#leverage bruce into paying for his college

[confusedshades]

OP's tags

So here's the thing. Tim hasn't slept in a while and all the time he's spent staring at screens recently hasn't helped his eyesight any. He's tiny, sleepy, suffering from dry eyes and the beginnings of needing glasses. That combined with the passage light being out right above Danny's apartment door isn't really a good combination.

So the next morning when Tim wakes up on Danny's couch to see him making himself a cup of coffee, he's confused. Because? That's not Dick Grayson? Who? and then- HOLY CRAP HE IS SINGLE-HANDEDLY RESPONSIBLE FOR REVEALING BATMAN'S BIGGEST SECRET ALL BECAUSE HE MISTOOK SOMEONE'S IDENTITY

Danny meanwhile is standing near his kitchen counter watching Tim's realisations happening. Once he sees full blown panic coming though? He clears his throat gently.

"Kid, I'll make you a deal. You are going to stop following vigilantes and start sleeping regularly. In addition you're going to answer some of my questions. In exchange, I'm going to force Batman to take me on as Robin."

Tim's sputtering "You?" clearly showed what he thought of the whole thing.

Danny just slurped his coffee. "I've already got previous experience and a certain.... shall we say resistance to bring hurt. I've also got training which you don't have."

"Hey! I run track and take martial arts classes!" Tim's face reddened in outrage made Danny want to smile but he knew it would only frustrate him further.

"Okay so you've got some training and endurance. I've still got training that you don't have yet. I'm also legally an adult and your a kid in school. So. What do you say? We have a deal?"

Tim: I know who you are.

Danny, squinting down at him wearing Hello Kitty pjs.: What are you talking about? Who's child is this?

Tim: Batman has gotten too dangerous. He is a threat to himself and others. He needs a Robin to keep him sane. You need to come back to Gotham.

Danny: Kid-

Tim: I have proof! I'll release it all!

Danny sighing: I was just about to have some milk and Oreos. Do you want some?

Later, while Tim is eating his snack, Danny is talking on the phone: No Jazz, of course I'm not Robin! How was I supposed to know that turning off gravity so I could do a crazy hard flip would lead to a literal toddler thinking I was Robin? .....Because apparently, the quadruple somersault can only be done by four people in the world.....I don't know! What am I supposed to do with him? Tim already threatened to become Robin himself! He's so tiny, Jazz! I can't just send him out in the field like that!.........Look, Batman is spiraling. He'll never notice.....yes, I'm sure. How hard can being Robin be? I was already Phantom for a few years.

[youwerenevermeanttofeelalone]

Within Arms of Heaven | Damian Wayne

✦ pairing — older!Damian Wayne x Plus Size Reader, past!Bucky Barnes x Plus Size Reader

✦ word count — 13.1k

✦ summary — you find out secret relationships are not always a good idea the hard way, but it doesn’t matter in the end.

✦ warnings — nsfw, angst, reader is Tony Stark’s niece, mentions/depictions of cheating, a brief relationship with an age gap, hypersexuality, smut, unprotected sex (please don’t do this), oral sex (both receiving), vaginal sex, there’s a scene that could be triggering in terms of sexual assault but sexual assault is not depicted in the story, fluff

✦ a/n — I hope this isn’t too long, lmao. Let me know what you think!

❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎

Childishly, you did your best to adopt a comfortable position and faked being asleep the moment you heard the front door open. If you tried hard enough, he might’ve felt pity and cuddle you for once.

The mattress dipped. You waited as your ears picked the shuffling of fabric and sheets.

“I know you’re awake,” Bucky whispered in your ear, pulling you against him as his hard-on rubbed against your ass.

Letting out the smallest strangled sound you were capable of, you turned around. He immediately kissed you, rolling you over so he’d be on top.

You stretched your arm in order to turn the lamp on, but Bucky stopped you, pinning your wrists over your head with one hand as he kissed down your neck. You opened your legs, waiting for him to get comfortable between them.

Bucky pulled your panties to the side, making you hiss as the cold air hit your pussy. He pulled his cock out and entered you in a swift motion, grunting lowly.

You moaned louder than you had intended. Bucky clamped his free hand over your mouth, tightening his grip around your wrists with his metal hand to leverage himself as he pounded into you.

“Will you be here when I wake up?” You asked as you caught your breath.

Bucky sighed, “You know I can’t.”

Humming, you nuzzled against his chest. With his arm around you and heartbeat under your ear, you fell asleep only to wake up to a cold bed.

You didn’t mind rough sex, but hiding the bruises was getting harder and harder. This time Bucky had gone a little too far, wearing makeup on your wrists would seem excessive to anyone.

To make matters worse, when you thought you would have time alone with him he decided to be late again after having promised he would be there at 8.

There was nothing you could do to keep him from being late or from canceling plans, he didn’t want to tell people you were dating and you respected that. He wasn’t ready, he didn’t want to be seen as a creep — you understood, you always would understand.

His lateness turned into absence.

Your intentions had been to say goodbye properly before he embarked on the mission he would be part of with Sam and Sharon. Oh, well, you would have to make do with wishing him good luck in the morning.

Watching the team leave for missions was ingrained in your weekly routine. There was always something to take care of, somewhere where at least a couple of Avengers were needed.

It was especially common for Bucky to be part of those missions. He always had the energy and the drive to do it, you imagined he wanted to prove to the world — and perhaps to himself— that he deserved his title as an avenger.

His goodbyes were always cold. They had to be, you knew, it was for the best. But you had to wonder if he had ever to stopped to think for a second that one day a cold goodbye could be the last thing he said to you.

You missed him. Sleeping without him wasn’t the same, waking up in a hurry to not be caught with him when you had visitors was a fundamental part of your mornings.

His blue eyes would often ground you, making you feel like you were finally finding the normality your life had lacked years ago. You missed their comfort, how shiny they turned when he spoke about his sister.

But you would see him soon. Tony had told you that the mission was going smoothly according to Sam. He would surely be back for your birthday next month.

Bucky promised you would come clean to your friends and family after the party when the pressure was off Tony’s shoulders.

The preparations for the celebration kept you busy enough, Tony wanted to go above and beyond due to it being the first time you would celebrate your birthday as a legitimate Stark.

Tony had found out you were his niece after everything went down in Siberia. He contacted your mom, his half-sister when he was ready to confront the fact that his father had been worse than he anticipated. They bonded rather quickly, and you had so many things in common with him that he got attached from the day he met you.

He offered to pay your college tuition immediately, but you made an arrangement with him that you would work for him. Tony clarified that you would work with him and not for him, it was an important distinction.

Pepper had been surprised when she got back to run Stark Enterprises and you were there, but she too took a liking to you.

One evening, Bruce and you were the last to leave the lab, everyone else was already in the dining room. Dinner time would arrive soon, and you knew better than to leave Tony waiting.

The chatter was chirpy, they were happier than you had ever seen them.

“What are we so happy for?” You asked, taking your seat around the table.

“Bucky and Sharon finally made their relationship public,” Natasha explained.

Relationship? Public? Sharon? What were they talking about?

Peter showed you a photo on his tablet. There Bucky and Sharon were, happily touching each other as they enjoyed a sunny day at the beach.

Peter swiped his finger against the screen, now showing you a photo of Bucky clearly checking Sharon —his girlfriend— out.

Another swipe and now the photo showed Sharon, —Bucky’s gorgeous girlfriend— kissing him.

So he could go public with Steve’s ex-girlfriend but not with you?

Peter craned his neck to look at you. His puppy eyes appeared in your field of vision, blocking the photograph, as he asked, “Are you okay?”

You immediately nodded, clearing your throat in hopes that the lump forming wouldn’t be audible. “Yeah, sorry. My eyes are tired.”

“See, Tony?” Bruce chastised your uncle, “she needs a few more hours of sleep.”

You changed the subject, “So Sharon and Bucky have been dating for a while?”

Natasha stared solely at you. “You didn’t know?”

“I’m not close to any of them,” you excused your reaction. “They are always busy.”

And now it made sense as to why.

“It’s nice to see Bucky happy,” Peter commented earnestly.

You hummed, lifting your glass to take a sip of water.

Every time Bucky had complained because you were close to someone else was now infuriating. He had accused you of cheating on him with Peter just because you had fallen asleep watching a movie with him, then a week later he had bluntly asked if you would rather fuck Sam after you helped him to fix his wings.

Turns out he had been projecting the whole time.

You were less than excited about your birthday now. Wishing he wouldn’t come back in time for the celebration, you busied yourself with work like your mom did when your dad left.

He didn’t deserve your tears, nor your time really. You felt stupid for believing he worried about his career or what people would think of you for dating someone older. His excuse of wanting you to find a balance between working at the company and personally with Tony hurt the most, you had found how much he cared comforting.

The worst part was not being able to show how you were feeling. It was extremely hard around such smart and cunning people. Pepper was the one who asked first, and you could tell she had talked about it with Nat due to how quickly the redhead took interest in the conversation.

“I’m kinda overwhelmed,” you admitted.

Nat threw an arm around you and pulled you closer to her. “Birthdays, huh?”

“Yeah,” you sighed, relieved unbeknownst to them.

Sam was back already, he said he wouldn’t skip your birthday for anything in the world. You appreciated it, yet you felt a pang in your chest when he said they would’ve taken you to the mission if he had known it would be so short.

You had never gone to the beach, you didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of people seeing you in a swimsuit as a teen; and now it couldn’t be that different, much less if it was next to Sharon.

Sam told you once that you would love it as much as he did. You believed him, you just weren’t ready.

Your heart wouldn’t have taken seeing Bucky with Sharon. Although you wondered what would have his explanation been.

The idea of seeing them together on a daily basis was heart-wrenching. You loved your job, your uncle, your friends, too much to simply quit — at least you wouldn’t have to watch them leave each other’s room every morning.

You didn’t know how to feel when Sharon and Bucky arrived. Hand in hand, sporting a nice tan and beaming smiles.

Sharon let Bucky’s hand go in order to approach you. She gave you a warm hug, telling you she had a surprise for you.

“For me?” you hoped you hadn’t sounded bitter.

It seemed like you hadn’t because she grabbed your hand, pulling you toward the couch as she hurried to open her luggage. “I had to buy a bikini at the beach because I didn’t know Bucky would surprise me with a trip there,” she told you, happily.

She sounded so enamored, as though she had always dreamt of having someone like Bucky beside her. You wished he wouldn’t fail her like he had failed you.

“And the store had plus-size items! I bought you the ones I thought you would like.”

You blinked rapidly, trying to hide your shock. “Oh, Sharon, you shouldn’t have...”

“Nonsense, I should have. You will look gorgeous in them.”

Your eyes crossed Bucky’s for a fleeting second. He quickly focused his eyes on the carpet under his feet and your own went back to Sharon who was handing you the swimsuits she bought for you.

“Why don’t you try them on? We might finally convince Tony of giving us a long vacation if you like them.”

Everyone laughed at Natasha’s suggestion, everyone but Bucky and you.

Reluctantly, you accepted. Maybe it would help you get a confidence boost... you definitely needed one. And a hug. God, a big hug.

You had never visited Sharon’s room. The two of you weren’t close, your schedules didn’t align and when they did it was for important events.

She hadn’t visited your apartment either. When Tony asked if you would rather live at The Compound or on your own, you had been tempted to choose The Compound but ultimately decided that you would never be able to unwind in such a busy place.

Peter had been apart from Bucky the person who had spent more time at your place. Spending time with Peter was nice, he was the first avenger you met after Tony and like the younger brother you had always wanted to have. You enjoyed hearing his secrets and silly jokes, giving him advice... Bucky always left you wishing you could at least tell Peter about your relationship.

Sharon motioned for Natasha, Carol, and you to get comfortable in her bedroom.

As you were guided toward the bathroom, to try the first swimsuit on, you saw them sit on the bed where Bucky and Sharon had probably slept on together thousands of times.

Sharon looked proud of her choices every time you came out of the bathroom to show them. Her expression made you feel worse — it would have been easier to hate her if she wasn’t so nice, such a good agent, such a supportive woman.

She couldn’t have possibly known Bucky had been playing with you and now your anger mingled with guilt. Had he cheated on you with her or on her with you?

It didn’t matter; you felt awful.

❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎

You were finishing typing a report for Tony when Peter leaned onto your desk. You hummed, motioning for him to speak.

“Can Ned hang with us this weekend?” Peter asked, tapping his fingers against the edge of the table, “he’s upset because Betty will be out of town.”

One weekend each month, Peter and you would have a movie marathon. Sometimes Tony joined if he wasn’t busy, but it was usually only the two of you with a few visits from Pepper or May here and there, it depended on where the marathon was taking place.

Admittedly, you weren’t in the mood for spending time with anyone, but being alone didn’t sound like something you would be able to put up with. So you told Peter that it was fine, because it was; Ned was nice, he was a far better company than your tears.

Happy drove you to May and Peter’s apartment. They would go out on a date, or so you assumed by how long had it taken Happy to get changed. Your assumptions were confirmed when a blushing May opened the door.

“Ned and Peter are in Pete’s room,” she let you know as she parted from you after kissing your cheek.

Placing the snacks you had brought onto Peter’s desk, you greeted both him and Ned with a wave.

You made yourself comfortable between them. Peter’s bed was too small for the three of you so they had arranged something that resembled a pillow fort.

Focusing on the film became a task after the first ten minutes. You had to wonder why Bucky had never tried to treat you as a friend in front of everyone, why could Ned rest his head on your shoulder platonically but not him? What was wrong with affection towards you?

“Okay,” Ned sighed, pausing the film. “What’s going on with you, (N/N)?”

You almost smiled at the nickname. Should you tell them? They wouldn’t laugh, you had never met sweeter guys than them; maybe Thor, but Thor wasn’t even human.

“I had a bad experience with a guy and I’m a little upset,” you confessed. It was fine, you hadn’t said who — you wouldn’t say who.

“Define bad experience.”

“He cheated on me kind of bad.”

“You should make Peter kick his ass.”

You chuckled sadly, “It’s not worth it.”

“Who was it?”

“Oh, you don’t know him, Pete.”

Peter made you rest your head on his lap, rubbing your back in the same manner he had seen Tony do it when you were upset. Comforting people didn’t come with his spider-sense and abilities, sadly.

“We’ll find you a hot nice guy,” Ned promised. After a pause, he added, “Or a girl? Do you have a preference?”

“I don’t want to date anyone ever again.”

“Now you’re just saying things,” Peter observed. He knew how easily you grew infatuated with people, like that guy at Costco or the one at Stark Expo... He was still in the process of forgiving you for saying Brad Davis was handsome, for fuck’s sake!

“Men are disgusting. No offense.”

“None taken,” both Peter and Ned assured.

“They lie and say they want to protect you, they say they’re not ready to take things seriously in case something bad happens,” you started venting, angry at yourself for not seeing how stupid it sounded. “God, I was so stupid,” you sobbed.

Sharing a look with Ned, Peter told you, “Now I’m definitely kicking someone’s ass.”

Peter soon found out who had broken your heart. He hadn’t needed you to tell him, Bucky gave himself away by squirming every time you entered a room and this once hadn’t been the exception.

Bucky caught Peter staring, but he didn’t think much of it. The kid was curious, he liked that about him.

As you entered the lab, you paused when you saw Tony was fixing Bucky’s arm. You were about to start small talk with Peter when your uncle asked, “Can you attend a meeting at Wayne Enterprises this Tuesday?”

You avoided looking at Bucky as you acknowledged Tony. “It sounds like a bad idea, uncle.”

Tony chuckled. You only called him uncle when you wanted to convince him of something. “Look, I’ll be busy with Thunderbolt, and Pep has that trip to Germany...”

“I’m not a good businessperson.”

“They’re not interested in the business part, they want details of the project. Only Pepper could do a better job than you at that.”

It was a high compliment. However, you were doubtful — you weren’t as good with words as Tony and Pepper were, and from what you knew about The Waynes, they were pretty stuck up.

“It’s just more rich people but in Gotham,” Tony assured. “You dealt with Hammer really well last time. And Happy will go with you.”

What Tony failed to mention about the way you dealt with Hammer was that he had never wanted to have a deal with him in the first place.

You gave in still. “Which project are we presenting?”

Smiling widely, Tony instructed F.R.I.D.A.Y to send a copy of the details to your Starkpad.

You curled up in the couch while reading the files, remembering bits and pieces of the observations you had made yourself. Part of your notes was still there, thankfully transcribed and not in your hurried handwriting.

Someone cleared their throat behind you. “Can we, uh, talk?”

You shook your head, not even bothering to take your eyes off the document you were reading.

“It’ll be quick.”

“I am busy, James,” you said dismissively.

He hated being called James, he had told you a few times that it reminded him of a person he couldn’t be anymore. Well, you hated having been kept as a secret only to eventually get cheated on — he couldn’t be just Bucky to you anymore.

You had no interest in excuses, you needed to move on. You would move on, you always had and he wasn’t the most important person in your life to break your heart either way.

If you could take your father’s abandonment, you could take being cheated on by a man who didn’t know what he wanted. Or so you hoped.

Pepper greeted him, then you. Observing what you were reading, she let out a small laugh. “Good luck if you have to deal with Damian Wayne.”

At that, you lifted your head. “Why?”

“Don’t scare her, honey,” Tony warned playfully, patting Bucky’s back as he passed him.

Your question remained unanswered.

The waiting room was comfortable, you would give them that. Pepper had been right, you needed luck in order to deal with Damian Wayne. Regretting having said yes to Tony, you looked at Happy and gave him your best puppy eyes in attempts to convince him to finally call Tony.

Happy had refused to let you back off from the meeting. He didn’t understand how badly you had fucked up in there, your stuttering had been embarrassing and that wasn’t even the worst part of it.

Stupidly, you hadn’t expected him to be that handsome. You couldn’t stop staring and ended up making a fool of yourself by making him repeat his questions.

You could see him now through the glass wall of the meeting room, losing time by randomly selecting pages from the spiral-bound project he said he needed to inspect before giving you an answer.

To your luck, Damian caught you staring. Turning to your side to look at Happy, you found a teasing expression on the bodyguard’s face.

“I can take it from here if you want.”

Damian could hear the teasing in Tim’s voice. “Don’t make me punch you.” He didn’t take his eyes off the wall, you were talking, but the angle didn’t allow him to read your lips.

But when had Damian’s scare tactics stopped Tim? “You could just—“

“Don’t,” the interrupting warning came in a loud sneer. Damian lifted a finger so Tim wouldn’t say a damn thing.

Again, his brother ignored him. “Okay, I’ll ask her.”

Damian jumped off his seat, stopping the lankier man from crossing the room. “Don’t you dare, Drake.”

Tim rested both hands on Damian’s shoulders. “Read that thing, give the answer, then ask.” Seeing his younger brother’s expression, Tim added, “She’ll say yes.”

Watching his brother leave, Damian let out a huff. Your explanation had been enough for him to make a decision, and truly, from what he had read in passing, you had a way of making it sound less dull than it was.

Not that the project was dull in the slightest, but he didn’t have time to read every detail.

Damian gripped the document in his hand as he left the meeting room, approaching you personally. You stood up, looking up as he towered over you.

“Follow me, please.”

Nodding, not trusting your voice as the silkiness in which he uttered the word please resonated in your head, you followed him down the hallway.

He opened the door to his office for you. As you stepped in, you observed how normal the office was — it wasn’t bland like one would assume from someone who wears a black tie to work.

“I was wondering,” he started speaking, silky voice now more confident, “if you could stay in town for a couple of days.”

You stuttered, “I— I don’t think so.” You gained confidence when his blinking got quicker. “It would be pointless if you’re not interested in the project. I’m a busy person.”

Where did that lie come from? You spent your entire days between an office and a laboratory while your nights were full of complaining to yourself over someone you weren’t sure you could call an ex.

His brow twitched yet he stopped himself from frowning. “I am interested.”

“In that case, I could call my uncle and ask—“

Damian blurted, “Have dinner with me tonight.”

You had never attended a business dinner, what was one supposed to do or say? Weren’t those things for closing deals in terms of money?

You would’ve taken social studies more seriously if you knew one day your uncle would send you to convince a handsome guy to partner with you for a project.

God, that sounded more like high school drama than what it really was.

Telling him you didn’t have a clue as to what to do in such a situation couldn’t be more embarrassing than being caught ogling at him. It would be close, though.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“Mmh?” You turned to look at him. Concern filled his gaze. He had such vivid eyes, the greenest you had ever seen; greener than you ever imagined nature from a fairytale could look. “Sorry,” you rasped, “I’m fine.”

He gave you a single nod, staring at you in expectancy of something. When you only stared back, he sighed, “I will prepare everything to be signed tomorrow morning if that’s fine with you.”

Tilting your head, you frowned. “I thought you just said I had to have dinner with you?”

“I was asking you out.”

Ah. Wow.

It wasn’t a good idea to say yes, your heart had just been broken. But he was handsome, and blunt enough to estate his intentions without fussing over your misunderstanding — you liked that.

“Did I read the situation wrong?”

“No,” you answered way too quickly. “Not at all.”

He smirked. “I will pick you up at 7, then.”

Happy was surprised by seeing you so flustered as you told him to drive you to the —Wayne owned— hotel you would be staying at.

Not daring to look at him, you asked Happy if he could help you find a dress quickly. You could hear the smile in his voice as he said yes.

In your eyes, there was no such thing as moving on too fast. And even if there was, this was a date and not the start of a relationship. You would allow yourself the pleasure of enjoying a handsome guy’s company, and if you found him unbearable you would just leave — Tony wouldn’t mind.

The last proper date you had been on had happened a long time ago, before you were out of college, if your memory served you right.

Being around someone your age, truly the same age, and not just part of your age range would be a nice change from hanging out with two 18-year-olds, people in their forties, and whatever age Bucky was.

At 6:59, a knock was bestowed upon the door of your hotel room.

“You look beautiful.” The compliment easily rolled off his tongue. It was hard not to believe him.

You bashfully said, “You look handsome.”

He grinned, offering his arm for you to take. He was a little too formal from what you were used to, yet you found it nice.

You understood why everyone followed his orders automatically. In part, it was their job, but it wasn’t yours and you too felt compelled to please him.

He looked different under the soft light, calmer. More handsome. His voice was impossibly smoother as he told you about himself.

All his attention was on you when it was your turn to tell him about yourself. He would encourage you to continue speaking, more comfortable with hearing you than with speaking himself.

You wished you would’ve found Damian unbearable. He surely had flaws, you weren’t one for expecting perfection in people, it was just damn hard to find him one and you liked it, what a nice illusion to part with.

“I will see you tomorrow morning,” he reminded you as if reading your mind, eyes on your mouth as he swallowed harshly.

You bit your bottom lip as you nodded. “Good night.”

Damian left, albeit reluctantly, happier than he thought he would be. Bruce would kill him for skipping patrol, but it had been worth it.

He would let the fact that Tim had been right slide this once.

❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎

Feeling like a teenager with a crush again, you tried really hard to keep yourself from whining as you left Gotham. Wanting to stay was childish, you didn’t really know the city nor Damian.

New York was home, your mother lived there, your uncle and friends too. And you were being a little dramatic, to be completely honest.

“How did it go?” Tony asked, throwing his arm around you as he guided you toward the living room.

“It went great.”

“More than great, I would say,” Happy chipped in from behind you.

You whined lowly, hoping he wouldn’t embarrass you. The date had been nice, but it was naive to think something would come out of it when you didn’t live in the same state. You would rather keep that night to yourself.

Pepper smiled. “Tim is a sweetheart, isn’t he?”

Happy hummed, turning around before he would burst out laughing.

Peter saved you from embarrassment, telling you he had a project for you and Ned to help him with. Projects with Peter were always something to behold, they could go from the most anticlimactic thing to testing his constantly improving web fluid formula.

This project, though, was a nightmare. He had the brilliant idea of sewing a teddy bear for MJ. From scratch. By hand. With his own design.

Sat on your office, surrounded by scraps of fabric and tiny strands of thread, tired of stabbing your self while sewing, you told Peter, “I don’t understand why can’t you just use Tony’s credit card to buy her something.”

“Or use a sewing machine,” Ned pointed out.

“It’s more romantic this way. MJ will appreciate it more.”

Ned and you hummed. If you hadn’t known how much Peter liked her, you would’ve given up already.

The door was almost kicked open. Happy entered the office, or at least you thought it was him due to the man’s height, his face and torso were covered by a gigantic flower arrangement that he put down on your desk as quickly as he could let it down without shattering the vase.

“Happy,” Peter screeched, “that’s fabric!”

“Peter, these things are heavy!” Happy mirrored the tone.

You rolled your eyes. “This isn’t Pepper’s office, though.”

Happy snickered. “These are for you, genius.”

Glaring at him, you waited for him to crack. But Happy never did. He snatched the card from on top of the arrangement. “Do you want me to read it out loud?”

“No!” You screeched, extending your hand.

Happy continued nagging you, “Should I use the monotonous voice and all?” He unfolded the thick paper. “Oh, it’s handwritten!”

Your face was burning up. You wanted the chair to swallow you as Happy read, “‘Thank you, again, for an amazing night. I hope to see you soon.’ Signed by Damian Wayne.”

“Couldn’t he text you that?”

Ned defended the stranger, “It’s more romantic this way, Peter. I thought you were an expert in romance now.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Peter dropped his needle. “You went out with Damian Wayne?”

You only nodded.

“Good thing you weren’t interested in dating anymore...”

Grabbing the pillow behind your back, you threw it at Ned. “Shut up!”

Peter giggled, picking a pillow from the couch and throwing it at you. Ned threw the one you had hit him with at Peter and soon the three of you were laughing historically.

Your cellphone buzzed. With a flipping stomach, as your laughter died down and tears ran down your cheeks, you looked at the screen.

I hope you like them.

Unlocking the device, you typed quickly. They’re lovely.

You bit the inside of your bottom lip, gnawing on it. Fuck it. I hope to see you soon, too.

He replied immediately. You will.

You couldn’t wait.

But you had to. After a few more days of exchanging text messages, he had let you know he would be out of the country for a while. You had hoped to see him at your birthday party but alas.

❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎

Every few minutes, you were introduced to people whose names you had forgotten already as the guests continued to arrive.

The number of people in the venue was excessive when none of them really knew you. It was strange, being the center of attention when people wouldn’t have cared if you weren’t Tony Stark’s niece.

Pepper had warned you about it, she had said you shouldn’t take it personally. You would’ve had done so on any other occasion, but you were too busy staring at Sharon and Bucky.

Never in a million years would you imagine he would have the nerve of openly displaying his affection toward someone else in front of you. Yet there he was, all over her at your birthday party.

You stuck close to Tony and Pepper for the most part, only straying away when the conversation wasn’t something of your incumbency.

Everyone was seemingly enjoying themselves, Sam had convinced you of dancing with him just so he could ask if you were having fun. Then Peter and MJ did something similar but it didn’t feel the same, they were worried about you which meant you weren’t doing a good job at hiding that you wished you didn’t have to be there.

The contrast between what you had expected your birthday party to be throughout the past weeks to what it truly was had to be one of the most jarring experiences of your life.

Your plans had changed twice, your expectations three times, and your excitement had exponentially lowered as the day arrived.

Pepper pinched your shoulder. “Tony wants to introduce you to some people.”

Following her steps was a skill you hadn’t mastered yet, much less in the uncomfortable shoes Nat had chosen for you. Next time, you needed to remind her you weren’t a skilled spy who could kick ass in any type of shoe.

“The birthday girl!”

“Hi, uncle.”

“Darling, meet Bruce and Damian Wayne.” The sarcasm in his voice didn’t go unnoticed.

You shook hands with Bruce Wayne first, he was as handsome as every photograph of him you had seen made him out to be. He smiled at you as he wished you a happy birthday, adding a nonchalant, “I’ve heard wonders about you.”

Damian’s hands were warmer than his father’s, and instead of smiling at you as he wished you happy birthday, he fixed his eyes on yours, gluing you to your spot.

He then winked, trying his hardest to hide the smug smile wanting to break through his face.

You wouldn’t have stopped staring if your life depended on it. Photographs would never make him justice, he was taller than he looked in them, much more handsome — equally intimidating yet photographs portrayed him as stuck up while having him in front of you had made you find him alluring from the first time.

“Introduce Damian to Peter, will you?”

You nodded in response to Tony’s question. Your surroundings stirred as you were left alone with Damian, with his hand still encapsulating yours.

After a pause, wishing he wouldn’t drop your hand, you asked him if he wanted a drink. Introducing him to Peter could wait.

“Of course,” he answered, sliding his warm palm off yours and motioning with it for you to lead the way.

Sharon and Bucky were at the bar. He had his hand on her hip as they whispered in each other’s ear. You caught her eye, you and your companion, and she winked at you while resting her chin on Bucky’s shoulder.

Smiling at her, you stood closer to Damian. You both ordered your drinks, and he leaned on his elbow against the wooden bar to face you.

“So, why a public party for your first birthday as part of the family?”

You chuckled. “My uncle insisted, and it was a good chance to get introductions out of the way.”

“Can’t say I disagree.”

You confessed, “I thought you wouldn’t be able to come.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world.”

Behind you, James got louder, “We should go to the beach again, babe.”

Sharon giggled at her boyfriend’s faux-drunk antics. “Don’t yell, baby, you’ll give (Y/N) an ear-bleed.”

You could tell he turned around when he put his hand on your shoulder. “Hi, (Y/N).”

Only craning your neck to not give Damian the impression that you were impolite, you greeted, “Hi, James.”

You enjoyed his expression every time you called him James. The only person who found it funnier than you was Sam. Everyone else found it normal, you supposedly weren’t familiar with him.

You wished that was the case. Not because you missed him or because he hurt you — it would be nice to not feel tense around the others.

Natasha would pick up on it soon if you continued to tense up when he entered a room next to Sharon and you weren’t ready to come to terms with that. You didn’t know what you would say to Sharon in the first place.

“Here,” Damian’s smooth voice interrupted your train of thought. As you looked to the front again, you found your cocktail being offered to you.

You took the glass, thanking him. “We should move away from here.”

Humming, Damian lifted both eyebrows. His eyes dropped to your shoulder and James’ hand was withdrawn instantly.

“Enjoy your night, doll.”

You wanted to scream at him for calling you that, for still seeking some kind of reaction from you.

Walking past Sharon and her boyfriend, you took a sip of your drink. You would’ve drunk it in one go if you weren’t trying to impress your companion.

The terrace, empty due to the fact that everyone was busy dancing, welcomed you with a burst of crisp air.

“You looked uncomfortable,” Damian said casually.

“I am not used to these things.”

He took a gulp of alcohol. “Are you always that bothered by your uncle’s colleagues?”

If only he knew...

Seeing Sharon happy was nice, though. According to Nat, she had closed off after things with Steve didn’t work out. James must’ve been patient with her, at least you hoped he had been.

You made a pause, one you wished had been longer. “Would it offend you if I changed the topic?”

“No.”

Silence settled between you. Finding things to say had never been easy for you. The fact that he was gorgeous didn’t help your case. Tony should’ve taught you how to flirt instead of sending you irrelevant files before the party.

Damian didn’t look displeased by it. You finished your drink before he did, you were the one gripping the railway. He was close enough for you to feel the heat his body radiated, but he made no move to touch you.

He stared, though. You were trying your hardest to keep yourself from staring back. There was only so much you could focus on that would be more pleasing than his pretty face.

Offering him another drink would ruin this, and not saying anything would make you appear uninterested. You would’ve gotten drunk earlier if you knew he would be back in time for your birthday.

It had been so easy with James. After fixing his arm, he had interpreted your giggles correctly and kissed you. That was it, no flirting or small talk.

“It’ll start raining soon.”

The starless sky proved him right. In an almost comedic way, the sky rumbled just as the words left his mouth.

“Do you want to go back inside?”

He shrugged. “Do you?”

Your eyes met his again. The kink of his eyebrow told you he was waiting for an answer, but you didn’t have one. You would happily stay there, staring into the green vastness of his eyes, come rain or not.

Damian moved closer to you. Expensive cologne awakened your senses, relatively meaningless in comparison to the goosebumps his touch ignited. His hand, firm yet light, rested on your arm as he reached for his drink.

Envious of the glass, you stopped blinking to not lose detail — his full lips trapped the rim of the glass as he gulped the liquid down. Damian put the glass to the side, giving you a full look at his Adam’s Apple bobbing.

Your hand came up to wipe the corner of his mouth, where a drop of alcohol lingered. Damian lightly shifted, lips brushing your thumb as he did so.

You found yourself tracing his bottom lip with your thumb, wondering if it would feel as soft against your own.

He placed his free hand on your waist, gaze on your lips. “Can I kiss you?”

“You don’t have to ask,” you whispered.

Your eager tone encouraged him to dive in. He hummed, tasting the sweetness of the cocktail you had been drinking. His lips were as soft as you had expected, touch heavier on your waist.

The sky rumbled again and he broke the kiss way too early. “We should get back inside.”

You felt eyes on you as Damian and you walked toward the bar once again. His hand was firm on your lower back, this time not shying away from touching you or from uttering comments instead of meaningless questions.

From your spot, you could see a few of your friends. Sam was flirting with one of Pepper’s friends, Nat and Carol were competing over who could handle alcohol better, and Tony was crying out of laughter next to Rhodey.

In front of you, Damian was gazing intently at you again.

“Is there something on my face?”

“Pretty features.”

You tried not to smile but the rush in the pit of your stomach failed and betrayed you. He was so pleased with your reaction, smiling back as he fixed his eyes on your mouth.

You gazed at him, placing your hand on his bicep to boldly ask, “Do you want to go somewhere else?”

Damian finished his drink in a single gulp, opening his palm for you to take. “Wherever you want.”

With your purse on your lap and his hand brushing your thigh, you went through the drive in complete silence.

You thanked the driver, inwardly also thankful over the fact that they weren’t Happy. You wouldn’t have heard the end of his teasing.

Unlocking the door, you pushed it open and let Damian in first. The lights turned themselves on as he crossed the doorway.

You motioned for him to get comfortable. “Can I offer you a drink?”

“Later,” he dismissed the offer, cupping your face with both hands as he leaned to kiss you.

Kissing him back, grabbing him by the neck, you tickled his mouth open. Damian granted your tongue access in less than a second, moving one of his hands to the nape of your head to eventually place it on your back and pull you close.

His hand brushed the zipper of your dress, fingers playing with it as he deepened the kiss. You hummed on his mouth, sliding your hands to his shoulders in order to push his blazer off.

He groaned as he had to part from you to discard the blazer completely, throwing it to the reading chair closest to him.

Grabbing you by the hips, he playfully bit down your bottom lip. You glared at him through your eyelashes; it only made him smirk.

“Did the birthday girl expect something else?”

Fuck. You hadn’t expected his voice to get deeper. Nodding, you took the collar of his shirt between your fingers.

“Take it off if you want,” he gave you his permission lowly, eyes on yours as he uttered the words.

You hesitated. He would expect permission to take your dress off too, and although you were dying to have his hands on you with nothing in between, you couldn’t remember the last time someone had seen your body.

Damian made no movement to pressure you nor to move away from you. He just waited, with his lips pursed and hands steadily on your waist.

You undid his tie first, just enough to pull it over his head. His knuckles traced your spine while you worked on his shirt, easing your nerves up.

Unbuttoning his shirt took you a little longer than you would’ve liked, you had been in high school the last time you had to do that for someone else and you couldn’t even remember their face by now.

You tugged on his belt, looking at him in search of permission. Damian nodded, immediately looking down at your hands as they unbuckled his belt.

You pulled the shirt out of his pants, pushing it then off his shoulders in the same way you did with his blazer. You traced his chest, firm, and littered with birthmarks and a few scars.

His broad shoulders were the same, and his taunt abdomen had bigger scars. You would’ve asked about them if you weren’t eager to lick them.

He pulled you into a searing kiss, mouth hot and heavy on yours while his hands wandered down to your ass. Feeling you huff through your nose, he moved his lips to your neck to give you space to breathe.

You let out a sigh, feeling him inch up the skirt of your dress. Damian sucked on your neck, leaving a wet trail towards the exposed part of your chest.

You whispered his name. He shivered, lifting his head. Taking him by the hand, you guided him to your bedroom. The lights turned on automatically, illuminating the vast room.

Kissing him again, you pushed your body flush against his. Damian gripped your thighs, unintentionally grinding against you.

“You’re so hot,” you blurted, hiding your face in his neck to suck on it.

He tilted his head to give you further access to his skin as he searched for your zipper. When he found it, he pulled it down slowly in case you would protest.

You were too busy tasting his skin to really care anymore. Your teeth scraped his Adam’s apple, making him let out the sweetest sound you had heard.

Goosebumps ignited your skin as he dragged his hand over your bareback. He groaned, realizing you weren’t wearing a bra.

Stepping out of the dress looking over your ankles, you bent over to pick the item up and threw it onto your vanity chair.

You found lust-filled eyes checking you out and fuck if having Damian Wayne looking at you like he wanted to eat you a confidence boost.

His palms brushed the sides of your breasts, thumbs close to your nipples, only teasing.

“You’re so beautiful,” he breathed out, nose brushing your cheek.

He nibbled on your pulse point, making you moan. Your hands again explored his chest, this time following the marks of his abs too. Reaching the waistband of his pants, you finally popped the button open.

Dragging his zipper down, you felt his semi-hard cock twitch due to the contact. He hissed, blowing air on the small bites he had peppered over your neck.

He moved to the side to discard his shoes, socks, and pants. You freed your feet from the heels, now remembering how uncomfortable they had been seconds before you met Damian.

He rubbed against your ass, wrapping an arm around you from behind. His teeth grazed your ear, free hand exploring your body painfully slowly.

You ground against him, desperate for something more. He chuckled on your ear, cupping your clothed pussy.

Whining as he pressed his thumb as deep as your panties would allow him, you craned your neck to kiss him.

Damian dragged the hand on your belly upward to cup one of your breasts, pinching your nipple. He swallowed your moan while kissing you.

You twisted one of your hands, reaching for his thigh. As you inched your hand closer to his cock, you felt his breath hitch.

From on top of his underwear, you palmed his cock. You struggled to put your hand under the cotton material, and when you finally did, both of you groaned.

Enveloping the base with your fingers, you moved your hand up and down, using your thumb to apply pressure when needed.

“Wait,” he rasped. “You first, it’s your birthday.”

“What if I want to make you come for my birthday?”

His cock pulsed in your hand at the question.

Turning around with the intention of pulling his underwear down, you briefly let his cock go.

He kicked the boxers to the side, swallowing thickly when you grabbed his cock freely now. The movements of your hand were more enthusiastic, thumb circling his tip.

Biting his bottom lip, he fixed his eyes on your hand and its rhythm. You tapped his tip, bringing a string of pre-cum as you lifted your thumb.

He hissed, you smiled. Tightening your fist around him, you searched for his expression to make sure he was okay with the amount of pressure. Damian closed his eyes, sighing out.

You slid down to the floor, sinking to your knees. Holding his cock still, you licked the pre-cum off his tip.

Damian’s eyes flew open. His hand came down to hold your face. The gesture encouraged you to suck on his tip. He chocked on a hum when you pushed your head down, taking as much of him as you were able.

“Shit, (Y/N).”

You hummed, feeling yourself getting wetter. Using your hand, you fisted his shaft, bringing your fist upward as your mouth withdrew from him and moving it down as you took him in your mouth again.

His sounds got louder as you found a rhythm, and the bobbing of your head along the twisting of your hand got quicker as his cock throbbed on your tongue and fingers.

You hadn’t lied when you said you wanted to make him come, you needed to know you could please him that way.

You sucked more harshly. He reacted by moaning so loud it rumbled like thunder, hand holding your head by the neck as you sucked harder and harder.

Slurping sounds filled the room, and when Damian thought there was no way things could get better as he watched his cock enter and leave your mouth, you made eye contact with him.

All fucking night you had gazed at him through your lashes, every fucking time it had gone straight to his cock. The difference was that this once around you had him panting.

You continued sucking as he came, bringing your hand to massage his balls while gulping. He cried out your name, fingers digging on your jugular.

Feeling him get soft on your tongue, you pulled away but not before giving his tip another lick.

You placed your hands on his heaving chest, leaving small kisses on his jaw, meanwhile he recovered his breath. He had broken into a sweat, his damp skin glistened under the light.

Damian walked you back onto the bed, hovering over you.

He gave you a short kiss, still trying to even his breathing. He then attached his lips to your neck, kissing his way down your chest. Making a stop there, he sucked on each of your breasts.

Dragging his lips down your torso, he took the time to kiss the stretch marks littered there. When he reached your navel, he gazed up in search of permission.

“Go ahead,” you gave your consent.

He slid your panties off in a swift motion. His thumb brushed your clit while his index and middle finger prodded your entrance.

Not able to hide his smirk, he collected some of your wetness only to bring his fingers to his mouth. You squirmed, watching as he licked his fingers clean.

Damian latched his mouth onto your clit, making you squeal in surprise. Your hand fell onto his head, gripping his hair tightly.

He introduced his fingers to your pussy again, curling them up as he sucked on your clit. Your hips jerked upward, almost bucking although you were able to control yourself.

He was having none of it. Using his tongue, Damian alternated between sucking and licking while his fingers stretched you as he scissored you.

You draped your unoccupied arm over your face, biting down your forearm.

Speaking against your clit, he ordered, “Don’t. I like hearing you.”

Unconsciously, you let out a sob and grabbed his hair with both hands. Pushing him further in between your thighs, you could feel his nose brush your labia.

Writhing under him, you tried your hardest to not press your thighs together. Damian took his fingers out to help you, gripping your thighs with both hands to hold them open.

He ate you out like he had been born to do it, loudly and messily. His tongue didn’t leave a centimeter unexplored, he lapped and licked until he had you crying out his name.

And he didn’t stop when it got too much and your thighs shook in his grip, instead, he increased his rhythm.

You had never had someone drink your juices like a dehydrated animal yet there he was, licking you up clean.

Damian peppered kisses over your thighs, grip around them barely loosening. You were seeing white, hearing his breathing, and feeling his soft lips against you with an intensity you weren’t sure if it was natural from him or not.

Sliding a hand down the side of his head to cup his cheek, you beckoned him back up. Damian obliged, fitting himself between your legs.

“Are you alright?”

You hummed, leaning upward to kiss him. His tongue slid into your mouth, and as he ground against you, his hard-on became palpable. You bucked your hips up, smiling when he groaned into the kiss.

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

He filled you to the brim by shoving his cock inside you all at once, making you grab him by the biceps. He was snug inside you, and the fact prompted you to clench around him.

God, you had had intercourse like five weeks ago and yet you felt like this was the first time you were fucked in years.

“You feel so good,” he praised in a low voice.

You moaned and his cock twitched inside you. Damian threw patience out of the window, thrusting shallowly.

He grabbed your hands and pinned them to your sides. You stayed still for a moment until he intertwined his fingers with yours.

His eyes, so dark you swore they could swallow you, were on you. Just on you, not on the headboard, or the wall, or the ceiling. They were on you, he was ramming into you because he wanted you.

You cried out — his name, a string of curses, something you couldn’t even understand. And he ate it up, he relished on every sound and expression. You felt it in his strong grip and deep thrusts, heard it in his own moans, he loved the effect he was having on you; it stroked his ego, and fuck if it didn’t tip you to the edge.

“I wanna come,” you whined.

“Nobody’s stopping you,” he promised through heavy breathing to then kiss your jaw. “Please, come for me.”

You did. He asked oh so nicely, with hot breath on your skin and relentless thrusts. You couldn’t not do it even if you tried, how could you disappoint him?

It was the second time he had you trembling, and you hoped it wouldn’t be the last. You wanted him closer, yet there wasn’t a way for him to be closer to you than with the tip of his cock crushing your g-spot.

His strings of cum were as welcome as everything he had to offer, heavy and hot. Feeling him all around you was like a distant dream. His hot cum and pulsating cock weren’t even the best part.

You woke up to a warm bed, between strong arms. Fingers traced your side, stopping at every curve and lump.

The first thing you saw when you opened your eyes were vibrant green eyes already analyzing your face. You had forgotten how bright his eyes were.

Damian’s skin glowed in the morning light, cheekbones only more prominent from your angle.

“Is there something on my face?” He teased you.

“Handsome features,” you teased him back.

Huffing a laugh, he brushed your hair off your face. “You’re gorgeous.”

You held his gaze. “I’m afraid there’s no compliment you haven’t heard before.”

“They sound better coming from you.”

“You’re a real charmer, huh.”

“I’m trying.”

You leaned onto him, not really sure as to what to say now. Feeling the shake of his shoulder as he laughed, you couldn’t help but laugh too.

“What are we laughing at?”

“I had meticulously planned how slow we would take this and now you’ve got me naked in your bed after our second date.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

His arm tightened around you, pulling you even closer. “Of course not. I like you.”

“I like you too.” You kissed the scar he had on his shoulder, and the one on the crook of his neck, and the almost faded mark under his jaw. “Will you ever tell me about your scars?”

He hummed, “But not today. It’s your birthday, we should talk happy things.”

“It isn’t my birthday anymore.”

“Birthday weekend,” he clarified.

He left the bed for a moment, going through the pockets of his pants. You pouted at him. Chuckling, he approached the mattress again, phone in hand.

Giving you a short kiss, Damian placed his free hand on the back of your head as he guided you to lay on his chest.

“Is there anything you would like to do today?”

You considered the question. “I don’t know. I haven’t had a free weekend in a long time.”

❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎

Your ‘birthday weekend’ officially started with waiting for him outside a changing room. He needed to buy clothes for the weekend, arguing that it would be stupid to go around the rainy city in a tuxedo.

“Did you really have to buy another watch?”

He defended the splurge, “This one is more casual.”

Pursing your lips in attempts of keeping your laugh in, you nodded. Damian pried your fingers open to fit his own between yours, squeezing them once in a teasing manner.

You looked down at your connected hands, marveled by the fact that he was willing to show he was dating you.

Spending the weekends together became the norm, he kept clothes and his favorite self-care products at your place, he already knew the house and sauntered around it like he owned it too.

A particular Friday, you bumped into Sharon and Nat in the elevator. Nat pushed the button that would take you to the first floor as Sharon asked, “Do you want to go to the baseball game with us?”

You smiled at her. “Next time, yeah?”

“You’re busy tonight?”

You nodded, shifting your coat to drape over your other forearm.

“Got a hot date?” Sharon lightly elbowed you on the side.

A nervous giggle escaped you, “I do.”

The doors slid open and you stepped out first. You didn’t mind their company, you just liked your boyfriend’s more.

Peter was talking to James near the entrance hall, nodding enthusiastically. He caught your eye and waved at you past Peter’s shoulder.

As you had to approach them to leave the building, you wished them both a good night and continued your path.

Avoiding James had been extremely hard throughout the weeks, he tried talking to you a few times and every time you found an excuse more ridiculous than the last.

The shower in your bedroom was running, meaning Damian was there already. You changed your clothes in the meantime, happy to finally be in comfortable clothes and away from The Compound.

You were plugging your cellphone in when the bathroom door was loudly unlocked.

Damian struggled to fit his arm in a sling, groaning in frustration. Approaching him, you moved his healthy hand away from his arm and did it yourself.

He nodded at you as a thankful gesture.

“Are you telling me what happened to you?” your question was soft-spoken.

“I got in a fight.”

You narrowed your eyes at him. “You? A fight?”

“You should get used to it.”

Looking up at his towering figure, staring directly into his eyes, you actually glowered at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”

He extended his hand for you to take, fingers open, expecting yours to find their place between them. You shook your head.

“Why are you mad?”

“Really? Are you that dense?”

He mimicked your tone, “Are you that worried?”

“Of course I am worried, Damian! If you don’t want me to worry about y—“ you stopped yourself when his hand brushed your forearm.

“I never said that,” his voice lowered, “I simply asked.”

Sliding his hand down to press his palm against your own, fingers caressing yours, he intertwined them like he had missed doing the entire week.

You murmured, “Could you at least not get injured too often?”

His face softened, and just then you observed how swollen it was.

“I have something to tell you,” he sighed, briefly looking at his feet before nodding to himself. Completely lifting his head, he continued, “I shouldn’t say it now, but I don’t feel comfortable with you not knowing...”

“What did you do?”

“I am Robin.”

Of course you had fallen for a secret vigilante. That was your luck, your boyfriend lived miles away from you and spent his nights punching people in the face. It was a better secret identity than the ones other rich people tended to have, you would give him that.

One more worry to have on your shoulders.

“Why are you so tense? I’ve already promised to be careful.”

“Long week,” you mumbled. Eager to change the subject, you asked, “Are you hungry?”

“I ordered food a few minutes ago.”

Humming, you let his hand go in order to sit on the bed, stretching your legs.

“Habibti, what is going on?”

He knew what he was doing by using the petname. He sat on the bed too, letting enough space between you to look at you properly.

“Sharon and Nat invited me to go out with them tonight and I feel bad. Like really bad,” you confided him.

“You can go if you want.”

“It’s not that... Forget about it, yeah? It’s not worth it.”

“You’re upset, that means it’s important to you.”

“Don’t get mad,” you warned him.

“Well, now I’m worried.”

“Before meeting you,” you clarified before saying anything else, “I had a... fling... with Sharon’s boyfriend.”

He hummed, encouraging you to go on.

“But I think they were dating already. I don’t know... their relationship was secret and—“ you groaned. It was so pathetic. “Whatever I had with him was secret too.”

“And you want to tell her.”

You twisted your mouth upward as you nodded. “Is it a good idea?”

Damian nodded slowly. He threw his healthy arm around your shoulders, placing his hand on your farthest arm. “You would like her to tell you if it was the other way around,” he asserted, “so I believe it’s only fair for you to do it.”

Inhaling his body wash, you nuzzled against his bare shoulder as carefully as possible, afraid of hurting him. The ability he had to make you feel safe was astounding.

He changed the subject, sensing you were done with the topic. “Do you want me to tell you about my scars now?”

❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎

You had been seconds away from also telling Tony about what you once had with James just you wouldn’t be forced to fix his arm. Ultimately, you stayed quiet because Pepper had an appointment with the gynecologist and Tony wanted to be there with her.

You were regretting not leaving after they had. He had attempted to make small talk a few times, as if it was normal to talk to the person you cheated on about the weather.

He then started to get into your nerves. “How long do you think your boy toy can keep up?”

You ignored him, tightening the arm the way you had seen Tony do many times.

He continued taunting you, “He has to drive for what? Two hours? Or summon a helicopter just to see you. Sounds like too much trouble.”

Setting your jaw, you moved away from him. “Your arm is done.”

He stood up, following your movements. “Have you fucked him yet?”

You glared at him for asking such inappropriate questions. He trapped you between his bulk and the wall, breathing on your face. You moved your head to the side. “It’s none of your business.”

James placed his hands on your thick waist. “That’s a no, then,” he mumbled, lips grazing your cheek.

You could only think about those photos and how he had rested his hands on Sharon in the same fashion, of Damian’s hands and how different they felt on you — warm, firm, heavy but never burdening. You pushed James’ flesh hand away from you.

His metal hand dropped to your hip where he gripped tight so you wouldn’t move. “We both know he’s just a rebound, (Y/N). You miss me.”

“You have a girlfriend and I have a boyfriend. Please, move.”

“Sharon broke up with me.”

You had assumed she wouldn’t. After your talk with her, she said she would have a discussion with him. She hadn’t been angry at you so you had thought she just didn’t care.

“That doesn’t change the fact that I have a boyfriend.”

Resting his weight on you, he chuckled. “You don’t mean it. You love me, it’s obvious.”

“I’m going to scream if you don’t move,” you threatened.

Moving his flesh hand upward, he wrapped it around your neck. “Just admit it.”

“Please, move,” you begged him.

He covered your mouth with his hand instead of choking you, applying pressure as you tried to exhale against his skin. “You always have to make things difficult. Talking all the time, making noises... How many times didn’t you almost give it away because you couldn’t keep your eyes off me?”

Tears ran down your eyes and he let go of you immediately, hurt all over his face as you tumbled your way out of the lab.

Locking yourself in your office, you let out a sob, unable to contain whatever it was you were feeling.

What if James was right and your relationship with Damian was doomed?

You couldn’t even ask him his opinion at the moment, he was out of the country due to a mission and the little contact you had wouldn’t give you time to talk about such things with him.

Besides, you didn’t want him to break up with you through text. You didn’t want to break up, period.

And fuck, you missed him. And missing him was... different. Everything that had to do with him was.

When you missed your mom, you felt the sadness of a child on their first day of school, desperate to cling onto their mother’s leg.

Missing your dad was absurd, it only came in waves that crashed against everything you stood for, against everything you had gone through; it was bitter, raw, merely wishful thinking in the form of what-ifs.

Longing for Bucky’s touch had been, surely, the stupidest form of missing someone. At the time it had been inoffensive, now it was only a bad memory.

The way you missed Damian, though, with the hopeful yearning for the bliss only his laugh had ever brought you, and the craving of shared silent moments that often culminated in kisses... it felt like missing someone for the first time.

Stark Industries was a better place to spend your time than the laboratory when Tony wouldn’t be there either. Bruce usually could do things by himself and often preferred it.

You were informed that you had a visitor. Allowing however it was to come in, you felt your heart skip a beat when Damian closed the door behind him.

He smiled at you, observing the smile you gave him back didn’t reach your usually lively eyes.

Damian snaked an arm around you, placing his hand on your hip. You hissed, prompting him to withdraw his hand. “Did you have an accident?”

Not giving him an answer, you leaned onto his shoulder so he wouldn’t think he couldn’t touch you. In fact, you needed him to do it, desperately.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just... can you hug me?”

Anyone else would’ve repeated the question, with the intentions of helping most likely, but Damian wasn’t like other people. He wrapped an arm around you at the height of your waist while his other hand rested on your upper back.

You hugged yourself to his torso, eventually sliding your arms under his armpits in order to have him closer.

He didn’t ask anything, he didn’t try to pull away quickly or to make up an excuse to leave. Damian just held you, more than content with giving you the comfort you were seeking.

You heard the door being opened again. Tony had the tendency of not knocking. If your door was unlocked, it meant he could enter and retrieve whatever he wanted from your office.

You expected Damian to part from you. Although a little uncomfortable due to the lack of privacy, he didn’t. He stared at Tony, as if daring him to tease either of you.

Tony tried to keep a chuckle in. “I’m sorry to interrupt you lovebirds. I updated your Starkpad, (Y/N). I left a few instructions for the week there.”

You parted from Damian reluctantly, avoiding his eyes as you took the pad from Tony’s hands. “Will you be out of town this week?”

Your uncle nodded. “Pep wants to visit her family and who am I to deny her?”

You almost smiled. Tony kissed your forehead, patting Damian’s shoulder on his way out.

“I’m sorry about tha—“

Damian cut off your explanation, “It’s not your fault.”

You nodded, placing the new pad Tony had given you on the desk. Damian cupped your cheek, caressing it with his thumb.

Leaning into his touch, you nuzzled your face against his palm. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“Does visiting me bother you?”

His face turned serious as he frowned. “Where did you get that from?”

You shrugged, avoiding his eyes again.

“It would be nice to have you closer, I can admit that, but some selfish reasons are at play there.”

“That wasn’t the question, Damian.”

“It doesn’t bother me. I simply wish I could see you every day.” He made a pause, then continued, “That’s new to me, I’ve never minded being alone or having piles of work to do.”

“Why would that be selfish?”

He was the one who avoided your face this time, looking at the light being reflected on the screen of the pad. “It’s not. But I also don’t like the way Barnes looks at you, for example.”

“Because of my history with him?”

Damian corrected you, “Because he’s geographically closer. And sometimes I would prefer to be the only one who ogles at my girlfriend. Seeing as I can’t stop people from staring, I never complain.”

You took his hands, intertwining your fingers with his. He smiled softly.

“I only have eyes for you.”

Damian’s lips enveloped yours. He kissed you softly, tenderly as he slid one of his hands off yours to hold your face again. You rested your free hand on his waist, angling your head.

Brushing your lips with his, he whispered, “And I only have eyes for you.”

This time the smile you gave him did fill your eyes.

❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎

You felt nauseous. You were doing a shitty job at keeping your nerves at bay for the first time in many months.

You chugged down a glass of water in one go, sighing out through your nose. Then you refilled the glass and gulped down some more liquid.

Sharon stretched to reach for a glass herself, softly calling your name. “Are you falling sick?”

Oh, God. This would be extremely awkward. You weren’t avoiding her per se, there was no real reason to do it, but you definitely would find ways to not be around her.

If only your mom wasn’t busy with work...

Refilling the glass, you took it with you and sat down on your usual seat around the table. “Have you ever met a partner’s family?”

You almost said ‘James’ but that would have been disrespectful to both of them, and you actively avoided mentioning him in general.

Taken aback, Sharon rounded the table to sit down in front of you. “A long time ago. I don’t think it’s thaaaaat common anymore. Why?”

“Damian wants me to meet his mom.”

“You don’t know his family?”

Lifting the glass, you drank a small sip of water. “I’ve met everyone but her, and she’s visiting soon.”

She hummed, opening his takeout plate. “You don’t want to meet her?”

“I don’t think I can impress her.”

Picking her fork up, she moved it around so you would go on.

You stayed silent, however. There wasn’t much to explain there, everything you knew about his mom terrified you.

“Has he met your mom?”

“Yes.”

“Does your mom like him?”

“Yeah, they get along well. B—But this is different. Like... from what I’ve heard his mom has super high standards. I’m going to fuck it up, Sharon! And I’m really into him!”

She shook her head, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “No, you won’t. How many times hasn’t Pepper complained about him specifically?”

“A lot.”

“And you charmed him! You got the difficult one of the family wrapped around your finger already.”

“Damian isn’t difficult,” you defended him, “people just aren’t willing to give him a chance.”

She smiled at you, humming. Instead of teasing you, she asked, “You know what you’ll wear?”

You shook your head. “He said something casual would be fine. It’s just lunch according to him.”

“I’ll help you.”

You were the shocked one this time. While never confirming it, you suspected she knew the truth about what happened — if that was the case and she still was willing to help, she was way nicer than you had initially imagined.

Damian approval of the outfit she helped you choose was encouraging, he said you looked beautiful in it just like Sharon had complimented you when you tried the item on.

When the day arrived, however, you were having second thoughts. He looked worried, tense even. You weren’t the only one who was having a bad feeling.

He gripped your hand tightly, fingers crushing yours as you walked into the restaurant together. You wanted to ask, for your sake obviously, but mostly because you had never seen him in such a state.

His mother's eyes, sharper than his, scanned you up and down. Damian rolled his shoulders beside you, making you feel the ripple of his muscles.

Sharon, while helpful, had been extremely wrong. This was definitely worse than Jason’s shock over the fact that there was someone who was willing to date Damian.

Damian had told you beforehand to be ready for an interrogation. He openly called it that which prepared you rather well. You didn’t stutter, or cowered under her intense gaze.

Talia didn’t make the comment you assumed she would, the one regarding your physical appearance. Instead, her critique was almost sound.

“You should date someone you have more things in common with, Damian.”

“You should get to knew her before coming to assumed conclusions.”

Talia glared at him. “You know what I mean.”

Damian glared back. “And you know I do not care.”

“I want what’s best for you.”

“Well, I love her, she makes me happy. What are you going to offer that is better than that?”

He said It oh so naturally, like it was ingrained in his vocabulary. There was no hesitance, the words weren’t tender either — the tone had been sharp, he was daring his mother after all.

And you couldn’t stop thinking about it.

The drive toward his family’s lake-house, now so familiar after how many times you had visited, felt significantly longer than it was. Damian never drove in silence if the two of you were alone, and that was 99% always the case.

You were dying to say something, but what? Words would fall short, you couldn’t stop replaying how easily those three words had slid past his lips. Had he meant them or was he only being stubborn for the sake of fighting his mom?

He unlocked the front door, letting you in first.

You hadn’t attempted to cross the living room when his hands were already on you, burning your skin through the denim fabric. “You look amazing in these jeans.”

“Damia—“

He shut you up with a kiss, hands ghosting your sides as he tilted his head to barely deepen the kiss.

You broke the kiss begrudgingly, asking, “Can we talk?”

He grunted, leaning to hide his face in your neck.

You spoke either way. “I don’t want you to have a bad relationship with your mom because of me.”

Lips brushing your skin, breath giving you goosebumps, he tried to dissipate your worries, “She has attempted to murder me a couple of times, the relationship has always been complicated.”

“Oh, honey...”

“It’s fine.” He kissed his way up to your cheek. “It’s not your fault.”

“She’s your mom.”

“And you’re my girlfriend. If she really cares about me, she’ll understand.”

“Yeah,” your voice cracked, “b—“ he didn’t give you a chance to say anything else. He pressed you against the nearest wall and kissed you with as much passion as a human being could muster.

His strong hands were tightly gripping your waist, nose puffing air on your face as his mouth swallowed your sounds. Your fingers tangled in his hair as you gave in, pulling him closer with your forearm against his back.

Breathlessly dragging his mouth down to your neck again, he inhaled a lungful of air before sucking on the smooth skin. Your perfume filled his nostrils, making him hum as the vibration of your throat caused by a whimper was felt on his lips.

You said his name in a strangled voice, trying to keep a moan in. He hummed so you’d speak, moving to another spot on your neck to leave another love-bite. “We need to— fuck” His right hand had moved to your back and slipped downward to grope your ass.

He trailed kisses down the exposed part of your chest, sighing contently on your breasts. “We need to fuck?” he teased.

“We need to talk about what you said,” you were able to get the words out before moaning again when he bit down your neck only to soothe the sting with his tongue.

Humming, he searched for the hem of your blouse. “There’s nothing to talk about,” his lips touched your skin as he spoke, “I love you, she needs to get it through her head.”

You grabbed him by the neck. Damian allowed you to lift his head, gazing at you. Inching a hand up to rest it on his cheek, caressing his bottom lip, you told him, “I love you too.”

Turning his head, he kissed your palm. Moving lower, he kissed your wrist.

You cleared your throat. “What are you doing?”

He smiled on your wrist. “I don’t know,” he admitted, “I like your skin.”

You huffed a laugh. He moved both of you away from the wall, pulling you onto the couch.

You shifted in your seat, resting your legs on his lap. Damian placed his hand on your calf, absentmindedly rubbing circles on your clothed skin.

He slowly trailed his hand up, reaching your thigh. Breathing in, he searched for your eyes. “Are you staying today?”

You shook your head.

Damian huffed.

“Don’t get grumpy with me.”

He withdrew his hand, messing with his hair instead. Sitting up properly, you expected him to say he wasn’t mad, he often understood how busy you were throughout the week.

Instead, he decided to avoid your face while speaking, eyes on everything but you. “I meant the other part too, you make me really happy. I adore you, I want to spend more time you!”

“You will,” you promised, placing your hand on his thigh in assurance. “I have a lot of things on my plate right now, that’s not your fault, I know, but I’m doing my best.”

He dropped his hand on top of yours. You feared he would push it away, childishly so. Damian gave your hand a squeeze, lifting it off his lap to kiss your knuckles.

You smiled, puffing air out through your nose in relief. Feeling him smile against your hand, you allowed yourself to believe things would work out just fine.

[a-marlene-s]

So....

I am looking back on past posts of stories that I plan on writing. I thought I tagged them all... but I don’t know if I got them all.

Here’s what I have so far... (Keep in mind, the majority of them are from story prompts from other people or were from asks.)

Bruce Wayne Addams

Cousin Bruce.

Gomez and Morticia love their adopted nephews very much.

Dick is going insane.

I don’t remember if this is a crossover with Miraculous Ladybug. Let alone with my au, She’s an Addams!

She’s an Addams!

Marinette’s mother is Wednesday Addams.

Jagged Stone is an Addams.

Debating if she’ll be with Nino or Canon!Felix.

I don’t remember if this is a crossover with Batman. As I remember a scene where Jagged and knew each other back in college due to them being in a band together... now that I think about it... I think that was part of another story...

Quirk: Miraculous Ladybug

Marinette Dupain-Cheng: Thread Manipulation/Miraculous Ladybug

Adrien Agreste: Formerly Quirkless/Cataclysm

Alya Césaire (class deputy): Computer Interaction

Nino Lahiffe: Frequency manipulation.

Chloé Bourgeois: Paralysis Inducement

Sabrina Raincomprix: Invisibility

Rose Lavillant: Plant Manipulation

Nathaniel Kurtzberg: Digital Art Manipulation

Juleka Couffaine: Identity Manipulation

Lê Chiến Kim: Emotion Weaponry

Mylène Haprèle: Slime Manipulation

Max Kanté: Technological Combat

Alix Kubdel: Flash Forward

Ivan Bruel: Earth Transformation

Lila Rossi: Feign Damage

Aurore Beauréal: Weather Manipulation

Mireille Caquet: Omnilingualism

Jean Duparc: Miming

Luka Couffaine: Sound Manipulation

Marc Anciel: Ink Manipulation

Kagami Tsurugi: Elemental Manipulation.

For this au, it could be as is, or as a penpal au with Marinette being friends from someone from UA. Izuku, Shoto, Hitoshi or someone else.

Justice League Banned from Paris @vivilakitty

JL finding out they got banned from Paris. 

Someone visits for the holiday or some shit that brings them there related to the League.

They see the akumas and they wonder why no one called the league for help. Especially after seeing two kids fighting the Akuams.

"The hero's tried. They were just children when shit started. My kid is thirteen and is the size and age of our hero's were when they started! We tried getting ahold of the League. The Mayor, the heroes, civilians! Everyone! We got called a joke and were told never to contact them again. Then we got blocked."

Mayor decided to bane the League from Paris. If they did not want to help, then they are no longer welcomed in the city of Paris.

The call first got through to some random civilian communicator that goes along with the name of John Christan Ryan Mark Johnson, nickname… whatever the hell first comes up in someone’s mind. When League found out, Chad became a joke among the league and got demoted. Even so, the League went to Paris as civilians and did their best to help out.

There will be mayhem from the Batboys.

Turtle Bug @jacquesthepigeon

Where Fu chose not to put the cat miraculous in play and instead gave his own since Ladybug’s partner would need to protect her. He chooses Nino to be Carapace.

Paris’s anxiety ridden superhero duo is Ladybug and Carapace.

ONE MORE THING! @vixen-uchiha​  

Jackie Chan adventures. Jackie and Sabine are cousins. Jackie decided to take a much needed break from doing what he does best. He and Jade go to Paris to have a simple... fight free... vaca.... great... seems like their vacation is short lived.

What’s the Stitch? @kanamexzeroyaoifangirl

Kim Possible/Miraculous Ladybug crossover where Marinette and Kim are cousins though Gina. Lila lies about knowing and going on side missions with her when Marinette’s the one going on missions with her when she’s in town or visiting. Class minus Chole, Nathaniel, & Kitty Section believe and bully Marinette due to Lila’s lies. Kim shows up during it one Tommie then uses her connections to show the truth and take her down. All bullies are sued and are banned from the bakery.     

Presentation Day @art-deco-shrimp​

Ms Bustier assigns each of the students to do a report on someone they know, with a presentation at the end. They need to pick someone to report on, learn about their daily life, interview at least three people close to them, and then do a presentation on that person when the project is due in two weeks (arbitrary time limit is arbitrary). When Alya comments that it’s too bad that the restrictions mean a report on Ladybug is probably out of the question, Marinette suggests Ladybug’s best friend as a substitute. Alya can interview Lila’s parents as one source, Rose can probably connect her for a short Q&A with Prince Ali about someone who’s done so much for his charities, and Alya can even justify asking Ladybug some questions for the project this way!

The Delinquent  @rubixchick​

Lila assumed the older guy Marinette has been hanging out with lately, is just some delinquent due to the guy’s tattoo’s, pericings and ripped up clothes. Spinning her tales, Lila made it difficult for Marinette to hang out with this guy or trying to occupy her time by smothering her to no end. Things go bad to worse… for Lila when she accused Juleka’s brother, whom she never met before, being the delinquent.

Hear Me Out

Story idea from: @maxdark158​  Full prompt here: https://maxdark158.tumblr.com/post/187476540811/hear-me-out-ive-got-an-au-idea

Best Friends Adrien and Marinette. No love interest or love square here.

Marinette paired with either Damian, Tim, Jason, Dick, or someone from Dc.

Adrien, I don’t know if I want to pair him up with someone or if I do want to pair up him with someone, I don’t know with whom yet.

Adrien is protective of his best friend.

Lila Salt.

Alya Salt.

Passive (Agreste)sive.

Marinette Mode @vivilakitty​: Full prompt here: https://vivilakitty.tumblr.com/post/189567415622

Marinette takes on an apprentice ship under the one and only Edna Mode.

I know her, I’m close friends with her son~  @countingdowndays: Full prompt here: https://countingdowndays.tumblr.com/post/189602949856/prompt-lila-salt-adriens-mom

Adrien mentions the movie his mom stared in to the class. Lila latched onto it, claiming she personally knew the actress and that she could introduce Adrien to her. “Great, let me know what my mom says.”

OHSHC x My Hero Academia: My Hero Host Club @amynchan 

Ships: IzoOcha, BakuKiri, TodoMomo, TetsuKendo, OjiTooru, TokoTsuyu, JiroTama

Summary: Create a club they say. Create something to do in their spare time, they say. Do something creative, they say.

“WHY DID YOU FORCE ME TO JOIN A HOST CLUB!!!”

“In all honesty, you destroyed an expensive vase and you need to pay us back. And joining us, you could easily pay it back… unless you want to pay it out of pocket.”

Kyoka Jiro gripped her hair in frustration. Her parents had told her she needed to create or join a club. Her classmate had told her about the club she had created with her friends… but said friend never mentioned it’s a host club!

Record: Drag Her. @miraculouscontent

Tikki Records Lila's threats

Tikki records Lila's threat towards Marinette with the latter's phone. "Oh, and Marientte? Drag her."

My girlfriend could kick your butt!

Peter Parker got kidnapped and cannot use his abilities without exposing his identity to the whole wide web.

There he is, strapped to a chair with a camera facing and recording his every movement.

Then the bad guys started to threaten Peter that if he doesn’t talk, that they’ll use Peter’s girlfriend as leverage.

“My girlfriend could kick your butt!!!!”

Not even a minute later, the video fed went out and when it went back on, all the bad guys are knocked out and an unfamiliar girl is untying Peter from the chair, all the while apologizing for taking too long to get to him.

This is a debate on which one to write for Dragon Age Inquisition.

Warden Cullen

HoF!Cullen

Champion!Cullen

Inquisitor!Cullen

It will take place in DAI. Pairing are yet to be seen.

If I miss a story prompt, please tell me. I have lost count or I cannot find the posts.

[ketchupcrisp]

#askstrange If I remember currently and correct me if I’m wrong, but I remember reading an implication that Mark II hid his designation from the team for awhile. If so, how did the the team find out and how did they react?

(Author’s Note: I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR SO LONG FOR SOMEONE TO ASK THIS, NONNY! THE FICLET HAS JUST BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT!

Also, the semi-sympathetic portrayal of Christine here is very much a nod to @dixiehellcat​ and her wonderful Wordsmith verse.

Content Warning: Tony’s orientation is outed without his consent or (much) prior knowledge in this ficlet. Please read with caution or avoid if this is a triggering area for you.)

Ah, yes. I recall the revelation of Stark’s orientation being rather a scandal at the time. Let me show you...

Christine Everhart was not quite the last person Tony expected to see on an otherwise quiet Thursday morning, but she definitely cracked the top ten. SI’s above-board, weapons-free projects were all flourishing, and the Avengers’ last several missions had been flawless, beyond the reproach of even their most cynical critics.

Tony wouldn’t have counted her among that bunch anyway, though she definitely still took every opportunity she could to throw a curveball or two his way. Her last piece had been a thorough and thoughtful dissection of SI’s labour policies, and had ultimately argued that anyone employed by a business owned by an active Avenger deserved hazard pay. Pepper, it turned out, had agreed, and implemented the changes several weeks after the article came out. The two women had even had a one-on-one sit down which he was pretty sure had gone well. (He should really catch up with Pepper sometime soon…)

There was, in short, no reason he could think of for Everhart to burst into his office with a frantic air about her. The woman’s usually flawless hair was tied back in a perilously loose knot that threatened to fall apart any second; she was wearing make up that was smudged and was likely several days old, and instead of her carefully tailored suits she was in a pair of ripped jeans and a t-shirt that looked slightly too big to be her own. He might not have even recognized her if JARVIS hadn’t provided her name when she’d requested access to his personal floor. Before he could even muster a snarky greeting, she was rambling.

“Tony, I didn’t know they what I was looking for. Please, you have to believe me, I would never—”

“Woah, woah, Brown, take a breath and have a seat. You want a drink? Old fashioned, right?” She waved away the offer impatiently.

“Tony, I know that you’re classified as a True submissive. And in just a few hours, so will most of the world.”

That…that, Tony hadn’t been expecting. He’d lived this lie for so long and with such flawless execution that this particular option never even occurred to him anymore when people threatened to expose his secrets (which they did on practically a weekly basis, to be fair.) Ice-cold panic gripped him, the pressure so intense and sudden it felt like it had when he’d first woken up to find half of what had once been his chest cavity taken up by the arc reactor. (Invasive, his insides suddenly on display, he couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe…oh fuck, anything anything but this.)

“I didn’t know, Tony, I would never out someone on purpose. I was chasing down a lead about your college admissions paperwork; something seemed off, and I thought maybe your Father had, I don’t know, forged your test scores, maybe? Tried to make you seem smarter than you really were? By the time I realized what it was I was actually uncovering I stopped, I tried to convince my editor to just drop the story, but she just assigned the piece to a new writer and used everything I’d found. All our work is on a shared drive and I couldn’t remove it in time.”

It wasn’t actually the first time he’d had a reporter come to him like this, feeling the pangs of conscience and begging for forgiveness. In the past, he’d always been able to spin the situation to his advantage, leverage their humanity into something favourable for himself or the company down the line. Doing so now, promising Everhart an exclusive if they broke the news first, or maybe having her come out ahead of the story claiming she’d forged the proof she’d found…the options occurred to him, but it was like having the equivalent of an out-of-body experience in his brain. He registered these thoughts, knew they were the smart and practical things to do, but they felt distant and removed from the terror and utter fury that were dominating all of his more immediate mental processes.

“So what, did you come here to fucking gloat?” he spat. “Or did you want forgiveness, maybe? Want me to tell you it’s just fine you’re about to tear my life apart because you didn’t mean to? That would be a bit rich from the woman who wanted me tarred and feather for the mere act of producing and selling weapons just because I didn’t know how and under what conditions each and every one of them would be used. Well I’m not going to give you absolution, Brown. And your sanctimonious ass has no right coming in here and expecting it.”

“I know.” Pepper and Rhodey were two of the only people who knew that short, declarative statements were one of the only ways to cut through Tony’s rants when he really got going. He was so paranoid in the wake of the imminent threat of exposure that for a moment he wondered if Everhart had been spying somehow. Maybe she had sources closer to him than he even realized? (He’d conduct a hardline sweep of the Tower and every other building he had so much as stepped foot in the second she left.) “I just…I can only give you a couple hours head start, but I thought if there were people in your life who don’t know and who you you would prefer to hear it directly from you, I could at least give you the chance to tell them yourself. I really am sorry, Tony.”

He considered this proposal for all of two seconds after Everhart made a quiet exit. Rhodey and Pepper both knew—Rhodey because of Tony’s disastrous college years, and Pepper because Rhodey had pretty much forced Tony to confide in her once she’d been hired on as his assistant. (He was still pissed about that, but sometimes Tony really needed to kneel or be told he was good, and Pepper always seemed to know. It didn’t feel anything at all like when a Dom would do it, but it staved off the worst of the dep when it got really bad.) The team…if he went to them now, if he took Everhart’s advice and broke it to them personally, he could already predict what would happen. Steve would be quietly concerned, asking questions about Tony’s wellbeing and pretending his True Dom ass didn’t have a vested interest in the answers. Bruce, someone actually informed on the science, would back Steve up, making more pointed inquiries about his hormone levels and other indicators of dep that would be far harder to ignore. Natasha and Thor, though for different reasons, would both be silent in their support. Clint would make a perfectly inappropriate joke, and Coulson would promise any supports Tony needed through SHIELD or outside of it. They’d be kind and understanding and sympathetic and by the end of it Tony would feel so fucking small and worthless that he’d probably leave the damn country and never return.

No, he’d wait this one out in the shop with all the liquor in the Tower, every project he could get his hands on, and the loudest music that JARVIS would permit. 

[redbelles]

question time!

tagged by the ever-lovely @mvcreates and the delightful @karenpage <3

1. how tall are you? 5′4″; i’m smol but fighty 

2. what color and style is your hair? as dark brown as you can get without actually hitting black. i shaved it all off in 2017, but it grows stupid fast, so right now it’s just past my shoulders. i got bored this past summer and now the last three.....four.....ish inches have been fried bleached light blonde so i can fuck around with color!

3. what color are your eyes? brown w/some green thrown in for fun

4. do you wear glasses? yep!

5. do you wear braces? i had braces in middle school after years and years of a retainer to fix my Extremely Fucked Up teeth after i smashed my face into, in no particular order, an airport “will your carry on fit” box, a monkey bar platform, and an arena wall. i swear i’m not actually that accident-prone! kid me just went really, really hard all the goddamn time

6. what is your fashion style? i live in leggings and flannel; lots of black, lots of plaid, and also lots of sweatshirts. when i’m not rocking that pnw hipster aesthetic, i’m probably decked out in hockey stuff. shoe-wise, either docs, converse, or Aggressively Fancy Heels

7. full name? [redacted] 

8. when were you born? ‘92

9. where are you from and where do you live now? pnw! and now i’m hanging out in the inland northwest

10. what school do you go to? i did my time at a small liberal arts college w/pretentions of sporting relevance

11. what kind of student are you? i’m a phenomenal student when my brain isn’t actively fucking me over; when it is, i’m [static noises] and “extensions pls” all over the damn place

12. do you like school? yeah! i regret not being more functional during my years at college, but i’m looking forward to someday getting my shit together and going back for an mfa

13. what are your favorite school subjects?  H I S T O R Y!!!!!!!! also english/literature/writing/what have you

14. favorite TV shows? uh. the punisher, sons of anarchy, hell on wheels, leverage, miss fisher’s murder mysteries, and also buzzfeed unsolved (i blame @karenpage )

15. favorite movies? THE MUMMY. also pacific rim, atonement, and patton. oh wAIT, ALSO CLUE!!! goddammit, also lit. everything miyazaki has ever produced. 

16. favorite books? how dare you ask me something like this! there’s no way to definitively pick, but here, have a selection: his dark materials, the song of the lioness quartet, ella enchanted, an inquiry into love and death, yume no hon, bone map, all the pretty horses, the things they carried, vampires in the lemon grove, everything in this country must, keturah and lord death, and here, bullet 

17. favorite pastime? reading, writing, horseback riding, mechanical maintenance (cars, planes, boats, motorcycles, etc.), and listening to bruce springsteen music. ALSO HOCKEY.

18. do you have any regrets? m a n y.

19. dream job? someone pays me money to write words

20. would you like to get married someday? hard pass.

21. would you like to have kids someday? even harder pass.

23. do you like shopping? absolutely yes, except for the part where i have no money

24. what countries have you visited? usa, iceland, and england! hoping to visit many more, but there’s that whole “money” thing again 

25. what’s the scariest nightmare you’ve ever had? oh fuck, the one where i was trapped in my first grade classroom with so many snakes you couldn’t see the floor, just a writhing, hissing carpet of snakes. jesus fucking christ, so many snakes.

26. do you have any enemies? lmao, probably 

27. do you have an s/o? nope!

28. do you believe in miracles? right now? no. maybe someday. 

tagging @jacyevans @chaserandseeker @thatworldinverted @ltfrankcastle @foggiestnelson @sneakyasaspider @carry-the-sky and anyone else who’d like a go

[fitnesswomenshealth-blog]

Eric Dickerson clarifies NFL Hall of Famers' health insurance goal

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Eric Dickerson clarifies NFL Hall of Famers' health insurance goal

A group of professional football Corridor of Famers experimented with to create a splash in the NFL’s labor dynamics on Tuesday by releasing a letter demanding life span health and fitness insurance policy and an annual income for all Corridor of Famers.

In an job interview with TMZ Sporting activities on Wednesday, Hall of Fame Board president Eric Dickerson delivered further specifics on all those demands, suggesting “every Hall of Famer would get about $300,000 a yr.”

The letter’s menace if the NFL didn’t fulfill their needs? A Corridor of Fame ceremony that would glance a total large amount emptier next year. If the league did not begin supporting its finest players following their time in the league, people players threatened to boycott the Corridor of Fame’s once-a-year induction ceremony. Introducing to the players’ leverage was that the NFL would soon rejoice its 100th anniversary, which would ring hollow if the league’s most recognizable faces sat out any ceremony.

It was an attention-grabbing go from a team of players that is likely fed up with the NFL’s remedy of its most important labor force, but it was not a go accepted by each individual player who supposedly signed the letter.

Jerry Rice and Kurt Warner back out of NFL Corridor of Famers’ letter

The letter was signed by a who’s who of NFL greats. Dickerson was at the top rated, adopted by: Marcus Allen, Mel Blount, Derrick Brooks, Jim Brown, Earl Campbell, Richard Dent, Carl Eller, Marshall Faulk, Mike Haynes, Rickey Jackson, Ronnie Lott, Curtis Martin, Joe Namath, John Randle, Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, Bruce Smith, Jackie Smith, Lawrence Taylor, Kurt Warner and Sarah White, the widow of Reggie White.

Not just about every identify on that listing apparently experienced the probability to study the letter just before it was produced, as Warner and Rice before long released statements distancing them selves from the letter.

A common chorus from both of those statements was a motivation to obtain life span wellbeing insurance plan for all retired NFL players, not just the Hall of Famers.

Which is an easy to understand want. The letter pointed out that retired MLB gamers, beneficiaries of arguably the strongest participant union in American athletics, receive life span wellness insurance soon after just one day on a huge league roster and acquire lifetime pensions immediately after 43 times. By comparison, NFL players acquire wellbeing insurance coverage for only five several years after their retirement, which is not way too handy for a activity notorious for its very long-phrase hurt.

Regardless of the shortcomings of requesting wellbeing insurance policy for just the NFL’s Corridor of Famers, Dickerson later claimed it was all part of the strategy.

Eric Dickerson clarifies NFL Hall of Famers’ aims

Dickerson launched another statement Tuesday evening using obligation for a miscommunication with Rice and Warner and blasting the NFL for “pitting gamers in opposition to every single other.”

Warner and Rice ended up definitely left out of the letter’s signatories. Also missing from the letter were being Brooks, Campbell, Faulk, Lott, Martin, Namath and Sanders.

Dickerson afterwards clarified that he and his colleagues want health insurance policies and a important pension for all retired NFL gamers. In an interview with ESPN, he explained the act of putting Corridor of Famers 1st as basically a 1st action in a much larger approach.

“Those fellas played just as difficult as I did to get to the Corridor of Fame. I want them to get overall health care, but we have to commence right here very first. We have to get to 1 right before we can get to 10. You have to start with the Hall of Famers mainly because we’re trying to get some electricity 1st. We don’t have a voice at the desk and we’re attempting to get there with the consideration of the Hall of Famers initially. When you get Hall of Famers chatting, ideally you get the notice of the masses.”

In his interview with TMZ Sports on Wednesday, Dickerson reiterated that his purpose is to finally make improvements to rewards for all players, such as lifetime health care protection and a pension prepare comparable to the structure for Key League Baseball, which reportedly pays 10-yr veterans $200,000 yearly.

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[rickhorrow]

15 to Watch + 5 Tech 101617

1) In the wake of NFL player actions, player protests will be something to watch this NBA season. The 2018 regular season tips off this Tuesday, with a marquee double bill featuring the Cavaliers vs. the Celtics and the Warriors vs. the Rockets. According to NBC Sports Bay Area, Warriors star Stephen Curry was among the first athletes to openly speak out against President Trump, and he is now “walking a sociopolitical path.” The face of Under Armour and Infiniti, Curry is aware of the balance he needs to strike between voicing his personal opinion on controversial issues and representing his sponsors. For the global icon, “principles are at stake and he has more than a few,” which people point to as the reason he is so willing to alienate a segment of the market. “I’m well aware that, in this world, there’s no way you can please everybody and there’s no reason that you should want to,” said Curry. “I’m very comfortable understanding that, and not letting that affect my view or stance.” The NBA already has a National Anthem policy in place, so while it’s unlikely we’ll see any NBA players kneeling courtside during the anthem, expect player statements to be made via many other platforms.

2) The NFL may also soon issue a rule requiring all players to stand for the National Anthem. According to the Wall Street Journal, this development comes in the wake of President Donald Trump condemning players who have protested the anthem before games this season. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently sent out a memo stating that he believes “all players should stand for the anthem,” and that the league will “suggest other ways it could support social-justice issues that players want to champion.” In response, many NFL players have said that they would boycott if they were not allowed to protest. The current NFL game operations manual says “players ‘should’ stand” during the playing of the anthem, though it could soon change to “players ‘must’ stand.” While player protests during the National Anthem will be a "major topic of conversation" at Tuesday's NFL owners meetings, no "sweeping game-day changes are expected," according to sources. But in a sign of how pervasive the movement has become, the act of players taking a knee has now “crossed the Atlantic,” as Bundesliga team Hertha Berlin’s players and coaches knelt before their game on Saturday in a call for “tolerance and responsibility.”

3) With the new NBA season tipping off this week, more teams have announced their decision not to stay at Trump hotels this year. According to the Washington Post, 11 of the 12 teams that have stayed at Trump SoHo since it opened in 2010 have since made new arrangements when they play in New York. This summer, the Raptors, Rockets, Kings, and Wizards all decided to stop giving the Trump hotel their business. Additionally, another NBA team “quit staying” at Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago, “and at least three NHL teams and one MLB club have stopped frequenting Trump hotels in the same time.” Some teams cited travel logistics, not politics, as their motivation for deciding to go elsewhere, though others were not shy of voicing their political dissent. “He continually offends people, and so people don’t want to stay at his hotel,” said Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr. “It’s pretty simple.” Luxury properties abound in NBA cities, so it’s a fairly easy decision for team travel coordinators to look elsewhere and avoid the issue altogether.

4) As college football nears the midpoint of its 2017 season and basketball beckons, IMG College and Learfield have announced their “definitive agreement” to merge. The leading collegiate marketing companies will create a combined entity that will be owned by IMG and Atairos, the investment firm that bought Learfield for more than $1.2 billion in 2016, and will be led by Learfield CEO Greg Brown. The new entity will be headquartered in Plano, Texas. While terms of the deal have not been disclosed, analysts have estimated that the deal could be worth more than $2.5 billion. In a joint statement, IMG and Learfield cited numerous merger benefits, including "enhanced services, more consistent promotions, technological innovation, and greater economic opportunities" for the company’s university and brand clients. Learfield oversees athletic multimedia and sponsorship rights for over 130 U.S. colleges and universities, and has acquired complementary services, including stadium concessions and hospitality services, ticket sales, and online streaming capabilities. Meanwhile IMG College represents nearly 90 universities and conferences, as well as trademark licensing and consumer rights products for over 200 schools, conferences, and bowl games. The two companies’ combined portfolio includes more than 70% of DI schools, and over 80% of Power Five conference members.

5) After a shocking loss against Trinidad & Tobago, the United States Men’s National Team has failed to quality for the 2018 World Cup. According to the New York Times, this marks the first time the USMNT has failed to qualify after a string of seven straight appearances in the tournament. U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati declined to comment whether or not “wholesale changes” would be made in the wake of the loss, though head coach Bruce Arena resigned mere days after the defeat. “You don’t make wholesale changes based on the ball being two inches wide or two inches in. We’ll look at everything,” said Gulati. “But we’ve got a lot of pieces in place that we think are very good and have been coming along.” The U.S. only needed to tie the game to book its ticket to Russia, but it could not even manage that.

6) With the USMNT failing to reach the World Cup, Fox Sports’ revenue and ratings are expected to take a severe hit next summer. According to Broadcasting & Cable, Fox is paying between $450-500 million for the rights to broadcast the next three World Cups in the U.S., but this summer’s tournament in Russia is likely to draw poor ratings without the U.S. competing in it. The network was expecting large viewership across the country, and it has already built a two-story broadcasting complex at Moscow’s Red Square with multiple sets, a main anchor desk, and an interview room. Fox is planning on broadcasting 350 hours of World Cup programming during the tournament, though viewership for that content is now expected to fall way below original expectations when the USMNT was assumed to qualify. At stake are millions of dollars in potential lost revenue not only for Fox Sports (which may be out upwards of $20 million according to some reports), but for USMNT business partners, sports travel packagers, merchandisers, and the like.

7) Dallas Cowboys outspoken owner Jerry Jones’ recent comments to players about potentially benching them for disrespecting the American flag stemmed from him wanting to “play the bad guy.” According to ESPN.com, Jones attempted to divert the attention and media coverage from his players onto himself in order to protect them. Many Cowboys players were initially frustrated regarding Jones’ comments, as they thought Jones “had turned against them.” Instead, he reportedly wanted to “ensure that players saw the bigger picture regarding the business side of the situation, including concerns over TV rating and sponsors.” Cowboys Kicker Dan Bailey confirmed that there have been numerous calls between players and the NFLPA regarding the situation. Ever a proactive leader, Jones has since addressed the team multiple times to clear up any confusion and give players the chance to openly air their concerns.

8) With MLB playoffs in full swing, New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius is using a postseason push to grow his endorsement portfolio. According to Forbes, Gregorius’ strong, infectious personality, coupled with his on-field performance, has helped him land new deals with Wix.com, Delta, Banana Republic, Stance, and Planters. He already had sponsorship deals in place with Nike, Mizuno, and Louisville Slugger, but those paled in comparison to what he has now. His newly estimated off-field income is expected to be “north of $500,000.” Gregorius is a catch for potential endorsers; he “speaks four languages and has a growing social media presence in which he celebrates Yankees wins on Twitter with emojis representing different Yankees stars.” Sponsors have also leveraged the geographic advantage that he plays in New York, and accordingly Gregorius has made multiple live appearances around the city on behalf of his endorsers.

9) With the Dodgers and Astros now leading their conference series 2-0 respectively against the Cubs and the Yankees, MLB broadcast partners are salivating at the idea that regardless of the NLCS and ALCS outcomes, teams hailing from the U.S.’ four biggest media markets – and all with compelling storylines – will contest the 2018 World Series. In the ALCS, we’re watching the Yankees, a team with one of the biggest fan bases and brand recognition in the world, battle the resurgent Houston Astros, a team playing not only for their place in modern baseball history but representing a community still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. And in Los Angeles, the NLCS is pitting the world champion Chicago Cubs against the ever-popular Dodgers, who last won the Series 29 years ago. Through the end of the regular season, the Dodgers “sold more than 3.7 million tickets," according to the Los Angeles Times. That means the club has "led the majors in attendance in each of the five full years under Guggenheim Baseball ownership, selling between 3.7 million and 3.8 million tickets each year.” The Dodgers have also made the playoffs all five seasons under Guggenheim's ownership, a significant milestone.

10) Rate of play has been a big cause of concern for MLB over the past few seasons, and this year’s playoffs have only reiterated that issue. According to the Washington Post, the Chicago Cubs’ 9-8 win over the Washington Nationals in Game 5 of the NLDS lasted over four and a half hours, making it the “longest nine-inning game in playoff history.” The increase in game time can be attributed to a few major reasons, primarily longer commercial times in the playoffs coupled with replay review, more pitching changes and mound visits, and the tendency for “max-effort pitches to take longer and longer between pitches.” MLB has been trying to address rate of play throughout the regular season, but come playoff time, the play tends to be more meticulous and slow down. Thus far, the average time of playoff games has been three hours and thirty-six minutes. While MLB is focused on this issue, more needs to be done – especially if the league hopes to continue to attract its next generation of fans, not exactly known for their long attention spans.

11) New Houston Rockets Owner Tilman Fertitta has made it clear that he wants his team to be a contender. Fertitta spoke to the Houston Chronicle about his goal of making the Rockets more like the Lakers and Celtics, two teams that “win championships every decade.” The new point man in Houston paid more for the team than “anyone ever had for a North American sports franchise.” Fertitta will not take over basketball decision-making upon his Toyota Center arrival, but he will be heavily involved in free-agent recruiting. Instead of working out of his arena corner office, he will work out of his headquarters at The Post Oak in downtown Houston. “I don’t want to win three in a row and not win any for the next 20, 25 years,” said Fertitta. “I want to be a competitive team every year. We’re going to make good decisions, and we’re going to do whatever it takes to win.” Attitude is great, but cementing a crack front office staff will contribute to more championships.

12) The Australian Open is looking to increase the economic impact of the annual Grand Slam event to produce $389.5 million per year within the next five years. According to the Herald Sun, a 15-day music festival will accompany the action on the court, headlined by a fundraiser for motor neuron disease research the day before the 2018 tournament starts. This coming year, a record $3.1 million will be awarded to singles winners – part of a world-best $42.8 million tournament prize pool. The 2017 Australian Open brought in around $217 million in positive economic impact, up from 2014’s marker of $192 million. Tournament Director Craig Tiley noted that he hopes to break this $389.5 million threshold (A$500 million) within five years “as the tournament expands in size, crowd figures and international appeal. “We’ve in essence become a music festival at the same time, and then of course there is food,” said Tiley. Whether tennis, golf, soccer, or basketball, engaging fans on many levels is critical to modern-day sports event financial success.

13) With college basketball practices officially underway across the country, the universities of Kansas and Missouri are making plans to scrimmage each other in a renewed “Border War.” According to the Columbia Daily Tribune, the two schools have not played against each other in basketball since 2012 – Missouri’s last year in the Big 12 before switching to the SEC – despite sharing a state border. The scrimmage will be played at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, with the “funds from ticket sales going to hurricane relief.” In accordance with NCAA rules, Division I teams are allowed to play two exhibition games per season against non-Division I opponents, so if the game is to take place, the universities “would need the permission of the NCAA – be it in the form of a waiver or something similar.” Missouri hosted an exhibition game in 2011 to raise money for relief efforts following the Joplin tornados, and while the proposed Sprint Center event won’t have as immediate a beneficiary, it should be able to raise tens of thousands of dollars in relief funds.

14) Las Vegas might soon land another professional sports franchise. According to the AP, the WNBA Stars “are in negotiations to be sold and relocated,” with a move from San Antonio to Las Vegas likely happening. Las Vegas is currently home to the Golden Knights – the recent NHL expansion team – and will soon welcome the NFL’s Raiders when they move from Oakland. Despite having a talented core of players in San Antonio, the Stars finished last place in the WNBA this past season. The team originally moved to Texas from Utah back in 2003, so this would be the franchise’s second change of location in its existence. One of the biggest questions regarding the relocation is where the team will play; possible venues include T-Mobile Arena, the MGM Grand Garden, the Thomas & Mack Center, and Orleans Arena. The Stars are currently owned and operated by Spurs Sports & Entertainment. If current enthusiasm for the Golden Knights is any indication, Las Vegas is shaping up to be quite the sports town, even outside the confines of its ever-popular sports books.

15) UCF’s football stadium is in dire need of a patch up. According to the Orlando Sentinel, a recent engineering report indicated that the university’s football stadium needs extensive repairs that could total up to $14 million. Spectrum Stadium was found to have rust and corrosion around it, with some “immediate life safety concerns” due to the structural integrity of the venue. Long term plans are currently being weighed by the university, though it did note that the worst problems have already been fixed. The 45,000-seat venue on the main campus was found to have corrosion that affects more than 80,000 square feet across the stadium. The engineering report further indicated that the facility “has become so rusted that an overhaul could cost about a quarter of the stadium’s $54 million price tag.” The extent of the repair job will depend on how much the school spends on it and “whether the stadium life extends another 10 years of 20 years.” All too frequently, when schools and communities budget for sports facilities construction projects, they underestimate the funds needed for adequate maintenance over time. This is only the most recent example of that oversight.

Top Five Tech

1) Football is doing all it can to combat public concern over CTE. According to the Chicago Tribune, football equipment company Riddell is making custom helmets to best fit players from all age groups. The helmets will look to improve both player vision and head protection with new “precision-fit” technology. The new and improved helmets could lead to an increase in perceived public perception of how safe football can actually become. Rutgers equipment manager Stephen Hale remarked, “You eliminate that lag, so to speak, when a player moves his head. You don’t have the helmet playing catch up, which is what they believe to be a large contributing factor to concussions right now. It’s pretty ground-breaking stuff.” If these new helmets are successful in helping protect players in a better way, we could see an increase in the number of youth football players. If the number of players increases after a decrease in the last few years, the future of football could be saved. Riddell is playing a big part in youth, high school, college, and even NFL football.

2) LA Clippers fans have a new way of making sure that the ticket they are buying is exactly what they want. Using a piece of technology called FanSight by AXS, fans can now see a 360 degree view of what their seat will look like in the arena. Gillian Zucker, President of Business Operations for the Clippers, told Business Insider, “The Clippers are focused on enhancing our fan experience and purchasing a ticket is one of the first touchpoints a fan may have with our brand. AXS will provide fans with the most accurate view from a seat for a Clippers game, with a promise to bring to life an NBA game the way no other team — or ticket platform — in the league does.” If the technology is successful, we will likely see a change in the way consumers buy their tickets online. If ticket distributors such as StubHub and Ticketmaster are able to adopt the same type of technology, consumers will have a much more personalized experience buying their tickets. 

3) NBA League Pass can now be viewed in a new and exciting way. Through NextVR, fans and consumers alike can watch every NBA game through Virtual Reality headsets that put you directly in the arena. NextVR CEO David Cole had this to say about the VR advancement: “Following a groundbreaking first season of NBA games in VR, we will introduce new product features, including real-time graphics floating like holograms within the field-of-play, deliver sharper images, and introduce more VR devices to fans. We are continuing to advance the realism and fidelity of our NBA broadcasts and these new features will deliver the most immersive live basketball experience to date.” With the advent of VR, fans see the game as if they are placed directly in the stadium. While the headsets and computers to run the applications are expensive, hardcore sport and tech fans have seemed willing to pay the price. With so many NBA games available to watch, it makes sense for many fans to make the investment and experience a whole new sports viewing environment.

 4) Analytics continue to play a bigger role in not only sports decision-making, but also the fan experience. Sportradar, a technology company that specializes in both player tracking and data collection, has just acquired Mocap Analytics. Mocap is another analytics-based firm out of Palo Alto, California that has made a lot of headway in player tracking. Sportradar Director of Communications Alex Inglot said this in a statement: “Mocap’s pedigree with the Golden State Warriors and in the performance analysis domain is really what underpins the credibility of what they’re bringing to us. When you’re good enough for the Golden State Warriors’ analytics team, you’re good enough to provide fans what they’re looking for, that eureka insight that cuts through all the noise and cuts through all the speculation and gets you to the root of why what happened just happened.” With this new collaboration, we see that investments in technology are smart investments. The more data and technology available to both teams and fans, the better off the sports world is to make future decisions. 

5) Near-Life sporting event updates on social media sites are quickly becoming more popular. Wildmoka is a company that partners with media and broadcast companies to upload game clips online right after they happen. For fans that don’t have access to the game, the clips and information can come as a godsend. Cristian Livadiotti, co-founder at Wildmoka, described the current digital market to SportTechie: “Today’s digital video consumers use their mobile devices for video and may watch highlights more often than a full show or sports match. This is why speed is critical. If you are unable to almost automatically deliver highlights from breaking news or sports events, you risk your content never being seen.  Even worse, loyalty of viewers on digital will instantly shift towards competitors who deliver content faster.” Near-life digital media is a change to a landscape that is so used to live sports being king. With Wildmoka’s use of social media as well, we can see an entirely new landscape shaping up in which fans can watch games and events.

[newstwitter-blog]

New Post has been published on News Twitter

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Washington Post: How free agency impacts potential Kirk Cousins trade talk

(Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)

The combine has come and gone, and here we are in the two-day legal tampering period that precedes Thursday’s free agent signing window.

There are tons of questions still swirling about the Redskins — some good, some bad, some football-related, some not.

We do our best to get to the bottom of as many of them as possible in this week’s mailbag.

Thanks, as always, for taking part, and keep those questions coming.

Email them to me at mike.jones@washpost.com with the subject line of “Mailbag question,” and we’ll do it all over again next Tuesday — after some free agent signings have taken place.

In regards to the legal tampering that opens up this afternoon: How might that affect trade talks between the 49ers and the Redskins with Kirk Cousins? Also, why hasn’t he signed his tender?  Is that also something to do with the Niners?

— Rob Fox, Lincolnton, N.C.

I don’t expect the legal tampering window to have any impact on Cousins-related trade talks between the Redskins and 49ers, because I don’t think San Francisco is desperate enough to seriously consider trading for Cousins.

[Combine over and Gruden signed, Redskins face free agent questions]

There are two factors here that my colleague, Master Tesfatsion and I managed to uncover last week. Yes, Kirk Cousins and Kyle Shanahan have a good relationship, and Cousins would love to play for him again some day. But, Shanahan and general manager John Lynch understand the importance of hanging on to your draft picks. Shanahan has seen what happens when a team sells the farm for a quarterback. Both men know how many needs the 49ers have and that building through the draft is the best way to go. People familiar with their thinking also say that they’d be hesitant to pay a $20-million-plus-per-year salary while also giving up a bevy of picks.

Shanahan and Lynch both signed six-year contracts. So, they’ve got time to build this thing the right way. They very well could use their picks this year to meet other needs while signing a space-holder quarterback, like a Matt Schaub, and then wait to see if Cousins hits free agency next year and sign him without giving up picks.

Lastly, Cousins hasn’t signed his tender yet because his agent is still reviewing his options. Before, when he had the nonexclusive tag, he still could negotiate with other teams. But now that it’s the exclusive tag, that’s a little more restrictive. And since he has time, his agent is taking that time before having Cousins sign and lock in that guarantee.

With the Bears and Browns interested in Mike Glennon, Jets interested in Tyrod Taylor and 49ers interested in Trevor Siemian, how would a dried-up QB market impact the negotiation/trade leverage between Kirk and the Skins? I think if the team is looking to trade Kirk Cousins it has to be in the next two to three days to maximize a return.

— Ziggy Valbrun

The Redskins insist they want to keep Cousins. But let’s say they change their mind and are willing to entertain offers. There could be teams that want to get their quarterback situations resolved during free agency. But the Redskins probably would have a little bit better leverage if they wait until closer to the draft.

[Redskins confirm Gruden contract extension without comment]

The Redskins have the first part of their backup plan in place, and that’s Colt McCoy (and the other part would be drafting a quarterback to groom behind him), so they aren’t desperate to move Cousins so they can find another quarterback. And, a team that didn’t get their quarterback situation taken care of in free agency would be in a more desperate position just before the draft, so they’d be willing to give up a little more.

Do you think the Redskins want to upgrade the middle linebacker position? The current starters are adequate, but don’t provide game-changing plays.

— Ajay Mathur

I actually don’t think it’s a talent problem with the Redskins’ inside linebackers. Mason Foster had a really strong second half of the season. Will Compton, who is a restricted free agent, is a really smart, instinctual guy and an effective communicator. Sure, he might have some speed deficiencies. But he has enough to get it done.

[Bullock: Combine blow up could give Redskins a great fit in Reuben Foster]

I think what would help both of those guys is having better defensive linemen in front of them, and better safety support. Better players up front would mean more open lanes for the linebackers to shoot through and make tackles or sacks. It would be good for the Redskins to draft a rangy, speedy, athletic playmaking inside linebacker to groom behind Compton and Foster and eventually turn him loose. But Compton and Foster are definitely capable of getting the job done. It’s the highest importance that the Redskins upgrade their defensive line.

Why haven’t the Redskins given qualifying offers to some of their restricted free agents? It seems dumb to wait till the last second, if they know they will make an offer i.e. Compton, Thompson. Any chance another team tries to poach one of them?

— David Gans

Your guess is as good as mine on this one, chief. Nothing about the Redskins’ moves (or non-moves) have made sense this offseason. The restricted free agent tenders aren’t tricky at all. Players like Will Compton and Chris Thompson have both been told by coaches and/or management that they are valued and that they want to bring them back. So, it’s really confusing as to why they haven’t gotten those restricted free agent tenders yet. I think both would be smart moves, by the way.

If Pierre Garcon requested a trade midseason, why was he so upset the Skins didn’t talk to him before yesterday? Doesn’t that mean he wanted out?

— Brian Lowery

I think that Garcon probably feels disrespected. You play for a team for five years, you’re their most consistent wide receiver during that span, you’re coming off another 1,000-yard season, and they don’t even pick up the phone and talk about bringing you back the whole offseason? Sure, there was a point during the season, where Garcon felt like the forgotten man. But he never stopped working hard, never caused embarrassment.

[Brewer: Jay Gruden earned a new contract and a new burden]

He did ask his agent to see if the team would consider trading him to a team that would use him more. The team said no, and so Garcon kept coming to work, kept setting a good example and kept trying to help his team win. It wasn’t that Garcon didn’t want to be here. He just wanted to be with a team that would use him. Things improved in the second half of the season, and Garcon’s production increased. Throughout the year, Garcon heard his coach and quarterback praise him and talk about how valuable he is. But then, when the offseason comes, the team did nothing to back that up. So, that’s where the frustration stems from. Mixed feelings are definitely understandable.

There have been a lot of questions and worry regarding the status of Redskins’ GM Scot McCloughan. I’m wondering, just what is the team’s present chain of command? Who is McCloughan’s “second-in-command”? Are there any other prominent scouts/personnel people to take care of assessment and evaluation should Scot not be able to get things done? Finally, just what are the terms of Scot’s contract with the Redskins?

— Emmett Mosley

From everything we can gather, here’s how the chain of command looked/looks with Scot McCloughan on what appears to be some kind of leave of absence. All of the college scouts report to Director of College Scouting Scott Campbell, and the pro scouts still report to Director of Pro Personnel Alex Santos. Those two, along with senior personnel executive Doug Williams are reporting to Bruce Allen. And, somewhere in there, Jay Gruden is involved as well.

This is basically the setup that the Redskins had pre-McCloughan. This was the setup when the Redskins drafted Trent Murphy, Morgan Moses, Spencer Long, Bashaud Breeland, Ryan Grant, Lache Seastrunk, Ted Bolser and Zach Hocker. That group also oversaw the free agent signings of DeSean Jackson, Tracy Porter, Andre Roberts, Jason Hatcher, Shawn Lauvao. So, that wasn’t a bad year. There were some hits, and some misses. But the same could be said of the last two draft and free agent classes that took place on McCloughan’s watch. And, although McCloughan led the personnel department and reported directly to Allen, it wasn’t like he didn’t accept input from coaches, the scouts and Campbell and Santos.

It’s a team effort, with Allen basically having the final say.

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[newstwitter-blog]

New Post has been published on News Twitter

New Post has been published on http://www.news-twitter.com/2017/03/08/washington-post-how-free-agency-impacts-potential-kirk-cousins-trade-talk-3/

Washington Post: How free agency impacts potential Kirk Cousins trade talk

(Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)

The combine has come and gone, and here we are in the two-day legal tampering period that precedes Thursday’s free agent signing window.

There are tons of questions still swirling about the Redskins — some good, some bad, some football-related, some not.

We do our best to get to the bottom of as many of them as possible in this week’s mailbag.

Thanks, as always, for taking part, and keep those questions coming.

Email them to me at mike.jones@washpost.com with the subject line of “Mailbag question,” and we’ll do it all over again next Tuesday — after some free agent signings have taken place.

In regards to the legal tampering that opens up this afternoon: How might that affect trade talks between the 49ers and the Redskins with Kirk Cousins? Also, why hasn’t he signed his tender?  Is that also something to do with the Niners?

— Rob Fox, Lincolnton, N.C.

I don’t expect the legal tampering window to have any impact on Cousins-related trade talks between the Redskins and 49ers, because I don’t think San Francisco is desperate enough to seriously consider trading for Cousins.

[Combine over and Gruden signed, Redskins face free agent questions]

There are two factors here that my colleague, Master Tesfatsion and I managed to uncover last week. Yes, Kirk Cousins and Kyle Shanahan have a good relationship, and Cousins would love to play for him again some day. But, Shanahan and general manager John Lynch understand the importance of hanging on to your draft picks. Shanahan has seen what happens when a team sells the farm for a quarterback. Both men know how many needs the 49ers have and that building through the draft is the best way to go. People familiar with their thinking also say that they’d be hesitant to pay a $20-million-plus-per-year salary while also giving up a bevy of picks.

Shanahan and Lynch both signed six-year contracts. So, they’ve got time to build this thing the right way. They very well could use their picks this year to meet other needs while signing a space-holder quarterback, like a Matt Schaub, and then wait to see if Cousins hits free agency next year and sign him without giving up picks.

Lastly, Cousins hasn’t signed his tender yet because his agent is still reviewing his options. Before, when he had the nonexclusive tag, he still could negotiate with other teams. But now that it’s the exclusive tag, that’s a little more restrictive. And since he has time, his agent is taking that time before having Cousins sign and lock in that guarantee.

With the Bears and Browns interested in Mike Glennon, Jets interested in Tyrod Taylor and 49ers interested in Trevor Siemian, how would a dried-up QB market impact the negotiation/trade leverage between Kirk and the Skins? I think if the team is looking to trade Kirk Cousins it has to be in the next two to three days to maximize a return.

— Ziggy Valbrun

The Redskins insist they want to keep Cousins. But let’s say they change their mind and are willing to entertain offers. There could be teams that want to get their quarterback situations resolved during free agency. But the Redskins probably would have a little bit better leverage if they wait until closer to the draft.

[Redskins confirm Gruden contract extension without comment]

The Redskins have the first part of their backup plan in place, and that’s Colt McCoy (and the other part would be drafting a quarterback to groom behind him), so they aren’t desperate to move Cousins so they can find another quarterback. And, a team that didn’t get their quarterback situation taken care of in free agency would be in a more desperate position just before the draft, so they’d be willing to give up a little more.

Do you think the Redskins want to upgrade the middle linebacker position? The current starters are adequate, but don’t provide game-changing plays.

— Ajay Mathur

I actually don’t think it’s a talent problem with the Redskins’ inside linebackers. Mason Foster had a really strong second half of the season. Will Compton, who is a restricted free agent, is a really smart, instinctual guy and an effective communicator. Sure, he might have some speed deficiencies. But he has enough to get it done.

[Bullock: Combine blow up could give Redskins a great fit in Reuben Foster]

I think what would help both of those guys is having better defensive linemen in front of them, and better safety support. Better players up front would mean more open lanes for the linebackers to shoot through and make tackles or sacks. It would be good for the Redskins to draft a rangy, speedy, athletic playmaking inside linebacker to groom behind Compton and Foster and eventually turn him loose. But Compton and Foster are definitely capable of getting the job done. It’s the highest importance that the Redskins upgrade their defensive line.

Why haven’t the Redskins given qualifying offers to some of their restricted free agents? It seems dumb to wait till the last second, if they know they will make an offer i.e. Compton, Thompson. Any chance another team tries to poach one of them?

— David Gans

Your guess is as good as mine on this one, chief. Nothing about the Redskins’ moves (or non-moves) have made sense this offseason. The restricted free agent tenders aren’t tricky at all. Players like Will Compton and Chris Thompson have both been told by coaches and/or management that they are valued and that they want to bring them back. So, it’s really confusing as to why they haven’t gotten those restricted free agent tenders yet. I think both would be smart moves, by the way.

If Pierre Garcon requested a trade midseason, why was he so upset the Skins didn’t talk to him before yesterday? Doesn’t that mean he wanted out?

— Brian Lowery

I think that Garcon probably feels disrespected. You play for a team for five years, you’re their most consistent wide receiver during that span, you’re coming off another 1,000-yard season, and they don’t even pick up the phone and talk about bringing you back the whole offseason? Sure, there was a point during the season, where Garcon felt like the forgotten man. But he never stopped working hard, never caused embarrassment.

[Brewer: Jay Gruden earned a new contract and a new burden]

He did ask his agent to see if the team would consider trading him to a team that would use him more. The team said no, and so Garcon kept coming to work, kept setting a good example and kept trying to help his team win. It wasn’t that Garcon didn’t want to be here. He just wanted to be with a team that would use him. Things improved in the second half of the season, and Garcon’s production increased. Throughout the year, Garcon heard his coach and quarterback praise him and talk about how valuable he is. But then, when the offseason comes, the team did nothing to back that up. So, that’s where the frustration stems from. Mixed feelings are definitely understandable.

There have been a lot of questions and worry regarding the status of Redskins’ GM Scot McCloughan. I’m wondering, just what is the team’s present chain of command? Who is McCloughan’s “second-in-command”? Are there any other prominent scouts/personnel people to take care of assessment and evaluation should Scot not be able to get things done? Finally, just what are the terms of Scot’s contract with the Redskins?

— Emmett Mosley

From everything we can gather, here’s how the chain of command looked/looks with Scot McCloughan on what appears to be some kind of leave of absence. All of the college scouts report to Director of College Scouting Scott Campbell, and the pro scouts still report to Director of Pro Personnel Alex Santos. Those two, along with senior personnel executive Doug Williams are reporting to Bruce Allen. And, somewhere in there, Jay Gruden is involved as well.

This is basically the setup that the Redskins had pre-McCloughan. This was the setup when the Redskins drafted Trent Murphy, Morgan Moses, Spencer Long, Bashaud Breeland, Ryan Grant, Lache Seastrunk, Ted Bolser and Zach Hocker. That group also oversaw the free agent signings of DeSean Jackson, Tracy Porter, Andre Roberts, Jason Hatcher, Shawn Lauvao. So, that wasn’t a bad year. There were some hits, and some misses. But the same could be said of the last two draft and free agent classes that took place on McCloughan’s watch. And, although McCloughan led the personnel department and reported directly to Allen, it wasn’t like he didn’t accept input from coaches, the scouts and Campbell and Santos.

It’s a team effort, with Allen basically having the final say.

This post has been harvested from the source link, and News-Twitter has no responsibility on its content. Source link

[newstwitter-blog]

New Post has been published on News Twitter

New Post has been published on http://www.news-twitter.com/2017/03/08/washington-post-how-free-agency-impacts-potential-kirk-cousins-trade-talk/

Washington Post: How free agency impacts potential Kirk Cousins trade talk

(Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)

The combine has come and gone, and here we are in the two-day legal tampering period that precedes Thursday’s free agent signing window.

There are tons of questions still swirling about the Redskins — some good, some bad, some football-related, some not.

We do our best to get to the bottom of as many of them as possible in this week’s mailbag.

Thanks, as always, for taking part, and keep those questions coming.

Email them to me at mike.jones@washpost.com with the subject line of “Mailbag question,” and we’ll do it all over again next Tuesday — after some free agent signings have taken place.

In regards to the legal tampering that opens up this afternoon: How might that affect trade talks between the 49ers and the Redskins with Kirk Cousins? Also, why hasn’t he signed his tender?  Is that also something to do with the Niners?

— Rob Fox, Lincolnton, N.C.

I don’t expect the legal tampering window to have any impact on Cousins-related trade talks between the Redskins and 49ers, because I don’t think San Francisco is desperate enough to seriously consider trading for Cousins.

[Combine over and Gruden signed, Redskins face free agent questions]

There are two factors here that my colleague, Master Tesfatsion and I managed to uncover last week. Yes, Kirk Cousins and Kyle Shanahan have a good relationship, and Cousins would love to play for him again some day. But, Shanahan and general manager John Lynch understand the importance of hanging on to your draft picks. Shanahan has seen what happens when a team sells the farm for a quarterback. Both men know how many needs the 49ers have and that building through the draft is the best way to go. People familiar with their thinking also say that they’d be hesitant to pay a $20-million-plus-per-year salary while also giving up a bevy of picks.

Shanahan and Lynch both signed six-year contracts. So, they’ve got time to build this thing the right way. They very well could use their picks this year to meet other needs while signing a space-holder quarterback, like a Matt Schaub, and then wait to see if Cousins hits free agency next year and sign him without giving up picks.

Lastly, Cousins hasn’t signed his tender yet because his agent is still reviewing his options. Before, when he had the nonexclusive tag, he still could negotiate with other teams. But now that it’s the exclusive tag, that’s a little more restrictive. And since he has time, his agent is taking that time before having Cousins sign and lock in that guarantee.

With the Bears and Browns interested in Mike Glennon, Jets interested in Tyrod Taylor and 49ers interested in Trevor Siemian, how would a dried-up QB market impact the negotiation/trade leverage between Kirk and the Skins? I think if the team is looking to trade Kirk Cousins it has to be in the next two to three days to maximize a return.

— Ziggy Valbrun

The Redskins insist they want to keep Cousins. But let’s say they change their mind and are willing to entertain offers. There could be teams that want to get their quarterback situations resolved during free agency. But the Redskins probably would have a little bit better leverage if they wait until closer to the draft.

[Redskins confirm Gruden contract extension without comment]

The Redskins have the first part of their backup plan in place, and that’s Colt McCoy (and the other part would be drafting a quarterback to groom behind him), so they aren’t desperate to move Cousins so they can find another quarterback. And, a team that didn’t get their quarterback situation taken care of in free agency would be in a more desperate position just before the draft, so they’d be willing to give up a little more.

Do you think the Redskins want to upgrade the middle linebacker position? The current starters are adequate, but don’t provide game-changing plays.

— Ajay Mathur

I actually don’t think it’s a talent problem with the Redskins’ inside linebackers. Mason Foster had a really strong second half of the season. Will Compton, who is a restricted free agent, is a really smart, instinctual guy and an effective communicator. Sure, he might have some speed deficiencies. But he has enough to get it done.

[Bullock: Combine blow up could give Redskins a great fit in Reuben Foster]

I think what would help both of those guys is having better defensive linemen in front of them, and better safety support. Better players up front would mean more open lanes for the linebackers to shoot through and make tackles or sacks. It would be good for the Redskins to draft a rangy, speedy, athletic playmaking inside linebacker to groom behind Compton and Foster and eventually turn him loose. But Compton and Foster are definitely capable of getting the job done. It’s the highest importance that the Redskins upgrade their defensive line.

Why haven’t the Redskins given qualifying offers to some of their restricted free agents? It seems dumb to wait till the last second, if they know they will make an offer i.e. Compton, Thompson. Any chance another team tries to poach one of them?

— David Gans

Your guess is as good as mine on this one, chief. Nothing about the Redskins’ moves (or non-moves) have made sense this offseason. The restricted free agent tenders aren’t tricky at all. Players like Will Compton and Chris Thompson have both been told by coaches and/or management that they are valued and that they want to bring them back. So, it’s really confusing as to why they haven’t gotten those restricted free agent tenders yet. I think both would be smart moves, by the way.

If Pierre Garcon requested a trade midseason, why was he so upset the Skins didn’t talk to him before yesterday? Doesn’t that mean he wanted out?

— Brian Lowery

I think that Garcon probably feels disrespected. You play for a team for five years, you’re their most consistent wide receiver during that span, you’re coming off another 1,000-yard season, and they don’t even pick up the phone and talk about bringing you back the whole offseason? Sure, there was a point during the season, where Garcon felt like the forgotten man. But he never stopped working hard, never caused embarrassment.

[Brewer: Jay Gruden earned a new contract and a new burden]

He did ask his agent to see if the team would consider trading him to a team that would use him more. The team said no, and so Garcon kept coming to work, kept setting a good example and kept trying to help his team win. It wasn’t that Garcon didn’t want to be here. He just wanted to be with a team that would use him. Things improved in the second half of the season, and Garcon’s production increased. Throughout the year, Garcon heard his coach and quarterback praise him and talk about how valuable he is. But then, when the offseason comes, the team did nothing to back that up. So, that’s where the frustration stems from. Mixed feelings are definitely understandable.

There have been a lot of questions and worry regarding the status of Redskins’ GM Scot McCloughan. I’m wondering, just what is the team’s present chain of command? Who is McCloughan’s “second-in-command”? Are there any other prominent scouts/personnel people to take care of assessment and evaluation should Scot not be able to get things done? Finally, just what are the terms of Scot’s contract with the Redskins?

— Emmett Mosley

From everything we can gather, here’s how the chain of command looked/looks with Scot McCloughan on what appears to be some kind of leave of absence. All of the college scouts report to Director of College Scouting Scott Campbell, and the pro scouts still report to Director of Pro Personnel Alex Santos. Those two, along with senior personnel executive Doug Williams are reporting to Bruce Allen. And, somewhere in there, Jay Gruden is involved as well.

This is basically the setup that the Redskins had pre-McCloughan. This was the setup when the Redskins drafted Trent Murphy, Morgan Moses, Spencer Long, Bashaud Breeland, Ryan Grant, Lache Seastrunk, Ted Bolser and Zach Hocker. That group also oversaw the free agent signings of DeSean Jackson, Tracy Porter, Andre Roberts, Jason Hatcher, Shawn Lauvao. So, that wasn’t a bad year. There were some hits, and some misses. But the same could be said of the last two draft and free agent classes that took place on McCloughan’s watch. And, although McCloughan led the personnel department and reported directly to Allen, it wasn’t like he didn’t accept input from coaches, the scouts and Campbell and Santos.

It’s a team effort, with Allen basically having the final say.

This post has been harvested from the source link, and News-Twitter has no responsibility on its content. Source link

[chaos-and-wtv]

Danny *gaslights Bruce into thinking he asked him for help and doesn't remember.*

Bruce *still grieving his child and so sad he can't think clearly*: yeah that checks.

As Bruce heals and starts thinking more clearly he also starts asking more questions. Danny's story changes every time. He doesn't even try to hide it. Bruce would be more upset but, honestly? Danny's puzzle keeps him connected to the now and off of the spiral his thoughts have become. Also the kid's pure adoption bait but he bolted as soon as he so much as implied it and didn't talk to him for three days straight. It took him other 5 to get him to stop calling him fruitloop (weird insult but ok) and a promise not to ask again.

Eventually, when Danny decided he was in a good place mentally and emotionally, he told him about Tim's situation after making him promise not to make him Robin while still helping him. He also felt it when Jason came back and was there to help him out of the grave (he sent him to Jazz for the trauma part though).

Tim: I know who you are.

Danny, squinting down at him wearing Hello Kitty pjs.: What are you talking about? Who's child is this?

Tim: Batman has gotten too dangerous. He is a threat to himself and others. He needs a Robin to keep him sane. You need to come back to Gotham.

Danny: Kid-

Tim: I have proof! I'll release it all!

Danny sighing: I was just about to have some milk and Oreos. Do you want some?

Later, while Tim is eating his snack, Danny is talking on the phone: No Jazz, of course I'm not Robin! How was I supposed to know that turning off gravity so I could do a crazy hard flip would lead to a literal toddler thinking I was Robin? .....Because apparently, the quadruple somersault can only be done by four people in the world.....I don't know! What am I supposed to do with him? Tim already threatened to become Robin himself! He's so tiny, Jazz! I can't just send him out in the field like that!.........Look, Batman is spiraling. He'll never notice.....yes, I'm sure. How hard can being Robin be? I was already Phantom for a few years.

[halfblackwolfdemon]

Yeeeeees

Tim: I know who you are.

Danny, squinting down at him wearing Hello Kitty pjs.: What are you talking about? Who's child is this?

Tim: Batman has gotten too dangerous. He is a threat to himself and others. He needs a Robin to keep him sane. You need to come back to Gotham.

Danny: Kid-

Tim: I have proof! I'll release it all!

Danny sighing: I was just about to have some milk and Oreos. Do you want some?

Later, while Tim is eating his snack, Danny is talking on the phone: No Jazz, of course I'm not Robin! How was I supposed to know that turning off gravity so I could do a crazy hard flip would lead to a literal toddler thinking I was Robin? .....Because apparently, the quadruple somersault can only be done by four people in the world.....I don't know! What am I supposed to do with him? Tim already threatened to become Robin himself! He's so tiny, Jazz! I can't just send him out in the field like that!.........Look, Batman is spiraling. He'll never notice.....yes, I'm sure. How hard can being Robin be? I was already Phantom for a few years.