#in my mind neither of them are happy that Wally is there

[cyanbeetle]

whats with your roadtrip au?

Thank you for asking lol!! Basically this is an au where Shayera is found out as a spy well before the Thanagarian invasion can actually take place. When the news breaks during a meeting, tensions rise and she grabs Wally as a hostage so she can escape without interference. The whole au is basically just Shayera on the run from the league while Wally is forced to tag along— Shayera is trying to contact Thanagar to come bring her home, and the league is trying to track them both down. Wally isn’t particularly happy to be there

[lvnleah]

ik your requests are closed but do you think you’ll ever do a part 2 to movie nights where beth and leah finally find out lia and r are together

Secret’s out | Lia Wälti

your wish is my command 🤭 actually had so much fun writing this so thank you!

find part one here! :)

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

a few months later…

It had been a few months since you and Leah had confessed your feelings for one another after a team movie night and since then things had been perfect. Lia ended up staying that night and the next morning you talked about how you wanted to do things.

You both agreed to take things slow and not to rush anything, neither of you were going anywhere and there wasn’t any need to rush. The following weeks after that night were spent mostly together and mostly sneaking around.

You wanted to be with Lia all the time and whenever you got the chance, you took it. Although you will admit, sneaking around without your friends finding out was proving harder than you thought it would be.

Beth and Leah had their suspicions, they always had, but their suspicions only grew even more when they saw the way you and Lia looked at each other. When in private, a part of you was always touching Lia but when you were around your friends you couldn’t and it was hard to keep them away.

“So,” Beth began as you finished getting changed in the changing room. “How's everything going with you and Wally?”

You shot her a warning look, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening. “Beth, nothing is going on.”

Leah joined in, throwing an arm around your shoulder as you packed up your bag. “Come on, we’re just looking out for you. We want to know all the juicy details.”

You shook your head, a small smile playing on your lips. “There’s nothing to tell. We’re taking things slow.”

Beth rolled her eyes. “You’re no fun! We just want to know all the gossip!”

“We just want you to be happy,” Leah added, “It’s good to see you both smiling more. We love you guys and you’re cute together!”

Before you could respond, Lia appeared, looking between the three of you with a raised eyebrow. “What’s going on?”

Your heart raced as you scrambled for a response, but Leah beat you to it. “Just checking up on our girl here,” she said, giving you a pat on the back.

Lia didn’t look entirely convinced but nodded anyway. “Well, we’ve got a meeting with Jonas in ten. Better not keep him waiting.”

The meeting with Jonas went smoothly, but the atmosphere in the changing room lingered in the back of your mind. It was getting harder to keep up the secret, especially when Beth and Leah were as observant as ever. You and Lia exchanged a knowing glance as the team gathered, her eyes holding a mixture of amusement and concern.

After training, you and Lia left together, using the excuse of grabbing dinner to avoid any more prying questions from your friends. You could practically feel their eyes on you as you walked out, Beth’s whisper to Leah not going unnoticed. You sighed as you got into the car, resting your head back against the seat.

“They’re onto us,” you muttered, glancing at Lia.

She chuckled, starting the engine. “They’ve been onto us since the beginning. We’re just making it worse by trying to keep this a secret.”

You couldn’t help but smile at her words, the truth in them settling in your chest. “You’re right. Maybe it’s time we stopped sneaking around.”

Lia reached over, her hand finding yours and giving it a gentle squeeze. “Let’s talk about it tonight, yeah? We’ll figure out how to tell them. There’s no rush to tell them, love.”

You decided to have dinner at your favourite little Italian place, a cosy, tucked-away spot that had quickly become your go-to whenever you wanted a quiet evening together. The atmosphere was warm and intimate, the soft hum of conversations mingling with the clinking of glasses.

You and Lia had grabbed a corner table, candlelight flickering between you as you sipped your wine. The waiter had just taken your order, leaving you both in a comfortable silence. Lia was playing with the edge of her napkin, her eyes focused on the soft glow of the candlelight. There was a subtle tension in the air, a lingering question that neither of you had fully addressed yet.

You reached across the table, your fingers brushing against hers. “What are you thinking about, darling?”

She glanced up at you, “I’m thinking that this is getting harder,” she admitted, her voice quiet but steady. “Hiding us, I mean. I don’t like keeping this from everyone.”

You nodded, understanding exactly what she meant. The past few months had been amazing—stolen moments, whispers between you, and the kind of intimacy that made your heart swell with every touch. But it was also exhausting, constantly looking over your shoulder, worried that someone might catch on before you were ready to share.

“I know,” you said, your thumb gently tracing circles on her hand. “It’s been tough, and I don’t want to hide anymore either. But I’ve just been scared, you know? What if it changes things with the team?”

Lia’s eyes softened, and she turned her hand over to link her fingers with yours. “I get it. But I think… I think they’d be happy for us. Look at Beth and Leah—they’ve been suspicious for weeks. I think they’d just be relieved to finally know the truth.”

You laughed softly, remembering the countless times Beth and Leah had tried to pry details out of you, their teasing relentless. “Yeah, I guess they would. I just didn’t want to rush things between us.”

Lia squeezed your hand, a gentle smile tugging at her lips. “We’re not rushing. We’re taking our time like we said we would. But keeping this a secret is starting to feel like more work than it’s worth.”

You bit your lip, thinking it over. She was right, of course. The sneaking around, the whispered goodbyes, the way you had to consciously keep your distance in public—it was all becoming too much. You wanted to be able to hold her hand without worrying about who might be watching, to share the happiness you’d found with the people who mattered to you.

“What if we just tell them?” you suggested, your heart beating a little faster at the thought. “The team, I mean. We can keep it between us for now, but at least we won’t have to pretend around them.”

Lia nodded. “You think we should?”

You nodded. “Yeah, I do. They’re our friends, and they’ll support us. And if they don’t, well… that’s their problem, not ours.”

She smiled a slow, genuine smile that made your heart skip a beat. “Okay,” she said, her voice filled with hope. “Let’s do it. But we should probably break it to Beth and Leah first.”

You laughed, the sound light and free. “Definitely. They’ll probably say they knew all along.”

“Of course they will,” Lia agreed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “But I think they’ll be happy for us.”

The waiter returned with your food, setting down the plates in front of you. You thanked her, but your attention was still on Lia. You both dug into your meals, the conversation flowing easily as you talked about everything and nothing. The tension from earlier was replaced with a sense of shared excitement and anticipation.

“So, how do you think we should tell them?” you asked, twirling your fork around a mouthful of pasta. “Just drop it casually in conversation?”

Lia grinned, “Maybe we should make it a bit more dramatic. Show up to the next team dinner holding hands or something.”

You laughed, the image of your teammates’ stunned faces flashing in your mind. “That would definitely get their attention.”

“Or,” Lia continued, “we could just kiss in front of them. That would shut Beth up for once.”

You laughed, almost choking on your food. “I think that might be a bit much excitement for the poor girl.”

Lia shrugged, her smile softening. “Whatever we do, I just want it to be honest. I’m tired of hiding.”

You reached across the table again, your fingers brushing against hers. “Me too,” you said softly. “I just want to be with you.”

Her eyes softened, and she turned her hand to lace her fingers with yours. “You are with me,” she murmured, her voice filled with warmth. “And soon, everyone else will know it too.”

You sat there for a moment, just holding her hand, the rest of the world fading away. It was a small, simple gesture, but it felt like the most natural thing in the world. Dinner stretched on, filled with laughter and quiet, meaningful glances. By the time you left the restaurant, your hands were still intertwined, this time with no worry.

A few weeks later, the team had just wrapped up a particularly gruelling training session, the hot summer sun bearing down on you as you made your way back to the locker room. You and Lia had settled into a comfortable rhythm, balancing your relationship and your football. But the more time you spent together, the harder it was to keep your feelings from spilling over in front of your teammates.

Beth and Leah were relentless in their teasing, and it was only a matter of time before everyone else caught on. You could sense their curiosity growing, the way they’d glance between you and Lia whenever you were together, whispering and giggling like schoolgirls.

After a quick shower, you were just pulling on your training top when Beth teased you again, her eyes narrowing playfully. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with Lia lately,” she remarked, her tone light but probing.

You shrugged, trying to keep your voice casual. “We’re friends, Beth. It’s not a big deal.”

“Friends who leave together after every practice and arrive together for every match?” Leah chimed in, leaning against the lockers with a smirk.

You rolled your eyes, but before you could respond, Lia entered the room with a few bottles of cold water from the canteen.

“What are we talking about?” she asked, looking directly at you.

“Beth and Leah are convinced we’re more than friends,” you said, shooting them a playful glare. “And they won’t drop it.”

Lia’s eyes met yours, a silent conversation passing between you. Then, with a soft smile, she turned to the girls. “What if we are?”

Beth’s jaw dropped, and Leah let out a delighted gasp. “Wait, what?” Leah sputtered, looking between you two with wide eyes.

You bit back a laugh, stepping closer to Lia. “We wanted to tell you all, but we didn’t know how.”

Beth recovered first, her eyes narrowing as she crossed her arms over her chest. “So all those times we asked and you said nothing was going on…?”

“We were taking things slow,” Lia said, reaching out to take your hand. “We didn’t want to make it a big deal until we were sure.”

Leah’s eyes softened, a warm smile spreading across her face. “You guys are adorable, you know that?”

Beth huffed, pretending to be annoyed, but you could see the happiness in her eyes. “I can’t believe you kept this from us for so long! We’re your friends, we want to be there for you.”

You squeezed Lia’s hand, feeling a weight lift off your shoulders. “We know, and we’re sorry. We just needed some time to figure things out.”

Leah stepped forward, wrapping you both in a tight hug. “We’re so happy for you,” she murmured, her voice filled with genuine affection. “You two deserve to be happy together.”

Beth joined in, her arms wrapping around the three of you. “I guess we’ll forgive you, but only if you promise not to keep any more secrets.”

You and Lia exchanged a look over their shoulders, smiling as you both nodded. “No more secrets,” you promised, relief and joy filling your chest. “Although we are thinking about getting a puppy.”

“A puppy!” Beth smiled, “Do it! A little friend for Myle!”

Later, as you and Lia walked out of the training ground hand in hand, you felt lighter than you had in months. There were still challenges ahead, still things to figure out, but you knew you could face them together.

[fluentmoviequoter]

DC Comics

Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Hal Jordan (+ Wally West, Razer - no fics yet)

Character only fics are linked at the bottom!

Dick Grayson x fem!reader

One More Favor (Titans!Dick Grayson)

5k+ words | angst to fluff | When Dick takes Rachel out of Detroit, he needs help, but he'll have to call in a few favors first.

Honeymoon Suite

2.6k+ words | fluff | Batman sends you and Dick undercover as newlyweds. At the end of the mission, neither of you want things to change.

Bang, Baby

5.5k+ words | angst-ish to fluff | metahuman!reader | After you move to Dakota City from Gotham, you find yourself dealing with metahumans and vigilantes yet again. Dick Grayson comes to check on you after an explosion and gets a surprising glimpse into your mind.

Jason Todd x fem!reader

The Man Under the Hood

2.3k+ words | angst to fluff | After a terrifying encounter with Red Hood, Jason is left to pick up the pieces.

Love, The Man Under the Hood 1.8k+ words | angst to fluff | After learning that Jason Todd is the Red Hood, he tells you everything.

Wintery

1.5k words | fluff | Gotham winters are brutal, but your best friend Jason Todd and work friend Red Hood know how to combat the cold. Unfortunately, you're falling in love with both of them.

Lost Time

1.3k+ words | fluff | Jason comes home to you, his wife, after a mission and makes up for lost time.

For My Husband

1.5k+ words | fluff | Jason has had a lot on his mind, including your relationship. You call him your husband on a night out and suddenly everything makes sense.

Comfort and Space

2.4k+ words | angst to fluff | After Jason has a fight with Bruce, Dick knows exactly what he needs. You.

Bruce Wayne x fem!reader

Family Name

6.6k+ words | angst to fluff | ex-Army/SWAT!reader | After ten years away, you return to Gotham. When you discover you know the true identity of the Joker, you join Batman's fight to save Gotham.

Crushes Aren't Just for Kids

3.1k+ words | fluff | JLU Batman x JL!reader | When all adults are banished from earth, you join Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern in a unique fight to save the world. Along the way, some hidden feelings are revealed.

Butterflies Aren't Just for Kids 1.6k+ words | fluff | Bruce hasn't asked you out yet, despite the League's interest in your new relationship. When he finally has enough and takes you away from their prying eyes and endless questions, you tell him why you hid your feelings for so long.

Black Mercy

2.3k+ words | angst to fluff | JLU Batman x JL!reader | When you and Bruce find Superman in the Fortress of Solitude, you encounter the Black Mercy. Bruce faces his heart's greatest desire, and you encourage him to find happiness.

What You Want

2.9k+ words | angst / hurt/comfort | You are Joker's daughter, and you let him think for you. Bruce Wayne, however, sees who you really are and encourages you to be better.

Bats Need Lives Too

2.1k+ words | fluff/comfort | Bruce and the boys have bad days, and as their mom, it's your job to make them better.

Flirty

2.7k+ words | fluff | Your husband Bruce never stops flirting with you, and everyone, in Gotham and beyond, knows it.

Hal Jordan x fem!reader

Me or the Ring

3.5k+ words | angst | When the Guardians suspect you, a woman from earth, of working with the Star Sapphires to commit mass murder, Hal Jordan volunteers to find evidence. He accidentally falls for you in the process, but you find out why he let you get so close and pull away.

Me and the Ring 2.9k+ words | angst to fluff | After Hal broke your heart and failed his mission, the Guardians send Kyle to pick up where he left off. You can't trust Hal, but that doesn't mean you don't love him.

Characters Only (no reader insert)

The Love They Deserve

1.6k+ words | Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne comfort | Dick Grayson is touch-starved but unable and unwilling to ask for the contact he needs. When he has a nightmare in Wayne Manor, Bruce decides to give all of his family the love they deserve.

As One

3.6k+ words | Venom!Jason Todd angst to fluff (minor x reader portion) | Jason receives more than life in the Lazarus Pit, and when he returns to Gotham and meets Venom, they must learn to fight as one.

/ Blurbs/Celebration Fics

Christmas '23 | Dick (Haley's Holiday)(A League Christmas) | Jason (Special Edition)

[pyromegalomaniac]

Well, I keep imagining the reader before being taken by Yandere wally to his world, had a date with someone had a crush on the reader at her house, but imagine the reader and the guy on the date kissing and going to some more spicy places TV or computer out of nowhere turned on and had Wally looking not too happy about it… What would happen?

Such a good idea, anon... I really like yandere and generally threatening Wally, so this is gonna be fun to write. >:) I will say that this'll be a gn reader, since you mentioned them as she. Just letting you know!! I also separated the story this time, since it ended up being extra long and I decided to write with my laptop this time instead of my phone!! Enjoy!!

(♡˙︶˙♡)

Eyes Glued to the Screen🍎📺

(some spicy themes ahead, reader be aware!!!)

☆°•☆°•☆°•☆

Aspen was using the bathroom, and I sat on my phone scrolling tumblr as I waited for him in our booth. The waiter had already taken our bill, and I was just waiting for my date to get back so we could go.

I decided to check up on that website about the hunt for that lost media show for updates, but no luck. When I'd first heard about it awhile ago, I was immediately enamored. The characters were so charming, and they reminded me so much of the Muppets. I really hoped they'd be able to find some of the actual show soon. So far all they'd found was some old merch and some scripts.

My favorite was a little yellow puppet with a fancy blue hairstyle that supposedly talked to the viewer, Wally Darling. He was just so classy. It was adorable!

I was just finishing putting the tags on a reblog of some fanart when Aspen walked back to our table.

"Ready to go?" He smiled.

"Yep," I replied, shoving my phone in my pocket and standing up after I hit "post".

I took his hand and we left the restaurant, stepping into the chilly evening air just as the sun was going down. We started walking down to my apartment, stopping at a little general store on the way when it started raining. It had already been drizzling, which neither of us minded, but the raindrops were big and fat now, and we didn't have an umbrella.

We tried to wait it out, but after fifteen minuets we just gave up and bought an umbrella to share.

"Dammit, I'm sorry about this," I said as we walked back to my apartment. "I looked at the weather before our date and I thought it'd be over by the time we were done. I-"

"Hey, hey," said Aspen. "You don't gotta put yourself down like that. I didn't bring an umbrella, did I?" He chuckled sweetly, and it really did make me feel better. He was such a little sweetheart.

I should get him some flowers sometime.

We got to my apartment and shed our wet coats, leaving them on hooks. The rain was really coming down now, picking up even more. I wondered vaguely if that was thunder that I heard just now.

We left our shoes on a towel by the door, and I went to go change from my jeans to my sweatpants.

"I'll be back in just a minute~" I called over my shoulder. "Go ahead and start the movie."

I disappeared into my room and undid my belt. I was just putting it away when I heard my phone vibrate on the table. I picked it up to see a text from a number I didn't recognize.

"You didn't forget me, did you?"

I shook my head, assuming it was a wrong number. I had my pants off and was folding them up when I got another text. This time, it was an image. It was hard to tell because it was so dark, but it looked like the vague shape of a face, but the eyes were easiest to make out. It was hard to miss, actually, since they seemed to be able to actually see me.

I was tying up my sweatpants when I got the third text. My curiosity got the best of me, and I opened up the audio message. There was an odd monotone voice speaking to me from... somewhere. The audio quality was... poor.

"Why... why don't you answer me? I can see you. Can't you see me anymore? Just leave him alone. Just leave him. Don't look at him... just look at me... y/n."

It was hard to hear because of the bad audio and because it was whispered, but the voice knew my name somehow. It knew me. It wasn't a wrong number. I could feel the hair rising on my neck...

I jumped almost ten feet in the air when the thunder and lightning crashed outside, stopping myself from shrieking just in time.

I blocked the number and headed outside.

"Hey," I said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Has the Doc showed him the Delorian yet?"

"Nope, but he's about to," said Aspen, scooting over. "Come sit. I got a nice blanket for us to cuddle in."

I sat next to him in the blanket, and after a while he started leaning on me, and I put my arm around him. I slid my hand down his back and casually made my way under his shirt, and he scooted closer.

Before we could get any more intimate, a roll of thunder crashed outside and a flash of lightning lit up the room in a blinding bright white.

When it was over, all the lamps we had on before were off, and the tv was too.

"Looks like the storm hit the power," I sighed. I got up to go check the tv, and Aspen pulled the blanket close to him.

"I hope it doesn't get too cold in here with the heater not working," he muttered.

I could think of one or two ways we could warm up.

As I bent down to the tv to see if I could do anything with it, it turned on again, displaying nothing but static and some loud static sounds. I tried fiddling with it, but I couldn't get that noise to turn down.

But... were those words in the static? Or was I just hearing things? I bent down as close as I could to hear, and I could've sworn I saw those same eyes that I saw in the text.

"Y/n... you see me now, don't you? Oh, good. We can see each other again."

I froze in fear at hearing that ominous voice again, this time from the tv. It was so quiet, I was certain Aspen couldn't hear.

The eyes became clearer too.

"My, my... I do think I'll just have to take you back with me. Won't that be wonderful, my dear?"

The static seemed to part like a curtain and he pulled himself through, grabbing me by the shoulders.

"Let's go, sweetheart!"

The last thing I heard was Aspen's scream as I was pulled through to the other side.

☆°•☆°•☆°•☆

Ooooh, spooky, isn't it?? Ha, Wally is such a little weirdo. I love him sm!! Sorry if this took a bit of time, anon. I hope you liked it, and thanks for requesting this!! It was fun to write, and I look forward to doing more in the future!! Much love!!

ヽ(>∀<☆)���

[random-things-of-mine]

𝘓𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥

Grayscale Wally x GN Reader

Warning: Angst

- - - - -

Y/n was watching the television, trying to follow the movements of the yoga instructor on screen. Feeling in a funny mood they decided to try it out for themselves.

Sadly you where not build for this.

The ringing of the front caused them to lose focus once again, falling face first on the carpet. Groaning in pain they slowly got up.

It was already dark outside, normally no one would even consider going out at a hour like this.

"What happened?!"

Y/n asked in worry and panic as a sickly looking Grayscale stood shivering on their porch. He was terrible shape, even more than usual.

He was fumbling with his hands, not meeting their gaze. He never intended to involve others in his problems.

"Home kicked me out."

Grayscale mumbled, trying to mentally block out the conflict earlier today. He and it had a fight so to say and now he was homeless (+ a little more traumatized).

This neighborhood wasn't safe in the darkest hours, without a house he had no protection or basic living necessities.

"I totally understand it if you don't want me around." He sniffled. "With this sickness of mine...I don't want you or anyone else to turn grey either."

"Silly, I'll always be here for you. In sickness or health." They reassured. "Please come inside."

You would be there for a friend in need.

The human gently took his hand, leading the puppet inside their living room.

Grayscale stared at their Y/n's hand, feeling their warmth and seeing the color fade on their fingertips where he touched them.

He felt repulsed by taking away the light and brightness of his favorite neighbor.

Tears welt up in his eyes and he began breaking down, sobbing uncontrollably. Feeling pathetic and helpless.

"I'm just a dumb puppet... this world isn't even... it's all fake- Why do you even bother with me, I don't deserve it." He mumbled to himself, grey tears dripping from his eyes.

"Shhsss it's alright I'm here." They softy whispered, using their hand to wipe some of the tears away.

It broke their heart seeing him like this.

"It's okay to feel sad right now, it's natural. I just... hope that you don't stay like this for too long. I don't like the idea of you being sad."

"Why do you care so much?"

Y/n stared at him in silence for a moment, thinking back of their memories with him. Grayscale was the first to welcome them.

He helped with befriending the other neighbors when they were socially awkward. Always so charming and sweet.

Things changed when Grayscale got sick, he acted more distant. Bottling up his feelings and emotions but he was still Y/n's most precious friend.

"Cause I love you. I can't let someone I love suffer like this." They replied, giving him a affectionate look.

Their hand was still holding his but now they used the opportunity to intertwine their fingers together more intimately.

"Oh... you do? You really do?!" He shouted in surprise, feeling like he was just hearing things.

A dark grey color tinted his cheeks, he tries using his free hand to cover up his face. He hadn't felt very loved in a long time.

It made him feel a bit better on the inside, a happy tingly feeling.

"Now it's time for the half forward bend-" It sounded from the sound system.

Grayscale looked back and forth between Y/n and the television trying to see if he was doing it right. The two had settled on watching what was on the screen... which where yoga instructions.

It was embarrassing to say the least, neither one of them was very flexible. Though it was a good activity to keep his mind of the negative things.

"Your doing great!" Y/n shouted supportively as they where trying to keep their legs straight and back as flat as possible while touching the carpet with their hands.

"My back is killing me." Grey whined, attempting to copy the movements. Trying not to blush at the strange positions they where both in.

"We follow it up with the cat-crow stretch!" It came once again from the sound system.

WHO NAMED THESE POSES-

- - - - -

[bisexualicontimdrake]

Ok so I’m high so I’m gonna write a lil blurb.

“Nobody loves you.” That’s the last thing the mobster said before Jason slammed his pistol into his head with a solid thunk.

‘Wrong’ thought Jason as he took aim at another mobster. ‘’my dad loves me’. He thinks to earlier that day in the cave as he and Bruce finished the a tune-up on Dick’s bike.

“I’m proud of you Jay” grunted Bruce as he fumbled for a socket wrench. Confused, Jason turned to look at him. “I know I don’t say it enough” Bruce continued “but you’ve come a long way. You’ve done your therapy, you made your amends, and even at your lowest, I never stopped being proud of you and no matter where you go, I’ll love you, son”

Jason looked at Bruce as if Harley Quinn hit him with her mallet, at a loss for words.

“I love you too, dad”

He thinks back to his times free running through the Gotham Skyline with Dick. Dick laughing in the wind as Jason threatened to beat him with a crowbar for a horrible pun. To when when they were just kids, sharing hushed secrets at night, Dick telling him about his relationship with Wally.

“I’m gay’ Dick barely whispered “and I’m dating Wally. Have been since I was Robin.” Jason thinks of the red-headed boy. Cocky, quick, but also compassionate. He also thinks of another certain redhead that’s on his mind. “Does Bruce know?” Jason whispered back. Dick’s eyes widened in fear “No! And you can’t tell him. Cross your heart” and so Jason did. “I love you Little Wing” Dick mumbled as they fell asleep watching a movie that neither had paid attention to. “Thanks for being here.” “I love you too” came Jason’s quiet reply. Knowing that while he would never tell another soul, he’d definitely remind the speedster that he wasn’t afraid to go Gotham on his ass if he hurts Dick the next time he saw the mouthy speedster at the manor.

He thinks about spending time Tim, as the he listened to his little brother passionately go on about how The Bride in Kill Bill was actually the villain. He thinks back to Tim’s first date with Kon. Tim was so nervous, he developed a slight twitch in his eye. “You’re gonna be fine” Jason said. “Kids crazy about you. We can all see it” it didn’t hurt that Jason cornered Kon a week before, asking him what his plans were for his little brother, while subtly reminding him of the special green jewelry Bruce kept in the cave.

Later that evening, when Tim came home, hair tousled and eyes as bright as the first time he grappled through the narrow Gotham buildings. Jason knew that his little brother was head over heels. “I’m happy for you” Jason said, handing Tim coffee that he didn’t need. Awkwardly, Tim threw his arms around Jason “love you” Jason stood there in a mild shock as Tim didn’t initiate physical contact frequently. Finally, he put the mugs down, and hugged his brother right back. “Love you too”.

He thinks about Damian and their sparring matches and prank wars. Which occasionally led to all-out brawls, until Alfred ushered them outside. He thinks about seeing Damian asleep next to Jon and Bat-cow with Titus curled tight at their feet, hands loosely tangled together. As Jason got his phone out to snap a picture, he sees Damian’s eyes open “I will kill you Todd” the brat whispered so quietly, Jason thought he was hearing things. He snapped a photo anyways, Baby bat would thank him later. And he did, with a cheap shot punch to the face but not before Jason noticed the photo as his phones background.

He thinks about his boyfriend, as Roy works on a specialized pistol for Jason that would fire target non-lethal, but hilarious rounds (Jason’s favorite was the chewing gum bullet). With his hair pushed back in a messy bun and his eyes deep in thought. “He better know I only do this because I love him” Roy mumbled, with a screwdriver held precariously in his lips. “Oh I do. Don’t worry” Jason said, startling his boyfriend and sending him off of his stool, arms flailing and landing on top of Jason. “Not anymore I don’t” Roy said with the same tone Bruce did when he caught Selina leaning a little too close to a diamond at the museum. “But you do” replied Jason, planting a kiss on the older man’s forehead. “But I do” Roy whispered, curling into Jason’s broad chest.

He thinks about the others. Selina teaching him to pickpocket at Gala’s for fun, to quiet nights at the bell tower with Babs, helping put specialized tech on her wheelchair as Haly chews on a bone close by. Sitting at his favorite gargoyle with Cass and Stephanie, looking at the two of them, wondering will they or won’t they as they gossip about the latest rogue drama. He thinks about Harley as she tries to give him an impromptu therapy session during the middle of the two breaking up a drug bust, bleached hair swinging as wildly as her bat. He thinks back to Ivy, rescuing them from the same drug bust. Too annoyed with being woken up to try and poison him, but still giving her patented “fuck me” eyes to Harley.

He thinks about Bart, Cassie, Kori, Donna, Kyle, Diana, Dinah, Lois, Clark, Alfred, and Kate. Knowing that he does have people who love him. No matter what.

“Fuck you” Jason spat at the final mobster “I am loved”

[a-tale-of-legends]

Going more into Maxie and Archie post emerald/oras in my au: they're pretty happy now :D! They took a lot of couples therapy, regular therapy, and are actively working to right their wrongs. They both went back to their roots as scientist, maybe helping Professor Birch? I haven't exactly thought of that part, haha.

As I mentioned before, the two adopted a bunch of mudkips: best of both worlds. Maxie complains that Archie spoils them when he does the exact same thing, possibly even more so. Neither of them know how exactly they ended up adopting so many, they just did.

The kids visit often! As often as they can anyway. As the years go by, they get busier and busier but they try to make time for the people who almost destroyed their region. No, they will not let them forget. They adore Wally, btw. They joke how he's their favorite of the bunch. Whenever he visits they always insist that he stay over for a bit. Wally can't say no when there's a bunch of little mudkips giving him puppy dog eyes. Wally actually reunited Jirachi with Archie! It was very sweet :).

And yeah! Just wanted to ramble a bit with them in mind.

[tsuko-san]

Fanmade Line Disturbution, If Wally and Bluey sang ライラ―ダンサー (Liar Dancer)

Wally's Color. Bluey's Color. Both Singing Color. (y'know? Yellow and Blue mixes into green.)

The song:

English Translation (<- link to the actual TL) by KEL! (!!! THE TRANSLATION IS NOT MINE KEEP IN MIND PLEASE !!!)

Color Coded Lyrics:

近頃噂のあの"漫画" chikagoro uwasa no ano "manga" I’ve been hearing about that "manga" everywhere lately.

みんなはずっと話してる minna wa zutto hanashiteru Everyone’s been talking about it like crazy.

それそれめっちゃ良かったよネ sore sore meccha yokatta yo ne “That thingy is super cool, am I right?”

見たことないけど mita koto nai kedo Though I’ve never even read it…

(They all found out about it afterwards...)

譲るのが面倒で道変えた yuzuru no ga mendou de michi kaeta It was too much of a pain to stop, so I changed roads and

最初から行き先違うフリをして saisho kara ikisaki chigau furi o shite Pretended that I was going the wrong way from the start.

それでもゴールは変わらないのなら soredemo gooru wa kawaranai no nara You see, if my goal remains unchanging,

きっとそうやって生きてもいいの kitto sou yatte ikite mo ii no Then surely it’s alright to keep living this way.

嘘が先か 真が先かなんてさ uso ga saki ka makoto ga saki ka nante sa Whether the lie comes first or the truth comes first, it doesn’t matter.

いつか来るその日を前にはどちらも itsuka kuru sono hi o mae ni wa dochira mo Before that day comes, neither of us

変わらない kawaranai Will change at all.

[CHORUS!]

踊れ 踊れ 嘘に踊れ odore odore uso ni odore Dance, dance, dance to the lies!

今までを捨てて 腕を振れよ ima made o sutete ude o fure yo Throw away everything in the past and wave your arms around!

中身がなんもなくても nakami ga nan mo nakute mo Even if it’s full of nothing,

未来はあるのさ mirai wa aru no sa There’s still a future.

ライアー (踊れ！) ライアー (踊れ！) ダンサー raiaa (odore!) raiaa (odore!) dansaa Liar! (Dance!) Liar! (Dance!) Dancer!

素直で傷ついたあの日を sunao de kizutsuita ano hi o That day I was honest and got hurt,

ライアー (踊れ！) ライアー (踊れ！) ダンサー raiaa (odore!) raiaa (odore!) dansaa Liar! (Dance!) Liar! (Dance!) Dancer!

嘘で踊るのさ uso de odoru no saI ’ll dance to the lies.

[Next Verse!]

例えばどしゃぶりの雨だって tatoeba doshaburi no ame datte For instance, even in pouring RAIN,

ずぶぬれでどうしようもなくても zubunure de doushiyou mo nakute mo Even when I’m sopping wet and helpless,

青空に見える眼鏡あれば aozora ni mieru megane areba If you have glasses that can see the blue sky

晴れのような気持ちでしょ hare no you na kimochi desho It feels like the weather is clear, right?

過去が変えられないものならば kako ga kaerarenai mono naraba If the past can’t be changed,

良さげなとこだけツギハギで繋げて yosage na toko dake tsugihagi de tsunagete Take the good parts and tie them together like patchwork.

偏向報道まがいの歩みでも henkou houdou magai no ayumi demo Even if it’s a path that seems like biased reporting,

きっとそうやって生きてもいいよ kitto sou yatte ikite mo ii yo It’s surely alright to keep living this way.

踊れ 嘘と踊れ odore uso to odore Dance, dance, dance and lie!

足取りで揺らせ この世界を ashidori de yurase kono sekai o Shake your legs around! The artificial flowers

見かけだけの造花も mikake dake no zouka mo That make this world what it seems

心動かすのさ kokoro ugokasu no sa Move my heart!

ライアー (踊れ！) ライアー (踊れ！) ダンサー raiaa (odore!) raiaa (odore!) dansaa Liar! (Dance!) Liar! (Dance!) Dancer!

不安で背を向けた明日と fuan de se o muketa ashita to With my anxiety behind me, I’ll turn towards tomorrow and

ライアー (踊れ！) ライアー (踊れ！) ダンサー raiaa (odore!) raiaa (odore!) dansaa Liar! (Dance!) Liar! (Dance!) Dancer!

嘘で踊るのさ uso de odoru no sa I’ll dance to the lies.

[DANCING INTERLUDE!!!!!!]

今幸せか 幸せじゃないかなんてさ ima shiawase ka shiawase ja nai ka nante sa Now, am I happy? I’m not really sure if I am or not.

いつの日にか自分が勝手に決めるから itsu no hi ni ka jibun ga katte ni kimeru kara One day, I’ll decide that on my own,

踊ったもん勝ち odotta mongachi So dancing wins!

踊れ 踊れ odore odore Dance, dance,

理想と違くて risou to chigakute It’s far from the ideal;

全てから消えて 一人きりの subete kara kiete hitorikiri no Disappearing from everything, being all alone.

夜にもフェイクを照らせ yoru ni mo feiku o terase Let the faking shine its light tonight, too!

ああ嘘でよかった！ aa uso de yokatta! Ahh, I’m seriously glad it was a lie!

[FINAL CHORUS!]

踊れ 踊れ 嘘に踊れ odore odore uso ni odore Dance, dance, dance to the lies!

今までを捨てて 腕を振れよ ima made o sutete ude o fure yo Throw away everything in the past and wave your arms around!

ここから始まるのさ koko kara hajimaru no sa That’s where it begins,

偽りのパーティーナイト itsuwari no paatii naito A party night of lies!

ライアー (踊れ！) ライアー (踊れ！) ダンサー raiaa (odore!) raiaa (odore!) dansaa Liar! (Dance!) Liar! (Dance!) Dancer!

素直で傷ついたあの日を sunao de kizutsuita ano hi o That day I was honest and got hurt,

ライアー (踊れ！) ライアー (踊れ！) ダンサー raiaa (odore!) raiaa (odore!) dansaa Liar! (Dance!) Liar! (Dance!) Dancer!

嘘で踊るのさ uso de odoru no sa I'll dance to the lies.

[End.]

thank you for reading and have a good day.

[k-s-morgan]

I've got to say, while Hannigram is very much unhealthy, I actually can't stand Molly and Will ( in the show at least ) for not being good for each other much more. With Hannigram, besides it being obvious what you're gonna get - no relationship between a serial killer and an FBI agent in denial about enjoying murdee will be sunshine and rainbows - the characters themselves are aware of who the other is and what they are cabable of. With Molly and Will one party is definitely left in the dark about the other. I'm of the firm belief that their relationships would have never started had Will not hidden an entire shade of his being. He has stated he prefers lies of omission. And when said omission is a caged monster, you can see how unfair it'd be to someone like Molly. While badass, she's ultimately a regular person, a woman who was most likely searching for happiness and stability after her first husband. Will was simply not it. He used her and Wally as a means to hide from himself and his feelings for Hannibal. If he really wanted to, he could have prepared a plan that allowed him to stay with them. Will is neither stupid, nor lacking in determination. But the fact is, he was not invested enough. He'd rather die WITH Hannibal than return home, which says a lot.

There's also the fact that Hannigram is better developed and tied to the story's themes, so I'm more invested in seeing where they could end up together, destructive aspects and all, rather than Will and Molly. Still, I can't buy into the concept of a happy marriage between them that some viewers talk about when it appears to be so surface level. That peace hinges on Will never discussing with Molly a ton of stuff that would have changed the entire trajectory of their relationship. The whole situation reminds me too much of a couple in real life, in which one person doesn't actually love the other and has somebody else on the mind. Their marriage is this essentially.

I'm pretty sure this view on their marriage and how Will-centric in tends to be ( in the sense that Molly being screwed over isn't really comsidered ) ties into the static perception people have regarding Will as a character from Season 1 onward. They want to see him happy and cheer that the bad guy is put away, far from him. But don't seem to realise how much of a menace and perpetrator Will has become in other characters' lives since then ( Hobbs, Randall, Chiyoh and her prisoner, Chilton, even Bedelia ). What do you think?

Oh, I agree completely, the relationship between Will and Molly feels very dishonest from Will’s side — and I think that’s the point. As Bryan said, we had to see the second half of S3 and Will with Molly in order to understand why he should go back to Hannibal. This life is simply not for him, not for the real version of him. Hannibal is right when he accuses Will of deliberately picking a “ready-made family.” Will showed his person suit to Molly and shared only official version of events of his life with her. She never knew the real him, and if she had, their marriage would have died before even starting because what woman would let a killer and a cannibal who wanted to run away with a monster near her and her child, who’s already been traumatized? Especially after a year or two of knowing this person?

I’ve had a huge number of conversations on this topic, and from my experience, viewers who claim that Will was perfectly happy with Molly cite one specific moment: them laughing together from Molly’s joke about “balls”. Bryan actually mentioned it too once to illustrate how great Molly is for Will, but the thing is, it’s just not what was shown. Because this pretty shallow and short moment of laughter instantly turns into a situation where Molly mentions Will’s “criminal mind” and Will shuts her off. He lies and he hangs up without returning her “I love you.” This says it all — he can enjoy himself on a superficial level in this marriage, but the moment something a bit more serious comes up, the illusion shatters. Perhaps Will told Molly some half-truths, like about being friends with Hannibal before the betrayal, but ultimately, we can see that she has no idea about Will’s life, his darkness and his struggles with it. She innocently encouraged him to go back, incorrectly thinking that Will is haunted by failing to save lives, and then she joked about his criminal mind, taking it lightly and not realizing how grave and sensitive this topic is for Will. She knows he can think like a killer because he’s gifted, but she doesn’t realize he himself is a killer.

I love how the show presents their relationship because it demonstrates how temporary and insufficient a dream-like normal life is for Will. All we know about him and Molly is that they are married. We don’t know how they met, what made them marry each other so quickly. They then have four short conversations throughout the show, none of which is entirely honest from Will’s side. Molly appeared from nowhere and disappeared into nowhere - she and Will were living a lie, which is why their relationship was presented this way.

Even from the beginning: from what was shown, Jack didn’t enter a sanctuary, he broke into a marriage as lifeless as the winter emptiness around Will when we see him again. As a contrast, in another Red Dragon adaptation, Jack comes when Will is genuinely happy with Molly and Walter. They are spending time together on the beach, they are laughing, they are having fun as a family, they are holding hands. This unity and happiness are absent in the show. Jack comes when Molly and Walter are away fishing, with Will choosing to stay behind even though fishing is his passion. It’s a deliberate choice and it says a lot. Will and Molly share a bed: they are married, so it would be strange not to - but they are fully clothed and sleep strictly on the opposite sides. Will is shown sneaking out to read a letter from Hannibal. They could have shown Molly sleeping on his chest, for example, something to make their bond warmer. Will isn’t a touchy-feely person, but he’s not resistant to touch either, and he could have made an effort for a woman he’s supposed to love.

He could have bothered to hug her or at least *touch* her at least once. Instead, when she hugs him from behind, he doesn’t even move to touch her back. When she nuzzles into him, he turns his head away, even though nuzzling back or kissing her cheek would have felt so much more natural. Even at the hospital, Will just looks at her and then sits in his chair. It’s deliberate - he never reached for her at all, even in this situation. When Molly wakes up, he risks touching one strand of her hair with the very tip of his finger (which is implied and still not shown!), and then he quickly takes his hand away. It’s a vivid contrast to him reaching out and almost groping Hannibal in TWOTL. He could definitely show more emotions to Walter - after losing Abigail, he had to be terrified of losing another child in his life. But instead, he just acts uncomfortable, not at all like a father would.

I think Will could never be truly happy or peaceful when he’s hiding who he is. Darkness is a large part of him, subduing it takes efforts. I’d say he was semi-content with this limbo state, but with how quickly he ran to Hannibal, I think he was getting bored, too. Hannibal also senses it, hence his question, “Don’t you crave change, Will?”

I also love Hugh’s and Mads’ commentary on this.

Hugh: You could say that during the second half [of season three] - I mean, obviously we’re jumping ahead here, but Will comes back to Hannibal. He’s now got this family, and Will, independently and pretty quickly, starts coming to the conclusion that it’s not sustainable for him to have that family. Like, he’s not the guy. He’s not the right person to be able to look after them, to live with them. It’s not compatible with who he really is. And you could argue that Hannibal is just driving him more quickly to come to that realization. So in that sense, it is kind of brutal, tough love. His love is saying, “Know thyself.”

Mads: As Hugh is saying, it’s unavoidable. It’s going to happen sooner or later. Might as well happen sooner, before he’s stuck.

And that’s not even mentioning the Dragon’s attack, the way Will stayed angry for three seconds before acting jealous of Hannibal giving attention to Francis, and how he set up a situation that put Molly and Walter at risk just to get a chance to stage Hannibal’s escape. His priorities are very clear. I do think he cared about them to an extent — he is responsive to people who show warmth to him, but this feeling was superficial. In the end, the only two things Will truly, genuinely cares about are Hannibal and his dogs. I’m not including Abigail here because he loved a dream, not the girl herself.

Will is a deeply selfish character, and I love him for it because I find him fascinating.

[wordsfromthesol]

The Break-Up

Author: @wordsfromthesol Taglist: @zphilophobiaz  Pairing: Wally West x Batsis!Reader Word Count: 1.4k

Dick was supposed to be on a mission all week in South America. You and Wally were elated, as now you had the whole house to roam free. You could even go on a proper date in Gotham, without worrying that Nightwing might see you while he was on patrol. On day 3, the two of you opted for a movie at home. Cuddled up on the couch, you were completely oblivious that Dick had entered the room. Even Wally wasn't fast enough to break free of your grasp.

"Dick…you're back early." The words stumbled out of his mouth as he meets him on the other side of the living room, trying to put as much distance between the two of you as possible.

"Apparently not early enough. Something you guys need to tell me?" Dick eyed his best friend before turning his glare towards you.

"Nope!" Wally screamed before speeding out of the house. There was no point in trying to hide it. Dick was one of the best detectives and the evidence had been plastered in front of his face.

"We're dating. Have been for a while now." Your lackadaisical demeanor made his reaction worse.

"YOU’RE WHAT?!" He yelled out before adding, "You can't date WALLY!"

"Wait wait wait. So let me get this straight. It's okay for Wally to be your best friend. And it's okay that he knows all about our family secrets. But it's not okay for me to date him? In what world does that make sense Dick?!" You threw your hands up in frustration.

"In the world where you're my baby sister!" Dick knew his argument didn't make sense, but he made it anyway.

"You're being impossible!" You screamed after him as he stormed away.

**

Wally wouldn't answer your calls for the next week. You couldn't even see him if you wanted to and Dick was making sure of that. Hell, the whole family probably was. I mean, why should you get to be happy. Once Wally had decided to stop ignoring your calls, he started making them. Constantly. And now it was your turn to ignore his, it was only fair. That and you had no idea what to say or even how you felt anymore. As soon as your family found out it seemed like Wally crumpled and gave in. He should know better than that, right? Then again, maybe you just weren't worth it. Maybe you loved him more than he loved you.

Finally, you had enough. After all, you could only wallow in self-pity for so long and you definitely didn't want to be around your family any longer. Their constant check-ins and asking if you were going to go on patrol was getting redundant. So you made a decision; first thing in the morning, as everyone was sleeping, you gathered your stuff and left. With your emergency cash and passport in tow, you borrowed one of Bruce's cars and started driving. You had absolutely no idea where you were going, but anywhere was better than here.

**

"Wally?" Dick mumbled out. He hadn't called his best friend in almost a week.

"She's gone. I know. I've already searched the entire city for her." Wally's disheartened tone melted into sorrow. "I really messed up, didn't I?" He heard a long sigh from the other end.

"I think we both did." Silence fell between the old friends as both of them realized their mistakes. Finally, Wally's voice echoed through the speaker.

"Do you think we can find her?"

"I don't know. Tim's looking…but she was trained by Bruce. If she doesn't want to be found…" Dick's voice trailed off, trying not to think of the potential outcomes. "Do you have any ideas?"

"I can…uh…check a few places. But she ran away from me too," Wally's voice grew almost inaudible, "rightfully so."

"She took the blue Nissan sedan. License plate 6J11AN." Neither of them bothered exchanging pleasantries before hanging up the phone. The relationship was still on edge, it didn't feel right.

**

You had absolutely no plans. All the covert training had gone out the window as you mindlessly drove down the winding back roads. Did you have any idea where you were going? Absolutely not. Did you end up following a dirt road to a small, abandoned, and partially dilapidated cabin? Absolutely.

The cabin turned out to be a great project to keep your mind off of the turmoil in your life. It had been a few days and you were working on fixing the fence outside when you felt an unexpected gust of air. Shit. You had become all too accustomed to what followed and there he stood in front of you, mouth agape.

"What do you want Wally?" Your apathetic tone gave him pause, but he soon returned to his normal demeanor.

"Are you kidding?! It's been days Y/N! You haven't made contact with anyone!" You had gotten used to deciphering his slurred speech, but these words were clear as day and filled with trepidation.

"Well, my supposed boyfriend ran as soon as my brother found out, then ignored me for a week. And my brother was a douchebag you said I couldn't date you. I had no one. And torturing myself in that house…I couldn't do it anymore." Wally was speechless, a feat not easily achieved, so you turned back to the fence in dire need of replacement. Before you could pull off another board, Wally grabbed your wrist.

"I fucked up. I know. But I was scared. Dick and I…we've been there for each other since the beginning --" You cut him off, it was an explanation you didn't need.

"Wally. I am his sister. I know that. I watched you two grow up, even though you didn’t always see me. I looked up to him, to you, that's why I became a vigilante. But you had to have known this," you gestured between the two of you, "couldn't have continued without Dick knowing."

"It has been nearly 8 months…" Wally mumbled. He honestly didn't know what he was expecting to do about Dick. He just knew that he had been in love with you for years and he couldn’t take it anymore.

You turned back to the fence with his comment, but as soon as you blinked it had been completely redone. "REALLY WALLY?!" You grew more agitated with every passing moment.

"You're using it as a distraction!" He argued back.

"Of course I am! This whole trip is supposed to be one big distraction! A distraction from the two most important people in my life not caring about me. A distraction from the revelation that I'm completely alone." The words resonated through the air as you began to break down. As you felt your legs grow weak, you became pressed against Wally's chest. You didn't have the time or energy to protest. Somehow hours must have passed, as you heard the engine of Dick's motorcycle make its way down the winding road. Your eyes peered up at Wally, "I think this is the longest you've ever stood still." He didn't say anything but simply pressed a kiss to the top of your head as his friend rounded the corner.

**

You pulled yourself from Wally's arms as Dick approached you. Dick's expression softened as he realized the misery he was putting you through.

"Y/N. I'm sorry." In your 22 years of existence, you could count the number of times Dick Grayson had sincerely apologized on one hand. There was no blame thrown at you or vindication of his actions. Just a simple apology, an effort of recompense. "In actuality, I should've known. The way the two of you look at each other, talk about each other," He chuckled to himself. "I'm supposed to be a detective."

"So the two of you are done being jackasses then?" Your head bobbed from one to the other. The two looked at each other before nodding. "And you were stupid idiots who won't ever put me through something like this again?" Your actions, as well as there's, were repeated. "Fine. Let's go home."

Wally raced in front of you. "Wait. What does that mean for us?"

You shrugged, "I don't know. Guess I'm just hoping for someone who will actually stand up for me." Wally took your hands in his before pressing them to his lips.

"I always want to be there for you. I promise I'll never make that mistake again." 

[americancowgirl19]

Old Times

Summary: You find your purpose in hopes of easing your conscious. 

Warnings: angst, fluff, this is a part 2/sequel

Reader: Female Reader

Pairings: Dick Grayson x Reader

Word Count: 1,878

A/n: I thought I would tag you two since you mentioned you guys wanted a part two; @pleasestophoney​ @graysonswonder​

Masterlist - Part One (Eight Year)

Fuck whoever said knowing was the better choice. Knowing sucked and you wished that you were back to being in the dark about the things you’ve done. Sure, when you couldn’t remember your mind filled in the blanks for you. You would imagine what you had done. You’re imagination was far more merciful compared to the truth.

Your memories returned to you mainly at night, although you got flashes during the day if you were ‘lucky’. As time passed you became more and more aware of how dangerous and deadly you had become. In the last eight years, you were a merciless killing machine that made the Joker look like a fucking kitty cat.

The more you remembered the more you considered handing yourself over to the members of the League that wanted your head. You understood their need for revenge. Hell, if someone had done to you what you had done to them, you’d be demanding justice yourself.

You shared your father’s rule of no killing, at least you did before you were taken, but you knew you’d break that rule if someone killed anyone in your family. In fact, if you weren’t so scared of reverting into a mindless beast you would have torn the Joker apart for killing Jason. But you feared if you killed him, you wouldn’t be able to stop yourself.

“What’re you doing out here?” Dick questions groggily. You turn your head just enough to see him in your peripheral vision. You had been sitting on the balcony of your shared apartment in Bludhaven for a couple of hours now.

It was one of the rare nights Dick had come home early. Bludhaven was quiet thus prompting Dick to return home to you sooner than usual. Since your return a couple of months ago, Dick continued being Bludhaven’s Nightwing. 

You weren’t ready to join him as Nightshade. Although, that didn’t stop you from using your enhanced hearing to keep track of him. If he was in a trouble he couldn’t get out of, you could get to him within a minute. Luckily he hasn’t needed you yet. You doubted he would. He has survived eight years without you.

You felt guilty for not staying in bed with him. You only got him to yourself so often but you didn’t want to keep him up with your restlessness. He needed his sleep.

Dick joins you on the patio loveseat. He looks at you before sliding his arm around your waist. You shuffle as he pulls you onto his lap. His natural warmth engulfs you. You almost moan as you settle into his comforting embrace.

“I have the day off tomorrow,” Dick mutters, resting his head on yours. You hum snuggling closer to him.

“You have the day off or you’re taking the day off?” You wonder.

“Either way you’ve got me all day tomorrow... later today,” He corrects himself noticing that it’s technically early morning instead of late at night.

“You don’t have to take off work to babysit me,” You mumble.

“I don’t have to do anything but I want to spend the day with you tomorrow,” He tells you. Having grown up with his stubbornness, you let it go. “It’s gonna be a sunny day. I thought I’d take you to a market in the next town over,” A small smile comes to your lips. “Do you wanna try and get some more sleep?

“I was actually debating pouring a stiff drink,” You admit. “I’m gonna have to see if Wally will talk to me and give me some of that strong shit he drinks cause what you have tastes like water,” Dick scoffs.

“You used to get fucked off of three beers,” Dick mutters.

“Then I got super metabolism and cheap drinking went out the window,” You grumble. Dick kisses the crown of your head.

“I’ll give him a call,” He whisper. 

“Diana sent you an email while you were asleep,” You tell him. He hums questionably. “They’re making a memorial for the fallen... I wonder if they’ll ask me to be a guest speaker,” You snark sarcastically. Dicks grip around you tightens. “I guess they figured since I’m ‘back-to-normal’ there won’t be anymore mass superhero killings,” Your eyes become misty. “She was nice enough to put a list attachment,” You voice shakes. “Katherine, John, Oliver... Donna,” You clench your eyes as you slowly breakdown.

“Hey, hey, stop,” You shift to straddle his waste. You cling to him, your head falling into his neck. He pets the back of your head and rub circles into your back. “Shh, sweetheart, it’s alright,” You try to keep collected even though you’re falling apart. “Y/n, look at me.. Please, baby,” You reluctantly pull from his neck. He presses his head against yours. “Tell me what to do, how can I help?”

You didn’t know how to answer, so you just move your head back to the crook of his neck. His arms lock around you as tightly as he can hoping that he can hold you together.

How could you come to terms with what happened? It’s not like there’s a shrink that could be trusted with the information in your mind. It’s not like that many people knew what you were going through. You just wanted to be normal again.

When you calmed down, Dick continued to hold you tightly. You would sniffle here and there but other than that neither of you made any noise. When you slowly began to drift off, Dick stood from the loveseat. His hands held you securely to his chest as he carried you back to bed.

When you both laid down, you faced each other. There was hardly space between you but enough to look at each other. The light of the moon gave just enough light to be able to see prominent features of his face.

“It won’t be like this forever,” He promises, brushing his fingers across your cheek. Your eyes slowly begin to close.

“Do you think there’ll be an antique shop by the market tomorrow?” You wonder.

“I’m sure we can find one,” He whispers, tugging you to his chest. You snuggle close, lightly kissing his peck.

When the sun rose, neither of your were necessarily in a hurry to leave the comfort of the bed. It wasn’t until a little past noon did you two finally get up. You tried to be uplifting and happy as you went through the market but settled for content and not sobbingly falling apart.

You had nearly a half an hour of peaceful normalcy until you picked up on someone following you. You didn’t know if Dick noticed but you began directing him to a secluded alley. You were halfway down when you sensed something coming toward you.

Instinctively, you spun around and pushed Dick behind you. You hand flew up and caught the red arrow. Toward the end of the alley stood someone you used to get along with but now looked at you with murderous intent. You pushed Dick a good few feet away from you seconds before the arrow exploded. The explosion only singed parts of your outfit.

“Roy!” Dick snapped, glaring at the redhead. 

“Why do you get to walk away?” Roy snapped, gripping his bow. “You hunt us down and kill us for eight years.” He snarls.

“That wasn’t her, Roy” Dick tells him. “She didn’t have a choice,”

“How convenient for her,” Roy snaps. You cast your gaze to the ground in shame.

“What are you doing here Roy? What do you want?” Dick asks, standing with you shoulder-to-shoulder.

“I want justice,” Roy snaps. “You don’t get to slaughter people and just walk away,”

“It wasn’t her,” Dick growls, clenching his fists. “She wasn’t in control, she-”

“I’ll stand trial,” You cut Dick off. His head whips around to you. “The league will decide what happens,”

“They’ve already voted on what to do with you,” Dick reminds both you and Roy. “They know you weren’t in control. You’re just as much a victim as the others,” You look at Dick, your mind reeling.

“Then lets get the bastard that pulled my strings,” You say. You turn your head to Roy.

“They’ve already tried finding the ones that took you,” Roy says.

“Yeah, well they didn’t have me,” You tell him. “I have a better chance than anyone at finding them. You want justice? I want redemption. Let’s avenge those that died,” Roy stares at you, obviously intrigued with the idea. “I can’t do it alone, I’ll need help,”

“We’ll need a team,” Dick says. “Those we trust,” He emphasized. The last thing he wanted was someone convinced you were the problem and trying to kill you in your sleep. He would already have his hands full with the mission and keeping an eye on Roy.

“Have anyone in mind?” Roy tilts his head. 

“A few,” You mutter.

Within a couple of weeks, your team was put together. You convinced Conner to come so that you would have added muscle and someone strong enough to stand against you should the ones you’re going after rescramble your mind. Wally joined mainly to keep the mood lifted and tensions as low as possible. His naturally happy aurora would hopefully keep Roy from turning against you all and to keep him fighting with Dick. 

Plus him and Conner were your friends before all this happened and were the few that remained by your side after all these years.

The last to join was Jason. You added the Joker to the list of people you needed to take down. You wanted him because one, he’s your brother, and two, he’s willing to kill. He knew how to do what needed to be done and most of the people you were going after didn’t deserve a trial nor a second chance.

The six of you were a large and qualified team. You knew not to underestimate you opponent. You knew how to work together. And you all had a reason to fight.

For the first time you felt like you had a purpose, a true and righteous purpose.

“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Dick, dressed in his Nightwing, costume questions stepping up to you. You smile, readjusting your mask.

It didn’t feel right to become Nightshade again. You weren’t that person anymore. You were someone else now. Tim redesigned your costume as you donned a new name.

“This is something I need to do,” You tell him. “I don’t know if it’ll settle the nightmares or ease the guilt but hopefully it’ll give others a sense of closure if we get them and prevent this from happening again,”

“Ok,” Dick mutters, nodding. “If this gets too much, step back and let us handle it,”

“Please,” You smirk. “Without me, you idiots would be running around like chickens without a head,” Dick smirks widely. “Don’t worry so much, baby, it’ll be like old times,” You wink kissing his cheek. The simple kiss isn’t enough for him. His arm instantly slings around your waist and pulls you against him.

Dick presses his lips against yours. You breathe slowly through your nose and lean against him.

“Just like old times,” He murmurs against your lips.

[longitudinalwaveme]

Arkham Files: The Flash (Wally West)

Hugo Strange: From the patient files of Dr. Hugo Strange, director of Arkham Asylum. Patient: Wallace “Wally” West, also known as the Flash. Session One. So, Mr. West, how are you? 

Wally: Let’s go over the situation I’m in, shall we? My wife and I visit your creepy, Gothic asylum-perfectly legally, by the way- to make sure that Bruce Wayne is okay, and you get us arrested on bogus charges of trespassing. Then you pull strings to get me stuck in Arkham Asylum while I’m awaiting trial, and now you’re trying to have me declared legally insane so that you can lock me up in here for good. How the heck do you THINK I’m feeling? 

Hugo Strange: Your hostility is unnecessary, Mr. West. I am trying to help you. 

Wally: If this is your definition of ‘helping’ me, I’d hate to see what you do to people you want to hurt. Seriously, did you go to the Zoom Academy of Making Things “Beeetttteerrrr”? 

Hugo Strange: I am nothing like Mr. Zolomon, Mr. West. 

Wally: I’ll say you’re not. Hunter...he’s sick. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. But you? What’s your excuse? 

Hugo Strange: I do not need an excuse, Mr. West. You may not realize it yet, but you-and all the other costumed vigilantes-are doing more harm than good. 

Wally: What do you mean, more harm than good? I’ve had my powers since I was ten years old, and since then I’ve done my best to hold to the promise that I made to Uncle Barry: to use my speed only to help those in need, to combat evil-and never for my own personal gain. I haven’t been perfect at it-I’m not as selfless as Uncle Barry, and I’ve got quite a temper-but I’ve tried. I’ve really, really tried. 

Hugo Strange: Let’s talk about your Uncle Barry, shall we, Mr. West? 

Wally: Why? So you can twist my words and use them to make him out to be some sort of misguided lunatic? Not gonna happen. 

Hugo Strange: Mr. West, I assure you I bear no ill will towards Mr. Allen. Obviously, you bear a great deal of affection for him. I simply wish to know why that is. 

Wally: Because he’s a hero! He’s brave and loyal and honest and kind and good. He cares about everybody. He uses his powers to protect the weak and help the poor and defend the helpless. He became friends with Albert Desmond when nobody else would’ve given him a chance and got him his job at S.T.A.R. Labs, and he’s tried to help Mick Rory get the treatment he needs for his pyromania, too. He’s raised billions of dollars for charities, and he’s helped to save the world more times than I can count. (Pause) And he does all that while also working for justice as a police scientist! 

Hugo Strange: Mr. West, the exploits of Mr. Allen are well-known. I was asking you why you, in particular, are so fond of him. 

Wally: Well, he did marry my favorite aunt. (Pause) More importantly, though...as a kid, I really needed a hero, and he….he was my hero. My parents barely knew I was alive, except when I did something that inconvenienced them. When that happened, my dad would call me names or hit me, and my mom would wail and cry and guilt-trip….and then they’d go right back to obsessing over their own problems or arguing with each other. I...I felt like I was all alone, except for Aunt Iris. She was the one person in my family who really seemed interested in me, and she also had this awesome job as a reporter in a big city. She was really cool, but because I lived two hours away from her, I didn’t get to see her very much. (Pause) When Uncle Barry first became the Flash, I didn’t know who he was...but I idolized him. I was his biggest fan! I was even the President of the Blue Valley Flash Fan Club. (Pause, laughs) President and only member. The other kids thought he was cool, but they weren’t as invested in him as I was. To me, he represented freedom. 

Hugo Strange: It sounds as though you were a rather lonely little boy, Mr. West. 

Wally: Yeah, I guess I was. (Pause) That’s why I was so excited when my folks sent me to live with Aunt Iris in Central City during the summer when I was ten. And that’s when I first met Uncle Barry. Like I said, I didn’t know he was the Flash yet, so at first I thought he was...well, honestly? Kind of a dweeb. But then he told me that he knew the Flash and could introduce me to him. I was so excited, I probably could’ve inhaled an entire shoe. Anyway, Uncle Barry used his super speed to change into the Flash and act like he’d been waiting for me to arrive, and that’s when I met the Flash. He was everything I’d dreamed he would be. Even though I had been a little bit of a brat to him as Barry Allen, he treated me with respect; like he was happy to meet me and have me around, and it put me over the moon. Eventually, he started to explain how he’d gotten his powers, and that’s when it happened: lightning struck twice. I was doused in the same chemicals he’d gotten his super speed from, and I gained access to the speed force. It was the best day of my entire life. Besides the day I married Linda, of course. I became his sidekick, and from that point on, he was like a second father to me. He laughed at my stupid jokes, got me ice cream, took me on field trips, played games with me….all the things I dreamed of having my dad do with me. Eventually, he told me his secret identity. It was shortly before he and Aunt Iris got married, and I was ecstatic to learn that my favorite aunt was going to marry my hero. I was the ring bearer at their wedding, and from that point on, Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris basically raised me. They helped me through my parents’ divorce. Uncle Barry taught me how to balance a checkbook and apply for college scholarships; Aunt Iris helped me get my driver’s license and taught me how to really notice when other people were in need. (Pause) If it hadn’t been for them, I...I don’t know what would’ve happened to me. Maybe I’d be one of Captain Cold’s strays right now. 

Hugo Strange: Mr. West, let me posit a question to you. If your uncle loved you so much, why did he put you in a costume and allow you to fight dangerous criminals? You became the so-called Kid Flash at ten years old, and by the time you were eleven, you had already faced the Weather Wizard, Captain Cold, and the first Mirror Master-to say nothing of your garden-variety gangsters and thugs. Surely, a responsible adult would have ensured that you stayed far away from such violence...and yet Mr. Allen seemed to almost thrust you towards it. 

Wally: (Annoyed) Thrust me toward it? Are you kidding? If Uncle Barry hadn’t allowed me to be his sidekick, I’d have struck out and done superhero work on my own. I wanted to be just like him, remember? If anything, I thrust him into letting me fight criminals. (Pause) Besides, it wasn’t like he was just letting some random kid fight crime. I had super speed, remember? The chances of my getting shot were virtually nil. And the Rogues have a thing about not hurting kids. I wasn’t in any particular danger, especially not with Uncle Barry watching out for me. 

Hugo Strange: Mr. West, you obviously are unaware of this, but your uncle is a very sick man. 

Wally: Have you been listening to anything I said? Uncle Barry is the best man in the world. If that makes him crazy...well, I don’t want to be sane! 

Hugo Strange: Mr. West, I understand that this is difficult for you, but you must face reality. Your uncle was a very eccentric, very lonely man. He had few friends; most of his life was absorbed in his work. He always wanted to be someone special, but he knew that slow, lazy Barry Allen was no one important. Like you, he idolized a superhero-in his case, the Mystery Man known as Jay Garrick, and, like you, he wished that he, like his hero, was special. When his metahuman powers were activated by the lightning strike, his mind, already fragile from years of being mocked and looked down upon by his peers, shattered. He decided to use his powers to emulate the hero he had read about and idolized as a child, so that he could finally be special. Eventually, his antics drew the attention of other, even more damaged individuals, thereby indirectly inspiring the debut of all the costumed oddities that both you and your uncle spend so much time playing cops and robbers with. And then he met you. Another lonely little boy who wanted to be special. When you got your powers, he saw a chance to expand his fantasy world; recklessly endangering you. He may have been deluded enough to call you a sidekick, but what you really were was a child soldier. No wonder your life was sent into such a tailspin when he was temporarily lost in the speed force five years ago. Without him around to help maintain the fantasy that he had indoctrinated you into, you were lost, and the only solution you could think of was to take up the role that he had once filled. You are not a hero, Mr. West. You are a sad, deluded child; just as your uncle is a sad, deluded man. But I will see that you get the help you need. 

Wally: (Furious) That’s a load of bunk, and you know it! I don’t know what your game is, Dr. Strange, but you’re not going to get away with dragging my uncle’s name through the mud! 

Hugo Strange: Mr. West, your loyalty to your uncle is misguided. He is a dangerous vigilante, one who took advantage of your innocence and loneliness to turn you into yet another costumed freak. What he did to you was wrong, and it is my duty to make sure that you, and the rest of the world, realizes that fact. 

Wally: (Very loudly) Don’t you talk about Uncle Barry that way, you filthy liar! (Stands up rapidly; knocks over the chair he was sitting in) 

Hugo Strange: Mr. West, I would advise you to refrain from such open displays of hostility. Otherwise, I will have to recommend that your children not be allowed to visit you, for the sake of their own mental health. 

Wally: And how do you think it affected their mental health to have their parents locked up on phony charges, huh? 

Hugo Strange: Neither of you were fit guardians for them, Mr. West. I understand that having them separated from you was upsetting, but it is for their own good. You and your wife obviously love them, but you are too ill to properly care for them, and your wife was only enabling your behavior. It was simply not a safe environment for the children, so they have been removed from your home until such time as you have been cured and can properly care for them. Two generations of costumed vigilantes is quite….(Hugo Strange is frozen solid) 

Capt. Cold: And he’s got the nerve to call us crazy. Really, accusin’ you an’ your missus of being bad parents? I seen how you dote on those kids, West. Only a nutjob could think you were unsafe for ‘em. 

Wally: Captain Cold? 

Capt. Cold: The one and only. You ready to bust outta this joint, kid? 

Wally: Are you seriously asking me to help you escape prison? 

Capt. Cold: Sam got Lisa and all the guys out already, and I’ve pretty much already escaped, kid. Just figured I’d be nice and get you outta here, too-before the Doc decides to give you a lobotomy. (Freezes and breaks Wally’s metahuman power dampener) Besides, Central City is furious over what happened to you and your missus. They ain’t exactly gonna expedite you back here. 

Wally: All right...but as soon as Iron Heights gets rebuilt, I’m taking all of you Rogues straight back there. 

Capt. Cold: I wouldn’t have it any other way. (Pause) C’mon, kid. Let’s blow this popsicle stand.

[justcourttee]

So you are one of my favorite writers for the Maribat Fandom and this is litterally like just on the edge getting ready to dive into barely there territory. . . but imagine Chloe "Queen B" Bourgeois deciding that Roy Harper is her future husband because he is the only one her age with the potential to even hyphenate Queen. She /will/ get her title in her civilian life if she has to drag Roy to the courthouse herself. Cue shenanigans and chaos friends to lovers lol

You’re so sweet and I hope I did your prompt justice. I love the Roy X Chloe energy and this is just something I could picture cannon Chloe trying. I hope you enjoy! @risaxtitan

The Future Mrs. Queen

The day Oliver Queen announced to the world in that fated press conference that he was adopting Roy Harper, the younger boy had no idea how much his life was about to change.

He was still floating on Cloud 9 as he stepped off of the stage and into the crowd where his friends awaited him.

“Dude, congrats! It’s like all official now!” Adrien clapped him on the back, causing him to stumble forward a little.

“It still feels unreal.”

“Tt, it’s not like your his blood son, but I suppose this will be a good opportunity for you.”

Roy cocked his head to the side as he tried to debate if Damian was congratulating him or not. A small smack echoed following an ‘oof’ as Marinette’s bright smile entered his view.

“I’m so happy for you Roy! Conner, Jon, and Wally wanted to come with us, but you know how it goes. Always a mission somewhere.”

Roy shook his head, the smile still plastered across his face.

“It’s fine Mari, it’s not like today was the real thing. This was just a press conference. They were there when we officially signed the papers and that’s what matters in my book.”

“So, like, is your last name officially Queen now?”

Roy’s attention snapped to his left where a familiar blonde stepped out from behind Adrien. She fiddled with the ends of her curled hair, her mischievous blue eyes locked onto his. Certainly if a beautiful girl like her had told him her name, he wouldn’t have forgotten it.

“I suppose so. It’s officially Roy William Harper-Queen.”

Her smile was blinding as he nervously reached back to rub the back of his very warm neck.

“Oh Gods, we are so dense! I’m sorry Roy! This is my friend Chloe Bourgeois! Adrien was supposed to introduce you two earlier, but we all got separated in the crowd. She’s a big fan of Oliver Queen, so when she heard my dear friend was getting adopted by him-”

“I just had to come.” She stepped in front of Marinette, reaching forward to grab his hand. “Did you know that I tried to legally change my name to Queen? But my mother wouldn’t let me! She’s ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. Something about it wouldn’t be good for my modeling career or whatever. But now, you can help me with that! Can’t be bad if it’s my husband’s last name.”

Roy stumbled out of her grasps, his entire face matching the red on his head.

“Hu-husband? Girl, we just met. You can’t go around saying things like that!”

Chloe waved off his embarrassment as her blinding smile pulled into a mischievous smirk.

“Like it or not Roy Harper-Queen, you will be my husband, even if I have to drag you to the courthouse myself!”

“Yeah right blondie.” He couldn’t help the stutter in his voice as he hid behind Damian’s chuckling figure.

There was no denying how attractive she was, but he would be damned if he let a pretty blonde step in and seal his fate.

“Maybe not today, but you’re going to love me Roy Harper-Queen, just you wait.”

The flip of her hair felt like a slap across his face as he watched her retreating figure dragging Marinette with her.

“So like, Can I be your best man? I know that you’ve known the other’s longer and all, but like we are always hanging out together! That has to count for something.”

Adrien’s wide eyes and pout earned a slight chuckle from the redhead as his eyes trailed back to where his friends stood.

“Sure Agreste, I’m sure everyone won’t mind one bit. You might have to fight Tim-”

“Tt, is that supposed to be a threat?”

Adrien and Roy shared a look before bursting into laughter. Roy slung his arms around the two boys as they headed off into the crowd. He wouldn’t see Chloe for another couple of weeks, but that didn’t stop the blonde from monopolizing his every thought.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“C’mon Arsenal, you really going to let your ass get beat by a little girl?”

Roy sneered as he pushed himself off the matt for the third time that day.

When Dick asked if he wanted to train with the Batclan, Roy was over the moon. Batman hardly let anyone into his special training spot without him being there. He didn’t think twice when he put the motorcycle in park outside of Wayne Manor. He already knew what to expect, Dick’s flexibility, Stephanie’s strategy, Damian’s rage. What he wasn’t expecting was to see a certain blonde and his two friends.

“She’s not beating my ass Stephanie, I just don’t want to hurt her.”

Dick had a hard time holding back his laugh as he leaned on Marinette for support. A hand shot into his line of view as he accepted Chloe’s helping pull him the rest of the way to his feet.

“C’mon mon chéri, your face is pretty too, but it’s not going to make me pull my punches. Give it to me, cherry.” She sent a wink in his direction as she set up for another spar.

If you asked Roy later, the red in his cheeks was from the anger at being called a cherry, but anyone could see the blush betraying him.

Chloe darted forward, dodging his first swing before smacking his butt.

“HEY!”

Roy pushed himself out of her reach as Stephanie and her shared a fist bump. There was no way he was getting out of training alive. He needed a way to finish this as quickly as possible.

“Blondie, what if we make a bet?”

Chloe raised her eyebrow at him, encouraging him to continue as she set herself back up in the circle.

“The next one of us to pin the other gets to pick the next hang out spot. I know it’s your turn in the rotation, so if you win, nobody will put a restriction on your choice.”

Her eyes glistened dangerously as a collective gasp sounded behind them.

“Hey, Roy, are you sure you want to do that? She-”

“Shut it Agreste. The boy has named his terms, no restrictions for me, or he gets to steal my turn. I’ll gladly accept Ginger.”

A sudden shift in the atmosphere was easily noticeable. Inadvertently, a shiver went down his back as every hair on his body stood in high alert. Her first strike was quick, he barely lifted his arms up in time to block it before she had hopped backwards, ready to hit again.

He thought he was the one holding back before, but clearly he was underestimating. Here she was, no longer holding back, toying with him as if he was nothing more than her prey. It was a bit terrifying.

Just as he extended his arm to try and make contact, Roy suddenly found himself on his back, her knee at his throat.

“God, when did you even knock my feet out?”

Her eyes were dancing with humor as she slowly stood, offering her hand to the boy below.

“We tried to warn you, my friend. Chloe doesn’t do competition, she destroys them.”

Adrien offered his hand as well and together the two blondes heaved him to his feet. Marnette shook her head solemnly as she and Dick mock prayed for Roy’s fate.

“So, no restrictions huh? That means overseas is fair game.” Chloe placed a hand gently on Roy’s shoulder sending a chill down his spine. “Guess tomorrow, we are going to Paris, France. Richard, is there a Zeta-Tube that does overseas?”

Dick finished his mock prayer before sending a nod in her direction.

“Perfect. Marinette, tell your little gloomy boyfriend and Timothy that we will be taking a day trip tomorrow, to the city of love.”

She sent a wink to Roy as she stepped out of the rink to grab her towel. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t ignore the racing in his heart all from one little comment.

“You are falling so hard, my friend!” Roy flinched as Dick threw his arm over his shoulder, sharing a fist bump with Adrien.

“I am not! I barely know her! We’re like acquaintances, at most she’s just a friend.”

Adrien stiffened as he bit back his laughter.

“Just you wait, after tomorrow, you’ll be questioning everything you know.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Roy was indeed questioning everything, like his sanity, as he stepped out of the tube and onto the tallest platform of the Eiffel Tower. Taking a quick step back from the edge, he found himself pressed against the cool metal.

“Isn’t it like illegal to be this high up?”

Chloe’s giggle filled the air as she smacked his arm lightly.

“Of course it is, for normal people that is. We can’t just have everyone using the Zeta tubes ginger.” Her fingers curled into his hair as she gave it a light ruffle.

“Tt, man up Harper. Even if you fall, it’s not like you’d hit the ground before someone here saved your sorry ass.”

A small ‘oof’ echoed from where Damian stood as Marinette stepped out of the tube.

“You didn’t even hear what I said!”

“True,” she shrugged, a smug smile pulling at her lips. “But I assume you were making fun of Roy.”

Damian huffed under his breath as he snaked his arm around her waist, drawing her into his side. Roy was never sure how someone like Damian could have landed a sweet angel like Marinette, but if it meant he had a constant guardian angel, he could care less.

“Where’s Adrikins?”

“He said, and I quote, ‘I don’t want to be a third wheel and neither does Tim.’”

Chloe rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide the sparkle from the new information.

“Looks like it’s a double date!” She gripped Roy’s arm pulling him from his safety. “You wouldn’t leave me alone to those two annoying lovebirds would you Harper?”

Roy gulped nervously as his eyes darted between the couple and the blonde hanging off of him. With a sigh of defeat, he nodded, allowing her to pull him closer to the edge.

“I hope you’re ready Harper because if you survive today, there’s no way you won’t fall for me.”

Without warning, Chloe used all her strength to push him off the platform. The scream caught in his throat as the wind rushed past him. Some first date! Here she was trying to kill him within the first five minutes!

A flash of yellow flew past him, catching his attention briefly before an arm yanked him out of midair. This time, the scream managed to slip out, but instead of fear, he felt instant relief as he flew through the air pinned to Queen Bee’s side.

“There was an easier way of doing this Chloe!” He tried to shout over the wind but it felt useless. The only indication that she might have heard his pleas came from the sideways smile she flashed him as the came to a halt in an alleyway.

As his feet touched to ground, his legs instantly gave out. On his hands and knees, Roy reassured himself that this was safe, in solid ground. Moments later, a flash of pink blinded him as Marinette and Damian landed in front of him.

“What’s wrong Harper? You look a little green. I thought that was Oliver’s color.”

Roy’s middle finger only seemed to fuel the egotistical smirk Damian bestowed on him.

“If that was too much, I can’t wait to see how you handle the rest of the day.”

His eyes widened as he tried to imagine what could be worse than freefalling a few hundred feet from the highest structure in Paris. Little did he know, he would soon get his answer.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Bourgeois.” He tried to keep his voice steady as he offered his hand to her, but the condescending stare made him want to crumble.

“What do you expect me to do? Shake your hand? Honey, you may have been adopted into money, but you are not money. I do not touch any person that is worth less than I am.”

She turned her back briskly as Roy slowly dropped his hand, unsure of whether to be insulted or not.

“Mom, Roy is my friend, can’t you be nice?”

Her mother’s cold glare rested on Chloe. Roy had no idea how she managed to stand her ground. He wanted to crumble for her.

“You are lucky I let you into my workshop after you have missed the past three fittings. When I said you could move to America with the Marianne kid, I expected you to still make time for the business. Should I begin looking for your replacement?”

The tension between the two of them was deadly. Roy wanted to step in, tell her mother to back off, that Chloe was a hero who didn’t always have time for fashion, but somehow, he figured it would only make it worse.

“No mother, I am here now am I not? Let us work quickly so that I can return home.”

Her tone was icy as she stepped forward, holding out her arms for her mother to remeasure. Roy shifted from foot to foot as he held back his tongue. Her mother commented on her weight gain, complained that she was going to begin to fat to be her model anymore. She commented on her studies, or lack of, and on her being a class d hero compared to Superman.

It was to quietest he had ever seen Chloe Bourgeois.

“If that will be all mother, Roy and I have to meet up with Damian and Marinette.”

Her mother waved her off. Not a single love you, not even a real goodbye. Roy was sure his face matched his hair by the time they had set foot back into the streets.

“So, Mari’s parent's house isn’t too far from here. Wanna swing over?”

It was as if a switch flipped. Back was the flirty social butterfly that he had gotten to know over the past couple of weeks.

“Chloe.”

“C’mon carrot top, swinging really isn’t a bad way to transport. It’s quick and effective.”

“Chloe.”

“Don’t be a chicke-”

“Chloe.”

He hadn’t meant to raise his voice, but he knew what she was trying to do.

“Chloe, why do you let her treat you like that?”

Her lips were pressed into a tight line as she turned, taking a step away from the building.

“Chloe, you don’t have to pretend that it didn’t happen. I’m not going to tell anyone, it’s just, the Chloe I saw in there is nothing like the one I’ve come to know.”

“Well, maybe all you know is a lie.”

Her voice was quiet as she took off at a brisk pace down the street. It took Roy a second to process before he took off after her. Gently, he pulled her arm until she came to a stop once more.

“Then let me get to know the real Chloe. After all, I can’t marry someone I don’t know!”

She laughed half-heartedly at his joke, her smile weak.

“She isn’t very good with her emotions and neither am I. I know that she cares, hell, she wouldn’t let me explore this hero side of me if she didn’t think I had potential. But she always puts business first. I never wanted to go into business with her because she can’t separate family and employees. But I need the money. Daddy won’t let me touch my trust fund until I am secure on my own.”

Roy nodded, a number of things falling into place.

“Why don’t you work for Oliver or Bruce like the rest of us?”

Chloe shrugged, her fingers absentmindedly reaching for his.

“They have offered before, but I really feel like the way to her heart is through the family business. I know she wants to leave it to me one day and if I abandon it now, she might reconsider, and honestly, that would hurt her more than me. She’ll never say it to my face, but it would mean the world to me if I could be her legacy.”

A moment of silence passed, and then two as Roy admired the determination that crossed her face. Somehow, it made her more beautiful than she already was. He hadn’t even noticed how close they had gotten until a soft cough snapped him back to reality.

“Well, we only left you for like two hours. Is this a new development?”

Marinette and Damian shared a smirk as Chloe dropped his hand as if it was burning her. She tried to pull up her scarf, but it was too late. The red on her cheeks were burning, matching his he was sure.

“I don’t know what you are referring to Dupain-Cheng. Let’s head back to the tower. A certain blonde must feel my wrath.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

As Roy laid in bed that night, his thoughts kept wandering back to that moment.

She was so close, her lips were so close, so full, so red. They were drawing him in and if Marinette hadn’t stopped them..

“Ughh,” he buried his red face into his pillow, willing his pounding heart to still.

He rolled over to where his phone sat, the dark screen bugging him. Not a single text from her after they returned, not even one from Marinette or Damian teasing him. Reaching out, he lifted the phone toward his face.

Clicking on his photos, the most recent one lit up his entire screen, sending his heart into another fury. Chloe had borrowed his phone, leaving several adorable selfies that he only found a couple hours later.

Not that he wanted to admit it to anyone, but maybe he could admit to himself that just maybe, he was already head over heels for Chloe Bourgeois.

Just as he moved to place it back onto his charger, a text message pinged.

‘Still awake carrot top?’

Roy couldn’t help the smile that tore across his face.

‘Depends. Whose asking blondie?’

‘You’re ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. Now open your window, my arm is getting tired.’

Instantly, Roy shot up as he opened his window. Looking around, he couldn’t find her. He was ready to close it when his instinct told him to look up. Sure enough, Queen Bee sat dangling, motioning for him to move out her way.

With one great heave, Chloe swung into his room, dropping her transformation before her feet even touched the ground.

“Miss me that much?”

The sound of his own voice was foreign as his wide smile was certain to leave his cheeks sore in the morning.

“Oh don’t get full of yourself Harper. I just wanted to thank you for today.”

“Mhmm, this seems mighty personal for a thank you.” He took a step forward, his stomach flipping multiple times.

“I may have also wanted to see you. After all, no text, no call. How is a girl supposed to feel after you almost kiss her?”

She stepped forward closing the gap between them, the smirk on her face as graceful as ever.

“I could say the same thing about you. Running off to another man after spending a day in the city of love with me?”

Hestitanly, he raised his hand to cup her cheek, basking in the feeling of how soft her skin felt against his palm.

“Harper, I want to be to future Mrs.Queen, so what do you say? The courthouse is still open in Paris, we can go right now.”

Roy couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. Gently, he stroked the side of her cheek, admiring her every feature. Leaning forward, he heard her breath hitch in her throat right as their lips were a mere inch apart.

“How about we start with a first date? A real date?”

Chloe’s warm breath tickled his lips as his pounding heart awaited her answer.

“I suppose Mrs. Queen will have to wait, I’ll pick you up, tomorrow Harper. Be ready.”

Just as quickly as he leaned in, she lept back, already calling her transformation. Racing to the window, she looked over her shoulder, blowing him a kiss before slinging away. Hesitantly, he approached the window, watching her retreating figure, his heart still racing a million miles a minute.

It started off a soft chuckle, but it soon grew. With a grand smile, Roy returned to his bed, his thoughts all centered around one blonde. Marriage was sounding less and less like the scary thought he had when he first met her. He wasn’t sure the exact moment that it sounded so good, but he didn’t care.

After all, Chloe Harper-Queen had a nice ring to it.

Permanent Tag List:

@ash-amg @rebecarojas07 @heaven428 @long-lost-peace @thequeenofpotatoeunicornss @moongoddesskiana @nach0ava @iamablinkmarvelarmy @seraphkitty @clumsy-owl-4178 @pawsitivelymiraculous @mialuvscats @leagrey @smolplantmum @animegirlweeb

[callmeelle22]

Blue Dream VII

Pairing: Iris West x Barry Alen

Rating: E

Chapter Word Count: 9, 034

Summary: A series of sporadic dates between Iris and Barry turn into something more, a story in its own making.

Chapter I: Primetime

Chapter II: It's Cool

Chapter III: Anything

Chapter IV: Comfortable

Chapter V: The Way

Chapter VI: Say Yes

Chapter VII: Brave; They fuck with the rain like a soundtrack behind them, like a song that swells and stretches, telling their story, but you're so brave; stone cold crazy for loving me; yeah, I'm amazed; i hope you make it out alive, a song that rises and rises, that sounds too good to be real, that might destroy you, but only in the best way. (Read below or on AO3 linked on the chapter title.)

Chapter VIII: Blue Dream

Brave

Broken hearts are made for two

One for me and one for you

Tell me have you heard the news

We are now in love

Fall break from school is scheduled during the last three days of the last week of October. Before she can take some time off, Iris has midterm articles to write and grade. Barry is busy testing DNA samples or whatever it is CSIs do so they don’t see each other for several days after he leaves her house the morning after Wally’s party.

On the Wednesday of Fall Break, the first day off, Iris lets herself sleep in until almost 10, and then she packs up her bag, stuffing a notebook, a couple of pens, and her laptop in, before dressing comfortably in a pair of dark leggings, and a white oversized CCU hoodie she stole from her brother. Throwing on a pair of white low-top Chuck Taylors, Iris heads out to Jitters. It’s a rainy day, and other than workers who’ve no choice, not many people are out. A storm is brewing for later in the night, the sky dark and cloudy, but for the moment, it’s just a steady rain that has Iris walking carefully to her car and driving a lot slower, thanking her lucky stars that she finds a parking spot right in front of the coffee shop.

Back in high school, especially once her dad had gotten her a used car during the beginning of senior year, Iris and Linda would come to Jitters to do homework or stare at the college boys who would come in. The coffee shop has expanded since then, buying the small antique store that had been next door and adding more seating and a bar that specializes in alcoholic coffee brews. It’s still one of Iris’s favorite places to work because now the manager is a young Black woman with wild curly hair always dyed in one bright color or another and a soft spot for mid to late 90s R & B female singers. The shop is comfortable, with couches and overstuffed chairs in mismatched browns and beiges and blues set up near the walls and windows and several tables, two- and four-tops, taking up the space in the middle. Two of the walls are exposed brick and the others are painted stark white and feature framed prints in wild colors. It’s changed since she was a child, but Iris likes to think that she’s changed with it, that as this integral part of Central City has grown and added light and color and comfort, so too has Iris.

Today, her plan is to outline at least two entire stories from interviews she’s completed over the last couple of weeks before she even thinks about leaving the coffee shop. She settles into one of her favorite spots, a soft navy armchair behind a small circular table. She sets up her laptop, her notebook with her notes, her pens, and once a waiter drops off her brown sugar latte and a chocolate muffin, she lets the sound of the rain, and the Erykah Badu playing on the speakers, get her into her work.

“Hey, beautiful.”

Iris looks up just as Barry stops beside her. She’s been at Jitters for just over three hours now, and her shoulders are cramped and she’s coffee high and hungry. The rain is still pounding down, so hard that it looks like it’s raining sideways, and Iris curses her inability to get any work done in her own home. Besides all that, she’s reeling. She’s just outlined a story of a man explaining the story of the woman he’d loved his entire life: from growing up together in a small city in North Carolina, to becoming best friends and de facto siblings when his parents died and her dad agreed to foster him; from not dating but seeming like it in high school, to falling for other people in college; from having other spouses and children to one night of passion before they found their way back to each other when she decided to leave her husband after his wife died. It was a ride from start to finish, such a roller coaster of feelings—of love and pain and joy and heartbreak—that make Iris feel a bit heavy with them, a little loopy with them.

Barry stands to the side of her, towering above her, in as simple an outfit as what she’s wearing, a pair of black joggers and a white sweatshirt. She’s startled that he's there because she figures that he should be at work, but her heart does tick up at the sight of him. That is, until she lets her eyes rake over his lean frame. He looks a little...down, like a physical manifestation of the story she’s just outlined. His hair is messier than usual and his eyes aren’t carrying their usual sparkle, in addition to the darkening bags that frame them. He’s also a little stubbly, his jaw covered in a fine layer of coarse hair, his pallor a bit ashen.

(Iris will also admit that she thinks he looks sort of, well, good, like this; but that’s neither here nor there and she feels terrible—and maybe a bit perverted—that she’s lusting after him when he’s obviously going through something.)

“Hey,” she responds softly, and she stands up to assess him further. He seems so much taller than her like this, when they’re both in sneakers. She hasn’t seen him since the morning after Wally’s party a week ago when he dropped her back off at her car after spending the night at her place. They’ve talked a bunch and FaceTimed once, but she’s missed him. She reaches up into his hair, rubbing at his scalp a little until his eyes close and he lets out a soft little moan. She keeps at it and then touches gingerly at his face, at some of the moles dotting his cheeks, at the stubble he’s grown. He reaches up to stop her, eyes still closed, and it startles her a little bit. She goes to pull her hand back, but then he holds on to her wrist to bring her hand down and presses a kiss to her knuckles.

She’s never seen him like this. He’s always so open and, maybe not happy, but never so melancholy. There is always a pep to his step, as her grandma used to say, a smile on his face that always said that he feels some sort of contentment in his life. And obviously, people are allowed to have days like this. But it does something to Iris, to see him this way. She wants to lash out at whoever has made him look like this, like he’s drowning in emotions that he can’t easily pull himself out of.

“Bear, you okay?”

He nods, a little woefully, and he catches her eyes again. She bites at her lip as she stares back at him and, on impulse, she leans up to kiss him. It’s just a little more than a peck, something to tell him that she’s there with him; but he takes it a step further, kissing her harder, biting at her lip enough that there’s more pain than she’s expecting. She moans at him and he pulls back, breathing labored.

“I’m sorry,” he speaks. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“It’s fine,” she says. “You didn’t hurt me. Well, a little, but I didn’t hate it.”

That gets a more real smile out of him, and he thumbs at her bottom lip. “Hmm, I guess my good girl is a little bad.”

Iris rolls her eyes and gives him a look, sobering for a minute. “Bear, what’s up? You okay?”

He doesn’t answer her question. Instead, he nods at her table and asks, “you get a lot of work done?”

She eyes him, wanting to ask again. But she knows how she is when she doesn’t want to talk about something and so she lets it go. For the moment.

“Yeah. Or, at least, I’ve done most of what I set out to do.”

He nods, casts his eyes out of the glass, looking at the rain for a moment, watching it fall in heavy sheets. Normally, Iris likes the rain. It’s soothing and she enjoys how it makes the world take a moment to slow down. When she was a little girl, her grandma (her dad’s mother who grew up somewhere at the bottom of Georgia) used to say that when it was raining, and particularly when it was storming, that the Lord was doing His work and that it was the time to be still. They’d have to sit quietly, usually with the TV and the lights off, and just be. And while life doesn’t allow her to drop everything because it’s started raining, there is always a hushed feeling that comes over her when it rains, something tranquil, but also a little turbulent, a little uncontrollable, quite like the very rain she’s reveling in.

“Wanna come over?” he wonders, voice unsure.

She nods readily. “Okay, yeah. Sure.”

He goes to return her mug and plate while she packs her bag back up. He meets her at the door, opening up a large umbrella and throwing an arm over her shoulder to lead her out into the rain. She walks with him past her own car as he takes her a short black away to where his Jeep is parked. He helps her into the Jeep first, watches as she tucks her bag under the seat, and then closes the door before walking around to the other side.

They ride to his house in silence. He lives far on the south side of town, a good twenty or so minutes from downtown if they hit the highway. Instead, he takes the streets, adding another ten minutes to their drive. Iris doesn’t mind; as she said, she likes the rain, and in this big Jeep, tires sluicing easily through the flooding roads in a way her car definitely can’t, she’s enjoying the ride. He had silently connected her phone to his car’s Bluetooth, so she took it to mean that the music choices were hers. She contemplates finding something that he might like, but she figures he likely wouldn’t even be paying much attention. So she decides on one of her slower playlists, ones with songs that dip and fade, that take listeners on a journey of highs and lows, and she lets it play. The lyrics tell too much, so i guess that i should mention; that i am in no condition; to put you in this position; i might fuck this up, although with the heavy weight on Barry’s shoulders right now, she can’t tell if she’s talking to him or vice versa.

He takes them past one of the major shopping districts in the city, past the Apple store and the Michael Kors shop and the one restaurant her dad took her to when she graduated college where pasta dishes run nearer to forty dollars. These shops, and the nicer mall and a couple business buildings that rise as tall as those downtown, lead into longer stretches of road where trees interspersed with beige or cream apartments begin to take up where businesses once stood. He turns into the familiar subdivision that she remembers; it’s a little older than some, which makes sense if his parents were able to buy and pay it off before they were gone. That also means that none of the houses are the same cookie-cutter versions that tend to make up most subdivisions these days, where houses are identical save for the color and the trim and what children’s toys litter the front yard.

He presses a button on his visor and the garage opens as he maneuvers the car so that he can back up into the driveway. He stays in the driveway, though, the music cutting out—but whatever the case, you're my favorite mistake; more than happy to make you—when he turns the ignition off. She waits for him to come around with his umbrella and he half picks her up to pull her out, holding on to her as he walks her through the garage.

She’s as quiet as he is, taking in her surroundings, trying to get a better sense of who he is by what he’s got going on in his house. There isn’t much in the garage; there are a bunch of boxes neatly stacked on one wall, a couple bicycles in another corner. There is a wall full of tools and a couple tables that have science looking tools on them, like a microscope and several bunsen burners and petri dishes, though nothing looks as if they’re currently being used.

He leads her through a door that opens up into the kitchen as he presses another button to close the garage. His house is as cute on the outside as it is on the inside, although she wonders how he might feel if she were to call it cute. The kitchen is large, done in white, gray, and green, with steel appliances, gray marble countertops, and the look of a place that doesn’t get a lot of use. They both stop to toe their shoes off right outside of the kitchen where a couple other pairs of Barry’s shoes lie. His living room is pretty big: a wide space that features a real stone fireplace as the focal point and a large screen television situated above it; a huge sectional in a slate gray with a few throw pillows; and a big square wooden coffee table. It’s masculine and clean without being gaudy or too bro and Iris wonders if he did this himself because even if she never knew her, she doubts a woman who loved flowers as much as his mother would decorate her living room this way.

The dark curtains on the windows are open wide and Iris can see the backyard but the rain coming down in sheets keep her from being able to make out much besides the patio with what looks like a grill and wicker furniture. Iris remembers being told that his dad had been a doctor and his mom some sort of university researcher and the house matches that.

Barry lets her hand go to tug his sweatshirt off, revealing a plain white t-shirt that rises up over his taut belly. She doesn’t avert her eyes, giving herself permission to track how the sweatpants hang off his slim hips and how he isn’t so much sculpted as he’s hard and tight, with just the beginnings of abs. He catches her staring and he smirks at her before dropping down in the corner of the couch, one leg spread out along the seats of the chair.

“Come here,” he tells her, and she moves toward him, sitting so that her back is pressed against that hard chest and his arms are wrapped around her. She grabs a hold of his forearm with both her hands and settles her head in the crook of his elbow. She’s surrounded by his scent, lemongrass and clean cotton, and for a while, the only sounds are his breathing and the pounding of the rain. He touches her, the hand she’s not holding on to stroking up and down her thigh. Her leggings are pretty thin and she feels his touch fully; if she concentrates enough, she can feel those beloved calluses on his hands. He rubs his hand towards the juncture of her thighs and then over her hip and then back again, and like always, his touch ignites something in her, even as she’s wondering how she might be able to help him out of whatever funk he’s found himself in.

“You ready to tell me what’s up?” she wonders a while later.

“Hmm,” he hums, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Not yet. Tell me about your day.”

She shifts so that she can look back at him, noting the way his eyes have darkened a touch, become grayer like the sky outside, and it’s different from the bright blue-green she remembers from the day of the festival or the wicked blue-gray they always are right before he pushes hard into her.

He blinks down at her and licks his lips slowly. It’s not an explicitly sexual act, even if her body thinks it looks that way, and Iris finds herself lost in it, in whatever he’s emanating. It’s erotic in that it’s intimate, a whirlwind of whatever hurt made him seek her out at Jitters, of whatever still lies unexplored between them, of the attraction that doesn’t ever seem to dissipate.

When she pulls herself out, she tells him, “I was working on a story today. One that made me feel a little bit like how you might be right now.”

“Yeah?”

Wanting to look at him more comfortably, she uses his pause so that she can turn around fully and seat herself on his lap, straddling him. His hands automatically go to her hips, one sliding inside the waist of her leggings so that he can touch her skin.

“Tell me about this story,” he requests. She knows that he’s asking so that he can think about something other than what’s on his mind, so she does, giving a little more than she would originally, working out how she might want to tell the story in her blog.

“It was a couple,” she starts, “that grew up together, in the country. They bonded by playing together in the lake, climbing trees, and playing pranks on each other. And then they start to grow up. Their swimming becomes fraught with tension, the bathing suits showing the same skin, but more, ya know, both of them recognizing the differences, cataloging them, thinking about them, remembering them. They don’t act on it, because they’re friends, and he doesn’t actually understand what it means, that he’s 13 and he keeps dreaming about her at night, waking up with a wet bed and a pounding heart. And then his parents die and her dad, who’s a do-gooder in the community and had been his parents’ best friend, takes him in. Now they’re siblings, but of course not. Regardless, it makes it all harder and odder because she sleeps right down the hall from him, their shared bathroom always smells like her, and he understands now, that he likes her smile and the way she speaks and the curves she seems to develop out of nowhere.”

Barry squeezes at her and she pauses as he asks, “And what about her? How does she feel about him?”

“Well he doesn’t know it, but she’s there too. At first she thinks that she’s just conflating it, confusing their friendship. Because she doesn’t laugh with anyone else like she does with him and she never has as much fun with anyone else as she does him and she never feels as comfortable with anyone else as she does him. He’s her best friend. But she sees him, one night, in his room where the door hasn’t fully closed and he’s, well, he’s masturbating, touching himself, eyes closed and moaning, and for the first time outside of the books she’s read, she feels something. And she knows it’s not just because she’s seen him naked because she’s kissed boys before, she’s felt them hard under her before, but something about this feels different for her.

“But she doesn’t act on it. And he doesn’t either, because remember, he only thinks this is one-sided. They graduate. They go to the same college. But their majors are different and their friends are different. She joins a sorority; he gets into a couple of clubs. Their paths separate, even if they still laugh and talk and be when they’re home for the holidays. Then she gets a boyfriend.”

“She never had a boyfriend before this?” Barry questions.

Iris shrugs. “Sure. But it was high school and the beginning of college. They were mostly hookups that didn’t last. This guy is serious. He’s a couple years older, got his own place, and eventually she moves in with him. Heartbroken, he gets a girlfriend too, one of her friends. That doesn’t last long because she figures out that he’s a little bit in love with the main girl, and then he moves on, to someone sweet, someone who’s been not so subtly hinting that she wants to go out with him.”

Barry seems to be engrossed now. She can’t say that the dark look he was sporting is completely gone, but she can see that he’s not as deep in it, interested in the story she’s weaving.

“They go on to marry these people, even if their hearts are not fully in it. His wife has a kid first, her baby comes next. And meanwhile, they’re still friends. Her dad is still his guardian, so to speak; they are together for whatever holidays they don’t spend with their spouses’ families. They still laugh and talk and be. They still look a little too long and want a little too much.

It comes to a head one Christmas. The gods or fate or just some movement on their parts mean that they both go home to her dad’s house with their spouses and children coming in the next day. But her dad is called in to work so they order take out and watch movies in front of a fire. And they laugh and they talk...and they hug and they kiss and they…

“Be?” Barry tries, a tiny little smile on his face.

She matches it. “Yeah. And it’s beautiful, transcendent. But they’re married. To other people. With kids. So they vow to forget it, to never bring it up again. A couple of years pass. They don’t laugh as much, don’t talk as much. She’s having troubles in her marriage. He is too. He actually consults a divorce attorney because he thinks that it’s unfair to both him and his wife, to live like this. And then the wife dies in a car accident.”

“Oh damn,” he mutters.

“Right,” she agrees. “He’s wracked with grief and more than a little guilt, because he loved her but was never in love with her and she had no idea he was going to leave her.”

“What about her? The one he loves?”

“She’s there for him. She consoles him, cares for him, takes his kid when it gets too hard. Her husband doesn’t like it though. Thinks she’s doing too much, thinks that there’s another reason she’s over at his so much. Later, he learns that this wasn’t a new accusation, that even before she and her husband got married, the husband would question their closeness, would wonder what, if anything, had ever happened between them.

“Eventually she gets tired of it. Her kid is older, in their teens now, and she leaves her husband, packing her things and her kid’s too and moving back in with her dad for a while.”

“And what happens between them?” Barry wants to know.

“He and his son come over more. They hang out more, the four of them, going to dinner and to the movies and to the arcade together. And when their kids are gone, at sleepovers or game nights with their friends, they laugh again, talk again. Fall in love again.”

The ending is implied. Iris closes her eyes when she’s done, letting Barry continue to rub at her back, his fingers so so warm on her skin.

“It's a happy ending,” he says, eventually. “But getting there was a little...depressing.”

Iris chuckles softly, lightheaded again at having gone through that again. It likely didn’t make Barry feel any better, but she’ll take the win that it took his mind away from his own problems, if only for a little while.

“Yeah, it is,” she agrees. “But it reminds me that just because it’s not easy and just because it takes some time, it doesn’t mean that things aren’t worth it.”

He nods, slowly, thinking.

“What about things that are...easy? That come like breathing? That start as a simple dance and just, just keep going?”

She stares down at him and she knows that this is rhetorical. She can see the question in the depths of his eyes, feel it in his hands still kneading her flesh. It would be easy to retreat, to tell him that nothing is ever easy, even if the reality is that it is because they are, because they fall into each other so effortlessly, that she’s terrified. There are always hiccups, obstacles, and the fact that she can’t find any keeps her on edge, waiting, anticipating trouble she knows must be coming. She doesn’t want to believe it, wants to stand firm in them—stand firm in the lyrics she keeps hearing, if you decide to stay, know that there is no escape; there's no one here to save you—and she holds onto that as he asks,

“Don’t you think it’s worth it, Iris? Even if it’s this easy?”

She can’t speak, but his eyes are imploring her to answer. Pleading with her for a response. And however terrified Iris is, or however much Iris tells stories, she is not a liar. So she nods and whispers to him, “yes.”

Without waiting for her to say anything more, he kisses her. He squeezes at her waist and leans up to capture her mouth. She meets him with his same fervor and it’s different, this kiss. She knows the passion of his mouth when he’s high, the boldness when he’s teasing her. But this is new, this is fervor, warmth and agony and doubt and pleasure, all wrapped up together.

(Something also tells Iris that there is another word for this, that this is the part of the story where feelings would be laid on the table, where hearts would be splayed open and she’d say it, or he would, and the other would respond in kind, with declarations of adoration, of infatuation, yearning, of any other word that means what she can’t say yet.

But she feels it, what she’s wanting to say, what she thinks he is saying, in this kiss. It is slow and nasty, all tongue and mouth. Her eyes flutter closed at the feeling, at how he licks into her mouth and then sucks on her bottom lip, at how he licks against her tongue and then holds her face to bring her closer to him. She feels it, she feels it, she feels him…)

He stands, holding on to her, and she wraps her legs around his waist, tightening her arms around his neck as he carries her through the house. The kisses don’t stop, though they become shorter, more mouth now, and he takes her down a long hallway past several doors until he turns into one at the end of the hall. She makes a quick note of the light gray and burnt orange decor, the side tables holding books and knickknacks, the one window that spans nearly the entire wall, but she focuses most heavily on the king-sized bed on which he throws on her, the soft comforter half hanging off the bed.

Her clothes come off first, Barry pulling her sweatshirt over her head and yanking her pants over her hips. He comes out of his own clothes as she discards her underwear, and then he’s between her thighs again. But she wants something else first so she taps his shoulder to flip them and then she’s hovering above him.

She gives him a kiss, slow and sweet, and then she makes her way down his chest, kissing as she goes. She loves the feel of his skin against her lips, likes how his skin tastes as she presses tongue kisses on him. His belly clenches and unclenches under her ministrations, and by the time she’s looking back up at him from her position near his crotch, she can see the way his chest rises and falls with his heavy breathing.

She reaches for him, wrapping her fingers around his dick. It’s long like the rest of him, and thicker than she would have expected just looking at him. It’s a pretty dick, the base the same color as him, the head slightly pinker. It’s a little veiny, but the skin is smooth, and already he’s starting to leak. She lifts her eyes to find him watching her, his own gaze hooded. In her peripheral, she sees his hands grip the bed sheets and she revels in how she hasn’t even done anything and his control is starting to slip.

“Tell me what you want, Bear.”

She says the words softly, but Barry doesn’t miss the cheek that lies under it, if the slight smirk he gives her is any indication.

“Your mouth,” he says. “I’ve been dreaming about that pretty mouth wrapped around my dick.”

She shudders at the tone of his voice, at the vision of her on her knees for him. She likes it.

“I bet you have too,” he guesses.

Without a response, she licks him, holding him at the base and running her tongue up one side of him. She does it again, and then one more time, acquainting herself with the taste of him and the satiny feel of him on her tongue, and then she adjusts and covers the whole of him.

“Fuck,” he breathes out.

She hums around him and she sucks him down, taking him until he hits her throat. Then she pulls back until just the tip remains. She licks around his head and sucks him there, letting the spit pool in her mouth, letting it mix with his own wet. She opens her mouth and lets it slide out, dripping down onto him, and her own body starts to drip at his wrecked whisper, “god, baby, look at you.”

She adds her hands, palming his testicles in one and rubbing her spit down the length of him with the other. She finds a rhythm, sucking him down, inch by inch, hollowing her cheeks as she goes, and then stroking his back up. Barry keeps his hand clenched in the sheets, but he cants himself into her mouth, rocking his hips lightly. She’s getting into it, loving the way he responds to her.

“Come here,” he says, suddenly, reaching for her, and she pulls back with a soft pop.

“Barry?” she furrows her eyebrows in question.

He gives her a gentle smile and grabs at her arm; Iris moves at his request, crawling up his body.

“But you didn’t finish,” she says, pouting a little.

“I know. I want to come when I’m inside you.”

She’s mollified by that, and he settles her on his lap.

“You were so good though, baby,” he says, kissing her. “My good, good girl.”

He reaches down to touch her, slipping his fingers easily into her sex. He groans into her mouth at the feel and he pulls back to ask,

“Is this all for me? Did you get wet sucking me off, good girl?”

She nods, rocking her hips against his hand, against his sex still hard beneath her. “Can, can you…?”

He tilts his head at her, fingers still caressing inside of her. “Can I?”

She huffs out a small laugh because he’s always fucking with her. “You said you wanted to come inside of me,” she reminds him.

“I did, didn’t?” He takes his time removing his fingers, eyes on her as he does. Even with the window curtains wide open, the dark sky has the room dark

(and she doesn’t dismiss the fact that the window faces the side of someone else’s house, where they could be seen if the neighbors were so inclined to watch)

and his eyes look a little like molten lead in the faint rainy light like this. He goes to reach over to his bedside table but Iris stops him.

“I want to feel you,” she says.

He licks his lips and she doesn’t mistake the twitch of his dick she feels under her. “You sure?”

“Yes. I’m on birth control. And I trust you.”

He nods once and again, and then he takes her by her hips and slides her down his cock.

After, Iris decides that this time is the single most erotic experience of her life.

They fuck with the rain like a soundtrack behind them, like a song that swells and stretches, telling their story, but you're so brave; stone cold crazy for loving me; yeah, I'm amazed; i hope you make it out alive, a song that rises and rises, that sounds too good to be real, that might destroy you, but only in the best way.

She rides him, and he’s so full in her like this, so deep in her like this. His back is against his fabric headboard and she’s so close to him, her knees jutting into the headboard, her thighs holding around his hips, her breasts rubbing against his chest, nipples pebbling with each brush on those hard planes.

She holds on to him with her hands holding the back of his neck, softly scratching at the nape. But he’s touching her, always touching her, his hands caressing her spine, and then holding her waist, and then squeezing her hips. He guides her: keeps his favorite pace, smooth and languid; bring her up to the tip and fucks her back down; shows her how he wants her to roll her body when he’s full in her, so her clit is brushing the soft hairs on his pelvis, the sensation incredible.

He uses his mouth too: to kiss her throat, deep tongue kisses that’ll leave marks she knows she’ll have to cover up; to whisper against her mouth, “see how easy this is; see how good, baby; fuck, see how good this is; yes, yes, yes, my good girl.”

And Iris feels so caught up in it. She can’t stop looking at him, loving when the lightning slashes across the room and illuminates those eyes, the constellation of moles on his skin, his wet, pink mouth. Her body hums with pleasure, soaking her thighs and his, tightening around his dick as if it never, never wants to let him go. She voices her satisfaction, in soft sighs and heavy pleas, and his name on her tongue like a chant, or better, a song, “Bear, Bear, Barrryyy.” They’re so close, her skin sticking to his wherever they’re touching, chest to chest and ass to thigh. She feels full and whole and filled...with him and with desire and with, and with love, the thought of it making her shudder and close her eyes.

“No,” Barry whispers. “Don’t. Just let it, just let it...stay here with me. Can you do that for me? Be brave for me?”

She nods, head heavy as her body starts to reach its climax, as her body loosens at the same time that it tightens and she has to fight to hold on to him. “Yes,” she moans again, holding his gaze again.

He touches at her face, holding her cheek and staring back. “Good girl.”

She doesn’t know whose climax triggers the other. She just knows that at the same time that her body explodes, fluttering wildly around him, he comes too, so hard that she feels him throbbing against her walls, that she feels him filling her up with his cum.

He doesn’t let go of her right away. He just holds her, hands at her hip and her face, and then he kisses her, cementing what they’ve just done, cementing what Iris feels for him.

“It’s the anniversary of my mom’s death,” he says, out of the blue. “And when I went to visit my dad earlier, I found out that he’s sick, something with his heart, and I’m-I’m reeling.”

It’s been a long while since they separated and Iris climbed off of him to pad into his bathroom and warm a hand towel under warm water to clean them both. They’ve been lying in his bed, only half under the covers as they let their bodies cool. It’s quiet now, so quiet that Iris has thought he’d fallen asleep; she’d almost fallen asleep. But when he speaks, she blinks wide and then turns her head to face him.

“14 years today,” he adds. He’s looking up at the ceiling as he talks, but Iris feels the hand that’s settled at her waist tighten, the move bringing her closer to him. She understands that he just needs the contact, so she turns so that she’s all the way curled on him, one of her legs thrown across him, her arm tossed over him too, hand settled on his heart. It’s beating slow, steady, and so she strokes his bare chest, right it.

“How’d you find out?”

“I was still at school,” he tells her. “It was a Friday and some of my friends had convinced me to go to a football game, so we were there pretty late. Games could run until 11. I was 17 so I had my own car. It was an old car; we’d bought it from a guy she worked with. By this time, my dad had been gone for a couple years, and my mom was always working late at the lab, so when I got home around 10:30 that night and the lights were out, I wasn’t surprised.”

He shifts a little and continues. “I took a shower, put some leftover pizza in the microwave, and just as I was sitting down to eat, the doorbell rang. It was the police looking for her next of kin to tell them what had happened.” He sighs heavily. “I got lucky. The courts let one of my friend’s parents take me in until I graduated a few months later. I was able to get a work study job in college to pay my bills since the mortgage was already paid off.”

He says it all like he was lucky, but there is nothing lucky about losing both of your parents in that matter, even if one of them was still physically alive. Iris knows from experience that he doesn’t want pity, doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for his story. But she can’t help the way she wants to comfort him, and so she lets herself do that, tightening herself around him, snuggling even more into his chest.

“How are you feeling about your dad?” she asks, mumbling against his skin.

“Devastated. He looked like, like, I don’t know, like he’s giving up. I don’t get to go see him too often, every couple of months, really. And he looked so different from when I saw him last: smaller, frailer. I think there might be something he’s not telling me. Like he’s been sick longer than he says he has.”

“Is he supposed to get out soon?”

“Another couple years. But I don’t know if he wants to hold on that long.”

She feels them first, the tears. She tries to hold him even tighter, tries to crawl into his skin almost, trying to stem his pain. He doesn’t cry for long, just a few sobs, and then he’s inhaling deeply and wiping at his eyes. But it must be enough because he sounds a little hollow when he says,

“And truthfully, I’m not so much sad as I am mad, that he seems to be giving up. On getting out. On me.”

She hums, not dismissively, but because she understands. “Wanna know a secret?”

“Yeah.”

“Sometimes, I hate my mom.”

He sort of jerks up at that. Not fully, he looks down at her, eyes widened in shock. However inappropriate it might be, she finds herself laughing a little at his expression. Then she explains.

“I know that addiction is not a moral failing. I know that she struggled right up til the end. I know both of those things as completely as I know anything else. But sometimes I wonder why my dad wasn’t enough, why me and Wally weren't enough. I wonder what she was trying to find in those pills that she couldn’t find in us, and I get so pissed that she let it take her away from us.”

She’s startled when he moves. He pulls himself from under her, letting her fall onto her back, and then he’s hovering above her, holding himself up on his elbows. He falls into the spread of her thighs, his sex nuzzling comfortably against her still warm center.

“I’ve seen some of the worst effects of addiction,” he says, “when their bodies end up on a slab of metal and it’s my job to dissect the things around them, to even sometimes help detectives dissect their lives to figure out what happened. And something I’ve learned is that it’s always, always about them. Never about the people they love.”

He searches her face, brushing a piece of hair back from her forehead. “And whatever your mom was or wasn’t thinking, you are enough. You are more than enough, Iris.” He leans down and gives her a kiss, deep and dirty, and she moans in frustration as he pulls back from her. He gives her a grin, one more reminiscent of the Barry she’s used to.

“Repeat after me,” he commands. “I, Iris West…”

“Really, Barry?”

“Yes, come on. I, Iris West…

She sighs, but says it. “I, Iris West…”

“Am more than enough.”

She licks her lips then, blinks, works to not let the tears that have suddenly gathered in the corner of her eyes escape.

“Am more than enough,” she whispers, finally.

Barry’s smile turns fond. “Good girl.”

She shakes her head because she doesn’t know what else to do besides kiss him. Which she does, deeply, reaching down to grip him in her palm. She pauses, just for a moment, to tell him “you know that you are enough too, right?” and she kisses the look of awe off of his face. It’s a long while before she stops kissing him, and then it’s only to moan into his mouth, to let him whisper his dirty somethings into her ear.

“What are your plans for tonight?”

They’ve just shared a shower. Barry is throwing on another pair of sweats and a hoodie and Iris puts her own leggings back on, sans underwear, and thumbs through Barry’s closet for another sweatshirt to put on.

(There’s no reason that she can’t put hers back on, but she’s feeling particularly sentimental and she wants to take something of Barry’s with her, something that smells like him, that feels like him.)

“None, really.” She pulls out a red sweater that reads Central City University Track & Field and throws it on over her bra. “Why? You kicking me out.”

Barry rolls his eyes. “Of course not.” He glances down at the watch on his wrist. “Wanna get dinner? And then go with me to my tattoo appointment? It’s at 8 tonight.”

She smiles at that. “Sure.”

They take the highway back downtown. The rain is still beating steadily and there is still the occasional rumble of thunder, the sporadic flash of lightning. He parks a bit further in the arts district, in front of a restaurant specializing in wood-fire pizzas and craft beers. This time, she knows to wait for him to come around and open the door for her so that she can walk under his umbrella. Once he locks his jeep, he grabs her hand, and they walk the couple doors down and into the restaurant.

The place is brightly lit, in direct contrast to the dark sky and even the faint light that had been on at Barry’s place. The weather assures that it isn’t densely packed, just a couple booths of families and what looks like a couple, so they’re seated quickly and easily. They eat fast since they’ve only got an hour before his appointment. In the meantime, they both keep the conversation light. It’s been a day, for the both of them really, and Iris doesn’t think that she can cry twice in a day.

After he pays, she goes to the bathroom and he tells her he’ll wait at the door for her. She goes in and it’s as brightly lit as the rest of the place and she quickly does her business and washes her hands before heading back out to where he knows Barry is waiting in the little space between the outer door and the door to the restaurant.

She walks through the place and out of the restaurant door, likely too quickly and without really looking. She takes several steps, straightening out Barry’s sweatshirt again, and then she’s bumping into what feels like a solid wall, almost falling backward. A quick hand reaches out to catch her, the hand large, easily wrapping around her forearm.

“Shit,” she says, shaking her head to clear it as she looks up. “I’m sorr..Scott?”

He doesn’t move back right away and so she has to look up, up at the man holding on to her. Scott Evans is the literal definition of tall, dark, and handsome. He’d been her editor when she’d work at CCPN right out of college, and she’d had the biggest crush on him. Tall with dark caramel skin and a neatly trimmed beard, he’d been the one to help guide her in the ways of mass story-telling. They’d gone on one date and Iris is not actually sure why they’d never gone on another.

“Iris West.” He says her name slowly, his grin widening at the same pace. He gives her a once-over, slow and heated. “How’ve you been?”

“R-really good,” she says, stumbling a little at that grin. Even if she doesn’t actually regret never seeing him again, Iris can admit that a man this good looking makes her a little tongue-tied.

“Yeah? I’ve been catching your blog when I can. It’s some good shit, West. I can see why you left our little paper.”

“Please,” Iris rolls her eyes with a little laugh. “There’s nothing little about Picture News.”

He shrugs, humble all the way. “Still, I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks, Scott. I appreciate that.”

“It’s the truth.” He looks down at her, swiping at his lips with his tongue, and she suddenly realizes that they’re still too close. She steps back fully from him, glancing over Scott’s shoulders to see Barry watching them, his expression unreadable.

“Um,” she speaks, catching his attention. “I gotta go Scott.”

“Oh yeah; of course. We should get together soon. Maybe do dinner.” Scott looks back out of the window where rain steadily pours. “It’s still raining out. Can I walk you to your car?”

Her eyes don’t leave Barry’s and he tilts his head, waiting for her answer. “Scott, I’m not alone.”

He turns as if he’s just realizing that Barry is standing there. Barry is still quiet and only lifts his eyes to look at Scott when he mutters, “oh, hey man.”

Barry nods. “What’s up?” Then he looks at Iris. “You ready?”

“Yeah, I am.” Her voice is soft, cautious, and she throws one more glance at Scott. “It was good to see you.”

He graces her with that smile again. “Yeah. I’ll see you around.”

Barry takes her hand and they walk back to the truck. They’re on the road again, driving to a neighborhood near her own. For a second, she thinks he’s going to take her home, but he passes the road to her apartment and goes on to a neighborhood featuring several bars and little shops that cater to the college crowd. He pulls into the parking lot of a place called Black Gold, the lights inside near as bright as those in the pizza place.

Again, she waits until he comes around and turns as if to get out. He stops her though, holding the umbrella high, standing in front of her open legs. He does his thing, his stare like he's trying, and succeeding, to get inside her mind.

“That your ex-boyfriend?” he wonders.

She shakes her head. “Ex-boss.”

His expression doesn’t change. “All your bosses look at you like that?”

She swallows at the sudden feel of his hand on her thigh. The rain is pounding and drops fall on them, but she’s not noticing it. Instead, she’s caught in the storm that’s returned to his eyes, in the feel of his hands inching steadily toward her center.

“Don’t tell me you’re jealous,” she says, instead of responding to him.

One corner of his mouth lifts, and the confident, bordering on cocky, Barry is looking at her now, even if that sparkle hasn’t returned quite yet.

“Nah,” he says. “Not jealous. You’re here right now. And you were with me earlier, moaning for me, coming for me.”

He slides his hand between her thighs and because she is, almost literally, always thirsty for him, wet for him, her legs spread easily. He fingers at the crotch of her leggings, and she knows that he can feel her warmth through the thin material. He thumbs at her until she gasps against him, finding her clit in a way that reminds him that he knows her body better than she knows it herself.

“He ever touch you like this?” Barry asks, voice a whisper above the rain. “Make you whimper even without getting your clothes off?”

She is whimpering, as he keeps his thumb on her clit, rubbing on her in slow circles. That’s all he’s doing: touching her with one hand, looking at her with those eyes that tell as much as they conceal, with his voice a deep rumble that rivals the thunder. He might be turned on, but he’s proving a point, naming himself as someone who, well, who owns her, even if she recognizes that no man should claim any power over her.

Heat spreads through her, a low, simmering sort of heat, but it’s enough that her folds grow slicker, start opening like the flowers of a petal waiting to be plucked. He keeps rubbing at her, staying on her clit, staring in her face, so much that she can’t hold his gaze. Because it feels better than it should, and her wet is soaking through these too thin leggings, and her breaths are coming in longer, coming in heavier.

“Tell me he hasn’t, Iris,” he says, commands, and Iris throws her head back, legs widening at their own volition, hips canting against his hand. “Tell me.”

“No,” she moans, eyes fluttering closed. “He never even touched me at all.”

“Tell me it’s just me,” he adds and she’s too far gone to note the pleading in his voice. “Tell me no one has ever touched you like this.”

“No,” she shakes her head. “Just you, Barry, shit, just you.”

“Good,” he groans. “Good, good girl.”

Even if touch is the word he’s using, Iris understands that it’s more. She understands that they’re both wrapped up in uncertainty, never too sure of where they lie in others’ affections, never too sure of where they lie in life at all. She understands that he’s asking her if she feels it too, if she’s there with him, if this too easy, this too natural, feeling is a first for her too.

He’s asking if she’s brave enough to tell him the truth, if she undertands is meaning-understands that I'm no walk in the park; all these scars on my heart; it’s so dark here-even as she’s wondering the same, as she’s feeling the same, wondering if the churning feelings of abandonment make her unworthy somehow. Wondering if he’ll come to see that unworthiness.

Barry leans forward, just a touch away from her mouth, eyes blazing.

“There’s only you too, Iris,” he says, unprompted. “I swear I’ve just been waiting for you.”

He closes the distance to kiss her and that’s enough to take her over. It’s not a powerful orgasm, not like usual, but it does make her shut her eyes tight, make her limbs seize up as she rocks her hips through it. She breathes out, and she can’t stop the little laugh that comes out.

“You really are a dick,” she muses, opening her eyes slowly.

“A polite one, though,” he says, as he stands straighter and holds his hand out to help her down from the car. He holds the umbrella high over her. “See how I’m making sure you don’t get wet.”

“You didn't think of that earlier.”

His grin is devastating but it doesn’t hide the plethora of emotions in his eyes: the simmering lust, the faint traces of insecurity, the grief that’s been hovering all day...the love she doesn’t think he wants to hide anymore.

She hikes up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek, and then she walks beside him into the parlor, words flashing in her head like a sign, but if you’re a warrior, there’s nothing to fear; nothing to fear.

And later that night, as she cuddles up next to Barry is his large comfortable bed, she listens to his soft breathing, the sound a melody to the rain still pattering against his windows. She listens and she stares at him, taking in his features, softer than they were before, the stress of today easing away with every second he’s lost to sleep. A flash of lightning lights the room, and it catches her eyes again, the new tattoo, the purple ink bright on his skin, covering the space from a lily on his shoulder to just over his heart. It goes dark again, his room blanketed once more, but in her mind’s eyes, she can still see the vibrant ink on his skin, the pretty drooping petals of an iris.

Cause you're so brave

Stone cold crazy for loving me

Yeah, I'm amazed

I hope you make it out alive

[river-bottom-nightmare]

“You came.”

No matter how many times Wally said those words, he sounded breathless with excitement every time. With the light of the moon, Dick could see the surprise in his eyes, the lightness in his smile, the way his relief buoyed him up instead of slumping him down. 

“Of course I came. I’ve never failed to show up.”

Dick stepped fully into the clearing, in the middle of the dense wood at the edge of the province. Wally was sitting against a tree, the ground well worn and comfortable. Dick bounced over to him.

Wally shrugged self consciously. “Things are different now, though. After the whole announcement two days ago.”

At mention of that, Dick sighed, and leaned into Wally. Wally opened his arms and let Dick sag into him. “I gave you a heads-up about that. I told you about it the minute they started discussing it in court.”

“I know, I know.” Wally pressed his lips to the crown of Dick’s head, and spoke into his hair. “Thanks for that. I don’t know how I would’ve reacted hearing it from the town crier.”

“Bawled like a baby, most likely.”

Wally shoved Dick lightly. “Me? Never. You on the other hand.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“You were probably on your knees in despair.”

Dick gave Wally a rakish grin. “You like me on my knees, though.”

Wally floundered for a minute, eyes darkening with intent, before he let the teasing moment go. “I do. I don’t like seeing you in despair though. And you’ve been despair far too often for my liking since the annoucement.”

“That’s what started this, didn’t it?” Dick gazed up at Wally. He knew his eyes were keen, and he could look through Wally as easily as still water. Though Wally didn’t have many walls built up around him to begin with, Dick reminded himself, seeing Wally shift uncomfortably. “The announcement.”

“I knew about it, I’d thought about it,” Wally answered. “But hearing it out loud from the crier made it real.”

Dick nodded against Wally’s skin, pressing his lips to Wally’s collarbone briefly.

“Does Barbara know?” Wally asked.

“Probably. She knows practically everything. And she knew this was going to happen, too.”

“Oh did she?” Wally’s voice was suddenly venomous.

“Wally,” Dick sighed. “She’s the daughter of my father’s most trusted advisor, and he used to be a knight. She was always going to be the first choice in my hand of marriage. And she’s my friend.”

“Right, right. I know, sorry.” Wally deflated. “It’s just, well, you were supposed to be mine.”

“We shouldn't have ever become friends in the first place, Walls,” Dick said, softly.

“Do you regret it?”

Dick smiled up at Wally. “What, sneaking out of the palace and meeting the most handsome, clumsy pauper in history? Never.”

Wally made an indignant noise, and Dick laughed in response, pressing closer to his warm body and feeling his arm tighten around Dick’s waist. They sat quietly, moonlight washing over them like a cleansing wave, letting them just be for a while. None of Dick’s royal duties. None of Wally’s daily struggles. No worries about the news of Dick’s engagement to Lady Barbara. Right now, it was just the two of them, Wally pressing soft kisses against Dick’s skin, Dick humming with happiness as he laced their fingers together over and over again.

Of course, Dick should have known Wally could never keep the silence that long. “You remember what I told you? You know, the night you told me about the....” he trailed off. He couldn’t bring himself to say the word marriage, Dick could see it in his eyes, in the tremble of his lips.

Dick shifted his weight, looping his arms around Wally’s neck and sitting on his lap. “Wally. There is nothing in the world I want more than to run away with you.”

“We could do it, Dick. We could get away with it.” Wally’s fingers played at Dick’s hips. “Uncle Barry’s your father’s messenger. He’s been all across the kingdom, he’d be able to hide us away for sure. We can travel the world together, Dick. Just like we always wanted to, when we were kids.”

“And your parents?”

Wally scoffed. “As if they’d even notice.”

“Wally traveling the world with you is my dream.” Dick leaned forward to press his lips against Wally’s once, gently. “But I can’t follow it, not if my family is on the line.”

“Bruce has four other sons!”

Dick shook his head. “None of them want the throne.”

“Neither do you, Bluebird.”

“But it’s my duty. I can’t leave my family like that, I just can’t.”

Sadness was written in every line of Wally’s face, but he just nodded and pulled Dick closer. “I know you can’t. Your loyalty is something I love about you.”

“Loyalty or stubbornness?”

“Can’t it be both?”

Dick huffed out a laugh. 

Then Wally shifted a little, pushed Dick up so he could look him in the eyes. There was something new in his eyes, something Dick couldn’t place for a minute before it came to him. Recklessness. Dick had seen it play alongside Dick’s own too many times to count, but he’d never seen it directed at him before. “I knew our dream was a last ditch effort. We can’t have what we wanted as children, but we can have a little.”

Dick’s brows furrowed. “Wally? What are you talking about.”

“Spend the night. Please. Stay with me for the night. We can dance and sing and steal food from the bakery. And you can press me into my bed without any thoughts about time running out or duty to the throne.”

Wally’s voice was pleading, nearing desperate near the end. Dick put on a contemplative face, but his mind was made up. “I don’t know, Walls. I’ve got engagements tomorrow. Meetings to finalize the marriage, Bruce giving up the crown.”

“Dick, please.” Wally was begging now, pulling Dick towards him with a bruising grip, eyes scouring Dick’s face as if it was the last time he’d ever see it.

Then Dick let the steel filter into his expression, the stubbornness that Wally so often accused him of. “I’ve given them enough. And I’m about to give up my entire life for them. Tonight and tomorrow are my own.”

And with that note of finality, Dick bent down and kissed Wally the way he’d been wanting to do since he first saw him that night. Searing, passionate, syrupy slow and plunderingly deep, as if they had all the time in the world.

i swear to god when i started this it was supposed to be fluff. tag list:  @comicsandhoney @birdy-bat-writes @elles-shitposts-personified @subtleappreciation @screennamealreadyused @pricetagofficial @catxsnow @astroherogirl @yesboopityboop @dangerduckjpeg​

[finalfrontierpioneer]

2020 Fic Recs

Okay, I did a fic rec list last year for 2019, and nobody asked for this, but you know what, I’m gonna do another one. Really the only thing I wanna look back on about 2020 is the fic- bc damn there were some good ones!

Same as last year, these are fics that were completed in 2020. (So no in-progress fics here)

So here goes, 20 fic recs for 2020, in no particular order! And full disclosure, these are all totally different ratings/pairings/whatever.

I tried to tag all the authors who had tumblrs, but i probably missed some, and some of them aren’t actually working but hey! the username is there!

Some stucky bc of course

Sharpened Claws by tragicama (Explicit)

Steve Rogers has a unique talent of getting himself into danger. As one of New York City’s best homicide detectives, it isn’t easy to ignore the constant call of trouble and gore. At least, that’s what he tries to tell his overprotective and brooding boyfriend, Bucky Barnes, even if he knows it might be a lie.

Bucky is dangerous, gorgeous. . .and a werewolf. As the Alpha of New York City, he is easily considered the most powerful being in the world. But when Bucky begins to lose his control over his shift, he slowly becomes aware of a bond that sends him reeling, and one he’d never thought possible.

But everything is not as it seems. After a homicide case unleashes a sequence of events that neither Steve nor Bucky are prepared for, they soon find themselves entangled with a danger that threatens to rip them apart. With the help of Steve’s partner and best friend, Sam, Bucky and Steve navigate a dark web of pack politics, masquerade balls, and a crash course in what it means to be a pack, even as a greater danger looms. And one that might succeed in ripping them apart.

These Happy Gilded Years by crinklefries @spacerenegades, nalonzoo (Teen)

Steve Rogers, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and mostly happy disposition, had lived twenty-three years in the world with very little to distress or vex him.

( Steve is wealthy and and charming, with good humor and good temper, doted upon by his mother and the highest of New York Society, with no one to ever criticize or say the word no to him. Well, other than Bucky. But he doesn't count.

He is also warm and friendly and has a talent for matchmaking. Or so he thinks. Actually, he's kind of terrible at it.

Importantly, Steve will definitely never fall in love or marry, himself. He tells everyone this, repeatedly. Well anyway, we'll see about that. )

Jane Austen's Emma, but a little gayer, set in 1890s Gilded Era New York City

Demon Seed by SucculentHyena (Mature)

[Transcript 00:11:48]

MS: You were with him the most throughout the course of events, both before and after. Your account could shed light on something we may have missed.

JB: What difference will that make?

MS: It could make all the difference. Captain Rogers’ case is unprecedented, he’s the most intact victim we’ve ever recovered-

JB: [laughing] You call that intact?

A Noble Steed by alby_mangroves @albymangroves or @artgroves, leveragehunters (Teen)

"You say the Warhorse showed up last night," Sam said in tones of profound doubt.

"Yeah," Steve replied.

"The Warhorse. The Warhorse of legend. Daelland's Warhorse."

"The same as the one on the back of the transit card, yes."

"And he appeared in your living room?"

Steve eyed the Warhorse, very large and very black and giving him a dubious look out of his strange grey eyes. "He's standing in it right now."

"Uh huh," Sam said.

"Hey, I'm not any happier about it than you are."

* * *

Steve's mom had left Daelland long before he was born, following her heart to New York, but she'd raised him on stories of its famous Warhorse. Before she died, he'd promised he'd go back and learn the country she'd come from.

That was why he was in Daelland. Not so Daelland's legendary Warhorse could appear in his living room. But planned or not that's what had happened—now Steve had to figure out what to do about it.

a hat, a horse (a Hyundai), and the will to ride by elkane @elkane, synonym4life @synonym-for-life (Explicit)

After Steve and Bucky rescue their pals from the Raft prison, they decide to dig deeper into Zemo’s involvement in the UN headquarters’ bombing which sends them on a backpacking trip across select European countries. Steve and Bucky believe this is a story about their mission. Scott Lang and Sam Wilson, who join them halfway through, believe it’s a story about their Eurotrip (and they’re probably right). This writer, however, has been waiting to tell you that the fic’s true mission is Steve and Bucky missioning towards missionary.

Follow them on their journey across Europe in tiny cars, packed subway trains and even on skis as they tumble down the Swiss Alps (in a fun way this time!), all the while reigniting untold feelings of the past through inappropriate sexual encounters and terrible communication skills.

someday at christmas (there’ll be no wars) by stevebuckiest @stevebuckyinc (not rated)

A mission on Christmas. Not even on Christmas, technically. A mission after Christmas which means he and Steve and the Howlies will be trekking through the tundra towards possible death on what used to be Bucky’s favorite day of the year. Jesus Christ.

(alternatively: bucky and steve try to make the best of a shitty situation)

the cabin by natalie_nebula (Explicit)

It felt like he… It felt like they were always so close. Everything seemed like it was under control. He remembers hearing Wanda’s voice, seeing a flash of red out of the corner of his eye. He remembers yelling something back at her, telling her to stop, to not come any closer. He remembers a bright flash, then a boom, and ringing in his ears. He remembers a black blur, and hands on his back, around his waist, then—darkness…

After the explosion in Lagos, Steve wakes up in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, and all he knows is that Bucky's the one who brought him there. While Sam, Nat, and the other Avengers try to figure out what happened to their friend, Steve takes the time away to heal—both his relationship with Bucky, and with himself. My cozy, romantic, and introspective Civil War rewrite.

Every Feeling by Nestri (Explicit)

Steve completely surprises Bucky with a visit, scent thick with heat. The Alpha keeps his hands to himself until Steve makes it clear he doesn't want him to.

Halbarry!

A Speedster and a Space Cop get into a Car by ChocolateTeapots @chocolateteapotsvis (Teen)

Hal and Barry embark on their most perilous mission yet: picking Wally up from the airport.

For Halbarry Week, Day 3: First Times “And you just called me Barry, genius”

Crosswind by Cinderstrato (Explicit)

Hal had collected plenty of regrets over the years. What was the weight of one more?

Just A Mark by the_butler @the-butler-fanstuff (Mature)

“What a nerd.”

Barry had been haunted by these words all his life, seeing as they were his soulmate’s mark. It came out during puberty, just like everyone else’s, but by then he was already well on the way to being a ‘nerd’ so to speak. He wasn’t just some guy claiming to be nerd because he was into Dungeons and Dragons or anime, oh no. He was a bona fide science nerd- went to interstate science fairs and competitions even.

—————(Originally a one-shot, now continued)——————

Barry Allen was working at the forensics lab of Central City PD when it waltzes the new transfer from Coast City, Detective Hal Jordan, not just into the lab but also into his life. There’s the matter of them being soulmates- but Barry is unconvinced. Science tells him there’s a likely chance that they’re just platonic soulmates, so Hal suggests an experiment of sorts: they go on three dates, and then decide whether or not they’re just platonic, or something more.

Tired by ceelolights @ceeloilights (Gen)

Hal comes home to Barry still working late into the night.

Last but most certainly not least, Jeronica:

The long way round to heaven by Bearfacedcheek (Mature)

“This could screw everything up. Jesus why couldn’t you just, fucking not?”

“I did just fucking not Jughead,” she retorts hotly. “I’ve been not for months. No one was ever supposed to know, least of all you. So, don’t blame me for what you saw when you invaded a private moment.”

“Oh, my bad Veronica,” sarcasm, his most comfortable armour, wraps itself around his words. “Did my near-death experience compromised your privacy? I’m sorry that my spirit took an astral fucking walk out of my almost corpse and y-”

“Don’t,” she gasps. Her hand flies to her mouth and it trembles visibly as she draws it away. “Don’t say that. Jesus Jughead we almost lost you.”

sadder, badder, cooler by thefudge @thefudge (Teen)

AU. Just who is Veronica's mysterious new husband? (based on season 5 spoilers)

all i’ll ever need is you by whatacoolkid @whatacoolkid (Teen)

jughead and veronica but make it ✨christmas✨

destined to be forgotten by bothromeoandjuliet @kindnessinpain2000 (Teen)

There are plenty of broken things in Riverdale - broken families, broken trust, broken hearts - but in the middle stands the two most broken things of all, Veronica Lodge and Forsythe 'Jughead' Jones.

(Jughead and Veronica learn about the Barchie kiss - this is the aftermath)

I Really (Don’t) Know What I Want by Bella_Dahlia @bella-dahlia (Mature)

There were many potential disasters to befall an average weirdo high school student; when one had an active imagination and a love for John Hughes films, as Jughead Jones did, you sort of assumed you had foresaw the possibilities. Plus, after solving a sordid murder and joining a gang, he really thought he gone through his fair share of teenaged trauma.

Having to fake a relationship to save his best friend from dedicating his life to a mafia and getting punched repeatedly in the process definitely had not crossed his mind before now.

——————————————

Or, Jughead and Veronica don’t really know what they’ve gotten themselves into.

all the lovers with no time for me by Krewlak (Mature)

jeroncia goes to stonewall. that's it. that's the fic.

call it what you want to by an_expensive_imagination (Teen)

“First things first,” Veronica says, reaching up to slide the ever-present gray beanie off his head, “no beanies in college.”

And here’s a one off random spideypool:

Shooting For Your Heart by X_Gon_Give_It (Teen)

“In my defense, I didn’t expect you to get hurt.”

“And I didn’t expect to be run out of town, yet here we are.”

He went suddenly stiff, “Wait...you were run out of town?”

“As if you didn’t know,” Peter grumbled, but when he looked up he did a double-take at Wade's confused expression. “Almighty, you really don’t know, do you?” he snapped the drawer shut, “Well, after that little fiasco by Two-Stone Canyon, a little rumor spread that me and you were in cahoots. The rumor got some ground and it turned the whole town against me. I was run out before I could defend my case. Why'dya think I was out there the other night to begin with?”

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When Peter Parker, a deputy known as Webslinger, gets accused of working with the West's deadliest outlaw he finds himself on the run from the people he once trusted. In an effort to prove his innocence, he finds himself captured by the very outlaw tarnishing his name.