#And Jorge. (They are scared of him)

[juno-stuffs]

day 21: pjo x epic crossover

i don't know a lot about pjo/didn't read it but a moot of mine said epic!athena would hate pjo!athena and/or vice versa a bit ago so have this

(this is also a joke please don't come for me rrverse fandom i'm scared of you)

original that i forgot to add

[batsplat]

It actually kills me that Pecco is Valentino’s #1 protege bc I kinda feel like had they both met in like…2000 (let’s say they were the same age somehow) I feel like the mutual vibe between them would’ve been kinda like…“hm this guy SUCKS”.

Do u agree? I can see younger Vale being a little intrigued by Pecco, & Pecco being a little starstuck (like younger Casey) but I just think their vibes are so incompatible. Particularly compared w the other academy boys, who I think are slightly better fits…(except, hilariously, I would also say Luca is another kind of outlier).

IDK. Anyway thank u for all your amazing answers & historical knowledge batsplat <3 I so appreciate all the time you take to answer these questions & lay out the full surrounding context to things <3

first off, thank you!! that's really lovely!! secondly. hm this is a fun one I hadn't really thought about. the thing about the young casey comparison + what his relationship with valentino looked like is that he is six and a half-ish years younger than valentino... which feeds into why he's so starstruck. that's a very different dynamic from being valentino's direct peer, I feel. I kinda think the problem you have for any italian in vaguely that same age bracket is that it's just going to be tough to handle being so completely outshone by valentino. like, let's not speculate about results here because that's a fool's errand - in terms of actual popularity, there just isn't really any rider you could put alongside young valentino for that to be a remotely equal contest. and that inequity is worse if you're italian... you're not even going to have your home crowd rooting for you, right. the media attention will be 98% focused on the other guy. melandri's a good case study here, as a guy who's just a bit younger than valentino and highly rated in his junior years, but whose own relationship with valentino seemed to kinda sour over the years for various reasons. melandri is admittedly a bit of an odd bloke in his own right and is also a bit odd in the way he talks about valentino, but he's spoken a fair bit about how tough it was feeling like nobody in italy gave a shit about him with valentino around. which must be tough! there's 'working in silence' and then there's being 'practically invisible'... and that does also inevitably affect the relationship I reckon. you have to have an ego at pecco's level - and that kind of ego would always take some bruising if you have to come up against valentino in his full pomp

in terms of their actual interpersonal dynamic, it's always important to remember valentino got on pretty well with basically almost everyone!! especially in those early years, you don't even really have the same wariness of potential rivals. like, once he gets to the premier class it's more or less 'biaggi' and 'not biaggi'. he never has any issues with his title rival in 2000, kenny roberts jr. he's always gotten on very well with countryman and 1998 title rival capirossi, who he remained good friends with even when they were kinda *hand wiggles* title rivals in 2006. capirossi should have been more of a title contender that season and could well have gone on to win that title, but he got taken out in catalunya through no fault of his own - so not really any time for tensions to develop, which makes it a bit tricky to judge what that might have done to the relationship. when valentino and him have a tight duel in sepang later that season and valentino puts on a rather stern last lap defence to win that race (got to be one of his most underappreciated rides, he has like three classic race wins in 2006 I never see anyone discuss), capirossi climbs on his lap during the podium ceremony. so, y'know. capirossi is admittedly a way milder character than pecco, but it is notable how fond he remains of valentino throughout. though unlike pecco he does play into one of valentino's core weaknesses - valentino's fondness for having a little guy around. if you shave off ten centimetres from pecco then he'd basically be set for life

that being said, I agree they probably wouldn't be particularly close lol. prime valentino is probably a little too much for pecco, like you imagine they'd be cordial but pecco's just a tad reserved and wants to assert a bit of autonomy. which actually places him in a pretty decent position for that relationship to not blow up completely in his face - you kinda feel like he'd straddle the line between not being as abrasive as biaggi and not having *gestures vaguely* whatever that was between valentino and sete. the nicky hayden principle, right - who got through two teammate stints with valentino and actually beating him to a title with that relationship completely intact. cf hayden saying that valentino never played any mind games with him, that valentino didn't change his behaviour towards hayden depending on the points gap etc. valentino might "know how to play people", but he's not doing it with just anyone

some of this does inevitably depend on how much of a competitive threat pecco is in this hypothetical timeline. and if you actually put him in the dani/casey/jorge age bracket then all bets are off. it's basically the opposite of what I was saying with casey and jorge, where you'd imagine valentino-the-mentor-figure would have been an incredibly helpful presence for those two guys specifically. the thing about valentino is that he's very adept at being both valentino-the-rival and valentino-the-mentor-figure, but those two roles just look completely different. decent mentor all things considered, considerably less fun to have as a rival. and with pecco... I mean, you're basically dealing with a less prickly less neurotic casey-type, aren't you. pecco has the edge over casey in that he's not quite as... you know. how do I say this diplomatically. I don't think pecco would spend half the season complaining about valentino 'moaning and whinging' and then feature valentino's name on his title-winning shirt, let's put it that way. even with the italian factor, I reckon he'd manage to be at least 2% more normal about valentino, which probably would also help make the dynamic with valentino a bit more normal. and I'm sure valentino would come up with some horribly inventive ways of tormenting pecco and I do reckon he's absolutely up to that task, but I don't think something like laguna 2008 specifically would be the way to go about it. doesn't feel like you could quite blow up that relationship with a single race. the thing about laguna 2008 is that it's very bespoke casey torture, like that does not hit nearly as well against any other rival. ... I just realised I spent a good five minutes daydreaming about what advice I'd give valentino to crack pecco, which. anyways. let's cut it off there. but yeah, that would've been quite a fun match-up actually - specifically because pecco is such an annoyingly excellent defensive rider. arguably better at that than any of valentino's major rivals, which given valentino's MO you'd think would throw up its own distinct challenge

where the casey example IS instructive is in reminding you what an annoyingly charismatic bastard valentino is. I kind of feel like if you can have that kind of an effect on baby casey, you probably can make any of these undersocialised brats fall head over heels for you if you have a good swing at it. there's also the interesting question of what happens to pecco if you take away the vr46 support structure (obviously we're assuming he's still making it to motogp). my sense is you take away a little bit of... not his self-belief, exactly, or even his confidence necessarily - just a sense of security, of comfort in his own skin. I do reckon it makes him a bit more casey-ish in some aspects, just a touch more brittle and likely to take things personally... but, well, obviously we are now in the realm of very far-flung speculation. idk! whatever the exact age permutations between him and valentino would be, my sense is that valentino is charming enough and pecco is susceptible enough to being charmed that it's not like. open revulsion from day one. and to some extent, pecco's canonical willingness to let valentino hog the spotlight would stand him in good stead - it's like when casey said he didn't want to be the next valentino... these aren't necessarily guys who would even want that kind of attention on them. which does feel like a different dynamic to melandri doing his own showy celebrations. they DO want to be liked, maybe more than either of them are willing to admit, they both have a similarly pronounced sensitivity to being misinterpreted - but I don't feel like pecco would be killing himself with envy over valentino's reach in italy. maybe just a little bit, because that is probably normal in that situation... but I reckon he'd work through it

anyway, yeah. my thing is I don't actually give anyone a particularly high chance of surviving valentino's initial charm onslaught unscathed and I... don't feel like pecco would be an exception to that? the closest exception is jorge, but valentino never tried to charm him - and also jorge was still aggressively deeply weird about valentino so I'm not sure that's the template. cf how jorge still not managing to shut up about how fantastic valentino's celebrations were even when they were in an actual title fight. so yeah, idk. I don't see any reason why valentino would react that negatively towards pecco, who definitely comes across more like casey than he does like jorge and wouldn't immediately register as an active nuisance to valentino. I don't think they'd be FRIENDS and maybe they wouldn't match each other's vibe particularly well... interesting question actually if they'd have better or worse interpersonal chemistry than casey and valentino. maybe a bit worse? pecco's perhaps somewhat more guarded and world-weary from day one, so maybe a tad better at just keeping his distance and playing things by ear. pecco's natural wariness would probably do him quite a lot of good there and just make sure things... maybe get a bit unpleasant between him and valentino but never actively terrible. maybe the closest analogue would be a snippier, slightly brittler version of dovi, actually. two guys who get on pretty well but just move in different circles - with relatively restrained open animosity unless the competitive situation demands otherwise

[ray935sworld]

🐢 Not you posting about Pedrenzo coming out while I wrote about just that 😭😭😭 BUT YES, DEFINITELY, Dani's content is all like, I love him so much. And Jorge basically just shows the world Dani's middle finger and then jokes that Dani should wear his wedding ring on that finger so that people can see it. He needs to let the world know how in love they are and that he managed to get himself someone like Dani.

And ooohhhhhh the love they would spread on social media. Jorge healing with every positive comment on those pictures while deleting all the negative messages and not even being bothered. And Dani is so proud of him for doing so!!!

And the two of them being in the paddock, hiding from too many photographers but then they post about it and it's the most disgusting (affectionate) pictures of them kissing in front of the motorhomes, on track, in the commentator's cabin, you name it

You really did make me fall in love with them ❤️

YOU DID? Haha mind link. I only gave your ask a quick read tbh (it's amazing as always, so looking forward to answering it and ranting hehe)

YES EXCATLY. Jorge be posting more Dani pics than pics of himself. AND OH. Oh the amount of kiss pictures! Or Dani, being Dani, so more shy and private, would be posting so cute ones. Like Jorge's and his hand intervened and the pic is black and white and you can see the ring. And then Jorge's statues is Dani chilling shirtless at the pool with 😏😳🤤

Help-! Them hiding is so cute. Like imagine the press be looking for them, like during that paddock walk live stream on friday, you see Dani and Jorge in the background or they journo is heading towards them and Jorge just takes Dani's hand and literally RUNS/ drags him around the motorhome/ container stuff. And then a few minutes later there's a video made by Dani of Jorge and him running away, tagging the motogp account with a "Sorry apparently I have something important to do" And Jorge is reposting that with the caption "I am important" A in "He's doing me".

I definitely say Jorge is making THE WORST jokes in the comments. Like he is cringe and now he can be cringy over his husband on live. More than once KTM asked Dani to tell his husband to not comment under ever post of Dani on a bike "Always knew he could ride ❤️🔥" Or Dani doing a wildcard and - either Jorge is standing WAG style in the garage or if DAZN made him comment, he is screaming during every session and NOT saying a word about anyone beside Dani. (Imagine him screaming at Dani over the screen during the Jerez spring when Dani was P4 and could have overtaken Fabio for P3 because he knew Dani had no idea it was for a podium so he fear Dani would be sad later - and yes he tried to surpress his grin when he hears about Fabios penalty). He's staring at Dani lovingly 24/7 and horny and when he's asked not to look at Dani like he's about to eat him when doing interviews he just shows his ring and is like "I'm the only one whose allowed to look at him like I'm about to eat him. Eat him out btw." He then has to do a PR training on what he can say and what he should not say on internal live TV. Dani think it's hilarious.

[vamo-vamo-vamo]

Not me just now noticing that both of Bruno’s alter-egos (or at least the two we know of) cover up his face.

[lemememeringue]

jorge called today. it was good to talk to him. he still has fudge from christmas somehow

[rickythesearenotnewinters]

Six minutes to go in Q1 and Jorge in the top two my man you are INSANE

[yukisandy]

I wonder how Jorge explorer reacts to his ancient version

I have one of my head is was confusing at first until his ancient version scream scared him away

[inkedinshadows]

Would You Fall in Love with Me Again

Pairing: Rhysand x f!reader

Summary: Rhysand comes home to his mate after 50 years UTM, but he's worried she might not love him anymore after everything he's done.

Warnings: angst, sad boi Rhys, mentions of Amarantha

Word count: 2.2k

Main masterlist | Week Masterlist | Rhysand Masterlist | AO3

@sjmxreaderweek

Velaris was quiet, with only a few faelights shining in the night to rival the stars above. A gentle breeze blew your hair away from your face, carrying with it the scent of salt and spring.

You sat on one of the iron chairs on the rooftop, your head tilted back to look up at the twinkling stars. You'd lost count of how many times you'd wished upon them over the last forty-nine years, and though you'd long since stopped wishing they would return your mate, you had never lost hope that he would one day come back home to you.

But now your wishes were smaller, because maybe then they would be answered. Maybe asking for something too big was too ambitious to be granted.

So you stuck with the little things.

For your mate to be safe, and healthy too. That even if couldn't return, he would know you'd wait for him and love him from afar. That wherever he was, he could look up at the same stars and think of you, and maybe even feel you close to him.

You shivered slightly when the breeze picked up. Goosebumps rose on your arms as if the wind itself was telling you to stop thinking and go to sleep instead.

With a sigh, you finally stood. It was late, and the bed was calling to you with the promise of a sleep filled with dreams of Rhys.

After one last glance at the quiet stars, you headed down the stairs toward your bedroom. You frowned at the light filtering out from beneath the door. You were sure you hadn't left it on before climbing up to the rooftop. But when you pushed it open, your heart stopped.

You recognized his scent before you even saw him.

Citrus and sea salt filled your lungs, and then the door swung fully open.

And there he was.

Rhys was sitting on the edge of the bed, but he shot to his feet the moment you turned the doorknob. He just stood there, posture rigid, as you stared at each other.

His skin was pale—so much paler than the last time you'd seen him. His hair was slightly longer, and his eyes no longer sparkled with life and joy as they once had. He was thinner. And he looked tired—so tired that you wondered when the last time he had gotten some sleep was.

“Rhys?” you whispered. You were still standing in the doorway, too stunned to move. “Is that you? Are you… are you really here?”

Maybe you had fallen asleep on that chair and this was just another dream.

How many times had you imagined this moment, both while asleep and awake? Or was this real and the stars—or the Mother, the Cauldron, all the forgotten gods you'd silently begged—had finally answered your prayers?

Rhys didn't smile. Didn't nod. He just swallowed.

“I'm here, but…”

Your heart dropped.

“But I'm not…” He struggled to find the words. “I'm not the same person you knew.”

Finally stepping into the room, you frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve changed,” he answered. His voice was trembling. “I've… done things, Y/N. I'm not the man I was fifty years ago.”

You weren't surprised—not really. You had changed too. Fifty years was a long time, even for an immortal, and whatever Rhys had been through had visibly taken a toll on him. You had almost expected it.

But you had never once seen him so nervous, so… scared. As if he was afraid you were going to reject him, to tell him you didn't want him anymore. It made you wonder what kinds of things he was talking about.

“What did you do?” you asked quietly.

Rhys hesitated. For a moment, you thought he might not answer. But then he spoke.

“Everything she asked me,” he whispered. He didn't look at you. “I hurt people for her. Innocents. And I… I served her.”

He paused again, and you braced yourself for what he might say next.

“In the bedroom.”

The air left your lungs.

Rhys finally looked at you again. His eyes—usually so full of stars and love—were now anguished and scared.

“I promise you, Y/N, it never meant anything.” He took a step toward you, then stopped, as if unsure you would allow him to come closer. “Everything I've done, the people I've hurt… it was all to keep Velaris safe. So that I could come back home… to you.”

“Rhys—”

“And it's selfish, but I need to know if… if there's a chance you could still love me.” He swallowed. “If you only knew what I've done… I'm not the man you fell in love with. Not anymore. And I don't know if you could love me like you used to.”

“Rhys,” you said, and this time your voice was firmer.

He stopped just as he was about to say something else and looked at you, waiting.

You studied him for a long moment. His hands trembled slightly—something that had never happened before. His cheeks were a little hollow, his waist just a bit thinner. You took in every detail, every little change in his body, noticing all of them as if you'd last seen him only the day before.

You didn't doubt his words. He was different, and he was hurting, haunted by whatever Amarantha had made him do. In and out of the bedroom, apparently.

But you had waited half a century for your mate to come home. You wouldn't let anything come in between you and him anymore, even if it was his own fear and guilt.

“Do you remember when we first said ‘I love you’?”

He seemed confused, but you went on.

“We went to that concert at the Rainbow Theatre and then you walked me home, and we kissed in front of my door.”

Rhys frowned. “That was when the bond snapped, not the first time we said ‘I love you’.”

You tilted your head to the side as you thought about it. “Right,” you muttered. “So was it that time we just went to the coffeehouse across from where I used to work because I didn't have time?”

You had always loved your job at the bakery. Cakes and cookies, loaves of bread and rolls, pastries and tarts—they were your element. You thrived surrounded by flour and yeast and chocolate chips. But that first job became more like a prison and burden, where you had to work impossible shifts and run on little sleep.

You had met Rhys when he came in one day to order a cake for his cousin's birthday. Something immediately clicked between the two of you, and shortly after you were going on dates in between your shifts. You sacrificed so many hours of sleep so you could see him in your free time, until Rhys had convinced you to quit and find something better.

Hurt flashed in Rhys' eyes, but there was a hint of frustration in his voice. “That was our first date.”

Though it killed you, you just nodded thoughtfully. “Then when was it? Do you remember it?”

Rhys took a deep breath. You couldn't tell it if he was trying to stay calm or if he was truly that hurt by your apparent memory lapse.

“It was the day before you opened your own bakery,” he said. He spoke slowly, as if it would help you remember. “You were trying new recipes and making me taste all of them until I felt sick. And when you asked why I didn't tell you I'd eaten too much cake, I said it was because I loved you and wanted to see you happy.”

He hesitated before meeting your gaze. “Do you really not remember?”

You shook your head and stepped forward. Finally standing in front of him, the urge to throw yourself into his arms—or to hold him in yours—was stronger than ever. But you held back for now and just looked up at him instead.

“I remember,” you said. “Of course I remember. Our first date, the first kiss, the first ‘I love you’... I remember it all.”

He opened his mouth, but you already knew what he was going to say.

You lifted a hand to his face, fingers shaking almost imperceptibly, and then you were cupping his cheek.

After almost fifty years, you were touching your mate again.

Rhys tensed under your touch, his eyes searching your face, and you had to fight against the lump rising in your throat to speak again.

“I asked because I wanted you to remember,” you murmured. “To remind yourself that you remember all those moments and a thousand more. That you've changed, but you're still you.”

Your other hand came to rest on his chest, right where his heart was. You could feel it, beating wildly beneath your palm.

“In here, you're still Rhysand. You're still my mate. And you always will be.”

His violet eyes shone, silver lining them.

“I don't need another chance to love you, Rhys,” you said, your voice a soft caress, like your thumb now brushing his cheekbone. “Because I never stopped loving you. And I never will. You're my mate, my love, and I'd wait another fifty years for you.”

His throat bobbed, and then tears rolled down his cheeks. You cupped his face with both hands, wiping them away with a soft smile.

It broke your heart to see him like this. To know that whatever he had done, whatever he'd been forced to endure, had been horrible enough to make him think your love for him could ever die.

“Open the bond,” you encouraged gently. “Let the wall come down, my love.”

It had killed you not feeling him for all those decades. When he'd reached out with his magic to warn you, he told you it was for your safety. That if someone had suspected he had a mate, Amarantha would come for you.

And you had understood. You had accepted it—you hadn't had another choice. But it had still killed you.

Sometimes, you would pull on the bond, like you had done hundreds of times before, but you could never feel his presence on the other side. As if he had never been there. As if he were gone.

It had terrified you. You had no way of knowing if he was alright or hurt. Would you know it if he had died? With the mating bond shut, would you be able to feel it, to sense it? Would your heart stop beating without warning? The doubts and nightmares had haunted you for fifty years.

But now he was here. You were together again.

Rhys released a shuddering breath. He searched your eyes again, but all he found there was love and understanding.

A few seconds passed in silence.

And then you felt it—that feeling deep within your chest, like a string tied to your heart, pulling you gently toward him.

The warm, glowing mating bond.

A ghost presence in your chest for almost fifty years, but no more. And never again.

You both gasped at the intensity of it. You could sense that Rhys was still holding back, still trying to shield you from the full weight of his anguish and guilt. So you flooded the bond with your love, your relief, your joy at finally being with him again.

Slowly, Rhys leaned forward until his forehead rested against yours. “I've missed you, my darling. Every minute of every day.”

A sob tore from you, and then you were crying too. Your arms looped around his neck to pull him closer, fingers tangling in his hair as he buried his face in the crook of your neck. His hands slid to your back, holding you even tighter.

“I missed you too,” you choked out. “And I love you, Rhys. Please, never doubt that.”

His tears seeped through your shirt, dampening the fabric and your skin beneath it, but you couldn't have cared less.

You were holding him. And he was holding you. Everything was going to be fine.

“I love you,” he whispered. “I love you so much.”

You didn't know how long you stood there in the center of the room, just holding each other. Minutes or hours—it didn't matter. You had no intention of letting him go ever again, and you knew he felt the same. You could spend the rest of your life like this and it would be enough.

It didn't matter what he had done, what Amarantha had forced him to do. Maybe one day he would tell you. Maybe he wouldn't. But even then, nothing he said could ever make you stop loving him.

If you had to spend the next few years proving to him that he wasn't the villain he thought he'd become, then so be it. You would show him that, however changed he might be, he was still your mate.

He was still—and would always be—your Rhys.

And he was finally home.

*lovely divider by @slytherin-pen

Taglist: @mrsjna @navyblue-eternity @paintedbyshadows @highladyandromeda @starswholistenanddreamsanswered @azrielsmate3 @mollygetssherlockcoffee @mirandasidefics @tinystarfishgalaxy @cynthiesjmxazrielslover @anarchiii @readinggeeklmao @anneas11 @lilah-asteria @lorosette @azrielsrealmate @pey2618 @mellowmusings @k8r123-blog @daughterofthemoons-stuff @minnieoo @saltedcoffeescotch @georgiadixon @quiet-because-it-is-a-secret @ivy-34 @yesiamthatwierd @lreadsstuff @littlest-w01f

[evilincoperated]

I will Fall In love with you, over and over again

Paring: Spencer Reid x gn!reader (No use of y/n)

Summary: Spencer is clingy after prison, and you just want him to open up

Fluff and Hurt/Comfort

cw: Mentions of prison

A/N: My first time ever writing a fic so please be nice, and bear with me. Not Proof Read lol

Spencer was different, well that goes without saying. He had been imprisoned falsely for three months, he didn’t even want to tell you what was happening with him. He was broken. But he knew one thing, he could never hurt you, not you, not the one light in his life. Before Spencer was fairly independent, he wasn’t huge on physical touch, but he didn’t mind it, he just never really initiated it. But now he’s attached to you. Emily made him take a few months off of work, and ever since he got home he’s been like a puppy, always with you. He wants you next to him at all times. He’s always asking to cuddle, always kissing you like it’d be the last time, and he learned how to text better just so he could text you every half hour at least while you’re working. You want to help him, you want him to be honest, tell you what happened, communicate, and let you help. But he never could, he couldn’t taint you, couldn’t risk dampening your light.

It all came to fruition one night. You had just gotten home, and like a moth to a flame Spencer ran to greet you, enveloping you in his arms immediately, like his life depended on it. “Mm, missed you” he mumbled, “felt like you were gone forever.” “It was just an eight hour work day, we’ve been apart longer” you said teasing him, trying to get him to dig into why he’s been so desperate for love lately. “I know.” He waited until you got your shoes and coat off before leading you to the couch, sitting down and gently pulling you down so you could be right up against his side. “How was work? I missed you, I think we need to take a vacation-” He started rambling as soon as you sat down, only stopping when he saw the distressed look on your face. “What's wrong love?” “You hate vacations, you say hotels are germ breeding grounds and that you spend enough time in them as it is.” You look at him and adjust so you’re face to face with him, grabbing his hand. “Can you talk to me, Spence? And I mean talk to me, I need to know if you’re okay, you’ve been acting so different-” “I was in prison love, of course I’m different.” “Well I know, but you haven’t been acting the way the therapists predicted you would.” “Have I ever acted in a way anyone could predict?” He said smiling, trying to lighten the mood. “Spence, I’m serious, I’m worried and you won't talk to me, you’re just always trying to make sure I’m okay, when it should be the other way around. You went through something, not me.” He sighed, “I know, I know I went through something, but I can’t let anything ruin this. You’re all I have left, the only thing I have in my life that I know will never hurt me- not that you’re a thing- sorry I’m not saying this right. All I know is that I can’t risk showing you that I’m broken, you might leave, I’m not the man you knew.” He looked as if he was about to cry. You couldn’t stand it, you kissed him gently, he responded quickly, tenderly kissing you back. “You’re not going to scare me away Spencer. I love you, I don’t love the man you think you should be, I love the man you are. No matter who that is right now. You can always talk to me, always.” You whisper against his lips, before leaving a trail of kisses from his lips to his ear to whisper, “you can trust me.” He swallowed firmly, starting to cry, your heart broke. “I know that logically, obviously I know that, I trust you, I love you. There’s just that part of my brain that says you’ll leave, you’ll see that I’m not worth it.” “You are worth it Spencer, you’ll always be worth it.”

He started crying harder, pressing his face into the crook of your neck, his tears staining your shirt. “I guess, I just don’t want to be apart from you anymore. I spent three months only being able to see you from behind a glass wall, never being able to touch you. I never thought I’d miss just holding your hand, how warm you are. And now that I’m back, I just need to be near you, I need to know you’re there, that you're here with me. And it feels like the only way to do that is to be your perfect man” He sobbed into your shoulder, hugging you tighter. “Hey, hey, I am here. And you are my perfect man, no matter what, or how long we’re apart, you’ll always be that guy.” You start running your fingers through his hair. “And how about this? I’ll take time off of work, but instead of going on a germy vacation, we stay here. We’ll have Doctor Who marathons, watch romcoms, make popcorn, and never leave this apartment unless we need to get something.” You suggested this with a grin, “I’d like that, I’d love that.” He pulled away and kissed you gently, putting his hands on your face. “I’ll call my boss in the morning.” And you laid there, just the two of you, for what felt like an eternity.

[solxamber]

hello here for the valentine event!!

Jade, Romantic, Suffering by Jorge Rivera-Herrans

first epic song of the event let's gooo

"Jump in the water" || Jade Leech

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭

𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐠: Suffering by Jorge Rivera-Herrans

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 940

𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐬: Siren!Jade x Sailor!Reader

You are lost at sea.

The wind has betrayed you, the stars offer no guidance, and the waves push you further from home. It’s been days—weeks?—adrift on endless waters, and all you know is that if you don’t find land soon, the ocean will claim you for itself.

Then, you see them.

Ships. Empty ships.

Abandoned vessels dot the horizon, their sails limp, their decks silent. A graveyard of those who have sailed these waters before you, of those who heard it and did not resist.

Sirens.

You do not hesitate.

With swift, practiced hands, you rip strips of cloth from your shirt and stuff them into your ears. The world dulls instantly. The ocean is quieter, your own heartbeat louder. You grip the wheel and steel yourself as you push forward.

And just as you expected—

He is waiting.

A siren, perched upon jagged rocks, half-shrouded in mist. He is beautiful—unearthly and elegant, with scales that shimmer like pearls. His long, webbed fingers trace idly over the stone as he watches you, his expression calm, patient.

His lips move. You can’t hear him, but you already know the words.

"Come to me."

You shake your head, firm.

The siren tilts his head, undeterred. He speaks again.

You pretend to consider it, then say, “I can’t swim.”

The siren blinks. His lips curl, amused. “I will teach you.”

You shake your head again. “I’m scared of the water.”

His laughter is silent, but you can see it in the way his shoulders shake.

Then, he leans forward, fingers grazing the surface of the waves. “Then I will hold you.”

Your lips twitch, just a little. Persistent. You’ll give him that.

Then, just to see his reaction, you grin and say, “I don’t want my feet wet. Why don’t you come up here instead?”

It’s meant to be a joke. A final attempt to frustrate him, to force him to give up on you.

But to your utter shock—

The siren reaches out to you.

His webbed hand extends, open and waiting, his mismatched eyes gleaming with something unreadable.

You shouldn’t. You know you shouldn’t.

And yet—

Before you can think, your fingers are wrapping around his, and you’re pulling him aboard.

He lands on the deck, water cascading off his tail, hands braced against the wood. He blinks up at you, utterly unreadable, before slowly shifting, his body morphing—legs, now, instead of a tail, seawater dripping from his skin, but still otherworldly, still not quite human.

You take a step back, breath heavy.

“You’re a siren.” It isn’t a question.

The siren smiles, slow and knowing. “And yet,” he hums, tilting his head, “you still pulled me in.”

You have no answer for that.

Maybe you did fall for his song, after all.

Jade—he says his name is Jade—does not devour you.

In fact, he does something even stranger.

He helps you.

He moves like he’s been aboard a ship before, like he knows the ocean better than any human sailor ever could. He studies the maps, adjusts the sails, tells you which direction to follow.

“Why?” you ask him, cautious.

Jade only smiles, pressing a finger to his lips.

You should be more wary. You should be scared.

But you aren’t.

Not when you catch him watching you, gaze unreadable. Not when he tilts his head, just slightly, as if trying to understand you.

Not when, after long days at sea together, you finally see land on the horizon.

Your homeland.

You exhale, relief flooding through you. “We made it,” you breathe, turning to him. “Jade—”

But when you look at him, he is not celebrating.

He is watching you.

Like he’s waiting for something. Like he’s already preparing to disappear beneath the waves before the ship reaches the shore.

The thought makes your stomach twist.

Before you can stop yourself, you reach for him. “Come with me.”

Jade stills.

His lips part, caught off guard, the first time you’ve truly seen him surprised.

Then, slowly—slowly—he leans in.

His breath is cool against your skin, the scent of saltwater clinging to him. His eyes sharp, flicker to your lips, then back to your gaze.

His voice is softer this time, curious.

“…What makes you think I won’t drown you now?”

You meet his gaze, steady and sure. "You won't," you say, voice unwavering.

Jade’s expression flickers—something fragile, something hesitant, something almost human beneath the inhuman beauty of his mismatched eyes. He has spent his life luring sailors into the depths, pulling them under, watching them sink.

But you—you pulled him up instead.

His fingers brush against yours, tentative at first, before they lace together, webbed skin cool against your warmth. He steps closer, close enough that you can feel the dampness of his borrowed clothes, the scent of the ocean clinging to him.

Then, finally—finally—he closes the distance.

His lips meet yours, soft and searching, like the tide pulling against the shore. His hand cups the back of your neck, tilting you to him, holding you as if afraid you’ll slip away like seawater through his fingers. But you don’t. You stay, leaning into him, letting yourself fall into the moment.

For the first time in his life, Jade Leech is not the one luring someone in

For the first time, he is the one being caught.

When he pulls away, his lips are curved in something softer than his usual smirk. "Well," he murmurs, tilting his head, "perhaps I will join you on land, just for a little while."

You laugh, tugging him in for another kiss, already knowing—he’s never going to leave.

Masterlist ; Valentine's Event

[rochichan]

My I Can’t Help But Wonder animatic is finally done!

Overall, my goal was to capture the unsaid emotions and dynamic between Odysseus and Telemachus in this song. What would it feel like meeting someone you’ve longed for your entire life but at the same time that person is a complete stranger? It’s an interesting premise!! I really used this animatic to practice character expressions/acting, cause there’s a lot of statements in the song that can be interpreted differently depending on how it’s delivered.

I had many thoughts while working on this one, so going to ramble below!! (Sorry if grammar and thoughts are all over)

Telemachus

For Telemachus, the phrase “never meet your heroes” was something that I thought personally applied to Telly—like imagine the first impression of your father is this random man mercilessly killing several men??? How would you feel? Would your love for your father waver? My personal hc on Telly’s idea of his dad is he LOOOOOVES him, to the point where he blindly thinks he can do no wrong. So when “Odysseus” happens, it’s kinda a breaking point for him—realizing, “oh… he might not be the person I thought he was.”

In “Odysseus”, I wanted a mix of fear and curiosity within Telly. Since there’s so much going on, he’s processing a lot of things, so he doesn’t fully realize that his dad is here. In “ICHBW”, since he’s now processing the fact that this man is 100% his dad, the emotions evolve to fearful vulnerability and curious desperation. Throughout the song, Telly is so eager but at the same time so careful and unsure (he holds his spear tightly cause he’s still scared and only drops it when his dad opens his arm to receive him!)

Odysseus

For Odysseus, the overall thought would be “I worked so hard for this, but do I deserve it?” I wanted a mix of longing and guilt in his actions. It hurts so much more knowing that “ICHBW” opens with the same motif of “Just a Man”—It’s like as an audience we get reminded of like “Hey, remember where we started? As we’re all familiar with the “man vs monster” idea in the musical, I tried to make it obvious that Odysseus is basically fighting himself internally throughout the song (at this point of the story, he is his number one enemy).

Some moments I personally liked:

When he runs to Telly down the stairs to close the gap between them, but shortly after, pushes him away once he realizes the blood on his hands was placed on his son’s face—as an artist, this moment gets me so “hehehehehe >:^)” but also breaks my heart lol

Telly being indifferent to the blood on his face—at first, you can see the initial shock at how his dad carelessly placed his bloody hand, but then Telly lets it pass seeing how quick his dad was like “oh whoops”. It’s a quick moment but wanted to show how Telly’s priority is on the fact that “his dad is here” instead of what “his dad did/has done”

Another moment I really loved when Odysseus opened his arms for Telly. He didn’t want to force Telly in an embrace but instead gave him the choice. It puts Ody in a vulnerable light of possibly being rejected, and also a nice callback to what Polites had taught.

When Athena hopes. During the draft change, I changed the moment in the orb she’s holding. Originally, it was going to be her stopping younger Ody from killing a boar, like a “what if” situation. But I wanted it to be moments that had already happened; so it’s more of a “we could’ve done this differently” instead of “look at this alternate universe”

When Odysseus sees his past with Polities and Eurolychus. I just love callbacks lol. Again, it’s more of a “we could’ve done this differently, but it’s too late now” moment. Also, by passing the responsibility to Athena, he’s accepted the fact that he’s not the same man from before.

Other thoughts

When i first heard this song, it was a progress draft Jorge has posted on TikTok. I cried so much LOL solo vocal and piano just makes it so much sadder.

Man… can’t believe this will be my last one… it’s been 2 years since i got into this musical

ANYWAYS hope u enjoy and thanks for watching/reading :’)

[leah-lover]

Second chances.

Alexia putellas x coach!reader.

Part 1. Part 2

Summary : what happened that night.

4 years ago 

“ stop staring at me and focus on the meeting.” you subtly text your girlfriend from across the room. You were sitting behind the computer so that you can control the slides and she was sitting with the rest of the team. You shoot each other a quick smile and redirect your focus towards the presentation. Once the meeting is over you grab your laptop and head towards the entrance. You were then stopped by Jorge vilda. “ As a part of my coaching staff I expect you to be present at my meetings not just with your body but also with your mind.” you look at him confused. “ giggling and smiling at your phone while I was talking is not acceptable.” 

“ sir it was just one text.” you try to justify yourself. “ Well tell your boyfriend that while you are in camp this team is your number 1 priority.” you didn't have a chance to say anythiçng because he left as soon as he finished talking. You brush off his comments and text your girlfriend about her whereabouts. You then head to her room as she instructed you. When you enter you put your laptop on the table and find your usual place next to her body. You nuzzle on her chest and just lay there as she strokes your hair. 

“ tough day?” she asked alexia. 

“ something like that.” you respond. You then turn around so that you can face her. 

“ Your free kicks were amazing today at practice. You might even be the number 1 in the upcoming games. your reaction time is also over the charts. It's near perfect.” 

“ This is becoming my favorite thing in camp.” 

“ what me telling you about how good you are?” 

“ no, you sharing the bed with me.” 

“ You know I can't stay for long. If he finds out about us we both are out of jobs.” 

“ how would he know? Please just tonight and I won't ask you again. I really need you.” Once alexia asked something of you you couldn't say no. Besides, you really missed her. “ okay but just for tonight.” you then kiss her and cuddle with her for the rest of the night. *

Since you didn't come back to your room your phone died. So as soon as you sneaked out of alexia’s room, headed to yours and plugged it in. Once you got out of the shower you unlocked it to find 10 missed calls, and 6 messages from none other than vilda. You panic as you open the messages. 

Why are you not answering? Why are you not in your room? Where are you? I can't keep looking for you all night? Fine if you don't answer i will go look for answers myself? 

Your heartbeat was faster than it had ever been.  You take a deep breath change out of your robe and pick up your phone to call him. 

“ conference room now.” he says as soon as he picks up leaving you no room for debate. 

Once you go to the conference room in which you were alone with him. He pointed to a chair so you sit there he doesn't though he kept standing. You found yourself speechless. 

“ I employ you with my team because I trust you. I think you have good judgment. But you failed me.” you feel a lump form in your through. “ You failed  me not only with your choice of lifestyle but also who you choose to corrupt and involve with you in this messed up situation. .” you close your eyes so that you won't cry while he still stands in front of you. “ I gave you a job, a   good one. I thought you were my right hand and that you would replace me when i decide to leave. But forming an indecent relationship  with one of my players is off limits.” you feel a knife jam in your heart and a tear leaves your eye. “ Your relationship is wrong and shouldnt have happened. You are lucky I like you so I am gonna give you a chance to change. Break up with her and apologize to me and you can keep your job and she won't be called up anymore. 

His last sentences changed your stance from scared to angry. 

“ Who the hell do you think you are?” you snap. 

“ I am the one who gave you two jobs and I am the one who can take it away from you. Plus I am trying to correct your choice of lifestyle because it is wrong.” 

“ choice of lifestyle. You have to be fucking kidding me. I love alexia putellas, i love a woman. Does it bother you that I love her?  Well go fuck yourself because nothing will tear us apart. And if you take this job away from me I will sue you even if it's the last thing I will do in life.” you were angry and furious. 

“ Nobody wants you here. The players feel uncomfortable because of your new relationship as confessed by the captain last night. So sue me if you want you won't win. Now hand over your badge, get your stuff and leave. You are fired." His blast words left you lifeless. “ as confessed by the captain last night” last night you were sleeping with alexia so it had to irene. You move on autopilot and almost break her door as you knock so hard. Once she stood in front of you you didn't find it in you to scream or fight. 

“ why?” you ask, sounding defeated. 

“ He asked me where you were and he threatened to kick me out of the team.” she said calmly. 

“ So you rat me and your friend out. You couldn't have told him I went for a run. We are friend irene. I didn't think you would betray me like that. I trusted you with the thing I love most in life and you took it away from me so that you could protect yourself. You could have lied.” you say crying. 

“ It was all bound to be exposed with time.” 

“ Is that what you are going to tell yourself so that you can sleep at night? You didn't have to tell him that my relationship made you uncomfortable. You didn't have to tell him anything.   You ruined my life irene. I lost my job because of you. I will never forgive you for that. never. “ you turned your back and left. You went to Alexia's room after. Once she saw your red eyes she took you in for a hug. In her warmth you cried. You cried because of Irene's betrayal. You cried because you lost your job. You cried because you lost everything. 

“ I love you. I love so much amor.” the way alexia said it felt weird to you so you got out of her hold and looked at her. She wiped the tears from your cheeks and took your lips for a searing kiss. She kissed you with so much passion and hunger it left your lips red. 

“ Alexia, what's wrong?” you ask concerned. 

“ He talked to me and asked me to choose between you and the team and I chose the team.” she said with tears in her eyes. 

“ why is it that everybody say things so calmly like its nothing? Is my love for you worth  nothing?” 

“ My whole family, my father’s legacy, everyone depends on me to make them proud. I need to stay in the team for them.” 

“ And what about me? Is everything we dreamt about gone in the wind?”

“ This is more painful than I could have ever imagined. I never thought we would have to leave each other. But my family comes first.” 

Her words cut through your heart and left nothing behind. You kiss her again for the last time; go to your room, collect your things and leave the hotel without talking to anyone. You felt your heart turn to stone as you saw the hotel in your rearview mirror. That day you lost your job, your life, your dream, your purpose, your love and also your heart. That day destroyed you without mercy. 

[ray935sworld]

Truer words have never been spoken!!

Honestly.... Dani at 22 (pic is from 2007).... No wonder Jorge had a gay crises over that beautiful man.

Maybe it's just fuck off vibe in this pic BUT DAMN

God his face artistically is so beautiful and shaped and geometrical. He yes a very nice eyebrow and eye shape and his overall face is just. Nice to look at he is very handsome

ANYWAYS YES JORGE DEFINITELY HAD HAS will always have a cringe gay crisis crush on him

[trickbxbes]

𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧

[𝐃𝐚𝐞-𝐇𝐨 𝐗 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫]

Summary: After being the sole winner of the games, Dae-Ho realizes he’s not the same man anymore. Does this version of him deserve his wife?

Warnings: Angst, hurt and comfort, sole survivor Dae-Ho

The sky poured as Dae-Ho reached the front of his apartment building. The dark clouds blocked the twinkling stars in the night sky. His clothes drenched with rainwater. He stared up at the building, more specifically, a window. There was a faint glow of yellow on the walls of that studio.

He shakily sighed, you were home.

But just as he takes a step to enter the building, he finds himself frozen where he stood. His first thought was a simple ‘why can’t I move?’, before it sunk in. It hadn’t been that long to the rest of the world. To Dae-Ho however, it felt like an eternity. All he wanted when he was in those games was to run back into your arms. Your loving arms that always made him feel safe, loved. He had entered the games to pay off his debts so you and him could live a normal life. Because no matter how he tried to keep you from his problems, your kind heart always kept you involved. He felt like he didn’t deserve you, no matter how much you told him otherwise. And that was before the games.

455 people died so he could be here. The money he now owned, came from the blood of those 455 people. Why? Why was he the one to survive? It played in his head like a sick record. And when he thought about it deeper, how many of the 455… did he kill with his own hands?

He was as still as a statue. He knew for a fact, he wasn’t the same person as the one who first entered the games. His once beaming heart of light was now shrouded with grief and darkness. The kindness in his eyes was replaced with a jaded anguish. 455 people. 455.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

You were in your kitchen, trying to make a meal for yourself. But every movement you made felt heavy. Invisible weights shackled your limbs. The bags under your eyes were deep. Your eyes roll down to the wedding ring on your finger. A reminder of the man you loved so dearly, a man you haven’t heard from in a week.

You knew your Dae-Ho, he’d never do this to you. All of his stuff was still here. Which led you to worry deeply on another possibility. Perhaps the loan sharks caught up to him? Maybe they took him somewhere, and you’d never see him again. The wait was agonizing.

Knock knock knock.

Your head perked up to the door, and you bolt to the door. Could it be? Have your prayers been answered? Opening the door, you see your beloved standing there. Your heart nearly leaped out of your chest. Dae-Ho looks at you, his eyes softening. “(Y,n)…”

Without wasting a second, you hug the man desperately. “Dae-Ho!” Tears well up in your eyes as you clung to him. He’s stiff, stiffer than you’ve ever felt him be. But as he steadily wrapped his arms around you, his grip then got tight. His strong arms nearly squeezed your breath out of your lungs. His shoulders shook slightly, as he held back his own overwhelming emotion.

When you pulled back, you felt his hands gently grip at you as if you’d disappear once he let go. You cup his face, your face contorted with concern.

“Oh God, where have you been? A-are you hurt? I-I was so scared I—“

“(Y,n)…”

Dae-Ho’s voice sounded as if someone had their hands around his throat. Thin, and croaky. Then, you took notice of how different your man looked. His skin was paler, his frame thinner. There was no light in his eyes. “Dae-Ho… what happened…?” You closed the door, and then put your hands on his shoulders.

Your love took a deep breath, he pulled out a card from his pocket. You looked at it with some confusion, but you allowed him to elaborate.

“This card… has all the money to pay off my debt, and more.”

He didn’t break eye contact as he continued, his lip quivering. “But to get this money, I had to endure and do unspeakable things. Things that… made me not the man you once knew.” His hands shakily take yours, as his eyes watered. Your heart twisted in knots seeing him look so broken. Before you could speak, he then asks,

“Would you fall in love with me again… if you knew all I’d done…?”

His question carried a burden he didn’t wish to place on your shoulders. You’re quiet, processing his words. You didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. Your lips part, and you ask,

“What kind of things did you do?”

Your query made Dae-Ho take a shaky breath. The memories of the games made him let go of your hands, as if feeling unworthy. “I-I had to play games, for my survival. So many people died. I found a group though, people I soon called my friends.” A single tear rolled down his cheek, he’s unable to meet your gaze. His shaky hands rose to his chest, holding each other. “But every one of them are gone now. And some of their deaths… were my fault.” His voice cracked, he tearfully looked at you again.

“But all of that was to bring me back to you…!”

Despite everything, all the trauma, all the guilt, he still hoped and begged… he wouldn’t lose you too.

“So tell me. Would you fall in love with me again? After everything I had to do, I’m… I’m not the same person. I’m worse, I’m… I’m not the man you married. I’ve hurt people, I’ve killed people…I can’t change any of that…!So… I have to ask… because…”

You knew what he meant. He loved you, of course he did. Your silence only increased his anxiety. You lift your hand, looking at your wedding ring on your finger. There was a distant look in your eyes.

“If that’s true, can you do me a favor? Let me sell this wedding ring. If you have all that money, I’m sure you’ll be able to find one for yourself. Better than any pawn shop.”

Your words broke Dae-Ho’s heart into little pieces. He looked like a kicked puppy. Even though he was setting it up, he didn’t expect for you to agree with his guilt. “You…really…?” But one thing in your statement brought him anger. The last comment. His eyebrows furrowed. “‘P-pawn shop?’ That ring… belonged to my halmoni. A ring she saved specially for me as the first born son! It’s a family heirloom! A blessing of our love! To sell it… that’d make her roll in her grave!”

“Only my husband knew that! So I guess that makes him YOU!”

You shout back instantly. Dae-Ho’s wide eyes stared into your soul with shock, before they melt into realization. “(Y,n)…”

You take a deep breath. “I will fall in love with you, over and over again. I don’t care what you had to do to survive…! You’re mine!” Hot tears pooled in your eyes next. All the emotions you had been experiencing this past week coming out at once. “Don’t tell me you’re not the same person! You’re always my husband and I’ve been waiting for you…!”

That broke your Dae-Ho into sobs as the two of you embraced each other emotionally. All the pain he had inside of him, spilled out intensely. Everyone who died, everything he lost, all to make it back here. He didn’t need to speak, you knew what he wanted to communicate through his wails.

He didn’t think he’d make it back.

He did everything he could to be here back in your arms.

He loved you, so much.

Your hand found the back of his head, and you stroked it gently. His cries wet your shoulder, his hands gripped your back. You softly wept beside him. He had went through so much misery. The two of you are unable to stand, slowly sliding down to your knees.

Dae-Ho pulls back to hold your face tenderly. His eyes scanning your face for any sign of dismay or deception. But all he saw was your loving gaze as you held his hand on your cheek. He sniffled.

“I’m yours.”

You smiled tearfully, kissing the inner palm of his hand. “I love you.”

Your husband sinks his head into your shoulder again, letting you cradle him soothingly on the floor. “I love you…” You knew there was more to come. He may have escaped the games, but he’d never escape the horrid memories. The monsters of his grief would always come to taunt him. But little did they know that you weren’t going to leave him to their mercy. You’ll be his protecter, just as he was to you.

[anniflamma]

Has Jorge seen your content yet 😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️? I've seen people tag him in your tiktoks haha (ESP IN THE FREAKY ZEUS ONE)

Haven't heard from him yet and scared to ask XD

Begged ppl to not tag him and eveyone did that anyway under my comment with a freaking 😀

[samm1e13]

Would You Fall In Love With Me Again?

synopsis; no matter what he did, he would always be the kid you knew from crime alley. (UTRH jason todd x fem!reader) wc; 2.5k

cw; angst, happy ending, mention of dismemberment, mentions of violence, brief mentions of stabbing, brief and possibly incorrect descriptions of first aid, heavily based on would you fall in love with me again by jorge rivera-herrans from epic the musical

a/n; this man has been on my mind lately and the song was stuck in my head so this stems from that, enjoy.

don't use, copy or steal my works.

is it you? have my prayers been answered? 

is it really you standing there, or am i dreaming once more?

“jason?” the name leaves your lips in shock, you never thought you’d see him again, only in your dreams if you were lucky.

you look different, your eyes look tired.

your frame is lighter, your smile torn.

the man in front of you holds barely any resemblance to the child you once knew. his eyes, although tired, are darker and sharper, a hint of recognition in them. his stature is bigger, muscles filling out his frame and he’s grown taller. there’s a broken smile on his lips and it doesn’t reach his eyes.

is it really you, my love?

jason’s been back from the dead for almost six years now, and he’s been back in gotham for two of them. it’s been a year since he worked his way to the top of the crime syndicate as the red hood and enacted his revenge on bruce.

he would catch glimpses of you throughout that time, not necessarily stalking you, but just wanting to keep an eye out, make sure you were okay. this would be the first time he speaks to you since coming back.

i am not the man you fell in love with.

i am not the man you once adored.

“can i come in?” his voice is deep, it no longer carries that light whimsy tone it did when he was a child. the sound of it both scares and comforts you, he��s grown into a man. but at what cost?

you let him in and lead the way to the kitchen where you nervously begin to make a calming lavender tea.

“i’m dreaming again, aren’t i? there’s no way you’re actually in my kitchen right now.” you mutter while shaking your head as if to force the dream away.

“you’re not dreaming, i’m real.” his voice startles you again, you just stare at his hulking frame as he sits in a chair at your table eyeing the way you flit around nervously.

“if this is real.. if i’m not dreaming, what’s something only you would know?” you’re skeptical, jason realizes, and you have every right to be. the whole of gotham knew he was dead. bruce wayne’s second son, dead in an accident, little did anyone truly know.

i am not your kind and gentle husband.

and i am not the love you knew before.

he scoffs as you sit across from him, two mugs filled with tea sit on the table's surface, one in front of each of you. of course you’d be the one to ask him to prove it. you were never one to take things at face value, perks of growing up in crime alley.

“we had our first kiss behind the giant penny in the bat cave, the night you discovered bruce and i were batman and robin.” he watches your hand flex, fingers tapping an unknown rhythm on the table as you consider his words.

“how old were we?” you fire back, he seems so confident and you want to believe it’s him but you have to be sure.

“i was fifteen, you were a week shy of being fourteen. i died a year later.” you wince at the harsh way he speaks but nod nonetheless.

“how old are you now?” you know he’s aged since he’s bigger now, you just want to know if he’s still a year older than you.

“twenty-two.” his answer confirms that he is.

would you fall in love with me again,

if you knew all i’ve done?

the next hour passes by with him catching you up on everything. how he died, how he came back, what he’s been doing since coming back. you stopped drinking your tea once he mentioned severed heads.

he speaks casually, as if he’s not bothered by any of this, but you know him enough to know when he’s faking, at least you used to. you can detect the hurt and anger hidden behind his words and actions, you were pretty upset yourself when you found out bruce wasn’t going to do anything about the joker. you cried over jason for months.

the things i cannot change,

would you love me all the same?

silence fills the air around you after jason finishes his story, you moved from the table to the balcony halfway through, and now you sit on the couch. your legs are pulled to your chest as you lean against the armrest and peer at jason from lidded eyes. 

he sits facing the dark screen of the tv, legs manspread and an arm hooked over the back of the couch, the other rests at his side.

“you know, we never actually broke up.” you mentally facepalm as the words leave your mouth, why in the hell would you say something stupid like that? 

your cheeks flame up as jason bursts out laughing, a deep chuckle rumbling in his chest that filters throughout his entire body. the couch shakes slightly from the vibrations of his body as he tosses his head back. the sound of his laughter and the sight of him makes you chuckle in turn. you laugh together for a bit until his next sentence has reality crashing in again.

“yeah cause i fucking died y/n.”

“well i’m sorry you’ll have to forgive my heartbroken depressed fifteen year old self for assuming since neither of us said the words ‘i’m breaking up with you’ that meant we were still together even if you were dead.” you grumble and use your hands to showcase air quotes.

“please tell me you haven’t spent the last six years thinking we’re still together.” he’s looking at you now, trying to gauge your reaction while waiting for your response.

“i grew out of that at sixteen, so only a year really. i’ve dated here and there, but most didn’t last long. there was one guy who lasted longer than the rest, but even that fizzled out pretty quick.” you explained with a shrug and watched as the tension left his shoulders, his body sinking into the cushions behind him.

“why didn’t they last?” you tilt your head back to look at your ceiling and inhale deeply at his question.

“i was just too in love with my dead boyfriend to move on with anybody else.”

i know that you’ve been waiting, waiting for love.

it’s been a couple months since the day jason showed up at your door, you talk everyday, whether he calls or texts you. he visits when he can, if he’s not patrolling as red hood. his relationship with bruce is still rocky, but slowly mending. you’ve started visiting the manor again, alfred appreciates your company and the atmosphere you bring with you while you’re there.

your dead boyfriend isn’t so dead anymore, and there’s something unspoken between the two of you now. jason has his own apartment, though you aren’t sure how since he’s still legally dead, bruce is apparently working on rectifying that. despite having his own place, he spends a lot of time at yours, and it only adds to your ever growing confusion.

unbeknownst to you, jason isn’t faring much better. he has trouble sleeping because of the nightmares, but lately when he does sleep, all he can think about is you. you’ve told him time and again that you don’t care what he’s done as a crime lord, that all you care about is the fact that he’s alive and back in your life. he’s paranoid that this is some awful trick his mind is playing on him.

he’s supposed to crash at your place tonight, hopefully he can control himself around you.

would you fall in love with me again,

if you knew all i’ve done?

the things i can’t undo,

i am not the man you knew.

you’re both laying across the couch, your body atop his, legs intertwined with his, and his arms around your waist while you both watch tv. some random horror movie playing that neither of you are really paying attention to, too caught up in your thoughts and each other.

that unspoken something hangs tensely in the air as your head rests on his chest, fingers tracing inconsequential shapes and patterns on his side. his eyes are closed and it heightens the feeling of your body against his.

“so… are we going to talk about it?” your voice breaks him out of his thoughts and he sighs heavily. he knows you’re talking about the unspoken thing that’s wrapped itself around you two like a thick blanket in the cold winter months, but he doesn’t think spring has arrived yet and he’s not quite ready to leave the comfort and safety of the blanket.

“i guess not.” you answer your own question after several minutes of nothing coming from him aside that first heavy sigh. his body tenses as you push yourself off him and stand away from the couch. he sits up once you turn off the tv, eyes finding yours in the dimly lit living room of your apartment.

“i’m sorry.” it’s the first thing he’s said since before the start of the movie and it’s your turn to sigh deeply while your shoulders sag as you stand in front of him.

“it’s fine jay, i’m going to bed.” it’s too early for you to be going to bed and you both know it, but your statement is said with such finality that he doesn’t try to argue. he only sighs as he watches you walk away to your bedroom, before throwing his head back with a heavy groan, knowing he’s sleeping on the couch alone tonight.

i know that you’ve been waiting, waiting,

after that night, jason distances himself. he’s hoping that some time apart will help him get his shit together and figure things out before he loses you completely. bruce, alfred, and dick all think he’s being an idiot, and honestly? he’s starting to think the same.

three months have passed since that night, and jason can count the number of times he’s seen you on both hands. the distance hasn’t done anything other than make him yearn for you more and wish to be by your side.

he doesn’t realize he’s left the comfort of the thick winter blanket until the night he crash lands on your balcony, bleeding out from a stab wound he got while fighting some goons with batman. he knocks only once before you’re pulling open the door and tugging him into your apartment.

“bruce called me when you disappeared after the fight, said you might’ve gotten hurt and to be expecting you.” you explain once you notice his head tilting in confusion. you help him onto the towel covered couch, a first aid kit and a bottle of whiskey sitting on the coffee table.

he takes off his helmet and the domino mask he had on underneath before letting you help him remove his jacket and pull up his shirt. the stab wound is on the left side of his stomach, no vital organs were hit but he will need stitches.

you work in silence, cleaning up the wound and the area around it with alcohol wipes from the first aid kit before stitching him up and covering them up with bandages. you give him the bottle of whiskey while cleaning up the mess on the coffee table and floor.

a flash of something catches his gaze, his eye zoning in on your throat, his breath hitching as he recognizes what it is. it’s the last thing he stole before bruce took him in when he was eleven, a necklace that he gave you for your tenth birthday. a silver chain holding a pendant the color of his eyes.

‘so that you’ll always have a piece of me close to your heart.’ is what he said when he gave it to you.

“i didn’t know you still had that.” his voice comes out hoarse from lack of use and your eyes flick to him in confusion before following his gaze to the pendant that rests at the bottom of your throat, just above where your heart would be.

“oh yeah, i still have a lot of the things you’ve given me but this one is my favorite.” you replied as you grabbed the pendant in one hand.

a symbol of our love everlasting.

jason knew what he had to do, but he just couldn’t find the words to use. he’s lying in your bed on his back, your head on his chest, body pressed against his injury free side as his arms are encircling you. 

he doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to being this close to you, his paranoid mind is giving him anxiety, making him think this is just another nightmare.

“how could you possibly care about me still? i’m a murderer, a monster.” the words leave his mouth before he has time to second guess them, your hand stops the tracing of shapes and instead rests palm down on his stomach.

“jay you’re not a monster, you’re a traumatized kid. the same one that saved me from getting bullied back in crime alley, the same kid who would make sure i was fed even if you were also starving. the same kid who brought me along with him after he got adopted by the richest man in the city.” you look up at him now, chin resting on his chest as he tilts his gaze down to meet yours.

i will fall in love with you over and over again,

i don’t care how, where, or when.

no matter how long it’s been, you’re mine,

don’t tell me you’re not the same person.

“no matter what you do, you’re still that same kid i knew from crime alley. my dead boyfriend who i’m just too in love with.”

i’ve been waiting, waiting,

waiting, waiting,

waiting, waiting,

waiting, oh,

for you.

“well i’m not dead anymore.” he chuckles and you roll your eyes.

“yeah but according to you, you’re not my boyfriend anymore either.” you don’t even get the chance to laugh before he’s cupping your chin and pulling you up for a passionate long overdue kiss.

lips connecting with yours roughly as his hand slides to your throat, tongue pushing its way into your mouth. gasping, your body presses against him, hand clutching his side. 

he pulls away wincing and you quickly apologize, having forgotten his stab wound. but he merely shakes his head and presses another kiss to your lips.

“you’re still jason todd to me, the kid from crime alley.” you smile resting your head on his chest again.

“i know.” he presses a kiss to the crown of your head.

“and you wanna know something else?” you start tracing random shapes and patterns again.

“what?” he asks, relaxing his body into yours while sighing happily.

“i love you.”