#my first answer to no. 30 was the batwoman long fic that is just... a real hot mess

[eqt-95]

17, 20, 30 if you please

17. talk about your writing and editing process i typically edit as i write which i've discovered can be a real distraction when i haven't even fleshed out the plot. to counter this, i've been trying to be less focused on a perfect first draft. my current wip is a great example of that: my first pass was totally unpublishable. so was my second. my third is... getting there. there are still a lot of <something> placeholders and the occasional keyboard smash to indicate 'transition' though. weirdly i am writing a LOT slower this way, but hey, it's all an experiment, eh?

20. in what year did you publish your first fic? oh! I have no idea? it was definitely in college and i never finished it. i also couldn't even tell you what my username was (it was something like thisorthat with a number at the end?). i want to say it sometime around 2010.

30. share a fic you’re especially proud of i'm really waffling over this. i'm proud of all of them for having been published, but i'd really love to give each one a good edit (think 'lobotomy'). for the sake of answering though, i'm actually really proud of follow the buttons, chapter 2. the fic was originally intended as a one-shot, but a really well-timed comment sort of lit a fire under the ole fingertips, and i wrote the entire second chapter in a single 2-hour sitting.

ask game

[youngerdrgrey]

I know you (even if you don’t want me to) // a batwoman fic, chapter 3

about: After finding out Batwoman’s identity, Sophie tries to trap Ryan with her newfound knowledge. If she’s going to be on the outside, she might as well have some fun – and maybe fall in love along the way. #Wildmoore

CHAPTER THREE SUMMARY: The burner doesn't work out quite the way either of them intend it to. Luckily, Mary has an idea that brings a little more fight into their lives. + read on ao3

previously: read chapter one + chapter two

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Sophie to 2.0 🦇 (07:13) Come on, I thought that was a good one.

2.0 🦇 to Sophie (07:45) Surprised you’re not nursing a hangover

Sophie to 2.0 🦇 (07:47) It takes more than a few margaritas to keep me down.

2.0 🦇 to Sophie (07:49) Copy that

Sophie to 2.0 🦇 (07:52) I’m surprised you’re awake. Shouldn’t you be sleeping by day to patrol the city by night?

2.0 🦇 to Sophie (08:03) You know I’m not actually a bat right?

Sophie to 2.0 🦇 (08:05) Obviously. Well, if you need it, The Hold Up has great coffee during the day.

2.0 🦇 to Sophie (08:15) No thanks. Coffee stunts your growth.

Sophie to 2.0 🦇 (08:17) Aww, are you speaking from experience? Because you’re so short?

2.0 🦇 to Sophie (08:18) Hey, “though she be but little…”

Sophie to 2.0 🦇 (08:19) “...she be tiny asf”

2.0 🦇 to Sophie (08:21) af* no one uses the asf

Sophie to 2.0 🦇 (08:22) Consider me no one then

2.0 🦇 to Sophie (08:23) Already there

Sophie to 2.0 🦇 (08:24) Aww, you’re thinking about me?

2.0 🦇 to Sophie (08:30) Thinking about how to get you to stop texting me

Sophie to 2.0 🦇 (08:31) You could stop responding for one

(08:34) Okay, didn’t expect you to take the first piece of advice I gave you

(08:45) Fine. I did walk into that….

(09:01) Somebody left money to pay for my coffee. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?

(09:31) Thanks.

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“Sophie, please stop staring at your phone.”

Sophie glances up from her multiple delivered messages. Mary’s wide eyes seem more wary than frustrated. Probably because she knows that it’s been three days since Ryan last texted Sophie. Mary has to know. Mary’s probably choking on the second hand embarrassment of watching Ryan ghost Sophie in real time. This is a pity girls’ day with pity mimosas and face masks.

Mary points at the newly decorated ‘Phone Rehabilitation Center’ basket on the coffee table. It’s next to the mimosa pitcher.

“It was a phone prison before Jordan came over,” Mary explains. “Your sister redecorated it.”

Sophie’s eyebrows scrunch together. “I didn’t know Jordan came over.” Is everyone welcome here except her? How does her little sister get to talk to Ryan before Sophie does?

Mary relaxes into her comfy chair. “Yeah, she and Imani came over to talk center stuff with Ryan a few days ago. Ryan was so pissed about how early the meeting was. She loves sleeping in.”

That explains why Ryan was up so early that day, but not the radio silence. Sophie picks up her own mimosa to seem more casual. She mirrors Mary’s position by leaning back into the couch.

“Does Ryan usually stay out late?”

Mary shrugs. “You know, with the bar, she can be out pretty late. And with her seeing Imani—”

“Imani?” Sophie shakes her head. That’s a second mention of this woman. “What happened to Angelique?”

“Um….” Mary’s eyes dart towards Ryan’s bedroom, then down to her glass. “You know, I am not... at liberty to say… because… I’m not supposed to know anything?”

Sophie drops her voice. “Mary.”

Mary rushes through her answer. “Batwoman saved Angelique, and then Angelique went into witness protection with the FBI rather than talking to the Crows again because she didn’t want to get snatched up like last time — no offense. But she stopped here before leaving because she wanted Ryan to go with her.”

“She what!?” Sophie’s drink sloshes as she jolts forward on the couch.

Mary throws a frantic hand up. “But Ryan obviously didn’t go with her! Ryan’s whole life is here in Gotham. It just, you know, made a pretty permanent break up for the two of them. This one coincidentally is not your fault.”

Sophie narrows her eyes at the dig. “Thanks for that.”

Mary grins. “Maybe with Angelique out of the picture, you and Ryan can actually be friends now.”

Unlike the fake friends that they’ve been the last few months. The ever-evolving enemies. The… Crow and the convict.

Sophie sighs. “I’m not the one with the problem, Mary.”

Mary opens her mouth to say something else, but the door rattles before she can finish. She knocks back the last of her mimosa and reaches for the pitcher. Rolls her shoulders like she’s preparing for battle.

Sophie turns on the couch to get a look at Ryan. She tucks a foot under her and keeps an arm on the top to keep her posture straight.

Ryan hasn’t looked up yet. She adjusts the collar on yet another flannel shirt while pocketing her keys in her jeans. She says, “Please tell me you didn’t drink all the mimosas on your own.”

Mary gives a distressed chuckle. “Nope, I got some help!”

Ryan finally looks up and stops cold at the sight of Sophie.

“Why is there a Crow in our loft?”

Sophie rolls her eyes. “You left the windows open.”

Ryan holds her hands up in mock defense. “My bad. Not used to being somewhere without bars on them.”

“Or without wheels,” Sophie offers.

Ryan falters at that. Her genuine shock turns from Sophie to Mary. “You told her?”

Mary stutters. “No, I-I definitely didn’t—” Mary looks to Sophie for support.

Sophie plants her other foot back on the ground. “I saw you, Ryan. You used to park near the quarry, and I run there in the mornings sometimes.”

Most times, actually. The first time Sophie saw Ryan parked out there, it seemed like a late night gone wrong. Like maybe Ryan had been watching the stars in the spot near the river. The quarry used to be a popular makeout spot, then the Wonderland Gang took it over, and then well, the Wonderland Gang was defunct. So, an empty quarry means a quiet spot with a nice view of Gotham. There are worse places to park.

Ryan’s eyebrows knit together. “But you never said….”

“Said what? ‘Wow, Ryan, how’s homelessness treating you?’ That would’ve gone over well.”

Ryan crosses her arms over her chest. “It’s going over great right now.”

Sophie takes a long breath in. This isn’t coming out right. But if she starts talking in specifics, it’ll freak Ryan out. It’ll make her run away again, just as they’re finally in the same space again.

Sophie reasons, “You weren’t a danger to yourself, or anyone else. I mean, you were watering your plant with a Britta filter for Pete’s sake.”

It was maybe the third or fourth time that Sophie saw Ryan there. Ryan was in another freaking flannel and shorts. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and Chaka Khan played from the van’s speakers. Ryan tipped over the last of the water in her filtered pitcher into her plant. And Sophie couldn’t look away.

But it seemed like a private moment, so eventually, Sophie left Ryan to it. Kept jogging and told herself not to look back.

Ryan’s soft laugh pulls Sophie out of the memory. Sophie’s eyes jump to Ryan’s, and for a moment, Ryan doesn’t hide. Doesn’t throw up a wall or a real deflection. She actually lets Sophie see her.

Sophie hopes Ryan can see her back. She isn’t here to make things more complicated, or to infringe on Ryan’s right to choose her friends. She wants to be here. She wants to know Ryan.

Does Ryan still sing to her plants in the loft? Was she joking about not drinking coffee, or is she seriously a tea kind of girl? Sophie’s not great with tea. Not great at waiting and finding the right mix of sugar to keep it from getting too bitter. Maybe Ryan could show her.

“Hey Ryan!” Mary yelps. She hits Ryan with a loaded stare as both Ryan and Sophie turn to face her. Sophie’s grateful that she can blame the slight darkening of her cheeks on the mimosas. “How’s Imani?”

Ryan doesn’t miss a beat. “Imani’s great. She’s watching my class tomorrow.”

Sophie’s surprised. “Are you in school?”

Mary answers for her. “Ryan teaches martial arts at the center.” Then Mary smirks. “She spent all of last week complaining that she doesn’t have a partner for demonstrations.”

Ryan glares daggers at Mary, but Sophie’s face brightens with the assist. Sophie gets to give Ryan the wide smile of possibility this time.

Ryan immediately shakes her head. “I’m going to kill you.”

Mary ignores Ryan and pulls her phone out of the rehab basket. After a quick peek at her calendar, she tells Sophie, “Class is at nine AM.”

Ryan groans. “Whose side are you on?”

Mary picks her mimosa back up. “We’re all on the same team, Ryan.”

Sophie picks hers up too. “I’ll even bring the coffee.”

Ryan purses her lips. Sophie waits for her to object to the coffee, but instead Ryan stomps over to the mimosa pitcher and takes the whole thing with her to her room.

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Crowphie to Ryan (07:45) How do you take your coffee?

Ryan to Crowphie (07:49) I don’t.

(07:50) I live above a shop. You don’t need to bring me anything.

Crowphie to Ryan (07:52) In that case, you should be bringing the coffee.

Ryan to Crowphie (07:54) You’re hijacking my class AND making me bring you stuff?

Crowphie to Ryan (07:55) Pretty sure no one “makes you” do anything, Ryan.

(07:56) It’s fine. I’m making my own anyway.

Ryan to Crowphie (07:58) Why’d you ask if you’re making your own?

Crowphie to Ryan (08:01) It’s called making conversation.

Ryan to Crowphie (08:03) Well you’re making me late. See you at class

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It is oddly satisfying to spar with Sophie. Their styles are different, and Sophie knows how to use her height to her advantage. On the other hand, Ryan’s used to being underestimated and gets to show her students how to turn that in their favor. Despite doing her absolute best, though, the kids only care about Miss Sophie.

“Miss Sophie, your hair is so pretty,” little Kylie says.

“Miss Sophie, will you be coming back next week?” Aaron asks.

“Miss Sophie, have you ever seen Batwoman?” Celeste — the little traitor — asks next.

Ryan has to walk over to the teacher’s table to keep from rolling her eyes at the kids. Imani watches her with a little grin. Ryan softens up enough to wink back. They usually sneak off once classes end. Find a nice corner of the center to make out in while the kids get picked up. Today, the kids won’t actually leave the room.

Sophie swipes a towel at the sweat on her forehead. Her skin’s flush in a way that Ryan tries not to pay attention to. She addresses each of the kids with their own individual smile.

“Thank you. I don’t know about next week. And yes,” Sophie gives an even wider smile to Celeste, the quiet preteen who’s already said more to Sophie in one class than she has to in Ryan in three, “I’ve even saved her.”

The kids close in on Sophie, forming a full circle around where she stands at the center of the room. Their questions all overlap. “Really? You saved her? When?”

Ryan bites down a sigh. Sophie answers, “A few months ago. We were trying to save somebody, and Batwoman got really hurt. We thought she was going to die.”

Aaron — a ten-year-old who wears his brother’s hand-me-downs — pops closer to Sophie’s face. Sophie instinctively leans back, but Aaron takes it in stride. “Batwoman can’t get hurt. She’s invincible.” Ryan smiles at him.

Sophie shrugs. “Tell that to her. I had to carry her all the way back. All by myself, like this.” Sophie holds out her bare arms like a freaking bridal carry. Ryan’s smile drops. There’s no way she’s letting Sophie lie like this to the kids. Sophie helped Ryan stand up, sure, but then Ryan was on a gurney with Mary pushing it. There was no crossing the threshold.

Celeste asks Sophie, “Did you see the Batcave?”

Sophie nods. “Yup. She can’t go to the hospital. So, she’s bleeding into her suit, and I’m just barely holding the both of us up as we crawl into the Batcave—”

Ryan can’t help herself at this point. She steps towards Sophie. “I’m sorry, crawl?”

Sophie lights up at the question. “It’s a cave. We had to crawl.”

“While you’re carrying her?”

Sophie nods again. “I can show you how we did it. You’re probably about her size.”

Aaron argues, “Batwoman’s much bigger than Ryan.” Sophie laughs.

Ryan scoffs. “I could take down Batwoman. You’ve all seen my moves.” She glances around, but all of the kids laugh at her. Even Imani chuckles before pulling her lips together. Ryan swipes her hands through the air. “Sophie’s lying anyway. No way she carried Batwoman.”

Sophie quirks an eyebrow. “You want to fact check?”

“Hell yeah,” Ryan says. A few kids ooooh at her curse word. “Go ahead and flip the signal.”

“I’ve got something faster.” Sophie crosses to the teacher’s table for her bag. Hers is right next to Ryan’s. Ryan’s, which most definitely has the Bat-Burner inside of it. Shit. Did Ryan remember to put it on silent? She can’t remember. It should be on silent, but she might’ve flipped it back to vibrate during the rescue mission.

Shit, shit. It will vibrate the moment that Sophie calls it. Ryan could try to write it off as her own cell phone ringing, but the timing would be way too suspect for Sophie.

Ryan makes a big show of rolling her eyes. “Right, like you’ve got Batwoman’s phone number.”

Sophie pulls her phone out and scrolls down her list of contacts. “See for yourself.” She holds it out for Ryan to see. The kids clamber to stand behind Ryan for a better view.

“2.0 with a bat emoji? That could be anyone,” Ryan says.

“I could call it. See if she answers, unless there’s some reason she might not be available right now.” Sophie has that look again, like she knows something that Ryan doesn’t. It makes Ryan’s blood boil. Makes her heart beat faster and her palms sweat.

Ryan needs to be faster. Needs a real excuse why Sophie can’t call right now that doesn’t undermine what she’s been saying. Her eyes dart to Imani, and Imani — bless her heart — must see the panic there.

Imani claps her hands together. The students groan before she starts talking.

“Alright, that’s enough excitement for today. Parents and guardians should all be at the front doors by now. You all should be headed home, so that the grown ups can head home too.”

The kids grumble, but they make their ways to the doors. Celeste lingers in the doorway after the others go.

“Miss Sophie?” she says. Sophie still holds her phone like a detonator.

“Yes?”

“I really hope you do come back. And I’m glad you saved Batwoman, even if Miss Ryan doesn’t believe you.” Celeste throws a little smirk at Ryan. “See you next week.”

Ryan waves her out of the room. “Go on, traitor.” Celeste laughs on her way out the door. Ryan steps back so she can sit on the teacher’s table.

Imani slips next to Ryan and sits down too. She keeps her body angled towards Sophie and wiggles her eyebrows.

“Batwoman’s number, huh? What else have you two gotten up to?” Imani teases.

Sophie barks out a laugh. “It is not like that.”

Imani nudges Ryan in the side. Tries to get Ryan in on it. Imani calls, “Bullshit. All those quiet nights on the rooftops, saving her, quietly nursing her back to health?” The leading tone mixes with the highest suggestive eyebrows that Ryan has ever seen. “I don’t know, even the way you say her name.”

Sophie says, “What, Batwoman?”

Imani sighs it out, mockingly. “Batwoman. You can admit that you’ve got a crush.”

Ryan adds, “On the O.G. definitely.” Sophie loved Kate.

Imani quickly corrects, “No offense to the O.G., but I’m talking about 2.0. Have you seen the way she fills out that suit?”

Sophie’s widening eyes meet Ryan’s for a second. Sophie drops her eyes to the floor. “I haven’t noticed,” she says, but her voice sounds smaller. Airier than normal. Is she lying?

Imani jokes. “Girl, are you sure you’re gay? The visits to The Hold Up made me wonder, but—”

“Yes,” Sophie sounds defensive immediately, “I am very, very gay. I am part of the reason The Hold Up even exists. My ex — Kate — started the bar after the owner across the street was homophobic towards us.”

Imani cringes. “Very passive aggressive. Do you get free drinks for that honor?”

“Not yet, but I’ll ask the manager.” Sophie’s shoulders relax. Ryan breathes a bit easier too. Good, a subject change.

Ryan grins. “Request denied.”

Sophie smirks. “That’s not what you said the other night.”

Imani furrows her brow. “The other night?”

Ryan resists the urge to say, It’s not like that.

Sophie clarifies, “Ryan kept me company when my date bailed.”

“Your date?” Imani sneaks a glance over at Ryan. Why is she looking at Ryan like that? Like she’s seeing something she doesn’t like?

Sophie rolls her eyes before answering, “Batwoman.”

Imani full belly laughs. All her tension evaporates, and Sophie mock-laughs along with her. “Oh, you got it bad. Do you know if this one’s gay too?”

They literally talked about it on the roof a few nights ago.

“She is.” Sophie pops the imaginary collar on her muscle tee. “She’s honestly pretty into me. She asked me out once.”

Ryan’s quick to interject. “You asked her out.”

Sophie corrects, “Only because she has the hots for me. I mean she practically admitted it when we were on that island.”

Ryan tries to keep her voice steady. “So she was dying and thought it was the right time to admit to a crush?”

“Heat of the moment, Ryan. She didn’t want to die without telling me.”

“If that’s true, then why did she stand you up last week?”

“You tell me. I don’t bail on set plans.”

“You bailed after the run.” Took off to fight Black Mask alone and left Ryan standing in the loft like a dumbass.

Sophie takes a step towards Ryan. “You’re still upset about that?”

Ryan hops off the table to get in Sophie’s face. “When was I supposed to get over it? While we waited for you to come back or the next day when you had absolutely no idea where Ang was?”

Sophie rolls her eyes down at Ryan. “Lucky for you, Batwoman put it together.”

“And lucky for you, I’ve got better things to do than wait around for you to actually do the right thing.” Ryan glares up at Sophie, and the fire in Sophie’s eyes threatens to burn them both.

Imani clears her throat. Ryan refuses to back down from the staring match. Sophie cools.

Imani asks, “How do you two know each other again?”

Ryan snaps, “We don’t,” at the same time that Sophie says, “Mutual friends.”

Sophie scoffs, but the fire’s already dimmed into something a lot like disappointment. “You know, there is a lot we still don’t know about each other, Ryan.” She breaks the stare to pick up her bag. “Thanks for letting me join the class. You two have fun.”

“We will,” Ryan assures her. It comes out more forceful than she means. She doesn’t have anything to prove to Sophie.

Sophie gives a short wave to Imani on her way out the door. Ryan flops back against the table.

“Can you believe her?” she asks Imani.

Imani bites her lip, then says, “Her, yes. You… not so much.”

Ryan glances over. “What do you mean?”

Imani drums her fingers on the table for a beat before answering. “Whatever weird competition you two have going on… maybe don’t bring it in here.”

“I didn’t—”

Imani talks over Ryan’s objection. “Having an extra instructor could be nice. Don’t drive her off just because she’s a Crow. If Jordan can vouch for her, we’ve gotta give her a chance.” She takes Ryan’s hand and squeezes it. Ryan tries to steady her breathing again. Let go of the extra energy from fighting with Sophie. “Plus, I want to meet Batwoman one day, and Sophie might be able to make that happen.”

Ryan uses her free hand to cup Imani’s cheek. “Anything Batwoman can do, I can do.”

Imani leans into the touch. “Can you throw me over your shoulder and carry me out of here?”

“Oh, you’re into that?”

“I wasn’t, until Sophie mentioned it.”

Ryan lets go of Imani’s face. “Nope. You ruined it. I’m outta here—” Ryan pushes off the table, and Imani wraps her arms around Ryan’s waist to tug Ryan back to her. Imani kisses the side of Ryan’s neck.

“Relax. You’re so sensitive today. And not the good kind.”

Ryan pouts. How is she supposed to relax when Sophie is everywhere? She’s on both of Ryan’s phones, at The Hold Up, at the loft. The only place Ryan can get away from Sophie is in her dreams. Ryan has to get rid of Sophie. And set the record straight.

“You know she didn’t carry Batwoman, right?”

Imani kisses Ryan again. “Let her have her crush, babe.”

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Luke scoffs. “Not a chance.”

Ryan nods frantically. “Luke, I’m serious. Sophie has a crush on me. Not me me.” Ryan throws a hand towards the Batsuit on the mannequin. “Her me.”

Luke glances from Ryan to Mary. “I’m sorry, you called an emergency meeting because Sophie has a crush?”

Mary squints at Ryan. “It is a little extreme, Ryan.”

“She practically confessed her love to my class today. We’ve got to make it stop.”

Luke reaches a hand out. “Here’s an idea: tell her who you are.”

“Absolutely not!” Ryan says.

“I don’t know a faster way to make her rethink her feelings. If she knows it’s you, she’d drop them in a heartbeat.”

“Okay, ouch.” Ryan’s not a bad person to have a crush on. She’s sweet and attentive and affectionate. She’s dorky and vibrant, though she does get defensive at times. She’s also really hot and adorable. She’s the total package!

“No offense meant, Ryan, but come on, you and Sophie?” Luke shakes his head. “It wouldn’t work.”

The more he says it, the more that defensive streak in Ryan kicks up. She could make it work with Sophie if she wanted to. Sophie’s a badass when she’s not fighting for the wrong team. She’s super smart and quick to action, and has he seen her arms?

Ryan swipes her hand down her face to focus. “We need to get her to back off. Before she gets hurt, or blows my identity. How did Kate handle this?”

Mary says, “I’m pretty sure Kate went along with it.”

Luke agrees. “Kate was also in love with Sophie. She only broke it off because she wanted more than secret make out sessions between missions.”

Ryan hums in thought. “Maybe that’s the answer.”

“You can’t kiss her!” Mary says.

Ryan waves her off. “Not that! Kate!” She turns back for the elevator. “Thanks, Team! You’re a big help!”

“How can Kate help?” Mary calls after her. “Ryan! How!?”

.

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a/n: any guesses on how Kate could help? Does Sophie really have a thing for Batwoman, or is everyone projecting? What do you think?

also, reply and tell me if you'd rather have a chapter asap or if you'd rather know that it's being updated on the same day

+ READ CHAPTER FOUR