#then the 5 year mission ended and neither of them knew how to go on with their lives so they followed the inertia away from each other

[2063april5]

The ones about them dating in TOS already imply that they broke up and got back together post-TMP, it's just about when it technically started.

Let me know specific episodes when you think it clicked for them or your theories and propaganda in the tags I'd love to hear them

[aingeal98]

Damian and Cass go to the zoo as civilians because Babs and Dick think they need some non vigilante bonding time (they may have blown up the batmobile on their last mission together) but unfortunately a group of mercs decide that this is the best way to get a ransom from Bruce Wayne. Unfortunately for the kidnappers of course. Cass gets distracted for 5 minutes in the gift shop and Damian gets surrounded by ex military kidnappers who he infuriatingly cannot beat to a pulp because he is supposed to be a normal 14 year old boy.

So they take him to their hideout, and that's when things start looking up because these fools try to negotiate with him in order to get to Bruce. Which let's Damian insult them to his hearts content, secretly hoping he can push them over the edge to violence so that he has an excuse to use his skills.

Meanwhile Cass realises she lost something important: Her ice cream cone that Damian was holding. And Damian too, but more importantly she wants to know what penguin ice cream tasted like (She later finds out it's just vanilla. Major disappointment.)

So off she goes, tracking the kidnappers in her jeans and t shirt. And when she does find where they're holed up she takes six of them down before the seventh one even realises who's attacking them. At which point he has time to say "What the-" before Cass knocks him out.

She finds Damian having driven the two leaders of the operation to tears by taunting them about their mothers and how disappointed they must be in the horrible sons they raised. One of them looks tempted to end it all. The other looks tempted to end Damian.

Cass knocks them out, and then debates whether or not she should call the police. Neither of them want to deal with that fuss, so they just tie up the kidnappers and leave a tip along with a promise of a witness statement if needed. Then it's back to the zoo to try that penguin ice cream as the two cones had tragically melted during the kidnapping.

Personally, Cass and Damian both thought it was a fun day. But from the way Babs sighed, Dick laughed, and Bruce grunted, it's clear that not everyone was pleased with their chosen form of bonding.

Oh well. At least Damian wouldn't have to fake being helpless as much anymore now that kidnappers knew that not only would he not give them what they wanted, but he had the world's most terrifying protective big sister. A win is a win, even if it wasn't as entertaining as beating them up with his own hands.

[zeawesomebirdie]

Superbat Fake Dating + Identity Porn Rec List

Thanks to @jourquet for asking for this!! I hope you find something here to read!! (And paging @steine-druff as promised!)

These are in no particular order, but generally organised by trope. I tend to read longfic as a general rule, so these recs will reflect that :) the titles contain links to each fic.

Fake Dating

1. A Common Misconception by rotasha; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 91,114 words; 21 chapters; complete

Summary:

When Bruce Wayne comes out, he accidentally becomes the poster child of bisexuality and realizes his lifestyle of sleeping around needs to come to an end. Clark, being the supportive friend that he is, volunteers to pretend to date him for a year.

You know the rest.

This fic has everything that one could want in fake dating: idiots in love, mutual pining, one bed, fake vacations, miscommunication. It also really captures the superbat dynamic of trusting and yes and-ing each other, even when they probably didn't need to be!

(And if you like this fic, any of rotasha's other works are just as good! I've got a few more of them in this list too)

2. over this threshold by orphean; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 59,283 words; 7 chapters; complete

Summary:

'I don't understand how tax evasion relates to you going on a date with, do I need to remind you, Bruce Wayne.'

Clark bit his tongue.

'We're going to get married. It's a tax break, not tax evasion.'

'Are you kidding me.' Lois stared. 'That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.'

———

Bruce asks Clark to marry him for tax reasons. Clark, against his better judgment, agrees.

Exactly what it says on the tin. Some highlights include Bruce buying Clark ridiculously expensive suits, Clark taking forever to tell his mom what's going on, and of course the wedding itself which was just delightful, with speeches from Lois, Alfred, and Dick that had me crying.

3. A Rich Man's Game by malicegreres; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 63,942 words; 13 chapters; complete

Summary:

The editorial staff of the Daily Planet, currently owned by Bruce Wayne, is trying to organize a labor union. Clark can't explain to his coworkers why he can't participate without jeopardizing the campaign—or tell Batman why he's been so cagey around him lately. When Bruce finds out what's been going on, Clark recruits him to resolve his conflict of interest in the only way Clark can think of: by pretending to date him.

This fic is truly glorius. Of all the ways Clark could have solved this problem, he chose the most convoluted. And surprise surprise, it works!

4. mission parameters by shipyrds; rated E; no archive warnings apply; 33,394 words; 6 chapters; complete

Summary:

"Bruce." Clark turns towards him, leaning back against a bank of consoles. "We're not actually going undercover. We don't need an elaborate backstory– if anything, it'll be harder to keep straight. It doesn't have to be complicated." He spreads his hands. "Here's a story: we're members of the same elite fighting force. After years of saving each other's lives in the field, we fell in love. That's it."

Bruce swallows past the almost-truth of it. In Clark's warm smooth radio voice, it sounds plausible. It sounds like something that could happen.

—

Bruce and Clark pretend to be married for diplomatic reasons. When they return to Earth, things are a little different.

Of all the things that normally Bruce says, Clark is the one to insist on a simple coverstory. And of course, from such simple things spirals out a whole entire adventure that doesn't stop just because the mission is over! This fic features a domesticity that neither of them knew they needed until they had it

5. tell all the truth (but tell it slant) by susiecarter [@susiecarter on tumblr]; rated M; no archive warnings apply; 33,007 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

It takes a while for Batman and Superman to work things out, once Clark comes back from the dead. Pretending to date each other in order to explain why Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent are in the same place so often? Doesn't help as much as you might think.

*slapping this fic like that one meme with the car* this fic can fit so much miscommunication into it, it's truly delightful to read!! Also, yet another fic where Clark fails to mention what's going on to his mother. And of course the constant worrying about each other without actually expressing it, which is truly such a golden trope when it comes to these two!

I'm adding a cut here because this is already very long and we are still only just starting, so click the read more to see the rest ^.^

6. there ain't no star that shines by amosangius [@amosanguis on tumblr]; rated E; no archive warnings apply; 11,713 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

“I'm not the same person I was back in high school,” Clark says, “and I doubt they all are, either. What would be the point?”

“Oh, Clark,” Bruce is suddenly holding Clark's face with both of his hands, “the point is that I'm going to land us in a helicopter somewhere for all your classmates to see.”

Clark sighs and closes his eyes.

“Say 'yes', Clark,” Bruce orders.

Clark doesn't open his eyes, just says, “Yes, Clark.”

If you thought Bruce buying Clark expensive suits just for their fake dates was excessive, you ain't seen nothing yet!! This fic also features casual bed sharing (and so many references to casual intimacy oh my goodness it's lovely), Bruce Wayne being Rich As Fuck, and Bruce casually being overprotective of Clark in social situations

7. my heart is an open wound by yukla [@yuebings on tumblr]; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 13,367 words; 1 chapter; complete

“—I’ll see you kneel again,” Luthor is hissing, eyes hungry, and Clark is swaying back in discomfort—and as Lois checks their surroundings again, she notices that Wayne is still standing across the room, staring uselessly, as though he believes the sheer force of his murderous gaze would be enough to laser-blast Luthor into oblivion.

Jesus Christ, Lois thinks. I have to do everything around here.

5 times a Daily Planet employee protects Clark Kent, and 1 time Clark Kent protects the Daily Planet.

Or: Clark's coworkers watch as he fake-dates his crush with limited success.

It is probably obvious by now that miscommunication and Bruce's emotions getting in the way of everything are two of my favourite things to read. All of Clark's coworkers are the best, and once again Clark is a self-sacrificing idiot (affectionate)

8. flash in the pan by shipyrds; rated E; no archive warnings apply; 15,951 words; 3 chapters; complete

Summary:

Here’s the thing. Clark does understand. Superman and Batman are fucking. Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne are not. Clark can handle this. He keeps parts of his life separate all the time.

It’s possible, Clark thinks, as he glares at a lurid tabloid cover of Bruce’s latest scandalous yacht party in the grocery store checkout aisle, that he can’t handle this.

—

At the Wayne Foundation's annual holiday party, things come to a head.

Okay there is so much I want to say about this fic and yet there are no words that could possibly express just how incredible it is. Bruce coming up with the worst case scenario for literally everything? Check. Clark agreeing to fake date even though he's majorly head over heels and this will likely end in flames? Check. Ma Kent giving the best relationship advice ever? Check. Dick yelling at Bruce when he tries to self sabotage again? Check. Truly one of the best fucking-but-still-pining fics I've ever read!

9. Operation Sponsalia by Brenda [@brendaonao3 on tumblr]; rated E; no archive warnings apply; 13,610 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

"When did you first realize you were in love with me?"

Bruce coughs up his wine.

"I mean, in this...whatever this is," Clark clarifies, blushing to the roots of his hair. "I don't think you're really — I mean, I know this isn't —"

"It's alright." Bruce's voice is raspy, but steady. "I know what you mean."

Clark's glad one of them does.

Or: Bruce and Clark have to fake an engagement for ~reasons — featuring a metric ton of very romantic dates, enough floral arrangements to start a flower shop, SO MANY puns, and Clark finally getting to know the real Bruce. :D

Clark doesn't find out that Bruce said to the press that they had been dating long enough to be teasing enagagements until after it's already been said. Was there a better way to explain why Bruce just happened to help save the Kent family farm? Absolutely. And yet they follow through on it anyway, and I love it for them

10. Sham-pagne by ChrisLeon; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 8,248 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

Superman is spotted visiting Wayne Manor, prompting speculation about how exactly he knows Bruce Wayne. To protect their secret identities, they need a plausible explanation and it seems easy enough to go along with the tabloid theory that they’re sleeping together. All they have to do is pretend to be in a relationship until the speculation dies down and then they can break up move on.

Or: Superman fake-dates Bruce Wayne, we all know how this ends.

This one was fascinating to me because instead of Clark and Bruce dating, it's Superman and Bruce dating, and let me just say I'm so incredibly hinged about it!! I think there is so much potential in that particular version of their dynamic, and this fic was such a beautiful exploration of it!

11. Speaking in Code by Mithen; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 7,459 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

Clark and Bruce must go undercover at a newlywed resort to try and stop an assassination attempt. Hijinks, UST, and reluctant making out ensue.

First of all, Mithen is a superbat master. Pick any fic of theirs and it will be delightful. Second of all, I could write an entire essay about how much I adore the way they go from irritable about this mission to incredibly enthuasiastic over the course of their two days at the resort, but then we'd be here all day so: if you like banter, one bed, and a case fic this is a brilliant read

12. Kind Truths by Mawiiish [@superbattrash on tumblr]; rated G; creator chose not to use archive warnings; 6,478 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

Bruce needs help with an undercover mission. Clark can never say no to him even though he probably should before he does something stupid. Like tell Bruce he's in love with him.

--

“Why me?” Clark can’t help but ask. He tries his very best to keep his voice level, to not sound as desperate as he feels.

“Because I need someone there to watch my back,” Bruce says, a little exasperated. He really shouldn’t have to explain this to Clark of all people, it’s not like they haven’t been on missions together before.

“I get that, but what about Diana? Shayera?” Anyone who doesn’t have a big fat crush on Bruce would do.

Is it obvious I have a thing for Clark agreeing to fake dating despite his big crush on Bruce? This fic is glorious, and features delights such as Bruce metaphorically putting his foot in his mouth, Clark wanting nothing more than to defend Bruce's honor, and one of the most beautiful confession scenes I've ever had the pleasure of reading

13. where i come from by soetry [@soetrys on tumblr]; E; no archive warnings apply; 52,494 words; 11 chapters; complete

Summary:

Bruce doesn’t have a soulmark, and Clark doesn’t have a soulmark, on an Earth where everyone has a soulmark. Somewhere in there is a simple solution. Somewhere to that solution is an overcomplicated journey. Surely two of the world’s leading superheroes will not take the overcomplicated route?

Surely not?

This one is a little bit of both. The identity porn in this was really well done - Dick is a massive Superman fan, Bruce is unimpressed with both Superman and Clark Kent, and it all goes downhill from there (affectionate). Highlights also include Bruce using a dubiously legal site to crossreference soulmarks, him getting the Superman crest tattooed on his wrist using Kyrptonian tech, and Clark being a self-sacrificing idiot. This is also one of the best soulmate AUs I've ever read!!

Identity Porn

1. Get Over It by rotasha; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 32,378 words; 3 chapters; complete

Summary:

Bruce needs to get over his inconvenient feelings for Superman and he meets an attractive reporter who he thinks can help him do just that. Little does he know...

Of all the identity porn I've read, this is one of the best! Bruce dating Clark to get over Superman is one of the best things ever and this fic really does a good job of their dynamic!

2. Lost Time Without You by rotasha; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 68,792 words; 21 chapters; complete

Summary:

In a universe where your soulmate’s injuries show up on your skin, Bruce is convinced he doesn’t have a soulmate, and Clark is seriously concerned for his soulmate’s well-being.

This was my introduction to soulmate!AUs and oh my goodness it was spectacular! The build up to the reveal of their identities was brilliantly done, and the chance encounters that pepper through the lead up to that point were captivating. This fic also features Bruce being a good parent and I really love that for him

3. the cost of being a good dad by Mawiiish [@superbattrash on tumblr]; rated T; creator chose not to use archive warnings; 95,533 words; 10 chapters; complete

Summary:

Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian are all tired of watching Bruce struggle with the stress of trying to handle the newly formed Justice League. He needs an outlet, he needs to relax, he needs to get out of the house, he needs... he needs to start dating. And what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right?

--

“Excuse me, I don’t know who you think I am, but I think there’s been a mistake.”

“Bruce, right?” the guy says, albeit less confidently this time. He looks slightly concerned and if Bruce is not mistaken… a tad embarrassed. “Bruce Wayne? You look just like your pictures.”

“My pictures?” Something finally clicks in Bruce’s mind, and he takes a small step back and plasters a smile on his face as to not rouse suspicion. Stalker. “Ah, of course, I’m sorry but I’m late for an appointment.”

This fic features the batkids catfishing Clark on Bruce's behalf, Bruce being a good parent, and the utter chaos of miscommunication that can only come from these two being idiots! It was a delightful read, and of course the batfam in action is always a joy!

4. ship-to-ship combat by pomeloquat; rated M; no archive warnings apply; 62,737 words; 12/13 chapters; incomplete

Summary:

"Clark. What the hell is this," Lois asks, staring at Clark's Bruceman WIP folder. Clark's first instinct is to fly away, but that would still leave his fic on display for her to see. His second instinct is to blast a hole straight through his laptop screen with his heat vision, which isn't much better.

Clark, in an attempt to make some spare cash, unintentionally stumbles into the world of superhero fanfiction, becomes a prolific writer for Gotham's OTP, and tries his best to fend off rival fans who want him to convert to superbat instead.

Oh my goodness okay. Where to start with this fic. First of all, Clark writing Batman/Bruce Wayne fanfiction is such a brilliant concept. Then add to that the fact that Clark is secretly crushing on Batman at the same time, and the entire comedy of a trainwreck is a delight to witness!

5. I'm Not As Think As You Drunk I Am by Mardiaz173; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 12,920 words; 3 chapters; complete

It was like living in the Twilight Zone. Everyone else believed fervently in Bruce Wayne’s reputation. He was a flirty, stupid, and entitled drunk whose only redeeming quality was his bleeding heart. And yet every time Clark spoke with Wayne, the man was clever, mischievous, and sober with an indecipherable ulterior motive.

And no one believed Clark. Not Lois, not his parents, not even Batman.

Clark insisting upon defending Bruce to everyone much to everyone's dismay is one of my favourite superbat tropes ever, and this fic really does it well! And of course, this fic also features Batman shit talking Bruce, which is always a joy to see!

6. Don't Quote Me by metropolisjournal [@metropolisjournal on tumblr]; rated E; no archive warnings apply; 77,131 words; 20/21 chapters; incomplete

Summary:

Bruce Wayne has weathered scandal before, and Wayne Enterprises can handle another publicity crisis. What Bruce can’t handle is one crashing up against his plans to infiltrate Lex’s estate. Set during Batman v. Superman.

This was the fix-it for Batman vs Superman that I didn't know I needed until I read it. The identity reveal was so incredibly well written, and the whole fic was stupendous from the very first chapter!

And that's all for now! I hope you find something in here to read, may you enjoy!!

[wow-its-me]

My TikTok has been taken over by different versions of a “drifting stars” AU, so here’s my version of that, that I think could actually work within the show

“Gruncle Stan, I trust you”

A man steps trough the portal as Mable is pulled in, knocking them both back into the other dimension before the portal closes

After a moment of quiet, Dipper starts to yell at Stan, asking him questions, implying that Stan somehow knew this would happen and didn’t care about the end of the world

Stan remarks that this is why he needed the kids to stay out of the way, he’s already back by the portal trying to work on getting it open again

Dipper goes to look at it, accuse is Gruncle some more, but he feels a hand on his shoulder. Soos asks him to go upstairs, worried that it isn’t safe down here.

Dipper goes to his room, Soos sleeps on the couch that night

1st drifting stars episode

Mable is immediately attacked by some sort of monster, Ford steps in to save her, Mable is able to help with some quick creative thinking

Early the next morning, Stan checks in on Dipper, who’s flipped from angry to worried. Stan apologizes and reassures him that it isn’t his fault, he’ll answer any question he has.

Soos, Stan, and Dipper sit around the table while Ford and Mable sit around a firepit

And this is where we get a tale of two Stan’s! Bouncing back between Ford and Stan’s perspective

2

A few days have gone by.

Ford is getting increasingly annoyed with Mable, which makes sense because he hasn’t been around anyone in 30 years, now he’s responsible for a 12 year old.

Mable thinks Ford thinks she’s not capable, the two go on a mission to get a part for something Fords building, Mable uses this opportunity to try to prove herself. It ends with them saving the day, learning to trust each other

Meanwhile in Gravity Falls, Dipper is becoming depressed and obsessed with getting his sister back. He’s wearing a sweater she made for him. Stan, very worried about him, sends him on a nonsense task with Soos, and Wendy (who had stopped by the shack to ask why it’s been closed)

Through this task Dipper thinks Stan is going to send him back to California, it ends with them having a conversation about it, and deciding what to tell his parents

3

Ford finally tells Mabel his plans for getting the two back to Gravity Falls, and what they need to do to make it happen.

Uh-oh a monster/bill?? steps in and tries to mess it up. They’re able to get away. Mable is injured (not badly) and finally has to face that she isn’t safe anymore, and she has no idea when she’ll get home. She has a bit of a breakdown, and Ford tries to comfort her

One/both of Dipper and Mabel’s parents show up in gravity falls, worried that one of their children has gone missing. Dipper tries to convince them that he needs to stay, which only worries them more.

It ends with them deciding it would be worse to try to take him away from the support system he has in this town

They don’t stay, but they’ll be closer by if needed

4

Oceans 11 style heist. Stan and Dipper get the help from the people of gravity falls to help them steal more radioactive materials (Wendy, Soos, Robbie, Candy and Grenda, Mcgucket, Lazy Susan, Pacifica, Shmebulock)

Meanwhile Mable and Ford deal with a more lighthearted interdimensional monster

5

Some more plot but by the end of the episode they get the portal open, with efforts by all four of them

Mabel steps through holding fords hand

The argument between Stan and Ford is put on hold as they reunite with Mable

She hugs Dipper first, and she’s quite, really quiet.

They all sleep in the living room that night

Except for Ford, who stays in the basement

6

A plot - Dipper and Mable both want everything to go back to how it was, so they take the journal into the woods and try to have a classic adventure. In the end they learn that they can’t just ignore everything they went through, and it’s clear that neither of them are the same as before. They find the importance of talking about their feelings

B plot- Stan and Ford have the fight they did in the original show… they do not come to the conclusions that their younger counterparts did

C plot- Wendy and Soos set up a welcome home party for Mable (and Ford)

(Then it goes into the d&d&d episode)

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

my favorite scully and mulder moments from s2

when they aren’t supposed to talk to each other anymore in the first episode because the x files were disbanded, so they came up with a code to know when to meet up

(and mulder at first is very annoyed that she wants to risk being seen with him because she’s deeply concerned about how distant he’s acting… “so what did you want?” “to see if you’re alright”. him trying to grapple with being cared for vs her trying to figure out why he won’t let her in. yeah.)

((and she runs her fingers through his hair at this covert meeting, after he confesses he’s lost all faith))

when she finds him, in the same episode, passed out on the floor of a random puerto rican jungle compound, and he grabs her by the shoulders, saying he saw the same aliens that took his sister

another covert meeting in episode 2, after moody mulder thinks he was moved to a case just to keep him busy: “is this seat taken?” she asks. “no, but I should warn you I am experiencing violent impulses” “well, i’m armed, so I’ll take my chances”

(and right after, when he said he wants to leave the FBI, but working with her is his only reason to stay)

“i’d consider it more than a professional loss if you decided to leave” <- sobbing. for ten thousand years.

episode 3, when she flew 300 miles in the middle of the night to draw his blood. couldn’t anyone else have done that? no. it needed to be Her.

(there’s another, very brief scene towards the end of episode 3, where she peeks over his shoulder and the height difference is incredible)

scully stopping her class because she gets a call from him, then flying up to New York to do an autopsy for him. and when they see each other they both smile SO big it’s adorable, even as she is holding a human stomach. krychek seems confused. he wouldn't understand, would he?

and then flying in AGAIN to try and help mulder during his hostage negotiation with duane barry in episode 5, getting furious when she is told to “calm down” while he is in danger

when she finally wakes up from her coma in episode 8- how she yells at her mom for calling him “fox”, how he brings her a VHS tape of superbowl highlights and she deadpans “i knew there was a reason to live”

(and he finally gives her necklace back- but then he leaves, despite wanting nothing more than to stay by her side, to let her be with family)

in episode 9, when they are finally back together, mulder tries to get her to stay home from this investigation to keep her safe, because he's terrified of her getting hurt again: “scully, i don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go”, he says, but she’s too stubborn to be stopped, and he realizes it’s an impossible fight

(later, they engage in an intense scientific argument over the existence of silicon based life forms, and it feels deeply charged)

another reassurance in episode 9 that she is okay despite what she has gone through: “i’m back and I’m not going anywhere” (shoulder grab!!!!) “i'm counting on you” (lingering eye contact!!!!)

when he returns from his mission to find scully handcuffed, having just saved herself with some quick thinking, and she has to comfort HIM at the sight of her in distress: “i'm okay, i’m okay”, she repeats, while he gently grabs her face, and seems to ignore everything she is saying to ask if she’s alright

(and the month long quarantine that ensued, which we saw none of, but the fact that it happened at all is lovely to me)

sharing an umbrella in episode 10!!!!! it’s really the simple things in life you know!!!

going out on a rib date… he wipes the sauce off of her face, then goes into explaining how a new spirit can take over a body

when mulder’s sense of injustice is going off that episode, so he leaves the restaurant to defend a kid being bullied, and when scully follows the mean kid taunts him by saying “why don’t you run along with the little wife?” and neither of them react (except for a few moments later when he’s staring intently at her, and it looks like he is considering the possibility)

(bursting into her motel room) “scully? you’re not gonna believe this” <- he said the line!!!! (and she could believe it, because she had figured it out on her own)

exchanging theories on murders and repression of memories: “i seem to recall you having some pretty extreme hunches”, she says, and he replies “i never have”. they both smile in the quiet of driving along a small town road.

when mulder narrowly escapes having his throat slit, and after scully nearly shot the woman holding him hostage, she runs to him and carefully cradles his head while he’s still on the floor…. oh the tenderness. i actually might fall apart.

thinking they will have free time on their trip to Minnesota in episode 13, he bought them tickets to a football game <3 and they didn’t get to go but it was SUCH a nice thought

mulder noticing that scully is in extreme distress while looking at the victims of the killings in episode 13,  but trying to give her space to admit that she is terrified; “scully, if you’re having trouble with this case, I want you to tell me” “I’m not having trouble”, she lies, and he answers “i just don’t want you to think you have to hide anything from me” oughhh.... </3

and when the killer who terrified her so awfully kidnaps her, and mulder arrives to find her, she insists that she’s okay despite shaking like a leaf, until he lifts her chin up. only then does she start sobbing into his chest, while he mumbles “it’s alright, it’s alright” to her. ohhh, the vulnerability hits hard here, especially because she had just said she didn’t want him to feel like he had to protect her! as if there was ever going to be any other option; he is the protector and he will protect what he loves, it’s all he knows

taking the little kid they meet at the refugee camp in episode 15 to get lunch, because one thing these two are gonna do is get any youth they encounter some food. and mulder gives him money for extra fries because he WILL spoil any random child.

she cuts her hand on a thorny branch left in their car, and when mulder says “let me see that”, she replies that it is nothing, trying to deny him any chance to be concerned. then when she starts feeling very ill, she keeps telling him its fine, because for some reason the doctor cannot doctor herself.

(he goes off to get the bad guy, and she is in the car hallucinating. when she finally breaks free from the clutches of evil, he’s lying on the ground, having been… like, psychically stabbed? and still. his first question when he sees her is. “you’re okay?” aughhhhhhhhh)

that time mulder was actively dying of alien poison in episode 17, so she barged in and started yelling at the doctor to get his shit together, because she knew what to do and he didn’t. and she manages to save him.

mulder agreeing to trade who he thought was his sister for scully in a hostage deal, then saying he couldn’t have told her it was his sister because he knew scully would never have let him go through with it... the terrible pain of knowing somebody so well, you know they'd endanger themselves for you...

after scully saves his life by figuring out how to treat his alien poison, she stays by his bed and gently strokes his hair. and when he opens his eyes, she was holding his arm. she smiles and says “thanks for ditching me”, to which he replies that he found his faith again (<3)

seasick mulder fumbling for words in episode 19, while she tries to see if he's feeling any better: “you’re lucky you inherited your father’s legs” “what?” “his SEA legs” (scully laughs while he is in ocean-induced misery)

when they take shifts watching the suspicious guy on the boat that makes you old, his alarm goes off to indicate his shift was over. he goes to wake scully up and switch off, she mumbles something about having just fallen asleep, and he offers to give her a little bit longer to rest. so sweet.

exchanging magic tricks while investigating the sideshow performers in florida in episode 20- her making it look like the cricket came from behind his ear, him pretending to make the nail suddenly appear

“we’re exhuming your potato” “may i ask why?” (she goes into a convincing explanation on searching for evidence, he ruins it by interrupting to say “we found out you used to be a dog-faced boy”)

episode 21: “see, this is a helium balloon, and the one thing i did learn in kindergarten is that when you let them go, they float up, up, and away” “did you learn about wind in kindergarten?” (she is funny and she doesn’t get enough credit for that!)

and episode 24: iI just came up with a sick theory, mulder” “ooh, I’m listening”

mulder brushing her hair back, asking if she is okay after nearly getting decapitated

and who can forget episode 25, the season finale, when mulder is collapsing into her arms, delirious with fever and covered in his father’s blood; she lays him down in her bed, placing a cold compress on his forehead. “we’ve got to find out who killed my father” “right now you need to rest. it’s okay” what if i started yelling

him waking up after she had to put him in a coma for damage control: “you shot me >:(” “yes, i did” (patiently explains how she saved his life about 3 times in 72 hours, including by shooting him)

him thanking her for taking care of him; her asking him to find out what the files he's determined to understand say about her disappearance

[sunshineandspencer]

Work the case (Iridescent, Part 5)

Let me stress, this is not Maeve from the show, but my own Maeve just named the same to send Spencer into hell whenever he thinks about it.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!BAU!OC.

Summary: His first bout of cases with Maeve, and one of them doesn’t exactly go the way they had hoped

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: swearing, cm typical horror, mention of cannibalism and choking, spencer is less of an ass™

Parts: Pt1, Pt2, Pt3, Pt4, Pt6

In the past 100 days that Spencer gets to spend with the BAU, they were only on their third case. Which, really, should’ve been a good thing, because it means less time stuck with Ave.

Their first case, which came in on his first day back, took them to Atlanta for about a week.

Men had been turning up with their own ring fingers in their stomachs, with the ring still attached. It was clear that the fingers had been cut off and force fed to the men while they were still alive and conscious, evident by the bite marks on the fingers and the degradation from the stomach acid.

It hadn’t been a very pretty case, and with the mild Atlanta weather, it wasn’t the nicest case to be in.

Emily had, of course, noticed Spencer’s mild distaste for Maeve, and made it her life mission to have them paired together for everything. Which led to them sort of bonding. Him explaining their Tracey Lambert case, which was so long ago now, and her talking about her very first case with the BAU and the man who had a hungering for brown eyes. Laughing softly when she recalled how the man had made immediate eye contact with her, and Emily threatened the man.

The case after that, something that could’ve been a national emergency, was actually solved relatively quicker. In Iowa, almost an entire town of people came down with a sudden and painful illness that was suspected to be the work of activists since Iowa was one of the largest states for agriculture.

Since they were called in so quickly, they knew they didn’t have much time to work it out. On the off chance it was an attack on an agricultural state.

It wasn’t, it was far simpler than that. Two of the largest farming families in the town had been in a massive rivalry for years, something that the BAU had definitely seen before. One of the grandsons decided enough was enough and, with his ties to the industrial plant the next town over, poisoned the rival’s crops and blamed the activists.

Not intending for anyone to get hurt, or to die, but he actively evaded the cops and lied in their investigation. So it ended up worse for him.

All in all, a completely normal case.. except for the sleeping arrangements. There had been an influx of media reporters and visiting family, meaning there were very few rooms in the motel they’d been sent to.

Emily, still trying to sort out their rivalry, sent them to share a room.

It was.. painfully awkward.

Thankfully there were two, very shitty, beds, but that didn’t change the fact that they bickered over everything. For the most part it was playful - for them anyway - fighting over who gets into the bathroom first, shoving each other out of the way to get into the mirror while they brushed their teeth. The only time it got serious was when they needed to choose the beds.

Maeve wanted the one near the window, and so did he. After a strangely heated argument, they agreed to rock-paper-scissors for it, and he lost. So she got the bed by the window.

After learning, however, they both beds were equally as shit, she let him take the window bed the next night and they swapped each of the four nights they stayed. Neither of them said a thing about how much.. nicer it was to sleep in a bed that smelt like the other person.

Blatantly ignoring whatever comfort they’d gotten from that, a week later they were on a new case in Alaska.

This one was a little more concerning, a very small town - the smallest Maeve had even been to anyway - and anyone that had ever tried to move in or leave in the last ten years had been killed. At first they’d all looked like an accident, until a junior, researching their aunt’s death for fun, found all the connections and the BAU were called in.

They knew it had to be someone who had lived here their whole life, but experienced a massive change in their childhood, unfortunately that was most of the residents. A fire about a decade ago had killed a significant amount of the elderly people in the town, and matched their timeline.

When it all went quiet, however, Maeve had suggested having her act as someone who was going to move in. The most recent victim left behind an empty house, and trying to ‘move in’ to that would probably drive the UnSub crazy and draw him out.

Emily agreed, knowing that she was capable and also it would be good for her to have some kind of undercover work. Not that it encapsulated more than just acting like a woman moving into the home alone.

For the rest of them, they were parked in vans just down the road. There were a few cameras on the outside of the property as the remaining family didn’t want any cameras to be placed inside. With Maeve told to have her phone on her constantly and her earpiece in.

The first hour was alright, she was responding to everything, even complaining about the shit channels on the tv.

Only twenty minutes later, Spencer was tense. Standing behind Emily as she kept a look on the screens, occasionally asking Maeve to respond but assuming everything was alright. Spencer knew better.

She’d been quiet for too long.

Ave had offered herself up, to be used as bait for the UnSub. He’s sure it’s out of some misguided need to prove herself as more than just the newest member on the team.

Arguably, he should’ve put her foot down, as both her partner and the senior agent, it should’ve been someone else to go in, him preferably, but she’d had none of it. Playfully suggesting that he’d gotten a concussion from whacking his head on the hotel door frame which is why he almost gives a shit.

He’s stopped after that, scowling at her, and refusing to allow any kind of implication that he cares. He doesn’t care.

Of course he doesn't, however, you certainly don’t need to care about her or be a profiler to notice things. Ave is a stickler to the rules, a real suck up, and she wouldn’t ever go this long ignoring Emily’s order to respond. Nor would she miss the chance to snipe back at him, and she’s ignored all his insults.

So, blatantly ignoring his Unit Chief, he gets out of the van and walks down the road towards the house. Actually, he runs, gun drawn and earpiece taken out so that he can’t hear the team yelling at him to get back.

Kicking down the front door in a way that would make Morgan proud, he could already hear her struggling. It sends ice through his veins, and he raises his gun. Even though he heard the UnSub react to the door, clearly he didn’t stop with Ave.

Rushing to the living room, his heart dropped, and he allowed himself a split second to react. Their UnSub was holding Ave down face first against the carpeted floor, and he could already see the violent burns on her jaw where she’s trying to hold her head up. But the guy’s knee was firmly on her face and his hand was around her throat, choking her from behind. One of his entire hands wrapped around her throat, and the other pinned down her wrists so she couldn’t reach her phone, which had been kicked across the room.

Taking in the scene, and knowing he could hear backup coming through behind him, he raised his gun, shooting the man in the shoulder. Barely registering the howl of pain from the guy before he tackled him.

Killing this guy would be too easy, he needed time to sit and think about what he’s done, for a very long time. And shoving his shoulder to the ground, putting all his weight onto the wound as he sobbed was good enough for him. Even as he thrashed and tried to get out, Spencer just pressed down harder.

“NONONO! It has to be perfect! It has to stay the same!”

Backup arrived and helped Ave up, and Spencer considered just killing the man anyway, choking him just like he’d done to his partner. They’d profiled this man to have severe Metathesiophobia, and his fear of change stemmed from losing his parents in that fire.

Even though Spencer knows why the man did it, that doesn’t stop the flood of white hot rage hardening his grip on the man as he finally caught sight of Ave’s face.

She was breathing slowly, shallowly, trying not to pass out from taking in too much oxygen after being deprived. Her face was covered in tears and spit as JJ helped her to her feet. But it was the harsh, mottling bruises on her throat that made killing a man seem like nothing.

But Emily eased him away before he could ruin his entire career over someone he claims to hate.

Statements were taken, and Ave was forced to be checked out by the paramedics, but just wanted to get back to the hotel. So once she was cleared to leave, Spencer took them back, knowing the rest of the team would deal with the arrest and interrogation.

The entire ride, she was silent, and while he knew why that didn’t make it any less odd. Even at the beginning, when he snapped at everything she did, she was never this still or quiet, he hates this. Jesus, he’d even take her useless humming to the radio.

In fact, she didn’t even say anything until they were in the elevator. Huffing out a watery laugh and rubbing at her eyes, leaning against the wall.

“It’s a shame..” he waited uncharacteristically patiently for her to continue, not wanting to stop if she needed a serious conversation, “I was really into choking before tonight.”

It was such an insane thing to say, and so jarring after having watched a man strangle her, that it made him laugh. In turn, she laughed, a sound hoarse and scratchy but delightfully alive. Both of them tried not to acknowledge that this was their first real laugh together.

Dissolving into delirious, quiet giggles as they stepped out onto their floor. But as he followed behind, watching her pull out her keycard, he realised she was still shaking. Calling out softly to get her attention.

“Ave.. Ave?”

When that didn’t work, he got a little closer, slowly enough that she wouldn’t get spooked from where she was just staring down at the keycard. Voice soft as he tried again.

“Ava.”

She finally turned around at that, surprised to see him so close considering how much he preaches about personal space. Her lips formed a thin line as she forced them not to tremble, not wanting to cry and not trusting her voice.

“Mhm?”

Just this once, because it was a horrible experience and she was clearly more than shaken, he’ll be gentle with her. Today, right now, she deserves it.

“Are you alright angel?”

Hearing that, immediately being sent back to when they met, she couldn’t hold it back anymore. Tears finally fell and she tried to hide them, turning back to the hotel door and fumbling with the keycard.

“‘M fine-”

But he grabbed her elbow and urged her into his arms, letting her cry it all out. He hates touch, still tells himself that he hates her, but for a few minutes he could act like her friends and someone who cares. She’d do the exact same thing for him.

Plucking the card from her hands, and letting them in, walking her backwards into the room and not bothering to turn the lights on. Easing them down onto the couch so that she could tire herself out and get some decent rest. It passed the few minutes he thought it would take, but a couple more can’t hurt.

Once she was finally exhausted, he got her up and walked her over to the bed. Sitting her on the bed and easing her shoes off, and standing to get her jumper off so that she didn’t get too hot. But as he did, her hand shot out to his forearm and he met her very embarrassed gaze.

“.. thank you.”

He didn’t say anything, just got her to lie down so that she could get comfortable, but even as she started trying to sleep she kept hiccuping through uneven breaths. And the bruises were even harsher in the soft moonlight filtering down on her.

Just a little while longer, he’ll sleep on the couch for a few hours, just in case she needs anything. It’ll save her from having to go too far to get help.

It’s nothing, he’d do the same for anyone else, he.. he still doesn’t like her. But he’ll be a bit nicer, at least until she feels a bit better. If only to stop her from retreating and not getting any help from the people that care about her.

The team cares, of course, he tells himself as he settles onto the couch, he doesn’t care. 

Want more?! Good!

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Hey there

What do you think of the show pulling a Philip J Fry on Alix as per Thomas’s Twitter? And how season 5 began with “thanks for saving our lives, now get the fuck out of reality”? Personally, I would have made the duo a trio and try to get all hands on deck

I thought it was super weird and didn't really understand the in-universe logic for why Alix needed to run away. I do get the meta logic, but we'll get to that in a bit. For now, let's focus on how the show tried to justify it. This is the dialogue when Alix gets her mission:

Ladybug: Once we have retrieved the Miraculous of time, you won't return it to me. You'll have to continue wearing it in order to protect it, until Monarch is defeated. Alix: Keep it? That means... Ladybug: (crestfallen) You won’t be able to return to this time right away.

Alix keeping the miraculous makes sense, but her not being able to return to her own time doesn't. What are they worried about that doesn't apply to Ladybug and Chat Noir, too? It's not like Alix's identity was outed at any point. The miraculous would have been perfectly safe in her pocket, so that's a terrible reason to send a 15-year-old girl wandering through time with no support system.

This oddness is not helped by Future Alix's presence in both this episode and Chat Blanc. It shows us that Future Alix can mess with the past for some reason, meaning that there's no reason for her past self to go on a solo mission. If things get too bad, then Future Alix can just come back to the past and fix it.

It would have made way more sense if future Alix wasn't a thing and if the rabbit was the one miraculous Monarch didn't get, leading Ladybug to give the rabbit to Alix for safe keeping. Alix would then offer to go back to the past and change things, but Ladybug would refuse and say, "You can't change your own past! But you can protect our future. Now that Monarch is so close to reaching his goal, I need my hero of last resort to make sure he doesn't win." Then Alix could either go off to monitor the time stream or Fluff could say that it was time to start Alix's training so she knew when a situation was dire enough that it was time to interfere, thereby implying that Alix might help, but wouldn't in most cases.

Of course, those fixes fall flat since Monarch does win, but I guess that's fine since neither version of Alix stopped it? Why the wish was fine, but Chat Blanc wasn't is beyond me.

This is the problem with introducing a time traveler to your show and not giving them clear rules that prevent them from helping. It fills the story with plot holes, which is the meta reason why Alix was shipped off. The writers quickly realized that the villain really couldn't have time travel powers, so they got the miraculous back to Ladybug and then removed it from play because they had no idea how to handle time travel given how badly they've mismanaged it so far.

Almost everything that happens in Evolution is there for a similar reason. Nothing about its plot makes sense and it seems obvious to me that the events of this episode are just a sloppily attempt to fix time-travel plot holes and to make season five's plot work even though it goes against established characterization.

For example, this episode sees Gabriel give up saving Emilie because he's too tempted by the idea of beating Ladybug. This makes no sense because Gabriel has never put defeating Ladybug above saving those he loves. He's actually given up potential victories when the cost to his loved ones was too high. It's not like the writers forgot about this trait either because they bring it back to "redeem" him in the final. If he hated Ladybug more than he loved Emilie, then the season couldn't end with him listening to Ladybug and changing his wish, so him choosing fighting Ladybug over saving Emilie at the start of the season makes no sense since his character supposedly gets worse as the season goes on.

This one-off sloppy change to his character was only there so that the writers could give Nathalie an excuse to no longer support Gabriel, which is really dumb because Nathalie doesn't see Gabriel pick Ladybug over Emilie. Given that Ladybug always wins no matter how clever Gabriel's plans are, it's straight up insane for Nathalie to assume that this time was any different. Just look at this dialogue, she has no idea what happened in the burrow! She just randomly assumes the worst after three seasons of blindly following him to the point where she is actively dying because of her blind faith in Gabriel:

Nathalie: (on-call) Gabriel, did it work? Gabriel: No, Ladybug tricked me! She stole the Time Miraculous from me! (Nathalie coughs from her sickness.) You have to help me! Come up with a new plan! Ladybug can’t get away with this! Nathalie: (on-call) You had the Time Miraculous. You could’ve chosen to save Emilie! You could’ve chosen to save me! (coughs) But instead, you chose your obsession with Ladybug and Cat Noir. You're insane, Gabriel! Gabriel: (stuttering and panicking) I-It’s not my fault! It was Ladybug!!

I'd like to take a moment to remind you that one of the times Gabriel gave up winning for the sake of a loved one was when he chose Nathalie over defeating Ladybug! Why is Nathalie so certain that he acted differently here???

Circling back to your terrific trio idea, while I do like the idea of there being a larger team (but not a team of 18), Alix is the last character I'd chose for that team. It's nothing against her character. I like Alix! The problem is that her power set is broken. If she was there, then we'd be asking why she doesn't just undo the events of the season four finale or use her powers to track down Monarch's identity because canon has failed to explain why those aren't options.

To be perfectly honest, I don't think that the time traveler we see should be one of the modern kids. It just introduces too many plot holes. I think Bunnyx should be someone from the past who is watching their own future and interfering based on very clear rules that leave them almost no room to help. I think it's fine if Alix is the holder who will follow this random person from the past, but we should never see future Alix and current Alix should never mess with current affairs. Which basically means that I'd never use the rabbit for an episode focused on Ladybug and Chat Noir. I'd use it for "filler" episodes that are just about Alix learning to use her powers, which is a pretty huge deviation from the show.

[dailycass-cain]

I'm just as surprised as you are to find out Cass had an appearance in DC's How to Lose a Guy Gardner in 10 Days #1, and not in the way I was expecting.

Was it good or a pass?

Well...

Cass appears in "Date Night" in the anthology story which is more a Dick/Babs story about well the two of them going out on a date. Cass and Steph are basically on a mission checking out something Babs had an inkling things would be bad.

Things do end up being bad.

Alright, I'll just jump in about said bad.

Yeah, this is a supporting role for Cass (along with Steph) in the story. I don't really mind that. Dick/Babs are the leads in this and I'm okay with that.

What I'm not okay with is how the story treats the two Batgirls as amateurs.

Okay, I get the "Scarecrow got the drop on them" opening because neither knew Crane was behind this until fear gas canisters were being loaded.

So that I don't mind. Mainly it's the sections of panels like above saying, "Make sure you do things like Dick is doing."

I didn't like it when Batgirls pulled this off in #5 when Babs showed up and it wore out its welcome in #7-8 (and the Catwoman #45 tie-in).

I get Cass/Steph are younger compared to Dick/Babs but they aren't "rookies". The year is 2024 not 2002.

Just cut down the dialogue to the first sentence. Bam, gripe solved. It's simple word fixing that gets fans of said characters off-backs because it at least treats the characters as being experienced rather than not.

We do get one whole page of Cass/Steph busting the criminals introduced earlier looking to take advantage of Scarecrow's schemes (aka the B-protags taking out the B-antags).

In all honesty, I think the reverse should've occurred. Dick/Babs taking out the B-antags (as they were introduced via being a few tables from them) and well Scarecrow gets his comeuppance from Steph-- AGAIN (or them/Dick being him with Bruce/Helena/Kate in "Shadow of the Bat".

I'm done being nitpicky so I'm gonna talk about the positives aka that whole page and how artist Leonardo Rodrigues draws a nice old-school Cass. No white eyes and we even get the bat fins on her gloves.

NICE.

I think the one detail I loved most was the yellow stitching which does make Cass's mask more striking.

The one page is also a nice little touch showcasing Cass/Steph getting SOME measure of respect by owning the B-antags.

In the end, this is a harmless "fluff" tale that's not gonna be much looked at like Cass's entry from Beast World Tour: Gotham a few months back. Both are kind of forgettable save the latter's being the first mention of her old origin (Steph's story really stole that one-shot).

I'd be more frustrated if this was Cass's only showing this week (it isn't) and really it's because of THE OTHER comic that makes me less cross.

Stephanie fans?

Oh, they deserve to criticize MORE on this.

As for it being a Dick/Babs story?

It's alright.

Nothing memorable as to "why" they work as a couple. They were both paranoid enough to know their date night was gonna get ruined. But at least they're both Bat enough to have "plans within plans."

So yeah, this story is just "there". Doesn't give us adequate Cass/Steph (because it isn't their story), and Dick/Babs stuff is "middle of the road".

Given where both characters are at the moment, yeah "middle of the road" will do.

[sarahs-secrets2]

Ruined Me (Phillip Graves x Reader) 18+࿐♡ ˚.*ೃ

This is a request from @underatreedrinkingtea ! I wasn't too familiar with the song so I hope I lived up to the request, I might have gone a different path oops. Also, I feel like I've used all the pictures of Graves I could find on Pinterest so if you see me reusing one... close your eyes you didn't see anything.

Based on Ruins by Aaryan Shah

f! reader (no use of Y/N)

Word Count: 1.1k

Warnings: NSFW, SMUT, angst, Graves is a dick, pet names, cursing, not a happy ending oops

₊°✧︡ ˗ ˏ ˋ ♡ ˎˊ ˗

Waiting at home for Phillip felt like a losing battle, dating a military man was never easy, but somehow you felt like you got the short end of the stick with Graves. The two of you had been dating for a year, not counting the 3 or 4 breakups which always ended up with you two getting back together (breakup and makeup sex included).

Finally deciding to give up waiting for him, you stood up, flicked off the tv, and walked to the bedroom you and Graves shared whenever he was home, which evidently was not tonight. The obnoxiously bright alarm clock read 3:34 a.m., you pushed it away from you so the light didn't taunt you as you tried to sleep. 

Staring at the ceiling you were hoping you would hear keys at the door or something to let you know he was home, and safe. Eventually, sleep overtook you and you drifted off hoping your military man would be home soon. 

A creak at the door caused you to slightly wake up, flipping the alarm clock towards you to check the time, 5:12 a.m., what the hell. You felt the bed dip as your “long lost” boyfriend had finally found his way back home. 

“Phillip,” you were half awake, “Where were you,” 

“Hey baby, Shepherd had some shit for me, the usual, don't worry about it,” he was pulling you closer to him in bed, he sounded so casual about the whole matter, which just made you more upset. 

“You could’ve texted, you do have a phone”, you adjusted in his arms to face him now.

“Ahh yeah, shit, that's on me, my bad it slipped my mind”, how could texting your girlfriend slip your mind you thought to yourself. Probably another one of his bullshit excuses for something you'd rather not know. 

“Missed you doll”, his hands were all over you as he placed kisses on your neck and forehead. 

“Phillip, I missed you too but it's 5 a.m. can we at least try to go to bed before the sun’s up”, 

“How about we just fuck instead, I don't want to sleep”, Graves was now on top of you continuing his work on your neck, knowing your weakness. “Cmon baby”, 

You felt yourself getting weak under his grasp, he always knew how to make you come apart. You reached a hand up to his face, snaking it around the nape of his neck and pulling him in for a kiss, Graves moaning into your lips as your other hand snuck down to his boxers as you felt for his hard-on.

Phillip’s hands pulled down your shorts and underwear in one motion as he immediately connected his fingers to your heat, wasting no time to dive into your folds. “Let me hear you baby c'mon”, he encouraged your small moans as he continued his work with you. 

“Just fuck me already Phillip”, and he obliged the request as he grabbed both of your legs tossing them over his shoulders, pushing deep inside you. 

Morning eventually rolled around and neither you nor Graves got any amount of sleep. Glancing at the alarm clock that now read 10:23 a.m., you forced yourself to the shower, Phillip still sleeping. 

Mid shower you heard someone on the phone, Graves speaking in a low whisper to the other voice. Cutting the shower short, you wrapped up in a towel to eavesdrop on your boyfriend. 

“I can ship out tonight, whatever you need Captain, hell I’d leave right now”, you felt shell-shocked. He didn't even want to see you when he came home, too busy planning the next mission. “Sounds great, see y’all tonight, bye”. 

“What the hell was that Phillip, another mission? You just got home”,

“It’s business, you wouldn't get it”, he shot back, walking past you into the bathroom, “You done with the shower?”

“Fuck you, it's not business, you're just using me, Phillip, come home for a fuck and then quickly pack up and leave”, seeing red was putting it lightly with how you felt right now. 

“Watch what you’re saying there doll, might say something you regret”, his hand was rubbing his jaw, obviously irritated with you. 

“I’m not gonna regret anything, you come home late, and leave early. It's very obvious I’m just here to fuck, we don't talk about anything, you don't ask me about my day, you're cold to me Phillip”,

“If it's so obvious why’d you let me use you then huh? What makes you think you deserved to be anything more?”, his words stung like venom, you felt frozen standing in a towel as he berated you in the shared bathroom. 

“I hate you so much, Phillip Graves”,

“You don't seem to be understanding this doll, so I’m gonna take that with a grain of salt, I don’t have time to be your ideal boyfriend, I got Shadow Company to run, don't hate me because you let me use you, deep down you knew it”, twisting the knife deeper with his words, he didn’t care how deep the wound he was creating was. Maybe you were mad he was right, mad at yourself for letting it happen, especially for so long.

Graves walked up to you, taking your jaw in his hand and forcing you to look at him, “My loneliness isn't love darling, you just couldn't figure it out fast enough”,

“You ruined me, you wasted a year of my life, what am I supposed to do?”

“Ruined? Don’t be dramatic now,” he was leaning up against the counter now, “Hey you know what, you ever want to fuck again you just give me a call, I would always love to have you in my bed again darling”,

“Get the fuck out of my house Graves, it’s done, we’re done, leave”, your now ex-boyfriend’s hands went up in a defensive matter as he slid past you to leave the bathroom, he grabbed his untouched duffle and headed towards the door. 

“I’ll be seeing you, yeah? Don’t be a stranger gorgeous”, Phillip winked at you as he left, letting the door slam behind him. You stood arms crossed still in shock at what had happened. 

“Karma will get you one day Phillip Graves”, mumbling under your breath as you went back to finish the shower that was interrupted. 

₊°✧︡ ˗ ˏ ˋ ♡ ˎˊ ˗

Another angsty one for yall, sometimes evil Graves just takes over

[yezielmoore]

1. Steer

First and only warning:

HERE BE SPOILERS!!

There will innevitably be spoilers for, at the very least, Endwalker. Possibly all the way to Dawntrail, idk. I'm warning this once for the whole challenge.

This 1st fill is pretty neutral, but right now my brain wants to write about an isekai'd character from Honkai Impact 3rd. So... there's that. I don't know if ALL the month will be about that, or if i'll rotate my WoLs like rottiserie chickens, we'll see.

Venat, even before going through her personal apotheosis, had never been prone to panicking over… anything, truth be told. 

And after… 

Well…

Hydaelyn didn't panic. It simply wasn't in Her nature.

She had the mission Her summoners had imparted as Her core and continued reason for existing, and She could feel the echoes of Her Heart’s emotions should She want to.

Or should they be strong enough to break through the barriers that separated their existence. 

The potential unraveling of twelve millennia of torturous work was enough to shatter those barriers entirely. 

So yes, Hydaelyn was the closest She has ever been to the metaphysical equivalent of a panic attack. 

Because their Star, their shining guiding Star was no more. Their bright light snuffed years before their time. The Calamity that should have forged them into the Warrior her Heart met before the Final Days shattered on the anvil of Fate instead. 

How had that happened? It was impossible… wasn’t it? Everything she knew about time loops and time travel said so, and yet… 

Still reeling from Venat’s shock and anguish, Hydaelyn found herself adrift. The Light that had steered Her all these centuries was no more. But the Mission remained, so… what now? 

Much like Venat, Hydaelyn was far from an expert on time magicks and the sciences related to them. She knew what She needed to know to fulfill her Purpose, no more no less. So what did She know that could help correct, or at least salvage, the timeline?

Should She deviate from the script? Was that possible? Maybe.

What were the facts?

The correct Warrior had been necessary to maintain the future/past as they knew it. The Warrior was dead, but the timeline hadn’t unraveled so far. What did that mean? Were they doomed to a slow decay? Or had Venat misunderstood? 

She felt a muffled burst of indignation from her core and her porcelain-like features curved infinitesimally with a smile. Indignation was good, better than the creeping despair.

So neither of them knew what would happen now. Did it matter? Hydaelyn had Her Mission and nowhere in the fine print it said She was allowed to give up. Whether Her attempts were futile or not didn’t factor at all. She would defend Etherys and stave off the Song of Despair until they won or nothing of Her remained to witness the destruction. 

However, the best timing for victory was fast approaching so the time to grab the reins and be proactive was now or never. 

In the end, it all came back to the same question… Should She deviate from the Script?

Time was such a strange concept in general but especially to an immortal. Before this… bump in the road She had had all the time in the world to wait for the correct moment to come. She hadn’t expected the correct moment to crash and burn spectacularly and now She couldn’t even wait for Her Warrior to regain a corporeal form, because even She knew that 5 years olds had no business being in a battlefield. 

In a sense, time was of the essence, but She reigned over Stasis, so all was a bit relative and stretching a moment into almost infinity was a matter of flexing her Authority. She couldn’t keep it up for more than a moment, but again. Relative. 

Should She break from the Script? A deceptive question. The script was already broken. The better question would be…

Could the Companions succeed without the Warrior. Her Heart’s memories told her clearly: no. Without the Lynchpin the Companions would go on tangents, some would die  too early, or not die at all, and then the Mission would drag on for too long. Long enough for Her enemies to open the floor to the Song in their zealous mission to revive Zodiark. 

The Lynchpin was necessary, but… Did the Warrior need to be the Lynchpin? 

Not really. 

So then the better question would be… should She break the Rules? 

Should She look beyond the bounds of their place in the Tree? 

A great shudder thrummed through Her being, an instinctive knowledge that if/when/once She opened that door there would be no turning back. 

However, if She did nothing, sooner rather than later Etherys would wither and fall. 

Poking at her Heart, beyond a profound sorrow, She found agreement and the stubborn reckless hope that had carried them both this far. Well then, that was that. 

With an unnecessarily sigh, Hydaelyn removed her hold keeping time in stasis…

(A part of her awareness remained focused on the Calamity and wept at the destruction and loss of life) 

…but the bigger part of Herself stretched outwards. Carefully, cautiously, like a house cat tiptoeing around a sleeping coeurl. Both were predators, yes, but the difference between them was beyond measuring. 

She searched and waited for time immeasurable until She saw it, saw her. A comet that had burned bright and triumphantly, now dull and dimmed, fading but not faded.

A Light had been extinguished, but maybe, just maybe, a dying ember could be stoked back into a Fire of Hope. 

[akirawrites24]

Full Name: Tammin Mikuriya 

Kanji: タミン 御厨

Alias:  Star

            Girl with glasses

            Weird Girl

Age: 16 (both in Persona 5 Vanilla and Persona 5 Royal)

         17 (In Third Semester, Persona 5 Strikers and Persona 5 Tactica)

Persona:  first form: Serena

                 Second form: Vanessa

                 Third form: Aishi

Weapons: Bazooka and Dagger

Looks:

Tammin is seen with her long brown hair down that stops at the end of her back and wears black glasses and blue eyes. In her free time, she wears black gloves, a black T-shirt that says “I Love Hardrock” while wearing a black and red skirt with black boots.

As a Phantom Thief, she wears a black mask and a dark blue outfit full with stripes that share the same color shade. Her shoulders are exposed while everything else is covered and has a star shaped lock on her belt.

Biography 

Tammin is the sixth member of the Phantom Thieves and is a second year student at Shujin Academy, she is in Ryuji’s class. 

Tammin is raised by a single mother while her father had an affair with another woman and doesn’t seem to be in contact with him at all, this has only been stated once in the game.

She has her first appearance when she showed up in Leblanc, eating curry there and meeting Ren Amamiya, the protagonist for the first time. She showed no worries at the rumors that are going around him, she even said not to react to them, that would mean giving them a reaction, which is what they wanted.

She isn’t to be seen again until the studio trip, where she seemed to be talking with Goro Akechi, who is later revealed to be his help in certain cases, as her mother works with the police, so Tammin is around them sometimes.

When she was walking in Shibuya, she accidentally got dragged into the Metaverse when Ren, Ryuji, Ann, Morgana and Yusuke were entering Mementos, not noticing her passing by while she wanted to say hi.

Tammin managed to escape Mementos through the exit and had the app ever since on her phone, but she confronted the others, who had no choice but to admit that they are the Phantom Thieves, only for her to admit that she already knew as the changes of hearts begun when Ren arrived back in April.

Despite not understanding everything yet, she asked the Phantom Thieves to change her best friend’s Candy heart due to her being in a depressed state and she was scared to lose her forever.

Despite being told not to tag along, she sneakily followed them anyway, and seeing the Palace, her heart was breaking, seeing how her best friend is losing herself more and more. 

She awakened to her Persona later when confronting Candy, who swore to make her find happiness again in this distorted world after almost giving up hope.

Her Arcana, Justice, can be unlocked when she comes to Leblanc, this can happen at any moment.

Arcana: Justice

Personality:

Tammin seems to be the girl that keeps to herself most of the time, but won’t hesitate to tag along in a conversation in class if it is about something that really interests her.

She speaks up to people about how they can’t say anything about Ren’s situation as they weren’t there and couldn’t have possibly known what happened, implying she can be hot headed and hates it when rumors are spread, especially when it is only there to cause hatred.

Tammin is concerned at times when it comes to her close friends, who are clearly hiding something, and is shown not to give up on them at all.

She makes very sarcastic remarks, especially when it comes down to Ryuji, but that is just the playful banter between them, which neither of them seems to mind.

As reckless as she can be sometimes, she actually thinks first, but her sharp mind and short temper is what makes her act and think at the same time.

She gets angry when people are picking up on the innocent, needing to be held back before a fight happens.

Her biggest insecurity is that she can’t help anyone that needs it, and abandonment as it happened to her. She and Ren make it a mission to change this in her confidant. 

Arcana biography: a second year and fellow team member. She resents people who hurt others for their own pleasure.

Arcana end: with a clear mind, she lets go of the past and focuses on the future and present.

Love interest: Ren Amamiya

[holly-fixation]

Three... Guards? Ch 5

Summary: Tifa finds Cloud at the train station in Sector Seven. It’s the first time she’s seen him in seven years. But he’s not alone. Three silver haired boys protected him. Three silver haired boys that triggered memories of her hometown. Of steel through her chest. Of SOLDIER First Class. Of Him.

Their determination to protect Cloud was far greater than she was ready for.

Inspired by this prompt by @im-totally-not-an-alien .  

Please Enjoy!

Chapter 5: The Mission

They knew no matter how well they prepared for this mission, new road blocks waited for them ahead. First it was Jessie’s fake IDs failing on the train, making them walk along the rails to try and find their way to Sector Five’s plate on foot. Cloud wasn’t sure how many times he was willing to follow the ‘AVALANCHE dog’ before he looked for his own path. However, Tifa and Barret convinced him to keep going. And it’s not like he’d ever say no to Tifa. He would complain about it though, but even then he was far more pleasant and accommodating than he was when they were kids. He was still kinder than she expected, yet that didn't reflect his swordsmanship in the slightest. 

Cloud was a beast on the battlefield. 

Every enemy in range met their end quickly with their little party of three. Barret even made a joke of ‘where were you on our first mission’ before giving him a hearty laugh. Cloud rolled his eyes, but the smallest of a playful smirk played on his lips. Things were starting to get back on track before they wasted even more time trying to understand and activate the correct sunlamps to continue their way. Who designed something like this? This probably wasted more energy than it saved. 

Luckily, things looked more familiar when they entered the reactor. Various elevators, twisting paths, endless rooms filled with security robots and personnel, all expected obstacles they were well practiced in taking down at this point. Cloud’s SOLDIER healing was absolutely something else. At very least, Tifa swore she saw bullets that didn’t break his skin. He wasn’t a perfect fighter, but he was leagues better than any mercenary in the slums. Shinra’s defenses had certainly changed since the last mission though. But since this was Cloud and Tifa's first one, neither noticed the difference. 

Despite their skills, Cloud found himself looking back after nearly every battle. This may not be the stealthiest operation, but he kept seeing things moving at the very end of his periphery, only to completely vanish when he turned. He was understandably on edge in general, but this only added to it. If Shinra wanted to attack, they would wait until they were vulnerable, especially after destroying every machine thrown at them. And yet, he brushed the feeling off as they entered the mako chamber, convincing himself it was just first mission jitters. 

He was wrong. Very. Very. Wrong. The blobs from the corner of his eye finally slipped into sight after failing to silently climb down the ladder in mako storage. Correction: one of them failed, landing with just enough force for Cloud's SOLDIER enhanced hearing to catch. The other two were still on the ladder, but they instantly realized it was too late. 

They were supposed to be at the bar. 

They were supposed to be watching Marlene. 

They were supposed to be under the Sector Seven plate without causing any trouble, like they all agreed to. 

“What the hell are you doing here!?” Cloud’s voice boomed up the high walls of the reactor. Only after hearing Cloud’s call did Barret and Tifa turn to assess the threat. Neither one of them expected to see the three boys that saved Cloud in the middle of the mission. 

“What is wrong with you three?! Did you abandon my baby girl!?” Barret yelled next. “Are you three tryin’ to die an early death? Because if she has a single scratch on her-”

The brothers stood silently, looking at Tifa for the final questions to be thrown at them. However, the eldest’s eyes were already watery from the scolding. 

Tifa just stared in shock at the three silver haired boys in black within the mako glow of the chamber. Her hands started shaking, her eyes on the sword the youngest used. 

When they realized she wouldn’t respond, they answered the father’s questions first. 

“We left Marleen with Marle to be safe… They’re both at the apartments…” Yazoo answered first. 

“We told you we’re protecting Big Brother,” Loz spoke after swiping off his tears. “No matter what.”

“And do you have any idea how easy it is to follow you guys when you take out every security measure in the building?” 

“Don’t be smart with us,” Cloud scolded, fury in his eyes. Yes, he was kind to them before but it was borderline suicide for three ten year olds to go on an ecoterrorist mission, no matter their skills. “You could’ve been killed. Can be killed.” 

“By what- all the broken machines?” 

His mako glare sharpened. “What did I just say?!”

Shoot. They really pissed him off. His increased emotions were acting against them now. They needed to be careful with their next words. 

“We just wanted to protect you…” 

“Y’all ain’t protectin’ anyone if Shinra kills you boys!”

They all looked away, shutting their mouths from the next snippy comment to come out of their mouths. 

Cloud growled a sigh, frustratingly accepting this absolute mess of a scenario. Yet before he spoke, Tifa grabbed the back of his arm, her hands still shaking. He looked at her and all his anger vanished. Her head was down, blocking his eyes from hers with her head and her hair. She was nearly cowering, clinging to him in protection. “Tifa…?” He spoke as softly as he could. “Are you alright…?”

She should’ve been the angriest after everything these three put her through. She should’ve scolded him for his ridiculous ‘eye for an eye’ mentality, to protect them because they protected him no matter what they did. She should’ve thrown them to the first orphanage she could find long before this mission began, but he was the one that stopped her from trying. Yet she was quiet and trembling, not an ounce of frustration boiling in her. “Let’s just finish this… Please…”

I’m sick of this…

I’m sick of all of this!

The memory hit Cloud like a truck and he wrapped his arms around her in comfort. Their hometown. The fire. Her father. The reactor. 

“Let’s just set the bomb…”

He wanted to obey, but he glanced back at the three boys that weren’t supposed to know any of this. 

“It's too late now. Just set the bomb and let’s get out of here,” She steeled her voice against her emotions. 

“Okay… Yeah…” Cloud hesitantly agreed, trying not to upset her any further. “We’re too deep in this now. We have to pull through.”

“You three are gettin’ one hell of a scolding when we get back.” Barret glared at the kids again before setting up the bomb. 

“Is it a timer or do you have a remote?” Cloud questioned. 

“Remote controlled,” Barret stated almost proudly while holding up the controller. “Gives us plenty of time to get out. Especially with this extra cargo.”

The youngest brother nearly hissed, his eye twitching once at his frustration towards them and the truth he couldn't reveal. The other two just glanced away like disobedient children. 

After they set up the bomb and double checked everything worked, they headed back to the lone ladder they all came down. But the ladder quickly lifted up the second they were in reach. 

Shinra was watching them. The director of security, Heidegger literally laughed at them and put the group on the news, stating that they were not only the ecoterrorists responsible for destruction surrounding Mako Reactor One, but that they also used child soldiers as backup, brainwashing and forcing them to obey. Of course none of the boys cared about the comment, but it absolutely painted AVALANCHE in a deadly light. The director sentenced them to death and told them exactly where it waited: the only exit in the reactor.

As a group, the six members made their way through the remainder of the facility, sending sections of the incomplete mech to a defective equipment room in order to limit its attacks. The boys tried to climb directly on the rails guiding the remaining equipment to destroy each one directly, but the adults all informed that messing with the assembly line itself could let Shinra catch wind of their plan, so they jumped down and hunted for key cards in every room they entered. 

Everything was relatively normal until they all finally made it to the catwalk on the way out of the reactor. Multiple drones suddenly flew past them before projecting a cyan hologram of President Shinra himself. Regardless of the weapons before them, the three brothers surrounded Cloud and nearly growled in their battle stances. Guns out, blades in hand, fists at the ready. The drones scanned each of the adults first to give the president a perfect view of his enemies. 

“Oho. The eyes of one who has bathed in mako…” Clearly Cloud caught the president’s attention. “Which would make you a SOLDIER?”

Cloud drew his blade, the slightest scowl on his face. “Ex-SOLDIER.”

“Once a SOLDIER, always a SOLDIER. Though not, alas, for very long.” The president continued as Tifa looked to Cloud in concern, “Accelerated cellular degradation being the most common cause of death by far. This is classified, of course, but every SOLDIER knows the truth.”

Cloud’s eyes hit the ground before he forced them back up with a glare. “...That’s right.”

“Yet knowing that, you still…” He cut himself off, clearly recognizing something. “...How did you find these children?”

“It doesn’t matter how,” Kadaj snipped. 

“It most certainly does. Those are more than mako eyes. You three should go back to the lab, where you belong.”

“We’re staying here!” The eldest barked.

“We’re not your property…”

The president scoffed. “Everything involving him is ours.”

Kadaj immediately slashed the closest drone in two, rage already staining his breath. He was very tired of everything in every world circling back to him. “We’re not his either!”

The reaction made him raise an eyebrow, far more than anything else they got out of him. “Still, you’d make fine additions to SOLDIER. Where you belong.”

All of the boys nearly hissed at that.

“Think you forgettin’ someone!?” Barret finally pulled the president’s attention away, going on his usual rant about mako, the planet, and the Lifestream. The president brushed him off as pawns, his company’s propaganda spinning AVALANCHE’s little story as he saw fit. 

Despite Barret’s back talk, the time for talking was over. Heidegger took over the hologram and released the Airbuster, giving the order of execution barring the three silver haired boys. The children were to be taken alive. 

They instantly broke into pairs to take down the massive mech. Its attacks constantly shifted from destroying them head on and charging large attacks while barely within targets of long ranged weapons. Yazoo paired up with Tifa to make up for her lack of ranged options. Loz paired with Barret in order to do more damage when the mech was on the ground. Kadaj used their ‘take them alive’ order and his height to his advantage by attacking its hover engines underneath it. However, he could not survive under their heat for long, so he constantly shifted sides despite his obvious intention to stay by Cloud’s.

Was fighting alongside three small children against a mech on a terrorist mission extremely strange? Yes.

Was it as difficult as they expected it to be? Yes and no. 

Despite their intentions, the combination of their weaker weapons and their inferior strength barely allowed any significant damage. However, against a foe like this, even the slightest damage mattered over time. All six of them couldn’t fight this thing forever, and they knew more security would be on its way if the machine looked like it was failing. The faster its death, the better. However, the boys needed to be extremely careful with the downgrade of these child-like forms. One dead on attack and they’d be lucky to be out of commission. Gods this was frustrating. 

They didn’t know if they lived or died when the machine’s self destruction blew the team apart. A large section of the catwalk was destroyed in the explosion, five of them flung towards the exit, but one dangling on the opposite side. 

“Cloud!”

“Big Brother!” 

All of them ran to the closest edge to see the blonde SOLDIER holding on, unable to drop the massive sword in his other hand. 

“We don't have long to get clear,” Barret stated the dark truth first. They didn’t have the time or ability to save Cloud now.

But he was more concerned with them than himself. “Take Tifa and the boys, and get outta here!”

“We’re not leaving!” The eldest brother yelled and was immediately pulled back by Barret. “No matter what!”

“This ain't the end of the line for you or me!”

“What are you doing…?” The middle brother asked.

The surviving drones began shooting before he could answer. They didn’t have time to think before thr bomb in the reactor detonated and fire wooshed out of the entrance. Cloud had no choice but to let go. 

“CLOUD!”

None of them were ready for something like this, and only one thought fast enough to succeed. Cloud tried to use his grappling to save himself. 

Yet when it failed, Kadaj jumped. 

Both of the boys yelled their brother’s name while holding onto the only two adults that remained, reaching but unable to will their instincts and bodies to let go and chase after their brothers. Barret lifted the eldest up and grabbed Tifa’s arm.

“We have to go. Now.”

She shook her head quickly and tried to focus on protecting what she could, even if it was the boys that looked like the man who killed her father but saved her childhood friend.

* * * 

Everyone was quiet. No one spoke a word until they were ‘safe’ again with Shinra finally off their tails but at what cost?

The boys had no idea what was supposed to happen on that mission even in their own world. They failed. If they're the reason their big and even little brothers died, through this butterfly effect, then what the hell were they supposed to do now? They didn't know what to do in general, let alone with this… feeling that wouldn't go away, one that kept their eyes down and their movements sluggish. 

Tifa certainly had more of this odd status effect than Barret at least. It seemed Barret's little affirmations that Cloud would be okay only did so much to soothe her. 

Even if Cloud survived the fall, the chances Kadaj did too were little to none. Not in these bodies. Not in this world. It wasn't like they couldn't function without each other. But Loz couldn't stop tears from falling and quite honestly it was just annoying to him at this point. He wasn't sobbing or incapable of doing other tasks, but his eyes and his throat were cursed with these stuttering emotions. Yazoo simply couldn't break out of somber silence, sitting at the bar with his arm supporting his head, his silver hair brushing the counter with his occasional shift. 

Neither Barret or Tifa scolded the boys for going on the mission. They already knew exactly what they did. And Loz had a nearly soaked sleeve to prove it. 

“Come on,” Tifa pushed, placing a meal closer. Some kind of egg dish that normally looked so appetizing to them. “You gotta eat.”

They shook their heads and stayed quiet, occasionally moving a chunk of food around the plate with a fork. 

“Biggs is on his way. He'll be here in twenty,” Barret informed, finally giving them the distraction they needed. “Says he's got some info for us.”

Tifa nodded, trying to force her mind on the next task rather than the boys in front of her. She should take them to the orphanage in Sector Five. It would absolutely be better than anything she can provide while working with AVALANCHE. 

“Are you going to abandon us too…?” Though extremely small, Yazoo’s question cut deep into their hearts. Neither adult answered. 

“Why don’t you eat, and then we can talk, okay?” Tifa tried to avoid the idea, but they clearly noticed her dodge. In fact, they dropped their forks entirely and huffed into their own hands. Tifa and Barret just sighed. It wasn’t like force feeding would help either. 

Luckily, the doors to the bar opened, but they were all confused. Biggs was absolutely too far out and the sign clearly said they were closed-

Tifa’s eyes locked on the man that entered. 

He’s alive. 

He’s alive!

She ran out from behind the bar to greet him in a deadly hug for doing something so stupidly risky. But she stopped herself. 

It was Cloud, blonde spiky hair and all but… he looked different. He wasn’t wearing the SOLDIER uniform anymore. That wolf earring was definitely new, so was the wolf on his shoulder pad. And why was he carrying so many swords? He would never part with the Buster Sword. 

Only the two Remnants knew exactly who they were looking at. It was Cloud. But it was the one they knew. From their time. From their world. They recognized him instantly. And he absolutely recognized them. 

.

.

.

.

Thanks for reading!

Author’s Note: I almost googled what AC Cloud looks like before I suddenly dashed across my room. I finally found a purpose for my Cloud amiibos.

[silverhallow]

Do you have any more headcanons to share about the Bridgerton 11 verse?

Ohhh okay so Lemme share a few of my thoughts for this AU…

Edmund and Violet run a very successful business, a bit like Wayne enterprises: called Bridgerton Enterprises (shock… I know) and are like mega mega mega rich.

Edmund never meant to get into the business of stealing and replacing works of art or jewellery but ended up helping out a friend who found that a piece of family art work went missing and weirdly… it was his mother of all people who suggested it.

His mother was the one who had the business and their father had been using funds from the business in clever ways to help fund her little missions.

Edmund and his mother do maybe one job every 5 years but Anthony learns the skill from his father.

Benedict’s skills come from his Grandmother and it was only after a trip to the Louvre with her and he had painted an almost identical version of one of the paintings form memory that she realised her grandsons has the talent to take over her little network.

Anthony meets Kate on a job.

Where she was trying to steal the same piece of jewellery, for the same client who had hired the two of them. Neither knew who it was but it was an anonymous request. (Lady D)

It nearly goes sides ways when they were arguing so much that when the police arrive Anthony did the only thing he could think of, and that was to stick the ring down Kate’s bra and kiss her.

To the police, they were just making out and innocent by standers and when they saw the duplicate ring in place, as Benedict and Daphne had managed to sneak in and get it in position, no questions were asked.

Kate didn’t go home after that and became part of the team.

Each of the family have respectable jobs along side their criminal backgrounds.

Anthony runs the business with his father.

Kate is actually a trained lawyer and occasionally likes to tell everyone just how much trouble they’d be in if they were caught just as they were doing something.

Benedict is a photographer.

Sophie didn’t really have a job before she meets the Bridgerton’s other than as a maid/slave to her step mother, and ends up working with Violet and Simon in the family business working with finances.

Colin works as a travel blogger which helps with their jobs and helps cover their tracks as he’ll often arrive first in a location and if anyone asks the family have come to visit usually.

Daphne worked as an intern with the business, working as Anthony’s aid and Simon’s until they started dating. Once she marries and has kids she stays at home but she still works and helps organise the jobs.

Simon is an accountant. Works for the family business, much to his fathers annoyance.

[kmze]

"Caroline chose not to take the cure because she was a better human as a vampire". This makes me wanna say so much but I shall refrain from that. * deep breath* He is the same person who once again victim blamed Caroline on that special short they did: "she knew he(Damon) was bad news but she was acting out". UN-FUC*ING-BELIEVABLE! Another thing that I remember from that short was Nina saying something like 'the girls are each others' true loves..." and Kat probably said that the girls were each others' sisters.I was like WHO WROTE THIS SCRIPT? 8 seasons of that show and the girls' friendship had the least amount of screen time.Elena treated Caroline and Bonnie as dirt under her shoes.Bonnie was the magical portable device for her white 'bestie' AND her brother! Caroline and Bonnie were probably better friends than whatever they had with Elena.But the writers neither spared their friendship nor developed them as a complex female bond,once elena was gone, since they weren't revolving in Elena's orbit anymore.And the finale decisions were made keeping Elena in mind.Not Caroline.Not Bonnie! Elena got her picket fence human life while Caroline got a cheque from her abuser and Bonnie was still romancing her dead ghost boyfriend!

Alright Anon let's talk about it because I am so tired of how much KW got hand waved responsibility for the Caroline and Andie storylines in S1 and S2 when he was the one in charge. Got long so under the cut:

The reason he did those storylines as well was to prop Elena and be like see Damon would never compel Elena because she's too pure and special unlike these pions Caroline and Andie. I think KW saw Caroline the exact same way he saw Jen on Dawson's Creek who he killed off in the series finale (after he left for like 4 years sound familiar) just a prop to the other characters. Julie on the other hand ended up loving Caroline and basically switched from Elena to Caroline as her #1 gal around S4 (the sirebond storyline felt like the big turning point) and once Nina said she was leaving Caroline got her huge arc in S6 where Stefan was HER love interest.

The girls friendship was really such window dressing when you really thought about it lol. I noticed it so much in my rewatch, in S1 Bonnie and Elena seemed to only tolerate Caroline because she was just always their friend and it was convenient. Then in S2 Bonnie became a friggin' martyr trying to protect Elena and basically being A-OK with going on a suicide mission to save her while Caroline was more involved with Tyler and the werewolf plot. Then in basically S3-5 Bonnie existed just to sacrifice her happiness for Elena and Caroline would appear every once in awhile to stick up for Bonnie but Caroline became closer to Stefan than she did to Bonnie and Elena as the seasons went on.

I actually think both Bonnie and Jeremy got dragged down by Elena and I almost felt like Jeremy stuck up for Bonnie against Elena and thankfully by S6 they were both free of her. Caroline and Elena were always more rivals than best friends even if the show wanted to keep telling us they were best friends. You really saw that in their no humanity arcs because NH!Elena was SUPER jealous of Caroline with her storming over to break-up Stefan and Caroline dancing or stealing Caroline's prom dress she was voicing the fact that Elena was pissed Caroline took the "crown" from her. And NH!Caroline kept mocking Elena for making everything about herself and how she the world used to revolve around her. I don't really blame the actress' for their comments though because that's not their job to get into the complexities of the relationships especially in like an interview setting, the writers should have done more.

This is a point I differ with a lot of fandom on because I don't really think Elena got the better ending of the two girls because she was still essentially killed off. I'm also not someone who bought into the "humanity is beautiful" crap this show pulled sometimes, why would you want to give up your superpowers knowing how easy it is to die as a human in this world. But that's not to say Bonnie and Caroline didn't get tragic endings as opposed to Elena who got Damon even if that felt like default because the writers told us nothing about their life together and they didn't even share dialogue in the finale.

I think this is where KW and JP butted heads with the finale in terms of Elena vs. Caroline more than even any of the ships because KW probably would have killed Caroline off (a la Jen Lindley) to do an implied SE endgame and JP said absolutely not but she would concede to killing Stefan especially because he was human now and lost a lot of his pizzazz to her. I feel like KW only looked at the story from TVD's perspective and didn't think about the overall universe that had been created so he wanted everyone human as opposed to JP who wanted to keep some supes around so she could continue the universe. There was some rumor I've seen that JP wanted to move Stefan to TO at one point and I wonder if Paul had agreed to continue on and guest star on TO S5 with Candice the series finale would have been different (though human Stefan would have served no purpose on TO). Because really and truly the "triangle" for all three shows aka the verse ended up being Klefaroline not the triangle of doom, KC and SC were the only ships referenced on all three shows and in significant ways.

[islam-original]

It is widely narrated in sunni sources:

"When the Quraysh were afflicted by severe drought, the Messenger of Allah (saww), seeing that Abu Talib (RA) had many dependents, said to his uncle Abbas, who was one of the richest of the Banu Hashim, "Abbas, your brother Abu Talib has many dependents, and you see how the people are suffering from this drought. Come with me and let us lighten the burden of his dependents. I will take one of his sons and you take another one, and we will look after them for him." Abbas agreed, and they went to Abu Talib and said, "We wish to lighten the burden of your dependents until the hardship from which the people are suffering lifts." Abu Talib said to them, "As long as you leave me Aqil, do as you wish." The Messenger of Allah took Ali and made him a member of his household, and Abbad did likewise with Jafar. Ali ibn Abi Talib continued to live with the Messenger of Allah until the latter became a prophet, and then followed him, believed in him, and accepted the truth of his message. Jafar remained with Abbas until he professed Islam and became financially independent of him."

The above story is likely an invention intended to diminish the significance of Ali's adoption by the Prophet.

1. Abu Talib was a leader of the Quraysh and a wealthy man. It is not likely he was so poverty-stricken that he could not feed his own children.

2. The Prophet and Abbas could have just provided Abu Talib with financial assistance instead of taking his children, in which is a humiliating act in any culture, especially in the Arab culture where the number of sons was something men were most proud of. Also, the Prophet was married to Khadijah (sa) and had the available resources to financially aid Abu Talib instead of taking his child.

3. The drought lasted 2 to 3 years. But Ali stayed with the Prophet for his (the Prophet's) entire life.

4. The tradition above states that Abu Talib preferred Aqil to all his children. References where others are preferred to Ali are typical of forgeries.

5. There would be no reason to adopt Aqil as he was in his twenties at that time and was old enough to be independent.

6. **The tradition is mursal, i.e., missing a companion in the chain, as it ends with Mujahid, who was among the successors and who was born in the year 21 A.H. during the caliphate of Umar.**

The Prophet adopted Ali due to spiritual reasons and to groom Ali for his future role. The Prophet knew he was a prophet from birth, akin to Jesus (as), but that he received order to begin his public role as messenger and imam at 40. So the Prophet was aware of his divinely inspired mission and was laying the groundwork. The Prophet treated Ali dearer than father as is seen below:

"I asked my father (Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib) about the sons of the Messenger of Allah (saww) and which one of them the messenger of Allah loved the most. He said, "Ali ibn Abi Talib." I told him, "I asked you about his sons." He said, "Ali went beyond being the most beloved of all his sons. We did not see him separated from him for any length of time since he was a child except when the Prophet would go on a trip with Kahdijah. And we have seen neither any father kinder to his son than the Prophet was to Ali, nor any son more obedient to his father than Ali was to him." **(Ibn Abi al-Hadid 13:200)**

Ali was superior to the Prophet's companions because he never prostrated in worship to the pagan idols. Suyuti, Ibn Asakir, and Ibn Sad state this **(Tarikh al-Khulafa 149, Tarikh Damishq 42:26, Tabaqat al-Kubra 3:21)**. Masudi describes:

Many people believe that Ali never attributed any partner to Allah. He began his religious worship and rituals with the advent of Islam. He was a follower of the Prophet in all his deeds, and grew up on this path. Allah gave him protection from misdeeds, blocked him \[from sinning\], and harmonized him with the obeisance of His Prophet. The two were neither forced nor coerced to perform acts of obeisance. Rather, they were free and able \[to choose\], so they chose obeisance to the Lord, compliance with His commands, and avoidance of His forbiddances. **(Muruj al-Dhahab 2:283).**

Suyuti quotes the Prophet as saying, "There were three who never disbelieved in Allah at all: the believer of the family of Yasin, Ali ibn Abi Taleb, and Asiyah the wife of Pharaoh." **(Tafsir al-Durr al-Manthur, verse 36:28).**

[elusivewildflower]

The Other Fitzroy | Reader x Court Gentry/Sierra Six | Pt. 1

Pairing: Fitzroy!Reader x Court Gentry/Sierra Six

Summary: You’re Donald Fitzroy’s eldest niece, and Claire’s older sister. This takes place about 2 years ago when the home address in Hong Kong was leaked. Reader is in their early 20s. 

Warnings: Cursing, blood, death of a minor character, smut, fingering, unprotected p in v. I think that’s it? 

Word Count: 7.5k 

A/N: It has been like 5 months since I have written anything, and I’ve found that I’m terrible at writing short fics. But, I am currently obsessed with The Gray Man and have a little series planned in my head. I hope that you’ll enjoy, and I welcome feedback! 

MINORS DNI

Your fingers were beginning to prune from being immersed in dish water for god knows how long. You silently cursed yourself and your sister for loving those stupid cute cups and tumblers, the ones that had to be washed by hand. They’d pile up next to the sink until the two of you had almost run out of clean ones before someone finally bit the bullet and completed the task of washing them. You were grateful for being the one who finally cracked. You needed the distraction. Ever since your uncle informed you that your address had been leaked, you had been on edge. Your worrying was all of your fault, though, as your uncle would’ve rather not told you the truth– you, however, pushed for it. 

Your uncle, Donald, had called both you and your sister to the dining table for a discussion one bright and early morning.

“I’ve been called out to another mission. I’ll be gone for a few days, maybe even up to a week.” He paused momentarily as the information settled into his nieces minds. Once he was satisfied that neither of them had any questions, he continued. “I’m sending one of the Sierra’s to keep watch over the property while I am gone.” 

Claire’s brows furrowed momentarily, but then she gave a shrug. Your brows, however, remained furrowed as you gazed pointedly at Donald. You had questions, but you wanted to wait until your sister had left the room. A quiet sigh escaped from your uncle. He had hoped that this would slip past you without any questions, but he knew better than that. 

Seeing as the conversation had so-far ended, your sister picked up her phone and stood from her seat. “Well, I’m going back to trying to beat my own high score.” She walked into the direction of her bedroom, and once she had disappeared from sight, you turned your attention back to Donald. 

“Why are you sending a Sierra to watch over us? We don’t normally have extra protection while you are gone.” You asked, eyeing him over suspiciously. Something didn’t seem right. There was something he didn’t want to tell you.

“It never hurts to have extra protection while I am gone and out of the country.” Came his quick reply. 

You gave a slight nod of your head, “That’s true, but I spent the last few years training just to make sure that Claire would remain safe while you are gone. Normally that’s no issue. What’s changed now?” 

He let forth another small sigh, his gaze dropping from meeting yours. “You trained so that you could keep the both of you safe.” He paused very briefly, “Someone up in D.C. accidentally leaked our address. It was only for a few hours, but who knows who found the information before it was fixed.” 

You swallowed thickly. Oh. That couldn’t be good. You tapped your nails gently upon the table, your mind already moving a mile a minute. “Who are you sending?” You asked curiously, even if you already had an idea. There was only one Sierra that he trusted enough to be this close to his family.

“Six.” Came his reply. 

You nodded, pushing back your chair and rising to your feet. That was all you had needed to know for now. 

Six was the one who had taught you how to fight, shoot a gun, and everything else one may need to know to survive. You were only nineteen when your parents died, and Donald took both you and Claire in. You knew his line of work, knew how dangerous it could be, and you wanted to be able to help if anything ever happened. You begged Donald to let you be trained, to be useful if ever an emergency arose, and he eventually agreed. He realized you needed something to focus on to cope with your grief and anger, and Six wasn’t busy at the time with any missions. 

Your training with Six lasted for about a year, however he had to go off on several missions during that span of time, so you only spent about six months together. That didn’t mean you weren’t training in your own free time, though. The man was almost twice your age, but damn if he wasn’t attractive. You couldn’t even help the crush you formed on him, especially when he began to slowly open up to you. He even told you his real name.

Your head snapped up as you heard footsteps entering the room, the noise startling you. You should’ve known better than to let yourself get wrapped up in thoughts. 

“Let me just show you around the property, and introduce you to the girls.” Came the voice of Claire’s nanny, Jenny, her footsteps being one pair that had startled you from your thoughts. 

You turned your head so that you were gazing in their direction, your eyes meeting his. You took a moment to take in his form. He was dressed in a light gray suit, with a black shirt underneath. That was certainly a change from what you saw him in when you trained together. He cleaned up nicely– and somehow he had gotten even hotter. Damn, the crush you had on him four years ago came crawling right back the second you saw him. 

The nanny gestured towards you, “This is (Y/N). Donald’s eldest niece. She’s tw–” 

She was cut off by Six. “Twenty-two, I know. We’ve met before. I trained her a few years ago.” The corner of his lip curled up into the hint of a smile as he gave you a nod of his head. 

You raised a soapy hand from the sink and gave a short wave. “Good to see ya, Six.” 

His only response was another nod of his head as Jenny dragged him off to meet Claire and finish the tour of the property. 

You turned your attention back to your task of handwashing the plethora of cups, a small smile spreading across your face as you realized you had just finished the last one. You quickly grabbed a towel and dried each one off, before putting them back into their respective homes in the cabinet. 

You heaved a heavy sigh as you now realized you’d have to find something else to distract yourself. However, this time, it wasn’t just from the worries of someone bad finding your address, it was from the lingering thoughts of Six. Your eyes scanned the room until they landed upon your tablet, your feet carrying you over to the dining table where it had been left. Picking it up, you unlocked it quickly and swiped through until you found the book you had started reading earlier. This distraction would work for now, you thought. At least until you’re face to face with Six again….

The sun had set a couple of hours ago, and Jenny had just left for a bite after putting Claire to bed. You, however, had hardly moved an inch from your spot on the couch, deeply enthralled by the book you had been reading. You felt eyes upon you as Six hunched over the dining table nearby. 

“That must be a damn good book. You haven’t moved an inch.” He commented wryly. 

Your eyes lifted from your tablet for a moment, a smirk tugging at your lips. “Mmhmm,” you hummed in response. 

“What’s it about?” He questioned just as your eyes returned to your tablet’s screen. 

“Nothing you’d be interested in,” You teased, setting the tablet upon your lap as your gaze lifted to meet his once more. 

He breathed out a laugh through his nose, “Oh, is that so?” The corner of his lips turning up at your teasing tone. 

“Not unless you’re secretly into period romance novels. You know, the ones where the Lady falls in love with a rake who changes his ways just to be with her?” Your teasing tone remained throughout your words, your smirk growing into a bit of a smile. 

Just as he opened his mouth to reply, you both heard the sound of stumbling footsteps coming from Claire’s hallway, and soon after– 

“(Y/N)? Mr. Six? Something’s wrong.” Your younger sister barely managed to get out before she tumbled to the floor. 

Both you and Six sprang into action, his longer legs carrying himself to her faster than you could. “Get the keys!” He called to you, pointing in the direction that they were sitting upon a table as he lifted Claire effortlessly into his arms. Not needing to be told twice, you diverted from your running towards Claire and grabbed up the keys. 

The ride to the hospital had not taken long at all, thanks to how fast Six had been driving. If you hadn’t been cradling your sick sister in your arms in the backseat, you probably would’ve marveled at how it felt like you were in a Fast and Furious movie. You had called Jenny during the ride, and she was able to meet you there shortly after the three of you had arrived. Claire was immediately wheeled back into surgery as they went about fixing the programming issue her pacemaker was having. Now all the three of you had to do was wait. 

Jenny took a seat in one of the chairs in the waiting room. You, on the other hand, didn’t feel like sitting. Neither did Six, it seemed; but then again, how often did he ever really sit to begin with? The hospital staff assured you that they could easily fix what ailed Claire, but that still didn’t stop you from worrying. You paced around the waiting room for a few minutes, your eyes brimmed with tears that threatened to fall. Sure, this was far from the first time she had been sick. But, each time it felt as if it was the first– or even the last. That worried you even more. She was still so young, had so much life left to live, but any day could be her last if her pacemaker ever malfunctioned. 

You heaved a heavy sigh as you gazed around the room, your eyes meeting Six’s for a brief moment. He gave a cant of his head, an invitation to come stand next to him. He still looked damn good in that suit, his hands resting at his waist as he leaned against the wall. You stood in place for a moment as you contemplated joining him. After a second of more thought, you decided you’d take him up on his offer, and moved to place yourself beside him against the wall. 

He nudged you gently with his elbow, “She’ll be alright.” He spoke comfortably. 

You let out another sigh, and a brief nod of your head. “I know, it’s just–” You cut yourself off, the words getting trapped in your throat. You swallowed thickly, willing the tears not to fall down your cheeks. 

He gave a nod of his head, “I know.” He knew what you meant, and he knew you didn’t have the strength to say the words aloud. He was kind enough to not force you to do so. 

You’re not sure what you were thinking when you decided to lean your head against his shoulder, hell, you’re not even sure you were thinking at all. But, once it had been done, your eyes widened in panic. You had rarely been this close to Six, and you knew he wasn’t an affectionate man. You fully expected him to cough and move himself away from you discreetly, but that wasn’t what happened. He wrapped an arm around your back and pulled you in a bit closer, giving you the reassuring touch that you needed in that instance. You sucked in a deep breath as he did, one that was meant to both calm you and be used to inhale his scent. It was an intoxicating blend of pine, musk, and bergamot.

After what felt like a lifetime, Claire was brought out of surgery and placed into a room that you could visit her in. You and Six hadn’t moved from your spot on the wall until the news came out that she was awake– and you were the first to move, bolting towards her room. You half-listened as the doctor went over the non-invasive procedure with Jenny, only really catching that they were able to track her pacemaker the entire trip to here. While that comforted you slightly, you also knew that that meant she’d be able to be tracked anywhere– and that could be used by the wrong people if it got into the wrong hands. You pushed that thought aside and gave Claire’s hand a squeeze. She was alright, for now, and that was what you wanted to focus on. When Claire gave Six the rock’n’roll salute, you couldn’t help but chuckle. Your eyes met his briefly, and a wide and warm smile was sent his way. He bowed his head in response, and your attention turned back to your sister. 

Back at home, you brought over two bowls of chocolate ice cream to where Claire and Six sat at the dining table. Six had declined your offer of ice cream, to no surprise, but you weren’t passing up on the tasty treat. You sat yourself across from Claire, immediately digging in. 

“You feeling better?” Asked Six, his eyes barely glancing up from the cameras he watching, but it was clear the words were aimed towards Claire. 

Your younger sister gave a small shrug of her shoulders, “Just another Thursday.” 

“Donald says this is the best medicine, ice cream,” Claire starts, her words mostly aimed towards Six with a light of mirth in her gaze upon him. “I tend to agree,” She finished, spooning more of the frozen dessert into her mouth. 

You chuckled softly, giving her a nod of your head as you spooned ice cream into your own mouth. “As do I.” 

The corner of Six’s mouth turned up slightly as he looked over at Claire, then towards you for a moment before returning to the screen of the laptop in front of him. “He’s a very smart man,” He responded, humor laced within his words. 

Claire smiled ruefully, her eyes glancing over towards you for a few moments. “Only family I’ve got, besides (Y/N).” 

You gave her a warm, comforting smile at her words. Your foot reached out underneath the table and tapped against her leg, her smile widening a bit at the touch.

“Closest thing to family I’ve got too,” Six added on, causing both of your attentions to return towards him as his eyes remained glued to the screen. 

“Maybe that kind of makes all of us family, too.” Came Claire’s response. 

You felt as if your heart had lurched up into your throat, the pounding becoming more noticeable now. Six, viewed as family? You weren’t sure that you could ever pull that one off. But, you certainly enjoyed his presence and trusted him just as much as your uncle did. Maybe you all could be like a family? 

The corners of Six’s mouth twitched up into a small smile once more, his eyes glancing between you and Claire before returning once more to the view of the cameras. His brows furrowed ever so slightly as Claire yawned. “You both should go to bed.” 

As Jenny stepped into view from standing somewhere off in the kitchen to agree with Six’s words, you stood from your seat. As you passed behind where Six was seated, you caught a glance of the screen. All of the cameras appeared offline, and a feeling of dread filled you to the core. You halted behind him, gaze locked upon the screen of the laptop. Feeling your presence, Six glanced behind him. 

“You should go to bed. I’ve got it handled.” 

His words did not encourage you to move, your body frozen in place as you thought over all of the possibilities. By now, Jenny had escorted Claire off towards her bedroom, and you could vaguely hear them mentioning running a bath and turning on a record. 

“Go. I’ve got it handled.” He spoke once more, a bit more firmly, as his hand reached out to grasp yours. 

The touch sent a feeling of shock through you, enough to finally draw your eyes from the black screen of the cameras. Your eyes met his and you gave him a single nod, finally willing yourself to move down the hall towards Claire’s bedroom, his grasp upon your hand slipping as you walked off. You hadn’t planned on sleeping in your own room tonight, knowing that your sister would want you with her. It was like this every time she had a medical episode, or surgery. She wanted her older sister in bed next to her, comforting and keeping watch. Honestly, it was just as therapeutic for you as it was for her. You could rest well knowing that you could easily wake and monitor her breathing, to make sure that she was okay. 

By the time you had entered Claire’s bedroom, she was already in the bathroom brushing her teeth as Jenny readied her bath. You took the time that they were both out of the room to access the gun that you had stashed within Claire’s room. You made sure it was loaded and tucked it away under the pillow you’d be sleeping with. The soft sound of a commotion taking place in the main area of the house caught your attention, and you slowly creeped down the hallway to get a better look. Your head whipped in the direction of Claire’s bedroom as you heard her footsteps joining you, a pointed look going unnoticed by her. Her attention was solely focused on Six, who seemed to be standing in front of a pair of shoes. 

“Is everything okay?” You asked, a second before Claire’s mouth opened to ask the same question. 

Six lifted a broken piece of something into the air, “Yeah, I just broke a bowl.” 

Both you and Claire glanced down towards the pair of shoes that you could see, clearly belonging to someone who was now knocked out–or worse– upon the floor, and back up towards Six. 

“You sure you’re alright?” Asked Claire, as you remained by her side, silently now. 

Six breathed out a sigh, “Yeah, just another Thursday.” He then nodded his head towards Claire’s room. “Go on back to bed.” 

The both of you hesitated for a moment, but Claire was the first to move back down the hall towards her room. You lingered for a few moments longer, gaze locked upon him. A million questions and scenarios ran through your mind. It wasn’t until he shooed you off with his hand and a pointed look that you finally turned and made your way back to her room, shutting the door behind you. 

You plopped yourself down onto your sister’s full size bed as you waited for her to finish her bath, wondering if there would be more intruders throughout the night, or if you were lucky and only one had found your address. You heaved a sigh just as Claire and Jenny emerged from the bathroom. Jenny said her goodbyes after tucking Claire into bed, completely oblivious to the fact that Six had fought off an intruder, and left the room. You figured that she’d never even know that someone had gotten in, seeing as you fully expected Six to have moved the body the second you had shut the door to Claire’s room. 

“You trust Six, yeah?” Claire asked softly, several minutes into getting comfortable in bed. 

You took a moment to respond, not expecting that question coming out of her mouth. You gave a nod of your head, even if she couldn’t see you. “Yeah, of course. Donald trusts him, and he’s the one who trained me.” 

You barely caught the slight nod of her head, and a sigh of relief. “Good.” She murmured, snuggling into her blankets as her eyes began to flutter close. You rolled onto your other side, facing the doorway, and closed your own eyes. You weren’t sure if you’d fall into slumber as fast as your sister had, but you certainly would try. 

The soft sound of the click of a door opening roused you from your sleep. You weren’t sure how long you had been asleep for, but you knew the sound of that door opening wasn’t a good sign. Before you even willed your eyes open, you slowly slid your hand that was cradled under your head beneath the pillow. Once your hand found purchase upon the gun you had stashed underneath, you cracked a single eye open. You didn’t want to risk whomever had entered Claire’s room to notice you were awake, at least not until you had a chance to see who it was. 

Your heart hammered in your chest, and consequently, in your ears, as your eye focused upon who had disturbed your sleep. You were quite thankful for being a light sleeper as you took in the all-black clad man that stood just six feet before you. His eyes were glancing about the room, not having noticed that you were awake just yet. You silently sucked in a breath as you noticed the silenced gun he held in his hands. You clenched your jaw as you silently slid the gun out from under the pillow, and within seconds fired it off into the man's chest– twice. You had moved so quickly he hadn’t even had a chance to react, which you were thankful for, as his body landed with a thud upon the ground. You had also had a silencer attached to your weapon, but that didn’t mean Claire would’ve heard nothing and you immediately flipped over onto your side to shield her from anything she might see. 

“(Y/N)?” She croaked out sleepily, barely lifting her head from the pillow. 

“Shhh, shhh. It’s just me, I knocked something off of the nightstand.” You lied, hoping that your sister was delirious enough with sleep to not question what she had heard. Because it most certainly did not sound like something had simply fallen. 

She let out a hum and nodded her head, dropping it back down to her pillow directly afterward. You remained where you were for a few moments, watching for her breathing to become even again before you made a move. Now that you had a moment to process, you feared for Six. Where was he? Surely someone wouldn’t have gotten past him that easily. Did they hurt him? Oh God. What if he was injured, or worse, dead? You had to get out of the room to check on him. But, you also had to get the body of the man you’d just shot out of the room before Claire woke up again. You didn’t want to expose her to that sort of trauma. 

As you slowly removed yourself from the bed, careful not to stir your sister from her sleep, adrenaline coursed through your veins. The door to the bedroom was already opened, so all you needed to do was drag the fully grown man through it and….God knows where. You had no idea how to dispose of a body. That wasn’t really something you had been taught. Nevertheless, you grabbed a hold of the man by his legs and began to drag him through the threshold of the door, and down the narrow hallway. You had gotten about five feet down the hall when you heard a voice behind you. 

“(Y/N)?” Six asked incredulously. He had heard the sound of the silenced gunshot and had immediately began carefully making his way towards the room. Almost fearful of what he would find. 

You whipped your head around so that you could see him. “Six?! Where the hell were you?!” You whisper-shouted at him, not wanting to risk waking Claire. 

Six almost looked bashful for a moment, his hand reaching up to rub at his neck. “I closed my eyes for a second. I…fell asleep.” 

You blinked at him for a moment, unable to fathom that response. “You fell asleep?!” You hissed at him, “What the hell kind of bodyguard are you?!” You regained your pace of dragging the now-dead man down the hall when Six closed the distance between you. 

“I’m sorry. Let me handle this.” He spoke softly, one of his hands resting over your forearm. 

You shook your head, “No. I need to get rid of this–him– before Claire wakes again and sees the pool of blood on her floor.” 

His hand squeezed your arm gently, his other grabbing ahold of one of the legs. “I’ll get rid of him, you focus on cleaning up the blood. Teamwork, yeah?” He suggested, trying to get you to reason with him. 

You tucked your lower lip in-between your teeth as you breathed a harsh breath of air through your nose. “Fine.” Came your reluctant response, dropping your hold on the body as you swiftly headed off towards the kitchen for towels and other cleaning supplies you’d need to clean the pool, and now trail, of blood. 

Starting in Claire’s room, you quietly knelt down and laid a towel over the small pool of blood. You were eager to get her floor cleaned the quickest, laying another towel down upon the ground to slide across the floor– cleaning the trail that led from her room to the hallway. You grimaced at the sight, and were thankful that all of the lights were off in the house–limiting your vision so that you wouldn’t have to see all of the details of what you were cleaning. You brought the two towels from her room and dumped them into the trash bag you had left in the hallway, shutting her bedroom door behind you. You concentrated on taking deep breaths as you grabbed a third towel and slid it across the hallway floor, trying to ignore the way your hands were trembling as you moved about your task. 

It was far from the first time you’d shot a gun, but this moment would be imprinted in your mind for the rest of your life, as it was the first time you’d ever taken a life. Of course, it’s not like you had a choice. It was either kill or risk being killed. You kept Claire safe, which is exactly what your training had been for. You tried to comfort yourself with those thoughts, but it still didn’t help stop your hands from shaking. You supposed it was the adrenaline wearing off. 

After several more moments, Six finally rejoined you. You almost hadn’t heard his footsteps, too lost in your own thoughts to be as on guard as you should’ve been. You didn’t even want to ask what he had done with the body, so you remained silent as he finished helping you clean up any evidence that Claire might find in the morning. As you handed off the last towel to be thrown away to Six, he paused briefly, eyeing you over. Without even looking for the opening of the trash bag you’d been using, he tossed the towel in. 

“Are you alright?” He questioned softly, his gaze falling towards the trembling hand that you still had half-raised in the air. One that you quickly tried to hide by slapping it down onto your thigh. 

“I’m fine,” You spoke weakly, grimacing at how soft your voice sounded. 

He gave a click of his tongue in response before reaching down to grasp your hand, laying it facing palm upwards on his own. He took in the sight of your blood-stained hands before placing his other hand on top, your hand sandwiched between his. 

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” His voice was barely louder than a whisper as he tugged gently upon your hand, leading you towards the hallway in which your bedroom was located– a separate side from where Claire’s was. 

You let him lead you without protest, only squinting and groaning softly as he turned on the lights to your ensuite bathroom, the brightness burning your eyes briefly. You frowned as you now took in the appearance of your hands and forearms in the light. They were covered in a dark reddish brown hue. As you stared down at your hands, Six turned on the sink and found a washcloth, lathering it up with soap. 

“I imagine that was your first time?” He asked as he reached back for your right hand, running it under the warm water before scrubbing at it with the cloth. He only used enough pressure to scrub off the blood, massaging in circles as if to help calm your tremors.

You finally looked up from your hands to catch a view of his face, but he was not looking at you any longer. You nodded your head and took a moment before speaking to take in his side profile up close. His expression was one of full concentration, so you believed you had a few moments to admire him. However, when his deep blue eyes cast a sidelong glance, he caught you staring. Your cheeks flushed and you cleared your throat, “Uh, yeah.” 

He hummed softly, “It gets easier after a while. Though, I hope that’ll be your first and last.” 

You chuckled dryly, “Seeing who I’m related to, I’m not so sure that it will be.” 

He breathed a laugh through his nose as he reached for your left hand, placing it under the stream of warm water to clean it just like he had done the other. “Yeah, well, that’s why I’m here. To keep the both of you safe.” 

You raised your brows at his words, “You were the one who fell asleep,” You spoke pointedly, though you couldn’t help but crack a small smile at the guilty look that spread across his face.

He shut the water off and grabbed a clean towel to dry your hands off with. He set it upon the counter and grabbed your hand, placing it upon his chest–over his heart. “I’m sorry. That will never happen again. I don’t–,” He paused briefly, his tongue coming out to wet his lips, “I don’t even know what I would’ve done if something happened to you, or Claire.” 

Your eyes were locked with his, “Mmm, spend the rest of your life running from Donald so he can’t kill you?” You teased lightly, a smirk pulling at the corner of your lips. 

He scoffed slightly, “Mm, I’d probably have to let him kill me for that mistake.” His words rang truthfully, but there was a smidge of humor hidden beneath them to match your tone. 

You chuckled softly, giving no response other than the slight shake of your head. Your gaze fell to where his hand still held yours against his chest, suddenly aware of how close you were to him. Your heart began beating faster at the realization. Your eyes trailed back up to his momentarily, then dropped to his lips. You didn’t think your gaze had lingered there long, but when your eyes met his once more, it was like something shifted in the air. The blue of his eyes had darkened, and his hand moved to cup your face. Your breath hitched in your throat as you realized he was closing the gap between the two of you, butterflies now swirling in your stomach. He pressed his lips to yours almost hesitantly, softly, at first, as if he wasn’t sure if he had crossed some line he wasn’t supposed to. Technically, he had, as you were sure your uncle wouldn’t approve– but as your hand slid up his chest to wrap around his neck and pull him closer to you– it was clear you didn’t mind. 

As your lips began to move against his, he seemed to become more confident. The way you always knew him to be. His hand fell from your face and traveled down your body until he reached your ass, squeezing it firmly. A moan tumbled from your lips, and that was all the encouragement he needed to reach down and lift you with ease, setting you upon the counter seconds later. He parted your thighs so that he could stand between them, his lips never leaving yours as he rolled his hips into yours, soft moans escaping from the both of you in response. He began to trail his lips down your neck, and you tilted your head so that he would have better access. He licked and sucked down your neck until he found the spot that made you whimper unintentionally and try to squeeze your thighs together. You felt him smirk against your skin as he began to gently bite and suckle upon the spot, no doubt leaving a hickey by the time he let up on his assault. 

His calloused hands trailed down your sides until he reached the end of your sleep shirt, his fingers wrapping around the edge of the fabric and yanking it upwards, to rid you of it. You raised your arms to help him with his task, and the moment the shirt was on the floor, his lips were reattached to your skin. He quickly traveled down your chest until he reached your breasts, his lips wrapping around your nipple and sucking gently. You arched your back, forcing your chest closer to him, as a moan fell from your lips. One of his hands slowly slid up your bare thigh, leaving goosebumps in its wake, until he had reached your core. He slipped his fingers into the wide opening on the leg of your sleep shorts, a groan being pulled from him as he felt how wet you were for him. His finger ran along the slit of your glistened folds, and you bit down upon your bottom lip to quieten the loud moan that escaped. 

“So fucking wet for me,” He growled out against your skin, his lips latching onto your other breast to give it the same attention he gave the other. Flicking and swirling his tongue around your sensitive nub, giving it a gentle bite before soothing it with his tongue once more. His fingers parted your folds, allowing his thumb to rest directly upon your clit. Your breath hitched in your throat just at the pressure he placed upon it, when his thumb began to trace circles, your head fell back to rest upon the wall behind you. Your eyes fluttered shut as you embraced the pleasure he was giving you. Soon enough, one of his thick digits entered your heat, pumping in and out of you slowly. You groaned in response, your hands seeking purchase upon his still-clothed shoulders, digging your nails into the jacket of his suit. 

“Off,” You whined out, unable to form a full sentence, as your hands pushed on the fabric of his jacket. You wanted to feel his bare skin beneath your hands, that and it seemed a bit unfair that he was still fully dressed. 

He chuckled softly, releasing his lips from your breast to raise to his full height. “Soon, baby. Gotta make you cum on my fingers, first.” As he finished speaking, he added a second finger to your pussy, now curling his digits so that they pressed into your g-spot with each thrust. You mewled beneath him, causing a smirk to spread across his face as he quickened his pace, enjoying the fucked out expression upon your face. You could feel the muscles in your lower stomach already beginning to tighten, indicating it wouldn’t take much longer for you to release. You’d be embarrassed at him making you cum so fast, if it hadn’t been so long since you had gotten off and how good it all felt. You had dreamed of this moment ever since you first laid eyes on him years ago– that crush you had on him producing more than a few scenarios to get you off on your own. Yet, nothing you had concocted in your mind lived up to what it was actually like. 

His fingers pumping in and out of you produced squelching noises that reverberated around the bathroom, and your moans were only growing more and more frequent–you were thankful that he had taken you far from where Claire was sleeping. His thumb pressed harsher against your clit and moved in fervent circles, your wetness gushing around his digits as he slipped a third finger into your heat. At this point, your eyes were shut so tightly that you swore you could see stars. Your body began to tense as you started to lose yourself to the pleasure, your back arching further as you chased your high. He could feel as your walls tightened around him and began to flutter, his hardened cock jumping in his trousers at the feeling. He couldn’t wait to bury himself inside of you.

“That’s it, baby, cum for me. Cum on my fingers, then I’ll stuff you full of my cock,” He encouraged. His words were all you needed in order to reach your peak. Your walls clenched around his thick digits, so tightly that he almost couldn’t pump them in and out of you to work you through your orgasm. That caused a deep groan to rumble from his chest. As you came down from your high and tried to catch your breath, he removed his fingers from you. You opened your eyes just in time to watch him lick your juices from them, the sight causing you to whimper as he moaned. 

“You taste amazing,” He moaned out, beginning to shrug his jacket from his shoulders. He tossed it to the floor and quickly began to unbutton his shirt, tossing that to the floor as well. Your eyes soaked in his muscular chest, the tattoos that he had, and even the litter of scars upon his torso. You couldn’t help but reach out and trace some of those scars as he worked on undoing his trousers. He pushed both his pants and boxers down in one go, freeing his hard cock from its confinement. His long and thick, veiny, member slapped up to his stomach, the head already glistening with his pre-cum. 

You gasped at the sight, “Oh fuck,” you murmured out. He was larger than you had expected, but the sight made your walls clench around nothing. He hummed softly at your reaction before his hands made their way to the waistband of your shorts. You lifted your hips from the counter to help him remove them, and they were tossed carelessly to the bathroom floor like the rest of your clothes. He pulled you forward so that your ass was barely hanging off of the counter, your legs wrapping around his waist. He gripped his cock with one hand, guiding it towards your entrance. He teased you by running his head through your folds, pressing against your sensitive clit, before he lined back up with your entrance. He paused for a moment and glanced back up to meet your eyes, his brow raising in a silent question. You nodded your head and he pushed himself in. He pressed himself inside of you with one smooth thrust, your slick walls allowing him to do so easily.

You bit down upon your bottom lip harshly as he groaned at the feeling of you already clenching around him. He had done well in stretching you out with his fingers, but that didn’t mean the length and thickness of his actual cock didn’t cause an ache at first. He pressed his lips to yours, looking to distract you from the pain as you grew accustomed to him. After a few moments of sharing heated kisses, you felt the ache of pain subside. You rolled your hips in a signal for him to start moving, and he certainly didn’t hesitate. He slid himself all of the way out of your heat, and then snapped his hips forward, sheathing himself fully inside of you once more. He repeated this action, over and over, as he fucked you senseless. His fingertips dug into your hips as he pulled you to meet his thrusts, the feeling of his cock pressing against your cervix causing moan after moan to fall from your lips. His eyes glanced towards the bathroom door that was still wide open, and a hand snaked its way up to cover your mouth, muffling the sound of your moans. He didn’t want to risk the noise carrying through the house, even if each moan that fell from your lips caused his balls to tighten. He snapped his hip up at an angle that caused him to brush right against the spot that made you keen. 

“Oh, Court,” You moaned out against his hand. The name he had told you of in secret years ago had finally tumbled from your lips, and his hips faltered upon hearing it. His hand fell from covering your mouth, and instead rejoined its original place upon your hip as he pulled you to meet his thrusts harshly. 

“Say it again,” He commanded. He hadn’t ever heard a woman moan his real name before, and he liked the way it sounded coming from you. He hips regained their rhythm, making sure to brush against your g-spot with each thrust. 

“Oh, fuck, Court!” Your moan turned into a high-pitched cry, but he didn’t bother to move to cover your mouth again. He was too focused on how his name sounded falling from your mouth, and he wanted to hear it over and over again. One of his hands slipped between your bodies, his thumb finding your clit once more. The combination of his thumb circling your swollen clit and his cock pressing against your g-spot had your eyes rolling into the back of your head. 

“You feel so good, baby. Are you going to be a good girl and cum on my cock, too?” He murmured into your ear, his breath fanning down your neck. 

You nodded your head, whimpering out a, “Yes, God, yes.” You felt the familiar feeling of your orgasm building once more, the muscles in your lower stomach tightening. Your walls clenched tighter around him, and you felt his cock twitch in response. Your nails dug into the skin of his upper back as you found yourself needing to grab ahold of something. This elicited a groan from him, one that had your walls fluttering around his thick cock. He felt himself nearing his own orgasm, and to push you towards your second before he released, he sped up the movements of both his thumb and his hips. His hips slammed into yours with more force, almost knocking the breath out of you as his thumb circled your clit expertly. 

“C’mon, be a good girl for me. I know you want to,” He groaned out in between thrusts. You felt yourself falling over the edge, his words somehow being the last piece you needed to let go. Your walls clenched and fluttered around his cock, and he only lasted a few more thrusts before he bottomed out inside of you. You felt his cock twitch inside of you as his hot seed filled you up. He had seen you take your birth control pill earlier, and hadn’t bothered to ask where you wanted him to cum. The wanton moan that spilled from your lips as you felt him shoot ropes of his cum deep inside of you let him know he had made the right decision. You lowered your forehead to his shoulder as you caught your breath, and he slumped against you gently as he caught his own. 

After a few moments of steady breathing, he slowly removed his cock from you. Both of you let out a quiet hiss at the action. He reached for the towel that he had left upon the counter earlier and gently used it to clean you up. You smiled softly at the gesture. He helped you down from the counter and then pulled up his pants, fastening them before gathering your pajamas from the floor and passing them to you. You redressed yourself as he finished doing the same. 

“We probably shouldn’t tell Donald about this,” He began, a soft smile gracing his face as he spoke. 

You chuckled softly, nodding your head in agreement. “Yeah, probably shouldn’t.” 

“You should go back to bed,” He canted his head towards the doorway, “Before Claire realizes you’re missing.” 

You nodded your head once more, “Yeah, and you should go back to watching the cameras–and try not to fall asleep this time.” You teased. 

He raised his hands in surrender, “You’ve got my word. I’ve got plenty of energy now,” He teased with a smirk. 

You shook your head, rolling your eyes with a playful scoff as the both of you exited the bathroom. He stopped at the dining table to glance over the cameras briefly, and then turned to watch you disappear down the hallway to Claire’s room. 

As he took a seat at the table, he shook his head to himself, knowing that Donald would kill him if he ever found out he fucked his niece, but damn if it wasn’t worth the risk.