#i love that they gave the old man a sense of humor

[moldyycheese]

Not even close to how I usually draw but I neeeeded to get the brainrot out and figured I'd share it..

Maybe I'll make it into an actual piece

[luvly-writer]

Is it a Wonder I Broke?

Batfamily x Neglected! Reader

Author's note: I really did NAWT want to write a two parter but hey, I should have expected it with how much I write. I am so new to writing angst but I've had a thirst for writing and reading angst lately and I just NEEDED to cure it!!! ENJOY

Warnings: The Bats being kinda shitty, Neglect

Part 1 // Part 3

---

Damian was sure something was missing. He woke up that day and as he had breakfast, he had noticed something odd about Alfred. There was a certain sadness in his eyes that Damian couldn't place. None of them had gotten injured in last night's patrol. Jason's deathaversary (as he loved to call it) wasn't near. No one had fought, quite the contrary, he'd say this has got to be one of the weeks where they had best behaved and gotten along. Even Bruce and Jason were relaxed. So what plagued the man? Damian looked around the house and wondered what could be the problem. Maybe he was tired? Or Sick? That could be it. Sensing the young man's gaze on him, Alfred erased all emotion from his face and looked at Damian questioning.

"May I help you with something, Master Damian?" he asked with a raised brow. Damian inspected him thoroughly and hummed.

"You are different, Pennyworth" observed Damian and the butler gave the boy a deadpan. Nop, he's good, never mind. Maybe he was just thinking something unpleasant and it showed in his face.

And yet, the feeling didn't leave Damian. There was something odd in the house. Thankfully, it was Saturday, so he had the rest of the day to walk around and investigate. He had visited the gardens, and overseen the entirety of the first and second floor, yet nothing came to mind. What the fuck was wrong in this damn house?

He had decided to empty his mind in the art room. There, he spent the rest of his afternoon sketching a portrait of some plants he had seen in the garden. His 16th birthday was soon approaching and he really needed to get some new art supplies. The ones he had were old and very worn out. As he finished, he noticed the time and realized he had spent the majority of the day in the art room. He had gone to clean his hands and headed to the cave to suit up, hoping tonight's patrol would clear his head. What was missing?

So into his thoughts, Damian hadn't noticed the rest of his siblings down at the cave suiting up as well.

"Hey, Littlewing! What's got you looking so constipated?" Asked Dick with a hint of humor in his tone.

"Have any of you noticed that the manor feels rather odd?" he questions as he suits his boots up.

"What do you mean, bat brat?" Asked Jason raising his eyebrow.

"The manor, it feels….odd. As if something is missing. It feels emptier and I can't help but ask why. Not only that, have any of you noticed Pennyworth looking���.strange lately?" He questioned and the group fell into silence, all thinking of his observation.

"Now that you mention it, Alfred has been looking a little tired lately. Like, you know, as if his age is kinda showing." Tim recounted

"And he has had this sort of sad glaze in his eyes" Steph added.

"It's not my deathaversery, I can assure you that" hummed Jason.

"And no other impacting date is near, so what could have caused him any sort of discomfort?" Asked Dick.

The group looked at each other, clueless about what could have caused their beloved butler and grandfather to feel odd.

"You don't think he might be sick and is hiding that from us?" Asked Duke

"But why would he be sad about that?" Barbara question.

Plagued with the heaviness of confusion, none of them noticed the patriarch of the family arrive all suited up and looking at them.

"Is everyone ready?" sounded Bruce's deep voice snapping everyone out of their thoughts. They all nodded still a little bit distant and lost. Bruce, not wanting to push his kids, nodded and clapped his hands to gain their full attention. "Tonight we have a slow night as it seems. Everyone has their patrol route, let's hope that we can be already finished by 2. Everyone, dispatch.

It was a relatively slow night. So much so, that it had allowed them to goof around a little as they went on. Midnight had arrived and Damian was crouched next to his father as they overlooked the city. He could hear Jason, Stephanie, and Dick joking around in the back and smiled a little as they laughed. That's when he felt it. The lingering gaze in the shadows. Surely, he looked up to his father who had felt it as well.

His mother.

After years of being separated from her and getting only a handful of visits, he had gotten used to her gaze when she was lingering, watching him. He knew it was her. Damian stood up and turned towards his left and there he saw her. Black, gold, and green armor shining in the night. The sudden silence told him that his siblings were on high alert as well. What could Talia want?

She finally noticed their gaze on her and began running. This alerted every one of them.

"Oracle, send Red Robin and Orphan our coordinates. We encountered Talia Al Ghul and are on the move." Ordered Batman

"Copy that, B." Answered Barbara in their comns.

What did the League of Assassins want now? If they meant no harm, she wouldn't have run, so what happened?

They followed Talia as she led them farther from the city and closer to the harbor. As they went, he noticed that more assassins made themselves visible and surrounded them and that alone raised his suspicions even more. Normally, when his mother wanted to talk to him, she came alone. Why were they here?

Finally, she stopped in front of a boat…the same one where I met my father…WITH Y/N. Damian came to a sudden halt. That is what was missing! He tries to think back on the past few weeks and he couldn't conjure up the slightest memory of seeing his sister. As a matter of fact, he hadn't seen her in the past few months…Where was Y/n? Was that why Pennyworth looked distressed? Why did he just notice now?! Had he been so busy that he couldn't recall his sister? No….that's imposible. She probably has been in practice. She was busy with her own life as well. Especially now, that it was getting closer to the Ice Skating National Competition. He had been keeping tabs on her competition schedules. Yeah, that was probably it. Any time a competition got closer, she would either be locked in their home rink or her practice rink making sure it was perfect. Yeah, that had to be it. She probably left early, was busy in practice, and came during the time he was in the art room or getting ready. Damian wanted to believe that..he really did, but something was nagging at him in the back of his mind. Why would Alfred be sad at that? Had she gotten hurt in practice? Ice skating meant the world for Y/n so that was probably it. Alfred adored watching her skate. Per Damian's request, he would record her practices and competitions so that once he got back from a mission and patrol, he could watch her. She was truly wonderful. That could have been it. She got hurt before Nationals and had been resting in her room lately. That could be why Damian had not seen much of her in the last few weeks. Before that, he had stayed a few months with the Titans, so that could also explain the lack of memories in the past year o so. That was the logical conclusion, right? But if she was hurt, why did Pennyworth not mention anything? He would have to ask him when he arrived later because now he was concerned for his sister's health.

He looked forward and realized that all of them had stopped further. He ran and reached his father's side. Observing his surroundings, he noted that there were 10 or so assassins on both of their sides. Why would his mother need so many?

"Ah, Damian, finally, you are here," Talia spoke up with her back to them. If she was a threat, she wouldn't be giving them her back. Ras taught them better than that.

"What are you here for, Talia?" questioned Bruce.

"Well. Beloved, I have come to extend an invitation, per my daughter's request" She smiled turning around to look at them fully, "I had to lure all of you out here so that we could settle this private matter without the sounds of the city." she explained.

"My sister is resting back in the manor, Mother, what could you mean?" Damian questioned narrowing his eyes at her.

"Is that what you all believe, my dear?" She smirked and watched each of their reactions one by one.

"Where is our daughter, Talia?" Asked Bruce slowly

"You mean to tell me that MY daughter was left under your care and you have no clue where she is?" asked Talia, venom slipping into her words. "Is that what you are letting me know, Batman?"

"Our daughter is safe in the manor" Bruce answered. Damian looked at him and if he wasn't doubtful himself, he probably would have believed him.

"Well, that's not entirely true, beloved. Y/n has not been living in the manor for almost two years now." Talia corrected and everyone froze. "Can't believe you would lie to my face like that"

Jason, Dick, Tim, Stephanie, and Cassandra looked at Bruce expetantly. Surely what Talia said can't be true. They all take a moment to digest the information. Y/n was in the manor, right?

Tim tried to look back but he couldn't think of a moment he had seen her. He lived in the manor as well for fuck's sake. Had he been too busy with Wayne Enterprises and Red Robin that he hadn't noticed his sister's absence? Then again, Y/n was always training so it was difficult to tell….or was it?

Dick and Jason looked at each other. They didn't live in the manor anymore but surely, they had seen her at dinners. Y/n rarely spoke up so she could have been there but they just didn't notice? But as far as they can remember, Y/n loved to talk about her competitions in the hope that they would be able to go to one. They thought she had finally given up on asking them….and that left a bitter taste in their mouths. Why had she all of a sudden gone silent?….or was she just not there at all?

Cassandra had noticed what Damian had said earlier. The Manor had felt different. It seemed as if one presence was lacking but she was constantly with Stephanie so it was rather difficult to keep up on the whereabouts of her life. Besides, Y/n was always training…

Bruce stiffened. Where..was..his..daughter? Since when had she not been living in the manor? When did that happen? He had noticed that Alfred had gone out less and figured Y/n began transporting herself to her things, but that was odd because the old man loved taking her. It was the one moment where Bruce could tell he had peace. Y/n had always been such an independent child from a young age. She didn't need the same training as Damian because she abandoned that life once she was in Gotham. He was truly so glad that she wouldn't follow in his footsteps, that she had chosen to be normal. When was the last time he had seen her come to dinner? When was the last time he heard her songs blasting from her room? When was the last time she used her rink? He would always watch footage of her through Alfred's recordings and the security cameras installed in the ice rink. He still remembers the day he surprised her with it. "I didn't think you'd even know" she whispered thinking he hadn't heard, but he did and those words had plagued his mind ever since then like a broken record. Why wouldn't he know? Sure they were all busy but they cared for her.

"Oracle, search footage of all of the security cameras in the past two years. Find anything and everything about Y/n."

"Right on that, B."

"What invitation does Y/n have for us, mother?" Asked Damian, unsure whether or not he wanted to hear the answer.

"To her coronation as the new Heir to the Demon Head and Future Leader of the League of Assassins, of course" She answered almost instantly.

.

..

…

"WHAT!" yelled Damian. Everyone felt their blood run cold, "My sister, my beloved twin sister, would never NEVER desire that. You must not be serious! Y/n Wayne Al Ghul has never EVER wanted to be like grandfather. She is better than that. She is too good for the Demon Head. I was the one trained to be the heir an-"

"And you weren't the only one trained. Have you forgotten that both of you endured the same training and whilst your grandfather disciplined you, I was disciplining her." interrupted his mother harshly. "Y/n moved back to the League a year and a half ago and has been training endlessly to become the next Leader of the League, Damian. You would have all known that had you chosen to not neglect my daughter. She is safe and well-"

"My sister will NEVER be happy-"

"Because you know her oh so very well, my son?" Talia let her gaze linger on her son. Her disappointment was palpable. He had failed to be there for his twin….

"Nightwing, Red Hood, do one last round on the city, then head to the cave. The rest of you, you are dismissed. Head straight to the came, now. Especially, you, Damian. I have to speak with your mother first." Batman's left no space for argument. They all nodded and left, aside from Damian.

"Father-"

"Go, Robin"

"Father, this is just my problem as it is yours"

"To the cave, now. We will discuss this later."

Damian wasn't happy with the outcome, but one look at his mother and father; and he knew he wouldn't want to be part of this discussion when he had many important matters to attend to.

Once Damian left, Bruce turned to Talia.

"Tal-"

"You neglected my daughter-"

"Our-"

"MY daughter. You spent six years ignoring one child and favoring the other and you THINK you can make demands and look at me as if I have done something wrong? I went to her practices, I went to her competitions, I visited on their birthday every. fucking. Year. Bruce, I may not be the example of motherhood, but at least I was as present as I could be and I didn't even live with her." She hissed at him coldly.

"This is different, she wanted to be a professional ice skater. I know my daughter well enough to remember that. Damian is right. Becoming the Leader of the League of Assassins will never make her happy-"

"Because you know her so well? Bruce, I believe in what Y/n can bring to the League. She has astounding potential as a leader. She is levelheaded and diplomatic, she understands my father's ideal and vision without a vengeful eye. Unless you intend to be supportive…Do not cross her path. I came here to extend the invitation per her request as cordiality, not because I planned to. It will be a week after her birthday. I will not repeat myself. Farewell, Batman"

"Talia" Bruce tried, but she was already gone.

---

Author's note: Well fuck it's gonna be three chapters. I swear, part three will BE THE LAST ONE!!! I SWEAR!!! I HAVE ANOTHER ONE SHOT THAT I WANNA WRITE DAMN

[waitimcomingtoo]

I Can See You

pairing: Peter Parker x Happy’s daughter!reader

synopsis: You can see Peter being your addiction and Peter can see you as a secret mission

real synopsis: Happy forbids you and Peter from dating, which only makes you want to do it more

Masterlist

“Hey.” You nodded at Peter as you wandered into his room. The hair on Peters neck stood up on high alert now that a stranger was in his bedroom. He shut his laptop and swiveled in his desk chair to follow what you were doing. He watched you walk over to his Lego shelf as if you’d been in his room a hundred times and admired his Lego titanic.

“Um, hello. Can I help you?” Peter asked.

“Did you build this?” You asked in reply.

“Oh, yeah. I did. It took me almost a full month.”

“Wow. It’s huge.” You said and gently ran your hand along the side of it.

“I know. It’s kinda cramped in here, though. I want to display it in the living room.” Peter told you. His tingle was telling him you weren’t a threat so now he just saw you as a pretty girl who had wandered into his room.

“You totally should display this thing. It’s awesome. What’s stopping you?” You wondered.

“The family pictures in the way.” Peter laughed dryly.

“Psh. Who needs those?” You joked, making him smile.

“Not me.” Peter played along. “But my aunt might be just a little upset if I replaced photos of her dead brother and dead husband with my Lego titanic.”

“That’s nothing. My dad replaced my high school graduation picture with a photo of his dead best friend eating a cheeseburger. It’s not even a good picture. It’s blurry and my dads pinky is in the frame.”

“Damn, your graduation picture? That’s next level. Either he really loved his best friend or it was a really good cheeseburger.”

“Probably both.” You shrugged. “Uncle Tony knew all the best cheeseburger spots in Queens.”

“Wait, Tony? Like Tony Stark?” Peter asked and stood up from his desk chair.

“Yeah, Tony Stark. Oh, that’s right. I forgot you knew him.” You said and tapped the side of your head.

“Your dads best friend.” Peter said to himself. “Wait a second. Are you…”

“Y/n Hogan. Your aunt invited my dad and I over for dinner.” You said and you held your hand out.

“Wait, you’re Happy’s daughter? But you’re so pretty.” Peter said in disbelief as he shook your hand.

“What?” You laughed.

“I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry. Your dad is a very beautiful man. I can see the resemblance.” Peter quickly followed up.

“Seeing the resemblance is impressive considering I was adopted.” You laughed again and continued looking around his room. You saw his Spiderman suit hanging in the closet and touched it with a fond smile on your face.

“Oh God. Can we start over? I feel like I failed at this conversation.”

“You didn’t. I actually think you’re doing a pretty good job talking to me considering the deep lore that runs between us and our mutual acquaintances.” You assured him.

“Oh.” He blushed. “Thanks.”

“No problem. So did this thing come with a Lego iceberg?” You asked and pointed to the Lego titanic.

“No. That would’ve been perfect. But unfortunately, Lego didn’t have a dark sense of humor.”

“But I do. Do you have any blue legos?” You asked with a devious smile.

“Yeah. What are you thinking?”

A few minutes later, you and Peter were sitting on his bedroom floor with his Lego bin between you. You led the conversation, much to Peters delight, as you added onto each others creations. Even though Peter was usually shy and awkward around strangers, he found it very easy to talk to you. Maybe it was because you were already apart of his secret world and he didn’t have to lie about anything, or maybe it was just because you got along. Whatever it was, Peter really enjoyed talking to you. You felt more like an old friend rather then a stranger. Happy came into the room after a little while and was surprised to see you already in there.

“Oh, there you are. I was looking for you. But I see you found Peter.” Happy said and gave Peter a stern look.

“You never told me you had a daughter.” Peter playfully scolded him to keep the mood light.

“That’s because I don’t disclose any personal information to teenagers in spandex.” Happy said curtly.

“Dad. Be nice.” You whispered harshly.

“What are you guys doing in here anyway?” Happy asked as he folded his arms.

“Making a Lego iceberg for Peters Lego titanic.” You explained and held up what you had built so far.

“Interesting, interesting. Peter, can I talk to you for a second?” Happy said through a fake smile.

“Yeah. Sure. Be right back.” He told you before getting up to follow Happy into the hallway.

“What’s up?” Peter asked kindly.

“Don’t even think about it.” Happy said immediately.

“Huh? Don’t think about what?”

“My daughter. Don’t even let it cross your mind. Because if it crosses your mind, I’ll know about it. And if I know about it, I’m gonna kill you.”

“Wait, you think I’m trying to date your daughter? I just met her. Relax.” Peter laughed.

“No, I won’t relax. I don’t ever want to see my daughter in your bedroom, okay? That’s gross. I don’t want you getting your horny little nerd germs on her.”

“We were just playing with legos.” Peter pointed out.

“That’s always how it starts.” Happy wagged his finger. “I know your type. You lure girls in with your boyish charm because they think you’re safe.”

“I am safe, Happy.” Peter insisted. “You know me. You know I’d never break her heart.”

“I know you won’t. Because you won’t get the chance.”

“I’m sorry, but why is it okay for you to date my aunt but not for me to date your daughter?” Peter asked and folded his arms.

“Oh, so it has crossed your mind? I knew you were thinking about dating my daughter.” Happy pointed accusingly at him. “I knew it the second I walked into your room. You’re thinking about her right now, aren’t you? Well stop. My daughter is not allowed in your head, okay? Ever. Get her out.”

“I wasn’t thinking about dating her until you put the idea into my head. But I kinda want to do it now.” Peter laughed in amusement and looked back at his room where you were.

“Don’t you even dare.” Happy whispered and took a step closer to him.

“Or what? What’ll you do?” Peter challenged him. He didn’t even care that much about it, he just wanted to antagonize Happy for his own amusement.

“Kill you.” Happy stated like it was obvious. “Like I said.”

“What if she likes me? Huh?” Peter smirked. “You can’t tell her not to date me. That’ll just drive her straight into my arms.”

“That’s not gonna be a problem because she’ll never like you. She’s too smart.”

“I’m a good guy, Happy. Tony knew that. Wouldn’t you rather her date a nice, responsible guy that you’ve known for years over some random stranger whose intentions might be impure?”

“She can date a guy I know.” Happy shrugged. “Just not you.”

“We’ll see.” Peter shrugged as well.

“What? What does that mean? We’ll see? We’re not gonna see anything because you’re not dating my daughter.” Happy declared.

“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.” Peter shrugged again.

“No, you definitely won’t.”

“How are you gonna stop it?” Peter asked him.

“With a gun.” Happy replied. “That I use to kill you. To death.”

“I don’t think your daughter would appreciate you killing her future boyfriend.” Peter said innocently.

“You’re not her future boyfriend. You’re not her future anything. But you’re a future dead person if you keep this up.”

“Relax, Happy. I’m just messing with you. I’m not gonna date your daughter.” Peter laughed and patted Happy’s shoulder. Just then, you came out of Peters room with the Lego iceberg you had built.

“I’m gonna help May in the kitchen. Maybe I’ll accidentally knock down a few family pictures while I’m in there.” You said and winked at Peter.

“Why would you do that?” Happy asked you.

“Peter gets it.” You smiled coyly before disappearing down the hall and into the kitchen. Peter watched you walk away and felt something blossoming in his chest. That simple moment of sweet understanding between you was all he needed to fall head over heels for you.

“Happy?” Peter said without taking his eyes off where you had just been standing.

“Yeah?” Happy replied. Peter turned to face him, put his hand on Happy’s shoulder, and smiled sympathetically.

“I’m gonna date your daughter.”

Before Happy could respond, May called everyone in for dinner. Peter and Happy exchanged a look before throwing on smiles so that you and May wouldn’t suspect anything. Happy sat across from Peter with you sitting beside him, meaning that every time Peter looked at you, he got a kick under the table from Happy. Similarly, anytime you tried to ask Peter a question or start a conversation with him, Happy cut you off. Peter tried to do the same with you but was always met with a death glare from Happy. The incredibly silent and awkward dinner ended all too soon and Happy could not have taken you out of Peters apartment fast enough. You waved to Peter as Happy pulled you out the door but there was no time for an exchanging of words. What a beautiful wedding jk jk iykyk.

Peter was fully prepared to let his little crush on you go away on its own without any intention of acting on it. He knew it was a bad idea anyway to get involved with the daughter of the head of security, but that didn’t stop him from thinking about you from time to time.

“Hey Happy. I just wanted to report that I found a lost dog today. But then it ran away again after I returned to to the owner. I’m starting to think it wanted to be lost. Maybe he met a bunch of stray dogs and felt more at home with them on the streets than he ever did in his owner’s apartment. What do you think?” Peter asked over FaceTime as he gave Happy his daily report from patrolling the neighborhood.

“Kid, I don’t care. I never have. You don’t need to keep calling me with random updates of what you do on patrol.” Happy told him. In the background of Happy’s video, Peter could see you walking into the room with nothing but a towel wrapped around yourself and your wet hair hanging around your face. He perked up and felt his face heat up at the sight of you.

“Is that Peter?” You asked and walked over to where Happy was sitting.

“No. It’s not.” Happy said and tried to shut his laptop.

“Hi Peter.” You opened it back up and waved, leaving you with only one hand to hold your towel onto your body. Peter turned bright red as he stared at the screen and felt all dialogue options leave his mind.

“Oh, uh, hi.” He stammered. “I didn’t see you there. I didn’t even know you were home. How’s it going?”

“Pretty good.” You shrugged. “What kind of dog was it?”

“What?”

“The dog you found. What breed?” You asked with genuine interest. Peter smiled at you wanting to know and felt his blush deepen.

“Chihuahua. His name was Pinto.”

“Aw.” You smiled. “That’s so cute.“

“Oh, yeah. Very cute. Very, very cute.” Peters eyes glazed over as he stared at your through the screen. Happy looked back and forth between Peter and you before realizing what Peter was staring at.

“I’m hanging up now.” Happy warned.

“Wait-“

The call ended abruptly and Peter was left alone staring at a black screen. If Happy was going to stop him from seeing you, he would going to have to get creative.

A few nights later, Peter formed a new plan. If Happy was gonna date his aunt, he was going to use it to his advantage.

“Oopsie. I just accidentally ordered two pizzas instead of one. Silly me. What will we do with all this incoming pizza?” Peter asked as he dramatically scratched the top of his head to make it look like he was thinking.

“I don’t know.” May shrugged. “Eat a lot of pizza?”

“That’s a great idea, May. Or, and this is just coming to me now, what if we invite Happy over to eat some? So you guys can have a little date night. He even can bring his daughter. What was her name again? Telulah? Annabeth? Marcy?”

“Y/n?” May chuckled and raised her eyebrow.

“Right. Her.” Peter played dumb. “She probably likes pizza, right?”

“I know what you’re doing, but I’m gonna go with it anyway because there’s no way we can eat two pies and I hate wasting food.” May playfully scolded him as she dialed Happy’s number.

Much to Peters delight, you and Happy showed up a few minutes later. You were standing behind your dad with a bag behind your back.

“Hey. Thanks for the invite.” Happy said and kissed Mays cheek. You looked at Peter over your dads shoulder and waved.

“No problem.” May replied. “It was actually Peters idea.”

“Oh, was it?” Happy asked and stared daggers at Peter. Peter shrugged innocently before making eye contact with you. He discreetly nodded towards his bedroom before going to it. You followed after him once the coast was clear.

“Hey.” You smiled at him and shut his door behind you.

“Hey. Thanks for coming over. I’m glad you could make it.” Peter played it cool but was screaming on the inside over you being in his room again.

“I’m glad you invited us. I have a present for you but I didn’t have any way of getting in touch with you.”

“You wanna touch me?” Peter said in a low voice as he stared at you with his eyebrows raised.

“What was that?”

“I said you have a present for me?” He quickly corrected himself and threw on a smile.

“Uh huh. Look what I found.” You held the bag up and pulled out the Lego Super Star Destroyer, a Lego set Peter had dreamed of owning since he was a kid.

“What?! You got this for me?” He jumped out of his chair and held the box to read it.

“Yeah. You mentioned last time that you always wanted this one. I know you’re a big fan of the movies so I wanted you to have it.” You smiled sheepishly as you stared at him. His childlike excitement and wonderstruck expression made him even cuter than you typically found him. His expression changed suddenly when he realized he could never accept such a costly gift.

“This set costs a fortune. You really didn’t have to do this.” Peter looked apologetic as he looked into your eyes. You laughed a little at how bad he felt and put your hand on top of his.

“It’s okay. I wanted to do it.” You assured him. “Plus, Uncle Tony put me in his will so I’m kinda flushed with cash right now. I would’ve just spent the money on something stupid. And I know he loved you so he’d be happy I used the money to buy a Lego set for us.”

“Us?” Peter cracked a smile and felt his excitement return.

“Yeah. I thought we could build it together while my dad makes out with your aunt.” You suggested.

“Gross.” Peter grimaced. “But the part about building it together sounds fun.”

Now that he was willing to keep it, you tore the box open and dumped the pieces out. You and Peter sat next to each other with your knees touching as you built the spaceship. Peter snuck glances at you every now and then, and you caught them every time. You accidentally made eye contact at one point and he turned pink.

“You know, my dads been up my ass all week because of you.” You said with a soft laugh.

“Me? What did I do?”

“I don’t know. Did you tell him we were dating or something?” You questioned him, making him gulp.

“Actually, he told me not to date you.” Peter admitted.

“He told me the same thing. Little does he know, that just makes me want to date you even more.” You replied. Peter froze and realized that if what Happy said made you want to date him more, that meant you already wanted to date him in the first place. You realized that you had said too much at the same time Peter did and looked at him out of the corner of your eye to see if he was weirded out. To your surprise, he was staring at you with a soft expression. He quickly cleared his throat and looked away when you caught him staring.

“Doesn’t he know that the hottest thing a guy can do is be disliked by the girls dad?” Peter said like it was obvious.

“Exactly. I told him disapproving of you was just going to send me straight into your arms. And who could even blame me? They’re really nice arms.” You shrugged and gave Peter a coy smile. Peter laughed shyly and busied himself with the legos so you wouldn’t see him blushing.

“What did he say to that?” He asked you.

“That there will be a cold day in hell before he lets me go out with you.” You laughed.

“And what did you say?” Peter asked as he looked up at you and found that you were already looking at him.

“I told him that he can’t tell me who to date and if I wanted to go out with you, I will.” You said simply. Peter gulped and never broke eye contact with you and he reached for a Lego brick. Your hands accidentally touched and he saw sparks fly.

“Do you want to go out with me?” He asked quietly. You opened your mouth to answer just as May opened hers.

“Hey, kids. Pizzas here.” May said as she appeared in Peters doorway. You looked at him apologetically before getting up and following May to the kitchen. He desperately wanted to get you alone again to finish your conversation, but Happy was never gonna let that happen.

It came time for you and Happy to leave and Peter was visibly disappointed. As Happy and May said their goodbyes, you pulled Peter to the side.

“Goodnight, Peter. I had fun tonight.” You said sincerely.

“So did I. Thank you again for the legos. It’s the nicest thing anyones ever done for me.”

“I’m glad you liked them. Hopefully I’ll see you again. Hopefully soon.”

“Yeah. Totally.” Peter nodded eagerly.

You held out your hand to shake Peters, which Peter found a little strange. But when he shook your hand, he felt you slip a piece of paper into his. Peter waited until Happy was out the door before opening the paper up. Written in your handwriting was your phone number. Peter looked up in surprise and made eye contact with you.

“Call me.” You mouthed to him and made your hand like a phone just as Happy pulled you away.

And that’s exactly what Peter did. It became your nightly secret mission to sneak off and call Peter once you were sure Happy was asleep or preoccupied in front of the TV. You would talk for hours in hushed voices so no one would hear.

“Can you imagine what my dad would do if he found us out?” You asked Peter one night as you hung over the edge of your bed to talk to Peter.

“So there’s an us to find out about?” Peter asked and felt grateful you couldn’t see his blush over the phone.

“I don’t know.” You smiled timidly. “I really like talking to you, Peter.”

“Well that’s good. I’m happy to hear that. Because I like it too.” He laughed shyly.

“I think about you a lot when we’re not on the phone.” You admitted as you switched positions and rolled onto your stomach.

“You do?” Peter gulped.

“Uh huh. All the time.”

“What do you think about?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe half the things I see inside my head.” You chuckled. Peter gulped again and felt his face heat up. He cleared his throat before speaking again.

“Why don’t you explain it to me then?” He asked. Before you could answer, a loud crash sounded from his side of the phone.

“What’s all that noise?” You asked him.

“Mays looking for the pasta maker.” Peter sighed. “We have a thousand boxes of mezzi rigatoni but she wanted fettuccini.”

“Fettuccine actually sounds amazing right now. I need to get up and make some food. I just hope my dad went grocery shopping or else I’m eating sleep for dinner.”

“You should come over tonight.” Peter said before he would overthink it.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Come make pasta with us. May usually burns something and then gives up about 15 minutes into cooking so we wouldn’t have to hang out with her the whole time. We could make pasta together. Just the two of us.”

“Okay. My dads watching a movie in the den so he won’t mind if I go out. I’m in.” You smiled and started to get ready to see him.

“Awesome. Great. See you soon.” Peter grinned and hung up the phone. He quickly brushed his teeth and put on a fresh shirt before joining May in the kitchen. There was a knock on the door soon enough and Peter practically ran to open it.

“Ciao.” He said as he flung the door open.

“Ciao, bello.” You replied. “Scopiamo stasera o cosa?”

“Wait, what? I don’t actually speak Italian.” Peter sheepishly.

“That’s probably for the better.” You laughed and walked into his apartment.

“Oh, good. You’re here. And you brought wine! Even better. Come in, come in.” May kissed your cheek before taking the bottle of wine and opening it.

“Peters been dying for you to get here.” She whispered in your ear, but loud enough for Peter to hear.

“May.” Peter whined and motioned for her to zip it.

“What? I’m just being honest.” May shrugged. “Honesty is the best policy. That’s what I always say.”

“She’s right. That’s a great policy.” You said and gave Peter a look.

“Oh yeah? Does your dad know you’re here?” Peter asked you and folded his arms, already knowing the answer. Your smile dropped when you realized he was right.

“A little lie never hurt anybody.” You replied. Peter smirked, knowing he caught you.

“Come here. I’ll show you how to make the dough.” Peter said and led you to the kitchen with his hand on your back. You and Peter made the pasta dough while May chopped up some tomatoes and made a sauce. May switched the radio on to play some instrumental background music that made the apartment feel like a small cafe in Italy.

“All right. I think we’re ready. I’m gonna get the pasta maker. It should be in the attic.” May broke up the party and put the meatball back in the sauce.

“If you can’t find it, what do we do with all this dough?” You asked her.

“I don’t know. Make a shit ton of Pizza.” May shrugged and left to go find the pasta maker.

“Okay then.” You chuckled. Once you and Peter were alone, you hoped up on the counter and leg your legs swing.

“Should we try it to make sure it tastes good?” You asked as you rolled some dough between your fingers and made a snake.

“Yeah, but not that piece. You made a worm.” Peter said and pointed to your dough.

“So what? It’s just dough. Try some.” You replied and dangled the dough in his face.

“Dough way.” He laughed at his own pun and swatted the dough away.

“Oh, we’re making pasta puns now? You’re gonna pay for that.” You playfully warned him.

“But I dough not want it.” Peter pouted and leaned on the counter you were sitting on so you were caged in between his arms. You both became aware of how close you were at the same time and laughed shyly.

“Can’t think of anything other than replacing “do” with “dough” huh?” You asked and raised an eyebrow.

“Dough, I can’t.” He shamefully admitted. You gave him a look and he held up his hands in defense.

“That one was different.” He pointed out.

“All right. I’ll give it to you. Now eat the pasta worm.” You playfully demanded and dangled it in his face again.

“No. Get that thing away from me.” He laughed and smacked it away. It flew across the room and stuck to a nearby cabinet with a loud smack.

“Wow. Look at that.” Peter said, genuinely dumbfounded.

“It’s kinda beautiful.” You said as you quietly stared at the pasta in awe. Peter turned to look at you and rested his hands back on the counter.

“You’re kinda beautiful.” He said in a soft voice. You tore your eyes away from the pasta to look at him but couldn’t form a single word.

“Even with flour on your face.” He chuckled and wiped a smudge of flour off your cheek with his thumb. You gulped and discreetly picked up some flour off the counter.

“You have some flour on your face too.” You told him as you stared into his eyes.

“Where? Here?” Peter asked and touched his cheek.

“No. Here.” You smirked before throwing the handful of flour at him. Peter coughed and waved his hand to get it away from his face.

“Oh, you’re gonna pay for that.” He warned and grabbed a handful of flour. He went to throw it at you but you caught him by the wrist to stop him. Peter wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you closer to him so that you couldn’t block his next attempt. But instead of feeling flour on your face, you felt Peter kissing you. You weren’t actually sure if you kissed him or he kissed you, but you didn’t really care. You wasted no time in tangling your hands on his hair and deepening the kiss. His hands slid up and down your back before finding their way up your shirt. You felt your entire body heat up as you kissed him and felt all the tension that had been building up release into the atmosphere between you. He kissed you until you felt dizzy but you didn’t stop even then. You started to unbutton his button down when the moment was interrupted.

“Found it!” May called from the hallway. You jumped apart so quickly that you fell right off the counter. You screamed on the way down as Peter watched with his hands over his mouth. He rushed to pick you up just as May came back into the kitchen. She took one look at the flour covering the two of your, most noticeably the flour handprints on either of Peters cheeks, and knew what had happened.

“Oh my God. What happened in here?” May played dumb.

“Fell.” You and Peter said in unison.

“Oh no. Are you okay?”

“Maybe?” You smiled weakly and rubbed your throbbing head. Peter touched his hands, which now felt cold from the absence of you.

“Oh my God. How did you get flour all over your back?” May laughed and turned you around to see the flour Peter had left all over your clothing.

“I’m a messy girl.” You shrugged and hoped she’d buy it.

“Look at that. The flour on Y/n’s butt looks like a perfect handprint. How funny is that?” May laughed again and pointed to the handprint Peter had left on your black leggings. He turned so red that he had to turn around so May wouldn’t see it.

“I’m gonna go potty.” You said quickly and ran to the bathroom.

“She okay?” May asked once you were gone.

“Her? What? Yeah. She’s fine. Nothing weird happened while you were gone.” Peter said a little too quickly.

“Hm. How did that piece of pasta get stuck to the cabinet?” May asked and pointed to the pasta Peter had flung.

“I’m not sure.” Peter lied.

“Are you feeling okay? Your face and neck is all red.” May asked and pressed her hand to Peters forehead. He knew she was getting suspicious and had to think of a lie to get out of there.

“I have to poop.” Peter blurted and walked out of the kitchen.

“Y/n is in there.” May called after him.

“I’ll go to the other bathroom!” He shouted back.

Peter passed the bathroom in the hallway and stopped outside of it. He pressed his ear against the door to try and hear if you were freaking out or not.

Which you 100% were.

“What the hell are you doing? You can’t just kiss him. You slut bag! You hussy! You don’t even know how he feels about you.” You whispered to the mirror. You splashed some cold water on your face to calm down before looking at your reflection.

“Woman up and get your shit together. Go out there and make pasta with your dads girlfriends nephew like a fucking normal person.” You warned yourself in the mirror.

The bathroom door suddenly opened and Peter fell inside. You gasped and pulled him the rest of the way in before shutting the door.

“I’m sorry! I wasn’t doing anything!” Peter said quickly.

“What are you doing out here?!” You whispered harshly.

“Nothing! I just wanted to talk!” He whispered back in a panic.

“So you wait outside the bathroom door? What if I was pooping?! You would’ve heard it.” You whispered even louder and angrily shook his shirt.

“But I didn’t.” He said weakly.

“I think I need to go home.” You sighed and left the bathroom.

“Wait, no. Please stay.” Peter pleaded as he followed after you. He caught you in the hallway and gently pulled your arm to get you to stop.

“I can’t. I can’t go back in there. She’s gonna know something sus happened.” You whispered to him and pointed to the kitchen.

“It wasn’t sus. But I really think we need to talk about it.” Peter said and looked at you with his big puppy dog eyes. You knew he was dying to talk about it and you felt guilty leaving him after what happened.

“Peter, look. I’m really sorry that I kissed you-“

“I’m not.” He cut you off and pushed you against the wall. The interrupted kiss was resumed and even more passionate than the last. He had you up against the wall as he kissed you as if he hadn’t seen you in years. You forgot all about the pasta and your dads warning and just got lost in his touch. You both knew it was wrong and that you could be caught any second, and that’s what made it feel so right. Peter squeezed your hip, signaling you to jump up and wrap your legs around his waist. You couldn’t feel him smiling into the kiss as he pressed you against the wall. That was the moment you knew you were never giving this boy up, no matter what your father said.

“Peter! Y/n! What happened to my sous chefs?” May shouted from the kitchen. You pulled apart and stared at each other as you caught your breath.

Peter gently set you back down on the floor but stayed in your personal space as he leaned against the wall. You never broke eye contact with him as he fixed a strand of hair that he knocked onto the wrong side of your part. You gulped and smoothed your clothing down before looking away.

“Can we talk after? Please? Don’t go home.” Peter pleased as he buttoned his shirt back up. You looked him up and down and knew you were at his mercy.

“Fine. You’ve convinced me. I’ll stay.” You agreed. Peter smiled in relief and led you back to them kitchen.

“Look who decided to join us.” May smiled proudly and stepped to the side to reveal Happy standing behind her. Peters knees buckled and he immediately fainted onto the ground. You caught him and let him lean on you as you waved your hand in front of his face to wake him up.

“Dad? What are you doing here?” You asked through a big fake smile.

“I could ask you the same thing.” He said through an even faker smile.

“I was making Peter with Pasta. I mean, pasta with Peter.” You stumbled over your words as Peter came to and nearly fell over again. You held him upright but his waist until he could stand on his own. Happy was watching the whole thing and growing more suspicious by the second.

“Hm. You didn’t mention you were going over my girlfriends house when you said you were going out. I find that a little strange. Don’t you?” Happy shrugged as he folded his arms.

“Maybe I find you a little strange.” You said out of the corner of your mouth.

“Now that Happy’s here we’re gonna need some more pasta. Honey, can you knead the rest of the dough?” May asked you.

“Sure. I can dough that.” You laughed nervously. Happy gave you a strange look and you gulped.

“I’m sorry. I kiss-poke. I mean, misspoke.” You gulped again and went over to the dough. Peter went to follow you and earned a longing glare from Happy as he did. The two of you bumped into each other and dropped things on the floor numerous times from how nervous you were now that Happy was there. Once Happy and May disappeared to the couch to drink wine, Peter knew it was safe to talk.

“Stop being weird.” He whispered to you.

“I’m about to murder-suicide us.” You said at full volume.

“Peter, can you help her? You gotta put your elbow grease into it.” May called from the couch.

“Yeah. I can dough that.” Peter replied.

“Stop making dough puns.” You hissed.

“I literally fucking can’t.” He deadpanned. You suddenly felt his arms wrap around you as he put his hands on top of yours to knead the dough.

“What are you doing?” You asked him.

“Helping you knead the dough.”

“Why wouldn’t you just stand beside me?”

“Because this is how men show women how to do things in rom coms.” Peter said very seriously.

“Okay, but we’re not in a rom com. We’re in real life in your real kitchen with my dad who has a real gun.”

“He won’t shoot me. I’m his girlfriends only nephew. I’m untouchable.”

“And so am I as long as my father is present.” You said and slipped out of his arms.

“Is everything okay over there?” Happy asked from the couch.

“Yes.” You and Peter shouted back in unison. You finished with the dough and brought it over to the pasta maker.

“You better speed run this fucking pasta before I lose my mind.” You whispered in his ear.

“I’m going as fast as I can.” Peter whispered back as he put the dough in the pasta maker as painstakingly slow as possibly. The pasta maker squeaked as he turned the handle and echoed off the walls of the silent kitchen. You could feel sweat running down your face and started to fan yourself.

“I can’t handle this. My dad is gonna know what we did.” You said and gave your hair a stressful tug.

“We haven’t done anything wrong.” He pointed out as he finished up with the pasta. You nodded in agreement and picked up the pasta he had made.

“Yet.” He added and stole a kiss against your neck. You gasped and put your hand where his lips had been.

“What are you doing? My dad is in the next room?”

“I know. That’s what makes it so exciting.” Peter said and leaned in to kiss you again.

“The water should be boiling by now. Can you start putting the pasta in?” May asked as she appeared in the kitchen. You quickly turned around and pretended to be doing something so she wouldn’t suspect anything.

“Sure.” Peter smiled calmly at her and put the pasta into the boiling water. May went back to the living room, leaving you and Peter alone once again. You picked up a wooden spoon and pushed the pasta around the pot in an attempt to look busy.

“I can see you. Stop staring at me.” You said when you felt Peters eyes on you. You looked up and sure enough, he was watching you with a soft expression.

“I’m sorry. I can’t help it.” He said as he walked over to you. He wrapped his arms around your waist from behind and pulled you into him. It felt nice for a moment but you knew it shouldn’t be happening.

“I am off limits, okay mister? You cannot be staring at me like that.” You whispered and slipped out of his arms.

“Off limits? What does that mean?” He played dumb.

“It means that we cannot happen.” You said and gestured between the two of you. “We can never, ever happen. My dad will reign hell fire on you for even thinking about it. And he’ll reign regular fire on me because I’m his daughter which will be less hot but still really bad.”

“Psh.” Peter scoffed. “I’m not scared of him.”

“You should be. He has access to all of Uncle Tony’s weapons. So unless you want to get blown up or turned inside out, you need to stop. That’s means stop staring at me, stop touching me, and definitely stop kissing me.” You whispered as you got in his face. Peter smirked now that he had you close again and put his hands on your hips. You gulped and looked anywhere but his eyes as he got close to you.

“You want me to stop kissing you?” He asked as he tilted your chin up to look in his eyes.

“Yes.” You replied, but it came out like more of a question than a statement.

“Are you sure?” He asked and moved in even closer. His lips brushed yours when he spoke and you felt your eyelids flutter shut. Right before your lips could touch, you covered your mouth and stepped back.

“No. No more. We can’t.” You said behind your hand. Peter smiled sadly and nodded his head. He looked disappointed but like he understood.

“I know we can’t happen.” He said in a soft voice. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want it to.”

“It doesn’t matter what we want.” You gently reminded him and nodded towards the living room where Happy was.

“So you want it too?” He asked innocently and tilted his head to the side. You sucked in a sharp breath and thought about the way it felt when he had you up against the wall and how badly you wanted that again.

“Peter.” You breathed out.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful I find you?” Peter asked you. Footsteps approaching made you jump apart and turn your backs to each other.

“Hey guys. How’s the pasta coming?” May asked as she walked into the kitchen.

“It’s coming.” Peter replied.

“It’s definitely pasta.” You nodded in agreement.

“Great. I’ll set the table.” May laughed at your strange behavior and grabbed some plates. Once you were alone again, you answered Peters question.

“Yes.” You told him.

“What?”

“You asked me if I’d want this to happen too. My answer is yes.” You said and looked into his eyes. Peter smiled now that he knew you felt the same but didn’t want to let you off that easy.

“Oh. But then I asked you if you knew how beautiful I found you so I thought you were answering-“

“Shut up.” You laughed as you cut him off. Peter smiled fondly at you from across the kitchen and you felt yourself smile back.

“Do you really feel the same?” He asked, all teasing in his voice gone.

“I do. But I told you, it doesn’t matter what we feel. We can’t date. Ours is a forbidden love.”

“I know. That’s what makes me want you even more.” Peter said with a wicked smile. You stopped leaning on the counter and started to walk to Peter when your dad suddenly walked into the kitchen.

“What are you guys talking about?” Happy asked suspiciously when he noticed the love struck expression on both your faces.

“Dad.” You whined. “Don’t you knock?”

“Knock on what? You’re standing in the middle of the kitchen.” He pointed out. You and Peter exchanged a look, and then you and Happy exchanged a look. Happy looked at Peter and narrowed his eyes, making Peter panic.

“Dinners ready!” Peter shouted despite 75% of the people in the apartment being right in front of him.

“Um, Peter, the pasta is still raw. It’s only been in there a few minutes.” You reminded him.

“Dinner!” Peter said again. “Let’s sit and eat.”

You shrugged and went with it to keep your dad from getting suspicious. You drained the pasta and put it in a big bowl before Peter added the sauce on top. You brought it to the dining table that May had set and put it in the center. Everyone sat down and served themselves some pasta.

“So what’s new with everyone?” Happy asked.

“Nothing.” You and Peter said at the same time. You gave him a look and he gulped nervously.

“Is anything new with you?” You asked May politely.

“Yeah.” Peter nodded. “Talk about yourselves. Tell us everything.”

“Well, um, May and I have been thinking about getting married.” Happy said sheepishly. You spit out your water as Peters jaw dropped.

“Oh.” May smiled tightly. “I didn’t realize we were telling them.”

“Wait, married?” You asked them.

“Yeah. Thinking about it.” Happy nodded as May shook her head.

“But, uh, if you guys got married, what would that mean for us exactly?” You laughed nervously and gestured between you and Peter.

“Well, I’d become Peters uncle, so you guys would technically be cousins.” Happy shrugged as May nodded in agreement. A chill ran down your spine at the use of the “c” word. Peters mouth started to heavily salivate like it usually did before he threw up.

“Cousins?” You choked out.

“Or would they be siblings?” Happy wondered.

“Oh God.” You whimpered. “Not siblings. Anything but siblings.”

“No, just cousins.” May explained. “Because I would become Y/n’s stepmom but Peter isn’t my son so they would be cousins. But you guys could consider each other siblings if you really wanted to. It might be nice to have a sister, right Peter?”

“Stop talking.” Peter said in a grave voice as he gripped the table to keep from fainting again.

“Relax guys. It won’t be too weird. You’re basically cousins already.” May said with an innocent smile.

“Oh no. Don’t say that.” You whispered and clutched your stomach.

“I’m gonna throw up.” Peter said through a gag.

“Why?” Happy asked as he narrowed his eyes at Peter.

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t you want to be cousins? It’s just you and me on holidays Wouldn’t it be nice to have a bigger family?” May asked Peter.

“Don’t call us “family”, please.” Peter said and gagged again.

“Yeah, no more.” You pleaded. “Not while we’re eating.”

“Are we missing something?” May asked.

“I don’t want her to be my cousin.” Peter grimaced and shook his head.

“Peter. That’s disrespectful.” May scolded him.

“No, it’s okay. I don’t want him to be my cousin either.” You assured her as you wiped some sweat from your forehead. You looked over at Peter and he was just as distraught if you were. He was pale and sweating and extremely close to breaking. You snapped your fingers at him under the table and motioned for him to keep his mouth shut. May and Happy exchanged a suspicion look at the strange behavior in front of them.

“Is there something you guys aren’t telling us?” May asked and leaned on her hand. She stared at Peter, who looked at you in a panic. You shook your head at him, making Happy frown in confusion. He turned to stare at Peter, and that’s what made Peter break.

“I made out with my cousin.” Peter blurted before gasping for air. You groaned and put your head down on the table as May and Happy reacted.

“You what with your what?” May scrunched her nose in disgust.

“You what with my what?” Happy asked and glared Peter.

“Haha. He’s just kidding.” You laughed nervously and waved your hand.

“He better be.” Happy stated without taking his eyes off Peter. Peter was staring all around the room at everything other than Happy.

“This pasta is amazing. Let’s all eat it and stop talking.” You said and shoved some pasta into your mouth.

“It’s a little undercooked.” May commented. “How long did you guys leave it in the water for?”

“Peter?” Happy asked calmly.

“Yes, sir?” Peter answered while looking up at the ceiling.

“Look at me.”

“Yes?” Peter said and looked near Happy, but not at him.

“Peter, look me in the eyes.” Happy commanded. “Right now.”

“I am.” Peter scoffed as he stared at Happy’s ear.

“Not at my ear. My eyes.”

Peter shut his eyes and turned to face Happy head on.

“Open your eyes.” Happy said through clenched teeth. Peter slowly opened one eye, then the other. Happy was glaring at him with a face redder than the sauce May had made.

“Did you make out with my daughter?”

“Which daughter?”

“The one sitting beside you. The only one I have.”

“I don’t understand the question.”

“Let me ask it again then. Did you or did you not make out with my daughter?”

“No.”

“Okay. Good.” Happy nodded in satisfaction.

“She made out with me.” Peter clarified.

“Peter!” You shouted and looked at him.

“You’re a dead man. He’s a dead man.” Happy declared and lunged across the table at Peter.

“Wait! She kissed me! I didn’t kiss her.” Peter defended himself as he scrambled to get out of his chair and run away from Happy.

“You did the second time.” You pointed out.

“Second time? There was a second time?” Happys voice got louder as he chased Peter around the table.

“Daddy, no. Don’t hurt him!” You protested and stood between your dad and Peter.

“Move it, honey. I’m gonna fight him. I’m gonna fight him up real nice.” Happy declared and grabbed the bowl of Italian bread off the table. He started throwing pieces at Peter, but Peter dodged every one.

“Stop dodging my bread!” Happy shouted and threw his last piece.

“Ha! You’re all out of bread.” Peter pointed at the empty bowl before hiding behind you.

“I’ll just have to use my hands.” Happy said and lunged for Peter again.

“Hold on. Step away from my nephew.” May said as she stepped in front of you and held Happy back. Happy stopped trying to attack Peter and caught his breath.

“Happy, you need to calm down.” May told him. “Your daughter isn’t your property. She’s a beautiful young woman. She is allowed to make her own decisions. And that includes deciding who she wants to date.”

“I know that.” Happy sighed. “She just can’t decide on him.”

“Why not, dad?” You asked him.

“For starters, he rented a very inappropriate movie when we were in Germany. No man who respects women would rent a movie called “Grinding Nemo”. I can’t have a guy like that dating my daughter.”

“I was like 15!” Peter whined. “I just bought the first one I found!”

“Grinding Nemo?” You turned and asked Peter.

“It’s like Finding Nemo but instead of fish it was this guy looking for this girls-“

“I don’t even want to know.” You cut him off.

“Happy, you know Peter.” May reminded him. “You know he’ll stop at nothing to protect the people he cares about. She’s in good hands.”

“But why do they have to be his hands?” Happy pointed to Peter and sat back down. You squeezed Peters shoulder before going to sit down beside your dad.

“May is right. You knew I was gonna start dating eventually. And you also know that Peter is a great guy. You should be glad someone like him turned my head. He’s nice, responsible, smart, respectful, and loved by Uncle Tony. So come on, dad. Let me date my cousin.”

“But Tony asked me to look after him. And I don’t always so the best job. I try, but you know he won’t listen if he has his mind set on doing something. God forbid something had ever happened to him….” Happy trailed off and looked down at the ground.

“You’d be letting down the two most important people in your life.” May finished his sentence with a sad smile.

“Its hard for me to remember you’re not a little girl anymore. I thought I would have more time to prepare for this.” Happy admitted. “And I thought Tony would be here to help me. But you’re just growing up so fast. I can’t keep up.”

“We’re both growing up, dad. But we’re doing it together so it’s less scary.” You told him as you put your hands on his shoulders. Happy smiled fondly at you before looking over your shoulder at Peter.

“Do you really like him?” He asked you.

“I do. He listens to me. And he makes me smile.”

“Gross.” Happy gagged.

“Dad.” You whined. “Stop it.”

Happy sighed and looked up at everyone in the apartment. When his eyes landed on Peter, he got up and went over to him. Peter raised his fists in case Happy tried to attack him again, but Happy lowered them.

“Peter, you have my blessing to date my daughter.” Happy said sincerely.

“You have my blessing too.” May spoke up. “But I don’t love the whole cousin aspect.”

“Me either.” You agreed. “Please never get married so we’re never actually cousins.”

“We were never actually talking about marriage. May just said “Aw” during an allergy commercial that showed a wedding.” Happy admitted.

“So we’re good then? We can date without it being incestuous or forbidden?” Peter asked hopefully and wrapped an arm around you.

“I guess so. Just no PDA in front of me, okay? I don’t need to be reminded of this. Ever.” Happy asked and Peter immediately removed his arm.

“No problem, sir.” Peter replied.

“I’m glad that’s settled. Let’s get back to the family dinner.” You smiled and sat back in your seat. Everyone scrunched their face in disgust and you realized your mistake. Calling it a family dinner now that everyone knew you and Peter had kissed and nearly become cousins made everyone a little queasy.

“I, um, I apologize for my choice of words.”

Tag List 🏷️

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@mathletemadison  

[hisphoria]

high society, lhs

chapter 01, debut

synopsis: lee heeseung must find someone that will be willing to marry him just for the title. someone to marry him so that his grandmother can finally stop bothering him. while this isn't a hard thing for heeseung to do since almost every noble girl of the ton would be willing to marry him, he needs someone who has no interest in him. someone who will not bother him if he doesn't even speak to them as long as they aren't at some social event. and of course, he found that in you.

featuring: lee heeseung, sim jaeyun, park jongseong, park sunghoon, kim sunoo, nishimura riki, yang jungwon

genre: non-idol au, arranged marriage trope, enha as royals, victorian era?

content and warnings: cursing, drinking, sexual humor, some toxic mentality (considering the era i'm basing this on), and lotsss of angst

word count: 4193 words

taglist: @sumzysworld @tokkisann @sol3chu @yunjinhuhjennifer @capri-cuntz (still open! comment below if you want to be added)

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you hated it.

hated everything about all of these things that your parents were making you do. having to wear this and that, go to this event, and talk to these people it was just getting to be a bit much for you. nothing was entertaining or fun about having to approach old rich men at the balls and acting interested in their boring lives. you also knew just talking to them boosted their egos and they didn't need any of that.

"but mother i'm already engaged to nikolaos. the rest of the ton already knows this as well. i can't just be going around flirting with other men anymore." you pouted as your mother stood behind you tightening your corset and fitting your new dress for an upcoming ball that your estate was hosting.

your mother simply rolled her eyes as she tightened the corset even tighter making you suck in a breath. "i know you are but that does not mean you shouldn't try for better. maybe an even richer man will find interest in you." you debated on whether or not to continue arguing with her. you knew it was pointless but you still thought maybe if you said it enough, she would calm down a little. you were fully devoted to the idea of marrying nikolaus and to you nothing and no one else could change your mind about it. marrying him was something you had dreamt about since the age of ten.

your parents didn't understand this though. your father did a little more than your mother but he just goes along with everything your mother says so it was never up for debate. it wasn't that your mother wasn't letting you marry nikolaos, she was just holding on till the very last minute to see if you will change your mind and marry someone else. nikolaos isn't even unsuccessful, his family being of the high society just like yourself but to your mother is wasn't enough. she wanted someone for you that was in the highest society. preferably in the top ten richest and well known men that appear in the newspapers.

"i want you to be happy" your mother began as she started fluffing out your hair with some oils that she had put onto her hands, "i am not telling you to not marry for love but it is only a plus if you marry for love and money."

you sighed as you looked into the mirror in front of you. the fact that she made some sense to you was something you did not want to admit. obviously money and status was always a plus and you didn't agree with her because it was something you yourself sought out but you did understand why she pushed the idea so much. "right. i understand you mother" you said to her as you stood up from the chair and looked back at her, "but i am indeed happy being engaged to nikolaos. i have loved him for so long and he is a successful man. i will be fine with him."

your mother simply nodded, deciding not to push the subject any further for the day. she gave you a kiss on the cheek before leaving your bedroom and shutting the door behind her.

you leaned against the railing at the top of the foyer looking over the crowd of people down below. it was the day of the ball and you had waited about 40 minutes after everyone arrived to make your entrance. the later you arrived, the less time you would have to interact with the ton and that sounded perfect to you. brushing down your baby blue ball gown, you made your way over to the staircase. you took a deep breath before resting your hand on the railing and slowly making your way down.

don't close your eyes you thought to yourself as you made your way down. it was always so nerve racking. all eyes turning towards you and looking you up and down. hearing the whispers just made it all worse.

that's when you saw nikolaos standing by a tall round table that was surrounded by other noble men. his head immediately turned towards you with a smile and he made his way over to you to meet you at the bottom of the staircase. you felt your heart slightly jump at the action but you weren't sure if that was the nerves because everyone was watching or if it really just melted your heart seeing him.

nikolaos reached his hand out for you to grab before bowing slightly before you, "good evening y/n" he whispered out to you. you smiled at him as you took his hand and touched the floor with your feet. you grabbed onto his shoulder with one hand and leaned into his ear and whispered, "i was too afraid to come out here if you weren't here."

"your mother kept me occupied for awhile..." he sighed as he turned and looked over to see where your mother and father stood attending to the guests who walked through the door. "she probably thought you were here wandering around already and didn't want me to take you away from your socializing." you frowned at this, slightly bowing your head and shaking it.

"i'm so sorry nikolaos" you said as you looked up at him, "you know how she is." he nodded and smiled at you reassuringly, "i know i know. i'm not offended don't worry. maybe you should go and get to know more people?" he said as he directed his attention back over to the crowd. the highest nobles were all gathered at the front greeting my parents. your mother and fathers faces beaming at them, you could've sworn you saw dollar signs in their eyes.

that's when he appeared.

"is that... lee heeseung?" you breathed out as you peered over nikolaos' shoulder to see lee heeseung enter, approaching your parents with a polite smile and bow. he was a well known noble. the highest of all the nobles. he was probably at the very very top of the pyramid in the high society. you heard that his parents were practically nonexistent, leaving the entire estate and title to their one and only son. he only had his grandmother and staff living in the mansion with him. you had only seen him maybe two or three other times as he didn't appear at every social event so him showing up at your estate... it was shocking.

not only was heeseung a high noble but he was also definitely the most handsome noble. his silver hair was styled but you loved that he never slicked it back, it looked natural and some pieces of his hair fell perfectly over his beautiful face. silver couldn't be his natural hair color you had thought to yourself, his dark roots showing under the silver. he would probably look perfect in any hair color.

"you should probably go greet him, no? not saying hi to the duke when he attends your ball is surely a crime" nikolaos let out a small laugh. you cleared your throat and nodded, letting go of his hand and placing your hands in front of you. "i hate to admit that you are right. i must go" you bowed slightly before making your way over to where your parents stood at the entrance.

"oh! my dear daughter!" your mother exclaimed, throwing her hands up dramatically as you arrived beside them. heeseung stood in front of them with both of his hands behind his back. he wore a white button up shirt tucked into some black pants with a dark blue jacket over, the collar gold and decorated with different lines and swirls. he looked like a prince.

heeseung eyed you up and down before bowing before you, "good evening lady y/n. i was just thanking your parents for inviting me to such a well organized and beautifully decorated event here at your estate." he brought his head back up and looked at you with a straight face, not even a slight smile had appeared on his face yet his voice sounded like he meant the compliment.

you bowed back to him, "it is an honor to welcome you to my parents estate my grace. we very much hope that you will enjoy it." you smiled at him as you came back up, placing your hands before you as they had before. heeseung simply nodded at you, the two of you looking at each other in silence for a few seconds before your fathers voice interrupted.

"your grace, we have heard about your engagement to the lady cadence laselle. congratulations" your father said as he put a hand over his heart. heeseung breathed in at your fathers words. he looked to the side and then back to your father again, "it seems that is all everyone is talking about, no? a vow between two families many years ago does not just mean i will easily take her as my wife. although..." he said as he then shifted his eyes over to you, "i have heard your daughter is actually to be engaged to nikolaos."

your mother frowned a bit at hearing his words. you already knew she was disappointed that you weren't marrying someone with a higher title and hearing it from the duke just probably made it worse for her. if even the duke knows, there's no going back is there?

you shifted your feet slightly and cleared your throat, "that is right, your grace. i am fortunate enough to not be in a situation like yours."

oh god.

maybe you shouldn't have said that.

your mother and father looked over at you with wide eyes. silence filling the circle. heeseung looked at you, seeming unmoved but then he cleared his throat and looked away. he scoffed and shook his head, a small smirk appearing on his face.

you put a hand over your mouth, "your grace, i am so sorry i didn't mean-"

heeseung put this hand up and nodded at you. "don't worry about it. i do appreciate some honesty every now and then especially since no one says those things to my face and instead behind my back." you weren't expecting him to be so understanding. you had heard only good things about the duke other than the fact that he was a womanizer but he was still a duke and the fact that you spoke to him that way was pretty unbecoming. you didn't know this man at all to be saying something so casual to him, you weren't so sure why or how you said something like that so easily.

"we apologize for her" my mother started, "i know it's no excuse but she has been pretty stressed out with the engagement and everything." she smiled at the duke.

heeseung looked as if he was about to open his mouth when a couple approached your parents and whisked them away before anything else could be said about you, leaving you and heeseung alone in each others presence.

heeseung looked at you before he took a few steps forward, getting closer to you. you felt your breathing stop as he got so close, close enough to where his scent filled your nostrils and he smelled amazing.

he leaned into you, his lips coming close to your ear and he whispered, "i don't appreciate a lady like you having an opinion on my personal matters. i'd be careful if i were you and watch what i say next time... especially to me."

your eyes widened as he leaned back and smiled. he took a bow before walking away from you and disappearing into the crowd of people. your face flushed and you quickly looked around to see if anyone caught sight of the interaction between you and the duke but it seemed that no one was looking and that made you let out a sigh of relief. you looked back to see if nikolaos was where you had left him but he was nowhere to be found.

heeseung wandered out into the courtyard. bringing a cigarette up to his lips, he heard footsteps come up behind him. turning his head, he saw his most trusted advisor, jake sim approaching him.

"i was wondering where you had wandered off to." jake said with a raise of his eyebrow, taking stand beside him. heeseung pulled the cigarette out from his mouth, letting out a puff of smoke. he clicked his tongue as he looked over at jake, "i would've thought you'd be off somewhere chatting it up with a lady."

jake let out a groan and threw his head back slightly, "as much as i would love to be doing that right now, i saw that little situation you had with lady y/n and when i saw that you took off, i thought it be best to come and find you. you disappeared pretty fast though, it took me a while."

"you saw that?" heeseung asked as he reached his cigarette out to jake to offer it to him. jake looked down at it and took it from heeseung, bringing it up to his lips. "i did, yes. i'm always keeping an eye out. although, it seems that even lady y/n was shocked at what had come out of her mouth" jake said with a laugh, "i've been hearing many things about her actually. she's the talk of the ton currently not falling far behind you."

heeseung rolled his eyes, "maybe they should be talking about her instead of me. she's the one who is actually getting married... not me."

"speaking of" jake said as he looked off to the side, drawing out a puff of smoke. "it's interesting really, her engagement to that man. they've known each other since they were children but lady y/n doesn't really seem to be the type to be able to marry a man like that."

heeseung scoffed, "what would you know? have you ever spoken to her?" a spike of curiosity rising in heeseung. he wasn't usually interested in the marriages and engagements going on in society but he himself was having a dilemma of being pushed to get married and even if he didn't want to, he needed to know what options were available to him or not.

"i hear around." jake says with a slight smile on his face, "i pay a lot of attention to gossip. i am your advisor, i need to know what's going on." he crossed his arms over his chest as he looked up at the night sky, "i've heard lady y/n is a pretty independent woman. it seems to get her into trouble a lot, an independent lady like her is not something that most men are looking for. her fiance was one of few willing to put up with that. she's been very open about not wanting to just idly stand by like a trophy for her husband."

heeseung raised an eyebrow at hearing this information, "like?"

jake smirked, "oh so you are curious?" heeseung rolled his eyes at jake and nudged his arm. "she tries her best to be helpful around her estate. she's always helping her father with things. she doesn't like just helping her mother plan out the balls, she's even gone on work trips with her father. she likes to be involved." jake continued to elaborate.

"i see..." heeseung hummed. he threw his cigarette to the ground and put it out with his foot. "does she seem like a romantic to you? do you think she seems like the type of woman to be in her husbands business?"

"what?" jake asked he shifted his body to heeseung so he was completely facing him now, "is she your type? you know she's engaged. you can't exactly just swoop up in there and propose to her-" heeseung put his finger up to jake's face to shush him, "i just need to see what the deal is. if she isn't in love, i've got a chance to offer her what nikolaos will not offer her in their marriage. she seems to be the only woman who would leave me be in a marriage."

"you dog" jake snarled at heeseung, "you just want someone who could care less about you then?"

heeseung smiled at jake as he patted his back, "exactly" he said to him before he walked off, heading back inside the mansion.

two weeks went by of you trying to plan your wedding with your mother and younger sisters. you had all sorts of ideas for the wedding but your mother wasn't exactly the easiest to plan with considering she kept on holding it off every chance she got.

the constant planning and meeting with nikolaos and his family was starting to open your eyes a little more to things that you hadn't even thought about before you got engaged. yes, nikolaos is the sweetest man you know but that doesn't mean there weren't a lot of things that the two of you didn't agree on. nikolaos was a traditional man and he didn't seem to be willing to give any of that up... even for you.

"i don't understand why you can't just let me be involved in some of the business stuff" you frowned at your fiance, "you won't even let me make any decisions? how is that fair if it's a family business!''

nikolaos let out a sigh as he turned to you, "exactly. my family business. you will be my wife, not my business partner. you are meant to stay at home and make decisions at home. not in matters of business. that's not how things work. you are needed at the estate. who will make the decisions at our home if you're not around?"

you felt as if you had been hit in the chest when he emphasized that it was his family business. you didn't think he meant to intentionally be mean by saying it but he said it and meant it. even though the two of you were to be married, he didn't yet see you as someone who was a part of his family. this only further made you feel as if you were an object of decoration for him.

the two of you were having this conversation as you went for a stroll at the public park, members from the both of your families following the two of you from not far behind. all you could think to yourself in that moment was that you needed to get away.

you tilted your head up as you stopped and looked over at nikolaos. "i can't continue with this conversation because i'm afraid that if we do, i will be pushing you into the river." nikolaos' eyes widened at your statement as he watched you continue to walk, "i need to be alone now."

you looked back at your mother and one of your younger sisters then glancing over at nikolaos' mother, "i will be heading off to walk on my own. i'll be in the area, i just need to be alone right now." before any of them could protest you quickly walked off, making your way over to the small bridge that went over the water a bit away. you didn't want to be anywhere near them either.

you leaned against the railing of the bridge, looking over and onto the water. the water was so clear you could see all of the fish swimming around in it. you soon started to feel tears start to prickle your eyes and to keep them from falling you tilted your head back and let out a deep breath.

"not sure if the lady y/n should be off on her own, don't you think?" you heard a somewhat familiar voice say off to the side of you.

you turned your head to see heeseung standing at the end of the bridge with his hands behind his back. he slowly began to approach you with a smirk on his face, finding his place to stand right next to you.

you cleared your throat and bowed slightly, "your grace."

heeseung let out a low laugh and when he did you honestly thought you've never heard anything more beautiful. "formalities? you surprise me. seems you still have manners."

you lowered your head, turning your body to completely face him. "your grace, i am so sorry about that night i really didn't mean to offend you. i just truly... wouldn't wish to be in your position."

heeseung glanced at you before then turning to look down at the water. he leaned against the railing, placing his arms over it so his hands were now dangling over. "aren't you kind of though?"

"excuse me?"

"this marriage, it's something you thought you've always wanted. yet now your feelings are changing about it. or am i wrong?"

you scoffed at the duke. he looked down at the water completely unphased and you hated his arrogance about it. how did he even know about your situation anyways? you thought to yourself.

"i know things" he smiled, "i am the duke, no? i've got my sources of information. plus your heated conversation with nikolaos wasn't exactly low profile like you thought it was. i've done my research. i know the kind of man he is and the kind of woman you are" he said before he looked at you, "you'll be miserable."

your face immediately heated up at his words and you mentally cursed at yourself for it. he knew everything and he spoke of you as if he knew you and something about it made your heart do a million flips. you should have been weirded out, maybe even a little terrified but how could you be when this gorgeous man stood in front of you saying exactly all of the things that you were thinking?

"what are you saying, your grace? i am engaged. this isn't something i can't exactly back out of and i can't seem to change my fiancé's opinion on the matter." you said to him, desperately wanting his eyes to meet yours once again.

heeseung leaned back, placing his hands behind his back once again. his eyes found yours and he took a few steps towards you, "anything is possible, no? i propose..." he started as he reached his hand out and grabbed your gloved hand, "that you come and marry me instead."

you gasped at the contact and although you didn't feel him with your bare skin it was still something and feeling his thumb caress your hand was making you feel all sorts of unbelievable things. you looked up at him with wide eyes, "m-marry you? what are you talking about? you're already engaged and... why me?!"

heeseung pulled his hand away from you, "don't get me wrong my lady, this is purely business. i need to get married because my grandmother keeps pestering me about it and it would be good for the estate and my image. falling in love is not something that interests me at the moment and well you... you want a marriage in which your husband will let you do as you please, no? let you involve yourself instead of keep you home to bear his children. letting you have decisions in regards to my business matters is something i am willing to do."

right, of course. the duke was known as a playboy. falling in love was of course something he didn't care about, a marriage simply for his public image where his wife could care less about what he does in his free time is the ideal arrangement for him. while that wasn't something you were looking for and if anything, you thought yourself to be somewhat a hopeless romantic, a marriage to the duke seemed a million times better than a one to nikolaos at the moment.

you don't even think you were thinking clearly in that moment because without thinking for more than a minute you quickly nodded your head at the duke.

"i'll do it. i'll marry you."

[whitexwolfxx310]

|| Why Are You Never Real ||

Pairing: Bucky x female reader (Eleanor//Elena)) || Bucky x Loki Summary: In 1943, 24 year old Eleanor gets set up on a blind date with Bucky Barnes. The match is so perfect, it was written in the stars. Yes, they're soulmates. Unfortunately, HYDRA gets in the way- taking the perfect life away from the two. But what if fate was so certain, it gave them another chance to be together?

Warnings: Fluff and angst off the charts (I'm so sorry!). Some cursing- but very little.

Word Count: 5.8k A/Ns: So a few things inspired this fic; First, someone requested something similar to this about a year ago. The idea stuck with me (although it was originally about the love interest being on ice also). I can't find the message of the person who requested, so if you come across this & it was you, please let me know so I can give you credit! Second, I saw a TikTok of Bucky & Loki and I've been obsessed with bringing the two together. Last but not least, I'm one of those that is constantly blasting Sleep Token- so in combination with all of these things, the song: The Apparition was also inspiring. Let me know what you think!

1943

It was Labor Day weekend, and anybody who's anybody knows that's when the carnival came to town. Not only was it the official end to the hot New York summers, but it was an escape from everything having to do with the ongoing War. It was a reprieve for the children, to go out and experience some lighthearted fun. But mostly, the carnival lured the young adult crowd like a gullible captain to a siren in the sea.

Eleanor was twenty-four, still living comfortably at home with her parents and four younger siblings. While she helped take care of her siblings, the passive comments about how she was unmarried and reaching her prime age to start a family never failed to be brought up in daily conversations in their household. It wasn't for a lack of suitors. Plenty of men had asked her on dates, a few even so bold enough to offer marriage without so much as going for a stroll in the park. But for Eleanor, it wasn't just about picking a random man to build a life with. She dreamed of a true romance, just like the ones she would get so lost in while reading her books- and eventually starting a family out of love and not necessity or by society's regards.

While she had already made plans to meet up with her girlfriends on Saturday night at the carnival, her mother had a different idea- A blind date.

Eleanor had intriguingly spent the afternoon with her hair in curlers and ironing her favorite yellow summer dress, the one with white polka dots and matching heels. It would perfectly accent the slight tan she obtained from the few times she snuck to the beach on the outskirts of the city to dig her toes in the sand and lay in the scorching sun. As her typical primping time took a little longer than usual in anticipation for the blind date, Eleanor’s mind kept getting swept up in who the possible mystery man could be. Was it someone she knew? A family friend? What did he look like? Was he short or tall? Does he have a sense of humor? Sure, she of course curious if he was handsome. But that was never her main focus. Eleanor wanted someone who could make her laugh- someone that was playful and knew how to have fun. But a pretty face was definitely a bonus. Opening the front door and stepping out into the Summer’s relentless humidity, she was met with none other than Bucky Barnes- Brooklyn's most notorious flirt and former high school crush. He leaned casually against the railing of the front steps, dressed in an olive-green Class A's uniform wearing a smug smile.

"Ready for our date, Doll?" After initially closing the door in his face in a panic, Eleanor's mother pleaded with her to try and give him a chance. Rumor amongst the women on the block was that he was looking for a wife. She rambled off the typical list of how handsome he was, how he came from a good family, and the cherry on top of the guilt pie: he had just enlisted in the Army and was leaving in just a few short weeks for basic training. Who knows when he will come back home, if at all? Could one date really be so bad?

Eleanor felt nervous walking the few blocks with Bucky, exchanging formal pleasantries about how beautiful the night was and so on. But she was shy- at least, by her standards. She had always worn a big smile and never felt self-conscious about how loud she laughed, regardless of how many times people stated that it was ‘unladylike’. Because of her unapologetic mentality in refusing to conform to make herself small, it labeled her as difficult. Eleanor didn’t have many friends, but she always said: “I’d rather have four quarters than a hundred pennies,” and felt fulfilled. The people in her life that truly knew her, knew of her dreams and ambitions- and that she truly had a heart of gold. Not many others noticed, but Bucky did. He had always noticed how Eleanor could light up a room. She was the sun incarnate. So, when her mother ‘accidentally’ bumped into him on the street that morning and suggested he take her out tonight, he couldn’t refuse the idea. “So aside from enlisting,” Eleanor gestured towards his uniform with her free hand, since her other was interlocked around Bucky’s arm, “what else have you been up to since we graduated, Barnes?” She unconsciously gripped his forearm just a bit tighter, using physical touch to ground her from the unfamiliar nervousness she felt. “Sergeant Barnes,” he corrected with a grin. The pair moved from their sedentary spot in the carnival ticket line, only a few away from the booth. “Okay, Sergeant,” Eleanor reiterates, laughing to herself. “So?” she asks again, tilting her head to the side curiously and looking up at him through her lashes. “Boxed my way through art school. Then with all the boys gettin’ drafted, I just figured I’d sign up before Uncle Sam had the chance to come knockin’ on my door,” he recalled casually, but didn’t seem interested in talking about himself. Bucky’s arm disentangled with Eleanor’s, pressing his palm to the small of her lower back to coax her forward gently as the ticket line moved again. Her breath hitched slightly when he didn’t remove it right away, she eyed him up and down modestly.

His head tilted to the side, “What about you, Ellie?” his sapphire blue eyes holding her gaze, “What keeps you busy these days?”

Ellie. The nickname he uses makes her stomach drop, and they haven’t even gone on any rides yet. It’s a name he’s used off and on through school and over the years in passing. Her cheeks brighten with a new shade of light pink, breaking their fixed look at one another. Bucky takes notice and smiles fondly to himself.

“Um,” Eleanor forces herself to look back up at him, feeling at a loss for words as she tries not to focus so much on his beautiful smile- On how his slightly parted lips show the smallest hint of his white teeth. She didn’t think she’d be on a date tonight, let alone with someone that she’d been smitten with since grade school.

“I um,” her words were failing her for the first time ever, “I teach at the elementary school.” She hesitates a moment, before taking a breath and says, “to be honest, I’ve been waiting to get pulled into one of the factories.” Her voice now has a hint of sadness. Ellie quickly tries to deflect the subject, “Plus my brothers and sisters keep me pretty busy.” “Ah,” Bucky’s smile grows wider as his head tilts back at the recollection, also taking the hint, “and how are the little scoundrels?” Ellie laughs, thankful to have the relief of talking about herself put off. She shakes her head, “Still terrorizing anyone and everyone.” “Next!” Bucky reluctantly pulls his attention away from Ellie to step up to the ticket booth. “Two please,” he answers politely. As the worker counts his change, Bucky’s eyes couldn’t help but admire Ellie from head to toe. How she pointed one foot inward and fiddled with her fingers as she waited patiently with an imminent smile- admiring the sights and sounds of the fair around her. She was truly breathtaking.

There was no short supply of local attractive women. Bucky had dated plenty of them, and even more had shared his bed. They had always flocked to him, like a moth to a flame. It was a great stroke to his ego, but he was never taken with any of them. And none of them would have slammed a door in his face at the mere sight of him. Ellie though? She was something else entirely. He was always interested in what she had to say. The stories she told always captivated him and made him laugh. Being around her was easy and never forced. Even when they were kids, he found himself stealing glances and daydreaming about her. He had to make tonight mean something.

As Bucky had promised himself, he pulled out all the stops to impress Ellie. It wasn’t long before she eased back into her normal self, although she couldn’t ignore the butterflies constantly flittering along the lining of her belly. The two spent hours walking around the carnival, sharing treats like cotton candy and the biggest, most delicious cannoli they had ever had. Bucky learned fast, and kept suggesting riding the bigger rides, because he selfishly loved it when Ellie clung onto him when she got scared. And Ellie, never being one to back down, always said yes. Ellie eventually convinced Bucky to take a break from riding the tilt-a-whirl back-to-back after threatening him with seeing the pink cotton candy to make an appearance again. He reluctantly conceded, knowing that he would be missing her reaching out and holding onto him. He suggested they play some carnival games until she felt better. And from the way Ellie’s eyes lit up with excitement, Bucky knew it was a promising idea.

In the meantime, they threw darts to pop balloons, a few several types of ball toss, and a horse racing game. Bucky even got to show off his marksmanship at a rifle target booth, winning Ellie a brown teddy bear that she proudly carried around with her for the entirety of the evening. But the best part was the way they cheered each other on with every game. Bucky’s heart swelled each time he won, and Ellie would jump up and down in excitement for him. Even with the playful competitive banter back and forth, neither of them felt a bitter loss. It was starting to get late, and the fair would be shutting down soon. The only ride the two hadn’t ridden yet was the Ferris wheel. Saving the best for last. Standing in a decently extensive line, the pair continued on with the tradition of the night: sharing belly laugh filled stories about dates gone horribly wrong and glances that lingered just a little too long.

Bucky felt something being with Ellie that was completely unfamiliar. In a world that was currently plagued with such darkness, this was the first time in he didn’t know how long he didn’t feel it weigh on him. She rejuvenated his very soul. Bucky silently wished out into the universe that she felt the same about him. “Y’know Ellie, I have to admit,” Bucky tucked his hands into his pockets as he stared down at the dirt his shoe kicked up. “tonight’s been…Ellie?” As he looked up from the ground to meet those golden eyes, there was nothing. She was gone. “Ellie?” Bucky repeated, louder this time as he frantically scanned the large crowd. “Ellie!” He shouted through his funneled hands while standing on his toes. Bucky’s head was starting to spin with worst case scenarios when he suddenly caught a glimpse of her bright yellow dress. Off in a quiet corner next to the circus tent, Ellie was crouched down talking to a young boy. The boy wasn’t looking at her, but instead his head hung low as he stared at the ground, and he seemed… upset.

Although he was too far away to hear, Bucky watched the encounter intently. Ellie nodded gently as she spoke to him, gesturing with her free hand- but the boy still seemed unresponsive. A moment of silence passes between them, and then with a bright smile, Ellie holds up the brown teddy bear that Bucky had won her earlier. She makes the stuffed animal dance, wave its arms, and boop the boy on his nose- finally getting his attention and smile. Then she holds the bear out to him. Without hesitation, he snatches it into his arms and pulls it tight against his chest. The boy is now beaming and looks like he was swapped with a completely different child. He hugs Ellie before running off to another group of children, holding up and showing off the bear while they all exclaimed how lucky he was. Ellie smiled and waved as the boy ran off, remaining crouched down on the ground for a moment even after being alone. Standing up as she brushed off her dress and watched the boy, her expression changed to one with a sorrowful undertone as the boy and his friends ran off. Turning to walk back to the Ferris wheel line, her honey brown eyes locked with Bucky’s. Just the sight of him waiting on her, standing online looking tall, broad, and handsome in that uniform watching her made her cheeks blush and a small smile tug on her lips.

From Bucky’s point of view, time seemed to move in slow motion. The bottom of Ellie’s dress flowed out with each sway of her hips. Her curls gently bounced with each graceful step, despite the uneven fairgrounds. He forgot how to breathe the closer she approached.

“Sorry ‘bout that, Sarge.” Ellie says apologetically, joining Bucky back in the line. “It’s alright,” Bucky’s voice is soft from his throat being dry. The feeling is suddenly overwhelming, his hand has laid dormant for too long. Taking the risk of not being on a ride, he wraps his arm around her shoulders. “Everything okay?” Leaning her body into his, Ellie sighs, “that was one of my students. He got the news earlier this week that his father died in the war. Left behind a wife and three kids… I just-” taking in a deep breath to try and calm herself, she shakes her head, “I know we’ve heard this story a hundred times before, Buck. It just never gets any easier. And I’m so sorry about the bear. I just got caught up in wanting to make him feel better that I just, I-” it was obvious that her heart hurt for the boy as her voice started to crack as she rambled.

She was right, it never got easier to hear these stories. And it always hit that much closer to home when it was someone you knew that was affected. Bucky was unsure if it was the story of the boy, or seeing Ellie’s act of compassion, but there was an undeniable gnawing in his chest as well. “Hey…” he cooed gently, cupping her chin between his thumb and pointer finger, coaxing her to look at him. Ellie tilted her head, though reluctant to look into Bucky’s eyes. But when she did, she found those cerulean irises filled with an unfeigned understanding as he leaned in close, “just means I get to take you out again for a chance to win another one, doll.” Her breath hitched again, at both the close proximity and the idea of another date with Bucky. Her eyes drifted down to his lips briefly before she met his gaze once again. Instinctively, Ellie started to lean in closer- not caring who was around to witness her kiss Bucky Barnes in public.

Bucky mirrored Ellie’s motions, his tongue gently flicking against his lips as he leaned in also when- “Next!” The carnival worker called. The disappointment was evident on Bucky’s face as his lips clenched into a thin line and his eyes closed tightly. Ellie though, was the opposite. She grabbed Bucky’s hand, “C’mon, Sergeant!” she giggled, dragging him onto the ride. Yet again, her smile was contagious, and he immediately gave in. Settling into their car on the Ferris wheel, it quickly jerked and rocked as it started to spin. Ellie threw her arms straight up into the air, squealing in pure excitement. And Bucky watched- Watched as the wonder sparkled in Ellie’s eyes, how the glow of the fair’s lights accentuated her already mesmerizing features, but mainly, he was dying to know if those lips tasted like the most perfect red delicious apple since they were painted exactly like one.

“Anybody ever tell you that you have a staring problem, Sarge?” Bucky had to blink a couple of times to focus. The Ferris wheel car had stopped at the very top, Ellie had her chin propped on her fist, smiling up at him through her lashes. He shook his head, “I was just thinking,” Bucky moved in a little closer, reaching his arm around Ellie’s shoulders, “that you are the most fascinating woman I have ever met.” “He’s lost in a memory…” Ellie’s cheeks blushed, but she rolled her eyes, “oh stop. I bet that’s something you say to all the girls.” Fireworks started firing off into the sky, mirroring the evident spark between the two. “I don’t care what the hell has to be done! Get him out of it! Scramble him again if you have to!” Bucky’s nose scrunches as he smiles, his head tilted up slightly to look down at her, “no, no. My pickup lines are usually waaay cheesier.” He and Ellie both laugh in unison, muffled by the occasional loud pops of the fireworks. But the pair refused to look away from one another.

“But sir-” Leaning in, Bucky breathes in both the mixed carnival aromas and the beautiful floral scent that is Ellie’s perfume. Her eyes flutter close as her lips purse towards his- “I. Don’t. CARE! Do it! NOW!” [2013] Bucky is met with a swift, vigorous slap to the face. Blinking rapidly, his eyes painfully adjust to the fluorescent lights in the room. Once focused, he finds numerous pairs of hard eyes staring down at him. Bucky sheepishly looks down at his bare chest, flexing painfully against the tight restraints of his chair. The realization that it was in fact not 1943 and not his first date with Ellie was quickly confirmed by the surrounding HYDRA agents, all staring at him like he was some wild animal waiting to snap and tear through a village.

Although in retrospect, he may have done that once or twice. And secretly, he never minded having HYDRA blood on his hands. If that wasn’t confirmation enough, the skin on his left shoulder was taut- the built-up scar tissue irritated from the roughened edges of his metal arm. God, how he hated that fucking thing. Sure, getting used to any kind of prosthetic takes time to accept- if at all. But this was used with the sole purpose of turning Bucky into a weapon, and for that reason, he hated it and everything it stood for. At least, when he could remember. Which is why he was always restrained. Which is why he was brainwashed over and over again until he forgot his name. Which is why he was thrown on ice when he wasn’t of use, so they didn’t have to hear his endless screaming as he tore and ripped at the skin, praying it would be tarnished enough that they couldn’t make him a new arm. But they always made him a new arm.

Alexander Pierce stepped out from between a few of the agents, clad in an expensive gray suit that stood out against the sea of all black military grade HYDRA uniforms. “Where’d you go?” he asked nonchalantly, shoving his hands into his pockets. It’s not like he was genuinely curious about anything that didn’t pertain to his own interests. Bucky’s brow furrowed, his eyes glancing briefly in Pierce’s direction before looking down again, “n-nowhere…” he replied apprehensively, always cautious about giving personal details when he remembered them. Pierce huffed sarcastically under his breath. A smirk tugged on his lips as his eyes narrowed on Bucky, “wipe him,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand, “we’ll start fresh again tomorrow.” He wasn’t even fully done speaking before he spun on the heels of his dress shoes and was out the door.

The mechanical whirring from the machines surrounding Bucky’s now reclined chair grew antagonizingly loud. He could feel his lips uncontrollably twitch- and it took everything within his remaining willpower not to snarl as he reluctantly accepted the mouth guard the agent forced onto his teeth. Bucky’s chest already glistened with sweat as it heaved deeply, anxious for what was to come. His eyes widened at the sight of the all too familiar chrome halo that soon clasped securely around his head. He braced himself for the pain of his mind feeling like it was on literal fire by breathing around the mouthpiece and digging his heels. At least today, he remembered Ellie. Bucky just focused on the pure, rare beauty that she was sitting on top of the Ferris wheel that night- smiling at him like he was the only man in the world. Until it all went black. [Present Day]

He wasn’t sure if it was the sounds of his own screams or flailing around in his sleep that woke him from his nightmare. Or rather, memory. Bucky sat upright from the living room floor, tangled up in his blanket. His eyes traced the room, taking in the primarily dark apartment aside from the faint glow of the television. He felt hot, despite only sleeping in his boxers and his skin shining with a thick layer of sweat. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, even though he desperately took in quick, ragged breaths. Bucky felt so lost, even though he had been found. Even with being free of HYDRA and breaking from the control that anyone could have over him after spending time in Wakanda, he didn’t feel as though anyone truly knew him. Hell, he wasn’t even sure who he was after it all was stripped away. The only people who understood Bucky were Steve and Ellie, and they’re both gone. A small ‘meow’ came from Bucky’s side, making her presence known before gently rubbing her head against his thigh. Well, maybe there was one who understood him.

Letting out the pent-up air in his lungs, Bucky picked up the petite white cat and cradled her against his chest, “Sorry, pretty girl,” he actively softened his voice, “did I wake you?” He gently ran his hand over her head and down her neck, immediately pulling purrs from Alpine. He sighed to himself but continued to concentrate on petting her as his accelerated heart rate started to come back down. Alpine’s purrs grew louder as she started making biscuits against his thighs, making herself nice and comfy before drifting to sleep in his lap. At least one of us will be able to sleep tonight.

As expected, he didn’t fall back asleep. Instead, Bucky replayed the distant clashing memories over and over in his head until the sun started peeking through the windows. At the break of dawn, he jumped into the shower in hopes of washing the night away. As Bucky stood in the shower, letting the tiny streams of water encase around him, he realized just how much he missed his old life. That version of him and how often his mind drifted to a time where he used to belong. In that moment, he decided he was going to use today to go to his old stomping grounds, reminisce and allow himself to truly grieve that part of his life.

Throwing on a pair of dark wash jeans, a grey T-shirt and a black leather jacket, Bucky locked the door to his apartment and made his way through The Compound. Leaning against the wall near the entrance was Loki, seemingly keeping to himself. He noticed Bucky though as soon as he stalked into view. His skin looked pale, his blue eyes dull and lifeless above the prominent dark circles underneath. Bucky’s nightmares and lack of sleep were something that the team was all too familiar with. They each collectively had their own demons that haunted dark rooms and spoke through the walls in the lonely hours late at night. “Isn’t it just a tad early,” Loki stood to his full height, “to seem this aloof already, James?” Bucky regarded Loki as he kept walking. “Yeah,” his earnest tone matching his gloomy mood as the door automatically opened.

The bright, warm sun was a stark contrast to the cold, dark night that Bucky just had.

Standing at the edge of a small, curved road in the park that overlooked the Brooklyn Bridge, Bucky took in all the sights and sounds. It was strange to him how much the city had evolved and yet, some things were still the same. People passed, not paying him any mind. Friends gossiped over their morning coffee on a nearby bench, the runners attempted to get that last mile in before the day got too hot, couples walked by holding hands, and families pushed large strollers with smiley babies. It all sounded the same, but nothing was as it used to be. The intrusive thoughts felt heavier today as he continued to watch and take it all in, reminiscing about the times he and Steve used to drink beers at the bottom of that very bridge. Or rather, Bucky would try and convince Steve to drink. But he never did. Bucky and his sister used to play in this very park- though it looks different now. It sometimes was still difficult to differentiate what was a memory or a daydream he had conjured up to disassociate.

"Vader!" If he squinted his eyes just enough, he could see where his family's old town home used to stand in the distance before it was bulldozed down. "No! Don't- You're going to make me-" The sound of a heavy thud made Bucky look over his shoulder. On the ground a few feet behind him was a small cardboard box with the top cut off, lying on its side. Scattered all around and halfway in the box, was an assortment of wildflowers. "Damn it, Vader!" An annoyed voice grumbled before sighing heavily.

Giving the apparent mess a once over, Bucky breathed deeply through his nostrils before turning around and taking a knee- putting the box right side up before starting to subtly pick up the flowers. "Sit!" The sound of nails scratching against the asphalt came to a stop, only to be replaced with heavy panting. Bucky glanced over briefly to see a rather large German Shepherd watching proudly as he picked up the flowers. "God, thank you so much for your help! I'm just having one of those days. No thanks to this one here either." The woman's voice sounded slightly exasperated.

"No problem," Bucky replied, trying to look up but the sun blared straight into his eyes, momentarily blocking the person with whom he was speaking. After picking up the last few flowers, he tossed them into the box as he stood up. His height gave him the advantage of no longer having the sun in his face and he finally was able to see the person he's been interacting with. Bucky stops breathing- eyes widening in disbelief. Eleanor. It was her, and yet it wasn't. Her skin was evenly tanned, her golden hair long with a slight wave to it framing her face, dressed in matching yoga pants and sports tank as she clung tightly to the dog’s leash to keep him in place. "I spent my whole morning picking those," she gestured towards the box, "and this lunatic has been dragging me everywhere in between," she explains, embarrassed. Bucky is still staring, just blinking occasionally, skeptical that this is real.

Clearing her throat softly at what she perceived to be awkwardness, she picks up the box. "Thanks again!" she remarked politely, starting to turn away to leave. "W-what-" Bucky started, causing her to hesitate. He took a small step forward, "are those for?" he pointed to the box. It was the first thing that came to his mind, he had to keep her there for just a little while longer. He needed to know more. Smiling as she turned back to face him, Bucky's stomach twisted. It's the same smile. "I'm a teacher and anytime I'm here I grab some for my students," she shrugged nonchalantly. "I can usually come up with some kind of craft or whatever to make use of them." "You're a teacher?" "Mhm! Elementary." Down to the same damned occupation. "You... come here often? With your dog?" Bucky awkwardly motioned towards the German Shepherd. "Oh, um... Well," She laughed. Oh no. He feared that his question made her uncomfortable. "This is Vader," she runs her hand over the dog's head a few times, "but he's not mine. Just watching him for some friends while they're away."

Bucky looks over Vader, the corner of his lips tugging into a small smile before fixating on the woman again. "I'm sorry, " she starts, her eyes narrowing slightly as her head tilts in inquisition, "but do I know you? You just look so familiar..." He swallowed the large lump in his throat, "Uh, no? Nope, I don't think so." "Huh," she muttered to herself, continually examining his blue eyes. Clearing her throat, she holds out her hand "I'm Elena, but my friends call me Ellie." Taking her petite hand in his gloved one, he carefully shakes her hand. "Ellie," Bucky repeats, incredulously. "James, but my friends call me Bucky." "Bucky." Elena mirrors his tone. Her eyes drift down to his chest momentarily, spotting his dog tags. "And you're military?" A small snort escapes as he grins, "former Sergeant in the 107th." "Interesting," Ellie responded, continuing to search his crystal blue eyes as if it would magically reveal as to why she felt magnetized by this man's presence. Looking down, Bucky realized they were still holding onto one another's hand. His eyebrows raised, an amused smile eclipsing his former expression. The pair chuckled once, letting go. "Well," Ellie said, fidgeting with the dog leash in her hands, "It was nice meeting you. Thanks again," her voice sheepish as she shifted the cardboard box under her arm. "Nice meeting you too, Ellie," Bucky agreed. There was something about the way he said her name, how smoothly it rolled off his tongue that just felt so... intimate. Like he did in fact know her. That there was a secret between them that she was dying to know. Giving him a hopeful smile, she turned to walk away- Vader following at her side, "Hope to see you around, Sergeant!" Ellie called over her shoulder, giving a small wave.

Bucky watched Elena walking away, left utterly astounded by the interaction that had just occurred. Two images from two separate times seemed to overlap- Ellie from today, and Ellie with the tight curls and red lips in the yellow polka dot dress. A form of Deja vu. But one thing was for sure, he made it his mission to see her again.

Later that evening at The Compound, Bucky stood at the counter in the kitchen holding a small drinking glass filled with ice and whiskey. The recent encounter from this morning consumed him and all of his thoughts. Which is why he didn’t notice Loki casually walk into the kitchen as well. Loki found this to be peculiar, since Bucky was the type to at least give an acknowledging scowl. “Penny for your thoughts?” Loki inquired, his voice low. Bucky swirled the ice in the glass before peeking up at him, “I had something… strange happen to me today.” “Oh?” “I uh-” Bucky sighed, putting the glass down a little harder than intended. “I swear I bumped into someone from my past. But it makes no sense. She would have to be, what? Over a hundred years old? It was her but it wasn’t her.” His hands expressed the bafflement he felt through their motions.

“You’re over a hundred, James.” Loki reminded. Bucky’s eyes narrowed, “yeah, I know.” He asserted. “But this was different. I don’t know how to explain it.” “Hmm.” Loki hummed to himself, looking over Bucky. Taking a step forward, extending out his hand out, “show me.” “Show you?” Bucky retorted, disgruntled by the question. “And just how would I do that?” Loki grinned, “I was raised by Witches, boy. There are many things I can see that people don’t understand.” Without waiting for an answer, Loki took Bucky’s flesh hand and pressed it flat between his. “What are you-” “Shh!” Loki planted his feet firmly, looking into Bucky’s eyes- which widened with concern. What would Loki see looking into his mind? His memories? Would he recount the same faces and what he’d done to them that haunt Bucky every single night? He suddenly felt overwhelmed with anxiety. Bucky stared back at Loki- his normal cobalt blue eyes started to glow a bright green. “Ah,” Loki breathed, “found it.” Flashbacks of today as well as the carnival shared between the two as a birds-eye view, like watching Bucky’s memories as if they were a movie. “Tell me, James,” Loki smirked while watching the images, “do you know what reincarnation is?” “What? Like being born again?” Bucky spat, feeling ridiculous. Loki laughed, “I’m afraid it’s much more in depth than people think.” Bucky raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to explain further. “Rare is it that one is given such an opportunity.” Loki breathed, astounded.

Rolling his eyes, Bucky sighs, “What the fuck are you even trying to say here, Loki?” “I’m saying,” he kept his voice low, trying to maintain patience, “that this universe somehow deemed you worthy of a second chance… with your soulmate.” “Soulmate?!” Bucky’s voice was loud, incredulous. “I haven’t seen this before,” Loki answered, fascinated at the scenes playing before them, “A soul brought back in the same lifetime to make up for time lost. Destiny can be a finicky thing.” “You’re saying that we were meant to be together all those years ago?” Bucky swallowed hard, his stomach twisting inward on itself. “Yes. And decisions made that weren’t your own affected that outcome. You’ve been given the opportunity to actually live out your true fate.” The eerie green glow faded from Bucky’s eyes as Loki pulled his hands away. He saw many things but decided to only show Bucky what pertained to this conversation. The screams already a sound he knew he wouldn’t forget anytime soon. The two always had a mutual understanding of each other. They typically got along, more so than the rest of the team. Their history often left preconceived tension with people, but they never judged one another. Just themselves. “So,” Bucky scratched the back of his head, “what do I do now?” “You, my friend,” Loki gripped Bucky’s shoulder, “go get a happy ending.”

If you enjoyed this, please check out my Masterlist. Requests are open!

@peaches1958 @aquabrie @elsie-bells @pono-pura-vida @redbloodedgurl @almosttoopizza @beware-my-thorns @prettylittlepluviophile @annoyinglythoughtfuldestiny @calwitch @ozwriterchick @roofwitty779 @lessersole @lil-darhk @agoddoesnotplead @saranghaey @erinallene @mrsvxder @elizabeth916 @cjand10 @bucky-barnes-lover @wintrsoldrluvr @skulliecadaver-blog

[enriquemzn262]

Talking about anime, time to mention the shows I’m watching this season:

Dandadan

I remember trying the manga when it first came out, dropped it after the second chapter since I fucking hate high school shit, but the anime looked well animated and the intro kicks ass, so I gave it a second chance and hooooly shit, it’s really fucking good! The start is indeed sloppy, but once aliens and spirits make their debut, it’s all uphill from there!

Great animation, characters and fight scenes galore, plus a surprisingly heartfelt and tragic story in the seventh episode, 10/10 so far!

Ranma 1/2

I grew up with the OG series, so it holds a special place in my heart, and man if the remake hasn’t disappointed me in the slightest! Great animation, amazing music, the characters feel even more charming than before, and even Akane got toned down from her bitchy self I still clearly remember from way back when.

Apparently the adaptation is much closet to the manga than the OG series, hence why it has faster pacing and somewhat more mellowed characters, and after reading that that means that piece of shit happosai is no longer becoming a recurring nightmare, I can honestly say I’m even more excited for this one !

Dragon Ball Daima

I’m latino, if I don’t watch this I’ll be banned from ever enjoying arepas again… Naw, I’ve been watching Dragon Ball for basically all my life, so of course I have to watch this one, plus OG DB was always my favorite, and this one truly captures the essence of that story!

Also, since its kid Goku again, his stupidity, which Super turned up to 11 for no good reason, finally makes in-universe sense, so that’s another plus!

TsumaSho

What everyone, myself included, wrote off as yet another ultra degenerate anime, this time about a dead wife reincarnating as a 10-year okd child, turned out to be quite the wholesome, if ultimately tragic (especially after the last episode ) series about a broken family of a dad and an adult daughter slowly recovering from 10 years of grief and darkness after the said death wife AND mother comes back and basically tells them “time to get your shit together you stupid idiots”, which, they do.

The mom character is the best, as while she’s reconnecting with her old family, she has to deal with her new one in the form of a broken divorced mom who keeps unintentionally hurting her, all because her own home life was a living nightmare, while her love life is nothing but betrayals.

It sorta reminds me of the weird telenovelas I used to watch at a friend’s house, but in a good way, don’t let the weird premise drive you off, it is not perverted in the slightest!

And that’s about it! I tried another anime about a slime girl, dropped it one episode in (I didn’t like its humor), then another about a sentient robot arm thing, dropped it after the third episode (mainly because the tone was all over the place), and another about the fan of a magical girl accidentally becoming evil, kinda like THAT degenerate anime from the beginning of the year, only not degenerate, gave it a try because of that, turned out to be the most boring shit I’ve ever watched in a long while.

Honestly, this season has been weak in terms of number of good shows, but man the ones that are actually good are FANTASTIC!

[thepepsislvt]

so like SEE THE VISION also hi robin

so like backpacking for Dante on his motorcycle and him driving like an absolute maniac bc bro doesn’t have a license and then him making fun of us for holding on for dear life even though he likes it 🤭

you could do any dante but my hearts telling me 3

I totally didn't specify any Dante but just know that Dante 3 was in mind. I love that old man even though he is dumb asf 💔

I hope they can find a cure to his kind

Dante x Backpacking gn reader

Warnings: Dante, Dante's driving, Slight innuendos but nothing to nsfw

Manic and reckless are two of many words describing Dante’s driving. Or just Dante himself. His lifestyle was all just reckless. He drove around on his motorcycle like he owned the place or didn’t have a license. In his mind, the first part was true; in everyone’s mind, the second half was true. It was truly a wonder how he hadn’t killed anyone yet. He has injured himself multiple times riding around but never his backpack. And you sure as hell weren’t going to be the first.

You clung onto his waist tightly from behind as he wanted to go for a joy ride with you. You made a mental note to decline to ride with Dante and go with Lady the next time. When Dante hit a particularly deep pothole in the road, it sent you both airborne and off the motorcycle by a couple of inches causing you to scream. Dante chuckled at your scream and decided to rev his bike loudly and go even faster.

“Dante! Slow down! I am not dying to your stupid ass driving!” You would yell over his shoulder for him to hear through the wind and his helmet which he kindly let you wear. 

He sighed and decided to slow down,  looking for a place to park. Dante suddenly got an idea and now the city wasn’t such a great place to park anymore. With another rev to his bike, the two of you started going faster once more. Before you can scold him once more, he hits a curb sending the two of you off the road. The dirt and rocks underneath the tires of his bike made for a really uncomfortable and bumpy ride. 

There was one instance where you thought Dante was going to hit a deer but right at the last second, he made a sharp turn to avoid the poor animal. The sharp turn almost caused you to fall off his motorcycle. Dante had luckily grabbed your arm with one of his hands, keeping you hanging onto him.

Finally, the rough ride was over. Dante finally made a halt on top of a hill outside of the city. But in normal Dante fashion, he gripped the breaks making the stop abrupt. He kicked his kickstand and tilted his beloved Cavaliere to sit on the stand. Dante threw one leg over the bike to be able to turn his body towards you. 

“Dante I swear to Sparda” You had started to say, sliding off the bike to land on your back into the tall grass below your feet. “You need to start driving better or you will be on your little rides alone.”

“Awe did somebody not have fun? And here I thought I was a pretty good driver. You wound me” Dante gave a fake hurt voice paired with his stupid little pouty face that you love so much.

You gave him a groan loud enough to hear through the helmet you had yet to take off, too busy trying to keep your heart in your chest with how much it was beating. Dante stood up from sitting to stretch his muscles. Dante then fell to lay on top of you.

“Baby c’mon, you didn’t die. You’re safe and in the arms of your skilled driver and totally awesome boyfriend” The white-haired man said, wrapping his arms around you to trap you in his hold and tapping his head against your helmet. 

Dante then moved one of his hands to click the side of your helmet causing the visor to flip up, revealing your eyes glaring right at him. He raised an eyebrow and attempted to move the visor back down to avoid your gaze. 

“You’re no fun. As much as I love it when you’re mad at me, I can’t stand seeing your eyes burning a hole in my sense of humor.” 

With that, you tilted your head away and started wiggling your arms out of his grasp. Once you were mostly free, you removed the helmet from your head. 

“Awe there you are my little killjoy” Dante teased you even more causing you to blush and push his head away. “I’m sorry you can’t handle how fast I drive baby, but Cavaliere needs to go fast and so do I”

Dante laid his head on your chest to listen to your heartbeat which was now somewhat calmed down from its previous racing state

.“You’re so dumb, Dante” You ran your hands through his white hair causing the overgrown man baby to cuddle into your chest even further. 

“But you love me” Dante says before perking up to look at you in the eyes. “I have an idea! What if I taught you to ride? You think it will be a more pleasurable experience for you?”

You gave the manner a thought before shrugging your shoulders. You gave him a brief ‘maybe’ before pulling his head back down to lie on your chest.

“Great! You can practice on the rider if you get what I’m referring to” 

You couldn’t see his face but you already knew he had a smug look and wiggled his damn eyebrows. You gave him a light bash at the back of his head causing him to suck air through his teeth. Before he can protest anymore you pull his head back by his hair and smash your lips into his.

“I love you asshole” You pull away for a second to breathe and speak your mind before pulling him into a kiss once more. “But you get on my nerves”

Dante was surprised that you had decided to kiss him. He knows you love him but even he knows he can be a handful. In the typical Dante fashion, he decided to speak up with a comeback.

“There is one particular nerve I am hoping to hit” He gave you a cheesy ass grin. Oh if only you could wipe the smug look off his face.

“I wish I kept my mouth shut. You simply are too much at times” You pushed his head away causing him to groan, already missing the feeling of your lips. “Always knowing how to ruin a moment. But I guess it wouldn’t be you if you didn’t open that big mouth of yours”

“I know something else I can do with this big mouth of mine”

“Dante?”

“Love of my life?”

“Shut up, please”

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

i am so obsessed with how you write the poly relationship w wolverine and deadpool, i would love to see more!!!

"Come on Peanut, we're going out!" Wade declared, throwing him his jacket.

Logan groaned and took a drag off his cigar, exhaling slowly. He'd been looking forward to a night in. To some quiet. Wade had been going out with friends tonight, going to carouse and be obnoxious. Laura was busy. Altha was out... It was going to be bliss.

Absolute bliss.

And now that was shot to hell.

"Where are we going?"

"Karaoke," Wade said, "The sweet little angel baby who lives upstairs is going. And so are all her super hot friends."

"Christ," Logan groaned. Wade's sex drive made his look low. But. If you were going at least he'd have someone to talk to. You could talk intelligently about... a lot of shit. And your sense of humor was good.

"Just remember," Wade called over his shoulder, "No stabbing in front of the normies."

________________

"Su-i-cide. Su-i-cide. Su-i-cide."

The crowd took up Wade's chant and you rolled your eyes.

"Good fucking luck, My brain is like 90% song lyrics," you caution, sipping from the pint you'd been nursing.

"That's the price you gotta pay, Angel," Wade teased, fluttering non existant lashes, "if you wanna save Logi-bear from having to sing you gotta take all the songs I want."

"You get 3-"

"7" he countered.

"5, asshole"

"Done!" he said, jumping off the stool and going to put your songs in.

Logan looked at you and shook his head. Your friends had left to go dancing and you bowed out. And for the last two hours you'd been... theirs. "You don't have to do that," he said.

"The mob has spoken. Also, even if I sound like shit they're all drunk so. It's fine. Pretty sure Wade doesn't want to humiliate me. He just wants me to sing something."

He nodded, "Probably." Wade definitely didn't want you humiliated. He wanted you in their bed- Logan was on the fence about it. Something was... wrong with you. Fragile. And he didn't know if you could handle it, honestly. Or if they could handle you.

Your name is announced along with the song and you roll your eyes. "He would. He fucking would. I mentioned this ONE TIME." But you go, Taking the mic and casually giving Wade the finger as you step up and take your first breath. Only to start 'Holding out for a Hero'.

The line up gave you a headache.

'Holding out for a Hero' 'Baby Got Back' 'I'm the Only One' 'Work it' And then to cap the whole thing off 'Lucky' Honestly, either Wade didn't know how old you were or forgot that music tended to stick around for a good long while. But You did all 5, Blind with no time to prep and did your best to kill it. And hell if you didn't need water when you were done.

"Dick," you tell him, without any actual heat, "I told you-"

"And I bow to the queen," he said. "Logan, I'm in love!"

Logan snorted. "She can do better."

"See," you tell Wade, taking the water he offered and a chair gratefully, "someone knows how to charm a girl."

Wade clutched his chest and took own seat, "Angel baby, I'm hurt. We're a package deal. And I'll have you know I can be VERY charming."

"Mhmm."

"Help me out here, Peanut-"

"Oh no, this is all you. You wanna fuck the girl, you gotta do the work."

You pause, drink half way to your mouth and clear your throat, setting it down, "Pardon me?" You'd been operating under the assumption that this was all just banter. Harmless fun. Wade and Logan were together. Wade flirted with EVERYONE. Logan was a grumbly old man but he was a softy when he wanted to be. You liked them. You knew they liked you. But you didn't know it was LIKE that. At least for Wade.

"Look at her," Wade said "She's precious-"

Logan cleared his throat. You didn't smell aroused. And he could hear your heart racing. "Sorry, kid," he said. "I thought-"

"I-uh... Excuse me for a second?" You hop off your stool and grab your bag, weaving your way through the room to the ladies room. Taking a second to take a breath. To think. You lean on the sink and wonder if you've had too much to drink. But you know you haven't. And you know no one's drugged you. Wade's beat the shit out of people for doing that- and Logan would never. They're good guys. Not creeps. Certified good guys, really. So why- this is wild.

And it doesn't happen to girls like you.

People don't want you like that. Unless it's a weird fetish thing. Or they're hobosexual. Or some other reason. But they don't want you for you. No one ever does, at least not for long. But you like them. They're friends. Will they stay friends if you say no? If you say yes what happens? Do you even want to say yes? What the fuck is happening? There are a lot of thoughts in your head. Too many.

And when you make your way out of the Bathroom, going to duck outside to get a breath of fresh air, an unfamiliar chest stops you. "You did Pretty good tonight," the oily voice said.

"Thanks, Randy," you tell him, stepping back. The Karaoke creep. You all laugh at him. He uses cash advances at strip clubs and tucks in his polos. The most divorced man to have ever lived.

"Suicides are hard. They're not for everyone," he said, picking his teeth with a coke nail. "But for a retar-"

"Hey fuckface," Wade said, "that's not a nice word." He inserted himself deftly between you and the other man and leaned on the bar, "Didn't you ever learn not to say fucking slurs?"

"Wade," you tell him, "It's just Randy it's not that-"

"She's retarded and you're fuck ug-" A crack and a clang made you help and this time it was Logan standing there as Randy crumbled to the floor.

"And he has bad hair plugs," Wade said. "Only one of us has a problem. And he paid for his."

[lyra-kane]

Here are my ranking of characters in the caraval/ouabh world (it's long read at ur own risk)

1.jacks ..duh

The archer? The prince of hearts? Imagine having more iconic titles than these!

I really love his character it's very well written. He's not the typical morally gray who is always grumpy he has a really good sense of dark humor, which adds more to his character. Bro also literally dyed his hair blue after he got his heart broken, and he eats apple to stop his urge from kissing? I can't..😭 the way he teased eva? Hehehe, he had me giggling. I love sm their banter! Also, don't get me started on "there's nothing of equal value to me" bro just take my heart😔🫶 also him trying to teach eva how to defend herself then come saving her each time>>>

2.Evangeline

She literally the softest character and she didn't lose her feminine vibes and got cold because the world was against her she fought for what she believes in and LITERALLY THE FIRST FMC TO CONFEESS TO THE ML also she's vulnerable and forgiving she still had progress at the end ! She's the best example of coquette girl 🎀🩷 she isn't blinded by revenge like other mc she just want to live happily with jacks and she didn't sit and wish for it to happen she fought for love! She confessed to Jacks , and she kissed him herself! she's one of my favorite FMC!🥰💕

3.Scarlett

Scarlett is the most caring person she always put other needs above herself, especially if it comes to her sister since she was her only family I think when their mother left she felt like she had to fill that role since older sister kinda have a protective side to their younger siblings she even was ready to marry a man by his letters for that, I'm so glad she meet Julian because they just fit together! The way she was ready to make him hate her just so he can be free... I love that woman, a true empress indeed❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥🤌

4. Julian santos

I will try to keep it short from now! I love that men the way he only had was following his brother's script, but he was ready to change it just for her , bro even gave a day from his life for her so she'd wake up to not miss the game. He got a crimson tattoo to not forget her😭 he was ready to fight to save her at the end ! They're literally my babies..😔💓also we're getting his pov in the spectacular hehehehe🤭

5. Lala

I just love iconic women who love fashion, ngl. I was mad at her when I learned she was responsible for the curse, but in the end jacks did worse things💀, plus she did save eva she also supported her till the end!girlie was ready to kill aurora for her! Also, I hope she can finally find love, and it lasts! I need a book for her with chaos, hehehe 🤭

6.chaos

Ok, i was mad when he killed eva, but I get it. I can't imagine being turned to a vampire, then had to wear a helmet for God knows how many years that prevent me from drinking blood. It's not like he had control on himself, but I'm sure he was traumatized when he realized what he did! I'm so curious to learn more about him too, and plus he did have iconic moments that made me giggle 🤭 I also have a thing for vampires ...😔💕

7. Dontella

Ok, to be honest, I'm neutral about her. I don't like her nor hate her. Yes, she was annoying sometimes, but do I think that she deserves to HATED ? No hate is a strong word. Also, I actually would defend her from the people who accuse her of not caring about scarlet.. I mentioned it before in another post..

8.legend

Ok, cool, sometimes , but ugh, I hate how he treated Julian sm...also the whole grandma thing...ik he's immortal and old, but why stephanie?😭

I'm not a fan of him. Also neutral although he does have moments I enjoyed, like when he visited tella Dreams or some moments as dante, i hope he grows on me in spectacular 👍

[elliespassagerprincess]

i literally read ur five everyday i love them sm and i was wondering if u could make a angsty with a happy ending ellie x reader inspired by bubblegum by clairo

Bubblegum - (ellie williams x reader)

hi anon! thank youuu sm!! i hope you enjoy this fic... i tried something new:)

This story is based off the song Bubblegum by Clairo! if you can please listen to the song as you're reading:)

Pairing: ellie x fem!reader

requests are open! send me your silly thoughts

warnings: none

Summary: in which you fell in love

authors note: the good doctor season 7 has me in tears man, like bro why did they have to kill Asher????

masterlist

You never thought this day would come. You thought this would only be a fantasy.

If you told 15 year old you that you would be standing in front of Ellie Williams at the alter, she would've laughed.

Both of you wanted this day to be perfect, and it was. The flowers, your dress and her suit, the seating arrangements, everything was perfect.

She looked at you with such love, love that you have only seen in Disney movies.

The two of you held hands as it was time for your vows. Her hands felt soft, and she held you so gently.

Ellie had to go first. Her palms were slightly sweaty. She was nervous.

Very fucking nervous.

You gave her hand a light squeeze and you gave her a small smile. That was all she needed.

"Sorry I didn't kiss you but it's obvious I wanted to"

You smiled as you remembered the awkward memory.

It was a sleepover at Dina's house, the two of you were only 15. It was you, Dina, Jesse and Ellie.

Oh Ellie.

Ellie Williams.

When Ellie and Joel arrived in Jackson you were immediately drawn to her.

She was pretty.

Really pretty.

Very early on you developed feelings for her. You liked the way she drew pictures, you liked the way she cut her hair, you liked her sense of humor. You liked Ellie for her.

When Dina invited you to the sleepover, you almost burst with joy. This was your moment.

Ellie was anxiously packing her bag for the sleepover.

She needed to impress you. She packed all her best outfits. She really fucking liked you.

The four of you played 7 minutes in heaven and the bottle landed on you and Ellie. Dina squealed knowing the two of liked each other.

You were pissing yourself, and Ellie was wondering how she smelled.

She was going to make a move. She needed to let you know how she felt. The two of you walked into the closet, and Dina locked the door behind you.

"Hi" you muttered softly

"hey" Ellie said back.

The two of you sat in awkward silence.

C'mon Ellie make your move

"What's your favorite color?" She suddenly blurted.

A smile spread onto your face before you answered "pink".

The two of you spoke so many things in that few minutes you had together. You learned so much about her.

"You have 2 minutes!" Dina yelled from the other side of the door.

"This was fun" you smiled

"it was... we should talk more often"

She was so close to you. So fucking close. You could feel her breath on your face.

'C'mon move Ellie' she thought to herself.

But before Ellie could make her move, you leaned in to kiss her. Her lips were so so soft. You've been dreaming about this for months.

Ellie's eyes widened at the sudden feeling. She wanted to lean in. She wanted to kiss you back but she was in a state of shock.

Ellie pulled away, and she started at you with a blank expression.

"Times up!" Dina opened the door with a smile.

Ellie got up and she ran out the closet.

You felt embarrassed. Humiliated.

You thought you had a connection, but clearly you were wrong.

Fuck you hated yourself

Ellie would probably never look at you again.

You were so fucking embarrassing.

"Bubble gum down my throat and it's a curse

But my luck couldn't get any worse

'Cause I swallowed the bubble gum

Oh, and these seven years will be pretty dumb

Pink flowers grow from my skin

Pepto Bismol veins and I grin"

It felt like seven years had gone by.

Its been 4 years since the kiss, but it felt like its been longer. After the kiss situation with Ellie, she avoided you like the plague. She never spoke to you again and you hated yourself for that.

Not only did you lose the girl you felt so deeply for, you lost someone you considered a best friend.

Little did you know she was beating herself up too. She was mad at herself for walking away. She was mad at herself for not kissing you back.

She was too embarrassed to look at you.

Ellie never tried again with any other girl, her heart belonged to you. Even though she wasn't sure what she would do to win you back, she knew one day you'd be hers.

Every time you would walk into a room where Ellie was she stopped breathing. If was as if bubblegum was stuck in her throat.

She wanted to talk to you, but the words were stuck.

Every time you were close to her, she'd always imagine all the things she would say, how you'd react, all the possibilities of what could have been.

But she was too pussy to say something about it.

As if her luck couldn't get worse Joel died. Everyone in Jackson could see how it affected her.

Ellie was sad but she was soon filled with rage. She had to go after whoever killed Joel. When she decided to leave Jackson, she had to say bye to you.

Ellie walked to where your house was and she knocked on the door. You opened it and she remembered you were wearing a pink flower dress.

Why was she here?

"I'm leaving Jackson"

Your eyes widened and you stayed silent for a while.

"I'm coming with you"

You stayed by her side the whole time. You were there for her the whole time.

One night you woke up to voices talking downstairs. Cautiously you walked down the stairs and you saw Ellie sitting with Tommy.

"Hi Tommy" you smile.

He gave Ellie a serious look before he walked out, not even saying bye to you.

Ellie turned to you with a sad look, and you could feel the tension in the air.

"You look so nice in your shirt" you say hoping to ease the tension.

It didn't work.

She told you about Abby. She told you that Tommy found her. She told you that she was leaving you to find her. You stayed silent as she explained everything to you.

"Say something" she begged.

"This is sad"

"What is?"

"It's sad because it just hurts"

You stayed silent before speaking up again: "I understand you miss Joel, but killing her wont bring him back. You're choosing someone else over us."

"We're not even together" Ellie hissed.

"I never forced you to come with me"

"Fuck Ellie don't you see?" You yelled "I'd do anything for you, but would you do that for me, too?"

She stayed silent at your words.

"I left my life for you, i wanted to be with you. I loved you Ellie! Open your fucking eyes"

She never responded, she got up and she walked out the door.

"Run like you always fucking do!"

She left you. She was gone for 3 months. You were going to give up hope.

Until you heard the front door opened. You ran down the stairs and you saw her in all her glory.

She was bloody, dirty and she had a few fingers missing.

"You're still here" she said with relief she fell to her knees and you ran to her.

Tears fell from both your eyes before Ellie muttered "killing her wont bring him back"

You smiled as Ellie retold the story in her vows. The officiant cleared her throat "i now pronounce you... wife and wife! You may now kiss your wife"

Ellie immediately grabbed your face, and the two of you shared a passionate kiss.

The crowd erupted in cheers, and you felt her smile into the kiss.

This is what you've always dreamed of.

<3

[cillianmesoftlyyy]

I Can Fix That... Pt. 3 | Jonathan Crane x fem!reader

notes: And the plot and smut continues hehe. In this installment I used Lady Arkham as inspiration. She is originally a DC character/villian. The backstories that I included here are all based on the original DC comicbook/nolanverse lore. I literally used Batman wiki for additional research.

Summary| Crane brought a woman home. That was definitely not something he ever anticipated that he would ever do. He needs to trust her and she's starting to have second thoughts. Was leaving Gotham the right thing for her to do? Yes, she likes Crane but does she like him enough? What is he hiding from her? Oh honey, he was hiding a lot...

Warnings| Fire, mentions of a gun, drugs, smut- fingering, teasing, masturbation, dubious consent, the word "r*pe" is used once, unprotected sex, oral (m receiving). Violence, death, insanity, overdose (no death), infidelity, murder, police violence, trauma, abandonment, general unpleasantness.

word count: 8086k

Lonely Day- System of a Down 🎵

Love Song- Jack Off Jill 🎶

Superstar- Sonic Youth 🎵

Please please please read warnings for this one- we're going over childhood trauma

i 

The helicopter landed in an open field in the outskirts of the city. She and Crane climbed out and ducked beneath the blades as they crossed the pasture. 

“We’re outside the city now. We’re safe here and depending on how Ra’s plan goes, we can stay here.” Crane looked down at the girl beside him. She watched the helicopter, distractedly, as it rose into the air and flew away. The field around them immediately quieted without the presence of the aircraft and they could hear the other breathe for the first time in a while. 

“Where do we go now?” She looked around them at the expanse of pasture and wild flowers hidden in the dark. 

“Over this hill.” Crane started walking and she followed, staying a few paces behind him. When they reached the top of the hill, she saw an old scarecrow standing in a field, empty of crops. The man was made of burlap and covered with rags. Straw exploded out of the scarecrow’s body. She looked at Crane who’d stopped to look at the scarecrow. Sensing her beside him, he glanced back at her and clenched his jaw. He gave no explanation or story and she didn’t want to ask because she didn’t want to cause him more pain. They walked a little farther and as they did, a large house came into view. Crane pointed it out to her with a sneer, directed at the house, not at her, “and there’s my father’s house.” 

The lights inside the mansion were on and it leaked light across the landscape that separated them. 

“Is your father home?” She asked and he chuckled darkly. 

“No, I had the housekeeper open the house for us. Just like with the helicopter, I find it is always useful to play your cards carefully. I was suspicious of Ra’s because I’m suspicious of everyone, even you,” he nodded down at her and she frowned slightly. “I don’t make friends easily, they often disappoint me.” He smiled at his own self-effacing humor. 

“Have I disappointed you?” She asked him. He turned his icy blue eyes to her and shook his head.

“No but we aren’t friends,” he laughed lightly and looked back at the house in the distance. 

“No? Then what are we?” She pouted a little, looking down at her feet and then to his face. 

“We’re more,” he answered evenly and began to walk again. She blushed and hurried to follow him, hiding her smile. Crane even smiled, blocking out the bad memories of the place they now found themselves in. He was no longer scared of the scarecrow but the memories he associated with the figure in the field did little to comfort him. They walked on until they reached the front gate and Crane typed in a passcode on an elaborate screen. The gates were black iron with sharp spikes fixed to the top and they opened with a long and droning squeak. The driveway changed to gravel as Crane led her up to the front door and he pulled on the lion’s head door knocker, releasing a loud door chime inside the house. One wing of the house, she noticed, was burned. 

“You’re right, I’m starting to realize that I really know nothing about you.” She looked up at the large gothic mansion above her.

“That,” Crane turned his head to her and sighed as if it were obvious, “is what a second date is for.” 

The front door opened and a man in a tuxedo greeted them coldly, reminding her of Crane. 

“Welcome back, doctor.” The butler deadpanned and Crane pushed past, wiping his feet in the entryway. She followed suit and nodded to the butler, smiling excitedly. 

“This is Miss —; Miss Y/N Y/L/N.” Crane gestured his hand carelessly between them and continued on into the reception hall. All the walls were carved from solid wood into even square panels. 

“Welcome to the Crane House, ma��am.” The butler bowed his head briefly and followed them. She nodded her head in thanks and became immediately enraptured by the spooky house. “Shall we serve dinner now or would you like to change?” 

Crane turned and cleared his throat, his eyes trying to focus on the room without his glasses. “We’ll change first, Hobbs.” 

“There are clothes laid out in the bedrooms.” The butler bowed and disappeared behind a swinging door. She turned to Crane and laughed. 

“What the hell is this place?” She asked in a bewildered whisper. Crane chuckled, finding the girl adorable in her amazement. 

“This is my childhood home.” 

“So this is where the famous Dr. Crane was raised. I’m intrigued.” She batted her eyelashes and ran up some of the stairs, her fingers trailing the thick banisters. Crane smiled and followed her. 

“Do you like seeing this side of me? Does it thrill you?” His voice prodded her heart and her legs became wobbly. 

“Everything about you does that,” she stood one step above him and cupped his face. She ran her finger down his angular cheekbone and swiped across his wide chapped lips. She kissed his neck and beneath his jaw before finally kissing his lips. 

“For now,” he whispered as she pulled away. They climbed the rest of the stairs up to the second floor and Crane led her down a tight hallway. Animal heads were mounted on the walls and she studied them with a mixed sense of appreciation. Crane pushed open a door with a crystal doorknob. 

“This is your room,” he swept his hand through the room and she gasped in awe. The one room was nearly the size of her entire apartment in Gotham. The walls were painted with elaborate murals. She stepped hesitantly into the room and twirled, wanting to see every inch of the place. Crane looked on from the door, his lips spread into a smile. 

“I’m glad you like it,” he laughed and she ran into his arms, smiling. 

“I love it! I am officially living out one of my dreams.” She pulled down on his collar and kissed him. She pushed her tongue into his mouth and kissed him deeper, her fingers now brushing across the soft skin on his neck. Crane sighed through his nose and found her waist, resting his hands on the indents of her hips. The excitement of the day prompted a sense of adventure and need inside her and she communicated that through her kiss. She bit playfully on Crane’s bottom lip and moaned (intentionally) against him to fluster him. She felt his body shutter from the suggestive sounds she made against him. Her cunt throbbed wantingly and she could feel her heartbeat in her upper thighs. 

“Mhm!” She hummed and caught her breath as Crane’s hands slipped to the base of her back. 

“You never get tired, do you?” He muttered against her huskily and she shook her head. 

“No, Dr. Crane.” She whispered with a soft whine and licked his bottom lip before kissing him harder. She felt his cock twitch on his pants as he pressed himself against her. 

“Good, because neither do I,” he bit the point of her jaw gently and kissed over the hickies he had already made on her neck the night before. He looked all rumpled and hot in his suit after the action of the day and she desperately wanted to undress him. She wanted to fuck him like a normal couple, not tied down to a mortuary slab where she couldn’t even touch him. God, she wanted to touch him. She dragged one hand down to his crotch and cupped his cock through his pants. She rubbed her hand against the half-hard bulge and moaned pitifully as if she were the one getting touched. 

“You’re pathetic,” Crane smirked and pulled her head back gently by her hair. She nodded with a pleased smile, happy that he saw her for what she really was and what she really wanted. He kissed her hard, taking her breath away, and sucked on her tongue so deep she felt like she might choke. When he pulled away and dropped his hold on her neck, his lips were pink and his eyes heavy with lust. She knew her face was flushed and that it turned him on but instead of acting on it, Crane leaned back against the door jam and jerked his head at the bed. 

“Hobbs laid out some clothes for you. I hope they fit, I went through your closet to find your size but I trusted Hobbs and his wife with the shopping.” He smirked, proud of himself for leaving the girl so horny, it made him even harder. He left the room and closed the door, his erection still pressing against his pants. 

ii 

She went down the stairs and looked around for the dining room, turning her curious head left and right. The clothes that had been laid out for her were simple and elegant. A long black dress with a boat neck that she wore with the burgundy stockings set beside it. She’d worn her black mary janes and run a brush through her hair, knowing that would be enough to help her look put together. She followed the sound of a crackling fire and polite conversation through a far door. Crane looked up as she entered and looked her up and down, his eyes sticky against her curves. 

“What do you think?” She gestured to her dress and gave a slow twirl. The butler and his wife stood to the side, watching her with small, pleased smiles. Crane leaned forward, resting his elbows on the white tablecloth. 

“Apparently, my housekeepers have extraordinary taste.” He smirked and stood as she walked to her place at the table on his right. 

“High praise,” she smiled at Hobbs. As they sat together, Hobbs served their dinner of smoked ham. She took a long sip of the gin martini from her glass and swirled the stem with her wrist.

“It’s hard to believe that we were in Gotham just an hour or two ago.” She took in his body dressed in a black suit without his usual tie. His face was clean and he’d refreshed his hair with some gel, the smell was comforting. 

“Tonight could have ended very differently…” he looked at his food. The butler and his wife left the room, going back into the kitchen.

“Thank you for what you said this morning,” she flicked her eyes up to his. He looked back and caught his breath. She looked stunning and he felt the need to pinch himself to remember where they were and how they’d gotten there in the first place. He remembered telling her to do as he said because he wanted her to live and he worried that Ra’s would go back on his word, and as he suspected, Ra’s had, just not with her. 

“I’m just glad that we came to our agreement when we did, before Ra’s. I’ll admit that my desire to keep you alive was more selfish than chivalrous because I needed you for my own reasons.” 

“Like what?” She raised her eyebrow and cut a piece of meat. It melted on her tongue and she swallowed it slowly, watching him. 

“I have plans for Gotham, plans that would involve you,” he cocked his head towards her, adding, “of course. I don’t know yet how Ra’s plans will play out but I suspect that he will fail. Batman will think that he’s saved the city from ‘bad guys’ but,” he leaned in closer, “I’m not so easily defeated and I suspect that we’ll run into each other again.”

“Are you sure that you can trust me with these plans of yours,” she opened herself up to him and stood, looming over Crane in his seat,” these plans that also include me?” She rested her knee on the edge of his seat between his legs, straddling his thigh. Crane looked up at her calmly, unmoved by the position of her knee against his crotch or the heat of her cunt hovering above his thigh. Crane watched her for a moment, letting a heavy silence fall between them before inhaling and shifting his torso closer as if he were going to whisper something to her. 

“Like I told Ra’s,” he started quietly, his eyes dark and harsh at the candlelight table. His hand squeezed the bottom of her thigh above her knee, she gasped quietly, “I’ll make sure that I can trust you…” his hand snaked up the inside of her thigh beneath her dress. He pulled the edge of her stocking away from her thigh and let it snap painfully back against her skin. “Won’t I?” He asked darkly as his forehead creased slightly. She gasped again as his hand found her underwear and stroked her clothed cunt. “Won’t. I?” He sneered and she remembered to nod. “Answer me,” he snapped and brushed his fingers past the crotch of her underwear, spreading the wetness between her legs with the pads of his fingertips. 

“Yes,” she hissed breathlessly, closing her eyes as he rubbed her cunt, creating a dangerous friction. 

“You’re pissing me off, detective.” He growled and roughly began to finger her, shoving two fingers harshly inside. She yelped and looked down at Crane, his eyes flashed. 

“Why, Dr. Crane?” She wrapped her fingers around the base of his neck, her thumb sitting right below his adam's apple. She smiled when his other hand gripped her thigh harder. She moved her hips on his fingers and he watched with interest as she dripped around his fingers. “How can I fix it for you?” She purred against his cheek, moaning softly as he fingered her and teased her clit with his thumb. She began to pant and instinctively moved her thighs together as the pleasure became too much. She squeezed around his fingers and her hands tightened around his throat, about to cum.  

“Behave,” he whispered seriously and removed his fingers before she could finish. She groaned in frustration and held his face between her hands. 

“You’re such a tease, Jonathan.” She scolded him and he smiled. 

“And you’re a horny little slut.” He whispered close to her lips and she shook her head, smiling giddily. 

“I’m just a horny little slut for you.” She ran her tongue across his lips, dragging it up to his nose. She let go of his face and plopped back into her chair, crossing her legs pointedly. Crane rolled his eyes and raised his fingers to his mouth. He sucked her juices from his hand as she watched and then finished his drink, ignoring her when she whined with lust. 

“You’re like a dog,” he rested his elbow on the table, “you think you’ll get what you want if you whine enough.” He delivered the sentence with a knowing look and returned to his food. She didn’t want to admit to herself how much that turned her on. She huffed and tucked her hair behind her ear and finished her martini hungrily. She finally had a moment to glance around the room and when she did, she saw a beautiful fire burning in a stone fireplace. 

“That’s beautiful,” she gestured to the fireplace carved with cherubs. Crane looked and nodded. 

“I think so too. We haven’t had fires in the fireplace since I was a child. You may have noticed that part of the house was destroyed.” 

She nodded.

“That’s because the house almost burned down when I was…” he frowned as he thought, “five or six?” He shrugged and sighed, looking into the blazing fire. “My father never let us use the fireplaces after that. It made for cold winters,” He flicked his eyes up to hers and she shivered. 

“I can imagine,” she thought back to her childhood in the orphanage, freezing at night during any season that wasn’t summer.

“The house will be a lot warmer now,” he said casually and allowed a small smirk to tug at his lips. 

“What happened to ‘behaving ourselves’?” She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow in fake disapproval. Crane chuckled and leaned back in his chair. 

“I have no idea what you mean,” he lied and they went back to eating when Hobbs entered with dessert. 

iii 

It was nearly 2am when they finally climbed the grand staircase to return to their rooms. There was a large common room that separated the two wings of the house on the second floor. The wing to their right was burned and stood empty. 

“Where’s your room?” She furrowed her brow as they walked down the hallway, passing the laundry chute. Crane pointed to a room at the mouth of the hallway, near the top of the stairs. Her’s was at the opposite end of the hallway. She smiled and spun around, facing her side of the hallway. She let him watch her walk away, moving her hips as loosely as she could manage. When she opened her door, she turned slightly and gave him a closed-mouth smile, her eyes teasing him. He crossed his arms and leaned against his door, his expression unreadable. She closed her door and did a few extra happy-spins for good measure. She kicked off her shoes and explored the bathroom, finding herself in a mood for a bath after not showering the night before. She turned on the bath’s faucet and filled the large tub with hot water. As she undressed, she spotted a row of cosmetics set out for her use, and included in the assortment was the shampoo that she used at home. A small part of her found it scary that Crane had obviously gone through her home to find the things she liked but more than that, she felt honored that he had planned his backup plan with her in mind. He’d asked the housekeepers to prepare her a room and stock it with clothes and shampoo, all just in case she came with him. He’d imagined her coming with him, and that nearly made her cry. She slipped into the hot water and scrubbed every inch of her body, trying to remove all of the sweat, dirt, and debris that had stuck to her skin over the past 24 hours. She washed her hair with the mint shampoo as Crane had guessed she used correctly before. The suds ran down her hair and between her shoulder blades as her hands worked the shampoo into her head. She ducked her head beneath the water and watched as her hair floated out around her head. When she came up for air, her hair stuck to her back and she sighed pleasantly. 

The bathroom was cold when she left the security of the hot water so she quickly wrapped herself in a thick towel and brushed her hair. She rubbed lotion into her dry skin and toweled off her hair. The housekeepers had given her numerous sets of pajamas in different styles. She guessed Crane had decided against going through her underwear drawer, what a gentleman. She liked soft lounge pants and t-shirts so she changed into the dark blue set they had provided for her and unmade her bed. The wide windows on the side wall looked out on the field and she could just barely see the outline of the scarecrow. The house itself had a strange and suffocating feel. She wondered what Crane may have endured here, what secrets he hid inside himself. 

She bit the inside of her cheek and found the gun that she’d brought with her from Gotham. She hid the gun behind the headboard of her bed and sat with her knees pressed up to her chest on the mattress. She wrapped her arms around her legs and shivered, goosebumps rose on her legs and she rocked back and forth, resting her head on her knee like a child. Should she feel guilty for betraying her precinct? Should she worry about Sgt. Gordon and Gotham itself? What had Gotham given her? How had it protected her? She felt torn between a route of righteousness and one of passion. Crane offered her a path to her own future set outside the laws of society where she could create her own identity. She didn’t want to be the good girl cop anymore, she wanted to be everything else and she wanted Crane. 

Crane was testing her. He wanted to see how badly she actually wanted him, how much she would fight to be with him. He needed her to be obsessed, foaming at the mouth at the thought of him. Maybe he was psychotic, sure (he was). His father certainly was and it usually runs in families. Crane’s manic obsession was her and he needed her, but before he could trust her, he had to be sure that she was totally and completely loyal to him. He knew she had her gun and he assumed she’d suffered more internal dialogue since escaping Gotham (he was a psychiatrist, so of course he knew these things). If he pushed her away would she cling to him more or feel the need to betray him? He had to admit that this test was grueling for him too. He didn’t think that he was capable of love or real attraction, he was a psychopath, literally. He’d studied himself as much as he had the subjects in his textbooks in school and he checked all the boxes but this- this- was a new development that he didn’t quite understand. It almost made him angry when he thought of the power she could wield over him if he got too close. She’d spoken so much of trust and he wanted to trust her. He did. But he’d trusted Ra’s, he’d trusted his father and at one point in his life he’d trusted Sgt. Gordon. Those relationships had not ended well. Then this prissy young detective comes along and confronts him with feelings he didn’t think he could have. That was why she was the subject of his fear toxin reaction. She’d found a way to matter to him and losing her had already become his worst fear. He wanted… oh god there were so many things that he wanted from her. He hoped that it wouldn’t take much longer because he was starting to lose patience. 

She stared at the ceiling above her bed and tried to touch herself. She didn’t have her vibrator and Crane had made a point of pushing her away, so she was left to rough it out with her hands. She hadn’t been stuck with just her bare hands since college. Her vibrator had obviously spoiled her and she felt nowhere near as much pleasure without it, though Crane had come extremely close the night before. She dug her heels into the mattress and bit her lip, concentrating as hard as she could on Crane. She remembered the way he spoke to her as he fucked her, how calm and direct he’d been with her body. They both had needs and desires and he hadn’t let insecurities or formalities stand in the way. Her body was craving a release that she’d teased it with twice already that day and she couldn’t fall asleep without trying to appease it. After ten minutes of heavy breathing and a sore arm she collapsed in frustration across her bed. She desperately wanted him and nothing was going to cut it unless it was him inside her. Something- anything. She groaned into her hands and kicked the blankets off of her. 

The door handle creaked and Crane shifted in his half-sleep haze. The bed moved around him and he was startled awake by the girl, straddling his hips. He kept a smile from his lips as he looked up at her. 

“What the hell are you doing?” He got out before her hand clamped around his mouth. She shushed him. 

“Listen here, Crane. Since we have an understanding,” she used his word for their relationship, “I’ll tell it to you straight. I want you. I need you. I have very few needs because I’m a simple girl, but right now, you’re one of them. I’ll ask you nicely and if you humor me, I won’t cause trouble.”

“Trouble?” His voice was muffled against her hand as he raised his eyebrow. 

“I have a whole round of trouble tucked away behind my headboard.” 

“Nice threat. So, you what? Want to rape me?” He propped himself up on his elbows. 

She hooked her finger around the collar of his black t-shirt and sighed. 

“You have such a dirty mind. Why do you have to make it sound so perverted?” She held his chin tightly in her hand and dragged her other hand down his chest stopping at the waistband of his pants. 

“That’s what it is, detective.” He cocked his head to the side and rested it on his shoulder. “Are you really going to do that to me?” 

“Says the man that strapped me to a slab and drugged me three times,” she held up three fingers to stress her point and shifted her hips on his crotch. 

“We both have problems, what do you want me to say?” 

“That you’ll fuck me,” she started to grind her hips and he withheld his sinful exhale. 

“Oh?” He said instead, “what if I’m too tired? Fucking is hard work.”

“Then let me do it,” she shrugged with a smile, “I’ll make us both feel good.” Crane raised a skeptical eyebrow and smirked. 

“You really didn’t get enough at dinner did you?” He teased and she shook her head. 

“You have no idea.”

He watched her rub herself against him and then slowly allowed his eyes to meet hers. She moaned just looking into his eyes and he laughed. 

“Ok, let’s see how you do.” He allowed her casually and watched as she bounced happily on his lap and scooted down to his knees. She pulled down the blanket and worked her hands below his waistband. He was already hard and she scoffed, pissed that he hadn’t admitted how turned on he was too. He smirked as she pulled his cock out of his pants and rolled her tongue around the tip. When she took him in her mouth he sighed softly, his mouth open as he watched her give him head. She swirled her tongue around his length and she bobbed her head up and down. She sucked and dragged her mouth slowly over him until he bucked softly into her mouth. She felt her stomach get hot with excitement and she worked harder, humming against him as she took him deeper. Crane clenched his fists and groaned. She pulled her mouth to the top of his cock and sucked hard, teasing his climax which she could tell was fast approaching. His forehead was creased and he squeezed his eyes shut, allowing his head to fall back with a low gasp. 

“Fuck alright, that’s enough,” He sat up again and smirked, “get what you want out of me.” He panted and ran his thumb over her bottom lip. She licked her lips and crawled off the bed. Crane watched her as she stepped out of her bottoms and straddled him once more, naked from the waist down. His erection rested against her stomach and he swallowed, staring at her bare cunt. 

“I hope you like what you see,” she whispered and removed her top. Her breasts shifted slightly against her skin as she moved and her hair fell around her in a sultry mess. “Because it all belongs to you now,” she pressed her hands against his stomach for balance and leaned closer. “But this,” she looked him up and down, landing on his beautiful eyes and smiling, “this belongs to me.” 

“Silly girl,” he barely shook his head as his eyes trained on her, “I don’t belong to anyone.” 

“We’ll see about that,” she shrugged and bit her lip as she lowered herself onto his cock. She whined in relief and moved her hips slowly. She was so wet he could her himself move inside of her as she fucked him. Crane’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he released a tight breath. 

“Fuuuuck…” he hissed and she squeezed around him, nearly orgasming just by hearing the pleasure in his voice. She panted breathlessly as she started to move up and down, her hands balanced on his navel where there was a thin dusting of hair. He thrusted up involuntarily and they both moaned. She sped up slightly, moving her hips back and forth. Crane’s hands found the fleshy handles of her hips and dug his fingers into her skin. He had laid back completely making it so that he had to raise his head when he wanted to watch how she snapped down on him. She let her head fall back and moaned loudly as his cock hit the right place each time. The pleasure was so good between her legs that her release felt like the desire to pee. When her climax snapped, her eyes rolled back and she gasped, riding it out and enjoying the pressure of him inside her as it carried her through the high. Her climax triggered his as he felt her cum around her. 

“You’re going to cum inside me,” she panted and whimpered through the sensations. 

“Is that an order?” He gritted out, his fingers leaving bruises on her hips. He was trying to hold off his orgasm but as she nodded and squeezed him again, he let himself cum inside her with a loud groan. She sat for a second longer as he finished and finally moved off. She cleaned him off, sucking his swollen cock and swallowing all of the excess cum and discharge that had collected along his length. He covered his face with his hands as he tried to catch his breath.

“Are you going to leave it in?” He asked in a deep, tired voice. 

“Your cum?” 

“Yes, are you going to leave it in you?” He removed his hands and watched as she crawled up the bed to sit beside him. 

“Do you want me to?” She let her hair fall around them and he twirled the end of one of the pieces. 

He thought for a moment before nodding his head, “yes.” She curled up beside him and draped her leg between his. He exhaled slowly and wrapped his arm around the back of her head, resting his hand on her shoulder. She rubbed her nose against his chest, breathing in the clean smell of his t-shirt. Crane closed his eyes and waited as her breathing became more regular and slow. She started to fall asleep, her hand clasped against his ribs. When she was asleep, he propped himself up on one arm and watched her. Words couldn’t describe how good that was, what she did for him. It was better than their first time when the roles had been reversed. He liked that she could touch him and explore him with a needily innocence like a horny teenager. Crane thought about his cum still sitting inside her, collecting around her inner-thighs. He kissed her as she slept deeply, licking the salty taste from her lips and swallowing. She made a noise in her sleep and he drew his hand around her perfect breast, admiring her body in the dull glow of the moon. Gotham would be no match for them once they were united. No one could stop them, not even themselves. Once they started they could never stop, they had to take everything from each other. His head fell back into his pillow and he kissed the curve of her throat before allowing himself to fall asleep beside her. He’d never slept with a woman after sex. She was the first. 

iv 

They woke up late in the morning and dressed warmly, both wearing sweaters and long pants. Crane had traded in his suit for more casual wear though his attire was always oozing with old money aesthetic. After a breakfast of eggs benedict and black coffee, Crane asked if she wanted to see the house. 

“Of course,” she smiled and nodded excitedly. There were some questions she still had for Crane and she had her own list of theories and thoughts that the house inspired inside her. She worried what the house would reveal and more importantly, what it may say about Crane. She wondered if he had lived a childhood similar to hers, one of trauma and violence, even if he had lived in a huge mansion with every monetary item he could ever desire. 

They started outside the house, walking the grounds. The exterior of the house was set in elaborate stone carvings. The roofs were made of dark terracotta, framing widow peaks at the top of many of the towers. Crane watched her reaction as they rounded to the side of the house with the destroyed wing, still black from the burning. She could even still smell the charcoal made from the house’s old paneling. 

“Your father never rebuilt it?” She asked, curious. Crane studied the crumbling structure and shook his head.

“No, he died before making plans for a renovation.” She looked at him quickly and met his eyes. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” 

“But you understand.” 

She nodded slowly, “I was an orphan, I never knew my parents.” 

“So was I.” He clenched his jaw and looked down at the ground. 

“Your mother?” She asked hesitantly. 

“She died, here, in this wing.” He pointed to the second floor of the burned wing. “That was her room.” 

“You were young then too,” she remembered and he nodded. “Do you remember your mother?” 

“Some things but nothing that brings me much comfort. I remember how she died and I remember how my father mourned her.” 

“So she died in the fire?”

“Yes,” he nodded and folded his arms across his chest, “she was trapped inside after the fire started. They weren’t able to save her. My father was never the same after that.”

“When did your father die?” 

“Before I went to college…” he trailed off and they stood in silence for a moment. “He was a chemist, you know.” 

“No, I didn’t know. Did he teach you?”

Crane chuckled darkly, “I guess you could say that. He used me for his experiments.” He scowled. What he had said back in Arkham came back to her mind and she risked asking more. 

“Jonathan?” She started. 

“Yes?” He asked, his voice hard and protective like a layer of ice. 

“What did he do to you?” 

Crane swallowed and turned away from the house, forcing her to hurry behind him to keep up. His hair was tousled by the wind as he walked through the icy field. As the slope curved downwards, he finally started to speak. 

“He was the one who first came up with the idea for the fear serum. After my mother’s death he became obsessed with it and started to test it on himself like a lunatic. It messed with his head and made him relive my mother’s death over and over again until he finally had to stop and find a new subject. His new subject became me.” He darted his eyes angrily around the ground as he spoke, spit flying from his lips. “He would give me the toxin and at the time, it was 10x more dangerous. He used me to gauge the body’s reactions to fear and kept track of what the brain imagined during that state of panic. He wanted to create a cure for fear, a way to remove the body’s reaction to it. At some point he made a breakthrough in the case using people he’d kidnapped and found a way to remove a person’s ability to be afraid. He used it on himself and after that, his natural instincts became mute. When I was sixteen he brought me here,” he stopped suddenly and she looked as he gestured at the scarecrow hanging from its perch, “and he administered the drug one last time.”

“What happened?” She whispered, her blood going cold. 

“I overdosed on the serum and hallucinated that the scarecrow was alive but the fear I felt was multiplied from the large dose of toxin. Your old boss, Sgt Gordon, found us out here having come to arrest my father for kidnapping and murder. Because my father no longer feared anything, he charged Gordon and Gordon shot him. He died where we’re standing… and I watched it. I watched it all happen.” He stared at the scarecrow, his face set. He didn’t show any emotion as he recounted his father’s death, his own trauma. 

“What did Gordon do?” She stepped closer but left him a small circle of space, a safety net. 

“He took me to the hospital and once I recovered, they brought me back here.”

“You were so young,” she whispered sadly, wanting to cry for him. 

“So were you, weren’t you, when you were left at the doors of Gotham’s orphanage?” She nodded. 

“I was a baby.” She hugged herself and stared down at the ground beneath them.

“That’s why I think we’re so similar. We raised ourselves- you and I.” He smirked, “it would explain our similar psychology.” 

“The fact that we’re both deeply disturbed? Sure, I’ll give you that,” she laughed lightly, her nose burned in the cold air. 

“Mm… deeply disturbed,” Crane sounded out the words with a soft hiss. 

“Psychotic?” She offered. 

“Psychopathic.” 

“Deranged.” 

“That’s not a medical diagnosis I’m familiar with,” he looked down at her, taking in the profile of her ruddy cheeks blistering in the wind. 

‘But not far off is it?” She smiled and looped her fingers in the front of his sweater, her hands brushing the hard muscle beneath. 

“Hmmm, I don’t know. I’ll have to conduct more thorough examinations.. I’d kill to have a look inside your head.” His fingers traced her hairline and pulled gently on her hair.  

“I have a few ideas for other places you could examine,” she teased and he smirked, coming back from his temporary emotional lag. 

“Intriguing offer, detective.”

“Thank you, Dr. Crane,” she returned his smirk and pulled him away from the scarecrow. He followed her. “Why did you choose the scarecrow as your alias?” she brought the conversation back and his forehead creased again as he thought. 

“I was forced to face my fear and after I returned here with just Hobbs and his wife to keep me company. I decided to take back the power that the scarecrow took away from me that day. Embracing my fear made me stronger, more powerful,” He answered seriously and she nodded. 

“Why did you improve your father’s fear toxin if you knew what it was capable of?” She asked quietly, watching for his reaction. 

“I made it because I knew what it was capable of. People like us have suffered, we’ve been wronged, we’ve been abandoned and ignored. There are people in this world who have the privilege of never being afraid because they have nothing to fear. I made it originally to use on the city’s elite, the people who think they’re better than me because they think they’re wealthier than I am, smarter than I am. Ra’s distracted me from my plan and I know now that I was right from the very beginning, Batman and his like need to be dethroned. We can be the ones to do it.” 

She looked into his eyes and kissed him, drawing his face down to hers by the rough collar of his sweater. His lips were dry from the wind. When she pulled away he held her face between his hands and looked at her seriously, his nostrils flared. 

“Do you still trust me after everything I just told you? Do you still want to be with me?” He asked her calmly, a dark glint in his eye. She dropped her head to the side and he caught it easily in his palm. 

“Yes, yes.” She nodded. 

They walked in silence, their hands brushing against each other and their hair blowing in the short gusts of wind. 

v 

“There’s still something you should know,” Crane began as they crossed through the door into the grand entry hall. 

“Like how you learned to ride a horse?” She joked but Crane didn’t smile. His face was hard again as it had been before. Her smile faded slowly and she felt her heart shutter and drop. “What?” She whispered and Crane left without another word, so she followed him hesitantly. He led her down into the basement, taking a stone staircase hidden behind a wall panel that also served as a door. Their steps echoed in the small space, electric sconces burned along the creepy passage. Finally Crane stopped at the door at the bottom of the stairs. The door was made of solid steel and Crane had to enter a passcode to open it. 

“Through here,” he guided her through the door and closed it behind them. The room was large and cave-like, lined with bookshelves and lab equipment. She gave an appreciative gasp, taking in the room that served as Crane’s office and private lab. “This was my father’s lab and when he died, it became mine.” He walked around to his desk and rummaged through one of the bottom drawers, removing a few small folders and placing them on his desk. He rested his knuckles on the cherry wood surface and sighed, finally meeting her eyes since they got back to the house. 

“Back to our topic of trust, I should tell you that I did a little snooping, if you will, into your past when we first started crossing paths. I wanted to know who I was dealing with, which is why I did this and now that we’ve ended up here together, I feel that it’s only right,” the word tasted bitter on his tongue, “to show you what I found. I’ve always told you that we’re alike, that we understand each other but I’ve never explained why. This is why I know we’re alike, Y/N.” He opened the front flap of each folder and pushed them down to the front of the desk. “You should know what happened to you as a child, the things they never told you at the orphanage.” He waited as she swallowed and looked between the papers and Crane. 

“What do you mean?” She whispered, “the things that happened to me?” 

“How the Wayne family ruined both of our lives.” His voice was slow and dark like syrup and it took her a few seconds to process what he was saying, what he was implying. She looked down at the folders again and took a step closer. When she reached his desk, she scanned the documents with blurred vision. “What… what do they say?” She rubbed her eyes and stepped away. Crane took the first folder, his jaw clenched. 

“Y/L/N, Y/N was born into the Arkham family, the founders of Arkham Asylum. Her parents were known to have had numerous disagreements with the Wayne family over the inappropriate use of the criminal justice system by moving people whom the Waynes didn’t like into the asylum. The Arkhams did not believe that the Waynes should have had the right to imprison their political enemies and opponents and tried to inform the public. The message to the press and other government officials was intercepted by the Wayne administration and destroyed, though one draft of the letter was salvaged from the Arkham’s trash and archived in the police station, it was never investigated. The Arkhams, both in their early 30s, were found dead a week later in their home. With no other living relatives, the baby, named Matilda Y/N Arkham by her parents, was discreetly handed over to Gotham orphanage by people closely connected to Wayne following the murder.” He paused, his eyes flicking up. She had gone white and her hand was clamped around one of the shelves on a nearby bookshelf. She looked up at him when he stopped and tried to speak but nothing came. He still waited, giving her time to speak but when she didn’t, he continued. 

“My private investigator found this from government records, including records still housed in Gotham orphanage. They knew this whole time and never informed you even after you became a legal adult. They never investigated your parents’ death and Thomas Wayne, the father of Gotham’s famous playboy, Bryce Wayne, never paid for his actions. He continued to imprison his enemies and without your parents there to run the asylum, it fell into its current state. Nothing I could have done with Arkham would have ever salvaged it after what Wayne’s administration did. So, you see now why I said that we were alike in so many ways. The Wayne’s have too much power even now and someone needs to do something about it.” Crane sighed and walked back to the front of his desk and leaned against it, his eyes lowered to the ground. She inhaled deeply. 

“You said something about Wayne ruining both of our lives. What did he do to you?” She asked him, her face red from stress and emotion. 

“He killed my mother,” he answered evenly and they met each others’ eyes. Her questioning eyes prompted Crane to explain. “He visited my mother whom he’d been seeing for a few months. She wanted to end things because she had me and I was getting older, and her marriage was starting to improve; she no longer wanted to be his mistress. He got angry and locked her inside her bedroom and then he lit a fire, right outside her room. He left before anyone realized what had happened. They found the key in her bedroom door, still inside the lock, locking the door from the outside. They knew that something had happened and the people in the police department knew the rumors, the secret love affair between Mrs. Crane and Mr. Wayne. There was a whole case but the police commissioner closed it and it was never solved. My father was a good man before that day, my mother’s murder drove him insane. For years it led him to do things that he shouldn’t have done. Wayne had a hand in my fate too, setting up my parents’ demise. I would have ended up alongside you at Gotham’s orphanage if Hobbs and his wife didn’t agree to look after me for those last two years before I was old enough to be my own guardian. Thomas Wayne died when I was eleven and yet, he still managed to kill my father from the grave. So, we’re connected by a chain of discord welded together by the Wayne family.”

“Yes…” he whispered and sank down into a dusty armchair. “So my real name is Matilda Arkham?” 

“Technically speaking, yes.” 

“And so that means Arkham Asylum also belongs to me?” 

Crane smiled with his wide lips closed, “technically.”  

Realization clicked in and she couldn’t help but laugh. She covered her mouth with her palms and laughed hysterically. Crane smiled down at his feet and scratched the side of his face. Though she suddenly realized that her entire life had been a lie, she laughed because now, everything made sense. And by some disturbed twist of fate, she and Crane had been bound to be together all because of Thomas Wayne. She pulled herself from the chair and looked at the family picture included in one of the folders. Crane leaned over her shoulder, breathing calmly against her neck. Goosebumps rose on her arms as she studied the picture. Lying in the arms of a woman with strawberry blonde hair, was her. Her father held her foot in between his fingers, smiling down at her with brown eyes. She’d seen their portrait in passing in the asylum and yet she’d never placed why they managed to look so… familiar. They’d been celebrated psychiatrists in their time. She looked at Crane, still leaning against the desk beside her, his blue eyes were trained on her face. So that’s why she had a thing for psychiatrists, she realized. 

“Are you ready to hear my plan now,” he asked her with a smirk, “... Miss Arkham?” 

[almostwisegalaxy]

An Echo of Melancholy

Ji Chang wook x fem!reader

The reader has a shy personality in this story

..................................................................................

The lights of Seoul sparkled in the darkness like scattered stars, but in the auditorium where y/n's fan meeting was taking place, another kind of light captivated hearts. y/n, a actress and singer, walked gently onto the stage, greeted by applause as warm as it was contrasting to her reserved demeanor.

She wore a simple midnight-blue dress, her braids framing a face of delicate beauty. Her shy smile and measured gestures reflected a modest, almost elusive personality. Yet, whenever she spoke or sang, she captivated everyone, as if her voice touched their souls directly.

Among the crowd, a man observed with disarming intensity. Ji Chang Wook, the renowned 37-year-old South Korean actor, sat silently, hidden among her fans. Accustomed to being the center of attention, he found himself feeling strangely vulnerable in her presence. Ever since he had stumbled upon her melancholic voice by chance, he had been unable to think of anything else.

The event was in full swing, and the fans, united in enthusiasm, begged y/n to perform one of her most iconic songs: Whispered Scars.

y/n hesitated, playing with the microphone in her hands.

— "Wouldn’t you prefer something more cheerful?" she asked with a slightly nervous smile, provoking laughter throughout the room.

But the fans persisted. She finally gave in, a faint sigh escaping her lips.

— "All right. But don’t say I didn’t warn you."

She sat down on a stool, her fingers brushing the microphone as if to steady herself. The first notes of the piano filled the room, and as soon as she began singing, the auditorium fell into complete silence.

The melody was gentle and melancholic, and each word carried a universal pain. Whispered Scars spoke of invisible wounds, silent struggles hidden from the world. y/n's voice, fragile yet powerful, pierced the hearts of everyone present, and soon, tears streamed down many faces.

Ji Chang Wook felt a strange warmth spreading through his chest. It was as if she was revealing a part of herself through the song—a part he wanted to protect at all costs.

After the performance, the emotion in the room was palpable. Fans began sharing their own stories, inspired by y/n's raw sincerity.

A young woman timidly stepped forward, the microphone trembling in her hands.

— "y/n-ssi… I just wanted to say thank you. Your music helped me through a really difficult time. My fiancé left me after eight years together… I didn’t know who I was without him. But your songs made me realize I could survive, even with scars."

y/n looked at the fan, her eyes glistening with emotion.

— "Thank you for sharing that," she said softly. "I don’t have the perfect words to ease that kind of pain, but… sometimes, our scars become our most beautiful stories to tell. You’re stronger than you think."

Another fan spoke up, a young man with tear-streaked eyes.

— "y/n-ssi, have you ever… lost someone you loved? I don’t know how to keep going. I’m so tired."

The question, brutal in its honesty, seemed to freeze time. y/n lowered her gaze for a moment, searching for the right response.

— "Yes," she murmured at last. "I’ve lost someone… not to death, but to betrayal. And it’s a different kind of pain, but just as heavy. I won’t lie to you—it never completely goes away. But one day, you’ll realize you deserve better, and that will be the beginning of healing."

Sensing her words weren’t enough to break the heavy atmosphere, she added with a teasing smile:

— "And if nothing else works, you can always try planting tomatoes. I did that once, and even though they were inedible, it was oddly satisfying!"

The room erupted into laughter, breaking the tension. Even y/n blushed slightly, surprised by her own humor.

Later, a young girl approached shyly with a bouquet of flowers and a small, carefully wrapped package.

— "y/n-ssi, it’s not much, but… I made this gift for you. It’s a bracelet I crafted. I hope you like it."

Visibly touched, y/n stood to accept the flowers and the package. She bowed slightly, a humble smile on her face.

— "Thank you so much, it’s beautiful. But… you know, I’m not that special."

The fan shook her head fervently.

— "To me, you are. Your music gave me hope when I needed it most."

Moved by the declaration, y/n, in a spontaneous gesture, removed the silver bracelet she had been wearing. It was a gift she had received at the start of her career, but at that moment, it felt like it belonged to the young girl.

— "I want you to have this. To remind you that you’re special, too."

The fan burst into tears, overwhelmed by emotion, while y/n gently embraced her.

In the shadows, Ji Chang Wook observed every movement. Her natural kindness, her sincerity, and her way of connecting with her fans captivated him more and more. But beyond admiration, he felt an obsession growing within him.

He promised himself he would meet her. No, not just meet her—he would become a part of her life. No matter the cost.

As for y/n, she felt deeply moved by the evening, entirely unaware that in the crowd, someone was already planning a role in her destiny.

---

A few days after the fan meeting, y/n arrived at a workshop for underprivileged children organized at a community center in Seoul. Although she was often invited to charity events, this one was particularly close to her heart. The cause of struggling youth resonated with memories of her own childhood, marked by personal challenges.

Dressed in simple jeans and a cream sweater, she was almost unrecognizable compared to the star who captivated crowds. But here, she wasn’t a celebrity; she was just y/n, a volunteer ready to offer her time and warmth.

The workshop, centered around painting and music, buzzed with energy and laughter. y/n knelt beside a little girl who was struggling to draw a bird.

— "Do you want me to help?" she asked softly, picking up a pencil.

The child timidly nodded, and together, they began sketching a bird with colorful feathers. Within minutes, the little girl was laughing, opening up to y/n as if they’d known each other forever.

Across the room, Ji Chang Wook entered discreetly, dressed casually with a beanie partially hiding his face. He had learned about y/n’s participation through a contact at the center and couldn’t resist the idea of seeing her in this setting.

At first, he stayed in the background, watching how she interacted with the children. She radiated a natural warmth that seemed to put everyone at ease. This version of y/n—dedicated and kind-hearted—only deepened his desire to get closer to her.

After a while, he approached a boy sitting alone, his hands curled tightly around a paintbrush. The boy seemed hesitant to join the others.

— "Hi," Ji Chang Wook said with a smile. "Want to try something together? I’m not very good, but we could paint something funny."

The boy looked up timidly, intrigued by the warm man, and eventually nodded.

y/n, who had gotten up to fetch some brushes, noticed Ji Chang Wook for the first time. She blinked, surprised. He looked familiar, but she wasn’t sure. Was it really him?

Later in the day, after the activities had slowed down, y/n approached Ji Chang Wook. He was still with the young boy, softly laughing at their creation: a strange mix of a dragon and a cat.

— "You’re good at making kids laugh," she said, a playful smile on her lips.

Ji Chang Wook looked up, his gaze meeting hers. His heart skipped a beat, but he kept his composure.

— "I try. But I think you’re the one with the magic today. The kids adore you."

y/n blushed slightly, feeling shy at the compliment.

— "I’m just doing my best… but you seem very comfortable with them too. Do you come here often?"

Ji Chang Wook hesitated for a moment before answering. He didn’t want to admit he was there only because of her.

— "It’s my first time. I heard about the workshop and wanted to see how I could help."

— "That’s a wonderful initiative," y/n replied. "The kids need role models like you."

He smiled, but deep down, he knew he wanted to be more than just a role model to her.

As the workshop came to an end, Ji Chang Wook found the courage to hold her back for a moment.

— "y/n-ssi, it’s been a pleasure seeing you here. You seem to really love what you do."

— "I do," she answered sincerely. "It’s a way to give back a little of what I’ve received."

— "Maybe we could work together on another project for these kids? I have a few ideas in mind."

Surprised by his suggestion, y/n sensed a warmth in his approach. He didn’t seem to be there to impress, but genuinely engaged.

— "That’s a good idea. Send me your ideas, and we’ll see what we can do."

Ji Chang Wook nodded, pleased with her openness. It was only a small step, but for him, it was the beginning of something he hoped to build with patience.

In the days that followed, they exchanged a few messages about projects for the center. Ji Chang Wook tried to remain professional, although he found every interaction with her deeply captivating.

y/n, on the other hand, appreciated his respectful and thoughtful approach. He wasn’t at all what she might have imagined a celebrity of his stature to be. He seemed humble, almost vulnerable.

Without realizing it, she began to look forward to his messages with a certain anticipation—a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

In the quiet rhythm of their exchanges, a connection was gently forming, like a subtle melody promising a beautiful harmony to come.

---

A few weeks later, Ji Chang Wook and y/n met at the community center to finalize a project they had co-created: a workshop combining theater and music to help children express their emotions. The concept was simple yet powerful: the kids could act out scenes they created themselves, with improvised songs accompanying their stories.

y/n arrived first, helping to prepare the costumes and props. She was focused, her hands working delicately. Ji Chang Wook joined her shortly after, carrying a large bag filled with quirky wigs and hats.

— "I thought a bit of humor might help them relax," he said with a playful smile.

y/n burst out laughing as she pulled out a huge pink wig from the bag.

— "This is perfect. I’m sure they’ll love it. But… I can’t quite picture you wearing this," she teased, looking at him mischievously.

— "Oh, you underestimate me," he replied, immediately putting on the wig. "So, what do you think?"

y/n laughed even harder, and at that moment, she realized just how much she had grown to enjoy his company. Ji Chang Wook had this rare ability to lighten things up, even when she felt weighed down by her own thoughts.

The workshop was a success. Encouraged by the presence of the two celebrities, the children began to perform with a freedom and joy that even surprised the regular facilitators. y/n guided some of them through simple compositions, while Ji Chang Wook improvised hilarious scenes with the more timid ones.

At one point, a boy named Minho refused to participate. He had withdrawn to a corner of the room, arms crossed. y/n approached him gently.

— "Minho, are you okay? You don’t have to join in, but we’d love to have you with us."

The boy shook his head.

— "I’m no good. The others always make fun of me."

y/n crouched down to his level, looking him in the eyes.

— "I understand. You know, when I was little, I was scared to sing in front of others. But I learned something important: even if your voice shakes, even if you make a mistake, what matters is how you feel and what you share. It’s not easy, but I’m here for you."

Ji Chang Wook, who had been watching from a distance, approached quietly.

— "Minho, would you like me to be your scene partner? I’m terrible at singing, so maybe you could help me out."

The boy hesitated but eventually agreed, won over by the sincerity of the two adults. Together, they improvised a small scene where Minho played a brave hero while Ji Chang Wook dressed up as a clumsy villain. The laughter of the other children filled the room, and for the first time, Minho smiled.

At the end of the day, as the children went home, y/n and Ji Chang Wook stayed behind to help tidy up. A peaceful silence settled between them, each lost in their own thoughts.

Finally, Ji Chang Wook broke the silence.

— "You have a gift, y/n. It’s not just your music or your voice. You have this ability to deeply touch people. Even a boy like Minho… he needed that today."

y/n turned to him, surprised by the intensity of his words. She lowered her gaze, uncomfortable with such sincerity.

— "Thank you," she murmured. "But I think you’re the same. Minho followed you because he sensed you were someone he could trust."

Ji Chang Wook smiled but said nothing more. He knew this wasn’t the right moment to reveal his feelings. He simply appreciated her presence, finding a strange comfort in their shared silence.

As they left the center, Ji Chang Wook suggested, almost without thinking:

— "How about grabbing a drink? You worked hard today; you deserve a coffee or tea."

y/n hesitated for a moment. She wasn’t the type to accept such invitations, especially from someone she still didn’t know well. But something about Ji Chang Wook’s demeanor put her at ease.

— "Alright. But I get to choose the place," she replied with a playful smile.

They ended up at a small, quiet café, far from the bustle of the city. For an hour, they talked about everything and nothing: their childhood memories, their dreams, their fears. y/n found herself sharing things she had never told anyone before, and Ji Chang Wook listened with an attentiveness that deeply moved her.

As they parted ways that evening, they thanked each other for the day. Ji Chang Wook, standing by his car, watched y/n walk away, a warm feeling spreading through him.

He knew it would take time to earn her full trust, but he was willing to wait. To him, y/n wasn’t just a fascinating woman; she was an echo of a part of himself he had never explored.

For her part, y/n felt a strange lightness for the first time in a long while. As if, after years of emotional solitude, she could finally consider opening a small door… gently, at her own pace.

And so, a relationship began to bloom between them, built on patience, respect, and shared moments that only deepened their budding connection.

---

The following days were marked by sporadic but meaningful exchanges between Y/N and Ji Chang Wook. Sometimes, he would send her a message to share a funny anecdote about the kids at the center, while at other times, she would share the lyrics of a new song she was writing. Their connection seemed to grow effortlessly, like a river flowing gently towards the ocean.

One afternoon, while she was rehearsing in a music studio, Y/N received an unexpected message from Ji Chang Wook.

"I'm about to start filming a movie. We're looking for a song for an important scene. Maybe you could think about it? Nothing official, just an idea."

Y/N smiled. She had never considered composing for a movie, but the thought of contributing to a project featuring Ji Chang Wook intrigued her.

"Send me the details, and I'll see what I can do," she replied.

A few days later, Ji Chang Wook invited her to visit the film set. Curious, Y/N accepted, though she was a bit nervous about seeing him in his professional element. When she arrived, she was immediately struck by the intense atmosphere. Technicians were bustling everywhere, and the crew seemed deeply focused.

Ji Chang Wook greeted her warmly, dressed in his character's costume. Despite the makeup and the serious demeanor he wore for the role, he couldn't hide the sparkle in his eyes upon seeing her.

"Welcome to my world," he said with a smile. "It's chaotic, but I love it."

Y/N watched the scenes being filmed with fascination. Between takes, Ji Chang Wook explained the story of the movie and the specific scene for which they were searching for a song.

"It's a pivotal moment," he explained. "The main character realizes he has to let go of someone he loves for their own good. It's painful but necessary."

The words resonated deeply with Y/N. This duality between love and letting go was a theme she understood well.

"I think I can write something," she replied, ideas already swirling in her mind.

That night, Y/N immersed herself in writing. The words flowed almost effortlessly, fueled by her own experiences and the emotions she had observed on set. Within a few hours, a soft and poignant melody had taken shape, accompanied by simple yet powerful lyrics.

The next day, she sent a demo recording to Ji Chang Wook. Shortly after, she received a call.

"Y/N, this is… incredible," he said, visibly moved. "It perfectly captures what we were looking for. You're truly a genius."

She laughed softly, embarrassed by the compliment.

"I'm glad you like it. I hope it fits the scene."

"Not just the scene. It's perfect for the entire movie. You have no idea how much this will touch the audience."

A few weeks passed, and Y/N's song officially became the centerpiece of the movie's soundtrack. To celebrate the collaboration, Y/N, in a burst of pride, invited Ji Chang Wook to dinner. It was more of a subtle kidnapping than an invitation.

---

Ji Chang Wook had just wrapped up a particularly grueling day of filming when he received a message from Y/N:

"You’ve always been the one to reach out, but this time, it’s my turn. I want to celebrate our collaboration. Dinner this Friday—what do you say? No refusals, I insist."

He read the message several times, an incredulous smile spreading across his lips. Y/N, usually so reserved, was taking the initiative. This simple gesture, so unusual coming from her, deeply moved him.

A strange mix of surprise and pleasure washed over him. He was used to being the one to initiate their exchanges, whether to discuss the project or simply to joke around. But this was different. It felt as though she was reaching out to him in return, and it stirred a warmth within him he hadn’t anticipated.

He stretched out on the couch in his dressing room, unable to focus on anything else. His mind wandered, exploring the implications of her gesture. Was it merely a professional acknowledgment, or was there something more?

A feeling he rarely experienced began to surface: he felt wanted. Not in the superficial way he was used to because of his fame, but in an intimate, genuine sense. Y/N, with her shyness and gentle demeanor, had broken an invisible barrier to invite him into her world.

He quickly replied, his tone slightly playful but sincere:

"A subtle kidnapping, really? I’m curious to see what you’ve planned. I’m happy to surrender to this ‘capture.’"

The rest of the week was marked by an unusual anticipation. Ji Chang Wook, an actor accustomed to the spotlight and high expectations, found himself thinking about the dinner more often than he cared to admit.

He wondered what restaurant she would choose, what she would say, how she would act. Would she remain as composed as usual, or would she reveal a more relaxed side of herself?

For him, it wasn’t just a dinner to celebrate a collaboration. Not anymore. It represented an evolution in their relationship, a step forward that he wouldn’t have dared to push for.

He was willing to wait as long as she needed to open up to him, but this initiative made him feel like she was starting to let him in. And that made him feel unexpectedly vulnerable.

Ji Chang Wook realized then that this wasn’t just artistic admiration or a fleeting fascination. His feelings for Y/N were rooted far deeper than he had anticipated.

"I'm doomed," he murmured with a smile as he adjusted his tie for the evening.

When Friday arrived, he was ready. And for once, he wasn’t trying to impress. He just wanted to be there, with her, and see where the evening would lead.

---

Ji Chang Wook arrived at the place indicated by Y/N, a small restaurant tucked away in a quiet alley in Seoul, far from the glitzy venues he was used to. The place exuded a simplicity and authenticity that matched Y/N perfectly.

As he entered, he spotted her immediately. She was sitting by a window, dressed in a white blouse and jeans—casual yet elegant. She was absentmindedly fiddling with a ring on her finger, as if trying to calm her nerves before his arrival.

When she looked up and saw him, her face lit up with a genuine smile.

— "Ah, you're here," she said, a bit nervously. "I was hoping you wouldn’t stand me up."

— "Are you kidding?" he replied, pulling out a chair. "I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Besides, how could I pass up the chance to get kidnapped, right?"

They shared a light laugh, and the initial tension quickly dissipated.

The meal began in a relaxed atmosphere. Y/N had chosen a simple menu, and Ji Chang Wook appreciated the modesty of the place. They started by talking about mundane things: the filming, the kids at the center, the song Y/N had composed.

Then, little by little, the conversation turned more personal.

— "You know," Ji Chang Wook began, idly playing with his glass of water, "you surprised me with this invitation. It almost feels like you're trying to thank me for something I haven’t even done yet."

Y/N blushed slightly and looked down at her plate.

— "Well… you’ve already done a lot. Not just for the song or the movie, but… for me."

He raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

— "For you?"

— "Yes," she murmured. "Since we’ve started talking, I feel like… I can just be myself. You don’t see me as just a singer or an actress. You actually listen. And that means a lot."

Her words, simple but heartfelt, struck Ji Chang Wook deeply. He leaned slightly toward her, resting his elbows on the table.

— "Y/N, it’s not hard to listen to you. You have a way of reaching people, not just with your music, but with your presence. You might not see it, but you have a calming effect on those around you. On me, at least."

She looked up, surprised by his confession.

— "On you?"

— "Yes," he replied earnestly. "You remind me that there are simple and genuine things in this world, things worth holding onto. And I’m glad you let me be part of your world."

The silence that followed wasn’t awkward but charged with a gentle, unexpected intensity. Y/N nervously played with a strand of her hair, while Ji Chang Wook, on his side, studied every nuance of her expression.

Then she broke the silence with a small, nervous laugh.

— "It’s funny, I thought I was the one who’d be thanking you tonight, and here we are with the roles reversed."

— "Maybe we should just thank each other," he said with a smile.

Y/N nodded, her smile widening.

— "Alright. Thank you, then."

They continued their dinner, discussing future projects and sharing stories about their lives. As the evening went on, Y/N felt more at ease, and Ji Chang Wook realized he was happier in that moment than at any glamorous party or red carpet event.

As they left the restaurant, Y/N suggested taking a walk. The night air was crisp, and the streets were quiet. They walked side by side, silent at first, simply enjoying each other's presence.

Eventually, Y/N stopped and turned to face him.

— "Ji Chang Wook… thank you for coming tonight. I know I’m not always great at expressing myself, but… this meant a lot to me."

He stepped a little closer, meeting her gaze.

— "Y/N, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but I need to say something. I’m glad we started this… collaboration. But for me, it’s more than just a project or a song. I genuinely appreciate the person you are."

She stood still, her cheeks flushing slightly. She opened her mouth to respond, but Ji Chang Wook raised his hand gently.

— "You don’t have to respond right now. Take all the time you need. I’ll be here, no matter what."

Y/N slowly nodded, moved by his sincerity and patience.

They resumed their walk, their steps gradually falling in sync. The night stretched ahead of them, full of promises and possibilities yet to be explored.

---

Ji Chang Wook and Y/N were sharing an impromptu lunch on set. Between bites, he suddenly said:

— "I have an idea."

Y/N raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

— "Oh? Another brilliant idea for the movie, I suppose?"

He smiled, but his tone turned more serious.

— "Not exactly. Listen, you’ve been working so hard lately. You deserve a break. How about taking the weekend off with me? Just the two of us."

Her eyes widened, caught off guard.

— "Go where?"

— "There’s a village in the countryside I love. Quiet, secluded, no one to bother us. We could relax, recharge. And maybe… get to know each other better."

His gaze was intense but devoid of any pressure. Y/N felt her heart race, both unsettled and drawn to his proposal.

— "That’s… spontaneous," she murmured, trying to mask her nerves with a smile.

— "Spontaneity has its perks," he replied. "And sometimes, we need to escape the routine, don’t you think?"

After a long pause, she nodded.

— "Alright. But if it gets weird, I’m making you walk back to Seoul."

He burst out laughing.

— "Deal."

The journey to the village was filled with light-hearted conversations, but every glance they exchanged carried a quiet intensity. When they arrived, Y/N was struck by the serenity of the place. Rolling green hills stretched as far as the eye could see, and a gentle river wound its way through the landscape.

They settled into a quaint guesthouse, where the owners greeted them with warm smiles. After freshening up, Ji Chang Wook invited Y/N for a walk.

They strolled in silence, soaking in the beauty of the setting sun. Then, on a whim, Ji Chang Wook gently took her hand.

— "It’s to keep you from tripping," he said with a mischievous smile.

Y/N felt a shiver run through her but didn’t pull her hand away.

— "You’re so considerate," she replied, feigning a teasing tone to hide her unease.

After dinner, they decided to sit by the stream, where the starry sky seemed infinitely vast. The atmosphere was intimate, almost magical.

— "It’s beautiful here," Y/N whispered, her eyes fixed on the stars.

— "It’s even more beautiful with you here," Ji Chang Wook replied without hesitation.

She turned to him, surprised by the gentleness in his voice.

— "Are you always this straightforward?" she asked, her smile uncertain.

He shrugged, his gaze steady on her.

— "Only when I feel something real."

Their eyes met, and a charged silence filled the space between them. Ji Chang Wook hesitated for a moment before lifting a hand to brush away a strand of hair that had fallen across her face.

— "You’re incredible, Y/N. And I don’t just mean your talent. There’s something about you—this light—that draws me in, captivates me."

Her heart pounded furiously.

— "Ji Chang Wook, I…"

He didn’t let her finish. Slowly, cautiously, he leaned in. Their lips met in a kiss that was soft yet brimming with restrained passion.

Y/N didn’t pull away. Instead, she responded with an intensity she didn’t know she possessed. The world around them seemed to fade, leaving only the two of them in a bubble of their own.

When they finally broke apart, slightly breathless, Ji Chang Wook murmured:

— "I’m sorry if that was too sudden. But I couldn’t… wait any longer."

Y/N placed a hand on his cheek, her eyes shining with an emotion she couldn’t hide.

— "It wasn’t too sudden," she said softly. "It was… perfect."

Back at the guesthouse, Ji Chang Wook suggested they sit by the fireplace. They spent hours talking, sharing their fears, dreams, and hopes.

At one point, Y/N rested her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her, holding her close.

— "I don’t know where this will take us," she murmured, her voice heavy with sleep.

— "Neither do I," he replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "But I know I don’t want to lose you."

That night, under the stars and the crackling fire, they let their hearts open fully to one another, crossing a boundary they both knew they could never ignore again.

..................................................................................

[livwritesstuff]

‘tis my birthday today (it’s gotta be one of the worst birthdays to have, we don’t need to talk about it) anyways that’s where this is coming from

(also i’m not trying to imply that jan 1 is eddie’s bday. i wouldn’t wish that on anybody. besides, he is def a weirdo february aquarius)

The second half of the calendar year is nothing short of pandemonium for Eddie and Steve and their three daughters.

Moe’s birthday in late July kicks it off, almost immediately followed by Steve’s birthday in early August, then Hazel’s in September. Robbie’s birthday comes mere days after Halloween, and from there they dive headfirst into the bedlam of the holiday season.

Much to Eddie's relief, they all made it to yet another New Year's Day, and while the girls are definitely feeling the end-of-winter-break blues, Eddie welcomes the reprieve in festivities, brief as it may be.

His own birthday is up next – though not for another month.

He’s really not a birthday kind of guy. Never had been.

He loves making birthdays exciting for Steve and their daughters (they have a whole slew of traditions and everything – there’s names spelled out in pancakes involved; it's a very big deal), but his own…not so much.

It managed to fly under the radar for the past few years, but since this year is the big Five-Oh, he knows Steve won’t let him get away with that again.

Eddie has a complicated relationship with his birthday. When he was younger and the weight of Birthday Importance was at its peak, he never really celebrated the way other kids got to, and now, as an adult, he doesn’t know how to feel the things you’re supposed to feel about your birthday. 

Steve does a good job, despite Eddie’s weirdness. 

His favorite, Eddie thinks, was the year Moe was born, when Steve had managed to catch him off guard by renting a tiny cottage up in Maine for a few days.

“Moe or no Moe,” Steve had asked, “I’ve got Rob and Nance on standby.”

(They’d taken Moe. She saw snow for the first time. It was amazing, and people who don't want to involve their kids in stuff are a bunch of fucking weirdos).

Steve gives him a letter every year – handwritten on notebook paper and folded into whatever cheesy card he picks out.

Eddie keeps most of the letters in a fireproof lockbox along with all their passports and social security cards and birth certificates (look – Eddie doesn’t fuck around with priceless shit), but he keeps the most recent one – the one Steve gave him for his forty-ninth birthday nearly a year ago – in the top drawer of his bedside table.

He has it pretty much memorized at this point.

It says:

Ed! (with an exclamation point and everything – god, does Eddie love him)

49.

Holy shit we’re getting old.

Writing this is making me think about all the ones from the beginning, when I’d write about our future together even though we didn’t have a damn clue what we were working towards for a while.

I think we’re in it, man. Crazy, right?

(The ink color suddenly switches from blue to purple)

Sorry for the color change. Hazy decided she needed a blue pen immediately. Hope your vision hasn’t gone totally to shit and you can still read the purple.

Anyways, since I have you hostage reading this, I’m gonna take the opportunity to discuss you, because you don’t let me in real life most of the time.

You are gorgeous. Best looking face I’ve ever seen. I wonder how much time I’ve lost off my day just staring at you (actually, not a loss. I take that back)

You suck at puzzles – I know that sounds bad, but it’s great for me. I need that to rub off on Moe because she’s getting pretty good and that’s gonna be a problem for me.

You make me laugh so fucking hard every day. I’m praying the girls get your sense of “elevated” humor or whatever you like to call it

You’re so fucking smart, Eddie. I count myself lucky for it endlessly

You are completely 100% you all the time. I’m still working on that I think but I’m getting there because of you. I’m glad all that shit we went through didn’t take that away from you.

the BEST dad. Can’t believe I didn’t say that sooner. Not to brag but our kids are turning out pretty awesome (can’t go around saying that too much though it’ll go right to their heads and then any power we have left goes out the window)

You’re probably the best person I’ve ever known. Don’t think I’ll be forgetting what a catch you are any time soon, because I won't.

Thank you for loving me even all these years later. My life is better every day that I’m with you.

We’ll keep things quiet this year. Don’t get used to it though. Next year’s gonna be a rager.

Love you always!

- Steve :) ♡ ☆

[echoingbirdsofprey]

Delicate (Jake's Version)

16 - Jake's Rescue

Pairing: Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x OFC Samantha Kazansky

Rating: Explicit (MDNI!)

Warnings: Mentions of medical crap and mention of death. Big sads but I PROMISE it gets happy!

A/N: Don't worry I didn't leave y'all hanging. Hehehe

Tags: @mrsevans90 @djs8891

Playlist

“Careful pulling him down. Lieutenant Seresin, can you hear me?” The medic asked, shining his little flash light right in Jake's eyes.

“Of course I can, you fuck, get that thing outta my eyes. I'm not unconscious, I just have a ripping migraine and my entire body hurts.” Jake said and the attitude gave the medic pause but it made Mav, Rooster, and Coyote laugh. 

“Sorry, we're going to get you out of here. You've got several broken bones so we need to be careful.” The medic said as Coyote grabbed bolt cutters from the pack to break the cuffs he was in.

“Yeah, I'm aware. My shoulder is fucked and my ribs are probably free floating at this point with how long y'all took to come get me. I better get a goddamn cheeseburger when I get on the boat.” Jake said and Coyote couldn't help but chuckle. At least Jake's sense of humor was still intact. 

Jake was let down carefully, and he couldn't help the howl of pain that he let loose once he was on the ground. He whined as he was moved to the backboard and strapped in, and Rooster stayed by him, offering his hand to squeeze if he needed it. Jake took it and squeezed hard, making Rooster wince. He was surprised with how horrible Jake looked that he had any strength left. Jake was resilient, if nothing else. 

“We have to move you quickly, so this is probably gonna hurt like hell.” The medic said and Rooster stayed by Jake’s head after he secured his neck in a brace. “Rooster, you’re in charge of keeping him awake. I’ll get IV’s going once we’re up in the air.” 

“That won’t be hard. He’ll just bitch at me the whole time. This hurts, that hurts, fuck you, fuck this. You sound like an old man, Seresin.” Rooster said and Jake chuckled and winced in pain.

“Ah, Bradshaw...I missed you, you piece of shit.” Jake rasped with a smile, and then he gazed up at Rooster, who locked eyes as they hurriedly carried him. His smile faded quickly and Rooster saw tears fill the blond's eyes as he asked,“How’s my girl?” 

“Mav talked to her last...we’ll update her once we’re on the boat. She was pretty upset though.” Rooster said as there was a level change that he almost missed. They were carrying Jake as fast as they could, trying to outrun ground infantry forces that were now headed to their position. There were bandits in the air that were actively engaged with their pilots. The helicopter would have no support if they didn't take out the bandits. Jake took a deep breath, thinking of how much he

Once at the chopper, Jake was secured in and he was going Jake again. Rooster still had a hold of his hand and he felt Jake's grip loosen. Jake had lost consciousness.

“Seresin? Hey! Hangman! You gotta stay awake! Jake! JAKE!” Rooster yelled and the medic pushed him aside, trying his best to get an IV line going to get fluids in him. Once on the boat he had more options for medical treatment, but while they were in the air, this was all that was possible. 

Jake felt like he was floating. He felt the pinch of the needle and the rush of liquid coarse through his veins even in his dreams, but in them his brain, while exhausted, still took him to Sam. He saw a light ahead and saw Sam standing there, pretty as ever in her lime green bikini that he loved so much. He glanced down, his body tanned and toned, glistening from the water. They'd gone for a swim. He glanced back up at her, her beautiful smile and soft brown eyes pulling him closer. 

“Come back to me, Jake.”

“I'm trying’ baby girl, I'm really tryin’.”

He stepped toward her, the sand soft beneath his feet and he thought of her skin in that moment, how it felt silky against his fingers. As he got closer, he wound his hands around her waist and drew her in close, pressing his lips to hers, moaning at the feeling of finally being with her again.

Or was he?

“JAKE SERESIN DON'T YOU FUCKING DIE ON ME.” 

“ROOSTER GET OUT OF THE WAY!”

“LIEUTENANT STAND DOWN. LET THE MEDIC DO HIS JOB.”

“PADDLES. I’M LOSING HIM! PADDLES! STAND BACK!”

🛩🛩🛩

Sam was sitting downstairs on the couch, in her father’s spot. He loved the right arm. She surmised it had been because he had broken some ribs on the left at one point when he was younger and it made him uncomfortable to push them against the side of the couch, so he hugged the right side. He would always rub his side, underneath his arm on the left. Sam wondered if Jake’s captors had broken any of his bones, while trying to break his spirit. 

The puppies were laying on the opposite side of the couch, finally asleep after running errands with her. Rocco was stretched across her lap, making it very clear he was the favorite child. She felt her phone vibrate rapidly and seeing that it was again a restricted number, she picked up immediately.

“Please tell me he’s okay.” She said and there was a clearing of someone’s throat on the other end of the line.

“Samantha, it’s Beau.” He said, his voice tight. There was a gentle hum on his end of the line, most likely the ship’s engines.

“No...” She whined, tears beginning to well in her eyes. “Don’t you dare, don’t you tell me he’s gone!” She bawled, which woke Rocco and the puppies. Rocco was gentle as he climbed up and licked her face and she hugged the little red dog tight. The puppies both crawled toward her and tried their best to console her as well.

“He’s alive, Samantha, but they had to put him in a medically induced coma. He was extremely dehydrated when we found him, has several broken bones, and they were injecting him with different pain relieving substances. His heart was beating dangerously slow and had even stopped at one point. They restarted it...Sam, are you still there?” Beau’s voice drifted off, noticing he couldn’t hear her crying anymore. She sniffled and sighed.

“Is Jake alive, Beau, because it sounds like you're telling me I could lose him any second?” She asked, her tone flat.

“Yes. Barely, but he is. We’re on our way home. We’re going to wake him up when we get back to shore. One of us will come get you so you can come see him when we come back.” Beau said and he heard shuffling on Sam’s end. “Sam, you okay?”

“I just want him back, Beau.” She said, and Beau could hear Rocco whining. His snoot was laid against Sam's neck, his front paws on her shoulder. and the other two puppies had climbed on her lap, making sure she couldn’t get up. Sam had a tendency to pace when she was upset and Rocco and the puppies weren't going to let her. They wanted her to stay on the couch and stay calm. 

“I know, Sammy...I know. We're all trying to get him back to you, sweetheart. Just a few more days.” He said and then Sam hung up the phone. She moved the puppies and Rocco and laid down on the couch on her side. Rocco made his way back into her arms and the puppies settled behind her legs with their little heads resting atop her leg.

Sam felt paralyzed, unable to do anything, with the three dogs on the couch and let tears stream down her face. She placed her phone beside her head, just in case they called back. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine Jake as he was, not as he may be now. The handsome, blonde pilot who couldn’t keep his mouth shut or stop texting her because he wanted her. The only man who her father seemed to approve of for her. 

Sam cried herself to sleep, and before she knew it, her mother was waking her up and sending her up to bed. She didn't want to go to bed though. She decided to take the key Jake had given her, and go to his house. She took all three dogs, loaded them into the back of the truck and headed to his house. 

Sarah wished Sam would talk to her. They hadn't much since Ice had passed. And now with Jake deployed, there was even less communication. Sarah felt like she hadn’t been there for Sam very much, having to chauffeur her siblings around to everything that they did. She was glad Jake had been able to distract her, but Sarah surmised Sam resented her for not taking more time out for her. It was difficult to match Ice’s energy there. Sarah always felt like Sam had been the favorite child for Ice and she was probably right. 

🛩🛩🛩

When she entered Jake’s house, it was cool and dark. She flipped on the lights and let Rocco and the puppies examine things. She followed them around for a bit, making sure they wouldn’t chew on or pee on anything and once she was confident that they could be left unsupervised, she headed up the stairs to Jake’s room. She pushed the door open and inhaled the scent of his cologne. She brushed her fingers over the sheets where last they had been, naked and together. 

Her ears caught the jingling of the puppies' collars getting closer and she decided to look through his closet. His dress blues were in there, and lots of button downs and sweatshirts. She pulled one off a hanger that said ‘Navy’ in big letters. She yanked it over her head and pulled the sleeves down over her hands, bringing them up to her nose. His scent was all over it. Not only his cologne, but his natural body odor, which wasn’t bad by any means. The only way she could describe it was warm and relaxing, to be surrounded by his essence. 

She sat on the bed and the puppies bounded into the room, followed by Rocco. Sam laughed at the sight of two young, beautiful black dogs, the girl being the one with a white spot on her chest, going as fast as they could, followed by the long red dog trotting leisurely behind. Rocco sat down in front of Sam and the puppies ran around the room, investigating.

“You two could probably be bomb-sniffing dogs, you’re so curious. Jake is probably going to love you. As long as he comes home...god...Rocco...” She stared into the red dog’s deep chocolate orbs that stared back with devotion. He leapt up so that she could pick him up and then spoke into his smooth red coat. “I just want him back...I want dad back too...I miss dad...I miss Jake...so bad...” She began to cry again and Rocco rested his nose in the crook of her neck, trying to absorb her sadness with his little body. The puppies noticed and ran over and tried to climb up the bed. Ballast achieved his goal and Rocco glared at him, but never made a move to correct him. Ballast simply sat on the bed next to Sam and pressed his tiny nose under her arm. Muster clung onto her pants leg and rested her chin on Sam’s knee. 

“I’m sorry guys. You know how I feel, don’t you? You can tell how fucking depressed I am...” She said, falling back on the sheets, keeping Rocco tight to her chest so he didn’t fall. Muster managed to climb up the side of the bed and settled next to Sam too. She fell asleep like that, surrounded by the dogs and Jake’s enveloping scent. 

🛩🛩🛩

Rooster sat by Jake’s bedside as they headed into port. He was beside himself and blaming himself for everything. There had been a revolving door of people coming in to visit Jake, but Rooster stayed constant. He sat with him day and night until they reached home. Nat came in a few times to relieve him and make sure that Rooster slept. 

Rooster was falling asleep in the chair when he felt a hand at his back. He glanced up, exhaustion evident in his expression. It was Maverick.

“Bradley...we’re home. They’re gonna take him in an ambulance to the Naval Medical Center in San Diego and monitor him. I was hoping you might be able to go pick Sam up...” He said softly.

“I don’t think she’ll want to see him like this...” Rooster said and Maverick squeezed his shoulder.

“She will want to see him either way. They’re gonna wake him up when they get him there so that she can see him. Beau and I will be there too.” Maverick said and Rooster took a moment and stood, silently heading out of the room.

🛩🛩🛩

With Jake settled at the Naval Medical Center, they patched him up as best as they could. He'd needed surgery to reset his collarbone and ribs and they did that as quickly as they could. Then they began the process of waking him up. As he came to, his vision was blurry and he surveyed the room. 

“Where am I?” He asked, his voice raspy and barely there. He glanced down at his right arm, which was in a sling. He wanted to move it but knew he couldn't. His whole torso ached and he shifted slightly, figuring out that he had a bandage there. 

“You're at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, California. You just had surgery and you were in a medically induced coma to give your body a chance to recover. We had to restart your heart. Do you know your name?” The doctor asked, and Jake smirked.

“Yeah, Jake Seresin. I'm a Lieutenant. My callsign is Hangman. I want to see my fiance.” He said, his voice gaining strength the more he spoke. The doctor smiled.

“Okay, Lieutenant. She's on her way. We'll bring her in as soon as she gets here. It's very important that you try to stay as still as possible. You have broken ribs and a broken collarbone. Try to sleep.” The doctor said and Jake sighed and blew air from his lips, placing his head back down against the pillows. He was extremely uncomfortable and as the doctor left, tears stung his eyes. He just wanted Sam here, now.

🛩🛩🛩

Bradley got out of his Bronco and headed up the stairs of Sam's house and knocked on the door. No answer. No dog barking either. He figured maybe she was out. He'd noticed her truck was there but her father’s wasn't. He waited a few more minutes and then heard footsteps hurrying to the door. It was her mom, Sarah. 

“Hi, Mrs. Kazansky, I was looking for Sam.” He said and she sighed deeply before glancing down.

“She’s not here, Bradley. She’s at Jake’s. Is he home?” She asked, a worried gaze settling over her features.

“He is. I was going to bring her to the hospital. He’s in pretty bad condition.” He explained and she took a breath, almost in relief.

“Well, at least he’s home.” She said, before shutting the door. Bradley thought the exchange was odd but instead of dwelling on it, he ran to the Bronco and hopped in. He headed to Jake and Javy’s. When he got there, her father’s truck was the only one in the driveway. He walked up to the front step and knocked, his hands in his pockets. He heard jingling and footsteps. The door opened and before he could say anything, Sam had nearly jumped into his arms, hugging him tighter than he thought possible.

“Hi, Sammy...” Bradley said, his arms going around her waist and pulling her close. When she pulled away, he kept his hands at her waist. “He’s in the hospital. I’m here to take you to see him.” 

“Fuck. Okay. Let me just make sure the puppies go to the bathroom and then they can stay here. I’m sure they won’t let me stay long.” Sam said, attending to the dogs. Bradley followed behind her, observing as she brought the puppies and Rocco out into the small backyard.

“Did you get puppies?” He asked and she nodded.

“Sort of. A friend of mine heard about everything that happened and he works with injured veterans and military guys. He and his wife donated the puppies to us.” She said and Bradley’s brow furrowed at the use of ‘us’ but then he realized she was talking about her and Jake as a couple. 

“I don't know that Jake needs puppies.” Bradley said as they headed back inside and Sam unclipped their leases. Rocco, the ever judgmental red devil, growled at him before following the puppies to the couch. They all climbed up there and spread out to relax. “Why does Rocco hate me?”

“Don't feel bad. He hates most people.” Sam said with a chuckle. She grabbed her phone and she locked up as they both stepped out into the sun. It was well into the afternoon now, and Sam kind of felt like she'd wasted the past few days waiting for Jake to come home. Sure she’d worked and she’d taken the puppies and Rocco for walks, but she’d mostly sat around and rotted in depression on Jake’s bed. It was then that she realized how much she really did love Jake, and she was going to make it a point to tell him.

“Here.” Bradley said as he opened the passenger side door to his Bronco. Without thinking, Sam hopped in. She figured it was probably best if she didn’t drive, as she could feel tears welling again. She glanced down at her phone, staying silent, eyes gazing out the window as Bradley drove. To Sam, it felt like the longest drive of her life. When they arrived, Sam couldn’t get out of the Bronco fast enough. Bradley was quick to stop her though. He took her hand. “Sam. He doesn't look good. He's all bruised and beaten up. I just want you to be prepared.” 

She scoffed and pulled her hand from his, going as fast as she could into the building. She needed to see him, now. A nurse guided her and Bradley to the elevator and told them to stop at the nurse's station on the third floor, which was by the ICU. In the elevator, Sam folded her arms across her chest.

“They're probably gonna tell him he needs therapy. I can't imagine him doing that.” Bradley mumbled and Sam shot a glare his way.

“I'm sure he'll do whatever he needs to, to get better.” She said and Bradley nodded.

“You know before the mission went south, he and I talked.” He said and Sam lifted her gaze to lock eyes with him. He spoke again. “He asked me to be there for you if he couldn't...if anything happened. I’m going to make good on that promise. Anything you need while he’s recovering, you just let me know okay?”

Sam made a small noise in agreement. When they stepped out of the elevator, she saw Mav and Beau sitting outside a room. She took a deep breath, feeling a surge of emotions come forward. She wasn’t prepared for what Jake might look like. She felt that in her bones. The butterflies in her stomach weren’t just the excitement of seeing him return home, they were also nerves fluttering, not knowing what to expect. The curtains to his room were closed and the door was shut. It looked as though the lights were off too. Maverick rose from his seat and placed his hands on Sam’s arms.

“You want someone to go in with you or are you okay by yourself?” He asked softly and Sam took another deep breath.

“I’m okay by myself.” She said and Mav nodded. Beau’s brows furrowed as he glanced toward the door. She slid the door open and Bradley watched as she paused, then closed it behind her. 

Jake was propped up on pillows. His arm was in a sling and the sheets were neatly folded across his legs and stopped at his torso, where she could see he had bandaging all the way around. He had IVs all in his other arm, and even in his hand, and his eyes were closed. His face had some bruising on his cheekbone, around one of his eyes and the side of his head. He had a bandage on the side of his head and on his collarbone. He had definitely lost weight and probably muscle with it. His breathing was steady and shallow. There was the beep of the heart monitor and the hum of people outside talking. She could make out the tone and cadence of Mav’s voice over everyone else’s. 

Sam walked to the side of the bed where his arm was free and she placed a hand under his. He was cold, a stark contrast to his normal ability to radiate heat. That scared her the most. Not the IVs, not the bruises. She’d only felt cold skin like this one other time. So, when Jake turned his head and opened his eyes slightly, it startled her, as if he’d risen from the dead.

“There’s my beautiful girl. I missed you.” He rasped and Sam couldn’t help the tears that came. She wanted to jump on top of him and do bad, bad things to him, but she would settle for a feather light kiss pressed to his lips. His lips...those were warm.

[joonliebe]

These are my two Tf2 AUs Modern AU, and Dark Fortress

The Modern AU is a bit old and I haven’t done anything to the story in a while but I suppose I will share it anyways. (I am NOT sharing the first drawing I did of them in the beginning of 2023. Unless it’s highly requested but it’s pretty bad and it’s crazy how much I improved in about a year)

Dell(engineer): he’s a mechanic and tool maker. Dell is a Texan man who is a kind hearted man. He spends his spare time hanging out with a few of his buds and having a cool beer or two, not enough to get drunk however just a little tipsy. He likes sitting in his truck and listening to country music on the radio. He lives with Jude and helps him through his breakdowns. He has deeper feelings for Jude however keeps silent as to not possibly ruining things between them despite Jude having the same hidden feelings.

Dell wears a plain red collar necked shirt, blue jeans, brown belt and brown boots. He often wears his cowboy hat that he loves despite its rougher edges and wear. He wears his reddish colored safety goggles a lot considering he forgets to take them off most of the time. He has tan skin. He has dirty blonde body and facial hair that he keeps decently groomed. He has short blonde hair that is usually slightly greasy due to sweat however it’s soft anyway. He has gray blue eyes

Jude(pyro): he is amab but identifies himself as genderfluid. Jude is Italian who has some physical disabilities due to his past trauma involving a house fire however he uses fire to keep himself calm so he usually carries a lighter at all times unless it’s not aloud then he tries to find other things to keep himself calm. He is very sweet and caring but can be a little over protective. Jude lives with Dell and is very close with him. His emotions towards Dell can sometimes make him overwhelmed so he tries to separate himself from Dell so as to not cause anything awkward.

Jude wears a vanilla white colored turtleneck sweater, baggy light blue jeans, and pink converse. He wears a gray face mask to cover most of his facial scars. He wears glasses that help his sight. He has pale skin with pinkish scars in numerous spots all over his body. He wears a dark gray bucket hat to hide most of his patchy auburn hair. He has olive green eyes

Jeremy(scout): he is kinda rude but overall he’s pretty chill. He lives next to his dad(spy) in a one bedroom apartment. He has a dog named Rico that is a dachshund. He has slight anger issues and will curse at anything or anyone out but will apologize after realizing he was being mean. He’s not really a cat person nor a fan of cats. He doesn’t really have a specific job and most of them involve fast food. He has harsh mixed emotions about his dad but he doesn’t like to think of it often. He wants to make his dad proud however he feels like his dad doesn’t care about him.

Jeremy wears a black tank top, gray skinny jeans that are ripped at the knees, and plain black shoes with white laces. He wears a backwards gray hat, a silver necklace his mom gave him before she passed away and black earrings. He usually listens to music on his phone with orange and black wired earbuds. He has mixed tan skin with a few freckles across his face and shoulders. He has dark golden brown hair. His eyes are brown.

Jane(soldier): he works as a ROTC teacher in a college. He was formerly in the military. He may look like a complete asshole but he actually has a good sense of humor though he is brutally honest. He is supportive however he doesn’t let people disrespect him and still receive his respect. Jane has a tough love demeanor. Jane is married to his wife Zhanna (heavy’s sister). He is good friends with Tavish who he helped out of a tough time in his life.

Jane wears a white tank top under his camouflage jacket. He wears dark green cargo pants and black boots. He wears a dog tag necklace and his wedding ring. He has a light 5 o’clock shadow. His skin is tan with a slight sunburn. He has graying short brown hair.

Theo(spy): he is a French man. He lives next to his son(scout). He works illegally as a hit man (aka assassin). He seems to be cold hearted however he does care about the people he loves. He has a cat named Cherie who is a Siamese . He feels bad about how Jeremy views him however he doesn’t want to intrude on his life as he knows Scout is dealing with the death of his mother just like him. Theo feels terrible about Colleen’s (Jeremy’s mom) death as well considering how he loved her.

Theo wears a tan turtleneck sweater under his maroon coat with matching pants and dress shoes. He carries a picture of Colleen holding Jeremy as a baby with him at all times. Theo has mixed tan skin that is slightly darker than Jeremy’s. He has black slick backed hair with gray streaks. He has a light 5 o’clock shadow on his face and his eyebrows are plucked to look nice and clean. He puts on black eyeliner. His eyes are black.

Ludwig(medic): he is a German surgeon. He cracks jokes that are kinda dark (like death or gore jokes) but sometimes he just makes straight up dad jokes. He of course has his dove archimedes as a pet. Doesn’t get unsettled by grotesque wounds often at all. He can get a little irritated at his coworkers at times but he manages to keep himself to calm down before something bad happens

Ludwig wears a black vest and tie over a white button up shirt, he wears black pants and shoes. He wears oval shaped glasses. He has tan skin and sky blue eyes. He has short dark gray hair with some noticeable light gray streaks. He tries to keep his hair slicked back however it often gets into his face.

Tavish(demoman): he is a Scottish bartender. He is good friends with Jane who helped him get out his habit of drinking at work when he was upset. He lives with his white cat named Bonnie and his beagle named Dougie.

Tavish wears a white button up shirt with a black bow tie, black pants and nice black shoes. He has a missing eye which he covers using a patch. He has dark brown skin and Hazel eyes. He has short hair and dreads at the top of his head. He has well groomed facial hair.

Mick(sniper): Mick works with Theo sometimes to assassinate people despite them not quite liking each other too much. He lives in a camper with a taped up busted window. He drinks coffee way too often. He has bad social anxiety that makes him dread interacting with people however he can sometimes push himself to do it. Mick sympathizes with Theo’s loss however he isn’t very good at supporting or comforting others.

Mick usually wears a white tank top and plain black boxers around his Camper however he sometimes will put on a robe when someone is around or he’ll wear a black tee shirt, blue jeans, brown leather jacket, and boots when he’s away from his camper. He always wears his pair of black and brown ombré sunglasses. He has dark tan skin and blue eyes. He has a messy dark brown mullet and sideburns with a slightly outgrown 5 o’clock shadow.

Mikhail(heavy): Mikhail is a retired weaponsmith. He is a tall Russian man. He works out sometimes but not as much as he used to since he’s pretty big already. He is very kind and sometimes too friendly, however he is stern when it comes to his loved ones and will protect them with his life. He owns a pet Guinea pig named Goliath.

Mikhail wears a dark brown coat over a white tee shirt, brown belt, black jeans, boots and he wears a ushanka. He has light tan skin and has a light 5 o’clock shadow. He has dark blue eyes.

The au is in a modern day society. The nine men live in a town called fortwell. Dell and Jude met in high school. Dell met Theo in college where Jane doe now works. Jeremy was supposed to go to college there but decided not to because “it was a waste of time” though it probably would have put him in a better situation than now. Jeremy didn’t have a good state of mind when he should have been starting college due to his mom passing away. Theo tried not to let her death get to him resulting in going to the bar often. Theo became pretty good friends with Tavish who comforted him when Theo would vent to him. Theo learned of Tavish’s bad habit of drinking however he didn’t judge since Tavish listened to him vent. Once Theo got back in a good head space he reunited with his college friend Dell. Dell told him about the college and how it was way better than when Theo and Dell met there. Dell met Jeremy soon after Theo and him reunited and talked him into going to college to try to get a better job if not better life. Jeremy decided to join ROTC to try to be a better son and make his mama proud if she was still watching. Jane pushed Jeremy to work hard which pissed him off but he continued anyway. After a while Jeremy started to give up. He ended up cursing out Jane. It wasn’t anything new from what he’d heard from other students so he kept a stern voice and talked Jeremy through his outburst soon finding out about his mothers death and the reason why he decided to come to college. Jane realized Jeremy wasn’t mad he was just in pain. Jane shared his experience of pain from his years of being in the military. Jeremy was surprised by the way Jane showed sympathy for him. Jeremy thought he was just an asshole but he found out Jane just showed tough love to help his students become tougher. Jeremy didn’t give up after talking with Jane instead he became more confident about continuing college. Jane was glad to have changed Jeremy’s point of view and happy to see him work hard.

Theo visited the bar and brought Dell with him though Dell wasn’t really the type to drink besides a beer every here and there. Dell met Tavish and had a few drinks with Theo and talked with Tavish as well. Theo accidentally bumped into the wrong guy at the bar. The guy caught an attitude with Theo when he tried to apologize resulting in a heated argument. Dell didn’t like this. He usually wasn’t the type to fight but he was a bit buzzed from the alcohol and he stepped in. He was not only shorter than Theo but definitely shorter than the guy. He threw the first punch which the guy didn’t like at all causing him to slam Dell on the ground and break his arm. Tavish noticed the ruckus and called the police as soon as he saw Dell get slammed and his arm broken. Theo slipped out his switchblade and slit the guy’s throat when he wasn’t looking. Nobody noticed how the guy disappeared due to all eyes focused on Dell being taken to hospital once the police and ambulance came. Tavish noticed however he said nothing. Tavish didn’t like that guy anyway since this wasn’t the first time he had caused problems in the bar. Theo somehow discarded the body without anyone but Tavish noticing but Tavish wasn’t one to run his mouth unlike his coworkers who luckily weren’t working that night. The bar got closed for the night and Tavish went to the hospital to sit with Dell. Theo went to sit with Tavish and Dell soon after telling Jeremy he wasn’t going to get back to the house that night. Dell had to have surgery to put his bones back in place. His doctor happened to be one of Tavish’s high school classmates and sort of friend. His name was Ludwig and he happened to notice Tavish even without one of his eyes. He was surprised that Tavish wasn’t the one who needed surgery due to all the trouble Tavish used to get into when they went to high school but then again he figured Tavish had matured more as an adult. After the surgery was successful Ludwig had reintroduced himself to Tavish. It took a minute but Tavish recognized Ludwig. He was slightly embarrassed when Theo heard how Tavish used to misbehave in high school but luckily Theo didn’t mind. Ludwig was happy to see him again and glad that he wasn’t upset at the way Ludwig described younger Tavish. Then again the way Tavish described how he knew him wasn’t exactly the best either. Ludwig had been quite shy and nerdy when he was younger but he wasn’t really that known either. Ludwig found out Tavish worked at a bar where Ludwig’s best friend Mikhail went to every now and then. Jude came to the hospital asking about Dell. He was very confused to see other people there and he was also nervous due to not really being social since he was bullied as a kid due to his burn scars all over his face and body. The others didn’t know about Jude until Dell came out of the room with a cast on his arm to let his arm heal properly. Dell explained how he met Jude to Tavish and Theo then he explained to Jude how he met them. Jude was still a little nervous from being socially awkward but Theo and Tavish told him that they didn’t mind him being there. Tavish told Dell how he knew Ludwig since he was still standing there reminding Ludwig that he still had a job to do and he excused himself after trading numbers with Tavish so they could stay in contact. Dell went back to the house with Jude so he could help Dell until he recovered. Later Ludwig went to the bar with Mikhail to see Tavish and talk and hang out with his friend and let them get to know each other.

Mick met Theo again after he found a property next to Theo and Jeremy’s houses. For a good while he didn’t like Theo due to thinking he was one of those guys who was full of himself. Theo didn’t know how to feel about his somewhat coworker living next to them. Jeremy made up dumb ideas that he was some weirdo who was a homeless guy that stole someone’s camper or something dumb like that. Obviously Theo didn’t believe his son. He decided to go talk to Mick. When he walked up to the camper and knocked on the door Mick opened the door before Theo could even say anything Mick closed the door in his face. He said something like “if you’re gonna say something about my camper or something like that just leave” Theo didn’t like that but he knew he wasn’t gonna say anything like that anyway he just told him he was just gonna talk to him again and clear up some possible misunderstanding. Mick already knew who he was or so he thought so. Mick walked out with his arms crossed. He looked at the perfectly dressed man waiting for him to say something. Theo told him his real name and asked about his name. Mick with a slight attitude told his name. Theo offered him a drink at the bar. Mick wasn’t exactly against the idea so he accepted though he was still cautious of the man. He didn’t really like him until they chatted more at the bar. Mick soon grew to realize that Theo wasn’t exactly what he thought. They soon started getting along better. Theo and Mick started talking more often. Not too long after Theo introduced Mick to the other guys. They started bonding more and Mick became less introverted.

I don’t have much Information on the Dark Fortress AU since it was mostly made for fun but basically this takes place in a different universe where Dr. Ludwig (aka medic) is a mad scientist who’s done all these crazy experiments for the soul purpose of being interesting.

Here’s the list of characters and what monster they are

Scout: werewolf

Soldier: Gargoyle

Pyro: fire spirit/phoenix

Demoman: cyclops

Heavy: mothman

Engineer: Cyborg

Medic: mad scientist

Sniper: Sasquatch

Spy: vampire

(Pyro is haunting Dr. Ludwig for his actions. Dell used to be Dr. Ludwig’s assistant however after Dell refused to be apart of another one of his experiments Dr. Ludwig turned him into a experiment by using his own machinery again him)

[perotovar]

into the beat of the night (ch 2) "fear of the dark"

gif by me

pairing: frankie morales/nb!oc (they/them) rating: T (for now) chapter warnings: discussions of sexuality/gender (frankie doesn't understand some things and may use language that would be harmful, but it's not intentional), goth stereotypes abound, swearing, more cute shit word count: 2.7k dividers by @saradika beta: @scenaaario (ily adrienne ♥)

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series summary: frankie morales thought he had himself figured out by now. he liked both men and women, had dated both in the past. but when someone that challenges what he thinks that means comes into his life, in an unlikely place, he truly learns who he is, and more importantly, who he loves.

series masterlist

Frankie wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he texted River, but it wasn’t this.

ok what about this one?

He looked at the photo River sent him and was having a hard time calming down his heart. River was going back to the club where they met, The Night Owl, and “needed help” picking an outfit. Frankie thought they looked good in every outfit they’d shown him so far and wasn’t sure what the problem was.

U know i liked that 2nd one

you text like such an old man lol

hey

it’s ok, it’s cute 😘

That was another thing he’d have to get used to. River made their intentions quite clear and was very obvious with how they felt about Frankie. The problem was, Frankie was nervous. He’d flirted before. Had random hookups before. That wasn’t new to him, but River was.

He didn’t want to be disrespectful, but he still didn’t quite know if River was a man or a woman. In every selfie they’d sent him, they always had the same androgynous look. River had both sharp and soft features; soft, round cheeks with hard, angular eyes. They weren’t very tall, the top of their head grazing Frankie’s shoulder, and had a medium build. He had no idea how to approach the topic without them turning away.

Frankie knew he liked women. He knew he liked men. So it would make sense that he would like River, right? River was kind of like… both? The two of them had been texting for a week and he really liked their sense of humor. They were really nice to him; maybe even a little too nice. He didn’t know what to do with nice a lot of the time.

“Daddy?”

Frankie looked up from his phone at the sleepy four-year old in his bedroom doorway. Marisol was holding her stuffed bunny in one tiny arm and rubbing her eye with her other little fist.

“What’s up, conejita? What’re you doing awake, huh?” He smiled as he crawled out of bed, phone left behind. He made his way over to her and picked her up, resting her on his hip. “You have a bad dream?”

Marisol nodded and hid her face in Frankie’s neck, her little fist holding on tight to the worn neckline of his sleep shirt. Frankie frowned and held her close, rubbing her little back as he walked her back to her bedroom. As he went to lay her down in her bed she fussed a little, refusing to let go.

“Can I sleep with you? Please?” Marisol’s big brown eyes, mirror images of Frankie’s own, looked up at him pleadingly and he couldn’t turn her down. Not ever.

He straightened back up and nodded, kissing her soft cheek. “Alright. But just tonight, okay? You gotta sleep in your own bed tomorrow. Promise?” He held out his pinky. When her tiny one curled around his own, his heart melted.

He walked back to his own bedroom and set her down on the edge of the bed. She crawled her way up to his pillows and made herself comfy, cuddling her little bunny close. Frankie tucked her in and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. She whined and lifted her bunny up to him. “Flor, too!” Marisol’s little voice demanded.

“Right. Flor, too. Sorry, conejita,” he chuckled and gave a small kiss to Flor’s fuzzy head.

Marisol seemed satisfied with that and cuddled into Frankie’s blankets and shut her eyes. He made his way to his own side of the bed and crawled under the blankets as well, picking up his phone. Two messages from River.

so the second one?

damn, pass out on me already, old man? 😉

He quickly started typing a response, afraid to leave them hanging.

No sorry im here.   Yeah the 2nd one

He looked back at all the photos they’d sent him that evening and sighed. He started typing again.

U want company tomorrow ?

As the three dots showed up at the bottom of his screen, his heart started pounding harder.

i didn’t think you’d want to come back. thought we all scared you last time 😉 i’d love company, esp if it’s yours

Frankie smiled at his phone and rested it on his chest, looking up at the ceiling. Yeah, he had it bad.

“Hermano, I need your help.”

Frankie was sitting across from Santiago at a local coffee shop the next morning. The low hum of other customers talking and the nearby kitchen filled his ears. It grounded him a little. His palms were sweaty and he started sniffing, an old, terrible habit he’d picked up whenever he was nervous. No matter how long he had been clean, the craving to put something up his nose was never far.

“Well, I can see that. What’s on your mind? Is Marisol okay?” Santi asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Yeah, she’s great. It’s not that. I, uh, started… talking to someone. Well, I don’t really know–”

“That’s great, man! What’s her name? Or his?”

Frankie’s mouth felt dry, so he looked away from Santi’s eyes and took a drink of his own coffee. He swallowed thickly around the coffee and the lump in his throat.

“W-Well, um. River, but–”

“Ooh, unique.”

“Yeah,” Frankie sighed, nodding. “I’m not sure if that’s their real name, though? I mean, the bartender went by Viper, so it honestly wouldn’t surprise me–”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Santi chuckled. “Why don’t you start from the beginning, huh?”

Frankie nodded, chewing on his bottom lip. That was probably a good place to start. So, he told Santiago everything. Ending up at a goth club, Viper and the drink he gave him (which he really liked), and meeting River. Texting with River and how much he liked them. 

Santiago stayed quiet the whole time, listening closely to what Frankie had to say. “Sounds like it doesn’t matter if you know or not, hermano.”

“But,” Frankie started. “I’d like to. T-To, y’know… Respect them. I’m not sure how to ask without offending them.”

Santiago hummed and took another drink. “This is still new, right?”

“Very.”

“Right. I don’t think River would be upset at you asking. You said you stuck out at that club, right? They’re probably expecting it at this point,” Santi chuckled.

Frankie nodded again, looking out into the middle distance. Santi was right. River had been nothing but kind to him so far. They even started to create little inside jokes already.

“When are you seeing them next?” Santi asked.

“Tonight. We’re going back to The Night Owl,” Frankie muttered, picking at a hangnail on his index finger.

Santi smirked, sitting up in his seat more. “Together this time? Or are you meeting there?”

“Meeting there. I don’t know where they live.”

Santiago hummed, thinking. “I think you should go and have fun tonight. You said they danced last time? Maybe you could join them this time. Just take the night as it comes, and if anything progresses, well, let it… progress,” he shrugged, as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

And maybe it should be. Frankie was allowed to enjoy himself from time to time. He’s been clean since Marisol was born, and had been on the straight and mostly narrow ever since. He could loosen up tonight. He nodded to himself and finally made eye contact with Santi again.

“I will. Thanks, Pope.”

“Of course, hermano. Lemme know how it goes, yeah?”

Frankie was sitting at the bar again, having another Snakebite. He tapped his fingers against the bar nervously as he waited for River to arrive. 

“They’ll be here, stripes,” Viper’s gruff voice muttered from behind him. Frankie turned to look at him and raised a brow.

“How do you know I’m–”

“Frankie!” River’s voice came from behind him, their hands waving excitedly, which caused all the jewelry they wore to jingle loudly. God, they looked incredible. He gulped, but smiled, standing to greet them properly.

“Hey, Riv,” Frankie said, shoving his hands into his pockets, unsure what to do with them. He hadn’t noticed it last time, or maybe they weren’t wearing it then, but River was wearing a cologne this time around; bergamot, clove, and sandalwood. It went right to his head and made his heart skip a beat. “You look great.”

“You picked it out, remember?” River winked, their eyes flicking to Frankie’s lips for a quick second. Their eyes traveled down further and they smirked, looking at the t-shirt Frankie wore underneath his leather jacket. “Iron Maiden, huh?” They teased.

“What, I don’t look like I listen to Iron Maiden?” Frankie smiled, a little of his confidence coming back now that River was here. All of the comfort and teasing was still there from their texts.

River hummed thoughtfully, one ring-clad finger running over the side of Eddie’s face on Frankie’s torso. “I didn’t say that. Just thought it was an interesting choice,” they grinned, looking back up at him.

Frankie blinked down at them, following their finger that had yet to leave. “Interesting?” he squeaked, swallowing around another lump in his throat.

River chuckled and took their hand away, shaking their head in amusement. “Don’t worry about it. C’mon, you promised me a dance, remember?”

Right. He did. After his meeting with Santiago that morning, he texted River and said he’d never seen dances quite like the ones at The Night Owl. River excitedly offered to show him how to do one or two moves. Frankie didn’t have the heart to tell them he had two left feet.

River grabbed his hand and dragged him to the dance floor, grinning up at him, and started dancing once they made their way to the middle.

The walls of the club bounced with the music. This time it was a little closer to electronic so it was easier to find a beat to Frankie’s untrained ears. He still didn’t fully know what all the different genres were despite River trying to give him a breakdown of the main ones over text. He thinks this one was Dark… Wave? Something like that.

Frankie had danced with both men and women before, but didn’t quite know where to put his hands with River. Thankfully, he didn’t have to think about it too hard, because they grabbed his wrists and rested his hands on their shoulders. They moved their hips to the music, grabbing onto Frankie's waist and guiding him with them.

Frankie’s cheeks warmed as he smiled down at them. He completely lost himself in the moment, just like Santi said he should. Lights danced around with them, shining off of River’s dark hair and illuminating them in a way that made Frankie’s heart stop. They made eye contact and River winked at him, tapping his butt lightly. He blushed, thankful that the lights hid it for the most part. Before he knew it, a few songs had passed and River was dragging him off the dancefloor and back towards the bar, giggling their head off.

“I didn’t know you had such good moves!” They teased, poking his side playfully.

“Oh, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” Frankie winked, his eyes flicking to River’s lips. River got closer, wrapping their arms around Frankie’s waist and grinned.

“That a promise?”

Frankie’s heart skipped two full beats before he exhaled loudly, his hands resting on River’s biceps. He looked around at all the other clubgoers and sighed before grabbing River’s hand and taking them outside into the fresh air.

River furrowed their brows with concern, but followed him. They looked at the back of Frankie’s head, eyes following the shapes and valleys of his messy curls. They wanted to run their fingers through it.

Fresh, cool air hit their warm cheeks as Frankie walked them over to his truck. He maneuvered River so that they were leaning against the side, his arms caging around them. River could see that a million thoughts were passing behind those big brown eyes of his. They reached for the bottom of Frankie’s Iron Maiden t-shirt and rubbed it comfortingly. They were patient.

“I’d love nothing more than to promise you that,” Frankie started, his eyes not meeting their green ones. He kept his eyes glued to the torn shirt and multiple silver necklaces River wore. “But, I just… I have a question for you, and I’m not sure how to ask it.”

River’s lips quirked up into a small smile. They had a feeling this was coming. “No, I’m not secretly a cop,” they deadpanned.

Frankie looked up at that and snorted at the serious look on River’s face. “No, not that,” he chuckled, poking at the tattoo on River’s collarbone.

“You can just ask. It can’t be that bad.”

Frankie bit his bottom lip and nodded, eyes locked on River’s nose rings. “I, uh… I’ve dated men and women in the past. I… like them equally, and I guess I was just wondering… where you, uh… fell, on that spectrum,” he mumbled, eyes downcast again. His shoulders felt a hundred pounds lighter, but he was still afraid he would offend them.

River smiled wide and cupped Frankie’s cheek, forcing him to look at them. “That’s all?”

Frankie blinked and nodded jerkily.

“Well, do you want the long version or the short version?”

Frankie looked at River’s lips, feeling a little more confident knowing River wasn’t angry with him. “Whichever one gets me closer to kissing you,” he muttered hopefully, dropping his hand down to their hip and rubbing the bone there with his thumb.

River’s breath hitched and they smiled. “Short version, then,” they grinned, rubbing at his patchy facial hair, their thumb finding a perfect spot to rest. “I’m both. And neither. I was raised one way and never felt like I belonged in either basket.”

Frankie nodded in understanding. He understood feeling like he didn’t belong. “Is… is there a word for that?” he asked, hoping that was okay.

“Yeah. Non-binary. I don’t always use it, and that’s kind of where the longer version comes in, but I think you promised me a kiss,” River smiled, rubbing their thumb along Frankie’s bottom lip.

Frankie didn’t need to be told twice, surging forward to slot their lips together. He kept one hand on River’s hip and cupped the back of their head with his free hand, sighing into their mouth. 

River moved their head a little to the right so they could fit together more easily. They gently prodded their tongue against Frankie’s bottom lip, asking permission. Goosebumps traveled down the back of their neck to the tips of their toes, as they wound their arms around Frankie’s neck.

Frankie happily granted them entry, his head spinning at the feeling of River’s lips on his own. It was so much better than he thought it would be.

When they eventually came up for air, Frankie touched his forehead to River’s. They just breathed each other in for a few moments, but River started snickering quietly. He leaned back, their waists still pressed together, and looked down at them, smiling softly. “What?”

River pointed to their own mouth, then to his, and laughed harder. He raised a brow and looked over at his rearview mirror to see what it could be. He didn’t let go of River’s hip.

Once his own reflection came into view, his cheeks warmed at what he saw. His eyes traveled over to River’s giggling form in the mirror, their hand covering their mouth as their shoulders shook. River’s dark lipstick had transferred over onto Frankie’s own lips and it looked… very out of place, to say the least.

Frankie started laughing softly, his eyes moving back to River’s. “I think it suits me, don’t you?” He winked.

River barked a laugh and lightly slapped his chest. “Absolutely not. I like you all lumberjack, fisherman chic.”

“Fisher– what?” Frankie chuckled.

“You look like you just got back from a fishing trip with peepaw, Francisco. Please don’t tell me you have a photo of you holding up a fish on your Tinder profile,” River said, suddenly very serious.

Frankie blinked a few times before it was his turn to start laughing hard. Then he got quiet, and asked, “What’s Tinder?”

“Good answer.”

a/n: please enjoy these edits i made of frankie in his iron maiden t-shirt~