#lex being a protective dad

[burritowitch]

Okay so can we talk about how hilarious it is when Lex Luthor is a good dad to Kon? Like man made a clone son of his ex and said ex turns out to be a shitty dad to the clone son while lex luthor, known supervillain, is just a good dad.

Like: kon is feeling unwanted at clarks place so he just. Heads over to lex's and gets fathered while hes there. Kon gets bounced around like a child of divorce for a while before he ends up spending his time between the kent farm (ma and pa are literally the most important ever) and lex's rich guy penthouse.

Whenever lex and clark get into arguments about kon, lex is the one to actually think about whats best for kon long term. Lex doing lame dad shit with kon, trying to take him fishing and birdwatching and shit.

Just. The comedic potential.

[tvobsessivefanatic]

DP X DC Prompt: Bodyguard!Danny

Danny(aged up) is a bodyguard for Bruce.

With how often Bruce gets kidnapped, it'd be suspicious for him to not finally get a personal Bodyguard to follow him around and protect him, so they finally convinced him in getting one.

But becoming a bodyguard for a Wayne will obviously have a lot of things you have to fill in, they'd do a throughout and detailed background check on you before considering on even putting you in their trials to test your fitness abilities and how you react in certain situations, but Danny is desperate, and well, the contract said they'd provide a place to live, and of course an insane amount of cash, all he had to do was guard this one guy as longs as the contract says. To make a background that's unsuspicious, Danny had to get a little help from Technus, or maybe Tucker to make him an identity fit for the job. He's already been trained by Fright Knight the way of the Knight, so pretending to be a bodyguard won't be that hard.

While the trials are being done, Bruce had to personally be there to see who would fit the role the best, Duke and Tim wanted to tag along out of pure curiosity, so imagine the surprise they had when Duke sensed some strange vibes coming from one of them. So they chose Danny, just because they wanted to keep a close eye on a "potential meta".

I like to think that the Batfamily just easily accepts this random meta as their Dad's bodyguard and just casually chats with him overtime whenever they can, they even probably got comfortable enough to walk around the Manor using their full gear while Danny is still inside.

And just to be a good bodyguard, Danny might or might not sometimes follow Bruce around as Batman while being invisible and intangible just to keep him safe...

I imagine Bruce and Danny's relationship to be platonic, but if you want it to be a ship, that could be good too.

Got this idea in the middle of rewatching YJ, saw Lex Luthor with Mercy, just realized how much trust Lex puts into Mercy. And I wondered, It'd be a cool idea if Bruce just casually has a literal King of the Infinite Realms as his bodyguard, so why not?

[long-live-astronerd-ghost-king]

DPXDC prompt: Valentine's day spirit. Superbat edition.

When Phantom sets foot on the Justice League base many years later, he expects anything but not Flash pointing finger at him and screaming about "legendary child who made Superbat canon".

~~~~

Being in Metropolis because of a ghost hunt right in the middle of a battle between Lex Luthor and Superman was not the best outcome, especially considering that Jack had his three-year-old son with him. But without such a combination of circumstances, they would never have found out that "Ghost!" "Daddy, no!" Ectoblast that Jack shot at the target of their hunt touches Superman and..really hurts him.

There were two sides to Danny-the ghostbuster's son and the astronerd. It is clear which half of him did not have a chance to win.

Danny threw his space rocket toy aside and grabbed father's arm. In the next second, boy had already sunk his teeth into Jack's fingers, forcing him to drop weapon. Youngling quickly jumped off and picked up ectoblast and then ran towards Superman. "Fly away! I'll hold him!" Danny stood up to try to cover up ghost (or alien?) in case Dad took not one but a whole bunch of shooting things with him again.

Jack: Get away from my son, ghost. Superman: Sir, I'm sure this is some kind of misunderstanding, I'm not a ghost. Jack: Danny, come to me, he's trying to hide his identity and manipulate us. Danny: No. If the heroes are being attacked, then someone must protect them too. Jack: But he's a ghost.. Danny: Alien or ghost is not so important, Daddy. He's in pain, and he's protecting this city, not haunting it. It's wrong to try to catch him for experiments. I forbid you to do that. Jack: Danny, champ, you're wrong.

Lex: Hah, what an interesting substance. Despite the other aggregate state, or rather its absence, it is so similar to kryptonite. Superman: Lex, is this a portable lab? Now is not the time, in case you haven't noticed. Lex: There is always time for science. I think my colleague will agree, right? "Similar to kryptonite?" Jack muttered to himself.

Jack: So Superman wasn't my target. And we are not colleagues. There is only one insanely rich man with questionable moral values with whom I am ready to do work, and your surname is clearly not Masters. Lex: It's a pity, but still, if you want to carry out the delivery of your wonderful weapons or exchange experiences, then call this number. Luther quickly shoves a business card into Fenton's hand. Jack*throws it away*: Come on, son, let's go back to the hotel, you've skinned your knees.

~~~The Evening. The Roof of the mentioned hotel~~~

"My friend Sam is also very frightening. And she also likes dark.“ The boy paused for a minute of thinking. “You want to kiss your goth friend?" "W-What makes you think that, kid. We’re colleagues, I respect him very much and.." "So you want to. It’s okay, I’d like to kiss Sam too but I’m afraid she’s gonna hit me. You have the same problem?" "It’s a little more complicated for adults." Kal begins to explain but stumbles upon Danny’s completely unimpressed look. Yeah, this boy apparently has heard 'kids would understand when they grow up' lectures at least thousand times. "But you’re basically right."

~~~~

When Batman himself comes to their hotel the next day as a representative of the Justice League to make sure that Mr. Fenton has no desire to harm Superman in the future and to tell that Superman is not going to press charges because of the ectoblast that injured him, Danny refuses to leave the room.

Jack: Oh, Danny, I thought you dropped your space rocket yesterday, it's a good that Alicia's Christmas present isn't lost. Danny: Well, dad, I left it on the roof of a bad bad man, yeah, but Uncle Kal returned it last night and we talked for a while. Jack: About what? Space, my little star? *Father immediately assumes that Danny would like to ask about everything real alien*. Boy*blushes and shakes his head negatively*: No, not about it.

Jack: Then what it was about? Danny: Secret superhero things. I can't tell you. I agreed to withhold that information as part of a pinky swear. Batman: And what about me, young man? You can tell me, right? Batman couldn't resist talking with such a cute kid. The boy thinks only for a second before hurriedly trying to push his father out of the room. Danny: Dad, come out for a minute and don't eavesdrop. I'll tell you when you can come in. The big man laughingly obeys. Lil child checks the reliability of the closed door and runs up to Batman. Danny: And so, Mr. Batman, first promise not to laugh or hit Uncle Kal. Batman: I promise? Danny: Good. This is very important information. Batman: I'm listening.

Danny: He thinks you're terrifying and wants to kiss you. And since he is afraid that you will hit him for this, I recommended him to appease you with a pie cooked according to his mother's recipe. Well, you know, since you love sweets and his parents' farm has the most wonderful apples in all states. He rarely cooks himself, but he will try for you, so even if he doesn't succeed, pretend that you liked it, please. Batman:...

Batman: Would you like to work in intelligence for the Justice League when you grow up? Danny: Actually, I want to be an astronaut. Batman: Our base is located in space. Danny:

Danny: Hmm, then I'll think about your offer.

Batman: Great. It's a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Fenton. You can count on a job recommendation from me. Do you want anything as compensation for your consultation? Danny: Actually, yes. Mr. Batman, tell me honestly, are you a bat on a frugivorous diet like Giant golden-crowned flying fox or you are a Vampire Bat? Sam says that such a big bat can only be a vegetarian and uncle Kal said your son was more than happy to steal strawberries from his garden with Superboy but..

~~~

Batman tries to behave naturally for a week. However, the sweet tooth inside him still makes him clamp Superman in the corner and question him. "Where the hell are the pies you promised to cook for me, Clark?"

[hyperblue]

as much as i enjoy the thought of kon immediately taking on fatherhood and confessing his feelings to tim in timkon clone baby aus, i can't help but think about all the potential for a slowburn that we can have, such as:

— making a deep dive into kon's view of the situation, exploring his clone feeling about himself, exploring his feelings about clark in particular — because their relationship is very interesting and complicated on it's own, and the biggest tragedy of it, in my opinion, is that kon was never clark's responsibility, in fact there was never a single adult person that had to take care of kon because kon initially never belonged to anyone. he's no one's child, no one's son, and us much as we might want to blame clark or, you know, any adult in his life for not taking care of him and protecting him, they had their right not to do it. someone should have had care, but also no one was obligated to. i really hope i make sense, what I'm trying to convey is that you really can't blame anyone for kon being unsupervised for most of his life no matter how much you might want too (aside from lex luther and cadmus itself ofc, but that would be a slightly different conversion); and kon knows that himself, has known that for a while, but the moment he's confronted by his own clone child it adds so much more perspective, and the conflict of once (still) being a child that no one wanted while simultaneously being introduced to a child that you don't have to want but if not you no one else will (tim will, but tim's also a slightly different conversation) would be so interesting and delicious;

— LOTS of awkward co-parenting from two teen-dads who might or might not be head over heels for each other but also not really having time to explore their relationship and their feelings bc they have a whole ass child to raise; not to mention kon's conflicted clone boy feelings and tim's haunting guilt that affect every single interaction of theirs. just imagine the pressure, the slowburn, the ust. imagine them knowing about each other feelings, but also knowing that it's not the right time — there might never be the right time anymore, not after what tim has done. imagine them negotiating visiting hours and weekends like they're some divorced couple. imagine them swinging their child between them on a walk home, imagine kon showing up early at tim's penthouse with fresh ingredients from the farm to make healthy breakfast, imagine tim dosing off on kon's shoulder while watching old disney movies with their kid right there on the carpet in front of a tv; playing house, but knowing damn well that they are not together. that they might never be together;

— clone baby getting used to this strange family dynamic that they have — knowing that kon is their other dad, but never ever calling him that (they have no memory of calling him pa! when they were much younger, no memory of kon crying and kissing their forehead right after; no memory of tim becoming really pale and then gently teaching them that kon is not pa, or papa, or dad, he is just kon, only even just kon); knowing that daddy loves kon, but for some reason that's something that they never talk about, and the kid is too afraid to ask because he knows that he'll hurt his dad if he does. fighting with tim and then crying because they want their other dad, but tim tells not to bother kon, as if kon might secretly hate them, and then hearing tim and kon having a fight from upstairs, stop acting like I'm going to flee any second, it's been literal years, when are you going to believe me when i say that i LOVE our child;

— tim trying his best to be a good parent and co-parent but still screwing up anyways because he's too trapped in his own guilt and insecurities; accidentally hurting both kon and their child by not wanting to hurt them, trying to distance them from each other when things are starting to get good, because they are not supposed to be good, tim does not deserve things to be good. shying away from kon's most innocent touches, refusing his child traditional summer vacation on kent's farm because he can feel his baby starting to prefer kon over him, and that's something that he doesn't know what to do with, all he knows is that he can't lose his baby not even to the love of his life. fighting with kon a lot, going they are MINE, stop pretending that you want them or care for them just to take them away from me, they are the only thing in the world that i love more than you;

— and then finally sorting things out after years, confessing their feelings, talking about every single insecurity that they both had about this situation; holding hands across kitchen table after crying their eyes out, and deciding to try it. restoring the friendship they almost lost somewhere along the way while trying to be a good parents for their baby — exchanging text that are not just visiting hours negotiations, awkwardly flirting like they are teenagers again, brushing each other shoulders and hands and sitting a little too close on a couch; getting to go on dates, getting to feel giddy and young about each other again, falling in bed together and getting to wake up from a sound of their kid destroying the kitchen, our child is hungry by the way, we should probably start getting out of bed. our child? yeah. our child.

idk man i just love the potential and complexity of it all. so many things to do with au, it really is an endless sandbox to play in

[jessilynallendilla]

DPXDC SUPERMAN AND CONSTANTINE FIC REC

TITLE/LINK RATING COMPLETED-WORD-COUNT SERIES

DP FIC REC HOME POST

let me know if the links aren't working and feel free to suggest any

& SUPERMAN 

Lex Luthor's Chance Of Fate  G 3,730 SERIES 

Years ago, Lex met a little boy at a tech convention. Some thirteen years later, they meet again. He's just as sassy as Lex remembers too. 

Two For One Special  T 12,583 

While in Gotham, Clark gets mistaken for Bruce Wayne. He's not alone in his dilemma, however, because a teenager by the name of Danny is also mistaken to be Tim Drake. At least Clark's having fun with his fellow captive. 

Oh Him? Don't Pay Him Any Attention He's Just Our (Resident Cryptid) New Intern  T 

Lois just wants to protect Danny, Clark just wants to adopt Danny, and Danny just wants to keep his job and NOT get fired. Jimmy Olsen wishes he wasn’t a professional photographer who could clearly tell that Danny Fenton is a spitting photoshop color reverse image of Danny Phantom. Perry White wishes he hired someone else. Needless to say, the Planet is a mess. 

You With The Sad Eyes  M 12,641 SERIES 

All it takes is an attempted kidnapping gone sideways for the Kent family to (eventually) gain a new member. Follow Jon and Clark as they try to unwind the mystery of the meta boy named Danny and all the secrets he keeps. 

Living Is Hell, What Else Is New?  T 5,546 SERIES 

A Connor Kent from a universe where Superman is a huge jerk arrives to the Like and Survive universe right in front of the Teen Titans. Kon takes his new identical brother home to meet his dad. 

Foundling At The Door  T 25,987 SERIES 

Kon had half a second to think so much for the quiet day before the tear in reality warped and twisted in ways that his mind simply refused to comprehend, bolts of green lightning arching out of the shattered mess leaving scars in the sky as a horrible after-image. And then someone fell out of it. A tiny, injured figure tumbled out of the break in time and space, plummeting to the ground in tattered hospital scrubs stained red and green. He moved before he could think, darting forward in the air to grab the battered body, not caring what else might come out of the ominous tear in reality above them. Elle escaped the GIW, if barely. Unfortunately the portal she created has sent her not to the Ghost Zone, but an entirely new dimension - one that doesn't have enough ectoplasm for her to survive, let alone leave. Badly injured and surrounded by strangers, the best option she has of surviving is going along with the assumption that she's a Kryptonian, whatever that is. At least Not-Danny and his boyfriend are nice. 

The Cryptid Of Smallville  G 

Danny gets de-aged and Clockwork sends him to the Kent’s because they’re used to raising superpowered children and time moves different on their Earth. A collection of connected one-shots surrounding the ten years Danny lives with the Kent family. 

Star Child  G 1,291 SERIES 

Although Martha lost her unborn baby, that doesn't stop her from being a mother. Nor does it stop her from showing kindness to strangers. She is surprised to see how one stranger shows his appreciation. 

Tomato Farms And Runaways  G 1,511 

It's amazing how much money merchandise can get you, enough to per-se... get way. Enough to leave behind a bad situation. It's not like he wanted to leave home, but with his parents finding out about the accident, and him being Phantom, there were no other choices left for him. Not with his parents on the loose looking for the "ghost who kidnapped their poor son and impersonated him". And after all, he could use a break. They all could. Him, Sam, tucker, jazz. 

Just the Typical Weirdness  G 6,622 SERIES 

Just a little ficlet with the idea of "Esperanto is Ye Olde Kryptonian" 

Get That Out Of Your Mouth (You Don’t Know Where It’s Been!)  NR 

Spring break, really just a great opportunity to try for the, well, who really knows how many times, to try and map out the Ghost Zone! Unfortunately for Danny, this little field trip of his has taken him much farther from home than expected. In a place that is simultaneously very different, and very similar to his world, Danny Fenton is trapped in Metropolis, powers weak and his own self following after, he needs to either find a way home, or a new source of the ectoplasmic energy he’s living off of. Meanwhile, in the home team, Lex Luther’s change of heart has everyone on high alert, especially as the lives of teenagers become pawns in a dangerous game of chess. Robin and Superboy, Superman and Red Robin, are all pressed to prevent such a catastrophe before it’s too late. 

& CONSTANTINE 

It's Hard To Make Friends When You're Half In The Graveg 886 SERIES 

For the record, neither Barry nor Oliver know how a teenaged Eldritch Abomination got into headquarters. They do know, however, that it's obviously Constantine's fault. 

A King's Gamble  G 

As tensions grow between Phantom and Plasmius, both vying for the title of King heir, the instability of the Ghost Zone affects Earth, pulling a reluctant John Constantine into the world of ghosts and ghost hunters. 

Beach Day Demons  G 4,823 SERIES 

John Constantine mistakes Danny as a possessed teen while he’s on his break to the beach. Chaos ensues! 

Afterimage  G 2,277 

The Justice League are having trouble with a ghost and Constantine really want to deal with it before the ghost's king comes to collect his wayward subject. Bruce thinks it sounds like a good solution for someone to come and collect the untouchable enemy until he suddenly, horrifyingly, doesn't. Barry let out a yelp and Bruce instinctively flinched backwards as he could feel his skin tingling, hands spasming, muscles twitching, and hear stuttering in his chest as the electricity in the air surrounding them increased increased increased. 

“The king has arrived,” Constantine choked out through clenched teeth. 

Really, Danny just wanted to take Skulker back to the Zone. 

Danny What The Fuck??  T 3,731 

Phantom is almost comically overpowered compared to the Justice League on account of not only being a boy king of an alternate dimension, but also because he fought creatures from said alternate dimension and whilst Constantine did that too -on a rather unfortunately regular basis- he didn't fight Darkside level threats on his own at fourteen years of age. Hence how overpowered Phantom was. But he was also still a boy, which might be how Constantine found himself looking down the barrel of a gun. 

Hellblazer And The Phantom  T 

After John Constantine finds himself in Amity Park, Illinois (courtesy of the House of Mystery), he learns about the ghosts of the town, most notably the Ghost Boy, AKA Phantom. When John is strong-armed by the Fentons into helping during a ghost fight, a wayward spell hits Phantom, erasing all memories he has of his human life. Considering the alternative is letting the Fentons experiment on him, John takes the young ghost kid under his wing. However, both of them are in over their heads as they try to get Danny's memories back, and Constantine is NOT father potential. 

Surprise First Meetings With Eldritch Beings Are NOT Fun.  T 1,909 SERIES 

People go missing all the time. It’s a sad fact but true. So it doesn’t catch the Justice League’s attention in the beginning. But when bodies start to be found in failed summoning circles, it finally pings on their radar. Bad news, they can’t tell who, or what, the cultists are trying to summon. 

Be Not Afraid (Or Whatever)  G 1,192 SERIES 

The weather god- though Constantine swore it was 'just' a ghost- had pinned down the entire Justice League. While they'd managed to trap Vortex in a two square mile area and evacuate civilians, and even arrested the cult responsible, they in turn were trapped in a small warehouse, protected only by the blood blossom spray and salt circle Constantine made. Enter the terrifying and awesome (and Barry means that in the biblical sense) Ghost King, stage right. 

Dimensional Sector D3C8QX9 And Why It Sucks (Less Than You'd Think)  T SERIES 

"…Wait. Oh. Oh, no. Oh, fuck. It's that dimension. Why'd have to be that dimension? Urgh, getting back is gonna be such a pain!" 

The Leaguers present exchanged unnerved glances. An eldritch abomination they couldn't contain nor defeat being angry about their stay didn't exactly bode well. 

"What do you mean?" 

The endlessly black eyes singled in on Barry, making him shrink back. For some reason, he doubted even he'd be fast enough if the being in front of him decided to hunt him down. 

"What I mean" it said with a grin willed with too many teeth and too little emotion "is that I'm stuck here for now. And you better buckle up, buddy, because I just decided just now to make it everyone's problem." There was a pause in which the eery glow around the being pulsated. "I'm so going to find whoever did this and move all their furniture two inches to the left." 

Wait, what? 

The Impossible Summoning  G 8,530 SERIES 

There's a new Ghost King in town, and among those freaking out from this news is the Justice League, who want to know if this is something they should be concerned about. Fortunately, John Constantine and Zatanna Zatara are on the case and have a copy of the ritual to summon the ghost king. However, someone, possibly the Ghost King or the ritual's author, really doesn't want the summoning to work. 

Pay Your Dues  T 

For Bruce, the beginning of the end began on an unassuming day in April. Or... John Constantine gets arrested and is sent to trial in the Infinite Realms. Somehow, Bruce's life is worse for it. 

John Constantine Goes To Amity Park.  T 14,811 

John Constantine goes to Amity Park and meets the Fentons. 

The Time I Got Summoned To A Different Dimension To Help Batman's Son  NR 2,129 

Danny became the ghost king after defeating pariah dark. He never really thought of any consequences to that, other than being a ruler of the dead of course. Which meant even less time to sleep and study for school, but still, that was the only downside to being the ghost king. Or, well, at least as far as he bothered to think it through. So yeah, he's quite surprised to find he can be summoned now. And also surprised to be finding it out as he's summoned away from his house to some meeting hall surrounded by people in weird costumes. Yeah, maybe he should also be surprised that apparently the summoning can work across dimensions 

Family Leave  NR SERIES 

He knows he can leave his kids unsupervised in his house. He's done it before. And sure, he has a lot of unexplained incredibly powerful objects just lying about. But his kids aren't stupid. One of em's even in his twenties. Not to say they aren't dumb. They're definitely dumb. They're just not stupid. They'll be able to handle themselves.... ? Nevermind. He's not leaving the house unless the dimensions are colliding. Fuck Gotham, fuck Batman, and fuck the League. No way. Shit. It's mandatory. 

There's Ghosts Haunting The House Of Mystery  T 1,792 

Constantine has an unexpected guest show up to the House of Mystery, funny thing is, he can't find them! Now if only the three suspicious looking ghosts in his living room knew where their guest mysteriously ran off to... 

Constantine's Tournament  G 2,582 

John Constantine is far from the first person to try to worm his way out of consequences by selling his soul to multiple entities. Too bad he doesn't figure that out until he sells his soul to a random teenager. 

The Peacock Chronicles  T 5,418 SERIES 

John Constantine needs help closing up a Lazarus Pit in Gotham. Danny Phantom can close up Lazarus Pits. This should be a perfectly straightforward arrangement between two people with the same interests in mind- unfortunately, Danny's intentions end up just a tad lost in translation. Constantine should've known doing a favour for a guy like Batman would be a mistake. 

Good Ol' Uncle John And His Ghost Nieces And Nephews  G 3,176 SERIES 

John Constantine is Uncle to 4 kids, maybe more. He just wants a smoke and a drink. They just keep causing Chaos. Once they sent the house to the Ghost Realms. That made him late for work. Not fun. 

Amity In The Ghost Zone  T 

What if Amity Park got stuck in the ghost zone after it was teleported? The city doesn't return on its own after Pariah Dark is defeated. Without knowing how to get the whole city back to the living world, Danny tries to evacuate the residents but most Amity Parkers don't really want to leave. Some people do, but many decide to stay. After all, Amity Park is their home, and the idea of having to start over somewhere new isn't very appealing. So the town, for the most part, continues on like normal. In the words of the great philosopher Dr. Ian Malcom "Life, uh, finds a way." 

Of Gravestones And Names  NR 4,862 

John Constantine didn’t know how he ended up as a father of two eldritch abominations but here he is making Mac n’ Cheese for the two horrors. 

Like A Lamb  G 1,376 

John Constantine would never call himself a kind man, much less a good man, but the kid at the corner table of this fast food restaurant was making him want to be both. Not that John’s kindness would really help the kid, in the long run. 

Daniel Wayne - Escape From Fenton: The Infinite Realms  NR 1,720 SERIES 

John Constantine hates scientist, especially ones who cut the fabric of reality to open the a gateway to the Infinite Realms. He also doesn't like the government. And he barely puts up with the Justice League. 

Debts Always Come Due (And Sometimes That's A Good Thing)  M 

After years of playing off one demon against another so that, even with selling his soul multiple times, none can actually claim it, John Constantine finds out that one of his ancestors royally screwed him over and his soul is now the property of the Ghost King. But things don't go QUITE how he expects. 

A Little Accidental Adoption Never Hurt Anyone! Right?  T 

After Constantine meets the supposed High King of the Infinite Realms, they make a deal. It helps them both out, but neither seems to realize it's not just a deal anymore...well except Clockwork, but he's leaving them be for now. Or Constantine accidentally adopts Danny but doesn't realize it anytime soon. 

I Just Wanna Talk  G 

Danny is the inter-dimensional personification of the IRS for Death and the Unliving, and he just has a couple questions. 

Contractual Obligations  T 114,383 

Danny is doing his kingly duties when a demon breaks into a meeting demanding the king’s soul. Now Danny has only a few months to find his birth father and nullify this soul contract or else he becomes a slave to the demon on his 16th birthday. 

The Family  T 

The death of a necromancer caused some of his more sentient belongings to go berserk and the JL is called to clean up. They unearth an ancient scroll from the magician's residence and Justice League Dark is called into investigate. But why does it look like they want to move to the other side of the galaxy? 

Constantine, John  T 1,545 SERIES 

Danny muses on the enigma that is John Constantine and his relationship with the man. 

Who's Helping Who?  NR 4,815 SERIES 

Concerned about rising signs of villains co-conspiring to create a hefty summoning spell, Batman and select members of the Justice League decide to gather information with a summoning of their own. Danny Phantom's been missing from Amity for weeks. His friends have been scouring beneath the surface of the infamous GIW, but any traces of Phantom have been buried deep. Too deep for them to follow. But when Danny feels the pull of an otherworldly force powerful enough to summon him through his binds and chains, he holds out hope for something better on the other side. 

If You Give A Bat A Burger  T SERIES 

Strange things are going on in Gotham: A series of crimes linked only by a sentence uttered. A drug that no one seems to be selling, but lots of people are taking. An old enemy reborn, or someone pretending to be him. Graffiti that can't be photographed by normal means. Bartenders disappearing without a trace. John Constantine is also there. Danny wants nothing to do with any of it. He just wants to sell burgers and survive. Actually, he'd like to go home again, but since that isn't possible, he'll stick with burgers. Gotham's vigilante's have other plans. This is why Danny doesn't do favors. 

Mentory Stable  G 1,162  

Constantine thinks that Danny Phantom should stay in Amity Park. The Justice League thinks that they should be allowed to help. One person gets the last word. 

Dressed For Death  T 

The list of people John Constantine feels bad for is relatively small. The amount of people who feel bad for Phantom is probably smaller. 

WELL, Isn't This A Bitch Of An Unsatisfactory Situation.  M 6,917 

When Danny had been asked where he went when he wasn't hero-ing, he had pointed at the Well. He'd been thinking of a place for a quick ecto-blob ghost snack; he hadn't realized Amity Park would believe that he was murdered and dumped there. He hadn't expected they would try to protect it from the GIW. Hadn't expected the local police to show up to investigate. And he knew he was in deep shit when it turned out that yes, there was a body down that well. Lots of bodies, in fact. Entire families worth. There's a serial killer loose in Amity Park, and if Danny wants to get the stupid out-of-towner heroes off his back and save Vlad, ew, then he needs to figure it out quick. 

Minor Miscommunication Makes Danny A Happy Halfa T 1,525

Danny likes keeping Amity Park to himself. The Justice League can bother some other ghost and leave his city alone. But alas, Batman comes with the dreaded words and apparently he's the Ghost Ambassador and not the King? Oh he might have some fun with this!

[lazycats-stuff]

Baby bat who gets kidnapped by lex Luthor but has no clue what’s happening like he’s being taken to metropolis and baby bats is like are we thiere yet singing and being a menace

Thiere confused on why an ugly bald guy is taking them out but Luthor gets fed up and leaves the kid somewhere and they just vibe

Alright. Again, comedy is not my strong suit, but I will try. Also, a little digression, I hit 700 followers. Thanks everyone. Also, this will be under Batfamily

Summary: (Y/N) gets kidnapped by Lex Luthor. Lex gets more than he bargained for.

Warnings: Kidnapping, (Y/N) is supposed to be a menace, but author doesn't have a sense of humor... Author has tried.

It all began on a rainy Monday. Everything was worse due to universal law of Monday being the worst days of the week. Bruce thought it would be a normal day. He dropped his son off at the kindergarten, gave him a kiss to the forehead and went to work.

If only Bruce knew that 3 hours later, (Y/N) would be kidnapped by Lex Luthor and a search for the unknown kidnapper would begin. Bruce also passed out when he got a call. The others left school to come back to the manor to help his father track their youngest.

Lex Luthor was pleased with himself as he was driving towards Metropolis. He had successfully, well, not him personally, but his men, kidnapped the youngest member of the Wayne family. Bruce was the most protective and the rest of the brothers are protective too.

The fact that (Y/N) was with them since he was a baby, amplified that protectiveness ten times more. He glanced at rearview mirror, seeing that the toddler was awake.

" Good to see you awake. " Lex said, watching as the toddler rubbed his eyes with his balled up hands.

" Where are we going? " (Y/N) asked, looking out the window.

" Don't worry about that. " Lex said quickly.

There was a silence for a few moments. (Y/N) was swinging his feet, looking around.

" Are we there yet? "(Y/N) asked, looking the back of Lex's head.

" No. "

A few moments passed.

" Are we there yet? "

" No. "

" Are we there now? "

" No. " Lex said, turning on the radio for (Y/N).

" The music is too loud! " (Y/N) whined, making Lex sigh. He turned down the volume. After a few more moments, Lex felt a kick at the back of this seat. He had to take a deep breath.

" Stop it. "

It was calm for a few moments. Then the sit got kicked again.

" Stop it! Right now! " Lex growled out loudly.

" I need to go to the bathroom. " (Y/N) asked, looking at Lex. " Why are you bald? " (Y/N) also asked.

Lex took a deep breath.

" I was in an accident. That's all you need to know. " Lex said.

" I need to go to the bathroom. " (Y/N) whined, making Lex sighed.

" Well, you are going to wait! " Lex yelled at (Y/N), making (Y/N) cross his arms. Alright.

" How much longer? " (Y/N) asked, watching as Lex was loosing his patience.

" Shut up. Just shut up. "

" Can I have your phone? " (Y/N) asked, bouncing his knee.

" Absolutely not. " Lex said, disgusted at the mere thought of it. How does Bruce Wayne put up with this brat?

So what does (Y/N) do in this situation? He starts singing loudly. What did he start singing? Frozen's Let it go. It seems that was the last straw for Lex as he pulled over. He got out of the car and left (Y/N) on the road.

" I'm not doing this. " Lex said, getting back into the car. (Y/N) watched as he drove off, confused?

Who was this bald man? And where were they going? He looked down at his shoes. He wanted to see his dad. But he couldn't walk back.

" Uncle Clark? I need some help. Some bald guy kidnapped me. " (Y/N) said, out loud, turning around to look at trees behind him.

A minute after he said it, Clark landed next to him. " Are you okay? " Clark asked his nephew, looking him over.

" I'm okay. I just want to see my dad. " (Y/N) said, wrapping himself around Clark like a koala.

" And we will kiddo. Hold on tightly. "

" Gordon, I'm telling you, that is Lex Luthor's guy. " Bruce said, rubbing his face.

" I need official conformation that there is a connection. I can understand you are afraid for your son, but I can't act on your hunch." Gordon tried to explain to Bruce. Bruce sighed, sitting down at the office chair in Gordon's office.

" I get that, but... My son is with them. I don't know if he is alive or dead. I don't know if he is injured... I don't know... " Bruce said, worry and sadness clear in his voice.

" I ca- Oh my God. " Gordon trailed off, looking through the glass windows behind Bruce. Bruce turned around, eyes widening at the sight. Superman was holding his son.

Bruce got up and ran out of the office, smiling at the sight of his son. Superman handed the little boy to his father. Bruce embraced his son, fighting tears as he held him tightly.

" Thank you Superman. " Bruce whispered, kissing (Y/N)'s head.

" No problem mister Wayne. Also, he told me that a bald man kidnapped him. " Superman said, making Bruce turn around to give Gordon a look.

" I will speed it up. " Gordon said.

" Thank you. (Y/N), are you hurt? "Bruce asked his son.

" No dad. Can we go home? " (Y/N) asked. He was tired and he laid his head on Bruce's shoulder.

" Of course we can. " Bruce said, thanking Superman once more.

[spider-jaysart]

Okay soooo, first time I'm doing something like this, but I wanna introduce a fave oc of mines today that I've been working on for a longtime now :)

Her name is Nadja Al Ghul-Wayne-Kent and she's a Damijon kid

(Click for better quality)

@camo-wolf @paladin-of-nerd-fandom65

The name Nadja means "hope" in Arabic. My very dear friend @theredheaded-stuff was the one who helped me pick it. And her hero name is Super Canyon, which is inspired by the Canyon Wren bird

(More under the cut)

(Edited some stuff on this post now btw)

Backstory:

After being inspired by the story of how Kon was created, a secret group of no good scientists, who just love causing chaos with many of their inventions, decided one day to create a mixed clone of both Damian and Jon, thinking they can do better than Lex did, so they collected both of the boys DNA's after one of their recent battles in public and got to work. Once their experiment was supposed to be done, they saw that their machine had actually created a baby girl instead of a grown, powerful clone like they had wanted, so they were ready to dispose of her as a failed subject, but were suddenly stopped just on time by Damian and Jon who broke into the place and kicked their butts after finding out that a recently committed crime they were investigating was caused by them. When they were done, the boys found Nadja and were surprised to find out she's a clone related to them both. They decided to take her with them and made her their daughter to raise together after that.

Personality:

She's helpful, stubborn, is as intelligent as Damian is, friendly but also tough when she needs to be, observant, sometimes a little too honest about things but doesn't always mean it as rude, courageous (a trait that can be pretty helpful sometimes, but also get her into really big trouble during dangerous situations too), a prankster, and very protective of others, especially her loved ones

Abilities and skills:

She has the usual Kryptonian abilities, which are flying, super strength, superhearing, superspeed, superbreath, ice breath, invulnerablity, x-ray vision, and laser vision that's purple instead of the usual red (because Lois has purple eyes, so it's something unique that was passed onto her that way). Sometimes they don't always work though and can accidentally get out of hand too since she's still growing and learning, but Jon aways tries his best to help her get better at using and controlling them. Nadja also uses many concentrating tips from Damian too for improvement, like meditating for example and other things like that, and he helps her practice them

And because she's half Kryptonian, she also has a couple of unlocked special abilities of her own too, which is invisiblity, the ability to phase through walls and objects, plus the power to also transfer the heat of her laser vision into the palm of her hands to burn who or whatever she touches and she can also let it absorb her whole body too if she wants, which makes her even more untouchable and at the same time lets her release a strong fiery blast around herself onto enemies or incoming threats (her body glows completely purple whenever she does this and if it's just her hands, the same happens to them too). Nadja hasn't been able to properly master these special powers yet though, only one of them, which is the invisiblity one

For skills, thanks to teachings from Damian, plus Talia whenever she visits her, Nadja knows how to use a sword and fight well in combat in case her powers aren't working the way she urgently needs them to during patrols and missions

Random facts:

She calls Damian Baba and Jon Dad.

She calls Clark "Grampops" and Bruce "Grampbats". For Talia, she calls her "Grandmother" and for Lois, she calls her "Grandmama".

Her best friend is her same age Cousin Dick II, the Son of her much older Cousin Jake Grayson and his Wife Meredith Robinson. In the Batfamily (besides Damian), she's close with all her Aunt and Uncles. And for the Al Ghul's, she also gets excited whenever she visits Talia and Ra's. And while she definitely also gets along a lot with her other relatives who are in the Superfamily, the person she's most closest to there (besides Jon ofc) is Kon, due to them both being created as clones meant for evil but turned out good instead, which got them to bond even more as Uncle and Niece.

Her voice sounds like Clementine's from Telltales the walking dead games, but specifically the version of it from season 2 for the tween age she's in right now.

She has messy hair like Jon when she lets it loose. Jon is the one who always has to brush her hair whenever it gets tangled up, since the steel strength of it is just too difficult for Damian to actually handle himself.

Nadja laughs at Damian's jokes all the time since she gets his dark humor and he loves that. They always laugh a lot about it together but when Jon's around, they're Iike "You wouldn't get it" and he gets all offended.

Jon passed his love for noodles onto Najda and Damian's usually like "That's not healthy!!" And tries cooking her vegetarian meals more often or healthy ones that Talia would used to make him back when he was a kid, just so that Najda will eat real food lol. Najda also really loves the meals that comes from Damian's culture too and gets happy whenever he makes them for dinner.

For nicknames, Jon will sometimes call her "Sweetpea", "Sugar cookie", and "Tootsie pops", while Damian calls her "Habibti", "Thamin" (meaning "precious" in Arabic), and "Galbi" (which means "my heart" in Arabic)

Damian matches his outfits with Nadja all the time just like Talia would always used to do with him when he was a little kid. He does this with Jon included too and they take pictures together.

When making her hero suit, Damian was the one who helped Nadja out in drawing the designs and brainstormed ideas with her. When she had finally found one she liked and was ready to make it, Damian and Jon could've helped her sew it and everything, but they didn't have many materials that she could use or a sewing machine either, only a regular sewing kit that they use to fix up their own suits whenever they get damaged, so they let her make it with Ma's help instead at her place when they visit her and Pa again, since she actually owned a machine and also had a sewing room filled with many useful materials. When asked, Ma didn't mind letting Nadja use her stuff at all and was instead delighted about it since it would just give them the chance to spend time with eachother while doing one of her favorite hobbies together.

And next time, while having their usual Mother and Son days out together, Talia helped Damian pick out the sarong skirt for Nadja while hanging around stores, since they thought it would be nice for her to have one. Jon was the one who bought Nadja the red sneakers while shopping together with Kathy, since it reminded him of Kathy's old purple, rainbow ones, but with a twist of red thrown onto it, which also reminded him a lot of his favorite old ones that he used to always wear as a kid too. Dick and Cyborg helped her insert digital tech into her cuffs, which lets out hologram screens that let her know whenever she's over using her powers since she's still mastering them and it does plenty of other useful things for her too.

Najda was also given a mask to go with her suit at first too since she thinks it's annoying to wear glasses in her regular life everyday, but then it got lost during a fight and some villains saw her face, so she was still forced to go with the glasses route in the end anyways.

As adults, Jon's a scientist and Damian's a veterinarian. Najda likes visiting both of her Dads at their day jobs after school and doing her homework there while they work. She always promises to behave and not get in the way and if she has no work to do, she'll help them out too, which they appreciate. She also loves watching what they do and let's them happily explain their favorite stuff about the job to her. She knows a lot about taking care of animals and science because of this.

Nadja loves music and making it too. She even thinks about playing rock music for a living when she grows up. Damian and Jon support her in this and buy her the instruments she needs and they also listen to her songs when she wants to show it off to them. Because of them being in a band themselves back when they were kids, Damian, Jon, Chris, and Jake give her lessons sometimes on how to better play her instruments.

Civilians and especially interviewers always question about how they had Nadja and just assume that she's adopted or assume that just because she looks more like Damian, she's probably from a secret ex girlfriend he had before being with Jon. The last one annoys both Damian and Jon so much, especially Jon since Nadja is actually his kid too and he gets jealous at the thought of the ridiculous idea. Both him and Damian hate these rumors and just want everyone to mind their own business.

[mikakuna]

JASON SHOCKING PPL WHEN HE TAKES OFF TGE HELMET BC HE IS SUCH A PRETTY BOY YES YESSSS YESSSSS!!!!! I need it, I crave it, and on the topic of scars, I’m remembering this old series I used to read back in middle school, the lunar chronicles? Where there was a character, Winter, who was so beautiful and everyone agreed (she was the Snow White equivalent) and she had three symmetrical scars down the side of her cheek from under her eye down to her jaw and they looked like tears. Idk, Jason like that as well always gets me.

But Jason with no scars too??? Yes yes yes yes want it need it crave it desperate for it to shock ppl, like, I’m constantly in an annoyed at Tim mood cause he’s been everywhere in fics even when you filter him out 😭 and I’ve come across so many “poor baby Tim’s friends the titans HATE Jason for attacking sassy poor scared baby bird Tim and threaten Jason on his behalf when they see him on a mission or at the watchtower or smth” and I have enough spite to want an oh yeah? How about a fic that starts off like it’s going in that direction.

Jason the absolute unbothered king who does not give two shits abt the Titan tower incident cause whatever it was a while ago move on? And he wasn’t fighting a baby he was fighting a dude a year or two younger than him, who had training, and the hubris to think he could beat Jason. It wasn’t a one sided smack down, and of it was ever spun that way it’s because Jason was THAT good, and Tim was too caught up in his prejudices regarding Jason to truly believe Jason had skill. That’s on Tim.

For jason, it happened, but it’s not even that big of a deal it’s barely registering on his radar bc Tim does NOT take up space in his list of priorities. Jays a busy guy. So maybe he’s at the watchtower or wherever with the outlaws (biz and arty cause Roy and Kori are with dicks TT atm, but you just know they are excited to see Jason again. (Jayroy my beloved.) and obvi so is Donna.)

and he gets approached by the comically angry Tim’s teen titans like OoOH we got a bone to pick with you! All that usual woobifying of Tim talk happens like, “so pathetic that you as an adult are coming in and beating on some kid sooo much younger than you, and all that crap,” and arty and biz are bristling here, and Jason just, shakes his head in wtf, takes of his helmet, muttering “this I gotta see with my own eyes” only for him to faintly register the THUNK of Kyle Rayner walking into a window, and the sputtering of Tim’s friends as they trail off in gobsmacked.

When they speak again it’s Kon, clearing his throat, “so like, are you single or…”

Cassie, hissing, “kon!” Sharply elbowing him in his side, still shook that Jason is barely older than them.

Kon, hissing back from the corner of his mouth, eyes still on Jason, cheeks flushed, “what? It’s not like I have a PROBLEM with the crime lord thing, my other dad is Lex Luthor!”

HAHDJD YES I LOVE ALL OF THIS

everyone thinks jason is this horrific monster for fighting tim like tim didn't equally fight back. it is NOT jason's fault tim's weak ass lost against him!!!!

omg the idea of him being so unbothered that he doesn't even remember fighting tim but meanwhile everyone and their moms have that shit in the back of their mind constantly because tim has them all thinking he's a little kid that needs protecting. it's just jason not giving a single fuck and 100% willing to fight him again to see if tim's improved even slightly <3

kon's reaction is so real !!! instant switch up when he realizes that this is not an old man but a beautiful, gorgeously scarred individual he will begin courting instantly. kon's internal thought is to wonder why tim was so upset about jason beating him because he would gladly sign up. my fav trope is everyone realizing how young jason is ♥️

thank you so much for sharing this amazing idea I LOVE ITTTT

[unadulteratedsoulsweets]

A DC X DP IDEA #9 The Nightgale’s

Imagine this…

Here we have a three-way relationship between Vlad, Maddie, and Jack. The grandfather Clockwork, the children which consist of Jazz, Dan, Danny, and Dani, and a morally gray Fenton clan. The Fenton’s might be descendants of the witches from the Salem trials but what about the name Nightgale?

It was not well-known knowledge that the name Nightgale is a well-known yet old name in the underworld. If you want information, firearms, drugs, protection, and many more it is the Nightgale that you should go as they have been ruling the underground for the past centuries building up their empire from scratch. Ruthless to those they consider their enemies, and saviors to those who are under their care.

Rogues from different parts of the world as well the rogues that the JL members are having trouble as well they pay their respects to the Nightgale’s as the last example namely the Joker disrespected them in the face, got paler, and found at the inch of death and they never mentioned nor crossed territories with them. Lex who tried his shot, almost got an aneurysm due to the fact that a single member of that family merely got to his most secured safe house and waved a black USB in front of him that will destroy him after a tongue lashing as that person explained in the politest voice, he ever heard threatening his entire empire.

…

Danny shouldn’t know whether to feel ecstatic or not, on one hand, his parents had accepted him as Phantom, and the number of tears and hugs involved was never to be talked about again. On the other Vlad’s wish came true, how? well, it was when Vlad realized that the reason, he hated his dad for so long is because he was stuck in the pulling the girl’s pig-tails phase. Instead of elementary, it started during their college time together up until now.

Now that both Maddie and Jack knew that both Danny and Vlad are halfas as well realizing his feelings and being added to the family due to the short and small wedding that the three of them had. Vlad revealed that he has children from Jack, namely Dani, and Dan, which sparked an argument between Maddie and Vlad, something he wouldn’t imagine seeing before, about who made their significant other happier or even loved more.

But the problems of the newly made family don’t end there. GIW agents began appearing more frequently and being more aggressive as they leave a destructive path to find Phantom as they believe that he is the most powerful of them all and needed to be eradicated.

Moving to a place where there is an abundance of ectoplasm in the air well-being able to mask their presence as the rest of the members who isn’t a ghost are infected to a certain degree that the GIW considered them as part of the Anti-Ecto laws. Jack told the family to go back to his birthplace as well going back to the family business to protect themselves from the GIW.

Danny had blinked at that statement he thought that the Fenton’s were descendants of witches that survived the Witch Trials and had made their settlement here in Amity when they had initially escaped.

Jack admitted he never wanted such an environment his future family can get into but seeing that their opponent is the government itself he realized that those secrets from his past can now keep his family safe.

He changed his last name to Fenton when he moved city in hope that their enemies may never find the true heir of the Nightgale’s. Ever since he was a kid, he dreamed of living a normal life with a normal family. Don’t get him wrong he loves the family where he was raised but lives a life where everyone will not kill you nor acknowledge you for having a fancy last name. With the support of his family, he embarked on his journey the moment he turned 14, creating a fake identity complete with paperwork that no one would the keenest eyes can make out whether it is real or fake.

Created a nonexistent identity with history in one of the most secluded areas in the world. Secured an identity and was able to intermingle and blend in with the locals to the point he was considered one of them despite not being a local.

Jack explained that being a normal person is quite hard as he was raised in a quite not-so-normal house. When he saw that being a ghostbuster/ scientist is an actual branch of science he immediately took the subject as his cover for his unusual strength, intelligence as well the fact that carries various exotic-looking weapons that can be brushed off as ways to contain ecto-entities.

What he didn’t think through is to be actually interested in the topic to the point he wrote an entire thesis and book about the so-called ghosts. Nor the fact he was able to create a gateway to another dimension on the said subject, married to people who saw and took interest in the said subject, have his son become that said entity as well having an entire family including him to be dead or infected in some sort of shape or form, he still remembers the way he jokingly thought to himself that he only suppose took as a joke as well being a cover seeing that nobody will actually take him seriously or even suspect him as a Nightgale if he took such career path where they were called mad and a joke by the science community itself.

…

Racing through the roads using the GAV with an injured Vlad and Danny on the tow along with the entire Fenton’s, Jack raced to Gotham with the only people who he thought can help them.

Apparently, Plasmius was caught by the GIW and was in the middle of live dissection when Phantom broke through the door and rescued the Fruit loop, he may still have slight anger issues towards the man for all the troubles he caused for Danny but the fact he was getting better and made his parents happy made him give the Fruit loop one last chance, but he never said that being petty is off the table.

Rushing in without a plan ended up with him being shoot and skewered a bunch of times but it was his supposed step-father’s life on the line here and he wouldn’t dare to give up.

Releasing as well as destroying everything they have on Ghosts is now a requirement to each GIW facility they encountered may also be a factor on why he now has a bleeding shoulder.

Upon entering Gotham borders they were greeted with chaos, Lady Luck was with them that day as well Lady Gotham, there had been a mass Arkham breakout and each Bat is busy containing the destruction and chaos around Gotham that they didn’t see a weirdly shaped vehicle racing through Downtown Gotham.

Lady Gotham had covered the vehicle with her shadows as she had felt her king and his father in great danger and protected the family from his knights and cities by steering away her knights and destroying any cameras that have caught them.

Knocking franticly on a wooden door of a fairly large house at the just edges of the border of Gotham, a lean young man wearing what looks like a butler’s uniform opened the door and was surprised to see Jack carrying a bloodied teen on his arms and an even bloodier man on his back, behind him a multitude of people carrying various emotions like anger, worry, scared and exhaustion in their faces, the mysterious young man immediately ushered the entire group inside the house.

…

Elias Nightgale never thought that he would ever see his son again, nor he expected to have the first meeting between him as well his grandchildren in such a manner.

He knew the existence of his grandchildren as he and Jack had been exchanging letters sick Jack decided to look at the world.

Barking orders his men to guard the premise as well as the group that came with Jack, calling in each of his men to learn everything that his son looks like has hidden from him because last time he checks he used to have only 2 grandchildren it seems now they have multiplied.

Calling in on a family meeting made every Nightgale member from immediate cousins, aunts, and uncles to their great uncles and aunts as well as cousins who were once or thrice removed.

Never once the entire family ever saw the day the current head Elias Nightgale of the Nightgale family ever called for a family emergency family meeting, so they dropped everything and went to the main base where they were greeted by Jack’s family with clear exhaustion and worry etched on their faces.

…

Jack began explaining to his dad what he might forget to write in their monthly exchange of letters.

Explaining about the ghosts, his son and spouse, and additional members as well as having an entire branch of government hunting them down just for existing.

It was twice that Jack had seen such murderous rage painted on his father’s space, first when he was tortured and kidnapped by an opposing group and the 2nd one today.

Elias Nightgale as well as the rest of the family are now ready to raid, destroy and raid everything to the ground, but Jazz had stopped them as attacking them might have the blame put on the ghost and have an entirely powered hero after them.

…

When Danny woke up and had gotten better, he was ushered to meet up with his paternal grandfather. Upon arriving at the study room he took his time to observe each of his family members, he is quite curious when he saw that his grandfather was 6ft at most and now questioned where his dad had gotten his height, but he saw a beautiful yet scarily tall 6 and 12 ft red-haired woman with the brightest hazel eyes he ever saw immediately concluded that she is his grandmother.

They have discussed that while he and his other father were unconscious that it is best to stay at the home of the Nightgale’s to have some sort of protection against the GIW as not only did they have the latest technology but also nobody wanted to mess with the Nightgale’s

…

Jack’s family is now intergraded into the Nightgale’s completely, despite the black dealings around them they didn’t bat an eye, as they have developed morally grey morals from the past years, they even had their own roles.

Jack Nightgale became the head of weapon making, using a new type of energy while masking the ectoplasm signature of it pose a problem but was able to overcome, now the Nightgale’s now have one of the most dangerous weapons that were ever made and begin strictly monitoring each one.

Maddie became part of the assassination section of the Family Business, with a ninth-degree black belt as well as a marksman made her the perfect assassin that specifically hunts down rapists and child murderers as well GIW agents that dared to hunt down their families.

Vlad Masters who is currently on par with being the richest man in the country focused on his business, as much as he loved his in-laws, he made such that Vlad Co. stays up and running as well as able to thrive. They needed a continuous flow of funds to be able to renovate the house to a mini-mansion to accommodate the small family, complete with built-in security from both humans and ghosts.

Dan began training the guards as well as being one of their heavy hitters, always out with a mission for their family as well the one sent out to check on the family’s business and dealings in and out of the country.

Jazz has a normal job as a physiatrist building her own little clinic near Criminal alley during the day but by night she is one of the best information specialists gatherers. In interrogation is where she blossoms playing the minds of her victims into telling her the information they hold.

Danny began his training in both being the heir of the Infinite Realms as well the potential next head of the Nightgale’s, Danny pointed out that he is the middle child but sadly all of his siblings voted him as the next head of the family.  Training that included weapon handling and execution, using and not using his ghost powers as an advantage, briefings with high-profile people, and private instruction from "constitutional experts".

Lastly, Dani, who is un doubly the best spy there is, able to slip into about anything and able to extract information without alerting their intended target. Having the ability to engage with others as naturally, adaptive, and highly functioning as possible. As a spy, social interaction will take numerous forms, requiring her to be comfortable engaging with people from many walks of life.

…

Batman sat in front of the Bat computer for an hour still reviewing the new case about the Nightgale’s.

During his teen years, he was saved by one of their own as his ancestor as well as the first holder of the Wayne name had a long-standing relationship between the Waynes and Nightgale’s, thus saving the heir of the Waynes seemed only right and they have already taken the liberty of torturing and killing his parent’s murderer.

As much as he wanted to cut off any ties the Wayne family between to the Nightgale. It is quite impossible as his family has allotted a considerable size of life debts towards the Nightgale’s and opted to merely watch and observe the family.

It has been a year and a half since their activity has spiked as well as the new cruelty towards specific people who all wore white suits with black shades, having been brutally killed before dumping their bodies. They are still killing people in their usual kills as well as the people who had dared to defy them to the point of extreme torture.

It was also been 6 months since he and his entire family decided to investigate the recent killings of the Nightgales.

It has also been 9 months since Red Hood joined and helped the Nightgale’s in the crusade of killing the people who wore white suits and black shades.

It has also been a year since the new students of the Gotham family aka the Adia siblings namely Jasmine, Danny, and Dani Adia became close friends as civilians of some of the members of the Bat-family.

Just what are the Nightgale's are up to and what are the Adia Siblings hiding?

…

 PS: If someone out there wants to continue or make a fic about this you are free to do so don’t forget to tag me though.

[satoshy12]

Jack and His Extraordinary Circle of Friends

Over the course of several years, Jack has made many friends who are all billionaires, including the likes of

Among them are the enigmatic Lex Luthor, King T'challa, the brilliant but sinister Dr. Doom, the elastic genius Mr. Fantastic, the charismatic Tony Stark, the cunning Norman Osborn, the Prince of Gotham, Bruce Wayne, and Oliver Queen.

Jack, being his irrepressible self, has unwittingly brought misfortune upon each of them, driving them to the brink of murderous anger. They share a special friendship. Instead of killing him outright, they preferred to beat him mercilessly until they had exhausted all their frustrations of all these years and all their misfortunes. It's a testament to Jack's uncanny tenacity, like a character from the Looney Toon cartoon.

+

Lex: It's like punching Superman, but he's not an alien!"

Tony: No, he is almost as durable as the Hulk!"

Dr. Doom: I, Dr. Doom, forbid you to have this discuss this again; start hitting him again! "

+

So despite their rage and violence, all his friends just beat him to the bone with no intention of permanently harming him.

In an ironic gesture of goodwill, they even offer to care for Jack's son Danny, while Jack will recovers from planned hospital visits due to their planned beatings.

Danny: Is this just happening to us? Dad pissed off a billionaire who wanted to exchange me for adoption. And I hope they talk about Jazz too, because Dani also needs a place to stay. They can protect us from Vlad."

A/N:" What does it say about Vlad when they don't even want to kill Jack because of their friendship?

[butcherlarry]

Weekly Fic Recs 58

This week's fic recs! Also! I am going to try out posting these lists on Saturday instead of Sunday starting next week. If it works out, I'll probably stick with that schedule then (barring travel/holidays/other unexpected shenanigans). Anyway, onto the fics!

a sky of honey by TheResurrectionist - Superbat, complete. The omegaverse mpreg Bruce fic! This part is done!! And it's sooooo gooood!!!! The gala chapter was everything I hoped for and more, especially the Clark and Lex scenes :) If you've been waiting to read this fic until it was no longer a wip, here's your chance! Do it now! And check out the art januariat has been making along the way!!

the trials and tribulations of fatherhood by InkpotSprite - Batfam, complete. Dick, Jason, and Tim argue who was the worst kid growing up. Bruce is so, so done with everything.

The Bruce Wayne-Batman Feud Theory by inabsurd - Batfam, complete. Bernard releases a conspiracy theory out onto the world that Bruce and Batman hate each other. Shenanigans ensue.

"Whatcha Got There?" "A Smoothie." Colourized by TheWitchBoy - Batfam, complete. Bruce gets deaged into a baby. The bat kids take care of him until he gets reaged. Shenanigans ensue.

(Love) Triangles Have Multiple Centers by frozenpotions - Superbat, wip. More identity porn shenanigans! Clark is feeling better after getting hit with Kryptonite! Robin continues to be adorable! And Bruce cock blocks himself :)

Riddle this for me by Speechless_since_1998 - Batfam, complete. The Riddler captures Robin (Jason) and is being a big meanie to him >:( Luckily Tim is there to defend his honor until Batman arrives :D

Patchwork Pod by Ktkat9 - Superbat and Batfam, wip. More mer Bruce fic! Bruce is back, but injured! Also, where is Tim??? :(

keep me there by TheResurrectionist - Superbat, complete. Fellas, is it gay to distract your teammates from when your alien boyfriend isn't feeling too good by verbally attacking the nearest space cop? (The answer is yes!)

Collective Judgments by withthekeyisking - Batfam, complete. Dick has some incidents of people being racist to him about his heritage. Luckily, he has his family to protect him and call people out on their bullshit :)

A Brief Interview by Miss_Lazy_Tuesday - Batfam, complete. An AU where Tim is the youngest. Damian finds a small, unsupervised child stalking him. The only solution is to adopt him (obviously).

Padam by HaleHathNoFury (My_Trex_has_fleas) - Superbat, wip. A fic inspired by januariat's lovely art! A young, college student Clark explores his queerness for the first time by going to a gay club. I wonder who will meet there? :)))))))

Running Headlong into My Arms by gleesquid - Batfam, complete. Jason discovers the power he holds by calling Bruce "Dad." Shenanigans (and feelings) ensue.

Road Rage Robin by heartslogos - Batfam, complete. Turns out, Tim has terrible road rage. Shenanigans ensue.

Enjoy!

[missbluesunflowersstuff]

AU where Talia decided to raise Damian in Metropolis and Jason decided to ignore Batman and go with her

Damian is still trained, but not as intensely (Talia allowed it because she knows very well how many enemies Ra's and Batman have, she wants her son to be ready to defend himself if necessary, but always vigilant so that Damian's training is not exhausting and terrible)

Then when Damian has 8 (or 10), she just looks for her father and says "bye"

Ra's is a good grandfather who loves his grandchildren (Damian and Mara), he is just a weird magic man for them (he is still the demon but not for his people and family)

So the trio move to Metropolis, Talia to get the job with Lex and Bruce almost had a heart attack because JESUS CHRIST IS THAT JASON TODD?! AND WHO IS THAT TINNY SMOL BOY NEXT TO HIM?!

Jason still hates Batman and tries to kill Tim (they'll get along later but not now)

Jason talks shit about Batman all time and Damian believes in him because old brother Jason knows things, and then Damian also dislikes his father

Jason became a crime lord in Gotham to piss Bruce off and annoying Dick and Tim, Talia just asked Jason don't put Damian in this crime thing, Jason and Talia tried to keep Damian a part of this mess crime and hero thing

Damian, like all other children in his age, is curious and impulsive. Then he stole a ninja costume and went to Gotham because he is curious about his father and the others brothers

And then he met Dick

Dick is just tired of Jason messing around but he recognizes a curious kid when he sees one (and he is also curious about Damian - no one knows Damian is Bruce blood son yet)

Dick and Damian become weird friends eventually (as canon their relationship is slowly but strong in the end)

When Jason finds out about Damian's new friend, he tries to hunt Dick down

Too late

Damian now has a cow and Dick has Damian's DNA

All the Batfam goes crazy because THIS BOY IS YOUR SON!!

just thinking about 'Damian, I need to tell you something, you're the son of the Batman' - Dick

'yeah, I know' Damian knew it all along because Talia told him and Jason about Damian's father

Steph and Cass are also curious about this little boy and kidnapped him to a playdate (and also annoying Jason and Bruce)

Damian dislikes Tim Drake because Jason told him to do so and he will listen to his older brother (they'll eventually get along)

Bruce tries to get close to Damian a few times and Jason always stops him. Whenever the two meet it is a terrible fight, both emotional and physical (Jason just gatekeeping Damian rn)

Talia could help Bruce, but she decides whatever Jason is doing is funnier, then she allows Jason to bully his dad for a while

Maybe it's Jason's rude words, the guilt of not being seen with the same admiration for the boy anymore, making Bruce become "softer" and try to get involved in Jason and Damian's lives because he doesn't want to make mistakes like he did in the past

somehow this becomes a mess in the media, after all Talia and Bruce are rich (she is richer than him) and a child custody dispute is always crazy and the favorite dish for reporters

the plan about protecting Damian from media harassment just fell apart (thanks Bruce and his bad decisions)

Talia and Jason were almost planning to send Damian to spend time on an Al Ghul family island when the images began to disappear from the internet almost instantly

This happened because the batkids worked together because 'Jason is our brother and Damian is also our brother'

When Jason goes to confront Dick about this, Dick says it's all Tim's plan (he knows about the assassination attempts and he doesn't want the family fighting)

Tim and Jason get along after this

"but you say he is a bitch' - Damian about Tim

'yeah, but he is a friend now' - Jason

Somehow Dick lures Damian in the mansion to him met Alfred

so while the media is covering the whole spectacle of the custody fight over Damian, Damian, Talia and Jason are having tea with Alfred and ignoring Bruce

And Jason still is a crime lord

Eventually Bruce gets the right to see Damian (I want to bully this man a little after Gotham War)

Damian doesn't go to school, but he still meets Jon and Kathy at a farming event because he wants to show off Batcow

They becomes friends there (Clack and Lois have no idea that this Damian who Jon is talking about is Damian Wayne, but they're super happy because Jon is making more friends)

Damian invites Jon to his birthday party, something that makes all of Kent very happy

Damian's birthday becomes incredibly awkward once Clack encounters Bruce and the Batkids, Talia Al Ghul, Jason Fucking Todd, Ra's Al Ghul, and some other assassins and children of assassins that Talia and Damian trust

Also Maya and Mara are also there

Mara because she and Damian were rising together in the league (they have a brother and sister relationship but they don't know it yet)

and Maya proclaimed herself Damian big sister since her father trained him

[disregardcanon]

caught up with maws and here are some concepts for a self-indulgent jimmy and lex dated between the pep talk and the s.t.a.r labs debate ambush au

we have a few episodes in between for more time for general lane to be the worst house guest, lois and clark to be bad at communicating, and jimmy and lex to go on some little dates where they both think "oh wow he's so cute and so wrong and i could FIX HIM"

jimmy is keeping this from clark because like, his best friend is having enough of a crisis having to live with his girlfriend's alien-hating father, right? he doesn't need to know that jimmy is going on dates and trying to fix someone that fought on the opposite side like, two months ago. it would just stress him out

jimmy of course is blindsided when he gets to the S.T.A.R. Labs jumpscare debate against the guy he's in a situationship with. he goes more in depth about how jimmy's reporting as flamebird inspired him to look beyond the usual and try to protect the world from all the threats Others Don't See and how he's better than playing second fiddle to this superhero guy that's using him just like his friends that he's WAY cooler and more talented than and he could clearly come to The Right Side with his Skills and Hot Bod and Keep Earth for Earthlings.

this is all very clearly Super Personal and makes it obvious that not only did jimmy give him A Pep Talk that One Time but was in... some kind of relationship with him. this guy that's saying all these terrible things about clark and turning all his words against him.

after that, give us a bit more time for lois to deal with the emotional fallout of her dad leaving her. maybe two episodes? clark and jimmy are in a rough spot so they can't stay together, but lois isn't ready to talk to her boyfriend about Feelings so jimmy's the one that ends up on her couch and they watch cheesy romcoms and don't really talk about anything important. clark keeps isolating because neither of them are quite ready to have this conversation but he just... needs someone to talk to that isn't one of his parents he doesn't want to upset.

lex keeps hacking through the block on different sites that jimmy's blocked him on and trying to get him to try things again. WE COULD BE GREAT super villain dating pitch while jimmy's just. spiraling out. the most he's done is tell lois what happened with clark in a roundabout way. lois is still so obsessed with her own hurting that she doesn't even do the cursory google search that would show her the ex is probably Lex Luthor.

then and only then do we get to metropolis's hottest bachelors, bachelorettes and bachelorexes. jimmy is in major rebound mode so him immediately latching on crush wise to this cute, volatile girl who doesn't seem to know fuck about feel like a natural conclusion in the I Am Rebounding And Lonely From All Sides equation.

jimmy brings kara to the event to try to talk to clark and things go Just As Bad, but the bachelor guy who is in the coalition with lex is like yo your man brought the other kryptonian that went off the deep end and tried to kill the one that's pretending to be nice. that might be your chance to get in with him again

as jimmy and lois chase after kara and clark, jimmy turns his phone off because every lex is blowing it up.... AND spinning the story as jimmy just being his genius but naive ex boyfriend. look i've got pics! time stamps! this security footage of jimmy unknowingly leading that girl into the event! don't you agree with me that he's clearly being used? this new kryptonian girl was using him to get to superman, how do we know that my very clever but kind-hearted and naive ex isn't being suckered by the other one too? i am just being A Concerned And Kind Former Partner! jimmy dumped me because i Spoke The Truth About the Alien! cult behavior! preying on the innocent impressionables of metropolis! save our Earthlings from Those Evil Kryptonians!

jimmy, who has turned off his phone, is not going to find out how much damage has been done to his, superman, and lois's reputations until it's already done.

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics this week ?

Superman #19 - Speaking as someone who has huge gaps in their Legion knowledge, I loved Time Trapper's boast to Superman that the two of them are eternal and will wage war until the end of existence. And when he lowered his hood at the end and revealed himself as Doomsday I actually cackled. Of course, who else could endure until the end of time? And Doomsday's evolution ability actually works with how the Time Trapper (as I understand) has very vague powers and actually shifts (you might even say evolves) with how time changes. Alright Williamson, for the first time since I read DoS you've got me interested and excited for a Doomsday story. Doomsday talking about Superman's immortality harkens back to the Knight Terrors tie-in, if this is something Williamson has had on his mind for a while, optimistically he has something to say about it. Atomic Skull is confirmed to have reverted to being a bad guy, signaling what I expect to be an editorial push to undo the majority of the "redemptions" we've seen villains undergo recently. I bet Livewire reverts when "Superwoman" starts getting more attention and press than she does. Lex will presumably revert after getting his memories back to synergize with the movie. Mora on art is a beauty, this is probably the most enjoyable the book has been since Campbell stopped being the regular artist.

Absolute Wonder Woman #1 - Great first issue. Thompson proved she knows what the core of Wonder Woman is via that scene with baby Diana first scolding, then kissing, the baby dragon/demon after it tried to cook her. Sherman's art evokes this gothic atmosphere that suits a Wondy raised in hell perfectly. My favorite portion was the flashback to Circe raising Diana as her daughter. Seeing that spread of how their home evolved as Diana grew up hit hard for some reason, and I'm eager to uncover the mystery of what happened with the Amazons, why were they exiled, why was Diana spared, etc. However the modern day portion was weak. The Harbingers seem like generic evil monsters, at first I wondered if that was the Absolute Center given it was a floating island that spewed out dinos. We'll see what Thompson has planned for them, but they didn't immediately grab my interest the way the Party Animals over in Batman did. Credit to Thompson however, unlike Snyder she actually showed Diana struggle and did a better job of portraying this Wondy as a hero who is on the backfoot while Snyder had Batman blow through thugs as easily as his mainline counterpart.

Zatanna: BDTH #5 - I enjoyed it as an Elseworld take and thus wasn't too bothered by her dad being evil here. Tamaki's writing was solid albeit nothing exceptional, the real star was Javier Rodriguez. His art is what made this book fantastic! Would love to read a sequel that explored Zatanna with her daddy issues resolved up against a new threat. Glad to see Diana show up at the end to recruit Zee alongside the expected Batman cameo, anything that shows Zee and Di having a long history of friendship makes me happy.

Nightwing #119 - Was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly Watters shifted everything from the lighter tone of Taylor to his own darker style. Dick flooded Bludhaven with money in Taylor's run, which made it more attractive to criminals, which of course also brought in supercriminals. Watters has a good handle on Nightwing's voice, "anyhow time for jail" made me laugh. Jokes are there but he also writes Dick as serious and, when he needs to be, downright scary. Soy's art is great, he's long been a favorite of mine and I both his portrayal of Bludhaven as well as his designs for the villains.

Incredible Hulk #18 - My token Marvel book of the week! Earls' art is improving imo, and the section where Hulk tries to rip Banner out of himself was grotesque, man I love Klein's art. Hmmm, is the One Below All still protecting Hulk somehow? Or is this something else keeping Eldest from taking control of Hulk?

[mydysfunctionalvampirefamily]

The beginning of the end. 😭 I'm not ready!

It's interesting what time can do. In the two weeks it has been since the last episode any sadness or horror I felt over Miles draining that human has disappeared and all thsts left is the eh it kind of had to happen, he was at 0 blood and that it was kind of hot.

At least we get Ira back!! That makes me feel a little better immediately.

I don't know who this woman is but we are at a point where I cannot distinguish npcs I should know from those I have no business knowing.

Ira caring about all the apprentices and mortals who did nothing wrong. He might actually be too pure for this world.

Britta: Don't be mad at me about it! 😂 Genuinely made me giggle out loud. Absolute perfection.

The fact that Miles says it's most important to protect both Eden and Jessica. I know it's delusional but it made my little shipper heart go awww.

😂😂😂 When you have to be dads the end of the world becauce the rest of your coterie has lost their shit. I'm glad we can still laugh in all this horribleness.

OH MY GOD!!!!

Out of all the things that could happen, Wynn asking to complete the bloodbond when the world ends was not on my bingo card.

Oh my God!!! The fake out?!?! Miles! 😭 "You won't forgive me. I made some choices." don't play with my emotions like this. I didn't come here to fucking cry! I came for a badass fight.

Poor angry, hurt Wynn.

Johnny nodding in approval at Miles because he thinks it's judt about the bloodbond, and Miles feeling horrible, because he knows Johnny wouldn't be sitting there next to him if he knew the real reason.

Uhm mm mm what???? No not only the fucking play but the stupid Mushroom fungus is also there and involved??? Fuck me. Each time when I think shit can't get any worse.

Fuck you Nara. Go love somebody else, you piece of fucking shit.

Wait do we want to complete the ritual? I mean, I guess we do aparently.

Fuck yes Neil!! Finally stand up for yourself, accept that you being you is a good thing. We need you.

Lmaooo courage roll, good luck Neil. Peer pressure peer pressure pressure peer pressure. Is this the first courage check Neil ever passed in his life?

Omg of course his sire would have made himself the king. Good god can his ego get any bigger?

Uhmmm Lex this is not the time to describe to Johnny how sweet and delicious his daughter's blood smells.

The gang is back together!!! Or well the podcasters from this world are back together in that world.

Jessica has so much of Johnny in her. The obstinate sass, it's beautiful.

Wait. Is Tenach (???) from the TMR? (you wot trick me in spelling that after I've seen people using this abbreviation).

Lmao you hate this girl Miles. Wait what??? He has to roll willpower not to immediately kill her?? What the fuck?? This is rough. Thank god Miles is willfull. He wants to diablerise Arrabella? At some point that fact would have been so stressful, now it just makes me laugh.

Lmao Eden can heal the girls??? They're fucking lucky she's there or stuff would have gone real crazy and bad.

Johnny all happy and proud seeing his girls hug, and then turning to Miles who goes full *hiss* the light it hurts me, clutching Arrabella.

I wanna give Miles a hug, not wanting to tell his friends what he has done because he knows this will be the last battle anyway and he wants to feel their love for as long as he possibly can if he is going to die tonight anyways. So selfish, so human.

Lmao we're going to babybjorning someone at last? I'm sad it's not gonna be Neil, but I'm glad it's at least someone.

Oh never mind, it's not gonna happen.

Yippie! Werewolves!

I'm a little sad Miles is not just gonna eat Arrabella, but I guess reviving is fine.

Lmaoooo squeezing his ass. Oh man I miss how funny and selfish Arrabella is.

"I'm going to do this right, because I'm going to do a lot of things wrong."

Ugh! The idea of Miles and Arrabella skipping into the sunset upsets me so much more than Miles dying or ending up alone and miserable.

I still have no idea what's going on with Malkav.

Nooo he failed? Goddamn I wanted to know this ritual, even if I don't know what it does exactly.

Wait so Neil is just gonna die by gross flesh monsters? Oh nvm!

Ohhh week of nightmares!

Okay so salvation and damnation. Is Neil asking for his friends to live somehow? 😭Oh Neil baby, let me hug you!

No! His stupid sire?!? Why is he such a ruiner? A RUINER!!!!

Johnny and Miles smoking a cigarette together.

Even now he cannot outright say it to Johnny.

Miles still after all of this choosing hope, that protecting Eden might save some people.

"If we're ever gonna do anything right, if -I- am ever gonna do anything right, you guys have done plenty." Miles!! 😭

"Whatever you did, friends to the end." stop😭

Of course she misses Neil. 😭 He would be there, like he wanted to.

Awww another smoking scene. Ira is such a good guy. Can't get over it. He probably rues the day he met the coterie. 😂

Awww Britta that is such a sweet thing to say. About wanting to spend your worst moments with the coterie.

Goddamn this was super sweet. 😭

Okay yes Tenach is from the TMR confirmed.

Wait who is she talking about? Ghost with a lantern?

Romeo has found his path? What does that mean? Has he moved on?

The anticipation of waiting and watching these three guys spray painting. Knowing these are the last moments before it goes crazy.

SHE CAUGHT THE ROCKET?!?! That is crazy. But somehow as it explodes in her hand the best outcome? Lol.

Fucking Neil!!! Roll good my dude!!! YESSSS SASS FUCK YOU STUPID SIRE! Neil is king.

The amount of concentration I must muster to understand Malkav is high. My fault for listening today when my brain is fried.

Noooooo not the sire again!!! Goddamnit. He's like that chicken that got it's head cut off but lived for like another year and a half.

NOOOOOOOOOO goddamn 6 successes. Whyyyyyyy.

Ohhhh we are in Neil's blackout. That's interesting.

Come on Neil! You can do it! Yessss!!!! Fucking hell, so stressed!!!

Oh no! The fleshy flesh has gotten Neil. That's it, isn't it. It's done.

He wishes for the end? What does that mean.??

Okay so they need to win this fight? Okay that's all fine and good, but we already knew that. Please tell me we get something useful from this.

Well aparently not. Goddamn. Neil is gonna die. All alone, knowing stuff he can't tell anyone.

You know the graphic imagery does not really help. 😔🤢

I cannot believe he's just dead.

There was only one thing he wanted, one thing, and that was to die with his family. And he didn't get it, he died alone, with only his abuser for company.

Noooooo don't say that!!! I was doing fine! Read single teardrops down my cheeks. But you can't go saying that the coterie will thibk he was just running away. Now I'm absolutely sobbing!!!

His last thoughts being of his friends and how they deserve redemption, and then Wynn specifically.

Trying to put who Wynn is into the network so he keeps his promise.

And he is at rest for once.

[jxtina-86]

Connection

It took some time, but it was worth the wait. It will still take some time, but it will be worth the wait. RomanReigns/Alexia. See here for the rest of the series/order to read.

Warning: Language and fluff. So. Much. Fluff.

Rating: MA

Italics = flashbacks

A/N: I wrote this years ago - before I had my own child and there is a scene in here that I honestly cringe at reading it back. Never fall asleep on a couch with a baby!

Lex stirs next to me, her leg curling over mine as she presses herself firmly against my side. With my eyes still closed, I turn my head, my nose nestling into her thick bundle of hair, the soft strands tickling my skin. She sighs in her sleep, her warm breath floating across my bare chest as I let my fingers drift lightly across her shoulders.

I let one eye open, taking in the dark curtains. Turning my head, I squint at the bedside table and see the time is just after six. I'm about to turn back, pull Lex closer into my arms and let sleep take over when there's a soft snuffle from the corner of the room. I raise my head from the pillow, my eyes squinting once again as I look over to the crib where Ella lies. There's another snuffle, followed by a soft whine.

Lex groans next to me, moving away on auto-pilot as she pushes back the sheets.

“I'm coming,” she half-yawns as she stretches, her head rocking back as her arms reach upwards. She gives me a curious frown as I reach out and stop her, tugging her slowly back into bed. “Ro–”

I press a kiss to her forehead as I pull the sheets up around her. “Go back to sleep. I got this.”

“I know you do, but she'll want feeding and–”

“You put a bottle in the fridge last night.” I kiss her cheek. “Sleep, baby girl. You need it.”

She protests softly but doesn't move as I leave the bed and tug on a pair of sweatpants. Ella's whines are growing louder by the minute as I lean down to scoop her into my arms. “C'mon, Pumpkin, let's give your Mama some peace and quiet eh?”

Ella's fist knocks gently against my chest as I leave the bedroom, closing the door behind me. Her whines slowly fade as she gazes up at me as we cross the hallway and into her nursery. “Don't give me that look,” I chuckle. “We've done this before, remember?”

Her brown eyes continue to stare as I lay her down on the changing mat and set to work changing her diaper. “See?” I say as I lift her back up and press a kiss to her forehead. “We make a good team, huh?”

She gurgles quietly as I close my eyes and hold her close, breathing her in. Despite Lex sending me photos every day, it still amazes me how much Ella can change in a week. As much as I love my job, being on the road is never easy. It was hard enough to get used to leaving Lex behind every week, but it's far easier to deal with separation like that between two adults. A baby doesn't understand why you have to leave and doesn't know when you'll be back, just looks at you with her piercing eyes and makes you question every single decision you've ever made. I naively thought it would get easier each time, but three months later, it's still as hard as it was the first time.

“You hungry?” I murmur as I pick my way carefully down the stairs. I'm still so conscious of how small she is, how delicate her body still is, despite the fact that she's being gaining weight steadily, seemingly inheriting both mine and Lex's appetite. She's definitely not as tiny as she was when I first held her, first kissed her tiny forehead and stroked her soft cheek moments after she was born. But it only becomes clear how big she now is when I see Lex or our Moms or Shiv or Becca hold her. And then she's eventually passed back to me or my Dad or Seth or Dean and I realise how small and defenceless she still is and will be for a long time. I feel a surge of protectiveness towards her, despite the fact that any one of those guys would happily step up to defend my baby girl if called upon.

Ella nuzzles at my chest as we head into the kitchen and I cradle her with one arm as I open the fridge to retrieve the bottle left by Lex. I warm the bottle under the tap and then make my way through to the lounge. The couch is strewn with blankets from where all three of us spent the evening and I settle onto them with a sigh as Ella, much to my amusement, lets out a similar sound.

“Alright, alright,” I grin down at her. “You're definitely your Mama's daughter. The sight of food and patience just goes out the window.”

Ella blinks solemnly up at me as I shift my arm slightly so I can test the temperature of the milk against my wrist. She wriggles as I do, the bottle almost slipping from my grip as I clutch her closer to me to stop her from tumbling from my arms.

“You got me once with that trick, Pumpkin. I ain't being caught out a second time,” I murmur as I offer the bottle and her eyes briefly close in satisfaction.

My head rocks back against the couch for a second, before I raise it again and continue to watch Ella feed. I'm determined not to miss out on anything, especially something like feeding her which is such a rare occurrence for me to help with. Lex's own determination to breastfeed Ella for as long as possible makes it difficult for me to help out. Maybe I missed the memo, but I don't remember anyone telling us how hard it would be. It was painful to watch Lex wince her way through every feed for the first week or so. All I could do was sit by and watch and offer moral support each time she got up in the night to feed. And then Ella decided that it was impossible to settle in anyone else's arms other than Lex's after a feed. The noise that would erupt from her tiny body whenever Lex passed her to me after feeding was heartbreaking, even more so at 3am when emotions inevitably run high. I felt helpless as Lex eased her back into her arms, her own eyes brimming with tears as she rocked Ella back and forth, murmuring to her softly.

The first week passed in a haze, with barely enough time to think let alone take in everything that had suddenly changed in our lives. It wasn't until I went back on the road, a two-week stint with time overseas ahead of me that all the fears I had felt before Ella arrived suddenly re-surfaced. Should I have pushed for more time off? Was it right to leave Lex alone with Ella so soon? Should I even be going on the road in the first place? Was my career really worth sacrificing much needed time at home? Endless questions flooded my mind as I struggled to get back into the groove of life on the go, plaguing every waking moment I spent in gyms, cars, airports, arenas, hotel rooms. Every day I would FaceTime Lex, watching the dark circles under her eyes grow day by day, both of us determined to keep upbeat despite the difficulties facing us as new parents.

But it was when I came home that it really hit me how difficult this really was. Lex kissed me hello and Ella promptly cried out. At first I thought it was the lack of attention from me, so I took her in my arms, pressing my lips to her forehead, my eyes closing as I tried to hold back showing exactly how much I'd missed her. Yet still she cried, her face scrunched up and red from the effort. It was only when Lex took her back that she calmed, taking painfully deep breathes as Lex soothed her and offered me an apologetic smile.

“She's been cranky all day.”

But it wasn't that. And we both knew it. She didn't know who I was. I was as unfamiliar to her as a stranger off the street. Every time I tried to hold her over the next few hours, she had the same reaction and every time it cut a little deeper until I felt like I couldn't take anymore. It was an endless cycle for the next month, all three of us at constant breaking point. Every day I prayed that something would give, for some miracle to occur that would mean my own daughter would at least spend a few quiet moments in my arms before she cried for her mother. That's all I wanted – to hold her, to give Lex a much deserved break, to prove to myself that I was perfectly capable of this new role that had been bestowed upon me.

It felt like all my worst fears were being confirmed. Throughout the entire pregnancy, I had been scared. Scared of missing the birth, scared of doing the wrong thing, scared of what this unknown journey would do to me and Lex. I almost fucked up on the first one, making it with just ten minutes to spare. It still amazes me what Lex did to bring Ella into this world. I can still remember the way her hands gripped my forearms, her face scrunched up in a painful grimace as Dr Ash guided her through the last stages of birth as I whispered words of encouragement until a nurse took over so I could round the bed and watch Ella arrive. I remember grabbing Lex to stop her from falling on weak legs, guiding her down to the floor, peeling her gown away from her chest so that Ella could placed on her skin. That first cry will stay with me forever, as will the relief that washed over me as I watched Lex hold her close, tentative fingers running over her head as I told her how amazing she was. And still is. There are many things I have been proud of in my life: countless career achievements, proposing to Lex, our wedding day, but nothing compares to the moment that I held Ella in my arms for the first time. The picture that Lex snapped of us mere minutes after her birth has remained as my phone background ever since, despite all the other photos I have of her. In that moment, I forgot about all my fears.

I wanted that moment back. I wanted more moments like it. I wanted to be able to hold my daughter and have her know that I was there for her, that I would protect her and love her and do anything for her. It didn't matter that I knew I was doing all those things for her, I just wanted to show her that I was the main guy that would always be there for her, no matter what happened. It felt like a punch to the stomach every time she cried in my arms. I'd rock her, whisper to her as I walked around the house in endless circles, trying to get her back to sleep until Lex would ultimately take her back and she'd instantly quieten. 

And then one night I woke to find the bed empty, the bassinet in the corner of the room empty too. I felt guilty, realising that I had slept straight through Lex getting up to feed alone when I had vowed to always wake with her and keep her company. I stumbled from the bedroom, standing blearily in the hallway for a second to get my bearings before spying the faint light from the nursery. Pushing the door quietly open, I found Lex asleep in the nursing chair in the corner of the room, Ella on her chest. I remember biting my lip nervously, my hands shaking as I slowly crossed the room and lifted Ella into my arms. She squirmed at first, her face wrinkling up as she struggled to get comfortable in my unfamiliar hold. And then she softened, visibly relaxed against me and I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hey.”

Lex's voice startles me from gazing down at Ella who continues to rest peacefully in my arms.I raise my head and see her smile sleepily at me.

“She's... Lex...”

Her smile widens. “We had words. I told her that Mama needs some rest so she needs to quit being a little madam and appreciate the fact that her Daddy wants to cuddle her once in a while because that's more than other little girls get.”

I chuckle softly as Lex stands and leans up to kiss my cheek.

“Don't take it personally, Ro,” she whispers softly. “She doesn't understand.”

“I know,” I exhale slowly. “I just wish I could explain to her.”

“You can,” she says simply. “Talk to her like you did before she was born. You spoke to her every day when she was inside me and you still call us every day to say goodnight. Just tell her then. The more you tell her now, the more she'll understand when she's older.”

“Maybe.” My gaze returns to Ella, still relaxed and comfortable. “I don't think I've held her for this long since she was born.”

Lex grins. “All I can say is that she'd better still like a cuddle with me otherwise we've got some rough times ahead when you're back on the road.” She curses under her breath. “Sorry, bad joke.”

“It's okay,” I reassure her, gently moving Ella so I can hold her with one arm and reach the other out to Lex, pulling her close and brushing my lips over her forehead. “I love you.”

“Me or her?”

“Both of you. Like you wouldn't believe.”

“I believe it,” she murmurs against my chest, a finger reaching out to dance down Ella's arm to her tiny fist. “We love you too.”

Something happened that night. I'm not sure what. Whether it was just that Ella was half-asleep when I took her into my arms or that she finally realised that I was here to stay, even if I was gone most of the time. Whatever it was, it made everything just that little bit easier. I could get up with Lex and actually help by burping Ella and soothing her back to sleep. I could hold her and cuddle her whilst watching TV, allowing Lex a few sacred hours to herself.

We both held our breath when I came back from my next stint on the road, Lex looking on anxiously as I picked Ella up from her bassinet. She stared up at me curiously and I could see her thought process play out on her face as she made up her mind as to whether or not she remembered me. And then her eyes drifted shut and she turned her head into my chest. She didn't utter a noise as I kissed Lex with her still in my arms, didn't even mind when I moved across to sit on the couch and flicked on the TV. Even when she woke in the middle of night and I took her into my arms after she was done feeding so Lex could go to the bathroom, there was no crying, just another look of curiosity as if she was just as surprised as I was by this turn of events.

The bottle slips from Ella's mouth as she turns her head away, seemingly uninterested in the rest of its contents. I offer it to her again, but she avoids it, her eyelids drooping.

“Not yet,” I murmur, resting the bottle on the coffee table before moving Ella in my arms so I can burp her. She obliges me and then yawns, her body stretching out in my grasp and I debate taking her back upstairs. But then I remember the tired look in Lex's eyes and I decide not to disturb her. So I shift on the couch, laying across it with Ella on my chest, my arm carefully placed around her so she can't fall off me. Her little hand splays against my skin and I rub my thumb across it, grinning as she lets out a small sigh.

My moves to cup the back of her head as I lean forward to kiss her softly, breathing in her warm, comforting scent. Rocking my head to the side, I watch her eyes slowly close, a soft whisper of a breath escaping her as she relaxes against me.

**

Something tickles my nose and I scrunch up my face, my eyes opening slowly as I blink in the sunlight now streaming across the room. Lex's upside down face grins at me, her finger brushing over my cheek.

“Hey, sleepy heads,” she whispers, leaning down to kiss me, her hand moving to cup Ella's head as she kisses her too. Her loose shirt brushes over my face as she does and I inhale a mixture of Lex's and Ella's lotion. As she moves back, I raise one hand to stop her, pulling her mouth back to mine.

“What was that for?” she asks softly as I release her.

“Nothing,” I murmur, reluctantly letting go as Ella squirms against me. I watch as Lex lifts her from my chest, allowing me to sit up so she can join me on the couch. I curl my arm around her and pull her close as she settles Ella on her chest instead.

“Here,” she passes me her phone. “I couldn't resist.”

Unlocking it, I stare down at the screen, a grin tugging at my lips. “You can never resist.”

She chuckles. “Maybe you can finally replace that photo of you and Ella on your phone.”

“What's wrong with that photo?”

“Nothing. I love that photo, but she looks so different now.” She twists her head and presses her lips to my chest. “She's not going to be tiny forever.”

“I know.”

“I just thought I'd give you an equally adorable, but more up to date, photo to use.” She plucks the phone from my hand and sends the photo to my own phone. “She still looks tiny on your chest.”

She does. I mean, she felt tiny when I was lying there with her, my big arms protecting her from harm, but seeing it is something different. She's wriggled a little higher in her sleep, or I've pulled her closer, I'm not sure which, but it's resulted in her head being nestled under my chin. Her arm is stretched out, her fingers splayed against my tattoo. One of my arms arm is curled under her bottom, securing her in place, whilst the other is bent so that my fingers rest close to hers.

I take the phone back from Lex and flick it back onto camera. Lex squeals as I reverse the lens so that our faces show up on the screen.

“Ro!”

“What?”

“I got out of bed ten minutes ago, my hair hasn't been washed for almost a week, I've got a shirt on that's covered in milk stains, spit up and god know's what else and my eyes look like I've just done ten rounds with–”

“Still beautiful though,” I interrupt.

She rolls her eyes, her head dropping forward to nuzzle against Ella. “Your Daddy thinks he's such a charmer.”

I chuckle, still refusing to put away the camera. “It's the truth.”

“Your Daddy is also delusional,” she continues to talk to Ella. “Too many bumps to head, isn't that right?”

“You're the one who wants me to change my phone background,” I point out.

“Not exactly what I had in mind,” she grumbles.

I rock my head to the side and kiss her cheek. “Can't a guy get a photo with his two girls?”

“He can, when one of them is wearing actual clothes and has at least had a chance to wash her face.”

“Fine,” I murmur, my hand cupping the back of her head and twisting her mouth towards mine. It's brief, but long enough for me to snap the photo without her noticing.

“Ro...” she whines as I hand back her phone with a sheepish grin.

“Beautiful,” I murmur as I kiss her again and then press my lips to Ella's forehead.

“Some days I wonder what it would be like to have a boy and then I realise that it would have been your son and I wouldn't have a chance in hell in surviving the double charm offensive,” Lex comments as I laugh.

“Don't listen to your Mama,” I stage-whisper to Ella. “She loves my charming nature just like you do.” Ella's eyes open, squinting up at me as I stroke her cheek. Her mouth stretches wide, the corners turning up into a smile, making me grin in return.

“Yeah, you find that amusing now. You just wait until she's offering that smile up to some high school boy.”

“Not gonna happen, is it Pumpkin? Nope, that smile is always gonna be just for me, right?”

“Delusional,” Lex mutters.

“Don't shatter the dream for me just yet.”

She cups my face as I straighten. “I find it adorable,” she promises. “Although I will be there to capture the look on your face when she charms her way around you and heads out the door on her first date in an outfit that you are sure to find issue with.”

“Your Mama's got a mean streak,” I say to Ella.

“Payback's a bitch,” Lex grins and then yawns with a shake of her head.

“You wanna go back to bed? I can look take care of Ella until she needs feeding again.”

Lex shakes her head. “No, I need to stay awake otherwise I'll be worse when you go back on the road tomorrow.”

“So what do you want to do today? I can make breakfast, we can chill out...”

“I was thinking maybe we could go out? Go to brunch, the park...” she trails off. “I haven't been out anywhere but the store for three days.”

“Sounds perfect,” I tell her. “You go first, I'll look after Ella. Take your time.”

But she nudges me to get up instead. “No, I'll get her dressed while you shower.”

“You sure?”

She nods. “We can have some Mama and Ella time, can't we?” she grins at Ella who gurgles in response. “Go,” she tells me again.

“I love you.”

Lex's face softens. “I love you too. Now go, before I change my mind and we never leave this house because I refuse to get out of the bathroom.”

**

“You know, I have a renewed respect for any parent who has more than one child,” Lex sighs across the table. Ella squirms on her lap as she attempts to cut her French toast. “I don't think I've actually finished one meal since I gave birth.”

Wiping my mouth with a napkin, I hold out my arms. “Give her to me so you can eat.”

“And let your own food go cold?” she raises an eyebrow. “Whoever holds her starves. It's the cruelest game ever.”

I chuckle. “I don't mind.”

“It's okay. Just... Just do me a favour?”

“Anything.”

She nudges her plate towards me. “Cut this up so I can eat it one-handed?”

I grin, moving our water glasses out of the way so I can reach for her knife and fork. “What do you do when I'm not around?”

“Oh, we have lots of fun and games, don't we?” she jiggles Ella gently on her lap. “The other day, I managed to make a sandwich, but then she refused to let me put her down so I could eat it. I ended up with her sprawled across my lap whilst I ate and by the time I finished, she'd gone to sleep. I had to wake her because my legs went dead.”

I laugh as I push her plate back towards her. “You know I'm more than happy to look after her if you want to go out on your own when I'm at home.”

“I know.” Lex shrugs. “But I like spending time with you too. Both of you,” she corrects.

“My Mom is still offering to take Ella for a day or two.”

“My Mom too. I'm just...” she picks her fork back up and selects a piece of cut toast. “I don't know if I'm ready for that yet.”

I smile. “It's okay. No-ones pressuring you. But the offers are there when you want to take them.”

She smiles back at me and then laughs. “Maybe I'll re-consider when the lack of sleep gets too much.” She pauses to chew. “Although I doubt that's what anyone wants us to get up to.”

“How so?” I say, reaching for my water and taking a sip.

“Your Mom basically hinted that if we wanted to get going on baby number two that she would quite happily take Ella off our hands.”

I cough mid-swallow, causing Lex to laugh as I splutter and fumble for my napkin. “She what?” I manage to gasp.

“She was very sweet about it actually. She said she understood completely about how difficult it was to find time to spend as a couple when you have a newborn, but you know, ultimately people find a way because hey, lots of people have more than one child,” Lex's eyes dance over the rim of her glass. “Even Shiv offered.”

“To what?”

“Look after Ella. Although that was before she became Seth's personal nurse.”

“I suspect Ella might be a dream compared to Seth.”

Lex giggles. “Quite possibly. Anyway, as I said to her, it's nice that everyone wants to do their bit to make sure that we eventually have sex again.”

I reach out and slide my hand over hers. “I wasn't hinting.”

“I know.” She lets my fingers slip between hers and then squeezes my hand. “I miss us though.”

“Me too.”

Silence floats over us as we go back to eating, Ella cooing in Lex's lap, her eyes following my every move across the table. I widen my eyes and stick my tongue out, making her laugh and squirm excitedly.

“Careful!” Lex scolds gently as Ella's fist connects with her arm and almost knocks her fork out of her hand.

I push away my plate and stand, moving around the table to take her from Lex, grinning as Ella stares up at me innocently. “Oh, that's right, butter wouldn't melt.”

Lex smiles in thanks as I take my seat again. “It's already so hard to say no to her. I'm dreading when she gets big enough to wreck havoc and gives me that oh-so-innocent look. Or rather, when she gives you that look and you let her get away with murder.”

“Hey, I can be strict.”

Lex's eyebrow slowly raises. “Oh yeah? Like when?”

I hold her gaze steadily. “You know when,” I say evenly, smirking as her cheeks flush faintly.

She nudges my foot under the table. “Behave, Mr Reigns.”

I reach for her hand again, drawing it up to kiss just above her wedding ring. “Never.”

**

Lex flops onto the couch next to me, her head immediately finding its usual spot on my shoulder. Her feet slide against mine as she snuggles closer and I absentmindedly press a kiss to her head.

“You wanna watch something on TV?” I murmur.

She shakes her head. “Not really.”

I slide my fingers through her hair, scooping it away from her face and neck. I let my hand slip to her shoulder, working my fingers over the knotted muscles. She sighs softly, her head burying further against my neck.

After brunch we headed to the park, Ella falling asleep in a matter of minutes as we took a slow circuit, Lex's hand in mine as we took the opportunity to catch up. But I was determined to keep up the brief flirtation that had occurred over brunch, letting my hand slip from hers to wrap around her waist, curling my arms around her when we paused for a second, dropping kisses to her shoulder and neck to stop myself from groaning as she pressed her ass against my crotch.

Despite the fact we're yet to get a chance to do anything aside from exchange the odd kiss and cuddle whilst Ella is asleep or at least distracted, I have no urge to pressure Lex. As much as I want to get that side of our relationship back to where it once was, I accept that it's going to take a while. But that doesn't stop me from touching her, from kissing her, from showing her that I'm clearly still attracted to her. She might worry about when she last washed her hair or how her clothes don't fit properly, but that doesn't make her less beautiful to me. I swear that watching her give birth as given me a new admiration for how incredible her body is. I'm not naïve to think that everything would just slip back into place and I don't even want her to. She's always had a natural curve to her lines that attracted me in the first place and those curves are still there, just softer than before. And I don't mind that. In fact, in my mind, it just gives me more of her to love and to hold.

As she stretches against me, I take the opportunity to pull her on top of me, my hands sliding over her back, to her hips which I squeeze gently before cupping her ass.

“Ro...” she exhales against my neck.

“Baby girl?”

“That... That feels nice.”

“Yeah?” I smile into her hair. I let my hands drift upwards again, this time slipping under her shirt so I can feel her warm skin. She hums in satisfaction, her head twisting slightly until I feel her lips on my neck.

I was worried that she would shy away from me, that once we were home from hospital and she could move around more easily, that she'd start to hide her body from me. It was another one of my fears and I knew it would be a slippery slope that would be hard to climb back from. And although she still has a habit of shrouding herself in old maternity shirts, it seems to be more to do with the ease of feeding rather than shielding herself away from me. She still leaves the bathroom door unlocked when she showers, not even blinking if I venture in to brush my teeth. There's always part of me that wishes I could join her, but I don't want to push it. So I just enjoy watching her blurry outline behind the steamed up glass, chuckling as she sings and then admonishes me for laughing at her.

Lex's fingers trail across my shoulder and she gradually props herself up to look at me. “Thank you.”

I give her a puzzled look. “What for?”

“For everything,” she says simply. “Being a good father, a good husband. Just a good person in general.”

“That's quite a pedestal you're placing me on.”

“You do the same to me all the time and I rarely tell you I think the same way about you.”

“And you don't have to.”

“But I want to. You need to hear it,” her gaze drops suddenly.

“Hey,” I say gently, easing a finger under her chin and bringing her gaze back up. “Why do I need to hear it?”

“I... I know it wasn't easy for you at first. And I'm sorry that I didn't do enough–”

“Stop, Lex. You did everything you needed to do at the time.”

“But–”

I shake my head. “No, please don't blame yourself for what happened at the beginning. It's in the past, we got over it. Me and Ella? We're like this now.” I cross my fingers. “And that's all that matters.”

“But I know how hard this still is for you. I know you worry, hell I worry, about what's to come and what else we might have to overcome. We've never been that couple that keeps everything pent up, we learnt that we can't function like that and I just worry that with less time to just be us, that we might end up doing just that.”

“If we were becoming that kind of couple, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now.” I say gently. “Lex, worrying about what's around the corner is natural. Neither of us have ever been in this situation before, we're new parents, trying to figure it out like all the other new parents do. And sure, I still have those fears that I had before Ella arrived, but you do an incredible job of making me realise that I can do this. I wouldn't be able to do any of this if it wasn't for you.”

“Ro–”

“You have amazing resilience, Lex. I'm in complete admiration of what you do day in, day out when it comes to Ella. I hope you know how much I appreciate it, how much it means to me, how much I love you.”

“I do,” she whispers. “I swear, Ro. I really do.”

Her lips are soft and warm, opening to welcome me as I curl my fist through her hair and hold her to me. I tug on her bottom lip as we part for a second and then come back for more, our mouths crashing together as my hand grips her ass and squeezes. She moans, the sound vibrating through me causing a small growl to rip through me. I can feel her lips tug into a smirk mid-kiss, her skin heating as I slip my hand back under her shirt.

It takes all my strength to pull back, especially when I see the hazy look in her eyes, her plump lips that just beg to be kissed and bitten.

“I like this,” she murmurs, her hand stroking my cheek, smiling as I twist my head to kiss her palm.

“Like what?”

“It's silly.”

“Tell me.”

“I like what we're doing, it's... It's like we're finding out about each other all over again, only we already know what we like so it's...” she pauses, searching for the right words and I decide to help her out.

“Like we're discovering what we're good at all over again?”

She smiles. “Exactly.”

“I like it too.” I think back to the easy nature of our flirting over brunch and in the park. “We've got all the time in the world to do this, Lexi.”

She shivers as my voice drops and I utter my nickname for her that I haven't said in a long time. “I know.”

“And I am more than happy to take my time discovering every single inch of you.”

“I...”

I cup her face with both hands and hold her gaze. “Every inch, Lexi. Every blemish, every line, every mark. All of you.”

She nods. “I...” she swallows, her eyes darkening. “I look forward to it.”

**

I quietly move my suitcases out into the dark hallway. Creeping back into the bedroom, I grab the last of my belongings and dump them into my backpack. Glancing at my watch, I realise I'm ahead of schedule, my cab not due for another half hour to take me to the airport. I yawn, tempted to lie back down next to Lex, but I know I'll never be able to get back up again if I do.

Our evening together continued with long, lazy kisses, only interrupted once by a hungry Ella, who promptly fell back asleep the moment she was done. And soon after, Lex followed suite, snoring softly against my chest for almost an hour before I finally brought myself to wake her and suggest we head to bed. It was quite possibly the first evening where we'd had such extended time to reconnect and I'm grateful for every second we had together.

I step towards the bassinet, peering inside to check on Ella. I smile as I watch her stretch in her sleep and I can't help but reach down to gently stroke her cheek with my finger. She sniffles, her head turning away from my touch, her eyes slowly opening.

“Shit,” I murmur under my breath. “Hey, Pumpkin... Go back to sleep. Daddy was just saying goodbye.”

But her eyes stay resolutely open, gazing up at me until I give in and reach down to pick her up. She's quiet and still in my arms, giving off no signs that she's hungry or uncomfortable. I kiss her forehead, my eyes squeezing shut as I contemplate the next week on the road.

“Daddy's gonna miss you,” I whisper. “You know that he does, right? He thinks about you all the time.” I pause and correct myself. “I think about you all the time, Ella. I've got all these pictures of you on my phone, but nothing compares to seeing you when I come home and find you and your Mama waiting for me.”

I tuck her closer, rocking her back and forth as she continues to stare up at me, her eyes piercing through me. “One day, I'll be able to explain to you all that I do for you and your Mama. But right now, you just gotta know that I work so hard to make sure you have everything you could possibly need. You understand that, right? I know that other Daddies are always there for their baby girls and I'm so sorry that I can't be like them. And it's not because I don't love you just as much as they do. Because I do, Pumpkin. I love you so damn much it hurts. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you, nothing. But I gotta work, I gotta keep a roof over your head and make sure your Mama's got everything she needs to look after you when I'm not here.”

Ella's head cocks to one side, her arm stretching out and I reach for it, feeling her fingers wrap around my thumb. She holds on tightly and I can feel my eyes start to sting.

“I love you, Pumpkin. That's all you gotta know for now.”

A pair of arms slide around my waist and I feel Lex's cheek press against my back. I take a deep, shaky breath and she squeezes her arms gently around me.

“It's okay, Ro. She knows.”

Fin x