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suncoved · 3 months

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RAFE, SCARY? PFFT ! — RAFE CAMERON

pairing; boyfriend!rafe cameron x fem!reader

summary: you had the most loving, sweet, precious boyfriend in the world. so why were your new found friends so scared of him?

prompt: “you let anything happen to her and i’ll fucking kill you, alright?”

you could barely contain your happiness as you applied your 5th layer of glittery lipgloss on your lips, holding the decorated pink tube in your manicured fingers. you batted your eyelids at the clock hung on rafe's wall.

kiara told you to be there at 8:00 and it was currently 7:30.

but you didn't want to be late, so leaving now was a good plan for you.

you had never met kiara's friends before. you had been best friends with her your whole life, but after she and sarah split, they told you you had to pick a side. and you would never tell sarah that the main reason you picked her was because of her psychotic older brother who was always roaming aimlessly around tannyhill.

sarah was your best friend, and you wouldn't trade her for the world.

but you couldn't help but ponder over what would have happened if you picked kiara, what life you would have had.

you missed her, truly. so when faced with the oppurtity to reconnect with her through your mothers exchanging numbers on one random night at the wreck, you took it.

and before you knew it she was inviting you to come down to the boneyard with some of her friends from the cut, to which you accepted gratefully.

you were snapped out of your thoughts when you heard the bathroom door click open, the steam rolling out from underneath it like a tidal wave. you turned your head softly at the noise, placing the lipgloss applicator quickly back in the tube.

beads of water trickled down his v line, escaping into the beige towel wrapped around his waist into a place you didn't even have the time to imagine. he lifted his hand up to his head, running a hand through his now brown hair that had darkened from getting wet under the stream of water.

"quick rafe we have to go!" you whined, trying to avoid eye contact with the 6'2 tall build distraction in front of you. you shuffled around the room, going into his closet and picking out clothes for him to quickly put on since he insisted — well — demanded, on driving you down to the boneyard.

you shoved the clothes into his hands, his hand making contact with yours momentarily, creating a spark between the two of you. your cheeks flushed as you quickly looked away, turning around and taking a seat at the foot of the bed.

you watched as he made no effort to move, a smirk you know all too well gracing his face. "rafe, i mean it. get changed" you groaned as you pushed your palms into the soft covers of his king sized bed.

"if you wanted to see me naked baby, you could just say that."

your cheeks quickly turned into the darkest shade of pink you could imagine, your hands quickly reached up to your face, covering your eyes as you huffed softly.

he scoffed at your movements, reaching over to spread your fingers apart so you could see through them. "im just joking ma, you've seen it all before." he winked, moving back to see the full sight of him while lifting his bicep up and flexing it in your face.

you jokingly rolled your eyes, falling onto the bed so you were now staring at the ceiling. your fingers found their way to each other, nervously intertwining as you thought.

you heard rafe shuffling around near his closet, his fly ziping up and the clink of his belt being melody to your ears. "what if they don't like me?"

your voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. if rafe wasn't listening he definitely would have missed it. but he always listens.. to you.

"impossible" he stated simply, using a tone that left no room for discussion. he didn't use that tone often, but when he did, you stayed quiet.

you chewed on your bottom lip, knitting your brows together.

you were so lucky to have rafe in your life. he was kind, caring and patient and always knew how to calm your anxiety.

honestly, you were surprised he let you go down to the beach with the pogues in the first place. you tried your best to keep out of that whole kook-pouge turf war as best as possible. to you, it was immature, unnecessary and just pointless. but it had been around on the island since before you could remember.

though, it was safe to say that you and rafe didn't see eye to eye on that topic. he didn't like the pogues, not one bit. and he made that very, very clear.

he knew how much you loved kiara, and how your face lit up when your mother's voice echoed through rafe's car speakers when she called you after seeing kiara's mother.

it took him longer to warm up to the idea that you would be seeing her whole friend group, which consists of just pogues, and most importantly, jj maybank.

there was nothing more rafe hated than jj maybank.

yet, he knew how happy this would make you. and he was willing to do this, for you. only for you.

"ready bubs" rafe announces, smoothing his polo down haphazardly and stuffing his feet into his shoes. he hears you pulling yourself up and off his bed, your socked feet padding over to him and resting your head on his chest.

he smiles and he brings his arms around your body. sighing contently as he places a kiss on your head before resting his chin on you. "they are gonna love you, like everyone loves you. don't think for a second that they won't"

you giggle against him, somehow trying to push yourself further into him, which was impossible.

"no im being serious baby, i have some serious competition." rafe huffed, pulling himself back from you and looking at your face peering up at him.

"shut up" you joke, your cheeks burning as you blushed at his words. he leaned down until his lips met yours, bringing his fingers to your chin and lifting your head up.

you two melted into each other, your sweet strawberry lipgloss coating his lips quickly. he didn't care though, he was kissing you. so nothing else mattered.

you were losing yourself in his touch, not noticing he was slowly pushing you back until your calfs hit the back of his dark oak bed frame and your body eventually fell against the soft fabric of his covers.

he slipped his hand up your lacy white cami, dragging his fingers up and down the soft skin of your stomach. he detached his lips from yours as his cold slender fingers slipped under the wire of your bra, kissing his way down your neck and chest.

you bit your now chapped lips as you looked down the the brunette boy making goosebumps appear over your skin. you threw your head back against his pillow closing your eyes and opening them again as your head lulled to the side.

your eyes fixated to the clock resting on his wall, reading 7:54. your mind ticked for a second before realising where you needed to be in exactly six minutes, gasping rather dramaticlly.

rafe's head snaps up to look at you, his eyes hooded with worry and hunger at the same time. it was only when he followed your eyes to his sleek white clock that he realised what had happened.

he rolled his eyes and he pulled your shirt back over your stomach, leaving one last searing kiss before smoothing the material down.

"rafe we have to go, now. now!" you whisper yelled almost slipping and you tried to put on your shoes while you hobbled out of his bedroom.

"baby, baby." he spoke, hopping up and walking quickly after you. he reached out to your waist holding you stable so you didn't slip over and hurt yourself.

"ok, ok. ill be careful. lets just go!" you gasped, trying to wiggle out of his firm grip. he chuckled as he let go, watching as you speed down the stairs of tannyhill and down to his white jeep parked out the front.

it was a fairly uneventful ride down to the boneyard, rafe's hand resting on your bouncing leg the whole time, slightly soothing the nervous feeling arising in your chest.

"c'mon baby, we're here" he voiced, opening his car door before quickly jumping out and circling the car before he opened yours for you. your eyes drifted down to the beach as rafe helped you out of his rather tall car.

a blonde boy with a backward cap resting on his head sat on a log with two other boys around your age, beers resting in their hands as they talked. your eyes followed along the beach where you saw kiara picking up trash along the shore, smiling brightly to yourself.

rafe intertwined his hand with yours, tightly squeezing it as he narrowed his eyes at the people on the beach. "you don't have to drink yeah? just tell them no, ok?" rafe spoke.

you nodded softly, peering up at him through your lashes to see his face stern and menacing.

you began walking first, dragging rafe softly behind you as your shoes hit the soft sand below you. you kept your eyes glued to your feet the whole way until you heard voices now crystal clear echoing through your ears.

"hey, you made it!" kiara exclaimed, bringing her arms around you as you let go of rafes hand. "hi kie" you murmured into her shoulder, embracing her into a soft hug.

"hey, rafe. what're you doing down these parts?" the blonde boy asked, standing up from his spot on the large log he was sitting down on before. you saw rafe tick his jaw to the side as you pulled away from kiara, his tongue sliding through the front of his teeth.

"just dropping her off maybank, not here to stay" rafe remarked, turning his attention to you as he leaned down and placed a kiss on your cheek, ghosting his hands over your sides as he pulled back from you.

"call me when you need me to pick you up yeah?" rafe said, keeping his eyes on you as you nodded hastily. he smiled sweetly at you, watching as kiara grabbed your hand a pulled you down to the shore, showing you the tiny baby turtles rushing into the water in front of you.

"hey jj" rafe said, turning his head to the boy standing a few feet from him, not daring to come any closer. rafe watched as he nodded cautiously, pursing his lips together as to almost prepare himself for what rafe was about to say.

rafe took a few steps before he reached jj, grabbing the fabric of his shirt and hoisting him up until they were face to face.

“you let anything happen to her and i’ll fucking kill you, alright?"

#rafe cameron #rafe cameron fluff #rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron imagine #outer banks #obx #rafe x reader #rafe outer banks

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drewstarkeyslut · 3 months

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THE WAGER💋ᡣ𐭩

SUMMARY: you make a bet w/ your stepbro!rafe. if you win, you get to take his bike out for a ride whenever you please but what happens if he wins? (idea from the movie cruel intentions)

WARNINGS: stepcest, mdni 18+, smut (p in v), oral sex (female receiving), some lowkey degrading, choking, possessive!toxic!rafe

“Are you saying that I, Rafe Cameron, wouldn’t be able to win her over? Is that it?” Rafe scoffed, pointing his fingers towards his chest and giving you a dim look.

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to say. I mean come on, you truly think Sofia, little miss perfect princess, is going to give up her virginity to you? Pleeease, what makes you so special?” You snort.

“Oh y/n. You know me by now, don’t be so naive” Rafe laughs.

“Okay then, Rafey, how ‘bout a wager then?” you propose, taking a seat on the bed.

“You did not just call me that. I swear y/n, if you call me that one more fuckin’ time, I swear I’ll ruin you and you know exactly what I mean. Y’know I don’t play that shit.” Rafe booms as he glares you down.

You just loved pushing his buttons by calling him Rafey. He hated that nickname ever since he was a kid. “Relax there hothead, it’s not even that serious, just fuckin’ round with you, having some fun.” You jested.

“So, anyways, the bet..you really think you can get Sofia to fall for you in a week? You sure you’re capable of seducing her in such a short time?” You ask, curiously.

“I won’t even need the full week babe, give me a few days and she’ll be at my mercy and on her knees for me” He grins and sends you a wink while walking towards you.

“I’m just that irresistable… I mean, shit, even you want me y/n, I know you do. My own step sister. What would your mom think about her precious daughter getting fucked out of her mind by her own step brother? Huh?” Rafe laughs and just shakes his head.

“Shut up, you’re so full of yourself” You retort, rolling your eyes. He wasn’t wrong.

“So that wager of yours….” Rafe continued.

“If I win, I get to take that really nice bike of yours for a ride whenever I please” You beamed.

“And if I win, hmmm?” Rafe questions. His arms caging you in as he hovers over you.

“I’ll give you what you’ve been obsessing over ever since our parents got married” you stare into Rafe’s eyes batting your lashes.

“How ‘bout you be more specific y/n” Rafe instructs.

“In simple terms…. I’ll fuck your brains out” you emphasized, smirking at him.

“What makes you think I’ll go for it? That’s my one and only bike and you know I like to take care of my shit. Not even the bitches I’ve fucked ‘round with have taken a ride on that bike.” Rafe replies, making his way off the bed.

“Because, I’m the only person you can’t have and it kills you.” You reveal, walking after him with a cunning look in your eyes.

“Seems to me, that you, my bratty little step sis wants to ride my cock just as bad as I want to ruin that pussy of yours, yeah?” Rafe grits, his face just inches away from yours.

You both start to get flustered as your lips nearly touch, you could feel his hot breath on you. The sexual tension so thick in the air.

Rafe’s starts to palm himself, trying to keep his dick down. He knew what you were trying to do and it drove him insane.

“Looks like next week I’ll be riding that fancy bike of yours” you tease.

“The only thing you’ll be riding is me” Rafe taunts.

“Whatever you say, Rafey” you shoot him a wink before you skip out of the room.

You were getting ready for the day when you receive a text. It was from Rafe.

“That pussy of yours better be ready for me and waiting in my bed tonight slut” a photo attachment followed the text, catching your attention. The slut in you was hoping it was a picture of his dick.

You open the text thread and click on the photo. Your eyes go wide when you see Sofia with her hair and makeup a mess, obvious she was completely fucked out. He sent the photo as proof, but he was also being petty. He knew it would make you jealous.

Rafe did what he does best. He added her to the tally of girls he’d gotten what he wanted from. He was honestly a little too good at putting up this “real gentleman” facade that no one actually knew his true intentions. It never failed to fool every girl he sought after. They would give themselves to him just to never hear from him ever again.

You were sincerely the only one that knew the toxic fuck boy that was, Rafe Cameron.

For as long as you could remember you were always attracted to your step brother and you weren’t afraid to make it known to him. You knew it was bad but did you care? No, you were no saint, probably no better than Rafe himself.

You sat there thinking how Rafe was right, and it pissed you off. Just a few fucking days and Sofia was all over him, trusted him with her virginity, it disgusted you. It drove you mad that he was right and it drove you insane that he fucked her.

Tonight, things between the two of you were only about to get spicier, and little did you know what you were getting yourself into.

“Oh, my. god. Fuck! Rafe, right there! Don’t fucking stop” You scream. Rafe’s face was currently lodged between your thighs, his tongue lapping up all your juices.

“My sweet, sweet step sister. Shit, you taste so fuckin’ good, who would have known?” Rafe moaned. He proceeeds to suck on your clit and slips a couple fingers into your soaked cunt.

You squirm above him trying to pull away, clit getting way too overstimulated. He agressively shoves his fingers in and out of you. You’re a moaning mess screaming his name, coming to your sixth orgasm.

“It’s too much Rafe!! I can’t t-take any m-more” you whine.

“Stop fuckin’ movin ‘round. Just behave and try to stay quiet, yeah? Can’t have our parents hearing us and finding out what were up to now can we?” Rafe scolded, grabbing your thighs to keep you grounded.

“No, I guess not. Please… I don’t know how much more I can take” you cry.

“Come on stop being such a damn brat, I don’t know how much I can take” Rafe mocks, laughing at you being the most vulnerable you’ve ever been with him. It genuinely just turned him on more.

He ignores your cries and continues licking and sucking at your clit, adding in a third finger.

“I’m gonna cum again Rafe. I can feel it…Oh god I-I’m cumming!” You moan as you squirt all over his tongue and face. You lay there trying to catch your breath, your mind went fuzzy, you swear all you could see were stars.

“Such a good little slut f’me, now come and ride this cock until I cum in that pretty pussy of yours” Rafe orders.

He pulls his boxers off in one swift motion, his hard cock throbbing just for you, precum already dripping from the tip. Your eyes almost pop out of their sockets at the sight of his long, thick and veiny cock. You’ve never seen one so big and so pretty, it made you drool.

“Like what you see?” Rafe smirks.

“It’s s-so big, never seen one like it… I’m scared Rafe, will it fit?” You ask nervously.

“I’ll make it fit baby. Relax and sit on this dick like a good girl” Rafe mutters.

You hover above him, your hands using his chest for support as you line yourself up to his cock. You slowly sink down, gripping him tight like a glove.

You start finding your rhythm and ride him like your life depended on it, sending Rafe into complete ecstasy. His hands automatically reach for your throat, squeezing your airways. His tongue clashing into your mouth.

“Atta girl, that’s it y/n, god you’re so fuckin’ tight, going to make me fuck a baby into you.” Rafe grunts. His hands travel up to your hips grasping you hard, moving you up and down his cock with brutal force.

“Oh, fuck! Fuuuuckin’ f-feels sooo good r-rafe!! want you to use me like a toy and ruin this little pussy with your big cock” you sob.

Rafe didn’t think his dick could get any harder but your words…those words had an effect on him.

Rafe flips you, switching positions so you’re now on your back. He gives you no warning as he rams his dick into you. His hands are squeezing your tits as he drills into your cunt with brutal force stretching you out.

“Want you to watch your pussy get fuckin’ wrecked baby” Rafe grinned. His hands grabbed your hair into a makeshift ponytail, pulling your head down, folding you, making you watch his cock devour your pussy.

You’re watching as his length slams in you at full length, you’re creaming all over his already drenched cock.

“Doing so good f’me like the obedient slut you are, love takin’ your step brothers dick, hmmm?” Rafe teases.

“Yes, yes! The only cock I need. Oooh fuck! Please, need your cum inside me Rafe!!!” You moan, so loud he has to cover your mouth. His thrusts get faster and sloppier, you know he’s close.

“Holy shit, this pussy is s’gooood! Gonna fill you up to the brim. Oh fuck, fuck, here it comes! Ahhhh I-I’m cumming baby! Yes, yes! Take it and be a good little cumslut, the only thing you’re good for” Rafe screams, profanities and moans filling the room.

He was shooting warm ropes of cum into your cunt while still fucking into you until he pulls out, his cock springing up, sending cum flying towards you and landing on your face.

“Oh my—that was, um that was hot Rafe. Why didn’t we do this before?” You ask breathlessly while putting your clothes back on.

You were just about to walk out of the room when Rafe violently grabs your hair and pulls you up against him, his big arms locking you in, your back against his chest.

“You know, y/n, if you wanted to fuck me you could have just said so. You belong to me now, understand? I will use you whenever and however I please.” Rafe snaps so close to your ear that you wince in his grasp.

“Y-Yes, I understand R-Rafe. I’ll be good. I promise, I’ll be good.” You stutter, knowing you were completely and utterly fucked for the long haul.

#rafe cameron #stepbro!rafe #rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron x y/n #rafe cameron smut #rafe cameron fanfiction #rafe cameron fic #rafe cameron one shot #rafe cameron imagine #mdni divider creds: hitobaby #divider creds: cafekitsune #divider creds: saradika-graphics

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norrisleclercf1 · 9 months

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Mafia!pierre where he kidnaps reader to negotiate with her dad (another mafia leader) but slowly starts falling for her and gets protective?

Warnings: Kidnapping, bad language, protective!Pierre, murder

Words: 1.3K

A/N: Yeahhhh I started writing and it turned into a fic, whoops

"You kidnapped her?" Pierre looks up from his paperwork, a slight smile on his lips. "Maybe." Pierre's right-hand man groans, throwing his arms up, and walks away. "Whatever, her bastard of a father deserves it anyway," Pierre grumbles, thinking about a particular person sleeping in his bed.

It was pretty easy to kidnap you. You'd think the daughter of a Mafia Boss would have exceptional security, but Pierre and his men could move in and take you without a fuss. It helped that they had an insider slip you a sedative during your nightly tea.

Pierre groans, clicking on the security cameras to check in on you. Seeing you curled around his pillow and still out, he smiles. Your father will notice soon that you have been taken and come screaming for your back. Yet, it will be challenging for him to get you back. As Pierre will finally have his demands met.

Bored, he leaves his office, heads to his bedroom, and nods off the guards as he enters his room. "Shame, you are delicious looking," Pierre whispers, poking your cheek, watching how you wince, batting his finger away. "Leave m awone." Words muffled by his pillow, Pierre rolls his eyes.

"Don't want to wake, fine, I'll wake you." Grabbing the glass of water on the nightstand, he throws it right in your face. "Ahhh." Waking up with gasps, face and neck cold from the water, and suddenly woken. "How dare you wake me up like this! Father will-" You stop blinking when you see someone you know all too well.

"Gasly." You hiss, Pierre smirking as he sets the glass down. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he rocks back onto his heels. "You're a deep sleeper and far too trusting of your father's staff." Unable to think of a comeback, you glare at Pierre, who rocks forward, poking your cheek. Slapping his hand away, he chuckles.

"Wonder how much Daddy will give me for you? I'm sure it's a lot." Wincing at his words, you know the truth. Pierre will see nothing from your father; that man could care less for you. If your mother was still around, maybe he'd care, but with his new mistress and her pregnant, you were trash to him.

"You'll get nothing from him." You bite back. Pierre clicking his tongue, bops your nose, knowing you hate it. "Please, his precious baby daughter? He'll give me whatever I want when he finds out you've been taken." Looking away, you take in the dark classic French and Roman architecture, shocked by his excellent taste.

"You'll get nothing," Sighing, you look down. "I mean nothing to him." The last part whispered that Pierre didn't hear it. "Speak up, Y/n. It's annoying when you mumble. Don't get comfortable in my bed unless." He steps forward, leaning in the heavy scent from the pillow floating off him. "You want to warm my bed for me every night." Slapping him hard on the cheek, you scramble off and slam the bathroom door having to pee.

"Awwww, don't pout cherie. You and I can have our own fun." His laugh echoes as he leaves you alone. "Creepy French bastard. Hate that you smell good." You hiss, staring at the cologne that was clearly his. "Oops." Hand knocking it over as it spills open and down the sink. "Hope you're not a limited edition." Skipping to the shower.

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

5 weeks later

"Clearly, her father doesn't give a fuck about her. We can just kill her now." Pierre doesn't answer, watching the camera outside as you tan; you're so still; Pierre sent someone to watch and make sure you don't fall asleep. "We're not killing her," Pierre growls, glaring at the men before him.

"Of course not, because you've been fucking her every night since she's been here." The room goes still as Pierre searches for the one who said that, eyes land on the one person not looking him in the eyes. "You've got the ball to say it, but not look me in the eyes and say it?" The guy looks up, face pale, staring at the ice-cold eyes of his Don. "It's true, though; she's been in your room every night. Fucking that whore." Pierre shoots out of his chair.

Grabbing the guy by the collar, he slams his head down hard, and a sickening crack bounces off the walls. "If you think I'd stick my dick in her pussy you are very wrong. But, I will not tolerate you calling her a whore. Burying him in the sea." He lets the guy slide down as the others move fast. "No one bothers me for the rest of the day." Pierre closes the cameras down, heading to the pool.

"You'll burn if you stay out here." Groaning at your peace being ruined. "Go away, Gasly. I'm sure you're busy with my father." The lie tastes like acid on your tongue. "I'm ignoring him." Pierre, not wanting to tell you the truth. He licks his lips, the 2 acts of kindness he's done for you today making him sick.

Technically it's 3 acts of service as he let you stay in his room. Pierre has been sleeping on the couch in the room, having never touched you. He's joked about it but stops and walks away when he senses your uneasiness. The anger in his office, hearing his men call for your death, felt wrong; even hearing that bastard call you a whore was like a pit. He hates that he knows how you take your tea, favorite scents, flowers, etc.

It was small stuff that you'd tell him at night. The silence in the room was deafening, and you couldn't handle it. Pierre noticed and placed a small sound machine in the room, only turning it on when you stopped talking. He hates that your father doesn't care you've been kidnapped. That he still hasn't sent word that his daughter was missing, nothing. It makes him want to tear the man apart.

"You're lying. Found out the truth have you?" You pull off Pierre's sunglasses, watching the man before you look away, suddenly interested in the pool. "Like I said, I'm ignoring him. He's sent something, but I wasn't satisfied with it." Pierre snaps, angry at himself more than you. Rolling your eyes, you lay back down, soaking in the sun. "You can lie to me all you want, but I'm waste. Father has his dumb little mistress ready to pop soon, and the moment it's a son, he'll send someone here and kill me." Pierre freezes upon hearing those words.

Why does he get this pit in his stomach anytime someone mentions you dying? It's stupid; you're the enemy. Yet he cares when he sees that rejected look in your eyes and wants to take it away or learn another fact about you.

Shit, he was fucked. Was he starting to care for you? No, he couldn't be. You're an annoying person who spilled his favorite cologne yet clings to his pillow to inhale more. He likes when you tell him his stupid orange shorts look lovely against his sun-kissed skin or his eyes are like rare sapphires. He hates that you pick flowers and bring them into his office. How you have become too comfortable in his daily routine and home. Like you're supposed to be here.

"No one will hurt you while you're under my care. If anyone so much as jokes about it, tell me." Looking back, you see how serious Pierre is. Hearing a commotion, you look, seeing a black bag and people struggling. "Is that what you mean? Killing your own people?" Not at all disturbed by the scene. You've seen worse while living with your father.

Taking a step forward, he touches your chin, the two of you looking at each other. "Yes, I don't care how many of them I kill. No one touches what's mine." Dropping your chin, he walks off, leaving you there.

#f1 #formula 1 #f1 fandom #f1 x reader #f1 imagine #f1 x y/n #formula one #f1 fanfic #f1!mafia #mafia!pierre #mafia!f1 #pierre gasly f1 #f1 pierre gasly #pierre gasly imagine #pierre gasly fic #pierre gasly x reader #pierre gasly x you #pierre gasly x y/n #pierre gasly fanfic

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sidekick-hero · 2 months

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They made it. They really did it.

Corroded Coffin play in front of thousands of people in a sold-out Madison Square Garden. Every single person seems to know their songs by heart and is singing them back at them loudly. They cheer and scream their names and Eddie feels like he's flying so high he's on his way to the moon.

This moment right now, right here, is what he has been dreaming of ever since Wayne gave him his old acoustic guitar for his fourteenth birthday and showed him how to play his first song. He always knew he'd end up here, deep, deep down. Never lost hope.

Well, that's not exactly true, but nobody knows that but Steve.

Because it was Steve who helped him to find that precious hope again, to rekindle the wild spirit inside him that only wanted to be heard with his music. He had almost lost that gift along with his left nipple.

The bat bites had been bad, of course. Pieces of his flesh were missing, gnarled scars littered his body, even as he decorated it with a plethora of new tattoos. They'll always be there.

But the worst part hadn't been the flesh wounds. It had been the infection. Robin hadn't been so far off in her fears back in the Upside Down, because while neither he nor Steve had gotten rabies, the bat's saliva hadn't been the most sterile substance to get into his wounds, and more than one bite had become infected as a result. The worst one had been on his left forearm and had caused some severe nerve damage.

The doctors had been able to save his arm and most of the feeling in his hand, but relearning how to play the guitar had been excruciating. The pain had been really bad, but even worse was the frustration, the white-hot rage he felt at this cosmic injustice. It wasn't enough that he was basically an orphan (because his father could be dead for all he knew, Eddie hadn't heard from him in years at that point), living in a trailer park and being labeled the town freak who everyone still thought had murdered several people. No, he also had to get mauled by demonic bats in an alternate dimension, nearly die, and fight his way back to his feet only to find out that he couldn't do the one thing that had always given him at least some peace of mind. His ticket out of this hellhole of a town, just gone. Poof.

It had been one of those summer days, so hot and humid that it felt like warm water was filling his lungs and dripping out of every pore of his body. He had been sitting on his bed in just his boxer shorts and a crop top because any clothes were too much, with his guitar on his lap. Eddie had been so focused on getting this one simple tune right for hours now, his fingers raw and aching, his nerves screaming at him to please stop. Only he couldn't.

He couldn't stop, because to stop would be to give up. It would mean accepting this new reality in which Eddie Munson had lost a vital part of himself; his music.

The pain had been almost unbearable for the better part of an hour by now, but it wasn't until his fingers cramped so badly that he couldn't even hold it anymore that he threw his beloved acoustic guitar off his lap and onto the floor with enough force that it was a wonder it didn't break.

"Fuck," he yelled with bitter resignation, rising like bile in his throat and spilling out in the form of hot tears from his burning eyes, and then "Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck," a repetitive mantra of pain and sorrow as sobs broke from his aching chest.

He was brought back from the brink of a meltdown by the pressure of a warm hand on his knee, another hand cupping his burning cheek.

"Eddie, hey, man, you're scaring me. Can you look at me, please?" Steve's voice filtered through the anger and grief that constricted his chest, and Eddie lifted his wet eyes to meet Steve's hazel ones. They were bright and warm, even with his eyebrows knitted with worry. They had become close friends over the past few months and Eddie could read his face like an open book.

"That's good, you're doing so good," Steve's voice soothed some of the ragged edges of the broken pieces that had once made up a whole person. His warm hands found Eddie's left hand, still bent into a misshapen claw, and began to massage it gently.

It felt heavenly, even if it still hurt, the gentle but firm pressure slowly loosening the tightly curled digits. Eddie's breathing had slowed, as had his heartbeat, and by the time Steve had finally stopped massaging of Eddie's hand, the sun had begun to set outside.

"Thanks," he had whispered, suddenly ashamed of his outburst, "you didn't have to do that." What he meant was, 'You shouldn't have had to do that. You shouldn't have had to see that.'

Still holding Eddie's hand loosely in his, Steve simply said, "I know. I wanted to. I always want to." The hazel eyes searched and held his again. "You want to tell me what happened? You don't have to, but I have it on good authority that I'm an excellent listener."

That had made him laugh. "That's only because Birdie speaks for both of you when she starts rambling."

"Takes one to know one," Steve had teased back, and the rest of the tension had seeped out of Eddie's body. He had told Steve everything then, about his hand, his fears, his shattered hopes and dreams. Steve hadn't lied, he was a great listener. Attentive and calm, he let Eddie talk without once interrupting.

After Eddie had finished, Steve had been quiet, clearly thinking about what Eddie had told him. After a while of comfortable silence, Steve finally broke it by asking, "Is it possible that you want it too much?"

"Huh?"

"To be able to play the guitar like you used to, I mean. I feel like maybe you want it so much that all the pressure you're putting on yourself is making you so tense and stressed that it's only getting worse."

Eddie wanted to protest, to tell Steve that there was no such thing as wanting too much, but then he stopped himself. Steve had proven himself to be far smarter and more insightful than anyone had ever given him credit for, so instead of denying the possibility outright, he had asked, "What makes you think that?"

Inexplicably, the question had made Steve smile. "When Nancy left me for Jonathan, I was kind of desperate. It sounds silly now, but I thought I needed to find a girl to help me get over it, to prove to myself that I was still attractive, still a catch. Still lovable." The smile had vanished from his face at those words. "I tried so hard, it wasn't even funny anymore, just kind of sad. Robin even had a whole board dedicated to my failures. She told me to just be myself, to let it come to me instead of chasing it like a dog after a bone. It was hard to hear at the time, but you know what? She was right."

Eddie only ever knew the Steve who never had any trouble picking up girls, so it was strange to hear him talk about a time when he clearly didn't.

"So all I'm saying is, maybe take it easy on yourself. Play for the same reasons you started, not because you want to recreate someone you no longer are. None of us is who we were before. None of us ever will be. But you can become someone new. It's up to you who you want to be instead."

After his little speech, Steve had gotten up to get them a couple of beers, and they had just hung out for the rest of the night, the guitar forgotten. It stayed in a corner of his room where Eddie wouldn't see it for a week, until Eddie felt a genuine desire to play something that had been stuck in his head whenever he thought of Steve.

It was the first tune he could get through on his guitar. It was the first song he ever played just for Steve, before he leaned in and caught Steve's lips in a soft kiss for the first time. It became the song he hums whenever Steve wakes up from a nightmare, either while holding Steve in his arms or over the phone when he's on tour.

So it's no surprise that this is the song they play as an encore at Madison fucking Square Garden.

"Hey everybody. This last song is for someone very special to me, so please let's hear it for the love of my fucking life". The crowd goes wild and Eddie winks at the camera that projects his face onto the big screens behind them. "This is for you sweetheart, thank you for always believing in me. You knew I could be someone new long before I did. I wouldn't be here without you and I don't want to be. Nothing makes sense without you. This song is called 'Someone New' and someday I want to play it at our wedding."

He gives it everything he's got, forgetting the last 90 minutes he's been on stage, to make these four minutes the most intense of their whole set. Everyone holds up a tiny flame with their lighters, and when they're done, there's a reverent silence before it breaks into thunderous applause. They cheer, they whistle, they scream.

Eddie doesn't hear any of it, his senses attuned to just one person he's spotted at the edge of the stage exit. He puts down his guitar, walks over to the tall man waiting for him with open arms, and sinks into them as if coming home.

"You did it, baby," Steve whispers into his ear and Eddie just buries himself deeper into his boyfriend's body. "I'm so, so proud of you."

"I love you," he replies simply, the only thing that matters with strong arms wrapped around him, the familiar scent of Steve filling his senses, and the steady beating of Steve's heart against his, the metronome of his new life as sure as ever.

It doesn't matter that they made it, not as much as the man holding him tightly, lovingly.

Eddie's new life is right here in his arms.

#steddie #steddie fanfiction #steddie fluff #rockstar eddie munson #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things fanfiction #steddielovemonth #day 20 #love is a warm hug #my writing

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torusangel · 5 months

Text

My love, mine all mine | Gojo Satoru

Description: A boy who has everything, and a girl who only has her love.

Warnings: fluff, mentions of abuse (not by Toru), maybe more but this is what I got right now

A/N: Inspired by Mitski of course. I wrote this all in one sitting and I’m just posting this preview of it to gauge interest right now to see if I should continue this or not! I kinda want to change it but I also think it’s charming so why not just put it out there and see how it goes? This isn’t edited or proof read at all either so might be a mess lol

People told you often that you wore your heart on your sleeve. Never one to shy away from how you really felt, you floated through life leaving your emotions to run free. You laughed, cried, hurt, and loved. Maybe loved too much, too strongly, too powerfully because the love you gave away would end up growing so strong that it hurt you too. There were people in your life who gave you love as well, but you soon realized that people could take that love away. Leave you with only your love to give, nothing else was ever yours, their hearts too easily taken back, promises broken without the bat of an eye, their whispers washed away by the wind.

You wanted to protect your love. After all, love was all you had left. As a little girl fairy tales and stories of princesses with their perfect prince gave you imagination. You dreamed of such devotion, for someone to sweep you off your feet and make you feel like the most precious girl in the world. You held love close to your heart. It’s what made you strong, and yet so fragile. Love fluctuated like that. Some days it’d have the power of a raging storm, able to tear down anything in its path, and some days it’d be so weak and meager that it would break with the flick of a finger. It was inconsistent.

Ever since you were a child your mother was the one who so adamantly taught you about love. She’d tell you how love was the most important thing in life, how you should never give up on your love and to hold onto it and never let it go. How love was what kept you alive. To live without love wasn’t living at all, and the importance of giving love. You saw her crumble and break under life’s trials and tribulations, the way she’d fall when your father hit her. You saw her dance in the living room all alone to music you couldn’t hear and the way her smile grew when you said you’d give your love to her. Your mother through all her hardships still had so much love to give. Sometimes you wondered if the reason your father was so angry was because he knew he didn’t have all of her.

Satoru grew up with everything. Born into a prestigious family, money bought him whatever he desired. He was the definition of spoiled through and through. He never found it strange that his father was always gone and his mother refused to look at him. Everyone around him said he was so lucky, so that’s how he always thought. People admired him, and as he grew up he realized he could make anyone love him. Satoru knew he was handsome, paired with his wealth he found that was the key to make anyone he wanted fall for his charms. Gojo Satoru always got everything he wanted except you.

When he first met you it was at the cafe on campus. Something about the way you carried yourself drew him in. He saw you and the confidence you held, the beauty in your stride, and he knew he had to have you.

When he first approached you that day you thought he was strange. He’d asked you out without a care if you rejected him or not, you later realized it wasn’t that he didn’t care he just never knew rejection in the first place. He said he’d take you anywhere you wanted.

“The moon, could you take me to the moon?” you asked him in earnest. For a split second you noticed his face change from flirty to confused but he easily bounced back.

“I’ll take you right now, how about it?”

Not one to say no to an interesting opportunity, you accepted.

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #gojo satoru #satoru gojo #gojo x reader #jujutsu kaisen manga #gojou satoru x reader #jjk season 2 #jujustsu kaisen x reader

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normal-internet-user · 1 year

Text

CHERRY BLOSSOM

♡~~♡~~♡~~♡~~♡

Pt: 2 <--

Summary: You're out on your balcony taking care of your wide range of plants, and suddenly, our leader in blue quite literally falls into your life.

Warnings: Minor injuries, and some swearing.

Requested: Nuh uh!

GN Reader!

.........................................

You unlocked the door to your apartment sluggishly.

You had just gotten off work, and couldn't wait to take a shower and relax. Your boss was an asshole, as ususal, and today's customer's were super snobby.

Kicking off your shoe's, you walked into the kitchen and started some coffee, since, even though it was late, you had some house work you needed to get done. Some of which incuded taking care of your plants.

You practically had a mini green house on your balcony, and you'd be damned if you accidentally killed one of your babies because you were half asleep.

You walked into your bathroom and turned on the shower. After waiting for the water to heat up, you shed off your work clothes and stepped into the tub, sighing in contenment as the water cascaded down your body.

Once you finshed your shower, you wrapped a towel around your hair and body, and made your way to your bedroom.

You put on your favorite pair of pajamas, then walked into the kitchen to pour your now finished coffee.

You pull your favorite mug from the cabinet, pouring the liquid gold into it.

Once you were back in your bedroom, you went about brushing your hair, then cleaning your room, making you bed, etc.

After smoothing out your blanket, You walk over to your balcony door, sliding it open.

You grab your watering can from the ground, and begin to water your flower's and fern's. The last thing on your list was picking the cherries from the small tree you had. You had a neighbor who enjoyed cherry pie, and after she had helped you carry in your things the day you moved in, you learned to make it with the cherry's you grew.

She and her kids loved it, and they always made you cookies in return. So you kept growing cherries.

You walked back into your bedroom, leaving the balcony open, to grab the bowl you had left on your nightstand.

You turned around, about to walk back outside into the not-so-fresh city air, when you heard shouting.

You froze. Then you shook your head. This was New York for god sake, yelling wasn't uncommon, well it was around here, but thats besides the point!

After you rationalized with yourself, you continued onto the balcony, walking over to your precious cherry tree, you began to pick the small fruits, humming to yourself.

Suddenly, there was a loud thump!, followed by a low groan behind you. You jumped and spun around. Your heart sped up when you saw what made the noise.

"What the hell?"

Laying on the ground near the glass door, was a very, very, large turtle. It- he, was wear a blue mask around his face and he had friggin swords.

You set down the bowl slowly, and quietly as possible, approaching him with caution. Keeping as much distance as you could, you poked him on the arm.

he didn't move.

You poked him again.

Nothing.

Letting out a small, "huh." , you looked up to where he had fallen from. Seeing nothing, you sighed, now facing a very large dillema.

You could take your cherries, go inside, and pretend you never saw anything. Or you coukd drag the turtle inside, and make sure he was ok.

You could already hear your granny scolding you for even thinking of leaving the turtle. The old bat was still making you choose morals, even in death. Gotta love granny.

With one last sigh, you slowly stepped over the turtle, picking up his dropped swords. You took them inside and placed them on your desk.

Then, with a silent apology to your arms, you attempted to haul the large terrapin into your apartment.

It took fifteen minutes of intense struggle, but eventually, you were able to put him on your bed.

Breathing heavily, you gave the turtle a once over, and it took you a moment to realize there were some minor wounds on his arms.

You left quickly for your bathroom, returning shortly with the medical kit you kept. You began to clean each small wound, then bandage them. Once you were finished, you grabbed an extra blanket from your closet, then threw it over the turtle.

After that, you walked back out to your balcony to retreive your forgotten cherries.

You closed and locked your balcony, throwing one last glance at the turtle, before leaving for your kitchen.

The full gravity of your current situation didn't seem to hit you untill you were washing your freshly picked fruit.

There was a giant turtle in your bedroom.

Laying in your bed.

There was a giant turtle in your apartment.

"I am so confused right now." you muttered.

You shook your head, oppting to check on your new friend before you crashed for the night. After ensuring he didn't have a fever, you closed your bedroom door, and layed on your couch.

You had a feeling tommorow was going to be even weirder.

<LEO'S POV>

♡~~♡~~♡~~♡~~♡

I woke with a groan.

Those purple dragons sure packed a punch, there was no way I was going to hear the end of this from Raph.

I blinked open my eyes, expecting to see the infirmary, but instead, I was greeted by the sight of light blue walls.

"Great." I thought

Just as I sat up in the bed that was definitly not mine, the door across the room opened.

I froze and looked at the person in the doorway, they froze as well. Looking at me with wide eyes.

I had no clue how long we'd been looking at each other, but before it could last any longer, they spoke, "I uh- I didn't think you'd be awake yet. you fell pretty far..."

They had a nice voice, it was kind, obviously there was a nervous tone to it, but still.

They slowly walked further into the room, I finally noticed the tray that they had. I looked down at it then back at up at them as they set the tray on the nightstand.

"I made some soup. I wasn't sure what kind you liked, so I just made the chicken noodle kind, my granny always said it helped with migrains so..."

I gingerly picked up the tray, "Thank you."

They nodded, then asked, "So, who are you?"

My heart skipped a beat.

Who are you.

Not what, who.

I cleared my throat, "My name is Leonardo, but everyone calls me Leo."

"Nice to meet you, Leonardo. I'm (Name)."

I chuckled, sipping some of the soup, "I thought I just said everyone calls me Leo."

I smiled at the slightly embarrased look on their face. They cleared their throat, "H-how are you feeling?"

I finished off the soup, rolling my shoukders as I set the tray back on the nightstand, "I feel great actually, thank you." I looked at the band-aids on my arm then did a double take, "Is that- are these Hello Kitty band-aids?"

They blushed an even darker shade of red, "Those were the only ones I had, sorry-"

"No, no it's fine! I- it just caught me a little off guard is all!"

They chuckled slightly, then they seemed to remember something, "Oh, I found these next to you, I dunno if their your's or not, I just assumed."

They gestured to my katana's that rested on their desk. I nodded, letting them know tgat the blades did, infact, belong to me.

"What time is it?" I asked.

They pulled out their phone, "10:30 am."

My eyes widened, I jumped up from the bed, quickly grabbing my katana's and sheathing them, "Well, I must be going. Great to meet you Mx. (Name). Thank you for helping me and everything, the soup was amazing, but I really do need to go."

"Wait!" they grabbed my arm as I reached for the handle on the balcony door, "Here, take these. I had extra anyway."

They handed me a bag of red cherries. I accepted them with a smile, "Thank you, really you're to kind. Hopefully, we'll meet again."

"Uh- y-yeah. Hopefully."

"Oh, and- uh, don't... tell anyone about this. or me. ok? it's like a really big secret."

"Didn't plan on it, Leo."

With one last smile, I stepped out into the New York air. Jumping away onto the rooftops.

Arriving home was just as annoying as I thought it would be, Donnie was worried as to where I had been all night, Mikey immediatly stole the cherries (Name) had given me, and Raph was practically out of breath from laughing at the Hello Kitty band-aids still on my arms.

With my back turned to take back the cherries from Mikey, I guess I missed the knowing look Master Splinter gave me.

.........................................

#tmnt #tmnt x reader #x reader #leonardo x reader #leonardo x reader tmnt #tmnt 2016 #bayverse tmnt x reader #teenage mutant ninja turtles bayverse #bayverse leo

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rogersideup · 11 months

Text

Nice to be Kneaded

Chapter 5:

Absdoughlutely

Series masterlist

Previous part: Captain-what’s-his-butt Next Part: Sunflower

Word Count: 5,675

Warnings: My blog is 18+ only. All minors or blogs without an age in bio will be blocked. Minors DNI.

Three knocks on a door got you nothing but silence.

Four more knocks got you more silence.

But a ring on the doorbell and about twenty more knocks got you the sound of locks clicking and a door swooshing open with urgency.

On the other side was a disgruntled Georgia, out of breath because she ran to the door. "Child, if this isn't an emergency-"

"Why haven't you spoken to me in a week?" You questioned with a vocal drawl and a feigned playful yet sullen expression.

She stared blankly at you as the hot summer breeze mingled with the cold air from the AC in her house. "You've been busy with that boy."

"You know his name" You raised an eyebrow. "Just because I'm friends with him doesn't mean I'm not friends with you. Are we back in middle school, Peach?"

"You aren't just friends with him." She shook her head and leaned against the doorframe. "The two of you are getting really cozy."

"Even if we were, would that be such a bad thing?" You asked feeling confused. "Weren't you the one saying I should be dating?"

"Of course i'd love to see you happy, but not with him." She wagged her finger back and forth.

Your playful energy deflated, this was no longer a ploy to spend time with the friend you missed, it became personal.

"Why?" You crossed your arms. The sun directly over head stung your skin as you furrowed your brows.

"I don't like him." She said in a tone you've never heard her use before, completely taking you back. "He's the kind've boy that's going to take your heart and stomp all over it. You've said it yourself, there's something about him that's a little odd."

"And you're the one who said that he just needs time to warm up." You threw her words right back at her. "I gave him the time, he's nice and warm now. You've given him nothing but judgement and momentary uncomfortable interactions, of course you'd think he's a little cold."

"I also said he could be a murderer or a stalker, didn't I?" She crossed her arms too, both of you feeling defensive over yourselves. "And why do you feel such a strong need to defend him, baby doll?"

"Because you're being rude to a very sweet man who's done nothing but try to be nice to everyone in Greenwood." You scoffed. "He's expressed to me that he really wanted to be your friend but backed away because you were being cold and short."

"Well then he's very good at reading body language, now isn't he?" Georgia offered a fake smile, batting her eyelashes.

"This is ridiculous." You scoffed at her behavior, completely taken aback. "You really aren't going to speak to me because you don't like Steven?"

"No. I just want to stress that I don't like him, and I can see your heartbreak coming from three miles away." She explained. "I care about you and your precious little heart, I can't stick around to watch someone play with it before stomping all over it."

You audibly chuckled at the hypocrisy of her words. "If you really cared about someone messing with my heart, you wouldn't be dangling it over the edge of a cliff by being a shitty friend over your opinion of a man that's been nothing but kind to me"

"Watch your language, young lady." Georgia scolded.

"No. I'm not a child. I'm not your child either." You refused to let her walk all over you like that.

"Even Michael agrees, you need to stay away from that boy." Georgia let slip.

"Is that what this is about?" You questioned. "Your husband forms an opinion so you have to go along with it for the sake of keeping the peace?"

"This has nothing to do with him."

"Well I think it does" You insisted. "Because the Georgia I know is a loving, kindhearted lady that would take anyone under her wing if they needed it. You used to love everyone, but ever since the sokovia accords you've been letting Michael get in your head, and now you're both turning into judgmental know-it-all's"

"It also has nothing to do with the civil war" Her voice was dripping with warning.

You sighed and shook your head. "I'm over this, if you want to keep trying to work it out you know where I live." as you started to unfold your arms and walk away, one last thought came to mind. "And by the way, Steven has been way more careful with my heart recently than you have."

As you walked down her porch steps and out into the street, the only response to that statement was the sound of a door slamming.

You hadn't seen Steve since you told him you knew he was Captain America. It had been a few days, but they were days you usually wouldn't see him anyways. But ever since you pieced the puzzle together, you couldn't help but to start feeling anxious for him.

Through just a tiny window of his eyes, you could understand why trying to settle down for a little while was risky. Anyone could find out who he is at any given moment, and people like Georgia were a constant threat to his well-being.

Although you were upset that she was being so harsh and critical towards Steve at the moment, a tiny part of you felt relief that she didn't already know what you knew. She still felt far from the truth, and in the long run, limiting the interactions between Steve and Georgia will be better for the both of them.

It gave her less of a chance to stare into his big blue eyes and charming toothy smile to recognize him the same way you did. Because if Georgia or Michael found out Steve's true identity, both you and him would be toast.

You could barely come to terms with how fast and often he had been running around in your mind. All you wanted to do was go check in on him, wanting to wrap him up in a big squishy hug, confess that you genuinely starting missing him in your short few day breaks apart during the week.

What you didn't know was that in those few days, Steve felt the same way. He'd stopped himself a few times from going over to your place and knocking on the door just to see your smile and thank you once more for everything you've done for him. But he didn't want to overwhelm you, and he also knew it wasn't your responsibility to carry the weight of being his constant safe space.

However, he did feel like he owed you a grander gesture of gratitude beyond what he could ever say with words. So in his time away from you, he painted you a picture of the grassy field in the pretty park the two of you had gone to together the first time you'd ever really hung out.

After finishing off some very important details, he popped it in a frame he thought would match your house. Since he knew he would be seeing you tomorrow, he ventured outside of his house to find you the prettiest flowers he could from anyone who would sell a bouquet to him.

When he settled on the perfect ones, he brought them home to cut down the stems and put them in a vase. It almost made him a little sad. In any other situation, he would be courting you. As he arranged them perfectly in the vase, he had a silent moral debate in his head.

These flowers are to say thank you and that was it. You wouldn't take them as a romantic gesture, because they weren't. All friends get each other flowers for all different occasions, and this was totally normal. They would do nothing to hurt you in the long run.

Considering he was devoted to keeping to himself, he unfortunately had a whole day to overthink his choices.

Maybe it was too much, he should just jump ship and keep the painting and flowers to himself. It would spare him a lot of embarrassment if you took it the wrong way, and maybe you were only nice to him because you felt bad. Maybe you didn't want them in the first place.

He eventually snapped out of it, because the version of him he once knew was more confident than this. Old him would never second guess the thought of giving a gift, so maybe this version of him shouldn't either.

Besides, if it went terribly wrong, he already had a lot of reasons to leave Greenwood. There was always an exit plan.

His decision to go through with his original plans were set in stone when he got a text from you at around noon.

'Hey, I know you usually come hang out on Tuesday's but I stayed home today. Just really needed a break, but i'd still love to spend time with you today. Want to come over?'

He let you know that he'd be there soon before quickly taking a shower and getting dressed. It was only after he had tied his shoes and grabbed his keys that you texted him a very strict dress code of only the coziest clothes he owned.

So just for you, he changed his outfit, and fixed his hair one more time before heading over to your door with flowers and the painting in his hands. He settled on some cozy running shorts and a t shirt hoping it would meet your standards for the comfort you had in mind.

As he made the very short walk over to your front door, he could feel Georgia's eyes on him from her living room window. Then as he knocked, she found it a very convenient time to walk outside to get the mail from her mailbox. He gave his best attempt at a wave, but he was met with a glare.

Yikes.

When the door swung open, your eyes immediately landed on Georgia sticking her nose into your business, then right to Steve who was standing there obviously uncomfortable with flowers in his hands.

Annoyed at Georgia and keen on protecting your sweet Steve from her wrath, you quite literally pulled him in your house by his arm before closing the door in an absolute whirlwind.

"Woah!" He stumbled on his feet, quick to balance himself.

"Sorry!" You let go of his arm and smoothed the sleeve of his shirt down. "Georgia was staring, I don't want her anywhere near any of your business"

It took him a second to process all that had happened in such a short amount of time, then he realized he was just awkwardly standing there. "Oh! Uh, these are for you. I just- you've done a lot for me since I've been here and I wanted to say thank you."

"Stop it, you are so sweet!" A puppy dog expression smeared across your face, pouting at the thoughtful man in front of you. "You didn't have to do that."

He set the painting down on the table next to him, and before he even got a chance to put the flowers next to it, you had jumped up on your tippy toes to wrap your arms around his neck.

You could hear his giggle in your ear before one arm wrapped around you and held you close, the other held the bouquet behind your back.

"But I wanted to." He insisted. "I really appreciate you, I'm lucky to have you in my life."

"I think I'm the lucky one here, honey." You gave him a good squeeze before letting him go. "Did you paint this?!"

"... depends on what you think of it." Steve's lopsided smile poked through.

"It's so beautiful! I love it so much" You picked it up to inspect it further. Immediately recognizing the setting, you were highly impressed with the detail.

"Okay, then yes I painted it" He claimed his work.

"You're so talented, this is going to be worth like... a billion dollars."

"Keep dreaming, sweetheart." Steve laughed

"Well it's worth a billion dollars to me! I'll cherish it forever. "And the flowers are so pretty!"

"I grew those myself" Steve joked.

"Oh did you?" You laughed. "You must have a really impressive garden in your backyard."

"Yep, I've been working on it for years."

"You're stupid!" You laughed. "It's a good thing you're so pretty."

"You think I'm pretty?!" Steve enthused.

"Honey, you're just about the prettiest thing Greenwood has to offer."

"Second to you" He playfully winked.

You smiled and shook your head at him as he mentally beat himself up. He shouldn't be pulling you along like this. Playing around with you like a toy until he had to leave you high and dry, it was wrong.

"You are just too much" You grinned with a blush stippling over your cheeks.

He knew you were playing around, but you were right. He was being too much.

"Thank you, Steve." You said sincerely, completely shutting off all his brain noise.

"You're welcome." His heart skipped a beat as you called him Steve for the first time. But then he saw it, the tiniest deflate in your mood, and a tiny twinge of sadness in your eye.

He started following you through your house to the living room, then he watched you plop down in the couch with a subtle sigh.

"What's wrong?" He questioned sadly.

"Oh... it's nothing," You shrugged it off as he slowly sat next to you. But as he examined your body language with his big concerned eyes, you knew there was no use in pretending. "It's just- Georgia."

"Is that what the whole door thing was all about?" He questioned softly.

"Yeah" You tucked your hair behind your ear as you nodded, trying to find a way to tell him the situation without making him feel bad. "I think we need to find better ways to hang out without her knowing."

"Is she onto me?" He asked nervously.

"No, I don't think so. But she's smart, Honey. She doesn't like that we're hanging out and for some reason she wants you far, far away from me." You explained. "I think the more she sees, the more curious she will get and the more digging she will do. That's not good for either of us, is it?"

"No, it's not." He shook his head with a sigh. "I can't be around you if it's going to put your safe-"

"Shut it" You cut him off, and smiled when he pouted once more. "Nothing on this earth can convince me you're bad to be around. All I'm saying is we need to get more creative than the front door."

"But what if-"

"I don't care."

"I'll hop the fence?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Can you do that?" You giggled.

"I free dived off a plane with no parachute" Steve shrugged. "How difficult could one fence be?"

"You know what? We can figure out the logistics later." You nodded. "My point is, just be careful around her. That's all."

"Okay, and my point is that I really care about you. If this starts putting you in danger, I'll never be able to forgive myself."

"I care about you too, which is why we're going to find a way to keep us both safe and happy? Okay?"

He sunk into himself at the thought of everything you're putting on the line. "...okay."

"Cool, now that we got that out of the way, I was thinking we could order some food and watch a movie?"

"Sounds fun to me!" Steve enthused. "I'm starving"

"You're always hungry" You giggled. "Probably because you run a marathon a day."

"It's not my fault" He pouted, slumping onto the couch. "Stupid serum. My metabolism is really fast. And if I don't move, I start to get restless and anxious."

"Don't worry, pretty baby, I'll feed you." You laughed at his grumbly explanation, ignoring the way his cheeks turned pink. "What do you want?"

"...Can't even get drunk" he mumbled again.

"Okay, so we're not drinking vodka for dinner..." You spoke to yourself, scrolling through all the options on your phone.

The two of you eventually settled on an ungodly amount of Chinese food that you'd eat on the couch. The boxes littered the coffee table well after both of you had finished eating, and you sprawled out on the couch, hand resting on your happily bloated stomach. You found yourself in a blissful food coma after trying to out eat Steve. He warned you it was a bad idea, but you took on the challenge anyway. He beat you by two crab Rangoons, but you claimed it didn't count because you definitely ate more fried rice than him.

His evidence that he won was that he felt perfectly fine, while you were one wrong move away from tasting your dinner all over again.

That comment resulted in you flipping him off, and tossing the TV remote at him. "Put something on, I can't even think." You complained.

He laughed at you and caught it effortlessly. "What do you want to watch? Action? Romcom? Oh! I know! A musical"

"If you put it on a musical, I might actually throw up. I'm already too nauseous for that." You joked.

"Okay, how about a Disney movie? Ratatouille? Tarzan?" He questioned, scrolling through all the options.

"Ratatouille is Pixar." You poked.

All he did was glare at you with narrowed eyes in response to that statement.

"Monsters Inc." He continued.

"Also Pixar" You smile. "I want to watch a Captain America movie"

"Okay that's it" He shook his head. "I'm putting on Cars, and you have no choice but to watch it"

"Another Pixar movie" You laughed.

"I miss the bakery" He sighed.

"Wow. You only like me for my cookies." You feigned an upset expression.

"Your sourdough is phenomenal as well." He nodded.

"Jerk..." You smiled.

"Feeling squisher..."

You gasped and clutched your chest, then the fake tears started to fall.

"Noooooooo!" Steve sprang up and made his way over to you, leaning over and wrapping his arms around your upper body to reverse the damage. "Don't cry don't cry don't cry" His face shoved into the crook of your neck made you giggle with every word as his soft beard tickled your skin. "Soooooorrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyy I won't call you that ever again. I love it here, I love spending time with you, don't cry! Please don't cry!"

"If you squeeze me any harder I'm going to throw up all over you" You laughed as he quickly let you go and took a big step back.

"I can handle blood, gore, violence even, but if you throw up I promise I'll be throwing up too." He defensively put his hands up as if you were pointing a weapon at him.

"Somehow, that makes you even more human, Stevie." You giggled as he grabbed a blanked off the couch and wrapped it around himself and the top of his head so just his face was poking through. It was as if he was now trying to hide from the threat.

As he got cozy on the couch once more in his blanket cocoon and your legs thrown across his lap as he payed attention to the beginning of Cars playing on the TV, the warnings from every news broadcast played in your head. It took everything in you to not physically laugh out loud at the words 'if you see any of these individuals, do not approach. They are dangerous.'

You fell into more than comfortable silence as the movie played. It was hard not to let your mind wander around, thinking about how nice it was to take a step back from work for even just the day, and how nice it was to have someone like Steve to enjoy it with.

The silence was broken every once and a while when the two of you would laugh at a joke that not even an 8 year old would find funny, and sometimes he had a question and you had some pretty general commentary on the movie. He also kept letting out quiet little yawns.

You'd catch him out of the corner of your eye, his eyes would fall heavy then he'd blink them open super fast and shake his head to try and keep himself awake. Eventually the blanket slipped off the top of his head, and he'd kick his legs over the arm of the couch and scoot backwards to get a little more comfortable.

Taking into consideration all the information he provided you about his lack of sleep, it warmed your heart to see he felt comfortable enough around you to even feel this sleepy in the first place. You knew most nights he could barely even get himself to try closing his eyes before the sun rose. Now here he was, struggling to stay awake at 9pm on your couch.

He made it another fifteen minutes before his arm relaxed to his side and his head slouched to rest on the couch back, completely knocked out. You couldn't help the smile on your face every time he subconsciously made himself more comfortable. It didn't take long before he was sprawled out across the couch, his head landing on a pillow you placed right next to your lap as you already knew that's where he would inevitably wind up.

You kicked your feet up on the coffee table as you admired the way his hair had flopped over onto his face when he curled up on his side. Your mind and all its racing thoughts were far gone from the animated film on the screen in front of you as you wondered if he would have ever grown out his hair this long had it not been for the circumstances he was under.

You wanted to pull it back off of his face just to feel the soft strands running through your fingers and to admire his facial features a little better, but that was not a step you were willing to take while he was asleep. Besides, if you accidentally woke him up you'd never forgive yourself.

Regardless of the golden strands of hair obstructing your view, you did get to notice all the different colors that lived in his beard. Mostly brown with a twinge of blonde, a bit of red along the side of his cheek and a just a few grays that decided to make a guest appearance. Just as you noticed how long and beautiful his eyelashes were, he sucked in a big breath as if he was waking up.

Suddenly, a movie about silly little cars became the most interesting attention grabber in the whole world. But that big breath was accompanied by a stretch of his arm that so happened to land right on your lap.

Just as you looked down at it, he had stirred into some sort of half conscious state. He looked around and blinked a few times.

"Oh shit" he mumbled, barely being able to form words. "I should go home."

Yet he didn't move his arm away, nor did you think he even had the capacity to make it to his own bed at this point. If he did go home, you knew he wouldn't sleep.

"It's okay" You told him quietly, with a reassuring grin. "You're safe here."

His hand in your lap caught your eye again, but this time it was because it was moving, navigating the area trying to find yours. Your heart skipped a beat once it did, and you interlocked your fingers with his.

There was a small smile on his face as his eyes closed again. "Didn't mean to fall asleep."

"You're okay." You reminded him once more, gently squeezing his hand. "I'll keep you safe"

He used it free hand to remove the pillow from underneath his head, and in one swift movement he rested his head in your lap. Your stomach filled with butterflies and your heart was now beaming with golden rays.

You took that as permission to pull the blanket up over his shoulders to assure he'd stay warm in the air conditioning, but after that you still weren't sure what to do with your free hand.

"Honey?" You whispered just in case he was already back in dreamland. He responded with a little grumble you could tell was his attempt at acknowledging your call for him. "Can I play with your hair?"

A smile immediately stretched across his lips as he lazily nodded. You're pretty sure he fell asleep again after just a few swipe throughs of your fingers in the growing length.

Somewhere between the warm weight of the soldier in your lap and the comfort of a Pixar film on the television, you had fallen asleep too. That wasn't something you even realized until you had woken up to the sound of your phone ringing.

You peeled your eyes open to see the sun had risen to its full potential, and somehow, some way, you were now laying down and pinned between the couch cushions and Steve's body.

His face was shoved into the crook of your neck and one of his strong arms was holding onto you nice and tight as if you would run away if he loosened his grip.

Unfortunately you had no time to bask in the glory of being cuddled by a big strong man before you had both been woken up by the sound of your obnoxiously loud ringing phone. The second he popped his head up and squinted his beautiful blue eyes to adjust to the sunlight, you were internally cursing whoever was trying to contact you with a eternal damnation. Surly if they knew just how long it had been since you felt a man's touch, nobody would've contacted you ever again.

Steve reached over behind him to grab you your phone as he mentally cursed himself for putting you in this position after he told himself to not act on his romantic feelings for you. He was walking you both down a dark and dangerous path of pain and heartbreak but he just couldn't get himself to stop.

You thanked him as you grabbed it from his hand, and immediately picked up as it was one of your bakers.

Steve sat up and sung his legs over the side of the couch by your hips. He slumped over and his face fell into his hands while he listened to half a conversation about how to troubleshoot the rack oven and what to do with all 13 trays of destroyed snickerdoodles for that one really important order.

He had to take big deep breaths to calm himself down as the sound of waking up to a phone ringing caused him an astronomical amount of anxiety. For just a few moments he was positive he was getting a call that would get him back in the suit to shut down an alien wormhole or delay the end of the world.

Somehow your supportive and calming words to your employees calmed him down too.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Things happen, I understand." You cooed over the phone. "I don't want you to stress about it. I can stay all night to bake whatever is left for that order, okay? It'll get done, I promise. There's nothing that we can't fix."

He could hear your employee stress-babbling something on the other end of the phone call, but none of that mattered. Not when you sat up and got right next to him when you noticed his body language.

You made sure there was no empty space between the sides of your bodies. Leg to leg, side to side, and your arm traveled up the plane of his back and gently squeezed the nape of his neck to try and comfort him while you sorted out whatever was happening at Nice To Be Kneaded.

Steve appreciated your efforts, but he also couldn't help but to feel like his lack of self control around you was also a source of his pounding heart and racing thoughts. Knowing he should probably provide an explanation for the cuddle fest last night led him to believe it might be time to set some boundaries with you.

His little slice of heaven would have to be put at arm's length away, on the highest shelf he couldn't reach even if he was on his tippy toes. If he had you out on the counter, he knew he would come back for a little more of you every time he passed by because just one more bite wouldn't hurt. But one kept turning to two, two to four, and before he knows it the both of you will be on complete opposite sides of the world as you harbored pure resentment for him.

Right now he might've looked like a bucket of sugar to you, but sugar and salt looked exactly the same the only difference being sugar doesn't sting when it's rubbed into wounds.

His mind ran away fast, the only rope he grabbed onto to pull him back into reality was your calming voice.

"Hey, Sweet Stevie." You squeezed his shoulder, trying to catch his attention.

He finally snapped out of his trance and his big eyes met yours. "Huh?"

"Are you okay?" You questioned although you already knew the answer.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm fine." He faked a smile.

"Really? I said your name three times before you responded." You raised an eyebrow.

This time Steve's lips pressed together in a straight line before a real grin spread across them. "I keep a burner phone in my pocket with some of the Avengers being the only ones with the number to it in case they need me." He explained. "Every day feels like a waiting game for the phone to ring- it's like sitting in a room with a bomb that's about to explode but you don't know when it'll be detonated."

"Ah-" You understood, your hand continued to rub circles on his back. "You thought there was an explosion?"

He nodded in confirmation as he thought about what to say next- how to let you down gently.

"False alarm" You stated, earning a hum in response.

All he wanted to do was let his head fall back onto your shoulder, pull you down onto his body and cover the both of you up so that you could get a few more hours of sleep. He wanted to avoid this gaping hole he always felt in his heart, he wanted to enjoy your company without guilt.

"Are you okay?" Steve reciprocated the questioned.

"Yeah" You giggled. "Sometimes the oven at the bakery likes to shoot up in temperature for no reason and bake cookies at 600 degrees Fahrenheit. That led to a snickerdoodle disaster and now we're about 320 cookies and six hours of work down from a huge order that's picking up tomorrow."

"How are you not stressed?" Steve questioned.

You shrugged your shoulders. "I'll get it done. I might be there until the sun rises but I'll get it done. I'd go in earlier but we only have so much space for so many people to be working at the same time, it would be more useful to just get there later and work in an empty kitchen."

"You're going to need more butter" Steve thought out-loud. "And eggs."

"And flour. And sugar. And cinnamon. But hey, at least I slept well last night!" You giggled and nudged his shoulder with yours.

It earned you a pretty smile and a shy blush on his cheeks. "If I had any intention of falling asleep I would've warned you that I'm a chronic cuddler." Steve defended himself. "All of the Avengers learned that the hard way, they all knew to avoid the general area I was sleeping in."

"Awwww. I'd like to imagine a time in which you and Bucky Barnes were spooning to keep nice and warm on a cold, cold night." You smiled as you teased.

"Oh, no, Bucky would not hesitate to push me onto the floor." Steve laughed.

"That's so mean! I could never!" You screeched. "Did you at least sleep well?"

"Scary good" The blush on his cheeks burned brighter. "Sorry for holding you hostage all night."

"More than fine by me." You smiled, still enjoying the lack of space between his body and yours. "I'm sorry you had to wake up like that. What a shitty way for you to have to start the day."

This time you let your head fall onto his shoulder, and your arm squeezed him into a delightful side hug. He reciprocated by wrapping his arm around you too and letting his head rest on yours.

Okay, just one more bite.

"I think this is the best way for me to start my day." Steve said. Now you were the one blushing, and that extra bite was worth all the sugary sweetness that made the endorphins bounce around in his brain. But could you blame him? You were just so damn scrumptious, maybe even addictive.

You so wished you could stay and enjoy the temptation snuggling you on the couch, but then a really depressing thought was at the forefront of your brain. "I have to source ingredients and make hundreds of snickerdoodles" You sighed.

"And teach your apprentice how to master the art of a snickerdoodle" He offered his help.

"Really?" You questioned, almost in disbelief. Not a day went by without you being so very appreciative of his ability to walk alongside you exactly when you needed him.

"Abs-dough-lutely" Steve joked.

"Oh you're a loser" You held back your smile.

Next part: Sunflower

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flamingpudding · 10 months

Text

DPxDC Family Week June 20 (Day 3)

Prompt: Adoption | Learn

A/N: This was inspired by a rl video I saw as well as a Owl House Episode I watched with my friend a little while ago

AO3 Link: DPxDC Family Week Contributions

It had been months now since Danny had moved from Amity to Gotham after his parents had disowned him as well as suddenly told him that he wasn't their son but adopted. It was a hard pill to swallow especially after his parents hadn't taken Jazz and him telling them the truth about Phantom very well. They didn't react negatively nor positively at first. They had just in return told him about having adopted Danny when he was baby and then told him that they no longer felt adequate to take care of him, especially with their research. He was welcome to stay until he found a new place to stay, they weren't 'heartless' enough to just kick him out and make him homeless.

Danny still had packed his most precious things, clothes and some of his personalized Fanton-Tech and started couch hopping mostly with Tucker, the Mansons still hated his guts. He had dropped out of School in favor of finding a job and hoped he would soon earn the money to get a place of his own. Refusing to take any of the money Sam tried to give him for a one room apartment.

Danny had understood he really had, despite Jazz overanalyzing him or his friends constantly questioning why he seemed to disassociate every now and then. Their worry got to the point that Jazz had decided that Danny needed a distraction that had nothing to do with ghosts, job hunting or his current sleeping arrangements. And that resulted in her convincing his friends in helping him find out more about his biological parents and any relatives he could additionally have. Surprisingly they hadn't had a lot of trouble finding out anything, though Danny suspected that it had a lot to do with some most likely very illegal hacking Tucker did.

Either way they had found out that Danny had originally come from Gotham, he apparently had an older brother. Who was the one that had given him up. There was a record of his home life having not been the best considering his registered mother had been recorded as a drug addict. He didn't blame that unknown older brother for giving Danny up for adoption, they most likely had wanted to protect Danny.

Of course that knowledge had been enough for Danny but not for his friends. And so Sam had gathered up all the money he had refused before, Jazz had packed up his bags and Tucker had organized a place for him as well as an entire file on how to best find his brother as well as a second safety file regarding the Bats in case they didn't like his ghostly presence. With that in hand the three had sent him off to Gotham making him promise to check in with them regularly and telling him that they would have everything in control in Amity until they could join him.

So after having been disowned by his parents, dropped out of school and more or less forced on a self discovery journey by his friends, he arrived in Gotham where the spirit of the town welcomed him like a lost son returning to their family. Let him tell you. Waking up in your hotel room in the middle of the night to an eldritch looking spirit hovering over your face welcoming you as her lost knight was not fun.

Additionally he hadn't planned on seeking his brother out but the Lady had been pretty insistent and so Danny did end up seeking him out. The files Tucker had provided were top notch. Ancients, his best friend had even figured out that his brother was essentially Red Hood aka Jason Todd-Wayne (he did not freak out that his favorite vigilante was his brother, no he didn't). Even if Tucker hadn't then Lady Gotham would have told him by trying to get him to reconnect with them using his alter Phantom. How in the name of Ancients did Lady Gotham even know about that?!

Of course reconnecting hadn't been easy and after several confidence boosting calls with his sister and friends as well as late night visits from the city's spirit, he had finally approached Red Hood as Phantom first. Which led to him realizing that his brother had corrupted ectoplasm in his system that needed to be removed asap. Well their first meeting ended up with Phantom sticking his hand into Red Hood's chest on instinct to remove all the corrupted ectoplasm.

Needless to say that first meeting ended with him getting chased throughout Crime Alley and getting bullets that couldn't even hurt him, shot at him. It took him a week to clear that misunderstanding as well as come clean to his older bio-brother. And then it took another week to reveal all the hidden truths like how he died and became half-ghost, how his brother had apparently also died and got brought back wrong which explained the corrupted ectoplasm, and how they both took up the vigilante badges. After the initial problems they had gotten along pretty well very quickly and Jason had become the elder brother to Danny that he always had wanted to be before having given him up for adoption.

Of course the other bats apparently got wind of his existence pretty quickly which ended after another week with Danny learning that his brothers entire family were vigilantes too. No he hadn't been suspicious of Bruce at first after his brother had told him of his adoption by a billionaire. Shut up, he did not check out the entire Manor invisible which led to him finding the Bat Cave and figuring out they were, what Danny liked to call, Gotham's furry brigade. Okay he did but he blames his obsession with protections and told his brother that much to which he got his hair ruffled.

Of course the moment Bruce Wayne got to know about this he had been interrogated about his relation to Jason, him coming to Gotham and his status as Phantom and half-ghost to which his brother ended up ready to throw hands with his own adopted father. Danny had first thought him to be a fruitloop but then once the man was satisfied, they had pretty quickly moved him from his hotel room to the manor and flat out told him that he would help him become a better vigilante.

Because apparently the moment they knew, Jason's adopted siblings did their research in regards to Phantom and found out that he still had a lot to learn and they could teach him how to become better at the whole hero stick, including balancing his day and night life.

So five weeks, after meeting his brother and reconnecting, later with Danny working part-time at Wayne Enterprise during the day that started as a cover for him but quickly got serious the moment Tim found out he was apparently brilliant (Which honestly, he was not. He was just obsessed with space.) That also resulted in signing him up for science classes and then upgrading his part time job from errand boy to the Aerospace Department Assistant.

So now after months spent in Gotham and deciding to stay there, his sister and friends pretty much told him that he was making the best decision of his life for once after seeing the progress he had made in balancing his hero life as well as getting a job and proper schooling. The Waynes also pretty much all but officially adopted him into the family. His brothers siblings even had referred to him several times as a brother too and Danny didn't know how many times he had told a reporter now that, 'Yes, he was Jason's biological brother.', 'No he was not a Wayne like is brother.', 'No, he was not getting adopted by Bruce too.' and 'No he would not attend any of the Galas the Waynes go to.'

Really the media watching the Waynes was probably only waiting for Bruce to announce an adoption. His friends, sister and even Jason, that traitor, had a bet running on how much longer Danny could tell Bruce no. Seriously, he was going to be 18 in three years anyway, why was everyone so interested in his adoption status when he was going to be a legal adult in a couple of years anyway. Besides his first adoption didn't work out, why would they think he would just agree to be adopted again? They did not know his true thoughts on this though.

Danny yawned as he made his way over to his workplace. He had a project to finish and a special meeting with Tim later today. He was the youngest Aerospace Engineer Assistant of Wayne Enterprise in their department but that didn't mean he wasn't as good as the others at least according to Tim anyway. His obsession with space was probably the only reason he was so good and had corrected at least five equations of his colleagues.

Dick would probably scowl him and Damian if he heard his thoughts would drag him to another training that was supposed to boost his self-confidence that hopefully involved less stabbing than the last one he had been dragged to. He should have never gifted a Fanton ecto-sword to the kid. It had been for his collection not special stabby training!

Really he had come to love his brother's siblings and he knew they meant well but he was self-aware. (Jazz and Jason would very much like to disagree here.) Besides it was already enough with the way they had accepted him into the family and apparently kept referring to him as brother despite the fact that he wasn't.

Speaking of which, his phone vibrated with the bat-chat going off about today's patrol and who was supposed to mentor him today.

+++++++++++++++++++++

IseeThings: Hey Ghost-Bro, you with me after your work for patrol?"

AnimalHeaven: Thomas, Father promised that Daniel is with me tonight.

OnMyChandelier: This is unfair. Baby Ghost, why don't you come visit me in Bludhaven?

OneShotKill: Butt off Dick. Spooks is with me tonight! Gotta show him the ropes of how to bust drug deals the correct way.

CantSenseMe: 😕🥺👻🥷🦸‍♂️👌

WhoNeedsSleep: I hate to say it guys. But he IS with Duke today.

IseeThings: Phantom and Signal, the Power Duo!

AnimalHeaven: Unacceptable.

WhoNeedsSleep: Look there is a big Project tomorrow morning WE needs him for. He needs sleep.

OneShotKill: Rich coming from you, Replacement.

HuntingMeHuntingYou: Guys, Tim is right, I am with Duke today.

IseeThings: GUYS! DAMIAN IN MY ROOM WITH A KNIFE!!

++++++++++++++++++++++

Danny couldn't help the grin at the cover Tim gave him for tomorrow morning when he would have to go to the legal office for the last of his papers. Thank the Ancients he had asked him for help with his little surprise for everyone. It also helped that Jason was keeping Bruce off his back.

"I really hope they will like the surprise, getting kicked out a second time won't be fun…" Danny muttered as he put his phone back into his pocket. He glanced at the innocent looking brown folder on his desk and Ancients, was he nervous.

Tim had assured him several times that it would be okay and that the others would be overjoyed. Jason had even made him call Jazz to help him calm down and get reassurance from her as well. They told him that what he was going to do was alright with them but he couldn't help but be nervous.

Yes they had welcomed him into the family but this was a whole other level he wasn't sure how they would react to it. For a brief moment Danny wondered if he would get to experience Damian's stabbynes without having to rile up the little guy or be dragged to train with him.

"You're worrying too much again." A cup of coffee was placed on his table as he looked up sharply at Tim who stood next to him sipping on his own cup of death wish.

"Shouldn't you be in a meeting?" Taking a sip of the offered cup Danny smiled, thank the Ancients that he and Tim had the same taste in coffee. Even if the others kept saying it's unhealthy, even making Jason question their blood relation at times.

"Still got some time. I wanted to make sure you're still good and not freaking out like that time you first saw the Riddler, little bro." The older shrugged and Danny glared lightly. They were going to hold it over him for the rest of his life. So what if he freaked out when he met the Riddler for the first time. Sue him, the guy is dressed in so much green he couldn't help but think that the guy got dipped in ectoplasm to the point he tried to soup him only to end up throwing the thermos at the guy's face in a panic when that didn't work. He had been glowing for Ancients sake!

"Just go to your meeting." Grumbling, he turned away from the Co-CEO that apparently liked to check on him way too much between his breaks and opened his company's provided laptop with the latest status and calculations of the latest engine he had been working on.

A week later Danny was pacing in his room. Everyone else was already down at the family dinner, Alfred had organized and Danny was most likely the only one missing. He had a call with Jazz earlier. Confirming with her once again that what he was going to do was really really alright with her. Even if his former parents had disowned him it would never change the fact that Jazz was his sister, Ancients even Jason had assured him about that fact.

"Okay Danny, you can do that. You faced worse things. This is gonna be childsplay."

A knock on his door startled him out of his pacing and Danny ended up floating a little as his brother opened his door and peaked in. "You okay there little spooks?"

"'m fine!" He hurriedly said as Jason raised an eyebrow. Danny just grabbed the still innocently looking brown folder and pushed the elder out of his room who only chuckled and ruffled his hair.

"You know I haven't thank you yet for making me win that bet."

"Ancients, you just changed your bet with my friends when I told you my plan!"

"Still won it."

"Let's just go down."

Once they arrived in the dining room Danny couldn't help but swallow as he took a seat next to Jason and noted how everyone plus extended / unofficial family was there. The brown folder lay innocently across his lap and he could see Damian eyeing it from the corner of his eyes. Great if the youngest had already seen it then the others surely had noticed Danny carrying around that folder with him too. How was he going to bring it up now? Should he do it now or wait? It wasn't too late to just run now? He could disintegrate it, but that would make all the help Tim gave him for nothing. Maybe-

A pat on his shoulder brought him out of his starting spiral and Danny looked up at Jason who was nodding with his head in Bruce's direction. Tim was also giving him an encouraging smile and also motioned for him to get it over with. Did the two know he was contemplating running away now? He shook his head.

Okay he could do it. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves Danny cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention.

"Uhm, Bruce? I was wondering…" The words good stuck in his throat but the man in question looked at him waiting for him patiently as the others slowly quieted down giving him curious looks except for Jason and Tim. "...could you maybe take a look at these papers?"

He carefully slid the folder over the table but with nothing in his hands now he started wringing the end of his shirt. "Maybe you could sign them, you know, just for legality."

"I thought Jason was your legal guardian? Why would Bruce need to sign when Jason could…" Dick looked confused at first but trailed off when he leaned over to get a glimpse of the papers Bruce had been leafing through before the man froze.

There was a long moment of silence before Dick suddenly sprung up from his seat nearly vaulting over the table and hugged Danny squealing and confusing everyone else at the table. While Bruce finally unfroze, opening his mouth to ask Alfred for a pen that the butler was already holding out to him with a knowing smile.

"It is legal now, Daniel James Todd-Wayne."

The moment Bruce's words registered with everyone else Danny got tackled into a group hug as words like 'Finally!' Or 'You kept us waiting long enough.' reached his ears. Looks like he really shouldn't have had anything to worry about his official adoption into the Wayne family.

Well he guessed the next time a reporter asked him he could answer, 'Yes, he was Jason's biological brother.', 'Yes, he was a Wayne now.', 'Yes, Bruce had adopted him.' , 'No he would still refuse to attend any of the Galas the rest of his family go to.'

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jerzwriter · 6 months

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Upon Arrival

OK, I really have issues. This was another <100 ask, and I clocked in at 1600 words. I think I need to change that to 1000 if I ever do it again! lol Anyway, this is based on this ask from my friend @icecoffee90! I hope you enjoy it, Z... Tobias/Jackie/Airport... it was a little challenging. 😉

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey Carrick) Featuring: Jackie Varma Rating: Teen Words: 1,600 Summary: Casey's stuck at work a little late, so she asks Tobias for a favor. Her usually unflappable husband seems a little... flapped... and we're about to find out why. A/N: Participating in @choicesnovchallenge | Go for a ride day. It may not have been a planned or desired ride, but it was a ride nevertheless. lol

Tobias bopped into the Diagnostic Team’s office with his usual effervescence, and why not? His shift was almost over, and it had been a banner day. Not only did he solve a case that had left the nation’s top doctors baffled for months, but he saved a young child’s life in the process. If that weren’t enough, his favorite patient, Mr. Ortega, went home after two months at Edenbrook, but not before his husband hand-delivered a dozen of his incomparable empanadas as a thank-you. Now, he was about to go home to the most precious little angel ever created with the most beautiful woman in the world on his arm. Sure, he knew the last part was strictly his opinion, but he also knew he was right. He had every reason to be happy.

He lit up when he saw his wife seated behind her desk, but one look at the expression on her face and he quickly dimmed.

“What do you need?” He asked before she could say a word.

“What?” Casey answered defensively, “Who said I needed anything?”

“That look on your face did. Do you need me to take care of a difficult patient?”

“When have I ever asked you to pick up a difficult patient?”

“Never,” he agreed. “Is it Ramsey? You had rounds with him.” Thinking he got it right, he snapped his fingers. “He’s constipated again, isn’t he? And taking it out on you? I’ll go spike his coffee with Fiberlax...”

“No,” Casey laughed. “Ethan’s fine. Please don’t go medicating him illegally. But...”

“But?”

“But he needs me to stay on a little later tonight. Amanda Chou is coming out of surgery in an hour, and we agreed we should assess her as soon as she’s done.”

“That makes sense. Don’t sweat it. I’m more than capable of caring for Samantha until you get home. We’ll both be eagerly waiting for you.”

“Yeah, about that,” she winced.

“What? You don’t think I can take care of Sammy?”

“No! I know you can do that! But did you forget? It’s Wednesday... I was supposed to pick Jackie up at Logan tonight.”

“Oh, right!”

“So, I was wondering... would you be able to get her for me?”

“Casey....” he groaned.

“I already cleared it with your Mom, and she’s happy to stay with Sam until I’m home....”

“Would she happily pick Varma up at Logan for me instead?”

“Tobias, you know she doesn’t drive at night. Besides, she barely knows Jackie.”

“I hardly know her either. But it’s no fault of my own. She hates me.”

“She does not hate you! She’s just... Jackie.”

“No. She hates me.”

“Well, then this is the perfect opportunity for you to get a little one-on-one time with her to work whatever it is out. Come on, baby, do it for me?” She looked at him with the saddest puppy-dog eyes, batting her lashes adorably.

“That’s not fair! You know I can’t deny you. Especially when you give me those eyes.”

“I know, that’s why I do it. Come on, T,” she pleaded as she sat on his lap. “I promise you, she doesn’t bite.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” he scoffed. “I’ll do it, but if I end up needing rabies shots, I’m gonna be pissed.”

~~~~

The sun had almost set, but its light was still bright as Tobias waited in his car for Jackie. He adjusted the sunvisor to shield his eyes, then looked at the clock. Fifteen minutes had passed since she told him she was five minutes away. He double-checked the gate to ensure he was in the right spot when he saw her walking his way with two large suitcases in tow. He jumped out of the car with a grin.

“Hey, let me give you a hand with those!”

“Thanks,” Jackie half smiled. “But I managed to get them from my apartment in Los Angeles to Boston. I think I can manage throwing them in the trunk.”

“Suit yourself,” he replied, raising his hands in surrender. “Just trying to be nice.”

He considered attempting small talk as Jackie settled into the passenger’s seat and strapped herself in. But he decided to let her take the lead instead.

Years before, when he came into Casey’s life, every one of her friends was skeptical. After the chemical attack, each warned that he’d meet his fate in unique and painful ways if he dared to hurt her. But if memory served, Jackie’s method of ridding the world of him was the most frightening of all. Most of her friends had come around. After all, they were a disgustingly happy married couple with a little girl of their own. He was obviously in this for the long haul. Casey was safe. He now considered her friends, their friends... except for Jackie, and for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why.

They sat in awkward silence for several more minutes when Jackie caved.

“So... how’d you get stuck coming to get me.”

“Casey’s working late,” he answered, palming the wheel to turn onto the highway. “So, I’m being a nice husband and stepping in.”

He was doing his best. But the neutral expression he had plastered on his face began to crumble when a loud snort escaped Jackie’s nose. Maybe Casey was right; perhaps he should use this time to finally clear the air.

“What?” He asked, annoyed. “What did I say that was so funny?”

“Nothing. But it still blows my mind a little that words like ‘nice husband’ are used to refer to you.”

“OK... but they fit now, right?”

“I guess,” she shrugged. “Casey’s nauseatingly happy, so you must be doing something right.”

Just like that, the smile was back on his lips. “That’s good to know.”

But silence descended upon the car again, and Tobias had to ask. “Jackie... do you have a problem with me? I know you thought I was an asshole in the past, but that’s a distant past now. Why the hell don’t you like me?”

Jackie’s eyes lit up, her lips pursing to prevent a telltale grin. She could have some serious fun with this, and her mind spun with fantastical stories that would have Tobias sweating the whole way home. But something happened. She wasn’t sure if it was the borderline fear she saw in the 6’1” man’s eyes or her own worry over the reprimand she’d get from Casey later, but she relented.

“What? Does everyone in the world have to succumb to the charms of Dr. Tobias Carrick?”

“I didn’t say you had to love me, Jackie; it’s just....”

“Why the hell do you think I don’t like you?” She interrupted. “I acknowledge your existence. I talk to you on occasion. I eviscerate you on social media. I was at your wedding, for God’s sake.”

“Yeah, but those could be categorized as obligations because you’re a friend of Casey’s... well, save the social media part.”

“Ah, you don’t know me very well, Carrick. If I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t do any of those things. If I truly didn’t like you, you wouldn’t be married to my friend. I would have locked Casey in a closet before your wedding out of moral obligation. But no... I was there.”

“So, you weren’t there solely for the free food and open bar?”

“Well, those were my top two reasons. But I was a freaking bridesmaid. I wouldn’t put myself through that torture if I didn’t like you.”

“So you do like me.”

“You don’t suck... and you make Casey happy, which is all that matters to me. But you really thought I hated you?”

“Well... you always looked at me with disgust...”

Jackie waved her hand, “No, that’s just my face.”

“Ninety percent of the time, if you’re speaking to me, it’s pure sarcasm... and you never call me by my name. It’s always Rico Suave.”

“The name is fitting! Not for nothing, but your mother should have changed it legally before you started school! You’re far more Rico Suave than Tobias.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s meant to be an insult,” he smiled.

“Only a baby one. You really thought I didn’t like you? Have you not seen me with Bryce?”

“I have. I assumed you didn’t like him either.”

“Theoretically, I hate everyone, so I understand the confusion. But Bryce is one of my best friends. Tell him that, and I’ll make sure there is no way you can ever procreate with your wife again.”

Tobias shook his head with a laugh. “So, the first time you admit that you like me, you also threaten violence. Does this mean we’re best friends, too?”

“Don’t push your luck, Rico.”

Tobias pulled the car into the carport of his townhome, and he and Jackie looked up to see Casey at the window with Sammy on her hip. She held the infant’s hand as they excitedly waved together. Tobias watched Jackie break into a rare, genuine smile as she waved back.

“I’m so telling your wife,” she said as they exited the car.

“Telling my wife what?”

“That you’re a wuss. I may have to consider a new nickname for you if you were actually afraid of me.”

“I was never afraid of you! I didn’t want one of Casey’s best friends to hate me. But now I know I have the Varma seal of approval, so all’s well.”

“Hey, slow your roll. If you want an official Varma seal of approval, there will be a fee involved, money bags. Either that, or you could hook me up with your brother. Either will do.”

“Sorry, I think my brother has his eye on Raf.”

“That bastard!”

“As to the fee... how about I treat to dinner tonight?”

Jackie nodded thoughtfully. “Dinner tonight, and I get to tell everyone you feared me.”

Tobias sighed wearily. “I wasn’t afraid of... you know what, if you want to tell a limited audience that I was afraid of you, go for it.”

“Good,” Jackie grinned as Casey opened the door, “Now I know what I’m telling Sammy for a bedtime story!”

I hope it was decent, @icecoffee90... I'm not sure. lol Thanks for the ask, dear!

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Tagging others separately.

#choices fanfic #open heart #open heart choices #choices open heart #open heart fanfic #tobias carrick #tobias carrick x mc #tobias x casey #jackie varma #playchoices #playchoices fanfic

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somebodycallhr · 7 months

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Ok but like steddie <3

Steve’s starting to grow accustom with waking up in a messy trailer, either to the sound of gently strummed guitar strings Eddie so sweetly tries to muffle in the other room or the bitter smell of Wayne’s coffee. Between their efforts of helping Eddie free of his charges, and helping Wayne repair his trailer Eddie and Steve have grown very close, closer than most friends.

They’ve been drawn together after everything, the bats, the hell this family has clawed it’s way through. They survived that’s all that matters, with scars to prove it.

Steve wakes to the quiet music his friend plays in the living room, going back in forth on notes. He must be practicing or writing a new song, it’s nice to see him play, while he’s changed a lot, matured, grown, healed his music never changed. He still sings about his life his love it’s still…him.

Steve traverses the various legal books and files scattering the floor, it’s been a lot of work but the three of them have *almost* successfully cleared poor Eddie’s name. Even Robin has put forth her best efforts in finding Eddie a job and being his personal guard dog whenever people have the gall to approach them.

Steve leans against the doorway watching Eddie from behind strumming his guitar and flittering through notes. The funny thing about pain, about hardship, is how it bring people together. This family is nothing like he’s ever known, Wayne cares for them with the kindness of a father, robin is the sister he so desperately needed, even Nancy Jonathan and of course the kids have become such a crucial part of Steve’s life. But Eddie? There’s no match for the fondness Steve holds for Eddie. It’s so soft or warm but also strong and courageous, like he’d fight anything if he had to for Eddie.

A sleepy Steve meanders his way to his friend kneeling down on the floor behind him. An action that doesn’t surprise the boy. He doesn’t even say anything.

Feeling desperate for a reaction now Steve leans in closet wrapping his arms around Eddie softly. This elicits a small chuckle but Eddie remains quiet still.

So they sit in the living room floor, in a gentle embrace just existing. Enjoying each other’s presence.

“Whatcha doing there?” Eddie’s asks finally breaking the silence with his mischievous grin. “What? It’s my shirt I ought to have a right to hold it.” Steve replies a smirk crawling across his lips. “Uh huh… what about the guy in the shirt, think about that?” He says setting his guitar down and twisting to face the man sat behind him. “That’s mine too of course.” Steve says grinning wildly, attend and failing to hide his insecurities growing. Eddie rolls his eyes dramatically in response, leaving an anxious Steve quiet again.

They sit in awkward silence for a minute or two, both gazing quickly watching the other. “Wait…are you serious?” Eddie asks with a quizzical brow propped. Steve nods slowly, cautiously. They’ve been flirty since they met but perhaps he took it too far, he’d never want to make Eddie uncomfortable. Thoughts race through both of their minds terribly afraid of what to say or what not to say. Eddie’s nods quietly as well taking a moment to think.

“Would you rather have an in depth conversation about what we’re doing and feeling and all that bullshit or just kiss and get it over with?” Eddie breaks the silence his wild grin and outrageous confidence find their way home on the boy. Steve reaches up to hold Eddie’s jaw, careful of his scars. He holds Edie like glass or the most precious jewel. Steve’s other hand drags Eddie’s closer watching his every movement, every blink, every small twitch or blush, just watching this boy he admires.

“Are you sure?” Steve asks in a whisper that barely makes it off his tongue. Eddie’s sighs with a soft smile. “King Steve? Is that really you? I seem to remember seeing you make out with three girls in ONE night at one of the few parties I went to? Now you’re nervous, what an honor.” His teasing smile breaks their tension, so Steve presses their lips together, innocently and gently. Nothing like the precarious hookups or meaningless flings he’s had. Every touch and breath is full of care and fondness.

Steve breaks it quickly, drawing in every detail he can. This is a memory he needs to keep and adore. “I had to shut you up there.” Steve’s teases.

“I fucking knew you weren’t straight, hell I knew in middle school!” Eddie says with a laugh, pressing his forehead against Steve’s. They sit for a while joking and laughing, making a good memory something they can look back on, if anything the first time Steve’s kisses a boy it needs to be a good memory especially with this boy.

The big talks will come later, good foundations and whatnot, but for now they can sit in the floor and laugh and play and be happy. They deserve it, they’ve fought for it. They’re going to have to keep fighting for it and for each other but it will be worth it for little memories like these. Moments that are for them.

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #ficlets #oneshot #i love them so so so much

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randomfoggytiger · 11 months

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X-Files Collector's Edition: Dad!Mulder, His "Mini Me"s, and Sports

Mulder deserved to bond with his "mini me"s over any sport under the sun. Here are a few fics that do just that.

Loose chronological order below~

Canon Timeline

Susan Proto’s Memory's Promise

""His first, real baseball glove. He smiled at the fond memories he held of his father and he going to the sporting goods store to pick out the perfect glove. He remembered the arduous process of breaking in the glove and trying to follow every single direction his father had given him to do it just right.

He oiled it. And he rubbed it. And he placed the baseball inside to make the perfect pocket and flinched slightly at the memory of how his hands stung when he'd tried to wrap the rubber band around it to hold the ball in place and the band snapped and stung him to the point of tears. He remembered his father found him whimpering slightly, and gently guided him into his den, all the while telling him he had just the thing to keep that ol' ball in place. His dad pulled out the biggest rubber band he'd ever seen; Mulder smiled at the sweet memory of being so taken with something so simplistic.""

Pre-Empedocles Mulder remembers a happy childhood memory of becoming Samantha's protector and learning baseball from his father. He's ready.

@folieadeux1121-blog's What Might Have Been

""Hips before hands!” came a little voice in front of Mulder. William glanced over his shoulder, up at his dad, his smile wide. Now four years old, he was excited for his first baseball lesson, and had been ever since Mulder had told him it was happening.

“That’s right kiddo.” Bending down, Mulder wrapped his arms around his son to take hold of the bat the little boy was holding. It was almost as big as William was. “Just remember that and when the ball comes towards you…” he nodded at Scully, signalling he was ready for her to pitch. “You follow through like this…” Scully threw the ball, as gently as she could, and with Mulder’s help William did as his dad asked, the bat connecting with it and sending it a short way to their left. “That’s it!""

Mulder teaches his four-year-old son how to play baseball under the happy eye of Scully. It's not real (that is... if you read the last part.)

Lara Means's (Alt. Ao3) Unrealized Reality

""When he had just turned ten, he practically begged his parents to let him try out for Little League. His father thought it was a great idea, but it seemed to her he was more suited to basketball. Tall and thin, but graceful, like his father. No matter. Her husband had already decided their boy would be the 2025 World Series MVP.""

S9 Mulder returned from the run one year later, married Scully, fathering another baby, and taught his son how to play baseball. Alas, it was all false (or not if you skip the last part.)

@frangipanidownunder’s (Ao3)

Son

""Mulder hoisted the hoop set up to his son, handed him the drill, watched him work. That floppy hair, the gritted teeth, the flashing smile every so often. Pure Mulder. But the steely eyes, the surety of his hands, the precision, that was all Scully.

Back down on the handstanding, admiring his handiwork, Jackson span the ball on his left index finger. A genetic throwback or a learned thing?

“One on one, old man?""

Post Finale Will shows up to fix Mulder's basketball hoop and start to bond over their mutual interest.

Micro Fic Series - Chapter 8

""Mulder have been able to gather them up, press them, ready to keep like a journal of his days without them. When Mulder discovered he’d never hit a ball, he went all Fox Mantle and now they head out every afternoon, bats slung over shoulders, careful smiles on ruddy faces. She watches as her son, their son, bat propped against his legs, hands on hips, flexes his jaw and listens to the instructions. A willing young Mulder outlined in an orange glow. A proud father finally able to share precious moments, in the autumn years of their lives.""

AU-- Post My Struggle II(?) Mulder is recovering from the virus, taking time to teach William to play baseball.

@moldyandskuller's team spirit

""She opens the lid and rifles through it, pulling out stray t-shirts, two pairs of jeans – she’ll steal some boxers and basketball shorts from his drawers. And when her eyes fall on a piece of shiny gray fabric, she wonders what it’s doing in the box, why it doesn’t have a hanger – its own frame, and she pulls it free from its hold.

She looks at her son. “You like baseball?” But it’s more of a statement than a question.

“Yeah.”

She folds the jersey, places it on top of the pile of clothes she’ll lend to him. “When he gets home, you should ask your – ask Mulder to tell you the story about this,” she says. “it’s a good one.""

Mulder and Scully pack a relationship's worth of history into his Gray's baseball t-shirt, passing it onto Will in sundry parts of his life.

@mchalowitz's (Ao3) endearments, part 5

""He swears to Scully that he’s encouraging her interest, not influencing it. He only concedes to listening to sports radio during many sleepless nights during the first year.

“Katie Mantle steps up to the plate,” Mulder murmurs. “Even in the pre-season, she is playing a perfect game.”

Katherine purses her lips at him, slightly lifted at the corners. Her eyes are all determined concentration.

Mulder pitches slow, underhand, and he can’t help but be amazed by his child when the ball flies behind him.""

Post Finale Mulder bonds with his little girl, naming her and not influencing her to be a baseball star (but also...) He's always proud of his growing girl.

@atths–twice/ATTHS_TWICE’s (team spirit

Baseball Showdown (Ao3)

""She held her bat and got into her stance, ready to hit the ball. He smiled and threw the ball into his glove a few times.

“The pitcher readies his pitch, the batter holds the bat tight and sure, they are both waiting.”

“Daddy,” she laughed, smiling and happy, tilting her head to the side.

“And the pitcher sees the sign from the catcher,” he said, shaking his head as he looked at the net set up behind her, not wanting balls to get lost in the field. “He doesn’t like that one, so he waits for another sign. Oh, he must like that one as he nods and gets ready. And… here’s the pitch!”

He threw the ball underhanded to Faith and she swung, but missed.

“Striiiiiiiike!” Mulder yelled in a deep voice and Faith laughed as she bent to pick up the ball and toss it back as it bounced off the net.""

Mulder lets his Revival daughter win at baseball, celebrating her indoor success and taking her out for ice cream.

Canon Divergent Timeline

Cathey Scully's Ballgame

""Mulder produced 3 tickets for dugout level. He grinned, picking up one of William's hands. "Can't you see it Scully? You, me, and this guy on the big screen that looks over centerfield, while we watch a bunch of guys slap a piece of horsehide with a stick."

"Mulder," Scully sighed in affectionate exasperation. "This is his 'half-birthday' present?"

"Yep." Mulder grinned down at her. Scully rolled her eyes until William called for her attention. She looked down at him to find him grinning a nearly toothless grin at her.

"You too?" she asked, already caving.""

AU-- Mulder drags Scully out of bed for a baseball game to celebrate Will's first six months of life.

Defnotmeyo’s (WBM, Alt. WBM)

122 Days iv

""Kid’s gonna look good in Yankees gear,” he thinks aloud, and tries to eat his words for a second when her hand stops.

There’s a heavy minute of silence shattered by another whap of the bat, and she slowly resumes ruffling her hand across his chest.

“Bill already bought her a Padres onesie...""

Post Empedocles? Mulder (in this many part miniseries) is warming up to his impending fatherhood. During a baseball game, he's scared he's overstepped by laying claim to the baby's team. Scully smooths the awkward moment. (Love this one.)

Unnamed

""He’s four, the first time it happens.

“Mulder, he’s too young to be slapping horse-hide with a stick.”

“How else you think we’re gonna be able to afford to put this monkey through college?” his Pops lobs back at his Mom.""

AU-- Mulder savvily teaches his son the art of baseball.

An Anon's Unnamed

""Where is he, anyway ? He had a good reason, apparently, but didn’t want to tell her. Scully walks to Will’s bedroom and swears she can smell paint in the hallway.

At this moment, Mulder opens the bedroom door, and she’s face to face with his grey stained tee. She starts speaking when he grabs her shoulders and immediately cuts her : « Wait, wait. Close your eyes, ok ? »

It takes her 1 or 2 seconds to do it, but she obeys, silently praying he didn’t blow up their son’s room.""

AU-- Mulder-- faint of heart-- skips Will's vaccinations; but he made up for it by decorating his son's bedroom in style.

andsocanshe's Of Pitches and Pondering

""There’s a bag of sports equipment off to the left by the bench, Scully’s leaning against the gate, and Mulder is crouched down on the ground with a toddler in front of him. The five minutes it should have taken to explain the concept of baseball have turned into nearly twenty, but William’s interest in every detail about the game and the park around them is worth it.

He’s at the age of “why’s” and everything is one question followed by another and so on. The questions “Why do we have to go to bed?”, “Why do you go to work and not Daddy, too?”, and his personal favorite, the word “Why?” with no additional context have ruled Scully and Mulder’s day-to-day lives for the past few months. Her mother, psychology, and all the parenting books say that it’s just a phase, one that every child goes through, but Scully often wonders if her son gets this from his father; the constant search for a truthful explanation.""

AU-- Scully observes her sporty Mulders, father and toddler, bonding over Will's first baseball lesson.

Girlie_girl7’s Day in the Life, A 35

""He holds the bat high making small circles in the air. He stops, stands still, and then swings. An imaginary crack is heard as the invisible ball sails higher and higher matching the pitch of the make believe crowd. Mulder throws his bat down, makes a fist and pumps it in the air. He lopes to the sandbox making sure to tag it then hustles to the end of the pool fence touching an imaginary second base. He jogs to the barbeque grill and taps the propane tank with his foot. He rounds third and begins his trek to home plate tipping his hat and waving to the crowd. He makes one final leap and lands on the flagstone home plate. He is turning to bow to the crowds when he hears, "Da-dee, wha' ya doin'?""

AU-- William is NOT interested in baseball; and accidentally hits Mulder in a very sensitive area.

Polly's (Ao3) Believing in Miracles (Ao3)

""I took my seat as Mulder slid the glove onto Will's left hand. He beamed with fatherly pride as Will punched his fist into the pocket of the mitt a few times before holding it up to his face to inhale the aroma of the well-treated leather.

Lately Will insisted on wearing his mitt when we watched baseball on television, wanting to be prepared in case a foul ball came hurtling out of the set. It didn't surprise me that Mulder hadn't explained to Will that the glove wasn't necessary; it was only surprising that Mulder wasn't wearing one too.""

AU-- It's the World Series: Mulder and Scully and Will celebrate in style-- throwing popcorn, guitar riffing to the anthem, and delving into Mulder's relationship with his father and acting on his hope that, after their day of miracles, he and Scully will be able to pull off another one. (I love this fic so much.)

@contrivedcoincidences6/Spooky66/geektime66’s

Baseball and Horror (Ao3)

""She poked her head out of the kitchen and saw William sitting on the couch wearing a Yankees hat and leaning forward concentrating on the game.

Mulder had his hand on their son’s back and sat back cracking sunflower seeds. She smiled happily at the quaint image before her and decided to move herself and her work to the couch.

William happily moved over when he saw her, “You’re gonna watch?""

AU-- Mulder and Will watch a Cubs game while Scully works on paperwork. She gives in rather quickly.

@blackcoffeeandteardrops‘s (Ao3) Dulcet (Ao3

""After the cake they'd gone outside for party games and a water balloon fight. The other kids and Maggie had all gone home, leaving she and Mulder to clean up the debris in the yard. William was “helping”, but so far seemed more interested in trying to con one of them into giving him more cake. She'd been telling him no and stooping to collect pieces of popped water balloon from the ground when she heard Mulder come up behind her. “Where did you even find that?” she asked, gulping as she realized the object in his hands was a water balloon, still filled and threatening to burst.

“Oh, around,” Mulder replied with a shrug.""

AU-- William spends his birthday spamming Toy Story and throwing water balloons (that's a sport, right?)

Enough For Now

""Did I ever tell you guys that back in Wyoming I was on the basketball team? I even got the ball in the net from the middle of the court facing the opposite direction,” he said, walking backwards towards the booth. He cocked his head and pointed in Mulder’s direction. “You wanna play?”

In reality, shooting a ball through a tiny hoop on a wall wasn’t much like the actual game of basketball, but Scully leaned her hip against the booth and smiled, watching in amusement as William and Mulder raced to get more balls through the hoops as a timer slowly counted down.""

Part of a great AU series post My Struggle II(?): William and his (new) parents bond over basketball and other family-building activities.

@jewish-mulder/@anders-hawke/@iwtbscully/BananaChef‘s

The In-Between - Chapter 12

""Good one, Dad,” William calls with a grin, tossing the ball back to his mother. “I thought you were the baseball champion of the house.”

“Oh, come on now, don’t gang up on me.” He lifts the bat and Scully whips the ball at him again. It’s a repeat of the first time.

She goes easy on him the third time, allowing him to get a good bat out of it.""

AU-- Mulder, Scully, and William have a baseball game in the tall grass growing wild all over the Unremarkable House.

Maidenjedi’s All That Once Was Good

""And yes, it was, for both of them. William hit the ball for awhile, Mulder throwing him rather weak, easy pitches so there could be home runs and the elation, the catharsis that goes with them. Mulder knew why William came out here, after all, even if they never talked about it, never said a word about it out loud.

Mulder felt a bit spooked, though, after awhile. William hit a particularly long ball, what would have been a triple had there been a game going on a real field. And he shouted and threw the bat, ran imaginary bases in celebration. He had every reason - but Mulder heard his own voice in that shout, and felt his own reasons for this long-lost escapism flood his heart. Samantha may be dead, but it didn't matter. She haunted him as often as she could, danced in his thoughts and made him long for a reason to search for her still.

He decided it was his turn at the bat.

William took up the pitcher's post with ease. He tossed the ball in his hand, behind his back, expertly searching for the seams so he could line up his fingers exactly. Mulder laughed at him from the plate; what's taking you so long, meat? William smirked and wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm.""

AU-- Will is re-adopted after his parents died in a fire. Mulder establishes a mutual bond over baseball, astonished that this wonderful boy is his son. (Love this.)

@all-these-ghosts/all_these_ghosts's the son you always had (iv)

""... In real life Will likes the Nats best, but for one weekend a year, he’ll be a Yankees fan for his dad.

His dad, who is practically glowing with excitement. Once a year, they take the train up to New York, stay in a hotel, and see at least one Yankees game. The first year they went the Yankees went on to win the World Series, so now it’s good luck to keep the tradition. Of course, the Yankees haven’t won since, but every year Will’s dad believes.

For his part, Will is mostly excited to be out of school. He likes playing baseball - and he’s actually really good, thanks to all the afternoons spent playing with his dad - but he really likes playing parent-sanctioned hooky.""

AU-- The Mulder family enjoy a baseball game; but their happy mood dips after Will overhears their fears for him and Colonization.

@aloysiavirgata (Ao3, WBM, Gossamer, LJ, Alt. LJ)

By Falling In and In

""He comes closer and sits down next to her, his rolled-up sleeve brushing her bare, brown arm. "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" His worn shirt is soft as flannel, and his long legs appear even longer in the frayed khaki shorts.

"Hey. Where's William? I wanted to show him how to fix the flange on the sink."

Mulder works his toes into the warm sand. "He has no time for plumbing. Jesse finally got the projector working again, so Will and Lusiani went to a movie. Though the pickings are slim. Tonight it's either Little Shop of Horrors or the second Austin Powers."

"Better than the solid month of Star Wars prequels. I noticed Lusiani had been hanging around quite a bit lately. She and William have been playing H-O-R-S-E a lot since you got the basketball hoop back up.""

AU-- Mulder, William, and Scully have a happy life together, trying to balance normalcy with Will's powers and the impending end of the world. Sports is in there, somewhere.

a father’s day ficlet/A Pretty Good Investigator

""Luke brightened. “Did you go to Georgetown?”

“Nah. But the Wizards are a joke, so Georgetown was the next best thing. You a basketball fan?”

“I played in high school,” Luke said. “Point guard, varsity.” He blushed. “Not that there was much competition. I grew up in a really small town. It’s not like I’m gonna play here.”

“That’s great.” Mr. Mulder was smiling now, and it was weird - it transformed his entire face. For some reason it bothered Luke.

“My dad said I had to play a sport, and I’m tall, so,” he said shortly, making sure to emphasize the my dad part.

The smile faded. Good, Luke thought.""

AU-- Revival Will (called Luke) tracks his biological mother down for a "research project", astonishing Scully and actively forging a bond. He slowly strikes up a bond with Mulder, finally inviting him out to see one of his bball games.

Mentions

@greekowl87’s (Ao3) Fic: Day of the Dead

""He was just a big ball of orange polyester fluff. He could roll away if he really wanted to. Of course, he was too young.”

“He might as well have been a basketball. A slam dunk into my heart. Just like his mother.""

On the Run Scully and Mulder observe Mexico's Day of the Dead. She tells him about William's first Halloween; and the two address some of their pain in this sad but beautiful story.

@baronessblixen's (Ao3) Our Son Loves Baseball

""He smiles against his will, thinking of their son. He is out there now doing his own thing, going his own way. Mulder wishes they could be by his side, guide him. It is not meant to be. Not now, anyway. He gets up to use the bathroom. On his way back to the bed he sees something stick out of his pocket: a picture. Mulder picks it up, swallows hard. It’s one of the photographs Scully found earlier. The ones he didn’t dare look at, then. Now he can’t tear his eyes away. There’s William, around eight or nine years old, grinning into the camera. His hands around a baseball bat, his stubborn hair hidden under a cap. The picture before him blurs as tears cloud his vision. One falls down right on the little boy. Mulder wipes it away carefully, afraid that the moment, although frozen in time for forever, might disappear.""

Revival Scully draws closer to Mulder, giving him the baseball photo of Will and deriving comfort from their mutual bittersweet feelings.

@sportsnightnut's (Ao3) she has good taste in dinner options

""He comes around the desk and rests his hand on her belly, and his expression changes immediately. Moments ago, he looked focused, intense. Now, he is practically beaming as he feels her kicking against the palm of his hand. “Our daughter has good taste in dinner options.”

Scully nods. “She would like lots of sour cream, too. And cheese. The full-fat kind.”

“Do you think she’d also like to watch some basketball tonight?” Mulder asks, picking up an umbrella as they approach the door.""

Post Revival Scully gets lost in thoughts while waiting for Mulder to wrap up his work day, marveling at his focus and devotion.

I'm missing my dad a lot right now

""Though her eyes are still open, Caroline yawns.

“I can’t be boring you already, can I? Nah. You don’t even know what boredom is yet. I’ll just keep talking. Here’s the second thing you need to know: in this family, we are Yankees fans. The Red Sox are scum. You are so lucky that you were born a fan of the best team in major league baseball.""

Post Revival Mulder scoops up his newborn daughter, chatting to her about everything and anything. But mostly about his love.

@melforbes/@claup/everydaymsr (Ao3, WBM) hesitation

""though they have a television, the only time it’s ever on is during baseball games, and even then, it simply plays in the background while they go about doing other things. in the kitchen, he keeps basic cookbooks, and recently, he’s been trying to learn recipes, to fry and sauté and simmer in ways he’s never managed to master. hand-stitched curtains, a gift from her mother, billow against a breeze in the living room, and light through glass casts a rainbow along the hardwood floor; the couch is plush and so comfortable that he’s watched scully fall asleep on it more times than he can count....

though he wants to call out in search of her, he stays quiet, leaves the paper on the kitchen table, heads upstairs to see if will’s asleep.""

AU-- Mulder contemplates his new family's "starting over" house, slowly easing himself into domesticity and out of anxiety while on a morning coffee run. (Such a soft, peaceful atmosphere. Beautiful.)

@xfiles-behind-the-scenes/YouMadeMeAWholePerson's

Watching the Paint Dry

""Scully checked the time as she finished blow-drying her hair, and quickly headed into the kitchen to tell Mulder he could leave for his basketball game. She found him and Will sitting and staring at something on the table. It was unusual for their three year old to be so still, so she approached them cautiously.

“What’s going on?” she asked, coming up behind Mulder and putting a hand on his shoulder.

“We’re watching the paint dry.""

AU-- Will wants to watch paint dry in their new house; and Mulder skips his game to spend time with his little tyke.

@we-mad-guys's forgetting the future

""After a short stare down, Mrs. Scully shrugs. “Well, thank you for taking care of him. I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday.”

“It was our pleasure,” Frohike says. “We love the little guy.”

That afternoon and evening, the Scully family and their close friends have to cajole the boy into having a good time. They manage to get him to swim in the kid’s pool, bribe him with sweets, get him into a game of basketball. It all works, for a few minutes. But as soon as an activity’s ended, he’s gone right back into his funk.""

AU-- Skinner, TLG, and the Scully family fill in the blanks for little lonesome Will when his parents have to take extended trips to try to save the world. They join him in time for the 4th; but happiness will always be tempered with sacrifices. (LOVE this.)

all things bright and beautiful

""Scully laughs. “Mulder, I can see the wheels turning in your head. How about you open it? It might be easier to find out what it is that way.”

“You’re no fun,” he pouts, and she nudges him with her shoulder.

Mulder tears the paper off and crumples it into a ball so it doesn’t blow away, and lifts the lid off of the small white box. He stares down at what’s inside.

The tiniest baseball jersey he’s ever seen.""

AU-- IWTB? era Scully surprises Mulder with a pregnancy announcement. Each season gracefully turns while their baby grows. (Love this so much.)

@o6666666's (Ao3) Untitled — 20

""The Earth will burn. After, they will come up from underground.

Will wiggles around until he’s comfortable. “Can you do the story where Mommy hits a baseball all the way into the sky?""

AU-- Will and his parents bunker down during Colonization; and he falls asleep to Mulder telling him about Scully's baseball date.

@scullyphile's (Ao3) Unnamed

""Their son towered over them. He looked very much like Mulder, tall with his father’s distinguished profile. He did, however, have Scully’s red hair and freckles. He looked like he could play basketball, and for a moment Mulder imagined playing basketball with his son. Let’s work on your lay-up, he’d say. Pass me the ball; I’ll show you. The image made him smile. William smiled, too, and Mulder wondered if the boy was hearing his thoughts.

As if in answer, William nodded very slightly and smiled.""

AU-- Monica reunites Mulder and Scully with their son and his parents, ready to forge a healthy dynamic now that he's old enough.

Enjoy!

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punkeropercyjackson · 3 months

Text

Agere Dead Sea Siblings headcanons

Their brains do age regression as a coping and defense mechanism from trauma

Technically all flips but only Percy calls themself a caregiver since Nico and Hazel only take care of him when he's a Little while he does it in general for anybody who needs it due to him being an adult while they're only kids

Hazel's ages are 2-3,Nico's are 3-5 and Percy's are 7-8 with the occasional 2

As a cg,Percy does babytalk sometimes,carries them around,gives them extra kisses and takes them on safe adventures like gardening and playing hide and seek.He's learned how to spot when they're tiny when they try to hide it and eventually it gets to the point where they stop trying because of all his reassurances and how safe she makes them feel so now instead they make a b-line for him when it happens

Percy was actually able to repress his regression out of sheer spite and anger when it started(Poseidon genes)but after his self-eestem improved he told Sally about it and she did research so they could find out what was up with him and by then she'd adopted Nico so they knew he's one too and same goes for Hazel when him and Percy ressurected her at Persephone's request so she'd be a part of the Second Great Prophecy

They're all animal regressors too-Nico's a baby bat,Hazel's a pony/fillie and Percy's a kitty

Little!Nico and Hazel call Percy 'Papa/Mama' as opposed to their usual sibling terms for her since while she's normally already a parental figure to them,their age amps it up big time and they call Little!Percy 'Princess'

And Little!Percy calls them 'Coco' and 'Azie' while Cg!Percy calls them his 'Little Rockstars' and 'Precious'(as in pearls)

Nico likes halloween costumes,card games,chewy tender food,being thrown around and storybased songs,Hazel likes tutus,Monster High,black louisiana food sweet or heavy kinds,playfighting,hyperpop and Percy likes coloring,tickles,bubble baths,fairy tales,themed food(Cookie Monster especially)and Lo-Fi Chiptunes

Nico's a pretty quiet kid and takes naps a lot but still energetic,Hazel's even more of a little shit and gets even girlier and Percy's a handful but not in a bad way

Sally saved up to buy them an easy bake oven,toy phones that match their tastes(A box of fries for Nico,a ghost with a bow for Hazel and a pink cat for Percy)and even made them pacis with the diy skills Percy taught her

The cat themed communication cards Nico and Hazel made Percy as a thank you for all he's done for them come into use her for both Percy themself and them borrowing them since she's cool with it

Hazel plays witch often and Percy's more than happy to be her familiar wether he's big or tiny

Nico likes feeling independent so his siblings don't overdue it so he dosen't cry or throw tantrums.However,he's also extra sensitive to his chronic pain in this state so he also understands he needs help with certain things

Hazel's hair is often filled with colorful butterfly hairclips by Percy's doing at her request,Nico's hair gets put into protective styles for safety by Sally or one of his siblings and Percy perfers having his styles changed throught his regressions

Their favorite shows are Max and Ruby,Kiya and the Kimoja Heroes,Bluey,Blues Clues,Dragon Tales,Adventure Time and Spidey and his Amazing Friends with Percy having a huge (platonic obvs) thing for Gwen Stacy thanks to it and the Spiderverse movies so she has secondhand merch of her and made her Atsv suit for herself so she could wear it

And she also made a Miles Morales one for Nico since they're literally Siblings!Ghost Flower and a Peni Parker one for Hazel based off the Across concept art since Hazel has a huge crush on Peni

Nico also loves Tiny Titans and Hazel is the number one Koriand'r fan and Percy models his drawing style after the DC Superhero Girls 2019 one

Percy started collecting stim gifs for them and they did the same for him but with Sonic the Hedgehog memes and cute fanart

Nico also calls Percy and Hazel 'Squish/Squishy' as nicknames since they're both fat/plus-sized and have expressed that it makes them feel insecure

They have matching Aquapets and Percy's even more into legos in tiny mode than he is normally

They have a big children's makeup kit they all share because it has sections with different kinds and that's why Sally bought it for them(i.e One's goth makeup,another's pink and purple and yellow and the last one's ocean themed along with all of them having glitter options)

Percy's obssessed with Rainbow Dash all the time but copies her speech as a Little and can't play his scary games like Undertale and Deltarune in that state so he plays Nickjr games instead

Hazel's a no impulse control kid but knows what she's doing,perfers figurines over plushies because she likes the texture better and same goes for sneakers over slippers and adores clowns!!

Percy earns the nickname 'Wonder Woman' because of the greek demigoddess and expert at being good with kids combo

Sally made the Familia Jackson Beach Shack 100% child-safe because of them

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bicycle4two · 1 year

Text

fine as we are, but we want more || Jason Todd x Female!Reader || Chapter 2 of 8

Summary:

all things considered, you're pretty lucky.

in all your years living in gotham city, you've never been mugged, never had your apartment broken into, never been held as a hostage.

until now.

it seems your luck has run out and there's nothing you can do about it other than wait for someone to come rescue you. . . .

or, jason and you reunite after a long time.

...

Read on AO3

...

Chapter 1

...

Chapter 2:

It’s been a long couple of weeks since Bruce’s death and, well, Batman’s disappearance is felt all over Gotham and, as such, crime is at an all-time high. The criminals are getting cocky and although it took longer than any of them would have liked, it finally feels like Jason and the others are getting the hang of being in what sometimes feels like five places at once. They aren’t quite sure that they’ve figured out how Bruce did it all on his own but the four of them together cover more ground and save more civilians, cops, and stop further incidents from happening and that’s what matters.

The sun’s gone down and even though crime doesn’t quite have a schedule, bad guys tend to work in the night. Jason’s ready to head off to patrol, his guns are loaded and he’s just about to put his helmet on when there’s a ping from the bat computer, an emergency alert. He looks up and sees that along with all the red triangles on the map indicating crimes they know are going to happen thanks to some criminals unable to keep their mouth such under a little pressure, there’s a bright red symbol in the shape of a bat hovering over the Saul Erdel Planetarium.

“That’s odd,” Barbara says, walking towards the computer, already decked out in her Batgirl uniform. “That’s an old tracker. I thought we had all of those recalled.”

“Could it be a false alarm?” Tim asks. “Detective Montoya and Lucius have the updated models. Maybe it’s like how Bruce hid batarangs all over the city? A civilian found an old tracker and thought it was toy?”

“Maybe…” Dick mutters. “Or maybe not. Someone should check it out.”

“But who would have the tracker?” Barbara asks, pressing something on the keyboard that brings up icons of Lucius, Detective Montoya, and Thompkins. Above the Belfry’s location, all of their symbols and Alfred’s appear as well. “Everyone is accounted for.”

Jason stares at the red bat on the screen for a second longer than the rest. Something about it seems off to him—it tickles something at the back of his mind. The sensation is annoyingly familiar. It’s happened a lot since the Lazarus Pit. The feeling that he’s forgetting something. The Pit’s taken a lot from him and the loss of his memories still pisses him off from time to time. Sometimes it’s something small, maybe an event that happened in school or a get together with the others that brings smiles to their faces until they realize Jason has no idea what they’re talking about even though he was there.

It’s frustrating and he does find himself lashing out because of it sometimes. But it’s manageable. These memories, although once precious, would not cost much grief. After all, does everyone remember their middle school algebra teacher? Sometimes, if he’s lucky, the memories come back eventually. Small scenes playing in his head like a dream.

But this. This is something different. It’s obvious that this is something really important. Something that he could not afford to wait to come to him.

So, he’s going to get to it first.

…

“Who wants to go—and he’s gone. Okay. I guess Jason’s going to take care of it.” Dick let’s out a sigh. “Is it that frustrating when we do that to the others?”

…

“Oh God! Can anybody hear me?”

“Help! Please! Help!”

The other hostages cry, scream to the heavens. They pray and plead to no avail. No one knows that you’re here and you don’t even want to think about what the Freaks have planned for you all. No calls have been made, no ransom whatsoever. You’re left to wait. Wait to see if they’re just keeping you around for their own amusement, a power play of sorts, or if you’re going to be used for something else, something more sinister.

“We’re going to own this place!”

“Gotham’s ours!”

The Freaks cheer over the music, head banging to the guitar riffs and slamming their bats against the walls and your cage’s bars. They’ve set some barrels on fire and you feel the heat even in the far corner of the cage you’ve pressed yourself against. The Freak that was taunting you, trying to egg you on, is now facing away, vandalizing the astronaut statue on the opposite wall. You scowl. You’ve always loved this planetarium and they’ve tainted it in more ways than one.

You fiddle with the bat buzzer in your hands, tracing its shape with your fingers, trying to calm yourself down with the familiar feel of it. Although you aren’t begging for your life like the others, you feel just as afraid, if not more so. Because you tried to do something to save yourself from this situation and you’re not exactly sure if it worked. It’s been years. And nothing really happened after you pressed the button—no confirmation that the message was received. So, there’s nothing to do but wait. You can’t find it in yourself to beg for freedom, you imagine that with how hard your heart is beating against your chest, with how sweaty your palms are, words won’t come out easily and you will probably embarrass yourself if you stutter out your pleas.

But you do find yourself chanting in your head—please come, please come, please come.

You promised.

It’s only by chance that you’re already looking up at the ceiling (huh, maybe you were praying. Just a little bit) and see him crawl out of the air vent, crouching on the beams overhead. You’re surprised with his balance, not thinking that someone of his size could manage to make himself look small, unnoticeable.

The Red Hood.

You’ve only ever heard about him on the news, seen posts online, discussions about how he handles the criminals on the streets, about the meaning behind his name—what it means that he takes on the old moniker of the Joker, if he’s another villain that Gotham needs to worry about.

The first time he appeared, he didn’t seem like a hero—he didn’t exactly work with the Batman, in fact it looked like he went out of his way to antagonize him. And you’ve heard that the guns he had strapped to his waist weren’t just for show and that, for a time, he had actually gone for the kill rather than simply render his opponents unconscious or immobile. Something Batman would not agree with.

But if the red bat on his chest was any indication of his allegiance, you think that you aren’t going to see any dead bodies tonight.

Heavily injured, maybe. Beaten. Bruised. And maybe slightly singed, burned even. But not dead.

You watch with fascination as the Red Hood lands behind the Freak, his landing muted by the loud music, and grabs him by the neck, lifting him from the ground. The Freak struggles against Red Hood’s hold, legs kicking, before he slumps, unconscious. Red Hood drops him to the ground before turning to you.

He picks the lock quickly but doesn’t open the cage’s door.

“Stay here,” he instructs, dropping the lock to the floor. “And keep quiet.”

“Thank you,” you whisper, and he stares at you for a second before giving a terse nod, taking out his grappling gun and shooting it upwards, zipping him back up to the beams.

When he’s gone, you wait for a second to see if anyone else is going to come to your corner, if they somehow figured out that something’s amiss, before you quietly open your door, sneaking out. You hate that you’re going against his orders, but you also don’t want to be stuck behind bars with no means of protection just in case things go sideways. So, you approach your unconscious captor and pick up the baseball bat he was wielding, see that he’s wrapped it with barbed wire.

You’re heading back to your cage when you hear someone approaching. You think fast, pressing yourself against the wall hidden in the shadows as a new Freak comes into view.

“What happened here?” She nudges him with her bat. “He’s unconscious!”

“Guys! We aren’t alone!” She calls out over the music, and you move without thinking. With her back still facing towards you, you run to her, baseball bat held over your head. She turns around just as you swing the bat with all your strength, hitting her hard enough to knock her out.

She slumps to the ground in a heavy heap, bleeding but still breathing.

You’re in disbelief with what you’ve done, but you don’t have time to think about it because suddenly there’s an explosion from the other side of the planetarium and you hear the Freaks panic followed by the rapid fire of gunshots. There’re shouts, grunts, and groans. And more shooting. Bullets making contact in rapid succession. Another Freak runs into your corner of the room soon after, stumbling back when he sees the body.

“Shit!” He says, taking in the sight of the fallen Freaks and then he spots you. You’re probably a sight to behold right now, disheveled and a little crazed from the adrenaline coursing through your veins. “You! You bitch!”

And he’s charging towards you, and you’re scared out of your mind because you don’t do this, you’re not a fighter, but you are a little angry, more angry than you are scared, you’re absolutely livid that these guys put you in this situation, so something wild in you figures that if you’re going to go, you might as well go swinging.

You’re ready for the Freak, as ready as you can be, but he never gets the chance to get to you because a gunshot rings through the air and suddenly the Freak’s falling forward, skidding to the floor. Behind him, Red Hood is standing with his gun out.

“What are you doing?” Red Hood asks and although his voice is heavily disguised from the modulator in his helmet, it’s easy to tell that he’s pissed that you’re not inside your cage.

And you want to maybe explain yourself, but instead you warn, “Behind you!”

And Red Hood doesn’t even hesitate, he turns slightly, his posture changing to shoot two rounds at the Freak that was aiming to hit him from behind. He, too, falls to the ground. Easily.

“Oh my God,” you breathe out, heart hammering in your chest. “Do you have eyes on the back of your head?”

“Sometimes.” Red Hood replies. “Give me a sec.”

He whirls around and delivers a strong punch to the shield of a gigantic Freak bulldozing towards him, forcing the Freak to lose his balance. When the shield drops, Red Hood continues to deliver punches and kicks before the Freak catches himself and brings the shield back up to protect himself. Red Hood jumps back to give himself some distance and the Freak charges. Thunders. In your direction.

“Get out of the way!” Red Hood yells and, really, he doesn’t need to tell you twice.

So, you run away from the Freak, passing by a barrel before hiding behind the next wall you see. You hear the gunshot before the explosion. Before the screams of the Freak. Before the sound of a powerful hit after powerful hit landing on its target. Before the sound of a heavy body hitting the floor, shield clattering.

Before the silence.

You wait a minute before coming out of your hiding place, walking back to the wreckage.

You stare at the collapsed body of the Freak, eyes trained on his chest just to see if he’s still breathing. When you see the slow rise and fall, you feel yourself let out a breath as well. Your gaze moves from the unconscious bodies in front of you to Red Hood.

You think maybe you should be scared but instead you feel that there’s something about him that seems familiar, strangely enough.

You’ve never seen him in action before, his name never wining you Bingo Bad Guy, but watching him fight someone much bigger than him gives you a sense of déjà vu.

A second passes and before Red Hood puts his guns away, cracking his knuckles and neck like he’s relieving some tension. The loud music has stopped playing now that the fight is over, mysteriously enough, and you hear more than see the other hostages running towards the exit, quickly calling out their thanks to Red Hood, not making the effort to approach him themselves.

You should probably follow their lead, but you’re rooted in your spot the same way Red Hood seems to be. Because now, now that the dust has settled, he simply stares at you like you’re some kind of puzzle. Or, at least, that’s what it feels like when he doesn’t move from his spot, only looking at you through the glowing eyes of his helmet. He’s big, bigger than the other vigilantes you’ve seen on the street. Might even be bigger than Batman, but maybe that’s pushing it. There’s something about the Dark Knight that makes him seem larger than life.

Anyway.

The Red Hood is big, period. And if he didn’t just come to your rescue, you’d be afraid of him.

“You’re crazy, you know that?” He says, breaking the silence.

“I didn’t think I had it in me, to be honest.” You place the baseball bat on the table nearest to you. “I, I just wanted to protect myself.”

“You’d have been a whole lot safer if you stayed put in the cage.”

And you frown at his words because he wasn’t there, he didn’t know what it felt like to be in there.

“It sure as heck didn’t feel safe.”

And again, he’s quiet, staring, probably mulling over your words. You try to find it in yourself to maybe apologize because he’s also right, you aren’t trained, you could have gotten hurt, but there’s also no promises that you wouldn’t have been hurt behind the bars. So, you keep your mouth shut as well, staring right back at him.

“Well, no use fighting over what’s done. You should probably get out of here.”

“Oh, yeah. You’re right. I should,” you begin, already making the first step away from everything, when you lose your balance, stumble, trip because your legs seem to have forgotten how to work. Red Hood’s fast, faster than you think is humanly possible because he catches you before you can join the Freak pile on the ground. And you would admire his quick reflexes, the strength in his hold, if you weren’t so mortified by what just happened. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry.” You force yourself to push away from him. You’re shaking. “I, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“Your adrenaline’s dropping.” Red Hood explains, hands still hovering like you’re going to fall again.

You let out a laugh. It’s a pitiful attempt to make light of whatever it is you’re feeling. “I can’t believe this happened. This never happens to me.”

“Unlucky night?”

“You could say that.” Your try to distract yourself, think of anything other than what just happened. Because you’re sure you’re going to cry once you finally wrap your head around everything that has happened, but you’ll be damned before you cry in front of Red Hood. You’ve embarrassed yourself enough, so you focus on something else, which happens to be his chest, on the bat symbol. There’s something off about it and before you know it, you’re reaching out.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Red Hood says, grabbing your wrist in his hand, making you feel the vast difference in your size. “Taser.”

“Oh. Wow. You’re really ready for anything, huh?” You have to crane your neck to look him in his glowing eyes and there’s that feeling in your gut telling you that you know him. That there’s something off, something different, but something familiar, too.

You have to think hard if you’ve ever come across anyone like Red Hood, if maybe you’ve passed by him on the street or served him coffee at the café, but nothing rings a bell. He’s just so tall, so big, that you feel like if you ever saw someone like that you’d remember.

“You should probably be heading home now.” The Red Hood breaks you out of your thoughts. He’s standing farther from you know, clearly having let go of your hand while you were trying to place him. “Do you have someone you can call to pick you up?”

“No…no. It’s fine. I can make it home on my own,” you say, still staring. Probably staring too much by now. But the nagging feeling is still there, and you don’t know if you’ll ever see him again so you can’t help but ask. “Do I…Have we met before?”

The question startles a laugh out of him, oddly enough. He shakes his head, hands on his hip.

“This is a first.” He says. “I’ve never been picked up by a hostage before.”

“Oh! Oh no, no.” You rush to say, face warm, realizing how your question sounded. “I, I just thought you were familiar is all.”

Red Hood snorts.

“Ugh. I’m just making a fool of myself here.” You grumble, hating that you listened to that little voice in your head. “I just thought that maybe we’ve crossed paths. I don’t know. It’s stupid.”

“It’s not.” He’s quick to say, his robot voice soft, empathetic. “I know what you mean. You’re the one who called for help, aren’t you?” He gestures to the bat on your neck, and you grab hold of it out of reflex, keeping it safe in the palm of your hand. “Where’d you get that?”

“It was a gift,” you start, staring at the bat symbol on his chest again. Would he know who you’re talking about? Would he know where he is? What’s happened to him? You have to know. Because you’ve gone too long without answers, without the means of finding out, so you take this chance. “I, uh, I got it from Robin.”

…

“But not the first one,” she says, shuffling her feat, clearly nervous, not confident with what she’s saying. “Or, like the one now. It was the second.”

And Jason thinks he knows what she’s talking about. He thought that maybe once he entered the scene, once he saw the person who had the tracker, his memories would come back, images flashing before his eyes in seconds, but they don’t. Instead, he’s left with that annoying feeling again. Only it’s not as strong as before. Looking at her, watching her fidget under his gaze, he knows that this is something he’s seen before. Something that used to amuse him, even.

There’s this need to tease her, to watch her scramble over her words, cheeks flaring.

But that’s it. He doesn’t remember her name or who she’s supposed to be.

But she knows him. Or she knew him. She knew Robin, at least, and that just leaves more questions than answers.

Which is annoying. But it’s also something. At least he knows that there’s a connection.

If he had given her a tracker, something that would immediately let him know if she was in any danger, then they were close. Friends, maybe. Could be something more but Robin was only a teenager, young and reckless, too focused on fighting bad guys and reading books in his spare time. No way did he have a girlfriend. Jason would never admit it but with what little memories he has of his childhood, he knows he wouldn’t have the balls to ask her out if he liked her.

So. Friend. That’s something. Another clue.

“Handy gift.” He says in a gruff tone. “You were lucky to have it.”

“A good luck charm,” she says fondly and again, again Jason knows he’s forgetting something.

But he doesn’t ask, can’t bring himself to because he’s not Robin anymore and he doesn’t know who this girl is and it’s late and there are police sirens blaring in the distance.

All signs are pointing to the fact that he should have left ages ago, left her to find her way back home.

But there’s that feeling again, the feeling that he shouldn’t let her walk back on her own. That it isn’t right. But that’s stupid. He let the others go off on their own, they probably called the police, too, let them know that there are people they need to lock up, the hard part of the job already taken care of.

“I should probably go,” she says, tucking the tracker back into her shirt. “I would hate to be here when these guys wake up.”

“Oh. They’re not getting up for a long time.” He made sure of it.

“I can’t imagine why they even risk wreaking havoc with you out there to stop them.” She mimes a punch, her form sloppy yet endearing. “I would run for the hills if I thought you were going to hit me let alone shoot at me.”

“You wouldn’t get far.” Jason pats his gun. “I’d find you.”

“Bet the tracker would make it pretty easy,” she grins. “Thanks for that, by the way. For coming to save me, us. I didn’t think anyone would.”

“It’s no big deal. Just ring the alarm and no matter what, I’ll come to you.”

…

Three days after your run in with the Freaks, you’re still thinking about him.

Red Hood.

Or should you say, your Robin.

Because it couldn’t have been a coincidence, it just couldn’t.

The brute strength, the fact that the bat buzzer led him to you, the fact that he’s still working with Batman, his words.

No matter what, I’ll come to you.

The promise hangs heavy in your heart, it’s one of the last things he’s said to you before disappearing off to who knows where. It still hurts, the memory of being left behind without warning. You thought you were friends, thought you mattered.

But he’d left.

And now he’s back. Maybe.

Definitely. You tell yourself. Definitely.

Because he was your friend, and he mattered and although it hurt, you still cared, still kept what little of him he left behind for you to hold, and that was enough. Enough for you to piece together what little you can to convince yourself that your Robin has come back as the Red Hood.

He just…he just doesn’t seem to know who you are. Not really.

The bat buzzer is cool against you skin and again, there’s that temptation to press the button just to see if he’ll come running to you. You don’t want to find yourself in another situation that calls for saving but you can’t imagine how else you’re going to find yourself in the same place as him.

Gotham City has gone to hell in the recent weeks, more so than usual, and you can only assume that Red Hood, along with the other vigilantes, have their hands full with saving other people and putting out fires. You think you’re lucky that someone got to you and the other hostages at all. You hate to imagine what would have happened if you didn’t have the tracker with you.

“He always finds me,” you tell yourself, looking out at Gotham’s night sky. You don’t think you’ll find him jumping from building to building this time, his clothes much darker than his Robin ensemble many years ago, blends in with the shadows better. “He’ll find me.”

Because he’s your Robin and even if you didn’t call for help, he was always there, waiting like it’s simply a coincidence, but you know, you always knew, that he’ll come looking. That somehow, someway, he’ll find his way back to you.

You just have to wait.

...

Chapter 3

#gotham knights #gotham knights video game #gotham knights!jason #gotham knights fanfic #gotham knights fanfiction #jason todd #jason todd reader #jason toddxreader #jason todd/reader #fanfic #fanfiction #jason todd fanfic #jason todd fanfiction #no yn

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rippleclan · 6 months

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RippleClan: Moon 1, Part 2

Downstar receives a dream from StarClan, much to Fennelspot’s envy.

[Image ID: Fennelspot and Downstar face each other. Downstar is surrounded by a few renders of pink flowers. Underneath her, pixel text reads + GUIDANCE FROM STARCLAN: THE FLOWER FIELD (DREAM)]

“I swear by StarClan, if Weedfoot didn’t ask me to take him in, I would have let him rot outside the Clans,” Downstar grumbled later that day as she trudged through the trees beyond RippleClan camp with Fennelspot at her side. The ginger cleric had a basket woven from grass twine in his jaws slowly filling with blueberries. He silently listened to Downstar as she carefully shuffled through a blueberry bush in the forests RippleClan carved out for their territory.

“AshClan should have let him stay,” Fennelspot said, his nasally voice muffled by the basket handle.

“It was hard enough to talk to Weedfoot when she lived there,” Downstar sighed. “I’m just glad she’s with us now. That we’re all together. Even if Puddlespeckle and Carnationkit are getting on my nerves.” Downstar spotted a few more blueberries deeper in the bush, hidden by afternoon shadow. She plucked each blueberry out with her mouth, careful not to pop the precious fruits. She dropped them in Fennelspot’s basket one by one. She snatched the last blueberry and dramatically chewed it up. She purred at the sudden sweetness.

“Lucky,” Fennelspot sighed. “I wish I could taste sweet things.”

“I think that’s all of the berries,” Downstar said. “Wanna head back to camp?” Fennelspot hummed in agreement.

The pair were still learning the territory, like everyone else in their haphazard Clan. They carved some of their eastern lands out of SlugClan and bordered WheatClan, but as they got further west, the more foreign the land became. Why SlugClan hadn’t expanded their land this way before, Downstar couldn’t guess.

“Fennelspot?” she asked softly. “I don’t think my mood today is just because of Puddlespeckle. I… I think I had a dream. From StarClan.” Fennelspot paused. “That’s common for leaders, isn’t it? StarClan likes to share stuff with us on occasion, rather than going to you clerics. It wasn’t a bad dream, either. I don’t think we have anything to fear. But it was so clear, Fennelspot.” Downstar pranced in front of Fennelspot.

“I really was in a field of flowers,” she purred. “I could smell them! I couldn’t tell what sort they were, but they were soft and red and beautiful! Oh, but that isn’t the best part, Fennel! There were these dogs, and for a moment, I thought they would eat me alive! But they got one paw deep into the flower field, and the flowers rose up and started hitting them! The flowers were protecting…” Downstar’s words died when she saw the look in Fennelspot’s eyes. He couldn’t meet Downstar’s.

“Sorry, sorry,” Fennelspot groaned, setting down the blueberry basket. “I’m glad StarClan spoke to you, if the dream felt that real, they’re likely saying something, but… Downstar, I haven’t heard anything from our ancestors since… since we formed RippleClan.”

Neither said a thing for a while. Gray squirrels, those parasites among squirrels, chittered somewhere in the trees overhead. Fennelspot wrapped his tail around his back leg. Downstar thought things through.

“Well,” Downstar gulped, “a lot happened when we formed RippleClan. It took a lot of effort. Maybe they just don’t have anything to say right now. It was probably a normal dream.”

“Maybe,” Fennelspot muttered.

“Hey.” Downstar tucked a paw under Fennelspot’s lowered chin. “It’s alright. When StarClan wants to speak with you, they will. You won them over before, right? They probably need a break from all this.” She waved her paw around Fennelspot’s face. He chuckled and batted the paw away.

“Alright,” Fennelspot sighed. “I’ll let it go.” He picked up the blueberry basket, but his tail still hung low.

“Let’s make something with these berries tonight,” Downstar suggested. “I can mash them up and pair them with the mussels Scrubmask collected this morning.”

“That sounds nice,” Fennelspot purred. “That sounds… really nice.”

(Downstar: 60, female, adventurous, valuable insight, very clever)

(Fennelspot: 58, male, insecure, valuable insight, incredible runner)

#rippleclan #rippleclan clangen #clangen #warrior cats #warrior cats clangen #warriors #downstar #fennelspot #rippleclan story

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chidoroki · 7 months

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182 Days of TPN - Day 180

Chapter 180: "Your Everything"

I can understand how the demon god says he can't kill Emma or any of her family due to the promise she just made, but what if he physically wasn't capable of doing so regardless? Sure, right after the reveal He mentions how He "doesn't intend to" which gives the implication that He could, but what if, despite all the power He has to change the space around him, people's fate and whatever else, He's actually harmless? It would be kinda a letdown if we spent all that time worrying for our girl's life for nothing, but I'd still be grateful. It would make some sense as to why he has the other demons harvest food for him instead of obtaining it Himself, aside from the fact he's a literal god who's well respected by them.

Let the real pain begin! Maaann, it sucks that we've come this far into the story and watched these precious kids endure such hardships and yet once they all achieve their goal, the stress and drama just keeps on coming! At the end of the day, I can appreciate the high stakes of the reward and how greatly it effects Emma and her family, but that blank look on her face always breaks me.

Demon god may take Emma's memories but I'm about to take Him out with a good whack to the head courtesy of Barbara's spiked bat.

We know Emma cares way more about her family than herself, so hearing that they can all safely cross over to the human world and be free is obviously the best kind of news she can hear, but damn honey, that sad smile makes me wanna cry.

Like Ayshe, it's a shame that Alex is introduced to us so late in the story because there's a whole lot more I wanna learn about him aside from what he tells Emma and what we can deduce from the photos he has hanging up on his wall. There's no possible way he could've been introduced earlier in the story, since arriving in the human world was the shared dream of all the cattle children, but I wish this arc lasted longer so we could've at least seen more of his growing relationship with Emma.

Aahh, she's trying so very hard to remember anything about her life. I hate seeing her look so defeated. Whenever our Emma felt lost or down in the past, she would have her family around to help her or even resort to that famous optimism of hers to get her mind back on track, but she's really got nothing right now. Yeah she eventually gets to a point where she feels better about her situation as we see her spend more time with Alex in this new life during this chapter, but such sad expressions don't look good on our normally cheerful leader.

As much as I love how Emma kept all the photos Ray once gave her this entire time, I hate how they've become completely distorted by the price of the reward. Demon god just keeps landing more critical hits on my heart. I do have to wonder if the WM pen still works at all or not though. Her and Alex had to be a little curious about a pen that doesn't work like an actual pen. But yeah, seeing a young teenager with a gun that size is definitely a red flag. Luckily Alex finally learns from Emma's family the reason why she had it in offscene026 (which isn't an extra page from the manga but can't recall where it's from exactly), along with all the other odd and impressive skills she retained because she was one of the cattle children, but until then the poor man believed she was an escaped child solider or secret agent, which doesn't seem too farfetched considering everything else that's happened in the story.

I'll never get used to seeing Emma without her ID. That 63194 is iconic damn it, whether on her neck or in song form! But bless Alex for being such a kind gentleman and practically adopting Emma without question. Undoubtedly one of the best parents of the series and quite literally the only one that's safe from any possible death threats (the one perk to being introduced so late I suppose). I also love all the patterns he has on his clothes and around the house.

Although I love the jacket she wears at the end of this chapter and the next, along with the outfit that's briefly shown at the start of the epilogue which gives me serious GP outfit vibes, Emma looks real good wearing all these cute patterns. I'm assuming these clothes once belonged to Alex's daughter and it's sweet he shares them with Emma.

I think I rambled on a little bit with this idea back during ch101 about the necklace and because of it resembling the dragon's eye (that's supposedly capable of seeing through everything), it managed to nullify the consequences of the reward, which is why Emma was capable of seeing her family in her dreams and eventually cause her to reunite with them by being sorta sentient in a way since it slipped off her neck.. somehow. Anyway, not really relevant to any of that, but the larger blanket on her bed always reminded me of a giraffe pattern which obviously suits our girl so well.

Having all her most important people call out to her and not remember a single soul, including herself, ugh.. I wish to lay down and sob.

As if the whole memory loss situation didn't already upset me enough already, let's add Emma crying in her sleep to the list.

I'm slow in realizing this, but this is probably the same church that was shown in Alex's photos.

Loneliness truly is a horrible feeling, but at least they can comfort each other. While I'm certain both of them would love to reconnect with their respective families again, having one person by your side is a whole lot better than no one at all.

As long as you keep your family and friends in your heart, they'll always be with you, so While Alex doesn't necessarily need to stay in one place to remember them, I understand that being around a familiar place where he shared countless memories with them would allow him to remember everyone easier. It's sweet of him to still be concerned of Emma's family a month later despite her having trouble thinking about them in the first place.

I get annoyed at myself whenever I say I'm gonna do something then forget the exact thing I planned to do just minutes after, so I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it must be for Emma to remember nothing of her previous life. Well, I everything that doesn't directly relate to her family or the demon world anyways, such as firing a gun, her athleticism and all her habits, but to hell with the demon god. This reward is still so cruel.

Mhhhmm her optimism has slowly but surely been returning to her as well, just not in the way we would've wanted/expected. Even though I would love for her to remain hopeful that she could meet or remember her family someday, I'm proud of her that she decides not to dwell on her losses anymore and begins living a happier life.

The absolute joy I felt upon seeing Ray, Gilda and Phil being so close to finally finding our girl.. aaahh it just makes you wanna jump into the panel and shout at them to TURN THE HELL AROUND.

Favorite panel/moment:

I got this far and realized I actually chosen three different scenes, so.. I'm gonna cheat. Of course, I love this quick dream scenario of what Emma's life could've looked like had she arrived in the human world alongside her entire family without any compensation, as her number is still visible on her neck here. I also just really love everyone's different outfits! And I'm once again only noticing now that the patterns on Emma's shorts and the hood part of her shirt match the pattern that Alex had on his original jacket.

Remember way back at the end of ch1 when Emma declares that she wouldn't cry anymore? Yeah, well, obviously this Emma doesn't recall that promise to herself and proceeds to let out an impressive amount of tears while shattering my heart in the process. Aahhh, this is another moment I'm glad that was never animated because hearing all that emotion in her voice would surely make me cry along with her. And I praised the anime's use of a sunrise during the end of their interpretation of the ch122-123 balcony scene, so even though this chapter came first, I do enjoy how the rising sun has sorta become a symbol that restores Emma's optimism because it's shortly after this breakdown that she starts to act like her old self again.

Lastly, Alex giving Emma a head pat. I desperately wished this would've caused her to remember all the head pats Ray gave her in the past, or at the very least spark some kind of deja vu feeling, but alas, we weren't that lucky.

#the promised neverland #tpn manga #182daysoftpn #chidoroki used chatter

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