#'that voice....' he's yelling how do you NOT recognize his voice robin?

[thychesters]

wait now we have this zombie using zoro's moves??

[lesservillain]

inmate!eddie munson x reader

cw: SMUT, henry creel is your ex, a threat of violence, divorce talk, baby talks

July 26th, 1996

“It’s been a whole year,” you turn the radio down to better get Eddie’s attention, “we should go out or something! I know everyone was busy tonight, but let me take you to like Enzo’s. Or Benny’s even.”

Eddie leaned for the knob, turning the radio up again. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart,” he yells over the music, banging his head around and tapping his legs along with the beat. “All I need to celebrate is you and whatever that new little number is that you’re hiding under those clothes.”

You turn to him, cheeks feeling hot as you’ve been caught. The smug look on his face annoyed you, “How do you know I’m wearing something new?”

He hums with a smirk. “I saw your bra strap when you were messing with it earlier,” he says as if it was obvious, “I know what your bras look like, didn’t recognize it.”

“You’re insane,” you laugh as you pull into Steve’s empty driveway. 

“Hey, not insane, just very observant of the things that are important to me,” he unbuckles his seatbelt, hoping out of the car and trotting over to your side to open your door for you. It was one of your favorite quirks of his, especially because the looks on peoples faces in public when a rough, six foot tall man covered in tattoos opens the driver door for his girlfriend are priceless. 

As you start walking to the front door you notice Eddie isn’t behind you, still standing next to the car with an unreadable expression on his face. Normally it wouldn’t bother you since he spaces out every once and a while, mostly when he’s nervous or upset you’ve come to find. But, he’s been acting like this for the last couple of days and it’s starting to concern you.

Your morning drives to drop him off at work have been quiet compared to the usual lively talks you two have. He’s also been staying at work later, calling you to pick him up close to sundown as the summer has gone on. One night he told you he was too tired for you to come over and was going to have Steve pick him up. When you tried to bring it up, he just brushed it off saying that he was just tired from repairing the A/Cs for half of Hawkins cars.

“Eddie?” You ask gently. 

He looks at you for a brief moment, eyes barely meeting yours before he starts walking down the driveway. “G-go ahead, I’m gonna grab the mail.”

“Okaaaay,” you say to yourself. 

When you enter the Harrington residence, you find it to be dead quiet, which is to be expected since Robin and Steve both had plans for tonight. But, what struck you as odd was that they had left several lights on…

Eddie came through the door a few moments later, his full attention on the stack of mail he’s flipping through. 

“Anything good,” you joke, unsure why he’s so laser focused on junk mail. He walks past you, setting all but one envelope on the counter. 

“Oh, uh, no-,” his voice is shakey, and you can tell his breathing is off.

“Hey are you-”

“Hey, look at this!” He waves the envelope in his hand, finally giving you his attention. “This says it’s to ‘Mrs.Munson,’ isn’t that weird?”

You reel back, head shaking at the confusion. “Eddie, I thought you said your mom passed? Why would she get mail here?”

He shook his head, “No, it can’t be for her. My mom and dad never got married, so this wouldn’t be for her anyway.”

“What the hell?” You’re totally confused now, “Open it and see what it says?”

He nods, taking particularly good care not to rip the envelope too much. You feel like you’re in an episode of the twilight zone between the letter and his odd behavior today. He pulls out the contents of the envelope, which looks like a single folded piece of notebook paper. He opens it, and you can clearly see the shaking in his hands now. You’re suddenly hit with a wave of realization. 

“Eddie, is that from your dad?” You ask, placing a hand on his arm. He won't even look at you, he just hands you the paper for you to read. 

The first thing you see is your name. 

“What the-”

“Please read it.”

You look at him, but he refuses to make eye contact, body shifting with a nervousness you’ve never seen before with him. When you look at the paper again, you recognize the sloppy handwriting.

Hi, sweetheart. You’re probably really confused right now reading this, and I know I gotta be a nervous wreck right now as I watch you. After a year of spending almost every day with me you’d probably agree that I’m not afraid to say whatever I’m thinking out loud. But, I wanted to go back to our roots for this. 

There are times where I’ve wished things were different. Where I could have the time that I lost in that jail cell back. I just wanted to do something for Wayne, but I would have rather had those years to spend with him instead. I missed out on a lot with the kids, and I was sure that the CC boys were gonna kick me out for ruining our chance to make it big. 

But if there’s one thing I can say made it worth it was you. You showed me that I can still be loved after all that I’ve been through. You didn’t know me before, but you put everything you believed in aside to give me a chance and I don’t think I could ever express how much that means to me. But I want you to give me the opportunity to try for the rest of our lives. Sweetheart, will you marry me?

As you read that last sentence, you notice your body starts to shake. Nervously, you lift your eyes from the paper, and in the time you were reading Eddie had managed to get down on one knee in front of you. 

“Oh my god,” it comes out shakey with a nervous laugh. You have to wipe the tears away as they cloud your vision to admire the ring he’s presented to you. The two of you have never talked about rings before, and yet he managed to pick the perfect one. 

Your teary eyes meet his. Those big, chocolate buttons look at your full of hope. It makes your knees weak. You shake your head, “Yes, Eddie. Holy shit, yes.” You let yourself fall into him, arms wrapping around his neck. He squeezes you tight, and you can feel the air leave his lungs as he sighs in relief. 

Time feels like it’s still in that moment. Since day one Eddie has made you feel more loved than you ever have in your life. It’s not that you never imagined a life married to Eddie, quite the contrary. You wish you had a dollar for every night that you’ve counted the freckles on his face, wishing that you’d been doing this with him instead of laying back to back with your husband for nearly 10 years. But, the two of you hadn’t talked about getting married. Not seriously that is. He would joke at home, calling you his wife, “Mrs.Munson”,“baby momma,” the latter you thought was because of how much of The Maury Show you two watched together on your days off. Now it felt like a serious conversation you would need to have, a pin to later be pulled. 

The sudden sound of the shades moving over the sliding door pulled you out of the moment, and you realize the door was slightly opened. Then, a loud voice from the backyard yells, “GUYS I’M PRETTY SURE SHE SAID YES!” Followed by a symphony of cheers and whistles. When you pull away from Eddie, he’s beaming so bright it’s blinding. And suddenly the sliding door is pushed open and your friends begin pouring in, cheering and congratulating as they enter. Eddie stands as everyone piles in, pulling you up with him. The train of embraces begins as Robin clamps you in with a bear hug. Steve joins in, wrapping the both of you in a big embrace filled with giggles.

You look over and see Eddie and Wayne hugging it out. Wayne’s patting his back, laughing about something Eddie must have said. The kids and his band boys stand around them waiting for their turn. When Robin and Steve finally let you breathe again, Max and Jane are next to congratulate you. 

Max sticks out her own hand, showing you a ring on her finger. “Lucas asked me a couple months ago,” she gushed. You grabbed her hand and admired the ring, it wasn’t over the top, very subtle to fit her personality. “I couldn’t tell you though, Eddie was too nervous that he wouldn’t be able to hold off asking if you knew.”

“Oh my god, Max, that’s amazing,” you pulled her in again, swaying her side by side excitedly. You looked over to Lucas, giving him a cheesy thumbs up that made him blush and shake his head. 

Next is Nancy and Elanor, with Jonathan standing just behind them. Nancy’s belly pushes into you as she pulls you in for a tight hug, Elanor wrapping her arms around you from the opposite side. 

Then it was Wayne’s turn for hugs next, Eddie finally letting him go after giving him a “Let me go boy, gotta congratulate the newest Munson!” When he pulls away, he leaves one arm around you in a half hug and leans in close, but still speaking loud enough for Eddie to hear. “Listen, if you change your mind let me know, I’ll distract him long enough for you to run.”

“Hey!” Eddie shouted over his friends, “Don’t give her any ideas over there, old man!”

After everyone finished making their rounds, the party migrated outside. Sitting around the fire, Eddie kept you planted in his lap, arms wrapped around you tight. While you’re talking, you realize that everyone had managed to flawlessly pull one over on you. Not a single person even gave you the slightest idea what was happening today. 

“You don’t remember us looking at jewelry at the mall?” Nancy laughed. 

“Nance, that was like, what, 5 months ago?” You shook your head in disbelief, “I barely remember saying anything about what I like!”

“You didn’t have to,” she said with her arms crossed over her bump, “I just watched what you looked at, paid attention to what you scrunched up your nose to and what made your eyes go wide. Then, I reported back to Eddie and let him do the rest.” She nodded to Eddie, who looked bashful at the admission of his friend. 

“I picked it out on my own, though,” he said defensively. “Well, Lucas was there, but that was a coincidence.”

You just shook your head, leaning in to plant a kiss on his chapped lips. The whole night your head was swirling with excitement. There was the nagging voice in the back of your head reminding you what it was going to take for the two of you to make getting married possible, but you let yourself worry about that later. Tonight was about you and Eddie, and you made sure to let him know how much you were grateful for him.

“Ooooooh god —SHIT, fuck babe that mouth is-“

Pulling off of him with a pop, you roll your hand around his head and lick from base to tip, making his whole body shudder above you. His grip on your head only gets tighter as you let him sink as far into your mouth as you can handle. Taking his hands in yours, you place them on the side of your head, and when you look up into his eyes you can see his pupils swallow up the remaining brown, leaving two black orbs looking down at you. 

Everything with Eddie was so different, but the sex was on a completely different level for you. With him, sex didn’t feel calculated or like a chore. He was so giving all of the time, which took a while for you to get used to when you had gone so long measuring your worth based on being a pleaser. Once when Eddie ate you out and came in his pants, he was embarrassed, sure, but you had almost cried because you didn’t feel like you had deserved how good he made you feel. He wasn’t having that, though, making sure to let you know at every opportunity he could that just being with you was enough for him. 

“Fuuuuuuuck baby~ God your pretty mouth feels amazing,” he pushes himself all the way to the back of your throat, holding it for a moment. Tears sting at the corners of your eyes. His hands shift, one settling under your chin and the other gripping the top of your head. He slowly eased out, letting you take no more than a second to breathe before he starts bullying your throat again.

Drool is dripping down your chin, cheeks hollowing around him as he trusts. He uses his grip to pull you forward gently, bending you at the waist. Fully nestled in your throat again, Eddie bends down to grab a handful of your ass, smacking it to watch the recoil. You moan at the feeling, and his cock twitches in response. 

“Alright, gotta get you up here now or else I’m gonna bust,” he says as he pulls out of you abruptly, lifting you up from under your arms and tossing you into the bed. You eye him giddily as he tore the rest of his clothes off with reckless abandon, squealing when he pounces on you. Hot and heavy, his hands are all over your body, your fingers tangling in his grown out hair. You know what his next move is going to be, but before he can begin his descent you hold him in place. 

“Not, tonight” - kiss - “need you.” ne of your hands snakes down gripping his length, rubbing the tip against your aching clit, your body jumping at the feeling. His head rolls back, any protest dying on his tongue. 

“Shit, okay, anything you want, baby girl.” When he takes over for you, there’s a sudden tension as he lines himself with your entrance. He looks at you, and you look at him. Something about the heat of the moment that makes you want to give in to carnal desires, but before he can make a move you lean over, opening the drawer and pulling out the foil. You don’t miss the tight lipped smile he makes as you open it, but when your hands are on him as you slide the condom on, he seems to forget his qualms.

When he finally sinks into you, he doesn’t give you much warning before he’s going at the same brutal pace he had on your throat. “I’m never gonna get used to how good you feel,” the praises fall from his lips, each one stoking the flames inside you. Adding his thumb to your clit has you gasping, orgasm washing over you and leaving you seeing stars. 

The chorus of curses coming from Eddie paired with sloppy thrusts signaled his own release. He pulls out, throwing the condom away and flopping boneless beside you, face planting into the pillow. You laugh at his goofiness, still coming down from your own high with hearts in your eyes. Hearts for your fiancé. 

You sighed dreamily, taking one if his curls between your fingers, longer now in the year you’ve spent together. His head turned slightly, one eye peeking out looking at your hand. He stared for a moment, until he suddenly snapped his mouth at you, pretending to bite at your fingers. You pulled back your hand and burst into a fit of giggles. He took the opportunity to roll into you, acting like a monster and “attacking” your face with kisses.

“Stoooop you’re tickling me,” you say as you try to push him away. You have to pry his arms off of you so you can climb out of the bed, legs wobbling as you make your way to the bathroom. He reaches out to smack your ass as you do, you flip him off in return.

When you came back to the bedroom Eddie had his pajama pants back on, and was sitting up in the bed with a look on his face that made you worry.

“What’s wrong,” you question, his head snapping up to you like you’d scared him. He shook his head innocently.

“Nothing’s wrong, Sweetheart,” he stuck his arms out in your direction, making fun of the needy way you beckon him to bed most nights. You weren’t falling for it. 

“Edward James Munson, don’t lie to me,” your hands are on your hips, standing naked in the doorway. He gulps at the use of his full name. You’re not really sure how to decipher that reaction with the way his body straightened, but that’s something you’d save in your mind for later. 

“It’s nothing,” he exhales, shoulders falling, “I just figured, ya know, with us getting married now that we, I don’t know, we would maybe stop with the, uh, condoms…” His voice trails off at the end but you still heard him loud and clear. Grabbing Eddie’s shirt he had tossed aside at the beginning of the night, you climbed into the bed next to him, resting your head on his shoulder. He returned the sentiment, kissing your temple before placing his chin on top of your head. “I’m sorry, if it's not something you’re ready for-“

“No, you’re right,” you take his hand and squeeze, “I really only wanted to use them for precaution sake. Not that I thought you were dirty or anything. And I got tested after I found out Henry was cheating, so I knew I was clean, too. It’s — I just figured it was the right thing to do? Right?”

Eddie wraps an arm around you, pulling you closer with a chuckle. “Sweetheart, I think you miss understood. I’m not offended that you want to use condoms, I promise. I was more so talking about…” he shifts a bit, “I meant like, you know, trying for a b-baby.”

A cold chill makes goosebumps rise on your skin. You knew it was coming, knew that you’d have to pull that pin, but you weren’t expecting it to be tonight, not so soon.  

Your silence makes Eddie even more nervous, “I mean, only if you want to have kids. We don’t have to if you don’t want to. I just, you know, with me turning thirty one, I thought that sooner would be better than later...” 

Eddie bringing up his age only reminded your own clock was ticking, too. But, even though your clock ticks, the hands don't move. 

It was something that you had to face by yourself for a long time, since Henry didn’t seem to feel the need to comfort you, rather ridicule you for your inability to do the “one thing you were meant to do” according to him. When you finally did get pregnant, only for it to end too soon, Henry only made you feel worse. 

After a while you convinced yourself to stop caring.

Now you feel like maybe it never happened for a reason, rationalizing that your body was just protecting you from being permanently attached to the bastard. Thinking that way helped heal some of the hurt, but deep down you knew something had to be wrong with you. 

“Eddie, why do you think Henry and I never had any kids?”

He stills for a moment, unable to see his face to gauge his emotions.  When he responds, his voice has a hint of uncertainty.

“Uh, I honestly didn’t really think about it. I try not to think about you with anyone else, like, ever if I’m being honest.” You gave him a slap on the leg, making him turn his lower half away from you playfully. “If I had to guess, it’s got something to do with him. You like kids way too much for it to have been a you problem.”

Your lip wobbles, because he’s not wrong. You became a teacher for a reason, and you’ve enjoyed the times you’ve gotten to spend with your nephews and Nancy’s daughter. It only makes the lump in your throat feel thicker when you realize you have to say the next words out loud. 

“Eddie,” his name comes out strained, “I don’t think I can have kids.”

And then the dam breaks. Sobs wrack your body, both with tears of sorrow and a sense of catharsis as you can finally come to terms with what you’ve been harboring inside for so long. But the tears aren’t all for you, but for Eddie, too. Tears of guilt, knowing that you were broken, hoping that maybe he didn’t want kids and it would be a non-issue. But that’s not fair. You should have brought it up sooner. Would he even want to be with you if you couldn’t have his kids? Would he just look for someone else, too?

Eddie is immediately in comfort mode, pulling you into him more as he lets you cling to him, chest wetting with the tears falling from your eyes. He doesn’t push you to stop, just rocks with you as you let out your grief. 

When you finally start to calm down, he’s pulling you away so he can look at you, thumbs wiping away the tears that still sit on your cheeks. He tells you to take some deep breaths, feeling better once you do. 

“I hope those tears aren't from you thinking I’d be upset or something,” he said, eyes flickering back and forth between yours. “Because I’m not, and I hope I didn’t come off that way-“

“No! God, no Eddie,” you say shaking your head, rubbing your eyes with the heels of your palms, “no, I just, I mean— I want to be able to give you kids, if you want them. Really bad, actually. But it’s not a matter of wanting, it’s a literal “I don’t think I can” thing. I only ever got pregnant one time our entire marriage and I ended up miscarrying…“

“Oh my god, that’s terrible,” his big eyes are filled with sympathy for you. “Nance and Jonathan had one a couple months before she got pregnant with Ellie. Nancy was a wreck, and I should have been there for her. But it happened the same week as Wayne’s heart attack, and I couldn’t leave him. It was a cluster fuck of a week.”

You were shocked to hear about Nancy. You’d become pretty close in the last year but she’d never brought it up before. Not that you’d ever mentioned yours to her, either, but you’d never have guessed. Her daughter, Elanor, had become your little buddy at the Harrington get togethers when everyone was drunk, finding a 4 year old to be more entertaining than a slew of belligerent adults.

“But, uh, you did say you got pregnant, right?” He asked with a smile. You nod. “See, that’s a good sign then. It can still happen. Maybe you're only compatible with Munson DNA.” 

His optimism wraps around you like a blanket, and for the moment you let yourself believe he might be right. Even if it’s going to hurt in the future. 

“So, you’re not going to leave if I can’t have a baby…” You don’t make eye contact with him as you say it. He grabs your chin, lifting your head to make you look at him in the eyes. 

“Hey, I’d be happy to get a pet rock with you if that’s what you want. We could try and raise some house plants together, but I’m telling you now that when I tried to grow my own weed it didn’t work out well.”

You slide down the bed with a groan, unable to hide the way Eddie’s words have affected you. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of your chest. To finally get it out there, and feeling confident enough to believe Eddie’s words that he wants to stay with you anyway is an indescribable relief. 

He leans over to smother you with kisses again before sliding down himself, pulling you into him once more. 

September 14th, 1996

Of all days, it would rain today. 

Almost a month ago you had Henry served with divorce papers. You’d taken care of everything, making sure all he had to do was sign. You foolishly assumed that it would be something he’d be on top of, considering it’s been over two years since you’ve been separated. Meaning it's been two years since him and the girl he cheated on you with became official. He married you pretty quickly, and you’d figured he would want to do the same to her before she could get wise and leave.

But, here you are. Knocking on your old front door in the rain to confront your husband on why he insists on making things more difficult for you. 

“Coming!” You hear a chipper voice call from inside. You roll your eyes, because of course she has to be here, too. The door swings open, and her face lights up with excitement when she sees you. 

“Oh my gosh, hi!” She squeals, stepping aside to let you in. 

“Hello, Missy.” You were trying to avoid looking at her, the sound of her voice was enough to grate at your eardrums. But when she stepped to the side, your eyes were immediately drawn to the large bump under her sweater. You just stared at her, unmoving, unsure how to process what you’re feeling in the moment. 

“Who’s at the door, dear?” 

You hear his voice call from another part of the house. It snaps you out of your trance, the anger you were trying to keep at bay boiling up again. You walk inside, heading into the kitchen, leaving Missy to follow behind you. 

“Henry,” you cross your arms as you stand in the entryway of the kitchen. Henry’s head snaps up from the book he’s reading, eyes wide when he sees you, wearing the same face as the day you confronted him about his infidelity. 

“Ah, what a surprise,” he tries to recover, putting on the mask of arrogance he always wears. “How nice of you to stop by.”

You roll your eyes at his faux pleasantries, maintaining your stance in the doorway. “I’m sure you know why I’m here,” you cut to the chase, not wanting to draw this out any more than necessary. 

“Are you here for lunch? I just got breakfast put away so you may have to wait a little while, but I’m making chicken salad!” Missy walks past you, grabbing Henry’s mug and refilling it with coffee. It makes your skin crawl as you watch. She brings the cup back to him, something that you’ve done many times over, now the thought only makes you cringe. 

“Darling, why don’t you go rest your feet? I’m sure your stories should be on soon,” Henry kisses her hand. Missy nods excitedly, leaving the room with a wave to you as she does. As soon as she’s gone, the air in the room is sucked away with her. The facade has fallen, Henry’s face morphing into an all too familiar scowl. 

“I’m assuming you’re here because of the paperwork you so graciously had served to me,” he stands from his seat at the table, moving around to walk towards you slowly. 

“Your assumption would be correct.” 

He peered down at you, blue eyes darkening from the shadow of the bridge of his brow. The intensity of his stare almost made you falter, but you’d been practicing for this, in case he tried to size you up like he’d done for years. You doubled down, remaining still as stone even when he’s only mere inches away. You weren’t afraid of his disappointment anymore.

His lips curled into a smile when he noticed you weren’t folding, nodding his head with a small “hmph.” 

“You never returned my call, you know.” Your eyes rolled at his dismissiveness. Huffing out a sigh, you decided to at least entertain him a little bit. He was only going to keep on with this if you didn’t.

“Didn’t have anything to say,” you shrug. 

He takes a step back with a slight bow, looking towards the ground, “I see. Was there perhaps a reason why?” He straightens up again, the corners of his lips pulling into a tight grin, “Too busy with another man’s dick down your throat to try and work it out with your husband, perhaps?”

You reel back, completely put off guard by his words. 

“And a felon’s at that? Honey,” his tone is condescending, and you feel your fortitude slipping, “you know if you were that desperate you should have just come home.” 

Your blood runs hot with every word he speaks. “But I guess you felt the need to prove something to me, or yourself. Doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that I’m not going to be signing those papers.”

Your hands shook, balled at fists by your side. You wanted to swing one, punch him right in his pathetic face and give him a taste of his own medicine. But you couldn’t, you knew that’s exactly what he wanted. And you couldn’t risk the cops showing up with Eddie outside waiting in your car. Henry would absolutely try and pin it on him to get him back in jail. All just to spite you.

Taking a deep breath in, you straighten up, giving him a smug look as you lean against the door frame. “That’s fine, you don’t have to sign them. But, and you may want to listen very carefully to me when I say this. I’m going to make your life a living hell if you don’t.”

The devilish smile on his face drops in an instant, morphing into a sneer. 

“If you actually read the paper in full, which you clearly haven’t,” you see his eyes dart to the side to an envelope on the counter, likely the one he was served with, “I stated in my filing that the divorce was mutual. That I wanted nothing from you, and if there was no issue with you signing, then we could both walk away from each other with our dignity. But,” you raise your brows, lips tugging into a forced frown, “if you want to play this game, then let's play. The divorce is going to go through anyway, and I’m sure you know that. You also probably know that adultery doesn’t have much leverage in the state of Indiana. But…”

“But?” 

You wonder if it’s the tone that you’re speaking to him in, or if it’s the fact that you’re standing up to him for the first time in your entire marriage that’s making him fume to the point he’s speaking only through gritted teeth.

“But, it doesn’t look very good when you’re using our combined finances to pay for the two of you to go to,” you use your fingers to count as you talk, “Hawaii, Italy, Mexico, which I heard really nice things about the resort the two of you went to. Um, where else, Cancun I think? You also shouldn’t have used the bank account to buy her nice new car that’s parked out in the driveway, which you put in her name for some stupid reason. Didn’t think about that because you paid in full for it, did you? You also probably didn’t know that I still have the ability to ask for the statements for that account even though you closed it. That’s okay, I didn’t know either, but my lawyer is really good and gave me that little tip.”

If it were humanly possible, you know steam would be rolling out of his ears. You’ve never seen rage on him like this, and a couple years ago it would have scared the shit out of you. But you had the upper hand for once in this exhausting marriage, and you weren’t going to let up.

“That’s an awful lot of money that went towards your adultery, isn’t it? And you’d have to pay all of that back to me, on top of at least fifty percent of your liquid assets. Maybe more if I felt like telling them you kicked me to the curb to live in an apartment in the middle of the year when I wasn’t working. So, go head, don’t sign the papers. The person that the dick that you’re so concerned about me having down my throat is attached to and I are going to start looking for houses soon, and it would be amazing to pay cash for one. Hopefully you’d still have enough money to pay all your bills and raise a new baby, but that’s not really my problem.”

In an instant he’s backing you into the wall next to the entryway. It happened so fast you didn’t have time to react, only watching as his fist began to rear back. A million scenarios run through your head in the seconds you brace yourself for impact. Funny enough, you’re more worried about Eddie. Because if you walk out of here with a black eye, you know there’s a possibility he’s going to jail for murder. Fully admitting to it, too.

It’s like slow motion as you watch his hand begin its descent towards you. Remembering what you read in a self defense book, you put your tongue at the roof of your mouth and clenched your teeth. Holding your breath, you wait.

But the blow doesn’t come.

“Henry!” you hear Missy’s sing song voice shout from your-- their bedroom. When you open your eyes, you see Henry frozen in place, crazed look in his eyes as his fist hovers next to his head. Your body tells you to move, in case he changes his mind. Run. Run. Run. 

But you’re more afraid of what he might do to her if you do. 

“Henry?” Her voice is closer now, and Henry jumps back. His eyes are on the hallway entrance as Missy waddles back into the kitchen.

“Oh, good you’re still here! I wanted to give you this,” she makes her way over to you, handing you a small envelope with your name on it in her handwriting.

“It’s an invitation!” she exclaims, waiting for you to take it. You stand there for a second, looking at Henry, whose face is unreadable at the moment, and then looking back to Missy. After a beat, you slowly take the envelope out of her hand. She claps excitedly when you do.

“Darling,” Henry’s tone is cautious as he addresses Missy. It reminds you of a zoo keeper approaching a lion in its cage. “That might not be a good idea.”

Her head tilts when she looks at him. “Why? You told me to invite whoever I wanted to the shower, Henry. I want her to come!”

What?

You open the little envelope, because there’s no way, right? This bitch didn’t just hand you an invitation to the baby shower for the baby of the man you’re still legally married to. Like you know she’s not the brightest, but this…

You bust out laughing as you read the card.

“This is a joke right? You’re just fucking with me to get a rise out of me, right,” you look at her incredulously.

“Huh? What do you mean,” she looks genuinely confused. It only makes you feel worse because she’s dead serious, and your hatred starts to morph into concern. Henry takes slow strides towards her, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. The delicacy in his movements is something foreign for him, at least to your eyes. 

“Missy, dear, it’s not… not in good taste to invite her.” The way he speaks to her is not what you imagined. You were expecting him to talk to her like a child, slow and condescending like he tried to do with you. But he didn’t.

“In good taste? Henry, you told me I should try and make more friends. So I’m trying to make friends. I know she’s a lot older than me, but you and me get along even though you’re almost my dad’s age.”

Every word out of her mouth gave you whiplash, like being on a rollercoaster. You didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at this point, so you decided it would be best to just leave.

“Um, I will…let you know if I can go…later,” you start to back out of the kitchen, “I should probably go now, though. So, um, Henry,” He looks over to you out of the corner of his eye. You were expecting disgust as he looked at you, but instead he seemed…dejected? 

“I’m assuming that we’ve come to an understanding?”

He’s still for a moment, his eyes drifting back to Missy, “I’ll have everything taken care of tomorrow.”

Relief washed over you, your body easing up after all that had transpired. You gave him a curt nod, then turned on your heels and booked it towards the door. 

Just as you were turning the handle, you hear Missy call your name. She hobbles her way to you, and you try not to cringe as she opens her arms to you.

“Thank you for coming by today!” She wraps her arms around you. You let her get it out of her system. “Feel free to come over any time. Henry told me I don’t have to work anymore, so I have a lot of free time if you ever wanna hang out. Oh, would you wanna go with me to look at baby clothes? There’s a store at the mall I’ve been wanting to go to but haven’t had the chance to go yet.”

Every fiber in your being wants to tell her to fuck off, but you just feel sympathy for her instead. At least you have friends. You know Nancy, Robin, Max-- shit, even Steve would be begging you to take him shopping for baby stuff if you and Eddie ever have a baby. 

This whole situation feels like a sick joke to test you. Is this what you had to deal with just to have the happy life you wanted?

“I--Missy, mmm,” you’re battling yourself as you speak, brain exhausted from the last hour, “Missy, you don’t have any family that can go with you? Friends?”

“I have family, yeah, but all my siblings are younger. My mom died a couple years ago, so I basically had to raise my siblings myself while my dad worked all the time,” she said the last part came out with mere annoyance. As if being forced to raise your siblings wasn’t something that could be extremely traumatizing for a person. “And my friends are all way smarter than me, so they went to college in other states. I miss them a lot, but most of them don’t call me anymore. Actually, none of them call me…”

Fuck.

“Okay, you know what, fine. I’ll do it,” you spit out, feeling disappointed in yourself for caving in to her sob story, “I’ll go with you. I have some friends, one of them who has a kid on the way, too, who could probably help you. I’ll, um, talk to them and give you a call.”

She’s quiet for a moment, until she suddenly bursts into tears. You panic, not sure what you said wrong, until she trusts herself onto you again, hard belly pressing into yours as she hugs you. Her tears wet the corner of your shirt, and you pat her on the back. Looking up, you see Henry watching the interaction from down the hall. He shakes his head before going back into the kitchen.

“Oh, thank god,” Eddie yells from the car, pacing on the grass next to the sidewalk with a cigarette in his mouth, “I was about to call Hopper if you didn’t come out in the next ten minutes.”

You didn’t say anything, still trying to process everything that just transpired. You get a sick feeling in your stomach when you think about it too hard, so you just let yourself fall into Eddie, burying your face in his chest. Tossing his cigarette since he knows you don’t like the smell of the smoke, he wraps you up tight, kissing the top of your head. 

“Do we need to stop at the store for some treats on the way home? I’ll get your favorites,” his words wash over you like a waterfall of comfort, “And we can stop and get a couple movies. Maybe bother Robin and El for a little bit while they work?”

You smile against Eddie’s chest, remembering that everything you’re doing was because of him. When you look up at him, he wastes no time smooching you all over your face. He lets you vent to him in the car, not interrupting as you give him the play by play. You leave out the near miss with Henry, not wanting to stress Eddie out more. He already hated Henry enough as it is.

“Are you actually gonna take her to the mall,” Eddie looks at you with an open mouth smile, the whole situation with Missy just tickling him as you go on.

“Ugh, I feel like I should. I don’t know,” you groan, “What do you think?”

“Well, I want to say that you’re being too nice to the girl who was the downfall to your marriage. But,” he crosses his arms with a shrug, “I’m on her team because she’s technically the reason we’re together. Don’t do anything that would make you uncomfortable, but if you think it’s something that you can handle, go for it.”

Tears soak the front of your shirt as it covers your face, your body shaking silently as you lay curled into a ball on the couch. Eddie had fallen asleep hours ago, but you couldn’t. You were in your head, dissecting everything about your interaction with Henry. It all started when you started to feel guilt for leaving Missy there, knowing that Henry could be violent if he wanted to. But then you started thinking about how he acted around her. The softness in his touch, his gentle voice. He wasn’t even that sweet with you in the beginning of your relationship. 

The fact that he told her to make friends after convincing you to push all your friends away really got to you. Because he knew that if you told your friends the things he did to you that they would tell you to leave him. But he was encouraging her to make friends. Was he not abusing her like he did you? It didn’t seem like it. Missy might not be the brightest, but she also doesn’t seem like the type to not let it slip if Henry were to do something to her. 

But then you have to ask why is it different with her? Why did you never get his soft touch, his gentle voice? Was it just because she was pregnant? Did he even love you? 

“Sweetheart?”

Eddie’s voice startled you. The click of the lamp had you rushing to wipe away any evidence of your crying, but the sting of the fabric against your swollen eyes only confirmed that you were a mess. Eddie drops to his knees in front of the couch, face level with yours so you can see the way his eyebrows are pinched with concern.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong, princess?” His hand caresses your cheek, thumb wiping away any straggling tears. You take a deep breath in, trying to regain your composure, but when you think about speaking your thoughts out loud your throat goes dry. The sadness bubbles up again, you can feel the damn ready to break the longer he looks at you with those big, brown sympathetic eyes. 

Without a word you watch through clouded vision as Eddie stands and walks back down the hall.

Oh, no. This is it. 

He’s finally realized that you have too much baggage. That he’s made a mistake and he’s gone to pack his bags to leave. He’ll tell you he’s going to Steve’s to let you cool off, and then he’ll call the next day and say that things aren’t going to work out after all.

And you wouldn’t blame him. You knew that there was no way someone as broken and unlovable as you would ever deserve someone like him. You should have told him no when he asked you to marry him. It’s for the best-

“Are you able to get up?” 

You blink away tears. You hadn’t even noticed that Eddie had walked back into the room. When you don’t respond after a moment, you feel his arms slip under your knees and shoulders, hoisting you up and pulling you into him. The sound of water running gets louder as he takes you down the hall, and when he pushes the bathroom door open with his foot, you realize that he’s filling up the bathtub, the only light coming from two candles sitting on the inner edge of the tub. He lowers you down, sitting you on the edge of the tub so he can test the temperature of the water with his hand.

“Is it okay if I undress you?” He asks as he wipes his hand off on the towel he’s set aside for you. You nod, still in a bit of shock at the tenderness he’s giving you. In the back of your mind you know that you shouldn’t be, that this is absolutely something he would do for you. But you’re still in the headspace that you’d learn to escape to when you were with Henry. You can’t comprehend being deserving of his kindness.

Every touch and manipulation of your body as he undresses you feels like he’s taking another layer from your body. Layers of guilt, shame, self hatred. Peeling away the last bit of shed that stuck to you from the bad conditions of the habitat you lived in for almost 10 years. He takes his hand in yours, admiring your ring, your new ring, that he gave you as a promise to love you for the rest of his life. A promise that you’ve heard before, but you wanted nothing more for it to be real this time. 

“Will you get in with me?” You don’t look at him, eyes on his hand that holds yours. But you hear him grin, a hum of satisfaction as he stands. 

“God, I thought you’d never ask,” he says as he pulls off his clothes with haste. You can’t help but giggle as he struggles getting his foot out of the leg of his sweatpants. His face lights up at the sounds of your laughter. He bends down to give you a kiss, soft and sweet, taking that last bit of sadness with him when he parts. 

November 10th, 1996

“Dustin’s house is in this neighborhood,” Eddie says as you drive slowly down the street, the both of you keeping an eye out for a “For Sale” sign. The realtor you’d been working with called you at six in the morning that day to tell you that this house had just gone on sale and it was yours and Eddie’s dream house. She had said the same thing about the 3 other houses she’d shown you, but to her defense you were being extremely picky. After being the only one to clean the house for as long as you did, you knew what was easy to maintain and what you absolutely weren’t willing to deal with. Eddie thankfully was on the same page after making it his responsibility to keep the 4 bedroom, 6 bathroom Harrington house in ship shape for the entire year he had lived there. So a single level home with at least 3 bedrooms was enough for the both of you.

“Awe, it would be nice to live close by for when he comes home to visit,” you’re taking in the other houses in the neighborhood as Eddie drives, trying to gather ideas for how you might decorate the front of your future home. 

“Being closer to Claudia would be nice, too,” he says as you slow to a stop at an intersection, “It would be easier to just walk to her house to mow the lawn instead of running across town.”

Driving a few more blocks down, the sale sign finally comes into view, your realtor’s minivan that you’ve come to recognize over the last month parked in the driveway. You pull in next to it, and immediately you’re happy to see a two car garage. The house looks promising from the outside, too. Dark brick, a small covered porch that could fit two chairs, a decent front yard with some space where you can plant some flowers; you could feel yourself getting excited and you hadn’t even left the car yet. Eddie opened your door, giving you a look as he holds his hand out for you to take it.

“What,” you match your smile to his, “why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m not looking at you like anything,” he keeps your hand in his as you close the car door.

“Whatever, Munson,” you tease, the two of you walking to the doorway of the house.

The door opens before you can even knock, Chrissy standing on the other side of the exterior glass door. You can tell by the look on her face that she’s very excited to show you the house, hands on her belly bump as she shuffles back and forth giddily. 

“Come in, come in,” she squeals as she pushes the door open, stepping to the side for Eddie and you to enter. “I watched you from the window and I can already tell this is the one. As soon as I saw the porch I knew you’d love it. But once I got to look around in here, I’m willing to bet you’re going to want to put an offer in.”

From what you can see from the doorway you were already impressed. The open concept living room and dining room was just big enough that you wouldn’t feel cramped, but not too big that you would hate to clean it. The large window brought in lots of light, making you think back to Eddie’s comment about house plants. Maybe it wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities.

As she showed you around the house more, you were checking off things on your list of needs at every turn. Three spacious bedrooms, master bathroom and a walk in closet, kitchen with an island. The backyard was even fenced in, and you were already mentally mapping how you would set up a garden. Everything was perfect for you, and the look on Eddie’s face makes you think it’s perfect for him, too.

“So,” Chrissy places elbows on the counter, looking at the both of you with big, blue eyes, “Are we putting the offer in today or what?”

Eddie looks at you with wide eyes and a toothy grin, his hand gives yours a squeeze. Your heart flutters at his eagerness. The three of you talk about putting in an offer. Of course there had to be a catch, which was the asking price being ten thousand more than your budget, but Chrissy said that the owners were out of state and just trying to get rid of the property so they didn’t have to keep maintaining it. After deciding on a price, you and Eddie go out to Benny’s afterwards to celebrate.

“Eddie, the house isn’t even ours yet,” you say as you listen to him go on about turning the garage into his music area for him and the boys to play.

“Yet,” he emphasizes, “I bet we’ll be in there before Christmas. Shit, maybe before Thanksgiving if they’ll let us. Not like they need to get anything out of there.”

“We’d still need to get furniture,” you’re trying to play devil’s advocate, mostly to keep from getting your hopes up.

“We can get furniture. And it’s not like you don’t have the essentials at the apartment. We don’t have to make everything perfect on day one.”

“Ugh, I hate when you’re right,” you lean back in your seat, failing at keeping your excitement at bay. “It’s a good thing we ran into Chrissy and James at the mall.”

“Jason,” he corrects as he shovels fries in his mouth, “and me, too. Didn’t think I’d ever be happy to run into Jason Carver again, but I guess fatherhood can change a man.”

“Or, maybe you were both just stupid teenagers back then, and now you’re in your thirties and more mature.”

“You callin’ me old, Mrs. Munson?” The two of you have only been engaged for four months but that didn’t stop him from thinking you were already his wife.

“So old,” you say sarcastically, “That’s why I’m only marrying you for your money.”

“I knew it,” he dropped his fork on the table, over exaggerating his reaction as he feigned outrage.

“Well, that’s not entirely true,” you grin, “There is another thing I’m marrying you for.” You look at him through your lashes, biting your bottom lip. He drops his act when he understands what you’re getting at, leaning in close to you over the table.

“Just so you know, I thought about how I was going to fuck you in every room of that house.”

You felt heat rush immediately to your cheeks, shifting in your seat slightly. 

“I’m having a hard time imagining it, maybe you need to show me what exactly you’d do to me.”

And show you he did.

November 27th, 1996

Eddie thrusts into you from behind, his weight against your back as he presses you into the mattress beneath him. You were still coming down from your own orgasm just moments before when his movements began to falter. His moans in your ear are accompanied with the feeling of his cum filling you up inside for the third time tonight.

Thank god you have the next five days off for Thanksgiving break. There were still piles of boxes to unpack in your new home, but Eddie was determined to christen every room in the house and you were sure you’d need a few days to recover at the rate he was going, jumping you as soon as Steve and Robin left. 

He pulls out of you with a hiss. Hands still on your ass, he watches his cum begin to dribble out of you. “Can’t have that,” he chuckles, and you feel his thumb push the spend back into you, making you shutter. 

“Eddie,” you say with warning before he got any ideas. His thumb leaves you, but he gives your ass a smack before jumping off the bed. You’re envious of the stamina he has. 

He returns from the kitchen with a drink for you, laughing at the position you’ve put yourself in.

“Hey, Chrissy said it works,” you say with your pillow propped under your ass and your feet crossed pointing towards the ceiling, “and they’re about to have their fifth kid so I don’t wanna hear it.”

“Sorry, sorry,” he sets the glass on your bedside table next to a half unpacked box that he had distracted you in the middle of unpacking,“I’m not gonna argue with that. You want me to hold your legs for you, Mrs. Munson?”

“No, thank you,” you pat his side of the bed, “Just want you to lay with me, please.”

He trots to his side of the bed, plopping next to you on the mattress. He gives you a quick peck on the cheek before he mirrors you, crossing his legs and pointing them towards the ceiling.

“Alright, how long do we have to do this for?”

You roll your eyes at him, “At least 20 minutes.”

“Jesus Christ, 20 minutes? I’m already feeling the burn over here,” he puts his hands behind his thighs, determined to wait it out with you.

The two of you finally get settled under the covers, Eddie’s arms wrapped around you, his hands rubbing circles into your back. You bury your head in his chest to block the moonlight bleeding between the blinds, regretting not putting up the blinds before Eddie got to you. The up and down of his chest as he breathes is making your eyes feel heavy, sleep begins to take over you. 

“I love you.” 

His voice was low, quiet. Just for you to hear. 

You knew he meant it. Because he’s shown you his soft voice. His gentle touch. He’s shown you what love is supposed to feel like, not what you’ve been conditioned to believe it is. Every kiss on your face when you’re anxious and every sweet caress of your body when you’re writhing under him. Every fight that has had the both of you steaming where he puts your hand in his because he doesn’t want to go to bed mad. The way he talks about your future, where the both of you have grey in your hair and his mind wanders, only remembering your face

“I love you, too.”

[bluetooththereptile]

Black Robin

(Yandere Tim drake x twin brother reader x yandere Bruce Wayne)

( English is not my first language so I apologize for any mistakes in the following text.)

Note: I couldn't resist making this, Tim's personality and also Bruce's possessiveness to his adoptive children and sometimes his cold indifference are ripe for making agnst and a good fic!

Summary: Your stubbornness ends tonight, and Bruce will make sure of that.

Tw: mentions of abuse

"Are you out of your mind?!"  you were taken aback by Tim's shout, your eyes widening behind your mask slightly. The always composed and nervous Tim was now yelling at you, well, this was new. You shifted on your feet in the dark place, sighing as you crossed your arms on your chest, trying to not groan since the bruise on your chest hurt to the touch. "Please just spare these words" you grunted, but your response only made Tim more livid, and he took a hold of your jacket, pulling you closer to him "You will come home with me!" He hissed "And that's final!"

You pushed Tim away with a scoff "Woha...easy right there bro, slow down, I'm not coming back, not after finally finding the place I deserve!" Tim couldn't help but let out a forced bitter chuckle "Deserve? Look at you! You're all bruised and battered, wearing a cheap leather jacket and military pants, and your only gadget is probably comms, you are dragging yourself around without proper care and you call it a deserving place?! Is your hatred for me that strong?"

You rolled your eyes, groaning, dear God how many of these conversations you've had already with him? Probably close to a thousand times. "Look, bro, I'm an adult, I can make my own decisions-" "Don't bro me!" Tim's voice echoed in the dark empty alleyway, after the joint mission of Batman and Midnighter, Tim finally after a whole year of not facing you had dragged you away so you could talk.

"I could understand your frustration and anger, I could have tried to make things right, I knew you were by the fact that you were not chosen as the Robin, I can understand that you didn't get enough attention and you wanted to be a hero yourself, but you couldn't leave just like that!" Pushing Tim away from you, you finally snapped "Wait a damn minute!" You took your mask off so you could talk to him properly. Approaching him you looked deep into his eyes, looking at your reflection in them and Tim winced a little at the hint of smoke on your lips, his brows furrowing as he realized what you had been smoking before the mission. You then sighed and looked away, looking down at the puddle of water on the ground. Damn, you were indeed bruised up, you were still a rookie and the hero responsible for you, Midnighter truthfully didn't have many rules for you to follow, just do the things and get them done by any means necessary, I don't care, which meant you had to do everything yourself, ending up as an official mess. In the past year, you had strained yourself so much that you couldn't recognize yourself in the mirror anymore.

Sure you were Tim's identical twin, you looked nearly the same, minus the eyes of course, but you had changed from that, your body had bulked up under the pressure of constant training under Midnighter's eyes and the diet of protein bars, you didn't have time to eat so you had to resort to those, you had forgotten the taste of normal food, yet you refused to complain. The only reason that Midnighter had taken you in was your stubbornness and willpower, no one wanted to take Batman's boy in when the old bat didn't like the idea of it, you had to prove him you were worth taking in. You had to cut your hair short to cut out the water bills, oh right, he didn't pay for you either, you had to work your ass off to make some money for yourself, you just hated working at fast food joints, sometimes you wanted to serve some Karens some of those knuckle sandwiches Midnighter gave you when you messed up. Around your eyes were still smudged with the smoky eye makeup your new friends had put on you for last night's concert, personal hygiene was sort of out of the window for you, but you still kept pushing. You were a mess, but still an independent mess out of Tim's shadow.

"I chose this path and I'm happy with it! It's none of your business anymore!" You finally spoke, "Oh so all of a sudden when you are 18 you can do whatever the hell you want?" Tim sighed as he crossed his arms "Yeah?" You answered, "We both know Bruce had only let you go just to make you realize your place is with the family!" Tim's response wasn't that farfetched, you knew Bruce was capable enough to drag your sulking ass back to the Manor but he had chosen not to, why? You weren't sure, perhaps it was because he wanted to punish you for being too rebellious, the thought made you shudder.

"Whatever..." you waved your hand in the air "You know that I don't want to go back from this path" Tim scoffed "Oh? Being the "Black Robin" is that good?" He teased you about your name, making you let out a soft groan in irritation. Midnighter was mistaken as Batman and now you, as his sidekick, was the black Robin, another mistaken identity, well you did look like Tim, just larger in muscle mass. "Yes, it's better than being compared to you all the time!" You snapped at your twin, making his lips turn into a frown. You had hit a nerve, well it was progress.

"You were always the one that was better, you were the Robin and then the Red Robin, while I had to train harder and harder, watching you get all the attention while I was just there!" You continued "You know it's not true, Bruce adopted you as well, you are still his son! You were not chosen as Robin because he wanted someone more...smart..." You rolled your eyes at that, you had heard all of those excuses so many times, you wanted something more out of your life, and you had decided to get something out of it one way or another.

When Tim was adopted you had dragged along him, but since Bruce needed help, he examined you both but he found Tim more fitting for the role. At first, you were happy for your brother, but as time progressed on, that feeling turned into resentment, Tim was the nervous smart brother, always getting the attention of others, especially Bruce, while you pushed yourself to your limits, yet since you were more capable than your brother, Bruce thought of you more of a pillar of trust for Tim while he wasn't there, but you wanted more, you wanted his attention, his fucking love, you wanted to feel like a true son, so if he didn't want to pay you attention, you'd rebel, and you did it on your 18th birthday, and your life had become a hellish arena after that, but you still kept pushing, unknowingly digging your own grave.

Your bickering with Tim was interrupted by a loud bang, and before you could react Midnighter had been thrown over two buildings, his landing making a hole into the wall close to you and your twin. Who... who had done that?! Who could do that to the superhuman clad in black? Oh no...The soft thud onto the ground and that familiar presence...oh no no no no...it was the big bat himself.

"Shit," you and Tim said in union "language" Bruce's stern voice made you clamp your lips close, you hadn't seen him like that before, his gaze burying deep into your wide eyes as he approached you with that imposing figure. "Black Robin" your hero's name rolled onto his tongue with a dark tone. "How fitting" he continued before he suddenly reached out and grabbed you by your jaws, making your mouth open.

You were too afraid to talk, you knew he wouldn't listen even if you wanted to talk "Three teeth..." Bruce hummed, before tightening his grip, making you let out a soft groan of pain "Cracked jaw..." he added "Muscle tissue of your left eyelid is hurt, your ear is broken and this is just for the head..." he hissed "I had warned him before to not touch any of my boys..." he let go of you but his hand moved to take a hold of your jacket as he looked down at you.

"Malnourished and still high on drugs, what was he thinking?!" He growled before looking up at you again, he leaned closer as he took a sniff of you, his grip tightening even more "And you've been smoking...it's the same brand as he does..."

"B-bat-" "Silence..." Bruce snapped at you, "Being mistaken for me is one thing I can sort of tolerate, but stealing my boy from me is something I can not overlook...look at you Y/N!..." he pulled you closer to him "You are on the path of self-destruction! You are no superhuman, you are a young one in need of care!" Your throat dried up as he spoke, you knew the consequences of your actions were creeping to get closer to you.

Bruce's heart ached at your sight, he shouldn't have let you go, he had thought no one would take you in and within a month you'd be back into his arms, begging for forgiveness and he'd punish you lightly. You reminded him so much of himself, that was why he didn't want you to get into the world of heroes, yet his worst nightmare had happened and you had plunged into the worst scenario head first like a mad bull.

"You're coming home with us" Bruce's words were final as he took you in "H-hey!" You wanted to pull away but his hold was too strong, he didn't bat an eye at your struggles "You need stitches and a new set of teeth, and when you are ready enough, I'll whip you into the right shape of the Black Robin..." his last words made your shudder in fear, he was angry, but deep down, a small part of you was happy that your dad had finally come for you.

You were strapped into the Batmobile and Tim sat close to you, holding onto your arm tightly, you felt something tug on your heart, that look in his eyes, you knew that too well, you were just minutes older than him but he still looked up at you as his older brother, perhaps you'd reconsider your decision and give in...perhaps...only time could tell. 

[starry-bi-sky]

Part SEVEN of "Clone Danny"

Red Robin, Danny recognizes, steps away from him as he sits up. "My name is Phantom," he signs, blinking the exhaustion out of his eyes. (From Red Robin's perspective, it looks like he has no eyes. There lacks his signature green glow.) "I'm not a gang member, just an out-of-town vigilante."

Red Robin frowns at him, an uncertain grip on the bō in his other hand. "Phantom?" He repeats, no lacking amount of suspicion in his voice. "How can I believe that?"

Right. Yeah, okay, that's fair. Danny shrugs at him, and slumps against the wall. "Google search?" He gestures, he's been out in the daytime before and he's seen the news articles about him.

Red's eyes narrow at him and Danny simply draws his knees up and faceplants into them, half-listening to Red's murmurs into his comm while also trying to get some extra-shut eye.

("Oracle, can you pull up anything on a vigilante named Phantom? The guy here is claiming to be one." Tim says.

"On it."

"Is this Phantom wearing a white mask?" Bruce asks, his voice gruff like an aftershock. "There's a vigilante who shares the same name, but he resides in Illinois."

"Is this guy from that Amity city you visited ages ago?" Says Tim, before shaking his head. "Don't answer that. Yes, he's wearing some freaky mask. I said it reminded me of Hood's helmet for a reason."

"I've got something," Oracle interrupts, "Bats' right. as usual. The Phantom of Amity Park, not much stuff of this guy but he's only been out for over a year. Apparently, his rogues' gallery consists of ghosts."

"Oh great.")

"Look tell the Batman that I'm sorry for trespassing on his turf," He signs irritably when Red Robin eventually starts talking to (re: interrogating) him again. "It's not like I want to be here."

"How did you get in Gotham anyways?" Red Robin questions, batman was on his way to help deal with the situation but Tim doubted he wouldn't get caught up on the way with dealing with petty crime. "Your turf is nearly a thousand miles away from here."

"Two words." Danny deadpans, "Teleport ghost." (Red Robin winces sympathetically.) "I'm keeping this bastard in the thermos for a month for this alone."

(Danny was ignoring the slow-choking anxiety growing in his lungs over how he was gonna get home. He never takes his phone when he goes out, the risk of breaking it was too high. He had no way of contacting anyone to get him home.)

(He swallows the growing lump in his throat, and buries the feeling in the back of his mind.)

"Thermos?"

Danny unclips his Fenton Phantom Thermos off from his belt loop and shows it to Red Robin. "My ghost-catching device," He says with one hand, tilting it carefully for Red to inspect. "I wish I could say I made it, but its a FentonWorks invention."

(He wasn't sure if it was a smart idea to say who it belonged to, but saying it wasn't his probably loosened up any tracks on him, right?)

"Do you work with these Fentons, then?" Red asks, and something dark and shadowy flickers from the corner of Danny's eye. He glances over, and sees nothing, and his hackles raise.

(Either that was Batman, or a ghost, or Danny's mind playing tricks on him. He couldn't feel his ghost sense building in his throat, so he decided it was either the latter of the former.)

Danny snorts, quiet and gruff. "No." He clips his thermos to his belt again, stifling a smile on his face. "The Fentons hate me actually, I prevent them from catching ghosts themselves. Their son gives me their tech."

He had a cover story, so he might as well stick with it, right?

Batman shows up at that moment, appearing atop the little roof where the door is, and giving Danny a heart attack when he speaks in his low, rumbly voice like thunder rolling in, "Why would they hate you for that?"

Danny shoots up to his feet with a startled yell in his throat, clutching his chest as he whirls around and looks up. He nearly runs into Red Robin, and signs a few choice swears at the Bat.

"wow you're scarier in person, asshole."

"you didn't answer my question."

"Of course I didn't, you scared me." and Danny takes a trembling step back when the Batman jumps down and lands on the roof in front of him. He's faced ghosts before, but somehow the living is always scarier.

"But, um, the reason is a bit.. complicated, I guess." He says, fingers beginning to shake as his adrenaline wears off. God is he tired. He wants to go home. "The Fentons are the local ghost hunters and local crazies. I don't know if I can call them mad scientists because they're harmless to the living."

"But they're extremely anti-ghost. I've heard from their son multiple times the very unethical things they would do to ghosts if they got their hands on one."

Danny 'talks' a little more before calling it quits, even telling Batman that he can't tell him more without putting his identity at risk.

Plus, its getting harder and harder to hide his bone-deep exhaustion and his growing fear of being stranded in the most dangerous city in America with no way home.

"I would love to tell you more, believe me I'm dying to." Danny signs, shaky sarcasm dripping from his fingers. His hands are visibly trembling and he's withholding a slowly growing panic attack. "But I would like nothing more than to figure out a way to get home."

"Do you have no one to contact?"

"Sort of. But only one of them could probably come get me and get me back to Amity by sunrise. And I have no phone."

That one person being Ellie.

=====

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 4.5 (Dani interlude) Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 7.5 (Dan Interlude) Part 8

Taglist: @the-navistar-carol @thought-u-said-dragon-queen @gin2212 @youracearocroatneighbour @luckybyrdrobyn @deeplyconfusedbear @epilepticnerd @beautifulmomenttodrawblank @sara0055 @blusunkhild @letmesayfuxk (?) @latheevening226 @tkiesai @rosedasy @meira-3919

[blushweddinggowns]

Eddie didn’t even remember falling asleep. One second he was cradling the love of his life and the next his phone was blaring by his ear, forcing his eyes open.

That wasn’t even right, it was too loud to be his phone. It was two loud shrieking noises, bad enough to wake them both up. Steve blinked up at him, seemingly just as confused on how they’d gotten here as Eddie was.

Emotional exhaustion was a hell of a drug.

He didn’t know how long they were asleep for when he grabbed his phone, sleepily answering, “Hello?”

“Where the hell have you been?!” Chrissy’s voice greeted him, “I have been hiding in a damn airport bathroom for forty minutes! Like three people have already recognized me and I swear to God, if you aren’t here before that catches on-”

Fuck, “Shit, I’m so sorry, I’m on the way. Forty minutes, tops.”

“That doesn’t answer where you’ve been.”

Eddie glanced over at Steve, watching as he answered his own phone, “Steve came by and we talked.”

“He did?” Chrissy asked, on the edge of hopeful, “What did he say?”

“Well-”

“You SAID you would call me if it worked out! And did you call? No! You didn’t! Nancy and I are literally circling his apartment building because for all I know he could have killed you-”

Eddie watched, amused as Steve scrambled to take his phone off speaker. He tried to calm her down, “Robin, I’m fine. I’m sorry, we just got distracted.”

Eddie could still hear her yelling on the other end, muffled but still clear enough, “And how the hell would I know you’re fine? You had one job Steven, one!”

“Eddie? You there?” Chrissy voice asked, one more added to the madness, “Don’t leave me on a cliffhanger here! What happened?”

But Eddie’s mind was already wandering. As much as he loved Chrissy, leaving Steve here wasn’t high on his list of priorities. There was still a lot to talk about and shoving his best friend into his face after they just made up probably wasn’t a great call. But Robin was right outside.

His mind settled on an idea, it was a little out there but Eddie was selfish enough to try. Besides, if Chrissy hated it he could just take Steve along. He was going to meet her eventually anyway.

“I’ll tell you everything,” Eddie reassured, still half-listening to Steve’s conversation, “But things are still kind of fresh. How would you feel about someone else picking you up from the airport?”

“Who?”

“Steve’s sister?” Eddie tried, fully ready for her to call him crazy. He’d have to give her that one. He did technically make her fly all the way out here just to try and ditch her at the airport.

But Chrissy didn’t sound very put out. If anything she sounded curious, “Wait, you mean the girl from the pictures?”

Eddie narrowed his eyes at the plural, “I only sent you one picture.”

The silence that followed told him everything he needed to know, “Have you been stalking this girl’s instagram?”

“I-no? Wait a sec, I’m not the one on trial here! Don’t interrogate me!”

Eddie rolled his eyes, but he’d give it to her, “But you’re open to the idea?”

“If you can guarantee I won’t be kidnapped and murdered maybe.”

“Fair enough,” Eddie said, turning to nudge Steve, “Hey baby, can you ask Robin a weird question?”

“Eddie wants to know if you’ll pick up Chrissy Cunningham from the airport,” Steve immediately asked. Evidently, Eddie hadn’t been the only one eavesdropping, “As long as you promise not to kidnap and/or murder her. But I’m going to add drooling too. Neither of you can make her uncomfortable, got it?”

It was kind of impressive how easily Steve turned that conversation around, like he knew exactly what Robin was going to say. Probably because he did.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, yes! We’ll do it!” Eddie heard from the other line, from what sounded like two separate voices, “But can you warn her we’re fans? We can only act so normal for so long. But we can keep a secret! We won’t like expose her or anything!”

Steve rolled his eyes, “All you have to do is drive her to her hotel. You can handle it for that long.”

“I’m paying for your hotel by the way,” Eddie said on his end, “And warning her and her girlfriend are both fans.”

“Damn right you’re paying for it,” Chrissy agreed, “I still have your credit card from the last time you were here. And uh, you said they’re both fans? Nancy too?”

Eddie paused, “Just how deep into the cyberstalking hole did you go with these people?”

“J-Just give me her number! I’ll let you know when I get there. Then you owe me every detail the second you are officially back together.”

Eddie bit his tongue, as he glanced over at Steve. He was running a hand through his hair, trying and failing to calm down the still screeching duo. Yeah, he was going to take one more day with him.

“I will,” Eddie promised, “When we figure it all out you’re the first stop. We’re coming straight to you, okay?”

“Good,” Chrissy said, appeased, “Enjoy him alone while you can.”

“I will. Thank you, Chrissy,” Eddie said, completely sincere, “For coming all the way out here for my dumbass. I love you, dude. See you soon.”

“Love you too.”

He hung up around the same time Steve did.

“I feel like we just started something,” Steve yawned as he laid right back down, “But I don’t know what.”

From the latest chapter of this fic

[sp0o0kylights]

Steve And Robin Are Stuck in A Timeloop AU 

Steve's lost track of which time loop this is.

Had lost track pretty much instantly, because it turns out when people die repeatedly in front of you, it kinda takes precedence in your memory. 

Besides, Robin has a list in her head, memorized via some kind of musical code, alongside all the dates and times they wake up in. 

(Steve doesn't see what difference it makes if they wake up at 7:15 am the day of the Championship or 8:25 am, but Robin's insistent that even the slightest variations could mean something.) 

He’ll have to ask his soulmate when he finds her though, because presently Steve has determined they're having one of their weirder loops.

Typically, when the two of them get kicked back in time, they wake up the day of the Championship game. Occasionally it will be the day right before or the day after, but sometimes? 

Sometimes they’re sent back someplace, some time, that isn’t related to 1986 at all. 

Thus far, the Starcourt loop had been the worst. 

("If it happens a third time I'm killing myself." Steve had told Robin after they’d failed that one. 

Robin didn’t even look at him, the two of them huddled up together in Steve’s bed. "No you're not Dingus, not without shooting me first."

"How come I have to shoot you!? Is it because I'm a man? That's not very feminist of you."

"No its because you've seen me shoot, I would miss!") 

Steve had even woken up in an odd place. Not his bed or the couch, but the driver's seat of the Beamer, seated in the high school parking lot.  

It made him immediately uneasy. 

The chair is reclined all the way back, the mass of cars indicating it was a school day. Steve struggled to recall when he's ever taken a nap in his car as he got out of it, trying to decide how he wanted to go about things. 

Felt his pocket and was surprised to find it full of a packet of smokes. 

The sheer implication of that had him pulling out a cig and lighting it before the knowledge that he'd officially quit buying his own cigarettes in 1985 sank in.

Panicked and chainsmokes three, before deciding his best course of action was his usual one. 

Find Robin. 

Which of course means that he found Eddie instead. 

xxx

He’d started his first lap, walking out if the parking lot and round to the more shaded, empty parts of the building when a voice he knew yelled. 

The kind of yell he’d grown intimately familiar with, the one Eddie used when he was terrified and using anger to hide it. 

Steve turns automatically, following the taunts and loud, pained breathing until he finds a handful of jocks encircling the metalhead. He's down on one knee, snarling like a wildcat caught in a trap while some guy Steve barely recognizes holds him by the hair, laughing. 

Red coats his vision instantly, and any thoughts Steve had about being stuck in time (sort of) vanish from his mind entirely. 

The world shrinks down, to that white knuckled grip on Eddie's hair, the way it’s pulling the older boy’s face up so that Steve can see the straining muscles in his throat. 

The protective creature that lives in his chest and likes to punch it’s way out of problems awakens, and a thrum goes through Steve as he feels its demand for blood. 

"Hey fellas " Steve calls joyfully, striding directly into the crowd. "What’re we doing?" 

Two part before him like fish seeing a shark,and a faraway inner voice identifies them as members of the swim team. 

Which likely meant the other two were football players, and for all the tackling they did they were surprisingly easy to scare, if you knew how to play it right. 

Steve absolutely knew how to play it right. 

"Fuck off Harrington. This isn't your business." The one holding Eddie's hair spits. 

"Well that would be where you're wrong." Steve was still keeping things conversational as he positioned himself, arms nice and loose at his sides. He lets the thing that lives inside him, who made him turn right back around all those years ago and charge back into the Byers house, out a little more. Feels the need to protect, to save, to destroy the things that are his, fuel him.  "Seeing as all of Eddie's business is my business."

Eddie stares up at him, wide eyed at the declaration. 

Feeling entirely out of control of his body, Steve sends him a wink. 

"Since when!?" The other football player asks. 

"Since now." Steve declares cheerfully--and then smiles. 

It isn’t a nice smile. 

Thoroughly unnerved, his swim team members shrink back. He’ll have words for them later if he has time--Steve can't ever recall the swim team members being dicks but who fucking knows. 

His memory wasn't the best before he and Robin got stuck in time. 

"You fucking into drugs now or wha--" Their ringleader, still holding onto Eddie by the hair, doesn't get to finish his sentence.

Mostly because his mouth is too busy catching Steve's fist. 

Fighting, he knows, is something he does best when it's too the death and he's armed with something. 

Bonus points if his opponent is a horrific monster from another dimension. 

He has gotten better though, and here the rapid pace he sets feels almost too easy. 

The first guy goes down on the ground before the rest pick up on it, giving Eddie time to lurch backwards as Steve turns and torpedoes into the next jock. 

This one gets in a good shot--Steve staggers with a blow to his side but it's not enough to wind him. He keeps to his feet and advances, delivering one more punch before the swim team guys are trying to call him off. 

"Come on man, you're gonna kill them!" 

Steve almost laughs-- he hasn't come close to killing either idiot-- but backs away, keeping himself between them and Eddie. 

They wave their hands, getting ahold of their bloodied friends as they slowly ease between them and Steve. Make apologizes and promises that it was a poor joke, Munson just got to them, hot heads you know? 

Steve snarls at them to fuck off, and glares until they're gone. 

"What the hell just happened?" Eddie asks him, and Steve turns to find him on his feet, leaning heavily against the brick wall of the school. 

As far as he can get away from Steve. 

"Our football quarterback can't hit for shit." Steve informs him, having finally placed an least one of the guys. "It's probably why we always lose." 

Eddie gives him such a freaked out face it almost makes him laugh a second time.

The effect isn't helped by the fact that Eddie's normally long mane is hovering just over his shoulders, the curls somehow poofier than normal. Clearly he’s still trying to grow it out, but it just makes him look like one of those frazzled dogs. 

Adorable. 

On instinct Steve reaches out to playfully pull a few strands, then freezes when Eddie flinches from him. 

"Sorry." He keeps his hands up, as he takes in Munson's face. "Shit dude, he got your nose good." 

There's blood smeared under it, and given the look of the skin surrounding it? 

Eddie's gonna have an impressive bruise soon enough. 

Steve gets a glare sent his way. "Why do you care?" Eddie spits, back very much still up, and-- right. 

Right. 

Time travel. 

"I'm really bad at explaining it." Steve warns, running a hand through his hair. He did this part plenty without Robin (meeting Eddie that was--Robs usually tackled Nancy.) But he also typically did in it 1986, and with at least three of the kids, not whenever they currently were. 

"We usually start with facts only you'd know, but I don't actually know when I am right now." He finishes, and realizes immediately that it doesn’t make a lick of sense. 

"When you are?" Eddie asks, because of course he clocks that part immediately. 

"Ye--eah." Steve says, dragging out the word. 

He looks at Eddie desperately, like the metalhead will tell him the exact information he needs. 

Eddie just stares back. 

"Look, it sounds really stupid when you say it out loud." Steve says finally, because fuck, it does!

"Comparable to all the other times you talk out loud?" Eddie snips, voice full of venom. 

"Shut up.” Steve replies automatically, but his tone holds no heat. He’s too used to trading banter with Eddie that is friendly.  “I'm gonna preface this by saying I can prove it."

"Oh wow preface. Such a big word for you! Did Nancy Wheeler teach you that one?"

"Robin actually." Then, "Nancy?"

The look Eddie gives him could melt steel beams. "Yeah man. Nancy Wheeler. Your girlfriend." 

"Oh--oh god." Steve says, because that means they're way back. Possibly to the beginning. 

Or worse, before he and Nancy had broken up.

"I can’t handle that breakup a second time." He says wide eyed, the panic gripping him for a second. “I could-no, no I could get Robin to tell her!” 

Because that sure would work. 

Steve can just imagine it now. Robin, sauntering up to Nancy and going ‘Hey, we really haven’t met yet but you’re gonna dump Steve, if you haven’t already and to cut through all the drama, I’m here to just tell you on his behalf that it’s over. What was that? A coward? Why yes, he is one!’

You know, provided she didn’t just laugh in his face and then cuff him over the head when she realized he was being serious. 

“Dude.” Eddie says, sinking a world’s worth of judgment into the single syllable. 

“Yeah, you’re right, bad call.” Steve says, and whatever Eddie was expecting it clearly wasn’t that. 

“Are you on drugs right now?” Eddie finally asks when Steve reverts back to looking to him as if he’s going to help. A bad habit, and one Steve knows he needs to stop doing. 

Even if Eddie, in the original timeline and every one after they got him on board, eventually becomes someone Steve can rely on like that. 

“You can tell me if you are, man, you know I won’t judge.” The hateful air around him is fading into something more confused, and then into something else entirely. The persona Eddie pulls when he’s hurt and trying to hide it with jokes and rants. “Unless you and your buddies bought from someone that wasn’t me, in which case I get exclusive rights to judge.” 

He’s shifting as he finally stands up off the wall, and Steve doesn’t miss how he hugs one hand to a rib. 

Shit. 

He needs to get Eddie up to speed and he needs to do it fast.

Steve sighs and just starts listing Eddie Munson Facts like an unprepared kid who was called on in class. 

"Okay, so your uncle collects mugs, right? And--fuck I don't know when you get all the tattoos,” Steve makes a vague gesture around his chest, “but you have bats on your arm and you gave them all names." 

Eddie's eyes pop wide again, jaw slacking as Steve volleys off a few more Munson Facts. 

"You have this weird fear about red ribbon necklaces because of a book you read in third grade, your first guitar has this giant ugly--sorry dude, but you cannot write legibly to save your life, 'This machine slays dragons' quote across it and--oh!"

 He was so fucking stupid. The answer was literally staring at him in the face, dangling around Eddie's neck. 

Steve snapped his fingers excitedly. "The guitar pick on your neck is your moms!"

Eddie’s mouth open and closes like a fish, long enough that the smile slowly slides off of Steve’s face.  

"How the fuck do you know all that?" He manages after a long, tortuous moment, looking like he’d been sucker punched. 

Again. 

With the most pained look his face can manage, Steve finally answers. "Time travel."

Eddie blinks.

Then blinks again. 

 "Time travel." He echoes faintly. 

"Yeah. I'm from 1986, where things kinda got really fucked up."

"No kidding?" Eddie says, right before he erupts into giggles. 

"Did they get you in the head?" Steve asks, abruptly concerned, as Eddie collapses back against the wall in a growing fit of laughter.  

Concussed Eddie was not a road he wanted to go down but Steve knew better than anyone what happens if you ignore such things. 

"I think my weed just hit." Eddie explains as he wipes away a tear, and Steve wants to shake him, but knows it won't get him anywhere. 

"That's great. That's just great."  He grumbles, hands going onto his hips. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"To get you a bandage. And then find Robin.” 

Robin, Steve decided, could handle a high, concussed Eddie.

[one-idea]

Hi! Just wanted to tell you i really like you reverse strawhats au and after you said that you planned on the crews meeting I started to think about what the reactions of the og crew would be so here are my hcs I guess you can tell me if you agree or not

Franky - would be fine a bit weirded out that iceburg here but wouldnt really question it until someone pointed out that it doesnt make sense

Ussop - freaking out that kaya is here in the middle a fight so his more worried about her well being than the logistic of her being here in the first place. The fact he is also excited to see her again after so long helps delay his realization

Nami - she is questioning how the fuck nojiko ended up here and she will mention it but will hold back the interrogation until after the dust has settled

Zoro - he just think its tashigi but then he notice she does not sound like tashigi or act like tashigi or fight like tashigi and then he see ace is here and starts to think theres some evil clone thing going on

Sanji - did reiju follow him? has she been following him the whole time? why is she here? did she come to help? did she not come to help? She is looking at him with a lot of emotion and is freaking him the fuck out

Robin - is trying so so so hard to figure it out what is going on but she is also disassociating a bit because her brain is not really handling the fact that her mom is alive in front of her. will have a panic attack later

Chopper - oh hes crying hes crying so much

Luffy - oh he is going insane just tunnel vision because his brother is right there and he is alive and luffy is just tearing through everything the way to get there

Thank you so much! Oh my friend, I love all of this!

It totally depends on if the strawhats get dumped in the middle of the fight. I think we agreed that they would be joining the reverse crew in Wano (I need to come up with a name for this crew 🤔) or if they all just bump into each other on an island.

I haven’t reach Wano yet so this is a very rough draft of ideas.

If they get dropped into the Wano fight I think the first thought the Strawhats will have is how did we get back here?!?!?.

Luffy definitely sees Ace fighting, and is off like a shot. Nothing else matters. The others hear him yell “Ace” and now they are really confused. But there’s no time for that. Main goals are:

Stay alive

Figure out what’s going one.

I think Zoro and Sanji would try to follow Luffy, because it’s Wano part two apparently?!? And there is a copy of Ace here? They doesn’t trust this and their captain isn’t going alone.

They get drawn into fighting King and Queen again.

This is where they meet Kuina and Reiju.

And this is where I get to tell you you missed the really fun part of this. It’s not just how the strawhats feel but also how the reverse strawhats feel

Zoro and Kuina

Zoro sees what he thinks is Tashigi fighting King. Which weird why is she here? But Ace(?) is here so nothing really makes sense. He jumps into the fight and Tashigi starts screaming at him. That’s on par for Tashigi. Except she’s calling HIM the look alike, rude! That doesn’t even make sense!

Meanwhile Kuina thinks stupid Tsukin just interrupted her fight. Why is he here? You know what it doesn’t matter. She doesn’t need this dumb marine’s help to beat Kiado’s right hand man. She’s the first mate of the the (not strawhats but whatever they will be called) she is wining this fight herself.

They are about to get into an argument when they both recognize that the other is wielding Wado Ichimonji. But that’s just not possible. It has to be a fake or a copy. But both would recognize Wado Ichimonji any where. It’s not a fake. But how?

King attacks them and they have to focus. They start to recognize each others moves and styles. Little things that they would do even as children. Habits that carried over. Things that Tashigi and Tsukin don’t do. And there’s this little voice in their heads saying “could this be-?” They don’t officially put it together until they meet up with everyone else.

Sanji and Reiju

Sanji sees Queen attacking a woman with pink hair. And while she’s not wearing her kimono he still thinks it’s Umi. He moves to intercept the attack yelling at Queen for attacking a woman.

Reiju is in shock. Because this person is obiously from Germa 66. But who would follow her? Then Sanji turns to face her to make sure “Umi” is okay and she realizes who this person is. It’s Sanji. But that’s not… but it is. It’s Sanji. Her kind little brother.

Sanji finally gets a good look at the woman he just saved and… what? What is Reiju doing here? Why does she look so different? Her hairs different. She’s missing her tattoos and her Germa armor. What is going on here? Did she leave Germa 66. Did she leave their father? Did she follow him? Or is Germa here to help Big Mom and Kaido. No that can’t be it, But why is she here?

He’s spiraling. Both of them are. But Sanji’s frozen. Reiju doesnt know what happening but she knows this is her brother. Before she can hug him or confront him about how he was in Wano she sees queen moving to attack Sanji. No, no way, not her little brother. She launches herself at Queen.

Sanji sees the moment Reiju tenses and then throws herself towards him. He braces for an attack that flies right by him with a vicious battle cry. He turns to see Reiju beating the crap out of Queen. “Don’t you touch him! I won’t lose him again!” Lose him? Like when he left Germa as a child? Or whole cake? But she’s the one who pushed him to go. What is Reiju talking about?

While all of this is going on the rest of the crew is on the move. They are catching glimpse of their counter parts but it’s late enough in the fight that the main problems are Kaido, Big Mom, King and Queen.

(Which will allow for a sequence of Law joinging that fight only because he sees Rosinante fighting Big Mom. I will write more on this once I actually get to dressrosa and Wano)

Nami and Nojiko

I don’t think Nami runs into Nojiko until after the fighting. I haven’t decided what Nojiko’s fighting style is yet. She seems to wield her mother’s gun in the series so she might be a gun slinger instead of fighting with a staff (I haven’t figured out if she’s going to have weather powers yet)

But I can see Nami finding Zoro and Kuina arguing after the fight. (Nami is looking for Luffy/Zoro/Sanji to make sure they’re alright and bring them back to the group.) she find Zoro and who she thinks is Tashigi yelling at each other. Which not to weird besides the fact that Tashigi wasn’t here the first time and she’s calling Zoro the wrong name. Like not even an insult just straight up the wrong name.

She goes to interrupt them when Nojiko comes running in yelling at someone named Kuina. Which seems to make Zoro freeze. (This is his moment of what the heck is happening) Nami sees Nojiko and okay this is to weird, why is her sister her. So she calls out

Nojiko turns and sees this orange haired woman standing in front of her. She has no clue who she is. (Her hair is the same color as Nami’s but Nami died when she was 10. There’s no way she’d recognize 20 year old Nami as well, Nami) but that’s okay because Zoro is going to handle that for her.

“Nami why is your sister calling the copycat Kuina!” He calls out because of course he doesn’t believe this is Kuina. “I’M THE COPYCAT!” Kuina yells at him which he ignores for now.

Nojiko’s world stops. Nami. This woman’s name is Nami?

“I don’t know Zoro! I don’t even know why she’s here!” Nami yells back at Zoro. Breaking Kuina’s brain as well because a woman with the same name as Nojiko’s dead little sister just called this man Zoro. And while she is impulsive and stupid at times, she’s starting to put the pieces together. But we’re not going to focus on Zoro and Kuina right now.

Nojiko storms up to Nami and asks who her mother is. And Nami is real freaked out because “it’s Bell-mére and why are you asking that?” But Nojiko’s not going to explain because Nami’s here! She’s alive! She’s hugging her sister and sobbing. Saying how she’s so happy she’s alive. Nami is so confused. Since when did Nojiko think she was dead?

Meanwhile the sword wielding duo is watching this and Kuina starts quizzing Zoro about their dojo and Zoro’s not going to be out done so he starts asking questions back. The questions get more unhinged as they go. At some point Sanji and Reiju join them (Reiju has not let go of Sanji since the beat queen) and while both siblings still don’t know fully what’s going on. Reiju’s starting to come up with a theory as she watch’s Kuina and Zoro argue and Nojiko sob into Nami.

Usopp and Kaya

The first time Usopp sees Kaya is after he almost dies. He was taking shots protecting his crew when someone almost hits him. He turns just in time to see the hit coming but can’t do anything to stop it. He braces for impact when a crossbolt hits his attacker dead on. His eyes follow the shot, making sure it’s a friend not a foe, and he gets the surprise of his life. It’s Kaya.

Kaya who’s studying to be a doctor. Kaya who’s never hurt anyone in her life. Kaya who just shot a man in cold blood. Kaya who didn’t flinch at the action. Kaya who’s already lining up her next shot and yelling.

Oh wait, is she yelling at him? Yes. She yelling at him to move. He can do that. He starts moving to her position and watching her snip anyone who gets remotely close to him. And he has to wonder ‘am….am I into this????’ (Yes yes he is)

When Usopp finally reaches Kaya she starts yelling questions at him as they work together to watch over their crews. It’s a mess of a conversation.

Usopp’s asking her why she’s not at Syrup village.

She shoots someone and asks why she’d be there? Then has to yell at Usopp not to shoot at the the woman with pink hair fighting besides Sanji, that’s Reiju her crewmate.

Usopp’s so confused “when did you join a crew?”

Now Kaya’s confused cause she been on her crew since they were 14 duh.

Usopp’s freaking out but before he can ask about that Kaya continues “when did you leave Water 7?”

Side bar I got a whole idea for Usopp that since he and Merry take over the ship yard for Kaya when she sets sail at 14 he falls in love with making ships. When he does finally get out of syrup village it’s to go to Water 7 to learn to become one of the best shipwrights in the world. He never crosses paths with the giants, and meeting Ace and the others so early, (and seeing what happened in this world Marineford) changed a lot of things for him. But we can talk about that in a different post.

Usopp is so confused. But he can’t focus on that because “no Kaya don’t shoot at Chopper he’s our doctor!”

“You mean the reindeer creature that’s about to attack MY ships doctor is your ships doctor?” (They witness Chopper and Hiriluk’s reunion. It’s sickeningly sweet.

Needless to say they are both so confused, scared, and happy to see each other. Kaya’s always known that Usopp was a great shot but the Usopp she meets in Wano is on a different level.

They don’t catch on to what is happening until later when they reunite with everyone.

Robin and Olivia / Franky and Iceburg

Robin trying to figure out what the heck is happenings. Why are they in Wano again? How is Ace here? She catches a glimpse of Olivia fighting using HER devil fruit. She doesn’t get a good look at the woman, but a white haired woman using her devil fruit. That sounds an awful lot like Seraphim. She’s not positive. But if there is a Seraphim of herself could this ‘Ace’ also be a Seraphim? If that is the case she needs to get her captain away from it now!

She’s keeping an eye out for other white haired versions of their crew and allies. She hasn’t shared her theory yet. They need to first put a stop to the fighting and get to safety.

It isn’t until after the fight that she comes face to face with Olivia and all ideas of Seraphim fly from her mind. Because this woman is older than her. The seraphim are always younger.

Olivia sees Robin and is shocked to see that they share the same devil fruit power. That’s just not possible. She grabs the nearest crewmate, Iceburg, and goes to figure out what is going on by on. She thinks Iceburg will be helpful, he’s incredibly intelligent, but that all flies out the window the moment they get near this mysterious black haired woman.

She’s standing next to a cyborg who strikes a familiar pose and Iceburg brain stops working. It’s not possible. Franky died so long ago. But who else poses like that, talks like that? Has Franky been alive all this time and Iceburg just didn’t know? His little brother, cut apart into a cyborg, but still alive.

Olivia is talking about how they need to figure this out. They just survived Wano but if someone is copying devil fruits they will have a real problem and wait… Iceburg where are you going!

He just walks away in the middle of her statement. There is no subtlety in his movements. The cyborg and black haired woman see him coming. Olivia’s getting ready just incase they attack but that’s not a problem. The cyborg looks up and calls out “Ice-for-brains? What are you doing here? It’s great to see you don’t get me wrong but what about Water 7?”

Frank and Robin were talking about how they got thrown back in time? Put in a different universe? Or is this is all an illusion? Robin is still on her Seraphim theory. Maybe this is an elaborate training simulation for seraphim’s of the strawhats that the crew wondered into? When Franky spots Iceburg. And he’s excited to see him again but also filled with dread because is Water 7 okay?

Iceburg knew this was Franky the moment he heard Ice-for-brains. He’s crying. This is really Franky. He moves to quickly hug his brother. Franky’s thrown for a loop, because like it’s been a while, but not sobbing so happy you’re alive while, you know. Like Iceburg didn’t even treat him like this when he first returned to Water 7 after being presumed dead for years.

Robin sees all of this and it’s not right, Iceburg shouldn’t be here. But his appearance is also off. The Iceburg they know always looked pristine, he was the mayor and a business man. He presented himself as someone people could trust with important decision. This man looks like a wreck. Not just because he’s sobbing but his clothing and hair. They look different than how Iceburg would present himself.

While she’s having all of these realizations Olivia walks over to join them. She’s worried for Iceburg and wants to make sure he’s okay. She and Robin meet eyes but they don’t recognize each other (if they ran right past each other in Ohara they are not recognizing each other in Wano where they are both much old and believe the other dead for 22 years) it isn’t until Franky looks to Robin (with Iceburg arms still wrapped around him) and goes “hey Ice-for-brains you remember Nico Robin.” (He’s trying to get Iceburg to stop crying so he can find out what the heck is going on here)

But the name brings Olivia’s world to a screeching halt. “What did you just say?” She quickly move to Robin grabbing her face and examining her. “What’s your name?”

Robin isn’t afraid to tell people who she is anymore. Her crew will always protect her. “Nico Robin”

Olivia thinks this is a trick because it can’t be her daughter. But no one knew of her daughter’s existence. She died in Ohara 22 years ago. The only people who know her name are Olivia’s crewmates. “And where are you from?”

“Ohara.” Robin answers without hesitation. Franky is watching closely ready to help her if this crazy lady attacks her.

“That’s not possible. Nico Robin died 22 years ago when Ohara was buster called.” The white haired woman says. And Robin’s dumb founded because she pretty famously the only survivor of that buster call. “How dare you impersonate my little girl!” Olivia is furious. But her words shock Robin. Because WHAT?

“Who are you?” Robin asks this obviously very angry woman.

“Nico Olivia the only survivor of Ohara. I watched my daughter die so you can’t be her.”

This could go on forever if Franky wasn’t standing there like, “um yes she is Nico Robin. We declared war on the world government and destroyed Enies Lobby to get her back because she you know Nico Robin? Back me up Ice-for-brains you were there.”

Olivia and Iceburg are so confused because they stormed Enies Lobby to save Olivia. But Franky, who is somehow alive, says his crew stormed Enies Lobby to save Robin. Several moments or mother and daughter using their brains later they realize that this has to be either an illusion, or a parallel world.

Olivia and Robin have a break down because their daughter/mom is actually here. Like brain stops working when they finally make the connection and are like oh….OH. Meanwhile Iceburg and Franky have already started comparing notes. Not on their journeys and where they differ, no that would be helpful, no they are comparing notes on the ships they built for their crews.

Chopper and Hiriluk

Chopper and Hiriluk don’t have the same blocks that everyone else does. Unlike Nami, Sanji, and Franky, their counter part isn’t alive, so there’s no awkward “how are you alive?” “What do you mean I saw you the last time I was home?” There’s no confusion on how they are here fighting like with Usopp and Kaya. And unlike Robin, Olivia, and Nojiko they can instantly recognize each other. (Hiriluk hasn’t changed that much, Chopper’s the only human reindeer)

The only people in a similar situation are Ace and Luffy as it’s only been two years since they lost each other, and oddly Zoro and Kuina. Though it’s not because they recognize each other and more because they think the other is someone else. (By the time they realize it’s truly their lost friend, it’s because they recognize Wado Ichimonji.)

Chopper runs into Hiriluk on the battle field. They both imidiatly recognize each other. They call out for each other, knocking out any enemy between them, and Chopper just jumps into his arms as Hiriluk falls to his knees. (They have no clue Kaya almost shot Chopper) they are sobbing “My son! My wonderful wonderful son!”

They are a mess. The enemy’s are avoiding them because you don’t get in between a sobbing father and his son. Especially when that father is telling his son just how much he loves him. Even more so when the father and son just took out a 1/4 of the enemy’s just to get to each other.

Just back away from the sobbing old man and his raccoon dog son as slowly and quietly as you can.

Luffy and Ace

Luffy sees Ace. Which just can’t be. This has to be a dream. Or a vision. But Ace never fought Kaido as far as Luffy knows.

But then he sees Ace hit Kaido hard. He can feel the heat from Ace’s fire from here. This is real. It has to be. And Kaido is about to hit Ace. Ace who he already watched die once. Luffy is gone in point .0001 seconds. He’s left his crew behind (he trust them to take care of themselves, to take care of everything else) he has to get to Ace.

Ace sees the hit coming and he’s bracing for it. But it never lands because some maniac comes flying out of no where and slams into Kaido with a speed and a force he’s only seen once before. But that’s not possible, that person was dead. His baby brother was dead. It couldn’t be him. Except Kaido is sent flying and the boy lands, and it is. It is him. It’s Luffy. From his Strawhat to his sandals, that’s his brother.

His baby brother is here. He’s alive! And he’s just punched Kaido. Kaido who Ace was struggling to fight. Kaido who is launching himself back at Luffy. No. Never again. Never again will Ace let Luffy get hurt.

Cue the boys desperately trying to punch Kaido first. They are both yelling about Kaido staying away from THEIR brother! There’s no way Kaido can win. Anytime he tries to defend himself from one the other launches themselves at him with a rabid feralness that should not be seen in humans.

Gear 5 comes out at some point. Ace awakens his fruit. They demolish him.

Afterwords Luffy just launches himself at Ace knocking him to the ground. His rubber limbs wrapping around his big brother. Ace is cradling his brother as close as he can. They are sobbing. Until they pass out. Exhausted from the fight. They don’t care about the why or the how, their brother is here that’s all they care for.

Their crews find them and move them somewhere safe. And I do mean them. Ace is not releasing Luffy even in his sleep. Not that it matters much, Luffy is so tangled around him it wouldn’t be possible to separate them. Not that their crews would.

They wake up two days later still tangled up. By this point Robin, Olivia, Iceburg, and Jinbei have put the pieces together. They know that the Strawhats are from a different timeline? World? They’re still working out the particulars. And they have no idea how to get the strawhats back. (Oh no extended vacation!!)

Not like the reverse crew wants them to go back.

Again this is a VERY rough outline of what it will look like. I’ll write way more detail when I actually get here in cannon. But for now here’s a taste of what is to come.

Thank you so much for the prompt/ask it was so well articulated I had to expand on it.

Master post

[apomaro-mellow]

Part 2

This time around, Dustin let Will handle the camera. Not only because he was super busy on this day, but Will had also proven himself a talented director. He was currently capturing grade A gold of Steve deciding which hair products to pack away for the day.

He had packed and unpacked the bag at least three times while Dustin was making final arrangements in the kitchen by phone.

“Steve, I swear to god!”

“Hey! No yelling. You promised this would be the one day, no yelling”, Steve snapped.

Dustin huffed, then returned to his phone call.

“I think you’ll look fine”, Will said from behind the camera. “Eddie’s gonna love how you look no matter what.”

Steve smiled fondly at him for that. “Remind me why I didn’t make you my best man again?”

“Because Dustin would have skinned you alive?”

“Yeah, that’s why”, Steve nodded. He figured out his perfect products and closed up the bag. “Alright. I’m ready to get married.”

More like he was ready to begin preparing for the process to start getting ready to be married. But he was ready all the same.

Dustin was his best man. For the record, he had asked Robin first. But then she spent about an hour rambling about how horrible of a job she’d do with the planning and her anxiety and ruining his perfect day while being incredibly flattered and Steve decided to take her out of her misery.

“Just be where I need you”, he had said.

“Can do.”

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

While Steve went into a small room to get started on his hair, Dustin talked to Will, camera off.

“Okay, we’ve got a small window here. You ready for this?”

“You really think they’ll like it?”, Will asked.

“Those saps? They’ll be showin’ it to their grandkids”, Dustin said. 

Will beamed. They could do this. And hopefully Steve and Eddie would appreciate the thought behind it.

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

Eddie had proposed on January 2nd, 1990. He definitely planned to do a whole New Year’s thing, but had both chickened out and gotten distracted (another story for another time). But when he finally nutted up, he had told Steve he didn’t want another decade to go by without Steve being his husband.

“I’ve wanted this since the first time I saw you in a mosh pit, babe.”

“Eddie, that was three years ago.”

“Three years of torture.” Of not really knowing what the future held for them. Of knowing that even if they belonged to each other in every other way, it wouldn’t be recognized in many people’s eyes. But Eddie finally decided that he officially didn’t care if it wasn’t official. It was real to him and the man he loved. That made it more real than anything else.

And now he was staring at him, with El standing as officiator. She had been the flower girl at her first wedding (Joyce and Jim’s) and had been very fascinated with the person who got to actually marry the couple. She cleared her throat and began to speak, welcoming all the guests in a voice that was strong and full of adoration for the idea of two people professing their love in front of an audience of family and friends.

Then it came time for vows and Eddie typically didn’t shy away from his feelings but he had planned wear even more of his heart on his sleeve. Not only had Steve’s parents responded to the invite, they had attended. And he was gonna let them know just how special their son was.

When it was Steve’s turn, he was definitely already tearing up, but he got out everything he wanted to say. He wondered briefly if Robin saw a similar future for herself or Will.

But then El was practically bouncing on her heels to say her favorite part of all this and anything pertaining to non-Eddie thoughts left his mind.

“I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss the groom.”

It really was the sweetest kiss Steve had ever received.

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

The musical selection at the reception was probably the oddest playlist possible but both grooms had wanted everyone to have a chance on the dance floor. Once it into full swing, everyone was getting a little of the grooms’ attention. And if it wasn’t the guests, they had their eyes on each other. So they could be forgiven for not noticing when a few of their friends disappeared.

Will, Jonathan, Nancy, and Dustin had left the hall to prepare their gift for the couple. When it was ready, Dustin walked out onto the stage to get everyone’s attention.

“A few of us have made something special for the men of the hour. Steve, Eddie, with all due respect: I told you so. And without further ado, solid proof that I am always right.”

A video began playing on a projector. One with Eddie and Steve as the focus, with Dustin obviously narrating from behind the camera. It was a little shakey, but something in Steve’s heart cracked at hearing Dustin’s still cracky voice from years ago, putting his own little spin on his and Eddie’s courtship.

“That little shit”, Steve whispered when the scene of him in the bathroom came up. But it had none of the bite it normally did when he was tearing up. Eddie brought his hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles. He was feeling a little vindication seeing their romance from the outside. In some of the scenes, Steve looked just as nervous as he had been. He had just been too blinded by love at the time to notice.

But then it changed from clips of their budding romance to the current events of today. 

As Dustin had been busy with best man business, Will was handling the camera and Lucas was voicing over for Steve’s actions from outside a window.

“On this, the most important day of his life, Steve is attended by the most trusted members of his pack.” 

Steve sat in front of a mirror while Robin did his hair, slapping his hands away every time he tried to interfere. Dustin was using a lint roller on his suit. Steve’s face was a storm of emotion as he tried to fidget with his hair. But Robin was on top of her game today.

“In less than an hour, Steve will officially enter a pair bond for life. Now let’s check in with Eddie.”

The shot changed to Eddie’s preparation. And while Steve anxious feelings were palpable, yet under control, Eddie was letting them all gush forth in the adrenaline thick atmosphere among his groomsmen.

“I’m gonna marry him!”, he shouted.

“You’re gonna marry him!”, Gareth and Jeff shouted back.

Eddie was pacing wildly around the room, sometimes pausing to hop on his feet. “I’m getting married today. I’m marrying Steve. Let’s go! Let’s do this! Nancy! Hit me!”

Nancy obliged him with a slap on the face and that got him even more hype, lifting the energy of the room even more. The handler of the camera turned it towards themselves, revealing Mike was the one recording. And he was definitely wondering how he got here. Then he turned it back towards Eddie.

“Okay, I just gotta ask one last time...”

Nancy gave him a warning look. “Mike...”

“Why Steve?”

Eddie’s smile got even bigger if that was possibly. “He’s belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Mini Wheels. It’s like I’m in little league and I hit a home run against a pro. You shouldn’t be asking me ‘why Steve?’ You should be asking me how.”

Steve turned to Eddie and was trying to convey just how with only his eyes. As they had just described in vivid detail in words. Eddie got the message and kissed him again.

The video went on to show the actual wedding, Will and Jonathan handling two cameras and then a third, floating at an impossible angle. Leave it to El to work double time for such an occasion. 

Seeing it all again from the outside...It had really happened, hadn’t it?

“We’re married, baby”, Eddie beamed.

When the video ended, they were kissing each other again. And again and again and for once, Dustin’s self righteous attitude didn’t rain on their parade. If anything they were actually proud of him for seeing what they hadn’t. You’ll never get them to admit it though.

END

Tag Team

@henderdads

@lightwoodbanethings

@mightbeasleep

@beautifully-useless

[hahaifolded]

The Siren, the Cook, and the Sister (2)

Sanji x PirateHunter!FemReader (Masterlist) Chapter 2: Remember Me (Previous) (Next) Summary: You reconnect with an old friend much to the dismay of a certain cook. Warnings: WCI Spoilers, Sanji being Sanji

“And your total is 30,500 berries,” said the tavern owner, handing the bill to a shocked Nami. “Let me take these plates real quick, and I’ll be right back.” 

As the tavern owner went to the back, Nami harshly whispered, “What are we going to do? We don’t have enough money for this and the Sunny’s supplies.”

Usopp grabbed the bill from the navigator. “There’s only one thing we can do.” He ripped up the bill, jumped up, and yelled, “RUN!” Everyone else stood up, ready to book it out of the tavern.

However, before they could slip out, the doors swung open once more, revealing a dripping dark figure.

You had returned.

No way these guys were trying to dine and dash, you thought with amusement. Much to the Strawhats dismay, you and a white bag blocked the exit. You didn’t think you would see Robin and the Strawhats after cashing out on your most recent bounty. Maybe it was your lucky day after all.

Before anyone could say anything, the tavern owner returned, shocked to see unpaid customers near an exit. “Were you guys trying to leave without paying?” rightfully accused the woman. The crew turned red, gasping for an answer. 

Realizing this was your chance to really talk to Robin, you decided to help the crew out. You activated your mask and replied, “No, of course not. They just came to greet me.” Your robotic voice caught the tavern owner’s attention. You gently placed your gloved hand over Usopp’s shoulder to hold him in place. He jolted, shivering under your grip.

“Besides, I got their bill.” All of the Strawhat’s eyes widened. You dug into your bag, grabbing the necessary bills plus more to cover the crew’s bill. Pleased by the payment, the tavern owner set off to clean, leaving you with the Strawhats.

“Thanks dude! Really appreciate it” beamed Luffy, patting you on the back, still unaffected by everything. It was evident that the captain was excited to see you again. The same couldn’t be said for the rest of the crew.

Aware of the tension, you smoothed out your cloak, thinking, okay, this is my chance. Play it cool. You cleared your throat and called out Robin’s name, trying to get her attention. She turned, but, before she could respond, a certain gentleman spoke up.

“Really, thank you… but if you don’t mind me asking, why exactly did you pay off our bill?” questioned Sanji. Your question earlier about Robin and now your random act of generosity made the cook uneasy. He couldn’t figure out what were your exact intentions. Any normal pirate hunter wouldn't go through all this effort to catch a bounty.

“It’s the least I can do for an old friend and her crew,” you said, quickly nodding at Robin. You knew that the cook didn’t trust you, a sentiment you completely reciprocated. However, you weren't going to let his uneasiness deter you from talking to Robin.

Wanting to ease the tension in the room, you shifted topics. “Besides, I think I have a couple of berries I can spare at the moment,” you joked, tapping the bag.

Nami’s eyes widened as she recognized the Marine logo on it. Dollar signs replaced her pupils. (Chopper jumped up to study the change.) “Are there really 300 million berries in that bag?” she uttered, reaching for the bag.

“More like 320 million berries, but yes,” you answered. You slowly moved the bag away from the girl, nervous that she was going to bite your hand off. You turned towards Robin once more, working up the nerve to talk to her. But, before you could act on your thoughts, Sanji cleared his throat. It just had to be him, didn't it?

Sanji continued, “again, why we appreciate your generosity, I think we all deserve a further explanation on this so-called 'friendship' between yourself and our dear Robin. So tell us, how do you know her?” You could feel the cook’s trepidation towards you. He looked at you with disdain. That absolutely enraged you. Although you understood his concern, he had absolutely no right in getting in your goal of talking to Robin and Robin only. It really is in their blood to make my life harder.

“Look, Vinsmoke, there’s no we here so why don’t you back—,”

“You referred to me by my…” interrupted Robin. She paused, trying to find the right words that wouldn’t send her to a spiral. “…alias in Baroque Works. Why?”

Your robotic voice answered. “That’s the name you used when we met.”

Zoro, familiar with the organization’s interest in pirate hunters, asked if you were a part of it. “Fuck no,” you growled, “Mr. 0 tried killing my sister.” Sanji and Zoro stepped in front of Robin at your response. 

Realizing their assumption, you carefully continued, “No, it’s not like that. She’s not on my revenge list, trust me.” Fuck, I need to fix this, you thought.

You turned to face the archeologist and rushed out, “Robin, you... you saved my sister’s life and mine while you worked for Baroque Works. I don’t know if you remember that thief you helped escape from Alabasta?” You inched closer to her, and woefully continued, “since then, I’ve been hoping that I could see you again, and somehow re-pay the debt.” Your shoulders slumped down as you felt a weight lift off your shoulders. 

Robin quietly stared at you as various thoughts raced through her mind. A thief and sister? I don’t remember helping anyone during my time in Baroque Works, she questioned, I was way too focused on saving myself. Besides Crocodile made sure I never left his side after the Marine —. The archeologist’s thoughts stopped as she remembered. 

“The slot machine thief… is that you?” she quietly asked as she stepped towards you.

“Yeah,” you whispered. You couldn’t believe that she remembered you. Overwhelmed with emotion, you and Robin rushed to hug one another. 

“I thought she didn’t have any friends before us,” mumbled Usopp. Nami swiftly scolded him with her fist.

Holding you close, the dark haired woman stroked your head. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I always wondered what happened to those kids I put in that ship all those years ago. I assumed the worst, but you’re okay… you’re okay." You snuggled further in her embrace, happy to see your savior again. 

“Wait,” Robin gripped your shoulders and looked directly at your masked face, “where’s your sister?” Sensing her dread, you placed your hands over hers and confirmed, “She’s alive. But, I won’t lie, she’s…” You glanced at the Strawhats. You could tell that Robin trusted her crew, but you weren’t sure if you were comfortable with showing your true self in front of them. You looked back at Robin and continued, “come with me upstairs. I’m renting a room here at the tavern. There I can tell you more about my sister and everything over some wine.”

“NO! THAT IS NOT HAPPENING. NOT UNDER MY WATCH!” Sanji cried. While the cook was happy to see Robin reunite with an old friend, he felt uneasy towards you. He and the crew still didn’t know much about you and it didn't help that you used his family name. For all he knew, you were trying to use your past with Robin to your favor.  I won’t let this man hurt Robin even if they’re old friends. She doesn’t need any more betrayal in her life, he thought, staring you down. 

His watch? Anger bubbled within you. You couldn’t believe the audacity of this man in trying to dictate Robin’s actions. 

“Last time I checked Robin is old enough to make her own decisions so why don’t you back off, Vinsmoke,” you growled. 

Sanji opened his mouth to bite back, but stopped when he felt Robin’s hand gently sit on his shoulder. “I appreciate your concern Sanji, but you don’t need to worry, I trust the Siren.” Robin looked at the rest of the crew and continued, “you can all go back to the Sunny without me. I’ll make sure to be back before we leave tomorrow.”

“No,” interjected Luffy. Everyone stiffened. You even hesitated.

“Oi, Luffy, don’t be like that. Let Robin reconnect with her old friend. If she says she’ll be fine, I’m sure she will be fine,” said Franky. He turned towards you and gave you a thumbs up. I like this guy, you thought.

“I know she’ll be fine!” shared Luffy. He immediately slumped to the ground. “I just don’t want to walk in the rain!” he whined. Everyone eased up. Nami immediately scolded the boy for the confusion.

“Can’t we just rent some rooms here? Oi, tavern lady!” declared Luffy. Nami quickly shut the boy up, reminding him that their current finances didn’t allow for that. Luffy groaned in displeasure. Wanting to impress Robin, you stepped forward. 

“If you all don’t mind, let me rent you some rooms for the night. I have more than enough to cover a couple more rooms. That way…” you nodded towards Sanji, “those of you who are concerned for your friend can stay close and also you all don’t have to walk in the storm.” Before anyone had a chance to refuse, Luffy happily accepted and yelled for the tavern lady. 

Word Count: 1554

Previous - Masterlist - Next

Author's Note: Personally, one of my proudest chapters - really pat myself on the back on this one! I low key wished this was the first chapter but got attached to my previous one so oh well!

[steddieas-shegoes]

I hope I'm doing this right!

For the ⚡️lightning round⚡️

They're not yet dating *gasp*. But they're already so gone for each other and, idk, tracing their fingers over the other's body and face while being impossibly close... and just being devastatingly in love without really realising it. Bonus points if they're observed by their friends who are amazed about the whole thing. I really hope I did it right lol.

Annnnnnnd. hooooly shit!!!

2,5k followers?!

That's amazing!!! You deserve each one of them. The people need to know how talented you are! You're incredible ✨️🤩💙💚

FIRST OF ALL THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! I actually cannot believe I'm only a few away. It's blowing my mind. And I am sooooo lucky to have so many amazing people like you who are always around for all the fun (and sometimes not as fun) things! 💖

I'm gonna put this under the cut just because it's mature-ish.

Steve still didn't enjoy getting into his pool, but he loved having everyone over to swim. But he was never alone.

Eddie didn't really enjoy swimming at all, so he sat with Steve.

At first, they just sat in chairs next to each other, found stuff to talk about.

Then they started sitting in the same chair, laughing at the kids getting into stupid fights and taking turns getting them snacks and drinks.

Now, Steve was in his lap, head on his shoulder, as they both watched everyone else enjoy their time in the pool.

Eddie's arms were wrapped around him, his finger tracing patterns on Steve's arm.

Steve's hand rested on Eddie's chest, feeling his heartbeat, reminding himself that Eddie was here.

At some point over the last six months, his nightmares evolved from watching his own failures, to watching Eddie die. Over and over and over again.

But feeling his heartbeat under his hand, feeling his fingers on his arm, tracing words he couldn't quite place, that helped.

Eddie was humming something, the soft vibrations against Steve's ear making him close his eyes and smile to himself.

"Doin' alright, sweetheart?" Eddie whispered to him after another minute.

"Mhm. You?"

"I'm great."

"Hey! Are you two lovebirds gonna get the drinks or do we need to dry off and get them ourselves?" Robin's voice yelled from the pool.

Steve stiffened in Eddie's arms.

Lovebirds.

Eddie's grip tightened, his breath warm against Steve's forehead as he whispered to him.

"You wanna come with me to get their drinks, love?"

Steve turned his face into Eddie's neck, let his lips just barely brush against his skin as he whispered back.

"Yeah. Don't wanna be away from you."

It was too honest, maybe a bit too much for them.

Eddie's lips were on the top of his head, pressing a kiss there.

"Don't have to be, Stevie. C'mon."

If Steve thought about it, he knew how close they were was different, knew that nothing they did was something he'd done with other friends, not even Robin.

But it didn't have to be something to explain, not for them.

They could stay close, they could touch and whisper to each other, and let fingers map scarred and broken skin. They could let lips linger too close, too long on foreheads and necks, on shoulders and chests. They could feel safe with each other, they could feel loved, without having to set an expectation.

Someday, maybe they would. Someday, they would probably recognize this as what it so clearly was to everyone else. Someday, they would say "I love you" with words instead of touches.

But for now, for today, they loved silently, but happily.

[reality-exodus]

Time is running out

Pair: bat family x reader sister

Summary:Based on an old edit I discovered. Batman gets kidnapped and his children are trying to solve the mystery of his disappearance.

Warnings: blood, injury, trauma, cursing, triggering language

Edit: credits to them creator (the picture underneath my edit) https://youtu.be/pRuMwQAIVbI

I think I'm drowning, asphyxiated

I felt my heart skip a beat and my breath coming out shallow, I couldn't take my gaze away from the CCPD footage that was sent to the Bat-computer. Suddenly I felt like a little girl again. Watching something a child shouldn't have to witness, I felt a hand squeeze my shoulder pull me closer, I could tell it was Jason, it was too tight considering what we were seeing. He pulled me closer to him. There was silent in the cave, we were frozen, only our breath echoed.

"We have to trace it…" it was Dick's voice. "Tim Barb, do something" he exclaimed approaching Damian whose eyes were stuck on the screen as well.

I wanna break this spell that you've created, Your something beautiful, a contradiction

Bruce was laying still, many open wounds flooding with blood, we couldn't sense any movement, or see if he was breathing his suit devices that connected him to the Bat computer were destroyed as a laugh was heard in the background. It wasn't from the camera, I came to our comms… I knew that laugh, I despised that laugh… But the same time, I had so many memories of him, unfortunately good.

"Joker?" Damian asked and looked at us, his voice was shaking, I really didn't see that coming.

"Close enough, it's his creation, Jerome… this is Jerome. I would recognize his laugh anywhere…" I explained, I felt eyes on me, they knew it wasn't a pleasant subject for me, it hadn't taken me time to get over the fact that I was used by a psycho.

"How can it be Jerome, (Y/N), he died in case you do not remember…" Jason demanded looking down to me.

I wanna play the game, I want the friction

"I do not know Jason!" I exclaimed and swallowed "But this. Is. Jerome" I spoke and turned on my comm

"What the hell do you even want!" I exclaimed in the communication.

The laugh kept going without responding to my question, Barbara and Tim were typing, Tim signed to keep him laughing and talking so they could track down the signal. "What can be touched but can't be seen?" He asked me, it was his voice as I couldn't comprehend what was happening, this was a riddle I realized.

"Future, what of the future" I asked again trying to sound tremendous and firm like Batgirl would but miserably failed…

"It is a crime if attempted but not if committed" he spoke again, there was static in between, I couldn't make out an answer I was looking at Jason and Dick panicking internally. "Tik tak, clocks ticking. Ten… nine…" he started the countdown. We had no idea what would happen if he reached zero…

"Suicide!" I exclaimed out of the blue holding in my breath. The boys were staring at me, and so was I.

He laughed for a few seconds "What can be touched but can't be seen?" He asked me again and I let out a shaky breath. I was trying to ponder, think I couldn't make out a word, henstarted counting down again, and then his laugh became louder and louder.

"Now you brought this to the big bat" Jerome laughed, "Who makes it, has no need of it. Who buys it, has no use for it. Who uses it can neither see nor feel it. What is it?" He asked finally asked and I felt my eyes tear as i knew the answer. "You have about an hours before he runs out of air" there was another serious voice speaking now.

"He will bury him alive" Dick realized, I don't think either if them could tell the voice change.

"Tell where he is you son of a bitch" Jason yelled loudly, snatching the comm from my hands. The comm stopped working.

"Do we have anything?" He asked and turned at Oracle and Red Robin.

"I will have the location of the comm in some minutes" Tim informed us and I looked around breathing shallow.

"I got him killed, if the riddle was correct the second time, we would know more of Bruce's whereabouts…" I spoke in realization.

You will be the death of me

"Hey hey no, (Y/N)" Jason approached me and Dick did too.

"Yes… yes I did…" I yelled at him

"(Y/N) Don't do that;" Dick yelled while I was speaking

"He is going to suffocate to death and it's all on me" I yelled pushing him back

"Guys both shut up" Jason made an effort while all three of us were yelling at each other.

"SHUT IT " Barbarian yelled "The footage was recorded half an hour before it was sent, it wasn't a Livestream we have serious work to do." She exclaimed pulling us back to reality "Bruce is already buried based on what Valeska said" she pointed out as she looked at me.

"How can we know that he was speaking truthfully?" Damian finally spoke, his voice had eased from before.

"We don't, the tracking of the comm is being fulfilled at the moment" Tim replied and sighed

"It is not Valeska, I mean the voice is, but the last part, his voice changed… can't we like, rehear it" I asked and she put it on screen. I approached and dragged then recording of the comm to the end. "Here. Listen carefully it was the moment we were shouting" I explained and I sat down at the recording. Dick was above having his hand reassuringly on my shoulder, I was grateful for my brothers, and for Barb, and Steph.

"You are right" Barbara confirmed it and there was a notification sound. "We have coordinates, get ready and leave, I'll be having your back, sending them to you now it's in Iceberg Lounge" she informed us.

"To sum up we have Riddle and possibly Clayface…" I spoke as I approached my belt tied it around my waste as I put on the hood and then jogged to one of the motorbikes to drive as Tim did the same.

Jason cursed under his breath and sighed "I am driving, decide who is coming with" he tried to announce but none of us fell for it.

"Pick a ride Todd" I winked at him wearing my helmet, I knew he would ride with me, he had no issue with Tim but let's not get too touchy here. He was concerned about me, Jerome was a trigger for me.

"Okay plan. We need two teams, one to visit the Riddler at the narrows and one to penguin" Oracle spoke up on the comms "Red Hood Batgirl go to the Narrows, Spoiler will be expecting you there, Red Robin, Robin and Nightwing iceberg lounge, Alfred came here we are working together." She explained.

"Alright Copy Oracle" I spoke and turned over the direction and drove. Jason's hands tensed on the back of the bike. I saw it on the mirrors.

"Splitting up the communications. Red Hood, Batgirl and Spoiler you are with me" she spoke "spoiler is expecting you outside the old Thompkins infirmary" she added.

"Wooh feels good being the man of the team" Jason commented as the motorcycle roared throughout the streets of the bad-prestiged alleys.

"Out of the four of us you are the one who behaves most ladylike so…" I pointed out and braked as Spoilered sank out of the darkness on a nearby alley, her iodes suit gleaming at the street lights as well as her blonde curls.

"It's true Red Hood, you are not the man here" Steph poked him and he sighed ready to respond but he was interrupted.

"Spoiler, did you see the video?" Oracle asked.

"Positive, I also thought of Clayface, Valeska can't be alive, besides there was a voice alteration." She remarked and looked at us.

"Let's go in then" I signed and looked at the building moving in from the front door as Spoiler and Red Hood would go from the rooftop, we could use the element of surprise. It was dirty and the humidity was making the atmosphere heavy. I looked around listening to the rest saying they had eyes on me already. "Come out Nygma… I have an answer for you" I exclaimed,my voice echoed out loud returning to me. "The second riddle was heart, to be honest to break my heart, it was a smart move you know… to use him" I spoke loudly and then I heard the Riddler laugh, he appeared behind a pillar, from the dark, the light was dim, but my eyes were used to it.

"You must be the smart one, all batgirls tend to be smart huh?" He asked

"Is that a riddle too?" I asked him

"Oh we know the answer, it's that red head a few years ago." He stated and I rolled my eyes.

"Where is he?" I asked if I didn't know whom I was referring to at that point.

"That's the point of the riddle , Batgirl, you are supposed to solve both of them. Where is Batman buried, and how is Jerome still alive?" He spoke up and sighed. "Must be hurtful to listen to the voice of your beloved after so long … he was asking of you Batgirl…"

I was aware that he was bluffing, that most likely Jerome was still dead, and he was imitated by Clayface, the situation with Jerome almost spilled out of my identity, I felt cold sweat on my forehead. "Oh what to do, if he has anything to tell me he can just as well come and tell me, now back to Batman. Where is he?" I asked him and maintained my cool, I could hear Barbara commenting my heart rate that was speeding up

"Buried" Riddle simply spoke

"Where? isn't there a riddle or something?" I asked tensing, I was negotiating and I had to keep my cool.

I won't let you bury it

"Please you know I wouldn't tell you" he laughed. "At least you will have to earn it"

"How" I asked

"Getting passed the obstacles" he simply said and signed me to look upwards as a bucket of clay fell on me I gasped trying to unstick myself away from the substance I could hear voice through and outside the comms as I was suffocating for a drop of air soon I felt electricity run through me. Spoiler and Red Hood attempted with their teasers to get me out, it was successful.

I won't let you smother it

I breathed out air as the clay melted around me, I was breathing heavily and sighed looking around me seeing the dissolved clay slowly moving again into a mass to form Clayface who laughed.

"Are you okay?" Red Hood asked me and pulled me on my feet, and I nodded

"Is this an obstacle Nygma?" I asked loudly and ready to charge at him.

"You are smart, the obstacles will lead you to your bat and if you are lucky enough he will be alive" he laughed and winked at us and I flinched at the words charging at him instead of Clayface. But one hand got me pulled to a wall the same happened to the rest, I stayed calm this time and threw a cryo bomb while the rest reacted in a similar way trying to break free from the grip of the mutant. I fell on my knees dodging another incoming clay tentacle rolling behind a pillar as i started setting another round of electrocution, I had no visual in Spoiler and Red Hood and how they were doing, I could hear grunts and moans of pain…

"Clear the way!" I exclaimed and got on the battlefield again and aimed at the mass of clay, I saw both of them dodge out of the way as I shot the electrocution cable to him and gave him a shock. It lasted a while as the mutant started melting, there were sparks flying around as I felt the teaser burn in my grip realizing how I was overusing it. Before I decided to set it aside it blew in my grip. I fell backwards, my ears were ringing…there was a blur. I was on my back trying to assess the damage of my body, I breathed and closed my eyes trying to calm down, once I opened them I saw a figure standing above, a gun aiming at me.

I won't let you murder it

Before I could react there was another shot, Red Hood. "Don't you dare to touch her" he yelled as he jumped and spin kicked Nygma in the face, I rolled over and stood up grasping his collar. "Now tell us where Batman is?" I exclaimed loudly and he laughed. Red Hood punched him roughly.

"Where the fun begins you shall find information of his whereabouts" Riddler spoke "But if I stop breathing so does he" he told us and I let him fall to the ground and looked at Spoiler and Red Hood.

"Amusement mile" Oracle spoke up, solving it for us. "Are you guys alright?" She asked and the eyes of the rest fell on me, I looked down at my hands. They were kind of burnt but still functional.

"I am good" I smiled softly to reassure them but I got serious once I heard the location, my gaze turned to the other two, none of us had nice memories from there as I skipped a heart beat and sighed.

"Nightwing, Red Robin, Robin will find you there… everything will be alright." Oracle tried to assure us.

"What did Penguin say to the others?" Spoiler asked changing the subject as we started moving to the vehicle.

"Penguin said that he doesn't know anything he only aided and funded Riddler's idea, he said that many were recruited for this and that it wasn't only for batman, he wants us all down…" she said as we heard a beep meaning that the lines were all connected again

"We are walking straight into a trap" Tim spoke, I heard his sigh.

"We could ask for help" I suggested.

"Negative, i have already requested assistance but the league hasn't responded, I can't track down the Kents or The arrows or anyone… " she added.

"Kids,Master Wayne wouldn't want you to risk your lives on a hunt that may be resultless." Alfred spoke making my heart ache as I heard those words leaving his mouth.

"No!" Damian exclaimed

"I agree with the demon spawn" Stephanie commented "He has done so much for us"

"Risked his life for ours countless times, I know that you Red and Nightwing, you are the most hurt from this… this situation, from him… I do not know where you stand, but I am with them"I added and sighed, I was the third eldest of them and I would protect the kids if Jason and Dick backed down.

"Are you kidding me?" Dick asked through comms.

"You are an idiot Batgirl has anyone mentioned that to you?" Jason asked and sighed heavily looking at me. I couldn't see his expression but I knew he was staring at me with a raised eyebrow.

"No, actually on the contrary I am usually the smart one, and the eldest when I have to cover for you two. I am serious." I explained.

"Well right now you don't have to cover for us." Red Hood spoke and rode the bike as I signed him to ride the bike.

"Of course, whatever it has been done, he saved us too you know, helped us and saved more times than all of you combined… so we won't let him be murdered" Dick spoke up as I rode behind him while Stephanie went on her own. She would go roof to roof.

I took a deep breath. It would be the longest night of our lives, I simply hugged Jason from behind placing my cheek on his leather jacket. I was scared and my brother could tell, I felt him exhale. He remained silent. Jason wasn't the one to tell me a lie just to comfort me.

A/N: I would appreciate your opinion in the comments. Would you like me to continue, it was meant to be a lot shorter but it kind of started good. Thank you for reading <3

[blacklegsanjiii]

oh my goodness I am in absolute LOVE with Croc!Sanji. So much potential in this little prince! I know your idea has him and Robin meeting the Strawhats in Alabasta, but how would it go if they did end up meeting him in Baratie? Maybe Zeff got partial custody lol and Sanji was bored and thought why the hell not. Vivi and Igaram dont recognize him at Whiskey Peak but he sure as hell recognizes them and that is the most fun time of his life because most of Baroque who knows who he is is trying to figure out what the fuck their Mr Prince is doing here and Robin figures it out but is mostly just amused. Gets a little trickier with the Little Garden dendenmushi call bc Croc def knows his sons voice and is too busy being confused to try to stop the Strawhats. Robin has popcorn and is watching the show. The crew figures out something is definitely up with their cook during Alabasta but he does an admirable job of hiding it. However the reveal goes is up to you!!

adoring all your ideas over here <3 be proud of yourself !!!!

Amazing. Croc has to figure out a co-parenting situation with Zeff who refuses to come back to the grand line so hes the one doing all the shuttling. It becomes a joke for Baratie and Baroque that they have completely different views of parenting and women. Croc keeps yelling at Zeff to shove his "chivalry" up his ass because the women Sanji knows will kick his ass if acts like that but also Sanji isn't just a boy(Thanks Mama Clay!) And needs to be treated like a fucking kid, a deadly one at that.

Zeff doesn't know what to do because sometimes Sanji is dressing immaculate suits and other times Sanji is in a very pretty dress with make up on and his hair like shoulder length and styled well either way. Zeff wants to strangle them all the time. Crocodile will only eat when Sanji is cooking because fuck his coparent, he's a dumb fucker. So fucking dumb. Sanji is just in constant agony.

Croc gets the dad title and Zeff gets called "geezer" and Croc absolutely rubs it in his face. Daz is "Uncle Daz" and Bon Clay is "Auntie" and that's it.

Crocodile gets a call from Baratie saying Sanji joined a pirate crew who said they'll help him find the All Blue. The massive groan he lets out makes Robin giggle lightly. She's seen Sanji in all his chaotic mess so she'll know this will be entertaining. Galdino looking at Sanji and Sanji looking between him and crew and crossing their arms. Like every time they run into someone from Baroque their looking at Sanji and they're looking right back.

I feel like the reveal would be after Robin joins the crew and mentions Sanji easily teaming up with someone to overthrow their dad. Sanji's whole reaction basically boils down to 'it's really fucking funny to overthrow my dad with the daughter of the man he overthrew' which makes Robin laugh and the crew gawk at them.

Also thank you!! I'm glad you like these!

[turtletaubwrites]

The Mouth of the Beast ~ Part 23

Pairings: Zoro x Fem!Reader, Sanji x Fem!Reader, Robin x Fem!Reader, Sanji X Robin

This is part 23 of the poly series 'We've All Got Needs,' linked below:

Word Count: 1779

We've All Got Needs Masterlist

Ao3 Link (Ch. 13 of We've All Got Needs cont.)

!!SPOILER WARNING!! Spoilers for the anime for the Water 7/Enies Lobby arc (through episode 267).

Summary: The Straw Hats are reunited, and make plans with their new allies to invade Enies Lobby and rescue Robin. Zoro pulls you aside as the crew barrels toward danger, but is there enough time to say what needs to be said?

Rating/Warnings: AFAB!Reader, She/Her Pronouns for Reader, Reader-Insert, Polyamory, Pet Names, Swearing, Kissing, Angst, Fluff, Relationship Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort

A/N: This one's pretty short, but it's a small break in the action before the crew splits up again. I hope you enjoy it!

“The train’s here! Get on the roof!”

Wide eyed, you and Usopp climbed up with Sanji, the rain still bearing down against the metal of the stranded cart.

The light in the distance was heading toward you fast, and panic climbed up your throat.

“H-How,” you stuttered as Usopp dropped his Sniper King voice to yell.

“They’re gonna hit us!”

You watched in horror as Sanji grabbed onto you and Usopp, and over the light of the train you saw green hair and a straw hat.

The three of you were grunting and screaming as Luffy’s arms stretched out, flinging you through the air toward him. You managed to catch a glimpse of Zoro as he used his three sword style to demolish the cart, clearing it from the tracks as the train sped on. 

Sanji steadied you, helping you climb into the well lit cart. 

A sweet, citrus scent wrapped around you as Nami pulled you close.

“You okay, noodle arms?”

Squeezing her with a laugh, your breath hitched when your swordsman climbed back in.

Nami stepped away, and you heard Sanji catching everyone up on what happened on the other train.

A rough hand grabbed yours and pulled you along, moving you past groups of people you didn’t recognize, until finding an empty cart.

“Zoro, wait, we need to go listen to the plan.”

You tugged at his hand, teary eyed, and trying not to fall apart.

His lips crashed onto yours, his hands cradling your face, and you sobbed against him. You were sure he was tasting salt as your tears flowed. Clinging to every part of him in reach, you let yourself melt into him.

Zoro was stroking your hair and your back, but he pulled away just enough to look at you. 

There was so much in his eyes, and you felt everything bubbling under your skin.

But we don’t have time.

“Zoro,” you breathed, tears stinging.

He brought his hand back to your face, thumb tracing along your cheek. His voice was more like a warrior’s than a lover’s.

“I’m so sorry. We’re gonna do whatever it takes to get her back.”

“Thank you.” 

You held onto his wrists as Robin’s voice filled your mind again, along with the hope of having Zoro’s strength beside you. 

“It’s not for you, Needy. She’s part of our crew.”

You’d seen that look before, and you knew he meant it. The thought both comforted and terrified you as he led you back to the group, hands never leaving your body as you listened to the plan. 

You were grateful for his warmth, and the pressure of his fingers on your skin, because they were the only thing holding you in place. Fighting the urge to slap yourself, you tried to focus on the plan, but it felt like your ears were ringing.

Digging your nails into your palm to keep you present, you learned that the new allies were the workers of Galley-La, the shipbuilder’s company of Water 7, as well as the Franky Family, who had so recently been your enemies. Even the old woman from the lighthouse, Kokoro, was here, driving the train through hell.

These strangers and ex enemies were now willing to lay down their lives to help you.

“Remember, if they take Robin through the Gates of Justice, it’s over. Any chance of a rescue is going to happen before they open,” Nami ordered as she reviewed the map provided by the blonde Gally-La worker, Paulie. “The Gates of Justice are at the back of the island, but first we need to get through the main gate, then the Tower of Justice.���

“That’s right,” Paulie affirmed, clearing his throat as he looked around at the crew. 

“There’s only about 60 of us against at least 2,000 marines and government agents in there. We won’t stand a chance against CP9, so you guys need to focus on taking them out.”

Your body tensed, and you saw Nami’s eyes widen, but Luffy just nodded as Paulie went on.

“The rest of us will buy you time. Galley-La and the Franky Family are gonna split off now on Franky's boat. We’ll hit the front gate, and take out as many soldiers as we can. We’ll clear you a path, no matter what it takes. You Straw Hats leave the little guys to us.”

The nods from the strangers in the cart chilled your blood.

They’re going to get massacred charging in like that. Why are they doing this?

There was no way or time for you to ask as your allies started filing out.

“Alright, so we’ll hang back while they cause as much of a diversion as possible, then we’re slamming through the fence, right?”

You were surprised that your mouth was moving as you checked in, but Nami nodded, wrapping up the map. 

She glanced around, lips pursed as she stood to look into the next cart. 

Your allies were gone, and the crew were all here. All except for-

“Luffy,” Nami screamed as she stuck her head out of the window, looking toward the Franky Family’s large ship.

“Damn it,” Nami muttered. “He said he understood the plan.”

“He doesn’t seem like the type who can wait for five minutes,” Usopp observed, his Sniper King voice still booming while Zoro laughed.

“We should have known.”

You couldn’t tell if you wanted to punch or kiss Zoro as his laughter shook through his words. 

“Let’s go watch for the fence,” he said as his laughter faded, tugging on your elbow. “It won’t be long now.”

Sanji gave you a soft smile as you passed, Zoro pulling you up to the roof again. 

Dawn had brightened the sky, the storm finally passed. The change could be a blessing or a curse for your mission, but for now you were just happy you weren’t being rained on.

All that happiness died the second you caught sight of Enies Lobby. 

It was still a ways off, but the train was moving quickly. The island of gray stone buildings and iron fences would have seemed domineering on its own if it wasn’t set against the Gates of Justice. 

Enormous metal doors towered over the ocean, the symbol of the World Government reflecting in the morning light. The sight of it made you sick as you thought of everything that had happened to Robin because of that symbol. People wearing that mark with pride had destroyed an entire island, then hunted a child down to finish the job. 

Rage shook through you, until Zoro pulled you to him. Then it was fear in your blood as everyone you loved was barreling toward the mouth of that wretched beast. 

I’m done being afraid. I’m a Straw Hat pirate, I will not be a coward.

Pulling back from your swordsman, you took his hands in yours, and studied his face, memorizing every line. 

He was your crewmate, your friend, your lover. Memories flooded through you of all your times together, and you fought the tears. 

This is not goodbye.

“Zoro, I…” 

The small crease between his brows distracted you as his thumbs traced along your hands. 

“I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while. I was afraid. But that’s stupid.”

He frowned slightly, tilting his head while you rambled.

“I’m not saying this because of where we are, okay? I’m saying it because it’s true, and I want you to know.”

“Needy-”

“I love you, Zoro.”

Zoro let out a heavy breath, then pulled his eyes away from yours, looking toward the chaos you were about to be thrown into. 

The beat of your heart felt louder than the train below you as you waited. 

His face was drawn when he turned back to you, and you felt dissociated, part of you shouting soothing words through your mind that everything was okay, no matter what he said. Your hands felt clammy now as they still gripped his.

“I’m sorry, Needy.”

“N-No, it’s o-” you forced out, shaking your head too much.

He leaned toward you, sighing as he moved his hands along your arms, settling below your shoulders.

“Fuck, I. It’s not like that, I just… I didn’t think you could, Needy. Not with all of us.”

Your mouth fell open as you tried to process. Zoro squeezed your arms as he tilted his face closer, deep eyes searching yours, his voice almost too soft over the train.

“But you do, don’t you? You love Robin?” 

“I do,” you breathed, barely audible over the engine, hands shaking as he nodded slowly.

“Probably the waiter too, huh?” 

Your lips pulled tight before you could think, holding in a laugh of surprise at his reluctant question. He just looked down, shaking his head, and you felt all that fear again. 

Zoro’s fingers trailed down your arms, and a small gasp escaped you as you waited for him to pull away. 

But he took your hands, lifting them both to his lips to kiss your knuckles, and your knees almost buckled from relief.

The fence was getting closer and closer every second, but you couldn’t look away from him. 

He closed his eyes, taking in another deep breath.

“I’m sorry I didn't trust you, Y/N. I’m not good at this shit.”

“I know.”

You let out a nervous giggle at how quickly you had responded, and he narrowed his eyes while a small, perfect smile teased his lips.

“Shut up, Needy,” he laughed, bringing his hand to cradle your chin, making your eyes flutter for a moment.

“I, uh… I love you too.”

In that moment you weren’t hurtling toward danger and death, you weren’t aching for your splintered crew. 

You were just his, and the spark of happiness in his eyes warmed you to your core. 

“I love you,” you almost screamed into his mouth as you pulled him down for a kiss. His laughter vibrated through his chest, wrapping you in a feeling of joy and safety. 

But he pulled away, hands gripping your shoulders. His look froze you, the illusion of safety shattered by the tone in his voice.

“Get inside, tell everyone to hang onto something. Hurry!”

“What are you-”

“No time, Needy, hurry!”

Fighting against your need to keep touching him, keep looking at him, you scrambled to crawl back inside. Your mouth went dry when you saw the fence, and watched Zoro unsheathe his swords.

“Everyone hang onto something! Now!”

Clamping your eyes shut, your entire world was reduced to the screams of your crew, and the crashing and scraping cacophony of metal tearing through your mind, plunging you into chaos.

Into the mouth of the beast. 

Thank You for Reading! 💜

TurtleTaub Fanfic Masterlist

We've All Got Needs Masterlist

Part 24

Tag List: @astheni-a | @ferns-fics | @heilee | @iamn1ya | @ghostfacefricker6969 | @onlybassoon01 | @apothicgloom | @slyhersophia | @cyberaestheticals | @nothing-but-brass

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this one! 💚

Buy me a coffee ☕🙏🏼

[yellowsweater-bluevest]

In the dead of night, when it's dark

2.3k Words written in less than two hours, I don't promise anything, but heartfelt confessions. Might write a follow up, who knows.

ᓚᘏᗢ

It was quiet inside. Outside, too.

There seemed to be no soul alive in Loch Nora at midnight. 

In times like these, nights like these, Steve would put on some music, turn on as many lights as he could, turn on the TV, look for something to reorganize, pretend there was someone else with him. He very much wished he could do that.

Instead the lights were off. All the lights, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, street, neighbors' homes. A full power outage, only god knows how far out. There weren’t even any insects, or rain, or a soft breeze to cover up the eerie, consistent, unavoidable silence. It filled Steve’s head completely.

He thought of radioing anyone through a Walkie-Talkie, but it was a school night. During finals week. And Robin had a very important exam in a class she was sure she would fail if she did not get at least an B+. So he did not. He tried to find something to do, but the light from the moon was not enough to light his house, and he was reorganizing his linen closet, so his hallways were a mess.

So Steve sat in a mess of a hallway, with only his thoughts for company. They were very bad company.

That’s when his phone rang.

He was so taken aback, it took him a second to react. It then took his thirty to reach his nearest phone while trying not to faceplant into the floor.

“Hello?” He nearly yelled into the phone.

“Please tell me I didn’t wake up.” Steve immediately recognized that voice as Eddie’s. He stood straight as a Pavlovian response.

“Not at all. I was just… relaxing.” Steve tried really hard not to cringe at himself.

“At the witching hour, color me surprised.”Eddie teased.

“Yeah, sure.” He answered, not fully sure what that was and having a feeling he did not want to know.

“Listen, I’m going to be upfront, and just ask,” Eddie started,speaking very fast. “I was just going to ring you and if you did not answer I was just going to hang up because I really needed to talk to you, but I did not want to wake you. So it felt like the best way of making sure you were awake, and I would not have done that if it was not really important, because it is.”

“And now that I’m thinking about it, I do realize I could’ve used the Walkie-Talkie to see if you were awake because it is less disrupting than calling, but then I would have risked some of the sheeps to hear me and I-” he stopped for a second, taking in a deep breath. “I might be rambling now.”

“I don’t mind, though,” Steve said quietly, because it’s true. He did not mind, in fact, he wished he could make Eddie talk for hours on end for him. Eddie laughed nervously.

“I know it’s very late, but there was no other time to ask this,” Eddie explained. Steve felt a kind of nerves that made his fingertips tingle in just the right way. A good nervous, if that existed. “Can you help me study?” 

He should have been disappointed when Eddie asked that. After all, hearing your crush is nervous, not because he wanted to confess to you, but because he has an exam in about eight hours he forgot should be infuriating. But instead, Steve felt giddy. He could not help the smile that formed in his lips, but he was silently thankful Eddie could not see him right now.

“Why? Did you forget you had an exam?” Steve teased.

“Listen, it should be illegal to force the guy who was just given a discharge from the hospital a week ago exams while he’s still recovering.”

“Oh, yeah, I definitely agree,”Steve drawled, sliding into the floor again. “Why are you studying at midnight anyways.”

“I have been studying since this afternoon, thank you very much.” Eddie defended himself, with too much energy for it being so late at night.

“So why do you need my help?” 

“There’s no energy here.” Eddie grumbled. “I kinda need light to study. I figured I could maybe go to your house and continue studying there.” It sounded pleading, a part of Steve’s heart lamented not having energy solely because it made Eddie a little bit sad.

“I would love nothing more, Eds,” Steve started. “But there is also no energy here.”

“No way.''Eddie explained, it sounded like a knee jerk reaction. Something he did not even know he was going to say. “Are you telling me your parents couldn’t even buy a power generator?”

“I was asking myself that right now.

“Well, I guess that is a sign of the universe to not study anymore.” Eddie said, stretching his back out.

“Maybe you can come here anyways.” Steve blurted, before even realizing it.

And the silence was back.

Steve cursed himself mentally. The exhaustion, added to the unbearable silence and the lifeboat that is Eddie’s energy made him weak for a moment.

“That was a joke.” Steve said, trying to not make things awkward.

“What if I didn’t want it to be a joke, sweetheart?” Eddie drawled, making Steve’s heart race like a marathon. “Can I still come to Casa Harrington?” Steve could have very easily followed the joking energy, tease and joke, and hide his feelings under a rug.

But as I said, he was weak at the moment, and nothing good happened after midnight.

“You can always come over, Eddie.” he said, sounding too sincere, and being too tired to care. “In fact, I wish you came over all the time, that way I can hear talk and talk, forever and ever. Just say whatever you want to say, fill the silence I have.” Eddie laughed again. Normally Steve loved his laugh, but this sounded nervous. He wondered how many other laughs Eddie had.

“Sometime I wish I could just invite you over.” He continued. “You only come when you are invited by someone else, you never come by your own accord, but you have this power, Eddie.” He was fully lying on the floor by now, three months of 4 hours of sleep a night catching up.

“What power is that, Stevie?” Eddie asked breathlessly.

“You make every room you’re in alive.” He answered. “My house is so dead most of the time, I bet, and I would be right, that you can fix that.”

“So you only like that I make rooms alive? What does that even mean?” Eddie said. Steve wondered if he was playing with his hair, like he normally did when he was nervous.

“Don’t say only, it takes away from it,” Steve explained. “It means you bring this energy, I can never take my eyes off you. You have gone through so much, and yet you still have energy. I could pay you to talk to me. About whatever, whenever, I just love your voice.” A part of Steve’s brain begged him to stop, but he ignored it.

“I know y9ou are lying, now,” Eddie said, making Steve frown. “No one likes how much I speak. Which they should not, by the way. I talk a lot as a way to rebel to the machine that wants to quiet us.”

“I’m not a liar, Eds.” Steve said. “And I was also told I had a special something. Maybe that includes liking pretty boys talk a lot.” Steve’s heart beat so loud, he wondered if Eddie could hear it.

“If you don’t tell me you’re joking, I’ll drive to your house.” Eddie threatened, making Steve smile.

“Do you want me to tell you where the spare key is?” Eddie laughed, a sincere laugh now.

“Be there in five minutes,” Eddie said.

“It takes 20 to get from your house to mine,” Steve shot back.

“I said what I said, see you now.” And then the line was dead.

Steve could not move. He felt as conflicted as he had ever felt. His brain told him Eddie would come over just to tear apart his feelings, but his heart…

His heart told him that last laugh Eddie made, it meant something. Like a secret message he had to decode, but he still had a missing piece. That does not mean he can’t see the details, the details told him, Eddie might feel the same.

So he sprung up, and threaded the hallway slowly, trying very hard not to knock something down or trip somehow. By the time he reached downstairs, he heard a familiar motor.

He stood at the bottom of the stairs as the motor died, the music cutting immediately, and a door open. He heard a thud, like Eddie jumped out of the van, he could nearly see it. He felt the steps, the metallic door close, his sneakers against the pavement of the driveway, hesitation, then a knock on the door.

He opened the door to see Eddie standing there. Even with no light, he could recognize his wild hair, up in a ponytail. 

“Hi,” Eddie spoke, quieter than normal.

“Come in,” Steve stepped away to let Eddie inside, then closed the door. “That was less than five minutes.

“No traffic lights,” Eddie joked.

“Do you want to go out to the pool? I bet the moon is shining.” Steve suggested, Eddie nodded. At least Steve thought he nodded, since he could barely make out a faint silhouette. “Give me your hand, then” 

And Eddie did.

Steve guided them out back. Opened the door to the fresh outdoors, where it was only him, and Eddie and the moon.

“Steve, please tell me what you said earlier was not a lie.” Eddie said as soon as they stepped outside.

“Let’s go sit, first.” Steve said. “I need this to be said while I’m looking properly at you. So Steve guided them to the edge of the empty pool. Still holding Eddie’s hands, he sat down.

“We are sitting now.” Eddie stated, biting his bottom lip. It was not ‘sexy’ or appealing in any way. But it was so plainly Eddie, Steve could not help the warmth in his heart.

“What I said before is only a fraction of what I feel.” Steve explained. “When you called, I was drawing in silence so I couldn’t help but say what I really felt. You really make things better by just being.”

“You have to know what it feels like you’re saying.” Eddie said.

“I’ll say it plainly,” Steve answered. “I really like you Eddie. In a romantic way, and I have for some time now.”

“But you have dated so many chicks.” Eddie complained, trying to make sense in his brain.

“I don’t know what I am. I don’t have the name, I don’t think it matters.” Steve said softly, like a whisper. “I like you, and above anything else, I want to be by your side, as your friend or as more, or as less, I don’t care.”

“Is this some sort of joke, because of all the rumors about me.” The moonlight illuminated Eddie’s eye showing something akin to fear. Like a barrier that lied between belief and where he currently stood that made it impossible to trust the words Steve said.

“There is no joke, and I am not laughing.”

“Do you believe in fate, Steve?” Eddie asked, Steve smiled.

“I used to, I don’t know if I do anymore.” Steve said, completely sincere. “Do you?”

“I stay up late studying the night there is a power outage and I call you when you so happen to be awake to answer, and say just the right things to reach a point where you say you like me.” Eddie rambled. “There is not a lot to explain.” Steve hummed in agreement. Eddie continued talking, using his free hand to gesture wildly. “Like, tonight I was so stressed because I really don’t want to fail my class and I call the guy I like and this happens, so I just wonder sometimes.”

“So you like me?” Steve asked. Eddie put his hand down and looked over the forest.

“I still don’t know how much I believe this is not a joke.” Eddie said, and Steve tried not to get sad about it. “Because I really like you, and I can’t take another heartbreak. My ribs were already broken, after all.” And Steve laughed, and Eddie smiled, and it seemed right.

“Would a kiss convince you?” Steve asked teasingly, a smirk on his face, leaning over Eddie, watching his blush under the moonlight.

“Only one way to find out.” Eddie answered, holding Steve’s gaze until he looked down at his lips and Steve leaned in.

And it’s short. The kiss. It’s sort of chaste, and Eddie does not know what he’s doing because all other kisses he has had before were not with anyone he cared about but he did not have time to worry about that before they were kissing and before it was over. But it felt like everything.

And then the lights came back on.

“Oh, that’s good timing.” Steve commented. “Do you still want to study?”

“I forgot my books.” Eddie answered. “But I think I’ll be fine.”

“I bet you will.” Steve said. “Do you want to stay the night?”

“Wow, Stevie, at least take me to dinner first.” Eddie teased.

“If you want to drive back at 1 a.m., be my guest.” Steve joked. And Eddie laughed yet a different laugh, one that fills Steve's heart.

“I would love to stay in one of your plentiful rooms, my liege,” Eddie joked, “If only you could show the way, sir Stevie.” 

“I like that one, by the way.” Steve said. “Stevie, I like it.” Steve finally let go of Eddie’s hand to stand up, and offered it away. Eddie took it immediately.

“I like it, too.” And he really did. But a part of him still doubted.

“We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?” Steve reassured him like he knew what he was thinking. “You have an important exam tomorrow.”

“Okay.” So Eddie went to sleep in the bedroom across from Steve, no longer afraid for tomorrow, but awaiting it. Knowing it will be okay.

[steddio]

steddie vegas au part 3

part 1; part 2

–

“YOU WHAT?” Robin shrieks, nearly smacking Steve in the shoulder with her water bottle as she whips around to face him. They’re about halfway through their morning hike, struggling uphill, and he’s impressed that she even has the energy for such an outburst. Steve is sweating like a pig and trying not to look like he’s gasping for breath.

He holds his hands up in surrender. “In my defense, I didn’t know who he was! And he looked kind of lost, and you know I have a tendency to adopt strays! He had these big, sad puppy eyes…”

“Eddie freaking Munson is not a stray, Steve! He’s a bona fide rockstar. Like, double platinum, Grammy-winning, cover of Rolling Stone rockstar. And you didn’t recognize him?!” Her voice is rising into a nearly inhuman register and Steve reaches out to try and calm her. 

“Why would I recognize him, Robs? I never know who anyone famous is, and I like it that way. And, he seemed to kind of enjoy me not knowing. Like, his whole attitude changed once we walked past his billboard.”

Robin is gaping at him and Steve uses the opportunity to grab the water bottle out of her hand and take a swig. It’s a testament to her astonishment that she doesn’t even yell at him for it. He wipes his mouth with the neck of his t-shirt, and starts walking up the hill. He kind of regrets telling her about last night. After all, he had promised to keep Eddie’s secret. But telling Robin doesn’t really feel like telling another person. Just like having an internal conversation with the louder half of his brain. 

“Besides,” he calls out over his shoulder, “it doesn’t matter anyway. He’s just another hotel guest. I’ll probably barely see him.”

Robin jogs to catch up and grabs the bottle back with a huff. “Steve. You escorted Eddie Munson to an AA meeting. That’s like, intimate.”

Steve shakes his head, “No, Rob, it wasn’t like that. I’m sure he just wants to forget about it. He probably flirts with everyone.” 

“He was flirting with you?!” Robin is back to screeching. 

“Well yeah, I think so,” he shrugs. “It was hard to tell, but he called me nicknames and complimented my arms.” Robin looks about ready to combust, and he tries to change the subject. “Did you see the photos of Max and Lucas from last night? I can’t believe how much she’s grown up.” 

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do! We’re not done here!” But Robin’s eyes are soft, and she nudges his shoulder, “did you go all papa bear on Lucas?”

Steve laughs. “No, if anything I was trying to encourage Max to go for it. She called me in hysterics freaking out about whether Lucas liked her. As if that boy hasn’t been in love with her for half a decade.”

They spend the rest of the hike going over every detail he knows of his daughter’s romantic life. Robin is equally invested despite having never met Max, and he loves her for it. Even if he can’t be there every day, being a dad is the most important thing in his life. And he can’t help it, he likes to indulge in a little gossip and teenage love lives are nothing if not dramatic. 

As they say goodbye in the parking lot, Robin sternly meets his gaze. “Don’t let me down, dingus. If Eddie Munson is flirting with you, you better flirt back, or I swear to god I’ll come down there and do it myself.”

“And lose your gold star status?” he teases, and then dodges her halfhearted punch to his arm. 

“Alright, alright, Robs. If he talks to me, and I really don’t think he will after last night so that’s a big if, I’ll pull out the Harrington charm.” Robin gags a little at that and waves him away. He gets into his car, eager for a shower and maybe even a little bit eager to go to work. 

–

When he gets into work at 2 pm, the concierge desk is a shitshow. Some beauty influencer retreat is happening in the hotel, and the person on the morning shift is completely incompetent (they’re new, Steve tries to be generous, everyone is new at some point, but goddammit he’s pretty sure Max could do the job better than this Tammy person), and so Steve spends most of the afternoon canceling and rescheduling incorrectly made spa appointments while reassuring a seemingly endless parade of 19-year-old blonde girls that yes, absolutely, they will be able to accommodate the new time, and he’s so sorry for the misunderstanding. As if that’s not enough, they all seem to be trying to one-up each other for the title of Most Ridiculous Flirt, and if Steve hears “he’s such a daddy” stage-whispered across the lobby one more time, he’s going to pull out baby pictures of Max and start waving them around. 

Of course it’s in the midst of this chaos that Eddie happens to show up, leaning over the counter, finger hovering over the bell.

“Don’t you dare,” Steve whispers to him with a glare that quickly dissolves into a grin. Eddie reaches out and boops his nose instead, and Steve can’t help but laugh as he swats him away. 

The spell is broken by the loud pop of gum and a whispered “holy shit, is that-?” The girls swarm to their shiny new toy, asking for autographs and selfies. Steve bemusedly watches as Eddie handles it all with grace, posing for pictures and signing t-shirts. 

He extricates himself with a slight bow and an “excuse me, darlings” that nearly causes several teenagers to go into cardiac arrest, and comes back to Steve’s counter. 

“Hi,” he says.

“Hi,” Steve replies. “What can I help you with today?”

“The question, Steve-o, is what I can help you with.” Eddie looks mischievous and before Steve can clarify what he means, Eddie is asking when his break is.

Steve replies without thinking. “It was supposed to be at 5.”

“Well, sugar, it’s 5:30 so I think you’re overdue. Can I buy you a coffee?” 

Eddie is definitely flirting, Steve is certain of it. He momentarily debates whether he should refuse, but he already broke any semblance of a boundary last night, and today Eddie looks, well, delicious. His hair is pulled up in a messy bun and he’s wearing a cardigan thrown over a tight black sleeveless undershirt and joggers and… studded crocs, Steve realizes. Eddie must catch him staring because he raises one eyebrow and gestures behind him, towards the food court. Steve puts his trusty “Be right back” sign on the desk and ponders flipping the bird at the group of teenagers still staring open-mouthed at them, but decides that he can afford to take the moral high ground.

They weave their way past slot machines and several bars before getting in line at Starbucks. “I know this is basic,” Eddie whispers, his breath hot on Steve’s cheek. “But nothing hypes me up on performance days more than their cold brew. It’s better than cocaine.” 

He pulls away with a wink, and Steve isn’t sure he should be laughing at that joke coming from someone who attends daily AA meetings, but he can’t help letting out a giggle. And it’s worth it for the brief look of joyful surprise on Eddie’s face. 

They order their coffee and take a seat. Eddie is attracting a few stares, Steve notices, but Vegas is a live and let live kind of place and so people mostly leave them alone. Their knees touch under the small table, and Steve finds himself mirroring Eddie, leaning in close to talk. 

Eddie asks Steve about his job, about living in Vegas, about who he was talking to on the phone yesterday. He listens patiently while Steve regales him with stories about Mad Max. Tells Steve about touring, about songwriting, about Chrissy, his childhood best friend-turned-manager. 

Steve finds himself smiling more than he has in months. Eddie is magnetic, equal parts charismatic and attentive. Steve hasn’t had a date (is he allowed to call this a date?) go this well in years and twinges with regret when he glances at his watch and realizes that they’ve been talking for way longer than his allotted break time and he needs to get back. 

Eddie escorts him to the lobby, and once again leans over the counter, chin on one hand. Steve meets his eyes and blushes at the intensity there.

“Thank you,” he tells Eddie. “I had… a lot of fun.” 

“The pleasure was mine, sugar,” Eddie replies softly. Steve tries to think of anything other than the heat that curls low in his belly at the pet name. Eddie starts to walk away, but Steve calls him back. 

“Eddie!” 

Eddie turns, something earnest and eager in his face. 

“Good luck tonight. Or, er, break a leg.” Steve blushes fully at that, feeling awkward under Eddie’s gaze.

Eddie nods, smiles, and then treats Steve to yet another view of his ass, and Steve is on fire, jittery from what he tells himself is the caffeine.

–

Eddie’s pre-show routine has been pretty much the same for a decade. He chugs a giant coffee—today’s had been extra delicious with its side of hunk—throws on eyeliner, and puts on whatever outfit he imagines would horrify his homophobic high school principal the most. Today it’s low rise leather pants with lacing on each hip and an unbuttoned black cowboy shirt. He hairsprays the shit out of his hair, back-combs it a little to get that sex-mussed look, and voila, he’s done. 

From there he normally goes and bugs all the other guys. As the frontman, Eddie gets his own dressing room, which can come in handy for post-show escapades but normally leaves him a little lonely. So he wanders down the green room hallway until he finds the rest of the band. Jeff and Gareth greet him with a fist bump, and he nods politely to their new bassist Ray, who’s drawing on terrifyingly huge eyeliner wings. 

They shoot the shit for a while, Gareth telling them about a cute girl who was totally hitting on him at the bar and who was definitely not a hooker. Eddie and Jeff are understandably skeptical, but Gareth doubles down until their increasingly agitated debate is settled by Ray, who calmly states that the girl was indeed a hooker because she saw her counting cash in the bathroom.

When the opener goes on, Chrissy swoops in and they run through their set list one last time before huddling up together in a tight circle. This little ritual has been their good luck charm since their first ever set in their hometown dive bar. 

Eddie starts them off: “Come! This is the hour we draw swords together!” 

Gareth continues: “For glory!”

Jeff adds: “For death!”

“For the babes,” Ray adds, getting a chuckle out of them all.

And Eddie finishes, solemnly, “For Frodo.” They press their foreheads together and jump back with a holler before running down the hallway and into the wings. As they step out onstage and the familiar adrenaline rush fills Eddie’s veins, he can’t help but feel a twinge of sadness, like someone who should be in the audience isn’t there.

–

For the next few weeks, Eddie makes a point of stopping by the concierge desk every day. Sometimes he brings Steve coffee or takes him out during his breaks. Sometimes he just stands there and flirts over the counter, making more and more of a fool of himself just to see Steve blush. He learns that Steve has Mondays and Thursdays off. That he hates cinnamon gum. That he’s an expert at being just bitchy enough to shut people down but not so bitchy that people realize what he’s doing. Eddie gets a secret thrill of satisfaction when he watches Steve very firmly decline outrageous requests and people who think that full service means more than it does. 

He finds himself looking forward to their daily conversations, unexpectedly captivated by how ordinary Steve’s life is. Because Steve loves to complain. But his complaints are about someone taking forever in line at the grocery store, or the Audi driver who cut him off in traffic, or how he can’t stand the stay-at-home moms who clog up the trailhead parking lots. All these benign moments that Eddie never gets to experience, instead worrying about ticket sales and tour dates and, in his darker moments, whether anyone actually wants to be close to him or if they just want to be close to the spotlight.

Eddie feels like they’re on the cusp of something, waiting to be pushed off the edge. This routine of flirting is fun, and it’s safe, and Eddie’s enjoying it. Steve is hot, and he treats Eddie like a real person, and their banter is sexy but harmless. They could be suspended in this mutual attraction without consequence until the end of Eddie’s residency and that would be that. But the little demon on Eddie’s shoulder that always wants, needs, begs for more tells him to take the plunge, consequences be damned. 

He’s mulling this over during breakfast one morning, sipping coffee across from Chrissy. 

“What’s on your mind, Didi?” she asks quietly, always observant. 

He sighs dramatically and throws one hand over his forehead. “I pine, Chrissy! I yearn!”

She chuckles. “Steve? Again? Why don’t you just ask him out already?”

“I have been!” Eddie insists. “I’ve bought him, like, a hundred coffees.” At her exasperated look, he gets more serious. “Can I, Chrissy? I don’t–. I can’t afford to crash and burn again. What if I ask him out for real and the worst happens? What if it’s Adrian all over again?” 

He tries to avoid her eyes, not wanting to see the pity there, but when he finally looks up she’s hiding a grin behind her hand.

“Chrissy!” he admonishes. “It’s not funny!” 

“Alright, alright,” she concedes, still smiling. “It’s not funny, but Eddie, hon, you have to put yourself out there sometime if you want something real. And from everything you’ve told me about Steve, I think he’s a good bet.”

Eddie takes a moment to ponder this. Unlike most of the people he’s courted, Steve is markedly unfazed by the whole famous rockstar thing. He’s been meticulously checking his Instagram follow requests every day and hasn’t seen one from Steve so he’s pretty sure the guy’s not on social media. Plus he has that dorky dad vibe going for him, and Eddie is a sucker for a DILF. 

“But what do I do next, Chris? I’ve already been flirting my little ass off, and sure he flirts back but it’s not like he’s made any moves to get more serious. Where do I go from here?”

“Leave that to me,” she tells him, and reaches for her phone. A minute later he gets a text notification.

“Chrissy, doll, why are you sending me backstage passes to my own show?” She just looks at him like he’s an idiot. “Oh. Oh. You think he’d really go?”

“Eddie. Think about it. How many people throw their underwear on stage during your performances? He’ll go crazy.” She comes to stand behind him and throws her arm around his neck. “Plus, I think it’s time he sees you at work instead of the other way around.” 

–

Steve is in the midst of his Wednesday evening routine of making weekend dinner reservations at every upscale restaurant in Vegas, held under the hotel’s name at first so they can offer them to guests who call at the last minute. He’s just hanging up with Koi when he makes eye contact with Eddie across the lobby. Steve leans onto the counter and watches Eddie’s approach, lets his gaze trace the man from head (curly hair loose and slightly damp from a shower) to toe (the studded crocs, again), and everything in between (slim waist tapering into slinky hips, white t-shirt that clings deliciously, low slung plaid trousers). He knows Eddie can see him staring, and his cheeks heat slightly, but he looks anyway. 

This tension between them has only escalated since that first night. He can’t get Eddie out of his head, he wants him so badly, and even more dangerous, he honest-to-god likes spending time with him. He’s funny, and insightful, and he seems to genuinely care when Steve tells him about Max, and not in that fake way of so many of his dates who were clearly just trying to get in his pants and had no interest in a family man.

Part of him wants to throw caution to the wind and ask Eddie out to dinner. But who is he to ask a world famous rockstar out. He’s nobody. Just a divorced guy ostracized from his hometown working in the service industry. 

He’s torn out of this morose line of thought by the familiar greeting of, “Hey sugar,” this time followed by “I got something for you.”

Steve meets Eddie’s eyes, and is surprised to see uncertainty there. But Eddie is smiling as he extends his arm, phone in hand. “Here, put your number in.”

Steve does. Wants to make a joke about Eddie finally asking for his digits after the tenth date but stops himself when he sees Eddie’s telltale signs of nerves (rocking on the balls of his feet, chewing his hair). He hands the phone back and waits while Eddie does something with it.

“Okay, sugar, there you go.” 

Steve checks his phone, clicks on a text from an unknown number. “What–. Eddie, what are these?”

“VIP tickets to my show tomorrow.” Steve meets Eddie’s expectant gaze with wide eyes. “Will you come?”

Steve takes in a breath. As if he would ever, ever turn this down with the way Eddie is looking at him as if he’s just placed his heart in Steve’s hands. 

“Yes. Yes, of course I’ll come! I’ll bring Rob.” Steve sees Eddie’s face fall, looking every bit a wounded puppy, and Steve hurries to correct himself. “Robin. I’ll bring Robin. My lesbian best friend. She’s kind of my platonic soulmate. Crazy, but you’ll like her.” 

Eddie’s face brightens at the word “lesbian” and Steve feels his cheeks warm, pleased that Eddie is pleased that he’s not bringing a man. 

Eddie “oohs” dramatically. “A lesbian? I’ll have to introduce her to Chrissy. Christ knows that girl needs to get laid.” Suddenly he leans in close, right in Steve’s space, mouth close to his ear. Steve can feel goosebumps where Eddie’s breath hits his neck, and he blushes even deeper.

“Those tickets include backstage passes. I expect to see you there after the show, big boy.” With that, he smacks a wet kiss on Steve’s cheek, turns, and walks away. 

Steve is left standing there, red-faced, awestruck, slightly horny, and full of anticipation.

--

continue to part 4.

read on ao3.

--

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[catmonk]

Bruised Waynes

Part One Part Two

Inspired by this post from @sepia-stained-sunset

Pairing- (GEN) Bruce Wayne and His Kids

The one where his kids drive him insane.

The streets were lively today but it was Gotham, no calm nights existed. The rumble of an engine filled the cave as the Batmobile slid into its place. The driver’s side opened and two figures tumbled out.

“Father, that fiend deserved death at my blade.”

“Robin. The criminals deserve a second chance, your personal opinions should not dictate who lives and dies.”

“Tsk.” Damian stormed off, likely to complain to Alfred.

Bruce slid the cowl off his face and rubbed his eyes fiercely. He sat down in front of the Batcomputer, chair creaking under his weight. The nights seemed to get longer the older he got. If only raising children was as easy as defeating the latest villain. His thoughts were interrupted by a light ping. 

Update to the Medical File- 

Nightwing: two weeks 😅

Bruce’s heart clenched. What injury would take Dick that long to heal? He flicked through the tabs, opening the comm line to his son. He had to stay calm.

Click.

“Champ, report.”

“Ghauuh, I tore my hamstring doing squats.”

He signed. “Put some ice on it, and come to the manor for a checkup from Agent A.” Bruce leaned back in his chair, “And use the medical file correctly.”

“What, you said in more detail so I added an emoji.”

“That's- ok fine, I’m proud of you son.”

Click.

-

Batman was the night. He was terror. The dark knight of Gotham. Currently, the said dark knight is attempting to stop the Condiment King. 

"The big bad Bat-guy. I knew you'd ketchup to me sooner or later. How I relished this meeting. Come, Batman. Let's see if you can cut the mustard." 

Ping! Bruce would recognize the sound anywhere. Instantly, he flipped behind Condiment King- god that’s a horrible name-, picking him up by the scruff of his neck. 

“You’ve done enough damage, Standler.” He growled. Grabbing one of the man’s wrist, he handcuffed it to the kiosk of the terrorized restaurant. 

A man crouched behind the counter rose up. “Thank you Batman, you saved my restaurant.” 

Batman was nowhere to be found. 

Well, no one would find him on the rooftop.

Update to the Medical File- 

Red Hood: stabbed. 

“Oracle, alert the GCPD that Condiment King was apprehended. Connect me to Red Hood.” Batman spoke into the empty air. He heard his comm crackle only a few seconds later.

Click.

“Talk to be Jaylad, where did you get stabbed.”

“Kinda busy here, B. Kori just started another bar fight.”

“Jason, I need to know how injured you are.”

“We’re winning, if you care. Toodle-o, Pops” 

Click.

Bruce stared down at the city in frustration. Why were his children like this? He sighed and radioed in for Alfred to prepare his aspirin. Not that any medicine would help, his tolerance had long required enough tranquilizer for a rhino. 

-

Update to the Medical File- 

Red Robin: hand =͟͟͞͞( •̀д•́)))

Bruce rubbed his eyebrows, looking down at the notification. He was sure that Tim was in the manor. In fact, as he opened his window he could hear two voices yelling in the yard below.

“Your cow BIT ME.”

“Tch, it was your fault, Drake. She was only protecting her master.”

“Protecting you?” Tim scoffed, “You're the menace here, no one else in this city wears platform crocs.”

Bruce peered below to confirm that yes, Damian was indeed taller than usual. 

“I’ll have you know that these are designer!” Damian pulled a knife out of his pants, only to get toppled over with a push. 

Bruce slowly closed the window. What he didn’t see wasn't his problem. 

Ping!

Update to the Medical File- 

Robin: avenged.

-

The halls of the Justice League overlooked the vastness of Earth. Batman glowered out the window while Signal looked around in awe. These meetings could be a business email, but Alfred had wanted him to ‘socialize’. Behind him, Superman would fall for a prank from Hal Jordan again. 

“Psst, B, can you introduce me to Wonder Woman?”

“Hgnh.” Better Diana than Clark at least. Bruce motioned for Duke to follow, leading him to Green Arrow and Wonder Woman talking about their weekend. He nodded at them. “This is my new protege, The Signal.”

Green Arrow stroked his goatee, “Geez, where do you get these kids?”

“...aren't you Oliver Queen?” 

“TELL YOUR KIDS TO STOP EXPOSING ME!”

Ping!

Update to the Medical File- 

The Signal: mentally scarred

If anyone saw Batman’s lips quirk up, they certainly wouldn't say anything. 

-

Neither of them could be seen against the pitch black of Gotham’s skyline. Batman and Orphan stood silently, overlooking the city. Orphan tilted her head, nudging to the right. 

“What is it, Orphan.” Batman growled. 

She didn't respond, electing to jump down the side of the building. 

Batman followed, looking around he saw her with her hand down a street gutter. He pinched his nose bridge, Agent A would scold both of them later. As he got closer, he could hear a faint mewing from the street gutter, and he watched as Cassandra scooped a tiny black kitten. He kneeled down beside her carefully.

“This is the sign for cat.” Using both hands he pinched his index and thumb together by the side of each cheek.

Putting the kitten in her lap, she mimicked the sign.

“It looks like he needs a home. Catwoman will be glad to foster him.”

Cass shook her head. “Cat Alfred…needs Cat Bruce.”

“Eta back to the cave in seven minutes.” Bruce sighed. 

He could tell she was beaming behind the mask.

Ping! 

Update to the Medical File- Orphan: image.png 🐈‍⬛