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indigolover97 · 6 months ago

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We’re Dripping In It

Chapter 16: Still Life

Jungkook wakes up laying across Namjoon’s chest, his face buried into the man’s neck and his legs tucked between his. He groans as Namjoon rolls them over onto their sides but sighs happily when he feels Namjoon’s arms tighten around his body.

Jungkook blinks as some hairs tickle the tip of his nose, he puffs a breath to banish them away only for them to fall straight back onto his face. He huffs as he pulls his head back from Namjoon’s neck, finally free from the man’s fluffy hair as he lays his head against the pillow.

Jungkook sighs as his eyes come into focus on the sleeping face of his boyfriend. His dark hair sticks out in all directions and his lips forming a gentle pout in his sleep. Jungkook is utterly endeared by the sight, his eyes drifting from the mole that sits under his plush bottom lip, the one that rests near the hidden dimple in his right cheek, and his cute button nose.

“It’s rude to stare you know,” Namjoon murmurs, his voice impossibly deep from sleep, as his dragon-like eyes slowly blink open.

Jungkook hums running a hand through Namjoon’s hair trying to tame it a bit, “I think I’m allowed to stare, boyfriend privilege and all that.”

Namjoon hums, closing his eyes again as he leans into Jungkook’s gentle hand. “What time do you have class today?”

“I don’t even know what time it is right now,” Jungkook chuckles, placing a small kiss against the mole under Namjoon’s bottom lip. “I honestly don't even know what day it is.”

“It’s Wednesday, I think.” Namjoon murmurs, placing a returning kiss on the tip of Jungkook’s nose.

“Then I have a Pottery class at ten and a Mathematics class at three,” Jungkook answers, raising his head to look at the side table clock, it reads 8:30AM in a cool blue. “And it’s 8:30 now.”

“It’s time to get up then,” Namjoon sighs, turning out of Jungkook’s embrace onto his back, he stretches his arms over his head with a groan. “What good is being the most powerful man in Korea when you have to attend meetings at 9AM?”

Jungkook laughs gently as he sits up and stretches his arms above his head, “I don’t know, maybe you should do something about that.”

Namjoon hums in agreement as he steps out of the bed and makes his way inside his closet. “Do you want to stop at your apartment for some clothes, or borrow some of mine?”

Jungkook joins him inside the closest, taking in the rows of business clothes and shoes. “If you have any normal clothes, I’ll borrow those. I haven’t even been to my new apartment yet.”

“Yoongi-hyung told me that he set everything up for you last night,” Namjoon said, handing Jungkook a black t-shirt from the depths of his white button ups. He pulls off the loose t-shirt from his own body, tossing it into a nearby hamper, before pulling on a red button up over his shoulders. He doesn’t button it as he hands Jungkook some loose sweatpants.

Jungkook takes the borrowed clothes, tossing his worn ones into the hamper, while Namjoon pulls on a black pair of slacks. Namjoon starts looking through his ties, still not buttoning his shirt up as he hums in thought.

“Tie or no tie?” He asks, looking over at Jungkook as he’s pulling on the black t-shirt over his head.

“No tie,” Jungkook answers after his head pops out of the shirt, tugging his arms through the sleeves, he smirks at Namjoon’s flexing abs. “You gonna leave it open as well?”

Namjoon chuckles in amusement as he places a silver watch on his wrist, “I might, think it’ll convince the Red Velvet Ring to play ball with me this year?”

Jungkook frowned at the thought and shuffled over to button Namjoon’s shirt up himself. “Even if it did, no one else is allowed to see this. It’s mine now.”

Namjoon laughs in delight as Jungkook pats his chest once his shirt is completely buttoned, “I don’t think Seokjin should be worried about me being the possessive one in this relationship.”

“As long as you know,” Jungkook teases, sliding his hands around Namjoons waist as he looks up at him with a sly smile. Namjoon groans as Jungkook slides his hands down his lower back, down to cup his ass in both hands.

“Baby,” Namjoon moans, placing his hands on Jungkook’s shoulders. “We both have things to do this morning, we don’t have time for… that.”

Jungkook pouts playfully before releasing his hold on the man’s perk behind, “Why do you always have to be the responsible one?”

Namjoon places a kiss on his lips as an apology, “Sorry baby, someone has to be.”

Jungkook mutters under his breath as he follows Namjoon out of the closet and down into the kitchen.

Jimin groans dramatically as he flops down on the kitchen counter, holding his phone limply in his hand. The sound of his game playing echoes off the marble countertop. Jin rolls his eyes as he comes over to the sink to place a dirty cup inside before returning to the stove. The smells of food make Jungkook’s stomach grumble as Namjoon walks straight to the coffee maker.

“You guys trust my brother not to poison your food?” Jungkook asks as Hobi shuffles out of his way to open the fridge, he ‘ohs’ excitedly when he sees the rows of banana milk inside and grabs one with eager hands.

“Jin would never disgrace his cooking by poisoning it,” Hobi says with a chuckle, watching Jungkook sip on the yellow carton with vigor. “Back when Jin used to be with us, we had a dinner rotation. I always looked forward to his nights, he never put too much garlic in his cooking like Tae did.”

“That’s cause the bastard knew I was allergic to it,” Jin huffed, flipping a Pajeon in the pan in front of him. “I always had to order take out on the nights he cooked.”

Hobi chuckled at the memory as he moved to help Jin finish at the stove and carry plates to the dining room. They were just finishing the last of the Pajeon off the large center plate when Yoongi and Taehyung walk into the room.

“What’s on the agenda today?” Yoongi asked, taking his seat at Namjoon’s right and Jimin shuffled over to let Taehyung sit next to his husband.

“I have a meeting in,” Namjoon looked at his watch, “fifteen minutes with the Red Velvet Ring about their rivalry with the small company in Yongin. I need them to resolve their issues faster because their last trade of cotton was neary compromised before it reached us.”

Yoongi hummed, “You better wait until after the meeting to tell Irene that you’re a taken man now. She’ll cut it off before it even starts.”

Namjoon rolled his eyes and takes a sip of his coffee, “That woman could never take no for an answer.”

Jungkook listened to the conversation between his bites of the crunchy green onion pancake. He now had the sudden, unexplainable urge to go out and buy him and Namjoon couple rings.

“Ah Jungkook-ah,” Yoongi drawled, pulling Jungkook from his thoughts as he pulled a key out his pocket and slid it across the table. “Before I forget, here’s the key to your apartment. It’s been cleaned and all the personal items from your old apartment have been moved in. If there’s any furniture you need, just let me or Tae know, we’ll get it for you.”

“Hyung, you’ve already done so much for me.” Jungkook whined softly, taking the little silver key from the table and placed it in his pocket.

Yoongi shrugged as he fluffed his own blonde hair, “Never deny your hyung’s the opportunity to spoil you, Kook. We’ll just do it behind your back anyway but I’m sure you don’t want Tae’s design skills in your apartment.”

Taehyung pouted, “You don’t like my design choices, Yoons? I thought you loved that modern art piece I brought home last night.”

Yoongi sighed, “That’s not what I said, I did like that balloon, bobble, whatchamacallit thing that you brought home. It looked good on the coffee table, matched the white marble.”

“Like and love are not the same thing Yoongi. Last night you said you loved it, now this morning you say you like it. Which is it?” Taehyung demands, crossing his arms over his chest as he looks at his husband.

Yoongi purses his lips, “You were wearing that shirt I liked, of course I said I loved it.”

Taehyung continued to badger Yoongi on the art piece, unaware of the five other men slowly getting up and leaving the room. Namjoon placed a swift kiss on Jungkook’s cheek before heading for his office. Jungkook hummed happily to himself as he followed behind Jimin as they left the apartment for class.

“Are you still attending Hybe University hyung? I thought you found the guy you were looking for, wasn’t it my BioChem professor?” Jungkook asked as the elevator steadily descended.

“Oh him? No, he wasn’t the guy we’re looking for. He was too obvious and not connected to any companies. Just the run of the mill, ordinary serial killer.” Jimin answered, chuckling at Jungkook’s side-eye. “So, I’m still on mission at Hybe, you won’t be rid of me that quickly JK!”

“How do I know you’re not also coming to babysit me?” Jungkook asked, following Jimin inside the SUV before it merged into traffic towards the university.

Jimin looked over at him, “The only babysitting duty I’m on is with Seokjin, I have no orders from Namjoon to watch you like that.”

“Would you tell me if you did?” Jungkook asked, fiddling with the purple heart pin on his backpack strap. A gift his brother gave him that now held new meaning after what Hobi had told him.

“Of course,” Jimin scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I’d also tell Namjoonie-hyung to shove it, you don’t need babysitting like that. It would be a waste of time, he clearly hasn’t seen what you lift at the gym.”

Jungkook giggled as they pulled up to the campus entrance, Jimin pulled them to a stop just before they walked through the metal gates. Jungkook looked over at him curiously as Jimin leveled him a very serious look.

“I want you to know Jungkook, that you are my best friend first.” Jimin said, clutching Jungkook’s shoulders. “Even if there comes a time where I do need to be at your side to protect you, I’m not going to see you as incapable of defending yourself. We’ll fight side by side if it comes to that.”

Jungkook pulled Jimin into a tight hug, “Thank you hyung, that means a lot.”

Jimin chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Jungkook’s waist, patting his back. “Come on, we’ll be late for class.”

Jungkook received a message from Hobi to stop by Yoongi’s dance studio at D-Town when he wrapped up his classes for the day. He gave no other explanation, even with Jungook’s string of questions as to why his hyung wanted to see him there. So, Jungkook stepped into the dance studio after Jimin had dropped him off feeling very confused. Hobi was waiting for him and smiled as he looked around at the practice dummies that were now scattered around the wooden floor.

“Joonie told me that he’d like me to start training you,” Hobi greeted as Jungkook came over to him after setting his backpack down on the floor. He smiled softly at Jungkook’s hesitant nod, “Now that you know the truth about us, I can be completely honest with you. I’ve already been training you since you started taking my dance class at Hybe.”

“Eh, hyung I don’t think knowing how to pop and lock on the dancefloor counts as gang training.” Jungkook says cautiously, feeling relieved when Hobi chuckles at him.

“First, let me correct you on some terminology.” Hobi starts, pulling a dummy closer to them as he speaks. “Gangs are for the school grounds, we don’t use that term in the underground. The mafia is strictly reserved for the Russians and the Itialians, they’ve coined that word completely which basically means they own it. We’re a company or a crew, when you don’t know a company’s name always go with those terms.”

Jungkook nods in understanding as Hobi makes him start stretching before they get started. “Company or crew, got it.”

“Good and second, you may not have realized that many of the dance moves I teach will serve you well in a hand to hand fight. You’ve already demonstrated it when you fought Jin in the living room when we brought him back from Morocco.” Hobi continued, guiding Jungkook through a long stretch. “Dancing makes you incredibly aware of your body and its movements. Everytime Jin moved to strike you, you anticipated where he was going to hit and tensed that part of your body to lessen the blow.”

“I didn’t even realize I had done that,” Jungkook grunts as he bends over backwards and touches his hands to his toes, completely curving his back.

“I know, that’s why I’m going to make you aware of it now. That way you’ll be able to fully control your body by muscle memory, not luck.” Hobi explained, pulling him to his feet as he finished his pretzel stretch. “Your weight training and boxing classes are a given in what they teach you in defending yourself. I also think you and Jin mentioned that he would train you during your school years?”

Jungkook nodded as he stood, “Jin-hyung taught me some moves, but I’ve never used them on anyone besides him.”

“Apart from when the Stray Kids Gang picked you up, you probably haven’t come across anyone that you’ve had to.” Hobi assures him, guiding him to stand in front of the dummy. “I’m going to show you some techniques that I saw that night that you need improvement on, then you’re going to fight me.”

Jungkook gulped nervously and follows his hyung’s instructions carefully. He found himself very surprised how easily the movements came to him. Hobi guided him gently through the movements, much like he did when he was teaching a new choreography. Jungkook felt at ease with the familiarity.

“Good, you’re getting it!” Hobi praised as Jungkook aimed a well punch in the center of the dummy, making it topple to the ground. “I think you’re ready to try with me. Take the gloves off, we’ll just stick to the bandages for this.”

Jungkook pulled the black boxing gloves off his hands and tightened the boxing bandages around his knuckles and wrists. Off to the side, Hobi started wrapping his own knuckles and wrists in a red bandage with practiced hands.

“You don’t need to be worried about holding back with me Kookie,” Hobi assured him as they squared up in front of each other. “I only have two rules for this fight; don’t break my stereo and don’t break any bones.”

Jungkook nodded before dodging the first swipe Hobi threw at him, undercutting a punch to the man’s side in response. They danced around the room, exchanging punches and kicks at each other. Hobi talked the entire time as they fought; praising any well placed hits Jungkook made, correcting any blows that made contact too hard against Jungkook’s body, and constantly adjusting his fighting technique, forcing Jungkook to adjust right back.

Unlike his fight with Jin, Hobi left no openings for Jungkook to toss him around the room and place him in a choke hold. But Jungkook did notice that the man seemed to favor one leg of the other, keying into the weakness he struck. With one hard kick to the right knee, sending Hobi to the ground, he moved swiftly to wrap his arms around the man’s neck.

As soon as he squeezed tight around Hobi’s neck the man tapped out. Jungkook released him immediately and caught him before he fell to the ground.

“Good eye, Jungkook-ah,” Hobi panted, taking a gulp of the water that Jungkook handed him. “It’s going to take you time to notice weaknesses like that faster, but you did well in executing the take down.”

Jungkook panted as he sat down next to his hyung and took a big swig of his own water, his bangs hitting his forehead in a sweaty mess. “How much were you holding back, hyung?”

Hobi chuckled as he leaned back against his hands, “You held up pretty well, Kook. Most of my first time trainees couldn’t have lasted five minutes in a ring with me, much less get a hold of me. Yes, I was holding back but if you had come to me as a trainee I’d already be moving you to my level five class.”

“Oh,” Jungkook breathed, pulling his shirt away from his body to blow air against his chest. “Is that because you’ve been secretly training me already? And Jin-hyung taught me some things?”

“That could be part of it,” Hobi said with a nod, but smiled slyly at him. “But you’re also very physically adept Jungkook-ah, you pick up moves very quickly. I think you’ll have no trouble getting through the training, even if you had neither of those things to get you started.”

Jungkook nodded, grinning proudly as he laid himself out on the cool wooden flooring. Hobi chuckled and patted his knee before standing up, taking his wraps off of his hands as he walked to the end of the room.

“I have to go take over from Jiminie,” he tells Jungkook as he pulls the younger man up from the floor. “Your brother needs constant eyes on him, so we’re taking shifts. Get some rest now, Kookie, I’ll tell you when the next session is. Just send me your class schedule, we can work around that.”

“Thanks Hobi-hyung,” Jungkook says, unwrapping his bandages from his hands. “I’m sorry you’re having to watch my idiot older brother.”

Hobi shrugged and tossed his duffle bag over his shoulder, “It’s not the first time we’ve had to deal with Jin, at least this time he’s not trying to escape us twenty-four seven.”

Jungkook waves goodbye to Hobi in front of the elevators and rides up to Yoongi and Taehyung’s apartment. The sounds of jazz greet him as he enters the floor, as he turns into the living room he sees Taehyung deep in a painting session. Sitting on a tall chair in front of a large easel and canvas, a glass of red wine in one hand and a paintbrush in the other, painting delicate petals of flowers across a dark background.

Jungkook takes a seat on the couch behind the painting station and just watches as his hyung switches between his brushes and paint as he sips on his wine glass.

“How was your training session with Hobi, Jungkook-ah?” Taehyung asks after a moment, not even looking over at the couch as he paints the green stems of the wilting ruby roses.

Jungkook smiles at his hyung’s slouched back, “It was fun, Hobi-hyung taught me a lot. I was even able to put him in a headlock when we spared.”

“Atta boy,” Taehyung praises, setting his brush down and finishing his last bit of wine before turning to Jungkook. He has a delicate pair of gold wire glasses on the bridge of his nose, as he smiles they glint in the lamplight. “Do you want to join Yoons and I for dinner tonight, before going down to your apartment?”

Jungkook nods eagerly, “Why did hyung give me a key? The elevators go straight into the apartments.”

Taehyung chuckles as stands from his chair and wipes his paint stained hands on a cloth, “Did you forget? That’s the private elevator, the renters have a separate entrance that leads to the doors of the apartments. We don’t need anyone just wandering into our home.”

“How did you keep the renters from using the private elevator in their apartments? Or is it not connected to those two?” Jungkook asks, following Taehyung into the kitchen and sits down in a bar stool when he shoos him away from helping with dinner.

“They’re connected,” Taehyung says with a sly smile, pulling his chef knife out of the knife block. “The elevator is just hidden on those two floors, unlike the other ones. And we don’t tell the random renters of the apartments about it.”

“That’s sketchy hyung,” Jungkook chuckles as Taehyung starts slicing some carrots. “How does that pass the home inspections?”

Taehyung just winks at him as he continues to work on their dinner. While watching him work, a thought reappears in Jungkook’s mind from this morning.

“Hey hyung?” Taehyung hums in question as Jungkook pauses and fiddles with his lip ring. “Would it be too soon for me to… get Namjoon and I couple rings?”

Taehyung pauses his knife movements and looks up at Jungkook, “Is this about that Irene woman Yoongi mentioned this morning?”

Jungkook digs his teeth into his lip ring harder and nods, Taehyung softens his face.

“You don’t have to worry about Namjoon being unfaithful, Jungkook-ah.” He says softly. “And not because he knows what will happen to him if he does, but because he’s not that kind of man. He loves with his whole heart, leaves no room for someone else to come in and take up space.”

Jungkook blushes at the mention of that four letter word, “It’s not him I’m worried about, I guess I’m just a bit possessive of him. I don’t want anyone looking at him without knowing that he’s mine now.”

Taehyung chuckles, “I guess you never did grow out of that ‘what’s mine is mine and what’s yours in mine’ phase. But I understand what you mean, Kookie, I was the same way with Yoongles before we got married.”

Jungkook hummed as Taehyung returned to his prepwork, “So, do you think I should get them?”

“Have you looked at some?” Taehyung asks as he starts pulling out some pots to begin cooking with.

Jungkook scratches his nose in embarrassment, “I might have.”

Taehyung chuckles in delight, “Show me.”

Yoongi finds the pair huddled over Jungkook’s phone making noises of agreement or disapproval to each other while dinner simmers on the stovetop.

“What are you two doing now?” He asks, stepping over to the stove to check on the food before it starts burning.

“Get those two Kookie, I think they’re perfect.” Taehyung says to Jungkook before going over to Yoongi’s side, placing a kiss on his forehead, and starts getting the dinner moved onto plates for them to eat. “Just helping Kookie find some rings for him and Joonie, Yoons.”

“Couple rings, hyung.” Jungkook says quickly when Yoongi turns a wide eyed look at him.

Yoongi sighs in relief, “Thank goodness, I’m not ready to walk you down the aisle yet.”

“Wouldn’t I walk him down the aisle?” Taehyung objects, grabbing a bottle of soju to go with their dinner as they sit down at the dining room table.

“We can both walk him,” Yoongi amends, scooping a bowl of white rice for Jungkook and handing it over to him. “Seokjin will probably have to be chained down in his seat and gagged to keep him from objecting.”

Taehyung hummed in agreement, pouring their shot glasses of soju, “Jiminie and Hobi can be the best men, do you think we should have Doctor Wook officiate like with our wedding?”

“That man really does need to retire at this point,” Yoongi comments, throwing back his shot of soju. “Jisoo is only a few months away from completing her doctorate and she has enough experience to take his place easily enough now.”

“Jisoo is a part of the Bulletproof Company?” Jungkook asks, looking up from his plate of food in shock.

“She’s one of our best nurses,” Taehyung says, running a thumb across Yoongi’s cheek over his scar. “She helped take care of Yoons while he was healing.”

Yoongi hummed as he began digging into his plate of food, glancing briefly at the questioning look Jungkook was giving him. “That is a story we’ll tell you another day, I want to see those rings that you want to get. We have a jeweler that does all of our pieces, he knows Joon’s size.”

Jungkook nods and slides his phone down the table to Yoongi, he gets a hum of approval for his choice as Yoongi looks over the simple design on the silver ring pair.

“Good choice, Jungkook-ah, I think Joon will like them.” Yoongi says, sliding his phone back to him and pulling out his own, probably to message his jeweler.

Jungkook hums happily, glancing back down at the photo of the rings. “Thanks hyung, hopefully I don’t freak Namjoon out too much when I give them to him.”

Taehyung chuckles as he pours Yoongi another shot of soju into his glass, a mischievous light coming into his eyes. “Take a video of it, if he does. We have a group chat full of photos and silly gifs of each other, Hobi mainly takes them.”

Yoongi huffs and rolls his eyes when Jungkook turns his gaze excitedly at him, he pulls out his phone and hands it over. Jungkook takes it eagerly, opens the group chat labeled ‘Bangtan Idiots’ and scrolls through the rows of photos and gifs.

#ao3 writer #fanfic #ao3 fanfic #bts fanfction #fanfiction #bts #college au #mafia au #namkook #link in pinned post #daily post #jungkook/namjoon #namjoon/jungkook #kookie monster #archive of our own #end of part 1

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somnoir · 19 days ago

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Prodigal son beyond time - Part 1

Ra's Al Ghul had a son. No, it's not Dusan we spoke of right now. Ra's Al Ghul's first born child was a peculiar boy that was forged by the Lazarus Pits—or so what he says.

Talia has never met her brother.

Her brother, it has been years since she's found out about him yet her father never gives them a name—he thinks them unworthy of it. Even if he was not present, her brother continues to be the favorite, to be the child their father praised most. His absence is a glaring hole in her father's heart (though she is not sure if he has one).

It is no secret amongst the league that Ra's nameless son was unofficially the heir, even when Damian was born.

Talia has doubted her brother's distance many times, and yet she finds evidence of him over and over again.

Her father writes letters, strange ones that vary in language, dialect, grammar, writing styles. She did not mean to read one when she was young, but she couldn't help herself when she had seen it.

My dearest, son of mine,

It has been an age since last I beheld your presence. I find it most disquieting that you have not seen fit to visit, though I am not ignorant of how poorly time aligns itself with your affairs. Yet still, I dare to hope that you might bestow upon me a portion of your time, if but briefly.

Your siblings have inquired after you once more. Yet I am acutely aware that it would be unwise to bind you to this mortal realm for too great a span. Their hearts, tender and unfortified, lack the endurance I possess to weather the long absences your path necessitates. Nevertheless, I am not blind to the hope you carry—to one day stand before them, whether that moment lies near or far in the veiled expanse of time.

She could not finish the lengthy letter before the letter vanished from her hand, a burst of green and strange liquid slipping from her fingers. Talia had been startled, too young, assuming that this was Lazarus water that has stolen her father's letter.

And she found her father looming behind her, his expression stern get there was amusement in his eyes.

"Your brother is a curious person." Her father hummed, "He's powerful."

"We are not... Allowed to meet him?"

"Not yet. Until you steel your hearts." Ra's nodded, "Your brother does not stay in one place for long. But he is soft hearted and loyal to the family. You give him reason to stay and he will stay."

His hand, firm and guidind, pressed against her shoulder in a tight grip. "And I will not let any of you weaken him."

On that day, Talia realized that her father truly did love her brother. In his own strange way.

The next time she reads a letter, Damian was but a babe of one, cradled in her arms as a letter written on green paper rested in her father's hand. It was open, the wax seal carefully sliced from the envelope.

"Father."

"Talia." He replied nonchalantly, eyes flicking to Damian, his eyes softening momentarily as a longing look slipped to the letter.

Talia's heart tightened, resentful that her father was beginning to see his favorite child on her own son. She could not allow that...

"Your brother has written to me. It has been... Almost a year... Since the last." Ra's hummed, turning to Talia, then Damian, before flicking yet another letter to her. It startled her.

"From your brother." Ra's sighed, "I made the mistake of writing about Damian and now he wishes to meet you first. Not Nyssa, not Dusan—you."

"My brother?" Talia hesitantly accepted the letter. "I do not even know his name..."

Ra's clicked his tongue, "He signed it in his name. You will know from that letter." He paused, glancing back at her. "You have yet to prove yourself worthy, Talia, but... Damian's birth will surely being your brother back home."

Talia's heart palpitated in her chest.

The prospect of her baby, her son, her child—the mere thought that her baby would be the thing that successfully brings her brother home was... Outstanding.

"Read it in your own time... After that, seek me out."

Talia does not know... What to particularly do...

But she takes Damian, watches as her father leaves, and hurries along to her own quarters.

Talia tucks her son into the crib, narrowing her eyes at the nursemaids that were hired to nurture her son. She dismissed them immediately, watching as they silently leave the room. It is only when silence reigns does she takes a seat on her bed as Damian slumbers in his crib.

(Her hands tremble as the letter rested in her hands. It was light, not heavy, her her hands tremble as if she could not handle the weight.)

She takes in a deep breath, takes a dagger and carefully slices it away from envelope. It's intricately made.

The letter is written in the same green paper that her father received.

The letter read as thus:

My Dearest Talia, It would seem that I am now to be regarded as your brother, for Ra's has deemed me his son. Admittedly, this turn of events is of my own doing, as I endeared myself to him centuries past and found solace in his companionship, coming to view him as a father in truth. Yet you, his daughter by blood, remain a stranger to me, as do Nyssa and Dusan. How peculiar it is that Father should act in such a manner, withholding such introductions with his customary inscrutability.

She takes in a deep breath, awes by her brother's penmaniship... And then suddenly the writing style changes. Morphing from the olden age, the formality of a noble, to...

Anyways! Since you're my sister, I don't think I have to keep writing to you the same way Ra's does. It feels awkward to me, y'know?

She was not expecting that change but...

I've always wanted to meet you all. But my duties to my realm are hard. I can't freelt leave. It's especially worse since my world's time doesn't correlate to yours.

You might find the change of writing styles weird, but in all honesty, I'm from the 21st century. It's just that time never did agree with me. Had to comply with the old man on writing like that since he likes it. Weird, right?

But anyways! I heard you had a son! Congrats by the way. I'd like to meet him too, actually. Aside from that, I heard from Ra's you don't know my name.

Well, he's decided to call my Danyal as it's the Arabic version of my original name "Daniel". Though I often go by my nickname Danny. But it has been a delight to write to you, Talia. Hopefully, I'll be able to meet you and your son in the future.

Since you have my name now, you can write me letters too! It'll find me eventually.

Your brother,

Danny

Her brother's name was Danyal... Her brother went by Danny.

Talia blinked.

Her strange brother was a being that traversed through time, a person who was born in the 21st century... Her brother could be somewhere in the world in that moment and in another time the next.

She pressed the letter to her lips, unable to hold back her smile.

She had quite the silly brother...

And amongst her siblings, Talia was the first to know her brother's name. That bit about being able to write letters to him made her finally understand why her father was so possessive of a name.

(In the Infinite realms, High King Phantom received a letter from his estranged younger sister. He really didn't mean to find family in the Demon's head, but he found it anyways.)

Part 2 | Masterlist