#bruce x eden

[battymommastuff]

Eden

Batmom x Batman

Warnings: SMUT, HEAVY NSFW, MINORS AND AGELESS ACCOUNTS DNI

Prompt: My, my, those eyes like fire...I'm a winged insect, you're a funeral pyre

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Masterlist

!!DISCLAIMER!! - This likely won't be comic accurate (Obviously), but I did draw inspiration from the comics. If you are looking for something accurate, then this fanfic isn't for you.

"What the hell are you doing here?" You asked as you shut the door to a random room in your lavish mansion. As soon as Bruce made himself known to you, you dragged him to the nearest place for privacy. The last thing you needed is your husband seeing you conversate with Gotham's resident playboy billionaire.

"I'm here for you, Y/n. I made a mistake, and I can't live with myself knowing you're with...him." Bruce said as he gestured to the self portrait of your husband on the wall. Even then, he still wore that damned mask. You just closed your eyes and let out a deep breath. You've imagined this day would happen. The day Bruce instantly made you regret your marriage. All you wanted in this moment was to jump in his arms and have him walk you right out of this mansion. You wanted that from the moment you accepted the proposal. Marrying you husband was the biggest mistake of your life.

"I believe I am attending a ball as a resident of Gotham's elite." Bruce answered as he took a sip of his champagne. God it felt so good to see you this close again. He's only ever seen you through binoculars or pictures. He missed being this close to you even though he hadn't touched you. Since you departure, he felt himself go slightly feral. Bruce never realized how much he wanted you until he saw you with another man. Now he was going to do everything in his power to make sure he gets you.

You just rolled your eyes. Out of all the events your husband has thrown, Bruce arrives now? When the place is crawling with Court members, "Why are you really here, Bruce?" You asked as you removed your mask. He felt his heart race when he finally saw you face. You were absolutely beautiful. Simply stunning. He couldn't put into words what he felt for you at this moment.

"Bruce, I can't..." You whispered as you shook your head. He didn't like that answer in the slightest. He closed the already short distance between the two of you, and grabbed your face. His forehead resting against yours.

"Y/n, please. All I've wanted...I've dreamed about is having you back. I was afraid of what would happen if I let myself be happy. I couldn't let myself love you, only to lose you." He confessed and shook his head as you started spouting more rejections. Eventually his lips just pressed against yours to get you to shut up. The kiss was instantly reciprocated as you tangled your fingers into his hair. He backed you up against he wall, and started kissing down your-...

"Ugh, I'm going to throw up..." You were knocked out from your story by all of your children looking at you as if they were going to be sick. You didn't go into heavy detail like you did in your mind, but they got the picture. So you just shook your head and continued on with the story after that moment. Bruce, who had been eavesdropping...kept the memory going in his mind.

Bruce had bent you over the desk that sat across the room His hands sliding up your dress to yank your underwear down. There wasn't time for foreplay. He needed to get this out, and he needed it out now. His lips moved along the skin of your neck and shoulders. He wanted to leave marks all over your skin, but he couldn't. It would make your life hell. Your hands gripped onto the edge of the desk as Bruce dropped his pants down along with his boxers.

The feeling of him slowly pushing into you...felt amazing. Your eyes widened as a gasp came from your lips. Bruce's forehead rested on your shoulder as he pushed into you, "At least I know I don't have any competition with the Grand Master." He teased after feeling how tight you were. He was having a bit of trouble fitting.

Minutes later, heavy panting along with the sounds of the desk scooting on the wooden floor was all that could be heard in the room. One hand had reached back to hold onto his wrist while the other had wrapped around the back of his head. His hands were holding your hips tightly, and his hips moved as quickly as he could muster. Both of you lost in ecstasy. You turned your head to kiss him, but it was barely a kiss. Mostly just heavy pants while your tongues brushed together. He had forced your wedding ring from your finger and thrown it across the room. In this room, you weren't the wife of the Grand Master...you were his. As if should be.

"B-Bruce..." You whimpered, your walls clenching around his length. He just groaned in response before pushing your head down onto the table. His thrusts became more sporadic. No ounce of rhythm. Your eyes rolled back once you came. His hand quickly covering your mouth to hide the moan that came out. Bruce's hips slammed against yours roughly as he fucked his cum into you. A 'Fuck You' to the Grand Master for stealing you away.

You both panted heavily as Bruce pulled away from you to grab some tissues and started cleaning you up, "I cheated on my husband..." You panted as you felt him clean you up. Bruce just chuckled in response.

Once you were cleaned up, you went for your panties. That wasn't very easy to do since Bruce took them before you could get them. He dropped them into his jacket pocket, "Those are mine now, beautiful." He purred then pulled you to him once again. Your lips connected in a passionate kissed, "Let me take you away from here..." He whispered and kissed your forehead.

You shook your head, "No let me stay. The Grand Master has something planned. He won't tell me what it is, but I'm close to finding out." You said, your hands running up and down his arms, "Let me be your spy. I'll give you information, and then we can take him down...together. We can get rid of the Court...for good." You said, and with reluctance...Bruce accepted.

Rejoining the party was a bit awkward. Considering the fact that your husband had been searching for you. He took note of your slightly disheveled appearance, but didn't want to question it. His arm wrapped around your waist as he pulled you close, "Where is your wedding ring?"

TAGLIST

No Taglist for this one because I don't want to tag someone who isn't comfortable with reading smut.

~ Batty

[fleckficgirl]

Heartthrob | Arthur Fleck x reader 💗 CHAPTER 14

Summary: Attempting to conceal her checkered past, a young dancer in Gotham (Y/N) lands a job at Ha-Ha’s and finds herself increasingly drawn to a shy, lonely clown named Arthur Fleck.

Warnings: sex, age gap, language, violence, mental illness, assault

Word Count: 3438

Chapter List: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

Wayne Manor stood on a huge, sprawling estate. Living in Gotham made it easy to forget that places like this existed in the world. The trees were greener. The streets were so clean, they almost sparkled. There were no sirens, no smell of rotting garbage, no hunched over zombies stumbling in the streets. This part of Long Island was like a little eden - a heaven on earth carved out and carefully guarded by the ultra wealthy. 

“This is it,” you breathed as you and Arthur approached the gates. Fortunately, there were no angry dobermans prowling about the grounds today. Only freshly-trimmed grass and the towering mansion in the distance. You wondered if anyone was even home. 

Suddenly, Arthur froze in his tracks. “Y/N?” 

“Yeah?” 

He turned to face you, shoving his hands into his pockets, throwing his eyes to the ground.

“What do you think he’ll say?”

Your heart broke for Arthur all over again. You couldn’t imagine all the emotions that must be careening through him right now.  

“Thomas Wayne?” you drew in a breath. “I guess I don’t know what he’ll say. But we’re gonna get an answer out of him one way or another.” 

“I just…” Arthur sighed. “I just want him to talk to me. You don’t think that’s too much to ask, is it?”

You reached out and stroked Arthur’s cheek. 

“I don’t think so,” you shook your head. “After all, you said your mother’s been writing to him all this time and she hasn't gotten a response. I’m sure the Waynes have people who handle their correspondence - maybe they’ve ignored it or maybe nothing’s gotten through yet. Either way, I know I’d do the same thing if I were in your shoes.”

Arthur looked up at you. Those arresting, green eyes: filled with hope, hurt, anticipation. You said a silent prayer in that moment that whatever happened next, Arthur got the answers he needed. The answers he fucking deserved. 

Arthur pulled his hands out of his pockets and clasped them over your wrist. “I’m so glad you’re here, Y/N. If I had to come all by myself, I don’t think I’d have the guts to-”

He stopped, his eyes catching hold of something in the distance.

“What is it?” You turned around. Nothing had moved or changed that you could see. It took you a minute of scanning the surroundings until, finally, you spotted him: a tiny, sad-looking little boy playing all alone on a wooden jungle gym near the front gates. He couldn’t have been more than eight or nine years old. 

“I think that’s his son,” you murmured. “I heard about him a couple times in the news.”

“Bruce Wayne,” Arthur said. 

“That’s right, Bruce.” You stared at the boy, mystified. There was a distinct melancholy and isolation you could feel radiating off of him, even from so far away. 

“He looks so…so…” You struggled to find the words.

“Alone.” 

You pursed your lips and looked back at Arthur, nodding. And then another realization dawned on you. 

“Oh my God,” you blinked. “If Thomas Wayne really is your father, then that would mean…”

Arthur swallowed, nodding. “I’ve thought about that, too. I know it sounds crazy, but now that I see him…I…”

You waited. 

“He reminds me so much of myself when I was a little boy.” 

“Oh shit,” you exhaled, looking back at Bruce, then back at Arthur. “I mean…I suppose given what your mother’s said���what do you wanna do, Arthur?” 

Arthur took a deep breath and to your surprise, a warm, gently confident smile began to spread across his face. 

“I’m gonna go say ‘hi.’”

“Do you want me to come with you?” You wanted Arthur to feel completely supported. You knew that sometimes being supportive looked like coming along, and other times it looked more like hanging back and letting the other person take the lead. 

“I think I should do this part myself,” he said. “But I’ll come get you if I need to.” 

“I’ll be right here,” you squeezed his hand. “I love-”

Wait, what the hell were you saying? Had you completely taken leave of your senses?

“Uhm,” you cleared your throat. “I love…waiting!” you finished brightly, hoping he’d buy it. “I’ll wait as long as you need and I’ll be right here. Be strong, okay? And if they give you any trouble, call me and…I’ll beat everyone up!”

Arthur smiled, lifted your hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it, sending chills through your entire being. If he’d somehow picked up on your almost-love-confession, he didn’t show it. 

Arthur already has enough on his mind right now, you chastised yourself as you watched him approach the gate. He doesn’t need you muddling it further with your irrational emotions. 

You couldn’t tell Arthur you loved him now. First of all, it was way too soon. 

Second of all…

Well, the second part was embarrassing. And more than a little crazy. You knew your feelings for Arthur were real, but that didn’t stop you from recognizing how intense they were after only knowing him a short time. 

So why, then, did it feel like the most natural thing to say? The thing you sensed he needed to hear?

You meandered further up the drive, away from the entrance, giving Arthur his space but staying close enough so you could quickly run to his side if necessary. 

It was startlingly quiet here compared to the endless cacophony of Gotham City. So quiet, it felt like if you stopped and listened carefully, you could hear the wind in the trees singing to you. 

Despite the peaceful surroundings, however, bitter memories began to weave their way into your mind. You knew a good faction of your former GU classmates hailed from this part of Long Island - hell, some of their families probably even rubbed elbows with the Waynes themselves: probably got invited to their fancy Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties, toasting their continued privilege and fortune over a bottle of champagne that cost more than you made in a month. 

You didn’t have anything in common with those people. So how on earth had you found yourself among them in the first place? 

The answer was almost annoyingly simple: your parents had drilled the importance of getting an education into you since you were a toddler, telling you it would open doors, get you the better life you deserved…unlike the two of them who’d gotten jobs straight out of high school and lamented nonstop how much the lack of a college education had held them back from their potential. 

“Potential,” you muttered to yourself under your breath. That was the word they’d always used and it still left a sour taste in your mouth. 

“You have so much potential, Y/N,” they’d always say. “But you can’t let it go to waste. You have to work three times as hard as everyone else in order to realize it.”  

You’d believed them - bought their promises hook, line and sinker and dutifully applied yourself like the good little girl you were. The truth was, you’d never quite fit in at Burnley High, either. Most of the kids there dropped out or phoned in the bare minimum to scoot by and pick up a diploma, but you’d been among the top five performers in your graduating class of over 400 students. You’d done the extra work, taken the hardest classes, stayed home and sacrificed any semblance of a normal teenage social life to mold yourself into the high-achieving student your family wanted you to be. 

And it had paid off. At least for a brief moment in time. When the letter from Gotham University arrived saying you’d gotten in with a full scholarship, you’d cried tears of joy. Your mother had cried. Your father said he was proud of you. He never said things like that.

You remembered back to that day: the teary-eyed seventeen year old girl holding an acceptance letter in her sweaty, trembling hands like a golden badge of honor. That badge represented everything you’d worked your entire life for, everything you’d ever wanted: Validation. Recognition. Belonging.

Belonging. Yes, back then, that same girl believed she was finally being admitted through the golden gates to a place she belonged. You’d been naive enough to assume that at college you’d encounter more people like yourself, people who came from nothing but made amazing things happen through hard work and belief in themselves. 

But Gotham U had been nothing like you’d expected. 

Yes, the students were bright, but the vast majority were also spoiled and entitled. They seemed to take their enrollment at the school for granted, and the fact that their parents paid their tuition in full (were able to pay it in the first place) didn’t in any way accelerate their work ethic. These were kids whose parents owned country houses, summer houses and yachts. Kids who went to horseback riding camp every summer since they were six, learned how to ski when they were four, took vacations over spring break to places like Paris or Barcelona or the Hamptons. 

You’d never even ridden on an airplane. 

How ignorant that girl with the acceptance letter was, you mused. The dream of being a student at Gotham University had powered everything you’d worked for the first 17 years of your life…and all too late turned into a horrible nightmare. 

“Potential.” What did it mean now? Of course, your parents were still holding out hope you’d eventually return to GU. But GU was just like the Waynes themselves: they wanted to portray themselves as a beacon of magnanimity and altruism, but when it came to actually stepping up and doing the right thing, their interests lay solely with themselves and their ability to maintain wealth and power. When the cards were down, a poor scholarship girl from Burnley High didn’t qualify for basic human consideration. And your biggest mistake was believing that they ever would. 

After all the unpleasantness that had occurred towards the end of your first year - the school’s administration “generously” forcing you to take medical leave or be expelled - you’d started to believe you didn’t belong anywhere. You didn’t see a future for yourself anymore. And feeling this way not only made you incredibly sad, but it scared you. 

But all that had started to change since meeting Arthur. Arthur, you imagined, who right now was probably feeling the same way you had on the first day of freshman orientation: Hoping, with the most optimistic part of his heart, that he just might find the love and acceptance he’d yearned for for so long.  

But was life on the other side of those golden gates all that Arthur imagined it could be? 

Suddenly, you felt extremely protective of him. You knew it was inappropriate to eavesdrop, but who were you kidding? Just the thought of Arthur going through something similar to your experience at that school was unthinkable. You tiptoed closer - not close enough to be spotted, but close enough to give yourself the best chance of overhearing…well, spying. 

“Bruce! What are you doing?” Another man’s voice shot out accusingly over the quiet. “Get away from that man.”

Shit. Not good. Your heart started to race. 

Please, you prayed, please don’t be assholes. 

You realized almost immediately how useless such a plea was. These were the Waynes, after all. 

“It’s okay,” you heard Arthur respond. “I’m a good guy.”

Resisting the urge to race to Arthur’s side took every inch of self control in your body. You reminded yourself that he’d wanted to do this alone. You wanted to respect that. Arthur could hold his own. He was a strong person, deep down. And dealing with rudeness was nothing he wasn’t accustomed to.

But if they were complete assholes to him, you didn’t know how much you could tolerate. 

You crept even closer, still hidden behind the giant shrubs that surrounded the estate. The other voice couldn’t belong to Thomas Wayne, you reasoned. Thomas Wayne didn’t have an English accent.  

“Can you tell Mr. Wayne that I need to see him?” Arthur asked. 

At that moment, the wind picked up, compromising your ability to hear as clearly as before. You cursed under your breath, cupping your hand to your ear. 

“...your mother was a sick woman,” you heard the other man say to Arthur in the coldest, most unfeeling tone imaginable. “She was delusional.”

Your jaw dropped. Your right hand fell from your ear and twisted reflexively into a fist. 

“Don’t say that,” you growled under your breath. 

Exactly who the fuck did these people think they were? Couldn’t they put themselves in another person’s shoes for just one fucking second? If the roles were reversed, wouldn’t they want the same answers? Didn’t everyone deserve that? 

Deep breaths, Y/N, you told yourself. Deep breaths. 

“Just go,” the man’s cruel, disdainful voice echoed up the drive. “Before you make a bigger fool of yourself.” 

That did it. Fuck the deep breaths. Fuck taking the high road. And fuck this rude asshole.

The entire world blurred into raging red as you found yourself barreling like a fiery cannonball down the drive to Arthur’s side, ready to fight, to climb those gates like an acrobat and beat the living hell out of that asshole - any anyone else who wanted some, too. 

How dare he talk to Arthur Fleck, your Arthur Fleck, that way? 

When you rounded the corner, you were surprised and more than a little satisfied to see that Arthur had already reached through the gates and grabbed the dude by his collar, holding him in a semi-chokehold. 

“Kick his ass!” you cried out. “Kick his motherfucking ass!” 

The rude man’s eyes darted to you, filled with surprise, confusion, fear. And the inability to utter another word for lack of oxygen. 

Good.

You pulled your right arm back and swung through the gates with all your strength, punching him square across the face while Arthur held him in place. The man’s nose started bleeding and you smiled. Your anger made you strong, increased your strength exponentially in the moments you needed it most. Though you’d never admit it to anyone, it was one of the things you actually liked about this part of yourself that you were supposed to reject, to work so hard to rid yourself of. 

You liked feeling strong in a world where everyone was more than happy to step and walk all over you without a second thought. And you were tired of pretending you didn’t.

Arthur was a slight, diminutive man, but his anger made him strong, too. He had the asshole so tight by the collar, it looked like his face was turning red. 

You were winding up, about to strike again when you suddenly registered the face of the sad little boy from before. Standing off to the side, he was now a very scared-looking little boy; frozen like a little Bambi fawn, eyes wide, terrified. 

Terrified…of you. Of the both of you. 

Those bewildered eyes were enough to stop you in your tracks. All at once, common sense and empathy rushed back into your heart like an ocean wave. As much as this surly jackass deserved a beatdown, you knew you’d never forgive yourself for permanently traumatizing a defenseless little kid. 

Even if he was a Wayne. 

As though he’d come to the same realization at the same exact moment, Arthur released the man just as you stopped yourself from throwing another, harder, right hook. The jerk fell backwards, clutching at his crumpled collar, and Arthur grabbed your arm. Without exchanging a word, you raced back up the drive together, running like two gazelles as fast as your feet could carry you. 

The next few minutes were a continued blur. Wayne Manor receded further and further into the background as you drew closer to the train station. You’d been too afraid to turn back and see if anyone was chasing you, but by now the adrenaline was wearing off, and your legs felt like they could give out at any second. 

“Arthur, wait!” you stopped, breathlessly, reaching out to grab him by the sleeve. Mustering up the courage to look back, you were relieved to see you hadn’t been followed. You’d managed to escape by the skin of your teeth. 

“I think we’re in the clear,” you gasped for air. 

Arthur stopped and turned to face you, panting. “Are you alright, Y/N? Are you hurt?” 

“I’m fine,” you shook your head. “I’m so sorry, Arthur. This is all my fault.”

A confused look came across his face and he took both your hands into his. “What do you mean?”

“I went crazy again. I werewolfed! I didn’t mean to, it's just…” your eyes filled with tears, realizing all too late of course, that the last thing you’d wanted in accompanying Arthur today was to do anything that would ultimately result in making it harder for him to get the answers he needed. 

How could you have let this happen? 

Arthur held up a hand to stop you. “I went crazy first,” he pointed out. 

“Well, yeah, you grabbed the guy,” you conceded. “But I’m the one who made his nose bleed, for God’s sake! I never would’ve done it if I knew the kid was watching.” You shook your head, tears filling your eyes. “I shouldn’t have gotten involved…”

“No, Y/N,” Arthur squeezed your hands in his. “I’m glad you were there. I didn’t wanna scare the little boy, either. Seeing him brought me back to myself. I know what it’s like to be scared at that age…scared and helpless…”

Arthur’s words made the tears you’d been fighting swell over and you fell into his arms. 

“It’s okay, Y/N. Shh, come here.” Arthur pulled you into a tight embrace against his chest. 

“I didn’t mean to scare him,” you sobbed into his shoulder. “I’m a bad person, Arthur. I’m awful.”

“That’s not true!” he protested. “Why are you saying that?”

He stepped back and tried to look you in the eye, but you were too ashamed to face him. The mean, inner voice you’d suffered with in secret since you were a little kid had taken over and had you in its iron grip of shame:

You don’t deserve to be loved.

You’re defective.

You’re worthless.

You’re awful. 

“It’s okay, Y/N,” Arthur whispered into your hair. “I understand. I understand what you’re feeling. But it’s not true. Whatever you’re telling yourself right now is not true.” 

You cried harder into his embrace. You might have known he’d understand. You’d found the one person in the world who felt what you felt - or at least the one person brave enough to admit to it. 

“Please don’t cry, Y/N.” You could feel Arthur’s heart pounding against your ears. “You're not a bad person,” he murmured into your hair. “You’re anything but a bad person.”

“But I messed everything up. Like I always do.”

“You stopped yourself from taking things further,” Arthur pointed out. “We both did. That means something.” 

“But how are you gonna find out if Thomas Wayne’s your father now?” you wailed. “How are you gonna get your answers?”

“We’ll figure something out,” Arthur reassured you. “I don’t want you worrying about that.”

Arthur brought his hands to your face, cradling it. You looked up into his shining, green eyes, tenderness emanating from them. His fingers gently stroked back your hair, wiped away your tears. 

“You need to breathe, Y/N. Can you take a deep breath?”

He breathed with you. In and out. And in and out again. Finally, you felt your pulse begin to slow, the maddening blur of self-hatred and negative vitriol shift from a wild gallop to a trot. It was a small change, but enough to allow you to start feeling human again. 

Arthur stepped back and a small, shy smile spread across his face. 

“Thank you, Y/N,” he said. 

You wiped your nose, bewildered. “‘Thank you’? For what?” 

“For coming here with me. For standing up for me the way you have. No one’s ever done anything like that for me before.”

“But, Arthur, I-”

“If you hadn’t been there for me, I’d be all alone right now,” he interjected. “Like I’ve been all my life. But I’m not alone anymore. Because of you.”

His shy smile shifted into a sly grin. He placed a soft kiss on your cheekbone. 

“I love you, too,” he whispered, before tenderly bringing his mouth to yours. 

Thank you for reading and for all the sweet, encouraging comments! I have struggled to write this as of late, but I'm committed to finishing this story and can't wait to share the rest of it with you. I hope you enjoy this latest chapter.

xx ghastella

💕💕 If you enjoy my writing and find it valuable, please consider leaving a tip to support my work. Thank you! @ghastella xx 💕💕

💗 Tag List (lmk if you want to be added!): @fallon779 @mama-ferret-art @cherryboss713 @lolwey @jokeringcutio @luckypurins @fruitcupsworld @skaravile @filmsandlovers @nocturneswallow

💗Master List

[jslmasaysmoneyisbest]

Batman x TCF AU

SO like

Cale and his kids transport there

they get settled

Headcannon:Cale is a Batman fan

(just makes some things easier on me)

the kids wander off

Bomb the joker

they then say their father is looking for them

but they the kids look like they have been rolling around in garbage for weeks.

The bomb was made in a hurry with some things they found around because they are genius

their clothes are torn because they fell from a height but you know Cats land on their feet and Raon was raised around cats (:

so the bats think they are abandoned and take them to the wayne house saying he can take care of you

do a quick change and welcome them in

(They have foster care? on speed dial)

Cale searches for them

finds Eden(DHB) who has just hatched from his egg and missed Cale and Raon and teleported to them

then 3 days later an angry and worried

Cale comes aknocking

after hearing about what his children did

because A. he knows Joker and that creep reminds him of WS and Cloph combined

B.They deliberately wandered off

C.The Waynes tryin to keep his kids!!!

So at this point the story could go either way

Bruce could either adopt Cale(he does have adult children plus grandchildren)

Or

Bruce and Cale could fall in love

Bruce is probably around 40s? in this world

which would work with Cale who is mentally almost in his 40s

and probably more reasonable is if this is after they defeat the hunters and slacker life time so Cale body is now physically in the 30s and BAM it fits

honestly this is what my brain thinks up during class......I missed so many notes ): XD

[struggling-author]

Imagine a spy x family au of clark Kent (Superman) as yor forger and Bruce Wayne as Loid

lmao that actually works surprisingly well!

I am tempted to make this for WonderBat but I will resist

So Bruce is still Batman in this universe, but the villain he is currently after is Ra‘s al Ghul, who never shows his face in public except for at the private school his grandson attends.

Since he is also still Bruce Wayne, getting in won‘t be a problem but well… he needs a kid for that, and unfortunately he is fresh out.

Luckily, on the day Ra‘s trail leads him to the school, he runs into reporter Clark Kent who is writing a piece on Eden College. As they talk, Clark mentions how his son Jon dreamt of getting into the school, but unfortunately he couldn’t afford it, so immediately a plan forms in Bruce‘s head. He and Clark will pretend to be married so he can use his Wayne money and influence to get Jon in. Clark of course refuses because he can’t ask that of someone he just met - though in that very moment his super senses pick up on something, Bruce has been followed (he’s not as careful in this Universe I guess, bear with me I need this for the story lol) and a sniper is about to shoot him. Clark reacts on instinct throwing himself at Bruce, pushing him out of the way, then takes his hand to run into an alleyway. Some shots hit Clark but he is unaffected and Bruce pretends not to notice. The sniper catches up to them from the roof above, so Clark knowing nothing else to do takes a pebble and throws it with just the right speed to knock him out without killing him (assume this is possible, Idk). His excuse is:

„I used to be pebble throwing champion at the eagle scouts, I have a badge to prove it“ (he actually does lol)

Bruce is not an idiot and doesn’t buy it, but he seizes the opportunity to say that now after Clark saved him he is in his debt, so he will help his son get into the school. Clark still tries to interject, but Bruce stops him by pulling a clip from his pocket (usually used for grappling lol) and grabbing his hands.

„I swear to you, for saving my life, I will do everything in my power to get your son into Eden College, and until my debt is paid, I will be your husband and this ring shall represent my promise.“ as he puts the clip on the finger of a very flustered Clark.

And so it happens that Clark and Jon move into Wayne Manor and Bruce gets Jon into Eden, where Jon meets Damian and they become immediate rivals.

Shenanigans ensue as Bruce tries to get Jon closer to Damian without being too obvious, while also trying to figure out wtf is up with his new husband and adopted son because they are clearly not human and very bad at hiding it. He gets struck by Loid Forger loveblindness though, so he never makes the connection to Superman (who he knows exists but has probably never met) and over time he starts caring less and less about it because he has always wanted a family and it feels so good after being alone all his life and he doesn’t wanna ruin it it’s just for the mission anyway and Clark is clearly too good a person to be a threat so it doesn’t matter. Or maybe he figures it out immediately and spends the rest of the story pretending to ignore the blatantly obvious ways in which Clark reveals himself and nodding at all his ridiculous excuses. (I might prefer this one tbh 😆)

There‘ll probably also be an arc where Bruce learns Damian is actually his biological son and has an emotional crisis.

Clark spends all his time badly hiding his identity, all the while never realizing his partner is actually Batman, despite him sneaking out every night and coming back with bruises (he knows that from his powers but he thinks it’s not his business what Bruce does in his private time, so he tries not to think about it)

So both still go on their superhero missions and if you want they can meet as heroes too and then you basically get Miraculous Ladybug lol

Maybe they also adopt Krypto for Jon.

Oh and I‘m imagining Lois died at some point when Jon was still very young, so him and Bruce really bond over that and Bruce remembers the reason for his mission, so that no child would ever have to lose their parents again (which gets complicated as he still fully plans to leave them once he has captured Ra‘s)

Franky is Alfred btw so Jon still gets a cool Uncle.

Maybe there is also a subplot where Clark spends his whole time fending off enemies trying to attack his completely normal civilian husband (how weird of them, right?) because the sniper managed to escape and leaked his identity. Luckily most his villains don’t believe such a ridiculous conspiracy theory (I mean spoiled billionaire Bruce Wayne as Batman? how laughable!) so only some local gangs come after him.

That’s all I got for now, feel free to add on lol and thanks for the ask.

[driftwork]

names, most surnames (2)

Allow me to apologize again for this partial list of names in the library,  titles available on request…

amis, acker kathy, ackroyd peter, abbey edward, aldiss brian, alcott louisa, m. anonymous, aldiss brian editor, ackroyd peter, allende isabel, acker kathy, adair gilbert, adams richard, asimov isaac, alcott louisa m., austen jane, azhayev vasili, asimov isaac, austen jane, ableman paul, amis martin, atwood marga,ret adams richard, abish walter, burroughs edgar rice, benn melissa, butler samuel, blyton enid, beckett samuel, beckett samuel, blyton enid, billington rachel, burnford. sheila, burroughs edgar r,ice bentley phyllis, burney francis, burroughs edgar rice, burroughs edgar rice, compton-burnett ivy, bryant arthur, burchard johann, bryant arthur, brame charlotte, bryant arthur, boll heinrich, buckeridge ant,hony boston l.m., buchan john, brightwen mrs illustrated by f carruthers gold, bronte charlotte, bradbury ray, banks lynne reid, barr pat, betto fre,i baxter stephen, banks iain, bronte charlotte, bryant arthur, banks iain m illustrated by nick day, bradbury malcolm, bell adrian, ballantyne r,.m. balzac honore de, benson e.f, barth richard, barrie j.m, bainbridge beryl, bronte emily, ballard j.g, bronte charl,otte borden mary, black lionel , bellow saul, introduced b,y j. michael walton wilde oscar, salgado gamini, ready stuart, besier rudolf, salgado gamini, euripides, euripides, williams t,ennessee sophocles, ionesco. eugene, ibsen henrick, marillier chri,stabel jonson ben, bennett alan, ionesco eugene, brenton. howard, stoppard tom, pinter harold, aristophanes, arnold mathew, daisenberger j.a., stoppard tom, eliot t.s., creeley rob,ert chaucer geoffrey - edited by walter w. skeat, cronin a. j., carr j. l., cooper edmu,nd colette, chevalier tracy, cosse laurence, christopher joh,n chatwin bruce, collingwood h, cather willa, cattieuchlan, crane stephen, calvino italo, collier eric, cela camilo c,ela crichton micheal, carpino f. brancaccio di, comrie margaret s., chabon michael, crofts freeman wills, carre john le, crace jim, michael co,x and r. a. gilbert cheever john, cardetti raphael, coolidge clark, chevallier gabr,ial coxe harmon george, cronin a. j., cheyney peter, conway hugh, cullum ridgwell, christian catherine, crace jim, crace jim, dickens charles, dickens charles, dunn nell, defoe dani,el bernheim emmanuele, doctorow e.l., chesterton g. k., donleavy j.p., bronte charlotte, duggan alfred, delany samuel r. - petaja emil, durrell gerald, dallek robert, dickens charles, dickens charles, dalby richard ed,. dickens charles, chang jung, delacorta, dickens ch,arles dickens charles, conan-doyle arthur, du maurier daphne, dostoyevsky f.m, durrant valentine, durrant valentine, donoso jose, delillo don, delillo don, defoe daniel, defoe daniel, duke neville, colette, camus albert, cheever john, egan frank, eastwood helen, england barry, duke of windsor, eden emily, egan greg, edwardson ake, franken rose, fowles john, frzer douglas, fielding henry, frankau gilbert, featherstone don,ald fyson j.g., fitzgerald f. scott, fyfield francis, fletcher h.l.v., ford madox ford, fuentes carlos, fuentes carlos, fossum karin, fielding henry, fielding henry, fox gardner f., forester c.s., flaubert gustave, forsyth frederick, fitchett w.h., faulkner willi,am gallico paul, garfeld leon, galsworthy john, gaskin catherine, goldring douglas, greene graham, fletcher j. s., goldsmith olive,r grey zane, faulkner william, grisham john, greene graham, green f.l., delany samuel r, fenn george manville, gide andre, grimwood jon courtenay , gordimer nadine, grisham john, greene graham, greene graham, grass gunter, galsworthy john, gray malcolm, gou xiaolu, goldsmith oliver, greene graham, harsch rick, hill weldon, hall radclyffe, hibbert christopher, hanley james, hemingway ernest, hardy thomas, horvath odon von, conan-doyle arthu,r scott-giles c.w., kollings ken, herbert a.p., houellebecq m,ichel hawes james, holt anne, hopkins r. thurston, huxley aldous, hawkins paula, holwell william, indridason arnaldur, inoue yasushi, ishiguro kazuo, houellebecq michel, hesse hermann, hemingway erne,st hamilton peter f., howard cecil, hyland ann, jewett sara,h orne - with a preface by willa cather joinville & villehardouin, jelinek elfriede, james m. r., jonke gert, moyle j.b.  (translator) - justinian, johns capt. w.e., jerome jerome k, jenkins elizabet,h jenkins elizabeth, james m. r., kipling rudyard, kipling rudyard, kipling rudyard, kipling rudyard, kerr j. lennox, kipling rudyard, kilvert rev francis, kipling rudyard, kipling rudyard, kent nora, kipling rudyard, king stephen, kipling rudyard, kipling rudyard, kipling rudyard, khadra yasmina, khadra yasmina, kipling rudyard, kipling rudyard, lovell ann, koontz dean, lucas-philli,ps c.e. kafka franz, leyner marx, linklater eric, kipling rudyard, kipling rudyard, kennard mrs. edward, kipling rudyard, kipling rudyard, kipling rudyard, kipling rudyard, kipling rudyard, leskov nikolai, leyner mark, lewis norman, carre john le, lee laurie, kilver francis - edited william plover, leyner mark, laver james, lear edward, lever charles, laing e.t., carre john le, longmate norma,n lane jane, lewycka marina, baker margaret, llwelyn davis w,eeks forestier-walker and bor wenstrom o. edmund and harlock walter e., rensschler eric, st. claire byrne muriel, day mabel  (edited by), linklater eric, linklater eric, linklater eric, martel yann, lewis c. s., lee laurie, longford elizabeth, lewis c. s., mason a.e.w, maupassant guy de, maclean alistair, masters john, reich-ranicki marcel, melwood mary, mathews basil, mackenzie fait,h compton maxwell  w. b., macleod m kathleen, mcwilliam candia, mee arthur, marquez gabriel garcia mendoza plinio apuleyo, maurois andre, maclean alistair, mankowitz wolf, masefield john, marryat captain, macnamara brinsley, morris william, murdoch iris, mandelstam. osip, morris william, murdoch iris, mustoe anne, morris william, morris william, bradbury ray, gifford barry, miller henry, maturin charles, millet lydia, mitchison naomi, michener james, mcewan ian, miln lousie, jordan mitford mary russell, menglong feng, munthe. alex, moran lord, nicholl charles, new yorker the editors, oppenheim e.phillips, o'neill jamie, oppenheim e.phillips, nin anais, nairne a, hughes-pa,rry j. powell anthony, ponsonby d.a., price anthony, pangborn edgar, pollard velma, priestley j.b, barry n. malzberg & bill pronzini, powell anthony, nabokov vladimir, porter sheena, peacock thomas love, pratchett terry ian ,stewart and jack cohen powell anthony, percy w. s., needham violet, raymond diana, russo richard, rice margery spring, rabelais, reed thom,as baines russ joanna, remarque erich maria, pearson hesketh, rezzori gregor v,on rolfe fr- frederick baron corvo, sayers dorothy l. sayers  (translator), renault mary, raphael frede,ric phillips adam, robertson e.arnot, pavic milorad, robinson heath, rendell ruth, read miss, robinson heath, rice elmer, rackham arthur, rutley c. bernard, renault mary, steinbeck joh,n smith alexander mccall, spyris johanna, sabatini rafael, spalding francis, stables gordon, camus albert, sinclair upton, stowe harriet b,eecher shem samuel, sienkiewicz henryk, swift jonathan, samuel maurice, scott sir walter, scott paul, stowe harriet beecher, scott sir walter, skinner john, sterne laurence, sewell anna, stevenson d.,e. sitwell edith, strang herbert, surtees r. s., sidney sir phi,llip stout william, sigurdardottir yrsa, solzhenitsyn alexander, scott sir walter, stephenson neil, self will, styron william, scott sir walte,r scott sir walter, scott sir walter, slavicsek bill, sebold alice, smith f seymour, slaughter frank, seth vkram, trollope jo,anna henry fielding, trevelyan g. m., thelwell normal, trevor elleston, thompson flora, thompson flora, tey josephine, tyler j.e.a., tutton diana, tuchman barbara, tolkien j.r.r, duke of windso,r wheatley dennis, wilkinson gerald, wells h.g, rawnsley c,.f. and wright robert white patrick, winchester simon, waugh evelyn, wodehouse p.g,. walsh j. m., welles orson, wood mrs henry, wren p.c, waugh auberon, white. t. h., white t. h., westo kjell, webster jason, wain john, quin b. g., westall rob,ert white t.h, wodehouse p.g, wodehouse p.g, westerfield sc,ott wodehouse p.g, zweig stefan, wodehouse p.g, urquhart r.e., wyndham john, wodehouse p.g, wodehouse p.g, waugh evelyn, wallace edgar, vine barbara, white patrick, virgil, vesaas tarjei, varesi valerio, vine barbara, updike john, young francis brett, vaizey george, wilde oscar, verne jules, wheatley dennis, updike john, markham mrs, vine barbara, vine barbara, kilvert rev francis, kilvert rev francis, new towns act 1946 -, leyser henrietta, perry anderson malcolm bull jan breman rob lucas david simpson rachel malik alexander zevin marco d'eramo, shaw george bernard, shaw george bernard, shakespeare william, shaw george bernard, shakespeare william, shaw george bernard, shaw bernard, shakespeare william, shaw bernard, shakespeare w,illiam shaw george bernard, shaw bernard, shaw george bernard, shaw george bernard, shaw bernard, sturgess keith (edited), euripides, matsumoto ,seicho lewis naomi, lang andrew, goethe, aristop,hanes pevsner nicholas, alvarez a., de la mare walter, larkin phillip, townsend sue, kyd thomas, euripides, lawrence d,. h. anderson w.e.k., marvell andrew, allan c.f., de la mare ,walter illustrated by edward ardizzone mitchell tony, plath sylvia, hobbs jack and hobbs margaret, spender stephen, whittier john greenleaf, millay edna st. vincent, bridges robert, steakley james , arkell reginald, thompson francis, arkell reginald, townsend sue, stamp l. dudley, keats john, farmer john s. , gollancz sir isr,ael and  day mabel and serjeantson mary s hood thomas, milton john, walsh michae,l (editor) barkow al, british sociological association, burgess tyrrell, bentley michael, braudel fernand, de botton alain, ardrey robert, barrow r. h., bennett joan, aylward j. d., albert marvin h., alford violet, ali ayaan hirsi, cookson mrs. nesfield, cecil david, cudlipp hugh, conway gregory j., ccta, beard patten, clarke mike, deighton k, doyle clare, cottrell leonard, the ecologist, ellis chri, furmston m.p. and simpson a.w.b, elton lord, arellano ro,bert williams reese, brandys kazimierz, rich adrienne, lee laurie, khorsandi shappi, midgley mary, blackburn robin , butler samuel, butler samuel, burroughs william s, brooke nichlas, d.s.pugh d.j.hi,ckman c.r.hinings moliere, hamilton ronald, hill christopher, hackforth-jones g,ilbert hartley john, hervey h.e., kynaston david, herrmann paul, gregory otto, clay a.j. mackenzie, gombrick e.h. and kris k, kingsmill hugh, lloyd christopher, jarvns matt, labour party research department, jacob e. f., krake ken, longmate norman, golding louis, jackson major ,donovan james philip, lethbridge t. c., liechti elaine, ladurie emmanue,l le roy morris desmond, malina f.j, p.m., mundy, john h. carroll noel , middleton john , perniola mario, maxton james, paz octavio, menzies gavin, plaskitt harold and jrdan percy, woodward c. vann, rowntree b.seebohm and lavers g.r., weill herman n., wellman paul i, victor weybrigh,t and henry blackman sell scruton roger, smith j.c., taylor g. rattray, the times, thompson james westfall, taylor arthur, kulke hermann and rothermund dietmar, thomas mary, diamond jared, bacigalupi paolo, johnston william r., woods william, woodward sir llewellyn, shaw josephine, williams christopher, sidebotham helen m., williamson james a., tuchman barbara, smith wm. dr. (on the plan of), tafuri manfredo, bussi michel, rose richard , rawlinson george, rayner robert m., tisserand robert, ibsen henrick, ackroyd peter, powys t. f., sansom william, byatt a.s., bertrand a. and guillaumin a., bryant arthur, palgrave francis t., trewin j.c, morton a. l., mathews hazel, c. johnson a. h., gregory e. w., brogan d.w, tuchman bar,bara howard elizabeth jane, howard elizabeth jane, kerr philip , burton mauric,e borman tracy, kumar manjit, bryant arthur, moers ellen, simpson jacqueline, longmate norman, leasor james, piggott derek, lewycka marina, duncan f. martin and duncan  l.t., armstrong karen, rankin nicholas, catton eleanor, harrison harry and stover leon e., prose francine, jacob naomi, lovell terry, webb marion st.john, sheppard elizabeth sara, dickinson g. lowes, king laurie r, hawthorne james, levy yank, ley wilfre,d rooke kelman janet harvey and rev theodore wood, agar winifred and others, blom eric, house rich,ard field robert, van loon hendrick, hayward gallery, eitlinger l.d. a,nd holloway r.g. fougasse and mccullough, davison philip, turnbull agnes sligh, harrison sidney, ashley maurice, oakeshott w. ewart, steingarten jeffrey, linna vaino, brecht bertholt, benni stefano, winbolt s. e., plumb j. h., bryson bill, prebble john, knight margeret, quarrie bruce, spry constance, squires patricia, smith ali, hadley tes,sa eng tan twan, virno paolo, wilson sloan, campbell alan, cumming charles, pedly robin, clegg alec and megson barbara, holt john, laurie peter, motley john lothrop, beumarchais repertoire general du theatre francais, de la mare walter. mackenzie compton. farjeon  elea,nor lord dunsany  blackwood  algernon etc... betz, bjork samuel, campbell alan, archer thomas ,and amelia hutchinson stirling dollimore jonathan and sinfield alan, deegan denise, holdsworth r.v., durband alan, douglas lloyd c., ash william, dyer gillian and baehr helen, lindop audrey erskine, percival maciver, bellamy h.s., robbe-grillet alain, frith henry, barnett richard, bumpus t. francis, bartholomews, harrow school, martin george, hayward gallery, ducros louis, defrates joan,na ali tariq, lowry malcom (edited by harver briet and margerie bonner lowry), colour, robinso,n francis benton dr micheal j., rankin robert, leonard. jonathan norton, edey maitland a., trippet frank, norton-taylor  duncan, hamblin dora jane, edey maitland a., hicks jim, knauth. percy, dancona p and aeschlimann e, urwin e.c., joyce graham, leslie doris, oakeshott w. ewart, department of scial, and administrative studies oxford university grossman vasily, sinclair andrew, quennell marjorie and c.h.b, smith alexander mccall, crispen edmund, kipling rudyard, oscar wilde mervyn peake, proust marcel illustrated, by phillipe julian proust marcel, chesterton g. k., kipling rudyard, ardrey robert, pakenham elizabeth, bradford ernle, kohn george childs, mcmahon katherine, introduced by j. michael walton, allegro j.m., leakey richard e. lewin roger, sobel dava, lancaster john, ferguson neil, westlake mike, proust marcel ,illustrated by phillipe julian euripides, corvo frederick baron, ambler eric (editor), peacock thomas love, hamilton edward, schiller eric, rabelais, barnes ju,lian manchetter jean-patrick, indridason arnaldur, macculloch j.a., holwe w.v. and p,ountney m.t. burnell r.d., symons julian, kipling rudyard and balestier wolcott, farmer bernard j., macaulay rose, fisher h.a.l., winston richard, eliot george, cairncross alec, disraeli benjamin, litvinoff emanuel, cotterell arthur , peynet raymond, mitchison naomi , trevelyan g. m., ibsen henrick, euripides, thayer george, white patrick, froissart, muir anne ross, acton lord, fisher h.a.l., innes arthur d,. innes hammond, acton lord, trevelyan g. m., stein gertrude, minister of health and the secretary of state for scotland, royal commission on local government in england, committee on the management of local government, committee on the management of local government, committee on the management of local government, soros george, ullman james ramsey, girls own paper, girls own paper, fowles john and horvat frank, moore gerald, whyte william, h. taylor a. j.p., whitelock dorothy, zdenek marilee, valentine c. w., walker kenneth, thompson e. p., ward barbara and dubos rene, wedgewood c.v., robertson alec and stevens denis, ackroyd peter, aira cesar, aira cesar, skinner paul , johnson samuel, drinkwater john, wilson daniel h, stross charles, ackroyd peter, hoeg peter, aylett stev,e oman carola, jelinek elfriede, rohan zina, roberts ada,m vandermeer jeff, vandermeer jeff, vandermeer jeff, miske karim, russell sarah, naipal v.s., carrington neil. brodies notes, freeman anthony, corvo frederick baron, aylett steve, lovegrove james, baudouin charles, green miranda, gilliland alan, gll anton, hendy phil,lip kunstler junger, toulouse-lautrec henri (t.w. earp and g.w. stonier (translated into english by).), jefferson alan, richardson joy, lyons lewis, mathews john and mathews caitlin, pratchett terry, pratchett terry ,and baxter stephen robbe-grillet alain, west paul, pratchett terry and briggs stephen, mccaffery juliet, robert marcel and parmeggiani luigi - ilo-, storr vernon f., pratchett terry, mann philip, morris mary and o'conner larry , pratchett terry and baxter stephen, mcphee john, kightly char,les reeves compton, picard gilbert charles(editor), strong roy, clifton-tay,lor alex rupp gordon, tullii marci, goldsmith oliver, pinnow hermann, millington mal, atwood margaret, dickens charles, sterne laurence, everyman, caeser caius julius, wells h.g, kempis tho,mas a wynne pamela, pepys samuel, sterne laurence, scott sir walter, balzac honore de, jones edmund d., du maurier daphne, hutchinson lucy, weyman stanley j., browning robert, shakespeare william, chesterton cecil, stevenson r.l, trollope anthony, conan-doyle arthur, osborne charles, bresson robert, chalres pictet de geneva, lambourne nigel and renoir, parker steve, thomas graham  stuart, watkin david, hill ian, hlasko ma,rek lee harper, kureishi hanif, boyle t. coraghessan, gombrowicz witold, gombrowicz witold, gombrowicz witold, gombrowicz witold, gombrowicz witold, gombrowicz witold, gombrowicz witold, montergueil g., liu ken, robbe-grillet alain, banks iain, hobb robin, murphy derv,la gooch steve, dallek robert, giordano mario, tourtellot arth,ur bernon mcewan ian, orton joe, stoppard tom, stoppard tom, dorfman ariel, clifforfd leech, gerlech lynne, mishima. yukio, kurkov andrey, sante luc, robbe-grillet alain, heinlein robert, shute nevil, benacquista tonino, carofiglio gianrico, powers richard, steer john, johnson b.s., edgeworth maria, lowry malcolm, lowry malcolm, willis roy , le queux william, committee on the ,management of local government delillo don, perry sarah, expenditure committee (trade and industry sub-committee), pratchett terry, jencks charles, ewing julia horatia, vandermeer jeff, carpentier alejo, acker kathy, sudjic deyan, lindsey martin, reitz deneys, tolkien j.r.r, tolkien j.r.r, tolkien j.r.r, tolkien j.r.r, tolkien j.r.r, tolkien j.r.r, eggers dave, yurick sol, emecheta buchi, bryson bill, bryson bill, smollet tobi,as kapitanial thomas, wodehouse p.g, wodehouse p.g, wodehouse p.g, wodehouse p.g, wodehouse p.g, wodehouse p.g, wodehouse p.g, wodehouse p.g, stengers isabelle, browning. robert, walbank f. alan (,ed1ted and arranged by) roberts adam, kipling rudyard, ruskin john,

ellis john, hinton michael, chamoiseau patrick, martinez guillermo, willis connie, nemirovsky irene, rhys jean, joyce james, delillo don, mantel hilary, parker k. j., parker k. j., parker k. j., wilhelm richard, topol jachym, perez-reverte arturo, mcevoy j.p. and zarat,e oscar atwood margaret, sloterdijk peter, unit for research on the urban environment, perry steve, anderson kevin j, zahn timothy, hambly barbara, massey d, tucker paul hayes, anderson kevin j., smith p. robert, semprun jorge, crace jim, reynolds ingrid and nicholson charles, reynolds ingrid and nicholson charles bell ann, carre john le, grossman lev, tallis frank, hornby nick, tallis frank, newberry linda, coelho paulo, bryson bill, harris joann,e bond terance james, hopkins gerard manley, haviaras stratis, hoban russell, benson peter, pears iain, gray robert, wiggins todd, price richard, perez-reverte arturo, hoeg peter, flaubert gu,stave ivan illich irving k zola john mcknight, runyon damon, frei max, chaponnie,re paul fischer tibor, reynolds alastair, asher neal, vallois g. ,n. morton h.v., kalweit holger, gibbons stanley, brookmyre christ,opher holt anne, hemingway ernest, surtees r. s., reeves-stevens, judith and garfield kipling rudyard, gane chriss and sarson trish, hodgson joan, saadawi ahmed, barnes julian, hadley tessa, pratchett terry and baxter stephen, hijuelos oscar, johnson kenneth and lsbeth marguerite, phillips jayne anne, aylett steve, kube-mcdowell, michael p. tyers kathy, daley brian, wolverton dave, allen roger mac,bride mcintyre vonda, anderson kevin j, smith l. neil, zahn timothy, zahn timothy, zahn timothy, hamilton peter f., wells h.g, waugh evelyn, hughes roberts, earnshaw brian, confucius alfre,dd doeblin bates h.e, leuchenburg william e., gibson william, gibson william, twining william and miers david, terence morris and angus stewart, tolkien j.r.r, stewart. mary, corvo frederick baron, aldiss brian editor, perez-reverte arturo, king ronald, harris sam, harris sam, harris sam and hawaz maajid, klein richard, nabokov vladimir, lowell robert, euripides, harris sam, maugham w.somerset, pynchon thomas, nabokov vladimir, chand meira, jardine lisa, jardine lisa, reynolds alaistair, sartre jean-paul, gifford barry, de teran lisa st aubin, lanchester john, chen da, kafka franz, frei max, lefebrve noemi, mcewan ian, gray john, gray john, clowes daniel, foucault miche,l gray john, kant immanuel, ferrante elena, chambers becky, levy roger, claudel phillippe, dick philip k, wray j. jackso,n pratchett terry and baxter stephen, chambers becky, fiske john and hartley john, hebdige dick, maitland f.w., dick philip k, butler samuel, butler samuel, butler samuel, murdoch iris, murdoch iris, murdoch iris, pratchett terry and baxter stephen, glass rodge, de chirico george, hornby nick, lethem jonathan, coetzee j. m., millar martin, stallman richa,rd m. parrinder patrick, gombrowicz witold, hornby nick, hornby nick, gee maggie, dixey anne, hawes james, maconie  stu,art hornby nick, hornby nick, roberts adam, roberts adam,de teran lisa st aubin, ocampo silvina, lewis oscar, delillo don, perri francesco, gass william, hennessy peter, cumming charles, maconie  stuart, twain mark, cleeves ann, corbett thig,pen & hervey cleckley milner gamaliel, sobel dava, hornby nick, hornby nick, leon donna, gardner helen , williams reese, nesser hakan, simon nicholson and sikina jinnah , sterling bruce, o'brien martin, sciascia leonardo, housing monitoring team, melville herman, thompson hunter s., roberts adam, helgason hallgrimur, malouf david, delillo don, chabon micha,el solomons natasha, marriott edward, holt tom, holt anne, whitehouse david, taylor mildred d., sillitoe sir percy, miller john, dostoevsky fyodaor, denny norman (compiled by), roberts adam and verne jules, coe jonathan, barker nicola, junger sebastian, conan-doyle arthur, khoo thwe pascal, heller joseph, cortvriend. v.v., bryson bill, took barry, gifford barry, murphy c. e., charlesworth monique, kingston maxine hong, kingston maxine hong, coover robert, harrison colin, sharp margery, mailer norman, liu cixin, liu cixin, liu cixin, russo richard paul, vandermeer jeff, pears iain, vandermeer ,jeff ryman geoff, dick philip k, holt anne, stephenson, neil stephenson neil, ogilvy audrey a, finighan w. r., department of t,he environment  grimwood jon courtenay, asher neal, asher neal, asher neal, du maupassant guy, reynolds alaistair, asher neal, burroughs w,illiam s harkaway nick, satie erik, beethoven, koontz dea,n atwood margaret, kimhi rabbi david, garrison jim, austen jane, harkaway nick, dawson r.f.f, department of employment, department of employment, department of employment, economis commission for europe inland transport committee, jones tobias, shriver lione,l baxter stephen, macleod ken, powell anthony, asher neal, cheek mavis, montalban manuel vazquez, hughes bettany, bach rachel, mcdevitt jack, reynolds alastair, asher neil, atkins will,iam levin ira, meynell alice, strugatski arkady and boris, bach rachel, leduc violette, paretsky sara, eastland sam, eastland sam, bechdel alison, fitzgerald conor, hart miranda, higashno keig,o marshall michael, wodehouse p.g, wodehouse p.g, wodehouse p.g, rohmer sax, runcie james, fleming peter, bellow saul, mccullers carson, defoe daniel, greene graham, lawrence d. h., faulkner william, faulkener william, o'brien edna, o'brien edna, spark muriel, spark muriel, doyle lynn, camus alber,t allingham margery, allingham margery, allingham margery, rhys jean, newson john and elizabeth, mann thomas, allingham margery, allingham margery, o'brien edna, leonard elmore, evans ifor, spark murie,l webster john, moravia alberto, spark muriel, pym denis (ed,ited by) trevor elleston, bronte charlotte, homer, geoffr,ey of monmouth gaskall elizabeth, heilpern john, joyce james, peter cheyne,y spark muriel, rushdie salman, mitford nancy, hardy thomas, moore john, wells h.g, hardy thomas, lawrence d. h,. murdoch iris, walpole hugh - beckford william - shelley mary, orwell george, hyland stanley, christie agatha, sayers dorothy l., haggard william, wells h.g, cervantes miguel de, target g. w., donleavy j.p., mitford nancy, taylor a. j. p., wodehouse p.g, dolley christopher edits, thompson hunter s., fitzgerald f. scott, doyle a.conan, thurber james, allingham marg,ery garnett richard, peake mervyn, prebble john, gough richard, smith stevie, peake mervyn, liu cixin, orwell geo,rge belloc hilaire, beerbohm max, bowles jane, tacitus, hemingway ernest, theroux paul, thirkell angela, waugh evelyn, wilson angus, wilson angus, lawrence d. h., lawrence d. h., lawrence d. h., orwell george, perelman s. j., green f.l., hill susan, greene graham, forester c.s., mccarthy mary, esslin. martrin, o'brien flann, le carre john, stribling t.s., lawrence d. h., durrell gerald, sagan francoise, chevalier gabrie,l anstey f., graves robert, doyle lynn, joyce james, thompson flora, delacorta, lawrence d. h., donleavy j.p., hrabal bohumil, briggs asa, colette, gaskall ,elizabeth landolfi tommaso, france anatole, christie agatha, bone david w., hawkes jacquetta, hammett dashiell, de teran lisa st aubin, bates h.e, isherwood christopher, hemingway ernest, brahms caryl and simon s.j, duffy maureen, kilworth garry, berger john, fielding henry, miliband ralph ,and saville john wilder thornton, achebe chinua, mascaro juan (new translation by), schnabel jim, braine john, james henry, waugh evelyn, waugh evelyn, peake mervyn, williams tennessee, sagan francoise, hughes richard, weldon fay, waugh evelyn, buchan john, graves rober,t boll heinrich, weldon fay, wodehouse p.g, tillyard e. m., w. lee laurie, lessing doris, updike john, amis martin, hardy thomas, chandler raymond, wodehouse p.g, manning olivia, lessing doris, spark muriel, masters john, o'brien edna, mann thomas, traven b., pevsner nicholas, dickens charles, white t. h., shakespeare william, douglas norman, woolf virgina, murdoch iris, blackwood algernon, lawrence d. h., gide andre, edward albee jack richardson murray schisgal athur miller, iwamoto kaoru, arenas reinaldo, andrzejewski jer,zy joyce james, de botton alain, mauriac francois, simenon georges, lawrence d. h., texier catherine, forster e. m, allingham mar,gery allingham margery, allingham margery, allingham margery, crofts freeman wil,ls hoskins w. g., sebald w.g, macleod ken, amis kingsle,y cain james m, wodehouse p.g, o'brien edna, allingham mar,gery mccullers carson, harrison harry, cheyney peter, christie agath,a cheyney peter, chandler raymond, crystal david, shaw george be,rnard sophocles, haggard william, colette, borges j,orge luis borges jorge luis, borges jorge luis, lowry malcolm, lowry malcolm, dostoyevsky f.m, schnitzler arthur, drabble margaret, boll heinrich, aristotle, heyer georgette, chandler raymond, douglas alfred, ackroyd peter, ackroyd peter, basho, steinb,eck john wodehouse p.g, gaskall elizabeth, mottram v.h, walker kenne,th davis hugh sykes, evans ifor, evans ifor, harrison g., b. sayers dorothy l., innes michael, womack jack, thubron coli,n wodehouse p.g, leonard elmore, innes michael, innes michael, innes michael, innes michael, innes michael, du maurier dap,hne gardner erle stanley, gaskall elizabeth, greene graham, sartre jean-pa,ul lodge david, gaskall elizabeth, farmer philip jose, austen jane, rabelais francois, ekelof gunnar, karolyi otto, sartre jean-p,aul cabell james branch, didion joan, borges jorge luis, de monfried henry, doyle a.conan, chandler raymond, miller arthur, merriman henry, seton gaiman neil, innes michael, innes michael, drabble margar,et harrison g. b., kawabata yasunari, west john anthiony, buchan john, highsmith patricia, pineda cecile, nabokov vladimir, spark muriel, needleman jacob, grayling a.c., lurie alison, hay ian, thubron colin, cameron james, stein gertrude, dickens charles, linklater eric, plato, plato, plato, plato, yalom irvin d., jungstedt mari, plato, stagg guy, mcdonald ed, knausgaard karl ove, knausgaard karl ove, harvey graham and hardman charlotte, pope dudley, james henry, woolrych aus,tin conrad joseph, pollard tony, dyer geoff, chaing ted, marquez gabriel garcia, colette, bennett robert jackson, nesser hakan, mootoo shani, coe jonathan, higson charlie, marquez gabriel, garcia banks iain , brown alan, schine cathleen, christopher adam, fesperman dan, rohmer sax, michaels anne, saunders john, lessing doris, becker jurek, krabbe. tim, shaw bernard, anthony piers, hunt stephen, gurdjieff, gibson wil,liam gaarder jostein, pears iain, euripides, shepard lu,cius prawer jhabvala r, bach rachel, coover robert, westerfield sc,ott brookmyre christopher, craig amanda, bacigalupi paolo, okri ben, buffett jimmy, milligan spike and antrobus john, shakespeare william, o'hara john, trevor elleston, leonard elmore, ageyev m., hill susan, robbe-grillet alain, rinaldi patrizia, adiga aravind, feist raymond, mankowitz wolf, miller arthur, mccarthy mary, rowling j. k., wilson robert, corey james a., corey james a., runyon damon, shakespeare william, shakespeare william, shaffer peter, davidson robyn, lethem jonathan, chekov anton, esposito roberto, gardner john, palmer philip, barnes john, mcmahon thomas, robinson kim st,anley mankell henning, grazier james, grass gunter, hamilton pete,r f. hardy thomas, jack albert, coupland douglas, parris s. j., ozeki ruth, reynolds alaistair, mason zachary, mason zachary, delacorta, kerr phillip, coupland douglas, betjeman john, parker john, cortazar julio, lewis sinclair, du maurier daph,ne mcewan ian, fowles john, troyes chretien de, lethem jonathan, eggers dave, aristotle horace longinus, bolano roberto, giuttari michel,e bernard st, baudrillard jean, schrader helena p., frayn michael, chomsky noam, min anchee, morrison toni, von arnim eliz,abeth lethem jonathan, calvino italo, calvino italo, roberts michel,le hardy thomas, mccarthy mary, murdoch iris, symons a. j. ,a. connolly joseph, connolly joseph, lethem jonathan, scott-wilson sio,n flint shamini, tejpal tarun j., camilleri andrea, safranski rudiger, agamben giorgio, vichi marco, moers walter, bennett arnol,d heyer georgette, euripides, butler samuel, butler samuel, butler samuel, butler samuel, butler samuel, butler samuel, butler samuel, butler samuel, butler samuel, miloszewski  z,ygmunt hoban russell, lewycka marina, lewycka marina, lethem jonathan, rankin ian, rankin ian, fraser george macdonald, fraser george macdonald, del rey lester, neville kris, longmate norman, greenwood duncan, and king robert mortenson greg and relin david oliver, farmer philip jose, asimov isaac, harding d. e., ferris joshua, gill a. a., smith ali, lawrence d,. h. fletcher martin, general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, corey james a., corey james a., corey james a., rankin robert, tilley patrick, tilley patrick, turner george, hedquarters library department of the environment, george woodford kirstine williams nancy hill deper,tment of the environment general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, frayn michael, general regist,er office general register office, general register office, general register office, general register office, haddon celia , catling b, delillo don, fitzgerald c,onor murdoch iris, garcia-roza luiz alfredo, carofiglio gianrico, vichi marco, williams jen, ramirez david, eastland sam, roberston al, lyotard jean-francois, catling b, williams jen, carter angela, townsend sue, bendis brian micheal and  maleev alex, bendis brian micheal and  maleev alex, mcauley paul j., bendis brian micheal and  maleev alex, shaw john h., simmonds posy, cochrane james, (edited by) barth john, jeter k. w., dunn euan , lynch richa,rd warwick christopher , fraser george macdonald, barnes djuna, neuvel sylvai,n kepler lars, durrell lawrence, durrell lawrence, durrell lawrence, durrell lawrence, shakespeare william, waugh evelyn, puig manuel, crais robert, houellebecq michel, durrell lawrence, grant morrison, p,hil jimenez, steve yeowell eriksson kjell, jordan robert, slavnikova olga, story jack trevo,r boll heinrich, crussi f. gonzalez, dick philip k, ackerman diane, perec georges, stross charles, ashman howard, rosen michael, mcllwraith a. k., packer nigel, haasen carl, hesse herman,n hesse hermann, lewis norman, ballard j. g., maupassant guy, de perry sarah, dickey james, friedman kinky, friedman kinky, durrell lawrence, ings simon, jones diana wynne, forrest katherine ,v.  weldon fay, sophocles, mitchison naomi, kermode frank, firestone shulamith, webster john, gosse edmund - introduction by, conrad joseph, palmer frank, trollope anthony, bronte charlotte, durrell lawrence, prose francine, murphy devla, lyall gavin, fraser georg,e macdonald fo dario, fleming peter, disch thomas m. and sladek john t., marlowe christoher, rosewicz tadeusz, nunez raul, shakespeare william, webster john, poliakoff stephen, murakami ryu, neuvel sylvain, eliot t. s., fitzgerald penelope, fergusson francis, curie ewa, geoff dyer, (contributor) lila azam zanganeh (contributor) leanne shapton (contributor) alain de botton (contributor) alice rawsthorn (contributor) swann ingo, le carre john, nabokov vladimir, evans julian, ahndoril alexander, gonzales tony, chu wesley, gentle mary, solnit rebecca, barnes john, fitzgerald penelope, hamilton geoff, jordan robert, sterbenz carol endler, mcnaughton colin, david peter, innes clive, banks lynne reid, miller henry, hartley l. p., smith e. e. 'doc', smith e. e. 'doc', silitoe alan, bonnot  xavie,r-marie pratchett terry, lessing doris, bowen elizabeth, allen woody, hamilton peter f., hamilton peter f., millar martin, barker howard, barker howard, steinbeck john, hardy thomas, smith zadie, johnson air vice marshall j.e., lewis sinclair, gentle mary, izzo jean-cl,aude forster e.m, webb beatrice, kiefer anselm, harkaway nick, cheever john, cordell aleander, plener pytan, council for c,hildren's welfare lovecraft h. p., harrison harry, mah adeline yen, heinlein robert, smith e. e. 'doc', knausgaard karl ove, bartlett jamie, feist raymond, osbourne lawrence, renoir jean, paasilinna arto, thirlwell adam, trollope anthony, twain mark, bataille georges, bataille georges, bataille georges, bataille georges, emily morris kevin pask marco déramo  kristen surak wolfgang streeck frederic jameson hung ho-fung, gaston sean, shannon samantha, nash ogden, st john madelaine, hill susan, de botton alain, reynolds alaistair, reynolds alaistair, fine. anne, rushdie salman, allingham margery, grimwood jon courtenay, welsh itvine, melville-ross antony, swift graham, hiaasen carl, beeton mrs, mcguane thomas, cheever john, crisp quentin, klossowski pie,rre barker george, rankin ian, mayne andrew and shuttleworth john, wainwright gordon, ivor noel-hume and audrey noel- hume, heller joseph, wilson barbara, reynolds peter, newman ernest, pickering kenneth, rankin ian, van horn er,ica tchaikovsky adrian, leon donna, lerner ben, brantenberg, gerd martinez guillermo, musil robert, baxter stephen, markaris petros, gaiman neil, deren maya, virilio paul, ballard j. g., heller joseph, sahgal nayantara, marshall bruce, chadbourn mark, nesser hakan, glade merton, shepard lucius, theilkuhl wolfg,ang sawyer robert j., moore christopher, glendinning victoria, vesey-fitzgerald bria,n bennett vanora, smith alexander mccall, allingham margery, allingham margery, e.c.bentley and h. warner allen, allingham margery, simenon georges, gide andre, walker martin, iyer lars, ings simon, allingham m,argery friedmann john , marcus ben, marcus ben, southam b. ,c. enright anne, drinkwater olive, asher neal, asher neal, sullivan caitlin and bornstein kate, bradley a c, lahiri jhumpa, hiaasen carl, westerfield scott, johnson diane, cheek mavis, faulks sebas,tion asimov isaac, edwards ruth dudley, lackey mercedes, blunden edmund, mckinley robin, duffy stella, steinbeck john, davies andrew, donoghue emma, asher neal, grimwood jon courtenay, villalobos juan pablo, asher neal, asimov isaac, berlins marcel and wansall geoffrey, leonard elmore, proulx e. anne, tennyson alfred, dyer geoff, reynolds al,aistair reynolds alaistair, reynolds alaistair, roig jose miguel, yevtushenko yevge,ny livio mario, hardy thomas, head bessie, mill j.s, tanizaki junichiro, pinborough sarah, pinborough sarah, williams nigel, jonathan ross and tommy lee edwards, tor krevor andre singer thomas piketty goran therborn teri reynolds perry anderson josh berson  william davies marcus verhagen, robin blackburn perry anderson wang lixiong jacques ranciere micheal hardt  geoffrey ingham  terry eagleton peter lagerquist timothy bewes gunter grass pierre boudieu, n. e. thing enterprises , donoghue emma, coupland douglas, mankell henning, fred halliday er,nest mandel  heather  maroney riccardo parboni satyajit ray

pablo iglesias mike davis francis mulhern joann wypijewwski joshua rahtz emma  fajgenbaum  r taggart murphy, evgeny morozov gopal balakrishnan wang chaohua  mauricio velasquez franco moretti jeffrey r. webber anders stephanson barry schwabsky, joshua wong frederic jameson joetrapido emilie bickerton sebastian veg  adam tooze achin vanaik franco moretti, gopal balakrishnan bhaskar sunkara  daniel finn francesco fiorentino  enrica villari  micheae denning blair ogd,en  vivek chibber susan watkins ching kwan lee neil davidson nancy ettlinger alex niven timothy brennan joshua rahtz emilie bickerton,mike davis giovanni arright, g tamas peter nolan koza yamamura asef bayat  benedict anderson tariq ali ian birchill kheya bag  regis debray, dark horse comics, dark horse comics, warren ellis lee bermejo david baron, warren ellis lee bermejo david baron, warren ellis lee bermejo david baron, damon hurd with pedro camello, brian wood /  becky cloonan, chris claremont jim lee scott williams, dark horse comics, jeph loen carlos pachego jesus merino, morrison grant, morrison grant, morrison grant, morrison grant, amis martin, mike carey sonny liew marc hempel, groening matt, jenkins johnson faucher, dark horse comics, damon hurd rick smith, damon hurd rick smith, brian wood becky cloonan, brian wood becky cloonan, brian wood becky cloonan, grant morrison frank quit,ely *, mike carey sonny liew marc hempel, grant morrison philip bond d'israeli daniel vozzo, bendis brian micheal and  maleev alex, brian wood becky cloonan, damon hurd with pedro camello, mike carey sonny liew marc hempel, brian wood becky cloonan, jim valentino chance wolf dan davis, mckelvie gillen, mckelvie gillen, mckelvie gillen, mckelvie gillen, mckelvie gillen, veitch and  baikie, pienkowski jan, berenstain stan and jan, martin ruth, jones terry, palmer jessi,ca williams ursula moray, pratchett terry, farmer penelope, hunter norman, dahl roald, cresswell helen, rumble adrian (collected by), norton andre and madlee dorth,y bond micheal, brennan j. h., gibson andrew, hall willis, ridley philip, hutchins pat, wright ralph, clarke arthur, cross gillian, lowry lois, wright ralph, king-smth dic,k piserchia doris, proysen alf, priest graham, blackburn simo,n buckeridge anthony, steed ben, wilson forrest, norriss andrew, deary terry, cresswell helen, jacques brian, webber collin, snell gordon, rodgers mary, kastner erich, ordnance surve,y schmidt arno, garner alan, dahl roald, wilson davi,d henry lindgren astrid, kemp gene, art thibert and pamela thibert, bennett arnold illustrated by m,orten sale pynchon thomas, burgess anthony, huxley aldous, dahl roald, boll heinrich, herr micheal, dibden michael, o'connell jack, greenland colin, gifford barry, gifford barry, russell leigh, dahl roald, shakespeare william, marivaux, rodgers m,ary lucasfilm bob woods (editor), lucasfilm bob woods (editor), lucasfilm bob woods (editor), lucasfilm bob woods (editor), lucasfilm bob woods (editor), mcfarlane todd, jim valentino chance wolf dan davis, jim valentino chance wolf dan davis, mckillip patricia a., du maurier daphne, elgin suzanne haden, de teran lisa st aub,in collingwood r. g., winterson jeanette, carmody isobelle, perry steve, egan doris, moorcock michael, gaiman neil, gilden mel, larry niven jerry pounelle micheal flynn, eddings david, cooper louise, weaver micheal, claremont chris, hamilton laurell k., kepler lars, nothomb amel,ie staig laurence, wood anthony, murrary linda, kaveney roz di,tor plato, cumming elizabeth and kaplan wendy, reiss johanna, glover jonatha,n goodman nelson, plato, carmody isobelle, wilson robert cha,rles wilson robert charles, wilson robert charles, johnson george, kepler lars, brookmyre christopher, jordan robert, kinsella sophie, jewell lisa, parent gail, gibson williams, kinsella sophie, carofiglio gianr,ico hesse hermann, nesbo jo, duane diane, higginson wi,lliam j. ferguson margaret.  salter mary jo. stallworthy jon, evanovich janet, evanovich janet, bennett alan, blaylock james p., aylett steve, roffey monique, chambers clare, sedaris david, warner alan, cross amanda, lee harper, brookmyre christopher, lawrence louise, levi primo, coupland do,uglas homesa. m., wesley mary, nicholson geoff, chambers clare, chambers clare, lee chang-rae, ahmed rollo, gowdy barbar,a suri manil, brickell christopher (editor), adelson warren et al, ishiguro kazuo, curley marianne, miller alexander, macleod ken, diamond jare,d persson leif g.w., littell robert, anderson poul, hamilton laure,ll k. nicoll andrew, miller mark and mcniven steve, wells h.g., xing jan, robinson kim stanley, dahl roald, chandler arthur, breznik melitta, jordan robert, cherryh c.j., sayers dorothy l., dow kristin and do,wning thomas e. mccaffery anne, brent-dyer elinor m., jordan robert, crichton miche,al evanovich janet, williams john, schlosser eric, murphy pat, trollope joanna, mcintyre vonda n., lackey mercedes and dixon larry, lackey mercedes, duane diane and morwood peter, lewis jon e., mccaffery anne, mccaffery anne, jewell lisa, holden wendy, binchy maeve, duane diane, mccaffery anne, mccaffery anne, lovelock james, eddings david, besher alexander, mccaffery anne, barnes john, briggs ian, leon donna, mcdonagh martine, stackpole micheal a, blake william, nassib selim, rankin robert, child lincoln, goudge elizabe,th de teran lisa st aubin, beukes lauren, ridge antonia, greenland coli,n palmer stephen, crais robert, kirstein rosemary, duane diane, lawrence sara, bronte charlotte, plater alan, jones j. v., norriss andrew, girling brough, jordan robert, jones j. v., jones j. v., konwicki  tadeusz, bateman colin, erpenbeck jenn,y scarpa tiziano, lisick beth, warner alan, evanovich ja,net dalby liza, warner alan, adler-olsen  jussi, alcott louisa m., dickinson peter, hicyilmaz gaye, lindgren astrid, lucas george, davies russell t., bendis brian micheal and  maleev alex, bawden nina, gross philip, foster alan dean, anderson kevin j, lucas george, glut donald, kahn james, cadigan pat, murakami haruki, bodlian library, zizek slavoj, tucker andrew, and kingswell tamsin davidson alan, cadigan pat, ashton charles, brookmyre chris,topher brookmyre christopher, brookmyre christopher, evanovich janet, david peter, leon donna, brookmyre christopher, brookmyre christopher, simon anne, scamander newt, whisp kenilworthy, davies pete, blyton enid, blyton enid, walsh helen, bradley marion, steve pike and ,paul fisher travers p.l., lively penelope, vinge joan, jacques bri,an aiken joan, fisk nicholas, o'keeffe linda, deegan denise, clarke stephen, franken al, blyton enid, blyton enid, mankell henning, smith alexander mccall, jones diana wynne, norton andre, ullmann linn, jones vanessa, pinborough sarah, kafka franz, anderson kevin j. (edited by), rankin robert, rankin robert, mccaffery anne, evanovich janet, mccaffery anne, yoshimto ray - clamp nanase ohkawa, brookmyre christopher, allen roger macbride, pratchett terry, anderson kevin j. (edited by), connolly joseph, cherryh c.j., cadigan pat, mccaffery anne, divakaruni chit,ra banerjee zappa moon unit, vernadsky vladimir i, mackesy serena, waterhose keith, hines barry, golding william, keenan joe, ironside vi,rginia cullimore claudine, kawabata yasunari, motter dean and lark michael, mccaffery anne, mccaffery anne, mccaffery anne, packard vance, moore gerald, furey maggie, furey maggie, mccaffery anne, duane diane, gaiman neil, brown dan, furey maggie, lindsay dougl,as scott-giles c. w., modesitt jr  l. e., bronte charlotte, murdoch iris, streatfield noel, leiris michel, bronte emily, williams ursu,la moray ecke wolfgang, pratchett terry, mclean lenny, edwards-jones, imogen nesser hakan, mcintyre vonda, fisk nicholas, evanovich jane,t tey josephine, robbe-grillet alain, aeschylus, baudrillar,d jean baudrillard jean, pagels heinz r., sen amartya, sen amartya, caputo john d., rossini, corey james a., holt tom, kube-mcdowell michael p., sweterlitsch tom, wolfe tom, cadigan pa,t murdoch iris, bronte anne, dyer geoff, spinoza  be,nedictus de  spinoza  benedictus de, haasen carl, dexter colin, moffat gwen, handke peter, handke peter, handke peter, handke peter, kavan anna, kavan anna, kavan anna, gaiman neil, nicholson william, christopher adam, lena levinas ousmane sidibe gabrial piterberg kristen surek franco moretti tom mertes jan breman emilie bickerton, tawadayoko, snow c. p., snow c. p., groening matt, claudel philip,pe leith sam, spinrad norman, russo richard paul, hamilton peter f., haldeman joe, rankin robert, musil robert, niven larry, niven larry, walsh micheal, dibden michael, anouilh jean, herbert frank, allen roger macbride, mcgraw eloise jarvis, lowery marilyn m., bruford bill (editor), bishop micheal, saraute nathalie, abbey edward, wahloo per, davies andrew, davies andrew, asimov isaac, faulks sebastian, dos passos john, egan greg, egan greg, bradley marion, rankin robert, brown eric, shakespeare, william jeter k. w., dyer geoff, beckett chris, roth philip, marshall smith michael, armesto felipe fernandez, almond david, bolano robert,o goscinny f - uderzo a, goscinny f - uderzo a, lowe helen, arnott jake, reynolds alaistair, frith r. j., lena levinas ousmane sidibe gabrial piterberg kristen surek franco moretti tom mertes jan breman emilie bickerton, anderson perry, anderson perry, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, higgins jack, hoban russell, rolfe fr- fred,erick baron corvo busby f.m, kepler lars, barnes julian, machiavelli ni,ccolo sebald w.g, priest christopher, martin sean, gibson gary, banks iain m, gibson gary, gibson gary, gibson gary, gibson gary, gibson gary, mclellan david, grady james, tilley patrick, van vogt a.e, boyd william, swartz richar,d bennett alan, cortazar julio, anders charlie jane, lowe helen, stagg guy, banks iain, banks iain m illustrated by nick day, banks iain m, banks iain m, flint james, larsson stieg, anthony piers, mcdevitt jack, lostetter marina j., richardson dorothy m., scott m. k. c., gaskall mrs, talbot-booth e. c., whitman walt, le carre john, shelley percy bysshe (introduction phyllis hartnoll ), holt tom, tett gillian, shepard luciu,s grimwood jon courtenay, proust marcel illustrated by phillipe julian, fenn jaine, caldecott a,ndrew caldecott andrew, harvey colin, mcauley paul j., mcdonald ian, mcdonald ian, linklater eric, pliny, nesbo ,jo mcauley paul j., brown eric, backman fedrik, de la motte and,ers galbraith robert, dahl arne, watkins susan, anderson perry, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, bull mccormack, badiou hart blackburn therborn sarfattio watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, susan watkins benedict anderson franco moretti, hallward collini 'retort' bickerton, jean baudrillard giovanni arrighi richard gott rgis debray, watkins susan, anderson perry, anderson perry, watkins susan, watkins susan, tom mertes peter gowan gerad dumenil & dominique levy, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, blackburn ronin, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, perry anderson darko suvin lucio magri  carlos prieto, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, blackburn robin, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, blackburn robin, watkins susan, watkins susan, anderson perry, watkins susan, watkins susan, blackburn robin, blackburn robin, blackburn robin, peter hallward t,om nairn jean baudrillard sabry hafex watkins susan, watkins susan, blackburn robin, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, watkins susan, moravia alberto, tolstoy leo, busby f.m, marquand j,ohn p. airne c. w., haldeman joe, oçonnor richard, hardy thomas, rhys jones  griff, butcher jim, harper david, larsson stieg, joslin edward c., furnival kate, eastland sam, eastland sam, kadare ismail, hertzberg max, grancsay stephen v., mcintyre vonda, kafka franz, piketty thomas, greene harris, butcher jim, ordnance survey, brodie bernard and fawn, kornbluth c. m., bull emma, seigel martin, imlah mick, thomas edward, maclean alista,ir de giovanni maurizio, banks iain m, banks iain m, banks iain, corey james a., corey james a., carver raymond, mason paul, reynolds alaistair, lagercrantz david, lagercrantz david, shakespeare willia,m brooks rosetta , brooks rosetta , grant richard, scudder bernar,d (translator) bull emma, eliot george, kadrey richard, lowry malcolm, de la motte anders, aaronovitch ben (cartmel williamson renne), dick lesley, herbert fran,k setterfield diane, lyall gavin, carr caleb, mcintyre vo,nda groening matt, groening matt, dark horse comics, groening matt, greene graham, gunn kirsty, klein rachel, bussi michel, wiltshire professor patricia, collins bridget, ford ford madox, bishop micheal, brandao ignazio de loyola, kube-mcdowell michael p., pratchett terry, anderson kevin j, mitchell david, barnes john, barnes john, marion  jean,-luc marin louis, marion  jean-luc, marion  jean-luc, horner robyn, zizek slavoj, goscinny f - uderzo a, goscinny f - uderzo a, zizek slavoj, zizek slavoj, powers richard, nietzsche, zizek slavoj,  rorty richard, marion  jean-luc, monbiot george, zizek slavoj, zizek slavoj, litvinoff emanuel, williams raymond, williams raymond, williams raymond, fabre dominique, zizek slavoj, stiegler bern,ard knight renee, painter sarah, north claire, upson nicola, wesley mary, hogan ruth, jones ruth, brookmyre c,hristopher evanovich janet, dabos christelle, greene joshua, bullmore edwar,d upson nicola, gardener graham, honeyman gail, evanovich jane,t kadrey richard, vonnegut kurt, pratt tim, thomas d. ,m. liminov eddie, liminov edward, dahl roald, banks iain, vickers sally, zahn timothy, vonnegut kurt, bassini giorgi,o eastland sam, bainbridge beryl, hill susan, golding wil,liam chen da, tey josephine, reig rafael, lawrence d. ,h. vinge vernor, brown eric, grimwood jon courtenay, stross charles, maddox tom, ellis bret easton, de teran lisa st aubin, aldiss brian, fleming jim and wilson peter lamborn, kepler lars, roslund and hellstrom, kepler lars, cartmel andrew, ripley mike, lyotard jean-francois, stross chalres, kristjansson snorri, king laurie r, powell gareth l., costantino maria, various, mosley walter, brown eric, brown eric, nespolo matias, king laurie r, le carre john, cheever john, campbell john w. , ferman edward l. , oatmeal matthew inman, le carre john, niven larry, zetford tully, ripley mike, le carre joh,n boardman tom, candlish louise, gombrich e.h., shaw george be,rnard jones diana wynne, kennedy emma, jones ruth, gardiner be,cky  wainwright martin , bates stephen , meer malik, sylvain dom,inique paolini christopher, bourdain anthony, horowitz anthony, hugo victor, hesse hermann, tolstoy leo, hawtree christopher graham greene, hilbig wolfgang, barnes julian, kundera milan, zafron carlos ruiz, grimwood jon courte,nay bellow saul, isherwood christopher, clark alan, dahl roald, lotringer sylvere, pullman phillip, galgut damon, paolini chris,topher cresswell helen, jones sadie, christie agatha, doyle a.conan, robinson geoffrey, hodges andrew, sylvain dominique, dostoevsky f.m, martin george r.r., moore christopher, hacker katerina, o'flynn catherin,e cervantes miguel de, kavenna joanna, one direction, austen jane  g,rahame-smith seth conan-doyle arthur, lessing doris, wakeman rick, conan-doyle a,rthur conan-doyle arthur, gaskall mrs, hansen essa, trapani gina, lore pittacus, upward edward, lively penelope, morrison grant, ennis garth, ellis warren, morrison grant, ennis garth, moyes jojo, simsion graeme, shea dave and holzschlag molly e., cederholm dan, martin george r.r., macdonald kyle, feist raymond, upward edward, levi primo, stross charles, sjowall maj and wahloo per, krauss  rosalind, bataille georges, queneau raymond, blackwood algernon, arnold n. scott, leckie ann, cobley michael, levy david, bywater mic,hael brennan marie, fuller steve, fuller steve, fuller steve, tom taylor , jeremy rapack , mik s miller, tom taylor , bruno redondo , ball philip, morden simon, conan-doyle a,rthur pratchett terry, lovegrove james, sartre jean-paul, simenon georges, allan nina, plato, brown eric, cumming cha,rles moore christopher, mieville china, genna  giuseppe, aldiss brian, davidson lionel, adams douglas, russell eric frank, vance jack, cobley michael, cobley michael, furst alan, judd alan, king laurie r, gaiman neil, saint-exupery antoine de, aldiss brian, acker kathy, woolf virgina, mordern s. j., meaney john, anthony piers, christie agatha, smith cordwainer, smith cordwainer, dickson gordon, brin david, davidson lionel, cottrell leonard, rushdie salman, le carre john, brown eric, sayers doro,thy l. brown eric, szerb antal, szerb antal, von schrirac,h ferdinand barthelme donald, shakespeare william, jerome jerome k, kipling rudyard, duras marguerite, pavese cesare, ackroyd peter, tilly charles, thorton tim, reynolds alaistair, von arnim elizabeth, land nick, mackay robin, gould stephen jay, gould stephen jay, mackay robin, veal damion, wolfendale peter, ball philip, castoriadis ,cornelius chomsky. noam, dyson freeman, waldrop n. mitchell, wyatt sir thomas, watson james d., macrae  donald g, larsson stieg, noon jeff, rowbotham sheila & segal lynne & wainwright hilary, carrion jorge, hilbig wolfgang, fermor patrick l,eigh parveeb adams beverly brown elizabeth cowie, parikka jussi, pelevin victor, kurkov andrey, introduced by j. michael walton, jones steve, russ joanna, bennett jane, morgan dan, hannah dolan elizabeth dowsett emma grange, judge dredd!, sayers doroth,y l. sayers  cox edward, vickers sally, nykanen harri, matheson richa,rd jenkins martin and swift jonathan, fleming ian, o'brien flann myles na gopaleen, gieysztor aleksander et al..., de beauvoir simone, sayers dorothy l., sayers dorothy l., de la mare walter, marnham patrick, cumming charles, enger thomas, sayers doroth,y l. lebor adam, dick philip k, naylor doug, amis martin, priest christopher, makine andrei, pratchett terry, carofiglio gianr,ico s. c. kaines smith, grenier jean, lessing doris, pratchett terr,y vickers sally, pratchett terry, pratchett terry, pratchett terry, pratchett terry, pratchett terry, pratchett terry, pratchett terry, akerman chantal, kevin eastman peter laird dave sim, tremain rose, hustvedt siri, evanovich janet, nesser hakan, cage john, van vogt a,.e karlsson jonas, lethem jonathan, singer peter, tuck rchard, leach edmund, floridi luciano, floridi luciano, rose mark (edito,r) skolimowski henryk, kunzru hari, sexton ed, arden kath,erine milanovic branko, helen pluckrose and james lindsey, pinker steven, brooks rosetta,  zizek slavoj, keene jogn, fox jeremy, collins jef,f myerson george, fox dominic, pallant kathryn, haggard william, haggard william, haggard william, henshaw lee, golumbia dav,id dawkins richard, dawkins richard, dawkins richard, kaplan robert, balestrini nanni and moroni primo, watkins susan, watkins susan, barry max, weir andy, kadrey richard, mcauley paul j., mcauley paul j., mcauley paul j., mcauley paul j., mcauley paul j., mcauley paul j., mcdonald ian, mcdonald ian, mcdonald ian, cavanaugh wil,liam t. corina john, lee yoon ha, unt mati, simcox ad,am ripellino angelo maria, morgan richard, setterfield diane, morgan richard, stross chalres, garner alan, bassini giorgio, jennings luke, jennings luke, jennings luke, mordern s. j., novick naomi, novick naomi, macleod ken, reynolds alaistair, reynolds alaistair, afary janet and anderson kevin b, quignard pascal, queneau raymond, arrighi giovanni, niffenegger audrey, quignard pascal, conklin groff, gibson william, quignard pascal, quignard pascal, atkinson  anthon,y b zelazny roger, karl frederick and hamalian leo (edits), modiano patrick, foer jonathan sa,fran chekov anton, garnier pascal, thiongó ngugi wa, crussi f. gonzale,z forrest richard, delany samuel r., cadigan pat, damasio anto,nio damasio antonio, ackroyd peter, evans i. o. (editor), mcdevitt jack, van vogt a.e, stross charles, hamilton edward, pratchett terry, herbert frank, appia adolphe, king laurie r, brown eric, clifton mark and riley frank, mordern s. j., russell eric frank, kuttner henry, robson justina, tchaikovsky adrian, robson justina, mattelart armand and michelle delcourt xavier, dick philip k, cherryh c.j., pohl frederick and kornbluth c. m., graeber david, graeber david, robin blackburn, stiegler bernard, stiegler bernard and derrida jacques, llansol maria gabriela, benkler yochai, robinson kim stanley, anderson poul, jeter k. w., king lily, moorcock michael , leon donna, silverberg ,robert pratt tim, mcarthur maxine, moorcock michael , stephenson neil, carver jeffrey a., van vogt a.e, wollheim donald a. (editor), simenon georges, clarke arthur, mossman keith, okuda michea, and denise, gibson william, daly mary, sterling bruce , rankin ian, evans peter, j. coleman gabriella, edmund spencer, edmund spencer, patrick hamilit,on alexander moszkowski, jane austen, alexander moszkowski, christine brooke rose, helmuth plessner, zubrowsky

[lunaryugamine]

So these are my thoughts on a Spy x Family/Batman fanfic AU based on @reineydraws very cute and fun art that I'll write someday in the vague future. My Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun AU takes precedent over this, but I wanted to get this out because it's been eating my brain.

I will admit that I have read almost no Batman comics or watched TV shows but I started reading fanfic for it and now the Batfam runs through my brain 24/7. I am currently reading the Young Justice comics, though, and will be reading more when I'm done with that.

So here's how I'm mashing the two canons together: this is a no superheroes AU where no one has any powers (except Anya and other potential government experiments that haven't come up) and the Spy x Family universe is farther in the future so there's computers and cell phones (the reason why is shown later). Also, Eden Academy is slightly more accepting of strange familial situations (at least for Bruce Wayne) and less obsessed with image because I can't imagine canon Eden Academy accepting a disabled Babs. That's the main setting, but the characters are far more important to me.

Bruce Wayne was orphaned in the war but since this setting actually has therapists he's a lot more well-adjusted and does not go out dressed as a bat to beat up criminals, which is good because Ostania is a police state and they would not tolerate that. The country does, however, have an organization like WISE who also doesn't want another war, and Bruce is involved with that, using his Brucie persona to get information on warmongers in the government. That organization (which doesn't have a name yet) works tentatively with WISE but they don't exactly trust one another. Unfortunately, Donovan Desmond fucking hates Brucie Wayne and so doesn't interact with him at the Imperial Scholars gatherings, leading to Operation Strix still needing to be done. He's beloved by the city of Berlint, just like the Wayne's are in Gotham, which is a big reason why Dick and Jason are able to be accepted into Eden Academy late and Damian without a mom. Twilight is aware that there's a person in the upper echelons of Ostania but doesn't know who it is and is trying to figure it out. Bruce uses his money to make social programs to uplift his fellow citizens in poverty because if you're rich that's what you should do or I'll fucking hate you.

Dick Grayson is still an orphaned circus acrobat (although here his parents deaths are a legitimate tragic accident) that Bruce adopts who is able to get into Eden late due to his intelligence, athleticism, and lots and lots of bribes. Instead of the Court of Owls, he's connected to the Garden here and the Shopkeeper is his relative instead of William Cobb. Bruce is very adamant that Dick is not involved with that, so while Dick knows about the Garden and it's members, he's more involved with the organization Bruce is in. He is legitimately friends with Demetrius Desmond, but his relationship to his father is like Damian's (who is an unreliable narrator when it comes to his family) so he has no information for Dick to get for the organization. He's also close friends with Babs.

Barbara is the daughter of the police commissioner who isn't involved in the SS and is still disabled because she was kind of a gamechanger in comics with her disability so I want to keep that. I haven't decided whether she was born with it or if it was an injury but she still has a wheelchair. Babs is also still Oracle (which is why I need the technology to be updated) and is a hacker similar to maia arson crimew IRL (god bless it) who leaks documents of crimes the Ostanian government has done, and has to be very careful to never reveal her identity because she would immediately be detained, tortured, and killed. Thankfully, very few people would suspect that Oracle is a disabled teenage girl at Eden Academy. No one except Tim, that is.

Jason meets Bruce after trying to jack his car wheels and Bruce takes one look at this child and thinks "Mine" and so Jason is adopted. He is also accepted at Eden Academy late because of his stellar academics and because Bruce had already set a precedent. He's a good athlete, but he's not a prodigious gymnast like Dick so that's not part of why he gets in. Unlike Bruce and Dick, he's not involved in the organization. Instead he's involved in the groups of civilians who are against the police state. In the manga, the only resistance groups are people who are willing to put innocent people in danger, which sucks a lot. The organization Jason's involved in would absolutely kill some government officials but wouldn't get civilians harmed. Duke is also involved in this, but he's a minor character and I'm already juggling so many characters but imagine Duke and Jason working together in a gang setting. DC, why have you not done this already?

Cass (OP didn't include Cass in the original post but I love Cass so she's being included) was still trained to be an assassin from birth with David Cain being part of the Garden, but the Shopkeeper actually has some morals and is horrified when he sees what's been done to Cass, maybe when she's around 9 years old and Cain shows her off to the Shopkeeper, expect him to be impressed. Manipulating children into being assassins is one thing, but training a child to be a weapon and literally nothing else is another, so Cain is disposed of (maybe by Yor) and the Shopkeeper sends Cass to be taken care of by Bruce because he knows that he's a good dad because he takes care of Dick. Unfortunately because she's spent her entire life up to this point not being able to speak or read, she's not able to catch up in school enough to be accepted into Eden Academy, but she is able to go to a school that focuses on dance and she lives her dreams of being a ballerina and meets Steph there, maybe doing another type of dance because I can't imagine Steph as a ballerina. She's not involved in politics the way her brothers and father are, but that's okay because she deserves to just be happy.

Tim is the neighbor of Bruce Wayne who, when Bruce realizes is horribly neglected, unofficially adopts him and eventually sues the Drakes for child abuse and officially adopts him. He was already in Eden Academy so that's not a problem. Tim doesn't have a Batman to obsess over in this universe, but he does have an Oracle to obsess over. He somehow finds out Oracle's identity (I'll figure out how later) and begs to be her apprentice, and she eventually takes him on because Tim is stubborn AF and also a talented hacker in his own right. He's best friends with Conner, the son of reporters Clark and Lois Kent (who report critcal things that the government is doing with pseudonyms), because I'm weak for their relationship. I want to add the rest of the Core Four but I don't know how so we'll see how that goes. He suspects that Bruce and Dick are part of the secret organization and that Jason is part of the civilian resistance to the police state but doesn't want to be involved with that because he's already involved with resistance work and the less he knows the better in case he's found out by the government.

Damian is the actual son of Bruce and Talia, who met on a business trip Bruce or Talia took and they had a fling which resulted in Damian. Ra's doesn't have access to a Lazarus Pit here because those don't exist so he's just a normal cult leader who's been dead before Talia and Bruce meet. Talia has turned the cult's assets into a business venture so Damian has an actually fairly normal, if spoiled and also full of martial arts training because that's still important to Talia, upbringing. Bruce and Talia share custody and Damian stays with his father for the school year and with his mother during breaks. Bruce and Talia may still be in love. I don't know, I'll figure it out. Anyway, Damian has a huge rivalry with the other Damian because they're both sons of influential people with a chip on their shoulder, but they're also foils because Damian W actually has a loving family and Damian D doesn't. Damian W befriends Anya and Becky specifically because he wants to annoy Damian D but eventually becomes legitimately fond of them (and Damian D and his friends) but he will never admit it. He's just as much of a tsundere as the other Damian, just in a platonic way. Damian also faces racism due to his brown skin (BECAUSE HE'S DARK OKAY DC LET HIM BE A POC).

The actual story will have some focus on the little shenanigans of the kids at Eden like in SxF (including the older kids), but instead of focusing on Twilight and Yor, the other part will focus on the Wayne's and their allies political maneuverings, but also some slice-of-life with Cass because she deserves it. We may have some small flashes to the Forger family, but they're not the focus. There will also be Batfam fluff because I'm a sucker for that.

[justmoreocs-writing]

Candice Patton Faceclaim

Nola Bradshaw (Until Dawn OC). Beth’s best friend, Nola didn’t really want to go to the lodge however ended up going because there was the promise of a great library. When tragedy strikes, Nola is obviously devastated. A year later, when she’s unexpectedly invited back by Josh, she almost declines. He promises that it’ll be everything they need to keep the twins’ memories alive though, that things will be better this time. And she believes him. Until once again all hell breaks loose. Until she finds herself face-to-face with monsters that she never though existed.

Georgette Fox (Titans OC). Oldest daughter of Lucius Fox, Georgette isn’t really into technology like her dad is - or like her little brother seems to be growing into. She grew up with Dick and Donna, grew up exploring the city and generally getting into trouble with them from time-to-time. At the age of fifteen Georgette figures out the link between Bruce and Batman, and finds herself learning more about medicine to help patch up her friends. She moves to Detroit with Dick in the hopes of helping him working through the trauma of his past, and works as a GP nearby.

Eden Glass (The Naturals OC). Natural liar Eden spent her life always playing a part, always being someone else until she finds herself at the scene of a crime and brought in for questioning. No one really suspects her, or the lie she’s built around herself, but they do recognise her talent. She’s essentially the pre-trial of the Naturals and as the decision is made to create a team of people like her, she works with the other adults to help them figure out just how to work as a team without getting themselves into too much trouble.

Rhiannon Healy (X-Men OC). Mutant Rhiannon always tried her best to hide her powers, to keep a low profile. But, when her best friend Remy gets in a fight and is unable to use his own powers to protect himself, Rhiannon steps in. Using her empath skills she floors his assailant and runs off terrified of what she’s done. Weeks later, tired of being alone, of hiding, she goes back to find Remy, only to see that he is once again in a fight; and this time there’s a man with claws coming out of his hands to contend with.

Elodie ‘El’ Klecko, A.K.A Spiced Rum ‘Spice’ (Kingsman OC). Despite her ‘Butter wouldn’t melt’ appearance, Elodie is the weapons expert for Statesman. Not only is she skilled in using most weapons, she can make a weapon out of pretty much anything – something that becomes a running joke between her and Whiskey. She is close to the other agents, and intrigued when the Kingsman come to them, eager to learn how they function – or did before Doomsday Protocols were followed.

Alden Pickering (Mortal Engines OC). An engineer who works alongside Anna Fang, Alden is surprised when they are joined by Hester and Tom. Initially she has her doubts about them – because turning up out of the blue isn’t cause for concern to some others, apparently. But soon she learns that there is far more to the two strangers than she first thought, and finds herself going on an adventure that she never could have imagined.

Aaliyah Silva (A Discovery of Witches OC). Vampire Aaliyah works in the lab with the other vampires and is determined to do something that might just make life easier for creatures. But, as Matthew starts getting caught up with witches and the council appear to be determined to do something drastic, she finds herself wondering if all the danger is really worth it. A romantic at heart, however, she knows the easy answer to that: 100%.

Wren Templeton (Now You See Me OC). Stagehand Wren loved working behind the scenes, loved the thrill of seeing behind the curtain and helping bring big tricks to life on the stage. It was how she met Henley, how she started working with her, and how she ended up getting caught in the middle of the biggest heist going. And how she ends up meeting one Jack Wilder.

Blaire Younger (Timeless OC). Marine Blaire never thought that going on medical leave would end with her being given a new job. She didn’t realise that she’d be paired with Wyatt Logan to protect historians and scientists as they tried to go about travelling through time, and yet despite initial reservations, she found herself loving the new life that she has.

[the555phonebook]

555-0100 - Doctor Sleep - Bankerton County Sheriffs Office

555-0101 - Twelve Minutes - Hubby

555-0102 - Desperate Housewives - Reverend Sikes

555-0103 - Criminal Minds - Reid

555-0105 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - Barry

555-0106 - Resident Evil 2 - 24-hour assistance number on the parking garage keycard

555-0107 - The X-Files - Clifford Cox

555-0108 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - 'For Rent' sign

555-0109 - Gilmore Girls - Dance Studio

555-0110 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - Patricia

555-0111 - Beef - Briana Kinsley Realty

555-0112 - Mad Men - Sterling Cooper

555-0113 - Arrested Development - Gene Parmesan

555-0114 - Santa Clarita Diet - Ruby’s Clams second number

555-0115 - Desperate Housewives - Upton Attorneys

555-0116 - Spiderman PS4 - Yuri Watanabe (Office)

555-0117 - The Ant Bully - Beat-a-Bug

555-0118 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - Amanda

555-0119 - Desperate Housewives - Tina Rucker attorney

555-0120 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - Merryweather

555-0121 - Desperate Housewives - Both Betty Applewhite and Mike Delfino 

555-0122 - Fargo - Gloria Burgle

555-0123 - Bruce Almighty - Pager

555-0124 - Soul - Agencia De Empleo

555-0125 - Doctor Sleep - Piano Lessons

555-0126 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - Abigail Matthews and Liz

555-0127 - Zootopia - Doug

555-0128 - Soul - Authentic Korean Dumplings

555-0129 - Superstore - ‘Car for Sale’ poster in break room

555-0130 - The X-Files - Smoking Man

555-0131 - Community - Britta Perry

555-0132 - Smallville - Black Canary

555-0133 - Santa Clarita Diet - Ruby’s Clams

555-0134 - Fight Club - Marla Singer (also shows up in Memento, Brooklyn 99 and Grand Theft Auto 5)

555-0135 - Fargo - St Cloud parole board

555-0136 - Fargo - St Cloud parole board fax

555-0137 - Fargo - St Cloud parole board 24 hour number

555-0138 - Bad Hair - Virgie's

555-0139 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - Beverly

555-0140 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - Rickie

555-0141 - Fargo - Bemidji Cleaning

555-0142 - Haven - The "Other Duke"

555-0143 - Soul - Lucky Star Chinese Food

555-0144 - Haven - Margaret Wilson

555-0145 - Fargo - Life Spring

555-0146 - Fargo - Reidenshneider Cleaning

555-0147 - Home Sweet Home Alone - Gavin Washington

555-0148 - Fargo - Diefenbach Realty

555-0149 - Desperate Housewives - Joe Flannery

555-0150 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - Agent Steve Haines

555-0151 - The Blacklist - Raymond Reddington

555-0152 - Columbo - Sean Jarvis

555-0153 - Grand Theft Auto Online - Mechanic

555-0154 - Community - Nancy Riverton

555-0155 - Pushing Daisies - Emerson Cod

555-0156 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - Franklyn

555-0157 - The Sopranos - Tony Soprano

555-0158 - The 40 Year Old Virgin - Trish Piedmont

555-0159 - Santa Clarita Diet - Japopos

555-0160 - Desperate Housewives - Florist

555-0161 - Desperate Housewives - The Enchanted Florist

555-0162 - Deadly Illusion - Nanny Agency

555-0163 - Fargo - BMI insurance office

555-0164 - Desperate Housewives - Fairview Realty when Tom and Lynette moved in

555-0165 - Soul - Shoes and Socks

555-0166 - Santa Clarita Diet - Sinclair Realty

555-0167 - The Woman in the Window - Real Estate Auction

555-0168 - Spiderman PS4 - Yuri Watanabe

555-0169 - Smallville - Aquaman

555-0170 - Beverly Hills 90210 - Matt Durning

555-0171 - Girls 5 Eva - June

555-0172 - The Simpsons - Ned Flanders

555-0173 - Arrested Development - Both a taxi service, and also a 'Learn Public Speaking’ ad (it also shows up as a taxi again, in Desperate Housewives)

555-0174 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - Cleetus

555-0175 - Soul - Man With Van

555-0176 - Scream - Cory Gillis

555-0177 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - Sapphire

555-0178 - Fargo - Reidenshneider Cleaning

555-0179 - Soul - Accountants

555-0180 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - Tanisha Jackson

555-0181 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - Marnie

555-0182 - Fargo - Eden Valley Pd Fax

555-0183 - Fargo - Eden Valley PD

555-0184 - Parks and Recreation - Salvatore’s barber shop

555-0185 - Office Christmas Party - All Event Rentals

555-0186 - The Bear - Michael Berzatto

555-0187 - Pam and Tommy - Labatts Modelling

555-0188 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - Martin Madrazo

555-0189 - On Becoming A God in Central Florida - Marta Herrera

555-0190 - Desperate Housewives - Dr Craig

555-0191 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - Tennis Coach

555-0192 - The Sopranos - LA Pizza

555-0193 - Twelve Minutes - Bumblebee

555-0194 - Boston Legal - Mr Barr

555-0195 - American Beauty - Caroline Burnham

555-0196 - Santa Clarita Diet - Coby Real Estate

555-0197 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - Tracey

555-0198 - Grand Theft Auto 5 - Ron

555-0199 - This number in particular shows up quite a lot, so I've been tracking all of those sightings:

American Horror Story - Televangelist

Bad Samaritan - The Black Card activation number

Community - Team Greendale

Desperate Housewives - Both Fairview Realty, and Meadowbrook Golf Shop

Doctor Sleep - Missing Children hotline

Grand Theft Auto 5 - Tonya 

Guns Akimbo - Miles

Homeland - Syracuse PD

How I Met Your Mother - Barney Stinson

Miracle Creek - Potomac Mutual Insurance

Monsters University - Job Offer Ad

Scream Queens - Security Guard

The X-Files - Fox Moulder

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Bat x Family

by BatChan

In the quest of good vs evil, Bruce Wayne also known as The Batman must undertake his most crucial mission yet!

Infiltrating Eden Academy, however to do that he would need....A son...and a WIFE!?

(Spy x Family but with DC)

Words: 1483, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics), Catwoman (Comics), DCU (Comics), SPY x FAMILY (Manga)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Characters: Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle, Terry McGinnis, Dick Grayson, Diana (Wonder Woman), Clark Kent, Vandal Savage, Scandal Savage, Damian Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth

Relationships: Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne

Additional Tags: Eden Academy (SPY x FAMILY), Undercover as a Couple, Marriage Proposal, Bruce is a good dad, BatCat, SpyXFamilybutBatman

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/44752738

[greenorangevioletgrass]

haven: fall [b.w.]

series masterlist | ko-fi

pairing: college!bruce wayne x OC

summary: on his final year at Yale, Bruce Wayne, aged 21, stumbled into a theater class and fell for the girl who played Hamlet. In his coming of age, Bruce is torn between his past and his present, and whichever path he chose would determine his future.

word count: 11.8k

warnings: slow burn, friends to lovers, language, smoking, more Hamlet references, angst in a play, mention of grief with Bruce’s parents, fluff, hurt/comfort, so much yearning ohmygod, smut [dry humping, fingering, handjob], bruce is an awkward lil bean <3

notes: reposted as a longer oneshot! big thanks to @awkward-darkness @shipping-not-sailing @skyebounded @inklore @tommysparker for making this all possible, and @blue-aconite @spnbarnes for saving this from getting shelved!! see you in the 'winter'! <3

*follow @ficsbygreenorangevioletgrass to get notified for my latest words <3 happy reading and please reblog and share if you liked it!*

PROLOGUE

Bruce Wayne was seven years old when he first stood on a stage.

He’s always liked The Lion King. He’d watched it countless times—so much so that the tape had stayed in the VHS player in the playroom for a whole year. The tie-in books were his favorites whenever his dad could read him before bedtime, right before he fell asleep snuggling his Simba stuffie. Some nights, he would dream of golden savannas and purple skies and red-billed hornbills flying overhead. His mother swore she found him humming what sounded like Hakuna Matata in his sleep once.

So when he saw it live for the first time—the first time he saw anything live—so early even in his childhood… It changed his life. Rafiki’s opening chant cut through the quiet theatre, and the choir sounded so grand, he felt it in his bones as he buzzed in his seat. The animals came out—elephant and rhino trodding down the aisle, passing right by him—so unlike the animated pictures he grew to love but so enchanting all the same. The golden savannas and rising sun and grassland creatures coming to life before him.

At the end of the show, someone made a speech and called his parents onto the stage. He didn’t understand much of it then—something about supporting arts and renaming the Minskoff Theater into Wayne Theater. Bruce didn’t pay it any mind; he was too busy marveling at the ‘animals’ next to him. Life-sized puppets attached to the actors, like an extension of their bodies. The man who played Simba caught him staring, and when he nodded, the lion’s head on top of his moved, too.

And as his mother and father shook hands with people after the curtains closed, Bruce was more interested in the chaos that ensued on the wings. People with headsets and clipboards milling around, little red and green lights blinking on panels, thick ropes that held the golden sun together… 

These were the things that brought his dreams to life.

***

Bruce Wayne was eight years old when he swore off the stage.

He’d just lost his parents—gone forever, just like that—and he had to stand by as the police commissioner made a speech. He didn’t really hear a word of it—just the shutters of cameras and blitzes of the flash. And the rare clear sky over Gotham that morning. The warmth doesn’t feel comforting.

And standing on a platform in front of Wayne Tower, with no wings or curtains framing the stage… It's a cruel awakening, knowing that nothing held this fragment of reality up. No suspension of disbelief, no strings or ropes holding this surreal scene together.

It’s a nightmare that stood on its own. And Bruce had nowhere to run.

He just squeezed Alfred’s hand tighter, wishing the curtains would close on him. Any minute now.

It never did.

***

ACT ONE

Bruce Wayne was twenty one years old when he found himself backstage at his university’s theater space.

It was his own stupid fault, really. He meant to sign up for Theater Studies as an elective, a critical textual analysis of classic and contemporary plays. But instead, he accidentally clicked on Theater Production, which was a practice-based class where they would collaborate with the Acting program. By the time he’d mustered the courage to switch classes, it was already time to choose which department to join for their final project, a full production of a classic or contemporary play. 

Hence Bruce, ever so quiet and invisible and withdrawn from classroom discussions, was mapping out a costume inventory list in a little corner in the wings.

It’s strange, a backstage area that’s not fully active. Just a few of his classmates in the art department and the stage management team. People coming and going for the auditions this late Sunday morning. Different interpretations of the same monologues performed in the background, on the stage. He didn’t mind it; at least the attention was not on him, this time.

He tidied up his notes and his copy of the design sketches, maybe he could get a cup of coffee while he worked—

“Fuck!” a girl crashed right into his shoulder, sending his notebook flying. She dove down and scrambled for the scattered pages before he could see her face. “Shit…”

And yet, the first thing that came out of Bruce’s mouth is, “Sorry.”

She looked up, meeting his evading eyes. “What? No, I’m sorry. It’s… the nerves.”

“Are you auditioning?”

She looked towards the stage, where a guy was performing his monologue, grand and dramatic and just a tad over-the-top, and then nodded at the boy in front of her—as if embarrassed, almost.

“Good luck.” Bruce managed a smile, although he was sure she knew it’s out of courtesy more than anything else.

But the smile she returned was genuine, almost amused, and he wondered if he said something wrong. Or maybe there’s something on his face?

“Isn’t it bad luck to say good luck in the theater?” She handed the stack of papers back to him.

Right, Bruce internally kicked himself. “Sorry. Break a leg…?”

She nodded as she got back up on her feet. “That’s more like it.”

“Thanks, you too.” Bruce walked away, mentally kicking himself once again for that nonsensical response. He skulked along the corner aisle, quietly making his way towards the exit. Only stopping when he heard a familiar voice introducing herself on the stage.

The girl who sent his work flying. 

“And who are you auditioning for today?” Marc, the director, asked.

“Hamlet.”

There’s a brief pause as he took a good look at her, for a moment thinking she’d misheard him. “Uh… yeah, what role?”

“Hamlet,” she confirmed without missing a beat, as if it’s the most obvious thing ever.

Another pause between Marc and Angela, the stage manager, exchanging subtle looks of surprise. They leaned into a hushed discussion—they weren’t expecting that. But now that the possibility was presented in front of them, safe to say they were… curious.

“Alright. Whenever you’re ready.” Marc ultimately decided.

The girl on the stage nodded gamely, taking a deep breath, and Bruce found himself intrigued too, leaning against the velvety walls of the auditorium. And then, simply, almost matter-of-factly, she spoke.

“To be or not to be,” she asked, to everyone and no one in particular. And upon the silence replying back to her, she hummed. “That is the question: whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to…” her mouth twisted in distaste, “...suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” she paused again, and just like that, her features softened, as if presenting a much preferred option, “or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing… end them?”

Bruce—along with everyone else in that room, he’s sure—didn’t know what to expect. The prospect of a female Hamlet was so far off of the production concept that the team had come up with; so teeming with rage and male bravado. But there she was. In a black dress, so calm, almost catatonic in her grief, so understated, so unlike what everyone imagined. And yet, so true to the text that it didn’t feel like Shakespeare anymore.

It was hers. Her own contemplation whether to live, or…

“To die.” she smiled ruefully. She looked out towards the audience and caught Bruce’s gaze, as if finding moral support, using the plainest of words in the lightest of manners. “To sleep, no more.”

Not that she needed to. He knew exactly what she meant. To cease life itself; the heartaches and the body aches that came with possessing this physical flesh. To rest, that's it. He wished for it everyday for the last thirteen years, and wondered if this part of the play was a cruel prophecy to his fate, written centuries ago.

“‘Tis a consummation devoutly to be wish’d,” she admitted. Her gaze broke away from him as she moved away from his side of the theater. “To die… to sleep. To sleep, perchance to dream,” she mused, letting out a longing sigh. And then, it dawned on her. 

Here’s the catch: what happens after death?

It’s a question responsible for many of Bruce’s sleepless nights. What calamity awaits out there in death that we’d much rather put up with the humiliations of abuse and heartbreak and injustice and time instead? And to see the exasperation, the disdain as her pace and emotion picked up, so similar to his own… it almost felt like an out-of-body experience.

“Who would fardels bear? To grunt and sweat under a weary life, but that the dread of something after death.” she stopped in her tracks, and the tears that welled up in her eyes glimmered under the spotlight. “The undiscovered country. From whose bourn no traveler returns—”

Her voice caught as the three words echoed in the room—in her mind. No traveler returns. Not Hamlet’s father.

Not Bruce’s. Nor his mother.

The facade cracked, just a little, and the question whether it’s worth it to bear the known ills in life than to face the uncertainty of death came out raw because what’s the fucking point. The tears escaped not out of sorrow anymore, Bruce suspected, but out of pure exhaustion.

But with a sharp inhale, she pulled herself together. Calm and composed. Prim and proper, as she patted the tears dry with her palm flat on her cheek. Fingertips gently pressing against her skin.

“Thus conscience doth make cowards of us all.” she walked back to her original spot with a wry nod, a ghost of herself now that she’d shown her cards, and Bruce’s heart stopped as she met his gaze again for a moment. 

And then, she addressed the audience (and herself) using more… diplomatic words, although she’s not fooling anyone. “The native hue of Resolution,” the straightforwardness of Death, “is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of Thought,” cockblocked by the slightest Reason. “And enterprises of great pitch and moment with this regard— their currents turn awry, and lose the name of–” she mused thoughtfully, as if shuffling through the head for the right word—the end of everything—only to come up with… 

“Action.”

Action. A word that Bruce could never amount to, after hours of staring at the pills in the medicine cabinet or the knives in the chef’s kitchen of the Wayne Tower. Action, as he went through the motions just enough to not be carried away in the motions itself. Action, a funny word to represent the lack thereof.

Action. 

As her performance ended and his own began, as a functioning member of the production. And the society overall.

A round of applause erupted—as much as it could with seven people scattered in the 200-seater theater anyway— and Bruce followed along. Eyes still following into the girl onstage, bowing and relaxing into her own form as she disappeared into the wings, leaving Hamlet out on the stage.

***

ACT TWO

Bruce Wayne never cared for college social life.

He didn’t care for parties or casual hangs in the common room. But apparently, the pre-production party was an unofficially mandatory part of the class. As soon as the read-through concluded, the director ushered everyone to the edge of the forest, just around the block, for a ritual celebration of sorts, something about blessing a Shakespeare production. He wanted to bail, tried so hard to slip away from the crowd, but the theater kids were a superstitious bunch and he didn’t want to create any unnecessary rift with the people he had to work with.

So he stuck around, as the director made an opening remark by the open fire, marking the start of the production. Drank as they raised a toast “to the stage!”. Inching further and further to the back when somebody rolled out a speaker, and played some pop-y, campy tune he didn’t recognize. All he wanted was to go back to his room and read one of the five books he checked out from the library this week. It was lame and a little pretentious, admittedly, but it’s peaceful.

Predictable.

The girl clocking him and walking towards him from the crowd was anything but.

Hamlet, Princess of Denmark. So cold and deranged in the reading of the tragedy, yet so… warm in the chilly autumn air, huddled into her jacket. Greeting and weaving her way through classmates milling and hanging around like she’d known them forever, all the way to this new boy. Standing alone, sticking out like a sore thumb, all the while trying desperately to blend into the background.

But she spotted him, and he spotted her.

“Congratulations,” he greeted her briefly, and then cleared his throat as he heard his sentence hanging in mid-air, “on getting the lead, I mean.”

She beamed, either unaware or unfazed by his awkwardness, and mock-curtsied. “All thanks to you.”

“Do you say that to all the guys?”

“Only the sweet ones who wished me ‘break a leg’ and stood in the aisle in support.”

“Right…” he shifted on his heels. A smile threatened to break out of the corner of his lips and he had to remind himself: don’t get carried away. She was an actor, for fuck’s sake, she could play him like a flute. “Well, I’ll see you around.”

But before he took another step, her hand grasped his arm. Warmth emanating from her palm even through layers of wool and cotton of his coat and sweater. “Whoa, wait. You’re leaving already?”

Bruce shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“Oh, come on. Stay another ten minutes, at least,” she cajoled him, “If the party still sucks, I’ll walk you home myself.”

“Wow.” he looked away bashfully. “Chivalry’s dead, huh?”

“Fell on its sword, God rest its soul,” she chuckled, and he secretly loved the Hozier reference. Then, as if sensing his discomfort among the crowd, she motioned away from the crowd, “Come on, the view is better out here.”

Bruce felt more at ease when he could hear the leaves crunching under his shoes. The tree roots coiling and bulging on the ground like veins to the earth. She sat back against a red oak tree and scooted aside to make room for her new friend (acquaintance, more like). Chelsea boots crossed at the ankles, and olive green dress flaring over her knees. The singing became more of a distant humdrum, and the cheering and shrieking of people playing drinking/kissing games was easier to tune out. Although not enough to completely ignore.

“Never thought theater kids would be so… wild.”

“Oh, we’re the wildest of the bunch. All that angst and tension brought out on purpose… See those guys?” she gestured at Shannon and Gabbie from Set Design, making out by the bonfire. “Their story was far more dramatic than the show we were doing last year. And we were doing Passion.”

Bruce had no idea what the play was about, but he understood the sentiment and appreciated the irony.

“So what major are you? Can’t be theater, right? ‘Cause I’ve never seen you around before.” she swirled the drink in her hand.

He shook his head. “Criminal Justice, actually.”

“Christ, you’re a long way from home.” her eyebrows went up to her hairline at his answer.

“You?”

“Acting, final year.”

He pursed his lips and took a sip of his drink, unsure why he asked in the first place. Figures.

“So why’d you take this elective?” she caught herself, realizing how harsh it sounded. “Not in a weird gatekeeping way or anything. But it’s shit credit, too much workload... It’s basically unpaid labor, at this point.”

“I… didn’t. I signed up for the wrong class, and then I was too late to withdraw,” he admitted with a grimace.

She chuckled. “Oof. My condolences.”

Bruce tried his hardest not to stare. No matter how unsurprised he was by how comfortably she’s lounged on this uneven surface. Legs stretched out, arm resting on a small crook of the tree, sipping crappy wine out of a plastic cup. A complete opposite of his position, bent knees and elbows shirking in on himself. Somehow finding themselves in each other’s company at the edge of this party.

When he finally turned to look, it was because of the click-click-click of a lighter and a tiny spark of ember in his peripheral vision. Beside him, a blunt hung between her lips and one hand sheltered it from the wind.

“Oh, shit. Sorry. Where are my manners.” she pinched it between her middle and forefinger, pulling it away from her mouth, and his eyes caught on the lipstick mark on the wrapping paper, rosy and glossy even in the dim lighting. “Want some?”

And just like that, he was brought to a frantic awakening as he stammered, “Oh, I– I don’t…”

“Don’t smoke or don’t know how to?”

A pause. He tried to muster an answer that sounded a bit more dignified, but maybe in his time of thinking, the pause all but indicated it was the latter. 

“Nothing to be ashamed of.” she waved him off. “To each their own. Do you mind if I…?”

“Please.”

He tried to keep cool, he really did, and for a moment, he thought the short, quick answers would save him. But she lit the joint, and in the brief second that the tiny flame illuminated her face, he could see her long lashes fanning against the freckled skin under her eyes as her lids dropped to a close. Her cheeks sank in, and the line of her cheekbone gave some edge to an otherwise soft face. And as the back of her head hit the tree trunk, smoke in her wake, he was utterly lost. Fuck, she’s hot.

“Can you shotgun me?”

Her eyes snapped open (and to be honest, he’s just as surprised as she was), although she tried not to move so suddenly, as if worried he might scatter away. “Seriously?”

“I mean…” he muttered lamely, “If you want.”

“I mean, sure…” she started, looking him straight in the eyes for good measure. “Are you sure about this?”

He shrugged.

“Huh.” she smiled to herself, unable to contain the surprise in her features as she straightened up into a more upright position.

Neither of them could ever anticipate the closeness of this encounter. Shoulder to shoulder, legs colliding and finding their way to coexist. Face inches away from each other. Her forefinger touching the underside of his chin, the rounded end of her nail gently scratching his five o’clock shadow. 

Bruce was starting to wonder if this was a bad idea. But then her voice pulled him out of his reverie, soft and low,

“Just breathe in. Hold. And breathe out, okay?”

He nodded exactly once. Afraid that if he’d done more than once, one of them would change their mind.

No.

Afraid she would, because in this moment, Bruce realized he wanted nothing else.

She inhaled deeply through her joint, and tilted him closer to her. He swore he could almost feel her lips as she blew into his slightly ajar mouth.

“Slowly… that’s it…” she watched him intently as he followed her voice. Proud as it didn’t catch in his throat, making him cough. She just studied the smoke coming out of his lips. “Look at that. You’re a natural.”

Bruce watched her smirk, watched how one corner of her mouth pulled, how the tip of her tongue darted out ever so slightly for a moment, wetting her lips. “All thanks to you,” his throat felt scratchy, but he managed a somewhat cheeky reply, recalling her own words earlier.

“Do you say that to all the girls?” her voice was honeyed with teasing.

And he wanted to come up with something smart and quippy, by God he did, but maybe his brain only limited him to one line per conversation and he’d used it up already. So he just admitted, quite pathetically in his opinion,

“No.”

There was a certain brand of thoughtfulness as she took another puff for herself. And then another. And then a look of question when she gazed up at him again, and he leaned in at her wordless offer.

This time, their lips did touch. And he thought he was imagining it.

Barely a graze. She might have even done it by accident. But even in doing so, it made him forget how to breathe. The smoke just hovered in his mouth cavity for a moment. It wasn’t until her nose grazed him that he came to and shallowly, involuntarily gasped.

There was just a haze between them.

And then there was none.

At the same time, there was so much more. So much that Bruce didn’t know which one to process first. The smell of leaves and fresh laundry and flowery shampoo. The sweet, tangy taste of wine on her tongue.

The warmth of her lips on her.

Soft. Gentle. She deepened the kiss tentatively, like she’s knocking on his door, asking to be let in. He was never a big believer in higher power, but as God as his witness, he would let her knock down his entire wall and make herself at home in a heartbeat.

No questions asked.

She, on the other hand, seemed to have one, judging from how she pulled away, brows furrowed in thought.

Oh, no. Back in the figurative mental safehouse you go.

“Fuck. Where are my manners? Uh…” she giggled, “I haven’t even got your name.”

He relaxed, releasing the breath he didn’t even know he was holding. “Bruce. And you are…?”

He felt stupid for asking her this. He really shouldn’t have to ask, she’s the lead for fuck’s sake, but he came in late from a class and missed the introductions. By the time he arrived, the read-through had already begun and they were already calling her by her character’s name.

But she didn’t seem to mind. She simply uttered, “Eden,” and kissed him stupid again.

It took him embarrassingly long to realize that she was saying her name instead of describing what this was.

His hand braving itself to settle on her soft cheek, warm and flushed from the alcohol and the influence of it all. Meanwhile, her touches were bold, pushing the dark strands off of his face and tangling her fingers through his hair. Lips joined together in a kiss, deeper and deeper as they went on.

Heaven.

Heaven was the hand that ventured along his jaw. Down his chest.

Trailing up his inner thigh.

Her knuckle grazed his crotch, and he wondered if these featherlight touches of hers were never coincidental after all. But there’s a more pressing issue at hand; that of… a growing ache between his legs, and she giggled. Lazy, breathless, and hazy.

Fuck. I’ve been made.

She caught his lower lip between her teeth, tugging it a little. Drawing it out. Weighing in her choices once again.

But then she broke the kiss completely, straddling his lap, and Bruce thought he was losing his mind.

It had to be the weed, right? Because kisses weren’t dizzying, and the way her dress hiked up her thigh shouldn’t make his palms vibrate with the need to touch her. And when her palm trailed down to where he needed her…

The party nearby just fell away. The music and celebration died out. Just the rustles of the trees. The shuffling of fabric rubbing against each other, from chests heaving up and down. From breath, stolen and taken away by each other. A little bubble that felt like no time and all of the time in the world had passed at once.

“…but the Act 1 finale to Sunday in the Park with George is un-fucking-paralleled, though!” a girl’s voice gushed in the distance, footsteps approaching closer to where Bruce and Eden were tangled together, and she all but jumped back to her original spot. Raking through her hair really quickly in a daze.

Bruce froze in his place, secretly hoping they would veer away from their path. Or not see them somehow. Or anything. But the voice grew closer and closer, and he could hear another set of footsteps with this one.

“Like when the real painting came down? Ugh, I nutted!” she groaned, barely acknowledging them. “Oh, hey guys.”

Eden nodded at the girl—Laura, head of the costume department—trying to play it off like nothing happened.

But, when Laura didn’t give a flying fuck, Angela—the stage manager—, did a double-take... First at Eden. Then at the joint between Eden’s fingers. “Damn, you corrupting the new kid already?” she turned to Bruce, “Careful there. This one’s a troublemaker.”

“Um. I was just leaving.” Bruce shot up to his feet, wrapping his coat around his body tightly and barely looking at her when he said, ”Bye, Eden,” rushing off as fast as he could.

And when the party was entirely out of reach, he realized just violently he tore himself away from her. The gloss of her lips still lingered. Her hand. Her scent. Her hand over his hard fucking cock. The way her name tastes when he said it the first time.

How much he’d taken for granted all of the above.

***

ACT THREE

Bruce didn’t see Eden for much of the week.

He supposed it was better this way. There were quizzes and assignments to be done, and he spent most of his time at the library and his dorm. When he went to the Theater building, he stayed in the costume workshop. On different floors, on opposite wings. Copying designs, doing the math, preparing materials… he had a lot of learning to do, but he could do it fast.

It was definitely for the best. Anything to get his mind off of thinking which one is more stupid; making out with her or walking away from making out with her.

“Hey, Bruce?” Laura hollered, without looking up from her workstation. “Can you go upstairs and take Eden’s measurements? They’re rehearsing in the Woodard Studio.”

Fuck. He looked around the room, finding nobody else there. This was a nightmare coming to life, but damned if he was going to be spoiled brat Bruce Wayne in a setting where people finally let him be.

So even with his heart in his throat and his brain telling him to run the other way, he grabbed a pencil, a tape measure, and a blank new measurement sheet. “Okay, sure.”

The climb up to the top floor was entirely too short, that Bruce had half a mind to take another lap to the ground floor and back. But Lady Luck seemed to continuously be on his side, and Eden walked out of the studio just as he reached the top of the stairs. They locked eyes for a moment, like neither knew how to act, until she addressed him. Cool and nonchalant. “Hey.”

He braced himself, approaching her by the water fountain as she refilled her bottle. Trying not to even think about the yoga pants clinging to her thighs. The sports bra wrapped around her chest like a corset. Or armor? Because she looked like she could break someone in half in that.

Focus, Bruce.

“Got a minute?”

“‘Sup?”

He paused, caught off-guard with her short reply. But he powered through, lifting the piece of paper in his hand. “I, uh, need to take your measurements.”

She hummed dryly, “Right,” leading him into the rehearsal space.

Bruce should’ve been careful with what he wished for, for the walk to be longer, because the 15-foot distance from the door to the row of seats in one corner of the studio felt like miles as they walked in silence, careful not to disturb the rehearsal in the process.

And he never minded the silence, not once, but he minded hers. She was normally so talkative, so engaging, and these monosyllabic answers—the stare burning into his back as he unrolled his tape measure—was quite unnerving. He hated it.

“What.”

She shrugged noncommittally, looking out at the fight sequence being rehearsed. The thumps and squeaks of shoes on the floor felt deafening

He sighed, a quick glare before he began measuring the width of her shoulders. Her back. Her arms. Down her spine. Jotting down the numbers as he filled out the form. Trying not to go insane in the sheer intimacy of his fingers treading along her body, learning every inch in between the fabric of clothing and the skin it clung onto, and how he did it under such a cold, clinical circumstance.

An agonizing stretch of silence.

Her silence.

Especially knowing that she must’ve had something to say.

“So, let me get this straight.” she drew a sharp breath, and Bruce was kind of relieved to be on talking terms, at the very least. “First, you made out with me, and then you ditched me, and now you’ve pulled me into a corner to take my measurements? My, my. Talk about mixed signals.” Eden tilted her head to the side, sarcasm lacing her voice this time, and he knew he was in for it.

“This wasn’t up to me,” Bruce quietly, evenly replied, trying not to feel like a scolded schoolboy.

She turned around to meet his gaze, taking this as a personal challenge now. “Ah, but you’re a big boy, aren’t you?” she straightened up with a ghost of a smirk, as if squaring up to him, and it terrified and excited him at the same time. “Laura could’ve done it. I’m sure she’d much prefer to do this over carrying big logs of fabric into the workshop. So… what gives?”

A heavy pause hung over their heads. Even with her arms outspread, so open and vulnerable, she was still the one in control. Her head held high and eyes searching into his. It took Bruce everything to keep his fingers steady as they pinned the tape measure on her waist.

He wanted so desperately to have some semblance of upper hand in this game. He unpinned his fingertips from the tape and pulled it back. “You said shit credits, so… gotta make it worth it.”

Her eyes rolled in amusement, and Bruce thought he’d made a complete fool of himself. She definitely saw through his bullshit answer, she was kind enough to let it slide, if the little smile she was sporting was any indication. The air wasn’t as heavy anymore, and he was tempted to leave it be.

It wasn’t quite an upper hand, but it’s as good as it’s gonna get.

But the edge, the anticipation persisted (and no, it wasn’t because he’s measuring her underbust next), and he couldn’t shake off the feeling that it was his turn to speak. Her cold shoulder treatment was warranted, and she merely opened the door enough for him to prove he was worth her time. 

And he wanted to be worth her time… for reasons unbeknownst to even himself.

So he cleared his throat to make his case. “I also wanted to apologize for last weekend.”

“For what, making out with me or ditching me?” Her eyes flitted back to him.

His heart clenched, and he barely had the gall to look in her direction. “You’re never gonna let that go, are you?”

“Jury’s still out,” she quipped, though there was no malice in her tone.

Bruce grimaced, but it’s all fair, he supposed. “It won’t happen again.”

“Hm.” she softened. Thoughtful, but said nothing else.

And as she let him work quietly, he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d made another mistake with that promise. Yes, he was wrong to just leave her there. But did he really want it to never happen again? To never experience her mouth that drove him crazy, be it in banter or kiss, ever again? To never study the curve of her hips beyond this flimsy string he held together around her? To feel her warm, intoxicating body on top of his—

“I don’t hold it against you, you know.”

He looked up at her in question. In surprise. Mildly in worry that she caught sense of the filthy things he was thinking about—for a second horrified that she could read his mind somehow. Especially with his thumb accidentally grazing along the side of her chest, pinching the tape right over the swell of her chest. He should’ve looked at the number quickly and then moved on.

But he couldn’t.

She stilled and he stilled with her, eyes still locked on each other, much too close for comfort. 

“We were both caught in the moment, under the influence. It happens. No hard feelings.” She paused, and then…. “Well. Maybe some hard feelings.”

His mind was running a mile a minute, and for a split second, he thought she genuinely bore some hard feelings—which was fair. But then a mischievous grin bloomed on her face, and he realized exactly what she was referring to.

A literal hard feeling. In his pants. Under her palm.

“Eden…” he shut his eyes in horror. This can’t be happening right now.

She laughed in the way that made his heart flutter, and he wondered if the endless teasing would be worth it. “I’m just saying…” her light chuckle dwindled into a bright glint in her dark eyes, and then earnestly, “We’re good, Bruce.”

It was strange to associate the sound of his name with a smile—not even a smile, a grin. The kind that made crinkles on the corner of her eyes. Where the light sheen of sweat made the apple of her cheeks glow as it pulled the corner of her mouth upwards.

Strange, but nice.

***

ACT FOUR

In the next few weeks, Bruce saw Eden sporadically. In passing. In between slaving away at the workshop; tracing, sewing, altering costumes, carefully following the instructions of his much more experienced peers—Laura seemed to appreciate his careful handiwork and keen eye for detail. She began sending him upstairs to sit in on the rehearsals, delivering updates to the director and observing the blockings, reporting back to his head of department.

And in between those moments, if he’s lucky, he would see her drop by the workshop, gabbing away with Laura. Trying out different period dresses, different shoes, the all-white fencing suit that one time. Or sometimes as her tragic hero character in rehearsal, a timeless Shakespearean force to be reckoned with in a baggy Yale sweatshirt.

They might not be friends per se, but they were on friendly terms, at the very least.

Which was probably why he didn’t immediately say hello when she strode out the back of the Drama Department building, where Bruce was reviewing his Criminal Homicide notes whilst getting some air (although to be fair, it was mostly the latter.) He heard the door open and shut, familiar lines murmured, as light footsteps paced back and forth on the platform. 

And there she was; like Juliet on the goddamn balcony.

Well.

If Juliet were a miserably jaded character on the brink of insanity instead of a wide-eyed girl in love.

“O vengeance!” she recited from memory, devoid of any emotion. “‘This is most brave—’ no, that’s not right. Did I skip a line?” she stopped abruptly, and then he heard a rustle of pages being flipped. “‘Why, what an ass am I.’ Ha. That’s… apropos.”

Bruce looked up, finding Eden holding her script close to her chest, looking out into the distance with a frown as she started over.

“‘This is most brave that I, daughter of a dear father murdered, prompted to my revenge by… heaven and hell, must—like a whore…’ Fuck!”

“Unpack my heart with words and fall a-cursing,” Bruce finished it just above a murmur, just for himself.

Eden’s head whipped towards his direction. “What?”

Caught eavesdropping, he immediately buried himself in his notebook again. “Nothing. Sorry.”

“No, no. What did you say?”

“Um. ‘Unpack my heart with words and fall a-cursing?’” It felt weird to say it now. To hear it in his own voice. “‘Like a very drab. A scullion’.”

A lull as she checked her script. And then, “Hold up a minute.” she leaned against the railing, chin propped up on her hand. “You know Hamlet, Bruce?”

He looked up at her, finding fascination and that ever-present witty glint in her gaze. “I’m surprised you didn’t know Hamlet, Hamlet.”

“Very funny.”

It was a little funny. He might’ve even smiled a bit.

She padded down the platform and round the stairs, joining Bruce sitting cross-legged on the ground, back against the wall. It never ceased to amaze him how she managed to make herself comfortable anywhere. “This whole Shakespeare thing is hard, you know.”

“Really? I never would’ve thought—” 

“It’s almost like a foreign language.”

“But you’ve always looked so… fluent.” he frowned at his own choice of word. Fluent was an understatement; the lines felt native to her tongue. “I guess I’ve always assumed it comes naturally to you.”

Eden chuckled ruefully. “Hell no. This is what generally happens, outside of rehearsals—just so I have some idea what’s going on in the scene.”

“Some idea, huh?” He didn't buy it at all. She had to work hard, of course, but he was dead sure that come rehearsal, she’d had her shit down on lock.

“You probably know more than I do.”

“Nah, I’m just… I’m familiar with it,” he played it off.

This time, she didn’t buy it. At all, if her lingering look was any indication. But she looked away like she knew more.

Well, as much as she could’ve known for a single look, anyway. It barely scratched the surface, but he didn’t have the heart to wipe that captivating smile off of her face.

Not with such misfortune behind the story.

He first read Hamlet when he was thirteen. In truth, it didn’t pique his interest until his English teacher offhandedly mentioned that the Lion King was based off of it. And at first, he read it just out of spite—just to see if it’s true. But the structure of words felt alien and there were words, references, scenes he didn’t understand, unlike that little movie he knew like the back of his hand.

But some parts, like this one, stuck and stayed with him since he first read it. What Hamlet lacked in the starry-eyed nostalgia that Lion King had, it made up in anguish. For the longest time, there were no words to describe what he was feeling. He never knew how to explain himself, how to explain why he didn’t want to. Until this line.

‘That I, the son of a dear father murder'd,

Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,

Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words,

And fall a-cursing, like a very drab,

A scullion!’

Eden was struggling, albeit for an entirely different reason, but he understood. He probably wouldn’t even be able to say the whole sentence without razors slicing his throat from the inside.

“Hey, what are you doing right now?”

“Um, studying?” He mustered, caught off-guard by the knee lightly nudging his own. Maybe a little bit flustered. 

She glanced at his textbook, sparsely highlighted and full of legal terms she’d only heard in passing. “Right. I keep forgetting you were pre-law. You’ve been hanging around here most days.”

“This elective is a full-time job, basically.”

She smiled sympathetically. And then, “Would you help me run lines? You just— I don’t know, make sure I say the right words and… read out the odd lines if there’s any.”

“Sure,” he answered immediately. Not for any particular reason; he just happened to know the play very well, and he liked being useful, however menial the task.

Not because he finally had a valid reason to spend some time with Eden.

She handed him her script, highlighted in yellow, pink, and blue, and heavily annotated with her own handwriting. Some were so small and loopy, they were undecipherable. One line was noted in big capital letters, ‘FUCK THE FUCK OFF’. Bruce chuckled a little bit at that.

He fiddled with the edge of the page. “So... From the top?”

And that’s how it started. Running lines and hanging out. Sometimes she’d stop by the costume workshop and drape her arm over one of the mannequins, or perch atop one of the empty workstations, while Bruce worked on a costume—her costume. Or outside the rehearsal studio, while waiting for the dance club to finish their thing. Sometimes they’d do it over a meal, and he found himself frequenting the dining hall of her dorm at the Hopper College instead of his own—it was closer, but mostly, he liked the dark wood-paneled walls under the high columned arches, and how nicely everything was spaced out. And how completely at home she looked, leaning back in her seat. It made him at ease to see her at ease.

But most of the time, it was just this. Crouched behind the theater building, sitting side-by-side with a script and her pack of Lucky Strike between them.

“Oh, I’ve fully corrupted you now,” she lamented, watching him light a cigarette between his lips. He even did it with one hand this time.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” he huffed, exhaling out a berry-minty smoke (he only ever bummed her cigarettes when she had the flavored ones—he would never admit that he hated the normal ones). “What’s for today?”

She shuffled into her bag, reaching for her script. “The breakup scene with Ophelia.”

“Mm. That should be easy.” 

She looked at him incredulously. “Easy for you to say!”

“Easy for you to do. Come on.” he snatched the script out of her hand, flipping through the pages until he found the one. And then he waited. Pointedly. “Any day now.”

With a dirty glare, Eden took a deep breath and uttered, loudly but without any passion whatsoever, “The fair Ophelia! Nymph.” she elbowed him on his side.

He liked that they’re comfortable enough to do this. It was the first time Hamlet made him laugh—and not in a wry, self-loathing way. There was always something new this girl found—a cheeky pun, an off-handed comment. Lines he’d always imagined having a certain context, only to be interpreted completely differently.

Like this one.

“I did love you…” she trailed off thoughtfully, “...once.”

His eyebrows perked up, interest piqued as he never read the line broken in two parts like this, although his tone stayed flat as always. “Indeed, m’lady, you made me believe so.”

“You should not have believed me,” she responded, surprisingly just as sapless. “I loved you not.”

“I was the more deceived.”

The air between them was changing. Each line was filled with more heavy pauses—but not the kind she would make when she was trying to remember what she was supposed to say. No, this was something else. She sounded like she was… thinking. Composing her breakup speech as she sat next to her dear love. Pondering whether she should be cruel or kind.

“Get thee… to a nunnery.” The words started out cautionary, but her tone was vicious, and everything else became a cruel charge from then on. “Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners, huh?” she didn’t raise her voice, but it made her all the more terrifying. “Perhaps it were better… my mother had not borne me. I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious…”

Bruce’s brain registered that she was talking about herself. As Hamlet. A performance, no more. And yet, he’d never heard it performed like this; so stripped down, so much like the voice in his head his entire adolescence—the constant questioning of how things would’ve been if he’d never been born—, that he felt like it was aimed towards him.

“We are arrant knaves, all; believe none of us.” Maybe it was a little bit about him too, he thought as she spat, “Where’s your father?”

The question felt like a punch in the gut. He knew that was her next line—he’d read it a million times, but he’d never had anyone ask him that. Not in that order. Not with such bitter taste in their mouth.

He tried to compose himself, but his voice sounded feeble as he answered her, “At home, my lady.”

“Well.” she looked down, picking her nails absent-mindedly. “Let the doors be shut upon him… that he may play the fool no where but in his own house.” It was cold, heartless the way she made up her mind without so much as a glance his way, and it reminded him of how the doors of Gotham shut upon his own father, and he was left for dead like a fool in a city that he built.

Somehow, somewhere along the way, he didn’t realize when he stopped looking at the page and when he started looking at her. Jaw stiffened, trying her damnedest to contain the slight tremble on her lips. Eyes stubborn as they tried to keep the tears from falling. Hands fisting the hems of her own jacket. And as she nodded, she accidentally (or on purpose, he wouldn’t know) blinked a stray tear away,

“Farewell.”

They sat there for a long while. In a daze. Watching the lights twinkled in the dusk; white and yellow against purple and pink. The Halloween decorations were put up, over the windows and doors, jack o’lanterns on the side of the pavements and skeletons propped upright in the lawns. He wasn’t even thinking about the play anymore—he couldn’t if he wanted to—, his insides were all amok.

Bruce heard a click of her lighter, a flash of orange from the corner of his eye—first a flame, then a flaring ember—and with an exhale, she slumped back against the wall…

And leaned her head on his shoulder.

He carefully tapped his cigarette and put it out. It was burnt to ash and he barely had a couple of puffs—he was too occupied, too vexed with her. More stoic than him as she continued to look ahead. It’s disconcerting.

“Are you okay?” He simply asked, though with a sliver of worry there.

“Yeah.” he couldn’t quite explain it, but Eden sounded like herself again even with a single word. “Are you?”

“Yeah.”

It was an automatic response at this point, but whether it was honest… was an entirely different matter. And she seemed to notice that.

“I heard it in your voice,” she said quietly, carefully. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’m just… checking in.”

A pause. He didn’t answer right away; he didn’t know how to.

“It’s just… my parents, is all.”

“Right.”

One word said so much. One word, and she understood.

One word, and he knew.

He was no longer some new guy in the production; she knew him and his name and his burden of a legacy. A trauma. The very thing he was running away from. The little bubble around them had burst, and although he knew it was inevitable, he couldn’t help the sinking feeling in his gut.

But she placed a hand on top of hers, filling the spaces between his fingers. Not quite. Just… ever so tentatively. “I’m sorry.”

And for the first time in years, he allowed it. He allowed her to invade his space, if ‘invade’ was even the right word. She eased in like something familiar, like she’d always been there, and it made it all the more easier to let her in.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she offered.

“I mean… there’s nothing to talk about.” he sighed heavily, immediately set off by the all-too-familiar feeling of prodding questions. “I know as much as everyone else.”

“That’s not what I—” she noticed the sharp edge in his voice, and she was quick to rebuff him. But then she realized the edge in her tone, and she softened up again immediately. “Bruce. All I’m saying is, if you ever want to… I don’t know. Either way, I’m here. Okay?”

Oh. He didn’t have to talk if he didn’t want to. Or he could, if he was ever so inclined.

Either way she’s here.

His other hand landed on top of hers, patting it limply but entirely too heavy to pull away. “It’s fine. You don’t have to—”

“I know I don’t. I want to.” her fingers tangled themselves in his. “That’s what friends do, right?”

Friends. The word hung heavy above them, as he turned her hand over. Palm facing upwards, he studied every line that twisted and branched on her skin, tracing it with the pad of his thumb. Feeling the indents, soft against his calluses. Trying to comprehend how this person eased—maybe invaded was right, after all—into his life, inching closer to his most vulnerable parts…

And that it was okay.

Because in entering his space, she also let him into hers. Palm facing upwards, her thumb caresses the side of his forefinger that rested atop hers. Not squeezing. Not even grasping. Just running up and down, from knuckle to knuckle. As if saying, come in.

I won’t hurt you.

He took the chance and held her hand for a moment. It wasn’t quite a response to her invitation, but at the same time it was. And that’s all they needed.

That’s all he could take for now.

Bruce took a breath, trying to find a fresh subject to get out of this one, and the first thing that he blurted out was, “Grilled cheese?”

She lifted her head and turned her whole body towards him. “Huh?”

If those two words out of his mouth weren’t enough to sober him up, the blatant disconnect between them sure did the trick. They were spouting Shakespeare just moments ago, but now that he’s panicking and in desperate need of an out, he turned into a goddamn monkey and it puzzled the fuck of her.

“Grilled cheese,” he repeated. Why did he do it again?! He slung his backpack and got up to his feet; if he’s already standing, it would be easier to make an escape. But maybe he should give it one last shot? “You know… at the Beanjamin.”

“Oh.” she blinked at him dumbly, whether at his stilted but persistent topic change or the mention of the punny cafe two blocks away. But much to his surprise, she shrugged and gathered her stuff. “Alright. Let’s get some grilled cheese.”

“Wait, really?”

“You’re buying.” she absently said as she patted the dirt off of her pants.

He sighed in relief, although he tried to play it off as a huff. “Fine. But you get the ciggies.”

“Ciggies?” she balked. “Wow, my influence on you knows no bounds.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, it’s just shorthand.”

“Sure thing, Brucie.”

“That’s not a shorthand. That’s an extra syllable.” He scowled, but she slapped his back lightly, linking her arm with his as they walked on crunchy reddened leaves in the fall. Each biting back a smile as the heaviness of their conversation didn’t tarnish this easy banter they had.

They were friends, after all.

***

ACT FIVE

Bruce was late. Very late. His Restorative Justice final presentations ran long and he wanted to punch every one of his obnoxious kiss-ass classmates in the teeth for drawing it out, asking questions for the sake of loopholes and extra points. Sending him on a wild sprint to the University Theater.

In the rain.

And as if that weren’t enough, he was greeted by Laura, practically steaming out of her ears, pulling him aside and telling him off.

“We’re entering tech week, man! We got plenty of people to dress. I can’t have you disappearing in the worst of times like this.”

She was right on all three accounts. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sticking my neck out here for you!” Laura huffed. “Look, if anything happens, you need to let us know. Call, text, anything. God, I sound like a clingy girlfriend here—”

She was cut off with a dragging, dramatic creak of a door opening. They both turned around to find Eden there, her head popping out of a dressing room, grimacing. “Hi. I’m so sorry to bother you, but— I need a hand…”

Laura softened up, slightly caught off-guard in the middle of her tangent. “One sec.” Then she turned back to Bruce, a little calmer now. “You go, I’ll handle the ensemble.”

He nodded, still apologetic as he made his way to their leading lady’s dressing room, catching her sly grin as she made way for him.

“You picked the wrong day to slack off, Brucie,” she lightly murmured as she threw him a towel to dry off.

All she got in response was a grunt.

A grunt and nothing else.

Because all the frustration, the ennui, the fucking cold from getting drenched in a 44-degree weather… all went when he finally caught sight of her.

Clad in silk—her gloves ivory, her dress black. Draped down her body all the way to the ankle—seemingly resting on her curves and wanting to glide off of her skin at the same time, held together by a thin strap on each of her bare shoulders, ruffled point d’esprit tumbled down her arms.

“I know. It’s different from the usual sweatshirt and joggers…” she droned on, barely glancing at him as she shifted in her dress. “Shit, I should’ve worn these things more in rehearsal. This feels too new. I haven’t even put on the corset—do you mind?”

“Y-yeah. Sure.”

He knew exactly how to do her corset—they discussed it exhaustively in the workshops, deliberating which one was the most secure and efficient—and yet he still found himself fumbling at the laces the first time. Then again, maybe lacing up a mannequin would never compare to a living, breathing being.

Especially one like her.

It’s awfully intimate; he vaguely remembered seeing his parents getting ready for a night out like this. Eden putting on her earrings—a beautiful silvery thing with a dot of blue as its main stone—while he laced her up. Grazing her back with featherlight touches, but not really. Barely missing each other’s gaze through the mirror. So close, and at the same time, having absolutely no chance to get closer.

“You got me worried for a bit there.”

“I know. I’ve got—”

“Finals, I know. But this counts as finals too, you know. Like, come on, man, this is important.”

“It’s an elective.”

He felt her tense up—felt the slight expanse of her ribs as she drew a sharp breath. “It’s not just an elective for some of us, Bruce.”

“Come on, Eden. I’ve been over this. I don’t need this from you, too.”

She scoffed. “Excuse me?”

“What else do you want me to do? I was held up, I came here as fast as I could, I told Laura I was sorry. Now you’re gonna give me shit while I do my job, too? Give me a fucking break.” 

He never minded the silence, but this one was deafening. Eden was understandably stunned to see him snap. He had never shown anything beyond mild—whether it’s amusement or discontent. But it was nowhere near the end of his day, and he was tired. And it disappointed him more than anything that she was not on his side on the one moment he needed her to.

But he’d shown just enough to get his point across, and now it’s time to just bite his tongue.

“Do you know why we worked so hard for this show?” Her tone was still terse. Clipped. But it wasn’t accusatory—not anymore.

He said nothing. Didn’t even look up. He just continued pulling at the loose crossing laces, tightening them right on the dip of her spine.

“We don’t know who’ll be in the audience. Directors, agents, producers or their fucking daughters for all we know—people who might hire us. Maybe for a gig over the holiday— maybe something more. If we’re lucky. Most of us won’t be, you know. Most of us are just gonna be stuck in this rat race until we’re burnt out, or dead, or dead from getting burnt the fuck out, so to call it ‘just an elective’ is a gross understatement which—“ she gasped as he pulled the strings just so that her back straightened up and she nearly stumbled into his chest.

“You okay?” his eyes flickered towards the mirror, studying her face. Realizing that there might be something more than giving him shit for committing the cardinal sin of tardiness. Something having nothing to do with him.

“Yeah. It’s just…. Nerves.” she breathed out, and he had to look again and make sure she wasn’t suffocating.

Suffocating, she was not. But agitated, definitely. The corset made the rise and fall of her chest more prominent with every breath, and he willed himself not to stare.

“It’s alright. You got this.” he managed a reassuring nod, surprising himself that despite what happened, he was still on her side.

Eden softened at that, as if warming up to him again. “So, yeah. This is why it’s important to us.” she spoke, quiet and resolute. “I hope you understand that.”

“I do,” he answered evenly. “And I hope you understand that I’m doing my best.”

“Fair enough.”

The air swelled between them. Stifling as the aggression dissipated. The lightbulbs framing the mirror did so much to expose every microexpression. The tight crease between her eyebrows, the clenched jaw as she struggled with her necklace. Blindly trying to clasp it together on the back of her neck, underneath her long dark waves.

“Let me.” He gently brushed her hair aside, seeing the hook and clasp colliding, but never really linking together.

It was entirely too easy. Bruce almost hoped it would be trickier, and he would need more time here. Nearly pressed against her. So close. The temptation was too much. Even after he let go of her necklace, he couldn’t resist smoothing his hand down her dress. Adjusting the cinch under her bust. Making sure it didn’t bunch.

Their eyes met through the reflection, and he lost all words. And no, not because of the glimmery strings and stones adorning her neck, the lavalier falling like water drops on her chest—silver and white against her bronze skin. Not entirely.

But the way her brown eyes, ever so mischievous and mysterious, looked so… naked in this light.

He had never been able to read her—there’s always this hidden card on her sleeve, even beneath her ‘open book’ way of carrying herself. But this time, he could see her waiting.

Wanting.

“Well?” Her voice was soft against the silence.

“You look…” he trailed off. 

Maybe it was simply the tension in the air. Maybe it was pure awe. Maybe it was the unshakeable possessive pride in the fact that he’d had a hand in creating this look, knowing how she would turn out in it.

No word would ever amount to this—to her—and he would be foolish to even try. So he just shook his head, returning his attention to her corset. Making sure nothing bent or bunch in a way it wasn’t supposed to.

“This not too tight?”

She shook her head, and he swore she looked demure, for the first time ever.

“Turn around, let me see.”

He grabbed her waist with both hands, studying the brocade details of the corset. How it’s an even darker shade of black than the dress, but shinier, like swirling scars—the pain, the anger, the fury, wrapped around her waist.

Oh, the divine curve of her waist.

Eden’s gloved hand dropped to his wrist, and he froze. He wondered if this was a sign to let go, but at the same time… he couldn’t. Not when her thumb is mirroring the very pattern he was drawing on her waist. Not when she trailed up his arm, along his shoulder, so warm and gentle that it made his breath hitch in his throat.

She brushed back a dark strand that fell in front of his face, searching his eyes. “Is that the only place you’ll touch me?”

And there it was again. The waiting. The wanting. He’d never dared to dream it, because he knew—like he knew now—that it’d be all he wanted from then on.

To give in. Melt into her touch. Get lost in her gaze.

“Where else do you want me to touch you?” he rasped.

Heartbeat pounded in his ears, and he’s not sure whether it’s hers or his own. It took him everything to tune it out, just so he could hear her respond,

“Everywhere?”

He expected it to come with a smirk, a teasing twinkle in her eyes; it didn’t. It sounded like a question, and she looked every bit as vulnerable as he felt asking it, and it was all too easy for him to answer.

“Please.”

Because what other answer was there? Everywhere was more than he’d ever hoped for and he couldn’t even think where to begin. His first instinct was her waist—the divine curves of her waist— as his hands were already there. But the necklace was calling out to him with every rise and fall of Eden’s breath. Beckoning him to trace the spaces between the hanging stones, the gentle slope of the neckline, leaving shivers in his wake.

So much, and at the same time, not nearly enough.

She pulled him in closer—the crook of her nose on the crook of his neck. Nuzzling. Resting. Claiming him with kiss after kiss on his skin, and it made him weak. Pliant as she sat herself on the dressing table, hiking up her skirt and allowing him to be lodged between her open legs. Guiding his hand towards the swell of her breast, squeezing his hand, right here. He thumbed her nipples through her dress, marveling at how it hardened under his touch, while her hand roamed his chest, sneaking under his shirt, feeling his lean stomach—his bulging crotch through her silk.

“Your gloves, don’t ruin your gloves…” Bruce miraculously mustered, even as his palms slid down to her hips, squeezing her ass as she left a dizzying hickey on his neck.

Eden clicked her tongue, tearing herself off him with a glare, though it didn’t deter him—then again, maybe it wasn’t supposed to. She bit the tip of her glove at her middle finger, and the fabric slid off, one hand after the other, and she had no right to be so alluring. Running her hand through his rain-drizzled hair. Stroking his prominent jawline. Drawing patterns on his wrist with her bare hands.

Guiding him once again; this time, up her inner thigh. Following the warmth of her body underneath the cool cloth.

All the way up until he reaches something damp.

She gasped.

“Here?”

“Mm-hm.”

He swallowed, yanking her panties aside to find her nether lips, all slippery on his fingertips. His fingers drew up her gushing cleft, and when he touched the swollen little nub, her eyes fluttered ever so slightly, and he could come right then and there if he weren’t so taken by her, mellowing in pleasure.

He rubbed her tentatively, gauging the smallest reactions as a sign. He’d only ever seen it in porn, and it went quite differently in real life. There was no guarantee of a happy ending—not even a guarantee of doing things right. And everything was quieter, subtler with her.

Prettier.

She followed the trail of hair down his navel, absently palming his cock over his jeans—firmer, surer than the last time—and his mind went blank.

“Fuck, Eden…” he sighed, forehead falling against hers. “I’ve never— I don’t— Tell me…” he bit the inside of his cheek, hoping she would get the hint.

She nudged his nose with hers. “Your fingers, Bruce.”

He slowed down his circling motion, trying to figure out whether her squirming meant less or more.

But she chuckled, lazily kissing along his jaw. And then, nipping at his earlobe, she whispered, “I need them inside me.”

Jesus Christ.

His hand traveled down from her clit, and he nearly moaned at how gushing wet she was. All of this just for him? His middle and forefinger slid right in, as if she’d swallowed them whole, and she let out a strained whimper.

Bruce stilled inside her, not wanting to cause any pain by moving in or drawing out. Instead, he just waited. Slowly pulling away to study her face, waiting for her command. God, he’d follow her anywhere.

“You okay?”

Her head fell back against the mirror as she caught her breath. “‘m good. So good,” she sighed, stroking his back as if he was the one who needed soothing. “Keep going.”

He’d always been captivated by her. Her grit, her humor, her warmth that seeped into his cold dead soul. But in the three months he’d known her, he’d never seen her so… tame. Her guard down, all soft and needy under his touch, as he started pumping his digits in and out of her experimentally. Reveling in how she coated his fingers in her arousal, gripping him around her silky walls. How she mewled when he crooked his fingers just right.

He liked that she let him see this side of her.

And as he picked up the pace, her hands grew frenzied on his belt buckle. Frantic as she unfastened it and pushed it down just enough—boxers and all—to take his cock out. And when he thought being freed from the painful restraint of his pants was blissful enough…

She closed her fist around him. 

“Fuck…” a pathetic whine threatened to rip out of his throat, so he busied his mouth on the open stretch of her neck. Dousing himself in the taste of her skin. The smell of her hair. The clench of her cunt.

The grip on his cock.

Thumb rubbing on the tip—smearing precum along his length as she stroked up and down, up and down…

“Bruce...” God, he loved her saying his name like this. “Bruce, I’m close.”

His heart nearly leapt out of his chest, and with that, he pulled away. Her eyelids fluttered heavily, but she kept her eyes locked on his. Self-bitten lips parted as she told him, “Don’t stop. Touch my clit.”

It’s messy and clumsy, the way the heel of his hand pressed down on her sensitive nub with every thrust, and he couldn’t maintain the pace to save his life. But she’s practically riding his hand, canting her hips forward, her own hand faltering from his length. And he needed a release oh so bad, but he was much too enraptured in watching her come. Her hips stuttered with every touch, and her lips pouted as she murmured yes, yes, yes until it fell open with a trembling sigh.

He wanted it seared onto his memory forever.

She hovered in like she was going in for a kiss, but Bruce turned a little bit, planting his lips on her jaw instead. Soft pecks towards her thrumming pulse point. It was nice, but aggravating all the same.

“Why won’t you kiss me?” She found his cock again, stroking him nice and slow. 

“I promised you it won’t happen again.”

He could see how hazy her mind was as she tried to rake around when he’d said that. After the party in the woods. Confusion turned to realization turned to amusement. “I think we’re way past that.”

And he knew that. She came on his hand, goddammit, and he was well on his way to do the same on hers. But somehow, he couldn’t seem to move past that—and he didn’t know why.

But her grip tightened just a little bit, and he was so close. “Besides… is that really what you want?”

He shook his head.

“Good.” she wrapped her legs around his hips, stroking him from tip to base. “I never wanted that, either.”

And just like that, he gravitated towards her lips until they collided. This is what he needed.

Cursed be his brain, because his memory could never recall her kiss being so… good. It was so much like the last time, and yet nothing like it? Her lips were soft, he remembered that, but the way she kissed him was different. Dirtier. Like she wanted to consume him, and God, he was ready to give her all that. Anything at all, he swore, fuck, Eden, so close—

“Come for me, Bruce,” she murmured into his mouth, tugging his lower lip between her teeth.

He had no chance against her.

“Fuck,” as he lurched into her hand, spilling out his pent-up release for her. “Fuck…” he panted out, catching his breath, basking in the pleasure of giving everything for her. For Eden. Eden, in all her glory of kiss-worn lips and heaving chest and— 

“Fuck!”

Little drops of white on her black corset.

“Bruce.”

“No, no, no, no…” all sobered up, Bruce immediately tried to wipe it off. It went, but not without a faint stain on the fabric. He’s in a lot of trouble.

“Bruce, it’s fine—”

“No, it’s not. Fuck…” he muttered under his breath, like a whirlwind as he pulled his pants back up, scrambling for tissues, returning to the dress—barely registering that Eden stayed unmoved in her place.

Perched on top of the dressing table. Watching him fuss.

Dazed and docile.

“Eden, we can’t do this. We can’t—” he was so weak for her. She smoothed out his stubbornly sticking-out hair so tenderly, and he nearly lost his train of thought. “We gotta keep our shit together for this. You said so yourself, right?”

Her face dropped just a little bit, but she nodded anyway. “Right.”

He tried to move on. The stain was going bit by bit, and his head cleared enough to remember grabbing a Tide pen later on. But he couldn’t shake off the subtle switch in her expression. That hint of… disappointment when he told her no.

Because neither of them wanted to stop.

“Closing night,” Bruce decided.

“What?”

“We’ll pick this up after closing night. Okay?”

She blinked at him in surprise. In question. In curiosity.

“You need to focus, and I need to do my job,” he reminded her, unable to fight back the amused smile that came with her uncharacteristic lack of witty remark. It’s kind of… cute.

“Okay, deal.” Eden offered her hand. “Closing night.”

He stared at her hand for a moment—the hand that was just on his dick, for fuck’s sake—before gingerly accepting the handshake. With the hand she came all over.

The irony didn’t seem to be lost on them as they started giggling. An honest-to-God, straight-from-the-core giggling that led him to lean in, kissing her one last time. Sure and easy as day, relishing the warmth of her lips as the two of them made the most of it.

Until closing night.

[reineydraws]

every time i see someone talk about a damian on my dash, it's always like, "is it wayne or desmond?"

(btw the al ghul wayne family portrait--and anya's grapple gun in the first image--is based off this forger family portrait)

[saynotoshityouhate]

What was the reaction that Bruce had when you told him that you were expecting?

-🌙💛

Yellow!! I loved this - keep the Eden AU Qs coming!!

cw: morning sickness, anxiety, angst, fluff, tears, pregnancy

words: 1022

You had been pacing around the house for fifteen minutes. He should have been home by now. You checked your watch. What if something terrible happened? What if he got into an accident, or oh god, what if he got angry at work - before your brain could go down that path much further, you heard the key enter the lock.

“Bruce! You’re home!” You ran over and wrapped yourself around him. He chuckled. “Wow, what a greeting! Honey! What’s wrong? There was just a little traffic on the highway…”

You pulled away from the embrace, eyes wide and heart pounding out of your chest. You suddenly were hit with waves of terror for the conversation you had to have with your husband. Your darling husband. Your brilliant, sweet, sexy husband. “Y/N, you’re scaring me, what’s going on?”

You grabbed Bruce’s hands and lead him to the couch, sitting down and patting the cushion next to you. Bruce’s hands were on his hips, his head tilted to the side, looking at you as if he was reading your thoughts on a display across your forehead. You patted the cushion again. “Brucey…please sit?”

Bruce sighed, relaxing his arms and flopping down next to you. You could see the worry in his eyes, his olive skin furrowed between his eyebrows. You grabbed his hands again. “Baby, I have something I need to tell you, and it’s a good thing - I hope - but I need you to stay calm, okay?” You lifted one hand to cup his cheek, causing him to nuzzle into your open palm. “Can you stay calm, please?” Bruce took a deep breath and nodded, looking deep into your eyes. You loved his eyes.

“I’m pregnant.”

Bruce’s eyes shot open and he stood up off of the couch. “Wait, what? How long have you known? When are you due?” Bruce was pacing around the room, hands flailing the way he only did when he was anxious. You stood up to attempt to calm him. “No! Sit back down, you have to rest!” Bruce yelled, pointing one finger sternly at your abandoned cushion. You quickly sat back down, trying to hide the fear in your eyes. You spoke calmly and quietly. “Bruce, please come sit. I can tell you everything I know.” You held a hand out to him.

Bruce groaned, and if you didn’t know better you’d have been scared by the noise. He rubbed his face before coming back to sit next to you. “Remember after dinner with the Barnes’, when I got really nauseous and thought it was bad shrimp?” Bruce nodded. “Well, it wasn’t food poisoning. My period was only a little late, and I hadn't thought anything about it at first, but the nausea continued - so I took a test and…” You put your hands on his face to bring his gaze back to you. “We’re gonna have a baby, Bruce.”

He was quiet, eyes trained on his lap. You could see him regulating his thoughts and breathing - you had known each other and loved each other for so long, you could almost hear his internal monologue by just looking at him. You traced your thumbs on his cheeks, the scratch of his stubble was the only noise in the room.

Eventually, his gaze met yours. Bruce’s eyes were welled up with tears. “Talk to me, what are you feeling?” You wiped away a tear that had rolled down the bridge of his nose. “I…I’m so scared.” You smiled softly, happy he wasn’t upset or unhappy with the news. “I am too, darling. But we are going to figure this out together, right? We’ve discussed this, remember? Our plan?” When you had decided to start trying, Bruce and his beautifully pragmatic mind wrote out a safety plan. He reached into his back pocket to pull out his wallet, removing a folded piece of paper.

You moved your body closer to his, resting your head on his shoulder. “Read it to me, please?” Bruce put on his reading glasses before lifting an arm around you, pulling you close, holding the paper in his other hand. He took a deep breath.

“In the event that a child is conceived, the following steps shall be taken:

1. Bruce will increase his appointments with his therapist to twice weekly

2. Y/N will attend therapy with Bruce once a month

3. Y/N will relax and allow others to help her so the entire weight of the pregnancy is not on her shoulders

4. Bruce will resign from the Avengers

Finally, the parents-to-be shall always remember that this child was made in love, will be raised in love, and will be taught that there is nothing greater than the love their parents have for them. The child will always be safe knowing they are loved.”

Bruce quietly folded up the piece of paper and placed it back into his wallet. You both were sniffling back tears - this was something you both wanted and had planned for. The road wasn’t going to be easy, given Bruce’s condition. But you loved your husband, you’d loved him long before the other guy was in the picture. You couldn’t wait to see him become the dad you knew he could be.

Bruce removed his reading glasses, placing them back in his breast pocket. He turned to look at you, still nuzzled against his chest. “We’re going to have a baby.” Bruce stated, smiling - finally. A wave of relief washed over you seeing that smile. Your hand subconsciously moved to your stomach.

The two of you sat in comfortable silence, Bruce holding you close, as you thought about the future. What your lives would look like as a family of three. You couldn’t help but think about that fourth item on the safety plan - Bruce resigning from the Avengers. That wasn’t an easy item to include, and it took many nights of difficult, heated conversations to get him to agree - to understand why this was so important to you. You knew the other Avengers would be upset, hate you even, say you were the Yoko to Bruce’s John.

They’d understand eventually…right?

[inkyquince]

QKS MASTERLIST

Quince Kinky Shit (Character +Trope/Kink)

Degrees of Lewdity

Kylar + Somnophilia?

Sydney + Crossdressing

Alex + bondage

Doren + monster kink

Landry + Public Sex

Whitney and sounding

Wren + Crossdressing

Doren+ Breeding

Whitney/(PC/)Kylar + Collars

Leighton + Niki + Lewd Photos

Remy+ Body worship

Bailey and breeding

Landry + Brothel

Doren + Breeding Kink

Whitney/PC/Kylar + Collar

Niki + Leighton = Lewd Pictures

Remy/PC/Wren + Somno

Ivory Wraith + Yandere/Possessive Sex

Wolf!Eden + Period Sex

Plant Person + Tentacle Sex

Remy/Bull!PC+ Breeding Dummy

Bailey + Degradation

Whitney/ Kylar + Noncon

Landry + Petplay

Great Hawk + Air Sex

Winter + Spanking

PC + Monsterfucking

Doren + Roleplay

Sydney + Aphrodisiac

Briar x Landry + Cucking

Leighton + Overstimulation

Quinn + Exhibitionism

Leighton + Incest Roleplay

Doren + Horny Snap

Quinn + Bimbofication

Winter + Cum Drunk

Avery x Quinn + Double Penetration

Whitney + Somno

Quinn + Breeding

Briar + Toys

Leighton + Trying to Keep Quiet

Ivory Wraith + Cockwarming

Bailey + Hardcore Sex

Bailey + Brat

Leighton + Bimbofication

Whitney + Bloodplay

Briar + Public Fingering

Veteran Guard + Anal

Bailey + Big Glass Window

Kylar + Edging

Harper + Exhibitionism

Wren + Incest

Leighton + First Time! Prostitute

Winter +Shibari

Remy/Wren + Cucking

Sydney The Faithful + Spanking

Bailey + Feminisation

Whitney + Dacryphilia

Eden + Lactation

Gotham

Dick Grasyon + Baby Trapping

Bruce Wayne + Cuckholding

Baldurs Gate 3

God Gale + Kidnapping

Halsin + Predator/Prey

Halsin + Size Kink

Cyberpunk 2077

Johnny Silverhand + Praise/Degradation

Obey me (Discontinued Asks)

Leviathan + Breeding Kink

Asmodeus | Praise/Degradation

Mammon and Bondage

Lucifer and Collaring + Facefucking

Divinity Original Sin 2

Ifan + Biting

The Arcana

Julian + DOL

Muriel + Predator/Prey

Inky's OCs

Gabriel Sinclair + Free Use

Arno Gallagher + Recorded Sex

Ewan Blythe + Masked Sex

Joaquim St.James/ Danny (@angrelysimpping oc) + Threesome

[phoenixlionme]

DC/Marvel Biracial Heroes

DC

1. Kyle Rayner aka Green Lantern - half Irish and half Mexican

2. Keli Quintela aka Teen Lantern - Afro-Indigenous Bolivian

3. Ya’Wara - Indigenous Brazilian Tapirape  

4. Arthur Curry aka Aquamn - in the DCEU and some recent adaptations; half White and half Polynesian

5. Koryak - eldest son and child of Aquaman; in original he was half white and half Inuit, but with the recent racebend of Arthur, Koryak would now be of white, Polynesian, and Inuit heritage

6.  Yara Flor aka Wonder Woman - Afro-Indigenous Brazilian

7. Selina Kyle aka Catwoman - Afro Cuban; given her mother has been played by both black and white women and she states of being Cuban in the comics, I see her as Afro Cuban

8.  Helena Wayne aka Robin VI aka Batwoman II - daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. Half White and half Afro Cuban

9. Damian Wayne aka Robin - half White and half Arabian Chinese

10. Rose Wilson aka Ravager - half Hmong and half White

11. Connor Hawke aka Green Arrow II - he is of mixed Black, Cambodian and White heritage

12. Lian Nguyen-Harper aka Red Riding Hood - half Vietnamese and half White

13. Jade Crock aka Cheshire - I like the idea of her reforming, she was my personal fav anti-villain in the animated YJ series; half Vietnamese and half White

14. Artemis Crock aka Huntress - half Vietnamese and half White

15. Emiko Queen aka Red Arrow II - half Japanese and half White

16. Cassandra Cain aka Batgirl - half Chinese (although her Asian heritage is often debated), and half White

17. Irey West aka Impulse - half Korean and half White

18. Jai West - half Korean and half White

19. Jenni Ognats aka XS - half Black and half White

20. Maya Ducard aka Nobody II - Afro Latina

21. Hero Cruz - Afro Latino

22. Marisol Rios De La Luz aka La Borinqueña - Afro Puerto Rican

23. Julia Pennyworth - she is biracial but it’s unknown what the race of her mother is. In a previous post, I stated I saw her as half Black but now I see her as half Afro Latina and half White.

24. Alinta aka Bolt - from Teen Titans Academy; she appears to be Black and it’s confirmed she is from Australia, so I see her as a Australian Aboriginal 

25. Anita Fite aka Empress - Afro Haitian

26. Uno aka Aztek I - Nahua Mexican

27. Nayeli Constant aka Aztek II - Nahua Mexican

28. Val Armorr aka Karate Kid  - half Japanese and half White

29. Wallace West aka Kid Flash II - half Black and half White

30. Keshena Carpentier aka Timber -  half Menominee but I’m not sure of the other half

31. Tesla Strong - half Black and half White

32. Tiana Toomes aka Starlin - half Black and half White

33. Traci Thirteen aka Traci 13 - Her Asian nationality is unknown and often debated. In my opinion, I make her half Filipina and half Thai. Since there aren’t a lot of Southeast Asian superheroes

34.  Olive Silverlock - from Gotham Academy; her ethnicity is unknown but she is POC given her dark skin. She might also be albino. For me, I think she is a POC albino, most likely of Arabian descent. She may also be biracial.

35. Renee Montoya aka The Question II - Afro Puerto Rican

MARVEL

1. Danielle Cage aka Captain America - half white and half black

2. America Chavez aka Miss America - Afro Puerto Rican Caribbean

3. Miles Morales aka Spider Man - half black and half Puerto Rican

4. Sam Alexander aka Nova - half Mexican and half white

5. Daken Akihiro aka Wolverine - half Japanese and half white

6. Laura Kinney aka X-23 aka Wolverine - following from her original appearance where she had notable dark skin in X-Men Evolutions. It was never confirmed but I believe her “mother” was Afro Latina. So, Laura would be half Afro Latina and half white

7. Maya Lopez aka Echo - half Hispanic and half Native Cheyenne

8. Eden Fesi aka Manifold - Black Australian Aboriginal

9. Lucas Bishop - Black Australian Aboriginal

10. Gloria Dolores Muñoz aka Risque - half Seminole and half Cuban 

11.  Maria De Guadalupe “Lupe” Santiago aka Silverclaw -  Hispanic nationality unknown but lives in a fictional Hispanic island or country and is an Indigenous member

12. Aliyah Bishop - Black Australian Aboriginal

13. Narya aka Snowbird - half Inuit and possibly half White

14. Lucy Rand - daughter of Danny Rand and Misty Knight; half Black and half White; since I would racebend Danny as Tibetan American, that would make her half Tibetan and half Black

12. Silhouette Chord aka Silhouette - half Black and half Cambodian

13.  Kei Kawade aka Kid Kaiju - half Japanese and half white

14.  Jeannine Sauvage aka Guillotine - Afro Arabian, from my personal opinion and the info about character

15.  Daisy Johnson aka Quake - half Chinese and half white American

16. Katy Chen - from the MCU; I’m following the same heritage as her actress; half Chinese and half Korean

17. Colleen Wing - half Chinese and half Japanese

18. Victor Alvarez aka Power Man - Afro Dominican

19.  Cecilia Reyes - Afro Puerto Rican

20. Roberto da Costa aka Sunspot - Afro Brazilian

21. Nezhno Abidemi aka Gentle - half Black (Wakandan) and half White (Russian)

22. Thunderstorm - daughter of Thor and Ororo Munroe/Storm; half White and half Black (Kenyan)

23. Neena Thurman aka Domino - half Black and half White

24. Kiyoshi Morales aka Captain America - half Japanese and half Hispanic

25. Nathaniel Carver aka Hindsight - half Korean and half White

26. Peni Parker aka SP//DR - half Japanese and half White

27. Selah Burke aka Sun Girl - half Black and half White

28.  Anya Corazon aka Arana - half Mexican and half Puerto Rican

29.  Angel Salvadore aka Tempest - Afro-Latina

30.  Nina the Conjuror - Brazilian, given her dark skintone, she might be Afro-Brazilian

31.  Ellie Camacho - half white and half Hispanic

Please list any more if you don’t see any on the list. Be respectful with the comments.

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

Have you noticed the thing in fanfics of children's lit where the writer gives the protagonist new parent figures? The parent figures say things like "no child should have had to do x!". PF's don't prevent protagonist from doing heroism but might ground them for it after. Under their care, the protagonist is likely to get a job, often at the business of the PF. Seems less common for the Animorph (more in ATLA and Harry Potter), but if you have seen this, what's going on? Why do writers do this?

Why do writers do this?

Welcome to the fandom renaissance, Nonny!  My best stab as to what’s going on here is that we’re seeing fewer and fewer shipping wars due to a whole range of forces from “the average age of fandom is increasing” to “there’s an ongoing post-monogamy societal shift.”   BUT that there’s still a desire to see relationship-building fic go in the gaps where (for instance) Pro-Jacob Anti-Edward fic used to go.  So instead of writing about Edward and Bella’s romance, people are writing about Edward and Carlisle’s mentorship, or Leah and Rosalie’s friendship.

What’s going on?

Again, a stab in the dark: it’s a really fun story premise, one that can get away from the way ships are sometimes fraught with baggage.  Found Family is intensely cathartic, in the sense that it takes characters who are miserable and/or lonely in canon and allows them to build loving relationships with each other.  It also (IMHO) reflects that trend among Millennial Whippersnappers to move away from nuclear definitions of “family” and toward embracing everything from polyamory to sexless romance to adult adoption.

Not only that, but it’s awesome in that it lets writers play so much with foils.  Stranger Things obviously does this Up to Eleven (pun intended): Steve’s an arrogant jerk when he’s interacting with Nancy but a dorky sweetheart around Dustin, Hopper’s at his worst around Joyce but at his best around El, Billy’s evil to Max but might be redeemable around his mom, etcetera.  This premise gives fan writers the chance to get wildly different characters into a room together — what if the Tonks family adopted Neville Longbottom? — and start playing out the fun potential.

Why Avatar and Harry Potter (but not Animorphs)?

In a word: FOILS.  Both AtLA and Harry Potter are series filled with good, bad, and ugly mentors, and both series have contrasts between the good and the bad.  For AtLA, it’s no accident that Zuko finally reuniting with his father in S3E1 is intercut with the scene of Katara finally reuniting with her father.  Katara’s fam airs their grievances, talks things out, yells, cries, apologizes, forgives, hugs, and affirms their ongoing love.  Zuko’s fam deals with having 500 times as much baggage by... Zuko kowtowing silently on the floor while Ozai talks about everything but their problems with each other.  After that sequence, the desire to get Zuko into a room with Hakoda for some proper fathering is practically overwhelming, and many brilliant fan writers have obliged us by doing exactly that.

For Harry Potter, there’s no scene that’s as in-your-face with the contrast between healthy vs. unhealthy disagreement with one’s father, but there are still plenty of mentor foils.  Sirius and Petunia are probably the clearest examples.  Sirius is a raging mess who (on the surface) has nothing to offer Harry: he’s an ex-con with a drinking problem and untreated mental health issues who spends much of the series homeless.  Petunia has her shit together and (on the surface) is the perfect guardian for Harry: she’s a wealthy full-time parent who lives in a large suburban house, and is both his closest surviving relative and his legal guardian.  But of course all Harry needs from a parent is love and support, and Sirius offers that in spades while Petunia has none to spare.  Again, the desire to rip Harry away from the Dursleys and ship him off to go be a Black is overwhelming, and many beautiful works of fan fiction have done exactly that.

Animorphs... doesn’t have mentor characters.  Like, none.  Elfangor dies, Toby does her own thing, Erek can’t be trusted, neither Ax nor Jake wants to mentor, and all adults are possible controllers.  Eva’s the closest we get, but by the time she’s free, everyone (especially Eva) recognizes that the Animorphs are already more experienced than her.  We don’t even see a dynamic like the Teen Titans show where the villains mentor the heroes — Jake and Marco might occasionally parallel Visser Three and Visser One, but they don’t learn from the vissers the way that Robin does from Slade or Raven does from Trigon.  The kids just... find their own way.  So while people have written fic where Elfangor or Eva or Mertil or Tom mentors the team, there’s not this in-your-face missed opportunity for the kids to get the parenting they deserve in Animorphs the way there is with Harry Potter and Avatar.

Have you noticed the thing?

Personally, I love this trend.  I’m not much of a shipper — I’m not fond of “will they or won’t they” romantic premises, and actively dislike “they will because they’re soulmates” premises.  My favorite Ship Dynamics are all platonic.  Like, my faves include (but are not limited to):

Grubby Semi-Feral Mentee and Aloof Socially-Incompetent Mentor Bond with Alarming Speed Over Niche Magical Interest (see: Briar and Rosethorn in Circle of Magic, Boy 412 and Marcia in Septimus Heap, Jason and Bruce in Batman, Wart and Merlin in The Once and Future King)

Well-Intentioned Loving Parent Irretrievably Fucks Up Child, Copes with Fallout (see: John and Dean in Supernatural, Adam and Cal in East of Eden, Soichiro and Light in Death Note, Elaine and T.J. in Political Animals)

I’ve Only Known This Person With Extremely Specific Shared Trauma for 10 Minutes But If Anything Happened to Them I Would Kill Everyone (see: Toph and Zuko in AtLA, Luke and Annabeth in Demigod Diaries, Ax and Tobias in Animorphs, Spike and Angel in Angel, Parker and Eliot in Leverage, Johanna and Finnick in Catching Fire)

Saving the World Sucks But At Least My Ultra-Competent Siblings Are Suffering With Me (see: Edmund and Lucy in Chronicles of Narnia, Sam and Dean in Supernatural, the Hargreeveses in Umbrella Academy, the Crains in Haunting of Hill House)

Just Because I Tried to Kill You That One Time Doesn’t Mean I Won’t Help You Hide a Body, JFC We’re Still Family and I Don’t Know What You Take Me For (see: the Robins in Batman, Septimus and Simon in Septimus Heap, Kyle and Ian in The Host)

We Were the Weird Cousins At All the Family Reunions and We’ve Only Gotten Weirder Since (see: Kate and George in Story Time, Jake and Rachel in Animorphs, Po and Bitterblue in Graceling Realm)

[hurricanerin]

Poise & Rationality Ch. 1: Chime

A profuse thank you to @hysteria87​ for being a solid pal and beta and making me a bomb graphic.  And shoutout to @liquor-belle​ for unintentionally signing on as my crisis management team and beta as well.  Annnnd to both of them for handling my 7 week long neurosis featuring this story.  Both of them are hardcore talented, please check them out.

Hi Dark!Steve Fandom!  Thanks for your patience!

Pairing: HYDRA!Steve x OFC

Rating: Explicit.  Always, always explicit.

Warnings: Rape/noncon/dubcon, smut, forced pregnancy, emotional manipulation, power imbalance.

Length: 5.5k.

Summary: Shield has fallen, leaving Eden at the feet of the villainous Steve Rogers, Hydra's newest recruit.  She walks on eggshells, trying to survive in a new reality where she’s at the mercy of her closest friend, one where she can keep her heart locked away from this mess.  The problem is that the ex-Captain’s flirting and gentle teasing has turned carnal and new intentions clear: she is his and he’s going to have her.

P&R Masterlist

Add yourself to my taglist.

It felt like a bad dream, really; the defunct Avengers held captive at the overtaken compound while the newly triumphant Hydra made themselves comfortable.  Shock collars, laced with gamma radiation and programmed to trigger in the event of excessive exertion, kept the fallen heroes docile as their minds rotted with hate and failure.  It would have been a kindness to use Loki’s scepter to cheat them into blissful unawareness as they knelt to their enemies.  

The newest of whom was Steve Rogers.

Captain America was dead.  The infamous shield rested amongst Hydra’s other freshly acquired treasures, his star spangled suit torn to shreds, and the righteous hero’s wholesome affect demolished beyond recognition.  In his place stood a hardened, jaded man, lied to and taken advantage of ten times too many by the entity he had believed in with every ounce of his being.  But, when government property and intelligence were held at a higher value than humanity again and again, when Shield repeatedly chose to prioritize the safety and preservation of weapons over the lives of civilians, Steve had finally walked away from everything: the scene, the victims’ bodies, Shield itself. Three days later, Hydra attacked the compound in upstate New York, led by the rogue First Avenger. All Avengers were taken alive and divided amongst the Hydra elite.  

Some higher ups chose more practical uses for their new playthings.  Hydra monitored Tony, even more volatile due to Pepper’s disappearance, with a team of twenty while they forced him to improve Hydra weapons tech.  Bruce, clad in a collar unique to his makeup and under the watchful eye of fifty of Hydra’s finest, was stuck in the lab conducting heinous experiments on future super soldiers.  Natasha, Clint and Thor also served in sectors reflective of their own talents.  Steve stuffed down the guilt twisting in his stomach and instead focused on the satisfaction of knowing that Shield’s puppets were neutralized.

The Captain’s personal vendettas didn’t end with the five originals; he spread his bitter anger throughout the extended squad of heroes. Save for a smattering of team members he recruited, the Avengers as a whole suffered.  He made certain that Eden, a recruit with only two years on the Avengers crew, endured a fate just as miserable as the rest.  She was his protegee and had been attached to his side since her first day on the team.  She deserved to be punished like the others, forced to watch the world they had worked so hard to protect fall to shambles.  

Eden had had Steve wrapped so tightly around her little finger by the time he left for Hydra that when she refused to change sides, she had …wounded him.  Badly. She deserved retribution, but Steve didn’t have time for petty discipline and the thought of anyone but himself marking or marring her skin made him see red.  If someone were to physically punish Eden, it would be his fingers pressing bruises into her arms, his teeth leaving angry red imprints on her neck, his lips pulling purple marks to the surface of her chest.  

No. The situation didn’t call for that. Not yet.  For now, he was content humiliating her; keeping her close to his side, as she had been since her first day at the compound.  Eden now served as his imprisoned assistant and glorified scullery maid.  A combat-trained scullery maid capable of absorbing and neutralizing the energy of a nuclear bomb, but a maid nonetheless.  Most importantly, she was his.  

 Of all the people in the world to be assigned, Steve Rogers was the last who required cleaning up after.  Even as Hydra’s Captain, he kept his rooms immaculate.  In doing so, he unintentionally maintained that air of humility that had made him Captain America, which infuriated Eden.  He would be so much easier to hate if he weren’t still Steve.

Smoothing the surface of the flat sheet over his mattress, she exhaled softly.  Like the disciplined soldier he was, Steve made his bed every morning, but he liked new sheets every other day.  Changing his linens provided a brief reprieve from the boredom of being confined to his apartment all day, for which she was grateful.  Humming absently to herself, she spread the slate-colored comforter over his bed.  She honestly wasn’t sure which she preferred: solitude; time wasted alone in his giant space where she was plagued by listlessness, or suffering his company, in which she was tortured by watching the man she revered so ardently betray his own credo.  

When a series of beeps and chirps sounded from the other room, followed by the thunk of reversing deadbolts, Eden’s heart pounded and she haphazardly dragged the bedspread over the mattress and tossed the remaining pillows onto the bed. Rushing from his bedroom, she didn’t bother with the lights as she hustled into the living room.  Steve discovering her in his room rarely ended well. He would stare at her, pupils dilated to the size of dinner plates as he made no effort to conceal the erection growing in his trousers.  He’d toy with her until the tension in the room grew unbearable, and then she’d break and find an excuse to flee.  Though they hadn’t acted on their mutual attraction prior to his betrayal, the power dynamic between them was vastly different now.  She wasn’t sure she was allowed to refuse his advances anymore, and she didn’t care to put herself in a position to find out.  So far, he had been lenient.

Trotting straight to a cart filled with decanters of alcohol and snatching the scotch, she paid little mind as she nearly missed the tumbler, hastily pouring as the front door released and Steve strode into the room. Wiping her wet hand on the skirt of her dress, Eden silently approached him and held out the crystal glass, neglecting to make eye contact.  Once in his grasp, she fled with as much subtlety as possible, taking refuge beside the antique cart.

A stack of papers muffled the clatter of his heavy P220 as he dropped them to the kitchen table.  Gaze flicking over her, Steve took a long draw, disappointed, as always, at the alcohol’s lack of effect.  Though Eden’s eyes refused to meet his, she did pay attention to the way his scruffy throat bobbed as he swallowed, which earned her a grin.  Her attempts at feigned disinterest were endearing. Actually, at the present moment everything about her was endearing.  Appealing. Fresh from a testosterone-filled debriefing meeting, an aching tension filled him from chest to groin, begging to be released.  However, their tango wasn’t simple.

Licking a drop of liquor from his lip, he nodded in her direction.  “How was your day, Eden?”

Her lip curled before she dropped her gaze to the ground, letting her hair fall forward to shield her face.  The simple act caused a pleasant throb in his lower abdomen.  The more she hated him, the more he wanted her. There had been a magnetism between them before the takeover, before his ultimate betrayal.  Back when he was good. As his altruism had faded while hers remained, as his world had darkened and decayed, Eden had stayed a small beacon of… not light, but comfort.  Someone he returned to at the compound and used to soothe the festering rage and simmering disappointment Shield fostered.

It was Eden who had coaxed him into sharing his doubts regarding Shield’s intentions and she had never judged him for it.  She had listened, challenging him with the occasional question or opinion.   He had never doubted her fidelity, but everything changed during the takeover. The expression on her face when she saw him flanked with Hydra soldiers that day of the attack made his stomach sink. Steve had trained her, made her what she was.  She was his confidante.  He thought Eden’s loyalty would survive something like his transition to Hydra, but he was sorely mistaken.  She had turned on him, just like almost everyone else.  

Eyes flicking over her body, clad in his designated 1940’s tea dress, Steve rested his hip against the leather sectional.  His face hardened as he drained the tumbler and tried again.

“How was your day, Eden?”

Once more, ignored him.

“Respond, Eden.”

Focused on her hands, she picked at the cuticle of her thumb.

Pursing his lips, Steve sighed and reached into his pocket to retrieve a slim remote.  He saw Eden freeze in his peripheral, but she still refused to look up.  With an exasperated exhale, he pressed one of the buttons, frowning as the woman cried out and crumpled to her knees, tugging at the collar around her neck and leaning into the wall for support.

“Damnit,” she panted.

“I don’t like it when you ignore me, Eden.”

“I don’t like it when you betray your family, humiliate and hold us prisoner, but here we are,” she grit.

Steve’s face softened as his gaze focused on something she couldn’t see.

Family.

The Avengers were his family.  Had been his family.  Hydra would never fill that void.  He knew that going in.  For as much as Steve Rogers had changed, that basal, primal need to create a family he could protect and provide for still ate at him.  It was the one thing in the world he wanted.  He had given everything to defend the earth and its inhabitants.  Was he not due what he desired most?  

Eyes focusing, they honed in on the seething woman bracing the wall.  Even incensed and in pain, Eden made his thick cock swell.  Family.  He had entertained the idea featuring her, of course.  It was impossible not to when they spent so much time together.  He had briefly substituted several of the women he worked with, but he always came back to Eden.  She fit all his requirements; wide hips, a hearty body, strong maternal instincts, and more than capable of defending herself.  How her superhuman talents would factor into her offspring had yet to be determined, but he doubted the results would be adverse.

Natasha would kill anything he planted inside her just to spite him.  She was self-destructive.  But Eden… Eden was flawed in a completely different manner, in harmless ways, such as stubbornly insisting she was always right or that her way was best, but he had sway over her.  She was headstrong with a temper, but both were easily tamed.  In training, she yielded beautifully to him.  Sometimes it took him physically besting her to get a point across.  If that carried over to their relationship, then so be it.

He knew Eden may try to escape with his baby because she feared for his or her safety, but that did not concern him.  He would prove to her eventually that once she submitted to him, there was nothing to fear.

With a tired, distracted sigh, Steve collapsed onto the sofa, discarded his glass on the cocktail table and absently rubbed his chin with a thumb.  Frowning, he tugged at the hair on his jaw, feeling the length.  He turned and examined himself critically in the mirror mounted on the wall behind him, running his fingers through the heft of his beard. He could feel the odd stray hair and the undefined neckline bordered on untidy.

“I want this trimmed,” he said without facing Eden.

Biting her cheek to keep from scoffing, she crossed her arms and raised a brow, only to be met with an austere glance in the mirror’s reflection.  Steve nodded in the direction of his bedroom.

“My shaving kit is in the bathroom, bottom left cabinet.  Go get it.”

Releasing an irritated sigh, Eden dropped her arms to her sides.  

“Yes, sir.”  

Her voice was demure but the ire in her eyes gleamed with disdain.  Pushing off the wall, she slipped into his bedroom and to the ensuite.  She knelt and rummaged through the cabinet, retrieving the worn bag.  Steve watched impatiently from a kitchen chair as she dropped her prize unceremoniously on his kitchen counter.  

“What are you waiting for?”

Gritting her teeth, she unzipped the leather pouch, fishing out its contents and laying them on the table: a plastic comb, a few guards, clippers, beat up disposable razor, and a tube of shaving butter.

Eying the pile, the corner of her mouth pulled upwards. Forgetting herself, she couldn’t stop the jibe from tumbling out from between her lips, “The traditional Captain America doesn’t have a straight edge?”

Steve’s body stiffened.  He inhaled sharply, releasing his breath through his nose.  Forcing his corded muscles to relax, he shucked off his long sleeved tactical shirt and held it out for her to take.  “I don’t have time for nostalgia.”

“Seriously?” Eden muttered to herself.

His movements froze and his gaze met hers.  Heat bloomed across her face and chest at the invitation in his eyes to provoke him further.  She held his stare for a moment longer before he called her bluff, and Eden looked away.  Suddenly very busy folding his uniform, she focused on her task until he stretched his arms behind his head.  With a loud, satisfied groan, he extended his hands into the air, then rubbed a palm against the skintight material of the thin, white cotton t-shirt plastered against his chest.

Aware of the nearly irresistible temptation to stare at Steve’s body, Eden set her jaw as she delicately placed his still-warm shirt on the counter.  Planting a hand on her hip, her eyes flicked back and forth between Steve, his beard, and his array of tools.  She motioned at the table.

“This is going to make a mess.  There will be trimmings everywhere.  Let’s do it over the sink.”

“Here is fine.  My maid will sweep everything up later.”

Gritting her teeth, she marched to the table, snatched the clippers and comb in one hand and wrenched his chin upwards with the other.

“I haven’t done this in a long time.  It may not be good,” she warned.

“I didn’t expect you to have done this at all.  Whose beard have you trimmed?”

She hesitated, running the comb down through the scruff on his cheeks to wrangle unkempt hairs, then turned on the clippers.  If his arched eyebrow wasn’t enough indication, Steve clearing his throat made his desire for a prompt answer abundantly clear.

“An ex owned a barbershop,” she said over the noise.  “I wanted to know what he did all day, so he taught me.”

At the mention of her being with another man, Steve visibly bristled.  

“I see.”

Using her fingertips to angle Steve’s jaw as needed, Eden couldn’t fight the blush staining her cheeks.  His eyes followed her everywhere as she guided the guarded clippers down in the direction of the hair growth on his cheeks.  His pensive gaze was overwhelming, and given the amusement in his eyes, he knew very well the effect he had on her.  She opted to ignore him.  

Confident that she had trimmed enough without taking away too much bulk, she flipped the switch off to change the guard.  She needed one that would leave more length for his neck and chin.  

Steve cleared his throat, breaking her concentration.

“Do you want kids, Eden?”

She froze, almost dropping the plastic piece in her hand. A deeply personal question from Captain America wouldn’t have warranted a second thought.  But, since the takeover and her accused betrayal, Steve had been cold, withdrawing from her completely.  Her heart ached at the naïve hope bubbling up in her chest that the inquiry was meant as an opportunity to connect.  That man didn’t exist anymore.  Giving herself a mental shake, she cleared her throat and frowned in thought.

“Um, well—I guess—I—”

“It’s not a difficult question.”

Shooting him a nasty glare, she snapped the guard onto the clippers and flicked the power switch.  With a huff, she positioned herself in front of him, yanking his chin upwards and running the clipper comb through his beard.

Eden pursed her lips.  “I don’t think I’d be a good mom,” she admitted.  “My career is so much more violent than I expected, I don’t think a child should grow u—”

“You’ll be a good mom,” Steve interrupted.

The conviction in his voice caused her to falter.  With an uncomfortable laugh, she shook her head.

“I don’t know anything.  While my friends had babies, I spent my early twenties learning how to control myself around sources of energy so I didn’t accidentally blow up a city. I learned to fight and devise exit strategies and collaborate with a team.  If I have been around them, the children I’ve seen have been victims of awful circumstances.  I wouldn’t know what to say to a kid I haven’t rescued.”

Steve was contemplative as she removed the plastic guard. Her thoughtful reflection only made him desire her more.  The urge to claim her, before another Hydra member did, before an opposing force banded together and stole her away, clouded his vision.  There was only one solution: He’d plant his baby in her belly now and tie her to him forever. Eden would never allow her child to be taken from her and if she ran from him with the baby, he would find her. No matter where she went, he would find her.  She would be his by right.  They would be his by right. Mother and child tethered to father forever.  His indestructible family.  Untouchable, with two gifted parents that would do anything to protect their children.

Steve shifted uncomfortably in the chair, tugging at his tactical pants as his erection grew at the thought of her swollen with their baby. For their first child, her movement would be restricted to the compound.  She couldn’t be trusted, not yet.  But by their second, he’ll have trained her by holding their firstborn over her as leverage to obey him.

Oblivious, Eden used the bare clipper to clean up his untidy neckline, neaten his scruffy cheeks, and trim around his lips.  When she brushed away clippings littering his mouth with her fingers, he fought the urge to take them between his lips.

Eden started to hum, and it was clear her mind was deviating from their future.

“I’ve seen you with them,” he noted.  “If you can handle traumatized kids during missions, you can handle your own.  Practiced or not, you have maternal instinct.”

Eden’s ears glowed as she finished his sideburns.  Whether Steve allied himself with Hydra or Shield, she knew he wanted a family.  His approval of her ability as a mother was significant, she just couldn’t figure out where he was going with it.  Opting to ignore his comment, she gingerly placed the clippers on the kitchen counter, as if doing so with little noise would allow her to slip away unnoticed.

“All done,” she said softly, casually brushing beard hairs off her dress as she backed away.

Eden yelped when he snatched her wrist.  It took everything in her not to react instinctually, the way Captain America had relentlessly trained her body to respond when attacked.

“You’re not finished,” he said tersely, lifting his chin and rubbing the pads of his fingers along the short, prickly hair at his Adam’s apple.  “There is still stubble.”

“I’m not using that rusty razor, I’ll give you tetanus,” she nodded at the disposable in his bag.  Though Steve was correct, using a straight edge or razor would give an even closer shave than the clippers, she was not going to be responsible for infecting Hydra’s newest member.

Steve noiselessly raised his pant leg and slipped a black combat blade from a hidden ankle sheath, then handed it to Eden handle-first. Not a straightedge, but just as sharp.

“I just cleaned it,” he nodded at the weapon.  “Don’t get it dirty.”

Don’t make him bleed.  It was the most impassive threat she’d ever heard, but as deadly as if he’d held the blade to her own throat.

Eden fingered the knife handle, watching Steve’s face uneasily. How could he careen from thoughtful parent to menacing so effortlessly?  Was this a challenge?  Did he want her to attack him?  He had trained her; Eden’s uncanny talent for disarming enemies in place of killing them had always made Steve proud.  He knew her every tell and every strategy in her repertoire.  Besides, he’d never actually kill her; he found too much satisfaction in toying with her.  He’d hurt her though.  He had the self-control to dominate her physically without causing her bodily harm.  The toll it would take on her heart was another story.  Whatever he was planning, she wanted no part of it.

She held the knife back out to him, shaking her head.  “It’s too hard to get the right angle.  I’ll cut you.  Do it yourself.”

Steve’s mouth twitched.  He patted his thigh.  “Sit. You can do it from here.”  He leaned back, arms spread along the back of the chair, lap open.  The epitome of inviting.

Eden’s face warmed as she set her jaw.  Hesitating, her eyes flashed before she abandoned the knife on the counter and stalked further back into the kitchen.  Immediately Steve reached for the remote, his thumb on the button to activate her collar.  About to press down for blatantly disobeying him, he stopped when all she did was snatch a hanging towel and meander to the sink to fill a bowl with hot water.

When she turned to face him her eyes widened, brows furrowing into an expression of saddened anger as she saw the device in his hand.

“Can I keep going?  Or should I put these down so you can zap me?”

Though he only felt a tinge of guilt, it was more emotion than he could afford.  Hardening his expression, Steve dropped the remote on the table and raised his hands in the air.  

“My mistake.”

Again, he had to display that wretched humility that had made him Captain America.  Why hadn’t Hydra purged him of it?  Why couldn’t he just be bad?  Breath stuttering as she exhaled, Eden stowed her items on the counter next to Steve’s shoulder, swapping them for the weapon.

Flipping the knife in her hand, she squeezed her fingers around the handle, inhaled and gingerly padded forward.  Her breath caught as Steve’s iron grip cupped her ribcage and hip, lifting her to perch sideways on his thighs.  She caught herself, one hand grasping at the thin white t-shirt he wore, the other plastered flat against his pectoral, the knife sandwiched between her palm and the solid wall of muscle.

Her fingers tensed when his chest rumbled beneath them with a laugh, goosebumps rising on her arms as his nose found its way against the hypersensitive skin of her neck.  Steve made no effort to mask his groan as he inhaled the familiar fragrance of her jasmine shampoo, mingled with the scent that was intrinsically Eden.  When she stiffened in his arms, he guided a warm palm up the expanse of her back, pulling her even closer as he used a knuckle to brush her hair from her face.  

“Things have always been easy between us,” he mused. “It feels good to be this close, doesn’t it?  

Swallowing hard, she kept her eyes lowered, focused on his chest.  

“Of course,” she shrugged.  “This is normal.  It’s no different than training,” she all but whispered.

Shit.

Between his voice in his ear and his hands on her body, her brain wasn’t functioning.  Eden needed space.  She hadn’t smelled his familiar Old Spice deodorant, that faint note of sweat, or the pure musk of Steve since before the takeover.  Her sole mission had been to convince her brain that the man working for Hydra who looked like Steve wasn’t Steve, at least not her Steve, so she could make it through each day.  If she did that, Eden could maintain emotional distance while interacting with his imposter.  She doubted sleep would ever come easily again, not with him in the next room, but she could at least survive the daylight hours without a complete breakdown.  But now he was touching her, talking to her like nothing had happened and she couldn’t ignore who he really was.  

Steve’s thumb nudged her chin upwards to expose the underside of her jaw.   Eden was caught so off-guard by act that the emotion bubbling in her throat froze and she sobered.  She swallowed hard as she felt him lazily trace the tip of his nose along her jawline, before creeping lower and pressing his lips against the sensitive skin of her throat.  She couldn’t breathe properly, but her head was painfully clear as his scruff burned her delicate flesh and his lips pulled gently against the tender skin of her neck, leaving a purple mark.  

The sound of her breath hitching was deafening, and in case she weren’t positive that it was, feeling his lips morph into a triumphant smile against her throat confirmed it. Steve easily pried Eden’s clenched fist from his shirt and looped her arm around his shoulder.  She was putty in his hands.

Neither of them missed how the position brought them closer yet, pressing her breast firmly against his sculpted chest.  Aside from the minor shiver that racked through her, Eden ignored the sensation of her pebbled nipple rubbing against his solid mass. Steve, however, did not let it go unnoticed.  He released a pleased grunt and nodded at the knife in her hand.

“You have a job to do, Eden.”

She hated when he said her name.  All it took was hearing those two syllables and her lower belly tightened, flooding with heat.  She clenched her teeth with enough pressure that something in her jaw popped.  Taking a deep breath, she regrouped, then studied his face, analyzing the best way to proceed.

Truly, she did her best to maneuver herself with as little friction as possible.  But in reaching to drag the shaving butter, steaming bowl and rag closer, she shifted and her bottom ground against the existing bulge beneath her, eliciting a hiss from Steve.

Eden froze in a mixture of terror, embarrassment, and arousal.  When Steve repositioned himself beneath her, it was her turn to stifle a moan.  She was fairly certain the way he ground his erection against her ass was payback. Unprepared for the retribution, the quiet gasp she uttered echoed in the silent kitchen.   Eden swallowed back a whimper, closed her eyes as she collected herself.  Straightening with mock confidence, she wrung out the steaming washcloth, smeared a dollop of shaving butter on the back of her hand and turned back to Steve with the utmost delicacy.  

His harsh exhale puffed against her cheeks and she disregarded his smoldering gaze, stubbornly setting to work.  It was impossible, however, to ignore the warmth radiating off his body. The contrast in their body temperature beneath her cool palms sent goosebumps rising up her arms as she twisted to face him.  Keeping her face blank, she wet his cheeks, upper neck, and sideburns with the cloth, then worked the butter between her palms and applied it using as little bodily contact as possible.  Unfortunately, she could only limit so much.  Her task required her to run her fingers along his Adam’s apple, cheeks and the neckline of his beard to massage the product into his skin, ensuring there was a lubricating layer of cream between his flesh and the knife.

By all accounts, her hands should have trembled too badly to wield the weapon.  She followed Steve’s gaze to the steady knife as she directed his chin once again with her hand.  The corner of his mouth twitched, as if he were trying not to smirk, but he couldn’t quell the regard in his eyes.  She realized he was proud that she had stayed as composed as she had.  Her lower half throbbed, trained like a dog to respond to pleasing him.  At this point, it was a visceral reaction.

Cold blue irises tracked her every move as she lifted the blade, frowning at it before pausing to study his face.  She had no more reason to dawdle.  It was time to use the knife.  Taking a sharp breath and holding it, she gently pulled the skin of his neck taut and dragged the edge of the knife through the layer of cream, only just scraping the surface of his flesh.  It slid easily against his skin, slicing away the rough stubble until it met the edge of his carefully shaped beard.

Eden looked to him for permission to continue, but he only raised an expectant brow.  Pursing her lips, she said a prayer to whoever was out there, thanking them for the fact that he was letting her work for the moment.  She moved an inch to the left, and repeated the act.  Mechanically she shaved Steve’s neck and jaw, moving towards his chin.  As she reached the center of his neck, she scraped the knife across his skin, and he swallowed.  The unexpected, fluid roll of his Adam’s apple beneath the weapon at an exaggerated degree hit the blade at just the right angle.  The skin split, blood welling at the shallow broken seam.  Steve didn’t so much as flinch, but Eden’s entire body froze, her breath leaving her lungs.  Her brain felt like a fuzzy TV channel.  She couldn’t think.  Only her eyes moved, darting towards Steve’s face as she tried to gauge whether or not she had just signed her own death sentence.

When his only response was to clear his throat impatiently, she shook her head.  Her thoughts were so loud her head was about to burst and her frantic inhalations sounded like those of an overheated dog.

“I can’t do this,” she said breathlessly.  “I can’t.  Please.”

He moved without warning, fortunate that she had the training to keep the knife steady this time.  In a blink, she straddled him full on, her hands once again bracing his shoulders in confusion as he settled her body over his lap chest-to-chest, this time with her core positioned over the bulging hardness in his pants.

“Oh,” she gasped as his erection aligned with the soft cleft of her center, her eyes glazing over.

Steve groaned, his head tipping back and exposing his neck even further.  At some level, Eden registered the dribble of crimson gathered at the site of the miniscule cut, but out of fear for her life, she only watched it gather idly.

After a determined exhale, Steve swiped at it, distractedly glancing at his thumb after he swept the blood away before refocusing his gaze on Eden.  Unfazed, he confidently settled his hands on her hips, squeezing to gain her attention.

           “Now, your angle is better.  Finish the job.”

She started to position herself towards him, then stilled. Even the slightest pressure forward pressed her center against him.  Fighting the urge to whine, she squeezed her eyes shut.  With an uneasy breath, Eden shook herself.  He wasn’t just going to allow her to leave his lap without finishing. Whether she was willing or not, he would make her complete the task.  

Refreshing the used dish cloth in the bowl of water, she used it to dab at his wound and clean the knife of stubble and excess shaving cream. She hesitated for a moment before adjusting the tension of his skin, then launched back into her chore quickly, more concerned with finishing promptly than the risk of inflicting another nick or two.  Her physical position was beyond precarious; the intimacy of touching his face was already overwhelming, but the feeling of his cock exactly where she wanted it when they were separated by mere barriers of fabric and fundamental ideological differences was unbearable.

Eden didn’t want to think anymore.  Retreating into her mind, she went on auto-pilot.  Scraping and wiping, she worked methodically until her assignment was nearly completed.  It wasn’t until then she that realized that once she did finish, she would be left straddling Steve’s lap without an easy way down and no work to occupy her.  Torn between the incentive of not having to endure the intimacy of touching his face and the dread of the unknown, Steve forced her hand when he started rubbing his thumbs back and forth against her thighs, buffered by the cloth of her dress. She stiffened, unable to squirm away in fear of upsetting or further arousing him, but incapable of staying stationary due to the threat of his wandering hands.  

The look of amused satisfaction that came over Steve’s face frightened her.  It also made her slick center throb.  Certain she resembled a panicked deer with wide, leery eyes, she wet her lip, eyes flicking to the weapon in her hand.

“This needs to stop,” she warned.

Silently he dared her to break his gaze as his fingers traced the hem of her dress.  Eden was keyed up on adrenaline, so focused on Steve and his predatory gaze that when his palms confidently made their way under the skirt of her dress and up her warm thighs, her reaction was instant.  Clutching Steve’s knife in her fist, she made a lightning-quick move to hold the weapon to his throat.  The clap of his palm catching her arm sounded before she felt his grip on her.

“Eden,” he sighed.  “I’m disappointed.”

Ch. 2 What a Shame >>

 Tag list: @whatsitgonnabeangelina​ @kakakatey​ @patzammit​ @maynay43​ @readermia​ @the-kinky-friend​ @monarchofallisurvey​ @averyrogers83​ @atthediscowithoutpanic​ @smollest-soybean​ @alexakeyloveloki​ @theofficialwifeeeofpietro​ @rania @suzieqsez  @liquor-belle @sophiria @titty-teetee @mcudarklibrary​