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batsandbugs · 5 years ago

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The Great IKEA Game

Chapter 4: The Three Stooges

AN: At least it hasn’t been two months again 😅. Let’s check in with the other batboys and see how they’re handling Damian and Marinette’s chaos.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Tim wondered when his day took a solid dive off the cliffs of normal and into the waters of weird.

It probably started when Dick dragged them out of bed at eight in the morning – on a Saturday – piled them into the car, and drove them an hour and a half out of the city to an IKEA. If they had actually been there to shop they would have either burned the store down or killed one another.

Not that those things were off the table yet.

Tim had work, actual work, that he could be doing. But no, instead he was playing a demented game of hide-and-go-seek, which was careening into an all-out war. The destroyed shelving units, shopping carts, and forklift were unmistakable evidence of that.

How had the demon spawn accomplished this in less than a minute?

Bruce would kill them, once he came back from off-world.

That is if Alfred didn’t get to them first.

“Uh, order 177? Shit, my pay isn't enough for this.”

The words shook Tim from his stupor. He walked over to the counter.

“Hi,” he said, flashing his most charming CEO grin. “I have a quick question?”

The server's fixed smile contrasted with his dull eyes.

“I need to know what way the boy who ordered this headed.”

“No.”

Tim sighed, “Look, it’s important. My brother-”

“I mean, no, it wasn’t a boy.”

Tim paused. “Huh?”

“It was a girl, a teen girl. Black hair, big blue eyes, French accent. She was sitting over there,” he waved at an empty table. “But I think she walked away before that happened.” Referring to the giant train wreck occurring a few aisles over.

“Oh,” said Tim. “Thanks.”

“Do you want the order?”

Tim held back an annoyed sigh.

“Sure.”

So that’s how he, Jason, and Dick, sat at the abandoned picnic table, staring at the abandoned meal bought with Damian’s credit card. Jason grabbed a couple of fries and shoved them in his mouth.

“That’s evidence, nitwit,” hissed Tim.

Jason ignored him, stabbing a meatball with the plastic fork. “What? It’s going to go to waste. Girlie obviously ain’t coming back for it.”

“We should be more worried about how a random girl used Damian’s credit card!”

“She could have stolen it?” offered Dick.

“Demon spawn would have broken her arm before getting pickpocketed,” countered Jason, eating another fry. Silence. A weird glint appeared in Jason's eye. He turned to Tim. “What did you say the girl looked like again?”

“Black hair, blue eyes, French accent.”

“Shit,” muttered Jason.

“What?”

“I think I ran into her earlier, about an hour and a half ago. Asked her if she had run into demon spawn – she sounded confused and tourist-like. But maybe…”

“Maybe she’s working with him?” offered Tim.

“Could be.”

“Damian? Working with another person? A stranger?” Dick shook his head. “Doesn’t sound like him.”

Jason shoved another fry into his mouth. “The brat’s a competitive little shit, if he thought teaming up would help him get ahead, he’d do it in a heartbeat.” He pointed a fry at Tim. “Can you look at the security footage?”

“I’m already two steps ahead of you,” Tim said, flashing his phone with the hacked in security camera footage on-screen. Jason and Dick huddled in close as a small girl walk on screen and stood at the counter.

“Yep, that’s her. Can you ID her, Timmy?”

Tim rolled his eyes, “This is a smartphone, Jay, not a laptop.”

“I thought Mr. World’s Second Greatest Detective would be prepared for anything.”

“Well excuse me for not having facial recognition software, on my phone.”

“Guys chill.”

“Shut up, Dick,” Jason and Tim said in unison.

The footage played out and they watched the girl order two meals and pay with Damian’s credit card. They switched to another camera when she left and sat at the picnic table. A few minutes later Jason and Tim walked into frame.

“Look, there! She tenses. Look at her body language, she’s panicking. She knows who you two are.” Dick looked shocked that, yes, Damian had teamed up with a partner.

They watched the girl panic, although she managed to keep her body from reacting too much. She placed her phone to her ear and walked away from her spot.

“Who is she talking to?”

“Maybe Damian was watching out of sight?”

“Shoot, Tim, she’s out of frame. Do we have another angle?”

It took another minute or so, but Tim found the right security camera catching the mysterious girl leaving the food court. As she walked away the image on the screen flickered, and a moment later the shelving units fell.

“Oh crap,” swore Jason. “Do you think she has magic? Fuck, it would be just our luck if demon spawn teamed up with someone dangerous.”

Dick shook his head. “It could be a coincidence. We didn’t see her do anything. The chaos could have been a coordinated effort between her and Damian.”

Tim wasn’t so sure. “Come on Dick, you’ve been in the game long enough to know just because something looks one way, doesn’t mean it's true.”

They watched the girl hurry out of sight, this time it was much more difficult to follow her progress through the store. She would randomly duck in and out of showrooms, coming out differently than how she came in. If the three boys hadn’t been trained in stealth and detection for years, they would have had a challenging time tracking her.

Jason whistled low. “Who is this chick? I’m impressed. She has serious skill.”

Finally, she ducked into a showroom and didn’t come out. Tim couldn’t find a camera giving them an unobstructed view, but it didn't matter. They had a destination.

“This was ten minutes ago, they could already be long gone,” said Dick.

“Or they could still be hiding there,” countered Jason.

“We’ll find out when we get there.” They walked out of the cafeteria and past the closed aisles. The forklift that had been buried under the collapsed shelving unit was being unearthed by a flock of bewildered employees.

“Ten bucks says she has magic,” said Jason.

“Yeah, no.” Tim was good at math and the odds of everything happening just as she left was too big to be a coincidence. “I’m not stupid enough to take that bet.”

“Come on you guys, let’s focus here,” chided Dick.

Walking back through the showrooms Tim kept an eye out for any sign of his brother or his accomplice, but it was as if they had disappeared into thin air. Arriving at the last location they had spotted the girl, they waited for a touring couple to leave before descending on the tiny, boxed room like the detectives they were trained to be.

It didn’t take long to discover the lasered off vent.

“Shit,” groaned Jason. “They could be anywhere by now.”

“Tim can you-”

Tim had his phone in hand, “I’m already on it. I’ll have the vent layout in a minute.” He felt insulted they even needed to ask.

Jason peered into the vent, “Damn, I think we’re too big to follow.”

Dick sighed. “I miss my vent crawling days; they just don’t make them as big as they used to.”

“That’s what she said,” snickered Jason.

“Focus you two,” Tim snapped. “I’ve pulled up the air duct plans.” He flashed the screen to his two brothers who settled down. “This particular vent runs a couple of places. We have one entrance at the back of the store in the storeroom. Then another veering off near the daycare center, and the last which comes out near the unloading dock.”

“I’ll take the one next to the daycare center,” said Dick. “I’m the only one who isn't demented,” pointing to Jason, “or sleep-deprived,” pointing to Tim.

“Hey!” exclaimed Jason.

Tim sneered, repressing a Damian-like growl, “I wouldn’t be so sleep deprived if you hadn’t dragged us out of the house at eight in the morning. I arrived in from patrol at three.” He hadn’t had coffee in hours, and the weight of his body pressed on him like a panini maker.

Dick ignored them. “Jason can take the one at the loading docks, and Tim you’ll be able to bypass security and get into the back the easiest.”

“Sounds good to me,” grunted Jason.

“Alright,” agreed Tim. “The second any of us spots them, text the group chat, will box them in from there.”

They nodded and headed off their separate ways. Despite the tiredness in Tim's bones, there was a heady rush of the hunt thrumming in his veins. Damian, and whoever he had decided to pair up with, were going down.

Tag List: (Closed, sorry!! I’m so glad you all like it though.)

@multplelifes @bluesimani @justhugefangirl @nik-nak-3@redscarlet95 @purplesundaze @incredulous-reader @k-poplunardreams @our-preciousss @blackmagicforever @vgirl-10123 @lozzybowe @wannajointhecrabcult @dast218 @chaotic-mess-of-a-life @fidget-eep @kawaiigiantjudgefish @queenmj10@tumbling-down-hills-and-stuff @crazylittlemunchkin @fandom-writer642 @nach0ava @ladybug-182 @sam-i-am-0222@spyofthenightcourt @how-to-fuction-properly@emotionalsupportginger @dreamykitty25 @tomanyfandomsonmy-mind @mystery-5-5 @theatreandcomicfreak @weird-pale-blonde-person @whatthechickenfriedfuck @myazael@pawsitivelymiraculous @urbanpineapplefarmer @karategirl119@consumeconstantly @hauntedstudent99 @ertyzeta @thornalchemist23 @iloveitwhen @animegirlweeb@byronsacademics @i-wanna-be-a-ninja @moonlitjiminie@iglowinggemma28 @constancetruggle @catgirlkittypryde @waffelyunsure @maskedpainter @lilkymilky @unhappyraspberry @avengerthewarrior @quotesandanime @tbehartoo @clumsy-owl-4178 @g-arya @chocolateherringtacofan @jalaluvsu @crazyrandomrebel @fatimaabbasrizvi @thenillabean @goblinwhoships @bluefyoto94 @nerinalith @loopingtangent @demonicbusiness @hecate-hallow @themcclan @tropestropestropes @paintedhope7 @whitetiger1249 @glitchon @vulpixmina @kitkat81804 @kissa-chan @beautiful-disasters-sunshine

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matthewbeilschmidts · 4 years ago

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It’s been a long while since I’ve posted but I’m so glad that I am :’)

This is for Day 1: of @prucanweek - Ordinary

Apologies for spelling errors, it’s a little short but I hope you enjoy 😭💞

Matthew doesn’t mind that he’s living an ordinary life. Really.

He grows up near the coast, two parents, a fraternal twin brother, and their gangly hairless cat, Tony (picked curtesy of Alfred). Their parents take them everywhere they can during their childhood, the beach, museums, sports game. They focus on their interests, figuring out what the two like and dislike, as they encourage them both to be themselves and do what they love no matter what. Alfred debates between whether he likes wrestling or football more, while Matthew settles into hockey. In between family get togethers, community festivals, and endless sports training, they somehow have time for homework. (The two share answers a lot.)

He and Alfred each have their own rooms when they enter their teen years, a space to decorate and fill with their own mementos and awards. The sports continue, but later their parents find themselves a little bit busier than before. They do though, give them as much time as they can during the school year, never wanting them to go without someone by their side.

Matthew fades into the background a little bit as they get older, while Alfred puts himself front and center. Matthew watches once with a hand over his eyes as Alfred auditions for the school musical, and surprisingly he read and sings the lines well. “It’s always the rowdy ones!” their theater teachers says after he’s finished performing, a mix of anticipation from planning on putting Alfred on stage and dread at the thought of having to manage him.

Matthew silently supports him, after all he has his own things to do.

He’s the co-caption of the hockey team, the coach giving him the position to give him a little more of a voice, and his teammates verbally agree, considering on the ice Matthew has a lot more to show than he does in person. He accepts, albeit hesitantly.

By the time graduation comes by, Matthew can barely believe how the time has passed. His team even wins a championship under his watch. Some of his fellow classmates look so ready to go out and experience the world, and it’s scary to him because weren’t they all going at the same pace?

His parents talk him through picking his college of choice, and he decides to go. He needs to do what everyone does and experience the world.

And if he decides he wants to come home, that’s okay because at least he tries.

He’s in his first art class during his third year at university. The time has been going well, he’s got pretty decent grades and has managed to join a few clubs. But he’s not done yet. Extra curriculars, can’t finish without them. He prioritizes his general education first, and even slips himself into a few major classes early on, but humanities is on record now and has to be completed no matter what one’s studying.

He can get through one semester, he hopes.

Next to him, a student is snickering and the professor doesn’t look amused.

“Gilbert.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“If you’re done, I can introduce myself now.”

The professor goes in with complete, in-depth introductory slides with her name and credentials, and a briefing of all they will overcome this semester.

He’s never been an artist, at least not one that picks up a pencil and creates a realistic masterpiece with nothing but that and a pad of paper. Maybe some poetry contests in high school, if that counts. The written word has its own impact, its own set of colors to breathe out for the world to see.

There’s another snicker, interrupting his internal monologue.

He doesn’t say anything, because he doesn’t know the student, and it’s not his place to control others. But, if it starts to hinder the class, maybe he’ll tell him something. He’s paying to be there, too.

The man catches him staring.

“Yes?” he asks Matthew without being spoken to in the first place.

“Oh,” Matthew flushes at being caught, not that he was trying to hide it anyway. “Well, she didn’t say anything funny?”

The guys waves a hand, making a “psssh” noise as he does.

“I’m just laughing because of how formal this all is. She won’t be this dignified later in the semester that’s for sure. She’ll be ripping her hair out.”

Matthew glances back, he doesn’t want to say anyone looks mean but, he would believe it if she was.

“You look scared,” the guy laughs, which is rude because isn’t he the one that just put the thought in Matthew’s mind? “She’s not too mean just a sticker to the rules. Will get real pissy if something doesn’t go right.”

“And you still set her off knowing that?”

The man laughs again, but this time around he’s actually trying to contain it behind the thin art easel. He’s not very hidden.

“She’s my cousin’s wife.”

Ah, that makes sense then? Messing with family is normal, but also he shouldn’t be bothering her at work.

“It’s no wonder you seemed casual.”

“She taught both of the lower division figure drawing classes, too. This is my third semester in her class. She’s the only one teaching this specific class I didn’t have too much of a choice.”

“Art major?”

“Yep! And you?”

“Psychology major. I have to get in some cultural classes.”

“Ever taken art?”

“Actually no, not even in high school. I got through that stuff by working backstage in the theater department.”

“Well not to worry my friend, because you picked the best one.”

“Is it easy to pass?”

“Nope. Well, maybe if she likes your work,” Matthew deflates at the blunt response, “but don’t worry because I’m here to be your guide.”

Matthew perks up, but it takes him a moment. This guy’s gonna help him?

“Are you any good?”

“Am I good?” He looks perplexed Matthew would even ask. Matthew has to cover his own amusement. “I may not look it but charcoal and I go way back. I’ll show you my work later as proof.”

“Deal.”

“Gilbert, since you’re adamant on talking, you can be the first to introduce yourself.”

Even if his name wasn’t said, Matthew feels just as guilty. Caught, for talking on the first day of all things.

“Gilbert Beilshcmidt. Fourth year. I’m an art major and my favorite breakfast food is pancakes.”

Matthew looks surprised that he was paying attention, even to the last addition of their introduction. Matthew’s not sure he would have known considering he was distracted.

And so their friendship starts.

Gilbert sits next to him again. And again.

Where ever Matthew sits in the art room, Gilbert follows not too long after.

Some days they take the sitting desks, some they stand and lean against the stools.

And despite not even talking much, Gilbert treats him like a friend.

“Do you have any plans this afternoon?”

“Nope, this was my last class.”

“Do you want to get some coffee and work on our sketch books.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Matthew finds himself meeting Gilbert in his downtime. Every Thursday after drawing for three hours becomes the day they meet. At first, all they do is draw, little more.

Gilbert is animated in all moments, but he has short spurts where he focuses exceptionally on his work. Matthew is no art critic, but he thinks Gilbert expresses himself quite well on paper. Graphite, charcoal, and pastels, all the utensils glide easily without a single stroke missing its mark.

Watercolor though, could use some work, which actually happens to be Matthew’s favorite. Even if the intention is to guide the colors with a brush, it’s okay for them to take a life of their own spreading across the thick paper.

They share snacks, art supplies, and their time.

Gilbert proves himself very useful as he promised. Matthew though never planning to be the next Van Gogh, has to pass this class. And it would be nice to pass it with flying colors, but some concepts are harder to grasp than others.

It’s obvious to tell he’s a beginner, while Gilbert excels. Matthew finds out he only now needs the intro class since it’s the first semester it became a requirement.

Gilbert helps him find the shapes he’s comfortable with, explains the processing for hatching and how it relates to shading. And while he’s no expert, he sees a subtle improvement over the next few weeks that makes some pride swell within himself.

“Do you want to come with me and my friends to this cool bar for dinner on Friday?” Gilbert asks about a month into the semester.

It’s the first time Gilbert and him will have spent time off campus.

“Yeah, I’d love to.”

Gilbert’s friends are just as animated as he, it’s almost hard to keep up. Overwhelming as they are, they’re extremely welcoming. Matthew eases into the atmosphere, joining in when he can but mostly pleased to be out and doing something different.

He’s made friends during his time, but like him they’re a little more reserved and pick quieter places on the town.

It’s fun. And he wants to go out again.

Matthew invites Gilbert and his friends to watch his next hockey game.

After their shock in finding out he plays such a violent sport, they’re all agreeing and planning to find the best seats in the arena.

“Are you serious. Are you hiding muscles under that red sweater?”

Gilbert pokes at him, it tickles when he gets closer to his biceps, but he knows he’s only teasing.

“You think I’m playing but I’m serious! You should have been there, well you were there. On the stands, I mean. We all screamed after you sent that player flying against the wall.”

Gilbert recreates the motions, but only slams himself into the wall and whines after he bounces back. He then plays it off like it doesn’t hurt. Gilbert’s not a very good actor.

People tell him it’s so much different watching him on the ice, but it’s still him. He’s always wondered how much different, he feels like himself. He just knows he goes into the zone when he’s in his gear. He just wants to win. And he will.

“It’s like night day,” Gilbert continues. “You were ready to kill a man down there.”

“You’re not the first to say that. I guess maybe, I could be a little more out there in real life, huh?”

Gilbert stops walking.

“Nope.”

“Nope?”

“You’re perfectly fine the way you are. I like the way you are, so don’t go change. I don’t want to be at risk of dying during art class.”

And as silly as it sounds, he’s pleased. He likes Gilbert a whole lot, too. Just the way he is.

“Do you want to have dinner with me?” Matthew takes the initiative.

“Dinner?”

“Yeah, just you and me. I want to take you out.”

“Like you did to that guy on the court,” Gilbert laughs nervously.

“On a date. Gilbert, would you like go out with me?”

He says yes.

Later that evening when he’s heading home, Gilbert starts running through the courtyard cheering that “I have a date with the cutest guy I’ve ever met!”

Matthew’s window is open, he’s face is bright red and he slams head first into his pillow. He needs to plan the best first date ever.

Three months into dating, he’s finally heading home again for a school break. He wants to take Gilbert with him, who is waiting for the next major holiday to go back home. But isn’t it too soon? They haven’t been dating that long, after all.

But Gilbert surprises him, and jokingly says he wants to go with him because he’ll miss him too much while he’s gone. And then, Matthew asks if he seriously wants to go.

“I do.”

So they ride the 3 hours train down to Matthew’s childhood home. He’s a little bit nervous, because he’s had dates to school dances, and brought friends over, but this is entirely different. This is someone he wants to take a serious step with, even if the time hasn’t been that long. They’ll never get anywhere if they don’t, so they’ll both take the leap and pray it works out.

“Mom, dad, Alfred, this is Gilbert.”

It’s the most timid Matthew’s ever seen him.

“Nice to meet ya, I’m Matthew’s boyfriend.”

After he shakes all their hands, he takes his hand back to link pinkies with Matthew.

There’s not an once of regret in his mind as the long weekend passes.

Gilbert graduates the next year, and the year after it’s his turn. They’re going to move in with each other. Gilbert really has no irresistible urge to go back to his home town, satisfied with just visiting a few times a year. And Matthew thinks he would like to go back closer, just to figure out his next move. So, they go together.

It’s only a one bedroom, but is more than enough space for them both. Gilbert finds work as a docent while Matthew works for a second degree in education.

He still plays hockey for a local league, Gilbert becoming their number one fan. They find their own rhythm, a pace that works for them both, where they can settle down or speed up when they agree with each other. Dewey mornings, warm summers, chilly evenings they spend them altogether.

They decide move up North closer to Gilbert’s hometown. Matthew’s more nervous meeting his grandparents than he was introducing Gilbert to his own family, but Gilbert assures him again and again they’re just a stuffy old family who actually really care about each other a lot more than they let off.

Gilbert’s grandfather towers over him, despite being a hair above 6 feet. He’s silent, eyes boring into Matthew as he introduces himself. And to end all of Matthew’s worries, the elder man pulls Matthew into a hug and tells him he’s glad him and Gilbert are home. Gilbert, just as perplexed as he, stares, but he melts into a pleased laugh.

Yeah, this is his and Gilbert’s home now.

They stay, for a long while, contemplate moving a few times, but they’re satisfied for now.

Gilbert and him always make time for each other, continue their own respective interests with complete support of the other. They’re never afraid to complain, because they always work through it rather then let it simmer.

Gilbert’s vivacious spirit keep them going, and Matthew’s heart keeps them grounded.

His life at first seem a little bit ordinary, but how can he complain when the pieces of the puzzle fit themselves in and stayed locked in tight.

#hetalia #prucan #prucanweek #APH Prussia #APH Canada #.txt post #I forgot all my writing tags #will fix later HAHA

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heyitsani · 4 years ago

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So Devoid of Color

@dickgraysonweek Day 4: Bruce hits Dick and doesn’t get away with it

Word Count: 3161

Rating: Teen and Up

Warnings: Off screen violence, Dami might say a bad word

Pairing: None

Summary: Tim, Jason, and Damian learn something about Bruce and Dick’s relationship that none of them are willing to let continue.

Notes: I think this is my second time writing from Tim’s POV and I’m still not certain I’ve got a good grasp on it. But here it is all the same.

You can also read this on AO3 here

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The Cave went deathly silent in the aftermath.

For those 30 or so seconds immediately after the distinct sound of a fist hitting a cheekbone, it was like they had landed in a vacuum of sound.

It was such a startling contrast to the shouting that had led up to that exact moment. The fight between Dick and Bruce hadn’t been surprising. When Red Robin had called Nightwing on his private comm line to report that Robin had been shot on patrol, he had known the eldest would panic. And when he found out it was because Batman had made a mistake, Tim knew shit would hit the fan.

Quite literally.

But Tim hadn’t anticipated Bruce taking a swing at Dick when the latter had accused Bruce of purposefully using Damian as a shield so he could go after Two Face himself. It wasn’t even one of the worst things he had heard Dick tell Bruce in the heat of an argument, but something about it had pushed Bruce over an edge none of them had realized he could go over. Sure, Bruce could be a hard ass, but Tim had never seen him get to this point. And a quick glance at Jason, who was coiled tight with his hands clenched tightly at his side, revealed that Tim wasn’t the only one caught off guard.

He expected Dick to swing back, to say something in retaliation, but instead he watched his brother straightened and wipe at the blood now dripping from his nose. From this angle Tim could see the angry mark Bruce’s gauntlet had left on Dick’s cheekbone and it made him wonder if there was anything broken beneath the surface.

“That’s your one free hit, Bruce. I’m not the kid you used to push around to win arguments anymore. Nor am I emotionally compromised to the point that you can manipulate me into getting your way,” Dick spoke lowly, voice dangerous and anger simmering just below the surface. It was rare to hear that particular tone come from Dick, but it never failed to send a shiver down his spine. For all the sunshine Dick projected, most weren’t aware of the precision of the weapon he could be. “I told you if you couldn’t protect him that I would. He’s still legally mine.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“I’m stating facts. I may have been disposable to you over the years, but you are out of your fucking mind if you think I’ll let you hurt him the same way.” Movement out of the corner of his eye pulled Tim’s surprised attention from the pair, finding Jason stalking forward. And Tim knew that walk, he knew that look.

Jason was pissed and that didn’t bode well for one or both of them.

“What the fuck did you mean by that?” Jason demanded, grabbing Dick’s shoulder to turn him to face him instead of Bruce. But Dick didn’t respond, and Tim could see his jaw clench from here. In fact, at this angle he could get a much better look at the damage Bruce had done and it was definitely looking like Dick’s cheek was starting to swell.

“What on god’s green earth is going on out here?” Alfred’s stern voice broke through the silence that had fallen over them again and Tim spared the elderly man a glance before he moved over to where Jason and Dick were still facing each other. He could tell they were having one of their silent conversations, but that wouldn’t stop him.

“It’s nothing Alfred,” Bruce huffed, causing Dick and Jason to tense up even more. “How is Damian?”

“Dick?” Tim spoke softly, not wanting to pull too much attention to himself. It took a moment before his brother looked over at him and Tim tensed at the look in his eyes. It was unfamiliar and difficult to put a name to. But there was something that concerned him there. He placed a hand on Dick’s upper arm before looking to Jason, finding the other man already considering him with a curiosity that Tim knew well.

Jason’s eyes narrowed just slightly, and Tim gave him a nod before looking back to Dick and making a show of raising his hand to the bruise on his cheek so he would see it coming. “Not broken,” he muttered. Dick nodded and Jason gave a huff of air while Tim continued to poke at the cheek in question. “Who is going to get him?” He whispered as he worked. Dick jerked in surprise, eyebrows drawing down in confusion, but Tim knew Jason would get it.

“He’s more likely to come with me than you. You ride with Goldie. We’ll meet you.” Tim as he let his hands fall away from Dick’s face, satisfied that nothing needed immediate attention. It could wait until they got back one of the safehouses. “Go to the one I showed you after that Penguin fight where Ivy showed.”

Remembering that night and what a mess it had been, Tim also remembered that it was one of the safehouses that Jason always kept stocked up on medical supplies. If they were going to have Damian with a gunshot wound and Dick with his face, they needed supplies. “All right,” he agreed, looking over his shoulder to see Bruce watching them with his eyes narrowed and Alfred frowning beside him.

“You two want to clue me in?” Dick finally spoke up, voice just barely above a whisper and threaded tight with tension.

Tim watched Jason give his shoulder a squeeze before sending Tim a look that spoke volumes. “Come on, Dick. Get your gear. We’re leaving,” he told his brother as Jason walked away toward the other two men.

“Wait, Tim,” Dick protested, pulling his elbow out of the younger’s grip. “I can’t just leave Damian. Not while he’s hurt.”

Sighing, Tim stopped and looked up at Dick. “We’re leaving.” His tone gave no room for argument, but Tim also knew Dick was practically made to argue. “Trust me. Trust Jason.” Dick stared at him for a moment before looking toward the medbay where Damian was resting. Tim knew he was considering the options and that whatever he decided now would say a lot about their relationship.

“Okay,” he finally agreed, and Tim gave him a nod before heading over to where he had left his gear, Dick’s not far from it. There was a moment more of hesitation before Dick finally turned away and grabbed his own gloves and helmet. “I’ll follow you?”

Where Tim would have usually thrown out a snarky remark and a smirk, he instead nodded and hopped onto his own motorcycle before turning the engine over. Once he was sure Dick was set and ready to go, he gave one last glance behind them to see Jason and Bruce nose to nose and Alfred no where in sight. He wasn’t sure what it meant for the situation, but he couldn’t find it in him to care at the moment. Not when he had just seen his adoptive father punch one of his brothers. Not when it wasn’t the first time, apparently. No. He almost hoped Jason would return the favor and knock Bruce down on his ass. Almost.

But that wasn’t a thought train he could go down at the moment. He had more important things to do, like getting Dick out of there and fixing up his brother’s face once they got to the safehouse. Which didn’t take as long as he thought it would. Of course, with it still being the early hours of the day, most of Gotham was either still asleep or just waking up for the day. It made it easier to store their bikes in Jason’s hiding spot and sneak into the building without anyone seeing.

“This is Jay’s?” Dick looked around, frowning as they stepped inside and tugged off their helmets. He paused and looked at one of the posters hanging on the wall. “Roy must use it,” he muttered. Tim let him wander around as he made his way into the kitchen to grab the supplies under the sink and an ice pack in the freezer.

“Here,” he called out, tossing the pack toward Dick who caught it easily and gave him a small smile of thanks. “Will you tell me what you meant?” Tim asked as he opened the medical kit and began digging through it to make sure they had the things they would need for Damian. When no response came from his brother, he looked up and found Dick frowning as he stared out the window. “Dick?”

Blinking, the older man looked over at him and waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it, Timmy. Ancient history, and all that.” Unfortunately for Dick, Tim was too good at reading him now and knew when he was deflecting. So Tim watched him, taking in all the signs he had memorized over the years. The tight line of his shoulders, the clenched fist at his side, the white knuckles of the hand pressing the ice pack just a bit too hard to his bruised cheek. They told Tim more than Dick was willing to at the moment.

“How many times.”

It wasn’t a question and Tim wasn’t going to let Dick get away with brushing it under the rug, not this time. Not this topic. “Just drop it, Tim. I’m already going to have to fight Jason on this. Just…it’s not important.”

Tim scoffed. “It was important enough to use against Bruce.” Which, throwing back at Dick at the moment was probably a bit of a low blow, but sometimes you had to play dirty to get Dick to talk.

“Look, don’t act like you don’t know of at least one other time he used his fists against me.” The words were accusatory, but the tone was defeated. It made Tim furrow his brows, trying to think of what Dick could possibly mean. “I know there’s no chance you haven’t come across Bruce’s cowl footage from after the Crime Syndicate, before I joined Spyral.”

But Tim had no idea what Dick was talking about. And it must have shown on his face because soon enough Dick had closed his eyes and dropped his chin to his chest.

“Fuck,” he muttered.

“A little help here,” Jason’s voice cut off anything either of them were planning on saying and Tim hurried over to take some of Damian’s weight from Jason. A quick scan of the teen showed the blood seeping through the bandage at his shoulder and the light sheen of sweat on his forehead. The ride must have been rough. “Let’s get him on the bed.”

Dick rushed ahead of them and fussed over the bedding so they could get Damian comfortable with minimal effort from the pair carrying him. Jason let out a grunt when they set Damian down, leaning just slightly upright on the pillows Dick had stacked.

“I’ll grab the kit and change the bandage,” Tim muttered, looking at Jason before leaving the room to grab the supply kit he had been looking through moments earlier. He paused on his way back into the room to grab the ice pack Dick had been using but dropped to hurry and help get the bed ready for the youngest of them. “Dick,” he called, handing the ice pack back to him as he moved onto the side of the bed where the wound was. Dick frowned but took the pack, pressing it back to his cheek.

“What-” Damian tried to speak as Tim went to work on the bandage. The teen cleared his throat and clenched his jaw for a moment before slowly releasing a breath through his nose, all signs of how much pain he was in without showing it on his face. “What happened, Richard?” He asked, voice a bit raspy with the pain he was fighting.

“Nothing.”

“Bruce.”

Tim looked between Dick and Jason as they both answered, Dick sounding calming and Jason with the expected anger. Honestly, he expected this from both of them. Dick would forever be shielding Damian from what little bad the teen hadn’t already been exposed to. And Jason would never sugar coat anything that had to do with Bruce. Even if their relationship had been improving up until this point.

He wasn’t foolish enough to think that would continue with what they witnessed tonight.

“Don’t,” Jason growled, pointing a finger at Dick who had opened his mouth to say something. “You don’t get to lie or brush this off. You suggested this wasn’t the first time and if that’s the case then we deserve to know. He deserves to know.”

But Dick didn’t respond. Instead he turned his eyes onto Damian and Tim locked eyes with Jason. The older man’s expression was grim and Tim felt his probably just looked exhausted. They had all dealt with Dick’s stubborn nature, but he wouldn’t win this time. Not with all three of them pushing.

Not with what Dick had accidentally revealed before Jason and Damian had arrived.

“Tell us about after the Syndicate.” Tim turned his eyes onto the bandages he was taping to Damian’s wound, which thankfully hadn’t torn any stitches. The teen narrowed his eyes on him and Tim attempted to give him a smile. He wasn’t Dick and he wasn’t good at comfort, but at least he and Damian had gotten over the feud they had suffered for so long. At least they trusted each other now.

With a shuffling sound, Tim glanced over to find Dick sitting on the edge of the bed near Damian’s feet with his eyes gazing off at a spot on the wall. “I didn’t want to go. I…” They watched him take a deep breath and release it slowly. “I begged him to let me stay. But he had already planned out the whole thing. Had my funeral and told the world I had died. Said it was the only way to make sure none of it happened to anyone else in the family.”

“But that has nothing to do with Bruce punching you tonight.”

“It doesn’t seem like it, but his words were not going to be enough to convince me,” Dick turned to Jason, who had moved to lean against the closest wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

“And by that you mean….?” Tim considered what Dick said earlier and what he was saying now. “The cave was trashed after your funeral. Alfred said he had never seen so much damage. And how it almost seemed too much for one person to do. Even Bruce.”

The silence blanketed them for the second time that night and this time it was suffocating. Whereas the air felt sucked from them earlier, this time it felt like it was weighing him down to the point that it would crush him where he sat with a hand still on Damian’s shoulder.

That point of contact clued him into the fact that Damian was shaking. Small tremors rippling through his muscles. A barely contained anger. And Tim didn’t blame him. Damian had been dead and Dick had been devastated. He said it was the only reason the Syndicate had been able to get the drop on him to begin with. That if he hadn’t been so destroyed by Damian’s death, his focus wouldn’t have been in pieces. That they would never have grabbed him without a fight. And that was enough to make the teen upset, but then throw in this new piece of information?

“He beat you into submission,” Jason’s voice finally broke the silence, cutting through it like one of Damian’s katanas cut through flesh. Effortlessly and deadly. “That’s what you’re not willing to just come out and say. He took an emotionally compromised man who had been beaten and strapped to a literal bomb, and beat the ever loving shit out of him to get him to do what he wanted.”

“Richard,” Damian whispered.

“You know what the time was like, Jason. Tim. You both know what everyone was like,” Dick tried to reason, ignoring Damian’s almost-plea. “None of us were our real selves, Bruce especially.”

There was a loud crash and Tim jerked as he snapped his eyes onto Jason, finding him breathing heavily and his eyes rimmed green. “Don’t make excuses for him!” Jason pushed off the wall and Tim noticed a dent next to him, assuming the crash had been a fist hitting the wall. “None of us might have been the real versions of us, but none of us beat the shit out of people we supposedly cared about just to get them to submit! You don’t get to brush this off like it’s no big deal. You don’t get to do that because if this had happened to any of us, you wouldn’t let us.”

“That’s different.”

“The fuck it is,” Damian cut in. Tim watched Dick’s eyes go wide as he looked at the teen. “It’s only different because you think you are not worth the same as the rest of us. You value your life less than ours, but the same cannot be said for us.” When Damian’s hand landed on Tim’s arm, he looked over and immediately jumped to help him sit more upright. “Father is not infallible and your loyalty to him is a disservice to yourself. And I for one will not stand for it any longer.”

“I’m with the kid,” Jason interjected, crossing his arms over his chest again. Tim noticed the green had faded from his eyes, but his body was still one large ball of tension. “This stops now. I can’t do anything about what happened in the past, but if he lays a finger on you again and I will put him in his own grave.”

“You know they’re right, Dick.” Tim spoke softly, keeping his own emotions out of it because Damian and Jason had enough for all of them. “There’s more than you’re telling us, we all know it. But this can’t happen again. And when we tell the girls and Duke, they’ll all say the same thing.” In fact, Tim cringed inwardly thinking about how Cass and Barbara would react once they heard.

“No,” Dick turned his wide eyes on Tim. “You can’t tell them. They don’t need to know.”

Tim sighed and shook his head. “They do. They might already know what happened tonight, who knows where Babs has her cameras and mics set up down there. But we’re a family and we don’t keep these kinds of secrets. They always backfire on us. It’s time we learned that lesson.”

Jason moved over and set a hand on Dick’s shoulder. “You can’t preach the family line to the rest of us and not think we’ll use it against you.”

“Yeah, okay,” Dick nodded, looking between the three of them before settling on Damian. “Okay.”

#dick grayson #tim drake #jason todd #damian wayne #bruce wayne #alfred pennyworth #batfam #dickgraysonweek2021 #dickgraysonweek #anikah writes

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artxyra · 5 years ago

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Hi, could you please write a miraculous ladybug salt with Damianette where Marinette and Damian have been dating since before the show starts. Alya believes Marinette has a crush on Adrian even though Marinette is in a relationship with Damian. Alya then tries to break Damianette up in order to get adrianette together. Also Marinette and Adrian met when they were younger due to the dupain-cheng and Wayne's being friends and the Argeste and Wayne's being business friends. Maybe make it Class salt

Pretending to like Adrien may have been the worst decision of her life. Of course, Adrien agreed to it wanting to pretend to be the oblivious just a friend kind of guy. Marinette and Adrien shared laughs at the thought of their classmates trying to get them together not knowing the extent of their relationship prior to meet them.

Let’s rewind a bit.

It started with Sabine and Emilie went to University to together. They were roommates and the bests of friends. From there, Sabine went into dating the baker’s son while Emilie touch interest in a fashion mogul. Everything was perfect for their little group until business started to grow on international levels. Sabine and Tom jumped to stardom after participating in a baking contest in English and became one of Europe’s celebrities in the food industry. Emilie had grown to be loved on the big screen as Gabriel expanded on the family business taking on building the biggest fashion empire in Paris.

Soon the family of twos welcomes new members: Adrien and Marinette.

The children would send the day at each other’s home when their parents were on business trips. They grew to love each other as brothers and sisters. It was Marinette who asked her parents to send her to big brother's house to show him something she had made. Sabine and Emilie cried together when they realize that their children had taken to calling each other siblings.

When Adrien and Marinette were five, the family was welcomed to a Wayne Gala. Sabine and Tom were quick to become friends with a certain Mr. Wayne. Marinette had expanded who siblings to include Dickie and Tim Tam. Adrien was jealous of the competition regarding Mari’s favorite brother.

All was perfect until Mari meet the latest addition to the Wayne family around the age of ten. Damian Wayne.

He wasn’t like the others, and she had met plenty of the adopted and non-adopted Wayne over the years. He was rude, always looking like he was out to get the world. She at the utmost pleasure in breaking through to the older boy. Her challenge every time she visits was to get him to laugh. She didn’t exceed.

When Adrien went the young Wayne, he screamed and hid behind Marinette, who at the time was taller than the two boys. Adrien hugged Mr. Kitten, his stuff black cat, like a lifeline until Alfred had called the three kids for lunch.

As they have gotten older, Damian took a liking to Marinette and had developed a crush on her. His older siblings found it hilarious when they found the demon lightly brushing at any mention of the Parisian girl.

Unfortunately, a loss entered the Agreste household. Emilie had fallen sick and had disappeared from the face of the earth. Gabriel didn’t know how to deal with the loss, he ended up giving the Dupain-Cheng temporary custody of his son until he figures out his next move. That was the last time anyone had seen M. Agreste in public. Adrien plenty of surrogate siblings to help him through the loss of his mother, but he also ended up losing his father in the process.

Months before they were to enter college, Damian had asked Marinette on a date. Marinette smiles and wrapped her arms the taller boy’s neck. Her boys had grown to be taller than the girl even if it was by a couple of centimeters. Everyone around them suspects that they’ll be at least 5’9” to 6” while Marinette would grow to be Sabine’s height at best.

Celebrations were made at the announcement of the Dupain-Cheng heiress and Wayne heir becoming a couple. Their parents promise their kids a normal relationship despite media interference. The Dupain-Cheng moved into their smaller bakery as it had an apartment upstairs. The perfect front and it was close to the school that they were sending Marinette to for college.

It was all fine and dandy until Marinette and Adrien received their miraculous. Not even a day after they started college. Marinette had taken a liking to the reporter, but she quickly realizes that she is determined, and that kind of determination can last for a long time.

“I’m fine, Dami,” Marinette says to Damian over video chat. She was working on a commission for a client and Adrien was being no help despite being in the same room with her. Damian raises an eyebrow. “I’m serious, they cannot bring me down.”

“She’s lying.” Adrien sings from his position on the chaise. Marinette turns to the blonde model and glares at him.

“Stay sane, Angel. I’m sure she’ll come to her senses.”

“I doubt it, we’re about to graduate lycée and she's still headset of getting Adrien and me together. I’m pretty sure Luka would hate that.” Marinette begins to stitch together the pieces of fabric in front of her.

“In that case, I will gladly put a sword through her if she doesn’t stop.” Marinette smiles and laughs at the thought of Damian putting a sword through Alya.

“Well your lunch is ending soon, we’ll talk later?” Marinette says pulling her focus away from the outfit and to the clock.

“Father will understand if I ditch the other half a day.”

“Dami…”

“I’ll go Angel.” Damian folded. “Are you still on for date night tomorrow?”

“I would be crazy if I said it wasn’t.” Marinette waves goodbye to the small screen. The screen goes black signaling the end of the call.

“So, what are we going to do about Alya?” Adrien asks and before Marinette could reply, both of their phones go off. “It’s Nino. Asking if I want to hang out with him and Alya.”

Marinette sighs and sends a quick reply. “Alya texted me about wanting to hang out with her rather than Nino.”

A beat past. “She’s setting us up again.” Groans follow through.

With Alya, she is determined, to get Adrienette together by the end of the school year. This was their final year and Marinette never once managed to work up the confidence to ask the blonde model out.

Today, she was staging an “Operation Adrienette” at the Place des Vosges. Everyone that is a part of the akuma class was there. Alya, standing front and center with Lila, points to the easel with a large poster board.

“Here’s the plan. We all know that graduation is coming up soon, and I tend to make it my legacy to ensure Adrienette becomes canon. They have ditched us for the last time and I planned to end that this week.” Alya states pretending to be heartbroken.

Lila couldn’t help but notice how Chloe and Juleka were missing from the meeting. She doesn’t want Adrienette to happen but when she tried to get Marinette expelled in college, during a photoshoot Adrien had to threaten for her to back off and stop messing with his sister. Their other brothers wouldn’t like that. Since that encounter, she made a deal with the duo and learned very quickly how there was no romantic attraction between them, just mischief. The reason for Lila being her is because Alya and the rest of them are still her puppets and she has to play the supportive friend.

“I’m still salty about the last plan. They were supposed to have a romantic time at the ice rink, and nothing came of it. This time I’m planning a romantic dinner where Nino and I would ditch the two for another booth. That way they are forced to interact with each other.”

“What are we going to do if that backfires?” Rose raised her hand inputting her concerns.

“We don’t expect it to.” Alya confidently states.

It was Friday night when the plan went into fruition. Adrien had agreed to meet up with Nino and Alya for whatever they have planned. He ended up dressing up at the request Alya of blowing up his phone under Nino’s contact name.

Alya was hanging off Nino’s arms smiling at the model. It was creeping him out.

“So why am I here?” He finally asks even though he knew the answer already.

“We’re waiting for Marinette; she’d promised that she’ll be here in a moment.” Alya deflects the question, she looks elsewhere, no doubt to find Marinette. “There she is.”

Marinette walks over to the group. Adrien gasps causing Alya and Nino to smugly smile at each other. Marinette was wearing a red and black T-shirt dress with the icon of Robin in the center.

“Hey gurl, glad you can join us.” Alya pulls away from Nino, giving the poor teen his arm back and formerly greets Adrien.

“Not like a had a choice, Alya.” Marinette murmurs under her breath.

“Of course, you did, look you’re already here and let’s go get to our seats.” Alya pushes Marinette towards the door and gestures for Adrien and Nino to follow.

Before they were event seated, Marinette notices the two-seat table. Like that didn’t raise any red flags about this evening. Adrien and Marinette took to the table first while Alya made up an excuse for her and Nino. They took the seats on the opposite side of the restaurant to spy on the couple.

Marinette stares down at Adrien both looking very comfortable with one another. The waiter came to their table asking if they need anything to which Marinette orders water and Adrien saying that he’s just a stand-in. The waiter didn’t question it.

Alya and Nino had ordered their meals and she was getting fed up with the lack of communication between the two. She would have stalked over there if it hadn’t been for Nino holding her back.

Just then, a tall, sleek dark hair, gentlemen walk over to the table. Adrien immediately gives up his seat to the gentlemen, but Marinette got out from her seat to hug the man. Alya was in shock. Marinette even gave the male a kiss on the lips before wishing Adrien out.

Adrien had the nerve to turn to Alya and smirk before walking back to the entrance and out of the restaurant. Marinette and the male happy hold hands across the table and chatted. When the waiter had returned with Marinette’s glass of water, he doesn’t seem surprised to see the new face. Instead, he takes their order and doesn’t return until the order is ready.

Alya watch as the couple happily eat. Anger could not describe what she was feeling. Who was this gut and how dare he hijacks a date she had been planning for weeks? When Nino finally gave his okay, it was after Marinette and her mystery date disappeared out of the restaurant. Alya wanted to scream and shout. Scream to the heavens to let out all the anguish she was suffering from Adrienette and shout at Marinette for daring to bring another dude in while she has a crush on Adrien.

She must break them up. If that is the last thing she does.

Alya didn’t see Marinette nor Adrien for the rest of the weekend. She tried to go to the bakery, but the girl’s parents informed her that Marinette was not home. Everything was a mess.

When she returned to the classroom that following Monday, the class was all wondering how the date went. Did they finally get together? Alya was near a breakdown.

“You, how could you. Do you have any idea what I had to go through?” Alya shouts at the teen at fault for all her problems.

“Look Alya, I didn’t ask to be set up with Adrien. At first, it was hilarious but now it’s affecting both our love life.” Marinette counters taking her seat in the back. Adrien enters the classroom not long after she sat down.

“Excuse you, but you are destined to be with Adrien.” Alya screeches but her cries go unheard by the two siblings.

The teacher walks in and demands the class to sit down. Alya turns to Marinette and mouths, “This is not over” to which Marinette raises an eyebrow.

Another meeting in the Place des Vosges.

“I have called you all here to take incriminated photos of Marinette. I need to gather as much evidence to break up Mari and this supposed boyfriend of hers. Any suggestions?” Alya asks standing in front of the remains of the class that supports her.

“Oh, I’ve been seeing Marinette a lot lately with these two boys. They’re clearly more than a thing.” Lila lies through her teeth. She already knows that wasn’t the truth but Alya didn’t know that.

“Someone that wasn’t her boyfriend?” Alya raises an eyebrow. Lila nods. “Good, that is excellent news.”

It wasn’t excellent news.

The first attempt was a fail. Marinette was hanging out with Nathaniel and they all knew he was in a relationship with Marc. Apparently, the artist was commissioning a scarf as an anniversary gift.

The second attempt was also a fail. Marinette was with this boyfriend of hers getting ice cream together. They were having a romantic evening.

The third attempt was nearly a success until Juleka rained on their parade saying that Luka was in a happy relationship with some dude and Marinette and he was just friends.

It wasn’t until they were on the fourth attempt that they struck gold. Marinette was spending time with two unknown boys. The designer was out and about in the park throwing frisbees. One of the guys picked her up and spun her around before placing a kiss on her cheek. The class cheered at the thought of finally getting Marinette and Adrien together.

Alya was waiting for the opportunity. She didn’t have to wait long. Marinette and the dude were sitting underneath the tree at Place des Vosges.

“Your girlfriend here is a cheating bitch.” Alya states confidently.

Marinette turns to her boyfriend then back to Alya.

“What makes you think that of my beloved.” The guy asks raising an eyebrow. Marinette was still in his lap.

“I got evidence.”

“Pray tell.”

Alya pulls out a stack of photos. She gave them to the boy who examines the photos. He hid his smirk in Marinette’s neck who was hiding her laughter.

“So that’s why they were here. I really need to place boundaries on those idiots.” He says thoughtfully.

“Don’t you dare.” Marinette counters playfully hitting the male’s chest.

“It seems that you have caught my beloved with my imbecile’s brothers. Those photos that you have of them are without consent. I could press charges against you on their behalf.”

Alya was losing every ounce of confidence she had.

Adding oil to the fuel, Adrien walks over to them hand-in-hand with Luka. He greets them and kisses Luka’s lips. Alya wanted to scream. How could all this go so wrong?

“If you need any indication as to how long I’ve been with Marinette, we have been together since she turned thirteen.” He states kissing Marinette’s cheek in the process.

“But…but,” Alya stutters her brain could not comprehend the situation.

“Alya, dating Adrien would be like dating my brother. We’ve been friends since we were in diapers.” Marinette then adds more fuel to the fire, “You and the class would have noticed had you not been set on this Adrienette ship.”

“Yeah, a simple search online and you would see photos of Mari and me at galas, movie premieres, fashion shows. She and Damian have been in news coverage from the first time they announce their relationship to the recent engagement announcement.” Marinette blush at the thought of the giant ring on her ring finger.

“Alya, in a different universe I would proudly be Adrien’s girlfriend but it’s not this universe.”

“Let’s go, future Mrs. Wayne.”

“I couldn’t agree more, Mr. Wayne.”

Marinette and Damian walk out of the park and head to the bakery.

“Better luck next time Alya,” Adrien smiles before he and Luka follows the two.

Alya was lost for words, she would never get her ship canon. She fell on the green pastures and contemplate life decisions.

Tag List: *View my Tagging System guidelines for how to to be properly tagged or removed.

#maribat #daminette #ml x dc #mlb x dc #maridami #ml crossover #dc crossover

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sturchling · 5 years ago

Text

Salt-Fic September Day 26: Abandoned

Marinette was numb as she realized what had happened. This was horrible. The class had abandoned her in Gotham, alone. To think everything had been going well. The class had been nicer to her, and Lila wasn’t actively trying to ruin her time on the trip. In retrospect, that should have been Marinette’s first clue that something was wrong. She couldn’t believe this, and it had all happened in the course of two days.

The class was trying to come up with a place to go for the end of the year trip. Lila had become the class representative a few months back, when the class had started to believe the worst in Marinette. Lila had turned this into a class discussion in the guise of including the whole class in the decision. In reality, she didn’t have any good ideas and just wanted to steal someone’s idea to avoid the class’ irritation. But no one in the class had any good ideas either. Marinette sat in the back of the room just listening to the chaos of the class’ discussion.

While she may not be the class rep anymore, she still doesn’t want her friends to be disappointed by the class trip. She had found an amazing opportunity for the class. The Wayne family was sponsoring a trip to Gotham for the class who submitted the best video essay about their collective accomplishments. Marinette spent several weeks on it, but she was able to submit a video to the contest.

A few weeks passed and Marinette received an email from the contest. Her submission had won the contest! She was thrilled. She was excited to tell everyone, but then she realized that she shouldn’t. With the way the class thought of her now, they would likely immediately reject the idea purely because she suggested it. Instead she sent the information to Mrs. Bustier and asked her not to say who won the contest. Surprisingly, she agreed to her request and didn’t say anything.

Lila had no idea who won the contest, but she didn’t care. This was perfect. Lila immediately claimed the credit for winning the contest. “It was hard to write the essay through the pain from my sprained wrist, but I did it for you guys.” The class fawned over Lila, thanking her for her dedication. Meanwhile, Marinette just rolled her eyes. The information Mrs. Bustier sent the class specifically said that it was a video essay contest, not a writing contest. How could the class not realize this was a lie? They had the proof right in front of them. But that wasn’t important, at least the class would have a nice trip.

That was how the class had ended up in Gotham. The trip had been going surprisingly well. Marinette had expected that Lila would hog all the attention and the class would treat her as coldly as they had back in Paris. But instead, Lila was quieter than normal and the class was chatting with her again. Marinette had hoped that meant that they had realized that Lila was a liar and were willing to be her friends again.

Marinette was having a great time on the trip, when she met him. He had tan skin and dark hair. He was sitting in one of the halls of the Wayne Enterprises building the class was touring. He was sitting on a bench and reading a book. Marinette had been looking for a quiet place to sketch while the class ate lunch and decided to sit next to him. When she sat down, he gave her an incredulous look, as though he couldn’t believe she sat there. Then he just turned back to his book, and ignored her.

Time went by, and the two just kept reading and sketching in quiet. Eventually though, the boy’s eyes found Marinette’s sketchbook again. He stared at the sketch which appeared to be an outfit based off Robin’s costume. “Your work is exquisite. Very detailed.” Marinette was startled by the sudden noise. “Thank you. That is kind of you to say.” “Is it based on Robin’s costume? Why did you choose that costume?” Marinette went on to discuss her process for this design. The conversations continued until the end of the lunch for the class. When the class gathered outside of the cafeteria, Marinette had to leave. But before she did, the boy, who she now knew was called Damian, asked her, “I apologize if this is too forward, but would you care to have dinner with me tomorrow night?” Marinette agreed eagerly and was looking forward to seeing Damian again.

Marinette had no idea who exactly Damian was until later that night while speaking with Alya. “Girl, you scored a date with Damian Wayne. So, its tomorrow night? What time?” The girls spent several hours discussing the date. Alya wanted all the details. It felt like old times, before Lila ever appeared. Marinette enjoyed this time with her best friend. Alya even helped her get ready for the date, choosing an outfit and how she should do her hair and makeup. Marinette had no idea what Alya and the rest of the class was really planning.

The next night was one of the best nights in Marinette’s life. Damian had arrived early and endured some teasing from Alya and the class as Marinette finished getting ready. They left and had a wonderful dinner. Damian even took Marinette for a walk in a nearby park, while his brothers watched from the roof tops to make sure no rouges got any funny ideas. Marinette had a wonderful time. Damian dropped her off back at the hotel, and even walked her to the door to her room. Marinette was in such a happy mood. That was until she opened the door to her room after Damian left. The room was empty. All of Alya’s things were gone. They had been sharing a room. Marinette’s things were still there, but Alya’s things were gone.

Marinette searched the whole hotel, but didn’t find anyone from class. She went to the front desk and asked about her class. The person working the desk looked at her in shock. “You are still here? Your class already left, said there was some emergency in Paris.” Marinette panicked, expecting a bad akuma and checked for news on her phone. But there wasn’t anything. Instead, there was an unread text.

You shouldn’t have messed with Lila. Maybe this will teach you a lesson. Have a good time getting home.-Alya

Marinette couldn’t believe it. The class had abandoned her in Gotham.

She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know how to get home. She didn’t have money to get a plane ticket, and the class must have done something to her original ticket. She called her parents and they got her a ticket for the first available flight, which wouldn’t be until tomorrow evening. Marinette spoke with the hotel staff member at the desk, to see about staying in her room one more night. But they told her that someone else had already checked into the room for the night. Her stuff was brought to her from the room and she didn’t know what to do now. She had no where to stay for the night.

Marinette realized she had only one option. She gathered her stuff and went to the Wayne Manor. When she arrived, she was greeted by an older man who stared at her inquisitively. “Good evening. I was having dinner with Damian earlier tonight. Something has happened and I didn’t know where else to go, may I please speak with him?” The butler looked at her warily, but did let her in the manor. He led her to a parlor and went to fetch Damian.

A few minutes passed and he returned with Damian following with a confused look on his face. “Marinette? What happened? Why are you here?” Marinette explained everything that had happened since Damian dropped her off. “So, they just abandoned me here. I already have a flight booked for tomorrow night thanks to my parents. But I don’t have anywhere to stay tonight. I’m sorry to impose, but I didn’t have anywhere else to turn.” Damian was furious. How dare the class do this to her?

Alfred had gone to get Bruce and fill him in on the situation. Bruce came into the parlor as well, to see Damian comforting an upset Marinette. Bruce approached the young couple, “Of course you may stay here tonight Marinette. After all, my family sponsored your class’ trip. That makes you my responsibility until you return to Paris. Make yourself at home. Now, I think I will go call your parents and tell them you are staying here with me.” Marinette felt at ease, knowing that things were being handled.

Marinette was returned to Paris in the morning, but she never returned to Francois Dupont. Her parents pulled her out of that school immediately after they learned their daughter had been left behind. She was now enrolled in an arts school that Chloe and Adrien had transferred to before everything in Gotham had happened. She also spent a lot of time in Gotham when she was on a break from school. She had to visit her boyfriend obviously. While Damian wished she had transferred to Gotham, he was happy that Marinette was in a better school. Marinette was happier than she had been in a long time.

Lila ended up being exposed a few months after the Gotham incident. Marinette never got the details of how it happened, she only found out because the class showed up to try and apologize to her. Marinette stopped them, “I accept your apology, but I can’t fully forgive you. You abandoned me in one of the most dangerous cities in the world. You didn’t care at all what happened to me. I had no where to stay that night and no way home. I could have been really hurt. I’m sorry but we can’t be friends anymore, I can’t be friends with people that would do that to me.” The class didn’t like it, but they accepted it. They knew what they did was unforgiveable.

While Marinette had been beyond hurt by what the class had done, she wouldn’t have changed anything about the trip. She learned who her true friends were and who wasn’t. She had also met Damian, who she had grown much closer to over the months after the trip. She was the happiest she had ever been and was glad that everything had happened the way it did. She was living an amazing life, with friends and family that cared for her and a boyfriend who truly loved her.

Hope you guys liked it! @maribat-central-official

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marvelvsmarvel · 4 years ago

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MCU Sinister Six Roster Speculation (long-form)

Spider-Man No Way Home is all but confirmed to include the multiverse, Doctor Strange, and the Sinister Six which features three of the previous Sony cinematic Spidey villains:

Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock

Jamie Foxx’s Electro

& William Dafoe’s Green Goblin

If we take into consideration that this is in fact the MCU’s Sinister Six and not to be part of the Sony-Disney joint custody Venom/Morbius limbo then we should also include:

Michael Keaton’s Vulture

& Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio

Four out of these five make up the original Six from the comics (no Goblin) with Sandman and Kraven the Hunter rounding them off. Here’s where it does get iffy because if he do consider limbo picks we know that Sony recently cast the real MCU Quicksilver actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson as its Kraven the Hunter for a solo film. And then we also know that MCU Vulture was supposed to crossover in Sony’s Morbius presumably in a prison scene where Vulture and Morbius meet.

Either one makes Six but now let’s focus back on the MCU. There is Bokeem Woodbine’s Shocker and Michael Mando’s Mac Gargan who is set up to be Scorpion both of whom could possibly reprise their roles but where either one of them make Six again. So what options are there to kinda limit this search for Six?

My guess is that whoever the mystery Sixth person is would be in charge seemingly cancelling out thugs like Shocker and Scorpion. They would also need to be able to have the capabilities of accessing the multiverse to cross over the previous villains which cancels out the Kraven and Morbius as well. So while that doesn’t seem to have limited the guesses I have three that I feel incredibly strong about:

Kingpin Wilson Fisk: You mean like what Sony’s Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse did? I mean EXACTLY like the Academy Award Winning Best Animated Feature Film that beat not one but TWO Disney movies! Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk already exists in the MCU proper but recently he was rumored to have been added to the Hawkeye series as well. I have been rambling how Sonny Burch (Ant-Man and The Wasp) works for someone pretty powerful but he also made note to Hope “You think that I don't know what you've been building with all of this Quantum Technology? You can forget nano-tech. Forget A.I. Forget cryptocurrency. Quantum Energy is the future. It's the next gold rush. I want in.” That’s some serious knowledge for a mid-level shot-caller. What if Fisk is Burch’s boss? You follow the general plot that Fisk wants to reclaim legitimate power and authority behind philanthropic/business fronts. One of his investments is in a crazy former AIM (bring them back) Quantum Physicist named Dr Otto Octavius (Molina) who is trying to crack Quantum Energy. Octavius uses a harness he wears that controls four powerful limbs that assist in building massive Quantum tunnels because in no way can you get Quantum Energy from a machine that fits in the back of a truck... Anyways Octavius succeeds in finding a way into another dimension. Fisk takes this news and instead of simply running to a big press conference he sees an opportunity to become a hero to society if he can kill this public menace who murdered the superhero Mysterio assuming he actually died. In order to not have the murder trace back to him he doesn’t just use out of town killers but out of dimension killers which includes Green Goblin and Electro, and now a real multiversal Mysterio Daniel Berkhart (not Quentin Beck but still played by Gyllenhaal) who has some crazy illusion tech from his own dimension. Fisk also financially leverages a reluctant Vulture because he has experience against Spidey. This plays out level boss battle style with Kingpin being the final boss. This guess supports the rumor the Charlie Cox will reprise his role as Daredevil Matt Murdock within the film.

MCU Norman Osborn (not played by Dafoe): Talk about multiverse! Continuing me doubling down on my big guesses have Osborn be the person who bought Avengers Tower in Spider-Man Homecoming and rename it OSCORP. Within it and over the past 5+ MCU years Norman Osborn has been experimenting with Quantum Energy with the goal of solving time travel much like Tony Stark did (that no one knows about but the brilliant Norman Osborn came to that conclusion with Quantum tech himself). Have him succeed only then fall under Doctor Strange’s radar. Strange who then has his hands full with what Loki and Wanda are doing to the multiverse decides to ask Peter to stop Norman from messing with things beyond his control because “the universe depends on it”. Spidey agrees and does it in the most Spidey way which is just unintentional destruction of property seemingly destroying the machine which ends in an accident that exposes Norman to Quantum Energy that will later turn him into the Goblin. Norman starts to hear voices believing he is going crazy when it is really Quantum Entanglement just like between Janet Van Dyne and Scott Lang. Villains from other universes are calling out to kill the bug and so Norman gets back to work rebuilding the Quantum tunnel like a maniac to silence the voices. Doc Ock and Electro are brought to the MCU along with another Norman Osborn (Dafoe) who is already full on crazy. Mysterio Quentin Beck is revealed to have only faked his death and comes to MCU Norman with a plan to kill Spidey after learning about what he did at Oscorp. Vulture is again reluctantly recruited with money because of his previous experience. This plays out mob style with relentless combinations of team up attacks the ultimately leads to a Six on bug boss battle. This guess supports the growing concept of multiverse in the MCU by having two Norman’s from different timelines while also bringing the franchise in full circle paying off the moving day from Homecoming.

Nightmare/Other: Ultimately this would be the Doctor Strange 2 villain who is rumored to be Nightmare but regardless should be a multidimensional threat but I’ll use him for now. With Wanda and Loki breaking the timelines this threat is freed from the limits of or the imprisonment of their dimension and are out to send the multiverse into madness. In doing so they find themselves on earth where they will begin their takeover but must first defeat their greatest threat there. Tracing power back to the Sanctum Sanctorum they find Peter Parker hiding out there instead of Strange. Mistakening Peter for Strange in the case of Nightmare he feeds on Peter’s fears which after recent events is that ALL his villains would come after his friends and family. Nightmare existing as a multi-dimensional being therefore summons Spidey rogues Green Goblin, Doc Ock, and Electro from multiple timelines and a couple from the MCU which in turn frees Vulture from jail and reveals Mysterio as alive from wherever he was hiding out at. Nightmare incites the rest of the Six to do his bidding through their own fears but Strange of course returns in time to reclaim Nightmare back into his own dimension for a future showdown. This plays out Nightmare of Elm Street (horror) style with the villains hiding out for Peter and attacking when he least expects it with the goal for Peter to survive the night until Strange arrives as opposed to battles to win. This guess doubles down on Strange’s confirmed cameo in the film because why else need the help of the Sorcerer Supreme if not because of a threat that “could destroy life on a scale hitherto undreamt of”.

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alexiessan · 5 years ago

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Senses - Chapter Three - Soulmate AU

AO3

Previous - Here - Next

Master List

Damian was sitting in front of the computer in the Batcave, his hand on the mouse, the pointer hovering on a file with his soulmate’s name. He was hesitating and it annoyed him. He never hesitated, so why now?

After his family met Marinette when she had briefly taken over his body at dinner three days ago, Tim has made his research on the girl, and it was very easy to find everything he needed. His father and his brothers all knew everything there was to know about Marinette Dupain-Cheng, but Damian had yet to open the file.

It wasn’t the first time that they did research on someone like that. It was even a common occurrence, they couldn’t afford to trust people easily, and a background check was the bare minimum they did when a Wayne met someone they would have to interact with more than once. So, of course, they would do the same for Marinette, since she would be a permanent addition to Damian’s life, and that she would one day come to know their secret.

And yet, as Damian looked at the screen, he was hesitating. For three days now, he had sit at the computer, looked at the unopened file for long minutes before leaving the room, unable to open it. There was something in him that screamed at him to not open the file. That he should get to know the girl without checking every aspect of her life.

It also screamed at him that Marinette was respectful of his boundaries, letting him decide if he wanted to share things about him with her and never asking for his last name when he didn’t give her one.

His gut feeling told him that he shouldn’t open this file. Plus, if something were wrong with the girl, if she was dangerous for them or anything, his family would have found it and would have told him right away, not caring about his opinion on the matter.

Damian left the room and the file stayed unopened on the computer screen.

When he left the room, however, he didn’t find himself in the corridor as he should have, but in a very pink room. Marinette was sitting at her desk, scribbling something in a notebook.

Even if he couldn’t see what she was doing, deep inside, he knew exactly what she was doing.

“So, you’re into fashion,” he asked, his voice breaking the silence in her room.

He watched as she stiffened, not jumping at his voice this time. She turned around to face him, frowning.

“How do you know that?”

He shrugged, not really sure how he knew himself. “The bond, probably. I know it because you do?”

Her blue eyes met his green ones and she seemed to analyze him for long minutes before she tilted her head and said, “You like drawing, don’t you?”

He stiffened before forcing himself to relax. So it was really the bond that made them know stuff like that. He nodded and she kept watching him. She turned around abruptly, picking her pen up, and started drawing again, not asking him questions.

On one hand, it was a good thing. He didn’t want her asking questions. On another hand, he didn’t like how good she was at reading him.

“A friend’s birthday is coming up so I’m going to make her a dress. She likes pink and cute things so I’m trying to make it super cute.”

He nodded, not really listening. He didn’t care about her friends. He looked around, wincing at all the pink before his eyes stopped on her bed. There were a lot of animal plushies on it. A big cat, a dog, a hamster…

“You like animals,” he asked, his eyes not leaving the plushies. That’s something they could have in common.

He glanced her way when he felt her eyes on him and she had a fond look and a soft smile on her face.

“Yeah, I do. I always wished we could have a pet, but with the bakery, it’s not possible. I wanted a hamster for the longest time because it wouldn’t leave hair everywhere as a cat or a dog would, but even that was a big nope,” she sighed. “You like animals too, right? You seemed to love Titus very much.”

He nodded. “I also have a cat and a cow,” he shared with her. That was the only thing he was willing to share at the moment, he didn’t trust her with anything else.

“That’s nice,” she said softly.

But then, he wasn’t in her room anymore but in his, aware that he had made his way back to his room when the other part of him was with Marinette.

Alfred the cat was napping on his bed next to him and Damian sighed as he petted him softly, careful not to wake him up.

“I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t open that file…” he whispered to himself.

Just this once, Damian decided it would be better to learn to know Marinette the normal way.

Who knows how long it would take for her to gain his trust, or for him to gain hers — even if she shared things about herself with him, it was obvious that her trust was not easily gained. Something told him that it wasn’t always like that though — but he would do it the normal way.

Ladybug cursed at the sight in front of her. Paris was completely destroyed. Buildings had collapsed on themselves, people were screaming in the street, and Chat Noir was panting beside her, just as exhausted as she was.

An Akuma had appeared a little bit less than an hour ago and had done so much damage already. She didn’t care about their name and she didn’t think that this particular Akuma even gave them one in the first place, she only cared about how they were going to defeat him.

The Akuma could create shock waves, small ones, and big ones, which explained the collapsed buildings. Whenever they approached the Akuma, they would create a small one that would throw them away from her, and damn did it hurt.

She had hurt her head pretty badly earlier, and she was sure that she had a concussion if the way her vision blurred and how she struggled to speak full sentences were any indicators.

And then, to make things worse, Damian had to appear beside her right in the middle of an Akuma attack.

“What the hell…” was his reaction when he saw the amount of destruction in the French capital.

He then looked at her, his eyes widening. Yeah, she knew that she looked like hell, and like she was about to collapse any second now, thank you very much.

“You’re a hero,” he said in a serious voice.

Not really what she was expecting him to say, but then again, he was seeing her as Ladybug and not Marinette, so fair enough.

So much for secret identities.

“Now is not the time for that,” she said or tried to at least as her words came out in yogurt.

“What did you say,” asked Chat beside her but she paid him no mind.

Damian was in front of her in an instant, his hand cupping her face, inspecting the left side of her head where the blood was coming from. It was the first time they touched, she thought, and she could actually feel him, feel his warmth and it was weird but right at the same time and… And she couldn’t think straight with her head pounding like that.

The green-eyed boy cursed. “You got a concussion. A pretty bad one. Your partner needs to end this as soon as possible.”

Ladybug shook her head, making Damian release her face. “I can’t. I have to help him. I need to call my luck charm,” she said, but the look on her soulmate’s face told her that her words were yogurt once again.

She turned away from him and towards her partner who was looking at her, waiting for her to form a plan, to go back into the action, to just do something, but Ladybug didn’t know what to do anymore, she just wanted to lie down and sleep, and her head was killing her and-

And before her thoughts could spiral more, she called her lucky charm.

She honestly couldn’t remember what her lucky charm was, what her plan was nor what they did, but the Akuma was dealt with, the white butterfly released, and the Miraculous cure cast.

And Damian was still there, staring at her, his left eyebrow raised as if he was judging her.

“Are you going to talk?”

Ladybug sighed. It’s not like she had much of a choice now, did she?

Damian found himself on the Bat computer once again, researching Hawkmoth and the Akumas. Marinette had told him about the day the terrorist appeared, taking control of one of her classmates to wreak havoc in the city. How she had found her Miraculous and was basically told to go save the city. Her, a thirteen-year-old at the time, without any training or adult supervising her.

Who could be so stupid to throw a teenager in such a mess like that?

Yeah, Damian was younger than she was when he became Robin, but he’s been raised in the League of Assassins since his birth, he knew what he was doing, unlike Marinette who was acting on instinct.

Tim appeared behind him, his footsteps were silent.

“So you found out about her being Ladybug?”

Damian glared at him. “You knew?”

Tim raised an eyebrow at his younger brother. “You didn’t?”

Damian scowled and turned his attention back to the screen. “I didn’t open your file. I found out because I visited in the middle of an attack and she was in her hero persona.”

Drake was silent for a moment before he asked, a bit hesitant. “Why didn’t you open the file?”

“I just didn’t!” he snapped.

The oldest of the two raised both his hands as if surrendering. “Fine, fine! Is the situation there as bad as it’s shown in the French media?”

Damian nodded. “The city was completely destroyed when I was there. The Akumas are very violent and it’s only to Ladybug’s cure that it doesn’t stay like it or that they’re all still alive.”

“Nothing we can do, though,” said Tim, “the guy took control of a fucking baby more than once. Just a little bit of negative emotion is enough to be at his mercy. Better not get there.”

Damian had to agree with his statement.

It was supposed to be a good day, Marinette thought with a frown. She had woke up on time and got in class with five minutes to spare. Ms. Bustier wasn’t even here yet! She had told Damian everything about her situation two weeks ago already, and she was relieved that such a big secret was revealed already. That meant that she could be a little bit more open with him.

And she had been, in the last two weeks, they had seen a little bit more of each other. He opened up a little, but he really didn’t trust her enough to give her more than a little bit of information about what he liked or didn’t like here and there.

It was okay, she didn’t trust him 100% yet either. They would get there when they would.

Damian was cold and rude but she could tell that he was a good person. He was brutally honest, but she kinda liked that.

Getting to know her soulmate helped her move on from Adrien. She didn’t blush anymore around him, and her heart didn’t miss a beat or sped up anymore when he was around.

That was such a relief, to her, and to her friends, who were happy to see her moving on.

It didn’t mean that she was falling in love with Damian, though. She couldn’t even call him a friend yet.

But even if things were looking good and that it was supposed to be a good day, the sight in front of her told her that it would be anything but a good day.

Marinette frowned as she looked around. Everyone had changed their seats, the only one open was next to Adrien. She frowned even more at that. She was moving on from the model, she hoped that it wasn’t Alya deciding all of the sudden to pair them or something.

Speaking of, Alya waved at her in an attempt to get her attention.

“Hey, girl! Sorry, we moved the seats! Lila is coming back today, you see, and with her ear problem we thought she should get a seat in the front row, so we all moved to accommodate her,” she smiled at Marinette before pointing to the desk on the last row. “You’re over there by the way.”

Marinette looked at the back of the classroom to see the empty desk. They had put her alone in the back without even asking her.

“Alya,” she started, her hesitation obvious in her voice. “It’s not that I mind accommodating for Lila,” she did, because Lila was a liar, she probably didn’t have a hearing problem, but she was willing to give the girl a chance. “But why did we have to move everyone? Only one person needed to move,” she said in a small voice.

She noticed that Damian has appeared beside her, scowling at her friend.

“Well, Adrien volunteered to help Lila so Nino had to move but I didn’t want him to be alone. And then, Mylène wanted to sit with Ivan, and you know how it is, when more than two persons move seats, everyone wants to move too.”

Marinette bit at her lips. “But…”

But what about me? She wanted to ask, but wasn’t it selfish, to ask that? They all moved seats for selfless reasons, to accommodate a disabled classmate and they didn’t know that Lila was probably lying about that.

She didn’t have the time to say anything else as Ms. Bustier entered the room with Lila.

“Everyone, please, give Lila a warm welcome!”

Everyone talked at the same time, making it hard to understand anything, but Lila beamed at her classmates, clasping her hands together. Her voice alone made everyone shut theirs to listen to her.

“Thank you, everyone! I’m so happy to be back! My trip to Achu was amazing but so tiring! Helping Prince Ali to come up with ideas to fight world pollution was exhausting!”

Rose squealed somewhere in the class but she could only focus on Damian who scoffed. “The guy only works with children.”

“Tell me about it,” she whispered to him. Thankfully, no one heard her. Everyone knew about her soulmate and wouldn’t question her when she talked to herself, but she didn’t want Lila to know about this particular information.

“Oh!” Lila’s cheerful voice caught their attention again. “Did you leave the front seat open for me?” Everyone nodded and Lila smiled again, delighted. “Oh, guys! I’m so glad you remembered that I got tinnitus from saving Jagged’s cat from getting run over by a plane! Thank you so much!” She exclaimed as she took her seat next to Adrien and got closer to him until only a few inches separated them.

Damian let out a humorless laugh next to her, “As if. If that happened, she wouldn’t get tinnitus from it, she would be deaf. Engineers wear ear protection for a reason, imbecile.”

Marinette almost smiled at Damian’s comment but she was feeling a bit too bitter to let herself smile.

“Marinette,” Ms. Bustier’s voice resonated in the room. “Get in your seat so I can start the lesson!”

Reluctantly, Marinette did as she was told, and Damian followed, not wanting to just stand in the middle of the classroom, even though no one could see him.

“What, are you just going to let them order you around like that?”

Marinette just shrugged. She didn’t want to make a fuss about it. She would talk to Alya later about them forcing her to the back without asking her first. She knew that Alya only had the best intentions when she did it, so she wasn’t really mad about it, but she was a bit bitter with how easily she’s been disregarded, and she didn’t want to leave that unsaid. Alya would understand where she’s coming from.

Damian raised an eyebrow at her, watching her as she took her things out of her bad. Bustier was still getting ready to start the class and her classmates were whispering to each other waiting for the teacher to begin the lesson.

“So, what, you’ll let that slide?” he taunted. In the last few weeks, he had learned to know that she hated liars — he had laughed at the irony, what with her being Ladybug — and injustice.

The blue-eyed girl looked at him. “I’ll talk to Alya later. It’s not like I can just yell that she’s a liar.”

Damian’s eyes narrowed at her and suddenly it felt like she was forced out of her body. She was where Damian was supposed to be and Damian was in her place.

“Did you-” she sputtered indignantly, “did you just take over my body?!”

Damian looked at his hand — her hand — in wonder. “Huh. So I can do that on purpose,” he whispered. “Good to know.”

He then looked at the front of the class, where Lila was discussing happily with Alya, Nino, and Adrien — and why was Bustier taking so long to begin teaching, damn it?! — and he smirked.

Marinette shuddered at the sight.

He was going to get her in so much trouble, wasn’t he?

His voice — her voice — resonated in the class, getting everyone’s attention.

“You know that if you really were that close to a moving plane, you would have gone deaf, right?” he said in perfect French, his gaze locked with Lila’s.

Marinette gripped his arm — her arm, damn it, even if he was in her body, she saw him and not herself, and how weird was that? — and shook it a little, panicking.

“Stop. Please, stop!” She begged him.

She could see some of her friends scowling faces and, Gods, she hated that it was meant for her.

“What- What are you talking about, Marinette? I mean, I get where you’re coming from. I was lucky that I only got tinnitus from that incident.”

Damian scoffed in her body. Some of her classmates were confused, and she couldn’t blame them, it was so out of character of her.

“Bullshit,” he said and some gasps could be heard.

“Marinette!” the teacher exclaimed as Lila’s eyes were gathering tears. Clearly fake, Marinette and Damian could tell. “Apologize to Lila immediately.”

Damian was about to say something else, Marinette didn’t know what, but it wouldn’t be good for her, so she tried to control the bond, however it could be done, she just wanted her body back.

And she got it back, she realized.

Thanks, God.

“I’m sorry,” she said as soon as she got her body back, averting her eyes from the rest of her classmates.

She glanced at Damian, who was pursing his lips and frowning and he looked back at her, ready to say something.

But then he was gone.

She didn’t want to be mean or anything, but she was relieved that he was gone for the moment. He got her in enough trouble as it is.

Lila made a big scene of forgiving her and Ms. Bustier finally began her lesson.

She saw Alya giving her a look that told her they would talk later.

Marinette sighed. It was going to be a long day.

Tag List:

@justafanwarrior @animegirlweeb @demonicbusiness @miracleofadisaster @iloontjeboontje @mochinek0 @lozzybowe @eliza-bich @faunrasthewinterelf @iamablinkmarvelarmy @thatonecroc @dood-space @clumsy-owl-4178

#maribat #daminette #maridami #damian x marinette #ml x dc #mlb x dc #miraculous x dc

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anjuschiffer · 5 years ago

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Amira Wayne - Chapter 11

A/N: Something I want to address - Updates will be coming slowly because not only am I writing this fic as I go, I have other irl issues that need my full attention. Just wanted to let you guys know incase you see inconsistent updates in the future.Thank you for reading and understanding! <3

Day 11 of @biodad-bruce-month event!

Chapter 11: The “Talk”

P.Tag: @theatreandcomicfreak @damianette-is-life @toodaloo-kangaroo @elijahcrevan

Tag: @vixen-uchiha @we-want-mini-mini @ramos123 @bluesimani @redscarlet95 @greatcatblaze @promiswords @fantasiame @corabeth11 @anonymously-odd @alexandriamw @officiallydarkgeek

MASTERLIST | FIRST | PREV | AO3

The weekend ended up uneventful (in terms of akuma attacks), allowing Amira to catch up with Dick and Wally.

The three went to the arcade the following day, Dick smiling the entire time as he watched Amira enjoy herself.

He watched as she went from arcade machine to arcade machine, pulling Wally along. He watched as she cursed out claw machines but shouted in victory at the pinball machines.

He watched as Wally showed her how the ring toss worked, Amira easily nailing it after watching Wally miss his second and fourth shot.

Dick watched as the two ventured around the arcade, Amira racking up the tickets as time went on. In the end, she was able to get herself the most expensive prize there.

“Did you seriously just spend all day trying to get that?” Wally asked her, earning a huff. “And wait, where’s the other one?”

Wally looked as Amira swung around the lit up dagger, watching as she twirled it around with ease. The soft lavender glow came to a halt when Amira placed it on her holster that would usually carry an actual dagger.

“I can protect myself with just one.” Amira tried to brush off, only to confess when she saw Dick raise a brow. “I gave my other one to the girl that was beside me at the prize area. Every girl deserves to have a weapon.” That caused the two boys to laugh, causing Amira to pout.

“Whatever you say, Mimi.”

“Shouldn’t we start heading back home? Looks like it's about to rain.” Wally pointed out.

Looking at the darkening skies, the trio agreed to call it a day.

Amira had a bounce to her step as she entered the apartment, bouncing onto the sofa and grabbing the remote to see what was on the news.

Much to her disappointment, it was some news coverage about Batgirl’s latest appearance.

“-amateur footage of the vigilante taking down-”

Amira quickly flipped to another channel, a frown now on her face.

“If you keep doing that, you’re going to end up with scowl lines for life.” Dick commented, taking out some ingredients to cook.

“Did you know about Drake replacing Jason?” Amira asked out of the blue, causing Dick to almost drop the cabbage in his hands. “Or what about Barbara being Batgirl?

“I...I didn’t know about Tim being the new Robin.” Dick stuttered, placing down carrots and potatoes on the table. He didn’t want this day to come. But he knew he was going to have to eventually tell Amira the truth. “I recently found out about it when I went to the Cave to retrieve some data. As for Barbara being Batgirl…”

He could feel Amira’s eyes on him, analyzing his every move. Taking a deep breath, Dick continued. “I was the one who gave her the mantle.”

Amira dropped the remote in her hands, staring at Dick with wide eyes.

“You?” Amira whispered. “You asked her to become Batgirl?” Amira felt her chest begin to twist.

“Amira, Bruce needed-“

“Why did you drag Babs-”

“I didn’t- she, ugh.” Dick ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t drag her into this. She already knew about us.” Dick defended. “I simply-“

“Then why did you let her! Why did you encourage her?” Amira screamed. “She didn’t need to be roped into our messed up family-”

“Gotham needed him back.” Dick cut off. “Gotham needed Batman back. And we both knew that. We understood that. With his head still in the gutter-”

“Then why didn’t you stay there with him?” Amira cried, hating that she was having trouble breathing. “Why didn’t you-”

“Because I couldn’t forgive him with what he did to you!” Dick shouted, Amira watching him look down at his feet despite his head being held up high. “He shouldn’t have sent you to Paris when we were all mourning Jason! He should’ve let you go to the funeral, to visit him one last time before forcing you out of the country! He didn’t have to push you away just because he was mourning!” Duck didn’t care if his shoulder shook or if his voice warbled a bit.

This was Amira. He could trust her. She was his sister.

Amira watched as Dick walked up to the couch and plopped next to her. “We both know he’s still in mourning, hell all of us are. But that doesn’t excuse him for doing the shit he did!” Dick growled out before letting out a deep sigh. “Did you know he almost sent me to Germany?”

“Germany?”

“Alfred told me after I fled here.” Dick threw himself back, looking up at the ceiling fan. “To think he would try to pull that on me as well.”

“I...I didn’t know.” Amira said, pulling her legs to her chest and resting her forehead on her knees. All this time, she was venting towards Dick and she never asked how he was dealing with all this. He had to deal with all of his emotions on his own, storing them inside while he played peacekeeper.

How selfish she was. How stupid and blind did she have to be to not notice her brother’s suffering?

“Where are you going?” Dick asked her as she got up and started to storm towards the window. She whispered ‘Spots On’, watching as a soft red glow engulfed her. “Amira!” She heard Dick yell, but she didn’t turn back.

The sun was beginning to set, but she didn’t care. She was Ladybird. She can handle a few Gothamite thugs. With that in mind, Amira got on the railing before dropping from it and swinging herself towards Gotham.

If there was one thing any villain in Gotham hated, it was newbies waltzing into their terf.

As for Selina, the moment she noticed this newbie, she knew something was up. After all, no one survived longer than ten minutes while on enemy turf.

“I’ve never seen you around here before.” Selina looked at the girl from top to bottom, critiquing the girl’s choice of red and black. “New to the game, aren’t you?” She asked, noticing a dagger hidden within the shadows cast by her skirt. “Tell me, what brings you to these parts of Gotham?”

Selina watched as the cloaked girl continued to analyze her, trying to circle around her.

“Okay then, would you like to tell me your name, kitten?”

“Marienkäfer.” The girl spoke, glaring at her with an ever so familiar glare through her red domino mask.

So she spoke German. Great. To be honest, she wished the kid spoke Mandarin just like- “Wie heißt du?“ The girl asked her, or at least Selina judged from the way her brows furrowed a bit. She huffed, knowing this is going to go nowhere without help.

Pressing her comm, Selina awaited for the other end to pick up.

“Hey. Got a kid here who only speaks German. No, she doesn’t seem- yea. Yes she’s wearing- wait hold on. What do you mean-“ a frustrated sigh left Selina.

What did he mean by he knew her?

Selina kept watching over the girl, deciding to watch her as the girl started to make her way towards her.

Her hooded cape flew back from the autumn breeze, exposing the girl’s midnight hair.

Selina watched as the girl stood mere feet away from her, her green eyes holding a curious twinkle in them. She saw how the girl approached her before quickly falling back, her hand hovering over something at her side. Was that a yo-yo?

“Is this the girl you were talking about?” Bruce’s voice trickled down Selina’s back.

“Why do you always have the need to do that?” Selina hissed, but Bruce remained silent. “Anyways, how do you know her?” She frowned when he ignored her.

“Amira.” Bruce called out, Selina watching as the girl didn’t budge. “Amira, what-”

“She smells like you.” The girl -no- Amira said, Selina watching her scowl. So she knew English, so why did she act as if she didn’t know it?

Or did she do it on purpose? Was it just a ploy?

“What-“

“Your cologne...it’s all over her...the cologne I gave you for your birthday two years ago.” Amira growled. “That could only mean one thing. When were you going to introduce us to each other, Father?”

Selina looked at Amira and then at Bruce for some type of explanation. She was his daughter? Why is she learning about this now? As far as she knew, he only had Dick and Jason...and currently Tim.

“Bats, explain.” Selina demanded, Bruce feeling a headache starting to form.

“Fine. But not here.”

Selina felt as Amira continued to glare at her, Selina starting to hate the attention from the younger Wayne.

They finally arrived at the manor, currently walking towards Bruce’s study. Of course, Amira didn’t change out of her costume yet, walking in the red and black suit.

“So Amira, how come I haven’t heard about you?” Selina decided to ask.

“I wonder.” Amira spat with venom, causing a brow to raise. “It couldn’t possibly have anything to do with my father-”

“Amira.” Bruce cut off, prompting Amira to frown. “I meant to say this earlier, but welcome back home.”

“Home?” Amira let out a dry laugh. “Last I recall, the apartment back in Paris is my home. Not this place despite having been raised here for 13 years.”

“Amira.”

“I didn’t come back here to see you. I didn’t even plan on seeing you, yet you always seem to find a way to find me.”

“Amira, you said you used to live here for 13 years. So tell me, how old are you?” Selina asked, hoping to ease the suffocating tension.

“Turning 14 in July. And you don’t have to worry about having to see me for the rest of the year. I’m going back to Paris in a few hours. After that, I won’t be back in Gotham for another half year or year.” Amira looked at Selina, her eyes dull and void of the anger from earlier. “Father’s never let me attend any gala or any event that requires showing my face, so coming back to Gotham would be pointless for me.”

Selina stopped herself from coming to a halt, absorbing Amira’s words.

She was 14, living in Paris by herself while her family lived in Gotham...not only that, but she seemed so distant to Bruce despite loving -no- adoring Gotham...

“Bruce, did you really send her to Paris...by herself?”

“What if I did?” Selina let out a scoff.

“Are you being serious right now? Bruce, she’s 14!”

“She’s still a child.”

“And yet you still thought of doing the same thing to Dick and he was 17 at the time, turning 18.” Amira interjected. “

She didn’t know what overcame her, she really didn’t.

“I’m going to Paris with Amira.” She never saw Bruce turn around so quickly before, noticing Amira had the same reaction as him when she said that.

“Selina. You-”

“I’m only going to be there for a week, make sure Amira is doing well and from there, I’ll come back.” Selina walked up to Bruce, sinking her nails into his arm. “After that, you and I are going to have a talk.” She whispered, letting go of Bruce. “So Amira, where are your things?”

Selina waited for a few minutes before getting a response from the girl.

“A-At Dick’s. I didn’t think I was going to be here for that long. I just wanted to talk to my father before heading back, although it seems like there will be a change of plans.”

“You wanted to speak to me?” Bruce asked, wondering what exactly Amira wanted.

“Yes. But of course, in your office.”

Selina had gone to pick up Amira’s things from Dick’s apartment, leaving father and daughter by themselves.

“So, what was it you wanted to talk about?”

“Is it true you wanted to send Dick to Germany?” Amira threw out the first thing in her mind, watching as her father tensed. “You could’ve just sent him to France with me. The two of us would’ve kept each other company, be safe with each other. But no. You thought it was best to separate us, to keep us isolated from each other because-”

“I...I didn’t actually want to send him to Germany.” Bruce confessed. “I...I also didn’t want to send you to Paris either, but I knew that if I didn’t, the two of you ran the risk-”

“But isn’t that why you fight? Wasn’t becoming Batman the solution to your worries?”

“I can only do so much. I can only guide the villains towards redemption, I can’t force them to-“

“Then why? Why didn’t you simply kill them off?” Amira asked. “Why don't you just get rid of them...or rather, him? Of Joker? Of the bastard clown that took Jason away from us! Why didn’t you-”

“You don’t understand, Amira. Getting rid of Joker isn’t the solution nor is getting rid of anyone for that matter. Killing isn’t-“

“Don’t you realize it? He’s the main problem. He’s the one racking up the deaths in Gotham. The reason why we have to keep constructing new cemeteries. The madman behind the cruelest tortures. The one who-“

“Killing Joker won’t do anything!” Bruce yelled. “It won’t bring Jason back and it definitely-”

“I never said it would bring Jason back. I said it because if you did kill him, it would bring you peace of mind. It would make Gotham safer for me...and countless other children.”

“Amira, I don’t think you understand. I don’t think you nor Jason understood.” Jason had told Bruce this before? “Killing only brings out the worst of people.” Amira watched as Bruce walked up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “If I were to kill anyone, I won’t be able to get back from there. My hands will no longer withhold the justice I claim to uphold...I also don’t want my children to have a murderer for a father.”

Amira watched as her father shook, but she didn’t care.

“You always said you wanted to be someone we could be proud of. A father whom we adored...but in your mission to become that, you’ve become a stranger to me.” Amira said, pushing Bruce off her. “I claim you my father, but...I don’t know much about you.

I have a stranger for a father instead of a respected man.

I found out about your girlfriend-no...fiance around a day ago, only to find out you’ve known her for longer. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice the inconsistencies in her files?” Amira brought up.

“You looked at her files? When? Why?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Despite not being in Gotham, I like being up to date with the news. As for how, I was downloading information from the computer to take back with me to Paris. Got bored and started to look at the criminal files you had there. That’s how I landed on Selina’s file.

To think you’re engaged, nonetheless to a thieve.” Amira glared at her father. “Then again, why am I surprised at you for hiding things from me? You’ve always hid me away from anyone else. Just like how you hid Barbara and Drake from me.”

“I never hid that from-” Amira raised her hand and shook her head.

“I don’t care about that. I don’t care about what the hell you do anymore. But just know this. I will never forgive that bastard from taking Jason away from us. Now, I better get going. I have a plane to catch.”

#maribat #bio!dadbrucewaynemonth2020 #bio!dad bruce wayne month 2020 #b!dbwm2020 #amira wayne

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440mxs-wife · 4 years ago

Text

The Hunter’s Princess- Chapter 2: The Princes’ Challenge

Pairing: Dean x OFC Kira (eventual), Prince!Dean x OFC Lady Kira. Other Characters: Sam Winchester, Prince!Sam Winchester, Castiel, Rowena, Gabriel, King!John, Queen!Mary, Lucifer and assorted minor characters.

Chapter 2 Word Count: 2550+

Warnings: Kira’s self-doubt, Dean angst, mostly fluff though. Each chapter will have individual warnings as needed.

A/N: This is from some material that’s been rattling around in my head from another project that changed direction. Couldn’t let all this content go to waste, though, so here it is. It’s a work-in-progress, and I will try and update as regularly as I can. If you want to be tagged in this series, send me a message!

Thank you and happy reading!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Castiel bowed and left the room, knowing his friends, Prince Dean and Prince Samuel would explain everything to him later. "As we have gotten older, we have decided it's time for one of you to take over as king. However, you will also need a queen to rule by your side," Queen Mary remarked.

"So, to choose your queen, we suggest a tournament of sorts. Something to help you find the woman most likely to fulfill her duties as your queen. There will be challenges to demonstrate each candidate's strengths in archery and the equestrian arts. Your mother and I will also conduct an interview with each woman," King John explained.

"Each province will send their best competitor. At the end, there will be a ball, where you will each announce your final choices. If you do not find a suitable wife by that time, we will choose for you. This is an important decision, one you will have to live with your entire life, so please choose wisely," Queen Mary warned. "For now, I suggest we ALL get some sleep, so we can do some planning in the morning," she advised.

Each of the princes came over to kiss their mother's cheek and say goodnight. Then they went to their separate rooms, changed into sleeping attire and went to sleep. Castiel would have to wait until morning for his explanation of the conversation between the princes and their parents.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning, a proclamation was issued. A search was being held to determine who would be the next queen after marrying either Prince Dean or Prince Samuel. A tournament would take place, featuring events in archery and the equestrian arts. An interview with the current king and queen was also part of the competition. On the final evening, a ball would be held to announce the winner.

Word of the tournament spread quickly throughout the land. When it reached Kira's ears, she began to wonder how it fit in with the reason she was sent here. She got ready for the day and checked across the hall to see if Rowena was awake yet. Her door was open, but she was not inside, so Kira went downstairs for breakfast.

"Good morning, everyone," she announced. Alfred and Rowena were discussing the matter and looked up to greet Kira in return. Stefan offered his good morning wishes when he brought the coffee and tea pots to the table for refills. He also placed a tray of his decadent cinnamon rolls on the table, making her mouth water. Business first, though, she thought.

"I assume you've all heard of the Princes' Challenge?" Kira asked.

"We were just discussing the matter, Lady Kira. Lady Rowena has mentioned that you stand an excellent chance of winning and becoming the next queen. I happen to agree with her assessment," Alfred stated, nodding in solidarity with Rowena.

"You definitely meet all the criteria, dearie," Rowena affirmed.

"So what are the criteria for this 'Challenge'?" Kira asked.

Rowena listed the following requirements to compete in the Princes' Challenge.

One: The candidate must be of noble birth.

Two: Only one candidate may be chosen from each province.

Three: Events will include Archery and the Equestrian Arts. These events will be followed by a private interview with King John and Queen Mary. On the last night, a ball will be held, where a decision will be announced.

The Princes' Challenge will begin in two weeks. Candidates must report to Winchester Castle upon arrival.

"You really think I can pull this off? I mean, I have the athletic stuff covered, no problem, but a private interview with the king and queen? 'Soft-spoken' and 'demure' are not exactly in my vocabulary, you know. If I'm going to screw up anywhere, it'll be there. That and....I can't dance," Kira replied, mumbling the last part about dancing.

"Och, not to worry, Kira, I'm working on a solution to get you some help in those areas. Even the dancing part, dearie," Rowena smirked. Kira stuck out her tongue at her in response.

"See? I'm acting like a child. I'll just mess everything up, so I might as well not even go! Besides, who will run the pub, make sure the townspeople are taken care of?" Kira added.

"Lady Kira," Alfred began. "I have worked for this family since before you were born. Well, the you that was born in this dimension," he smiled wryly.

"Wait a minute, Alfred. You've known all this time?" she asked.

"As I said, I've worked for this family for a very long time. I know you are not the Lady Kira native to this dimension. You are very much alike, don't get me wrong, but there are some subtle differences. But I also know that you are our best hope of restoring each Lady Kira to her rightful dimension. I believe the only way you can do that is to compete in and win the Princes' Challenge," Alfred finished.

"Beggin' your pardon, Lady Kira, but Alfred and I can look after the townsfolk in your absence," chimed in Coraline. "And you know Ella can run that pub of yours inside and out, backwards and forwards. Besides, you may find true love when you least expect it!" she exclaimed.

"All right, all right, I'll go! Rowena, I'll need you with me. No telling when I'll need the services of a witch, especially since it was magic that sent me here," Kira muttered.

After a breakfast of coffee and one of Stefan's cinnamon rolls, Kira and Rowena went upstairs to pack. Kira made sure to bring practical outfits, due to the nature of the competition. She also took her best gown for the ball on the final night. It was made of a dusty rose-colored satin, off the shoulder, corseted bodice and a long flowing skirt with tulle overlay. Kira threw in a few pairs of leggings, her boots and some tunics for the competition days. She included some "day dresses" for wearing when not in competition.

When Kira walked downstairs, Rowena was ready to go and Kira bid farewell to her house staff. The carriage was packed with their luggage, and as they pulled away, Kira waved goodbye to everyone. She knew she was leaving her tiny estate in capable hands. The staff was more than that, though, they were family. Kira knew they would do everything possible to take care of their home.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The princes met up with Castiel so that they could fill him in on what's going on. He seemed a bit skeptical that their parents' plan would work to decide the next queen.

"You have to find your true love through this competition, and decide before the ball? I don't know, my friends," Cas remarked.

"I'm not so sure either, Cas. But what choice do we have? If we don't choose, they'll choose for us. Besides, they still have the chance to interview the candidates, so that should alert us to potential red flags, right? Dean?" Prince Samuel replied.

Prince Dean was lost in thought when his brother's voice jolted him back to reality. "Hmm? What? Absolutely, brother, whatever you say," he stammered.

"Dude, where is your mind? You've been like this ever since we left that pub. Now, what's going on?" Prince Samuel demanded.

"Sorry, I can't help thinking about that woman, Kira. I wish we could meet up with her again. She was....different. But in a good way," Prince Dean hastily added. "I asked around about her. Collins said she inherited her land from her father, since there were no male heirs and she had no husband.

"When he died, he left her with a mountain of debt, so she's had to sell off pieces of her land to keep things afloat. Even so, she struggles with making ends meet, but she makes sure to take care of the townfolk, like her family. He said everyone adores her, and they're fiercely loyal to her," he finished.

"Sounds like someone's a little smitten," Castiel snickered.

"So what if I am? From what I've seen, she's kind, caring, has a great sense of humor. And as loyal as the townfolk are to her, she's just as protective of them. Remember how I teased her about being 'Lady Kira'? She quietly let me know how things work around there and how she doesn't do it for the recognition. She does it because she cares," Prince Dean retorted.

Prince Samuel held up his hands in surrender. "She sounds great, almost too good to be true. But, I hope she does show up, so that I can get to know her a little better as well. I wasn't too focused on that the first time we met."

Prince Dean hadn't thought of that. Since she does hold a title, she's eligible for his parents' little "tournament". That would give him the chance to find out even more about her. He really didn't like to admit when his brother is right, but in this case he is: Prince Dean is a little smitten with Lady Kira.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Rowena? Are you sure I should be doing this? I mean, it seems like there's so much more I could or should be doing at home. I'm not 'queen material', and probably never will be, because I know myself too well. I'm not the uptight, 'genuflect when you say that' type. The kingdom is much larger than our little space in the world, so much more to have control of. It'll take a bit of a strong hand to keep order, and I don't know if I can do that," Kira finished.

"Och, darlin', don't you worry about that. Just be yourself, and they will love you. Besides, I think a member of the royal family is already a bit smitten with ye," she added mysteriously.

"What are you talking about?" Kira demanded.

"I was talking to Alfred before you came down for breakfast, and I happened to tell him about last night in the pub. He said that the two men that came in late for drinks were none other than Prince Dean and Prince Samuel!" she announced.

Kira gasped in complete surprise. "No.....I'm completely doomed! I was such an idiot last night! Prince Dean called me by my title, and I got a little upset with him. I explained how things work in our neck of the woods and kind of slammed his beer down on the bar. I should go back. Driver? Please take me home," she commanded.

"Driver, you'll do no such thing, keep on course," Rowena declared. To Kira she said, "He is under strict orders to deliver you to Winchester Castle, even if you give him a direct order to do otherwise."

Kira crossed her arms over her chest and slouched in her seat, pouting in her corner of the carriage. She knew Rowena was right to keep on their course to Winchester Castle. She still had her doubts, though, about whether she was fit to be queen. Rowena must have sensed that, because she came over to sit beside Kira. "Don't worry, dearie. I've arranged for some assistance--" she broke off, and as there was a whooshing of wings, Gabriel appeared where Rowena had been sitting.

Kira sat up straighter in utter surprise. "Gabriel?? How did you know where I was?" she asked incredulously.

"Uh hello? Archangel?" he said sarcastically. "I can go anywhere I want, and Sweetcheeks, I'm particularly tuned to where you are. Besides, Thing One and Thing Two explained to me what happened. I suppose I'll be nice and let them know you're all right, but that you have work to do in this dimension."

Tears sprang to Kira's eyes as she thought about how worried her Sam and especially her Dean were about her disappearance. She wiped the tears away and looked at Gabriel. "Will you please do me a favor, Gabe? Will you please tell Sam and Dean that I love them, that I'm sorry to be away from them but that I'll be home as soon as I can?"

Kira knew Sam and Dean weren't Gabe's favorite humans, and the feeling was kind of mutual. But, she thought if he saw how upset she was, that he'd do as she asked. Gabriel rolled his eyes and said, "Fine, I'll tell them. You're lucky I love ya, kid. But I'm not kissing either one of them for you, no matter how many tears you cry," he declared.

Kira smiled through her tears and reached for his outstretched hand. "Thank you," she whispered. She turned her attention back to the rolling hills and trees that dotted the landscape. It had been awhile since Kira got to sit back and relax. Soon her eyelids became heavy and kept drifting closed. Before she knew it, she was snoozing away in her corner of the carriage, dreaming of a certain green-eyed prince that she was hoping to see again.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Back at the bunker, Sam had pulled some lore books to try and figure out how to return Kira to their dimension. On the other hand, Dean paced the floor, running over every detail of what had occurred in Room #17.

Rowena said that Kira's locket was a powerful charmed object that had been passed from mother to daughter for generations. With it, the wearer could move between worlds, which could be dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. Dean only hoped that Kira would be found quickly and returned home before too much time had passed. Rowena was a powerful witch, but Dean didn't know if even she had enough juice to bring them both back.

As he paced the floor in the library, he heard the flapping of wings. At first, he thought it was Castiel, but before him stood none other than Gabriel. "Give me one good reason why you're here," Dean growled.

The archangel rolled his eyes. "Dude, I bring you news of your girlfriend, and this is the greeting I get?" Gabriel retorted.

"She's not my girlfriend," Dean shot back. Not yet anyway, he thought.

"Uh-huh, yeah. Right. Keep tellin' yourself that, bucko. Anyway, I'm supposed to tell you and Samsquatch that Kira loves you and she's sorry to be away from you. Also that she'll be home as soon as she can," Gabe finished.

"If you've seen her, where she is in that other world, then you can bring her back, right?" Dean asked hopefully.

"Um, no. It has to do with that locket around her neck that's blocking me from doing that. Relax, Dean-o, she's in good hands. I'm on her wavelength, so if anything goes wrong, I'll be there for her," Gabriel assured Dean.

"How the hell can I relax, when the woman I love is stuck in another dimension? Plus, no one has any real plan of how to bring her home!!" Dean roared.

"Well, at least you finally admitted your feelings for her. I'll see what I can do. Meantime, you two flannel-jockeys keep researching," Gabe snarled as he zapped out of the bunker.

Sam came over and laid his hand on Dean's shoulder. "He's right, Dean. We'll get Kira back. Then you can tell her how you feel," Sam remarked.

"I hope so, Sammy. I sure hope so," Dean replied softly.

Part 3 here!

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Tags: @janicho88 @akshi8278 @magssteenkamp @swiftlymoniquesblog @lyarr24 @miss-nerd95 @distefano123 @hobby27 @deanwanddamons @jessica-noel94 @wayward-mikaelson @jawritter @gabrielslittleangel @jensengirl83 @deangirl93 @ellewritesfix05 @supernatural-jackles

#dean x reader #dean winchester x reader #au!dean winchester x reader #au!dean winchester #spn #au supernatural #The Hunter's Princess series

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sohotthateveryonedied · 5 years ago

Note

got any trans!tim headcanons for us babe?

I’m shocked that I haven’t done any trans Tim stuff yet?? I’ve thought about it a lot but have never actually written it down which is a CRIME. Anyways, last night I sent Julie a ton of ideas about it so I could cherry pick from that and make this post, but apparently I have a big brain because I came up with a whole darn lot. So all of this is only like, a third of what I came up with:

☆ Tim has felt like a boy his whole life, but I don’t think he actually finds out that being transgender is a thing until ten years old or so? And he knows his parents will disapprove since they’re part of Gotham’s elite, which means they’re stuffy old rich people who look down on anyone who doesn’t conform to society’s expectations. So Tim stays in the closet.

☆ At least one of the few upsides to his parents being gone on trips all the time is that it’s easier for Tim to act and look the way he wants. He keeps his hair floppy; long enough that no one will think twice, but short enough that it can’t be considered “girly” either.

☆ When Bruce makes him the new Robin, Tim asks if he can do it while still wearing a masculine version of the costume. He justifies it as, “Everyone knows Robin is a boy, so this way no one will know what happened to Jason.”

☆ And he loves being Robin. Not only because it’s awesome, but because he feels more like himself in that uniform than he does in his own clothes. The armor hides his chest and curves, and whenever someone calls him the “Boy Wonder” he can’t help but grin.

☆ He doesn’t tell the Waynes he’s a boy for a long time, though. Mainly because he’s been struggling with this his entire life—feeling like a stranger in his own skin—but he also grew up in the rich, white part of Gotham. He’s heard his parents’ friends at parties talking about people like him, calling them unnatural and messed up, and it makes him hate himself for being this way even though he can’t change it no matter how hard he tries.

☆ And because Bruce is Bruce, of course he already has a feeling that Tim doesn’t identify as a girl, but he’s not about to go and ask the kid—he’s too emotionally stunted for that. Dick isn’t, though. And Dick also notices how uncomfortable Tim gets when they call him by his birth name or use “she/her” pronouns for him. So he decides to do something about it.

☆ One day Tim is reading a comic in his room at the manor when Dick drops by. “Hey, kid? I wanted to run something by you, if that’s okay.”

☆ He sits next to Tim. “So I was thinking about how before Wally got top surgery, he used to wear this thing called a binder? It’s supposed to make your chest area seem flatter, more like a boy’s, and I thought you might be interested. For the Robin thing, of course.”

☆ Tim lights up. “Really?”

☆ “I was planning on going shopping today anyway, so do you wanna come with? We can get you some new clothes too.”

☆ Tim ends that day with a goldmine of binders along with some new, more masculine clothing. During the shopping trip Dick never pries too much or asks too many questions, so Tim doesn’t bring it up either. And if Bruce notices anything odd about Tim training in one of his new athletic binders later on, he says nothing about it.

☆ A couple weeks later, he asks if everyone can start calling him Tim. None of them question it, and they don’t slip up a single time from then on. The first time Alfred calls him “Master Tim” he nearly cries. And Barbara offers to have his name changed in his schools records.

☆ Tim, coming up with his new middle name: “Well my dad is Jack, and I’m his son, so........Jackson.” Bruce: *heavy sigh* “Whatever makes you happy.”

☆ Eventually Bruce asks Tim if he wants to start taking testosterone, but Tim’s not sure because he doesn’t know how his dad will react if he wakes up from his coma and learns that his daughter is actually his son.

☆ “What if he hates me? What if he gets mad and kicks me out?”

☆ “If he does,” Bruce says, “then you’ll always have a place to stay with us. And regardless, this isn’t supposed to be about him. If taking hormones is going to help you feel more like yourself, then I want you to have that opportunity, no matter what anyone else says.” So Tim agrees and starts taking hormones, and he feels better than he has in years.

#lay it on me papa bob #snuck trans wally in there too HA #tim drake #robin #red robin #idiot duckboy #batman #batfamily #transgender #trans headcanons #headcanons #dc comics #bruce wayne #dick grayson #nightwing

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rhub4rb · 6 years ago

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Home is Where the Heart is

AO3

First Chapter Next Chapter

Here it is! Be prepared for angst and fluff for the next many chapters to come! Without further ado~

-_-_-_-

Running around Gotham and living in abandoned buildings had never really been part of Marinette’s plan. Not that Marinette had much of a plan in the first place, but pretending like she did made her feel slightly better about her situation.

It was her third night in Gotham, trying to find one Alfred Pennyworth.

Master Fu hadn’t known where the former Miraculous holder was, and it had only been because Duusu could sense Alfred slightly that Marinette was even in Gotham in the first place.

She didn’t get to Gotham with a plane like a normal person though, she got there with the help of Kaalki.

It was kind of hard to take a plane somewhere without any type of legal papers.

She had no ID, no passport, no birth certificate.

Marinette had tried different ways to find Alfred, she had even checked to see if he was dead, despite Duusu being able to sense him, just to be safe. It had all been a bust so far, but Marinette wasn’t planning on giving up.

She wasn’t quite sure what she would be doing if she did.

At least she didn’t have any issues with money. Master Fu had left all of his money, which was a surprisingly high amount, for her when he passed away. Marinette didn’t try and bother with sleeping at a hotel though. Most places in Gotham wanted some form of legitimization, and when all she had was money upfront, not many people would be willing to rent her a room.

Her first night in Gotham, Marinette had rented a room in a Motel, and after that, she swiftly made the decision to never do that again. She still got shudders when thinking about it.

It was after a long day of a lot of searching, and a lot of nothing, that Marinette found herself sitting on the roof of a random building at night, looking over the city.

It reminded her of late-night patrols with Chat Noir, resting at the Eiffel tower, teasing and talking to one another.

Marinette hadn’t even registered that she was going to cry until the tears fell down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away, despite no one being around to see her cry. It was in the small things, and it made it hard for her to concentrate on her new mission, but Marinette wouldn’t break. Breaking meant to her that she regretted her decision, and Marinette couldn’t regret her decision. She just couldn’t.

Marinette was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of footsteps, and she was quick to get on her feet and look for the source of the sound.

There, on the building next to the one Marinette had been sitting on, was one Nightwing, a Gotham vigilante, if Marinette remembered correctly.

He took a step forward, opening his mouth to say something probably, but Marinette never gave him the chance.

She ran.

Nightwing shouted at her to stop, but Marinette didn’t listen. If he caught her, Marinette didn’t know what she would do or say. The risk was too big.

She reached the edge of the roof, and rather than stopping like Nightwing probably expected her to, Marinette jumped.

For one heart-stopping moment, she didn’t touch the ground, until she landed on the other building in a roll. Marinette didn’t look behind her to see if he followed, focusing instead on just getting away.

It was a regular patrol, the bat family splitting up to cover as much of Gotham as possible, when Dick spotted a girl sitting at the edge of a roof on a tall building. Her shoulders were shaking, as if she was crying, and his mind immediately went to the thought of the girl jumping off.

Dick took a step forward to stop her. She must have heard him when he started approaching her, because her head snapped up to look at him. Her eyes were red and puffy, but Dick couldn’t see much more than that. The lower half of her face was covered by a black surgical mask.

Dick was going to talk to her, but before he even got the chance to, she bolted. He yelled at her to stop, only for her to jump off the building. Dick thought for a moment that it was it, that she was going to fall and he wouldn’t be fast enough to save her.

But then she landed on the other side in a roll and just kept running.

Dick stopped at the edge where she had jumped, just watching as her form became smaller and smaller the farther she went.

He touched the comm in his ear, his brothers’ voices going off, asking him what happened.

“I think I just ran into another street kid.”

He couldn’t see her anymore.

“I thought she was going to jump off the roof, but…” Dick shook his head. “I’ll explain more at home.”

Still, the image of her red puffy eyes stuck with him through the rest of the patrol. Her distant look was familiar to him. Grief. Mourning. Dick didn’t like thinking of the implications of what it could mean.

She didn’t look very old either, probably around Damian’s age if Dick had to make a guess.

His mind ran through the possibilities of who she could possibly be, but he knew that this wasn’t his place of expertise. Tim could probably come up with more answers than he could.

The girl must have been trained in some way though. She shouldn’t have been able to make that jump, couldn’t without some form of training. It was too fluid, clearly something she had done before. She had been fast too.

Maybe he should have chased after her…

Marinette let out a tired sigh as she slipped inside the abandoned apartment she had been sleeping in.

All the windows were covered and blocked with planks, as were the doors, but Marinette had found a loose plank that she could pull off to get in.

She sat on the cold floor, resting her head against the wall and closing her eyes for a few seconds, trying to calm her hammering heart. She took off her backpack, where the Miraculous box was in, and placed it in her lap.

“That was close.”

Tikki.

Marinette cracked an eye open, looking at her kwami and giving a tired nod.

“We’re still no closer to finding Alfred,” Tikki added, making Marinette sigh tiredly.

“I know Tikki, I… I’ll figure something out, I promise.”

It was quiet for a moment, as Tikki just looked over her chosen.

Bags way too big for a seventeen-year-old were under her eyes, and her hair was a mess from the wind after she had run away. Marinette looked exhausted.

“Don’t worry, Marinette, it’s going to be okay,” Tikki nuzzled her cheek, and Marinette fought hard not to cry again.

“It’s just- it’s so hard.”

Tikki had been Marinette’s rock since the final battle against Hawkmoth. She had been against Marinette’s plan, but she also knew there was nothing she could do to dissuade her chosen from the plan that Marinette had made.

So instead, Tikki supported her chosen through her grieving, not letting her be alone when she was hurting.

Marinette had always put others before herself, and it was painful to see her force herself through this mission. It made Tikki worry.

Would Marinette dedicate her life to the Miraculous and the order? Tikki hoped not.

Marinette didn’t even have a sketchbook with her. She kept saying that it was because she simply didn’t have the time, but Tikki knew better.

Perhaps she could talk Marinette into taking a break tomorrow. Alfred Pennyworth was probably not going anywhere, and if he did, then Duusu would be able to tell.

Tikki just didn’t want to watch her chosen wither away.

“There’s no threat right now, it’s okay.”

Marinette took a few shaky breaths before giving Tikki a watery smile.

“Thank you, Tikki. I wouldn’t be able to do this without you.”

“There’s nothing to thank me for Marinette, you deserve so much more than all of this. After we find Alfred, we’re going to look for a new home.”

The look Tikki gave Marinette left no room for argument, and Marinette found herself agreeing with her Kwami.

She couldn’t continue living the way she was now, staying in abandoned places. It was cold, and Marinette was worried about what she would do once it was winter. She would be going into hibernation mode, and without a proper place to stay, Marinette feared she would freeze to death before she managed to rebuild the order. It just wasn’t that easy when there was no documentation of Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

But, she could think about that later. For now, her first priority would be to find Alfred.

“What happened out there?” Asked Bruce, looking at his oldest son.

“I don’t really know, if I’m honest,” Dick said, looking at the rest of his family with furrowed brows. “She was crying, I’m sure about that, but…” Dick trailed off, shaking his head.

“You thought she was going to jump?” Bruce asked. He had heard what his son had been saying over the comm when it happened, but he wanted to be sure.

“She did jump, over to the other building,” Dick said, eyes trying to convey what he was saying. “She took a leap of faith with a three-meter distance.”

It was quiet in the Batcave as they all stared at the oldest Robin in disbelief.

“She jumped between the buildings?” Jason asked, just to be sure.

“And all the other buildings after that. She has experience of some kind, but why?”

Dick was mostly confused about the whole thing. He knew that look in her eyes though, for that split second he saw them. She was grieving.

“I think she might be a new street kid,” Dick said, and the others looked at him in confusion.

“Why do you think that?” Tim asked from his seat by the computer, trying to find the girl via security cameras around the city.

“She was crying when I spotted her, it was part of the reason that I thought she was going to jump off in the first place. She must be new to the streets,” Dick said, shrugging. “Doesn’t explain her experience with free-running though.”

Tim let out an annoyed sigh by the computer, before turning around to face the others.

“Either way, I can’t find her on any cameras. Don’t know how that is but…”

It was concerning, and a tense quiet took over the family, as they thought of the possibilities.

“We’ll keep a lookout for her. If you spot her running rooftops, you’ll report and try to approach her cautiously. She’s too much of a mystery for us to not be careful,” Bruce ordered.

It wasn’t rare for the members of the bat family to spot street kids. Honestly, they saw them on a daily basis. But one running across the rooftops with expertise was more concerning, and when they didn’t know if she could actually pose a threat, they needed to be careful.

Dick just felt bad about it. And he was worried.

He was convinced that she was going to jump off. He didn’t know what he would do if he was unable to stop it before it happened.

-_-_-_-

@serenacross200 @valeks-princess @skyel0ve

#Home is where the heart is #why do I always go with the longest possible titles #maribat #marijon #probably didn't expect that did you #unless you read my posts #or part of the discord #miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #prepare for the angst in this #joninette #jonette

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disconnected-from-reality · 6 years ago

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Fanfic Rec: 00Q Part 3

It’s been more than a year! I have totally been procrastinating in doing this if I’m truly honest. A lot of things happened in my life as well! There are good and bad things, but what matters most is that I still have a number of fics to recommend for you! I haven’t stopped reading, don’t worry.

Also I think it’s a good time to post my list. The next Bond movie has released its trailer and the 00Q crumbs we got from the trailer got a lot of shippers back on board. If you’re that person, you might want to check these fanfics out!

To see the other parts, click here for part 1 and for part 2.

Let Love In by dhampir72 [Words: 21,437 | Teens and Up Audiences] They're still learning that love is more of a journey and less of a destination. [A series of interconnected vignettes].

Ulysses by girlbookwrm [Words: 89,065 | Teens and Up Audiences] “Paperwork for the new head of Q-Branch,” Tanner said. “Of course.” The words were like glass in his throat. Smoke inhalation was a bitch. His brain felt slow and foggy, like it was full of smoke too. “Who shall I take them to?” M lifted one white brow. “They’re for you, Quartermaster.” Bond and Q are drawn together by names, work, and a certain Aston Martin. In which Q is kidnapped once, Bond is poisoned twice, and Eve is a badass on at least three occasions. AKA that time I tripped and wrote 80,000 words of 00Q. All titles unapologetically stolen from Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Espionage is a Family Affair by nagapdragon [Words: 78.403 | Mature] It's common knowledge that angels make good weapons and terrible soldiers. They're hard to kill, hard to catch, and leave a swathe of destruction wherever they go. That's why MI6 likes them. James Bond, Agent 007, is one of the most devastating weapons MI6 will admit to having. Explosions follow his every whim and he's nearly impossible to kill, despite the best efforts of terrorists worldwide. He's second only to the weapons MI6 pretends don't exist- archangels are only a theory, after all. Aren't they?

Bond to You by therunawaypen [Words: 5,749 | Mature] Bond isn't a name. It's a rare breed of people that have designated soulmates, to whom a Bond will be eternally faithful to. Every child dreams of being a Bond's Chosen soulmate. James uses his status as a Bond to seduce many a mark into thinking they're his Chosen, while deep down he resents his identity because he has been unable to find his Chosen. Then he meets Q that fateful day in front of that painting.

How Q Hacked Online Dating by JayPendragon [Words: 23,836 | Explicit] “How does that lead to…?” Eve waves her hand at the mess behind Q’s back. Q feels his expression morph into a sly grin. “I have a new plan. I’m going to stay on these dating platforms, but I’m going to treat them as databases. Rather than waiting for an algorithm to set me up, I'm going to try reverse-engineering this entire system.” In which Q works in the private sector, still winds up friends with Eve, and applies science to his love life. Obviously, Eve gets involved.

Leading Edge by Batsutousai [Words: 7,251 | Teens and Up Audiences] All fae-born were raised on stories of how cruel dragon-borns were, how they had no care for anyone outside themselves and their greed, that they would sell their own mother's soul to the devil before allowing themselves to be hurt. They were told that all dragon-borns were to be killed on sight, and taught spells that would do just that, if ever given the chance. It would be just Q's luck that one of his agents was dragon-born.

Pen and Paper by Salios [Words: 5,300 | Teens and Up Audiences] Q wrung his hands anxiously, teeth gnawing at his lower lip. It was a bad habit, biting his lip, but he couldn’t help it when he was nervous. And he really did have reason to be nervous. Well, excited to the point of nearly crippling nervousness, actually. Today he’d finally get to meet his boyfriend of three years. For the first time ever.

people can surprise you (or not) by pdameron [Words: 10,538 | Teens and Up Audiences] “I’m not you, Bond. I don’t exactly have a technique for getting rich strangers to like me.” “Just do your naive cute puppy thing, and they’ll be doting on you in no time,” Bond replies as he pulls up to the grand estate. “My what?” Q asks incredulously. Bond doesn’t answer, simply giving him an indulgent smile. The fucker. (or: 00q meets Gosford Park. Except not really.)

A Common Solution by SailorChibi [Words: 17,654 | Teens and Up Audiences] Bond has been ignoring his biological needs. Boothroyd is retiring and MI6 is in need of a new Quartermaster. What do these two things have in common? They both have an easy solution... if only M can get Bond to extract a certain hacker NOTE: This does not have the “James Bond/Q” tag, but I’ll add it in my list anyway.

Taken by Nana_41175 [Words: WIP | Explicit] Or, the cheating fic that *nearly* is! Q is engaged to be married, but not to Bond. Excerpt: Bond blinked. “Boyfriend? What do you mean, boyfriend?” “I mean exactly that,” said Moneypenny. “Honestly, what’s the matter with you? Q’s been seeing someone for over a year. And if I’m not mistaken, Daniel is going to pop the question on him this evening. Dan asked me for advice on the ring, after all.” NOTE: This is currently a WIP fanfic, but it’s almost done with 2 chapters left to be posted. Would be a bummer if I don’t add it, right?

His Keeper by Nana_41175 [Words: 45,482 | Explicit] Protecting the Quartermaster entails a special set of circumstances, and Q is the last one to know. Excerpt: “Your identity has been compromised,” M said as he leaned forward in his chair, his features grim even as his tone remained even and calm. “I am standing you down from all your duties in Q branch. Kindly hand in all personal computers and devices. I am placing you on administrative leave, effective immediately. You need to disappear for a while, Q, for your own safety. Think of this as the holiday you never had these past two years. We will get down to the bottom of this and repair the damage done; otherwise I shall have to ask you to step down. ”Q gaped at him, finally speechless. “At any rate, quartermasters are entitled to double-O agents as bodyguards, when the need arises, and he personally volunteered,” M continued as though he’d not just dropped the equivalent of a bomb and a death sentence through slow torture rolled into one, “and I do agree that under the circumstances, 007 would be the best choice as your bodyguard.”

Daddy and Uncle James by 1MissMolly [Words: 26,115 | Teens and Up Audiences] James Bond can remain cool and collected in the most trying of circumstances. He is an expert at hand to hand combat and marksman with numerous weapons. He can seduce any woman or man he chooses. He has the highest success rate at achieving his goals, and he has his sights on the young Quartermaster. The only thing standing in his way is the only thing that will surely defeat him. A six year old girl named Elizabeth Park. Bond's planned seduction of Q is interrupted by the arrival of Q's daughter, Lizzie.

Treason, Traitors, and Treachery by Kryptaria, zooeyscigar [Words: 63,230 | Mature] All James Bond wanted was a quiet holiday on his luxury motoryacht on the Costa del Sol. Time to recuperate and think about his future with MI6. But his plans get hijacked when a traitor to the crown returns, bringing news of an even greater threat to MI6. And the traitor isn't working alone.Thankfully, neither is James.

Playing the Part by ElektricAngel [Words: 23,116 | Teens and Up Audiences] James Bond comes into Q Branch after a mission with all of his equipment accounted for and in tact, and a complete mission report in Q's inbox. Q is pleasantly surprised and more than a little suspicious. Rightly so, as it happens, because Bond makes an unusual request of him. And yet, his license to kill is not the only thing that makes the man difficult to say no to...

Breathe With Me by Flantastic [Words: 7,575 | Explicit] When James Bond goes back to MI6 following his disastrous relationship with Dr Madeleine Swann, Q wants nothing to do with him. Then there's an accident in Q-Branch...

Bittersweet by dr_girlfriend [Words: 14,229 | Explicit] The first time Bond flirted with Q, it was purely out of self-defense. The second time Bond flirted with Q was largely manipulation. The third time Bond flirted with Q, he just wanted to feel something. The fourth time Bond flirted with Q was out of sheer boredom.Somehow, flirting with Q became something of a habit for Bond.And then, it became something else.

A Bond of Matrimony by enigma_kar [Words: 12,691 | Mature] The one where Bond’s next mission involves going undercover with Q. Includes: banter, fake marriage, espionage, car chases, life-or-death situations, and Moneypenny taking far too much delight in the whole affair.

as permanent as stone cathedrals by pdameron [Words: 6,002 | Teens and Up Audiences] Q has been in love for two years, six months, and twelve days when James Bond walks away, leaving him with a bleeding head and a broken heart on a dark and noisy London bridge.

just like old times (please don’t ever change) by Rosslyn [Words: 5,173 | Teens and Up Audiences] Sometimes when Q is alone in his workshop and there is an experiment that needs to be supervised and he can’t go home and he can’t sleep, he watches Bond’s vitals.

How Much Love Can the Weight of Water Carry? by 00QEros (Dassandre) [Words: 39,549 | Explicit] Though Bond returned to MI6 after his ill advised jaunt around the globe with Madeleine Swann, Q still struggles with his own feelings for the agent in spite of the fact that Bond is clearly not the same man as the one who walked away from their friendship on Westminster Bridge. James regrets having left London and MI6, but it is nothing in comparison to the remorse he feels for abandoning Q. However, James has made repairing their friendship his primary goal in the hope of gaining something he never realised he needed as badly as he does. But Bond really hasn’t had a good time of it lately. Breaking his leg in a freak accident, James camps out at Q’s flat when the white-washed, soulless walls of Medical become too much for him to tolerate. Unfortunately, his leg is only the beginning of Bond’s health problems, and Q is conscripted into being James’ caretaker. Confined to the close quarters of Q’s flat, the Quartermaster finds himself opening back up to the agent, but will the two men find their way to one another as they should have done years ago, or is time no longer on their side?

So I guess that’s it for now! I still have a couple in my belt, but most of them are still WIP so I’d keep them for now. I’ll be adding them once they are finished.

#00Q #James Bond #Q(James Bond)#fanfic rec #fic rec

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im-hqlover · 5 years ago

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Arkham Knight - Chapter 1: Calm before the storm.

A/N - Ok, Idk if it will work, but I will try. I wanted to warn you that this story is based on the Batman Arkham Knight game, and that I will make certain changes in the universe, I hope you don't mind. (Btw, I wanted to thank again @aliasimagines to proofread the chapter.)

Warnings: Spoilers, anxiety disorder, psychological terror? (maybe not yet in that chapter)

Pairings: Richard Grayson (Nightwing) x Reader (in that chapter / arc)

Y/n = your name (the reader is female)

d/n = dog name (the dog is male)

Words count: 1915

Next chapter: Coming soon.

Y/N's INFO:

Gender: Cis-Female

Sexuality: Straight

Height: Short

Weight: Not Defined

Skin Color: Not Defined

Hair Color: Not Defined

Eyes Color: Not Defined

Other details? No

=-=-=-=-=

9 months. It's been 9 months since the Joker's death, and I knew something wasn't right, I felt that, since his death the crime rates have decreased, this should be a good sign, but... I feel like it was calm before the storm starts.

Today was October 30th, the day before Halloween, it was a nice day, I mean, I like to watch Halloween movies, give candy to children, see and create costumes, and maybe go to a Halloween party... pfff, obviously I don't go to parties. But other than that I think Halloween is cool, a great autumn day, cold days to stay under the blankets, watch something on tv and maybe customize some pumpkins.

My day was going as well as any other, Richard and I had agreed to spend today and tomorrow in my apartment, I was happy that he was coming to stay here with me, at least I wasn't so alone, I mean, I have (d / n), but well... he's a dog, so he doesn't answer me verbally, so it's good to talk to someone instead of just hearing my voice and the sound of barking. I was putting food for (d / n) when I heard knocking on the door and I ran to answer it, when I opened it I came across my boyfriend.

- Richard!

- Hey baby. - He smiled at me, put his arms around my waist and kissed me, I kissed him back and put my arms around his neck.

After we kiss, he walks into the apartment and places his backpack and motorcycle helmet next to the couch, I closed the door and go back to the kitchen.

- It looks like you worked hard to decorate the apartment. - He said while looking at the decorations, such as pumpkins and skeletons papers that I hung from the ceiling and also other details that referred to Halloween.

- Yes, I worked all week to do everything, but since I am not working and there were no classes this week, it was one of the only things I could do to distract myself. - I said while looking proudly at my hard work.

- It's wonderful.

- Thanks. - I say while blushing. I look at the oven and notice that the cookies were almost burning and I ran to get them out.

- The smell here is great, what are you cooking?

- Cookies. I hope it haven't missed the point. - I put the tray on the counter and Richard comes closer and look closely.

- That still needs to be painted. - I say while watching my boyfriend.

- They must be delicious, can I get one?

- Feel free, as long as you don't eat them all before painting them, I think everything is fine.

- I promise to leave at least one. - He spoke and touched my nose, he knew it irritated me. I crossed my arms and looked at him seriously. - Maybe two. - I rolled my eyes and laughed lightly. He comes over and wraps his arms around my waist. - Hey, you know I can't resist your cookies.

- You can't resist any food Richard. - I said and laughed as I put my arms around his neck.

- You know me. - He kisses me until (d / n) barks and we get scared.

- Looks like someone is jealous, isn't it (d / n)? - I say leaving Richard's arms and going towards my dog, and I pet him, after doing that I wash my hands to go back to my work in the kitchen.

- I'm just missing one thing. - He said while sitting on the couch and (d / n) lying on his feet.

- What?

- Pumpkins.

- Oh, I just didn't know where to leave them. - I get some pumpkins that were in my fridge.

- Wow, how many did you do?

- Four so far. I was planning to make two more after the cookies.

- Wow. This is incredible (y / n). He got up from the couch and looked at the pumpkins more closely. I smile shyly and continue making preparations to decorate the cookies.

While I was decorating the cookies, Richard decided to put some film on.

- Hey (y / n), what movie do you think we should watch?

- Hmmm, I don't know, how about ... The nightmare before christmas? - He smiles and nods in agreement placing the film right after.

While I was decorating the cookies, Richard stayed in the living room "watching" the movie, because he was actually writing something on his laptop. I saw it at a glance, it must have been a police case or something related to thieves.

When I finished the cookies I put them aside and went to carve another pumpkin, it didn't take long for me to hear the footsteps of a certain person coming to steal cookies.

- I loved the expressions of your pumpkins. - He said approaching slowly, like he wanted nothing with anything, but of course I knew what he wanted.

- You can get the cookies, you don't have to make a scene Richard. - He smiles and takes some cookies. - I loved this one. - He said showing a bat-shaped cookie with blue details.

- I made it especially for you.

- I am honored - He does something like a reverence and starts to eat the cookies, he supports his back on the counter and watches me make a drawing on the pumpkin.

- Oh, by the way, I have something that I think you will like. - I go to the fridge and get a pumpkin pie.

- I think I'm going to put on 10 kilos this Halloween. - We both laugh and put the pie on the counter.

- Since I had a lot of pumpkin pulp, I didn't want to waste it, so I made pies.

- Did you do more than one?

- Yes, I did if I'm not mistaken 7 pies.

- And what are you going to do with so much pie?

- I planned to maybe see with the neighbors if any of them would like it... on second thought, maybe they also already have pie... but, I think it is worth trying and see if someone would like it... - I say while I think about the possibilities of what people would like of pumpkin pie. - Maybe I'll give Alfred one, do you think he'll like it?

- I'm sure he will, you know that Alfred loves anything you give him.

- Yeah... I hope so.

- You don't have to worry about it, believe it. - I smile awkwardly and he kisses me on the cheek. - By the way, what do you think about watching Friday the 13th?

- It may be, I think I never watched the movie, so... I think it might be a good idea. - I shrugged while watching my pumpkin.

- Have you never watched Friday the 13th?

- I have almost pretty sure not.

- So it's going to be the perfect movie. - He smiles and goes back to the couch, with some cookies and a piece of pie of course.

The hours go by and it gets close to 18:00, it was getting dark outside. Richard and I were entertained watching the first Friday the 13th movie, everything was fine, just a few scares here and there and holding Richard's arm and resting my head on his shoulder, until I hear a scary voice outside.

- Did you hear that? - I ask him and he answers positively, we got up from the couch and went to the window. My apartment had a view of some of Gotham's big screens, so it was possible that we could see Scarecrow talking. He was talking about his fear toxin, saying that tomorrow it would look like child's play, my heart started to beat faster.

It didn't take long for the city to start being evacuated, I grabbed my backpack and put on everything I thought was most important to me, as Gotham was supposed to be dominated only by villains I couldn't leave it here to them.

I got my laptop, pen drives, pictures of people important to me and a few other things. Richard took his backpack and helped me to take what I needed to my car, as he had come on a motorcycle, (d / n) couldn't go with us, so my car was the best choice, we put everything in and Richard went to leave his motorcycle in a safe place, or at least he thought it was safe.

- I drive the car. - He spoke while making hand gestures asking me to give the car key. - You aren't in a position to drive and you know it.

I agreed and handed over the key, I was very anxious, probably already having an internal panic attack, so letting him drive was the best option, as he was already used to dealing with this type of situation.

As there were so many cars and buses evacuating the city, it took us a long time to leave the island and head towards the wayne mansion, probably one of the safest places at this time. When we got there, we removed (d / n) and our belongings, and Alfred was already at the door ready to help us.

- Master Dick, Miss (y / n), I'm glad you are well.

I was still in shock with everything that was happening, so many things going on in my mind, I was freaking out, I was exploding internally, I couldn't answer anything, because I felt that if I said anything I would collapse.

- Actually (y / n) is not well, this whole situation has affected her a lot.

- I understand, come inside Miss (y / n), I know something that will help you. - I looked at Richard before entering the mansion and following Alfred into the kitchen, he started making tea and at the end put it on the counter in front of me. - I know you are not a big fan of tea, but I recommend taking this one, it will calm you down.

- Thank you Alfred. - I say with a slightly shaky voice and take the hot cup, I wait for the tea to cool down a little before taking a sip of the drink, it was not as bad as other teas I had already tried, but it wasn't something I would take all hour. Alfred leaves the kitchen and goes to another room. I spend some time alone in the kitchen, watching the cup of tea, until Richard arrives in the kitchen and approaches me.

- I know that all this is messing with your mind, but I know that soon everything will be resolved, I know that Bruce won't let anything happen to Gotham and will do his best to save everyone he can, and so will I will help in whatever I can. And I swear I won't let anything happen to you.

- Thank you Richard. - I leave the cup on the counter and hug Richard, who returns the hug. - Thank you…

We stayed like that for some time until Richard breaks the hug and says he has to see some important things, but that he would be back soon. I go back to drinking the rest of the tea and when I finish I watch my shaking hands, I hear the sound of dog steps approaching and I see that (d / n), he knew something was wrong, I approach of him and I pet him, at least that made me calm down a little. I decide to go to the living room and look out the big window and observe the dark, rainy night that was at that moment. I hope this nightmare will end soon.

=-=-=-=-=

Masterlist

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artxyra · 5 years ago

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Healing Gotham | Part 1

Prologue

Tim was having an off day. At first he had thought it was due to him surviving off of weeks’ worth of caffeine, but that was not it—not it at all. When Tim had first arrived at Wayne Enterprise, all of its employees were having a rush. Paperwork was thrown around, gather, shredded within seconds of each other. The young co-CEO couldn’t find it in him to care enough until it was lunchtime. An older employee was going around collecting NDA’s from all the new employees—like that wasn’t an everyday experience. Tim had half the brain capacity to contact Bruce for information, and yet he doesn’t do it.

Then Tim returns to the manor, cars from his extended siblings, and family members parked within the gates. Once again, this was not an unusual sight for the coffee addict. Well, it wasn’t an unusual sight until he stepped into the manor.

On one of the couches sat Steph, Cass, and Damian all looking to the people on the other side of the room. Kate stands leaning against the window waiting for the shoe to drop. Tim didn’t know where to sit. He only had two options: sit beside the mess of his older brothers or sit where there was the least amount of space next to his other siblings.

Finally taking in his environment, he notices something scary. Jason and Dick weren’t in their usual moods aka brooding and dramatic but on the verge of a massive mental breakdown. Jason was clutching his hair staring down at his lap repeating the words, “She’s going to kill me” as if it was the end of the world. Dick was mimicking the words with “Not if she kills me first, I’m too young to die”. This was such a shock, that Tim had to take a long sip of coffee to make sure it was true, and even then he had to pinch himself as a reminder that he was awake.

“Master Tim, the amount of caffeine you are consuming is terrible. Perhaps taking a rest would help.” Alfred offers with little room to negotiate, but Tim swears he is fine to which the family butler did not believe. “Uh-huh…” Taking the thermos out of Tim’s hand, the young co-CEO is left with nothing.

“You’re seeing this too, right? Tim asks his siblings that weren’t in the Wayne family as long as the older two. Steph is simply recording the nature of their situation—probably blackmail material for her and Barbara. Cass simply examines her older siblings wondering what has gotten into their heads. She was sure that Bruce was internally panicking based on his fingers tapping against his suit jacket and constant inching to the couch. Looking beside her, it was obvious that Damian hates being out of the loop and was moments away from exploding. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to sit beside Damian for this family meeting.

“What has gotten you three so worked up?” Kate asks from the safety of her position. Watching the three break down may be fun and all, but she had a life to live also outside of her cousin’s BS.

“Master Bruce now would be the best time to explain our situation,” Alfred suggests coming back into the room with a tray of teacups and a pot of tea. The butler knows the family is going to need it after dropping a bomb like this to the newest Waynes.

As much as Alfred was right, Bruce knew he couldn’t keep this hidden. He can already tell that Damian was seconds away from stabbing Dick or Jason for being in such an off-putting mood. Tim would be forever confused until he gets a good rest, Cass may like having someone other then him to talk to, and Steph—well Steph will just be Steph.

Bruce was so deep in thought that he didn’t acknowledge the peak of Jason’s and Dick’s mental break down.

“She’s going to kill me…I would rather face the Joker than be on the receiving end of her anger.” Jason finally speaks something than the mantra he has been chanting for the past hour.

“Here’s how she’ll do it, kill Bruce, then me, and then you. Alfred’s safe because it’s Alfred.” Dick adds pointing to each person he has mentioned, furthering the family’s confusion. Kate, on the other hand, received the message loud and clear and end up bursting into laughter.

“Good to know you find humor in our incoming deaths, Katie,” Dick says pouting with arms crossed against his chest.

“What is Kane laughing about, Father?” Damian asks with a dangerous intent beneath his words.

“In just a couple of days, the Manor Wayne is welcoming an old visitor…my sister… your aunt.” Bruce finally speaks with a heavy sigh. It was if he was preparing for the mental battle this family is about to go through.

“Sister?” “Aunt?” “What?” Various amounts of reactions echo across the room. Every one of his children that had no clue about the oldest Wayne’s sister was just given a wake-up call.

“Yes, I have a sister. She’s my younger sister, and she’ll be staying at the Manor until she finds herself her own place, and this is if she decides to move to Gotham permanently.” Bruce then adds.

“You mean she’s staying here?” Damian cries out, he already hates the fact that most his siblings typically stay in and out of the manor, but to have a new resident just screams trouble.

“Yes, which also means we all need to keep our nightly activities on the down-low. Marin Etta has no idea that I am Batman or that Dick and Jason were Robin, and I like to keep it that way. This means Jason, no bringing anything related to the Gotham Underground, Dick you do what you’ve always done. The rest you better be on your best behavior.”

“Well this is the best news; I haven’t seen Mars since the wedding and that was five years ago.” Kate pushes herself off the wall and goes to hug Bruce. “Call me when she arrives, it will be nice to have a girls’ trip or something.”

“Katie…” Bruce sighs but the look on his cousin’s face says otherwise and it was best to leave this alone. “I will.”

Once Kate was out of the room, Damian loudly growls. “I don’t like this.”

“For once I agree with the Demon Spawn,” Tim says, though in Tim’s mind he wasn’t sure what was happening. His brain acknowledges Kate leaving but the moments before seem like a dazed.

“Tim, you okay?” Steph asks as the person in question sway. “Better yet when was the last time you slept?” She receives no answer from the in and out of the conscious male.

“Why are we just now hearing about this so-called sister.” Damian questions as if he was the only person sane in the household—which he’s not. It’s not like he’s trying to gain as much information about this aunt of his so that he could look her up and do a background check. That is totally what he will be doing.

Bruce, seeming to ignore Damian’s underlying intent, sighs and reply with, “She and I had a fall out when Jason died, and we barely speak. This is the first time in a while that she’ll be back.”

“Sounds like a you problem.” Cass murmurs under her breath evading all the glances her way. It’ll be nice to have seen someone other than her adopted family, but at the same time just how will this new person fit into their family.

“Better yet why do Grayson and Todd know about her while the rest of us don’t?” Damian asks gesturing to his other siblings. “You have no photos of the woman, so why must I believe that you have a sister.” From this Bruce could feel a migraine coming in the longer this goes on.

“Look, Little D, Mari is like a sister or a mother figure to Jason and I. There are reasons outside of this room as to why she is so well hidden. You know that room that Bruce forbids anyone from going into?” Dick replies instead of Bruce. Both he and Jason need to wrap up this conversation to prep for their incoming deaths by Mari. He was definitely sure that Bruce was about to do the same and Mari-proof the manor’s access to the Batcave.

“Na’am,” Damian says begrudgingly.

“That’s Mari’s room and will forever be her wing until she no longer needs it.” Dick finishes off his statement, which clearly did not do anything for the youngest Wayne. He then turns to Jason who was in less of a panic but in more of a defensive planning stage. “C’mon Jaybird, we have lots of pre-death planning before Sunshine returns to the Gotham.”

“Once again, I rather die by the Joker than by her, B-man you owe us so much for this,” Jason states before walking out the living room with Dick following behind.

Bruce sighs heavily and returns to his remaining children, well those that are still awake. Tim had passed out and will most likely be for the time being.

“Father…”

“Not now Damian. I will answer the rest of your questions later. I have a sister-proofing mission to handle.” With that Bruce takes his leave.

“This family can never be normal could it?” Steph wonders as she picks up Tim and places him over her shoulder.

“I agree with you on that. Need a hand?” Cass responds looking at the failing form of Steph’s body as she lugs Tim over to the entranceway.

“Nope, I’m fine,” Steph replies before she and Tim disappear into the shadows of the manor.

“I still think this is a bad idea,” Damian states crossing his arms and taking his leave also.

Cass stares at the leaving figure of her younger brother and shakes her head. She knows that Damian would not leave this alone until he hits rock bottom. Let that be her mysterious aunt herself or Bruce making his word-final.

A couple days later at the Gotham City Airport, a woman with a concave bob hairstyle stands outside the pickup area with her three suitcases next to her. Bing. She looks down to see the name Alfred popping up against the screen.

“Yes Alfred, I’m here… I’m still at the airport. No, you don’t need to give me a—” She pauses allowing the Wayne family butler to reply. “Alright, I’ll see you in a few.” With that, she ends the conversation and places the phone in her back pocket.

This person is nonother than Marin Etta Martha Wayne or as the people in Paris, France calls her Marinette Martha Dupain-Cheng Couffaine.

Part 2 >>

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#maribat #ml x dc #sibling brucinette #mlb x dc #ml crossover #dc crossover #fic: Healing Gotham

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singeramg · 5 years ago

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Midnight: Chapter 14

Paring: Clark Kent/ Metahuman! Black! OFC

Rating: M

Warning: None other than some angst and maybe some tears if you are sensitive...

A/n: Hey everyone! I am back again! Did you all enjoy my last chapter? If you missed it check out my masterlist!

Midnight: Chapter 14

Previously:

“Are you blocking again Gia. You always block when you aren’t ready to hear the truth but this is it. You are absolutely right...about everything. I still don’t how I managed to mess everything up so badly between us, but I do know I will spend the rest of my life regretting it if it costs me you forever. Please Gia don’t walk away again. I can’t watch you leave when I shouldn’t have let you go the first time..”

“What do you mean you shouldn’t have let me go the first time?”

Currently:

I felt my stomach drop but in a way that I couldn’t understand. Clark is staring at me, his blue eyes capturing me and I’m conflicted on whether to run into his rather large arms or slap him across his dumb handsome face, damn the wrist sprain I’ll suffer.

“I should have fought harder for you. I got cold feet about what we could have been and I stayed comfortable rather than trying something new. I messed up badly and all I’m asking for is the opportunity to make it right.”

I roll my eyes and poke him in his chest. Feels like I am poking a wall but I don’t care. Clark doesn’t give any indication that I've poked him, only looks at me as softly as he did before.

“Is this about your conscious? This feels like you are apologizing to get that guilt off your chest. Clark I told you a long time ago and just now that you don’t have to feel bad about loving Lois. She was a natural choice. She is gorgeous, red hair, soft eyes, driven, accomplished. Who wouldn’t want someone like that? It was okay that you loved her. You don’t need to apologize for that.”

He laughs slightly and says

“Yes Lois is all of those things. And Yes there was a time where I thought she was it for me. You, however are more than that, you always have been. Now, here you are, the mother of my child and all I want is you.”

There it was.

Clark didn’t want me truly, he just wanted the family. What the good ole’ Bible Belt told him he needed to do and be when you had a child. I shake my head in disbelief that he thought I would fall for something like this. That I would fall into his arms because of a child. Here I was about to foolish again, believing that there was anything for me in his heart. I step even further away, snatching up the pj’s that I pulled out and going over to the bathroom. I didn’t even have the heart to yell at him. I was tired of the yell and the explaining of myself and emotions to Clark fucking Kent. I didn’t feel like trying to re-program him and trying to make him see sense. If he didn’t understand my feelings weren’t for playing around and weren’t for him to call on for a ego boost by now, then he never would.

I had one child to raise, I didn’t need other in Clark’s teenaged behavior. I knew I would never not love him. It was clear as day, I never could forget this, but I also know if I didn’t put an end of this AGAIN then it would build until I felt like I could do was run away again. I would take Kalen and run and that would only make things harder for me and Clark to co-parent. It was a shitstorm of epic proportions that needed a conclusion.

“Kal you can stay in the room with Kalen all you want. You two should bond, but as far as you and me goes. There isn’t a you and me. We can learn to be friends again, make that part work for the sake of Kalen. Goodnight Kal-El.”

The kicked puppy look Clark shoots me, almost made me think he was serious. I knew Clark and he was just reeling from having gone down knowing he had an almost Fiancee to waking up and having her married to someone else. It had to be jarring for him and now he was looking for comfort in having a family, to feel normal again. He was willing to settle with me.

I didn’t want his pity settlement/ entitlement.

I closed the door to my bathroom, listening for the door to my room to open and close. When I did I let out the breath I had been holding. He didn’t love me. Not in the way I still loved him...

*Two days later*

I watched with the rest of the world as trash and war ships were dumped back on the land, and I worried for my friend. Arthur wasn’t the type to keep a phone and considering he was spending most of his time in the water. He was unreachable, and I worried as the various news channels tried to identify him. The worry for Arthur helped take my mind off Clark as terrible as that sounded.

I was avoiding him like the damn plague and that was because I didn’t trust myself around him. It was easy to avoid him when he radiates so much energy, and in case he tried to alter his emotions to get to me, I had them off every time I knew he was in the area.

I of course looked after Kalen but I made sure to stay clear of him, Ms. A doing her best to be a bumper between the two of us. I hated that she was leaving me. She had become the grandmother I never had, always being around to help and love on Kalen. It was for her own protection but as I sat on her bed, watching her pack the things Bruce purchased for her while Clark took Kalen to the farm with his mother, I was sad.

“Pick up your face child, I’m moving not dying.”

She jokes and folds a sweater away into the black suitcase.

“Yes but California is far away Ms. Alphonse.”

“Yes, but think about how you and Kalen can come visit me in the warm weather! My niece wants to meet you!”

I smile.

“I want to meet her too. We will plan a trip soon, Kalen and I.”

“And Clark.”

I roll my eyes and huff.

“I think he needs to stay around here, can’t solve crimes that far away.”

“The man can fly, I don’t think that’s the problem. Oh and don’t think I haven’t been noticing you avoiding him. Always sending me in with Kalen when he is here. I’ve been going along with it, but you do know that is coming to an end right?”

“Yes I realize that, but then I’ll just have Alfred do it.”

“Gia. Why are you avoiding the man? Do you know he asks about you every time he sees me? Looks shattered when I tell him I don’t know.”

“Long story short he thinks that a family will fix all of his abandonment issues. I decided a long time ago I was done with the wrangling of a superhero.”

Ms. A laughs at me which makes me pout slightly.

“Why is that a bad thing? If he wants to be a family with you...I mean you can’t get much better than Superman.”

“That’s Just it. I’m just me, he is Superman. He can have any woman he wants. He is only trying this because Lois got married and his own upbringing says you should have a family together with your child’s mother. I know him, it’s only a matter of time before he realizes again that I’m not it. I’d rather avoid the heartbreak later by ending it now.”

She comes back over to her bed, sitting next to me before pulling me into a hug.

“Baby I know you’ve been through a lot in your life and I also know that when someone burns you you think the best thing to do is cut the head off. It’s like a Hydra it always grows back with two more heads. The real question is are you fixing it or hiding it away? I’m going to tell you right now that you are only hurting yourself.”

“I need to hurt myself before someone else does.”

“Gia baby that is no way to live...”

*At work*

I was at work again much to everyone’s chagrin, but Victor was on a remote babysitting duty tonight. I knew I was going to have to quit because of those people that had taken me before found my house so quickly, it would only be a matter of time before they tracked me down again, but in this case more time out of the house meant I was less likely to run into Clark. It was the middle of the week, meaning we had a few regulars but no large crowds which was good for me. I was washing out some tumblers and hand drying them for later use, when a throat cleared behind me. I turned around and almost dropped the glass I was cleaning when I found Lois sitting at the bar. This was the last place I expected to see her but her face gave no indication as to why she was there.

“Oh wow... Look Lois, if you are here to slap me then come on get it over with. I already feel like shit.”

“Is that how you greet all your old friends?”

She says with a wry smile in my direction.

“Only the ones that want to fight me.”

“Well then pick a different greeting then because I am not here to fight you Gia.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Really? You aren’t just saying that to get a drink on the house are you?”

I smile slightly and go to make the drink I always knew was her favorite. She takes a long sip.

“This drink might actually be heaven great job. Now let’s cut the bullshit and get to why I am really here.”

She says to me and takes another sip.

“There’s the Lois I know.”

“Exactly. The Lois who is a friend or at least thought she was AND has a few questions.”

“Okay break me down reporter.”

“Clark told me about your son together. I have a few questions I need answered woman to woman.”

I sighed, I knew the woman to woman talk was going to have to happen eventually.

“Alright. How about you head over to the booth, I’ll take my break and we can talk.”

She agrees and takes her drink, her camel colored mid length coat covering the nice clothes that clearly signified she came from work to talk to me. It didn’t bode well for me because that meant she has been thinking about this all day. She was going to chew me out and I was going to have to let her because let’s face it, I was the third in a duo whether I meant to be or not.

I signaled my coworker to watch the bar for me, even though there was only a few patrons in at the moment.

I slide in across from her, a glass of water in front of me. I eye her nervously, surely picking up on her energy, but she is radiating a swirl of things the most prominent being nerves, confusion, sadness all tied together with happiness.

Very unsettling considering everything

“So As I said Clark told me that you two have. Son together. He also told me about the timeline of his conception. I guess I can’t truly say that he cheated with you because he didn’t but in a odd way it kind of feels that way slightly. Like when he and I took that break it was because I wasn’t sure his heart was in it anymore, plus all that stuff with Bruce and I needed time to think. It hurt to think he was able to be with you so easily. I’ve made peace with that. What I really want to know is why you left? At the end of everything we were friends, you could have asked me for help.”

“Lois yes we were friends but be real, if I had come to you immediately after Clark died and said ‘aye yo’ sis I know you loved him and everything, but he and I did the deed and now I’m carrying your dead boyfriend's child’ Lois I know you. You would have absolutely hated me and never believed that it was only the one time.”

She had the grace to look ashamed.

“Maybe at the beginning. I would have still understood and as I said you were my friend. I was more upset about you abandoning me once Clark died than anything. I thought we were better than that.”

I looked at her saddened, somehow feeling more terrible than I had about anyone because she had been a good friend to me.

“We were. Maybe I shouldn’t have left, but I couldn’t handle you and Martha hating me. I already felt like an invasive species in your world.”

“You weren’t and I’m sorry if I never expressed that you weren’t. Besides, I should have bowed out a while ago.”

I looked at her confused as she took another drink. I followed suit with my water.

“Huh?”

“Gia how long have you been in love with Clark?”

I know I looked like a deer in headlights as I stared at Lois, who only had a small smirk on her face as she watched me panic. This had been one of my fears. That I would have to look her in the eyes and explain that had sat in her face smiling all the while loving her man. It was shady as fuck at best.

“W..wwhat do you mean? I don’t love him.”

“So now we are going to sit in each other’s faces and lie? Come on Gia, I am a Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist and at the end of it all, I am a woman. I knew. I choose to ignore it because I was being selfish, trying to hold on to something that was never meant to last. Honestly, trying to keep up with a superhero? Knowing he was out facing evils and putting himself at risk? Knowing I had no way of stopping it? One of the reasons I needed to think without him was I was coming to the realization that I wasn’t cut out for feeling helpless. That’s never been me.”

I still didn’t want to say it out loud.

“Gia all I am asking for is a little honesty. Don’t let poor little ole me go into the world thinking I’m crazy, when I know I’m not.”

“Fine. I guess it didn’t start that way and I know he was completely dedicated to you. I thought at first it was like me being young and dumb, you know that public figure crush that everyone gets when faced with an attractive public figure, then maybe I thought it was a whole bonding because of the trauma, then I don’t know what happened. And I tried not to feel that way. Honest Lois I did, because it was hopeless for me to feel that way. I was learning to be okay with being his friend. Then that night happened. It changed everything.”

“And how did he tell you he was still going to be with me.”

“After he disappeared on me for a week, he came by and told me that he and I shouldn’t be around each other.”

I left out the part that I saw them together first, and until that moment I was holding out for him to come back to me.

“Clark has always had foot in mouth syndrome. He is very intelligent but sometimes he just says the wrong thing.”

“You can say that again, Jesus.”

We laugh and somehow it gets serious again as awkwardness fills the room.

“ That night that Clark died was certain about your feelings. I was grieving him but the way you grieved him was different. It almost felt intrusive to watch how you sat next him and just cried, your hand on his, literally trying to push energy into him, you don’t even realize you were begging him not to leave you, it was so quiet and heartbreaking that if I hadn’t been listening over his chest I wouldn’t have heard you at all. It was like a private moment that you shared with him, even in death.“

I was shocked. Everything was such a blur that night. I didn’t remember asking Clark not to leave.

“I felt even worse when I found the ring he had for me.”

“It was a beautiful ring.” I noted.

“I didn’t tell anyone when I found these.”

She pulls out two envelopes. One with her name and the other one for me.

She sides mine across the table, and I pick it up recognizing Clark’s neat writing, indicating that he took his time, because it was impossible to be that neat if he was rushing versus him taking his time.

“I was upset when I read mine, but I never had any intention on not giving you yours. Like I said you disappeared.”

The paper feels heavy in my hand and I don’t want to open it.

“I never read it just an FYI. The letters were hidden in his stuff in the apartment. I actually found the ring a while before I found these. My letter basically said that he loved me and he always would but I didn’t deserve to be with someone who couldn’t give me their whole heart. He wished that he had the courage to say that to me, that our time together had made everything he’d done in his life worth it and hoped that someday we would be friends.”

I looked at her shocked. Clark had actually planned on leaving her?

“I..Lois..I don’t know what to say...”

“There is nothing to say. Just read your letter.”

She shrugs and I open the slightly brown envelope.

Dearest Gia, I am writing this letter to you because I’ve always been better with the written word than talking. The confidence I have in spades on a normal day disappears when I am around you. I want to say that I regret not staying with you. It’s not that I don’t love Lois but you walked out my life two weeks ago and I haven’t been okay since. It’s like you took all of my hopes, dreams and happiness with you. This is why I am breaking things off with Lois for good. I can’t love her that way now that I have experienced being with you. The mistake I made haunts me night after night and I can’t sleep, not without feeling you next to me. I’m not a creeper” as you would have called me, but most of the time I stay up watching your apartment and hoping you change your mind. Ask me to come back to you. There are so many things I want to say to you and I can’t because you don’t want me... at least not the way I want you. You were perfectly okay with being my friend, and I ruined it by not being able to stop myself, because I had to have you. Even if it was for only one night, one night that you entrusted me to be with you and I ruined it as soon as I possibly could. This letter is the only chance I suspect I’ll ever have to tell you exactly how I feel, because if I know anything about you, once you dig your heels in about something then that’s it. That goodbye you spoke to me felt final, and I am not okay with that, but I can’t deny you from whatever you want from me. However, I cannot let you leave my life without telling you that I love you. I know that you don’t feel that way for me and I selfishly wished you did because I could call you mine. Finally. As I said in the earlier part of my letter I’ve never been good with voicing my feelings, especially around you. The feelings I have for you run deep and maybe someday when I see you married or with someone else’s child I’ll get over you, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get over you. This letter is getting long and I’ve probably taken your attention away from someone who has a chance with you. I won’t bother you again, but I do want you to know that I’ll always listen for your voice, I’ll always come when you call for me. Yours, Clark Joseph Kent

I looked back up at Lois with my eyes and face wet.

“I meant it when I said I should have bowed out a long time ago. I told you I never read your letter, but if it says what I think it does then my suspicions before i had a conversation with him were correct. The reporter in me wanted to read it, but my morals wouldn’t let me intrude on a private moment between the two of you, plus I honestly didn’t know how I would deal with reading if I had said something to you that I wasn’t ready to accept. If your letter was anything like mine then it was personal and I knew what it said. Clark looked at me like I was the only woman in the world for him, but you Gia... Gia, he looked at you like you hung the moon. At first I didn’t understand why it wasn’t me, what was it about you besides the whole power thing? I realized that while I was Clark’s biggest cheerleader, he didn’t need a cheerleader, he needed a partner. Someone he can pass the ball to when it gets too tough for him mentally and in your case physically as well. I can be there for him and be proud of everything but I don’t think I won’t be able to fully understand what you all go through in your lives. I can write about hard decisions but I’ve never had to make them.”

Her words hit me right in the chest as I felt her sadness. I could tell what she had just told me hadn’t been something easy to admit to herself much less another person.

“I am so sorry Lois.”

“Don’t be sorry for me. I don’t need that. I met my husband Matthew not too long after that letter and it’s been a worldwide adventure and I realized that my hero can be a regular guy. Matt has been a saving grace more than I can count. If you two can make each other happy then just know that if it helps you have my blessing. All I am asking for is that even if you don’t want to be with Clark can you at least go see him? He is starting to emit a permanent aura of doom and gloom. I’m surprised you can’t feel it.”

“I’ve kinda been blocking all incoming emotions anytime he is around. I didn’t want to have to feel the pity, the guilt, the complacency he would have to be with me. I didn’t know any better.”

Lois shakes her head with a smile.

“You two deserve each other because you are both impossible. Blind leading the blind.”

I laugh with her and glance over at my coworker who is watching me as well and I realize how much of a mess I had to look like. He looked like he was going to come over any second but I shook my head no once we made eye contact. Lois looks over at him and offers him a head tilt and then looks back at me. She gets up and grabs her bag and coat that she took off once she sat down in the booth. Once prepared to leave she turns to me with a fixed yet soft stare and says

“Please go and see him.”

“I will.” I agree and try not to let it show how much I would like to leave at that very moment to tell him.

“Good. Stay in touch Gia, I didn’t just come to be Clark’s wing...girl. I came to get my friend back.”

She offers me a hug and I take it.

“I’ve missed you Lois Lane.”

“Oh don’t worry you won’t get rid of me now, because you are way too fucking hard to track down. Also let me tell you that I swear if you make me track you to a strip club again I will hurt you.”

I sighed, and did my best to look nervous. The strip club had not been my finest hour, but the only saving grace was that I’d only been a bartender there too. However the people there were nicer than any other job I had ever had since then, I didn’t think anyone could find out about that.

“Alright alright already. Get out of here, I’m sure you are expected home by now.”

She agrees with a laugh and goes on her way.

At my return to the bar, my co-workers look at me nervously as if I was going to burst into tears again at any second. I ponder how quickly I can leave to go find Clark.

“I’m fine John. You can stop holding your breath. I won’t cry on you.”

He visibly relaxes at my joke.

“Damn all this time Tiffany, I’ve been waiting to be a shoulder for you to cry on.”

“With those lines you will be waiting for a long time...”

with that I count down the time until I could leave to find Clark...

A/N: Does anyone need Kleenex? I did and I wrote it lol

Good news is that Gia now knows exactly how Clark feels about her. Will they finally stop dancing around each other?

Thank You for reading and the taglist for this story is open. I appreciate every reblog and comment. I promise you I am going to do better with responding to the comment that I left because I really enjoy them and don’t want them to stop!

TAGLIST:

@bloodyinspiredfuck @romyr4 @p3nny4urth0ught5

#henry cavill x black ofc #Henry Cavill #Clark Kent xOFC #clark kent #SUPERMAN X OFC #Superman #henry cavill fanfic #fanfiction

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