#i want to figure out dickie trying so hard to keep his family together that he accidentally tears it apart instead

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

mostly I choose to blatantly ignore most plot points that happened while Bruce was lost in time but occasionally I get the whim to write something that actually reworks some of it in a way that 1) is actually in character and 2) is flagrantly self-indulgent

[whereflowersbloom]

Pumpkin Disaster

Richard could almost smell the cinnamon spice, vanilla scent and cinnamon sugar in the air. The colors of the leaves changed from green to a dazzling display of red, orange and yellow. The air became crisper and temperatures dropped a bit as a chill came into the air.

Richard Grayson absolutely loved Halloween. As expected of the eldest Wayne sibling, he was the kind of person who enjoyed decorating and preparing the manor for Halloween because of his everlasting enthusiasm for holidays. He loved the cheesy and horror movies, the excuse to stuff his face with candy, the seasonal special editions of cereal, the elaborate and extravagant costumes, the creative decorations. It was his second favorite holiday. And he definitely considered it a holiday.

Halloween wasn’t just a day to him. Oh no. The whole month of October was Halloween. But with his vigilante duties, intermittent Titans training and constant Gotham crises cropping up, he had made it through two weeks of the month without an ounce of Halloween festivity. But that was about to change.

“You never carved pumpkins for Halloween?” Dick Grayson asked incredulously, pressing a hand to his chest in a move overly dramatic.

Damian exclaimed a familiar ‘TT’ in response. For him seeing people playing pretend, wearing flashy and ridiculous costumes was not particularly interesting. Thought they weren’t much different from the impractical clothing Todd and Richard insisted on wearing. It was just a recurrent reminder that he was not a normal child.

“Which part of I was raised in the inhospitable and desolate mountains you didn’t comprehend, Grayson?” Damian brusquely returned with furrowed eyebrows.

“But we cannot celebrate it without carving your first pumpkin...” Grayson sounded so downhearted it stung Damian with shadowy guilt. Out of all his adoptive siblings Grayson was the pleasant and tolerable one. Damian swallowed hard.

“I want all of us to carve a pumpkin!” Dick declared holding up his index finger in contempt. Damian raised a dark eyebrow as a go on communicating silently. “We are all doing this together as a family.”

“It’s not necessary. I’m not a small child anymore.” Damian scoffed, rolling his eyes before refocusing on his Robert Frost book, flipping another page. No. He would not acquiesce easily into this. He was self-sufficient, mature preteen. Not a child.

“Demon spawn, you are only eleven.” Jason commented before putting out a finished cigarette. Fortunately Alfred wasn’t lurking around to give him disapproving eyes for smoking inside the manor.

“Is this your way of asking for a new scar, Todd?” Damian threatened through gritted teeth and clenched fists, mind quickly calculating the damage of throwing an explosive batarang.

“You’re getting less insufferable to be around.” Jason scoffed and met Damian with a sly smirk. “Dickie, pouting is not an acceptable reaction for a full-grown adult.” Jason sing-songed as he grabbed his motorbike keys.

“This includes you Jaybird. I plan on getting you into the Halloween spirit.” Dick announced with his authoritative leader tone, letting Jason know he would be part of this wether he liked it or not.

Jason groaned dreadfully, cursing under his breath. Great. Now he was part of the Halloween circus. At least he didn’t have to take the annoying gremlin pumpkin picking. God knows what would happened if they fed him candy. The thought gave Jason chilling goosebumps.

Damian folded his arms over his chest in a sign of disagreement. “I don’t do pumpkins. It’s a waste of food. It amounts to about 18,000 tons of pumpkin, including flesh and seeds. Have you read the recent studies on how it’s destroying the environment?”

“Come on, D. You will have fun. You can carve your own Robin lantern” Dick encouraged, practically vibrating with excitement. Damian wondered what on earth he did to deserve such blinding sunshine as his adoptive sibling. “...and I’m sure Alfred will find a convenient way to make use of the pumpkins.”the last words seemed to have done the trick to convince the younger boy.

Damian considered the options carefully for a solid minute. He knew better than ignoring Richard wouldn’t get him anywhere. He wouldn’t leave it alone. Sigh. If it meant he could help Pennyworth baking a pumpkin spice pie with ginger-snag crust...

“Lead the way, Grayson.” Damian sighed resignedly.

Dick squealed in joy, bouncing to his feet and wrapping his arms around Damian’s neck.

It was just pumpkin carving what exactly could go wrong. Right?

~~~

Less than two hours later Jason Todd walked into the kitchen of the Wayne manor, initially looking for a cup of peppermint tea as the Gotham chilly autumn winds were making him crave a hot beverage.

“Would anyone care to explain why is there a whole fucking pumpkin patch on the kitchen table?” Jason muttered audibly, mouth opened in stupefaction. What in the name of Halloweentown....Where did all these pumpkins come from?

“Language, Jay.” Dick scolded him glancing up at him over a pile of massive mutant pumpkins with a provoking grin.

“I grew up in the Narrows. I’m allowed to swear.” Jason rolled his eyes in reply as he tried to avoid stepping on the pumpkins, accidentally squashing them, they were scattered on the floor, table, those fucking things were everywhere. “Dickie, are you going to explain?”

“These are from Roy.” Richard gestured the numerous orange bulbs with his right hand. “I think he got these from some illegal smuggling bust. I didn’t really ask a lot of questions. I just accepted them because I thought it’d be fun to try carving Batman lanterns with little D.”

It took Jason less than two minutes to process the information. Why was the golden boy not bothered by this?

“You mean these are contraband pumpkins.” He remarked skeptically, green-blue eyes widening still rather incredulous.

Dick simply shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d have a problem.”

Right. Only if Bruce found out about the origin of the contraband pumpkins. Then he’d be blamed for being the bad influence and his merry band of disreputable friends. He groaned as he rubbed the nape of his neck.

“And where is the demon spawn. I don’t seem him anywhere.” He questioned narrowing his eyes and tilting his head to the side the slightest. He had to be close to Dick, but the kitchen was alarmingly too quiet. Too quiet for his liking. This meant trouble.

Tim didn’t try too hard not to flinch as a knife flashed dangerously close to his face and flied past Jason. “This is the third time in the last hour. I’m starting to think it’s personal.” Tim spoke calmly with a sarcastic tone as he continued sipping his black coffee expressionless as usual. Getting knifed by the little demon spawn before Halloween would hav been the cherry on top of the misfortune cake.

Jason was genuinely concerned and wondered how many cups of coffee Tim has had today. Hopefully not over five.

“If he wanted you dead, you’d be already in a casket.” Jason pointed out. It was no secret Damian’s strong aversion towards replacement, but he didn’t wish the shortstack dead.

Tim just shrugged his shoulders casually. “Well, I suppose we always could use your old one.” Fuck that. He took it back.

“Low blow, replacement.” Jason feigned hurt putting a hand to his chest right above his heart in a offended manner.

“It’s juts not cooperating.” The young kid voiced his frustration and discontentment . Leaving the kitchen knife he used on the table. Tt. He was trained and raised for excellence and he couldn’t carve flawlessly a stupid pumpkin. Mother would be entirely displeased.

“Requires time and practice, Dami.” Dick whispered softly with a warm smile, running his hand up and down the preteen’s back.

“I don’t know D, to me it looks like you’re slaughtering it mercilessly.” Jason joked with a wolflike smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Head moving in different angles trying to find a figure or face in the pumpkin Damian had been carving. “Unless you were thinking of the Joker, If so then you have my seal of approval.” The little demon spawn was never the most pleasant person to be around but deep,very deep down maybe Jason had a soft spot for him. Not that he would ever admit it out loud. Never.

“Do us a favor and keep your mouth shut, Todd.” Damian barked, glaring daggers at him.

“I never did Halloween with my parents.” The words escaped Tim’s mouth before his brilliant brain registered the order. The pain wasn’t there anymore. No. There were charity Galas, social events for wealthy socialites, last minute journeys for significant discoveries. Because people often assumed there will be plenty of time later. Tim didn’t want Damian to live for the later.

“I remember trading a cheap wristwatch for expired candy once. Not a great deal.” Jason muttered nonchalantly, giving it unimportance. Tone flat and factual. His memories from the narrows weren’t memorable for being happy or enjoyable but he had what he managed to obtain and he did what was necessary in order to survive. Nothing to be ashamed of.

“There’s always a first, Timbo.” Dick placed sympathetically a hand on Tim’s shoulder in a comforting way. Tim smiled softly back. Well, perhaps this pumpkin carving experience could be fun.

~~~

“This is the grossest thing I’ve ever done.” Tim announced, scooping a handful of pumpkin guts out of his pumpkin and examining them distastefully. “Seriously. I’ve done some pretty gross things, but this takes the cake.”

Jason flicked playfully a few pumpkin seeds at him and Tim moved fast enough to evade almost all of them. “Don’t be such a crybaby, replacement.” He has been playing with the large pumpkin, stabbing it numerous times picturing the joker’s fAce.

“Look at the gremlin, he’s been doing it for like two hours. What if he’s developed an addiction?” Jason mumbled slightly concerned and half-joking to Tim.

Damian pulled the pumpkin impossibly closer to him, practically cradling the thing in his lap. His mind completely absorbed in the task of carving the perfect pumpkin. His back was pressed to the cupboards behind him, a series of knives and napkins scattered at his sides. He looked focused, impossibly focused, like there could never be a more important thing for him to pour his energy into. Because Damian Wayne even if he didn’t admit it was obsessed with maintaining perfection. Failure was not a word he accepted.

Damian rolled his eyes. “I’m fairly sure no one has ever got addicted to pumpkin carving and I can hear you, mindless fools.”

"Any behavior can become compulsive.” Tim supplied absently, eyes fixed on the small pumpkin in front of him.

Dick paused briefly from working on his Nightwing lantern to just observe Damian, not even trying to hide the smile on his lips.

Dick and Jason quietly exchange discreet glances. Quickly they picked a few pumpkin seeds out of the bowl that resided in the scented of the kitchen table, flicking them over towards Damian who squawked and tried unsuccessfully, to duck. Due to being too focused on the task assigned. “Will you stop distracting me? I have a masterpiece to finish!”

“A masterpiece?” Jason asked teasingly, glancing pointedly at his Batman lantern.

“Yes. A masterpiece, Todd.” Damian exhaled exasperated. What did anyone have to do to carve a mere pumpkin in peace?

“Come on, little D. It’s time to have some fun!” Jason threw a handful of pulpy flesh at his face. Oh. This would be seen as a declaration of war. Quickly, Damian grabbed a portion of pumpkin and aimed for Jason’s leather jacket. ‘NOT MY JACKET’ several minutes later, Drake was covered in the orange flesh from head to toes. He was in urgent need of a bath. Grayson was smart enough to grasp a breakfast tray and use it as a shield, however it didn’t work for long. Damian and Tim teamed up to caught him on the top with a surprise attack, Drake sneaking behind his back. Needless to say the kitchen was in shambles at this point. Good thing Pennyworth has been busy the whole day reorganizing the library.

“What’s all this mess in my kitchen?! Master Richard I demand a proper explanation!” A very agitated British voice came from the doorframe. Alfred very upset, furrowing his grey brows appeared looking utterly baffled by the chaos.

Oops.

“Fuck me” Jason and Richard grumbled in unison from the floor covered in pumpkin pulp. Soon they broke out in bowls of laughter all four of them. Damian genuinely laughed at his heart’s content with the innocence of a normal child. His family may have been unstable and insane, but canned if they weren’t entertaining and the best part of his new life.

Some mandatory batbros bonding October prompt 🎃 🙈🙈🙈❤️💜💜

Also I’m celebrating 1.8K followers. Thank you so much for your support and reading my stories. I appreciate it 🥺🥺

Edited here:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26891536

@sofiii @chromium7sky @deep-in-mind67

[heyitsani]

Never Be the Same

Omega!Dick Week Day 1: Breeding

Word Count: 1975

Rating: Teen and Up

Warnings: Mention of miscarriage (not jay/dick) and Robincest (obviously)

Pairing: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd

Summary: Dick has been thinking about kids for the past couple of months and he's finally gathered the courage to approach Jason about it.

Notes: Here is my submission for the first day of Omega!Dick Week.  It was hard to pick which prompt for this day I wanted to go with, but this story came to me more easily than any of the other ideas so here we go.  

You can also read this on AO3 here

The breath he took came in long and left stuttered.  He had been planning for this conversation for weeks.  Weeks.  And yet he found himself still worried that he would be turned away.  Not completely, because his Alpha would never do that to him. But he wasn’t sure how receptive Jason would be to the current desire Dick had been fighting against for a few months now.  

It had been two years since he and Jason had bonded, five since the Alpha had come back from the dead with the desire of vengeance in his heart only to be stopped in his tracks by the older Omega.  It hadn’t been his plan to make Jason choose between him and the vengeance, he hadn’t even known it was Jason when he had first approached Red Hood as Nightwing.

But when the younger man had caught wind of his scent, the entire plan crumbled and the years Jason had spent hoping he could someday become the Alpha that Dick’s Omega wanted to bond with came flooding back.

And Dick had been knocked on his ass (literally and figuratively) once he figured out that the reason the hooded anti-hero smelled so much like home was because it was Jason.  

His Jason.

The kid who came back into his life with guns blazing as a man.  A man that ticked all the boxes Dick had been unable to tick off with any of the Alphas he had dated in the past.  Except for the “provide for me” box.  

But it hadn’t taken Jason long to prove that the somewhat unseemly underground he had built would do just that.  And much to Bruce’s dismay, Dick bared his neck to the young Alpha and accepted him as mate.

But now, two years after that night, Dick was restless and craving something only Jason could give him.

He wanted pups.

He wanted to fill the penthouse Bruce had given them as a bond present with the sound of childish laughter and tiny feet running up and down the halls.  And he had come down to Jason’s office in the building that he owned as Red Hood in hopes of convincing his mate that it was something they could start to try for when his next heat hit in a few weeks.

“Mr. Grayson!”  The surprised shout of the receptionist wasn’t too surprising for Dick.  Usually, he called ahead to warn her he was coming so she could warn Jason.  Today he hadn’t wanted Jason to be prepared.  “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you were coming by today!  He’s in a meeting.”

“That’s all right, Shelia,” he told the young omega.  He paused in front of her desk and smiled down at her.  Dick had always liked her, had in fact been the one who told Jason to bring her into the fold.  She had been abandoned by her alpha when she had miscarried their pup and Dick had come across her as Nightwing and had been invested in her ever since.  They had kept her in the dark and she simply thought she was working for Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne’s returned-from-the-dead son. “Is he having it in his office?” She shook her head and he sighed in relief.  “I’ll wait for him there.  Will you just have someone tell him that I’m here?  But it’s not a rush.”

“Of course, Mr. Grayson. Should I have anything sent to you?”

“My usual tea would be perfect.  Thank you.” The woman nodded and picked up the phone, dialing one of Jason’s assistants undoubtedly.  But he didn’t bother waiting to find out for sure. Instead, he slipped through to the elevator that would take him to the top floor where Jason kept his professional office.  He knew that if Jason was in a meeting but not in his office, then he was probably in the basement and it was not something Dick wanted knowing the details of.

The ride up was short and the instant he stepped out of the elevator onto the plush carpet of the lobby of Jason’s office, he was greeted with another familiar face.  A beta, Travis, who worked as one of the office assistants to Jason.  Someone who didn’t get involved in the seedy parts of the business, but who knew about them all the same, unlike Sheila.

“Mr. Grayson-Todd.” He also knew of his and Jason’s very secret marriage.  Something not even Bruce had been privy to until very recently.

“Travis,” Dick greeted, taking the cup of tea that was presented to him.  “I’m just going to wait in his office.  He had no idea I was coming by and it is not an emergency. But it will most likely be lengthy so make sure he doesn’t pause the meeting he’s in.  Just have him finish and then come see me.”

“Understood.  I’ll call down to Jake now.”  Dick patted the young man’s shoulder before slipping into Jason’s office and shutting the door behind him.  He glanced around, not at all surprised to find it neat and organized, that was just Jason.  

He was incredibly pleased to see the pillows Dick had left there a few weeks ago, sitting on the bay window seat that Dick had told him he should have installed.  He had said it under the guise of using it to share a meal together, but Dick really just enjoyed the view.  

So that was where he made himself comfortable.  Kicking off the black Kenneth Cole dress shoes he had paired with his black slacks and deep blue button down, he sat with his feet tucked underneath him. Leaning into the pile of pillows, he held the warm mug of tea in both his hands and looked out at the city below. Losing himself in the cars passing and the people walking by.

“Mate.”  The word broke through his musings, pulling sapphire eyes to turquoise.  The smile that pulled across Dick’s lips was easy and lazy, the sun soaking through the window providing comfort and relaxing the nerves that he had been dealing with all morning.  Putting the nearly empty mug onto the window ledge, he held out his hand for Jason to take as he got closer.  

But Jason didn’t stop there. No.  Instead, he sat across from Dick and pulled his Omega into his lap, burying his face into the side of his neck where his scent glands were.  Dick slipped a hand into Jason’s hair and the other around his broad shoulders in response.

“You smell…worried?”

“Nervous.”

Lifting his head, Jason looked up at Dick and frowned.  “What do you have to be nervous about?”  Looking down at Jason, Dick took in his features as he smiled down at him, not bothering to answer right away.  Now that he was there in Jason’s arms, he wasn’t nervous at all.  Jason was just smelling the lingering scent from earlier at this point.  “What? Dickie, what is going on?”

“I want you to pup me.” Dick chuckled when Jason choked on nothing.  Placing both his hands on Jason’s cheeks, he pressed his mouth to his Alpha’s.  

“Wait, Dick.  You’re not in heat.”

“Hmm,” Dick hummed, kissing the corner of Jason’s mouth before moving down his jaw to his neck. He scraped his teeth against the scent glands there, forcing a moan from his mate.

“Not that I’m complaining about this current course of actions, but can I have your attention for a moment?”  Sighing softly, Dick pulled back and let his hands slips down and around Jason’s neck. His fingers laced together behind his neck and Dick smiled at Jason.  “What brought this on?  You’re not scheduled to heat for a few weeks.”

“True,” Dick confirmed. “But I wanted to discuss it in advance. Before I need to have Leslie put in the script for suppressants.  And I wanted time to convince you if you ended up being opposed to the idea.”

“And did you think that was likely?”  Shrugging a shoulder, Dick didn’t say anything.  “When have I ever given you anything less than what you have asked for?”

“A fancy espresso machine is different than a pup,” Dick pointed out.

“But both just as complicated to maintain.”  With a roll of his eyes, Dick dropped his head to Jason’s shoulder.  “What?  Guess I should work on my dad jokes.”

“Is that what that….wait, are you saying yes?”  Jason laughed and brushed Dick’s bangs off his forehead when he lifted his head from Jason’s shoulder.

“I’ve been ready since the day I gave you this.”  Dick felt Jason’s thumb brushing the mating bite just below his shirt collar.  “I’ve just been waiting for you to be ready.” Dick considered him for a moment, taking in his words with a frown.  “What?”

“You never said.”

“No, but I knew you weren’t there yet.  I don’t view life in the same way everyone else in our family does.  Death and coming back from it, it changed the important things,” he elaborated.  “When Talia was training me, all I wanted was vengeance.  I couldn’t think of anything beyond that.  Not just because of the Pit Madness, but because I didn’t remember what life was like before.  Talia managed to distort all of that.”

Dick knew that.  Jason had confessed how Damian’s mother had managed to bring out the worst side of Jason.  The side that he still struggled to keep under some kind of control to this very day.  The side that always left Bruce wondering if it was a good idea to welcome his once-dead son back into the family.  Not because he didn’t love him, but because he no longer followed the strict rules that Bruce himself had to follow for his own sanity.  But Jason had proven he could be what Batman could not be.  That he could get his hands dirty when the others couldn’t.

“But that day I came across you again, I snapped out of it.  None of it mattered.  All that mattered was you and what I had to do to prove that I could be what you wanted. But snapping out of that haze also meant I realized just how quickly life is snatched from us in this line of work.” Leaning into the hand that pressed to one of his cheeks, Dick kept his eyes on Jason’s as he confessed.  “I would have pupped you the night we bonded because I knew that there could be a chance that the next day I would be gone and I wanted you to have a part of me for as long as possible.”

“Jay…”  Dick didn’t know what to say.  He didn’t understand that side of death.  He had only ever been on the surviving side of it.  He had buried too many of his family members only to have them come back to life.  The idea of having to bury Jason again made him dizzy with fear.

“Shh, Mate,” Jason comforted, leaning up to press his lips to Dick’s for a moment.  Just a press of lips to another, simple and yet heavy with meaning.  And Dick instinctively sank into that comfort.  He let his omega take the lead and relax into his alpha.   This was easy, giving this control over to Jason. He had never given Dick cause to regret accepting his courting, unlike alphas in his past.  Giving in had been as easy as breathing.

Two puzzle pieces easily falling in together.

“I would give you anything and everything you wanted.  This is no exception.”  The words were spoken a hair’s breadth away from the lips his had just been pressed against.  “Especially since I, too, want this.”

“Good,” Dick pulled back enough to look down into Jason’s eyes again and smiled brightly.  “I’ll tell Leslie to skip the prescription this time around.”

“Good.”

[jupitermelichios]

Ficlet: Orphans

Written in response to one of @amusewithaview Unusual Inheritance Prompts: “you died and left me your children, even though they’re only a few years younger than me”

Crossposted to AO3

“And another thing!” Jason yelled, getting right up in Dick’s face, so it’s impossible to ignore just how physically imposing he is, even by the standards of their family. “You need to keep your nose the fuck out of my business! Just because he’s dead doesn’t make you my fucking dad!”

“I know!” Dick hadn’t meant to yell, but sometimes Jason makes it impossible for him to keep his cool. There’s no one like little brothers for getting under your skin, even if he and Jason have never quite been family the way the others are. There’s a lot of things Dick regrets, but none of them more than the fact that he’d allowed his issues with Bruce to push him and Jay apart when Jay was just a kid desperately looking for any family he could get. “God, Jay, I know, okay? You think I don’t?!”

He slumps back to lean against the rough brick of the wall behind them, and fuck everything about this but most especially the fact that Jason had wanted to do it in public. They’re not even on a rooftop, anyone could walk past and hear them, hear Jay airing all the families dirty laundry. “You think I wanted to be the head of the family?! I’m not even Batman this time, and still somehow I’ve ended up having to be the one keeping this fucking family from imploding and it’s hard! You want to know why Bruce did such a bad job most of the time? It’s because getting you lot to actually talk about anything is like herding cats! The last time all six of us were in one room was the funeral!”

“Hate to break it to you, Dickie bird, but we’re not exactly the Ricardos here! Playing happy families isn’t what we do!”

“You think I don’t know that?! I’ve been there for half the fights you’ve started with Dami, remember? I just…” He sighs, all the anger vanishing, leaving him tired and sad. “When Bruce was alive, there was always something to bring us together, even if it was just for Arkham breakouts. Now he’s gone… I worry that we’re just going to go our separate ways, and I don’t want that. We might be a fucked up family, but we are still a family, and I don’t want to loose that. And not just for myself. Wearing the cowl is hell, and Cass deserves to have a family to support her. Dami deserves to grow up with us as his siblings, not as strangers. And you, and Duke, and Tim, you all need us, even if you don’t want to admit it. And I’m the oldest, so it’s my job to try and hold everything together, and it’s…” He’s not surprised to feel the tears start. “It’s fucking killing me, Jay. Being the old who has to hold us together. Being the one who has to keep his cool, even though you all make me want to scream sometimes.

“I… I lost him too, you know? He was my best friend, he was my dad, I loved him even when I wanted to strangle him, and he’s gone and everyone expects me to hold it together even when the rest of you are pulling me in five different directions at once and I just…”

He covers his face and lets himself cry, in great heaving sobs that shake his whole body, clog his throat with tears until he can barely breath.

He starts when he feels hands on his shoulders, but he doesn't resist when Jay pulls him into an embrace and just holds him. He hugs like Bruce, quiet strength and palpable emotional discomfort, and after a moment Dick hugs him back and hides his tears in Jason’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” Jay says, quietly. “I didn’t mean… None of us meant to make things hard on you. We’re just messed up. Even I… Even I am. He was a bastard, but he was my dad too.”

“I know. God Jay, of course I know, I know better than anyone, that’s why I want you with me. That’s why the others need you.”

“They don’t.”

“They do.” He pulls back, just enough that he can look Jay in the eye, make sure he’s hearing what Dick is saying. “Tim doesn’t know how to grieve, and Cass is figuring out how to wear the cowl, and Duke keeps thinking he’s not one of us just because he’s the newest, and Damian is fifteen and he just lost his dad! They need their big brothers, and I need you. I can’t do this by myself and I can’t ask Alfred to do it, not when he’s just buried the man who was in son in all but name. I need you with me, for them... and for me. I don’t want to be anyone’s dad, but someone’s got to be! And you’re the only one I can just… I don’t have to be the grown-up with you, because you’re a whole-ass adult, I can be…”

“A boy who’s lost his dad,” Jason says quietly.

Dick sighs. “Yeah. You’d think it would get easier with time, but this… I don’t think he’s coming back this time.”

Jason nods. “Me either. I didn’t think it would hurt this much.”

“He was your parent.”

“Yeah well, I’ve had a few of those.”

“Me too. Doesn’t make it any easier.”

“No. It doesn’t.”

“I’m not asking you to, I don’t know, forgive Bruce for all the stuff you two fought about, or magically stop finding Dami annoying. I love him, I love him so much, but he can be the most obnoxious person on the planet when he wants to be. But he’s also a kid who’s grieving, and he needs you.”

“He needs us,” Jason says, and Dick sighs with relief.

“Yeah. He really really does.”

“Jesus.” Jason lets out something that’s not quite a laugh, not quite a sob. “I can’t believe Bruce died and left us his fucking orphan collection.”

[birlcholtz]

5, fluff, any scenario/pairing! :)

5. “You made your choice.” from this prompt list!

have some zimbits fluff for the soul, but first you have to read about bitty and the zimmerclan’s baking shenanigans, that’s the rule. ao3

.

After three years of routinely visiting Bob and Alicia, Bitty no longer feels the need to hold himself back in baking competitions. 

Well, he never really did, anyway, for a few reasons. The first one is that the first time, he and Alicia had teamed up against Jack and Bob, and she had looked him directly in the eye and said “let’s fuck them up” immediately before dumping a full cup of salt into their sugar. The second is that the Zimmermanns, however much they might usually bake when he’s not around, seem legitimately fascinated when he talks about the techniques he’s using or what he’s making and why.

And Bitty is a huge fan of positive attention, so, that was kind of that?

Besides, once Alicia had done the whole salt-and-sugar thing, all hell had broken loose, and Bitty had to try and figure out what to do now that his icing sugar had baking powder in it. It’s definitely a different skill set from baking at home, where he’s pretty much free to concentrate, or in the Haus, where he just has to fend off the occasional invasions to try and steal unbaked cookie dough.

But this year is different. Jack’s read aloud enough snippets from his group chat with his parents that Bitty knows someone (Bob) has been watching a lot of competition baking shows. 

That kind of explains… everything that’s going on here.

“It’ll be a tournament,” Bob had explained, mug of coffee in hand, when Bitty had found him busily moving kitchen furniture that morning (one-handed, by himself, good Lord). “Jack versus Alicia, you against me, then the winners duel each other.”

“Duel?”

“Bake the best cookies ever. Same thing.”

“Best cookies ever, keeping in mind the fact that they’re going to be sabotaged in unholy ways,” Bitty had corrected.

So now here they are. The kitchen is big, but there are simply only two ovens, and that means that they can only have one ‘duel’ happening at once. But the fact that Jack and Alicia are competing against each other hasn’t stopped either of them from trying to get Bitty and Bob to take sides and help out.

“I’m literally just asking one of you to dump in a few more tablespoons of vanilla extract,” Alicia calls from where she’s furiously stirring batter. From the smell, Bitty is guessing gingersnaps, but he’s going to reserve judgment until he actually eats one.

“I’m not making it disgusting if I have to try it after,” Bob replies, mirroring Bitty’s thoughts.

“Then make Eric try those ones.” She looks up from her bowl and grins at Bitty, and he’s struck by the rock-hard determination in her eyes. In moments like this, he sees the resemblance between her and Jack even more clearly. “No offense.”

While she’s looking up, Jack whips around the island and pours a cup of something into her mixing bowl. “Maman, you would need ridiculous amounts of vanilla extract to make a difference.”

But Alicia is distracted. “Jack Laurent Zimmermann, did you just put rice in my cookie batter?”

He shrugs at her, and laughs, and goes back to his own batter, but Alicia’s got her scheming face on.

So when Alicia’s gingersnaps come with bonus rice and garlic salt and Jack’s peanut butter cookies kind of turn into one big slab of vanilla-y melted peanut butter, it is absolutely no surprise.

.

The moment Bob had said he would face off against Bitty in the first round, Bitty had had an idea.

See, one of Bob’s main tactics is stealing ingredients from the other person. That way, ideally, they don’t have enough to make their cookies, and he can be sure the ingredients weren’t tampered with.

Well, today is the last day he’s going to try that.

The ingredients for all of them are already measured out into their own containers, labeled for convenience. Bitty had simply waited for Bob to go looking for his phone to record the chaos and swapped the labels on his own containers.

He’s also making flourless cookies, but he’s planning to make a big enough deal out of checking his flour for sabotage that Bob will go right for it. There’s a lot of cream of tartar in there. Also baking powder. And he might try to get in some garlic powder too, because that was frankly inspiring. 

Also, Jack putting in garlic salt meant that Bitty and Bob had to eat gingersnaps with garlic salt. So it’s just fair.

All of these preparations mean that Bitty has had to stay in the kitchen the whole time, just so he can be one hundred percent sure that Bob can’t make the same preparations.

The Zimmermanns get a lot of entertainment from friendly competition where the goal is more to make a fool of your family than it is to actually win, but at the same time, they are ruthless when it comes to making sure everyone else loses. (This, Bitty is pretty sure, is the source of Jack’s devastating Settlers of Catan strategies.) So Bitty has also selected a recipe with only four ingredients, the fewer to fuck up.

He’s going to have to keep a sharp eye over them while they rest before he puts them in the oven, but if they spread, he can always just cut them up and call them cookie bars.

Well. As long as they’re actually solid. Jack’s cookie attempt made that clear.

Bitty is feeling pretty prepared, and he makes a big show of checking his flour container before they start, but unfortunately, it’s all for naught, because he’s in the middle of mixing together the cocoa powder and powdered sugar when he hears quick footsteps, turns to defend himself from what’s probably going to be an onslaught of garlic and/or rice, and gets a face full of flour.

“Damn it,” Bob says calmly, and then he promptly grabs Bitty’s tampered flour container, opens it, and pours it into Bitty’s mixing bowl.

Bitty can hear Jack and Alicia trying not to laugh too loudly, but he just flicks some flour in Bob’s face and picks up his own mixing bowl, manages some spinorama in his socks on the hardwood floor, and pours all of that into Bob’s bowl of wet ingredients.

“I’m resourceful,” he tells Bob, who looks like he’s torn between doubling over laughing and being completely appalled, and scoots past him to get back to his own station.

In the end, they’re even less successful than Jack and Alicia. Bob dumps Bitty’s leftover egg yolks into his batter, along with what must be half a cup of Bob’s own melted butter, and that means Bitty is both out of eggs and his cookies are definitely not going to turn into… real cookies, so he sticks whatever the hell that batter is in the oven and devotes the rest of his time to blocking Bob whenever he tries to get an ingredient. They both wind up with what is basically chocolate chips coated in an uneven mixture of wet and dry ingredients, then melted and/or toasted for good measure.

They universally agree Jack and Alicia don’t have to try to eat those, since nobody knows for sure if the eggs actually got cooked. But that kind of puts an end to the whole competition thing, and once they’re done collectively cleaning the kitchen, Alicia has to take a call from her agent and Bob volunteers to go on a grocery run since now they’re pretty much out of any and all baking ingredients.

Jack flops down on the sectional in the living room, and Bitty joins him, both of them in clean clothes. The sectional is big enough for at least three full-sized hockey players to stretch out comfortably (which makes sense considering Jack and Bob, and Alicia’s plenty tall too), but honestly, what’s the point of stretching out? What he actually wants to do is lay his head on Jack’s chest and enjoy the fact that nobody is going to dump flour on him for at least two days. Probably.

So that’s what he does, with a great view of the skylight in the ceiling, and Jack wraps an arm around him and then asks, “Do I still smell like vanilla? I swear Maman started aiming for my hair after the first couple of tries.”

“She said it was a direct response to the garlic salt,” Bitty reminds him. “You made your choice.”

He feels Jack’s laugh rumbling in his chest, and he says, “I did. It cost me a lot of shampoo. Worth it.”

“Oh, you’re just saying that because you didn’t have to eat them. Lord.” And then Bitty starts laughing too. “Alicia’s face when you poured the rice in was incredible.”

“Good." 

They drift into a comfortable silence, until Jack says, "I’m really glad you like my parents.”

“I’m really glad your parents like me,” Bitty responds. 

“That too. But my parents liked you before we were even really friends at all. I was never worried about that. You liking them means… It makes everything simpler.” Jack’s fingers tap out some sort of rhythm on Bitty’s chest and he wonders what song Jack has stuck in his head. “I don’t know what I would have done otherwise.”

“You and me both. At least it didn’t come to that.” As Bitty says it, he’s thinking of his own parents— Jack’s incomprehensible friendship with Coach (well, incomprehensible in the sense that Bitty doesn’t speak golf, he understands perfectly well why they get along), his mom’s immediate adoration of Jack, or, as she put it to Bitty later, 'polite and sensible and looks at you like you hung the moon, Dicky’. He’d worried about Jack liking his parents right up until he had gotten them in a room together and realized he probably couldn’t have found a better match. “So we don’t have to worry.”

“No, we don’t,” Jack agrees, and brushes Bitty’s hair back off of his face, and Bitty thinks he could spend the rest of his life here.

[caffeinetheory]

There’s Gotta Be A Reason

Follow up to Everything Stays requested, well they got me to consider it, @mystery-5-5

this is Jason’s point of view, and he may seem a little ooc for him but i wanted a softer take, hopefully it will make sense, also sorry for the long wait, i kept putting off finishing it ‘cause i want to hopefully make something that’ll stand with the original

(I ended up skipping the last verse because i wanted to focus on Jason not Mari also if this is all over the place sorry, I’ve been working on and off with it and it was longer then I meant to make and took way longer, oops )

///

The bruises still lingered on his arms and the dried blood was still sticking to his skin. They were the only things Jason could feel at the moment, he was numb. Completely numb and barely knew his own name. Only one thing stayed in his mind untouched by the madness of the pit, loving bluebell eyes that seemed to hold the world to him and a soft voice drowned out by whatever had brought him back. 

There's gotta be a reason that I'm here on Earth

As memories slowly came back to him there was one constant, a girl. She was special to him, he knew that much but he couldn't place why for the life of him. Maybe she was the reason he was back, no that couldn’t be it. Talia made sure Jason knew he was theirs because he owed them from bringing him back.

But why was she the only thing he could remember, there has to be something. The distant memory of what must have been her laugh is sometimes the only thing keeping him sane.  Something in the back of his mind tells him he should hold back, but what was it?

Gotta be a reason for the dust and the dirt

Seeing the grave for the first time was jarring. He really did die didn’t he. Pain enveloped his mind as he tried to remember, but it hurt to much so he just let it go. There are more important matters at the moment anyway, like getting out from under their control. That was one thing he could never forget, he didn’t like being told what to do.

The changing of the seasons never changed my hurt

It must have been at least a year since he was brought back and he still under them. The plan was coming together, he’d run with their weapon. It was bad enough they were messing with his life but a CHILD! That wouldn’t stand. Another spring was coming, that was when he’d make his break. All that was left was to get the kid on board.

So what's it worth? What's it worth?

Saving Damian may have been a mistake, the kid was an absolute pain, but it felt like the right thing to do. Weird to think he could do the right thing but something told him that was what he should do.

Damian told him where to drop him off, a manor. It brought the pain in his head but he ran to the shadows before it could get worse. There was something important about the manor but it wasn’t the right time to figure it out.ashes of memories were becoming more frequent while he was in Gotham.

Worth another shot of whiskey and another sip of gin

Being passed out drunk was one of the only things keeping the pit’s madness under control, if you can even call it that. If he was drunk he couldn’t go out and fill the need to kill, be the Hood. Bottles littered the floor, the weapons he could run with strewn about on every surface there wasn’t a bottle. This wasn’t right but what else could he do, remembering hurt but something told him it would be worth the pain. 

Another drop of poison that is slowly sinking in

Was he ready though, that’s the question.

Downing the last of the whiskey in his shit apartment he made himself a drunken promise. This would change. Fight through the pain and go back to the manor, check on the kid, see if he can find out why it causes the pain that only happens when he is trying to remember the before.

If we're going down together, better take another hit

Dick was the one who found a lost Jason looking lost in the manor gardens. 

“Jay…”

“...Dickie”

The brothers broke down in each others arms. This started a practice between the two, every over day they would meet at a coffee shop and Dick would help him with his memories. It was slow and it hurt the older boy to see his little brother hurting so much but they made it work.

We won't be here forever, so let's make the best of it

It was a year and a half later he got to see Roy again. You couldn’t separate the for weeks afterwards. They helped one another, became a duo. What they did wasn’t exactly legal but when was being a vigilante ever legal. 

They were the fuck-ups but they worked. They did what they could to help when others wouldn’t. Roy helped with relapses and the intrusive thoughts, Jay could keep Roy grounded. Together they were the Outlaws, others would join them from time to time but it was something that was theirs.

Walking down to the burial ground

The day he finally saw his grave was a jarring one to say the least. It was the day everything finally fell into place. That laugh that could be heard when he was alone explained, the hard to control urge to mame clowns, and red crowbars making him uneasy. It all made sense, why that clown was still alive would always baffle him but that wasn’t his problem.

With a sad song in his brain

It also brought back the sweet voice in the back of his head. Always there but he could finally hear it again. Soft bliss like bells on a warm spring day. Pure comfort, he knew it went with the eyes, but no one could tell him who they belonged to. At first he thought it was Dick, but that wasn’t right, but who else had known him and been close to him?

General Cloud is an old man now

When he saw Bruce again with no masks in the way he didn’t know how to feel. There were a thousand questions going through his head, the loudest being why...why didn’t you do anything? At this point did it matter though, what’s done was done. It was clear he had gone through enough already, no wasn’t the time to stab an old wound… since when did I think about others like that?

But it feels like yesterday

Despite the open invitation to stay at the manor Jason avoided it as much as he could. The photos and halls bringing back what he assumed were memoires, memories hurt. It was a pain he wasn’t ready to quite fully face, that was until he saw the hidden frame. It's simple black outline was hard to miss in the library. It was with his favorite book, why his favorite book was a worn red leather bound book written entirely in French he wasn't sure but something told him it was more than what was contained on the yellowing pages. 

He was on the front lines, stranded on the beach

Memories from a gala not to long after he was adopted came flooding his head. Feeling lost because he was alone, Dick had classes and Jason was by himself in forein country. Baby pink and calm also flashed in his mind. There still wasn’t a clear face but she was real! He knew it! Walks throughout the city, along the Seine and thorough every back alley. She lead him to all her favorite places, showed him the lights that reminded him of the stars, showed him kindness when he felt alone. Was she the reason the madness wasn’t completely gripping him, but how could that be?

Crawling to his best friend, floating in the sea

Roy had found him thumbing through the yellowed pages seemingly lost in his own head. Roy saw the picture and things started to make sense, but for now he needed to take him back home. The next few weeks Jason wasn’t fully there, the memories were hitting him like a flood, sweeping him away. It was hard but he made himself swim, he pushed them back but not away. He still had a mission to attend to.

But he didn't make it, he still can't believe

Every Time he tried to remember now nothing new comes, he knows there is more. There has to be doesn’t there. This can’t be all, Jason Peter Todd knew there was more, what was the key to a lock he couldn’t find?

How arbitrary fate is, he says

Jason thought he had everything there was in his memories at this point, it had been at least 3 years since he died and more than a year since he was free from the League’s influence but her name always eluded him. The one time he tried to ask Dick they both got called away on something urgent and Dick would evade the question every time. Who was she and what had happened that her saying name was akin to saying the cursed words that would bring the devil himself to the living room?

There's gotta be a reason that I'm here on Earth

Something felt different as Red Hood took out the latest drug cartel with Arsenal, something he couldn’t put his finger on. It was a good different though, like something good was going to come his way soon. 

Gotta be a reason for the dust and the dirt

Visiting his grave still felt weird to Jason, but it was a place he could think clearly. No one bothered him there, it was just him and the old him. Something in the back of Jason’s head told him that the old him, old memories would finally be clear in the coming months. A single marigold laid on his grave as left, a small smile on his face as the gate closed behind him.

The changing of the seasons never changed my hurt

Spring came and went, so did most of the summer. Still nothing new has happened but Jason kept the positive thought in his head. He had made it this far, what was the point of giving up now. That didn’t mean tracing his scars to try and bring back more memories didn’t hurt when nothing came up, but at least Roy could always distract him.

So what's it worth? What's it worth?

Fall was about mid way through when Bruce had gotten a call from someone in the Watchtower, who he didn’t know but he could tell it wasn’t expected. Why would someone move to this godforsaken place, a Leaguer no less? Did they have a deathwish? 

Worth another shot of whiskey and another sip of gin

The anniversary of the Outlaws forming was quite the weekend bender, the whole family insisted he celebrated, kept him out of the area for some reason. Roy took him to Star City to get wasted, sure he was going clean but it was a special case, and maybe it hurt his family wanted him gone for awhile… he really thought that after all this time they didn’t see him as a problem kid anymore, that he had improved, at least he still had Roy by his side.

Another drop of poison that is slowly sinking in

The hangover the next day sucked ass, Roy and Jason could agree on that. But it got his mind off what his family didn’t want him to know about. 

If we're going down together, better take another hit

A few weeks later Jason got called to help with a case in Gotham. With everyone, which was weird with how they seemed to be trying to keep him from the city the last few weeks, but if his family needed him he would better. That’s what family was for after all wasn’t it?

We won't be here forever, so let's make the best of it

With Red Hood’s help the villain team up was taken care of quickly. Something told Jason to hang around for longer though, so he did. Taking up an old patrol route. The feeling came back, and for a reason he couldn’t explain it brought a smile to his lips.

There's gotta be a reason that I'm here on Earth

Jason had finished his patrol earlier than usual, he was one of the only ones out that night. He could hear voices from the living room, something told him he should go in but he couldn’t get himself too. What was this feeling? 

Then the voice that was always telling him how he mattered, how much they cared, the one that helped him, came through the ajar door like it was meant just for him. There was a sadness in it that made his heart break, she didn’t deserve to feel that sad. She was an angel and she deserves all the happiness in the world. 

Gotta be a reason for the dust and the dirt

Curiosity was getting the best of him, why was she here? As she talked about a chain he had an epiphany Marinette!!! Her name was Marinette, and with that everything fell into place. She was his light, his reason to fight even if he didn’t know it.

Something she said made him forget about the joy he felt, “I think that’s why I couldn’t let it be real, let him go… I always wanted to be by his side, with him through thick and thin.”

She still loved him? She didn’t know he was alive? How much pain had she been going through? He couldn’t catch his helmet before it hit the ground making everyone look his way, he was into much shock to care though, she was real and staring right to his soul. 

The changing of the seasons never changed my hurt

At first she was tense and ready to fight but Dick called his name and that was all it took for her to launch herself at him. Any punch he got her deserved...wait she was holding him like he would disappear if she let go. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and Mari just held him closer. Regaining his thoughts after the initial shock Jason returned the hug just as tight, “I’m here, I’m here and I’m not going anywhere,” he needed it just as much as she did. Lighty petting her hair as he helped calm her down, she was really in his arms again. 

How long had it been? Too long and she was there now, that's what mattered. He had a lot of time to make up for, and gosh darn he was going to.

So what's it worth? What's it worth?

They had both changed so much since they were in their teens but he could still see her beauty under all the scars, she maybe slightly worse for wear but she was still his Mari. the look she gave him looking into his eyes, he knew she could still she him in there, and even if she didn’t know it she was the reason. He had found his reason to live again. The calling was right, something good was going to happen eventually, and the wait was more than worth it.

Worth another shot of whiskey and another sip of gin

They spent the rest of the night together, talking and just being together. When Jason awoke with movement on his chest he was worried then seeing Mari he was at ease. She took his hand and lead him like a  puppy to the kitchen where they could eat breakfast. 

Eventually she had to go but they exchanged numbers and he was already planning a date. They had years of lost time to make up for and like hell he wouldn’t start as soon as he could. She was his light and he was going to keep that light close as much as he could.

Another drop of poison that is slowly sinking in

Seeing Mari sitting on the dock swinging her legs like when they would hang out in Paris brought a smile to Jason’s lips. She looked stunning in jeans and a red hoodie, a red that reminded him of his costume, she took off her headphones upon hearing him, a grin burst onto her lips when she saw him. She brought a warmth to his chest he never wanted to leave. Holding out a black helmet to the girl of his dreams she got on his bike holding him together then she needed to, Mari was having time time of her life as they speed down the docks at high speeds. She really was perfect.

If we're going down together, better take another hit

We won't be here forever, so let's make the best of it

When the night ended Jason made a promise to himself, and by the look in her baby blue eyes she did too, they would make this work. 

Life might be short but with you by my side it will all be worth it...

///

Finally finished and I hope the wait was worth it <3

[superhero-boogie]

They can't know. Part 2.

(Sup, people? It's the final part. Enjoy.)

Warning; Angst, Fluff, Cursing.

Request ; None. ( Requests are open.)

The noise of your feet repeatedly hitting the floor was the only sound on the desert Batcave while you waited for Babs. You were at the edge; the anxiety making you sweat when you finally heard her motorcycle. She parked next to you taking out the helmet and fixing her hair.

- Can you please hurry? It is a kind of emergency. - You begged.

- Sure, the emergency. - She got off the bike. - The reason you can’t tell me why I need to hack Tim’s computer. And do what again?

- Erase all the camera records since last week. - you promptly answered.

She shook her head, giving a tired sigh before hugging your side.

- Okay, crazy girl. Lead the way.

You took her to Tim’s laptop and waited while she got ready.

- If you keep looking over my shoulder while I work I will kick your ass.

- I’m sorry. I won’t bother anymore.- You backed off - Do you want something to drink?

- Now we’re talking, sweetie. Can you bring a glass of water, please?

You nod, walking out of the cave through the stairs. Your heart calmed down knowing Tim couldn’t figure your relationship out anymore, and since you were vague about the records Babs didn’t know what to look for.

Grabbing your phone you called Wally.

- Hey, babe, can we talk later? - He whispered.

- Of course! Is everything okay? -

- Everything is fine, I have to go, okay?

- Okay, by...- You heard the call end.

You thought that was odd, Wally always answered your calls or leave a message about why he couldn’t talk.

Looking at the dark screen of your phone you mind raced of all the reasons he couldn’t answer your call. Maybe he was at some mission you didn’t know about, Wally could be at some meeting or somewhere phones weren’t allowed. Or, the possibility crawled inside your mind, he could be with someone. Maybe he finally grew tired of a half relationship with you and went looking for a new, fully, one.

The feeling of someone squeezing your throat came back and suddenly you couldn’t breathe anymore. Taking deep breaths you leaned against the wall and sat on one step hugging your legs, your head on your knees.

- Miss Y/N? Are you hurt?

Looking up you saw a worried Alfred.

- Nope, just got tired half of the way up. - Your voice was hoarse so the attempt of a pun didn’t work out.

Alfred sat next to you without saying nothing, and you rested your head on his shoulder.

- Alfred? - You called with a small voice.

- Yes, Miss Y/N?

- Would you be upset with me if I lied to you?

- I may assure you, Miss, nothing you could do would upset me.

You went silence again thinking about what he had said.

- And the others? Do you think they would?

Alfred seemed to think about your question.

- You have to understand, Miss, that this family has been gone through a lot, but no matter what they’re still are a family. And for best or for worse, you’re part of it.

- So... What you’re saying is... Maybe? - Your laugh a little.

- I’m saying that you should trust everything will end up fine.

-... Thanks, Alfred.

- Well, let’s go now, it’s not proper for us to sit on the floor.

With your heart lighter you continued your way.

XXX

If you were honest with yourself you knew you wouldn’t stay at the party. You never were a YJ member, so your plan was to say hi to everyone, grab Damian and watch movies. You definitely didn’t want to be a bother especially because that was a time for your brother and your boyfriend.

This without mentioning that you didn’t want to face Wally, especially after thinking those awful things about him.

You were coming back from the kitchen after grabbing some snacks, your hair still wet from your shower, hoping no one saw you as you sneak your way to your bedroom.

But, of course, you weren’t that lucky.

- Y/N! Hey, how are you, girl? - You heard Zatanna call.

- Fuck - You whispered before turning around with a smile.

- Zatanna! Hey! I’m good. - You tried to be discreet even if you felt like everyone one was staring. - Listen, I can’t talk right now. Damian is waiting and I’m not really a YJ member.

- Why don’t you just say hi then? - You got a little frightened at her continuous stare at your throat. She wouldn’t strangle you just because you didn’t say hi, right?

- Well… You see…-

- Y/N. - A different voice said.

You turned and saw Wally with his arms crossed with a suggestive look.

- Wally! - All you could think was “Crap, crap, crap.” - Hi! What’s up?

- Can I talk to you? Alone? - He looked at Zatanna. And you turned to her as well begging with your eyes to her not leave.

- Okay, I’m going, see ya. - She winked not so discreetly at you.

You watched her leave until it was just you and Wally. Seeing no runaway routes you faced him.

- So… What do you want to talk? - Your voice was cheerful.

- Why were you hiding?

- I wasn’t! - You were.

- Please, Y/N. I know you. There’s something wrong? - Wally uncrossed his arms, his hand discreetly holding yours. - You know you can talk to me, right?

Seeing him worrying about you made your heart warm and heavy from guilt.

- I’m fine, Wally, really. I... I got worried about something stupid, but Alfred helped me out. - You intertwined your fingers together. - What did you want to talk?

He corrected his posture and released your hand.

- Yeah. Right. That. I almost forgot. - His face was dead serious without the hint of humor you were used to. - Answer honestly, please.

- Always! - You were starting to freak out again.

- Why don’t you want your family to know about us? Are you ashamed of me?

- What?! Wally, no! I would never...! - You took a deep breath. - Wally. - You put your hands on his cheeks. - Is literally impossible for me to be ever ashamed of you.

He held your hands still, his eyes looking fragile.

- Then why you don’t want them to know I’m your boyfriend?

- Honestly, in the beginning, I didn’t want my family being weird around you in case it didn’t work out. Especially because of Dickie. Then it worked out, and I knew we would never have a moment of peace if they knew and… I just wanted to keep you for myself for a while, but it was a giant snowball effect and I got scared that they would hate me if they found I lied to them for so long. - You held your foreheads together. - But if you want me to tell them, I will. You’re worth it, Wally. And if that means my family being mad at me for a while then be it.

- No, Y/N, not if you don’t feel ready y…

- What the fuck is going on here?!

You jumped apart, your hand going to your heart. Your brother gazed straight to your soul, arms crossed.

- J-Jason! ... Hi, buddy! You see; Y/N here was with something in her eye and I was... - You put your hand on his chest making him stop talking.

- No, Wally. That’s not right. - Wally observed in your eyes looking for any sight of hesitation before taking your hand.

- Are you sure, Y/N? You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.

- I am. I’ve told y…

- I’m still waiting for an explanation, Y/N! - You let go of Wally turning to look at your brother.

- Jay, can you please call everyone over? I promise I’ll explain everything; I don’t want to do it more than once.

He looked like he was having a stroke.

- Please? - You cut him when you saw him opening his mouth.

- I swear to god sometimes you’re just too much. - He angrily turned on his hills.

- Phew. That was close. - Wally messed his hair.

- You don’t tell me. You’re lucky my Dad doesn’t let him carry his guns around me.

- Why?! - Worry flooded his eyes.

- Relax, It’s not what you’re thinking. I’ll tell the story later. Now let’s go face the beast.

- Which one? - You laughed pulling him in the living room direction.

XXX

You were facing a little crowd, Wally tense beside you. Jason was quick and really took your word so you were not only facing your family but the whole team too. This without counting the people of Dick’s party. Your Dad’s bat glare almost making you back off.

- What is so urgent that Todd needed to take me out of my room, Y/N?

- Yeah, Y/N, tell us why the fuck I took demon spawn out of his room? Would you?

- Guys, shut up, let her talk!

You gave a grateful look at Stephanie.

- Thanks. Look guys I will need you to let me end, okay? Can you promise me that?

You looked at each one of them strategically avoiding Dick’s questioning eyes. Everyone nodded.

- Me and Wally... - You took his hand. - Have been dating for the past months. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, I truly am, but please don’t be mad at him. It was me who wanted to keep it a secret.

Wally smiled at you and you smiled back.

- We love each other and I would really appreciate if you don’t kill him.

- Me too. - Wally quickly add. You squeezed his hand and lifted your chin.

- Okay, you can talk now.

If anyone asked you it was right there when hell went down.

- The fuck?!

- What?!

- When... How... What?!

The YJ team awkwardly stood there, slowly leaving the room. Almost everyone talked at the same time until your Dad’s calm voice spoke.

- How long have you two been dating? - You bit your lip.

- Almost ten months now, right, babe? - Wally nodded.

- Just two more weeks.

Your Dad seemed to think and intertwined his fingers.

- Ten months?! That much?!

- Who cares, Drake?! - Damian turned to you. - Why him, Y/N? I thought I had taught you better.

- Is no one going to mention the age gap?! Seriously? No one?!

- Oh, shut up, Todd. Who are you to talk? - Damian said. - I want to know why she didn’t tell us. Don’t you trust us, Y/N? - Damian’s question hit you like a punch.

- Well, you guys aren’t exactly giving her time to answer, are you? - Everyone shut up when Cass talked. You stood there frozen, trying hard not to cry.

- Thanks, Cassandra. Guys, I swear we will answer everything. Just take it easy on Y/N. - He bent to whisper on your ear. - Are you okay, babe?

- Y-Yeah... J-Just fine.

The room got silent for some minutes.

- So... this probably isn’t the best time to say I already knew.

Everyone turned to Barbara.

- Wait, what?! - Your eyes could fall off for the much you opened them.

- Do you know how you asked me to erase the records? I got curious and did a face recognition of you on them, so I kind saw you guys making out.

- Yeah, since we’re confessing I should probably say I knew too.

- You too, Tim?! How?!

- Ahn... Barbara didn’t erase the videos from my second backup, and when I saw someone erase them I looked up. Also, sorry, I told Steph; she got curious about why she needed to take me out of the mansion.

- Okay, how many people knew? Raise your hand.

Zatanna shyly raised her hand.

- You don’t even live here! How?!

- Ahn... It’s best if I don’t say anything. Just... you know... - She tried pointing discreetly at her own neck. Suddenly you remembered you took a shower and put none makeup.

You put your hand on your neck as everyone looked at you.

- Why are you with your hand on your neck, sister? It’s not what I think it is, is it?

- You’re screwing my sister, West?! She’s just a baby! - Jason got up going in Wally direction.

- Jay, stop!

Dick and Bruce stood and grabbed his arms, Jason fought for a while before giving up. You looked at Dick, his eyes normally so expressive not showing anything. It scared the hell out of you.

- Y/N, Wally, can you come with me for a second?

You followed Dick, Wally arm around your shoulder as if he was trying to protect you.

- Listen, Dick, I swear we didn’t mean to. It kinda just happened. And I know she’s way younger than me, I swear I would never disrespect her. I’m not even her first! And…

- Wally shut the fuck up! You’re making worse! - Dick raised his hand shutting you both.

- I’m just going to ask two things. - He was dead serious.

You nodded.

- Do you love her? And you love him, Y/N?

- Yes, of course.

- With all my heart, Dickie.

- Why did you feel like you’re needed to keep it a secret from me?

- I didn’t want to disappoint you, man. She’s your sister.

- You didn’t need to. I want you to know that. I’m happy for you, but I want to clarify that I’ll be watching you from now on, so keep your hands to yourself, dude.- Dick looked very scary at that moment. - And I’m kicking your butt if you hurt her, okay?

Wally gulped.

- Clear as water, man. Hands to myself.

- Fine. - He smiled at you before giving you a hug. - I’ll calm things down, you guys wait a minute before coming back.

You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding and hugged Wally, your head on his chest.

- France’s looking pretty good, now, huh? - His chin on the top of your head.

- Shh. Let me just hold you a bit more.

- I’m glad we did it though.

- Strangely, me too. At least we won’t have to sneak around anymore.

- Y/N, I think we both know that’s not true. If anything, we’ll sneak around way more.

You lifted your head looking in his eyes.

- I love you, Wally West. I know we said this a lot to my family, but I need you to know.

- I love you too, Y/N Wayne.- He looked at your lips, slowly closing the space between you. His lips met yours and you melted in his arms, your own arms going up to hug his neck, your finger on his hair. You slightly opened your mouth and Wally put his tongue on your mouth, you brought him closer making a harsh moan escaping.

- What the fuck?!

You jumped, a smile on your face.

[drummergirl231-2]

Are there any characters you are hoping to see in season 3 and or any actors you would enjoy guest starring? Personally I hope we are getting Daisy.

*deep inhale*

YAS OMIGOSH I WANNA SEE DAISY I WANT HER AND DONALD TO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP I WANT HER AND DELLA TO GET ALONG SUPER WELL AND I WANT DAISY TO BE THE MOST EPIC AND BA GIRLY GIRL AND OH MY GOSH I’M LISTENING TO THIS RANDOM YOUTUBE PLAYLIST AND IT JUST STARTED PLAYING A SONG THAT REMINDS ME OF DONALD AND DAISY AHHHHHHHHHH!!!

*clears throat*

I imagine Tress MacNeille will still voice her, but I’m having a hard time imagining Daisy with her usual voice not sounding shallow, since so many shows and movies have made her a ditsy drama queen. The only awesome Daisy I’ve ever known was voiced by Kath Soucie in Quack Pack. It’d be a shame not to have Daisy’s official voice actress since the late ‘90s voicing her, though. 

Also, here are a few other people I’d like to see or learn about:

1. HDL’s Father

Frank said they’re primarily working from the Don Rosa Duck family tree, and while Don Rosa didn’t give the father a first name, he did say Della’s husband was Daisy Duck’s brother, which to me makes a lot of sense. I wonder if the show is gonna go with that?

And would it mean DT17 Donald has already met DT17 Daisy? That they knew each other back when Della and what’s-his-face’s-name were together? Did Donald like Daisy but not have the guts to ask her out back then? Did they date but go their separate ways because they both had different plans for their lives and they weren’t sure how to make their dreams work together at the time?

I am so in Donsy mode right now.

But I’m really curious about Della and what’s-his-face’s-name. Were they newlyweds when he died/disappeared/whatever happened? What was he like? What was their love story? What happened to him? Was it after Della laid the eggs, or while she was gravid? In what ways do the boys take after him?

2. Dickie Duck

Would the show go there? Write in that Scrooge and Goldie once had a lovechild that Scrooge doesn’t know about and doesn’t hear about until Goldie introduces their granddaughter to him? 

Probably... Disney goes a lot of places these days. 

If they introduce Dickie, I wonder if they’ll also introduce her mother? And I wonder how the show would re-imagine Dickie? So many possibilities! 

3. Gosalyn Mallard

Back when we thought Darkwing Duck was just going to be a show within a show, I was trying to figure out where Gosalyn would fit. Would she have been DW’s daughter in the show LP watched growing up? Would that have made the child actress who played her an adult now?

But now that we have our real Drake Mallard, it looks like she’ll fit in quite nicely as his real-life adopted daughter.

Frank answered this ask a while ago, and at first I thought it was going to be about Scrooge and Lena. Now I’m thinkin’ Drake and Gosalyn (though it could be both... I wanna see Scrooge being a daddy to Lena, too). 

I wonder who will voice her since Christine Cavanaugh passed away? I know Nancy Cartwright can do a pretty good Chuckie Finster voice. Maybe she can do a Gosalyn voice, too?

4. Grandma Duck

Traditionally, Donald Duck was raised by his paternal grandmother in comics and such. Since Donald and Della seem to have been raised by Scrooge in DT17 from the time they were five-ish, I wonder what role she had in their lives? Della mentioned her a couple times in DT17 IDW prequel comics, so maybe Scrooge sent them away to her farm now and then? 

5. Hortense and Quackmore

I have SO many headcanons about these two, and they’re probably all wrong, but if they’re not... holy shoot dang.

Anyway, I’m really looking forward to finding out more about these two, and what happened to them, and how the heck Hortense got gravid when she was over 100. If they’re keeping her canon birth year like they kept Scrooge’s, she would have hatched the year Scrooge left for America: 1877. And if Donald and Della are in their mid-thirties in 2017, she’d have been over 100 when she had them. 0.o There’s something weird about those McDucks.

6. Matilda

I hope she’s the sweet one like she was in the comics. She was the least temperamental out of the McDuck siblings. I like to imagine she was Scrooge’s favorite sister, being closer to him in age, and I like your idea of her being a scientist. 

7. Abner/Whitewater 

I’m almost scared to see what they’ll do with his design since he was a lumberjack or something and the whole lumberjack look has become... such a look in recent years. XD One day our generation’s children will look at pictures of men from today and grimace the way we look at our fathers’ mullets. lol 

Or maybe Abner will be some kinda wayward son, a little rough around the edges and not at all the cinnamon roll his baby brother Fethry is. I’d love to know more about their brotherly relationship. Also, there were comics where they also had a sister, and that sister had a little boy Fethry wound up taking care of. 

Basically I wanna see the family tree in the show. haha

[bluboothalassophile]

Bonds & Falling

Here’s the thing to know about Dick Grayson: He knew what falling in love felt like. He knew the passions and safety of love, he knew the wild hurricane which sucked one’s soul out and meshed itself with another’s soul. He knew how it felt to hand his heart, lock and key, to another and trust them to not shatter it.   He had felt that all-encompassing love, dragging him under the surface, and it was fierce, alive, endless, boundless, unyielding, it was demanding, it was vital, alive, it was like the ocean dancing with the moon; every subtle and constant.

But it wasn’t HIM who was in love!

Not even he who was falling in love! Dick was in love, with Barbara Gordon, he had been for years, it was a constant. This stirring… it had taken him a while to lock it down, to pin it down, to realize to whom it belonged to, because he frequently forgot about this bond.

Raven was falling in love, head over heels in love, and looking at her he could see how no one would see it. His ever-apathetic demon friend was forever indifferent to the attentions of the male portion of the population. Though this could be because of her dismal dating life, he knew that the dating scene for Raven had been on some pretty terrible dates; at least that was the rumors he had from Donna and Kori.

And Dick had compiled a list of guys he knew Rave wasn’t in love with; mostly because with that empathy link between them he could feel when she was happy, sad and calm, and he had taken a while to pin down the emotion of love but he knew when she was with whoever it was. Dick didn’t know who she was in love with, but he knew who she wasn’t in love with; and that was pretty much everyone in the JL, Titans, Young Justice, and college associates (he had kind of stalked her at school just to check and he had felt nothing).

Now he sat in the Batcave glaring at the screen before him as he eliminated the obvious candidates.

“Yo Dickhead, have you seen Timbo?” Jason’s voice called out rousing Dick out of his focus as he looked over at his younger brother dismounting his motorcycle.

“Hey Jay! Maybe you could help me out!” Dick grinned as he got up and physically dragged his larger baby brother to the Batcomputer, before shoving him in the chair. “Sit there!”

“I’m not into kinky incestuous office sex Dickie!” Jason stated.

“Oh shut up and help me out!”

“Gollie, normally a guy would buy me dinner and schmooze me rather than giving me the shaft immediately,” Jason said dryly. His voice was venomously dripping with sarcasm but Dick didn’t care.

“I have a serious investigation going on here, little wing, focus!” Dick snapped.

“More serious than my child smuggling operation?”

“Well… maybe,” Dick said. “Rae’s in love.”

“Rae?”

“My friend Raven, from the Titans.”

“Okay… so?” Jason asked.

“Well, I’m trying to figure out with who!” Dick stated. “She gets all happy and safe whenever she’s with this person and I cannot figure out who she’s with!” Dick said.

“You’re on your own, Dickhead, I have work,” Jason said pushing himself up. Dick shoved him back into the chair, sending it rolling.

“Well, I wanted to ask you, cause you and she have a lot of similar natures, if you were in a secret relationship how would you hide it!?” Dick demanded.

“Dude!”

“What!? It’s not like you are, I mean, that’d require you to be selfless and in a committed relationship, also to stop ogling Supergirl and Power Girl, not to mention you’d have to stop meeting up with Rose at that dive for pool,” Dick said.

“I will have you know that Rose is very good at the corner pocket shot,” Jason defended. “Dick, did you ever think that maybe, it wasn’t any of your business?”

“I just… Rae’s family and she was there for me at a point in my life when I didn’t have anyone,” Dick said.

Jason gave him a bland look, unimpressed too, and Dick sighed.

“Forget it, I don’t expect you to get what it’s like to be in love or to put someone before yourself.”

His little brother had a dangerous flash of emotions in his eyes which pulsed brilliant green before he pushed himself up to his full height then.

“You’re right Dick, how could I possibly know how to love someone, everyone I have ever loved has betrayed me or killed me,” Jason said dryly. “And you know what, if I were Raven, I wouldn’t tell you because it’s not your fucking business. Not everything on this planet revolves around Dick Golden Child Grayson and her private life is for her to share when and if she’s ready!” Jason snapped.

“Well at least she’s not dating you!” Dick grounded out angrily.

“You’re right, you caught your culprit who makes your friend Raven insanely happy and loved, I’m obviously in a secret relationship with her and we don’t tell you because we know you’d disapprove.”

“Victor would never allow you to date his baby sister!” Dick stated.

“You’re right, now I’m leaving and talking to Tim, and only Tim, shove your investigation up your ass Dick!” Jason spat out as he stalked out.

Dick snorted at the mere idea of Raven even dating Jason because Jason was too emotionally volatile to be around the empath. No doubt it would be like living in a hurricane for Raven if she had to deal with Jason. However, that had brought him to another idea which had him grabbing his communicator to contact Victor Stone; a.k.a. Raven’s self-proclaimed older brother.

No way Vic had missed his little sister falling in love, even if Raven hid it well. Dick would get to the bottom of this!

He really just wanted to make sure his friend was safe and truly loved in return for as deeply as her love ran.

~~~*~*~*~~~

Victor Stone sat in a grungy dive bar in Boston, near his apartment and University, far enough away that he could just hide if he was wearing the image inducer and enjoy a beer alone. But this time he was waiting for Dick to get his ass over here.

Dick had called him yesterday, babbling about Raven being in love and worried about her heart. Vic’s first thought was ‘oh shit! They’ve been ousted!’ his second thought was to see how much his friend had learned.

Raven shared an empathy bond with Dick, Victor knew that, it was a link between their psyches which made them a great team, but not always the best at being open with one another. Raven managed to keep that bond between herself and Dick mostly closed, or dormant. Which had salvaged hers’ and Dick’s friendship, but Raven also suffered from the whiplash of Dick Grayson’s emotions without filters some days. So, theoretically, even with their bond shut, he could guess that the deeper, more powerful emotions slipped through Raven’s defenses to make their bond a two way street. And Victor had no doubts Dick had felt some of the whiplash of Raven falling in love; just looking at his baby sister he knew she was in love; even if she didn’t express it outwardly. It was all in the looks she gave Jason.

But even more important, Victor didn’t need an empathy bond to see that Jason Todd was head over heels, ride or die, to hell and back in love with Raven and nothing was going to change that.

Dick walked into the bar rousing Vic from his private musings as his friend walked over to him.

“Vic!” Dick smiled.

“Hey man!” he got up as he clasped his friend’s hand and pulled him in for a hard hug. “You made it sound pretty urgent on the phone, what’s up?”

“Rae’s in love,” Dick stated.

“You said,” he said as he held up his hand for two beers to the tender.

“Yeah, but with who?” Dick asked.

There was a rush of relief in Victor knowing that his sister and Jason hadn’t been ousted; yet, then an overwhelming sense of dread at the thought of them being uncovered before they were ready.

“I don’t know,” Victor lied. He felt bad about the lie; he did, but he loved Raven far more than he cared about the Bats, and Raven and Jason wanted their relationship private.

“Well, I asked Jay about it, because, you know, they’re both secretive by nature,” Dick shrugged.

“Sure,” Vic nodded. He would be surprised if Jason hadn’t lashed out and sarcastically stated he and Raven were in a relationship; Dick had probably dismissed that out of hand on Jason’s attitude. Victor was very well aware of his sister’s idiotic boyfriend’s abrasive personality.

“I just… do you have any idea who she’s falling in love with?” Dick said.

“Nope,” he answered. Truthfully ‘falling in love’ was a cliché where Jason and Raven were concerned; at least when he saw them together. Falling insinuated a crash landing could happen; but with them he didn’t see it. They were more magnetic, a push and pull; like the ocean and the moon, or water and fire; it was unpredictable and them. They weren’t going to fall apart or break the other’s heart any time soon. “But I think whoever she’s falling for is right under our noses,” he mused.

“I don’t get why she wouldn’t just tell me, or talk to me,” he sighed.

“Cause maybe she knows you won’t approve,” Vic offered.

“Oh come on, I would support her! She’s my best friend; she’s like my little sister.”

“Really? You’d approve?” he asked.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s not like she’s dating Jason or something,” Dick shrugged.

“What makes you think it can’t be Jason or something!?” Victor snapped. He happened to approve of Jason. Jason treated his baby sis like she was a queen, even when they were at each other’s throats Jason went out of his way to make sure she was safe and content. Also, the guy was a complete gentleman with his sister; getting doors and chairs for her, keeping his hand on the small of her back when they walked, and listening to her. Victor approved of Jason being his sister’s boyfriend. Even better, Jason made Raven smile and live a little. Also, Jason would sooner self-castrate himself whilst carving out his heart than cheat on Rae or betray her trust. Victor approved of Jason on many levels, for many reasons, but mainly because Jason respected Raven, as a person, and not as the all-powerful demoness who could tear reality asunder on a whim. Jason loved his little sister, adored the ground she walked upon, and would go to hell and back for her. There was nothing wrong with Raven dating Jason; especially after some of the sleaze she had dated before Jason.

“You’d seriously approve of disrespectful, foul mouth, temperamental Jason dating Raven?” Dick asked skeptically.

“Look, I don’t approve of Rae dating anyone who makes her hurt for the fun of hurting her,” Victor stated. “I had that talk with Gar, he got the message. And when she’s ready for us to know that she’s dating, then she’ll tell us and bring the guy around.” Just cause she ain’t telling you brother doesn’t mean I don’t know, Victor thought dryly. Jason had actually come to his door, cooked him breakfast to ask permission to date Raven after that kiss.

“I just… I want to make sure, you know.”

“You have that empathy bond, you can feel if she’s happy or not,” he shrugged.

“Yeah, but feeling isn’t the same as seeing.”

“I’d leave it until she’s ready to tell you, and I have class, so I’ll see you later.” Victor pulled some money out and left it on the bar before walking out the door.

He’d call and check in to make sure Jason was alright; after that talk with Dick Vic kind of wanted to thump his friend up the back side of the head.

[lololova]

Kate Beckett sees her father’s cabin coming into view as her husband turns another corner in the beautiful forest.

“Wow.” Three small voices say with wonder in them and Kate can’t help but feel her heart swell.

“Yeah, wow,” her husband agrees and Kate looks towards the writer.

Rick Castle always tells her how beautiful the forest is and she can’t understand how she was so lucky to find him. Or maybe he found her? They had gone on and on about that question some days in the beginning of their marriage, especially when their first born had asked who was in love with whom first.

“Mom, are we really staying here?” Lily Beckett Castle asks from the backseat and Kate turns around with a bright smile set on her lips.

“We are hon. Your grandma and grandpa used to take me here every Earth Day when I was a kid, and we’d usually stay here a week before turning back to the city,” she tells her five-year-old.

The twins aren’t more than two years old but the looks of amazement mirroring in their eyes tells her they did the right thing by going here. Rick had been the one to suggest it after a night of old memories being brought to life after he found her hidden box with old photos. There were photos of young Kate enjoying the peaceful forest and when Rick had asked her about it she’d told him how her parents took her out to the cabin every Earth Day to celebrate the planet they lived on. Rick had then asked why she hadn’t told him about this tradition, how come she hadn’t tried implemented it on their small, big, family yet. Despite how they tried not to think about time going by too fast their oldest is five. Kate had shrugged her shoulders saying she’d forgotten about it.

“Big trees!” Reece yells as he laughs excitedly.

“Can we climb, momma?” Jake continues bringing out his puppy eyes in the exact moment as his brother does.

Kate chuckles and shakes her head. “Maybe,” she says, already having a few trees in mind they can climb as best they like.

The two boys give out joyous shouts as their sister holds her hands over her ears with a grin showing her own excitement.

Rick stops the car and they all help carrying their stuff into the cabin, the kids taking their pillows while Kate and Rick takes the rest.

––––––––––––––

After having spent their day exploring the forest and all its secrets Kate and Rick gathers their kids around a small bonfire where they eat as they let the kids talk about their day.

“Papa, what is Earth Day?” Lily asks after a story of Rick’s.

Kate looks at Rick with interest in her eyes, wondering how he will use his words to describe the day’s importance. How he would make sure to say it isn’t just this day, but every day, even if there was only one specific day named for it.

“Well, it’s a day when the whole world goes together to help the Earth. You can donate money, you can help clean the nature, you can help clean the seas. There’s a lot of things we can do to help Earth, and it’s not only today. We can help Earth every day.” He says, scrunching his nose. “I’m not exactly the best to describe it.”

Kate smiles, “It’s difficult to explain peanut. The importance of it is taking time to see Earth, see our nature, see what we can do to help, and actually help. Your dad have donated a lot, and together we try do what we can every day to help Earth.”

“Like draw on both sides?” Reece asks.

“And not draw to throw away drawings?” Jake adds.

“To think about the trees being chopped down?” Lily says and both parents nod.

“Exactly,” Rick agrees. “If we use paper when we don’t need it then we use a lot of trees which the Earth could’ve needed.”

“Recycling is another way of helping Earth,” Kate adds and the kids shines.

“And we do!” they all shout simultaneously and both parents chuckle.

“Mhmm,” Kate hums. “And if we try better, always improving, always thinking about or actions, we can enjoy Earth like this.” She waves her hand around them and they all look at the trees, the forest.

“A world without trees, without the nature, would be dull. Boring. Hopefully it’ll never go that far.” Rick looks at the fire, silently hoping their kids would never find themselves in a fallen world.

“Hope is what keeps it alive. Hope and hard work,” Kate says, hoping the same as her husband. “We need to start understanding that Earth isn’t a place to visit. It’s a place we call home.”

Kate knows it’s not enough to just talk about it, not enough to just go visit the family cabin, but she also knows her kids needs to feel the nature, the Earth, in order to feel the need to protect it. She hopes they can do this trip every year, maybe the constant reminder will help them help Earth. Together. As a family with the Earth as their home.

THE END

A/N: I know this little piece isn't great, not even good, but I wanted to give you something and I figured it's Earth Day sooo... Happy Earth Day to you all. Don't forget to think of our Earth. If you haven't heard the new song Earth by Lil Dicky (featuring about 30 other artists) I suggest you do. Have a great day. Until next time, xxxx

[justlookfrightened]

Locked out, Part 36

Start from the beginning here:  Part 1

Read previous installment here: Part 35

CW: Discussion of coming out

*************************************

“Of course I’m going with you. How else are you going to get there?” Jack asked when Eric suggested meeting his parents by himself.

“I don’t know,” Eric said. “Airport shuttle? Uber?”

“I don’t have to sit with you if you want privacy,” Jack said. “But it is the easiest way for you to get there.”

“I know,” Eric said. “But this whole thing is just embarrassing. I feel like I should have this figured out by now.”

Jack shrugged.

“If it’s any help, I never had to come out to my parents,” Jack said. “After the overdose, I was unconscious for a while. When I woke up, they knew. I guess K-- my boyfriend told them about us. But it wasn’t such a big deal to them because they were busy, you know, hoping I wouldn’t die. It probably helped set their priorities.”

“That’s, uh, not very comforting,” Eric said. “I’m not prepared to almost die to make this better.”

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Jack said. “Just, remember that no one’s life is perfect, and no one’s life is easy.”

They’d spent the night curled together in the big hotel bed, Eric sleeping fitfully and apologizing every time he woke up to Jack rubbing gentle circles on his back.

At 7 a.m., Eric said, “We should get up if we’re going to meet them at eight.”

At 7:30, he said, “We should go.”

So Jack drove him back to Conyers. When he parked in the Cracker Barrel lot, he stopped Eric from getting out of the car immediately.

“Do you want me to sit with you?” he said. “It’s really fine if you don’t.”

“No, that would just be weird to have you sitting at a different table,” Eric said.

Mama and Coach were already waiting for a table, so they joined them with quiet “Good mornings.”

Mama held out Eric’s earbuds. “I didn’t forget,” she said.

“Thanks, Mama,” Eric said.

When they were shown to a table, Coach asked what time their flights were.

“I made sure to get on Eric’s,” Jack said.

“And he upgraded me to business class,” Eric said, rolling his eyes. “Apparently, economy seats are too small for him, so if we want to sit together, business it is.”

“Anyway, we should be home in plenty of time to get dinner and for Eric to be ready for work tomorrow,” Jack said.

After their server brought coffee and took their orders, Mama took a deep breath and said, “I’m sorry we upset you yesterday. I’m not sure what we said or did to make you so angry. But I didn’t want you to go back without making sure you know we love you.”

“You don’t know?” Eric said.

“No, we don’t,” his mother said. “We said we love you. We said we’ll support you through school.”

“You said that if you knew before, you could have fixed this,” Eric said. “Like it’s a flaw in my wiring or something. You said that, even though I know you heard the rumors about me, you thought I couldn’t be gay because one of my friends in elementary school was a girl. You talked about how hard this was going to be, for me and for my team and for Jack. Maybe what you really meant is that it will be hard for you.”

“Maybe it will,” Coach said evenly. “No reason the school board has to keep me on. I doubt they’d say they were firing me because my son is a ho-mo-sexual” -- he drew the word out in clear parody of somebody uncomfortable even pronouncing it -- “but it won’t make them more inclined in my favor.”

Shit. Coach was probably right about that. Not that anyone in Madison followed collegiate hockey, but they did love to gossip.

“I don’t want you to worry about that, son,” Coach said gently. “It’s just an example of what I was thinking about when I said what I said yesterday. And if we have a winning season, well, then, people won’t care. But that’s the kind of thing that could happen.”

“Dicky, dear, I didn’t mean anything by saying we could fix it,” Mama said. “I just meant -- I don’t know what I meant.”

“So you wouldn’t try to make me go -- try to make me not gay?”

“I don’t think we could,” she said. “You’re a 21-year-old man, and you’re going to do what you want..”

Well, that wasn’t really an answer.

They stopped talking when their food came. Once the waitress left, Mama went on.

“The important thing is that we love you and you’re always our son, no matter what,” Mama said.

“And I love you, Mama, but if you say you love me, you have to love me,” Eric said. “Not me-but-straight. Because that person doesn’t exist.”

“That’s what you’re saying, but it’s going to take me a little time to get used to it,” Mama said.

“You shouldn’t take too long,” Jack jumped in. “You should be thrilled with Eric --”

“Jack, hush,” Eric cut him off. “This is hard for them. I know it is. I had three years to get used to being out. They’ve had less than 24 hours.”

“I know, but --”

“But I was really upset yesterday?” Eric said. “I know. I still am. I feel like maybe the family I’ve taken for granted all these years won’t want me anymore, and I feel like it’s my fault, because I’m not the person you always thought I was. And that makes me angry, because I was too scared to tell you before, because I was afraid. And I don’t want to be afraid anymore, but I still am.”

“You shouldn’t have to be afraid,” Jack said.

“I know,” Eric said. “But that doesn’t change how I feel.”

“We are extremely proud of Eric,” Mama said. “Aren’t we, Rick?”

“Of course,” Coach said.

“But we’re scared, too,” Mama said. “About what this means for you, and what you plan to do. And I admit being selfish. Somehow, I don’t think you’re ever coming back here to live, are you?”

“Probably not,” Eric said. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you. You can come visit too.”

“You should see Eric play,” Jack said. “Really.”

***************************

Tagging:   @thehockeyhaus @cow-mow@communistchexmix@falling-out-girl  @whatnowpunk@wikihowpunk@zimboniiiiii@butterflyimportantstuff@ladyaulis@delicatelycrispyblizzard@cyn2k @eyesforeverwithpride @bookbelle494@herecauseoftheweirdo@paintedbilardo@labelleizzy @futuremrsellenpage @actually-old

Read the next installment: Part 37

[bat-losers-inc]

Kintsugi: Chapter 6

Warnings: adult language 

Summary: Final Crisis/Red Robin AU. Dick admits Tim to a psychiatric facility after Bruce is lost in time. Jason finds him suffering at the hands of a Scarecrow-copycat and breaks him out. While safe in Jason’s apartment, Tim still struggles with panic attacks and drug withdrawal. At a loss for what to do, Jason calls Roy Harper.

Pairings: Jason Todd & Tim Drake, Tim Drake & Roy Harper, Roy Harper & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Dick Grayson, Roy Harper & Dick Grayson.

Jason bolted out onto the hospital rooftop through the access door, jumping the pipes, ventilation ducts, and skylights as he made a straight shot towards the roof’s ledge. He slipped his helmet on and shot out his grappling line, catching it around an office building across the street before jumping. He didn’t fall for long as his line snapped tight, drawing him up and over to the other building’s higher roof. It was imperative that he get to higher ground if he wanted to stand any chance of an escape via the rooftops of Bludhaven. But he’d barely cleared the hospital parking lot before a Birdarang flashed in the moonlight above him and cut his line.

Jason sucked in a panicked breath as his heart flip-flopped into his stomach with the sudden change of direction. He curled into himself and performed a painful tuck and roll onto the harsh concrete of a lower roof, jarring his shoulder and rattling his head inside his helmet in the process.

Jason heard the zip and clang of a line being shot behind him and pushed up onto his feet, flinging himself onto the next rooftop with the aid of his spare grappling gun. Enough rooftop brawls with the big man in the past had taught Jason to always carry a spare, or two. It seemed that Damian had inherited his father’s dirty habit of line cutting. Jason should have guess that the apple wouldn’t fall far from the rotten fucking tree.  

He made it across five more buildings before something lashed around his ankles and tripped him up. He pitched face first into the concrete, smashing his helmet hard enough that his heads-up display dissolved into a flickering mass of pixels.

“Another one bites the dust,” he growled, chucking the helmet away and making hasty work with his knife on the cords around his ankles. Not quick enough, he thought, as he stood up just in time to duck one of Robin’s flying kicks to his now exposed head.

Jason flipped his knife around, slashing backhand at Robin’s neck and stomach. Damian lunged up under his arm and jabbed him in the armpit. Jason’s hand spasmed and his knife fell through his numb fingers and bounced on the ground between them.

Jason pulled a gun, but Damian was faster— his katana scratching at the unshaven stubble on Jason’s neck before he could even release the safety on his gun.

Jason stilled, breathing hard. There was no use continuing to try to run or fight, he knew they’d just continue pursuing him. “You owe me a new helmet.”

Damian shrugged one shoulder. “If you hadn’t run from us you’d still have it. I think that makes it your fault, not mine.”

There was a rush of air to Jason’s right as Dick landed in a swish of black material.

“Where’s Tim, Jason?”

He turned to glare at him. “Safe from you. I think that’s all you need to know for right now.”

Dick uttered a noise akin to a growl, his voice a deep rumble as he said, “If you’ve done something to him, Jason, I swear to god I’ll—”

  Jason used the gun to wack Damian’s katana away from his neck with a clang of metal on metal. He’d quickly grown tired of the sensation of it pressed against his skin. “Why don’t you shout my name a little louder, huh! I don’t think all of Gotham heard you yet. Wouldn’t want to leave out all those criminals in Arkham. You’d really make their day.”

“Is this a joke to you? I’m trying to find my brother.”

“What makes you think he wants to be found?” Jason countered.

“Tell us where he is, Hood,” Damian demanded, “Or I’ll get the information out of you another way.”

Jason caught the rise of his arm and leveled a finger at him, spitting, “Don’t you dare even think about sticking that katana back in my face, you goddamn chihuahua of a human being.”

Damian face scrunched in confusion. “Chihuahua? What the hell does that even mean?”

“Oh, I think you know. Yappy, stupidly aggressive, makes you want to punt them into the sun.” Jason smiled menacingly at him. “Now, shut up, the adults are talking.”

 “Oh yeah, you’re really proving to me that you have the welfare of the young in mind, right now.” snapped Dick.

Jason laughed harshly. “Oh, I see! You think I’m a horrible person for talking to the demon brat like that. Well, I think it might be a good idea for you to stomp down on that judgemental attitude right now, yeah Dickie? Because from where I’m standing, I don’t look so bad. I mean… at least I didn’t lock my teenage brother in a psych ward against his will and leave him there to be experimented on by a goddamn psycho scientist who gave him a drug problem!”

Jason really wanted to get in his face and shove him on his ass, but it seemed his words had the same effect as Dick rocked back a step. “A— What?”

“Oh, yeah. That shit’s on you. His ‘guardian’ who washed his hands of him the second he became too much of an inconvenience.”

Jason shoved Damian out of the way and went to retrieve his belongings, intent of leaving the two assholes he called family alone to sort out their shit without him.

“Jason, wait. I just want to understand!”

Jason looked back over his shoulder at Dick. “You want to understand? Go listen to Keselman’s tapes. Then maybe you’ll understand just a fraction on the nightmare that Tim went through  and is still going through.”

Jason turned and left, knowing it wouldn’t be the last he saw of his brother. He just hoped he could keep him away from Tim for a little while longer. Otherwise, he didn’t know what would happen.  

It was late morning by the time Tim awoke from his stupor, his parched tongue smoothing cautiously over the cracked skin of his bottom lip. He cringed at the coppery taste, like pennies. He found the glass of water that Jason had left by the foot of his bed and chugged down what little remained. Hearing the clatter of pans from below and catching the whiff of coffee in the air, he slipped downstairs on sock-clad feet.  Squinting against the bright sunlight coming in through the many windows along the first floor, he made his way into the kitchen.

He’d half expected to see Jason and Roy sitting on opposite sides of the kitchen table recounting fond memories over coffee and eggs, but all he found instead was Roy in front of the stovetop, flipping an omelette in a fry pan.  

“Where’s Jason?”

Roy flinched. The spatula jerked across the surface of the fry pan before he righted it enough to slide his omlette off onto his plate. It was only then that Roy turned to him, plate in hand, the air of forced nonchalance present in every feature Tim’s eyes landed on. What other more subtle emotions he was putting out, Tim couldn’t figure out at the moment (as it took more concentration than his brain could muster up).

“He went out to gather some intel last night but hasn’t gotten back yet. Probably decided it was just best to crash at another safehouse then hike it all the way back here.”

Tim hitched his body up onto one of the bar stools positioned around the table. “All the way back here? Where was he going?”

Roy cleared his throat. “Bludhaven.”

“So Breckenridge,” Which only served to highlight how his continued presence was in Jason’s life was complicating things. “Which is why you’re so worried, right? With Batman and Robin undoubtedly out looking for me, if they caught sight of him there last night there’s a chance he could lead them right to us.”

“I’m not worried about anything. Jason has evaded them before and he’ll do it again. Now, what do you want for breakfast? I make a mean omelette.”

Tim shrugged, food being the last thing on his mind. “Just coffee and toast.”

Roy tilted his head, pale eyebrows pulling together. “You need to eat. And eat real food, at that. How does scrambled eggs, toast, and orange juice sound?”

Honestly, the smell of Roy’s omelette was starting to turn his stomach. He let a nauseated chill sweep through his frame and readjusted his damp shirt so it didn’t stick to his back.

Tim rolled his eyes. It was like the diner incident all over again. “It sounds like something Jason told you to feed to me. Tell me, do you always do whatever he tells you to do? Don’t you have a mind of your own? A cup of coffee isn’t going to kill me.”

“Yes, it will.”

Tim stared at him in disbelief until Roy threw his head back in silent outrage.

“Jason told me you were supposed to be some kind of genius, so I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out yet.”

Tim sighed and rubbed hastily at his face, wiping the sweat from his upper lip off onto his pant leg. “Look… in any other scenario I’d love to show off my skills and figure out what you’re thinking, but I feel like death warmed over right now. So, just tell me. Coffee. Yes or no?”

“Seriously, kid? Don’t you know anything about drug chemistry? Even Jason understands this.”

Tim slid off the kitchen stool and stumbled his way around Roy to the coffee pot. “Yeah, no worries. I’ll get it myself. You just keep on talking.”

Roy yanked the pot out of his hands, coffee sloshing around inside, and shoved it back into the stand. “You’ve been having panic attacks. Adding caffeine into the mix might legitimately kill you. That’s what happens the minute you come off fear toxin and all those benzos.”

“Yeah, alright I admit there was a bit of an adjustment period, but I’m fine now—”

“Who the hell do you think you’re talking to, huh? Whatever adjustment period you’re going through is far from over. ”

As much as Tim wanted to continue debating this point with Roy, he was worried that his persistent resistance to Jason’s rules would result in a change of living situations, and not for the better. He’d already learned on multiple occasions of late that this was a game he was doomed to lose with every hand he played. So Tim checked his emotions and stepped back, adding quietly, “Orange juice sounds great.”

Roy’s forehead creased. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to shout at you—”

“It’s fine,” Tim cut in, resuming his seat at the table. “I was in the wrong… like you explained.”

“No, really—”

The window over the radiator shot open and they both turned to see Jason clambering in through it, pulling a very familiar backpack in after him. He stood, dropping another broken helmet in the box with the others and addressed Tim in a slightly winded voice, “I brought some of your stuff.”

“Did you run all the way here with it?” asked Roy, as Tim took it out of his hands and peeked inside. “Because it sounds like you did. I thought you were doing extra cardio.”

Tim pushed past a few pairs of clothes to find his laptop, charger, and a jaggling mess of electrical components and tools in a pile at the bottom— from the way it was packed it looked like Jason had just swiped anything sitting out on top of his work desk into the opening without any knowledge of what it was for.

He sighed and moved the bag into Jason’s makeshift garage/workstation to sort out later. Maybe he’d be able to show Jason his gratitude by designing some tech for his bike.

He heard Jason as he came back into the safehouse. “Yeah, I doubled back and came the long way to make sure I wasn’t being followed. But look, I found it, it’s all in there!”

Tim rounded the corner to see Roy flipping through a familiar pocket notebook that set his hair on end, feeling for all the world like Roy was flipping through something deeply personal— like his diary, except he didn’t have a diary. He supposed if he did though, Keselman’s notes on Tim’s drugged rants and ravings would be the closest thing to what he’d put in one.

Jason pulled Roy’s plate across the counter towards him and started digging into it with silent and ravenous focus.

“Those are Dr. Keselman’s notes, aren’t they?”

Jason’s fork stilled on its path to his mouth and lowered as both he and Roy fixed Tim with an expression that was mixed equally with worry and guilt. It was one that Tim was noticing more and more, but it’s continued use didn’t make it any easier for him to stomach.

“I’m going to take your silence as a ‘yes’. When you’re done with that, I’d like to take a look at it.”

And burn it.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” said Jason.

“Why? I’m not going to find anything in there that I don’t already know.”

Roy shrugged at Jason. “He’s kinda got a point there, Jaybird.”

Jason snatched the bite of eggs off of his fork before waving it dismissively around by his head, “Fine, whatever you want. But if shit hits the fan then you’re cleaning it up.”

He moved to fill a mug with coffee from the pot. Tim watched him take the first sip from his standing spot by the couch, silent and ever so jealous of his health compared to his own.

“By the way,” Jason took another sip, “How did you two get on without me? Any problems so far?”

“Uh—” Roy hesitated and cast a questioning look at Tim. “Well, actually Jason—”

“Yeah, really good actually,” Tim forced a smile and shook his head ever so slightly at Roy. “Roy’s already giving out some sound advice. Kinda feels like I have another big brother.”

Another person to watch out for, that is. He felt horrible for thinking it because he knew if given some time he’d probably learn to like Roy— maybe even value his opinions. But as it stood at the moment Tim just couldn’t trust him to speak on his behalf. One hiccup in their current plans or a wrong comment to Jason could mess up the only good thing Tim had going for him. So Roy would just have to play along and fake it until it was actually true, his conscience be damned.

Jason smiled, looking eagerly between them. “So, does that mean what I think it means? You’ll sponsor him?”

Roy crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. “Just for a week or so, until Tim’s back on steady ground and can find another sponsor here in Gotham.”

Jason laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “You big softie.”

Tim scratched at his arm, stepping a little closer. “Hey, Jason? I’m not feeling so hot this morning and I’m kinda worried about what that’s going to lead to later on. Do you think I could take something just to ease the symptoms a bit?”

Roy coughed into his fist.  

Tim continued on hurridley, “I know you guys are worried about the dosages still, but you also talked about seizures and heart attacks and I think even just half a pill would push those worries from my head, you know?”

Jason and Roy seemed to hold a silent conversation with just a few shared glances at each other, before Jason turned back to Tim with an uneasy smile. “Yeah, I totally understand what you’re saying, Tim. But it’ll only take us a few hours to look over these notes and map out a solid step-down routine. And if we do, then we can start that step-down today and knock off an extra day where you feel like shit, you get me?”

“Yeah, no. I totally understand.” Tim tried for a smile and felt it twitch with strain. He rubbed at his mouth in an effort to cover it.

“So you think you can make it a few more hours?” prompted Jason in that soft careful voice that set Tim’s nerves on end instead of calming them.

“Yeah, um— I think I’m just gonna go sort through that stuff you brought back and see if I can make anything useful from it.”   

“Great idea,” said Roy. “Keep your mind occupied.”

Tim nodded hasilty and shuffled out of the room. He shut the door to the loading dock, relieved to have a barrier between Jason and Roy’s ever watching, ever critical eyes. Tim found one of Jason’s spare leather jackets hung up on a peg by the door and pulled it around his shoulders to block off the chill in the air that was sending him into bouts of shivers despite the sweat wetting the baby hairs at the back of his neck.  

He pulled out the stool in front of Jason’s workbench and perched himself on top of it, drawing his backpack into his lap to rifle through it. He pulled out his clothes and laptop first, pushing them off to the side to bring inside later. Then he upturned his backpack over the workbench, dropping a cascade of tools and electrical parts onto the tabletop. Tim shook the bag for any lingering pieces and then slipped his stack of clothes back inside to keep them clean from the dust and grease that stained the workbench from Jason’s previous projects.

Rummaging through a few of the drawers, he found a beaten up notebook and a stub of a pencil which he used to create a quick inventory of parts and tools, sorting each into its own pile. He checked the time on the old clock on the far wall, his heart sinking as he realized only a half hour had elapsed. Grumbling to himself, he dove into sketching some new gadgets, drawing on some old tech he’d put into the R-cycle during his years with the Titans— his leg bouncing against the bottom rung of the stool the entire time. All the while his ears were perked towards the inner rooms of the safehouse, eager for the sound of Jason’s approaching footsteps to signal the finalization of his new step-down plan.

Another hour passed and still it didn’t come. Tim threw his pencil down and rested his aching head against the table top with a groan. Keep your mind occupied? Fuck that, it felt like his head was going to crack in half like an egg.

Tim pulled his laptop over toward him, telling himself it was routine updating he was doing as he pulled up his criminal database and pinpointed their current location, scrolling around in a five mile radius on Gotham’s map to see which criminals had joints nearby. He noted Penguin’s Iceberg Lounge with interest, only one subway line away, and a notorious meeting ground for some of Gotham’s flashiest crime organizations.

Just research, he reminded himself. There was a knock on the garage door behind him that startled him enough to slam his laptop closed. Tim half turned in his seat to look, almost believing he’d imagined it, until the person outside banged loudly against the grated metal again and sent it rattling on its tracks.

The door to the safehouse opened and Jason took a step down onto the stairs, eyes fixed on the exterior door, his hand lingering uneasily against the doorframe.

Tim watched him before whispering, “Did you tell anyone else about this place? Another outsider maybe?”

Jason shook his head and flinched back into Roy who stood behind him as the banging resumed.

“Jason open the door. I know you’re in there!” Dick voiced shouted, muffled by the wall between them.

Tim jumped to his feet and grabbed for his backpack. “You swore you wouldn’t tell him where I was!”

“Tim? Tim, is that you? It’s Dick, please just open the door!”

Jason threw up his hands. “And I didn’t, Tim. I spent all of last night trying to lose him and only came back here when I thought the coast was clear.”

“Well, it obviously wasn’t, Jason! And now he’s right outside!!”

“Hey, hey!” Roy shoved past Jason and down the stairs. “He might know where we are now, but that doesn’t mean we have to let him inside. Alright? I’ll send him away.”

“Don’t open that door,” said Tim. “please, don’t.”

“It’s gonna be fine,” Roy motioned aggressively to Jason, “Will you go stand by him before he dies of a panic attack or something? For fucks sake, Jason. I can’t babysit everyone.”

Jason shook his head as if to clear it. “Yeah, ‘course. Sorry.”

He jumped down the steps and moved to stand protectively at Tim’s side, positioning himself between Tim and the door and blocking Tim from sight with his broad shoulders. As Roy moved to unlock the padlock that held the door closed, Jason ducked his head to speak quietly to Tim.

“Remember, Tim. He might have come here wanting to talk but you set the terms. We won’t let anything happen unless you want it to. You have control of this situation.”  

Roy pulled on the chain until the door rested all the way up on the track. Dick was dressed in civvies and he barely waited for the door to clear his chest before ducking under. His eyes landed on Tim’s face where he’d shifted around Jason’s broad form to see more clearly.

Dick moved hurriedly towards them and Jason stepped forward and caught him in the chest with one hand. He stopped Dick’s forward progress with one aggressive jerk of his hand fisted in Dick’s shirt, pulling him back a step so he was eye to eye with him.

“You’ve got a lot of balls showing up here.” spat Jason.

Dick met his hard gaze. “I listened to the tapes, Jason. All night.”

His tried to shift his gaze around Jason’s head to catch sight of Tim. “I’m so sorry, Timmy. I didn’t know what was happening at Breckenridge— I couldn’t visit you—”

“Well, whose fault was that?” countered Jason.

“Please, Tim. I just want to apologize and make sure you’re alright.”

“He’s fine. We’re taking care of him.”

Tim sure didn’t feel fine in that moment.

“I thought you said he had a drug problem. He should be in a rehab facility, Jason!”

“That’s why I’m here,” Roy walked around them to stand near Jason. “I’m sponsoring Tim and overseeing his detox to make sure it's performed safely.”

Dick laughed. “Well, excuse me if that statement doesn’t fill me with confidence, Roy, but I really can’t trust my brother’s safety to you.”

“Yeah? Why’s that?”

Dick jerked his shirt free of Jason’s grip and turned on him. “Because you’re an addict, Roy. Jason might be okay with that and willing to give you a shot at sponsoring because you’re his best friend, but I’m not. Because from where I’m standing you’ve been in and out of rehab for years! If you can’t manage to stay sober then I really don’t think you should be giving faulty advice to Tim.”

“I think you should leave,” said Jason, so deadly calm that it scared Tim a little.

“I’m Tim’s guardian, Jason! You don’t get to decide what best for him, that’s my job.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that.”

Dick flinched. “What the hell does that mean, huh? You gonna fight me for guardianship, dead boy?”

Jason shook his head. “Of course I won’t.”

Tim’s eyes dropped to the floor.

“Did you know that Tim got Bruce to sign off on emancipation papers before he died? Signed, sealed, but never filed— guess he never got the chance.  I found them in his apartment last night when I was waiting for you to lose interest in tailing me around the city and head on home.”

“What? Tim, tell me that’s not—”

“Don’t worry,” Jason cut over him with a smile.  “I took them with me.”

Tim’s eyes jumped back up to Jason, full of shock and unspeakable gratitude, as the older boy continued,  “I’m going to keep them save for him incase that’s still something he wants to pursue once he recovers. And based on recent events, I think we both know that he will.”

His words were entirely the threat that Dick perceived them to be. Tim was still reeling with the knowledge of it all and he couldn’t decide if he wanted to break down crying with relief or run and hide himself away and distance his mind from this broken person that his entire family thought of him as, someone everyone was trying to fix, or save, or reform. All he really knew was that thinking about this hurt his head too much and he needed to get away.

He dropped Jason’s jacket onto the stool and backed away from the trio towards the stairs that led into the safehouse, his backpack still slung across one shoulder.

He heard Roy speak up again as he was racing up the stairs to the second floor, pointing Dick not-so-kindly in the direction of the door. They were too involved in their own small grudges to spare him more than a glance. He found Jason’s bedroom at the back of the second floor, and rifled through the drawers— realizing too late that he wouldn’t have hid the pills in his room. Downstairs, Tim now remembered vaguely, but Jason and Roy would be back inside in a moment and he couldn’t be found searching the place for them.

With quickly diminishing hope, Tim dug into the pockets of Jason’s other jacket, the one he’s wrapped around Tim in Roy’s car the other night. No pills, but Tim came away with a handful of cash from the diner. It would be enough, Tim judged, and he could walk the other half of the way there if  he needed to save some cash.

He stepped out the fire escape off the second floor hallway, the cold air whipping his sweaty t-shirt around like the fabric of a kite. He was feverish and cramped with pains that came and went with the breeze, but he was alone. No eyes, he thought to himself, no stares and judgements and obligations. I’m free to be me, even if this version of Tim  doesn’t care to remember who Tim Drake was, should, or would be.

He raced down the fire escape steps and across the empty streets of the waterfront district with their vacant and boarded up warehouses. He’d woken up late in the morning and now at late afternoon the sun was dropping down into an evening array of pink, yellow, and orange clouds that tinted the rooftops and cast long shadows on the pavement.

Tim crossed his arms tight across his chest to keep warm and disappeared into the darkness of those shadows, leaving it all behind him.  

[chibinightowl]

Prompt requests! #1 please, with Jason and Bruce, if you can? (Sadly, there are probably a plethora of broken promises on Bruce's part to choose from. Just hug your kid already, idiot!)

I could have left this one with a sad ending but decided Bruce needed a chance to show he’s not a completely crappy parent.

~*~

Jason peered nervously out of a crack between the big curtains. He could just glimpse of the crowd seated in the large auditorium. This was it. The last night of the Christmas pageant. Bruce promised he’d be here to see his performance.

Sure, the play was lame as hell, but Jason somehow managed to get a solo in the choir. Alfred helped him prepare, coached him, and even made sure his costume fit properly when he brought it home from school. Bruce said he’d come and see him, but then a massive case came up and he’d been stuck working that all week, missing every performance. Even Dickhead managed to make it down from New York to see him and took him out for ice cream afterward.

It was great.

Tonight was the last night though and he really wanted Bruce to come. Alfred assured him when he dropped him off that he was returning immediately to the manor to collect Bruce, whom he would drag here “by hook or by crook”.

Jason believed Alfred. He believed he would try his hardest at least because Bruce was a beast sometimes (a lot of the times) and even Clark couldn’t get him to budge. Curtain call was in five minutes. Was he here? Between the lights and the limited view, he couldn’t tell.

Sighing hard, Jason let the curtain close. He’ll find out soon enough.

~*~

After the performance was over, Jason ran out to the spot where he was supposed to meet Alfred and Bruce. The show had been awesome and his solo was spot on. Who knew the kid from Park Row could sing so well with a little training? He sure didn’t.

Jason caught a glimpse of a large figure with Alfred and his heart raced in excitement. Bruce made it!

But then the crowd shifted and Jason got a better look at the man. It wasn’t Bruce.

It was Clark.

Clark, who rather sheepishly held a videocamera, as he waved at Jason.

Disappointment welled up inside him. Why did he even bother getting his hopes up? Stupid Bruce. He bet that if this had been Dickie’s performance, he’d have dropped everything to see it. Stupid golden boy.

Stupid Jason for believing Bruce.

Alfred strode forward and wrapped an arm around Jason, which wasn’t like him at all. “I’m so sorry, Master Jason. When I returned home, Mr. Kent was sitting on the doorstep and Master Bruce was nowhere to be found.”

“Bruce called and asked me to come and record your performance for him,” Clark added. “You were great up there, Jay! I didn’t know you could sing like that.”

“Would you like to go out and celebrate a magnificent end to your run?” Alfred asked quietly. He had been to every show, which meant a lot to Jason, but it wasn’t the same. He wasn’t Bruce.

“Whatever,” Jason replied sullenly. “I don’t care.”

“Jay-lad, I’m certain Mr. Kent and I will find out what distracted Master Bruce from your performance tonight.”

Clark nodded in agreement. “He broke a promise. We’ll find out why.”

Jason shrugged off Alfred’s arm and started walking towards the car. “It wouldn’t be the first time he broke a promise.”

He doubted it would be the last time either.

~*~

Years passed. Jason died, came back to life, and spent several years raging against the world and Bruce in particular. During rare moments of calm, he would read. Singing wasn’t something he kept up with after that abysmal play, aside from his own solos in the shower or along with the radio, never where someone could hear him.

So when he was out grocery shopping one day, he was surprised that the flyer posted on the door even caught his attention. A small group of people were trying to get together a cast to perform a musical. It didn’t pay anything, these were just people doing it for fun through one of the local community centers. Jason wasn’t sure what made him go check it out. Or audition.

Landing a lead role was a shock and a half.

He had no plans to tell anyone in his family. Well, almost no one.

“Hey, Alfie,” Jason said, trying hard for nonchalant when in fact there were more butterflies in his stomach now than the first time he got up on stage. “Whatcha doing Wednesday night?”

“I have my usual tasks to attend to,” the old butler replied. “Do you require my assistance with something?”

Jason shrugged, glad he was doing this over the phone rather than in person. He explained what he’d gotten himself involved in. “I’ll text you an address and a time. There’ll be a ticket waiting for you, if you want to come.”

“Of course, I’ll be there. A stampede of wild horses couldn’t keep me away.” The pride and happiness in Alfred’s voice warmed Jason to the core. “Shall I inform Master Bruce?”

“Why? It’s not like he’ll come,” Jason replied bitterly. The string of broken promises reared its ugly head, even after all these years. “I gotta run, I’ll see you Wednesday.”

~*~

Jason peeked out the slim opening in the curtain to check out the audience. It was more crowded than he expected, but then again, the musical was one of those comedy of errors that made fools out of the leads.

At least he was having fun doing it. More fun than he believed possible.

Before he stepped away, Jason caught a glimpse of a familiar face. Alfred, sitting right in the center of the second row.

Jason grinned as he went to take his place in the wings, happy at the sight. He’d make the old man proud and show him he still remembered all those lessons from before.

~*~

After the musical was over, Jason made his way out into the crowd to find Alfred. He was stopped a few times by some people who wanted to talk with him about the show. That was fine and all but Jason really wanted to hear an opinion of his performance from someone who knew him rather than from the peanut gallery.

He caught a glimpse of Alfred in the lobby, waiting off to the side and excused himself (politely rather than rudely, because he wasn’t a complete dick).

“Alfie!” Jason shouted, catching the old man in a bear hug before he could try and escape it. He was on cloud nine, brimming with energy and had to share it with someone.

“Master Jason!” Alfred exclaimed, trying to swat him even as Jason set him back on his feet.

“I know, I know,” Jason replied with a carefree grin. “Watch the back. You’re not as spry as you used to be.” Alfred puffed up indigently at that, which only made him laugh. “So, what did you think?”

“I think it was an excellent performance,” another voice spoke up from behind Jason, an all too familiar voice that he was more used to hearing growling or yelling at him. “Your vocal range is impressive and you’ve got a knack for situational comedy.”

Jason stiffened reflexively as Bruce stepped around him to join Alfred. What the hell?

Alfred patted him on the shoulder. “You did not say I couldn’t tell Master Bruce about my plans for tonight,” he reminded Jason. “When the subject came up, he said he would gladly accompany me to see you on stage.”

Bruce eyed Jason cautiously, clearly uncertain of his welcome. “I delegated,” he said after a moment. “Called Dick to come and take over for me tonight. He said he’ll come see you tomorrow night while he’s in town.”

It was clear what Bruce was trying to do. He was attempting to make up for past mistakes. Past failures. The real question became, did Jason want forgive him?

Not really. But even he could acknowledge what a massive step this was for Bruce. “Yeah? Tell him I said he’s taking me out for a beer afterward instead of ice cream.”

“How about we do that now?” Alfred asked, ignoring the way Bruce visibly started panicking over the question. His ability to delegate apparently only went so far. “I’m sure we can find a place and share a quiet drink together.”

Jason smirked, already knowing his answer. Seeing Bruce squirm was a favorite past time of his. “Yeah, that sounds great. I know a decent place that’s not too far. Let me go clean up and I’ll be right back. And Bruce,” Jason paused to make sure he had the man’s attention. “First round is on me if your ass actually stays for round two.”

[iamchrissi]

The joys of coming home

Bruce has had a long week, and now his kids are behaving strangely...

Batfam Week Day Three, Prompt: Homecoming

Also on Ao3

There's something to be said for coming back to the Gotham after a long week off planet. Justice League work is important, but at his core Bruce is a Gothamite, he can't stay away for too long.

He steers the Batplane over Gotham's bay. It's early evening, not late enough for patrol yet, and the city looks quite beautiful in this light. The sinking sun somehow... brings the pretty colors back to life, and hides the ugly corners.

He lets himself linger on the image for a moment more before flying towards the mansion. He should be there in time for a nice dinner. Alfred's cooking will be heaven after a week of League kitchen.

He knows something's off the second the Batplane enters the Cave. It's... too quiet, and too empty. It's not patrol time yet, but someone, either Damian or Tim or both, should already be down here. Babs should be bickering with someone over coms. Dick and Duke should be training.

Bruce clicks a few keys, and starts a quick air analysis of the cave. The results are within normal range, a bit high on the oxygen, but nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing that would cause his kids to abandon the Cave.

Carefully, he gets out of the plane. The Cave seems normal. Nothing wrong there, except... except that there is nobody in here, and there definitively should be. Bruce carefully controls his breathing, tries to ignore the dark pit that starts expanding in his stomach. Just because nobody's here yet doesn't have to mean anything's wrong. There could just be... a movie night. Or someone's sick. Duke wanted to visit his uncle at some point, he remembers distantly, maybe that's today. Tim could be at one of his friend's place, maybe Kon or Cassie, and Damian might be out with Jon Kent. Maybe Dick and Babs are out on a date or something.

… Right. Like that's going to happen. Bruce walks over to the Batcomputer and runs a quick trace on everyone's phones. All of them, including Jason's, are shown to be in the mansion. And yet... why are they not here? Why not prepare the patrol?

Shortly, he debates keeping the Batsuit on, but then he changes. Alfred has very strict rules about costumes in the manor, and it would be way too easy to blow his secret if it is something normal. Maybe someone came over?

He does take a batarang into the elevator with him, and a smoke bomb. And a rebreather. Can't be too careful.

Stepping out of the elevator, he is welcomed by silence. Nothing unusual, to be honest, the manor is quite big, and sound doesn't always travel that well. The floor is very clean, of course, as if Alfred would allow for anything else. Still doesn't answer the question of what exactly is going on.

Slowly, he makes his way towards the kitchen. Finally, he hears voices. Many of them. He speeds up his steps, not running, but … well, he is worried.

He finds them in the living room. All of them. Lounging on various couches, awake and talking. Not healthy, not as such, Tim and Dick are especially pale, and Jason (Jason! Here at the manor!) has his right leg in a cast, but... they look okay. Not dead. Not seriously hurt. Not full of fear or joker toxin.

And somehow, they're all in one room together, apparently happy, watching a movie. His kids. Without an impeding crisis.

What?!

“Oh hey, B!” It's Dick who notices him first, and then everyone is staring at him. Bruce is glad he changed. Explaining to these stares why he came up here in the Batsuit is not something he ever wants to do.

“Hello, everyone.” He says, and tries to keep his voice perfectly neutral. Perhaps, if he manages not to annoy anyone...

“I'm so not doing this.” Jay mumbles, and tries to stand up, but Babs slaps him on the back of the head and glares at him. It's the scary Oracle glare, the one that even Bruce has been known to cower under.

“You have a broken leg and a nasty flu. You stay right where you are.” Jason doesn't even say anything. He just shrinks back on the seat. Bruce could hug Babs right now, but if he says anything, he's going to ruin it, and he knows it.

Thankfully, it's at that point that Alfred stands up from his place at the back of the room. Good Alfred, he's going to tell him what's going on. And why Jason has a broken leg and a flu. And why all of them are watching … Fast and Furious together?

“Master Timothy caught a flu four days ago. From him, it has spread throughout the entire family. Yesterday, Master Jason, Master Richard and Master Duke insisted on going out despite being ill. In the course of that adventure, Master Richard was shot in the left shoulder, Master Jason broke his leg and Master Duke suffered a cut on his side. I deemed it necessary to ground them all for tonight, to avoid another disaster.” Alfred's delivery is very dry and very deadpan.

“Hey, that was not my fault. If Dickie here hadn't...” Jason's the first one to protest, despite his broken leg being the most obvious injury. And despite it being Alfred. He's not the last one, though.

“I am not sick! This is merely an inconvenience.” Damian says, looking very put upon despite clearly being feverish. Bruce starts to feel the beginnings of a headache.

“Of course that one's on you, if you'd just looked behind you...” That's Dick. Probably answering to Jason. Probably. Bruce has kind of lost track by now, and it's only been a few seconds.

“Well, you both could have looked after the guy with the bomb, you know?” Duke says, and as ridiculous as this discussion is, Bruce is happy that Duke speaks up. He remembers it when Duke was so insecure of his place here that he'd not said much during family discussions at all.

“Let's blame Tim and be over it.” Steph, but she doesn't mean it. Not really. There's that fondness in her voice that says she's just teasing. Bruce is 89% sure.

“Hey!” And there's Tim chipping in. Within seconds, it's absolute pandemonium. Everybody is accusing everybody, and Bruce just kind of … gives up trying to figure out what's going on.

Suddenly, Cass is standing in front of him. He hasn't heard her approach, which really isn't a miracle considering the noise level in the room. She smiles at him, a genuine, kind smile, and hugs him. Bruce holds her close and closes his eyes for a moment. Sometimes it's really nice that his daughter doesn't need words.

Long week? She signs when he lets her go. Bruce shrugs. The usual, he signs back. She looks him over critically, and he thinks that Alfred is really rubbing of on her, because she has totally nailed his slightly worried, slightly judging look.

Stay with us? She signs. Bruce considers it for a moment. There's a report on his week in space waiting to be written, and a meeting tomorrow he should probably prepare, and well, patrol, too, if nobody else is going...

He looks at his children again. They're still bickering, but there's a sense of... peace, watching them. They're not actually attacking each other, there's no malice in their voices. Just sibling banter, he thinks, and it warms his heart in ways he will never admit to anyone.

Cass sees right through it, of course. But well, she's Cass. That kind of comes with the territory.

Sure, he signs and lets her pull him to her spot on the couch. It's right next to Jason's, he notices. Jason resolutely does not look at him, still busy arguing with his brothers, but he doesn't move away either, so...

“What are you watching?” He asks, raising his voice to be heard over the banter of his children. All of sudden, they shut up. Seven gobsmacked faces look at him.

“You're... staying?” Dick asks, and Bruce almost smirks. It's hard surprising Dick, these days, but when he does, he is always reminded of nine year old Dick finding the Batcave. It is a good memory.

“Isn't there, like, a report to write or a meeting to prepare?” Tim asks, and Bruce is defintively going to have to make sure the kid doesn't go to work tomorrow. He looks like death warmed over. Bruce is aware that Tim is most likely going to be fine, given that Alfred allowed him to watch movies with his siblings, but still. That shade of white can't be good.

“Nobody is going to be on patrol.” That's Damian, looking just as shocked. Bruce is starting to feel kind of annoyed. He does spend time with his kids sometimes, doesn't he? It shouldn't surprise them so much that he'd watch a movie with them after a long week of work.

Then he sees Jason watching him, sees that small bit of fierce hope in his son's eyes, and mentally shakes himself. He remembers blowing patrol of once when Jason was still Robin, because Jason was sick and he didn't want to leave him alone, and how amazed Jason was by being considered important enough to ignore patrol.

“Nothing more important than appreciating home every now and then.” He says, and that look on his children's faces is enough to make him consider a weekly movie night. It would cut down patrol and training time significantly, but if it makes his children look at him like that...

[63l3]

                                verse three :   main :  i’m back where i belong.

this verse is my major verse for elliot’s return so here are some of the basic details if you’d like to plot something !  (  i also have another general returned verse for any other plots where he comes back earlier / later / in a different way  ) 

just hanging around his house dealing with having shot jenna and waiting to see if he'd be cleared and he was gone around two to three months before he officially left.  with IAB conducting their investigation there was nothing he could do but sit around and free time doesn’t really agree with him. 

he gets restless and snappy and kathy does try to be there for him but living with him was hard she decided to start divorce proceedings again, tired of fighting  —  el let her go without an arguement.  their marriage had been dead for a decade anyway and he knew they were clutching at straws trying to stay together for eli’s sake.

he'd been about to put in his papers when an old friend of his caught wind of what was going down and offered him a place working as a uc in the unit he was leading and el takes the position

i’m setting his return in season 16 around the time of episode  ‘ undercover mother ’  he,  like murphy is working undercover in the sex trafficking ring,  though he tends to deal more on the drug side of the equation.  working with the underage victims makes him sick and he’s had to shut down a lot in his three years undercover to prevent himself from killing the targets of the operation.  the only thing that gets him through it is knowing that figuring out where the head of the snake lies will allow them to save hundreds,  possibly thousands more girls like the ones he sees every day.  still,  he has on occasion helped martha thornhill to buy girls and get them out of the life. 

he has olivia’s badge number   (  4015  )   tattooed on the inside of his left wrist,  almost always hidden underneath his watch.  he got it about a year into his under cover stint because he wanted to feel closer to her again.

a few months after leaving the unit elliot sent liv his medal as it happens in this deleted scene 

getting arrested by svu in a sting operation  (  not the super bowl sunday raid but another one shortly after where amanda,  sonny and nick are undercover  )  was actually a huge relief for him.  he wasn’t about to ask to be pulled out from undercover but working with these people was destroying him slowly and though he knows he wouldn’t have done well being retired and at home either he often regretted taking the uc position.

in the three years he spent undercover elliot didn’t seen any of his children in person though he keeps an eye on them all from afar.

during the william lewis ordeal he was on the other side of the country and didn’t know a thing about it   (  had he,  he’d have come back for her,  undercover be damned  )  he didn’t find out until over a year later when he spotted an old newspaper in one of the rundown houses they were using with her on the cover but by then, after so long without a word ?  he assumed she wouldn’t want to hear from him at all

when first arrested elliot is cold and angry,  it takes until he sees olivia again for him to start to feel like himself.  even then it takes him a few weeks to shake off the persona he’s been living in and return to more of the elliot we know. 

with the help of svu they’re able to get johnny d and a number of other upper level traffickers allowing the case elliot was working on to be closed.  after his exemplary performance in the undercover unit IAB let up and he’s able to keep his badge and go back to work as normal.  el requests to be placed back at svu

things with he and liv are tense at first but he’s determined to win her over.  elliot is beyond proud of liv’s rise to sergeant though disappointed that being back in the unit won’t mean having her back as a partner.

elliot grew out his beard while undercover but shaves it off soon after coming back to svu 

liv partners him with rollins who he views as a giant pain in the ass at first but they quickly develop an annoying brother / sister type of bond and she becomes a dearly loved pain in the ass / @alwaysfine 

elliot spends a almost all of his free time trying to reconnect with his children once he’s back and thanks God that he came back in time to be able to walk maureen down the isle.  eli is 8 when he gets back and while he and kathy aren’t on good terms after his extended absence she lets elliot take him every second weekend.  he has trouble getting the kids to forgive him for leaving at first but once he’s able to win them over they set up a family dinner every wednesday  (   which he hates having to cancel though he has to for work semi regularly  ) , dickie only comes every so often. elliot is still working on repairing their relationship.

once he’s done with uc he gets an apartment in the city not too far from the precinct which maureen, kathleen and lizzie decorate for him. 

*  i’ll probably add to this as i think of things but this is everything for rn

[iphoenixrising]

Window Seat

My soulmate @satire-please deserves all the love, so a bit more little Timmy with the Bats from here.

 **

The house is always quiet. Even when his mom and dad were home or Mrs. Mac was in the kitchen when he got home from school, the upstairs is always silent, like the museums where his parents donate what they find on digs. He thinks it’s always been like that.

No one ever goes to the upstairs attic, though. The dust is thick and settled, its’ own niche in Drake Manor. There’s one window to look out the back yard and off into the sea (and if you looked really, really hard, you could almost see Wayne Manor up on the bluffs, a dark silhouette in the dawn). The nights he didn’t go out into Gotham with his camera, he usually wound up here, squeezed into the non-existent seat to watch for the headlights of the large, black car that was unmistakable even in full dark.

And tonight, a few days after Robin saved him from a bad fall, and the extraordinary turn of events that put him in their direct path rather than an outsider that just knew their secret, he’s still waiting. At the time, he grudgingly turned over the box of photographs when Robin (Jason) and Nightwing (Dick) brought him home. They were working a hard case and would be gone for a few days, so he did what he was probably expected to do: promised to go to school and stay out of trouble.

He hasn’t gone out into Gotham, and hasn’t heard or bothered them since.  Which…is okay. It’s not a problem for him. He’s used to these kinds of things. Promises from grownups that never come to fruition. Coming home for his birthday. Taking him with them during Christmas break. Being there for the Science Fair.

Sometimes expectations fail. Sometimes you need another plan. Sometimes other things have to take precedent. All the real world truths.

So, it’s really okay. He gets it.

The vigilantes didn’t expect a kid to figure them out, not when they’ve got the whole world fooled. It makes sense they would want to give him something to look forward to, a “reward” for keeping quiet about their secret identities. (And it isn’t like he doesn’t realize how dangerous it is to know, how many of Batman’s enemies would come looking for him just to get the secret, how dangerous he is to them now just because he was too smart for his own good. He’s…he’s a liability.)

By the second night with no word, he’s convinced himself the whole thing is going to amount to checking in on him quarterly to make sure he keeps out of trouble, doesn’t call any attention to himself or them. It’s the adult thing to do. So, he’s going to give it a few weeks, wait until they’ve all but forgotten, and go back to his old haunts. He’ll have to be more careful they don’t catch him so he can’t slip up and accidentally almost kill himself again.

It’ll be fine. He’s got darker clothes to stay closer to the shadows and has been tinkering around with a shooting grapple gun like Robin used. He thinks he might have figured it out, but testing is really going to be the problem.

And…and it is fine (it’s disappointing but inevitable). They didn’t need some kid hanging around when they had criminals to stop and a city to save.

He’s sleepily convinced himself it was all for the best, he already had the one chance to live the life and shouldn’t be too greedy because the reality is nothing but trouble could come from stepping into their world. He could get hurt or die, he could get them hurt if he got caught and they had to come save him. Or they would finally get tired of dealing with him, his endless questions and terrible hand/eye coordination, his fanboy awe and clumsy stumbles, the odd moments when he can fit in the most awkward spaces to hide (like right now).

Eventually…it be the same as with his mom and dad. They’d just start leaving.

Tim sighs and forces himself to be reasonable because of course it’s better this way. Nothing would change (it’s okay, it could be worse). Besides, it was better than never coming back.

Right?

When the rumbling goes by the house, goes further, deeper into the woods, toward the only other home, he can let his eyes slide closed, glad they made it back from another night, and let himself drift off a little. No school tomorrow, no Mrs. Mac, no reason to get up early and make an appearance.

He’d probably read more on the coding manual he’d picked up from the library, ride his bike into the city for pizza and to hang out with Ives, then come back home before his curfew. He would wait it out a few weeks and then jump back to old habits, keeping out of their way, and staying in the shadows. Life would just—

Go on.

The world gets fuzzy and soft and dark, and even with the minor ache in his neck and back from the odd angle, even in the quiet upstairs, even though he knows it’s too cold to be sleeping up here, the dream starts out anyway…

“—glad we found him, Big Wing.” That’s…that’s Jason, isn’t it? (Jason, here? Nah)

“I wonder how long he’s been up here all alone?”

(It has to be a dream because they came looking for him…)

“Musta been a while. He’s freezin’.” The dream hand is warm on his forehead, so nice, not enough to make him want to come to reality, so he just snuffles against his arm and hums, not trying to swim to the surface of awake, not yet.

“Okay, okay. Not leaving Timmy by himself at night anymore. Check.” Dick sighs, his breath a puff in the cold, and cranes his neck to eye the configuration the kid squeezed through to get to the wide window ledge.

“B’s gonna talk ta his folks when they make it back ta town anyhow.” And Jason shakes his head, burrowing a little deeper in his jacket with bare face (doms keep the eyes warm, you feel him?). “Kid his age shouldn’t be left alone anyhow.”

“Nope, just circus brats and street kids, right Little Wing?” Dick glances over at his replacement with a wide grin (and if B is serious about keeping Timmy now that the business with Two-Face is over, he’s going to have to come around more to help corral two younger brothers).

“Yeah, some a’ us can take care of business, Dick. This kid? He don’t need ta be in a house alone like this. Ain’t right.” The current Robin just frowns at the small silhouette, eyebrows drawing together.

“Alfred has his room ready, so at least he’ll have somewhere warm with a window. How did he even get in there?” And Dick? Is an acrobat and this configuration is making him flinch.

But Jay just smirks back, “Wiry little shit, apparently. Already fittin’ in.”

“Apparently. Let’s get him out of there, shall we Robin?”

And he huffs drowsily, swimming in and out of consciousness, the lack of sleep in the last few days making him sink further down where the voices are muffled, muted.

He might make some grunting sound when dream hands lift his heavy limbs, weightlessness like this a foreign concept, but it’s not like dreams where you step down abruptly and jar awake. It’s warm and smells like leather, Kevlar, and musk. And his brain gives him what he wants in the dream, soft cotton to fist his hands into without having to do anything more than sigh.

“Poor little guy is tuckered out. We shouldn’t have left him so long. It doesn’t look like he’s been sleeping.”

The transition is down, steps, his blurry mind supplies.

“He chases us through Gotham, yeah? Sleep probably ain’t even in his vocabulary.”

“He’s so small, Little Wing. He needs to sleep.”

“He needs goddamned parents, Dickie.”

“It’s okay,” is breathed against his hair, “he has us now.”

“Sure, sure. Lotta grown ass men what dress up in tights n’ masks. Normal as they come.”

“Hey! It’s not a bad life, you know. I turned out just fine, thank-you very much.”

A grunt in reply and something warm tucked around him before the air shifts and it’s cold, making his small body tighten again, start to swim a little closer to consciousness. But he’s snuggled higher, closer to strength and warmth.

(All the good things)

“Ah. I see you two have managed to ferret out the missing Master then?”

“Shoulda seen ‘im, Alf. Alla way up in the attic window.”

“You have a similar propensity for small spaces, Master Jason. Master Dick as well if memory serves. Very high, small spaces to be precise.”

“Not my fault there’s so many in the Manor, Alfred. Those are the perfect places to explore.”

“Hm,” the car doors close as Alfred Pennyworth shuts his young charges in (three now, not including you, Master Bruce. He is not getting any younger, you understand?) and moves to the driver’s side through the chill.

Master Jason and Master Dick continue a quiet conversation while the child sleeps on and the dark forests pass them by. Alfred inputs when necessary with the usual plans on the next few nights of patrol ahead of them sans the Batman, and it does the butler’s heart good to see them finally getting along. Just as he told the worrywart that is his eldest charge, the two needed time to find their own way. Time and exposure, more appropriately.

As Alfred is well aware, the life his family leads, one of the night, one of pain and bruises and burns, one of trauma after trauma with only the strength of will and people in need to drive them, it required a certain amount of humanity to maintain. The strength of their bonds, to lean on one another in times of need, had been the hardest lesson for Master Bruce to learn as the Batman,, and one he would daresay he failed to pass it down to his sons. Fortunately, when a certain little robin that lost something so precious so young, the lesson for Master Bruce had begun and would continue for a second so in need, he would take on any fight just to survive, and would, of course, extend to the small one they are carrying up the staircase of Wayne Manor as he sleeps the sleep of the innocent.

Alfred and Master Dick take his shoes off and manage pajama bottoms, tucking the little boy in with care.

Only once did he wake up slightly, blinking fuzzily without move his heavy head from the pillow.

“This is such a nice dream, Mr. Alfred.”

A gentle hand to his head, smoothing down his too long hair, “go back to sleep, Young Sir. We shall be here when you wake in the morning.”

And Timmy hums again, smiling, snuggling down into the comfortable mattress and pillow. He’s fine sleeping until morning, to keep the dream for as long as he can (and maybe….maybe it would be okay to just not have to wake up).