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darknight3904 · 30 days ago

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All Too Well

Joel Miller x Fem!Reader

Summary: The first month in Jackson passes by slowly. Joel wishes you'd confront him about the past but fear has your lips sealed tight.

Warnings: 18+ Language, SA (Not by Joel), Starvation, Animal Death, Eating Disorders, Plastic boobs, and Lingerie (do we need a warning for those things?) Joel and Reader are pros at avoiding the elephant in the room!

Word Count: 4.1k

Previous Part / Series Masterlist / Main Masterlist

I didn't have much time to edit this one so sorry if there are typos :)

December 31, 2023

Joel carefully set the table according to Maria's directions. His new sister-in-law had decided that a New Year's Eve dinner would be appropriate for this year. Of course, drinks with the rest of the community at the Tipsy Bison would follow.

He eavesdropped on Ellie and Tommy's conversation from the other room.

"And then, you just keep mixing like this." Tommy explained, "And then...slowly fold in the sugar."

"You're pretty good at this." She compliments

"Had a real good teacher."

When he and Ellie stepped into the warm home, Joel could hardly believe what he was seeing. His younger brother was wearing a purple and green apron, baking a fleet of cupcakes to share with the rest of Jackson. Twenty years ago, Tommy would've eaten half-frozen pizza bites and dubbed it "a healthy dinner."

Joel had no idea how Maria had turned his brother into the Pillsbury Dough Boy, but he had to admit it was one of the funnier things he'd seen in a while.

Speaking of Maria, Joel swore he'd eventually win her over. He was pretty sure she was slowly warming up to him. After all he'd only been in Jackson a month or so and here he was invited to a family dinner.

"Dude, your brother is like...the best baker in the world," Ellie says as she shuffles into the dining room.

"Really? Last time I saw him he was still burning Chef Boyardee." Joel teases

"That was years ago, asshole!" Tommy's voice calls to defend himself, "I'm a great cook now. Besides I don't recall you being some Master Chef, Joel."

"Two days you burned that bacon I brought home from that Jesse kid," Maria said flatly as she checked on the ham in the oven.

"You're not helping."

"I wasn't trying to."

The sudden gust of cold air has Joel turning his attention the the front door that has slammed against the wall behind it.

"Shit, it's so windy out there!"

He'd know that voice anywhere, how could he forget it? Ever since his arrival in Jackson, he practically heard it every time he closed his damn eyes.

Joel watched as you hung your coat up and pulled your boots off before greeting Maria who was already standing there with open arms. He awkwardly stood as you greeted Tommy with the same amount of enthusiasm before letting your gaze fall on him.

He feels his mouth dry up as you take him in. What is he supposed to say? Hi? Long time no see? Sorry, I broke up with you and then the world ended?

Lucky for him a certain 14-year-old is there and always ready to fill the silence.

“Hi, I'm Ellie.”

Joel watched as she bounced right up to you, eager to get to know the new stranger.

“I know…I've uh seen you around the stables.” You say slowly

“Oh yeah! That foal Shimmer she's super cute!”

Dinner is awkward or well, Joel is awkward. He sits next to Ellie and listens to her talk your ears off about this and that, mostly mundane things like her comics or fun facts about space. You listen intently, adding comments here and there and Joel's reminded of the way you'd listen to Sarah's ramblings.

Tommy nudges his foot under the table and Joel looks up to see Maria looking at him expectantly.

“Sorry, what?” He asks

“I was asking if you'd want to try your hand at patrol later this week. Tommy said you're not fitting in with any of the other jobs around here.” She says

The idea is a great one, truly. Joel has felt rather trapped the past month behind Jackson's huge walls. Leaving again would feel like a breath of fresh air.

“That’d be great.” He nods in thanks, thinking of how nice it'd be to do something other than bake bread or sweep stables.

“Good.” Maria smiles before turning to you, “And you, can show Joel the ropes.”

Joel nearly chokes on his food and he hears you sputter into your glass of water.

“What?”

Three days later and It's around 7 in the morning when Maria forces you and Joel out of the gates of Jackson. Mounted on horseback Joel follows your lead as you explain the basic route.

“We'll stop down at this mall today. Sweep for infected and people.” You say, “There's a Macy's that hadn't been cleared out yet, Ellie might like some of the girl's clothes there.”

Joel nods, he hasn't said anything much to you, only asking a few questions. Truly, he's not sure what to say. Does he start with small talk, the weather, how Shimmer is doing? Or does he dive right in to address what both of you dance around?

Joel follows you around, listening to you talk about the route, what you normally see, and how many people you've run into in the past few months. Unsurprisingly, he's good at all of it, asking the right questions and following your lead. Now, as you stand in the ruins of Greenpines Mall, you watch him sift through racks of the Juniors section of Macy's.

“Can I help?” You ask, probably tired of just standing there in silence and watching him.

“Uh, yeah. She's into space and dinosaurs. Probably a size small in everything but hoodies. Said she likes em’ oversized.”

You nod and walk to another rack, pushing different items aside and mumbling about how hard it was going to be to find a dinosaur in the teenage girl's section.

Joel stuffs a few items into his backpack and you're able to find a nice maroon sweatshirt.

“The men's section is that way.” You point to your left, “I'm gonna uh… go upstairs and grab some stuff for myself.”

“Should stick together.” Joel reasons, following where your finger points “Safer like that.”

You look at him and he hopes you can tell he's being fully serious. His brows pinch together, anticipating you'll reject him.

“Fine. But no complaining.”

Joel wasn't expecting to find himself in the lingerie section of the store. The embarrassed huff he lets out has you laughing. At least you were happy about all this.

“Quit whining, I just need a few new bras.” You sigh turning away from him as he stands there, making sure his eyes remain fixed on the floor.

Just because the world had ended didn't mean he wanted to be surrounded by racks of ladies' underwear and bras.

You only get about twenty steps from him and he takes a small step back, bumping into something tall. A loud curse falls from his lips as he tries to catch the mannequin he's knocked over.

“God bless it…” He groans, trying to stand her back up.

He catches the way you roll your eyes when his hands land on the mannequin's plastic tits, perfectly obscured bythe red lace of some skimpy overpriced thing.

He didn't mean to do that, he swears.

“Maybe don't grope the models, Joel.” You tease

“I'm not.” Joel snaps, finally getting it to stand again, “Walked into it by accident.”

“Sure you did.”

Joel didn't know what to expect from you today. Stony silence had been at the top of his list. Teasing him though? That hadn't been anywhere on his radar.

You're so different yet familiar at the same time, it's driving him up the wall.

He keeps his eyes on the floor as you hum an unknown tune, picking different things up for yourself, and muttering about sizing.

Joel lets out a grunt when you shove something into his chest.

“Give these to Ellie too.” You say, “In the apocalypse, a girl can never have too many sports bras.”

He doesn't bother looking at the fabric in his hands, trusting your judgment and simply moving to place it next to the shirts he's already picked up for Ellie.

The ride back to Jackson is quiet. No teasing words from you, and the horse's trotting fills the silence as a few birds chirp as they fly overhead.

The fact that you seem content not to mention anything from the past has Joel's stomach in knots. Surely you can't be okay with it all? He's spent the past month worrying about how he'd ever address any of it.

“We're not gonna talk about it?” He asks

“About what?” You ask “You mean the mannequin? I was just kidding about that, Joel.”

“About us.” He says quietly

A beat of silence and then,

“What do you want me to say, Joel?”

“Anythin’. Yell at me. Scream. Slap me.” Joel huffs, “Don't wanna spend time dancin’ around our past. Let it all out.”

You let out a scoff that has Joel's stomach dropping,

“I don't see why I should do any of that. It was 20 years ago, Joel. I've made my peace with it.”

Joel looks over at you, taking in the way the setting sun makes your features glow. Your gaze is fixed on the gates of Jackson. They're only half a mile away but they might as well be half a million with the way your gaze is so permanently fixed on them. All of a sudden, you're adamant about not looking at him.

A dozen things swarm in his mind. Half of him wants to get off his horse, pull you off yours and shake you until you come to your senses, to urge you to put him through the ringer and really let him have it. The other half of him is telling him that you look really good today and that he noticed your bra size has gone up since 2003.

God, he was losing it.

So many things that could be said, perhaps should be said yet all that comes out of him is,

“Alright, suit yourself.”

For the next two weeks, Joel doesn't see much of you. Every once in a while he peaks through the curtains of his own home, hoping to get a glimpse of you returning but, he never does.

Ellie of course, takes immediate notice of his window-watching and declares that he ‘has a huge crush on the horse lady next door!’.

To Joel's mortification, she takes this information to Maria who tells Tommy, and before Joel knows it he's being teased by his younger brother in his own damn home.

“And she doesn't know anything about you and her?” Tommy asks one evening over a glass of whiskey

“No. And I'm keeping it that way. So don't go running your mouth.” Joel says glaring at his younger brother.

Tommy raises his hands in Innocence.

“If Ellie finds out it won't be from me.” He says, “But she'll find out, eventually. You know that right, Joel?”

“No, she won't.”

You spend more time and effort avoiding Joel than you should. At first, you thought you might be able to work around your shared past, but you teased him on your one and only shared patrol shift. But, when Joel asked you to share your thoughts on the past, you had clammed up. It was then, half a mile from Jackson's gates that you knew you wouldn't be able to be friendly with him.

You didn't know what Joel wanted. He said he wanted you to scream at him, to curse him out about a three-month relationship that happened 20 years ago. And maybe, if he'd shown up a few years back with Tommy you might've. Instead, it's like your mouth has been glued shut about it all.

Over the past two weeks, your mind had conjured a thousand different things to say to him. Some are full of anger, others sadness. But, you never say any of them. Instead, you choose to avoid him, trading patrol shifts and even taking graveyard shifts at the wall to put distance between the two of you.

Maria had coined it one day after you invited her over for lunch so you could talk to her about her baby.

“You're scared.” She said after listening to the way you described not being able to confront him about it.

“Scared?” You scoff as you shove a spoonful of soup into your mouth, “He should be scared of me.”

“You're scared it'll happen all over again. That he'll leave you like he did back then.”

Maria was so wrong. Honestly, she was losing her mind. You chalked it up to the baby. Yes, that evil little fetus was probably munching away at her brain to grow its own. Ironic since Cordyceps pretty much did the same thing.

Scared? You weren't scared of Joel Miller. No, not in a thousand years.

Wednesday, January 21, 2024. A day that Joel was going to mull over probably for the rest of his life. After all, it marked the start of a friendship.

He was surprised to find you already in the stables, ready for patrol for the day. Finally, you'd turned up instead of some random person you'd found to switch shifts with.

“Mornin’ sweetheart.” He says, the name flying off his tongue before he can stop it.

You shoot him a look he can't quite place as he saddles up his horse, Turnip.

“Don't do that.” You huff as you stroke your own horse, Pepper's mane avoiding eye contact with him.

“What?” Joel asks dumbly knowing full well you mean the nickname he'd let slip.

How many times had he called you that back in the day? Over the three months, it must've been well over a thousand.

“ Don't give me little nicknames with that stupid voice of yours and pretend you don't know what you're doing.” You scold

“Sorry.” Joel sighs, pulling himself onto his horse as you saddle up, “Wait you think my voice is stupid?”

The day goes by smoothly. No infected or people to be seen. Joel is surprised when you point out deer tracks. 20 years ago you'd shuddered at the idea of blood, now you were plotting the demise of some deer that wasn't even here.

“It's probably long gone.” He says

Your face falls in disappointment, “Really?”

“Tracks are old. There's snow drifts over a few of them too.” He points at the ground to the prints that are further up.

“Damn…I thought I had it this time.” You huff

“Tracking isn't easy.” Joel says, “Takes time.”

“Tommy's been teaching me, but I'm not really good at it.” You sigh

Joel feels jealousy swirl in his chest. What was he even jealous of? His married brother teaching his ex-girlfriend a vital survival skill in the apocalypse? There was something seriously wrong with Joel's brain these days.

“You're better than Ellie. She wouldn't have even seen the tracks, let alone been able to tell that it was a deer.”

“So you're saying I'm a bit better than a 14-year-old who doesn't even know what the Internet was?”

Joel shrugs and gives you a small smile.

“Thanks, Joel. I appreciate it.” You roll your eyes

“Anytime, sweetheart.”

A sharp glare is sent to him and he sits up a bit straight. Turnip snorts as he falls into step beside Pepper.

“Sorry, I'll stop. I swear.”

Joel watches as you munch away at deer jerky and dried pieces of fruit. He takes note of the way you practically engulf your lunch. He'd noticed the same thing a few weeks back at the New Years Eve dinner. You'd shoved your entire plate of the delicious ham Maria had made into your mouth in record time. Even Ellie had taken more time to eat the meal and Joel had recently watched the kid eat three cookies in what was basically one bite.

“Slow down.” He warns “You're going to choke.”

You look up from your food, staring at him with wide eyes and a stuffed mouth that probably would put chipmunks to shame.

“This is slow.” You say after you somehow swallow it all.

Joel raises a brow at that. Do you even realize you've put away nearly double what he had in half the time?

During your time together you'd often reminded Joel of a bird. Picking at different foods and then slowly eating whatever you deem good. In true college student fashion, most of those foods had been pizza and greasy Chinese takeout. Not that he could blame you, he also thoroughly enjoyed both of those things way back when.

The woman who sits In front of him is not the one he dated as a 35-year-old man. You're even eating the raisins out of the trail mix, and Joel knows you hate raisins.

“Just…take a breath. Drink some water.” He says, eying you carefully, pushing the canteen towards you.

You huff and unscrew the cap, drinking a bit before shutting it again.

“Happy?”

“Yes,” Joel says

Back on the horses, Joel notices the way you're looking a bit ill. Your face is screwed up a bit and he can tell you're nauseous. It's from eating too quickly, he can tell. You'd eaten all of your food and then when he'd offered some of his own, you'd enthusiastically taken him up on it. Normally he'd have no issues with it but it was the speed that concerned him.

“Wanna stop for a bit?” He asked, hoping you weren't going to puke onto poor Pepper's head.

You nod and quickly dismount from Pepper. Joel ties the horses off on a nearby tree before walking over to you. Patrol be damned, he had to make sure you weren't going to lose all the food you just ate.

You're curled up on yourself, your head resting on your knees as he sits down next to you.

“You okay?” He asks

“Sorry.” You mumble sadly into your knees

“For what?” Joel asks, “You're doing me a favor, getting me off that horse. My back is aching.”

“Sorry for being a glutton. I ate all my own food and then some of yours…” You groan, “I'm disgusting.”

“You're not a glutton.” Joel says, “Being hungry isn't a crime. Just gotta eat it slower. You're making yourself sick.”

You're silent for a moment, probably weighing your options as Joel runs his gloved hands through the snow. And then, in a voice so quiet it nearly missed it, you speak again,

“It's not my fault…”

Joel looks over at you, your head is back up, and you're focused on the threads of your jacket and the way they've begun to pull away from the seam.

“It's not my fault.” You say again, a bit louder again

“What's not your fault?” Joel asks, unsure of where this is going

“The doc at the clinic says it's…that it's because of the time I spent with them. It's because of them that I can't eat normally anymore.” You say sadly

“Spent time with who?” Joel asks

“Adam. And the others. Especially the leader, he was missing two teeth.” You say, staring at your hands

“Who's Adam?” Joel asks softly

He wants you to look at him, even just the smallest glance right now would bring him some peace of mind. This Adam, Joel wanted to know who he was, where he was, what he'd done.

All of a sudden, you're staring right at him, eyes glossed over with fear,

“No one.” You whisper “No one at all.”

May 2017

Loki had been dead for two weeks. Two weeks since you'd been tied to this tree, two weeks of no food and just stale water poured from the redhead's canteen in the middle of the night.

The redhead, Adam, pours you water each night after the others have passed out. He's supposed to be keeping watch, not making sure their newest toy is hydrated enough not to die.

“Slow down.” He says, the back of his hand on your head as he holds the canteen to your lips

When it's finally empty you look at him. He has blue eyes, something you hadn't taken note of before.

“You need to eat it. They won't give you anything else until you do.” He advises

Adam points at your feet where a small bag sits. You know what he's talking about. The leader, the one who reeks and is missing his two front teeth took special care to dry out a piece of your pet. Each day he'd demand you eat the jerky that was made from Loki.

“I can't.” You say

“They'll let you starve. I've seen it before with other girls.” Adam says, pulling a piece of the jerky out, “Just one bite, and I bet he'll give you deer tomorrow.”

“Why should I?” You hiss “Why should I bother eating? So I can be strong for whenever you want to use me? I'd rather starve than extend my time here with you.”

Adam looks at you, his face unreadable. You watch as he stands back up, backing away from you and your tree.

“Fine, starve then.”

Another week passes before he coaxes a bite of the jerky into your mouth. The leader sees this, and claps you on the back,

“What a good whore you're going to be.”

The next day, a small bowl of venison-filled soup is presented to you.

Adam spoons it into your mouth bite by bite cooing to you that you're doing so well.

When you've finished the bowl, you want to ask for more, but Adam has you standing up. Before you can protest or ask for more food, your pants have been ripped down to your ankles and Adam takes you against your tree.

Your hot tears begin to dribble down your face as you try to block out Adam's grunts.

The other men cheer when he finishes.

Warm cum drips down your legs as vomit pools in your throat, you lose the soup and the last bit of your dignity with it.

Your days are long. You spend most of them on your back or on your belly. The other men are content with this, just wanting the warmth of a woman here at the end of the world.

The worst of it though is whenever the leader, who you've dubbed the Walrus since no one ever says his name, puts you on all fours beneath him.

You quickly learn that the Walrus has a kink for pain. Or well, inflicting it. You don't get to see them, but each night Adam cleans your back and inner thighs, changing bandages and keeping the cuts from the Walrus’ knife clean.

The Walrus also takes delight in giving you what was basically toddler-sized portions of food. A couple of bits of jerky one day, followed by three small spoonfuls of beans the next. He laughs whenever he sees you watching the men eat. He'll say something about women not deserving more than what he's already giving you before walking off.

You swear that you're going to be nothing but a pile of bones as the days roll by.

At night, Adam feeds you more food. In exchange you let him pepper your skin with kisses. It turns out that if you pretend to like it, not only is he gentler when he puts himself inside, but he'll also bring you more food.

Some nights you're so full it feels like you'll burst. Adam gets what he wants, a fake lover, and you get what you want, a full belly.

Winter 2024

You're silent during the ride back into Jackson. You whisper something to Pepper and Joel finds himself asking if he can walk you home. Physically you're right next to him but mentally? Joel can tell you're not there, you're trapped in some memory, for your sake, he hopes it's a good one.

He walks you right up to your front porch and watches as you fumble with your keys. He says your name out loud for the first time in 20 years and you're snapping out of whatever trance you were in.

“I know you don't want to talk about us…but I…I don't want to be a stranger to you.” He says honestly

Joel can't lose you. He doesn't want to, not again. Fear be damned, he was going to keep you by his side this time.

“Can we…can we be friends?” He asks slowly

He can tell you're tossing it around your brain, thinking it over.

“Okay.” You say after a moment, “We can be friends.”

Next Part

I hope I was clear enough but:

For those that can't tell, basically in the current time the reader has a fear of food being withheld the way it was with Adam. The result is binge eating until she's sick from it. She basically views food as a safety blanket of sorts and is scared that it'll disappear if she doesn't consume it.

And yes, Joel's return into her life will slowly fix this issue.

Updates are going to be slower since I have finals coming. Hope you can bear with me and please pray I pass my math one. It's a core class and I need her to keep going in my major ❤️

Comment to be added to the tag list. This tag list is not chapter by chapter, I carry the tags over to each part.

Tags:

@lunaticgurly @orcasoul @snowlycanroc @freythecrazyfae

@person-005 @greenwitchfromthewoods

#joel miller #the last of us #tlou #sarah miller #ellie williams #tommy miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller fluff #joel the last of us #tlou fanfiction #fanfic #joel tlou #joel miller x you #joel miller angst #pedro pascal

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on-leatheredwings · 8 months ago

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request: "how dick would handle learning reader is dating somebody?"

Yandere! Dick Grayson / GN! Reader > romantic > tw/cw: possessive thoughts, suggestive thoughts > word count: 660

Dick is 100% going to sabotage it.

He had been so excited to spend the night with you – even if it is still entirely platonic. A movie with friendly snuggles was better than no movie and no snuggles, right?

The snacks are classic theater popcorn, sour candies, chips, soda. The theater is your bedroom. A mountain of pillows and blankets are your recliners for the evening. Premium comfort.

Following the plot of the movie goes out the window once your head drifts sleepily onto his shoulder halfway through the film. Dick tempts fate by reaching his arm around you. He feels jitters when you don’t protest, seemingly agreeable to the contact. You don’t even move once the movie credits start to play.

It’s a good night so far. A great night.

Then you speak.

“Oh!” you snap your head to him. Dick does the same, heart jumping with surprise. Snuggling had put him nearly in a tranquilized state. You sit up out of his grasp, and leave him cold and wanting. “You’re always talking about how I should get the house… Well, I forgot to say earlier, but I’m kind of seeing that cute pizza guy I told you about!”

Dick just stares at you, a smile frozen on his face.

“Oh! That’s awesome!” he says. To his grief, you begin to tell him all about it. “Uh huh. Mm hmm.” he says to your gushing. It was lucky that you were so enamored with your daydreaming that you couldn’t notice his robotic nodding or the displeased glint of his eyes. Dick knew this day may come – you finding someone before he’s ready to pursue you. There are admittedly some things he enjoys about being your friend rather than your lover. Majority of it is feeling like he’s undercover, playing a cat-and-mouse game you aren’t even aware of. But that doesn’t mean you won’t feel attraction to someone else. So Dick has a plan.

The first order of business is making the target of your affection look as incapable as possible. That’s not hard. He is Dick Grayson. He is five-ten and 177 pounds of capable. Most people pale in comparison. He’ljust be a little suggestion, here and there.

“Oh, he’s not treating you to dinner? Well, fuck those stuffy, traditional roles, amirite?”

“That’s where you had your first date? … He’s really thrifty.”

“Wait, he volunteers re-socializing homeless abused puppies only once a week? I figured we all make time for it at least every weekday.”

He just needs to plant the seeds of doubt. Give you what people call, ‘the Ick.’ Once you break it off with that guy, surely, you’ll be feeling the temptation of bouncing to someone new. But who…?

That part’s the easy part. (Actually, it’s all pretty easy for him.) Dick will get you to notice just how great he is. He’s charming. And handsome. And rich. And flexible. He just needs to take you out to swim, or skating, or the gym, or the park – anything that would enable him to slide his hands across you. He can already imagine lengthening your arm, putting it gingerly in the right position. He can imagine the sweat beading on your temple. He can imagine your lip bite as you struggle to ignore his chest against your back as he stretches you out.

Dick relaxes, leaning back. He still offers vague commentary in the conversation, but his mind is racing with many other possibilities. Your body. His body. Together.

“But enough about that!” you say finally. “Let’s put on another movie.” Your brow raises cheekily. “Horror movie? And first one to scream owes the other twenty bucks?”

“I’ll take that bet,” Dick hums.

At your clear excitement, he feels his cheeks warm. He admires how the blue light of the TV screen reflects in your gorgeous eyes. Maybe he’ll let you win anyway, if only because he loves the look on your face when you do.

#yandere dick grayson x reader #yandere dick grayson #yandere batfam #mine

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justastraymoa · 3 months ago

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Unwilling Alpha

Chapter 1

Masterlist taglist

Warnings ⚠️ swears, abo dynamics, mentions of slave trade, mentions of rape, mentions of abuse, mentions of death, fear, manipulation.

Alphas are dying out and rare. It was dangerous to be an Alpha nowadays. You could be taken and never seen again at any moment by Alpha slave traders.

I sighed heavily as the song playing through my earbuds was once again interrupted with the sound of my ringtone. I glanced at the screen to see yet another out of country number. The fifth one today. I blocked it as soon as it stopped ringing.

No one I knew was outside of the country and I wasn’t interested in donating any money to a Nigerian prince down on his luck.

The music blared again, and I got back to work, attempting to get back into that nice zone I had found earlier. Before it was so rudely interrupted by spammers.

So when, a couple minutes later, my phone went off with my text notification, I was totally justified at the string of curses that left my lips.

There, hopefully that ends that. I don’t know how my number got leaked over-freaking-seas, but I’m sick of dealing with it.

And then I blocked the jerk as promised. Just to be on the safe side I screen shotted the whole exchange as well. You could never be too careful with assholes.

Assholes trying to use my subgender against me. I have been very careful with my suppressants. No one left alive knows what my true subgender is-and I am keeping it that way.

For the next day, my phone was blissfully free of any out of the country calls or texts. My threat must have worked. Or the spammers decided I wasn’t worth the hassle. Either way I win. It was peaceful.

Then my doorbell rang early in the evening.

I quickly ran to the bedroom to find something to put on since I was only in an old t shirt and panties. My hamper was closest to the door, I grabbed the first thing and pulled them on, then jogged to open the door, fully expecting it to be another pizza delivery coming to the wrong address.

I was wrong. Boy was I wrong. I opened the door in 3-day old unwashed hair, ratty stained t shirt, and my dirty pair of eggplant print boxers I used to lounge around in, to find a small group of people.

I was shocked. Gob smacked even! I recognized 2 of them immediately, and my entire body froze, mouth hanging open.

“I told you I needed your help.” JYP stated slapping his thigh and pursing his lips.

The JYP was standing in front of my door. Not just him either. No. Bang freaking Chan was also there. Both were lightly disguised with hats and hoods. And I was in ratty, dirty lounge clothes.

In a ridiculous moment of panic, I slammed the door shut with a squeak I didn’t know I was capable of making.

On the other side of the door there was a chuckle, then a knock. I stood frozen, not comprehending what was currently happening.

“L/n, I just want to talk.” JYP spoke through the door, voice muffled but understandable.

As the seconds passed there was more, unintelligible talking, then my door handle turned.

“L/n, I’m coming in. It’s just two of us now. I really only want to talk.” JYP called through the slowly opening door.

I let the door open without moving, watching with wide eyes and shallow breath as JYP and BangChan stepped into my apartment.

BangChan, adorable loser that he is, awkwardly waggled his fingers in a wave, hunched forward slightly. I automatically lifted my hand in a return wave.

“Shoes off.” I breathed attempting to get my brain and body working again. It was easier said than done, but you know what they say. Fake it until you make it.

JYP knew me, apparently. And apparently knew my grandparents according to his texts before I blocked him. He knew me. He knew my name. My address. My…fuck! My subgender. That’s what this was all about.

I sighed, all at once losing every ounce off starstruck shock as I came to this conclusion. I turned and sat on my chair, leaving the couch for them. JYP is persistent, I had no choice but to listen to his plea at this point.

It was odd to see such powerful men in socks for some reason. As they passed to sit, I caught BangChans scent and shivered, goosebumps forming on my arms. He smelled like sand and a pine forest, and it hit me in all the right Alpha spots.

Omegas aren’t common, but they aren’t uncommon either. I had smelled them before, plenty of times. But none had my whole being react like BangChans scent did. It was probably because I am such a fan.

“Are you sure? She smells like Beta.” BangChan asked JYP as they got comfortable. He spoke in Korean, probably thinking I didn’t understand it.

“She understands you. L/n, probably speaks Korean more fluently than you do. And yes, I’m sure.” JYP warned him with a smile.

“My grandparents have both been dead since I was a child, so how do you know so much about me?” I asked. More like demanded but who’s going to call me out on it?

JYP shrugged. “My mother always kept tabs on you. Said you were worth looking after. When she passed, I picked it up.”

“But why?”

“To make sure you were okay. Your grandparents and my parents were very close.”

“Wouldn’t know. They didn’t talk about that kind of stuff with me. It was all lessons on my heritage and ancestry. Culture, language, and traditions.” It was always a lesson with them. Always insistent I knew where I came from, who I came from. I hated it then, but as I grew older, I started to appreciate it. Especially when my parents died, and I was left all alone. The knowledge wasn’t lost.

“We met a couple of times, but you were too young to remember.”

Enough reminiscing. “What did you want from me? It’s obviously to use me as an Alpha.”

BangChan grimaced and I suspected I knew where this was going, but I hoped I was wrong.

JYP nodded. “You know the Korean laws on idol Omegas?”

Did I? It was all STAY could talk about. All Omega idols must be bonded to an Alpha within 6 years of their official debut. Stray Kids was rapidly coming up on that deadline with no bonding Alpha in sight. STAY worried they would be forced to disband. Stray Kids had been on hiatus to focus solely on finding their Alpha. There were only a couple weeks left.

It was exactly as I feared. “Surely you can find several more qualified Alphas.” I argued.

To most Alpha STAYs, being asked to attempt to bond Stray Kids would be a dream come true. Especially since it would mean a higher level of safety. It was dangerous for an Alpha now.

Generations ago, the 3 subgenders were more equal in population. But now? Now Alphas are almost endangered. Most were Betas, but there was a nice number of Omegas too. Too many Omegas and not enough Alphas. And people were desperate to create more Alphas.

A lot of Omegas were able to settle comfortably with a Beta, but any pregnancy would only produce Betas. An Alpha parent was required to have another Alpha.

So there came an Alpha slave trade. Alphas would be taken, sold, used, and abused until they died. Forced to impregnate countless paying Omegas in the hopes of creating more Alphas.

When I found out I was Alpha I immediately started on the strongest suppressants I could find. They hid my scent and made me appear Beta. Keeping me safe. I never missed a dose. I was terrified too.

JYP shook his head. “I’m sure you heard we have been trying to find Stray Kids an Alpha full time for months now. I’ve lost count of how many we tried. None could bond.” He began before glancing over at BangChan. “The Stray Kids bond with each other is so strong that there will only be one Alpha for all 8 of them. We just need to find an Alpha that can bond. We’ve tried everything.”

“That’s why you brought him. All that keeping tabs on me, and you didn’t know I take suppressants? No one knows I’m Alpha.” I gestured to BangChan vaguely.

“I brought him because I know you are a fan. I hoped he would help convince you.”

Sly. Sneaky. Underhanded. But he caught my attention, so I guess it worked. Not that I would ever tell him that.

“It didn’t work. I’m not interested. BangChan it was amazing to have you in my living room.” I stood and held an arm out to the door, gesturing them out politely. “Have a nice night and good luck in your search.”

BangChan stood, but JYP didn’t. “I know you’re reluctant to reveal your subgender. I understand-I really do. If I had any other options I wouldn’t have risked coming here and outing, you.”

I stood my ground. Someone as big and powerful as JYP would figure something out. People like him always did. Always came out on top. Annoying fuckers.

AS the seconds ticked by, no one budged. Finally, BangChan shifted forward slightly. “Miss L/n, I know this is a lot. We are asking you to risk a lot.” I sighed and turned to him. “JYP isn’t exaggerating. We have tried 52 Alphas from all over the world over the years and another 15 since we have been on hiatus. We have truly exhausted every option.”

I felt for him. I really did. This law is one of the few that really affect the idol industry that fans absolutely hate. Countless idols petition their government to change the law without success.

“What makes you think I’ll turn out any different than the others?”

BangChan shrugged. “Gut feeling?”

I blinked. Then blinked again. “Gut feeling? You want me to risk my live for a gut feeling?”

“Come meet the others. Stop the suppressants temporarily. A week. We will do everything we can to make sure no one outside of us finds out your subgender. Please.”

It was probably the adoration I had for him, but I could see the separation in his eyes. The fear of being turned down. Of rejection.

Closing my eyes and rubbing my nose, I felt my resolve crumbling. I would feel horrible if I turned him down and my favorite group had to disband. Now knowing if I could have prevented it.

Since I never took it, I had plenty of vacation time saved up. Even on this short of notice my boss would be cool with it.

Plus, BangChan promised to keep my subgender a secret. Well, try as best as he could. Most likely I wouldn’t be able to bond, just like all the others. Then I could move on with my life guilt free and die happy knowing I met and lived with Stray Kids for a week.

“1 week. My subgender remains secret.” I relented.

BangChans chemo signals filled the air with excitement and hope. And just a touch of relief.

I looked at JYP, who was visibly relieved. “By the way, if you really wanted to use Stray Kids to sway me, you should have brought my bias.”

JYP barked a laugh.

“Wait. I’m not your bias?” BangChan asked.

“Nope.” I shook my head while typing an email to my boss on my phone.

“Who is your bias?”

Satisfied with my draft I hit send. “Not telling.”

“Oh, come on! Is it Felix?”

“When does the plane take off?” I ignored BangChans guess. It was wrong anyway.

JYP checked his watch, then phone.

“Han? Everyone loves Quokka.” BangChan kept guessing and I kept ignoring.

“3 hours ish.” JYP finally answered.

Good I had a little time to pack a bag and gather stuff I would need. I nodded and slipped past BangChan to start packing. And also, to get into more suitable clothes. Unfortunately, BangChan followed me into my bedroom.

“Lee Know?”

“Bang, give up, hm? I’m not telling.”

Taglist: @xxeiraxx

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babyflorencee · 6 days ago

Text

The Confession

Louis Tomlinson x fem!Reader

The lunch table was loud. Forks clinked against trays, laughter coming from every corner, and the air smelled faintly of overcooked pizza and mystery meat.

Louis sat across from Y/n, picking at his pasta while she told him about some book she was currently reading. Her voice was bright, her hands gesturing animatedly, and Louis found himself smiling, even though he wasn't really listening.

He couldn't help it. She had that effect on him—always had.

"Hey, Y/n."

The voice cut through their conversation like a knife. Louis looked up to see Ethan Rogers standing at the end of their table, his letterman jacket slung over one shoulder, a confident smirk plastered across his face.

Y/n turned toward him, her eyebrows lifting in surprise. "Oh, hey, Ethan."

Louis’ chest tightened. He didn’t like the way Ethan was looking at her, like she was something he could win. A part of him wanted to believe Ethan’s presence was just a coincidence, but the way Ethan’s gaze lingered on her made his stomach churn.

"What do you want, Rogers?" Louis muttered, narrowing his eyes.

But Ethan ignored him, his focus was entirely on Y/n. "So, uh," he started, shoving his hands into his pockets, "I was wondering if you'd want to go out Friday night. Maybe catch a movie or something?"

The table went quiet. Even the chatter from nearby seemed to fade.

Y/n blinked, her eyes darting between Ethan and Louis for a split second. Louis gave her a subtle shake of his head, his expression a mixture of disbelief and silent pleading. She couldn't say yes. She just couldn't.

Y/n’s chest felt tight as she glanced at Ethan, her mind racing. She felt Louis’ gaze on her, and she saw Ethan’s smirk that seemed to be demanding an answer.

Y/n let out a sigh, "Sure," she said, uncertainty lacing her voice. "That sounds... nice."

The words hit Louis like a punch to the gut. His fork clattered onto his tray, and his head snapped up to look at her.

"What?" he blurted, his voice louder than he intended.

She glanced at him, her expression unreadable, then quickly turned back to Ethan. "Yeah, just—uh, let me know the details."

Ethan grinned, looking far too pleased with himself. "Cool. I'll text you."

Louis sat frozen, his chest tight with something between anger and disbelief. She couldn't seriously mean it. She couldn't actually be going out with him.

As Ethan walked away, his swagger exaggerated, Louis couldn’t stop staring at him. Ethan shot one last glance over his shoulder, his smirk lingering, and Louis felt his hands clench into fists under the table. He couldn’t stand the smugness that was radiating off of him.

Y/n stared down at her tray, her mind racing with what seemed like a thousand thoughts. She wasn’t even sure why she had agreed. She didn't want to go. And the unease in Louis’ expression, made her question her answer.

"Lou?" Her voice was quiet, almost hesitant. She reached out a hand towards him, her heart twisting at the way he moved his hand away. "I—"

Louis shoved his chair back, the metal legs screeching against the tile floor, and stood up. Without another word, he left behind his lunch tray and stormed out of the cafeteria.

"Louis!" Y/n called after him, But he didn't stop.

Louis’ feet carried him outside, the cafeteria’s noise fading behind him. The crisp air hit his face as he walked toward the bleachers by the football field, each step feeling heavy. His chest felt like it was being squeezed, his breath coming in shallow gasps. The old wood creaked under his weight as he sat down, resting his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands.

He replayed the moment in his head, over and over again. Her voice saying “Sure” echoed in his mind, like a cruel taunt, tightening the knot in his chest.

What had he expected?

That she’d somehow know how he felt and refuse Ethan on the spot? He laughed bitterly at himself. He’d been a fool to think he had a chance with her.

"Louis!" Her voice came again, breathless this time, as she finally caught up to him.

She climbed up the bleachers, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. "What the hell was that?"

But he didn’t look at her. "Go back inside, Y/n."

"No," she snapped. "Not until you tell me what your problem is."

"My problem?" He finally looked up, his eyes blazing. "My problem is that you just agreed to go out with him! Are you serious, Y/n? Ethan fucking Rogers?"

"What’s wrong with Ethan?" She asked, crossing her arms defensively.

Louis let out a bitter laugh. "What’s wrong with Ethan? He’s a total jerk! He doesn’t even care about you, Y/n. He just wants to add another name to his stupid list."

Her jaw dropped. "That’s not fair! You don’t even know him."

"I know enough," Louis shot back, his voice sharp. "And I know he’s not good enough for you."

"And who is, Louis? You?" she challenged, furious.

Louis' anger was momentarily replaced by panic. "That’s not—"

"Why do you even care who I go out with?" she demanded, stepping closer. "You’ve never cared before."

"Because you’re not supposed to go out with him!" he yelled, the words spilling out before he could stop them.

"And why the hell not?" she yelled back. "You don’t get to decide who I date, Louis! You’re being a total—"

"Because I love you!" he interrupted, his voice cracking.

The silence that followed was deafening. Y/n stared at him, her eyes wide.

"What did you just say?" she whispered.

"I love you," he repeated, his voice trembling now. "I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember, and I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to ruin what we have. But seeing you with him—I just couldn’t take it anymore."

Her lips parted, but no sound came out.

"Y/n?" he said, terror flashing through his eyes.

"You love me?"

He nodded, his heart pounding. "Yeah. I do."

A laugh bubbled out of her, loud and disbelieving. "You idiot. I’ve been in love with you for years."

His breath caught in his throat. "You have?"

"Yes," she said, shaking her head, "I only said yes to Ethan because I thought you’d never feel the same way."

The relief that washed over him was almost overwhelming. Before he could overthink it, he stood up, closing the distance between them. "So, what now?"

"Now," she whispered, stepping closer, so that their chests were pressed against each other, "you kiss me."

And he did.

Her lips were soft and warm, and everything about this moment felt perfect.

When they finally pulled apart, she was smiling, her hands still tangled in his shirt.

"Guess I should cancel that date," she said, her voice teasing.

Louis grinned, "You better. And delete his number."

She didn’t say anything. Instead, she leaned in again, her lips finding his for the second time.

When they finally pulled apart, Y/n reached for his hand, her fingers slipping effortlessly between his. Neither of them said a word as they walked back to the cafeteria together. Louis couldn’t help but glance at her every few seconds, half-expecting to wake up and find it was all a dream. But her hand in his was real, and so was the way she smiled at him like he was her entire world.

And for the first time in forever, everything felt right.

#louis tomlinson #louis tomlinson x fem!reader #louis tomlinson x reader #louis tomlinson fluff #louis tomlinson imagine #one direction x reader #one direction #one direction fanfiction #one direction fandom

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welcome-to-green-hills · 10 days ago

Note

With Sonic 3 out, may I request post-Sonic 3 headcanons with the Wachowski family? Shadow and Maria headcanons are a plus too. 🥰

Hey Darlin’!❤️✨

I think that I can whip up a few headcanons for you, yeah!

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were 100% there to make sure that Tom woke up from the hospital. They’re the type of kids to sleep on the hospital bed as well and wait for him to wake up. When Tom did, he was greeted with tears, laughs, and a shit ton of hugs.

Maria and Shadow have a Friday night ritual that they’ve pinky swore to each other that they’d never break. At exactly 7pm, Maria and Shadow scatter across the bunker in search of snacks and loose bedding to build a “nest” within their fort. After they’ve retrieved their goods, they building their nest and wrap themselves up tightly to watch very old, very cheesy horror film until midnight. It’s part of their ritual to watch “The Birds” and laugh at the visual effects.

Tom and Maddie are both the type of parents to ask each other to send photos of their kids to make sure that they’re okay. However, each photo update that they send one another is a highly comical photo that they’ve edited.

Maria was totally a theater kid. She absolutely put on two-actor plays and dragged Shadow along with her. The scientists agreed that their version of Grease was the best.

The Wachowski family have created a “Family Map” of all of the places that they’d like to travel to. Each destination is marked with a family member’s icon (Tom is a donut, Maddie is a pretzel, Sonic is a sneaker, Tails is a wrench, and Knuckles is a fist) on the place that they’d like to vacation to. This is usually done with a leisure roadtrip by RV so the family can look at roadside attractions to the destination.

Shadow and Maria are avid readers. They can power through a novel in an entire afternoon. Shadow has an interest in human history and has read through many books of human civilization, Maria adores mythology and has read every book that she could get her hands on about all of the myths found in different parts of the world.

The Wachowski family has officially banned UNO from their household. They can’t handle another—literal—fire burning the table.

Shadow and Maria are banned from the bunker’s kitchen. They’re never allowed to attempt to make dinner by themselves due to setting the room on fire. This is what happens when neither of them pay attention to the frozen pizza that they’re making in the oven and forget to remove the wrapping.

Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Wade regularly play extreme hide-and-seek. The boys have 24 hours to hide within the town of Green Hills without getting caught. Hiders are free to roam anywhere within the set parameters laid out in the map, but not leave the designated area. The last to be found wins prizes from the lost and found bin at the Green Hills Sheriff’s Department. An alternative (usually proposed by Knuckles) is to get free dessert for an entire week at any point in time.

Shadow and Maria are competitive Connect Four players. Extremely competitive.

Maddie has an odd collection of things that her boys find her throughout their morning runs. Sometimes Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles bring her rocks and acorns that “looked cool.” Other times it’s random things that they’ve found on the side of the road, like a shoe or a toy car. Her favorite thing that the boys have given her was a rock in the shape of a heart.

When Pong was released in 1972, Shadow and Maria were practically glued to the TV screen and played for hours before Gerald had to hide the gaming device. Maria was missing school work and Shadow was absent from testing too much.

And finally, both families are no stranger to hugs. Why? Because I say so.

#sonic movie #sonic movie 3 #sonic movie 2 #mystery anon #off topic #Ark Siblings #sonic cinematic universe

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itwoodbeprefect · 20 days ago

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today i tried to put a frozen pizza in the oven. it took me twenty minutes because i got waylaid by the box, which had instructions on it in eight different languages, in combination with my brain, which goes ooooooooooh at this under the right wrong circumstances. all of the "preparation" headers were in all caps (TILBEREDNING, PRÉPARATION, BEREIDINGSWIJZE) except the german one (Zubereitung), presumably because they wanted to prove they were correctly capitalizing their nouns? it's adorable. also: none of these eight languages is english, but the box does have phrases like "no flavor enhancers" and "stone baked" on it in english only, which says something, even if it's something every non-english speaker is already intimately aware of. my german is theoretically near native which makes it very goofy that i would absolutely not have known that the germans say "nativ" instead of some variety of "virgin" when describing olive oil. should we take this as a sign that not only does german olive oil not fuck (same as all the other olive oils), but the germans don't even consider they might want to? or does this mean german olive oil is unusually sexually experienced? as so often, the belgians win another "who has their flag printed on this product the most" competition. no one else in this part of the world can keep up with their french-dutch chaos swag, and they didn't even bother putting the belgian flag with the german and austrian ones in this case. as a contrast to the germans: the first two words of the spanish description of what's in this box are "pizza horneada", so, you know. the spanish aceite de oliva may be virgen extra, but the pizza is horny! my sincerest apologies to any spanish speakers. i know that's not what it means, you deserve better. (what happens if you put german olive oil in spanish pizza? do we even dare contemplate the outcomes?) anyway. karma acts swiftly, because do you want to guess what happened to me after all this? after studying this box in absolutely unprecedented detail? yeah. i had to fish it out of the trash to check what temperature to set my oven to.

#in my defense. all eight languages on this box use the same numbers so that wasn't the interesting part #oooooh wait actually! the front of the box has a) english and b) italian on it (because of course they're pretending this is italian pizza)#italian is ALSO not one of the eight languages on the back. a ten language box!#how do we add two more. bigger pizza bigger box more space? i'm sure we could make this an even dozen #*#the pizza is in the oven now btw. next go around i'll make my own again and save some time

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ficxworm · 1 month ago

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Thanks and Giving

Pairing: Wilson x House

Tags: Thanksgiving w/ Hilson, Domestic fluff

The aroma of roasted turkey filled the air, mingling with the faint scent of cinnamon and nutmeg. House slouched on the couch, eyes glued to a football game he didn’t care about, a beer in one hand and the remote in the other. He was already three comments deep into mocking the players’ poor strategies when Wilson emerged from the kitchen.

“House, if you don’t help me with this stuffing, I swear you’re eating frozen pizza for dinner.”

House tilted his head, pretending to weigh his options. “Frozen pizza’s not terrible. Less effort, more cheese. A win-win.”

Wilson set down the tray he was carrying with a heavy sigh. “For once, can you just pretend to care about tradition?”

House smirked. “I am. I’m traditionally annoying.”

Wilson shot him a look but couldn’t help the small smile that crept onto his face. Thanksgiving had always been a mixed bag for both of them. Wilson, ever the sentimentalist, tried to uphold the rituals. House, true to form, found ways to undermine them. Yet somehow, they always ended up here—together.

Reluctantly, House pushed himself off the couch, favoring his leg as he limped into the kitchen. “Fine. But if I burn this stuffing, it’s on you.”

Wilson rolled his eyes. “You’re not going to burn it. Just stir it while I handle the gravy.”

House picked up the spoon and gave a half-hearted swirl. “You know,” he started, “Thanksgiving’s a weird holiday. We gorge ourselves, argue about football, and pretend we’re thankful for things we’re going to complain about tomorrow.”

Wilson didn’t look up from his task. “And yet, here you are. Complaining and stirring at the same time. Truly, a multi-talented man.”

House chuckled, a rare, genuine sound. “Can’t let you have all the fun.”

They worked in companionable silence for a few minutes, the sounds of bubbling pots and the occasional clink of utensils filling the space. House, despite his protests, found a strange comfort in the domesticity of it all. He glanced at Wilson, noticing the way he meticulously whisked the gravy, brow furrowed in concentration. It was…endearing.

“Hey,” House said suddenly, breaking the quiet. “Why do you do this every year? The whole cooking-for-two thing. You could just go to a fancy restaurant or something.”

Wilson paused, spoon in hand, and looked over. “Because it’s not about the food, House. It’s about being with people who matter.”

House arched a brow. “So, no one else answered your invites, huh?”

Wilson shook his head, laughing softly. “No, idiot. I choose to spend it with you.”

For once, House didn’t have a snarky comeback. He just nodded, stirring the stuffing a little more thoughtfully.

When everything was finally ready, they sat at the small kitchen table, plates piled high with turkey, mashed potatoes, and all the fixings. House eyed the spread with mock suspicion. “What are the odds you poisoned something?”

“Very low,” Wilson replied, taking a bite of his own food. “I’d miss your charming commentary too much.”

They ate in comfortable silence for a while, the tension of the day easing with each bite. Eventually, Wilson raised his glass. “To surviving another year. And to…whatever comes next.”

House clinked his bottle against Wilson’s glass. “To tolerating each other. And maybe even liking it a little.”

Wilson smiled, and for once, House let himself enjoy the moment.

Thanksgiving wasn’t about tradition, or even the food. It was about finding something worth holding onto, even in the chaos. And in that, House thought, they were both pretty damn lucky.

#house md #house md fic #ficxworm #fanfic #gregory house #gregory house x james wilson #house and wilson #house md fanfiction #house x wilson #james wilson

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beefrobeefcal · 6 months ago

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Round one is done, Friendos!

And now to break it down...

The comments on the previous poll were GOLD! Here are some highlights:

@rosellacwrites: DiGiorno is DiSgusting. I don’t know what he likes but I don’t think it’s that! But if he likes thin crust imma need him to come over here so I can introduce him to South Shore Bar Style pizza 🤣🍕

@deathsholywaterr: I’m going to be honest I don’t see what Pedro sees because I hate frozen pizza but maybe because I’ve only ever had Celeste frozen food pizzas 😭 followed immediately by: @valoxwayward: I'm going to say Celeste frozen pizza purely because that's what I like and I'm delulu LMAO

@goodwithcheese: I care entirely too much about the results of this. Go vote!

#beefro’s 1st birthday #beefro’s bistro #thot tank #beefSurprise #🥩#frozen pizza for the win

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unreliablesnake · 1 year ago

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Lover (John MacTavish x reader)

Summary: After everything that happened, Ghost tries to help you through the worst of it, and you can’t help but remember what things used to be like before.

Warnings: mw3 spoilers, afab!reader

Johnny was sitting on the middle of the bed cross-legged, watching as you packed your clothes from the suitcase into the closet where he made you as much room as he could. You knew he didn’t have as many clothes as you did, but it still seemed to be a little too much space. “But seriously, where are your clothes?” you asked him after you hung up a white dress.

“I have like three pairs of jeans, one pair of shorts, a few tees and shirts, one suit, and maybe one or two formal jackets. My gym clothes are usually the duffel bag. I don’t need that much stuff,” he replied with a shrug.

Laughing, you nodded and continued to empty the suitcase. It was strange that now you were about to call Johnny’s apartment your home, and not just his place as you had done since you two started dating. Moving in was a big step, but it was one that was due to happen after all the happy memories you collected along the way.

He was the one who had brought it up when neither of you could sleep on a mission. “Maybe you shouldn’t go home the next time you come over. You should stay for good,” he said casually, as if it wasn’t a big deal.

But when you looked over at him, you saw that confident smile he usually had on his face when you knew he would win something. This time apparently this something was having you bound to him. It felt nice. Good to know he wanted more from this relationship than just having fun every so often. You said yes almost immediately, and the way he kissed you instantly became a new core memory for you.

“I’ll make something for dinner while you pack out. Any wishes? I can make excellent frozen pizza. I’m the master of tossing it into the oven,” he said with a laugh as he climbed off the bed and walked over to you. “No, but seriously, I’m a great cook. What would you like to eat?”

He kissed the tip of your nose, causing you to chuckle a little. “I don’t know. Surprise me.”

With a satisfied hum, he bowed theatrically and left the bedroom. You couldn’t help but laugh silently, a stupidly wide smile creeping on your face. This man would be your downfall one day. This loyal, loving, caring, and brave guy was everything you could ask for. None of your previous boyfriends had been this good to you, and you highly doubted there would be anyone else after him.

He would be the last love of your life, even if it didn’t work out. If it came down to this by some unfortunate event, you would move into the woods in the middle of nowhere and spend the rest of your life alone. But it would work, you had this gut feeling that told you things would be alright.

Gaz offered to stay with you for a few days, but you said no. You knew he meant well, but you just knew he didn't fully understand how you felt at the moment. Ghost knew; he knew perfectly well how badly losing him affected you, but he was battling his own grief. Price had a lot of paperwork to do, but he told you to call him if you ever needed someone to talk to, no matter how late it was.

Before you left the base, Ghost pulled you aside to have a chat with you away from the others. His amber eyes were glossy from the tears he tried to fight back, and the sight broke your heart. “He was the one who rented the apartment you live in from that grumpy guy, right?” You nodded, already having your idea where he was going with it. “Want me to talk to the landlord about you staying there?”

“No, I already called him, it's okay. We'll sign a new contract. But thank you,” you said before you wrapped your arms around his giant frame and buried your face into his chest. “You know you can call or visit whenever you need it, right?”

Ghost hugged you back with a sigh, resting his chin on top of your head. “Yeah, I know. Same goes to you.”

“If you want to stick around after the funeral, the couch is available,” you told him.

“Careful, I might take that offer.”

“We could talk over a drink. Just remembering him might help with the grieving process.”

“Maybe,” Ghost said with a sigh. “I’ll give you a call.”

“Okay. Take care, Simon,” you whispered to him after a gulp.

You wanted to cry, you wanted to let your emotions out, but this wasn't the time and place for that. You could tell the lieutenant was battling his feelings the same way you were, but he didn't let himself lose his composure either. Knowing he would give you a visit sent a wave of relief through your body, because the idea of having someone like him around sounded nice. You could certainly use his company after the funeral.

Going home was hell. The whole place was full of his things, constant reminders of what you had lost–the love of your life. Because you could tell he was the one after three years together, and despite all his faults, you simply couldn't not love him. This man had been blessed with a heart of gold, a great sense of humor, and the kind of loyalty to you and his friends that you couldn't find in everyone.

His parents didn't call, but you couldn't blame them. Price was the one to break the news to them, knowing you weren't ready to do it yourself. They were devastated, even sadder that despite them embracing you as part of the family, you weren't there with the captain. His sister was the only one who called you every now and then.

“What will you do with his things?” she asked the day before the official funeral as she sat on the couch with a mug of tea in her hand.

“I don't know. I'll see what your parents want,” you replied with a sigh. “Can you ask them?”

She nodded. She thought her parents being a little mad at you was stupid and pointless in this situation, but she knew losing Johnny was too much for them to handle. The two of you chatted a little more, she then asked if she could take one of his precious vinyl albums with her, hoping she could have something that reminded her of her late brother.

After she left, the apartment became too quiet again. Ghost was expected to arrive a few hours later, so until then you lay down on your bed and went through some old photos of you and Johnny. The tears began to fall again, you didn't even keep track of how many times you'd cried that day alone. And when you looked over at the wall and saw the colorful lights that you had hung up the year before, a sad smile crept on your lips.

“Don't listen to her, we can have the decorations up as long as you want,” Johnny said before he pulled you against his chest and kissed your forehead. “I like the lights, they can stay up the whole year,” he added with a smile while he took your hand and twirled you around.

You laughed when he theatrically bowed with a wide grin on his face, a movement he often did to make you laugh. Your parents had jumped in earlier that day, and your mother made a few comments about the Christmas decorations still being on the walls three days after the holidays. It made you wonder if you were childish for being so happy to have them around the apartment, but Johnny was there to comfort you and tell you it was okay.

Every day he proved to you it was a good idea to agree to move in with him. He made you feel safe, and loved, and generally happier than you had ever been. You flashed a smile at him before leaning in to give him a soft kiss on the lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too, bonnie,” he replied before raising your hand to place a soft kiss on it.

Ghost gave you a bear hug the moment he dropped his duffel bag on the floor and you closed the door after him. It only took two seconds for you to start crying, your tears leaving wet spots on his black sweatshirt. He rubbed circles into your back to soothe you, telling you that it was okay, that he was there and you didn’t have to handle it alone.

“I’m sorry, I haven’t figured out how to not cry from everything,” you apologized as you went to the living room and you wiped the tears away with the sleeve of your sweater.

“It’s okay,” he repeated himself. “Thanks again for inviting me to the official funeral.”

He sat down on the couch and patted the empty side. You took a seat and pulled up your leg to turn towards him. “You were his friend, of course I invited you. Luckily his sister helped me by convincing her parents to let you come.”

“Why didn’t you ask them yourself?”

“I think they’re blaming me partially. You know, because we worked together. And they might be pissed that I wasn’t there with Price when he told them what happened.”

With a sigh, Simon reached out to squeeze your hand supportively. The two of them had been close, and you weren’t sure Johnny hadn’t asked him to look out for you if anything happened to him. But you were grateful that he was here, at least you could support each other.

Because this massive guy needed support too. You wouldn’t be surprised if he told you Johnny had been his best friend, so he was probably just as devastated as you were. “He wanted to invite you to celebrate the New Year with us, you know,” you told him quietly, earning a grunt in response. “Just the three of us. Well, four, because he wanted to invite a mutual friend of ours. Cute girl. Clever. You would probably like her. She’s gonna attend the funeral.”

“I’m not in the mood for that at a fucking funeral,” he replied, but upon seeing the look on your face, he let out a sigh. “Well, if this didn’t happen, if we didn’t lose Johnny, then… probably I would have given her a chance,” he admitted.

You flashed a smile at Ghost. “I know you wouldn’t pick up women at funerals,” you said casually. “But it would have been nice to celebrate together. Johnny was really looking forward to it. But that’s not gonna happen.”

Ghost took a deep breath. “If you ever feel lonely, you can always call me. I’ll come over and keep you company. Even if it happens to be on New Year’s Eve.

You stood up and went to the kitchen to make some tea, all while thinking about the last New Year’s Eve you spent with Johnny. A sad smile crept on your lips at the thought of your friends coming over for a few hours to celebrate. They left shortly after midnight, but your boyfriend didn’t feel like switching from the warm apartment to the cold streets, so you ended up staying behind.

You waved your hand after Johnny put the two bottles of wine in front of your friends then pointed at the empty chair next to you. He came over to where you were sitting, and occupied the chair with a big grin on his face. He motioned you to lean closer, and when your faces were mere inches apart, he started talking instead of kissing you.

“What’s the difference between kinky and perverted?” he asked, but didn’t wait for you to answer. “Kinky is when you tickle your girlfriend with a feather, perverted is when you use the whole bird.”

You couldn’t hold back the laugh that wanted to erupt upon hearing one of his stupid dirty jokes. It was a new one, he probably just heard it from someone, and you knew how excited he got every time he could tell you a joke like this. This was his way of entertaining you; telling jokes, especially these ones.

“There’s another one. If you were born in September, it’s pretty safe to assume that your parents started their new year with a bang.” This time your only response was a roll of your eyes. “Hey, we’re gonna start our new year with a bang too, right?” he asked quietly with a smile, his blue eyes shining brightly with hope.

“And the next thing we know, we’re the parents from your little joke,” you pointed out playfully with a laugh.

Johnny put his hands on your cheeks and leaned closer to give you a soft kiss. “I wouldn’t mind having a mini me running around. Or a mini you. I’m not picky.” You tilted your head to the side, surprised to hear him talk about having a child of your own. “What? Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about this.”

With a smile, you pressed your nose to his. “I didn’t think you were ready for one.”

“Or two,” he corrected you with a grin. “Maybe three. But I don’t wanna push my luck, so I’ll settle with two for now.

After the funeral, you and Ghost were standing in front of Johnny’s parents, ready to take his ashes so you could say goodbye the way he wanted. They were skeptical, not really feeling like letting go of their son’s remains, and you honestly couldn’t blame them. But Johnny’s sister convinced them to at least talk to you about it.

“How would you know what he wanted?” his father asked you.

“In our line of work dying is in the cards for us. I once told him what I want in case I end up being kept alive by machines, or what I want to happen to my remains. I even wrote it in my will,” you explained calmly. “He told me too, and I know he went into details in his will. If he died when he wasn’t on deployment, he would have wanted you to do this. But if he died on the field, he would want us to go there.”

His mother wiped away the tears that returned, and nodded to your surprise. “I talked to his lawyer, I know that’s what he wanted,” she said, even surprising her husband.

“When did you do that? And why didn’t you tell me?”

You glanced over at Ghost who was watching the couple with an impatient look in his eyes. You could tell he didn’t feel like being here, that he hated the goddamn cemetery as much as you did. It was Johnny’s sister who broke the moderate fight between her parents.

“Mom, Dad, if that’s what he wanted, we should respect his decision. Let them take the ashes,” she said.

In the end they agreed, and you and Ghost returned to your place where you started a conference call with Price and Gaz. You talked about when and where to meet the next day, you even told them about how the funeral went.

Ghost ordered something for dinner, not really feeling like going out after that day, while you ordered something entirely different. When your package arrived sooner, Ghost gave you an equally questioning and disappointed look.

“Where’s the food?” You shrugged. “All right, what do you have there?” he asked, pointing at the smaller paper bag in your hand.

“Pregnancy tests,” you replied bluntly.

“Why?”

“What do you think?” Ghost massaged the bridge of his nose upon hearing your reply. “It’s a week late. Probably the stress caused by Makarov and Johnny’s death, but I want to be sure. We’ve been working on the baby project for about a year now, but we had no luck. Okay, we stopped trying hard around July, hoping I can get pregnant if we don’t pressure ourselves. Maybe now… I don’t know.”

To your surprise, Ghost pulled you into a hug and kissed the top of your head. “Want me to help?”

“With peeing on these things? I think I can manage on my own,” you told him with a roll of your eyes as you stepped back.

“Okay, smartass. I was talking about providing emotional support.”

With a smile, you went into the bathroom and used all five tests, then put them in a line by the sink. Just a few minutes and you would find out if you had succeeded before your time together ran out.

You knew that Johnny sometimes wondered if he was the problem. But he probably knew that you felt the same way every so often. It was a difficult conversation to have, and despite your relationship being stronger than it had ever been, you never knew how to bring it up. You were afraid he would give up, that he would say it was a stupid idea, but then you always reminded himself that he wasn’t a quitter.

“What’s wrong?” you heard Johnny’s soft voice as he put a hand on your stomach over the blanket.

At first you didn’t know what to say. How do you bring this up? But when you saw the worried look on his face, you couldn’t hold back anymore. “I’m just wondering if we’ll ever have a child. At this rate–”

“Hey,” he interrupted you, moving a little closer to you in bed. “We’ll have a child, it just might take a little more time than expected. Also… I have an appointment to see if I’m the reason why you’re not pregnant yet.”

Letting out a long sigh, you wrapped an arm around his body and rested your head on his arm that was stretched across the pillows. “I should do the same. We should get to the bottom of this,” you told him.

Johnny gave you a kiss. “You’re right. But… I don’t know, maybe we should just slow down and not try this hard. Let’s just put this baby project aside for a few months,” he suggested kindly.

“You think that could help?”

“Mm-hm. I did some research and found a lot of stories where they had a child when they weren’t actively trying. Even doctors say stress might make it hard to conceive, and we are clearly stressed about it.”

He kissed you again, this time having no intention to keep up the conversation. Instead he became laser-focused on you, on pinning your body under his in an attempt to devour you like a delicious meal. You giggled quietly between his sloppy kisses, eventually apologizing for not being serious enough.

“So much for putting the baby project aside,” you told him while you placed kisses along his jawline.

Johnny’s blue eyes watched you curiously, as if what you just said was the stupidest thing he had ever heard. “I’m doing this for fun, doll,” he informed you with a mischievous smile.

You put your hand on his cheek before raising your head to give him a quick kiss. “Let’s leave the military. Or at least the field. Let’s live a normal life,” you told him, having absolutely no idea where this thought was coming from.

“Way to ruin the mood,” he noted sourly. “I don’t wanna do that. I love you more than anything, but you can’t ask me that. Yes, it’s dangerous, yes, I know our work schedule is hectic, but that’s the only thing I know. I’ve been working my ass off to be where I am,” he explained as he lied next to you.

Shaking your head, you reached for his hand. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I said that,” you apologized.

“I think I do. It would be less stressful to know people aren’t actively trying to kill us all the time, and maybe this way we could finally have the family we’ve been dreaming of.”

“Let’s forget I ever suggested it, okay?” When he gave you a surprised look, you flashed a small smile at him then turned on your side to look him in the eye. “If we finally end up expecting a baby, what would you prefer them to be? A boy or a girl?”

“I don’t care as long as they’re ours,” he replied before reaching out to take your hand. “Name ideas?” You shook your head, but before you could say anything, he went on. “Allison would be a good one for a girl.”

You thought about it for a moment, getting familiar with the sound of Allison MacTavish in your mind. It didn’t sound bad at all. “And for a boy?”

A smirk appeared on his lips, one that you usually saw if he did something you wouldn’t necessarily agree with. “Simon. I know it probably sounds stupid, but the Lt. might be my best friend. And he saved my life before, he’s a good man in general, and I just feel like it would be a great way to show my respect for him,” he explained.

“If you say he’s also gonna be asked to be the godfather–”

“Of course I will ask him,” he interrupts you immediately, giving you a why-are-you-even-asking look. “But if you have someone better in mind, I’m listening.”

You shook your head and gave him a soft kiss. “I love that you have already thought these things through. Very sexy of you, just saying,” you told him as you climbed on top of him, continuing what you had begun before your stupid comment.

Following the private little funeral, the team decided to have a drink on the way home. Ghost remained by your side like a guard dog, even in the bar taking the seat next to you without a question. He was staring, which became quite annoying after a while.

“What?” you asked him after you’ve had enough.

Ghost took a deep breath that he exhaled slowly. “I’m just not sure I want to leave you alone after what happened yesterday. You’re sure you’re gonna be okay?” he asked you as he toyed with his drink.

You nodded. “Yeah, I’m gonna be fine, don’t worry.”

“Guys, a toast?” Price asked when he showed up behind the two of you with Gaz. You both nodded, and watched as the other two raised their glasses before you did the same. “To Soap. He will be truly missed by all of us,” he said.

You couldn’t help it, you started crying again, and this time it was Gaz who pulled you into a hug. He rubbed your back to calm you, but this wasn’t enough. You lost Johnny, and there was nothing that could bring him back. You were alone, and right now you couldn’t even imagine how you could ever find joy in your life again. Not without him.

“What will I do without him?” you mumbled against the sergeant’s shoulder.

“You’ll learn to live without him eventually, believe me. It’s gonna be hell, but we’re here for you, okay?” he asked with a weak smile.

Price put a hand on your shoulder after Gaz let you go. “He’s right. We’re like a family, we stick together, no matter what. You’re not alone in this, all right? We’re here when you need us.”

Nodding, you gulped loudly and thought about what to say. But there was nothing, your mind was blank, and instead you just took a sip of your drink after you sat back on your chair. The others took their seats again, and Ghost turned to you with a worried look in his eyes. You knew what he wanted to say, but you weren’t in the mood to have the same conversations again and again.

“I know,” was all you said, these two words serving as a mixture of I know you’re gonna be there for me, thank you, and you can count on me too.

#john mactavish #john soap mactavish x reader #john soap mactavish #soap #john mactavish x reader #soap x reader #call of duty #modern warfare #mw2 #mw3 #mw3 spoilers #simon ghost riley #simon riley #ghost #Spotify #kyle gaz garrick #kyle garrick #captain john price #john price

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picardsims · 9 months ago

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Picardsims' 3k CAS Challenge

Sooooo I hit 3000 followers!! In order to celebrate, I invite everyone to participate in my little CAS challenge/contest!!!

Rules: Pick an apartment with a backstory that speaks to you (or multiple) and make a sim/family (your pick on whether you want to make the whole family or just one sim) who could live there. CC allowed, anything is allowed really. In two weeks (so, 22nd of April) I'll pick 3 of my favorites to get a prize! If you win, you can tell me any 3 build-buy items and I'll make them for you! (deco, unless it's something I 100% know how to make functional :>) In order for me to see it use the tag #picardsims3k (and tag me!! I'll see it sooner probably but I'll look at everything in the tag promise) Without further ado:

Apartment #1: Ro Kaya 62/1

Sims: 2 This apartment belongs to an elderly… couple? Two friends? Nobody knows and they're too scared to ask. You can find the tenants of this apartment in the hallway or on their balcony, keeping tabs on the neighborhood. Nothing gets past them. If you get on their good side, you will get invited for tea and get treated to fascinating stories from the past.

Apartment #2: Ro Kaya 62/2

Sims: 5 Is there enough space in this apartment for this married couple, their twins and their toddler? Definitely not. However, they just finished renovating it when they got pregnant (may or may not have been an accident), so it's not like they're going to move now… How long can the parents survive sharing their bedroom with their little one?

Apartment #3: Ro Kaya 62/3

Sims: 1 Their whole life, this Sim has wanted to be an artist. That didn't sit right with their straightlaced doctor parents, who refused to support them through art school. On impulse they moved to Tomarang and befriended a local painter, who allowed them to stay in their old apartment. Now that they're an award-winning graphic designer, their parents are finally trying to reconnect. Will they let them back in? Or is their chosen family the only one in their heart?

Apartment #4: Ro Kaya 64/1

Sims: 2 A single father raising a teenage daughter… What could go wrong? He's obsessed with plants, she loves gaming with her friends. She's mad he keeps putting plants in her room, he's mad she keeps putting laundry on the floor. However, no matter how hard they fight, there's nothing a midnight session of making pancakes together cannot fix.

Apartment #5: Ro Kaya 64/2

Sims: 2 After their grandmother passed, moving into her apartment was a dream come true for this Sim. Not so much for their partner. You see, grandma ran a very popular bakery, and they're supposed to inherit the business — sounds great, except they don't like baking all that much. One partner whose entire life has revolved around cakes and cookies, one partner who only uses the oven to make frozen pizza — can they handle the challenge? Or will their relationship crumble like bread with too much flour?

Apartment #6: Ro Kaya 64/3

Sims: 5 Two couples and one single person, this apartment sure is crowded. However, when you're just starting college, that doesn't sound all that bad — the rent is low, and there's always someone to party with! However, they'll soon learn it's not all loud music and cheap drinks — there's a line for the bathroom and you're never sure whose turn it is to vacuum (not yours though, that's for sure).

Remember: the tag is #picardsims3k, the deadline for the prize is 22nd of April (feel free to keep it going longer though!) and I'm incredibly thankful for each and every person who follows me (I am not kidding though dm me pictures of those pets I know you have them)

Enjoy! kotpicard

#picardsims3k #sims 4 #cas challenge #ts4 #simblr #sims 4 cas #sims 4 cas challenge

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rhodesrider · 1 year ago

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Anger Problems

CG! Randy O x Little! Black! Fem! Reader

Warnings: Screaming and Yelling Outburst, Regression-Slipping, crying, affirmations for both Caregiver and Little

Minors DNI! 18+!

Screaming. It’s always screaming. Randy sighed ignoring the fact of his little was having a hissy fit. A bad one at that. She would scream at the top of her lungs to try and get what she wants. Or she would tear up the house, funny thing this is before she fully slips. She would scream and cry at Randy for not listening and throw pillows at him. Surprisingly he’s a calm being with Y/N, anyone else would have had been on the floor. “Y/N last warning-“ “Fuck you and your warnings!” She yelled and walked away to the master bedroom crying. Randy sighed, he hated seeing her like this, but he rides it out. She only gets like this after work. But Randy gets tired of it, only for her to scream and cry herself a headache. He got up from the island in the kitchen that he was sitting at and he walked up to the room after a good 10 minutes. He was at the door hearing small sobbing, he sighed and he knocked on the door mimicking the knock from Frozen. “Is it ok if I come in princess?” “…Yes…” He walked in and saw not a woman full of anger and rage and didn’t know how to control it to save her life, but a little girl, eyes full of tears and wearing one of his shirts. “Hey sweetie.” He smiled, he forgets all the bad seeing her like this. Him needing to protect her, care for her, and reassure her that no matter how bad it is between them that Daddy is always gonna be there.

“Daddy…” she started to cry again knowing she was yelling and screaming again. He hugged her close and kissed her cheek. “It’s ok princess, daddy’s not mad. But we got to remember our breathing exercises. Remember, if I gotta do them you have to as well.” She nodded and she sniffled wiping her tears away. He got on the bed a different way, facing her while crossing his legs close, “Let’s go, 1…2…” Y/N readies herself some and started the breathing. He couched her through it and smiling as I saw her crying stopped. “That’s it, again. 1…2…Tuna.” He smirked as she was caught off guard and giggled some at the word. “Daddy you mean 3.” “Aw shoot, I’m forgetting how to count again. My fault sweetie. Lemme see…1…2…4-“ “No! It’s 3!” She covered her mouth as she heard herself yell again. Randy just sighed and smiled removing her hands from her mouth. “It’s ok baby, daddy was being silly. That was on me.” She smiled and jumped on him hugging him close. He was honest the only one that could deal with her mannerisms. “I know work made you feel icky. So let’s get you comfy and we can make some food.” “Can we have pizza?” She smiled. “You had pizza last night, but I’ll make a deal. You want pizza again? Olives, and mushrooms.” Her nose turned up and she wanted to abandon the pizza idea, but she wanted stuffed crust. “Can I have stuffed breads?” He smiled and nodded and they shook hands on the idea.

“Ok so, like I said before, you can’t be cheating in uno like this.” Randy said laughing after Y/N was simply just stacking cards down in the pile. “It’s not cheating daddy.” She grumbled some and waited for his turn. “Yes it is! How are you just gonna stack like that!” Randy saw she had one more card left. “Uno!” She smiled and giggled happy she was winning. “I’ll let you have that one since you had a bad day today at work, but any other game we do? That’s my win.” Randy smirked. She rolled her eyes and got up off the daybed putting her plate away. “Daddy?” Randy looked up demolishing a slice. “Yea princess what’s up?” He asked chewing but covering his mouth while facing her. “I’m sorry for yelling and screaming…” he finished that slice and sighed getting up as well putting the box on the stove and hugging her. “I know you don’t mean it baby, that’s why I’m patient with you. We take our time everyday and you are trying your best and it’s ok.” She hugged him back so happy that somehow this force of nature, apex predator, and what ever else they call him, has a heart for her. “Thank you so much Randy.” She shed one tear and Randy wiped it away. “Come on, best 2 outta 3?” He egged on and she nodded running over to shuffle the cards.

#wwe imagine #wwe one shot #wwe smackdown #wwe raw #age regression #agere headcanons #wwe randy orton #randy orton

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p-artsypants · 1 year ago

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The Last Flying Grayson

While out on duty, Robin sees a billboard that chills his soul. ‘Haly’s Circus 3000 Phoenix Tour, coming to Jump City at the end of June!’ Not long after, Mr. Haly reaches out to the Titans for a favor.

Ao3 | FF.net

“I’m beat!” Cyborg lamented, slouching forward. “I hate chasing Mumbo. He’s annoying and he turned my car into a wind up toy.”

“I’m right here,” said Mumbo, returned to his old man form. “Not much of a crime spree if I stay in one place, is it?”

“Man, shut up!”

“It’s alright Cyborg,” Robin patted his back. “Let’s drop Mumbo off with the police and then we can pick up some pizza for din—” as he spoke, he turned to look at their favorite pizza place, only to see a large Billboard next to it.

Haly’s Circus 3000!

Phoenix Tour!

Coming end of June!

He stood frozen. Suddenly confronting his past like this was not something he was prepared for.

“Hey, you okay?” Asked Cyborg. “You look paler than usual.”

“Yeah dude, you look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

He tore his gaze away from the billboard and looked back at his team. This was his present, and that was his past. There was no reason he couldn’t stop in and say hello, but there was no use lingering on it. “I’m fine. I just…suddenly realized how much paperwork I had to do.”

“Oh Robin, you must not lock yourself up in that office!” Starfire cried.

“Yeah dude! It’s movie night!”

“I’ll do the paperwork on the kitchen table, how about that?”

Beast Boy and Starfire cheered.

As they carried Mumbo off to the car, Raven caught Robin taking one last look at the billboard.

She knew more than the others.

She had been inside his head and saw his memories. It was brief, but she saw it. Whether or not this ‘Haly’s Circus 3000’ was the same one from his memories, she didn’t know. But it wasn’t her place to ask.

—-

Robin’s past came back to haunt him a few days later.

They were all gathered in the ops room, playing a card game together and hanging out, just being teens.

“Ha!” Beast Boy put down a card with a tornado on it. “I bet none of you nerds can beat that!”

Cyborg groaned. “Man, I had a lightning storm! I was certain I had it!”

“I got nothing,” said Raven.

“I, as well, have nothing to beat the tornado.”

“Well well well, looks like Beast Boy is cleaning up!”

“Not so fast, Grass Stain,” Robin taunted. “I still have one card.”

Beast Boy gasped. “You would not.”

Robin slammed the card down onto the pile. “Meteor shower! Read it and weep!”

“Noooo! That’s three games in a row! How do you keep winning!?”

“Let’s just say lady luck is a personal friend of mine.”

“You have a lady friend named ‘Luck’?” Starfire asked, a pout on her face.

“Relax Star, it’s just an expression.”

“Then…perhaps we can play once more and I can befriend this Lady of Luck?”

“Nah, I’m done,” said Beast Boy. “I got my butt kicked on the field enough times this week, I don’t need it kicked in my own home.”

The big screen came to life with an unknown caller number on it.

“Ohhh unknown caller? How much do you want to bet it’s a salesman?”

Robin’s jovial mood plummeted as butterflies erupted in his stomach. He had a feeling. “I don’t think it’s a salesman,” he said, subdued. He rose, and answered it.

A portly man with a curly mustache wearing a striped shirt appeared on the screen. A big smile came over his face. “Robin! Good to see you, lad!”

Of course he knew. ‘Robin’ and ‘Boy Wonder’ had been nicknames from the circus. His uniform was nearly the same too. Not to mention the death defying stunts he performed while crime fighting. It wouldn’t be that hard for anyone from Haly’s to piece it together. But, since Haly’s left Gotham and promised to never return, he hadn’t been concerned. Now, he was.

“Mr. Haly,” he greeted with a nod.

“I don’t want to take up much of your time. I’m sure you and your team are very busy.”

“Busy losing at cards,” Beast Boy grumbled.

“What do you need?” Robin asked.

“I’m not sure if you heard, but we’re having a comeback tour, and next month, we’re coming to Jump City!”

“I saw the billboard.”

“Oh good! I had hoped that advertising was working. I had an idea. We used to do these charity nights where we had special benefactors sponsor us, and all ticket sales would go to the benefactor’s chosen charity.”

Of course he remembered. It was why Bruce Wayne had been there the night that—

Robin assumed, “and you were hoping the Titans could sponsor a show?”

“That’s right! Of course, you would all be considered guests of honor and get VIP seats. But, if it’s not in the budget, I’d understand.”

“I’m sure we can make that happen,” Robin smiled. This conversation was going smoother than he expected. It seemed like Haly was being considerate enough to not assume everyone else knew who he was.

“And…I have a personal favor to ask.”

There it was. “What’s that?”

“I was wondering if you could find someone for me. You see, our circus has many new acts, and some old faces too, but…the Flying Graysons were still the greatest. I was hoping you could find Richard, the Last Flying Grayson, and see if he has it in his heart to perform as a special act. Just one night, as an homage to his parents. Is that something you could do for me?”

Robin was quiet for far too long before he agreed, “yeah, I’ll find him and ask.”

“Excellent. I know this is rather short notice. We’re planning on coming in two weeks, with the first show at the end of June. We were hoping you’d sponsor the show on June 27.”

“June 27th, huh?” There was no hiding the grief in his voice.

“Unless you’d prefer another day.”

“I’ll make it happen, Mr. Haly.”

“Wonderful! Wonderful! Let him know he can reach me at this number once he knows what he’ll need for his act. I can’t wait for you to see how the show looks now!”

Robin’s throat felt tight. “Is Zitka still there?”

“Of course! Fat on peanuts, but she’s still beautiful.”

Robin couldn’t help but smile. “Great to hear. We’ll see you in a few weeks then.”

“See you!” And the call ended.

“Soooo…” Beast Boy grinned. “Who was that?”

“An old friend,” Robin said vaguely. He really didn’t want to talk about it, but knew if he made a big deal about not wanting to talk about it then they’d pry and pry and pry until he talked about it!

“That’s obvious,” said Cyborg. “But what’s the story!? You know circus people?”

Robin swallowed. “They performed in Gotham City for a time. I knew them from my time there.” Half a lie. “I owe Haly a favor.” That was the truth.

“Man, you have the coolest experiences from working with Batman and you never talk about them!”

He scoffed, “like the 22 times Two-Face robbed the Second National Bank of Gotham of all its 2 dollar bills? Yeah, real exciting stuff.”

“Please,” began Starfire, “this sir-cuss is a performance, like theater?”

“Sort of,” Robin smiled. “Circuses travel from city to city, and perform in big tents. There’s big animals, strong men, clowns, all sorts of performers.”

“And who is this Zitka and why is she full of peanuts?”

“She’s an elephant.”

“Cool! Robin’s friends with an elephant!” Cyborg smiled.

“UM HELLO? You all are!” Beast Boy morphed into an elephant.

Cyborg grabbed his trunk. “I meant a real elephant, dummy!”

Beast boy shifted back, rubbing his nose. “So what is he having you do? Something about finding a performer? A Flying Grayson?”

He was afraid of this. It was too close. He had to play it cool, pretend it was nothing. He was removed from the situation, and none of it mattered.

Or he could tell them the whole truth.

Nononononono no. No. Not happening.

“The Flying Graysons…were the headliner. A family of trapeze artists,” he began. “Gotham is full of crazies like the Joker and Two-Face, yes, but it also has a lot of mafia activity. An extortionist threatened Haly, and when Haly didn’t pay up, the thug messed with the rigging to The Flying Graysons’ act.” Robin swallowed harshly. “John and Mary Grayson…f-fell. Their son, Richard, survived.” He sighed. “I saw it happen. It was…pretty traumatic.”

“What of the foul man that committed the crime?” Starfire asked.

“Batman and I beat him up and threw him in jail.”

“So, I guess this Richard guy owes you a favor, huh?” Beast Boy smirked.

“I suppose.”

“Need any help tracking him down?” Offered Cyborg.

“Nah, I know where to find him.”

“I don’t know dude,” Beast Boy wondered. “If my parents died in an accident like that, I’d never touch the trapeze again. Is he still practicing?”

“Not exactly, but he can do it.” Robin headed for the door. “I’m going to go ahead and reach out to him. Have fun with your cards.”

As he departed and was alone, his shoulders sagged heavily and the tears started to well up. “Not yet,” he whispered.

He walked swiftly towards his room, only to be halted by Raven appearing from the floor.

“Wanna talk about it?” She asked.

“About what?” Sooth.

“Robin, I’ve been in your head. I saw your memories. I don’t know the details, but that fall that you witnessed was a prominent memory.”

He had almost forgotten that she had read his mind. Raven was considerate enough to not do it very often to people.

“I’m fine, and I don’t need to talk about anything,” he said sternly, walking past her. Then he felt a wave of guilt, because Raven, the one friend who was the least likely to reach out, was concerned. “But thanks for the offer.”

—-

The next few weeks were quiet. Robin shared no more information about the Circus. He never said if he found Richard Grayson. In fact, he didn’t say much at all. He spent most of his days in his room. He admitted that he had been working in his office a lot of late nights, so he was taking naps during the downtime of the day.

One night at dinner, Beast Boy asked a question that Robin dreaded. “So…I was walking past your room, and I heard a sewing machine?”

Robin nearly dropped his fork.

“What’s all that about?”

Robin gnawed the inside of his cheek. “I’m working on a new costume.”

Starfire nearly floated out of her chair. “Are you becoming Nightwing?!”

“No, not quite,” he smiled at her enthusiasm. “I’m just…making a prototype.” Another lie.

“Can we see it?” Cyborg asked.

“When I’m done, I’ll show you.” Not a lie!

—-

Soon, the date arrived.

Robin banked on the fact that Beast Boy was too preoccupied by games to notice what he was wearing. Just in case, we wore a trench coat over his new costume.

“Beast Boy, I have to leave early for the show, but I’m leaving your guys’ tickets on the counter with instructions.”

“Okay Robby, see you later!” Beast Boy didn’t even turn around.

Robin, the Boy Wonder, exited the tower, and Richard Grayson, the Last Flying Grayson, entered Jump City.

—-

Hours later, the Titans assembled in the ops room, preparing to leave.

“Hey, where’s Robin?”

“Oh, he left hours ago,” Beast Boy said easily. “But I think he left a note around here somewhere…”

“You mean this?” Raven picked up the paper that was very clearly right in front of them.

“Haha…yeah…”

“Dear Titans, I went early to pick up Mr. Grayson. I have left your tickets for you. Your seat numbers are on them. Don’t wait for me, I will meet up with you during the show. Love, Robin.”

“He can be so sweet,” Starfire smiled.

“Yeah yeah, bunnies and flowers, can we go? I’m starving!”

“Oh yeah baby! Carnival food!”

“This isn’t a carnival, it’s a circus,” Raven corrected.

“I hope they have popcorn! No! Pretzels!”

“Whatever they have, I hope it’s deep fried and delicious!”

They piled in the T-Car and made their way out to the edge of town. From even a few miles away, they could see the massive red and white tent, alight with search lights.

“Whoa…” Beast Boy gawked.

“Oh this is most exciting! Such an event on Tamaran would include the beheading of a shnerkel! Will any animals have their heads placed on pikes?”

“Uh…no.” Beat Boy looked ill. “The circus is a fun place with no maiming.”

“Actually,” said Cyborg. “I think their whole thing is death-defying stunts. So doing dangerous things to inspire awe.”

“Fascinating! I believe Robin called that ‘thrill seeking’?”

“Similar,” Said Raven. “Maybe you should just wait and see. It's hard to explain.”

They drove up to the gate, where a man in a purple clown costume waited. “Good evening! You must be the Teen Titans! Robin saved you a parking spot up front. Go ahead.”

“Awww Robin saved us a place so I don’t have to worry about my baby getting scratched!” Cyborg sniffed. “You’re right Star, he really can be sweet sometimes.”

Starfire giggled while Beast Boy made a gagging sound.

Cyborg parked up front, next to Robin’s motorcycle, and then they made their way to the entrance of the tent. They passed the ticket stand that had a sign up that stated ‘Sold out’. Next to the door was a huge poster of a silhouette of an acrobat swinging on a trapeze. The font read ‘One night only, The Last Flying Grayson!’ The song of a calliope rang through the air.

“Sounds like we picked the right show to sponsor,” Cyborg noted.

The tent was massive, with seating all the way around. Four giant poles held up the tent, which was blue with stars on the inside.

“Tickets please,” said a woman in a glittery leotard.

Starfire handed them over.

“Of course! You’re the Titans. You’ll be sitting in the VIP box, in section A.” She pointed to a spot in the bleachers that was raised up and out a little, presumably for the best view.

“We should sponsor more events,” Beast Boy grinned.

“Enjoy the show!” The woman smiled, handing back the tickets.

As they crossed the tent, Cyborg got a whiff of the concession stand. “I’m gettin’ in the food line before it gets too long. Whatchu guys want?”

“Oh! I would like a hot dog with a gratuitous amount of mustard!” Starfire licked her lips at the very idea.

“I’ll wait in line with you Cy,” said Beast Boy.

“Raavveeennnn,” Cyborg sang. “They have pretzels!”

“My day is made,” she droned.

Starfire and Raven went to their seats to wait for the boys.

“Where do you think Robin is?” Starfire asked, standing to peer through the crowd. People were still arriving and the stands were filling.

“Couldn’t say,” Raven shrugged. “Maybe he gets to help the Ringmaster or something.”

Like she summoned him, her communicator buzzed. “Robin to Starfire, come in, Starfire.”

“This is Starfire. Where are you?”

“You’ll see me soon. I need a favor.”

“Anything!”

“When I give the signal, I need you to prepare a Tamaranean discus maneuver.”

“What? Why?”

“Just trust me.”

“Alright, you know best. Where do you wish me to aim you?”

“At the center ring, the stage right in front of you, at the very center.”

“What signal?”

“Eyes on deck.”

“When?”

“You’ll see me. Don’t worry. And relax! Enjoy the show!” And he ended the call.

“Uh, that’s weird.” Raven quirked a brow.

“I hope there is no trouble.”

“He said not to worry. Maybe he’s helping Mr. Grayson out in his act?”

“Oh that would be wonderful! Robin is very good at the flipping!”

“Acrobatics,” Raven corrected.

Soon enough, the boys returned with arms full of all manner of popcorn, pretzels, hot dogs, soda, and cotton candy. “A hot dog and pretzel, for the ladies,” Beast Boy juggled over the two items, as well as two sodas.

“Where’s my cheese?” Raven asked.

“You didn’t say you wanted any.”

“My day is ruined,” she droned.

Then, the lights dimmed, and a drumroll silenced all chatter.

A spotlight illuminated a singular man in the center. The same portly, mustachioed man, wearing a red and gold suit with a top hat. “Ladies and gentlemen!” His voice carried throughout the tent. “Welcome to Haly’s Circus 3000! We would like to thank our generous benefactors for this special event, the Teen Titans!”

Another spotlight ignited on the group, unexpectedly, and they all smiled and waved awkwardly as the crowd applauded.

“Tonight, you will witness performances the likes you’ve never seen! Prepare for awe, laughter, shock, and drama! Please, enjoy the show!”

Sparklers ignited around the ring and the big band struck up a jaunty tune. From all the aisles came the performers. Clowns on stilts, women standing on horses, strong men carrying barrels, and even a bear on a unicycle.

Beast Boy shook Cyborg as he exploded with excitement.

A man in a burgundy suit came to the center ring, holding a whip in one hand, and a giant hoop in the other.

“Please direct your attention to the center ring, where you will see God’s mightiest creature come to heel. I present Marko, the Tiger Whisperer!”

The audience cheered as the Ringmaster left. The man called Marko raised the hoop, and snapped his whip.

From outside the tent came running a streak of black and orange. The tiger leapt into the ring, through the hoop, and skittered to a stop, like an overgrown puppy.

The tamer pet his nose and fed him a treat.

The audience and Titans watched with fascination as the tiger performed tricks that only extremely disciplined dogs could do. The act concluded with the tamer sticking his head in the tiger’s mouth.

Starfire stood up with the crowd to applaud.

Each act that followed was just as spectacular.

There was a juggler that juggled flaming batons and chainsaws. A set of clowns bonked each other on the head with progressively larger and larger cartoonish hammers, and of course, the bear on the unicycle returned.

“Does that give you fond memories, Cyborg?” Beast Boy joked.

“It gives me memories alright. Fond? Not so much.”

“That bear is very talented!” Starfire cooed.

“I’m surprised the unicycle hasn’t broken.”

“And now, ladies and gentlemen,” called the Ringmaster once more, as the lights swirled over the audience. “The moment you’ve been looking forward to all night. A once in a lifetime opportunity. The living legacy himself! Performing high-flying death-defying stunts, 60 feet in the air, without the safety of a net, The Last Flying Grayson!”

The spotlights turned and illuminated a young man, standing in the center ring. The haunting sound of an accordian playing a waltz filled the air.

“Wait, is that–?” Beast Boy squinted.

“It can’t be…” Cyborg gaped.

“But it must!” Starfire gleefully beamed.

“No. Way.”

The young man had black hair, styled into slicked back spikes. He wore a tight, sleeveless red tunic with yellow ties across the front. He had dark green tights, and a yellow sash instead of a utility belt.

He had a sad smile on his mask-less face, along with face paint to make it look like he had a single tear on his cheek.

He bowed low, his arms back behind him. Then he flung back and flipped, once, twice, three times and landed on his feet. A swing, made of silk rope, descended down to him. He wrapped one side around his arm, and took measured steps in time with the music, until he broke into a run, and then twisted. He spun rapidly, gliding over the ground, and gradually raised into the air. The higher he raised, the more his body contorted, until he looked like he was twisted into a pretzel. It was all effortless, as his facial expression never changed. Just kept that look of bittersweet happiness.

“How is he doing that?” Beast Boy asked as Robin held onto the loop with just one hand that reached between his legs while he did the splits.

“I knew he was flexible, but…whoa.”

A woman began to sing while he performed. A sad tune, haunting melody, and unknown words to everyone in the audience.

Everyone, except Starfire.

“Go, go child, go, you'll see, go.”

She knew these words were in a tongue that was not English, but she wasn’t sure how she knew them. Robin had been the only language assimilation she’d had since she’d been on Earth. But perhaps…

She learned it from him.

“Go and you'll see that a smile often hides a great sorrow. Go and you'll see the madness of mankind.”

As he contorted, Robin twisted the rope around himself, forming a cocoon, until he reached the very top. Then, he pulled a pin on one side and he fell, unraveling like a ball of yard.

He stopped about a foot from the bottom, posed with one leg up by his head.

The audience cheered and whistled, but the only one who stayed totally silent was Starfire. Not because she wasn’t enjoying the show, but because she was mesmerized by him.

“Madness of mankind without righteousness, go. Madness of warriors without fear, go.”

Robin wrapped back up in the silk rope and soared through the tent, waving at the crowd as he passed by.

The swing raised up further, and reached the height of a platform that was built into the main beams of the tent. Up here, there were several bars, some stationary, and some hanging on wires.

“Madness of a child full of life who, playing at paradise as a soldier, was killed.”

He simply turned and stepped onto the platform, and offered a little bow.

He raised his arms, took two steps, and leapt, gliding out to a bar on wires. He swung out, flying over the crowd effortlessly, before he flipped and grabbed the next bar with his legs. At the peak of his swing, he flipped off the bar, spun in a tight ball, and landed on a platform on the opposite side of the tent.

The crowd clapped.

Oh, but he wasn’t done. Of course not! He ran and leapt again, catching the bar as it swung back. He used the momentum to swing all the way around the bar several times, getting faster and faster before he let go and flung himself up high. There, he tucked into a ball and rotated twice and caught another bar. He swung on that quickly and shot up again. At the crest of his arc, he hugged his arms to his chest and twisted, turning sideways and upside down.

The audience watched as he came down, and reached for the next bar…

And missed.

“No!” Starfire was on her feet, ready to fly out and catch him, only to watch him fall about ten feet before he twisted again and caught a different bar with his legs.

The audience went wild.

Starfire nearly collapsed with relief.

“Where fortune walks, you can't reach there with the heart anymore.”

He swung backwards, before hooking his feet around the wires and contorting backwards to climb up to stand on the bar. Once it reached the peak swing, he dropped down to his hands and swung, using momentum to swing out far and fast. From here, he leapt onto a hanging hoop. He hooked one leg around the hoop and braced the other inside, then relaxed his torso and threw his hands out. He glided over the audience, nearly touching them. Then he passed the Titans and gave them all high fives with a big smile.

He winked at Starfire.

The hoop rapidly rose up high into the tent, as someone pulled it on the other end.

At the top of the tent, there was a thin wire from post to post, about a hundred feet long, and 70 feet up. The accordion and woman ended their song.

“And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Flying Grayson will become the Balancing Grayson, as he performs the tightrope walk!”

The crowd ‘oo’ed.

Robin withdrew his bow staff from his belt, extended it, and very carefully started walking across the tightrope.

The drums below rolled as he shuffled forward, a little more, a little more…

Suddenly, it looked like he lost his balance as he started swaying and trying to over correct. Then he jerked to one side and fell—

Only to once again catch himself, with one hand on the rope. He flipped back up easily, before stowing the staff again, then he gave an exaggerated shrug and flipped forward, walking the tightrope on his hands.

The crowd went ballistic.

After a few feet, he flipped again, placing one foot down, then the other, then turning and doing a backbend. Up on his hands, then his feet, then he did a front flip, a cartwheel; a full balance beam routine before reaching the other side.

He raised his hands to quiet the roaring crowds.

He took out his staff again, and ran out onto the tightrope. A little before the halfway point, he extended the staff and vaulted up to balance on top of it! He had one hand out, the rest of his body completely straight with his arm. Then, slowly, he transferred the connection point to his forehead.

“Dude…” Beast boy gaped.

Robin balanced on a tightrope, on his staff, on his forehead. The drums rolled.

He gave a little shake of his hands and the band played a cheerful ‘ta-da!’

His friends clapped and cheered, only to be drowned out by the uproar of the crowd.

Robin flipped backwards onto the rope, tucking his baton back into his sash. He watched the swinging bars below and timed it perfectly as he leapt, fell thirty feet, and grabbed the bar expertly.

He whirled through the air, catching bar after bar in more and more precarious ways, like while he was spinning in a somersault, or by just one hand. He even dangled by just one foot.

Starfire watched with awe as he performed, laughter and joy bubbling out of him each time he landed a trick.

It was a side of Robin she’d never seen before.

He was…beautiful.

Of course, she and many other ladies (and probably several men) thought that Robin was cute, handsome, and ‘oh em gee a total hottie’ but seeing him right now, in this environment…he was just beautiful.

Like a galaxy made of an ocean of stars and colors, he was beautiful like a force of nature. His thin frame was deceitful to the strength he held. His ropey muscles had mostly been hidden under loose sleeves and gloves. But Starfire could see them plainly now, and hard at work, twisting under his skin with each aerial feat. The contours of his body were distinct with the skin tight costume. The peak of the human form, a rib cage, surrounded by bands of muscle, a chest with a rapidly beating heart. Even his fingers held incredible strength, as he dangled carelessly from just the tips.

A force of nature. A human in the most definite form.

Utterly mesmerizing.

Robin arched his back, hanging from his ankles with his arms far behind him. He swung his arms, pumping his body to climb higher and higher. He let go, somersaulting in the air, once, twice–five times, before landing on the tips of his toes on a platform. His silk rope dangled off to the side, and he used it to climb all the way back to the top, where the tightrope was.

Once up there, he looked down, right to her. He pointed two fingers at his eyes, then to her.

Eyes on deck.

The signal.

Starfire floated out of her seat, up about ten feet, to provide plenty of clearance for what he had in mind.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he spoke into a mic way up there. “Thank you so much for coming out tonight for my special performance. And to the Teen Titans, thank you for making this event even more special. I knew I had to design my costume after Robin when I heard you guys were going to be here.”

He was such a liar.

“For my final trick, I will need the assistance of a beautiful young woman from the audience.” He pretended to glance around for only a second before exclaiming, “oh Starfire of the Teen Titans! Thank you for volunteering! Give her a hand folks!”

There was an applause, along with laughter, as this had obviously been planned. Starfire giggled as Cyborg shouted, “yeah that’s our girl!”

Robin crawled out on the tightrope, pinwheeling one leg around his body, and then the other. When he reached the middle of the rope, he held his arms out to the side.

A drum roll went up.

He dropped, catching himself with his fingers, and began to swing faster and faster until he was rocketing around the wire, gaining speed.

Then he let go and soared.

Arms out wide like wings, he whooped as he flew.

Then he started to fall, but he had no fear. He was falling right towards her, and she’d catch him.

Starfire floated a couple extra feet, eager to make contact with her friend. She caught him with her hands coming to rest on his ribcage, while he took hold of her shoulders.

“Hi Star,” he beamed, piercing her soul with those vibrant blue eyes.

“Hello,” she smiled back, her heart in her throat. Then she twisted, never letting gravity have a turn with him in this dance. She spun, her grip dragging down to his arms.

Once, twice, three times she spun him, before she let him go. Letting go this time was so different from everytime they performed this maneuver on the field. She wasn’t flinging him into an attack. There was no enemy waiting.

She was throwing him into the end of his act. The end of this beautiful, sacred moment.

Robin twisted in the air and grabbed his staff from his sash. He extended it and dug it into the center of the ring, slowing his descent. He spun around it, his limbs just gliding across the surface as he slowed more and more.

He ended with one leg wrapped around the staff, while the other kicked out. He leaned back and threw his arms out and laughed.

It was like he was mocking the crowd. I flew, his laughter said, I got to fly and you didn’t.

“Ladies and gentlemen! The Last Flying Grayson!”

Robin got to his feet as the crowd stood, screaming and cheering. He bowed once again, and then departed out of the ring, choosing to cartwheel and backflip out.

Starfire was stuck floating in the air, tears streaming down her face, as a bittersweet smile came over her face.

“You coming down?” Cyborg asked.

She nodded awkwardly and sank back into her seat.

“You okay?” Raven asked, offering the edge of her cape to wipe her tears.

“I am only sad it is over,” she lamented.

“No worries!” Cyborg chirped. “I recorded the whole thing!” He tapped his head. “You can watch it over again whenever you want!”

“Oh glorious!” She clapped her hands together, feeling slightly better.

Of course, watching a video would never be the same as watching it in person, but it would have to be enough.

“You guys enjoying the show?” A voice asked from behind them.

They turned in shock as Robin, back in his normal costume and mask appeared behind them. He crouched and stole a handful of Beast Boy’s popcorn.

“That Richard Grayson is something else! Did you see that tightrope act? I wonder how long it took him to perfect that!”

Starfire grabbed him by the front of the shirt and pulled him into a hug. “It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!”

Robin blushed, as she had basically pulled him into her lap, but he hugged her back, nonetheless.

“I wouldn’t say it like that,” said Beast Boy, “but it was certainly the craziest thing I’ve ever seen!”

“I knew you had some skill, but I get so focused on the martial arts part, I don’t even think about your acrobatics!” Said Cyborg.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Raven asked, not accusatory, just curious.

“Uh…” he pulled at his collar. “It’s like…really hard for me to talk about. I figured just showing you would be easier.” He adjusted his grip on Starfire, resigned to the fact he was sitting in her lap. He couldn’t get out of the hug if he tried. “It’s…it’s been 10 years. 10 years ago today that they…my parents…” He swallowed harshly. “Haly knew. He knew I would spend the day crying and in self loathing. It still hurts, and it might never stop, but by being able to do this…it was kinda like…being with them again.”

Starfire hugged him tighter, burying her face in his shoulder.

“You seemed to have fun. Are you gonna do it again someday?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Probably not.”

Eventually, Starfire let him go so that he could sit next to her instead. She still held his arm, too emotional to let him go completely, and honestly, he didn’t mind so much.

They all watched the end of the show together, a rancorous applause as almost all the performers came out and took their bows.

Then, the lights came up, and everyone was free to go.

Robin released a little sigh. It was hard, but it had been worth it. He felt happier and more content than he expected he’d feel today.

“So,” Raven began. “Are you going to introduce us to your friends, or what?”

“Oh yes! I should very much like to meet your elephant!”

Robin smiled. “Whatever you guys want.”

—

They waited for the crowds to thin before Robin led them to another tent. Here, all manner of performers lounged about, some still in costumes and makeup. When the Titans entered, attention swiveled to them.

“Dickie Bird!”

Then there was an onslaught of ‘way to go’s and ‘atta boy’s, accompanied with affectionate head rubs and back pats. Robin took it all in stride, vainly fixing his hair afterwards. “Uh…thanks guys. It means a lot. Um, these are my friends, The Teen Titans. Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire.”

“It is good to meet you all in person,” Mr. Haly himself said, shaking their hands. “Tonight was a smashing success. Thank you for all your help.”

“Uh, gotta be honest man, we just showed up tonight. Robin took care of everything. If anything, we should be thanking you guys for the amazing show!”

“Nevertheless, attaching your name to the show really brought the crowds in! We’re back, baby!”

Robin smiled, thrilled to see Haly’s Circus thriving.

“So,” Beast Boy began, talking quietly to Robin, but everyone heard him. “Everyone here knows who you are, huh?”

Robin blushed, embarrassed. “Yep.”

“You think a little piece of fabric would keep us from recognizing ol’ Dickie Bird?” A man with smudged paint on his face asked. “Even if you did grow a bit.” He nudged Robin.

A strong man spoke up, with a heavy Russian accent. “Your friends, they do not know how you got the name Robin?”

“Hey yeah!” Cyborg said, vexed. “How come we don’t know? Does anyone know?”

Robin rubbed the back of his head. “It’s…kind of embarrassing.”

“Please share!” Starfire asked, linking her fingers around his arm.

Robin sighed. “So…I was born on the first day of spring, so my mom always called me her little Robin.”

“Aww,” said Beast Boy. “That’s sweet!”

Robin continued. “She said it so often, it became kind of like a stage name, though never officially since I only performed with my parents. But we did talk about me having a solo act as I got older, under the name ‘Robin, the Boy Wonder’. When I joined Batman, I was 8 and didn’t know any better and used the same name.” He gave a little shrug. “I don’t even think Batman knows.”

“Oh, he knows,” said Haly with a laugh. “Shortly after your debut, he sent me a strongly worded email telling me not to tell anyone or there would be consequences.”

Robin rolled his eyes. “Did you respond to that nonsense?”

“You know, I did? I told him you were our boy and that we wouldn’t do anything to put you into harm’s way…which is why we let that playboy billionaire adopt you, despite the fact he clearly didn’t know how to raise a kid. Anyways, I asked Batman if he was in the habit of sending kids to fight on the street. And you know what he told me? He said that you went after Anthony Zucco yourself, at 8 years old. He found you out there and you told him you weren’t going to stop looking for Zucco until he was dead or behind bars.”

“Toughest eight year old I ever heard of,” Raven said, actually sounding impressed.

“So, I let it go. But, we've been keeping an ear out for you.”

Robin wasn’t all that surprised that Batman had basically threatened his extended family, but he was proud that Haly didn’t put up with his bullshit.

It also sounded like they didn’t know that Bruce Wayne was Batman. So that was a relief.

“It was Donna’s idea to reach out to you,” Haly continued. “I didn’t know if it was a good idea, but you don’t know until you take a chance, right?”

The woman that had taken the tickets came up to him and put an arm around his shoulder. “We still love you, Dickie Bird, and I knew we had to take that chance to see you.”

“Dickie Bird?” Beast Boy asked Cyborg, in a hush.

Another man started whistling a happy tune, before a few others joined in singing, “a Dickie Bird whispered ‘haven’t you heard? Spring is here, spring is here, spring is here’.”

Then Robin finished, “And you and I fell in love in reply on hearing the Dickie bird’s news.” His smile was tight. “I…had forgotten they sang that. But I guess I never forgot the song.”

Donna gave him a loving pinch to his cheek. “Now Dick, there’s something we wanted to give you. We found this in the archives, and we thought you would want it.” She retrieved a tube from a table, and two of the strong men opened it up and unraveled the large poster inside.

The Flying Graysons

New Addition

Dick, Our Boy Wonder

It was the poster from his debut show, three years before the accident.

“Is that you?” Starfire asked, nearly cooing. “You were so small.”

“Still is,” Cyborg grinned.

“Yeah,” Robin breathed. “Thanks Donna. It means a lot.”

“Of course, baby. Now, we’re gonna put the poster from tonight in there too, so you can have both, okay?”

Robin just nodded.

Starfire could see this was hard for him, and just laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Why don’t you go say hello to Zitka?” Donna urged. “I’m sure she missed you.”

“Will she remember you?” Cyborg asked.

Robin chuckled, “well, they say an elephant never forgets.”

—-

When they returned to the tower, Robin shut Richard Grayson away in the closet, where he belonged, along with both posters. Just a skeleton of his past life. He was Robin now, all the time. 24/7.

Whenever Starfire tried to talk about it, he deflected the topic. Not harshly or cruelly, he just decided not to answer her directly.

It broke her heart.

About a week later, she sat on the rooftop, looking at the moon, that haunting accordion tune playing in her mind, the silhouette of her friend against the curtain was just a shadow on the surface.

“Hey…you okay?” Robin’s voice asked from the door. “You were pretty quiet today.”

She wasn’t sure if she could handle a conversation with him right now. All she wanted was to talk about his performance. She had questions and observations, and she just wanted to share it all with him. She couldn’t bear hearing him shut it all down again.

“You know you can talk to me,” he said softly, resting a hand on her shoulder.

“Can I?” She asked just as softly.

“Of course.”

“It is…about the circus.”

He frowned.

She prepared herself for the wall that was about to drop.

Instead, he took a seat beside her, legs crossed in front of him. “I’m sorry. You’ve been trying to talk about it all week and…like I said, it’s really hard for me to talk about.”

“I understand. I have things in my life that are equally difficult to share.” She reached out and touched the side of his face, where the painted tear had been. “I just…admired your performance so much. You were most joyous. I have seen you happy, but never like that. I would like to share that experience with you again. Perhaps then maybe one day, it will not be so hard to talk about?”

Robin was quiet for a long time, considering it. Then he offered a small smile. “I’ll think about it.”

She returned the smile. “That’s all I ask.”

—

Another week passed. Robin seemed to clam right back up.

Starfire was resigned to the fact that that one night at the circus was all anyone was ever going to see. And she had to be fine with it. So what if he was her best friend? It was his tragedy, and only he could decide who he’d share it with.

But then, late one night, there was a knock at her bedroom door.

“Hello?” She asked, as she answered.

There was no one there, but there was a package at her feet. A brown paper wrapped parcel, with a note on it.

‘Starfire,

Please put this on and meet me in the training room.

-Love, Robin’

Curious, she ripped the paper off, only to find a purple piece of cloth, nearly the same color as her uniform. She unraveled it, surprised to find a suit made of stretchy material. It was purple but had silvery accents and glittery beads all over the front.

It was so pretty! She held it up and did a little twirl, then rushed to put it on.

It wasn’t a completely perfect fit, but it was comfortable and not too tight. She zipped through the tower in haste to get to the training room.

Richard Grayson was there, dangling from his ankle from a bar hanging from the ceiling. He looked at her as she entered.

“Oh wow!” He chirped, flipping off to land on his feet. “That turned out great! I wasn’t sure if it would fit, because I measured a spare uniform that obviously doesn’t have all the measurements—”

“You made this?”

“...yeah? I made all my uniforms. Always have.”

“There is so much I do not know about you, Richard Grayson,” she smirked, coming closer.

He blushed, but smiled at her. “It’s so weird hearing you say that name.”

“Why do you look at me in such a way?” She asked, tilting her head.

“What way? I’m just…looking at you. I mean, you’re pleasant to look at, but if I’m staring I’m not meaning to!” Shutupshutupshutupshutup!

“You mean to say this is how you look at me when your mask is on as well?”

“Yes?” Was that a good thing? Or was he in trouble now? Did he hurt her feelings? Was he leering? Glaring?

A pretty blush dusted her cheeks as her smile deepened, though it looked like she was trying not to show it.

He cleared his throat. “Um…would you like to…learn some moves?”

Her eyes glistened. When she asked if he would share with her, she had expected him to just talk, not this! “Yes please!”

“Alright.” He ran and leapt, grabbing hold of the bar, then he contorted so he could hang upside down, his feet hooked around the wires. “Okay, come here and hold my arms, facing the same direction as me.”

She gleefully did, having to hover a little to reach.

“Okay, you’re going to push off that box to get us swinging.”

She did, and thrust her legs to pick up momentum.

“Good! Now just do it in time with me so we pick up maximum height.”

“Can I not just fly us up?”

“You could, but where’s the fun in that?”

She giggled. “You always have a certain way to do things.”

“That I do!”

They swung together, making the bar go farther and farther out.

“Okay, now I want you to kick up and try to hook your feet with my calves. Don’t worry if it takes a couple of times.”

Using her super strength, she easily flipped up and hooked her legs with his. She was going to tease him about how good she already was, until she realized the extremely intimate position this put them in. They were completely pressed together, and she saw straight into his blue eyes. “Oh,” she whispered.

“What?” He smirked.

“We are close.”

“Yep. That’s part of the experience. Now, put your arms around my neck.”

She did so, amazed that they could get any closer.

He had kept the swing moving despite being nervous about having Starfire so close, and effortlessly, he flipped them right side up so he was sitting on the bar and she was in his lap. “Ta-da!”

She couldn’t help but giggle again.

“Hey Star?”

“Yes Robin?”

“Thank you.”

“I should be the one thanking you. This is very sweet. What made you finally share?”

He kicked his legs so they stayed gliding through the air. “For the longest time, Trapeze represented falling instead of flying like it should. I figured…if anyone would understand flying, it would be you. So…” He avoided eye contact, feeling awkward. That was the dumb answer.

“That I do,” she grinned softly, tenderly. Her heart was full, she thought she might just burst. “What next?”

“Grab hold of the wires, then put your feet on the bar, right here.” He patted the space next to his hips.

She stood, sort of, and made a ‘v’ with her body.

“I’ll lean back, and you stand up straight. 1…2…3!”

Starfire readjusted her grip on the wires and stood, looking down. She watched as Robin fell backwards, and then disappeared. “What…?”

The weight on the bar shifted, and suddenly he was behind her, arms around her waist, and chin on her shoulder.

“How did you do that?”

“Trade secret,” he chuckled. “Now, when I tell you to, I want you to let go and bring your knees up.”

“But I am holding the wire, and you are holding me. If I let go…”

“Trust me Star,” he said earnestly. “You’ll love this.”

“Alright. I am ready when you are.”

He tightened his hold on her waist. “And…go!”

Starfire let go of the wire, tucked her knees, and instinctually clenched her eyes shut. She let out a loud ‘EEP!’ as she felt them fall backwards together. Then she flipped all the way around, before they came to a swinging stop. She peeled her eyes open to find herself parallel with the ground, being held by the hips.

She craned her neck to look at Robin, who was hanging by his knees. “Ta-da!” He chuckled. “It’s probably not all that exciting since you can fly on your own.”

She laughed and placed her arms out in front of her, like she did when she flew. “Contrariwise, it is very exciting! I am not prepared for what you are going to do. I am not in control.”

“So this is a good trust exercise then!”

“You have my trust, Robin,” she said so sincerely, so confidently, it brought a pang to his heart. He trusted her too. With his life, with his past, with his heart—

Starfire noticed he was using her like a pendulum to gain height again. So, she flew, just a little, just to get the bar moving.

“Ready Star?” He called down.

“What is happening?!”

“Here we go!”

Starfire let out a shriek this time as he yanked her upwards and let go, only to grab her a second later and hug her to himself. She fell to sit sideways in his lap as he sat on the bar.

“Did I scare you?”

“Only for a moment!” She giggled, the joy in her soul bubbling over. She wrapped her arms around his neck for a better hold.

Robin lazily kicked his foot to keep them moving, but otherwise just enjoyed having her close. What a thought. They weren’t even talking.

He shook his head, a little embarrassed by himself.

“What is it?” She asked sweetly.

“Nothing, just thought of something ironic.”

“Would you please share your ironic thought?”

He held his breath.

Well.

He was Richard Grayson right now. No mask, no polymerized titanium cape, and Starfire was sitting on his lap.

Couldn’t really get more vulnerable than that, right?

He exhaled. “I was just thinking…I lost the two people I loved the most to a fall. But I don’t have to worry about losing the girl I love, because she can fly.” He offered a small smile.

“Me?” Her eyes brightened.

He just nodded.

“Robin, you truly love me?”

“Yeah,” he whispered.

She touched his face, gently drifting her thumb over his cheek. “The feeling is mutual.”

His shoulders sagged in relief, and his smile grew.

“Shall we initiate lip contact?”

He barked a laugh, not because it was funny, but because it was so Starfire that it brought him immense joy. Instead of answering, he just leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

Starfire smiled into the kiss and hugged him tighter. Thankfully not too tight, as she had a tendency to get carried away with these things.

As they pulled away, they stayed close, just savoring the moment.

As Robin was in what was probably the happiest moment of his young life, it all shattered in front of his face. Like a bucket of ice water, the sound of three people clapping slapped against his face.

Well, a cyborg, changeling, and an empath.

Robin whipped his head around to stare at the intruders.

“Bravo! Encore!”

“Bravissimo!”

“Yay.”

“How…long…have you guys been there?”

“Dude, like, the whole time. When I saw Starfire dressed like a purple disco ball, I knew something like this was going down.”

“The pageantry! The drama! The action! The romance! Best show I’ve seen all week,” Cyborg smirked.

“Congrats on the kissing,” said Raven, who seemed genuinely happy for them in her own way.

Robin sighed. He should have known better.

“So are you going to teach us how to acrobat?” Asked Beast Boy.

“Do we have to sit on your lap too?” Asked Cyborg, wiggling his eyebrows.

“As long as I get a sparkly leotard, I’ll be happy,” Raven made a rare joke.

Robin was far too embarrassed to retort to any of that, so he just hid his face in Starfire’s shoulder.

“Dudes! We can start our own circus! We have a full set! And we could all learn Trapeze from Robin and do a whole show! We can call it, ‘The Teen Swingers Club’.”

Cyborg and Robin burst out laughing while Raven desperately tried not to.

“What? What’s so funny?”

“Yes, I do not understand the joke either.”

Robin whispered the meaning to her quietly before she also burst out laughing.

“Aw man. I hate it when my best jokes are accidents.”

“The best things that happen to you are accidents,” Raven quipped. “You probably were an accident.”

“Hey!” He barked, offended.

Starfire giggled and rested her head on Robin’s chest. “Do not be embarrassed, Robin. For I could not hide what happened from our friends, and this way we do not have to tell them.”

He sighed. He supposed that was a bonus.

Besides, he had started this trend of showing vulnerability instead of talking about his feelings. Why stop now?

“Hang on,” Robin told Starfire.

She gleefully squeezed tighter as he fell backwards, and the rest of the Titans cheered.

—

The next day, both posters were hanging proudly in the training room, right by the acrobatics equipment.

#fanfiction #robin #starfire #robstar #teen titans #tt animated #dick grayson #koriand'r

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