#but now they are tropes I enjoy greatly for ships.
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
supernatural/Wincest really does have the potential to really pull out the freak in you huh? Itâs got me reading fics with tropes I wouldnât have touched with a 10 feet pole last year. Wincest just has so much range.
#Mpreg and omegaverse were tropes that I firmly swore off and refused to read#but now they are tropes I enjoy greatly for ships.#Also dark fics#I love dark fics for wincest#Samdean#wincest
26 notes
·
View notes
Text
⣠One Kent Was Enough đŠđ»
âŁđŠđ» A/N â You spoiled little brats got a damn near 40k word fic out of me! No complaints, EVER again. Also, if anyone remembers, I posted about doing something like this before when I got inspired by this post from @cipheress-to-k-pop. Hope you enjoy and thank you for your patience and support! WARNINGS: Canon-Typical Violence | Canon Divergence | Domestic Fluff | Angst & Fluff | Minor Conner/M'Gann mentions | Slight Enemies To Lovers trope | Implied Mpreg |
âŁđŠđ» Summary â Conner and Y/N had a very tense relationship; tense meaning there was rarely a moment the two could be in the same room without arguing. Their friends didn't see a future where they would ever be close, let alone cordial. But, a timely visit from some special individuals could end up changing things for the better? Or worse, depending on the perspective. Could the world actually be ending?
âŁđŠđ» Words â 39.4K
REBLOGS and replies are greatly appreciated, please! đ
⣠ENJOY đŠđ»
youtube
In the dimly lit garage hangar of Mount Justice, Batman, and Red Tornado stood solemnly by the ramp, awaiting the return of their young proteges from a mission that was purportedly successful, though marred by "minor complications," as Aqualad had cryptically reported. The exact nature of these complications remained unclear until the bio-ship's hatch door swung open, releasing a cacophony of shouts and arguments into the cool air of the hangar.
The first to disembark were Y/N and Conner, their heated argument escalating with each step they took from the ship. Their faces, illuminated by the harsh overhead lights, were twisted in frustration and angerâemotions that had clearly brewed long before the bio-ship touched down.
"You always undermine me, every single mission!" Y/N's voice echoed off the metal walls, his anger palpable. "With your encyclopedic brain, how can you not grasp the simple phrase 'I donât need help'? Is English somehow the exception in your multilingual repertoire? Shall I translate it into Spanish? Russian? Swahili perhaps?"
Conner responded with equal venom, his voice low and menacing. "If you werenât such a constant liability, maybe I wouldnât need to intervene. And a 'thank you' might be nice, considering this is the fourth time this month Iâve had to bail you out."
As they continued their verbal duel, Batman and Red Tornado exchanged a glance, their expressions a mix of resignation and concern. The other team members exited the ship, their faces tense and weary, evidently disturbed by the ongoing conflict between their comrades.
"Report," Batman interjected, his voice cutting through the bickering with authoritative clarity.
"We neutralized Baneâs operation and apprehended him," Aqualad reported, maintaining a composed demeanor despite the slight twitch of irritation in his brow. "The mission was successful."
"Yeah, barely," Wally added, arms crossed, his tone dry. "He almost got away, thanks to Yin and Yang over there."
Aqualad shot Wally a sharp look, signaling him to tread carefully, but the damage was done. Batmanâs gaze hardened, his attention now fully on the quarreling pair behind him.
"And what do you do besides scream like a monkey and throw tantrums?" Y/N shot back at Conner, his voice rising with each word. "If it werenât for your so-called Kryptonian powers, youâd be less useful than my dog in a fight!"
"Don't compare me to a monkey," Conner growled, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "And last time I checked, these 'weak' Kryptonian powers kept your behind safe more than once. Like that time you hid behind me when those League of Shadow goons cornered you?" Conner retorted, his fists clenched at his sides, the veins in his arms bulging with restrained fury.
"You baffling monkey head, I was casting a spell, not hiding!" Y/N snapped, his aura crackling with magical energy, a clear sign of his escalating temper.
"A spell to boost your courage, perhaps? And stop calling me names," Conner growled, stepping closer until they were nose to nose.
"What are you going to do? Thrown another tantrum if I hurt your wee little pride?" Y/N taunted, floating a few inches off the ground to meet Connerâs height, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Enough!" Batmanâs command reverberated through the hangar, silencing everyone. He swiftly positioned himself between Y/N and Conner, his presence alone demanding peace. Aqualad and Kid Flash pulled Conner back while Zatanna and Robin gently guided Y/N to the ground, their actions preventative.
"This is the third time your arguments have nearly jeopardized a mission," Batman stated coldly. "Resolve this conflict, or youâre both sidelined until you can act like professionals."
With a final, piercing glance at the two, Batman turned and strode towards the mission control room, Red Tornado following in his silent, measured steps. The rest of the team dispersed quickly, their looks of sympathy and frustration cast toward Y/N and Conner as they left.
Fuming, Y/N rounded on Conner. "This is all your fault!"
"How is this my fault? Youâre the one who can't keep his mouth shut," Conner shouted back.
"You're the one who can't take a hint and leave me alone," Y/N countered, his aura flaring.
"Well, maybe if you weren't such a pain in the ass, I wouldn't have to intervene," Conner said, his voice low and dangerous.
"Oh, is that what you call it? Intervening? Because I'd call it something you tried to describe me as earlier with your self-projecting ass. And if you don't learn how to stay out of my way, I'll show you just how much of a pain I can be," Y/N threatened, his eyes glowing with unspent magic.
"Is that a threat?" Conner asked, his voice dangerously quiet.
"Oh, please, I wouldn't waste a threat on you. Your primate brain might not be able to understand it. But, it's definitely a promise," Y/N replied, his voice equally low as he turned away, his footsteps echoing in the empty hangar.
"Whatever," Conner muttered, turning and stalking off in the opposite direction.
As Y/N headed towards the showers, his mutterings continued, a stream of insults and grievances pouring out, unheard by all but Conner, who paused to listen with a heavy sigh before shaking his head and walking away.
The tension between Y/N and Conner had been growing for months, and their teammates were becoming increasingly concerned. The two had never seen eye to eye, but their animosity had recently reached new levels and now the rest of the team was beginning to suffer from it as well.
A couple of hours later, Zatanna and Y/N were deep in their studies in one of the library rooms at the base, surrounded by ancient texts and spellbooks. Y/N was particularly agitated, aggressively flipping through pages and muttering curses under his breath about Conner. This was typical following their arguments; Conner would withdraw and brood, while Y/N became irritable and quick to anger.
Their dynamic puzzled their friends and mentors. Despite claiming indifference toward each other, Y/N and Conner managed to elicit intense reactions from one another, more so than anyone else on the team. Initially, Y/N had been keen to form a bond with Conner, driven by an attraction he barely acknowledged. However, Connerâs apparent disinterest only fueled a series of confrontations, worsening their interactions over time.
As Y/N's frustration grew, Zatanna decided a break was needed. âHey, Iâm going to grab a snack. You want anything?â she asked, hoping to ease the tension.
âConnerâs head on a stake would be nice. If not, then apple juice, please,â Y/N half-joked, half-serious, not looking up from his spellbook.
Zatanna rolled her eyes at his melodramatic response and headed toward the lounge, where the mood was lighter. MâGann was baking cookies, filling the room with a warm, inviting aroma. Dick and Wally were engaged in a video game, with Artemis spectating, while Kaldur was absorbed in a book.
Upon noticing Zatanna, MâGann offered a spoonful of cookie dough. âHey Zatanna, want to try my new recipe? Iâm hoping itâll cheer Conner up.â
âSure, who would ever say no to free cookie dough?â Zatanna smiled, taking the spoon.
Artemis, overhearing the conversation, commented wryly, âMâGann, youâre too good for him. Iâd only bring back lawsuits for my exes.â
âWeâre not exes!â MâGann protested, a blush coloring her cheeks.
âSo, you guys are still together?â Artemis raised an eyebrow, her tone teasing.
âNo! Wellâtechnically yes, but itâs complicated. We havenât talked about it, but we havenât broken up either. Itâs just... things are different now. Iâm not sure what we are. I mean, weâre not dating, but weâre not not dating. Does that make sense?"
"Not really, but whatever makes you happy," Artemis shrugged.
Zatanna offered her a sympathetic hand while washing the spoon in the sink. âJust give him some time. Where is Conner, anyway?â
âEither in the garage hangar or the training room, letting off some steam after his fight with Y/N,â Dick answered, his attention briefly diverted from the game.
MâGannâs expression soured at the mention of Y/N, prompting Zatanna to add, âThatâs why Iâm out here. Needed a break from all the mumbled threats and angry huffs.â
âWhat were they arguing about this time?â Artemis inquired, genuinely curious.
âWho knows? Those two bicker so much, I doubt even they remember what starts it half the time,â Wally chimed in, his fingers busily working the game controller.
âBut seriously, is it just me or is the tension between Y/N and Superboy getting worse?â Wally interjected, pausing the game.
âItâs not just you,â Dick replied, setting his controller aside. âTheyâve been at each otherâs throats lately.â
Wouldn't it be funny if everyone were currently thinking of a memory where Y/N was literally at Conner's throat, trying to choke him out? Not that that actually happened or anything.
...
Okay, it definitely did, but Batman definitely did not have to get Zatanna and Zatara to magically restrain Y/N from trying to suffocate the half-Kryptonian with his powers.
...
Okay, he definitely did.
âI thought they were past this,â Zatanna sighed. âI mean, itâs been a year since their first big fight, and things seemed to have calmed down. But now, itâs like theyâre back to square one.â
âI just want to know why Conner always seems to pick fights with Y/N for no apparent reason,â Artemis pondered aloud.
Zatanna noticed MâGann mixing her cookie dough with more force than necessary and decided to distance herself from the counter, eyeing the bits of dough that were escaping out of the bowl.
âTrue, but Y/N can be just as provocative. He gives as good as he gets, which only escalates their conflicts,â Kaldur observed, not looking up from his book.
âItâs like a vicious cycle with them. Last week, Y/N cast a spell on Conner during an argument at school just to shut him upâliterally removed his ability to speak temporarily,â Zatanna recounted, shaking her head.
âYikes,â Wally winced.
âYeah. Thankfully, no one was around to see it or the damage caused to the hallway in the aftermath. They should feel lucky I was there to clean up their mess,â Zatanna frowned, recalling the incident.
âWhy are they so hostile towards each other? Theyâre supposed to be teammates, not enemies,â Dick wondered.
âMaybe theyâre secretly into each other and are too stubborn to admit it,â Wally joked, earning a pillow thrown at his head by Artemis.
âWally, thatâs not funny,â MâGann chided, her expression darkening.
âSorry, sorry. I was just kidding,â Wally apologized, raising his hands in surrender.
âWhy hasnât Batman done anything about their constant fighting? Surely, heâs noticed how disruptive it is,â Artemis asked, her tone exasperated.
âHe has, and heâs given them multiple warnings, but they havenât listened,â Kaldur responded.
âWell, hopefully, theyâll sort out their issues eventually. For the sake of the team, and their own sanity,â Dick sighed.
âYeah, those two getting along? Might as well be a sign of the apocalypse,â Wally joked.
No sooner had he spoken than the room was suddenly engulfed in a brilliant, searing light that pulsed like a living thing. It expanded rapidly, washing over everything in sight with an overwhelming glow, casting sharp shadows and making it impossible to see more than a few inches ahead. Zatanna stumbled backward, instinctively reaching out for the edge of the counter, her knuckles whitening as she gripped it tightly while M'Gann covered her face with her arm and did her best to hold onto the counter.
It was an intense magical energy that felt thick, almost tangible, vibrating in the air as it intensified. Zatanna could feel it coursing through her, every hair on her body standing on end as the power surged from the epicenter while the others struggled to remain upright.
The force of the magic tugged at everyone, like an invisible hand trying to pull them closer to the blinding core of the disturbance. Papers flew off the table, books flipped open and fluttered their pages wildly, and the very air felt charged with potentialâlike the moment before a storm unleashes its fury. MâGannâs telekinesis instinctively flared, her eyes glowing as she erected a weak barrier to keep the scattered kitchenware from hitting anyone. Dick dropped his controller and braced against the couch, feeling the gust of wind push against his frame, while Wally, ever the speedster, darted to the side and ducked behind Artemis, trying to shield her with his body.
âWhat the heck is that?!â Dick yelled out, though his voice was drowned out by the roaring sound that accompanied the light.
âI have no idea, but Iâm not sticking around to find out,â Wally shouted back, grabbing Artemis and speeding her around to behind the counter where M'Gann was.
Zatanna, eyes squinting through the blinding light, reached out with her magic, trying to push against the force, but even her well-honed abilities struggled to contain it. It felt wild and potentâuntamed, but also somehow new and pure, like a water source that never experienced the effects of pollution. âWhat is this?â she muttered through gritted teeth, her voice barely audible over the cacophony of sound and energy.
âEveryone, get down!â Kaldur ordered, shielding his eyes.
As the light grew in intensity, it became almost painful to bear. Everyone was holding on to somethingâwhether a counter, a chair, or each otherâbracing themselves against the sheer force of the phenomenon. It was as if the very fabric of reality was being stretched thin, ready to snap at any second. And then, just as quickly as it had started, the light dimmed, the energy receding, leaving the room eerily quiet. The gusts of wind ceased, and the magic that had filled the space dissipated into the air, leaving only the scattered remnants of their surroundings in disarray. Everyone stood frozen in place, breathless, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
The team slowly emerged from their various hiding spots, still shaken by the unexpected display of magic. Dick was the first to stand, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to clear the spots from his vision. âCan someone explain why we just got hit by a magical freight train?â he groaned, squinting at the mess left in the room.
âIs everyone okay?â Kaldur asked, breaking the silence.
âI think so,â MâGann replied, her voice shaky.
âWhat the hell was that?!â Artemis demanded, her heart racing.
Meanwhile, Zatanna stood frozen, her gaze fixed on something no one else seemed to notice. In the midst of the scattered books and overturned chairs, three new figures now stood in the room, looking completely out of place and, oddly enough, not at all concerned by the chaos around them.
âUh, guysâŠ?â Zatanna started, trying to catch someoneâs attention.
Kaldur frowned, inspecting the room as though he could assess what had just happened with logic alone. âThat was magic. Though, I've never felt anything like it. That energy feltâŠdifferent. More raw than what weâre used to,â he noted, his brows furrowed. âIt wasnât one of Zatannaâs spells, was it?â
âNo, it definitely wasnât me,â Zatanna responded absentmindedly, her eyes still trained on the three figures. âBut seriously, guysâŠâ
MâGann, still rattled, glanced around the room at the damage. âDo you think it was a new villain attack? It didnât feel like a typical threat, butââ
âI don't think it was an attack,â Kaldur interjected, his eyes narrowing as he tried to piece it all together. âAt least, not in the conventional sense. The magic was too unfocused.â
âBut, how could someone attack us here? It seems unlikely any villain would consider attacking here, knowing we know that they know about the Cave,â M'Gann added, clumsily repeating Wally's words from their first week in the Cave.
âNo, but it isnât the first time we were attacked here,â Artemis reminded her.
âGuys!â Zatanna said again, this time louder, but still no one paid attention.
Dick continued to rub his temples, his patience wearing thin. âWhatever it was, we need to figure it out fast. We canât just wait for Batman toââ
âGUYS!â Zatanna practically shouted now, waving her hands wildly in the air.
âWhat?!â Wally finally turned, looking exasperated.
Zatanna pointed dramatically toward the three new presences in the room, who were standing in varying degrees of awkwardness and curiosity. One of them was casually flipping through a spellbook that had landed on the floor, seemingly unbothered by the teamâs presence.
âUh, guys⊠You see three random kids in the corner too, right?â Wally asked, bewildered.
Artemis, peering towards the corner, responded dryly, âOf course, genius. Why else would we all be looking that way?â
The one with the spellbook, seemingly the oldest, stood confidently in the center, observing with an amused smile as Wally and Artemis bickered. The second boy, positioned slightly behind, crossed his arms and frownedâa familiar gesture that sparked a sense of dĂ©jĂ vu among the onlookers. The youngest clung to the eldestâs hand, peering from behind with wide, apprehensive eyes at the array of new faces, a strong resemblance to someone they all knew catching Zatanna's attention.
âUh...when did they get here?â Dick asked, blinking rapidly.
The one holding the spellbook glanced at the Boy Wonder, his bright, yet calculating smile like he knew you and everything about you with just one look. âOh, weâve been here for a while. Hope we didnât interrupt anything.â
The rest of the teamâs jaws dropped simultaneously.
Before anyone could react to the newcomers, the sound of loud, heavy footsteps reverberated through the space, and Conner barreled into the room. His usual brooding expression was replaced by a combination of panic and anger, his hands clenched into fists. "What the heck is going on in here?!" he demanded, his eyes scanning the room for any signs of danger.
As the Kryptonian burst into the room, the youngest boy's face lit up with recognition. âDADA!â he exclaimed, releasing the eldest's hand and sprinting towards Conner with surprising speed.
Conner, caught off guard, froze, his eyes widening as the child collided with his legs and wrapped his arms around him.
"Dada, dada, dada!" the little boy repeated, his voice muffled against the older man's leg.
"What the...?" Conner mumbled, his brain struggling to process the situation.
"Um, Conner, care to explain?" Dick asked, his confusion evident.
"Explain what?" Conner shot back, his eyes darting between the team and the child clinging to him.
The team's faces registered a mix of shock and slight amusement as Superboy, taken aback, tried to gently remove the enthusiastic toddler clinging to his leg. The boy's laughter filled the room as he attempted to shake him offâunsuccessfully.
âI wouldnât do that,â the eldest boy advised calmly. âThatâs his favorite thing to do when you get home from work. The harder you try and shake him off, the longer heâs going to hold on.â
Conner stopped moving, and the childâs grip loosened slightly but remained firm. Frustrated yet curious, Conner looked around at the bewildered faces of his teammates. âWhose kid even is this?â he asked.
"Yours, apparently," Wally snickered.
"Not funny, Wally. Now, whose is it really?" Conner replied, his tone laced with irritation.
âUm... dude, judging from that kidâs reaction and the fact they seem to know you more than anyone, Iâm gonna make an educated guess and say heâs yours too,â Dick replied, his voice filled with astonishment.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Conner snapped, his frustration growing.
"Language," the eldest boy warned, his eyes narrowing.
"Sorry," Conner grumbled, his cheeks flushing slightly, feeling scolded in a way only someone else ever made him feel. Who the hell were these kids?
Connerâs confusion deepened as he looked down at the smiling boy and then at the other children. Upon closer observation, their similar features became slowly unmistakable now, making it increasingly difficult to deny the reality: he was indeed their father.
Where was Maury when you needed him?
âYouâve got to be kidding me,â Conner groaned as the boy began climbing him like a playground.
âWelp, might as well continue down this crazy train since we're at full speed. So if we've summarized that these three random kids that just appeared out of nowhere are our resident Kryptonian's offspring, then who's their mom?â Wally asked, his gaze sweeping toward the female members of the team.
Zatanna raised an eyebrow menacingly, challenging him to continue, while Dick glared disapprovingly at the implication. Artemis watched the exchange with an amused yet intrigued expression.
MâGann stood up abruptly, her voice ringing with a mixture of excitement and certainty, âHello, Megan! If they're Superboyâs kids, thereâs only one logical explanation.â
âTheyâre all clones made in a lab too?â Wally suggested, which earned him a round of exasperated looks.
âNo, Wally. I was going to say that if theyâre Connerâs kids, then I must be their mom!â MâGann exclaimed, flying over to the three boys. Conner, looking increasingly overwhelmed, watched silently as she approached the children with open arms.
âHi, little guys. Itâs so nice to meet you. Iâm MâGann, or Megan here on Earth, but you can call me Mom. What are your names?â she asked with a warm smile.
The boys exchanged looks, seeming to communicate silently before the eldest responded cautiously, âUhm, hi. Donât know how to say this without sounding mean, butâuhm...â
âYouâre not our mom,â the boy behind him said bluntly.
Everyone cringed slightly as that statement hit MâGann like a physical blow, her face a mixture of confusion and hurt. But before she could gather her thoughts to respond, the roomâs attention was diverted by more footsteps, these lighter but just as quick.
âWhat in the world is going on out here? Do you wombats not understand Iâm trying to meditate? And where is my apple juice?!â Y/Nâs voice, gruff with irritation, cut through the tension.
The youngest boy, still clinging to Conner, pointed excitedly at Y/N. âPapa!â he shouted, his voice echoing in the suddenly silent room.
âDoes anyone want to explain why this random child currently playing monkey bars on Conner just pointed at me and called me Papa?â Y/N asked, his surprise evident as he stared at the child reaching out to him.
The team exchanged stunned looks, each as speechless as the next while MâGann displayed a blend of horror and anger, Connerâs embarrassment and irritation at the "monkey bars" comment clear.
The heavy silence was finally broken by Wallyâs incredulous remark, âOh my god, the world is gonna end.â
Everyone gathered in the living room, with Conner and Y/N positioned centrally, while their three unexpected young guests sat casually on the couch.
âOkay, let me go over this one more time, just to make sure Iâm not missing anything,â Y/N began, stroking his chin thoughtfully as he eyed the two oldest children exchanging knowing looks before turning his attention back to the group. âYou three are from the future and used a magic spell that you're claiming I taught you to come back in time because you wanted to meet your parents?â
âYes, thatâs exactly what weâre claiming,â the oldest affirmed.
âAnd youâre also saying that me and Conner are those parents?â Y/N gestured between himself and the Kryptonian, who was observing the children with a mixture of skepticism and intrigue.
âYep,â the boy replied confidently.
âLIAR!â Y/Nâs voice boomed suddenly, pointing an accusatory finger at the child. The sudden outburst caused a stir among his teammates.
âY/N!â
âDude!â
âWhat is wrong with you?â
The children merely covered the youngest brotherâs ears, though the little one giggled, oblivious to the chaos. Even Conner shot Y/N a disapproving look, though that wasnât unusual.
âWhat? He claims I taught him that spellâsomething I would never irresponsibly share with a child, especially one that could cause all of this! Plus, that spell isnât even in my book,â Y/N defended himself, his exasperation causing sighs and head-shaking among the team.
âReally?! Thatâs the part you find hard to believe?â Wally interjected incredulously.
âWhat? You donât think theyâre from the future?â Y/N retorted.
âUhm, how about the fact theyâre claiming to be your kids?!â Dick countered, his disbelief evident.
âOh, right. Yeah, thatâs not hard to believe at all,â Y/N responded dryly, drawing stunned looks from everyone, particularly Conner and MâGann.
âThis must be some sort of test by Batman, trying to teach me and Conner a lesson. Seriously, me and him? Together? Donât insult me,â Y/N scoffed, dismissing the idea as utterly preposterous.
Connerâs expression shifted from confusion to anger, a storm brewing behind his eyes. He wasnât the only one offended by the remark.
âHey! You shouldnât talk about Dad like that!â the middle child yelled at Y/N, mirroring Connerâs growing irritation.
âAnd what are you going to do about it, little boy?â Y/N taunted, only to yelp in pain as a blast of heat vision singed his thigh. âOw! Did this little gremlin just fry me with heat vision? How does he even have heat vision when you donât?!â
The room fell into shocked silence as the oldest child stood, calmly walking over to Y/N and healing the burn with a wave of his hand, leaving no trace of the injury. His powers were undeniable, as was the ever-clear fact that these kids were exactly who they claimed to be.
âDude, Dad told you not to use your heat vision on people,â the eldest scolded his younger brother.
âYeah, well, Papa warned you about snooping through his spellbook, and look where we are now!â the middle child shot back, waving his arms animatedly at the chaotic situation around them.
âAH-HA! Told you!â Y/N exclaimed triumphantly, though most of the team just rolled their eyes at his stubbornness.
âDude, youâre focusing on the wrong thing. One kid just blasted you with heat vision, and the other healed you with magic that looks a lot like yours,â one of the others pointed out.
âI know, but I proved my point, and thatâs what matters,â Y/N replied, his tone a mix of vindication and annoyance.
âAs you should,â the oldest child agreed, earning a wary glance from Y/N.
âOkay, how about we start this whole thing over,â Zatanna suggested, cutting through the tension. With a flick of her wrist, she conjured extra seats for Y/N and Conner to sit across from their children. âLetâs try introductions first, and then sort the rest out.â
As everyone repositioned themselves, the youngest child sprang from the couch and darted back to Conner, once again climbing him like a jungle gym.
âNot this again,â Conner groaned, clearly exasperated.
âTold you, itâs his favorite thing. He loves when you come home from work or pick him up from daycare. He also loves tickle fights,â the oldest explained, pointing to Y/N as the little one began poking playfully at Y/Nâs side.
âTickle, tickleâŠâ the young boy giggled, his tiny fingers eliciting the faintest smile from Y/N, despite himself.
Zatanna and Artemis both cooed at the adorable sight, and even the rest of the team seemed to soften at the moment. MâGann, however, couldnât hide her discomfort. Abruptly, she left the room, her departure noted by all but especially by those who understood the depth of her feelings.
âSo, about those introductions again?â Y/N said, redirecting attention back to the children, who were now all grinning at the prospect of formally meeting their parents.
Conner Kent Junior, or 'CJ' for short, was the oldest of the three future children. Before he was born, his father had embraced the tradition of naming children after oneself, opting for 'Junior' rather than 'The Second.' Surprisingly, Y/Nâusually stubborn six days a week and double on Sundaysâhad agreed to this tradition. Present-day Y/N found it hard to believe heâd relent on anything, especially to Conner. The idea that they were a couple in any reality was hard enough to swallow, let alone the fact that he would so easily give in to Connerâs whims.
Yet, here was CJâliving proof of their future union. The boy was a spitting image of Conner: the same eyes, the same jawline, and the same stoic demeanor in displeasing situations, so much so that one might mistake him for a clone. However, certain subtle traits also revealed the undeniable truth that Y/N was his other biological parent, such as the shared hair texture and, of course, the childâs inherited magical abilities.
But beyond CJâs physical resemblance to Conner, his personality was a carbon copy of Y/Nâs. His attitude, his way of speaking, and even his mannerisms echoed his magical parent so closely that it was both amusing and slightly disconcerting. Apparently, in the future, Y/N had become a powerful wizardâcapable of rivaling entities and deitiesâwhich CJ mentioned with a hint of pride that threatened to inflate Y/Nâs ego even more than usual.
CJâs adeptness at magic was remarkable, something that nearly rivaled his fatherâs power. Zatanna had felt the raw and potent magic when they first arrived, and CJ explained that his abilities were tied to ancient magic Y/N had encountered in the pastâor was it the future? It was confusing, but either way, it was clear this magic was the reason CJ and his siblings even existed in the first place. The revelation left both of his parents intriguedâand for Y/N, particularly, nervous.
CJ and his brothers had used his magical skills to travel back in time, doubting the stories theyâd been told about their parents' rocky relationship. According to their Aunt Zatanna, their parents had not always been the most harmonious duo, and the kids wanted to see it for themselves. Zatanna had told them tales of Y/N taking away Conner's voice in the middle of an argument or using magic to strangle him (briefly) after Conner made a snarky comment about his weight.
"Isn't it ironic that Dad's the one with the temper, but Papa's the one prone to murderous behavior? It's always the quiet ones," CJ had mused with a smirk. "But we wanted to see it for ourselves. You wrote the spell that got us here, but you wouldnât teach it to me until I was older, or unless it was absolutely necessary."
"Well, that explains why I donât have a spell like that in my book. But youâre admitting that I didnât teach you the spell and you went behind my back?" Y/N raised a brow.
"No, Iâm not admitting anything. Iâm just saying that you didnât teach me the spell, but you did write it," CJ replied casually.
"Thatâs not the point, and you know it," Y/N huffed, crossing his arms.
"Iâm not saying anything without my lawyer," CJ shot back, barely hiding a smirk.
The quick wit and smart attitude were unmistakably Y/Nâs influence. Despite CJâs striking resemblance to Conner, his magical aptitude and sarcasm were all Y/Nâhe was clearly his father's son.
Colin, the middle child, was the wild card of the bunch. While CJ bore Connerâs serious demeanor, Colin had inherited Y/Nâs mischievous streak and free-spirited nature. He had his fatherâs hair and eye color, but he possessed all of Conner's powers and temperament. He could also perfectly replicate his father's neutral, glaring expressionâhis signature stoic face.
The earlier heat blast Colin had unleashed during their arrival was a clear testament to the volatile mix of his genetic heritage. Colinâs abilities, however, had raised a lot of questions, especially since he seemed to have powers that Conner didnât. Before CJ could elaborate further on Colinâs abilities, Zatanna had quickly stepped in, cautioning them against discussing too much about the future. Revealing too much could damage the timelineâand Y/N certainly didnât need any more ego boosts.
Colin had also made his feelings about MâGann very clear when he spoke of a mysterious "green lady" trying to separate his parents, a sentiment that left everyone silently grateful that MâGann had left the room.
The youngest sibling, Camden Kent, was a perfect blend of his parents. His dark hair and eyes were from Conner, while his skin tone clearly came from Y/N. Though Camden didnât display any powers yet, his cheerful personality and playful nature brightened any room he was in.
Though there was an undeniable charm to the whole situation, it didnât make it any less complicated. Y/N had been right about one thingâthe spell the kids had used wasnât supposed to be in their hands. Colin had graciously snitched on his older brother, explaining how CJ had managed to get his hands on the spell by sneaking into Y/N's study while he and Conner were distracted.
"It was all CJ! Papa was making dinner and yelling at Dad about being overprotective, and something about not wanting a repeat of the Phantom Zone thing. CJ snuck into the study, took the spell page, and we used it in his room. I think they heard us, though, 'cause before we zapped out, I heard them rushing upstairs," Colin had said smugly.
Y/N had chuckled, "Me mad at Conner for getting in my way and trying to play hero? Sounds about right."
Connerâs jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides as Y/Nâs words hit a nerve. The jab about playing hero had always been a sore spot, and hearing it nowâespecially in front of their potential future childrenâonly made the sting sharper.
"Are you serious right now?" Conner growled, his blue eyes narrowing as the tension in the room escalated.
Y/N raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "What? Did I lie?"
"You always do this," Conner bit out, stepping closer. "Acting like youâre above needing help. I was trying to keep you safeâ"
"Safe from what? Myself?" Y/N scoffed, crossing his arms. "I can handle things without you jumping in and messing everything up. If youâd stop being such aâ"
"Hey!" Zatannaâs voice sliced through the rising tension. "Reirrab." With a wave of her hands, a glowing barrier appeared between them. "Can we not start another fight in front of the kids? I know this is overwhelming, but we need calm heads here."
Conner glared at Y/N but stepped back. Y/N, though clearly annoyed, shifted his stance and rolled his eyes.
"Whatever," Y/N muttered, running a hand through his hair.
Before Conner could respond, a sharp hiss from the couch interrupted them. "You didnât have to rat me out, you little brat," CJ growled at Colin, who grinned smugly.
"Youâre the one who got caught, not me," Colin taunted, sticking out his tongue.
CJ opened his mouth to argue, but a sharp look from Y/N silenced him. "Enough," Y/N said firmly, making both kids sink into their seats.
The room, now charged with tension from the glowering parents and their children was silent. That is until Wally decided to speak up.
"Man, itâs like watching a mini version of you two go at it," he snickered, glancing at the kids. "Like father, like sonâtimes two."
Dick raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Yeah, except I always thought Conner would be the one laying down the law. Not Y/N."
Wally laughed. "Right? Seeing Y/N as the bad copâ"
"Are you kidding?" Artemis cut in, crossing her arms. "Y/Nâs always been a strict little stick-in-the-mud. Iâm not surprised."
Y/N, who had been pinching the bridge of his nose, finally looked up. "Excuse me, I have always been the responsible one. Connerâs the one who probably thinks letting kids jump off roofs builds character."
Conner scowled. "I donât see why not. They need to know how to fall."
"Typical," Y/N shot back, grinning sarcastically. "And you wonder why I donât leave you alone with the kids."
"He's right," CJ chimed in.
"Yeah, Papa never lets you watch us alone for more than an hour after that one mission," Colin added matter-of-factly.
"See! And they said I didnât know how to make smart decisions," Y/N replied dryly.
Conner sighed in frustration. "I canât believe this. Youâre blaming me for something that hasnât even happened yet."
"Well, maybe if you werenât so reckless, I wouldnât have to worry," Y/N snapped.
"Reckless?" Conner scoffed, his voice rising. "Youâre the one always running off and putting yourself in danger!"
Before the bickering could reignite, Zatanna cleared her throat. "Look, weâre not here to debate your future parenting dynamics. We need to figure out how to get these kids back to their timeline."
CJ, who had been fuming after Colinâs betrayal, hesitated. "Uh, about thatâŠ"
Y/N narrowed his eyes. "What now?"
The oldest child shifted nervously. "Thereâs kind of a problem with that."
Wally grinned. "What? You didnât plan for the return trip?"
CJ flushed. "No, we did! ButâŠ"
"But what?" Conner asked, his patience wearing thin.
Colin piped up, "CJ lost the spell page."
All eyes snapped to CJ, who raised his hands defensively. "I didnât lose it! I just⊠may not have held onto it tightly enough."
Y/N groaned, rubbing his temples. "Youâve got to be kidding me."
"Yep, definitely your kid," Dick commented with a chuckle.
Zatannaâs lips twitched. "Let me guess, you didnât memorize the spell before casting it?"
CJ shifted uncomfortably. "We didnât think weâd need it right away. I was focused on making sure it worked, not the clean-up."
"You didnât think that maybeâjust maybeâyouâd need a way to get back?" Y/N asked, his exasperation evident.
"I was going to figure that part out later!" CJ snapped, sounding just as defensive as Y/N usually did when backed into a corner.
Conner crossed his arms. "This sounds familiar."
Y/N shot him a withering look. "Not helping."
Artemis laughed. "So whatâs the plan now? We canât keep these mini-youâs hanging around."
Zatanna nodded. "I can try to reverse the spell, but itâll take time. Iâll need to gather some materials and maybe consult our spellbook. If future Y/N made it, it shouldnât be too difficult."
"Hey!" Y/N protested, his ego bruised.
"Sheâs right," CJ admitted, earning a glare from Y/N.
"So weâre stuck with them," Y/N sighed.
"Hey, weâre right here!" Colin interjected indignantly, crossing his arms. "And itâs not our fault! CJâs the one who messed it up!"
"Quit throwing me under the bus you ill-brained bug," CJ hissed, his narrowed eyes practically throwing daggers at his younger brother. "Don't call me names! And you did lose it," Colin shot back, his tone equally venomous.
"Enough," Y/N said, eyes hard. "No fighting."
Conner, meanwhile, looked at Camden, still hanging off his arm. The situation was far from what heâd imagined for his future. A family? Kids? He had never pictured it. And Y/N⊠he never thought theyâd become something together. Yet, here they were.
"I'll start working on the reversal spell. In the meantime, we'll have to find a place for the kids to stay," Zatanna continued, ignoring the wounded expression on Y/N's face.
"Theyâll stay with us," Conner stated, his tone firm.
Y/Nâs brow shot up. "Excuse me? Us?"
"Yes, us. Did I stutter?"
CJ and Colin exchanged quick glances before Colin smirked, nudging his older brother. "Did Dad just use one of Papa's lines against him?" he whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear. CJ grinned, nodding. "Yeah, and somehow he's still breathing. Must be a miracle."
The room erupted into soft laughter, with even Wally doubling over in amusement. Artemis gave Conner a playful nudge, her grin wide. "Youâre playing a dangerous game, Kent."
Conner and Y/N stood there, clearly uncomfortable with the attention. Conner clenched his jaw while Y/N crossed his arms, a faint blush creeping up his neck.
"Okay," Kaldur intervened, saving them from further embarrassment. "We need to focus on getting them home. Zatanna, you and Y/N can both do research together. CJ can help since he's the one who used it so he may remember some things from it."
Zatanna smiled faintly. "Sounds good. Iâm gonna look into a few other things first, though. In the meantime, you might want to prepare yourself for a lot of questions, especially from Batman."
Conner groaned, clearly dreading the inevitable debrief. "Great."
"I have nothing to answer for," Y/N retorted. "I didnât bring a bunch of kids from the future into the past."
"Maybe not, but you made them," Conner shot back.
"Oh, please. Like you didnât have a hand in that."
"More than a hand," Artemis snickered.
CJ narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What do you mean by that?"
The entire room, as if rehearsed, answered in unison, "Nothing."
Y/N and Conner had no choice but to let the kids bunk in their rooms until they could figure out how to replicate the spell and send them back to the future. The children, after all, had vehemently refused to sleep in the lounge. CJ had opted to stay with Y/N, while Colin chose Conner's room. Camden, at first, didnât show a preference, but eventually made his decision clear by reaching for Conner. Despite wanting to wipe the smug grin off Y/Nâs face, Conner gave in without much protest.
However, Y/N found no peace, especially with CJ bombarding him with questions about their relationship:
"Have you and Dad gone on a first date yet?"
"No."
"Have you guys kissed yet?"
"NoâI... Thatâs a grown folks' question."
"So, when do you think you'll go on a first date?"
"Do you have an off button?"
"Do I look like a toy from Target to you?"
"Damn, you really are my son."
"Bad word."
"Sorry."
"Why do you guys sleep in separate rooms? You have your own room together back home."
"Uh... what did I say about grown folks' questions?!"
The questions seemed endless. Despite Y/N growing increasingly tired, he found himself surprisingly unbothered. Normally, anything that disturbed his rest would drive him mad, but for some reason, he found it hard to get annoyed by CJâs relentless curiosity. Perhaps he understood. If Y/N were in the kidâs shoes, heâd probably be asking a million questions too.
"Hey, Papa?"
"Hmm?"
"Can I ask you something?"
Does it ever end?
"Sure, kiddo," Y/N sighed, staring up at the rocky ceiling of his bedroom.
"What's the deal with you and Dad?"
Y/N froze, his eyes fixated on the ceiling as CJâs innocent question hung in the air. He shouldnât have been surprised, especially considering how sharp the kid was. This conversation was bound to happen at some pointâthough he wouldâve preferred it to be later. He didnât even know the answer himself.
What was the deal between him and Conner? That was the real question. The relationship was complicated, to say the least, and it was certainly not something Y/N was eager to explain to his future son. A nervous chuckle escaped his lips as he shifted on the bed, trying to buy himself some time. âThatâs a... big question, kiddo.â
CJ, lying on his side, propped his head up on his hand, eyes wide with curiosity. âYeah, but you guys love each other, right?â
Y/N gulped. Of course, the kid would jump straight to the heart of the matter. How was he supposed to answer that without messing up CJâs perception of the futureâor worse, letting his complicated feelings for Conner bubble to the surface in front of a child? He didnât want to lie, but the truth... well, the truth was messy. And kids didnât handle messy well.
âWell...â Y/N began, stalling as he rubbed the back of his neck. âLove is... complicated.â
CJâs brow furrowed. âWhat do you mean by complicated?â
Y/N winced. Damn, these kids ask too many questions. He shifted again, trying to figure out how to tiptoe through this conversation. âI mean, sometimes people have... feelings for each other, but they donât always know how to deal with them right away. Like, your dad and I... we argue a lot because weâre still figuring things out.â
CJ tilted his head, clearly not convinced. âBut Auntie Z said you guys argue a lot in the future too. She said you love each other, but youâre both kinda... stubborn.â
Y/N pinched the bridge of his nose. Zatanna, Iâm going to kill you. He sighed deeply, turning his head to look at CJ. âYeah, that sounds about right. Weâre both pretty stubborn. And when two people are like that, it takes them longer to... you know, get on the same page.â
CJâs eyes sparkled with curiosity. âSo you do love each other!â
Y/Nâs stomach flipped. He wanted to deny it, to downplay everything. But looking at CJâs expectant face, he realized he couldnât outright lie. Heâd never been great at lying anyway. âItâs... complicated, like I said.â
CJ groaned, clearly frustrated with that answer. âYou keep saying âcomplicated,â but what does that even mean? Do you want to be with Dad?â
Y/N tensed, his heart racing. Okay, this is too much. âUh... I think we should save this conversation for when youâre a little older, kid. Like, maybe a lot older. Or, you know, when youâre back in your timeline and itâs Future Meâs problem.â
CJ gave him an unimpressed look. âThatâs a cop-out answer.â
Y/N snorted despite himself. âI... Who taught you that?â
âYou did.â
âOf course I did,â Y/N muttered, shaking his head.
CJ wasnât letting this go, and Y/N knew it. Y/N sighed, glancing back up at the ceiling, emotions stirring up that he wasnât prepared to deal with. It wasnât just complicatedâit was a mess, a tangled web of miscommunication, stubbornness, and unspoken feelings that spanned the years since he joined the Team. He thought back to when he first arrived, how Dr. Fate had sensed the raw potential in him and demanded that he go under the Justice League's protection. Y/N didnât have much of a choice back then, and neither did the Team when they were told heâd be joining.
At first, it wasnât so bad. Y/N got along with everyone easily, even found a mentor in Zatanna and Zatara who was still being used as a host by Dr. Fate which is how he found him in the first place.
 But Conner? Conner was different. It was as though the Kryptonian had built a wall the size of Metropolis between them, remaining cold and indifferent despite Y/Nâs attempts to connect. Y/N hadnât expected to become best friends overnight, but the sheer lack of acknowledgment hurt more than he let on. He remembered how Conner would barely look in his direction, like Y/N didnât exist, even though he treated everyone else like family.
It was confusing, especially when Y/N noticed how Conner always positioned himself near him during missionsâready to intervene but never willing to share a word afterward. That subtle protectiveness shouldâve been reassuring, but it drove Y/N mad. If Conner didnât care, why hover around him like some kind of silent guardian?
After months of trying, Y/N finally gave up. He mirrored the cold treatment, stopped reaching out, and focused on the rest of the team. But then, something shifted. The moment Y/N stopped trying, Conner started. The once silent indifference turned into sharp comments and antagonistic behavior. It was like Conner needed to get a rise out of him, and no one could push Connerâs buttons the way Y/N could.
Pretty soon, they were constantly at each other's throats (sometimes literally), bickering over the smallest things. Everyone else just rolled their eyes and let them sort it out, but the tension between them was palpable.
Looking back now, Y/N wondered if something had always been simmering beneath the surface, something neither of them knew how to admit. Maybe Connerâs way of dealing with whatever feelings he had was to push Y/N away, to lash out. Y/N wasnât sure what scared him moreâthe idea that Conner never cared or the possibility that he cared too much and didnât know how to handle it.
And now, faced with a future version of himself that had apparently figured it out, Y/N was stuck in a mess of emotions that defined their present. The thought made his chest tighten, and he shook his head, trying to push it aside. He wasnât ready to untangle all of that just yet, especially not with CJ watching him, waiting for answers.
He glanced over at the kid, still staring at him with a mix of confusion and determination.
âLook, CJ, itâs... complicated,â Y/N repeated, knowing it was a weak excuse. âYour dad and I have a lot of history, and a lot of that is... well, not great. Itâs a work in progress.â
The room fell silent for a moment, and Y/N hoped the interrogation was over. He closed his eyes, trying to relax, but CJâs voice cut through the peace again.
âSo... if youâre not together yet, does that mean I could mess it up by being here?â CJâs voice was quieter this time, tinged with genuine concern.
Y/Nâs heart sank. He hadnât expected that. âHey, no, noânothing like that,â he said quickly, turning to face CJ. âYou being here isnât going to mess anything up. Donât ever think that.â
CJâs big eyes looked up at him, full of uncertainty. âBut what if Colin, Camden, and I being here changes things? What if you and Dad arenât meant to be together because of us? I donât want to mess up your future.â
Y/N felt a pang in his chest. He could see how much CJ cared, how much this meant to him. The kid didnât want to lose the family he had, and Y/N couldnât blame him. Hell, Y/N didnât know what the future held between him and Conner, but seeing CJ so worried made him realize just how important that future wasâto these kids, at least.
He placed a hand on CJâs shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. âCJ, listen. No matter what happens, you three arenât going to change whatâs meant to be, okay? Whether your dad and I figure things out now or later, thatâs up to us. But you donât need to worry about it.â
CJâs expression softened slightly, but he still seemed unsure. âYou promise?â
Y/N hesitated for a second, then nodded. âI promise.â
CJ studied his father for a long moment, then let out a sigh of relief and flopped back onto the bed. âOkay, if you say so.â
Y/N smirked, feeling like heâd defused the situationâuntil CJ spoke again.
âBut seriously, you guys need to hurry up and kiss. Youâre taking forever.â
Y/N groaned, covering his face with his hands. âOh my god, please stop.â
CJ giggled, clearly pleased with himself. âWell, itâs true. Youâre way more lovey-dovey in the future. Like, gross sometimes.â
Y/N pulled his hands away from his face, narrowing his eyes at the boy. âIâm going to pretend I didnât hear that.â
CJ shrugged, a mischievous grin on his face.
Y/N rolled his eyes, turning back to the ceiling. He tried not to think about the fact that his future self was apparently a lot more affectionate with Conner, or the fact that CJ was clearly comfortable with it.
He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the warmth spreading across his cheeks. This was going to be a long night.
Just as the eleven-year-old finally appeared to be settling down, a knock at Y/Nâs door pierced the growing calm. He couldnât mask the annoyance in his grunt as he called out for whoever was there to enter.
The door opened to reveal Conner, struggling to soothe a fussy Camden, with Colin in tow. Both Kryptonians looked exhausted, their matching bed-heads and disgruntled grimaces completing the picture.
Y/N was caught off guard by the endearing yet disheveled sight of themâConner in his casual home attire, with Colin standing by his side like a shadow, and Camden, a perfect blend of Y/Nâs and Connerâs features, in his arms. The scene felt surprisingly right.
âHe wonât stop crying and fussing,â Conner explained, his voice tinged with fatigue. âIâve tried everything. I think he wants to sleep with you.â
Taking Camden into his arms, Y/N immediately felt the toddler relax. âWhatâs up, buddy? Is your Daddy keeping you up with all his grumbling?â
âI didnât do anything! He was fine half an hour ago, then he woke up crying. When I tried to calm him down, he just got fussier and started calling for his 'Papaâ over and over.â
CJ, from his spot on the bed, chimed in, âHe probably had a nightmare. Itâs hard for him to go back to sleep afterward.â
âAnd how do we get him back to sleep?â Conner asked, a hint of desperation in his voice.
âHe usually sleeps in bed with you,â CJ answered.
âHe was already doing that, and it didnât help,â Conner replied, clearly exhausted.
âWith both of you,â CJ clarified.
Y/N and Conner exchanged stunned looks, the suggestion hanging awkwardly in the air. âUh, are you sure thereâs no other way to calm him down?â Y/N asked, his voice laced with hesitation as he and Conner avoided each otherâs gaze.
âNope. So, scoot over and make some room,â Colin said, settling the matter with a tone that brokered no argument. With a reluctant shuffle, Y/N and CJ made room on the bed, both Y/N and Conner still clearly uncomfortable with the closeness but willing to do what was needed for the youngest Kent.
As they settled into an awkward silence, Camden, now nestled between them, began to quiet down, his sniffles subsiding as he felt the reassuring presence of both his parents. The soft glow of the nightlight spell Y/N conjured cast gentle shadows across the room, softening the edges of the tense atmosphere.
âWell, ainât this cozy,â Y/N quipped, trying to cut through the awkwardness with a bit of humor. Conner just grunted in response, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, clearly wrestling with the intimacy of the situation.
CJ and Colin, seated toward the middle of the bed between their parentsâ legs, watched the scene with knowing looks. âYou guys are really weird about this,â CJ commented, shaking his head. âYou do this all the time back home.â
Conner sighed, his gruff tone betraying his discomfort. âYeah, well, youâre not exactly 'back home,â kid.â
CJ shrugged, then finally settled down, his eyes growing heavier as the nightâs events took their toll. Conner, still visibly uncomfortable, shifted slightly, turning on his side to face away from Y/N, while Y/N remained on his back, staring up at the ceiling. The room fell into a profound silence, the only sounds being the gentle breathing of the boys as they finally succumbed to sleep.
In the dim light, Y/N and Conner lay awake, each lost in their own thoughts. The physical closeness, necessitated by Camdenâs need for comfort, forced them into a proximity neither had anticipatedâat least not under these circumstances. As the minutes dragged into hours, neither spoke. The air between them was thick with confusion, unresolved tension, and an undeniable sense of familial bond that neither could quite embrace nor deny.
Y/Nâs mind raced with a mix of future possibilities and present discomforts. He turned his head slightly, glancing at Connerâs back and noting the tension in his shoulders. The fact that they could be a familyâa real family, with laughs, fights, bedtime stories, and morning cuddlesâfelt absurd. Yet, somehow, it also felt right, in a way that scared him.
It was a future that felt like a dream, one so vivid during sleep but absurdly distant upon waking.
Conner, for his part, was equally conflicted. The physical presence of Y/N so close yet so far in spirit was jarring. He was used to tackling problems head-on, not lying silently next to them. The warmth from Y/Nâs body, the sound of his breathing, and the soft rustle of sheets each time he movedâall served as acute reminders of what could beâa future intertwined with Y/N, a man he had known as a teammate but never as something more.
As Camden shifted in his sleep, mumbling softly and curling closer to Y/N, Conner let out a soft sigh. This was what family felt likeâmessy, uncomfortable, yet filled with unexpected moments of tenderness.
Fate was a cruel thing to dangle something so perfect right next to him, knowing that once this night was over, it would be back to reality.
The night stretched on, and though sleep tugged at their eyelids, both Y/N and Conner resisted, each caught in their own whirlwind of thoughts. They remained awake, guardians of the quiet peace that had settled over their children, protectors of a future still unwritten.
Finally, as the first hints of dawn crept through the curtains, signaling a new day, Y/N and Conner allowed themselves a moment of rest. Their eyes closed, not out of comfort with each other, but from sheer exhaustion. The sun would rise on two men still unsure of their path forward, but for now, they were bound by a shared responsibility and an unspoken commitment to the well-being of the children who had started the process of slowly bringing them together.
The next morning, Y/N and Conner were greeted by three simultaneous realizations. The first was the peculiar sensation of being surrounded on all sidesâY/N found CJ and Camden clinging to him like koalas, while Conner awoke to the unpleasant surprise of a foot in his face and a toe nearly up his nose, courtesy of Colin.
The second realization came when they noticed how close they had ended up to each other during the night, their bodies naturally gravitating together as if seeking warmth in the pile of kids nestled between them. It was a proximity neither had planned for, yet somehow, in the nightâs deep silence, it didnât feel⊠wrong.
Didnât stop them from trying to scoot away from each other, though.
The third and most jarring realization came when the sound of cooing and giggling shattered the morning calm. Y/N blinked his eyes open, adjusting to the bright lights, only to see Zatanna, Artemis, Dick, and Wally gathered at the doorway, barely containing their laughter, smartphones in hand.
âWhat theââ Y/N started, his voice groggy and laced with confusion.
âMorning, sunshine!â Dick greeted with a smirk, snapping pictures as quickly as possible. âDonât you all look nice and cozy?â
âItâs not every day we see such a picturesque family moment,â Zatanna added, her tone dripping with mock sweetness.
Conner, fully awake now, grimaced as he gently removed Colinâs foot from his face. âCan you guys not?â he muttered, trying to salvage some dignity.
Y/N, who, like many others, was not a fan of being photographed first thing in the morning, shot a glare at the group. âYou all better consider yourselves lucky Iâm still half-asleep. Otherwise, youâd all be something I could swat at right about now.â
Artemis, unfazed, grinned. She knew Y/N wouldnât hurt a fly (unless it was an actual fly), especially not his friends.
Dick, on the other hand, was not so confident and took a cautious step back, just in case.
Wally, always the instigator, couldnât resist the opportunity to tease one of his closest friends. He leaned against the doorframe, a mischievous grin on his face. âSo, how was your night, lovebirds? Get up to anything interesting?â
Colin rubbed his eyes groggily, blinking up at Wally from his spot on the bed. âWhat do you mean by âinterestingâ?â he asked, his voice innocent but filled with curiosity.
Without missing a beat, everyoneâY/N, Conner, Dick, Artemis, Zatanna, and Wallyâresponded in unison, âNothing.â
Colin blinked again, clearly not satisfied but too sleepy to push further. He shrugged it off, snuggling back into the blankets.
âAnyway,â Dick started, his tone slightly more serious, âBatmanâs here. Heâs waiting for you and your âguestsâ in the mission room.â
Y/N groaned, the dread immediately washing over him. âOh, come on. This early?â
âBatman doesnât sleep, Y/N,â Zatanna quipped, smirking as she crossed her arms.
The kids, on the other hand, perked up at the mention of Batman. CJâs eyes lit up with excitement, and he nearly launched himself out of bed. âUncle Bruce is here?!â he exclaimed, practically bouncing in place. âWe get to meet him in his prime!â
Colinâs face mirrored his brotherâs excitement. âYeah! Weâve never seen Uncle Bruce younger than when he was old and retired!â
Y/N winced, rubbing his temples. âGreat. Because thatâs exactly what I needed today. Batman in his prime.â He glanced at Conner, who was already starting to untangle himself from the bed and the web of blankets.
Conner met his gaze, both of them instantly realizing the same thing: one of them was going to have to explain this entire situation to the Batman. Neither looked eager to volunteer.
Y/N groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. âSo, uh... you're explaining this to Batman, right? Cool, great!â he said, trying to shift the burden onto Conner.
Conner shot him a sidelong glance as he finally freed himself from Colinâs grasp. âWhy should I explain it? Youâre the one who created the damn spell. This is on you.â
"Ah, future me did that. Present me, on the other hand, has done no such thing. So, therefore, this falls on you. See, math," Y/N said with his usual sarcastic tone. âAnd I didnât bring three kids from the future back here. Thatâs not on me!â
âOh, but Iâm not their only father, am I?â Conner shot back, keeping his voice as low as possible but still sharp.
Y/Nâs eyes narrowed. âOh, so when itâs convenient for you to use the father title, now you want to use it? Yesterday you were acting like it was some cosmic mistake!â
As the bickering continued, Wally leaned over to Artemis and muttered with a grin, "Man, theyâre already nailing the divorced parents thing. Ten out of ten performance."
Artemis smirked, not missing a beat. âYeah, all thatâs missing is the custody battle.â
âI didnât sayââ Conner started, but CJ, who had been watching the whole exchange, interrupted with an amused but exasperated tone.
âYou know, if you guys are trying to keep quiet, youâre not doing a very good job,â he pointed out, his voice deadpan as he hopped off the bed.
Both men stopped mid-bicker, realizing the volume of their conversation had escalated. They shared a brief, awkward silence before Y/N sighed, running a hand through his hair. âRight. Sorry, CJ.â
âAre we going or what?â Colin asked, looking ready to sprint toward the mission room, his excitement bubbling over.
Conner grumbled under his breath as he pulled his shirt on, shooting Y/N another look. âIâm still not explaining it.â
Y/N threw up his hands in mock surrender. âFine! Iâll explain it to Batman. But if he glares a hole through my head, Iâm holding you responsible.â
âDeal,â Conner muttered as he turned to usher the kids toward the door.
Wally, who had been watching the entire exchange with great amusement, shook his head. âYou guys are so much fun in the mornings. Really sets the tone for the day.â
Y/N shot him a half-hearted glare. âWally, if you donât stop talking, I will personally turn you into a decorative garden gnome.â
Wally just grinned wider, following the group as they headed out. "Try me, magic boy."
As they all made their way down the hall, CJ and Colin buzzed with excitement at the prospect of meeting the Dark Knight in his prime, while Y/N mentally prepared himself for what was sure to be a long conversation with Batman.
When they arrived at the mission room, Batman stood with his arms crossed, his expression as stoic and unreadable as ever. Superman and Dr. Fate flanked him, both with differing reactions already written across their faces. Superman wore a look of quiet curiosity, while Dr. Fateâs imposing helmet tilted slightly, as if analyzing every moment with critical intensity.
Y/N barely had time to feel the weight of their combined presence before a chorus of "Uncle Bruce!" filled the room, followed by the stampede of three excited children. CJ, Colin, and Camden rushed past Y/N and Conner, crashing into Batman with a level of enthusiasm normally reserved for holidays.
Batman barely moved, standing firm as three small bodies collided with him. His expression never wavered from his usual deadpan. He looked down at the kids clinging to his legs and tugging at his cape like it was any other Tuesday.
"Hello, boys," he greeted, his voice even, betraying no emotion.
"Uncle Bruce, you're so young!" CJ exclaimed, his eyes wide with wonder.
"Yeah, you're not old and retired yet," Colin chimed in, his tone equally awestruck.
Camden, meanwhile, had attached himself to Batman's leg, refusing to let go. "Bat Bat," the toddler babbled, his voice muffled against the fabric of the suit as he began his usual routine of climbing up the grown man who, once again, was not fazed by the action.
A chorus of "Awws" echoed from behind Y/N, as Artemis and Zatanna both cooed at the sight of the two-year-old climbing all over Batman like a jungle gym. Meanwhile, Conner stood there, his arms crossed tightly as he watched his youngest son cling to the Dark Knight, not feeling a slight ounce of jealousy at the sight. Not one bit...
Y/N exchanged a glance with Conner, both of them unsure how to proceed. Batmanâs piercing gaze and silent command made it clear someone needed to start explaining. But the Dark Knight simply looked back at the three of them, his expression unreadable, as if a trio of future children showing up out of nowhere was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Uncle Bruce! Can we see the Batcave later?" Colin asked, practically vibrating with excitement.
Batman merely raised an eyebrow under his cowl. âWeâll see.â
Y/Nâs nervousness spiked. The fact that Batman was completely unfazed made him even more anxious. The Dark Knight was known for his cold efficiency and intimidating nature, but this calm acceptance of three kids who claimed to be the future children of his two protĂ©gĂ©s felt... ominous.
Superman, on the other hand, chuckled warmly as the boys shifted their attention to him.
âUncle Clark!â Colin shouted, springing off the ground into the air toward the Man of Steel with just as much enthusiasm. âYou still look the same, but somehow still young. That's so cool!"
Y/N, Conner, and pretty much everyone else in the room (except for Batman) stared in utter shock, watching the eight-year-old hover in the air next to Superman, who also looked a bit surprised.
"Is heâ" Wally started, his eyes wide.
"Flying?" Artemis finished, her mouth hanging open.
"You can fly," Conner stated, his voice a mix of astonishment and confusion.
"Well, duh," Colin said, rolling his eyes. "Dad and Uncle Clark showed me how. Uncle Clark, look at this trick I learned," he added with an excited grin.
Before anyone could react, Colin rocketed upward, performing a flawless loop in the air, zipping in a spiral before descending slowly to hover near Superman. His face radiated pride, clearly relishing the opportunity to show off his flying skills. Superman watched him, still a bit stunned, but with a warm, amused smile on his face.
"Ta-da!" Colin shouted, floating back down beside him, his excitement undiminished. He began circling around Superman. "Do you not age because you're Kryptonian? Wow, I can't wait to be strong and ancient to!"
Superman chuckled, reaching out to ruffle Colin's hair. "I'll take that as a compliment," he said, his voice light but tinged with curiosity. "So, this is what the future looks like for you guys, huh?"
Colin grinned, nodding enthusiastically. "Yep! And youâre still the strongest! I can't wait to show you some more tricks."
As Colin continued to hover, defying gravity with ease, Conner stood frozen. He hadnât moved, his gaze locked on his son as he watched him hover so effortlessly. A strange tightness formed in his chest, bittersweet and unspoken. Colin could fly. Not with the assistance of a shield like him, but on his own. Part of Conner felt immense pride, but another part couldnât help but feel that uncomfortable tightness deepenâa sense of longing for something he couldnât quite articulate.
"He can fly," Conner muttered, catching the attention of CJ, who was watching his brother show off with an annoyed expression that softened when he saw his dad's reaction.
"Yeah, we found out just after Colin turned about five. That was a fun day for you two, especially since you had to chase him around the house for hours. He thought it was hilarious, but you and Papa werenât too happy," CJ explained, his voice softer than usual.
Conner, still a bit stunned, nodded slowly. "That sounds... fun," he said, his tone lacking enthusiasm.
CJ looked like he wanted to say more, but his Aunt Zatanna's warning and the thoughts from his conversation last night with his Papa loomed over him. Instead, he decided to change the subject.
"So, um, yeah, that's Colinâmiddle kid," he said, turning back to his uncles, hoping to shift the conversation.
"What about you?" Superman asked, turning his attention to CJ.
"I'm Conner Kent Junior, or CJ for short. I'm the oldest and the leader of our team," CJ replied, puffing his chest out a bit.
Everyone chuckled softly, except for Batman, though, for the smallest sliver of a moment, the corner of his lip upturned into a tiny smirk.
"And that's Camden, the youngest," CJ continued, gesturing to the toddler who was now perched on Batman's shoulder, playing with the pointed ears of his mask.
"Bat Bat," Camden repeated, his adorable smile plastered all over his face.
"Yes, I am," Batman said, his voice as flat as ever, but his expression softened just a little.
Y/N turned, catching Connerâs gaze, which remained fixed on Colin, who was still hovering effortlessly in the air. The look on Connerâs faceâbittersweet and filled with a mix of pride and something else Y/N couldnât quite placeâtugged at him. It wasnât often Conner wore his heart on his sleeve, but in this moment, the unspoken emotion in his eyes was impossible to miss.
Y/N found himself feeling something unexpectedâa sudden, quiet protectiveness. It wasnât just about Colin flying, but the realization that Conner was watching a part of his son that he could never truly share. There was no jealousy or bitterness in Y/N's own heart, only a desire to make sure Conner knew that he wasnât alone in this, that Y/N understood.
He cleared his throat softly, stepping closer to Colin, who was still circling around Superman in excited loops. âAlright, Colin, time to come down.â
Colin, his face flushed with excitement, ignored him at first. âBut Papa, I havenât shown Uncle Clark the trick where Iââ
âI said down, Colin,â Y/N interrupted, his voice taking on a particular tone. A tone he probably inherited from his own parentâthe one that could stop him in his tracks as a kid, and evidently, one that worked on Colin too.
Colin froze mid-loop, his defiant expression faltering for a moment as he hovered a few feet above the ground. âButââ
âNow,â Y/N added, his voice firm yet still gentle, his gaze unwavering.
With a dramatic sigh that only an eight-year-old could muster, Colin slowly descended to the ground, landing lightly on his feet. âFine, fine,â he muttered, crossing his arms and scowling slightly. âI was just having funâŠâ
Y/N smiled softly, crouching down so he was eye-level with his son. âYou can show Uncle Clark more later, okay? Right now, we need to focus.â
Colin huffed but nodded, the defiance in his eyes giving way to a grudging understanding. He glanced up at Superman, who gave him an encouraging nod, and then back at his dad, the scowl easing from his face.
âGood,â Y/N said, ruffling his hair affectionately. âThanks, kiddo.â
As Colin sulked back to his brothers, Y/N straightened, his gaze shifting back to Conner, who had been watching the exchange silently. There was a flicker of something in Connerâs eyesâsurprise, maybe? Or perhaps a quiet gratitude that Y/N had stepped in, that he understood without needing Conner to say anything.
For a moment, Y/N hesitated, feeling the weight of the unspoken between them. It was strange, this sudden need to make sure Conner was okay. Usually, they were too busy pushing each other's buttons, too wrapped up in their own frustrations. But now, seeing the vulnerability in Connerâs expression, Y/N couldnât help but feel the tug of something... different.
âYou good?â Y/N asked quietly, his voice low so the kids wouldnât hear.
Conner blinked, as if caught off guard by the question. His eyes flicked from Y/N to Colin, then back again. âYeah,â he said after a moment, though his voice was softer than usual, almost contemplative. âIâm fine.â
Y/N gave him a small, almost imperceptible nod. He didnât press further, didnât want to push. Instead, he let the silence between them linger, a silence that felt strangely comfortable for once, even with all the chaos surrounding them.
For a split second, the air between them felt... less heavy. Less filled with the usual tension. There was no sarcastic retort, no biting comment. Just... an understanding.
But before either of them could dwell on the moment, CJ, ever the instigator, piped up with his usual boundless energy. âSo, can we see the Batcave now?â
Batmanâs stern voice cut through the room, as calm and composed as ever. âLater.â
CJâs shoulders slumped dramatically. âUgh, fine...â
After introductions were made, in true Batman fashion, he had DNA tests administered to confirm what Y/N, Conner, and all their friends already knew.
"The results are conclusive," Batman announced, his voice as stoic as ever. "Superboy and Y/N are both the paternal fathers to these children."
"Well, duh," Colin replied, rolling his eyes. "We told you that. But, what does paternal mean?"
"It means they're both our dads, dummy. And there's no need to be rude, Colin," CJ admonished, his tone exasperated. "It's not like we're lying."
"Stop calling me names! You're not the boss of me," Colin shot back, his cheeks flushing with anger.
"Actually, I am. I'm the oldest, so I'm the leader," CJ countered, his voice rising.
"No, you're not," Colin argued, his eyes narrowing.
"Yes, I am," CJ insisted, his temper flaring.
"No, you're not," Colin repeated, his voice growing louder.
"Yes, I am!" CJ yelled, his voice matching his brother's volume.
"Boys," Y/N warned, his voice firm.
"Sorry, Papa," CJ and Colin replied, their voices instantly contrite.
"I can't believe this is my life," Y/N groaned, burying his face in his hands.
"It's not so bad," Conner offered, his tone surprisingly gentle. "At least they're not fighting anymore."
Y/N let out a long, dramatic sigh, rubbing his face. âFifteen hours ago, my life was normal. Now I have three kids from the future, and one of themâs trying to order around his brothers like heâs Batman.â
Superman chuckled warmly, offering Y/N a smile that somehow practically radiated paternal understanding. âItâs just the beginning, Y/N. Youâll get used to it. Eventually.â
"You got a kid I don't know about, Clarkie?" Y/N responded with a raised brow.
Superman returned his own raised brow at the nickname. "Clarkie?"
CJ turned his head toward the two men. "He calls you that all the time. Though, you seem a lot more surprised and annoyed about it now than you do in the future."
Y/N groaned while Clark chuckled at the kid's sharp observation.
"If this is what my mother meant by my kid being the karma to me for what I was to her, I want a do-over."
"Too late for that," Conner remarked, his lips quirking into a small, amused smile.
"Would you hush?" Y/N grumbled, shooting him a half-hearted glare.
âWell, I can't wait to see how we survive this,â Wally chimed in, shooting a look at CJ and Colin. âI mean, youâve got two kids who are basically replicas of their parents, with an equal level of emotional control. One's trying to play leader, and the other... well, letâs just say Iâm seeing Conner 2.0 with a side of âno chill.ââ
Conner shot Wally a flat look but remained silent, his arms crossed as he watched Camden poke and prod at Batmanâs suit. The toddler was giggling uncontrollably, practically hanging off Bruceâs arm, tugging at his cape like it was a new toy. Meanwhile, Batman stood perfectly still, as if he didnât even notice. His expression remained unreadable, but there was somethingâjust a hintâthat suggested he wasnât exactly unhappy with the tiny human attached to him.
âI never thought Iâd see the day,â Y/N muttered, glancing at Bruceâs unflinching demeanor. âA kid hanging off Batman, and heâs... not scowling. And here I am, trying to make sense of how this is somehow my life now or going to be my life in the future.â
Zatanna stifled a laugh, leaning against the wall. âItâs ironic, isnât it? One day youâre acting like the kid, and the next youâre trying to manage three kids.â
âI donât know whether to laugh or cry,â Y/N responded, glancing down at CJ, who was still trying his best to act like the "responsible" one, even if Colin was clearly not having it.
Artemis smirked. âMaybe both. We could use the entertainment.â
Y/N groaned. âIâm not here to entertain, Artemis.â
âYouâre doing a great job of it, though,â she shot back with a grin.
Just as Y/N was about to respond, the door slid open, and MâGann entered the room, holding a tray of snacks. Her presence caused an immediate shift in the roomâs atmosphere. She smiled, but it was tight, strained even, her eyes flicking toward Y/N and the kids with clear unease. âI, uh, brought these for the kids,â she said, her voice polite but distant.
CJ, who was always quick to pick up on tension, noticed MâGannâs discomfort and shot a wary glance at his brother. Colin, oblivious as ever, simply perked up at the sight of snacks. âSnacks! Finally!â he shouted, taking a step toward MâGannâs tray, only to be yanked back by CJâs firm grip.
Colin pouted but didnât argue, instead crossing his arms and muttering, âI hate it when he acts like heâs the boss.â
Y/N couldnât help but raise an eyebrow at the exchange. âYouâre not helping, CJ,â he muttered under his breath before his attention shifted back to MâGann, who stood awkwardly near the doorway, the boys clearly unsure how to approach her.
Wally, noticing the tension, tried to lighten the mood. âSo, Camden looks pretty comfortable over there,â he quipped, gesturing toward the tiny toddler still clinging to Batmanâs shoulder. âWho knew Bruce would be such a hit with kids?â
Camden giggled, poking Bruce in the cheek. âBat Bat!â
Batman didnât move, though Y/N could have sworn he saw the tiniest twitch of his lips. He wasnât exactly scowlingâand in Batman terms, that was practically a smile.
âIâll be damned,â Y/N muttered. âYeah, Iâm definitely living in some weird alternate universe.â
MâGann, however, remained tense, her arms crossed protectively over her chest. The kids seemed to pick up on her discomfort, and though Colinâs attention was still focused on the snacks, CJâs eyes flicked nervously between her and Y/N. There was an awkward silence, the unspoken tension between MâGann and the family hanging in the air.
Just as Y/N considered trying to say something, the atmosphere shifted dramatically, an intense, almost suffocating pressure filling the room.
"Ahem."
The weight of the room shifted, all eyes turning to Dr. Fate, his presence more imposing than ever with the golden cape draped over him, the helmet of Nabu gleaming ominously in the dim lighting. Giovanni Zatara's mortal voice was completely gone, replaced by the booming, ethereal tone of the Lord of Order. His deep voice reverberated off the walls, demanding attention.
"This situation is not to be taken lightly," Dr. Fate intoned, his words hanging heavy in the air. "The arrival of these children from a future timelineâbrought here through magicâhas the potential to disrupt the balance of time and space. The consequences of their presence could ripple through the past, present, and future, with devastating results."
The lighthearted energy in the room immediately deflated, the playful mood dashed away by Fateâs dire warning. Even Camden, perched on Batmanâs shoulder, seemed to sense the seriousness of the moment, his babbling quieting as he curiously played with the pointed ears of Batman's cowl.
Supermanâs easygoing smile faltered, his expression shifting into one of concern. âHow bad are we talking?â he asked, his voice lower and more cautious now.
Fateâs helmet tilted ever so slightly, the glowing eyes narrowing. âTemporal magic is not only complex but perilous. The smallest disruption can lead to unforeseen consequences. The longer these children remain in the past, the more likely the timeline will fracture. Their very presence risks creating divergencesâevents that may never occur, or worse, events that should not happen but will.â
His gaze shifted to CJ, the weight of his words intensifying. âBut of greater concern is the fact that a child of his age was able to perform such a powerful spell with no guidance or oversight from his father.â The glowing eyes behind the helm seemed to bore into Y/N, though the judgment lay with CJ. âNo matter who taught him, such magic should not be wielded by one so young. It requires control, experience, and most importantly, restraintâqualities that take years, if not decades, to master. And yet, he succeeded in casting it.â
Y/N swallowed hard, his attention snapping to his son, who shifted nervously under Fateâs scrutiny. The weight of the implications settled over the room like a heavy fog. CJ, barely eleven, had performed a spell far beyond what should be possible for someone his age.
Fateâs voice remained steady, but there was a dark edge to it. âThat a child of his age can even wield such power in casting a spell of that magnitude without proper teaching or supervision is concerning in itself. Magic of this level, cast without the necessary experience, is not only dangerous but reckless. The consequences of a misstepâof even the slightest deviation in its executionâcould have been catastrophic.â
CJ bit his lip, his earlier enthusiasm fading under the weight of Fateâs words. He looked down, guilt flickering in his eyes, as Y/Nâs stomach twisted with both concern and the unspoken pressure of responsibility.
Superman and Batman exchanged glances, the levity of the moment completely gone. Batmanâs expression had hardened, though the toddler still clung to his shoulder, oblivious to the gravity of the situation.
âI didnât mean toââ CJ began, his voice small, but Fate held up a hand, silencing him.
âIntent matters little when tampering with forces that defy time and space,â Fate continued, his voice resonating like an ancient echo. âThe fact that you were able to do so speaks to an alarming raw power within you. A power that, without proper control, poses a threat to not only yourself but everyone around you.â
Y/N inhaled deeply, his heart heavy as he took in the full weight of what Fate was saying. His sonâhis eleven-year-old sonâhad tapped into something dangerous. And though Y/N had always known CJ had potential, this was... beyond anything he could have anticipated.
Fateâs eyes glowed even brighter, his voice growing more severe. âRaw power without discipline is more dangerous than any external threat. It is chaotic, unpredictable. You acted without full comprehension of the consequences, and that is not just recklessâit is irresponsible. Your abilities, if left unchecked, could tear the fabric of time itself.â
CJâs shoulders hunched, his earlier confidence slipping away entirely. His eyes darted toward Y/N, then to the ground, his hands trembling slightly as he wrung them together. The weight of Fateâs words was pressing down on him, hard and unrelenting. He hadnât meant to cause any harm, hadnât realized just how dangerous his actions could be. The gravity of the situationâof potentially damaging the timeline and putting everyone he cared about at riskâwas sinking in, fast.
Fate, however, didnât let up. His voice echoed like thunder in the stillness of the room. âYou are a child. A child with access to power that can upend entire realities. Do you understand the responsibility that comes with such abilities? You cast a spell beyond your understandingâbeyond what should even be possible for someone your ageâand in doing so, youâve placed the timeline, and everyone within it, in jeopardy.â
Tears welled up in CJâs eyes, his face crumpling as he tried to hold back the flood of emotions now overwhelming him. âI-I didnât mean to... I just wanted to see you all... I just wanted toââ His voice broke, a sob escaping before he could stop it. He wiped at his eyes, trying to stay composed, but the guilt and fear were written all over his face.
Y/Nâs heart clenched at the sight. Just the night before, heâd seen how worried CJ had been about messing things up, about somehow ruining the future for him and Conner. And now, Fateâs harsh words were doing exactly thatâfilling the kid with an unbearable sense of guilt. Y/N could feel it rising in himâan anger that came from a place deeper than usual, that soft protectiveness from before now something fierce he couldnât ignore.
âThatâs enough,â Y/N said, his voice sharper than anyone had heard it all day. He stepped forward, grabbing CJ and pulling the boy against him who immediately wrapped his arms around him and buried his face in his side, desperately trying to hide his tears. âHeâs just a kid, Fate. Youâve made your point.â
Colin made his way over to his brother to comfort him, a red hue in his irises as he looked ready to blow a hole through that helmet with his pointed glare at the sorcerer, matching the glowering expression on his fatherâs face as the Kryptonian also took his place beside the wizard and their two kids.
Fateâs glowing eyes bore down on Y/N, his voice unwavering. âA child or not, the consequences remain. The dangerââ
Y/Nâs eyes narrowed, his entire body tense as he held CJ protectively against him. His tone, usually layered with sarcasm or lightheartedness even in stressful moments, was now razor-sharp, the edge of it cutting through the air. It was the kind of tone that made everyone freeze, even Batman, who stood stoic but noticeably more alert, his eyes flicking to Y/N as if assessing an emerging threat.
âA child or not?â Y/N echoed, his voice dropping into something deadly quiet. âHeâs a kid. And you think berating him, making him feel like he's already damned the timeline to hell is helping? Heâs eleven years old, Fate. Eleven. You might not care about that, but I do. And Iâll tell you this right now: you will not make him feel like a walking disaster just because he made a mistake.â
Fate, despite his unearthly power and presence, seemed to register the shift in the atmosphere. He held his ground but didn't move forward, the glowing eyes behind the helm unreadable. âI speak only of the risksââ
âAnd I heard you,â Y/N interrupted, his voice still steady but with a bite that could cut through steel. âWe all heard you. Loud and clear. But let me make one thing perfectly clear to you: if anyone thinks for a second that they can make my son feel like heâs some kind of ticking time bomb, theyâll have to go through me first. I donât care if youâre wearing the Helm of Nabu, a cape, or a bat on your chestâno one, and I mean no one, gets to treat him like that.â
There was a heavy pause, the weight of Y/Nâs words hanging in the air like a storm waiting to break. Even Batman, who rarely showed hesitation or uncertainty, shifted slightly, his eyes flicking toward Superman as if silently communicating to be ready, just in case. Supermanâs usually easygoing expression had hardened, though he was watching Y/N with a level of caution he typically reserved for far more volatile situations.
And Conner? His presence was something else entirely. If Y/Nâs sharp, cutting words hadnât been enough to put everyone on edge, Connerâs silent but simmering anger was enough to make the entire room feel ten degrees colder. His voice, when it came, was lowâdangerously controlled. âYou heard him,â he said, his hand resting protectively on the eleven-year-oldâs shoulder. âHe made a mistake, but heâs not going to stand here and be chewed out for something he didnât fully understand. Heâs our kid, Fate. Not one of your hosts that has to sit there and listen to you lecture them down.â
CJ looked up, eyes wide and brimming with tears, first at his dad and then at his papa. The anger in Connerâs voice wasnât something he heard oftenânot directed like this. It was a quiet kind of anger, a controlled force that was all the more intense for how subdued it was. And that made CJ feel something else entirely: relief. Despite their obvious tense relationship in this timeline, his parents were standing up for him together, even in the face of someone as powerful as Fate.
Some things don't change even with time.
CJ sniffled quietly, his face still pressed into Y/Nâs side, but it was clear the boy was taking comfort in the way both his parents stood there, a bit younger than he was used to, but still firm and unyielding. He knew the kind of power Dr. Fate held, knew that his presence alone could silence rooms, but right now, it was Y/N and Conner who were commanding the space.
Zatanna, Wally, Dick, Kaldur, and Artemis stood together, watching with bated breath as the tension in the room thickened. They had all felt a deep, instinctive protectiveness over these three since getting to know themâlike an extension of their own makeshift family. But seeing Y/N and Conner, two of their closest friends, united in defense of their children? That was something else entirely. The raw intensity radiating from both men was a force of its own, sharper and more intimidating than any argument theyâd ever had with each other. It was like watching two titansâformidable on their ownâbecome unstoppable when their fury was aimed at a common enemy.
Even MâGann, who had kept her distance from Y/N and the boys, couldnât tear her eyes away. She crossed her arms, tension still visible in her posture, but the air crackled with something unspoken. Despite her unease, she couldnât ignore the power shift happening right in front of them. The room seemed to hold its breath, waiting for what would happen next.
Fateâs eyes glowed brighter, but there was a brief hesitation now, as if weighing the situation. Beneath the room's tension, he could feel itâa subtle but undeniable pulse of magic rising in Y/N, simmering just beneath the surface, like a storm waiting to break. The potential that had long been sensed in him, untapped yet dangerous, now crackled in the air around him. The last thing Fate wanted was to turn someone as powerful as Y/Nâgiven how potent his sonâs magic already wasâinto an adversary or even a rival.
âYou misunderstandââ
âNo,â Y/N cut in again, sharper this time, his hand tightening around CJâs shoulder protectively. âYou misunderstand. I wonât let you stand there and intimidate my kid, make him feel like heâs already done irreversible damage just because he wanted to see his family. I get itâyouâre worried about the timeline. Guess what? So are we. But if you try to guilt him, shame him, or talk to him like a liability again, I promise I will show you just how reckless I can be with my magic.â
It was the threat in Y/Nâs voiceâdelivered in a tone that wasnât raised, wasnât shouted, but was filled with so much venomâthat made everyone pause. Even Batman, who rarely reacted to emotional outbursts, visibly tensed. Y/Nâs presence right now wasnât just a protective father; it was something else, something primal. A warning.
Fate, still unmoving, regarded Y/N for a long moment, the glowing eyes behind the helm unreadable. Finally, the Lord of Order spoke, though his voice had lost some of its earlier authority, now more measured. âThe consequences remain, but I will refrain from further...discussion. For now.â
âYouâll refrain permanently,â Y/N shot back, the edge still there. âIâm not asking.â
Connerâs eyes flicked between Fate and Y/N, his expression still cold but tempered by a quiet pride in the way Y/N had stepped up. He hadnât expected thisâhadnât expected Y/N to go full protective mode in a way that was somehow scarier than his own outbursts. But damn, was it effective.
After another long, tense silence, Fate finally stepped back, his glowing eyes dimming slightly as if in reluctant acceptance. âVery well. But understand this: time cannot be ignored. The longer they remain, the more unstable the timeline becomes.â
âYeah, we get it,â Conner replied, his voice low but steely. âWeâll fix it. But donât think for a second that we wonât protect them every step of the way.â
Fateâs gaze lingered on them for a moment longer before he turned away, his cape billowing as he floated back slightly, allowing the tension in the room to ease, if only by a fraction. Batman, still standing with Camden on his shoulder, exchanged a glance with Superman, made a motion for them to intervene now.
Superman cleared his throat softly, stepping forward with a more diplomatic tone. âAlright, letâs all take a breath. Weâve got a situation to handle, and weâre all on the same side here.â
Y/N didnât respond, his eyes still locked on Fate for another moment before he finally exhaled, the tension in his posture easing as he turned his attention back to CJ, his voice softening instantly as he murmured to his son. âHey, itâs okay. Youâre okay.â
CJ sniffled again, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand, still clinging tightly to Y/Nâs side. âI-I didnât mean toâŠâ
âI know,â Y/N whispered, pulling him close. âI know you didnât.â
Conner knelt down beside CJ, his large hand gently resting on the boyâs back. âYouâre not in trouble,â he reassured him quietly. âWeâll figure it out together.â
CJ nodded, still visibly upset but calming under the combined presence of his parents.
And as the room began to shift back to a more measured tone, Y/N exchanged a glance with Conner, a silent understanding passing between them. For all their bickering and back-and-forths, they were united in this.
For now, at least, the storm had passed. But the underlying tension remained, and everyone in the room knew one thing for certain: you can poke at Y/N and Conner, but their kids? That was a line you should never cross.
After their little confrontation with Fate, and managing to calm CJ down enough, Y/N and Zatanna along with the eleven-year-old wizard headed off to their study to start doing research on the spell future Y/N created so they could send the kids back home. CJ was more than happy to be getting quality time with his magical father and aunt, completely forgetting his dour mood from before.
The rest of the group split off to the their own quests and whatnots while Batman and Fate stayed behind in the mission room to discuss a bit more. Meanwhile, Conner along with Colin and a giggly Camden who was now hanging off a Superman's shoulder, playing with his cape made their way to the lounge area so the kids could have some breakfast.
As they stepped into the living area, the atmosphere shifted slightly. It was still tense, but there was a quiet comfort that came with being away from the others, especially with the kids now more focused on food than the overwhelming situation they were all thrown into. Colin, his hair tousled and his eyes full of curiosity, plopped himself down at the dining table and immediately began stuffing his face with the nearest food he could find, which happened to be a stack of waffles. Camden, ever the cheerful toddler, giggled uncontrollably as he played with Supermanâs cape, his tiny hands tugging at it like it was his new favorite toy.
Conner, however, was lost in his own thoughts. He leaned against the counter, his arms crossed tightly over his chest as he watched the kids. Colinâs carefree attitude was a stark contrast to the weight on his own shoulders, and he couldn't help but feel conflicted. It was strangeâlooking at these kids who were supposed to be his, knowing they came from a future that felt so far removed from his current reality.
Clark, noticing the heavy silence, walked over to the counter where Conner stood. His cape fluttered slightly as Camden continued to swing from it, but the Man of Steel didnât seem to mind. Instead, he offered Conner a small, knowing smile.
âYou seem quieter than usual,â Clark observed, his tone gentle but probing. âWhatâs on your mind?â
Conner let out a deep sigh, his gaze shifting to Camden, who was still laughing at Supermanâs cape antics. âThis whole thing... Itâs just a lot to take in. I mean, Iâve barely figured out my own life, and now Iâve got three kids from the future showing up, acting like weâre some happy family.â
Clark nodded, his expression understanding. âItâs overwhelming, Iâm sure. But they seem to know youâboth of youâpretty well. You and Y/N. Thereâs... a lot of history there, and not just the tension weâve all seen. Thereâs more to it, isnât there?â
Conner stiffened slightly at the mention of Y/N. He wasnât ready to dive into that just yet, but Clarkâs gentle prodding was hard to ignore.
âYeah,â Conner muttered, his voice tight. âHistory.â
Clarkâs brow furrowed. âYou want to talk about it?â
Conner hesitated, his arms uncrossing as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He wasnât the type to talk about his feelings, not even with Clark, but something about the situationâthe kids, the unexpected future they were facingâmade it harder to stay silent.
âIt wasnât supposed to be like this,â Conner admitted quietly, his eyes drifting to Camden, who had now taken a seat next to Colin and was trying (unsuccessfully) to eat a waffle without dropping syrup all over himself. âI mean... I had things figured out. MâGann and I... We were good. Comfortable.â
Clark nodded slowly, letting him speak at his own pace.
âAnd then Y/N showed up,â Conner continued, his voice almost a whisper now. âOut of nowhere. And everything changed. I didnât... I didnât expect to feel anything for him. I thought I had my life planned out, you know? MâGann and I... we were supposed to be the future. But then he came along and it was just...â
Clarkâs gaze softened as he watched Conner wrestle with his thoughts. âSudden?â
Conner nodded. âYeah. And confusing. I didnât know how to handle it. I didnât even want to handle it.â
Clark remained quiet for a moment, letting the silence between them settle before he spoke again. âI know what itâs like to have everything you think you know shaken up. Feelings can be... complicated. And sudden, like you said. But that doesnât mean theyâre wrong.â
Clark remained quiet for a moment, letting the silence between them settle before he spoke again. âI know what itâs like to have everything you think you know shaken up. Feelings can be... complicated. And sudden, like you said. But that doesnât mean theyâre wrong.â
He paused, his gaze softening. "You know, when you first came into our lives, it was a shockâespecially for me. No one expected it, the way you were discovered, and suddenly becoming a part of my life that I didn't know how to accept. And because of that, I wasnât... exactly welcoming, was I?" Clarkâs voice grew quieter, the regret in his tone unmistakable. "I didnât handle it well at all. I remember Batman trying to have this talk with me about how I needed to be there for you, cause the transition you were going through was tough, but I didn't want to listen. It made me uncomfortableâangry evenâand I let that get in the way of treating you the way you deserved."
Clarkâs voice faltered slightly, the weight of those memories heavy. "I distanced myself. I barely talked to you, and when I did, it was cold, indifferent. And I know that hurt you. I can see now how much of a toll that took on you." He looked Conner in the eye, the sincerity in his expression clear.
Conner shifted uncomfortably at the memory, the wound of Clarkâs initial indifference still raw even after all these years. His fists clenched slightly as Clark continued.
"And because of that," Clark added gently, "I pushed you away. I made you feel like you werenât wanted, like you didnât belong. Thatâs on me and I was wrong to do that. Now, this whole interesting scenario and being a witness to some of you and Y/N's expressive disagreements, I'm wondering if, in a way, you were doing the same thing to Y/N that I did to you." His tone wasnât accusatory, but the weight of his words hung between them. "You and I... weâve come a long way since then, havenât we? What Iâm saying is, sometimes the most unexpected blessings come from the most unexpected places."
Connerâs jaw tightened, his gaze shifting to the table where Colin was still busy devouring his waffles. The kid looked so carefree, so unaffected by the tension in the air.
âI donât know if Iâm ready for this,â Conner admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. âBeing a dad... being with Y/N... Itâs all too much.â
As if sensing the weight of the conversation, Colin paused mid-bite and glanced up at his dad and uncle.
Colin smiled, his eyes bright. "Dad, can I have some apple juice?"
Conner blinked, the question catching him off guard. "Uh, yeah. Sure." He turned, grabbing a cup from the cabinet and filling it with the apple juice from the fridge. He handed it to Colin, who took it eagerly.
"Thank you!" Colin chirped, taking a sip.
Conner watched Colin, his eyes narrowing as the boy eagerly drank his juice, his messy dark hair falling into his eyes. The kid was a near replica of Y/Nâsharp features, the same mischievous grin, and that glint of playful defiance. But even with all of Y/Nâs traits so clearly stamped on his face, Conner could see bits of himself too. In the way Colin held himself, a certain stubbornness, and the unmistakable spark of defiance in his eyes that promised trouble wherever he turned. The thought made him both proud, and a little nervous. It was like looking into a mirror, one that reflected not just his own past but Y/N's influence as well, creating something that was uniquely theirs.
As Connerâs thoughts swirled, Camden toddled over, his tiny feet padding against the floor as he made his way to his father. Without warning, Camden jumped up, grabbing onto Conner's arm with a delighted giggle. Conner caught him easily, his big hand wrapping protectively around his youngest son as Camden snuggled against him, giggling softly. The warmth of the moment momentarily pulled Conner out of his anxious thoughts, grounding him in the simplicity of Camdenâs affection. Less than 24 hours and the move was almost instinctiveâthe way he cradled Camden close, his strong arms wrapping around the small boy like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Clark, standing nearby, observed the scene with a faint smile. The ease with which Conner held Camden, the tenderness in his normally stoic expressionâit was a side of him Clark rarely saw. It was a glimpse of something deeper, something real and undeniable. "Well, I wouldn't use the word ready, seeing as you're still young and have a lot to learn, from this point of view, you seem just fine to me," Clark commented softly, his voice filled with pride and reassurance. Conner looked over at his mentor, the weight of his worries momentarily lifting as he realized, despite everything, thisâbeing a fatherâmight not be as overwhelming as it seemed.
Clarkâs smile softened, and he straightened himself out from his crouched position over the counter, âNo oneâs ever ready. But that doesnât mean youâre not capable of handling it. Youâve always been stronger than you think, Conner. And look at themââ He gestured to Colin and Camden, who were now both completely focused on the plate of food in front of them. âYouâve done something right if these two turned out this way.â
Colin, oblivious to the compliment, wiped syrup from his chin and glanced up again. âDad, you think too much,â he said plainly, as if stating an obvious fact.
Conner blinked in surprise, and Clark let out a soft laugh. âOut of the mouths of babes.â
Colin, sensing he was being teased, shot a quick glare at his uncle before turning back to his plate. âPapa says the same thing. Youâre always thinking and not saying how you feel. Maybe you should try that. Just... you know, say what youâre thinking.â
Conner stared at his son for a moment, the kidâs words sinking in. It wasnât just a childâs naive observationâit was Y/Nâs influence. Y/N had always been the one to push him, to force him to face things he didnât want to. And now, even through their future children, that push was still there, urging him to stop hiding and start feeling.
âIâll think about it,â Conner finally said, his voice softer now, more thoughtful.
Colin nodded as if that was enough, shoving another bite of waffle into his mouth.
Clark stood up, giving Conner a knowing look. âThatâs all anyone can ask for.â
Conner didnât reply, but the weight in his chest felt a little lighter. For the first time since the kids had arrived, he didnât feel completely overwhelmed. It wasnât easyânothing ever was when it came to his feelings, especially when Y/N was involvedâbut maybe, just maybe, he could figure it out.
The kids kept eating, and for the first time that morning, the tension in the air seemed to ease. There were still questions left unanswered, still emotions to sort through, but for now, Conner let himself breathe. Clarkâs words, and Colinâs surprisingly wise insight, lingered with him.
Maybe he had been thinking too much. Maybe it was time to start doing.
Conner stood outside the study Zatanna and Y/N used to study and practice their magic, his hand hovering over the knob. He stood frozen just in front of the door, his hand hovering over the doorknob as he listened to the low murmur of voices from inside. His pulse quickened as he took a deep breath, steeling himself. He knew he couldn't avoid Y/N forever, but the thought of facing him, of confronting the mess of emotions swirling in his chest, was almost too much.
It had been a few hours since his conversation with Superman and the advice from his middle son, and already it felt like his courage was slipping away, drowning under the weight of old insults, arguments, and uncertainty. The thought of facing Y/N, of peeling back the layers of resentment they had built up over time, felt like an insurmountable task.
He'd already been by 15 minutes earlier, coming to grab CJ so the kid could also eat before heading back to help his Papa and Aunt with the spell to return them to their original timeline. But something about seeing Y/N, the look he'd been giving him since this morning, made Conner hesitate in returning to the room to talk to him. There was an intensity in Y/N's gaze that rattled himâlike the magic user could see right through him, past the facade of indifference, straight into the mess of emotions swirling beneath the surface. It wasnât a glare, not exactly, but something sharper, more discerning. And it unnerved Conner in a way he wasn't used to.
Anger, frustrationâthose were familiar. He could work with those. They fueled him, gave him something to push against. But this? This nervous, anxious feeling? That was foreign territory. Normally, when he got anxious, he'd channel it into angerâyelling, snapping, getting into yet another argument with Y/N. But here, standing outside the door, knowing what he needed to do and how he should approach it... it made his stomach churn. Because as much as he hated to admit it, every time he reacted in anger, he realized it only proved Y/N right. And the last thing he wanted to do now was give the smart-ass a reason to smugly say "I told you so" over and over until who knows what end.
He may be irrational at times, but he wasn't dumb. And his pride could only take so much.
No, Conner needed to do this right. But how was he supposed to do that when it felt like his nerves were crawling under his skin, making it impossible to think straight?
He exhaled slowly, trying to steady his nerves. Just as his hand tightened around the knob, ready to push the door open, his superhearing picked that moment to tune in on the conversation happening inside.
"Conner? Attractive?" Y/Nâs voice cut through the muffled conversation, a sarcastic edge to his tone. "Yeah, I thought so. Once. You know, back before he treated me like I wasnât worth his time. I don't understand how this seems funny to only me. How people can just⊠change their tune overnight. One day, I was just a nobody on the team to him, then when I start treating him the same way, suddenly, it's like I'm the only one on the teamâbut for all the wrong reasons."
Connerâs heart skipped a beat, his grip tightening on the knob, but he didnât turn it. Instead, he leaned closer, his superhearing focusing in on the conversation and the harsh but strained sound of Y/N's words.
"Y/N..." Zatannaâs voice came through softly, as if she was trying to comfort him.
"No, seriously," Y/N continued, a bitter laugh escaping him. "You can't not admit how funny and ironic this whole situation is. Me and Conner, together? The universe could not come up with a more hilarious joke."
Conner froze at Y/N's words, his stomach knotting as he strained to hear more. His pulse quickened, the sarcastic bite in Y/Nâs tone cutting deeper than he expected. That bitterness, though, the strain in itâthat was what really threw him off. It wasnât just sarcasm for sarcasmâs sake. It was the sound of someone whoâd been hurt and was still trying to laugh it off, even when the pain was clearly bleeding through the cracks.
Inside, Zatannaâs voice came through, softer now but insistent, a mix of empathy and reason. âY/N, come on. Youâre not being fair to himâor to yourself. I know Conner wasnât exactly Mr. Warmth when you first joined, but you gave it right back to him. And you have to admit, a lot of the time, you werenât just defending yourself.â
Y/N snorted, and Conner could almost see the exasperation on his face. âOh, really? What would you call it then, Z? I was supposed to just sit back and take it? Let him look through me like I didnât exist? And then when I finally matched his indifference, suddenly, I'm the bad guy?â His voice grew more animated, like the floodgates of resentment had been opened. âI didnât ask for any of this! I didnât ask to feel anything for him. Hell, the attraction I had? I thought it was done the second he made it clear I didnât matter. But then... now? When Iâve finally learned to put a wall up, he wants to start giving me these long and sad looks like I'm supposed to feel sympathy for him. Zatanna, we'd literally just got sidelined by Bats not even a few hours earlier because me and him could not stop fighting on the mission. Don't think I didn't see all of your tired and annoyed looks while me and him kept screaming at each other."
Connerâs stomach twisted painfully, a knot of guilt and frustration coiling tighter with every word. He wasn't even in the room and he could feel the weight of Y/Nâs resentment settling on his chest, like Y/N was saying all of this directly to him, staring him straight in his blue eyes. It felt heavy and suffocating.
Hearing Y/N talk about his walls, about the way he felt forced to build them upâit stung in a way the Kryptonian wasnât prepared for. He had always thought their arguments, their constant bickering, were just a reflection of their differences, not realizing how deeply he had hurt Y/N in the process.
Of course, this was the moment when he was reminded of Superman's words from before about how heâd treated him in the beginning when Dick, Wally, and Kal broke him out of Cadmus. It just made the sting feel worse, considering Conner knew exactly how Y/N was feeling because his mentor had once made him feel the exact same way, even if their circumstances were a bit different.
And now, to hear that Y/N had once felt something for himâattraction evenâonly to have it turn into this bitter, sarcastic shield... It made Conner feel like he had been blind to it all, and now he was paying for it, unable to untangle the mess heâd helped create.
Zatanna sighed. âIâm not saying he didnât screw up, Y/N. We both know Conner can be... complicated, especially with his emotions. But youâre not being honest with yourself either.â Her tone was gentle but firm. âYou built that wall out of your own fear too. Youâre as stubborn as he is. He pushed you away, and you pushed back just as hard.â
Y/N groaned, clearly growing frustrated with the direction of the conversation. âLook, Z, Iâm not saying Iâm perfect, alright? But do you blame me? Every time I tried to be decent, I got shut down. Every time I tried to be patient, I got a door slammed in my face. And nowânow weâre supposed to pretend like none of that happened? Like the past just doesnât exist because weâve got some kids from a future I canât even picture?â His voice wavered for a moment, a crack in his bravado. âYou, him, and everyone else must have a lot of faith in me if you think I want to sign myself up for something like that just because three little boys popped in from the future to tell us our fortunes! And you know what? You really shouldn't, because I donât want to live in a world where I have to constantly wonder in the back of my mind if Iâm worth someoneâs time or if theyâre suddenly going to change their tune at the drop of a dime because of this, that, and whatever the hell the third might be! Iâm not going to live like that. And if that means walking away from all this, then so be it. The kids will get over it. Shoot, they won't even be here to see it!â
Connerâs hands clenched into tight fists at his sides, his knuckles going white as Y/Nâs words echoed in his ears. The frustration bubbled up inside him, twisting and coiling into something darker, something harder to control. Y/Nâs dismissal of the kidsâtheir kids, his sonsâlike they were some temporary nuisance, some fleeting inconvenience that would disappear once this whole mess was over, set Conner's blood boiling. He could feel the anger rising in his chest, threatening to burst out in a way that had always felt second nature to him, the way it always had when he and Y/N fought.
But this? This wasnât just about him anymore. It wasnât just another fight between him and Y/N where they could trade barbs and insults like it was some kind of sparring match. No. Now it felt personal in a way that cut deeper than all their previous arguments combined. Y/N wasnât just throwing him under the bus with his biting words and sarcastic remarksâhe was dismissing the future that their kids came from, the life that, according to CJ, Colin, and Camden, they were supposed to build together. Y/N wasnât just rejecting him. He was rejecting all of itâthe family, the possibility, the kidsâand that hurt worse than anything Conner had ever felt before.
He couldnât tell if the anger in his chest was fueled more by his own pain or by the thought of the kids overhearing something like this. What would Colin think if he knew Y/N felt this way? The kid who loved his parents more than anyone. Or Camden? Did Y/N consider for one second how CJ would feel, knowing that boy practically looks up to and tries to follow every step his Papa takes? This would absolutely destroy all three of them, especially the oldest one. The thought of Y/N throwing them aside like a passing inconvenience tore at him, and Conner had to fight every instinct and nerve in his body telling him to march into that room and turn the whole conversation into an all-out brawl.
Inside, Zatannaâs voice softened, but there was a slight edge to it now, the first sign of her patience wearing thin. "Y/N... that's not fair to the kids and you know it. You already told me how CJ talked to you last night and how terrified he is of him and his brothers interfering. You know this will only break him. He, Colin, and Camden practically worship the ground you and Conner walk on. They didnât ask for this any more than you did. And youâre right, you didnât sign up for this, but you canât just treat them like they're some temporary burden. They're your family too, no matter how far in the future it may be. You see how CJ looks up to you, how protective Colin already is of not just his brothers but his parents as well. A trait I'm sure he more than gets from his father. Theyâre real, Y/N, and theyâre here. You can't just wish them away because you're scared of what this means for you and Conner."
There was a beat of silence, and Conner could almost imagine Y/N gritting his teeth, wrestling with the emotions he so desperately tried to hide behind sarcasm and bravado.
"Yeah, well, I didnât ask to have my life turned upside down, Zatanna," Y/N shot back, his voice cracking just enough to betray the vulnerability underneath. "I didnât ask for kids to show up and tell me Iâm supposed to end up with someone who canât stand me half the time! I didnât ask to be put in a position where the second I feel like I can breathe, Iâm right back at square one wondering what the hell Iâm supposed to do now."
Conner felt like he was suffocating, standing there just outside the door, torn between barging in and finally letting all the anger and hurt pour out or walking away before he said or did something that couldnât be taken back. His heart hammered in his chest, the fury building alongside the urge to just smash something, anything, to release the pressure that was pushing down on him. But he couldnât. Not like this.
Zatanna sighed heavily, the sound filled with both exasperation and empathy. "I get it, Y/N. I do. This situation isnât fair to you. Itâs a lot. And I donât envy the position youâre in. But pushing Conner and the kids away isnât the answer. Youâre scared, and I get that too, but donât let fear make decisions for you. You care about themâI know you do, even if you wonât admit it. And maybeâjust maybeâyou need to stop fighting against this so hard and try to see it from Connerâs side. You might find that youâre not as alone in this as you think."
Y/N let out a bitter chuckle. "Alone? You think Iâm not alone? Have you seen how weâve been? Every time I try to meet him halfway, I get shut down. Every single time. Iâm done fighting for something thatâs never going to work. Heâs made that clear. Hell, if it werenât for the kids being here, I wouldnât even be considering any of this! Tell me, Z, in what world do you see me and Connerâtwo people who are always at each other's throatsâsharing a bed for absolutely no reason at all. I'm surprised nothing in my room was broken or destroyed by the time the sun came up."
Connerâs jaw tightened. So thatâs it, huh? The only reason Y/N was even still in this mess was because of the kids. That was the line. That was the breaking point. He could feel the heat rising in his chest, the frustration turning to anger, sharp and hot. His vision blurred at the edges as he fought the overwhelming urge to kick the door down, to confront Y/N and make him understand how wrong he was.
But what would that solve? Another fight? Another shouting match that would just end with more resentment and more unresolved tension between them? He couldnât do that again. Not now. Not after hearing everything Y/N had just said.
But walking away wasnât an option either.
Zatannaâs voice softened again, but there was a weariness in it now. "Y/N, I get it. You're angry, you're hurt. But saying things like thatâabout the kids, about their futureâitâs not fair to them or to yourself. Youâre scared of getting hurt again, but pushing everyone away isnât going to protect you. Itâs just going to make things worse."
Y/N didnât respond immediately, and for a moment, there was nothing but silence on the other side of the door. Connerâs heart pounded in his ears, the conflicting emotions swirling inside him like a storm. Part of him wanted to scream, to let Y/N know exactly how wrong he was. But another part of himâthe part that had heard the hurt in Y/Nâs voice, the vulnerability behind the sarcasmâwanted to do something else entirely. Something that scared him just as much.
Before Conner could make a decision, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway. He turned just in time to see Wally, Dick, and Artemis heading toward him. Wally raised an eyebrow, his eyes darting between Conner and the closed door. "Uh... everything okay, man?"
Conner stiffened, his fists still clenched. "I... itâs fine."
Dick frowned, clearly unconvinced. "We need you in the mission room. Batman just got a hit on something. Itâs big."
Artemis glanced toward the study door, her sharp eyes catching the tension in Connerâs stance. She gave him a knowing look before she stepped forward. "Iâll go get Y/N and Zatanna."
Conner wanted to protest, wanted to stop her, but he couldnât find the words. Before he knew it, Artemis had already knocked and entered the room, leaving him standing there with his heart still racing and his mind still tangled in a web of conflicting emotions.
A moment later, Y/N emerged, his eyes immediately finding Conner's like a magnet. There was a flash of something in his expression, but it was gone before Conner could even begin to decipher it. Y/N brushed past him without a word, his shoulders tense and his jaw set.
Conner watched him go, the anger and frustration still simmering beneath the surface. And as they turned to leave for the mission room, the Kryptonian couldnât help but glance toward Y/N in front of him, his retreating back a stark reminder of the distance between them. His anger hadnât fadedâit still simmered just beneath the surfaceâbut there was something else now too. Something he couldnât quite name. Something that made it impossible to walk away, no matter how much he wanted to.
And that scared him more than anything.
Batmanâs gaze remained locked on the multiple video feeds displayed across the console, his usual stoic expression growing more grim by the second. "Late yesterday, our computers picked up on a surge of interesting reports," he began. "People reporting their cars stolen or missing, wild animal sightings, and sudden changes in temperature. At first, we thought they were isolated and random events. But we kept an eye on them just in case it turned out to be more."
Kaldur, ever the attentive listener, leaned in slightly. "They turned out to be more?"
"Much more," Batman responded, his fingers swiftly typing across the console to pull up a series of chaotic images and videos from Boston. The entire team turned to face the screens as footage of cars, objects, and even large pieces of buildings being torn apart and flung into the air played on the screen. More clips followedâanimals that clearly werenât native to the area running rampant through the streets, attacking anything in sight. The streets themselves seemed warped, as parks and intersections were transformed into different ecosystemsâa tundra, a jungle, and even a volcanic landscape, each more out of place than the last.
"A small number of the Justice League was deployed early this morning to respond to these incidents," Batman continued, pulling up a map showing the spread of the chaos. "But the situation has only escalated. The environments are not only unstable, theyâre... evolving. What started as small, localized disruptions has grown into widespread chaos. And theyâre intensifying by the hour."
Artemis crossed her arms, her brow furrowed. "How bad are we talking?"
"Bad," Batman said, turning to face the team fully. "I believe the warning we received from Doctor Fate had more merit to it than we hoped." The mention of Fate caused a ripple of tension through the room. "He believes weâre dealing with an ancient magical anomaly, something that hasn't been seen in centuries, and that these chaotic events are due to the arrival of our... special guests." His eyes flicked briefly toward CJ, Colin, and Camden.
The kids stiffened at the mention, exchanging glances.
"Wait... youâre saying this is because of us?" Colin asked, his tone tinged with both confusion and worry.
Batmanâs response was direct. "Yes. The random reports and strange events started just last night. We weren't aware at the time, but the beginning of these events coincides with the time you three arrived." His voice didnât carry accusation, just facts. But the weight of his words hung heavily in the air.
CJâs expression remained strangely neutral, though Y/N noticed something in his sonâs eyesâsomething like understanding, but not the kind of fear or confusion he would expect. Y/Nâs gaze lingered on CJ for a moment, but he didnât say anything.
"So, what do we do?" Conner asked, his expression hardening.
Y/N's eyes flicked to Conner, catching the hard edge in his voice, the tension unmistakable. It wasnât just the situation weighing on him; there was something deeper, something personal brewing beneath the surface. And Y/N wasnât the only one who noticed. Colin's gaze dropped, his usual mischievous energy dulled as the weight of responsibility settled on his young shoulders. CJ, however, remained quiet, still unreadable, though Y/N could feel the tension radiating from him like a coiled spring.
Batman didnât miss the shift either. His voice remained calm, but there was an urgency to it now. "We need to stabilize the situation in Boston before it spreads. Many members of the Justice League havenât reported back, and their silence is concerning. The biggest problem, though, isn't just the animals or the environmental disruptions." He pressed a button on the console, and the screen shifted to show a massive tear in the sky over Boston. A swirling, violent rift of dark energy hovered ominously above the city, crackling with magic. "A magical rift has opened, centered over Boston. That rift is the source of the anomalies."
The team stared at the image, eyes wide. The rift pulsed with a dark energy that made the hair on the back of Y/Nâs neck stand on end just by looking at it.
"The entire Justice League was sent out to respond," Batman explained, "but we havenât heard back from them for some time. Thereâs been radio silence from their end for the last thirty minutes."
"Thatâs not good," Dick muttered under his breath.
"No, it isnât," Batman agreed. "I'm sending you all there immediately to investigate and intervene. But..." He turned his gaze to Y/N. "Zatanna will stay behind to continue working on the spell with CJâs assistance. I believe sending them back home to their timeline may be the only way to stop these anomalies for good."
CJâs expression remained passive, though Y/N noticed the way Colin stiffened at the mention of going home, his eyes wide and filled with guilt.
"We donât want to mess things up," Colin whispered, his voice tight.
Y/N placed a hand on Colinâs shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze. "Hey, this isnât your fault, Colt. Weâre gonna fix this."
Colinâs worried expression softened as a small smile crept across his face, and next to him, CJâs lips curled into a matching grin. They exchanged a quick look before turning back to their father, the tension from a moment ago fading slightly. Y/N caught the change in their demeanor, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"What are you two smiling about?" he asked, his voice gentle but curious. Colin glanced at CJ before looking up at Y/N. "You called me 'Colt,'" he said, his grin widening. "Thatâs the nickname we came up with in the future. You always call me that." CJ nodded in agreement, his own smile reflecting the same fondness.
Y/N blinked at the revelation, a strange warmth spreading through his chest at the thought that, in some future timeline, he and Colin had this kind of bond. It felt oddly natural, like he was slipping into a role he hadnât quite realized he was ready for. Colin and CJ were still smiling, their expressions lighter, and for a brief moment, Y/N let himself feel the weight of their affection. It was... nice, for a brief moment.
He opened his mouth to say somethingâmaybe a teasing remark about how he shouldâve guessed the kids would come up with such a cool nicknameâbut the seriousness of the situation quickly pulled him back. They were still in the midst of chaos, after all. His gaze shifted to the rest of the team, and that familiar, nervous tension returned to his gut.
Before Y/N could say anything further, Batman's voice sliced through the air, firm and commanding. "Alright, we canât waste any more time," he said, cutting off any brewing conversations or potential arguments. "You'll be split into two teams based on your abilities. Hereâs how this will work."
The room fell silent, everyone turning their attention to him. "Aqualad," Batman continued, locking his eyes on the Atlantean, "youâll lead the first team to handle ground operations along with Superboy, Kid Flash, and Artemis. Your focus is handling the anomalies, managing the chaos, and protecting civilians. Also, locate any League members and assist them as needed. Keep them safe and minimize further damage. Use whatever resources you need."
The room remained tense as Batman continued, his gaze shifting toward Y/N. "Y/N, youâll lead the second team with Robin and Miss Martian. Your task is to deal with the rift directly. Itâs magical in nature, and based on what we know, youâre the only one with the necessary skills to close it. Miss Martian will assist with psychic communication, and Robin will handle any technical or tactical complications."
Y/N nodded, his expression serious. "Got it."
Before Y/N or anyone else could move, Connerâs voice cut through the tension, sharp and unyielding. "No way. Y/N, youâre staying here with the kids."
Y/N blinked, standing up from where he knelt beside Colin, his brows knitting together. "Excuse me?"
Conner crossed his arms, his expression firm and unwavering. "Youâre not going to Boston. Youâre staying here."
Around them, the tension in the room skyrocketed. Zatanna and Artemis exchanged uneasy glances, while Wally shifted on his feet, clearly bracing himself. Everyone knew what was coming; the team instinctively prepared for another explosive clash.
Y/N narrowed his eyes, frustration building in his chest. "And why exactly would I stay behind when Iâm one of the only people here who understands how to deal with magical threats?"
"Because Iâm not letting you get caught in the middle of this while our kids are here!" Conner snapped, his voice rising.
Y/Nâs jaw clenched. "Iâm not some helpless bystander, Conner. I can handle myself, and right now, the rift is the priority."
"The kids are the priority!" Conner shot back, his eyes blazing. "Iâm not letting you go out there and risk your life when our sons areâ"
"Enough." Batmanâs voice cut through the argument like a knife, sharp and commanding. He stepped between the two of them, his gaze stern. "Y/N is the only one who might be able to close the rift. His magic is directly tied to the arrival of CJ, Colin, and Camden. If the rift was caused by their presence here, then Y/Nâs magic may be the only thing capable of closing it."
Conner glared at Batman, his fists clenched tight enough that his knuckles turned white. "Then I'm going with him."
Batman didn't flinch. His tone was calm but firm, the kind of authority that couldnât be ignored. "No, you're not. You're needed on the ground, dealing with the environmental and animal threats. This is a magical anomaly, and the team needs someone with the expertise to handle that. That's Y/N."
"I'm not letting him go alone," Conner growled, taking a step forward as if challenging the decision.
Batmanâs eyes narrowed, his voice dropping to a dangerously low register. "You're not the one who makes that decision, Conner. And Y/N wonât be alone. Robin and Miss Martian will be with him, along with any League members still on the scene. They'll ensure he has the support he needs."
Before Conner could respond, CJ stepped forward, tugging at his dad's arm. "Dad, itâs okay," he said, his voice steady in a way that was unnerving for a kid his age. "Papa's strong. He'll be fine. Heâs got this." CJâs quiet confidence washed over Conner like a calming wave, his blue eyesâso much like Connerâs ownâlooking up at him with unwavering trust.
Y/N noticed the subtle exchange, his gaze lingering on CJ. Something in the boyâs demeanor, that calm assurance, struck Y/N once again. But he held back from saying anything, choosing instead to focus on the task at hand. Conner, for his part, let out a deep breath, his posture softening slightly, though the tension in his shoulders remained.
Before anyone could take a step forward, a small voice broke through the tense silence. "Papa... Daddy..." Camdenâs soft, trembling voice wavered as he looked between Y/N and Conner, his tiny hands clutching the hem of his fatherâs shirt. His wide eyes brimmed with tears, lip quivering as the realization settled inâboth his parents were leaving. "No go," he mumbled, his voice thick with emotion. "Stay wif me. No go."
Y/N immediately knelt down beside his youngest, his heart twisting at the sight of Camdenâs tears. He reached out, gently cupping the little boy's cheek. "Hey, hey, itâs okay, Cam. Papaâs not going anywhere forever. Weâre just going to fix the big problem, and then weâll come right back. Okay?"
But Camden wasnât having it. His small hands reached out, grabbing onto Y/Nâs shirt as if to anchor him in place. "Noooo, Papa! No go! Stay wif Cam!" The words came out in hiccuping sobs, and before Y/N could even respond, Conner had already knelt down beside them.
"Itâs okay, bud," Conner murmured, his voice softer than anyone had heard it in a while. He gently lifted Camden into his arms, holding him close against his chest. "Weâll both be back before you know it. Aunt Zatannaâs gonna take care of you while weâre gone, alright? Youâll be safe."
Camden buried his face in Connerâs neck, his tiny body shaking with sobs. "Nooo... wanna stay wif Daddy... Papa..." His babbles were barely coherent now, muffled by Connerâs shirt as his small fists clung to him.
Y/Nâs chest tightened at the sight of Camdenâs tears, the sound of his sonâs soft sobs tugging at his heart in a way nothing else could. But he forced a reassuring smile, placing a hand on Camdenâs back. "Weâll be back really soon, okay, Camden? Aunt Z can show you some new magic tricks while weâre gone. How does that sound?"
Zatanna stepped forward, her expression soft and understanding. She held out her arms toward Camden, her tone gentle as she addressed him. "Hey there, big guy. Why donât you come hang out with me for a bit? Weâll have fun, I promise."
After a few more moments of coaxing from both his parents, Camden finally loosened his grip, his tear-streaked face still buried against Conner's shoulder. Slowly, hesitantly, Conner passed him over to Zatanna, though the little boy still whimpered softly as she took him into her arms. "Youâll be okay, Cam," Conner whispered, brushing a hand through Camdenâs dark hair before stepping back.
Y/N couldnât help but watch the way Conner handled Camden, the tenderness in his touch, the quiet murmurs of reassurance, so different from the fire and stubbornness that had flared just moments ago. It was strangeâhow easily Conner shifted from the abrasive, hot-headed fighter to the soft-spoken, caring father. And despite all the chaos, despite the argument theyâd nearly launched into, Y/N felt a tug of something deep in his chest. Fatherhood, it seemed, suited Conner more than Y/N would have expected. The Kryptonianâs natural protectiveness extended beyond just brute force; it was in the way he held Camden close, the way he whispered calm reassurances, like every word was meant to soothe the little boyâs fears. For a moment, Y/N almost forgot about the mission ahead.
He shook the thought away as Zatanna cradled Camden in her arms, the young boy finally quieting down, his hiccups slowing as Zatanna whispered softly to him. "Iâll keep an eye on them," she said to Y/N and Conner, her voice steady. "Theyâll be safe here. Focus on what you need to do."
Y/N nodded, giving her a grateful look. "Thanks, Z." He turned to CJ and Colin, offering them a reassuring smile. "You two behave, alright? Help Aunt Z as much as you can."
CJ gave a small nod, his usual calm demeanor still present, though Y/N noticed the subtle determination in his expression. Colin, on the other hand, tried to put on a brave face, but Y/N could see the worry flickering in his eyes. "Weâll be okay," Colin said, though his voice wavered slightly. "Just... come back quick, okay?"
"Promise," Y/N replied softly, ruffling Colinâs hair before stepping back. He exchanged a final glance with Conner, their earlier tension still simmering beneath the surface, but now there was something unspoken between themâan understanding, however fragile, that they would both fight for their kids, for each other, even if they didnât always agree.
Batmanâs voice broke the moment, pulling them back to the task at hand. "Time to move. Weâve already lost too much time."
With a final look at his family, Y/N squared his shoulders and turned toward the zeta tube, the familiar swirl of light surrounding him as he prepared to confront the chaos in Boston.
The mission was a disaster before it even started.
The moment they arrived on the scene, it was like stepping into a nightmareâor worse, a magical hurricane on steroids. Boston wasnât just in chaos; it was in pieces. Buildings hovered mid-air, entire streets warped into bizarre, shifting landscapes, and what looked like glowing neon vines were spreading across the city like it had been chosen as the set for an apocalyptic rave.
The team didnât even have time to blink before they were hit with a wave of magical energy, the force of it sending shivers down their spines. Y/N, standing at the forefront, felt the familiar buzz of magic, but this was different. Wild. Unhinged. It was like a thousand magical threads all pulling in different directions, completely untethered. He could sense the power surging through the air, crackling with energy that had no business being there.
âWhat the hell is this?â Kid Flash muttered, staring at a car that was literally floating by like a balloon.
"Language," Robin chimed in, though he was just as unnerved.
Kid Flash shot Robin an unimpressed look. âReally? Now youâre pulling that?â
Robin gave a sheepish shrug, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, force of habit. The kids, you know?"
Conner scanned the area, his jaw clenched. "This isn't just magic. Itâs chaos."
Y/N grimaced, eyes narrowing. "Itâs more than that. The magic from the rift is spiraling out of control and destabilizing everything. Warping reality all around us.â
"Three kids caused all of this?" Artemis asked, incredulous.
"Well, technically, they haven't been born yet," Kid Flash pointed out. "So, yep, sounds about right."
As they moved deeper into the city, it became clear that nothing was untouched by the rift. People ran through the streets, some of them glowing as if they'd been hit with magical radiation, others transforming into strange, otherworldly creatures. One moment, a guy sprinted past them, looking normal enoughâuntil he sprouted wings and took off into the sky like it was a completely rational thing to do on a Tuesday morning.
âIs that dude... part bird now?â Kid Flash asked, not even bothering to mask the disbelief in his voice.
Y/N watched with a mix of panic and fascination. âYeah, it looks like it. Thatâs the kind of magical chaos weâre dealing with. Try to keep up.â
The air crackled again, and with each step closer to the rift, the environment shifted more dramatically. It wasnât just the people being affectedâentire blocks were freezing over in seconds, only to melt and turn into jungles or deserts moments later. One building seemed to be trapped in time, flickering between its current state and what looked like a medieval fortress.
It was like reality itself had been thrown into a blender, and someone had hit the highest speed setting.
Aqualadâs voice cut through the chaos, sharp and focused. âWe need to split up now! Artemis, Kid Flash, Superboyâfan out. We need to get people to safety and keep a lookout for any members of the Justice League. Y/N, Robin, Miss Martianâhead for the rift. Weâll cover your flank.â
Superboy hesitated, his gaze lingering on Y/N as he nodded. There was something in Connerâs eyesâconcern, frustration, maybe bothâbut Y/N couldnât focus on that right now. He had his task, and the last thing he needed was to get distracted by Connerâs protective streak. Conner opened his mouth, like he was about to say something, but Y/N gave him a quick, determined nod before heading off toward the rift with Robin and Miss Martian in tow.
The team split off, each group moving with purpose through the chaotic cityscape. Superboyâs fists clenched as he watched Y/N disappear into the swirling madness ahead. "Be careful," he muttered under his breath, though Y/N was already too far to hear it.
As Aqualad led the others into the thick of the chaos, they dodged bursts of energy and tried to maintain a safe path for the civilians. Kid Flash darted from person to person, grabbing anyone who looked even remotely human and speeding them to the nearest shelter that wasnât floating or shifting between realities. âDude, this is like a magical acid trip gone wrong,â he muttered, dodging a glowing tree root that suddenly shot out from the ground.
âStay focused, Kid,â Aqualad called over his shoulder. âWe need to find the rest of the Justice League.â
Artemis fired a volley of arrows, knocking aside a swarm of neon-colored birds that were swooping down toward the civilians. As she reloaded, she glanced over at Superboy, who was busy punching a giant, glowing slug-like creature into the pavement. She watched as he ripped a car door off with far more force than necessary, letting the terrified people inside scramble out. "Hey, Supey, you doing okay?"
Superboy grunted, his fists clenching as the creature writhed beneath him. "Fine."
But he wasn't fine. Not even close. Every punch he threw was fueled by more than just the chaos around them. It was the gnawing worry at the back of his mindâtwisting tighter with each passing second. The rift, the magic, Y/N out there somewhereâtoo close to the danger, too exposed. And then there was the conversation he'd overheard earlier, still simmering beneath the surface like a hot ember he couldnât put out. Every word Y/N had said, the sarcasm and bitterness, how he had basically dismissed everything that had happened like it was nothing, felt like salt in an open wound.
He couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen, and the thought of being away from Y/N while he faced that rift felt like trying to fight with one arm tied behind his back. Worse, part of him was still angryâangry at Y/N for throwing up those walls, for acting like none of it mattered. But what made it worse was that Conner couldnât tell if he was more furious at Y/N or at himself for not realizing how deep those scars ran.
His anger and worry mixed into a volatile blend, and every punch, every kick was a release he desperately needed. But none of it made him feel better.
"You sure?" Artemis pressed, her tone cautious as she loosed another arrow. "Because you seem a little tense."
"I'm fine," Superboy repeated, though his jaw tightened with each word, his voice a little more clipped than before. He slammed the slug creature into the ground again, more aggressively than necessary, trying to focus on the task at hand. But no matter how hard he hit, it didnât stop the weight pressing on his chestâthe same weight that had settled in the moment Y/N disappeared into the chaos.
Conner just wanted to get this over with, to punch his way through every problem and make sure Y/N was okay. But magic wasnât something he could punch. And that made him feel powerless. Useless.
"Uh-huh." Artemis wasnât convinced, but she knew better than to push him when he was like this. She pulled back another arrow, this time aiming for a cluster of glowing tentacles slithering toward a nearby building. But she could see the tension in Connerâs stanceâthe way his fists stayed clenched even when there was nothing left to hit. He wasnât fine. He was worried.
Meanwhile, Y/Nâs team moved swiftly, the eerie glow of the rift growing stronger with every step. The air was thick with magic, the kind that sent chills up Y/Nâs spine. He could feel it as they got closerâsomething ancient, powerful, and very, very angry. The energy was wild, and the closer they got, the more erratic it became. Sparks of light crackled in the air, and the ground beneath them shifted as if reality itself was struggling to hold together.
âWeâre close,â Robin said, his eyes scanning the distorted environment with a mixture of curiosity and unease. âBut, is it just me, or does something feel really off? It feels likeâŠâ
âLike weâre being watched,â Miss Martian finished, her voice steady but tense. She hovered a little higher, her green skin glowing faintly as she reached out with her mind, trying to get a sense of what was ahead. But she quickly pulled back. âThereâs something... someone near the rift. I canât tell who, but their presence is overwhelming.â
Y/N's heart raced as the sensation grew stronger. He felt the energy around him tightening, like a binding rope or python trying to squeeze him. âWhoeverâor whateverâit is, theyâre using the magical energy from the rift to fuel themselves. We need to be ready for anything.â
He could feel his own magic stirring, a rush of energy he didn't recognize but still somehow felt humming through his veins. It was a strange sensation, like a muscle flexing, preparing for a fight. His fingers tingled, and the air around him seemed to shimmer, almost imperceptibly.
"I can feel it," Y/N murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "The energy. It's... it's like nothing I've ever felt before."
Robin frowned, his eyes darting around the area. "That's not good, is it?"
"Nope, probably not," Y/N answered.
The closer they got to the rift, the more oppressive the energy became, like walking through thick, suffocating fog. The sky above them was torn open, swirling with dark, crackling energy, but it wasnât just the rift that was the problem anymore. The presence Miss Martian had sensedâit was stronger now, looming over them like a shadow just out of reach.
As they approached the clearing near the rift, the ground shifted again, this time pulling away as if something massive was displacing the air itself. The sky above them darkened, the swirling mass of the rift glowing with an intense, unnatural light. And thatâs when they saw him.
Y/Nâs breath hitched as a figure began to emerge from the rift, hovering above the ground. At first, it was just an outline, a silhouette against the chaotic sky, but as the glow of the rift illuminated it, their worst fears were realized. Cloaked in dark, swirling magic, Superman floated in the air, his eyes glowing an unnatural, eerie green.
Something was wrongâterribly wrong. His normally calm and composed face was twisted in a snarl, his eyes glowing with that eerie, unnatural glow. Tendrils of dark energy spiraled around him, almost like chains, binding him to the rift.
Y/Nâs breath hitched. âOh no...â
Supermanâs gaze locked onto them, but it wasnât the familiar gaze of the Man of Steel. It was something elseâsomething darker. And then, as if pulled by some unseen force, Supermanâs attention shifted directly to Y/N.
Without warning, he shot toward them like a bullet, fists clenched, eyes blazing with magical energy. Y/N barely had time to react, throwing up a protective shield just as Supermanâs fist collided with it, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The force of the impact knocked Y/N back, his shield flickering as he struggled to hold it in place.
âUh, guys. I think something's wrong with Superman,â Robin yelled, eyes wide with shock.
"Oh really, you think so?" Y/N shouted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I couldn't tell!"
Miss Martian, her eyes glowing white, tried to reach out to Superman, hoping to break through the haze of magic. But, the moment she touched his mind, she recoiled, her expression pained. "It's like his mind is screaming. I can't get through."
Y/N gritted his teeth, his hands shaking as he held up the shield.
âY/N, can youâ?â
âWorking on it!â Y/N grunted, his magic straining against the overwhelming power of Supermanâs attack. He could feel the dark energy coiling around Superman, like some kind of dark spirit or entity was latched onto him, controlling him. And worseâit looked like it was focused solely on the young magic user.
The rift above them pulsed violently, feeding the entityâs strength as it drove Superman forward again, his fists glowing with that same dark energy. Y/N braced himself, sweat trickling down his forehead as he prepared for another onslaught.
But, before Superman could strike, a blur of black and red shot past, tackling him mid-air with an angry shout.
Superboy.
The half-Kryptonian slammed into Superman, the force of his impact sending both Kryptonians crashing into a nearby building. The structure shook, but thankfully it held. Superman barely seemed fazed, his glowing eyes snapping toward Superboy as he regained his balance mid-air. The tendrils of dark energy flickered around him like an agitated beast, coiling tighter as if preparing for another assault.
Superboy landed in front of Y/N, fists clenched, his breathing heavy. His jaw tightened, his gaze locked on Superman, who was hovering ominously above them. "Stay behind me."
He didnât even flinch as Supermanâs eyes narrowed, a fresh wave of dark energy coiling around him. But Y/N was already bristling, his frustration bubbling over. âAre you insane?!â Y/N snapped, scrambling back to his feet, his eyes flashing with anger. âDo you know what you just did?â
Superboy didnât tear his gaze away from Superman, his muscles coiled like springs ready to launch again. âYeah, I saved your behind.â
âNo, you didnât!â Y/Nâs voice cut through the chaos, sharp with anger and panic. âYouâre supposed to be with Aqualad, helping the others! Not throwing yourself into a fight you cannot win. Supermanâs juiced up with magic, Connerâheâs stronger than ever. Youâll get yourself killed!â
Superboyâs eyes flared, his own frustration boiling over. âAnd what, Iâm supposed to just stand by and let you handle this alone? Iâm not leaving you out here to face him by yourself!â
âIâm the one who can actually deal with this!â Y/N snapped, his fists clenched in frustration. âYouâre only making it harder! I swear, you pull this stunt every time.â
âWhat, care about you?â Superboy shot back, his voice strained with a mix of anger and desperation.
âNo, you put yourself in danger because you think you have to protect me,â Y/N hissed, his eyes flashing with fury. âLike I canât handle it.â
âWell, maybe if you werenât so reckless and actually stayed at the Cave like I told you, we wouldnât even be in this mess!â Superboy countered, his jaw tightening as his temper flared.
âWho do you think you are?â Y/N scoffed, his frustration peaking. âAnd Iâm not the one who just launched myself at a possessed Superman. You do realize thatâs the textbook definition of reckless, right?â
Superboyâs growl deepened, his fists clenched so tight they trembled. He stepped closer to Y/N, frustration etched in every line of his face.
âIf you two lovebirds are done, weâve got bigger problems,â Robin cut in sharply, his voice tinged with urgency.
Y/N and Superboy froze mid-argument, their eyes snapping up toward Robin. Whatever anger had bubbled between them fizzled away as they realized what he was pointing to.
Superman hovered menacingly above them, his eyes glowing an even more vivid, unnatural green. Tendrils of dark energy coiled around his body like a living shadow, pulsing with an eerie power. His once-familiar face was a mask of pure malice, the heroic expression they knew replaced with something far more dangerousâpredatory. His gaze locked onto them with a chilling intensity, his posture tense, ready to strike.
âFocus, guys,â Miss Martian urged, her voice tight as she floated beside them. âHeâs about to attack.â
Superboyâs jaw tightened, and Y/Nâs heart raced. Whatever had taken hold of Superman wasnât letting go, and it had them squarely in its sights.
Back at the Cave, the quiet hum of the lights overhead was the only sound filling the air as Zatanna sat with CJ and Colin, keeping a watchful eye on the youngest Kent. Camden was currently asleep on one of the couches in her and Y/Nâs study, wrapped in a blanket. It had taken some time to calm him down, especially since he had gotten more antsy after not being able to see Conner and Y/N before they left, but CJ had been a big help.
Speaking of CJ, Zatanna, ever perceptive, had noticed the strange and quiet behavior from the oldest Kent, something that Y/N had picked up on as well before they left for Boston. Y/N had even reached out through their magical connection, asking her to check on CJ and make sure everything was okay. There was something about the way he actedâlike he knew something the rest of them didnât.
âCJ, is there something on your mind?â Zatannaâs voice was soft, coaxing without pressuring.
CJ, sitting beside her, barely glanced up from his phone, his expression guarded and unreadable. âWhat do you mean?â
Zatanna offered him a kind smile. âYouâve been pretty quiet since the others left. Is everything alright?â
He hesitated, a flicker of conflict crossing his face before he sighed softly. âIâm fine. Just... worried about Dad and Papa.â
Zatanna watched CJ closely, noting the way his eyes flickered with something she couldnât quite placeâhesitation, maybe. There was something more behind the boyâs silence than just the usual concern for his parents.
"Your fathers are strong, you know that, right?" Zatanna offered with a warm smile, hoping to ease whatever tension was weighing him down. "Whatever they're facing, theyâve got each other and the team to back them up."
CJ nodded, but it was clear her words werenât doing much to lift the cloud hanging over him. His fingers drummed lightly against his phone, his eyes distant. "I know theyâre strong. I'm not really worried about that," he muttered.
Zatanna leaned forward slightly, her brow furrowed. "Then what are you worried about, CJ?" Her tone softened further, sensing there was something deeper at play. "Youâre holding something back, I can tell. If youâre worried about more than just the fight, you can talk to me. Iâll keep it between us."
CJ glanced at Colin, who had been quietly sitting cross-legged on the floor. The younger boy looked equally conflicted, like he knew exactly what CJ was thinking but wasnât sure how to express it. After what felt like forever, CJ sighed, his voice barely above a whisper. "Itâs not the fight. Not really."
Zatanna waited patiently, giving him the space to continue.
"Itâs just... the green lady," CJ said, his tone carrying more weight than she expected. "I donât trust her. Neither of us do."
"The green lady?" Zatannaâs confusion was brief before realization dawned. "You mean MâGann?"
Zatannaâs mind raced as she connected the dots. She had noticed it tooâthe way the boys interacted so easily with most of the team. They had a natural rhythm and rapport with nearly everyone, treating them like family. To them, everyone was either an Aunt or Uncle. They were always joking with Dick and Wally, learning fighting moves from Kaldur, and laughing at Artemisâ stories. Even their comfort around Superman and, surprisingly, Batman had caught Zatanna's attention. They had slipped into these relationships as if it was second nature.
But with MâGann, it had been different. The boys were distant, almost cold, and while MâGann wasnât unfriendly, she too seemed hesitant. Zatanna had chalked it up to natural awkwardness, considering their sudden appearance, but now, hearing CJ refer to her as "the green lady" in such a cold tone, it was clear something deeper was going on.
"Iâve noticed you two keep your distance from her," Zatanna said carefully, studying both CJ and Colinâs faces. "And... she tries to get close, but thereâs always some wall. Do you mind telling me why?"
CJ glanced at Colin again, and this time, it was Colin who spoke, his voice soft but steady. "Sheâs... different where weâre from. Really different."
Zatanna raised an eyebrow slightly. "Different how?"
CJ shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his gaze dropping to his hands. "She... doesnât like us much. Not really. She doesnât like the idea of Dad and Papa together, and sheâsâ" He hesitated, clearly trying to find the right words without revealing too much.
"She tries to keep them apart," Colin finished quietly, his eyes trained on the floor. "She says things, does things... to make them fight sometimes. Weâve seen it."
Zatanna frowned, her heart aching at the weight these boys were carrying. She leaned in a little closer, her voice gentle but firm. "That sounds... complicated. But remember, this is a different timeline. People here arenât the same as the ones you know. Youâve seen that, right?"
Colin nodded, but his eyes remained downcast. "We donât mean to be mean, but sheâs very different from the one we know with our parents. Weâve tried to find ways to tell Dad and Papa... but we donât know how. Every time we try, something stops us. It feels like something is stopping us from interfering, and I donât know how to make them see what we see." His voice cracked slightly, and he glanced at CJ for support.
CJ picked up where his brother left off, his voice steady but filled with frustration. "The MâGann from our timeline, sheâs... worse. She always tries to come between our parents, always messing things up for them. Sometimes she makes them fight each other. Weâve seen her do it so many times, and it always makes Papa and Dad upset. Sometimes at each other."
Zatannaâs eyes widened slightly, the pieces falling into place. "So, thatâs why you two act so strange around her. Youâve been calling her 'the green lady' because you donât trust her."
CJ nodded again, his expression darkening. "Every time I look at her, I see everything she did to hurt them in our time. And now, with us here, it feels like weâve managed to do the one thing sheâs been trying to do for as long as I can rememberâkeep them apart. What if we really messed things up? What if Papa never forgives Dad for everything that happened? I see how Dad looks at Papa, but... it doesnât feel like Papa feels the same way. Especially when Dadâs around. It scares me. Like weâve made things worse, just by being here."
Zatanna sighed softly, her heart aching for the boys. She could see how much they were carryingâfear, guilt, and the heavy burden of a future they werenât supposed to interfere with. She knew they were holding back more than they were saying, but she also knew the dangers of knowing too much about the future. They were in a precarious spot, balancing on the edge of what they could share and what had to be kept hidden.
âCJ, Colin," she began gently, leaning forward to meet their eyes, "youâre not responsible for your parentsâ lives. Itâs easy to think that because youâve seen so much, but love is complicated. Thereâs a lot of history between your Papa and Dadâsome of which you havenât seen yet, and some you might never need to see. What matters now is that theyâre both strong, and theyâre both fighting for whatâs right. You being here... I donât think youâve ruined anything. If anything, I think you've actually opened their eyes.â
Before they could respond, the air in the room shiftedâa crackle of magic filling the atmosphere, a familiar, tingling sensation that made Zatanna straighten immediately.
The atmosphere grew thick with energy, and a bright light bloomed in the corner of the room, just like when the boys first arrivedâthough this time, it was focused in one spot, far more controlled than the chaotic arrival from before. Zatannaâs senses heightened immediately as she recognized the magical aura, though there was something different about it. It was familiar, but stronger, more commanding, like CJâs presence magnified, though this one carried with it a weight of experience.
As the light dimmed, Zatanna turned around, her eyes widening at the sight of two figures standing in the roomâone taller, broader in the shoulders, still wearing a shirt that looked a size too small, while the other carried the same mischievous glint she knew all too well, tempered now by time and wisdom. Her breath caught in her throat as CJ and Colinâs faces lit up with pure joy.
âZatanna, are you telling my kids stories again?â His voice was unmistakable, carrying that signature teasing, sarcastic tone.
"You are such a freaking idiot."
The words came out in stuttered breaths, each one sharp and ragged as Y/N lay pinned beneath the weight of Conner. His chest heaved with exhaustion, every breath a reminder of the strain his magic had taken on him during the battle. Conner didnât move, his broad form pressing down heavily against Y/N, arms still wrapped protectively around his middle as though the fight wasnât over yet. His grip was firm, almost too tight, as if letting go would mean surrendering Y/N to the chaos that had just unfolded.
They were both breathing hard, lungs burning as they tried to recover. The wreckage of the building around them was a brutal reminder of what they had just been through. The entity that had possessed Superman had been relentless, breaking free from the rift, driven by an insatiable hunger for powerâmagic, specifically. It had been searching for the source, seeking something ancient, something it believed would restore it to full strength. It had sensed CJâs magic first, the magic that had torn the rift open. But when it found Y/Nâs magical presence, something familiar, it zeroed in on him with a terrifying, singular focus.
Y/N could still hear the chilling words the entity had spoken through Supermanâs lips, his voice distorted and twisted with malevolence:
"Ah, now it makes sense..." The entityâs voice slithered out of Supermanâs mouth, twisted and unnatural, sending a shiver down Y/Nâs spine. "The power I felt... that magic I sensed, so potent, so ancient... it called to me, even from within my prison. A power like that could only belong to someone with blood like yours." The entity's voice dropped, dripping with venomous amusement, each word laced with a cruel edge. "Yours is different from what I felt before... refined, controlled. But the first pulse I sensed was raw, untamedâmuch like you once were. A child, then. A child with blood like yours."
Supermanâsâno, the entityâsâeyes gleamed, glowing with an eerie green light, filled with a malice that made Y/Nâs stomach churn. "Your child, I assume. Familiar, yes... a direct descendant. How fitting." The thing let out a low, sinister chuckle that felt like nails on glass. "I will enjoy watching your line fall. Iâve waited so long... and today, both you and your whelp will suffer for what was taken from me. What your bloodline stole so long ago will finally be mine again."
The words hung in the air like a curse, dark and twisted, and Y/N felt his heart lurch in his chest. His hands shook, both with fear, but also a surge of protectiveness so strong it nearly overwhelmed him. Heâd known CJ and Colin for less than 24 hours, but the very idea of anything harming them lit a fire inside him that burned brighter than any magic heâd ever wielded.
His jaw clenched, his breath quickening as he stared down this ancient evil wearing Supermanâs face. The entityâs words echoed in his mind, its chilling threat against CJ ringing louder than the chaos of the battle around him. His magic flared to life, sparking at his fingertips. Not his kids. Not today.
Y/N wasnât ready to be a parentâhell, he wasnât sure he ever would beâbut that didnât matter right now. This thing, this twisted, malevolent force had come here looking to destroy his child. And no matter how outmatched he was, no matter how much stronger this entity might be, Y/N wasnât going to let that happen. Heâd take on anythingâdemons, gods, even Superman himselfâif it meant protecting CJ.
"Youâre not touching him," Y/N growled, his voice low and dangerous. Magic surged around him, crackling like wildfire. "I donât care what you think youâre owed. Youâre not getting past me."
Even as the odds stacked against him, Y/N felt something unshakable in his core. A new kind of strength, one that didnât come from spells or incantations. It came from the protectiveness he felt for his sonâthe child who had come from some future he barely understood but who he was already willing to lay everything on the line for.
The entity grinned, the malice in its expression deepening. "Brave words for a dead man. You will watch your child fall before I take you next."
Y/N didnât respond, his entire focus shifting to the battle ahead. His fear was there, gnawing at him, but so was something more powerful. For CJ, Colin, and Camdenâfor his sonsâY/N would fight until his last breath.
The battle had been nothing short of a nightmare, each moment a desperate attempt to stop the possessed Superman while keeping the team safe. Y/N had thrown every ounce of magic he had into protecting themâshields, energy blasts, containment spellsâbut none of it had been enough. The entity had twisted Supermanâs powers, amplifying them with its own dark energy. Magic that would have at least slowed Superman down had no effect. And if they hadnât been able to handle Superman without magic, how could they hope to stop him with it?
Still, it hadnât stopped Conner. He fought like a man possessed himself, throwing everything he had between Y/N and the corrupted Kryptonian. Blow after blow, Conner absorbed the hits, bloodied but undeterred, keeping Superman distracted just long enough for Y/N to work out a plan. The rest of the team, alongside a few Justice League members Aqualad and the others had managed to find, had joined the fray. They'd been overpowered early on, knocked out when the entity first took control. The dark magic amplifying Supermanâs abilities had caught them completely off guard.
But he never wavered.
Y/N quickly realized that fighting head-on would be a losing game. The entity's power, amplified by Supermanâs, was far too overwhelming. But the riftâthe thing that had brought it here in the first placeâwas still open, pulsating with chaotic energy, tearing the fabric of reality apart. That was when Y/N knew what had to be done. If he could close the rift, the entity would lose its anchor to this dimension. And with any luck, that would drive it out of Supermanâs body.
It was a gamble, and a long shot at best.
Throwing himself into the task, Y/N channeled every ounce of magic he had left, weaving a spell to close the rift. The entity sensed it almost immediately. It directed Supermanâs relentless attacks toward Y/N, trying to stop him. But Connerâbruised, battered, yet still standingâfought tooth and nail to keep Superman at bay, taking hit after punishing hit to buy Y/N just enough time.
Y/N could still feel the power surging through him, every part of his body alight with the energy required to seal the tear in reality. But it drained him. The spell needed everything he had, and in those final moments, just as he forced the rift to close with a deafening crack, he felt his consciousness slipping away. The world blurred, the sounds of battle fading as he fell from the sky, too exhausted to keep himself afloat.
That was when Conner leaped. He caught Y/N mid-air, his powerful arms wrapping around him as they fell into the wreckage of the collapsing building below, shielding him from the worst of the impact.
The rift sealed, and with it, the entityâs hold on Superman shattered. It was pulled back into the prison from which it had escaped, leaving Superman himself unconscious but finally free from its control.
And now, here they wereâlying in the rubble, both too exhausted to move, trying to catch their breath. Y/N groaned again, the full weight of Conner pressing down on him, his body too heavy and too warm against Y/Nâs aching frame.
"You do realize you're crushing me, right?" Y/N rasped out, each word strained and breathless, still pinned under Connerâs weight. His chest was heaving, trying to catch up with the breath that had been knocked out of him. Conner, on the other hand, didnât budge. His arms remained locked around Y/N, his breath still hot against Y/Nâs neck, and while the battle was over, it felt like the two of them were still fighting... something.
"Don't care," Conner murmured, his voice rough and strained. "You're not going anywhere."
Y/N groaned, the exhaustion creeping into his bones, mixing with the heat of Connerâs body pressing against him. "Dude, in case you didn't notice, the fight's over and you're kind of heavy. Please, get off me," he managed to huff between labored breaths.
Conner made no move to shift. "Youâre fine," he said, though the protective edge in his voice didnât waver. His arms still refused to let go, as if he couldnât stand the thought of Y/N slipping away, even for a second.
"Seriously, man, Iâm suffocating here." Y/N squirmed a little, not so much because he couldnât breathe, but because the warmth and proximity were... uncomfortable. Not physically, but in a way he didnât want to think too hard about. "Get off already."
"No." Connerâs voice was unyielding, a stubborn refusal that sent an involuntary shiver down Y/Nâs spine.
"Are you serious right now?" Y/N craned his neck to glance at him. "This is ridiculous."
"Iâm serious," Conner replied, his voice low. "Iâm not moving until Iâm sure youâre okay."
Y/N narrowed his eyes, irritation flaring up despite the exhaustion. "Iâm fine. Iâm alive, arenât I? Now get off me before I hex you into next week."
Conner snorted softly, but his grip still didnât loosen. "Like Iâd let you."
Y/N bristled at the arrogance in his tone, trying to ignore the fact that his heart was hammering a little too fast. "Whatâs your deal, huh? Why are you always trying to play hero?"
"Iâm notâ" Connerâs voice was rough, and he shifted just enough to catch Y/Nâs eyes. "Iâm not trying to be a hero. Iâm just trying to keep you safe."
Y/Nâs temper flared at that. He shoved at Connerâs chest, trying to push him off, but of course, it was like shoving a brick wall. "I donât need you to keep me safe, Conner. Iâm not some fragile little flower. Iâve been dealing with stuff like this long before you ever decided toâ"
"Thatâs not fair," Conner cut him off, his voice hardening. "Youâre the one whoâs always putting yourself in danger. What am I supposed to do, just sit around and wait for you to get hurt?"
"I can take care of myself," Y/N snapped, eyes flashing. "I donât need you or anyone else to protect me. Iâm not a damsel in distress."
"Thatâs not what Iâm sayingâ"
"Then what are you saying?" Y/N challenged, his voice rising.
Connerâs jaw clenched, his breath coming in heavy, frustrated bursts. His eyes locked with Y/Nâs, something dark and stormy flickering in their depths, and for a split second, it looked like he was about to argue backâlike they were going to keep bickering until one of them snapped.
But then something shifted in Connerâs gaze, something that made Y/Nâs breath catch in his throat.
Before Y/N could get another word in, Connerâs hand shot up, his fingers gripping Y/Nâs jaw with firm but careful pressure. He tilted Y/Nâs face up, his grip unyielding, and Y/Nâs heart raced, heat flaring in his chest as he realized what was about to happen.
"Conner, I swearâ"
The rest of Y/Nâs protest died in his throat as Connerâs lips crashed down onto his, cutting off any words that might have followed. The kiss was sudden, fierce, filled with a rawness that felt like all the frustration and tension that had been building between them was finally boiling over. Connerâs mouth moved against Y/Nâs with a desperation that sent a jolt of fire through him, the heat between them blazing in an instant.
Y/Nâs first instinct was to shove him awayâto push back against the overwhelming intensity of it allâbut his body betrayed him. His hands, which had been pushing against Connerâs chest moments ago, faltered, fingers curling against the fabric of Connerâs shirt as he fought between wanting to resist and wanting to melt into the kiss.
Connerâs other hand slid down, wrapping around Y/Nâs waist, pulling him even closerâif that was even possibleâuntil there was no space between them. Y/N felt trapped, suffocated by the weight of Connerâs body and the sheer force of the kiss, and yet... he didnât hate it. In fact, the heat of it, the possessiveness, the way Connerâs lips moved against his like he couldnât bear to let goâit was enough to make Y/Nâs mind spin.
His breath hitched, a small sound of protest caught somewhere in the back of his throat, but it was swallowed by the heat of Connerâs mouth. Y/Nâs heart pounded so loudly in his ears that it drowned out everything elseâthe rubble, the aftermath, the fact that they had almost died. None of it mattered. Not in this moment. Not with Connerâs lips moving so fiercely against his, like kissing Y/N was the only thing tethering him to the ground.
Y/N should have been angry. He should have shoved Conner away, demanded an explanation, demanded they talk it out like they always did. But as Connerâs fingers tightened their grip on his jaw, forcing Y/Nâs lips to part just slightly, and as his tongue brushed against his bottom lip with an insistent hunger, Y/Nâs thoughts scattered.
Every nerve in Y/Nâs body was alight, buzzing with the sensation of Connerâs touch. He felt like he was being burned alive from the inside out, his skin tingling, his heart racing so fast he thought it might explode. He wanted to scream, wanted to shout at Conner for being such an idiotâfor making everything so complicatedâbut at the same time, he wanted to drown in the heat of the kiss, in the way Connerâs hands felt like they were made to hold him.
The push and pull inside Y/N warred with itself, but the kissâit was relentless, pulling him under, making his mind go blank. It was overwhelming, suffocating, but in the best possible way. Every time he tried to pull back, Connerâs hand would tighten just a bit, his lips pressing harder, like he wasnât ready to let Y/N go.
And maybe Y/N wasnât ready to let go, either.
When they finally pulled apart, gasping for air, Y/Nâs head was spinning, his lips tingling from the bruising intensity of the kiss. Connerâs forehead pressed against his, their breaths mingling in the small space between them, both of them panting like they had just been through another fight.
"Thatâs what Iâm saying," Conner murmured, his voice rough, his breath hot against Y/Nâs lips.
Y/N blinked, his mind still trying to catch up to what had just happened. His heart hammered against his ribcage, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths as he stared up at Conner, wide-eyed and completely disoriented. He opened his mouth to say somethingâanythingâbut the words got stuck in his throat.
All he could do was stare at Conner, his thoughts a chaotic mess of confusion, anger, and something elseâsomething warm and dangerous, something he didnât want to admit he felt. His lips still tingled from the kiss, his skin still burning from where Connerâs hands had touched him, and Y/N had no idea what to say.
"I couldnât just... stand by," Conner said, his voice a rough whisper, his forehead still pressed against Y/Nâs. "I couldnât lose you."
Y/N swallowed hard, his pulse racing as he stared into Connerâs eyes, the weight of everything between them pressing down like a storm about to break.
"You can be so damn reckless," Conner continued, his voice low and strained. "I can't stand it."
Connerâs chest heaved with every breath, his forehead still pressed against Y/Nâs. His heart was pounding, louder than the chaos around them, louder than his own thoughts. There was so much he wanted to say, and for once in his life, Conner Kent wasnât sure where to start. His hands, still gripping Y/Nâs waist and jaw, felt like they were the only things tethering him to reality.
"You can be so damn reckless," Conner finally muttered, his voice low and strained. "I canât stand it."
Y/N was about to snap backâabout to say something sharp or sarcastic, probably both in responseâbut Conner wasnât done.
"You drive me crazy, you know that?" Connerâs voice cracked, a rare vulnerability leaking into his tone. His fingers tightened their grip on Y/Nâs waist, his breath shallow as he tried to piece his thoughts together. "From the moment you joined the team, I couldnât figure it out. I couldnât understand why I was so... drawn to you. It scared me and I just tried to avoid and ignore it and you. But then when you started avoiding me, ignoring me... and I didnât know how to deal with."
Y/Nâs lips parted to respond, but Conner shook his head, not letting him interrupt. "It irritated the hell out of me. Every time we argued, every time you shut me out, it just made me... angrier. But not in the way I was used to. I wasnât just madâI was hurt. And I didnât know how to handle it, so I lashed out. And then Iâd regret it. Every damn time."
Connerâs voice softened, his forehead pressing even more firmly against Y/Nâs. "You always pushed back, fought me at every turn, and instead of backing off, I wanted to fight harder. Because... I hated how much I cared. It didnât make sense to me, not at first. I didnât want to care."
Y/Nâs eyes widened slightly, his pulse quickening as Connerâs words sank in. But still, he remained silent, letting Conner get it all out.
"And then these past 24 hours... I don't know, Y/N." Connerâs voice cracked again, this time from the sheer weight of everything. "Since CJ, Colin, and Camden showed up... I didn't know what to make of that and I just tried to ignore my thoughts and feelings harder. Seeing them, knowing what could be... it scared me. But it also made me realize how much I couldnât stand the idea of losing you. I donât care about the past or the arguments or the crap weâve been through. All I care about is the fact that... I canât imagine my life without you in it."
Y/Nâs breath hitched at those words, and Connerâs gaze softened, his thumb gently brushing against Y/Nâs jaw. "I know I hurt you. I know I pushed you away, and Iâm sorry for that. I didnât know how to deal with itâhell, I still donât, but I canât keep pretending like you donât mean more to me than just... a teammate or a friend. I tried to ignore it for so long, but now, after everything, I canât."
The tension in the air shifted, the weight of Connerâs words pressing down between them. Y/Nâs chest felt tight, his mind spinning as Conner continued, his voice softer now.
"At some point, it started to feel like you didn'tâlike you donât want me around, and it ate away at me. I get it, because Iâve been there too. But every argument, every stupid fight we had... it wasnât because I hated you, Y/N. It was because I was terrified of how much I... cared."
Connerâs forehead finally lifted from Y/Nâs, and their eyes met, the intensity between them crackling like static. "Iâm sorry for all of itâfor making things harder on you. But I need you to know... Iâm not going anywhere. Not anymore."
Y/Nâs heart was hammering in his chest, his head spinning from everything Conner had just laid out in front of him. He wanted to say somethingâanythingâbut for once, Y/N was at a loss for words. He stared up at the Kryptonian, wide-eyed and dazed, trying to make sense of the flood of emotions coursing through him.
But he wasnât done yet.
"Youâre important to me," Conner whispered, his voice barely above a breath. "More than Iâve ever let on. More than Iâve ever let myself admit. And if you need space, if you need time, Iâll give you that. But I canât pretend anymore, Y/N. I canât act like I donât want you in my life. Because I do. I always have."
Y/N swallowed hard, his pulse still racing as Connerâs words finally sank in. Everythingâthe tension, the arguments, the hurtâit all clicked into place. This wasnât just some pent-up frustration or tension from the battles theyâd faced. This was something deeper. Something neither of them had fully understood until now.
Connerâs hands tightened their grip on Y/Nâs waist, his thumb brushing softly against his jawline. "Youâre not alone in this," he said quietly. "Iâve felt everything youâve felt. I just didnât know how to say it. Until now."
Y/Nâs heart was pounding so loudly he was sure Conner could hear it. The rawness of Connerâs confession, the vulnerability in his voice... it was overwhelming, but also something Y/N hadnât realized he needed to hear. Now, at least, he couldn't use the excuse that he didn't understand Conner anymore.
He'd probably still use it though if it helped him win an argument but that's just a toxic habit that will have to be unpacked later at some point.
Y/N blinked up at Conner, his heart still thundering in his chest, his mind racing to catch up with the sheer weight of everything Conner had just laid on the table. He wasnât used to thisâbeing the one someone poured their heart out to. And hearing all of it, laid bare like that, especially from someone as guarded as Conner, it was... overwhelming. Too much, almost.
And as much as Y/N wanted to take a moment, to gather his thoughts and sort through what he was feeling, the weight of the situation was all too literal.
"Wow," Y/N finally managed, his voice breathless, though not just from the emotional onslaught. "That was... deep. Really deep. And you know, Iâd appreciate it more if I wasnât currently suffocating under the weight of your muscled chest."
Conner blinked, surprise flickering in his eyes as he processed Y/Nâs words. The tension broke for just a second, the tiniest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Oh, right." He shifted, his body easing off Y/Nâs a little, though he still didnât let go entirely. His arms remained locked around Y/Nâs waist, as if he wasnât ready to fully separate just yet.
Y/N groaned as the pressure eased, the slight relief allowing him to take a proper breath. "Thanks. Youâre built like a tank, you know that?"
Connerâs smile was small, but there was a warmth in it that made Y/Nâs chest tighten. "Iâve heard that before."
Y/N felt the corner of his own lips twitch, the sarcastic comment easing some of the tension between them, but only for a moment. He glanced away, his gaze flickering to the wreckage around them, trying to find somethingâanythingâto focus on other than the sheer vulnerability hanging in the air between them.
But Conner was relentless. His grip on Y/Nâs waist tightened ever so slightly, pulling Y/Nâs attention back to him, grounding him in the moment. "Y/N..." Connerâs voice was soft, almost hesitant. "Iâm serious. I meant what I said."
Y/N swallowed hard, his chest tightening again as he forced himself to meet Connerâs gaze. "I know," he said, the words coming out quieter than he intended. "I... I get it. And... I hear you. Itâs just..." He trailed off, his mind scrambling for something to say that didnât feel too raw, too exposed. Vulnerability wasnât exactly his strong suit.
He let out a shaky breath, trying to force some humor into his voice, though it didnât come out as smoothly as he hoped. "Look, Iâm not exactly great with... feelings, okay? You know that. Youâve seen that. And honestly, this whole thing is... a lot. Itâs a lot to take in."
Conner didnât say anything, just watched him with those intense blue eyes that made Y/N feel like he was being seen in a way he wasnât used to.
Y/Nâs fingers fidgeted slightly against Connerâs shirt, his mind still racing as he tried to find a way to explain how he felt without completely losing his nerve. "Iâm not saying I donât feel the same way," he continued, his voice softer now, more serious. "Iâm just... I donât know, Conner. I donât know how to deal with this. With us. I didnât exactly expect to have you drop... all of that on me right after we nearly died, you know?"
Connerâs lips quirked into a small, almost sheepish smile. "Timingâs never been my strong suit."
"Yeah, no kidding." Y/N let out a breathy chuckle, but it was laced with something deeperâan edge of vulnerability that he couldnât quite mask with his usual sarcasm.
The smile faded from Connerâs face, replaced by that same look of quiet intensity, and Y/N felt his stomach flip. "You donât have to have it all figured out," Conner said softly, his voice steady. "I donât, either. But... I just needed you to know. I couldnât keep pretending like I didnât... care."
Y/Nâs throat tightened again, and he struggled to find the right words. "Youâve... definitely made that clear," he muttered, his voice catching just slightly. His heart was pounding again, that uncomfortable mix of emotionsâfear, warmth, something close to hopeâtugging at him.
There was a long, heavy pause between them, the weight of everything unsaid hanging in the air. Y/Nâs hands, still resting against Connerâs chest, flexed slightly, feeling the steady thrum of the Kryptonianâs heartbeat under his palm. It was steady. Strong. A quiet reminder of the man who had just thrown himself straight into danger, quite recklessly if it may be noted, just to keep Y/N safe.
"Iâm scared," Y/N admitted before he could stop himself, his voice barely above a whisper. It wasnât easy to say, but it was the truth. And if Conner could lay everything bare like that, then maybe Y/N owed him the same. "Iâm scared of... this. Of what this is and means. Scared that at some point, you'll change your mind and go back to ignoring me and pretending like I don't exist. I'm scared of getting hurt, but, I also am really scared of... losing you as well. Don't let that go to your already ginormous head."
"Iâm scared," Y/N admitted before he could stop himself, his voice barely above a whisper. It wasnât easy to say, but it was the truth. And if Conner could lay everything bare like that, then maybe Y/N owed him the same. "Iâm scared of... this. Of what it means. Scared that at some point, youâll change your mind, go back to ignoring me, and pretend I donât exist. Iâm scared of getting hurt. But..." He hesitated, his voice faltering for a moment. "Iâm also really scared of losing you. And donât let that go to your already ginormous head."
Connerâs grip tightened around him, his eyes softening with an understanding that made Y/Nâs heart stutter in his chest. He leaned in, their foreheads brushing lightly as Conner spoke, his voice low and rough, thick with emotion. "Youâre not gonna lose me. Not ever." The conviction in his words made Y/Nâs chest tighten even more.
"Iâm scared too," Conner continued, his voice gentler now, like a confession he hadnât meant to voice aloud. "But we can figure this out. Together. We donât have to rush into anything. Just... give me a chance. Please."
Y/Nâs heart skipped a beat, his throat tight as his fingers curled into the fabric of Connerâs shirt, gripping just a little harder. Whatever was happening between them, it wasnât simpleâfar from it. But hearing Conner lay it all out there, hearing him say the things Y/N hadnât even realized he needed to hear... it made the fear a little less overwhelming.
For a long moment, Y/N didnât respond. He just stared at Conner, the weight of everything settling in his chest, heavy but somehow comforting. "Alright," Y/N finally whispered, the tension in his voice easing, though a small smile tugged at his lips. "But seriously, donât let that big head of yours get any bigger."
Conner chuckled softly, the sound sending a warmth through Y/N that he wasnât quite ready to deal with. But for now, it was enough.
As the group stepped through the Zeta tube, the familiar whirring and beeping of the system was the only sound filling the otherwise tense silence. The battle had left everyone exhausted, and the weight of what theyâd just faced hung heavily over the team. Wally, always one to lighten the mood, was the first to speak up.
âOkay, but can we just take a moment to appreciate how insane it was to see Y/N go full-on wizard against Superman?â Wally said, his eyes wide with lingering awe. âLike, I knew magic was cool, but that was next-level.â
Kaldur nodded, though his expression remained serious. âIt was a battle none of us could have prepared for. The entityâs power... it amplified Superman in ways we couldnât have predicted.â
âYeah, but Y/N went all Gandalf on him,â Wally continued, gesturing wildly. âI thought he was going to pull out a staff and scream âYou shall not pass!â any second.â
Conner, walking silently behind the group, shot Wally a sidelong glance. âIt wasnât funny, Wally. That thing nearly killed him.â
Wally raised his hands defensively. âI know, I know! Iâm just saying, it was impressive. You have to admit it.â
âYeah,â Artemis chimed in, her voice quieter but no less impressed. âHe held his own. I donât think any of us expected him to hold off a superpowered Superman for that long.â
Before anyone could respond, the Zeta tube beeped again, signaling their arrival back at the Cave. As they stepped forward, though, what they saw waiting for them froze everyone in their tracks.
Standing there casually next to the console as if this was completely normal were two very familiar figuresâfamiliar, yet slightly more older, their features more mature, their presence commanding. The older versions of Y/N and Conner were standing side by side, along with CJ, Colin, Camden (perched on his dad's shoulders of course), Zatanna, and Batman, all waiting for them with expressions ranging from amused to unreadable.
The team stood frozen, eyes wide as they took in the sight of their future counterparts. Wallyâs mouth dropped open, and his head darted between the two older men and their younger selves. His brain scrambled to process what he was seeing, but Future Y/Nâs casual greeting broke the silence.
"Hi, kids, welcome back. Did you have fun?" Future Y/N asked, a smirk playing on his lips, as if this whole situation was perfectly normal.
Wally blinked, raising a hand and pointing between the two Conners and Y/Ns. "Uh... you all see the duplicate Y/N and Conners too, right?" he asked, his voice a mix of confusion and disbelief.Artemis rolled her eyes, though she was just as stunned as the rest. "Yes, Wally, we all see them. They're not clones."
Wally, ever the wise-cracker, couldnât help himself. "Well, technically, Conner still is," he quipped, flashing a grin. Both Conners, in perfect sync, rolled their eyes at the comment, their shared exasperation almost comical. Before Wally could revel in his joke, Artemis delivered a swift smack to the back of his head.
"Ow!" Wally yelped, rubbing the spot. "What? It was accurate!"
Future Y/N chuckled at the playful banter, casually crossing his arms over his chest. "Ah, some things never change," he remarked, his tone light and teasing. Then, with a mischievous glint in his eye, he turned his gaze to his past self, a smirk tugging at his lips. "So... how was that first kiss, huh?"
Present Y/N froze, his face instantly flushing a deep red as he stammered, completely caught off guard. "W-Wait, whatâwho said anything about a kiss?!" His voice cracked slightly, and he cast a panicked glance at Conner, who wasnât faring much better. Connerâs cheeks were quickly turning a shade of pink that rivaled Y/Nâs, his eyes darting anywhere but at the group, avoiding everyone's curious stares.
The room fell into a stunned silence as the rest of the team blinked in disbelief, their gazes bouncing between the two. Artemis raised an eyebrow, Kaldur seemed momentarily at a loss for words, and even Batman shifted ever so slightly, though his expression remained as stoic as ever.
CJ and Colin, on the other hand, exchanged grinsâCJâs particularly smug, mirroring the exact cheeky smirk their father wore. The boysâ amusement was palpable, clearly enjoying the show unfolding before them. Little cheeky bastards indeed.
This story concludes on Archive of Our Own.
âïž | Conner Kent/Superboy | âïž
âïž | Masterlists | âïž
#solar-wing âïž#gay#dc#dcu#dcau#dc universe#dc comics#dc x reader#dc x male reader#young justice#young justice imagine#x reader#x male reader#conner kent#conner kent imagine#conner kent x reader#conner kent x male reader#conner kent x m!reader#superboy#superboy imagine#superboy x reader#superboy x male reader#superboy x m!reader#âïžđȘœ.fanfic#âïžđȘœ.dcposts#âïžđȘœ.txt
584 notes
·
View notes
Text
Elucien and Sarion Parallels
Ever since I finished HOFAS, I can't help but think of all the parallels between Elain x Lucien and Sathia x Tharion. It's definitely not a coincidence and it makes me have big high hopes for both ships in the future of their series. So I made a big list of all the ways their characters and situations are paralleling each other. HOFAS spoilers under the cut.
This is the most obvious parallel. Both Elucien and Sarion are strangers finding themselves in a romantic entanglement. Elucien's mating bond snaps as soon as they meet each other, effectively making them strangers who are soulmates. Sarion is a marriage of convenience trope, where before ever speaking to each other, they both agree to marry so that Sathia doesn't have to marry one of the Murder Twins. Both have to essentially get to know the other one under the circumstances of having a romantic bond between them.
Tropes Are Troping.
There are tons of similarities in the actual situations that Elucien and Sarion first meet. They are both in a throne room, standing in front of an evil Fae King who is putting Elain and Sathia in a very high-stakes, traumatizing, nonconsensual situation. Before Elain is turned Fae and before the mating bond snaps, Lucien protests what is happening to her, leading to his bondage. He breaks through the bonds once she is dumped onto the floor, running to her to cover her with his jacket to preserve her modesty and provide her with his protection. As the CC crew bargain for Sathia's freedom, which is going nowhere fast, Tharion offers himself to marry Sathia so that she doesn't have to be shackled to one of the Murder Twins forever. He's effectively, like Lucien, the only one who takes the extra step to protect her.
Meet Cute.
Given the trope that Elucien and Sarion are both in, both couples effectively belong to one another right from the start. Lucien and Elain are often referred to each other as mates and Lucien's internal thoughts claim her as his mate. "Mine. You are mine, and I am yours. Mate". In Tharion's POV, he very quickly labels her as his wife and seems comfortable embracing that label for her. Literally, one of my favorite parts about these tropes is how these romantic and intimate labels now have such a distinct and powerful punch against the background of the tension behind the trope.
My Wife/My Mate
This section really deserves a bullet point list because omg, there are so many parallels in these two characters.
Lucien and Tharion
-Redheads
-Flirty rakes who like to "dally"
-Depicted as having lots of low-commitment sexual encounters before they meet their love interest.
-This part of their characters seems to be a defense mechanism to protect their hearts.
-As soon as they do find their love interest which is an instant high-commitment, they are both singularly focused on them and loyal. Feyre states Lucien no longer enjoys the company of females now that he's a "mated male" and we no longer see Tharion flirting with or hooking up with any other characters.
-They're both self-loathing, broody sad dudes who don't have high opinions of their worth. Lucien: "I am seventh son of the Autumn Court" And a whole lot of nothing. Tharion: Captain Whatever. More like Captain Worthless.
-Both jump around in their allegiances after finding themselves in abusive power struggles. For both characters currently in their respective series, they've jumped from court/queens several times, and essentially find themselves aimless and without homes, relying on the generosity of their friends to hopefully take them in and see their worth.
-Both have had someone they love tragically taken from them that greatly affects their motivations and self-loathing.
TBH there are probably a ton more but this is just what I'm thinking of on the fly.
Elain and Sathia are a shorter list but I think that is only because we know less about them than Lucien and Tharion respectively.
Elain and Sathia
-Both are a more traditional feminine archetype. They're described as beautiful, petite, with many characteristics associated with upholding tradition and fulfilling more stereotypical feminine roles.
-Both are shown to value marriage and seek it out from men with power and influence. Elain with Graysen and Sathia in the HOSAB bonus chapter when she asks about Cormac.
-Both fall madly in love with their first love. Sathia says her separation from Collin is her "Ordeal". Elain is shown to be horribly depressed and desperately runs to find Graysen the first opportunity she gets. As Sathia does once she sees Collin again.
-Both are described as having some "vapid" traits that makes people underestimate them. Elain's interests in gardening and cooking is dismissed. Sathia is described as a fairly stereotypical rich and prissy girl who Ruhn thinks only cares about her manicures and clothes.
-Speaking of that underestimation, we see at different points in their series that characters around them are often surprised when they reveal that they are actually quite intelligent, thoughtful, and brave.
-Both have a moment of "standing up" for their love interest. Elain's famous "His name is Lucien" line and Sathia standing up to the Viper Queen on behalf of Tharion when they meet her in the alley.
-There is of course a bit of a difference between them. Elain is described as being more timid. Ruhn refers to Sathia as "a predator". So they both take a bit different approaches to how they fit into their social groups.
Elucien and Sarion both enter into their romance trope with other love interests either in their pasts or currently that they're involved with. Lucien has Jesminda, who he still loves deeply and mourns her death. Elain has Graysen, who she is engaged to but her turning Fae puts a big wedge in their relationship. Sathia isn't with Collin but clearly still loves him. It's unclear how far their relationship ever got. Tharion is the only one who is emotionally "unattached" but he is very much still in the web of the River Queen's daughter and his 10-year long engagement of duress to her.
It's complicated.
In both cases, Tharion and Lucien are effectively unattached. Maybe it's complicated but they are more free and open to the bond they now have to this stranger. Elain and Sathia are not, however. Both Elain and Sathia show that they still have a deep commitment to their former loves and take similar actions by giving into their most romantic fantasies and running after their first loves to try and save the relationship. We know for Elain, that her seeking out Graysen was the nail in the coffin for them. With Sathia, her situation with Collin is left very open ended. But both are full of angst and both show that Elain and Sathia are very romantic at heart and commit deeply to the men that they love. Both Tharion and Lucien are shown to be very understanding and not possessive of Sathia and Elain. Lucien is not present for Elain seeing Graysen but he gives her space to work through her feelings and it's known he's met Graysen and doesn't think highly of him yet its implied he has left him alone. Tharion does not go after Sathia as soon as she leaves to find Collin and even hopes that should he die she'd be free to marry Collin if he can get away from the Viper Queen.
She is still in love with her ex.
Now we don't know how Elain or Sathia truly feel for Lucien and Tharion. We have neither of their POVs. We do however see Tharion and Lucien's POVs and at least based on actions alone, Lucien is clearly more interested in pursuing the mating bond than Elain is at the moment. When Sathia leaves to find Collin, Tharion spends a lot of time with her letter and its said he can't stop thinking about her as he makes his way to help Bryce with defeating the Asteri.
He falls first.
Lucien and Tharion both go to "rescue" their love interest. Lucien desperately wants to leave Spring to make sure that Elain is okay after her trauma in Hybern. He still doesn't trust the Night Court and has no idea what they're doing to her. He crosses Prythian with Feyre, going into Autumn Court where he knows they could kill him on the spot and where he experienced some of his worst traumas. But he braves it all just so he can see Elain once and make sure she's okay. He's fully aware she has a fiance and may not want anything to do with him. Tharion, after the Asteri are defeated, is seen in his last chapter of HOFAS returning back to the Meat Market where the Viper Queen holds a bounty on his head and essentially owned him as her slave. But he returns so he can make sure that Sathia is not in danger. Similar to Lucien, he's returning to the place of his trauma, risking it all with little expectations that Sathia will "choose him"
Damsels in distress.
Lucien is an emissary and he is well known for his social skills. Elain similarly has been described as being very charming and sociable, able to befriend servants or nobles. It's a common head canon amongst Eluciens that Elain and Lucien, once they start spending time together, will find themselves in a situation where they have to act as emissaries and Elain will impress Lucien with her natural skills. We see this scenario play out with Tharion and Sathia when they try to convince the River Queen to protect some of Crescent City's most vunerable members. Tharion is impressed at how skilled Sathia is when talking to the queen, able to charm and "speak her language" which is that of nobility and politeness.
Emissaries.
Prediction: I have a feeling that not only are both Elucien and Sarion end game, but I think their end game is going to be mirror images of where they started. Elucien started with a mating bond and I think they will fall in love and choose to marry each other. And the reverse, Sarion started with a marriage but I also think they will fall in love and the mating bond will snap between them. It would just be such a cute additional parallel to how SJM has set up their characters and story arcs.
#elucien#sarion#hofas spoilers#elain x lucien#sathia x tharion#tharion ketos#tharion x sathia#sathia flynn#lucien vanserra#elain archeron#pro elucien#pro sarion#sathia hawthorne#i'm gonna need someone to tell me sathia's full name#i'm confused
108 notes
·
View notes
Note
My God sleepy this is gonna be outta nowhere but I've been seeing people discuss whether Ghost is secretly married or has relations and what not and I've been like where is this coming from hello???
And now I'm low-key scared that what if they reveal this to be true in the next game or something but at the same time like I'm confused, it doesn't make any sense đ
Take that as you will, I'd actually love to hear your thoughts on this if you'd want but if not then it's fine! I just like, need some reassurance that this isn't true otherwise it would kinda ruin ny whole OC x Ghost shtick and crush my dreams really đ„Čđ
OKay first of all, Hi!
Well, I don't really get into much of fandom discussions, but exactly like you said, it's just a fandom discussion (â ă»â ââ ă»â ) It probably stems from a fan who created an AU where Ghost's secretly married and have a family, but things started to get loose!
I don't think CoD is gonna reveal anything about marriage or relationships tbh. All that's canon is Laswell's wife and that's it as she's not a playable operator. Other than that, from a corporate stand point, making a beloved character like Ghost's relationship canon would greatly, GREATLY divide a fandom.
On the other hand, having a secret family is a such a popular fanfic trope, which might be the source of this discussion. Plus if you think about it, there's like .00001 % of canon Ghost having a relationship because of the nature of his job, his identity concealment, plus a ton of personal issues he has. Realistically speaking, he's NOT an ideal person to have a relationship with + I don't think he seeks relationship at all. He canonically enjoys solitude and most likely would stay that way until he dies in battlefield.
Now, that's where your imagination comes to play! Play with his character with your OC! I personally just wanna give Ghost a hug and make him sleep well so I created Jade (â â§â âœâ âŠâ )
No worries, dear anon. Stay happy and ship your Ghost x OC away.
#call of duty#call of duty modern warfare#cod mw#cod#simon ghost riley#sleepy answers#cod mw22#call of duty modern warfare 2022#charlotte jade le jardin
89 notes
·
View notes
Text
I got the Final Fantasy 7 Remake yesterday.
With the recent Rebirth release, I've been greatly interested in trying the series out.
I'm currently at the slums right now and absolutely love everything about it.
The characters, the story, the combat, the exploration. There's so much I love and wanna keep playing.
Tifa and Cloud are my favorite characters. Tifa fits the hopeful, compassionate trope I enjoy in characters, and Cloud has this mystery about him that feels so captivating. Plus I ship them lol.
I've been having an enjoyable time with my experience. I know the gist of the story from the original game and what happens later on, but I'm excited to see it for myself!
#final fantasy#final fantasy 7#final fantasy vii#ff7#ffvii#tifa lockhart#cloud strife#score one more compassionate character on my list#tifa reminds me so much of katara#I hear she's the backbone of the plot which I love
17 notes
·
View notes
Text
first post!
drew this for my gf as a little gift :) iâve taken a small break from drawing due to exams, but iâm gonna get back to it now that theyâre over. hence why i also started this acc! i thought iâd casually start posting art i think i did well on, maybe give reviews on various manga i own?? weâll see what happens :b
i actually quite enjoy mha, but the fandom absolutely ruins it for me cause of the weird shippers (the people who refuses to ship male and female characters together just bc they want their fave character to be gay⊠looking at you dekuxbakugo shippersâŠ) and certain cosplays (like the ones where they make todoroki pregnant⊠like whatâs the need for that lmao). anyways, i really like these two together especially since they have opposite personalities to one another. kinda like the sunxmoon trope
any tips for improvement would be greatly appreciated :)
#mha#mha fanart#bnha#bnha fanart#mha aizawa#mha present mic#bnha aizawa#present mic#aizawa shouta#eraserhead#erasermic#anime#anime art#anime style#anime fanart#art#drawing#cosplay#first post
50 notes
·
View notes
Text
Shadow and Bone: Season 2 Darklina Review
Okay, one more SaB season 2 review, this one very specifically only about Darklina. Felt wrong to put it into the main review because it would have taken like two third of the review probably.
Iâve never made a ship-specific review for a show before, but I have so many thoughts about them after this season, so here we go.
This ship just makes me feel unhinged to a degree I am not used to? I honestly think I usually feel pretty... normal... about my ships? Even when I love them a lot and they evoke strong feelings in me, but something about Darklina is incomprehensible to me.
Part of it, clearly, is the incredible amount of chemistry between their actors. I mean, thatâs just off the charts, the eye-fuckery between them in delicious, they put so much passion into their scenes, itâs amazing. Not just their romantic scenes in season 1, but also their scenes in season 2. Even their enemy scenes are filled to the brim with so much raw passion.
But itâs also the writing. Which I find confusing because Iâve heard it, repeatedly, that the author apparently doesnât even... like... Aleksander...? Or the ship? And Iâm... Look, there is the very simple nature of hero/villain ships in that they will always happen on account of people wanting to ship heroes and villains, regardless of how much you want to discourage them.
But the writing on this doesnât discourage it, it encourages it to levels that Iâve rarely seen. I mean, they crammed legitimate soulmate tropes into this show. Things happened these season that I have used in fanfiction as âsoulmate AUâ plotlines.They had shared dreams. Not even just shared dreams, but they could talk to each other in these shared dream spaces.
The whole âtwo sides of the same coinâ and âthe light and the darknessâ and the sun and moon symbolism is the obvious one, itâs wildly beloved, weâve seen it in season 1 already. Itâs catnip for villain/hero ships.
But now they added literal soulmate AU tropes into the mix and Iâm not supposed to be madly deeply into this...? I donât really know how thatâs thought through.
Alinaâs wanted poster was actual fanart of Darklina. She was wanted for fanfiction plot. I would actually like to read that alternate timeline she was wanted for. That was a great pitch. Iâve seen someone say that was supposed to mock Darklina shippers? Iâm sorry? There was art of my ship in canon and the entire country thought they were some badass power couple why was I supposed to feel mocked by that? That evoked a feeling of validation and satisfaction in me...?
Iâll be honest, I was very afraid of season 2 for a multitude of reasons and one of them was Darklina. I loved them in season 1, when they actually got together, but knowing the writer doesnât like the ship, knowing they wanted to actively discourage shippers, and knowing what other shows/movies like to do when a hero and villain fully find themselves on opposing sides, I really dreaded where season 2 would find Aleksander and Alina.
Part of me feared that theyâd make Alina the doe-eyed hero; a very common trope, especially when there are canonical feelings - of any variety - between the hero and the villain is that the hero very desperately and naively tries to reason with the villain and tries to redeem them. And, letâs be real, it would not have been unreasonable to suspect so because with literally everybody else Alina displays a disturbing amount of naivety and forgiveness. Every single person who has backstabbed, betrayed and manipulated her, she has forgiven and let close again without any hesitation.
Anyway, thatâs just a dynamic I greatly dislike, itâs not my cup of tea. So I was very pleasantly surprised by the way it went - for one, by just how completely Alina turned against Aleksander, it seemed very extreme especially considering her over-eagerness to forgive virtually everyone else, but also because I really enjoyed it. I didnât expect that. I mean, I ship them, why would I enjoy them opposing each other this much?
Again, the incredible chemistry between their actors really played into it. Every confrontation between them was so charged it was so intense to watch. There was something so very overwhelming about Jessie and how... powerful she was, when she held her head high against Aleksander. True power couple vibes.
Baghra was also a big part of delivering the ship this season, making Alina confront just how deep the bond between them runs? It just seems like such a choice to put his mom on her side and to have his mom make Alina consider this deep soul connection that she shares with Aleksander. Once again, you write it like that and Iâm not supposed to sell my soul to this ship, how?
It was also incredible to me just how much the writers made Mal look like a rebound. Going into this season, I was aware that book canon dictates Mal and Alina would become a couple. But I kind of expected there to be... a build up...? I was bracing myself for them to spend season 2 building up a romance, but they just right away started with them making out. Iâm sorry, how can I take this serious as a relationship, sheâs been with Aleksander like, what, a week ago? And now sheâs making out with Mal?
And the first time she uses the term âloveâ to describe whatâs going on between her and Mal isnât when sheâs with Mal, itâs when sheâs with Aleksander, in the dreamspace. And Iâm not supposed to take that as her trying to make him jealous?
All I could see was a cheap rebound and I honestly felt bad for the guy. Sheâs literally standing in a shared mindspace with the man she has a deep soul-connection to, teasing him and using Mal to make him jealous. Unhinged behavior. Excellent. I love it.
Even the corruption arc for Alina!! Because one of the things that get me about Darklina is that I really, truly, genuinely under no circumstances would want a redemption arc for Aleksander - and here Iâm cutting a rant that is going to be its own plot probably - I would much rather have a corruption arc for Alina.
Sure, Aleksander died. And I absolutely could have done without that. But... his last act before dying was trying to save her life and that was. Damn. That hit me hard. And then he still died by her hand. And that also hit me hard. But I even kind of liked that? In a poetic sense?
And then the corruption fully kicked in at the end, Alina wields shadows and smiles. Unclear if she smiles because she enjoyed using shadows, or because she enjoyed killing, or because she enjoyed the powers. Maybe all three.
Either way, Baghra talked so much about Morozovas and resurrection and now Alina has these powers and seems to like them and it seems reasonable to assume Alina could or might resurrect Aleksander with them.
Whether or not she does that though, once again I ask, how do you give her his powers, how do you keep condemning him for killing people and then you give her his powers and you make her smile after using these powers to kill someone - and you still donât want me to ship this? Really?
This ship is so... poetic and intense and it makes me feel so much and I truly canât comprehend that the writers actively want viewers not to feel that way about this ship because damn, theyâre really bad as writers if this is them writing with the intention of âthis ship bad :/ these two Not Good Romantic Partners :/â. You canât pack a dynamic full with so much symbolism, tension and so many romantic tropes and expect people to not be into it.
#Darklina#Shadow and Bone#Shadow and Bone Season 2#Shadow and Bone Spoilers#Alina Starkov#Aleksander Morozova
25 notes
·
View notes
Note
hi. hello! this is a fairly long ask and im not sure if it will clog anything up??? or if you can put a Read More divider in it??? but i just wanted to try and provide some insight/maybe reassurance as someone who has been so positively affected and moved by your work. i apologize if this is is crossing any boundaries and whatnot? im entirely and completely tone deaf and youre not obliged to reply to this. at all. you are extremely FAR from a 'content creator' to me, and especially when you have changed the trajectory of my view on ships/selfshipping in general. (all of which have been replaced by the Loser Weirdo Brat Eldest Daughter Thing trope. i did not have a specific label for myself before now, nor did i feel? seen?, but im so grateful that i have an Identity now FHEKHMF) i discovered your RUIN work back in june/july? 2023. and the entire frontal lobe of my brain was reworked. changedf. ive probably reread it more than fifteen times now and i Am Now able to recite it. (exaggeration. but horrifyingly enough i dont even reread it anymore because it is so engraved in my memory. Does this make sense. does this Mean anything.) your interpretation of characters i normally would not indulge in is so. beautiful. i could only hope and work towards interpreting my own Blorbos like this. i would type so so much more but ultimately this is about you. i hope you are kind to yourself, and post when you are ready. thank you for allowing and writing pieces to be seen and to be read and loved by so many people.
hello!
you are not crossing any boundaries at all!! there is no need for any apologies!!!
i don't even know where to begin!! i mean, first of all, i have to say thank you so so so so much. from the bottom of my heart, it means so much to me to hear that you not only enjoy my work but that it's impacted you in some way?? or that i may have changed your perspective on self-inserting or shipping! and that i have been able to offer you a place to like...relate? that's really, really special to me. us eldest daughters gotta stick together đ„č
and all you said about ruin...just, thank you so, so much. i'm so glad you enjoyed that story!! i enjoyed writing it!! and i just greatly appreciate not only that you take the time to read my work, but come into my ask box and say such kind things. it is no small thing!! and means a lot to me!!
THANK YOU. truly. for the kind words, support, patience, and reaching out to cheer me up about feeling a lil down!!! it means the world to me and really like...brought me out of there quickly!! thank you.
#fr for every 'part 3?' ask i got#it was replaced by like genuine kindness and assurance#and i fr appreciate that more than any of you can know#i hope your weekend was good!!#thank you thank you thank you#cielo chats!
3 notes
·
View notes
Note
okay Hana i am here to tell you abt my twst self ships :3
preface is that youâll have to forgive me for any mistakes as far as lore and timelines because i am still fairly new to the game (been playing since June!) and i and still working things out ofc but thatâs all the fun about self shipping right? is changing things up and tweaking things hehe
also for a bit of background i donât go by the Yuu/prefect story in my au hdhfhf ~ but instead my self insert a princess who has sunshine magic from a small kingdom that neighbors Briar Valley and i have know Malleus and the other Diasomnia crew for awhile <3
also ofc for me NRC is a legit college LMFAO and i share this au with a few friends where we all go to the school together which is a ton of fun for talking abt our self ships and adventures and lore !
âïž Leona, Malleus, and Silver are my main f/oâs
in my ss with Silver, he actually starts out as my bodyguard while im attending NRC per Malâs request and we get closer and fall in love that way đ„č he was actually the reason i started playing Twst !! he is very much so special to me
with Mal itâs essentially âchildhoodâ friends to lovers aka ive known him since i was younger and we rekindle our friendship upon me coming to NRC and heâs happy to see me again and from there we rekindle our friendship and fall in love (he has loved me for a long time and was patiently waiting for me sobs)
with Leona he was at one time betrothed to a friend of mine who is also a princess and they didnât want that (but theyâre obviously just friends now) and he and i meet and itâs very sunshine x grumpy! he denies his romantic feelings, we bicker, and thereâs a kiss in the rain and etc heh
âïž Idia and Trey are my ânot my usual type but i fell for them anywayâ f/oâs idk i justâŠ.LSJFBCHFH i want them lmfao (the Obey Me Leviathan to Idia pipelineâŠ.so true)
âïž and then my BABIES aka my platonic f/oâs who are my besties or sibling types are Deuce, Jack, Kalim, and Cater hehe <33
thereâs likeâŠ.a billion more things i could write tbh i am constantly talking abt them and adding/taking away things and thinking about scenarios with them! UGHH Hana i love them haha sorry for rambling on so much ;w;
Hello Gray đ»đ·đș
Yesss, definitely! The fun part of self shipping is that thereâs no rules, only that you have fun âșïžđ
Welcome! I hope you are enjoying the fandom Gray đ·đ» Iâm happy you have friends that you can share your thoughts with, itâs so much fun when you can talk to others about it. âșïžđđ
A Yume with sunshine powers??? Yessss I adore it greatly. (Yume = self-ship character) I have a weakness for those types of characters.
Thatâs so sweet!! Princess and knight romance my beloved!! And you know that Silver would treat your yume sweetly and would court her properly and it would be so sweet. Iâm calling them the wholesome couple đđ
Childhood friends to lovers!!!! Yes yes yes yes!!!! I love this trope, itâs one of my favorites. Especially since malleus has always wanted someone to love him and get to know him and ahhhh you two are so sweet đ„č
Oh Gray youâre using all my fave tropes in your yume, kiss in the rain??? Hell yes!!! I can see the âno one can touch themâ đ«¶đ«¶
THE LEVI TO IDIA PIPELINE IS SO TRUE!!! Iâm shaking your hand, yessss I know how you feel. I also like idia too and part of it is because of my softness to Levi.
Trey is wonderful, who doesnât want someone who can bake?? Domestic husband for the princess âșïžđđ
Oooo wonderful platonic babies đ they all are so so good. I can see how deuce and jack would get along with you (school mates??), but what about cater?? Did your yume know kalim?? From travels or something?
Please! Donât be sorry. I would love to hear about them. They all sound wonderful and interesting.đ»đ· please ramble away âșïžđș
5 notes
·
View notes
Note
Wow, now that I know you dislike moriarty, I will not ask you about them (it's one of my fav manga series). Have you watched/read owari no seraph, case files of jeweler richard or sk8? Can I ask what do you think about each of the series ? Sorry for this random ask.
THE WOW LMAO
I've only seen the anime for Moriarty so we all know how different anime/manga can be. Manga and other source material in general is always better. It's the original, after all! But for the record the boys in that show are fucking...HELLO? GORGEOUS? And the only reason I was able to watch it all, honestly. OH YEAH ALSO THE ENDING. EVERYTHING WAS WORTH IT FOR THAT ENDING. Just saying. Moriarty might have solved dumb crimes with the absolute WORST one-liners every time he ENTERED A ROOM LIKE AN EDGELORD but that's okay. He jumped and Sherlock jumped after him. I did tear up. I don't CARE. I TEARED UP!!! I ship them but I don't enjoy any ship content I've seen of them. I see people just drawing them being goofy and/or pretty so idk what to think of them or their dynamics with each other.
I have seen Seraph and Sk8, loved them both! Seraph had a bit more drag for me, as I'm not very into magic systems and shows that focus on learning how to use them. But it was greatly overwhelmed by other tropes I loved, like the destructive power in Yuu and OF COURSE....the homoerotic vampire/human MikaYuu bond. đ WHAT A GREAT SCENE (YOU KNOW THE SCENE).
Okay, for Sk8 the Infinity, ZERO COMPLAINTS. WHAT A SHOW, DUDE. I hate sports but I love boys being rock hard for each other in anime sports LMFAO. What even, idk. BUT BESIDES THE HOMOSEXUALS, SK8 WAS JUST FANTASTIC IN PLOT AND PACING AS WELL. Love Langa, love the psycho villain, love the dub and sub, just...yeah. Great show. I ship Langa and Adam and also Adam and his dog *cheeses at the camera* very hot very crazy very unhealthy
10 notes
·
View notes
Note
Secret Santa here again -
Elucien is actually my favorite ACOTAR ship, despite the fact that Iâve never written it. Iâm definitely excited to give it a go. Iâll make sure to sprinkle in some Nessian and Feysand glimpses for you!
Can you answer a few questions for me to help me get started?
-What are your favorite tropes?
-Do you prefer AU or canon compliant fics?
-What are your favorite things about Elain? Lucien?
-Why do you love this ship? What makes them work so well together?
-SFW? NSFW?
-Do you prefer falling in love or established relationships?
-Lucien belongs in several places: Autumn, Spring, Night, Day, and the human lands. Which is your favorite setting? Least favorite?
-Are there any secondary ships or characters I should avoid in this story?
-Is there anything else that I should be asking or that youâd like me to consider?
This will help me tailor the fic to your tastes! Sorry I know itâs a lot. Donât feel pressured to answer everything. đ
Oooh I hope you have fun writing it for the first time!!
I love most tropes except pregnancy as long as they're done right. Clichés and trope exist for a reason, I think they're all very fun to work with.
I love AUs because they give more freedom and they're more surprising. I really enjoy reading AUs where canon elements have been manipulated to fit that world! I do also enjoy reading in a canon setting because I'm always like mmmh this was such a good idea I wonder if SJM will be that smart too.
I love Lucien's loyalty. He's so GOOD, like in the spring court when everyone is pissed at him that he's not helping Feyre, he's obviously torn between the girl he's known for a few months and helping the male who saved him and who has been his friend for years rebuild a stable court. He's also one of the few characters who isn't trying to show off all the time, he's smart and he uses that a lot rather than brute force. Him and Elain are both overlooked by the people around them, they're both left out in whatever court they happen to be in. Elain is never really part of the Night Court and I think she would greatly benefit from seeing more of Prythian. I think that once she takes the time to get to know him, she's going to find Lucien is the one person who will understand her as she is now rather than treat her like the person she was in her past life. I'm going to stop here before this turns into a very unstructured essay lol.
I care about feelings more than I care about smut, if you give me tension and characters suddenly holding hands I will go feral compared to characters with less established chemistry having sex.
Falling in love has its pros because omg it's all new and yay they're finally together but there's a comfort in established relationships that is always lovely to read about so that one is really up to you.
I'm always curious about Lucien in the human lands, I would love to know more about him around Jurian and Vassa, but ultimately my favorite place for him is the Day Court. The Night Court doesn't deserve him and Elain doesn't fit there either.
I'm good with whatever secondary characters you want to include and you've been very thorough so I don't think there's anything I need to add!! I'm very excited to read what you come up with <3 Do keep in mind that these are all preferences and if you feel like writing things differently I'm sure I will love that too :)
2 notes
·
View notes
Note
enemies to lovers? For the fanfic ask meme
hmm i would say... maybe B or C for this one? see the thing is i like enemies to lovers When Its Done Well. but the other thing is my standards are both Really High and Really Specific for what constitutes 'done well'. i would probably say that i actually greatly prefer enemies and lovers but some people will just write that and then tag it as enemies to lovers anyway so like. yeah...... yeah. the specific reason im into enemies to lovers isnt the romantic (or sexual) part at all i just REALLY like the trope of 'i did/do not like this person at all but now they are an intrinsic part of my life that i cannot get rid of' so ill enjoy a lot of things that adhere to that trope regardless of if its ship or not. but it also has to be done well or im LEAVING
9 notes
·
View notes
Note
Howdy! I've got a couple anon asks on my blog telling me to report and/or block you so I decided to finally check you out!
I'm absolutely in love with Dazai (I also really like the actual author's works! I hope I can save up some money to bulk buy his books sometime in the near future :)) and I was really curious when I saw your username.
I personally don't really identify, I guess?, with your way of thinking?? Does this make sense to you???? But I feel some sort of kinship because I HATE Chuuya in a way that I feel is similar to how you "hate" Dazai. I don't act hate him, that's very strong and also these guys are fictional (despite the namesakes and abilities that are modeled after real authors, many of whom I greatly enjoy!) and from what I've seen you're not spreading any negativity???
I also hate Dazai x Chuuya (I can't even remember the ship name lol) mostly because of Chuu-Chuu and because although I've enjoyed their dynamic/trope in other ships, this one just infuriates me and disagrees with my general vibe-ology I suppose lol, so all this to say, I see no reason to block or report you. I'm sorry you have to deal with so many people that lack basic reading comprehension and critical thinking.
I wrote all this on anon because I want to avoid having too much drama on my blogs, but I hope this doesn't cause a shitstorm for you, particularly because of the shipping part... I really love bsd but god sometimes the fanbase makes it hard to enjoy, as I'm very fandom-oriented. If you'd ever reply to an ask off-anon privately I'd love to send you some salutations by name :)
I hope you're well! And sorry for this admittedly strange ask.. I have been getting asks like I mentioned about you for quite some time now XD I'm glad to find that this blog is actually chill and fun instead of whatever the hell people who don't read think it is.
Stay safe!
Oh wow thatâs a lot
I really wanna put all of this behind me, but the asks you got were from an well-known account thatâs run by an obsessive Dazai fan who has been harassing countless bsd accounts for months now. If you scroll through my blog you should find stuff from her. (I donât wanna get into detail here, but please dm me because thereâs some stuff I wanna ask about this privately)
âyeah, I get it entirelyâ everything you said about Chuuya (although I do like him, I just donât understand why heâs as popular as he is), and about the ship of Dazai x Chuuya (which I too donât ship, although I enjoy their dynamic/banter occasionally). Iâm not very active in any internet fandom, and bsd is the biggest fandom Iâve ever âparticipatedâ in, so I assumed it was just one of the many fandom things I donât fully get. So itâs nice to see Iâm not the only one whoâs lost on why the fandom is the way it is.
This may be a weird thing to ask, but if possible (and if it fits with your blog aesthetic), could you maybe post something telling people to ignore the account sending asks saying to report me? If she sent that stuff to one account, I guarantee she sent it to 50 others. Again, I know that thatâs a pretty big thing to ask from someone, especially since you donât know me. So no pressure, I just donât want my account taken down or something.
Anyway. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I really really appreciate it.
#I know this isnât the best response Iâve given to an ask#Just#itâs just not every day you find out thereâs a shmear campaign against you#And this may come as a shock to you. But.#Iâm not entirely comfortable with this information.#Anti-Dazai asks
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
I guess I'll give this a shot
1. Trope... Trope... You'd think with me wanting to be an author I'd know how to answer XD I love True Loveâą I may not be interested in entering into a relationship myself, but I absolutely LOVE watching two characters come together and forge and bond that nothing can break! Even if those two people bring a lot of baggage to the table
2. I don't write what I don't like. Ever. And narrowing this down is impossible because if you give me a "trope" I don't like but then you do something interesting with it then I'll like it.
3. Goggle Doc and Word Doc. My pc has Word and no Internet connection. My phone however has Goggle Docs and I can convert the files back and furth as needed with minimal crying.
4. Ao3. I stay out of politics so I can enjoy my life đ
5. I'd definitely say Blood Ice. Trust me there's several things I'd like to fix, but I'm supposed happy with it as is... Also I'm certain it's the longest "regular" fic I've every written and I completed it in a reasonable time frame... HOPE FOR MY DESIRE TO BE A PUBLISHED AUTHOR
6. That's a though one... Because I'd say it's all the stuff I've abandoned, especially from my teenage years. Of my current batch? Well so far it's a fic I deleted "The Moviestar" there's just... Lots of issues with it. Like I liked it a lot but it was most definitely affected my shit going on in my life and I'll revamp it at some point.
7. You all know it's Cooler/Geliaden, my OC. they a comfort couple. Geliaden is already my comfort OC. I dump whatever emotional baggage I need to onto him and he gets some sweet affection from his husband~ of course cannon wise, I'll stand by my beautiful crack ship of Cooler/Baby-Vegeta. I was never into crack when I was younger, but I certainly see the appeal.
8. crackships oddly enough given my prior statement. I don't know, they just have to give off the right vibe. Otherwise I hate any ships that involve shipping a victim with their abuser... I can think of two off the top of my head and they both hurt me greatly.
9. My inability to write certain scenes... Like I don't know how to explain this... But okay, In Blood Ice- all the ballroom scenes after establishing the vibe of the parties the first time, Kaigor being Kaigor and Pirita being Pirita, I absolutely HATED writing all the conversations that weren't between Cooler and Gelid. BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT AND COULD NOT BE CUT OUT and I NEEDED to show not tell. I'm trying to improve and trying to show the moment I do not care about are a pian ib the ass, but I love showing the relationship progres because it's fun, cute and that's why I'm freaking writing gosh darn it
10. It was actually part of a request I got and the line that broke me was "And Cooler is displeasedâą" The âą ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED ME
11. Angst and fluff go hand in hand~ angst is especially important for any good conflict.
12. That's lost to the sands of time, but I'm pretty sure it had something to do with Sesshomaru my first fictional crush ever
13. Uuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I have like... A bunch of WIPs? I'll just say To Befriend A Tyrant since It's my primary fic right now
14. Inuyasha. The place where I first started simping for the cooler older brother.
15. I'm pretty sure Dragon Ball has the most attention from me. Second place would probably be TF2. (claimed by the sands of time HA!)
16. I am a lone fish. I tried to co-write once and the problem was I was a teenager and I struggle with motivation. I wouldn't mind co-writing with another person just so long as it was understood my perfectionist ass takes forever to write and I'm excellent for getting ideas flowing more than anything. (Has like 20 outlines for different fics I wanna write)
17. đ€
18. That would be The Royal Lounge which is sitting, i think, at about 120,00 words. And I'm pretty sure I cranked out 100,000 in less than 8 months for that one which really had/has me concerned, however it's basically a book of tangentially related short stories soooooo eh not the same as writing a bigger fic or a novel
19. I have... A pile of things them yes. Geliaden being by far the most important one to me for several reasons.
20. That's not exactly fair because I've basically rewritten Cooler and Baby-Vegeta is a special kind of unhinged. Of course with Cooler we only have 2 movies worth of material to work with and I like me a soft boy who will snap somebody's neck for insulting his husband. Baby... Well I think I do a good job with him, I just added more crazy to him... And it's a just funny as hell to think of this insane, body snatching parasite randomly thirsting for someone and suddenly turning into an absolute masochist.
Making a fanfiction author ask game!
(Basically bc Iâve seen fanfiction ask games but Iâm too lazy to find one with some of these specific questions, so here ya go!)
What is your favorite trope to write?
What is your least favorite trope to write?
What is the main program you use for writing (google docs, the ao3 writing text box, etc.)
What is the main site you publish/write on?
The fic youâre most proud of writing?
The fic youâre least proud of writing?
Favorite ship to write?
Least favorite ship to write?
Biggest pet peeve while writing?
Best/funniest comment youâve ever gotten on a fic?
Do you prefer writing angst, crack, or fluff?
First ever fic written?
Latest fic written/latest WIP?
First fandom you ever wrote fanfiction for?
Fandom you wrote the most fanfiction for?
Do you prefer co-writing something or just working on it by yourself?
Favorite AU to write?
Most words/chapters ever written for one fic or oneshot?
Have you ever created an OC for a fic?
Hardest character to write/get the characterization correct for?
994 notes
·
View notes
Text
@nebula-drcams       sent ;;
       â  comes in here and is a menace in ur askbox by throwing my url at you â
From ;; Send me your URL and Iâll tell you // Accepting Only Tonight
My Opinion on; Star (@/nebula-drcams)
Character in general: Star writes many canon characters but I will choose a few to comment on.
In canon I never cared much for Damien. The fact he's a little gremlin was amusing, sure, but he was never exactly all that interesting to me. I didn't get the fixation on him outside of just "Oh, other people ship him with Pip and that's why he's popular". Mole, on the other hand, I enjoy greatly. Obviously with how he's one of my two top primary muses. He barely existed for most of the movie but he certainly memorable to me for many reasons. He's also a favorite for many reasons.
Then, of course, Star has her OCs. Most notably, Nimue. While I can't really comment on my "opinions on the character in general" as if she was a canon character I can comment on my typical feelings towards OCs. I'm not usually the type to take to OCs. I never liked writng my own OCs, despite having them slowly being added to my blog now, and also never liked writing with other people's OCs. Far too many bad experiences.
How they play them: To put it simply, Star writes both canons and her own OC well.
I disliked most Damiens I've written with for various reasons. I'm always initially hesitant to write with them due to those reasons but Star's has been the exception. Her Damien is great, I like how he's written, even if he's honestly pretty opposite to how I write my own (SP) Damien. I don't really gush about my muse relations openly but I enjoy how my Mole and her Damien are friends. Her Damien is, quite literally, my Mole's closest and most trusted friend even if they are menaces to one another. I also like how she's written Damien when it comes to interacting with my Pip who, notably, does not like Damien very much usually. Her Damien was the only one I've ever written with so far that acknowledged he fucked up, he hurt Pip, and was willing to just avoid Pip to avoid him being uncomfortable. I can't really openly state certain things I've discussed with her about Damien and my own muses but some stuff we've talked about with them is great to me and he is the only Damien I "GRIPS (affectionate)".
I also tend to dislike most Moles I've written with. They're too soft or too much of an asshole, they can't comprehend a decent in between. Also, Mole is just a muse I squint more frequently at due to his status as one of my top two primary muses. But her Mole has been pretty good. I have had some minor squints at the portrayal but those weren't necessarily her fault. I also do adore the verse I have specific to my Gregory for her Mole too. It's a stupid trope more than likely, so that's how you know it was my suggestion, but I do enjoy it.
Nimue I do enjoy immensely as a character, I do enjoy hearing about her from Star and reading posts about her when they come onto my dash. She gets both the prize of the first OC I'd agreed to write against, outside of a public chat rp setting, in years and the first OC for me to willingly ship with in years. She's a well thought out OC with effort put into her even if her basic backstory / background can be a bit cliche or squinty. But, even with that, Star works that specific trope in OCs well. She doesn't make Nimue pull any "woe is me" shit over her struggles in life which many OCs with similar sounding backstories have. Nimue is special sort of OC in my opinion, to say the least.
The Mun: Star is neat.
She's quite nice, to be honest. She's also basically the reason I remained on Tumblr after initially feeling terrible about some shit on one of my "old" blogs I'd say. She's also basically been the one to help me in comprehending certain things about Tumblr based roleplay since previously I solely roleplayed in places that functioned completely differently. She's very understanding about the fact that I'm an awfully slow writer at times, communicates with me, and in general puts up with me. Hell, she's even let me force into watching various things about my interests. From GHS to various versions of GE to different versions of Les Mis to DT17 + DWD and also other shit. The only real "issues" I can ever recall having with Star are through a poor statement on my part and me occasionally not really "getting" certain things when we talk. Also her sending me that fucking dancing toothless gif-- /j
Do I:
RP with them: Yes.
Want to RP with them: Of course.
What is my;
Overall Opinion: Very cool. Very epic.
Shout out to the poly. /j
**Note: Munâs answer are all to be completely honest. Donât send url if you donât want brutal honesty
#nebula-drcams#ÉȘÉŽÇ«áŽÉȘÊÊ.;; [ answered ask ]#áŽÊáŽáŽáŽáŽÊ. ;; [ out of character ]#||#tumblr kept fucking up me posting this and even deleted my original drafts of it#if it looks clunky then blame that
1 note
·
View note
Note
How about the octavinelle trio playing octodad somhow they got a game from their world in twisted wonderland
And for the sake of lolz the reader is dating Azul and the tweels and making a joke that this game predicted their life because in the game octodad married a human woman to stay because they fell in love on a ship
https://youtu.be/LTmONNEUXjI
Floyd putting the theme song as the phonumber for Azul
Bestie, I get excited whenever you appear in my inbox. You got the funniest requests I swear XâD
Azul Ashengrotto
This man is about to cry. Come get yo mans cuz the water works are gonna start working the water in t-minus 10 seconds. This is a game about a seemingly stereotypical family, all except that the father is âsecretlyâ an octopus. Azul, being a cecaelia, both relates and doesnât relate to this octopus.
He does get very frustrated with how clumsily Octodad moves. He doesnât have tentacles on land, but he imagines that it isnât that hard. A few days after playing, he takes you to a nearby beach and tests it out, only to find out that he walks exactly like him.
When you jokingly say that this game predicts your future, he blushes so badly. YoU cAnâT jUsT sAy ThAt OuT oF nOwHeRe- Nah but seriously, he has dreams at night where you both are either married and living under the sea or your wedding day. I fully believe this man wants to settle down one day with you and maybe start a family (he doesnât care if you adopt or even foster children, he just wants kids to care for)
He does enjoy how Octodad met Scarlet on the ship and it was like true love at first sight. He wishes he could have met you under more romantic circumstances like that, but it will be a funny story to tell your future kids one day.
He definitely doesnât like the Chef. It reminds him of the stories he heard as a mer-child, where if you came in contact with a human, they would cook you and eat you. However, you busted into his life like the FBI and broke the stereotypes :)
Jade Leech
As calm and collected as ever. He may have a slight blush on his face, though. He will definitely ask Azul later if this was the experience he had being on land. He canât say much being an eel, but he can say that he does relate to some of the aspects
He finds it amusing how clumsily Octodad moves, reminding him of a certain cecaelia when he first got his legs. He goes through a small flashback when Azul gave them each a potion that would turn them human. Like most mermaids and mermen say, it was like walking on broken glass.
When you pass by and tell him that the game reminded you of what your future would be like, he quickly grabs you by the belt loops and pulls you into a kiss. Your little plan backfired on you but in the best way possible.
He also likes how Octodad and Scarlet met and how it was love at first sight. It was the same feeling he had when he first saw you on campus. When you bravely went up to Azul with determination, he fell head over heels. Floyd relentlessly teased him about it and how he would always chicken out whenever he went to ask you out.
He finds the Chef rather amusing. He was always trying to expose and even kill Octodad with no reason other than he was angry with the idea of an octopus living a human life. It was rather comical, so he enjoyed the rivals to friends trope the two had.
Floyd Leech
Letâs talk about the setup. You are definitely sitting in his lap while heâs playing because heâs super clingy. Now that thatâs out of the way, he will be laughing during the whole game. He finds it hilarious. He doesnât even relate the game to his experience of being in and out of the water because heâs too busy laughing with you.
He also is greatly amused at how clumsy Octodad tends to be, but after a while it will grow a tad bit tedious for him. He will never forget the day where he got his legs: he stubbed his toe and he thought he was legit dying.
When you start getting tired, you told him that you had him play this game because you wanted this in the future. He stared at you in shock before squeezing you out of pure joy. Shrimpy wants to marry him?! Oh he could die a happy eel right then and there!
He gets slightly bored during the whole âOctodad falls in love with Scarletâ part, but he will admit that itâs very cute. He would ask you if you remembered how the both of you met, and you gladly told him the story again (i'm still kinda salty about it).
He doesnât like the Chef either. In his eyes, the eel was Octodad and Scarlet was you. Hence, the Chef was trying to take him away from his Shrimpy >:(Â You had to spoil the end of the game where the two reconcile and your eel becomes giddy and happy again.
#twisted wonderland x reader#twst x reader#twisted wonderland#twst#disney twisted wonderland#disney twst#twst azul x reader#twst azul#azul x reader#azul ashengrotto x reader#jade leech x reader#jade leech#twst jade#twst jade leech#twst jade x reader#twst floyd#twst floyd leech#floyd leech x reader#floyd leech
705 notes
·
View notes