#the daily struggles of robin

[little-annie]

Happy Birthday @strangerthingswritersguild ❤️

M (Mentions of sexual activity and Eddie's 🍆) | WC 836 | Stobin & Steddie

It was Steve's 29th birthday and although Eddie had plans -rockstar duties- that didn't stop Robin from swooping in and saving the day.

Work couldn't be escaped, which sure, that was shitty, but Steve owned the place and still had to see through certain duties on a daily basis. Plus it gave him and Robin the opportunity to hash out their plans for the evening. On their way out of the shop they ordered pizza to Steve's apartment and set out to the closest gas station to procure a hoard of candy and a couple bottles of wine.

It was their constant gabbing back and forth that distracted Steve from Eddie's car in the parkade. 

Both he and Robin, oblivious to the fact of what was waiting in the apartment for Steve, they carried on.

By the time the elevator reached the 34th floor, a bag of Skittles had been demolished and Steve was laughing so hard he was hiccuping. With tears in his eyes and gasping for breath Steve was bent over wheezing when Robin opened the door to his and Eddie's apartment, leaving him momentarily blind to the sight before him.

But that didn't mean he missed the blood curdling scream released by Robin in the same instant Eddie's voice yelled out a happy, “Surprise!”

Popping upright with the joy that his boyfriend was home for his birthday, Steve was met with a very nude Eddie. There in his porcelain skin and tattooed glory, Eddie was laid out on their black leather couch, surrounded by rose petals, candles and chocolates.

Steve's heart fluttered with excitement.

And Robin's shuddered with horror. “Eddie! What the fuck!? Put your junk away!”

While Eddie calmly cupped himself on the couch not moving another inch from his position, Steve struggled to pull his eyes away as Robin's ire was turned towards him.

“I thought you said he wasn't going to be home, Dingus. How am I ever going get the image of Eddie's saggy nuts -

“-hey my nuts aren't saggy!”

- out of my head. It'll be forever burned into my retinas. I'll have to bleach my eyeballs or carve them out with a fucking spoon.”

Eddie's now grumbling to himself on the couch looking down at his crotch, most likely trying to hype himself up from Robin's early insult. Steve's sure he hears the whispered words of, ‘You're not saggy, you're perfectly normal and I love you.’ And with Eddie Steve can never be sure, but it's not a far off guess.

God how he loves that dork.

Steve can't believe Eddie flew in from his tour for his birthday.

Still shielding himself from Robin's delicate eyes, Eddie catches Steve's lingering stare and puckers his lips into a kiss, blowing it in Steve's direction while he continues to stand in the doorway with Robin.

Eventually he decides to tune back into her rant.

“- penis, Steve. I'm a lesbian, I shouldn't have to see anyone's dick. And we both know I've seen yours enough as is. Lord knows I can't forget last Halloween and the horror that it truly was. But Eddie's?! I didn't need to know it was pierced, let alone tattooed! Sure you probably would have told me eventually, but come on man, I didn't need to see it.”

It's the mention of such a tattoo that has Steve whipping his head back in Eddie's direction.

Eddie didn't have a tattoo there when he left.

Oh.

Oh.

As Steve catches on and Eddie sends him a wink, mouthing a sly ‘Surprise,’ he has to restrain him from shoving Robin out the door.

“Get out.”

Robin's rambling stops and she looks at Steve deeply offended, “Excuse me.”

He'll make it up to her later, but currently his rockstar boyfriend is laid out naked on their expensive couch with a new tattoo that Steve really feels the deep seeded need to taste, lick from the man's body, or suck from his skin. 

Truly any of the above works.

Robin rolls her eyes and groans, “But Steve-uh, the pizza.”

“I'll order a pizza to your damn apartment, Robby. But I swear to god if you don't leave in the next five seconds you're going to see a whole lot more than just a single dick.”

She scrunches her nose in disgust, “Boo you whore.”

“You know it.” Steve states proudly, “Now out, please. I swear once Eddie's gone we can do a pizza and wine night.”

Robin groans once again, but she does eventually leave with a pinch to Steve's ass and a snarky, “Don't get him pregnant!” sent in Eddie's general direction.

With the click of the door behind him, Steve sheds his clothes clumsily and hops from one foot to the other as he steps out of his jeans, then underwear, on his way to the couch.

With little to no grace he falls into Eddie's arms with a giggle, feeling the press of lips to his forehead and the whispered words of, “Happy Birthday, Baby,” to his skin.

[thatanimewriter]

𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐘 - 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳.

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❝ 𝐢 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞. ❞ ── 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘹 𝘨𝘯. 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

you used to be a bodyguard for sunday and robin, but after a certain accident involving robin, you've been stripped of your job to work for siobhan. you've never seen sunday or robin since until this year's charmony festival.

── 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧, 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴

𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 + 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

"you shouldn't make this a habit. people will start thinking you're an alcoholic," you advised. the bar was empty, save for a couple pepeshis sitting at the counter minding their own business.

"it's only been 3 visits," sunday protested, swirling his glass of water that you provided upon his request.

"yeah, 3 visits daily," you added. "alcoholism isn't a good look for you. there are better ways to handle grief, you know?"

"i'm not grieving."

"whatever helps you sleep at night..."

sunday stared at his reflection in his water and frowned at his warped image that rippled across the surface. if he squinted, maybe he'd see a glimpse of robin and feel something aside from anger and numbness.

you eyed his forlorn expression and felt somewhat disappointed that you didn't give him a little robin decoration on his glass, but figured it was probably for the better that you omitted that detail. you forced your gaze away from him as you pulled a block of ice to your station.

his eyes flicked to your hands as you swiped a knife from the counter, expertly shaving off sections of the block. he recalled moments where you'd protected him and robin from various situations, a blade or a gun occupied your hand where he once wished his hand could reside. he was reminded that despite your mellow status at dreamjolt hostelry, you had the capability of a killer. his hand shook as he sat upright.

"i have a favour to ask..." his breath nearly hitched as your gaze snapped to him, burning into his eyes through your lashes. your hands never stopped chipping at the ice, and he found himself slightly intimidated by your aura.

"i already gave you a clue," you warned, moving on to another ice cube, creating surfaces and edges with extra force.

"it's small, i promise," sunday said. he watched you carefully as you huffed, not bothering to give him another glance. "i have some business with aventurine and dr. ratio and i was hoping i could get an escort for them so i can be sure they don't make any... side quests along the way."

you threw the knife into the wooden chopping board and leaned against the counter with a dangerous glare. "i believe that's part of the job you fired me from."

"it's just the once." sunday found himself feeling panic rise in his throat and he struggled to hold eye contact with you.

"you could ask anyone else, but you had the audacity to come to me about this." your hand remained on the bar counter, but sunday worried that you might take the knife out of its temporary holder and turn it on him. a scoff left your lungs and you pushed off the countertop to make yourself a drink.

"why would you-"

"to forget about the bullshit request you just asked of me."

your hands moved swiftly along the various bottles and ingredients, yet your eyes were distant and unreadable. for a moment, sunday was concerned that you were being possessed with the way you seemed to dissociate from the world. he jumped when you skulled your drink, slamming it onto the counter and wiping your lips with the back of your hand.

"ask gallagher," you said gruffly. "he's not fired, he must be good."

sunday's wings perked up slightly and he tapped his index finger on the side of his glass as he stared at his reflection in the water again. "anything you want," he mumbled, fighting off the smirk that threatened to grow on his lips.

"speak up."

"anything you want," he repeated. "i'll give it to you if you do this for me." your shoulders tensed and the creases on your face remained. you exhaled and swiped his glass to down what was left. "hey-"

"i'll think about it," you interrupted, continuing to shave ice into gems for different cocktails. "but this isn't for me, hm?"

sunday's lips turned upwards. "you got me, i just need to make sure this is done efficiently and i don't trust gallagher," he explained.

"i hope you walk into traffic and are out of commission for weeks," you admitted. "if i take the bribe, you'll hold that over my head since you couldn't hang me for robin."

"or you'd just be losing an opportunity to get the most expensive jewels and clothes without the money coming out of your bank account," he offered.

"nothing comes for free with you. and i can't be bought, so you'll have to find something else," you said. "you hate me, i hate you, and this deal means i get the short end of the stick."

"are you going to keep treating me as if i'm a villain when all i did was react to your mistake?" sunday prodded, swirling the ice in his glass.

"sounds like someone was too obsessed with his sister to read the fucking report to me," you spat. another ice gem was placed into the freezer and you slid the ice shavings into the sink with the blade of the knife. "go make yourself useful, you don't have a place here."

"you don't seem to be doing much either."

"i'm not a member of the family, i don't have a whole dreamscape to be running," you countered. sunday hummed and held out his glass to you. "i will charge you for water."

"that's fine, i have the money."

"fuck you."

to your absolute horror and distaste, sunday refused to budge from his place at the bar until it came time for you to head home. you began to charge him double whenever he asked for another glass of water, and at one point, you told him you hoped he pissed his pants.

you nearly cried seeing siobhan walk through the door to take over from your shift. you waved enthusiastically, widening your eyes slightly as a silent plead for help. she seemed to chuckle at your behaviour and motioned for you to take a seat.

"you are a blessing, madam," you said, loosening the collar of your shirt. "i'm being driven mad."

"always here to help," she joked. "want your usual?" you nodded, and her shift commenced. you tried to ignore the idle chatter between siobhan and sunday, but it was difficult to block out the annoying tone of sunday's voice when that was all you'd been hearing for the past 4 hours.

"can you make another one... or five," you requested bashfully.

"really? you're not one to get drunk usually," siobhan noted. "is it cause of this guy?" she pointed at sunday, who stared at you incredulously.

"yep."

"ah, i see. alright, i guess. let me know when you've had enough," she relented with a smirk.

"are you seriously letting them indulge?" sunday protested, watching as you waited for your first drink. "what if they get alcohol poisoning?"

"aww," you cooed, "the first time you care about my wellbeing will be imprinted in my memory for life."

"i just don't want paperwork," sunday reasoned, shooting you a half-lidded look of disinterest.

"play nice," siobhan chided playfully, handing you your first drink. "drink up, babes." you giggled childishly at the prospect of having a drink after 4 hours of torture and grasped the glass in your hands.

"thank you," you called, dragging out your words. sunday sighed at your immaturity before choosing to make use of siobhan's presence and ask her some questions about his predicament.

"there's been some cases of guests going missing, or i suppose, dying. do you know anything about this?" he asked. the rage seemed to dissipate as he focused on his task at hand.

siobhan hummed in thought. "can't say i have, but i think gallagher may know something about it. i spoke with him and the astral express crew recently, and they must be doing some investigating on the disappearance of someone else."

"interesting..." he mumbled. a twinge of annoyance reignited in his chest at the second recommendation for gallagher's knowledge or expertise, but he pushed on. as he continued questioning siobhan, he noted your growing collection of empty glasses.

"i'm goin' home, siobhan," you announced after downing the last of your 4th drink, gathering your things and slinging your bag over your shoulder.

the woman smiled and waved goodbye. "get home safe," she said, turning to sunday once more. "anything else you'd like to know?"

"i have no further questions," sunday answered, standing and tucking his chair beneath the bar. "i'll be going now."

siobhan glanced at the door and chuckled at the group of glasses on the back counter. "do you mind following them? i just want to make sure they get home safe for real this time."

"this time? have they run into trouble before?" sunday wondered, unsurprised at the trouble that followed you wherever you went.

"ah, just a few times, but they're capable of defending themselves. i just don't want complaints from guests about a dreamscape broken nose." she shrugged her shoulders casually. "they deserve it if they decide to mess with little [name], but y'know... trouble in paradise isn't ideal."

sunday frowned at the notion that people were actively trying to interact with you when you were an unwilling participant. "i thought i would be able to escape the mess that is [name], but as thanks for the information, i'll do it," he sighed.

"it's the least you can do considering your history with each other," siobhan added with a sly smile.

"they told you?"

"well, the demotion from bodyguard to bartender seemed a bit weird to me, and you know i love a little gossip now and then."

"i see..." he muttered, turning his back to her and jogging to catch up with you. he quickly slowed to match your pace and held his arm behind his back to prevent the potential hand brushes as he walked you home.

"i've dealt with you enough, don't you think?" you grumbled, rubbing your forehead.

"it's not my idea, it was siobhan's," he countered. "i wouldn't be here if i had a choice, and you had so much to drink, i doubt your ability to remember where your house is."

"bold of you to assume i have a house," you joked.

"what?"

"i'm kidding, your arrogance didn't leave me without a home." you rolled your eyes at sunday's sudden concern that he hasn't held for you in years. "you've stripped me of a lot, but my clothes and my house aren't part of that."

"must you be so crass?" sunday hissed, his wings coming to cover his cheeks slightly at the flustering mention of nudity.

"i didn't say the clothes had to be off of my body, are you sure you're an angel with that absolute gutter brain?" his wings twitched and they extended to cover more of his face because of his slip up.

"just hurry up so i can drop you home and get out of your way," he complained.

you slowed your pace on purpose. "nope, i don't need you finding out where i live. you'll come knocking on my door asking for favours again, and i like that my house is a haven from the likes of you."

"you act like i want you."

"i'm just observing what i see. this is the 3rd day in a row i've seen you specifically in my workplace, and you know it's my workplace," you argued.

"2 of those times haven't been for you," he defended.

"and you knew there was a chance i'd be there," you rebutted.

"are you even going to do the favour i asked?"

you hummed for a moment as you reached golden hour, weaving between the crowds of people. "you'll find out. dr ratio is smart, if it's not me, he'll bring himself. if i'm not at the reverie by 12pm, tell them to go find their own way."

"really? you're gonna put your own terms on this?" sunday huffed.

"do you want my help or not?" you gave him a pointed look as you stopped walking and he heaved a sigh.

"aren't you drunk? would you even remember this part of the deal?" he questioned, eyebrow twitching with irritation.

"am i?" you pushed, stepping back for him to examine your frame. "you tell me."

"i'm going to say yes," he said.

"i'm more sober than that guy," you noted, pointing to a man leaning against a wall, vomiting rainbows. as sunday turned around to look at what you were pointing at, you disappeared into the crowd, hiding between the many aristocrats and pepeshis.

when he moved to face you again, he groaned at your sudden absence. his gloved fingers pinched his nose bridge and his lips pressed into a thin line before his phone buzzed in his pocket.

SIOBHAN 3:51 pm did they get home safe? SUNDAY 3:51 pm well, about that... SIOBHAN 3:51 pm they ran away from you, didn't they? SUNDAY 3:52 pm yes.

TAGLIST: if your username is in bold, i couldn't tag you, tags are broken right now-

@galagarts @junyueyin @i-am-tiredd @caeruslumiere @abyssmal-skies @jellofishuu @axerrri @the-cottage-dragon @qwnelisa @velovicy @sweetistic @zuoran03 @jar-03

[lexirosewrites]

HI ITS THE ANON WHO DOESNT KNOW HOW SLICK SUNDAYS WORK 

Ignore this if it doesn’t fit IM SORRY 

love the idea of beta eddie very obviously trying to court alpha steve but steve is so used to having to do the courting to omegas that he doesn't really understand what eddie's doing, like in highschool when steve was king steve eddie always gave him free weed and offered to smoke with him and had all his favorite snacks for when he got the munchies and he wrote steve little love notes for his locker but Steve didn't know it was eddie and just assumed some shy omega on suppressants made them, 

and the hellfire group sans Dustin and Co bullied eddie relentlessly for falling for the meanest bitchiest alpha in the entire school but eddie likes them mean and cranky, and after the upside down eddie is obsessed with trying to unleash the hidden bitchy part of Steve that he hides from the group because he's trying to Improve Himself (™) and eddie is still obviously very openly courting steve, everyone but steve knows about it, 

its why steve hasn't been able to get any dates even during starcourt, because all the people knew that just outside the shiny glass door was eddie ‘the creep’ Munson glaring daggers at any giggling omega, ready to challenge anyone who tries to so much as scent him, so after the upside down eddie is full on courting him, he's doing both alpha and omega rituals though because betas were never given courting rules like alphas and omegas were, so eddie makes Steve food and helps with his meal prepping and cheers him on when Steve goes running around the track field every Sunday, and he always leaves a few of his sleep shirts on Steve's bed and maybe steals a shirt for himself, and Steve kinda accidentally starts a nest with all eddie’s clothing but he doesnt realize thats what hes doing and eddie is very pleased by this development but doesnt say anything because he knows steve is clueless, hes always touching steve very posessively like hes waiting for someone to challenge him and snarls (as close to a snarl as a beta can get at least) at anyone who he considers a threat to him and Steve mating, and he scents the entire house and Steve, very openly rubbing his face against Steve's scent glands in public, but Steve's had so many hits to the face that he can't really smell how strong it is and Steve kinda struggles with more subtle social cues, like he can be very good with people in certain situations but in other areas his skills fail him.

 Like, eddie is a beta, Steve has meticulous protocol for how to interact with everyone drilled into him by his parents and higher class society but nowhere in the beta folder in Steve's head does he have any rules on how a beta might court him or what to do in that situation since the posh people of hawins are more old fashioned and the idea of an alpha or an omega entertaining a beta in any way has always been taboo or crass to even think about, so because he doesn't have it perfectly cataloged already he just doesn't process that something is happening, 

Now obviously Steve is just as gone as Eddie is but he doesn’t think he has a chance, I’m thinking this goes on for a while and it doesn’t seem like anything is going to change, Eddie’s obsession is going strong and Steve’s cluelessness knows no bounds, UNTIL some omega tries to flirt with Eddie when he’s doing his daily visit to family video to give Steve his courting lunch and of course scent him into oblivion in the break room, cue Steve going near feral at the idea of an omega touching Eddie, snarling at the poor omega, seeing red, and pretty much forcing Eddie by the scruff of his neck into the back room to stake his claim 

Eddie is more than fine with this arrangement. Robin, who clocks in ten minutes later, very much is not. 

i’ll be the first one to admit i don’t utilize betas enough in my fics because i find it hard to fit them into the chaos meaningfully, but this is a great example of making the most of betas and fucking with the construction of the omegaverse society!!!💛

[thevoidstaredback]

Clark hadn't meant to spend so long in Gotham. In fact, he'd intended to leave as soon as he was done interviewing Misters Wayne! But then his train had been delayed. And then he'd seen Signal...

Staying was a huge risk. He didn't know why Batman didn't want any of the Justice League in Gotham, but he was willing to bet that it had something to do with the amount of rogue attacks.

It's a miracle that neither a rogue or Batman showed up. Though, Batman' wouldn't have recognised him, he was not willing to risk messing up like that.

Until now.

Clark had decided to see what exactly goes on in Gotham City, New Jersey. Despite it being known nationally, there isn't really a clear picture about what goes on within the city limits. Maybe he can convince his boss to let him do a story on it? Then again, Bruce Wayne is his new boss, now that he's gone and bought the Daily Planet. Thoughts for another time.

He did not mean to get tied up like this. Literally. His exploration was only meant to last just until the last train of the day! But then he'd gone and gotten himself kidnapped!

Lois is going to laugh so hard at him.

And it's not that it's too hard for him to escape. These ropes are weaker than the ones Ma and Pa use on the farm, and the knot's easier to untie than a slip-knot. He can't because there's people watching him.

Batman can never know.

Batman probably already knows.

If Batman could laugh, Clark's beyond sure that he'd be rolling.

There was no fanfare when he was taken. Just someone pulling him into a van he walked by before diving off a they tied him up. Honestly, if it wasn't such an inconvenience, he'd admire how smoothly it was pulled off.

Things like this don't happen in Metropolis. They do! But, he's never really had to deal with them. That's usually the police's job, so he stays out of it. Unless nothing gets done...that's when he steps in.

Does this happen a lot in Gotham? From stories he's heard, he assumed drugs and big Rogues were the more constant threats, but this was too well done to be amateurs.

Regardless, this is a humiliating situation to now be in. Ridiculous, really, that he'd let his guard down. And if Batman or Lois don't lord it over him until they die, Diana will.

The others can never know.

With a quiet sigh, Clark does his damndest to look like his struggling without shredding the ropes or shattering the chair. It's much harder feat than first assumed. After a while, he 'gives up' and surveys the room.

There's a group of people mulling about a few yards away from him, though three of them are looking at him at a time. They're all armed with at least two weapons each.

Focusing his hearing, Clark picks up quiet discussion of a randsome. He has to do a double take.

Are they- They're trying to randsome him? He doesn't even live in Gotham! And, he can feel his wallet in his back pocket, so they obviously don't know his name or work. Also, he doesn't like his picture (as Clark Kent) taken, so there's no way they picked him for his face!

More of the group's - there's ten there, not that he's focusing - discussion reveals the name Bruce Wayne.

Why would they be talking about Bruce Wayne while holding Clark Kent hostage?

He sends his hearing to the police station, listening for the keyword 'randsome'. When that gives no results, which is very unfortunate and another thing that is different from Metropolis, he goes to the rest of the city. Maybe the note was en route?

Clark picks up a conversation from five different places in the city. One, the female, is stationary near the middle of the city; the oldest voice and the youngest are together; the other two are spread out. They're all nearing him.

Oh. He knows that voice.

He was right. Batman does already know.

He can do nothing but drop his head and sigh in dispaire.

Why couldn't these guys have been cultists? At least then he'd have an excuse - however flimsy - to have been caught off guard!

If that's Batman, than Robin must be with him. That means that Red Robin is one of the two already closing in on him. (Judging by the weight and movements, he's the closest one) Clark doesn't recognise the other two voices, but he can assume they also work with Batman while in Gotham.

It could be worse, he supposes. It could be Nightwing rescuing him.

He's already never living this down. nightwing would make fun of him for this incident in the afterlife, too.

The only warning that something had entered the build was the slow dawning of terror that Clark felt. He knew that his captors felt it, too, because they all snapped upright, weapons in hand and aimed at every entrance.

There was a presence behind him just as the rope trying to hold him down was cut.

"Hello Uncle Clark," said a voice that Clarks sure he's heard, but can't quite place, "Nightwing's gonna be all over this when he gets back on-world."

Clark doesn't move, even though the rope's been cut. "Please don't tell him..."

"Too late, C. The message is ready to be sent the second he's back in the solar system."

Clark curses under his breath while the voice laughs, the presence fading just as quick as it had appeared.

I the rafters, the sound of bat wings draws all weapons up. Clark still doesn't move. Then, as the shadows grow darker, the chirps of three birds start to softly call. His captors start firing, shattering the glass in the windows.

He takes this as his cue to get the hell out of dodge, though he only moves to the roof of the next building over.

From outside, it looks as though there's nothing going on inside the building his just left. A closer look shows shadows moving, but not a single sound. The clouds covering the moon makes the entire thing worse.

There's a pressure before his best friend is right behind him.

"What are you doing in Gotham, Kal?"

"I'm here for work, actually."

"You finished your assignment hours ago. Why are you still here?"

He shrugs. "Can't I visit my friend in his home?"

"You did."

"What?"

"You came, you saw. Go home, Kal."

"Wait a second!" He finally turns to the dark silhouette beside him. "What do you mean I already saw you?"

Batman hums quietly. The buzz of the woman's voice in his ear tells him that the area's clear and that the others are heading back out. Slowly, Batman reaches for his head and pulls off his cowl.

Clark knows for a fact that his best friend loves messing with people. Underneath all his brooding, he's a ridiculous person at heart. So this? This suddenly makes sense. But, also not at all.

"Clark." Bruce Wayne greets with a smirk.

Clark bluescreens for a moment. "Mister Wayne?"

He laughs. Laughs! "You've known me long enough to call me by my name, Clark."

"What the fuck?" He finds these words very appropriate.

"Those guys thought you were me," Bruce fucking Wayne says with a laugh in his voice. "I can see why they'd get confused. We do look alike, after all."

"You guys could practically be twins!" the woman's voice calls from the comm inside of Batman's cowl.

Side note: Turns out that the cowl and cape are not, in fact, connected.

"I need a goddamn drink." Clark sighs again.

"Come back to the Manor; I'll join you for a nightcap." Bruce smiles.

Prick.

Part 2 Storyboard

[propertyofwhitney67]

What would the LI’s be like as single parents, assuming maybe PC died during/shortly after the kid was born?

(Presumably excluding Avery that man is not being a father or paying child support no matter what. That kid could be jesus returned to earth and he still dgaf)

You are very right about Avery

Whitney it still an amazing parent despite the daily struggle of you not being there. The nights are the worst, he thinks about how you'll never get to see them grow up, how they'll never get to meet you, etc.

Kylar fucking lost it and has no idea how to function

Robin is a mess but really does his best to be there for the baby

P!Sydney is also a mess but hides it well, throwing himself into taking care of the baby

C!Sydney is colder now but still makes sure to take care of the baby

Alex is so frazzled and has a hard time doing this by himself but he really does his best

Eden is not the same, but has to be there for the baby. He's a good dad and protects them at all costs.

[lild00td00t]

Straw Hats with a Shy! S/O

Part 1

Characters: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Ussop

I love shy, quiet people, they are my jam !! Part 2 will be up when it’s finished, and will include: Robin, Nami, Franky and Brook! Enjoy ! ~

Luffy

• Will definitely be your voice if you need it, he loves talking enough for the both you so things work out favorably with Luffy.

• If anyone ever asks why you’re so quiet or don’t talk to them he gets defensive on your part, asking why they’re bothering you in the first place

• If he ever senses you’re uncomfortable he’ll draw attention to himself to get eyes off you

• When he does, it’s in the most asinine way possible

• “ YOU GUYS WANNA SEE IF I CAN EAT THIS WHILE ITS STILL ON FIRE “

• Hypes you up to do stuff, say you’re making a call or you ordered on your own, he’ll pat you on the back and be like “ yeah that was awesome ! “

• So sweet, but he can definitely be overwhelming with how boisterous and out going he is, sometimes he might push alittle too much to get his S/O out of their comfort zone

• Id give him a 7/10

Zoro

• Probably loves how quiet you are, especially when he’s drinking, he loves a calm drinking partner

• Like many of the Straw Hats he’ll get very defensive on your part if people tell you to speak up, won’t tolerate people picking on you for being quiet either

• He lets you lean into him or hold his arm if you’re feeling shy, he’ll probably try to look more intimidating to others so they’ll leave you two alone

• Zoro isn’t much of a people person either, so he’d rather be in secluded and low activity places.

•he’ll gladly find you a space so you can both relax and decompress

• I’d give Zoro a 9/10 with a shy S/O, mostly because he won’t make you feel overwhelmed, and while he’s not vocally encouraging you most of the time he does actively urge you through other means to do daily tasks you might struggle in <3

Sanji

• Will kick a hole in someone’s face if they ever tell you to speak up

• The absolute sweetest of all the Straw Hats with a Shy S/O

• He can tell if you’re overwhelmed or in need of alone time, he’ll make you a nice warm cup of tea and probably set out a chair on the deck for you to relax in

• Will definitely tell Luffy to keep it down for you, and WILL resort to violence if he doesn’t, if his S/O wants peace and quiet then SHH!

• 100% sends food back if it’s not cooked how you like or came with something you don’t like, he won’t make a big deal about it either since he knows it’ll probably embarrass you, but is always willing to be your voice when you need it

• Very keen listener who is also observant, he can read your body language and tell if you’re uncomfortable, he has signals for the two of you if you ever want to leave somewhere!

• He will either coddle his S/O or try his best to encourage them, but he doesn’t want them to feel smothered, he’s so supportive honestly

• I give Sanji a 10/10 with a Shy S/O!

Ussop

• Honestly he’s the funniest with a shy S/O

• If you give him permission, he’ll tell people an impossibly HUGE lie about how you lost your voice and why you can’t speak, whether or not people believe it is the tricky part

• He loves having you sit with him while he fishes, unlike Luffy you don’t eat all the bait AND you’re a great ear, so it’s a win win !

• Like Sanji he’s extremely observant, maybe it’s the Haki, maybe it’s because he’s an awesome boyfriend, regardless he can read your expressions and body languages with ease

• The second he sees you’re uncomfortable though, VERY much like his captain and best friend Luffy, he’ll draw attention to himself

• Will definitely encourage you to try and get out of your comfort zone, hes not pushy or commanding but very gentle about it too

• If you order something over the phone or manage to have a conversation with someone you don’t know well he’ll definitely voice how proud he is of you!

• I give Ussop a 10/10 with a shy S/O <3

[vulnonapix1234]

The lack of cursed Tim Drake stories/aus is honestly unbelievable.

He grew up in a house full of Archeological findings, mostly alone without any adult supervision.

Anyway. I have one that isn't as angsty as it could be, in which he doesn't get cursed out of maliciously, but because of kindness.

The curse was held in a wolf statue and gifted him the ability to turn into one. But only if his emotions get out of hand. Be it happiness, fear, or anger.

So he trained himself to control his emotions, as his wolf side was quite handy for his bird-watching hobby.

(He also ends up with quite the resting bitch face because of this. It also helped him a lot as Robin)

But he also needs to shift from time to time or else he'll get... a bit irrational.

Then he becomes Robin and Bruce, the best detective in the world, has no idea about his true nature.

The only people that know are Alfred, Cass, and Jason.

Alfred found out on one of his "check ins" With Tim. He used to visit him daily with an nice lunch packet to make sure he was alright and the first time he did, Tim was so surprised that he spawned tail and puppy ears.

Cass is his cuddle buddy. They are like siblings and love each other. Tim is also aware that someone must know. For case of emergency.

Jason wanted to cripple his replacement and got body checked by an overgrown puppy. Like Tim got so happy that his packmate was still alive that he couldn't control himself. The shook was enough to snap him out of the pit madness

(Jason: does dad know?

Tim: dad?

Jason: I meant Bruce.

Tim: ew. That's my boss.)

The rest of the batfamily doesn't know, but is still influenced by his ferral wild side.

Mostly Damian. Because Tim can't take this tiny Puppy seriously. He is a baby and part of his Pack. Tim also doesn't get that he is trying to murder him. He seriously thinks that Damian is initiating play fights and he, as a good big brother, indulges in it. These playfights are actually pretty good for Damian.

It helps with his murderous tendencies and it became more playing than fighting quickly.

These Play Fights help a lot with stress and anxiety for the both of them.

Dick isn't aware that they are playing. He seriously thinks that they dislike each other as if Tim wouldn't pull Damian into Bruces' bed whenever they had a bad patrol.

Also, his relationship with dick is a lot more open.

He gets that he sounded like a lunatic. He understands that Damian is the new pack puppy that needs to be watched 24/7.

But he also knows that his big brother loves him a lot and that he gives the best hugs. He loves him with all his heart and trusts him with his life.

Tim is protective of Duke. He is still new to the pack and the villigate life. That he patrols all alone gives him a lot of anxiety and he often follows him in wolf form. Duke thinks that he is a lost stray and always has some jerky for him.

The only person that Tim has a bit of a problem is Bruce. Because he is eternally torn between "this is a work relationship and he is my boss" and "Papa who gives me loving head pats". It's a real struggle for him.

[lgbtqiapnfreak]

Why I think Byler is endgame

Before we start, you must know I'm really skeptical about theories and all. I like to read and have fun with them, but believe them? It's really hard for me as a 20 years old queer person. Since young I've suffered being queerbaited by mainstream series, Stranger Things wouldn't be the first nor the last to do that.

I know today things are a little bit better, but for the sake of my poor broken heart, I'm always expecting a deception. Yet, I can see byler happening in season 5.

Here we go to the reasons why.

The existence of Robin

I've heard a lot of straight people say, before season 4 and even now, that "Will can't be gay because Robin is the gay person in the show. There is no reason for another one".

Like? The show can have 38272 straight, developed and important for the plot characters, all of them with love interests and happy endings, and one gay character inserted as a comic relief is fine. Two? To much to deal with.

I know, I know, disgusting. BUT what if I say that Robin was not a character added to the show only for a comic relief or identity representation at all? That she was presented for the watchers to consider the existence of a gay character in the show. For them to recognize some queer coded things that, without Robin, they wouldn't be able to?

Robin was presented to us in Season 3. As we must know, the third season of the show is mainly dedicated to character and relationships development. Thanks to it, we got to see the characters way more cylindrically, their fears, mistakes, who they are in their normal daily life. Mike, El, Hopper, Joyce, Erica and Steve gained many new layers in this season, but Will had the most special one: the first explicit hint of his sexuality.

And then, Robin appears. At first we are conditioned to think she likes Steve, the Duffers play a game with the watchers' heteronormativity using the dubiousness of their dialogs. And then, boom! She is lesbian. Not only lesbian but repressedly in love with a girl - at least was - and jealous of Steve.

Thanks to this coming out scene

The interpretation door was open to see this as Will being in love with a boy, repressing his feelings and being jealous of the girl the boy is dating with.

Will's jealousy and feelings for Mike back then stamped the background of everything, it was being slowly built inside the show - but not inside the character, remember the Snow Ball script? It was always there, just unseen.

Until here we are only remarking that Will is gay. But what Robin has to do with byler as a ship?

Well, if she is the queer character created to open this door for Will, created to gain the sympathy of the general public as comic relief character who bonded with two of the most popular characters of the show - Dustin and Steve - since s3, showing the watchers the struggles of a queer person in the 80's in a "light" way and making the viewers to cheer for her love life, of course her character holds a big role with byler building a romantic relationship.

Robin appeared in Season 3 because the viewers wanted Milven to happen in season 2 - thanks to the heteronormativity and kids sexualization I may say - when it wasn't going to, it wasn't scripted like this and it's not going to be endgame. So Robin's creating a scape route for the writers.

The hints given about Will being called a f@g and Mike over protective and supportive behavior with Will were not enough to create this bridge between friends and lovers as we know very well.

Movie Date and Schrodinger Cat

Moving on. We know Will is gay. Okay. What is still uncertain in the show is Mike's sexuality and required feelings towards Will. Here, we are focusing in the required feelings part.

I read a lot of analysis about the "movie date scene". I remember people discussing the blushing frame and the holding hands theory even before s4 coming out and at the time it sounded like joke to me - as I said I'm really skeptical. Yet, after rewatch the part and reading a lot (especially @greenfiend 's one about the holding hands thing), I feel like I finally understood why the scene is so spoken of.

It's pretty simple, it's another open door. Not like Robin who is there to guide us to read between the lines but as something that is open to interpret and rely on when they finally get together. It was made for when people start to question "where did this relationship came from?" and create assumptions like "it came out of the nowhere".

In the scene, Lucas, Max, Mike and Will go to Starcourt's movie theater to watch a horror movie together. When arguing about Mike's behavior, Lucas remarks that he is spending romantic time with his girlfriend by going there. When they are finally inside, lumax and byler sits separately, then things start to get really fishy.

The construction of the whole next part, when they are inside the movie theater, from the beginning of the movie to the black out and end of the scene, are basically hands. Hands everywhere. In the close ups, in the people around them and even in the movie. Why? For us to see it, to think of it, to imagine. To imagine what? It's up to you of course, but we know people hold hands at movie theaters, specially when watching a horror movie, and we also know byler is the main focus on that scene for some reason.

But they didn't show us their hands, did them? No. Because of that, no one can really say they were holding hands, but the same can't be said about them not holding their hands. The construction of the scene deliberately leads us to question the possibility, however there is no true answer. Like the Schorodinger Cat, they are holding and not-holding their hands.

Also, the "are you okay?" Mike says, the camera play and Noah's acting leads us to think that, if they are holding their hands, it was Mike's initiative, not Will's.

The whole scene is purposefully dubious.

Noah looks down at his hand at the end of the interaction, up again, and then smiles. It's there but they don't show us! At the same time, if it was an unromantic moment, they would've shown us they were holding hands as they did before, so why not? Why do they keep the whole thing subtle, calculated, and masked by the MF plot if not to hold a secret meaning behind it all. A secret meaning for us to discover yet.

Like pleaseee, I swear this is some kind of torture for us gay people.

Mike's character construction and Finn's acting

I'm a ST fan since the beginning. I was here when the major public liked Jonathan better than Steve, when Mike was the favorite member of the party, and Finn was treated as one of the best child actors of the show. Looking back, it's pretty obvious things changed a lot since the third season.

Why things changed? In the last two seasons, Finn was accused of being "out of the character" and "having a bad acting". And Mike turned into a douchebag in public eyes.

The truth is: the way the writers had chosen to show us Mike changed. He still is the same insecure, paranoic, loyal, compassionate character who is a jerk sometimes from the beginning, but we didn't get the chance to see his POV since s2.

Mike is a character trapped in the expectations of the viewers. They expected him to date El, to love El as a girlfriend, to treat her the way she deserves - what he can do, but clearly not as a boyfriend. Their relationship wasn't scripted the way it happened, so his character needed to go through some changes to remain himself. And, of course, for mlvn to end, the viewers needed to hate his version with El. Again, it is a scape route.

His character is still the same, but the way we see him is different. The truth is the viewers expected Mike to acts towards El the way he did with Will after they started dating: unconditionally supportive, trusting, and understanding, but guess what? This was never on Mike's character to begin with.

He doesn't understand, trust, or support people unconditionally. They are showing how much he is inflexible and selective in what he wants to believe since the very first episode, we can see that in the relationship with his family and friends. Just remember his fights with Lucas in s1, s2 and s4 and Dustin in s2 and s3, they are his CHILDHOOD FRIENDS, but even them don't have the pleasure of Mike's unconditionally support and trust. The only character he is truly open to is Will.

These changes were made for us to see the difference between Will and the rest of the world for Mike. In season 3, when he appears to be a jerk to everyone, no exception at all, the only person he seems to retract this behavior for is Will. In season 4, Mike fights El and Will, but again, the only one he seems to understand and retract from his defenses for is Will. Again, the only person he is really open with.

Now, speaking about sexuality, the other reason for people to blame Finn's acting is the awkwardness in kissing and intimate scenes - like the first I love you he heard from his girlfriend.

I don't know about you, but for me, it is almost painful to watch them kissing. Not only kissing, the whole dating thing looks like a performance, and it's not a good one, if I may say. But here is the thing, it's on purpose! The same goes for the looks he gives Will's and Eddie's body.

Don't even think that every look, expression, or camera play is not calculated. These people spend so much money in the show for it to be half assed by bad acting or misinterpretation of the script.

[strangersteddierthings]

Daily Ficlet 7

I’m challenging myself to write a little ficlet every day, using the prompts from this list. Today’s prompt is recipe book.

-

Steve finds Wayne in the hallway, pulling what items he can from the closet there.

"Need some help?" Steve asks as Wayne struggles with a bigger box that seems wedged in pretty good.

"Sure. Just get yer hands up here and ready to catch," Wayne answers, shimmying the box to and fro while Steve moves to follow his instructions. The box isn't by any means light when it falls into his hands, but it's not the heaviest thing Steve's had to catch -don't think about it, don't think about Eddie's limp body awkwardly shoved through a gate. Don't-

"Thanks, son," Wayne climbs back down the stepladder he was on and takes the box from Steve' hands, walking down the hall to place it on the counter. The front half of the trailer is missing, the gate took it, but a decent amount of of the trailer remains (Eddie's room remains) and the government has finally allowed Wayne to return to pack up what he can.

It's better than starting over completely.

"What's in the box?" Steve asks, because it's the only item Wayne hasn't just demanded he load into the moving truck outside.

"It was supposed to be Eddie's graduation gift," Wayne says softly. "'Suppose it'll have to be a 'glad you woke up from yer coma' gift instead."

"Yeah," Steve says, even if he doesn't believe it. Eddie's been asleep months now. They saved the world, killed Vecna, closed the gates, Max woke up, and the kids have started Sophomore year; Eddie remains comatose. "Can I get a sneak peak at the present?"

"It's not much, and ain't nothin' new," Wayne says, opening the box and beginning the process of pulling things out. It looks a bit like the contents of a hope chest. Things to start living on your own with. Robin's mom has one for her that Steve's seen, and even contributed to. There's an envelope of $500 tucked along the side of Robin's chest.

"This was his grandpa's. My dad's," Wayne says, pulling out a belt buckle. "And my ma made this, not for anyone in particular, mind you, but just because she liked to keep herself busy." It's a blanket, thick and a little scratchy when Steve touches it. "And this. This is the most important." Wayne pulls out a binder from the bottom of the box, handing it over to Steve for inspection.

He takes it carefully even though it looks sturdy. Holding it in one hand, he flips it open. He was thinking maybe it would be a photo album or something but it's not. It looks like a recipe book. All the recipes are hand written on looseleaf paper, with post it notes sticking out randomly. "What makes this special?"

"That's his mom's handwriting," Wayne smiles but he sounds sad. "Eddie lost her when he was five. She got real sick, y'know, and never got better. But she wrote out all them recipes. I'm amazed Al kept the thing, but I guess I shouldn't be. No real value in a binder of recipes 'cept to the people close to the author."

Steve looks back down at the binder. He still has both his parents, however distant they might be, so he doesn't know if he'll ever fully understand the significance of getting this piece of someone back. "Does he not have anything else with her writing on it?"

"No, not writing. We got plenty of things they used to own. Eddie's caseworker let us go through the whole house, after Al'd been shipped off to the penitentiary, to gather anything Eddie might want or need. Was supposed to just be his stuff, mind you, legally speakin', but I think that lady knew if we didn't take other stuff, Eddie'd never see it again.

"So, Eddie's got things that were hers. But nothing that's uniquely hers. There's jewelry, and a coupla blankets, but all that stuff is replaceable and not... Well, I dunno what I'm tryin' to say, but that's just stuff that was hers. But this. This was her. Y'understand?"

And Steve does. There's a difference between having something that belonged to someone once, and something that really feels like them when you hold it. Steve doesn't have anything like that, personally, but he knows there will come a time when the difference matters. When everyone grows up and scatters into the future. He imagines a hand written letter from Dustin will mean much more for him to find after a long time of no contact than it would to find his old Roast Beef t-shirt in the back of a drawer or something, moth bitten and musty.

"I can't wait to find out if Eddie's an angry emotional, or a sad one."

Wayne laughs. "He can be both."

[orobivrse]

scrap metal ♡ (frobin)

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genre: hurt/comfort

pairings: nico robin x franky

wc: 2.2k

cw: mental illness, depression, body dysmorphia, dysphoria (but like cyborg dysphoria), comfort, angst, fluff, suggestive references, self harm, franky feels less than human

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

I know x reader tends to do better on this app but I deeply adore frobin and I've always thought about the idea of franky struggling with his humanity. Its been a headcanon of mine since he was properly introduced.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Franky could never understand people who didn't have an inner monologue. His brilliant mind runs a hundred miles a minute; he's always got something to think about. He internally discusses future inventions and ship-building plans or sings to himself while he works. He spends most of his time thinking about his Nico Robin. He replays the day she said yes to being his partner in his head daily; he could spend hours thinking about her hair and smile. The mere thought of her tears fills Franky with a deep-seated rage. All she has to do is look at him, and he's on cloud nine.

Franky is in his development room, working on a new weapon design, when the door creaks open. He looks up to see Robin making her way over to where he's standing by his desk.

“Hello, pretty lady,” he says, his voice raising in volume as his mood picks up instantly upon seeing the woman he loves. Robin giggles at the affectionate term and stretches up on her tiptoes to kiss the underside of Franky's jaw.

“Hello, Honey.” One of Franky's large hands settles around her waist to keep her at his side. Thinking about Robin when she's not with him, his emotions run high, but when she's in his arms, he's completely relaxed and able to enjoy her company without wandering fears of losing her literally or figuratively. He leans down and pushes his face into her neck; the cold of his metal nose makes her flinch at first, but once she adjusts to the feeling, she threads a hand through his hair and lets out a happy sigh as Franky presses his lips to her skin. He's wary of how much bigger than Robin he is and hurting her is an unforgivable sin, so he's gentle with his affection. He might be gentle, but he's still a pervert, so when his palm opens up to reveal a smaller hand that dips into the waistband of Robin's skirt, she tugs his hair to get him to lean back and look her in the eyes. She presses a kiss to his lips, which he happily reciprocates. “As handsome and tempting as you are, you need to behave. Anybody could walk in.”

She's right - of course, she is - Usopp, Chopper and Nami are all frequent visitors to Franky's workshop. He nods at her words, flushing red at the compliments. The compliments he's used to refer exclusively to how cool and ‘inhuman’ he looks. People tell him how talented he is as a shipwright and inventor in general, but anything regarding his looks comes off more as someone talking about a suped-up car than a human being. It's the one thing he can't get used to in his relationship with Robin. He knows she's not lying to him and that she really does find him attractive, but he still can't grasp how different it feels to be desired. He's completely prideful and not at all shy when he's pleasing her. In the bedroom, he's fully confident, but something as sweet and innocent as a kiss on the cheek has him so shell-shocked that he can barely speak.

“So, how come my beautiful angel came to visit me?” Franky asks after clearing his throat and going back to staring at his blueprints. Robin cheerfully laughs at the pet name. Franky has asked her how she really felt about all his dramatic names for her, and she had told him that they make her feel special; she had also made a morbid comment under her breath about how they'd add to an emotional yet creative eulogy for her one day and Franky had pretended not to hear it.

“I wanted to make sure you're getting enough food and cola”, she smiles, kissing the left side of his chest. Robin places a plate of food down on the desk, and he guesses Sanji had dished up dinner and Franky had been so focused on his getting some work done that he hadn't heard the cooks call for food over his inner argument over what size gun to add to his robot. He thanks Robin and begins to eat. When he's finished with his food, Robin picks up the plate and leaves, promising him she'll visit later as she goes.

Franky is once again left alone with his thoughts.

As he's working, his reflection in a mirror leaning against the wall catches his eye and Franky flinches. Sometimes, he forgets what he looks like and seeing a huge cyborg as flashy as him is jarring. He has to remind himself he's not a little child anymore; he's something way cooler. He goes back to his work and tries to ignore the thoughts that begin to swarm him. His eyes keep getting drawn to the metal on his body. He recalls how earlier Robin had flinched at the cold metal of his nose and how difficult it is sometimes just to hold her without fear he'll hurt her. Sometimes, he thinks she would be better off with someone who can keep her warm at night, like Jinbe or maybe someone younger and more conventionally attractive, like Zoro or Law. Franky is a brash and loud man, but deep in the pits of his heart, there still lies the broken, abandoned kid. The feelings of worthlessness that took over his body as a child never truly left him; even after he tried over and over again to replace them with metal.

His smaller hands shake as he finishes his food and pushes his plate away. He tries to pick up his pen and write again, but he can't focus at all. His initial plans have taken a backseat to the unrelenting self-doubt that he tries to keep locked away behind his smile. He pushes on with his work, absent-mindedly scribbling down plans for a self-upgrade. He doesn't realise he's crying until the door handle clicks and snaps him back to his senses. Now he's acutely aware that he's crying and that one of his crewmates is about to see him. Franky's manly tears aren't unheard of, so he's able to play it off to usopp, who has come to ask about weapon materials, as simply inventing something so cool it's made him emotional. Usopp laughs, tells Franky he can't wait to see it and leaves after getting the advice he'd requested. The tears leave Franky feeling off-kilter for the rest of the day.

Later that night, Franky is entirely unable to sleep. He tries to focus on Robin, who's sleeping beside him and matches her breathing, but it doesn’t work. He shifts around to get comfortable and rests a large hand on Robin's waist, and then it all comes crashing down. That hand is not a human hand. When you press his metal nose, it changes his hair, and that's not human anatomy. His stomach has an empty chamber that uses cola as a fuel, and that's not human. He has weaponry built into his body, and that's not human. Franky is not human.

He makes a strangled noise as if he's gasping for air, and he scrambles to his feet. The noise wakes Robin, and she asks what's wrong, voice laced with concern. Franky doesn't notice she's awake, and he can't hear her question over the uncomfortable ringing in his ears. He makes his way out to the deck, ignoring the worried expressions of Nami and Usopp, who are still awake. He can't verbally describe how he feels, but he reaches to his shoulder, where metal meets skin, and begins to claw. His fingers dent the metal with force, and he only stops when a hand much larger than his covers his and stops his movements. He looks up and sees Robin has used her power. She leans down to where he's knelt on the deck and when she comes into view, Franky notices she has tears in his eyes. He can hear Nami crying behind him and sees Usopp shaking out of the corner of his eye. A new feeling stirs in his gut that makes him feel ten times worse.

He feels guilty for upsetting them. He apologises, but Robin shushes him, cradling his face in her hands. The gentle care with which she approaches him is enough to kick-start the waterworks and Franky is once again reduced to tears. He sobs so hard it causes a sharp pain in his chest. Robin shoos away the younger strawhats and promises to give them an update later. It's now just the two of them and Franky slumps forward, burying his face into Robin's shoulder. His tears haven't subsided, but he starts to apologise before he can stop himself. He repeats ‘I'm sorry’, and though Robin's skin muffles the sound, she can hear him fine and well.

“What are you apologising for, sweetheart? What's wrong?” asks Robin, wiping his tears with her thumbs, and she holds his face to look at her. Franky flounders for an answer, struggling to find his voice. Robin is patient as always and gives him a moment to collect himself.

He doesn't know what to say. How can he tell her he feels alien, like a passenger in his own body? That his ‘skin’ doesn't feel like it belongs on his body. He doesn't know how to explain how nauseous the sight of his own ‘body’ has been making him feel without sounding crazy. Robin is an understanding woman, but how much can she take?

“I feel more like a box of scrap metal than a human”, he says, cringing at how raspy and unsure his voice sounds. Robin remains silent, expression unchanging as she listens to his explanation. “I just wanted to get out of this ugly body. I didn't mean to scare you or the kids”, he says. He tries to avert his eyes despite Robin's hold on his face. He worries he's upset Robin further, but she leans forward to press a kiss to his forehead.

“First of all, I'm not scared of you, and neither are Nami and Usopp. We're just worried about you because we love you.” she says, moving a hand from his face to run it through his hair. “Secondly, your body is not ugly. You're my Franky and I like you just the way you are.” Her voice wraps around the violent words in his mind and strangles them out, easing his mind slightly. “I'm not going to pretend that I understand your pain, but I do know how it feels to be shunned, and I want you to know that will never happen to you here with us.”

Franky listens intently as Robin speaks. Her words don't take away his pain, but they at least calm him down. The strange, itchy feeling under his skin eases up and he relaxes in Robin's embrace. He kisses her neck and whispers a thank you in her ear. She's patient with him as he lets her comforting words repeat in his head. His tears have stopped, but there's still one question bothering him, and he's unsure if it's appropriate to ask right now. Sensing that he has something to say, Robin encourages him to speak up.

“Do you ever consider leaving me? Like don't you want someone more attractive like -” This time, instead of being patient and letting him finish, Robin cuts him off with a scoff, shuffling so she's sitting in his lap.

“You look at me right now, silly man,” she says, guiding him to look in her eyes. “I love you, I want you, I need you,” she says. Surprisingly, it's the word ‘want’ that gets him the most. It's not that Robin needs Franky around to fulfil some type of urge but simply that she wants to spend time with him. They like each other just as much as they love each other, and the reassurance makes Franky's stomach stir for an entirely different reason. “and there is no one as attractive as you. You are the most beautiful man I have ever seen,” she punctuates her sentence with a kiss to his lips. Franky feels much better now.

“What about Jinbe?” Franky asks to lighten the mood. It's common knowledge that Robin had a crush on Jinbe at first (so did Franky, but he'll never admit it)

“Hey! You like him too. We invited him into the bedroom once. You're my man forever,” she says, laughing into another kiss. They're sitting in silence for a while when Robin starts to yawn. “Now that you're feeling better. Do you want to go to bed?” she says, covering his cheeks in more kisses. Franky gets to his feet, scooping Robin up and carrying her off to bed

When Franky wakes up the following day, Robin is pressed up against his side and he feels at peace. As if she can sense him staring at her, Robin opens her eyes for a second, then smiles and goes back to sleep, snuggling further into his side. Franky feels content as he relaxes into the mattress. For now, his unsure feelings have subsided, and he feels more like himself. He knows they're likely to come again, but he also knows he'll have Robin and the rest of his family to help him.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

frobin is so cute to me so I just wanted to write a cute comfort oneshot about them 😭

[roseinyoursaltwater]

REVISED PHOENIX DROP HEADCANNONS

PHOENIX DROP

◦ Phoenins (fee-nans)

TERRAIN: Phoenix Drop has many hills and thick woods surrounding it. It touches the ocean, this makes a great village for trade as well as an accessible village via the water or land. It is very grassy and has many fruit bushes and trees that grow naturally. However, due to current climates, plants and the soil have been struggling to grow anything worth eating. There are limited fresh bodies of water in Phoenix Drop, most water is gathered from the forest. It usually rains an average amount, but with this drought there is a lack of water. The winters are harsh in Phoenix Drop due to how close they are to the water, causing vicious winds during the winter.

FOOD: When the crops are good, wheat, barley and hay are the most common crops being grown. While fruits grow naturally, they aren't being planted by the farmers of the village. Squash, corn, potatoes and pumpkins are also common in this area when they're able to be planted. Beef, chicken, goat, deer, fish.

LIVESTOCK: Cows, chickens, sheep, goats, horses, dogs and cats.

ANIMALS: Deer, duck, robins, doves, hawks, squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, woodchucks, foxes, bears, beavers, mice and rats.

CULTURE: Phoenix Drop is a heavily religious village, this is due to the struggle the village has faced. The villagers pray daily for food and health, they hold Lady Irene very highly. Praying and church attendance is expected. However, Phoenix Drop is much more relaxed with other standards. The town brothel/tavern is very popular and very open business. Modest clothing isn't expected as the economy is very low and struggling, material and high quality clothes are hard to come by. They save their nicest clothes for church. Language is not elegant and includes swearing. The majority of citizens cannot read or write, at the very least a few words here and there. While not the most formal village, monogamy is the norm. Common jobs include: farmer, barhand, guard, seamstress, blacksmith, merchants, prostitutes, and carpenters.

NATIONALITIES: Phoenix Drop is a melting pot village There are not many born Phoenins, most villagers are those coming from other places.

FIGHTING: There is no distinct fighting style in Phoenix Drop, it is very informal. Hand to hand combat is common as well as sparring.

WEAPONS: Falchion swords Estoc swords, daggers. Morning Stars, knives.

RESPECT LEVEL: 2/10 (A lowly respected village due to economy and formality)

LINK TO MY FANFICTION

[dreamwatch]

STWG daily drabble

prompt: working together

(I struggled with this one, so I made it a missing scene from one of my WIPs.)

c/w - mention of homophobic slurs, but no specifics

****

They pull up outside the Munson’s new trailer, and wow. Yeah, it’s as bad as Hopper said it was.

The trailer is bigger than their old one, the once ivory paint job looks like milk that’s been left out to sour. It’s the perfect canvas for the large red ‘MURDERER’ that’s been painted right across it, windows and all. There are smaller scrawls, a pentagram, ‘Freak’, even a couple of homophobic slurs, which… what the fuck? The smouldering shell of Wayne Munson’s truck just completes the whole horror show.

“Bastards,” Robin fumed, and Steve thinks that’s an understatement.

They follow Hopper and Jonathan to meet Wayne who's on his way down the porch steps with a bucket and mop. He look’s surprised to see them. 

“Thought you could use a hand. Good thing about spring break,” Hop motions behind him, “plenty of teenagers around looking for some hard work.”

Steve and Jonathan give a small hand raise in greeting before Jonathan takes the bucket and mop. “I’ll make a start at that end,” he says before heading up to the far end of the trailer to tackle the ‘R’.

“Mister Munson, I am so sorry, the people in this town are fucking assholes, excuse my language, but they are, and you don’t deserve this, you or Eddie. This town sucks.”

Mister Munson looks shellshocked, like he’s on autopilot. He just nods at Robin in response.

“Wish you’d all call me Wayne. Thought we were past all that Mister Munson bullshit, hmm?”

He sounds so fucking defeated, and Robin must hear it too because she flies at him and wraps her arms around his shoulders for the quickest of hugs. “We’ll have this cleaned up in no time, you’ll see.” She throws him the warmest of smiles before heading back to Hoppers truck to pull out the buckets and cleaning products they brought with them.

Steve grabs a brush and bucket and attacks the nastier words painted under Eddie’s window. Wayne sent him out of town for the week, up to the Indiana Dunes, to avoid the inevitable media circus. First year anniversary. Steve can at least be happy that Eddie isn’t here to see this. He’ll know when he sees the shiny paint job (not to mention the truck) that something went down, but knowing it and seeing this shit daubed all over your home are two different things.

They’ve been going for a few hours. Steve’s still pretty fit, he jogs, does some free weights, he’s not a couch potato, but his arms are burning and he throws the scrubbing brush into the bucket angrily. These fucking pissants. He wishes he could get his hands on them, he’s itching to hit someone. 

Eddie doesn’t deserve this.

They finish up by late afternoon. The trailer is still fucked, there’s just no two ways about it, but they’ll be back in a couple of days to give it a new coat of paint. It feels like it’s not enough.

[crayonboxcolors607]

Steve didn't mean for anyone to find out.

Looking back, the ringing had started before Starcourt, before Billy even. He'd attributed the fuzziness to the recently acquired concussion he'd received from Jonathon, holy shit that guy could punch. Except it didn't go away. It stayed with him like a fucked up reminder of the asshole persona he'd worked so hard to shed.

And even after he came to terms with it, after he realized there was nothing to do about it, nobody seemed to notice. His constant asking of "Huh? and "What?" and when he was in school, "Could you repeat that please?" was chalked up to his airheaded jockiness.

He learned how to focus on people's lips when they spoke, how to not let it get under his skin when Nancy teased him about it, called him stupid, and then later, bullshit.

Billy's gruesome attack had admittedly made it much worse, had transferred the ringing from just the left side of his head to both, but still, nobody noticed. He struggled through the remainder of his senior year and failed to get accepted to any college he applied to. He let his father force him into a job, tell him that he wasn't worth a place in the family company, that he deserved to work minimum wage like the degreeless scum he was sure to be for the rest of his life.

He'd rolled his eyes and pretended to be snarky when Robin insulted him, her tongue moving so fast that he knew there was no chance he would've been able to understand even if he could hear perfectly. When he tried and failed to flirt with the girls that came into the Scoops Ahoy, he let her keep track of his failures on the board instead of writing the daily specials like she was supposed to.

He hid behind laughter as the kids in The Party teased him, told him "This is why you didn't go to college!", called him stupid when he didn't hear the setup for a joke, when Dustin became frustrated because he'd focused on the background music in the Russian transmission; the only part he didn't have to struggle to detect the sounds of.

God, the Russians.

It was as if he was underwater after that. The words were bubbly and distant, but still, he could understand them, sort of. He made an effort to get face-to-face with Robin in the bathroom, did his best to not make his staring at her lips too obvious as she confessed, and threw out a joke when he realized she was genuinely afraid that he would hate her.

He'd watched the other Party members so he could figure out what he was supposed to be doing, having given up trying to understand whatever instructions Dustin and Nancy were prattling out. He tagged along with Robin as Dustin and Erica rushed up the hill to guide Hopper, Murray, and Joyce throughout the Russian base using Cerebro, replying to her concerned “Are you okay dingus?” with an “I’m fine,” that he couldn’t even really hear.

He did his best to help out, feeling a twinge of accomplishment when he insisted that he and Robin go check out what the fuck was going on with Starcourt’s lights, although it was quickly drowned out by the worry for the children he’d come to adopt as his own.

Even as he and Robin got in the car though, he couldn’t ignore the little voice in the back of his head that snarked “Is that really all you’re good for now that you can’t hear? Noticing the lights?”, responding to it with an inner denial he didn’t even remember having.

He thought hard as he and Robin drove as fast as they could back to Starcourt, his mind racing. “You could maybe even live like this,” he told himself as he gripped the steering wheel.

Then he saw Billy’s Camaro speeding towards Nancy, saw her failed attempts at derailing him with bullets.

And he didn’t even think before flooring the gas pedal, pressing his and Robin’s backs into their seats as he crashed, head on, full speed, into Billy’s car. His head ricocheted off the steering wheel, back into the headrest of his seat.

Then the fuzzy underwater noises in his ears gave way to metallic ringing, and everything went dark.

His memories are murky and vague after that, flashes of clarity amidst all the chaos. Throwing lit packages of fireworks; the panic that grew in his chest when Billy brought El towards the Mindflayer; not being able to hear Billy and Max's screams well enough; the bile that rose in his throat when he learned that Hopper had been lost to the Upside-Down.

He remembers Robin screaming when a paramedic tried to pry the two of them apart, shaking her head and repeating, "No, no, no. I need to stay with him," as she'd cried. How El crumpled to the ground when she realized that her father was gone.

He doesn't remember how he made it through the physical exam from the ambulance staff without someone picking up on it, doesn't remember what they'd told him about his injuries.

He remembers peeling off his grimy uniform with Robin, trying to take turns in the shower, and eventually resorting to washing the other's hair in the bathroom sink because they couldn't reach up high enough to do it themself. How Robin had tried for days afterward to scrub the blood and sweat and ash out of their uniforms, breaking down in tears when Steve grabbed her hands and held her when she beat his chest as she cried.

He doesn't remember how Robin first figured it out, just knows that one day they were sitting on the floor of his barren room sifting through tapes, and she'd maneuvered the record player off his desk. How she'd looked utterly affronted when he asked her what the fuck she was doing, responding with an incredulous, "Because it's on your left, and you can't hear out of that ear, dingus," as if it was obvious. How she later explained to him that her father was deaf, that she knew sign language alongside Spanish, French, and Italian.

He remembers how she'd searched through Hawkins Library, and eventually taken a day trip to Indianapolis with him so they could find books to teach him American Sign Language. How giddy she had been when he signed his first sentence to her, how she'd said it felt like the secret code but without the malintent.

He remembers how Robin had eventually dragged him out to an audiologist in Indy, rationalizing the cost with his parent's money, and how they learned that he was 100% deaf in his left ear and had 30% hearing loss in his right. How he'd been given a set of hearing aids that he'd promptly put in a drawer and purposely ignored.

And yeah, the world was weird, and Steve couldn't really hear it, and there was really only one person with which he could actually communicate and understand.

But he would survive because he always did. Because he had to. He was Steve Harrington, for fuck's sake. It was his job to take care of other people.

So yeah, nobody was supposed to find out.

But Steve is fucking grateful that Robin did.

did i write this at 11pm instead of doing work? perhaps. will i probably fail several classes because of this current hyperfixation? most likely. do i care? not really, no.

im probably gonna write another one of these if this lands well (and also if it doesnt cuz thats what the brain worms want) so lemme know what you think

next one will probably be about dustin and/or the older members of the party (nancy, jonathan, etc)

[dandymaximilian]

I know the idea of Winnie the Pooh characters representing mental illness is overdone to death, but I can't help but be intrigued by it. What if the reason everyone display these symptoms is because they were specifically created to hold onto them?

What if Christopher Robin has Dissociative Identity Disorder or Otherwise Specified Dissociative Disorder?

What if, to cope with severe parental neglect, his brain created a world of people who would love him unconditionally?

Disclaimer: This is for a fictional interpretation of Christopher Robin, not the real person. This is based on the Disney version of the stories. Also, this idea is for entertainment purposes only, so artistic liberties are made.

--

We start with Roo and Kanga, who are the classic mother and son archetype.

Roo represents the person Christopher wants to be in real life. He wants to be curious, bold, and michevious, but he also wants to be nurtured.

Essentially, Roo's a child alter meant to hold onto Christopher's innocence. Kanga exists to be Roo's, as well as everyone else's, caretaker and soother. She represents the mother figure Christopher wishes he had in the outer world.

Next, Tigger holds onto Christopher's ADHD/autism symptoms, as well as his desire to stim openly.

In the outer world, Christopher is severely stifled and is not allowed to express these traits to people. Therefore, they are passed on to Tigger to hold onto. Tigger is very rambunctious and carefree.

However, his desire to find other Tiggers and his catchphrase of "being the only one" represents the loneliness Christopher feels because of his neurodiversity. He wants to be proud of being unique, but really, he feels alone.

Furthermore, characters like Piglet, Rabbit, and Pooh are all symptoms holders as well.

Piglet holds onto anixety. Additionally, he holds onto Christopher's feelings of being overlooked and underappreciated. Meanwhile, Rabbit holds onto perfectionism and an obsession for order.

Due to being raised in a strict environment, Christopher feels immense pressure to live up to the high expectations of society. Thus, Rabbit and Piglet are high-strung because that's how Christopher feels in his day to day life. Rabbit also represents the limitations society puts onto Christopher, which is why he is so judgemental.

Similarly, Eeyore holds onto Christopher's traits depression and isolation. He feels left out even among the other alters because he is inherently created to be an outcast.

Eeyore's desire for a tail stems from a longing to be "normal." Just as Eeyore thinks a tail will make him happier and more accepted by his peers, Christopher thinks that "masking" will do the same. In reality, what they want will always be out of reach. Perhaps temporary, but never permanent.

Owl is a factive based on Christopher's teachers, presenting as a mentor to the other alters. Yet, his lessons are confusing and nonsensical to the audience because Christopher's own struggle with school.

Owl also holds onto Christopher's dyslexia and learning disabilities, concealed by a false sense of ego and bravado. The same type of attitude that Christopher's teachers presents on a daily basis.

Lastly, Winnie also holds onto Christopher's autistic symptoms. While everyone displays these traits, Tigger and Winnie hold onto the "least socially acceptable" qualities. Hence why Rabbit often has conflict with them.

Winnie and Tigger lack social awareness, are blunt, and can accidentally hurt the others due to misunderstanding their body language and facial language.

On a different note, Winnie is obsessed with honey, which represents Christopher's desire to overeat in real life. This is a coping mechanism for his isolation, and later on, the ongoing stress of boarding school.

Overall, the Winnie the Pooh cast are alters created to hold onto traits that Christopher can't express in the outer world. The Hundred Acre Woods acts as an inner world for the alters and Christopher to escape the daily stress of life.

Unfortunately for Christopher, the demands of boarding school leave him unable to visit most of the time. However, he can still watch their misadventures from the outside.

Additionally, the various stories of Winnie the Pooh represent changes in his life, as well as actual events in the outer world.

Tigger's movie represents Christopher wanting a family that is neurodivergent but finding solace in his alters. On the other hand, Piglet's movie showcases Christopher feeling like an outcast that is taken for granted and once again finding solace in his alters. And so on, so forth.

In the end, Christopher is forced to suppress his alters, so they are permanently trapped in the Hundred Acre Woods, always yearning for their host. They have no idea what lies beyond their home because they have never known anything else. And they never will.

[melkyt]

When you're so deep into hyperfixation, you want to make spin-offs from your own fic xd

I might post like little tidbits of fluff on ao3 for my reincarnation au

Like Law getting his first halloween costume with Lami and Cora, you know they are going to match and go all out and drag Law along into it

Law starting school and being really nervous at the idea of being around new people and teachers. He gets into a few fights. The first time Cora gets called into the office to bring him home, he tries to smile and be polite but scares the teachers when he first enters, tall and brooding in a dark coat that hide his colorful outfit underneath xd

Doflamingo being in a seperate school because he is not allowed near Law on the daily, this does not stop him to go bug the kid. Somehow the two of them end up burning part of the school down during their back and forth bickering. Which is why Cora was called into the office in the first place. He is struggling trying to parent his older brother turned teen xd.

Shanks teaching Law how to drive as nobody else in the compound either A: can drive or B: Wants to teach him, C: He would drop dead before he asks them (ie Doflamingo). Cora is in the back seat giving the most unhelpful advice and they end up driving into a ditch, and Law gets the fuck out to go 'cry' in frustration of failing.

He just wants to be useful when Luffy wakes up so they dont have to keep leaning on the adults. Robin is the one who ends up teaching him.

Lami's first birthday since she came back, the biggest party on the block. Law seeing her smile, really smile for the first time and getting emotional that she is here.

Law's first piercing. He sneaks out with some money he and Ace saved up to go to this place Yamato shared with them. Their guardians would let them get a piercings & tattoo's but they dont think that. This is two teens rebelling! He laughs and teases Ace about being a baby about picking a tiny tattoo. Ace never to back down from a challenge is like "Oh yeah!?"

They bicker about it but end up just getting their ears pierced. They are both a little scared about getting a tattoo at all, and the srtist doesnt let them as that needs a parents permission. Tells them to comeback when they are older.

Law gets his first tattoo when Luffy wakes up again. Just to mark it that he came back at all.

All the kids that are over seven missed most of their coming of age ceremonies & birthdays, so Shanks' crew sets up a festival just to do it for all of them in a week long celebration. Law and Lami buying their first kimono/yukata and getting all dressed up and celebrated

(The adults doing everything to give the kids a childhood and distract them from everything going on, just little slice of life situation between the main fic drama *tasty* xd)

[steviesbicrisis]

Steddie - Percy Jackson AU

AKA the struggle of finding the perfect Valentines gift for a son of Aphrodite

Eddie keeps staring at the flowers on display, feeling more pathetic by the minute. He hears a voice inside his head telling him he should make the flowers himself, but he shakes that voice away fast, it sounded way too similar to his dad's. Pretty arrangements were never his forte anyways, and he needs the prettiest one.

What kind of flowers should he buy? is even flowers a good idea? should he go for chocolates? can he be more basic than this? probably not, but tomorrow will be valentine's day and he has no other ideas.

He snatches the bouquet with the most pink and yellow flowers, Steve always wears soft sweaters in either one of those colors so he thinks it should be fine.

💐🍫🎸💌

An hour later, Eddie stomps into another store, mumbling to himself. They aren't even dating yet, so why is this so complicated?

Why, of all the people at Half-Blood Camp, did he have to fall for a son of Aphrodite? how do you even attempt to romance someone who had the Goddess of Love as a mother?

He taps his fingers nervously on the glass counter, there are way too many options and he doesn't even know where to start.

He goes back to his cabin with a cheesy heart-shaped box filled with peanut butter chocolates - Steve would never admit it but he goes crazy for peanut butter - and places them next to the flowers.

🍫🎸💌 💐

Right before dinner and after hours of overthinking, the chocolate idea feels too lame in Eddie's eyes.

"So is this for Steve?" Robin asks. He's pretty sure she's smirking but they're talking just outside of her cabin, Apollo's, and the sunlight is just at the right place to make it shine too much for his poor eyes. He used to be jealous of Robin for having such a cool dad, but lately he feels much more content being stuck with Dionysus.

"It is not!" he replies, too quickly to be believable.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me" she pushes him inside the cabin, then picks up a piece of paper and a binder.

"This is a list of Steve's favorite songs. I know you don't like any of these so" she gestures at the binder "I've got all of my music sheets in here. No need to thank me, Munson. But remember to give them back, I have a great aim and your cabin is a weapon range from here."

Eddie passes most of the night learning Against all Odds by Phill Collins while looking nervously at Robin's cabin through his window.

🎸💌 💐 🍫

It's Valentine's day, and Eddie is absolutely fucked. The flowers aren't pretty enough, the chocolate is lame, the song is overused and he's out of ideas.

He finds himself at Athena's cabin with only a few hours of sleep and right before breakfast.

He waits for Nancy to get out.

"This is about Steve" she states, not even questioning it, and Eddie doesn't have the energy to deny it.

"I'm running out of ideas Nancy! this was supposed to be a casual thing, no pressure! but then I mentioned it to him and he got so excited about receiving something from me and now there's no casualty anymore! There's anxiety, and he's surrounded by romance on a daily basis how am I supposed to compete with that?" Nancy listens to his rant quietly, not showing any particular reaction.

"So, how can I help?" it might seem like a cold response but that's exactly what Eddie needs.

He gets out an hour later, his stomach grumbling, his body pleading for a few hours of sleep, but with a poem about Steve's sun-kissed freckles and soft hair. Nancy wasn't much help with that, but she re-read it and made sure there weren't any mistakes and that his writing was clear enough.

"Eddie wait" Nancy calls for him as he's going through the door "you know how it is on valentine's day... Steve is one of the most admired kids in Aphrodite's cabin. So, whatever happens, don't let it get into your head okay? he likes you a lot."

💌💐🍫🎸

It gets into Eddie's head. Big time.

He was never confident about the gifts he prepared but he thought at least one of them would've been fine.

That is until the parade of Steve's presents begins.

After the tenth bouquet of flowers he receives, Eddie stops counting.

At breakfast and lunch, he has a pile of chocolates on his table and it stands up even amongst his brothers and sisters who had received chocolates as well, just not as many.

The gift Eddie is most confident about, the poem, has to be ruled out as well since with most of the bouquets and chocolates Steve has also received white envelopes with his name written on them, in much nicer handwriting than Eddie's.

The song, Eddie's weakest gift since it isn’t his cup of tea and he had to learn it overnight, is the only thing he has left.

Despite it all, he gets ready for it. He doesn’t like the song but he loves a big gesture, so he goes to his cabin in the afternoon to grab his guitar, determined to surprise Steve with a romantic serenade.

When he comes back, he notices a big fuss around the amphitheater. Curious, he gets close just in time to see one of Robin's brothers guiding Steve at the arena's center, a guitar in his left hand.

Eddie rushes away, he doesn’t need to see anything more.

🪨🪨🪨🪨

His gloomy state guides him to the lake's shore. It's cold but quiet, plus Eddie's favorite pastime consists in picking up rocks that catch his attention.

He throws a couple of them in the lake, kicks a few big ones, then sighs. A part of him hopes Steve is so busy with all his admirers that he forgets about him and his promise.

He crouches to have a better look at the smaller rocks at his feet. One catches his eye almost immediately: it's round, smooth, and mostly dark brown with gold cracks. Eddie cannot explain it, but it makes him think of Steve.

He's getting up with the small stone in his hand when he hears footsteps behind him.

"I knew I would find you here" Steve's smile makes Eddie's knees go weak, even at that distance.

He stops once he's standing next to him, both facing the lake.

"I guess you know me pretty well" Eddie points out, his eyes fixed on the water.

"Oh, I do" Steve smirks, confidence radiating from every fiber of his being. Eddie supposes that anyone would feel great about themselves after a day spent accepting any sort of gifts.

"So, I came to collect something" Steve breaks the silence, sounding less confident than before, more nervous if anything.

Eddie can't tell him about all the lame gifts he got for him, let alone go back to his cabin and grab one of them.

Before he can think too much about it, he takes one of Steve's hands and drops the rock on his palm "Here, happy valentine's day".

He realizes what he has done only after Steve's hand closes into a fist around the gift.

Eddie's eyes grow wide, his gaze flickers nervously between the hand that was holding the stone - the right one which he mentally renames as the traitor - and Steve's.

He tries to come up with excuses, but no sound comes out of his mouth.

Finally, as he's ready to jump in front of him and say something like "ahah this is a joke! I got you", Eddie looks at him.

Steve is radiant.

Eddie has rarely seen him smile like this, never at a stupid rock he had randomly collected. He is pretty sure this isn't the first rock he has ever given him, either. It's just a thing that Eddie does.

But Steve is beaming at the rock in his hand like Eddie has given him a piece of jewelry or a gemstone.

"Thank you Eddie, I love it" only then Eddie notices that he is also blushing.

"Are you sure? It's just a rock" he replies, nervously.

Steve raises an eyebrow at the question "yeah, but it's very pretty. And you love rocks."

"Oh," Eddie says, dumbly.

He finally understands why Steve was so excited by the idea of Eddie gifting him something for Valentine's day, why both Robin and Nancy told him he was stressing too much over something Steve would've liked anyways.

Steve would've loved anything as long as it came from Eddie.

"Now I feel bad," Steve speaks, oblivious to Eddie's internal epiphany "my gift is very lame compared to yours."

"You got me something, pretty boy?" he leans closer to him, into Steve's personal space. He smirks when he notices Steve's blush reaching his ears.

"Of course I did" he huffs "but you have to close your eyes if you want it" Steve looks away as he says it, clearly embarrassed.

He'd love to tease him about his red face but he decides to play nice and close his eyes.

He flinches when he feels Steve's lips on his. He slides his arms on his shoulders and around his neck, to make sure Steve doesn't misinterpret his surprised reaction. Steve puts his arms around his waist, pulling him impossibly closer.

Someone might say that gifting a kiss for Valentine's Day is very lame but Eddie realizes that, as long as it came from Steve, he would've loved it anyways.

I wasn’t planning to write anything but then I had some free time and I got inspired! Please forgive me if I wrote something unrealistic for the Percy Jackson world but I’ve read the books years ago, I don’t remember much!Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone but especially to my mutuals, I hope you have an amazing day 💘