#Longer chapter

[homosexual-hairflip]

fanfic authors b like ‘haha this chapter got a little out of hand it’s a little longer like 60k words’

babes that’s a novel. you wrote a novel.

[cuartosol]

started reading gideon the ninth! 🦴🦷

[halflinghands]

Something soft & sweet, inspired by a scene from chapter 10 of @lesbianherald’s wonderul fic, Coming Home (But Not To You) 💕✨🪥

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59410696/chapters/152370955#workskin

I had a lot of fun with this one!

[spaceyaemonds]

pairing: dr. jack abbot x reader

sum.: jack’s working days, and you need a new desk for your office at home. (poor summary :()

warnings: age gap (jack is late 40s, reader is 23), unplanned pregnancy, jack is divorced, not a widower. minors DNI

notes: this part is more of a jack centered filler. chapters will start getting long with the next part. sorry if this isn’t the best, i rewrote it probably six times, but needed a bit of filler before i get more into the dramatics. in the next part, reader meets dana and robby, and she and jack have their first serious disagreement. i’m very very excited!!! unedited. any feedback is extremely appreciated, it helps keep me motivated. especially reblogs/comments/asks!

wc: 1k

prev next

Jack is working an unplanned series of rare day shifts following your first appointment. As a result, he spends more evenings with you in your apartment than alone in his own.

He never stays the night, just long enough to watch you start to doze off before doing your dishes and folding the blankets in your living room.

You read a lot. Most times you end up reading out loud to the baby, and by extension him, while he pretends to watch the news from the other end of your couch.

He’s unsure if he should, but he likes the way it feels. Sitting on your couch with you after eating whatever you made for dinner.

He hasn’t told anyone at work. It’s really not their business and they don’t need to know. But the picture from the ultrasound is burning a hole in his wallet.

And he’s pretty sure Robby’s caught on to the fact that his mind has been preoccupied.

Not that he lets anything distract him from work, but he checks his phone a dozen times an hour when it used to not even go on the floor with him, and he also makes a point to call you when he knows you’re at lunch to check how you’re doing.

You aren’t together. And he knows that. But there was some sort of shift in your relationship after your first appointment a little over two weeks ago.

He can see Robby hovering out of the corner of his eye as he types up his patient’s information, “Do you plan on actually saying something or are we just going to sit here with you awkwardly trying to work up the courage to say something?”

Robby sighs, “You’ve been acting, different, lately,”

Jack stops typing, “Is that a statement or a question?”

Robby moves a little closer, “I just mean, despite being temporarily moved to days, you don’t randomly show up on night shift to check in. You’ve also been checking your phone, a lot. I just want to make sure everything is okay,”

Jack looks at Robby for a long minute before sighing and pulling out his wallet. He doesn’t have to look very hard for the picture before handing it over to Robby.

Robby looks at it for a second before looking back at Jack, then back at the black and white photo.

“What is this?” Jack huffs out a laugh.

“As a medical professional, I find it extremely concerning that you’re asking me that,”

Robby gives him a glare as he hands it back over to him, “Fuck off,”

Jack holds his hands up in a mock surrender as he puts the picture back in his wallet, “It’s complicated,”

“Complicated,” Robby echoes, “Brother I hate to tell you this but that looks a little more than complicated,”

Despite their claims of not being best friends, they know each other, and their baggage, on a deeper level than most people.

“Yeah, well, we’re working it out,” A ghost of a smile appears on Jack’s face when he thinks of you and the baby.

“Who’s the other half of this ‘we’?” Robby looks genuinely curious, “I didn’t even know you were seeing someone,”

That question has Jack stopping in his tracks. That’s part of the complicated.

Not that he’s embarrassed, he doesn’t think you or your situation could ever embarrass him.

But he knows how it looks, with his rapidly approaching his foryt-seventh birthday and the fact that you just turned twenty-three not even five months ago.

“Well, I’m not. Not really?” It comes out more of a question. The tone of Jack’s voice makes Robby look at him, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

“What? You mean to tell me you have a single one night stand in, what, probably six years, and you managed to get some poor girl pregnant?”

The laugh that leaves Robby at the end of his question makes Jack wince, the double meaning of his words lost on him.

“Yeah well that’s just half of it,”

Before either of them can say something else, Jack’s phone rings, he doesn’t even look at it before answering as he walks away from Robby.

“Hey, you okay? Normally I’m the one calling you,”

“Yeah, I just wanted to let you know they finally approved for me to start working from home full time starting on the first,” Your voice shows your excitement.

You had mentioned two nights ago that you’d been looking for an excuse to work from home since you started your job, and you felt like the baby would be a good enough reason for your boss to agree.

Apparently she did.

“Well that’s just great, honey,” He fights off a smile, you’re buzzing with excitement.

“I do have a question, though,” You’re still excited, but he can tell you’re a little nervous now.

“Anything.” You don’t even have to ask. Whatever you need, he’ll take care of it.

“I have to get a new desk, mine is too small for the set up they’re sending me home with. Can you help me get it put together tonight?”

“Yeah, yeah of course I can do that. Are you going to go pick one out now?”

You hum, “Yeah, I have to take these monitors home first, but then I’m going to go look for a desk,”

He paces for a brief second, stopping in front of his locker.

“Do you want to come here and switch vehicles with me? It may be easier to put the box in the truck bed than try to fit it in your car,”

He’d prefer to go with you, but he knows he can’t just leave in the middle of the day.

“Are you sure?” You sound extremely shocked he would even suggest it.

“Well, yeah. Unless you don’t want me driving your car around,” He says it like a joke, but he wonders if he should’ve thought of that before offering.

“No, no. I’d actually love to swap. That sounds like it’ll be a lot easier. I’m heading home with my equipment now, but I can be there in like thirty?”

“Sounds good, I’ll leave my keys with Dana in case I get busy. She’s the charge nurse, just ask Lupe for me or her, whoever isn’t busy,”

[shininas-ideals]

So if I understand Fyodor's ability correctly (I didn't)

[dinomintz]

With Big Shoes to Fill Chapter 3 is UP!!!

Here are doodles of non-spoiler scenes*

I also have comms open ooooohh aaaahhh

[barefeet-only]

Say Shawarma Right Now

It was a rainy August afternoon when Talia arrived in Gotham. It wasn’t a shock that it was raining, it always rained in Gotham. A depressing city with a depressing atmosphere. Why her love and son were so obsessed with it she would never know. So while Talia was prepared with her umbrella as she walked through the streets, waiting for her son’s compatriots to notice she was in town, she did not expect the humidity. This city always found a way to make her miserable. 

While she waited for her son to come find her, Talia made her way to her favorite local street vendor. A wonderful immigrant woman from Iran who had married a Turkish man and moved to the United States with hopes of grandeur. She had a talent for seasonings unheard of on this side of the Atlantic and it always made suffering through her chattering worth it. 

Talia noticed him as she made her way down the international market. A tall man with broad shoulders and a fit build. Not too muscular but enough to prove he went to the gym regularly. He was laughing loudly as he talked to the shawarma lady while she made his food. The cook was talking about how her son had finally gotten a girlfriend but forgot her birthday and was desperately trying to make it up to her. 

“Say wallah right now!” He jokingly exclaimed. 

“Wallah! Now I have a moping son and a no good husband stinking up the house right now. What I wouldn’t give to have a good boy like you as my child!”

Talia was on edge, something about this man was familiar to her. She couldn’t place where, but instinctually the assassin knew she knew this man. In her line of work, being able to place a face was the difference between life and death.

Talia took a seat at a nearby bench and began studying his side profile. He had thick black hair with an undercut and longer bangs on the front, a black stud on his lower lobe, and lightly tanned skin that would allow him to pass as white as long as he stayed out of the sun. While his piercing blue eyes should have been the first thing anyone would notice about him, it was the small curving scar behind his ear that instantly clued Talia in on his identity. 

“How much longer do you plan on staying in Gothman Danyal?” The cook asked. 

“Ah, I'm only here for another week now. Looks like we are closing the deal and I’ll be heading home.”

Danyal gave a cheerful smile to the lady as she handed him his food. 

“It’s partly why I came here to visit you, Mina. No one back home knows how to season like you do.” 

He leaned in and spoke low, “Or give me as good a discount.”

Mina tsked and smacked the man, “What a beggar! Got yourself a big fancy job and you’re still here asking for money off!”

Danyal winked at her and took a bite of his food, groaning in appreciation. 

Mina smiled, “Well I’m going to miss you dear boy. Please come visit some time.” 

“Boy?! How many times do I have to tell you I’m thirty!”

Danyal smiled genuinely and handed her a bright green business card, “But of course I’m going to visit. Here, this has my number on it, remind me to come visit in a couple months when you realize your best customer needs to help you pay your bills.”

She took the card and giggled. 

“Green? Really Danyal, you ought to be more professional with the job you have, this is why I call you boy. That and you barely look a day past twenty-three.” 

Danyal giggled and walked away, taking his meal with him. Talia was no longer hungry anymore. After a few moments she stood up and slowly followed him. She needed to know why he was in Gotham, she needed to know why he was alive. 

As they walked through the streets Talia noticed that Danyal was dry, the rain hadn’t stopped the entire time she had been in Gotham yet somehow Danyal had not a drop of moisture on him. He must have some device on him that allowed him to stay dry, there was no natural explanation. Dangerous she thought. Yet the moment the thought occurred to her, she recoiled at the idea. Danyal was a pathetic assassin, he had no talent for the craft at all and after all this time he finally instilled caution in her? Something was wrong, and Talia was determined to figure out what. If nothing else, she would finally achieve her greatest regret and kill Danyal herself. 

[chio-chan2artbox]

Step Forward - Part 3 They are going on a date!!! Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 Check out my tags for fun facts XD

Kofi

[hinamie]

red sky at dawn

chapter 3 of Like the Moon Haunts the Sun is out now!! first chapter release of 2025 yippee yay wahoo we hope u enjoy!! read from the beginning here ooh u wanna read from the beginning so badddd lmhs blog: @lmhsfic sam my love: @philosophiums

[infamous-if]

Blake special tmm and a band tier piece that I hope I can finish and post it together tmm as well!

[spacemammal]

How About Breakfast In Bed?

Masterpost

─ ✧ ─ ✧- ☽ -✧ ─ ✧ ─

Part 2: Bruce Wayne?

It was a dream. He’d never released the ghosts or revealed his identity. When Superman said he would catch Phantom, Danny had just sat there. Empty. When he realized the crowd and the Justice League were gone and he was standing there alone, he’d just gone home. It had been a month since then. Phantom retired after their declaration. He didn’t want to deal with them on top of everything else. So he gave up.

The Justice League had been gone for a long time. It was over. So why was he still dreaming about it? He continued to lay in bed even though he was awake. Even with his ghost hunting days over, he was still empty. He was still so tired. He dreaded the day ahead, he just wanted to stay here. He didn’t want to leave the comfort of his pillows. They were so warm. They almost made him feel a little better. Maybe he could close his eyes and pretend he was in Batman's warm embrace like he’d been in the dream.

“DANNY!” his mom broke him from his delusions when she called him downstairs. He didn’t want to get up, but what choice did he have? He had to leave the warm embrace of his bed for the cold and cruel air awaiting him. He got ready for the day again. This time, he didn’t bother with picking an outfit or anything. He just shoved on his binder and went in what he slept in.

He didn’t bother getting breakfast either. He just left his room and headed straight out the door to go to school. He hated school even when he didn’t have to fight ghosts in the middle of it. The teachers were still mean, he was still getting bullied, he still had no friends, and his grades were still shit. The classes were so boring. The teachers just yapping on and on about things he didn’t care at all about.

“Mr. Fenton!” Mr. Lancer's yell pulled him from his sleep. When had he fallen asleep? 

“Mr. Fenton, it’s not nap time. You’re 17 for god’s sake. Pull yourself together! Your junior year is the most important year of highschool. Pay attention.” As Lancer finished yelling at him, he heard snickering from behind him. It was Dash. The hypocrite. He knew Dash had never paid attention in class a day in his life. Oh well. He didn’t have the energy to call him out.

The rest of the class was torture. He just couldn’t get himself to absorb any of what Mr. Lancer was saying. Something about a rich guy’s party? A girl named Daisy? He rested his head on his desk. It was cold and he was looking at the messy ground. He hated being there. Sleep was dancing at the edges of his brain and core again when the bell snapped him back to reality. 

He was the last to get up, and starting to leave when Mr. Lancer called after him, “the counselor would like to see you.” Right. They’d gotten a counselor after that ghost had posed as one. 

“Sure.” Danny knew why the counselor wanted to see him. He knew how the discussion would go. 

“You wanted to see me?” Danny feigned ignorance to the topic of the conversation even though it was obvious what this meeting was about. His grades were shit because he wasn’t doing any class work. 

“Yes. Come on in, sit down please.” Her voice was warm and gentle, which suprised him. He’d thought that she would be harsh and give him a lecture about how he’s slacking and needs to get his grades up.

“I’m Ms. Perry.” She gestured for him to sit. He hadn’t realized his feet were still firmly planted in the doorway. 

As he took a seat, he began to examine her office. The room was homey. It smelled like the ground after rain and the lights weren’t harsh. The chairs were plush with a soft floral pattern on them. 

“So, Danny, how have you been feeling lately?” her question sounded far too genuine to be simple small talk, but it didn’t feel like she was pushing for the information. She wasn’t the mean, aged teacher he’d thought would be hired. She was young, probably fresh out of college, and her face showed authentic kindness.

“Oh! I almost forgot, do you want any snacks? I have a ton to choose from.” She pulled out a bin of snacks from under her desk. There were so many, and… he wanted some. When had he gotten so hungry?

 “Sure,” he hesitated, he didn’t even know what he wanted.

 “Can I have.. uhh… juice?” 

 “Of course.” She gave a small, light hearted laugh with the reply, and handed him a capri-sun. 

He left the meeting with the counselor a little confused as he left her office. What had just happened? She had asked him about his home life and hobbies and basically everything but school. He hadn’t had a real conversation like that in a really long time. 

It didn’t really matter though. It’s not like his life would get better. His hope for that died when he realized quitting as Phantom didn’t do anything but let him stop fighting ghosts.

─ ✧- ☽ -✧ ─

“Alright, thank you.” Maddie said as she hung up the phone. 

“Jack dear!” she called out to her husband, who was working on a ghost-hunting invention. 

“Apparently Danny isn’t doing very well right now. The counselor suggested we do something.” 

“Then what should we do?” Jack hollered from behind the machine, not bothering to look up. 

Maddie thought about it. 

“I don’t know.” She really hadn’t the slightest idea what to do. 

“I wonder if a change of scenery would do him good?” he had put down his tools and was peeking past the machine.

“He can’t go to Alecia’s.” she considered, “He hates it down in Arkansas.”  

They both thought about it for another moment. 

“I do have a cousin. I could see if he can take in Danny for a while?” Jack offered. 

“That sounds nice!” With that the conversation was finished and they continued to focus on what really mattered. Their ghost tech!

─ ✧- ☽ -✧ ─

Danny went straight up to his room after school like he’d been doing every day since he retired. He went straight for his bed and let himself sink into it. He could finally breathe. Sometimes it felt like he was suffocating when he was at school or with his parents. It was finally the weekend though. He didn’t have to get out of bed for a while. He just stared at the ceiling. He’d put up those tacky glow in the dark star stickers on there when he was 10. A lot’s changed since then. He didn’t really have the time or energy to study the night sky like he did before the accident. He really missed it though. If only he could turn back time and-

There was a knock on the door.

“Danny?” It was his mom. He pulled his blanket over himself and rolled over, pretending to be asleep. They came in anyway.

“Daniel, we have to talk to you.” his dad nudged his shoulder. The same shoulder he’d shot at just a month before. He hated it when they called him Daniel.

“I don't want to get out of bed.” He wanted them to go away.

“That’s alright sweetheart. We can talk to you from here.” His mom didn’t take the hint and started talking anyway. He didn’t really listen to what she’s saying, but caught some of the words and phrases.

“Blah blah blah, call from the school, blah blah blah, bad grades, blah blah blah, cousin, blah blah blah, Bruce Wayne.”

He stops them at that last bit. “Wait, Bruce Wayne?" That seemed super off topic, even for his parents.

“You need to listen better. Bruce Wayne is your father’s cousin.”

WHAT?! Bruce Wayne? How was that even possible? Danny was trying to wrap his head around this, but failing. This didn’t make any sense. How was Bruce Wayne, the prince of Gotham, related to his dad, the crazy scientist of Amity Park?

“You’ll be staying with him for a little while. We think it will be good for you. Ok?” 

Oh.

They were pawning him off on someone else so they didn’t have to deal with him. That made a ton more sense. 

“Alright then.” he felt the words leave his mouth.

“We’ve arranged for you to leave in a week.” 

Wow. They really wanted him gone.

─ ✧- ☽ -✧ ─

It was really a strange request.

Bruce’s cousin had gotten in touch with him after all these years. It was strange for multiple reasons. He had only met this relative once when they were small children and he wasn’t asking for money, or fame, or any of the things one would think. He was only asking for Bruce to take care of his son for a few months. The reason they cited was that he was struggling with his grades. Why would the man trust his son to a cousin he hardly knew? 

A normal request to Bruce was for lots of money. A normal request was to leave your child with someone you actually knew and trusted.

The bizarre nature of the favor drew his curiosity so , naturally, he did a full Batman-style background check on the entire family.

It would seem that the couple were scientists specializing in ghost-based study. They were considered irresponsible and conspiracy theorists in their town even after the existence of ghosts was confirmed. They developed anti-ghost weapons and Maddie Fenton had a background in martial arts, but that was about the extent of their ‘battle prowess’ if you could call it that. They had 2 children. Jasmine Fenton, a college student studying psychology, and Daniel Fenton. When he pulled up the kid’s photo, Bruce recognised him as the teenager he’d noticed in the crowd. Something about that day still didn’t feel right to him. He’d made sure to give Clark a lecture after what he had said. He was trying to make people feel at ease, but he could’ve done that while dodging the question instead of speaking on a case that wasn’t closed. 

Bruce was interested in knowing what Daniel was doing with Phantom’s thermos. As well as why he was so injured. Though he now had a suspicion it might be neglect or even abuse. The way his parents were so dismissive of him didn’t exactly inspire confidence. 

Having the boy stay with him could give him more insight into the situation.

“Alfred?”

“What is it, Master Bruce?” 

“Could you prepare a guest room by next week?”

“Yes, but might I ask why, sir?” Alfred’s face showed clear suspicion.

Bruce sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, he knew he would get an earful from his children for this.

“We’ll be housing my cousin’s child for a time.” 

─ ✧- ☽ -✧ ─

Danny didn’t like change very much, and this was all happening so fast. Before he knew it the week was over. At first he had packed to last around 2 weeks, but his parents told him that he’d be staying for the rest of the last month of school and all of summer. So he decided to pack not just essentials but also other things that he just liked. He grabbed his astronomy books, his bass, his notebooks, along with a few other things to keep his mind occupied. He wished that he could pack his bed, but he settled for his blanket and most comfortable pillow. He also made sure to pack his extra binder, first aid kit, and other ‘in case of emergency’ things. This included the Fenton Thermos. He really didn’t want to leave it, but he decided he would need it if it came down to it. All of his things were packed, and he was scheduled to leave in an hour. His room was left without much in it. There wasn’t much in the first place, but it looked even more empty. Especially since his mom made him clean his room earlier in the week in preparation for him leaving. 

He looked over at his bed where a stuffed bear was sitting. Tucker had given it to him when he turned 16. They hadn’t been friends anymore when he’d turned 17. He missed seeing them. He missed being their friend. It dawned on him that he wouldn’t get to see them in the hallways of school anymore. Why was he even upset about going? Nobody liked him in this town even if he wasn’t Phantom. It wasn’t like he was leaving any friends or big relationships behind. The only person he was on good terms with was Jazz, and she’d moved away for college.

“Daniel, let’s get going.” his dad came into the room without knocking. “You wouldn’t want to miss your flight.”

─ ✧ ─

The flight was not the best. He’d been sat in a middle seat next to an asshole who decided to hog up his armrest and invade his personal space. It also didn’t help that Danny hated flying in planes. He could already fly by himself and it made him super uneasy when he wasn’t in control. It made him super airsick.

Luckily he was out of the plane now, so he didn’t have to deal with it anymore. Now he had to figure out how to get to his next location. Mom and dad had said something about someone picking him up, but they were super vague about it. He was just standing in the pick-up zone at the airport, stranded.

“Daniel Wayne?” He was put off by the use of his full name but still turned to face the man who’d said it.

“Yeah, I prefer Danny though.” He tried to keep his tone light but could tell that he still sounded uncomfortable.

“Ah. I will make note of that.” The man was older, maybe in his 60’s, and he was dressed way too fancy for a Saturday afternoon. “I’m Alfred Pennyworth, the Wayne’s butler. I will be escorting you to the manor. Please follow me to the car.”

“Thank you.” Danny tried to make his tone as polite as possible. He didn’t really know rich people etiquette, but he could do his best to not be rude. Alfred led him to a really fancy black car and opened the door for him (which he’d made sure to thank the man for). He said the drive to the house would be around 30 minutes. Luckily he didn’t try to start up any conversations after that. Danny really didn’t want to talk right now. He just had to survive this car ride.

That’s right. He just had to bide his time until he got to the house, then he could go up to his new room and avoid people again. Go back to laying in bed. 

He wanted to be in bed so badly. He didn’t want to meet the Waynes. He didn’t want to leave home. He just wanted to stay in his bed forever. That way he could avoid ghosts, and his problems, and people, and life in general.

He stared out the window, in an attempt to get out of his head. They passed run down warehouses, shady businesses, and apartment buildings that definitely weren’t to code. Slowly the architecture got more stable and clean until they were passing huge gothic style buildings that looked incredibly expensive to maintain. Eventually, the buildings stopped appearing, and nature took it’s place. Not so long after that happened, they reached the overly extravagant gates of the Wayne’s Mansion.

He hadn’t realized just how big their house was until he stood in front of it. He didn’t even want to be here. Why couldn’t Bruce Wayne have picked any other kid to be his charity case of the year?

“Master Bruce isn’t home right now, but his children are here so they will be greeting you in his stead.” Alfred already had his hand on the doorknob, ready to open it.

“Alright” At least he wouldn’t have to deal with meeting Bruce Wayne right now.

─ ✧ ─ ✧- ☽ -✧ ─ ✧ ─

Honestly I'm super surprised about how many people like this! thank you so much for the kind words :D It genuinely means a ton to me

Thank you for reading! I haven't started working on the next chapter yet, but I'll get it out as soon as I can! :)

[bigfatbreak]

Birds of a Feather previous / next

[toonsforkicks22]

As if the asteroid wasn’t enough…

Inspiration

[starry-bi-sky]

Incorrect Quotes for the Blood Blossom Au - DPXDC

Original Post Context Here but TL:DR - Vlad poisons (orphan) Danny with blood blossom. He runs off, finds Pre-Robin Battinson, Battinson saves his life. Danny is currently staying with him until the time being. Batdad all around, found family, woo!

————————

Bruce after giving Danny an antidote: poof. Just like that, the toxin’s gone

Blood Blossom, not gone just sedated: wrong! toxin’s right here you fucking brussel sprout

————————

Vlad at a gala while his godson is (allegedly) missing: Mister Wayne! A pleasure to meet you, I wanted to speak with you about hopefully setting up a deal between our brands—

Battinson, currently housing his (allegedly) missing godson: I don’t like you.

Vlad: —and it’d be a— i’m sorry?

Battinson, louder: I don’t. Like. You.

Vlad:

Bruce:

Vlad: If you could tell me what I did to offend you--

Battinson, with the intensity of a thousand suns: No.

��———————

Danny: 🧿🧿

Bruce: 🧿🧿

Danny: 🧿🧿

Alfred, in the corner: Can you two socialize like normal people

————————

Danny: gun to your head, who would you rather kiss: riddler or the joker

Bruce:

Bruce: gun to my head?

Danny: gun to your head, yes.

Bruce, without missing a beat: pull the trigger

————————

Danny (is currently unaware Bruce = Bruce Wayne): hey Vlad's planning on poaching Mr. Wayne's company out from underneath his nose, would you be able to prevent Mr. Wayne from making any deals with him? Or just in general from being alone with him?

Bruce, realizing Danny doesn't know he's Bruce Wayne:

Bruce: ...yes.

————————

(Danny and Bruce are leaving Wayne Enterprises, Danny is wearing a face mask and obscuring most of his identity. There's a swarm of paparazzi at the doors)

Bruce:

Danny:

Danny: there's an open window on the first floor bathroom

Bruce, immediately turning on his heel: mh. mhm.

————————

Aunt Alicia:

Bruce:

Aunt Alicia:

Bruce:

Bruce 🤝 Aunt Alicia: "Vlad Masters can go fuck himself" club

————————

Bonus! Because looking at it makes me giggle and I think it needs to be shared

POV: You're Alfred living with two of the most socially awkward people in Gotham. Now with biblically accurate heights!

[melodead]

nagi seishiro is a simple boy. he wants to win games. he dislikes preparing crabs. his first friend was a cactus. he’s in love with his second, not that you know.

you had pulled him into your orbit forever ago with eyes as bright as the sun and a love to match. from there, the rest was inevitable. inevitably, the sun rises in the east. inevitably, the universe will burn up in its brilliance. inevitably, you take his hand, and he won’t resist. through tokyo, through hakuho, through blue lock and beyond—that hasn’t changed.

nagi peeks up at you. the setting sun paints you golden like it wants to hold you too. he understands. it’s a fact of life that you were made to love—to be loved—and the world follows along to your whims because you hold it in your heart.

you melt into the couch despite the hundred-and-ninety-something centimeter soccer player in your lap. one hand runs carefully through his hair as the other holds your phone to the side. this is easy, he thinks, mind muddled by rest.

“can i get up now?”

“no,” nagi refuses, still watching you drowsily. “‘m still tired.”

“i can’t feel my legs, wonderboy. you know, a good friend wouldn’t interfere with my circulation.”

he hums, noncommittal. hypocrite. his heartbeat is faster than usual, but he’s not complaining about it, is he? for some reason though, the title of good friend sinks into his mind, trickles down into a scene from hours ago, and sets a question alight. what a hassle, he thinks to himself, but the ego that blue lock taught him demands an answer.

“hey,” nagi starts, “did you mean what you said earlier?

“mm? you’ll have to be more specific than that.”

nagi is silent, but his arms tighten just enough for you to notice.

“‘shiro?” you put your phone down. your hand buries itself in his hair as the other pinches his cheek—and you can’t help but wonder what he did in a past life to be blessed with such unbelievable genes. he leans into it, snowy lashes fluttering against his cheeks and casting shadows over unbearably soft eyes.

(nagi seishiro is an incredibly easy person to fall in love with and an unbelievably difficult one to be in love with, especially for you: the fool that has resolved to never tell him. sure, maybe you’re a masochist. sue you. you deserve a doctorate in compartmentalizing your crush.)

you tilt your head at him as your own gaze scans his face for anything that could give you a clue. the shapeless, white blob of a boy reminds you of that character he’s so fond of. “are you…”—you blink twice—“…pouting?”

“no.”

“you are!”

“m’not.”

a breathless little laugh escapes you, a wonderful thing that steals the air from his lungs. it’s unfair how easily it happens. he guesses it’s inevitable when his heart lies solely in the palm of your hand.

“i can’t give you an answer if i don’t understand the question,” you chide, rubbing circles into his face, but he can see you already running through the possibilities in your head. “tell me, please?”

nagi is a boy of few words, but a decade of friendship has trained you well. as such, when he suddenly decides to press the full force of his weight onto you, mumbling, you know you’ve struck gold (and possibly bruised ribs).

and then you pause. “reo…?”

nagi knits his brows together just the slightest, averting his eyes. “earlier, you said he’d be…”

your memory completes the confession for him. your jaw drops. “was it the boyfriend comment? seriously?” he won’t look at you, but there’s no hint of dishonesty to be found.

“i’m not repeating it.”

it’s over for you. “aww,” you coo. “are you jealous, ‘shiro?”

nagi is a simple boy. maybe it’s the way the light surrounds you, reminiscent of the day you first met. maybe it’s the lingering sleep clouding his system. maybe it’s his patience finally running out after the inordinate amount of time he’s spent chasing the sun in your eyes. he wants few things in life. one of those things just happens to be you.

whatever it is, it pushes nagi to admit, “yeah.”

you pause and laugh nervously, movements faltering for just a moment. “i think you’d probably be a decent boyfriend too, if it makes you feel better.”

“then we should try it.”

we. he’s always spoken like that—in terms of we. it’s always made your heart unbearably fond. “hmmm…well, reo probably knows someone.”

he huffs, and before you know it, nagi sits up and rests his head on top of yours. “that’s not fair. why do you keep talking about reo? you’re with me,” he whines, sneaking his long arms loosely around your waist.

“what’s wrong with talking about reo?” you retort. “you bring him up more than i do, and that’s saying something considering how much you talk. that’s not a lot, by the way.”

“so?”

you tug lightly at his hair. “so what, i can’t talk about reo but you can? that’s what we should be talking about if we’re talking about unfairness. anyways, if you’re suddenly so concerned about being single, i don’t think you’d have a hard time finding a date. long term? you’ll have to put work into it, obviously, but if you want someone—“

“i want you,” nagi interrupts.

you pinch him again. “i know i’m your favorite, but i’m really one of a kind. you’re not finding someone like me that easily.”

“but i don’t want someone like you.”

“then you’re being really unclear with what you want, seishiro.”

(oh, you’ll be the death of him.)

nagi sighs and meets you eye to eye.

“i want you,” nagi repeats, more awake than he has ever been, “and i want to be your boyfriend. that’s clear, right?”

…huh?

the world stops. your head spins and heat rushes up your neck. you must be feverish, or sick, or—or something. delusional, maybe? imagining, if you’re being nice, and you happen to be very good at imagining. you also happen to be very good at deflecting. (it was a required course to earn your imaginary doctorate.)

a nervous laugh, a little too high. your face burns. “you’re supposed to date people you like, seishiro.” your voice shakes.

“i like you a lot though.”

you try to say something—anything—normal, but your heart fails on you instead. your voice is stuck in your throat like a stone, and you can’t seem to dislodge it no matter how much you tell yourself to. oh, how does anybody ever do this?

nagi sees you, much more than he lets on. he has always seen you before. he sees you now. it must be why he says, quietly, “you don’t have to say yes. i’m okay with how we are now. we can pretend this never happened if you want, and everything can stay how it is.”

like dust. you see dust in the hazy daylight pouring in. you see it in old memories stored inside picture frames. most of all, you see it in the endless gray of his eyes—so, so close—threatening to drown you in your entirety and then some. embarrassingly, you know you’d jump in headfirst. haven’t you already? you’ve spent nearly a decade doing this, after all. but nearly a decade of this, and you have never once thought that he may feel the same. you wouldn’t have ever guessed.

many think that the eyes are the windows to the soul. you know that they are. you had seen as much in your youth and exponentially more in your time at blue lock. hunger. despair. hope. people can conceal and perform as much as they want, but the eyes will always betray the truth.

that's why you can’t deny it when he tells you his.

nagi hums, fingers playing with your sleeves. “your call.”

it’s such a nagi seishiro answer that you can’t help but laugh—and just like that, the stone is dislodged. “okay,” you affirm, out of breath and on the top of the world, “okay, yeah. we can—this—“ his hand squeezes yours. your chest stutters, but you don’t feel like dying. you take a breath, and then—the world begins to spin again.

(nagi seishiro is a simple boy. he wants to win games, so he does. he dislikes preparing crabs, but he’ll do it if you ask him to. his first friend is still a cactus. he’s in love with his second, and now you finally know.)

[bunnieswithknives]

Wow Dale I didn't know you liked entomology! 💕