#Talia liked it a lot and well showed him how much she liked it

[roosterforme]

The Younger Kind Part 8 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley is having a hard time trying to convince himself that being with you is wrong, but he plans another date anyway. You're floating on cloud nine after Saturday night, but you're quickly brought back down to earth the next time you see him. Lucky for you, Bradley more than makes up for his indiscretion at the end of the night.

Warnings: Smut, angst, swearing, fluff, and age gap (18+)

Length: 4900 words

Pairing: Single dad!Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x babysitter!female reader

Check out my masterlist for more!

Bradley was completely stunned, sitting on his living room couch with his soft cock hanging out of his jeans. He heard you start your car, and he saw your tail lights shine through the window blinds as you backed out of his driveway and drove away. 

After nearly a year of being touched by nobody but himself, you got him off so good, he still couldn't move ten minutes later.

"Holy shit," he whispered to his silent living room. You had just given him the best blowjob of his life. His entire life. Bradley had been with his fair share of women, gotten more head than he could keep track of. But you were the best. Hands down, the fucking best he had ever had. 

Maybe it was because it had been so long since he'd been with someone, but he tended to believe it was just you. He was so attracted to you, he should have known you would absolutely blow his mind like that. He should have known you would show up Amanda and Grace and Talia and become the only one he was thinking about. 

Then Bradley cradled his face in both of his hands. You had caught him ready to jerk off with your sweatshirt, moaning your name. How fucking embarrassing. And then you'd agreed to do him a favor and get him off. Your words echoed through his mind, "I can help you with that. If you want."

But you were unattainable. Off limits. The babysitter. Noah was so attached to you. When Nat found out, she was going to lose her mind. And probably not in a good way. Because Bradley was a thirty six year old man with a ridiculous crush on a woman twelve years younger than him. 

He forgot to pay you before you left. Oh god, how was he supposed to pay you after you sucked his cock for him? He was starting to feel worse and worse now. 

Before he could change his mind, he grabbed his phone and messaged back the first random woman who was trying to chat with him in the app. He'd set up another date. He'd set up a million more dates if he needed to. If he didn't get you out of his mind, he'd have to find a different babysitter and break Noah's heart. And probably his own as well.

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

You were still giggly the next day. You couldn't stop thinking about Bradley. You'd given him a blowjob. He had been moaning your name! You wanted to do that again. Maybe he felt the same way about you that you did about him. Your heart was pounding. 

After several texts from Greyson, you decided to keep ignoring him. You had a lot of schoolwork to catch up on, and it didn't help that you knew how big Bradley's dick was and how he tasted. He was bigger and better than Greyson in every way. It wasn't making your day easier envisioning Bradley's eyes practically rolling into the back of his head while you sucked him off, but you indulged in the memories anyway.

The fact that you were masturbating to the thought of him cumming in your mouth when Bradley texted you on Sunday evening should have embarrassed you. But it did not. It made you feel even hotter for him. You really hoped this was him making the next move.

Any chance you're free to come over on Wednesday when you finish your classes?

You bit your lip and squealed, forcing yourself to wait more than five seconds before you texted him back. And when you did, it was with a giddy smile.

I can head over right after class, Daddy. See you on Wednesday.

He didn't end up writing back, but you knew he was busy. So you spent the week avoiding Greyson as much as you could. And when you saw Penny when you were out taking a walk, she waved you down.

"How are things working out with Bradley and Noah?" she asked you with a smile. 

Your mind returned to the velvet feel of his erection gliding over your tongue and the broken, raspy groans of his delicious orgasm.

"Oh, so far so good," you said before pressing your lips together. "Noah is the sweetest child in the world. And Bradley, well. He's actually kind of sweet too."

Penny just laughed and nodded her head. "He really is. When my bartenders found out he's dating again, they both lost their minds. I was thinking about trying to see if he was interested in going out with either of them."

Your heart suddenly felt like it was resting against your lungs, making it difficult to breathe. "Oh. Do they seem like his type?"

Penny laughed harder now. "Bradley's type is female."

Okay, that you did believe. Or rather, you believed any woman who was into guys would be into Bradley. As long as you were cool with Noah, the man was the total package. 

"He only has the most wonderful things to say about you, too," Penny added with a smile. "He said that even though you're so young, he knows he can trust you with Noah. And I don't think he would say that about very many people."

You couldn't decide if that was a compliment or a slight against your age. And when you drove to his house after your final class on Wednesday, you started to feel awkward. Neither of you had mentioned the fact that the last time you were here, you'd had his dick in your mouth. 

"Hi," you called out when you let yourself in, and Noah came running to greet you at the door. You scooped him up in a hug and started to carry him to the kitchen. "Where's your dad?"

Noah just kind of shrugged. "Getting dressed." When you set Noah down at the kitchen table, you immediately noticed a coffee cup sitting on the kitchen counter with Princess scrawled across it. 

You picked it up and took one sip of the French vanilla latte, and then you heard Bradley's voice. "Hey. Princess." You spun around with a bright smile on your face, but his expression had you immediately biting your lip and furrowing your brow. He looked confused and irritated and maybe a little sad. None of those expressions were right for his handsome face.

"Hi," you said softly, hoping you could make him smile. "What are your plans for tonight? Going to try to give me a sore throat again?"

His gaze dropped to the floor, and then you really took in what he was wearing. A nice shirt and chinos. He was going out. He hadn't invited you over to see you at all. 

"Um, actually," he muttered, but you cut him off.

"Actually, you're going on another date?" 

"Yeah." He nodded and briefly met your eyes. "Someone from the app."

He only needed to use you to get his rocks off so he could go out with someone else. God, you were so fucking stupid. He didn't want you at all. He probably thought of you as practically a child. And maybe he found you attractive enough to think filthy things about you, and allow you to suck his dick, but that was it. 

"Okay, have a great time," you said, setting the coffee cup down on the counter. You didn't want another sip. 

"Princess," he whispered, reaching out for you. But you managed to sidestep him as you sat down next to Noah and picked up a coloring book. 

"I hope she's as much fun for you as I was on Saturday night," you said, biting down hard on your lip to keep from screaming at him. 

You felt his presence behind you to the point you could almost feel the warmth of his body. But he didn't say anything, he just placed your coffee cup on the table in front of you, spinning it until the writing was facing you. 

"Thanks for the coffee. I hope you find what you're looking for tonight."

You heard him swallow hard, and then he kissed Noah's head, and then he was gone. And you were left to color some dinosaurs with the kid you wanted to spend all your time with. Too bad his dad was sending you so many mixed signals, you felt like crying. 

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

Bradley felt like an asshole the entire time he was with Gabby. She seemed really sweet, but he couldn't stop thinking about what you said to him. As if you weren't what he was looking for. 

In all actuality, you really were not what he was looking for. But you seemed to be exactly what he wanted. But wanting someone and having long term compatibility were two completely different things. 

"So...." Gabby said for the third time. Bradley could barely focus on her or his dinner. "Tell me more about yourself, Bradley."

He started rambling on about work or some shit. He wasn't even really sure. This conversation was painful compared to the way you and he were together. Or at least the way you and he were before he started to fuck everything up between the two of you. The drunk kissing was bad enough, but the blowjob was just the nail in the coffin of the flirting with you that had him absolutely smitten in the first place. 

Now Gabby was saying something about her job, and he couldn't handle it anymore. "Gabby? Sorry, but I think I'm just too distracted for this tonight."

She glared at him across the table. "Yeah, I noticed. I don't care how handsome you are if you're going to be rude. Pull your head out of your ass next time you ask someone out."

"I'm sorry," he muttered as she stood up to leave, and not a minute later, the waiter arrived with both meals. 

He looked at Bradley cautiously. "Can you pack both of those to go? Please?" Bradley asked. He was going to have to leave this guy a hefty tip, but that was fine. 

He had barely been gone for an hour and a half, and that included driving to the far end of the city. When he pulled into his driveway, he grabbed both meals, and made sure he called out from the front door. "I'm back."

You popped around the corner with Noah in your arms, and Bradley's heart leapt. "You're early," you said in surprise. "We're just about to get in bed." Bradley could tell how tired Noah looked, but he could barely take his eyes off you. 

"Do you want to sing with us, daddy?" Noah asked with a yawn, and Bradley was of course drawn to the two of you like his life depended on it. 

"Of course, bub." A minute later, Bradley was watching you tuck his son into bed while you sang a ridiculous song about dinosaurs that sounded made up. But Noah knew all the words too, and you were both laughing. 

"Night, kiddo," you whispered, brushing his hair back from his forehead. Then you slipped past Bradley without another look in his direction. When he gently reached for your hand, you yanked yourself free and kept walking.

Bradley quickly kissed Noah, and then he was following you into the kitchen where you were packing up Noah's art supplies without a word. There was an open bag of Skittles on the table next to some of your textbooks, and Bradley didn't want you packing those things up. They looked like they belonged there. 

He cleared his throat. "I brought dinner back for you. If you want it."

You laughed a little sarcastically. "I'm not eating another woman's leftovers, but thanks anyway, Bradley." You put your books into your tote bag, and Bradley took a step closer to you.

"Princess," he whispered, and your eyes fluttered closed for a beat. He wanted you, and at times like this, he felt like you wanted him, too. "It's not leftovers. My date bailed before the food came out."

Your stomach growled when he opened the takeout containers, and you rolled your eyes. "Fine. I'm starving." He let you pick between the two meals, and you chose the one he had ordered for himself. He didn't care, he'd eat his date's food. He could barely even remember what her name was at this point, because you were plating and microwaving the entrees like you lived here. 

"I'll just eat quickly, and then I'll be out of your hair," you told him, taking a bite of his filet mignon. Bradley settled down into the seat next to you. He wanted more than anything to talk with you, but he didn't know how. Not after what he let you do last time you were here. So he just took a few bites of food and watched you. 

"Your date bailed early? What did you do?" you asked between bites of steak. Bradley watched your eyes flash with mischief. "Does she know what you did to get those free coffees from the barista?"

Bradley chuckled and shook his head. 

"Oh my god, did you insult her after she told the waitress to hold the salad dressing?" you said, biting into your plush, glossy lip. Then your expression clouded a bit. "She didn't say something negative about Noah?"

Bradley scraped the last bite of his food onto his fork and finished eating. "No. Actually I didn't even get to mention Noah. And I have no idea if she ordered a salad. I can't even remember if I had a salad, Princess. I was so distracted all night."

"Why were you distracted?" you asked softly while Bradley took both plates to the sink. 

He reached into the refrigerator and opened a beer, drinking half of it while he decided what he wanted to say to you. You popped a red Skittle followed by two yellow ones into your mouth, and the movement of your jaw took him back to Saturday night. His cock hitting the back of your throat. His hands on your jaw and your face. Those pretty lips wrapped around his balls. 

"Princess," he groaned, and he watched you shove the last few Skittles into your mouth before jumping to your feet.

"Well, I'm going to head out," you said a bit breathlessly. "Oh, and thanks for dinner and for clarifying that these were not sloppy seconds."

Bradley set his beer on the counter and followed you out into his living room, your tote bag swaying along with your ass in your tiny shorts. "Fuck, Princess. Wait. Please?"

"What?" you asked, glancing back over your shoulder. 

Bradley reached out and ran his fingers along your cheek inhaling the scent of wildflowers. "My date bailed, because I was awful. I wasn't paying any attention to her. I can barely even remember what she looked like."

You turned to face him. "What was her name?"

He shook his head. "I can't fucking remember. All I can remember is you. Even when I'm not with you. That's why she hightailed it out of the restaurant."

You pressed your lips together, but you didn't back away when Bradley stepped into your personal space. "You've been thinking about me?" you asked in barely a whisper.

"Nonstop, Princess. And you wanna know about sloppy seconds? Anyone else ever gives me a blowjob, and I'll be thinking about you the entire time."

Your lips parted on a soft gasp. "Oh."

He nodded, stroking his thumb across your lips. "Best I ever had. I already couldn't stop thinking about you, and that just made it a hundred times worse."

"Bradley," you whispered, pressing yourself against him. He didn't move as you eased yourself up onto your toes and kissed him. You nibbled softly on his lips and sighed, then looked up at him like you felt the same way he did. 

It was so innocent, so fucking sweet. Or it would have been if Bradley wasn't wrapping both hands around your hips and licking the seam of your lips. You parted them immediately for him as your arms came up to wrap around his neck. Bradley tasted your tongue and grunted when he felt your fingers running through his hair.

He broke the kiss and let his hands slide down to palm your ass. "You taste like Skittles. I love Skittles."

You smiled up at him. "Sorry, I didn't save you any." Bradley planted his lips on the side of your neck and listened to you moan and dig your fingers in his hair. 

"I don't deserve any, remember?" he asked, rubbing his mustache below your ear. "I'm a peasant. You're the princess."

You made a soft sound that went right to Bradley's cock as you guided his lips back to yours. "Last time you kissed me, you were drunk," you whispered to him before mashing your lips against his. You were pushing him, walking him back toward the couch, and Bradley couldn't help but go where you wanted him to. 

He sat down a little hard against the cushions, his head tipped back to look up at you. "Yeah. I was kind of drunk. And that was a sin, because my memories are a little fuzzy. And you deserve to be remembered with crystal clarity, Princess."

"Do I?" you asked coyly, standing between his spread legs and clasping your hands in front of you. 

Bradley reached out with his right hand and ran his knuckles up and down your thigh. "Listen, Princess. Your lips wrapped around my cock will fuel my fantasies for years to come, but right now I want my mouth involved as much as possible."

You were instantly climbing into his lap, straddling his hips and pressing your mouth to his again. Bradley welcomed you back into his arms like you belonged there. You peppered some kisses to his lips and mustache before you pulled away from him a little bit with a smile. You were irresistible, and he was grinning right back at you. 

"Okay, go ahead," you told him, gripping his hair and tipping his head away from you. Bradley grunted as your little denim shorts rubbed against his pants creating some friction. "Try to kiss me better than you did after you were out drinking the other night. Because I thought it was pretty great, actually."

He let you tug his hair which was making him throb for you. "What do I get if I win?"

You moaned softly. "The satisfaction of a job well done?"

He shook his head. "Not good enough."

You laughed. "A pat on the back?"

"No," he said, stroking your cheek with his fingers and coaxing your lips closer to his. "I want a fifty percent share of all Skittles consumed in my house."

You gasped so theatrically, he laughed out loud. "That's scandalous. Twenty five percent, or I'm leaving," But you were inching closer and closer to him.

"Deal, Princess," he whispered against your lips, and now he found himself trying to outdo any kisses that came before you. It actually wasn't hard. You'd been his best the last time you were here. Now he wanted to be the best for you. He started off slow now, his fingers teasing along your cheeks and all over your neck. He knew his mustache was prickling along your lip, but you seemed to like it as you were grinding against him a little bit now.

Bradley made sure he was using just the right amount of pressure with his lips, always drawing you back to his kisses. The little sounds at the back of your throat were encouraging, as were your fingers which had dipped inside his shirt at the back of his neck.

He sucked gently on your bottom lip now as his hands found their way to your waist. He nibbled softly on your lip before releasing it, and he was so pleased to see he had kissed off all of your lipgloss. Now your lips just looked extra pouty, and your eyes were needy. 

"How am I doing so far?" he teased, kissing along your chin and your jaw, eventually letting his lips settle on the front of your neck. 

"You must really want those Skittles," you gasped, head tipped back as he worked his mouth against your soft skin. He sucked gently on you there, nearly thrusting against you as you rubbed yourself on him. "Oh!"

And then his hands were a little rougher, squeezing your hips and wrapping around the back of your neck. You leaned into him, clearly not afraid of what his body was demanding as he tasted your tongue and your teeth. He felt your hands on his chest and abs. He could feel your warmth against his cock as you rocked your body into his. He could feel your nipples, hard and rubbing his chest through too much fabric. 

"Princess?" he asked, his lips brushing against yours. 

"Yeah, okay," you said, gasping against his lips, kissing him between sentences. "You win. Twenty five percent of the Skittles. They are yours."

He kissed you, laughing against your lips. "That's really nice and all, baby. But I'd rather taste you right now?"

"Me?" you asked softly, putting a few inches between your mouth and his.

"I want to know if you taste sweet all over, Princess. Will you let me find out?" he asked, stroking his index finger along the zipper of your shorts. He was gauging your reaction to him as you bit your lip and tried to squeeze your thighs together. 

"You want to go down on me?" you whispered, hands gasping along his abs.  

He nodded. "Real fucking bad, Princess."

You licked your swollen lips and whimpered. "Okay, Daddy."

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

Bradley had been so sweet, his brown eyes like something from your dreams. His lips and his hands were all over you, turning you on and making you so wet. But now he wanted to taste you? Find out if you were sweet?

As soon as you called him Daddy again, he had the front of your shorts open, and you were lying on the couch on your back with his big body over yours. 

A moan escaped your lips as soon as he eased his hand inside the front of your underwear and over your clit, and then his mouth was on yours, devouring you. You were making little noises against his lips as he stroked you just the way you liked to touch yourself. It was like he knew how crazy this would make you. And when his other hand ended up inside your shirt, pulling down your bra and stroking your nipples, you groaned his name. 

"You're soaking wet," he said, rubbing his mustache along your jaw in time with his fingers as they worked their way down toward your opening. He teased you like that until you were begging him for more, your fingers tangling wildly in his hair. 

"Please, please," you gasped, and then Bradley was sitting back a bit, his hard dick on display for you through his pants. He yanked your jean shorts down your legs and tossed them to the floor, followed by your lacy, white underwear. 

"Oh, fuck me," he groaned as he looked at you, bare for him from the waist down, except for your socks and sneakers which he left on. 

Then without hesitation, Bradley stroked his hands up the backs of your thighs, spread them wide and brought his mouth down to your pussy. He placed the softest kiss against you there, his mustache making you bite down on your lip in response to the sensation. 

"Bradley," you gasped, feeling your lower back arch off the couch as he ran his tongue from your opening all the way up to your clit in one glorious swipe. 

You should have been embarrassed by the way you were reacting to him. But he just looked up at you with his lips wrapped around your clit, sucking gently before he released you. "You're so sensitive, Princess," he grunted. And then he was running his nose through your wetness and kissing you everywhere. "And you taste so good."

This didn't feel like you expected it to; it felt so much better than that. Bradley's lips and mustache and his fingers and tongue. Everything he did had you gasping, crying out for more. 

"I got you," he promised, spreading your legs wider every time you tried to squeeze them against his head. You were writhing against the couch now, simultaneously trying to pull yourself away from his mouth and also rub your clit against his nose for more. 

"Oh god!" you groaned, loud enough that you should be concerned about waking up Noah. But you couldn't stop! Bradley was licking up and down your slit with sure movements and then sucking on your clit until you were practically in tears. Over and over again. Then Bradley was shoving his fingers inside you and kissing your clit before circling it with his thumb.

"You're getting loud, Princess," he whispered, guiding his body over top of yours again. You wrapped your legs around his hips when he kissed you with his wet lips and face. You were licking yourself off his lips when he asked, "You like how you taste? You're so sweet."

You could only whine in agreement as he pushed your shirt up and buried his face against your lace covered breasts. He kissed his way back down your body, and soon you were grinding against his face while he held your thighs. 

"Oh, god, oh!" you gasped when he was licking and sucking again. You closed your eyes tight as your legs started to shake. And then Bradley pumped his fingers into you a little slower and sucked on your clit with a little more pressure, and you felt yourself clenching hard. You rode his fingers with your feet planted on his shoulders, and he looked up at you like he owned you. 

"Daddy!" you cried out, enjoying what was quite obviously the longest and best orgasm of your life. 

"Call me Daddy again," he demanded before sealing his pretty lips around your clit once more and sucking.

"Daddy!" you groaned, pulsing around his fingers. And then everything felt wet. Really wet. And Bradley's face turned to an expression of awe. And his face was wet, too. You sat up and looked down your body to where his fingers were still rammed inside your pussy. But the couch was wet. "What happened?" you asked, but his lips were on yours, and he was pushing you back down again. 

"Princess," he groaned, still moving his fingers gently inside you, and now you were finally coming down fully from the peak of pleasure he had brought to your body. "Christ Almighty, baby. You're the sweetest fucking thing, aren't you?" He kept praising you, his lips all over your face. And when he finally withdrew his fingers and brought them up to his mouth, you helped him lick them clean. 

And then he was gaping down at you, stroking his knuckles along your cheek. "What happened?" you asked softly. You didn't think your body would ever recover fully enough for you to speak louder than this, but you didn't care. Everything felt too good. 

"You squirted for me," he replied, those big brown eyes roaming all over your face before he kissed you. 

Oh. You still felt wet. You had made a mess on his couch. You could feel the warmth rising in your cheeks. "I didn't mean to," you whispered, suddenly feeling very shy.

"Was so hot," Bradley whispered next to your ear. "Princess." His lips on the shell of your ear and his hard cock pressing against your hip made you feel a little bolder. You tried to sit up, but he was huge on top of you.

"Do you want me to get you off?" you asked, reaching down toward him. But Bradley took your hand in his and kissed your knuckles. 

"No. You've done plenty. You're a Princess, made to be worshipped." You settled back against the couch cushions and let him kiss along your neck until he had his fill.

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

Bradley helped you get dressed. Then he walked you to your car. Then he kissed you goodnight. And then he paid you for watching Noah which made him feel physically sick. You tried to push the money away, but he insisted. Then he went back inside into the bathroom and came hard after stroking himself three times to the thought of your pussy soaking his face. 

He was a mess. A literal fucking mess now. He sat down on the bathroom floor. He had no idea what to do. But then he laughed out loud when he remembered how his night started. He had been on a date with some random faceless woman earlier, but his night had ended with his own face buried in your pussy. 

This was not a good idea. None of this was a good idea. He needed to figure this the fuck out. 

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

Nice work, Bradley. Amazing effort. Enjoy your babysitter fic @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 9

@hotch-meeeeeuppppp

@swthxrry

@chassy21

@yaboid19

@solacestyles

@avoirlecoupdefoudre

@daisyhollyxox

@callsigndiamond

@harper1666

@throwinsauce

@beebslebobs

@awesomebooklover17

@wintercap89

@whosyourgnomie4

@rosesinmars

@blog-name6996

@bcon24

@wishfulwithwine

@backinwonderl4nd

@monte-carlando

@tetragonia

@gingerbreadandpaper

@emptyloverofmine

@apparently-sunshine

@chaoticassidy

@missmirandafe

@topgunbb

@changlingkhat

@sugarcoated-lame

@callsign-jupiter

@avada-kedavra-bitch-187

@katiebby04

@marantha

@averyhotchner

@abaker74

@andycanbeemotional

@heli991113

@k-k0129

@noz4a2

@tallyovie

@shanimallina87

@starlightstories

@teddyluvs2sing

@little-wiseone

@ccbb2222

@lilyevanswhore

@o-the-o-grim-o-reaper-o

@xoxabs88xox

[lvis44]

Sweet Escape - Pt. 1 // LH44

Lewis Hamilton x Y/N

Warnings: Alcohol consumption, swearing, jealousy, flirting while with someone else (kinda cheating but we won't go that far), age difference, insulting/derogatory language, 18+ (no smut thus far but suggestive themes), not edited

Word Count: 5.6k

Summary: Paradise is supposed to be fun and relaxing... a Sweet Escape, but when unspoken feelings and jealousy rise to the surface, everything can be turned upside down in the blink of an eye.

Notes: This is the official Part One of Sweet Escape, you can read the Prologue here, but this can also be your starting point if you don't want the backstory. Do your best to look past any errors in the surfing section, I've never surfed a day in my life lol. It may seem like we get into the drama quick but there's so much more to come, buckle in folks! I am not a professional writer and all of this is a work of fiction and is strictly for fun. Enjoy!

---

As the van pulled up to the massive estate, you couldn’t help but gasp. Charlotte laughed from beside you, taking in the property herself.

“Well, he’s never been one to do things halfway.” She chuckled, rolling her eyes slightly.

The home was the size of a small hotel and the property sprawled on for ages. You were somewhere in the Caribbean on an island you had never even heard of, it had taken three flights just to get there. Lewis claimed it was one of his favorite places on earth, but he's said that about more places than you can count.

“My girls!” Miles' voice came loudly from the doorway as you unloaded yourselves from the van.

You turned just in time to see the large man bounding down the driveway like a child, arms open with a massive smile on his face. He crashed into you while wrapping an arm around you, grabbing for Charlotte with the other. You both laughed at the aggressive affection as he squeezed you both tight. Anyone watching the scene would think it had been months since you’d seen him, not two weeks. He’s a lot like Lewis in the sense that he loves extremely, but he’s by far more open with it.

“Hello!” You laughed, your voice muffled against the tall man's chest.

When he finally let you go, he quickly moved towards the back of the van, collecting your bags.

“Heads up, Talia’s here.” He mumbled to the two of you, an unamused look on his face.

Miles had also not been a fan of Talia when he met her. You’ve never been sure if he noticed how she treated you, or if it was for an entirely different reason, but you knew for a fact he didn’t particularly enjoy her. 

“Oh, we know.” Charlotte said, raising her eyebrows in an equally annoyed expression. 

You couldn’t help but giggle as you all made your way toward the house. You took solace in knowing you weren't alone in your displeasure of the extra guest. Miles showed you each to your rooms and told you to come say hello to everybody once you’d settled in a bit. Before he left your room he pulled you into another tight hug.

“It’ll all be good, we’ll have a blast.” He said quietly into the top of your hair, planting a kiss there before making his way out of your room. 

The bedroom was larger than yours at home, there was an attached bathroom and a large closet. In the middle of the room sat a king size bed that looked like it was made of clouds, it faced a balcony door, looking out over the Caribbean Sea. You had the feeling of not belonging for a split second, being surrounded by more luxury than you could fathom. You quickly had to remind yourself that if you didn't belong, Lewis wouldn't have made sure you were able to come. You really had to thank him again for all that he had done. You made your way into the bathroom to freshen up a little bit, hoping to splash away some of the long plane ride. As you got ready to go downstairs and greet everybody you heard movement in the hallway. You truly hoped it was one of your friends as you stepped out of your room, unfortunately you weren’t that lucky. Talia was walking down the hallway towards you, dressed in a bikini fit for Sports Illustrated. You understood why Lewis had been interested in her, he wasn’t looking for anything more than physical, and how she looked right now made it easy to look past her attitude. 

“Hey.” You did your best to be kind, hoping to avoid any tension.

She said nothing, just looked you up and down and kept walking, making her way out to where you assumed everyone was. You rolled your eyes at her childish behavior and trailed along behind her, hoping to find your friends. As you stepped out the large door you were greeted by the sound of laughter and conversation, the warm sound like music to your ears. There was soft music playing as you looked around at the scene. Your friends were sprawled out on expensive looking patio furniture, facing toward the large infinity pool that showcased the beautiful view of the sea down below. Your eyes searched the group, hoping to find Lewis. You spotted him, over by a bar on the balcony, Talia already attached to his hip. As if he could tell you were looking at him his eyes found yours, a big smile gracing his features as he saw you. He brushed Talia off, much to her annoyance and made his way over to you. 

“I was starting to think you’d fallen asleep up there.” He laughed warmly as he pulled you in for a tight hug.

Hugs from Lewis were always amazing, he would squeeze you so tight you almost couldn't breathe. His big arms completely engulfed you in the most comforting way, he would never let go until you did. 

“Sorry,” You laughed as you pulled away, “just wanted to freshen up a little bit, long flights.”

He smiled in understanding before grabbing your wrist and pulling you along towards everyone. He had a habit of dragging you around when he was excited.

“Look who finally decided to show her face.” He announced loudly.

You were greeted with big hugs from everyone. The second that Lewis wasn’t next to you, you couldn’t help but notice Talias possessive touch had been returned to him. You weren’t sure if you were imagining it, but you almost felt like he looked annoyed. You decided to ignore her and catch up with your friends, some whom you haven't seen in quite some time.

The afternoon carried on uneventfully, everyone drinking and joking around. You had changed into your swimsuit, hoping to catch the last few rays of Caribbean sun. You had felt his eyes on you when you walked out of the house, he had Talia perched on his lap but his attention was fully on you. You wanted to be disgusted by the man but you couldn’t find it in you, instead you added a purposeful sway to your hips and made your way over to one of the lounge chairs. It didn’t take long for him to appear next to you, thankfully alone.

“I feel like I haven’t gotten to see you at all since you got here.” He said, placing his sunglasses on his face as he settled into the chair beside yours.

You couldn’t help but giggle a bit, “I wonder why.” You didn't look at him but you could see the confusion on his face in your peripheral 

“What?” The confusion was evident in his voice.

“Nothing,” You pushed the topic aside before turning your head towards him with a smile, “How have you been? It’s been a while.”

His face lit up, ignoring your previous comment. He filled you in on everything that had happened over the last few months, talking about races, his new training routine. You couldn’t help but laugh as the beautiful man beside you rambled on like a little kid. He noticed your amusement, cutting himself off with a bashful look.

“Sorry, sorry,” He chuckled, seemingly embarrassed by himself, “it’s just easy to get carried away with you.”

He settled back into his chair, his head rolling towards you to keep eye contact.

“Okay, it’s your turn, I wanna hear every single thing that’s been going on in your life.” He then settled even further into his chair, crossing his arms behind his head as if he was getting ready for you to read him a book.

“Well, not much to tell really, life has mostly been work and more work.” You told him, glancing over at him.

“Come on, something must be going on in your life. You're young, fun, attractive, you can’t possibly be just working. You need some fun every once in a while.” He frowned over at you.

You couldn’t help but catch the comment about you being attractive, you knew he was just being kind but it still made your skin heat up ever so slightly.

“I did go on a date…” You trail off, waiting to catch some sort of reaction from him.

“Oh?” His tone is inquisitive yet almost harsh.

“Yeah, he kinda sucked though. He talked about himself most of the time, asked at the end of dinner to split the bill, and then still tried to get me to go back to his place. Needless to say I won’t be seeing him again.” You laugh to yourself, thinking about how much you had hated the night.

“Don’t, he sounds like a proper tool. Dickhead didn’t know what was in front of him.” He says gruffly before letting out a deep sigh, “Y/N, you can do a whole lot better than that. You deserve so much better than that.”

You smile over at him, “I know, that’s why I went home alone and blocked his number.”

He gives you a bright smile, extending his fist to meet yours, “Atta girl!”

You hear her before you see her, a loud scoff coming from behind the two of you. When you look up she’s partially kneeling on Lewis’ chair, clearing her throat obnoxiously.

“I could use a little help here.” She says in an annoyingly sultry tone, waving a bottle of sunblock in the man's face.

Lewis lets out a small huff, so quiet you could have easily missed it before pushing himself up from the chair.

“Yup,” His tone comes out clipped before turning back to you with a gentle smile, “I’ll see ya in a bit, yeah?”

You return his smile, simply nodding before he’s trailing off behind Talia like a lost puppy.

You didn’t end up seeing Lewis at all for the rest of the night, only during dinner with everyone while his attention was directed elsewhere. You only knew he had gone to bed when you heard her calling out for him later in the night.

“Lewis,” her whiny voice carried through the large house, “come to bed! I’m lonely!”

Miles rolled his eyes so aggressively at that, you worried they might get stuck in his head. At least you weren’t the only one who was disgusted.

. . .

The next day was spent down at the beach, the water was so clear you almost couldn’t believe it was real. Lunch and drinks were packed in various coolers as everyone toted their way down the narrow path to the sand.

“Holy shit.” You mumbled to yourself, stopping at the bottom of the trail, causing Lewis to almost run into the back of you.

You only realized you had blocked him rather abruptly when you heard his warm chuckle right behind you, much closer than expected. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it.” He said quietly, placing his hand on your back, guiding you forward slightly so you were no longer blocking the path. 

“It’s stunning,” you said, eyes wide as you turned toward him, he was still close to you, standing just by your side, “thank you again, so much. I really never thought I would ever be somewhere like this.”

He shook his head with a soft smile, “No need to thank me Y/N, this trip wouldn’t be the same without you here. Besides it was me being a bit selfish, I missed you.” 

You couldn’t help but blush slightly at his comment, you had missed him too but to hear him admit it made you feel some type of way. You couldn’t quite put your finger on it. You always felt honored to be the recipient of his attention in any way, much less his affection. 

“Come on, it’s even better up close.” He said, grabbing your hand and pulling you along toward where everyone was already setting up blankets and umbrellas.

You could feel Talias eyes on you but you did your best to ignore it. Lewis is an adult and he is allowed to interact with his friends, she doesn’t own him. As far as you're aware they’re not even really together.

You dropped your stuff next to where Charlotte and Miles had put their own. Miles hadn’t wasted a minute, bounding toward the water like a lanky child before throwing himself into a large wave. You and Charlotte exchanged a look before bursting out in a fit of laughter.

“We’re friends with absolute man children.” Charlotte said through her laughter, shaking her head as she went to lay down her blanket.

“Maybe, but you love us.” Lewis piped up, a cheeky smile on his face, teeth on full display.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, you keep telling yourself that grandpa.” She sends back at him, sticking her tongue out.

“You watch it young lady, I’m only two years older than you. You’re gonna be just as ancient as me soon enough.” His tone is playfully stern and he can only hold his fake scowl for a second before breaking out into a big grin.

Out of the corner of your eye you see him settle down on the blanket next to Talia as he takes off his shirt. They look like they’re ready for a photoshoot, two perfect bodies on the most perfect coastline. You turn your attention back to laying out your own blanket as he turns his attention toward her, talking quietly in her ear. She lets out an annoying giggle, one that seems to be more for show and less a reaction to whatever he just said.

“Alright, y'all are boring, who’s coming in here with me?” Miles shouts out from the water before falling back into another wave.

“Gimme just a sec.” Lewis hollers back, moving to stand up.

Daniel is already making his way down to the water and Charlotte is taking off her cover up, ready to head down herself. You do the same, putting on some sunscreen and tying back your hair.

“Come on, just for a few minutes, the water here is incredible.” You hear Lewis attempting to persuade Talia into the water.

“No, I told you, I don’t swim.” She half scoffs at him.

You almost want to roll your eyes, it would be such a shame to miss out on the beautiful sea. Lewis is shrugging as you turn toward him, obviously not in the mood to try any harder.

“Y/n?” He says, you can tell he meant to say more but stopped short when he saw you. Even through his sunglasses you can tell he’s checking you out much more than he should be, especially with the company sitting just behind him.

You’re not wearing anything particularly fancy, just a black bikini that you’ve had for a few years. It has the most support of any that you own and buckles instead of ties so you figured it would be best for the ocean. You raise a slightly accusing brow at him, urging him to continue.

He shakes his head ever so slightly, breaking himself out of what seemed to be a trance, “You comin’ in?”

“Hell yeah.” You say enthusiastically, jogging toward the water without waiting to see if he’s following. He appears at your side rather quickly, much more adept to running in the sand, or really running at all. You both slow down slightly. Once you're sure you’re far enough away you mumble to him “She’s fun.”

He looks at you with a small smirk but still manages to look like he's reprimanding you, “Leave her alone, it doesn’t matter.”

Once you’re close enough to the water that the tide is lapping at your toes you let out a shriek. Two large arms have wrapped around your torso from behind, picking you up in the air. He’s now running at full tilt into the water.

“Leewiiiisssss.” You scream out through a fit of laughter.

Just as his name comes out of your mouth, he’s throwing the two of you directly into a wave, the water completely engulfing you both. As you come up, sputtering slightly, you’re still in his arms. You free yourself, turning around to slap him in the chest before pushing your now drenched hair out of your face.

“Warn a girl next time.” You curse at him, still blinking the salt water out of your eyes.

You're met by nothing but boyish laughter as he takes in your slightly distraught state, “Aww it’s okay, you won’t melt.” He fakes a pout at you, making you flip him off before turning to swim over to where everyone else is, laughing themselves.

You don’t make it very far before the same arms from before are wrapping around you again, facing you toward the shore as another large wave crashes over the two of you. You managed to prepare yourself for it a little better than the last, this one actually making you laugh.

“Sorry, didn’t have time to warn you for that one.” Lewis says into your ear, his voice quiet and light. You can feel his warm breath against your skin, making you shiver despite the sun and warm water. You detach yourself from him, very aware that everyone can see you.

“My hero, thank you sir.” You tease him with his title as you swim away.

He follows after you, joining the rest of the group. Everyone swims and plays around for a good hour before deciding to head back up to the beach. Lewis and Miles share a look before Miles grabs you, pulling you further down the beach.

“So Y/N, Lewis and I have decided we’re gonna teach you how to surf.” Miles announces proudly

“Oh, hell no.” You start to protest, trying to pull away.

Lewis has already made it up to a part of the beach where you see an array of surfboards and kayaks that you can only assume belong with the house he’s rented. You see him selecting the perfect board, not paying particular attention to your dismay.

“Yup, sorry, it’s ain't up for discussion.” Miles simply shrugs, still pulling you along.

It takes them only a few minutes before you’re caving, they’re both well aware that you rarely say no to them.

“We already worked on your stance while we were in Malibu, now we’re just gonna try that in the water.” Lewis says as if it's the easiest thing in the world.

“Just watch and learn baby, watch and learn.” Miles is yelling out as he's already jogging toward the water, surfboard under his arm.

You watch miles paddle out, trying and failing to catch more than a few waves making you laugh slightly. You can feel your nerves subsiding a little bit but they’re definitely still there. Lewis can tell, he sees the tension in your body.

“C’mere.” He says, his hand outstretched towards you, gesturing for you to come to the board he has laid out in the sand.

You do as he says and let him arrange you on the board in the proper stance, so you can remember what he taught you almost six months ago.

“So you want to bend your knees and lean into it a bit.” His voice is soft and reassuring, he places his hands on your hips, pulling them back slightly to get into the proper position.

His hands are large and warm on your bare skin. As he pulls your hips back you notice how close he’s been standing, your ass just barely grazing over the front of his swim trunks. It's only a moment but you notice it, making you gulp. He must notice it too because he’s immediately stepping back as he clears his throat.

“Looks good, it's all about balance, you’ll be fine.” His tone is shorter now, but still offering the slightest bit of comfort that you need. 

The boys finally get you out into the water after showing you multiple times how to push yourself up on the board. You had thought surfing was supposed to be relaxing, Lewis always explained it as his form of meditation, but the more you run drills with them the more you realize it’s a proper workout. You know you must look like a sweaty mess as you all head into the water. Lewis shows you a few times again how to work with the board in the water before you’re being sent off to try it on your own. They both watch, sitting back on their own boards, as you try and fail multiple times. You’ve wiped out more times than you can count and only managed to actually get up on the board twice.

“It’s not gonna happen guys, I’m not meant for surfing.” You call out to them as you struggle your way up onto your board once more.

“Come on, it’s your first time, it takes some getting used to.” Miles tries to cheer you on.

“Look, there’s a perfect wave coming in right now. We’ll take it with you.” Lewis offers, paddling his way over in that direction.

You’re still not quite sure how you managed to pull it off, but somehow it did end up being the perfect wave. You managed to get yourself up and ride it a short distance, it was maybe fifteen seconds but you were proud.

“She did it, she fucking did it!” Miles is already cheering as you make your way toward the shore.

Lewis quickly scoops you up in a big hug, pressing a big kiss to your cheek. It’s not an uncommon thing for him to do but it still makes you rather flustered. He places you back down giving you a big high five.

“Seeee,” He draws out in a teasing tone, a big smile on his face, “we knew you could do it.”

“Well I barely did it, but that was a ton of fun.” You laugh, overjoyed that you managed to do it at all.

“Barely is better than not at all.” Miles says, clapping you on your back.

“Come on, let's go cool off and then we can head back over to everybody. We’ve accidentally abandoned them.” Lewis says with a laugh.

The three of you make your way back into the water, floating your way over closer to where your friends sit. Miles makes his way back up to the group quicker than you and Lewis, the two of you bobbing around in the beautiful water a few minutes longer.

“See, this is what I mean,” He starts, looking up at the clear sky with a squint in his eye before looking back to you, “today wouldn’t have been nearly as fun if you weren’t here.”

“What a sap.” You tease him, shaking your head.

“Nah, Y/N, I mean it. I’m really glad we met you.” His voice is sincere, his eyes holding so many more emotions than you can even try to decipher.

“Me too.” It’s all you can really say but you truly mean it, you’re so grateful for this little chosen family you’ve become a part of.

You could tell Talia was in a mood as you made your way back from the water. Lewis simply throws a towel at you, making her roll her eyes. You noticed how she moved away from him as he settled down onto the blanket next to her. She seemed jealous. You could hear her whispering to him in a harsh tone but you couldn’t hear what she was saying.

It didn’t take very long for Lewis to stand up and start packing their things, announcing that they were heading back up to the house and they would see everyone later. You heard Daniel make some off handed comment, telling them to use protection. You didn’t hear either of them respond, assuming Lewis had chosen to flip him off instead. The rest of you chose to stay down on the beach for a little while longer, waiting the short while until the sun started to set.

As you made your way into the house you could already hear the yelling, everyone exchanging uneasy glances as you headed toward the kitchen to unpack your coolers.

“If you want to fuck her so bad why the hell am I even here?” Talias shrill voice cut through the house loudly.

“Jesus christ, she’s one of my closest friends. How can you not understand that?” Lewis was harsh in his response.

You glanced at Miles, unsure of what to do. There was nowhere to go to avoid listening to their conversation, if that's what you could even call it. He shrugged back at you, equally unsure of how to navigate the situation.

“You think I’m a fucking idiot? I see how you look at her, she gets all of your attention any time she’s around. You think I don’t notice?” Somehow Talias voice has managed to get even louder, “And what the fuck was that with you two in the water, huh? All giggly and flirty, like she doesn’t know how to swim? Showing her how to surf just so you could touch her?”

“I haven’t seen her in months and I barely got to even speak to her yesterday because you were jealous. Anytime I was even remotely close to her you found a way to pull me away.” Lewis is fully shouting now, something you have never heard from him in nearly two years of friendship. Sure you’ve seen him upset, but never have you heard him yell at anything other than a football game he was a little too invested in. 

You can feel your friends glancing at you sympathetically. It’s not lost on anyone that they’re arguing about you. Everyone is trying to busy themselves, starting on making dinner, but it’s barely working, everyone is interested in the fallout of the fight happening down the hall.

“She’s a fucking gold digging bitch, how can you not see that? She wants to fuck you just as much as you evidently want to fuck her, so why don’t you go right ahead. She’s just as much of a whore as all the other ones you seem to keep in rotation.” Talia spits back at him, scoffing at the end.

You widen your eyes, frozen as you hear the way she's speaking about you. You feel Miles come up next to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and pulling you in against him.

“Don’t listen to her, we love you.” Miles mumbles into the top of your head, pressing a kiss there.

“Don’t you dare, ever, speak about her that way again. I fucking mean it. I’d also keep in mind that you're, as you say, part of my rotation.” Lewis’s voice comes out harsh, threatening, “I want you gone.”

“Oh you want me gone? She’s the one that shouldn’t even be here, I paid for my ticket here, we all fucking know she weasled cash out of your pocket for a nice vacation.” She just about screams back at him.

“Gone. Now.” His voice is icy, sending a chill down your spine. That’s not the Lewis you know.

You can feel your eyes start to well up as their bedroom door slams. Lewis appears at the end of the hallway, still in his swim trunks from earlier. He quickly looks around the room as everyone stares wordlessly at him. He doesn’t meet your tear filled eyes, almost grimacing when he sees your face but saying nothing.

“Lewis-” Charlotte tries to speak before getting cut off.

“I’m going on a run.” He says abruptly, already walking away from the kitchen toward the front door.

He’s still barefoot and shirtless as he walks out the front door, slamming it hard behind him. The silence in the house doesn’t last long as you hear more commotion from the bedroom at the end of the hall. She’s swearing to herself and it sounds like she’s dropping things. It doesn’t take long until Daniel see’s her down the hallway.

“What the hell are you doing?” He shouts, already making his way down the hall.

This quickly gets everyone's attention, straining to look where he’s headed. You see her with an arm full of her stuff, making her way toward your room, throwing things into the doorway.

“If she wants him so fucking bad, she can fucking have him.” Talia screams back at him, not stopping for a second as she makes her way into your room.

This quickly catches both yours and Miles’ attention, heading down the hall yourself. When you make it to your door you see her grabbing your things, throwing them into your suitcase. You can’t help but be confused. What the hell is she doing? 

“Hey, chill out. Everyone’s just upset, let’s take a breather.” Miles is trying to reason with her but it evidently isn’t working as she continues throwing your stuff into your bag, still muttering to herself.

With your bag in hand, she pushes past the three of you, tossing your stuff into Lewis’s doorway. When she turns to face you all you finally see her cheeks are covered in tears, snot running down her face. She looks genuinely hurt and you almost feel a little bad but you quickly push it aside, thinking of all the things she just said about you.

“I’m pretty sure I heard Lewis tell you to leave.” Charlotte says from behind you, her voice calm but cold.

“Yeah? Where the hell do you want me to go? It’s almost eight o’clock at night, I’m kinda stuck here. So sorry to be a burden.” Her voice is riddled with sarcasm as she throws her hands up in the air.

She doesn’t wait for a response as she once again pushes past you and into what used to be your room, slamming the door shut and locking it. You stand there, outside the door, absolutely stunned. It’s not until you feel Miles and Daniel guiding you away, back towards the kitchen that you snap out of it, finally getting mad.

“What the hell was that? How am I the bad guy?” You ask no one in particular, heading towards the bar just off the kitchen.

“You’re not the bad guy, she’s apparently just bat shit crazy.” Steph pipes up.

It makes you feel better hearing that from her, you two have never been all that close and only hung out a few times. You always have a good time together but really don’t have much in common. So if even she can see that it's not your fault, that must mean something.

“I mean she’s certainly crazy, we can see that, but Lewis shouldn’t have brought her here if was just gonna flirt with someone else the whole time.” Someone else says.

“He’s not flirting with me, he’s just like that.” You try to defend yourself, and him.

Charlotte looks at you with sympathetic eyes, “Hun, he’s definitely been flirting with you. Yes, he’s flirty with everyone, but it’s different when he’s flirting with intention.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” You feel a little flustered at this point. A little embarrassed that everyone seems to know, confused as to why he would possibly be flirting with you, and almost excited that this crush you’ve had might just be reciprocated.

“Honestly, I’ve seen him flirt with countless women to get in their pants,” Miles starts, giving you an apologetic glance at his wording, “but it’s pretty rare that I see him flirt because he actually likes someone. Char’s right, the way he flirts with you is definitely different. And I love the dude, but it’s not fair to either of you.”

There are nods of agreement from your other friends and you feel your cheeks get hot.

“Okay, okay,” You put your hands up, trying to deflect away from the topic, “where am I supposed to sleep tonight? She just locked herself in my room and put me in a very much occupied room.”

“Well, I mean you could always sleep with Lewis and see where it goes.” Daniel says with a smirk.

It takes all of a second for Charlotte to make her way over to him and slap him on the back of the head, hissing at him, “Not the fucking time.”

“You can sleep with me, I know it’s not perfect but we can be cuddle buddies.” Charlotte says kindly, giving you a gentle smile.

Noone ends up eating dinner, dispersing from the kitchen rather quickly to avoid the awkward air that has set over the house for the night. You, Charlotte, and Miles end up in the living room doing your best to ignore the situation through means of alcohol. By the time eleven o’clock rolls around all three of you are more than tipsy and both Charlotte and Miles get up, ready to head to bed. Lewis still isn’t back and you can't help but be a bit worried. He would usually be in bed by now but he still isn’t even home. You send them both off to bed, telling them you’ll be up just a little longer. You sit in the living room in silence, nursing a drink, for almost an hour as you start to get drowsy. You try your very best to fight it off, hoping to stay away until Lewis is home, but you can only fight your exhaustion for so long.

As you drift off to sleep, the clock nearing twelve thirty, Lewis is still nowhere to be seen.

[agent371]

This post is talking about the designs (and the designs only, I haven't read anything from the authors and dont even know who they are so this is design based only) released for the new Damian Wayne comic - The Boy Wonder. I will be heavily critical and btching about these, but please tell me your thoughts as well. After Damian, the others are under the cut. Please read because it's important.

Damian's design is actually really good and the best one, which is probably good since this is a comic about him. And I love how he's not whitewashed, which is something that happens way too much in comics.

Now, to Nightwing, his design is okay for a Nightwing design, but he just looks off in this style. I think if they tried to stylise him more, it could look a lot cooler. So I think he's just got wasted potential. Also, he's probably whitewashed as well to make damian more special as the "only" POC in the family (probly why Cass, Duke, Luke, and Luicus aren't here as well).

Babs is next, and this is the main reason I made this post. They abled her. DC authors stop abling disabled characters, please, for the love of me, I can't stand it. She can be disabled and still be relevant in the plot. I swear the only reason authors do this is because they don't know how to write disabled characters. If they need a Batgirl, use Steph or Cass because they are more than capable of doing it. I know they aren't as iconic as Babs, but move on DC. She's so much more interesting as Oracle.

Batman, I'm not a fan of his big blocky design. I just don't like it. He also looks really irrelevant and giving this is a comic about Robin (his son!) I think he should be relevant or look like he isn't a background character who just grunts, like for the design it looks like he doesn't talk. Don't like it.

Jason now, I actually love his Red Hood costume it looks sick, and the R on the chest *chefs kiss*. But his robin outfit is too gritty, and from that, I can tell he's going to be mischaracterised as the "angry Robin," so Hood looks cool, but that's all it is, his looks.

Tim. There is so much to say, omg. Where is his hero outfit! Everyone else got them. Why didn't he? You can actually see RR in the preview, so why wasn't that design put here? Why is it just Tim? And why does kid Tim look homless you know he grew up rich, before and after his adoption sure he has a style but his cloths wouldn't be friad he'd still look sleek and scruff not on the verge of his cloths falling off his back. For this, I can tell he'll also be mischaracterised as just like Jason since this is a Damian comic they are doing to do him so dirty. :( Sad day for a 90's Tim Drake fan (like every day, tbh save my guy). His RR design also has a shitty mask, but other than that, it seems fine, I like the wings/cape for it that looks pretty cool.

Alfred is a stereotypical old man. He's got no individuality what so ever and will proble be in one panel, say something sarcastic, and never show up again.

Ra's is okay. That's all.

Talia doesn't even look like herself . If you showed me her design with no context, I would not know who she is.

Carrie. Why is she here? Like honestly, why? There are better characters to include in a comic like this, like Steph or Cass or Duke or Helana. They would all be better chooses than Carrie. I'm not the biggest Damian fan, but ofter, Damian fans have been wanting him and Huntress as in a comic for a bit. I do like her design, but I just don't get why she's here. (I'm not including her image because of the limit bit is on my previous repost)

[devine-fem]

Characters that I wish to see more in Al Ghul Family fanon and utilizied more in Damian content because I can’t do it myself. More so fanon headcanons for domestic reasons because I am personally very hyperfixated and I wanna show the whole family tree.

Sensei. Sassy old man. Ra’s Al Ghul’s dad and Damian’s great-great grandfather.

Mother Soul/Ruh Al Ghul. Damian’s great-great grandmother. Ra’s al Ghul’s mother. She gives me very hysterical, traditional grandma type vibes.

Ra’s Al Ghul. Damian’s grandfather. Sorra, Talia’s not-mother. (last name idk, sorry queen) Sorra’s Ra’s late wife but her death sent him spiraling. She’s deceased. Ra’s personally gives me very, very boomer vibes like he’s a lazy grandpa that’s out of the loop on everything.

Melanesia. Talia’s mother. Dami’s grandma Deceased.

Nyssa Al Ghul. Dusan. Talia Al Ghul. These are the most annoying siblings you’ll ever meet and for domestic purposes, I’ll say they are all close. Nyssa causes the most trouble.

Mara. Damian’s cousin. Bratty but her and Damian get along, they didn’t always but I think they’re very sweet. This is Dusan’s daughter.

Respawn (he has no name) This is Damian’s brother. They both share a mother. (This also puts Slade Wilson in on the family tree but he’s horrible so I disown him and so would respawn) Since he doesn’t have a name, I’ll give him a cute brother nickname. How about Ressie or Rez (Meaning to come back to life) till someone comes up with something better. I know we have a lot of feelings about Respawn but I think it would also be really nice to still use him in fanon for healing on the character’s part.

Rez is the brattiest, meanest older brother you could ever ask for. Their dynamic would be cute in a I annnoy you because I love you type of way.

Heretic will also need a name but I can’t come up with anything but the arabic word for Heretic and that doesn’t seem convenient. If anyone has any ideas for a nickname for him, I’d love that. To me, he’s also any annoying older brother but much worse than respawn. He’s the type to play fight.

+ Anthanasia Al Ghul. Dami’s long lost sister (or twin). She can either have a fun twin dynamic with Dami. Or have a older sister dynamic with everyone where she keeps her brothers from killing each other.

I would also like to mention that Bruce counts in a way because Ra’s considers Bruce his son.

If I missed anyone, misremembered someone, got anything incorrect. Please tell me. Even if they have family in else worlds I’ll be happy with someone adding them as well.

[phoenixgrl1412]

Jazz is Damian's bio sibling, not Danny

I see tons of Demon Twin AUs, and I love them, but I started to wonder about what the universe would look like if Jazz was Damian's sister.

Not sure what her birth name in this AU would be (Yasmin? Yasmina? Something else) so I'm going to just refer to her as Jazz.

I'm thinking that Jazz was attempt #1 at getting the perfect heir, and for whatever reason, she was deemed to be inferior. Is there something actually wrong with her? No, but Ra's is an asshole. If you'd like to go a more sexist route, Jazz could be unworthy because she's female (in this AU, Ra's keeps Talia around to make an heir, not to be the heir).

Despite not being the perfect child they wanted, Talia and Ra's train Jazz until they are able to try again. She's taught as if she was the heir, even though everyone knows she isn't, because there isn't a better choice at the moment.

When Jazz is three, Damian is born. Damian is her little brother and she loves him as best she can, but Damian is raised to treat her as inferior, and it shows. Everyone looks down on her, especially Ra's, and that attitude is the example Damian follows.

Jazz is still trained, because if nothing else she could still be an assassin, but no one holds out much hope for her. She isn't as talented as Damian, even though she's older. She's not as strong or as stealthy or as cutthroat. She is more clever, but she is older than him, so it's brushed off. Besides, good assassin soldiers don't need to be clever, they just need to obey.

But where Damian excels in the physical arts, Jazz excels at the mind arts. Solving puzzles, recognizing patterns, psychoanalyzing her opponents to predict their moves - that's what she's good at. It's clearly inherited from Batman (no one can explain her red hair, though).

When Jazz is eight and Damien is five, Jazz flees the League. Why and how is your choice. Maybe Damian is supposed to kill her in a show of superiority. Maybe Talia helps her fake her death and escape as a final act of motherly love. Maybe Jazz flees on her own, wanting to be something else even if she doesn't know what.

Jazz makes it to America, and then to a little podunk town in the middle of nowhere, Illinois, called Amity Park. She meets the Fenton parents and their almost six-year-old son, Danny. And somehow, they take her in. And for a while, it's the family she wished she had, with loving parents and a little brother who didn't want to stab her.

Danny isn't Damian. He isn't a replacement. She knows that they aren't the same. They are radically different, even if they both make her want to cuddle and love them (at least Danny doesn't try to stab her for doing it). She can miss Damian and what could have been while embracing what she has found.

And for a while, she's happy.

Sure, she didn't expect her little brother (Danny is her Little Brother, Damian is her Baby Brother, there has been and will always be a difference to her) to die and come back, but she's seen weirder stuff when she was in the League.

She also didn't expect Danny to use his newfound powers to become a hero, but it's his choice, and she's going to support him. At least she has her League training to fall back on, even if she's a bit rusty.

And yeah, she was hoping that her adoptive parents would take Danny's halfa status a lot better than they did, but she'd always known it wasn't going to end well. She's always been good at recognizing behavioral patterns, and theirs said nothing good. But she'd hoped, for Danny's sake, that she would be wrong.

She never thought she would flee for her life for a second time, but here she is, driving a stolen car with her unconscious and bleeding brother in the backseat, heading towards the one place she swore she would never set foot in: Gotham.

[therealcocoshady]

Recovery - Chapter 22

Eminem x FemReader Fanfiction

Summary : Y/N sneaks out to meet with Em.

Tags : Fluff

Y/N’s POV

The first two weeks you spent with Marshall were nothing short of heavenly. You could hardly believe it : you finally got to be with the man of your dreams. He also seemed to be as happy as you, being the amazing person he always was, but showing a romantic side on top of it. Whenever the two of you were alone together, he would be all over you. Well, to be fair, it was pretty mutual. Whether it was holding hands, hugging, cuddling or having sex, you were almost always having some form of physical contact. At least, that was the case when it was just the two of you. You had not told anyone yet. You didn’t mind most people not knowing that you were with Marshall, but you were dying to tell your roommates. However, he didn’t seem too keen on the idea. 

Can I at least tell Talia about us ? You had asked. She is my best friend and she knows everything about me...

I don’t know, babe, he had said. I mean, I get it, but you know her… If you tell her, she’ll tell Jamal and one of them might let it slip. I’d just like to enjoy the two of us for a little while, you know ? 

It sort of made sense. Talia and Jamal were your best friends but they could be too talkative for their own good, sometimes. Especially with something as big as this. You knew them enough to know that they would tease you every chance they would get and might let something slip in front of other people. Obviously, they meant no harm and to you, it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but you knew how Marshall was about his privacy. He had a lot of friends but was still secretive about so many things. You didn’t mind at all. Actually, aside from the disappointment of not being able to tell your bestie about the most exciting thing happening in your life, you were fine with the idea of not telling anyone you knew. If people on Marshall’s team knew about your relationship, you could already see going downhill. Paul would probably be an ogre about it, plus, he already seemed to hate you enough as it was. As for Porter, Royce and the other people at the studio, you got along with them and considered them to be good friends of yours, so you really hated the idea that they might see and treat you differently. You’d been in that situation before, dating someone from your friends group, and ended up being considered as the guy’s girlfriend, rather than a member of the group. 

There was also a hidden perk to it : no one knowing about your relationship meant it was even more exciting. You were obviously in the honeymoon phase, taking every opportunity to be close to each other, and you soon found out that sneaking around was rather exhilarating. For instance, every time you hung out at the studio, the two of you would exchange glances, brush against each other on purpose and kiss every time the others left the room. You loved it and it was extremely arousing. So much so that, when you snuck out at night to go and see Marshall, the sex was even more mind-blowing, due to the release of the tension of the day. When you went to bed, you usually waited a couple of hours to make sure that Talia and Jamal were sleeping and snuck out to see him. You’d spend the night together and he’d bring you back in the early morning, before they woke up. You weren’t sleeping too much and were starting to feel tired, but in your opinion, it was 100% worth it. 

One morning, though, you got home a bit later than usual and found Talia sitting in the kitchen, drinking coffee.

Hey, you said. 

Where were you ? She asked with her eyebrows furrowed. 

I went out for a little walk, you replied as you tried to stay as evasive as possible. 

So early ? 

Yeah… I had a bad night, you said as you tried to sound convincing. So I decided to go for an early morning walk. What are you doing up so early ? 

I’m a bit worried for you, she said. Are you sure that breaking up with Josh was a good idea ? I mean, it’s… so sudden. 

I know, you said. But with everything that happened, I think I might need time to recover a bit, maybe focus on myself, you know ? 

Is it because of your anxiety ? She asked. 

Kind of. I have a lot going on.

I can tell, she said. But are you sure that splitting up with Josh is actually a good idea ? I mean, he loves you, he is here for you… He’s your lobster, Y/N. 

He’s not, you said softly. 

Is it because of Em ? She asked. 

Maybe, you replied. 

You didn’t want to lie to her. She was your best friend in the world and you wouldn’t want to disappoint her by lying to her face. But it also killed you because you just wanted to tell her everything about you and Marshall, how happy he made you and how he rocked your world. Also, you were sort of hoping that she would shut up about Josh. Ever since you had broken up with him, she had questioned your decision and tried to convince you to get back with him. And why wouldn’t she ? You probably would have done the same for any friend who broke up with such a good boyfriend out of the blue. The two of you chatted for a couple of minutes and you got ready for the day. 

On another occasion, she accidentally walked in on you in your underwear in the bathroom and noticed some marks on your body. As your lovemaking sessions were quite… intense, you had gotten a few bruises and scratches. Thankfully, you didn’t have hickies on your neck, but the same could not be said for your stomach, your ass or the inside of your thighs. What could you say ? It was passionate to say the least. You didn’t think much of it, but as soon as she saw the marks, she let out a horrified shriek. 

Oh my God !!! What the hell happened to you ?! She asked, completely panicked. 

Nothing, you said awkwardly, quickly grabbing something to hide your body. 

Not nothing, she replied. You have so many bruises, oh my God ! Did you get in a fight ?! 

Of course not ! You know me, I’m clumsy, that’s all ! 

At first, she seemed not to believe you, but she had to admit that it was plausible : you were the clumsiest person she knew. Whenever someone had to accidentally get hit, fall down the stairs or accidentally get a cut because they were too distracted by staring at a certain person, it had to be you. It was some sort of rule that the universe had created, apparently. It was so usual that it had become a running joke in your circle. So, eventually, she dropped it and pestered you about paying some damn attention for once, or else you’d die a stupid death. Technically, she wasn’t wrong to remind you, but if only she knew… 

The next day, you were spending the day with everyone else at Marshall’s, and you and Talia watched as the guys were playing basketball. You were supposedly here to cheer on Jamal, but you were too distracted by Marshall, who definitely looked way too good in gym clothes. Seeing him all sweaty was driving you crazy and you couldn’t wait for the next time you’d get to be alone with him. 

Quit staring at him, Talia whispered with a giggle. 

I’m not staring, you lied. 

Yeah, right… I know being single again sucks, but don’t forget that it’s Em, she said. Just because you’re not with Josh doesn’t mean you have to get back into whatever it is that was between the two of you. You’ll only end up suffering, baby. 

You think ? 

I’m sure. Plus, he’s obviously out there, getting laid by God knows who, she pointed out. 

What makes you think that ? You asked with your brows furrowed. 

He’s got a hickie and some scratches ? She said. I mean, you can see them on the back of his arms and his neck. I can’t even imagine what his back looks like. 

Oh, you said sheepishly as you realized that the two of you definitely needed to be careful, especially with Talia being so attentive to details. 

I’m sorry baby, she said as she rubbed your back. But maybe it’s better that way ? 

Maybe, you said with a yawn. 

Still tired ? 

You have no idea, you said as you tried to hide a grin. 

Hiding this from her was definitely too hard. All you wanted to do was to have a sleepover with her and some girl talk about your sex life and finally be able to brag of being the one scratching that handsome man’s back. You wished you’d get caught, but you also couldn’t be the one to give her the hints, as you didn’t want to betray Marshall’s trust. 

LATER THAT DAY - MARSHALL’S POV 

He was laying in bed with Y/N, cuddling after yet an intense physical session. Both of them were panting from exhaustion, not only from tonight but from the past weeks. They were basically running on sex, very little sleep and more sex. He was tired, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Every morning when he woke up next to her, it put the biggest smile on his face. Normally, he wouldn’t move that fast with a woman. He wouldn’t have her come over all the time, let alone sleep in his bed at night. His last girlfriend had never even seen his bedroom : that’s how guarded he was when it came to relationships. But with Y/N, it seemed right. Not that he had much of a choice anyway : whenever he was away from her, he felt like an addict on withdrawal, thinking of the next time he’d get his dose. Everything about her was intoxicating, from the longing looks she threw at him when there were other people around to her kisses to the way she whispered “I love you” right before she fell asleep in his arms. With both of their workloads, him at the studio and her at uni, they didn’t get as much time together as they wanted - or at least as he did - but he was willing to take every second he could get. Even if it was just at night with crazy logistics involved, and plans not to get caught by anyone. However, between work on the album, his activities as a producer, trying to spend time with his family and sharing his nights with her before waking up early to drive her back, it was starting to be exhausting. He could tell it was the same for her as well. Both of them looked like raccoons, with dark circles under their eyes, and all he wished for was to be able to sleep in, with her in his arms.

I love you, she whispered in a sleepy voice. 

I love you too, he chuckled. Shower and then bed ? 

How about we just stay here ? She suggested. I’m so sore… 

All the more reason, he said. Let me take care of you, baby. 

That’s right. With her he even got into aftercare. In his previous relationships, even the most successful ones, as soon as the deed was done, he usually rolled onto his side of the bed and fell asleep immediately. Not that he didn’t care about his partners, he did, but he usually put himself first. Not with Y/N. He was giving her the princess treatment and the worst part was that he secretly loved it. He had been a lousy boyfriend and husband in the past, to a lot of women, but he wanted to do so much better. Partly because now, he knew better, but also because he knew that the universe, no matter how good it was, would never provide him with someone so great. 

After a long shower and a massage, his girl had fallen asleep and he was ready to do the same when he heard the doorbell ring several times. It was 3:30 AM. He groaned and looked at Y/N, who was still asleep, by some sort of miracle. He kissed her forehead and got up as the doorbell kept on ringing. When he opened the door, he found Talia, going absolutely crazy on the doorbell. 

Talia ?! He asked in surprise. What the fuck are you doing here ?

Em, I’m sorry to bother you, but it’s an emergency, she said in a worried voice. 

Come in, he said. 

He led her to the living room, not sure what to expect. It was probably something serious. Talia never barged in unannounced, especially not in the middle of the night. 

What’s up ? He asked. Everything alright ? 

I am pretty sure that Y/N is using again, she said on the verge of tears. 

Wait ? What ? He asked in disbelief. 

I am sorry to bother you but you’ve been there, you know about relapse, and I just don’t know what to do…, she sobbed. 

Why would you even think she relapsed in the first place ? 

She’s not herself, she explained. She broke up with Josh out of the blue, she doesn’t seem to sleep, she’s become super secretive and she disappears in the middle of the night. I don’t even know where she is right now… I don’t know what to do, Em. What do you think I can do ? 

He tried so hard not to laugh but failed miserably. Talia’s concern was the most adorable thing ever and what she was saying actually made sense. Only she was far from the truth. He also felt a little bad : it was his fault if she was sobbing on his couch, since he was the one who insisted on keeping the relationship a secret. She shot him a death glare as he let out a little laugh. It was probably time to tell her. 

Don’t worry, he said. She’s fine. 

How do you know it ?! You’re an addict, you know how serious it is ! She said as she started to get worked up. 

She’s here, Talia. She’s sleeping, he said with a smile. 

WHAT DID I TELL YOU LAST TIME, EM ?! I told you that if anything happened and she came to you, you had to call me !!! She yelled. GOD YOU’RE A STUPID ASSHOLE !!! 

He burst out in a fit of laughter. At that point, it was probably the nerves and fatigue. He tried to calm himself before explaining but Y/N came to the living room, probably alarmed by the yelling. 

Talia ? She asked confused. What are you doing here ? 

What are YOU doing here ?! Talia fired back. 

I… well, I…, Y/N hesitated as she looked at him. 

I WANT YOU OUT OF THE HOUSE AND INTO A REHAB CENTER BY TOMORROW, Talia yelled. I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’RE USING AGAIN !!!

But I’m not, Y/N said. 

Don’t lie to me. I’ve seen the bruises, I know you’ve been sneaking out, you don’t sleep and you’ve been acting impulsive. It all makes sense ! 

The bruises ? Marshall asked. 

On my thighs, Y/N explained. 

He tried really hard not to laugh. The tension was palpable. 

Oh… that’s on me, I guess, he chuckled.

What the fuck ? Talia asked him with a threatening tone. What are you doing to her ?! 

Nothing she doesn’t want, believe me, he said as he tried to hide a smirk. 

Marshall !!! His girl interjected. 

I don’t understand, Talia said as she looked pissed off. 

They’re hickies, he chuckled. Y/N has been sneaking around, yes, but she’s coming here. We’re together. 

You’re together ? She repeated. 

Yeah, she’s my girlfriend. Like… couple stuff, you know ? He clarified before taking Y/N’s hand in his. 

Talia looked at him in shock, her mouth open, while Y/N stared at him tenderly. 

Aaaaw… I’m your girlfriend ? She asked with a smile. 

What ? Want me to refer to you as « bro » or « homie » ? He chortled. 

Girlfriend is fine, she said with a shy smile. 

Why didn’t you tell me ?! Talia blurted out, visibly hurt. 

I asked her not to, Marshall clarified.  Believe me, she wanted to tell you. This one’s on me. 

He didn’t want Talia to be mad at his girlfriend and he was ready to take the blame for that one. In retrospect it hadn’t been the smartest thing to do. 

Shit, guys, do you know how worried I’ve been ?! She said. 

I’m so sorry, I wanted to tell you, I swear, Y/N said. 

How long has it been ? 

About two weeks, Y/N explained. Happened right before your birthday actually…

Before ?! Is that why you broke up with Josh ?! She asked. 

Yeah…, his girlfriend said sheepishly. 

Talia looked up and down at the two of them. He was holding his girlfriend’s hand and smiling. She shook her head and took Y/N in her arms, holding her tight for about a minute. 

So, you’re alright ? She asked. 

Yes, his girlfriend said. 

And you’re happy ? 

So happy, Y/N confirmed. 

And he’s treating you well ? Talia asked again. 

Of course I treat her well, Marshall scoffed, almost offended by the implication. 

Not talking to you, Em, Talia said as she gave him a side-eye. 

He treats me very well, Y/N said softly. Like a princess, actually. 

Talia hummed and kept staring at the two of them. At that point, it was almost freaking him out. All he wanted was some sleep ! Now that she knew that Y/N was alive, breathing and not under immediate danger, couldn’t she just go home and let them rest ? Of course, it was purely rhetorical… in the past three years or so, he had spent enough time with Talia around to know that this woman only did what she wanted. She was not the intrusive type but he had also come to understand that when it came to her best friend’s safety, happiness and well-being, she could be ruthless. He may have been twenty years older, she was the « scary » one in that situation. So, even though he was not ecstatic to have her disturb what could have been a peaceful and much-needed night of sleep, he didn’t say much. After a while, Talia sat back on the couch and told them to do the same. Once again, it wasn’t time to discuss the orders. Usually, he would not have anyone tell him what to do, especially not someone who could be his daughter and even less in his own house, but Talia was the exception. He also low-key appreciated that she treated him like a normal person, with a « no-nonsense, no bullshit » attitude. It was something that made him respect her. She had that sort of aura that usually prompted people to do what she told them to. She was a pretty damn persuasive person and there was no doubt as to how she had Jamal around her finger. 

Let’s be clear here, she said as she looked at him, Y/N might be satisfied with the princess treatment, but it certainly won’t impress me. She is exceptional and if you fail to treat her in a manner befitting the empress that she is, I will make sure you regret it. 

Of course, he said with a smile. 

And if you make her suffer, I will make sure you suffer twice as much, she added. Don’t get me wrong : Jamal is the big scary dude who will punch you, but I will be your worst nightmare. 

Believe me, I’m counting on it, he replied. 

Good. You, Y/N, do not think about lying to me ever again. Especially about something like this !!! She told her best friend. 

Promise, Y/N said. 

Now, I would love some tea and hear about how this happened, she said with a smile, gesturing at the two of them. 

Right now ? Marshall couldn’t help but groan. 

Would you rather tell me about your misjudged idea of asking my best friend to lie to me and causing me to have a stroke ? She asked with a raised eyebrow. 

So, green tea or black tea ? He replied with a sarcastic grin. 

Green, she chuckled. And Y/N usually drinks…

… hot cocoa, he continued with a smile. I know, I know. Are we really doing this, Talia ? You bullying me in my own house ? 

You bet we are, she chuckled. You owe me, for the emotional damage, Em. 

He chortled and went to the kitchen to prepare the hot beverages while he could hear Talia grilling Y/N with questions. He would have snapped at anyone, but Talia’s concern for Y/N was so genuine that he could only appreciate it. Plus, seeing the relief on his girlfriend’s face was priceless. From the other room, he could hear her giggle as she answered some of Talia’s questions. When he came back to the living room with the mugs, Talia was commenting on the hickies. « Y’all better chill. What are you ? Horny teenagers ?! ». He chuckled and sat next to Y/N, who curled up on his side. It felt a little weird to have someone know about their relationship, but he had to admit it also felt good. They talked for about an hour before he decided to go back to bed. 

Can I be dismissed now ? He asked with a smile. 

I’ll allow it, Talia said. Plus, I can’t get Y/N to tell me about the nitty-gritty stuff if you’re sitting here ! 

Don’t tell her anything, he said. 

She will tell me everything, she replied. 

He chortled and kissed the top of his girlfriend’s head before getting up and hugging Talia. 

By the way, you have my blessing, Em, she said with a smile. 

I don’t need your blessing, he chuckled. 

Yeah you do, she giggled. You just didn’t know it. 

I’ll take it then, he grinned. Thank you. 

Thank you for making my girl happy, she whispered with a smile. 

[theflyindutchwoman]

I would like to get a look at Chester's computer after TID is done processing it -- you know, try to get into his head. You think Lopez would let me? Doesn't hurt to ask.

| ANATOMY OF A SCENE - CHENFORD EDITION 4.12 - The Knock

For all his claims that Lucy isn't his partner, the way Tim treats her says otherwise. And it's particularly evident here. I just love whenever the show acknowledges her background as a psych major, but what makes this even better is his response. He has made no secret of his opinion on psychology in the past. He was rather antagonistic towards Jessica Russo when she wanted to use predictive analysis during the manhunt. He expressed several times his skepticism about psychology in Amber - though he did pay attention to what Lucy was saying. And for the most part, it stems from his preference for playing a more proactive role (there might be some other factors that play in as well, with his childhood and the army).

Still, that's what makes his response here so interesting. When Lucy asks him if she could have access to the videos recorded by the suspect in order to get into his head, he immediately agrees to ask Angela, even though that isn't necessarily a part of their job. Better yet : he takes the time to listen to her insights and comes to watch the videos with her. And his behavior here stands in stark contrast with how he acted during the double date : the fact that he could barely make an effort for his girlfriend but doesn't hesitate to accommodate Lucy says it all… There's another hint of how much he values her opinion during the takedown, when he quizzes her on their options and lets her take the lead. In some aspects, it felt like a Tim Test… But there was a genuine curiosity too. And this is so different from the approach he had with Talia, back when they got paired up in Flesh and Blood. To be fair, she was more hostile, feeling like she had to prove herself to one of her former TOs, so it didn't help. But he said it himself : he was still seeing her as his rookie. There's none of that here. And while Tim has grown a lot since then, it is frankly quite specific to Lucy. When he is tasked to help the Feds catch Rosalind's acolyte after her death, he is back to being critical, this time towards profiling.

He may deny it, but he treats Lucy as his de facto partner. Their shorthand is so blatant during this episode, at work or at the restaurant… The way they can have a full conversation with just one look… How their body language mirrors each other's… How they sit so close to one another while watching the videos, despite having the whole room for themselves… The way he moves Lucy by her duty belt outside the morgue, standing extremely close to her… That close quarter situation combined with the dark setting, the lower voices and those looks… So hot. Personal space? Don't know her. They just work so seamlessly together and make each other better… And this episode really brings this point home.

[hellishere7980]

Whatever It Takes (CH-2)

Dear Damian, Normally I would write a letter in Arabic, but I thought since you're gonna live here, you might as well get used to the language. I know this was abrupt to you. But this is the first opening me and Mother could get. Sorry, Mother and I could get. English grammar rules are so wonky.

Both Bruce and Damian let out a soft laugh.

Anyway, back to the point. I know what you're gonna say. You're gonna say, “You did the same thing I'm doing right now. I can handle it.” And I'm not denying that, Damian. Just that you shouldn't have to do this. Shouldn't have to fight. You shouldn't have to kill. You shouldn't have to always watch behind your back. It's not right. And just the fact that it happened to me does not make it right for you. Here at Father’s you'll be able to learn new things. Enjoy life. Make friends. Meet your other siblings and our Father.

Please give them a chance. You don't know if you like something if you never try it. Stay safe. And be happy. Don't think this is goodbye, I will come visit. Mother and I love you. With all we have.

Your sister And the bane of your existence, Mariam.

Thankfully, Damien was too tired after the day's proceedings and went down for sleep without much fuss. After making sure he was comfortable in the guest bedroom, Bruce went back down to the Cave where the DNA showed 92% completed. Seeing him, Tim, Dick and Alfred came and gathered around.

“Well, Master Bruce?”

“He is sleeping for now. The kid had a dagger, but I left it with him because he looked too–”

“Vulnerable.” Tim said.

“Yeah, that.” Bruce said, giving them a tired smile. “I was thinkin–”

The batcomputer chimed. As all of them whipped around they saw displayed on the screen in bold letters. Almost mocking them-

Test #27

Subject: Damian Al-Ghul Wayne

Biological matches: Bruce Thomas Wayne (Parental) Talia Al-Ghul (Parental) Ra’s Al-Ghul (Grand Parental) Test subject #28 (Complete Fraternal)

“Well damn” Dick said. “I suppose it was to be expected, honestly.”

Bruce sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I suppose it is pointless to open up the second test result.”

“Better safe than sorry.” Tim said, clacking on the keyboard. “Here we go.” with his words, the screen changed.

Test #28

Subject: Mariam

Biological matches: Bruce Thomas Wayne (Parental) Talia Al-Ghul (Parental) Ra’s Al-Ghul (Grand Parental) Damian Al-Ghul Wayne (Complete Fraternal)

“I didn't enter her complete name because she never really said it out loud, but do you want me to, like, input it in as Al-Ghul Wayne?” Tim asked, spinning around on the batchair.

“Yeah.” Bruce said. Turning to Alfred, he continued, “What do I do, Alfred?”

“Though it may take some time, Master Bruce, I believe a solution will present itself. Worrying about when will only cause additional stress. I suggest you focus on Master Damian. You do have a lot of years to make up for.”

“I don't even know how old the kid is!” Bruce groaned. “I’ll turn In for the night. I'll deal with this tomorrow morning.”

“Excellent idea, Master Bruce. After all, a good rest makes our minds work better. Don't they Master Tim?”

“Wha-What?” Tim asked, his eyes still glued to the screen pulling up Talia's file.

“Come on, Tim.” Dick said. He was slowly putting all the bat computer screens on Sleep Mode. “You already know all that there is to know about her.”

“Yeah, yeah. I'm looking through Justice League files, you know, in case someone updated something.”

“Come on, Tim.” Bruce said, making use of his ‘dad voice’ as put by Dick. “The files will still all be here in the morning. It's time you got some rest.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just a minute.” Tim said, his eyes scanning the screen.

“Nope.” Dick said as he picked him up. “Going to burrito wrap you in a blanket so you can't sneak into the Cave.”

“Nooooooo” Tim said dramatically as Dick put him over his shoulder and walked off.

Bruce waited until their steps receded before again turning to Alfred. “Do you think I'm ready for this?”

“Master Bruce, In quite a lot of cases, you have not been ready for something yet. You took it on beautifully. Some mistakes did happen, but, your imperfection is a part of you. I believe you'll know what to do with Damian and how to do it. You both are more similar than you think.”

[bruciemilf]

bestie how do u think the batfam reacts to wonderbat

- quinsly

*INHALES AGRESSIVELY* WONDER MOM WONDER MOM WONDER MOM-

Dick:

SO HAPPY for Bruce but constantly teases; " If his crippling control issues aren't a deal breaker, his music taste will be" and Diana just kinda tilts her head like a puppy in her MCR shirt and is like " I love them! They sound tragic"

Absolutely gives Diana tips and advice on how to woo Bruce; He's not sure how you can improve WONDER WOMAN, but he's flattered she thinks he's the man for the job

Just excited to brag to the titans, " Well, she's not KORI but you know; Not everyone's as lucky as me"

Jason:

HELLO?! HELLOOOOO? Jason is losing his mind obvi. He has no idea how Bruce pulled it off (He does know; His father is honest, quietly kind, brave in a way thats terrifying and stupid, and infuriatingly endearing. Plus he's big on justified violence, which women always find attractive)

Is. So so so shy around Diana at the beginning. Hiding behind Bruce or Alfred (even Dami, one time), not exchanging more than a few words (usually very quick and unintelligible) before running off

This leads to Diana thinking Jason doesn't like her and she wants to talk about this, because, young warrior my heart is with your father; I don't need your permission, but I'd like to know why you dislike me :(

Jason just pulls up his sleeve, shows his wonder woman tattoo with a blank face, says " I love you so much I had a crush on you since I was 6, but I want you to be my mom. Not mommy. That'd be weird." and power walks away, looking for the nearest highway

Finds his childhood slingshot and points it directly between Bruce's eyes " Make like Beyonce and put a ring on it"

Damian:

Respects Diana a lot but will always prefer Talia; Diana isn't bothered by that and finds Damians loyalty to his mama so adorable, " Good sons make good men ^_^ good job" "... please don't do that. You're giving me positive emotions and I'm not build for those."

Demands a duel for " The privilege to court my father. Woman or Goddess, you must prove your worth" but it's the equivalent of a puppy playing tag with an angry kitten

She takes him out for ice cream and he spills about Bruce being a sappy bastard when talking about her sjsjsjs

Tim, Cass,Duke, and Steph

Tim and Steph making " you can do better" jokes @ Diana but no one's allowed to agree; I feel like Steph is just as much of a fangirl as Jason is and she fainted when she found Diana in their kitchen, watching Bruce make pancakes, OBVIOUSLY a " we spent the night together" breakfast

Tim and Diana bond over sharing embarassing Bruce stories and I NEED Diana to be the old lady who can't figure out technology

Can she punch a crater in the middle of new York and make you sweat with merely dissaproving look? Yes. Does she need to call Tim everytime to change her profile picture and look for stuff on YouTube? Yes

Diana and Duke PUPPY FRIENDSHIP! Diana reassuring Duke that she knows what alienation and loneliness feels like, and it's not a pain he has to deal with on his own

" You're enough; You've always been enough. And your father and family love you dearly, - you're the light that keeps us out of darkness. Be proud of that"

Cass and Diana but it's the " when you're a queen and you meet another queen and you talk about battle strategies" meme <333 legends recognise legends

Cass thinks she's the coolest ever, but, " What you do to him? I do to you." Without a hint of fear; There's a collective agreement around the ground. Diana smiles. She'll fit in just okay

[death-himself]

just finished episode 3 here are my thoughts

also i wrote this first part at the end of my review, but I'm gonna move it here to the top because it got a bit long and I feel like it's more important to state than my review

overall, i feel like the issues i have with the show are more of a me issue. i feel like I (and a lot of us book fans honestly) were hyping up the show to be one-to-one with the book when it's been said by rick and a lot of people working on the show that it was more of a new rendition rather than an exact book-to-screen adaptation

i know that when i watched the first two episodes with my friends, they didn't see any of those issues because they hadn't read the books at all, or at least not in a long time

one example, the issue everyone has with gabe's characterization is one my friend didn't pick up on, she recognized from the start that gabe was abusive and said something like "I'm scared what he'll do to sally if she doesn't get that car back to him"

those of us who live and breathe the books recognize that he's "not as abusive" or that it's a different kind of abuse in the books, so the characterization threw us all off in a way that it didn't for people who haven't read the books

so going forward, i'm probably going to keep that more in mind with the series and reviewing it. i think from a plot standpoint, it still manages to stay true to the book in the ways that really matter, and even emphasizes a lot of the key themes of the book more clearly, while still being extremely different, and I honestly think that's pretty cool

with that being said, bullet point review under the cut (reminder I wrote this before writing the above section and don't plan on changing it)

to begin with, I'm gonna be honest, I feel like they're changing a lot more than I would prefer with the plot. I'm still enjoying the series a bunch, but the differences are very striking to me

now going in chronological order with the episode, percy's reaction to the oracle was pretty funny

the whole thing of gabe being the one to tell him the prophecy looked stupid, but I feel like there was no way to translate it from the book without it looking stupid. i feel like when he's told the prophecy in the book, the creepy description is what makes it feel serious and the weight of the prophecy makes you forget how it's being told, and I don't really think that translates very well to film

also in the book the words are very clearly not words that gabe would say, but I feel like the way the lines were delivered in the episode was a bit off, like it just sounded like gabe with nothing creepy about it

percy choosing annabeth instead of annabeth pretty much forcing herself into the quest is an interesting choice that I'm not sure if I like or hate yet

it feels like they're turning percy and annabeth more into enemies-to-lovers than it actually is in the books

I love grover so fuckin much, grover's never been one of my favorite characters, but disney series-wise, he's definitely my favorite so far

i don't know why, but the little pool in the center of the poseidon cabin is my favorite thing ever, it just feels right

percy and luke's talk in his cabin is just <3

also the way luke went "it's a gift...from my dad" i just felt the WEIGHT of that, everything that it meant

also looking back on that, i love how both annabeth's hat and luke's shoes show the different ways they react to a gift from their parents. the hat is annabeth's prized possession that she doesn't want to give up, while the first time we see luke's shoes he gives them away and clearly doesn't appreciate them as a gift

i loved it since we saw it in the trailer, but thalia's tree is so fuckin cool, i love that it straight up just looks like a person standing guard

also the way they're pronouncing thalia's name is giving me life, my brother made fun of me for pronouncing it that way as a kid and i started calling her talia but to know 10 year old me was RIGHT, incredible

grover's little song had me dying, and percy using that song later at aunty em's was hilarious

ANNABETH IN THE GAS STATION, she was so adorable, that scene owns my heart now. her just grabbing every flavor of that candy was so damn precious

I'm sad we didn't get to see the bus blown up, they could've made it such a funny scene. have the trio run to the woods like "wow I'm glad we got out of there alive" then they look over at the bus and it just explodes. that could've been peak comedy there

the whole talk between alecto and Annabeth was interesting, it does make sense for them to have some sort of history considering what happened with thalia, so i think that's a good change, makes things more interesting

the way they got to aunty em's kind of annoyed me, i feel like they could have easily shown a passage of time and had them get there in the same way as the books. idk, i really liked how they ended up there in the books because they were just hungry kids that wanted burgers

also alecto being there felt a bit weird to me

when i heard they were taking a more sympathetic approach to medusa, i honestly got really nervous for how that would turn out, but i think they handled it as well as they could have. i feel like they said it in a way where the story could have gone either way; one way where medusa was poseidon's girlfriend, and another way where she was tricked and raped by him

she also goes on to both call him a monster and say that they loved each other, so again, i feel like it could still go either way with those lines, though it probably leans more towards the girlfriend perspective (even though I'm pretty sure that's the less myth-accurate perspective, but when has pjo been myth-accurate)

the way they killed medusa TERRIFIED ME, like annabeth my girl, you realize how badly that could have turned out right, having an invisible medusa

also how did that help percy in the slightest, he was still attacking something he couldn't look at so...how did that help

I'm hoping alecto being petrified isn't permanent, hades had better bring her back, i liked alecto. also isn't she important to some part of the plot in a later book? she's the only fury i remember the name of so she has to be important right?

their argument in the basement was an interesting change, i feel like to me it kind of just felt like conflict for conflict's sake. i don't think they felt super in-character in that section. their friendship dynamic feels a bit off through most of this episode honestly, but i think their dynamic's gonna be perfect going forward now that they've gotten past that conflict

percy saying the "i am impertinent" line perfectly. that whole exchange felt like it was ripped right out of the book, i loved that

i know everyone's been shitting on lin manuel miranda being in the show, but i still love the man, and that end scene was incredible

him in the elevator was so funny, and you just know he loved percy shipping medusa's head to olympus, he thought that shit was hilarious

[buckybarnesss]

This is sort of an out of left field question- but what are your thoughts on Peter and Talia being half or step siblings?

Obviously, they don’t look alike very much. And clearly genes are funky things and this is not damning evidence. But I think it’s a very personal hc to me bc I myself have a half brother who I love very much, but it does influence our interactions.

One thing I constantly think about is Peter being an unreliable narrator. And what we see of Laura from his pov is different than Scott and Stiles finding her body. Is he imagining she’s blond and looks more like him? Yeah sure this could just be casting inaccuracies. But it feels very personal lol.

Has Peter always felt a degree of distance with his family? Where did the idea of him being Talia’s left hand come from? Wouldnt he have been there in the alpha pack flash back if that was the case? Was he younger than Laura? This also brings to mind Papa Hale (who I like to imagine was a human part of the pack/another pack before him and Talia were in a relationship). Was Talia always a Hale? Or married in?

Anyway, I have many thoughts and questions. But I really appreciate your analysis and insight. Joining a fandom past its prime (affectionate) is sort of like being in the apocalypse where 80% of the fandom is dead, and finding a ‘survivor’ is a miracle. Anyway, if you feel like it, I would love your thoughts on it all :3

if laura hale is my roman empire than talia and peter's relationship is my holy roman empire.

@dear-massacre and i talk about this quite frequently. it's a problem fam.

i do have a talia hale and peter hale and the hale family feels tags.

we don't really have any information other than some crumbs jeff has thrown us within canon.

in my opinion talia is the hale. there's no other option put forth. derek's father is such a non-entity that there's zero mention of him. the hales are clearly an old family of werewolves and were part of the very founding of beacon hills itself likely connected to the nemeton.

not to mention, season 3 has a lot to do with derek learning from and accepting talia's legacy and the legacy of the hale family. it also directly contrasts the argents. the argents pay lip service to being matriarchal but we know gerard has been calling the shots for decades whereas it seems as though the hales actually were.

so when you get down to it you can pretty much headcanon anything you want for how the exact specifics of how talia and peter are related but what we do know is talia was the older sibling and peter the younger.

peter doesn't actually talk about talia very much if at all. however, his monolog in monstrous is quite illuminating on peter's headspace while he was in a coma and pre-resurrection.

i predicted this. i told-i told talia this was going to happen... something like this was going to happen... i said that they were gonna come for us... " the argents, they're gonna come for us. they're gonna burn us to the ground-- burn us to the ground." did she listen? of course not! did anyone listen? they listened to her-- yes!-- say that everything was going to be fine. that we were all perfectly safe...perfectly safe... but she made us weak! she made us weak. and what happens to the weakest in the herd? they get picked off by the predators! we used to be the apex predators, until talia turned us into sheep.

with that said i do have my own ideas on their relationship given what we know. visionary is the episode that does the heavy lifting in the entire goddamn show in regards to this.

the age inconsistency comes from bringing back the younger actor from season 2 to play peter in visionary. it makes peter appear closer to derek's age than he actually is. i think it's almost part of peter's manipulations. it's his attempt to manipulate the audience as well just like he did lydia.

there's just simply no way talia hale didn't know about peter's everything. she was not only his older sister but she was his alpha. i think peter and talia may have been more similar than people want to believe.

peter is a lot of things. many of them contradictory. he loved his sister and clearly mourned her but that doesn't mean he didn't resent her just a little. he did still after all go with derek to retrieve her claws and i think there's something twisted up in him about how derek resembles her and begins to become more like her.

when you begin to sort of dig into what we know about the hale family the more one begins to question if talia was as benevolent as people assume she was. there's some seriously morally questionable things that occurred. talia did some shady things.

the real big one is that she coerced corrine into carrying her pregnancy with malia to term. the likely explanation is talia did this because she knew this would decrease corrine's power.

corrine is pretty explicit about this with what she says to malia:

you know, your real name isn't malia. you don't have a name. talia hale took you away from me before i could give you one.

and

corrine: i'm not going to stop, malia. i'm taking back what you stole from me. malia: i didn't steal anything. corrine: but you did. corrine: and I don't care if you're a willing participant or not. talia hale spent nine months trying to convince me of the miracle of childbirth. you know what it really felt like? a parasite. talia said it was a gift, that the coyote passes down part of her power to her daughter. she called it "beautiful." i call it "theft."

she also took peter's memories of malia's existence which considering peter's reaction doesn't seem like he had much say in. so in effect talia removed peter's agency.

she probably felt she had valid reason for doing these things. corrine was a threat and dangerous person but still it's really, really questionable. it still ended with malia's adoptive mother and sister being killed and malia going missing for years because corrine was vengeful over losing her power. talia was still alive when this happened.

of all people talia had to be aware of peter's -- you know -- everything and she probably held the leash. he wasn't a problem so long as she was the alpha and could control him.

talia also had to have been aware of and likely either approved of or encouraged him taking a mentor sort of role with derek. we see peter having a keen interest in derek in both visionary and the season 4 flashbacks.

like, who do we think ran off and told talia about what happened with derek and paige? who likely instructed peter on getting rid of paige's body and helping to cover up her death to protect derek and the family?

i actually fully believe she knew peter was skulking about the werewolf summit and may have even told him to do so.

talia is like the mona lisa smile of teen wolf. she's inscrutable but we get impressions about her and what she was like via the people that knew her. her children, her brother, her advisor and peers.

[lvis44]

Sweet Escape - Pt. 3 // LH44

Lewis Hamilton x Y/N

Warnings: Swearing, 18+ (mentions of sexual acts), angst, minor injury, alcohol consumption, age difference, jealousy, not edited

Word Count: 5.1k+

Summary: Paradise is supposed to be fun and relaxing... a Sweet Escape, but when unspoken feelings and jealousy rise to the surface, everything can be turned upside down in the blink of an eye.

Notes: A lot of reflection and angst coming for you in this one! I still can't stick with a singular tense so once again, ignore that lol. Thank you all so much for all the love, I hope you enjoy this next chapter! I am not a professional writer and all of this is a work of fiction and is strictly for fun. Enjoy! xxx

Previous Sections: Prologue - Part One - Part Two

You could cut the tension with a knife. The volleyball tournament was in full swing and Lewis was doing his absolute best to ignore you in entirety. Not that you particularly wanted his attention at this moment, but he was making it rather obvious to everyone else that something was up between the two of you. You were doing your best to ref the games like Miles had asked, and you felt like you were starting to get the hang of it. It didn’t go unnoticed to anyone that if a call had anything to do with Lewis, he wouldn’t respond in any way, he wouldn’t even look over at you. To the untrained eye it would look like he was simply a sore loser, which to be fair he could be sometimes, but everyone knew that if things were normal, he would be taunting you and throwing things back at you any chance he got. Your heart ached while your mind burned with rage. It had only been a few hours and you already missed him, missed the energy he always carried when he was around you, but with a horny brain, he swiftly ruined it.

Talia had made the ridiculous choice to come down and spend her day on the beach as well. She was sprawled out on a towel like a house cat in a kitchen window. Thankfully, she had set up her stuff further down the beach, far enough that you wouldn’t have to interact with her at all. You couldn’t help but find it both amusing and sickening that on this beach, there were two women that Lewis had slept with, or at least tried to, and now both women were livid. For a man that usually got anything and anyone he wanted, the last three days definitely hadn’t been much of a winning streak for him. You wanted to imagine that his ego was at least bruised, but you knew better than that, he was probably just looking at it as another drop in the bucket. You would both be replaced the second he made it home, hell you could probably be replaced before then.

You were watching the game from your camp chair, trying your best to pay attention, but irritatingly enough, your focus kept returning to Lewis. No matter how mad you were, your brain wouldn’t let you ignore just how attractive he was. This was no time for those thoughts to be bouncing around in your head, you needed to keep his actions in the forefront of your mind, but watching him was inevitable. He was glistening with sweat, his tattoos more prominent in the sheen. His torso was speckled with sand from the times he had tried to dive for the ball and landed flat on his stomach, his swim trunks had started to ride up on one of his thighs, showing off the thick muscles. You were so engrossed in staring at the man who had all your emotions haywire, that you didn’t notice that Miles had accidentally punted the ball directly towards you. 

“Shit, heads up.” You heard him yell, but it was too late as the ball made contact directly with the side of your head.

You let out a shriek before you groaned ,”Fuck.’ Grabbing the side of your head where the ball had collided.

Within seconds, everyone had crowded around you. To your surprise, Lewis was the first one there, on his knees in front of you immediately. His eyes held so much concern as they looked over you as if he was making sure you were in one piece.

“Hey, hey, you okay?” His voice was rushed but soft as he reached out to place his hand over yours on your head, his other hand grabbing your other arm. Any other day you would have been overwhelmed with comfort, but in this moment it just made your head hurt more.

“I’m fine.” Your voice had a bite to it as you brushed him off, moving to try to stand up. You hoped that your aggressive tone would be read as annoyance to getting slammed with a Volleyball.

“Take a second.” Charlotte said softly, placing her hand on your shoulder to push you gently back into the chair.

“I’m so sorry,” Miles said from behind you, his hand coming to rest on your other shoulder, giving it a light pat, “I really didn’t mean to, I would never hurt you on purpose. I feel so bad.”

“It’s okay, it was an accident. I should have been paying more attention.” You reach up to grab his hand, squeezing it gently.

“Well I guess you were right, Volleyball really does end in concussions for you, even when you’re not playing apparently.” Miles laughs, trying to lighten the mood.

“Apparently,” You laugh with him, “I’m gonna go sit in the shade for a little bit, you guys keep playing.”

They all move back a bit to let you stand this time.

“Are you sure? We can head back up to the house if you want.” Charlotte offers, still looking worried.

“No, you guys keep playing, it’s still early. I’ll just be over there,” You gesture your head over towards a shady spot near the path, “and I promise I’ll keep an eye out for runaway balls this time.”

You turn to grab your chair but Lewis has already picked it up and is walking over toward the spot you had mentioned. You realize you unfortunately have no choice but to follow him. As you come up behind him you feel nothing but dread, you don’t want to talk to him right now, about anything really. He wordlessly places your chair in the shade before making his way over to the cooler full of drinks. He comes back with a cold water and a frosty can of something.

“Drink this,” He says putting the water in the little cupholder on the arm of your chair before extending the can to you, “and put this on your head for a little bit.”

You take the can, mumbling a quiet “thanks”. You hope that will be it, that he’ll turn and rejoin the rest of your friends, however, much to your dismay, he squats down in front of you. He holds your eyes with his, staring at you deeply.

“Are you sure you're okay?” His voice is so full of concern that it makes you want to yell at him, instead you just let out a scoff.

“That’s a pretty weighted question right now Lewis.” You say as you shoot him a look.

He grimaces before he shakes his head, “I’m sorry, I-” He starts before he cuts himself off, “Right now I’m worried about your head, that ball is hard and it came in pretty hot. Everything else can wait.”

All you can do is roll your eyes, looking over his shoulder at the ocean.

“I’ve had a fair amount of head injuries myself, I know what to look for, can I?” He continues, doing his best to ignore your attitude.

“Well that explains a lot.” You fire back, finally looking at him again.

You could be wrong but you swear you see an almost smirk on his face as he shakes his head. He raises his eyebrows at you in question, prompting you to actually answer him.

“Fine.” You huff, lowering the can to your side.

He moves in closer to you, just barely, and you can feel yourself tense. He goes through a variety of little tests; making you follow his finger with your eyes, shining his phone's flashlight at your pupils, having you answer stupid questions about yourself and historical events.

“I think you’re alright,” He says with a soft smile as he moves back, patting the outside of your knee, “might have a small bump though.”

“Thanks.” Your voice comes out as barely a whisper as you try to offer the same smile back at him.

He stares at you for a moment longer, making you want to squirm in your seat. He’s looking at you with such care and concern, as if he’s assessing every ounce of you, physical and emotional.

“I really am sorry,” He says softly, “I don’t want to lose you.”

His words make your heart clench but the anger comes back to the surface as you're reminded of the situation he’s put you both in.

“I’m not doing this right now.” You say firmly, attempting to shut him down. This isn’t the time for the conversation you need to have, especially not when his ex is down the beach and all your friends are waiting for him mere feet away.

He nods solemnly, a small frown on his face as he stands up. He takes a few steps backward before pausing, “Let us know if you need anything, okay?”

You simply nod before he turns and runs back toward everyone. You take the time to enjoy the beautiful view of the coast, listening to the sound of the waves crashing in harmony with the joyous laughter of your friends. It’s melancholy, you can already feel a sense of longing for something you haven’t truly lost yet. You’re overcome with a sense of worry, it feels like nothing can ever be the same. You’re worried that you won’t be able to be around him anymore, that he won’t want to be around you and your friends will have to take sides. You know they all love you, but they’ve known him for nearly a decade, you’re still in many senses, a newcomer. Part of you knows it irrational, he evidently still cares about you, but how long will that last before the awkward exchanges and anger override the history of friendship between the two of you. You know Miles and Charlotte would never truly abandon you, but you can’t help but feel nothing will ever be the same.

As you tried to work through your emotions, you felt someone’s presence at the base of the trail. She spoke before you could even turn your head to look at her.

“I’m headed up to finish packing.” She said, you figured she would leave it there but to your surprise she continued, “How’s your head? That looked like a nasty hit.”

You couldn’t mask the shock that was written across your face, she sounded almost compassionate.

“Uh, it’s fine, thanks.” You stuttered out, confused by the interaction.

“Well make sure you keep ice on it, you don’t want a bump.” She offered you a small smile, confusing you even more. Once again you thought that would be the end of the conversation, but no, “And hey, don’t fall for it,” She gestured her head over toward where Lewis was, “it’s amazing until it’s not. You’ll get hurt.”

With that, she simply walks away up the path, leaving you stunned. 

. . .

Everyone is working on making dinner, the house full of music and laughter as Charlotte bosses people around the kitchen. You had tried to help but Miles deemed you “far too injured for manual labor” and parked you on a bar stool at the kitchen island. You had managed to sneak into Lewis’ room, grabbing your stuff and putting it in Charlottes so you could shower without worrying you would run into him. She had given you a questioning look but hadn’t said a word, leaving you to get freshened up. Lewis was nowhere to be seen, you figured he was showering, getting ready to bring Talia to the airport. You’re still not sure why he had offered to drive her, but whatever got her as far away as possible as soon as possible was fine by you. The interaction from earlier was still running through your head on repeat. Her behavior had been almost alien, nothing you had seen from her in the past. Part of you wondered if she was still trying to keep him for herself, scare you away from him, or was she truly offering you advice. Not that you needed it, you were pretty confident you didn’t need to hear it to know what she said was true, which is why the situation hurts so much. 

“Turn the heat down! You’re gonna burn it!” Charlotte just about shrieked as she hip checked Daniel away from his pan, quickly taking over.

He laughed, putting his hands up in false defeat as he made his way over to the bar, happy to be kicked off dinner duty. You gave him an accusatory look, laughing when he shrugged with a smirk, you know he had done it on purpose. You heard the rolling of wheels coming down the hall, Talia emerging with her packed luggage. She gave everyone an awkward smile, holding her hand up in a wave before making a b-line to the front door, not saying a word. Miles looked like he wanted to burst out in laughter, Charlotte elbowing him in the ribs with a glare despite the smirk on her own face. Shortly after, Lewis came down the hall, his keys in hand. He was dressed nice, much nicer than everyone else who was preparing for a night in. He had a colorful silk shirt on, most of the top buttons undone, paired with a pair of perfectly fitted black slacks and dress shoes. He had lots of jewelry on, much more than you’d seen on him in the last few days, a large watch perched on his wrist.

“Well don’t you look spiffy.” Steph teased him, taking a sip of her wine.

“I’m headed to the airport to drop off Talia.” He announced, ignoring Steph.

“Quite the fit for airport duties Bruv.” Miles continued the teasing.

“I’m going out after.” He kept his explanation short, clearly annoyed that he was being questioned at all.

“What?” Charlotte exclaimed, whipping around, “We’re in the middle of making dinner. Not to mention it’s fucking vegan because of you.” She pointed a finger at him.

“Sorry, throw some cream in it or something.” His voice was full of sarcasm and you could tell he was on edge.

“That’s not the point Lewis, you could have told us sooner.” Charlotte stayed strong, her hands on her hips like an accusing mother.

“I’m going to get dinner with-” He hesitated, his eyes shooting around the room before continuing, “with a friend.” He rushed the last bit of his sentence out.

“Oh.” Charlotte seemed content, a look of understanding crossing her face.

“Yeeeahh,” Daniel drawled out, “I’m suuure you are. Dinner.” He chuckled into his glass.

Your stomach flipped at his comment, you wanted to believe that he really was just getting dinner with a friend but the knowing tone from Daniel made you second guess it. The look of guilt on Lewis’ face didn’t help either. You wanted to believe he was a better man than that, but his actions over the last few days have proven otherwise. You wondered if the friend was the  mysterious Marina. You still had so many questions but you were pretty sure you would never get an answer to any of them, especially while you didn’t know where you stood with Lewis. Lewis didn’t say another word, heading toward the door, but Charlotte ran after him. You watched as she wrapped him in a hug, whispering something in his ear before she patted his back and let him go. You gave her a look but she just shrugged.

The atmosphere throughout dinner felt normal, and you were grateful for that. Noone brought up what Lewis was probably out doing, no one mentioned him at all actually, and it felt a little foreign. His absence was noticeable but not abnormal, it was frequent during the season that you would all have dinner without him. 

You later found yourself in the kitchen with Charlotte, tidying up the dishes while people got ready for bed.

“Hey, I know your room is technically open and all but if you still want to room with me, my door’s open.” Her voice was soft and kind, like a hug that you so desperately needed.

“Thank you, I’ll probably take you up on that if you don’t mind.” You sent her a grateful smile, somehow she always seemed to know what you needed, even if she didn’t know why.

“Of course, besides I’m still waiting to cache in on my cuddles.” She teased you gently.

“Oh, how could I forget?” You giggled.

“You go get ready for bed, I’m just gonna finish up out here and I’ll be in, just give me a few.” She nudged you out of the kitchen toward her room.

You did as she said and made your way down the hall. You couldn’t help but stop outside the door to your old room, it was open and you could see the unmade bed from where Talia had slept. It sent pure annoyance through your whole body, if you hadn’t had to change in Lewis’ room you probably wouldn’t be in the situation you are now. You knew it wasn’t fair to blame her for his actions, he’s a grown man who knew exactly what he was doing, but you couldn’t help it. Part of you wondered if she had put the thought of you in his head during her explosion. You never thought he felt that was about you and then all the sudden he had you pinned up against a mirror with his fingers inside of you. It was like a flipped switch that you couldn’t undo, the light was on and it would stay on for good. You tore yourself away from the doorway, making it all the way to Charlotte's room before stopping in the doorway and looking at Lewis’ door across the hall. The door was closed but you swore you could smell him, it almost seemed like he was standing on the other side of the door despite not even being in the house. You could smell the cologne he had put on for whoever he was trying to impress tonight, you could picture him adjusting his collar and placing the chains around his neck just right. You knew just how he would have rolled up the sleeves of his shirt so he could decorate his wrists with diamond bracelets and an expensive watch, exactly how he would slip each and every ring onto his fingers, spinning them until they were the perfect angle. You’d seen him do it all before, waiting for him as you all got ready for a night out, teasing him about taking longer to get ready than you. He would always joke that perfection takes time, winking at you as he would make his way over to you. His hand almost always found your lower back as he would guide you out of the random hotels or one of his homes, meeting your friends in the lobby. Maybe you should have seen it, maybe this was always his plan. He frequently found ways to make sure he was alone with you, having you come over and get ready with him, having the two of you take a separate car than everyone else so you would meet them there. If that had been his plan all along, why didn’t he make his move one of those many nights, alone in his hotel room or in the back of a town car.

Your head feels like it’s spinning as you think through almost every encounter you’ve had with him over the years. You shake away the fogginess, quickly making your way into Charlotte's room. You can feel your cheeks heating up and your eyes getting blurry as you slip into your coziest pajamas. You sit down on the end of the bed, putting your head in your hands. You don’t know how long you sit like that, trying your best to will away the tears that are fighting so hard to fall.

“Hey, honey, what’s wrong?” Charlotte's voice catches your attention.

She moves quickly to sit next to you on the bed, rubbing your back softly. When you finally look at her even more concern washes over her face. You don’t say anything, just shake your head as a single tear falls down your cheek, the lone escapee.

“Y/N, sweetie, talk to me,” She says quietly, “you know you can tell me anything.”

You do know that, Charlotte knows more about you than anyone else. She’s never judged you, never made you feel bad for your feelings, but this feels different. She’s the same person for Lewis, the man that has you in tears.

“I think I should go home.” You croak out, looking away from her.

“What? Are you crazy? Absolutely not,” Charlotte is quick to argue, “Talias gone, we can finally have the vacation we wanted to have.”

“It’s not Talia.” You admit quietly.

“Does your head hurt? We can get you to a doctor here on the island.” Charlotte quickly suggests.

“No, Charlotte, it’s not-” You start,cutting yourself off and dropping your face into your hands once again, “Fuck, I don’t know what to do.”

“Well, why don’t you talk to me about whatever’s going on and maybe I can help you figure it out.” She offers reassuringly, wrapping her arm around you and pulling you in tight, her hand still rubbing your back.

And so you do, you let the tears and the story all out into Charlotte's shoulder. You tell her about the conversation you had with Lewis the night he disappeared, the conversation you overheard between the two of them, what he did later that day, you tell her everything. You tell her about questioning everything about your relationship with him, about wondering if he really wants to be your friend. You tell her about how he tried to take care of you on the beach, about Talia’s comment about him, how you wanted to be sick when Daniel implied Lewis was going out to get laid. You tell her everything that you so desperately needed to get out. Charlotte is good, exactly what you needed as she sits there listening quietly, still just rubbing your back and letting you vent about the whole thing. When you finally stop talking she stays quiet for a moment, just letting you cry into her shoulder.

“I’m gonna fucking kill him.” Is the first thing she mutters. It’s then that you realize just how tense she’s become as she listened to you talk, she seems almost as angry as you had been.

You pull away from her, trying to calm yourself down a bit, feeling ever so slightly better having gotten everything off your chest. The anger dissipates from her face when she meets your eyes, being overtaken by comfort and compassion.

“Sweetie, I’m so sorry. I love him like a brother, but he’s a right fucking twat.” She says, rubbing your arm, “You don’t deserve to be in the middle of his stupid fucking shenanigans, it’s so far from fair.”

“I just don’t know what to do, I don’t want to lose him, I don’t want to lose all of you, but I don’t know how that can even happen. Nothing can just be normal again.” You sniffle through your words

“Hey, you are never, ever going to lose us. Especially not me, and I think I speak for Miles as well, we’re not going anywhere. I’m rather confident that if you told the guys about all this they would knock his head in.” She says sternly, making her point clear. 

You let out a half hearted chuckle, knowing deep down that she’s probably right.

“Listen, we all know Lewis is a fuck boy, he has been for years and we all just let him do his thing. But to try to fuck around with someone that we all love, that crosses a line, he doesn’t get to fuck all of this up just because he’s a horny asshole.” She states firmly, her hand resting on your arm.

“You know what I hate the most of all?” You look at her, ready to admit the part you find the most embarrassing, “I let him do it, well up until I didn’t. Not only that, but I liked it, there’s part of me that wishes I didn’t stop him. And I’ve fucking thought about it since.” You scoff at yourself.

“I get it, he has a certain charm to him. He knows exactly how to make people fall to his feet, but you have nothing to be ashamed of. He makes people feel powerful and wanted, it’s addictive, even when you’re just his friend. There’s a certain aspect of being around Lewis that is like the best drug in the world, it’s almost impossible to kick.” She sounds like she talks from experience and you almost can’t help but wonder just how deep the experience is.

She can see the question in your eyes before you even have a chance to whisper it into the air.

“No,” she shuts you down quickly, her hand up in the air to put the thought to rest, “I have never and would never. I just mean the aura of him, even platonically he is impossible to deny.”

You nod, knowing the feeling all too well. Then another thought pops into your head.

“Where do you think he really is tonight?” You ask, not sure you actually want the answer.

“I know where he is,” She assures you but not giving you the information you crave, “he really is with a friend, nothing’s going on.”

“Marina?” You ask timidly.

She nods softly, not saying anything else about it.

“Who-” You start to ask but she cuts you off gently.

“I’m sure you don’t want to, but you should really talk to him about that. It’s not my place to tell.” She says, leaving you with even more questions.

You simply nod, she’s right you don’t want to talk to him about it, but maybe you should.

“I know he fucked up, and I’m pissed at him for it. He deserves a good smack to the head.” She starts making you laugh lightly, “But that being said, don’t question if he cares about you Y/N. I’ve known him for a long time and he doesn’t go out of his way for people he doesn’t care about, his personal time is precious to him and he doesn’t share it with just anyone, well unless they're in his bed I suppose.” She frowns.

“So Talia? He certainly went out of his way for her, he brought her on vacation the same way he brought me.” You point out, not entirely sure if you believe her.

Charlotte laughs, “No he didn’t, he was actually kind of annoyed she was coming at all. She was at his place one morning when he was making the plans and she invited herself. He told her she could come if she figured out her own way here, he was hoping she would give up but as we know she didn’t. He brought you on vacation because he missed you, he talks about you alot.”

“He does?” You ignore the story about Talia, not particularly surprised by it. Him talking to Charlotte about you though, that surprises you.

“Yeah, more than you would expect,” She chuckles, “if you guys spend anytime together I get the full rundown within like an hour. He’s like a teenage girl half the time. He will text me just to check how you’re doing because he doesn’t want to bother you if he knows you’re busy, yet he can’t go a day without knowing you’re alright. I hate to say it Y/N but I do think he likes you, more than you might realize. Unfortunately he’s an idiot who’s been emotionally single for almost a decade and has no idea how to show his feelings like an adult. He jumps to physical, and apparently has the worst timing of anyone on earth.”

Your head is spinning as you process what Charlotte is saying. You know she has an insight to Lewis that you could never dream of and you don’t feel like she has any reason to lie to you, yet you can’t let yourself believe it.

“Listen, it’s not my place to tell you how he feels about you, truth be told I’m not one hundred percent clear, but if I had to put money on it, I would say he really likes you, much more than just a friend. It’s honestly possible he doesn’t even really recognize it himself, like I said, it’s been a long time since he had an emotional connection with someone beyond family and friends, he’s shut himself down to it for a long time. I’m not trying to stick up for him, if you want to say ‘fuck him’ and cut him off, I truly wouldn’t blame you, he treated you like shit even if he didn’t mean to. He fucked up big time and he deserves to sweat, but I think you should talk to him, at least eventually. I know you both care about each other a lot, it would be a shame if it all ended.” Charlotte is calm as she speaks, each word coming out clearly and truthfully.

Her speech has you mind racing, there’s no way he likes you like that. Why the hell would he? He has his pick of the litter and as far as you’re concerned you were an easy target, you fell right into his lap at the perfect time when he wanted a distraction. Yet, on the other hand, it would make everything make a whole bunch more sense; the constant need to be around you, the unnecessary spoiling, the constant physical contact, the flirty messages and comments, the over protective behavior. Everything that you had chalked up to just being his personality, may actually mean something, something that maybe neither one of you really recognized.

“Okay, you’ve had a long day, how about we get some sleep and we deal with all of this tomorrow with a clearer head.” Charlotte suggests when you don’t respond, your mind still doing cartwheels.

You nod, sliding into bed as she takes her spot next to you. She turns off the light next to the bed before wrapping you in a hug. You start to doze off quickly, everything catching up to you.

“No matter what, you’re not going to lose us. I promise.” Charlotte whispers to you.

It’s the last thing you hear as you let yourself fall into a much needed deep sleep.

[fancyfade]

Hi! Just wanted to say that i love reading your analysis and your knowledge on comics astounds me

Question, do you view any of dc's heroes as autistic? (If thats too much just batfam is fine)

Thank you for all your thoughts and mini essays 💚

Ty!! Glad to hear you enjoy it!

Ok right. So I'm thinking in general about DC characters I imagine as autistic. Batfam is easy to start with b/c I"ve read so much, but I'll include other characters as well

Cassandra Cain (Batgirl) - This is kind of a gimme, almost everyone headcanons Cass as autistic b/c she is explicitly textually neurodivergent (but they do not give her a real world diagnosis) and canonically has problems with language.

Damian Wayne (Robin) - another one I've seen a lot of. He has difficulties socializing that COULD be chalked up to being raised as an assassin, but also.... its in a way that's realistic for very many autistic people :P he also generally does not care about gaining the approval of everyone around him, like he's prickly and often unlikable but he's not trying to be liked.

Barbara Gordon (Oracle) - she reads as so autistic to me. Her conflict with Dinah in the beginning of BoP is positioned in the text as right brained vs left brained, which I think doesn't really make a lot of sense neurologically but does work as words the characters are using to describe things - the just think differently. Babs often reads as if she's coming at things from what in her perspective is trying to be analytical and unemotional (tho I do not think she always succeeds in this), and keeps people at arms length socially.

Bruce Wayne - he just reads as kind of autistic to me :P

Talia al Ghul - same :P

Milagro Reyes (Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle's little sister) - she's not a superhero but she reads as very autistic to me. We have scenes where we see her clearly upset by sudden change, she also acts generally very similar to how I did as a little kid. We see her blocking everyone out by watching the TV when a lot of new stuff is going on in the house.

Raven - NTT Raven reads as very autistic to me as well. NGL just like many other characters this can be explained by other factors (She was raised in a cult in another dimension, taught not to emote, and is fighting off the influence of her demonic father) but also. They keep doing characters that are relatable to neurodivergent people like that ;P

Back when I watched YJ, I had very strong opinions about Kaldur'ahm being autistic. I still do, even tho I don't normally count the animated tv shows in my version of DC

I also feel a case could be argued for Diana of Themyscira/Wonder Woman. But I am still marinating this in my brain.

[mysterious-moonstruck-musings]

honestly, this was probably the best thing to happen to Dieter. So while I’m gutted he and everybody else had to go through this, it can only go up from here!

but also… he called Talia in that moment 🥺 that just kinda makes me 🥺😭😭

And also. I’m gonna say it and I know I’m probably alone with this but man… I found Lauren kinda annoying this chapter lmao 😂 like I know where she’s coming from with Talia not actually dealing with her shit but come on.. cut her some slack? Her famous actor boyfriend broke up with her via a phone call and then got permanently drunk while basically the whole world was watching.

I just found her a bit too righteous and pushy. Also the song choice for her, that was kinda messed up? It’s not like Talia wanted to break up with Dieter?? She didn’t have to show or prove anything to him really, so I just kinda didn’t like that tbh!

But this chapter was great!! I wish I could just continue reading to find out what happens next because aaaaaaah!! I’m so desperate for them to reunite when whatever was up with Dieter is finally better. I feel like he’s gonna be so sorry and I can already see him in a hospital bed looking all small and sad and puppy eyes 🥺

Thanks for the message anon! Looks like you’re putting me to the test today. 🤣

This response includes spoilers for chapter 24 of Destiny & Deliverance below the cut.

It’s definitely a good thing that it happened the way it did. It could have gone very badly if Dieter hadn’t of made that call. I think once it’s revealed what is going on with him, everyone will be surprised and realize it should never have happened at all. It is sad for all involved obviously…and to think, these types of things really do happen every day.

Yes! Talk about drunk dialing…The fact that he called her tells us he was ready to stop fighting his feelings. He wanted to fix it and he knew he fucked up. Unfortunately, he was too messed up to really get any of that out. It did hit the feels extra hard though. I also love that Talia didn’t hesitate to go to him once she realized something was off. She’s going to take care of him no matter how big of an ass he has been. She loves him too much not to.

So Lauren…I think it may help to have some insight on where she’s coming from. Let’s remember, it’s been several months since Talia and D split. Also, we have to consider Talia’s history. Lauren knows that Talia holds things in and will self destruct over it. She did it with her marriage and she’s doing it even worse with D. Lauren just wants to get through to her and prevent something bad from happening (again). Keep in mind, Talia knew an awful lot about alcohol poisoning. We will circle back around to that topic eventually. So, Lauren starts taking a bit of a tough love approach. Sometimes, that is something you have to do with people (trust me, I’ve been there). It’s truly coming from a place of love for her friend. She’s worried about her.

Now, on the flip side of that, Dieter was one of Lauren’s few close friends too. Talia wasn’t the only one who lost him when he hit that self destruct button. Lauren is also now dating D’s brother and sees the affect D’s spiral is having on Alex too. She is privy to information that Talia doesn’t have. She has communicated with Dieter and tried to talk to him just like his family has. Remember in chapter 23 when she said, “You’re both so fucking stubborn”? She was totally working behind the scenes to sort D out and getting nowhere with him. Why? Because he had convinced himself that Talia was moving on and didn’t need him in her life. Outwardly, Talia seemed to be ok with the split and he didn’t believe Lauren when she told him otherwise.

Now the song… was it messed up? Yes, a little. Lauren honestly wasn’t expecting that type of reaction from Talia though. However, Lauren did hope that it might make Talia think about how she was really feeling. It worked, a little too well.

As far as Talia having something to prove to D…you’re right, she didn’t have anything, but Lauren did. Lauren wanted D to know that Talia was in fact hurting over the split and missed him because he didn’t believe it. We have to remember, at this point D is not speaking to the family (or Lauren by extension) and she was looking to reach him any way she could because she knows how bad off he really is. The family is grasping at straws by this point. She saw the situation as an opportunity.

So long story short, Lauren really is stuck between a rock and hard place. She’s trying to navigate it the best she can, but it’s to the point where they are all getting a little desperate.

Hopefully that gives a little more insight into Lauren’s POV on everything. She really has no malicious intentions, she just wants her friends to be healthy and happy.

They will be reunited eventually. It’s going to be a long road for him, and Talia too. And yes, there will be a lot of sad puppy dog eyes in the coming chapters. 🥹

I’m happy you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for following along on this little adventure! 💜

CC: @rhoorl @bitchwitch1981 @readingiskeepingmegoing @runningmom94 @for-a-longlongtime @hisandsnakes @chaoticfestninja @survivingandenduring @partyofone3413 @cakipy-blog @titlee78 @poodlebae @guelyury @missladym1981 @maried01 @alokaerza @samiamproductions @misstokyo7love @themonadiaries-blog @madnessofadaydreamer @darkheartgatita @avastrasposts @weho2kcmo @harriedandharassed @tkchaos

[dairy-farmer]

Look, Talia already knew Tim was smart right? So why didn’t she manipulate things so Tim and Jason would have been Damian’s left and right hands!? The advisor and the muscle?

to me talia is more of a side character in bruce's comics and i really only care about tim and the characters relevant to him- but from what i've read with talia and her appearances and tim's perspective of her- it straight up wouldn't work. like talking realistically and non-fanon wise to figure it out:

talia (in current comics) is a severely traumatized person who exerts control with violence, manipulation, and corruption but at her deepest core (though it is not consistently shown) she is a VERY compassionate individual who does, in fact, hold humanitarian-like values (and in earlier comics she was an incredible gentle soul who was studying to be a doctor and stuff). but, like bruce, she's got a lot of baggage and the way she goes about achieving things in comics varies. talia is a very....difficult character to pin down because of the vastly different ways she's been characterized. generally with different writers and being an older character she's bound to change but other characters like dick appear to be somewhat consistent in characterization but with talia that's different (for a number of reasons but dc is also no stranger to racism).

in terms of how jason and tim and "recruitment" would go-

her characterization is just so all over the place so when it comes to the things she does like putting jason in the pit you can't say for sure that it was an honest act of love. in many ways it was leverage. with jason her motivations differ, as does the kindness she shows jason. but at the end of the day she wasn't going to dump a healed jason on bruce's doorstep as an act of goodwill. and jason, in his right mind, no matter what talia had done for him- does not take well to being used as a 'tool' or a soldier which is what talia would be asking of him if he were damian's "left hand" or "muscle"

so with jason it wouldn't work because jason has a resistance to being ordered or serving as an attack dog for anyone. jason seeks equals. the outsiders, his team, even though he calls it "his" team they are very clearly a group of like-minded, like-abled people who are on equal footing and he's not strictly the 'leader/boss' in the traditional sense. jason clearly has a soured impression to being a "side kick" so the 'serving' just wouldn't mesh.

as for tim, talia is nowhere NEAR clever enough to get tim to a) turn to the league of assassins b) willingly swear loyalty to her/damian c) act as the right hand to her son. because tim would never actually fall for any of her tricks and if he did he wouldn't GO with her because...he doesn't like her all that much. she's ra's al ghuls daughter, she's killed people, she's brought trouble and threats to gotham. tim's more likely to side with shiva if he goes "bad" than with talia because he doesn't really care about talia.

like...he respects her skills and the threat she poses and she does as well for all of bruce's kids since she doesn't try to meddle with them much but...it's just not realistic.

fics where tim runs off to join ra's and the LOA or is somehow fooled into going to the darkside are fun to read about because fanfic is a world of possibilities but actually considering tim's character...it's just not realistic given what we knew about him BEFORE he ever became robin. tim does not believe in killing- he didn't believe in it before operating under bruce's code- and he would never be okay with how talia conducts her business no matter what the objective is.

fundamentally, their values are at odds with each other and tim's loyalty belongs to bruce and HIS mission.

even if talia wanted to recruit him and jason to serve under damian (and the emphasis here is 'under' because they would never be equals) she'd be fighting a long and difficult battle and wasting a lot of resources to do that and it would honestly just not be worth the amount of effort she'd need to put in.

plus i don't think talia really thinks of tim as some supreme-level genius that she desperately needs on her side. at most she thinks of him as a bit clever because not even ra's fully acknowledges tim's abilities until he's one on one with him. talia would have no reason to seek tim out.

ultimatly i think her reasons for not doing it are:

-it wouldn't occur to her

-it would be too much trouble

-she would have no reason to seek jason and tim out in particular.

[therealcocoshady]

Recovery - Chapter 15

In the following weeks, you saw Marshall often. You made a point not to avoid him, even though you were still a bit heartbroken over the fact that he was dating someone else. However, you tried not to let it show, and he probably didn’t notice anyway. You didn’t have too much information on Nicole or that date. To be honest, he didn’t seem too keen on sharing those details, and you weren’t really in the mood to ask either. Of course, if he decided to share, you’d be a good friend, but you didn’t really see the point in putting yourself in a position of being sad. You were only thankful that you hadn’t confessed your feelings to him. That would have been awkward to say the least. You got to spend time with him whenever you hung out at the studio (which was rather frequent) , when he visited Jamal and Talia or when you were invited to anything anyone from the group organized. The only thing that had really changed was that you were never alone and that you made a point of not being too close to him physically, but he didn’t seem to mind. You weren’t even sure he noticed any difference anyway… You thought it would be best not to be all over each other all the time. Once again, there was no point in setting yourself up for heartbreak. If he had asked that woman on a date, it clearly meant he didn’t like you as much as you thought he did, or as you hoped he would. On a Sunday afternoon, you joined everyone at Marshall’s to watch the latest Lions’ game on TV. Initially, you weren’t too keen on going, but Marshall had convinced you to come. For some reason, he was really intent on turning you into a football fan. You weren’t the sporty type and couldn’t really care less, but everyone would be there, so you figured that even though you may not really enjoy the game, you would enjoy the company. 

When you arrived at his place with Talia and Jamal, you were greeted by Hailie, who you recognized from pictures Marshall had shown you. 

Hi Hailie ! Talia said before giving her a quick hug. 

Hey guys come in ! The game is about to start, she said. 

She looked really good and, as you quickly looked at her, you could see she had inherited some of Marshall’s features. They looked a lot alike. 

Hi, I’m Hailie, she introduced herself. I’m the daughter. 

I’m Y/N, you replied politely. I’m Talia and Jamal’s roommate, you explained.  

You entered the house and greeted everyone. Marshall was dressed casually, with black sweatpants and a Lions hoodie that brought out the blue in his eyes. He was painfully attractive and you tried not to stare too much. Everyone was sort of matching his outfit, as they were all wearing some Detroit Lions merch. You were the only one who didn’t. You were actually dressed in leggings, UGG boots and your hoodie from University. 

You went to uni here ? Hailie asked as she saw the logo. I actually have the same hoodie !

Yeah. I’m a PhD student here, actually, you explained. 

What are you studying ? 

Communications. It’s my last year ! 

Are you kidding me ? She asked. One of my best friends is a PhD student in communications too ! His name is Josh. Do you know him ? 

I do ! You said with a smile. We worked together on a paper last year. He is amazing ! 

The guy she talked about was very nice. He started his PhD work in the same year as you did and you had a blast working with him. He was by far one of the smartest persons you had ever met. And it didn’t hurt that he was really attractive as well. You and Hailie spent some time talking in the kitchen. As it turned out, you were the same age, born six months apart and had graduated the same year. You actually knew some of her friends and had attended a few of the same events and venues on campus, though you had never talked or noticed each other. 

I can’t believe we never actually met before today, she said. We have probably crossed paths hundreds of times without knowing. 

I know right ? That is so weird. 

So, how come I have never seen you around here if you hang out with Dad and the whole team ? She asked with curiosity. 

Well, I only started hanging out with Marshall and the studio crew recently, you explained. I moved in with Talia and Jamal a few months ago, after I broke up with my boyfriend. 

It’s crazy, everyone seems to be breaking up, these days, she said. Josh broke up with his girlfriend of six months a couple weeks ago. 

Oh ? I hope he’s ok, you said with a smile. Although I wouldn’t be too worried for him. He probably won’t be single for too long… 

I know, right ? Do you guys get along ? She asked. 

Yes, you said. I mean, we don’t really hang out too often, but we’ve worked together in the past and it was great. He is really nice too. I really like him. I think he might actually be the person I talk to the most, on campus. 

We’re going for drinks to cheer him up tonight. You should come ! She offered. 

Oh, I don’t want to intrude, you said with a giggle. 

You won’t ! You guys know each other and… I’m not going to lie, you are totally his type, she added. 

Good to know, you said as you blushed a bit. 

I could gladly set you guys up on a date, she offered. If you’re single, that is. 

Uh… sure, I guess that could be fun, you said. I think drinks tonight might be a good start. 

The two of you kept on chatting for a while, and you couldn’t help but think that, if you had met earlier, you would have been the best of friends. After all, it wasn’t too surprising. She was a lot like her dad, only more cheerful. He entered the kitchen and smiled at you. 

Glad to see the two of you are getting along, Marshall said with a smile as he grabbed a couple of drinks in the fridge. 

We’re actually going for drinks tonight, Hailie said. 

So now you’re stealing my friends, uh ?  He asked his daughter. 

Well Y/N and I do have friends in common, Dad. And I’m sure she’d rather hang out with people our age instead of old crones like you, she joked. 

You have no idea, you said jokingly.

Very funny, Y/N, he said as he rolled his eyes. You girls better get to the living room, the game is about to start. 

You sat down next to him as you watched the game. He tried to explain the rules of football to you and you tried your best to understand, but it was all a bit blurry to you. You understood what a touchdown was, but there was something about the yards that didn’t make sense to you. You silently cursed the Americans for their misunderstanding of the metric system. Still, you had to admit that the game was entertaining, as well as everyone’s passion for it. They seemed excited about every move the players made, and they were so involved you could have sworn they were part of the team, especially Marshall. He promised to take you to see an actual game, in person, so that you would finally get the hype. You agreed but didn’t really count on it. In a matter of weeks, he probably would take Nicole instead… 

After the game, everyone hung out for a while. You were talking to Talia when he came to get you. You went for a walk in the garden. 

So, you finally met Hailie, he said with a smile. 

Yes, you said happily. Your daughter is really cool. 

I knew you’d get along, he chuckled. Are you sure about going for drinks with her, though? 

Do you have a problem with me hanging out with her ? You asked. 

No, not at all, he said. It’s great you’re getting along. But, you know, you’re sober and she and her friends… they’re not. They’re responsible but still, I want to make sure you’ll be ok. 

Worried much ? You said jokingly. 

Well, yeah, he admitted. I know this shit can be hard. Plus, you know… I’ve been worried about your sobriety when we weren’t talking. 

Really ? You asked surprised. 

Of course. I mean, me talking about you overdosing… that was a shitty move, he said sheepishly. Especially a week after a relapse. 

Well I think I did pretty well, you said with a smile. I don’t want you to worry. I think I’ll be ok. Plus, I’m often around alcohol, you know ? When there are events at university, stuff like that. So, really, I’m good. 

Good then, he said before kissing your cheek. I’m proud of you, Y/N. 

That evening, you joined Hailie and her friends for drinks. Josh was happy to see you and reconnect. The two of you talked a lot about your respective research and the struggles of being PhD students. The conversation was easy going and you really enjoyed the moment. Hailie and her friends were so nice too. For the first time in weeks, you found yourself forgetting about Marshall, even though it was ironic since you were hanging out with his daughter. 

The night came to an end and you said goodbye to everybody, especially thanking Hailie for the invite. Josh walked you out of the restaurant to get a cab. 

We should hang out more. I had a great night. Can I see you again ? He asked. 

Sure. Feel free to come by my office on campus, you said with a smile. 

I meant, like, on a date, he added. 

We can grab coffee on Thursday if you want, you said before kissing him on the cheek and getting in the cab. 

It’s a date, then.

He closed the door for you with a charming smile and you stared at him as the car started. You couldn’t contain your smile, on the way home. 

From M :  Having fun tonight ? 

Reply to M : Yes. Made new friends and drank mocktails :) you ? 

From M : Good. Hanging out in the studio with Dre. Working on a couple of songs. He flew in tonight, he’s going back to LA on wednesday. 

You smiled as you read Marshall’s texts. Even on a weekend night, he was working. You couldn’t help but admire his work ethic and dedication. 

Reply to M : Can’t wait to hear them. 

From M : You can come to the studio on Thursday if you want. I’ll play them for you. 

Reply to M : Can’t. I have a date :) Friday ? 

Josh took you out for coffee and a walk for your first date and it was as if you were in a movie. The conversation, the hand-holding, the flirting and the kissing… it was perfect. You were giddy as you got home and told your friends everything. Talia was nothing but supportive. If anything, she was just as giddy as you. Jamal, on the other hand… he seemed unimpressed. 

What about Marshall ? He asked. 

What about him ? You and Talia asked at the same time. 

You know damn well what I mean, Y/N, he said. There’s something between the two of you. You like him.

Yeah, I do, you said. I mean, he is amazing. But we’re good friends. That’s it.

Bullshit, Jamal said as he rolled his eyes. You aren’t fooling anyone.

I don’t know, Babe, Talia said. I mean, I thought there was something there too but don’t you think Em would have made a move by now ? 

Right, you said. 

Obviously, you hadn’t said anything about what happened between Marshall and yourself. Talia only knew what had happened during the first movie night, but that was it. The only things your friends knew, they got from watching your interactions. 

I’ve known him for a while and he’s never cared for anyone like that, Jamal said as he shrugged. And you, Y/N… I’ve seen you around him. All… cuddly, and flirty and shit. Everybody can see it. 

I think we’re missing the important question here : what do you want, Y/N ? Talia asked. 

Look… maybe I was a little flirty, you admitted. But there’s NOTHING between Marshall and I. He doesn’t like me like that and that’s fine by me. On the other hand, Josh IS interested in me and is taking me on a dinner date on Saturday night. 

It was true. As soon as your first date had ended, Josh had booked the next one. He seemed interested in you and not afraid to show it. It was something you liked, as it left no ambiguity as to whether or not he liked you. And you could definitely use some of that, instead of dwelling on Marshall...

On the next day, you visited Marshall at the studio after you were done with uni work, as planned. He was alone in the room when you arrived. Everyone else had already gone home. 

Am I too late ? You asked after you greeted him. 

It was unusual for you to see him alone in the studio. 

All good. I wanted to stay a bit longer to listen to all of the tracks anyways, Marshall said. We have produced about thirty so far and I’m not sure about some of them. 

You sat on the huge leather couch and listened as he played some of the tracks for you. You closed your eyes as you tried to focus. 

Thoughts ? He asked after he had played about ten tracks. 

I don’t have any, you said. 

Well that’s not good, he mumbled. 

He rolled his eyes and put his head back as he sighed. 

What do you mean ? You asked. 

I mean I played you about a third of what I have and it doesn’t even make you think of… anything ? Like, are they that bad ? 

No, you said with a laugh. What I meant to say is that I know nothing about music. I wouldn’t know how to differentiate a good song from a bad one. That’s kind of your job, you know ? 

Mmmh, he sighed, still not satisfied with the answer. 

There are some tracks I like more than others, you said. But that doesn’t mean anything. What matters is your own opinion. 

Which ones do you like ? He asked. 

Do you really want my input ? You asked in disbelief. 

It can’t hurt, he shrugged. 

You went over the songs together, as you gave him your opinion on the beats or the lyrics. It was kind of haphazard, as you didn’t know the right words to use. He sometimes proceeded to correct you with a chuckle. 

No, that’s not what « reverb » is. 

No ? You asked in disbelief. You know… that kind of … sound and the way it goes ? 

Yeah, no, I see, he said as he laughed lightly. 

It’s crazy. It seems so easy for you, you said. 

As you said… it’s my job, he replied with a smile. Like I probably wouldn’t know shit about your work. 

Maybe, you said with a chuckle. I think you’d find it a bit boring. 

Probably a bit, he admitted. But I know you’re crazy smart. 

Believe me, as I’m writing, it feels like I’m unable to string two sentences together, you replied. 

Maybe Jack could help you with that. 

Who ? 

You know… your date, Marshall said. You guys do the same thing, right ? 

Ah. Josh, you corrected. I take it that you talked to Hailie ? 

Josh, he repeated. Right. Yeah, Hailie might have told me a few things. You guys work in the same field, so maybe he would be able to help you ? 

I don’t know about that. I have worked on a paper with him before but showing him my own work and for him to critique ? It’s kind of… 

Intimate ? 

Yeah. 

He smiled in agreement. 

So. Are you going to tell me how it went ? He finally asked.

I didn’t realize you were interested in my date, you replied with a smile. 

I care about you, Y/N. You know that, Marshall said with a serious voice. 

Well it went great. We went for coffee and a walk. We had a great talk. He held my hand. And he kissed me, once. 

Once ? He asked in surprise. Just once ? 

Yeah. It was a goodbye kiss. 

He nodded in understanding. It was a bit weird for you to talk to him about your date. He looked in your eyes as he waited for you to say more. 

What ? You asked with an awkward laugh. Want me to describe the kissing for you ? 

I’m good, thanks, he said with a grin. 

He’s taking me out tomorrow. 

So soon ? Damn, he must really like you, Marshall commented with a chuckle. 

Well, I am kind of a catch, you said jokingly. 

Of course you are, he said with a smile. 

He looked in your eyes and he got closer to you. It seemed as if he was about to add something when his phone rang. He looked away as he answered it. 

Hey… thanks for calling. yeah, tomorrow is great for me… 7:00 ? … good. Me too. Bye. 

He looked back at you. 

Sorry, he said. 

All good ? You asked. 

Yeah. It was Nicole, he simply said, with a casual tone. 

You stared at him and tried to prevent your emotions from showing. 

I told you about my date. Do you want to tell me about yours ? You asked carefully. 

I’m not sure there’s too much to say, he explained. Hailie set it up. 

You let out an involuntary laugh. 

Your daughter should really start matchmaking business. 

You have no idea, he replied as he rolled his eyes. Ever since her mother and I got divorced for the second time, she has been meddling. I can’t count the number of times she tried to set me up with her friends’ single moms. I usually don’t let her but well… who knows ? 

He laughed at the memory. 

So… want to tell me more Nicole ? You asked. 

Actually, I know her from… way back. Her daughters used to go to the same primary school as mine. I hadn’t seen her in years when we ran into her at the hospital. We ran into each other again a few days later when I was out with the girls and somehow Hailie got her to call me. She’s nice. 

She’s really hot, you said. 

I’m not commenting on that, he said as he rolled his eyes. Is Jack hot ? 

Josh, you corrected. 

Right. Is he ? 

I’m not answering that, you replied with a grin. 

You stared at each other and burst out in laughter. Somehow, it felt good to be able to talk to him about it. 

So… you like this Nicole ? 

She’s nice, he said. 

I mean… she must be kind of cool if your own daughter thinks she’s good enough for you right ? You asked. 

I guess. We’ll see how it goes. How about Ja- Josh, sorry. You like him ? 

I do, you nodded. He is really smart. Kind, too. And… he is really hot, you added with a wink. 

Oh yeah ? 

Yup. 

That’s cool, he said with a smile. 

The both of you chuckled. 

For real though, how do you feel about dating ? He asked. 

What do you mean ? You asked back, puzzled. 

Recovery isn’t an easy time. Are you sure you should be dating ? I mean, I don’t mean to be an ass, or tell you what not to do, he said. But maybe you should focus on yourself a bit ? 

You stared at him and said nothing for a second. It seemed pretty ironic for him to say that when he had asked you out a while ago, shortly after your relapse, no less. 

I like him, you know ? He’s really nice, and, at least, it keeps my mind busy, you said. I think I’m ready to date. 

He nodded and smiled softly. 

You know… this son of a bitch better be nice to you, Marshall said.

And what if he isn’t ? You wondered. 

I’ll make sure he regrets being born, if he ever hurts you. 

He’s a gentleman, you reassured him. And Hailie likes him. 

Right. Must be a nice dude, then. 

You looked at each other, smiling. 

You know, if Nicole ever breaks your heart, I can make sure some hair removal cream ends up in her shampoo, you said with a smirk. 

What if I’m the one who fucks it up ? He wondered. 

I’m sure you won’t, you said. Though if you do end up being an ass… I’ll probably have to dye your beard green in your sleep. Or shave it. 

I’ll remember the warning, he said with a chuckle. And I hope it doesn’t happen… It took forever to grow this thing. 

You laughed as you gently scratched his beard. He pulled you in for a long hug. 

It’s good, he said under his breath. 

Yeah. It really is, you confirmed.