#imitating Roy Kent to his face

[everyday-is-uncle-day]

Jamie’s imitation of Roy’s denial done perfectly timed with voice, body language and making sure Roy is watching him do it in front of Roy’s family.

They are so N*SYNC

[thetarttfuldickhead]

”And do you miss it, not having Roy Kent as your personal coach these past few months?”

And Roy pauses. Does not mean to, but there it is, his name on the telly and there is Jamie, bright and golden in his blue and garnet. Hair pulled back in a stupid bun, he’s changed it again, and Roy hates that he knows that, notices that, but there it is.

There it is.

Jamie makes a face and brushes back a non-existent strand of hair as his brow furrows in a harebrained imitation of disbelieving thought, “Uh, do I miss being bossed around by a grumpy old sadist twat at four o’clock in the morning?”

Something in Roy’s chest twists, hurts. He doesn’t give a shit, does he, but something hurts, and—

Jamie smirks. Looks up at the camera and fucking winks, as if he knows that Roy will be watching. “Yeah, mate. ‘Course I fucking miss it.” He shrugs, self-deprecating and as easy as that. “Got some great coaches now, yeah, but it’s Roy Kent, innit? Not getting any better than that.”

And that. That. Oh.

Roy scoffs, and shakes his head. Makes to walk away, back to his office, but he can’t, can he, and so he stops. Eyes cut to a screen that has already cut away to something else.

A smile tugs at his lips, unseen. “I miss you too, you fucking prick.”

[onceuponaoneshotfanfic]

A Little Push

Part of my Birthday Bash!

Request: “Are you actually blushing?” “No! Shut up!” with our man Roy of course.

Roy Kent x Reader

0.7k words

Warnings: Language, fluff, mentions of alcohol, Jamie playing Cupid

For someone who invited you to join the team for dinner, Roy had barely said a word to you all night. Not that you minded, not when you kept catching him stare at you across the restaurant as you chattered with Keeley and Rebecca.

The two of you had been playing this game for a few weeks now. Catching the other staring, laughing a smidge too hard at each other's jokes, both of you starting to say something and then abruptly stopping yourselves.

It would be cute if it wasn't also complete torture.

Something had you determined to end the game tonight. Maybe you were riding the high of the team's beautiful victory on the pitch. Maybe it was all the shots Keeley had insisted on. Maybe it was the way Jamie followed Roy's gaze to you, smirking when he saw just who the gaffer was staring at, like he KNEW something. Or maybe it was the simple fact that Roy looked REALLY good tonight.

Whatever it was, you quietly detached yourself from Keeley and Rebecca to make your way to the ladies room, not missing the way Roy's eyes followed you.

In front of the mirror, you reminded yourself of all the times you'd caught Roy staring at you. Of all the times he'd sought you out at work for a quick chat that turned into at least twenty minutes of laughing. Of the way you often saw Jamie nudge him and point in your direction. Roy liked you, you assured yourself. One of you just needed to make the first move.

And you supposed it could be you.

With a firm nod at your reflection, you left the ladies room, making a beeline for the bar, where Roy had been chatting with Jamie for at least a half hour now. You stared at the back of the gaffer's head as you approached, ready to tap him on one of those broad shoulders and ask if he'd like to take off, go grab a drink somewhere away from your coworkers.

But his conversation stopped you dead in your tracks.

"You're a fucking child," Roy was scoffing at Jamie. "An absolute infant."

Jamie's eyes lit up when he glimpsed you over Roy's shoulder, but he made no move to acknowledge you. "Oh, you're saying you don't like her then? The way you've been staring at her all night, over there with Keeley and Rebecca, says otherwise, Coach." He smirked, a flash of the old Jamie on his face. "Maybe I'll ask her out meself then."

Even from behind, you could see Roy tense up. "Tartt, you can't- she's- it's fucking-"

All Jamie did was raise a perfectly groomed eyebrow. "Are you actually blushing?"

"No!" Roy cleared his throat, shifting awkwardly, the way he often did around you. "Shut up."

Jamie looked over Roy's shoulder at you, his smirk now a smile. You couldn't help but smile back, thankful for the striker's ability to rile up his coach enough to confirm that Roy was just as wound up as you were. "Well," Jamie continued in a loud voice. "If you're not asking her out, I will." He nodded to you with a sly wink. "Fancy a drink sometime?"

Roy whipped around so fast you thought his neck would join his knee in being permanently damaged. His eyes were wide and, as Jamie said, he was indeed blushing furiously. "Shit," he grumbled out of the corner of his mouth.

Although you were answering Jamie, your eyes never left Roy's. "Sorry, Jamie," you hummed. "I was actually coming over here to ask Roy the same question."

Clearly unperturbed by your ‘rejection’, Jamie clapped a hand to Roy’s shoulder, shooting you both a toothy grin. “I think my work here is done.” With a wink to you, he was gone.

Shock still covered Roy’s bearded face. “How much of that did you hear?” he asked quietly, eyebrows scrunched together.

“Enough,” you answered simply. “So, how about it, Roy?” You imitated Jamie’s voice as best you could. “‘Fancy a drink sometime?’”

The smile that spread across Roy’s face had your heart soaring. “As long as you don’t fucking talk like that prick all night,” he chuckled, “I’m in.”

You reached out and took your hand in his, relishing how warm and perfect it felt in yours. “It’s a date.”

[mochegato]

Capturing a Dream

Chapter 11 – That Keeps Out the Danger

Chapter 1     Chapter 10

“How are we supposed to eat?  We’re going to starve.  You’re leaving us to starve.  To wither away into nothingness.”  Wally collapsed dramatically onto the kitchen island.

“Oh my God, drama queen.  You don’t even live here.  Go home and eat.”  Chimera threw a kitchen towel in his face.  He grabbed the towel as it hit him and fell back off of the barstool in an exaggerated drop, crying out as he fell.

“Yeah, Wally.  You don’t even go here,” Robin grinned reaching to grab the cupcake left unguarded on his plate.  He grumbled when Wally was able to get back up, get onto the barstool, and swipe it back again before he could take a bite.  Chimera giggled at the reference until Robin turned his mischievous grin on her.  Her giggles quickly quieted and her expression turned apprehensive.  “And we don’t want to interrupt Chi’s date.”

Chimera rolled her eyes.  Robin and Wally had been teasing her relentlessly since they found out she was going to be out of the Cave for the weekend and wouldn’t give them any details.  They made the completely logical leap to claiming it was a date with Roy.  She honestly wasn’t sure if it was intended to annoy her or Conner more, or more likely both.  She was positive Robin’s ultimate goal in life was to antagonize every member of the Team and the Justice League with one comment, like the annoying, teenage menace he was.  Honestly, she liked seeing it; a glimpse of normalcy in his life.  But, that didn’t mean she appreciated it when it was turned on her.

“Yeah, you sure you won’t tell us where you two are going?” Wally teased, his words obscured by the bite of cupcake still in his mouth. “Roy won’t tell us anything.”

Chimera gave him a flat look.  “Roy’s in India this week.”

“Ah, so that’s where you’re going.  Guess portals have their advantages,” Wally snickered, waggling his eyebrows at her.

“Funny how she knew exactly what his plans were for this weekend, don’t you think, Conner,” Robin commented in exaggerated innocence, laying his arm on Conner’s shoulder.

Chimera’s mouth dropped, scandalized by the accusation. “You’re the one that told me.”

“I have no recollection of that conversation…” he answered seriously.  He looked at the floor and shook his head, his hand stroking his chin in thought. “Actually, I do.”  The grin he shot her was nothing short of terrifying. He leaned across the island to get in her face.  “You asked me where Roy was going to be.  You were very insistent,” he grinned, pushing into her face.

“I hate you.  And if I had to ask you, that means I didn’t ask him, dork,” she pointed out, shoving Robin’s head away.  

“Hey!” He cried out.  “My hair!”  He automatically reached up to fix his hair.

Chimera raised an eyebrow at him, a feral grin spreading across her face.  “Oh no. No, no, no.  Chi…” he warned, moving off the chair and backing slowly away from her. Once he got to the door, he took off running at full speed.  Conner and Wally watched as Robin jumped the railing to drop down to the floor below. Chimera raced after him, jumping the railing with just as much grace as Robin.  They could just hear their footsteps as they ran and accidentally collided with different objects.  

“Really hope they don’t accidentally destroy anything,” Conner observed casually, swiping his own cupcake and taking a bite, “…again.”  He smiled at the sound of Chimera and Robin’s laughter echoing off the walls.

“If they do, it won’t be accidental,” Wally noted as he stuffed his fourth cupcake in his mouth, glaring at Conner for taking one of the cupcakes Chimera had made for everyone.  He turned sharply back toward where the two had run off to when they heard a loud yelp and even louder cackle.  He shook his head and leaned back, waiting for Robin’s walk of shame back into the kitchen.  He never outraced Chimera.  She always caught him.  He wasn’t sure why Robin even tried instead of just accepting his fate.

It only took a minute for Robin to slope back into the room and slouch back into his chair, pouting the entire way.  He tried to subtly fix his now extremely ruffled hair. Chimera was only a few steps behind him, trying incredibly unsuccessfully to hold in her giggles.  

“I hope your date sucks,” Robin grumbled into the floor.

“Not a date,” she singsonged and booped him on the nose.

“Hope Roy feels that way too,” Wally smirked, but his eyes were on Conner with an amused gleam at his scowl.  Conner took a deep cleansing breath.  He knew they were just teasing, but he really didn’t appreciate the joke.  

Chimera pulled at Robin’s hoodie pocket, looking in it with a furrowed brow.  “What are you doing?” Robin demanded, slapping her hands away.

“I’m looking for the brain call you two share. Someone has to have it,” she shrugged. “I figured it was your turn with it today.”  

“I have it today, thank you very much!” Wally objected around the mouthful of his fifth cupcake.

Chimera stared at him blankly for a few seconds. Robin rolled his eyes and slumped against the island.  “Idiot.”

Chimera shook her head.  “I can’t believe they’re letting you guys go out unchaperoned,” she muttered

Robin scoffed.  “I’m from Gotham.  And I do this,” he motioned around them.  “I can take care of myself.”

“I’m from Gotham,” Chimera mocked him in a poor imitation of his voice.  “Being from Gotham doesn’t automatically give you better judgement than people from other places.”

Robin glowered at her, but before he could retort she continued in a softer tone.  “I know you can take care of yourself and you’re responsible… on missions.  But this isn’t a mission and you’re a kid. You should get to be one, which means making stupid decisions that adults try to talk you out of and they,” she motioned toward Wally and Conner, “don’t count.  They’re more childish than you.”

“Hey,” Wally objected again.  He narrowed his eyes at her.  “Roy’s never going to kiss you if you keep being so mean.”

Chimera rolled her eyes.  “I’m meeting my best friends.”

“Wow, already introducing him to the family. You and Roy are really moving quickly,” Robin quipped.

Chimera groaned and looked to the ceiling for patience. “You are such a little dick.”

Robin froze momentarily.  Conner looked down to hide his grin, but there was no hiding his chuckles.  Wally, however, was laughing so hard he was bent over holding his stomach, his body shaking with laughter so violently, he almost fell off his chair.  Chimera gave him a concerned look, but Robin glared at him. After a few minutes of unbroken laughter, he finally tamed his laughter enough to pat Robin on the head and gasp out, “You really are… such a little Dick.”  Robin lunged for him but he sped out of his reach before he could make contact.

Conner shook his head and focused back on Chimera.  “Can you say where you guys are going?  Or will that compromise your identity?”

Chimera cocked her head to the side in thought before quickly shaking her head.  “I don’t think so.  We’re going to Metropolis.  My best friend wants a tour of the Daily Planet… and to try to meet Clark Kent or Lois Lane.”

Wally perked up.  “You don’t say.”

Chimera grimaced.  “Yeah.  She’s a huge fan of them.  She desperately wants to meet them.”

The boys started laughing at her.  Robin finally spoke up with a devilish grin. “You know, you could make that happen.”

Chimera threw her arms out in defeat.  “I know!  But not without compromising my identity.  And even if I could, how would that even work?  Hey Supes, totally unrelated to me or my identity in any way, could you meet with this person I absolutely do not know on a very personal level for many years? Ugh.  This is going to be awkward as hell.  I’m going to be on his home turf… where he works… his territory.  I’m going to have to pretend I don’t know him and didn’t go all Electro on him.”

Conner smiled at her catastrophizing.  “He likes you.  You remember that, right?  And at the time, he was the bad guy so, if anything, you went all Storm on him.”  He chuckled at the deadpan look she gave him. “If it makes you feel better, he’s off-world today and tomorrow.”

Chimera perked up with a hopeful grin. “Really?”  Conner nodded.  She bounced on her toes in excitement.  

The action was so adorable on her Conner couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up.  “Yes,” he reassured her.

Her smile suddenly turned into a wary look. “Are you sure?  How do you know?”

Conner moved closer and rested his hands on her shoulders.  “I talked to him.  We’re trying to make time to hang out so we can get closer.  So incredibly awkward but… anyway.  He said he couldn’t do anything this weekend because he’ll be off-world.”

She gave him a sympathetic smile and moved under his arms to give him a hug.  She lessened the pressure and rested her head on his chest, keeping her arms around him. He returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around her as well.  “I’m glad to hear that.  Not the he’s not here part, the he’s trying part… well, actually, both parts.  I’m not going to lie.  I’m really happy he won’t be there when I am.  But I’m sad you guys can’t hang out this weekend.”

Conner smiled into her hair.  “It’s okay.  There’ll be other weekends.  At least I know he isn’t trying to avoid me this time.  It just means we get to have a boy’s weekend instead.”  His expression turned concerned and he pulled back just enough to try to look her in the eyes.  “Are you sure you’re going to be okay though?  Last time you hung out with your friends it… you didn’t exactly come home happy.”

She smiled up at him.  “Yeah.  I’ll be fine. I’m excited.  It’s going to be a lot of fun.”  She gave him an extra squeeze before starting to pull away.  “I won’t be in P… home,” she quickly corrected herself, “this time, so it should be good.”

Conner pulled her back into a tight hug.  “Okay, well… if you need us, I’m only one call away… or you know just show up wherever we are,” he whispered.

She craned her neck so she could rest her chin on his chest and look at him with a smile.  “Portals have their advantages.”  

“You two are disgusting!  Get a room,” Wally groaned dramatically.  He threw the towel Chimera had thrown at him earlier back at her. Chimera squeaked and jumped away from Conner, while Conner caught it before it could reach her.  “You’re going to make Roy jealous if you keep it up.”  Conner sent Wally a vicious glare that Wally completely ignored.

“Right.  On that note…”  She reached down for her bag but rolled her eyes at Robin when she saw he’d already grabbed it.  “I’m stronger than you.  You know that, right?”

“Yeah, don’t care,” Robin shrugged.  “Wouldn’t want to disappoint Agent A with bad manners.”

She snorted and shook her head.  “Sounds incredibly sexist, but whatever.  Unless you’re planning on doing the same for them,” she motioned to Conner and Wally.  Robin furrowed his brow at her, but kept his grip on her bag.  “Then it isn’t manners, it’s sexism.”

He narrowed his eyes at her.  “I’m going to tell A you said that.”

“Go ahead, I’ll own it,” she shrugged.  “And he’ll agree with me.”  She turned toward Wally and Conner with a small wave.  “Okay, you guys have fun.  Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Conner scoffed.  “That doesn’t narrow it down much.”  He grinned at her when she let out an offended scoff.

“Don’t worry, we won’t accidentally destroy anything. Can you say the same?” Wally grinned.

“I don’t destroy everything I touch,” she groused, “just almost everything,” she muttered the last bit to the floor with a frown.  She quickly recovered and looked back up at him with an exaggerated smile.  “But, with the three of you going out unsupervised, I highly doubt something isn’t going to end up destroyed intentionally.”  She narrowed her eyes challengingly at Wally.  “In fact, I bet my trip is less destructive than yours.”  

Wally sat up and grinned back at her.  “Oh, you’re on.  Two dozen cupcakes every day for a week if I win.  My choice of flavors.”  

“And no eating any food I make for a week if I win,” she smirked back at him.

“You know, there’s more than just you two in on this bet,” Conner reminded them.

“Oh?  And what is it you want from Chimera when we win?” Robin asked with a devious smirk.

Conner glared darkly at him, but his cheeks turned a bright red.  “I get to choose what we watch for a week.”

Chimera groaned and dropped her head.  “Nooooo.”

“Backing out?” he grinned, raising a challenging eyebrow and moving closer to tower over her.

“Never,” she scoffed.  “Just trying to imagine a full week of exclusively Conner-chosen programming.”  She pretended to shudder.  “The horror.”

He grinned down at her and took a step closer again until he was almost chest to chest with her.  “Better not lose then.”

Chimera matched his grin and straightened up. “Oh I don’t intend to.  There’s no way you guys will be able to stop yourselves from getting involved in any and every drama you walk in on.  By the way, getting into a fight counts, even if you don’t destroy any property.”

The moment was broken when Robin spoke up. “I want chocolate macarons.”

Chimera shook her head and gave a sweet smile to Conner as she made her way to the door.  She bumped Robin’s shoulder as she passed him.  “Dream on, Bird Boy.”

Wally watched her leave the room with Robin and turned to Conner.  “Whatever happens this weekend, we absolutely cannot allow anything to get destroyed because of us.  Agreed?”

Conner nodded.  “Agreed.”

Robin watched Chimera closely as they walked. She was quieter than usual. Normally she’d still be trash talking with him about the bet.  She was extremely competitive and her personality flourished when there was a challenge.  But now, she had a carefully crafted neutral expression on her face that he would have absolutely bought if he didn’t know her better.  “You sure you’re okay?” he asked.

She smiled at him.  A fake smile that he didn’t buy for a second.  “Of course.  You just heard me tell Conner, it’ll be fine.”  She looked back forward quickly.

“Are you upset about us teasing you about Roy?”

She huffed out a laugh.  “No.  It’s fine. Honestly, less teasing than my friends back home would do.  I’m tough. I can take it.”

Robin looked back toward the kitchen.  “I don’t know that Conner feels the same way,” he said carefully.

Chimera eyed him suspiciously.  “Robin…”  She pursed her lips and took a breath.  “Then maybe you should stop doing it around him.”

“Maybe you should put him out of his misery, and yours,” Robin snapped back a bit harsher than he meant.

“Robin, you know I can’t,” she shook her head and looked down.

“I just want to… you two just seem so… are you sure?” he tried again.

“Robin…” she repeated, but her voice was considerably sadder this time.  She pursed her lips and looked back forlornly toward where Conner and Wally were waiting for Robin.  She let out a deep sigh that became a boom sound and expanded her fingers out, miming an explosion.  “Yeah, I’m sure.”

“Does it really matter if you’re officially together or not when things like that,” he motioned toward the kitchen, “happen so often?  You guys are… you’re perfect for each other.  You make each other happy.  I can’t believe you’re not meant to be together.”

“Yes, it does,” she answered sharply.  “It matters.  That’s what I’ve learned.  That’s what the universe taught me.”

He took a deep breath to prepare himself for this. He’d been working on what to say for a few weeks.  Just the right way to phrase it so it hit right, so she thought it was a matter of helping him, not herself.  Because that was her weakness, if you could call it that; protecting the people she loved, whatever the cost to her.  “I just… the result of being a hero can’t be to be miserable.  I need to believe that you can still be happy, that I can be happy, but between you and Batman...”

“Of course you can be happy,” she jumped in instantly, just as Robin had been hoping she would.  “You and Zatanna are happy now.  And even if that doesn’t last, you know you still can be.  And Batman…” she grimaced unsure how to sell a happy Batman.  “Wally! He and Artemis are adorable.”

“Oh come on.  Wally’s going to mess that up, you know him,” Robin scoffed.

Chimera rolled her eyes.  “And Artemis will knock him back into shape.  You know her. No, I think they’re in it for the long haul.  ‘Til death do them part.”

Robin shook his head.  He needed to focus it back to her and him.  “I need to know that someone like you gets to be happy too, or what’s the point?  We’re constantly in terrible situations.  We constantly see miserable things.  That’s a part of our lives… but we can still be happy… right?”  He was laying it on thick.  He knew he was laying it on thick and he knew that if anyone else was doing this other than him, Chimera would have picked up on it all of two seconds into the conversation.  But he needed to get to her, to make her stop and think.  And if that meant manipulating her into it, he’d do it… again.  But she was like a sister to him. She was family.  And when it’s family, it isn’t manipulating, it’s meddling.  And meddling is okay.  Meddling is the way family show they love each other.  

“Being in terrible situations doesn’t mean your personal life has to be too.  But, it’s different for me, Robin.  Things… things get destroyed when I fall in love; buildings, monuments, countries, moons, planets…  The universe made sure I understood my lesson well.  But you!”  She gave him a bright smile and set her hands on his shoulders.  “You have a heart so big.  It could....”

Robin gaped at her.  “You know he was just teasing right?” he interrupted before she could finish her sentence.  “About you destroying stuff everywhere you go.  Chi, you… you don’t… Chi, that isn’t anywhere near the truth.  Terrible things happened, but that isn’t your fault. That’s the situations you were forced into.  It isn’t you!”

Chimera nodded at him and gave him an utterly unconvincing smile.  “Yeah. I know.”  She gave him a quick hug and pulled away almost as quickly.  “You guys have fun, okay?  And if you need anything, just give me a call, okay?” She ruffled his hair again before punching her destination into the Zeta tube interface.  “I’ll get notified even if I’m not transformed.”

“Chi,” Robin started again, but she was already standing in the Zeta tube platform.  There wasn’t enough time to finish that conversation, so instead he answered with, “yeah, okay.  I will.” He continued to stare at the Zeta tube for a few seconds before making his way back to the kitchen.

“Did you tell her?” Conner asked as soon as Robin made it back to the kitchen.

Robin shook his head, still looking back toward the Zeta tube.  Conner nodded at his response.  “That’s probably for the best.  She'd freak out if she knew.  She’d be looking over her shoulder the entire time.”

“Yeah, what are the odds we'd run into them anyway?” Wally grinned.  “Now come on! We need to get going too.  We just need to make sure we go to the Metropolis entrance she didn’t use.”

“Right,” Conner nodded and started walking to the Zeta tubes.  “You got our bags, right Robin?”

<><><><><> 

“And just twenty minutes ago, I was so happy Superman isn’t in town this weekend,” Marinette sighed and banged her head against the wall she was leaning against.

“He’s what!” Alya whisper yelled.  Adrien and Nino shushed her while Chloe scoffed at her. “Go ahead and announce our presence, why don’t you?”  Nino put his hand on Alya’s shoulder to keep her from pouncing on Chloe.

Marinette tried to tune them out as she assessed the scene in front of her.  There were at least three figures on their floor, but there had been at least four more that had taken any people they saw back down to the toy store’s main floor with the rest of the hostages and she spotted a different three coming up as the others were going down.  That was ten, but they had no way to know how many were in the store.  The marionette looking villains were holding everyone they caught in an area that was out of their line of sight.  

“Don’t know if the Bat is covering for him, but he is off-world.  We are likely on our own,” Marinette whispered distractedly.  “Trixx, can you peek at the main area and see how many captors you see and estimate how many victims there are.”  Trixx nodded in understanding and phased through the floor.

“Oh well that’s just brilliant, isn’t it,” Chloe groused.  “This was your idea, Agreste.  I wanted to go to a spa, but noooo.  We had to visit the giant toy store.  ‘It’ll be such a fun end to the visit,’” she groused in a poor imitation of his voice.  “And now we’re in the middle of yet another attack, without magic protection.  And there’s no miracle cure for this.  If anything happens, just know, I blame you.”

“You’re welcome to hide, you know,” Adrien pointed out quietly.

“No, I’m going to help.  I’m just going to complain the entire time,” Chloe groused again.

“So, no different than usual,” Nino nodded, keeping his eyes on the situation in front of him.

Chloe glared at him, but before she could retort Trixx popped back up.  “I counted nine doll-looking guys downstairs, Guardian.  And at least twenty-five people being held by them,” Trixx reported quietly.  

Marinette nodded, silently processing all the information she had.  “Got a plan?” Adrien asked barely above a whisper, keeping his eyes on the main aisle.

Marinette ignored him, running scenarios through her head.  “They’re moving strangely.  Their movements are stunted.  Either they’re not human or someone else is controlling them.”

“Or both,” Adrien added quietly.

“Or both,” Marinette agreed.  “What do you think the odds are that they are… like robotic marionettes?”

Nino nodded along with her train of thought. “I’d say high.  They all walk too oddly to be human and there’s too many to each be remote controlled, so robot seems most likely.”

Marinette gave a single nod.  Her face morphed into a determined look, ready to go into battle. “We can use that against them.”

“Suit up?” Alya asked.  

Marinette’s body tensed at the thought.  Finally after a few seconds, she took a deep breath and let it out.  “Not unless necessary.  There’s an awful lot of cameras around here and I don’t have extra miraculous for you guys. We’re going to have to figure out a way to lure some away from the main group without the others noticing anything. Chloe, think you can work something out?”  She stared at the stairway as she spoke.  

“Can I get someone’s complete attention and manipulate them into doing what I want?  Are you seriously asking me that?” she scoffed.

Marinette rolled her eyes.  “Well then get on it.  It would help if we could find something to fight with.”

Alya cleared her throat lightly.  “Anyone feel like channeling Harley Quinn?” she asked with a smirk, twirling a bat in her hands.  

“Yes!” Adrien whisper yelled.  

“Fine, but I’m not dying my hair though or doing the pigtails,” Chloe grunted.

<><><><><> 

Marinette had always had an appreciation for stuffed cats.  She’d had one on her bed for years before she became Ladybug and after she did, she had an affinity for Chat Noir themed stuffies.  She still had one on her bed in the Cave.  But she can honestly say she has never been as thankful for them as she was right now.

She rolled off the large stuffed cat she had landed on when she tackled the marionette doll, causing both of them to fall over the railing.  Her smartest move?  No. But it was trying to drag an unconscious Chloe away.  She had to stop it and maybe she had some anger issues lately resulting from violently repressing any slightly negative emotions for years, a fact which she was not willing to admit to anyone else currently.

“I’m counting that for me as a save,” Adrien whisper yelled down to her.

“It’s pink,” she called back.  She raised her hand as she spoke, narrowing her eyes toward Adrien.  She grabbed the bat Nino threw to her in one seeming effortless motion without taking her eyes off of Adrien.  She used the momentum from the catch to smoothly swing the bat back up, connecting to the marionette robot’s head.  She didn’t knock it completely off, but she managed to sever enough wires and connections in the neck to make it collapse on the floor. “… that makes it count as mine,” she finished.

“Bullshit,” Adrien pouted.

Marinette smirked at him quickly before her face turned serious.  “How many are left?”

“I think they’re all gone, at least the ones in here,” a voice answered.

Marinette’s head snapped to the familiar voice. “Con… can I assume you took care of a few of them as well?” she winced internally at the extremely awkward transition to cover her gap.

“We got four of them,” Robin confirmed, coming up next to Conner.  Conner kept his focus on Marinette.  There was something incredibly familiar in her eyes, but he couldn’t place it, but whatever it was, he was having a hard time looking away.

Marinette nodded.  “We got six, I think.”  She turned up toward the second level.  “That sound right?”

Nino nodded.  “We each got one and that one makes two for you.”

Marinette nodded in understanding and started reviewing what she knew.  “That’s ten. There were at least twelve.  Are you sure…”

“That’s only five,” Wally interrupted her looking from her friends to her.

Marinette looked back up to her friends and realized the confusion.  “No, we have another friend.  She got knocked out.”

“Where?” Adrien asked.

Marinette gave him a confused look.  “There?”

“What?” Nino asked, coming up next to him.

“There.  It knocked her out right before I tackled it.  That’s why I did it.  She was right next to where I went over,” Marinette explained slowly.

“She’s not up here, M,” Alya said.

“Son of a…” Adrien growled, taking off to look for her. The rest followed suit, running down different aisles to find Chloe.  Marinette ran up the stairs two at a time to help look.  

“Who are we looking for?”  Wally asked.  “I mean what does she look like?”

“Blonde, blue eyes, yellow shirt, pissed off scowl,” Marinette answered over her shoulders, feeling completely confident he would use his powers to search for her.  Her suspicion was confirmed when she felt two rushes of air at her side. She strained her ears and was just barely able to hear him tell Robin that he didn’t find anyone like that. She mentally cursed and started trying to figure out a plan before she even reached the top of the stairs.  

“I didn’t find her,” Adrien announced, walking back toward them.  

“Me either,” Alya and Nino chorused coming from their sections of the store.

“Damn it.  Are you sure there aren’t any more of those robot things in here?” Marinette asked the Team.

Wally nodded.  “We’re positive.”

Marinette nodded and started moving toward the far wall. “Did any of you see an exit up here?”

“Yeah, over there,” Wally motioned toward a back corner.

“You think she was taken?” Conner asked.

Marinette nodded moving quickly toward the exit. “She got knocked out.  Even if she’d woken up, she’d be too weak to leave on her own, especially without notifying one of us.  She knows the protocols.”

“You guys have protocols for going after villains?” Robin asked skeptically.

Alya scoffed at him.  “You don’t?”

Robin blinked at her a few times.  “I’m from Gotham, of course I have protocols for it.”

“You guys should stay and talk to the police. We’ll look for your friend,” Wally promised, giving the other Team members a look of understanding.  Conner and Robin nodded in agreement.

“We’ll go with you,” Marinette stated with finality.

“No, we got it,” Conner stated in the same tone.

She cocked an eyebrow at him.  “Okay, we’ll go separate.”  She shrugged at him.  She turned back to Nino and Alya.  “Can you listen to the police gossip and do some research, see if you can figure out who might be behind it and let us know along with anything else you find.”

“Will do, L… Dudette,” Nino stuttered.  He grimaced internally at the almost slip up.  “We’ll talk to the police while you go get our girl.”

With her attention on Nino, she missed the Team slipping out the door, though Adrien watched them with a curious look. Marinette turned to Adrien.  “You don’t have to come with us… if you’d rather stay with Alya and Nino.”

Adrien shook his head and gave her a supportive smile. “I’m with you, ‘til the end of the line.”

Marinette gave him a flat look.  “You realize the guy that said that almost died, got his mind wiped and turned into a super assassin, killed Tony Stark’s parents, and tried to kill the person he said it to.  Maybe not the bar to go for.”

Adrien shrugged and let out a noncommittal grunt. “Worked out in the end.  I have complete faith in you.  I always have.”  He gave her a meaningful look.  She gave him a guilty look that he couldn’t allow to continue.  “You want to tell me about…” he motioned to the door where the Team had escaped through, changing the focus of the conversation away from their past and onto her present.

Marinette held her finger up for him to wait and typed out a text she didn’t send.  ‘I’m not allowed to say.’  His eyes widened and he motioned toward the door with his head.  He mouthed ‘really?’  She nodded in confirmation.

“What the hell… Are you sure this is a good idea?” Adrien gave her a dubious look.

She smiled at him.  “I’m not sure, but I’m not going to not get Chloe.  Can you imagine the fallout from that?  Leaving her rescue to someone else?”

Adrien grimaced.  “Valid.”

“And I really want to.  I mean I’m,” she motioned to herself, “and they’re,” she motioned toward the door they had gone through.  “I’ve never gotten to… they’ve never… I don’t know if this will happen again.”

Adrien nodded and gave her an understanding look. “Yeah, I get that.  Okay.  Let’s do this.”

She gave him a wide excited grin, and started bouncing on her toes.  “Yay!” She focused back on her phone and started tapping rapidly.

“You got her?” he asked coming up next to her to look at her screen.

“Just a second.”  She tapped her screen a few more times.  “Got her,” she said tilting her phone to show Adrien.  

Adrien nodded and pulled his phone out.  He pulled up his messaging app and followed her example, typing a text he didn’t send.  ‘You let Batman know?’

Marinette smiled and nodded as she typed a response. ‘Already sent him her phone’s info and who’s looking for her… as civilians.  Wish was a video call.  Know he would have smirked.’

They pushed through the exit, almost running into the Team, who were talking in hushed tones.  Robin tucked his phone in his back pocket.

“I told you before, we got this,” Conner insisted. “The way you took care of that robot before was impressive, but this is likely to get a lot more dangerous.  We can handle it.”

Marinette cocked her head to the side, opening her eyes wide in exaggerated innocence.  “Thank you, but… then it’s dangerous for you too, isn’t it?”  She looked at Robin and Wally and back to him. “I mean we’re all in the same boat here, right?  Experience wise?”  She ignored the coughing fit Adrien faked to cover up his laughter.

Robin spoke up, “I’m from Gotham.  We’re used to villains kidnapping people.  We know how to handle it.”

Adrien raised an eyebrow and shared a look with Marinette.  “And we’re from Paris,” he intoned.  “It was a lifestyle for a few years there.”

Marinette quirked her lip to the side in an amused smirk at the boys’ confused stares.  “Look, it’s our friend who got kidnapped and it’s our drama you’ve walked in on. We’re going.  If you guys are so insistent on getting involved with our drama, we won’t stop you.”  Robin opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get it out, Marinette continued.  “So Gotham, try to keep up, because we’re able to track her,” she held up her phone which showed a map with a dot moving on it.  “…so unless you have a bloodhound in that hoodie pocket, we’re leading the way.” She ruffled his hair as she passed him to get to the stairs.  Was she being a terrible older sister?  No. She was being an amazing older sister, pushing all his buttons.  Isn’t that how all families showed love?  And the best part was he didn’t know to get her back for it.  Free harassment.  What kind of sister would she be if she passed that up?

Robin glared at her and Conner didn’t look much happier, likely upset because it meant they wouldn’t get to use their superpowers, but still followed her down the stairs.  She was right.  They had no way to track their friend without their help.  They would just have to hold off on the superpowers until they got closer and hope they could break off to where the two couldn’t see them rescuing their friend.  Wally however, was grimacing as he brought up the end of the line behind Adrien on the stairs, thinking about the cupcakes he was about to lose.  Maybe if they didn’t cause too much more damage, they could still win.  

“This isn’t the first time we’ve had to rescue Chloe from a villain’s hench… thing.  I swear if I had a nickel for every time she’s gotten kidnapped… I’d only have like fifteen or twenty nickels but still it’s strange that it’s happened that many times.”  Marinette looked back over her shoulder with a smirk, like she was in on a private joke.

Adrien set his mouth and pursed his lips.  He refused to laugh at her comment, no matter how badly he wanted to.  He looked between the guy behind him and the two ahead of him with an overly bright smile. “Hi, I’m Adrien.  If we’re working together, we should probably know each other’s names.”

“Wally,” Wally offered with a chuckle.  Unlike Adrien, he had no issue laughing at her comment.

“Robin,” Robin stated diplomatically, still trying to figure out if her comment was correct.  He’d been the victim of kidnapping attempts multiple times both as Dick and Robin, but he didn’t know why her friend would have been so often.

Conner continued to stare at Marinette mutely, trying to figure her out better.  If he stared long enough, maybe he could place where he’d seen her beautiful eyes before.  Marinette gave him a bright, warm smile.  “Oh,” Marinette paused and turned to look back at them as they all got onto the ground with a bright, warm smile, “Marinette.  My name is Marinette.”

Conner looked away.  Marinette thought she saw his cheeks darken slightly when their eyes met, but that could have easily been the taillights from the car that just parked near them.  “Conner,” he grumbled.

Marinette nodded at him, giving him a sweet smile. “It is really nice to meet you,” she said earnestly, looking at the other Team members, “all of you.”  She took a beat to look at them without a mask and nodded.  “Okay, let’s get going then, before Chloe breaks a nail and we have to hear about it for the next six months,”

“Or you know, someone dies,” Conner argued, following her down the road.

Adrien shook his head behind him.  “I don’t think we have to worry about that.  She won’t kill anyone.”

“Probably… unless they mess with her hair,” Marinette added.

“Most likely,” Adrien agreed with a nod.

Robin gave Wally a confused, questioning look as they followed behind.  Wally returned the look.  Who the hell were these people?

Chapter 12

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[prettylittlebrownskingyal]

i’ll keep on waiting 🌟

Note: Ik you guys are mostly here for ‘x reader’ content but I was projecting and procrastinating and I wrote a stephcass thing.

Words: 2.2k

Steph is of the opinion that she should really hate Conner Kent. Like, loathe him, actually. Because he just has a way of making a move on everyone she has/had feelings for, and the sad fact of the matter is, he makes it look so easy.

She’s woman enough to admit that. What, with the perfect clone smile and the leather jacket and blue eyes. Of course, she can see what Tim and Cass saw. But that doesn’t mean she has to rationally like him. Yet, she can’t find it in herself to want him dead either.

She has, on occasion, thought about pulling him aside and threatening to shove a piece of Bruce’s kryptonite up his-

“Steph! Hey, how’s it going?”

And there he is, suit and tie and charming smile. She would punch him in the face if she didn’t know he was practically invincible. “Hey, Kon. Enjoying the show?”

He laughs and averts his gaze to the spectacle across the room; Tim and Cass, arms swung around each other, twin Wayne grins and immaculate posture, stealing the souls of a bevvy of old rich ladies.

“It’s creepy that they can just switch it on like that.”

“It’s even creepier when Bruce does it.”

“Bruce is always creepy to me.”

Despite her reservations, she cracks a smile at him and allows him to pull her into a debate about the last Knights versus Monarchs game.

So what if he is Cass’s ( somewhat ) ex, he’s really in the same boat she is. With the exception of the fact that he and Tim are actually dating and she and Cass are well, her and Cass.

She swears, for someone who can level her way through an army with swift and unattached efficiency, Cass is oblivious when it comes to the gigantic, hulking crush she has on her. Or maybe, Steph is just so bad at feelings that she’s the one at fault.

Either way, she has nothing to compare this yearning too. She and Tim started with a brick to the face and the coincidence of being teen vigilantes in the Hellmouth that is Gotham. They were a product of proximity and hormones and though she knows some part of her will always be in love with Tim— the way she’s a little in love with all of them—- they were better off as friends.

The conversation with Conner peters out to a comfortable silence as they watch Tim wrap up his jovial conversation. It’s early enough that Steph knows the schmoozing isn’t over yet, they're going to be at it until they milk all these rich schmucks for what their worth and have the fundraiser’s goal paid in double by the end of the night.

Cass catches her eye across the room, and mouths “You want a drink?”. She signs back, “I need it to live through this,” and feels her whole body flush when Cass laughs.

She makes her way across the room, striding as her dress trails behind her, with two champagne flutes. She and Conner exchange smiles as she approaches, which reignites Steph’s desire to deck him before he goes to take Cass’ place at Tim’s side.

Cass presses the glass into her hand, nose wrinkling in amusement as she watches Stephanie knock it back with no sense of class at all. She’s hoping the alcohol will cover the pink tinge she’s sporting— a recent development, that seems to only happen when Cass comes close to her— and she accepts the second flute and Cass’ wry amusement without complaint.

This little moment, in this little bubble, will be cut short soon when Cass has to go back to being one of the elite Wayne-angel kids. So, fueled by the champagne in her bloodstream, she works up enough courage to ask, “Do you wanna dance?”

Her heart’s hammering in her throat when Cass slips a scarred hand into hers, the other moving to tuck a lock of dark hair behind her ear. Steph follows the movement with baited breath, and with what she hopes is a blank expression, when Tim’s voice calls out to them. And the moment, the little bubble, it bursts. Ending with Steph’s tiny glimmer of confidence crawling back into her stomach to hibernate.

“I’ll owe you,” Cass whispers, patting her hand as she slinks off again.

Steph watches her walk away and then looks back at where Conner and Tim are cuddled together, letting the feeling of longing grow and sour inside her until she’s sick of herself.

***

Harper is laughing at her.

She’d stumped her big toe on the foot of their shitty couch and went down on the floor between the living room and the kitchen, arms and legs akimbo and dignity nowhere to be found. That was ten minutes ago, and Harper is still laughing at her, manically. Cullen, who was in his room until his sister started imitating a hyena, takes pity on her. He gives her face one sure look and places a tub of ice cream and a spoon near her head. She takes it with a pathetic wave of thanks and holds it close to her stomach, while she waits for the sweet release of death. She texts this to Damian, telling him he has free reign on offing her. He replies with the middle finger emoji and that gif of Judge Judy rolling her eyes.

“My God, Brown. You really are a mess aren’t you?”

“Physically, mentally or emotionally?” she snorts. “Yes to all of them.”

Harper knows what this is truly about. Because Harper has a way of knowing everything sometimes. She can see right through all of Stephanie’s walls when she really wants too, it makes her brand of tough love pretty great to have around. Except, she isn’t going to offer to fix this one for Steph. Her pining could be easily solved with one conversation, and if Steph is too much of a stubborn brat to have it, she isn’t going to go to Cass and say ‘Hey, my friend is in love with you. You should date her.’ That’s too middle school and she’s sure Cass won’t appreciate it.

“Are you just going to keep lying there? Polluting the apartment with your teen angst bullshit?”

“I’m no longer a teen. And yes. Yes, I am. I’m not moving until I die.”

“ Stephanie .”

“What?”

Harper sighs, rubbing a hand down her face. “How long am I going to have to put up with this?”

“Put up with what?” Her mouth is full of ice cream now, she waves the spoon around as she talks. “I’m not doing anything. I’m just here. Suffering. When will the universe give me a break?”

“Maybe you should stop waiting on the universe and just talk to her.”

“To who? The universe? I’m not really-”

“No, you dumbass .” She flings a throw pillow at her. “To Cassandra. About all of your feelings. And then you can put the rest of us out of our misery.”

Steph drops her hands flat to her sides and nudges the ice cream container away as she thinks. “Nope.”

Harper throws another pillow.

***

She gets into a pissing contest with Damian and Jason on Friday’s patrol. Ideally, she should have known better than to take on their combined force by herself; not when their both cut from the same cloth of anger, violence and ruthlessness that has much to do with Talia Al-Ghul.

They're playing a game of ‘How many criminals can you take down before midnight’, which under usual circumstances, Steph was exceptionally good at. And for the first few hours of patrol, she was. Until Tim informed her through the comms that he and Cass were rooting for her as they watched from the CCTV footage in the cave. It then went from beating Jason and Damian’s sorry asses to look cool, look effortless, look badass because Cass is watching.

Obviously, because sometimes the universe is a tepid bitch that likes watching her suffer, she knocks out two guys with quick jabs and follows the third down a fire escape by attempting to grapple to the ground before he descends the stairs, only to get her wire tangled. Which results in her smacking into the side of the building like George of the jungle. At least, that’s what Tim tells her she looked like as he checks her for a concussion. She’s fine, because she’s tougher than she looks honestly, and all she has to worry about is the sore bruise across her forehead that gets her barred from patrol for the rest of the weekend.

Damian and Jason, the sentimental little pricks, project their guilt into treating her nicer than they usually would. Jason sends her a flurry of blackmail pictures of Dick’s questionable fashion moments over the years that she’s sure he got off of Roy. Damian brings her waffles from an expensive cafe across town and spends most of his Saturday on her couch, watching trashy reality shows. Before he leaves, he fixes her with a look that’s somewhere above his usual range of disdain to indifferent. It’s close to pity, but not quite and it makes him look so much like Bruce for a moment that she finds herself sitting up, paying closer attention.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Yes?”

He rolls his eyes at her near-confusion, looking years above his age as he says, “You have feelings for my sister. Yes?”

She’s taken aback and almost ready to deny it when she remembers that she isn’t exactly subtle and the only person that really doesn’t know about her crush on Cass, is Cass herself.  “Yes,” she answers, surely this time.

“And what do you intend to do about it?”

“Is this a shovel talk? Are you...are you really about to warn me?” she cackles despite his murderous little face, “You never did this when I was with Tim.”

“You and Drake were a mess, it wasn’t necessary,” he waves a hand in her direction, dismissing the thought. “And no, Brown. I do not need to warn you about what will happen if you screw up, you already know who I am. I’m merely... offering some advice.”

“Which is what?”

“If you wish to have a relationship with Cassandra, you’re going to have to swallow your stupidity and your fear and tell her that yourself. She will not come to you with a proposal, no matter how much you mope.”

With that he exits out the window, leaving her feeling like an open wound. The treads that she’s bound herself together by threaten to unravel on her living room floor, so she retreats to her bedroom and locks the door behind her.

Steph was a smart girl, she knew her friends were right. She knew the only way out of this sick hole of self-pity was to pick herself up and do what needed to be done. But rejection was just a cliff waiting for her to tumble over, and she wasn’t quite sure how she would ever be able to survive the fall.

She took a long, hard look at herself in the mirror. Breathed in her dishevelled hair, Dick’s old Gotham academy sweatshirt that she bummed from Tim after he stole it off Damian, and the stained sweatpants that she took from Harper’s clean laundry pile because she hadn’t gotten around to her own. She felt weird. Floaty. Like she was on the cusp of grief but she was being strong-armed by something else entirely, something delirious. It’s the flitting hope and anchor of lovesickness that had her sticking her ear pods in, music cranked up to full base as she twirled aimlessly around her bedroom. It was a cliched attempt at willing away the tightness of worry in her spine. It works, after a few songs. She sinks into it, almost gratefully, goes completely zen.

She doesn’t notice Cass until she stumbles into her. The window’s cracked open, letting in the cool night breeze of the city. Cass has her hands on Steph’s shoulders, righting her as she sways, a pretty smile tugging at her mouth. Even in her full Black Bat gear, hood pulled back, Cass looks like an unearthly thing, something good, something angelic.

“You’re sad?” she hums, swiping a hand up to Steph’s cheek, and if she had to die right there she’d be fine with that.

“No,” she lies, leaning into the offered comfort. “I’m fine.”

Cass presses a kiss to the sore bump on her forehead, tentatively, like she doesn’t know Steph is incapable of ever moving out of this moment. She takes the earbuds out Steph’s ears, plucking the phone out of her hands and taps until the music fills the room.

“I do owe you a dance,” she says, tugging Steph into a vague waltz.

She lets Cass manoeuvre her, hoping and praying that this is her salvation, finally. That the waiting will pay off, the waiting that she hadn’t even realized she was doing, will culminate into spilled feelings and she’d finally be able to look at Cass with the love-sick smile Tim saves for Kon, Bruce for Selina.

“I have to tell you something,” she inhales deeply, lungs filling with the smell of Cass’s favourite shower gel, sweat and leather. She’s giddy, as she says, “I should have told you sooner.”

“What is it?”

Cass’s forehead is pressed to hers, there’s a hand on her waist, a palm curved into her own and they're own personal, circle of moonlight haloing them. The words fill Steph’s mouth like bundled cotton, she hears Damian’s voice in her head—   “She will not come with a proposal,”— and remembers that Cass’ cornerstone of communication is tactile contact. She leans in, knowing fully well that of this advance was not wanted she’d be on her ass by now, and with as much grace as she can muster, presses a soft kiss into her mouth.

There’s a brief moment, not of shock but perhaps a beat to ground herself, before Cass is tugging her closer, flush against her and weaving a hand into her hair to keep her in place. Bitterly (and pettily) she thinks ‘Suck on that Conner Kent’ before her brain complete shorts out by Cass’ tongue slipping into her mouth. Her heart thuds away wildly against her ribs as Cass gathers her up in her arms.

It feels like days have passed when they finally break for air, noses brushing and lips bitten pink.

“I like you so much,” she admits, finally.

“Really?” Cass teases, soothing her hands down her spine. “I didn’t even notice.”