#harvey just giving order quietly

[sdvbraindump]

Honestly I used to believe in sub-Harvey but then I saw this...

Same, Shane. Same

[paleprincessturtle]

i heard you’re taking requests for harvey specter and angst with him would be so good !!!! i just finished reading the sorrow of tomorrow and you write him so well like i can’t wait for the next part, your writing is awesome. so i was wondering if you could write some sort of angst with a happy ending with him, like maybe they get into an argument and harvey being harvey says something to take it too far but they make up later somehow. just a suggestion, u don’t need to write it if you don’t want to!!

Thank you so much for the kind words and the request! Hope you enjoy this one 😊 And bear with me, this is a looooong one. I seriously got carried away writing this.

GETAWAY HOUSE

She marched towards Harvey's office, her face red with anger. "Mike, get out," she ordered a visibly surprised Mike. "But we are in the middle of..." she lifted her hand, "in the middle of a meeting, I know. But please, get out. I need to speak with Harvey." She looked at Harvey, and the two stared at each other. Mike left the room after realizing the obvious tension in the room and not wanting to stand in the way of a woman who looked like she might breathe fire.

She looked over her shoulder until she was sure that Mike had closed the door. "I will give you a good 5 minutes to explain why the hell is Pharma Pro insisting on settling," she folded both arms in front of her. Harvey didn't even look at her. He looked busy writing something on a paper in front of him. "You tell me, they're your client," Harvey gave her a quick glance before he looked back down at the paper. "Don't give me that shit, Harvey. They received a memo. It was signed "Specter" on the memo. I never signed my name like that on a memo. The only Specter who knows this case is you." Harvey put down his pen and said, "You are another Specter who not only knows but is handling this case." She gaped. "Harvey, I have to spend my morning explaining why there is a memo under my surname that they have to settle after just yesterday I told them to go to court." Harvey watched her for a few seconds. She looked pissed, and most of all, there was betrayal in the eyes he loved the most. "Yes, it was me." She took a sharp breath and sat in front of him. "Why?" she asked quietly, her eyes glued to the black desk in front of her. "You won't win in court," Harvey said simply. She heard no trace of guilt or remorse in the voice she knew very well. "You don't trust me?" Her voice was just above a whisper. She was on the verge of crying. The thought of her own husband not trusting her judgment in her own case... And he had to interfere. Basically, embarrassing her in front of her biggest client. "We just got this firm back on its feet, and I am the new managing partner. If you lose Pharma Pro, it won't look good on us. I don't trust your call, so I had to step up," Harvey said as his voice softened at the sight of his wife, who looked like she was about to burst into tears. Harvey knew she had been through a lot to be where she was right now, but not once did Harvey ever see her cry, at least not over some work. "But you could've come to me and discussed it with me. You are my husband, yes. But I will never overrule you here in the office." Harvey scoffed. "If we discuss this, you will still proceed to court." She pulled her hand out of Harvey's grasp. "Yes! Because they are my client, and I know them better than you." She stood so fast that she almost knocked over the chair she was sitting on. Harvey looked up at her wife, seething with anger. Harvey's jaw tightened. "You think you would still sign with Pharma Pro if it weren't for my last name being yours?" She gasped as both her hands flew to cover her mouth. She grabbed the edge of the chair; she felt like Harvey had just slapped her. The second the words got out of his mouth, he knew it was a total mistake. "Sunny, I..." she interrupted him by lifting her hand. She took a deep breath and tried so hard to compose herself. "You know what, Harvey? I thought I would bring this secret to the grave, but three months before we got married, I got a senior partner offer from Skadden. Skadden, Harvey. Not just any firm. Skadden. No, I wasn't using your name then. I turned them down because I love this firm. And the thought of working side by side with my husband was so heavenly back then. The thought of how we could always support each other..." She trailed off, her voice shaking. "I turned that offer down even though I knew Jessica wouldn't mind. And you know what they said after I turned them down? They said the offer will firmly stand if I want to take it in the future. But again, Harvey, I think you know me better than whoever it was at Skadden. And no, it wasn't your name that got me to sign Pharma Pro. I slept with Russell Whitmore. Is that the truth you want to hear?" Her words cut through Harvey, even though he knew she was lying. She stormed out of his office as he tried to catch up with her. He grabbed his arm, and she sharply looked back at him and said, "Don't you fucking dare follow me, Harvey." Harvey stood there, frozen in place, as he saw his wife fade away from view.

It was 15 minutes before midnight. Harvey stood at the doorway to Mike's office. Harvey didn't go after his wife earlier today. But when he (most definitely on purpose) walked past his wife's office, he found it empty. And it wasn't even 5. "Are you just going to stand there, Harvey? You creep me out," Mike said as he flipped over a file. Harvey snapped out of it. "I want to ask if you know where my wife is," Harvey asked carefully. "I don't know, Harvey. She's your wife," Mike shrugged. "Didn't Rachel tell you if she was with her?" Mike finally looked at Harvey. Mike has to admit that Harvey looked very stressed. "Again. I don't know, Harvey. Maybe if you stopped being a certified douchebag, you would know the whereabouts of your wife." Mike looked sharply at Harvey, whose shoulders slumped at Mike's answer. As much as Mike wanted to help Harvey out, it wasn't his place. "I took it you heard about the fight?" Mike let out a sarcastic laugh. "Donna saw your wife crying in the toilet. Donna told Rachel, and Rachel told me. In the process of Rachel telling me, Louis heard. Yeah, everyone knew. And before you asked, yes, everyone sided with your wife." Harvey let out a defeated sigh as he rubbed his forehead. "Give her time, Harvey." Harvey nodded at Mike's advice before going back to his office.

Harvey was deep in thought, listening to his father's record while nursing a glass of whisky. "I very much don't want to see your face, but Gretchen already went home, and I need you to sign this fast." Harvey closed his eyes at the voice of Louis. The last thing he needs now is Louis chewing on his ass. "What is it, Louis?" Harvey turned away from the window as he walked to his desk. Louis didn't say a thing; he just pointed at the document he brought. Harvey nodded as he sat down and started skimming the document. "If I didn't promise your wife I wouldn't beat the shit out of you, I would've beaten the shit out of you," Louis said quickly, his face red. Harvey looked up slowly at Louis for the sudden outburst. "When she got married to you, she asked me to walk her down the aisle. We aren't even related, but she chose to come to me. She is like a ..." Louis choked on his own words. "She is like a daughter to me. And what you said to her, Harvey... And if you don't make this right, I swear to God, Harvey, I will make your life a living hell. I would gladly be her attorney if she chose to divorce." Harvey nodded as he handed Louis the document.

Harvey got home just a little after 3. After he made sure that his wife wasn't home, he chose not to be home at any cost. But at the same time, he longed to be home. Harvey poured himself another glass of whisky. He watched the fire as he laughed to himself. His wife would've scolded him if she knew he poured himself yet another glass of whisky at this hour. But his wife wasn't here, and his heart heaved. He checked his phone. Nothing. He left him 7 voicemails and more than 10 texts; all of them sat cold. Then he realized that he hadn't seen Donna all day in the office today. He quickly grabbed his phone and called Donna. She didn't pick up, considering the time, but he tried again. "Harvey, if the firm isn't on fire, I would hang up right now," came Donna's hoarse voice at the other line. "Donna, I'm sorry; please don't hang up. Is my wife there?" Harvey asked, a glimmer of hope apparent in his voice. Silent. "Donna?" Another silent. Harvey checked his phone just in case the phone abruptly ended. "She is here." Harvey sighed in relief. "Okay, I'm going there now," Harvey said as he stood up. "Harvey, no," Donna said firmly. "No?" Harvey stopped in his tracks. "Give her time, Harvey. You really hurt her." Harvey's turned to stay silent. "Harvey, remember how many times she got to cut you some slacks? How many times has she stood by your side, no matter what? How many times did she get back to you after you hurt her and you only gave her a simple apology? How many times, Harvey?" Harvey bit his lip, forcing him to hold a sob. "Will she come back, Donna? I'll give her all the time in the world; just tell me, Donna. Will she come back?" Donna closed her eyes as she heard the hoarseness of Harvey's voice. "I don't know, Harvey. I don't know," Donna said truthfully.

Harvey didn't sleep that night. He got back to the office early in the morning. He saw Donna, who smiled curtly at him. He didn't expect to see his wife in her office when he walked past her office. She wasn't there. But to Harvey's surprise, there she was. Sat gracefully in the conference room, holding a meeting with Pharma Pro's execs. He caught her eye. Before he got the chance to smile at her, she turned her focus back to Russel Whitmore, the CEO of Pharma Pro. Harvey sighed and headed to the elevator. He himself had a meeting to attend.

Harvey got back to the office around 5. When he passed her wife's office, he saw her there. Her back faced him. A few folders opened in front of her. As much as Harvey wanted to go in and hold her, he knew he had to give her some time. He got to his office and fired up his laptop.

A few hours later, Harvey almost lost his mind. His wife was just a few offices away, yet he couldn't do anything. He brought some papers and stood up to leave his office. He prayed so hard so that her wife would still be in her office. An office before his wife's, Harvey stopped himself. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. He couldn't remember the last time he was this nervous. He was nervous when his wife told him that he should talk to Louis for her hand in marriage. They were close. Really close. She was so close that she considered Louis her own family. Since she had no immediate family. But this is different. He felt like his marriage was on the edge. And it was all because of him. He took another deep breath and finally knocked on his wife's door before opening the door. Harvey sighed a breath of relief. His wife was still there, buried in a lot of files. "Hey," Harvey said softly as he entered her office. "Hey," she answered shortly, not knowing what to do. She wanted to yell at Harvey and slap him. But dear God, the look on his face. She knew he hadn't slept. "Can I?" Harvey referred to the chair across from her. She only nodded. "I've been making this whole speech since last night about what I would say when we met. But seeing your face..." Harvey stopped himself. His hand itched to touch his wife. "I took you for granted. And I'm sorry, I really am." His wife looked at him stoically. "Here," Harvey showed her the papers he brought with him.

"A house in.. Hamptons? This is your way of saying sorry? Oh yeah, right. I couldn't afford a house in the Hamptons since I'm a low-degree lawyer." She scoffed, and Harvey shook his head. "Remember the second day of our honeymoon?" Harvey asked. How could she forget? They stayed in a beautiful villa in Como.

"We should buy a villa here," she said as she climbed on top of Harvey. Both of them were in bed, with the vast view of Lake Como at their disposal. Nothing was between them but a thin layer of white sheet. She propped herself up; they were face-to-face. "And why is that?" Harvey asked, smirking at his wife. "So whenever we are tired, we can always come here and get away from the world." Harvey marveled at the look of wonder in his wife's eyes. "In here, it's just us. You," she kissed his lips, "and me." Harvey caressed his wife's bare back. "You do realize we are in Italy, right?" She giggled at the fact that they were indeed a 10-hour flight away from home. "Then at the Hamptons! It wasn't far," she said excitedly. "I don't need a getaway house. I have my wife and my job all in one place; I wouldn't need anything else." She wanted to argue, but Harvey turned them over as she squealed.

"I told you I don't need a getaway house. I don't need to be away from all this," Harvey said as he gestured to whatever was around them. "But all this without you? The stress of this place has led me astray from you. I hurt you. If I could do anything to even just lessen the pain I caused you, I would do it. I won't waste another word saying how much I'm sorry, but I will make it up to you." Harvey took his wife's hands in his, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "If you let me, I will take you to our new house." Harvey's voice was laced with questions. "I know it is not Como. And we can always cancel this house if you don't want it. We could go there, and you can pick it yourself," Harvey rambled. Harvey stood up and moved his chair next to hers. "Please come with me. Let me fix this for us." Harvey put his hand on her cheek as she leaned into his warm hand. "Harvey, it's only Tuesday. I have my week full," she said, shaking her head. "If you agree, we can just leave first thing in the morning. I've cleared everything with Louis and Donna. Rachel and Mike will take on your clients. Just say yes," he said, closing the gap between them. His lips hovered over hers. She closed her eyes. "I'm still mad at you," she whispered. "I know, but let me prove to you that I want to be better; I'll make it up to you. Please, Sunny. This is my last chance, I swear to you. I love you more than life," he said, running his thumb across her lips. "I will drop everything here if that's what you nee..." Harvey didn't get the chance to finish his sentence. Harvey closed his eyes as he felt his wife's lips on his. He wanted to cry, for he thought he would never be this close again with his wife. He held his wife close. She broke the kiss, their foreheads touched. "Take me home, Harvey."

MASTERLIST

[catladyoftheyr]

Too Sweet

Harvey x Reader

Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5

Summary: you’re the new farmer in town and you ended up with an extra coffee. You offer it to Harvey and have a pleasant chat on his break. Fluff fluff fluff. One suggestive line about a kiss but nothing steamy. Reader is ungendered.

Authors note: I have this TikTok of him with that Hozier song on loop in my head. I love Harvey sm like that is my MANNNNN (also the farmer in that TikTok is really short so they kind of look really young)

Word count: 973

You liked to stop by the saloon in the early afternoon before the evening crowd made their way in. It was quiet and allowed you time to have conversations with Gus before other patrons needed his attention. “Hey, Gus” you called out as you walked in. He glanced up from polishing glasses behind the counter and smiled.

“Hey there! What can I get for you today?” he responded. You’d become a regular at the saloon since you’d moved in earlier this year at the beginning of spring but your order changed too often to be pinned down.

“Coffee today, please” you were feeling tired after spending your morning tending to the farm and needed a caffeine boost. Gus slid two paper cups in front of you.

“Last of the pot. Didn’t want it to sit there and go to waste. Second cup is on the house.” You appreciated his hospitality and generosity. You’d seen him give free hot meals to Linus if he was hungry as well. You slid the cash across the counter and took a sip of your coffee. You thanked Gus again before slipping out into the sunny afternoon.

You wondered silently who to gift your second coffee to, not wanting to keep it for yourself. Just then the door to the clinic across the street opened and you saw the local doctor step outside. “Hey!” You called across the street, trying to catch his attention. He glanced up at you with a confused look on his face. “Harvey, right? Gus gave me an extra cup of coffee today and I don’t need two. I saw you come out of the clinic and I was wondering if you could use a pick me up.” You caught up to him and offered him the warm paper cup.

“Oh thank you! That’s very kind of you.” Harvey grabbed the cup from you. “You're the new farmer aren’t you? I heard you inherited the land from your grandfather.”

“Yeah I just moved a couple months ago. I’m finally settling into a routine and starting to feel like the valley’a a good choice to call home. Oh, the coffee’s black by the way. I hope that’s alright.”

“I actually prefer it that way. I’m glad you’re settling in okay. Farming is hard work, be careful not to overdo it; I’d hate to see you end up in the clinic from overworking yourself. I was actually just about to go on an afternoon walk, would you care to join me?” Harvey looked away sheepishly as he delivered his invitation.

“I’d like that. I actually prefer my coffee black as well. But yeah, farming is tough. It’s a huge change from the desk job I had with Joja back in the city. The farm is still in pretty rough shape but I’m taking it day by day. What made you want to move to the valley? I imagine you can’t get a medical degree unless you go outside the valley.” You watched as the steam from the coffee fogged up Harvey’s glasses. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to clean them before responding.

“I studied in Zuzu city. I’d visited a couple other towns in the valley before, but Pelican Town won me over with its charm. The community is very tight knit here; everyone looks out for each other. May I ask what made you decide to take over the farm?” You hummed quietly, contemplating your response as the two of you walked together. There were so many things that led up to your decision to start over. It was almost impossible to pinpoint it to one particular answer.

“That’s a tough question. I felt the pressure rising for a long time before the bubble popped I guess. Eventually something just snapped and I couldn’t take it anymore. Truthfully I wasn’t very happy in the city. I’d gone through a really hard breakup, and my career wasn’t panning out how I thought it would. Taking over the farm seemed like an impulsive decision, but something in my gut said it was the right choice.” Harvey nodded and sipped his coffee. The two of you sat down on a bench that overlooked the graveyard. An elderly woman with a kind face, Evelyn you remembered her name was, was watering the flowers.

“Sometimes starting over is for the best,” he replied softly. “I hope you grow to love this town and become more integrated in the community.” Harvey held his cup in one hand, letting the other fall close to your own free hand on the bench. The tips of your fingers brushed for just a moment and you felt energy run through you. You’d never looked too closely at anyone in town before, but you noticed now that Harvey was rather handsome. He was clearly older than you, in his late thirties or maybe early forties. He had a neatly trimmed mustache and light stubble on the rest of his face. You felt your cheeks flush involuntarily as the thought of how his mustache might feel against your skin crept in.

“I hope so too. It feels like I’ve been too busy to make many friends in town. I still feel like an outsider,” you admitted. “It’s usually hard for me to talk to people, let alone open up like this. Most of my conversations since I’ve moved here have been with my chickens.”

Harvey let out a small chuckle. “I didn’t know chickens were such good conversationalists.” Just then he glanced at his watch and frowned. “I’m so sorry to cut our conversation short but I have to get back to the clinic soon. I hope I see you again”

“I hope so too. Maybe you can meet the chickens.” You smiled and and gave him a small wave goodbye as he got up.

[blackashbluephoenix]

Had this idea but it doesn't fit into either of my WIPs so I'm giving it to the community.

Harvey and Mike are driving. They're bantering lightly, Mike had a case file in his lap. There's light music on in the background. Mike feels safe in the front seat- he always does when Harvey's driving. Anyone else, he fidgits nervously, squirms. The longer the ride, the worse it gets. But Harvey has both hands on the wheel, hovers a mile or two under the speed limit. He focuses on the road. Mike knows he'd never let anything happen to him.

They drive up past an accident with all the stops- flashing lights, police sirens, an ambulance. The car is on fire, there are bodies being pulled from the wreck.

Before they can get close enough to see any details though, Harvey reaches over and turns Mike's face to him. They've slowed to a crawl now because of traffic passing the accident, there's no danger in taking one hand off the wheel.

"Look at me, sweetheart." He orders softly. "Just keep looking at me."

Harvey doesn't try to restart the banter. He doesn't try to smile or pretend it's not bad. But he can put on a poker face for Mike's sake. He can look stoic, in control. He can breathe normally. He can use the word sweetheart, a word he normally only whispers to him in moments when they are alone and at their most intimate.

"Just look at me, sweetheart."

Because one real glimpse of that accident and that image will be burned permanently into Mike's beautiful mind. Having a memory like his is both a blessing and a curse, as Harvey has come to find out. And right now, if he lets Mike look at that, if he allows that image into Mike's mind... It will torment him. It will creep into thoughts when they're at work, at home. It will etch itself into his nightmares, add itself to what Mike imagines his parents' last moments were like. He won't be able to comfortably get into a car for weeks, will worry when Harvey steps foot in one, even if they're both in the backseat and Ray is the one driving.

"Just keep looking at me. Don't think about anything else."

He pulls the car into a lane away from the accident as soon as he can, creating some distance and removing some of the morbid temptation to look as he does so. Mike's not the eager to please puppy he once was, but he obeys this particular order even after Harvey drops his hand. He nods, ducks his head slightly. He can't quite look at Harvey's eyes, but he can still focus on the rest of him. As long as he's looking at Harvey, his mind is protected from whatever else he might see right now.

They're both quiet when the traffic lets up. Harvey puts both hands back on the wheel. Drops his speed limit down to five miles below, moves to the slow lane. Tries to ignore the way Mike is white knuckling the armrest or the way he wants to take his hand. Touch would help right now, certainly, but not if it compromises his driving abilities.

They pull into a gas station about an hour from the city. Harvey wouldn't have stopped- he wants to take Mike straight home- but the gas light is on. When he puts the car in park, Mike takes a long deep breath as though he's been holding onto it for far too long.

"We'll be home soon." Harvey says softly. He reaches over, brushes his fingers over the back of Mike's neck. Relishes in the way Mike instantly leans into him, even if the angle is awkward because of the console between them.

"Thank you." Mike says quietly. He seems a little better now. Okay until Harvey can get him home at least. He can spoil him when they're there- Order a pizza with stuffed crust, crack open one of those cheap beers Mike likes for some reason. Maybe tuck him into one of Harvey's hoodies before he pulls Mike down onto to his chest and they settle in on the couch with a wide selection of movies. He'll hold him a little bit tighter and speak just a little softer. Maybe it will be enough to keep the nightmares away.

For now he just kisses Mike's hand, then his temple before he gets out to pump gas. Smiles in relief when Mike eventually gets out and wanders into the gas station, returning with a highly disproportionate amount of junk food to the time they have left on this trip.

He'll be okay. Harvey will make sure of it.

[captain039]

The proposition

Misha Collins x reader

Warnings: Sugar Daddy AU, age gap, daddy kink, smut, sexual things, first times, dirty talk, daddy dom, slightly little reader, anxiety and depression, mental health issues, swearing, feels

Have you seen the gifs of Misha as Harvey? HAVE YOU SEEN THE TITTIES ON THIS MAN, I mean….. man you could bite into that shit, the broadness mmhmm, the absolute unit on this man’s upper body is magnificent 👌🏻

Idk how the fuxk sugar daddy's work🤣

Also re-wrote it.

Honestly, you’re not sure what propelled you to do this, in fact, it was seriously stupid considering you had no idea what you were doing. Your best friend was on your bed by you, on her phone as you were.

“We should get sugar daddies,” she said and you laughed.

“Why so we can go shopping every day? We have anxiety” you stated and she huffed.

“Yes well, more money less anxiety” She grinned and you rolled your eyes.

“Go ahead I’m happy where I am,” you said scrolling through TikTok.

“Mhm, for real though,” she said suddenly serious as she sat up. You frowned closing your phone and looking at her.

“I’ve done research,” she said and you raised an eyebrow.

“Research? On sugar daddies?” You said and she nodded.

“You’re serious?” You added and she nodded.

“I’ve already contacted one, we’re meeting this Friday,” she said and you stared baffled.

“You what?!” You said and she groaned.

“I knew this is how you’d react” you sighed flopping back on the bed.

“It’s a random rich guy!” You said and she ignored you.

“You’re so gonna get kidnapped, or killed! What if he’s a hitman?” You panicked and she gave you a raised eyebrow.

“I’m coming” you stated and she huffed.

“No you’re not” she sighed.

“Yes, I am! I’ll be suspiciously in the corner” you said.

“Hoodie and sunglasses” you added and she sighed.

“Fine you can come just in a different car and no suspicious clothes, wear something nice it’s an expensive restaurant” she said.

“I don’t have money for that!” You groaned.

“See!” She rolled her eyes.

“Fine give me some of your money,” you said turning on your phone again.

“I’m the sugar baby, not you, get your own” she huffed and you groaned.

“Ugh fine, look I’ll transfer some money to you, just order a drink or something at least” she sighed tapping on her phone dramatically.

“We’re gonna die” you groaned.

“We’re not gonna die, Jesus Christ” she shook her head.

“Go to sleep” she said turning her phone off and turning her back to you. You mumbled a ‘you go to sleep’ before turning off your phone and getting comfortable. Maybe a sugar daddy wouldn’t be so bad.

Friday came too quickly and you panicked as your best friend dressed up. She had heels, makeup a nice fancy dress and you contemplated jeans and a plain top.

“No,” she said suddenly throwing your clothes back in the tomboy and going to your wardrobe.

“I’m not the one meeting him!” You said.

“No, but you’re not a hobo,” she said.

“Could be” you grumbled as she picked out a nice dress you hadn’t worn in ages.

“Fine” you huffed taking it. You put some smaller heels on and struggled with them before putting on some makeup also.

“Do you have a purse?” She asked going through your wardrobe.

“I have a backpack?” You said and she shook her head before making a triumphant noise. She found an old small leather handbag in one of your boxes and chucked it at you.

“Shit,” you said failing at catching it.

“Come on we’re gonna be late” she said already heading out your door.

“Ok bye” you rolled your eyes taking one last look in the mirror.

You arrived in a separate Uber, and looking at the seriously fancy restaurant you felt seriously out of place. You groaned quietly, your friend had made a booking for you. You headed to the receptionist and said the name it was under before the woman led you to a small table nearby. You spotted your friend and an attractive older man with her. They’d already greeted and were in conversation. You tried not to be obvious with your hawk stare, every time the man looked over slightly you quickly snapped your head away and sipped your drink.

“You’re not very discreet” You jumped a mile at the voice and spilt drink on your dress. You cursed going to grab the small napkin only to be beaten. You looked up seeing a man there, he looked guilty as hell as he handed you the napkin and apologised.

“I’m so sorry,” he said as you soaked up the liquid.

“It’s ok” you muttered, it wasn’t really ok. Your best friend had glanced, but ignored. You liked this dress and now it was stained. No way your stain remover would get that out. You tried to keep it covered with the napkin but sighed. You frowned and froze though when a jacket went around your shoulders and covered the damage. You stared at the man who smiled apologetically.

“Misha,” he said and you frowned.

“My name” he chuckled and you made an ‘o’ face like an idiot.

“Sorry, Y/n,” you said and he held his hand out. You expected a handshake but instead, he kissed the back of your hand making you flush.

“Allow me to pay for a proper cleaning and a new drink,” he said and you just nodded too in a daze at the kiss.

“May I?” He asked pointing to your seat and you nodded.

“Don’t worry about cleaning or a drink it’s ok” you quickly said gaining your wits back.

“Please I insist, perhaps a lunch too?” He asked smiling.

“I can’t afford lunch, listen I’m just here as backup” you whispered and he raised an eyebrow intrigued.

“That’s why you keep watching the couple over there intently?” He chuckled softly.

“Not a couple, yet, I don’t know, she’s my best friend I said id watch her back” you spoke softly and he nodded.

“Though apparently me spilling my drink over my favourite dress is not important to her” you huffed leaning your arms on the table.

“Bitch” you mumbled and he laughed before you realised what you said.

“Sorry I’m so sorry, god” you groaned quietly wishing the ground would swallow you up.

“It’s ok” he smiled.

“I’m sorry about your dress again, and scaring you, I should’ve realised it was a serious job,” he said and you smiled shaking your head.

“I’m overprotective and the overthinker in this relationship” you chuckled.

“It’s good to be protective, overthink, not so much” he said and you nodded.

“Would you like to order?” The waiter came over again.

“No thank you” you smiled as he turned to the man across from you.

“My treat, can’t have you hungry on a mission” he smiled and you debated.

“I-“ you sighed nodding your head and giving in as Misha smiled happily. The waiter handed you menus and you ordered a simple meal, well the cheapest one you could find, geez Food was expensive here. You also ordered a Coke this time, not wanting to spill another fancy drink.

“Thank you,” you said quietly.

“My pleasure” he smiled his eyes softening. You wondered why he approached you? He clearly had money and was well standing. You were a street rat compared to him.

“You’re not comfortable here,” he said and you nodded.

“Have I made you uncomfortable?” He said frowning.

“No, no, I’ve never been here, never would be here if it weren’t for my friend uh- it’s not really a situation I can speak about” you said embarrassed. Sure just blurt out your friends meeting a potential sugar daddy, great conversation.

“Oh why is she giving that face” you muttered seeing your best friend's face change. She quickly hid it though and smiled making you sigh.

“Don’t go and save her just yet” Misha commented and you hummed.

“No she’s uncomfortable” you finalised seeing her fiddle with her bracelet, licking her lips too much and the slight frown she had, along with the slight leg twitch she got.

“I can’t ruin this for her” you groaned softly as the waiter came and laid down your plates.

“She’s alright,” Misha said giving a glance.

“What if she’s not?” You sighed, her movements changed and she was smiling again and not uncomfortable.

“Huh,” you said confused.

“That guy must be good” you mumbled more to yourself as you ate. Misha laughed and you honestly forgot this man was there and bought you lunch, you are a stranger.

“I’m so sorry, you bought me lunch and I’m just-“ you babbled and slowed your eating.

“Just sharing my best friend's date and my overprotective issues” you cursed yourself silently.

“I’m eating like a dog too” you mumbled feeling embarrassed. You grabbed a napkin and wiped your mouth sighing.

“Sorry I’m not very lady-like,” you said placing your fork down and feeling uncomfortable eating.

“This is why I’m alone” you mumbled more to yourself and he frowned.

“Sorry,” you apologised.

Misha smiled softly at you. You were a funny woman, highly loyal and protective of your friend it seemed, maybe a little too much.

The moment you walked in you caught his eye, not fit in for this type of establishment, the way you moved awkwardly avoiding touching anything when you sat down and your eyes went wide reading the menu before ordering the cheapest alcoholic drink you could find. You sat nervously, glancing too often at another couple, it got him curious as to why you kept looking their way. A friend of his or hers, hers you kept looking at her worried and him with defensive eyes. He knew the other man, a business partner, a wealthy man. He knew this kind of meeting, having been there before a couple of times with a younger woman in need of some extra money. You thought he figured you’d meet someone too sort of a best friend thing, but no after ten minutes of your constant glancing he decided to approach. He scared the life out of you, your drink flew on your dress and your eyes went wide with fear then sadness. He felt horrible, the way your eyes looked at your dress, a favourite of yours by the looks you gave as you tried to clean the stains. Your hands were shaking as you tried to ground yourself quickly. He sought to comfort you but knew that it would be inappropriate. You declined his offers before spilling the truth as to why you were there and the lack of funds yourself. You weren’t focused on him, more babbling in a cute way to voice your worry. When you finally gave in to his offer for food and drink he felt good inside about helping you. When you said that’s why you were alone it broke his heart, a young beautiful thing like you shouldn’t be alone and he knew how to fix that.

[ishkabibblethings]

Fluffy February #3 - Entertain

Suits / Marvey / Rated G

“It’s been a rough week, Mike. I’m sorry, I don’t think I’ll make good company tonight.” Mike stood across the desk while Harvey slouched in his chair. It had been a rough week, especially for Harvey. He and Jessica had taken their lumps on this case and their eventual “win” felt more bitter than sweet. 

Normally Mike would give Harvey his space, but he was hoping to show Harvey that whatever had been growing between them wasn’t just a casual thing. Unless Harvey asked for space, Mike wanted to be there for him.

“I know it’s been rough, Harvey. You don’t have to entertain me tonight. I just want to take you out for a bit. Say yes?” 

Harvey hesitated a moment but finally nodded. 

Mike’s face lit up and he checked his watch. “Excellent. Ray will be downstairs in ten. Meet me in the lobby?”

---

When Ray dropped them off outside the Black Ash, Harvey paused on the sidewalk. Music thumped out from the building, swelling in clarity and volume whenever people came and went. 

“You know this place?” 

Mike’s blush was obvious even in the dim lights outside the club. “I may have researched your father’s discography. I saw that one of his live albums was recorded here and realized he’d been a regular for years.”

“Yeah, when Marcus and I were little, he mostly played nearby gigs.” Harvey glanced at the club door lost in thought for a moment.

“I thought maybe we could order a drink and some snacks and just listen for a bit. We don’t have to talk if you don’t feel like it.” Mike shyly reached for Harvey’s hand, suddenly unsure if he’d pushed in on something Harvey didn’t want to share. “Is this alright for you?”

Harvey pulled Mike in for a long hug, both men breathing together for a moment. “Better than alright, Mike,” Harvey said quietly as they stepped apart. His face looked more relaxed than Mike had seen it all week, and there was a hint of a small precious smile in Harvey’s dark eyes. “This is just what I needed. Thank you.” @fluffyfebruary

[faeriekit]

I’ve seen at least one fic in which Bruce is a kids’ librarian, but that takes a sort of energetic quality I think Bruce really, really, really, really, really lacks. To clarify, I think he’s very good with kids, but I don’t think he has the It factor that Youth Services people have. What is “It”, you ask? I don’t know. No librarian has been able to give me an answer. And yet we’re all sure it exists... Superstitious. It very easily could be ADHD; I don’t know one neurotypical, not-chronically-disabled YS librarian.

Anyway. Bruce really gets down into the dumps of it post “no da—Alfred, I’m not going to be a doctor” thing and has to get out of the house somehow and just. Volunteers at the local library. It gives him some good press, an outlet, and lets him work on community service. Eventually someone goes “why are you always here? You might as well just get the degree” and Bruce goes hey, maybe this is a way I can give back to Gotham? And does the online schooling in his background time. Bruce gets a degree, gets hired on as an Adult Services librarian, and has a remarkably domestic life with a real work/life balance...until he meets Dick. See above.

Anyway, Dick becomes a volunteer really young, which means Dick is SUPER annoying and chatty until Bruce goes “hey, can you pick that up for me?” and then give him a sticker when he helps out reshelve books and tidy up after programs. And probably a granola bar or three. Sue him. Dick is p young and not well fed at this point. Clearly a runaway. You gotta add food to the budget when you have a lot of these kids hanging around hungry, you know.

Dick hanging around at the library all hours of the day leads to other unhoused kids finding it safe to hang out at the library, like Jason, who equally has home life problems, and needs books, snacks, and attention— and in that order too. Bruce is the exact kind of annoying adult figure to be like 😢 You boys are so smart, you could do so much better, and they boo and throw empty chip bags at him and stuff. At this point Bruce is the head of AS. No one likes that he is the head of AS but someone has to schedule the department and who’s going to do it. Harvey? Never.

Finally Dick’s an adult and Bruce quietly slips him an opening for a position at the circ desk and info on how to get to Gotham U on a sports scholarship. Dick sulks his way through a BA in sports science and out of circ and into YS. At the appropriate age, Jason goes “those papers. Gimme.” and Bruce sniffles his way through writing letters of recommendation for his two favorite teens on his way into his position as branch manager.

Being branch manager is mostly politics. Whatever position he would have held at WE is absolutely in full force here as he shreds through potential budget cuts, bad press, books bans, shitty legislation against the poor and the unhoused, and and public opinion. It’s not as bad as being head of the whole system (going to take a wild guess and say Gotham is too large to be served only by one library, they’d probably have a whole system across the city. Think New York’s NYPL), but Bruce is the captain of his ship here, and has admin pressing down on him, the city pressing in around him, and his employees who rely on him— like Dick, who managed to snag a job as a non-librarian in youth services, and Jason, who got a part time role as a shelver. Babs gets his old role, Dick moves up when the head of YS retires and he has a degree, and Jason is hired into AS because he’s a snot but he is very passionate about collection management, actually, and preserving classic literature for modern reading is so important—

In this environment comes Tim, who works in a position not directly under Bruce but in direct contact with Brucie Wayne, head of Gotham Public Library (___ Branch) and heir to Gotham’s luxurious fortune. 

Tim is just here to finish off the college experience. Please. Why is Bruce Wayne so concerned with his mental health and wellbeing. Meanwhile, Bruce has a sixth sense for when kids need emotional support and you know what? It’s not his best role, but someone’s got to fill it. Oh, you like detective novels? Try asking for Jason at the AS desk at ____ Branch, he loves giving out recommendations from upcoming releases—

Cass is a volunteer. Stephanie is an occasional presenter from the hospital who’s hired in to help out with first aid demonstrations and education. They are Besties. Steph annoys Cass into being distracted out of working and Steph beelines for her on every visit. Iconic.

Meanwhile. Damian is put into Bruce’s care, and finds out that no, his father is not Cool or Interesting. He’s a low level administrator in a library system. His disappointment is incomparable and his day is ruined.

Because all of them are idiots who never voice their affection, they all never once talk about how their presence in each others’ lives have changed the trajectories they were on and united them in a family they never knew they could have. They all assume this feeling is unique to them alone, and no one wants to be the weenie, so no one mentions it to each other. Then one day in the far future Bruce will die and then they’ll all get vast amount of money from his will and written words of affirmation and all stand up and go WAIT. WHAT? YOU BITCH, YOU COULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING.

And yes, he could have, but so could they.

Anyway. The punchline is that Bruce is still Batman in this.

Which character should I turn into a librarian for an AU go

[jungk0oksthighs]

Stay With Me | Seven pt.1

exhusband!jungkook, singleparent!jungkook, unplanned pregnancy, E2L, fluff, angst, smut

Word Count - 2.2k

You haven't felt right all day. Warnings: swearing, angst, pregnancy pains, mentions of premature labour and delivery

SERIES COLLECTION

At just over seven months pregnant with twins your stomach is so huge you’re convinced you have your own gravitational pull. Finding the strength to lug your giant body around is proving more and more difficult. You feel hideous, looking like you’re smuggling a giant pumpkin underneath anything and everything you wear. You feel like an Orca. You even look like an Orca today, dressed in a white oversized shirt that’s not oversized anymore and black leggings. Comfort over style is key in pregnancy, so you keep reminding yourself.

Just when you thought pregnancy couldn't get any worse - today happened. You've been uncomfortable all day. Dull back ache, pounding head ache that's crossing the border into being a migraine. Even your limbs ache, from what you're not sure because Jungkook hasn't physically allowed you to lift a finger without his supervision.

But today you feel like shit, more so than you've felt during the entire pregnancy. You've been to the toilet a lot, your body unable to keep anything inside longer than twenty minutes. Your tummy feels heavier too, harder beneath your fingertips whenever you run a hand over your bump. To put it bluntly you feel disgusting and ill, you're so over being pregnant.

“Hey mom, can I sleep at my friend’s house this weekend?” Seol chirps excitedly while bouncing into the living room where you’re perched on the sofa, swollen feet up on the coffee table. Ex-husband sitting beside you with his soft nose buried in a book, thin golden glasses framing his obnoxiously handsome face.

“Which friend?” You look to your son who’s dressed exactly like his father today. An all-black outfit, oversized, complete with a giant rucksack that makes you question if he’s planning on fleeing to a different country. “What’s in the bag sweetie?” You find the strength to chuckle, it’s almost as big as he is.

“Playstation and switch. Harvey’s having a gaming weekend at his house with all the boys.” You don’t miss the way Jungkook’s nose scrunches beside you, perfect white teeth displayed in a wide grin when he too peers up at your son.

“The boys?” Jungkook mocks with a single raised brow, “What are you, in a gang?” He snorts, nudging your arm as if he's dropped the comedy bomb of the century.

“Mom is it okay if I go?” Seol ignores his father, though you don't miss the way he rolls his eyes beneath his lids, prompting you to laugh quietly. The two of them are so alike it’s jarring. Not only in appearance, but personality too. They’re both stubborn, childish, have a strange sense of humour that simultaneously has you in fits of giggles on the daily yet also confused as to what’s going on and why they're like this.

But most importantly they value your opinion above anyone else’s.

You shift to stand from the sofa but of course Kook gently plants a tattooed hand onto your thigh to stop you, gently shaking his head after closing his book, “What do you need?” He asks, genuinely curious.

“Can you pass me my cell phone please?” Your gaze flickers between the two loves of your life, “I need to make sure Harvey’s mom’s okay with it first. If she says it’s fine then you can go.” You offer Seol a warm smile, one he returns with an enthusiastic nod.

“Thanks mom!”

It’s not long after a conversation with Harvey’s mother that Jungkook drops off Seol at his friends place for the weekend, making sure to give him a handful of cash should ‘the boys’ decide to order takeout or get snacks. Watching Seol progress into adolescence is scary, three years ago he was too scared to sleep over at anybody’s house. When you and Kook separated it was particularly difficult for him to adjust to the idea of having two safe spaces, two homes, two bedrooms, two everything basically. These days he’s spreading his wings much more often, becoming quite the social butterfly.

And two months from now he’s going to be the best big brother, to two baby sisters.

Still sat on the sofa, somewhat engrossed in a reality show that’s playing on tv, you smile to yourself at the thought of Seol being a big brother. Just last week he used his allowance to buy the twins ‘Thing One and Thing Two’ onesies. An ultrasound image of them proudly sits as his lock screen wallpaper, the same one Jungkook has set for his.

It’s when the pale blue book cover beside you catches your eye that you nosey at the book Jungkook has been so invested in lately. You haven’t actually seen him put the thing down since he bought it from the local bookstore.

‘Strong Fathers, Stronger Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know.’

Oh these girls are already so loved.

As if they’re connected to your thoughts, the twins bounce and hiccup in your growing tummy – a feeling akin to bubbles brewing in the depths of your uterus. Like butterflies. Maybe you could decorate the nursery butterfly themed? That would be so cute for your two baby girls, maybe pink and lilac themed –

It’s at that moment that the bubbling sensation bursts and you hiss in pain, brows furrowed. Is it gas? You are very gassy right now, but there’s a niggling pain in your stomach that’s growing more and more noticeable. Like a period cramp. Except it’s not exactly like a period cramp. You verbally yell when it happens again, a white hot heat claiming your spine for a moment. Is this Braxton hicks? You did get them quite badly with Seol –

“Ah!” You gasp, planting your feet to the ground to stabilise yourself, worried fingers holding your trembling bump. This is not Braxton’s. Gulping, you attempt to calm your erratic breaths while dialling Dr Kim’s number, thankful he answers on the first ring.

“Hello Y/N, what can I do for you?” He’s as polite as ever, something you would’ve smiled at if you weren’t experiencing premature tummy pains right now.

“H-hey… Ah!” You frown, growing all the more panicked by the minute.

“Y/N? Are you okay? What’s going on?” Dr Kim’s voice shifts to concern immediately, you can picture his almond eyes widening in horror upon hearing his 33 weeks’ pregnant patient gasping for air.

“Can you come out to my house p-please?” You exhale, “I’m having some pains in my stomach-, ah!” You cry out again, involuntarily jumping when your abdomen tightens, vision blurred by tears.

“What kind of pains?”

You swallow, “Tightening, it feels like Braxton hicks but more painfu—”

“I’ll call you an ambulance and meet you at the hospital.” Dr Kim’s tone is deadly serious, prompting you to nod along as though he can see you, “Is your husband with you? Or your son?”

“N-no they just p-popped out…”

“Everything is going to be okay Y/N, I’ve sent an ambulance to your address. Don’t move until the paramedics get there, in the meantime concentrate on your breathing, inhale for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, okay?”

You’re nodding along to his words, equal parts relief and despair crashing down on your limbs when you see Jungkook’s car pull up in the driveway.

“My husband just got here…” You breathe out in a hurry, completely missing the fact this is the first time you haven’t specified the fact Jungkook is actually your ex-husband, “Shall we make our own way—”

“The ambulance will be there in four minutes, wait for them, they’ll know what to do. I’ll see you both at the hospital. You’re going to be okay Y/N, everything’s going to be okay. In for four, out for four. I’ll see you both soon.”

“O-okay.” You’re still nodding, aching heart hammering inside your chest when you register the sound of the front door opening when an agonising ache clamps your lower back, “See you there.” You say as calmly as possible given the circumstances, ending the call.

The stomach pain comes back with vengeance, like fire igniting your gut all while stabbing it with something sharper than sharp. A pained noise rattles your chest again, flooding the silent lounge. You close your eyes, following Dr Kim’s instructions, breathing in for four seconds, out for four seconds. You’re teetering on the edge of regaining control over your body when the sound of Jungkook’s voice forces you to break from your breathing technique.

“Y/N?!” You hear his footsteps approach quickly, very quickly, “Honey are you okay?!”

You shake your head in response, eyes still clamped shut, hands still gripping your stomach, “Ambulance is on the wa-, ah!” Your body seizes up, eyes flying open to catch sight of Jungkook standing in front of you with his own eyes bulging from his skull.

“Hey hey hey hey… It’s okay, it’s okay… I’m here, everything’s okay…” He coos, the Adam’s apple in his throat bobbing when he swallows, lowering himself until he’s kneeling in front of you, hands resting on your knees, “What’s going on? Talk to me.”

“I don’t know,” You admit with a sigh, shaking your head, “Something’s wrong.”

“How long have you been like this? How long ago did the pain start?” His tone oozes guilt, as does the way he’s anxiously gnawing his lip ring. Stare stuck on you, reassuringly smoothing his palms over your legs in a feeble attempt to mask his alarm.

“Like… Five minutes ag-, ah!” You’re borderline crying now, breath hitching in your throat. It’s unbearable, indescribable agony that feels all too familiar, you know what this is. You know what’s crumpling your body with excruciating tension right now.

You’re in labour.

Jungkook’s features have washed from their usual golden-hour tan to pale white, his eyes physically bigger than your fists. It’s after a few more pains and lots of hysterical uncertain glances from your ex-husband that the ambulance arrives. Kook helps the paramedics settle you into the back of the vehicle, there’s a conversation happening but you’re in too much pain to register the words. You’re not due for another seven weeks. Seven. Ironically Jungkook’s lucky number, though there’s nothing lucky about this.

There’s a warm, calloused hand stroking your temple while you attempt to breathe through the pain. You’re being hooked up to various monitors to check your vitals but you’re solely focussed on the comforting caresses from Jungkook’s inked fingers. You don’t want to look at him, you can’t. He’s scared and you’re terrified. An exchange of eye contact with him will do nothing to console either of you at this point.

There’s a growing wetness in your underwear, and not the sensual kind. It’s trickling out onto the bed you’re laid flat on, body jumping and jolting as the ambulance makes it’s way to the hospital. You gulp, gazing down at the mess and then to Jungkook. His expression drops immediately, doe-eyes flickering to dark wet patch on the bed before a shaky exhale tumbles from his lips.

“You’re gonna be okay, they’re gonna be okay,” He reassures you, feigning a tiny closed smile yet his eyes are swimming in fear, “Everything’s gonna be okay Y/N.”

You’re shaking your head, sobbing, this can’t be happening right now. Not seven weeks before your due date. Unexpected is an understatement. Unprepared an even bigger one. You don’t have anything with you, no hospital bag, no spare clothes, no milk, no maternal supplies, do they even make clothes small enough for babies born at 33 weeks? Or diapers? What if…

“Y/N look at me,” Jungkook’s tone is stern, as though he knows your mentally crumbling, spiralling into a frenzy of intrusive thoughts, “Just look at me, okay? Keep looking at me. Focus on me and my voice.”

The female body is one hell of an astonishing creation. Adrenaline courses through your veins, every mental block obliterated by the biological instinct you have to stay connected to yourself. To fight. To be strong. To survive.

If not for you, for your baby girls.

x

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

Can we have one of the boys slipping up and calling the reader mom- either Batmom, or BFF reader, please?

"Mom!"

If it hadn't been for Jason's scream, Bruce Never would have seen it. The thug raising a gun to shoot you in the back of the head as you struggled on a rooftop with Harvey Dent.

"Stay," Bruce barked at Jason, hurling a Batarang to knock the gun from his hand and sprinting that direction. "Sparrow," he ordered, "Down." And when you drop to the gravel, rolling out of the way, Bruce hits the side of the Thug's head with both feet, sending him sprawling and Two face threw you into a metal rack. Your head smacking against the wall.

"Awww," Two-Face crooned, "Little boys do love their mommies don't they."

"Leave her alone, Dent," Bruce growled.

"Sparrow?" Jason said smacking the side of your face, carefully where you lay on the ground.

" 'M okay, Robin," you answer, struggling to your feet in time to watch Bruce hand Two face over to the GCPD again.

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

"Y/n?"

The tentative little voice makes you turn from where Alfred is fussing over the cut above your eye, "Give us just a second?" you ask quietly.

"Of course," Alfred said nodding. He recognized a heart to heart about to happen when he saw it.

"What's up, Jaybird?" you ask as Alfred drifted away.

Jason dragged his toe across the floor for a second and walked closer, letting you pull him onto your lap. "I called you mom and-" He broke off took a shaky breath.

"You don't have to keep doing it," you tell him, hugging him closer. "I don't want to replace her, Jay. You can call me by name-"

"I don't think my mom would care," he said softly, chancing looking up at you.

You smile a little and ruffle his hair affectionately, "Jaybird," you tell him, "You can call me whatever feels okay, alright? As long as it's not rude. Or swear words."

He smiles, "Damn. There goes my next plan."

And when you laugh, hugging him so tightly that he squirmed in protest as you kiss his cheek; despite his protest, he can't help but feel safe.

[like-rain-or-confetti]

A bruise to the back...

They went to touch your back and you suddenly you jerked with a wince. "Ow!" Alarmed they insisted checking your back. "Let me see..." They lifted your shirt. "Who did this?" They asked icily. "Well if I remember correctly, most likely Batman." You replied.

The Riddler: You jerked with a hiss when he lightly pressed. "Ow! Ed!?" "I'm making nothings broken." He said lowly. "It looks that bad!?" You asked, slightly irritated. "Yes." He said firmly. "Why didn't you tell me about this?" "Ed, it's a bruise. You can't do anything for a br-ow!" You whined. Edward grabbed your jaw and made you look at him. "If he so much lays a finger on you. I want to know about it. This is bad! No wonder you got barely any sleep last night!"

Scarecrow: His expression was unreadable. "Jonathan?" You asked. "It's just a bruise." "It is the size of the palm of my hand." Jonathan replied crisply with a clenched jaw. "It could be worse." You countered. Jonathan shook his head. "It shouldn't be you." He said quietly. "I'd take it again if it protected you." You retorted. Jonathan's gaze lifted to your head. "I'll keep that in mind." He didn't need to expand. Whilst he felt nothing about the sight. Nothing close to remorse. He had taught himself to not want that for you.

Two-Face: "He hurt you." Harvey could barely contain his anger as he glowered at the bruise with hatred. "Better me than you. You got away. This is a price I'll happily pay." You replied. "I wouldn't." He countered. Harvey's gaze lifted to meet yours. "I would never consider this a reasonable price. You should never be hurt because of me." "This wasn't your fault." You said softly. "It is. I put you in harms way." He replied. You turned in his arms. "He had the decision. He made the choice. Don't revoke responsibility from the Batman and put it on yourself. Ever. No matter what." You winced as his hand rest flat against the bruise. "He hurt you." Harvey ground out. "It's okay." You whispered, wrapping your arms around his neck. "It's not." Harv' insisted. "We will kill him for ever daring to put a hand on you."

Black Mask: He traced his finger tip around the bruise lightly. Eerily silent. His mask hid any emotion he had. His eyes not even giving you a hint. "This isn't an opportunity to start prodding at me, sadist." You remarked playfully, in attempt to lighten the mood. He hummed in amusement. "I don't want your pain, doll." He mumbled to himself. "Stay still." You didn't know what he was doing but gasped when you felt a pair of lips lightly press a kiss to your back, on the bruised area. There was a small twinge of discomfort but nothing that would amount to pain. Roman's hands found your waist and gripped onto it as he got up from one knee to a stand before you turned around. His mask was back over his face.

Penguin: He glared daggers into your back but with a gentle touch, smoothed a thumb across the span of the bruise. Despite how his thumb barely touched you, he still saw your back tense as you winced. He ordered one of his workers to get you an ice pack. "It's just a bruise, Oz." Your protests were silenced. "It's a bad one and it's causing you discomfort. It's agitated. Trust me, sweetheart. I know what I'm doing."

[selfindulgentzsaszette]

Victor Zsasz, Oswald Cobblepot and Ed Nygma x S/O Who Lives On The Street

Victor Zsasz

You guys met during Pax Penguina

Victor caught you trying to steal from someone without a license and decided to give you a warning

After that though he couldn't stop thinkng about your bold moves when he first caught you stealing and how good you looked under Gotham's street lights

Eventually he starts following you around whenever he has free time and you soon catch onto him and confront him

After that, you guys start dating and your life takes a turn as you start living a much safer life besides Gotham's scariest assassin

Victor brings you your favourite milkshakes whenever he has extra time after work and makes sure you have everything you need at all times so you don't have to starve or resort to stealing ever again :)

Oswald Cobblepot

You guys met at the Iceberg Lounge

He caught you stealing from one of his clients and decides to confront you

You tried to use your charms and seduce him in order to get out of the situation which worked surprisingly

After that, he orders his men to try and find you all over Gotham because he just wants to see you again

At first you get annoyed at him for being so persistent but deep down you have always had a tiny crush on the man best known as "Penguin"

After you guys start dating, Oswald does everything and anything to spoil you rotten, from buying you clothes or hiring the best chefs to cook you your favourite meals

You wind up living a lavish life by his side as his partner under his protection :)

Ed Nygma

You guys met while he was working at the GCPD

You had been caught stealing and were inside one of the holding cells up front

As Jim and Harvey walk past the cell you were in, Ed stops them in his tracks with news about a case they were investigating

As always Ed tried to get them to answer on of his riddles to which they didn’t know how to reply but you did

You kept answering to them correctly quietly nearby enough for him to hear

After you got released, Ed would definitely try to approach you to discuss your great knowledge of riddles

Several dates would ensue and you guys would become a happy couple

Knowing about your situation, Ed would invite you to move in with him early on but still respect your boundaries until you become closer

He would also do his best to provide for you both until you could find a decent job :)

Sorry if it wasn’t great, I am still a beginner at this!!

Request

Tags: @onikabuto-coach

[sdvharveybby]

How the Bachelors and Bachlorettes surprise the farmer on Valentines Day!

So, my friend @soft-bois-make-me-simp and I decided we wanted to collab for something on Valentines Day!! As this was our first time doing a collab with another person, we actually had a ton of fun throwing around ideas and getting stuff together! Not to mention that they had so many ideas that my mind was swimming, it was honestly so cool. I have a hard time writing about the bachelorettes, but they just blew me out of the water. I couldn’t have done this post without them and it was totally worth it. We had a ton of fun so we hope you enjoy this!!! All the Bachelors and Bachelorettes are below, thanks and WE LOVE Y’ALL. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!

I did all the bachelors! @soft-bois-make-me-simp did all the bachelorettes!

Bachelors~

Harvey

Oh, he spends a lot of time trying to present you with the best Valentine's Day present. He researches ideas on how to do that. In the end, he decides he wants to surprise you with dinner at his place and he is prepared. Throughout the day he spends it gifting you different presents like flowers, little love notes, and even a box of chocolates! Then, he calls you up and invites you over. Opening the door to the clinic, rose petals line the floor leading up to his door upstairs. Stepping into his room, the lighting is low with candles and jazz quietly breaking up the silence in the background. There’s a table set up in the middle of the room with a lacy pink tablecloth, dinner is set up, and rose petals decorate the floor. “H-hey!” He says nervously to you, “I-I wanted to surprise you, d-do you like it?” Even without the room completely lit up you know he’s blushing, but you can see that he’s wearing a nice undershirt like he always wears, but without his long green coat, and he’s wearing dark dress pants. He approaches you and softly gives you a kiss on the cheek, he then pulls you into a big hug. The dinner was delicious and you two spend the time complimenting each other and being in each other’s company. After dinner you help him clean up, you then see that he had been researching on how to be romantic… by watching romance movies. His efforts to show you how much he appreciates and loves you shows no bounds. He walks you home and before you walk through the door he says, “I love you, you know? I really do love you.”

Elliott

You wake up at your usual time and head outside to do your daily chores. You head towards the mail box and it’s stuffed to the brim with letters! Eyes wide, every single one is addressed from Elliott, you carry the stack of letters inside and as you open them they’re all love notes with various dates on them. By checking each date you realize he had been writing love notes, with you mind, for an entire month! You check the one for today’s date and it’s the shortest letter within the stack. He explains that he wants you to meet him at his place around 8pm but he doesn’t explain why (his signature has many red hearts around it.) Arriving at his place at 8pm he greets with a big hug and a tender kiss, “I could hardly wait for you, my love!” In his small shack he put together a wonderful dinner for you two to enjoy. During the meal he explains his love for you the only way a poet would, it goes from him desiring your beauty over the sun to how excited he gets whenever you’re in view. After dinner he gestures for you to sit and relax on his bed. The evening ends with him playing the piano, he wrote a piece (for the first time) completely inspired by you and the love he holds for you… and only you.

Alex

He is up and ready at 6am. With groggy eyes you open the door to see Alex with a big goofy smile holding flowers. “Good morning! I just wanted to say that I love you!” He says this all in one breath and thrusts the flowers to you, “I’ll come pick you up at 6pm. I love you, bye!” It seemed over in a flash once you accepted the flowers, but he seemed confident and happy- you couldn’t deny his puppy dog eyes. At 6pm he strolls up the path, and linking your arm with his, you both begin to walk to the beach. Nervously scratching the back of his neck, he blushes and says, “You’ve been there for me a lot. I know I’m not book smart or anything, but you’ve been my-” he reaches in his pocket to pull out a scribbled note, “-light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve never loved anyone more than I’ve loved you,” He awkwardly laughs, and with the sun setting behind him he stops and holds both your hands in his. His eyes are full of love and devotion, “I found these in Zuzu City, I hope you like them,” He pulls out matching necklaces giving you the one with ‘A’ on it. “See, this one has your letter on it! I hope you like it,” You couldn’t say no and he helped you put the necklace on. With his large and goofy smile you two end the evening in each other’s company, holding hands and watching the sun set.

Sebastian

Sebastian gets really excited to show you a new DND adventure that he’s compiled for you two to play. He explains that he’s thought about this for a while and through a slew of note writing and trial and error, he is convinced that he has made you the best gift for Valentines Day. It’s an odd adventure that asks you to find Sebastian his one true love- you laugh thinking it’s just Sebastian being goofy but you play along. Through fighting and exploration you begin to gather clues as to who his true love is supposed to be, the clues are subtle but explain the personality and appearance of the one he wants to be with. At the end of the campaign you smile because all along, through all the notes you’ve gathered throughout the adventure, they all describe you. You are his one true love and the only one he wants to be with.

Sam

Sending you a letter in the mail, Sam explains he wants for you to be home around 8pm. Course you comply, a bit curious considering you had no idea what he had planned. Coming up the path, carrying his guitar, he gives you an awkward smile. He seems nervous and his voice sounds shaky when he greets you, “I wasn’t sure what to give you for Valentines Day, so I did what I know best,” he says, unlocking his guitar case. He gestures for you to sit and with a shaky voice begins to play the guitar and sing you a love song that he created himself. Sam avoids eye contact with you for a bit as he plays, unsure of how you feel about it, but as time went he grew more confident. When he locks eyes with you it’s filled with appreciation, love, and admiration. After finishing his song he gives you a hug and a kiss on the cheek- he didn’t want to be with anyone else.

Shane

Shane decides that he wants to take you out to the Stardrop Saloon for Valentines Day. He opens the door for you and as you two sit he gives you a peck on the cheek. You can tell he’s certainly trying as you see he has gel in his hair and he’s wearing clean clothes. “I… Look, I don’t do sappy stuff, b-but you know, I really enjoy your company and I-uh I wanted to try and do something special for you.” He explains as a blushy mess, he avoids eye contact with you as he says this, but you can tell by the sound of his voice that he really means it. Without ever ordering, Gus approaches the table with a big smile and sets down a pizza that’s in the shape of a heart! “I-uh… I really like you, you know. I’m not good with this stuff, but you mean a lot to me so let’s enjoy some pizza!” He remarks trying to divert the conversation from anything sappy. Through the rest of the night he spends it trying to make you laugh, and you didn’t know how late it had gotten until Gus had kicked you guys out. When he walks you home you see him noticeably get sadder, you realize that he never wanted the night to end.

Bachelorettes~

Abigail

Abigail wants to take you for an adventure. One where it’s quiet and a place only she knows about, or so she thinks. Telling you to clear your schedule that day and to meet near the wizard tower she’ll blindfold you. It’s a secret she wants to share with you, but when she reveals the secret forest you smile at her. Hesitating for a second to tell her that you’ve been here often though when she’s about to lead you to a dead end and you tell her; she knows it wasn’t a secret to you. She asks you to lead the way to the pond where she has a blanket prepared and asks you to sit down. Once you are settled she plays you a piece on her flute that you haven’t heard before. It’s calming and beautiful, you would even describe it as enchanting. After she finished she tells you it was an original piece inspired by you. 

Emily

Waking up you find Emily gone from her side of the bed. In her place was a wrapped up box tied together with a bow and a note saying Open. Inside was an outfit that was absolutely stunning in your favorite color. It was a more formal attire then what you both normally wear but that wasn’t all that was in the box. Another note attached to it saying she hopes you get a positive energy from the outfit as it was made with love. For another surprise please wear it and meet at the bus stop at 7pm. Wearing your new glamorous outfit that fits like a glove you see Emily dressed up and waiting for you. She takes you to ZuZu City where to your surprise the bus stops in front of a ballroom studio. Emily tells you she’s been taking a class on the “Dances of Love” and wanted to show you what she’s learned. You spend the rest of the night dancing, both getting lost in the music and each other. 

Haley

Haley didn’t mention to keep your schedule open or to come at a certain time but you knew Valentine’s Day was important to her. It was a day she looked forward too each year and you were excited to spend it with her. After the chores around the farm were done you headed to her house with a pink cake you made yourself and a sunflower pouch Emily helped you make. You put the cake in the kitchen and head to her room. She was standing in front of the vanity, but when you walked in you heard a closing noise, almost like a book being closed. She is holding something behind her back when you approach she shoves something into your hands. It’s a scrapbook decorated in pink and sunflowers with both your names on the cover in a heart. Opening it, it's a collage of photos she’s taken over the time you’ve spent together. Polaroids of the first gift you gave her, your date with the cows, some of the mornings you’ve spent together and all the events you’ve been to together. She goes over how special each moment is to her and tears up saying how much of a better person you made her. Thanking you for coming into her life and showing how beautiful a photo can truly be when you’re in it. 

Maru

Waking up you were excited as Maru asked you to meet her tonight. A special viewing of the stars with you space girl is something that always makes you happy. Though walking out you see all your crops have been waterd, in fact next to your crops were sprinklers. Confused, you walk to the mailbox where you find a letter from Maru telling you she built some sprinklers for you and if they are something you liked she’s happy to make more. She also reminds you about tonight and to dress warm! When the time arrives you head to the mountain and enjoy hearing her talk about space. That is until she mentions one star that you’ve never noticed before. She asks if you know the name but it’s one you are unfamiliar with. Maru smiles at your confusion. Telling you that for Valentine’s day her present besides the sprinklers, was getting you a star. A way that if you ever need to be reminded of her love just look up and know that she loves you more than all the stars in the sky. 

Leah

Everyone in town was buzzing about a big Valentine’s event happening this year. It was something that was kept a big secret and nobody in town knew what was happening just what time to go. Leah was not one to usually express extreme interest in going to town events but she seemed very excited for this one. If not to find out what was the big event you decided to go for Leah. She mentions having to finish up some work and she’ll meet you at the event so heading alone you’re floored when you see it’s an art show. Not just any art show but one Leah is putting on! It’s a Valentine’s day art show with each piece centered around the theme of love. She tells you how you inspired these pieces and how you are her muse. Not just for today but forever. 

Penny

Ever since the chili incident you have been trying your best to avoid Penny’s cooking. You love her, you really do and want to support her but cooking was just not a strong point. So when she asks you to a Valentine’s day picnic where she plans on cooking the food you’re a little hesitant but seeing her eyes light up talking about it you tell her of course. Walking into the forest you see her and a large basket next to her. She starts talking out dish after dish and encouraging you to try them all. You take a pepper popper and eat it. It was really good! You try all the different dishes from the stuffing to fish stew all delicious. She tells you she’s been practicing with Gus and is very happy to see you eating her cooking. Penny tells you she has one more surprise and gives you a book. It was your favorite book, looking inside you noticed a message. It was a message from the author, she got your book signed by your favorite author. Penny tells you to look on the last page as well where she wrote a note, although this book may be your favorite, our story will always be mine.

[pjharvey-moved]

i made a playlist for hannibal and will consisting entirely of pj harvey songs (!!!) i wish i could include annotations for each song in the playlist but sadly spotify does not let you do that. instead i will point out a few highlights here, for those interested:

“legs”: the entirety of this song SCREAMS hannibal in mizumono. there are so many lines i could point to here. i can just imagine him feeling betrayed when will wouldn’t run away with him saying “you were going to be my life” as he stabs him through the stomach. tell me will did it hurt when you bled oh lover boy oh fever head... (i also get secondo vibes particularly from “i have to ease my aching head / no other way cut off your legs”. same vein as hannibal deciding that in order to forgive will he has to eat him.)

“plants and rags”: this one is both hannibal and will, at different points. “dreamt of a man / he fed me fine food, he gave me shiny things” is VERY will. “house and home / who thought they could take away that place? / lead us outside and they lead us out quietly” is hannibal peacefully surrendering himself to the fbi and giving up his lavish home and lifestyle - this is a man who would never allow himself to be caught or have these things taken from him if not for his love for will. “ease myself into a body bag” is both of them, because of each other.

“to bring you my love”: the song’s theme of emotional labour and giving your all to the object of your seemingly unrequited affection is very hannibal. i let you know me, see me, i gave you a rare gift and you didn’t want it... i gave you a child if you recall... there’s elements of will here though too, especially his season 3 pilgrimage to hannibal’s birthplace and then to florence trying to find him (“traveled over high earth and floods, “climbed over mountains / traveled the sea”) and eventually coming to the cathedral, knowing hannibal will be there.

“the letter”: thinking of will graham literally getting out of his marriage bed in secret in the middle of the night to read a letter from hannibal... thinking of hannibal writing to will... the inherent romance of letter writing (it wasn’t even a love letter really; hannibal was just telling will that jack crawford was going to come to consult him on a case! the rituals!)... “it turns me on / to imagine / your blue eyes / on my words”... “can’t you see in my handwriting / the curve of my G / my longing?” i am literally screaming and crying rn

“black hearted love”: the title alone should clue you in as to how absolutely Them this is. like a lot of these songs, i see the lyrics from the point of view of both of them. “when you call out my name in rapture / i volunteer my soul for murder” is both will in season two letting hannibal mold him into the killer he wants him to be, killing his soul in the process, and hannibal surrendering his freedom and the way of life he values so dearly — the two main things in which he finds his own soul — so will can always know where he is, and eventually putting his very life in will’s hands, to be murdered by will himself.

[heyitsani]

WIP Wednesday

It’s that time of the week again!  Here is a snippet from the second and final chapter of the Mail Order Bride AU story from JD Week.  It’s pretty self explanatory, but we welcome Duke into the family in this piece.  

In other news, the next chapter of the Beauty and the Beast AU will be posted next week (unless I can find the time to write it between finishing a sweater I’m making for my sister in law for her birthday on Sunday, then it’ll be earlier).  I’ve got about 2/3 of that chapter written and then I’ll be onto the dramatic ending of that installment.

No idea when I’ll get to finishing this particular story though, so this is a peace offering.  And also the product of chance Harvey style....I flipped a coin, okay?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dick rubbed at his forehead as he pushed the door to the house open, sighing as the scent of whatever Jason had decided to cook for the night hit him and the stress of the day could bleed off.  When he had written Roy about finding a spouse, he honestly hadn’t expected someone like Jason Todd.  But he was so very thankful that that was who he got because life got so much brighter and fuller with the arrival of the man with brilliant turquoise eyes and a eleven year old boy attached at his hip.

If Dick was honest, kids hadn’t been in the plan so soon, but there had been something about the look on the kid’s face that Dick couldn’t say no to.  Or maybe it was the stubborn look that had taken over Jason’s face? Either way, his heart hadn’t stood a chance.

It was no different the day that Jason walked into his workplace with Timmy and two girls he had never seen before.  His heart had been stolen by the pair of them just as much as their brother and Pa before them.  And though people around town were saying he was too soft and let Jason get away with too much, Dick didn’t care.  He loved coming home to the sound of Tim and Steph chattering, the sight of Cass at the table working diligently on her school work, and Jason doing various tasks around the house.  His heart felt full in a way it hadn’t since before his parents had died.

“Pa, Dat’s home!” Tim’s voice called out as the boy caught sight of him hanging up his coat and resting his hat on the rack Jason had installed a few months back.  “Pa did something today.”  That made Dick’s eyebrow rise.

“For fuck’s sake, Tim,” Jason grumbled as he walked into the hallway where Dick was still standing. “Kid makes it sound like I burned down half the house.”

Dick wasn’t sure what to say to that, so he just looked at Jason curiously for a moment.  He watched the man rub at the back of his neck and Dick immediately knew he did something he wasn’t sure how Dick was going to react to. But the stubborn look was in his eyes. Which from experience meant one thing.

“The train came through today,” Dick mused with a small smile.  “We have another addition?”  It made Dick’s chest warm when Jason’s shoulders slumped in relief and he smiled at Dick.  Following Jason when he waved Dick in the direction of the kitchen, Dick immediately saw a boy at the table with Cass.  Despite the layers of clothes that included a hat and the fact that his face was practically shoved in a bowl of whatever Jason had prepared for him, Dick could see how skinny the kid was.

“Duke,” Jason called softly, causing the boy to freeze and raise his eyes to look at Jason before shifting the caramel gaze to Dick.  “This is Dick.”

Noticing the child seemed just as wary as the others had, Dick carefully approached the table and sat down across from where Duke was seated.  “Hi Duke,” he spoke softly, looking at the boy with a small smile. “I’m Dick, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, Sir,” the boy spoke quietly, keeping his head bowed but his eyes peering at Dick through his lashes.

“Oh no, not another one!” Dick laughed, looking over at Jason who had an almost fond look on his face.  Dick sent him a wide smile before looking back to Duke, who just looked confused. “None of that sir stuff, please. I get it at work far too much, I don’t want it at home amongst family.”

Duke gave him a nod and Dick leaned back in his chair.  He watched the kid go back to eating and sent a wink over to Cass who had been observing the exchange with a narrowed eye look that Dick had come to recognize as her reading the situation.  She gave him a toothy smile before pushing a paper toward him, tapping a number on the list.

Taking the paper, Dick glanced it over and recognized it as her math homework.  Which was why she asked him to check a problem and not Jason. This was his place of expertise. Jason handled everything else, but math was his.  He looked over the problem before sliding the paper back to Cass.  “Perfect,” he told her as a bowl appeared in front of him. Looking up at Jason, Dick snagged the man’s hand before he could walk away, giving it a squeeze.

[nicolekidman-lies]

“Other Hollywood industry leaders Farrow talked to didn't keep quiet about the subject of his investigation — in the case of director-producer Brett Ratner, it may have been because he also had something to hide, Farrow wrote.

When Farrow talked to Ratner, he said Ratner told him that he may know of a woman who had a bad experience with Weinstein, but Farrow noted that he sounded jittery.

Also, despite Ratner saying he wouldn't tell Weinstein about his conversation with Farrow, he reportedly called Weinstein soon after and told him anyways.

Six women later accused Ratner of sexual harassment. A representative for Ratner didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.”

“The list also includes RatPac-Dune producer Brett Ratner, who has also been accused of sexual assault by multiple women in the wake of the Weinstein scandal, causing Warner Bros. to rethink their producing deal with his studio. Ratner has denied all allegations. In Farrow’s second report about Weinstein’s “army of spies,” he describes how agents would contact people targeted by Weinstein, giving false names and recording their conversations in order to get dirt on those they feared might be about to go on the record.”

“Meanwhile, Mnuchin’s former RatPac-Dune principal Ratner announced on Feb. 4 that he has acquired Jaime Rogozinski’s life rights and is developing a film and podcast about the founder of Reddit’s WallStreetBets. The move raised eyebrows around town given that in November 2017, Ratner was accused of sexual misconduct by six women in a Los Angeles Times story, prompting Warners to sever its relationship with him and WME to drop him as a client.

Separately, a woman accused Ratner of rape in a Facebook post, which he denied (he sued the accuser for defamation, and both sides eventually dropped their claims). He also has been accused of facilitating the sexual abuse of Charlotte Kirk in ongoing litigation involving the actress and a group of Hollywood power brokers.

But Ratner has a new publicist, crisis guru Howard Bragman, and has been quietly funding projects and filmmakers he believes in and is working on several documentaries. “Brett never left. He was working all this time,” says Bragman, who wouldn’t name the projects. “He just chose to be low-profile.”

Though Ratner and Mnuchin’s names are surfacing again in Hollywood at the same time, the two have no plans to team in the future. Adds Bragman: “Ratner and Mnuchin remain friendly, but have no business relationship since their Warners funding deal ended.””

[bailey-reaper]

The Lord of the Manor (2)

Summary: continuing on from the first drabble, Barok has returned to the ancestral home in North Devon to recover from the ordeal of being a prosecutor and alleged demigod for the last 5 years. On his first full day back home, he decides to visit his brother in order to pay his respects... Or does he?

Content Warnings: angst + me taking artistic liberties re: the van Zieks family

Barok awoke with the first rays of dawn to the sound of birdsong just outside his window. It was a peaceful change to the sounds of industry that were so commonplace in London. As he laid there, it dawned on him that he had no need to be awake so early; there was no pressing engagement at the Old Bailey or in his office. No meetings. No case files awaiting assessment. No crime scenes to investigate or policemen to interview...

There was nothing at all for him to do.

(I could have a lie in) he thought to himself, but the indulgent idea did not really appeal: why bother sleeping in? If he was awake then it seemed foolish to force his mind and body back to sleep merely because he could. No. Far better to get up and do something productive.

After a few moments of quietly listening to the birds, he threw the covers off and swung himself around to sit up then stand. He made his bed entirely on auto-pilot, forgetting that the ancestral home had ample staff to undertake such chores, and went to the bathroom to wash his face.

Once he was dressed, in a simple poet shirt, comfortable breeches and knee-high riding boots, he decided it was high time to undertake a spot of sword practice to maintain his form and competence with a blade. Thankfully the training grounds were as well-maintained as they had been 5 years prior and it took little time to set up a training dummy. As he focused on his footwork and poise, he couldn’t help but think back to the times that he had trained alongside Klint and the way in which his older brother instructed him.

“Good, little wolf, now watch that you don’t slacken your grip else it will be easy to disarm you. Focus on your footwork, too, lest you be tripped up...”

“Yes brother...” it was difficult to keep all these things in mind while also trying to watch for tells that his brother might offer up during their sparring match. He thought he saw Klint move to strike high, but it was a feint that moved smoothly into a low blow-- he only just caught it in time to block.

Klint grinned broadly, “Well done!”

He smiled to himself at the swell of pride that filled his chest: Klint was proud of him, he’d done well. Now, he wanted to impress him -- so he moved on the offensive in a bid to finally disarm his brother. It had been a long-thwarted goal, but today he wanted to succeed!

“Ha!” the Master of the House laughed as Barok took the initiative, “So you think you’re going to catch me off guard, eh Barok??”

In a blur, his weapon flew from his hands and he found himself being effortlessly wrestled to the floor with a blade at his throat. He looked up at Klint, blinking profusely, barely registering the clatter of his training sword on the floor.

“My win, little brother,” Klint held out his hand for Barok to take, then hauled him up with easy, “I must admit, you caught me quite off guard there!”

“Master!” Harvey’s caught their attention, “I apologise for disrupting your training with the young master, but a letter from London has just arrived. It was sent urgently via courier, so I presume it to be of some importance.”

“Mmm, I see,” Klint looked back to Barok, “Apologies, little wolf, let’s train again soon!”

He nodded, “Yes, brother,” then watched as Klint jogged over to join the butler and make his way toward the main building of the estate.

“. . . .” it took him a moment to realise he was standing just still, looking down at the humble wooden weapon in his hand. How long had he been lost to day dreaming? (To think... I’ll never cross blades with you again.) it was such a small thing, but it took him aback just how much that realisation hurt.

But rather than let himself wallow, he proceeded to resume his training in earnest. Even if he could not spar with Klint again, he could maintain his poise and competence as a means of honouring his brother.

“My Lord,” Harvey called as he drew near, “Forgive the interruption, but Agnes has prepared breakfast.”

Barok wiped under his chin and turned to the butler, “Thank you, Harvey, I shall take breakfast in a moment.”

“Yes, as you say...” the butler cocked his head to the side, “Um... might I be so bold as to ask what you are doing, My Lord?”

“Hm?” he looked up from dismantling the training dummy, “I was going to tidy up.”

“Oh please, do not trouble yourself with that! Allow me to do that while your freshen up for breakfast!”

“. . .” Barok blinked, before relenting with a nod, “... I ... Yes, thank you Harvey, I will go and freshen up then.”

“Very good, My Lord. Oh! By the way, will you be going for a ride later? The weather is supposed to be good today and it’s the perfect season for it. Black Gale is still in her usual spirits and I’m sure she would be pleased of your company.”

“Ah...” it had been too long since he last saw his temperamental mare, Black Gale, “... That sounds like an excellent idea, I think I’ll go and visit her after breakfast and ready her for an afternoon ride.”

“The stable boy would be more than happy to prepare her, My Lord...”

“No,” he shook his head, “I think I owe it to her to have a proper reunion.”

“Yes, as you say My Lord.”

---

After a breakfast of porridge, toast and eggs, Barok went to visit his equine companion.

Black Gale was known to most as a ‘cantankerous old goat born in the body of a horse’, but the van Zieks lordling had always been the exception. Some folks thought it was because Barok was the first thing the foal saw when she was born. Her mother had died giving birth to her, so perhaps Black Gale had decided the boy was her mother. Regardless of the reasons, everyone else had a far tougher time dealing with her.

He opened the barn door and approached her stable pen, “Hello girl, it’s been a while,” Black Gale whinnied and murmured in excited tones as she trotted over and butted her coal black head against his chest. Barok chuckled and patted her muzzle, “I’m glad to see you well and in fine spirits as ever...” the mare made a few conversational murmuring sounds and continued to nudge at him, “Yes yes, I know. I’ve neglected you, forgive me...” he continued to offer placating strokes, “It’s rather presumptuous of me, I know, but would you mind taking me to visit Klint’s grave this afternoon?” he received a contented sigh in reply, no doubt down to being stroked, “... I’ll take that as a yes.”

Once he had indulged her with a few more pets, Barok took to brushing Black Gale’s lustrous coat and checking her shoes. As with the rest of the estate, his mare had been greatly cared for. He laughed when she started chewing on the ruffles of his shirt, “There’s no need for that now,” he softly chided, before producing a handful of oats from a pouch at his hip, “You really do lack subtlety, do you know that?“ she ignored him and gladly chewed on the oats.

Finally, it was time for lunch, “I’ll saddle you up shortly, alright?” he told her as he led her back to her pen and closed the door. Black Gale whinnied a little before trying to chew his shirt some more, “You truly are a hellion!” Barok replied as he de-horsed his clothing and returned to the main building for lunch.

As he ate, he reflected on his intended pursuit that afternoon: he would go to pay his respects to Klint at his grave. It was still such a strange notion -- his vibrant brother, now laying cold and lifeless in his grave... A lump formed in his throat, which he was quick to swallow down. He’d already grieved so much for Klint, but it still seemed his sorrow knew no bounds. Like an endless font or a wound that refused to heal over. It just bled within him endlessly...

“Oh... um... My Lord,” Harvey sounded uneasy.

“What’s wrong, Harvey?” Barok asked as he set down his napkin after lunch, “Has something happened?”

“Um... well... yes... in a manner of speaking... it would appear that Lady Darlington has somehow become aware of your presence here. She’s at the door now, asking to see you.”

Barok groaned and dragged a hand over his face. The last thing he really wanted to do was entertain England’s most notorious gossip. “How on earth did she find out...?” he muttered, more to himself than to the butler, “... I see. Thank you, Harvey, please see her to the parlour... I’ll join momentarily, once I’ve freshened up.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

It seemed visiting Klint would have to wait...