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Dick Grayson & Donna Troy in Titans 1.08 ‘Donna Troy’

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Dick & Rachel in every scene || 15/?

DC Titans (2018-2023)

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i have feelings for her

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DICK & KORY IN TITANS FOREVER

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I got to go. Ted.

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TITANS – Project Starfire (S04E11) ››› Mame-Anna Diop as Koriand'r / Starfire ››› Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson / Nightwing

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BRENTON THWAITES & ANNA DIOP AS DICK & KORY TED & CAROL Titans (2018-2023)

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(✿◡‿◡)

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TITANS – Dick & Carol & Ted & Kory (S04E08) ››› Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson / Nightwing

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Eli felt Isabelle approach him before he'd even turned to face her, always in tune with her movements. It was his job, of course, but it had long since surpassed that, her safety his number one priority whether he'd been instructed or not. Her touch felt electricity even over his clothing, so he avoided placing his hand over her own, but still smiled softly in acknowledgment. For those few seconds, she had the entirety of his attention, despite his disappointment with her statement. Eli knew she was right, but held firm with his disagreement, still deeming it worth the risk. Siphoning Juliet had proved it'd work, and whilst the effects were certainly up for debate, it wouldn't last forever. If it stopped whatever this chaos was, he could work through it. But after a brief moment of internally debating with himself, Eli sighed in defeat anyway. He couldn't deny Isabelle of anything, especially not with the way she was looking at him. "Okay."

In his distraction, Eli hadn't noticed Eddie's flip in temper, questioning what'd gone down at Barcelo. It was an emotion he'd never seen in the other dhampir, a reaction triggered from a place of overprotection, which only made more sense with the revelation of his relationship with Adrian. Unfortunately for those around them, Eli was in no place to withhold an outburst of his own, because that rage had been directed at his brother. "No!" Any relatability between the pair had been tossed aside with the shove, Eli's eyes darkening as he barraged himself in front of Benji. Almost everyone in the room was stronger than Eli physically, especially when he wasn't juiced up, but he was still fast. His condition also left no room for rational pause, often acting without taking a moment to consider the consequences. "Don't touch my brother."

Now that Eli's body was in a position of fight or flight, adrenaline coursing through him, it was impossible not to seek an energy source in preparation. His fingers clasped around Eddie's wrist, his grip firm, using the element of surprise in his favour. The glowing began, scarlet burning around his clenched hand, his inhalation deep as he felt the dhampir magic settle into him. But even after he returned to his natural setting, Eli didn't let go. He found himself wanting to demobilise Eddie, a feeling born from revenge, however overreactive it seemed. Witnessing someone take aim at Benji was rare, at least outside of constructed scenarios, and Eli couldn't swallow down the anger it stemmed. He kept draining, ignoring the shocked gasps and shifting figures around them.

As usual, Izzy had arrived to training earlier than was required, wanting Alec to feel supported. She set about warming up, waiting for the others to arrive. Though as they filtered in, it seemed she was only one of few who was actually keen to train. Or perhaps the only one. They still showed up, dutiful and ready, but the energy seemed low, and Izzy knew she'd end up overcompensating for that, wanting to make sure her brother's efforts weren't wasted and that everybody felt supported. Times were different, and she'd realised pretty quickly it was a lot tougher outside of their normal training environment, away from the home they knew so well. They were no longer under the watchful eye of generations of leaders. They were fumbling through it on their own, re-learning old patterns and going through the motions all while trying to work out the purpose. Why were they bothering at all? It was hard, she knew, but she was willing to put in the effort, especially now that the Steele's had joined them. Their traditions were still important, their jobs were still important, and she trusted in that more than ever now that Eli was back by her side. She loved training with him, discovering more about their dynamic, learning things she never knew. They were more in tune with each other than they'd ever had a chance to be before and it made her feel peaceful. It was a secure kind of peace, knowing someone was always looking out for you.

The group's energy only got worse when Adrian arrived. Again, Izzy might've been the only one happy to see him, which frankly surprised her, considering he was usually on great terms with Eddie, and was friendly with Juliet. She wasn't sure why, but everything felt off. There was something different about Adrian, the way he carried himself, and she wasn't aware enough of his condition to realise what it was. It didn't seem like his typical tipsy behaviour. If she'd known, she'd have tried to help before things escalated any further. To her great surprise, Juliet was the first one to break the awkward silence, addressing the man's behaviour. From there, everything became a total mess. Alec lost control of the room completely, and his second-in-charge, Benji, was one of the main perpetrators.

Izzy continually scanned the room, trying to stay on top of the unfolding argument so that she could find a way to diffuse it, but it moved too quickly for her to keep up. Or rather, it went beyond her understanding, accusations of things she'd never noticed before coming to light. Juliet and Benji's dynamic was hardly surprising. It was a dynamic she'd been quietly rooting for for years, having encouraged Alec to pair them together, if only to force them to face their feelings. Besides, Elijah had, unwillingly, always been in the middle of them, and Izzy believed he deserved better than that. Adrian and Eddie, however, was a total shock. She knew they were close, but apparently it went a lot deeper than she'd ever noticed, too wrapped up in her own relationships to pick it for herself. She was itching to know more, equal parts curious and supportive, but now was clearly not the time.

Unfortunately, Adrian's attitude only seemed to worsen, the man stumbling as he turned to accuse the entire group, pulling skeletons out of closets. She loved him but his behaviour shocked her, not sure anyone there truly deserved it. She knew he was upset, and clearly struggling with a lot of things, but they were all in this together. They didn't need more division.

The digs at both of her brothers deeply bothered her, always the first one to defend them, and she pressed her lips together, arms folding over her chest. She'd gone from surprised to deeply unimpressed, joining the rest of the group's stance. Sure, Adrian had been provoked, but now he was crossing the line. Hearing Eli being called a 'genetic mistake' made her gasp, a quiet inhalation, causing her to drop her arms. "Adrian!" She chided, willing him to stop. "That's enough." But the Moroi wasn't done, getting one last shot at Benji in. She looked over at him, eyes wide. She'd never seen the guardian so furious. He was always the perfect picture of stoicism, of collected and cool, but it had clearly only been the calm before the storm. She wasn't sure she could intervene now, wasn't sure what she could even do to coax him back from doing something he'd regret. She'd never seen him like this, never seen any of them this upset. Distressed, she looked to her big brother, wondering what he could do as a leader. Was there even a solution?

Eli seemed to think so. Her guardian stepped forward, thankfully working on diffusing Benji. The man was still, dangerously still, but perhaps that meant it was working. Izzy was immensely grateful for it until she heard Elijah's proposal. Again, her eyes went wide, and she waited for the cries of reason, telling him no. Only they never came, as if everyone was trapped in some kind of daze. Shaking her head, Izzy stepped in, taking on the responsibility herself instead, hoping Eli would listen to her.

She didn't understand spirit use, having only discovered the element wasn't just a thing of lore when they'd reunited with Adrian. But considering the darkness in the Moroi's expression, it didn't seem safe. "Eli... I don't think that's a good idea." Her voice was gentle, a harsh comparison to everyone else's behaviour thus far. She reached for him just as he had for Benji, a hand resting on his arm. "We don't even know if it'd work, and if it did, it might harm you. I know he's really hurting and you just want to help, but there has to be another way. A way that doesn't mean endangering anyone else." She met his eye, shaking her head once, resolute. "Don't do this."

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Eli was already feeling antsy before Adrian had even entered the scene. He hadn't siphoned in longer than usual, and his body was desperate for the energy conversion, like a feeder waiting for their next fix. Luckily, it was a feeling he'd become accustomed to, and Eli was managing to keep the irritability in check with the management tactics he and Benji had spent years perfecting. That was, until, Adrian started talking. As soon as his older brother's relationship was mentioned, Eli switched from a controlled demeanour to something more panicked, his back tensing up. He was desperate to rise up in Benji's defence, but the conversation was carried by voices much louder than his own.

It only continued to worsen with further involvement, and Eli felt the power in the room charge up. He was drawn directly to Adrian, and he could practically see the hum of magic filter back in as the effects of the Moroi's cigarette wore off. This was spirit. Most of it, anyway; Eli imagined the resentment would've been there regardless, considering how it'd ended at Barcelo. Unsure of his next move, of whether or not he should call it out, the dhampir remained still and silent, but prepared. If this became physical, he'd be beside Benji in an instant. Confrontation was a trigger from him, but he was still trained in dealing with it, and could swallow down the intensity of his own emotion temporarily if it meant protecting his family. Nothing was more important.

For a moment, Eli considered taking Isabelle's hand to regain stability, his stress rising as the back and forth played out, hating how targeted Benji had become. The comments about himself stung, but were easily dismissible. The ones aimed at the person he loved the most were not, and as the anger pressed at him in retaliation, he dismissed the idea of falling in line with his charge. He didn't want to drain some of her power by mistake, or prove Adrian right. It was already blindingly obvious without the magical aura confirmation that he was in love with her, and Adrian hardly needed be reminded of further ammunition.

As soon as the words genetic mistake were uttered, Eli knew he finally had to step in. He himself wasn't overly bothered, Adrian had already made it apparent he saw Eli as an equal, but it was certain to make Benji furious; and that was the point. He'd already noticed the way Eddie was staring his brother out, ready for the first space closure in case he needed to defend. Which is why he had to be fast. Benji could handle any altercation with ease, deeming fighting even more pointless. They shouldn't even be arguing when all they had was eachother. Eli darted forward, his hand gently grasping Benji's shoulder from behind. "Don't. It's not his fault. Well, kind of. The spirit's all over him. He feels like a fucking magnet to me," he was itching to drain it, and that was obvious by the desperation in his tone. "Whatever it is, don't react to it. It's making him worse. And you know how you'll feel after, if you do this," Eli muttered, gesturing to Benji's still clenched fists. "It's not worth it."

Adrian continued to ramble, and Eli glanced at him in confusion, no longer understanding his point. He was also interfering, purposely or not. "Stop being a prick! I'm trying to help you." He now spoke to more than just his brother, voice carrying across the room. He'd certainly been heard, now, because the Moroi paused in his surprise. "You've been using spirit. Too much. I can feel it. Let me take some of it from you, then maybe you'll stop picking fights you need Eddie to finish." Eli sighed, and softened his tone. "It's obviously hurting you. If I drain some of it, it won't be so bad. You won't need to act like this, and this doesn't need to get any worse." Eli's gaze then flickered between Eddie and Benji, as if asking for permission. "I can handle it."

It wasn't unusual for Adrian to be late to training, nor skip it entirely. It was, however, unusual for Eddie to not do a thing about it. When the Moroi wasn't in his direct sight, he was typically wracked with anxiety, but ever since Mason's frank conversation with him a week or so earlier, he'd been desperately trying to work on boundaries. He realised now that boundaries would protect them both, but most importantly, protect Adrian, and Eddie couldn't be guilty of crossing that professional line again or they'd both suffer the consequences. He thought he'd been doing the right thing, but he'd only gotten lost in the intensity. Misguided, lead by only instinct and no formal training, Eddie had put Adrian at risk. Now that he'd had some distance, some time alone, he saw it for the failure that it was. And he refused to do it again. Without any conversation, he'd put space between them, and so far, had maintained that distance successfully. It was just better that way.

Which was why, when Adrian showed up to training after all, Eddie didn't immediately relax, like he might have before. Instead, his body tensed up entirely, jaw clamped with the sheer effort made to not look back in the Moroi's direction again. He'd clocked the cigarette, seen the irritated expressions on everybody else's faces, and had immediately been flooded with guilt. Adrian didn't deserve this reception, and he was itching to intervene, to de-escalate. But he kept reminding himself that it wasn't his place anymore to interrupt. Boundaries. Boundaries meant letting Adrian fight his own battles, from time to time. To deal with his own fallout. He could handle it.

It all seemed to be going relatively smoothly, Eddie letting out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding when the cigarette was put out. There was certainly awkward tension, an obvious shift in mood that made Eddie feel like shit, but thankfully, Adrian had decided to play along. Or so he'd thought. Eddie's eyes widened at the remark, not having expected it. He'd thought the hard part had been over, but tensions had been flared once more, now bordering on aggression. Worriedly, Eddie's eyes flicked over to Benjamin, scoping out the reaction. Unfortunately, he'd been right to be concerned. Benji's expression had gone from one of annoyance to sheer rage, his fists curling dangerously, and with the verbal confirmation that Adrian was harboring very real resentment toward Eddie himself, he realised silence was no longer an option. Not if he was to keep the peace, keep Adrian safe and the rest of the group placated.

Seeing Benji turn, Eddie shoved his guilt aside and quickly intervened, snapping. "— That's enough, Adrian. Leave her alone." Thankfully, this stopped Benji in his tracks. He was still obviously rigid with anger, but Eddie didn't want to see him pushed any further. He was their mentor for a reason, he was known as a god for a reason. He didn't want to see him anywhere near Adrian when he was like this. Continuing on, desperate to defuse the situation, Eddie tried his best to ignore the deep sting Adrian's final words had caused and made his tone soft this time, keeping his gaze focused on Benji despite addressing Adrian. The more tension he noticed in the mentor's body, the more his own muscles responded accordingly, feeling protective. "You don't have to do this, okay? Just - go."

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big brother

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A new teaser for this week's Vampire Academy Ep 5 with Rose & Eddie