was there which was what made it better than the cold dark room you were in now. You arranged the pillows so it would be as if he was there and you snuggled down into them and cried softly as you could smell him still on the sheets, at least you still had his smell for now. 

Tagline: @taestannie​ @kneel-begyourpardon​ @moonprincessdiviniation​ (my wonderful editor who wants me dead) @calling-dips-on-j-hope​ @hugs4chan​ @ncitythoughts @inseonqt​ @cloudsgathering​ @atletino​ @mischiefmakerliesmith5​ @freckledquokka​ @happygirl327​ @seraplantery​ @km-98​

[ranger-jedi-knight]

This Little Angel

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24201565 Tagged: @chocolate1721 @tiny-goddess-of-chaos

Ok, so my Discord buddies caused this one, great idea. Just had to do it. Hope you guys enjoy it! Especially you Choco n AAAAAAAAAAAH.

Harley heard the crying first. When she looked over and saw the man standing over a couple with the child between them sobbing out. She couldn’t have been older than 3. The mugger ran as soon as he saw her. She ran over and kneeled down next to the little girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. The girl sobbed as she dove into Harley, burying her face into Harley’s shoulder.

“Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry,” she mumbled looking at her parent’s bodies before looking where the mugger had left. It seems he was content to leave her to die alone. “Come on, sweetie, I’ll give you a good home.” she picked up the little girl, holding her close as she balanced the girl on her hip and walked back to her and Joker’s place. “Puddin! We have a child now!” she called and Joker looked over at her, his usual grin falling in confusion.

“What? What do you mean, sweetheart?” he asked looking at her and the little girl in her arms.

“Well, Puddin, this little cutie’s parents were mugged and killed. The mugger left her for dead when he saw me,” she explained sitting down and bouncing her legs hoping to get the girl to laugh.

“Well, that is unfortunate,” he said and Harley gave him a big smile.

“But I figure we could raise her n give her a happy home!” she explained and Joker started nodding and smile grew on his face.

“Sounds good, Doll Face.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧~~~~~~~~~~~~

No one knew Joker and Harley were raising a child. Well, that’s not totally true. Harley’s friends Ivy and Selina knew. But they weren’t ones to snitch to others. So it was a big surprise when Joker brought along a 6-year-old child with him the child was wearing a mix of red and blue inspired Harley dress with a deep purple tux jacket over it. Harley still wasn’t active which was confusing but they couldn’t question it. “Lookey here Batsy! I have one too!” Joker cackled happily and the little girl beamed in her arms. “Hello, there mister Bats! Would you like to smell my flower?” she asked and Joker pouted turning the dangling little girl to him.

“Mari darling, that’s not the script,” he said gently and Mari tilted her head. “I just want him to smell my flower,” she said softly, pulling the flower out of her jacket’s pocket and Joker placed her on the ground and patted her head.

“Batsy, please smell her flower and compliment it,” he said and Batman and his companions just looked very confused.

“Please?” she asked with a pout and Joker leveled a look behind them. Nightwing nodded and leaned over to smell the flower to not risk Joker’s wrath.

“Smells lovely,” he said and Mari beamed at him.

“He likes my flower, daddy!” she beamed and Joker smiled.

“He’d be an idiot not too, Mari darling,” he replied with a nod. “I’m not smelling the flower. What are you planning, Joker?” Batman asked with a glare. Joker frowned and pulled the plastic flower from his jacket and pointed it at Batman. Batman started reacting only to stop when he felt liquid hitting him.

“You’re a meanie, mister Bats!” she said pouting.

“You’re lucky its only water,” Joker said picking up the little girl.

“Daddy, can I please remake your suit now? It’s bad and Riddler shares the same color green,” she said and Joker had an offended look on his face.

“I will not share a color with that dimwit. We’re heading to the fabric and craft stores,” he said walking away and the bats were able to hear another part of their talking.

“And pay for them. I’m not using stolen goods,” Mari said with a frown, and Joker groaned.

“Ok, Mari darling. I’ll pay for the items,” he agreed. Batman and Robin(Tim) followed after Joker and Mari. Meanwhile Nightwing and Red Hood went to the base to get answers from Harley.

“Harley! You didn’t say you were pregnant!” Nightwing shouted as they entered to see Harley cooking while humming. “That’s easy, it’s because I wasn’t pregnant,” she replied turning to them and the two looked at her confused.

“Then where did the child come from?” Red Hood asked and Harley looked down at the pan sadly.

“You see, I came across her when I was heading back after hanging with Ivy and Selina 3 years ago. Her parents were killed in a mugging, the mugger ran as soon as he saw me, leaving her to be killed or something. So I took her home and Puddin n I decided to raise her. She’s doing so well, is she not? She’s even making Puddin act better!” she said beaming at the last part.

“That is good, we’ve been seeing the improvement,” Nightwing said and Red Hood had to nod agreement. Joker stopped targeting kids and teens, well excluding Robin and anyone helping Batsy, and his Joker Venom was only used if he did a big attack. Hell, he even apologized for how horrendously he killed Hood. That had Hood frozen in shock at hearing it. Granted Joker wouldn’t stop trying to hurt or even killing them, he just said he wouldn’t be as disturbing at it. Cause he can admit that that was a disturbing way to kill a kid. This wasn’t even the first time he’s heard of the flower now just spitting water! That little girl was an Angel sent from heaven, the two, well three counting Harley, were sure of it.

Meanwhile over with Batman and Robin, they were shocked to watch as Joker and Mari entered the fabric store. Everyone dove to the ground and the employees were shaking. But they did nothing but browse before taking it to the counter to get cut then heading to the front to pay for it, the needles, threads, scissors, sewing machine, and pattern for a new suit.

Mari was happily holding the bag of bought goods as they went to the craft store to get some other things such as a sketchbook, pencils, colored pencils, buttons, and the like. It was the same there as well. The customers fell to the ground and the employees were scared. Thou one employee didn’t look scared which confused the bats. Until they realized that the employee, a high school girl, was fighting to stay awake. After paying and leaving Joker was laughing at how the girl didn’t even blink as she fought to stay awake. When they glanced back, another employee was talking to the girl but the girl just leaned against the counter and fell asleep and the other employee looked terrified and got on the phone.

The two then went home and Nightwing and Red Hood caught up to Batman and Robin and told them what they knew and Batman sighed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three Years Later

Mari wasn’t happy when she earned her daddy hurt a kid. Someone a year or so older than her. But she also knew it was an accident, and accidents happened. The boy was trying to get to safety and someone else was the main problem hurting the boy. It was just cause Joker was attacking that the boy was running. She had brought the two sisters of the boy some sweets when she learned he went missing.

After doing that, with all of her other deeds, earned her the name of Gotham’s Sunshine Angel. Purely from how bright of an outlook she has when talking with people, brightening their days, and helping people out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧~~~~~~~~~~~~

One Year Later

Mari had been excited when she met the new boy in her class. A 10-year-old boy named Damian had just arrived in Gotham to live with his father Bruce Wayne. When he arrived he was very closed off to everyone. He thought of himself as better which was ridiculous in her mind.

But slowly, ever so slowly, she got him to open up and become friends with him. It took over half a year to do that and she was proud of doing that. He was opening up slowly and actually acting like a child instead of an adult trapped in a child’s body. He was excited to introduce her to his family which she was excited too. She wanted to introduce him to her daddy and mommy!

She waved happily tot he shocked family. Tho from their faces she inched back nervous. “What’s the matter, father? Why are you acting like that to my friend?” Damian demanded, glaring at his family as Mari hid behind him slightly.

“Do you know who she is, Damian?” Bruce asked softly and Damian looked between him and Mari, confused.

“What do you mean?”

“She’s Joker’s daughter, adopted, but daughter nonetheless,” he said slowly and Damian whipped around to glare at her. A whimper left her as she backed away from her friend.

“You’re Joker’s child? And you didn’t think to tell me?” he demanded and Mari bit her lip, holding back a scream when her back hit the door as Damian and his family looked at her. His family was shocked still, but Damian?

Oh.

He looked furious.

“I-I thought you knew,” she stammered out, shrinking under his gaze. “E-everyone knows it since I was 6.”

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” he demanded.

“She’s telling the truth, Damian. Joker and Harley adopted her after finding her crying. It was a mugging gone wrong,” Bruce explained and Damian turned to him with narrowed eyes before turning back to Mari once more.

“How do I know she doesn’t have some evil plan? She’s the child of Joker,” he spat and Mari couldn’t hold back the tears. With a cry, she pulled the door open and rushed out of the manor.

What she didn’t see as she ran thru the rain and foggy street back to the city, Damian being glared at by his family.

What she did see tho?

It was too late.

A van screeched to a halt in front of her and a couple of men leaped out and grabbed her. She screamed out in fright, hoping someone would hear and help, but alas, it wouldn’t matter. They got her into the van and duct-taped her mouth.

When they got to the warehouse they got her changed into clothes all the other kids inside wore. Within a few hours, she and the others were on a supply plane toward Paris, France, sold to a sleazy orphanage.

Joker and Harley were in a frenzy that night. The Bats did what they could to calm them but it was difficult.

You shouldn’t mess with the Joker’s daughter.

That’s how they learned that she never made it home. The sweet angel would never do something like that to her parents. If she had a problem like a fight that happened, she would talk to her mommy and get advice. They didn’t learn until it was too late thou.

They were told she would be staying a few hours with her friend Damian. After those few hours, she was gone, already on a plane, leaving behind devastated parents and a guilt-ridden friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~(⋟﹏⋞)~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mari was jostled awake by one of the women running the orphanages. “Name?” she demanded and Mari opened and closed her mouth a few times trying to think, her face screwing up as she did.

“I-I think my name is Marinette,” she said after a bit and the woman’s face softened a bit.

“You think?” she asked and Mari nodded.

“I-I can’t remember anything,” she said and the woman nodded understanding.

“Well, it sounds like you have amnesia, Marinette. You’ll be lucky if it returns soon,” she replied writing some things down. “Get up, we need to get you cleaned up, some lovely people are coming by to see if there are any children they would like to adopt.”

Mari nodded and got up slowly, following behind the woman.

~~~~~~~~~~~~(⋟﹏⋞)~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mari was tired. She’s been with Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng for five years now. They were fine. They treated her well, but worked her hard. They had her helping in the bakery a lot. When that wasn’t happening, they talked to her only when eating together. When not doing either of those, she was sewing, but only sewing things her classmates, used to be friends, wanted. And when she wasn’t doing that, she was doing her Class Rep duties.

But oh.

On top of all that!

She was Ladybug, the hero of Paris.

Ya, she was tired. Her partner Chat was useless. He flirted constantly and didn’t know how to take no as an answer. Then there was also, Lila, a super liar who got her class to turn against her. Ya. she’s not having a good time in Paris.

She also wanted to remember her past. She keeps remember fuzzy figures that bring comfort, but she just can’t remember.

And it’s driving her nuts.

She slumped at her desk looking at her teacher who once more overlooked her. But then glared at her once Lila claimed something. Chloe sat down next to her and patted her back in comfort. She was glad to have made a friend with Chloe. She had been prepared to deal with Chloe, but she didn’t know how she was prepared for it. Just that she was.

“Have you head from WE?” Chloe asked and Mari shook her head. “Not yet. Any day now,” she replied and Chloe nodded.

“And your parents?”

“Couldn’t care less. They only care that I won’t be able to help them out,” she answered with a sigh and Chloe shook her head.

“Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous,” she said with a flip of her hair.

“Class, I have a special announcement!” Bustier called and the class looked up at the teacher. “Our class is going to Gotham for a week to tour Wayne Enterprises!” she said happily and the class started cheering.

“Oh, I just knew my Damiboo would come thru for me!” Lila said and that had the class looking at her.

“Really girl!? Tell me the deets!” Alya said and Lila beamed as the rest of the class agreed.

“You see, I’m dating Damian Wayne, heir to Wayne Enterprises. When he heard that m-our class was fighting to win the chance to go, he promised to pull some strings and he pulled thru!” she said happily to the camera Alya whipped out and Alya started talking to it but the two girls in the back ignored it all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mari squealed next to Chloe as the exited the plane.

Alas, she should have known.

Nothing good ever stays.

She had to walk to the school they were visiting since her class left her behind. As soon as she got there, gasps rang out. A tall teen with tanned skin, black slicked-back hair, and the most intense emerald gaze walked over to her. Whispers rang around the halls about the Ice Prince, wondering what he was doing. The whispering got worse when he placed his hands on her shoulders and you could see him holding back tears.

She looked at him confused, she recognized him but couldn’t place it for the life of her.

And it pained her not being able to.

The teen pulled her into a bone-crushing hug with a soft gasp. “I’m so sorry, Angel,” he whispered. That brought tears to her eyes. He pulled back to look her in the eyes and looked concerned about the sad expression in her eyes.

“I-I’m sorry, I….I don’t remember you,” she whispered and his expression turned pained as they heard a shout and a blonde teen ran into Mari giving her a hug and looking at him sadly.

“I’m sorry. If you’re from her past, she doesn’t remember anything from before 6 years ago when she was adopted,” she said and the boy nodded understanding. “Chloe Bourgeois,” she introduced and the teen shook her hand. “Damian Wayne. Thank you for telling me,” he said and she nodded. “If you allow it, may I accompany you and tell you how we first met years ago?” he asked and Mari gave a slow nod.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” she answered and Damian gave the barest smiles and the three headed off to classes, just in time to hear Lila boast about ‘Damiboo’.

Oh, she’s going to regret that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧~~~~~~~~~~~~

The week consisted of Damian and his friends Jon and Xander, hung with her and Chloe telling them about the year she disappeared, the year she and Damian met and became close friends. He didn’t go into too many details about the fight, just staying they had a horrible fight because he was an idiot and how sorry he was about it. He wanted to make sure she knew he was sorry.

And it did help, she could remember a bit more but still had trouble.

But it was progress.

And Mari is happy about it.

When it was time to leave, Damian was there to see her off, but they were both surprised to see Bruce walking up to her with Joker and Harley with Commissioner Gordon helping watch them.

The whole airport froze at the sight of them, remembering the terror they brought years ago when their daughter disappeared. Damian went over to Bruce, the question clear on his face.

“I got Mari’s class this trip because I recognized her. I thought her parents would appreciate seeing her,” he whispered and Damian gave a soft smile as he watched Joker and Harley freezing up when they saw Mari.

“Mari darling,” Joker whispered and they watched as tears gathered in her eyes as a recognition went over her. She knew them, she wasn’t sure how, but she knew them. Chloe was looking at the three with wide eyes. “H-how do you-?” she started and cut herself off but the two knew what she was asking.

“Because, you’re our daughter, pumpkin,” Harley whispered and a ragged breath left her as she held back a sob.

“D-daddy? M-mommy?” she whispered and the two nodded. “I’m so sorry!” she sobbed, remembering everything, out running to them and the two pulled her close and started crying themselves.

“It’s ok, Mari darling. We know you didn’t mean it. We’re just glad your safe now,” Joker whispered as they collapsed onto their knees to the ground.

“S-still, I should-I should have called for you and-and waited!” she sobbed out and the two gently shushed her.

“It’s ok, pumpkin. We don’t need to dwell on the past. You’re here now,” Harley whispered and Mari nodded into their shoulders.

“I’m glad I found you again,” she whispered and they nodded themselves. They slowly pulled back when Mari heard Chloe cough. “I-I’m sorry, I have to go back now,” she whispered and the two looked sad at that.

“Uh, You’ll get longer actually,” Chloe said annoyed and that had everyone in the airport confused. “They left without us,” she scoffed jerking a hand back to the empty gate and terminal.

“What!?” Gordon shouted and Chloe nodded as the man ran to the gate’s desk and spoke to the pilot angrily.

“Marinette,” Bruce began and Mari turned to him and tilted her head.

“Yes?”

“Would you like to come back and live in joint custody of Joker and Harley?” he asked and Mari started nodding before stopping.

“Joint?” she asked looking between the two.

“We, split after you disappeared, pumpkin. We couldn’t stop arguing, but don’t worry, we aren’t arguing anymore, and won’t ever if you stay with us,” Harley said and Mari nodded slowly.

“And, Mari darling, don’t blame yourself. Ok? We’re both happy with where we are, your mommy is in a great relationship with Ivy now and is very happy. And I am enjoying the bachelor life!” Joker said happily and Mari beamed at that.

“I’m glad you’re happy now, daddy, mommy,” she whispered and the two nodded back with smiles.

“We are too, Mari darling.”

“I can speak to the officials in France about this as you were taken from your parents,” Bruce said and Mari smiled at that.

“Thank you, Mr. Wayne,” Mari whispered.

“The plane is too far away for them to turn around. But once they land, you’re teacher will be in trouble and investigated for leaving two students in Gotham,” Gordon said walking over to them after finishing the radio call.

“You should also have her adopted parents investigated,” Chloe said thru a scoff and that had the small group looking over at her while Mari shrunk.

“What do you mean?” Gordon asked confused.

“They neglect her daily and force her to work in the bakery or make things for her ‘friends’ even though they know she doesn’t think of them as such,” she explained and Gordon slowly nodded at that.

“I’ll tell them that,” he said walking away.

“While that is figured out, why don’t you two stay at Wayne Manor until it’s all done,” Bruce suggested and the two teens nodded agreement.

“I’ll take your bag,” Damian said and Mari smiled at that as she stood up and her parents squished her between them.

Yeah, she’s happy to finally be home.

Ok, I hope you guys enjoyed this!! This was pretty fun to write. If enough people ask, there MAY be a second part. But we’ll see. Anyways! Hope you enjoyed this long fic! Until Next Time!! -Love Willa<3<3<3

[5sospenguinqueen]

BIG FUCKS SMALL - Alfie Solomons

PLOT: Alfie’s riled up and starts an argument with you but quickly gets distracted by how small you are compared to him.

WARNING: Smut, language, size kink

_________

Alfie Solomons liked to pretend that he always knew what he was doing, that he always had a plan, and that he was never afraid of anything. It wasn’t true. The majority of his negotiations with Tommy Shelby was him blabbing crap until he confused the man, and the other half was him putting on a bored bravado. However, the moment you had gotten pulled into the mess with the Shelby’s and the Italians, his fear came out in anger.

You had been up in the offices, finishing some last minute paperwork unaware of who had just entered the building, until a man carrying a gun barged into the room and grabbed you. Dragging you down to the warehouse, you tried fighting back, swearing, screaming, but nothing would budge the Italian gangster pining your arms behind your back. When Alfie saw you, his face flickered into worry for a microsecond before feigning indifference.

“Who’s this?” Luca Changretta demanded, gripping your face and forcing you to look at Alfie.

“Just my secratery. Nobody of importance.” Alfie lied, clenching the table beneath him with such strength that the flimsy wood began groaning.

“So it would make no difference if I killed her then?”

“Well, yes, it would. Because then I’d have to find myself a new fucking secratery. Do you know how fucking annoying that process is? And having to find someone to trust? Ducking nuisance. I mean, kill her if you really want to but you’ll have to add another hundred.”

Eyes widening at Alfie’s non-chalant attitude, you made yourself a reminder to yell at him for it later. 1) because Luca Changretta would definitely kill you and 2) because he’d priced you so low. Thankfully, Alfie managed to bullshit his way through the whole thing and annoy Changretta so much that the Italians left you and Alfie in the warehouse, alone and alive.

“How dare you?” You seethed, marching up to him. “I don’t care how confident you act. Don’t you ever tell the fucking mafia to just ‘kill me if they want’. Fucking prick.”

“What the fuck were you still doing at the office? You told me you fucking going home?!” Alfie yelled, glaring down at you, chest puffing out.

“I had work to do so that you wouldn’t throw a hissy fit tomrorow. But I suppose rum doesn’t matter when you’re selling out Tommy fucking Shelby.”

“Keep your mouth shut!” Alfie snarled, grabbing your forearms in his.

Pushing you back until you bumped into the wall, he trapped you there with his arms, pinning you to the cold brick wall of the warehouse. He loved how you fit into the cage of his arms perfectly, holding your breath to see what your giant of a husband would do next. Glancing down at his little firecracker, he couldn’t notice how small your arms were in his giant hands. Or how you barely reached his bearded chin. Your small frame shrouded by the shadow of his large one. He marvelled at how much sarcasm and rage could fit into such a petite frame.

“You’re so cute when you’re angry, love.”

He knew it would only set you off more, and he was correct when your cheeks flushed red and your nostrils flared. Raising your hands to shove him away from you, he grabbed both of them in one giant palm and chuckled at the small size of your hands compared to his calloused ones. Dropping them, he cupped your face in his hands tightly and smirked when you poured up at him, annoyed at him for using his size and strength to stop you from hitting him.

“It’s only because I love you, little bird.” He hummed, moving to press his lips against yours in a, surprisingly, gentle kiss.

“I love you too, dick.” You giggle, pulling him down so you could kiss him back, brushing your nose against his.

Groaning at the pain in his back, he straightened his spine, taking you with him as he wrapped your legs around his waist and pressing you against the wall once more. Placing a kiss against Alfie’s pulse point, lust filled you when he let out a deep groan, his pants tightening.

Capturing your lips with his once more, Alfie deepened the kiss, brushing his tongue against yours with such passion that you began unbuttoning his pants. Tossing you over his shoulder as if you weighed nothing, he chuckled when you slapped his ass in protest. Walking over to the huge table he’d been previously leaning against, he swept everything off it, not caring about the mess. Smacking your ass, he placed you down on the table and allowed you to trap him there by wrapping your legs around the back of his thighs.

Leaning down to kiss you once more, he allowed you to shimmy his trousers down his muscular thighs, quickly followed by his underwear. Groaning as you pumped him, he moaned loudly at the sight of your dainty hand wrapped around his throbbing member. Whilst Alfie was a fairly large man, he always looked huge with your hand or mouth around him.

Wasting no time, he ripped your panties down your legs, flinging them into some dark corner of the warehouse (for some scarred workers to find in the morning). Sinking to his knees, he pushed your dress up before throwing your legs onto his shoulders and lowering his head. Your breath hitched before he’d even done anything making him chuckle between your thighs, his cool breath hitting your wetness. His beard tickles your thighs making you attempt to close them but he forced them apart, giving you a look to behave. You gasped as his tongue pressed against your clit, swirling circles on the sensitive bud.

“Fuck, Alfie. Please.” You whimpered, small hands tangling into his hair and pulling it. Relishing in the feeling of your hands in his hair, he moaned against you, hand creeping up to grope your breast.

Your head dropped back, banging on the table and causing you to shoot back up, rubbing it slightly. Chuckling at your clumsiness, he relieved your pain by delving his tongue into you, causing you to let out a loud string of profanities that would have your mother giving you a slap. Gripping his arms, you squeezed tightly as you tried to continue the moans spilling out of you. He grew harder at the sight of your hands barely making it around his muscles. Pulling away from you before you could finish, he climbed atop you, bracing himself with his arms.

“Fuck me, Alfie. Please.” You begged, staring up at him with doe eyes.

Hovering over you, he slowly pushed himself into you, revelling in the little gasps you let out as you adjusted to his thickness. Bottoming out, he closed his eyes at the warmth wrapped around his cock.

“Still as tight as the first time I fucked ya.” He grunted, thrusting in and out slowly, agonisingly so.

“Eyes open, dove.” His voice deep and hoarse as he gripped your chin and forced you to look at him.

His hair was dishevelled, his shirt gaping open at the top, sweat beading down his forehead and his mouth slightly agape as pleasure coursed through him. Despite his temper and often, stupidity, he was your husband and you loved him. He was protective and stubborn. Caring and sweet. And two times bigger than you which you loved.

Glancing down, he watched as he plunged in and out of you, marvelling at how big he looked and how well you took him. Feeling his orgasm nearing, he buried his head in your neck, sucking at your sweet spot and coaxing breathy moans from you. Picking up his pace, he grunted, ignoring the horrible screeching noise the table made as it began scraping along the floor.

“Fuck, come on, love. Cum for me.” He grunted, trying not to squash you as he lost himself in the pleasure of your walls clenching around him.

“Alf-.” You whimpered, wrapping your legs around his back and forcing him deeper into you. “Oh, fuck!” You squealed when he hit your spot.

Gently biting his shoulder as your orgasm hit you, your back arched off the table and Alfie wrapped his arms around, pulling you flush against him. He loved cradling you in his arms. Thrusting into you particularly roughly, he let out a strangled moan as he came deep inside you.

Lying down on the table, he pulled you on top of him as he attempted to catch his breath. Placing a kiss atop your head as your snuggled against his broad chest, he whispered how much he loved you into your hair.

“Maybe we’ll have made our own little one this time.” He prayed, eyes closing as he prayed he would be able to make a family with you before it was too late.

_____

Had to add that ending after knowing what I know after S4 E6

[excindrela]

Summoned (18+)

Supernatural AU

Pairing: demon! Ayno (Noh YoonHo) VAV / Female reader

Genre: Fluff/ a touch of Angst/ and graphic SMUT

Warnings: occult, oral (female receiving), **graphic sex**

Word Count: 3253

AN: Ok. This is only the 2nd thing I have ever posted, and my 1st attempt at smut (sorry if I offend or horrify anyone). Feedback is always appreciated (please be kind).  FYI: “a-spot” is not a typo. Google it. ;)

Happy Halloween!!

AN2: Ayno returned for Thanksgiving, and by request (thank you lovlies) he has become a series! Christmas is here:  12 Days: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9

It turned out to be the Halloween where things actually did go bump in the night. The truth of which no one would believe if you decided to tell it.

On-the-fly parties were Misha’s specialty, so there you all were, former college roommates with crazy lives & jobs, on the Friday night before Halloween sitting on Misha’s floor in make-shift costumes with random Asian take-out being washed down with cheap rice wine and sake. You played with the Ouija board, read each other’s tarot cards and thumbed through the Urban Witch’s Guide to Practical Spells (bought on clearance at Barnes & Noble for $5.27).

Come to think of it now, the whole thing was Jia’s fault. She was the one who picked up the spell book and started reading from it.  “Oooo! Oooo! This one is for you!!” , she said punching you in the shoulder. Having gotten your attention, she read aloud, “Are you lonely? Sexually frustrated? Summon a demon specifically to satisfy you and take care of your needs.” “I am not sexually frustrated!” you protested. Misha snorted. “…And when was the last time you got laid, Princess Workaholic? Do I not remember you describing your last boyfriend as a ‘lazy pencil dick’?” “I thought it was ‘rice dick’?”, Jia countered. You sighed, “Ok, yes. My last boyfriend was a lazy un-endowed slob who thought only of himself, and it would have taken an act of Congress for him to go down on me. …but 8 months isn’t that much of a dry spell…” Jia shook her head. “Yeah no. You need this.” She said with a laugh. She tore off a piece of napkin and made you write your name on it, then she reached over and yanked 3 hairs out of your head. She grabbed a black candle with a pentagram on it, held it up and read “I seek the realm beyond! I call upon those who can make manifest the desires of mind, flesh, and heart to cross the veil and grant fulfillment!” as she burned your written name and hairs in the candle. You threw a popcorn ball at her head.

The Uber dropped you off at home sometime just before midnight. You dropped your bag on the floor, locked the door and wandered into the bedroom of your converted warehouse apartment. You had just thrown on an old t-shirt and a pair of boxers when you saw a strange blue light coming from the living room. Upon closer inspection, you discovered it was coming from the large antique floor mirror you bought at an estate sale last year. The whole glass was lit up as though surrounded in neon. Slowly a shadow appeared in the center that as it grew larger took on the shape of a person. You stood, transfixed, as a man stepped through your mirror as though it was any other doorway.

He had to be close to six feet tall. Black pointed toe boots with studded bands led to black leather pants with a similarly studded belt, his shirt was a soft button up in white with a red floral pattern, hidden mostly under a burgundy leather motorcycle jacket.  He had a face like Lucifer fallen: high cheekbones, full pouty lips with a ring through the bottom one and a distinct cupid’s bow on top, and almost black hair covered in a layer of teal. He was a sinful nightmare, straight from your dreams.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” you asked with a slight tremble in your voice.

He eyed you up and down. “I am Ayno. I am a lesser demon of manifestation and desire. You summoned me. I was called upon to service you mistress.”

You stared at him in shock. This was not really happening. “What? No…no…no…that wasn’t me. That was Jia. Jia summoned you. I think you have the wrong mirror.”

He smiled as he approached you and gently tucked your hair behind your ear, bringing his long fingers down to your jaw line to raise your chin and get a better look at you. His thumb brushed across your lips as he chewed on his lower one, using his tongue to play with the ring in it. You felt your underwear growing damp just looking at him. “Mmmm…I don’t think so. But let’s check, shall we?”

He turned on his heel and strode back to the mirror he had stepped out of. The neon glow had disappeared and it looked normal again. He knocked on it in a strange rhythm and then placed his hand in the center of the glass. Nothing happened. He was satisfied. “No. The portal is closed. I am definitely here to see to your…needs.” He turned back to his reflection, studying it for a moment. “My hair is blue? Green?” He peered closer. “Exactly what color are my eyes? Am I Asian? ” he questioned. You shrugged, “Maybe? Do you not know? Isn’t this what you usually look like?”  He shook his head “I look however you desire me to.”

“So mistress…how can I serve you? Which of your desires would you like me to fulfill?” he said as he casually tossed his jacket on the couch and began advancing on you.

You started backing up. “Oh no no…I don’t need anything…I don’t think I have any desires…” you said as you maneuvered around the couch, trying to put distance between yourself and the supermodel from hell.

“None? You’re putting off an awful lot of pheromones for someone with no desires.” he chided. You scooted backwards between the counter and the island in the kitchen. He followed you, unbuttoning his shirt and discarding it on a barstool. “Your heart is pounding…see something you like?” he asked. You moved around the dining table, pulling out the chairs and leaving them as obstacles.

Ayno just kept walking toward you at a languid pace. You continued backing up wondering how to stop his advance. Unfortunately, you didn’t pay attention to where you were going and you backed yourself right into the bedroom. Now you were trapped with nowhere to go. This seemed to please Ayno who leaned in the doorway smirking as you looked around in panic for an escape.

“Oh, please. Don’t kill me.” You whispered breathlessly. He smiled and gave a small chuckle. “Aww- don’t worry baby, I’m not going to kill you. …I’m not even going to hurt you…but I am going to make you scream.”

He held up his right index finger and twirled it in a circle before flicking it in your direction. Like some otherworldly cowboy, a rope of red light shot from his finger, lassoed your wrists and dragged you backward onto the bed – arms above your head, your wrists now bound together by energy and secured tightly to nothing. You tried yanking your arms down, but they wouldn’t budge. “You know, the more you pull on that, the tighter it gets.” Ayno cautioned. He glanced down at the university t-shirt you were wearing. “You won’t be needing that” he said as the shirt was whisked from your body by nothing more than a wiggle of his fingers and a wave of his hand. “You won’t be needing those either” he said looking at your boxers. He made a ‘come here’ motion with his hand and your boxers and panties slid down your legs and flew straight to his hand. He put your soaked panties to his nose, closing his eyes and inhaling slowly before dropping them to the ground.

He held up two fingers like a Boy Scout and then pointed them towards you and split them apart as he did so your legs shot open to opposite sides of the mattress unable to close them of your own free will. His eyes never leaving yours he advanced on you like a predator to their prey. You felt the foot of the bed dip is he climbed on it and crawled towards you.

“I’ll bet you taste delicious.” He purred, glancing down to eye your dripping sex fully on display for him. “Oh oh no! Please!! Oh please no!” you begged knowing what he was about to do, but the demon only laughed.

With a speed that no human could match, he dove between your spread legs and dropped his head to lick a thick fat stripe up your slit. He took excruciatingly long laps, his tongue stretching out and dipping into your hole at the bottom and flicking across your clit at the top. You moaned and writhed, trying to escape him as he guided the tip of his tongue up and down between your folds. Finally he grabbed your hipbones and held you still as he placed his whole mouth to your core, sucking at the juices you couldn’t stop flowing. Without letting up, he slowly inserted his middle finger to your waiting heat, moving it in and out in gentle even thrusts causing tiny currents of electricity to slide along your slick inner walls. You made soft gasping noises that slowly morphed into “more” as your hips bucked upward to meet the thrust of his hand. Ever obliging, Ayno added another finger and increased the pace. The friction caused you to whine softly as your hips twisted in pleasure, held fast in his firm grasp. You could feel yourself winding up, waiting to be pushed over the edge. “Oh please- please- make me cum” you begged. He raised his glowing red eyes to your sweat damped face, as he moved to take your clit between his lips and suck while he curved his fingers upward into your sensitive spot. You gasped and made incoherent sounds as everything behind your eyes went white and your whole body twitched as your orgasm washed over you.

At last he released your throbbing clit and raised his head, the lower half of his face covered in your slick. You felt yourself growing desperate as he continued working his fingers in and out of your soaked core. His breathing was heavy when he asked “You’re so wet…how do you want me to serve you?”

“Fuck me. Please Ayno…please I want to feel you inside me!” you begged like a shameless slut. You had no idea what had happened to the rest of his clothes, but his body was naked as he shifted on top of yours.

A moment later you felt the sweet painful stretch of his thick cock pushing achingly slow inside of you. He took his time pressing in, letting you feel every inch of him as he slid into you. “So tight” he hissed as he bottomed out. He bent forward gently trailing soft wet kisses down your neck as he gave you time to adjust to his size. Gradually, he felt your hips begin to twitch, knowing that you were ready for him to move. He slowly dragged his length out of you pushing back in with slightly more intensity; and with each stroke he increased the pace and added force.

“Does it feel good baby? You like the way I’m fucking you?” he asked as his hip bones crashed into your inner thighs again.

“Mmmmph…uhhh…yes…oh Jesus yes…more…” you choked out.

The demon gave a dark laugh and said “HE has nothing to do with this, I promise you.” as he lifted your legs up over his shoulders and began making quick sharp thrusts that slammed the head of his cock into your sweet spot with every thrust.

“Ayno...my hands… please…” He flicked his fingers at the headboard and you felt the bonds give way and your arms fall to your sides to grip the sheets. You could feel the edges of your vision darkening as all your muscles tightened and the butterflies began in your belly. Ayno reached forward and laced his fingers in yours. “C’mon baby, cum for me…you’re almost there…” he coaxed as he flexed his hips faster. You moaned loudly as the pleasure washed over you like a wave while fireworks exploded behind yours eyes, and you felt yourself clenching around him harder than you ever had. “Yes! Yes! Oh fuck yes!” you yelled loud enough that you were sure the entire building could hear you.

Ayno slowed his pace, and slid your legs off his shoulders until your knees were around his elbows, while he watched you pant and come down from your high. “I don’t think you’re satisfied yet. You want more baby?” “More??” you gasped. He smiled and nodded as he unhooked your knees and reached down with strong hands behind your back and pulled you up until you were sitting in his lap, his cock still buried to the hilt inside you. He began gently rolling his hips, the motion causing him to simultaneously apply rhythmic pressure to your clit and the tip of his cock to graze your a-spot. Your breath began coming in short staccato gasps. You threaded your fingers into his hair “Aren’t you close?” He smiled and shook his head. “Don’t you need to come?”

He gave a throaty laugh. “I can if you want me to, but it’s not necessary. Orgasm or not, I can do this any way you want, all night if you desire.” He said gazing up at you with burgundy eyes that sparkled like glitter and a smirk on his lips. You brought your mouth to his, suddenly prepared to give up whatever sleep you thought you were going to get.

***

You startled as you realized there was someone in the bed with you. Cautiously you rolled over to find your dream-nightmare leaning on one elbow watching you sleep with detached amusement. “Ayno? Oh god. That really happened.  Wh-what are you still doing here? Its’s daylight” Ayno rolled his eyes. “I’m a demon, not a vampire. Daylight is not a problem for me. ...and I can’t leave. You haven’t released me.” “Released you?” “Yeah- you summoned me. I have to do your bidding, and then when you’re satisfied, you release me and I leave.”

“Does what happened really count as summoning?” you questioned. Ayno nodded. “..and do my bidding? I didn’t bid you to do anything.” Ayno’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “No? Didn’t you? What do you think last night was?” That? All of that??? “Uh no! That was you demon boy!” The gorgeous demon laughed in earnest showing off the Hollywood-esq smile it didn’t seem a creature like him should have. “That’s not how it works. It’s not about me or what I want. It has to be in you- it’s what *you* want. I just know - I can sense it. But it all comes from you.” You were mortified. That came from you? No no no. That wasn’t you- that was like smut you’d read in a fanfic on Tumblr. Not that it wasn’t awesome, but... “Wait. So you’re stuck here and have to do whatever I want until I tell you to leave??” Ayno’s eyes narrowed. “Something like that.”

*** 3 weeks later***

The smell of coffee pulled you out of bed earlier than you would like on a Sunday morning. You wandered into the kitchen to be greeted by what had become one of your favorite things: Ayno, shirtless, making your breakfast. You paused for a moment to admire the view of his triangular torso, but since he was attuned to you, it was impossible to sneak up on him. He spun around and picked up your coffee cup and strutted down the kitchen like a model on a catwalk to hand it to you. You giggled.

“Did you enjoy the show? Can I have a shirt now?” he pleaded. “Please?”

Please. So human. You’d been working on the human thing. “Of course.”

He retrieved his shirt from the back of the couch and paused at the mirror to look at himself on the way back.  His hair was now chocolate brown, very short on the sides and back, but longer on the top with caramel colored highlights. “I look Asian now.” He confirmed with a smile, as he began fluffing and styling his bangs. He gestured at his new hair, “This is good?” he questioned hopefully. You nodded enthusiastically.

“I think this look will go over better with my family. They will approve, therefore there will be fewer questions.” You explained. He nodded – he didn’t get a choice- his appearance was still subject to your whims. “We can change it up when we get back. I think you’d look great as a blonde.” He arched one eyebrow and eyed you doubtfully as he picked you up by the hips and effortlessly lifted you up to sit on the counter.

“Tell me again about this ‘Thanksgiving’ we are going to.” He asked as he plated your breakfast and handed it to you.

You didn’t answer right away. You stuffed a piece of pancake in your mouth to hide the small wave of guilt that hit you for not having released him yet. Ayno did make great pancakes, but it seemed unfair to keep an accidently summoned demon as a sex slave and pretend boyfriend - even if he was the best boyfriend you’d ever had. He was a good cook, the house was spotless, he had turned out to have a great sense of humor and was a pro at cuddling- as well as everything that came after it. However, you were pretty sure that demons were not supposed to be domesticated, and that this went against his nature…he was probably miserable.

You looked up from the food you had been concentrating way too hard on to find his nose inches from yours. It surprised you, because, if anything, your thoughts and feelings should have pushed him away, not called him to you. He was looking in your eyes in that way that made you think he was staring at your soul (and you weren’t entirely sure he wasn’t).

“I am not unhappy.”

“But this doesn’t seem right.”

He shrugged. “Right is whatever you want, whatever makes you happy.”

“But what do you want?”

He sighed and looked down at your breakfast plate. “My desires do not enter into it. What I want doesn’t matter.”

You placed your hands on his cheeks. “It does to me. What do you want, Ayno?”

“This.” Suddenly, his velvet soft lips were on yours. You were surprised and hesitated for a moment – never before had any of Ayno’s actions been something you hadn’t willed. He pulled away, smiling.

“You allowed me choice. Why?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know…I mean I know you’re a demon, and probably inherently evil, but it just seems like you should have some say in your life.”

Ayno shook his head. “I am not evil. I am owned and managed by evil. But you might be surprised to know that I do have feelings.”

You were surprised actually. “Really?” He nodded. “I assumed that you couldn’t…you never told me.”

“You never asked.” He hesitated a moment, “Why do you keep me here?”

Embarrassed, you went back to playing with your pancakes. Knowing that he deserved an answer, you whispered, “Because I like you.”

He placed his hands on your hips and pressed his forehead to yours. “I like you too. More than any soul I have ever encountered. Is that not how it is done in this world? You like each other so you stay together?”

He made it sound so simple.

“Something like that.” You replied.

[ninzied]

true pair

or, frank takes karen skeet shooting.

for ‘the way i said i love you’ prompt 27. a taunt, with one eyebrow raised and a grin bubbling at your lips. thank you anon!

…

The first time he watches her line up her shot. That’s when Frank knows.

He’s brought her skeet shooting, on a range out in Jersey. “This your idea of a date, huh?” she’d asked him when he pulled up to her building, but there was a smile in her voice as she said it, leaning across the console of his truck to kiss him on the cheek.

“Hi,” she whispered, and he let the engine just idle a minute so he could turn and kiss her properly, hard and slow like there was nothing that could stop him anymore.

“Hey,” he said back, and it was enough, he was enough, for her, somehow.

Karen kissed him again before settling into her seat, with a quirk of her brow and a teasing “So. You ready to get your ass handed to you for a change?”

(If he’s being honest, Frank knew then, too.)

(If he’s being completely honest, Frank has always known.)

It shouldn’t come as a shock to him, that she knows her way around a shotgun.

It shouldn’t, but it does, just a little, when she slips two shells from the box that Frank offers her, loads up both barrels and snaps the gun back into place without so much as another glance at him. He doesn’t need to tell her how to hold the thing either, only stands back and watches, and thinks about how it kind of terrifies him that she’ll never stop finding ways to catch him off guard.

But it’s not that she knows what to do with a gun. It’s the part that comes after, the part that really gets to him, these fractions of seconds where Karen goes perfectly still. Blue eyes like steel on the sky, nothing but wind in her hair as she takes a deep, calming breath, and Frank thinks he could never grow tired of watching her like this.

That’s when he knows he’s well and truly gone.

…

On their first date, he’d tried something slightly more normal. A boardwalk stroll down Brighton Beach, Karen nibbling on an ice cream cone as she swung their linked hands maybe a little self-consciously between them.

They’d walked mostly in silence, still trying to figure out how to do all of this, blinking out the midday sun as an excuse not to look too closely at each other when they smiled.

They lingered by a remote spot on the water, avoiding the larger crowds down by Coney Island – avoiding other things, too. The usual amusement park trappings. All that deep-fried shit, the noise and the rides. The Ferris wheels. The carousels.

Frank felt her hand on his arm, leading him down to the water instead, and he knew what she was thinking. He knew, and he wanted desperately then to just be some normal guy for her, the kind who didn’t make her wonder if he was more ghost than man on some days.

“Thought maybe we could stay here a while.” She looked down at the last bite of her cone as she said it, and Frank took her chin in his hand, tilting her gaze up to his.

“You got a little something, right there.” He swiped his thumb across the corner of her mouth, brushing aside a stray crumb.

“Got it?” she breathed, as he took a step closer.

“Think so,” he murmured, “but just to make sure…” and he lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her deep, tasting the sweetness on her tongue.

They made their way back to the boardwalk with his arm slung over her shoulders, the sand still in their toes as he stopped them by one of those claw machine games. He didn’t expect much – the damn things were rigged and everyone knew it – but something about the way Karen was smiling at him made him feel like it was worth a shot anyway.

“You feeling lucky today, Castle?” she wanted to know, and he smirked at her, sinking a grand total of five bucks into the machine before just about calling it quits.

“Here, let me,” said Karen on his last set of quarters, using her hips to nudge him out of the way. He stepped obligingly back, then watched her in rapt disbelief as she dove the claw down into a sea of stuffed animals, plucking one out with the deadliest aim.

It was a round yellow thing, with goggles for eyes and three strings of hair coming out of what Frank presumed to be some kind of head.

“The hell is this?” he grunted, turning it back and forth between his hands.

“A minion,” said Karen, with a perfectly straight face. “You never seen Despicable Me?”

“Despicable who?” scowled Frank, feeling her laugh into his cheek as she leaned in and kissed him.

“I can always give it to someone else,” she told him, teasing.

“That right?” said Frank, pointedly tucking the minion under the arm farthest away from her. “Because this ‘someone else,’ he and I are gonna have a problem if it comes down to that.”

Sometimes it was too easy, to find himself reaching for her like nothing had ever stood in his way, and it was during these moments that Frank felt the most helpless. Like it was only a matter of time before he fucked it all up.

He was good for the life-or-death kinds of things, for every catastrophe, for straight up doing what it took to survive. But when it came down to the small stuff, the day-to-day, in-between shit that made everything real – the shit that made everything mean something – Frank was utterly lost.

He was lost, and a part of him worried that he was always going to be missing the mark where it counted, as far as Karen was concerned.

…

“Pull,” she says, and he presses a button to launch the first target.

There’s a burst of orange in the sky, clay shattering everywhere as the second trap fires and meets a similarly explosive end moments later.

“Goddamn,” says Frank, shaking his head in a grave kind of amusement as Karen hoists the gun up and hands it over to him, not bothering to hide one inch of her smugness. “Goddamn, Page.”

She shrugs, smiles. But then it goes a little bit tight at the edges, eyes flashing with something that pains Frank to recognize. “Not my first rodeo, remember?”

She’s rolling her shoulder where the shotgun recoiled as he places a tentative hand on the small of her back.

“Y’okay?” He clears his throat, lowers his voice to just shy of inaudible so that she gets his meaning. “Want to talk about it?”

“Never better,” says Karen, “And…not right now, if that’s okay.” For one horrible second, he thinks she’s pulling away from him, but then she wraps her arms around his waist, notching her chin into the jut of his collarbone. “Another time?”

“Course,” he says gruffly, turning to brush a kiss to her temple. He settles his nose into her hair, breathing in the clean scent of her shampoo, the way that she sighs into him, arms tightening.

The wind sways them in place, nothing but sunlight and greenness around them for miles, and Christ, this thing that he feels, the peace that he gets just from being with her. How it shakes, how it trembles.

It fucking terrifies him, that he doesn’t know what to do with any of this.

…

There was one thing. One thing about her that terrified Frank more than anything else.

He’d tried to stay away from her, at first. New York was a big enough place; as long as he kept his shit far out of Hell’s Kitchen, odds were their paths would never have to cross. As long as he tried hard enough not to want—

“I know you think you’re protecting your girl,” Curtis said to him one afternoon, down by the docks as they scoped out a new shipment of dubious goods. “But – hear me out now, Frank – has it ever occurred to you that maybe the person you’re really trying to protect here is you?”

“Get outta here, Curt.” Frank glowered through a pair of binoculars, eyes going unfocused for a moment as he pretended not to let the man’s words sink in.

“Just saying.” Curt shrugged, then, in a more offhand tone, “Think I’d like her? This Karen of yours?”

Frank smirked before he could help it, chuckling a rueful “What’s not to love?” Well, shit. Curtis was side-eying him hard just as an ominous boom came from one of the trucks down below, and Frank was saved from answering any more of his friend’s bullshit questions for the time being.

He’d tried to stay away from her, but—

Frank eventually wound up exactly where he’d sworn to himself never to go. But he’d been busting his balls trying to pin down these child-trafficking assholes for weeks, and he would’ve made it in and out of that warehouse in no time, if not for the fact that he hadn’t been the only one looking for them.

“Frank!”

He couldn’t be sure, in that moment, if he’d just dreamed her voice into existence by thinking about it, too hard and too often, like that kids’ book with the shoes and the clicking its heels three times to go home.

The uncertainty froze up his insides in a kind of all-consuming terror, and he didn’t see the guy coming at him until the shot had already been fired.

He crumpled like a doll at Frank’s feet, glassy-eyed with blood seeping out of his chest.

Frank turned, and there she was, .380 still clutched in her hands, trained at some point near his shoulder. She blinked, but he could tell she wasn’t really looking at him anymore.

“Karen,” he said, her name scraping his throat and burning like sandpaper on its way out. He wanted to run, wanted to grab her and pull her against him until he could be sure she was real – but he didn’t know how to touch her like this, with all the blood on his hands, the bodies piled around them still warm.

As he approached her she slowly lowered the gun to her side, finally letting it drop back down into her bag. The brightness returned to her eyes, by the time he was inches in front of her, her gaze darting all up and down his body like she needed to see him whole too.

“Hey,” said Frank, and he held out his hands, palms up in some kind of plea, feeling helpless when all he wanted to do was—

She stepped into him, lightly touching his chest, and the sound that he made as the air was choked out of him, it was almost inhuman.

He dropped his forehead to hers, leaning more of his weight into it than he should have, but she only pressed back, nose sliding over his cheek as she drew in a slow breath. She was trembling, when he gave in and put his hands on her waist, or maybe that was him, he couldn’t tell anymore.

He closed his eyes as they swayed, feeling her lips close enough to brush skin more than once, and he tightened his grip, moving over her until their bodies were pressed firmly together.

She took his bloodied face into both hands, and he almost leaned in the rest of the way, bringing his mouth just shy of hers before breathing shallowly into the space between them.

Distantly, he heard the sounds of backup arriving, the police radio static, the muffled shouting through the wall.

“You should go.” Karen gave him a gentle push, but he could only shake his head, agitation rippling through him at the thought of walking away from her without – he can’t. He can’t. He can’t do that to her, not again.

“You can’t what, Frank?” she murmured, her voice a low hum by his ear, and it took him a moment to realize he’d said it aloud.

“Can’t lose you,” he rasped. “I can’t lose you, Karen,” and he needed – he needed her to know that he meant it, in every possible sense of the word. That he – that she—

“Castle? Oh, you have got to be kidding me.” Mahoney’s flashlight beam caught and held against the sides of their faces, jolting Frank out of his daze for a moment. He was almost amused when Karen tried to nudge him back, finally angling her body in front of his with a protective hand on his arm.

“Miss Page,” drawled Mahoney, looking pretty unamused about the whole thing himself. “You’re early.”

“Sergeant,” she greeted him, equally dry.

“And what is…this?” Mahoney gestured at them with a deeply perturbed kind of expression, before waving them off with a “Know what? Never mind. Forget I asked. I don’t even want to know.”

“Look,” started Frank. “This was all me. Karen had nothing to do with—”

“What I do know,” continued Mahoney, voice overloud, like Frank had not even spoken, “is that I never saw either of you lurking around here, you got that?” He looked pissed at himself for saying it, but something in his expression softened when Karen turned to mouth a thank you at him.

“You owe me,” he said, and Frank had the distinct impression he wasn’t just talking to Karen.

Mahoney stalked off to examine the rest of the scene, muttering, “Jesus,” then, “Unbelievable, this guy,” as Karen ushered Frank toward one of the side exits.

“When can I—” He stopped them just outside of the door, feeling completely idiotic when she tilted her head at him, waiting. Now really wasn’t the time, but he couldn’t afford to keep telling himself that anymore. “When can I see you again?”

It took a second, to force his gaze up to hers. Mahoney’s guys had all converged to the front of the building, their voices receding, but Frank wouldn’t’ve been able to hear them regardless, not with the way Karen was looking at him.

She bit her lip, a soft smile forming at one end. “You’re seeing me now,” she offered, a playful lilt to her tone, and when she looked through her eyelashes at him – goddamn.

Frank bent forward, nuzzling into her hair like it was the most natural thing in the world, and it was, it was, so long as he learned to stop fighting it. “You okay?” he asked quietly.

She leaned into his touch, pressing the corner of her mouth to his jawline – not quite a kiss, but a promise of something, and he was ready, he was, to make her a promise of his own.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, yeah?” Frank used his hand, careful to avoid any blood, to brush back her hair as she looked him pointedly over with a somewhat incredulous look. “We can, ah, send Mahoney your dry cleaning bill.”

Karen shook her head at him, a full smile blooming this time, and he felt his chest tighten in answer, wondering if it was always going to be this way, like the world might stop spinning if she ever stopped looking at him like this.

It was time, Frank thought, to just—

…

He doesn’t miss once. Not to make her feel bad when she does – but it’s a knee-jerk reaction, at this point, when there’s a gun in his hand and a target in his sightline, to take it down without wasting a bullet or succumbing to any kind of distraction.

He is, at the moment, very, very distracted.

He’d packed sandwiches, and they can’t be half-bad if Karen’s blissful mmm is anything to go by, the two of them sitting on the back of his truck with their legs tangled and swinging gently over the edge together.

He’s trying not to look smug, but he’s not being very graceful about it, scarfing down large bites in order to keep from smiling too hard at her. He thinks she’s managed not to notice, until she leans in to lick the mustard off his face, lingering to kiss him half-breathless for his troubles.

The tang of her is still fresh on his tongue as she slides herself back to the ground, briefly squeezing his knee before striding over to the next station they’ve parked by.

She gives it a test pull, still munching on the rest of her sandwich as two targets soar through the air, simultaneously this time, from opposite ends of the field. They match up at a point in the middle before slow-falling into the grass, rolling to a stop as Karen wipes off her hands.

Timed right, she could still hit them both, if she decides not to go for the single shot when they cross. One, two. Easy as that.

He’s seen what she can do.

Frank makes his way over to the wooden outpost, ready whenever she is.

He hands her the shotgun.

She loads up the barrels, about to step up to the ledge when she pauses, looks over her shoulder at him.

He ducks his head down to his chest, quirks an eyebrow at her as she gives him a saucy little wink. Everything that matters to him, it’s held right there in that breadth of space between her smile and his, and even if it scares the goddamn daylight out of him, it’s worth it, to feel all this with all that he’s got. Every jagged-edged piece of himself, trying to make something whole again with her, not just the lightness but the shadows that come with it too.

There are lines in her heart that run parallel to his, just as sharp in some places, exquisite and strong.

Stronger, even.

Karen lines up her shot, straight down the center of the field. She’s going for it.

That’s my girl.

Her shoulders square, feet planted at just the right angle. He can’t see her expression from where he’s been standing, but he knows the look she must have in her eye, weighed down with ghosts of her own but unshakably blue all the same. “Pull.”

There’s a single crack! of sound through the air, clay falling apart in every direction, dusting the sky until there’s nothing of it left to break.

“See, now you’re just showing off,” says Frank, coming up from behind her, earning himself another one of those smiles as she sets the gun aside and leans back into his chest.

“There’s still a round left, if you want to give it a shot,” she says to him, teasing, tucking her forehead under his chin as he wraps his arms more solidly around her.

“Nah, I’m good.” The corner of his mouth pulls up in a smirk. “Besides. I kind of like being shown up by my girl.”

“And they say romance is dead,” hums Karen, tilting up just in time to see him pull a face at her. She touches her lips to the underside of his jaw, the bob of his throat as he swallows and gathers her closer.

“Thank you,” she whispers, and Frank – he doesn’t know what he could possibly say that feels adequate, but he’s starting to think that that might be okay. That half this thing is still going to be figuring it out, while the other half – the simply loving her half, all of her, with all of him – that much, he has always known.

[calmsoulhaven-blog]

Writing Saved My Life

When I was a little girl, I always had something to say. Talking, literally was my thing. My mom would make contests up for me to see how long I could be quiet. Since I always had what they call an “old soul”, I felt the annoyance of those whose ears I talked off. Once the realization became apparent, I would try to sit there quietly, trying not to burst. I had questions, I had ideas, I had solutions, I had insight, and I absolutely had jokes. But because I was just a child, I was often told to be quiet, especially when grownups were talking. 

To counter the silence, I decided to start writing. I would write songs, I’d write in my diary, and I even wrote short stories. I remember when I was about 7 years old, I used to watch a show on television called “Creature Feature”. This show was hosted by a character named Elvira, who would dress quite scantily, showed scary stories every week on the show. I watched faithfully. One day, Elvira announced a contest for kids. I was so excited because I learned that it was a contest to create a scary story. I hopped on the task immediately. I can’t recall the details of the story, but I knew that what I had written would catch the eye of anyone who read it. Weeks had gone by and one day my mom yelled upstairs to let me know I had a letter come in the mail. I ran downstairs to retrieve this letter and found that it was addressed from channel 41. I ripped the letter open and read it aloud in excitement. I won, I think. They sent me a letter letting me know my story was great and scary and there was a prize involved that I can’t recall, but even if I hadn’t won first place, in my mind, I won, and from that day forward, I knew that writing was something that I was destined to do.

As I got older, I became interested in poetry. However since school forced us to write (computers weren’t invented yet), I became less interested in it because it had become a requirement. I had lost a bit of my excitement because I didn’t feel that I was doing something creative anymore. I felt pressed to write and that was no longer a joy. I found myself writing day in and day out about things that I just wasn’t interested in and the grades that I received for my work now became critical and judgmental. I started writing simply for the grades and if I’m being honest, being a C average student couldn’t have been as creative as I once thought. My writing dreams had disappeared and poetry even became a bummer to me because of my literature class.

After I graduated high school, I tried to go to college for a year. Since I didn’t do that well in high school, college was not the best idea for me at that time. I had to be realistic with myself and decide what I wanted to do with my life. I was working odd jobs just to show my parents that I didn’t want to be completely shiftless, but I even got fired from a temporary stocking job. How was that even possible? I had started making bad life decisions and I knew that living under my parent’s roof, outside influences wouldn’t be the death of me, but they would! So, it was at that point that I decided to take my life a little bit serious. I joined the United States Air Force. What could be so hard about that, right? Little to my knowledge, there was this thing called basic training. Basic training although  not as strenuous as some of the military basic training experiences, still posed a bit of pressure for a shiftless recently let go temporary warehouse employee. There were so many things happening to me that I was just not accustomed to and so many unfamiliar faces. I had no peace, but then I was told that we would be able to write home to our loved ones. I was trapped mentally and dealing with things internally that I couldn’t express outward because of how I would be perceived, but when the announcement came that we could write, I felt all hope was not lost. I started writing every single person I knew. Especially, the ones who I thought would pray for me to become invisible until graduation day. I wrote every single day to any and everybody who I knew had an address. I started asking my mom to get more addresses for me so that I could reach out to even more people to help me become invisible. I realized, in basic training, that I loved to write and it was something that kept me sane, so I did it often until I graduated.

After graduation from basic training and tech school, I received orders to my first duty station, Arkansas, well so I had thought. Having been only a C average student in high school, I soon realized that I did not pay enough attention in geography class, and in actuality AK stood for Alaska! OMG!! Unsure of the distance between my home town and this place called Alaska, I ran to a map. I discovered that Alaska wasn’t even connected physically on a map, so to me, I was going to another country. I cried and cried. I talked to my mother and she assured me that it was going to be alright. Once I got to Alaska, I dove back into writing letters because that was soothing to me. I finally got over the distance thing and began to make friends. One friend I got to know a little too well and decided that it was time to write my mom a profound letter to let her know that she was going to become a grandmother. She wasn’t as excited about this inspired writing as all my others, but she encouraged me none the less. 

Years had gone by before I had even thought about writing again. I had become a new mother and all my time surrounded motherhood. I didn’t think about writing again until around 2004. I was active duty reserves by that time, and I had enrolled in college. Now going to school on my own terms, I was able to select classes that I liked and not just classes that I needed to graduate. I started taking an English course and we studied all types of writing. One day we entered the section of poetry, and it was then that I rediscovered my love for writing, again. I remember that I started writing poems every single day, sometimes twice  a day. I would write love poems, poems about my children, and anything I felt at any given moment. Although writing was something that I was required to do academically once again, I figured out how to incorporate what I loved and it didn’t seem so bad doing it that way.

Life went on and in 2011, I had 2 children and I graduated with my Masters degree in Adult Education, totally unpredictable, right? Well it happened, a mediocre high school student transformed into a well rounded educator. I worked in the field of education for several years, and in 2013 started pursuing my doctorate. Although I was fond of teaching writing at that point, I had now been abused by the red pen of academic writing by my professors. Writing became a love hate thing and I couldn’t find a balance. 

For many years to come, I had been in school for what seemed like forever, I began to despise writing again. I only found myself writing out of complete necessity. I was annoyed with it and when it was time to write, I found every excuse for me not to write. Some years had passed, and I was still scraping my way up the hill to that doctoral journey. Life happened and well, that’s that. By that time, I had become stressed, overworked, and writing played a factor in some of that. In December of that year, my father passed away and that added an area of grief to my life. Although things were coming at me from every direction, I hadn’t slowed down to take care of myself. 

In February, I experienced what some may call a mental breakdown. I didn’t know people really had those and I wasn’t even sure if I believed they were real. Throughout the process I just continued to ask why this happened to me and I tried to figure out how it happened to me. One day I went to talk to someone who my mother recommended, and she suggested that I do something that she had no idea was once a huge part of me, and that was to write. She suggested that I start using a journal to write my feelings and thoughts down. Since I usually had a plan of action for my writing, I asked her what she thought I should write and how she thought I should write. She told me that there doesn’t have to be a rhyme or reason, just write.

So for about a week, I looked at the journal that my mom and sister had personalized for me. I thought about writing but at that point simply thinking about writing gave me anxiety. It wasn’t until a week later that I picked up my journal, and started writing. I started off writing about how I felt at that moment and about other things that I was feeling and I felt okay, as I wrote. As days went by, I felt better and I realized that writing was actually therapy for me. I wrote every day. I decided to become more intentional about my writing, so I decided to write at a specific time every day and dedicated that time to me. The writings are sometimes all over the place and sometimes I jump from thought to thought, but I learned that that is okay. I soon saw that writing in my journal took me mentally back to my childhood. It took me back to when I used to talk for hours and ask millions of questions. It took me back to simple times. A time when I could just live in the moment and be me. It took me back to a time when I didn’t have a care in the world. I realized writing helped my healing process. Who knew that something that I once learned to loved as a child, but then took for granted, would one day bring me out of a dark place and save my life once again. 

[67midnightwriter]

Better Than Revenge

A/N: This is my entry for @impala-dreamer ‘s Tell Me a Me Story. Hope I delivered Beka! Thanks to @sculptorofbeginnings for the read through. My prompt is in bold. Flashbacks in italic.

W/C: 500 x 5.364 (2,682. Fuck your rules)

Warnings: Angst. Graphic Detail. Death. Dark Fic. Mick’s Sarcasm.

Summary: Mick lives.

The heat from the fire dried the tear tracks running down Beka’s face. She held on to Sam’s arm as he held her, leaning into his chest as she watched the pyre burn. The flames licked away at the face of her best friend, turning everything to ash. Sam pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and she felt his own tears dampen her hair.

“Cas and I will come in from the West side. Sam: you, Beka and Mick head in from the East, and Logan and Ketch, cover the South side.” Dean pointed at the blueprint spread out on the hood of the Impala as the sun began to sink below the horizon. “We estimate there to be between 15 to 20 vamps inside, so everyone stay safe.”

“20 vampires against the seven of us? We’ll be in and out and home in time for Jeopardy.” Logan joked, pulling a chuckle from the group.

As the flames turned into embers and the embers turned into cold ash, she looked at the other faces surrounding the blaze. Ketch stood across from her, his red eyes betraying his otherwise emotionless face.

Beka watched with a teasing smile as Ketch reached out and pulled Logan in for a kiss, the display of affection still foreign on the former British Men of Letters agent. Sam noted her gaze and pulled her around to his chest, pressing his lips against hers.

“You ready?” He murmured, his breath hot on her mouth.

“As long as I’ve got you, I’m ready for anything.”

Mick stood next to Ketch, wiping his own eyes on his coat sleeve. Cas stared into the embers, his gaze lost.

They had been prepared for the vampires, but not the werewolves. Bodies littered the floor, blood squelching beneath their boots. Beka leaned on Mick, eyes closed and lungs burning as she tried to catch her breath. They were all covered in blood, guts and bruises, but they were all okay.

“Has anyone seen Ketch or Logan?” Mick asked, prompting Beka to open her eyes and survey the room.

Logan’s scream caused everyone to jump up, and the fire of a gun set them all running once more.

Beka froze just past the doorway. There were fewer bodies in this room, fewer fanged mouths gaping open. Her eyes landed on Ketch’s gun, just past Logan’s fingertips. They trailed up her arm, landing on unseeing brown eyes as a scream filled the room.

Cas caught her as her knees buckled, and she realized that the scream was her own.

Dean stood next to Cas, his jaw set but his eyes clear.

No one knew what to say. They stood in silence as Ketch walked out of the warehouse cradling Logan against his chest. Sam held Beka as she watched, her eyes fixed on Logan’s hand as it bounced with every step Ketch took.

They almost hadn’t gone on this hunt.

They should never have gone on this hunt.

“How could you!” Beka’s fist connected with Dean’s chest, forcing the air from his lungs. “You’re the one that suggested we go after the vampire nest,” she beat Dean’s chest again, “you’re the one who said we should split up,” Dean grabbed both of her wrists as she pulled back to hit him again, “and now you can’t even cry for her? She was our friend Dean!” A sob wrenched its way out of her mouth.

“Beka, I’m sorry-”

“You’re sorry? Sorry for what? Sorry that it was her and not you? Sorry that you fought with me and not her? Sorry that you were right after all this time, that it did end bad, that we just burned my best fucking friend, one of your friends, and all you could do was stand there like it wasn’t Logan laying on that pyre?”

“Beka…” Sam’s voice was soft, his touch gentle as he reached for her, but she didn’t want to be calmed.

She pulled free from Dean’s grasp, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand as she ran for the bunker.

The burn of the whiskey did little to numb the pain, but she kept drinking anyways. She let her feet guide her down the halls of the bunker, bottle in tow, and came to a stop in front of the door of her old bedroom. She placed a trembling hand on the handle, biting her lip as she opened the door to her past.

The room was just as she had left it the night she snuck down the hall and into Sam’s room; bed unmade, a wayward flannel and pair of jeans laying rumpled in the corner, knick knacks and trinkets haphazardly displayed on nearly every horizontal surface. The only change was the fine layer of dust that had settled in her absence. Beka shut and locked the door behind her, needing some time to be alone.

The bottle had been empty for a few hours when the click of the door across the hall pulled Beka from her memories. She stood on unsteady legs and padded across the hall, stopping in front of the door. The number 27 glinted in the light, cold to the touch as Beka lifted a finger to it. For a second she thought she saw the door creak open and Logan tiptoe out down the hall, no doubt sneaking away to Ketch’s room, but with a few blinks the whiskey induced vision was gone, the door still shut.

She opened the door and stepped inside, finding comfort in the familiarity of the room. Ketch was sitting on the edge of the bed, a bottle of scotch in his hand and a glass between his feet. He looked over as Beka approached, his eyes meeting hers for a moment before darting away as a tear carved out a path down his cheek. She sat down next to him, close but not touching, a heavy silence blanketing the room.

“She deserved better than you.” Beka’s own voice surprised her as she broke the silence.

“I know.” Ketch poured a glass of scotch and handed it to her before taking a swig out of the bottle.

“She loved you.”

“I told her not to.”

“As if that could have stopped her.” Beka scoffed, and the corner of Ketch’s mouth twitched with the hint of a smile. Silence crept in once more, and Beka lost herself in the amber of the scotch in her hands.

“It was a witch.” Beka nearly jumped as Ketch’s voice snapped her brain back into focus. “She jumped in front of the spell. It should have been me.”

Beka looked at him with sorrow filled eyes, wishing that she could see the person that Logan had, wanting to offer him some sort of comfort, but she didn’t know how. She watched his hands as he took another drink from the bottle, and she noticed his duffle bag was packed and ready to go at his feet.

“Going somewhere?”

“I’m going to kill the witch.”

“What then?”

“Then I’ll do what I was always meant to do; kill monsters until it kills me.”

“I’m coming with you.” Ketch raised an eyebrow. “Just to kill the witch.”

“No.”

“She killed my best friend, and I will get my revenge. If you don’t take me with you, I’m going do a terrible job sneaking out of this bunker after you, thus setting Sam and Dean on our trail to come and collect me, thus slowing you down, so you might as well just take me with you.”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“I noticed.”

Beka stood up, draining her glass of scotch before crossing the hall back to her room and pulling a half-packed duffle bag of her own from underneath her bed. She added her handgun and a pack of witch killing bullets from the footlocker at the end of her bed before heisting it over her shoulder. Ketch was waiting for her in the hallway, his bag on his back.

They slunk through the bunker on light feet, though everyone else had long since retired to their rooms. Ketch grabbed the keys to his Bentley from the wall as Beka opened the door to the garage. They froze when the light that shouldn’t have been on washed over them, cautiously peeking around the corner.

Mick was leaning against the Bentley, bag at his feet, arms crossed over his chest.

“Bloody took you long enough.” He bent down to pick up his bag and moved to the trunk of the car. “Come now Ketch, be a dear and open the boot.”

“What are you doing?” Beka asked as Mick loaded all of the bags and opened the back door for her.

“If you thought that I would let the two of you go off on some suicidal revenge mission three-quarters of the way to wasted all by your lonesome, you’d be wrong. Besides, someone has to make sure that this brute comes back home.” Mick reached out and squeezed Ketch’s shoulder as he got in the car, causing him to sigh. “I’ve grown rather fond of his solemn demeanor.”

Ketch rolled his eyes as he pulled out of the garage.

The rest of the ride to the warehouse was silent. The dividing lines on the road flashed by as a near solid strip of color, leading the way to their destination as the Bentley flew through the night. It was clear with exception of a few distant storm clouds, the stars crisp against the dark sky in the cold October. Beka watched them as they drove, wondering what secrets they held.

The warehouse was empty when they got inside. Someone, Beka wasn’t sure who, had called in backup after the incident to dispose of the carnage they had left behind. They only had one room left to search, and there was still no sign of the witch.

Beka’s knuckles were white on the grip of her pistol. Her hand shook slightly as she snuck her way through the dark, the occasional beam of moonlight through partially covered windows being their only source of light. The earlier whiskey caused her feet to tangle a bit more than usual, but the pressing anxiety of the hunt was burning through her buzz quickly.

When they reached the back of the last stockroom, the world around them exploded in activity.

The witch entered the room behind them, shutting the door and trapping them. She cackled, her hair raising in the air like bad special effects on a low budget horror film. Her eyes glowed yellow as she quickly muttered a spell, flourishing her hand and sending a blade of yellow light towards Ketch, who fell to the right. The box where he had been standing took the impact, falling into two pieces where the spell had struck.

They dove for cover as the witch began to duplicate, her cackle filling the room as thunder began to rumble outside.

“This is fine. We’re fine. Everything’s fine.” Beka murmured aloud, trying to calm her racing mind as she took aim and fired, causing one of the copies to dissipate.

“Well love, your definition of fine must be very different on this side of the pond.” Mick answered as he took aim at a second version of the witch.

“She’s astral projecting!” Ketch yelled from across the room. He took aim and fired, his bullet ripping through three more projections. He ran from his spot to theirs as the room fell quiet once more. “We need to get out of here. We can’t hurt her projections, but she can definitely hurt us. We need backup, and to figure out which witch is which.”

“That’s incentive enough for me, let’s go.”

Mick stood up and led the way, racing out of the room in search of phone service.

Ketch helped Beka up, urging her to follow Mick as spells began to fly around them. They took aim, giving Mick cover as he fled the warehouse, phone in hand.

Beka tried to keep her eyes on the path before her, but her boot caught on the side of a box, sending her sprawling behind a 55-gallon drum. She saw the witch as she fell, yellow eyes staring straight at her. As the witch cackled, she felt her heart begin to race. The now familiar chanting of the spell filled the air around her, and Beka curled into a ball, bracing herself for an impact that never came.

Light flashed, illuminating the room, followed by a loud thud. Beka opened her eyes in time to see Ketch’s head roll crookedly across the floor, coming to a rest just past her feet. His unseeing eyes stared up at her, stopping the scream in her throat and pushing her back into running.

Beka ran straight ahead, focusing on the door out of the warehouse. She felt a heavy pressure on her thigh, and her stomach lurched into her throat as the ground gave out beneath her foot. Her mind reeled as she hit the ground, racing to figure out why there was ground where there shouldn’t be.

She could hear the witch’s footsteps as she came closer, and when Beka looked back her stomach dropped; there, four feet away, connected by only a trail of dark blood, lay her left leg. There was only one witch left in the room now, and Beka seized her moment. She saw her pistol out of the corner of her eye and she reached for it, stretching until her arm burned with the effort, her fingers barely reaching the gun.

As the witch bore down on her Beka heaved herself forward, firmly grabbing the gun. She aimed at the center of the witch’s head and pulled the trigger, the shot echoing throughout the room as the projection smoked out.

Defeat overwhelmed Beka as she sat up, her pistol falling out of her hand and clattering on the floor. She watched the blood pulsing out of her wound with a morbid curiosity, the knowledge that she had failed heavy on her mind. This was the end, and every version of the witch had been a fake.

Realization slammed into her as she realized the answer had been staring at her all night; it wasn’t a witch they were after. She pulled out her phone, screaming in frustration at the lack of service in the warehouse. Mick was long gone, and with a glance at her leg across the room she knew that she would never make it out in time to get the message to Sam.

Biting her lip, she dipped her finger in the pool of blood before her. It was thicker than she imagined her own blood to be, warmer too, but it would have to do. She got out two words before her eyelids were too heavy to keep open. She laid down on the cool wood floor, closing her eyes and letting her mind wander. If she didn’t focus, she could imagine that she wasn’t dying. Instead, she was just sitting in her bathtub at the bunker as the water drained out, the air around her getting colder by the moment, gravity increasing, until the darkness of oblivion nullified even that thought.

Sam choked on a sob when he ran into the room, his knees buckling as he fell beside her. He pulled her close, her blood soaking into his jeans as he rocked her body back and forth. Two words caught his eye as he held her, written in her own blood by her own hand on the dirty warehouse floor: yellow eyes.

The pyre burned hot. It dried the tears on Sam’s face as they fell over his clenched jaw. Dean stood next to him, his own tears dripping steadily down his face. While the fire blazed, they would mourn. When the flames had turned to ash, they would hunt the last prince of hell to the ends of the earth, because there was nothing a Winchester did better than revenge.

The Whole Enchilada: @impala-dreamer @sculptorofbeginnings @curly-haired-disaster @rideandwritethings @adoptdontshoppets @supernatural-idjit-95 @team-free-will-you-idjits-67

[luciisthebest]

My Dean

Pairing: Former Dean x Reader

Summary: The moment Dean woke up as a demon things had gone to hell. He won't rest until the reader is his again but she has other plans.

Warnings: Angst, language, broken bones, mentions of knives, violence, death.

Word Count: 1,667

A/N: Yay more angst. I haven't written Demon!Dean in a long time so it was fun to rediscover him. Anyways, hope you guys like it. Feel free to leave feedback even if you are drowning in tears.

Life could honestly be such a bitch. Just when you thought things were finally smoothing out, fate had to walk up and bitch slap you. There was no such thing as a happy ending for a hunter, it was just one tragedy after another.

Your heart thundered as you waited for the footsteps to sound. You knew he was coming, he would never stop hunting you. In his mind either you would join him or die.

“I know you're here.” His voice was taunting as it bounced off the walls. He still wasn't close enough to sense you but it wouldn't be long.

You were trapped in a dark room. In a moment of desperation you had fled into an abandoned warehouse. It had seemed like a good idea at the time but now there was no way out. All you could hope was that he wouldn't find your hiding spot.

“Come out come out where ever you are.”

You could hear his footsteps now. Your breathes came in loud rasps as you heard each and every footfall. You were screwed. Your eyes were glued to the small space between the bottom door and the floor. The footsteps grew louder and you held our breath as you saw a shadow pass by. For a moment he paused at the door and then continued on. Relief rushed through you. You might actually make it through the night.

Settling back into your hiding spot you began to relax. You would have to remain here an hour maybe two before clearing out. After that you would be home free. Just a few more hours and you could finally stop running. Exhaustion began to settle over your body, making your eyelids droop. It had been days since had been able to get more than a few hours of sleep and it was finally catching up to you. You began to nod off safe with knowledge that he had moved on.

There was a loud bang. What the hell was that? All you were trying to do was get a little sleep. Blinking your eyes open you squinted. The door was open, why was the door open? “Fuck!” You jumped up knocking over the chair you'd been sitting in.

“Sleeping beauty awakens.”

Your heart stopped at the sound of his voice. He was supposed to be gone, you were sure he didn't suspect you were still here. Looks like you were wrong. Slowly turning, you felt like you were going to throw up when your eyes met his black ones. “Hello Dean.”

His eyes shifted back to green as he smirked at you. “Thought I was gone didn't you?”

You didn't respond knowing it was pointless. All you needed to do was escape, and there was only one way out. The door was still wide open, if you could distract him enough you might have a chance, even a slim one. “Well you finally caught me. What do you want from me?”

“Isn't it obvious?” He smiled at you. “I want you to rejoin me and stand by my side.”

“You know that will never happen.” You took a small step backwards. “Now if you'd just come back to the bunker Sam and I could cure you. We could be together again.” You took another step, the wood creaking under your feet.

Dean laughed humorlessly. “I like what I am, and soon you will see that demon me and far better than I ever was as a human.”

“No you being a demon is probably one of the worst things that has happened to either of us.” Your voice cracked as you felt the pain you usually buried. You had lost your Dean the moment he had woken up with black eyes. Since then you had been on the run. One encounter with him proved there was no saving him.

“Oh Y/N, your still as dramatic as the day I died.” He winked at you making you recoil. “What was that saying you used to always say?  Bend over here comes another, right? Well you might want to take your own advice.”

You slowly inched your left foot back knowing you were getting closer to your escape. “See that right there is why this would never work. You demean me Dean. In your eyes I'm not an equal and that doesn't work for me.”

A calculating gleam entered Dean’s eyes. “I do veiw you as an equal. Why else would I be here? There is no other woman out there that could ever truely be my equal.”

You shook your head. “And now your just telling me what I want to hear. I'm sorry Dean but I can't come with you. We had something, something special. But you're a demon and I kill demons. Either you let me walk away or you're going to have to kill me.” You took one last step knowing you were now close enough to make a break for it.

“Well when you put it that way…” His eyes turned black and he pulled the First Blade out. “I can't let you walk away, if you won't come with me then you leave me no choice.”

“So be it.” You spun around and sprinted for the door. You were so close to freedom, just a few more steps and you would be out the door. The door slammed closed in front of you, and you found Dean casually leaning against it with a smirk on his lips.

“Demon remember?” His voice was amused as he took in your astonished face.

“So this is it then?” A feeling of resignation settled over you as you backed away from him. It wouldn't stop him by any means but it made you feel better to get some distance between the two of you.

“You can still walk out of this alive. I just want what we had before.”

“My Dean is dead. We can never have that again.” You shouted back. There was no point keeping a cool head anymore. These were your final moments you may as well make them count.

Dean started slowly walking towards you. “I am your Dean, I'll always be your Dean.”

Tears were starting to well up in your eyes. “My Dean would never do this. If you have even a smidgen of him left in you, you'd let me go.”

“That's where you're wrong. I would have never let you go. You're the only light in my life. You always made the darkness seem not as bad. So no I wouldn't let you go and I'm not going to.”

“Please.” You choked out as your tears began to spill.

“You could stay. We could take Hell for ourselves.” Dean reached down and caressed your cheek. “There's no need to cry. All you have to do is be with me. It can be like before but even better.”

“Or you could come with me.”

Dean grabbed your arm and yanked you closer to him. “Never.” He hissed into your ear.

Yours shoulders slumped as your last bit of hope left you. He wasn't coming with you, there was no saving him now. “So be it.” You calmly said. Kneeing him in the stomach, you tore your arm from his grip and reached down for your boot. Pulling out the angel blade you had hidden there you faced off with Dean.

“So this is your decision?” His hard green eyes bore into yours. “You know that blade can't kill me.” A smug smirk tugged at his lips.

“But it certainly can do a lot of damage.”

“I don't think you have it in you.” Dean began to circle you. “I may be a demon but I'm still your precious Dean. Do you really think you can make yourself hurt me? Can you bear to have my blood on your hands?”

“I guess we're about to find out.” You lunged at him dagger raised. With a simple side step Dean dodged your attack. Quickly spinning around you charged at him again. This time Dean grabbed your wrist and twisted it. You felt an agonizing pain as you heard the bones crunch and your fingers went limp, forcing you to drop the blade.

“Are you done?” Dean let your wrist go. Anger gleamed in his eyes and you could see the mark glowing, urging him to kill.

“Never!” You dove for the blade. A split second was all it took an it was all over. As you hit the ground you felt Dean’s blade plunge into you back. Your fingers had been just a few inches from your weapon but it was all for nothing.

“You could have had the world bowing at your feet.” Dean grabbed your hair and pulled you to your feet. “But instead you chose death.” He ignored your screams as he ripped the blade from your back.

“Don't do this Dean. I know you're still in there somewhere.” You begged hoping to get through to him.

He chuckled darkly. “Oh this is all me sweetheart.” He grabbed you face as you began to slump forward, already feeling the effects of blood lose. His touch made you tremble and your bottom lip quivered as he lowered himself so your eyes were level with each other. “Just remember,” you felt him place his blade right above your heart, “you chose this not me. I would have given you the world.” He leaned forward kissed your lips gently, reminding you of the Dean you had loved. “Goodbye Y/N.” His eyes turned black and then you felt searing pain as he push his blade into your chest.

A choked gasp escaped your lips as you felt yourself go limp in his arms. Those cold black eyes stared down at you, bloodlust swirling in their dark murky depths. Your heart gave one more stuttering beat before it was still forever, leaving your body cold and empty on some unknown warehouse floor. Never to be found.

Tags:

@mogaruke @msimpala67 @percussiongirl2017 @tomorraw @meganwinchester1999 @ria132love @lucifer-in-leather @impala-dreamer @idreamofhazel @helvonasche @quiverhope @distinguishedqueenofbooks @faith-in-dean @docharleythegeekqueen @nanie5 @amotleyworld @abbessolute @mrsbatesmotel53 @bobbysingerismybaby @chaosinacoffeecup @saoirsewhittle

[clnriswood]

Kara x Mon-El

VALOR

a/n: I never write stuff for Karamel, or stuff that’s not x reader, but I just really wanted to do this so I hope you like this mess.

x

“How’s it look?” Alex’s voice came crisp through Kara’s earpiece.

“So far so good,” she breathed quietly, her bright red boots clacking against the crumbled concrete floor.

She’d been sent over to the abandoned looking warehouse when pings had rung into the DEO system warning them of an alien who needed aid in the location. Though they didn’t know what they were up against, Kara felt ready, her hands balled into tight fists at her sides, cape swaying gently to the breeze that wafted through holes in the walls.

“Why is there nothing here?” Kara asked, voice lowering with worry.

The silence rang in her eardrums, a faint whirring emitting from a while away.

“Oh my god,” Alex’s voice crackled faintly, “It’s a trap. Kara, get ou-”

Suddenly, a huge force, one strong enough to even cause the girl of steel pain, went slamming into Kara’s front. She was propelled back, legs dangling in the air, breath knocked from her system, her blonde curls tangling around her face. She went back first into the wall, letting out a cry of pain, and raising her blue eyes to the shadow that loomed over her. She only saw glimpses; long hair, pale skin, glinting armor, a flowing cape.

“Who are you?” Kara gaped, blinking through bleary vision.

“You made me,” the voice, a female’s, responded.

Kara bent forward, eyes blazing a vibrant aqua color as she fired two lazer bolts from her eyes, sending a searing burn into her new enemy.

The woman released a cry and swung out a sword that hit Kara square in the jaw and made her crumble back to the ground. Kara grabbed at her face as she bounded up and dove through the air, sending a punch at the person’s stomach, which didn’t seem to affect them much. The woman sent a fist at Kara, who ducked beneath her arm with a short gasp of air. Kara reeles back, releasing a streaming white puff of air that froze over and slowed the alien creature.

“You’re strong, but not as strong as me,” Kara growled.

“Really? Think again,” the voice rasped.

Kara heard Alex’s voice distantly cry out as a trickle of kryptonite entered her system, the captor’s hand on Kara’s throat as she crumbled in her arms with a low groan.

“Kryptonite,” she wheezed, “how did you know?”

“Like I said, you made me.”

Kara toppled onto the concrete, chest heaving, sprawled like a child, “w-what?”

“Your people did this to me,” the voice rang, “tell me how, tell my why.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking ab-”

“I’M A WORLDKILLER AND IT’S YOUR FAULT!”

The face leaned over her, features bent into a cold sneer, the girl both beautiful and terrifying.

“Who are you?” Kara said again.

“Reign.”

Kara blinked, too weak to move properly.

Three more shadowy figures appeared in a ring behind Reign, poised as they watched Kara struggle under the worldkiller.

“Give me answers,” she demanded.

“I don’t have an-”

Reign slammed a fist into Kara’s jaw, making her scream out in anguish, Alex’s staticy voice crackling out.

“Shame, Supergirl. Looks like you have to die today.”

A fist to the stomach, another to the face, a third in the ribs.

Kara couldn’t think, her vision fogging over as the kryptonite weakened her further.

Reign withdrew a glimmering pointed sword, her hair swinging as she raised it above Supergirl with a sneer, “I hope it hurts.”

A faint crash came from behind them, and Reign whipped her head to the side in alarm. The rumble grew louder, and suddenly the ceiling split open, a figure coming crashing to the ground. One of the three aliens she’d brought with her went soaring across the room and smacking into the wall, instantly going out cold and collapsing to the concrete. Another raised their sword, but it was swung from their grip, and a fist went to their jaw, a knee to their stomach, and a smack of their sword to the head, and they too, passed out. The third worldkiller threw out a fist, which hit the unknown man but did nothing to hurt them, and instead they picked up the vicious woman and sent her through the roof, and so the savior momentarily vanished, a loud smack emitting from outside. And then he was back, sinking through the gaping hole in the roof, floor cracking under his boots when he landed.

This all happened in a matter of seconds. One moment, the three worldkillers stood together behind their leader, and the next, with a whir of a blue cape, they were defeated. Reign, her sword still raised, stood in shock as her eyes flickered over the person in front of her. Kara, still pinned beneath her, was too weak to raise her head from the ground and see who it was, but she didn’t have to, because the next instant, Reign went pummeling across the room. The man had thrown her with such force that her skull slamming into the wall was almost enough to take her out. Reign let out a scream of rage as she stood, throwing out a punch which the figure caught in his hand and promptly used to twist her wrist so as to flip her to the floor. Reign kneed him in the chest, and he responded with fists to her jaw over and over and over again, until she was a gaping and beaten down mess beneath his superhuman grip. When she still tried to fight back, he hoisted her by her neck and did a three sixty spin as he flew into the air and threw her body so hard into the ground that the floor split wide open, and she sunk deep into the black hole in the earth with a faint howl. She wasn’t dead and he knew it, but she was taken care of for now.

The man turned on his heel, blue boots sending dust flying as he approached the beat down Kryptonian woman. She was pretty much passed out, honey colored curls framing her face, her eyes closed, but she was as beautiful as ever. He knelt down with a long and shallow breath, fingers trembling as he extended a hand to her face, and ever so gently, his palm went to her skin and cupped at her right cheek. When she twitched, he felt his heart leap, but her hand snapped up and wrapped gently around his wrist, thumb brushing over his arm as she snuggled into his palm and breathed in his scent, making his gaze soften with longing. He took in a shaky breath, and withdrew in a second when he saw her blue eyes start to blink open. Kara rubbed at her face and groaned softly as she stood in confusion, the last couple minutes being a hazy blur to her. The room looked empty, yet she could sense a presence. Her eyebrows furrowed as she registered a tingling in her cheek, and she raised her fingertips gently to the spot where she could have sworn someone’s hand had been a moment ago. She pondered the feeling of those slender fingers with contemplation, familiar and warm on her flesh, and the unforgettable scent of her home she’d breathed in so long ago. Then, at once, her heart dropped in her chest, hand falling to her side as her eyes went flickering up, and mouth dropping with a faint pang of realization in her heart. She turned, just in time to see a blur of red and blue shoot through the ceiling, and she followed in with a pounding heart.

He was in the air, hovering in the sky against the canvas of white clouds and fading blue sky, his back turned. He wore a tight red suit, blue cape billowing in the wind, head tilted away from her.

“I know who you are,” she breathed, her voice cracking as tears welled up in her eyes. They were far from the ground now, and he hovered slightly above her. She didn’t know how or why, but she knew.

Her whole inside felt on fire, a churning in her stomach as her tears went sliding across her cheekbones. She could feel it in her heart, could feel him.

“Turn around, Mon-El.”

So he did.

He spun in the air, sun glinting against his face like a halo of warmth around him. His blue eyes were determined but sad, his jaw set with worry, hands balled at his sides. He looked different than the last time they’d held each other, stronger. His defined muscles rippled against the fabric against his crimson suit, and the way he held himself showed a newfound strength. His cape lapped around his legs, brown locks pushed atop his forehead, eyes flickering over Kara’s tear stained face.

“Kara-” he started softly.

The next second, he was thrown back into the air as Kara barreled into his front, soaring into his arms and grabbing at his collar as her lips attached harshly to his. Mon-El’s arms swung out in surprise as they plummeted through the sky, hair whipping in the wind, before doing little twirls as they sunk through the air, his hands falling to her waist as they molded into each other. They were still flying, sinking against the pastel blue sky and entangled in one another, months of pent up longing and heartache poured into their kiss. They slowed, coming to a stop as Kara detached herself from him and rested her nose to his like they always used to do. She had no idea what to say, there were so many questions and worries bottled up within her, but for now they didn’t matter, because she had him, and he had her.

She smiled.

He smiled.

[exoticarmy127]

Agent AF7 (Jungkook, You) Scenario

Request found here.

The world seemed to be in slow motion as Jungkook took deep breaths, surveying his surroundings.

There were eight—no ten (there were two snipers on opposites sides of the second floor mezzanine) armed men currently facing him. He stood still, feeling his lover’s presence behind him, which makes it even harder to make a decision whether to engage, or not.

“Y/N… baby, don’t move.” He whispered when he felt her shallow breathing and the slight tremble from her body. He knew she was scared, she had every right to be, and it kills Jungkook on every aspect. But he couldn’t risk one of those snipers going off at her.

“Sorry.” She whispered, which sounded more like a choked sob and Jungkook wanted to turn around and kiss her; to assure her that it was going to be alright and that she shouldn’t be sorry.

It was his fault she was in this mess, after all.

Jungkook had been so careful. He had to be for being an agent wasn’t a typical occupation as it involved fighting off criminals, stalking suspicious illegal doings, and a whole lot of gun shooting in its job description. Jungkook had chosen this path since he was a little boy when he discovered how his father had been an agent for ISAIA (International Security and Intelligence Agency) as well. He trained with him in his early years until a terrible accident happened that took away his father from him forever.

Not long after that, Jungkook was recruited into the agency and has been serving for almost seven years now… since he was fourteen.

Being an agent meant being completely detached from the world. Jungkook had been orphaned upon his father’s death, making him the perfect candidate to be an ISAIA agent. There was a reason why they were called “secret agents”: they could tell no one of their identity. They couldn’t risk putting someone in danger like that. Information, as Jungkook had learned, was just as dangerous as wealth and riches in the eyes of greedy and selfish bastards who reside in this world.

Jungkook lived his life alone but it wasn’t so bad. He had his fellow agents who somehow became his own little family. He was happy being part of the agency and being a hero in his own way as he tracks down assassins and high profile criminals. He was happy being on his own…

That is until Y/N came along.

Jungkook met Y/N on his one-week leave; a reward given by the agency after a successful mission of capturing a target they’ve been tailing for almost a year.

Jungkook spent it in Seoul, in his own apartment where he was just Jungkook—not agent AF7. Being an agent had its perks, sure; and it was fun and all but Jungkook often craved for the “normal life”. A life where he could just be a normal college student, living in a crappy dorm room and eating cup noodles for dinner.

And that’s probably what made him like Y/N so much; the girl who lived in the next building; the one who played Justin Bieber songs at night where Jungkook could see her though his window, dancing around in pajamas.

They easily became friends after bumping into each other at the park where Jungkook did his routine jogs while Y/N walked her dog, Riley. They clicked like two pieces of a puzzle, having similar tastes and interests.

Aside from the fact that she was beautiful, funny, smart, and the nicest person he had ever met; Y/N gave Jungkook something he craved for: a normal life to escape to after being on missions or after flying off to some uncharted territory chasing bad guys.

Y/N was home. And it’s been so long since Jungkook had that.

It didn’t take long before the two of them became an actual thing. And then they fell in love too fast, too deeply. Jungkook wasn’t sure how he had let that happen. He used to be so controlled, so careful. But with Y/N, Jungkook seemed to have no hold of it and his heart just dove head first—wanting to love her no matter the consequences.

He never told her about his identity. Y/N never knew what he was or what he did for a living. And as for as Jungkook knew, Y/N thought he was a graphic designer for a game developer.

It was a burden to keep something from her that literally took up more than half of his life; half of himself. But Jungkook knew the consequences of giving away that information.

Being an agent had its perks, but it also got you a lot of enemies. And Jungkook couldn’t risk that. He’d protect Y/N with his life.

Two years into the relationship and Y/N and Jungkook started living together. Jungkook should have declined when she had hinted about it (“Why don’t you just live with me if you’re just going to knock on my window every night? Saves you the effort of crossing through that fire escape, she had joked) but how could he when the idea of waking up next to her every morning was so tempting? Jungkook wanted to spend more time with her, keep her close. And so he became selfish and agreed.

He took some precautions, of course. He bought a new apartment for them and installed it with a state of the art security system. He had a stash of gadgets hidden in its nooks and crannies; one wall opened up to reveal a set of guns and firearms. Jungkook wanted to be sure they were ready if ever there was an attack.

A year later, things were going well. Y/N was in the midst of her master studies while Jungkook got promoted to a level A agent, one of the best at the agency. There were nights when Jungkook didn’t come home due to missions and he would conjure up a lie that he was out for work or out of town for a design expo. He felt guilty about lying, even more on how Y/N trusted him so much to believe him every time.

He didn’t deserve it but he had no choice. The secret kept her safe.

At least that’s what Jungkook thought until he came home one night to his apartment in shambles and a vandalism on his bedroom wall that said:

I’ll take my trophy.

The food he had bought dropped to floor with a thud and Jungkook’s body filled with rage as he grabbed his phone (his agent mobile) and called for a car. A sleek black Jaguar C-X75 roared down his building in mere minutes and Jungkook hopped in, talking to Namjoon, the head of the intelligence unit, about tracking down Y/N.

It wasn’t that hard considering Jungkook had installed a tracking device on her cellphone (he didn’t want to but he had to. Again, for safety reasons). Namjoon led him into the warehouse unnoticed and when Jungkook finally found Y/N, she was blindfolded, gagged, and thrown into a corner of a dark-lit room like a rag doll.

Jungkook had never hated himself so much then.

“Y/N.” He said as he rushed towards her. He cut the ropes on her hands and ankles and Jungkook felt his chest tighten at the sight of the bruises it caused on her skin. When he uncovered her eyes and saw them glistening with tears, Jungkook really thought he was going to cry then.

Out of relief or pain at seeing her like this? He was sure it was both.

“Jungkook?” Y/N choked and he cupped her cheeks before kissing her tenderly. “What are you doing here? You have to leave, they said they’ll kill you—”

“I’m sorry.” He murmured as he kissed her forehead, her nose, then her lips once again to calm her down. “I’m so sorry baby.”

“Why are you sorry—” A loud bang interrupted them, causing Y/N to jolt in fright. Jungkook gritted his teeth and held up his gun on his right hand. Y/N’s eyes bulged at the sight of the weapon.

“I don’t want you to see this so I’m going to have to ask you to close your eyes right now.” He said just as two armed men came into the room, shouting, and Jungkook held up his gun, shooting them both swiftly with such accuracy they went down in seconds.

“You—” she said shakily and Jungkook had to half carry her out of the room.

“Later. I’ll explain later babe, but we have to go.“ He said. “Can you run?” She nodded and Jungkook pulled her closer to him. “Good, just follow my lead and don’t let go of my hand, okay?”

“Okay?”

“Good girl.” Jungkook gave her waist a slight squeeze before talking into his earpiece. “Get us out of here, Namjoon.”

“Okay, I have a chopper on standby. Can you get to the roof?”

“Yeah. I saw it the stairs on the way in.”

“Good. Get there fast, but there are some—”

“Duck!” Jungkook hissed as he pushed Y/N towards the wall, shielding her with his body as several gunshots went off. Jungkook raised his arm to shoot too and not long after the bullets went off, Y/N saw a couple of bodies thudding to the floor. Y/N felt her stomach churn at the sight of blood.

“Come on.” He pulled her towards the next room and that’s where they found themselves surrounded by their enemies.

They were trapped.

Jungkook made sure Y/N was behind him, shielding her from everyone’s view. He eyed his surroundings carefully, calculating every scenario possible if he made a particular move.

“Don’t engage, Jungkook. It’s a dead end.” He heard Namjoon through his earpiece.

“There are snipers up there.” He gritted his teeth, thinking how he couldn’t just stand and do nothing. “Y/N’s here—”

“We know that.” Namjoon huffed, sounding stressed himself. “Back up is on the way.”

“Hey! Stop talking and put your gun down or we shoot!”

Jungkook held his hands up in surrender before placing the gun down on the floor.

“Okay, let’s all just… calm down…” he managed to say and he heard Y/N whimper behind him when she saw a laser beam pointing at her shoulder. Jungkook stiffened upon the sight and moved slightly to the right so the laser was pointed at him instead.

“Let’s settle this like men.” Jungkook suddenly said. “Fight me without your weapons.”

“You insane?” One of the men asked, causing the whole room to laugh. “We can just shoot you right here, right now.”

“But that wouldn’t be any fun.”

“This isn’t supposed to be fun, kid.” The man grunted.

“Oh what’s that? I think I heard fear…” Jungkook goaded and something in the man’s eyes changed. Jungkook smirked, knowing he was getting to them.

“Jungkook what are you doing?” Y/N whispered to him.

“Yeah, don’t make them mad.” Namjoon said incredulously through his earpiece.

One of the men stepped forward and rolled up his sleeves and Jungkook knew he had won.

“Don’t engage agent AF7. Back up is right at the door—”

“Tell them to shoot the snipers.” Jungkook said before muting his earpiece and looking over his shoulder at Y/N. “Do you trust me?”

Y/N looked into his eyes and nodded. Jungkook gave her a small smile, the kind he only reserved for her.

“I want you to crawl to the side, okay? One of the agents will get you.”

“But what—” before she could ask, Jungkook pushed her to the side and lunged forward, fist connecting with the man’s face.

Y/N crawled to the side as she was told, right under a small table and watched in horror as Jungkook took on several men; punching and kicking in such speed and precision she wondered if he was even real.

He twisted one of the man’s arm’s and grabbed the gun from his grip effortlessly before shooting three other’s once: their bodies falling to the ground instantly.

The doors burst open and several men in black came in, one of which released some bullets and Y/N saw the snipers on the second floor fall down.

“Y/N?”

Y/N jolted as a man came up to her. He was in a black suit, similar to what Jungkook was wearing.

“I’m agent AF9. We’re going to have to run, can you do that?”

Y/N was silent, unsure if she should trust him. But then she remembered Jungkook’s words a while ago…

“I want you to crawl to the side, okay? One of the agents will get you.”

“I’m a friend of Jungkook’s.” the agent said as if reading her mind. “I’m Taehyung,” He smiled at her warmly.

“Don’t say your name on missions, dumbass!” Y/N heard a shout through his earpiece.

Taehyung chuckled as he touched his earpiece. “Sorry. That was Yoongi, he’s a bit grumpy.“

"I’m not! Now get your ass up to the roof, I’m flying this thing over.”

“Copy that.” He said before holding out his hand to her. “Come on.”

“But Jungkook—” she looked back at the commotion and somewhere at the center she could vaguely make out Jungkook’s form still fighting those goons.

“He’ll be fine.” He assured her. “He’ll meet us upstairs.”

Y/N didn’t think she had a choice and so she went with him reluctantly, praying Jungkook would be all right.

~~~

The cold night air felt like a slap to Y/N’s face the moment she stepped out into the rooftop with Taehyung. The helicopter was right there by the edge and there was a man urging them on.

“Come on.” Taehyung said as they ran towards the chopper, the wind so strong Y/N felt like it would push her off the edge.

There was a sudden explosion and Y/N stopped dead in her tracks to look back, eyes wide with worry.

Fire, she thought in panic as smoke began to rise. Jungkook’s still in there.

“Jungkook!” She yelled the moment they saw orange flames engulfing the side of the building. Taehyung held her tighter until he literary had to drag her towards the chopper.

“Y/N we have to go—”

“No! Jungkook’s still in there! I—no, let me go!!!” She cried as hands held her up and pulled her into chopper.

“Agent AF7. We’re ready to take off, do you copy?” Taehyung called into his earpiece, looking worried as well. “Agent AF7, do you copy?”

There was another explosion and Y/N wanted to jump out of the chopper to come get him herself. There was no way she was leaving without him.

“Agent AF7?“

Taehyung’s face fell all of a sudden when there was no reply and Y/N’s tears flowed from her eyes like rain. He looked at her sadly and was about to say something when a loud bang sounded.

Y/N’s head whipped to the source and her heart soared when she saw a figure stepping out of the staircase door, running.

"Jungkook!”

Jungkook’s clothes were torn and there was a nasty scratch on his cheek but he seemed to be okay. Taehyung held out his hand and Jungkook took it swiftly, swinging himself into the chopper effortlessly.

“We’re taking off.” The driver announced as he maneuvered the chopper away from the burning building.

“Y/N,” Jungkook breathed out as he went towards his lover, cupping her cheeks. Y/N was crying so hard and Jungkook’s face scrunched in worry and panic, thinking she might be hurt.

“Are you hurt anywhere?” He asked in alarm, his hands roaming her body for any injuries. “Baby, you have to tell me where—”

“I… I thought I lost you.”

Jungkook paused at her words, his eyes meeting hers in an instant. He felt his throat close up at the sadness and sincerity in her gaze and he immediately pulled her into his arms.

“Shh. It’s okay. I’m here now. I’m here, Y/N.”

“I got so scared.” She sobbed against his shoulder. “Why wouldn’t you answer Taehyung’s calls?! You idiot!” She hit his chest but she was too weak to make real damage. “You have no idea how scared I was! I didn’t know what to think—”

Jungkook pressed his lips against the side of head, kissing her tenderly to calm her down.  

“Shh… I’m sorry baby. You’re safe now. We’re safe now.”

“I love you.” She said, the relief flooding her system like a wave and causing the exhaustion to finally take over her.

“I love you too.” Jungkook said as he cradled her in his arms, feeling her being pulled by sleep little by little. “So much.”

~~~

ISAIA Headquarters

7:01 A.M.

“I want to apologize for this incident. We did not intend to put you in any danger. I hope you know that, Ms.Y/LN.”

Y/N nodded. She was at Suho’s office, the head of the board at ISAIA. The man had asked for her presence as soon as she was up and able. It has been hours since she awakened and she hadn’t seen Jungkook. One of the nurses at the infirmary told her that he was with her throughout the night but had to leave for a status report earlier this morning.

“Of course, sir. I never thought that. In fact, you all saved me.”

Suho smiled. “Well, agent AF7 wouldn’t have it any other way.“ He bit his lip to keep from smiling when he saw the look of confusion crossing her features. “Agent Jeon, I mean. Jeon Jungkook.”

“Oh.” Y/N nodded stupidly, realizing they called each other by code names here.

“I actually wanted to apologize to you… I gave Jungkook a hard time when we found out about you and your relationship. He endured a lot of scolding from the board, especially from me.”

Y/N gulped, feeling like a parent was disapproving her.

“Of course it has nothing to do with you.” He assured her. “I am sure you are as wonderful as Jungkook tells us you are. I am not against your relationship in that aspect.”

Y/N chewed on her bottom lip. “Oh.. Then why?“

“I think last night’s events was its own explanation.” He answered sadly. “Jungkook’s job is very dangerous, Ms. Y/LN. I’m sure you’ve noticed. Honorable yes, but it earned him a lot of enemies as well.”

Y/N gulped, suddenly feeling frightened for Jungkook. Never had she imagined that he worked as a secret agent. It seemed only yesterday he was telling her about his new design project…

Oh that was yesterday, she recalled. It was yesterday over breakfast.

Before the afternoon came and some strangers barged into her house and took her captive.

“I hope you know the danger he carries with him. We don’t want anyone getting hurt. He’s been careful, we know that. He had kept you off the radar for as long as you’ve been together. But one of the men he recently put behind bars had outside contact and wanted to hurt him the worse way possible for revenge. And I think we both know how that would be.”

Y/N gulped, nodding sadly.

“And Jungkook… well he is quite the character no? He’s an exemplary agent but very reckless. He would go to you without delay, even if he had to do it alone. He was scolded by our head intelligence this morning for muting his earpiece and engaging in the fight when he was clearly told not to.” Suho sighed, shaking his head slightly. “He’s a bit stubborn, that kid. Brave, but stubborn.”

Y/N smiled slightly, knowing exactly what he meant.

“What should we do then?”

Suho smiled at her softly before shaking his head. “That’s not my decision to make, my dear. That is entirely up to the two of you.”

~~~

Y/N made her way out of the office, feeling a little lost. Suho’s words echoed in her brain, and she couldn’t help but see his point.

She could put Jungkook in danger. And by staying with him, she was giving his enemies a chance to poke at his weakness.

A chance to kill him.

“Hey.”

Y/N looked up and found Taehyung smiling at her.

“Hey.” She replied with a small smile.

“Jungkook’s on the roof.” He said, hooking his thumb behind him. It was almost creepy how he knew the answer to her questions before she even voiced it out. Or was her face that transparent? “Just go straight and turn left, you’ll see the door that leads up there.”

Y/N thanked him before leaving, making his way up the roof where Taehyung said Jungkook was.

~~~

Jungkook was leaning by the parapet, looking at the city down below. It was early in the morning and the sun was just peeking in horizon, casting a yellowish glow against the tall buildings.

“Jungkook.” Y/N called and the boy turned, eyes widening before he made his way towards her in a rush.

“Y/N.” he said and engulfed her in a warm embrace once he got to her. Y/N smiled against him, hugging him just as tightly.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up. But I got called in and…” He huffed before looking into her eyes, gaze questioning. “Are you—okay?” He asked and she nodded before letting go.

A frown slowly made its way to her lips when she saw the bruise on his cheek. She reached out her hand and gently caressed it.

“You’re hurt.“

"It’s just a scratch.”

“At this rate, you’re gonna ruin your pretty face.” She pouted and Jungkook grinned. Unable to help himself, he leant over to peck it off her lips. Y/N blushed a deep red.

He held her hands and his smile faltered upon the sight of the marks on her wrist from where she was tied up. He massaged them gently with his thumbs.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve been more careful. It was my fault—” Jungkook paused when Y/N placed a finger on his lips, silencing him. She then moved her hand to cup his cheek.

“It’s not your fault. You saved me, Jungkook. I should be thanking you.” She said and Jungkook held her hand before kissing her palm tenderly.

“Of course I would. When I got home and you weren’t there I…” he huffed. “I got so worried, Y/N. And then I found that message and I got so scared! I couldn’t think straight.” He admitted and Y/N’s heart broke at the sadness and panic in his eyes.

“I understand if after what happened, you don’t want to be with me anymore.” He said, frown deepening. "I didn’t want to lie to you but I hope you understand that it was necessary to keep you safe. I couldn’t let them know about you. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if something happened to you, Y/N.”

“And I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if something happened to you.” Y/N countered. “But it seems that being with me puts you in danger too, Jungkook. And I don’t want that for you.”

Jungkook looked like he was about to cry, sensing the meaning behind her words.

“I… are you…breaking up with me?”

Y/N opened her mouth to answer just as a single tear slid down Jungkook’s cheek. She felt her knees weaken at the sight. She had only ever seen Jungkook cry once and that was when they had their very first fight.

“If you are, can you make it quick?” He added, tears blurring his vision. "I don’t think I can—”

“Do you want me to?” She asked and Jungkook shook his head vigorously, making her smile.

“I don’t. I know I’m being selfish but Y/N…” He held her hands tighter in his. “You’re the only good thing in my life right now. If you leave, I have nowhere else to go. You're—you’re my home. And I love you too much to let you go.”

Y/N felt her tears fall at his words, heart swelling with love and adoration.

“Then that’s good. Because I couldn’t break up with you either.”

Jungkook let out a sigh of relief and pulled her into his arms.

“I love you… I love you…” he said over and over and Y/N knew that no matter how dangerous their lives may be… she knew it was worth it as long as they had each other.

~~~

3 months later

Apartment

3:47 A.M.

“Door open. Welcome.” The robotic voice said as Jungkook keyed in the numbers to his apartment. He just got back from a mission in Taiwan and he was utterly spent. He wanted nothing more but to pass out on his bed and hibernate for a few hours.

Upon reaching the living room, he stopped when he saw an endearing sight.

Y/N was on the sofa, fast asleep; head leaning on the armrest in an uncomfortable position. Jungkook sighed. He had told her countless times that she shouldn’t wait up but every time, she still did. And she was going to get back pains because of it.

He went towards the couch and knelt beside her, letting his fingers trace the lines of her face; touching the soft strands of her hair and watching t go through his fingers. Jungkook wondered if he would ever stop falling in love with her and thought however did he get so lucky to deserve such an angel.

Y/N stirred at his touch and Jungkook smiled before kissing her cheek.

"Kookie? Is that you?”

“Mmm. I told you not to wait up.”

She opened her eyes slightly and it was the cutest thing Jungkook had ever seen.

“Did you get the bad guys?”

“Yeah, I got the bad guys.” He chuckled as he kissed her cheek again.

“Mmm, that’s good. I’m proud of you.”

Jungkook felt like a little boy in kindergarten had just been given a star for drawing well or for being prompt in class. He would do anything to make his baby proud.

“Let’s get you to bed, hmm? You’ll hurt your back this way.”

“Aren’t you hungry? I can heat something up—”

“No, I just want to sleep with you.” He said, giving her nose and Eskimo kiss before lifting her up in his arms, bridal style. Y/N always wondered how he could carry her so effortlessly like she weighed nothing.

Jungkook tucked her into bed first then moved to his side of the mattress. He removed his shoes and his shirt before getting under the covers and snuggling against her side.

“Good night, baby.” He whispered against her neck as he placed an arm over her frame and pulled her close.

“Jungkook?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad you’re home.”

Jungkook smiled at that. “I promised, didn’t I?” He whispered and he saw her smile against the dark room.

“Mmm. I love you.” Y/N yawned as she snuggled deeper into his arms.

Jungkook smiled against her skin, and thought how no matter where he goes or what dangers lie ahead, it was always good to know he had this to keep him going…

Good to know he had Y/N to come home to.

END

I got so inspired by that request haha you guys might find some of the aspects in this story familiar since I’ve used this Agency in another story. So I might use the same background whenever I get secret agent/spy requests. haha (calling it the ISAIA series for now lol)

To learn more about ISAIA, read my story “Baby, I Got Your Back” ;)

Thanks for reading! (Comments are appreciated) And thank you for helping me reach another follower mark. <3 

To the one who requested this, I hope you enjoyed it dear! And sorry for the delay.

Web Masterlist | Mobile Masterlist

[bluboothalassophile]

Calm in the Storm

Damian had found drawing to be the most entertaining thing he did; especially since he was no longer required to draw what his tutors demanded of him. No, he was free to draw whatever he pleased; and art was truly the only class in his pathetic school which was worthy of his full attention.

This week’s assignment was to draw his family.

He’d proceeded to draw Goliath, Titus, Batcow, Alfred (the cat) immediately. He loved his animals like they were his family, and he’d destroy anyone who threatened his pets. He put aside the drawing of Goliath though, it wouldn’t do to blow his cover as Robin by turning that in. A quick pencil sketch of Titus sleeping with Alfred in a patch of sunlight in the Manor library was one to be turned in. And he drew Batcow grazing on the Manor lawn. All simple, easy sketches and he was satisfied with them.

Next, he moved to sketching Pennyworth, it was easy to corner the old man in the kitchen, and Damian spent an afternoon perfecting the sketch of Pennyworth baking. That evening he silently sat with his father in the study as his father worked on Wayne Enterprises and Damian sketched him. He was rather pleased with the results; his father was an excellent art subject to sketch and it had turned out well with the lighting of the study.

The next day he sketched Brown and Cain sparring before patrol; they were both in their civvies so it was rather easy to draw them. He liked the play of light and dark, and was careful not to smudge the charcoal as he worked. He showed it to his father before patrol and preened when his father praised him for his talent. Damian liked art, he loved it, he loved sketching, and painting, and more than that, he loved being good at it.

The following afternoon he sat in the school library working on a reluctant sketch of Drake. Drake was a part of the family according to Grayson, even if Damian and he did not get along. Still, the assignment was to draw the family, and Drake was his father’s adopted son and that made him family. Damian drew Drake asleep in the library because he liked the lighting in the library and knew it by heart; so he didn’t actually have to be there to draw Drake.

His next study was Grayson and Gordon, they were getting married in a month. He was pleased about the wedding, but he was also a bit uneasy with the wedding and what it could mean for him. However, Gordon would be family after the wedding, and she was already family, so he would include her in his sketches. It was an afternoon he knew they’d be at the park, when he ditched school and hid out in a tree to sketch Grayson and Gordon together. Grayson and Gordon were the couple who just oozed happiness, joy, and love, it was something he’d heard Jon say people wanted and envied. Damian just enjoyed being around them. It was kind of fun to sketch them, they were so… happy, it was a bit infectious as he sketched their smiles and enjoyed his afternoon out.

Mentally he ticked off the list of who his family was and was satisfied that he had everyone except his mother and grandfather, but after his death he wasn’t overly keen on adding them to his family sketches. And he could not add the Titans, that would reveal his identity as Robin, and aside from Raven and Stone, he was not close to any of the others on the team.

At least he thought he had all the family until Todd recklessly came crashing into a warehouse he’d been trapped in, guns firing, and people screaming as the chaos which was Jason Todd ensued. Honestly! Damian had come here on a case, he’d been a little underprepared for the manpower this smuggling operation had but he had had everything completely under control! Then Todd just came barreling in with a wild laugh and reckless actions; it was infuriating to him. People would think he couldn’t handle himself!

“I had everything completely under control!” he snapped as he helped Todd tie up the gunmen and smugglers.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get your cape in a twist, I’m only here to meet up with a little bird, baby bird,” Todd dismissed as he walked down the docks.

“Since you’re here I suppose I have to draw you as well, Hood,” Damian growled a bit as he jogged with Todd.

“Huh?”

“Draw, it is an art assignment, I have to draw the family,” Damian explained.

“Nope, no need, we aren’t family, I’m here for a different bird,” Todd quickly said uncomfortably.

“I will pass this assignment, and you’re family! Father would be displeased if I did not draw you as well,” Damian hissed.

“I don’t give a shit what the old man wants or likes or what pleases him! No. I am not here for Bat family time!” Todd growled lowly.

“But I have to draw the family,” Damian persisted. He was still going to draw Todd, now that he was here, but truthfully Damian was not as familiar with Todd’s face and did not wish to mess it up. Failure was not an option.

“Nope, gotta go, see you later baby bird,” Todd shouted as he took an escape to the rooftops. Damian scowled a bit but he was not deterred. He would have a portrait of Todd for his assignment, he was not failing!

Damian spoke to Gordon about using her cameras to track down Todd; it wouldn’t be easy but he was too tired to try to do it himself tonight. Besides, he had to get up tomorrow for school, though he found the institution pointless and useless, his father, Grayson and Pennyworth refused to let him drop it entirely.

Also, he was surrounded by idiots at that institute, and it was poorly kept; even for a prestigious school it was poorly kept.

He made it through his literature class before he received a text from Gordon saying Todd was in New York City.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Jason had come stateside tracking a child smuggling ring, run out of Slovakia. He’d been systematically tearing it all down, which had had him moving all over Europe, but in his pursuit, he was now stateside, not a thrilling thought because he’d have to deal with Bats. However, a beautiful little bird he hadn’t seen in a long while went to school at NYU, and Jason was more than happy to spend time with that Titan, especially since it’d be Jason Todd and Rachel Roth hanging out and no one would be following her about.

The problems with being dead and dating a famed Titan… paparazzi. Raven handled it all with far more grace than he could, also she was ‘the boring Titan’ according to the paparazzi. To him she was anything but boring, however he was happy that his girlfriend did not attract all the media attention her fellow Titans did. Jason was pretty sure it was because of the media that secret identities were almost shot to hell; well, his barely concealed secret identity was almost destroyed already, but to hell with it, he was dead! DEAD! Oh all the freedom being dead brought him!

But also, they’d been smart about how they had set this up so they could have civilian lives. And aside from Victor, no one knew Raven’s secret identity, she’d been smart about never giving it to the Titans, or registering it with the League, so Rachel Roth was just Rachel Roth. A twenty something student at NYU who was trying to become a writer, and was getting a degree in literature. She made a quiet living as a freelance writer, and had a boyfriend who owned this apartment complex; legally too, (he even had one of his legitimate aliases on the lease agreement, Jason T. Peters), he’d even bought several other buildings around the city and maintained them well when he was here, other than that, everyone thought he was a traveling businessman. It was so mundane and boring that he knew no one ever look at Rachel Roth and see the powerful Titan Raven. It was brilliant.

Getting off the subway in Brooklyn he pulled out his cell as he dialed a number he had long since memorized as he walked towards their civilian apartment.

“Hello?” her husky voice answered and he grinned.

“Miss me little bird?”

“I saw all the destruction you brought with you to Gotham,” she said monotonously, but he heard the lilt of amusement in her tone.

“Might as well make an entrance,” he smirked as he walked through the crowd.

“So, I, and the entire east coast, can see,” she mused.

“Only Red’s wanted, Jason’s in the clear,” he pointed out. He knew full well that only the Assassins and Bats knew who he was under the hood. The FBI, CIA, DIA, NSA, Homeland, KGB, Mossad, Interpol, A.R.G.U.S., and a bunch of other agencies he couldn’t bother to remember, all still had no clue that Jason Todd was alive, and he was aiming to keep it that way.

“Are you coming over?” she hummed.

“Well, you’re the empath, you tell me,” he mused as he started pulling out the keys to the apartment building they were living in.

“I can only feel that you’re close, in the city everything is askew,” she huffed.

“Aw, poor princess, your senses over stimulated?” he asked.

“Not right now, the shields are up,” she countered. He shook his head at her missing what he was asking but decided in about five minutes he could live with it.

“Well, love, I’m here, so open the door?” he asked when he stopped at apartment 4C. The line went dead and he heard Raven scrambling behind the door, he slipped his phone in his pocket as he listened to the deadbolts he’d installed the last time he’d been here flip open before the door was open and his arms were full of Raven.

“I missed you!” she stated, he stumbled into their apartment, kicking the door shut as her magic filled the apartment, all the lights were brightening as a few things rattled.

“You just missed my waffles,” he teased as he spun her around so her back was pressed up against the door, deftly he locked it for her as his mouth landed on hers’ before she could counter his claim. Good Fucking God He’d Missed Her! She tasted of jasmine tea, shadows, and that dark flavor which was Raven, and he couldn’t get enough of it as his hand dove into her hair and he kept her secured around him. Pulling away he was gasping for air as he lightly kissed his way down her throat.

“Welcome home,” she whispered. He smiled against her skin because he felt like he was home as he pulled her away from the door and carried her straight to the bedroom.

It was a few hours later he was in sweats and in the kitchen as he cooked up a lunch for him and Raven and she was working on homework.

“I’m thinking about renovating the bathroom,” he said suddenly.

“You said the kitchen was the last renovation,” she protested as she looked up at him from where she was working on the island.

“I know, but I really hate that bathroom,” he admitted.

“You cannot go about tearing up this entire apartment just because you don’t like the bathroom,” she stated flatly.

“Come on Rae,” he pleaded as he continued to work on their lunches.

“It took four months to do the kitchen,” she sighed.

“It won’t be that long this time, I’m staying quiet for a few weeks, letting the heat in Gotham die down before I move,” he promised.

“Fine, if you do this it has to be done before you leave, I’m not living without a bathroom,” she warned coldly.

“You’re going to love it, little bird,” he promised as he served up lunch and walked around the island to kiss her brow and see what she was reading.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Damian stood outside of an apartment complex and frowned as he looked over the tenant names on the buzzers. There was no obvious alias of Todd’s here, which was a bit vexing because he’d memorized the known aliases his father had listed for Todd. Pulling out his phone he dialed Gordon’s number. He was not failing this assignment and he couldn’t break into this apartment in broad daylight; father would be furious and Damian did not particularly want to go to juvie.

“Hello?”

“Are you certain Todd went in this building?” Damian barked out.

“He even pulled out a key according to the footage I can see,” Gordon sighed.

“Well, none of his names are on the tenants listed on this buzzer!” he hissed. He really just wanted to break in there and find Todd and make him sit still for a portrait. Damian would draw his whole family as the assignment required; this was the one class he actually liked and he intended to keep his A+ in it!

“Hold on,” Gordon started typing on the other end of the line. Damian stood there waiting impatiently, amazed that no one had come in or out of the building so he could slip in. Seriously! This was New York! The busiest city in the world! And no one had come in or out at all!

“The building is owned by one Jason T. Peters, twenty-five, go figure,” Gordon sighed.

“What?”

“He made a legitimate identity for this one, it’s why it hasn’t popped up, according to records Jason Peters is the owner of about ten properties all around New York, wow, they’re actually nice. And he’s been buying up properties in the warehouse districts and refurbishing them, seems legit, even for Jason,” Gordon observed offhandedly.

“Gordon, which apartment is he in!” Damian snapped.

“According to this, he lives in 4C,” Gordon stated.

“That is a Rachel Roth’s apartment, who is she?” Damian demanded.

“Listed as a live in for two and a half years now, Rachel Roth is a student at NYU, literature major, and freelance writer, current ID lists her as twenty-two, I’m not finding much on her,” Gordon said.

“You have been useful,” he said and hung up as he stepped up to the buzzer and pressed the intercom system on, picking a name of what sounded like an old lady. No response, he pressed again.

“Hello?” a sweet old voice replied.

“I’m selling candies for my school are you interested,” he replied in the innocent child tone he’d been parroting off of Jon, or at least trying too. Thinking of Jon he should have brought him along so he had reinforcements on the selling candies idea.

“Come right on up, I’ll just get my check book!” she said sweetly before the door was buzzed open. Damian slipped in then. It was a nice building he noticed as he jogged up the stairs. Quiet. Making it up to the fourth floor he walked down the hall until he came to a corner apartment, 4C.

Stupid Todd, making him track him down! After Damian got that portrait done he was going to kick Todd’s ass and then proceed to tell his harlot all the horrible things Todd did on his off time.

Knocking he waited a beat before he heard the locks flipping and a security bar flicking and then the door was opened.

Lilac orbs blinked, and he just gaped.

“Raven!?” he sputtered.

“Damian!?” she grabbed him and yanked him into the apartment before she shut the door and locked it up again.

“Who was it?” Todd called appearing out of a different room toweling his hair and then glaring at him, Damian was just too flabbergasted to do anything more than stare at his Team Captain on the Titans, and Todd.

“Uh…” Raven just looked too stunned to answer, and Damian couldn’t seem to make his voice work.

“What the hell!?” Todd snapped. “Who brought you here? What the fuck do you want? Does Bruce know you’re here? And how the hell did you find me!?”

“I am here because I need your stupid face for my art project!” Damian snapped; horrified at how he had simplified his vocabulary because he was shocked that Raven and Todd were in a room together. Clearly Jon’s childish ways were rubbing off on him, Damian was not amused.

“I said no!” Todd shouted as he stepped forward.

“Jason,” Raven was suddenly between him and Todd, and Damian saw his eyes glowing green faintly. “He’s not here as a Bat.”

That had Todd growling as he stalked away and Raven turned on him. Damian fidgeted a bit then when the door slammed and he was in the room with Raven alone.

“Tea?” she offered.

“That would be appreciated,” he decided as he followed her to the open kitchen in the corner and took a seat at the island bar.

“This art project, what is it?” Raven asked as she filled up a tea pot and pulled out mugs before setting it on the stove.

“I was assigned to do family portraits, I have so far completed the assignment until Todd was in town, I will not fail this assignment,” he stated fiercely.

“Sounds like you’re persistent about this if Jason told you no last night,” Raven said as she leaned on the counter.

“I will admit that I was not expecting him to be so… uncooperative,” Damian said carefully. He was speaking to a friend and his Team Captain at the Titans, he did not want to insult her.

“He’s very stubborn,” Raven said with a soft smile.

“I was not expecting you to be here, I was expecting to deal with some flouncing blonde bimbo with how Todd hits on Supergirl,” Damian admitted honestly.

“I figured,” Raven said humorlessly.

“I do not mean to insinuate that you’re a flouncing bimbo,” Damian quickly tried to amend.

~~~*~*~*~~~

This morning Raven had not been expecting her boyfriend of three and a half years to come home with explosions and media covering the latest in Red Hood busts. She had been pleasantly surprised by his call and even more thrilled that he had shown up outside their door after being gone for three and a half months. And she’d been more than enthusiastic about taking a day off from the world to have catch up sex with the boyfriend she’d only seen glimpses of on the news or had phone calls from. However today seemed insistent on surprising her again as she had opened the door to the youngest member of her Team in the Titans, and found him gawking like a fish out of water as he stared at her and Jason. Jason had been furious, Raven could even hazard a guess at why he was so furious, she was kind of mad too. But the moment she had sensed the bloodlust and rage on him and seen his eyes starting to pick up that green tint from the Lazarus Pit she had intervened.

He was currently beating on his punching bag set up in the corner of their guest room, she could feel his fury as he attacked the punching bag. And she could sense Damian’s embarrassment, uncertainty, and determination as he sat across from her blundering over his words. It would have been funny had she not been angry about being found out this way, Jason and she had been moving at their own pace and she figured when he was ready he’d tell his family and she’d tell her friends; when they were ready! Until then they wanted to keep it quiet; only Victor knew. She guessed it was too late to be mad about being found out though.

This was not how she had planned it to happen.

“Damian, I understand,” she assured the embarrassed young teen then.

“I’m sorry,” he hesitantly looked around the apartment and she turned when her kettle started singing as she continued making the tea. She set a cup of it in front of Damian before she moved to the guest room where Jason was working out his fury.

“He shouldn’t be here,” Jason growled lowly.

“I know, when you have calmed down, way down, drink this and join us, I’m going to talk to him for a bit, and Jason,” she said as she set the tea on the desk and reached for the door. “Just do the portrait, it’ll go smoother if you just give him what he wants and then he’s gone.”

She left him there before he could argue with her.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in school, Damian?” she asked as she walked back to the kitchen then and made her own cup.

“I do not believe that the other class require my presence to function, and they cannot teach me something new,” he shrugged. “You’re Rachel Roth?”

“Yes,” Raven acknowledge as she closed her note books and laptop as she gave Damian her undivided attention and so he couldn’t snoop on her school work.

“I was unaware that you even had a civilian identity,” he said.

“I didn’t tell anyone about it, I wanted it private,” she replied.

“Why?”

“I did not want Zatanna or the League monitoring my every breath, I am not a monster nor am I a criminal so I should not be treated as such, I tolerate that treatment when I work with the League because demons scare people. Also, I just wanted to be human and not have sorcerers and magicians and the League just popping up on my door step,” she admitted. Well, Victor came around for Sunday games and dinner if there wasn’t a mission, but that was family. Jason hadn’t wanted to get involved with his family, but she’d slowly been coaxing him in that direction, she knew he needed to have a good relationship with his family.

“You’re not upset with my arrival?” Damian quickly asked his fear and uncertainty rolling off him even if his voice was indifferent.

“I’m mad, yes, but I’m happy to see you,” she clarified.

“Why?”

“I’m mad because I respect your privacy and I wished to have mine respected in return, but I’m happy to see you Damian,” she explained.

“I see,” he nodded briskly. “How long have you and Todd…?” he looked at a lost then.

“Friends, dating, sleeping together, living together?” she filled in coldly.

“Yes.”

“Five years, three and a half years, three years, two and a half years,” she answered swiftly and smirked into her tea as the young teen’s face reddened.

“You did not need to tell him that,” Jason told her as he emerged from the room.

“I felt it was necessary rather than endure his interrogation and my tripping on answers,” she said as she took the tea cup from Jason, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. He was a tactile person with those he loved, but this was different, and Raven knew it. Jason was keeping her close so he didn’t do something he’d regret, she would use her empathy on him with his permission. He kissed the top of her head, Raven felt him tremble a bit as she decided to use her empathy to calm and sooth him.

“So what do you want, twerp?” her boyfriend demanded. The gangly young teen scowled a bit and bristled but Raven lifted a brow on him.

“I need a portrait,” he answered. “You can do it with Raven if you want.”

“Me?” Raven blinked, Jason’s arm tightened as she lay an arm over his. He was too tense.

“I have come to consider you family as well, but was not going to do a portrait of the Titans so as not to reveal my identity as Robin,” Damian filled in.

“Please,” Jason whispered.

“Fine, where do you want us?” Raven asked.

“Wherever is fine, live study so do what you normally do,” Damian said.

“I’m cooking,” Jason said suddenly, Raven just nodded to him as he pulled away then. Cooking was how he soothed himself, she just enjoyed the delicious food.

“Since you’re here Damian, stay for dinner, and the night, I’ll take you home tomorrow,” Raven said.

“Father will worry,” Damian pointed out.

“I’m calling him now, and shoes off,” Raven said as she walked to the bedroom to find her Titans phone. This might be a long night but she was not having Damian; trained assassin or not; riding the train at night. Bruce would kill her if she let that happen.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Once Todd seemed to relax as he cooked without talking, the evening went rather smoothly. Raven sat at the counter doing work on her laptop and he had claimed their sofa which had a good view of the kitchen. He was so baffled with them being together that he couldn’t figure out how they could have met. And for five years they’d been friends; he’d been with the Titans for five years! It was so peculiar. And more bizarre, no one had ever noticed. At least, no one in the Wayne family had; he knew if Grayson had such information that he would not stop talking about it until all of the Titans and the League knew. And truthfully, Damian had thought Todd had something going with Supergirl, Kara Danvers. It appeared he was wrong, so was Jon though, which made Damian feel a bit better about having missed this relationship.

“Raven, Rae, sunshine, love, come on, save and close out the school work,” Todd coaxed and Damian smirked as Raven jolted.

“Smells delicious,” she stretched.

“Almost as good as Pennyworth’s,” Damian sniped.

“It’d better, it’s his recipe,” Todd snapped.

“You should be a vegetarian,” Damian commented as he sat at the table in the corner with Raven who was using her magic to set the table and bring the dishes over.

“Just be happy that I made you a vegetarian dinner,” Todd growled.

“No fighting at dinner, and Damian we respect that you don’t eat meat, but respect that we do,” Raven said firmly as she started serving.

“Very well,” Damian surrendered, Raven had been using that argument since before he’d come to the Tower, and Grayson assured him that there’d be no winning against her.

“Can we send him home now?” Todd asked Raven.

“He’s staying the night,” Raven stated.

“I’m certain father would be fine with me taking the train to Gotham, it’s only an hours ride,” Damian pointed out.

“Damian, until you’re eighteen you are not riding the train from New York to Gotham; assassin trained or not, at night, I will send you to another dimension before I let you,” Raven stated.

“B could come get him,” Todd stated.

“He’s staying the night, Bruce has already agreed to it,” Raven said firmly. “We have a couch, and he can use it.”

“The couch,” Damian choked.

“The guest room is an office, and since the only visitor we have does not stay the night there’s no guest bed,” Raven shrugged.

“He could sleep on the floor,” Todd muttered.

“If you’re not careful you might end up sleeping on the floor,” Raven warned Todd. Todd glared at her but Raven seemed rather unaffected by this. Damian just decided looking at them that if Grayson and Gordon were happiness for couples, Todd and Raven were opposites.

“Not likely to happen,” Jason smirked at her.

“With how you’re going it’s a possibility,” Raven countered.

“Do you have everything you want demon spawn?” Todd asked.

“Yes, I do,” he assured them as he ate the potatoes; not that he’d ever tell Pennyworth or Todd this, but these might be better than Pennyworth’s.

“And this was so fucking important that you stalked me… why?” Todd demanded.

“Because I will not fail my art assignment,” Damian snapped.

“Please tell me that the teacher’s sexy hot or something and not because you’re a type A personality Wayne,” Todd pleaded. Raven smacked Todd up the back of the head then. “Hey! Legitimate question since he stalked me! The only reason I’d have stalk Dick was to impress Donna before I died, and I was his age at the time!”

Raven gave him a bland stare.

Damian frowned.

“No, I did not do this because Mrs. Thompson is hot,” Damian answered; and she was a very beautiful woman.

“Great, Rae, we might be moving,” Todd warned her.

“We’re not moving!” Raven snapped.

“And Bats will be here in a fortnight,” he warned her.

“You’re just sounding paranoid and ridiculous, and you are going to have to deal with them eventually,” Raven stated flatly.

“Not until I’m dead!” Todd countered.

“Only Oracle knows where I am,” Damian pointed out. Now Raven frowned.

“You were saying about that move?” she asked.

“Glad you see it my way, how do you feel about the west coast?”

“You two are being utterly ridiculous,” Damian stated.

“Look kid, I put a lot of work into staying the hell out of B’s hair, and the entire family for that matter, and I do occasionally work in Gotham, but I have moved on and away and I don’t want them stalking me,” Todd stated.

“Father doesn’t stalk us, he just looks after us,” Damian defended.

“Keep telling yourself that,” Todd snorted.

“Completely ridiculous,” Damian muttered.

“So, Damian, how is everything going for school and Robin?” Raven asked slicing off the conversation and he found himself slowly drawn into this conversation. It was after dinner when Raven and Todd were doing dishes that he saw something he didn’t think possible. They played, doing dishes and they were having a water war. After that Raven helped him turn the sofa into a bed before she wished him a good night and left him.

Damian looked at his drawings of Raven and Todd here and he just wondered if it was really worth sharing it when they were so happy being left alone. However, he refused to fail his assignment, perhaps he would speak with Grayson and father about this relationship and what Todd was doing here in New York. Yawning he let sleep take hold of him as for the first time in his memorable life he went to bed before ten o'clock.

New York was rather noisy outside the window but he still felt safe enough to sleep here.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Jason and she were in bed, Jason was reading his newest novel, and she was reading over a spell book she was trying to figure out.

“I’ll take him home in the morning,” Raven said calmly.

“You could have just teleported him away,” Jason pointed out.

“Jason, I’m tired, and I don’t particularly have the energy to deal with Dick, Tim, Bruce, and Damian all at once at the moment,” she yawned.

“Well, we’d be more tired if the demon spawn hadn’t shown up,” he murmured as he set her book aside and his book was on his nightstand. She sighed as his lips were pressed to her pulse.

“You’re shameless,” she muttered.

“I was deprived of sex for three and a half months, and I missed you,” he murmured against her collarbone.

“Missed you too,” she murmured as she tugged on his hair, bringing his mouth to hers.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Jason stared at Raven as she slept soundly beside him and he felt content. Restless; he was still in a different time zone, but he felt content as he moved her black hair aside and studied her face quietly. The woman was a Queen, an angel, and his God’s send. He could remember when she’d found him and then snuck him into the Tower to help him, her and Victor would have gotten in so much shit if Dick or Bruce knew about that.

However, she had saved him, and Victor had helped him.

Rolling out of bed he pulled on his discarded sleep pants before padding out of their room. The demon brat was sleeping on the couch; it was weird having him there, but the brat was sound asleep; feet hanging off the couch too. Silently he moved to his kitchen again as he pulled out some orange juice and quietly poured it as he opened his book and sat in the nook reading by the city’s light.

Leaving Gotham was the best fucking choice he’d ever made, and he would happily never look back on this decision. Jason read until dawn, then his eyes flicked up when his girlfriend stumbled out of their room wearing his red t-shirt, and yoga pants.

“Morning,” she mumbled as she came over to the reading nook he’d built her when he’d first started renovating buildings. She crawled onto his lap and curled up against his chest, she was sound asleep in a second again, he smirked as he let his head fall back and rest against the window sill and he shut his eyes for a moment.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Damian sketched them like that this morning, he did it for a few hours before his phone rang and he saw his father’s number. Both Raven and Todd bolted up when his phone’s ringtone pierced the air looking wild.

“Morning father,” Damian answered, his irritation at having the moment he had been enjoying sketching ruined. They hadn’t moved; for three hours! He’d woken up when Raven had come stumbling out of the room at five, and it was now eight, neither she nor Todd have moved at all; and if he hadn’t known better he’d have thought them both to be dead. Todd groaned, Raven sighed, and Damian tuned them out.

“You’re still with Raven I presume,” his father stated.

“You are tracking my phone, and yes,” he stated. “I will be home before noon.”

“Keep me apprised,” was all his father said before hanging up.

“Now we have to fucking move,” Todd muttered.

“Food,” Raven ordered with a yawn.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, waffles, you kid?” Todd yawned as he stood.

“I do not like waffles,” Damian stated.

“Well you’re going to fucking love mine and eat them all then you and sunshine are heading to Gotham,” Todd stated.

“Father would be pleased to see you, Todd,” Damian persisted. His father always looked so wistful when Todd showed up and then vanished, or when Pennyworth received a text or email or call from Todd. Father was wistful whenever Todd came up or anyone saw or heard from him.

“Don’t give a shit,” Todd snapped.

“Waffles,” Raven muttered.

“Coffee,” Todd yawned.

“On it,” Raven stretched and Damian sat at the island as they worked in silence.

Breakfast was served swiftly and devoured. He took Raven up on the offer to shower, and he tried not to cringe about how out of place the bathroom was to the rest of the apartment. The rest of the apartment was a mix between open-vintage-light-classic and then there was this bathroom. Stepping out of the bathroom he looked at the offered clothes tossed on the bed, he wasn’t as tall as Todd; yet, but he wanted the clean shirt.

Looking around the room he noticed that it was practically a library, almost all the walls were covered in shelves, the shelves were even built around the windows, it was rather homey though. Once dressed he walked out of their room to see Raven and Todd both reading, neither seemed inclined to move.

“I’ll grab a shower then we’ll go,” Raven said when he opened his mouth to say his thanks for letting him stay the night. He sighed in irritation knowing there’d been no escaping Raven and dropped in a chair as he scowled at Todd, who didn’t seem to care.

“Your bathroom is shitty,” he stated.

“I know, next project unless I’m moving,” Todd said.

“The apartment is nice,” Damian observed.

“Thanks, restored it myself,” Todd dismissed and Damian blinked at that. Todd didn’t speak further and Damian sighed as he was now reduced to sketching as he waited for Raven to emerge. She appeared shortly, Todd looked up as she walked over to him.

“I’ll be back later, don’t do something rash, love you,” she said.

“Love you little bird,” Jason replied.

Damian looked away when she kissed Todd before he grabbed his bag and followed Raven out of the apartment. They walked in silence all the way to the subway and then rode in silence. He was feeling a bit uncomfortable as he fidgeted in his seat.

“What?” she asked when they exited the subway then.

“Nothing,” he lied.

“Damian, I’m an empath, and if Jason can’t lie to me what makes you think you can?”

“I just did not expect you and Jason to be… together,” he decided.

“Ah, we didn’t either.”

“Can I ask how?”

“I found him in the Lazarus Pit madness, I thought he was a demon, I found him in a room of dead bodies; the League of Assassins was after him, he’d destroyed the assassins, and was raving mad. I took him back to the Tower, kept him safe, and when he wasn’t lost in the madness I offered to help him with it,” she shrugged.

“Why did you never tell father?”

“Because Jason asked me not to, and that is what you do for friends, Damian. You help them, and I do not think that at that time Bruce or any of you, would have been much help for him, and afterwards he hasn’t wanted to mend fences,” Raven stated as she bought them tickets to Gotham, hers was a round trip though. “I’ve been pushing him towards it, slowly.”

“Are you two… happy?” Damian asked. He knew that was a big thing with couples, being happy. Grayson and Gordon were always happy, Kori and Harper too, but he also knew that not all couples were happy; like his mother and father.

“We work at it, but yes,” she said.

“Then I am pleased for you,” he decided.

“Really?” Raven asked skeptically.

“You are perhaps my dearest friend, aside from Jon, but he’s an imbecile, I find Todd to be tolerable, a simpleton, but tolerable,” Damian decided. Truthfully he though Todd to be exceedingly resourceful and cunning but there was no way he was ever going to say that; he’d sooner chop his tongue out than say that.

“And what am I?” Raven asked, her monotone was amused.

“You are actually intelligent, I find your company most enjoyable,” he assured her as they walked onto the commuter train.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Raven said.

“What are you studying,” he asked and he spent the next fourty-five minutes talking to Raven about literature. She said Todd loved it, Damian found that easy to believe since Todd’s old room was crammed full of books. It was only as they neared the Manor that Raven seemed nervous until he pressed in the code for the gate; having not taken a bike but rather the subway when he’d ditched school the other day.

“Master Damian, most irresponsible of you to run off like that, from school no less,” Pennyworth scolded upon opening the door. Damian internally winced; he hated it the most when Pennyworth guilted him about this. “Good afternoon to you, Miss Raven.”

“It’s nice to see you Alfred, now I should be…,” Raven started.

“Master Bruce, Miss Gordon, and Master Dick are awaiting you and Master Damian in the study,” Pennyworth interrupted.

“…going. Fuck,” Raven sighed in defeat.

“That is no way for a lady to speak, Miss Raven,” Alfred stated.

“I’m sure by now all of you have figured out who I am living with so you can blame him for my bad language and bad habits,” Raven muttered as Damian and she walked through the Manor for his father’s study. It was funny to see the Titan’s indomitable Raven brought down by Pennyworth, normally Raven was like Pennyworth on the Titans, she managed to knock them all down and have manners. Grayson may have been the mother hen of the Titans, but Raven was the parent, and she wielded her power over them how Pennyworth wielded his, with an iron fist and class. Damian noticed how everyone was just outside the study but Raven glared at them and they scattered; not Cain though, Cain held her grown until they were in the study.

“Father, Grayson, Gordon,” Damian greeted.

“Morning,” Raven acknowledged.

“Damian, Raven,” his father started but Grayson cut him off.

~~~*~*~*~~~

“When were you going to tell us about Jason!? Didn’t you think we had the right to know about you and him!? And seriously Rae! How irresponsible are you that you just let him do whatever the hell he wants even though he’s dating a Titan!? Just wait until Vic finds out about this!” Dick started and Damian opened his mouth to counter when she cut them all off. She had always expected this but dealing with it without Jason there to add fuel to the proverbial fire was something she hadn’t expected. So she’d cut all of the questions off and explain before Dick was raving mad and scared.

“I did not tell you about Jason because he asked me not to, and I am his friend first, and if any of you had asked me not to tell Batman something I wouldn’t breath a word of it. Yes, I do think you had a right to know about him, not about us because that is not your business unless he wants it to be your business. And when the hell has anyone ever been able to make Jason do anything!? Controlling him or demanding anything of him is impossible! It’s like trying to control a hurricane! He’s going to do whatever he deems necessary to get his jobs done and you can either stand by that or get out of his way. I am unable to reign him in, on anything, from renovating the bathroom to charging into a warehouse of goons with guns, explosives, and outnumber him fifty to one, head first than you were! It’s preposterous to think I could or that I would!

"Also, no one knew we were dating aside from Victor, so go ahead and have that lovely chat with Vic, he’ll be happy to finally have someone to bitch about Jason to, finally, so our dating doesn’t affect the Titan’s image. Also, Victor approved, just so you know, Jason even asked him permission to date me, which is very sweet; and unnecessary, but sweet all the same and while Victor does not always like Jason, he trusts him, which should tell you a lot,” Raven said evenly.

“Jason T. Peters,” Barbra started and Raven sighed.

“He wanted to be legitimate for a change, Vic and I helped him set that identity up, with back long and papers to prove him as alive, the same time I arranged my own official identity,” Raven sighed.

“I would like a moment with Raven, alone,” Bruce said.

“Father!” Damian protested.

“Very well,” Raven nodded and she watched as the other three occupants left, she saw Alfred shut the doors behind them and she sighed as she looked into the sharp blue eyes of Bruce Wayne. They made her feel as if she were staring into the eyes of a dangerous predator, a man who could easily cut her down and destroy her and walk away as if it were nothing. Jason had this very look in his eyes too, so she held her ground.

“How is he?” Bruce asked softly. The question threw her off guard as she blinked impassively at him before carefully answering him.

“He has good days and bad days,” she admitted. She wasn’t going to lie to her boyfriend’s father.

“Is he… happy?”

“He’s very happy, especially when he’s got free range to rip apart our apartment and renovate it how he wants,” Raven admitted. Projects kept Jason calm, having things to tinker with or do with his hands kept him calm, and busy. “He’s decided to gut our bathroom, and he’s probably started on that while I came here with Damian.”

“Really?” Bruce asked, looking and acting impassive but she felt his amusement rolling off him.

“Yes, it took him four months to do the kitchen, he worked on it around jobs, it’s a good thing I do not cook else I’d have gone mad and murdered him for the mess he left,” Raven said with a bit of a smile.

“I do not approve of you keeping the relationship a secret,” Bruce said sternly.

“I know,” she acknowledged.

“And I do not approve of my son dating an interdimensional demon’s daughter,” Bruce continued.

She nodded at that one; remembering the fights Dick and Bruce had about meta-humans when Dick had been dating Kori.

“I know,” she admitted softly. “Jason even knows you don’t approve and how you feel about relationships between your sons and metas, and I’m certain that in the beginning of this relationship he was hanging around me as an act of defiance to you and what you stand for. But understand this, Bruce, while I adore all of your sons and daughters, and consider them dear friends who I would do just about anything for, I love Jason and I will do anything for him. He doesn’t ask for much, he’s been quiet about what he wants in this relationship, and he’s been good to me, but should he ever ask anything of me I will do everything I can to give it to him. I am not here to seek your approval, for I do not need it. I came here today to tell you that I love your son and that I am trying to bring Jason home to you and your family. He needs you, he doesn’t act like it and he doesn’t ever say anything about it, but he misses you, all of you, he just doesn’t want to let you down.”

“Could you possibly get him to come to the Manor for a dinner?” Bruce asked her.

“No, but send Alfred over, he’ll do anything Alfred asks,” Raven stated. Bruce’s lips quirked a bit and she smiled at him.

“He’s a good man Bruce, and you might not like how he does the job, and you will probably never agree on how to go about the job, but he’s a good man. And he’s been trying to stick to your no killing rule as a way to appease you, if you can see he’s trying, I’m certain he’ll see you trying and he’ll come home,” Raven said.

“I see.”

“Damian was a delightful guest, he’s growing into a fine young man, now I have to go home and make certain you son hasn’t destroyed the apartment with his starting of renovations on the bathroom, he likes gutting the rooms the most,” Raven sighed.

“Thank you Raven,” Bruce said as she reached the doors. She paused before she would leave.

“A word of advice, don’t crowd him, he’ll bolt if he’s crowded,” Raven warned and then she walked out of the study. She ignored the gaggle of Wayne children as she made her way out the Manor.

“You should stop by Alfred, he might come to a dinner if you invite him,” Raven mused as she reached the front door.

“I will take that under advisement, Miss Raven,” Alfred mused. “I have called you a cab to the station.”

“Thank you,” Raven smiled as she left the Manor and got in the cab. So… that wasn’t what she was expecting. Now she was hoping her apartment was in one piece when she returned home. She knew Jason well enough to know he was agitated and his agitation lead to three things: trouble or chain smoking or destroying something. She was betting all three to have occurred in her absence.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Bruce sighed, he’d never been particularly good at being a father for Jason. It was only after Jason’s death that he realized Jason had needed a father and not Batman.

Now, his second son was twenty-five, and dating a demon who loved him. It was baffling to Bruce, he did not like the idea of his sons dating meta-humans for the simple fact of he didn’t want them hurt or killed. But the young empath hadn’t seemed to care about his opinion on the matter before she had cut down every argument he had to get her away from his son and walked away. Now he was leaning against his desk startled at the audacity of the young woman and bemused at how she had stood by his son.

“Father,” he looked at Damian then. “I think you would like to see these,”

Damian presented his sketchbook then and Bruce opened it.

He smirked at the first image of Raven and Jason in a kitchen, at first glance they were strangers who never interacted. The second image was of a meal, Raven whacking Jason upside the back of his head, and Damian had even drawn himself in the image. Which was an amusing first. The third image was of Raven and Jason, they were doing the dishes. But it was the final image which had Bruce just staring blankly at his son’s drawing.

The demoness was curled up in his son’s lap, and Jason looked like he was in heaven. They were both asleep and Damian’s drawing depicted the city outside the window.

“Raven is my friend, but she makes Todd happy, and he makes her happy,” Damian said coldly. “Raven said they work at their relationship.”

“Damian it’s more complicated than that,” Bruce sighed.

“Well, if these drawings are anything to go by I’d say Jason’s happy,” Dick suddenly announced and Bruce had to agree. Damian only drew reality so these drawings were as good as photos, and they depicted a happy Jason. A Jason that Bruce had thought dead and buried, and yet he was sitting right there with a small woman and a phantom smile on his lips.

“That one is for us,” Dick decided as he plucked the sketchbook out of his hands. Damian didn’t even protest when Dick tore out the last drawing. “There, the rest you can use for school; stalker. I’m going to make a copy of this and send it to Vic and Raven.”

Bruce watched as his eldest walked out with his fiancé and he looked at his youngest then.

“Raven’s family now father, she’s even a bird,” Damian smirked.

“What?”

“Jason calls her little bird, she’s family now,” Damian decided. Bruce was just dumbstruck and then he smiled; all the kids had nicknamed themselves over the years with bird being a part of the name, it was a part of the family. Well, he could learn to tolerate it if the rest accepted it.

And just maybe Raven would lure his wayward son back home.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Jason looked up when his girlfriend walked into the apartment, he was working on ordering a dumpster and shoot for his gut job, and reflexively he smiled in relief at her arrival.

“Tomorrow’s great,” he agreed and hung up before she walked up to him to stand toe to toe, her head tilted back and he saw her stubbornness.

“Your family is a pain in the ass!” she stated flatly. He laughed then.

“Bruce doesn’t approve of our relationship, I get he doesn’t like metas, and a demon is probably way worse in his book, Dick was raving but happy for you, and the rest of them are nosey and eavesdropped the entire time!” she snapped.

“You knew this,” Jason pointed out as he wrapped an arm around her.

“I know, I just… I was not expecting the bathroom to be still in one piece,” she trailed off as she stared at it.

“I called Victor he’s coming over to help me with the heavy shit, but he’s also got a few design plans,” Jason said.

“Huh, I’m just relieved to see it in one piece,” Raven admitted. “Oh, and you should know Bruce is likely to be sending Alfred here to drag you to a family dinner.”

“What?”

“You’re going,” Raven dismissed as she turned in on him and levitated so she was eye level with him.

“I am?”

“Yes, and I’ll wear that thing, the black one,” she promised. He lifted his brows in interest then.

“The lace or the silk?”

“The silk. I can even wear red if you prefer,” she promised.

“You don’t own a red one,” he pointed out.

“No I don’t, but Kori wants to go shopping later this week to catch up and I agreed,” she said as her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

“In that case, I’ll consider it,” he murmured as he slowly started back her into a wall, hooking her legs around his waist.

“You’re going,” she said firmly.

“Maybe,” he agreed as he leaned forward.

“Jason?”

“Bat family does not get to fuck up the fact I have been deprived of sex for three and a half months, and a few hours does not make up for being away,” he said seriously.

“Is sex all you think about!?” she asked when his mouth was a breath away.

“No, but it’s a good portion of what I’ve been thinking about lately,” he smiled. “That and renovating the bathroom, upping the security so the Bats can’t just waltz in, and if I could possibly steal the batmobile as retribute for the demon spawn stalking me home and Oracle hacking surrounding security to spy on me now. But mostly sex.”

“You’re impossible!” she sighed in exasperation.

“But you love me anyway,” he pointed out.

“I do,” she sighed and he kissed her hard. He loved her, he really did, that was his last thought before she kissed him back and all thoughts disappeared.