#robin warbles

[viridian-rat]

Would you rather have infinite bacon, but no rats, or unlimited rats but no rats?

neither. just a glimpse into my dark and twisted mind

[blueboybot]

Fish Are Friends Not Abominations

The entire Justice League have been on edge lately watching as a giant creature the size of planet dart around the Milky Way galaxy in an almost panicked state. Despite it's very appearent size it hasn't done anything harmful, passing through planets and stars with intangibility.

Constantine on the other hand was freaking the fuck out. There was a giant realms being with a crazy amount of power searching for something and it felt like the universe itself was holding its breath. He was honestly at his witts end when he felt it.

"YOU! What do you have?" He stopped his pacing to look at Batman's traffic light child.

"That's none of your concern." Robin snapped back.

"Robin." Batman's voice cut through their little conversation. By now every JL memeber was watching them.

"It's nothing–"

"Oh yes it is, now let me see it."

As if on que a tiny glowing humanoid creature popped into view ontop of Robin's head cooing and making warbled noises.

Constantine paled.

Robin took the being from his head and held it in his arms, pulling out a batarang and giving it to the thing which then began to bite it.

"Robin." Batman started, voice firm but sounding tired.

"This one found me first." He countered.

"It doesn't matter how you found it, we need to–" Constantine's words were cut off as the large creature released a noise that sounded almost like a whale but something like warbled speech mixed into it. What happened next sent his heartbeat into a marathon and his stomach to a deep trench.

Robin's little creature stopped chewing on its toy and responded with a cry of its own.

Welp they were fucked now.

The large creature's head snapped to their direction, eyes directly on the watchtower as if it could perfectly see them from such a distance and sped towards their location.

[chatonfils]

Starting off by saying I hate “mom Danny” bc it tends to be p transphobic and misgendering, so if anyone adds it to my post I’m blocking them.

Tim making his Kon clone baby, but the cloning chamber isn’t stable enough for the fetus. He’s desperately trying anything that he think might work, when he comes across Phantom. Phantom who has experience with stabilizing clones.

Danny had heard whispers through the grapevine (Ellie who’d joined the Teen Titans as Phantasm) that there was someone attempting to make clones. He’d only meant to snoop and see if it was a Vlad situation. If any clones had been made and needed liberating. What he found was a newly minted Red Robin crying over a red blinking message on a cloning chamber. He warbled a quiet “please, Kon, I don’t want to live without you.”

Danny quickly realizing this wasn’t an attempt to replace and destroy, but actually someone grieving, in probably an unhealthy way, but who was Danny to judge, he’d once replaced Sam and Tucker with robots for less. So he decided to help Red Robin out. Sure, he hadn’t dealt with kryptonian dna before, but he was at least 89% sure halfa dna was way more complicated. And Red Robin had already figured out ways around the dna shenanigans, it was just the stability that wasn’t going well. Honestly, he didn’t think it would be as easy as an ecto dejecto like it had been for Ellie. But his parents had a lot of inventions that they’d started making to help out ghosts, once they’d realized Danny was Phantom. Maybe telling Red Robin about ghost IVF wasn’t his most thought through plan.

“I think what might help is an incubator.” Phantom had suggested.

Tim could only gesture at the cloning chambers that had failed him thus far. They were essentially huge incubators.

Phantom awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “I meant, like, a living incubator. Like a surrogate.”

“Where am I going to find someone that I not only trust to carry the baby, but also would volunteer?” Tim raised an eyebrow at him. Hell, had Tim had the equipment to do so, he would have carried the baby, everything else be damned. He just didn’t want to be alone anymore.

Phantom blushed green and looked away. “It might take a little tinkering with the embryos to work with the physiology, but…. I could carry the baby for you. I mean, I’m trans, and even if I wasn’t, ghosts are kind of malleable in a reproductive sense. And there are options for IVF in ghost science. And like, my own clone is like my little sister. I’m also a protection spirit, so I would protect the baby with my entire afterlife. And I’m kind of rambling so you should say something before I embarrass myself.”

“You would be willing to carry a baby for me?” Tim was shell shocked by the offer.

“I mean, yeah. You’re a good guy. You’re not cloning him for a malicious reason. You’re just trying to bring back a piece of your friend because you love and miss him. Dedication that strong for someone who has left the living plain, is admirable. You realized early on that you wouldn’t be able to increase the speed in which the clone grew. You’ve been trying despite knowing that this clone will be a baby that’s going to be your child, and not just the friend you lost. And I wouldn’t mind giving up my body for a little bit so you can make your family.”

Tim certainly hadn’t meant to surge forward and kiss Phantom. “Thank you.” Tim pulled Phantom into a fierce hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

It took about a month for them to work out the kinks of making the baby safe for Danny’s body. In this time, Danny showing Red Robin his human form, and Tim revealing his own identity. It felt kind of wrong to keep his name from someone he intended to get pregnant with his child. Tim and Danny got close as they worked together on the baby. And there may have been a few more kisses shared between them. In the end, the baby ended up spliced with mostly Kon’s dna, some of Tim’s (to stabilize the kryptonian dna), and some of Danny’s (to keep the baby safe in the womb).

Once Danny was well and truly pregnant, he encouraged Tim to find Bruce. “I’ll keep the baby safe. You find your dad. If you need me for anything, I’m only a call away.” Tim hadn’t forgotten about Bruce, he’d just never thought it would take so long to set up cloning Kon. So much of his hurt and loneliness had fallen away in Danny’s presence, and Danny had let him hyper focus on making their baby.

“Probably terrible timing, but I’ve got to ask,” Tim swallowed nervously. “Be my boyfriend?”

Danny’s lopsided smile, thawed Tim’s nerves. “I think I could work with that. I hope you don’t mind kids though, I’m kind of pregnant.”

Tim huffed a laugh. “I’ll keep in touch while I’m away. Please keep me updated on the baby.”

Danny pulled him into a proper kiss, “I will.”

I’m mostly imagining Tim getting bump update photos and falling in love with his increasingly pregnant boyfriend, while he finds Bruce.

I’m also imagining after Bruce is back, Tim being like, “anyways gtg, my boyfriend is in his third trimester and I don’t want to miss the birth of our baby.” And peacing out before any bats could react, let alone stop him.

And also maybe when Kon comes back, there’s maybe a poly relationship started.

Also thinking about Tim getting Danny pregnant without the science.

Danny gets Dad, Tim gets Papa, and if Kon joins, he gets Poppy.

[clockwayswrites]

Gotta birb them all, Part 6

masterpost

"Almost there,” Batman said through the comms.

Cass danced a little further away from their new friend and closer to the Batmobile. This was a fun game to stay just out of reach of the long arms while still being enticing to the bird. It was like slow motion tag. She spun just to make her cape flair.

“I can’t believe this is your plan,” Pamela said as she watched.

“It will work! Remember to call the cops and not kill the criminals!” Nightwing called cheerfully from inside of the plumage, only his legs visible before they too disappeared.

“Yes yes,” Pamela said dismissively.

“I’m messaging Harley to ask you about it so you better!” Hood grumbled.

He had tried to escape just a moment ago.

It had failed.

Cass was fine with that, not biggest brother wasn’t in the Batcave often enough. She missed him.

Pamela huffed and crossed her arms. “I’ll call the cops, okay? And in return you better actually show up for your therapy appointment Tuesday. Harley pouts when you don’t.”

“Fine, deal, whatever.”

Their bird friend warbled.

“Even it agrees,” Red added with a wide yawn.

“You do not speak to birds, Red robin,” Robin said haughtily.

“Robin powers,” Red replied. “You must not have them yet.”

“…what?”

“Oh, Baby Brat can’t speak to birds yet?” Hood asked. “Weak.”

“They’ll come in eventually, probably,” Red said.

“Gotta give it time!” Dick chirped.

The bird squawked back happily.

Cass did another spin to recapture their attention and hopped up onto the roof of the Batmobile. Slowly she backed up down the hood as the bird friend followed her. Once the bird was fully on the roof, Cass finally stopped and stood still. That long, feathered neck stretched out and the head pushed gently against Cass. She laughed and hugged the bird back.

Once she had been very gently lifted and set on the birds’ back, she said, “Move slowly.”

Batman ‘hn’ed back and started to drive. The bird gave a little squawk and flutter. Quickly legs emerged to grip the sides of the car. Batman started to speed up some until they were moving at a decent pace.

“Agent A,” Batman said into the comms. “We’re going to need… a nest.”

[redflagshipwriter]

Ghost Driver 5

Masterpost

Chapter Five

Danny did not succeed in coaxing Robin out of his car at the cemetery. “I have a juice box,” he lied, shaking his hand inside his pocket enticingly. “You can have it if you go home.”

“I wanna stay.” Robin pressed himself against the opposite car door. His wristwatch was flashing again.

‘If I go to the other side really fast and open the door, he might fall out.’

“Let’s go already.” Jason sounded done with both of them. He had a hand on his forehead. “If we are going anywhere. There’s no point in anything.”

“That’s a bit much,” Danny muttered to himself. He heaved a great sigh at how ridiculous these Gotham people were. This place was silly.

“It’s not pointless.” Robin plastered himself to the back of Jason’s chair, bizarre in his sincerity. He peered around the headrest. “Why do you think that?”

“Dad didn’t pick me,” Jason said nonsensically, and extremely morose.

It tugged at Danny’s heartstrings. “Want my dad?” He offered. He sat back down in his seat so he could lean over and rub at the back of Jason’s neck. Jason rolled his head over towards him.

Jason sniffled.

“Your dad would pick you.” Robin leaned forward.

Jason lolled forward and put his face in both his hands.

Robin didn’t get a clue. “He loves you,” Robin pushed. He patted the back of the car seat. “Your Dad cares so much, du-“

“Back off,” Danny hissed. He gave the kid a glare. “Can’t you see you’re not helping?”

“Of course I thought that then,” Jason warbled. “I wanted my Dad to save me.”

“This is getting dark.” Danny scratched his neck nervously. They needed to change the subject. He put on an artificially bright voice. “How about we go do paperwork and a prisoner transfer!”

Jason didn’t answer. Danny turned around to see Robin.

After a long pause, Robin gave him a thumbs-up.

“Great.” Relieved, he patted Jason’s leg and then checked his seatbelt was good. “Aight, let’s go.”

“What exactly is going on?” Robin prodded.

“Uhhh…” Danny stalled for a moment as he finally contextualized how far off task he had gone. “Well, I followed a police escort to a weird militaristic asylum today.”

“Why?” Robin interrupted.

Danny gave him the stink eye in the rear view window. “Because I thought it might have been Jason who-“

He cut himself off with a cough.

Shit. He couldn’t share Jason’s personal information with the detective freakazoids. If they figured out he was the Red Hat, they’d never stop bothering him.

“You thought he would get a four police car escort?” Robin asked. He lifted an eyebrow in a way that made him look extremely punchable.

“Hell yes,” Danny said loyally. “I believe in him. He’s capable of anything.”

“Aww.” Jason genuinely sounded touched.

Robin twitched.

“Anyway, I met this freakazoid there, total creepo, found out he keeps breaking out and I punted him to the Infinite Realms but I guess I was a bit sketchy about it? So now I need to move him to a legal holding facility and get paperwork that proves the transfer to show Mr. Police guy, because he says he can’t allow kidnapping and I think that’s fair even if it’s a bummer,” Danny rambled. “In my defense, most of the time sending people to the infinite realms for being buttheads is the most appropriate course of action. When you have a hammer you see a lot of nails or whatever. Wheeee.” He accelerated to get over a police barricade.

Jason closed his eyes again. “I think imma be sick,” he said philosophically.

“You should probably rely less on false imprisonment,” Robin said in a mild tone.

Jason immediately repeated that in a mocking tone, complete with a flapping hand to imitate a mouth. “Was I really this annoying?” He mumbled. “Jeeze. Say like, golly. Gosh. Willickers.”

Robin looked extremely offended. He was deathly silent the rest of the car ride.

‘Spoke too soon,’ Danny thought, about a minute away from his destination.

“What are you doing?”

Danny ignored his shriek and hit Robin with his head to keep the little weasel from grabbing the wheel. “I know where I’m going,” he grunted, and busted through the construction barricade.

Robin braced. Danny flicked on a turn signal. Jason sort of grimaced and closed his eyes.

No one outside the car noticed or reacted to them, because of course he had gone intangible and invisible. He wasn’t a total dingus.

“It’s a long detour,” Danny justified. The car rattled angrily over potholes. He swerved to avoid an open manhole. “And we’re out.” He flicked back into visibility and eased the car to a stop outside the police station. “Just a second.”

“…What are you-“

He slammed the door on Robin and jogged up the stairs.

A young man coming down the stairs stopped and stared at him. “Hey,” he said, nodding.

Danny nodded back. Jeeze, what a handsome guy. “Hey yourself,” he said genially. “Scuze me-“

“Sorry, can I stop you for a moment?” He flashed a very white smile. “What are you here for? Maybe I can help you.”

Danny looked down to confirm that the stranger really had put a hand on his shoulder. He removed it sheepishly. “Yeah, sure,” he said. “I was gonna go ask a cop to come with me.” He rolled his shoulders.

“…I’m a cop,” said the guy.

Danny looked at him. He looked at his car. In the backseat, Robin tried to sink down out of sight. “Wanna come with me and my new friends to get some paperwork from a ghost cop?”

Handsome guy’s whole face twitched. “I sure would. Is that Robin?” He started jogging. “That sure looks like Robin!” He said, in a voice that might have been disapproving.

The door locks clicked on for some reason.

“No worries, I can fix that.” Danny plunged his hand through the window to manually depress the locks and then opened the backseat door with a flourish. “Got a cop, guys!”

Jay groaned and gave a thumbs up. He was still covering his eyes with the underside of his forearm.

The cop was standing still to stare at Jay. His face was unreadable.

“He’s got the front seat, so you’re back here with the bird, sorry.” Danny bullied the cop into his car and then flung himself carelessly back into the drivers’ seat. “Seatbelts on?”

Two clicks came from the back seat.

“I know the rules, Danny.”

“Awesome.” He gave them all a thumbs up. “Okay, uh, I am going to…” He hit the gas hard and accelerated down the streets of Gotham. Something thunked in the back seat when he took a hard turn.

“Are you leaving city limits?” the cop asked.

Danny nodded, heading towards the highway entrance. “I can’t bother Wulf to be my personal interdimensional portal guy, he’ll start to feel used. I’m gonna pop over to the cheese mansion and take vampire Vlad’s portal to the ghost zone.”

“Do we have any snacks?” The cop leaned a bit up into the front seat. “It’s just, that sounds like a pretty long trip. Are we gonna be gone all morning?”

“I’ll stop when we get to third street,” Danny promised. “Vlad is, uh.” He grimaced. “About two hours away.”

From the backseat came a sullen: “You owe me a juice box.”

“I never said that,” Danny lied. “Officer, this child is trying to rob me.”

Nevertheless, he did stop and promise to get Robin a juice box. The handsome cop guy hopped out of the car and paused weirdly outside the store.

Danny cocked his head and watched. “Are you posing for the security cameras?” He snorted. “You look like a model.” He headed in, ignoring the bemused “thanks?” that garnered. The two of them headed in while Jay malaised in the car and Robin attempted to become a dark cloud. Teenagers, man.

“I didn’t catch your name. I’m Dick, by the way.” Handsome Guy pulled open the cold door and started piling drinks into a basket. Danny edged past him on tiptoes to investigate the chip aisle.

“I’m Phantom.” He started tossing snacks over his shoulder into the basket. “Hey, do you have money? I don’t have much money. I can maybe cover, half of this.” He grimaced. “Maybe Jay would pay me back for his share, but he’s so out of it. Birds don’t carry money, right? That bird looks broke.”

“I can get it, I have a credit card.” Handsome Guy Dick snatched a bag of superhot puffed things and made his way to the check out. “Gas?” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and obviously declined a call. His phone began vibrating again immediately.

“That would be a good idea, thanks.” Danny floated behind Dick to the counter, relieved to have a higher level adult present.

They were back on the road and about halfway there before it occurred to him that he should probably warn Vlad he was coming. Danny fished around in his jacket pocket. Nothing. He frowned. “Do you see my phone?” he asked Jay.

Jay said nothing. His head was lolling forward.

“He is out of it, my guy,” Handsome Cop Dick said genially. “Is this it?” He produced Danny’s phone.

“How did that end up back there?” Danny wondered. “Thanks, guy.” He unlocked it with his left hand and started a speakerphone call. As soon as it connected, he said, “I have guests.”

Vlad cut himself off mid what would have definitely been something like, “So you, Daniel Fenton, come crawling back to me, Vladimir Vlad Plasmy Plad, you, the son of my greatest enemy and tragically disinterested love interest.” He was just like that. The guy had no sense of discretion.

“I need to take a cop, a vigilante, and a guy I wanna date into the ghost zone,” he explained. The countryside flew by outside the window in a dizzying rush of green. “I’m on my way to your place to borrow your portal.”

“...How do you get into these situations?” Vlad sounded interested, damn him. His tone dropped suggestively. “You are constantly in situations, my lad. Perhaps it is a lack of paternal guidance-”

“Probably not,” Danny interrupted cheerfully. “But I hear you loud and clear, you have an empty nest and you’re not dealing well, say no more, I’ll send over the little gremlin and the big guy, let them know you just hit up costco and you want them to stock up-”

Vlad literally hissed into the phone. “Cease and desist. Fine.” He was outright pouting.

“Oh, you sound sulky.”

“I am going to tell your father that I want photos of you in the turtle halloween costume to put on a slideshow for investors.” Vlad’s voice dropped dangerously low. “I can convince him that there is a legitimate reason. He probably will not even ask why.”

Danny winced. “Truce,” he said. “I’ll be there in like an hour, okay? Can I take a car in through the lab?”

“A car?” Vlad shrieked. He sounded weirdly offended about it.

“I didn’t know his voice could go that high,” Danny said in a quiet aside to the car. Dick nodded. His expression was unreadable. Danny lifted his volume to explain. “They’re all humans, can’t fly, also now that I think about it I need some way to move the prisoner.” He frowned. He noticed the cop went very stiff in the backseat. Hmm. Yeah. The backseat was getting pretty full.

“...You are a disaster,” Vlad said flatly. “I will provide a more appropriate vehicle. I will accompany you.”

“You sure? I’m gonna have to see Walker. He hates you, right?” Danny switched lanes to pass a slow van. “He hasn’t told me anything, but everyone hates you, so he probably also does.”

Vlad hung up.

…fair.

[strangersteddierthings]

Here's a lil idea that I simply do not have the time to make a full fic of, but I gotta get it out or it won't leave me alone.

Steve thinks he's in a happy, fulfilling relationship with Eddie, while Eddie's insecurities have him believing he's just a place holder for the future Mrs. Harrington.

It comes to light when Steve does something cheesy and romantic and Eddie, not able to handle it because it's too romantic, tries to joke about it like "why would you bother to put all this effort in just for me?"

And Steve like "what do you mean? You're my boyfriend and I wanted to"

And then Eddie like "yeah, no, I know that. I just don't understand why." And then he goes on a little self-deprecating rant, explaining all the ways he's not good enough for Steve, all while Steve just stares at him, brow furrowing more and more as Eddie speaks.

When Eddie finally runs out of words, Steve says, "I don't understand? What have I done to make you think this?"

And Eddie kinda blue screens. Because Steve hasn't done anything to make Eddie think this; he's been a perfect boyfriend. It's just... it's inevitable, isn't it? That Steve'll move onto to bigger, better things? Eddie says as much.

"Why?"

"Because it's- because you're Steve Harrington!"

Since Steve's brow can't possibly furrow anymore, he starts to frown now. "I still don't understand?? Why did- do you think I'm just going to be going through the checkout at Melvald's and just decide I want to marry some random woman instead of being with you?"

"What? No. It's not- I don't think you'll intentionally decide you want someone else more just randomly but, like..."

"There's no 'but' here, Eds. I asked you out because I want to be with you. You said yes because, I assume, you want to be with me, too! Was I wrong to assume-"

"NO! No! I do want to be with you!"

"Then.... you think I don't want to be with you?"

"I didn't say that."

"Sorry, it felt like you were implying it. So. If I haven't done anything to make you think I don't want to be with you, and you just said you want to be with me, then what... I don't understand where these thoughts have come from. Have you- were you just going to go through our whole relationship waiting for something bad to happen?"

And Eddie can just look down and shrug because, well, yeah. He had been thinking that. He has been waiting for the other shoe to drop. And now they're having this conversation and he's ruined Steve's sweet, romantic gesture with his own bullshit. So, even if the shoe wasn't going to drop before, it will now, because he's gone and fucked it up by putting his insecurities onto Steve and-

"What can I do to help you believe I'm in it, for as long as you want me?"

Eddie looks back to Steve then, because that's not what he expected to hear. "What?"

Steve steps closer, the furrowed brow and the frown gone, replacing it instead is the sappy look he catches on Steve's face every now and then, when Eddie's doing something particularly Eddie-ish. "Tell me what I can do to help you believe in this. In us. And I'll do it. Every day until we die."

"Steve," Eddie warbles out, surprised by his own watery voice. "I-I'm sorry. I-"

"Hush," Steve says, gentle and sure as he takes Eddie's face in his hands. "No apologies. I get it, so you don't have to apologize. Just. Talk to me, okay? Because I'm not holding out for something better. Not when you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Besides Robin."

"Besides Robin," Eddie agrees, nodding his head as much as he can in Steve's grasp. "But, uh, things like this. This helps." He gestures at the romantic candle-lite dinner slowly getting cold. There are flowers in a vase, and a cheesy little Garfield plushie sitting on the table, leaned against Eddie's wine glass. It's a Tuesday night in June and nowhere near a birthday, or holiday, or anniversary. Steve's just made him a sweet, romantic dinner just because.

"Oh good. You have no idea how much I'm restraining myself by not doing this weekly," Steve whispers before placing a kiss to Eddie's forehead, nose, then lips. "Now. Let's eat dinner before it gets too cold."

And it might take a while, for Eddie's insecurities to fade, but Steve keeps being Steve, which means perfect if not a little snarky, and then the next thing Eddie knows, it's been several decades and Steve will walk with him hand in hand to the courthouse and stand in line for hours to quickly get married. (They'll spend another two years planning the actual wedding because Eddie's dramatic and Steve's a perfectionist.)

[estrellami-1]

Steddie Microfic

March prompt: pin

Word count: 388

No warnings apply

Rated G

@steddiemicrofic

“Tammy Thompson,” Robin chokes out.

It’s quiet enough that, if Steve had a pin and dropped it, he wouldn’t just hear it hit the ground; he’d hear the slightest whisper as it parts the air.

“Oh,” he whispers dumbly, trying to process. Why would she- when he-

He realizes, distantly, that oh isn’t really an answer, and Robin would probably really appreciate the reassurance that he’s not going to hate her, so he blurts out, “But she sounds like a muppet!”

He immediately regrets it, then regrets it a little less when she laughs, half-offended. “She does not!”

“Does too!” He argues, and proceeds to demonstrate, warbling out an excerpt from Bonnie Tyler.

He ends up scooting under the stall divider because legs are still just a concept and he needs her to know something immediately, needs to see her face when he tells her. “I didn’t notice,” he says nonsensically, since the conversation has well and truly moved on at this point. At her furrowed brows, he clarifies, “I didn’t notice her looking at me.” He takes Robin’s hands in his, squeezes gently. “Because I was always looking at him.”

Robin’s a genius, so she gets it a lot faster than he did the first time around. Her eyes are saucer-wide as she gasps out, “Who?”

Steve bites his lip, feels oddly shy as he confesses. “Eddie Munson.”

Her jaw drops. “Munson? You’re telling me you were ragging on Tammy Thompson when you have a thing for Munson?”

“Yeah, and?” Steve argues back.

“He’s a total nerd! That’s, like, the opposite of you!”

“And?”

“And he stepped in my lunch!”

Steve opens his mouth, realizes he has no rebuttal, and shuts it. “Sorry?” He offers.

She snorts out a laugh and drops her head to his shoulder. “You are never allowed to tease me about my preference when you’re crushing on Eddie Munson.”

Since Steve’s brain only works about forty-eight percent of the time, he mindlessly blurts out, “I’m not crushing on him.”

“You’re not? You just can’t keep your eyes off of him? How’s that any different?”

Steve nibbles his lip again, mutters to himself, “I’m in for a hell of an apology,” then sighs and goes for it. “I’m not crushing on Eddie because I’m dating him.”

“Oh,” Robin says, and Steve laughs.

“Yeah. Oh.”

[wynnyfryd]

Trailer park Steve AU part 63

part 1 | part 62 | tumblr masterlist | ao3

cw: references to canonical horror. short update today while i restructure some stuff in the next scene <3

“I’m staying with him,” Steve says, toeing a weed in the soft soil. Testing the give. Thinks maybe he’ll be doing that for the rest of his life. 

“Uh,” Robin objects. They’re at the top of the hill again, halfway to the car — everyone but Eddie, who refused to leave the boathouse after telling them in horrific detail how a cheerleader floated up to the ceiling and popped like a cheap balloon, and whose pale, frightened face Steve can see staring at them through a grimy window, two black dots hardly daring to blink. 

“Steve.”

“Huh?” 

Max calls him a total space-case.

Robin groans up at the sky. "As much as we would all love to have a spooky sleepover with you two under a tarp—”

“Mm, would we love that?” Dustin wonders. 

“—I'm not so sure our parents would be too thrilled about us not coming home when there's a freaky evil killer magician on the loose!"

Max snorts at that; mutters under her breath. “My mom probably wouldn’t mind.”

Dustin whines, “Mine would!”

Three people turn in unison to lay into him for being a dick, but he’s already holding up his hands in surrender, cringing so hard it folds his face like crumpled paper. “Sorry,” he winces. “Sorry. That was rude.”

“Yep,” Max agrees with a flat smack of her lips.

Eddie's still waiting by the window.

Steve just nods at them — arms folded, shoulders broad. "Dustin’s right.” He turns to Robin. “You both are.”

“Thank you,” she sighs, the sound long and airy, sweet with relief that he's seen reason.

She takes a wide step toward the car.

Steve says, “Which is why I'm staying here, and you're all going home."

Her foot falls back down to the ground; legs stretched in a standing split, shoes slipping on wet grass. “Oh, my god." This sigh is sour. "Oh, my god, of course you are.”

“We’re not leaving you,” says Dustin.

“Wasn’t asking,” Steve replies.

Robin lets out a strangled noise of frustration and shimmies herself upright. "Steve, please!" She marches over. "I know you’re all” —her hands come up around her head, voice warbling; wooOoo-ooh— “about your boyfriend-slash-not-boyfriend-slash-whatever being in danger, and I get that, babe, I really do, but I don't! Know how! To drive!"

Steve turns to Max. 

She’s looking right at them, mouth pinched in a flat line over the laugh she's holding back. Restrained as ever, but Steve can see the glimmer of excitement at the edge of her expression — the subtle twitch of her nostrils, the muscle jumping in her jaw. 

I've driven it before. 

"...Do not," he warns as he presses his keys into her palm; closes her fist around the metal, "fuck this up."

—

part 64

tag list in separate reblogs under '#trailer park steve au taglist' if you'd like to filter that content. if you want to be added please comment and let me know (must be over 21; please either verify in the comment or have your age visible on your blog)

[fanaticsnail]

if den-den mushis have customizable ringtones for different callers i'd definitely put out of context descriptive one-liners for them

Example given:

Zoro: SANTORYU- you are 20,170 kilometers away from your destination

Ichiji: laser eyes laser eyes laser eyes laser eyes

Yonji: if zoro and sanji had a kid

Luffy: dumbest ray of sunshine

Nami: MONEEEEEEEEEEEEY and tangerines

Law: moshi moshi i'll turn your brain into mush if you joke around with me

Kid: *krzzzt* *clangs* *gunshots* *screaming* *unhinged laughing*

Buggy: *silly cartoon noises including the honk and the running sfx*

Sanji: kuso marimo- ♡NAMI-SWAAAAN, ROBIN-CHWAAAN-♡

Lucci: *catfighting noises*

Who's Who: *in a deep voice* mrow

Queen: miSeRO yO HeNsHIn- (actual line)

King: he's too fine so the government hunts him

Law's Den Den Mushi

Masterlist Here

He has done everything in his power to protect the snail from being tampered with: sleeping with it on his mattress beside him as a last ditch effort to halt it from an unwanted touch and alteration...

...but his crew is exceptionally intelligent, and the mechanical mastery of the Polar Tang translates exceptionally well to Den Den frequency.

It started with a silly comment regarding how many beats per minute is used in cardiopulmonary resuscitation: it's 100-120 beats. Compressions need to be timed accordingly to save a life, and what a better way to remember that by tampering with Captain Trafalgar Law's Den Den to set a beat to match that frequency.

Ikkaku is the best with wires and cogs, Penguin is an excellent anesthesiologist, and Hakugan is the second best surgeon on the ship. With Jean Bart and Uni keeping watch of the door, Clione and Bepo steering the Tang and holding it steady, the three of them begin the tamper with the snail radio frequency to not only emit the sound from Law's shell when it's called: but all shells Law manages to call from his personal Den Den.

Unaware and sleeping soundly for the first time in a long time, Law is awoken by the sound of his Den Den singing instead of its usual warble, and his face flushed red with both anger and embarassment.

He can't even bring himself to answer the call, even while knowing who was on the other end of the transmission. There is nothing he can do to change it now, and after the anger subsides, he actually marvels a little at the mastery gone into ensuring that this is what plays when he needs to use his shell...

🎶"Yo' dick brick hard like a medal (uhh), I got three holes for it, like a pretzel (uhmm). Tight as a virgin, boy, don't get nervous (tight), I'm here to serve you customer service (right?). I save dick by giving it CPR, I save dick by giving it CPR (yes). Put my mouth on it like CPR. Let's make porn and watch it on VCR."🎶

Tag list: @mfreedomstuff @daydreamer-in-training @since-im-already-here @gingernut1314 @writingmysanity @i-am-vita @indydonuts @feral-artistry @the-light-of-star @empirenowmp3 @racfoam @sunflowersatori @carrotsunshine @skullfacedlady @jintaka-hane @thenotsofantasticlifestory @ane5e

[viridian-rat]

me n fearmongerer

[m1ntch1p29]

My hyper fixation of biology and Halovians combined and this came out of it. Enjoy??? I might add to this???

GENDER DIFFERENCES -Men have bigger halos and smaller wings then women -Women have three pairs of wings(behind their ears, another on their shoulders, and the final at their waist) -Men have just two pairs(behind ears, waist) -Can fly, but women can fly farther and for longer due to having bigger and/or more wings compared to men

BIRD NOISES(???) -Can make a variety of bird-like chirps, whistles, and birdsong, but mostly grow out of it. -If around family or really stressed they'll make them anyways but it's mainly kids who chirp/warble in public -In families, each Halovian has a string of notes that are a sort of callsign. No two are the same. -Is a bit like another language but it's more rudimentary then other languages, which is why most adult halovians tend to speak instead of using bird calls. -Some halovians can mimic other people's voices, kinda like parrots do -Voices(both bird-like and not) can be super loud. Like, way too loud. A group of fifteen Halovians could probably out-screech a concert.

HALO/GENERAL BIOLOGY STUFF -Have migraines if halo is detached from their head for top long(Robin gets them often) -Halos are just straight up metal so there isn't sensation in them, like bones. However, if a halo gets snapped/broken however it causes extreme pain. -Have hollow bones that are reinforced with cartilage -Have broader shoulders and stronger upper bodies and cores compared to other human-like species     -More pronounced canines that hook in a bit more compared to regular humans, however not as much as Foxian/Vidyadhara. Have a tooth that replaces the molar behind the canine, that is drastically hook-like and points inwards towards the throat. -Like shiny and bright objects, and their homes will practically be covered in little trinkets and cool rocks. -Omnivores, tend to lean more towards fish and other aquatic animals. -Stupidly good swimmers, despite having four-six wings. -They're technically(???)mammals but like platypus they lay eggs(I'm not weird this is legit just the most logical solution to the God damn halos existing) -Females have flatter chests than other human-like species -Tend to be taller than other human-like species       -Head wing bones are cartilage, like ears

FEATHERS/WING STUFF -Look super gross as children. Look up baby birds. They looked like that but more human-like. No feathers until 3-4 years of age. -Children have more feathers, and look less scraggly, but they are still developing for the first 10-12 years of their life and cannot fly. -Teenagers start growing adult feathers, and can begin practicing to fly. They won't be able to until they reach 17-18 years of age. -Adults have fully feathered wings, and have yearly molts where their feathers shed and they grow new ones over a month period. Children have molts every five years, and teenagers every two years. -Preening sessions are needed to be able to fly, and are typically done in groups with family or people halovians hold close. A bit like braiding hair but more emotionally intimate -Feathers and wing shape vary between different species of Halovian, however they all tend to be on the longer side, with longer wings to help glide and catch air currents on the ocean. -Head-wings are typically the same colour as hair before fading into the colour of the back wings. Head wings and back wings are usually different colours. -Hair has a soft, feather-like texture to it, and there is a layer of down and small feathers on the scalp under the hair, especially near the ears. -Feathers are soft and waterproof for diving.

MISC: -Originated from a planet that has very high cliffs and a lot of ocean, thus Halovians evolved to water hunting and flying.                                 -Use their halos like fishing lures: tossing them into the water, gliding above waiting for fish to be like 'Oh hey shiny' and then diving into the water head-first to grab fish.                                  -Back in the 'ye olden days' of Halovian society men used to use the size and shine of their halos to impress people they wanted to court.  -When scared/embarrassed halovians use their wings to hide their faces and neck from view. Wings flare when stressed, frustrated or angry.                        -Giving somebody a back wing feather is saying 'I want to court you'  -Giving somebody a head wing feather is saying 'I see you as family'    -Halo jewelry is a thing. Depending on the halo it’s either dangling little charms or something winding around it. If there's any others you thought of let me know :D I'll either be doing foxians or vidyas next :)

Edit: fixed the formatting because it got weird for some reason????

Edit 2: still weird wtf, idk what's going on with it

[politemenacephd]

A Winter Stroll

Miguel O'Hara x GN!Reader (ft. baby Gabriella)

Short AU where you and Miguel take your baby Gabi for a stroll in the park while its cold. Pure romantic fluff.

Word count: 1992

‘Hey, are you sure she’s covered?’

You glanced up and watched your breath turn to smoke in the air, its haze obscuring the face now glancing down at you from above. You watched it dissipate.

Miguel was staring down at you, his gloved hands manically rubbing against each other as he tried to warm them up.

‘Hmm? You mean Gabi?’

You turned from your beloved partner to what you'd been pushing; a clean, padded purple stroller that you’d only just bought, currently carrying the most precious cargo in the world to you both.

Little Gabi peeked out from beneath her coverings, her big brown eyes blinking against the cold. You instinctively bent down to check on her.

‘Hey, baby girl. You okay?’

You’d decided to take a small break and go on a walk in the local park, just something to get Miguel out and about. He was usually so restless but since Gabi was born he’d been nearly bed bound, utterly fixed to her side. His favourite thing was to spoon you beneath the sheets in your shared bed while facing Gabi’s crib, watching the mobile spin as she gurgled and cooed, holding you all in his grip and never letting go. If he had the chance he’d do that until the end of time.

But you insisted he at least get some movement into his day, and so he’d agreed to this short stroll, not realizing just how chilly it still was.

It was the kind of cold you could smell. When you breathed in through the nose it stung just a little, and all you could really scent was the ice on the grass.

Because of this the park was almost empty, spare for one woman and her dog in the distance, and the trees were bare and dark. The sky was empty and blue, like a still ocean in a timeless void. The world had been coated in a kind of dull, muted sheen, a dreamlike dullness.

Everything was still, quiet, sleeping. The grass crunched underfoot, and your shoes made little echoing clacks on the hard pavement when you walked across it. There was no sound but the single chirping of a robin somewhere nearby.

It was serene, to you, but to Miguel it was a little bit terrifying.

‘Gabi’s fine’ you insisted, gently reaching down to show her. She was utterly bundled in blankets and was wearing her oversized little parka onesie in his favourite shade of purple, and the only thing you could see was her little nose and her big eyes. She was blinking slowly, too young to really see but too curious to sleep.

Miguel curled his lip, his brows knotting against his will. ‘Mm- let me, just, check her again, please? Mi tesoro?’

‘Oh Miggy, you—okay, okay. You check her all you want.’

You graciously stepped aside for him to bend over, and he did, though not before giving your cold nose a quick kiss. You giggled at his insistence.

The moment he got close to Gabi his face lit up. Those old, worn, tired lines seemed to melt away in her presence. He looked so much younger.

With her father now in her line of sight Gabi’s eyes suddenly locked on. She focused in on his face and warbled softly.

‘Hola, mi amor’ he whispered. Gabi garbled a little louder in response.

When he smiled his breath condensed around his bared fangs, a soft white mist that highlighted the pearly sheen of his teeth. You saw the little wrinkles by his eyes when he smiled, the sign of a man who was gleefully exhausted.

‘Ah, mi bebita. ¿Tienes frío?’

Gabi gurgled beneath her pile of blankets. She managed to get one tiny fist free but Miguel immediately tucked it back in, though he did pause to admire how small it looked in his own enormous hand. Her little fist barely covered his thumb.

‘Sweetheart, she can’t talk yet’ you gently reminded him. You bent until you were at the same height, gently easing him away from the object of his obsession. His eyes were wide beneath the stray locks of his hair, big and soft and red.

‘I- I know, that, but—’

‘Mhm. You always say you know, and yet, you just keep doing it.’ You couldn’t help but chuckle at him, and despite his awkwardness he smiled back.

‘I just want to be sure she’s okay’ he whispered. With your smile still straining your cheeks you gently bumped your temple against his.

‘I know. But you know I want that too, right?’

‘Of course, mi tesoro! I wasn’t suggesting otherwise.’

‘Mhm. I know, but, consider, that constantly asking if she’s warm enough, it—’

You held out your hand to prompt him, and he begrudgingly shrugged. ‘It- sounds like I don’t trust you to do a good enough job.’

‘There you go. You know you’re very smart, you should be a scientist maybe. Have you thought about that?’

‘Aha, funny. Diablilla.’

You giggled as he gently clacked his fangs on your cheek.

‘You wanna keep going? We can turn back if you really want, in all honesty I don’t want to freak you out’ you said.

Miguel shook his head. ‘No, no, you’re right. She’s fine. You know best, as always.’

‘Oh my god- you big suck up’ you teasingly chided.

‘Mhm. Happily. The most beautiful creature in the world’ he said, his finger lightly brushing your cheek. You snorted in reply.

‘I don’t know about that. My- nose is running into my scarf, and my hair—’

Your list of complaints was stifled as Miguel put a single finger to your lips, smooshing them shut. With his gaze fixed on your's he then gently pulled up his sleeve and wiped your nose clean.

‘Beautiful’ he repeated, without a shadow of doubt or hesitation.

Despite the cold, you felt your body burning up.

‘Alright, you—come on, let’s go’ you said, trying to cover how coy you’d suddenly gotten. Miguel hid his smug smile at having very much already noticed it.

With his fears now quelled you both pulled back and continued walking, with your hands on the stroller and Miguel’s arm around your waist. He squeezed you tight to his side. Your head was squished against his pec beneath his jacket, and the woven material was soft against your cold skin. You relished the feeling.

‘Do you think it’s likely to snow soon?’ Miguel asked as you rounded the corner to the pond. You noticed that a light sheen of ice was covering the water.

‘Mm- if I had to give an educated guess… Probably?’ You hunched both shoulders as you weight the option with both hands.

‘Mm. I can’t wait till she’s older. It’ll be so nice to take her out when she can enjoy the snow’ Miguel said with a dreamy sigh.

‘Oh my god- I’m sorry, did you just said you can’t wait till she’s older?’

Your scoffing drew Miguel’s eyes back to you. He looked surprised. ‘Hm? Yes. Why, is that, strange?’ he asked.

‘For you? The man who almost cried when she didn’t fit into her very first onesie, the one she was put into when she was born? Yeah, it’s strange.’

‘Hey, don’t be mean. That’s different’ he insisted.

‘No, no it's not. You’re going to lament her getting older at every turn.’

‘Well- that's natural, isn't it? She’s just so- small’ he objected, trying his best to seem stoic while clearly whining. You felt his claws coming out as he squeezed you a little closer. ‘She’s my baby.'

‘And she’ll be your baby whether she’s one month old, or one year old, or thirty years old, or- god, eighty years old, you big soppy idiot’ you lightly teased, raising one hand to grab his thickset jaw. You squished his cheeks with your thumb and fingers and shook him until he chuckled.

‘Okay. Okay. Point taken. But I mean it, it’ll be nice to see if she enjoys the snow’ Miguel said.’

‘Oh it’ll be great. I bet she’ll be a real wild card, I think she’ll like snowball fights. She’ll beat our asses some day.’

‘You think so?’

‘Oh I KNOW so, she’s her father’s daughter. A menace.’

‘Menace? No, not my bebita, she’s itty bitty’ Miguel insisted. You just kept giggling.

‘Mm, no, nope, no, menace. Little menace.’

You bent and gently waved your fingers on Gabi’s cheeks as she cooed, a sound that never failed to melt your heart.

‘Menace’ you repeated affectionately. ‘Our little menace.’

For a little while longer you enjoyed the cold in peace and quiet. You were comfortable being quiet with Mig, or by letting your actions speak for you. Every little bump of your head into his bicep, every squeeze of his hand, each time he silently checked if your nose was close and subsequently kissed it. That was all enough.

But as you rounded towards the end of your walk, that silence ended.

‘Hey, I uh—’

Miguel coughed to catch your attention, drawing you to look at him again. He was avoiding your gaze now, which you found a little odd, with his free hand gently rubbing his jaw.

‘Can I ask you something?’

‘Of course, beautiful man. You go right ahead.’

You returned to watching the pathway ahead as you waited for Miguel to speak. He coughed a second time to pluck up his courage, a sight that was strange for such an imposing man.

‘Ah- can—can we have another one?’ he whispered.

You almost tripped over your own feet in shock.

‘Ah, shit— sweetheart, are you okay?!’ Miguel moved fast to stabilize you that his claws expanded. You shot him an incredulous look.

‘Mig- Miguel, she is three months old!’ you hissed. ‘What do you mean another one?!’

‘I just meant, you’re- you make such beautiful babies’ he whispered, his voice as low as possible while remaining just as intense as if he’d shouted. You felt your whole body tingle at the unexpected softness.

‘And Gabi looks so lonely, you know, she—’ Miguel was stumbling on his words as you put your hands to your hips. ‘You just- beautiful babies, really, just the most- beautiful. She's so perfect. And she looks lonely.’

‘My god, what a compelling argument’ you said drolly, though you could feel yourself already smiling. ‘I don’t know though, it’s been a while. You might be out of practise for making more.’

You savoured the little spark in his eyes, the gleam of red that brightened his gaze. It was an intrinsic curiosity, a deep-rooted hunger for one specific thing.

‘Mhm. Mhm. Well- I’d, have to prove you otherwise then, wouldn’t I?’ he whispered back. You hated how quickly you melted at his husky voice.

‘You would’ you said, leaning in closer. You held him there, with those narrowed eyes and that eager smile, before bringing him down with a gently clap to the chest. ‘You would, if we didn’t have a literal newborn.’

‘Oh, mi tesoro—’

‘Come on dummy, let’s get home’ you said, your voice firm even though you were still smiling. ‘If she falls asleep when we get in, I might be able to make time for a quick shower. You know, to get warm again.’

The way Miguel arched his neck the moment you said ‘shower’ never failed to amuse you. He certainly looked extra large beneath all that padded clothing.

‘Mm… Okay. Deal.’

To your surprise, Miguel then quickly swooped the stroller out of your hands and began pushing Gabi home, all while cooing at her over the rim.

‘Shh, you’re feeling sleepy, aren’t you bebita? ¿Estás cansada? ¿Si?’

As Miguel resorted to singing lullabies you were forced to jog slightly to catch up with him, your panted breath billowing clouds of smoke around your flustered face.

Sadly, while Miguel did get that shower, you were both too cold to indulge in anything but huddling together like sad penguins, and jealously hogging the water as much as you could.

[strong-with-the-sarcasm]

Part 4 - Show me those issues

Dp x DC AU: Regent!Jazz & Vigilante!Jazz

Masterlist Part 3

"Show me those issues, how you've been misused. Yeah girl, I'm with you." -Train Wreck by Divide the Day.

Previously on The Regent: 

It wasn’t as if the Pit Madness could just be gone, right?

Right? (Jason Todd was no fool, the Madness was still there.)

(Just… sedated. Like it didn’t need to boil to the surface anymore where it concerned his murderer.)

And for the first time in a very long while, Jason felt like himself again.

Until the agony began.

In a strange synchronized motion, both Jazz and Danny twisted their bodies towards the spirits who began screeching in the air between the two, ghost speak intertwined with screams of the damned, demanding the Regent and the Prince help the Robin.

“Broken Robin, bloody bird, help, help, help. Agony, pain, corruption” 

Danny didn’t hesitate for a moment to transform into  Phantom, calling over his shoulder for Jazz to bring her last few pure ecto vials along as he phased out of the apartment. 

Jazz sighed heavily as she unlocked the safe in her bedroom, three vials remaining within. All the supply the Regent had left for the month, until Wulf was able to deliver more. 

In any other circumstance, Jazz would have refused to hand over something so vital to her health- escpecially since she was burning through her ecto-levels acting as a vigilante and a Regent, with frequent travels to the Infinite Realms to work on paperwork and attend Council meetings. 

However, Jazz felt the tugging in her chest, the instinct that she had to give up her ectoplasm for the agonized Robin. And she was not one to ignore such strong instincts. 

Vials tucked safely into her bra, Jazz summoned her ecto-sword with only a thought and cut into the air, opening a portal in the between to take her to where the spirits demanded she go. 

Jazz stepped through after a heavy sigh, bones feeling as if they were filled with cement. 

No rest for the wicked after all. 

Danny had already arrived ahead of her by the time Jazz stepped through her portal, fussing over what seemed to be the local unfriendly neighborhood vigilante, Red Hood, without his signature helmet and sweating green droplets profusely. 

Oh.

So that’s how she’d been sensing him. He’s got ectoplasm in him and (by the rancid scent lingering in the air) corrupted at that. 

“Did he go swimming in the Realms sewer?” Jazz asked, half-seriously as she willed the portal closed behind her and leaned her sword against a wall before pulling out the vials of pure ecto. 

Danny struggled to laugh at her attempt at humor however, chirping and warbling at Red Hood’s prone form. Jazz offered the vials to her little brother, “Will these flush out the corrupted ecto?” 

He didn’t answer her, poking at Hood’s chest plate, a warble of worry-horror filling the air. 

“Danny.”

Jazz reached for her proto-core (tucked behind her heart) and chirped back with concern-worry-resignation.

Which worked to get Danny’s attention and he snapped his focus to her, “Jazz, give him the pure stuff! He’s starving!” 

Oh again. 

In Hood’s current state, could he swallow it on his own? 

No, he couldn't. He'd likely choke on it or spit it back out on reflex. One of them would have to administer it by mouth.

Jazz sighed heavily before she uncapped the first vial and tipped its contents into her mouth. The familiar battery-acid taste was heavy on her tongue as she tried not to reflexively swallow it in her hunger.

(She tried to ignore how her heart raced.)

Jazz leaned over Red Hood's prone body, gently carded one hand into his hair, and set the other onto his throat before she pressed her lips onto his own.

To stay in my shadows you must aid my Knight, Regent.

Of course, My Lady.

I speak of the one born in my streets and unburied in my soil, hidden under Red.

The Red Hood?

The Once Bright Light of Gotham, unavenged. Care for him and he will care for you.

Frostbite had been quite shocked at their sudden arrival to the Far Frozen with Red Hood in tow. Jazz’s sword made quite an entrance after all, and Danny’s choice to drop hood’s sweating and shivering body into the Yeti’s arm was enough to get him into motion. 

“Great One, Regent.” The Tribal Leader greeted them as he turned on his heel with his cargo firm in his grasp. 

“Hey Frosty. Gotta doozy for ya.” Danny quipped with some warmth. Being in Realms again seemed to cheer him up ever since the move to Gotham, even if it wasn’t a common occurrence anymore. 

(Jazz kept him far away from the Observants since taking the crown.)

(Nosey one-eyed bastards.) 

“Hi Frostbite.” Jazz offered her own greeting as they followed behind the Yeti into the tribe proper. 

It had been some time since Jazz had been into the Healing tents, but Danny had always enjoyed Frostbite’s company so he easily maneuvered his way around the equipment and tables towards the sectioned off beds in the back, which were Yeti sized and easily dwarved Hood’s own six foot brick house frame. 

Frostbite hummed as he examined his new patient, having heard Danny explain their treatment thus far of Hood. 

“Great One, you were correct in this regard. Red Hood was dying of Corruption due to ectoplasm.” 

“But?” Jazz proded.

“His proto-core has accepted the pure ecto and has begun to stabilize.” 

Both siblings breathed a sigh of relief. That was good news, especially to hear of a new Liminal that could survive Gotham- means Hood was a survivor in more than one regard. 

“However, there is something more concerning…” The Yeti trailed off, a soft growl left in the wake of his words. 

“Frosty?” 

“Pardon me, Great One. It seems that Red Hood’s proto-core isn’t ice-based, it needs warmth.”

Danny, despite the seriousness of the situation, laughed at Jazz’s resulting blush at Frostbite's words.

(Oh I can keep him warm.) 

Not to mention how she they had gotten the pure Ectoplasm down his throat to begin with

“Regent?” 

Jazz sighed and answered the Yeti, “I can offer him my warmth until he can be returned.” 

Frostbite pondered for a moment, “Ah, yes, the Regent has a Fire-based Proto-core. That should do well.” 

(Danny had laughed himself sick when it had come to light that Jazz was his opposite in core too.) 

(Fire and Ice) 

(Hero and Villain) 

With a passive glare at her now-chuckling little brother, Jazz approached Hood’s bed and carefully climbed in alongside him. 

(She did her best to block out how her body wanted to curl into him, grasp onto him and never let go.) 

Turned onto her side away from him, back pressed to his form, Jazz forced her body to relax and let her natural warmth seep out from her core into the vigilante at her back. 

(Little did Jazz know that she would cuddle him in her sleep.) 

(And that a pesky younger sibling would coo and take a few pictures to save as blackmail.) 

Jason dreamed. 

He dreamed of his mother, the good days when she would read to him softly and wrap him in her arms. 

He dreamed of late night patrols with his dad, tucked under his cape when he wanted to feel safe. 

He dreamed of a red haired woman who kissed him softly, held him gently, and… chased the cold away. 

Why had he been so cold? 

Why was his heart aching? 

It wasn’t supposed to ache. 

He wanted his dad. 

He wanted his books. 

He wanted his dream woman to kiss him again and tell him her name, just so he’d have something to hold onto when he woke up. 

(If he woke up.)

A/N:

Alright, part four! With a glimpse into Jason and Jazz's natural bond as, well, maybe... soulmates? Who knows. I'm a sucker for that trope.

If you want a spoiler for what's happening to Jason, check out the original prompt!

And make sure to subscribe to the master list when it's created.

[clockwayswrites]

The bitties must cuddle. ""Birdtritch"" Part 5

masterpost

“Nightwing!” Tim shouted, leaning forward on his perch.

Nothing.

Then a black and blue stripped hand poked out of the green feathers in a thumbs up. “I’m okay!”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Nightwing,” Hood grumbled as he stalked forward. “Hey bird brain! Let go of my brother.”

“Aww, he called me brother,” Nightwing cooed over the line.

“…maybe you can keep him after all,” Hood said to the bird thing that had leaned down to peer at him.

The green glint of the bird thing’s eyes reflected off of Hood’s helmet. Then it blinked and in that moment dozens of abstracted cyan eyes blinked into existence around Hood.

Hood reached out to poke at one with the muzzle of his gun. It went right through the ‘eye’. “What the fuck…?”

The bird thing trilled back at Hood.

Tim tapped his comm to open the all channels line. “Um, so, we have… an eldritch bird creature that has been exposed to cuddle pollen. It’s is already cuddling Nightwing and… yep, yeah, now it has Red Hood. Don’t shoot it, Hood! It’s friendly!”

“It’s a fucking menace!”

“A bird?” Robin’s voice piped up.

“Don’t get too excited, baby bat, eldritch bird. It’s the size of an SUV and has too many arms. And eyes. Sorta eyes? And yep, there goes Hood, absorbed by the fluff. Oh great, it’s looking at me now.”

“Avoid the entity, Red Robin,” Batman said across the comms, tone clipped and worried.

“Sorta hard to do, big B. It has a lot of legs right now and all eyes on me. There so many eyes.”

“Avoid the entity!” Batman barked again.

Yeah, like that was going to go well.

-

“Father! Make this creature unhand me at once!” Robin shouted.

“Calm the fuck down, it’s not hurting us,” Red Hood grumbled. “Not that it’s letting us go…”

“Actually pretty comfortable,” Red Robin said in a voice tinged with the edges of sleep. Bruce couldn’t even see a part of Red Robin in the mess of feathers.

Bruce just sighed and pinched his nose. “Boys.”

“Did you just ‘boys’ us?” Nightwing asked, though he sounded like he was enjoying the whole circumstance.

“Yes. Black Bat isn’t involved in this at all,” Bruce said. “So, boys.”

Black Bat’s soft laugh over the line was mostly drowned out by the warble that the bird entity made. Bruce absently started comparing the creature to the types of birds that roosted in Gotham as the surprisingly long neck unfolded and reached out towards him.

He regarded the bird entity steadily.

It warbled again, tilted its head, and then started preening the ears of the cowl.

Bruce sighed heavily.

“Likes you.” Cass’ lyrical words came over the line. Bruce knew that tone. She was taking pictures for blackmail.

(And everyone said girls were easier.)

“I really don’t think it’s going to let us go, B. It might not even be able to with the cuddle pollen,” Nightwing said. Bruce could see the blue tips of the boots now but nothing else.

Bruce hummed. “Gotham doesn’t have the facilities to humanely keep such a creature.”

Robin hit the ground in a crouch and started forward. “Father—”

The bird entity reached out again for Robin with one of its too many limbs. Robin parried with his sheathed blade. The coo that the entity made in response was heart wrenching. Almost instantly Robin deflated at the sound.

He crossed his arms and looked away with a huff. “Fine.”

With a much happier sound, Robin was grabbed carefully around the waist and placed on the bird entity’s back, right behind its next.

“Get off,” Red Robin grumbled from wherever he was in the mass of plumage. Some shifting along the back feathers followed the sleepy words. Then a yawn. “The Cave is the only choice.”

“You can’t be serious,” Red Hood said.

(Bruce thought Red Hood might be clasped firmly under a wing.)

Red Robin yawned again. “Large, secure, safe for us…”

“Yeah, and how the fuck do we get this thing to the Cave?” Red Hood snapped back.

After a considering silence, Black Bat pipped up with that same mischievous lilt. “Idea.”

[apomaro-mellow]

Hot for Teacher(s) 17

Part 16

Steve woke up wrapped in Eddie and he released a sleepy but elated trill. This was how he wanted to awaken every morning. And now he would. He cuddled up a bit more but as he did, he realized he had kicked off most of the blanket last night. He felt a little warm. Warmer than he should, given he was in a hotel with great ventilation. 

“Shit”, he whispered under his breath, shaking Eddie awake.

Eddie was slow to wake up until he understood what was happening and then he was like a man possessed. First telling Robin and Shawn, with just the bare facts of course. They were supposed to return home today, but Eddie giving Steve his bite changed plans. Before a full hour had passed, Eddie and Steve were upgraded to a heat suite. 

“What did you end up telling Shawn?”, Steve asked as Eddie collapsed into bed with him. 

“Just that we had to meet with some other teachers for a few days.”

Eddie wrapped his arms around Steve and nuzzled the fresh bite. Steve was his, really his. And they’d be spending his entire heat solidifying that. Before they could get too far though, Steve had to nest. 

“Wait”, Eddie said, making Steve pause his arranging of the pillows while he went over to his suitcase. 

The alpha took out a few items of clothing. Steve already had some of his own and Eddie’s in the beginnings of the nest. His heart thumped as he recognized one of Robin’s shirts. There was a hotel pillow as well and Steve questioned it until Eddie brought it over and Steve could scent it. 

His pup, his baby, his Shawn.

“Oh Eddie…” Steve’s voice warbled a little. “What if Billy comes around? Are they going to be alright?”

Eddie shushed him, coming over to stroke his cheek, shushing him lightly. “He’ll be at Robin’s place, right? Billy doesn’t even know where she lives. They’ll be alright, baby. Let’s finish the nest.”

Steve nodded, pulling himself together and making the area more comfortable for himself. Once the nest was finished, he fell into it, pulling Eddie to his side and turning on the TV. Right now, his omega simply longed for the closeness of his alpha. He wanted his pup near too, safe in his nest, but he reasoned that he was just fine with Robin.

He enjoyed just snuggling in his nest with his alpha but it didn’t take long for the first crest of his heat to rise up and to warm his skin. Without a word, he started to undress, taking his shirt off first. He was sure Eddie could smell it on him and he looked up just as he started to push his pants down.

Eddie was looking at him like a starved man at a buffet.

“I wanna present for you”, Steve said, voice soft like he was talking to a skittish animal.

Eddie didn’t reply, even though his lips were parted, watching as Steve shed off his last bit of clothing. Hypnotized, he kept his eyes on him as Steve moved, going on all fours and bending over. His back arched and his legs spread, showcasing everything. Steve let out a small coo, beckoning to his mate to take care of him, snapping Eddie out of his trance. He crawled forward, mouth attracted to Steve’s cunt like a magnet.

Steve rocked back once before stopping himself, trying to hold still. Eddie could feel him tremble against his mouth. He licked into him, kissing the soft lips in front of him. Steve’s hips moved again and this time Eddie moved with it. He kissed his cheeks and stroked his thighs.

“That’s it, baby, use my mouth how you want. I’m here for you.”

Hearing that, Steve’s head dropped to a pillow as he moved back and forth, letting Eddie tongue-fuck him. Part of him was afraid of breaking the man’s nose, but as the heat took control, he chased after his orgasm even faster. He cried as he came, arms collapsing under him and making him fall forward even more. 

Eddie kissed the small of his back, whispering something as his lips made a path up his spine, taking detours on where Steve was sure his moles lay. Eddie liked to do that. It wasn’t until Eddie was close to his neck that Steve could make out what he was muttering.

Mine mine mine

Before Eddie even got to his neck, placing an extra tender kiss to his bite, Steve knew he meant it. That Eddie wanted to keep him.

----------------------

Days after, they returned home, Shawn in tow from Robin’s. Spring Break was over and school restarted, all three of them ready for the home stretch until summer break. More of Eddie’s things had been moved from his apartment to the house and both Steve and Shawn made room for him. 

One Friday evening, Steve was in the middle of going over testing data at the kitchen table, sipping iced tea to keep his eyes from glazing over. Meanwhile, Eddie sat across from him, marking off an activity where the students had to color all the balloons that held words with the short “u” sound. He was keeping himself focused with a glass of orange juice.

Smiling to himself, Eddie paused in his grading after placing a smiley face sticker on one. “We’re not so different, you and I.”

Steve blinked from the glare of his laptop and looked down at Eddie’s work. He snickered, rubbing his eyes a little. “I know you’re joking. You were literally analyzing data yesterday.”

“Admittedly so”, Eddie said with a shrug. “But I feel like it’s easier to tell whether or not a kid can discern a plus or minus. I’m willing to bet middle school’s a tougher cookie.”

“It’s not easy in either grade to tell a parent why their kid is failing, or not doing as well as they hoped”, Steve said, capping his sentence with a yawn.

“Are any of yours…?”

Steve shook his head. “Not this year. It was touch and go that first quarter though. How about you?”

Eddie blew a long breath through pursed lips. And then he stared at the papers before him. And then he laid his head on them. Steve reached over and patted his head.

“That bad?”

Eddie’s words were muffled under his cover of hair. “I am going to drag these children to literacy but these parents are working against me.”

“Preaching to the choir”, Steve said.

With a sigh, he closed his laptop, calling it a night. When it got to a certain point, he knew to stop himself before he started making mistakes he’d just have to fix later. Shawn was already in bed, deep asleep and it was their turn. He had to convince Eddie to leave the rest for later but once he did, they were able to slumber together as mates. 

Most weekend mornings, they took it slow, all three of them relishing the fact that they didn’t have to rush out at the break of dawn. But this morning that peace was broken by someone pounding on the front door. Steve groaned, hoping it was a dream but knowing it wasn’t as it went on.

Eddie turned to face him, eyes still closed. “What are the chances it’s the Kool-Aid Man?”

With a snort, Steve slowly sat up. “He doesn’t knock.”

They both got up and left the bedroom. Steve felt he could take on anything with Eddie by his side. But on the way to the stairs, he saw Shawn poke his head out his door. There was someone who needed Eddie more right now.

“Stay with him”, Steve said, giving Eddie a kiss and heading down the stairs before he could retort.

Steve took a deep breath before opening the door to Billy. His hands were in his pockets, concealing them from Steve’s sight. His posture appeared relaxed but Steve knew all his tells. Tense jaw, foot rapping on the patio, and the most damning - the irritation in his eyes.

“Stop playing games with me.”

“I’m not the one playing around”, Steve said. “I’ve made it clear I don’t want anything to do with you anymore.”

Billy took a big step forward, pushing his way into the house and his nostrils flared. Steve’s heart thumped but he was prepared for this. He knew Billy would be able to smell Eddie all over the place. And Steve also knew that he would notice the bite almost immediately. He could tell when he did because Billy slammed the door and stomped over to him but stopped short when Steve held up his phone, finger hovering over the dial button, 911 already pressed in.

“You goddamn bitch omega slut. You were that desperate for a bite?”

“Either state your business or go. Don’t fuck with me anymore Billy, I’m ready to file a restraining order.”

Billy crossed his arms. “And what does Shawn think of that?”

“Stop using your son as some kind of shield. He doesn’t need a father who only pays attention to him when it’s convenient. Eddie and I have both talked to him about-”

“That’s a half-baked alpha if I’ve ever seen one”, Billy snorted. 

While Steve and Billy talked, Eddie remained upstairs with Shawn, door closed in case they started to yell. At first, he was at a loss of what to do. He had expected to be downstairs with Steve, ready to support him like that. But his mate was right to have him stay here. Shawn also looked lost and untethered. It broke Eddie’s heart, seeing the pup and seeing himself in him. 

Too young to really know what to do with themselves when their parents got into it. Eddie sat on the floor and Shawn followed.

“They’re not yelling yet. That’s good”, Shawn said in a voice that betrayed how he knew it was only a matter of time before they did.

Eddie wanted nothing more than to wrap him up and protect him from all the bad things in the world. “Hey, don’t tell any of the other kids, but you’re my favorite.”

Shawn snickered. “Yeah, you’re dating my dad.”

“True, but you were my favorite even before that. I knew you for like a whole month before I met him.” And there were quite a few students that he’d rather not get involved in their personal lives, even if their parents were hot and single. The Harringtons had been a perfect storm of coincidences. Eddie might’ve risked it all for Steve, but with Shawn it wasn’t a risk.

“So does every teacher have a favorite?”, Shawn asked.

“I can’t speak for everyone”, he said. The way Steve spoke about his current class, it was like he’d birthed all two dozen of them. Eddie definitely had classes like that before. He also had groups of kids where, bless their heart, he only had one or two that didn’t actively make him want to walk into traffic. Of course the kids were none the wiser.

“Don’t worry about being a teacher’s pet though”, Eddie said. “The right ones will like you, the wrong ones will go either way.”

Shawn pulled his knees up to his chest. “What if a teacher hates me?”

It was hard to imagine a professional being particularly hard on someone who hadn’t even reached double digits yet. But it could happen. And Eddie knew how brutal middle and high school could be. More than one teacher had written him off or outright tried to sabotage him. 

“If a teacher hates you, tell ‘em your dad is the superintendent and can fire them.”

“Superman-ten-dance?”, Shawn laughed at the funny new word. 

“They’ll know what it means”, Eddie said, knowing Shawn wasn’t the type to talk back to an adult anyway. At least for now. 

Shawn was smiling now, his scent more calm than it had been when Eddie came into his room. Downstairs the shouting had started, Billy raising his voice to a boom. Shawn’s eyes darted to the door.

“Hey”, Eddie said, getting his attention again. “It’s going to be okay, alright. He’s not gonna hurt you. I won’t let him.”

Shawn’s shoulders shook as his eyes got wet and Eddie realized this was the first time he had ever seen him cry. “What if he hurts my daddy?”

Eddie didn’t hesitate to pick him up, holding him close and tight in his arms. He couldn’t make any promises about what Billy would and wouldn’t do. Especially when the man was probably calling the dame of his only child horrible things downstairs. The only thing he could do was give Shawn a safe place to cry right now. And promise him again that he’d be there after. He could hear Steve yelling something now but couldn’t quite make out everything between the closed door and Shawn’s sniffles.

But then a cry was heard - Steve’s.

And what sounded like a body hitting the floor.

Eddie set Shawn down on his bed. “Stay here until me or your dad comes for you.”

He bounded down that stairs just in time to see Steve push himself off the floor, holding his face. His mate was hurt. His. Eddie went to him, helping him the rest of the way.

“What did he do to you, what happened?”

Steve was panting a little. “He…he tried to…”

“Give him what he wanted”, Billy said, mouth a little bloody.

That was when Eddie noticed them. Teeth marks, poorly made but there they were, on Steve’s shoulder. The intent was clear. And it made Eddie see red.

Part 18 FINAL

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[steviewashere]

Please Don't Go Away (Is This How It's Supposed To Be?)

Rating: General CW: Death of A Pet, Animal Death, Original Animal Character Death, Cancer in a Pet Tags: Post-Canon, Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Established Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Grieving Steve Harrington, Dog Owner Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington Has a Senior Dog, Grieving Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart, Eddie Munson is a Sweetheart, Eddie Munson Takes Care of Steve Harrington, The Lord of The Rings References Title from "Upside Down" by Jack Johnson. Something something, you can't save people, you can only love them. For @steddieangstyaugust Day 3: "The sunset looks lovely, don't you think?"

🦮—————🦮 Steve Harrington has a heart too big for this world. It beats with love and passion. He cares too much about any living thing he comes across. Seen in his friendships with everybody in the party, with his platonic soulmate relationship with Robin, his polite kindness to Nancy, and his deep and all-encompassing infatuating love for Eddie.

Then, a newcomer is added to his roster.

A golden retriever. It’s a senior dog, roughly eight years old. Shaggy yellow fur that’s half-white. Dark brown eyes, almost like Eddie’s. He likes to prance around, play fetch from dawn to dusk, swim in the pool, and get cuddles between Steve and Eddie in bed. He loves sitting outside with them as they smoke cigarettes. Loves being a part of their day to day lives. Sitting on the porch of their two bedroom apartment, gazing at the sky, as the sun dips low and lower. He rests his heavy head on Eddie’s bare foot and huffs in his sleep, drools onto the wood of the porch, and when he wakes up from his little nap—he always gazes at the stars, too.

His name is Sammy—Samwise, otherwise. And he’s Steve’s best pet friend. The first pet Steve has ever had. The one that earns all of his love.

——— “Eds?” Steve calls out, voice soft, near empty.

They’re sitting at their dining table. Eating from the same pot of macaroni and cheese. Both their faces the pure definition of melancholy.

Sammy’s got a tumor, the vet had said just a few hours ago. It’s cancerous. It’s aggressive.

It’s terminal.

“Yes, sweetheart?” Eddie speaks just as quietly. His throat hurts from the cigarettes he just suckled down not too long ago. Pinched inside from the little amount of talking he’s done today. He was driving the car back home, Steve in the passenger seat crying, and himself holding back tears—he had to see the road.

Steve sniffles. His fork is stirring around in the macaroni. He hasn’t had a bite of it yet. “Do you think…” He stops moving his fork. Eyes clouding, glistening as they look down at the dinged up surface of the table. Swallows, the saliva clicking. “Should I just give him one more good day and then…send him home?”

Eddie reaches for him at that. Taking Steve’s right hand in his. The skin he touches is cold, rough, and clammy. His thumb scoots to the pulse point on Steve’s wrist, it beats slow against him. “That’s up to you, baby. He’s more your dog than mine. I can’t make that decision.”

“But I…Eds, I love him so much,” Steve states, warbling, “he’s my baby. I don’t want him to suffer, but I don’t want to let him go.”

He quickly drops his own fork in the pot of food. Slower, though, he rakes his hand over the top of Steve’s head, fingers idly tangling in his hair, scratching at his scalp. “Sweetheart,” he whispers, “look at me.” Steve does, raising his heavy head, eyes miserable and dark and red, shoulders hunched to his ears, and that frown of his low to his chin. Eddie hates this. “I’ve lost plenty of pets before,” he explains, voice low in his chest, “some of them passed with old age. Some of them escaped through the door and I never saw them again. But I’ve had two that died because they were sick; one of them I had put to sleep.

“And let me tell you, honey, in a case like Sammy’s, he’s only going to break your heart everyday. Sometimes you’ll think your Samwise is better and ready to play. Then, the next morning, he’ll be back to laying down all day, barely eating, mostly sleeping.

“I love him, too; to bits and pieces, to crumbs, to atoms. But you love him more, Stevie. You love him so much, I see that. I know you do. Listen to me, though.

“You can only love him, Steve. He’s terminal, sweetheart. You can’t save him from this. I think, in this case, it’s best to love him as hard as you can, give him the paradise of his dreams, and then let him…send him home.”

Steve’s face isn’t dark anymore. Just morose. Eyes heavy and exhausted. Tears glistening down his cheeks. Face splotchy red and warm when Eddie brushes his knuckles over it. His lips and chin are wobbling. Eddie hates this.

He cups the back of Steve’s head and brings it to his shoulder. And feels more than sees the way Steve weeps and sobs and gags into his neck. His back is bouncing up and down, choppy with each of his shaking breaths. And on the bare skin of his shin, Eddie feels Sammy brush against him. He blearily reaches down and pets the dog’s back, grounding himself for the last few days to come.

——— They’ve got the van set up for the day. Sammy’s dog bed set up in the back, where the seats usually would be. Pillows upon pillows, the comforter from their bed, and a few of their sweatshirts cushioning Sammy on all sides. There’s a greasy paper bag from the diner in the front seat, a cheeseburger without all the fixings, and a small French fry waiting for their buddy. Windows rolled down for fresh air to hit Sammy’s fur. His face is of pure contentment, eyes wide and giddy, panting heavily. Eddie wonders if this is what he’d look like as a puppy, without the grey fur.

Steve’s quiet in the passenger seat. Head looking over his left shoulder, between the seats. His hands twisted in his lap. Smile small and wobbling and deeply remorseful. Eddie offered to let him pick music; packed up several of Steve’s cassettes, but he didn’t even look at them, didn’t even care. They’re his favorite albums, too. Which makes it worse.

The silence has been one of the worst parts of all this.

After the other day, Eddie had been the one to schedule the euthanasia appointment. For just after sundown. One more sunset before their boy goes.

He drives through backroads, between long stretches of nothing but field, and after some time, he parks at the base of a steep hill. And when he gets out, Steve is already scooting out of the back of the van, Sammy in his arms, curled up tight in a ball, clearly too heavy to be moved like this—if the awkward ambling in Steve’s legs says anything—but he just carries on. One slow step at a time until their little hike ends at the top.

Eddie brought up the dog bed and their comforter, the bag of diner food, and the sweatshirts. He lays it all out. Lets Sammy curl up in the bed, covers him with the blanket, stuffs the hoodies on either of his sides, and then hands the food over to Steve to unwrap and feed. He does it slowly. Tears little chunks off of the cheeseburger. Holds the fries two at a time between his clenched fingers. And when it’s gone, he settles his upper body on Sammy’s back, lays his arm between the dog’s legs, and rubs his cheek atop Sammy’s head.

Then, they watch.

The sky shifts from baby blue. To yellow, like Sammy’s young fur. A muted pink, the color of Steve’s cheeks when he laughs—when he cries. And then a mirage of all of the colors, blending and mixing into one saturated thing. The sun dipping low, just the upper third of it still visible. Stars already poking from their hiding spots.

It’s the best sunset Eddie thinks he’s ever seen. But he looks over to Steve anyway. Watches him pet fur under his hand, twirl it between his fingers into tight twists. His eyes spilling fast, fat tears. Barely making a sound, just the stuttering of his breath. Nasally and sharp through his nose. Lips pinched tight, rolled into his teeth. Eyelashes clumped together and darker than Eddie’s ever seen them. He lays his right hand on the back of Steve’s head and pets him, too.

Steve clears his throat. Rough and raw and probably painful. “The sunset looks lovely, don’t you think, Sammy?” He asks quietly, burrowing his head further into the fur. The only response he gets is a snuffle, to which he chuckles at. It’s short lived and terribly bittersweet. “What about you, Eds?” Steve whispers.

He digs his fingers deeper into Steve’s hair, running them all the way down to the ends and then back up. It’s all sorts of tangled from not brushing it this morning, all in his haste to make this a good day. Eddie heaves a small sigh through his nose. “I think it’s the best one I’ve seen,” he answers honestly, the words crackling.

A dissonate grunt.

Steve shifts his head again, his fingers making circles over Sammy’s heart. “How much time do we have?”

His watch is three minutes behind, 8pm, it reads.

“Roughly fifty-seven minutes. But they told me as long as it’s before ten, they’ll be able to do it.”

“And we can be there with him?”

“They said we can be there if we want. From the moment they do it to the moment he closes his eyes. Told me we could stay for a little while after, too. For us to really say…y’know.”

His fingers shift as Steve nods. Heart breaking at the sound of Steve’s stifled small cries. In a strained, quiet voice, Steve admits, “I don’t want another one after him, I think.”

“That’s okay, sweetheart.”

Another, though less stifled, sniffle. “You’ll cuddle me tonight, right?”

“Don’t even have to ask,” Eddie breathes.

“I’m gonna miss him.”

“I know,” he whispers, “I will, too.”

Sammy snuffles deeper again. The sky dark and stars endless. It’s quiet, really.

Until, Steve half-sobs, turns his head, and looks up to Eddie. His eyes wide and deep like abysses. Shiny. Blurry with the tears. “Will you read The Fellowship of The Ring tonight?” He asks in this heartbreaking, tiny, wet voice.

“‘Course, sweetheart,” Eddie agrees immediately. Because he can’t take this, but he isn’t running.

“Okay,” Steve murmurs, tears spilling over again, “I wanna know what Samwise does next. Where he goes.”

Eddie gives a soft smile. A small one. “I think you’ll like where he ends up.”

Steve mirrors his expression, however miserable he is. “Good,” he whispers. He closes his eyes, swallows deep. “I think I’m ready to go. Are you okay to leave?”

“Yeah,” he whispers, “and Steve?” He traces his fingers on Steve’s hairline, down the side of his face, mapping carefully over his cheek, brushing under his eye. Taking in this calmer moment before the true storm tonight.

“Hm?”

He clears his throat, it’s tight and aching. Then, quietly, “Sammy understands, okay? He loves you. And I love you. And whatever comes of this tonight, just know that it’s not your fault tomorrow. You loved him, you’ll always love him, and that’s all you can do.”

Steve exhales slow through his nose and swallows hard again. His eyebrows furrow very briefly before he relaxes. “I love you so much,” he breathes, “thank you.”

“None of that. Now…” He stands up from his spot, knees aching and back pinched, he offers a hand down for Steve to take and hefts him up, too when he grabs on. “Let’s go, love. I’ll be right here the entire time.”

And he is. Holds Steve’s hand. Pets Sammy’s head.

And he wraps his arms around Steve when he breaks down in their bed later, holding the tagged collar to his chest, wailing straight into Eddie’s heart. But Eddie’s got him, he loves him. It’s all he can do.

🦮—————🦮