#yj imagines

[mrmrsman]

I'd love to see a dpxdc story where the Justice League knows about Amity Park and the Ghosts the whole time, and does think the ghosts are rogues to be addressed. Doesn't agree with the GIW, maybe doesn't even know about them? THE IMPORTANT PART.

The Red Huntress is the only active vigilante in Amity Park, according to the JL. Phantom is marked as one of her rogues. Maybe the Fentons even are marked as rogues from all the property damages and random shooting/sliming of citizens. Valarie is the only person successfully taking care of the ghosts, masking and suiting up in the classic vigilante way the whole time.

[invincibledc]

“Lucky bastard”

(YJ version) Robin/Nightwing X Super!Reader

→Genre: Fluff

“Woah! I didn’t know you can cook a 5 star meal!” Wally said as he blitz over to check out the steak you made with asparagus. You only shrugged as you sit the place down, Wally immediately gobbled it up. Ending with him with a bloated belly filled with a good hot meal.

Robin walks in the kitchen to see you cleaning where you cooked as Wally looked at his best friend. “Dude! Sups over here can cook a mean dish. You gotta try their steak” he says. Robin smiled, “Aw man..wish I had my own plate when I came earlier..”

You rolled your eyes as you opened the microwave to pull out an extra plate of what Wally had. “I heard your stomach growling birdy. Eat up.” You put the plate gently on the counter as robin got a knife and fork to eat it. As he took the first bite, he went into flavor town as he couldn’t believe you made this. “Woah..”

“I know right dude! It’s amazing..you don’t mind if I take a small piece rig—” “NO BACK OFF WALLY!” Robin immediately covered his plate with his body. Eyes furrowed down, Wally backed away shock. “Woah man..didn’t know you were that hungry.” And with that, Wally sped off. Leaving you and Robin alone, you laughed at the speedster speeding away as Robin went ham mode on the steak.

Having steak juice running from his mouth made you cringe. You grabbed a paper towel as you inched towards him, wiping the juices off his mouth and side of his lips. You felt Robin tense with hearing his heart rate go up. The boy wonder slowly turns his head at you, you tried to ignore the teen’s stare as you wiped the last mess on his lips. Throwing away the paper towel, Robin caught your attention when he grabbed your wrist gently.

“Whoever marries you in the future is one lucky bastard.” He says with a smile, he then goes back to eating the steak and asparagus. You only laughed, walking out the kitchen as the boy wonder feed himself to what he feel inlove with.

Years later….

Dick was in his casual clothes as he looked outside the window, showing the beautiful night sky. He smiled, looking down at his left hand. That beautiful ring that shows off who he belongs to, that moment was ruined when his stomach growled. Dick groaned, sitting down in his bed as he wondered when dinner will be done.

But the gods have answered when your voice ran through the apartment

“DICK!! Dinner is done, I can hear that monster of your stomach calling for food!” You yelled, ending it with that beautiful laugh of yours. Dick’s eyes widened, getting up from the bed and running down the hall to the kitchen. There you were with an apron as Hailey barked seeing her human dad. “Ah it’s my favorite…the one that made me fall in love with you.” He pointed to the plate you held out to him.

“Steak and asparagus.” You both said, laughing before dick kissed you sweetly on your lips. You had to move the plate from you as dick then started to hungrily kiss you, having one hand on your lower back. Pushing your body towards him more. You had to break the kiss as dick laid his head on your shoulder.

“Cmon let’s eat, dick..” you said smiling, dick hummed. Smiling with a nod of his own he took his plate while you took yours.

He sure is a lucky bastard for life.

[gtgbabie0]

⋆⁺ ✮⋆⁺ Wilderness!Lottie Matthews x Reader

Synopsis: {Headcannons loosely based on this request} AN: I say loosely because I got so carried away with this, sorry. I love her sm. Thank you for the request annon. !!-18-!! towards the end.

♡︎ Lottie was attached to your hip from the moment she first met you—you were the new girl in the neighbourhood who moved in from out of town. There was just something about your energy she absolutely adored, and the pair of you immediately clicked together like puzzle pieces!

♡︎ You two soon became inseparable— wherever Lottie was you were and vice versa. The rest of the Yellowjackets have an absolute field day making fun of you and the whole ‘codependency’ thing you two have going on.

♡︎ Sleepovers were a constant thing— Lottie always went all out, like above and beyond. Daddy’s money paid for fancy face masks and other self-care stuff that cost what should be considered an illegal amount, matching pj’s, rented DVDs, nail polish, etc… etc.

♡︎ She borderline spoils you. Birthdays or a random ass Tuesday morning it didn’t matter to Lottie. You were her best friend so why wouldn’t she want to appreciate you?— or steal the occasional item here and there because it was literally made for you so duh you just have to have it!

♡︎ Lottie splurged extra hard on one particular piece of jewellery— it was a bracelet, a pretty rose gold colour encrusted with the most beautiful gems that twinkled oh so prettily with a matching one in a slightly different colour. As soon as she had seen the set she immediately thought of you.

♡︎ It was worth all the trouble, seeing your eyes light up in surprise— the “Oh Lot I can’t take this, this looks so expensive.” That flies from your lips, it makes her so happy and she immediately shakes off your worries with a gentle, “Don’t be silly, we’re matching now.”

♡︎ You go to every single one of Lottie's games whether they were away or at home and each and every time she’d be looking out for you in the stands— a smile so wide it hurts her cheeks, watching you jump up and down, waving at her with a Yellowjacket painted on your cheek.

♡︎ Lottie soon came to the devastating realisation that she felt a whole lot more than just friendship towards you after she won a game and you came rushing out onto the pitch with everyone else— beelining to her to congratulate her. It makes her head spin.

♡︎ Her heart has never pounded against her ribcage so violently before, the feeling of your arms wrapping around her tightly. It almost took her out— she doesn’t know if she’s shaking from the adrenaline or the fact that you’re so close to her, wearing her number, her jersey, in her team colours.

♡︎ Lottie really wanted to kiss you the night before they left for nationals. After the party when everyone else had left and the pair of you were sitting in your car outside of her house— your fingers drumming nervously against the car wheel. You looked so pretty, with gloss on your lips that she desperately wanted to kiss off as you went on about how much of a bust the party was— she wasn’t even listening.

♡︎ But unfortunately she totally chickens out and spends the entire night completely torn up over it— the poor girl didn’t get a wink of sleep.

♡︎ You weren’t even meant to be on that plane— but you were the photographer for the school's paper and they wanted you to snap some shots for the team during nationals so there you were, sitting next to Lottie, pinky curled around her own as she tries to calm your nerves.

♡︎ The crash had really taken everything out of you— the first day wasn’t bad, you clung to naive hope that you would be rescued— you clung to Lottie who made sure you were eating the rations and drinking water, changed the bandage on your palm and wrapped extra blankets around your shoulders during the nights, but then the days turned to weeks.

♡︎ It felt like everyone had embraced different roles with ease whereas you kinda just floated around— flitting between just sitting there with a blank expression to doing an odd job here and there with the least amount of effort, trying to not be seen as a deadweight.

♡︎ It scared her more than she’d like to admit, watching the light slowly dwindle away from your usually bright eyes— your attitude doing a complete one-eighty from normal. It only made her hold you extra tightly as you slept, whispering soft affirmations against your shoulder. “We’ll be okay.” Reassuring herself just as much as you.

♡︎ She felt so helpless just watching you retreat in your own head— you didn’t speak much to anyone and Lottie only got a few sentences out of you, little victories she’d call them. “Hey, come braid my hair?” She’d ask softly, nudging your shoulder in hopes the task might keep you grounded, anything to get you out of your own head. “Mhm, yeah, kay.” The smile that ghosts over your lips is enough for her. And for a few short moments, it almost felt like a sleepover again, one big fucked up sleepover as you weave the damp locks of her dark hair into a braid.

♡︎ Lottie got you to do a little bit more than just what was expected of you— helping you wash clothes and so on because she didn’t want the other girls to start berating you. “I’m sorry.” your words were nothing short of guilty, a dejection in your eyes that pained her. “Hey, it’s fine. You’re fine.” She’d always reassure you.

♡︎ She’d watch you sketch out the surrounding landscape— cheek resting against your shoulder marvelling at the way you drag the pencil across the paper. Those sketches would soon help make a map that Natalie and Travis became reliant on, it was one of the tiny ways you helped out. Plus it was fun, you enjoyed it— mostly enjoyed the way Lottie would sit right up next to you praising your work beneath her breath.

♡︎ The cabin could be suffocating at times so the pair of you would take walks— enjoying the nature and peace that it brought despite the rough times. Mostly she just liked to admire you, watching you pluck wildflowers to decorate the cabin. “Those a pretty.” Her voice would be impossibly gentle, always with you, her fingertips brushing past yours. “You’d suit them,” she adds in a whisper, tucking the flower behind your ear and all you can do is stutter out a soft— “O-Oh thank you.”

♡︎ The one thing Lottie couldn’t handle was you being distant— drawing away from her, she would call you out on it. “You’re acting strange.” She would state as if you hadn’t been acting ‘strange’ since the crash. Her words only make you scoff, shaking your head. “Yeah, no shit. Look around Lot, we’re fucked.” The quiver in your tone dismantles her into something much more gentle, her hands reaching out for yours to stop you from sharpening the hunting knife. “We’ll get through it, just— just please stop pushing me away, I need you.” She practically pleads with you, squeezing your hands a little tighter as her soft, brown eyes tear up slightly. You nod with a shaky sigh, “I need you too Lottie.” She doesn’t hesitate to pull you into a hug, face pressed into your neck with a mumbled, “I’ve got you.”

♡︎ You’re the only person she really trusts, she would spend all night talking to you about her ‘Visions’ and you’d soothe her— hand over her heart guiding her through breaths. “You— You can feel it too, right?” She asks, trembling. “Yeah, I feel it, Lot. I feel it.” And you did, you felt it through her. Something at least.

♡︎ Lots of late nights, your head resting in her lap as she plays with your hair— it was during these times that your voice would find you again, if only briefly. “I’m scared Lottie.” The words muffled against her thigh. She brushes her thumb over your jaw, making you look up at her. “Don’t be. It loves you, it’ll protect you. I promise.” and you trust her.

♡︎ Lottie would give you little trinkets to keep you safe. It brought you impossibly closer and you believed it was the only reason you kept surviving through each day, that Lottie was the only reason.

♡︎ She had a whole morning routine with you, she literally couldn’t start her day off without it— otherwise, she wouldn’t stop worrying about you even if you spend the whole day practically attached to her. “What do you hear?” Her hand was warm, clasped around your own. “The firewood, crackling, it’s like an applause,” you reply, thumb caressing over her knuckles slowly.

♡︎ It all became so different one morning— it happened after a particularly rough night and Lottie really just needed to feel closer to you more than ever. “What do you feel?” Her voice was low, calm as always yet now twinged with a certain edge— her forehead resting against your own. “You, I feel you, your breaths… it’s comforting.” Your words are hushed, breathing intermingling. “I feel you too. I always feel you.”

♡︎ The pair of you leaned in until your lips met, the kiss was slow— tender. “Lottie—” you whisper, her hands immediately cupping your face, mouth chasing after yours with a feverish, “I know…” as she deepens the kiss.

♡︎ Lottie quickly became utterly addicted, hooked on the taste of your lips and any excuse was a good one when it came to sneaking you out of your chores. You would be trying to hang up the washing when her arms would snake around your waist, lips grazing along the sensitive curve of your jaw— “It’s calling for you, the wilderness, it needs you.” whispered hotly against your neck.

♡︎ You’re all hers no matter the cheap excuse— she was just too damn good at convincing you and kissing you.

♡︎ Lottie would ‘bless’ you in her own unique way down in the lake— her thumb pricked and pearling with blood that she rubs across your forehead, a pattern you couldn't see. “Nothing will hurt you.” It’s a statement, a promise, that she seals by pressing her bloody thumb to your lips, dragging it across the pillowy flesh, before kissing you— the coppery taste only urges her to deepen the kiss.

♡︎ Blessings to the wilderness would just be her laying you down beneath the craved-out tree stump— her face between your thighs making come undone on her tongue and fingers over and over again until the ‘wilderness’ was sated— although it was never truly sated, it was a bottomless pit when it came to you.

♡︎ The codependency jokes from before the plane crash were never truer— you definitely got some snide comments from the girls especially during the colder, rougher days when everyone was really feeling the hunger. Lottie wouldn’t hesitate to immediately step up for you with furrowed brows and a curled lip— “Back off.” bared teeth and a wild glossiness glazing over her big brown eyes.

♡︎ Sometimes they get to you because a part of you— deep down knows what they say is true. You were dependent on Lottie, more than you even realise. She comforts you whenever their comments stab a little harder than usual. “They’re right, Lot. I’m useless— I don’t do shit.” you sigh, face pressed against her shoulder as her hand caresses your back slowly. “Sshh, they don’t know anything— they’ll understand soon, how important you are.” She gives you a caring smile, pressing a lingering kiss to the corner of your mouth and it's enough to make you feel better.

♡︎ There are times when you don’t understand her, but it’s the blind trust that keeps you by her side without question—a trust that she’ll keep you safe no matter what happens, and it makes all this a lot more bearable.

[girlkisser13]

the young justice characters’ favorite ways to kiss you

characters: artemis crock, conner kent, kaldur’ahm, m’gann m’orzz, richard "dick" grayson, wallace "wally" west, and zatanna zatara.

artemis crock

shoulder kisses

• artemis isn’t big on grand displays of affection, but she loves giving you shoulder kisses when you're both relaxing on the couch. it’s her way of being close without making a big deal out of it.

• she likes to leave kisses all over your shoulders when the two of you are resting in between training sessions. it’s her way of encouraging you during training.

• after a tough mission, she often gives you a quick shoulder kiss, especially if she notices you're tense or worried. it's her way of reassuring you that everything's okay and that she's here.

• artemis understands that sometimes words aren't necessary. when you're deep in thought or working on something, she'll give you a shoulder kiss as a silent show of support and encouragement.

• during quiet, everyday moments, she develops a routine of giving you a soft kiss on the shoulder when she walks past you, making sure her affection becomes a regular part of your day. <33

conner kent

angel kisses

• this is one of the softest kisses, one that is filled with affection and nothing but love. he’s careful with his strength, so his angel kisses are soft and gentle, as if he's afraid of hurting you.

• when he wakes up before you, he would gently kiss each of your eyelids and let you sleep in while he makes breakfast.

• to him, you are his world, and he treats you the best, just like you deserve it. waking up to him by your side and him kissing you softly on your eyelids is absolute heaven.

• he gives you these kisses to stop you from crying, kissing away at your tears as he rubs at your cheeks with his thumbs.

• there's something so pure about the way conner gives angel kisses. he’s not always the best with words, but these light, loving touches speak volumes about how much you mean to him. <33

kaldur’ahm

hand kisses

• kaldur is very fond of hand kisses. his type of hand kisses are oddly specific, to the point where you find yourself anticipating every single one.

• he’ll first start off with a rather shy touch, grazing his finger tips against yours, almost as if he’s asking for permission.

• when you do give him the go signal, he’ll kiss your finger tips first, then he’ll quickly go higher to the first joint of your fingers, and then finally— he’ll press a kiss onto your knuckles, humming just a bit.

• in atlantean culture, hand kisses symbolize trust and loyalty, making the gesture feel even more intimate and significant when he does it.

• over time, hand kisses become a small ritual between the two of you— something that is uniquely yours. <33

m’gann m’orzz

cheek kisses

• m'gann is naturally sweet and a bit shy when it comes to expressing her feelings. cheek kisses are her go-to gesture when she wants to show affection without being too forward. her kisses are always gentle, with a touch of bashfulness.

• she loves the way you let out a chuckle or giggle when she does it. the sound of your laughter just makes her heart soar, she wants to keep doing it to see you smile.

• m'gann believes in you wholeheartedly. whenever you're about to do something important or challenging, she'll give you a quick cheek kiss for luck and encouragement.

• when she's feeling playful, m'gann will surprise you with a kiss to your cheek out of nowhere. she enjoys the way you smile or blush in response, and her own cheeks turn slightly pink as she laughs softly.

• when you're cuddled up together, she often snuggles close, pressing soft kisses to your cheeks. it’s a tender, loving gesture that makes you feel safe and cherished in her embrace. <33

richard "dick" grayson

neck kisses

• dick ADORES kissing you on your neck. whenever his lips touch that specific spot on your neck and he paints your skin with blooming marks like petals, it never cease to make his whole being feel full and complete.

• he likes sneak up on you and surprise you with a light, teasing kiss on your neck. he enjoys seeing your reaction, especially if it makes you shiver or blush.

• when you wake up together, he often trails lazy kisses down your neck as you’re both waking up. it’s a warm, tender way to start the day.

• if he ever feels like you’re in danger or stressed, his kisses on your neck are more intense and lingering, almost like he’s reassuring himself that you’re safe.

• sometimes, he’ll kiss your neck just to make you laugh, especially if you’re ticklish. he loves the sound of your laughter and how it fills the room.

• after returning from a mission, when he’s still in his nightwing suit, he’ll often pull you close, press his forehead to yours, and kiss your neck, letting the tension from the night melt away in your arms. <33

wallace "wally" west

forehead kisses

• wally’s the lovable, wholesome goofball who would say yes to kissing you at every opportunity. when he greets you in the morning in bed, a kiss to the forehead before the lips. before you leave for a mission? another one to the forehead.

• he loves to interrupt you when you speak to him and just keeps on giving you kisses. he would hold you close to him on the subway or the bus and give you kisses in public to show others that you are taken.

• he often gives you a forehead kiss when he’s about to zoom off on a mission. it’s his quick and silent way of saying, "i’ll be back soon."

• after a tough fight, when the adrenaline is still pumping, he always makes sure to check on you first. he’ll brush back your hair, kiss your forehead, and breathe a sigh of relief, happy that you’re safe.

• on quiet nights when it’s just the two of you, wally loves lying beside you, tracing patterns on your skin. he’ll lean in, give you a gentle kiss on the forehead, and whisper sweet nothings, making the moment feel intimate and special. <33

zatanna zatara

lip kisses

• zatanna’s kisses are excited and passionate. she kisses you like she can’t get enough of you, pulling you impossibly close.

• girlie likes to takes her time with you, savoring each moment, and you can feel her smile against your lips when she’s particularly happy.

• sometimes she’ll giggle between kisses, or even better, against your lips, and then pull away with a bright smile on her face as she hugs you close, pressing more kisses to your cheeks and face.

• she enjoys catching you off guard with surprise kisses. she’ll teleport right in front of you and press her lips against yours before you even realize she’s there.

• she LOVES to tease you. it seems like every time she pulls away, the corners of her lips curl into a smirk. but you notice it— you see how affected she is by the slight blush covering her cheeks. after she pulls away, she keeps her face close to yours, looking at you through her half-lidded eyes. she tucks your hair behind your ear so you can’t hide your pretty face from her. <33

[phoenixtherobot]

Captain Marvel adopting Superboy fics are so funny to visualize. Like, that's a small child (referring to both of them)

[timothvy]

mornings w the core four (on a good day)

[lascvitae]

♯┆no more hiding .ᐟ

synopsis. due to your father’s demands, you are forced to marry the heiress of the most powerful companies in korea. it turns out, she isn’t as bad as you made her out to be.

pairing(s). ceo!karina x fem!reader x giselle warnings. cursing, internalized homophobia, you and karina argue a bit, it does get suggestive && angsty but it’s fluffy for the most part 🙈

word count: 5.6k

now playing. no more hiding by sza

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ katty ᥫ᭡: a req that i had a lil fun with, i kinda rushed to get it done (especially the end) so i’m so sorry if it’s bad 😔😔😔

masterlist.

growing up as the only child wasn’t easy when your father constantly pressured you to be the greatest businesswoman to ever be raised. it was all you knew from the day you learned how to speak.

while your parents were married, they stayed in two different residences. your mother gave you a break from everything at home. that woman had a billion hobbies.

you had endless memories of how you would come to her house every weekend and rant to her while she would knit you a new pair of winter gloves.

cooking dinner with her was always a delight. you were a quick learner and she would even say that you were a natural chef.

with the more time that passed, you two whipped up all your problems into a dish and it always turned out to be wonderful.

this led to her opening her own restaurant. your father happily funded it, but he had no idea that the plan was for you to take it over one day.

for you two the keep the restaurant open, your father required it to be a fine dining experience. neither of you minded. this was the perfect way for you to share your passion to the world.

by the time you graduated from high school, you were the head chef at your mother’s restaurant. most of your time was spent there, avoiding your father the best that you could.

one of the waitresses spent most of her time there as well. it began to worry you. you later learned that her name was aeri and she was two years older than you. you believed that her pink hair made her the most beautiful girl in the world.

she studied business, working countless shifts to pay for the expenses of her education. it pained your heart immensely.

as you two grew closer, you offered to pay the rest of her tuition on multiple occasions. she never accepted it. she believed that she may take it for granted if you were to do so.

you found yourself incredibly drawn to her, even though you knew it was wrong. your father had been training you for one of two things: become the ceo of his company or marry someone that can do it for you.

your father arranged multiple meetings with multiple men once you revealed that you had preferred the latter. none of them looked any bit of interesting, though it was for one main reason in your case. you didn’t like men.

your father didn’t know this. you feared that he would have flipped out.

your mother was completely accepting. she loved you unconditionally and she expressed how proud of you she was. she was the light in your darkness, motivating you during hard times. she was always there for you.

that’s why your entire world crumbled when she passed away.

you couldn’t take the restaurant with the state that you were in. you couldn’t even bring it together long enough to walk inside of the place.

aeri was extremely worried about you. she visited you often, becoming the main person that you spent your time with. you found it too difficult to trust anyone else.

as time passed, you were with aeri more often than not. your father knew about your troubles with trusting people but he found you and aeri’s relationship concerning.

everytime it rained, you couldn’t think of anything else besides your mother. aeri was always by your side to cuddle you until everything was better.

it only raised attention once she began to purchase you gifts in any shade of pink that she could afford, ensuring that you would never forget her and her pink hair that you adored so much.

so once your father found out, he didn’t spare you one bit. he was heavily against the idea.

he felt like a fool. no wonder you showed no interest in all of the men that you met.

he was going to find a good outcome of all this mess — and he didn’t give you a choice once he finally did.

─────────

YU TECHNOLOGY CORP. December 17th, 5:08 PM.

today was the day that you would meet who you would be sharing a name with.

or what your father had reduced it to — a business proposal.

you were already happy with aeri. you decided to cut everything off once you found out the news. it felt unfair.

you felt like you were forced to let go of everything that you loved. first your mother, and now aeri.

even still, that wasn’t what made you the most upset.

you were getting married to the heiress of the yu family. the corporation was very successful, even if it were completely founded on exploitation.

it wasn’t a secret that most workers were not only victims of labor exploitation, but the company also obscured negative information while maintaining unfair competition. other technology companies stood little chance.

they never cared about safety issues, environmental violations, or worker rights nor complaints. it was the complete opposite of how your mother ran her business. that’s why you hated it so much.

it was even more miserable finding out that your father signed a merger agreement with the ceo of the company. the two companies would merge with yu jimin taking over both. you were mainly there to look pretty.

you wouldn’t complain about having nothing to do but unfortunately, you were stuck with yu jimin. you knew nothing about this woman but you disliked her name.

this would be your first time even meeting her.

“y/n fix your face.” your father ordered as you followed behind him to the conference hall. your face didn’t fix. you were unrelentlessly upset.

jimin and her father were already seated on one side of the long table. she hadn’t even looked at you. her lips curved into a smile as she eyed the marriage papers.

swallowing harshly, you sat down next to your father and mentally prepared yourself for the papers to be handed into your direction.

this was it. this was the end of your romantic freedom. after this, you and jimin would be legally married. the thought fueled you with rage.

“i’m so proud of you, jimin. you know what’s best for the family.” you heard her mother speak during their departure hug. this fueled you with even more rage.

then they left the two of you alone.

“my car’s this way.” she turned around to give you a quick glance before continuing on. the fruity and slightly spicy smell of her perfume invaded your senses.

she didn’t even open the door for you.

honestly, she intimidated you a little bit. her gaze was sharp and the way she carried herself around others made her seem like a big deal. you were intrigued but you were furious at the same time.

her hair hung loosely around her face, starting the car without sparing you even an ounce of attention.

“are you always this quiet?” she asked, reversing the car with one hand.

“are you always this bitchy?” you snapped back. jimin’s laugh made you even angrier.

“i’m not trying to be your enemy.” her fingers tapped against the wheel silently. “but i’m not trying to be your babysitter either, so you can drop the bratty act.” you rolled your eyes.

“i’m not acting like a brat, i just don’t feel the need to respect you.” jimin clearly didn’t like your attitude with the way her tongue rolled against the inside of her cheek. “we’re going to respect eachother, understand? marriage isn’t a one way street.” the sternness in her tone made both your legs and arms cross. you took it that she was one of the cold bosses that didn’t like showing her emotions. “whatever.”

the rest of the car ride was silent. you occasionally stole glances at jimin’s side profile but she didn’t seem to reciprocate your interest.

the size of jimin’s mansion surprised you. with the amount of power that her name had alone, you were expecting a castle of some kind but the mansion hadn’t been larger than your father’s.

it was very modern and minimalistic. it suited her perfectly.

an assistant was called to help you with all of your bags. you were able to carry a few due to how guilty you felt for the worker.

after settling down, you decided to look around a bit. from what you concluded, it seemed like jimin spent most of her time in the bedroom or in the workroom. it didn’t seem very lively anywhere else.

you were grateful that your bedroom had a bathroom attached to it. you would have dreaded sharing one with your ‘wife.’

jimin was in her workroom. she hadn’t even noticed you once you walked in. it seemed like she didn’t even care enough to give you a tour?

even though you had pretty much already explored the whole place yourself but there was something that seemed unnatural.

“there’s so much food in the fridge. do you cook often?” you asked, alerting the older woman of your presence. the frames that sat on her nose almost made her seem welcoming.

“ah, no. i have a private chef. his name is mr. kim.” she simply explained without even turning around. that made a lot more sense. you felt stupid believing even for a second that jimin prepared her own meals.

“does he live here?” your curiosity intrigued jimin. she wasn’t used to having someone to talk to most of the time. “indeed he does. it saves the both of us a lot of time. must you know more?” you just nodded to end the conversation there. you had no idea which room the chef was staying in but you were determined to find it.

─────────

THE YU FAMILY HOME. March 27th, 6:03 PM

you were only three months into your marriage and the amount of meetings you were required to attend was already dreadful. you were mainly only present to appease the public, but you could barely stand it. being associated with the yu family angered you in ways that nothing else ever could.

you already received attention for the rumors of you taking over your mother’s restaurant, but this was a whole new level for you.

every single time you two had to pose together, jimin always wrapped an arm around your waist. you knew it was just common courtesy but you hated the feeling. or more so, how it made you feel.

everything that she stood for was sickening to you. how could she just sit there and pretend like nothing was happening? the amount of lawsuits they were covering up — you had no clue how, but there were possibilities. possibilities that made your stomach turn.

so you hated how her touch lingered on your skin.

you summed it up to just missing aeri.

“did you hear me?” jimin’s voice pierced through your ears, ultimately knocking you out of your daze.

you shook your head, unbuckling your seatbelt.

“we have a business trip in two months. don’t forget to pack.” you just nodded in response, reaching for the chanel purse in the backseat. you had been so deep in thought that you failed to notice that it was currently pouring rain.

you chewed on your bottom lip in unease. you hadn’t brought an umbrella.

just then, your door swung open and jimin stood there with an expectant look on her face. “don’t just stand there and look like an idiot.” you looked up at her and immediately noticed the umbrella above her head.

your lips curved into a slight smile as you took her hand, shoulders touching with almost every step you took towards the front door. “thanks.” you mumbled, wondering why she just didn’t park inside of the garage.

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THE YU FAMILY HOME. March 27th, 10:57 PM

the rain only became increasingly worse over time and you couldn’t sleep. even after a long shower and an hour of listening to the rain and patiently waiting for sleep to come find you. you felt like you were alone with your thoughts.

you scrolled through your phone, stopping at aeri’s saved contact.

you still never got to confess to her.

no word could come close to describing how you felt the day that you told her the news. it turned the two of you into a pile of tears too stubborn to let eachother go.

forcing yourself to climb out of the incredibly comfortable bed, you slip into the socks your mother knitted for you and escape into the hallway.

other than the calming sound of downpour it was completely silent. it was nothing unusual for your new household. except, something was different tonight.

a light was on inside of the kitchen. jimin was usually asleep by this time, so was it the personal chef?

you let the curiosity consume you, slowly making your way down the stairs. you didn’t expect the person to be awaiting your presence, leaning against the counter with her hair in a ponytail.

“you can’t stay asleep either?” her voice was groggy because of sleep.

you shook your head, approaching the counter so that the conversation could continue. “it’s too loud.”

jimin hummed, taking a sip from her glass. she looked like she wanted to say something but she chose not to.

so you opened your mouth to ask what she was drinking, only for her to coincidentally open hers at the same time to tell you.

“sorry. go ahead.” you smiled awkwardly.

“no, you go first.” jimin protested.

you let out a breathless chuckle. typically you would have continued to protest but it was uncommon for you and jimin to have moments like this, so you ultimately decided to forfeit.

“what are you drinking?” jimin smiled at either the sound of your laugh or yout curiosity. you couldn’t decipher it.

“it’s lavender tea. would you like some?” she offered you the glass with a smile so charming that you forgot to hesitate.

taking the drink into your hands, you took a swig before swallowing it after. “is it tasteful? i made it myself.” jimin asked you, leaning in eagerly. the sight made you smile.

“it’s yummy.” you nodded and she mirrored your action. “you could have the rest if you want.” she cleared her throat. while pouring yourself another glass of the lavender tea, you swear that you saw a blush on jimin’s cheeks.

once you were satisfied with the amount of tea in your glass, you decided to pour out the rest. jimin seemed to busy herself with her phone.

“are you returning to your bedroom?” she questioned while setting her phone onto the kitchen island.

“do you want me to?” it was silent for a moment, so you turned around to face her. the second your eyes met, a surge of nervousness coursed through your veins.

“no…” she shook her head, completely focused on you.

then she looked away, rubbing at her elbow. “it doesn’t matter. i don’t really mind.” you figured you would spend some more time with her.

“i have an older sister.” jimin explained to your curious mind. you both sat in her unmade bed with an entire bag of chips ahoy.

“she’s five years older than me.” she continued after munching on a cookie. “it was established pretty early on that i would take over the business. she’s into nursing.”

taking another cookie, her eyebrows furrowed a bit. “the chocolate chips are very rich.” she complained and you giggled quietly before shrugging in response. “they’re just not what you’re used to.”

“so, how old is your sister?” this question made you realize that you had never actually asked jimin for her age. you had looked it up on the internet, sure, but you wanted to know directly from her.

the woman cleared her throat before wiping her lips with a white handkerchief. “she’s 35.”

so that means that jimin is 30. that only made her more attractive in your eyes.

“jimin! this one has no chocolate chips.” you pointed out, taking the cookie out of the bag with a laugh.

“that’s weird.” her eyebrows furrowed. “should we eat it?” you nodded, bringing the cookie up jimin’s mouth. she quickly bit into it, backing away slowly as she chewed.

“it tastes the same.” she spoke monotonously.

“nuh uh! let me try it.” you impatiently bit from the same side, only to be met with disappointment. “i told you, y/n.” you rolled your eyes.

“perhaps that’s a sign for us to go to bed.” jimin wiped her mouth. with a sigh, you reluctantly slid the lid back onto the cookies and stood up.

you weren’t ready to leave her yet.

“wait.” she hastily stopped you by grabbing your arm. “where are you going?”

“i thought you wanted me to leave?” you asked, planting your knee onto the bed. her eyes flickered down your frame before meeting your own.

“you don’t want to stay in here tonight?” she didn’t release her grip on your arm, instead examining your features. she didn’t want to be crossing a line.

it was still raining and you probably weren’t going to fall asleep anytime soon so you complied.

she smiled upon seeing your nod, finally letting your arm free. her touch lingered on your skin. “set that down over there.” she pointed towards the black chair that sat near the corner of her room. “so you don’t have to walk downstairs again tonight.”

you obeyed, coming back to sit down where you were before. “should i sleep at the edge? or…” you questioned and jimin raised an eyebrow.

“the edge? is that where you would be most comfortable?” you slipped off your socks, biting your lip nervously. the rain didn’t seem like it was going to stop anytime soon.

“i don’t know…” you mumbled and jimin stared at you silently.

“it’s whatever you want.” she spoke. so you replied without thinking.

“can we cuddle?” she nodded, hiding the smile fighting its way onto her face. “come here.”

it was awkward, sure, but the two of you refused to pull away. her fingers traced lazy circles on your shoulderblade, appreciating the warmth.

the silence and the sound of the rain made your mind begin to wander once more. you enjoyed spending time with jimin, but you didn’t want to fall in love with a monster.

“i have a question.” you lifted your head to speak, loving the way her soft hum flowed through your ears.

“if you could work for any other company, would you do it?” her facial expression told you that she may have thought about it for a second, but it was no longer than that.

“it would depend on which one. i don’t want to represent a party that doesn’t care about any of their members.” she answered. “it sounds hypocritical for my situation, but there was no way around it.” her laugh was airy, sounding almost forced.

“but that’s besides the point. i answered the question, right?” she repositioned herself slightly, careful not to disturb you.

“hey. don’t fall asleep on me yet.” she pinched you, resulting in you letting out a yelp.

she laughed again, much more natural and genuine than the first. “sorry. i’ll let you sleep after you answer my question.”

you hummed in response. “is this your first relationship?”

the question had you blushing like an idiot. “could you tell?” your eyes shot open.

“a bit. don’t be embarrassed.” she chuckled at how cute you were. “i want to try with you. after all, we’re stuck here together. aren’t we?”

you closed your eyes, snuggling into her embrace. “we are.”

─────────

jimin woke up before you did. the bed was empty, resulting in you frowning up. you slipped on your socks before making your way downstairs.

the smell of coffee greeted your senses, quickly followed behind by the sweetness of jimin’s voice.

“good morning, sleepy girl.” she was already dressed with a cup of coffee in her hand. you pouted and she raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“i wanted to have breakfast with you.” you admit, leaning over the kitchen island.

she hummed, pouring you a cup of coffee. “my apologies. month end is always extremely busy for the company.” you nodded in understanding. “how do you like your coffee?”

“tons of sugar and creamer.” you pushed off the counter, coming over to her side.

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THE YU FAMILY HOME. July 14th, 10:57 PM

your daily routine had changed immensely since you were with your father. once you finally took over the restaurant, you served chinese comfort food. it wasn’t easy seeing aeri there everyday. she still had a special place in your heart.

jimin typically came home around six pm while your work hours regulated. since you enjoyed cooking so much, there were days where you would work more than twelve hours and days where you didn’t go to the restaurant at all.

eventually you hired more managers and the workload became less stressful for everyone.

you two talked more often, though some days she would ignore your presence entirely. you wanted to understand but she confused you. it had been almost a week since the trip, and you barely spoke a word.

the first argument that the two of you had felt petty to you.

you went behind her back and told mr. kim that he could move out for good. but it was for good reason — you would have rather took the time to prepare something for the both of you.

jimin didn’t seem to take it lightly, though. it was the first time you two had spoken in days and you could tell that something was wrong.

“i’m not upset about you firing him, y/n.” she sighed, taking off her blazer. “i’m upset because you didn’t come to me about it first. i was the one who hired him.” she explained calmly but you could tell that she was pissed.

“i didn’t think i had to? aren’t i technically his boss now?” you argued back, perplexed by her lack of understanding.

“it’s a communication thing.” you scoffed at her words. “you could work on communication.” your arms folded against your chest.

“and why do you say that?” she questioned with a look that almost seemed concerned. “because you haven’t spoken to me in days, jimin. what happened to us trying this out?” you complained.

“i have never changed my mind.” she started. “but we’re two parties. communication is key in marriage.” you rolled your eyes, continuing to wash the vegetables for your dinner. “bullshit.” you mumbled underneath your breath.

she heard it, but ultimately chose to ignore it. “i need a shower.” she sighed.

─────────

you had just finished the beautiful bruschetta chicken pasta when you heard jimin tap the counter behind you. the air was heavy with unspoken words and it made your shoulders tense.

the circumstances of your relationship had started to weigh down on you.

“that looks delicious.” jimin spoke first, slowly walking to the spot behind you.

“thanks.” you muttered, piercing the dish with your fork to collect a generous amount. “may i try it?” she asked, leaning over your shoulder.

you brought the fork up to her lips and she took the portion into her mouth, adoring the attention that you were giving her. that was when she realized that she enjoyed being fed by you.

she chewed slowly, savoring the taste while her eyes never left yours.

your insides did multiple somersaults, causing you to laugh to yourself and look away for a moment. “is it good?”

“it’s really delicious.” jimin nodded, resting her head on your shoulder. “i suppose i could get used to it.” her hands cautiously snaked around your waist, not holding it just yet. “is this okay?”

you nodded in response, leaning into her embrace. you felt her shuffling around, so you turned to face her curiously. “turn back around.” she chuckled as you obeyed.

the first thing you felt was cold metal coming in contact with your bare neck, and once it wrapped around to your nape you realized what it was. jimin had bought you a necklace.

“there we go. do you like it?” you took the charm in between your fingers to examine it. a gasp escaped your lips as you fiddled with the rose gold van cleef necklace.

the tears came before you could even stop them, and the worst part was that jimin had no idea as to why.

“hey, why are you crying?” she was terribly concerned as you reached out for her embrace, immediately wrapping you up into her arms.

“do you not like it?” jimin’s feather-light touch moved your hair out of your face, wiping the tears away. you quickly shook your head, sniffling as jimin soothed your sobs with strokes of your hair.

“it just reminds me of someone.”

─────────

YU FAMILY HOME. September 15th, 11:39 PM.

you wore the necklace that jimin gifted you nearly everyday and it was proof that your relationship had changed over time. you two felt like newlyweds, even though you had almost been married a year.

but the amount of time that jimin spent at the office worried you. she was undeniably a workaholic.

there were times that you would have to practically pry her out of the chair, and it was looking like tonight was one of them.

her eyes were fixated on the monitor in front of her as she typed away at multiple different catalogs, completely unaware of your presence.

but once she smelled your signature scent her head snapped around, greeting you with a tired smile.

“jiminie.“ you mumbled and she hummed in response.

“i miss you.” you pouted, walking closer to her. jimin looked up at you, eyes silently admiring every single detail that adorned your features.

she reached out to grab your wrist, pulling you into her lap. it surprised you both but neither of you were against it.

her arms wrapped around your torso as if you were fragile, sighing as she breathed in the smell of your body lotion. the way she clinged onto you revealed how tired she was.

“you said you would come to bed ten minutes ago. don’t overwork yourself, jiminie.” you played with her hair. seeing her so tired but still pushing to get work done pained your heart.

she hummed, pulling you closer. “i won’t, my darling.” but you couldn’t bring yourself to believe her words.

“jimin.” you repeated, pulling away so you could get a proper look at her face. her eyes looked slightly puffy, making you furrow your eyebrows. “have you been crying?”

she smiled sheepishly, looking into your eyes. “maybe? i was just thinking. and the stress was a lot.” there was a moment of silence and she could feel herself getting ready for your scolding.

but as soon as you opened your mouth, her lips connected against yours.

you hesitated slightly before eventually getting into the feel of the kiss, cheeks flushing from the fact that this was the first kiss you two ever had.

jimin pressed against your lower back, resulting in you arching into her. this allowed her to pull you closer, tongue swiping against your bottom lip.

her tongue slid into your mouth, exploring it hungrily as she pulled your body flush against her own.

breaking the kiss to catch her breath, jimin licked her lips to savor the taste of you. the action only made you even shyer. “you make me feel better. you put my mind at ease.” she confessed.

you sighed, unable to fight the smile dancing onto your lips. “you just worry me. promise me to take it easy.” you held out your pinky finger.

she intertwined it with her own, pecking your lips sweetly. “okay, honey.” she loved the way that you looked at her. as if she were the most beautiful girl in the world.

“i’m serious!” you continued to scold her. “you’re the only person i can trust. we’re all i have.” your voice dropped to a whisper.

she hugged you tighter. your words meant much more to her than you could ever think. “i’ll take it easy. let’s go to bed now, mhm?”

─────────

TASTE OF CHINA RESTAURANT. November 3rd, 4:18 PM.

the highlight of your days was coming home to jimin, having dinner together before yapping about every little eventful moment of your day.

she stayed true to her word, avoiding overworking herself and spending more time with you.

and if she didn’t, you would come claim all of her attention until she did.

today wasn’t any different.

you hadn’t planned to come in today because jimin had kept you awake almost all night long. but one of your employees phoned you with some food critic talk, and you grumbled out of the bed you shared with jimin.

you were so ready to go home to her.

in fact, you were so impatient that you even failed to notice that she had left work early to surprise you at the restaurant. just a few tables away from the front door sat your wife, listing off the dishes that caught the attention of her stomach to aeri.

the sigh of relief that left your lips once you finally saw her even surprised you. “jimin!” you called out, carelessly tossing your apron and coming to sit in front of her.

her heart swelled with affection, fighting back the urge to pick you up in front of everyone.

aeri seemed to be taken aback from your sudden change in demeanor. you had been irritated all day but once jimin showed her face, it was as if all your troubles flew out of the window.

it irritated her.

“you can take care of mrs. yu, right y/n?” her voice was shaky and you stared at her with a confused smile.

her eyes burned holes into the necklace around your neck. she knew that she hadn’t gotten it for you.

“pardon?” jimin asked, searching for the possible reason behind aeri’s sudden change of attitude.

aeri didn’t care to answer, leaving faster than jimin’s next question.

“is there foul history between you two? she was so cheerful just a moment ago.” your wife furrowed her eyebrows and your heart began to beat harder in your chest.

“uh, no. i think she was just having a bad day.” you shook your head before chuckling nervously and she just shrugged. “well bring her back over here. she’s my server.” jimin crossed her arms. “i want to have a proper meal with you.”

you stood up from your chair with a clear of your throat. “i’ll get her.”

─────────

YU FAMILY HOME. November 3rd, 4:58 PM.

“jimin, just listen to me. please?” you followed her as she traversed through your shared home, walking to her office. she didn’t even want to eat out anymore.

“jimin!” you raised your voice louder, desperately trying to get her attention. it wasn’t until you grabbed her arm and forced her towards you that she had began to pay attention.

“why are you still hiding from me?” she asked you, running a hand through her hair. you had never seen her look so pissed at you before. “i left work early to come see you.”

“i-i’m not hiding—“ you stammered, trying to explain yourself.

“you’re hiding the truth from me.” she accused, hurt and confusion evident on her features. “you said i was your first relationship.”

“we weren’t in a relationship, it’s complicated.” the tears began to swell up and you didn’t know how to stop them.

“do you still have feelings for her, y/n?” she asked with a shaky breath.

you didn’t want to keep lying to her.

“i don’t know.” you admit and the way jimin’s shoulders sunk in made you regret saying it.

“okay. i get it.” was all that she said, sitting in her office chair. you wanted to climb into her arms, to kiss her frown away, but you felt so dismissed.

─────────

YU FAMILY HOME. October 3rd, 9:14 PM.

you had been crying ever since the argument, swallowing the lump in your throat as you pulled the baked lasagna out of the oven.

it sat alongside garlic knots and fresh caesar salad, and you tried to force a smile at the sight of your work.

you made yourself a plate, pouring a glass of lavender tea so you wouldn’t have to rely on your tears to bring you sleep.

with a sigh you tasted the lasanga, leaning against the counter.

jimin silently wandered into the kitchen, thinking with her nose as she eyed the feast that you had prepared. she noticed that whenever you two had an argument, she could expect multiple dishes to be in the kitchen afterwards.

immediately after noticing her presence you sucked in a breath. it was ten times more awkward than when you had your first meeting. the silence was deafening.

“you wanna try?” her mouth was practically watering at the sight of your food, licking her lips as she nodded.

you smiled, relieved that at least some conversation could still be held. you were gathering enough for her taste test when she inched closer, catching you off guard.

her lips pressed against yours in a gentle kiss, making you weak in the knees as you leaned into her more.

you dropped the fork back onto the plate as she secured her arms around your waist tightly, deepening the kiss.

the shared passion of your make out session left the two of you breathless with a string of saliva connecting your lips.

“i’ve never had to fight for someone who was already mine before.” she muttered, resting her forehead against yours.

“but i’ll do it if it’s you.” she pecked your lips as if it were sealing her promise.

“i think we’ve already chosen.” you smiled, cupping her cheeks. “i’m all yours, jimin.” she hummed appreciatively. “good.”

“i love you, sunshine.” she whispered. “i mean it.”

“i love you too, jiminie.”

perm taglist — @saysirhc @aedollie (@jsxjmn)

[nymphaiofmoros]

Televangelism

.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺ fem! reader x lottie matthews

words; 2,788

♱ summary; after having a strange dream about Lottie, you go to her for guidance and explanation. She advises you that the dream might be a prophecy, and that you need to recreate it with her.

beware; blood, cannibalism, animal death, kissing, just in general very gross, brain stuff, not for people with a weak stomach, and a little toxic (?).

a/n ; this took aaaages, but i'm glad i finally finished it. this goes out to all my fellow freaks out there. (likes and reblogs are greatly appreaciated, i poured my blood, sweat and tears on this (╥_╥))

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

You’re horrified at the sight in front of you. Lottie, wearing a long white gown, which makes her look even more angelic than usual, hunched down on the ground. Her gown was dirty and scratched and torn, her face smeared with dark red blood. You couldn’t see very well, but what you could see was her bringing something up to her mouth, then tearing it with her teeth, eating it like an animal. Trying your hardest to focus your weary eyes, you step closer and closer, the thing she was eating becoming more visible. It was a middle-aged man by the looks of it, you had never seen him before. Lottie doesn’t notice you just yet, instead, she continues her ‘meal’. She wipes her bloody mouth with her hand, which only causes more blood to smear on her cheek. Suddenly, she turns her head, looking straight at you. Her expression was blank, but her eyes were oh-so expressive. She looked hungry.

Wild, primal. She slowly stands up, and you – intimidated – take a cautious step back. She looked terrifying, but for some reason, you couldn’t look away from this gross, animalistic display. You only stand there, paralyzed. She takes a sudden step forward, and before you can flinch back, she grabs the back of your head. She doesn’t try to be gentle – or even human. You don’t move, instead you watch her. She tilts her head – like a curious cat who has just caught a mouse, leaning closer, inspecting you like she has never seen a human before. Your lips shake, as you try to open them and speak, but it seems that your vocal cords have disappeared. As your lips part, and you’re on the verge of whispering a bundle of confused words, when she presses her lips onto yours. It didn’t feel like a kiss – it was ravenous. She tried to slide her tongue into your mouth, trying to force you to taste the blood and flesh and meat she had consumed. You could feel your lips and tongue getting numb, but you couldn’t pull away, like a force was keeping you locked in this disgusting, primal kiss. You could only open your eyes, and when you do, you see hers. They were dark, almost black, and bloodshot. You stare and stare at them, as you feel her start to bite at your lips, making them bleed. You feel them starting to bleed – is she trying to eat you as well? You’re panting heavily, unable to move, and just as you’re about to scream–

You wake up.

Shooting up from your spot on the cabin floor, you glance around the room. It’s dark, but through the dark blue hue that was created from the midnight sky, you could make out bodies on the floor, asleep. You were okay – you were safe. You were still in the wilderness, but you were safe. You had Lottie, right? That was just a weird dream, she would never, ever do something like that. You turn your head to the spot Lottie was sleeping at, which wasn’t far from you. Her dark, wavy, and messy hair is splayed out on the wooden floor, her face relaxed. She looked so beautifully innocent in her sleep, like she could do no wrong. She looks pretty even when she’s asleep, you thought, she must be God’s favorite.

You stare at the back of her head, debating. Should you wake her up and explain what you saw? Maybe the dream was a prophecy– but no, that would be horrifying. With a frustrated sigh, you turn, and lay back down to sleep.

In the morning, you stay in the cabin. While everyone’s doing their chores, you stand at the window, watching them. Your gaze keeps moving back to Lottie, who was sitting on a log, by herself. She was staring down at her hands, fiddling with them. Her gaze looked… far away, like she wasn’t there at the moment. You take a deep breath, gathering the courage to go outside and talk to her. Making sure the coast is clear, you reluctantly turn the door handle of the cabin door and step outside.

You sit down next to Lottie, both of you silent. She looks up when she notices your presence, her eyebrows furrowing just a little, giving her that sad baby deer look. The morning light hit the side of her face perfectly, giving her an orange-y glow. You knew neither of you wanted to speak up first, so you decided to just do it. “I had a weird dream last night,” you mumble, just loud enough for her to hear it. Her head perks a bit, and she tilts her head curiously, “What was it about?” she asks, her voice soft and curious. Oh you innocent little lamb.

“Um,” you let out a breath, “It’s just– really weird, are you sure you wanna hear it?”. She nods, humming in affirmation. You sigh, reluctant. But you had to let it out. You needed to find the meaning of it. “Okay…” you take a deep breath, your gaze locked on the grass under your feet. You didn’t dare look at her as you started explaining. 

“I- I saw you… you were crouched down, in the forest, and you were all bloody-” you stop to take in a stressed breath, “I mean, you had blood smeared on your face, around your mouth. You looked like you were eating something-”, you make gestures with your hands, flailing them around as you try to explain. “I tried to focus and I saw something… like a middle-aged man, on the ground? His head was like- split open. And you were… eating his… brain, I think?” you look up at her, waiting for a reaction. She just stares, with that concerned look she always has on her face. Despite her expression, she nods for you to continue. You nod back, gulping nervously, “And um… then you… you kissed me. But it wasn’t like- a romantic kiss. It’s like you were trying to feed me that brain or whatever it was you were eating and it was just– really weird, okay?” you huff, getting frustrated with yourself. You turn to look at her again, and she’s silent. She seems to be thinking, and although she looks a little disturbed, all she ends up muttering is: “That must be a prophecy.”

You scoff. Well, a little rudely, but you couldn’t help it. That was a weird ass dream, not a goddamn prophecy. “Not it wasn’t, Lot, it was just a dumb dream-” “No it wasn’t.”. Lottie’s face is serious, so you decide to shut up. With a frustrated sigh, you try to ration with her. “Why do you think it’s a prophecy and not some stupid movie my brain made up?” you ask, feeling bad for doubting her, but she was acting delusional. “I know it. I can feel it.” she insists. Her expression was stern, her eyebrows furrowed. You couldn’t help but feel bad for doubting her. Her doe eyes were too much for you, you were starting to convince yourself it was a prophecy. Damn you, Lottie. “Fine, it’s a prophecy.” you sigh, giving up, “What now?”

“We need to recreate it.” 

She was serious. Your face pales a little at her tone and face. The atmosphere felt a little darker. But you trust her, right? She’s just being Lottie, with her wilderness mumbo-jumbo. She won’t actually go and kill a man to recreate your dream. And definitely won’t make out with you while eating that said man to recreate your dream… right?

“Why am I doing this?”, you let out a frustrated breath. You looked around you, it was dark and you could barely see what you were stepping on. You set down a make-shift torch, made of wood and fabric, that you had lit up. Lottie told you to replicate the scene in your dream as closely as you could remember. “Okay… there was a torch behind her, and one over here…” you mutter to yourself, placing the second torch down. You remember three torches specifically, two behind her, one to the side. You place the third torch down. You sigh, stepping back, and looking at the scene. Pretty damn close. All you had to do now was stand there and wait for Lottie, praying that she didn’t actually magically find a middle-aged man and kill him for this.

You sit down on the forest floor and wait for what feels like ages, when you hear rustling. It’s getting louder and louder, closer and closer. Your head perks up, and you turn your head frantically to where the noise is coming from. It sounded like… something being dragged on the ground, coming towards you. You could hear your pulse in your ear, your hands starting to sweat. You clutch at your jeans’ fabric, shooting up from the place you were sitting at. “Lottie?” you softly call out her name, both praying and dreading that it was indeed her. 

You finally see a figure through the bushes, as it slowly moves towards the faint orange light of the torches. It’s Lottie. Her hair is messy, and her face is painted with small blood splotches. Her expression is scarily blank, her jaw tightly clenched. As she walks further away from the bushes, your gaze slowly moves down to her hand. She was holding an antler. As your gaze moves further down, you quickly figure out that that antler belongs to a deer, dead, with a cut throat. Lottie drags the animal’s body until she reaches you. She drops the carcass down at her feet, her eyes still staring into your soul – blank, and unemotional. You huff, your eyebrows furrowed and your face crunched in a mix of... disgust? Bewilderment, fear? You didn’t even know.

“What the hell– Lottie, where did you get that?!” you whisper-yell, but she quickly replies back.

“Doesn’t matter.”, her voice is stern, demanding that you don’t ask any question. Your lips pressed together, frustrated. You wanted to get an answer, but something was holding back your vocal cords. Fear, maybe?

“Alright– fine, whatever, I will just accept that you randomly found a goddamn deer and killed it. What now?” your voice shakes a little, but you cover it up with a fake air of confidence. Lottie glances down at the carcass. The deer lay motionless, its eyes now soulless. The blood around the slash on its throat had dried up, and you could see a few bugs already trying to eat its remains. Lottie slowly kneels down, her movements almost robotic. She takes out a knife from her pocket – the blade having faint blood markings on it–, and she slowly cuts the top of the deer’s head, in a way where you could see its brain. You hold back a gag. “Jesus, Lot…” you mumble, feeling like you’re going to be sick. Lottie doesn’t pay any mind to you, and she continues methodically cutting. When she’s ‘done’, she drops the knife on the ground. You swallow your spit, pushing back any vomit that was trying to escape up your throat. Lottie looks up at you, her innocent doe eyes still making her look like an angel who does no wrong. Your mind is reeling, you don’t understand why you’re going along with this, but you are. With a shaky sigh, you take a small step back. You nod your head, silently understanding her just from her eyes. She nods back.

Lottie turns her head, staring down at the deer’s head. She moved her hand, and you could see a faint tremor in it. Her fingers finally reach the brain of the animal, digging into the gooey, bloody mess. She takes a scoop of the brain, bringing it up to her mouth. Her hand stuttered and stopped a few times, but whenever she hesitated, a determined twinkle appeared in her eyes. Finally, her teeth bite into the bloody mass, and she starts to chew. You swallow back vomit once again. You physically couldn’t look away – it was magnetizing. Like watching a horrific tragedy, and not being able to look away. The doe-eyed girl’s face scrunches from an emotion you couldn’t quite decipher. Disgust, maybe? You hoped that was the case, because if she was enjoying this… well, that could turn a lot more horrifying.

She starts devouring the matter, gnawing at the gooey and soft cerebrum. She looked more like a vicious dog rather than a person. You stayed frozen in your spot, repeating the words ‘whatthefuck’ in your brain over and over. You knew you were in too deep now, you couldn’t just back out. Blood was trickling down her chin, down to her white dress, ruining it. If you hadn’t seen her eating the deer’s brain and had only seen the aftermath, you would’ve thought she had stuffed down a couple of pomegranates. Your derailing train of thought gets cut off when you see Lottie standing up, her mouth a bloody mess, her eyes feral and wild. You gulp, involuntarily shivering when she starts walking closer to you. “Lot, hey–” you shake your head, trying to stop her, when she grabs the back of your head, her fingers digging into your scalp. You gasp, seeing a flash from your dream come back to you. Your breathing starts speeding up, and your pulse gets louder in your ears. You felt that frozen feeling you also felt in your dream, like your legs were glued to the ground, and your vocal cords couldn’t move. Lottie moves her face closer, and closer. Her gaze was intense, but not there. She didn’t look… present.

Suddenly, her lips are on yours. Your eyes shut out of instinct. You didn’t know if you liked this or not. On the one hand, this was Lottie. You’ve had a crush on her for a year and a half. On the other hand, she was a feral monster. She pushed the brain matter she was eating into your mouth, not waiting for your permission to enter your mouth. Her tongue explores the roof of your mouth, pushing the blood and all of the gross, mushy parts of the brain toward your throat. You got to gag, when she grabs your jaw with both hands. She was panting, like a rabid dog. She hadn’t closed her eyes for the ‘kiss’, she instead kept them wide open, looking into your eyes. Hungrily. 

Lottie’s fingers move down to the sides of your neck. She starts using her thumbs, rubbing in a downward motion. Her touch was surprisingly gentle, like she was a professional masseuse. She seemed to be trying to push the upcoming vomit down your throat, so it didn’t escape out of your mouth. Which… was strangely caring and sweet. 

Your eyes kept fluttering, debating if they should keep themselves shut or wide open. You were getting dizzy, your hands grabbing at Lottie’s arms and dress so you could keep your balance. With your vision getting more and more blurred, the combination of the kiss, the mix of emotions, and the gross taste of blood and brain matter on your tongue, you kept getting flashing images from your dream. She had the same wild look, and you felt the same trapped feeling. Lottie suddenly pulls away, letting out a gasp. She takes in a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She stumbles back, almost tripping on the deer carcass, and she raises her arm to wipe away the blood. Seeing the gesture, you also bring your arm up, wiping the blood she smeared on your mouth. Lottie stared at you, wide-eyed. She looked… human again. She takes a few stumbling steps towards you, and she suddenly loses strength in her legs, almost falling to the ground, but you manage to catch her by her arms. You pull her up, holding her close. “Oh my god– Lot, are you okay?!” you breathlessly say, trying to look at her face. 

Her messy, tangled dark hair was covering her features, the lack of good lighting and the mess of blood and mass make it difficult to see her expression. After a moment of tense silence, she turns her head to look up at you, strands of her hair sticking to her face from the sweat that adorned her face. “I saw– I saw It. I saw It.” 

“'It'-?” you scoff, trying to understand her quiet mumbles, “What is- what is ‘It’?”. Lottie shakes her head, frantic yet strangely calm at the same time. She tries to hold herself up, but she still has to hold onto you. “You’ll see soon.”

[shadowsndaisies]

codename: nightingale- auld acquaintances

reference: young justice season 1 episode 26

wc: 10.3k

synopsis: well shit gets real, conner yeets ng and robin, all while, ng reminds us why she’s the best, and the otp(s) get their shit (collectively and respectively) together

main masterlist

codename: nightingale series masterlist

a/n: I CANNOT BELIEVE I DID IT. you guys and your support have carried me though this process and the many YEARS it took me to get to this point. I have loved writing this since the beginning and I still do. Thank you for loving this story and the characters as much as I do. Enjoy!

MOUNT JUSTICE

December 31st, 03:12 EST

The cave was quiet as you zeta’d in. You’d only managed a few hours of sleep before you woke up in a fit. Ollie’s penthouse was silent though. And a quick check through the security system told you no one but you was home, in fact no one had come home, since you had. The team had made the decision to host a debrief at 0730, the next day, allowing everyone (mostly you) to recenter.

Given that the penthouse was empty, you decided to head to the cave early, if you were lucky, you’d be able to check the logs and see if Ollie, Dinah, and Roy were still up in the Watchtower or not.

“Recognized: Nightingale b-14,” the computer’s voice echoed in the darkness of the cave, and a couple of light flickered on in response.

“Computer, pull Zeta logs for the last 24 hours to the Watchtower, Nightingale Access delta echo charlie zero six,” you call out your code after a brief look assures that you’re the only one around.

“Access Denied,” the computer’s response throws you off guard as you pull up a screen, but you’re treated to a red screen.

“Under who’s authority?”

“Designation 0-2.”

“Batman?” you whisper the answer to yourself, but you can’t understand why. You’ve had access to the Watch Tower logs since Ollie and Dinah told you about the tower. You couldn’t get there without them, but you could access the logs to see who’s there currently, and you could usually see the calendar to know when Dinah and Ollie were scheduled.

“Computer, Canary Override: charlie romeo yankee seven eight nine three,” you attempt.

“Override denied.”

“What? Why?”

“Override denied per designation A-0-4.”

“A-0-4? Who is A-0-4?”

“Access Denied.”

“Oh, fuck’s sake!” you shout.

“Perhaps yelling at our computer system is not the best use of your limited time to rest?” a new voice interrupts.

You frown as you turn to look at Kaldur, “it won’t let me access the Watch Tower logs,” you huff, pointing at the red message glaring back at you.

“Why are you looking to access the logs?” he asks, brows furrowed as he looks between you and the screen.

“No one came home last night, K. I needed- I wanted- I just need to talk to Dinah, after everything that happened? I just wanted Dinah or Ollie, and they weren’t home. I passed out on the couch waiting, and when I woke up, they still hadn’t come back. I just wanted to see if they were still there,” you explain.

Kaldur’s lips pull into a frown, “They may be pre-occupied, the League, as you know, better than most, can be demanding, even at the best of times, and with the best of offers,” he states.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you defend, sensing his double meaning.

“You mean to tell me, my King is but a liar?” he challenges.

You’re quiet for a moment, Kaldur knew better than anyone, just how much you respected King Orin, “what did he say, exactly?”

“That you were also accepted into the League, that you were by far the best candidate off all those who were inducted, and yet, you were the only one who has said no to date,” he admits.

Your voice is quiet as you look at your friend, before you sigh, “how long have you known?”

“Since the meeting in November.”

“You didn’t say anything…”

“Neither did you, I decided it’d be best to follow your lead. You would have said something when you were ready to,” he shrugs.

“I’m not ready. I don’t feel ready, to be there, at that level,” you explain.

“You owe me no explanation, old friend. I have always had faith in your decisions, I won’t start questioning them now,” he assures you.

“Thanks, K,” you sigh. “Did he really say I was the best candidate?”

Kaldur smiles knowingly, and gently places a hand on your shoulder, “Come, M’gann stress baked cookies last night upon our arrival. We can indulge in those while we watch something?”

“Yes, please.”

You both got settled on the green sofas with a plate of cookies on the coffee table before you, and two mugs of tea. You were flipping through the available options when Kaldur spoke up again.

“I watched when you were barely in double digits trying to learn how to sort through your feelings and emotions,” he began and your grip on the mug tightened, while your hand with the remote dropped. “I watched as you turned it into a motivator, a strength. I watched how you learned to center yourself and be objective, even with only a decade beneath you. What you feel now, how you feel now, might be stronger, but you know how to utilize that, you know how to sort it. But until you can, until you’re able and ready, I hope you know I will be here to temper it. Just as I was before,” his tone is firm, as he expresses himself.

Slowly your gaze moves to him, and you take him in. This Kaldur was nearly an adult, he had given up the Conservatory, and trained with King Orin. This Kaldur taught you Atlantean, he helped you learn how to open yourself to magic.

“Kaldur…”

“We used to spar, do you remember? You were so full of rage and I remember the Queen sending me to spar with you one day. Garth and Tulla thought it would be unfair, they thought that with my age, my size, my magical and home advantage, you would be unable to compete. Fitting, that you knocked me down in mere minutes, despite being slowed by the water, despite being in a new place, despite your age and size. It was then that we all realized that you hold so much raw power, much more than you ever seemed to realize yourself.”

“You’d think you would’ve learned your lesson after Wally,” you scoff, sniffing to yourself and recalling the first time you met the boys.

“Oh, I did. Which is why I asked for you to be included in our studies, it’s why you studied with me, specifically, at the conservatory. You needed an outlet, then. So, you studied with us, trained with us, and despite not being naturally adept at magic, despite being out of your element, you held your own, you beat us several times. You mastered skills quicker than we ever did. You needed the distraction, to let go of all that you had been forced to carry at such a young age. I just hope you can trust me to help you with that again.”

“You were my first true friend, Kaldur’ahm. I had Roy, but he had always been introduced as a brother, you were a friend. You saw me, the realest version of me, rageful, angry, upset, scared, all of the negative emotions and you still decided that you would help me. You have always looked out for me, and you have always had my trust,” you’re resolute in your answer, no one had supported you through the hard parts like Kaldur had, because he was right. He had seen you at your angriest, he’d watched you fight as an outlet, seen you train yourself to the brink of exhaustion just to be free of the rage, even for a minute, and instead of telling you that you were wrong for your methods, he instead offered you new outlets, new opportunities. He lent you his strength and stability when you had none.

“I am honored to hold that title, my bird. We made a promise, you remember? A piece of our histories intertwined,” he states, smiling at you as he tugs a gold chain from under his shirt. Your gaze lingers on it for a moment before dropping to the ring you’d been subconsciously fidgeting with.

The ring that had allowed you to breathe underwater, the one that allowed you to live in Atlantis as if you were an Atlantean yourself, it was obviously special. But what made it so treasured was not the gift it gave, it was the who the gift was from. The ring had belonged to Kaldur’s mother. It had been she, who when King Orin asked for a volunteer, a home for the girl from the dry world, had stepped forward. She had opened her home, and had offered the ring to be enchanted for you. She became your advocate while you lived in Atlantis, she treated you like you were one of her own. When it was finally time for you to return to your home, over a year later, she had told you to keep the ring, “I’d always hoped to pass this ring to a daughter,” she’d said, and you cried as you hugged her one last time.

On Kaldur’s first trip to visit you, merely a month after you’d gone back to Star City, you’d given him a chain. It had belonged to your father, and he’d worn it his whole life. Something that had been gifted to him when he was young from his father, who got it from his father before him. There’s a small pendent that hangs, your family’s crest, just like on your ring, they were a set technically.

You’d managed to enchant the item with your limited ability just in time for Kaldur’s first visit. “It’s meant to be passed to sons. I’d really like it if our histories were intwined. If I’m going to carry such a meaningful part of yours and your mom’s history, then I’d really like if you were to carry this of mine.” As far as you know, he hadn’t taken it off since you gave it to him almost three years ago.

The frown reappears on your lips as you look at the chain, and then at Kaldur. “Sometimes… I wish I was still there. It was easier living with you. There were no secret machinations, just you and me, and Garth and Tulla. I- I was hurting, I know that, but-”

“I understand,” he promises and you can’t help but let out a watery laugh.

“Of course you do. You’re Kaldur’ahm, no one ever seems to understand me as well as you do,” you smile.

“Rest, my friend, you have earned it. Our debrief with the Batman is 0730, however, I suspect he will be here early.”

“0700?” you ask.

“See you then,” he promises, tossing you a pillow and a blanket.

“Thanks, K, for everything,” you smiled, plopping back.

“Anytime, my friend, anytime.”

MOUNT JUSTICE December 31st, 06:30 EST

When you wake up again, it’s to Conner staring down at you with a quirked brow.

“Shit, Conner, why are you just staring at me like that?” you groan rubbing at your eyes.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you yet,” he admits, one hand rubbing at his neck.

“Yeah, I came earlier this morning. Canary and GA were at the Tower all night long. K, sat with me for a while.”

“Well, since you’re here… maybe we can talk about-”

“About your dad?” you ask, staring up at the roof of the cave.

“Don’t. Please don’t call him that. There's so much to figure out, but he’s not… not my dad,” you haven't turned back to him yet, but you can hear the tension in his tone.

“Genetic Donor then?” you offer turning back to him with a lazy smirk before adjusting yourself to lean against the arm of the sofa, tucking your legs beneath you.

“Genetic Donor works,” he sighs, sitting down in the now empty space on the sofa with you.

It’s silent for a minute as you both process, and then you're giggling. Conner’s eyes blow wide, as he stares at you. You cant help yourself though. Your giggles soon turn to full blown laughs, tears forming in your eyes.

“NG… nightingale… (y/n)!” Conners tone grew increasingly harried with each call to you.

“I’m sorry, I- I just… he killed my parents. I’m an orphan… be-because of Lex fucking Luthor, and he’s the only reason you're even here. He’s the reason I’m here!” you’re still laughing.

It has to be some sort of break, your mind finally deciding it's had enough.

That's when the laughs trail off, and you're left with tears.

You stop heaving and you take a deep breath, everything grows silent, you shut your eyes and center yourself. When you open your eyes you're staring at Conner again.

“I don't know how to fix this,” he admits.

You offer him a weak smile as your shoulders droop, “you can't,” you relent and Conner sags back into the sofa too.

“What now?” he asks.

“We be honest with each other, and the team. You and me, we're bonded by something now. I didn't realize it when we freed you from your pod, or when you helped us escape, but we are.”

“Allies against Lex?” he offers, holding out his hand.

“Allies against Lex,” you confirm, shaking his hand.

A not so innocent piece of you takes advantage and reads his emotions. You're reassured by the feelings of honesty, compassion, and belonging. You stare at Conner for a moment before letting go of his hand.

“What time is it?” you ask, stretching out a bit.

“You have about 15 until debrief.”

“Okay, thanks,” you sigh, standing up.

“I’ll see you in the cortex?” he asks, standing up as well.

“Yeah,” you confirm before heading to the locker room.

You're all standing in a line when Batman finally zetas in. You hadn’t had a chance to talk to Rob, or anyone else from the team about yesterday before he arrived.

He starts by asking for a rundown of events. Which we oblige. We explain everything from start to finish, the reveals, the truths, the plan for Santa Prisca. Everything leading up to the moment of Lex Luthor’s escape.

And when all of that is said and done you swallow your fears down hard before stepping forward, “Additionally, after defeating Bane with Robin and Zatanna, when I became aware of Luthor’s escape-”

“She was a little upset, which I’d argue is completely warranted considering everything we found out yesterday,” Wally cuts in, interrupting you before you can admit to how you lost control.

“Yes, but-” your second attempt is interrupted as well.

“Which is why we would like to request that the development of a case against Luthor be a Team priority,” Robin’s the one to cut in this time, proffering an official request on behalf of the team.

You risk a glance at the Team, and you don’t need M’gann’s abilities to understand what they're trying to say. So you shut up, and step back in line, waiting for Batman’s response to the debrief as well as the request.

He doesn't say anything for a minute, and then Kaldur is stepping in, “We have reason to feel proud of yesterday's victories. But one thing has not changed,” he alludes.

“Somehow, the bad guys are still getting intel about us,” Robin offers.

“Yeah, but at least we know none of us are the mole,” Wally counters.

For the first time that morning Batman finally speaks up, “That's correct,” he confirms, and he does so with serious conviction.

You want to be reassured by his confirmation, but something about the whole briefing was throwing you off, and it wasn't the discussion of Luthor.

“The mole,” he begins again, “was Red Arrow.”

Theres a brief silence as Roy’s image is displayed before everyone explodes.

“Roy?” Robin repeats disbelievingly.

“No way!” Wally’s voice had pitched up in his rebuttal.

You on the other hand, felt as the first of the strings holding you up snapped. Kaldur places a hand on your shoulder as if he knew, before turning back to the Dark Knight, “Batman, that cannot be. He was Green Arrow's protégé. We have all known him for years.”

“Unfortunately, the Roy Harper we have known for the last three years is another Project Cadmus clone,” Red Tornado explains.

You have to fight to catch your breath, this couldn’t be happening. You’d known Roy longer than that, you would've realized!

“We've learned the real Speedy was abducted and replaced soon after becoming Green Arrow's sidekick,” Batman explains and you finally step forward.

“No,” the seriousness of the word echoes in the cave. “I’ve known Roy longer than that, its been way more than three years! I would have noticed if CADMUS had substituted my own brother in front of me!” your argument is urgent, something had to be wrong.

“Unless they took a self fabricated opportunity to substitute the clone in a time of chaos. Where Speedy’s patrol partner and closest confidant was… gone?” Batman paints a picture but you're so hyper-focused on the Roy of it all you miss what he’s hinting to.

Theres a sharp intake of breath behind you, when you turn you see Kaldur, his eyes wide as he stares at you, “You came to Atlantis almost four years ago, you were gone from the surface world for over a year…” he reminds you, and you feel another string snap.

“No.”

“You said everyone seemed different, you were different, you were re-adjusting, it’d be reasonable to assume you wouldn't have noticed,” Kaldur’s tone is soft.

“No! Don't you understand?” you shout, turning to the team. “If that's true, it means the riot where they escaped was planned, they meant to cause a distraction, to throw us off guard so that they could switch-”

“Switch their Roy for ours,” Wally finishes, green eyes full of remorse on your behalf.

“And they waited almost year to put that into action, capitalizing off of the disarray of Star City's heroes,” Artemis tacks on.

“I would have noticed!” you argue, voice cracking as you try to reign in your emotions.

“The clone was pre-programmed with a drive to join the Justice League,” Batman intervenes, continuing to provide the information he had at hand. “Which is why he was so angry over any delays to his admission and why he refused to join the Team. This Roy Harper had no idea he was a clone or a traitor. And his subconscious programming drove him to become League-worthy. So he struck out on his own as Red Arrow.”

Your head was spinning, heart beating so fast and loud in your ears, it was a miracle you were still standing up. Something was wrong, something had to be wrong. Where was Dinah and Ollie? If this were true they’d come to tell you in person, they would. How could Ollie have not noticed? How could Dinah? Something had to be wrong.

“When he was finally admitted, his secondary programming kicked in and he attempted to betray the League to Vandal Savage.”

Your stomach flipped, Savage?

“Fortunately, I had already deduced Red Arrow was a clone. We were prepared.”

He had what?!

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” you whisper, Conner and Kaldur seem to be the the only two who hear you as they offer you mildly concerned expressions.

“Savage was subdued but Red Arrow escaped. He is now a fugitive, armed and dangerous,” Red Tornado continues.

“If you guys hadn't rescued me from CADMUS...” Conner trails off, eyes jumping from me to Kaldur.

“What happened to the real Roy?” Rob’s the one to voice the question and your heart stutters. Real Roy as if the one you'd known since your return wasn't real in some way. They were both real, at least they were to you.

“We don't know. He isn't at Cadmus. We have to face the possibility that the real Roy Harper is dead.”

You can't stop it. The bubble of grief, pain, and guilt. It bursts out of you, and of course Kaldur’s the one to catch it. His hand lands heavily on your shoulder, and you take deep breaths to center yourself. They don't know, you remind yourself. He could be alive and on ice somewhere, you repeat. You're forcing thoughts of hope down your own throat, hoping something will be digestible.

The last thing you're expecting is for Robin to grab ahold of your hand, not in front of Batman, and not after yesterday’s incident. Today, however, he doesn't waver or flinch back like he had the day before, so you can't tell if he can feel what you are right now. He simply snags your hand and tightens his grasp, until you're squeezing back.

“The clone Roy. The Team will find him,” Kaldur decides, his tone leaves little space.

Yet, somehow, Batman blows it wide open, “Negative. Red Arrow's a member of the Justice League now. Leave him to us.”

There's an argument forming on your lips, but a beep from his comms forces you to shut up.

“I'm needed on the Watchtower. Tornado, stay with the kids,” Batman decides and Robins hand slackens a bit. Kids? Since when did Batman call you kids?

The zeta lights up a second later, “Recognized, Batman, zero-two.”

You turn and run to the closest bathroom, you can hear as a few people shout after you, but you’re focused on making it to the bathroom. Your knees hit the ground hard as you all but collapse and then your heaving up the little that’s in your stomach. The protein bar and cookies that Conner had swiped from the kitchen for you, the orange juice Kaldur had poured for you, and the the blueberries that you’d scarfed down as well.

There’s a hand on your back, another keeping your hair back. “Wally?” your voice is a hoarse whisper.

“It’s me,” he affirms.

You nod and close your eyes for a second before you’re heaving again.

“I got you,” he promises, gently rubbing circles into your back.

You knew that, Wally’s always got your back. You know he probably didn’t hesitate to chase after to you, and that he most likely told everyone else to stay back. “I would have noticed,” you repeat.

“(Y/n)…”

“I should have noticed,” you say, sliding back, wiping at your mouth and leaning against the wall before turning to your friend.

“That’s not on you,” Wally argued.

“He’s my brother, my responsibility,” you shoot back.

“C’mon, let’s get you back before Rob starts panicking,” he huffs, pulling you up.

“I need to bru-” before you can finish Wally disappears and reappears with the toothbrush from your locker and a tube of toothpaste.

“Your teeth?” he asks cheekily.

You shake your head before quickly brushing your teeth. When you and Wally get back it’s to Kaldur’s awaiting stare. You offer a nod and he turns to face the rest of the team before looking back at you. He gives you a look signifying that it was your move this time, your call. Your stomach’s still unsettled but you swallow down your nerves and confusion before addressing the team.

  “Clone or no clone, Red Arrow was one of us. For three years, he was ours. We will go after him, and we will figure this out, on our terms,” you decide.

  You had planned to say more, but the sudden sounds from Red Tornado force you to stop. He freezes about a foot and a half away from you. Then, it's like he shut down. A sound as if he was being powered down, as the entire armor freezes, and his head tilts down.

  “Tornado!” M’gann’s shout is slightly panicked.

“What happened?” Conner’s squinting.

“He's powered down,” Wally notes, tone slightly curious.

“All functions off-line,” Robins got a frown as well, analyzing Red Tornadoes stats on his wrist-computer.

“Something doesn’t feel right,” you note, staring between the stats as well as Tornado.

“Guys, I'm sensing a low-level mystic force at play. I don't know if it caused his shutdown, but… now that I think about it, I was getting the same buzz off Batman,” Zatanna admits, and your frown deepens.

“Batman,” Robin repeats. “He called us kids. He never does that.”

  You step forward, analyzing every aspect of Tornado that you could, Wally comes up behind you and does the same.

  “Look,” Wally’s call pulls your attention. When he straightens up you can see something in his hands, “One of those bio-tech chips we confiscated off Cheshire.”

“Nightingale is right, something is not right,” Kaldur agrees. “Robin, Kid, Zatanna, Rocket, see if you can get Tornado back online,” he directs. “The rest with me to find Ro... Red Arrow.”

  The team pauses despite Kaldur’s clear instruction, and slowly they look from him, to each other, and then to you. You know why they paused, even Kaldur seems frozen as he stares at you. His decision would put you into the field, it would allow you to look for Roy, to be there when the Team finds him. Going with them would also separate you from both Wally and Dick.

  You must’ve stayed silent too long, “Birdy,” Wally’s voice seemed to echo as he called out your name.

“Sorry,” you mutter, looking up. “Kaldur’s right, we.. uh, we have to split up.”

  Wally and Dick look at each other and then they look at you.

  “It’ll be okay,” you tell them. “I have to find him, my brother, my responsibility. Plus, who knows him better than me?”

  No one has an answer and you nod.

  “Suit up,” you confirm once more before the team nods, and disperses accordingly.

  Wally, Dick, and Kaldur hang back. The three of them don’t speak, but they’re exchanging looks with each other and with yourself. No one says a word, but you offer a look of your own, and then roll your eyes at them. They pause and as always, Wally’s the first to crack. He throws his hands up looking at the two other boys and then gesturing to you. When that doesn’t get the response he wants, he throws his hands up again, waving them around.

You smile softly, hands coming to Wally’s shoulders. You offer a forced lopsided smile, tilting your head to the side. Wally responds by shaking his head, and you tighten your grip. You give him a pleading look, Wally’s face scrunches but he finally stares at you head on. You nod, gently and he sighs before nodding back.

You pass along a feeling of comfort, trying to make him understand that it’ll be okay.

“Yeah,” Wally confirms, before walking off.

Kaldur offers you a nod of his head and you nod back, before he walks toward the bioship.

You pause for a second and take a breath, and then there’s a hand on your shoulder and you’re hit with concern, longing, and a need to protect. You take another breath and turn to face Dick. He’s staring at you for a second, he opens his mouth and then closes it. In the end he stares at you making a closed fist with his right hand and rubs little clockwise circles on his chest. Your ASL was passable, a skill that Dinah and Ollie thought was important to learn for the streets, it seems like Bruce thought the same for Dick. Sorry, that’s what he was saying.

You know what he’s sorry for, you knew it the second he grabbed your hand. You take your right hand, rub a circle with your palm against your chest, and then with a flat hand swipe above your temple with your fingertips, I know.

He shakes his head, the barest of a smile on his lips.

You offer a soft smile at Dick one last time before walking towards the locker room. You’re quick to grab your gear, and you’re silent until your in the bioship, and in the air.

“Old friend,” Kaldur’s voice is soft inside the bioship, but you’re forced to pay attention to him regardless.

“I know what you’re going to say,” you sigh.

“Oh?”

“It’s not your fault, you couldn’t have known,” you trail off.

“Wrong,” Artemis interrupts.

“Am I?”

“Yeah, we were all going to say it,” Conner scoffed.

You soften at that.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” you say sadly.

“How so?” M’gann’s voice is as soft as it has always been.

“Because I did know, a piece of me did, at least,” you tell them, gaze focusing on the clouds as you pass them by out the window.

“What?” Conner’s accusation cuts clear.

“I knew something was wrong. I could feel it. Ever since my abilities… he would get angry, over things he never used to. I just wrote it off, I- I knew it was wrong, it felt wrong, it didn’t feel like natural anger, it was sudden, it was triggered but not by anything I could see. I should’ve said something, should’ve told someone,” you admit to them.

“You had no reason to suspect ulterior machinations,” Kaldur countered. “And though I know it bothers you, you both had grown apart since the foundation of the team.”

“Yeah,” you nod, fingers tracing over the ring dagger you’d been fidgeting with, “maybe.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. December 31st, 09:06 EST

“Logs indicate Red Arrow zeta'd to the Hall from the Watchtower,” Artemis stated, “But he could be anywhere by now, I also was only able to read the Hall logs, the Watchtower ones have been classified,” she adds on.

Kaldur clears his throat and turns to you expectantly, “So, I kind of didn’t appreciate how Roy tried to cut ties with everyone when he went solo, so I might’ve done some digging…” you trail, typing in new coordinates.

“Digging?” Conner asks.

“Okay, fine, investigating, and tailing, and the whole package pretty much. I found his main apartment, and discovered that he had installed equipment caches in several major cities,” you relent.

Conner coughs out, “stalker,” before clearing his throat, and you roll your eyes.

“One is here,” you continue as the bioship comes to a stop over an apartment complex.

“So… who’s going down, because, uh… not it,” Artemis muses weakly.

“I am,” you assure her.

“We are,” Kaldur corrects.

You nod and you both stand, you readjust your utility belt and pull a sweatshirt over the top of your suit, and then you pull your leather jacket on as well. It looks inconspicuous enough, at least as much as it would ever for your needs.

You and Kaldur drop to the roof, the access door was unlocked and you made your way down one floor. Roy had gotten an apartment on the top floor. When you come upon the door you crouch down with your lock picks, but between your latent anxiety, and the need to find Roy, your focus is slightly skewed.

“Perhaps, this is not the time for stealth?” Kaldur offers sagely.

You sigh and hang your head, hiding your lock pick tools in their place under your sleeve once again, “yeah.”

“Shall I? Or, would you like to?” he asks, gesturing to the door.

“I will,” you nod, standing back up.

You take a breath and stare at the door, and then with a heafty amount of force you kick down the door, you manage to put in enough force to rock the door off a hinge, and when it clears your vision you’re greeted by Roy holding up his bow with two arrows notched.

You notice the way his hand dips a second as he realizes it’s you he’s got an arrow focused on, “How’s it hanging, Roy?” you ask, but there’s a tough edge to your tone.

“You know, business as usual, Birdy,” he huffs out, but he retrains the arrows on you both.

“We have not come to harm nor apprehend you,” Kaldur cuts in. “But the Team requires answers-”

“Me first,” Roy interrupts. “Tell me something you haven’t told anyone else… tell me who broke your heart.”

Your jaw drops, “Roy!” your tone is more chastising than it was before. You know why it’s necessary, but it’s a low blow for Kaldur, a very low blow.

Kaldur places a hand on your shoulder, “Tula. The girl I loved chose my best friend Garth over me,” he answers, and you can hear the fight to keep his voice level. “While the man I consider by best friend on the surface world aims an arrow at my chest.”

Roy moves and suddenly both arrows are pointed at you.

“Roy-” Kaldur’s tone turned dangerous, but to your credit your eyes narrow and you tilt your chin up at him daringly.

“E.T. phone home,” Roy says, and you don’t need to touch Kaldur to feel the confusion rolling off of him.

There’s a pang in your heart, Roy, this Roy, was pulling on one of the earliest decisions you all made, code phrases. Methods to promise sanity, self, but also a warning when necessary. They were all movie phrases, famous enough to remember, but mismatched enough that no one would be able to guess. You’d both decided on them after you’d returned from Atlantis and Dinah let you return to patrol.

“Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” you whisper.

Roy’s entire body sags. The bow and arrows clatter to the floor as he drops to his knees, and you’re quick to drop with him. You land on your knees right in front of him.

“You’re killin’ me, Smalls,” you whisper once again to him.

“As if,” he shoots back, and you crush him in a hug.

The both of you clutch onto each other, you grip him tight just for the minute being. You hug him tight and he hugs back, and you revel in it. In it’s familiarity. He might have not been the Roy that was brought home to you, but he is the one you spent the last three years with, he is still your Roy. The one who helped you readjust to being back in Star City, the one who would drive you to school, and would tap you gently when you’d accidentally slip back into Atlantean. The one who would reassure you that life was going to be okay, who would sit beside your bed, who would hold your hand, who watched your back, he was your brother. Your brother, your responsibility.

Slowly you both re-centered, and then you hauled him up to the roof, and then all three of you were pulled back up into the bioship. It’s quiet when you’re all back.

“We’re clear,” you say quietly and there’s a collective breath let out.

Everyone settled into their seats and soon enough we were back in the air.

Kaldur doesn’t waste any time, “We were told you were the mole,” he explains and Roy puffs out a breath.

“But we have reason to doubt,” you quickly inserted.

“Forget doubt. I was the mole,” Roy states, and you let out an audible groan, staring up at the roof of the ship.

“Batman and Tornado said you’re a CADMUS clone, like me,” Conner admits.

Roy turns to look at you, and you offer a slight nod, “That explains it,” he nods with a sigh that makes him seem more tired than surprised. “I was a sleeper agent, pre-programmed to infiltrate the League…. I think Sportsmaster was my handler. He had a key-phrase, Broken Arrow… that could shut me down, put me in a hypnotic state to steal secrets for his superiors, or incorporate further programming. I'd then carry out all orders subconsciously completely unaware of what drove me.”

Roy paused and you stared back at him, “take me back?” you whisper to him and he shut his eyes and nodded once more before turning back to the rest of the team, specifically the three seated behind you.

“I think one of those orders was to focus suspicion on the three of you. I'm sorry,” he adds on.

“How did Batman discover this and prevent you from betraying the League?” Kaldur asks.

Roy pauses, and looks at you, “He didn't.”

“Fuck,” you sigh.

“Birdy,” Kaldur’s voice is level, and there’s a request in it to make sure you remain so as well.

“So what happened?” you ask, pulling yourself together.

“The entire League’s been put under mental domination via those chips you guys found,” Roy sighs, scrubbing at his face.

“The ones we got off Jade?” Artemis cut in.

“Yeah, he called ‘em Starro-tech, an alien bio-organism infused with nanotechnology and magic,” Roy explained.

“Nanotechnology and magic?” you repeat. “Artemis, in the Bayou, you said you saw-”

“Klarion, the Brain, Gorilla Mallah, and Professor Ivo,” she answers.

“If there was ever a trust that could pull something like that off…” you trail.

“What do they do? The chips?

“It shuts down the mind’s autonomy, allows the controller to reprogram the individual to suit their needs,” Roy explains.

“Wait…” Conner calls interrupting. “You said He called them, who’s he?”

Roy grimaces, looks around the ship and then straight at you, and you already don’t like where this is headed, “Savage,” he says and you don’t even make it a second before you explode.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” you shout. “VANDAL SAVAGE? WHAT THE FUCK!”

“Language,” Roy says automatically, and then he twitches, like he hadn’t meant to say it. “And I knew you weren’t going to like that.”

“But this chip, it affected everyone?” M’gann asked, and you had no doubt she was thinking about her uncle.

“This Starro-tech, it worked on super-powered humans, four flavors of alien, an android, even Doctor Fate,” Roy explained.

“Defeating all of you without a fight?” Conner asks.

“Indeed. A remarkable achievement. One not easily countered,” Kaldur points out.

“I'm sorry, but how is it that you are no longer enslaved?” M’gann’s the one to ask and your body tenses up.

“No Starro-tech, for starters. Just my CADMUS programming, and once I had satisfied its last parameter, my mind began to clear,” Roy admits. “I'm sure Savage planned to Starro-tech me, but he paused to bask… I escaped.”

You turn in your seat and look back at M’gann, urging her to understand, and luckily, she does. She nods at you with a gentle smile, “I promise, I can clean any residual programming from your mind,” M’gann says, reassuring you, despite the intention being directed at Roy.

  “Linking both squads and de-camouflaging,” M’gann’s voice suddenly echoes in your head and you spot the super cycle as it moves into docking position.

“Great. Because we really need to compare notes,” Robin’s voice has an edge, and as you come face to face with him and the other half of your team, you spot Wally’s frown and notice Dinah.

“What the fuck?” your voice takes on it’s own lethal edge as your gaze jumps from your unconscious and tied up mentor to the rest of the team.

It took some time but eventually both halves of the team had been caught up, now the only think left was to figure out the next move.

  “What if we reverse engineer the starro-tech?” Wally’s the one to make the suggestion and it has all of you pausing.

“Great idea, but how?” Artemis’ tone is dry but she makes a valid point.

  It goes quiet and that’s when you have an idea.

  “ti tha ginótan an rotoúsame ti vasílissa?" (what if we were to ask the queen?) the question echoes across the link but only one person can understand.

Kaldur blinks slowly and in a hesitant tone asks, “*Rota tin gia ti akrivos?*" (ask her for what exactly?)

Your lip quirks a bit, “*an boroúme dioikitís Giatrós V?*" (if we can commandeer Doctor V?)

You’re not sure what you were expecting but you’re not sure why you were surprised, Kaldur’s always backed your plans, “Pistévete óti o Red échei akóma ton arithmó tis Roquette?" (Do you think Red still has Roquette’s number?)

You offer a lopsided smile, “**Tha chreiastoúme óli ti voítheia pou boroúme na pároume**." (We’re gonna need all the help we can get.)

“Would someone like to clue those of us not fluent in Atlantean in?” Conner’s tone cuts through your conversation.

  You share another look with Kaldur.

  “It’s your plan,” he prods.

“Wally has the right idea, we have to reverse engineer the chip. We don’t stand a chance if we don’t,” you remind everyone.

“But you have a plan that will address that,” Robin realizes.

“Of course she does, when it comes down to it, our girl’s always got a plan,” Wally snorts, but by the way he scrubs at his face you realize he’s on edge.

You nod, “what do we know about the staro-tech?”

“Alien bio-organisim infused with nanotechnology and magic… what are you thinking?” Roy trails.

“I think you have the number for a nanotechnologies expert who owes us a favor, and I happen to know a few individuals who specialize in magic and science, in fact they run a whole conservatory, that teaches kids like us, well, like Kaldur,” you hint to everyone else.

“Doctor Roquette and Queen Meera,” Robin realizes.

“Alongside Doctor Vulko, who runs the Atlantean Science Center, he’s the Minister of Science for the kingdom,” Kaldur adds.

“Doctor Spence too,” Connor adds, “She worked for CADMUS, she probably can help reverse engineer the chips.”

“Which means there’s also three people we need to pick up, ASAP,” you point out.

  Another silence fils the ship, Wally’s already shaking his head, and Rob’s still staring straight at you.

  “We have to split up,” Rocket’s the one to state the obvious.

“Again?” Zatanna’s voice wobbles a bit.

  You bite down hard on your lip to keep yourself focused.

  “We have to, the quicker we get them, the quicker we fix this. We have to fix this,” you say, voice level.

“How do you want to handle it?” Robin’s the one to ask, his own voice level, but you can see the twitch in his hand.

Your lips tug down as you prepare to answer, because there’s only one possibility, “Superboy and Miss Martian will pick up Dr. Spence. Kid Flash and Robin will escort Red Arrow-” you don’t mean for your voice to crack but it does. “Will escort Red Arrow and retrieve Dr. Roquette.”

“You’ve got to be joking,” Wally’s scoff, clearly depicts what he thinks of your decision.

“Dude,” Robin’s quick to cut him off.

“And Aqualad and I will take the super cycle to go to Atlantis,” you finish. “Artemis, Zee, and Rocket will play support, and keep tabs on Canary. Please do not lose my mentor. Plus they can run background with RT.”

  You’re met with silence.

  “This is the plan, if someone has a better idea, speak up now, otherwise, you know what you have to do,” you swallow back the anxiety, and focus your gaze on Kaldur, you can’t look at anyone else, not right now.

  You remember his words from earlier, to lean on him, and to allow him to support you. It was all so overwhelming, it’s all too much, but staring at Kaldur reminded you of the little girl who was barely 10 when she was dropped in Atlantis. The girl so full of rage she couldn’t sort through her own emotions. Kaldur knew how to help that girl center herself, taught her how to cope and handle things.

  “Well if no one else is going to say it; I have some thoughts,” Wally scoffs again.

“Trust me, we know you do, Wall-Man,” Artemis’ dry tone actually puts a smile on your lips, a small quirk of a thing, but it works.

“I’m only taking constructive criticism at the moment,” you tag on, and your gaze finally flickers to Wally who is simply glaring at you.

  You offer a shrug in response, and you can feel the heat of Wally’s glare, the discomfort radiating off of Dick, but you don’t have it in you right now to address it.

ATLANTIS December 31st, 13:13 EST

“Our friends are… displeased,” Kaldur notes cautiously once it’s just the two of you on the supercycle.

“I know,” you nod, and you did, you felt it in the air, rolling off your teammates, your friends, as you and Kaldur geared up to split off.

“What are you thinking, poulí?” the question weighs heavy on you.

“I am thinking that this is my only plan, K. I don’t have a back up if we should fail this time around,” you admit.

“Then it’s good we trust in your planning, old friend. Your plans have never led us astray thus far,” he muses.

“Define astray,” you scoff back, Kaldur lets a smile slip, and then a hand lands on your shoulder comfortingly.

“They believe in you, and so do I,” he reassures you. “This idea, utilizing our resources, it is a good plan.”

“Vandal Savage, Kaldur, it’s a big play we’re chancing at here,” you sigh, twisting your rings nervously.

“Yes, and we are making the most educated choices we can. Believe in yourself, poulí, just as we do.”

You nod silently doing your best to absorb Kaldur’s reassurances. Soon enough the Super-cycle begins to descend. It pauses part way submerged, and you reach out with the ring clad finger to touch the water. Kaldur is silent beside you as you ground yourself. You feel the current, the pull of the ocean, and firmly you say, “anapnéo,” the ring made from atlantean metal glows, and then with a tap to the Super-cycle it submerges completely.

The first breath is always a bit nerve wracking, it feels like you’re entirely out of practice, and therefore not prepared to breathe. But you do. You cautiously, slowly breathe in, and when it feels as normal as it does on land your body relaxes.

“pos niótheis poulí?" (how do you feel, Birdy?) Kaldur’s question jars your wandering thoughts back into the present.

“étoimo na cheiristeí ó,ti prépei na cheiristeí ,” (ready to handle what needs to be handled) you assure him and he nods.

Minutes pass and then you are confronted with the city of Atlantis, beautiful in all its glowing magic and technology. You smile at the city fondly and catch the wanting in Kaldur’s eye, this was him home, and for a year it had been your own. The two of you had developed your friendship in this city, it will always, without a doubt, be a very special place for you.

As the cycle passes through the gates and toward the conservatory, you push the melancholic nostalgia away, and do your best to focus in on the mission at hand, there was too much as stake to be distracted by memories of the past. As Kaldur disembarks, you follow, and the two of you make your way into the Conservatory of Magic.

MOUNT JUSTICE

December 31st, 15:42 EST

“So you need us to develop something that will work against, whatever magicked up alien technology that Mr. Big Bad, Vandal Savage is using against the Justice League?” Roquette’s tone was the same as it was when you first encountered her, and you share a look with Kaldur when you both notice it.

“The heroes have come to us for help, should we not so long as we are able?” Dr. Vulko, ever the voice of reason, and forever on the side of progress is the balm you didn’t realize you’d need.

“I agree, this is an opportunity to do good with the knowledge we have acquired over our years,” Dr. Spence’s agreement catches you off guard, but the pride and satisfaction rolling off of SB tells you this is exactly what he’d hoped for.

“It’s simple, Kaldur’ahm and Poulí told us what’s wrong, you’re either here to help, or they can show you the door,” Tulla’s blunt and to the point, and you have the choke down the snort as you stare appreciatively at the redhead, you notice that Kaldur’s doing the same, some things, you imagine, would never change.

You’d all regrouped at the Cave, scientists and specialists in hand. Tulla had been Queen Veera’s contribution and envoy as she could not leave Atlantis without a sane monarch, and especially not in a time where the King had been compromised. Each recruit had been given the details during their travel, but once they were all together, the gravity had seemingly begun to set in. Dr. Rouquette was as vibrant as she had been when you’d first met, despite that though, they had begun a prompt discussion on how the chip works, and a prefatory analysis on the confiscated chip.

  “So do we think this is gonna work? Or should we be considering a back-up plan?” Rocket’s voice echoes though the open link and while the specialists continue their discussions, the team sends knowing looks to each other.

“this is the plan, the only plan,” you tell them seriously.

“Wait, seriously? You always have a back-up?” Artemis’ surprise is evident, and your lips twist down in response.

“Figures, considering her go-to has also been compromised,” Wally’s judgement is clear and your eye twitches in response.

“Sorry about that,” Zatanna’s voice is meek in response, and you catch the way Artemis, punches Wally in the arm, and his accompanying wince.

“So not your fault,” you finally cut in. “And I don’t hear you offering something else up, Wall-Man?” you state bitingly, shooting him a glare at which Wally winces again.

“To be fair, this was originally his idea,” Conner cuts in.

“Semantics,” Robin disagrees, “plus, Birdy’s the one with the connections to make it happen.”

“Gee, thanks, Rob. My genius and l feel so appreciated,” Wally scoffs, rolling his eyes.

“Right, so… back-up plan?” Rocket asks again.

“I don’t know! Short of contacting any non-affiliated heroes, or intergalactic organizations, I’m not sure what else we can do,” you sigh, a hand coming up to pinch at the bridge of your nose, while you work to secure your emotions and constrain your frustration.

“Intergalactic organizations?” Rocket repeats.

“OA,” the response is echoed by Wally, Rob, Roy, and Kaldur, you can’t help but notice this is the first time Roy was participating.

“OA,” you confirm, and then catching the confused look, on Rocket and Zatanna’s faces you add, “The Green Lantern Corps.”

“Oh,” Zatanna’s understanding is soft, as her eyes widen.

“We have a line to them?” Rocket asks, surprise evident.

“…We have potential avenues,” Robin supplies, defending your point while making eye contact with you.

“We do?” Artemis’ question is fair, and you hesitate, but your eyes lock with Roy, and then with Dick.

“Earth has another Green Lantern,” You remind the team.

“Is he not a part of the league?” Zatanna squints.

“…There were some concerns about his attitude and maturity,” Dick supplies cautiously.

“But they let Roy in?” the dig slips from Artemis’ thoughts, and by the look on her face you know she didn’t mean to project that particular thought.

  You can’t help the very audible snort, and a hand comes up over your face in embarrassment as everyone turns to you.

You catch the small smirk on Dick’s face, and Wally’s chuckling a little bit too. And when Roy turns to you, betrayed, you can’t help but start to giggle, and when your avert your gaze, they land on Wally. Which really was the worst move because then you’re both laughing.

“Okay!” Roy huffs. “Laugh it up, Birdy,” he scoffs.

“Sor-” you try but burst into another fit, until you’re practically leaning on Kaldur to stay upright.

When you finally get control, you catch the small smile on Kaldur’s face, and even Roy’s scowl has faded a bit.

“Sorry,” you say seriously, bitting your lip and straightening up.

  “Should we be worried?” Rocket asks, wide eyes on you.

“No, sorry, I just… whew, I needed a laugh, thanks Artemis,” you smile.

Artemis blushes a bit in response, “What were you going to say about the other Lantern?” she prompts, pushing the conversation back on track.

“Right, Guy Gardner,” you share. “Kind of a bully based on Canary’s files, it’s the reason he hasn’t been inducted. But he is a Lantern, and the ring did choose him. He’s based out of Baltimore, Maryland. If we fail here, we just need to get word to him, hopefully he’ll take it seriously,” you shrug.

“Reassuring,” Rocket laments flatly, and all you can do is shrug again.

  “Kaldur’ahm, Poulí, I think we may have come to an understanding,” Vulko’s voice booms across the room, and your head snaps to him immediately.

“What do you need?” you ask, setting your shoulders, as the rest of the team turns to face the brain trust.

THE WATCHTOWER December 31st, 23:16 EST

Infiltrating the Watchtower was not something you’d ever thought you’d have to do. However, somehow, you really can’t find it in you to be totally surprised.

Dinah, now freed from Starro-Tech’s control, along with Roy and Red Tornado had gone in as a distraction, allowing the team to handle the rest. Part of you had been hesitant to let Roy out of your sight after finally finding him. Not to mention Dinah. You’d twitched a little too violently, when she volunteered to go back, and Roy and Dick had both given you cautious looks as a response.

The waiting was the worst though.

You watched as M’gann, Kaldur, and Connor broke through the wall where the Bioship had docked. Robin kept an eye on the alarms and scanners the entire time, covering the Team’s tracks as he went.

Eventually, it was time.

  “RT did it. Wirelessly bypassed security for us as soon as he arrived. Savage shouldn't know we're here,” Robin confirmed, once we’d all regrouped inside the watchtower.

Aqualad nodded, before casting a quick glance at the rest of the team, “move out.”

“Currently tracking five League members between us and Savage,” Robin shares as you and Kaldur begin leading everyone though.

“Which ones?” Artemis’ tone is dubious, even through the link, and you can’t really say you blame her.

“Plastic Man, Hawkman, the Atom, Captain Atom, and… well,” Robin pauses on the last one and you turn back to look at him. “Green Arrow.”

  The team pauses, as they wait for the next move. There were nine of you, which meant almost everyone could double up, almost.

A quick glance at Kaldur tells you he was thinking the same thing.

  “Here’s the plan…” you speak first, “We work quietly and quickly. Take every opportunity to knock as many of the Leaguers out as we can before Savage and his cohort baddies realize what’s happening. Artemis and KF, you two take Plastic Man. SB and Rob, Hawkman. Zatanna and Miss M, the Atom. Aqualad and Rocket, Captain Atom. Leave GA to me,” the team nods, but once again you notice their hesitation.

“What?” you press.

“Are you sure you want to handle GA? One of us can do it,” Wally offers tentatively.

“No. He’s mine. But Rob, I could use a favor…”

  Armed with one of Robin’s recording birdarangs you split off from the group. You’re following your map to where GA’s icon is moving, and periodically you get updates from the rest of the team.

First it’s KF and Artemis.

  “Plastic Man in gassed, and chipped,” you can practically hear Wally’s smirk as he reports in.

  You turn another corner.

  “Hawkman’s chipped too,” Robin reports.

“Probably going to be out for a bit. I might’ve hit him a little too hard,” Superboy admits.

  You pause when you hear Oliver’s footsteps. Spotting the crates, you launch yourself up. Walking on the balls of your feet, you climb up, silently.

  “We got the Atom,” Zatanna confirms.

  You catch sight of a support beam, a few feet above you, and launch yourself up with as much strength as you can muster. You manage to grab hold, and then you pull your body up, until you’re balanced on your feet, walking the beam.

  “Captain Atom is incapacitated, but chipped,” Kaldur’s the next one to confirm, which just left you.

  You pull the chip from your belt, as well as the birdarang. Following Oliver’s path ahead, you toss the birdarang, it lands solidly in the wall.

A beat passes.

And then a second.

And then-

  “Ha, Ha, Ollie, over here!”

  Your giggle echoes down the hall, and Oliver’s quick to turn to the sound.

  “NG, status?” Robin’s voice rings through the link but you ignore it.

  You take your grapple line and wrap it around the support, making sure it’s snug in place, before attaching the line to your belt.

  “Birdy, you copy?” Wally this time.

  Oliver’s almost in position, and so you count.

one.

two.

three.

  You hold your breath as you lean back.

For a second you’re falling, and it’s so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Luckily, the speaker starts again.

  “Ha, ha. Ollie, over here!”

  The recording covers the sound of the grapple going taught.

  “Nightingale, report in!” Kaldur, and he’s serious.

  You get about two seconds before Oliver realizes the birdarang’s what’s making the sound, and you’re suspended in the air, halfway between the ground and the support beams of the Watchtower.

The chip, which you’d been flipping around your finger’s is poised between your index and middle fingers, and right as Ollie turns, baring the side of his neck, you toss it. You throw it the way Dinah taught you to throw a shuriken.

The balance had practically been the same.

It hits Ollie and there’s a second when he turns to you, arrow drawn.

And then he collapses.

You tug on the grapple cord and it slackens. You land on your feet, twisting the cord back into your grapple as you walk up to the downed Green Arrow.

  “GA’s chipped,” you finally say, tuning back into the link.

“We’re not splitting up anymore,” Wally says quickly.

  You roll your eyes.

  “Don’t be ridiculous, KF-”

“You didn’t answer us!” Artemis cuts in.

  This time you scoff.

  “They have to realize by now,” Robin speaks up.

“He’s right, we need to move. Zatanna and Miss Martian, you two head for the dock Zeta, Rocket and I will join you,” Kaldur decides. “The rest of you head up.”

“On the way,” Zatanna confirms.

  You’d started making your way back up, sticking to the support beams as much as possible, so far, you’d avoided any further League interactions.

  “That’s Dr. Fate, Icon, and Captain Marvel taken care of,” Zatanna speaks up, and you pause for a second.

“Too bad Cure-tech doesn't work as fast as Starro-tech. We could use these guys,” Rocket huffs, and your lips quirk up, she’s not wrong.

“It is a small miracle Queen Meera and Doctors Roquette, Spence, and Vulko were able to re-engineer a cure and vaccine at all,” Kaldur reminds her.

“And their combined 8 PhDs,” you muse.

Before anyone can respond to your joke, KF interjects, “If you guys aren't busy...”

Your breath catches, but Kaldur’s already on the move, “On my way. You three rendezvous with Robin and Superboy.”

  You pick up your pace as well, and are only partially paying attention when Zatanna gives her confirmation.

  “Uh, I'll be right behind you,” she offers.

  You manage to arrive at the main deck in time to Batman hit Robin.

  “I am so not turbed,” is how you announce yourself, as your jump down from the level you’re on, using your grapple to loop down to the one where Robin is.

“Yeah, me neither,” he promises.

  You’re on your feet in time to fall in step with both Superboy and Robin, both seem to be smarting a bit after taking on Batman and Superman, understandably.

  “We're not gonna beat them one-on-one,” Robin finally announces.

“Plan B, then,” Superboy confirms.

“And I thought my contingencies were drastic,” you manage to joke out before taking Connor’s hand.

  Conner grabs a hold of you with one hand, and Robin with the other. Using his strength he spins you both, before launching you one after the other at Batman.

You land first, grabbing a handful of his cape to pull him with your momentum.

Robin’s body crashes into you both a second later, and then the three of you go into the wall. You can feel your bones rattle from the impact, but when you slide down, you manage to grab a hold of a chip as Robin hold’s Batman steady.

You place the chip, before changing your stance to drop into a roll. You pop up on one leg, escrima sticks in hand, and Robin lands crouched beside you.

You barely have a second to catch your breath before you hear Superman and Superboy go into a wall of their own.

You both take off and you hesitate when Robin reaches to his belt.

“You sure about this?” you ask as you both run up to them.

Superboy manages to grunt out a, “Just do it!” as he strains to hold Superman in place.

You grab hold of another chip while Robin opens a box.

The green light reflects off their faces, and you watch as it seems to drain them both. Conner and Superman both start sliding down, neither of them fighting anymore as they go.

As soon as Superman falls, you’re quick to place the chip, and once you do, Robin’s shutting the lead lined box tight.

You sit back on your ass and let out the breath you didn’t realize you were holding, turning back to check on Conner, who was pulling himself up to sit against the wall beside you.

He lets out a groan, looking at you and then at Robin, “Ugh. Kryptonite… hurts,” he admits, and you can’t help the scoff that slips past your lips.

It brings a smile to Robin’s face though.

“Which is why,” he begins, offering a hand to Conner. “Batman keeps it in an overwhelmingly impenetrable vault at the Batcave,” he explains, pulling SB back to his feet.

“Overwhelmingly impenetrable, huh?” you smirk up at the two.

Both boys smile down, offering you a hand.

“Well, more like a whelmingly penetrable vault,” Robin corrects.

You snort, taking their hands, and they’re quick to put you back on your feet as well.

“Let’s go. Vandal Savage awaits,” you remind them, and the two nod at you, before the three of you take off toward’s the main viewing deck, where the main Zeta point was for the Watchtower.

Unfortunately you get there just in time to watch Vandal Savage, Klarion, and his familiar, Teekle, disappear through a portal. Wally skidding into where they had been not even a second before.

You redirect yourself over to where Dinah and Roy are unconscious on the floor.

Wally whizzes up to you and grabs your spare de-programing chips, placing them on the leaguers who were up here, before sliding back up to the rest of you.

“Congratulations, Team. You have won the day,” Red Tornado announces, and you let out a tired chuckle at the thought.

None of you have an opportunity to respond though, because in the next second, a holoscreen appears.

“Happy New Year, Justice League,” the computer announces.

You don’t catch what Wally said, but when you turn to him, he’s holding Artemis, and they’re kissing.

Your lip twitches up, and then Connor and M’gann too.

“I’m liking this Team more every day,” Rocket decides, smirking as she kisses Kaldur’s cheek.

You roll your eyes and gag at Robin and Zatanna, both of whom smother their laughs. Zatanna looks away as she tries to keep her composure, but Robin stares back at you.

“Milkshakes?” you mouth to him while no one’s watching.

“Definitely,” he mouths back.

“Human customs still elude me,” Red Tornado announces in response to the kissing, and you can’t hold back your snort.

THE WATCHTOWER January 1st, 00:42 EST

It took some time, but eventually the Leaguer’s began to wake up, and slolwy they all arrived back in the entry deck.

“Everything I thought I knew about myself was a lie. I'm not a hero or a sidekick. I'm a traitor, a pawn,” Roy’s tone was low, dejected, in a way you’re not sure you’d ever heard it.

Dinah reaches out, placing a hand on his arm, “Roy, it'll be all-”

You wince when you watch Roy pull back from her. Bitting too far into your lip and tasting blood.

“I'm not Roy! I don't know what I am. All I know is I need to find the real Roy. I need to rescue Speedy,” he counters.

You’d been too anxious to sit when everyone else had. electing instead to stand across the table from Roy while Ollie and Dinah took the seats on either side of him.

“We’ll help you. The team I mean. And if not, then I will. We’ll find him,” you cut in, licking over your split lip.

“Guardian is already searching Cadmus,” Batman add, reassuringly.

Ollie had been unusually quiet.

“We should take Ro- Red Arrow, home, at least, for now,” Dinah decides.

You caught her slip up, everyone at the table probably did, but no one commented.

“Of course, all four of you can go,” Batman nods.

You catch the tonal shift, and you hesitate.

You’re not sure you would’ve noticed it if not for the rest of your abilities, but you know there’s something else.

“I’d like to stay,” you announce and everyone turns to you. “Just for a bit,” you backtrack, “I want to make sure the Team’s set, and I need to speak with Aquaman about how we deconstructed the chips,” you expound.

Roy looks like he wants to bolt, not that you balme him.

Ollie’s holding himself stiffly.

Dinah looks a little queasy at leaving you here on your own.

“I’ll be fine,” you reassure them.

“I’ll escort her, to Arthur, and then back to the Zeta’s,” Batman offers, and you notice as Dinah realxes, but only a little.

“Not too long,” she adds, though it’s perfunctory, you can tell.

“Promise,” you nod.

She smiles once more at you, weak and strained, before she and Ollie take Roy toward the Zeta’s

You wait until they’re through before you turn back to Batman. Robin and Kaldur had taken the seat on either side of him, and the four of you were the only ones left in the room.

Your hands land on the table with a loud smack that echoes thorough the room, and all three sets of eyes shift to you.

Yours, however, are focused on Batman, “Something else is wrong,” you say.

You’re not asking, you’re not, because you know.

Batman hesitates, looking to Robin for a second before turning back to you, and then nodding.

“The entire League was under Savage's spell for just over a day,” Robin begins, sharing a holoscreen with you. “We've accounted for most of that time. But these six went missing for a full 16 hours we can't account for.”

You stare at the screen. Batman, Superman, Green Lantern; John Stewart, Hawkwoman, Wonder Woman, and Martian Manhinter.

Powerhouses, all six. Each in their own right, different skills, different tactics. It’s terrifying to think what they could have accomplished for Klarion and Vandal Savage in sixteen hours, the implications were limitless.

“Sixteen hours,” Batman repeats, “what did we do?”

STAR CITY January 1st, 02:04 EST

It’s another hour or so by the time you make it back to Star City. You’d talked with King Arthur, shared with him how you and Kaldur had gone to Atlantis, and that Queen Meera had been appraised. And then you’d circled back to the cave to shower and change.

It’s two in the morning when you make it home, and frankly, you’re surprised to see Roy still up.

Dinah and Ollie weren’t around so you assumed they’d gone to bed. They probably thought he had too.

“Hey,” you greet lamely.

“Hi,” is all he offers back.

You drop your gym bag down by the door, and replace the lock before walking over to the sofa. You drop down beside Roy, but you leave a healthy space, not wanting to crowd him. You turn, tucking one leg under you, so that you can face him better.

“I know it’s a stupid question, but I’m going to ask anyways,” you begin, but he doesn’t look at you, focused instead on something just past your head. “How are you?”

He lets out a snort, but it’s dry, and sad, and you can hear it for what the answer it offers. Stupid question.

“I don’t know…” he says after a minute of silence. “But… I don’t really know anything anymore,” he adds on.

You bite on your lip again, wincing when your teeth make contact with the split lip you’d forgotten about.

“Fair,” you offer, agreeing.

“It’s fine,” he huffs, shrugging you off.

Your eyes narrow at that, it was a lot of things, fine isn’t one of them.

“Roy-”

“Don’t call me that!” he hisses, and you pause.

“Okay,” you concede, swallowing thickly. “What should I call you?” you prompt instead.

“I- I.. I don’t know, just.. I’m not Roy Harper, I’m not!” the last words come out as a sob, and you flick the piece of you that wants to give him space the recesses of your mind, scooting closer and wrapping an arm around his middle the best you can.

“How about Red, at least until we figure it all out?” you offer instead.

“Stop,” he cries. “Stop being nice, and understanding, I replaced him!” Roy’s voice is low, and sad, and you know he wants to make his point, but seems not to want to wake up Dinah or Ollie.

“She’s asleep so I’m going to say the bad words she tries to keep me from using,” you begin, delighted when it gets a wet snort out of the redhead. “But fuck that,” you say seriously, and he snorts again.

Finally turning to look at you, though he’s stuck with it, seeing as you’re practically pressing into his side.

“Look, I’m not blaming Ollie but I’m sure as shit not blaming you either. And I think it’s okay to acknowledge the fact that what you went through in the last few days has been harsh. That it was thirty-one flavors of traumatizing. God, Red! I’d be a fucking mess if it were Dinah coming after me, but it’s not your fucking fault or theirs!” you huff out.

“You owe Dinah at least $20, for just the last minute alone,” is all he says in response.

You scoff.

“Look, Roy or not, you’re my brother too. You have been for the last three years, and just because you’re a clone, it doesn’t make it less true,” you say seriously, and he goes quiet.

You let out a long sigh.

“You should get some sleep, tomorrow’s gonna be a long day,” you finally offer after the silence stretches.

“Yeah,” he huffs, standing up.

You stand after him, tugging him into a tight hug, that he doesn’t seem sure of how to respond to.

“Goodnight, Red,” you say gently.

“Goodnight, (y/n),” he whispers, before peeling you off of him, and walking away.

STAR CITY January 1st, 10:22 EST

You slept horribly.

The worst ever, actually.

Okay probably not, but it was still pretty bad.

The light at the end of the tunnel where the two hours of no questions you’d managed to wrangle out of Dinah.

You were already in a booth when he walked in.

Sat with your eyes closed, leaning against the linoleum seats, and when the overhead bell of the entry door rings, you blink them open in time to see Dick find you.

You offer him a muted lazy smile, and he gives you one in return.

“Hey,” he greets.

“Hey,” you say, sliding down.

He takes the invitation, settling down beside you instead of across from you.

The two of you fall into a comfortable silence. It seems you both were talked out after the events of the previous day.

Eventually, Mrs. Lenetii brings out a milkshake for you both, cooing over you, before siappearing to take care of another table.

Your head lands on his and his fingers interlace with yours.

“Bad night?” he asks after you’d both been ignoring your milkshakes for too long.

“yeah,” you nod.

“Yeah,” he repeats.

Slowly you lift your head.

You’re close, the two of you. His face is right there, his lips.

He’s staring at you with the wide blue eyes, and you wonder if he’s suddenly as nervous as you were.

You thought of Wally and Artemis at Midnight, of M’gann and Conner, even Rocket. But they were all older. You and Dick were the youngest on the team. It had never felt like it more until right now.

“Um-” he stutters out. “I… uh.. Can I?” he trails off.

“Have you.. ever?” you question back.

Neither of you have moved apart though.

“No,” he admits. “You?”

“No,” you share.

He offers you a shy smile, and it’s the first one in almost forty hours that doesn’t feel strained.

When he tilts down, you move up. There’s no fireworks. And your noes’ bump, and you giggle. And then your teeth clack, and he laughs. It’s awkward and kind of strange, and not at all what the movies make it sound like it’ll be, but it was your first kiss, and it was his too, and it tastes a little like the chocolate and strawberry milkshakes you’d both been sipping on, and all of it together makes it kind of magical in an of itself.

No matter what happened next, what came next, you had Dick, and you knew he had your back.

everything tags: @butterfly-skinnylegend

dc taglist: @batarella @loninctzencarat @escapenightmare @uh-oh-howd-i-get-here

cnng taglist: @babymango-writes @smile-more19 @bruiscdlikeviolets @truly-dionysus @farfromjustordinary @sometimeseverythingsucks @dweeb-central @lucy-roo @casedoina @cipheress-to-k-pop @anonomano @seninjakitey @whelmedparker @officiallydarkgeek @midnxghtblue @unini @blackwhiteandshadesofgradient @dontmesswithbeebo @raggedyoldwitch @bouqet-of-gay @duckmylife18 @kendallambrosio @notslaybabes @torchbearerkyle @cynthiarose07 @mono--moonchild @emo-space-tea @notsostraightweeb @sassyspanishartist @ahyeonah @acceber1313 @onepieceformeplease @whatislifeandhowdoidoit @luvelyxp @lovelyartemisa @evermoore580 @mischiefmanaged71 @cryingnotcrying @aces-tattooartist @we-flower-fan @awkward-youtube-trash @laurcad123 @sanovr @feverish-dove @lolsnacks

[jinxs-gf]

Conner just wants to be cuddled.

But he’s hesitant to ask, “Hey uh, babe?”

“Yes babe?” the pet names still feel a little weird on your tongues.

“Could we cuddle?” You bite your lip, giddy that fact that he’s getting better at voicing his wants (and needs)

This was just another step forward in your fairly new relationship.

You jump on your claimed side of the bed, eyeing his tired form laying on his. You slip down under the covers and look at him expectedly. Usually it’s instantaneous, the way he’d wrap his arms around you. His next words are not what you expected,

“I’d like to be the little spoon…”

You beam with nothing but excitement, exclaiming “yes!” a little too fast and bright for this time of night. You thought he’d never ask.

“You can always be the little spoon! I’ll never say no to that. I’ll big spoon you so hard you’ll be sick of me. Sick, Conner!”

“I will be sick of you if you don’t stop yelling in my ear like that.”

You bring it down to a whisper, “right, yeah. totally.”

“Sorry that was mean.”

“No not at all, boundaries are important!”

“Right.”

You pat his shoulders, “okay big guy. Turn around or I can’t big spoon!” You’re taking the role of the big spoon a little more seriously than he thought you would...he’s not complaining.

Once Conner is turned you wrap your arms around him, clinging much like a koala would to a tree. Your face nuzzles the back of this neck, and eventually you work your way to the side of it, now nuzzling his pulse point. You nip at it here in there.

Being cuddled like this felt better than he anticipated.

He’s seen, felt the way you react to his touch when in bed. But being on the receiving end is so much better.

It feels safe. And good. He’s experienced a lot of good feelings lately. Good things he didn’t get to when he was still referred to as a weapon and not Conner Kent. You’re the reason for all those good things. The reason he’s softer and more relaxed lately. More open about his feelings and wanting affection.

He didn’t believe he deserved it at first.

But now there was no doubt about it.

You more than happily agreed to cuddle him this way. To wrap your arms around his waist and kiss him tenderly. Yes the relationship is new but his feelings are not.

Conner is pretty sure he loves you.

Conner just wants to be cuddled? I VOLUNTEER!!!!

[danidoodels]

I need a yj band au so bad like a thing they do together outside the capes,hear me out;

Kon- singer/ bass player

Cassie- electric guitar

Bart- drums

none of their mentors actually know they're in a band, they just think the kids are really into music, and also into this one indie band? they never heard of it before but the music seems to be getting more popular day by day.

the band mostly just releases the music online, they didn't get an insane amount of streams at first, but then a superhero(not in yj) ends up mentioning their music, and they pretty much blow up over night.

tim didn't join the band initially at first, he makes the excuse that he doesn't know how to play any instruments, and that he has no time to learn, plus if Batman found out he'd probably wouldn't approve and he doesn't want to bother and deal with that.

anyway later someone stumbles on him singing some insane notes which apparently he wrote. He's got a whole journal filled with his songs that he never showed anyone, until he joins the band.

so Tim would become the lead singer/songwriter, cause I cant really see him playing an instrument? I may change my mind tho

[mourning-tides]

c&c

[biblicalhorror]

Mari hitting on Coach Ben to get him to reconsider murdering her vs. Coach Ben: gay, tired, was never planning on murdering her in the first place but is now kinda thinking about it

[gtgbabie0]

{Wilderness!Nat caring for you when you get sick}

I love her sm I’m so not normal about her <3

Winter was brutal, more than anyone could have anticipated— more than anyone was ready for. The dense greenery of the forest had become suffocated by a thick layer of snow, leaving nothing to hunt. It brought an emptiness that was eerily quiet save for the wind that carried an icy bite to it, as it whistles through the air, it felt almost taunting the way it whispers.

Or maybe you were just going insane, it felt like it— Tassia said it was just a fever that’ll pass within a few days but then those few days turned into weeks and you still felt like you were on deaths door— the hunger certainly wasn’t helping and the fact you struggled to keep down the little bits of food you did have was just the cherry ontop of the rotten cake.

All you could do was curl up by the fireplace, trying to soak up the warmth of the flames— although they seemed miles away, providing little warmth. Natalie watches you, brows furrowed with concern as she tucks the bear pelt around your trembling shoulders in hopes that the fur might just keep the cold from seeping into your achy bones.

“Sshh— shhh, you’re okay.” She hadn’t left your side since the first raspy coughing fit that had seized you up left you crying in her arms. Now she watches over you as you sleep, sitting crossed legged beside you on the floor— brushing her rough knuckles along your clammy cheek as you shiver. “You’re gonna be fine, baby.” The words are mostly to herself, she downright refuses to loose you to a fucking cold.

The orangey flames of the fireplace bring colour back to your sickly face— the usual grimace that curls over your lips was replaced by a much more relaxed expression, cheek smushed against the pillows as you snore away and for a moment she could almost trick herself into believing that you were feeling better— not currently fighting for your life.

“Nat?” The weak croak in your voice snaps her out of her thoughts and she’s immediately turning all her attention to you— hand cupping your cheek gently.

“Yeah, I’m here— m’right here—” her words are slightly frantic, replacing that usual ‘don’t-give-a-fuck’ attitude. “You need water?— extra blanket?”

You couldn’t help but smile up at her— it was weak, barely ghosting over your chapped lips but it was there and it made Natalie’s heart leap. “Yeah, water would be nice.” You only ask so she doesn’t feel so useless just sitting around and watching you get worse.

Slowly, you push yourself to sit up against the wall— a cushion stuffed behind your back as you watch her pour some water into a small cup— they needed to try and boil some more, the supply was beginning to run out. But right now that was the very least of Natalie’s concerns.

She shuffles to kneel beside you, helping you take a few slow sips of water— fingers curled around the base of the cup. “Can you try and eat something, please?”

Her words instantly draw out a croaky groan, that horrid grimace curdling over your face and finding a home on lips once again. “It’s pointless. I’d just bring it back up.”

“You have to try— it’ll help.” And you know she’s no longer asking.

You cave, not having the energy to fight her on it despite how much your stomach shrinks on itself at the thought of eating the shitty slices of bear meat in some watery-soupy concoction Mari stirs up— even with the hunger your fever had found a way to completely destroyed your appetite.

But for the sake of your girlfriend’s sanity you’d try, even letting her spoon feed you tiny mouthfuls— trying to fight that sickly feeling that creeps up your throat and instead focusing on how the fireplace eases that ache in your muscles if only a little.

“You did good— just try n’keep it down, yeah?” She offers you a supportive smile, her hand rubbing slow circles over your back as you nod, humming in agreement. “I can handle a snotty nose just not your vomit, s’fuckin gross.”

Her words draw a scoff from your lips, amused, glancing over to her with a smirk— “Mhm, thanks babe.” You deadpan, watching as she shuffles to sit behind you, legs resting either side of your body, motioning for you to lay back against her.

“I shouldn’t— I could be all contagious n'stuff.” You sniffle, meeting her eyes from behind your shoulder with a sad-half smile, “I don’t wanna give you what I got.”

“I don’t care. Just c’mere silly.” It’s not an offer because her hands are tugging you backwards until you’re lying back against her chest, head tucked beneath her chin. “I’ll keep you warm.” She seals the promise with a kiss to the top of your head, arms wrapped tightly around you in a protective embrace. Natalie clings onto you like she's terrified you'll disappear, or succumb to this sickness, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't absolutely petrified of the idea.

[moonlit-imagines]

Preferences: Being Klarion’s sibling and dating Dick Grayson

The Team x reader

warnings:

a/n:

prompt: @severebirdpeace: “Can you do oneshot story of Dick Grayson/Nightwing(Young Justice seasons 3 &4) x Fem s/o who is Klarion the Witch Boy's younger sister; unlike her brother she is kind-hearted, gentle, soft spoken and she uses her magic for good and she's been Dick's secret helper until she was discovered by the heroes and the Light. Each got their own reactions please?”

Artemis was a little skeptical at first. "Uh, how old is 'y/n'?" She asked, knowing that Klarion was about...well, Klarion was some millennia old. She assured Dick she'd be keeping an eye on the two of you, but she knew better than anyone not to judge by who you're related to, even if it happens to be an inter-dimensional chaos demon who has caused plenty of trouble in their years as vigilantes.

Conner did not get it at all. Like, at all. "You have to be joking," he'd say, "you're gonna put the whole Team in danger!" Dick would assure him that you weren't a danger to the team, but Conner was standoffish, believing this could only go one way. "I'll give them a chance, I guess. But believe me when I say I'll be keeping an eye on things."

Kaldur was protective, worried that this was an act of deception by the chaos demon himself. And hey, the Team had seen much more bizarre schemes, so it wasn't out of the question. "You will have to earn my trust, y/n. But until then, I'll have to remain somewhat apprehensive in your presence."

M’gann was very openly against this relationship, also protective of her longtime friend. "Out of all the people in this galaxy, you just had to pick someone who is literally related to one of our most powerful and annoying enemies! Are you being mind controlled? Do I need to go in there?" Dick chuckled and denied the accusations, defending your character regardless of how futile it would be.

Will found it amusing. After all, it was pretty ironic. "I like them bad, too." He joked with Dick, who promised you were nowhere near "bad" and were actually extremely kindhearted compared to your brother, Klarion. Will just kept teasing since he never expected this from Boy Wonder.

Zatanna really fought this one, trying extremely hard not to sound jealous. She did. But her main argument as a master of the mystic arts was that you were dangerous and not to be trusted, which was also a solid argument. Klarion is a very powerful demon and despite what the texts of her ancient books may say, she cannot trust any relatives of the Witch Boy. "Keep in mind that I will keep constant watch of y/n, one wrong move and I will send them back where they came from."

taglist: @ravenmoore14 // @summersimmerus // @azazel-nyx // @simsrecs // @xoxobabydolls // @ravenstrueluv // @cicatraize // @captainshazamerica // @bad4amficideas // @evilcr0ne // @thedarkqueenofavalon // @elenavampire21 // @jade-178 // @deanzboyfriend // @zoeyserpentluck //

[hijinxinprogress]

YJ is not allowed on social media

Most capes have like an official hero social bc people just leave comments like ‘captain colds out again no class?? 👀’ instead of flagging down a hero or getting the police to get the nearest hero so most crimes are discovered through viral videos

And yj decides that they need to be on social media so they make ig and tiktok accounts which somehow led to them running a smear campaign against Lex while he was running for president

it’s mostly videos of Cassie in a superman onesie flying around pretending to save damsel in distress!Kon while Bart in an ill fitting bald cap is sitting behind a desk clearly made of cardboard as he mutters about how he’ll show everyone the truth and petting a picture of a cat with drawn on angry eyebrows then the video cuts to Bart way too close to the camera saying ‘A vote for Lex Luthor is a vote against happiness’ then the video ends with Cassie in the same superman onesie with a lightning bolt taped to the front of it claiming ‘this message was endorsed by captain marvel’ [a week later captain marvel makes a posts responding to the video in a captain marvel onesie reaffirming Cassie’s claim]