#worried husband danny

[just-more-pr0mts]

The Tranquilizer

In this AU the justice league and Danny have a sort of 'truce' where danny is part of the justice league but he's a heavy hitter so he only really comes out when it's a dire situation. (He was hit with the full jack fenton growth spirt in this)

Danny is also ruling the entire infinite realms as his main occupation, and is studying as a (whatever) major.

So combined with the recent attack on earth which he was called to, his finals and the new influx of ghosts and their paperwork Danny has been running off of a few hours of sleep and a weird concoction of caffeine and redbull. This admittedly was not good for his health and it was seriously starting to worry his significant other, a ferocious goth, Sam.

______

Sam has had enough of Danny's nonsense he had not come to bed for the last 4 days and has been working himself to death no pun intented. So she packed up her things and made her way to the place she knew Danny would be.

______

Danny knew this was coming, it had not happened in years bit Danny knew Sam never left home without it. He was just hoping that she would have atleast waited till he was done with he's meeting! What would Martian manhunt think of him after seeing his pregnant wife tranquilize him? Oh and how the hell was she able to carry his 6'3 figure while pregnant?!

[trickster-archangel]

I'm reblogging this because this episode displays insane levels of married energy and I'm not even touching the whole "awkward moment scene" - where basically Danny barks at Cath (apparently) for wearing a football shirt, Cath barks back because she thinks Danny is jealous of her visiting Steve (!!!!), Cath chooses a random team which just happens to be opposite to Steve's dream team, Steve gets pissed, and oh, yes, Steve never even thought of asking her out for the match and ditches her and her tickets to go with Danny, who peacefully gloats, positively gloats, because Cath is ditched and he'll be Steve's prom date, and Danny shoos her away because they have another date place to go - because that scene alone needs a whole post.

What's beautifully nuts about this episode, is that we have Danny being literally a crazy stalker groupie fangirl over Manning. That's the problem. The whole episode revolves around football, and more specifically about Danny's obsession about football, in every possible way.

I mean, just looking here,

it's quite obvious who was the most excited of them all.

Danny started the episode with his obsession over football in general and Manning in particular, leading to the need to absolutely have those specific seats. He would've never accepted any other seat, and he was willing to pay such a price not only for himself but also for Steve, who probably would've been happy just to watch the game from wherever in the stadium (and we know that out of the two it was actually Steve who had been the real football player, so you'd expect him to be the more enthusiastic). Not Danny. He had to see Manning from up close, maybe meet him. His fangirling was really adorable. Not so much for Steve. I got from him the same annoyance he got from finding Lori and Danny handcuffed together. Then Danny starts harassing real players for his fantasy team, getting all invested and bothered about it while Steve feels honestly embarrassed for him: Steve scolds Danny because his obsession over Manning is bordering fanaticism, and also because it bothers him a lot that Danny is fangirling over another man, let's be honest.

Point is, Steve isn't really interested in the game, despite being a former player, and Cath may be interested but just because it's cool and she got the tickets and she chose a cool team, so now she's invested in going. The one who could never ever lose the game is Danny. When Catherine calls them to check if they're gonna make it in time, warning them that she won't wait for them, Danny is clearly distressed about the prospect of not making it to the game....

And then?? Then Steve dislocates his shoulder. Which...is painful, sure, but it's not an invalidating injury, nor one that would require him to be admitted or kept at the hospital, and surely not a life threatening injury. It's definitely something he could take care of on his own, get there in the ambulance, be treated, and maybe go back in time for the game in a cab. There's absolutely no need whatsoever for Danny to do what he does: namely, ditching everything he had clinged to until that moment, his obsession, his mancrush, his hero, to step inside the worried spouse role, going full mama bear, get sure that Steve arrives at the hospital and get visited and treated, maybe asking for a whole roundabout of additional checkings since the animal is always hurt and might need a full chekup, witness wistfully what he lost to stay beside Steve but never ever once complaining to him or berating him for getting hurt and forcing Danny to give up his dream, wait for him to be discharged and accompany him to the stadium, where Steve, like the emotional, grateful, smitten goof that he is, makes it possible for Danny to realize his dream to play seriously in a seriously serious stadium, despite the scorching shoulder pain.

All of this would completely be nuts without pointing out a very important detail: Catherine's loud absence. Catherine is something like a girlfriend for Steve, at this stage (despite these words, coming out from Catherine's own mouth in 3x11, aren't really the heartfelt declaration of love and devotion you'd expect from a life partner....more like a socially acceptable label they use to avoid awkward questions and being forced to define their relationship). Yes, she was ditched for Danny to go to the game, but honestly Steve didn't even know she liked football. And anyway, yes: Steve ditched her for Danny. If really Danny had been worried for Steve's wellbeing, he could've probably offered to call Cath to be with him, and gone to the game with Steve's blessing. It was Catherine's role as a girlfriend, somehow, to ditch a game she wasn't interested in like Danny was, and hurry to his boyfriend's side, at least this one time when she can actually go because she's not abroad or in the middle of the sea...

Instead, Danny calls and explains her the situation, and she doesn't offer to come and stay at Steve's side. She has better things to do, and she enthusiastically accepts Danny's offer of his tickets, even bringing Kono along. She isn't willing to lose this game, preferring it to Steve. Yes, Steve preferred Danny to her, but now she doesn't ditch him for someone else, she simply doesn't choose him. She does her own thing. She chooses herself.

In Steve's life, nobody ever chose him. Nobody ever made a sacrifice for him out of the sheer goodness of their heart and the love they felt for him, nobody ever not asked for something in return, or didn't twist some favour against him. Even Catherine: Doris had asked her to lie to Steve, but she could've refused and chosen Steve. Which, she didn't. Not even Catherine chose Steve. Not a single time.

The only one who always chooses Steve, who always puts Steve first, even in that endearingly aggravating way of his, through rants and insults, is Danny. Be it staying in Hawai'i instead of going after his so wanted renewed family with Rachel and Grace in Newark, or be it giving up a life dream to assure Steve wasn't alone while treated for a minor injury, Danny always chooses Steve. In sickness and health. There's not even a choice to make, because whatever the setting and the context is, to Danny the only choice is Steven. Not a second of hesitation or second-guessing or regret. Steven always comes first.

Don't go where I can't follow, because I'll follow you down to the eye of the storm.

And every time, Steve breaks a bit more, and falls a bit more in love.

That line, Should I be jealous? is absolutely fantastic because the way he says it, the context he says it in, is willingly ambitious and ambivalent: both Danny and Cath are singing Manning's praises, but while Cath is clearly amused and trying to rile Steve up, going after Danny, fetching an autographed ball just for him, it's Danny who's completely lost in his hero dream. So it's not even a question whom Steve is jealous of. And he's oh-so-ready to kick and throw the damn ball that jerk signed for his Danno, and the more Danny hesitates because the ball is his and he doesn't want to ruin it, the more he presses. Marking his territory and showing Danny that he can be his new football hero, and a more reachable one too. Endearing goofball.

Adding @teruel-a-witch commentary because I laughed so hard at the image of Steve trying to use his Navy SEAL skills to destroy the damn ball, and Danny always interrupting and getting there in time to prevent the assassination:

I’m sorry that you had to miss the game because of me.

[slythereen]

i really really missed mcdanno bickering very much

[frogaroundandfindout]

Au where Jason Todd is sacrificed to the King of the Infinite Realms and, upon realizing Danny isnt actually interested in human sacrifice nonsense, immediately shoots his shot

Like this man has been reading romance novels for as long as he can remember and he absolutely refuses to let this set up go to waste. He has a strange new world, a kind but powerful king, a castle, and big ass fucking library right there.

Too bad his family didn’t get the memo and reverse summoned him back too early.

———

Jason: *finally seduced Danny and is about to initiate the “frantic sex after weeks of pining” portion of the plot*

Jason: *is summoned back*

Jason: *has hickies all over his neck, claw marks down his back, unzipped pants, and no belt*

Jason: …

Jason: I hate all of you, you cockblocking motherfuckers. I had him right there! I could have been his husband. HUSBAND!!!!!

Bruce:

Tim:

Dick: …looks like you’ve been having a better few weeks than we have.

Damian: Father, I believe this is sufficient proof for removing Todd from the family.

Jason: IF YOU FUCKING WAITED I COULD HAVE HAD A DIFFERENT ONE

Tim: sorry that we worried about you being at the mercy of an all powerful ruler of the dead???

Jason: *sighs with heart eyes* god I fucking wish. His eyes are so pretty when he’s angry 💕

[radiance1]

"I need to find my darling husband!" Said Danny, dressed to the nines in a very elaborate royal dress with a lot of jewelry running through the ballroom after having been on the opposite end of a very worrying phone call.

"Seriously, what do you even see in that mortal!?" Screamed an observant and Danny stopped and leveled them with a glare cold enough to freeze over an active volcano and sharp enough to cut through obsidian.

"He makes me laugh."

Unlike those dead suitors went unsaid, but everyone at the ball (read: search for a bride/groom for the royal ghostling) practically heard it anyways.

Meanwhile over in the land of the living

Okay so Jason may have messed up. Now you see, he hasn't seen his platonic husband for tax benefits in a while, and he's been very careful to not let his identity as the Red Hood slip up before . Not even once in their relationship.

(He's not counting the time his in-laws sniffed him out as a Crime Lord, because Danny never believed them.)

Now, it wasn't exactly his fault he slipped up. You try to fight off an entire group after being pulled up on out of nowhere on the phone while trying to hide said noises of fighting.

Who was he calling? Danny of course since he said he was away for business. What business? Never specified and Jason wasn't going to pry.

So now here he was, bound 'helplessly' as Jason Todd along with a few other random civilians. Which, like, rude.

Wasn't he already good enough for this ancient ritual or whatever?

You know, he really should have walked with that "Anti-kidnapping device" he got that one time. Which honestly he feels like he should be surprised that such a thing exists but considering it was from Bruce. Well.

He's not surprised.

Oh, there's the Justice League now. Shame, he wanted to knock out a few guys himself- Oh, now he's being used to summon a ghost from the Infinite Realms of Royal Lineage.

Yea he probably should have walked with that "Anti-kidnapping device."

Wait a goddamn-

Is that-

"My darling husband!" Danny shouted, scooping him off the circle and away from the head cultist and swinging him around. "You had me worried sick!"

Now, he should ask the question anyone would in this situation when finding out your best friend and platonic husband for tax benefits was apparently a ghost of royal lineage.

"Why're you in a dress?"

"Okay, first of all I rock this thing." Danny huffed.

"That you do." Jason agreed rather easily.

"Second of all, blame those guys over there." He jerked his head in the direction of two very green floating eyeball people.

Not the weirdest he's seen, honestly.

The Observants were whispering to each other and leveling them-Jason in particular-a look.

"Now as you can see, I already have a spouse and I don't need another!" Danny hugged Jason closer for emphasis and he took the time to whisper in Danny's ear. "Did you really marry me to play the husband card?"

"Well, yes." Danny agreed. "But also because of taxes, because I love you and you're my best friend."

"So, we're still done for watching that movie right."

"Obviously."

A pained grunt came from below them and they both looked down to see Batman standing over a very unconscious cultist and looking up at them.

Hm.

He forgot they were there.

"So," Jason began, staring Bruce straight in the eyes. Batman's eyes narrowed. "Don't suppose we can push that forward to right now?"

"Yea, sure why not I'm not doing anything important." Danny leveled the Observants a look, and before either they, Batman, or the Justice League could do anything they both disappeared.

[trickster-archangel]

The day I won't cry over Steve’s face at seeing Danny, like all his dreams came true, like his goddamn hero has appeared out of his imaginationto save him, and Danny’s sweet, reassuring touches, like he knows Steve might not really believe his eyes but surely will believe Danny’s hands, that day I won't be human anymore.

“Just shut up would you?”

Hawaii Five-0 episode 2.10

[demonic0angel]

dpxdc: Lois Lane and Maddie and/or Jack had a bad break up years ago, and now they're being catty bitches to each other about it.

Lois and Maddie looked at each other with glares on their faces.

"So... has your husband been treating you well?" Lois asked coldly.

Maddie scowled. "Very."

Lois looked Jack up and down with a sneer. Jack was oblivious and was dipping his homemade brownie into his coffee cup.

"I bet his isn't as big as my strap," Lois muttered angrily and Maddie gasped in affront, standing up and slapping her hands on the table.

"Don't you dare say that about my husband! I bet your husband isn't that great either!"

Lois sniffed disdainfully. "He's a wonderful husband!"

"I bet he can't go down on you like I did!"

Lois bristled and stood up as well. "Why you—!!"

Clark nervously drank his coffee, hiding his red face behind the mug while Maddie and Lois started arguing about their past and present sex lives.

Jon, sitting next to Danny and Jazz in the living room, looked innocently at the two.

"What's a strap?"

Danny choked on his laughter as he picked up Jon to bring him to his bedroom and away from the squabbling adults, while Jazz reached out to cover his ears with a flustered expression, quickly following behind in order to avoid the screaming match.

"Don't worry about it, they're crazy."

"Well, Jon, a strap is—"

"Danny! Do not!!"

[leclercwriting]

little verstappen | max verstappen social media au

pairing: max verstappen x wife!reader basically max being girl dad coded

masterlist

y/n.verstappen

liked by maxverstappen1, redbullracing and 741.698 others

caption: daddy's lucky charm

view all comments

landonorris: where is my lucky charm when i need it?

y/n.verstappen: sorry shes only supporting max maxverstappen1: stop stealing my daughter lando

user4: Omgg i love girl dad max

danielricciardo: P is so cute

maxverstappen1: thanks but if you saw her when she has to go shower u wouldn't write this y/n.verstappen: that's true...

user5: she's mini version of max

y/n.verstappen: i knoow. she's his little copy. AFTER I WAS CARYING HER FOR ALMOST A YEAR!!!! victoriaverstappen: verstappen genes are strong. People still think that my kids are max's kids....

maxverstappen1

liked by y/n.verstappen, danielricciardo and 748.614 others

caption: who's gonna tell daniel that he's babysitting P in 2 days?

view all comments

danielricciardo: I'M WHAT?! EMILIAN

y/n.verstappen: oopps. sorry but you're uncle danny and uncle danny is called for the babysitting duties maxverstappen1: we're gonna pay you don't worry danielricciardo: I DON'T NEED MONEY. I'M NOT GONNA BABYSIT THAT MINI MAX landonorris: stop screaming dude maxverstappen1: uh lando we need you to babysit P on wednesday.. landonorris: BRO

user5: the comments lol

user8: poor danny boy

user67: i love this family

danielricciardo

liked by y/nverstappen, maxverstappen and 847,557 others

caption: the best uncle reward goes to me because i was forced to babysit this little devil

view all comments

maxverstappen1: thanks for your service

landonorris: now im next...

user55: someone save lando user25: SOMEONE SAVE PENELOPE. LANDO IS THE CHILD

user6: danny is really the best uncle

maxverstappen1: he is

landonorris

liked by y/n.verstappen, maxverstappen1 and 854.585 others

caption: future mclaren driver

view all comments

maxverstappen1: GET HER AWAY FROM THE MCLAREN CAR

landonorris: naaah, she likes orange cars y/n.verstappen: max is having heart attack next to me

user7: not lando making max's daughter a mclaren fan

danielricciardo: she's not mclaren fan.. boooooo

landonorris: shut up muppet

mclaren: new mclaren reserve driver

user45: lool poor max

maxverstappen1

liked by landonorris, redbullracing and 742,563 others

caption: enjoyed our time alone until lando tried to turn my baby into mclaren fan

view all comments

landonorris: she was born a mclaren fan. orange suits her

maxverstappen1: yeah orange suits her. but the dutch one

user7: this is still too funny

user122: why is no one talking about them?? i need to have husband like max

y/n.verstappen: u need great wife like me maxverstappen1: everybody needs their y/n

redbullracing: P has a place in our team already

y/n.verstappen

liked by maxverstappen1, landonorris and 984,526 others

caption: and now the best part. summer break with the verstappens

view all commnets

user7: yall are too cute

y/n.verstappen: tysm

user85: I LOVE THEM. P IS SO BIG

maverstappen1: our baby is growing up so fast

landonorris: family goals

danielricciardo: you cant even take care of a goldfish u muppet

[thecatundertheladder]

Z

Another Ghost Dragon Prompt? Indeed.

The Ward had made a mistake. Had stolen something that had caused the very Skies to lash out, entire worlds at risk from their actions.

Time Itself shrieked in rage at the loss of Its child, or at least that's how every magic user- and the speedsters, pale and shaken and looking sick- had described it.

Someone had taken the young prince of the Infinite, and it was not the Tyrant King, long since sealed away, that lead the charge, but the Queen Regent that many had long since forgotten.

Many forgot that it was not the Dark who courted Time, but Time who courted the Dark. That It was just, if not more so, merciless as Its partner, and would Devour worlds should Its child- still with newdeath soft scales- was not returned.

Which meant that for the heroes, there was now a Clock ticking down ever so quietly. They had to take care of what was a government branch, had to deal with consequences of going over the law, or their World would End in dragon fire.

[snaileer]

Call to my Bedside - 3

Part 1:

When Maddie wakes up with chains around her wrists and a pounding her head, she is surprised to see her family in front of her.

As she blinks in the darkness, ignoring the way her eyes won’t focus, her surprise gradually washes into fast-paced terror.

It’s not just her family in front of her, but also her children’s friends. Her son’s friends.

But her son is nowhere to be seen. Amongst the grime and dinge of the space, there is no unruly mass of black hair.

She counts again. 1, 2-

1, 2,-

Her son exists as a group of three to her.

Jazzy, Jack, and Danny.

Tucker Foley, Sam Manson, and Danny.

But- she counts again.

1, 2-  1, 2-

Her son is not here. Danny is not here.

Her family is injured, Jazz and Jack in one cell and the kids in another, her in yet one more, and her son is missing.

Maddie tries to remember what happened, why she is injured, where they are, why-

There were people, she had fought them, all black clothes and blades, Jazz had come downstairs at the sound, Jack had defended her, Maddie watched them both go down under a blow, the distraction enough- Danny had never come home from school.

Her husband starts to rouse, a low groan.

“Jack.” She whispers harshly, “Jack!”

“Maddie-kins?” Jack mumbles, trying to push himself upright but stumbling when he realizes his hands are bound together by manacles.

His are not chained to the wall like her own, but they are still heavy steel.

“I’m here Jack, I’m alright,” She can see him turn to her in the dim light, “Banged up, but alright.”

Indignant anger flashes across her husband’s face, “Who did this? What happened-those people!” Jack increasingly gets louder, “The ninja people! They got past our ghost barrier-!”

“They’re not ghosts, hun,” Maddie cuts in, making him look over.

Some of his righteous exuberance fades, “Then why..?”

Maddie shakes her head, immediately regretting it, headache increasing as she tries to talk, “I don’t know. But Jack, Danny’s not here, I don’t know where he is, but he never came home, something’s wrong-“

“Danno!” Jack yells, looking frantically over the group through the bars between them.

Finally, his volume seems to rouse the others. Sam and Tucker both wake with a lurch, Jazz soon on their heels with a groan.

“Danny!” Sam yells, looking around them, “They got Danny!”

“And my tech!” Tucker yells, hands patting himself down.

Sam glares at him, “That’s what you’re worrying about?!”

“What, like having a satellite capable PDA wouldn’t be helpful right now!? Danny told us to run, you’re the one who made us stay-!”

“We weren’t gonna leave him-“

“Oh well look at us now, we’re not doing much better than-“

“Kids!” Maddie yells, and their heads snap over to her, “What are you talking about? Where’s Danny?”

For some reason they both seem to glance at Jazz before answering, receiving a hesitant nod.

Sam started, “We don’t know where he is now, but we were walking home and something exploded-“

“We thought it was just another ghost attack!” Tucker cut in, looking increasingly distressed, “But then Danny was fighting off these freaky ninja people, and telling us to run-“

“But we couldn’t just leave him there! We tried to help-

“There were so many, and they grabbed us and then we saw them grab Danny and…-“ Tucker stopped, looking down at the chains on his wrists, “And then we woke up here…Mrs.Fenton, where are we?”

“I don’t know, hun,” Maddie looked at her son’s friend, then to her own daughter, her husband, “But we’ll figure it out. And then we’re going to find Danny.”

Jack beamed at her, his trust in her confidence shining through.

She wished she believed it even half as much.

——

The first time they come, a group of five people, still dressed in black, weapons lining their body, Maddie yells and shouts. Demands they tell her where Danny is. They are silent.

They methodically go to each of their cells in pairs, one pointing a gun and the other setting down a bag of food. Military rations.

She screams and yells the entire time.

When they go to Maddie’s cell last, removing one arm from her shackles so she can eat, she takes advantage, lashing out with a yell and just as much anger as vicious desperation.

She punches the one nearest, a sloppy front kick displacing the other’s gun pointed at her.

Before she can attack again, one arm still pulled back to the wall behind her, the click of a safety coming off silences her.

The rest of the chapter is thru Ao3, cuz Tumblr says its too long. *^*

Tags:

@thecrystallabyrinth @isnt-that-grape @riverdancingwerewolves @mimblizzy @chaos-deimos-et-eris @miraculousandmore2 @mys-tia @jitteryjuttury @moonlight-opal @nerdypaintbrush @thedragonqueen1998 @luminanightfall @cowarddragon @cyrwrites @kamireadsmcu @manapeer @imaginationmademanifest

[grimdarling69]

Ghosting Gone Backwards

"No. No, i can not go back." Damian spoke her voice echoey and distant, but her body was etched in drooping vines. She would not stand for this. She did not sacrifice years of a life she could have been living with her family, to be the Ghost Queen, wife to the High King of the Infinate Realms, Phantom Dark (her Danny) and mother of their children, Dante and Ellie just to run back to them with her tail between her legs. Because what? The Observants don't believe they are doing a good enough job? That they are to focused on their children and friends to run a kingdom? The Realms were doing fine before them and can wait just a little for them to raise their young children. But of course not, and now Clockwork wanted to send her and their children away.

She glanced at Danny. She couldn't bear it any longer, and her glowing purple eyes started to water. Her husband, since he had asked her to join him in the Infinte Realms in a borrowed dream. He needed her to save their children since he had fully died and was no longer the halfa he once was, but she was well on her way to becoming one. A starving and raging one at that. She would have died, or worse had he not taken her to Frostbite. She did not regret rushing her healing and straining herself to have the children at different times and being forced to marry Danny because those stupid eyeballs couldn't fathom losing their last bit of control.

She loved Danny if course, had since she was still Sam Manson, but she would have preferred not to marry at thirteen years old and the ghost equivalent to pregnancey with Dante, after a incident, both then and three years later she needed to have Ellie because of Vlads incompetence and stupidity.

And now here she is on the eve of her eighteenth birthday being told that she was being forced to go home to a family that she left behind for another.

To her Father. To Richard, her older brother, but always acted more like a father than a brother. To Alfred and his endless food. To Jason and his cruel jokes but soft voice that read stories to him from a very young age. To Cassandra, whom she respected heavily and found commederie with. To Timothy, a boy she once tried to murder many times but somewhere along the way they found family. To Stephanie and her laughter, her easy disposition that could lower his guard. To Duke and his bright way of always lighting up their darkness, litterly.

How could she return to them? Even if she did go back... what would they say? Would they believe her? Vansished mysteriously a boy and just as sudden reappeared a young woman with a barely five and almost two year old. The scandal!...she can hear her siblings laughing voices, exclaiming the word. Her baby girl, her sleepy little flower, with her little fingers intertwined with the vines that seemed to sprout from all over. They usually have flowers freshly and beautifully bloomed.

" Dame... I do not wish for you three to leave me either, but it is dangerous here for you. You three are the most vulnerable out of everyone here." Danny spoke, his worry and concern displayed in the swarming colors in his eyes. Yes, she knew how much they meant to him but she still hated it when he acted like she was all that much weaker than him just because she was only a halfa and an ancient still in the making. She never looked down upon him when he was in her spot, but she supposed she wasn't that powerful in either of her lives compared to her husband. She was once a Robin, weilding a katana and bringing justice to her father's streets, but she left that life behind.

He swiped a tear off her cheek and leaned his head in, resting on her forehead. She closed her eyes and she knew he was dog the same.

" I love you more than anything, Dami. You always supported me before, and I need to know you three are safe... even if it's away from me." He spoke without moving. He didn't breathe, but she did.

For her children... she would do anything even return to her old life.

She didn't need to speak for him to know her decision and simply kissed her and removed his sons laced fingers to place them in hers. She smiled softly at her sleepy little boy. He would have started kindergarten with Frostbite and the other neverborns this year. He smiled at her, but his eyes were clouded with fuzz.

"Your family can't see you like this." She hadn't detransformed in close to two years now. She had never felt the need to, being surrounded by things she needed to be a ghost for. Her children were still in their human forms, too young to have the ectoplasm to support their forms. She herself at one point was too deprived of ectoplasm as well. It was simply better for them both to be human before, and it was good they were still human if she were to go home with them like... she didn't know what would happen.

She breathed a deep breath that seemed to shake her lungs. Light emerged from her middle, and it stalled for a few seconds before spreading across her body. The vines disappeared, and her dress shifted into the clothes she recalled wearing at some point when pregnant with Ellie. They were comfortable so she wouldn't complain. For a second, everything seemed fine, then she tilted forward black toeing her vision.

"Danny..."

"I've got you."

She gained her balance after a while, and Danny, with eyes that watched like a hawk to make sure she's recovered. At some point, Wulf came and opened a portal to the place she described on the outskirts of Bristol. It would be in the woods, but close enough, she would have to walk for than a mile or so to the Wayne Manor front gate.

"Goodbye, Dante, Ellie, my lovely Dame." He spoke in a singsong voice, but she could tell it was a last resort to stop himself from breaking down into tears and begging her to stay. He couldn't do that because they both knew would stay.

"Goodbye, beloved."She spoke, backing slowly into the portal, still carrying hope he'd change his mind and tell her to stay. He didn't.

Before long, they arrived in Bristol with heavy rain battering the trees. She clutched Ellie closer with one hand and, with practiced motions, picked up Dante in a piggy back ride and slipped into the night.

She walked a long time but finally reached the leering gate. It looked just the same as when he left all those years ago. Ellie was wet and grumblely but refused to wake. Dante was fast asleep, his hair sticking up every way, his drool and rain indiscernable stains on the light sweater. They would certainly be getting colds, Alfred would never not treat them even if he was mad at her.

She buzzed the doorbell barely seeing it between her long cascading dark and curly hair from the rain drenching it. She needed a hot shower as soon as possible.

"Wayne Residence speaking. We are quite busy. I'm afraid for guests at this moment." Alfred spoke, his voice was heavy and disinterested? Her almost grandfather would absolutely call that beyond rude.

" Not very polite of you, Pennyworth. You always tell me to be kind and here you are trying to turn us away in the rain. How the mighty have fallen." He playfully chastised the butler hoping he'd recognize him.

" Master Damian...? No it can't be but that voice... have you really returned to us?"

"Yes I have....and I was hoping we could save some tears for when I'm not on the verge of being swept away?"

"Oh! Yes..yes I will be there with the car right away. Just... just don't go anywhere. Please."

She didn't realize just how much she missed her psuedograndfather until he heard voice. Maybe this won't be as bad as she thought.

A/n this came to me in a very strange dream and I just need everyone to know this probably won't make sense but just so you know I was sick when I dreamed this up so blame my fever dreams if yall follow me for my Crack au it should be posted by tonight sorry for the delay I got really bad writers block and so o took a break to do some other things to get rid of it

[miley1442111]

you were right. -s.reid

a/n: I imagined a fem reader and it is referenced quite a lot but feel free to imagine what you like! :)))

summary: you husband just wants to celebrate you, who are you to stop him?

pairing: dad/ husband spencer reid x mother/ wife reader

warnings: the reader is a mother, kissing.

You loved being a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, you loved being an accomplished psychiatrist and psychologist, and you appreciated your work being valued and accepted. You loved writing papers and books on your fields, and you loved and appreciated your husband, Dr. Spencer Reid. What you didn’t love or appreciate was Spencer going behind your back and accepting an invitation to the Rumelhart gala, where you would be awarded a Rumelhart Prize for your studies on human language and communication and how it has evolved and changed over the past 30 years. 

What you also didn’t love or appreciate was how smug he was being about it. 

“Spencer!” You grumbled. “I don’t want to go!” 

“Why not?” He chuckled. He was enjoying this. “You’re amazing. You deserve to be celebrated!” 

“Spencer, I don’t want to be celebrated,” you sighed, sitting on your shared bed. “I was just doing my job.”

“Baby, it’ll be amazing, I’ll get Pen to come down from Quantico to look after Ellie, Danny and Theo and we’ll have a nice trip!” He took your hands in his and knelt down in front of you. “I want to celebrate you, ok?” He pressed soft kisses to each of your knuckles as you thought about it. “Please?”

“But we’ll have to go shopping for clothes, and we’d have to get flights and hotels, it’s in Rotterdam for fuck’s sake! That’s a 13 hour flight, at least! ” You started stressing, thinking about everything you’d have to do in such short notice. “And we’ve only left the kids for a night on their own, what if something happens and we’re not there-”

He cut you off by kissing you and you must admit, it eased some of the tension in your body. His hands wrapped around your waist and pulled you closer, laying you down on the bed with him on top of you. “Don’t worry,” he whispered. “I have the hotels and flights booked, Penelope will take great care of the kids, and I plan on taking you dress shopping right now,” He smirked against your lips. 

“So ‘no’ isn’t an answer is it?” you huffed as he leisurely kissed your neck, his hands finding their grip on your waist.

“It is not,” he chuckled and you just gave in, running a hand through his hair as he kissed you. His lips made their way back to yours and halted right before kissing you. “So we’re going?”

“Yes,” you sighed and his boyish grin intensified before he kissed you. Your kiss was cut short, as your 6 year old son, Danny walked in, looking for you. 

“Mommy?” he called out and you pushed Spencer off of you as he groaned, landing on his side of the bed with a grin on his face. Behind Danny was Ellie and Theo, your 4 year old twins. 

“Yes baby?” You smiled as he climbed into your bed beside you, the twins following suit with some help from Spencer (aka, him lifting them up and dropping them beside himself and you). 

“Can we celebrate you too?” He asked in his soft voice and it made your heart melt. Clearly, they had been listening in on your conversation (or Spencer had briefed them prior to the conversation, just to make sure you’d go).

“Of course you can sweetheart,” Spencer chimed in. “Give mom a hug,” he whispered very loudly, but you pretended not to hear as Danny’s face lit up at the idea. 

“Mommy, can I give you a hug?” Danny asked and you pretended to look shocked, then nodded and opened your arms. He hugged you tight and the twins got jealous, scampering out of their father’s arms and into yours. You loved your family. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You look beautiful,” Spencer gushed as you walked out of the dressing room wearing a long green silk dress that looked amazing on you. Danny, Ellie, and Theo were all sitting beside Spencer on the couch, just as interested as Spencer. You felt blessed that your children were so well-behaved, it made going out so easy. 

“I like this one,” you smiled, looking in the mirror. “I think with my hair up-”

“Hair down!” Theo giggled out. He loved your hair down and he constantly played with it. 

“Ok Theo,” Spencer laughed. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you,” you smiled. “And what about you, huh? Hoping your wedding tux will still work?” 

“Nope,” he smiled. “I already have one, I bought it when I booked the flights and hotels.”

“You really did think of everything, didn’t you?” 

“Yes,” he smirked as he got up, walking up behind you and wrapping his arms around your waist. “Yes I did.”

You rolled your eyes. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The night had been a success, you were awarded your prize and gave your lecture on your findings, and Spencer was there cheering you on the entire time. Penelope sent you many daily updates (it was basically hourly) on how the kids were doing. You loved it when the BAU got to see your children, since Spencer left when you became pregnant with Danny six years ago and you moved to Pennsylvania. Before then you were married, but not living together as he was still an agent and you were a professor. He quickly quit his job, got a job as a professor as well, and you moved into a house you picked out together, since then, your family had grown, but you always made an effort to see the BAU team once a year. Penelope usually visits every few weeks, as does Jj and Will with their sons. Aaron and Jack come over once a year for either Christmas or during the summer, Rossi visits every now and then, Morgan and Savannah visit too, often over the summer. 

The second you got off of the stage, there Spencer was, his hands clapping with his eyes trained on you. You looked stunning. Your dress looked amazing, your makeup was flawless, and you had decided to keep your hair down, just so you could show Theo later. You rushed towards Spencer and smiled when he hugged you. 

“I’m so proud of you,” he whispered as the cameras flashed beside you. “I love you so much.”

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

After the ceremony, you went back to your hotel and ordered room service, deciding to facetime the kids and watch a movie. As you turned out you light and nestled into Spencer's side to sleep in his arms, he started talking.

"I love getting to spend time with you," he whispered.

"I love getting to spend time with you too," you whispered back. "Spence?'

"Yeah?"

"You were right about this trip. Thank you," you smiled and kissed his cheek, then closed your eyes, ready to sleep.

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

So maybe… you’ll accept more invitations to galas if it means you and Spencer get to spend some time together. 

Maybe you’ll listen to your genius more. He’s usually right. 

[trickster-archangel]

Reblogging because since I read that very plausible AU theory by @teruel-a-witch I'm not capable of watching this specific scene the same way

[lunamugetsu]

House Husband Danny

(Remember this post I made: Danny is a househusband. Well I decided to make it into a story) Crossposted from AO3. Here's a link

Location: Unknown, Date: Unknown

Three figures emerged from a glowing pit of green water, gasping for air as they dragged themselves out.

A man with dark skin was breathing heavily and went to shake the pale man with dark hair that was still unconscious. He paused as another hand was raised motioning for him to stop. He looked over at the women with long black hair.

“He’s tired, let him rest.” She said

“What are we going to do?” the woman merely smiled as she turned to fix the damp hair that was covering the unconscious man’s face.

“Simple… Danny will rest and heal…and we will live like the rulers we are.” She turned to look at her other partner.

“Yes… we will,” he confirmed as they both smiled while looking at their love.

Present Day

Danny hummed as he put away the newly washed dishes from dinner.

Ah, how nice it was to be in a home where the food didn’t come alive and try to declare war on him.

One less thing to worry about.

Now that dinner was eaten and leftovers were put away. He could focus on the package that came in the mail, he had been waiting for it for weeks.

Tucker and Sam had called ahead to say that they were working late.

What a shame.

Danny sat down in the living room and turned on the tv while cracking open the package.

“This is Lois Lane reporting for the Daily Planet! Breaking news as the Justice League members Superman and Wonder Woman are fighting off villains in Metropolis! They have been identified as the new villains: Upload and Nightshade. They made their first appearance known to the world a couple months ago- JIMMY LOOK OUT!”

The camera shook for a moment before stabilizing showing Superman was holding onto Lois Lane and Wonder Woman was holding onto the cameraman.

“It’s not safe here, please evacuate to a safer area.” Superman said before speeding off with Wonder Woman following close behind.

“Jimmy get a shot! That’s Nightshade!” the reporter said pointing to a large plant-like monster made of vines and thorns that was the size of a skyscraper. The cameraman zoomed in on the figure that was currently sitting on the monster’s shoulder. A woman with long black hair that appeared as if it was almost floating in an ethereal manner. She was a pale woman wearing a black skintight bodysuit with matching thigh high boots, black bandages were wrapped around her forearms while her hands lit up with a neon green energy along with her eyes. Nightshade smiled, turning to look straight into the direction of the camera before saying some words that the camera couldn’t pick up before humongous vines started filling up the camera’s screen, the sound of screaming could be heard before the feed was cut.

“That doesn’t look good,” Danny commented before turning back to the open package.

Ooh, that fabric did feel as soft as it was advertised! He better try it on to see it fit. He knew he checked the measurements before placing the order but still, mistakes always happened. He was also still a little hungry, perhaps some fruit from the fridge would be good.

It was a couple of minutes before the for the news to come back on. Danny sat down on the couch, sporting a plate of fruit with a side of whipped cream to dip it in. He plopped one into his mouth as the tv started airing the news again.

The camera lens managed to stay undamaged as the camera man and the reporter were taking cover behind the corner of a building focusing on the figure that was currently standing in front of a fallen Superman that was grimacing as the green light from the glowing rock in the figure’s gloved hand seemed to intensify. It also didn’t help that there appeared to be a set of special cuffs that were encasing the superheroes hands, forcing them together.

“And here I was thinking that defeating you couldn’t be that easy… well then again. Can’t expect a superhero to just not react to their greatest weakness. Kryptonite wasn’t really hard to track down who had a stash of these, it was even easier to take it. ” The figure was a man with dark skin with long dreadlocks and was wearing a visor that covered hi eyes from view. He wore a long coat with short sleeves letting people see the robotic gloves that went up all the way up his arms. The camera picked up a hum emanating from the robotic arms and crack of electricity.

“Why? Why are you doing this, Upload?” Superman said as he made to force himself to stand despite his bound hands.

“Hmm, wealth, fame, power, pettiness, destroying all the buildings I want without needing to pay for it, or maybe I just don’t like people who call themselves heroes,” Upload said as he moved to the side as Wonder Woman was thrown into a building.

“Truly, I thought they’d give more of a challenge,” Nightshade commented as the plant-monster then slammed a hand down onto Wonder Woman encasing the superhero in vines  making it practically impossible for the woman to rip out of.

Danny hummed as he looked at the news.

He should probably help… he stuck a strawberry into his mouth.

“How do you think we should do this, Nightshade? Slowly and methodical, or fast and exciting?” Upload turned to look at Nightshade.

“Obviously, something with mo-“

RING! RING! RING!

The two supervillains looked towards each other. Upload taking out a phone from his pocket while Nightshade motioned for the plant monster to give her, her bag so she could take out her phone.

“Hello/Hello.” Thy said answering their phone in unison.

“You’re hungry?” Nightshade asked.

“We did say we were working late, you’re welcome to eat out if you want- huh? I mean, what are you wearing?” Upload said

The two paused and looked at each other.

“The thing you ordered a couple weeks ago?” Upload said, “the red one?”

“That’s made with silk?” Nightshade hands were clenching down onto her phone.

“And you’re eating,” Upload looked over at Nightshade.

“Strawberries and whipped cream,” She said.

Ding! Ding!

The two turned to their phone at having received a message. The villains looked at their phone  and then to each other.

“We’ll be there in ten!” they said in unison before putting away their phones.

It happened quickly.

With a wave her hand, all of the plants started retreating back away from the superheroes while saying some words that the camera couldn ’t pick up and a portal opened right next to her.

Meanwhile Upload placed the kryptonite into a contain while hitting some buttons that were on his gloves and the cuffs that were on Superman unlocked and fell off the man ’s wrists.

Nightshade motioned for the now human-sized plant monster to walk through the portal while Upload was walking up to her.

“Wait! Where do you think you’re goin-” Wonder Woman and Superman held their ears as a loud sound echoed out a tool that Upload threw on the ground.

“Oh no! How dare you heroes foil our evil plan!” Nightshade said in a dead tone before grabbing Upload by his collar, “c’mon we gotta go!”

The two ran into the portal, disappearing out of sight, leaving nothing but the aftermath of the destruction of the fight they had with the two heroes.

“I’m sorry, what the heck just happened?!” Lois Lane said, turning to look at the camera.

Danny hummed as he turned off the tv and took his plate of food with him as he got off the couch.

He needed to get upstairs, after all, Sam and Tucker weren’t going to be working late after all.

The man sat himself into the master bedroom, it had a bed that was an Alaskan King size. Largest size of bed they could find, could easily fit a whole family of four on it. He didn’t even know beds came in that size.

Danny continued humming as he settled himself down in the middle of the bed. The sheets were made of Egyptian cotton. Ethically sourced, of course. Sam wouldn’t stand sleeping on something that was made by a company that destroyed the environment while simultaneously overworking and underpaying their employees. Tucker had come to the rescue, buying a set of sheets on his last trip from Egypt. They had to custom order it especially since their bed didn’t fit the common dimensions that mass production usually went by.

But he wasn’t complaining, the bed was really… nice.

He laid back against the pillows, wearing nothing but the little red number that came in the mail that day.

He dipped a strawberry into the whipped cream and took a bite out of it. Giving a hum as he enjoyed the taste. It was so nice not to have to worry about anything. No ghosts trying to kill him, no government agency trying to track him down to vivisect and kill him, no parents trying to shoot, vivisect, and kill him- Danny wondered if that was a normal amount of people to have to want to kill him.

Whatever, it didn’t matter anymore.

He smiled as he heard the sound of the front door being slammed open and shut followed by a furious pattering sound of feet going up the stairs. He hoped they’d taken their shoes off when they got in. He just vacuumed the house that afternoon.

The door to the bedroom opened with a bang as he saw Sam and Tucker, wearing their civilian clothing that they had clearly just thrown on with no thought of whether or not they should straighten out any of the clothes or at least to check if they put on their shirt inside out. It was a rule though, never bring work home, it always brought trouble. They had enough trouble dealing with ghosts to last a lifetime, let alone the afterlife.

“I’m hungry,” Danny said while taking  a bite of a strawberry and licking off cream that caught on his lip. He could see them already looking at his mouth and trailing their eyes across the new article of clothing he was wearing.. The man curled his finger to motion for them to come closer.

“Come and feed me.” He smiled as his partners joined him in bed.

Ah, it was so nice when his partners didn’t work late nights.

[fantasticstoryteller]

Maddie hummed a familiar lullaby as her scalpel moved with precision. She made the incision, opening the torso in front of her. Jack waited with the bone shears until the rib cage was visible. Then he carefully snapped each rib, the body on the table jolting with each movement despite the straps holding it down.

Images danced in her head as Jack pried the rib cage apart while she worked. In her mind's eye she could see Danny. She remembered when he was about three and obsessed with giving her flowers. His favorite flowers to give her had bees napping in them. It was so cute.

There. Anomaly one. She carefully removed it from the body in front of her and Jack solemnly held out a biohazard bin for her to put it in. She didn't know how many more to go, so she got back to work.

She remembered when Danny was first starting school. He'd been so excited to meet all the other children. He'd told wild stories about he and his friends would go on all these crazy adventures, and hunt ghosts just like his parents. She still remembered the gleam in his eyes as he proudly said he was gonna grow up to be just like them.

There. Two more Anomalies. How many were there? How many did she have to--no. Speculation was useless. She continued to hum the lullaby.

Danny had been so excited when she and Jack had finally scraped enough money together to send him to a NASA sponsored space camp. He'd come back with the stars in his eyes and a new goal: to become an astronaut. While she and Jack had been slightly saddened to see that he no longer wanted to be just like them, they'd been supportive.

There. Another--dear God, this one had broken. "Jack," she whispered, voice tight.

"Got it," he said, his voice unusually grim.

She barely bit back a hysterical laugh. Of course he was grim. Of course he was worried. Who wouldn't be in these circumstances? She double checked the restraints of the motionless body on the table.

Jack returned with a small vacuum, and she used it to get all of the Anomaly. She knew that she couldn't leave any trace of it.

Danny hadn't had as much success--on paper--in high school as he'd had previously. But he had his two best friends, and she knew they got up to mischief together. Typical teen shenanigans, as her grandmother would say. Always running, always on the move. Always--always the best.

"What are you guys doing?"

Maddie glanced behind her at the entrance to the lab and saw Jazz staring at them in horror. Hands brought to her mouth. Jack moved to stop her as she rushed towards them.

Maddie couldn't blame her daughter, but bent back to her work as Jack tried to explain what had happened. She couldn't leave any of the Anomalies in the body in front of her. She also knew that Jazz would stop her in a moment. Jazz would do anything to protect her brother, and Maddie took pride in that. She'd raised her children well.

There. Last Anomaly. She dropped it to the floor, heedless of the way the glass container broke. "Jack!" she yelled as she slammed the rib cage back together and began to staple the incision.

"Got it!" he broke away from Jazz, grabbed the emergency box, and slammed the syringe into Danny's thigh as Maddie released the restraints.

"Quickly!" Maddie ordered as her daughter came closer. Jazz, sweet Jazz, she was not ready for this.

None of them were.

She grabbed Danny's still (too still, too lifeless, had they made it in time?) body and heaved it towards Jazz. "Get him to Frostbite!" Jazz stared at her mother in disbelief. "Now!" Jazz's mouth set in a grim line and she hauled the body towards the portal. Not a moment's hesitation before she went through it.

Good. Maddie turned to see Jack on the floor, holding one of the broken bullets, fine red powder sifting around his hand. "They're getting smarter," he said, voice soft.

Maddie nodded. Then the enormity of what she'd had to do hit her and she collapsed onto her husband. She sobbed as her mind, her treacherous, torturous mind, replayed her own hands cutting, cutting, cutting into her son. She'd had to do it. The Blood Blossom bullets would have killed him if she hadn't, and even then--

No. Jazz would make it. Danny would survive.

They couldn't do anything else.

[ginnsbaker]

fic: if i bleed (you'll be the last to know) (6/?)

Part summary: "You like Leigh, and that should be that. It shouldn't stop your world from turning, but it does."

Pairing: Leigh Shaw x Fem!Reader | Word count for this part: 5.520 | Warnings/Tags Unrequited feelings and pining | Author's Note: Thank you so much for the warm reception to this story :) I can't promise that this is the last bump in the road.

Masterlist | Part I Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Next part

-

“Thanks for meeting me.”

You came in early, already nursing a Mai Tai, having decided that facing this conversation sober wasn’t an option. The alcohol doesn’t make the situation any less twisted, but it dulls the edge of frustration just enough to keep you seated. 

“Let’s get right to it,” you start, not bothering with pleasantries as you take another swig. “Danny.”

He winces slightly at you calling him by his real name, a telling sign of guilt or maybe just discomfort. It’s hard to tell. “Yeah, about that—”

You're not here for the runaround. Hence, the Mai Tai and the vodka that came before it.

“Look, Nick, or Danny, or whoever you are today. I just need some answers—”

“And I’ll give them to you if you promise me one thing.”

You raise an eyebrow, utterly flabbergasted by his nerve. “I'm not here to make any deals,” you state flatly. “I'm here for answers that I believe Matt owes me. And since he’s dead,” you say, not shying away from stating the grim reality in his face, “and you're in on Matt's little game, you owe me too.”

Danny looks like he doesn't want to challenge you on that; in fact, he looks downright worried.

“Please,” he implores. “This is important to me.”

Your eyes narrow in suspicion. Why is he suddenly acting like a dog with its tail tucked between his quivering legs?

“Okay, what is it?” you ask, signaling the bartender for another drink. Danny orders a drink for himself—a shot of whiskey. That's when you realize things are likely to get even crazier for you before they start to improve.

“It’s Leigh,” Danny says, and something in the way he mentions her name lets you know he's sincere about how important this is to him. “She doesn't know the half of it. She doesn't know I’m Nick, or that I helped Matt to... to be with you.”

You blink several times, rapidly, trying to clear the little haze in your head because you can’t believe what you’re hearing. He's asking you to keep a secret. 

After he lied to you.

“And what, if I tell her you pretended to be someone else and helped her husband cheat on her, then what? She's—” you stop mid-sentence, the pieces suddenly clicking together in your mind. Danny doesn't want you to rat him out for being Nick, about his direct involvement in Matt's cheating, because he's… with Leigh? 

They’re together?

As if he's tuned into your thoughts, Danny confirms your hunch. “I love Leigh. I think I always have. And if you tell her this, it's going to be the end of us.”

The first thing you feel is this urge to be all possessive about Leigh, coalesced with a sour taste in your mouth knowing someone else got there first. Except, you know Leigh would never look at you like that. So, it embitters you even more admitting you shouldn't be feeling this way at all.

You take a long sip of your newly arrived drink, buying time to think. Telling Leigh is supposedly the right thing to do, but it could also destroy whatever happiness she's found with Danny.

But is she though? Is she happy with Danny? 

“So let me get this straight,” you say, the alcohol lending you a blunt courage. “You orchestrated this whole scenario—Matt meeting someone else—just so you could break him and Leigh up? You love her so much you'd do that to your friend?”

Danny looks even more defeated—as he should when he reveals, “Matt's not just some friend. He's my brother.”

You're midway through a sip of water when the words hit you, and you nearly choke on it, barely stopping yourself from spitting the water out.

“You’re despicable! And to think that—”

“But I didn’t orchestrate anything, okay? Do you think I’m some kind of god, picking you randomly to throw at Matt? You guys really met and fell for each other by chance. I had nothing to do with both of your feelings.”

You scoff, incredulous. There's no way you're going to believe anything he says next. You just can't.

“So, your big plan was what? Just to hang back and hope to catch Leigh on the rebound?” you say defiantly. 

The look he gives you, and the fact that he’s not outright denying it—

“Look,” he drones, raising a hand as if to temper your barrage of questions. “There was no plan, all right? Matt met you, and he just couldn't shake you off his mind. It was all him. And yeah, it was merely chance he saw you again, going into your clinic that afternoon. He told me about it, and I went with him to talk to you because he asked me to. I was just as thrown when he introduced me as ‘Nick’.”

You're skeptical, to say the least. “Why would Matt do that? Why go through all that trouble?”

Danny shrugs. “I’m not sure, but I went along with it. Probably because deep down, Matt knew what he was doing wasn’t right. Maybe he felt guilty, or maybe he wanted to be someone else in that moment, someone who wasn't Matt Greer with a brother named Danny, who was at his wedding to Leigh Shaw. I don’t know. I mean, I know my brother, but that doesn’t mean I understand all his reasons.”

A sick part of you can't help but feel less sorry about Matt's demise. It's a disgusting thought, harboring anything less than sympathy for someone who's gone, yet you can’t feel anything but enmity for being duped. Not just by one, but two people who played you for a fool.

“God, what a mess,” you mutter, shaking your head. No amount of alcohol could’ve prepared you for this. 

And then another thought occurs to you.

“You were the one who told Leigh about me and Matt, weren't you?”

Danny doesn't respond immediately, his gaze dropping to his lap. 

“And you did it... to get Leigh for yourself. To make her hate Matt, hoping she'd turn to you,” you piece it together, one after another.

“No,” he counters quickly. You smirk into your cocktail, as if you've just heard the punchline of a joke.

Danny looks up, his dark eyes earnest, almost pleading for you to understand. “I didn't tell Leigh about you and Matt because I wanted to ‘have’ her. That... that wasn't it. That thought came much later, and honestly, only after Leigh started... showing interest in me. I never pursued her, not after Matt died. I kept my distance, respected her grief. I loved her quietly, without ever letting on.”

You look away, knowing a thing or two about loving someone in the shadows.

“I told Leigh because if she was going to mourn Matt, she deserved to know the full truth about who she was mourning. Matt wasn't just the loving husband she thought he was, and she had the right to know that,” he finishes.

You shake your head, dismissing his attempt to appear noble by betraying his own brother and tarnishing Leigh's memory of him. It just doesn't sit right to you, using someone's absence to get ahead. Matt's not here to tell his side, to explain things. His only defense being crumbs of himself he left behind like those texts Leigh stumbled upon on Danny's phone.

With a tad of vendetta in your words, you turn Danny’s reasoning against him. 

“Then Leigh deserves to know about you too. About how you were a willing participant in Matt’s deception and helped him pull one over on her,” you tell him, not missing the shock that flickers across his face. “She deserves the truth if she’s going to be with you. Not just your cleaned-up version where you come out looking like the good guy.”

Danny's face goes a shade paler, and for a second, he looks like he's about to argue, but then nothing. He just sits there, kind of deflated, like he's finally realizing the predicament he's in isn't just going to disappear.

You've had enough of his excuses and signal the bartender for the bill. As you pull out your wallet, Danny finds a bit of his backbone again.

“It'll be your word against mine,” he laments, twirling the ice in his glass leisurely. “Me and Leigh, we've known each other for years. Who do you think she'll believe? Because from what I understand, Leigh caught you in a lie too. She doesn't trust you. So good luck trying to ruin our happiness just because you can.”

His challenge makes you bristle, but you square your shoulders, meeting his gaze dead-on. “Do you think Leigh loved Matt?” you ask. 

Danny looks momentarily unsettled by your question, as if it's the last thing he expected from you. But then, without hesitation, he answers, “Yes.”

“Yeah, she would've stuck by Matt, even knowing everything,” Danny continues. “She'd convince him they could start over. Leigh loved... loves Matt so much,” he corrects himself, a bitter smile on his lips as he admits, “I envied my brother for that.”

The bartender slides the bill over, and you hand off your credit card without even a second look, thoroughly pleased with how Danny’s response has played right into your hands. Once you’re done paying for your drinks, you turn back to Danny.

“You latched onto the idea of me and Matt right away, not knowing if I’m going to love Matt the way Leigh loved him, or even more. But you didn’t care,” you say evenly. “All you saw was an opportunity to get the woman for yourself. You’re selfish.”

Danny’s quick to defend himself this time. “You wouldn't say that if you were in my shoes,” he shoots back. “I love both of them. I wanted Matt to be happy, and he wasn't anymore, not with Leigh.”

“And you were more than happy to nudge him away from his wife, thinking that'd fix everything?” you counter sharply.

He squirms in his seat, looking like he’s run out of excuses. He can’t find the words that’ll make you see his side of things. It also dawns on you that he’ll never see your point either.

After a tense silence, he asks, “Are you going to tell Leigh?”

You stand up and let out a heavy sigh. “Honestly? I don't even know if Leigh wants anything to do with me anymore.” Just as you’re about to leave, something compels you to throw Danny a lifeline and you swivel on your heel to give him one last thing to think about.

“If this thing you have with Leigh is real, don’t let her find out about the skeletons in your closet from someone else. It's better coming from you.”

Walking away, you can’t shake off the regret of not taking your own advice, more than you’d normally like to admit.

-

Suzie's been on edge about how you've been acting lately. She's always on the dot with your meals, but you barely give them a glance before packing them up and handing them off to homeless people on the street who need them more. Your days have blurred into a continuous loop at the clinic, skipping breaks, and hovering around even when it's technically Foreman's shift to take the lead.

Today, Suzie's hit her limit watching you mope and brood in your office's corner. Without a word of warning, she marches in with a bottle of red and two glasses. You’re startled, feeling somewhat cornered, as she locks the office door behind her. Ignoring your shock, Suzie starts pouring a generous glass of wine for you, filling it right to the brim.

“Alright, out with it,” she orders, pushing a full glass your way. 

Your gaze sweeps the room, looking for a way out. “Suzie, I don’t think it’s—” Yes, you own the place. But owning it doesn't mean you're about to bend your own rules about drinking on the job.

“Let's drink it out, girlie.” She sets her own glass down, already filled, and takes a seat.  Last time I saw you like this, your team lost the Superbowl. And let's be real, the only other thing that had you this down before was that Matt guy ghosting you.”

You eye the glass of wine, your mouth feeling very dry all of a sudden. “What about the patients waiting outside?”

“Foreman's on it, as long as we save him some for later. I said we would, but let's be honest, this bottle isn't really enough for two,” Suzie says, giving you a wink. 

You let out a sigh, your fingers instinctively inching towards your glass, yet you stop short of actually grabbing it. You're usually the vault, not the one doing the talking. You absorb everyone else's life stories, nod sympathetically, and maybe offer advice on occasion. The only reason Suzie even caught wind of the whole Matt situation is because he made his interest too obvious—showing up at the clinic multiple times with flowers, chocolates, books, and all those little things he discovered you couldn't resist. It wasn't so much you telling her, as it was Matt's grand gestures speaking volumes, making it impossible for anyone, especially Suzie, not to notice.

Taking a deep breath, you realize maybe it's time to open up to someone, to share the absurdity of your situation with someone who might just understand—someone who, at the very least, also likes women.

“Okay, so here's the thing... I've got this weird crush,” you say, letting that sit for a moment, partly because you're still wrapping your head around it, partly because you still can’t believe it. You can't pinpoint exactly when you started tumbling down a rabbit hole from which there was no climbing back out. 

“On Matt's wife.”

Suzie's reaction is as you expected—her eyes go wide, her mouth drops, and the wine glass she's holding almost slips from her grasp. “You what?” she gasps, looking at you like you've grown a second head. “How in the world do you end up falling for your ex's wife?”

You never said anything about falling. But you suppose that's how it looks, given how much you've been out of sorts ever since Leigh called you a liar.

-

Sitting in your car across from Leigh's house, you feel like some sort of stalker. You tell yourself this is a one-off, not a habit you're planning to develop. Though, if you don't catch her tonight, you'll likely be back here tomorrow, or the day after. 

After that wine-fueled heart-to-heart with Suzie, you left the clinic with a buzz and her words echoing inside your head: Just walk up to Leigh and say you were an ass and that you're sorry. And here you are, taking her advice a bit too literally and too soon.

It's getting late, and you've been watching Leigh's front door as if it might sprout legs and run away. You're semi-drunk, definitely not in the best state for making apologies, but Suzie's pep talk has convinced you that you need to do this, and now. “This is a terrible idea,” you mumble to yourself, checking your phone again to see if, by some miracle, Leigh has responded to one of your texts. Still nothing.

Just as you're starting to question your sanity and consider driving home, you finally spot Leigh’s car turning the corner. Your heart starts doing somersaults, threatening to beat its way out of your chest as the car pulls into the driveway. But as the car parks and the door swings open, your hopeful anticipation crashes hard into disappointment. It's not Leigh stepping out onto the curb; it's Jules. So, it's a family car, and today, of all days, you didn't get the driver you were hoping for. 

A headache begins to brew as you scold yourself for even showing up here. “What am I even doing?” you mutter under your breath, rubbing your temples as if that could erase the last few hours. Leigh might be at Danny's for all you know, making this stakeout even more pointless.

In those few seconds of self-berating, you're completely oblivious to Jules spotting you from the sidewalk. So, when she taps on your side of the window, you nearly jump out of your skin, hand shaking as you roll it down to face her.

“Hi,” she says simply. She’s smiling, like she knows something you don’t.

“I'm not a stalker,” you say defensively. “I'm just…” An idiot.

You weren’t aware you said the last part aloud until Jules chuckles. “Well, at least you’re an honest idiot. You waiting for Leigh?”

“I was, but... I'll just go,” you stammer, ready to make a retreat and save what little dignity you have left.

“You won't get anywhere far on those flat tires though,” Jules comments offhandedly, nodding towards the back of your car.

“Flat tires?”

You quickly unbuckle your seatbelt to check. Sure enough, when you step out and circle to the back, both of your rear tires are depressingly flat, deflated against the pavement. 

“Great,” you groan, raking your fingers through your hair and tugging in frustration. “Just my luck.”

You’re not drunk enough to find the situation funny, nor sober enough to deal with flat tires.

“Maybe you should call a tow or something and wait inside the house until they get here,” Jules suggests. 

“My phone’s dead,” you say in response.

“No problem, I can call them for you.”

You're chewing over the thought, when your stomach decides to join the conversation with a loud rumble. 

Jules grins and adds, “Plus, I've got pizza.” The thought of waiting it out with the comfort of food suddenly makes the idea of intruding a lot less unappealing.

-

“Why do you even like my sister?”

You're mid-bite on your first slice when Jules launches that question out of the blue and you nearly choke on your own spit. Crumbs dust your fingers as you set the slice down, buying yourself a moment to think. It's not like you've never asked yourself the same question. It's just that the answer doesn't make any more sense to you either.

“She, uh, has a way of making an impression. Mostly, I appreciate her candor—”

“You find her bitchiness… endearing?” 

You’re stunned by the way she frames it, but it also makes you smile, recognizing the blunt honesty in her words—something that apparently runs in the family. You guess Jules could say that. Leigh’s sour attitude offended you one time, and then you heard her laugh and saw her smile, and it’s as if the sun never set for you. 

“Her... directness is refreshing. In a world full of people trying to sugarcoat everything, Leigh just says it like it is. And yes, it can come off a bit strong, but there's something genuine about it. Plus, she's incredibly passionate about what she believes in. She has this authenticity that’s rare to find nowadays.”

Formidable. You think of the perfect adjective to describe it a tad too late, but you keep it to yourself, thinking you’ve gushed enough about her sister.

“Is that the alcohol talking or do you like, like Leigh?”

It's one thing to harbor a secret crush, quite another to have it recognized and named by someone else, especially Leigh's family. “I don’t—”

“I thought I caught a whiff of red on your breath out there on the street. Here, drink more water,” Jules says, pouring you a tall glass. “I’d offer you a beer but we stopped having those around here because I’m seven months sober.”

“Oh. Congratulations,” you say.

“Thanks.”

She seems to have moved on from her question, getting busy on her phone a moment later, but you haven't, and it leaves you feeling spotlighted in a way you weren't prepared for. “I, um…” You're scrambling for the right terms, something to deflect but not deny. Because the more you've denied it, the more your feelings have grown.

Determined to see you continue to squirm at the kitchen bar, Jules starts talking about Leigh almost casually, as though she's discussing something as mundane as the weather.

“You know, Leigh had a girlfriend in college, before Matt, of course. So, you don't have to worry about her not being interested in girls,” she says, her eyes not leaving her phone screen.

“She did?” 

By this time, you're not even sure if Jules is just pulling your leg, and you're baffled as to why she's sharing details about Leigh that Leigh herself probably wouldn't tell you outright.

“Yeah, she was totally into her, just like she was with Matt. Then, out of nowhere just tossed her aside like that,” Jules snaps her fingers, “she completely cut her off. They had been together for two years, and she didn’t shed a single tear over the breakup. So, maybe that's what you should be worrying about,” Jules says, putting her phone facedown on the table. 

The pizza suddenly looks less appetizing as you stew over this. It's one thing to worry about whether Leigh could reciprocate your feelings; it's another to consider that even if she did, there’s the reality that it might not go down the way you hope it would, given the chance. 

You've always been told you're too much of a dreamer to be a doctor. That became even more apparent when they saw you couldn't help but cry alongside pet owners every time a pet didn't make it or when you had to make that tough call for mercy's sake. You've been in relationships before; after all, you're twenty-eight years old. But you've always treated them like free trials, never getting too serious, especially during those times when you couldn't stay in the same zip code for more than a few weeks. Then, the moment you decide it's time to plant roots, your concept of romance skyrockets to something out of a fairy tale, something as grand as the universe conspiring to unite two souls, forever. It’s how it happened for your parents, being each other’s first loves. You figured, the same should happen for you.

You like Leigh, and that should be that. It shouldn't stop your world from turning, but it does.

“Liking Leigh is moot,” you say after some time. “It’s a bad idea from the start.”

Jules tilts her head. “Why is that?”

You let out a sigh, fiddling with the bracelet on your right wrist. “It’s just... there’s something between Leigh and Danny, right? And it doesn’t usually end up with the mistress and the wife together. Besides, Leigh hates me right now. Most obvious reason being that I stole Matt from her before he... before he was gone for good.”

Jules hums thoughtfully. “Sounds like you've been doing a lot of thinking.”

“It's all I've been able to do since I met her,” you say.

Jules glances at the slice of pizza on your plate, now cold and forgotten. “You gonna eat that?” she asks, nodding towards the lonely piece.

You shake your head, sliding the plate her way. “Good,” Jules responds with a grin. “I'll save this slice for Leigh, then.”

Your ears perk up at that. “You’re expecting her home?”

“Yeah, any minute now. She texted a bit ago saying she was on her way. Plus, she's not working too far from here today.”

“Oh? Where's she at?”

Jules is just about to answer when the front door swings open, revealing Leigh as she hurries inside, her eyes quickly finding yours. There's no mistaking it—she's seen your car. She throws you a pointed look as she heads upstairs, her message clear without saying a word. Then, she murmurs a quick, “We'll talk about this later,” to Jules, who simply snorts in response and starts tidying up the dining table.

The sound of Leigh slamming the door prompts you to rise from your chair, but it's clear you have no plan. Should you go after Leigh? It's precisely why you came here, but now, the wine's effects have faded. Your feet are getting cold.

“You're wrong, you know,” Jules drones, her back to you as she wets a towel under the sink. “About Leigh and Danny.”

“What do you mean?”

She shrugs. “I think she's with Danny as a form of revenge.”

You stare at her back, confused. “For Matt cheating on her?”

“Exactly. Matt was aware of Danny's feelings for Leigh. I knew about it, Leigh knew, and that's partially why she had such a strong dislike for him before she began to... well, you know,” Jules explains, her expression contorting slightly in distaste. “It's kind of absurd when you think about it, especially since Matt's no longer here. But Leigh holds onto her beliefs in the afterlife, so it's like she's putting on a performance for Matt's spirit or something.”

You look up at the ceiling, as if expecting to see through the hardwood floors. “And you're telling me this because...?”

“Because you've given up already,” Jules states matter-of-factly.

You're confused. “So, you don't approve of someone you've known for years, but you're okay with the idea of me, Matt's other woman, being interested in Leigh?”

Jules just shrugs again. “It's weird. Scandalous, even. Something none of us saw coming.”

(In your head, you wonder, ‘Who's ‘us’?')

“But when Leigh was hanging out with you, when you were attending her class, she wasn't with Danny much, I think,” Jules goes on. “And that’s enough for me.”

“You don’t even know me,” you argue weakly. Inside, you're kind of doing cartwheels because Jules doesn't seem to mind that you're into Leigh. Somehow, that feels like a win.

“I know Danny well enough. I've got nothing against him personally, but he somehow manages to bring out the worst in Leigh. My sister was… agreeable when you were around. She actually talked about you, even mentioned she thinks you've got gorgeous brown eyes.”

“She does?”

Jules cracks up, noticing your cheeks go pink. “Oh, absolutely. And I've got to say, seeing those eyes up close—they're kind of striking. Annoyingly so, even.”

Her tease draws a reluctant smile from you, a swarm of butterflies doing somersaults in your stomach. It's comforting to know that there's at least something about you that Leigh notices.

“I should talk to her,” you say with resolve. 

“Yeah, you should,” Jules nods, her laughter settling into a warm smile. “I'm not playing Cupid or anything, but I think I like you, Y/N. Leigh could use someone like you around. Most people just back off when her less charming side shows up. When she’s intolerable. I've done it too, sometimes. But I can't really leave her hanging because, you know, she's family and I love her, so…”

Hearing Jules say those things about Leigh transforms her from someone intimidating into someone truly worth sticking around for. And if your feelings eventually lead nowhere and quietly fade over time, then at least you could be the kind of friend to her who doesn't run at the first sign of trouble.

“Jules?” you say, stopping at the foot of the staircase.

“Yeah?”

“I think I like you too.”

-

Approaching quietly, you've left your shoes by the stairs, the cool floor under your bare feet making you feel all the more vulnerable. Jules had given you directions to Leigh's bedroom—right at the end of the hallway. Downstairs, you hear the murmur of the TV; Jules has turned up the volume, probably more to give you and Leigh some semblance of privacy than for her own viewing pleasure.

When you reach Leigh's door, panic floods back in. You keep swallowing, but it's like the desert in your mouth won't let up. “I got this,” you mutter under your breath, trying to psych yourself up. You lean in, ear against the door, trying to pick up any sound. It's silent until you catch the ping of a laptop, followed by fingers typing away noisily. She might be at her desk, probably by the window, or maybe lying in some awkward, back-breaking position on her bed. Knowing she's awake strips away your last excuse to back down. You lift your hand, pause for a split second, then tap lightly on the door. Your heart's pounding so loud, you're half-convinced Leigh can hear it from the other side. 

“Leigh?” 

No answer.

“It’s me,” you say a little louder. “Can we talk?”

She doesn’t answer. 

You don't want to push her into a corner, to demand her to open up when she's clearly not ready. But walking away without laying your feelings out isn't an option either. With a heavy sigh, you slide down until you're seated on the floor, back against her door. It's a small surrender, but it doesn't feel like defeat. Not yet.

“I know you can hear me,” you say, your voice steadier than you feel. “It's okay if you don't want to talk. Really, it is. But there's just something I need you to know.”

You take a deep breath before the plunge. Here we go.

“Look, you were right,” you start, whispering almost, as if you're sharing a secret with the wood of the door itself. “I did downplay what Matt and I had when you asked me. But, to be completely honest, I didn't even realize I was doing it at the time.” You run your finger along the wood grain of the door, savoring the texture against your skin. Unknown to you, Leigh is on the other side, sitting with her back pressed against the same spot, hugging her knees to her chest.

“By the time you came to me, I hadn't heard from Matt in three months. I was... sober from him, and whatever we had felt like a distant dream. I can’t recall the specifics, just that it was... nice. And maybe intense at the moment, but looking back, it was more about lust and similarities than anything.”

Slowly, you lean your head against the door, closing your eyes as you continue, “I'm not telling you this to make excuses for myself. I don't want to justify the deceit. I just... I need you to understand that any impact he had on me was gone long before you and I met.”

Opening your eyes, you glance down at the space under the door, hoping to see a shadow, a sign that Leigh is right there, listening. She is, but you miss it. The hallway is dark and there’s little to no light coming from Leigh’s bedroom. 

You keep talking, now more for yourself than for her. “If there was something real between Matt and me, it wouldn't have vanished so effortlessly. And he... he likely wouldn't have just vanished either, leaving me in the dark without any explanation.”

The door flies open suddenly just as you finish your thought. With no time to react, you're sent tumbling backwards, landing with a thud on the floor. The shock of the fall momentarily stuns you, but it's the sight of Leigh, upturned, that really takes your breath away. Her eyes are hard, her expression unreadable, but it's clear she's been listening to every word.

“You could've mentioned he slept over at your place. Not having sex with him that night didn't mean it was a dismissible detail,” Leigh says, her voice thick. “Do you know how intimate it is to sleep at someone's house and not have sex? To just be there, for the sake of being there?”

You're on the ground, staring up at her. You know it now. Dressing her wounds, that was intimate. Her hand correcting your posture during yoga, that too was intimate. Sharing burgers in the car, intimate.

Whenever you do anything, or find yourself somewhere, just for the chance to be with someone—that's intimacy right there.

“I—I don’t know why I didn’t tell you,” you say. You silently promise to her that lying about your feelings for her will be the last lie you ever tell her.

“You don’t know?” Leigh sneers. “Then think!”

You push yourself into a sitting position, unsure if you should get inside her bedroom or inch back outside. In this position, you're acutely aware of the power imbalance—her standing, you on the floor. It compels you to admit some of your truth.

“I didn't want to cause you any more pain than I already have,” you say softly. “Which is funny because my very existence is likely a constant reminder of that pain.”

Something shifts in the air. You’re the first to look away and you end up just waiting for Leigh to kick you out for good. But she doesn't do what you brace for. Getting a read on her has always been like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands, and it feels like it always will be.

Slowly, Leigh extends a hand to help you up. You take it, feeling the cool dampness of her skin. 

Just as she’s about to shut the door again, she stops short, locks her eyes with you, and says,  “I can handle pain just fine.”