#cps au

[iliketrainmen]

Silver finds an interesting book in the school library. This leads him to discovering his brother's blunder years.

(An actual comic from Train? What is this, 2022?)

[destinywillowleaf]

read @iliketrainmen's fic, got inspired, now this exists =) someone should probably get napkins before the Stack melts too much (seriously go read it, it's a treat)

bonus versions below the cut with cameos and different lighting because that's who i am as a person

[dannyphantomphan]

Hear me out venom x Danny phantom crossover where Eddie saves walker and sparks his obsession

Venom prompt - Eddie decides he wants a career change, but still wants to help ppl. He'd also like an easier way to find bad ppl for Venom to munch on. After some deliberation, he decides to go into Child Protective Services.

This is their favorite part.

Every officer had their nightmare situation. Losing a case, and seeing the children taken back by the last people who should be allowed near them. The poor children taking the stand, the prosecutor turning on them. The photos sent from the examining doctor.

But this, this is pretty bad too. Certainly on some people’s worst nightmares. The first time they walk into the house for a welfare check and they just know. There’s something so utterly wrong, and the longer the child stays, the worse it’ll be.

It’s nothing quite clear at first, at least to a normal person. Someone without Venom’s nose for blood and Eddie’s sixth sense of suffering. The house is soaked in both, clinging to the little lace doilies over the backs of the chairs, the perfectly dusted framed photographs. A man and a woman. Always just two. No sign of a child.

According to the adoption records, little Jed Walker was adopted by the couple two years ago. There are no school admissions records though, no listing with the doctor.

And the neighbours have heard screams. Screams for months, maybe years, until a daughter came home from college and called CPS.

And CPS sent Eddie.

The front door was locked, but these idiots clearly believed no one would ever find the spare key under the flowerpot. They leave the key on the table, and checks upstairs. There’s a child’s bedroom, but it’s clearly never been used, and posters are decades out a date. A grown child’s bedroom, kept for paternal nostalgia. It smells of dust and lint up here, and Eddie closes their eyes, and follows their nose.

They go back down, run fingers over the ancient, faded wallpaper until they find the bump of a covered door. Venom wells from his shoulder and presses through the crack and- oh. He knows that smell. He’s tasted it on countless worlds, the dying days before they were devoured by his species. 

The blood, the weeping desperation and despair.

Eddie, Venom coils back inside him, shivers. A child, Eddie.

“Yeah.” He fits his fingers into the shallow crack between the door and the frame. It takes Venom a moment to gather himself before claws emerge from their hands, tearing into the door and wrenching it it free. The damp wood cracks and pops, the lock hanging loose like a lost tooth.

“Hey.” Eddie calls. “You in there?”

There’s no sound, but it’s a particularly kind of not-sound, like a small child, holding their breath.

Eddie finds their torch. “It’s okay.” He keeps his voice low, but Venom coils around his vocal cords, turning into a heavy purr. “I’m here to get you out, Jed. I can call you Jed, right?”

The concrete stairs are damp and slippery, the torch picks out the water stains, the mold, the rats scurrying in the corners. His nose is reeling from the stench of unwashed body and the ammonia of piss and fear. “I’m Eddie,” He continues, “But you can call us Venom, okay?”

“‘k.” It’s so small, Eddie barely catches it. He follows the sound with the torch and the boy cringes, covering his eyes.

“Okay, a bit too bright, yeah?” Eddie lowers the light. The boy is pale and shivering, clothes far too small and worn through at the knees and elbows. His eyes seem too big, his hair long and lank, crawling with lice. “Do you want to hold it?”

The boy stares at him for a moment, then jerks his head in a brief nod. Eddie hands him the torch and takes out his back up. “This is where you live?”

Another pause, another nod. “Well, I’m not crazy about animals, so how about you help me out? Want to go upstairs and get a glass of milk?”

The look of terror on the boy’s face says it all. “It’s okay.” Eddie puts a hand on his shoulder, gently steering him towards the stairs. “I don’t like it down here, I’m scared of rats. Are you scared of rats?”

The boy shrugs. “The spiders are okay.”

“I’m scared of spiders too. You have to be really brave-” he keeps the boy talking until they make their slow, stumbling way out of the basement.

He looks even worse in the late afternoon light. The boy cringes, covering his face, his eyes watering. He flinches as a car rattles into the driveway.

And this- this is Eddie’s favourite part. He grins, and keeps on grinning. The boy’s eyes grow wide as Venom’s smile unzips his, drawing out endless razor sharp teeth. His mouth drops open, but he’s no longer shivering.

“Showtime.” They purr.

The guardians must have seen them inside, because they charge into the house, slamming the door behind them. Eddie catches sight of the man’s bloated face, red-white like badly mixed ice-cream, the woman’s face, just as pale and tight with rage. “What are you-”

Then they see them, and stop. Their mouths drop open, they start back to the door-

But Venom moves first.

When Eddie looks up, sucking down a length of intestine, the boy is standing very still, his hands over his eyes. Good. “Smart kid.” Venom agrees, and they go back to their meal.

 After cleaning themselves off, and mopping the floor. Eddie helps the boy to a glass of milk and a sandwich, and leads him out to the car.

He doesn’t say anything, staring at them with bright eyes. Eddie’s just started the engine when a small hand wraps around his arm. “You stop bad people, Mr Venom?”

Venom pushes free of Eddie’s shoulder and grin. “We eat bad people,” He agrees. “Tell us if you find more.”

The boy meets Venom’s eyes, and Eddie’s. He nods solemnly.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

oh hey! i was reading a fic the other day where Wangji was once misspelled as Wangu. which leads me to: MDZS Pingu-style??? noot noot!

Do you think love can bloom on the sea ice?

[vln-vibes]

Bright Hope, Mighty Will

The Green Lantern Corps have lost many members over its years— a risk that came with maintaining the peace as told by the Guardians. Most of the rings reassigned to a new member of its given sector but on occasion there would come those that were so attached to its wielder that they would not accept another unless they resonated with their predecessors ideals.

It’s one such ring that had been on Oa with no new lantern to wield it. Or it had been.

The Blue Lanterns were still a growing group with whom the Corps had a close alliance thanks to their symbiotic relationship; after all a Blue power ring was at its highest potential when near a Green power ring and vice versa. So why not look for users together?

The rings were set off as a pair in an attempt to create a powerful Union and birthing the most powerful duo either Corps had ever seen.

Meanwhile in Sector 2814, on the third planet from its star— Earth, a small family from the Midwest were camping out in the woods after their youngest begged to see the shooting stars where they’d be the most visible. The oldest child explained to their parents that it was a good way to channel the younger’s passion for space and science much like their own. Everything had been well until the elder duo’s sensors brought up a strange signature from deeper in the wood— Ecto-entities or ghosts as they’d called them. Before being able to drag the children with them the youngest stood his ground and refused to be taken away from his stars, the elder assured that she could take care of her younger brother and that they’d be fine alone (they were alone even when in the same house more often than not)

The sun had since set, the telescope set up, blanket had been laid with snacks for them to consume as they sat in wait with jackets to help with the night chill. The duo sat near the campfire as the younger's anticipation grew but the thought of their parent's absences did as well. They'd been left home alone before but they were only 8 and 10 years old, in the middle of the wilderness with no way to guide them back home or even find where their parent's ghost hunting led them.

"Don't worry little brother, I'm sure mom and dad will be back soon"

"Ye-yeah! Besides mom knows how to kick butt, they'll be fine"

"Look!"

The duo took their gazes to the skies as the twinkling night was accompanied by steaks of white dashing by. The older grabbed her slightly old model camera and took photos of the unsuspecting boy's awe filled gaze before he could complain. He stuck his tongue out at her before turning to his telescope, doing his best to follow the streaks in the sky until no longer visible to him. The girl just took to taking some more photos to show their parents once they'd returned. It'd go on for a while like that, the stars as their only witnesses as they joked around.

"Hey that one's green! And that one's blue!"

She lifted her head from looking at her camera's saved photos to find the twin streaks flying together, a quick click of her camera to save such a strange occasion. She wasn't an astronomy expert but she didn't think shooting stars came in those colors. Taking her gaze off of the small screen and looking back up she noted the bigger size.

"Are they getting closer?"

"Maybe they'll land near here. How cool would it be to see them up close?!"

It was as though those words triggered something as the two stars seemingly stopped flying and began their rapid descent. Straight for them.

"They're headed right for us!"

"Run!"

The duo quickly picked up their discarded flashlights and began running away from the clearing their parents had chosen. No matter how fast or further away they got the stars still trailed towards them. The numerous twists and turns never deterring the streaks of light, even as the elder held the younger's hand in an iron grip to prevent them from losing each other or as the younger turned them around and took haphazard turns in an effort to get them away.

"Everything's gonna be alright!"

She panted as they approached another clearing, no idea where their own was but still looking and seeing the stars much closer to them, the lights were blinding. She felt her body get pushed aside and the roll of cold grass on her back, hair getting tangled with small twigs and a familiar but smaller body land on top of hers.

"Look out!"

They closed their eyes and braced for impact feeling a sudden breeze and a slight shake but nothing else. Until they heard different voices echo. Looking gazes and noticing the glowing eyes the other had they sat up--- only to be met by glowing, floating ----rings?

[Sentience located]

[Daniel James Fenton of Earth, you have been chosen]

[Jasmine Dahlia Fenton of Earth, you have been chosen]

[You have the ability to Overcome great fear]

[You have the ability to instill great Hope]

[Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps]

[Welcome to the Blue Lantern Corps]

A bright flash of blue and green surrounded the duo, hands still clasped and feeling a tug on their unoccupied hands, the warmth traveling on their bodies before disappearing altogether.

"Jazz what are you wearing?"

"What am I wearing!? What are you wearing Danny? Is that your old astronaut costume?"

Jazz noted the blue ring on top of her opera gloved right hand, also clenching the handle of a blue lit lantern? She could feel her knee length puffy blue dress move with the night breeze but didn't feel cold. White boots with blue bottoms kicked a pebble to the side, hearing it hit the nearby lake. Given the full moon she took a gaze at her reflection, finding her usual teal ribbon replaced by a giant blue bow at the back of her head and her eyes glowing a brilliant blue.

Danny was busy looking at his green suit, looking much like the costume he wore in a near daily basis when he was five until he started school. His own white gloves had puffier cuffs which reminded him of the astronaut costumes he and Tucker had looked at online for Halloween the year before, green ring also on his right, shaking the green weird lamp in the process. He pulled at the black suspenders before joining Jazz at the lake. His raven locks now had a single green streak near his bangs and icy blues now a vivid green.

"Cool"

Jazz was panicking, wondering what this could mean; what was a Blue Lantern anyway? Why did it choose her? And why was Danny green?

"Whoa!" Her glowing eyes turned to Danny but couldn't find him, hearing the sudden clatter of something falling on the floor and seeing the lantern rolling on its side, had he fallen in the water?!

"Danny!"

"Up here!" her eyes widened as he little brother flew above her, laughing as he looped around in the air, "C'mon Jazz!"

"How did you do that?" her eyes never leaving the faintly green glowing boy, "Can I do that?"

[You can. Just have Hope]

Trusting the voice in her head she reassured herself that they would be fine before feeling the ground disappear from under her feet and got closer to Danny, dropping her own lantern next to Danny's. She felt her surprise turn into a smile before doing a cartwheel in the air and the giggles escape from her.

Neither took track of time as they flew above the clearing before Danny had the idea to race above the lake, streak of blue and green reflected on its surface as it rippled from their speed. It wasn't until they flew back to the clearing that they remembered--- they had no idea where they ran off to. There hadn't been a lake where they'd set up camp.

"Mo-mom and dad will find us Danny! We'll be okay" They had to be okay, they would be fine. The idea of flying above the trees to look for their clearing was tempting but she had no idea how long it would take; did these things run on batteries? Would the power run out soon? Can they even take off these outfits? It'd be weird to be stuck like this for forever. If mom and dad find them what will they think of the glowing? It reminded her a bit too much of how the ectoplasm in the basement glowed whenever she or Danny were dragged downstairs and the substance covered near all the surfaces (that's when they'd know dad was making them clean up)

Whilst Jazz marinated in her thoughts and worries Danny couldn't help but think if there was a way to ask for help, though even if they had phones he doubted they'd even have service or know how to guide help towards them.

[Activating Emergency Beacon for Sector 2814]

"Huh? Emergency beacon?"

"What was that Danny?" Jazz snapped out of her thoughts as she heard his confusion, noting the slight pulsing now coming from his ring.

"I-I think my ring asked for help?"

"...Let's hope that's a good thing "

The brother-sister duo took to sitting by the lake once more, still viewing the stars above and keeping an ear out for any sign of their parents--- they were never quiet for too long. Especially when 'ghost-hunting', not that ghosts actually existed.

They were starting to get hungry again, having not touched their assorted snacks before the whole fiasco began when a steak of green, followed by another, approached the horizon. The first stopped, the second following suit... Were they like them? It looked like two people flying now that they weren't moving so fast. They were too far to properly see but it looked like they were searching for something.

Danny's ring flared up in quick brilliant flash before going back to its blinking; it seemed that was the cue the two in the sky were looking for as they made their way towards them.

"I think that's our ride Jazzy"

The duo finally hovered above the lake shore, the surprise clear on their faces even as one had a mask on.

"Hello, I am Green Lantern John Stewart of Sector 2814" the first man with matching vivid green eyes like Danny elbowed the man next to him.

"Uhh and I'm Green Lantern Hal Jordan of Sector 2814" he said sheepishly, running his white gloved hand through brown locks of hair. "You're the ones who send the distress call, what sector are you from?"

"Sector?" the duo looked at each other confused before Jazz remembered what the rings had said. "I- I think they said 2814?"

The duo looked surprised, disbelief easily conveyed even though Mr. Jordan's mask, actually he seemed more surprised than Mr. Stewart. "I'm sorry but what planet are you from?"

"Earth? I mean its not like--- Are aliens real!?" Danny's wariness disappeared and hovered in the air as he said it, "That's so cool!"

"You two are Earth children then" Mr. Stewart's eyes gained a dark look as he said so, "How long have you had the rings?"

"Umm I'm not really sure" Danny turned to his sister for guidance only to find her rubbing her arm nervously "Maybe an hour or two?"

Mr. Jordan's look matched Mr. Stewart's, like they were mad but they didn't seem mad at them like the teachers would when they caught him and Tucker talking during class. It was like whenever mom and dad's inventions malfunction and they'd go to school with bruises. (Those days mom and dad would mention their teachers calling them, they were always busy with the portal and never answered)

"Do you know what those are?" Mr. Jordan bent down to Danny's level, pointing at the matching green ring. Danny looked at his and wiggled his fingers.

"Not really? The voice said welcome to the Green Lantern cops?"

"Close, little man" Mr. Jordan chuckled, "My friend and I are part of the Green Lantern Corps. We help protect the universe, pretty much space cops if ya ask me"

"You get to travel into space! Awesome!" Danny literally brightened as his green glow intensified. "But why isn't hers green?"

"Your friend is actually part of the Blue Lantern Corps. They're a little different from us but we work together from time to time. They like to spread hope throughout the universe"

"Hope. It said I had the power to instill great hope. But why me? And why did they choose him?" her voice wavered as she turned to Mr. Stewart with a grave lookin his eyes.

"That... That is something neither of us can answer for you" he admitted, a solemn lookin his eyes as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "But we'll do our best to help you two with this"

"Its unprecedented for either Corps to choose children" Mr.Jordan frowned before looking towards Danny again, "What are you two doing in the middle of the woods?"

"I wanted to see the stars" Danny admitted sheepishly, all of this started from his request to their parents. They wouldn't be in this mess if he just watched from home like always, heck Mr. and Mrs.Foley had offered to take Danny and Tucker camping once school let out if he wanted to (but no he couldn't wait a month, he needed them now). "So mom and dad brought us camping but then the stars--- the rings started chasing us and we got lost"

"That must of been scary huh guys?" Mr.Jordan gave a look to Mr.Stewart and the man walked away a bit, placing a finger into his ear and whispering. How weird.

"So you guys are siblings?" he turned to Jazz, she just nodded slowly, took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. She kept rubbing the blue ring on her hand as she did. "Do you guys mind telling me your name?'

Jazz still had that worried look in her eyes, like when she knew the turkey would come back to life in any second but mom kept saying it'd be fine. (Jazz was always right, it was always the same every Christmas). His sister liked to think she was a grown up and didn't get nervous talking with strangers but she was still a kid like him. He would be brave for Jazz!

"I'm Danny and that's my big sis Jazz"

"Its nice to meet you two, or well at least know your names now?"

"Jordan"

"Hold right there"

The two adults just kept talking in whispers, looking back at them every few seconds, Jazz wasn't sure what to make of them but they were the ones who knew the most about the situation. Danny also had a pretty good sense for people and they seemed friendly but she also knew better than to trust complete strangers. Stranger danger was very much ingrained to them at a young age. Jazz knew it was rude but couldn't help but hear Mr.Jordan's outburst of "Seriously, nothing? Its been hours"

It seemed like forever before the adults came back and gave them strained smiles in turn.

"Well kids we're going to help you guys find your camp and make sure you get back to your parents" Mr.Jordan winked.

"We'll also explain more about the rings and what they mean while we wait. Sounds like a plan?" Mr. Stewart made sure to look at them in the eyes and didn't move until they both nodded in agreement.

"Okay"

The brother-sister duo didn't know what they were getting into when they went camping that day but everything was in motion, a new path diverging in time to create a brilliant new future; tragedy, love, and courage would always be on their path no matter how much he'd tried to avoid, it was inevitable. He could only witness as they embarked on this journey together and bring about the Rebirth with allies at their sides.

And he couldn't wait to meet them again, in due time.

[glow-worms-are-believers]

Giving up the Ghul (dp x dc)

Nyssa Al Ghul had been empty inside, for so very long. Since the camps, something had broken in her that she knew would never be fixed and she was going through life in a daze.

Still, she had been someone once. A warrior, a leader, and habits were hard to break when you’d been trained by her father. So she had been aware of her half-sister, Talia, being pregnant, she hadn’t cared but she’d known. What she hadn’t known until just now was that Talia had had twins. 

Twins. Nyssa almost wanted to laugh. How come her sister was blessed with two babies and she was left with memories of holding her dead children in her arms? Ra’s had permitted these twins but he hadn’t deign lift a finger to save Nyssa’s family, as if they were dirt under his boots.

The injustice was veritably choking her, as she struggled to breathe evenly. 

No, this is not fair, she thought. And it will not stand.

It had taken weeks of planing after that to make sure everything was in place, but eventually she’d managed, and here she was being rewarded by the small child yawning in her arms.

“Danyal,” she remembered having heard them call him. The other one, she could not find. He was likely with a wet-nurse or his mother, leaving his twin unattended. 

Ripe for the taking.

“It’s only fair,” she murmured to herself.

After all sisters should share.

[littlecrittereli]

just one of those days man...

THIS IS SO LOW QUALITY HELP LOL

ignore that I can't draw very well rn I'm very focused on school so not much time to doodle

[azraelcreates]

My Sona With Many Wally Plushies!!! 🍎✨

[puppetmaster13u]

Thinkin of @radiance1's Prompt & the Threads that @hdgnj joined in on. And got inspired by them alongside *insert a drumroll please*

Merfolk.

It is Mermay after all lol. But anyway!

Danny? Can't remember why he reincarnated, or quite how old he was when he died a second... third... fourth... however many times. He thinks he was an adult- or adult adjacent? But now he's not.

In fact? He's tiny, with pudgy little hands that press against glass and it's weird how he's somehow breathing in the liquid which is freezing. Which is what honestly drives him to hit it- and it shatters.

Which brings him to realize? He has no legs. None. Nadda. He's like, like some sort of seal-person, if they had stripes and spines and a too-long tail. And some medical equipment still attached that he practically rips away with a jolt of terror, even if he isn't sure why.

He's in a hall or room, with lots of other tubes, some empty but most... not. Most have things in them, things that look sort of like him but also not... He tears his gaze away from them, already knowing they're dead even before reading the terminated in front of them.

Oh. He has... information? Information in his head, downloaded into it almost like burning a CD. He's a clone. No, not a clone, it's something more like... a test tube baby? Three donors, though he isn't aware of what their names mean.

If it is names and not like, codenames or code words.

His movement is so very slow, it's obvious that while he's able to go on land he's very much not designed to do so. But eventually he makes it somewhere, not an exit but something he's so very happy to have not missed.

There's another alive person, labeled 1 instead of 9 and bigger than him but missing the spines he has. A sibling. A brother. And he's going to get the both of them out of here- there's water tunnels, he knows that, it's part of the information in his head.

.... Okay it's not fair that he has a scruff he can be grabbed by. Like that's so not fair. Look, they have to go that way if you want out, c'mon.

Extra Info? -Technically the merfolk of the world are more akin to selkies, able to take on a human form via shedding their skin -Danny & Match aren't aware of this, hence why they don't just start walking -Around 2/3 of the entire world is merpeople or other similar fantasy creatures -Yes, this is after the not-sidekicks break Superboy (#13) out & before the episode where he learns about Match

[fl00mie]

reminder that

thanks for your attention

[inanimateinsanityrsau]

oj buddy. Do you really not have Any other hobbies.

i just... haven't had a lot of time for them, recently.

[salarymanwaka]

[sorryiliketoscreenshot]

Mistress of Revels

[buff-muffin]

Au where the ASL brothers somehow get stranded on an abandoned forest island and it’s a lord of the flies situation but not really where they just become half feral and rely on each others. Horrifying bonus points if it’s somehow the island Luffy trained on for two years. And they are just impossibly strong before either, a. Getting found by someone or b. Setting sail themselves and they bite every marine they meet.

[mecachrome]

lando was honestly so real for saying he could picture oscar as a male gymnast because i also think oscar could effortlessly pull off nerdy cuber pommel horse specialist

[alittlepudge-neverhurtnobody]

kinktober #31

31. Monster Mash 💀 / Black Mail 💌

It’s Halloween and Bitty has officially been working at Zimmermann’s for two whole months. He’s forged an uneasy détente with Betsy, as he’s named the espresso machine, even though he still doesn’t really trust her. And maybe more importantly, he’s forged a truce with Jack, too, but that feels easier and easier with each passing shift. 

Maybe a little too easy, Bitty worries when he makes Jack laugh or catches him looking in his direction. His blue eyes are deep enough to fall into, and Bitty’s not sure he could make himself climb out. He hasn’t made his queerness any secret, but Jack is impossible to read, and the last thing Bitty needs after finally getting on Jack’s good side is a big, dumb crush on a straight guy.

Not that he doesn’t already have a big, dumb crush, to be clear. He’d just like some clarity before he gets in even further over his head. 

And his crush isn't the only thing that’s gotten bigger. Bitty’s been trying so dang hard not to notice the weight Jack has gained, not to let his gaze linger on the mound of Jack’s belly beneath his apron or the strain of his thick thighs against the seams of his pants or Lord, his butt. Jack’s butt is — the first word that comes to mind is shapely, which is mortifying because it’s exactly the kind of thing Bitty’s mama would say. But it’s true! Bitty has to look away every time Jack bends over behind the counter for his own sanity.

Today, Jack ducks out from the back of house brushing crumbs from his hands and shoots Bitty a sheepish smile. The cat ears Bitty brought two pairs of — just in case — are perched on his head, only a little darker than the hair falling into Jack’s eyes. Bitty’s own pair is orange tabby, but obviously Jack is the quintessential mysterious black cat. It took suspiciously little argument to convince him to put them on. 

His Halloween playlist is a different story. He’s just waiting for Jack to notice that every fifth song is “The Monster Mash.”

“Quiet today,” says Jack, nodding at the rain streaming down the front windows. He spoons ground decaf into a pour-over filter and fills the gooseneck kettle from the hot water tap. Bitty shudders; it’s sad enough that Jack has some hangup about desserts, poor thing, but restricting himself from caffeine might be even sadder. “I think someone else is supposed to come in at noon, too.”

Bitty’s heart sinks a little. “Someone else?”

“Yeah, one of the closers. His name’s, uh, well, on the schedule he’s Byron, but he tells everyone to call him Shitty. I doubt we’ll need him, though.”

“Why?”

“The children’s hospital does a trunk or treat event, and so does the daycare down the street, and we tend to get a lot of traffic from those. At least when the weather’s better.” Then, catching Bitty’s furrowed eyebrows, “Oh, why is he called Shitty? I have no idea. He didn’t explain and I didn’t ask.”

Bitty sniffs. “Bless his heart.” He knows it’s unfair; Shitty, despite the odds, is probably a perfectly decent guy. But someone else is going to disrupt the careful dynamic Bitty and Jack have settled into; someone else will be funnier or more professional or better at steaming milk. Or worse, he’ll be obnoxious and Jack will make himself scarce to do shift manager things and Bitty will be stuck with some guy who voluntarily calls himself Shitty. 

He watches Jack make his cup of decaf. The rain patters down the windows. It’s already past eleven-thirty, so his time alone with Jack is ticking. 

“Do you have Halloween plans?” he tries, and Jack laugh-scoffs.

“No. I’m not much for parties.”

“What about scary movies?”

“Not really. What about you?”

“Nope, no plans! Just handing out candy; my neighborhood is mostly college students, but there are a few families with kids who get excited when someone actually answers the door for trick-or-treating.”

Jack smiles a little. “I bet you give out really good candy.”

Bitty’s chest warms like he just dumped twelve ounces of freshly brewed coffee on himself, sweet but sloppy. This feels like playing with fire. But still, he says, “You bet I do, mister. King-size bars or bust. I got called ‘fun size’ too much as a kid to ever inflict them on other people.”

Jack actually laughs this time, and Bitty goes on, energized, “Besides, what’s fun about something tiny? The bigger the better, if you ask me!”

He stops just as quickly, and for a moment he and Jack try not to look at each other. He’s almost certain he’s said too much, but he’s Bitty and he doesn’t know how to defuse a situation other than to keep fucking talking. 

“And I do like scary movies,” he continues, trying to keep smiling, keep his tone light, even as he fears his expression is starting to look crazed. “When I have” — when I have a big, soft man to cuddle and hold me during the jump scares — “someone to watch with, you know.”

“I think I’m too jumpy,” says Jack, and Bitty stares at him for a moment before he realizes that it’s a very reasonable response to what he said. “I wouldn’t be much comfort.”

He turns and busies himself removing the filter and grounds from the ceramic pour-over cone, leaving Bitty to wonder if that was supposed to be pointed or if he’s way overthinking what Jack has interpreted as a normal conversation. 

“Well,” he says, trying to keep his voice even, “if you want a king-size candy bar later, just give me a holler. I’ll save one for you.”

“Merci,” murmurs Jack, rinsing the ceramic cone. “So … you really like food, eh?”

Bitty pauses in the middle of drying a mug. “Of course! What’s not to like? Food is sacred. Food is love! I’m a Southern transplant, remember. Butter’s practically part of our religion.”

Jack’s quiet. His text message from weeks ago blooms at the back of Bitty’s eyes — I just have a hard time with food sometimes. I have a hard time letting myself enjoy things — and Bitty kicks himself, hard and then harder. What’s not to like? Probably a lot, for someone who struggles with food! 

“I finally, um,” says Jack into the quiet, and then he stops short. Bitty braces for whatever’s coming.

“Is that ‘The Monster Mash’ again?”

—

Jack knows he’s gotten heavier. He’s sized up his pants and his uniform shirt and can’t deny how much more comfortably he can move with a little extra room. Does he love that he’s eating multiple hand pies almost every day? Well. He wouldn’t, if they’d been made by just about anyone else.

He’s been trying to go easier on himself. He runs every morning like clockwork, and he’s steadily improving his speed and endurance. He’s got a big frame and he’s always had a big appetite. What does it matter if he’s eating more and gaining weight? Sure, he doesn’t like the way his workout clothes cling and stick or the way he can feel sweat pool beneath his pecs and his belly when he stops at a crosswalk. He doesn’t love the curves of the silhouette he cuts in storefront windows. But his body feels good when he’s running, and maybe it is as simple as what George suggested: Run a more residential route where there are no windows to see yourself in. Focus on how the movement makes you feel, not how you look when you’re doing it. 

He’d told her about how he’d frozen up as soon as he was hit with the one-two punch of a thin, cute new coworker and his omnipresent plates of baked goods. How his impulse to restrict had immediately locked horns with his trained recovery response of it’s okay to eat what you want. He’d been angry about the temptation — how dare Bittle disrupt his fragile success at eating like a regular person — and angrier at himself for giving in so easily. And the thing about restriction is that it’s a slippery slope. If I eat one hand pie, I’ll have a salad for lunch inevitably becomes well, I had dressing on the salad, so I’ll just have an apple for dinner. Well, I ate the apple too late, so I’ll skip breakfast tomorrow. I skipped breakfast, so I can have two hand pies, but I can’t have lunch after. It never fucking ends.

Except he’s working on thinking that maybe it can.

He sips his coffee. Drinking it black isn’t his preference, but he’s still working back up to putting any kind of milk or sweetener into it. 

Why do you think you feel so nervous around Eric? George had asked.

Um, Jack had stalled. I want to impress him, I guess. I want him to like me and think that I’m as attractive as I think he is. 

And why do you think his association with food has been so triggering for you?

Because — it felt like a trap. I wanted to be cool about it but I also didn’t feel like I could be attractive if I ate like that. Or — if I wanted to be able to eat like that, I had to restrict whatever else I ate, because otherwise it would be too much.

Do you still feel like that?

Jack thinks about the way Bitty beams when he sees Jack eating something he made. He thinks about how he keeps catching Bitty’s eyes on him, the same appreciative look he used to see on people when he was thinner. He thinks about Bitty. 

No. 

He clears his throat. Bitty is watching him, his brown eyes doelike and a little skittish. It looks strange on his normally open, cheerful face. “I, uh, finally talked to my therapist,” he says, with a little laugh at his own expense. “About the food stuff. It’s getting a little better.”

“I’m sorry,” says Bitty instantly. “I shouldn’t have ���”

“No, no,” Jack overlaps. “I wish I could feel the way you do about food. I wish it felt that good for me. I wish it all felt as good as — your food.”

Bitty’s in danger of dropping the mug he’s been drying for the last five minutes. As he opens his mouth, the bell dings over the door and Shitty rolls in.

“Zimmermann! What is up, my man? Other dude I don’t know! What’s up, other dude I don’t know?”

Jack almost laughs at how befuddled Bitty looks. “Hey, Shitty. This is B — this is Eric. He’s been doing the mid shift for the past few months.”

“Bitty,” says Bitty. “You can call me Bitty.”

“Bitty!” Shitty crows, hopping over the counter instead of opening the little built-in gate. “Bitty and Shitty. Love a rhyme, my man. Love a rhyme.”

He strolls into the back of house, whistling. Bitty stares after him, looking slightly undone. The corners of Jack’s mouth tug down.

“He’s handsome, right?” he says, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

Bitty’s eyes swing back to Jack, blond brows furrowed. “What?”

“Shitty. I mean, he’s a pretty good-looking guy, right? Besides the name.” Because Jack knows what a lot of guys like. He’s been on the apps. Sure, he deleted them all a few minutes later, because the whole thing was so uncomfortable and mortifying, but he’s seen the kind of guys on there: tight bodies with six-packs, defined pecs, thick mustaches, chiseled jaws covered in stubble. Jack has stubble and soft pecs that are definitely visible through his shirt, and that’s about it. 

“Um,” says Bitty. “I mean, I don’t want to be impolite, but —” He glances behind him, then lowers his voice. “He’s not … really my type? I don’t like men with too many muscles.”

Before Jack can properly process that, Shitty’s voice comes at top volume from the back of house. “Bitty! Are you the pie fairy?”

“That’s me!” Bitty calls back. “Wherever I go, pies appear.”

“Sick! Jack, dude, have you tried these? They’re fuckin’ ’swawesome.”

“Yeah,” says Jack, but his eyes are on Bitty’s. “They’re amazing.”

Bitty blinks. He looks behind him uncertainly as Shitty ambles back out, apron tied loosely around his waist. 

“Zimmermann, my man,” he says, clocking in with a flourish, “you are rocking those ears.”

Jack reaches up and startles: he’d forgotten the cat ears. “Oh. Thanks. Bittle — it was Bittle’s idea.”

“Bitty, you must be a miracle worker,” says Shitty. “If you told me when I started here that I would one day see the great Jack Zimmermann being voluntarily fun and whimsical, I would have asked for some of whatever you were smoking because it must have been good.”

Jack flushes. Bitty’s eyes grow wider.

“I’m, um,” he says, taking a slow step back. “I’m going to take my break, if that’s okay.”

“Absolutely,” says Shitty, tossing a Sharpie up in the air and catching it behind his back. Jack watches Bitty go, and even though he’s been working with Shitty practically since Zimmermann’s opened, even though Shitty is the only coworker Jack has ever hung out with outside of work, he feels like the room gets a little darker once Bitty is gone.

Shitty keeps chatting, drifting from one end of the counter to the other as he continues to toss the Sharpie up and do increasingly complicated maneuvers to catch it. Jack doesn’t process any of it. 

“Hey, man,” says Shitty, waving a hand in Jack’s face. “Earth to Z-man. You good?”  

“What? Yeah. Just — zoning out. What did you say?”

“Just asked if it’s been busy today.”

“Oh. No, it’s been quiet. Hey, uh, I’ll be right back, okay?”

Shitty raises an eyebrow. “Sure.” Then, a moment later: “Yo, is this ‘The Monster Mash?’ Hell yes, dude.”

It takes everything Jack’s got not to chase Bitty down in the back of house. Instead, he measures his steps and stops a few yards from where Bitty’s pretzeled into a corner, his phone awkwardly plugged into the outlet under the little row of cubbies for employee belongings. Because the back of house doubles as the bulk storage area, he’s sitting on a box of paper cups, his weight barely making a dent in the cardboard.

“Hey,” he says quietly.

Bitty’s head snaps up. “Oh! Hi. Has it been fifteen minutes?”

“No.” He scours the storage boxes for something that might hold his weight, but decides not to chance it. “Uh, I just wanted to — it felt like we were sort of … in the middle of something. Before Shitty came in.”

Bitty watches him carefully. “What kind of something?”

“I don’t know,” says Jack, a little helplessly. God, he wishes Bitty would stand up. He feels huge and hulking looming over him, like the giant in a fairy tale. “I’m kind of new at this. But I guess … I hope it’s something?”

It’s a long moment before Bitty says, “Me too.”

Then, without moving from his cramped position on the box, he adds, “So you’re not into Shitty?”

Jack kicks out a laugh. “No. Definitely not. But, um …”

“Yes?” says Bitty, unfolding his small frame and taking a step toward Jack. 

“But I am into you,” says Jack softly, and when Bitty takes another step closer, they both lean in.

Bitty’s mouth is warm and soft, and he tastes like sugar and coffee. He has to stand on his toes to reach Jack’s lips, and when his hands land on the bulges at Jack’s sides, Jack barely thinks of flinching.

“That’s good news,” Bitty whispers into his mouth, several seconds into the kiss. “Because I’m pretty into you, too, mister. If you haven’t noticed.”

“I told you,” murmurs Jack. “I’m new at this.”

“Doing fine to me, sweetheart,” says Bitty, and even though Jack knows this is what people call falling, it’s been a long time since he’s felt so steady. 

He forgets Shitty’s out front manning the counter. He forgets that they’re in the storeroom of his father’s flagship coffee shop. He forgets to feel bad about himself. He forgets everything except for Bitty in front of him.

They kiss. They kiss. And then they just stand, Bitty’s head tucked beneath Jack’s chin, the honey scent of his shampoo wafting up. Bitty’s arms snug around Jack, somehow still a perfect fit.

“The Monster Mash” starts up again from the stereo.

“You hear that, Mr. Zimmermann?” says Bitty, batting his eyes as Jack laughs. “They’re playing our song.”