#dan let me sit with you i want to discuss

[scream-cam]

getting so excited for the tit playlist

[dcxdpdabbles]

Any new ideas for congratulations! It's triplets? Love the idea of Jason just freaking out and trying to figure out how to build a relationship with his kids while being made fun of by his family and said kids. Especially if he goes overprotective mode because Danny has clown trauma too and gets snagged by the joker

Jason watches as Danny- his son.- impatiently taps his fingers against the table. His boy's gaze was looking at everything, taking in the big fancy Wayne Mannor with a sort of disinterest he was not expecting of a child so young.

His sister and Brother- both with alarmingly similar names- were also disinterested, but Dani was swinging her legs, and Dan was tapping his spoon and fork against the table in a fast-paced drumming.

It's strange to know he would fidget a lot as a kid but he always resorted to finger tapping. Was the tripples little habit from him? He wonders what else they inherited and what he missed out on seeing.

"I don't understand," Jasmine said, overlooking the contract Bruce's lawyers wrote up. " Why would you want custody now? It's been five years."

"I didn't know." Jason swallows past the lump in his throat as she gives him an unimpressed stare over the paper. He feels Bruce place a hand on his shoulder, and the silent support allows him to continue. "If I have, I wouldn't have ever let them grow up without me."

"Jason doesn't want full custody," Tim cuts in with a soft voice that has tricked lesser men into selling their shares. He and the rest of his family are all sitting across from Jassmin Fenton, as she is carefully lured back to the manor to discuss their next step. "He just wants to be part of his kid's lives and would happily share that with you."

"Not telling him about the kids sort of played into that," Steph mutters tactlessly. Unfortunately, her voice carries, and the woman across from them bristles.

There is a tense moment where he thinks Jassmin is about to curse them all out before she sighs and slumps in her seat. "Well, it wasn't like I had a means to contact you when I found out. You gave me a fake name."

Jason winces. "I sort of forgot I told you my name was Petter."

"Wasn't a total lie" Dani chirps "It is your middle name."

Jasmine rubs her eyes. "Look, Jason, I don't want to stop you from seeing the kids, but this is all too much right now. I'm dealing with a lot right now-"

"You are currently homeless," Damian cuts in, causing Jasmine to stop in genuine bewilderment.

"No, we're not." Dan scoffs. "You were waiting for us at our house. Waiting to ambush us."

"The house that was on the street that Poison Ivy just destroyed," The boy says, showing everyone his phone screen. There, clear as day is, their home is nothing but rumble. Jasmine's face spams, and she quickly checks her phone, paling at what she reads.

"Oh, Ancients. It's gone. It's all gone," She whispers, gripping the phone. The three kids immediately stiffen, watching their mother with strange intensity. Too aware of what this means.

They were mature for their age, and that is never a good thing.

Oh gods. Did his children live on the streets? Had Jason's carelessness hurt his children like his parents have hurt him?

"Mom?" Danny asks and that seems to snap Jasmine out of her spirl.

"Hotel!" She gasps, hands shaking as she quickly starts tapping on her phone. Jason catches a glimpse of her screen and realizes she is making a to-do list. "I have to book a hotel room. Call the insurance company, go and try to salvage whatever we can....what else?"

"You can stay here, Fenton," Damian surprisingly offers. "Until your home is rebuilt"

"We couldn't possibly-"

"Hotels are expensive, and you must focus on other more important needs. Father certainly has the space."

Jason jerks into action. "This will also give me a chance to connect with the kids!"

Jasmine bites her lip, turning to her children. Jason could appreciate that she was willing to include them in big decisions. The three nodded, so she eventually sighs.

"Alright. But only until I can get our housing settled. And I'll pay rent"

Jason would argue but he recognized the look in her eye. She would not be sway from making payments. So he agrees, tapping his fingers on the table in a specific rhythm to make sure his family agrees too.

He knows it pains Bruce- the old man already thinks of the triplets as his grandchildren and the idea of charging them to live with him will kill him.

Jason notices the way Dan's eyes zero in on his tapping and the glance around the family members. He fights a proud grin when realization bleeds into his boy's eyes. He's got a smart one, likely aware of that the tapping is a form of Morse code.

Tim did say- after pulling up all files of the four- that his children had developed insane intelligence. Maybe he should get them tested for certification geniuses.

"Hey Mr. Jason," Dani suddenly speaks up.

"Yes Darling?"

"I suggest you remove your eyes from my mom before I remove them from your face." The little girl even punches her palm in a poor intimidation attempt. His heart melts.

Then his face turns a dark red hue at Jasmine's raised brow. Unwillingly flashes of thier last time being face-to face rise in his mind. He coughs awkwardly as his sons face become as protective as their sister, Dan cracking his knuckles and Danny reaching for a knife.

"Oh yeah" Tim deadpans watching the kids reaction "No need for DNA test. Those are definitely Jason's kids"

He agrees, he just hopes he can show his children he plans on sticking around and being the father they deserve.

No one notices Cass and Steph slip away to deal with Posion Ivy. Jason kinda wants to send her a thank you gift for making it possible to have his family move into the manor.

[god-i-hope-so]

Buck receives the call from Tommy's captain himself in the middle of the night, during his shift. He's Tommy's new emergency number, he's also been at the center of a recent discussion with Tommy's captain about it, after years of not having a real emergency number except his closest coworkers.

Buck arrives at the hospital, a little frantic, still in his uniform. He knows it's "not life threatening" but bad enough for Tommy to undergo emergency surgery. Captain Garcia meets him near the lobby, his left hand in a thick bandage, his arm in a sling.

"Firefighter Buckley? Evan Buckley? Captain Garcia. I wish we'd met under different circumstances."

"Captain."

"We were on a fire near the station, the structure collapsed, probably due to a weakness we couldn't see. A rebar went through his thigh, lots of bleeding, but he should be okay."

"Should?"

"I'm not a doctor, son, but I know when a man's dying. And he wasn't."

Captain Garcia is clear and to the point, and Buck appreciates it.

Waiting alone in the lobby of the hospital in the middle of the night wasn't on his plan for this shift. He could have called Maddie but it was 2 am when he got the call. He'll call her later.

Then a woman and two very sleepy young children sit not too far from him. While she settles the kids on the seats next to her, their head on her lap, her eyes land on Buck.

"You're Evan, right?" she asks in a low voice.

Buck is surprised, he doesn't know her, doesn't recognize her face.

"I'm Sophie, er, Dan's wife, Tommy's coworker. They were together when it happened. I know we never met but I've heard of you and Philip- Captain Garcia told me you were already here."

She looks at him with kind eyes behind her tired and worried expression.

"It's- It's nice to meet you, Sophie. I'm sorry, I- I don't-"

"It's alright, I know Tommy is a very private man." She sighs. "He and Dan have been working together for seven years now. Dan has always been the kind to easily befriend people but Tommy was quite the challenge when he was transferred at the station!"

Her smile is genuine. She's picking at her nails, her hands slightly shaking.

"Can I get you something warm to drink?" Buck proposes, already standing up. He needs to move, idly waiting has never been his thing.

"Oh, coffee? Thank you."

"No problem. Anything for them?" he looks at the sleeping children, realizing they're younger than he first thought.

"Water, for later maybe, I don't want to wake them up."

"Of course."

His smile feels stiff on his own face. He shouldn't be here, meeting the wife of Tommy's coworker on the cold plastic seats of the hospital. He should be with his team, sending bad jokes and flirty messages to Tommy who would indulge him.

When he comes back from the vending machine, Sophie is typing on her phone and doesn't see him.

"Here you go," he says softly, not wanting to startle her.

"Thank you." She tastes the coffee, makes a face and sighs. "At least you know the job," she says with a small smile.

"I guess I do. But..."

"I know. It's worse sometimes, because you know what really happens." She lowers her eyes on her coffee cup, swirling the dark liquid in it. Her loose braid slowly comes undone, letting strands frame her face. "Let's meet again around a meal, when our men are better, yes?"

Our men. Buck never thought about Tommy that way, as part of "our men". He nods.

"I'd love that. Thank you, Sophie."

He wonders if that's what if feels to be a "firefighter's wife", to be the partner of a first responder, meeting around unfortunate events and making plans for better days. Sophie shares stories about the station in hushed voice, telling Buck about the people there, the others wives and partners, the children, the parties and the solidarity. Of course, everything sounds very familiar to Buck, but it's like hearing stories from another family.

Then he hears Tommy's name being called and for a second, he feels dizzy. Sophie almost gets up with him then smiles at him. He realizes he didn't ask about Dan, but he'll make sure to stay in touch through Tommy.

The surgeon is in a hurry but takes a few minutes to explain what she did and what will happen next. Tommy will be fine, his leg will recover but the muscle has been badly damaged and it'll take him some time to go back to his daily routine. Even longer before being able to go back to work.

The room is quiet when he enters, safe for a regular and reassuring beep. Buck hesitates a second, seeing Tommy like that feels crushing, even if his sleeping face looks relaxed. His fingers slip into Tommy's hand before gently squeezing it. Feeling his warmth on his palm soothes his nerves.

"Hey, babe."

[itshype]

How I Met Your Brother (DC x DP)

Dan joins the Justice League - not as part of his rehabilitation, but as a reward for doing so well.

Tucker makes the grave mistake of mentioning Dan in front of Jazz. And as an eldest sister myself I would not be happy about an alternate version of my sibling being left completely alone in the world, no support, no family to then be turned into a psychopath. And I would be furious for them to then be imprisoned - not for life but for all time?

However, unlike me, Jazz is the world's foremost authority on ghost psychology. She has Dan out of his Thermos and in a larger enclosure within the week.

Now, a lot of fics have Jazz as a magical therapist who can say a few sentences and make any bad guy cry. Sorry, not today though.

First, they resocialise Dan like a feral cat (solitary confinement does make people get loopy), sitting outside his enclosure and hanging out, doing homework etc. This sort of gets him to figure out emotionally that he's no longer in the timeline where everyone he ever cared about died.

Danny discusses with him how many nightmares he's had over just the idea of losing his entire support network the way Dan did and he can't imagine what he's been through. But no emotions are not, in fact superior to having negative emotions.

After a few months, he decides that he does in fact want to actively try and get better. He goes to a therapist (because family members can't do therapy!!!) who's just unhinged enough to get a kick out of counselling a ghost from an alternate timeline.

There's only one relapse. Clockwork fixed it and they don't talk about it.

A month or so later they let him out of the enclosure for good. They offer to symbolically destroy it but Dan thinks they should keep it just in case.

While Dan's humanity has returned, his actual human half is gone forever. But he's interested in doing something with himself. He can't get a GED, or a degree, or be an astronaut. Maybe something in entertainment?

Tucker makes the grave mistake of mentioning that the Justice League headquarters are in space. Dan isn't as powerful anymore now he's no longer a halfa, but he knows he's handy in a fight. He loves space and due to having them repeatedly and ineffectively implemented against himself - a deep knowledge of international war tactics.

NGL, this isn't where I thought this story was going. But Dan is now an international politics, war policy and foreign affairs expert, I guess.

He helps a fair bit on the team, but his key contributions are his encyclopaedic predictions of how different international communities will react to events. If an out of control meta in Paris takes down the Eiffel Tower, he predicts which countries will immediately 'crack down' on their superpowered citizens - that sort of thing. It's invaluable for their PR team and young meta safety.

He's a friendly guy, doesn't judge anyone for losing control of their powers or going 'too far' on a villain who hurt their friends and family. And he never shuts up about his kid brother who is apparently also his best friend. He briefly mentions a baby sister he's never met and that makes everyone pretty sad.

He doesn't consider this Jazz his sister. He's already had a sister named Jazz and isn't looking for a 1:1 replacement. This Jazz is more like a mum-friend. However, he never had a Danny or an Ellie in his last life.

"My little brother told me about the trick to this level in Doomed 17, want me to explain what you're missing?"

"Sorry, I really can't possess you, even for 'anti mind-control' training. That isn't how overshadowing works, you can't become immune without exposure to ectoplasm in dangerous doses. No, I can't get you some pure ecto, my baby brother would kick my ass to hell."

"Yeah, my baby bro and I both wanted to be astronauts, I died so it's not in the cards for me anymore, but he has a real shot still, we're all rooting for him!"

Most Justice League members think he's a dead eldest brother with living siblings he's still in close contact with.

It's all fun and games until he tries to take a bullet for Batman during an ambush and it's actually an amnesia ray designed to make Batman forget about a specific case until the bad guy can complete his plan.

"I killed you all before, and I will do it again."

[too-much-tma-stuff]

The Other Shoe Drops (part 21)

Previous | Masterpost | Next

As much as Jason and Danny did not want to get out of bed the day after their engagement, there were a lot of people who would be very upset if they found out about the engagement through the villain rumour mill, and Harley could not keep a secret like this. So after breakfast they turned their phones back on to start making calls, first to Alfred and Ellie, then Roy, then making their way down the line of various family and friends. They were ecstatic of course and Roy immediately started talking a mile a minute about planning an engagement party for both of them before forgetting to say goodbye before hanging up making them both laugh. 

Who knew when that party was coming and if it would be a surprise party (purposefully or because Roy forgot to tell them), but they were looking forward to it. Roy knew them both really well by then, he would do a good job.

“Should I be upset he just assumed he’s going to be my best man before I had the chance to ask?” Jason joked to Danny. 

“Hey if you don’t want him I’ll take him,” Danny said, draping himself casually across Jason’s lap, letting out a soft appreciative groan when the arch made his back pop a little.

“Fuck off, he’s mine,” Jason laughed shoving Danny’s shoulder, he didn’t budge an inch as he grinned up at Jason.

“Good, I want Harley as my best woman anyway,” Danny agreed easily. 

“She’ll do a great job, your bachelor party is going to be fucking wild!”

“Excuse you, it'll be my Bachelorette! And I’ll go with the Gotham Sirens,” Danny sniffed in lighthearted disdain. 

“Of course it will,” Jason chuckled indulgently. “Have a great time, Beloved. And when you do I hope you’ll wear the new gloves I made for you.”

“You made me new gloves?” Danny asked, eyebrows pinching together in confusion.

“Yes, I made us both new gloves, with bands carved into them so even when we have to wear our gloves over our rings people will know we’re taken,” Jason explained with repressed pride. 

“Aww you sap,” Danny teased with deep affection and pulled Jason down to kiss him  passionately. 

 ---------

They had a week to enjoy life as new fiances, they told all their friends and family and started discussing colours and potential venues. There would almost certainly be legal complications since Jason was pretty sure they were both legally dead, they’d have to hire lawyers to be officially married as Jason Todd and Danny Fenton, but they didn’t want to talk about that now. They were planning to have a long engagement anyway so for now they could just banter about if red was too cliche of a colour. 

But of course the universe wouldn’t let them get to their engagement party in peace before another one of the balls they had in their air dropped on their head. 

“I’m sorry, what?” Danny asked, dangerously soft into the phone. The tone immediately catching Jason’s attention from across the room. He got up and went to sit next to Danny, asking with his eyes if everything was okay. Danny gave him a look and shook his head slightly, then switched the phone to speaker so they could both listen. 

“-know how but they convinced the UN to have a meeting to hear them out. They’re pushing back much harder against the Justice League than we expected and want to prove ghosts are a threat and they’re methods are justified. We didn’t expect them to have enough resources to do anything like this, especially with our more covert operations ongoing.”

At least the voice coming out of the phone was J’onn and the disdain dripped from his tone. Jason thought that if it had been any other member of the JL calling to warn them about this situation Danny might have gone into a full rage. J’onn knew how awful and triggering this was and made no attempt at neutrality like some might, he was fully on their side in this. 

“Ghosts aren’t a threat though. The last time they tried to prove that, Dan and I worked it out without causing any damage to anything. That’s better than most heroes,” Danny responded flatly. “Most people in the world don’t even believe in ghosts, how can they say we’re a threat if we make so little impact we’re not even a certainty!”

“I know, and we will tell them as much. We will do everything we can to make sure the UN sees the GIW for what they are, and no matter what they decide I swear we will not allow their actions to continue unchecked. The Justice League is Moral, not lawful,” J’onn assured the two of them firmly. “I just wanted to ask you permission to use the presentation you gave to the Justice League to give a more human face to the real harm the Ghost Investigation Ward has done.” 

“I’ll do you one better, I’ll attend the meeting,” Danny said flatly.

Silence weighed heavy in the gentle electrical static of the phone, louder than usual in response to Danny’s anger. “I… Am not sure that would be wise,” Martian Manhunter said as gently and reasonably as any parent. 

“I don’t care if it’s wise this is my people we’re talking about J’onn. Someone should be there to represent them, and I think it had better be me rather than Dan or Ellie. She’s too young and he’s… well, Dan.”

Jason could feel J’onn’s hesitation through the phone as he tried to come up with an argument. “I assure you we will represent your case, and Deadman will be in attendance. But I just-”

“J’onn you can’t keep me out. Will it look better if me and Jason show up with you or if we crash the party?” Danny cut in impatiently.

J’onn sighed heavily through the phone, and Jason winced sympathetically, he suspected the Martian had one hell of a headache brewing. “I believe I’ll let you decide your own path,” J’onn said delicately. 

“Thank you, Sorry in advance J’onn. I have a feeling this is going to suck, for all of us,” Danny said. 

“Yes, I am sorry too Hyena. This is not how any of us wanted this to go,” J’onn lamented, and hung up without saying goodbye. He still sometimes forgot human politeness, and the conversation was clearly over.

Danny dropped his phone on the couch and immediately crawled into Jason’s lap and hid against Jason’s chest. When Jason wrapped his arms around Danny he could feel the smaller man trembling violently. Jason made a sympathetic noise and held him close, rocking them both slowly as Danny let out an involuntary wounded-animal whine.

“Breath Baby, breath,” Jason crooned when Danny started to hyperventilate. He couldn’t fast track through this panic attack, Danny needed to work through his feelings, no matter how much it hurt Jason to see his lover like this. It wasn’t, and couldn’t be, about him right now.

They rode out the waves of panic together, with Jason supporting and holding Danny together, and even once Danny was calm again they didn’t separate. Danny lay against Jason’s chest, his breathing slow and deep almost as if he was asleep though Jason knew he wasn’t. He was just too exhausted to panic anymore, so Jason waited for Danny to be ready to talk.

“Will you come with me?” The question softly muttered against Jason’s chest.

“Of course I will,” Jason agreed without hesitation. “I would never let you face this alone.”

“I have to go,” Danny insisted.

“I know Danny, I’m not going to try and stop you. You should be there. You have to know Ellie will probably come too though right? If anyone lets slip this is happening, if she finds out we won’t be able to keep her away, just like you.” Jason reminded, she was Danny’s clone after all. She was just as stubborn and selfless as he could be, and this was her fight too. 

Danny hesitated and sighed. “Well, let’s hope no one lets it slip to her, but be prepared for her to be there.”

---------------

Unsurprisingly they weren’t invited to the UN meeting, and no one communicated with them about it anymore. But that didn’t matter, Jason may not have been as good of a hacker as Timmy but he had still been a robin and he knew his way around a security system. They could have asked Tim for help, but that increased the channels through which Ellie might learn about the meeting and they didn’t want that, so Jason just did it himself and found out where and when they’d need to go to crash the party.

They didn't bother to go through the front door when they crashed the meeting. They wouldn't be let in anyway so they skipped the scene they would inevitably cause at the door and just walked through the wall and into the hall where the leaders were already gathered. They were dressed in full Red Hood and Hyena garb, they had considered coming as Jason and Danny, but Jason was still protective enough of his identity that he would rather not and Danny hadn’t fought him on that.

“Don't mind us,” Danny said cheerfully, waving away the ripple of fearful and angry murmurs that spread through the room. “This decision will affect both of us since we’re both flavours of undead, so we’re here to see how it goes,” Hyena said cheerfully. 

“So have I,” Said a familiar voice from closer to the ceiling.

Danny’s shoulders tensed for just a moment when he heard Ellie’s voice but then he forced himself to relax and turned towards her as she swooped down to join them. “And my little sister Phantasm is here too! Just be glad we didn’t also bring our big brother as well.”

“We don’t have any chairs for you,” Diana told them with gracious resignation, accepting but not condoning their presence. 

“That’s alright, we’ll stand. Or float in her case I suppose,” Hood said, gesturing casually to Ellie when she hovered next to him.

“Right, well, let’s carry on,” Diana sighed, turning back towards the podium.

“What? No! We can’t continue with them here. They are violent and dangerous creatures, it’s like casually having a meeting while there’s a bomb in the room!” One of the GIW representatives blurted. And to his credit, he did seem genuinely scared, maybe he did actually believe the bullshit they were spewing. 

“They are not, the justice league has worked with them multiple times. Phantasm is an established and well loved member of the Teen Titans and Hyena has been an invaluable consultant and ally when we’re in need.”

“Ya, like when you people purposefully released Dan from his containment before he was ready in hopes he would go on a rampage to add some legitimacy to your crackpot theories,” Hyena piped up helpfully. 

“Hyena, that is conjecture, we have no proof that they did that,” Batman warned, low and gentle. 

“Ya, except that they totally did right?” Danny said, getting a scowl for his trouble. He held up his hands in defeat. “Alright, I’ll shut up. Please carry on.”

Everyone continued to shoot nervous looks in their direction, besides the members of the Justice League who were forging ahead and forcing everyone around to keep up or get left behind, which no one could afford. So they carried on the debate with the JL going first, presenting the information they had on ghosts, and the evidence of the GIWs crimes. The evidence was extensive, if the world leaders believed that ghosts were sabient, or even could just feel pain, there would be no doubt about their unethical actions.

Hyena, Red Hood, and Phantasm managed to stay quiet, even while they showed the presentation Danny had made to show the JL. It was Ellie’s first time seeing it, but Danny was so proud of how well she held it together! When he wrapped an arm around her he could feel her trembling a little and her eyes were glistening with unshed tears, but she kept a stiff upper lip and she didn’t make a sound. He wondered if it was cold to hope her emotion would play well to their audience. 

Unfortunately the worst was still to come, because the GIW had to present their case against ghosts, though Danny had no idea how the hell they were going to try to justify their actions. Danny had stopped breathing already because it helped suppress the rising panic as the GIW were called to present. Ellie had stopped breathing as well, and on his other side he could hear Jason breathing fast and shallow, the only one who still needed to breath betraying their collective fear. Danny hated that he caught himself practically praying to Clockwork that this would go well. Surely if this was going to go badly he would have interfered right? He’d done it before.

The GIW agent, a professional looking woman wearing a white dress suitable for business rather than the usual cheap looking white suit, walked to the stand, her white heels clicking ominously on the wood floor. She carried a small stack of notecards and a usb, the contents of which Danny absolutely dreaded. He did not want to know what footage they had, what ‘experiments’ they’d done that they would bring up today. He just hoped neither he or Ellie would have a panic attack.

“Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed leaders. My name is Amy Watson, called agent W, and I’m here to present on behalf of the GIW,” The woman said as she put down her things. “You have heard a lot today about what our organization has done, none of which I will deny. Because it would be foolish to do so with the evidence presented. The Justice League have done their research, and with the information they have I’m sure they’re being genuine. However I suspect  they have been manipulated as well because you were told what we did, but not why, and we stand by all our actions no matter how gruesome they first appear.”

She plugged in her usb and pulled up a clip and Danny sucked in his breath when he recognized himself in the thumbnail, from before he was Hyena. It was a fight with Skulker, there had been no casualties but the show of force was impressive. Then that bitch Penelope Spectra, she really was a piece of work worthy of trying to prove ghosts were evil. Finally him again, as Hyena, fighting Dan, there were no casualties in that fight either but damn did it look bad. And last but certainly not least, footage of them in Penguins bar, which was much worse.

Wait, how did they have the fight? Penguin had cameras but he wouldn’t have given the footage to a government organization. And how would they have even known that would happen unless. Danny inhaled sharply and leaned into Jason’s side. It had been them, they had organized the whole thing for the same reason they had let Dan out. They were hoping that if Jason died Danny would go on a rampage retroactively justifying all the shit that they had done, and even if they hadn’t gotten the rampage they wanted the fact that Danny had actively killed a human in that fight did not look good. 

“Looks like we owe Penguin an apology,” Danny murmured to Jason who scoffed, but nodded.

“Ghosts are incredibly powerful and unkillable by all conventional weapons. They cannot be stopped by even the most advanced of our earth security systems. Without specially developed weapons they are unstoppable, and as those videos show, they are capable of tremendous harm. It is our firm belief that ghosts are simply the imprint people left behind, an emotionless echo no more capable of feeling pain than a recording. But even if it could be proven that they have feeling and thought, and that’s a big If, what we do would still be more than justified in the name of global, maybe even universal defense. 

“Through our experiments, and yes, a few sacrifices, we have been able to develop weapons, shields, and restraints that work on these beings. If it comes down to it, we might just be capable of defending our planet against these extra-dimensional threats now.”

“With all due respect ma’am earth does have defenses against this sort of threat,” Deadman spoke, floating into a standing position and nodding to those around them. “I have been part of a branch of the Justice League known as Justice League Dark for years, we have been in charge of handling all supernatural threats to this world and I assure you we have some very powerful members, capable servants of the public good.”

“Ya including me,” Hyena spoke up, gesturing to paused the video. “All three of those clips you saw involved me, either as I am now or when I was younger since I’ve been the GIW’s enemy number one for years. The first two fights involved no human casualties at all! Penelope Spectra- the spirit in the second clip, is a criminal who probably would have killed someone, but we have our own ways of dealing with our criminals and she is now serving a century in prison for her crimes. Brought to justice by myself and the ghost warden, Walker. The GIW have tried to paint us all with the same brush but we’re not all bad! There are bad ghosts like there are bad people, because ghosts are people, just dead ones.”

“I’m not sure that matters,” One of the world leaders mused, staring at the screen. “If ghosts are such a threat then we need a way to defend ourselves against them. Relying entirely on the Justice League is not always possible, or wise. Some of us might feel much more comfortable with the ability to defend ourselves.”

The Agent W nodded graciously, “Rightly so. Though the American Government has funded our efforts up until now we are willing to share information, or even set up branches in any countries willing to partner with us.”

“Wait, no, that is not what this meeting is about. It is to determine if the GIW and the US government are guilty of violating human rights laws and the meta-protection acts, not to get them new partnerships!” Diana interrupted with barely controlled rage.

“If they have, there are countries that would offer them sanctuary, because they value the safety of their own people over the hypothetical feelings of ‘ghosts’,” Someone else piped up in a tone of barely concealed disdain.

Danny could not believe what he was hearing! And judging from the way Ellie was trembling and Jason had clenched his fists they agreed. 

“You cannot be serious,” Martian Manhunter said. “This is another sovran species who has caused you so little trouble until now that most of you didn’t even believe they were real and you're willing to condone war crimes against them? Outside of an active war zone? Just because they have not been officially declared sapient does not excuse this especially when no independent tests have been done!”

“They’re hardly a sovran species, at best they're a bunch of thugs but truly, they're little more than animals.” Agent W dismissed. “And I assure you we have conducted extensive experimentation, all of our notes have been made available to you to look over for yourself. Please feel free to come to your own conclusions.”

“Conclusions from biased and unethical “Science” are bound to be just as biased and unethical,” Batman added in his low familiar rumble. But Danny wasn’t sure how many people had heard him, there was sounds of paper rustling around the room as leaders started to look through whatever research the GIW had provided. Things were quickly starting to devolve into bickering and whispers, the facade of dignity and poise quickly cracking and falling away.

Danny did not like the way this was going, the JL was losing control of the audience. Fear was a stronger motivator than righteousness and the GIW had a lot of practice in making people afraid. Maybe it was time to give them something else to fear.

[masterstr0ke]

PUSH AWAY ALL THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW ME THE BEST, BUT IT’S ME WHO’S BEEN MAKING THE BED.

PLATONIC!WELT YANG x GN!READER.

WARNINGS: self deprecating thoughts, dissociation, homesick for a home that doesn’t exist, angst to comfort.

WORD COUNT: 704

You sat on the bright red couches of the Astral Express, the window in front of and behind you show the intense beauty and vast nature of the Universe everybody lives in, but you’re not content like you usually are. You wanna go home, where’s home? you don’t know, but you’re homesick.

Everybody in the Astral Express knew something was off with you nowadays; You don’t hang out with March and take pictures anymore, you didn’t discuss with Dan Heng about the data bank anymore, you don’t offer Himeko coffee (that you desperately fail to perfect, but Himeko drinks it nevertheless), you don’t do Pom-Pom’s requests, you don’t sit in comfortable silence with Welt as you read whatever book you’ve chosen for the week, and you don’t wash off Stelle/Caelus’ clothes after she/he’s gone dumpster diving. Something’s wrong, and everyone’s felt it

You fidget with the watch you wear on your hand, not noticing the footsteps that get increasingly louder as they approach you. Eventually the couch dips beside you, you turn your head to see Welt, with a cup of tea, except he hands it over to you. “It’s late.” he spoke, keeping his words to a minimum.

“I don’t want the tea.” You spoke bluntly and turn your head away from Welt. He placed the cup down near the radio and faced you. “Look.. I’m not one to interfere-“

“Then don’t.” you interrupted him.

“Something’s wrong with you, and it’s not going unnoticed by anybody in the Express.” he paused. “We’re a family, and we look out for each other, so it’s our duty to take care of each other, and you need the help and the care.” He elaborated, his tone of voice so gentle, so kind.

“I don’t need help.” You spat out, before standing up and leaving for the sleeping chambers.

You laid on your unmade bed, it made you feel disgusting, but surely it was because you were, right? Surely it wasn’t just random and you were disgusting. You get out of bed, albeit with difficulty, and make your bed with heavy arms. You found your eyes tearing up all of a sudden, your body wasn’t heavy because you were tired, it was heavy from regret and guilt. All they want is the best for you, and vice versa. You never want to harm them, but you ended up doing just that.

You fell down to your knees beside your bed, clutching your bedsheets as you sob; A stupid replacement for somebody’s shirt, since nobody probably cares anymore.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door, which halted your sobbing. You quickly wiped away your tears and opened the door. Welt. You blink at him, and he stares at you, before he began speaking. “May I enter?” He asked, his voice so gentle, so kind. You step out the way and open the door wider for him to step inside, and he does just that.

You sit on your bed, and he closes the door behind him, what a gentleman. He sits down beside you, and put his hand on your shoulder, and leaned in closer to you. “Please, let me help you. Something’s wrong with you and it’s obvious you can’t overcome it alone. Please,” He pleaded. “Let me help.”

And with that you broke. Tears flowing out and stupid, stupid whines coming out of you. And yet he doesn’t push you away, he instead hugs you and rubs your back at an attempt to calm you down.

He was warm, and you liked that.

Slowly but surely you calmed down, and emotional exhaustion quickly caught up with you. You pulled away from him and yawned. “Thank you.” You smiled at him as you rubbed your eyes. “Don’t mention it.” He spoke as he returned the smile.

He stood up, and looked at you. “I’ll leave you to sleep.” He spoke calmly. “Sleep well, alright?” He requested with his so gentle, so kind voice. You nodded. “I promise.” You smiled.

“Goodnight.” He spoke before he exited your room, closing the door calmly behind him, what a gentleman.

You laid down on your bed and pulled the sheets over your head as you thought to yourself, maybe somebody does care.

[cnnmairoll]

PSPSPSPSPSPS MAI- could I request something very cute and fluffy about holding Dan Heng and Sampo for the first time (separately)? My boys deserve some cuddles and I would love to know how they'd react to being held 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Hugging Them for the First Time

Character(s) : Dan Heng, Sampo Koski Genre : Fluff a/n : tysm vi for requesting, I'm gonna count this as my first request :')) I could not bring sampo to justice, I had an idea in mind but when I wrote it out is a bit eh,, you'll see for yourself. But I hope you liked it!!

In the soft glow of moonlight streaming through the windows of the Astral Express, you found yourself tossing and turning in bed. Sleep seemed to elude you, and as the minutes ticked by, you realized that tonight was going to be another one of those nights when rest was hard to come by. An idea struck you - maybe a book would help lull you into slumber. And where better to find an intriguing tome than Dan Heng's personal collection?

With careful steps, you padded down the corridor to Dan Heng's room. The train's gentle swaying seemed to rock you in sync with your heartbeat. You pushed open the door, revealing the sanctuary of knowledge he had meticulously gathered over time. The sight of your tall, enigmatic boyfriend sleeping soundly added a layer of warmth to your heart, even as you tried to suppress the fond smile tugging at your lips.

As your fingers brushed over the spines of his books, a subtle shift in the atmosphere alerted you to the fact that something was amiss. Your attention snapped back to Dan Heng, only to see his peaceful expression contorting into one of distress.His brows knitted together, and faint lines of distress etched across his features. It didn't take long to realize that he was trapped in the clutches of a nightmare.

With a pang of worry, you abandoned the book and approached his bedside, your heart aching at the sight of his inner turmoil. "Dan Heng," you whispered, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and giving it a slight shake. "Dan Heng, wake up."

His eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, he seemed disoriented, lost between the dream world and reality. As his gaze focused on you, his tense expression softened, but remnants of unease still lingered in his eyes.

"Hey," you murmured, your voice soothing as you continued to stroke his arm. 

He blinked a few times, his breathing gradually steadying. "Y/N?" he rasped, his voice rough with sleep.

"Yeah, I'm here," you assured him, offering a gentle smile. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Dan Heng's lips pressed into a thin line, his gaze dropping to his hands. "It's… it's nothing."

You knew better than to push him when he wasn't ready, so you simply nodded, letting him know that you were there whenever he was ready to share. Instead, you extended your hand, an unspoken invitation for him to take it. With a hesitant yet yearning look, he accepted, his fingers intertwining with yours as if seeking an anchor in the tempest of his thoughts.

Wordlessly, you guided him to sit up, allowing his gaze to meet yours fully. "Well, I was actually in here to borrow a book," you confessed, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

His lips quirked up ever so slightly, a small spark of amusement flickering in his eyes. "Couldn't sleep?"

You chuckled softly. "Yeah, you know me too well."

"Which book caught your interest?" He asks

You showed him the book you had chosen, and his eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Ah, that one. It's quite the adventure."

As you settled onto the edge of the bed, the two of you began to discuss the book. The initial tension from the nightmare seemed to dissipate in the comfort of your conversation. Dan Heng's reserved demeanor gave way to a more relaxed and animated side that only seemed to reveal itself when he was alone with you.

Hours slipped by as you delved into the story, trading insights and theories, your voices carrying through the quiet room. His thumb brushed over the back of your hand, his touch gentle and reassuring. "Thank you for being here."

In that moment, you saw beyond the distant stars of his exterior, past the enigmatic aura he projected. You saw the wounded soul yearning for solace, for connection. Without further hesitation, you opened your arms, inviting him into an embrace that promised safety and comfort.

He hesitated for a heartbeat, his eyes searching yours for any signs of rejection. But what he found was acceptance, a fierce determination to stand by his side, no matter the darkness that sought to envelop him. With a shuddering breath, he folded himself into your embrace, his arms encircling you as if he feared you might vanish if he let go.

In that moment of rescuing embrace, you held him as he clung to you, as if he were an anchor in the stormy sea of his past. The minutes ticked by, the world outside fading into insignificance as you shared a space that was solely yours, a haven within the Astral Express where time held no sway.

In your established relationship, you had discovered the layers that made up Sampo – the mischievous twinkle in his eyes when he was concocting a new scheme, the genuine laughter that bubbled up when you shared an inside joke, and the way his gaze softened when he thought you weren't looking. It was a connection that defied the norms of the marketplace, a love that had bloomed amidst the trade negotiations and bustling crowds.

But there was one thing that intrigued you about Sampo, one challenge you couldn't resist: his penchant for surprises. Sampo thrived on keeping people on their toes, and he was a master at catching others off guard with his quick wit and unexpected revelations.

And so, the idea was born. You decided that you would surprise him with an embrace, a warm and loving hug that would leave him speechless. It was a challenge you eagerly accepted, knowing that it would take careful planning and impeccable timing.

The scene was set. You found yourselves in a quiet alley tucked away from the vibrant chaos of the marketplace. The occasional echo of distant haggling reached your ears, but here, you and Sampo were cocooned in your own world.

Sampo was in the midst of spinning a tale about a particularly cunning deal he'd closed last week, his eyes gleaming with that trademark mischief. As he laughed, you felt a warmth swell within you. 

You circled him, your steps soundless, until you were right behind him. With a sudden burst of courage, you wrapped your arms around his waist, pulling him into an embrace he hadn't seen coming. The world seemed to hold its breath as you held him, your heart racing as his voice caught in his throat. Time stood still for a moment, and then he chuckled, his laughter rich and melodious.

For a moment, the world stood still. Sampo froze, his animated storytelling coming to an abrupt halt. Then, slowly, his laughter transformed into a low chuckle, and he leaned into your embrace. "Well, well, what do we have here?" he exclaimed, his voice a delightful mixture of astonishment and amusement. "Is this how you plan to do business, my dear?"

You felt the rumble of his laughter against your chest, and you couldn't help but chuckle too. "Just thought I'd catch you off guard for once," you teased, holding him a little tighter.

Sampo turned within your embrace, his arms encircling you in return. His gaze held a mixture of affection and playfulness. "Ah, my heart," he said with mock seriousness.

Sampo turned in your arms, his gaze softer than you'd ever seen it. With a tender look, he brushed your cheek with his thumb. "You've managed what very few could. Congratulations on surprising the great Sampo Koski." he said, his tone a mixture of affection and admiration. "But do you know what this means?"

You raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What?"

He grinned, that wolfish smile that always sent shivers down your spine. "It means I'll have to up my game, of course."

And so began a delightful back-and-forth between you two, a dance of surprises and embraces that spanned days, weeks, and months. Sometimes it was you surprising Sampo with a hidden gift or a witty retort. Other times, it was him whisking you away to secret corners of the marketplace, unveiling hidden gems and forgotten stories.

But amidst the laughter and playful banter, there was one constant – the warmth of each other's arms. Often, in the quiet moments when the world faded away and it was just the two of you, Sampo would pull you close, his embrace a sanctuary of love and belonging.

"We should do this more often," he murmured, his voice a soft melody that resonated deep within you.

And in those arms, surrounded by the tapestry of a love that was as vibrant and unpredictable as the marketplace itself, you knew you had found your place of belonging. With Sampo, every surprise was a gift, and every embrace held the promise of forever.

nurtured with the silver-tongued merchant who had become your partner, your confidant, and your greatest surprise of all.

[angelismmm]

a slice of life. ❀ ft. hsr + genshin men — synopsis. just little scenarios that have happened to me with this one guy that i think they'd do<3 — notes. wtv the synopsis thing said!! i just think how these little scenarios went down in real life was so cute that i wanted to write something about it!! — heads up. hopeless romantic thoughts, these can be simple situations, but when i word it out, it becomes overly romantic. thats the warning yes, btw modern au!

・ you can't help but feel bored in class, watching the clock go 'tick-tock! tick-tock! tick-tock!'. your pretty seatmate just happens to be taking notes as the teacher discussed about something.. tapping his shoulder, he looks to you, blinking a few times in confusion. you give a cheeky smile and gesture you want to draw something, your ball pen in the air trying to write out words, blinking a few times again, he lends you his empty hand. looking back in confusion, realizing he wants you to draw on his hand. you do it with an enthusiastic look, leaning your chairs closer together, to get a closer look and tattoo his hand like an artist. as he tried to listen more to the discussion, he can't help but let a chuckle out at your happy expression as you drew stars, cats, and what not on his hand. and 'till class ends, he walks to the canteen with you on his other arm, and the other with doodles all over, out in the open for his friends to see.

dan heng, al haitham, xiao, zhongli, caelus, aether, arlan, albedo, chongyun, kazuha, more utc.

・kind of guy to pick things up for you that fell off your seat, even if you didn't notice it, and you don't have to ask him.

zhongli, dan heng, caelus, diluc, bennett, gorou, welt yang, yanqing, thoma

・keeps the doodles you give him in class.

dan heng, albedo, xingqiu, chongyun, venti, diluc, arlan, gepard

・let's you play with his hair on breaks/whenever, doesn't fix it 'till hours later

jing yuan, blade, diluc, albedo, cyno, gepard, wanderer/scaramouche, xiao, dainsleif

・ your eyes slowly closed, giving in to the drowsiness that you were gifted due to staying up for the test in the last afternoon. your seatmate beside you, he notices about 15 minutes later, instead of informing your professor, he put his jacket on you, and started jotting notes down. and once the expected pop quiz appeared, he'd lightly shake you, whispering that there's an activity, and telling about the topic while the professor finishes the small review for the quiz. "i'll let you copy my notes later, ok? this topic is easy, don't worry, remember to not overthink." he says, giving you a piece of paper. "i wasn't even really supposed to take notes honestly, but i know you love to take notes, so i wrote stuff down about the topic in my notebook, just in case you wanted."

dan heng, dainsleif, zhongli, xiao, blade, yanqing, gepard

・listens intently when you really wanna talk about something, gives serious advice back, or just comforts you, whatever you want.

dainsleif, dan heng, jing yuan, kaeya, zhongli, tighnari, ayato

・"take your jacket off! it's gym class you're gonna get sweaty!" x *takes jacket off

dan heng, caelus, albedo, al haitham, zhongli, baizhu, xiao, kazuha

・if you're busy and can't hold something that you need, he'll hold it for you, 'till you aren't busy looking for something in your bag.

dainsleif, zhongli, al haitham, yanqing, gepard, jing yuan, albedo, tartaglia

・ you sat beside him at the cafeteria, fiddling with your thumbs because you didn't have enough money to buy lunch, nor did you get time to pack your lunch and bring it to school, so your stomach growled. sitting beside someone with luxurious food prepared by his hands, and the delicious aroma that circled around you didn't help, all you could do was look at his food. delicately prepared, sighing in defeat and banging your head on the table. "you want something?" he asked when you faced him and his lunch. "i'm sorry, i can't help but look at your lunch, i haven't packed anything, and i haven't got any money, my stomach is roaring at this point too." leaning your head on his shoulder, "how about we share? i don't mind, just as long as you have energy for the next class. so you don't fall asleep again." cutting back to present time, still in the cafeteria, leaning your head on his shoulder as he feeds himself and you, he never fully finishes his lunch anyway.

dan heng, caelus, blade, yanqing, welt yang, zhongli, diluc, tighnari, cyno, kaveh, gepard

・if you ask for something that's really deep inside his bag, no matter what time it'd be, class time or break time, he'll find it, no matter how many times you ask, he'll get it.

zhongli, caelus, al haitham, welt yang, jing yuan, tighnari

・sitting beside each other on the bleachers after class, or during an event, no reason, just leaning your head on his shoulder, and holding his hand. in silence.

dan heng, blade, tartaglia, thoma, jing yuan, heizou, xiao, wanderer, aether, welt yang, gepard, al haitham

・being the only two doing a chemistry group project, the other members doing nothing, while you both fully enjoyed making the project together and making sure the others that didn't help get points

welt yang, il dottore, albedo, al haitham, kaveh, tighnari

・just sitting by each other on a bench in a park. a quiet park, where you both held hands, and bonding over the opposite music tastes you both have. and after 30 minutes or so pass, deciding to get matching ice popsicles on a stick together, just walking and having fun. even an old couple complimenting you both make a great couple <3

dan heng, caelus, welt yang, jing yuan, al haitham, zhongli, diluc, gepard, honestly any1 i love tis one sm

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[callmewrinkles3]

Anti-hero - DR3 x Fem!OC

Masterlist.

Summary: 2021 hasn't exactly been the best season, and Dan's struggling with the car not driving how he wants it to. But he didn't realise that Emmy was struggling with her own work.

Warnings: Zak Brown, McLaren era in general, smut (piv, kink behaviour (marking, domination, praise kinks, light choking, consensual pain by pinching and spanking) that are in the context of a long term already defined relationship but are not explicitly discussed on the page, fingering, teasing. They're kinky kids who love it), explicit aftercare, mentions of race crashes (Monza 2021).

Words: 11k

A/N: We're baaaaaack! This is a bit of a departure for us, and we really hope you like it. As always let us know what you think, we love hearing from you!

September 2021

Dan couldn’t admit it to anyone, but the fact that Em was travelling with him everywhere was probably the best thing in his life right then. Most of the time he was miserable and he fully admitted it. McLaren meant his days were hard, the car felt weird, and it sucked. At least in Zandvoort he’d been able to have some fun in the orange cape, cheering Max on. As much as a clusterfuck that championship battle would be a part of.

The one he’d been assured he’d be a part of next year. He didn’t fully believe Zak anymore. He wanted to but something yelled at him not to.

They were sitting in the private terminal waiting to be told the McLaren jet was ready to go, Dan watching as Em worked for the few minutes before they were called. The VIP area had become normal to him, but for her it was new. It was bright and shiny and he still remembered the first time that she said she didn’t feel like she belonged there.

They’d been in bed in Italy in 2019, flying to Monza from Belgium with Max and Christian in one of the most awkward flights of his life while Em was her usual sweet self. She’d told him that private jets were for important people and she was just Em. It led to his joke that her middle name should be Humble, not Charlotte. But she deserved the world, and the world included that she deserved to be in the jet with him and everyone else.

He loved every piece of her, wanted to tell the world that he loved her but they’d agreed to keep things to themselves. He didn’t know how much longer he could do it. They were down to days until Italy and he was going to say everything, he just had to keep it in till then. He had a plan and he was sticking to it.

He pulled out the carefully wrapped package Max had slipped him after several requests with a “Vicky said these are the best.”, smiling at the still crisp treat.

“Em, here.” He held the stroopwafel out carefully, caramel nearly dripping from the edge as she shook her head and took a sip from her Pepsi bottle. “You don’t want one?”

“I’m not a caramel fan, Danny.”

“But this whole week?” Every time someone gave him one he’d take a bite and offer her one, grinning while she smiled and took a dainty bite in between checking things on her tablet. It became easy to pass it over to her.

“You looked so happy feeding me bites, I didn’t want to break your heart by telling you I don’t like caramel. Toffee yeah, but not caramel.” She smiled at him before turning her head back to work, Dan staring at the woman he loved and her pure ridiculousness.

He watched as she stared at her tablet and frowned at it not doing what she wanted. But he wanted to curl up with her on his lap the same way they were when they flew separately. But instead they’d be separated in the luxurious white leather seats, she’d have her head buried in a book with her earplugs in and trying to ignore everyone around her. It’d be fine. It had to be. Even if they were spending it with people she didn’t feel comfortable around.

Before Dan started with the team he knew she didn’t have anything against Lando. He was a kid who’d joined the grid and was fine. Dan didn’t want to know a whole lot about him after the awkward moment of Lando’s best friend asking Em for coffee in the middle of the paddock when he was a Renault junior and Em was there as Dan’s guest. It took time for Dan to let his jealousy go and Em giggled at it, but he’d finally chilled out. Then Em couldn’t totally chill out about Lando after Monaco.

The “I’ve no sympathy for him” was burned into her brain, she’d had more than one nightmare about it. That kid who didn’t know what he was talking about, who hadn’t ever had to experience anything, saying that? He was showing how privileged he was having walked straight into a team that was expected to be at the top of the midfield. Dan had told her stories about the four day warning he had before his HRT debut, she knew how it had been for him. But Em would take anything that anyone said about her - and God knew she had this year - but if you said something about the people she loved then you were essentially invisible to her. And Lando Norris had reached the invisible stage.

She was always unfailingly polite, saying good morning and good night and making small talk as they were in the same group, but other than that it was radio silence between them. Dan had tried to convince her that it was all fine, Lando was just a kid who needed to learn, but she couldn’t let it go. Months later it was still the same.

She got on the plane just ahead of Dan, smiling at the flight attendant before taking the window seat that Dan pointed her at. He took the seat beside her, Blake and Michael slipping into the seats on the other side of the table. He watched as Lando sat in on the other side, Jon and Lando’s parents there too. Someone pulled an Uno deck out and everyone except Lando’s parents and Em started playing it.

She was sat quietly in her seat, one of the cloth bound classics he’d gotten for her birthday in her hand as she read. He could see the tiny loop of her earplugs just visible, knowing she could hear everyone but was tuning it out to concentrate and it broke his heart a little bit. He wanted to pull her onto his lap, kiss the top of her head and tell her to take a nap because he knew she’d slept badly the last few nights but he couldn’t. She’d have killed him if he tried.

Nobody in McLaren knew anything about them. He wasn’t stupid, he knew there were debates on what he and Em were, but nobody knew the truth. He’d told a mechanic on Lando’s side of the garage to shut up when he made a comment about Em’s ass before. There were rumours all around the paddock and online, he wasn’t blind, but they wouldn’t confirm what they had. He wanted to keep Em safe, and nobody being able to prove that she was the love of his life was easier. Everyone in Renault knew about them - he was convinced Cyril had deliberately started a fight so the cameras were away so he could kiss her at the Nurburgring - and even in Red Bull Christian and Simon had made jokes about Dan’s heart eyes whenever Em was at a race. But it was never public, it was always between them. And in McLaren it just didn’t feel right to tell them.

Em was having issues clicking with them, the constant “if you need an assistant” comments from Zak and Andreas just pissing him off. Em was his assistant, she did a fucking great job and she was getting no respect for it. Zak had insisted that it was teething problems and it’d be fine but it had been going on for nearly nine months now. It was like his driving style and the car, it just couldn’t click right.

So they were avoiding sharing planes whenever possible. He’d organise his own charter, or go with a different driver, or anything. They’d even gone with Fernando at one point, Nando quizzing Dan on the clusterfuck that was the Renault upper echelons while they flew. Or they’d book commercial and deal with looks and selfie requests, because even being on a plane with 150 strangers was better for her anxiety than a tiny jet with people who she didn’t like. Which made no sense to Dan because people at every other team had liked her. There was a reason that she had a standing invitation into multiple hospitality suites if she wanted it.

But they couldn’t help it going to Monza. It was the final leg of the triple header, everyone exhausted and wanting more sleep. So it was easier to say yes and go so they got to the hotel earlier and actually got some sleep. But it meant that he couldn’t cuddle her, he couldn’t even hold her hand and snuggle with her to forget the world existed. Instead she sat there curled in on herself as she was halfway through Pride and Prejudice, a frown on her face and Dan unable to kiss it away.

After a torturous half hour of flying without touching her Dan was tired of it. Friends got to be affectionate with each other, he’d hugged her in public before. He could be touchy with his best friend. He laid his hand over hers, fingers lying in the gaps. She’d put one hand on the armrest as her other hand held her tablet, half looking out the window at the dark night and half paying attention to her screen. She barely even reacted to him, just her fingers loosening and then lacing with his to squeeze for a moment. It said more to him than a thousand words could have.

He knew her well enough to know she’d be silent during the flight, but he wanted to make her smile instead of the small frown on her face. If they were alone he’d have pressed kisses across her cheeks and nose to make her laugh, asking him to stop because his stubble was scratching her. But that wasn’t an option until they were in the hotel in a few hours. The next best option was texting, watching as the notification of his text appeared on her tablet.

The sky should be really jealous.

???

Because it’s pretty outside but it’s nowhere near as pretty as you.

Cocky. Should be jealous of you though, black looks good on you.

You look better on me than black does.

You’re gonna say we can test it out when we get to the hotel, aren’t you?

U know me so well.

Nobody else noticed the tiny smile that appeared on her face, but Dan did. It was there for barely a second but it was enough. At least until he could make sure she was smiling when they were fully alone.

It wasn’t until they were in the car on the way to the hotel and away from the airport that he could hold her hand and press a kiss to her fingers. There were no questions about where anyone was sitting or who was driving, he got straight into the back seat with Emmy, gripping her hand across the middle seat.

“Can we go for pizza after we check into the hotel? I’ve been waiting for one.”

“Already thinking about pizza?” Michael asked it and Dan frowned at his tone, taking it as exhausted.

“I’m never not thinking about pizza in Monza. This pizza keeps me going through the year. Plus, I didn’t throw anyone off the plane or start an argument so I deserve it.”

“You kind of do,” Dan affirmed, lifting their joined hands to his lips to kiss her knuckles.

Emmy’s wishes were his command so if his girl wanted pizza he wasn’t saying no. The fact that her favourite pizza place was also his favourite was an extra point in their relationship. After they checked in, left their things in rooms and Dan pulled her to his room for a quickie to prove his theory of the best way he looked, they left the room to have dinner.

He loved Italy. It was his family’s country, it was the first place that he’d lived on his own in Red Bull supplied housing, he had thousands of memories there. But his favourite ones were Em in Italy with him.

She always seemed happier there, more carefree. The first time he’d brought her to Italy was that first week in Monaco, eating pasta and showing her places he loved. Even when they were busy with work at races she carried herself differently there. When they had their post Monza vacation every year she was always completely relaxed. He grinned just watching her.

He could feel her relax against him as they got out of the car a few streets away from the pizza place. It always felt like he was a little bit of a spy in a foreign land when he was in Monza, the Tifosi out in force. But she was so chilled out that she didn’t say anything when he reached for her hand and held it tightly. Any time they were in public she always gave him her Dan, we’re in public face because they didn’t need any more rumours or people on the internet asking what they were. They didn’t need more people whispering about them.

He didn’t care about it. He couldn’t care less if people talked about him, that came with the territory of his job. But he couldn’t handle people talking about Em and gossiping about her. So he tried to keep his hands from her even when he kept reaching out to take her hand walking anywhere. That night he couldn’t stay away from her and she didn’t say anything about him holding her hand walking down semi familiar streets, or his hand on her lower back as they were brought to their table, or his arm around her shoulder pulling her in for a hug. She didn’t give him a little look or a gentle nudge in the stomach, no whisper to leave her alone while they were in public. It was completely the opposite, after a sip of his beer she was fully leaned against his side and half snuggling him.

“You know what we should do?” Dan whispered in her ear, only half listening to the debate that Michael and Blake were having about the Black Widow movie.

“I’m scared but curious. Tell me,” Em answered as she ignored her lemon drink in favour of another sip from his one allowed beer before a race week fully started.

“Buy a house in Italy.” He watched as her eyes lit up and her face started to move to a grin before she forced it down.

“You’re the most ridiculous man in the world. When would you have time to spend in Italy?”

“We totally could. A cute little house, a couple of bedrooms, a garden, by one of the lakes. It’d be perfect. We should do it.”

“You’re insane.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Of course it’s not!”

She was saying no but the smile she was fighting to keep off her face was enough to make Dan know it was an excellent idea. After they got engaged and found a place in London he was gonna start trying to find somewhere for them. And hopefully some kids. Showing their kids where their family was from, even if it wasn’t Sicily.

They spent the rest of the night chatting and laughing, eating pizza and joining in the conversation with their friends. Em pretended she was sticking to just soft drinks, stealing a sip from his beer every now and then as Dan winked at her and tried so hard not to kiss her wrinkled nose. The four of them walked back to their hotel as Dan forced himself not to take her hand and kiss her on the street. He had a plan and he was sticking to it. This time next week he'd be on a proper date with her, kissing her and then asking her the question that had been burning a hole in his bag since the previous Christmas. It was going to be perfect.

**

Em loved lazy Wednesdays in Italy. The fact that she'd had enough of them to know that was a magical feeling. It was the end of their triple header, just one more race to go and then they got to relax and spend a couple of days on the shores of Lake Como. Dan had taken control of booking their trip, a cute villa slightly outside the main tourist area. They spent the day relaxing for most of it. Dan had given her a list of restaurants to look at and they mapped out where they’d eat for the three days. They would have killed for longer but it just wasn’t possible in the middle of the season.

That evening was a sponsor dinner that she had to dress up for and look appropriate to be on Dan’s arm. She hated those nights with a passion. She had to be in a fancy dress and full makeup, talking to the rich men who wanted Dan at events. At least this one was for Google Italy, it was more fun than some of the other events she’d been at. A particularly boring DeWalt shoot came to mind on that.

It was Google shmoozing their own clients, using Dan and Lando to do it. Em stayed on Dan’s arm for the entire night as she smiled and shook hands. Halfway through Zak found them and stopped to talk, his own wife there with him. It was Em left with Tracy for a few moments while Zak took Dan around to speak. The two women had wine glasses in their hands and looked around the room.

“Having a good evening, Emma?” Tracy asked, Em nodding.

“It’s Em, but yeah. These events aren’t always fun but it’s nice to see Dan in his element. It’s part of the job.”

“I suppose. Not every assistant does what you do.” Em took a sip of her wine, careful not to knock the glass back like she really wanted to.

“Dan and I were friends before I started working for him. If it means that Dan can enjoy events a bit more then I don’t mind.” Tracy watched her closely for a few moments but nodded as their respective dates for the night returned.

“Sorry about that, I had to double check some things. Daniel, you’re in with Valtteri for the press conference tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah, I am. Should be fun. We’re gonna head off, it’s a busy day tomorrow. See you at the track?”

He took Em’s arm and pulled her along out of the room, the two of them getting into the car and heading back to their hotel. She was tired from the busy room and having to be on around people but she kept it together as they drove on. Dan held her hand on the way back, fingers locked as he pushed a kiss to them. She smiled, looking forward to getting into bed and out of the dress she was in. Even if Dan looked excellent in his suit.

She started pulling pins out of her hair to take it out of the undo she’d managed, Dan standing beside her and pulling them out too. Once they were out he started kissing along her shoulder as he pushed her dress down. Em threw her head back to give him more access before they made it to bed.

Thursdays were weird now. Instead of press conferences it was all digital, the journalists in their hotel rooms asking questions. It meant more setup meetings, more talking, more everything. She used Dan’s meetings as a way to get the weekend planned. But it didn’t seem as busy as normal. Her calendar was half empty. Again.

At Zandvoort she thought it was a mistake but it wasn’t. It didn’t feel right. Em put her worries aside, taking a deep breath as she looked. There had to be an explanation and she needed a moment.

“I’m getting a coffee, anyone want anything?” It was just her, Dan, and Blake upstairs. Michael was out doing some checks and making sure the kitchen was stocked and ready.

“Green tea please Emmy? You make it best.” She laughed at Dan’s puppy eyes, nodding as Blake gave her his order and she went down to the main hospitality area. It didn’t take long to have everything and she went to go back upstairs when a security guard stopped her.

“Sorry Miss, drivers and support only.” His arm blocked the narrow staircase and Em stared at him.

“I am support. I’m Daniel Ricciardo’s assistant, I need to get this up to him.”

“No entry.”

Em sat watching until the guard was called outside and ran upstairs, smiling and pretending it was fine. It had to be fine. There was no other option. The drinks got handed and she watched as they were getting ready until Blake’s phone chimed.

“Shit, Dan, you’ve got a sit down we’ve got to go. Did you not see it Ems?” Blake asked, Em checking.

She stared at her tablet, the realisation hitting her. She wasn’t on any of Dan’s meetings. She looked at Blake’s calendar and his filled up with meetings, things he was in. But hers had a couple of things - the press conference, the race, practices. One of the engineering meetings. A fanzone appearance. But that was it. It was empty and she hated it. Her usually perfectly colour coded calendar was mostly blank and worried her. She was getting blocked out.

“Sorry I must have missed it. My calendar hasn’t synced, I’ll sort it.” Dan and Blake left, Em sitting staring.

She didn’t know why, she didn’t know what had caused this to happen but it was. How? Dan had promised that it was in his contract that his team had full access to all of his information and everything they needed to do their jobs. But she’d missed a meeting and he was nearly late and that was supposed to be why she was there. She had to keep that going. If she didn’t then why was she there?

The evening was half a blur as the realisation she was being pushed out hit her. Security stopping her going up to Dan and Blake. The way McLaren acted in general. All of it. They were pushing her out and forcing her away and she couldn’t keep going like this. It wasn’t fair to her or to Dan if she couldn’t do her job.

“You ok?” Dan asked at dinner, watching her barely touched food.

“Yeah. I’m fine. Just been a long, long day. I’m tired.”

“We can go back soon.”

When they got back to the hotel room Em curled up beside him, feeling the warmth of his body around her and the way he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before whispering goodnight. If this was her last race she was going to enjoy it.

**

Em was always the last one to get up in the morning. She was a night owl, getting up at seven because he had a race was the last thing she ever wanted to do. It was usually him waking her up with kisses and promises that he would bring her for food after that helped. Or early sleepy sex to wake her up. Both were fun for him.

But the bed was never empty at five in the morning. He could count on one hand how many times he’d woken up alone when they’d gone to bed together. The room was dark and silent, Em’s spot cold. She had to have been gone for more than a few minutes.

It took a few seconds for his vision to adjust to the quiet darkness and he slipped out of bed and searched for her. Her clothes were laid out where she’d left them the night before. Her shoes were there by the chair. She had to be either in the bathroom or the adjoining room that was hers in name only.

The worry in his gut turned to cold fear as he opened the bathroom door to discover her missing. His girl was gone and she had to be next door but why was she? What had she done to head to her room? It felt wrong. She should have been beside him. He eased open the adjoining door and spotted a ray of light spilling out from the bathroom. The fear eased. She was there, they could fix everything. It’d be fine. But her quiet sobs got louder as he padded across the carpeted floor to her. It was gut wrenching and painful and he pushed the door open to see his girl curled up on the floor beside the shower, her arms wrapped around her knees as she cried.

Em was in one of his oversized shirts - his in name only because he was pretty sure it was the shirt he’d given her over two years ago to help her sleep when he was travelling and she was still in London - hugging herself. Now that he was in the room her sobs were all encompassing and he had no idea how he didn’t hear her the second he woke up. She looked like a scared child, not the woman who shared his bed and his life and heart every day. This wasn’t the Em he knew.

She looked broken. He sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms, feeling how she tensed until she realised who he was. He wanted to hold her and fight against the world, but he needed to know which of her ghosts he was going to fight that night. But it felt like this time it was a whole haunted mansion. He pushed kisses against her forehead and rocked her gently, telling her how it was gonna be ok no matter what.

“I’m right here, Emmy, I promise. Whatever’s going on we can fix it. I promise. I’ll fix it for us.”

Her tears began to ease and he could look at her face. Her eyes were swollen and red, her cheeks flushed but the rest of her face so pale. He’d never seen her this bad before. She was shaking and trying to pull herself together and he knew she wasn’t gonna have the words to discuss what caused this for a few minutes.

“When you’re ready talk to me, ok? Whatever you need. But tell me what’s wrong so we can fix this. I’m worried about you.” His thumb wiped the tears from her cheeks, but he wasn’t quick enough to get them before more came. Slowly they eased and she could take breaths without sobbing. He kept rocking her until she was ready to speak.

“You need to get ready, D.” She went to get out of his arms but he held on and waited till she looked at him with an angry pout on her lips.

“I’m not going anywhere until we talk. There is nothing more important than you, Emmy. Nothing. You’re crying in the bathroom at five in the morning and you came in here so I couldn’t hear you. What’s going on, Wrinkles? Talk to me.” He stood up still carrying her, bringing her into the main hotel room and sitting on the bed. She was playing with the hem of her shirt nervously but Dan gave her time until she was ready to speak.

“I… Dan they’re pushing me away and they’re stopping me from doing my job. And if I can’t do my job at the track then I shouldn’t be travelling so why am I even here? There’s nothing for me to be here for.” He kept his face calm as she spoke, anger filling his veins. What the fuck.

“What are you talking about, Baby?”

“They didn’t want to let me in your room today. I went down for your tea and when I went to go back upstairs they didn’t let me. I snuck past when he was distracted. It’s why it was cold.”

“Who did that?”

“Some random security guard? I’ve never seen him before, I don’t know his name. He said it was drivers and support only and I wasn’t support.”

“I’ll find out who.” Or at least Blake would. He wasn’t letting them get away with this. He couldn’t.

“Danny they’re not letting me do anything. The meeting you nearly missed wasn’t on my calendar. I’m blocked out from everything and I don’t know what to do anymore. There’s no reason for me to be here now, but I don’t want to be away from all of you. I can’t lose you, Danny. I don’t want to be stuck alone and I don’t want them to keep us apart.” He could see the worry hitting her, and he held on, kissing her forehead while rubbing her back.

“You’re not going anywhere, Emmy. You’re not gonna lose me. I’m not letting you go anywhere you don’t want to without me. You’re the one who keeps us all sane and you can’t do that if you’re at home. When did all this start, Baby?”

“Hungary? Slowly but surely. Spa it was worse and Zandvoort was bad. I didn’t know how to talk to you and Blake about it. I thought maybe I could fix it.” She looked even more nervous, jumping as his phone alarm went off in their room.

“Just my alarm, it’s alright. You did nothing wrong Baby, you hear me? Nothing at all. I’m gonna talk to Blake and we’ll fix it. I promise you, you are perfectly fine and didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Thank you.” She went to stand up but Dan squeezed her tighter before letting go, kissing her cheeks to remove the trace of tears.

“Don’t thank me. You know, right?” He squeezed her hand as she stood.

“I know.” A watery smile filled her face. “I need to get ready, I think I need a shower to fix my face before I’m in public.”

“Grab one. I’m gonna run into Blake for a couple of minutes. Are you ok if I do?”

“I’ll be in the shower, don’t worry.”

“I will anyway. I’m gonna take my phone, if you need me call me and I’ll be back in two.” He made sure she was ok before he shrugged into a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. He picked up his phone and key before heading out, grabbing Em’s iPad as he did. Blake was a couple of rooms away and answered the door looking tired and annoyed, hair sticking up. When he saw Dan’s face he calmed.

“What happened?”

“Inside. Now.” Blake let him in and Dan handed Em’s iPad over, her calendar open to today. There was practice and qualifying in it and that was it. He saw how Blake raised an eyebrow.

“What the fuck?”

“I heard her crying through the wall. She’s getting left out of everything.”

“I know you share a room, I’m not a fucking idiot.”

“She went back into hers.” He laid out the little information that Em had given him, comparing her calendar to Blake’s. The missing meetings, how she was kept away. Zak asking when he wanted his new assistant to start. Dan had to stay calm but Blake could be angry then.

“I’m getting a meeting before practice. She’s gonna be fine, Dan. She’s not going anywhere. We know this. It’s Em, she keeps us alive half the time. Go back, have a shower, we’ve got breakfast downstairs for eight and then we’ll go from there.”

Too much time had passed since he got up to find her, but Dan pushed himself to get ready and get his head in the game. It was going to be a busy, chaotic morning but Em came first. The four of them ate breakfast together and he watched as she barely ate her yogurt. He stood and went over to the buffet, coming back with a Nutella croissant and a hot chocolate to put in front of her. She never really ate when she was anxious so hopefully something would be better than nothing.

On the drive to the circuit he held Em’s hand. Blake drove, Michael in the front seat beside him. Nerves thrummed through his body as he linked fingers but Em kissed his hand and he relaxed. She was there. She was right there and it was all ok.

When they finally made it into the circuit Michael went to do some checks while the other three went to his driver’s room. Em sat there staring into space while Dan stretched out. Finally it was time to go down to Zak, Blake tapping his shoulder.

“Emmy we’re heading, ok? I’ll be back in a few. If you need anything call me.”

“I will.” She still looked nervous so he leaned over to peck her lips, smiling as they separated.

“It’s gonna be fine. I promised you. Focus on holiday plans, which beach are we going to first?” She smiled at him and nodded, safe in his room. Nobody was going to remove her from it, nobody was going to kick her out. She belonged there.

He went down the stair with Blake, ignoring the look that his friend gave him.

“So you and Em?”

“Nothing.”

“It didn’t look like nothing.”

“We’re nearly there.”

“Nearly?”

“I’m trying to make it work.”

“Mate, I’m saying this as someone who loves both of you. She loves you. Just tell her.”

“We’re nearly there.” By the time Dan spoke they were outside Zak’s office and he shook his head to end the conversation. A knock on the door and they were inside, Zak standing ready to end it.

“Guys can we talk later? I’m heading to a meeting, but after qualifying we can-“

“We’re talking now.” He sat down, watching how Zak sat too. Blake followed suit.

“What’s going on?”

“Why is Em being kept from my calendar and everything she’s supposed to be on? She’s been removed from everything. She’s not supposed to be removed. It’s in my contract. What’s going on?”

“I don’t-“

“Emma isn’t able to do her job. She’s missing things because you’ve been keeping her away from everything she needs. She needs access.” Blake took over and Dan was fine to let him, he ended it. He couldn’t keep himself calm for this. He let the words wash over him until Zak got his laptop up.

“We need to keep our information safe. Having someone not employed by McLaren affects this. It’s why we’ve been asking about getting you a new assistant.”

“And Blake has access to my calendar. He’s not employed by McLaren. I trust Em with everything, you need to trust her too.”

“Fine.”

It took another two minutes before Zak closed the laptop, looking at them. “She’s there. If we lose anything I will blame her for it.”

Dan stood and left, too angry to talk. He had to get into the car soon and he wasn’t going to let it affect him. He couldn’t. Em was most important.

Emmy was still sitting where he’d left her, staring into space. It was clear to him now how much this was affecting her, she hadn’t even opened her tablet and her makeup was heavier than he ever saw it. All he wanted to do was make it better for her and fix things. This he could fix. He could make this better for her. There wasn’t a whole lot he could always fix but this he could fix. She looked up at him when he arrived and Dan smiled.

“Check your calendar.”

It took all of ten seconds for her to see that everything was back in her calendar and he watched her relax into her seat. If Blake wasn’t there he’d have kissed her, but they both had jobs to do and practice was an hour away. It was squeezing her shoulder before he went downstairs to talk to Tom.

After practice it felt like things might go ok. He went over data and grabbed lunch before getting into a fresh race suit for qualifying. Like always Em was the last person he spoke to before he got into the car. She kissed the side of his helmet and smiled with a whispered “Go fast and be safe”.

For the first time in McLaren his qualifying felt like it went right. He got out of the car just six thousandths behind Lando. It was good. Em was grinning from the back of the garage with her headphones still on when he arrived in.

That evening as soon as he could get out he did, wanting nothing more than to get to bed. The early morning had done him in, and Em was dead on her feet. It was a quick dinner in hospitality and back to the hotel, Michael and Blake in the car with them again before going up to their rooms. He watched Emmy get changed and set out her clothes for the next day like she always did. Once they were curled up in bed he pulled her closer, desperate to hold onto her as tightly as he could.

“Apart from the obvious, how was today?” He couldn’t feel her tense up at least. That was a good sign.

“Weird. But ok. Blake was like my shadow today, I was beside him the whole day. There was a weird security guy who kept looking at us but other than that it was good.” Dan felt his stomach clench but he made himself stay calm. He’d noticed extra security but that couldn’t have been why. There was no way there was extra there for his Emmy. Not at all.

He watched her eyes close and her breathing even out, his thumb rubbing circles on her back. Three more nights after this. By this time Tuesday evening he’d have said everything, and Emmy would know all of it. The ring sitting in his bag would have a home on her finger. He had so many plans for them. He wanted to marry her over Christmas when they were in Perth, make it all official. She deserved every moment of happiness he could give her and this was the start of it.

Saturday arriving to the track was different. The security had definitely lessened, and coming in realising that it had was a kick in the teeth. But he had to concentrate and work, as much as he’d rather do anything else. Two days till they were on holiday. Two days. They could do it. He was gonna get a good result and decent points and then he and Emmy were going to Lake Como for a strictly clothing optional holiday and he couldn’t wait.

Practice was shit. There was no easy way around it, no way to make it sound better than it was. It fucking sucked and he hated that it did. He hated that every time he thought he was improving he wasn’t, that he was stuck in a tractor of a car that was worse than he was promised and maybe he’d made a mistake. Maybe he shouldn’t have left Renault, maybe he should have been in the blue and pink Alpine instead. Then the bullshit wouldn’t have happened.

The anger fuelled him as he made his way upstairs to his driver room. He was tired and pissed off and fed up. What he thought was a good decision for his career had fucked him and more importantly it had fucked Em over. He never wanted to see her like that again. Ever.

Emmy was sitting on the couch upstairs, her head jolting up as he arrived in wearing his race suit. Not even seeing her calmed him fully and he knew she could tell.

“What’s wrong?”

“Guess.” She stood up and he wrapped his arms around her, feeling himself ease up on everything. She was there and it was going to be ok.

“What do you need, Danny?”

“I don’t even know.”

“Ok, rephrase. What do you need from me? What do you need to get it out?” She leaned up and kissed him and Dan caught her lips, pushing her against the wall as they made out. She was perfect. Absolutely perfect. He could feel the way that she pushed against him, her hand gripping the back of his neck.

“I think I just need to fuck you against this wall, you know that? Make you scream and have the whole paddock know this is exactly where you belong. Right here with me. But I’ve to change and go to another fucking meeting. Much less fun than what I want.” He could see the way she shivered at his words and he completely knew if he moved his hands she’d be there with him. Instead he just watched her swallow and look up.

“I’m not saying no. I’m saying not here and now.”

“You deserve better than that.”

“Danny when we get back to the hotel I want you to push me against the wall and fuck me, understood?”

His brain short circuited. Emmy was asking him. Emmy. His Emmy who before was too afraid to tell him she hadn’t had an orgasm because when they started sleeping together she thought she’d be left high and dry without one. Asking him to fuck her exactly how she wanted with no thought for anything else? He was a lucky, lucky man.

“You are amazing.” He pecked her lips one last time before just holding her. He didn’t want to let go. He didn’t want to say goodbye and go to engineering and stretch out and everything. He wanted to spend time with his girl away from the world. But he changed his clothes and went downstairs, kissing Em goodbye before he left.

The meeting was boring, getting told to protect Lando off the starting line, as if there was no chance he could make it off himself. He’d won seven races, he could beat Lando off the start line. Even with this car. He knew he could. Finally it was time to start stretching and getting ready, Michael holding out tennis balls and helping him prep.

“You need to concentrate, you’ve got a good chance this weekend.” His trainers words were quiet but Dan could hear the full force of what he meant in them.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean you need to clear your head, mate. Worrying about Em isn’t gonna change anything.”

“Oh fuck you.” He stepped back, shaking his head while flapping his arms out to loosen them. “I’m focused on driving, that’s what matters. I have a life too.”

“I’m just saying.”

The pit lane was about to open and he stepped back, staying out of the camera view. Netflix were with them that weekend to make it worse and he had to keep a smile on his face when he didn’t want to. Em was at the stairs up to his driver room, smiling at him and quickly kissing his cheek.

“Drive fast, be safe, I’ll see you at the checkered flag. You’ve got this, Danny.” He squeezed her hand before letting go, desperate for the words to be right. It was going to happen. It had to.

Going back to the garage he zipped up his suit and ignored his name being called. Nobody spoke to him until he was in the car after Em did, it was his rule. As he stepped into the car the music changed to Stayin’ Alive, Dan looking around.

“This DJ should get fucking shot though!” He called out, staring at the team. Seriously? This bullshit again. But when he put his helmet on he forced it out of his head, determined not to hear it. He was gonna do this. He was gonna qualify well.

The start felt like a dream, and the fact that he kept going even with the touch with Pierre was important. Somehow he ended up behind Max and he wasn’t sure what had happened until Tom came over the radio.

“Good job Dan, P3. Lando’s just behind and will protect.”

Monza was fun to drive. Every moment of it was fun, the swooping curves and fast flowing corners leading to the straight where he let the throttle fly. He knew he wouldn’t beat Max, but that moment going around the parabolica knowing he was third was beautiful. The screaming of the fans, Tom congratulating him in his ear, he’d fucking done it. He’d come third in the sprint and yeah maybe it wasn’t an official podium but he’d done it and he could be proud of that. He had to be.

Seeing everyone cheering for him meant everything, Em standing with Blake’s arm around her grinning and he wanted to kiss her in front of the world. She was right there but he just grinned. It was everything.

After the interviews he was on his way back to the garage when Max stopped him with a wide smile. The paddock had cleared and it wasn’t unusual for them to walk together.

“I’m going to fight you, but if you get the start I’ll hold Lewis back.” Dan stopped and stared at the younger man, raising an eyebrow.

“Max, what?”

“If you beat me. Only if, and I’m going to fight for it. But if you do I’ll hold Lewis off for you to get the win. We both know you’re good enough for it.” Max smiled and Dan replied with one, looking at his former teammate. Sometimes he regretted leaving Red Bull more than he could ever admit. It was the right move to spread his wings, but he missed the support he used to have.

“Don’t tell Christian you said that.”

“Christian would be glad if you won and I came second. Better if I win and you come second, but he still likes you. Stop by some time, Daniel. You won’t be run away unless you try to look at our data.”

“Ah Maxy, you know me too well!” He grinned and turned into his garage, immediately welcomed by applause and cheering. It had really happened, and it was glorious.

After a stupid number of meetings and discussions they were finally ready to leave. Em was tired, her feet trudging alongside him until he bent down.

“C’mon, hop up.”

“What?” She asked, Dan indicating for her to get on his back.

“The paddock is empty, nobody’s around. Piggyback to the car, c’mon.” She held on and he walked down while talking to Michael and Blake, Em pushing a kiss to the back of his neck every few steps. He knew she knew what she was doing and he squeezed the back of her thighs, making his girl tense slightly as they walked. It wasn’t long back to the hotel and heading to bed to relax. Or in his case get all of the adrenaline out of his system.

They didn’t even do the mock of having Em go into the room that was supposed to be hers, instead he pulled her into their room, bags dropped just inside the door as it was kicked shut. Em was right there with him, her arm around him until he pinned her against the bathroom door. It was his hand in her hair to pull her head back as he trailed kisses along her jaw. It held her still as his knee split her legs and ran up to push the seam of her jeans against her. She gasped into their kiss as he held onto her.

“What did I promise you I was gonna do tonight?”

“F-fuck me against the wall.” Her words were gasps as his free hand was everywhere, teasing and pinching. It was easy to get her shirt off, exposing the pretty blue sheer lace bra. He couldn’t help himself, bending down to lick at her nipple through the barely there fabric.

“Danny…please…” she groaned and he loved every noise she made. Clothes went everywhere as he lifted her up, pulling the matching underwear down and settling her onto the barely used desk. Her legs were spread as he stood between them, sucking marks into her skin while he made his way to his ultimate destination.

Any man who wouldn’t eat his girl out was a coward as far as Dan was concerned. It was one of his favourite things to do. Em’s hand running through his curls and pulling on them, his fingers and lips and tongue working to bring her to the edge. If he was feeling particularly mean he’d leave her right there for a few moments and watch his girl beg him to move.

Tonight though he wanted to ruin her. He wanted to leave her boneless and well fucked and knowing that he was the one who did this with her. He’d leave it all behind if it meant that his Emmy was happy and he was going to slowly prove that to her.

It didn’t take long for him to feel her first orgasm come up, Em grabbing his hair and biting her lip as he took his mouth away to look up at her.

“I want to hear you. I’m the one who makes you feel like this, let me hear you. C’mon.” Her moans got louder as he dove back in, his fingers hitting the spot he knew was her everything. Once he was satisfied with the hickey he’d bitten into her inner thigh Dan moved back to her clit. He kept licking at her clit while she came, desperate to taste everything he could. It was just them in that hotel room and he was desperate for everything.

When Emmy finally stopped shaking he stood up, watching how she was flushed down her chest. She was absolutely fucking perfect.

“You ok, Baby?” He asked, leaning in to kiss her and hold onto her.

“I’m good. I promise. But you promised me a wall, Mr Ricciardo. Gonna make good on your promise?” She was grinning up at him and Dan stood, pulling her off the desk and her legs wrapping around his hips. His lips met with hers as he got them to the wall, pushing Em against it to give them more support. His fingers grabbed her hips as he finally slid into her, watching as Em looked up at him with wide eyes.

“All mine, Emmy. You’re all mine and I’m gonna make sure you know it.” His hips set a blistering pace against her and he watched as her fingers slid to where they were joined, feeling the way she tightened around him as between his pace and her fingers she came to another orgasm. She was harder to hold up after this one, tiredness taking over but he needed another.

“Third place today so I want to see three orgasms. Can you do it for me? Gonna give me that third so I can see my pretty girl? You can do it Baby, I’ve got you.”

Instead of keeping her there he took steps back towards the bed, still inside Em as he set them down carefully. His girl was right there in his lap riding him and she felt so perfect. He watched her move her hips carefully, suddenly realising how hard he’d been pushing her. There was the start of marks and bruises along her boobs and stomach and Dan moved his hand away, looking at her.

“I’m good. Danny, I’m good, I promise. If I wasn’t I’d have told you to stop. But you told me you were gonna fuck me hard against the wall and I wanted it. And right now I want you to tell me what you like.”

He looked into Em’s eyes and saw the absolute truth of what she was saying, even though part of his brain didn’t fully get it. They were rough, they’d go further kink wise than they intended sometimes, but not like this much. He knew Emmy could see the unsureness in his face and he watched as she picked up his hand and put it at her neck. It was their favourite thing in bed, and he used the feeling of comfort he knew it gave her to keep going. If she wasn’t sure she’d have called red and stopped him.

“Gonna be my good girl? Gonna let me watch you ride me and put on a show? Is that what my Emmy wants to do tonight?” He didn’t have to thrust, his hand keeping Em steady and feeling her move under him. She looked so perfect like that, chest bouncing as he watched her fuck herself on him. His perfect Emmy. He was so close to blurting everything out but not now, not till they were alone. He couldn’t do it during sex, that was just cruel. He needed to do it when they had no distractions.

“Please Danny. Please. Make me feel good.”

“Such a greedy girl for me. Do you deserve another orgasm? Are you my good girl who gets another?” She nodded desperately as she bounced up and down, Dan pulling her lips closer to him.

“What are you, Emmy? Tell me and we’ll see.”

“I’m yours. All yours, Danny. You’re the only one who makes me feel this good. Please let me feel good.”

He could never deny her, pulling her in for a kiss as his fingers went straight to her clit. Between his thrusts, her bouncing, and his fingers she came in less than a minute, Dan following her straight over. He held her as aftershocks went through her body, Em’s head buried in his shoulder while he rubbed her back, unwilling to slip out of her. That meant the moment was gone and he wanted every second of it. He wanted Emmy in all the ways that he could have her. He was so fucking far gone it terrified him. But he was so blissfully happy.

Eventually they had to move, Dan pushing a soft kiss to her forehead as she lifted off him. He hurried to the bathroom to wet a cloth before coming back to clean Emmy up. She was pouting as he did and he couldn’t help but press a kiss to her to wipe it off her face before she went into the bathroom. While she was gone it was a quick call to room service for a strawberry pana cotta and a small cheesecake to be delivered. Dan slipped a robe on to answer the door, clearing their clothes away. He was delighted that he hadn’t actually ripped Em’s underwear getting them off her. One good thing.

When there was a knock on the door he answered with a smile and took the plates while giving a tip. Just as he had them settled on a table Em came out of the bathroom, showered with her hair tied up.

“You doing ok?” He asked, pulling her in for a kiss and running his hands over her.

“Yeah. I think I need some cuddles though.”

“And sugar. I got you dessert. Don’t tell anyone about my cheesecake.”

He shared his cheesecake with her and got bites in return before they curled up in bed together. He didn’t know how, but somehow she was fast asleep against him in about an hour. Emmy’s breathing evened out and he watched her sleep as the bruises he’d left on her chest were darkening. She always grinned every time she spotted a new mark he’d left on her and he hoped this time was the same. Whatever magic was there he didn’t want it to end. But sleep came calling and he had a race to drive the next day.

Em was the one who woke him up the next morning. Her kisses were nicer than his alarm clock, Dan’s hands immediately on her back and pulling her up. He heard her groan, opening his eyes to look at her.

“You ok?”

“Yeah, just sore. It’s good sore, Danny. I promise.” He raised an eyebrow and she laughed. “Honestly. I’m fine. You worked me good last night and every part of it was perfect.” She leaned down to kiss him and Dan smiled into the kiss, chasing Emmy’s lips as she got up.

“You need to shower and I need to get dressed. C’mon Mister Front Row, it’s going to be great. I have faith in you.”

That was all he needed to hear to get out of bed. It was one last kiss to Em before he went into the bathroom to shower. He nearly convinced her for five more minutes of cuddling before they had to get ready but he didn’t get away with it. Instead he showered while she got ready, putting on a McLaren shirt and jeans to be dressed. Once he was done he came out to find Emmy ready to go and he stopped in his tracks.

She was in skinny jeans and vans like usual, but every single part of her dripped his. Her three necklace hanging from her neck, the earrings with three stars he bought her. Her entire outfit was clothes he’d given her as presents and he was nearly sure if he checked her underwear was too. She was a dream and did he really have to leave for the track? It’d be fine to do the race without him. Who’d care?

Instead he pulled her in for a hug and a murmured “thank you” to Em, looking as she smiled up at him.

“For what?”

“For being you and amazing. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Walking into the circuit felt different that morning and he didn’t know why. Things were good and he was going to do his best. He was going to be on that podium no matter what. He could do it.

The time before getting in the car was a blur. He had no idea. He wanted to soak in the moments but he couldn’t, he was focusing on driving. He could drive this place blindfolded. He could do it.

Putting on his suit and boots he took a deep breath before heading downstairs. Em caught him just before he went into the garage. It was another kiss on the cheek and telling him to be fast and safe, but Dan kissed her properly for the briefest of seconds.

“You’ve got this. I’m gonna see you at that barrier.”

He walked in and picked up his balaclava to put it on before getting in the car. But before he could step in Zak caught him, an arm around his shoulder. Nobody ever did that. Emmy was the last person he talked to before he got in the car, always. She was his good luck charm. Even Michael knew not to talk to him when Em had talked to him. He’d get in and connect his earbuds for the radio and then he’d talk to Tom.

“Good luck. It’d be good to have a trophy to show around the MTC on Tuesday along with that medal, wouldn’t it?”

“Tuesday?” His blood ran cold.

“Yeah, we need to celebrate your sprint medal. Did Nicole from PR not tell you yet? Full day in the MTC then. Your calendar was empty so it looked good.”

His calendar was empty because they’d removed Em from access. Without his girl there to block the days out then its looked free. Which meant that their vacation was gone because he had to be in fucking Woking instead.

“See you at the flag!” He wanted to punch Zak’s fucking face. He was so angry he wanted to scream. But instead he got into the car, settling down and putting his helmet on and connecting it to his HANS. The radio connected in while the guys strapped him into place and he had the go ahead to bring the car to the grid. Bring it in, get out, let everything happen.

He had to blank his mind out. It’s was the visualisation crap that Michael beat into his head that he kept going with.

Finally it was the anthems and he bopped along to the Italian one, the texts of good luck from his parents floating in the back of his head.

Waiting for the lights to go out was terrifying. Seeing the five red lights made him nearly forget everything that he’d known for so long, but as soon as they blinked off he was gone. Never ask him how he made it around those first corners but pretty soon he was leading the fucking race.

It was the fastest race of his life. The only time he worried was when the safety car backed everyone up after Max and Lewis crashed, the realisation that he didn’t have Max backing things up worrying him. But he forced himself to stay calm and pushed through, Tom giving him advice on the radio. It was obvious Lando had been ordered not to attack but Dan didn’t care, too focused on making it to the flag.

“YEAH P1! You bloody did it!” Tom was celebrating over the radio, Dan screaming his lungs out. He did it. He fucking did it. Fastest lap and first place and fuck it he did it.

“Deep down I knew this was gonna come, so…thanks. Thanks for having my back. And for anyone who thought I left, I never left. Just moved aside for a while.”

Pulling into that beautiful number one podium spot felt so sweet. He won. He actually won. It took a moment to realise what was happening as he shut the car off, pulling the steering wheel out and standing atop the halo. He fucking did it.Em was there at the barrier, sandwiched between Blake and Michael and he could see tears streaming down his girl’s face in pride and he grinned behind the helmet before tapping his chest three times, watching as she realised.

The jog to the team was sweet, jumping into them in celebration. He hugged Michael and Blake before Em wrapped her arms around him. All he wanted to do was pull his helmet off and kiss her in front of everyone but that wasn’t fair. He couldn’t. So instead he let go and realised she’d been FaceTiming his parents for the race. He took off his helmet and grinned at the camera, a murmured “I love you” escaping before he got pulled back to be weighed and interviewed by DC, a grin on the Scot’s face and the promise of a drink at some point once the cameras were switched off.

He was on the podium. On the top step in Monza. He’d done that and it was a heady feeling to be back up there, the Tifosi cheering because while he might not be a Ferrari driver he was half Australian and for them that was a big moment.

The chaos of interviews and discussions and debriefs and eating were constant, he didn’t have a second to himself for hours. It wasn’t until nearly nine that they were finally done, Zak sending him away to get changed before the party that had been hastily organised for the team in celebration. He bounded up the stairs two at a time, spotting Em in the room before she’d even realised he was there. She stood, grinning and pulling him in for a kiss.

“I am so proud of you. So fucking proud of you. You did that and you proved it to everyone and you are amazing. Well done, Danny.” He pulled her for a hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as he got the courage to say that they had to cancel everything.

“I need to get in touch with the villa to-“

“I called them earlier to cancel. Turns out the owner is a F1 fan and had put two and two together for when you rented it and your surname. He said congratulations and to call back whenever to rent it out again, there’s no problem. And I cancelled the flight back from Milan to London on Friday. Anything else you need?”

To tell her that he’s completely in love with her. But Emmy deserved better than that. She deserved better than when he was still sweaty after a race because he’d only had a rinse off shower to get the champagne off. She deserved a big gesture, but one somewhere private because if he did it in public she’d be too embarrassed. Just because this plan was ruined didn’t mean it was all bad.

Maybe Austin, the two of them in a city they loved. They were staying back an extra night or two to enjoy it. Or at the farm over Christmas when they got to go home together. After a day of seeing their family. That would be the right way to tell Emmy everything. He’d get down on one knee in their living room with her ring and she’d say yes, he knew her.

“You know, right?” His voice was thick. The tears he wanted to let out were close but he couldn’t start crying or he wouldn’t stop.

“I know. You know too?”

“I really know. C’mon. There’s a party in a couple of hours, let’s go change and shower and maybe nap for an hour.”

He pulled a clean shirt on before picking up his bag, holding his hand out for Emmy to take. At that time of night the paddock was deserted and he didn’t care who saw. If he didn’t get to tell his girl everything this week then he definitely got to hold her fucking hand leaving. He didn't care about the McLaren cameras in his face. He'd already had to give up enough with her this weekend, they didn't get this too.

-

Taglist.

@dr3lover @sabrinaselina55 @majx00 @tall-tanned-tattoo @lovingdennishauger @lauehr @msolbesg @f1medlife @idkwtfimdoing2 @leclercsbae @hiphopdancer101universe @mehrmonga @lewispool @saintandrea-droidsmuggler @coldheartedmar @sugarbabygirlofdaddy @nonsensical-nonce @a-distantdreamer @tita010 @leslizzle @javden @mloyer @magical-imagination-kgp @danarysstormborn @kakorrhaphiphobia @g-l-o-b-e-w-h-o-r-e @elizanav @neiich @luckyladycreator2 @scotlynaurora @belledawnidk

[the-last-f2p]

Yandere promts day 7

7. "You're my lover now, and forever." Featuring: Dan heng! TW: Overprotective behaivour, stalking? , Dan Heng calls reader 'good darling', events take place just before the main story

Ever since you boarded the Astral Express he's been constantly hovering around you just quietly observing you from 0 distance in Dan Heng's defence he's just doing what he usually does guarding the Astral Express. But Dan Heng also seems to be fixated on guarding you as well. It went from just making sure you were okay to standing outside of your room while you were in there to not even letting people outside the Astral Express talk to you. Let him take care of it for you he just wants to help okay? You had just let it be waiting for Dan Heng to lay back a little but he didn't he actually did the opposite. It was when everyone on the Astral Express caught wind of one of Herta's space stations being invaded by the Antimatter Legion it had been a while since you went out trailblazing and you were ready! "Let's do this!" You say excitedly to March , Dan Heng like usual was behind you. You were gigling with March getting ready for you to go out trailblazing again until. "Y/N you do realise the you're not coming right?" As soon of you got out of earshot of March Dan Heng started talking. "H-Huh?" You were slightly confused of course you're coming you always wanted to visit Herta's space station and it was your choice right? "It's way to dangerous and I heard there was a Stellaron on board there's no way I would risk your safety so you can go help out some space station." Ah yes the Stellaron of course Dan Heng thought you were some dumb kid or a Stellaron hunter who just wanted to mess with it for no reason. "You sound like my mom I'm going Dan Heng." You say as you continue getting ready. “You’re my lover now, and forever" He continues "I'm only looking out for you if I say you're not going you're not going end of discussion.” What? Did he just call you his lover?! "H-Huh we're not dating Dan Heng you know that right?" You were slightly worried now. "Didn't you hear me? End of disscussion now be a good darling and go to your room you wouldn't want to make me mad right?" "Right..." So now you sit in your room because Dan Heng is being weird again it's not like you couldn't fight him your gut says it wouldn't be wise to provoke him..

[dysthoepiadaily]

Could you tell us some about Phil’s vedic astrology?

So, a bit of a difficult question, because I do better with specifics... By that, I mean, when it came to Dan's chart, I was looking solely at his branding, and his fame, and that was the point. With Phil, I'm not sure what exactly it is that people would like me to talk about. A specific subject would be good to analyse, perhaps.

That said, if I look at Phil's chart, certain things do pop out to me, and those are interesting... So, lets discuss Phil's status as a niche icon, I think, because that is what his entire chart points to... This post is going to be even more technical than Dan's chart, because with Dan, I was only looking at Dan's branding, and the one single placement that impacted it (a lot I left out in that essay bc I could go on forever). Meanwhile, Phil's chart has more things going on, and I can't point to one single placement for one subject...

Once more, a disclaimer about how I'm uninterested in discussing whether astrology is real or not, and I'm mostly looking at the patterns and pointing out what could be coincidences.

So, Phil's first house contains Saturn and Venus, in the sign of Scorpio. These planets don't generally tend to do very well in the first house, because both of these planets are inherently related to those outside of you. As in, Saturn relates to society and community, while Venus relates to lovers and partners. These planets are friendly to each other as well, because Saturn exalts in Libra, which is ruled by Venus.

In a sense, Phil's chart is very Saturn led, with his Moon, Mercury, and Sun in the sign of Capricorn, and Jupiter in Aquarius (both signs ruled by Saturn). His Saturn is ruled by Mars in pisces, which is ruled by Jupiter, and his Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter sort of loop back to each other, making these influences strongest in his chart.

Saturn and Mars are malefic planets, both related to struggles and pain, so Phil has an extremely high tolerance for a lot of the problematic things that occur in his life. Because Jupiter, the planet of wisdom and optimism is also involved in this loop, he tends to take hardships as lessons, and tends to zoom past them.

Saturn is related to people who are marginalized, outcast, and somehow not accepted by the rest of society. A lot of times, it can indicate being part of a community that is somehow ostracized. The gay community is one of these communities. In the modern world, Saturn often presents as extremely alternative.

Saturn is often associated with ugliness in the ancient texts, but almost every beauty icon in the modern world has very strong Saturn placements. So, that is something that should be taken with a pinch of salt. What is more accurate to say is that Saturn gives people an unconventional look, which can be shocking to the eyes. They have something to offer that the rest of the world does not, something different. They tend to be trendsetters in their field, people who change the game.

Something I find very interesting that Phil has said is that he never related to the emo look, but that he had the emo look because he wanted to attract emo boys. This relates very much to his Saturn and Venus in the first house. I personally would interpret Venus in first house as him being attracted to people who he relates to, but because of Saturn (which numbs down ego and personal emotion, because it is about the other), he wasn't fully able to feel the way he felt.

Phil's first house is ruled by Mars in Pisces, in the 5th house, which is sitting with Rahu. This particular placement feels more to him like him, than other placements, because a Martian sign in first house is quite good. This makes him someone who gets attention (rahu) for his creativity (5th house). Phil's Rahu mahadasha (great rahu phase) was from 1993 to 2011. During this time is when I suspect baby Phil's habit of lying for attention really came into the picture, like when he lied about having a very cool twin brother (Rahu rules glamour and fakeness, which, in babies, can come across as lying to look more glamourous).

Rahu gives a sort of temporary fame and virality, and the fame given by Rahu doesn't usually last for too long. However, there is a way that fame can last for a longer time, and that is through Saturn, the planet of time, community, and public reputation.

I'm going to guess that 2004 to 2005 (his ketu antardasha, sub ketu phase within the greater rahu phase) was a difficult time for Phil, because he lost a lot of what he built, maybe he was exposed in a way he didn't want to be, but it was also a time when he learnt to be more true to himself, which is something that he took with him when his next phase of life (venus antardasha) started. I suspect this was the time when he was outed to his friends.

Phil's Venus antardasha was from 2005 to 2008, which is around the time where he established his aesthetic, based on what he was attracted to. To actually feel like himself, Phil always will have to figure out what he's attracted to, and become that person. When he does this, he finds that the kind of people who he wanted in his life were just flocking to him without him doing anything about it.

Phil made his youtube account during his Venus antardasha, and his Venus is sitting with Saturn, their qualities intermingling. Anything that he does in pursuit of love or relationships is likely to last for a long time for Phil. He won't be able to do casual relationships, whether with people, or with work, they'll fizzle out almost immediately unless its meant to last.

Saturn's downside, to a large extent, comes from the fact that... People with strong Saturn associated with the self, are often not treated like full people, but rather, as icons. A lot of times, because Saturn is such a stoic planet, people do not feel as attached to Saturn. Parasociality is hard to build with a planet like Saturn. Saturn tends to show up most as a planet that rules servants. It is associated with fame, because, in many ways, celebrities provide a service to society, through sharing their talent.

Saturn as a planet of service is interesting, because something that Phil would do with his fame as a young youtuber was to be a strong part of the community, collaborate a lot, and even with youtubers who weren't as big a deal as he was. Showing off his creativity with his videos is one aspect, but another, bigger aspect, was the community he was part of, and he was sort of a pillar in that community. He would encourage other youtubers, and give them exposure (like he did with Dan, LOL).

However, Saturn becomes such a part of the community that, outside of their field of interest (where they garner a LOT of respect and appreciation), they tend to become just another face in the crowd. A lot of what is special about them is taken away by the masses they serve, and there usually isn't enough personality left to keep an audience hooked. The 7 second challenge, and the toilet tag are prime examples of this, kind of. Popular concepts invented by Phil, but taken by so many people that it can't be traced back to him.

Something to think about is that with Phil, it's not JUST that he is creative. I mean, of course he is, but actually, his bigger strength is timing, and keeping up with the current trends, and the need of the hour. His Rahu in 5th house is very prominent, and is what makes him creative, however, his real strength is Ketu in the 11th house of community, which gives him a sort of intuition with what the audience will be most receptive to. 11th house is also associated with Saturn, btw.

Saturn does create icons, but it creates niche icons. Icons to people in the know, sort of. The inspiration for a lot of those people who gain much more popularity than they do. To gain mainstream popularity, what you need is not just Saturn, but strong Sun (which is being EXTREMELY good at doing something conventional) or strong Moon (very good branding, gets the audience invested in you as a person). Phil has a weaker Moon, and an okay Sun, however, Dan has a very very strong Moon. So, a lot of the mainstream flowers that Phil gets in the public are also due to Dan standing up for him in the public eye.

Right now, Phil is not in his icon era (maybe a bit. His Mars and Rahu antardasha will be going from 2024 to 2027, and that will make him go viral A LOT). He was from 1993 to 2011 (yeah, he was an iconic baby, ig. His creativity made him very popular with people who knew him), and will be again in 2027 (Saturn Mahadasha, where he will be known more for himself, and maybe for his relationship. which is lowkey the same thing to him).

Right now, he is in his Jupiter mahadasha, which is Jupiter in Aquarius, in 4th house. Jupiter gives wisdom and luck, but doesn't really relate to fame in the same way, and in the 4H, it gives a blessed home life. Unfortunately, his Jupiter and 4H is the sign of Aquarius, which relates heavily to the public, just as Saturn does. Not the best sign for a house that is about comfort, home, and emotional security. During his Jupiter Mahadasha, Phil has dealt a lot with the concept of the public, the private life, striking that balance, and creating his boundaries. The public feels entitled to his private life, and they show it. Phil cannot be away from the public life, the way Dan sometimes can, and he knows it. But, navigating his private life along with his work is something he's been dealing with, and will be dealing with until 2027.

[spock-smokes-weed]

I wanna talk about about the big issue that's going on in the dan and phil fandom rn because I've been sitting on my thoughts for a few days, and because I think it's important for us as a community to keep talking about it.

Dan and Phil mean a lot to me, they've been a real bright spot for me in a very dark time in my life, so it did give me a major spike of anxiety when I started seeing discussions of racist behavior coming from Dan and the Phandom. My first instinct was to just brush it off because what people were upset about didn't seem that "serious", and it's a bad habit of my mine to try to bury things that give me anxiety. But like a pulsing sore, my mind couldn't let me ignore it and I kept going back into the tags to read what people were saying. And I realized I was doing the exact thing that a lot of POC and Latin American fans were criticizing.

I'm not POC or Latin American, and comments like the ones Dan made (idk if there are anymore but to my understanding he called mexico and brazil third world countries in WAD, and titled a really old video "I'm Mexican Now" back when he used to tan himself) don't hit a sore spot for me like it would other people. It's a lot easier for me to say "oh that's tasteless" and let it roll off my back. But this is personal for a lot of other fans, and I never want to be that kind of person that goes "well it didn't hurt ME, why can't YOU let it go." no matter how much I like Dan and Phil.

And I think that's gets a the core for what a lot of fans are upset over (at least from what I've observed, feel free to tell me if I'm off the mark.) Dan's comments made them feel like a person they really admired doesn't hold the same kind of respect for them. It made me really sad reading about how isolated POC feel in fandom because when microaggressions come up, they're expected to suck it up. And that's so unbelievably shitty that we are making fellow fans feel this way. I've seen time and again POC people have to leave fandoms, or never join them to begin with, because the environment is so hostile towards them. And that's really a shame, because fandom has been such a positive aspect of my life, and it want it to be that way for everyone.

And what Dan did is just one part of it, the other part is us, the phandom. People who speak up about this, or the fact that DnP's tour has zero shows in Latin America, Asia, or Africa ("world tour" lmao) have been getting racist harassment from other fans. They're framed as "trying to cancel" DnP, or "making a fuss over nothing". That is completely unacceptable, and if we really want to be this positive community, we have to push back on this behavior when we see it. That includes when it's coming from Dan and Phil.

I honestly don't think Dan was being malicious in what he said, nor do I think DnP were intending to exclude people by not taking the tour to the global south, but that it's really not the point. It's about the fans that feel excluded and hurt. Dan and Phil are both human beings, they are not "unproblematic kings", and they will always fail to meet your standards when you paint them that way. It's causing real people harm when you deny that they can do no wrong. Dan and Phil are very meaningful to me as artists, and I know it can feel personal when you find out someone you admire did something wrong, but sometimes you have to step back and remember that this isn't about you. And it's not a healthy approach to take any criticism of something you like as a personal attack.

Contrapoints once said something that really stuck with me, and it's how I'd like to be living my life, which is that often, admitting when you were wrong can seen as a weakness, when in reality it's an incredible strength. I was wrong with my initial gut reaction over this, and Dan was wrong for what he said, and I think all people want is to hear him say that.

I felt a little nervous writing this post because I don't want to be speaking over anyone, or speaking for anyone, (and if you're a POC and want to elaborate please go ahead), but it felt wrong not saying anything because of how much Dan and Phil mean to me. I don't exactly see myself a part of the "phandom", and I only post about them when they upload, but they are very meaningful artists to me. I want other people to keep discovering Dan and Phil and enjoying their art, but for that to happen we need to be candid about where they've fallen short.

[jake-s-azaleea]

How I lost you (1/2)

2 parts story

Pairing: Jake X MC

Context: the aftermath of episode 10

Warnings: Blood, cursing;

part 2 here- how I found you

Your hands shook as you fumbled for the keys, tears blurring your vision. With a heart heavy with fear, you stumbled out of the house, with steps unsteady. Trembling, you got into your car, the engine starting with a loud roar that echoed her inner turmoil. As you drove through the darkened streets, the only destination in your mind was your friends' town, the one's name you couldn't even pronounce without your heart aching. The journey was a silent one, the only sound the rhythmic hum of the engine and the occasional sniffle as you tried to compose yourself.

"Welcome to Duskwood"

The phone call between you and the chief of police ended when the mine exploded as Hannah's reaction was burning in your mind.

Richy... As much as you were troubled and furious at him, nothing could have prepared you for what happened.

'Adios'

You shed a tear.

'And I care about you, MC'

Another one.

'MC removed Richy from the group'

You lost count.

Your eyes were now waterfalls, and your mind was drowning in this course of events. Were you really glad it's over? Did you felt accomplished by the fact that you now knew the truth?

The answer was obvious.

The sky darkened, heavy clouds looming ominously overhead. Suddenly, the first droplets of rain began to fall, tapping lightly on the windowpanes before intensifying into a steady downpour. The sound of rain hitting the ground grew louder, creating a soothing yet melancholic melody that matched your turbulent emotions.

You parked in front of the police station. And covering your head with your head you ran inside. There were 5 faces you could recognize anywhere, and next to them, a face that looked so familiar, but you knew you didn't met her before. So she is Hannah.

Jessy ran straight into your arms, burying her face into your neck, whispering thousands of "I'm sorry" as she sobbed.

"It's alright, Jessy. Everything it's going to be alright"

"No, no, no it's not!" she said as she lifted her head. "Richy is gone!" she whined. "And last time I checked, he isn't the only one who was in the mine when it explode. So stop trying to make me feel better when he and Jake could be dead"

You remained silent. It was your turn to mutter an "I am sorry", but as you did, you realised how right she was and how helpless you were in that moment.

Thomas was holding Hannah tight.

"MC, I have no words to express how grateful I am for your sacrifices you have done to help us, Thank you."

You look over to Dan, sitting in the wheelchair, who was for the first time since you met him, quiet. He looked troubled.

Cleo has made her way next to Jessy and whispered you a "Thank you" as she closed her droopy red eyes.

Lilly walked up to you and pulled you aside.

"What happened to him?" she gulped.

"I don't know, Lilly. I want to go there, but first I need to speak to Alan."

"And tell him what? 'Oh I know the FBI is there and some police officers but I need to find the hacker'. You can't do that. Plus, there are three possible options. One, he got caught, which we would've found out if it was true, two, the fire, which I don't even want to discuss, and three, he escaped in time."

"I am not willing to explore the first two options. I..." you started.

"It's okay, MC. Maybe something about your last conversation could hint about his next step."

The memories flooded your mind: 'I love you, MC'.

"I am going to be back tomorrow morning."

"What? Where in the world are you going?" Lilly asked, knowing already the answer.

"To do what I had to do from the begging. I shouldn't have let Jake go there alone. I have time to fix this."

Lilly just nodded to you. She was the kind of person who'd normally stop you before you could even finish that sentence. But the tiredness in her eyes reflected that she didn't want to lose her brother now.

You left the station in a heartbeat and headed into the forest not giving the idea a second thought.

You stepped cautiously into the dense forest, the trees towering overhead. The air was cool and filled with the earthy scent of moss and pine. Each step on the soft bed of fallen leaves echoed through the quiet woods, creating a sense of solitude and mystery. As you ventured deeper, the sounds of nature enveloped you—the rustle of leaves, the chirping of birds, and the distant gurgle of a hidden stream. The forest seemed to hold its breath, as if waiting to reveal its secrets to the brave soul who dared to explore its depths.

As you went deeper into the forest, your foot suddenly caught on something, causing you to trip and stumble. Startled, you looked back to find a burnt black hoodie filled with holes, next to a mask.

'That just be Jake's...'

Your eyes welled up with tears once more, your heart pounding with fear and confusion. You ran deeper into the forest, each step echoing in the eerie silence that enveloped you. Suddenly, you stumbled and fell into a pool of blood, the metallic scent overwhelming your senses. Exhausted and overwhelmed, you just layed there, the crimson liquid seeping into the ground beneath you, as darkness slowly claimed your consciousness.

"MC!"

Trying to keep yourself awake, you raise your head watching a mysterious figure emerging from the shadows of forest.

"Richy..?"

"You made it here finally, glad to see you"

You look around yourself again to see if it was just a nightmare but the thick substance beneath you makes itself present.

"MC, you have to understand that I am sorry. Even if you did came to the Grimrock waterfall, I wouldn't have hurt you." he cried holding his gunshot wound that was bleeding without stopping.

"I wanted to make things again fine but I screwed up so bad, right? Like when the TT jerks opened up their..." he spoke half jokingly.

"But your little friend was there. I trapped Jake with me when I set the mine on fire so I had to make something, ah" he whimpers in pain.

"Richy your wound-"

"And I did. I escorted him out. He even wanted to take me with him but I refused, and I" he grunted. "I am sorry."

"No, there is still time, Richy. I-I can call for help, Alan will be there within minutes, I promise" you stated now with teary eyes.

"You've tried to handle all of this by yourself for too long, MC. It's time for you to" he winced. "To move on."

You started sobbing as he would make himself more comfortable on the ground. The metallic smell of blood enveloped you, as your friend was taking his lasts breaths.

Your eyes widened in surprise as you looked back and saw a group of men from the FBI emerging from the shadows of the forest. Their stern expressions and professional demeanor added an air of authority to the already tense situation. The presence of the FBI raised more questions than answers, leaving you to make a quick decision.

"Leave" Richy cried. "Find Jake before they do."

You nod to Richy and get up, now stained with blood and tears. As you start running deeper in the forest you heard a fainted 'Adios'.

With trembling lips you whispered to yourself you're going to make this worth it. It would be a matter of time until the FBI's dogs would track you down so you had to run without looking back. And you did.

After a few minutes that felt like hours, you collapsed on the ground but felt a hand on your back.

"MC, what the hell are you doing here?"

You look up to see a black haired man, who's face looked so familiar despite never meeting him before.

"Jake.."

[enniewritesathing]

Discussion/Comment Post #...5?

I'm not sure; I've lost count but The Werewolf certainly did not.

Like my dude Walt from Fosters said:

It was not!

This is (maybe obviously) the part that I wanted to get to after me spending how many months yelling about and wanting to get it right to the point where I was doing the equivalent of moving furniture two inches to the right. Partially because I wanted to do this part justice; I had the idea when I did the Incident but I did not have the skillset I do now (or the CC).

That said, thank you @pink-chevalier for pointing in the right directions of a lot of things at 2-3-4 in the morning.

There is something that I would've liked to do but I have no patience for -- and that was animating blood dripping. I had enough trouble with highlights and making the heart wet/fresh... also learned how to dink around in Procreate.

I recognize that this part of the story is the scare the hoes (affectionate) away part. If you stumbled upon this and you stayed? Hello. If you took one at the warnings on top and said I'mma sit this out? Well, there's a bit more left.

also that said, this update got way more love than when I did it. Seriously; that part of the Incident averaged like 4 notes... part of why I was nervous about this update.

Anyway, let's get to it. Not in exact order..

When The Werewolf/Vin promised he was gonna kill everyone, he meant that shit. He said that shit with his soul and folks? He did it.

I'm not sure if anyone has caught this at all and I wish tumblr has like a spoiler thingie that's the black bar, you know the one but...

hey, everyone's death? foreshadowed!

except Thomas' in that he literally just caught a stray bullet. to the head. See, had he stayed in the other room, he would've lived and I'mma say this -- like John, when The Werewolf says he's gonna do something, he'll do it and he wouldn't have done anything to him or Mark. but nooo. see how Charles thought little of him?

anyway, back to the foreshadowing. Jordan was first -- and The Werewolf nearly got to them the first time until Dan came in at the last moment. (this is also important later on.) Jordan was more or less responsible for monitoring/making sure that The Werewolf is at least breathing and adjusting the levels as needed.

so him going for their throat and not only putting his claws through it but slashing? makes sense right? I couldn't breathe (oxygen) so now you can't either except you're choking/drowning in your blood. :)

honestly, Jordan fucked up when they asked the question of why John hadn't turned back if he was dead. when you bring questions into a situation like that, it's not going to end well. it's the equivalent of the teacher asking any questions before letting class go early and someone raises their hand to do that and now you're stuck bc it's actually a legit question. In a horror situation?! C'mon...

is that going to be explained? maybe, maybe not. i encourage yall to think. or don't and be like "yeah sure i'll believe that".

Bernard's I had to think... and honestly, his death was kind of out of pocket. So, his death was foreshadowed (if you squint) when he was with Charles and that big ass knife -- and he suggested that to him maybe he should cut John's face bc he is too pretty. Another thing with Bernard is that he is known for mouthing off and get into arguments specifically with Daniel. He's p much he's an asshole, but he's right in most cases.

I had to keep in The Werewolf jumping off like he's on the top rope of an AEW match. One of many favorites I have.

This time I decided to show Bernard's crushed face/head and the shocked looks of Daniel and Charles (more so Dan.)

Now, we get to Dan, who arguably, is just a coward, a hypocrite, and y'know what? engaged in some, dare I say, pussy behavior this whole time. Let's roast talk about him.

when I was going through the Incident and I was wondering, okay, what's Dan's deal and throughout the story, I decided that y'know what? big man ain't shit.

(i also decided that Daniel was the biggest out of everyone which meant that what happened to him in the Incident didn't quite make sense -- so I changed it for the way better.)

Sure, Dan saved Jordan right as The Werewolf was gonna grab them and do lord knows what. But he flat out abandoned them and made no effort when they were grabbed by The Werewolf. Oh! And! AND! He fucking guarded Charles. (Charles side-eyed him btw.)

Prior to that, he was given not one (he could've walked out), not two (he def could've walked out), but three! Shit, four times! He had more than enough chances to be like "aight, I'm out; have a nice day".

Yall heard what The Werewolf said about that. Nothing is lost on him and he read him for absolute filth before he killed him.

Anyway, his death -- it is the longest. Jordan and Bernard? They were chump-change, they were the warm-up.

now keep in mind, this mfer was still guarding Charles when The Werewolf did the Phoenix Wright finger (🫵). You know it was gonna be bad when Vin didn't even look Charles way.

0.1 seconds later Daniel is shifting the blame to Charles and Charles parried that shit like "hey, you're still here, idk what to tell you."

Dan does that thing where you accuse someone they know they did but they try to be all horrified about it??

But I have to hand it to Dan, in a way, he wasn't exactly phased when The Werewolf blinded his right eye.

like I said, this is the only major change I did to this part but I did keep the choking in (something something if I had a nickle everytime Vin choked someone out, I'd have 2 nickles, which isn't much but it's weird it happened twice) and I thought -- what would The Werewolf do instead?

and he said, "I wanna yeet him" (me: "is that what you wanna do?" // Vin: "let me do it, woman." say no more, wolfman.)

This is also another fav thing of mine that The Werewolf does. It is a show of power, even if he's not 100%. (Idk what percentage I'd put him at all things considering that he was 99.98% dead for 2 hours a few minutes prior.) He can throw a dude that's bigger than him into a wall, breaking said dude's back.

(there's so much I love about this part.)

Anyway, Dan's death is a call back to when he rescued Jordan and punched The Werewolf right in the solar plexus with a needle (something that neutralized Vin almost immediately).

The Werewolf was like 'oh, you punched me in the chest, well I'm gonna punch into your chest and rip your heart out since you've been fuckin' with mine'.

Did The Werewolf had to eat his heart tho? Probably not but yknow, all that jumping around and throwing people... bound to get hungry.

(this was slightly extra but he deserves it as a treat.)

like I said with Thomas, he would have survived had he just stayed in the other room.

You notice that Mark is flat out absent. if you have a good memory, I said he was the smartest person out of this whole story. as early as when The Werewolf was starting to wake up, Mark was like nope, I'm out, I'm not going anywhere near him again.

Not only that, he won against Jordan at Rock, Paper, Scissors in deciding who was gonna be the 4th in the lab.

Don't forget, Jordan told him it's okay to be selfish sometimes… at someone's expense.

Now, let's get to the Werewolf himself!

He had his (beautiful) dead fish eyes wide open for 2 hours and frankly I'm surprised he didn't blink earlier when he did.

I wanted it to be extremely subtle that he's just waiting to snatch people by having his hand twitch (I didn't want to make it super obvious bc that meant that Charles would have seen it. I thought about it when Bernard was taking the bracelet off but that would've been too obvious.)

In the Incident, they were just blank, but adding the super blown pupils in really makes it ...creepy? I'm not sure if that's the right word. he's just there like ◉_◉ and nobody exactly addresses it, lol.

which really makes the part where he looks up at Jordan truly scary.

I made the command decision for him to have his hair down after killing Bernard for a visual cue aside from the cracked floor. The force of him just cratering this guy's head in loosened up his hair. It gives him a much wilder look like the lord intended. and hotter lbr here

since I couldn't do it last time or I didn't quite have the cc for it, I made The Werewolf bloodier with each kill. I'm sure you can guess where this is going to go. (he's gonna need to be powerwashed)

I also decided to make a gif out of him breathing after killing Jordan to emphasize that hell yeah, he's alive, he's breathing actual air, let's go gamers; I'm gonna fuck everyone up.

now that I look back on it, this part kind seems kind of mouth focused. don't think that's anything on my part, but it could be for yall.

now the part between The Werewolf and Daniel... there may or may not have been some metaphorical fucking happening. Jury is out on that, but I wouldn't be surprised if that actually was the case. Why did you whisper in his ear and call him that, Vin? Huh?? 🤔😭

that said, he'd get so many catfish if he went noodlin'. love that for him tbh.

I wanna be on the record that this might be a favorite shot of mine -- I have several and I may do a "ennie's favs" post when I'm done with this story completely but--

The fuckin' look The Werewolf has in the mirror. Get his ass!

I thought to myself, "do I want to make The Werewolf a Nasty Man while I'm at it?" and ofc, I did because a) he deserves it and b) I want that moment where he eats Daniel's still beating heart to be a statement. What statement could that be?

i'm so sorry

I did kinda scare myself a little when I had to take the shot of him smiling. It was gonna be a close up but I'm like no that distant is good. I considered putting it as a jumpscare.

I made the decision for him to look deranged for a bit and go back to 'normal' on the basis that the amount of blood around his mouth was distracting. Like you just wanna get a big ol towel and wipe it off (but a risky wipe bc he's feeling bite-y).

Here's a question or maybe a comment, idk: just how did Daniel and Charles clock that The Werewolf was still weak or even guess that in the first place? Did they figure out through his movements/body language? (Vin did kind of linger after killing Bernard and he was a little raspy after throwing Daniel into the wall.)?

on the other hand, Vin is a mixture of the remaining toxins and a shitload of adrenaline and kind of a mess in general. He may or may not be vibrating a little bit.

...I want yall to keep that in mind for a later thing; it's also an explanation. (One that I think that I feel is indicative of The Werewolf in general.)

Or was it like their way of trying to bluff their intentions? like "a-HA; I have a shot at [x]! You can't do shit to me!" obviously that went so wrong for Daniel.

and finally -- this is gonna be just the one question that I have for Charles and for you, readers if you wanna take a crack at answering.

hey, what the fuck is YOUR deal? you uh, you got something to share with the class, Charles? This is the second time that's happened. Oh, and Vin thinks your blood smells bad. What does that mean? Can your blood be stinky because you're a stinky man in general?? And why is it that your vibe is just rancid?

You know a mfer is sus when he addresses John as Johnathan this whole time. Nobody calls him that!

(a side note... as much as I hate this mfer, Charles is fun to write. He's just so slimy; this is the first time in a while that I've had a sicko (derogatory). So, next part/update is going to be interesting to say the least.)

okay, if you made it this far, congrats -- but I also wanna hear your thoughts, speculations, comments, etc...

[rxbelling-hxrald]

A job like no other || @themultiversebundle

The lifestyle for a demon-hog like Dan wasn't one that allowed for too much extravagance, usually just managing to scrape by for living and not much room for anything else between either time or funds getting in the way, something that would occasionally get under his skin when he saw others with such freedom.

Still there wasn't time to let himself get worked up on that, tonight he had a meeting with someone whom apparently had a job for him.

Details had been vague, only informing him to meet someone amongst the glitz of the Casino zone, presumably where things were so loud a discussion on a sensitive subject could be kept on the downlow. Why else would they want to speak there? It left his mind curious but at least he was glad that someone apparently knew of him to give a job in the first place.

Ignoring the few glances cast in his direction for standing out like a sore thumb, he'd continue to move along the pathways pondering how he'd even know who his contact was.

Soon enough there was a sudden tap on the back of his shoulder, causing him to glance over it warningly and seeing a figure completely cloaked and masked, towering over him. Initially taking a defensive posture before they gestured towards one of the nearby casinos and walked on ahead. Assuming that was who he was here to meet he'd begin to follow along behind them.

Already they didn't exactly give the best of vibes but when it came to work he wasn't bothered as long as they didn't anything too extreme. Last thing he needed was to draw the ire of several factions at once.

"So what's this about anyway?" He would ask yet the stranger would continue to lead the way without a word or a glance, "Not the talkative type then..." Nothing. This really wasn't appearing like the ideal role yet Dan would continue to follow....surely they wouldn't be daft enough to mess with him right?

Eventually they'd arrive at what appeared to be the bar of the casino, a few of the tenders looking on curiously but not saying a word as the duo would keep moving and finally entering a back office. "Hmm? You the manager of this place or something?" The figure remained silent, moving over to the head seat and sitting themselves down and waiting for their guest to do the same, reluctantly Dan would cautiously allow himself to do so.

Reaching into their pocket a small device would be pulled out, appearing like some kind of radio and soon after a feminine voice was heard on the other-side, crackling on occasion with interference yet still clear enough to be heard.

'Good evening, forgive the secrecy but I believe its in our best interest to take precautions in matters such as this. correct me if I'm wrong but you go by the name of Omen, is that correct?'

Now Dan was just getting more curious as he listened, it was rare to hear himself being addressed by his self appointed nickname. "Only to those that it matters, mind telling me what gives with all this cloak and dagger rubbish?"

'Very good, as for your query its to do with the nature of the job, we'd much prefer not risk identification in case these talks ever are heard by those we'd rather not listen in. We're willing to compensate you a substantial amount if your able to comply with our request.'

"Hmm? I'm not a hired assassin if your planning on using me to take someone you want out of the picture or something. I don't care what the offer is."

'Noted, but that's not why we contacted you. You see we became aware of a certain artefact currently under heavy guard by some we believe your familiar with. The Guardian Units of Nations AKA G.U.N.'

Almost instantly Dan's attention grew, a slight anger and eagerness piquing up inside at the mere mention of that organisation. He wasn't fond of G.U.N in the slightest. "Go on...." A chance to be paid and kick them around a bit perhaps? Already it sounded like a good job all of a sudden.

'We're not interested in any military design or technology and we're certainly not intending to draw the attention of a power house like them, which is why we're hoping we can count on your help, someone G.U.N already is aware of and will believe it to be a strike of your own accord, something you already do.'

"Have you been keeping tabs on me or something?"

'Cause enough of a ruckus for them like you have and names start being brought up, its how we heard of you. All we want is for you to secure that artefact and bring it to us, how you do it is entirely up to you.'

"That's it?" While still being more than eager to cause some trouble for the so-called Guardians, the way it was phrased gave the demon-hog a few doubts. "What exactly is this artefact?"

'I'm afraid that's a need to know basis, but it is a particularly valuable item, one we would like to obtain. I trust that's not too difficult?'

-------------

While the conversation between the demon-hog and this mystery task giver was underway, it seemed that they weren't the only ones with awareness on this 'artefact' that G.U.N was keeping watch over as elsewhere a similar conversation and plan was underway.

[femmmie]

my gift to @lesbianphan for the @phandomgiftexchange <3

Title: Home Words: 1,612 Genre: angst, fluff, hurt/comfort Plot: Dan visits Phil for the first time

Link to AO3

The train to Manchester was crowded. Stressed, sweaty businessmen discussed the firm on their phones, while rowdy teens were shoving each other around as preppy college kids looked at them with an air of superiority and disdain. Moms with screaming children, elderly couples performatively complaining about kids these days. Among all of this bustle, a boy sat next to the window, trying to ignore it all.

He wore a black jacket and gray jeans, but his white sneakers contradicted his effort to look inconspicuous. His sleek and shiny dark brown hair kept falling over his eyes. The countryside looked dull and matte through the graffitied glass of the train window. And his seat didn't allow for his long limbs to sit comfortably. He listened to Muse with one ear while checking his watch over and over, Bellamy's urgent arpeggio's mimicking his heartbeat.

But it was going to be okay, right? Dan Howell's only lifeline was pulling him in. Soon, he'd see the guy with the ocean eyes.

"Manchester Piccadilly Station," the voice ran through to Dan's bones and he awkwardly stood up, saying sorry over and over as he made his way to the door.

"Okay, Dan, this is it... Try to look normal and not weird," he thought to himself. 

From seemingly far away, Dan heard his name being called. He looked around the station, people queueing away from the train. But there was one person struggling upstream towards him.

"Phil..." Dan said feebly. The world spun around him for a moment, but then a very tight hug squeezed him to his senses.

"Dan! There you are," the voice of the person hugging him said. It was a wonderful, Northern accent and a deep timbre that stirred something within Dan he hadn't known was there.

When the hug loosened, Dan didn't want to let go but he didn't want to be weird either. It was already weird enough that he traveled half the country to have a sleepover at some older guy's house.

It wasn't just SOME guy, though. Dan had worked hard for this. Consistent and insistent comments, picture replies and tags, day in, day out. Dan had been relentless and finally, his internet idol had noticed him. They started talking, and that had brought Dan to this moment. To meet him, finally! AmazingPhil.

Once Phil's face came into focus, Dan couldn't believe that his eyes were even bluer in person. He was tall too, even though he hunched over a bit. His black hair the total opposite of his skin. With a crooked smirk and warm, open body language, Phil immediately felt like home. And Dan fell head over heels, harder than he'd thought when this was still all kind of a fantasy. The Skype calls, the messaging back and forth... nothing beat the reality in which they now both stood. Dan felt dizzy...

"So bright..."

"Yeah, I guess it's really light here. My parents' house is kind of dark though, it's sort of haunted as well. Aaaah! You'll probably love it. But yeah haha... Want me to show you the city?"

Dan nodded. Phil smiled genuinely at him, and he was overcome again with how bright that smile was.

"You are probably thirsty from your long trip! Let's go to Starbucks."

"Oh yes, I love Starbucks," Dan managed in a small voice.

"You do?" Phil looked at him excitedly. "It's my favorite place. I love the caramel macchiato."

"I like the chocolate chip cookies..."

They walked a short while and went inside the pretentious hipster coffee shop that was Starbucks, but that was okay because both Dan and Phil always tried to look like hipsters anyway. But they weren't, not really. They were creatures of the internet, nerds even. And once they both had a drink and were lounging in their seats, they found that they got along extremely well.

"Oh my god, Delia Smith is the best!"

"Isn't she? I wish I could bake, though, I will burn soup if you leave me with it in the kitchen for too long."

"That is so like me, hahaha. Oh my god. Imagine if Delia had a DailyBooth?"

"I would follow DeliaBooth in an instant!"

They both laughed. They were very well aware that they were both gay guys. But in public they made sure to loudly proclaim their love for women. Delia Smith, the celebrity chef, was an undeniable icon, though.

"I am imagining Delia Smith with your face."

"Phil, what the fuck?" Dan howled laughing. He surprised himself. Because he hadn't laughed like this, in.... Yeah. For as long as he could remember. It was a good feeling.

~

Phil's parents were away.

His room was a mess, which Dan was delighted by. His own parents were very strict when it came to tidying up. Phil had a cordless hammer drill, a poster of the movie Kill Bill, a bunch of stuffed animals Dan recognized from his YouTube videos, and a blue lava lamp. On a cluttered desk stood a very old video camera.

"Oh my god! That's the camera you got in a box of cereal!"

Phils eyes lit up and started rehashing the whole story, even though Dan knew it by heart. 

Dan listened to Phil talk about all his stuff like he was breathing oxygen. It was one thing to connect with someone online. But even FaceTiming didn't come close to the connection that was starting to form between them now, in real life.  

"Your room is really cool," he blurted out.

"You think so? Thanks, Dan," Phil said. He walked up to Dan, making him feel all dizzy again. Phil flipped his fringe back and smiled, very closely to Dan's face. He looked him straight in the eyes, and Dan sensed that he was a little nervous.

"Wanna test out my bed?" Dan's whole body seemed to blush, he had never felt this love, this desire for anyone else.

~

It was morning and Dan was the first to wake up.

For a minute, he didn't dare to open his eyes. What if it had all been just a dream, cruelly making Dan believe he could be happy like this? His last happy memory was Christmas at his grandma's, getting a big piece of chocolate from her, even though his parents protested. He'd eaten the whole thing in one go. His grandma had given him a wink. After that, he just remembered feeling numb.

Years.

But then Dan felt Phil shift his arm against him. Dan's eyes sprung open and he saw the ceiling of Phil's room. He let out a laugh, and simultaneously a sob, of relief. He swallowed. This was real. He cuddled against Phil and held him as close as possible.

"Hey," Phil said as he finally woke up and sat in bed, voice still groggy. His hair was a beautiful black mess. His eyes somehow even bluer than yesterday. And they were kind, loving, accepting. Dan could stare into them forever, he felt. He could drown in those eyes and be totally content.

"Phil... I... I-"

A short, soft kiss.

"Let's get some breakfast, shall we?"

"Yeah, yes. Let's."

They got dressed and walked into the kitchen. Phil poured them both a bowl of cereal.

"You have to close the cabinet doors when you're done, you know," Dan said as he got up to close them for Phil. Phil giggled.

"What? I'm being serious," Dan protested. But Phil just stood up and tied Dan in a hug again.

"Wh- what's that for," Dan actually didn't care, he just loved Phil hugging him.

"For being the cutest guy I've ever met," Phil's voice was as velvet to Dan's ears.

Dan had to tell him. He brushed through Phil's unruly manes. "Phil? You're the only person in my life who truly accepts me."

"Dan..."

Dan held on tighter. He started to sob.

"All through middle school, high school, I've been bullied, called gay, called worse than that, I even got beaten up, and all I ever could think was, that they must be right, I must be bad and deserving of their punishment. Until I met you- until I met you I never knew anyone who I could just be myself with, so completely... And not be judged? Not be corrected, criticized or, or made fun of..."

They were both crying now.

"And at home it's not exactly fun either. I'm kind of invisible, unless i make a mistake, then it's a game who can put me down the most..."

"Listen, Dan, I l-, you can stay with me for as long as you want, forever even. I never want to let you go, to be honest."

"I'd do-, I'd love to believe that," Dan stammered.

"Want to watch some old Ninjai videos?"

"Yes please."

~

That afternoon, Dan had to return home. He packed his stuff. Phil came into the room, holding something behind his back.

"Here, I have too many of these around the house anyway. Please take him with you."

It was a small stuffed lion.

"Ohh, I love him! Phil, I'll keep it close until I'll see you again... That's if... Will I see you again?"

"Dan! Of course! I wish you didn't have to go home."

"My home's with you now."

Dan went back into the bustling of the station and the once again crowded train.

But he knew now that he could go to Phil's house at any time. It was a safe place that felt so good, indeed like home, more so than his actual one. And from that day on, Dan had just a little bit more confidence, knowing he had a place to return to.