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#HAVE A NICE DAY Y'ALL!!

wandixx · 4 months

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one-shot snippet

Duke was running out of fumes to run on. The last few days would be exhausting if it was just vigilante or just civilian stuff but no, he had to have it both. Because of Arkham break out, he had been called in three nights in a row, not for a whole patrol but he couldn't exactly sleep it off during the day like others did, especially not in a week when every teacher decided they needed to have test or quiz or what not. Naps meant he wasn't as sleep-deprived as he could be but he needed far more. But he couldn't because crime in Gotham never sleeps so he had normal patrol to finish and there were about two hours left.

Would something bad happen if he just stopped for a moment and laid on a roof? Ten up to fifteen minutes. It was a slow day too…

Yeah, no, he deserved a moment to rest and if something disastrous was to happen in the meantime he would shame other Bats for not giving him enough time to sleep.

It certainly said something that he found gravel covering this roof to be quite comfortable. He set a timer for ten minutes and let himself close his eyes.

When the loud screech of the timer jolted him awake, he was suddenly fully aware that he wasn't alone anymore. He sat up a little too quickly.

"Oh, you're awake" white white-haired girl around Damian's age chimed, sitting cross-legged just a few feet away from him. She wore something that could only be described as a lab safety hazmat suit, white and black with popping green accents. When had Gotham gotten a new vigilante/villain/whoever the girl was? "Good, I just returned from a snack hunt," she added, gesturing at a big textile bag lying next to her. Duke didn't have enough brainpower to do anything more than ask.

"What?"

The girl shrugged, take-out from BatBurger in her hand.

"You look like you have a bad day if not a few days, so I've got you my cousin's bad day combo or at least the closest thing I could. BatBurger burger isn't as good as NastyBurger but you certainly have better fries" As she spoke, a second take-out bag, 1 liter bottle of energy drink, juice bottle of the same size, and pack of convenience store brownies joined greasy paper bag sealed with a sticker.

"Is your cousin a speedster?" Excuse Duke, it was a totally valid question, he saw with his bare eyes both Wally West and Bart Allen when they visited Manor. No one else would be able to stomach the amount of food they inhaled during their stays.

"Nah, we're not that fast or that hungry. Though I think I may get closer to the speed of sound." So, clearly, a meta if white hair and weir aura that let his eyes rest weren't enough indication "My cousin when he has a bad few days often forgets to eat so this combo has to help with there too. But I'll steal your fries of course."

Duke was not going to look a gift horse in the teeth, so he grabbed one bag and tore it open. There was a classic combo with bigger fries and NightWings inside.

"Thank you…" he trailed off, hoping that the girl would take a clue and introduce herself but she didn't. She just drowned her fries in ketchup and started munching. She had her own juice.

"My cousin always said that each part of this combo has a different purpose." she explained instead, slightly muffled because of the fries in her mouth "This" she gestured towards the fast food meal "is to soothe your stomach. This "she tapped energy drink "is to soothe your brain and kick it back online. This "she raised a bottle of juice "is to soothe your taste buds because energy drinks are war crime against them and this "she nudged brownies "is to soothe your heart because Ancients damn it, this day is awful and you deserve it. At least that's what he told me when I had day bad enough to deserve that" she shrugged, licking ketchup of her finger. Suddenly she froze "You aren't allergic, are you?

"No, I'm not" he confessed bewildered.

"Good"

For a long moment, they sat in silence, devouring food the little girl brought. Duke distantly wondered if this was how the night shift spent their snack breaks. It felt nice.

He was finishing his part of the brownies when the girl spoke up again.

"Do you feel better now?"

"Yeah," he was a little surprised to realize that t it was true. He'll have to note down what she put in this 'bad day combo'. "Thank you"

"Don't mention it." she shrugged with a general gesture of dismissal "You're one of my cousin's favorite heroes because you're vaguely his age and handle Gotham alone during the day and I quote "She did honest or God air quotes at that" 'As only hero in Amity-' which is a lie by the way, Val is doing great and even if he suddenly got problem with how she feels about his alter ego, he still has Sam and Tuck even if they're usually more of moral support. And I helped when I visited, so no, he isn't the only one. Anyway as he said 'As the only hero in Amity, my heart goes out for anyone who deals with this type of bullshit so Dani if you absolutely have to prank heroes, leave them out of it, especially Signal, he can't be older than Jazz, he doesn't need any more mess to handle.' All aliens and lanterns are also off-limits because he is a space nerd. But you aren't space-related so I'm like 80% percent sure he has a celebrity crush on you" She slurped more juice, unbothered.

Duke was thankful he wasn't swallowing anything because for sure she would choke. He took a split second to consider addressing… this whole situation and choose against it. He was not ready to be anyone's celebrity crush.

"Your name is Danny?" he asked instead.

"Dani" she corrected" with an I"

"Ok. It's nice to meet you Dani-with-an-I" She giggled, nodding her head slightly.

"It's nice to meet you too Signal"

Duke stood up, stretching a little. Dani joined him after hastily putting all the trash in her bag. She was a little higher than expected.

"I have to get back to my patrol"

"Cool," she drifted back a bit, making him realize that she was floating a few inches above the ground. She fixed her bag on her arm.

"Hey, can I hang out a little bit more? My cousin will go green out of jealousy when I tell him" she added with a mischievous smirk but Duke could tell there was more to it. He took a moment to consider it, which apparently made the girl nervous "I can be invisible the whole time, like before." she offered, disappearing in the meantime. He could still tell where she was, because of her heat signature, and aura but for regular people, she would be no different than the surrounding air.

"Yeah, you can hang around and you don't have to be invisible. Just don't get in my way when I have to actually do some fighting."

She popped back to the visible spectrum and pouted like Damian whenever he got benched.

" I can fight, y'know? I stopped mugging on a snack run."

It was ten goddamn minutes, how could she get so much food and stop a mugging in such a short time?!

Oh, right, superspeed. Still, impressive.

"I haven't seen it" he started, channeling all Dick-trying-to-wrangle-Damian-into-socially-acceptable-activity' energy he could muster "So I don't know how you fight or even what powers you have. If we tried to fight together we would trip over each other" It was a bare-faced lie, Bat Training made sure of that but he knew for a fact that if he said anything else, the girl would be mad and probably did her own thing.

Was that what Bruce thought about all of them?

Oh no.

Dani still looked displeased but after a moment of consideration, she nodded with a defeated sigh.

Suddenly she straightened like she got struck by lightning and whipped around.

"Wha-"

She just shushed raising her finger to her mouth. Duke did indeed quieten.

"I have enhanced hearing" she whispered "There is a mugging somewhere this way."

"Let's go then" he shot his grapple, waving his other hand at Dani to come with him before he jumped off the roof. He heard the girl giggle as she flew right after him.

" After this, you'll show me the coolest gargoyles, okay? Sam asked for photos"

"Okay"

It seemed that the end of this patrol wouldn't be as bad as the start was. Hopefully.

And afterward, he was going to lock himself in his room until the sky fell or he was well rested.

Yeah, that was a good plan.

*******

how do you like it?

#it's been in my wips for some time and i wanted to finish it before posting anything #but my creative brain don't want to kick in lately and i really wanted to share something about this idea so here you are #later Duke kinda trains Dani #they hang out #Dani gets a new alias and makes minor costume changes #i had it all drawn and can't wait to share with y'all but i need to finish writing first so you know a context #dc x dp #thoughts?#dpxdc #dp x dc #dcxdp #one shot #writing wip #fanfic #have a nice day dear stranger who got to this part

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abd-illustrates · 12 days

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youtube

It’s Finally Here…!!

After more than a year in the making; my biggest project yet is all wrapped up! This year has been putting me through the absolute wringer up until now, but getting to hold this book and see folks getting their own copies in the mail and from their local shops has been easily one of the best times of not just this very wacky year, but probably my whole life 🥺😭💖 I never wanna stop making stuff, and I sincerely hope that this book might be able to help all of y’all who share that spirit 💪❤️‍🔥

📖 BOOKSTORE LINKS:

Amazon | Waterstones | Barnes & Noble | Blackwells | + more!

#artists on tumblr #abd illustrates #draw like an artist #book #its only been like 10 minutes and the comments on this vid are already making me WEEP y'all are so nice ty QwQ #a few folks have already been tagging me in posts about their books arriving throughout today as well #and every single one has made me feel so sappy happy QwQ #today's a nice day ;w;#Youtube

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murtacalafate · 9 months

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This took longer than I thought. I doubted uploading it, mainly because of the broken dialogue and how weird was the reading. Writting is my weakness. Believe me, I considered doing the comic completely silent, but I wanted to get out of my comfort zone.

I don't know if the outcome turned out decent, I'm not sure. I've been staring at this comic for 2 months that my perception is heavely warped. Therefore, I'm not in good conditions to judge my work sjdhsdh

Anyway, hope you like it josuyasu nation.

#jojos bizarre adventure #diamond is unbreakable #josuyasu #josuke higashitaka #okuyasu nijimura #jjba #i wanted teen girly angst #very specific i know #it was thanks to the barbie movie that change the whole plot of the comic jskdjsdsd #im so tired #Im gonna have a good rest after before i jump to another project #that's all I wanted to say #have a nice day y'all <3

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transparentgladiatordestiny · 4 months

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Holidays

There 2 versions since I couldn't decide which one to post :v

Anyway HAPPY HOLIDAYY !! WISHING YALL HAVING GOOD REST and celebrate well any holiday you'll celebrate !!

#see y'all in 2024 :P #alan becker #animation vs animator #animation vs minecraft #ava #avm #ava tco #ava tdl #ava the chosen one #ava the dark lord #have a nice day

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royalarchivist · 1 year

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With over 20 members currently on the QSMP and more on the way, it's almost impossible for a single person to stay up to date on everything that happens, even with help from QSMP's official Twitter recap accounts.

For people who are interested in QSMP's story, characters, and/or streamers but don't have time to watch hundreds of hours worth of VODs, I've created the QSMP VOD Timestamp Archive.

If there's a particular lore moment you missed live and can't find, search for it in the archive!

Timestamps include quotes, notable lore events, and funny interactions. Interesting or important moments from each stream are bolded for emphasis. I'm also adding short summaries for lore-heavy / eventful stream.

I've organized the document so it should be easy to navigate, and you can CTRL + F to search for specific streamers and/or events.

Complete VOD playlists, recaps, and additional resources are also included in the document for people who might be feeling overwhelmed by the amount of QSMP content out there. It's never too late to get into the series!

If you have a streamer you watch consistently, consider writing down important timestamps to help fellow fans! You don’t have to take detailed notes like mine – even one or two timestamps can be a real lifesaver. If you have any helpful timestamps you want added to the list (or even a 1 sentence summary of a particular stream), send it to me via DM so I can add it to the archive.

I am just one person, so unfortunately this archive is by no means comprehensive, but I'm constantly updating things and adding more streams and timestamps to the document. I've been working on this project for a while now, so even though it's not complete, I hope people find it useful!

[ VOD Timestamp Archive ]

#QSMP #Quackity #QSMP Resource #QSMP Masterpost #QSMP VOD Timestamp Archive #Also I saw the comments and tags y'all left on yesterday's post... thank you....#That made me smile a lot :')#It's nice getting feedback and it's nice knowing my stuff is helping people #I know most of the people featured here are the same 5-6 people I'm trying to diversify but good god there's so many frickin streamers on th #I wanna watch Maxo more but his streaming schedule doesn't match up with mine very often #also. My Spanish needs work.#But I'm giving it my best shot!#Also if you have any feedback or suggestions on the organizations please let me know #I'm going to try and start linking to the official QSMP stream summaries they post each day #and then I'll retroactively add those to past streams #because god fobid you try and find anything on Twitter #after 24 hours its wiped off the face of the earth practically

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literallyjusttoa · 9 months

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Could you tell us more abt ur au where Apollo doesn’t come back exactly right after surviving being so close to chaos 👀

Yes!! Actually I had a fic that I really wanted to write about this, and I am planning on still doing that but I will tell y'all the gist of it bc I cannot contain myself. (Also this is a bit different from some of the things I've said before about this so I hope you still like it lol)

Ok so, the fic was gonna be a 5 + 1 fic, where Meg and Apollo both realize that something's ... off about him after the trials. His powers and abilities are fluctuating for seemingly no reason. Sometimes he's just a normal god, but sometimes it's like he's still a mortal. And he's also having times where he's way stronger than a god should be, like, near primordial levels. It's causing him a lot of issues, for example:

Gods don't need to eat or sleep, but mortals do. If Apollo doesn't realize his energy levels are going down, he will just end up crashing from lack of food/sleep. This leaves him perpetually exhausted and shaky.

His blood is now all kinds of crazy colors, and it changes based off of where he is on the mortal/immortal scale.

When he's in a "mortal" state of being, he's pretty similar to a demigod. Meg and Apollo learned this when Apollo accidentally did some lightning bending one day. This is not something Apollo has ever wanted to be able to do, and he freaks out appropriately.

One day, Apollo woke up sick and tired of this whole situation. He jokingly wished that someone else could just take over the sun for the day. However, Apollo hadn't realized that he had just gotten a huge power boost overnight, and his harmless little wish just created a second sun. Haha whoops.

Eventually, Apollo ends up breaking his father's rules and visiting Asclepius just so he can get some answers about this, so here's a little rough comic based on the scene I wanted to write explaining this whole mess.

#Is this whole thing an excuse to write whump? ... maybe #Also I imagine Asclepius describes illnesses to his patients with odd metaphors #because he's still his father's son at the end of the day #trials of apollo #toa apollo #lester papadopoulos #sunny speaks #apollart #ask #This isn't exactly related to my whole “Apollo becomes more chaotic after chaos” thing i've written about a couple times #but I hope it's similar enough that you still like it #also I will try to answer the rest of my asks today bc y'all have sent me some really nice stuff

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katsigian · 5 months

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Things have been pretty rough lately both mentally and emotionally (plus Tumblr's current lack of functionality means that my notifs and filters are screwed) and that's why I've been more on the quiet side. I don't really say it enough, and I think that I should because I've met some really lovely people here, so thank you ♡

Thank you so much to everyone who's been kind and supportive of my creations/posts, both mutuals and followers alike. Thank you to everyone who's tagged me in things or left nice comments or left nice tags or even just liked my posts. I appreciate all of you and it makes things a little more bearable knowing that there's really kind, sweet, and supportive people to share this space with me. It really does mean a lot to have good people to interact with

#and if you think that i don't mean you I most certainly do mean you too #this is for everyone all my mutuals and friends and followers #i hope y'all are having a good day and something nice happens in the next 24 hours #katsi.txt

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superlarva · 10 months

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Rex got Fives a blanket :)

Here's chapter 2 of my fic about Rex parenting baby domino twins!

Chapter 1 here! <- Although you probably don't really need to read it to figure out what's going on.

Next chapter: 03

Summary: Rex brings his newly acquired 7 year old Fives home, making a few stops along the way.

CW: Implied/referenced child abuse

Chapter 2 - The Journey Home

It was dark outside. And raining. Always raining. Fives shifted closer to the nice policeman. His hand was warm. Fives held it a little tighter.

Echo always said policemen were like superheroes. He had read about them in a book one time. Apparently, they made sure people were following the rules and kept everyone safe. Fives had not been sure they were real; it had seemed like a fantasy.

He had asked his mom who the police were once. She had gotten mad and said that the police would only come if he and his brothers were really bad. She had said that they would separate them and make sure he never saw Echo or his other brothers ever again.

Fives looked up at the nice policeman as they walked through the parking lot. His mom was sort of right: they had separated him from Echo.

But she was also sort of wrong.

This policeman had not asked a million questions like the other ones, had not yelled and been scary like the other ones. Instead, he had offered to let him stay with him until he had to go back home—was he going back home?

Fives figured maybe some of the policemen were like Echo’s version and some were like his mom’s. He was glad that this one was like Echo’s.

He liked this one.

They stopped walking.

The nice policeman—Rex?—pulled something out of his pocket and clicked a button. Fives jumped back when the car in front of them lit up and emitted a strange beeping noise.

It was like he was back at home. Back at home going through a drill.

The drill.

It had been Heavy’s idea: during morning drill they would escape.

Halls of flashing red lights and loud sirens.

Climbing over the citadel walls.

Then the explosion.

Cutup, Droidbait, and Heavy gone.

Just him and Echo left.

Just him and Echo.

Then just him.

Rex tried to coax Fives into the backseat of his car, but the boy would not budge. He had tensed up when Rex unlocked the car, and was now just staring absently at the vehicle, rooted in place.

Rex needed to get the kid out of the cold rain and if Fives would not move himself, he had no other option. Rex crouched down in front of the boy, “I’m gonna pick you up and put you in my car, okay?”

Nothing.

“Alright, up we go,” Rex swung Fives up into the back seat.

The contact seemed to get the boy’s attention and he made a quiet whine of protest when Rex extracted himself from him. Rex quickly strapped Fives in before shutting the door so no more rain would get in.

As Res walked around the car to the driver’s side, he checked his phone and sighed when the screen came up empty. Cody had taken a taxi to Kamino General to check on Echo while Rex was signing paperwork. He had said he would text any updates on Echo’s condition.

Rex ducked into the car and checked Fives in the mirror. The boy was curled up with his knees to his chest, the same way he had been when Rex had first seen him. Rex twisted around in his seat so he was facing Fives, “Hey, buddy.”

Fives peaked up at him.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty hungry. Should we stop somewhere on our way home?”

Fives’s eyebrows pushed together, but he nodded his head.

“Any type of food you’re in the mood for?”

Fives shrugged, eyes darting around that dark car, before offering a small, hopeful, “Pizza?”

Rex grinned and started up the engine, “Pizza it is.”

After they crossed out of Kamino, Rex pulled off the highway and found a small pizza place in the outskirts of Coruscant. It was a quiet family run place and the older man behind the counter greeted them warmly when they walked in. There was a couple at the front ordering and a group of teens sitting at a booth in the back whispering excitedly about something.

The prospect of food had seemed to energize Fives a bit and as they waited in line he bounced on his toes a little. Rex decided on a slice of classic peperoni, then looked down at Fives, who was squinting up at the menu, “Anything look good?”

Fives hummed and then pointed to one of the pizzas with a pile of colorful toppings on display over the counter, “What’s that one?”

“Uh,” Rex craned his neck to see the small label over the heads of the couple in front of them. He turned back to Fives, “The Works.”

Fives looked up at him, a fire in his eyes Rex hadn’t seen before, “That one. I want that one.”

The couple moved away from the counter and Rex and Fives filled their place. The old man smiled down at the boy from over the counter, but his expression soured quickly, and Rex became painfully aware of just how odd the pair of them must look.

Fives was wearing a sleeveless undershirt, a pair of boxers, and nothing but socks on his feet in cold December weather. He was—quite honestly—filthy, and bruised head to toe. Rex on the other hand, looked fairly well put together. They painted quite the picture.

Rex grimaced and shuffled around in his pockets for his wallet, taking care to make sure the man would be able to see his 501st patch on his jacket as he did. That was sure to stop him from calling the police, even if it would mean he jumped to the slightly wrong conclusion.

“We’ll have a slice of peperoni and a slice of The Works.”

The man behind the counter looked up from Fives and smiled despite the look of horror brewing behind his eyes, “That’ll be $3.98, anything else I can get you, officer?”

Rex looked at Fives asking a silent question, but the boy just stared back looking slightly overwhelmed. Rex doubted Fives could fit more than one of the giant slices in his stomach, and figured that even if he could, it likely wouldn’t be good for him to eat too much while half starved. He smiled up and the man and took out a wrinkled ten, “Two waters.”

They paid for their food and then went to sit at a table by the front window, away from the other customers. Fives shivered as he sat in the metal chair and Rex cursed internally for his stupidity.

“Wait right here. I’ve got a blanket in the car for you, I’m gonna run out and get it really quick.”

“Okay,” Fives said softly, eyes darting around the Pizza shop.

“It’ll only take a second. You’ll be able to see me through the window, and I’ll be able to see you, okay?”

Fives nodded.

Rex stood and turned to the old man behind the counter, “I’ll be right back, gonna get the kid a blanket from my car.”

The man nodded and smiled at Fives, who offered a weak smile in response.

Rex left the shop and made his way over to his car, looking over his shoulder to make sure Fives was still sitting at the window. The boy was watching him, gripping the edge of the table. Rex grabbed the blanket from his trunk quickly and jogged back to the pizza place, waving it over his head for Fives to see.

As he entered the shop, the boy visibly relaxed but then stood suddenly, the chair screeching backwards with his harsh movement. Fives’s face was racked with guilt and he looked like he was standing at attention, his shoulders squared and thrust backwards, back straight as a pillar, and legs pinned together.

Rex strode over quickly to Fives and wrapped the large grey blanket around his shoulders. He sat in his chair. Fives watched his movements intensely, clutching the edges of the blanket around himself and pulling them in tight. He looked so small engulfed in the blanket and Rex chuckled.

Fives shot him a quizzical look.

“At ease, little soldier.” Rex motioned to the chair, “Sit.”

Fives obliged him a little stiffly, but just as he did the man behind the counter called out their order and pushed two slices of pizza and two cups of water over the counter.

The boy moved to stand again, but Rex waved a hand in dismissal, “I’ll get it. You sit.”

Fives sank back into his chair and Rex grabbed the food, depositing a colorfully decorated slice and a water in front of the boy, “Drink some of that water first.”

Fives nodded seriously, and grabbed the plastic glass with two hands, treating it as if it were an ancient relic, so fragile that if he held it the wrong way it might break. Rex smiled and watched the boy proceed to down the whole glass in a few gulps as he took a few sips of his own.

When Fives set the cup down Rex raised an eyebrow, “Want some more?”

Fives ears turned pink, and he shook his head, “No. ‘m sorry.”

Rex set his own cup down, confused, “No, it’s okay, you can have some more. It’s no problem.”

Fives didn’t say anything, so Rex grabbed the boy’s cup and stood, “I’ll get you some more.”

Rex could feel Fives’s eye boring holes into his back as he refilled his cup. He did not like the way Fives watched him. There was so much suspicion in his eyes. However long it took, he was going show the kid that he could be trusted.

“Okay,” Rex said after they both finished their meals. “Here’s the plan: we’re gonna head home, but first we have to stop at the store and pick up a few things for you.”

“I don’t need anything,” Fives protested.

Rex frowned, “Yeah, you do. I need to get you a booster seat. It’s not safe for you to be in the car without one.”

Fives mirrored his frown, brows drawn together.

Rex continued, “You also need a clean set of pajamas for tonight and clothes for tomorrow at a minimum. I know it’s not a lot, but I think we’re both tired. It might be better to do the rest of the shopping tomorrow.”

Fives pulled a face, “I thought you said we were going to see Echo tomorrow?”

As soon as the boy realized what he said, he clamped a hand over his mouth, eyes full of fear.

Afraid of challenging authority, Rex analyzed. He figured the best thing to do was to pretend he couldn’t see Fives’s fear, and answer normally, “Assuming Echo is well enough for visitors tomorrow, we will, but no matter what, they likely won’t let us see him for very long. We’ll have time for both.”

Fives didn’t seem completely satisfied with Rex’s answer, but he seemed to accept it, looking out the window at the car. Rex followed his gaze, “Ready to go?”

The boy nodded.

They stopped at the Target near Rex’s apartment. He figured it would be better for Fives to start getting comfortable with his new neighborhood rather than stop at some random store on the way.

As they walked up to the sliding doors, Fives tugged on Rex’s sleeve. “Hm?” Rex asked, looking down at the small boy still engulfed in his blanket.

“What’s a booster seat?”

“It’s a chair that you attach to the seat of the car to make it more comfort—”

Rex was cut off by a muffled shriek from Fives as the sliding doors automatically opened. The boy jumped into Rex’s side and grabbed his hand with both of his own, dropping the blanket on the sidewalk behind them. Rex would have laughed if the intensity of the overreaction hadn’t been so concerning.

“Just an automatic door. They open for you when they see you on the motion sensor,” Rex explained, kneeling down and grabbing the blanket, throwing it back over the boy’s shoulders.

Fives looked from the door to Rex and pulled back his hands, the fear slowly melting into a sheepish smile, “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Rex said, “They still scare me sometimes too, and I’m all grown up.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Fives looked over at the store a bit uneasily.

“Hey, Fives?” Rex asked softly, watching the boy carefully, “Have you ever been inside a store like this before?”

Fives shook his head, “We weren’t supposed to leave the house. Except for— Except for training.”

“Okay,” Rex said slowly. He could unpack that later, right now he just needed to get through the shopping without traumatizing the kid any further. “It’s a pretty big store, so you need to stay where I can see you, ’kay?”

Fives nodded seriously.

“And there’s going to be a bunch of other people in there, but they won’t hurt you.”

Fives nodded again.

“And if you see anything you want for tonight, let me know and I’ll see if we can get it, alright?” Rex looked down at Fives’s little hands, which were gripping the blanket around him tightly, and held out his own, “If you want to hold my hand, you can.”

Fives tentatively reached out his hand, searching Rex’s face as his did. Rex offered an encouraging smile and, seemingly satisfied, Fives took his hand.

They got a pair of shoes for Fives first and paid for them immediately so Rex could cut the tags off and put them on the boy’s feet. He had chosen a pair of blue and white lace-up sneakers after trying on a pair with Velcro and deciding that Rex’s “kind” (shoes with laces) were cooler.

After Fives was all set with his new shoes, they made their way to the boy’s clothing section. Rex pointed to the racks of pajamas, “Do you want to pick out a pair while I go get you some underwear?”

Fives didn’t say anything in response, but his grip on Rex’s hand tightened.

Rex looked down at the boy and noticed his eyelids were drooping a little. The calories from the pizza must have worn off. “Together?” Rex asked, cracking a smile at the sleepy look on Fives’s face.

The boy nodded and rubbed his eyes.

Rex led them over to the pajamas and pulled out a set of long sleeve navy dinosaur print pjs, “You like dinos?”

Fives’s eyes lit up a bit behind the sleep and he reached out for them.

“Hold on, lemme see if they have it in your size.”

They did in fact have both smalls and extra smalls, which Fives seemed to be in between the sizes of. Rex eventually decided on the small because even though it would be a little big on the kid, at least he would grow into it.

As Rex threw the pair of pajamas in the crook of his arm, he felt a slight tug on his hand from Fives. The boy was holding up a second pair of dino pjs, “Can we get one for Echo too?”

“Yeah,” Rex said taking the clothes from Fives and folding them over the other pair. He hoped Fives and Echo weren’t identical. It’d be a nightmare to tell them apart if they were wearing the same clothes.

They made their way through the rest of the store, picking up a couple packs of underwear and socks, a new set of clothes, a puffy winter coat, and a booster seat for Fives, as well as matching products in different colorways for Echo. By the time Rex paid and loaded everything back into a cart to take it out to the car, Fives looked like a zombie. His hand had loosened its grip on Rex’s and every so often his eyelids would droop and his head would begin to sag before he caught himself and whipped his head back up into alertness.

Fives made it back to the car without falling asleep and even helped Rex load the trunk by throwing in the small bag of clothes while he set up the car seats. Once Fives’s booster was strapped in, Rex picked up the boy and placed him gently in the seat, showing him how to buckle the seatbelt under the armrest.

Fives sagged back into the seat and Rex chuckled, “Comfy?”

Fives nodded and closed his eyes. Rex repositioned the blanket around the boy’s shoulders before shutting the door and making his way back around to the driver’s side.

The rest of the ride home was short, only a few minutes, so Rex was surprised when he parked in his usual spot and turned to see Fives fast asleep, slumped against the seatbelt.

Rex sat for a moment, just staring at Fives. His son.

His son.

Even though he didn’t know him—hadn’t known he even existed for years—Rex was filled with a strange sense of pride. It didn’t wash the guilt away—he was sure nothing could wash the guilt away—just covered it a little, obscuring it from the forefront of his thoughts.

It was a nice feeling, Rex thought. And he could live with that.

@marierg @stressed-cherry @ffdemon @renton6echo @bambambunny