#ceo: immediately bombards me with questions

[helianthus21]

i was so ready for a whole self-introductory speech but that ceo guy just started interrogating me help😭

[minniepetals]

CEO!au and “I love you and I thought everything was okay but I guess not...“

"I love you and I thought everything was okay but I guess not."

You look up at Jungkook, brows furrowed with confusion, and immediately stop what you were doing to give him your full attention. "Jungkook? What do you mean by that?"

"You've been avoiding us," he states and your heart falls at those pained eyes of his.

He's right, you have been avoiding them, but not because you don't love them anymore — how can you ever not love them anymore? Yet you're sure that's exactly what's been going on in the maknae's head.

"Why, Y/N?" He asks softly. "Is it something I'm not doing? Did I not show you enough love? Was it something I said? Was it something any of us said?"

"It's not you."

"Then what is it?" His voice raises a little louder, a little more desperate, and you hate that you've made him think he could have done better than what he was doing. "If I'm not the problem then why aren't you talking to me? You used to stroll into my office, greet me with that beautiful smile of yours, had a cup of coffee ready for me —and I'm not saying that you have to make me coffee every morning but it's just...it was the thought and the care and the kindness that you just...you haven't..."

Jungkook trails off, voice beginning to break as his lips quiver and you hate every ounce of you because this is all your fault.

"I'm sorry," you whisper.

"If you're sorry then say something. Tell me why."

Despite how desperate he is, how much it hurts you to see him like this, you still hesitate to say anything to him.

"Y/N," Jungkook calls yet you don't answer. You can't even look him in the eyes. "If you don't love me anymore, just say that."

"It's not...I..." It's not that. You do love him. You love them. You love them more than anything in this world.

The door to his office opens abruptly and in comes Namjoon with heavy footsteps, eyes staring at no one but you. "Why do I have your resignation letter on my desk?"

Jungkook's eyes widens. "You're quitting?"

"Why didn't you say anything?" Seokjin walks in asking.

Despite the bombardment of questions, the crowd that begins to surround you, you remain quiet about everything and you know that it's infuriating them but perhaps it's better this way.

Perhaps it's better that they believe you don't love them anymore. Maybe then they can let you go easier.

"Y/N. Tell us the truth," Yoongi begs. "Please just say something. Anything."

You can't.

"Was it my mother?" When Hoseok walks in, the last to arrive, you look up with slight alarm that immediately gets him to understand. The features on his face begins to darken slightly and you feel chills running down your spine. "What did she tell you?"

"Nothing, she—"

"You're lying."

"I'm not."

"If you're not lying then look me in the eyes and tell me she didn't say anything to you," he demands in a commanding voice.

How unfair of him to do that to you. He knows just how bad you are at looking at someone in the eyes when you're lying. So when you can't do it, when you hesitate to do so, they have their answer and Hoseok immediately goes to pick up his phone.

You quickly panic. "W-wait...Please, Hoseok—"

You feel Jimin take you by the hand, as gently as ever, and when you look over at him, his eyes are filled with suspicion and pain. "She didn't hurt you...did she?"

You wish you could lie but not when Taehyung already has his hands on your face and forcing you to look him in the eyes. "She...may have slapped me...a tiny bit."

The way the room turns quite cold makes you shiver abruptly in their presence.

"It's alright," Taehyung promises as he gently caresses your face. "Hoseok will take care of this so you don't have to pretend anymore. Just...please tell me that you still love us."

You weren't supposed to give in but you've already messed up and now you know anything you say against that is a lie they'll come to understand.

"I do." So you say instead. "I love you."

[jiminiesfavouritecolourisblue]

Hey, I really love the office ceo aus and your writing is so good like wow. I just wanted to know how the boys woidk react if the oc goes on a date in her new company for some reason.

Hey sweetie! Thank you for the love 😘

Hmmmmmm the only way I would see oc going on a date with someone in her new company is if she did so naively aka if she did so unknowingly aka she didn’t think it was a date 😂

The boys would wonder where she was and why she was coming back home sooooo late, worryingly texting her and calling to see if she was alright to which the penny drops when she picks up and says where she is and they can hear a man talking through the line. I can already see Namjoon’s face and I’m scared myself RIP OC

They’d all be beyond pissed, bombarding her with questions about it all like who it was and why she went and how could she be so naive to think it wasn’t a date of course it was a frigging date! I can hear Jimin adamantly saying “right this isn’t working, you have to quit and come back to us.” And oc rolling her eyes and being like “no” with extra bratty and stubborn attitude that gets wiped right off her face when she comes face to face with silent stoic Hyung line with dagger eyes

Then it’s all apologies for not realising but rational arguments that they’re blowing it out of proportion and she has no feelings for this coworker so what’s the big deal?

“So you’d be okay if I said yes to Yeri asking me out to dinner today?” Jungkook is quick when he’s pissed okay, he’s not here for it.

“That’s not the point, I didn’t know he was asking me out!”

“But if Jungkook did it ‘accidentally’ and you found out you’d be fine?” Yoongi can also call bullshit from a mile away and he’s not a happy kitty, or happy with his kitty.

Let’s be honest at this point even though it’s a fake scenario the ugly head of jealousy shows up in OC’s head when she imagines that and no she would not be “okay”

“This is why we need to make this relationship public,” Taehyung would be a pouting grumpy baby. Half the room would immediately reply with a firm no.

“We can’t protect her in e.Xo if that got out,” Jin would explain for the hundredth time.

“We couldn’t protect her in our own company and that was just rumours, what do you think will happen if anyone finds out?” Hoseok would lecture this kid let me tell you.

“Baby girl just needs to learn to say no.” I don’t think Namjoon’s stare wouldn’t falter away from OC’s form but it might burn a hole somewhere with its intensity? Inside his head though he’d be all like, ‘she says no to us just fine, can’t say no to a complete stranger, what the fuck did he try during this stupid date?’

The aftermath? Hmmmmm, I think each of the boys would take her out for a date themselves, so she would never think of it with someone else again, even though she didn’t but men what can you do their brains work like this, and thoroughly screwing her brains out at the end of the night…. It’d be a long week

[leviiattacks]

short drabble about ceo levi with nicknames?? u always write sm for ur requests so please feel free to make it short i feel bad 😭!!

author note :: again i haven’t written much in ages so i’m a little rusty but i hope you like this anon !!! :-)

word count :: 1k ??? 900 words ??? idk i am estimating

okay, okay here me OUT!!!

despite popular belief i think levi wouldn’t be all that into nicknames at first.

he’s just never really seen the appeal to them? on top of that he’s always found that he internally cringes when he hears couples refer to each other with such overused terms of endearment

but god… you’re into nicknames, in fact you love them and can’t get enough of them. that’s where you and levi run into an issue. he’s never really been particularly vocal to begin with and the last thing he’d ever want to do is use a nickname when he can just say your name normally

“but other couples do it.” you mumble the complaint under your breath after seeing another couple at work bombard each other with cheesy names. only then does levi realise how upset his defiance makes you.

he probes you about it, questions what makes you happy, what exactly is attractive about it but you’ve never been the forceful type and you brush it all off telling him it’s no big deal and you’re being silly but no, levi most definitely thinks it’s a big deal especially if you’re hiding how you really feel from him

so he asks google what the big deal is about nicknames — it takes him a while to get it but eventually he comes to the conclusion that they’re used to show special connections that are different from others

so he begins to test the waters

“honey” almost sounds condescending and “brat” is what he calls little kids who annoy him, it doesn’t sound right when he tries to use it lovingly with you.

one day he ventures with the term “love” you’re both sat at a coffee shop when it slips out. when it happens you don’t really know how to react ??? it’s the first time he’s said something of that tone and you completely lose your focus accidentally sipping on the scalding hot liquid in your cup

when you nearly burn your tongue levi is visibly irked. he reaches out with a napkin to dab at the edges of your mouth — you managed to get coffee everywhere, small droplets even landed on your skirt

“be careful.” he murmurs before adding in - “maybe this whole pet name thing isn’t for us, your reaction says a lot.”

you practically jump out of your seat because NO!!!! you liked it you just weren’t expecting it so soon

“no, no, no i did like it i was just… shocked.” levi gives you a look analysing if you’re being truthful, he concludes that you are

when he returns home he thinks back on the incident. love, it’s probably his favourite, it’s still a little off putting to say because again he’s never been great at being vocally affectionate BUT levi’s always been literal with the way he thinks of you so he likes calling you it because at the end of the day you are and always will be his love. it’s fitting.

and so it sticks!!!

levi soon notices that you smile more when he uses nicknames and sure… “sweetheart” may be sappy and all but if it makes you smile he’ll do it. yes, even if it’s embarrassing

now, levi using nicknames in front of other people??

in public he’s more willing to try — i’m talking shopping centres or at the park, but at work he’s reluctant it’s difficult for him to not act professional at all times even when he’s in the privacy of his office

but he still makes the effort to use pet names often, he won’t try it if you’re stood in the staff room but if you’re in a secluded hallway he knows it won’t hurt to loosen up

fun fact but levi prefers personalised terms of endearment for himself — something that directly links to his name most probably. nobody before you referred to him as lev and he finds that he likes it so he keeps it around but if anyone other than you tries to use it they’re met with immediate annoyance

you remember the time eren tried to fling the nickname at him at an after hours work dinner and levi completely ignoring him until he used his full name

“how come i can’t say it?” eren asks him, levi fights the urge to roll his eyes before answering “because i only like it when one specific person uses it” eren doesn’t ask for any elaboration he understands what levi means instantly.

to be honest he finds it pretty endearing. the way you scold levi for being so uneasy about it is amusing because it’s clear levi refuses to budge, he hates others using the name with him because those other people aren’t you

usually levi’s worries focus on stocks and company shares so to see him so uptight and particular about a nickname really does make the other employees at ackerman & co see him as more human

levi doesn’t admit it but eventually he warms up to the whole nickname thing, he likes that the names you both use are strictly reserved for each other

it makes him feel oddly special, it’s as if he plays a significant enough role to be given the privilege of another name

levi guesses that google was right all along maybe nicknames aren’t that bad

but whatever happens levi will never ever call you sugar plum or honey bun, he thinks he’d probably throw up before he’d be able to

that’s okay though, you aren’t too fond of those two either. you think you can live perfectly fine without them !!!

for now levi is lev and you are his love :-)

[ssamie]

epilogue. “your girlfriend’s kinda hot”

kozume kenma x fem dazai!reader

(bsd x hq)

tw: mentions of suicide and suggestive themes + dirty jokes

masterlist.          suicide freak!

"hey uh, welcome to my stream i guess" he said as he spared the camera a quick glance "im not really playing tonight because an incident has recently occurred in this household" kenma said with a tired sigh 

nobody else knew it, but the said 'incident' was y/n accidentally setting half of their living room on fire 

the reason? apparently, she wanted to try burning herself to death in the furnace. obviously, it didn't work. and all that's left from that is more shit for kenma to clean up and a trip to yosano-san. 

kenma is stressed. and y/n is still alive. both of them are facing problems. 

"can you please wear a maid outfit- no."

kenma shook his head as he continued playing, glancing at the chat once in a while to read the veiwers' questions and comments

╭─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╮

user: how about cat ears?! 

user: ^^ cATBOY CATBOY CATBOY 

user: u suck at this game wtf

kuroo.tetsu: hey kenma ;) 

╰─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╯

"first of all, i do not suck at minecraft thank you very much" kenma scoffed 

"second of all, go away kuroo. im still mad at you" 

╭─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╮

user: LMFAOOO kuroo what did u do?? 💀💀

user: he probably broke kenma's pc 

user: PLSS he's the one kenma’s throwing shade at on twitter 

kuroo.tetsu: STOP THE SLANDER 😔✋🏼

user: rooster head lookin ass 

user: ^^ NOT THE HAIR 

kuroo.testsu: 😃😃

╰─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╯

kenma sighed as he continued building a cute little cottage. he was currently vibing, just building y/n a cute cottage for her to probably burn later on. 

and he decided it would be nice to go on stream since his oh-so-lovely girlfriend was still out for work. 

ah yes, kenma has somehow kept y/n alive all those years. 

barely. 

hence why his phone was being bombarded with messages from her, all of which being blurry selfies. 

the photos had her sporting a huge grin while atsushi panicked in the background. 

╭─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╮

user: ayo, ur phone's blowing up 

user: do you have a girlfriend? 

user: KODZUKEN LET ME SUCK UR TOES 😋😋🤩

user: ^ ayo chill 😃

╰─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╯

kenma simply ignored them and continued on with his task. all was going well until a loud slam was heard. his cat-like eyes widened as he heard a familiar voice singing from downstairs, it was undoubtedly y/n. 

kenma chuckled nervously and muted his mic. 

but of course, cute dumb catboy didn't actually mute his mic. haha <3

he ignored all the questions in the chat, all of them being  speculations that he has a girlfriend. which he does, but they simply did not need to know that <3

"kenma~" she yelled out "i have a surprise for you!!" she said, followed by menacing giggles. 

kenma glanced at the camera before hopping off his gaming chair and peeking his head out of the door. 

"y/n, im streaming!! stay down there!" he yelled out in panic 

"aw, you're playing hard to get aren't ya?" she chuckled 

kenma deadpanned as he saw her limping up the stairs, with her bandages torn and unravelled, same with her clothes. he didn't really think much of it since this is usually how she comes home. 

its most likely just due to work and/or another suicide attempt.

"so, kenma.. you'll never know what just happened to me today" she started off with a goofy grin 

"im streaming, atleast let me turn it off first-" 

she paid no mind to him as she peeled off her ruined coat and pointed to her poorly bandaged stomach

"i got stabbed!" 

"you got what?!"

kenma furrowed his brows as he immediately rushed over to his side, cradling her face and waist as he inspected her injuries

"are you okay, kitten?" he asked worriedly 

"yep, apparently it wasnt deep enough to be fatal" she sighed dejectedly 

"please don't be sad about that." kenma groaned "can you undress?" 

"ara ara~ whats this?" she cooed "you're getting real bold, kenma" she smirked at him 

she unbuttoned her shirt and started pulling down on her skirt "but since you asked so nicely-" 

kenma simply sighed and shook his head. "i was gonna prepare you a bath but now im considering leaving you here to die" 

"but the second option would've been better though" she smiled at him 

"oh my fucking god." 

kozume kenma. (22)

╰─▸ university student, stock trader, pro-gamer, youtuber, ceo of bouncing ball lpt. 

╰─▸ y/n's struggling boyfriend. definitely needs a pay after all he's been through.

╰─▸ currently panicking because his girlfriend got stabbed.

l/n y/n. (22)

╰─▸ operative/member of the armed detective agency. 

╰─▸ kenma's girlfriend. kinda dumb, very hot to compensate for it. still hasn't died yet. 

╰─▸ currently bleeding and wounded. also hoping for severe blood loss.

"kenma, did you know" she mused in a teasing tone "lack of sleep and too much stress could possibly lead to poor memory and lack of awareness" 

kenma looked up at her with a look of confusion. he was currently kneeled down before her while she was sat on the bed as he cleaned her wound up with a damp towel. 

"why are you telling me this?" he asked 

"i just thought it probably applied to you" she snickered 

"why? i didnt forget anything-" 

he cut himself off with a huge intake of air. he slowly turned his head to look at the screen which still had his stream going on. to make it worse, the camera was on and they were both clearly in the camera's field of view. 

to make things worse worse, his mic was on the whole time and the live chat was in shambles. 

"i hate it here" he sighed 

kenma laid his head on her lap as he continued on patching her up, honestly not caring that this whole scene was being recorded for thousands or millions of people to see. 

"well, atleast the internet could finally see my beauty before i die" she laughed 

she ran her fingers through kenma's hair as he grumbled under his breath. kenma was a pretty private person. he made sure not to overshare, given his current 'influencer' status. and he was planning on keeping his relationship a secret, though it seems he can't do that anymore. 

"might as well say hi" she shrugged 

so of course, she then decided to walk up to the camera looking utterly dishevelled and roughed up. 

for context, the newly wrapped bandages around her stomach was being stained already by a crimson red hue and it was only getting worse the more she moved, undoubtedly messing up her wound. 

"hi, im kenma's girlfriend and if i see you flirting with him i will make you regret it" she grinned 

"y/n!" kenma groaned from the bed "you're close to dying right now, turn the stream off" 

ignoring him, she proceeded to read the veiwers' comments, laughing at some of them while she joked around. 

╭─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╮

user: heLLO?!?! 

user: GE HAS A GIRLFRIEND NOOO

user: bruh, did i just hear that right? were you fuckin stabbed? 

user: ur kinda hot tho

╰─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╯

kenma furrowed his brows as he reluctantly walked up behind her, reading the comments with varying reactions 

╭─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╮

user: well damn, hot bloody girl comes in and suddenly im lesbian

user: kenma looks so done

kuroo.tetsu: hi y/n ;) 

user: HER NAME IS Y/N

╰─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╯

"jesus christ shut up, kuroo" kenma grumbled out with a sigh 

"yup! yup! im y/n, and no, i am not a criminal. i swear." she shook her head 

"i got an injury from my job, that's all." she cleared up 

╭─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╮

user: tangina nyo sana ol

user: MSKAKAKKA

user: THIS IS LOWKEY ICONIC

user: time to scratch another gamer boy off my possible bf list 😔

user: girl wtf happened to u

user: that's wack bro 🚶‍♀️

╰─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╯

"great question, random person from the internet!" she beamed "see, what happened was.." 

"i went on a certain mission and got severely injured. though, when i called for help nobody responded" she said 

kenma furrowed his brows at her words. "why didn't anybody respond?" he asked. she sighed and fiddled with her torn bandages, pouting her lips as she does so. 

"well, when i told them that i was finally on death's door, all they said to me was 'congratulations!' and all that.." she said "what's your take on that, hm?" she asked kenma 

"im not surprised" he said 

she grinned at his words and leaned in for a kiss. "you're so mean to me, kenma~" she whined 

she licked her lips as she held his blushing face in her hands, she nuzzled their noses as she leaned in closer to him. 

╭─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╮

kuroo.tetsu: oh shit 😳

user: we all know where this is heading ;) 

user: sana ol talaga punyemas 

user: AYO CHILL 

user: why we goin so fuckin fasstttt 😳

╰─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╯

kenma hastily turned the camera off as soon as y/n's lips touched his. 

"kitten, were still- hmph-" 

he was only silenced as she slipped her tongue in his mouth, smirking lightly as she ran her fingers through his hair 

"thanks babe." she said as she pulled away, giving him a soft peck on his cheek and a nod "anyways.." she hummed as she turned the camera on once again 

she looked through the chat while kenma slaps his face to get rid of his blush. 

╭─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╮

user: ur fuckin freaky 

kuroo.tetsu: oya oya 😼😼

user: MS MAAM I JUST MET U AND I LOVE U ALREADY WJABSJSJJS

user: not me blushing chiiilllleeeeee 🏃‍♀️

user: KENMA IS FLUSTERED

kuroo.tetsu: kenma, i didnt expect this from u 😼

user: im so fucking JEALOUS GRR😡

user: girl r u bleeding rn 😃

╰─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╯

upon reading a certain comment, she subconsciously grazed her fingers against her bandaged wound. her eyes slightly widening as she felt a concerning amount of wetness seeping through

she glanced at kenma who was still calming himself down and inspected her wound 

"oh my.." she muttered, though she couldn't help but let a smile slip through 

so like any normal person would do, she simply ignored her bleeding wound and the fact that she was getting a bit lightheaded. haha <3

"anyways, let's answer some questions!" she beamed 

╭─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╮

user: what's ur full name

user: what's ur job miss girl 

user: are you possibly looking for a gf, because i am more 

than willing to take the spot 🚶‍♀️

user: how did you meet?? 

╰─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╯

"alright, those are all very nice questions" she chuckled. kenma, who's now calmed down, sat down beside her to look at the chat. 

"first, im l/n y/n" she mused "nice to meet ya" 

"second im a detective! mhm, im cooler than your fathers" 

"third, it depends, belladonna" she cooed as she sent the camera flirty smirk "are you perhaps willing to join me in a double suicide?" 

"oh god.." kenma grumbled. he pouted at her and shook his head in disapproval. "don't flirt with random girls" he whined 

"why not?" 

"uh- because i am your beloved boyfriend, is that not good enough of a reason??" 

"... anyways, we met at a cafe way back in high school" she said with a smile "also, i asked him to join me on a double suicide" she said 

she was smiling and nodding as if it was the most normal thing in the world, all while kenma nods along 

╭─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╮

user: wtf are u okay 🗿

kuroo.tetsu: teenage romance 🤩

user: cute ❤️

user: im concerned ❤️

user: ur a detective?? cool

user: LMAOO I'LL GO ON A DOUBLE SEWER SLIDE 

WITH U MOMMY 😩😩😋

user: ^^ SAME 😩

user: CHOKE ME WITH THOSE BANDAGES MOMMAE 😩

user: u r still bleeding 🚶‍♀️        

╰─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╯

kenma was simply glaring at the chat as more compliments and flirtatious comments came flowing in, all of which were directed to his girlfriend. 

"this is why i didn't wanna let people know about you.." kenma grumbled 

"aww, why not?" she asked with a playful pout 

"people are flirting with you." he sighed "also, stop asking for my girlfriend's onlyfans! she doesn't even have one!" he snarled

╭─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╮

user: LMAOO CATBOY IS ANGRY 😩

user: y/n-senpai spit on me 😡😡

user: drop the onlyfans 

user: chupapi munyanyo 😩

╰─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╯

"anyways, i'd hate to ruin the mood" she chimed in with a sluggish giggle "but im so wet kenma" she whined out 

a menacing smirk was etched on her lips as kenma spluttered in response, a bright red hue covering his face almost instantly as he faced her with widened eyes 

"y-y/n! why would you say that?!" he whisper shouted 

"cuz i am" she whined out as she grabbed his hand and trailed it down her abdomen 

she faced the camera and gave them a shit-eating grin as kenma mumbled out incoherent words 

"y/n we should-" he cut himself off as he felt the concerning amount of blood drip down his whole arm 

kenma's face paled as he looked up to see her smiling like a kid in a candy store, completely unbothered. 

"y/n, you idiot! why didn't you tell me!" kenma exclaimed 

"um- my girlfriend is bleeding. excessively. so uh- bye i guess" it was all he said before hastily ending his stream and turning off his computer. 

"y/n, let's get you to a hospital" he said as he reached down to carry her away. though she simply slapped his hands off and closed her eyes. 

"nope. this is my time, kenma. don't ruin it for me" she said 

"you're fucking dying!!" 

"well, would you like to join me?" 

"no"

"damn." she muttered in response 

"so...wanna fuck?" she asked sheepishly 

"for the love of god-" 

this was so messy :/

[koolleenxxi]

Lovestruck

Infrastructures disappear right before my eyes, despite Kenny's command to speed up, the moon never leaves my sight. It illuminates the whole city, causing me to admire it even more.

"Make sure to socialize with your cousins and other acquaintances, Levi," Kenny said from the front seat. "Do not outcast yourself. There will be a lot of families later; I will introduce you to them."

"Yeah, Kenny, I got it already. I thought you don't like nagging?" I glanced at the rear-view mirror and fixed my tie.

"I do!"

I ignored him.

I felt my phone vibrating, so I took it out. Erwin's name appeared on the screen.

"You going?" I can hear loud music in his background; it is not hard to conclude he ditched the gathering.

"Where?" I lazily asked.

"Oh, no, no!" He laughed hysterically. "Don't tell me you're going to that party!?"

"Well, Kenny bribed me, so I had to go," I shrugged.

"Oh, is that Erwin?! Send my regards to him, Levi," Kenny interrupts.

"Tell him I said hello, too," he said. "Anyway, it's Petra's treat tonight, though! It's a shame," teasing is dripping in his tone. "Don't worry; I'll have girls your liking reserved for you—" I immediately cut the line.

He loses his intelligence once getting into the club. I thought coming with him once would shut him off, but I was wrong. It is fine with me, though, not until he sells me out to girls he met that he said passed my standards.

After a while, we arrived at the hotel. The media gathers outside the venue. It is my first time attending a party since Kenny didn't put effort into persuading me before. He didn't even inform me about what would happen. I wouldn't have come if it weren't for that damn vacuum cleaner.

"Ignore their questions, Levi, do not answer anything," Kenny instructed while fixing his black fedora.

"As if," then I got out of our car.

I fixed my suit and then proceeded to the entrance. Interviewers immediately crowded me. Bombarding me with different questions I do not have an interest in.

"Are you Levi Ackerman?"

"Who is the designer of your outfit today?"

"Since your parents died and left you to Mr. Kenny Ackerman, does he fulfill his duty to raise you well?"

"Of course, I'm raising my dearest nephew very well," I heard Kenny answered a reporter.

A guy mobbed me and grabbed my arms. I aggressively pulled it from him. How dare him to touch me! I'm not too fond of a crowded place like these; it makes my skin tingle.

"Is it true that you'll be the one to inherit the whole A.N company?"

What the hell would I do with my ancestors' company? I am not interested in it. Moreover, managing it. I wanted to answer him, but I remember Kenny's instruction earlier so I continued walking until we reached the hall.

As the large double doors open, it revealed a grand ballroom. It was good that the media is not allowed inside.

Blinding lights from the chandeliers was the first thing I saw. A combination of silver and gold made the whole place shine. A vast platform dominates the center part, both on left and right are the snacks and drinks area.

Kenny said that the party would start at precisely 8 PM. I glanced on my wristwatch and saw it's still—

"Mikasaaaaaa!"

A woman my age entered and shouted my cousin's name loudly, like too loud. She even bumped into my shoulders, which caused me to stop on my track. The whole place silenced after her flashiness; I feel so embarrassed and ashamed for her. I looked at her and realized she didn't mind the people looking at her. After some time, they took their gaze off of her as if it's just normal.

"Why are you still standing there, Levi? Our table is at your Aunt Mikaela's," Kenny appeared beside me.

I followed him and saw that the table we're going to is too crowded. Men in a business suit, looking intimidating, surrounds my relatives.

"Kenny,"

He glanced at me.

"What is it?"

"I will just go to the bathroom."

"Make sure to be back before the program starts."

I immediately head to the restroom. A waiter gave me a drink along the way, so I took it and finished in just one shot.

When I turned, I saw Mikasa with the woman earlier. They are having animated talks.

"Hey," Mikasa greeted me when I passed by them.

I nod at her.

The woman stopped talking to Mikasa when she saw me and then brought back her gaze to Mikasa as if accusing her. I didn't mind that, I proceeded.

"Hey!" I heard her call. "Stop!"

I wasn't sure if it was me so I didn't look back.

Clinks of loud stilettos filled the hallway of the restroom. And then I felt a hand grabbed my wrist.

"I said stop!" She spat.

What's wrong with this woman?

"Excuse me, why are you holding my wrist?" I asked.

Her hold tightened, and then she released it.

"I told you to stop, why didn't you?" She crossed her arms on her chest.

While she was loud, I had a good look at her overall look. A silver champagne dress hugged her petite, fair-skinned body. Her mid-length hair falls on her back; her right bangs were almost covering her right eye. Her almond eyes, narrow nose, and plump lower lips are distracting, so I cleared my throat.

"I didn't hear you call my name, so why would I look back?" I fixed my stance.

Mikasa hooked her arms to her and insisted that they should just go. "I told you, it isn't him. Stop suspecting everyone, Hange."

"It is because you're not telling me who it is!" She said, pouting.

Wow, now I am witnessing best friends' quarrel? I shook my head and turned my back to them.

Since we're the only ones in the hallway, I can still hear their murmurs.

"Then who is that guy, and why are you like "hey" to him?" She probed.

"He's my cousin, Levi Ackerman," I heard Mikasa.

"Oh, shoot! Really? Got to say he got good looks but his height—meh." She nonchalantly said.

People pointing out my height aren't very surprising for me, but I don't know why I got annoyed by how she discriminated me. I hated myself for that.

It was five minutes before 8 when I finally sat down. Kenny offered me a glass of wine as soon as he saw me. I took it.

"I am sorry if Hange caused you inconvenience earlier," Mikasa beside me talked.

"It was fine until I heard her pointed out my height," I sipped on my wine and shifted my vision to Hange's table. Cardboard with Zoë in it is placed in the middle of their round table. I saw her playing with the little boy in her lap.

"Oh. You heard that... I'm sorry for it too," then Mikasa looked at Hange. "She's just really... straight-forward and loud."

The program started shortly with the MC welcoming every business tycoons in the industry of engineering and construction. Several of my relatives stood when the MC called their names. When it was Kenny's turn, he waved his hand and bowed.

"Your astounding engineer, Kenny Ackerman, is here," he said that echoed in the hall.

Everyone laughed, and some even complimented him.

"You are not as astounding as your fedora, Mr. Ackerman!" An older man jokingly said.

"We expect nothing less from you, Kenny!" A woman from Hange's table said.

"Yeah, Uncle Kenny, you're the best!" Hange raised her thumbs, and Kenny winked at her.

Kenny then took his seat, laughing with Aunt Mikaela on his side.

"Flashy as always," I took a sip.

Kenny turned to me. "Shut up, Levi."

Speeches from people who introduced themselves as their company's CEO continuously went on and on. It bored the hell of me. I kept on glancing at my wristwatch and hoped for the event to end soon, but unfortunately, it didn't.

I massaged my temples after finishing the fifth glass of booze Kenny kept on giving me. I was about to stand up, but when I opened my eyes, I noticed Hange was gesturing something on me—or not.

I creased my forehead and glared at her. She kept showing her phone and putting it on her ear. She pointed out to me and then her phone while mouthing Rico. I shook my head and told Kenny I'd just go to the bathroom. The moment I turned my back, I saw a guy mouthing something to the person on my end. What's wrong with these mouthing people?

Berner was on the man's cardboard.

He looked up at me. "Dude? Can you move a bit?"

At first, I was confused about why the hell would he want me to step aside, and when I look back, I saw Hange gesturing me to move. I proceeded to walk and thought, why can't they just message each other? What are their phones for? Tch.

From the bathroom, I went directly to the garden at the back of the hall. Good thing the media didn't saw me—or just didn't pay enough attention when I passed through them.

Besides the lamp posts, the moon shines above me. I settled on a stone bench and rested my head on its backrest, I closed my eyes.

My phone vibrates, and I saw it's Kenny.

"Where are you, Levi?" His stern tone enveloped my ear.

"Just outside,"

"The main course will be served now."

"I had a cordon bleu earlier, so I'm fine. I'll just see you in the car late—"

"People are looking for you; get back here," he cut me off, and sounded strict, which is very unusual.

Ever since my parents died and Kenny took me in, he never forced me to do his biddings; that's why I am so thankful for him. Until now, I lived by my decisions, and he never disagreed with it. I have my own principles, and he respected it.

Recently, my relatives kept on convincing me to run the whole A.N. company for the reason that my grandfather's bedridden and cannot work anymore. I never showed interest in it, but they keep on insisting on it.

"Kenny, I know what you want, and I'm afraid I can't agree with whatever you guys are thinking. For Pete's sake, I am still studying. And you know that I didn't take engineering just to benefit from what my ancestors already established," I sighed. "Can't you just manage it? How about our other relatives?"

"They are busy with their own lives and businesses now. I'm sure taking over A.N. would prepare you since you're planning to build your own company, right?" He said convincingly. "Your uncles and I will assist you along the way; you don't have to worry."

"Let's just... talk it over some time," I ended the call and sighed.

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to," someone spoke behind the bushes that made me almost jump.

"Can't you do that?" I said, annoyed and still startled.

"What?" The girl replied.

"Coming out of nowhere and disturbing people's tranquility," I watched her as she took her way towards the space beside me.

"Oh, sorry about that... but I supposed you are not having your tranquility, Mr. Ackerman," she said, mocking me.

She took her seat, and I realized she's familiar.

"Do I know you?" I asked.

"Woah, Woah!" She laughed. "We just met, and you immediately forgot about me?" She muttered in disbelief.

"Am I supposed to remember you?"

She didn't answer that; instead, she took off her eyeglasses and untied her hair.

"You know me now? Come on; I am no Cinderella who changes looks after midnight," she said while putting her eyeglasses and ponytail back on its places. "I am Hange Zoë, the one with Mikasa earlier," she extended her hand.

"Yeah, her judgmental friend, huh?" I teased and crossed my arms instead of shaking hands with her.

"Excuse me?!" Hange faced me.

"I heard you call my height meh," shrugging, I said. "Doesn't that makes you judgmental?"

She shrugged and then laughed. I can't help but laugh, too.

Silence reigned between us. I looked up the sky, and so she did.

"Really, though... you don't have to do it if it would only burden you," Hange started.

I chuckled without humor in it. "It isn't that easy."

"Everyone has their own freedom to choose what fits them. They can decide for and by themselves," she started to remove her stilettos and massage her ankles. I watch her as she does it.

"Is it still free will if the people around you influenced your decision?"

"Yes, because you have the option to disregard their biddings and just continue living your life as you please, but—" Hange flinched, and I saw how red her feet were.

I immediately kneeled in front of her and took her right foot. I slowly unstrapped her high heels and massaged them gently.

"Was wearing stilettos your free will, or were you influenced by the people around you?"

I looked up at her and was astonished by how she shines like the moon behind her.

"It doesn't have to do with our serious conversation!" Hange shamelessly laughed out loud.

Looking at her from below, seeing how beautiful her silhouette is, her ponytailed hair, right bangs, the sound of her laugh made me catch my breath, the sequins from her champagne silver dress that makes her even more blinding to look at.

I blinked to knock myself off. I couldn't be lovestruck, right?! 

[spencersstrawberryjello]

Inside Scoop (Chapter One)

Chapter One - The Greatest Regret of my Life

Previous Chapter < - > Next Chapter

Chapter Summary: Dahlia Silvers is on her way to work when she makes a horrifying discovery that will change her life... and lead to her getting tangled up with the Behavioral Analysis Unit.

Chapter Warnings: Swearing, descriptions of corpse (violent death), police interactions (please let me know if I missed anything)

Word Count: 2417

A/N: Yay new story!! Ok, two quick things I need to mention before we get into it: one, I have absolutely no clue about the roads in DC and I merely listed two ones that I knew were on a corner. And two: I also have no clue where the Washington Post office is, and am not trying to make any claims about the company in any way, it’s just a reputable news place in DC so I wanted to use it for the story (please don’t sue me Jeff Bezos). Ok that’s all - hope you enjoy!! :)

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It was raining.

I knew we were supposed to get a short shower this morning, but I still groaned as I walked out into the disgusting downpour bombarding the streets of DC.

The only positive thing about days like this was the lack of people on the sidewalk. Generally everyone was dashing to the subway before they could get too soaked, but I only lived a few blocks from work. So I elected to walk.

Usually, that was fine. I had my umbrella, and I got into the office in about fifteen minutes, give or take a few. After that I got my writing assignments for that day within ten, and I got to work.

Usually.

The smell hit me first. Initially, I thought it was just rotten fruit, or something similar that someone had thrown out, but the closer I got the more it smelled rancid, impossible to describe.

The next thing I noticed was the bag.

The woman’s purse had been thrown from her hand. Or maybe it had fallen, I had no way of knowing. All I knew was that I saw it sitting on the sidewalk at the mouth of the alleyway I was about to walk past.

One of the greatest regrets of my life was picking up that purse.

Because when I picked it up, I had to turn and see who it belonged to. And that’s when I saw her.

I wasn’t sure how long the blood had been pooled around her body, but it was dried on the concrete. Her head was twisted at an unnatural angle, revealing the deep slash wound across her throat. Her hands were bloodied, and I had no way of knowing if it was her blood or someone else’s. All I knew was that this woman was dead, and there was no way in hell it was due to natural causes.

The combination of the sight in front of me and the smell of decay permeating the air sent a wave of nausea through my body, and my eyes watered as I turned away, vomiting on the sidewalk not far from where the woman laid. I fumbled to pull my phone out of my pocket, my hands shaking as I dialed 911.

“911 what’s your emergency?”

“Someone’s dead. It’s a woman, she - I was on my way to work, and I just found her - holy shit…”

“Ok ma’am, I’m going to need you to calm down please, everything will be ok. Can you tell us where you are right now?”

“Yeah, yes,” I forced myself to breathe, stepping out to the edge of the sidewalk in an attempt to read the street sign in front of me. “Right by the corner of 9th and G Street NW. There’s an alley a few feet away from the intersection. She’s…” I turned back to the woman’s body for a moment before forcing my eyes away again. “I don’t know what happened. It looks bad, I -”

“It’s ok ma’am. What is your name?”

“Dahlia. Dahlia Silvers.”

“Ok Dahlia. Is there anyone else with you? Or around you?”

I scanned my surroundings before responding shakily, “No.”

“Is the woman alive?”

“No.” I don’t know of anybody who could survive their throat being slashed.

“Ok. A team is on their way, but I need you to stay calm for me, ok?”

I nodded, despite the fact that she couldn’t see me. “Alright.”

“Good. Can you stay on the scene so that investigators can speak with you when they arrive?”

My first thought was that I was going to be late for work. It’s actually kind of funny, in retrospect, how unimportant that is compared to the discovery I just made. But the thought was still there.

“I think this would be a valid reason to call in sick.” I replied. The woman on the other end of the phone laughed lightly.

“Yes, I think it would. Would you like me to stay on the phone with you until the team arrives?”

“No, I’m just… I’m going to walk away a bit? Is that ok? I can’t… I mean, I’ve seen pictures and videos of stuff like this, but I didn’t think it would be so -”

“As long as you’re nearby, everything should be fine. It’s understandable that you would need to move away from the body.”

“Ok. Ok,” I took in another deep breath, “I’m ok.”

“A team should be there in a couple of minutes.”

The line went dead, and I sunk down against the wall of the building by the alley, far enough away that the smell of death couldn’t follow me. I felt like it was in my clothes, in my hair; for a second I thought I was going to throw up again, and I put my head in my hands, forcing myself to breathe until the investigators arrived on the scene. I had half a mind to realize that it wasn’t raining anymore, but I couldn’t be bothered to figure out where I’d dropped my umbrella. My clothes were sticking to my skin, and everything on my body felt viscerally wrong.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen images of dead people before; I was a young adult, and I liked movies. Obviously I was used to gore. But the stench… nothing could’ve prepared me for that.

I was surprised at the sheer number of people that showed up: I mean, there was a CSI van, which I expected, but a black car pulled up behind them, as well as two city police cars. Immediately, the CSI team got to work, and the rest of the people began piling out of their cars. The first person to take notice of me was one of the police officers, and he immediately made a beeline for where I was sitting on the sidewalk.

“Are you Dahlia Silvers? The woman who called in the body?” He asked. I nodded, and he held out his hand to me, helping me up on unsteady feet.

“Thank you.”

“‘Course. Now, I’d like to ask you a few questions if that’s ok?”

I nodded again, and he began a surprisingly long tirade of questions. Why was I passing by, where was I going, did I walk this street every day, what did I see first, did I touch anything on the scene, did I know the woman, had I seen anyone else - everything I should’ve expected but didn’t even think about in the wake of everything I’d just witnessed.

I answered accordingly: work, work, yes, the purse, the purse, no, no - I mentioned that the vomit was mine, and that I’d picked the purse up with the intent to return it to whoever dropped it. I mentioned that the first thing I picked up on was the smell, and that I had no idea what happened. Only that my day was perfectly normal, and then -

“Excuse me, officer?” A new voice cut into our conversation, a woman. I turned to look at her, noticing the FBI logo on her jacket immediately. “I’d like to speak with Ms. Silvers for a moment, if you don’t mind?”

“Of course Agent,” He nodded, rejoining the larger group that we were standing a bit away from. I knew he was still watching me, but I couldn’t be bothered to worry about my status on this case’s suspect list right now. I was still trying to process the fact that there was a fucking dead body about five feet away from me.

“Dahlia Silvers?” She asked, as if she didn’t already know. I nodded, and she smiled, introducing herself as well.

“I’m Special Agent Prentiss, I’m with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit.”

Immediately my brow furrowed with confusion. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Well, we study -”

“No, I’m sorry, I should’ve been clearer: I know what the BAU does. What is the BAU doing here, in DC?”

“We’re investigating a string of recent murders, and we believe that this one is most likely connected to the case.”

“... If there have been enough murders here that your team needed to come down, why aren’t any of the news stations covering it? I haven’t heard anything about this.”

“We’ve put a block on most of the press until we can gain a better understanding of the situation. I understand why you might feel betrayed by the media -”

“It’s not like that at all,” I rushed to correct her, not realizing I’d cut her off again, “I’m a journalist. I work for The Washington Post. Our office is like three blocks away, that’s where I was headed when - when I saw her.”

The woman nodded, a sympathetic expression on her face. “I’m sorry that you had to see all of this.”

“Thank you,” I gave her a small smile. I did appreciate it, but honestly, I’d recovered from the sight pretty quickly. I’d started working in crime journalism recently, and that came with it’s fair share of gruesome images and stories of tragedy flooding my computer. Hence the reason why my lack of knowledge on these murders was a concern. “I’m just confused as to why I didn’t hear about the murders, while working for a news site. It would make sense for a few stories to slip through, or for our CEO to announce something to us writers - how the hell did you manage a full media block?”

She laughed a bit at my bluntness, but said, “We got here very shortly after the first murder. We were able to restrict almost all stories about the event immediately.”

“Almost all? No, you guys got all of them - I have a keyword filter set up on Google to email me whenever a seemingly newsworthy event happens in the surrounding area, and I feel like ‘local murder’ would definitely count as newsworthy.”

“That’s… surprising, but it makes sense. Never underestimate the power of Jennifer Jareau - that’s our press liaison, she handles -”

“Oh yeah, I know her! I’ve spoken with her a few times when you guys have had cases in DC.”

“Right! Yeah, she’s great…” She got a sort of far-off look in her eye for a moment before she cleared her throat, “But that’s not what I’m here to talk to you about. I know that you spoke with the local police already, but I was wondering if you’d be willing to return to the station with us so we could interview you a bit further - you’re not under arrest, you’d be free to go at any time, we just have a couple more questions.”

I was hesitant, but at the same time, there was an itch in the back of my mind. An itch to know more. If this was a chance for me to find out what’s been going on, no way in hell I’m saying no to that.

Plus, if I did say no, that would be incredibly suspicious.

So I nodded, allowing Agent Prentiss to lead me back to the black vehicle that arrived with the slew of police cars. She opened the passenger door for me before shouting to someone who I’m assuming was one of her coworkers.

“Reid! Stay here and investigate the scene - I’m going to escort Ms. Silvers back to the station, and I’ll be back to pick you up.”

I heard a faint response before she shut the passenger door, climbing around to the other side and allowing me a glimpse of whoever she was talking to.

He was standing on the pavement, still looking at the car, nodding as I’m assuming Agent Prentiss said something else to him. The blue sweater he had on over his button up presented an interesting contrast between the pantsuit I’d seen Prentiss wearing, and the ridiculous query of the nature of the BAU’s uniforms crossed my mind before I turned my attention back to the matter at hand.

The matter at hand being, of course, discreetly staring at the man in front of me.

His curly hair rested almost at his shoulders, and I was mesmerized as I watched him speak, one hand flying and the other holding onto a thin wooden cane. Finally, he nodded definitively before turning back to the crime scene, and my eyes snapped to the driver’s side door as I heard Agent Prentiss slide into the seat next to me.

“Oh please, don’t let me interrupt your staring at Dr. Reid,” She held up her hands in mock defense, trying to keep herself from laughing, “I’m merely the driver.”

“Sta - what, I wasn’t staring, I -” I immediately started to defend myself (even if I totally was staring at Dr. Reid), but Agent Prentiss laughed again.

“Relax, Ms. Silvers. I’m only teasing. He is quite a good-looking man, isn’t he? Not my type, but I’m not blind.”

I blushed, acknowledging her statement with a nod as she put the car in drive, pulling away from the curb. As we started down the road, the full weight of the events that just occurred finally hit me.

I found a corpse.

I was on my way to a police station.

I might be the main suspect in an ongoing murder case. I hadn’t actually asked about that yet.

It was almost as if Prentiss had noticed the shift in my mood - honestly, there’s a chance she actually had, she was a profiler - because she broke the silence with a question.

“Ms. Silvers? How are you feeling?” She asked. I just shook my head.

“Please, call me Dahlia. And honestly, I have no idea how I’m feeling. I… well, I’m sure I don’t need to say that nothing like this has ever happened to me before.”

“I’d be surprised to hear you say it had,” She laughed. I laughed a bit too, though I couldn’t ignore the anxiety eating at me.

“I’m pretty sure I haven’t processed it yet,” I said honestly.

“You’ve gone through a lot in the last hour,” She agreed, “And I hate to say it, but you’re going to have to go through a little bit more. We’re here.”

We pulled into the police station, and she put the car in park, hoping out. I followed suit, and we both headed up the walkway to the front doors.

I was practically trembling with nerves, but at the same time, excitement coursed through my veins at what I might learn.

The BAU might’ve put a blockade on the media from the outside, but I was getting the inside scoop.

[hains-mae]

Flowers - Pt. 3

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 (end)

(Damian x Reader) Soulmate AU

Rating: T

Ages: Damian and you are 16, everyone’s ages follow after.

Summary: Soulmate AU where the wounds on your soulmate turns into a flower tattoo on your skin, if it heals with no scars the tattoo goes away, if it heals with a scar then the tattoo stays.

It just got worse.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC. If I did, I wouldn’t make it as confusing as it is now.

The convention hall was huge. The lights shone brightly at the many innovative inventions made by the young minds of Gotham City. the entire city was invited to participate after all. As Wayne Enterprise made the whole event international, we had guests from all over the globe looking for potential students to take under their wing. Rumour has it that everyone on the guest list was hand picked by the man, Bruce Wayne, himself.

I looked around in a daze as I clutched the metal briefcase that held my project.

Running in an hour or two of sleep and caffein, I made my way through the growing crowd. Finally I was able to locate my designated table, a small booth in the chemistry section. I made quick work on unpacking the projector and placed it square on a folding table. It would play the presentation of what my project was about and all the necessary details to explain the chemical compounds and a quick scanned blueprint.

“I feel so nervous.” I mumbled to no one in particular.

Then placing a black cloth on the table as my workspace, I made sure to put the specifically designed gun carefully on a stand that I had quickly melded together. The projectiles rested in the container. Only two remained. I stared at it for a while as the scene of that fateful night replayed in my head.

I had found my soulmate.

Which was good.

He was Robin.

Which was bad.

There was a chance he could be Damian Wayne.

Which was worse.

This relationship was doomed from the start. My soulmate was a freaking vigilante! He was running around at night, putting his life in danger. Death was a constant in my mind after that. Knowing that one day I might loose him. It was a weird thing, this soulmate bond that we shared. Somehow meeting him solidified his existence in my life. Now every time I received another flower on my skin I would know what might’ve caused it. Worry started to form in my gut as I thought about the bullet wound in his shoulder.

I shook my head to get any more lingering thoughts out as I willed myself to focus on the task at hand. I needed to get my head in the game.

Pulling the beakers and flasks out as carefully as I could, I placed them each on the other side of the table. I filled them with their chemicals and started the burner. I had wanted to show them the process as a prototype. I doubted anybody here wanted to be encased in rock.

I was so deep in thought as I mindlessly tinkered around to keep my hands busy that I didn’t even realise a figure standing before me until he cleared his throat.

Looking up from my notes my eyes grew wide.

Mr. Bruce Wayne, owner and CEO of the Wayne Enterprises was standing at my table. He had a charming smile plastered on his face.

“My, what an interesting piece we have here. Don’t you agree Damian?” His voice was calm and even.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

“I do, father.” He agreed. His eyes caught mine, and all I could do was stare into his green orbs.

“Oh forgive me.” Mr. Wayne chuckled and held out his hand. “Bruce Wayne.”

I returned the gesture and shook his hand telling him my own name.

“Pleasure to meet you.” He said. “And this is my son, Damian.”

“We met.” He said simply, but still took my hand and shook it.

“I’m really interested in your work.” Mr. Wayne continued. “I’d like to come back after I make the opening speech.”

“Of course.” I plastered on the best smile I could muster.

It wasn’t too long after that when Mr. Wayne came back, but this time he had an entourage. To his right he had his sons, all 4 of them. They were exactly as the magazines showed and described them to be. Each one was dashing. I didn’t know much about them, but hearing their names tossed around every day in school made me involuntarily learn anyway.

Richard, the eldest had a polite smile and kind blue eyes. They were warm in a comforting way and his manners were that of a well bred socialite. He waved at some of the students and nodded at a few of the adults he passed.

The one beside him was Jason, his cold glare could strike fear into anyone’s hearts. Especially when he is backed up with high status and money. No one dared mess with him. But even I had to admit there was a certain charm to his features, he had a bad boy kind of vibe.

Tim was next, walking just a few steps ahead of his older brothers. His nose was buried in an iPad and his fingers were flying through the screen at top speed. He was just a few years older than me, and I’ve actually seen him around the campus before, but I never met him.

Lastly, Damian. He stole a glance at me as they walked towards my table and turned to Tim, mumbling something before looking ahead.

To Mr. Wayne’s left were two well renowned chemists that I personally follow. Their works and research papers were incredible, it was actually the basis of my own invention. Instantly the butterflies in my stomach fluttered around.

After introductions were made, I presented my work and did a sample test before leading their attention to the finished product which were the glowing orbs.

“And what inspired you to create such an invention?” Mr. Wayne inquired.

“I just wanted to help.” I said truthfully. “We’re aware of the crimes around our city, and I thought it would make the job of catching the criminals easier.”

“And it will.” He smiled. “I’d like to offer you an internship in my company. And if you wouldn’t mind, a mentorship with my two top scientists there.”

“It would be an honour!”

This had to be the greatest moment of my life. For the first time that day I felt my mood get better.

The rest of the days passed on in a blur. My invention was one of the top picked topics in the scene, much to my pleasure, and the interview for the internships and mentorships went well. I honestly couldn’t ask for more.

Mr. Wayne’s secretary handed me, and a couple of other students he scouted, a form to fill out and sign. Our parents/legal guardians were immediately informed and the school assured them before any action is taken they will be holding another meeting. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. Many of us were able to grab great opportunities, both in and out of the cities.

I looked around and saw all the doors opening up for the next generation in Gotham. Happy smiles and excited chatter filled the room. Promises of a greater future were announced. I realised, this was probably history in the making. This would be where everything turns around for the better. I might sound overly sentimental, and perhaps a tad bit exaggerated, but I was feeling hopeful.

The interviews were over, and after the last of them had been held, the announcement came to remind us of the upcoming gala. We had an entire day to prepare – “Therefore, use it wisely.” Our professor advised.

Many of the girls had rushed out in groups (with a teacher chaperone) as they headed towards the fancy boutiques and malls. I on the other hand decided to be practical. My roommate and a couple of friends that I had made during my stay, required it be essential that I tag along with them. I was peer pressured (and I say that lightly), but it felt good to explore the city without the danger.

“Oh my god I just saw the Wayne brothers!” Someone squealed at the store front that we were in.

“What? No way! Where?” Another piqued.

We heard the teacher sigh and ask us not to make a scene since we were in public. I felt myself tense at the thought of him and his green eyes.

“They’re heading this way!”

I dove behind one of the clothing hangers and hid as best as I could. Good lord, is this some kind of drama series? My new friends sputtered out a greeting as I imagined them walking by, and all I could do was concentrate on not self-combusting.

“Y/n?”

My eyes darted up from the spot on the floor that I was staring at. I didn’t want to come out, but the longer I stayed behind the wall of clothes, the more embarrassed I became. With a defeated sigh, I walked out.

“H-hey.” I waved lamely.

“What were you doing behind the clothes rack?” Damian cocked a brow at me.

“I was looking at it, kinda the reason I came here.” I said, not really meaning to sound defensive but it came out that way anyway, and I already wanted to take it back.

“You’re that girl with the blue marbles.” The eldest said smiling broadly. “Y/n L/n, right?”

I nodded meekly.

Dick smirked and went back to his smoothie.

“The one Damian wouldn’t shut up about?” Jason teased wickedly. I felt my blood rise up to my face.

Damian kicked him behind his knees which only made the man laugh.

“You know better than to tease.” Tim rolled his eyes at his brothers antics. “You’re embarrassing him in front of his crush.”

I just wished the floor would swallow me whole right now.

Tim immediately hid behind Dick and the laughter was nearly uncontrollable from his brothers. Damian was currently fuming, and tomato red in the face.

“I’m going to kill you Drake.” He said through clenched teeth.

Dick groaned. “Cant you guys behave?” He strolled over to me and tapped my shoulder lightly. “You’re embarrassing y/n.”

“Sorry, it was just meant for lil-D over here.” Jason apologised.

“Alright boys, that’s enough.” The teacher called out. “We’ve got a schedule to follow. I’ll have to cut this meeting short.” She was right, and I was so thankful at the moment that we did.

Dick apologised again, and pushed his brothers to move along. As soon as they were out of earshot the girls bombarded me with questions, demanding they know the details. There wasn’t anything to tell, since I’ve only known them as long as the length of this trip, but they didn’t let the subject go. I thanked my lucky stars that the rumours I heard about the boys and their fanatic fangirls did not exist in the group I was in. They had gushed about how lucky I was to catch their eye – I really wish they didn’t – and how amazing it must be for them to hold an interest in me – I honestly could care less. But girls being girls, I had to let them be.

The evening  of the gala arrived faster than I anticipated, and true to their promise, the girls had all squeezed themselves into my room.

“You guys really don’t have to do this.” I said, slightly exasperated.

“Nonsense.” They quipped back. “We’re all going to look fabulous and make a great impression.”

They rolled out their brush pouches and stacked their make up on the vanity table. I eyed it all wearily.

Sometimes I had to hand it them, females can be terrifying when they need to be.

“Do you think this will be it?” One of them asked out of the blue. “Is this what is going to turn this city around.”

“I hope so. Thing’s are getting worse around Gotham, if this works, we can secure a safer future.”

“Look at us sounding diplomatic.” We laughed at that.

“I think it’ll work out.” I told them with an air of confidence. I saw the looks everyone had at the gatherings. It wasn’t just hope. There was a sense of motivation. An active decision in every one of them that wanted to strive for more. It was encouraging and empowering.

We all shared a unanimous agreement and continued on preparing.

I wasn’t joking when I said I would be practical. I pulled out one of my mothers old gowns from a battered box that was hidden deep under my suitcase. It was off white, with a few hints of lavender and creamy grey. The dress was long-sleeved, made with loose and flowy material. The collar tapered upwards and into a modest keyhole neckline. On my waist rested a silver strap embezzled with crystals. It’s length reached the floor and the slightest movement swayed in the wind. It made me look like I was floating.

As we made our way to the entrance of the gala, men in black suit tailcoats took our coats and opened the grand doors. I was in shock at the beauty of the room.

The entire ceiling look painted on by Michelangelo, in between hung massive sparkling chandeliers. The windows were from ceiling to floor and draped in expensive red velvet curtains. I gazed in awe at the marbled floor that were polished so well we could see our reflection from it.

Light music hummed tastefully in the air as my friends were whisked off by the boys for a dance.

“Y/n!” A savvy voice called out from across the crowd. Turning around I found the Wayne brothers around a table. I managed a wave.

They waved back and invited me over. How could I refuse? Steeling my nerves, I walked towards them.

“Good evening.” I said politely.

“You look stunning.” Dick complimented. Beside him was a woman with incredibly dazzling red hair, it almost looked like it was on fire. Her bright smile reached up to her green eyes. “This is Kory. Kory Anders. Kory, Y/n.”

She stood up tall and shook my outstretched hand.

“Pleasure.” I said as I introduced myself.

“It is glorious to finally meet you.” She said. “I have heard many things.”

I noted her slight accent and choice of words. She must’ve come from another country.

“All good I hope.” I chuckled nervously.

Her smile only widened. “You need not worry.”

“Would you like to sit with us?” Tim offered.

I looked across the dance hall and saw that my friends were already at their own table. I accepted it and sat down at the last seat which was available, and as fate would have it, it was next to Damian.

When I moved to take my place, his perfume infiltrated my senses, leaving me slightly light headed. I pushed my qualms away not wanting to look rude.

“Hello again.” I spoke to him.

Damian nodded, his expression unreadable.

We made small talk, and discussed about the what I should be expecting when I started working at their fathers’ company. They gave me the basic ropes and tried to ease the pressure away.

Then the topic moved to my invention. I told them how I actually got the idea from my dad, they found it honourable in a way. I felt a sense of pride blossom.

Jokes went around as the food was being served. I quickly learnt Dick had the worst case of pun-overdrive, yet it still had me giggling because of how bad it was. Jason was not any better at his come backs to his brothers play on words. They made quiet the duo. Kory laughed heartily between them. Tim and Damian were taking turns lightly jabbing one another, it was almost endearing. As I looked at them from where I sat I couldn’t help but miss the simpler times my family and I shared.

The melody from the band took a slow turn and I saw Dick stand up.

“May I have this dance?” He offered his hand to Kory and exaggerated a bow.

“I would be delighted.” She giggled and let herself be swept onto the dance floor.

I watched as they danced to a slow waltz. Her hands were on his neck as his was kept firmly on the small of her back. They looked lovely together.

“That’s my cue.” Jason spoke up, his eyes gazing the crowd for what I assume was a possible dance partner.

Tim followed shortly behind, but not without leaving us with a wink and tap on his nose.

Damian cleared his throat, breaking my reverie.

He stood and offered his hand. “Would you like to dance?”

I blinked at him, surprised that he actually asked. I gingerly put my hand on his and nodded.

He expertly sashayed us to the middle and twirled me around before moving us to the rhythm of the music.

“You’re good.” I should’ve known he was a skilled dancer.

“You’re not so bad yourself.” He replied.

His scent was overwhelming, especially being this close to him. I reminded myself that his boy could very well be Robin.

Robin, the vigilante. I sighed inwardly. How could I have forgotten? But if he was then… My hand that was on his shoulder tightened ever so slightly as I remembered the gun shot.

“Is everything okay?” Damian asked, squeezing my hand.

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” I lied. The urge to just ask him never felt so powerful until this moment.

It’s not your place to know. I scolded myself for being presumptuous. This could all have been a big misunderstanding on my part, and I could very well upset him if I asked, not to mention embarrass myself. It wasn’t that I wanted to pry, but the bond I shared with my soulmate only seemed to strengthen these past few days. It drew us closer but I couldn’t begin to explain how. You hugged him, you hugged a stranger – that is a mystery in itself, my inner muse stated.

But then the question of the day was; if he was aware of who I was. There was no way he could possibly tell, there was no proof except for the time I cried out in pain when he got shot. Then again, anyone would’ve screamed if they witnessed that.

I settled with the verdict that he most likely doesn’t know.

“I’d like to apologise about yesterday.” Damian said, sounding solemn. “My brothers have been a thorn to my side ever since I could remember.”

I laughed. “It was embarrassing, but I forgive you, and your brothers.” He visibly relaxed. “It felt like I was reliving some old memories.”

“Do you have siblings as well?”

I shook my head. “No, but it would be nice to. Unfortunately right now it’s just me and my mom. It gets a little lonely but we manage.”

Damian let out a quiet ‘oh’ before lapsing into silence again. I didn’t want to kill the mood so I quickly thought of what to say to keep the conversation going.

“So what about you?” I asked. “I mean, anything you’re comfortable sharing of course.”

The boy sighed and looked up to think before answering.

“I like to paint.” He said. My eyes grew wide at that.

“For real?”

He arched a brow in confusion. “Yes. Is something wrong with that?”

I quickly shook my head again. “No, no of course not. I just, well, it’s surprising. That’s all.”

“Tt, not something you expected?” He teased lightly which only made me surprised all the more.

Was he trying to – flirt?

I laughed. “Guilty as charged.”

Damian looked a little proud of himself.

“What do you like to paint?” I asked curiously.

“Mostly portraits.” He answered easily. “And my pets.”

I gave a fake gasp. “The Damian Wayne, painting his pets. I would never have guessed.”

He smirked.

“So, is it a dog?” I asked.

“Yes, there’s a dog.”

“There’s? Meaning there are more?”

He smirked again this time wider.

“A cat.” I guessed.

He nodded. “Yes there’s a cat too. Though I doubt you’d be able to guess the rest of them.”

Laughing again, I shook my head in disbelief. “You are one intriguing person, Damian Wayne.”

“I could say the same about you.” He told me squarely.

The heat on my cheeks creept up. I looked away a little embarrassed.

He opened his mouth to say something to me, but was cut off.

I heard screams.

Damian quickly pushed me to the ground and shielded me as the glass windows shattered. The shards fell ferociously all around us.

“Fuck.” He gritted his teeth and looked down at me. “Are you okay?”

I nodded. “What was that?” I clutched my head, my ears were ringing from the sound of the blast that shattered the windows. I looked around panicked and scared.

“Don’t know.” He told me gruffly as he pulled us both back up.

Grappling hooks shot up from the broken windows and before I knew it I saw the pointed end of a sword aimed towards Damian’s.

“Damian!”

In that moment I cast aside all the doubts. I still wasn’t sure but if by a long shot; this was Robin, if Damian was Robin, then he could do something about this.

He knew how to fight. Unlike me. If I could give him a head start or a fighting chance, then he and the other superheroes could save everyone.

That’s what I told myself anyway as time stilled and I took the leap.

The blade sliced into my lower back and for a split second all I could feel was searing hot white pain. I cried out as it rippled through my torso. The sword was pulled out just as quick as it was pushed in. I could swear the world was tipping over. The blood had gushed out and I found it staining Damian’s pristine suit.

I could barely hear Damian’s scream as I phased in and out of consciousness. Somehow he had blocked another hit that was aimed at us before kicking the man as far away as possible. He pulled me towards him and muttered something incoherent before dashing across the hall.

The warmth of my own blood pooled over me. Mom would kill me when she saw the stain, if I wouldn’t bleed to death before she finds out that is.

“Shitshitshit, y/n!” He ducked behind a table and grabbed a bunch of  napkins, applying pressure as he held it against my stomach. “Stay with me, you’re going to be alright.”

I weakly nodded, feeling sick to my stomach at the smell of iron and sudden blood loss.

“Fuck.” Jason slid next to us as the gunshots started to fire. He noticed me and his features paled. “Oh, shit.”

“Jason, I need to bring her somewhere safe!” Damian said, his voice urgent.

“All citizen, please evacuate the building!” A strong voice bellowed from above us. It was a woman, dressed in purple. Her hair was on fire (literally) as it trailed behind her.

Starfire. But what was she doing in Metropolis…?

The people ran towards the entrance and a man in a tight body suit with a blue winged symbol on his chest directed the crowd flow.

Superboy zoomed in next, his features etched in worry as soon as he saw me. The wound must’ve been worse that I thought.

“What the hell is going on?!” Damian demanded from the superhero. “I thought this place was secured.”

“Kryptonite.” Superbly answered with an ominous tone. “I don’t know what happened but we should get the civilians – uh, you guys, to safety.”

The amendment wasn’t lost on me.

“Y/n, I’m going to find you after all this is over.” Damian promised. “Until then please, hang in there.”

I managed a weak smile and a sad excuse of a chuckle as the blood started to run down the corner of my mouth.

“I still need to guess the rest of your pets.” I joked, hoping to lighten the scene.

His response was a pained smile.

“Take her to Alfred.” He delicately passed me on to Superboy’s arms. “He’ll know what to do.”

Superboy nodded and flew away. The last thing I remembered was Nightwing and Starfire fighting off mechanical robots and ninja assassins. After that, my world went dark.

...

...

... to be continued ...

[lancermylove]

Why Do I Love You So Much? (HC)

Fandom: MLQC

Pairing: Victor x Reader,  Lucien x Reader,  Kiro x Reader,  Gavin x Reader

Warning: None

Requested by: Anon

Prompt: Can I request headcanons for Lucien, Victor, Gavin, and Kiro with a clumsy s/o?

A/N: Thanks for this request, I had fun writing it! XD Sorry for making Lucien’s hc so short. 

———————————————

Victor

LFG was hosting a party in honor of Victor's achievements, and as his girlfriend, you were the first one on the invite list. Naturally, the CEO himself called you and told you to clear your schedule on Saturday. 

That evening, everything was going according to plan, you managed to avoid doing anything that would embarrass you and Victor. You strolled around the party hall with a drink in hand, taking in all the decoration details, until you started to feel a bit dizzy. 

Victor had been searching for you in vain. He hurried out of the party hall, and a few steps away, he saw you. The usually calm and composed CEO was bewildered at the sight of you talking to his life-size banner. He scanned the area to make sure no one was around and turned his focus to you, playing the waiting game. 

"V-Victur, you look sooooo handsum," you giggled childishly, "all the lady in the room were starin at chu." Victor took a good look at your body language and studied your speech pattern only to realize that you were drunk. A smirk formed on his face as he walked up to you. 

"Were you jealous?" He asked, causing you to turn around and almost lose your balance. The CEO quickly took a firm hold of your hand and pulled you closer to him. You stared at him for a minute, blinking your eyes in an attempt to regain your focus (well at least what you had left of it). 

"Vic! You didn' tell me ya had a twin!" You shifted your eyes between him and the banner. Your boyfriend let out a sigh, "How much have you have to drink? Let's get you home before the press catches you in this condition." 

The next morning you realized the waiter misspoke when he said that blue drink contained no alcohol, but instead of getting upset, you were happy he lied. If he hadn't made such a mistake, you wouldn't have woken up to find Victor's peaceful sleeping face a few centimeters from your own. 

Gavin

Your company was planning a birthday party for Minor, and each employee was assigned a task. You had to bake a birthday cake, and not wanting to go through it alone, you asked Gavin for help. 

You were surprised at how quickly the two of you managed to finish baking the cake. The best part was that the cake turned out so perfect that it almost looked professional. Gavin watched you boast about the cake with a soft smile, but that moment was cut short by a phone call. 

"What's wrong?" Gavin asked after seeing you panicking. You forgot that not only did you have to bake the cake, but you were also responsible for the appetizers. In your panic, you started running about the kitchen and ignored all of Gavin's warnings. The next moment was a blank. 

"HEY!" Gavin jumped out his seat and raced to your side. You lifted your cake-covered face and stared at your boyfriend. "Are you okay?" Gavin asked as he grabbed a towel and started cleaning your face. You looked adorable with the cute, shocked expression, and Gavin would have said so if he hadn't seen the tears in your eyes.

"The cake...is ruined. All our efforts have gone to waste." Gavin finished wiping your face and pressed his lips to your forehead, "Don't worry about it. We can always buy one." 

You and Gavin showed up to the party with a store-bought cake. Thankfully the party went as planned, and no one questioned you about the cake. Well, that was the case until Minor asked, "Is that a piece of cake in your hair?"

Lucien

Your company was planning on filming a new show, and you decided to ask Lucien to make a guest appearance. He agreed to your request, and here you were at his apartment. Lucien was carefully analyzing the script you gave to him while you were waiting for him to finish.

"Would you mind explaining the motive behind this question?" Lucien held up the script for you, but due to the distance, you could not read the font. You moved closer, but in the next moment, Lucien's face replaced the script.  

"Do you truly find me so attractive that you cannot restrain your desires?" His smug expressions and teasing voice were enough to send your heart racing. You were so focused on the script that you neglected to see a stack of notebooks in front of you. Too flustered with your actions, you averted your eyes from Lucien’s face.

He let out a deep chuckle before wrapping his arm firmly around you, "What do you say to revising the script later? I believe we have other matters to attend to." 

Kiro

Kiro had finally returned from one of his tours. When he called you after a month, you couldn't hold back your excitement. You bombarded him with questions, told him everything he missed, and even gave him every little detail of how much you missed him. Kiro quietly listened to you talk for nearly two hours without interrupting you once. 

After you were done talking, he asked you out on a date, and here you two were, walking side-by-side beside your favorite lake. A soft spring breeze teased a nearby Cherry Blossom tree, causing the petals to scatter in the wind. Without thinking once, you ran under the tree, failing to notice a rock in your path. 

Kiro watched you with a smile, but in a blink of an eye, you disappeared from his sight. The next thing the blonde heard was a loud splash. It took him a few moments to realize what had just happened, but once his eyes landed on you in the river, Kiro immediately hurried to your side. "Ms. Chips, are you okay?" 

You stared at him blankly as a shade of red flashed across your cheeks. Kiro extended his hand out and helped you out of the lake. You stared at a grass patch in front of you while biting down on your bottom lip. Though being clumsy was second nature to you, you couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"Ms. Chips?" Even Kiro's sweet voice didn't help in this situation. Suddenly you heard a loud splash. Turning your head in the direction of the lake, you saw a drenched Kiro. "K-Kiro?" 

The singer flashed a smile and rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, since you didn't want to talk to me, I thought I would go for a swim. Wanna join me?" 

———————————————

➣ MLQC Masterlist ➣ Buy me a Ko-fi or Commission?

[caxsthetic]

Away From Home

Oikawa Tooru x F!Reader

No matter how far you were from home, your heart will always be calling out to the said place.

Pt. 1 < Part 2 > Pt. 3

“Hey, can you finish the report for the TV commercial this afternoon?”

“I need it on my desk as fast as you can, but no pressure, okay?”

“How is the advertisement going for that section? Anyone gone to the studio?”

Today was just like any other day; your office was bustling with people who needed to give you reports and information. There was no time for you to think about anything outside of your business, that’s actually your goal from the start. You need to do something, talk to someone, or maybe just look outside of the window, observing people that were passing by.

But you couldn’t just do nothing, not even for a second.

Because if your mind were empty for a split second, he would haunt you, and those memories would rip your heart apart, piece by piece. Oikawa Tooru used to be your home, but he decided to left you in the cold. Without warning, without a sign, without preparation.

“Miss?” You jolted, once again letting your mind fall to the deepest hell called anguish, “I am sorry, should I leave for now?” Your assistance looked worried, it’s not the first time you suddenly become quiet all of a sudden.

“No, you can stay.” It only needed a second to make you come back to the real world, “So, any report that you want to share with me?” There it is, a megawatt smile that no one could resist. A smile that your business partner was always happy to see. 

But what they couldn’t see was how that smile was just an empty shell. There’s no reason for that smile. It’s just a facade to tell the world that you were happy and striving. Nothing could break you, not even one man that you were supposed to love. For everyone, seeing you with that smile meant that you were alright. And if that means you wouldn’t get bombarded with questions, you were okay wearing the same mask everyday.

You will always go to the office around 7 am, and you were not going back to your apartment until midnight. Being alone in your apartment was not an ideal place for you. Since the second you lay in your bed, the only thing that will creep into your mind was his presence. Something that you have lost for five years now.

When he left you in your bed alone that particular day, you were lost for weeks. You didn’t know what to do except bawling your eyes out and sobbing for him to come back. But when two whole months passed without a hint of trace about him, you knew he left you for good.

You lost the home that you built together for something that you didn’t even know the reason was. The only way for you to get out from there was to jump into conclusion. You needed to coat yourself with a hurtful lie, and when he started to engulfed your heart once again, you knew what you needed to tell yourself to.

Oikawa Tooru left you because he didn’t love you anymore.

That’s the mantra when your mind was falling back to him, that somehow telling yourself over and over, seems like it was the real reason. You still save a box that was full of his stuff. There was his cologne, his jersey, and some things that you got from him. There were numerous times when you almost burned it. But something always stopped you from doing so, and you will always end up sobbing, realising that no matter how many times you try to forget him, he still owned your heart just like from years ago.

“Going home, boss?” Your mind was in the cloud when you heard someone’s voice, “I wonder why you are always the one who comes first and goes home the latest.” Turns out; it was one of the security guards. You only let out a little smile at his remark,

“Well, there’s no one waiting for me in my apartment.” You hugged your jacket tighter, feeling the night breeze a little bit suffocating, “I have no home, just a place to stay and sleep.” He was taken aback by your behaviour. You are known as someone who never let anything bring you down no matter how hard life is. But here you were, looking so vulnerable in front of the security guard nevertheless.

“S-sorry, boss. I didn’t mean to intrude your privacy,”

“Ah, no. It’s alright.” You walked up to him and patted him on the back, “Don’t forget to rest well when your shift ended, okay? I’ll be going now, good night.” He smiled at you before going back inside.

People at your office always wondered why you, their CEO, never drove a car and chose to use the train instead. It’s not that you hate it, but it will always remind you about someone who will never sit on the passenger’s seat or drive you to anywhere you want with music playing in the background.

It’s like you tried to avoid any chances that could make you remember him. But again, who are you kidding here? It’s not like all of your feelings could be evaporated to the thin air no matter if you really want to. Every step that you took, he will be there, lurking at the shadow to remind you that he’s always concealed in your heart.

You never bothered to say that you were home, knowing that no one will be there to greet you. There’s only darkness and silence when you open up the door to your apartment. You slipped your bag to the couch, preparing a hot water to brew a cup of dark chocolate.

“Bweh! How come you could drink something like this, (Y/n)-chan~?!” Your boyfriend always commented the same every time he sipped your chocolate, “It’s so bitter!”

“It’s dark chocolate, Tooru. Of course it is bitter!” You chuckled as he gulped down a glass of milk to erase the bitter taste from his tongue, “You know I always drink this, why bother taste the same thing again?”

Oikawa was silent for a second, a smile suddenly appeared on his face. He walked to your figure and plopped down beside you on the couch. His index finger turned your chin to looked at him,

“I want to get used to everything that you love,” You blushed at how close his face was, “Because someday, we will wake up in the morning together, and I wouldn’t complain if you mistaken the chocolate for me.”

“What a liar,” You blurted it out to the empty space, letting out a deep sigh as you poured the hot water to your cup. It was almost 1 am, you wonder, is he asleep right now? Was there someone who calmed him down when he had a nightmare? Who lay by his side to warm his body as you sitting here alone?

Something happened, that’s what you know when Oikawa didn’t give you a kiss on the forehead anymore. Every time you two were together, it’s like his mind was far away from you. His figure will always be there by your side, but his mind wasn’t. And it scared you, creating a twisted possibility in your head.

He never told you that he would have extra practice at school anymore. It’s only a month before graduation, but it felt like forever to you. He didn’t say that he loves you, not for as long as you remember. His hugs became cold and his kiss was just a kiss. You could only feel his lips on yours, but you couldn’t find the warm that was usually there.

“Tooru, did something happen?” You were sitting on his passenger’s seat, right in front of your house. The ride was silent after having lunch together with the third-year who had now graduated. You love being there, seeing him smile and laugh with his teammates that he loves so much. But somehow every time he caught your eyes, he always averted his gaze like you were no one.

“Nothing,” You have asked him numerous times already, and his answer will always be the same, “You don’t have to worry about anything.” And now, it feels like your patience was in the thin line.

“Are you falling out of love from me?” Your question caught him off guard. He didn’t show how his heart broke to think that he made you feel unloved, “Please, I want you to say something, Tooru.” He gulped as his grip on the steering wheel became tighter, making his knuckles white at the process.

“I still love you,” But even though the words sounded beautiful, the fact that there’s no emotion in his voice said otherwise, “Can you get down now? I need to pick up Takeru.” Lies. You gritted your teeth at his remark as you removed the seat belt from your body. He knew that you were angry, frustrated by his behaviour for these past few weeks.

“You know what?” You were already getting down from the car as you called out to him. He turned to face you, hoping to see your eyes blazing with fire. But he could only found a pair of glossy eyes instead, “If you still love me, fucking act like you do!” That’s the only words you said before you slammed the door’s car.

You stomped away from the car, tears blurring your vision as you tried to unlock the front door. You take it slow, hoping that maybe he will run to you, explaining why he’s become so distant. But when you heard the car engine’s start, you slid down to your door frame, knowing well that he didn’t even bother to calm you down.

You opened up your eyes slowly, hearing the alarm from your phone. The sun already started to rise and hit your face, making you groan as you realised where you were right now. Your hands frantically searched for your phone, wanting to end the annoying sound.

Rather than finding where your phone was, your hand decided to bump the hot chocolate that you made last night, resulting for the chocolate to spilled and soaked your rug,

“What is- Argh!” You sat up straight, bodies aching all over the place due to how you fell asleep on the couch. Today feels like a nightmare already, and you hate every second that you waste for not doing anything.

So you stood up, turned off the alarm and immediately grabbed a white cloth to absorb the spilled chocolate. You pour the vinegar and water solution and let it absorb for a while. It was 5.30 right now, and you only have an hour before going to work.

You walked to your bedroom and bit your lips when you saw how cold it was in the room. Five years had passed but somehow, he still lingered in your head without a way for you to get rid of it.

Showers usually helped you to think, or just made you calmed down and prepared yourself for the day. But at the same time it makes your mind run wild without a break. You gaze at your hand, fingers calloused due to a lot of works that you needed to do for the last years.

Your hands used to feel so soft, and you will always take care of your skin. He loves feeling how your fingers would stroke his soft brown hair even at the most random time. He would hold your hands and say things like, “Your fingers were so soft~ It feels good compared to mind.” Now it made you pout as you thought about that.

You loved him with all of your might, and you were sure that he felt the same. So it was all a mystery to you when he disappeared in the morning and never once coming back. And since then, you felt like you were always away from home.

It’s been days since the last time you talked to your boyfriend after the little fight that you two had. He never called you, and your messages somehow always went unread. No matter how much heartache you felt, you couldn’t just forget about him and go on with your life.

You were just done taking a shower, it was around 7 pm and today you were packing for your college days. It was tiresome, and the fact that you don’t have him to cheer you up made the day harder than it was supposed to feel. When you opened up your bathroom door, your eyes immediately fell to a figure that was now sat on the edge of your bed.

At the sight of him, you were enraged. He didn’t answer any of your messages but here he was, sitting on your bed like he owned the place. But when your eyes scanned his whole figure, all of your anger seems to dissipate into the thin air, replaced with worries.

The figure dropped his face to his palm. His hair that was usually well styled, was now unruly and messy. The shirt that he wore was crumpled, it looks like he didn’t care for himself for the last few days. It broke you, seeing the man that you love so much looking so vulnerable.

“T-Tooru?” He jerked his head when he heard your voice. You widened your eyes when you saw the tears that were streaming down his face. Without thinking, you immediately ran and embraced him. He’s trembling, hands clenching on your arms. You know it will leave a trace, but you didn’t care at all by that time.

You don’t know what to do except to just be there for him. The only thing that you want was for him to be happy, nothing else right now. So here you were, embracing the man that you loved so much, even if he didn’t feel the same anymore, you couldn’t just erase the feelings that were always there for years.

After an hour he crumbled down in your embrace, he finally looked up at you. His brown eyes that usually looked so beautiful were still covered with tears. You wiped all the tears away and pampered him with kisses, didn’t dare to ask him what happened. Because for you, the most important thing is him. And if you live with unsatisfied feelings, for you, it’s the price that you need to pay for loving him.

“Do you want to stay here for tonight?” Your voice was soft, soothing his heart little by little. He nodded, putting his head on the crook of your neck. In your arms was where he found the safe haven, “I have your clothes on my wardrobe, let me bring it for you, okay?” You kissed his forehead and let him lay down in your bed before searching for his trousers and shirt to wear for sleep.

When you gave him the clothes, he was just silent. He didn’t emit anything, not even a syllable from his velvety lips. It was strange for you to see him so quiet. He was a man of words, so it feels like life was being sucked out from his body, leaving him to hovered this world without a soul.

So you didn’t speak, you showed him that you were there for him. Both of you laying on your bed, he engulfed you in his arms as the warmth from his body channeled towards you. You were laying on his chest, feeling the heartbeat that always soothes you. After a month drifting apart, you now could feel the love that he radiate. Something that you have missed for just a short period of time. 

“I miss you,” His voice was cracked, like it’s the first time he let out a sound for the day, “I am going to miss you so much,” You don’t want to think about it, but no matter how many times you want to deceived yourself, the words sounds like a goodbye.

You looked up at him as you could feel his tears fall to your own cheek. The sight was creating a storm of feelings inside your heart. You positioned yourself on top of him, wiping all of his tears delicately,

“Oh, Tooru… I am going to miss you too, love.” Your lips met with his eyes, trying to erase any trace of hurt in his mind, “Yes we will go to a different college and it’s hard,” You put your forehead on his and closed your eyes, “But I am still going to be here when you wake up tomorrow morning,” His breath hitch for a second, like he was gasping for air, “Take some rest now, Tooru, my king.”

You kissed his lips, pouring all of your love on that one particular kiss. It’s just like you know it might be the last time. You were craving for him, and he understood that. His hands gently fall to your hips, caressing your skin up and down. Gently, he turned the position so you were now the one who lay on the bed.

This night, he kissed all over your body like you were some kind of an angel embodiment. His touch was soft and yet electric that ignited the fire inside you. It feels magical as two bodies connected enticingly to become one. Your hands wrapped around his neck, lips moulded to each other, a perfect fit.

You didn’t even know when it was all over. The act prolonged the warmth that was shared, keeping it there to be remembered forever.

“I love you, my queen.” His voice was soft, you smiled at this. Too tired to answer, you just kiss his hand gently. He chuckled to see how you were already drifting apart, “And you deserve to be with the man who could promise you the world.”

It was strange, hearing those words. But it only rang in your head as your mind started to go to the dream state. You want to say, ‘Who needs the world when I have you?’ But you had already gone to another place, and he couldn’t hear something that was only lingering on your mind.

So when you woke up in the morning and found nothing, your mind was frantic. It’s not real, Oikawa Tooru was too in love with you to ever leave. With only a blanket wrapped around your body, you looked around your house, trying to find the heavenly figure. 

But it’s like he was never there. Every picture of you together, his clothes on the wardrobe, some dolls that he gave you on your dates, it was all gone. Your house feels like there was no Oikawa Tooru in your life. Tears were already streaming down your face when the realisation hit you.

“Tooru? Love?” You called out to the empty space, “My king?” It feels like someone clawed your heart, and no one was there to heal it. You called him, and it’s a dead end. You emailed him, and it says there’s no one with the said email, “Tooru, please… Don’t joke around like this…” 

You gulped down, sliding yourself in the corner of your room, engulfed by the blanket that you two shared last night. One of the remaining things that you found that signified him, “Tooru,” You called out to him, again and again like it was the only words you know.

But he was not there anymore to answer your calling.

“Y-Yeah, I will be late.” You were on the phone with your assistant right now, “Nah, I am okay, you don’t have to worry about me.” When you heard what she said, you almost choked, “No way! I am not going home with a guy! Pfft, who would want to love a guy when I have you guys?” You mute for a second, letting out a deep sigh.

It’s not that you are out of love from that one person though.

“Yeah, I am already on the train right now. See you in an hour.” You hung up, looking at the wallpaper on your phone when you were done. There was a picture of him with Takeru. It was taken after a match when you celebrated his win with the young boy too.

A smile plastered on your face. The picture is the only remembrance of him. You were a hypocrite after all. You want to forget him, or rather, you didn’t want him to spread on your mind. But here you are, with the same wallpaper that you put even after five years losing the light.

“(L/n)-san?” You jolted when you heard the voice that you were familiar with. You turned your head to your left, finding a dark hair that sticks up straight upwards, “You are (L/n)-san, right?” You blinked at this, the undercut that he had made you wonder for a second who was the man beside you,

“OH MY GOD!” Your squeal made the others around you jolted, “KINDAICHI!!!” You wrapped your arms around the younger man. He was someone that you cared about while you were still in high school. There’s a blush in his face since he rarely got into close contact with a woman.

“(L/n)-san yes it’s me!” He chuckled awkwardly, you noticed this and pulled your hand back, “Y-You look great!”

“Thank you, Kindaichi!” You gave him a sincere smile. It’s funny how everything that relates with your high school somehow feels like home, “You look great too! How are you doing?”

Kindaichi told you all that happened and how he was right now. Deep in your mind, you were hoping that maybe Oikawa’s name could slipped on the conversation. You wanted to just ask, but you are not ready for the answer that might come out from his lips.

“So,” He scratched his neck, wanted to ask you something but hesitated, “Uhm, I am sorry but… Are you still with Oikawa-san?” Well, you didn’t expect him to be the one who asked about the relationship.

“I-I don’t know,” He looks confused with your answer, “We lost contact.”

“Huh?”

“We really lost contact, right after we graduated.” You looked down, regretting the words that you chose. But it’s the most neutral thing that you could muster from the deep of your mind, “So yeah, we lost contact without having the time to talk about our relationship basically.”

“So you didn’t know?” That question caught you off guard. What this man doesn’t understand from losing contact? You let out a long sigh. Still thinking either you should ask him about it or not. You were not ready for the answer, not at all, “Oh, this is my stop.” He stood up and bowed to you before walking to the exit door.

That’s when you snapped. You didn’t care anymore if the truth would break your heart. The only thing that mattered was him. You need to know that he’s alright, safe and sound and enjoyed his life. Your hand gripped on his wrist, making him jolt. He turned around and widened his eyes when he saw the desperate gaze in your now glistening orbs.

“W-What I didn’t know?” Kindaichi straightened his posture, tried to give you the news with the most simple words that he could think of. You gulped down and prepared your heart for the worst. Five years, you were ready to hear anything.

“He was now a professional player in Argentine.”

[hobbitsnapes]

The Red Hoods Protègè chapter 17

Older Damian Wayne x ofc

(Photo made by my lovely friend @inspeech)

Summary:Red hood has taken a young vigilante under his wing and subsequently changes Damians life forever.

A/N: THANK THE LORD I FIGGURED IT OUT!

Tags: @comic-nerd-dc @comic-brew @psychovigilantewrites @psych0crybaby

The cool crisp water against her hot back sent chills up her body. The heat from the air no longer feeling sticky against her as the cool water washes away the humidity on her skin.

It was the middle of October, and everyone had grown accustomed to the cold air. But the last 3 days had been a heat wave that shot the cool air into hot and humid. Causing everyone to trade their sweaters and jeans for tank tops and shorts. Thankfully the manor was for the most part cool, below the 100 degree weather outside.

It was mid day when she decided to go outside into the large outdoor pool. The scorching heat outside made her skin sticky almost instantly, even with the Bathing suit she wore. It was a nice welcome when she stepped into the cool water.

She threw the weight as far as she could, watching it plummet to the floor below.

She took in a large breath, and dove down. The instant pressure on her body, but with the weightless surrounds her. She dove as far as she could down to reach the weight, but once she reached the 20 feet depth, she felt her lungs closing up more and more until she couldn’t take it and swam back up.

She let out a large gasp when she broke the surface, no longer feeling hot but cold as she took in the much needed air.

She heard someone walking behind her, turning abruptly but relaxed when she saw who it was.

There stood Tim, clad in dress pants, a button up and a tie, his jacket laid in a heap in his arms, long since taken off due to the heat. “You doing anything today?” He asked. She swam over to him, resting her arms along the pools walls. He crouched down to her level. “Not really, why?” She asked, her head tilted slightly. “I just got back from the most boring, soul sucking meeting that almost made me jump out the window and let god decide if I lived or not.” This caused her to laugh, Tim joining in on the laughing. Once their laughter died down, she looked back to him. “Alright, what you got in mind?” She asks. A smile takes over his face. “I know the perfect place.”

They both walked into the large coffeehouse, the smell of coffee beans and baked goods hitting them as soon as they entered. The sounds of people talking, plates being moved and the soft hum of music took up the room.

Her shoes softly padding along the hardwood flooring. She decided on a pair of soft black ballet pumps, an ivory long sleeve top tucked into a pair of high waisted cropped trousers. Her hair freshly cut, soft curls framed around her eyes. Tim wore the same clothes he came home in, just trading the suit jacket for a leather one.

They both sat in their seats, sipping on their drinks. Tim chose his usual black coffee with sugar, her choosing a green tea with lemon. “Want anything to eat?” He asks, causing her to look up at him from her cup. “Would they have any yogurt?” She questions, causing Tim to roll his eyes and chuckle. “Yes, yes they do.”

“So how was the meeting?” She asked, after finishing her cup of yogurt. “It was more a brainstorming day. The board wants to expand Wayne enterprise to other fields.” He says, taking a sip of his second cup of coffee. “What do they want to expand on?” She asks. “More Real estate and construction.” This caused her to be further confused. “Why? I thought you guys were more tech?” Her head slightly tilted as she eyes him. He sets his cup down onto the table. “That’s the new Wayne enterprise. The Wayne’s got their name and money originally for helping colonize Gotham. They were the ones who built most of the homes and helped build the city. They’re wanting to widen the company to other branches. I’ve got little to do with it, I’m pretty much just one of the faces of the company.” Tim says, finishing the last few sips of his now cold coffee.

Sandy puts her chin in her palm and eyes him, “so you said you’re the face of WE, what position do you actually have in the company?” Tim chuckles at this, writing out the check as he speaks. “Bruce gave me the position as the CEO. I took it due to being one of the only ones in the family who was both interested in it, and old enough. Damian was to young at the time, I was old enough at the time to take the job. And even now that’s he’s old enough, Damian doesn’t have any interest in it. Says he can’t stand the people. And honestly, yeah I understand him.” Tim chuckles, looking at her and seeing her chuckle under her breath. “Alright, let’s head out before there’s too many people.”

Before either one could fully step out of the coffeehouse, they were Bombarded with cameras flashing, people yelling out all around them and being surrounded. Her throat closed up almost immediately, feeling like her insides would fall out to her feet. Her heart sank and filled with a tight pain. Her breathing grew sporadic and heavy, nearly causing her to cry.

Tim quickly tucked her shaking head into his chest and nearly carried her shaking body out of the crowd of press, feeling the tears soaking his shirt the longer they were in it. He bent his head down to hers, lightly running his hand into her hair to hopefully soothe her. “Hey hey shhh it’s okay we’re almost at the car.” He warped his arm around her side, practically carrying her the rest of the way due to her sobs and hyperventilating.

They both drove off in a hurry, tims hands gripping the wheel so tightly his fingers were an even pallet shade.

Her sobs turned into small silent tears cascading down her face. She looked over to him, his eyes trained on the road, jaw set and brows in an angry line. “What are we gonna do?” She whispers, dread sinking into her stomach, making her want to throw up. “I don’t know, but we’ll figure out something okay?”

‘Who’s the mystery girl?’ ‘CEO of Wayne Enterprise Timothy Drake Wayne with girl.’ ‘Who’s the girl Tim drake Wayne was spotted with? All the information we have.’ Papers, news outlets, gossip websites, magazines, anything you name it and her face was on the cover of it. But the one that stuck out, the one that caused tears to stream down her face, was a magazine by cat grant. ‘The new gold digger in the Wayne family.’ At the bottom showed her with both Tim, and a foggy picture of her and Damian our for dinner. Along with a photo of her hiding in tims chest, and one with damians jacket on her and his arm around her.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she sits with everyone in the family room, all minus one. She knew he’d be here any minute now. After a phone call from dick, Jason promised to be there within the hour.

The door swung open, hearing heavy footsteps hurrying down the hallway. She stood up, seeing him at the door of the large room. She ran over to him and into his wide open arms. She let out a few tears into his chest, clutching to him with all her strength. She took in the familiar smell of him, the scent of cigarettes strong on him. Knowing he puffed on one either before he left or in his way.

She looked up at him, seeing behind his dark tired eye bags, his eyes shined with bushes tears. “I missed you so much bugga.” He whispered into the top of her head, kissing her forehead lightly.

“Alright, we all are up to date with what’s happened, correct?” Bruce asks, breaking the very uncomfortable silence in the room.

Jason sat beside her on her left, with Tim on her right. Next to them say dick and Barbara, with Alfred on the other couch. Beside Alfred, sat bruce and

Selina. And sat in a chair was damian.

Tension was high in the room with the two, almost creating a thickness in the air that worried all of them. They all could see them avoid looking at one another, with a slight uncomfortable pain expression.

Sandy held her necklace in her fingers and twirled it lightly back and forth, Jason taking notice and putting his hand on her shoulder.

“So are we just gonna sit here in silence this entire time, or are we gonna actually talk?” Asked Tim, shocking sandy and mostly everyone. They had grown used to Tim being one of the more quiet of the family.

“No you’re right Tim, we need to figure out what our next step is.” Replies dick. Jason’s jaw ticks lightly, a scowl on his face. “We’re all talking about the same one right? The article written by cat?” Asks Jason, anger evident in his voice. His eyes shone with anger, jaw set and fists balling lightly.

Bruce sighs as he looks at him. “Yes, that one in particular is the one that’s caused concern-“ “then why not go after her? Why not do something about it for all the bullshit that article alone said.” Jason not back, fists now in a tight ball. “There’s one problem with that jason. She has some of the super family behind her-“ Jason slams his hand on the table in front of him, breaking Bruce from speaking. “Isn’t this fucking asshole over here best friends with one?” Jason points to Damian, eyes wide in anger. “Why dont you make yourself useful for once in your fucking life and have your buddy call off his cousin so I can have a word with her?” Jason angrily says, eyes boring into damians equally fiery stare.

“I’m not having Jon do that.” Damian said back, shaking slightly in his seat, his eyes boring into Jason’s. “God you are seriously the most useless one out of all of us! AND REPLACEMENT OVER HERE WAS ROBIN FOR A YEAR BEFORE YOU CAME IN!” Jason yelled back, fists now shaking along with the rest of his body. “Jason that’s enough!-“ “STAY OUT OF THIS BRUCE! YOU'VE DONE ENOUGH AS IT IS WHEN YOU GET INVOLVED WITH ME! No I’m fucking sick of how this fucking prick thinks he’s the king all because he’s ‘the blood son’ when he’s nothing but A FUCKING PRICK WHO NEEDS TO GET OFF HIS HIGH FUCKING HORSE!”

Jason has moved into Damians face, nearly inches away from him. Tears brimmed jason's eyes, anger so prevalent that it made his heart throb in pain due to holding back.

Damian wasn’t far off from it as well, now fully shaking, his legs having a hard time keeping himself standing. Heat radiated off of each other as both men shook in place.

“Get the FUCK out of my face Todd! And STAY THE FUCK OIT OF THIS IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH Y-“ “THATS MY FUCKING DAUGHTER! ANYTIME SOMEBODY HURTS HER THEY'RE DEALING WITH ME! Same with you you little bastard. See that scar across your cheek? That’s from me. And if I had it my way, this is hell and I’m the devil.” Jason spat, getting right in damians face. He can feel the raging breath Damian takes the closer he gets to him. Feeling the anger pouring off of him. “I’ll show you what hell is-“ “you better keep that fucking trap of yours shut. I was the first robin to die. I’ll gladly make you the second one. Oh wait, mommy’s boyfriend already did that a few years ago.” “Alright that’s I-“ “ENOUGH!”

All eyes turned to sandy. Who had now gotten up from her seat, shaking slightly as she stood.

Her eyes burned with tears as she watched them both, watching as both got worse and closer to breaking. Her Stomach in so many knots, it felt as though it’d fall out into the floor in a heap. Her mind played a thousand different thoughts on what she could do. Her options were limited, she could grab Jason’s arm and pull him away, she could get between them, she could hit both of them hard enough to knock them out, or get a squirt bottle and spray them like cats. The last one made her chuckle slightly.

She watched as Damian raised his hand from his side, and her heart shrunk and fell. The anger inside her screaming out loud enough to boom out around the room.

Emery one watched as the first tear slid down her cheek, quickly wiping it away as fast as it came. Her hand shook by her sides relentlessly. Her jaw set and eyes cold as she bore into both of the men’s eyes. “If you both are done with your dick measuring contest, then can we actually talk like fucking adults for ONCE.”

“We could sue her, she is in defamation of character.”dick says, eyes looking back to Tim and sandy. Tim sighs, head resting in his hands. “Cats had more lawsuits against her than I have bullet wounds, she always weasels her way out of them each time.” “Fucking vulture.” Damian whispers. Sandy lightly chuckles when she hears it. Jason looks over to her with a raised eyebrow, her shaking her head at him lightly.

Leaves crunched under both of their boots the longer they went down the sidewalk towards the park, his jacket covering her arms, along with his hand around her side pulling her into him.

Damian noticed them first, seeing them around the corner snapping the photo. His jaw set, eyes hard on the man as he pulls her further into him. His grip ever so slightly tighter. “It’s another one.” Damian whispers, looking down at her. A soft laugh escaping her. He tilts his head slightly, brow raised as he looks at her. “You mean another vulture?” She teases back, making Damian smile and roll his eyes. She laughs at his expression, causing him to let out a chuckle. “And hey, I don’t mind. As long as they get my good side.” She jokes, moving her head so only her left side was shown, in a mock model face. He laughed at her antics. “Oh trust me, all your sides are good sides, gorgeous.” Damian whispers, kissing the top of her cheek.

“Well then what can we do? We can’t just let her and the media make whatever they want about sandy.” Barbara replies, slightly scooting into dicks arm. Looking over at her.

“How about an interview, or a press thing? Why not clear everything up with my word.” All eyes looked to her, even Damian looked questionly at her. “Are you sure?” Asks Jason, worry struck to his face. “An interview would be the better option.” Replies Bruce, all eyes still trained on her. “Then that’s it, that’s what I’ll do.”

She ran her fingers over her hair for what was probably the 100th time in the last hour. Smoothing over her skirt probably even more frequent.

She was scared, her heart sinking low the entire day it felt like. Each hour that ticked closer to 2 her stomach would twist further.

Dread filled her when the clock showed 1:50. 10 minutes left of life outside of the spotlight. 10 minutes of having only a few people knowing she exists. 10 more minutes of having as normal of a life that she’s had.

Her flats padded against the floor softly, her heartbeat taking up most of the noise in her ears. Sweat beaded down her forehead that she quickly wiped away.

One more hallway until she reached the room they decided to have the interview. They chose a small office, it had a few chairs, a couch, and a table. Pictures hung on the wall along with a large window. It was one of the few small rooms in the manor, but it would fit perfectly.

Her breath got caught in her throat when she passed the living room door. There, walking out was damian. They both stopped in their tracks, as if they again were frozen.

Damian sighed when he looked at her. She adored an off white floral top, a black skirt, and ballet flats. Her hair was slightly curled, well as much as it could due to the short length. Her face appeared bare, besides flushed cheeks and lips painted as red as a fresh rose. Her posture was tight, ridged. She looked about ready to pass out from anxiety.

Damian sighed. “You’re too tense. Relax your shoulders, take a deep breath. It’s not as scary as you think.” Her shoulders instantly lowered, her posture was still ridged. But more natural, and less like a board or robot. “Thanks, I just can’t help but be scared.” She looked away when she spoke, a pain in his heart when she couldn’t even look him in the eyes. “I know, but this is Vicki Vale. She’s not as bad as most reporters.” He replied. A soft smile on her face appeared. “So she’s not a Vulture?” She giggled, causing Damian to lightly roll his eyes.

She walked by him, down the hallway to the room. Significantly more relaxed. When her back fully turned to him, a soft smile adorned his face as he lightly chuckles under his breath.

When she reaches the hard wood door, she stops. She takes in a shaky breath, her heart again pounding. She reaches up and takes her necklace into her fingers, running her thumb over it a few times. Instantly calming her slightly. She again takes in a large breath, and turns the knob and opens the door.

Walking in she instantly spited the large camera, the man behind it, the lights, along with a blonde woman standing in front of the camera. The woman who she recognizes to be Vicki, walks to her putting her hand out. She shook it lightly, hand still slightly shaky. Both of them walked over to the two chars, now facing each other. “Alight in 3,2,1. Go.”

Vicki turns to her, with a smile on her face “Hi there I’m reporter Vicki Vale,” “hello there, it’s nice to have you here.” She replied, a soft smile on her face. Her heart beat going down slightly. “Thank you for having me here. Now, why don’t we start this off with who you are?” Vicki asks.

“My name is Saundra Todd.” Both the camera man, and Vicki gasp. Shock written on their face. “Todd? As in?” A small chuckle escapes under her breath. “Yes, as in the daughter of Jason Todd.” Vickis eyes widen further, not even trying to hide the shock in her face. “But, hasn’t he been dead for years? I don’t understand, he passed when he was 15?” Vicki asks, “funny you say that, cause he’s alive.” Both Vicki and the camera man gasp even more.

“When my dad was 14, he had a stalker. At first it wasn’t so bad. A couple letters,both Bruce and Jason thought it was weird but the letters were harmless. They thought it was probably just a girl or boy around his age who thought he was cute. But overtime the lets became more concerning. They would go from nice to lashing out, each one getting worse. Bruce hired an investigator to find who it was, but they came up empty. One night, when my dad was 15, him and Bruce got into an argument. He left. He was wandering around the city that night. He had grown up on the streets so he knew where he was going. Well, before he knew it, he was knocked out. He was taken by his stalker who followed him, to an abandoned warehouse. He, beat my father so heavily, that he passed out. The guy was sure he killed him, and left. Later that night, Bruce called the police, and someone had tipped them that they heard screaming from the warehouse. Officer Jim Gordon was the one who found him. They took him to the hospital. And there, Bruce, Jim and my dad, made a plan. They decided to fake my fathers death. And have him leave the country. And so he did. He went to Europe. He had a fake name, fake aliace, everything. Well a few years passed, and they caught the man. When Bruce called him telling him, my dad said he wanted to stay. And there he stayed. For 5 years my father stayed in Europe. Well when he was 23, he decided he wanted to come home. He didn’t take up the Wayne bane, or come back announcing he was alive. Over the years he grew comfortable being out of the spotlight. And so, he moved into a small apartment. He’s not my real dad, he actually found me. I was an orphan, had been for a long time. I was living on the streets at the time. And one day, he saw me. I was only 17 at the time. And he offered me a place, and here we are.” “I just, wow. I can’t believe he’s been alive this entire time. Is he ever wanting to come out himself?” Vicki asks. “I don’t know, he’s pretty comfortable where he’s at now. I was too until well, you know.” She laughed, causing Vicki to chuckle. “Very true, Gotham isn’t very forgiving in that department. Especially since you’re seen with the Wayne family.” Her heart was no longer feeling like it would fall out her chest, now feeling comfortable. “Oh yeah, especially since I’ve been staying here the last month.” Confusion written on Vickis face. “Oh? And why’s that?” She asks her. “My father went back to Europe to visit some of his friends for a while, I chose to stay here in Gotham.” “Now, I gotta ask, what’s your father like? I mean we haven’t seen him in over a decade.” A soft laugh leaves her at the question. “He’s absolutely amazing. He’s incredibly caring, he’s always looking out for me. But being that he’s only 6 years older than me, he's kinda like a big brother to me at the same time. He’s also a huge dork, he’ll go at any length to make me laugh. He’s the best father I could ask for. But it always hasn’t been that way. When I first went to stay there, we barely talked. It wasn’t just an instant father daughter bond. Hell, he didn’t adopt me for a few months. He’s not like Bruce who has adoption papers in his jacket.” She chuckles. Everyone turned to the door when they heard large laughter behind the door. Vicki turned to her mouthing ‘who?’ “Oh that would be my uncle. The cool crisp water against her hot back sent chills up her body. The heat from the air no longer feeling sticky against her as the cool water washes away the humidity on her skin.

It was the middle of October, and everyone had grown accustomed to the cold air. But the last 3 days had been a heat wave that shot the cool air into hot and humid. Causing everyone to trade their sweaters and jeans for tank tops and shorts. Thankfully the manor was for the most part cool, below the 100 degree weather outside.

It was mid day when she decided to go outside into the large outdoor pool. The scorching heat outside made her skin sticky almost instantly, even with the Bathing suit she wore. It was a nice welcome when she stepped into the cool water.

She threw the weight as far as she could, watching it plummet to the floor below.

She took in a large breath, and dove down. The instant pressure on her body, but with the weightless surrounds her. She dove as far as she could down to reach the weight, but once she reached the 20 feet depth, she felt her lungs closing up more and more until she couldn’t take it and swam back up.

She let out a large gasp when she broke the surface, no longer feeling hot but cold as she took in the much needed air.

She heard someone walking behind her, turning abruptly but relaxed when she saw who it was.

There stood Tim, clad in dress pants, a button up and a tie, his jacket laid in a heap in his arms, long since taken off due to the heat. “You doing anything today?” He asked. She swam over to him, resting her arms along the pools walls. He crouched down to her level. “Not really, why?” She asked, her head tilted slightly. “I just got back from the most boring, soul sucking meeting that almost made me jump out the window and let god decide if I lived or not.” This caused her to laugh, Tim joining in on the laughing. Once their laughter died down, she looked back to him. “Alright, what you got in mind?” She asks. A smile takes over his face. “I know the perfect place.”

They both walked into the large coffeehouse, the smell of coffee beans and baked goods hitting them as soon as they entered. The sounds of people talking, plates being moved and the soft hum of music took up the room.

Her shoes softly padding along the hardwood flooring. She decided on a pair of soft black ballet pumps, an ivory long sleeve top tucked into a pair of high waisted cropped trousers. Her hair freshly cut, soft curls framed around her eyes. Tim wore the same clothes he came home in, just trading the suit jacket for a leather one.

They both sat in their seats, sipping on their drinks. Tim chose his usual black coffee with sugar, her choosing a green tea with lemon. “Want anything to eat?” He asks, causing her to look up at him from her cup. “Would they have any yogurt?” She questions, causing Tim to roll his eyes and chuckle. “Yes, yes they do.”

“So how was the meeting?” She asked, after finishing her cup of yogurt. “It was more a brainstorming day. The board wants to expand Wayne enterprise to other fields.” He says, taking a sip of his second cup of coffee. “What do they want to expand on?” She asks. “More Real estate and construction.” This caused her to be further confused. “Why? I thought you guys were more tech?” Her head slightly tilted as she eyes him. He sets his cup down onto the table. “That’s the new Wayne enterprise. The Wayne’s got their name and money originally for helping colonize Gotham. They were the ones who built most of the homes and helped build the city. They’re wanting to widen the company to other branches. I’ve got little to do with it, I’m pretty much just one of the faces of the company.” Tim says, finishing the last few sips of his now cold coffee.

Sandy puts her chin in her palm and eyes him, “so you said you’re the face of WE, what position do you actually have in the company?” Tim chuckles at this, writing out the check as he speaks. “Bruce gave me the position as the CEO. I took it due to being one of the only ones in the family who was both interested in it, and old enough. Damian was to young at the time, I was old enough at the time to take the job. And even now that’s he’s old enough, Damian doesn’t have any interest in it. Says he can’t stand the people. And honestly, yeah I understand him.” Tim chuckles, looking at her and seeing her chuckle under her breath. “Alright, let’s head out before there’s too many people.”

Before either one could fully step out of the coffeehouse, they were Bombarded with cameras flashing, people yelling out all around them and being surrounded. Her throat closed up almost immediately, feeling like her insides would fall out to her feet. Her heart sank and filled with a tight pain. Her breathing grew sporadic and heavy, nearly causing her to cry.

Tim quickly tucked her shaking head into his chest and nearly carried her shaking body out of the crowd of press, feeling the tears soaking his shirt the longer they were in it. He bent his head down to hers, lightly running his hand into her hair to hopefully soothe her. “Hey hey shhh it’s okay we’re almost at the car.” He warped his arm around her side, practically carrying her the rest of the way due to her sobs and hyperventilating.

They both drove off in a hurry, tims hands gripping the wheel so tightly his fingers were an even pallet shade.

Her sobs turned into small silent tears cascading down her face. She looked over to him, his eyes trained on the road, jaw set and brows in an angry line. “What are we gonna do?” She whispers, dread sinking into her stomach, making her want to throw up. “I don’t know, but we’ll figure out something okay?”

‘Who’s the mystery girl?’ ‘CEO of Wayne Enterprise Timothy Drake Wayne with girl.’ ‘Who’s the girl Tim drake Wayne was spotted with? All the information we have.’ Papers, news outlets, gossip websites, magazines, anything you name it and her face was on the cover of it. But the one that stuck out, the one that caused tears to stream down her face, was a magazine by cat grant. ‘The new gold digger in the Wayne family.’ At the bottom showed her with both Tim, and a foggy picture of her and Damian our for dinner. Along with a photo of her hiding in tims chest, and one with damians jacket on her and his arm around her.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she sits with everyone in the family room, all minus one. She knew he’d be here any minute now. After a phone call from dick, Jason promised to be there within the hour.

The door swung open, hearing heavy footsteps hurrying down the hallway. She stood up, seeing him at the door of the large room. She ran over to him and into his wide open arms. She let out a few tears into his chest, clutching to him with all her strength. She took in the familiar smell of him, the scent of cigarettes strong on him. Knowing he puffed on one either before he left or in his way.

She looked up at him, seeing behind his dark tired eye bags, his eyes shined with bushes tears. “I missed you so much bugga.” He whispered into the top of her head, kissing her forehead lightly.

“Alright, we all are up to date with what’s happened, correct?” Bruce asks, breaking the very uncomfortable silence in the room.

Jason sat beside her on her left, with Tim on her right. Next to them say dick and Barbara, with Alfred on the other couch. Beside Alfred, sat bruce and

Selina. And sat in a chair was damian.

Tension was high in the room with the two, almost creating a thickness in the air that worried all of them. They all could see them avoid looking at one another, with a slight uncomfortable pain expression.

Sandy held her necklace in her fingers and twirled it lightly back and forth, Jason taking notice and putting his hand on her shoulder.

“So are we just gonna sit here in silence this entire time, or are we gonna actually talk?” Asked Tim, shocking sandy and mostly everyone. They had grown used to Tim being one of the more quiet of the family.

“No you’re right Tim, we need to figure out what our next step is.” Replies dick. Jason’s jaw ticks lightly, a scowl on his face. “We’re all talking about the same one right? The article written by cat?” Asks Jason, anger evident in his voice. His eyes shone with anger, jaw set and fists balling lightly.

Bruce sighs as he looks at him. “Yes, that one in particular is the one that’s caused concern-“ “then why not go after her? Why not do something about it for all the bullshit that article alone said.” Jason not back, fists now in a tight ball. “There’s one problem with that jason. She has some of the super family behind her-“ Jason slams his hand on the table in front of him, breaking Bruce from speaking. “Isn’t this fucking asshole over here best friends with one?” Jason points to Damian, eyes wide in anger. “Why dont you make yourself useful for once in your fucking life and have your buddy call off his cousin so I can have a word with her?” Jason angrily says, eyes boring into damians equally fiery stare.

“I’m not having Jon do that.” Damian said back, shaking slightly in his seat, his eyes boring into Jason’s. “God you are seriously the most useless one out of all of us! AND REPLACEMENT OVER HERE WAS ROBIN FOR A YEAR BEFORE YOU CAME IN!” Jason yelled back, fists now shaking along with the rest of his body. “Jason that’s enough!-“ “STAY OUT OF THIS BRUCE! YOU'VE DONE ENOUGH AS IT IS WHEN YOU GET INVOLVED WITH ME! No I’m fucking sick of how this fucking prick thinks he’s the king all because he’s ‘the blood son’ when he’s nothing but A FUCKING PRICK WHO NEEDS TO GET OFF HIS HIGH FUCKING HORSE!”

Jason has moved into Damians face, nearly inches away from him. Tears brimmed jason's eyes, anger so prevalent that it made his heart throb in pain due to holding back.

Damian wasn’t far off from it as well, now fully shaking, his legs having a hard time keeping himself standing. Heat radiated off of each other as both men shook in place.

“Get the FUCK out of my face Todd! And STAY THE FUCK OIT OF THIS IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH Y-“ “THATS MY FUCKING DAUGHTER! ANYTIME SOMEBODY HURTS HER THEY'RE DEALING WITH ME! Same with you you little bastard. See that scar across your cheek? That’s from me. And if I had it my way, this is hell and I’m the devil.” Jason spat, getting right in damians face. He can feel the raging breath Damian takes the closer he gets to him. Feeling the anger pouring off of him. “I’ll show you what hell is-“ “you better keep that fucking trap of yours shut. I was the first robin to die. I’ll gladly make you the second one. Oh wait, mommy’s boyfriend already did that a few years ago.” “Alright that’s I-“ “ENOUGH!”

All eyes turned to sandy. Who had now gotten up from her seat, shaking slightly as she stood.

Her eyes burned with tears as she watched them both, watching as both got worse and closer to breaking. Her Stomach in so many knots, it felt as though it’d fall out into the floor in a heap. Her mind played a thousand different thoughts on what she could do. Her options were limited, she could grab Jason’s arm and pull him away, she could get between them, she could hit both of them hard enough to knock them out, or get a squirt bottle and spray them like cats. The last one made her chuckle slightly.

She watched as Damian raised his hand from his side, and her heart shrunk and fell. The anger inside her screaming out loud enough to boom out around the room.

Emery one watched as the first tear slid down her cheek, quickly wiping it away as fast as it came. Her hand shook by her sides relentlessly. Her jaw set and eyes cold as she bore into both of the men’s eyes. “If you both are done with your dick measuring contest, then can we actually talk like fucking adults for ONCE.”

“We could sue her, she is in defamation of character.”dick says, eyes looking back to Tim and sandy. Tim sighs, head resting in his hands. “Cats had more lawsuits against her than I have bullet wounds, she always weasels her way out of them each time.” “Fucking vulture.” Damian whispers. Sandy lightly chuckles when she hears it. Jason looks over to her with a raised eyebrow, her shaking her head at him lightly.

Leaves crunched under both of their boots the longer they went down the sidewalk towards the park, his jacket covering her arms, along with his hand around her side pulling her into him.

Damian noticed them first, seeing them around the corner snapping the photo. His jaw set, eyes hard on the man as he pulls her further into him. His grip ever so slightly tighter. “It’s another one.” Damian whispers, looking down at her. A soft laugh escaping her. He tilts his head slightly, brow raised as he looks at her. “You mean another vulture?” She teases back, making Damian smile and roll his eyes. She laughs at his expression, causing him to let out a chuckle. “And hey, I don’t mind. As long as they get my good side.” She jokes, moving her head so only her left side was shown, in a mock model face. He laughed at her antics. “Oh trust me, all your sides are good sides, gorgeous.” Damian whispers, kissing the top of her cheek.

“Well then what can we do? We can’t just let her and the media make whatever they want about sandy.” Barbara replies, slightly scooting into dicks arm. Looking over at her.

“How about an interview, or a press thing? Why not clear everything up with my word.” All eyes looked to her, even Damian looked questionly at her. “Are you sure?” Asks Jason, worry struck to his face. “An interview would be the better option.” Replies Bruce, all eyes still trained on her. “Then that’s it, that’s what I’ll do.”

She ran her fingers over her hair for what was probably the 100th time in the last hour. Smoothing over her skirt probably even more frequent.

She was scared, her heart sinking low the entire day it felt like. Each hour that ticked closer to 2 her stomach would twist further.

Dread filled her when the clock showed 1:50. 10 minutes left of life outside of the spotlight. 10 minutes of having only a few people knowing she exists. 10 more minutes of having as normal of a life that she’s had.

Her flats padded against the floor softly, her heartbeat taking up most of the noise in her ears. Sweat beaded down her forehead that she quickly wiped away.

One more hallway until she reached the room they decided to have the interview. They chose a small office, it had a few chairs, a couch, and a table. Pictures hung on the wall along with a large window. It was one of the few small rooms in the manor, but it would fit perfectly.

Her breath got caught in her throat when she passed the living room door. There, walking out was damian. They both stopped in their tracks, as if they again were frozen.

Damian sighed when he looked at her. She adored an off white floral top, a black skirt, and ballet flats. Her hair was slightly curled, well as much as it could due to the short length. Her face appeared bare, besides flushed cheeks and lips painted as red as a fresh rose. Her posture was tight, ridged. She looked about ready to pass out from anxiety.

Damian sighed. “You’re too tense. Relax your shoulders, take a deep breath. It’s not as scary as you think.” Her shoulders instantly lowered, her posture was still ridged. But more natural, and less like a board or robot. “Thanks, I just can’t help but be scared.” She looked away when she spoke, a pain in his heart when she couldn’t even look him in the eyes. “I know, but this is Vicki Vale. She’s not as bad as most reporters.” He replied. A soft smile on her face appeared. “So she’s not a Vulture?” She giggled, causing Damian to lightly roll his eyes.

She walked by him, down the hallway to the room. Significantly more relaxed. When her back fully turned to him, a soft smile adorned his face as he lightly chuckles under his breath.

When she reaches the hard wood door, she stops. She takes in a shaky breath, her heart again pounding. She reaches up and takes her necklace into her fingers, running her thumb over it a few times. Instantly calming her slightly. She again takes in a large breath, and turns the knob and opens the door.

Walking in she instantly spited the large camera, the man behind it, the lights, along with a blonde woman standing in front of the camera. The woman who she recognizes to be Vicki, walks to her putting her hand out. She shook it lightly, hand still slightly shaky. Both of them walked over to the two chars, now facing each other. “Alight in 3,2,1. Go.”

Vicki turns to her, with a smile on her face “Hi there I’m reporter Vicki Vale,” “hello there, it’s nice to have you here.” She replied, a soft smile on her face. Her heart beat going down slightly. “Thank you for having me here. Now, why don’t we start this off with who you are?” Vicki asks. “My name is Saundra Todd.” Both the camera man, and Vicki gasp. Shock written on their face. “Todd? As in?” A small chuckle escapes under her breath. “Yes, as in the daughter of Jason Todd.” Vickis eyes widen further, not even trying to hide the shock in her face. “But, hasn’t he been dead for years? I don’t understand, he passed when he was 15?” Vicki asks, “funny you say that, cause he’s alive.” Both Vicki and the camera man gasp even more. “When my dad was 14, he had a stalker. At first it wasn’t so bad. A couple letters,both Bruce and Jason thought it was weird but the letters were harmless. They thought it was probably just a girl or boy around his age who thought he was cute. But overtime the lets became more concerning. They would go from nice to lashing out, each one getting worse. Bruce hired an investigator to find who it was, but they came up empty. One night, when my dad was 15, him and Bruce got into an argument. He left. He was wandering around the city that night. He had grown up on the streets so he knew where he was going. Well, before he knew it, he was knocked out. He was taken by his stalker who followed him, to an abandoned warehouse. He, beat my father so heavily, that he passed out. The guy was sure he killed him, and left. Later that night, Bruce called the police, and someone had tipped them that they heard screaming from the warehouse. Officer Jim Gordon was the one who found him. They took him to the hospital. And there, Bruce, Jim and my dad, made a plan. They decided to fake my fathers death. And have him leave the country. And so he did. He went to Europe. He had a fake name, fake aliace, everything. Well a few years passed, and they caught the man. When Bruce called him telling him, my dad said he wanted to stay. And there he stayed. For 5 years my father stayed in Europe. Well when he was 23, he decided he wanted to come home. He didn’t take up the Wayne bane, or come back announcing he was alive. Over the years he grew comfortable being out of the spotlight. And so, he moved into a small apartment. He’s not my real dad, he actually found me. I was an orphan, had been for a long time. I was living on the streets at the time. And one day, he saw me. I was only 17 at the time. And he offered me a place, and here we are.”

“I just, wow. I can’t believe he’s been alive this entire time. Is he ever wanting to come out himself?” Vicki asks. “I don’t know, he’s pretty comfortable where he’s at now. I was too until well, you know.” She laughed, causing Vicki to chuckle. “Very true, Gotham isn’t very forgiving in that department. Especially since you’re seen with the Wayne family.” Her heart was no longer feeling like it would fall out her chest, now feeling comfortable. “Oh yeah, especially since I’ve been staying here the last month.” Confusion written on Vickis face. “Oh? And why’s that?” She asks her. “My father went back to Europe to visit some of his friends for a while, I chose to stay here in Gotham.” “Now, I gotta ask, what’s your father like? I mean we haven’t seen him in over a decade.” A soft laugh leaves her at the question. “He’s absolutely amazing. He’s incredibly caring, he’s always looking out for me. But being that he’s only 6 years older than me, he's kinda like a big brother to me at the same time. He’s also a huge dork, he’ll go at any length to make me laugh. He’s the best father I could ask for. But it always hasn’t been that way. When I first went to stay there, we barely talked. It wasn’t just an instant father daughter bond. Hell, he didn’t adopt me for a few months. He’s not like Bruce who has adoption papers in his jacket.” She chuckles. Everyone turned to the door when they heard large laughter behind the door. Vicki turned to her mouthing ‘who?’ “Oh that would be my uncle. He’s quite Nosy.” She chuckles. The door opens to appear dick. “Hey, I just was passing by.” He laughs. She turns her body to him, now the camera on both of them. “Oh suurree you were, Richard.” She teases. Making him chuckle and point a finger at her. “Hey you know my name ya little shit.” He laughs. “Oh I’m sorry, should I call you Ric? Ricky? Oh how about Richie rich?” Everyone in the room now laughing so much they’re clutching their sides, loving the banter between them. Dick bends over and chuckles at her. “You really are just like your father you shit.”he teases. “Oh but you love me.” She teases back, a shit eating grin on her face.

“Okay now that was one of the funniest things I’ve seen.” Vicki laughs, both her and sandy sitting back down. “Oh you’d die if you saw how bad we get. I’m always messing with everyone here.” She chuckles, now totally comfortable. “I bet I would, now, mind if we get to the topic that everyone’s been waiting for?” Vicki asks. “I was wondering when we’d get to that.” She chuckles. “Alright, so, the biggest one that everyone’s been wondering has been you and Tim.” Sandy sighs and takes a drink of the water beside her. “We’re only friends. He’s actually my best friend. The cameras just caught us off guard when we went out for coffee. He saw that I was panicked and hid me in his jacket. There’s nothing romantic between him and I.” She chuckles. “Now the other one people have been wondering, you were spotted for a while with Damian Wayne. And some photos of you guys, looked a little less platonic than you and Tim. Is there anything going on?” Vicki asks. A pain shoots through her heart at the question. Causing her to sigh. “There nothing going on between Damian and I either. My dad introduced me first to him, being that we are the same age. That’s just how we are.” “Oh alright, you guys just seemed to be a bit more flirty in the photos.” Vicki replies. Causing her to chuckle. “And why didn’t anyone just assume I’m naturally flirty.” Shr chuckles, winking at the camera.

It’s as if overnight everything changed, no more the gold digger, mystery girl, anything negative that was said was whipped clean. ‘Late son of Bruce Wayne Jason Todd alive!? And has a daughter!’ ‘The new member of the Wayne family’ ‘Saundra Todd, all we know about the new Wayne family member.’

Of course a part of her was happy, after all the nasty tabloids, it was a nice change to see. But she was also worried. No longer able to have a small bubble she had been in her entire life. No longer being able to go out and not spotted. No longer having a personal life. It was daunting really, but she took it in stride, deciding that she should use her now small bit of fame for better.

Shortly after the interview, she was in the works for a fundraiser for homeless children and teens, to raise money for good shelters that provided what the children needed.

Dinner had finished long ago, most of everyone had left the dining room and left for either their rooms, or wherever in the manor they chose.

Alfred sat in the library, reading. Sandy had offered to do the dishes for him, claiming that he needs his time for himself to rest besides sleep. He didn’t argue, knowing the extent of how stubborn she could get, especially when it came to helping. It truly warmed his heart though, how much she truly wanted to help the aging butler. He wasn’t as fast or had as much energy as when the boys were all young. He knew this, having turned 81 early in the year. So having her help him around the manor took a lot of the weight off of him.

He was halfway through the book when Damian walked in. Not paying much attention to the young man, until he sat down in one of the chairs. He looked over to see damians eyes on the paper. He watched as he picked it up, opening it, watching as a scowl grew on his face. Damian set the paper down onto the table and got up abruptly. “Master Damian, something troubling you?” He asked. Concerned for him. “She seems to be loved real quick.” Damian replies, annoyance evident in his tone. “Why yes, Miss Todd has made a good impression in the city recently.”

Damian sighed, looking away. Anger still present on his face. “Yeah if only they saw what she was really like. They'd probably change their tune.”

Alfred set his book down onto the table, looking at him with annoyance written on his face. “This is how Miss Todd is. She is a kind, loving, and wonderful young woman. And I am sick of hearing how you speak to her all because of what happened. Everyday I watch as the poor girls heart breaks whenever you act the way you do. I put up with this arrogant attitude when you were young but now it’s just childish. I understand you are in pain master Damian but she is just as much. You were after all her first too. I am very disappointed in how immature you’re acting. I helped to raise you differently.” Alfred never yelled at any of them. Never once has they heard the elderly man raise his voice in a yell. But he always had a way to scold each of them without ever raising his voice.

Pain shoots through damians heart when Alfred told him this. It grew even worse when he walked out of the room. He never truly thought about it, about that it hurt her as well. He was so consumed by his hurt that he reverted back to how he was years ago. His heart thumps in pain when he remembered all the times he’s seen her face contort in pain, all the tears he’s seen stream down her face. But confusion fills him, he was her first? She had never mentioned being with anyone else. He just assumed she had. Pain grows in him further, but he doesn’t understand why.

“Why didn’t you tell me I was your first?” He asks abruptly. Jumping her and causing her to drop a cup in the sink. He watched as her face goes from shock to pained when she looked at him. She quickly looked back to the cup in the sink, picking it back up to wash. “What?” She asks, still not looking at him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to jump you. But, why didn’t you tell-“ “you were my first everything Damian. The first guy I had feeling for, first date I ever had. My first kiss. Everything.” Her voice slightly cracked when she muttered kiss. Tears welled up in her eyes. Pain shots through him watching as she tries holding in the tears. “You were my first too, I just don’t understand why you didn’t-“ “she didn’t have to tell you anything. Now why don’t you leave her be.” Both of them turn their eyes to the door, seeing Tim standing there. His arms were crossed over his chest, standing ridged. Face contorted in annoyance and anger at him. Anger fills him as he looks at Tim. “I was just simply asking.” He spat, anger prevalent in his tone. “Well sorry. With how you talk to her, can’t help but worry when you open your mouth.” Tim says, anger dripping in his tone. Both men stood in front of one another, Damian clenching his fists tightly at his sides. “Do is all a favor and just leave. You’ve done enough to hurt her. Making her remember isn’t gonna help anyone.” Anger grows further at tims words. “Oh didn’t know you were her bodyguard.” He replied, annoyance and sarchasm heavy in his words. “No, it’s simply just being her friend.” Tim turns to her, anger subsided when he sees her. “Come on let's go watch a movie.” He asks her.

They both walk to the door of the kitchen, but before leaving, Tim turns to him. “Just remember, you brought this onto yourself.”

[realllllfangirllllll]

More Than Friends ||

Chp. 26

Masterlist

CEO!Jaehyun AU x Reader

College Student!Jaemin AU x Reader

Summary: After a complicated relationship with the infamous CEO, you want nothing more than to live your life as a normal college student; however, Mr. CEO just can’t let you go.

{ Previous / Next }

You were relieved when you arrived at the door to Lucas’s apartment. The two of you planned to eat take out and chill at his instead of having you cooped up in your room all the time. You were planning to talk to him about your frustrations. During your wait earlier in front of Soyeon’s house, you organized your thoughts and was prepared to tell Lucas exactly how you felt about Jaehyun, in hopes that he’ll tell you what you should do.

Lucas was one of the few people you can rely on. From the moment you’ve met him, all your secrets and confessions seemed to spill out of your mouth and into his ears. You were so comfortable around him, it was almost as if you knew him in another life.

Lucas was close behind you, but when you turned around to ask him for the passcode, he had a worried look on his face. He felt guilty but you were oblivious to that fact. You just assumed he really did have some important business to attend to and that he’ll come back as soon as possible.

After telling you his passcode, he took the elevator and disappeared. You walked into his house and was ready to raid his fridge. You expected to see some delicious snacks in his kitchen, but what you didn’t expect to see was Jaehyun drinking a glass of water with his hand propped up on the kitchen island. If anyone saw him like this they would’ve immediately thought this was a photoshoot. His position showcased his side profile gorgeously and as he drank his water, you saw his Adam’s apple bob up and down. You saw him lick his lips and you couldn’t hide it anymore. You couldn’t hide your furiously beating heart or the fact that his presence makes you nervous. But regardless of that, you were brought back to reality when you realized that this was Lucas’s house.

You bubbled with anger as you questioned Jaehyun, “What the fuck are you doing here? Did you just break into your employee’s apartment??”

You scoffed, “Wow, I didn’t think you’d stoop to such a stalker level.”

He turned towards you, surprised you caught him off guard. Choking on his sip of water, he quickly wiped the drip of water on the corner of his lips with his white shirt sleeve. “Y/n...” He sighed and continued, “I’m not a stalker, Lucas is my friend. He told me to come over.”

You scoffed again, not believing his words at all. You crossed your arms and said, “Oh so now you’re lying? Why do you even want to see me so bad?”

Confused, Jaehyun questioned, “Look I know I did some things that I shouldn’t have, but why don’t you believe me right now?”

You replied, “Because Lucas tells me everything. I think I would’ve known he was friends,” you threw up your hands forming air quotes, “with the CEO.”

He ran his hands over his soft hair and sighed, “Right, I told him not to tell you.”

You looked at him sharply, “You told him not to tell me?”

He didn’t reply, knowing if he answered, you would hate not only him but Lucas as well.

You let out a sarcastic laugh, “Wow. So this is what it has come to huh?”

You continued, getting angrier with every second, “I knew you were dominant and possessive but I didn’t think you’d stoop this low. First, you tell me who I should and shouldn’t talk to, or in this case, kiss, and now you actually control the people I’m with.”

You let out a scoff. “Real smooth Jaehyun.”

He remained silent, not knowing how to respond.

You felt your eyes water as you continue speaking, the truth finally unveiling itself, “So this whole time, Lucas only stopped the reporters because you told him to? And he only cared for me because of you?”

Jaehyun continued to stay speechless, staring at you with guilt.

At this point, tears began streaming down your face. You started screaming, “I told you! We had nothing going on! I don’t want anything to do with you!!”

Your voice began cracking as more tears fell down, “Why are you like this Jaehyun? We never even had a thing for each other! We just...” you ran your hands through your hair as you searched for the right words to describe your relationship with him. You spoke a little softer, “we just fucked.”

After the words left you, you stared at Jaehyun with tired eyes. You repeated as if reminding yourself, “we just fucked...”

At first, you thought you saw hurt flash before his face, but then he walked towards you. With one hand, he cupped your cheek, wiping the tears off your face. He spoke softly, seriousness laced his tone, “I’m like this because I know we didn’t just fuck.”

He brought his other hand to cup your other cheek. He ran his thumbs across your lips, “I got to know how soft your lips were.” He then ran his thumbs along your cheekbones, “how your cheekbones rise when you laugh too much.” He cupped your cheek again with one hand and tapped your nose with his other, “how you love the smell of old books.” Lastly, he tucked your hair behind your ears and left his hand resting behind your head. You froze, his close proximity intoxicating you and putting you under a spell. He leaned forward and gently kissed your forehead, “and how you scrunch your forehead together when I say something stupid.”

He looked at you hopefully and asked, “So tell me, is what we have nothing?”

He stared deep into your eyes, trying to search for an answer as your mouth went dry. You didn’t know what to say. Although you planned a whole presentation in your head to confess your feelings for Jaehyun, you never expected you would have to tell him.

He assured you, softly running his hand over the side of your head, “You have to tell me what you’re feeling or I’ll never know.”

You got ahold of your thoughts and let out a deep breath. You gathered what you had to say and started, “Well first of all,” you pushed his hand away and stepped back, “You don’t get to do and say all these things to me after kissing the bitch who poisoned me.”

You gained more courageous and continued, “Second, don’t expect me to forgive your little lying friend. He used me the way you used him so on your part, that was a douche move. You probably broke a bro code or something like that.”

He laughed at you and tried to say something but you cut him off.

“Don’t speak or I won’t tell you anything.”

You cleared your throat, “Also, don’t expect me to think ‘love conquers all,’” you said throwing up air quotes and rolling your eyes at the cliché.

“I still hate you AND Wong Yukhei, but I can’t deny the truth.”

You took a deep gulp and confessed, “When you do something, even as little as smiling, my heart feels weird. And every time you’re near me, I get anxious and I don’t know why. I don’t really know what to do with this weird air I get every time I’m with you, but I have to admit, it feels nice.”

Jaehyun smiled brightly, walking forward he reached for your face. Cheekily questioning you, he asks, “Is this my baby confessing?”

You looked at him weirdly, “my baby?”

Jaehyun nodded walking closer and said sweetly with his dimples, “mine.”

You saw him close the distance between the two of you and you extend your arm halting his movements, “Stop.”

He pouted at you and flashed you those adorable puppy eyes. You moved your focus to the fridge behind him and continued talking sternly with your arm still extended, “I am not yours, you possessive alien. And I will never be until you tell me what the fuck is going on with that evil bitch and why you think you even have the power of saying who I do and don’t get to kiss.”

He bit his lips, trying to find the right words to tell you. He spoke slowly and gently, “Ok. I agree. I don’t have the right to tell you what to do, I tend to get possessive,” he said as he rolled his eyes, “as told by Lucas and Johnny, especially. I promise I will try my best to refrain myself ok?” After hearing his promise you slightly bent your arm, letting him off the hook for one of his mistakes. You raised your eyebrows and you waited for him to continue with his apologies.

He sighed and spoke a little timidly, “I don’t want to tell you this because...” Trying to search for the right words, he said, “after getting Emily, I mean the evil bitch, arrested, my company suffered big losses.”

Your eyes widened, “you arrested Emily??”

He let out a deep laugh and replied, “Yeah, like I said, I do tend to get a little possessive.” He looked at you with guilt, “Sorry?”

You giggled at his second apology, “Ok this one, you don’t have to apologize. She deserved it.”

He became serious again and continued, “Well after that, my company suffered a huge budget cut because Emily is the daughter of the Chairman of one of our sponsors, YG Corporations. Being the bitch she is, whatever shit happens to her, even if she brought it on herself, she takes it out on me. She has always wanted to date me for publicity and make herself the chairman. If her father sees she is with someone reliable, he’ll gradually give the company to her so she had always flung herself on me. So I swear to god y/n, I never ever kissed or will kiss that whore. She did that to make you avoid me.”

This time you dropped your arm, no longer putting a distance between you and him. After hearing the other side of the story, you found yourself feeling guilty. Concerned, you asked him, “Well what happened with the company? It seemed fine when I go there for work.”

He chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his neck, “Well... For now, we use the money I have stored from our company’s profits, and currently, we’re pushing for a sponsor with this family-run company who has been known for their success for ages.”

You bombarded him with questions, one being, “Why didn’t Emily’s father help you? Didn’t you tell him the truth??”

He chuckled and avoided your question, grabbing your waist, he asked, “So does my curious kitten forgive me now?”

You smacked his arm and told him sternly, “Answer my question, Jae.”

He crossed his arms together and let out a firm “no,” surprising you with his reaction.

You countered, crossing your arms as well and stated, “Fine. Then, you don’t have my forgiveness,” he looked at you to confirm your statement and you stared back seriously, “or my heart.”

He blinked twice and quickly replied, “Ok ok fine. Before the function, I already had a discussion with the chairman and I promised him there will be no more exceptions to my favors.”

You looked at him with confusion, “Wait what... why?”

He took a deep breath and sighed, “Emily exposed articles of the two of us to him.”

You exclaimed in surprise, “What?! What articles? Do they know who I am?”

He shook his head quickly and wrapped his arms around your hips. He assured you, “No, they don’t. At least not if Emily keeps her mouth shut. I made sure all those articles are burned and never to see light again. I’m sorry I got you involved before telling you who I even was. I was just so glad to be with someone who didn’t know who I am...”

You, too, let out a deep sigh. You looked at him and questioned, “If I forgive you, there’s no going back huh?”

He subtly licked his lips, then smiled softly at you, “So does this mean you forgive me?”

You replied, “Only if you stop licking your lips.”

He then teased you, licking his lips once more, “like this?” He smiled, showing his gorgeous dimples.

You rolled your eyes and mumbled, “Gosh I’m going to hate myself for this,” and then you leaned forward pressing your lips to his.

For a moment, the two of you shared a sweet, innocent kiss. You pulled away and told him, “I think you need to take your shirt to wash. It got a little dirty over here.” You pointed to a random spot and he laughed, “Does my baby want to see me naked?”

You grabbed the hem of his shirt and kissed him, mumbling against his lips, “Yes idiot.”

As you pulled his shirt up, he grabbed your hands, halting your action. You pulled away from the kiss and looked at him weirdly, “What?”

He stared at you lovingly and told you, “Not today. Today, we’re cuddling.”

You looked at him and giggled at him shyly, “Whaat? Cuddling? You’re so cliché.”

He pulled his shirt down and held your hands, pulling you out of Lucas’s apartment. “We're going to watch The Notebook and cry together.”

You laughed as he swiftly dragged you to the elevator, hugging you from behind as you both waited for the elevator to descend.

———

• Team Jaehyun how we feeling?? 👀 •

[auxiliarydetective]

Auxiliary AU - Back to School

This takes place after Jelena is back from Skeleton Island, at the end of her initial recovery period.

Jelena was lying on her bed, letting her feet bounce against the wall over and over. She had nothing to do. This was a nightmare. There was literally nothing she could still think of. Playing the violin was off limits because of the way the instrument had to be held, so she had set her mind on other things, like learning morse code, deciphering ancient engravings, botany and studying and researching the disabled steam machine in the basement of her family’s villa. Right now, she was running through the Greek alphabet in her mind, thinking about encrypting methods for it, eventually ending up inventing a morse alphabet for it, though she didn’t bother writing it down. It was high time she got to return to school, which, luckily, she would get to do just three days later.

Her father drove her to school himself in his limousine that day. He had barely let her do anything by herself that morning. Even her outfit that day was picked by him. Jelena had barely been able to avoid wearing a skirt - and that only by lying, saying she had lent the only skirt she owned to Kelly a long time ago. So, she was wearing tight, black jeans and a white blouse with fine embroidery, as well as ballet flats. She hated it. All of it. Not for a typical school day. Maybe for a fancy dinner with the CEO of some large company, if anything. But even then, she’d feel super uncomfortable in it. She could barely get her father to stay in the car and not accompany her onto school grounds. What a nightmare. What an absolute nightmare. People were already staring at her. So, the first thing she did was to rush to the girls’ bathroom and change her clothes. Five minutes later, she stepped back out into the hallway in a comfortable pair of jeans, a wide, revealing dress shirt and sneakers, ruffling her hair aggressively to undo the work she had done with a straightener two hours ago. Just as she messed up her bangs, she made her way to her first class of the day: History. As soon as she arrived, she was bombarded with questions. Making sure not to be touched, she made her way through the classroom, eventually spotting an empty seat. Coincidentally, she found herself next to Bob. He smiled at her gently. She smiled back, though she made her uncomfortableness regarding the cloud of students around her visible. Thankfully, the teacher came to her rescue and all the students huddled back to their seats. In the mess that commenced that moment, Peter snuck to his desk, which was right next to Jelena’s. “Thanks for causing that commotion”, he whispered, a smirk on his face. “Maybe Mrs Johnson didn’t notice I was late.” Jelena chuckled lightly and shook her head at him scoldingly. Peter just shrugged at her with a grin before their teacher interrupted their little interaction by starting the lesson. It didn’t take long for Jelena to notice that Justus was also sitting in the same row, as he corrected Mrs Johnson’s spelling only a few minutes in. Jelena chuckled at this incident, almost getting herself into trouble if it hadn’t been for Bob, who pulled her out of the situation by acting as if he’d written her a note that had made her laugh. She looked at him thankfully. He just winked back. That moment, she saw Kelly in the row in front of her. She looked jealous. Really jealous. It was really funny to look at.

The next lesson was even more fun. Well, not at first. At first, Jelena had nothing to do. As she sat on a bench atop the ranks of the school gym, cursing her injured shoulder, her ears picked up something worth inspecting. Over loud cheering and noises of disappointment, a man’s voice sounded across the noise. “Peter, hold back a little, will you!” Jelena’s eyes sparked up and she walked over to where the noise was coming from. Looking down over the railing, she chuckled at what she was seeing. The boys were playing basketball. Honestly, according to the man’s statement, it could have been any sport. Jelena watched amusedly as Justus and Peter teamed up to try and get the ball from Peter as he dodged them effortlessly, eventually passing the ball to one of his teammates. Then, he shrugged innocently to his two friends before going back to playing. The game went on. Until the unthinkable happened. Justus got his hands on the ball, threw it - and missed. The ball missed the basket and the little wall behind it by an inch, then brushed past Jelena’s leg, rolling across the floor. Immediately, she picked it up and walked back to the railing. It was just then that Justus noticed her. “Gee, Justus”, she called down to him, grinning playfully. “I know you hate me, but you’re still supposed to hit the basket, not me!” “What are you even doing up there?”, he asked back, trying his hardest not to sound out of breath. “Being injured”, she answered as she threw the ball back down, where Peter stole it from Bob with a playful smile. “What are you doing down there?” “Can’t you see that?” “For your own good, I’d rather not answer that.” Just then, the boys’ PE teacher stepped closer to the edge of the gym and looked up at her. “Thank you for returning the ball to us”, he said. Jelena recognized his voice to be the same as the man’s who had scolded Peter. “But if you keep disturbing the lesson, I’m going to ask you to leave.” With an apologetic gesture, she agreed to be quiet from now on. She wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to keep watching them. Not in the way that most girls her age would, oh-so-subtly swooning over their crushes, but more in the way that she somehow enjoyed watching Justus, Peter and Bob do basically anything. And if she had nothing better to do, this was better than being bored.

[give-baek-my-love]

Keep It A Secret (II)

Characters: Jimin X Reader X Jungkook

Genre: Angst/Fluff

Series: Intro, One, Two

Description: Without even a simple goodbye, Jimin, your childhood best friend , left to Seoul to pursue his dream as an idol. Ten years later just when you thought that you were finally ready to let it all go and start your own career as an idol, you’re left in a situation where it seems your past isn’t ready to let Jimin go just yet.

[BREAKING] Dispatch reports BTS’ Jimin and Purple’s Chaejin are dating.

You stared the article title countless times, too afraid to read any further. Although both their faces were mostly covered up with hats and face masks, you could immediately tell them apart. You remembered Chaejin wearing that exact jacket just hours ago before she headed out. You also could tell that the male who was holding the car door for Chaejin was Jimin just from the slight view of his eyes that were peaking through from beneath his lowered cap. 

What the fuck.

There were millions of questions running through your head. How did they even get to knowing each other? With BTS and the group’s busy schedules how did they have to the time to start dating? Sure your group would sometimes bump into BTS, but it was also just a brief glance or greeting.

‘How do you think they met?’ April asked, diverting your attention away from your own thoughts. 

‘I don’t know.’ you mumbled. You felt nothing. You wanted to at least feel some sort of feeling but all you just felt numb. You just couldn’t process the fact that your best friend and ex-best friend were dating.

Perhaps April sensed that something was wrong because you suddenly felt her warm hands gripping your arm,

‘Are you okay?’

Once again peeling your eyes away from the screen, you handed her back the phone without reading beyond the title. Giving April a slight nod, you dashed into the washroom to hide the tears that were quickly streaming down your face.

In hopes of hiding your sobs, you turned the tap on full blast and sunk to the floor allowing yourself for the first time to embrace the emotions that were running through your body.

No. No I’m not okay. -

You don’t know how long you stayed in the washroom, but eventually Manager Kim knocked on the door and told you to finish up whatever you were doing and meet him along with the rest of the members in the living room.

After washing your face and glancing into the mirror, your puffy red eyes were all you could see. Your reflection in the mirror no longer looked like your old self. She had hollowed cheeks and eyes that seemed much too big in contrast to her slimmer face, all highlighting just how much pain and hardship you had to go through in order to become an idol. But all that blood, sweet and tears that you went through was nothing compared to this heartbreak. A heartbreak whose cause was simply self-induced, all because you fell in love with your childhood best friend ten years ago, someone who could never imagine would ever feel the same way.

Eventually you walked out of the bathroom and saw that everyone including Chaejin was back. She was smiling. She was practically swimming in joy. Perhaps if she wasn’t your best friend and perhaps if your career wasn’t partially because of her doing, you would have yelled at her by now, asking why she would jeopardize the group’s future like this.  Everyone knew how much a dating rumour could negatively affect the group, so you wondered why she as the leader would do this when the group’s popularity was just starting to rise. Instead of taking the avaliable space next to Chaejin, you decided to squeeze yourself next to April who was seated the furtherest away from the leader. The whole group knew that you and Chaejin were very close, so close that the two of you basically never left each other’s side, so when you decided choose a seat that wasn’t next to her, you earned a couple of confused glances from the members. 

Clearing his throat, Manager Kim began,

‘I’m sure that you are all aware of the article about Chaejin that dispatch uploaded early this morning. The article has been confirmed to be true. Whether you all knew about it prior to the article or not, the company and BigHit both confirmed the article to being true. Also whether or not you like or dislike their relationship, the company and I just hope that you will all not let your emotions and feelings ruin the group’s atmosphere and schedules especially when in front of the media and fans. That being said, the company has decided that the group will go on a short break just so the public and fans can have some time to digest the information and won’t bombard you guys with questions about their relationship. During this time, you are allowed to stay in Seoul if you wish so, if not, you can go back home and visit your family, or take a small vacation if you like, but you must let us know ahead of time. Lastly, just as a reminder the dating ban is still in full effect for everyone else. If you have any questions you can come to me or Manager Lee to discuss.’ 

You were angry not only because  the entire group’s schedule had to be canceled all because of Chaejin’s relationship, but also the fact that she was the only exception to the dating ban. You wondered if perhaps it was because her father owned the company that she was allowed to do as she pleased, but regardless you found her actions childish and selfish, which seemed very unlike her. Chaejin was always known to be rational and well planned, so she must have known that the media always had eyes on BTS whenever they were up and about, but why did she so openly go on a date with Jimin? It almost seemed like they were purposely showcasing their relationship. 

With no further questions, the members all started discussing their vacation plans and ideas. You determined that distance and space was what you needed right now so you were going to take the first train home tomorrow morning and visit your parents for the first time in a year. 

Just as you were about to get up and start packing, Chaejin sat down next you and asked,

‘Are you mad at me?’ 

You debated on lying and tell her that you’re okay and that you’re happy for her relationship, but the betrayal that you felt was impossible to ignore. 

‘Yes. I am. Why did you do it?’ 

‘I... I’m sorry. I should have told you first, but if I knew that if I told you before I saw him last night you would have stopped me.’

Stopped her? Does she seriously think that I would have stopped her from going on a date? 

‘Stop you? Chaejin why would I stop you from dating? I just wanted a heads up. I don’t care that you want to date, but I wish that you would have at least considered the consequences and had been more careful. We all worked so hard to debut and publicly dating right now could really ruin our reputation.’ 

‘Y/N... I’m sorry. It’s just...’ She started but then quietly trailed off. 

Something was off. Chaejin seemed like she was holding something back. Although most days you wouldn’t pester her, today you simply just was not in the mood for anyone’s bullshit. You assumed that no matter what she said the day truly couldn’t get any worse. 

‘Okay. You’re hiding something. Tell me. I’m done with these secrets that you’re keeping from me.’ 

Suggesting that the two of you needed to talk in private, you moved towards the bedroom. 

‘Tell me.’ you said the moment Chaejin closed the door behind her, wasting no time at all. 

Watching Chaejin take a deep breath, she quietly said, 

‘It’s a publicity stunt Y/N.’ 

‘WHAT?’ you couldn’t help just blurt out loud. 

Taking another long deep breath, Chaejin seemed like she was trying to collect her words before finally continuing, 

‘The whole date was planned Y/N. Dad said that although the group was doing well, he thought that we would have done better by now. So... he suggested that the we create some sort of commotion or event for the public to learn about. And I suggested that maybe a dating scandal would be ideal-‘

‘You’re fucking with me right? You came up with the dating scandal? Do you know how badly this “stunt” of yours could go? What if this backfires? What are you doing to do then?’ You angrily cut off. 

You were furious but also stupidly glad that she wasn’t actually dating Jimin. You were angry that your best friend was willing to put the group’s future at risk all because the group’s popularity wasn’t as high as the company wanted it to be. You knew that rising to the ‘top’ was not something that would be easily be done. Simple the act of performing in front of an audience was always something that you dreamed of and you thought that Chaejin believed in the same idea, but clearly that wasn’t it for her. 

‘Y/N… my dad was so upset and worried about the group. And… with my dad and Bang PD being cousins, the scandal was easily organized. I know that you don’t agree with me doing this, but I didn’t want to upset or disappoint my dad. And I’m sorry that I couldn’t tell you earlier. I knew that if I told you about this you would have tried to talk me out of it, but I couldn’t let this chance slip.’ 

Wait. CEO is related to Bang PD? 

You had so many questions, yet you didn’t know where to begin. Perhaps Chaejin noticed how taken back you were because before you could even construct a question, she explained,

‘I didn’t know that my dad was related with Bang PD either. At least not until recently when my entire family celebrated my grandma’s 80th birthday. You know how big my family is, right? Half the aunts and uncles that I saw that night I’ve never even met before, and don’t get me started on how many cousins I just discovered I have.’

You were starting to understand and digest the current situation, but you wondered,

‘But why Park Jimin?’ 

You thought that perhaps her dad or Bang PD randomly chose a member from BTS for the scandal, but immediately froze at the sight of Chaejin suddenly looking flustered. 

Oh no. 

‘Y/N…. I like him.’ 

What? 

You broke into a cold sweat with those three simple words. 

Chaejin likes Jimin? 

You remembered all the times when the group was interviewed about their ideal types and how Chaejin always answered saying that Jimin was her ideal type, but you always thought that it was just a simple celebrity crush. Never something like this. Your mouth opened and closed over and over again without a single spoken word. Shocked at the sudden confession, you were too shaken up to even speak. If you could dig a hole in the ground at this very single second, you would have done it, anything to just escape this uncomfortable feeling in the pit of your stomach. 

The room had gotten awkwardly quiet, and it was Chaejin who was the first to speak up as you were staring into nowhere specific with your mind racing at a mile per minute,

‘Y/N why didn’t you tell me that you knew Jimin?’

Snapping your gaze to Chaejin, she seemed uncomfortable and somewhat hurt. 

‘How did you know that I knew him?’ you asked. 

You had spent the last eleven years keeping the knowledge of Jimin away from Chaejin mainly because just the mention of his name could almost bring you to tears. You couldn’t deal with the fact that a part of you still wasn’t over him. For the past years no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t bring yourself to fall in love with another person. You had always found yourself comparing every single man to Jimin and none of them could even compete with him in your eyes. Park Jimin was meant to be the one and only secret that you kept away from Chaejin, but now that she knew about your secret, you suddenly felt more naked and bare. 

‘When I first saw Jimin last night it was awkward and we didn’t say much, but once I brought up that you and I were close friends he told me that the two of you grew up together and were best friends before he had to leave to Seoul and pursue his career as am idol.’ 

Close friends.

Although he was your best friend growing up, you had always wished that perhaps even once he would have thought of you as more than a close friend, but he had made it clear to Chaejin last night that the two of you were simply just friends. The two words left a bitterness in your mouth that you wished would just go away. 

When you left Chaejin without a single comment, she asked again, 

‘Why didn’t you tell me about him? Did you… like him Y/N?’ 

‘Chaejin… stop that’s ridiculous. I didn’t tell you then because it’s all in the past. We were close once but like he said he moved away and we just broke around that’s it.’ 

You tried your best to stay composed, but unfortunately with her as your best friend, Chaejin saw right through you. 

‘You like him.’ She simply stated without an ounce of uncertainty. 

‘I liked him.’ 

‘Y/N don’t bullshit with m-‘

‘I’m not doing this right now with you okay? You can choose not to believe me if you want to. That’s your decision. Whatever I feel for him doesn’t matter because I’m not the one that might screw our group over.’ 

Perhaps if the conversation wasn’t about Jimin you would have reacted differently, but because he was still such a sensitive topic, you couldn’t control the feelings that were racings in your head. Without giving her another chance to continue on, you grabbed your bag and headed out of the room towards Manager Kim asking him to take you to the train station immediately. 

- 

The train ride back home went by quickly as you stared blankly through the window and into the outside world. Your mind kept racing though everything that had happened in the last 24 hours and kept worrying about the future of your group. You couldn’t help but worry how this scandal would change your group’s future, how it would affect the atmosphere between the members, but most importantly you couldn’t help but worry about how the fans were going to react. It’s only been a year since the group had debuted, but you had already grown attached to them. They were the ones who cheered you all on, and they were your main source of happiness so they meant the world to you. Lastly, you hated to admit it but you were worried about Jimin. You worried about how he would handle this scandal. Sure the date was planned, but the reactions to the scandal are something that no one can predict, and you were worried about how the public would react. 

You had spent the last years trying your hardest to move on from Jimin, and even though you knew that becoming an idol meant that it was no longer possible to ignore his existence and even mentally prepared for what you thought to be every single possible situation, never would you have thought that Chaejin, your best friend and leader of the group, would be dating Jimin, your first love. 

*Ding* *Ding*

Throughout the entire train ride your phone had been constantly alerting you of new messages, but knowing that it was probably going to be Chaejin, you decided to ignore them. 

- 

Your parents were surprised to see that you were home without any prior notice, but once you briefly explained to them what had happened, they quickly empathized with your current situation and decided to spend the day simply relaxing at home. 

Simple. And relaxing was exactly how the first few days of your vacation went. For the most part you spent the days just sleeping, or at least trying to sleep, eating all your favourite foods, and spending quality time with your parents and close friends. Ever since Jimin’s parents had found out that you came back home, they asked your parents for the two families to plan a dinner party, but you constantly declined their invites. Of course you knew that his parents meant well, but after what had recently happened, you didn’t want to be reminded of Jimin. 

- 

It had been a week since the company had announced the group’s indefinite break before your mom finally started asking questions. Although you had explained that you were just disappointed of Chaejin’s decisions, she saw right through you. 

One morning after your dad left for work, your mom joined you on the couch adn asked, 

‘How’s Chaejin and the other members doing?’ 

‘Most of the members went home. I’m not sure about Chaejin.’ You shrugged. 

While you had kept in contact with the other members, you purposely ignored all of Chaejin’s phone calls and text messages. The truth was you didn’t know how you felt about the entire situation. Of course you wanted the group to do well, and the scandal would become a source of advertisement for the group, but the fact that the scandal could also end badly for the group made it very worrisome, and it didn’t help that Chaejin was ‘dating’ Jimin. If you were being completely honest with yourself, what made this the most uncomfortable was that you were still so attached to Jimin, even if it was one-sided, you couldn’t stand the idea of someone as important as Jimin being dragged into such circumstances that could cause harm on his end. And of course it goes without saying that you were jealous and worried that Chaejin and Jimin would become close and actually end up dating. You knew that Chaejin had always had a crush on Jimin but you didn’t think that her celebrity crush could turn into anything more, however knowing that now she has a chance to go on dates with Jimin and spend time with him, you couldn’t help but feel jealousy boiling from within. 

Although you had said few words about the situation since you came home, Chaejin’s mother had called your mother the day you went back home to explain the entire situation and when your mom called Jimin’s mother to confirm the dating rumour, it turned out his mother was just as surprised as everyone else. Your mom had hoped that you would eventually open up and talk about the situation, but when she saw that you were getting increasingly upset every day, she knew that she couldn’t keep quiet anymore. 

‘Y/N it’s okay to be hurt.’ She suddenly said. 

Turning to her, you were so shocked with her comment that it took you a couple of seconds before you recollected your thoughts and said, 

‘I’m not hurt.’ 

Right? 

To be fair, you weren’t entirely sure if you were actually hurt. Uncomfortable. Yes. Jealous. Yes. But hurt? 

Grabbing your hands into hers, she simply said, 

‘I don’t need you to prove anything to me. I just want you to be happy and be honest with yourself. Okay?’ 

The two of you sat hand in hand for minutes, both not saying a word while you were slowly processing everything that your mom said. Were you happy? No. Were you being honest with yourself? I don’t know more. 

‘Mom… I feel like I’m losing.’ You finally spoke up. 

Instead of a response, she gave your hand a squeeze as a sign of encouragement to continue. 

‘He had left town years ago and all these years I’ve been telling myself that I’m over it, and the stupid thing is that I thought that I was actually over it. But when I saw him on the day we debuted, I felt it. I had spent so many years suppressing the emotions and feelings that I had for him that the moment I saw him again I became overwhelmed. I was in love with him mom, and I think that I still am, which is so stupid of me. How can I be in love with someone who I’ve lost contact with for over ten years? And what’s even worse is that now my best friend is dating him. I feel like I’ve lost him all over again… but the ridiculous thing is that he wasn’t even mine to begin with, so why do I feel like I’m losing him?’ 

- 

The next few days felt more relaxing, that was until you received a phone call from Manager Kim,

‘Chaejin told me that you haven’t answered her phone calls so I’m calling to tell you that Chaejin has a photoshoot with Jimin tomorrow and you need to be there.’ 

‘I thought our schedules were on hold.’ 

‘Yes, but there’s a clothing brand that wanted to use the two as models for their new clothing line.’ 

Great. They’re going to wear matching clothes and I have to watch? 

‘But why do I have to be there?’

‘I’m only here to relay a message. If you have any questions, ask Chaejin herself or the CEO. I wouldn’t even have to be doing this if you would have just answered her phone calls. I’m going to pick you up tomorrow morning at 8 so be ready.’ 

Without giving you a chance to refuse, he quickly ended the call. You were once again left feeling defeated, and honestly pissed off. In most cases if you were told that you had an upcoming schedule, no matter how tired you were, you would have been happy, but this schedule was different, you were basically asked to watch Chaejin and Jimin together. 

Are you fucking with me right now?

Needless to say, you had spent the entire night restlessly tossing and turning while dreading over the thought of having to see Jimin, and especially with the fact that having to see Chaejin meant that she would want to know why you were ignoring her phone calls. 

Morning came much sooner than you wanted it to, and before you knew it, Manager Kim was knocking at the door. The manager had explained that Chaejin left early to get ready for the shoot, which for your part was good news since you weren’t quite ready to talk to her. By this point you weren’t mad at her anymore, but you still couldn’t shake this jealous feeling away.

The small talks during the initial car ride had died down, and you sat in silence while Manager Kim drove. Eventually you fell asleep while staring out the window and woke up to the manager nudging you awake. Just after he opened the passenger door to let you out of the car, Manager Kim said,

‘I know that you may feel uncomfortable with this situation but don’t forget that we warned you about letting your feelings ruin the group’s atmosphere. Okay?’

‘Okay.’ You agreed. 

Manager Kim had always felt like a father figure to you, especially when being so far away from home. Although he was a man with few words, he always quietly took care of the group and never once had you heard him complain about of taking care of all the member’s needs. You knew that his best intentions were for the group to do well, so you made a mental promise to talk to Chaejin. 

Once Chaejin saw you entering her dressing room, she ran up to you and wrapped you in a warm hug. 

‘I’m so sorry Y/N. I knew that this was the only way that I could get you to see me.’ She mumbled into the hug.

Getting a whiff of Chaejin’s scent, you softened into the hug and suddenly realized just how much you missed your best friend. Although her dating scandal had caused some trouble for the group, Chaejin is indeed your best friend and you understood that just like how you needed to spend time back home, Chaejin probably needed her best friend during this time. 

Finally letting go, you apologized, 

‘I’m sorry that I didn’t answer you calls. I should have been there for you.’

Even though the company suggested everyone to not check the group’s social accounts, throughout the break you had signed onto the group’s Instagram and saw that though there were positive and supportive comments, there were also some negative and even offensive comments towards Chaejin that you hoped she didn’t notice. However, the sad smile that she gave you suggested that she probably already knew about the public’s criticism. After giving her hands a squeeze for support, Chaejin got changed into her first set of clothing while the make-up artist told you to sit down to get your makeup down. 

When Chaejin was finally ready, the two of you walked out of the room hand in hand towards the studio where the photographer would explain the shoot’s concept to her. To your surprise, Jimin was already there and talking to the photographer. When he noticed you, he looked surprised but then quickly maintained an emotionless façade. 

After Chaejin greeted the photographer, he happily explained the theme of the shoot, while you tried to your best to look at anyone and anything besides Jimin.  Even after a year as an idol, you still found controlling your emotions and facial expressions to be a challenge.

Let the torture begin.

- 

An hour into the shoot the photographer had announced that it was time for individual shoots with Chaejin going first. Knowing that Jimin would now have some free time, you quickly hurried out of the studio just in case he would try to engage in any kind of conversation because you were anything but ready for that. During the past hour Jimin had locked eyes with yours multiple times and you literally had to tear your eyes away from him just so your flushed cheeks could cool down. However, your plan clearly backfired when you noticed that Jimin was following you out of the studio. Shit. 

‘Stop following me.’ You warned him while walking forward without much of a thought in mind. 

Your brain was foggy. You couldn’t think straight. You had no idea where you were talking to, but the only thing that was for sure was the fact that you needed to get away from Jimin, because with him so close by, you couldn’t think straight. 

But that was impossible. Every time you turned around, he was there. The faster you walked, the more quickly he sped until eventually he caught up and pushed you past the staircase doors. 

‘Let go!’ You yelled as his grip tightened. 

Sensing that he was hurting you, he immediately released his grip and apologized.

‘Y/N. I… I’m sorry. Let me explai-’

Vigorously shaking your head while blinking the sudden tears away, 

‘No. NO. I don’t need this right now. I don’t need your apology. Not now. Not ever.’

*Click* *Click*

What?

You could have sworn that you heard the sounds of a camera taking a picture but when you looked around, there was no one.

Just as Jimin was about to speak up again, the staircase door suddenly opened. The two of you were greeted by Chaejin who looked just as surprise if not even more than you and Jimin.

‘Oh. Jimin. What are you doing here?’

Just seeing Jimin try to explain this current situation to Chaejin was souring your mood even more, so much to the point that it felt almost impossible to keep hide the anger that was fuming from within.

‘Fuck this.’ You mumbled before walking out of the door leaving the two alone.

I’m not dealing with this right now.

-  

For the rest of the shoot you hid in the dressing room and didn’t say more than half a word to Chaejinor Jimin. Once it was all over, you quickly thanked and shook hands with the photographer before speeding to the company’s car hoping that you wouldn’t bump into anyone.

Thankfully Chaejin’s schedule was done for the day and you were headed back to the dorm because you needed nothing more than to just sleep off the bitterness feeling that’s been lingering since your encounter with Jimin and Chaejin.

-

You weren’t sure how long you ended up sleeping for but eventually you were shaken awake by someone, and with just a glance outside the window the dark skies hinted that it was perhaps still early in the morning.

‘What’s going on?’ You groaned rubbing your eyes that stung from tiredness.

‘What the fuck is this?’ Chaejin furiously asked while shoving her phone in your face.

It took your eyes a few seconds to adjust before you saw this article and gasped in horror.

[BREAKING] Dispatch reports a possible love triangle between BTS’ Jimin with Purple’s Chaejin and Y/N??

The article was filled with pictures of you and Jimin on the staircase was yesterday. Although the pictures couldn’t capture much, there were a few pictures that showed a tearful picture of you, and even a picture of the three of you.  Suddenly you remembered the clicking sounds of a camera from yesterday. Someone must have been lingering around listening to your conversation with Jimin.

Holy shit. What have I done?

-

(Jungkook’s POV) 

Jungkook froze when he was scrolling through the group’s twitter and found articles tagging their account.

Jimin and Y/N? What’s going on?

It was past midnight and he was sure that most of the members were asleep, but he couldn’t find the patience to wait until morning to ask Jimin. Instead, he quietly headed towards the elder’s room but quickly stopped with he saw that the lights in the kitchen were still on. With a few long strides, he saw that Jimin was sitting by himself at the dining table with a blank look on his face. Jimin must have been fixated in his own thoughts that he didn’t notice Jungkook’s appearance until the younger took the vacant seat next to him.

‘What’s wrong?’ Jungkook warily asked.

‘I…. I shouldn’t have talk to her. I shouldn’t have said anything. This wouldn’t have happened if I had just followed and done as I was told. I made a mistake.’

Jimin had spoken so quietly that if Jungkook sat any further, he wouldn’t have heard a single word. Just the sight of Jimin looking so disappoint and upset made Jungkook tear up. 

What can I do to help? - (The Next Day)

Today was BTS’ last scheduled day before their long-awaited two-month holiday. After finishing the recording of their last BTS RUN episode for the current season, most of the members headed back to their assigned rooms to start packing for their own assorted vacation plans.  Jungkook watched as Jimin silently walked back into his room without saying a single word. The latter had been staying in the same state the entire day, without saying much of a word, causing everyone around to worry.

Earlier in the morning Jimin was told to see Bang PD leaving the rest of the members to discuss the explosion on twitter about Jimin’s relationship with Chaejin and Y/N. While the members all knew that Jimin would never be the type of person to cheat on someone and that the scandal was simply a made up story, they knew that there had to be something that Jimin was hiding, however seeing how down he was feeling no one dared to speak up about it just yet.

Without another word, Jungkook quietly snuck into his room and scrolled into his phone until he found your number, a number that he stole from Jimin’s phone today while the elder went to the washroom.

The text message was brief, but not much words were needed.

‘Hi. It’s BTS’ Jungkook. I need you to open up my V-live in exactly 5 minutes. See you then.’

Not giving himself anytime for second thoughts, he quickly started his live on the app. He watched as the number of audience grew along with the amounts of hearts that were given, and did his best to answer and read the messages that many of the fans were posting. ARMYs meant the world to him, they were his light, they were his life, they were his everything, so he was unsure if what he was about to do next was correct or not.

‘Before I end this live, there is one thing that I want to ask here today. You have all greatly supported us throughout all these years and I’m hoping that nothing will change the bond that we share, so please be understanding with what I am about to say.’

After taking a deep breath to calm his shaking heart, he blurted out,

‘Y/N. Will you be my girlfriend?’

[honeydewday]

2 Weeks ( Prologue )

Summary: the beginning of summertime means the livings easy

Pairing: Peter Parker! x Stark!Reader

A/N: I’m gonna look on the positive side and hope this turns out really good. I just wanna say a quick thank you if you read and plan to continue reading :) Also! In future chapters I’ll be mixing up the mcu timeline for the story to fit in. Enjoy!! :)

Warnings: just yelling

/

---

“You got your phone? Remember if you don’t like it you can call Happy and he’ll pick you up right away”

You were being bombarded with questions when Tony woke you up, while he attempted to make breakfast, during the elevator ride, and now the lobby.

“Tony! It's just the orientation! I’ll be fine!” you exclaimed stopping in front of him

He shook his head and let out a sigh “They already know your situation. They won’t use Stark they’ll use your actual stupid last name”

You smiled and nodded then followed Happy to the car. Today is the day for Midtown Tech School orientation for the freshmen. Honestly, this wasn’t the school of your choice but, you made a deal with your old man saying that if you finished developing new tech for his suit he would let you go to public school. There were way too many long sleepless nights just to figure out the basics but finally, you learned everything there was to learn about his suit, thanks to FRIDAY, and updated his suit three times.

He looked at you with a little sadness in his eyes and smiled “Get outta here, I’ll see you later” and with that, he turned around leaving you to rush out the building and into the car. 

Eventually, you pulled up in front of the building, watching kids get out of their parent’s car and walking with their friends in the building. Your breath hitched as you grabbed the handle to the car door and opened it. You could hear Happy say what's already been said but at this point, it was just static in the background. You shut the door behind you and rushed inside. Nothing really started until you got there right? Well, it seemed like orientation was already in progress. Groups of teens had started to follow their teacher for the tour, friends were talking to each other as if they just hadn’t seen them a few weeks ago. You felt uncomfortable, you knew you didn’t belong there but it’s what you wanted. Plus, you had to prove Tony wrong because he knows at the end of the day you won’t like Midtown. 

You found your assigned group for the tour but seeing how boring each stop would start to get you wandered off. You toured some of the interesting looking classrooms, the gym, cafeteria. You were started to grow tired of the same colored walls, the same classrooms, and every motivational poster that was plastered everywhere. 

“Uh h-hi? Are you lost?” a brunette nerdy looking boy questioned

You panicked looking back down the hallway you just walked from then back to him nodding.

He just gave you a nervous look with the urge to say something, anything that could kill the awkwardness. 

What the hell 

“My name’s Y/N,” you stuck your hand out “I’m new, d-do you mind showing me around?”

He looked at your hand but took it and oh boy, once he took it, you could feel your heart beating a million miles a minute. Not only that but you knew something was going to happen to this boy. Something he couldn’t come back from.

“P-Peter Parker” he smiled as his cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

You had spent the rest of the orientation with each other. The two of you practically talked each other’s ears off, well more like he talked your ear off but you were happy listening to the pretty boy rant. However, all good things must come to an end.

“So where’s your car?” he asked as the two of you walked out the door.

You did notice your car but you also noticed Happy thus leading your new friendship going downhill from there.

Before peter could anything a car pulled up honking “Peter! Come on!” A pretty woman shouted from the window “Is that a girl? Oh my god! You met a girl!” She continued. Peter’s looked down and back at the woman “I-I- that’s my aunt, um, I better go” he says flustered. “Wait! M-maybe we could hang out during the summer or-or you could show me around” you asked nervously.

—-

To say the least, freshmen year was a breeze.

The food wasn’t all that great, the teachers seemed decent, but having Peter and meeting Ned and MJ made the year unbelievably fun for you.

You were in your final class of the day when you heard the bells of freedom. You gathered your things and waited for Peter outside the room. He jogged up to you finally able to leave this place.

“So....what’re you up to this summer?” He asked as the two of you continued walking

You thought about it for a moment, “Probably nothing, my parents are super busy do to anything anyways. What about you?” You asked bumping his shoulder

He smiled nervously at the gesture and put his hands in his pocket “s-same”

You two walked and made small talk till you reached the parking lot. He looked around for his aunt while you looked around for your dad. You were surprised when you left for school that morning especially when Happy told you that Tony would pick you up.

You spotted the Audi and immediately went into a panic mode. How were you suppose to just tell peter bye and then get into a sports car? Granted, your parents and your house where very mysterious to your little group. You always told them you wouldn’t be able to have a game night at your house or asking for a ride from either Ned or Peter but at a random apartment that was only a few blocks away from the Tower.

You cleared your throat “Well, I see my dad. Maybe we can hang out really s-“ you started but Peter suddenly turned towards you with a nervous look

“I-I really-“ he gulped, then mentally slapped himself and repeated what he’s been saying for six months

“You’ve been meaning to tell her since December so tell her!!”

“I really want to hang out with you too” he awkwardly laughed “my aunt’s here, I’ll see you soon,” he said then quickly made his way to the car

You stood there in confusion until Tony started honking. You sighed and shook your head as you sped to your car.

—-

Peter opened the car door quickly, threw his backpack in the back and shut the door in frustration.

“Ouch,” Ned said from the back shoving Peter’s backpack to the side

“So I’m guessing it didn’t go well?” May asked looking at her poor nephew

“I-I chickened out,” he said softly

“Dude, you’ve been trying to tell her since December! Did you see how disappointed she looked when she got into her car?!” Ned exclaimed “I don’t know if you’re too sad to notice but she just got into a really sick car”

“She was waiting for it, Pete. You gotta shoot your shot.” May said finally taking off

“I know! It’s just, I- it’s her first year and I didn’t want anybody to think she was stuck up or-or I was keeping her from making new friends” Peter explained “besides, who wants a nerd like me”

“Peter, we’re not nerds. We’re just highly knowledgeable of mainstream topics” Ned smiled proudly

“Yeah, highly knowledgeable of legos at 15” Peter mumbled

—-

“So, sweet child of mine, can you describe your first year of school?” Your father asked looking over as you settle in your seat

“It was...interesting,” you say buckling up

He nodded, shifted gears, and peeled out of the parking lot. You were still a bit sad that Peter didn’t ask you anything else. Maybe you were just overthinking it? Maybe you should tell him how you feel? Now you had to deal with your feelings all summer. Alone. Since, your father obviously being Tony Stark, who knew when you would see him. He would either be in his lab or with Pepper. Now your mom, she absolutely tried to make time for you. You girls would at least have a girls' days once a week but after she became CEO it turned into once a month if you were lucky.

“Let’s grab a bite to eat?” Tony asked looking over at you but noticed you were deep in thought.

“We’re moving to South America.”

“What?!” You shouted looking at his smug face

“Gotcha kid” he smiled “what’s on your mind? Is it that boy, uh, Patrick? Paul? The one you were talking to before you left?

“You mean Peter?”

He nodded “your mother said you talked quite a bit about him during your latest shopping trip”

“He’s a really good friend...I guess” you shrugged

Tony’s eyebrow raised “listen here missy, no dating. We already had this agreement with the school-“

“B-but I’m worried about him” you cut him off

Tony looked over at you concern “Why? Does he do drugs? Sell them? Make-“

“I...I had one of my dreams about him and I know it sounds crazy but hear me out!” You pleaded

“Y/N. We’ve talked about this” Tony said in annoyance

“I know! But somethings going to happen to him and-and he’s gonna be different! Not like going through...puberty different” you whispered the last part

“Enough.” Tony demanded, “I don’t know what you kids watch or read nowadays but you better stop because now you’re dreaming about it!”

“Dad! It’s-it’s real!! Remember when you guys first got me, w-we had that huge fight about a dream I had describing your kidnapping” you explained started to become frustrated with him “then when you started creating Ultron!”

Tony continued to drive through traffic in silence.

“You never believe me when it happens and you don’t believe me when it does.” you huffed

“Enough,” Tony said “I don’t know what’s what kind of trend you’re following but it stops now. It’s suppose to be summer and I’m trying to take an easy. Hand over the phone.” Tony said extending his small arm right in front of you making a little grabby motion.

You groaned and slammed the phone into his hand.

After a few moments of silence,

“Shawarma for dinner?”

[solarcelest]

escape route

Day #8

It was one of those horrid, much dreaded nights. The type that comes only once a month and somehow that still seems to be way too often. None of the family took too well to attending Fathers galas, all doing their best to produce excuses and reasons to warrant their absence. Most get away with it, especially Dick and Jason since the public are aware that the oldest Wayne has his own, separate life in Bludhaven and the second eldest is hardly ever in the public eye. He wished that Richard were there, he at least would wave off some of the offending hands and, unlike the unfortunate Cass, the irritating miscreants surrounding him would listen to the five foot eleven man. For now however he was there to suffer, with some of the other members of his family who seemed to have more of a difficulty cultivating excuses to escape these horrid gatherings.

Cassandra, the only official female member of the Wayne family, was absolutely adored by the press. There were more gossip magazines and new articles about his sister than Damian was able to make himself aware of (no matter how hard he tried to keep up on all the tabloids about his siblings). The public was always going on about how what a beautiful young lady she is (something Cass doesn’t particularly appreciate) and how everyone knows she will grow up to do great things for the world and about how great she is for the family.

Tim, being the CEO of Wayne Enterprises is therefore obligated to attend nearly every company event (except for the many he doesn't) and always does his ‘best’ to show.

Such a surprise he was not there tonight.

He was, Damian does have to credit him, at the gala for a brief time earlier in the evening. But, the city calls and with the Bats already short staffed and Tim neck deep in a nearly solved case, he had checked out early to go on patrol.

Oh, how envious Damian was of him. He was getting antsy, crowded into this (really not so) small room with so many intolerable people.

Damian was similar to Cass. Through the oh so innocent eyes of the public, ten year old Damian Wayne was nothing more than a poor abused child who was always clinging to his family members like shadows. Just a little kid who had been beaten and abandoned by his mother for the first decade of his life before being left to the father who wasn’t even aware of his existence.

And, well, Damian did have to give them a few points for accuracy.

The thing they didn’t have the right, however, the fact they had absolutely incredibly wrong was the assumption that Damian Wayne was cute. Which, to anyone idiotic enough to have to question that fact, was not.

Still, the rich snobs who occupied the event hall seemed to believe otherwise with how often they approached simply to coo and attempt to ruffle his still baby soft raven hair or pinch his, only slightly, chubby cheeks. Damian, who was not the biggest fan of physical contact already, disliked the constant attention from the ogling strangers and thus was his reason for tagging so close to Cassandra that night.

The two stood as they were, would probably make the front page, or at least popular photo the following day. Cassandra, who, even at her short stature stood nearly a foot above Damian, had each of her hands placed on either of shoulders. The boy was nearly rigid beneath her slender fingers, anxious from the crowd around him and the constant touching and pestering. She herself wasn’t much better but still, be older and the current big sister kept her discomfort to herself and helped to ground her brother.

They made their way off to the side, standing a ways away from the denser areas of the crowd in order to breath again. Pulling cover a chair, Cass motioned for her little brother to take a seat.

“Going to help Bruce.” She said, gesturing to where he was being bombarded with Vicky Bales never ending questions. She then turned back to Damian before pointing to the food tables not far to his right. “Eat.” She said, before sauntering off, her black dress flowing behind her.

Damian watched, more than a little jealous that at least she had something to go and do before he sighed and headed over to the food tables. He want necessarily hungry, he was trained to run in very little nutrients (much to Pennyworth disliking) but decided to at least see what was available.

Most of the items in the spread were finger foods, small sized appetizers and tapas that were meant to be grabbed and easily snacked on, not like the three course meal that was planned to come later in the night. There were a few different things though, a chocolate fountain that dripped lazily and cheese fondue. Damian sighed at both of the rather fattening choices, opting instead for one of the oranges resting in the fruit bowl.

He grabbed a dull steak knife then, the only blade near him that was not secured to his hip by a holster or tucked into his sock, resting the fruit on a plate set on the table before going about cutting it. He realized how hungry he actually was then, his stomach growling in response to the fresh smell of the fruit.

He had only altered his focused to his plate momentarily but, as it seemed, a second was all it had taken. Suddenly, all too quickly, there was a breath on his neck and a voice in his ear. It was sweet, sickly and male. The exact kind of things his father and siblings had always warned to watch for at events like these.

Bold of them to assume that Damian wasn’t always watching.

“Hungry?” Was all the voice asked. Yet the simple question carried so much weight and implied all the wrong intentions. Damian jumped, shocked by the voice and even more so by what was said. As he startled, the knife slipped, fingers moistened by the fruit juice, the handle slipping easily through them.

The blade, no longer in his control, cut down into the orange once again. But this time it was too far forward, too near his other hand and cut through the skin between his thumb and forefinger.

The cut was jagged, the blade too dull to slice evenly and blood began to seep from the wound almost immediately. Acidic oils from the citrus began to sting at the cut, causing a burning sensation to add to the pain.

Damian saw his opening.

After staring at this hands in offense, easily mistaken for shock by a bystander, he promptly burst into tears. It was humiliating, most definitely and he could nearly feel his pride dwindling on the spot, but Damian thought that was an okay payment if it meant he able to leave this wretched event even a little bit early.

Turning around and sliding past the creep, only after wiping just enough blood on the man's coat to mark the offender, Damian made a beeline towards his father and Cassandra. The buffet table, though out of the way, was still close enough to where the crowd was more congested, that numerous heads had already turned to see the source of the sound. Father was included, the man tall amongst the other elites, was brushing by them as he hurried past.

Damian met Father in the middle. By this time, the crowd had begun to form around them, interested in the cause of the scene. Damian had salty tears running down his soft cheeks and snot collecting in his upper lip. The perfect picture of a distraught child, he nearly smiled at his own perfected acting skills.

“What’s the matter, son? What happened?” Father asked as he kneeled down. Even then, he was slightly taller than Damian. Father was a large man.

Damian sniveled, offering his bloodied hand for observation. Father took it gingerly and began to gently prod at Damian’s minuscule fingers.

Damian had suffered much worse during his training and on patrol and was well aware that Father knew he was playing this up. Like, a lot. Presumably, the ‘world's greatest detective’ also knew his sons motives.

“I-I was c-cutting an orange a-and someone snuck up b-behind m-me!” He gasped, sucking in large gulps of air between his sobs, just as he had seen the misbehaved children and the park do.

Perfect.

“What man?” Father inquiered, looking around at the crowd. Damian reeled, pointing a shaking finger at the man accusingly. He still wore his suit jacket, a red swipe of Damian’s blood across the pocket, he was also turning to walk away. Only guilty men attempted to escape. Father nodded to Jim Gordon, who had been running security at that nights event, before turning back to Damian.

“I think this needs stitches.” He said, grabbing a cloth napkin to press against Damian’s hand. “Come on, we’ll go to Leslie’s.” And then, much to Damian’s surprise, Father lifted Damian by his underarms and rested the ten year old on his hip, motioning to Cassandra to follow. Damian stiffened, unused to the feeling of being held like this, of his feet dangling above the ground even though he was not in shackles. Father didn’t seem to mind though, and was able to easily support Damian’s small weight on only a single arm.

From over Father’s shoulder, Damian could see the other guests of the gala stare at the trio as they left the hall. Most of their faces held concern, some confusion at Bruce’s relatively calm hold on the rather bloody situation. Damian ceased his tears as the crowd became smaller, but hid his face in the collar of Bruce’s coat nonetheless. He never liked the feeling of eyes boring into him, of having all the attention on him when he was out as a civilian. It was unnerving, even if he would never admit it.

Bruce hadn’t said anything about the incident as they left, but Cassandra sent her brother a knowing look. Damian knew he would not be getting out of giving his sister the full run through of tonight's events later in the evening. He had a feeling he would not be in trouble though. After all, as a civilian child, a cut such as so would have them heading for the hospital whether he played it up or not. He was only staying in character acting as he was.

Father had acted well too, playing the part of the concerned parent and comforting Damian. No doubt it would be the top headline by the following morning, pictures everywhere.

Pennyworth was waiting by the main entrance for them, a gauze wrap in his hands for a temporary bandage.

Cass was looking at Damian again, a soft smile on her lips as Pennyworth began to wrap the tender cut. Father had yet to put him down and Damian was beginning to wonder why. After all, he hadn’t really been in danger and, even if he had been, Damian was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, thank you.  

But, even as Pennyworth secured the wrap and the buildings staff opened the door for them Father did not loosen his hold. And still, when they stepped into the cool autumn air, Father went further as to place a hand on Damian's back and honestly, the boy couldn’t tell whether the act had been continued for the sake of the few valets tending the entrance or, if it was simply just a dad, looking for an excuse to hold his son.

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