#so naturally we ignored it and then after crashing the car the computer froze up volume blaring and nothing could turn it off

[sepostscreencaps]

When my and my friends mom's both screamed at us for making the computer crash back in second grade.

From Soul Eater post chapter 34

[friggsdc]

Title: little delinquent pt ii

part i | part ii | part iii

Warnings: Female!reader (bat!sis), mostly family fluff, AU, hurt/comfort, language

word count: 4000~

It had Bruce and Dick sharing a look for a moment before the latter spoke up, “It’s not like I’m against continuing to expand the family, but…” he eyed the child you held nervously, “please don’t start bringing home every child you find…” he tilted his head, “he’s bad enough.” Bruce settled a light glare at his first son (that definitely wasn’t what Bruce was thinking), though Dick was stilled by the way your eyes narrowed at him instead.

“His name is Terrence,” that was all you said, brushing past as they were suddenly on guard at the inherited Wayne-scowl on your face.

-

a/n:  still no jaybird lmao I’m sorry, but I brought in mamabat duke, because he’s the best at being a mamabat without smothering you like your other siblings. Steph too because she’s your sweet bean partner in crime u v u)9 For my sanity, Metropolis is in Deleware across the bay from Jersey (tho Gotham is still north of Atlantic City).

-

He wasn’t certain if he should be proud or upset at how quickly you’d turned Tim against him, the two of you now working in unison, playing ‘keep away from big papa Bruce.’ No matter when he tried to approach you, something always seemed to happen or come up, and it was actually starting to get on his nerves. Worse was Damian seemed to be joining in, his rebellious nature being nurtured by the influence of both Tim and yourself.

He knew it would be difficult to deal with you and your ability to hide anything, just like you could hide yourself, but… Now he had to deal with more than just you, and Tim wasn’t going to make it any easier for him. Oh no, this was going to be a headache with you two. And Damian… He couldn’t trust that his son wouldn’t give away anything he did to you, his loyalties giving out to the growing childish nature he was developing. Bruce was again at a loss, should he be happy Damian was acting his age, or upset that he was more interested in working with the ‘opposition?.’ 

“It’s not a mission,” Damian had commented, so it was “fair game.”

He rested his head in his hands, fingers lightly massaging his temples as his elbows supported him, propping him up on the ornate desk in his study.  Fucking hell, he had to outsmart both the tech sleuth and the stealth agent of the family. Information was literally their game. Rather than giving into the growing frustration in his stomach, he stood up, now a bat on a mission as he quickly headed down to the cave. He thanked his moody bat heart that it was just two of his kids (he wasn’t certain of Damian yet, the wild card), and not… more…

The League computers would definitely come in handy right about now.

He was gonna go full fucking vigilante detective bat mode on his kids.

Again.

He groaned.

-

[bigR] Dad took off for the League, bet you can guess why.

Flipping your personal phone closed with a light snort, you refocused your attention on buckling the toddler into the hand-me-down car seat. You’d definitely have to get him a new one on your shopping trip, you just hoped Duke’s car could fit everything…

Damian was securing his sword between him and the kid before he crawled in, closing the door and putting on his safety belt. You grinned at him as he avoided your smile, looking away instead, “hurry up.” Shaking your head, you leaned in to rub your nose against Terrence’s own, his chubby fingers coming up to grab at your face, hair, clothes, ears, and earrings ohgodstop. Having cooed at him enough, and having been assaulted by his little nails, scratches now on your chin, you leaned back and out of his reach, closing the door softly.

“Are you sure it’s okay to shirk off for the day? You’re the one usually patrolling at this time…” you headed to the passenger side, “Big guy said it was fine, besides…” Duke smiled and nodded his head towards the car with a wink, “wouldn’t want to leave you alone with a bunch of kids.” It’s not like he was wrong, but you were skilled enough to handle your brother and… son… ah… that was going to get some getting used to. A smile and spread on your face with a light laugh as you climbed in, settling, and closed the door behind you, “ready to get going?” Damian glared at you before refocusing his attention on Terrence, ignoring your obviously dumb question, “Pennyworth mentioned Todd having finally gotten back before I left.”

Duke had started up the car and checked over everything before heading down the manor drive, now officially on the road. Meanwhile, you hummed happily, “guess I’ll have to go see him when we get back.” Damian made a face, “gross.” You rolled your eyes in amusement, “you knew what my reaction was gonna be.”

The two were ridiculous in how they treated each other, honestly.

“It’s still gross.”

The ride down the ocean side drive was calming, the windows lowered to let the cool ocean breeze in. Damian was back to his “poking the toddler’s nose” game, having gotten used to the sound of a baby, and no longer acting like it wasn’t his fault when he made the toddler laugh.

Meanwhile,

“So, who made you the baby-sitter?” Duke kept his eyes on the road, the ever-responsible budding adult that he was, “Bruce, actually.” He grinned at the way you looked at him, catching sight from the corner of his eye, “surprising, I know. Woulda thunk Tim’d have asked, huh?”

Nodding, you leaned back, “well, I mean, yeah. He’s been pretty upset since the other day, he won’t leave Terrence and I alone at the manor. He’s been staying over...” You might have felt bad for lying to Duke, but the truth was that you were lying to everyone but Tim at this point. Not that it was the first time you’d lied to them. You told the truth so often that they took you at your word, never catching on when you did fib, but you were pretty certain this would blow up in your face.

They’d catch you eventually.

This wasn’t one of those easy to digest lies either, that was the complicated part. It terrified you how they’d react once they learned the truth.

Then…

Before that happened, you made the silent determination that you’d make your… son a part of the family. They won’t be able to decide anything for him then, they’d be in too deep, you’d make certain.

Yeah, you could be a little… manipulative sometimes.

Probably something you got from your father.

“What’s up?”

“Oh, sorry, nothing. My mind was just wandering,” Duke frowned a little, flipping on his blinker while coming to a slow crawl, “not believing you.”

Turning your head to him, your grin was a bit scary, “okay, so, I was just thinking about if your car can fit everything I’m going to want to buy.” It was enough to distract him, a groan finding its way out as he pulled into the ticketing line for the ferry.

“If..??”

Now, to really drive it home, you pulled something from your purse and waved it at him, “Is… is that…” he eyed it nervously. “Yes, yes it is, dear brother.” His ears burned as he turned his eyes from you, hand now outstretched in your direction.

“You’re paying the ferry, then…” he muttered.

You put your dad’s credit card on his palm,

“Rich little daddy’s girl.”

This time the snort came from the back seat, “I have one as well, Thomas. You need only ask father.”

Duke sputtered and refused to acknowledge either of you till after having crossed the Deleware Bay.

Rich kids. Honestly.

-

Metropolis always amazed you, honestly, the bright skies overhead and the amount of people without a care in the world was enviable. Still, it just wasn’t… home. By now you’d developed some serious Stockholm for the cesspit that is Gotham. Even so, you preferred to go shopping here, their selection of high-quality stores mixed with less people recognizing you, and your family, were boons.

As you stared up at the towering high rise in front of you, Damian having disappeared inside minutes before, there was one other reason for coming to Metropolis…

“You’re always so slow! I told you to hurry up!!”

“Who’s slow?! You’re the slow one!!”

“Boys, please—”

The loud sound of twin crashes echo’d out the opened lobby door, the two boys in question bounding out with plenty of energy and two very red chins. “That… looks painful…” you smiled, walking over to check Damian’s face for actual injury.

“Tt, I’m fine.” He smacked your hand away, glaring at the super next to him, rubbing his own, already healing chin. “Hey Jon, enjoying Metropolis?” The bright-eyed boy, sans cape, grinned at you from ear to ear, “There’s so much to do here!” he almost lifted off the ground in his excitement, “but I miss the farm.” A chuckle came from the entrance to the building, deep and warm and just as kind as the child now sticking his tongue out at your youngest brother. On the man’s broad shoulder was an overnight bag, and a sheepish smile on his face as if he felt guilty. 

He probably did, the two boys were a handful.

Duke was leaning against the roof of the car with a huge dopey smile on his face, waving at the man approaching, “Hello, you must be the chaperone, Duke Thomas?” your newest brother nodded enthusiastically, almost at a loss for words, “Yup! I-I mean y-yes, it’s nice to meet you, sir!” Clark only chuckled, far too used to such formalities, “Clark is fine, our families are… close, after all.” He watched the boys pull at each other’s faces in mock battle.

“Ah, Clark! It’s been a while!” the older male smiled as he stopped a few feet from you and the car, hands resting on his hips, “Miss Wayne.” Near immediately, his eyes shifted to the backseat of the car and he leaned against the door, looking in.

“Bruce has another kid? He looks like how I always imagined him to look as a kid, suspiciously innocent,” you froze, and he would have laughed at the thought of Bruce with more secret kids, but he straightened. Looking at you in concern instead, he started, “I know he’s not… the most affectionate father, but…” you quickly shook your head, attempting damage control. “It… no, he’s not dad’s…” You laughed nervously at the look on his face, his hand raising to point at you as his mouth opened and closed a few times, trying to process.

“Yup. He’s… His name is Terrence, and he’s… my… son…” your tone turned warm and kind, and your eyes settled on the babe in the car with all the grace of a mother, just like Lois when Jon had been born, the older super nodded thoughtfully. “I’m glad it’s you, then. If anyone in that family can raise a good kid, it’ll be you.” The two of you shared an understanding smile, though yours was accompanied by a twitch or two, swearing he enjoyed his little joke, before he turned his head painfully in surprise, as if an enemy had suddenly appeared.

Following his sight, you had to laugh at the dark glare on Damian’s face directed at Clark, “well, I think it’s time I take my leave, then.” He scratched the back of his head, avoiding the kid’s gaze. He wanted to inquire more about the new addition to the family, but it would have to wait. Jon gave his dad a huge hug, getting his hair ruffled in the process as Clark waved at Duke, chucking the overnight bag into the car.

With a last good-bye to you, he turned high-tail and ran, as if he were almost eager to get away. Watching him jog slowly inside the building, you almost swore his steps were far lighter than his build, “probably prefers to float…” looking away, you missed him trip.

“Alright, c’mon you two. Get in.” when you’d opened the door, the two boys stared in horror, “I’m not sitting in the middle.” Damian ground out before Jon pushed him with more force than Damian could resist, “HE’S YOUR BROTHER!!! YOU SIT IN THE MIDDLE!”

“STUPID! HE’S MY NEPHEW!”

“Still, you sit next to him…” Jon pouted, and combined with your stare, Damian crawled in with a grumble, “Stupid super.” Jon ignored him without issue, and you’d have to ask Damian about it later, curious as to why his best friend was so used to his insults like it was a common occurrence? Then he climbed in after, shutting the door behind him.

“Nerves of steel, that one,” you mumbled, getting back in the car as Duke laughed lightly, starting the car up before heading a bit further into the city. After a few minutes and a few stop lights, Duke gave in to the side-glances you kept giving him, having caught them from the corner of his own eyes, “what now?” The growing devious grin on your face had him on edge, “speaking of nerves of steel…” a shiver hit the back of his neck, “please don’t.” His begging stopped nothing, “fanboy,” but of course you would, and he did his best to pay attention to the road, “don’t make me ignore you all day.”

“I thought it was cute though? Haha, Izzy would be jealous.”

“It’s… I mean, he was…” his ears were burning, especially at the mention of Isabella’s name, and he pouted worse than Jon had.

“I know, but still. You know you’ve met him before, right?” Duke looked like he wanted to disappear in his seat, “just… in costume…” you hummed in amusement.

It didn’t take long for Duke to pull into the parking lot at one of the high-end furniture stores, resting his head on the steering wheel for a moment after parking. The two boys were already out of the car, bickering and racing into the store, “you have no taste! It’s all dark! You can’t put a baby in a depressing room!”

“YOU WANT TO BLIND HIM WITH BRIGHT COLORS!”

“YOU WANT TO SCARE HIM WITH DOOM AND GLOOM!”

The two were practically racing at this point, shoving each other back and forth, though Jon often made Damian stumble through raw strength, and Damian often made Jon trip through dirty tricks.

“Aaaaand there they go.” You were already out of the car as you said it, heading to the driver’s backside door. Duke stepped out before stilling, his face falling at the straps in your hand, outstretched towards him, “you have got to be kidding.”

“Nope, you’re the babysitter today, Papa Duke.”

He took the child carrier from you, strapping the pack on with a depressed aura of resignation, “this so doesn’t look cool.” You snickered as you transferred Terrence over to the pack on Duke’s front, “yeah, but people won’t mess with a big guy like you. Besides, I can handle Damian better than you, can you take care of our son?” you teased him.

“Yeah, I can take care of… him…” Duke eyed the child looking around at everything he could, taking in every sight with silent baby contemplation skills, thumb in his mouth.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell Izzy about us,” you thought for a moment as he ignored your comments, switching tactics. Eyeing him before patting him on the shoulder, you began heading after the two boys, “when you get back, tell Izzy you think she looks like a piece of candy.”

He had a confused look as he followed after you, catching up in a speed walk, “what’s that supposed to mean?”

Not only did his ears turn red, but his entire face and neck burned hot at the suggestive smile on your face, “Oh… wait, w-why out of nowhere though?!”

“You forget, I live with nothing but men. Harper’s not around often and Steph is the only female I see on a regular basis.”

“Get some friends,” he groaned.

“That’s what family is for.”

Ugh.

-

Shopping actually went a lot better than expected, and you were able to get a new car seat at the behest of Damian, “no way you’re using a hand-me-down,” he all but threatened. There were some smaller things you could easily fit into the car, a few boxes, one for a mobile, one for a few bed sets, a giant pregnancy pillow -- regardless that you weren’t pregnant, you wanted the giant horseshoe pillow. Jon was jealous of it, now wanting one of his own, as you picked up some non-essentials.

The bigger things would have to be shipped, a crib for a few months till he was big enough, small bed with side bars so he wouldn’t fall out when ready to swap out the crib. They even had a huge rocking chair! It was probably one of the most comfortable things you had ever sat in, its ability to “rock” you back and forth on its slides without losing much momentum was heaven.

And you could curl up in it.

Somewhere in all the chaos, just as expected, you’d gone and lost both the boys. Or, well, more like they lost you. Duke was still dutiful with Terrence, and he was also really amazing at looking at details and knowing what item was better than the next. Sure, you’d been taught the same skills, but you were preoccupied with Damian and Jon (until you weren’t).

“Hum… hey, I’m gonna go check out next door, okay?” Duke turned to you from the different curtains in his hand, having taken to looking at a few general things for the room; curtains, bookshelves, a desk or two.

Unlike your father and most of your family, you had far more free time to do these small things yourself, never needing to hire an assistant to do all the work. You only needed some help with moving things, of course. It was something you’d picked up from both Alfred and the Kents, the equally uneasy and comforting feeling of being humble.

“Sure, which one?”

“The clothing store, I think there’s a dedicated kid store a bit further down the mall strip, I’ll probably make my way towards that.” Duke pouted, “leaving me alone with the kids?”

“Just one.” To emphasis your point, Terrence decided to start pulling on the same curtain as Duke, though Duke swatted his hands away quickly. A one-sided glaring contest began as the kid kept his frown on Duke, not looking away.

Duke looked around ignoring him, “that’s… true…”

“Thanks Papa Duke!” you gave him a hug, burying your face in Terrence’s and pelting him with kisses, pulling back only when his laughter echoed around the three of you. Duke refused to look at you as you cooed at the child strapped to his chest, awkward, “I hate you.”

“You love me.”

He snorted and went back to picking out curtains, “and don’t you forget it.”

“You have my card still, right?” He nodded, not even bothering to ask if you needed it. He knew you didn’t carry paper notes around, having seen you use your phone to pay for things physically too often.

Taking that as your cue, you turned to leave, “text if you need anything, and keep an eye out for the boys, I’ll… look, too,” and a moment later you were outside the store, stretching in the sun with a big breath of fresh air. Dang you loved Gotham, but also? Dang you loved Metropolis, too.

-

[steph] hey, herd u like

[steph] have a baby now???!

[steph] ;)))))

The buzzing of your personal phone caught your attention,

[you] tim? also, switching over for a bit.

You switched recipients,

[you] ready.

Turning the phone off and flipping it closed, you began walking in the opposite direction that Duke had been told, popping the back of the case off and pulling out the battery.

You’d asked Tim to redirect a dummy signal for your phone, keeping it within a five-foot radius of Duke for the next forty minutes or so. He’d given you the thumbs up, your telling him everything when you got back being his payment for helping.

He was very curious as to why you were breaking in to the LexCorp building.

The rather fast-paced walk (almost a light jog) to the building wasn’t that long, you’d made certain the stores you chose were close on purpose. Taking out your business phone, you opened it to another text as you started up a rather… illegal app. Your phone’d been rooted from the moment you had it, and it was hooked up to a very specific closed network.

This outing was one of the only chances you’d get, having lucked out with the more lenient Duke, as your other siblings were far more vigilant. Damian meanwhile was distracted by Jon, the two acting more like brawling siblings than best friends. Though Damian preferred the term rivals, but Jon was just happy to have a close friend he could be himself with.

[splr] he couldn’t contain himself

[splr] was vibin’ like flash lol

There were very few people who had access to this phone, and unfortunately for Tim, it was a hazard for both of you to have any kind of connection to him on your work phone. Stephanie however was one of the very few people who got to have that privilege.

[you] remind me to thank him for stealing my thundr

The family had the Bat-computer, Batman had the League’s Womb mainframe, the Robins had their Nest, and you? You had access to something older, reborn too many times, and set up and now maintained by some genius mastermind you’d never heard of. 

It was a mostly defunct information network by this point.

You’d met some really interesting people when you used to tail your father, and through repeated encounters, you’d met even more interesting uh... “friends.” Eventually you weren’t stalking your dad, instead, you were learning to do what you did best: Spy-games and recon.

And you’d impressed the wrong people.

But you didn’t mind, you liked the constant link to “their” information hubs.

[splr] lol

[splr] coffee tmrrw?

The Society’s Networks.

You knew your dad suspected some of your activities, but he never approached you about them. Probably because Batman enjoyed your access to these networks often when they were online, having come to you on multiple occasions to see if you could help with his detective work. 

You were playing double agent, compiling what you could from the chatter picked up from specific phones hooked into the closed channels. Sure, they weren’t always active and so sometimes you had to go with information from recon, but you did what you could, your bias for your bats, and birds, too strong. For your family.

[you] the same-same

[splr] c u tmrw then ;)

[splr] don’t forget the kid lol

Not that you’d ever shown him, if Batman knew what kind of information the Society had in their databases, well… you were pretty certain the world would burn. 

He once said it was best he didn’t know, something about helping to keep a balance between the good and the bad, causing both sides to stay in check.

The database’s app held all kinds of information, and as you downloaded the LexCorp building plans (sans recent modifications), you stared at the towering complex in front of you. Before you went further, you made certain the matrix encryption program was running, after all, “no reason to let anyone know I’m here.”

“Done this tons of times, can totally do this again,” but LexCorp was terrifying, Lex Luthor was terrifying, almost as much as Wayne Enterprises. Here’s to hoping your dad’s technology and Tim’s brain were smarter than anything Lex could cook up.

Besides, wasn’t he under house arrest right now?

It did nothing to calm your nerves.

“Nerves of steel, totally.”

You had to be fast.

[crimsonbluemoon]

OhmToonz: I’ll Be Home For Christmas

I’m not sure if I’m going to get all of these done today because I’m probably getting too into this. I know I’ll deff get one more done, but I also wanna get some work done on Chapter 13 for Libahunt so we’ll see what the rest of the night holds. 

So until then, here ya go!

Ohmtoonz: “There’s a storm and omg I’m losing signal are you okay?? hold on let me drive 489432 miles to get you the night before Christmas”

“You’re stuck?” Ryan let out a sigh at the repeat of his words, glancing out the window of the common room of his college dormitory. His feet were buried in his bunny slippers, which had been unpacked from his suitcase. Snow poured down in the darkness, adding to the silence of the empty room. Most of the people in the dormitory had already left for the holiday season, but Ryan had been asked to stay behind as a Resident Assistant. “How the fuck are you stuck on campus on Christmas Eve?!”

“The storm came in earlier than I expected it to, and I can’t get to the train.” The night before had been a cluster in the college, as news of a terrible snowstorm heading their way made people leave early. He’d let the other RAs Momo and Squirrel leave the day before, knowing that both had large families that would be distraught if the freshmen weren’t able to make it back for the holidays. Being a senior meant he had less anxiety over the winter break, having done it plenty of times before. But the winter storm waited for nobody, and the dark clouds had come in much earlier than predicted by the weatherman. By the time Ryan had helped the last student out of the dormitory and done his rounds, the snow was up to his calves, and still coming down. It was pointless to try and trek the mile to the train station, especially when he didn’t even know if they were still running.  

“So you’re going to be stuck there for Christmas?” His best friend’s voice over the phone sounded strained, and Ryan blinked before he snuggled closer to the couch and sighed.

“The school’s sidewalks aren’t going to be their first priority to plow because there’s almost nobody else here. I might be able to get out tomorrow, but I’ll probably just wait until the snow fully stops.”

“You can’t just not come home. We’re supposed to go out to breakfast tomorrow, it’s a tradition!” And Ryan knew it was, no matter how far away from home he currently was. A two-hour drive and that was without the crappy conditions. Yet Ryan had made the trek every time in order to see Luke, the one constant in his life. Friends from school were nice, and the boyfriends he’d tried to date were always a pleasant distraction (from feelings he didn’t wanna talk about), but Luke was the one person that he always knew would be there without question. It’d been like that since there were thirteen and muddy from wrestling by the pond near their street.

It’d been how Luke had stolen his heart. 

“I’m sorry, Toonzy.” He hoped that his softer tone would show how sad he really was over missing the tradition. Christmas was a busy time for Luke, having a lot of friends and family to check in with. Ryan didn’t have that problem, as he’d stopped talking to his own toxic parents three years ago. Christmas morning breakfast was the only time the two carved out just for each other, and his stomach ached at thinking he’d have to miss his favorite part of the season.

“Is this because of last time?” The question came out of nowhere, and Ryan wasn’t sure the context despite flipping it over in his head.

“Last time?”

“When I-” A pause in the conversation was odd for Luke, and Ryan realized it was a technical glitch when fragments of his sentence came in. “--I won’t--just hold--soon.”

“Luke?” But nothing but static hit his ears, making Ryan sigh and end the call. He’d been hoping to convince Toonz to live stream a movie with him so he wouldn’t feel so alone, but it didn’t look like Luke was in a good place with service. Instead, Ryan shuffled his stuff back up to his room, ignoring the quiet that rung in his ears when burrowing under his covers and opening his Netflix to the Marvel movie selections. The bed felt cold despite the comforter, and Ryan wondered if it was more mental than temperature as he tried to focus on the movie playing on his screen. Picking the longest one he could find, Ryan pressed closer to his blankets and hoped that the empty feeling in his stomach would go away soon.

The end of the movie came fast, Ryan letting the attractive men and amazing fighting distract him. By the time Steve Rogers said his final line of failure, Ryan was half asleep, phone lazily clutched in his hand and nearly dropping off the bed. He was sure that sleep would claim him until a sudden vibration in his hand shook his away, Ryan yelping as his motion sent him and his computer crashing into the floor. Panic set in when he checked on his laptop, relieved to see the credits still rolling without a hint of damage. Focusing back on the thing that woke up, Ryan glanced back to the phone, mood lifting when seeing Luke’s name crossing his screen.

“Toonzy, you found service?” He asked, trying to hide his yawn when glancing to his clock. It was close to midnight, and Ryan guessed that Luke had managed to get back home from wherever he had been before. Maybe a party, from how long he was missing? He knew that Luke was spending his Christmas holiday with others. Their neighborhood always had a Christmas Eve party, and Toonz was probably warmed with spiced cider and happy memories of the holiday. The thought burned Ryan more than he wanted to admit. It wasn’t his friend’s fault that he was stranded. He had no right to be jealous, and yet here he was with clenched fists and a wounded heart.  

“I got service about an hour ago, but I didn’t wanna call while I was driving through this shit. Seriously, did mother nature decide all the fucking snow had to come in one night?” That made Ryan laugh, knowing how much Luke hated driving in the snow. It helped ease some of his bitterness away, leaning his back against his bed.

“Now you see why I couldn’t get home.”

“The fuck you can’t.” The statement threw Ryan off, and a weird noise bubbled from his throat loud enough for Luke to chuckle and continue. “Look outside, Ohm.”

“...No way.” Ryan’s feet were moving before he could get the words out, nearly tripping over themselves when they pushed up to the dorm window. His breath fogged up the glass for a moment, but he wiped it away with his sleeve in order to see what Luke was talking about. There, barely visible in the snow, was his best friend. Bundled up in ridiculous amounts of clothing and knitted accessories, yes, but still there.

“Luke, wh-what are you doing? Are you crazy?!” Ryan gasped out, already rushing to grab his shoes. Thankful he wore socks to bed, he jammed his feet into the boots before rushing out of the room, barely catching his friend’s response as he darted down the stairs.

“I wasn’t going to leave you here all alone on Christmas. Seeing you Christmas morning is my favorite part of the whole fucking holiday. Nothing’s cuter than that half-asleep face covered in maple syrup and eggs.” Ryan’s cheeks burned from emotion and exertion as he made it down the final few stairs, sprinting through the common room to get to the locked door at the front of the dormitory. Yanking it open, Ryan froze at Luke’s face peeking out from the scarf, which Toonz yanked out of the way before giving a hesitant smile. “About time you got out here, I was freezing my balls off.”

“It’s just breakfast,” Ryan blurted out, hands already reaching for Luke’s jacket despite not knowing if he wanted to push him back to his car to pull him closer for warmth. “You’ve got...so many family members and friends-”

“Christmas isn’t Christmas without the guy you’re in love with.” Their eyes met after Luke’s declaration, Ohm unable to close his mouth from shock. The roll of Luke’s eyes and huff of white air proved he thought the expression was unnecessary, hands grabbing Ryan’s wrists. “Yeah I know, don’t talk about it-”

“Wa-Wait, what? Don’t...what?” Ryan asked, not sure if he was dreaming. Did Luke just casually toss out that he was in love with Ryan? Sure that this wasn’t real, Ryan watched Luke hide a wince, shoulders slumping in a way that felt nothing like the confident, beautiful man he was used to.

“Last year, after breakfast? The card I gave you with your hoodie?” The words were spoken like Ryan should have had a clue, and he sort of did. Like tradition demanded, the two exchanged presents after breakfast was over, but neither were allowed to open the gift until after they got home. Ryan remembered the gift, his favorite hoodie which was now worn out from how often he wore it, but he had no idea what card his friend was speaking about. Luke didn’t look interested in reading the confusion on his face when he continued. “I got the message pretty clear when you didn’t say a word about it when we saw each other on New Years Eve.”

“Luke, what card?” Ryan forced out, getting to see his friend show confusion for the first time in the conversation.

“The one I put in the box, under the tissue paper.”     

“Luke, I was so happy about the personalized hoodie, I didn’t look in the box for more stuff. I’m pretty sure I just threw everything else away right after so I could wear the hoodie for the rest of the day.” Ryan spoke honestly, his heart racing when seeing Luke’s eyes widen after his response.

“You didn’t see the card.”

“So you drove all this way...”

“It was thrown away.”

“You thought I was avoiding you?” 

“You didn’t even know I-

“Luke, do you love me?” Ryan asked, hands releasing the lapels of his friend’s jacket to cup his cold face. The snow was covering them now, soaking through Ryan’s flimsy shirt and soaking his hair. But none of it mattered when he stared up at Luke, who couldn’t seem to maintain eye contact until Ryan spoke again. “Please, tell me you love me.”

“Of course I love you. Everyone knows it.” Except Ryan, who couldn’t stop his emotions from bubbling through his chest. Eyes blinked back tears of disbelief and joy, Ryan sure his sob of happiness seemed painful when Luke’s face crumbled. “Ohm, don’t cry. It’s fine, I’m not asking for shit I know I can’t have-”

“I love you so much.” 

“...What?” 

“I love you, Luke. I love you!” Ryan’s words felt like a dam releasing, laughing despite the tears falling down his face. Unable to resist the temptation he’d fought back for years, Ryan pushed up to his tiptoes, kissing Luke to prove his words weren’t a mirage. It was a slow burn of a connection, mouths quiet yet needy as they pressed closer together. Hands that hadn’t reached for Ryan now clambered to his waist, pulling him hard into the toned body of Luke. His own thumbs smoothed over Cartoonz’s face, as if committing him to memory while drowning in their kiss. They pulled away slowly, though Luke didn’t go far, brushing his nose against Ryan’s gently before pressing their foreheads together.

“Shit, that felt right.” Luke’s words of awe had Ryan giggling, content to relax in the arms that were circling his body and warming him up.

“Worth the drive?” Ryan asked, feeling the grin against his lips when Luke leaned forward to whisper into the new kiss.

“To bring you home to me? Every fucking time.”

Okay so this was a little bit of fluff and angst but TOTALLY still sweet so don’t yell at me! So as always, like, reblog, and let me know what you think <3

[sundry-whovengerslocked]

WVL - Chapter One - Maple Sugar

((A/N: the dashes --- indicate a change in time or perspective. Also this first chapter is reaaaallly long, the story was split up how it seemed it should naturally))

BZZZ BZZZ BZZZ

Abby groaned, flipping over in the bed that she shared with her best friend, Sam. Well, they weren't exactly best friends, more like sisters. She reached over to grab her vibrating phone, and turned off the alarm. It was time for her to go to her first job, a part-time journalist for the Boston Globe. It wasn't that big of a status, but it paid well.

So Abby got up and put on her red-brown glasses, being careful not to wake Sam. Throwing her long brown hair up in a ponytail, she dressed into some dark jeans, a green long-sleeved shirt, and lastly a pair of over-sized black converse she had gotten from charity. They were men's size, but as long as she tied them up tight enough, they were fine. Plus, they were cute.

Abby then walked into the kitchen, grabbed some eggs from the fridge, and began to make an omelette for Sam and herself. She had practically forced vegetarianism upon her, because it was healthier and generally cheaper, so really the only protein they got were eggs, nuts, and beans.

A little while after cooking and eating, she left, putting on her expensive white petticoat she had left from her mother's belongings. She also grabbed her father's old camera, her purse, her press badge, and her notebook on her way out.

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

Sam awoke to the smell of cooked eggs, and pulled her tired body out of bed. She slid her feet into her fuzzy tan slippers, and rubbed her arms to keep warm. It was chilly this morning, with Autumn creeping in. Upon the table in their tiny kitchen, was an omelet, still warm, resting on a small white plate. Sam licked her lips, knowing Abby had made it for her before she left. How sweet.

Getting a fork out of the drawer under the microwave, Sam also poured herself a glass of orange juice. She sat down at her normal spot, facing the window that overlooked the city. As she dined on the meatless breakfast that her best friend made, she thought over what she needed to do today. Shopping was the main priority. They needed more fruit.

As much as Sam did love all the healthy alternatives she'd converted to, she did occasionally miss having meat. Not enough to turn back though, veggie burgers were good too.

Finished with her food, Sam dabbed her face with a napkin, and stood to rinse her dish.

Next step was changing her clothes: a large red sweater with black leggings. Her hair cut off at the shoulders, just barely brushing the shirt. She'd straightened it the night before, and brushed through it this morning. Lastly, she drew a thin layer of eye liner in her top lid, and some mascara on her lashes. It seemed as though her little freckled face lit up when she looked at herself in the mirror, ready for the day.

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

Abby on the other hand, she wasn't wearing any makeup.

She was walking towards her office building, taking some shortcuts along alleyways she knew, since they didn't have a car. It also wasn't that much use to get a cab, too much money and not that far away. So walking to work was a great way to get exercise.

Only a few things were on Abby's mind as she hiked along, mainly wondering about the universe. Ever since the events in New York a few years ago, there was no denying aliens existed, no matter how hard the government tried to cover it up. The same went for what had been happening in London the last decade. Her whole life Abby believed in other worlds, even just for the sake of believing. But for now, everything was quiet. Most decided to just forget about it, just be wary, but Abby didn't want to do that.

So she was thinking about other life, about the impossible universe, when she suddenly smacked face-first into something. Letting out a groan, she took a step back and rubbed her nose. "Why do I always do that?" she muttered to herself.

She always had her head in the clouds, and was usually clumsy. But not this clumsy. She had run into a big blue box, about the size of a telephone booth you see in England, but without the glass; it was solid and wooden. How Abby missed it, she didn't know.

But she became curious, and began to inspect it. At the top, it said POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX in big letters. She saw two windows at the top and wooden panels running down it.

But before Abby could walk around the box and look at it further, she suddenly heard a very faint noise behind her; a pebble skittering across the ground. She froze, and thought back. Abby had thought she had felt a presence behind her while she was walking, but wasn't paying attention because of her daydreaming. It was then she realized: someone had been following her.

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

Sam took a left turn on the road down to the local market, hearing a plane soar overhead from the Logan Airport a few miles away. She'd always been so fascinated with planes and runways, ever since she was young.

Suddenly, a crash in the building beside her pulled her from the gaze she had placed on that plane. SMASH! SMASH! Whatever was in there, it was making a lot of noise.

Sam's instincts kicked in, and she immediately found herself taking step after step into this large brick building.

The banging continued as she entered, making it relatively easy to find the source of it.

The scream of a man sounded down the hall, causing Sam to jerk her head towards it.

She followed the crashing that slowly turned into rough taps, making her way into a rectangular office-like room. No, not an office, some sort of science lab.

Sam stepped over the broken pieces of glass, making no noise at all. She saw a blue liquid spilled onto the floor, and came over to examine it. The sizzle made her think she probably shouldn't touch it.

But then, there it was: the sound of someone breathing heavily. She turned to see a body. A man's body dressed in a torn white lab coat, blood on his hands and arms. Thank God, he wasn't dead. Sam wouldn't have known what to do. Even now, she was a little unsure.

Crazy thing was, she could have sworn she had seen this man before. Maybe he was one of Abby's old friends? His brown hair and tanned skin just looked so familiar.

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

Abby was panicking. She had no idea what this person was going to do to her. What they wanted with her.

That was, until she saw his face.

He wore a hat, a dark hoodie, ripped jeans, and old sneakers breaking at the seams. He didn't wear a mask or anything, no, just a scowl. He was just a common thief.

Abby looked into his eyes, and saw his story. She knew that sadness: he had to be an orphan. Grubby and dirty: homeless. Skinny: had to steal for food.

Poor guy, she thought, immediately feeling his emotions. He looked angry and intimidating, but in reality he was so, so frightened.

A pistol was in his hand, but it was shaking.

Once Abby had turned around and saw him, he had pointed the gun at her. At first she put up her hands, but once she took him in she put them down.

He sneered at this; "Don't move! Give me your valuables!" He'd done this quite a few times before, she could tell, but he didn't like it one bit.

Then, Abby suddenly reached for her camera. Alarmed, the man cocked his gun, and shouted; "I said DON'T MOVE!" However, Abby just ignored him and snapped a picture of the thief.

"Now," she said, "this can go one of two ways. One; you can take all of my stuff, and I won't put up a fight. Well, everything other than my necklace." She put her hand to her chest for a minute, wrapping her fingers around her intricate key pendant, then continued talking. "It means a lot to me, and I doubt it's worth much. But you seem like the kind of person to respect sentiment, so we probably won't have to worry about that. Anyways, like I was saying, you can take my things without a fight, but I'll have to turn that picture I just took of you in to the police."

The man gave her a quizzical look.

"Oh, and it's uploaded to the Cloud, so..." she smirked, pointing up at the sky.

She took a deep breath next, tugging on her white coat as she looked at him. "Or, we can settle this a different way."

The man simply stared.

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

It seemed as though Sam had waited hours for this man to wake up, but when he finally did, it wasn't what she expected. He didn't see her at first, he just opened his eyes and took a few calming breaths. Sam took a step closer. "Are you alright?" she asked.

The man jumped to his feet rather impressively, all the colour leaving his face. "Stay away." He mumbled. "Stay away from me. I don't want to hurt you." This sounded like more of a request than a warning. She stepped closer. "Please." He cried out, backing away.

Sam continued inching closer until she could touch him. Her hands placed themselves on top of his shoulders and a comforting look appeared on her face. "I'm not going anywhere." She assured him, having to tilt her head back a bit to look up at him. "Are you alright?" she repeated her previous question.

He looked down at the broken glass on the floor, biting his lip. "How long have you been here?" Now he was asking the questions.

Sam thought for a second, shrugging. It had felt like she was waiting forever. "Maybe fifteen, twenty minutes?" She guessed.

"What's your name?" The man asked just before Sam did.

"Sam Watson." She beamed, removing her hands from his shoulders and sticking out one for him to shake.

He managed a smile, then said; "I'm Bruce Banner."

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

Meanwhile Abby had befriended the robber. "Who are you?" He had asked. "Holmes," she answered. "Abbygale Alexis Holmes."

At this he furrowed his eyebrows, he didn't have any electronics but still managed to get to the library computer once in a while, and could swear he had heard this name somewhere before.

"Thomas Brekenridge," he responded. Abby smiled at this, she didn't expect him to tell her his name, but she did have a very trusting face, after all.

It was then that Abby remembered the gun. "Could you maybe put the gun down?" She asked. "They make me very uncomfortable," she swallowed, pushing down a flashback.

Thomas nodded, unloading the gun and throwing it down on the ground.

That was when he looked up and finally noticed the police box. "What's that?" he asked. Remembering what she was doing before he showed up, she let her camera hang around her neck once again and turned back to the wooden structure. "I don't know," she said.

That was when the man stepped out from behind the box.

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

Sam tightened her jacket around herself. She had started helping Bruce clean up the mess all around the lab. White rubber gloves covered her hands to protect her from touching potentially dangerous chemicals.

Bruce had gone to get himself some bandages and some clean clothes, and hadn't been back for a while. Sam shot her head up when she heard someone calling for him. This obviously female voice was hollering his name not too far down the hallway.

Sam pulled off the gloves and desperately tried to hide, squeezing herself into a storage closet in the back of the room. Inside it, she nearly screamed at the plastic skeleton that fell on top of her. CRASH! It fell to the ground, along with a mop and a box of trash bags.

"Shit." Sam muttered to herself quietly, trying to pick it up.

"Bruce?" The voice was now very close. Whoever it was, they were in the room. "Where are you, big guy?"

From what Sam could see through the gap of the door, this woman was tall and slim, with short red hair. Very red hair ...and Sam thought her own hair was red. The woman wore an all black bodysuit, black combat boots and a black leather jacket. The lack of colour brought out her white skin and plump, pink lips.

"I'm here!" Bruce's voice sounded from down the hall, relieving Sam immensely.

"Natasha, hey." He tried sounding casual, but looked around the room at the same time, searching for his new acquaintance.

"What happened?" This so called Natasha asked.

"What? Um, nothing." He bent down to look under the lab table, then seemed to have spotted something. Sam's bracelet. It must have fallen off when she was removing the gloves. She grabbed at her wrist, disappointed to find it bare.

Natasha walked over to him as he picked up the green and blue twist design bracelet off the floor. "So you didn't have another attack?" she asked.

Attack? Sam was confused, watching the two of them intently through the gap. Bruce got up, wiping off his pants. "Oh, um. Yeah, I did. But it was nothing," he assured her, still occasionally peeking in certain places.

"It's never nothing, Bruce. Why didn't you call someone?" Natasha was obviously concerned.

"Because somebody already came." He picked up Sam's gloves.

"Where are they now?"

Bruce straightened out the gloves in his hands. "That's what I'd like to know."

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

The Doctor was very confused.

He had been in the TARDIS, parked, but before he and Clara could leave, a girl bumped into it. He was about to go out, check that the TARDIS was okay, when he heard shouting. He turned on the monitor to see a man with a gun pointing at the girl, and seemed to be threatening her. "Doctor what's happening?" Clara asked, coming beside the Time Lord to look at the monitor with him. She could tell he wasn't just concerned about the time machine anymore.

The girl held up her camera now, taking a very clear picture of the man in front of her. The Doctor's eyes widened as he saw her talking calmly. He continued to watch, and suddenly she was pointing at the clouds.

For a moment the Doctor just watched this spectacle, but as soon as the man dropped the gun he bolted out the door, Clara following him. "Hey! What's going on?" He stepped out of his time machine, sonic screwdriver in hand, as Clara popped her head out beside him.

Abby didn't know what to think of a man dressed in a velvet jacket with owl-like eyebrows coming out of a large blue police box.

"Are you alright?" the Doctor asked her, beaming a green light on her head with his sonic.

Abby backed away from him, curious as to why a grown man was probing her hair. "Just fine, thanks." She wiped her hands on her jeans. "Who are you?"

He tugged at the opening of his jacket, and Clara smirked at his classic gesture. "I'm the Doctor."

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

Sam couldn't fathom the amount of dust she was inhaling in that closet. It mustn't have been opened in ages. She felt a tickle in her throat and bit down hard on her lip, trying to hold back a cough. It wasn't working.

Bruce was still talking with Natasha, clutching the bracelet in his hand. Sam prayed that they both would leave, for the sake of her respiratory system, but mostly because she didn't want to look like an idiot, falling out of the closet. Now it really wasn't working.

She clutched the shelf behind her, trying to silently clear her throat. No luck. She hacked out a cough, then quickly slapped a hand over her mouth.

Bruce's gaze fell upon the closet, and Natasha had a confused expression. "What was that?" she wondered cautiously, stepping toward the door Sam hid behind. She whipped it open, revealing a blushing red young girl, hand over her mouth, and a skeleton leaning on her. "Bruce," Natasha was clearly worried as she said this. "What have you done?"

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

Abby could tell this "Doctor" was confused as she began untying her shoes. "Doctor who?" she asked.

"Doctor Disco!" he grinned to himself, receiving a weak jab in the ribs, courtesy of his companion. "And this is Clara," he added, baffled with what Abby was doing. "Who are you?" he asked.

At this point the black converse were off, and Abby was handing them to her new friend. Thomas looked at her in confusion. "Try them on," Abby said. "They should fit." At this, his expression became grateful, and he put the sneakers on. They were a bit snug, but still fit nicely enough.

"Abbygale Holmes," she said to the Doctor. "You can call me Abby. This is my friend, Thomas. We're pleased to meet you, Doctor. Right Thomas?" She turned her head to the man, and he nodded slowly, paying more attention to the feeling of new shoes again.

"Friend!?" the Doctor exclaimed, alarmed at this. "He just held you at gunpoint!" He raised his voice a bit; he was obviously in distress.

Abby simply said; "Yes, he did, and I forgive him. Although I've no idea how you knew that."

The Doctor stared at her, his bushy eyebrows furrowed together, and even Clara looked upset. Abby then shimmied around the two, walking around the box and stopping at the front. Frowning a bit in thought, her face suddenly dropped and she looked at the time on her phone. "Um, well, nice to meet you folks and all, but I'm late for work!" And just like that, Abby wearing only socks on her feet, ran off.

The Doctor and Clara looked at each other in complete and utter confusion, then raced after Abby, leaving Thomas to admire his new shoes.

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

Bruce's face turned white as he stared at Sam, who still by the way, was in the closet. Natasha was helping her out of it, rubbing her back as if comforting her. This confused Sam, she hadn't been hurt, but Natasha was acting as if she had. As if Bruce had hurt her. "I'm fine, I'm fine." Sam protested.

"You aren't hurt anywhere?" Natasha wondered, looking up and down Sam's form.

"No." She glanced at Bruce, then down at her bracelet in his hand. "Nobody hurt me. I saw someone who needed help, and I helped. Simple as that."

Sam moved past Natasha and over to Bruce, who then handed her what she wanted. She looked at him for a second and fixed the fabric over his shoulders, smiling kindly up at him. "Until we meet again, Mr. Banner." She said awkwardly, turning around.

"Yes. Sure." Bruce stumbled over his words, shocked that she was taking everything so well.

Sam looked at Natasha quickly before exiting the room, waving at her as she stepped into the hallway.

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

Abby was running, running so fast. She had always been quick, but had terrible endurance. It was thanks to this that the Doctor and Clara were able to catch up to her, but by then she was already inside the Boston Globe office building.

As Abby reached the security guards, she flashed them a smile, oblivious of the two time travelers behind her. "Wait!" one of the guards said to them.

"Oh, come on!" The Doctor whined, flipping his physic paper to them. The guard nodded with a bewildered look on his face, and at this the Doctor charged in. "Americans," he muttered under his breath, Clara chuckling at this.

However, once they got inside, the mysterious girl was out of sight.

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

It didn't take long for Bruce to realize that he didn't want Sam to go. He was curious about her, why she hadn't been scared of him. His curiosity lead him to run after her. She was in the midst of throwing her hair back into a tiny ponytail when Bruce finally saw her again. They both stood awkwardly in the veggie section of the nearby market: the only market within walking distance from Sam's apartment.

"Hello again." Sam spoke in a low register for a reason she wasn't quite sure of.

"Yes, I followed you." Bruce said suddenly.

"I noticed." She nonchalantly placed a head of lettuce into her shopping basket. They both stayed quiet for an uncomfortably long time as Sam made her way down the rows of vegetables. Bruce stayed at a safe distance, but still moved along with her, not saying a word. "So, um ...are we just gonna stand in awkward silence, or are you gonna tell me why you're following me?" Sam piped up a moment later.

"Because I'm curious." Bruce stepped in front of her.

She moved aside and continued walking. "Curious about what, exactly?"

"You."

Sam jerked her head and looked at him, wondering why someone would be interested in her. Why someone would follow her around just to say they were curious.

"You're not scared of me." Bruce urged a bit.

"I have no reason to be." She furrowed her eyebrows as she said this. "You're not scary. You're ..." She paused. "Cute."

Bruce's cheeks turned pink and he tried to hide the fact that he was blushing.

"But look, I've gotta be going." Sam placed a pack of yoghurt into the basket; the last thing she needed to buy, then nudged Bruce on the arm, beginning to walk away.

"Where can I find you?" Bruce wondered, his cheeks still rather colourful.

"Just about anywhere." Sam winked, and then she was off.

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

Abby trotted into the office after getting some shoes from the lost and found, sliding into her chair and turning her computer on. "You're running late," a voice said.

It was Josie, Abby's editor. Abby and Josie had a bit of a love-hate relationship, so she wasn't surprised when her boss came up to her desk with a smirk on her face.

"Yeah, I got held up." She actually meant "held up" as in with a gun, but Josie obviously didn't understand that.

"With what? Oh, never mind. You got a good crack today, there was a break-in at the Aberforth bank today, but nothing was taken and everyone that had been there are unconscious at the hospital."

Abby had chuckled slightly at the irony of the not-robbery, but then her eyes widened in surprise at the details of the witnesses. Josie glanced towards her office, then back at Abby.

"You should get going, see if you can interview some people that were nearby. This could be a good break for you, the only reason you got it is 'cause everyone else is busy." Abby grinned at this, then dashed out the door.

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

"Who was that girl?" Clara asked.

"Abbygale Holmes, apparently," the Doctor answered.

They had left the building once she disappeared, and now were walking around aimlessly.

"You know what? Let's split up," Clara finally offered.

"What? No!" The Doctor said. He was worried about her; they were in a strange city and who knows what kind of people lived there.

"Why not? We can take more distance that way and find whatever it is we're looking for. The TARDIS obviously brought us here for a reason."

The Doctor scowled a bit as he thought it over. Maybe she was right, it would make this aimless searching faster. "Fine," he harrumphed, crossing his arms. Clara smiled, and the Doctor then pointed his finger at her. "But be careful," he warned. "The only reason I'm saying yes is because I don't see any immediate danger other than that gunman back there." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder in the direction they had come.

Clara started to walk away, but he wasn't done lecturing her. "Make sure to keep track of where you're going, so you don't get lost. And keep your phone on you! We'll meet back at the TARDIS in an hour," he added.

Then he started to cross the street grumbling; "At least you aren't wandering off without my permission."

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

Sam was making her way back to the apartment rather quickly, step after step, she seemed to pick up speed. She was making a left around the block, right next to the building she had first met Bruce in when she slammed into someone accidentally.

She stumbled back, but a hand grabbed her arm, balancing her before she could fall. "Sorry, sorry." Sam said instinctively, looking into the eyes of the girl standing in front of her. They were chocolate coloured, matching her hair, a leather jacket covered her shoulders and a red and black dress cut off at her knees.

"That's alright, love." The girl's British accent intrigued Sam, making her want this person to say more.

"I uh... Um. It's. Thanks." She stumbled over her own words, suddenly hot in the face and losing grip on the shopping bags she held. Why was she acting like this?

"Are you alright?" The girl wondered, moving her head forward slightly so she could get a better look at Sam.

"Mmm." Sam's mouth muttered a sound that indicated she was fine. Of course, that's not what she wanted to say.

"I'm Clara Oswald." The girl said sweetly with a touch of boldness as well.

"S-S.." Sam cleared her throat, determined to pronounce her own name correctly. "Sam Watson."

Clara smiled, showing her gorgeous white teeth. Sam adored this for a reason she couldn't quite understand. In fact, she adored just about every single inch of Clara Oswald. Why was this? She didn't know.

"I'm uh. I should probably uh..." Sam pointed past Clara, trying hard to muster up another group of words.

"Get going?" She guessed, trying to help Sam along.

"Yeah, that."

Clara furrowed her eyebrows. Her perfectly neat eyebrows. "Why? I thought we was just getting acquainted."

That British voice sparked fire in Sam's heart and her entire body went hot, rather than just her face. "Well I mean I just need to..." She trailed off as their eyes met and Clara knew she'd been having some sort of effect on Sam. "put this stuff away." She finished her own sentence with relief, breaking the gaze that she and Clara shared.

"I'll tag along!" Clara insisted. "Lead the way, Miss Watson."

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

As Abby made her way to the crime scene, she heard something soaring overhead, but she couldn't quite make out what it was. Couldn't have been a plane or a helicopter, no, this sounded different. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

That was when people in the crowd behind the police barrier started to gasp in excitement, pointing up into the sky. Abby looked up to see a flash of gold and red come crashing down to the ground, but then slow down and hover the rest of the way.

It was a suit, a suit made of metal. It was Iron Man.

To be honest, although she was acting unimpressed, Abby was secretly fangirling on the inside. Tony Stark was a brilliant man with a brilliant mind, and on top of that, he was a hero. She couldn't believe that he was standing right here in front of her, in his suit.

The crowd was gasping and cheering, as well as jumping and clapping.

Abby stepped forward towards the barrier, and started to reach for her camera to to snap a few pictures, when she remembered why she was there. The bank situation, all of the people in the hospital.

At this point Tony had already waved to the crowd, and was past the barrier talking to the police. Abby raised an eyebrow at this, and listened in.

"...so can I have a look?" Tony finished whatever he was saying. Abby's jaw dropped in surprise. Surely they weren't going to just let him in?

"Uh-um sure. I'll need an autograph though, my daughter loves you," the police officer responded, much to Abby's chagrin. The two men chuckled, and Abby sneered.

"Hold up, you can't just let him in like that!" Abby spoke up. "He has no authority, he doesn't even have a badge or anything!"

Tony and the cop turned to her, the Iron Man suit making a mechanical sound as it moved. Tony flipped up the mask to reveal his face and get a better look at Abby, the crowd very happy at this.

Ignoring the people around her and focusing on the hero, Abby was beginning to get quite peeved. She generally liked following rules, especially when she agreed with them, such as not letting the public into crime scenes.

"I like you, kid." Tony said. "Ya got moxie."

He looked at Abby's chest for a second, noticing her press badge and camera hanging around her neck.

"You've got a badge, why don't you come in with me. That okay Rob?" he asked the officer. Rob nodded with a smile, still starstruck.

This offer made the young reporter very conflicted.

On the one hand, she new rules were being broken, and she had always been disgusted with cheaters. On the other, this could get her really working on the case, nearly guaranteeing her a promotion. It took her a moment to decide, but Abby eventually -and reluctantly- swung her leg over the wooden barrier.

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

Clara entered Sam's apartment, gazing at the paintings that were hung artistically on the walls as Sam set the groceries down on the kitchen table.

"I'm just gonna pop into the bathroom really quick and then we can chat it up, okay?" Sam was happy to have finally gotten a full coherent sentence out of her mouth though it wasn't really that clever.

"Okay, no rush." Clara smiled and leaned against the counter, her finger tapping her chin.

Sam shut the bathroom door behind her and locked it, looking at herself in the mirror. She immediately began critiquing herself, pulling out her ponytail, moving her hair a few different ways, and making sure her makeup looked even. Then she washed her hands after popping a breath mint into her mouth. "Looking good, Sam." She muttered to herself. "Let's make a good first impression."

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

All the while, Clara was standing in the kitchen, intrigued with the amount of photos hung on the fridge with magnets. She laughed at the one of Sam with ice cream on her nose while she sat with her arm around someone strangely familiar. Clara leaned forward to get a closer look, staring intently at the girl beside Sam.

"Abbygale Holmes," she whispered, taking the picture off the fridge delicately. Her free hand found its way to her back pocket where she then grabbed her cellphone. Unlocking the screen, she dialed the number that she knew would ring the TARDIS phone.

"Clara! Where are you?" The Doctor wondered on the other end.

"I'm downtown, in an apartment." Clara said quietly.

"Why are you whispering?" He mimicked her soft tone. "Are you in danger?"

"No, I've just ...I think I've found where Abbygale Holmes lives." She glanced back at the picture, then quickly stuck it back onto the fridge as she heard Sam open the bathroom door. "Yeah! Sure, mum! I love you too, bye!" Clara hung up and smiled again, resting her chin on her knuckles she leaned on the counter once again.

"What was that all about?" Sam asked, opening the fridge for a refreshment.

"Oh, just my mum." Clara bit her lip, hoping Sam didn't find her suspicious.

She pulled out a bottle of water from the fridge and offered it to Clara, who shook her head politely, but took a seat at the kitchen table. Sam sat across from her, still oddly attracted to her appearance.

Clara cleared her throat and put her elbows on the table. "So, do you live here with anyone else?"

Sam picked at her fingernails, a nasty habit of hers. "Yeah, Abby. My best friend." She looked up at Clara. "Why?"

"Just curious." She answered, sitting back in her chair. "What's it like?"

Sam furrowed her eyebrows. "What's what like?"

"Living with your best friend."

She chuckled a bit at this, folding her hands for no particular reason, then she grinned. "I haven't been happier."

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

Abby was having mixed emotions. Sure, she was honored to be in the presence of such a genius, but she had had no idea that the great Tony Stark was so arrogant!

"So, Boston Globe?" Tony asked, breaking Abby out of her thoughts. She glanced down at her badge and nodded. "Big time reporter, so my question is, why haven't you started taking pictures of me yet?"

So he was self-centered too. "Because I didn't come here for you," she answered with a snort. "I came for all the people in the hospital. Now, the real question is, what is a superhero like you doing in Boston?"

They entered the bank now, and began to look around.

"Well, there was nothing to do and I heard this was suspected alien. The sedative found in the victims is unrecognizable so far," Tony said.

Abby raised an eyebrow, both curious and excited. She snapped a few pictures, and then walked around a bit, noticing a thin, dust-like film covering most of the surfaces in the room. She ran her right pointer and middle fingers along a table, then inspected them. "Could it be this stuff?" she asked, sniffing her fingers. It smelled suspiciously like... maple sugar? She licked it to test, and her tongue immediately went numb. "Uh, yeah, itsth thisth sthuff," she giggled, her speech impedimented.

Tony turned and laughed. "Did you seriously just taste it?" He went over to Abby.

"Ylup," she snickered. Her smile grew even more as she realized something. "My fingerthips are going tingly!"

Tony, growing a bit concerned, wiped the sweet-smelling dust off her fingers. Abby had a grateful look on her face as the feeling started to diminish, well from her fingers anyhow. Her tongue was still numb, and now that she had touched the roof of her mouth with it that was also beginning to lose feeling.

"Here," Tony said. He had grabbed a water bottle and handed it to her. "Rinse, don't swallow." Abby did as told but then didn't know where to spit, so she walked away to look for a bathroom.

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The Doctor wandered aimlessly through the city, searching for his companion. He'd left her five voicemails after she hung up on him, to none of which she replied. He tried keeping calm, reassuring himself that Clara was fine. There was a bit of commotion coming from a block over, where a horde of people stood in front of the Aberforth bank. He made his way over with curiosity, tugging the dark jacket around him tighter.

"Out of the way, gotta get through," he said, squeezing through the crowd, but he froze when he saw what was inside. His eyes widened as he stared at the metal red and gold suit in front of him. "Cyberman. Since when have they been using colour? And hot rod red? Bloody hell." He muttered to himself, looking at the backside of Tony Stark through the bank window. When Tony turned, however, the Doctor's heart beats slowed to a normal pace again as he realized there was no imposing threat.

"Hey, I need to get in." The Doctor said to a guard that held him up at the entrance.

"You are not permitted to enter." The man kept a firm hand on the Doctor's shoulder.

He cleared his throat and pulled his psychic paper from the inner pocket of his jacket. "I think you'll find here, that I absolutely am."

The man took a step back with a shocked expression. "Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry sir. Please! Go in!"

The Doctor chuckled softly and mumbled, "I love it when they do that." He stepped inside, and walked up the the man in metal.

"Sir, where did you get that?" The man's face seemed normal, he was certainly human, or at least not a cyberman.

The first thing Tony noticed about him was his strange coat. "Why are you wearing that?" he guffawed.

The Doctor looked very insulted. "What? I was trying to go for minimalist," he said grumpily, slightly upset as he straightened it around his torso. "But nevermind that, where the hell did you get that armour?" He pointed at Tony when he referred to the Iron Man suit.

Tony was quite shocked. "What do you mean where did I get this? I made this!"

The Doctor was about to respond when someone bumped into him. The officer distracted him, and for some reason his gaze was drawn to the floor.

Everywhere people had walked, you could see very faint footprints left behind. They were walking in a thin layer of some sort of dust.

The Doctor noticed that this thick powdery substance was covering nearly everything in the room. Well, everything that had been here before the cops got in. Curious that this might be something he should find out more about, the Doctor reached out his hand to a countertop.

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Abby stepped out of the bathroom, the water bottle in hand. Rinsing didn't help much. She used her wrist to wipe some wet off the corner of her lips, when she realized she was drooling a bit. Scrunching her face up in disgust, Abby turned the corner to see a familiar face, the strange man with the magician's jacket.

"What is he doing here?" she asked herself.

Just then the Doctor did what Abby did earlier, he dragged his fingers through the stuff and smelled it, then held it up to his mouth. Tony noticed what he was going to do just in time.

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"I wouldn't do that if I were you, old man," he warned him.

"Why not?" the Doctor asked him. He seemed a bit annoyed with the man, yet also concerned.

"'Cause that reporter girl just did it and her tongue went numb." Sure enough, the Doctor's fingers had started to lose feeling. Furrowing his eyebrows, he wiped them off on his pants, just in time it seemed.

"I don't know why she did that though, peculiar young woman. She seems to love the rules too." At this point Tony had taken a sample of the dust. "Anything yet Jarvis?"

"Not yet sir," a voice replied. The Doctor had no idea where it came from and wished to investigate this man further, but for now he had a strange feeling that he should consider this girl he mentioned.

"Where is she now?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, she went to the ladies' room to rinse out her mouth... should've been back by now."

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Abby had become overwhelmed, partly from the growing crowd of law enforcement. She didn't like being in crowds, as it made her claustrophobic. It was strange though, as when she was in a group of friends or alone in a small space she was fine. It was too many strangers that made her nervous. She had taken to calling it "coagulation anxiety."

That and seeing the Doctor again. She feared that he was following her for some reason, as it wouldn't have been the first time she knew someone with a stalker-ish vibe.

Even though this was what she was thinking logically, something else was telling her that it just wasn't time to see him yet. She needed someone else to help with the report anyhow, this wasn't exactly a one-woman job.

But for now, she headed back to the apartment, deciding to take a different alley than this morning.

((A/N: So that was the first chapter of many! You can find the WIP Master list here, with a link as well to the story on Wattpad. And don’t worry, John and Sherlock are going to show up in a few chapters. I hope you enjoyed!))