#danny: missed me? you left me without a word

[im-only-here-for-the-fandom]

Dc x Dp prompt? idea? story? whatever: Ghost Library

the ship is danny x jason (dead on main) but it could work as jazz x jason (anger management)

old dusty corners of a public library are considered some of the most liminal places that exist, they become even more liminal based on how old they are and how thin the veil(how liminal) is in the city/town it is located in.

Gotham city and Amity park happen to be extremely liminal places.

so when (insert your preferd age)-year old jason todd goes in gotham’s public library to hide from his criminal dad and drugged up mom and indulge in his love of literature, he decides to go into the furthest corner of library, a corner that the librarian never checks.

In the Amity park public library where n-year old danny fenton hid from his bullies/parents (or he was dragged there by his sister) he decides to find a book about stars and then hide in the most secluded corner of library to avoid people as much as he can.

both boys being in doubly extreme liminal spaces, as they try to leave find themselves in strange library that they have never seen before, they end up bumping into each other and become fast friends bonding over their family situations and their love for their chosen hobbies.

they wander around this strange library for unknown amount of time, hours?days?weeks? they don’t know, but as they explore and fight against sentient books, going into stories and experiencing different lives, their bond gets stonger.

until one day? a floating figure appears before them( the librarian? ghostwriter?), telling them they shouldn’t be here and sends them back to their respective libraries. the boys find out they had only been gone for an hour or so (or any amount of time you prefer).

they go back to library the next day and manage to go into the strange library again and this time they learn how to get out too. and they keep meeting up day after day after day.

until some time (years?) later jason starts going less and less, and then he suddenly stops never appearing again.

danny is devastated, and keeps going and searching in the Other library in hopes of finding jason, but after his accident he too stops going to the library.

it is only years later that a resurrected jason goes into the library to look for danny but despite looking for a long while he doesn’t find him.

its only when danny moves to gotham for college/work that they finally reunite.

could also have amnesiac!jason both are good.

please add to this i would love to see what you add

[dcxdpdabbles]

Cave boy Danny gets kidnapped by the joker. He's missing for an hour and a half at most but when the bats find him, he's sitting unbound in a chair looking at the jokers corpse. Danny's face has a soft smile and when asked what happened Danny just says 'justice'

Later they find video of Danny while tied up reading the jokers mind for absolute filth leaving him cry and broken on the floor, and the the camera glitches out and cute for a few minutes then comes back on to the joker dead and Danny free.

Danny wants it to be known that he hadn't gone looking for trouble, no matter what Tim Drake says. He only meant to go to the mall and do regular teenage things with the ward of cash Bruce had handed him.

He hadn't been lying when he said the mall back home was small, and after a lap, it got really dull. It was more entertaining to go to Nasty Burger than to linger around the few shops selling the same thing.

Alfred had let it slip the last time he came around for Danny's clothes- the old man had thrown a fit when Danny attempted to do his own laundry, and then Danny threw a fit claiming he had to do some of the chores or he wouldn't live there, and they came to an agreement to do 50/50 of responsibilities- that the mall was one of Bruce's favorite places to be as a teenager.

He didn't fully outsay it, but Danny could tell Alfred was getting tired of him not venturing out. Alfred also seemed bothered by Danny's lack of motivation for anything- and probably feared that he was slowly falling into depression for being stuck here.

Granted, Danny did not allow them to see him do anything besides sleep, eat, and laze about- with a shower every night- he could see where his concern was coming from. Danny was most active at night when he left a duplicate- he could not make it move or speak since it was a new power, so it placed it in his bed to appear asleep- and rushed away for a few hours to work on his ship.

So Alfred not so casually told him of Gotham Mall, with its five floors containing five hundred and twenty stores. The Mall at Amity Park only has seventy-one stores.

Danny was dying to see it just to see a mall that big.

Then the Butler made the deal sweeter by suggesting Danny do his outing alone, without his Wayne bodyguards, and convinced Bruce to give him some pocket money.

Nine hundred! Bruce's idea of pocket money is nine hundred, which means Danny could have an excellent time shopping. So Danny took a shower, threw on a nice pair of jeans that hugged all the right places- according to Steph- a black T-shirt, and scurried down the stairs.

At the door, Bruce talks in low voices with his sons- Damian and Jason- but all three turned to him once he appeared.

Damian's regular haughty expression evaporated once he caught sight of Danny's shirt. His jaw slacked in surprise as he breathed, "What are you wearing?"

"Oh, this? Alfred had it printed on a shirt for me." Danny gestures to the notable constellations floating in space's blue, green, and purple gasses.

Orion was the center of the work, being the only one with a figure shaped into a human with the stars that made him visible inside his body. The other constellations floating around him remained bright spots with no lines.

"I drew you that," Damian tells him as though Danny forgot where the image he passed along to Alfred had come from.

"Yeah, and I put it on a shirt 'cause it's awesome. I love it from the moment I saw it." Danny shrugs, watching with an amused grin as Damian's face flushes bright red.

The younger boy looks down at his feet, but not before Danny can spot the pure, unadulterated glee his words have caused in the kid.

"You have some taste, it seems." Damian mutters. Jason and Bruce are beaming, their eyes sparkling in a way that would belie their relationship is through adoption instead of blood.

"Most parents put their kid's drawings on the fridge instead of wearing them," Jason teases, and Danny shrugs.

"Most parents have talentless kids." He barely bites back the rest of his words. Damian isn't my kid because I am not Bruce, and he hurries to the doorway. "Anyway, I'm heading out. I'll be back by eleven,"

"You'll be back by nine." Bruce corrects, taking on the tone of a scolding parent. Danny is violently reminded of his own dad when Jazz is dating Johnny. He misses him. "Gotham is dangerous after dark. Alfred got us all to let you go alone, but that doesn't mean you can be reckless."

"Please, what's the worst that can happen?" Danny asked, practically skipping the stairs to the Uber Alfred called for him.

The worst that could have happened was that a stupid clown, calling himself Joker, had attacked the mall while Danny was browsing a gothic store.

He had been comparing two black dresses, trying to figure out which one Sam would prefer- and no, he was not blushing or feeling giggly thinking of her reaction. Just like he hadn't done the same when he picked up a personal electric planner for Tuck two floors down- when the Joker's goons had literally yanked him out of the store.

He only had a few minutes to blink in the bright light, as "Hot Topic" had been low light sightings for the store's ambiance, before he was thrown at the feet of a cackling man in purple.

His hands had been tied behind his back as they moved him, and Danny could only applause their quick hands. It's impressive for them to get it done with how much he thrashed.

Danny's first thought of the purple suit man was, "That's a ghost if I ever darn seen one," only to realize that his ghost sense had not gone off. The man just looked like that. How unfortunate.

"Well, well, if it isn't Brucie's newest charity case!" Joker shouted, yanking Danny's face up from his chin and leaning close to his face.

"Dude, personal space." He says, scrunching up his nose as the Joker's breath hits his nostrils. "Also, invest in some dental insurance."

"Oh, we have ourselves a jokester here, folks!" The clown's laugh did not hide the anger or shy away from madness. Danny suddenly felt he may have to tap into Phantom to get away from him.

This was a being that hurt others just because he could. Joker very existence was to simply harm others.

The very opposite of Phantom.

All of his instincts were screaming as Joker put his arm around Danny's shoulder and told the watching horrified crowd. "I'm a bit of a jokester myself. Why don't I give you private lessons and let these people judge whose death is funnier? Little Danny Kane or Bernad Dowd?"

The crowd parted, most gasping in horror as another teenage boy was dragged to the front. He was covered in wounds, bleeding a slow, sluggish mess, and his head bobbed as if though he was about to faint.

Danny's pupils shrunk, and his core raged as the boy was backhanded in front of him. Joker- the soon-to-be dead man- spread his arms, shouting for the whole world to be heard. "This is a special performance for Timothy Drake-Wayne. I hope you enjoy watching your boyfriend and adoptive brother partake in my game as a thank-you for your generous donation to the families of the last people I made laugh! I want everyone to know that any more donations to such families will have a similar show for their own loved ones!"

Danny's mind went white with a loud ringing, and somewhere far away, he was aware that Joker had them moved to a room to play his game.

He barely registered the camera being set up or tied to a chair surrounded by tortuous-looking items. He didn't even notice poor Bernard- already lost consciousness- tied to the chair beside him.

He only had eyes for the laughing man in purple.

But it was not Danny watching him, it was Phantom.

And Phantom was fresh out of mercy.

"No need for such an ugly frown," Joker chuckles, unaware of the ghost's core vibrating with the need to Protect what it recognizes a an attack on the Waynes.

An attack on his people.

"Let's turn that frown upside down!" Joker says, and- those are his last words.

Phantom pounces.

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

It takes an hour and a half for them to be found. It might have been more, but Danny had only counted for that amount. Bernad had been stabilized after he performed some emergency field first aid on him, trying his best to not look at the smear of bones and guts that used to be Joker.

Bruce breaks down the door with Tim rushing to his boyfriend in a frantic cry for his lover's name.

Danny steps back to let him have better access. He follows beside Bruce, watching Tim hold Bernad to his chest, breathing him in. He'll be fine. A few bruises and broken bones, but Bernad will leave.

"What happened?" Batman demands.

Danny looks up to stare at him right in the eyes despite the mask blocking his pupils. "Justice."

Bruce doesn't say anything in response, but the silence- for the first time since he found Danny in that cave- is heavy and weary.

Danny needs to hurry with his repairs. He thinks he is about to wear out his welcome at Wayne Manor. It's a pity he was just starting to like it there.

Master post link

[sleepy-writes-stuff]

DP X DC PROMPT #25

(#) = Notes at the end of post

(*) = Just me building off of other ideas.

✦

Family Reunion

Clockwork sends an adult Danny, newly appointed Ancient of Space, on a mission through time again. Except this time, it isn't located on Earth, but a distant planet he's never even heard of before. Clockwork didn't tell him any specifics on what he was supposed to do or when he was supposed to return to his own time, just to blend in and have an experience. He would know when it was time to return.

Needless to say, he has a blast! His core is bursting with happiness at getting the chance to explore this unknown corner of the universe with a sky full of constellations he's never seen and fascinating locals. Considering he might be here a while, he buckles down and learns all about their culture and their traditions and even eventually learns their language without having to use the two-way translator Clockwork gave him.

He spends decades there, not even having to worry about how he never appears to age, the people here being incredibly long-lived. However, he eventually meets someone. Someone he falls head over heels for. He gets married. He has kids. He watches them slowly grow into adults as well. It isn't until one of his sons informs him that he's expecting his own child(1) that Danny feels a tug at his core.

He ignores it, but over the course of a few weeks, it's gone from the occasional pull to a full-on yank at his entire being, along with a sense of dread that something was going to happen to this wonderful little planet. To his family.

He becomes restless and loses so much sleep, it's a miracle he can even stand. His family are worried for him, but he assures them that he's just feeling a little under the weather. One night, he's sat up in bed, unable to sleep again. His gaze is fixed lovingly on his spouse, but nonetheless sad.

He doesn't miss when all the soft sounds of the night stop and a green glow appears behind him.

"It's time to leave, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"There isn't any way I could stay? I can't bring them with me?"

"I'm afraid not. There are some things that can't be changed or stopped, even when they fall into your domain. I'm sorry."

"Why send me here just to make me abandon them like this? What was the point?"

Clockwork is silent, but when Danny turns to look at the ghost, he's gone.

Danny takes a few more precious days to spend time with his family. Kiss his spouse. Hug his kids. Feel the strong kicks of his grandchild he won't be there to witness the birth of.

The night he leaves, he places a letter on his spouse's nightstand, gently kisses their forehead, and disappears in a flash of green, never to be seen again.

Years later is when Danny gets the news. That the planet Krypton is no more and that his family is gone. He searched the Ghost Zone for them, but he never knew the location of Krypton in the cosmos. Their afterlife is beyond his reach, in a place that isn't even on the Infamap.

He nearly drowns himself in grief when he finds a sliver of reprieve in the form of a news broadcast. An extraordinary man in blue and red with the kryptonian symbol for such emblazoned on his chest is shown fighting off multiple enemies at once. He is the spitting image of his father and Danny as well.

He had a grandson. His grandson was alive.

✦

(1) This was Kara, not Clark. Danny left before he even found out about Kal-El being in the oven, so there will be a misunderstanding at first. Then Kara pops up later, and Danny just bawls his eyes out that he had two surviving grandchildren without even knowing it this whole time. How he first meets either of them is up to you!

(*) What this means power-wise for Clark is yours to decide. As well as what Clark already knows about his grandfather from the stored information his father left him. What his father thought of Danny disappearing without a word is also up for you to decide.

[astonmartinii]

teddy bear | max verstappen social media au

pairing: non-famous!reader x max verstappen

when there's only one person who can bring out the real max

maxverstappen1 added to their story

[caption: visiting my favourite person at work]

yourusername

liked by maxverstappen1, yourbff and 201 others

yourusername: best times ever with you <3 (p.s. thank you for my bunny)

view all comments

maxverstappen1 it's easy to have the best time when you're with you ... p.s. you need something to remind you of me when i'm racing

yourusername awww love you maxy

yourbff god you guys are so cute

verstappenstan did they forget this isn't their private accounts ... anyhow it's cute as fuck i love them so much

lilacleclerc why does max have me giggling and kicking my feet in this comment section WHO IS HE?

maxverstappen1

liked by redbullracing, danielricciardo and 552,109 others

tagged: yourusername

maxverstappen1: the paddock and the win are that much sweeter with you (the hospitality coffee too)

view all 110,784 comments

falonso14 who are you and what did you do with max verstappen?

worldchampmax yall going crazy in the comments over ... max having feelings??? wild

yourusername barista first human second - BUT congrats maxy you're the best !!!

maxverstappen1 your coffee is generational

danielricciardo i thought you liked my coffee the best :(

maxverstappen1 sorry mate, y/n comes first

f1forlife i know max has a bit of a reputation on track but i for one love seeing this side of max

yourusername added to their story

[caption: favourite boy in action]

daniel3.jpeg

liked by landonorris, yourusername and 201,976 others

tagged: maxverstappen1, yourusername

daniel3.jpeg: spent the weekend with dumb and dumber

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maxverstappen1 i get me but HER - YOU'RE CALLING HER DUMB??

yourusername yeah danny i watched that coffee machine kick your ass watch your tone :(

howdyricciardo damn they really gagged danny's ass

verstappenthelion i really don't care what jos thinks i love these two together

landonorizz me too !! honestly think someone with a humble job is just what max needed

sophiekumpen my two favourites, come visit again soon xx

yourusername miss you !!

babyricc3 she's already met and got the approval from sophie ??? FUCK WHAT JOS THINKS

f1wagsupdates

liked by leclercstan, ilovepierregasly and 2,108 others

tagged: yourusername

f1wagupdates: max verstappen's girlfriend y/n y/ln seen confronting sergio perez after his crash with verstappen left the dutchman in the hospital. the argument was reportedly short as y/n rushed to the hospital to be with max. sources have stated that this isn't the first altercation she's got into in the paddock, the other occasion coming after jos verstappen was heated with his son after a qualifying mistake, y/n intervening with harsh words for jos. what do you think? is y/n out of line?

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estebestie31 thank god there's someone in max's life to stand up for him

kikiaye i love her even more now, jos is way too harsh on max and checo was so so dangerous this weekend i'm glad y/n said something

flowersforleclerc i don't want anyone to say she doesn't love max after this

yourusername

liked by danielricciardo, landonorris and 31,089 others

tagged: maxverstappen1

yourusername: a championship winning weekend in three pics. but on a serious note i love you so much and i'm so so proud of everything you've achieved!! you deserve everything and more and i'm so grateful i get to be by your side and along for the ride, love you forever maxy xx

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verstappengirly i love them your honour

maxverstappen1 you're the best thing to ever happen to me and i wouldn't have been able to do any of this without you. i love you so much i'm so glad we met x

danielricciardo damn yall are so cute

lilacverstappen best wag ever

charles_leclerc idk what happened at that party what was in that champagne?

maxverstappen1

liked by yourusername, christianhorner and 1,089,567 others

tagged: yourusername

maxverstappen1: told you guys she'd be mrs. verstappen soon... jokes i can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you y/n and have ten million children and even more cats x

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verstappensupremacy him cutting off his dad and marrying the love of his life this year has been so so good to him

ilovemax he deserves this so much

yourusername i've loved every moment of these past years together and i can't wait for the rest of our life xx

danielricciardo CONGRATS LOVE BIRDS

christianhorner congratulations you two

note: hope you enjoy - i finally finished uni so i am back !! and will finally get to all the requests lol

[delulujuls]

aussies do it better | op81, dr3

heeeeey (louder than anyone else) im serving today the koala bear and the honeybadger duo and im hoping y'all will like it!

at the beggining i was hoping for making this a smut but it turned out so wholesome, even though im thinking about still making it smutty, maybe in second part?? idk lmk if you like this one and if you would like to have more of them in a maybe spicy way

anyway pls enjoy and have wonderful day x

summary: sometimes we forget that the best things are often at our fingertips, danny ric being the best wingman possible, pastry boy being pure babygirl

warnings: cheating on a reader (but not them they could never)

pairing: bff!fem!reader x oscar piastri x daniel ricciardo

"Guys, quick break," Oscar announced, stepping aside and setting down his paddle.

"In the next set, we play together, we'll show them how it's done properly. In a Aussie style," Daniel said, grabbing some water and taking a few sips, to which Oscar chuckled, wiping his hair with a towel. It was a pleasant, warm evening. Oscar, Daniel, and a few friends decided to take advantage of the last free day before the frenzy of the home Grand Prix and relax in the company of friends. But Oscar's thoughts were far from relaxed. When he picked up his phone and saw a few missed calls from Y/N, his friend, his smile instantly faded, not escaping Daniel's notice.

"Something wrong?" he asked, glancing at him attentively. Piastri, still focused on his phone, just shook his head.

"I have no idea, but I hope not," he replied, quickly typing a message to his friend.

"Sorry for not answering. Is everything okay? Should I call back?"

He didn't have to wait long for a reply, as it came seconds later.

"No, nothing happened. I just wanted to talk for a moment."

Seeing him nervously tapping on the keyboard, Daniel approached him and glanced over his shoulder.

"Translating to our language, something definitely happened. She just decided not to bother you," he said, scanning through their recent messages from a while ago. "Girlfriend?"

"No, a friend. A close friend."

"Then you should call her back even more so," he remarked, looking meaningfully into Oscar's eyes as he raised his head to meet his gaze. Oscar returned his gaze to the phone in his hand and after a moment's hesitation nodded.

"I'll be right back; start without me if you need to," he informed, then quickly clicked the camera. As he left the court and stepped outside, the girl picked up. She was hastily wiping her cheeks, but it was futile, as Oscar easily noticed her distressed state. It was evident she had been crying.

"Hey, what happened? Why are you crying?" he asked, concerned, gazing attentively at his friend. After his question, she just shook her head and buried her face in her hands. A sob escaped from his phone.

"Y/N, please tell me why you're in such a state," he calmly requested, though his heart was pounding like crazy. He had no idea what had caused his friend to be in such a state, and the fact that he was on the other side of the globe and couldn't just come over to check on her only amplified his worry.

"Mattias," she managed to squeeze out just one word, but it was enough for Oscar to know what had brought her to tears.

"What happened? Where are you?"

It was clear that the girl was outside. It was dark, and she was walking briskly, her face illuminated only by the glow of her phone held in her hand. Her hair were messy and her mascara was smudged on her cheeks.

"I'm waiting for an Uber. I'm coming back from Natalie's birthday party, the one I told you I didn't want to go to."

"You ended up going?"

"Yes, and it was a mistake," she replied, sniffing. "Mattias was there too. I didn't even know he got an invitation. Turns out he did, and on top of that, he was having such a great time he forgot he had a girlfriend."

Oscar didn't even realize when he started nervously pacing, waiting for his friend to continue.

"I went there," Y/N continued, her voice trembling "after all, it would be stupid if I ignored my friend on her birthday. Then suddenly someone comes up to me and asks if I'm Mattias' girlfriend, and I answer yes. And he says I guess not, since on the balcony he's been kissing someone else. And he was actually making out with some girl! When he saw me, he looked as if he had seen a ghost. It didn't occur to him that I might be at my friend's fucking birthday party!"

"Did he react in any way?"

"Of course," the girl snorted, "baby, it's not what you think, we were just talking, I didn't have my hand in her panties at all! Fuck, of course not!"

"Hey, calm down," Oscar said, knowing his friend's emotions well. "How long until your Uber arrives?"

Y/N calmed down for a moment and glanced at her phone, swiping through her notifications.

"3 minutes."

"Alright, the most important thing is for you to get out of there and be home soon. Don't hang up until you're inside, okay?"

"Why me, Oscar? What's wrong with me?" she asked, looking back at her phone. Despite the thousands of kilometers between them, as Oscar looked at the screen of his phone and saw his friend's sad eyes, he felt as if she were standing right in front of him. The downside was that he couldn't hug her and provide the physical support she needed right now.

"It's not your fault, Y/N. It's not your fault at all."

Despite his words of support, Oscar knew that his reassurances were just empty words. He talked to his friend until she got home and let him know she was safe. He offered to continue talking until he noticed her condition had slightly improved, but it was clear she was exhausted.

"I think it's best if I go to bed," she said softly. He heard the sound of keys turning in the lock and the rustle of things being put away. "Although I doubt I'll be able to sleep."

"You should rest," Piastri agreed, nodding. "Text me as soon as you wake up, okay?"

"Sure, but then you'll be sleeping, it's 9 hours' difference," she replied, returning her gaze to the screen of her phone. "Besides, you have more important things to deal with tomorrow."

"Nothing is more important than you," he said, but she just scoffed and shook her head. "Nothing, you hear me? I'll keep the sound on while I sleep, call if anything happens in the meantime. Okay?"

Y/N sighed and nodded.

"Thank you, Osc. It's good to have you here."

Piastri smiled warmly at her.

"Of course I am."

When the call ended, Oscar sighed deeply and rubbed his face with his hand. When he returned to the court, the match was already underway. So, he sat on the bench and clenched his phone in his hand, trying to gather his thoughts somehow. His heart ached at the thought of his friend and what she had gone through. He had known Y/N since their school days when they shared a desk. A friendship had easily developed between them, and they had become practically inseparable. Despite Oscar's busy lifestyle and constant travels, they had managed to maintain constant contact, meeting as often as possible. In such situations, however, their friendship, separated by kilometers, could not cope.

"It's everything alright?" Daniel interrupted Oscar's thoughts, approaching him after the set ended.

"Long story," Piastri sighed.

"I'll gladly listen, considering I'm out and Blake is subbing for me in this set," he replied, sitting next to him and wiping his face with a towel.

For some reason, Oscar began to tell him about what he had just learned over the phone. He and Daniel weren't exceptionally close, sure, they were buddies on the paddock, sometimes playing padel together, but Oscar had never thought of confiding in him about anything. But perhaps this situation overwhelmed him a bit, and he needed advice on how he could help his friend.

"How long have you known her?" Ricciardo asked, when a moment of silence fell between them.

"Over six years, we met back in school."

"For your age, that's almost a quarter of your life," he joked, but after a moment, he looked at him with a slightly more serious expression. "Do you like her?"

"She's my friend, of course, I do."

Ricciardo snorted and shook his head. "Yeah, I figured, but I mean, do you like her?"

Oscar blinked several times, and it wasn't until Ricciardo emphasized the penultimate word he said that Oscar understood what he meant.

"We're friends, I never, uh—," he stumbled a bit, not knowing how to respond.

"So I guess that means yes," Daniel grinned widely, seeing his reaction. "You should invite her here. It would be good for her to occupy her mind with something else now. And she'll appreciate being able to talk to you face to face, not just over the phone."

"I don't know if she'd want to fly all this way just to see me," he replied, causing Daniel to look at him indulgently. "She's never made me feel like I'm anything more than a friend to her."

"Maybe this is the moment to show her that she's had the right guy in front of her all this time," he said, getting up as the set ended. "Cause Aussies always do it better, right?"

Oscar pondered Daniel's suggestion for a long time, but when he went to bed, he decided to offer his friend a visit to Melbourne. Before he went to sleep, he sent her a message with an invitation, honestly not knowing what reaction to expect from her. Of course, he assured her that he would cover all the costs of her transportation, but he still wasn't sure if she would agree to travel such a distance just to see him.

When he woke up in the morning and picked up his phone, he had to rub his eyes in amazement several times. She agreed immediately. She even asked if she could fly to him on the fastest plane, to which he naturally agreed. As a result, she was already at the airport the next evening. Unfortunately, Oscar couldn't pick her up personally, but someone was willing to offer their help on-site.

"Hi, you must be Y/N," Daniel's wide smile and his Australian accent were the first things to greet the girl on the new continent. "I'm Daniel, and it's a pleasure to meet you."

She nodded, returning his smile and shaking his outstretched hand.

"It's very nice to meet you too, and I'm sorry Oscar roped you into this," she replied as he silently took her suitcase. "I could have taken a taxi."

"Absolutely no need to apologize, I'm just glad I could personally welcome you to our beautiful country," he said with a smile. It was past midnight, and Y/N wondered where her newfound companion got so much energy from. "First time in Australia, am I right?"

"Yes, I've never been here before. Actually, it's only the second time in my life I've flown on a plane."

"Really?" Daniel looked at her in shock, and she just shyly nodded. "And Oscar managed to convince you to take such a trip?"

"Actually, I was very excited about the invitation," she admitted, but at one point, she bit her tongue. However, when she glanced at Daniel again, she got the impression that he wouldn't be too concerned about some stranger girl occupying him with trivialities. "A lot has been going on with me lately, and I'm glad to have a reset here."

"I'll gladly join as your local guide and mood lifter," he offered, opening the car door for her. "Of course, if you're up for it and if Oscar is willing to share his best friend."

The girl chuckled, genuinely for the first time in a few days. She eagerly nodded at his proposal.

"I'd love to. And I don't think Oscar will mind."

The journey passed in lightning speed with a conversation that looked like they had known each other for ages, not just a few dozen minutes. When Daniel parked in the driveway, Oscar was already standing in front of the house, waiting for his friends.

"Everything you've learned from me, you haven't actually learned from me," Daniel said, throwing a quick glance at Oscar, which brought a smile back to the girl's face and her hasty nod. Both got out of the car, and Daniel, without taking no for an answer, took her bags. The girl smiled even wider at the sight of her friend, who started walking towards her. She hugged him tightly without a word, and he closed her in a tight embrace.

Daniel smiled at the sight and just raised his thumb. Oscar returned the gesture.

The trio entered the house, and Daniel left the girl's things in the living room doorway before stretching.

"I'll be off," he announced, looking around at them. "It was very nice to meet you, and I hope we'll see each other again soon."

"You can stay if you want," Oscar offered. "We probably won't go to bed soon anyway, and I owe you a beer for today."

"I definitely won't be able to sleep anytime soon, despite the hour," the girl added, checking the time on her phone before shifting her gaze to Daniel and Oscar. "But I have the least to say because it's not me facing the home Grand Prix in a few days."

"Well, why not, gladly," Ricciardo replied, agreeing to the suggestion with a smile.

Shortly after, the three of them were sitting on the terrace. The evening was pleasant, so they decided not to disturb Oscar's family and spend time outside. The conversation was already flowing smoothly, and with each subsequent beer, any inhibitions and barriers disappeared more and more. At some point, it looked like a meeting of three close friends after years.

"He acted like a complete dick," Daniel summed up Y/N's story, taking a sip from the can he held. "Look at it from a different angle, you could have skipped this party and not confronted him. He would probably cheat on you behind your back if he wasn't already."

Oscar looked at him meaningfully, not wanting him to further distress her. However, she seemed to come to terms with the whole situation. She certainly looked better than she did a few days ago when she tearfully talked to Oscar on the phone.

"Possible," the girl sighed, holding her own can. Her head was a bit fuzzy, but she liked this state better than feeling sadness. "Oh God, how could I be so stupid."

"It happens to the best of us," Daniel smiled reassuringly at her.

"The worst thing is, you told me many times that he's not the right guy for me, that he's not a good person at all," she continued, now looking at Oscar, who was sitting next to her. Daniel, sitting in the chair opposite, looked at him meaningfully, but he had his gaze fixed on the girl. "And I still thought I knew better. I'll never question your instincts again, Osc. Never."

She said, then hugged him tightly. Oscar returned the hug, rubbing her back. "It doesn't matter now. It happened, and that's it."

"You said he's not the right guy for you," Daniel began, and Oscar looked at him at the moment when he released his friend from the hug. He shook his head slightly, knowing where he was going with this. But this train couldn't be stopped. "Is there any guy you think would be right for you?"

The girl thought for a moment, turning the can in her hands. However, alcohol placed a certain thought in her head, which made her smile. She just nodded in response, raising her gaze to the man sitting opposite her.

"Oh, you're flattering me," Daniel laughed, taking another sip of beer.

"For the past few minutes, I've been noticing that I kind of like Aussies," she added, glancing at Oscar. He was so shocked when she subtly announced that she liked Daniel in an unexpected way that he didn't even notice when her gaze lingered on his lips. However, Daniel noticed it perfectly.

"And you, Oscar?" Ricciardo asked, stretching his legs out in front of him, a moment after he took another sip of his beer. "Do you have anyone in mind?"

Piastri almost choked on his beer when he finished it. His cheeks were instantly flushed, and it had nothing to do with the alcohol he had just consumed. Y/N raised her gaze to her friend's face, curious herself about his answer to the question, as Oscar had never shared his romantic affairs with her, even when she repeatedly asked about them.

When he, embarrassed, couldn't utter a word, Y/N's gaze returned to Daniel, and she decided to answer for her friend. "Oscar probably hasn't met the right person yet," she said, taking a sip of beer. "He's never told me that he likes any girl, even when I asked hundreds of times. Recently, I even started asking if it's not a girl, then maybe a boy? After all, there's nothing wrong with a relationship with two boys or two girls. And Lando," she looked at her friend again, "he's quite charming. And it seems to me that you two have a good relationship."

"Landoscar? Oh definitely, I've been thinking about it many times myself," Daniel interjected, pointing his finger and agreeing with her words.

Oscar, seeing how they were encouraging each other, knew he had to act. And since words got stuck in his throat, and he didn't know how to defend himself, he silently touched his friend's cheek and turned her head towards him, kissing her. Despite her shock, she returned the kiss. Daniel smiled. He felt like giving himself a high-five.

After a moment, Oscar pulled away from his friend. His heart was pounding like crazy, and her questioning gaze wandering over his face didn't make it any easier for him to gather his thoughts.

"You, Y/N, I like you," he finally said. "I've liked you since you invited me over to work on a biology project in eleventh grade. We were just starting to be friends, and I already felt something more for you. Nothing has changed since then."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" she asked, looking at him, but he lowered his gaze.

"I always felt like I was more of a brother to you than potential boyfriend material,"

"Oscar…," the girl sighed, looking at him indulgently. "Do you know how many broken hearts you would have saved me if you had told me earlier?"

Oscar looked up at her. And just as he felt like an idiot when he decided to make his bold move, now he was wondering if there was a chance she felt the same way about him.

"I thought I was just your friend. And that you didn't want someone who couldn't keep up with your pace of life. After all, why would you need a girlfriend you couldn't have by your side?"

"I would spend all my money to have my girlfriend by my side,"

After these words, silence fell. Oscar and Y/N looked at each other in silence, and Daniel, sitting next to them, pressed the cool edge of the can to his lips and watched the whole scene with bated breath.

"Do you want us to be together?" the girl asked after a moment. She decided to put everything on the line.

"Yes, Y/N, I want us to be together," he said, looking her in the eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier and spared you so many broken hearts. But I assumed that a long-distance relationship would break your heart even more."

Oscar lowered his head. He wasn't lying. The truth was that one of the reasons he didn't confess his feelings to the girl was that he already found it hard with a long-distance friendship, let alone having the possibility to see his girlfriend once a month or less. Oscar had countless layers of love within him. However, he was afraid that if he turned on the tap, he would cause a flood, injuring not only her but also himself.

"Come here," she whispered softly, pulling herself closer to him and hugging him tightly. He closed his eyes and embraced her just as tightly, burying his face in her hair.

"Surely you'll be happy with such a guy," Daniel spoke up after a while, smiling. "If not, you know where to find me. However, Aussies always do it better."

[theemporium]

💰with danny riccccc😍 you just know he loves to spoil his girl both with his cash but also with acts of service (and physical touch and cuddles🥺) (and he looks so good in a suit too you just know he’d play up the whole stereotypical sugar daddy thing 😭)

-🦡

thank you for requesting!🫶🏽

.

“Daniel?”

“Surprise, sweetheart!”

You hadn’t expected to see him so soon. It had been less than twenty-four hours since the last race of the season, and you knew he had planned to go out with some of his colleagues and friends after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. If you were being honest, you expected him to be hungover and stay a few more days to finish things off with the team before he flew back out to properly start his winter break.

And yet here he was, standing outside your apartment door, dressed in a fine suit with a massive grin on his face and a bouquet of flowers in his hand. 

“You…I…” Your brows furrowed together in confusion, your brain trying to wrack around and process the sight in front of you. However, your body seemed to move on instinct as you pulled the door open wider, stepping aside to let him in. “How are you here so quick?”

“I had a pretty girl waiting for me,” he said it so casually,  like the compliment didn’t make your whole body flush. He stepped towards you, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you into a kiss that left you breathless and dazed. “Why would I not be on the first plane out?”

“Oh,” you murmured, blinking in surprise.

“I have something for you,” he continued as he pulled you deeper into the flat, already making his way into the kitchen where he was beginning to find a vase to put the bouquet in. 

“Danny,” you murmured, leaning against the counter as you watched him shrug his blazer off, placing it over the back of a stool before pushing his sleeves up to his elbows. “You know you—”

“Let me sugar daddy you, honey,” the boy grinned at you, flashing you a wink when he saw your cheeks flush at his words. “Plus, it was made for you. It would’ve been a crime to not get you it.”

“You say that every time,” you replied with a shake of your head.

“And I mean it every time,” Daniel retorted before he placed the vase of flowers on the counter. He then reached towards his blazer, taking out a slick, thin box. He rounded the counter, pulling you close as he handed you the box. “Take a look.” 

You gave him a look before you opened the box, letting out a small gasp when you saw the thin diamond studded necklace. “Danny, I…this is too pretty.”

“Perfect for a gorgeous girl,” he noted as he gently plucked the necklace with his fingers, sliding in behind you as he clasped it around your neck. “Looks even better than I imagined.” 

“This probably costs more than my rent,” you joked weakly, still a little dazed by the pretty gift as you turned in his arms. “Thank you.” 

“I’m glad you like it, sweetheart,” he murmured as his eyes glanced down at the necklace before his hands cupped your cheeks, leaning down to kiss you once again. “Fuck, I’ve missed this.”

“I’ve missed you,” you sighed, your arms winding around his torso as you leaned into his embrace. “The bed is cold without you.” 

“Is that all I’m good for?” He teased, leaning down to press a line of kisses down the column of your neck. 

“The dinners are pretty good too,” you joked as you pecked his cheek, watching with delight at the way he lifted his head with a massive grin on his face. “I am really happy you’re back though.”

“And for three months I’m all yours,” he murmured as he leaned his forehead against yours. 

“Good,” you commented. “And the suits stay.” 

He snorted. “Whatever you want, honey.”

.

[avelnfear]

This is a snippet that might someday make it into my fic.

“He’s the least dangerous one.” Jason snorted at Ra’s Al Ghul’s words. “He’s the civilian in a family of Bats.” Jason let out a short laugh, clamping his mouth shut as soon as he heard his voice. He was clearly struggling to hold in his laughter, but no one could deduce why. “By taking all of you first we have taken away his support, making it easy to deal with him.”

Anyone who knew Ra’s Al Ghul knew that he’d just told them that he’d captured the heroes and then ordered the death of a person they’d left behind. By the destroyed look on all but one of the heroes faces, this person would be dearly missed.

Jason tried to keep from laughing, he really did, but the combined looks of horror on his family’s faces and the smugness coming from a man who was so very wrong proved to be too much. He burst into laughter so hard that one might think he’d been hit with Joker’s Gas. The room’s occupants looked at him with varying levels of confusion, concern, and disbelief.

When his laughter didn’t dissipate for a long time, Ra’s became angry. “What do you find so funny? You’ve just been informed that your beloved will be killed, and you find that funny?” His tone was biting even in his clear confusion.

Abruptly, Jason stoped laughing. The change was so sudden that it was unnerving. Several people, captive or otherwise jolted with the jarring shift in attitude as all amusement had left Jason’s face.

“I don’t find it funny.” Jason leaned forward as much as the chains binding him would allow, locking eyes with Ra’s, his face deadly serious. “I find it fucking hilarious.” Jason waited until Ra’s opened his mouth to continue as everyone else watched in stunned silence. “You think he’s the normal one, the civilian in a group of heroes. You think he’s not very dangerous if dangerous at all. You think your assassins can do anything to him. You think he needs us for support. You think you’ll be able to kill him. You think you are safe. You think he’ll never be able to find you. You think you’ve won.” Jason’s voice was soft and quiet yet piercing. He leaned back, expression blank. “As for me? Of course I don’t find it funny. The sheer amount of things your wrong about it hilarious all on its own, without any context. I can’t fucking wait to see the look on your face when you find out just how wrong you are. You’ve fucked around, now it’s time to find out. Your brilliant fucking strategy is an absolute shit show because of misinformation. If I were you, I’d start praying, hoping that some god is willing to further piss off the one you call a civilian by protecting your sorry ass to the best of their ability. It might buy you an extra minute to exist.”

There was a massive thud from down the hall, coming from an impact that struck the whole structure. Jason tilted his head down, grin sharp and inhuman and eyes flashing green.

From down the hall was clearly heard, “Cucumber on a stick! I overshot!”

The other captives tensed, that was Danny! What was he doing here? How was he here?

The assassins in the room tensed. That voice belonged to the civilian lover Red Hood was just ranting about. How was he here? How was he still alive?

Ra’s felt something odd swell in his chest, tightening his muscles and making his heart race. He knew it was a civilian on the other side of the door, he knew it. There was nothing special about Danny Nightingale except that he’d changed his name from Daniel Fenton. Then why, why, did Ra’s suddenly feel like prey that had wandered into the path of a predator?

[starry-bi-sky]

Childhood Friends Au: Jason

there's something burning in the empty room inside my head fill it up with doubt let it in, let it spread

When Jason gets Tim's text in the groupchat, he ignores it. And then a short series of buzzes distract him from a drug bust. It hasn't even been that long since he reconciled with the family, with Bruce. He thinks that perhaps he should have left it sooner.

He glances at it momentarily when the buzzing stops and he doesn't need to knock out more guys. He sees Tim's question dedicated towards him, and his response is instant, his thumbs flying over in response.

He doesn't care, he's trying to patrol.

(He does not have Danny's number in this phone, it's new. A model from this year rather than one from four years ago. He wants that old phone back. He hasn't even looked at their old letters yet.)

(Jason bets that they've been packed away in storage with the rest of his things. He doesn't want to visit the manor, but maybe he should. Just to find those letters again. He's not sure if he's allowed to.)

And then Tim says its Danny, and Jason flies up to the past texts to find the photo before he can think. And then there is Danny staring right at him again, with the same old smile on his face that he always aimed at people. Lopsided, Danny's favorite kind of smile.

Something old, something new. He's got piercings, and his eyes are as blue as they've ever been. He has an undercut, it looks self-done. It looks good. He looks tired.

Danny's good at hiding things from people, it comes with the purchase of being a street kid. But Jason can't have someone else's back without knowing the ins and outs of the person in question. Jason knows when Danny is tired, and Danny knows when he is too.

Before his death, whenever Danny came over he never missed a beat in telling Jason that he looked like shit. Were Bruce's fancy rich-people, cloud-made mattresses too soft for him? He can find him a moth-eaten street mat for him if he needs it. It'd be like the good old days.

(Jason wishes he could have told him he was Robin, but it wouldn't be safe.)

Jason had to see him with his own eyes, had to confirm with his own eyes just how much Danny had changed. It's just his luck -- if he has any left -- that he arrives to Bruce's dumb gala just as Danny steps out onto their once-shared, west-end balcony.

He drops down, something heavy in his throat, before he can properly think it through. Danny looks up before his feet even touch the ground, like he knew he was there. Jason wonders if he did. There is a cigarette in Danny's mouth. Something old. And something flashes in his eyes that Jason cannot place. Danny looks tense.

Jason feels like he's made a mistake.

In the end, watching Danny walk away feels a lot like Jason is losing something -- or is he missing something? Is it both? He wants to reach out, grab Danny's arm, but his feet are glued to the balcony floor. There are so many things he wants to say, but his tongue has glued itself to the roof of his mouth. Something has crawled into his mouth and died.

So much has been said with so little words. He wants to spin Danny around and ask him so many questions.

What do you mean you spoke to my ghost?

What do you mean I told you the Joker killed me?

What else have I told you?

The Fentons were right?

What happened while I was gone?

Why are you scarred? Where did those come from?

(He is not blind. He saw those silver lightning scars etched into his best friend's skin, saw that it disappeared under his sleeves. Danny did not have those the last time Jason saw him, the last time he was alive.)

(The sight of it makes him alight with murderous intent. He wants to take his best friend by the front of his shirt and shake him -- who did this to you? Who did it? Tell him, he will fix it.)

(But he can't. He doesn't. Doing that means revealing who he is. It means telling his best friend that he has been alive for the last five years and he did not tell him. It would mean telling his best friend that he did not want him to know.)

You're going to kill the Joker for me?

What have I missed?

What do I not know?

You look so tired.

But before he can even get his mouth to move, Danny is gone back inside. The door swinging open, music once muffled now blaring out for only a few seconds before Danny is slipped back inside.

And Jason is left on the balcony, alone, with more questions than he thought he would have. He stares at the broken cigarette on the ground, it feels like a metaphor for something. Jason can't figure out for his second life what it is.

Maybe it's not a metaphor at all, maybe the curtains are sometimes just blue. Maybe sometimes your best friend just tells a vigilante that he is going to murder someone; that he is going to avenge his best friend with his bare hands and feel no remorse for it.

It is what Jason wants Bruce to do, wants someone who loves him to do. But he's not sure if its something he wants Danny to do. Not when he has been living a normal life -- or as normal as it could be -- without hide nor tail knowledge of what Jason used to do, or what he does now.

What have I missed?

Danny. He's missed Danny. He didn't look into Amity Park out of fear of what he'll find; of what he might do. But now Jason thinks he might have to.

Danny has talked to his ghost. Danny is going to kill for him. He has that look in his eyes that Jason knows so familiar; the one where he needs Jason to play distractor while he stole something from the corner store. The one where he looks a kid five years his senior in the eyes and kicks him in the dick because he cornered him and Jason, itching for a fight.

There's a look so familiar in his eyes; the one of a boy that's set his mind to something and he is going to do it. He can't call it the eyes of a cornered animal, because Danny has never been cornered, not when he's been with Jason. He calls it the eyes of a boy about to do something he will never regret.

He watches him leave with the Vlad Masters guy. He hides atop the roof and eavesdrops. The paparazzi have since left now that it was much later in the night; they are not the bigger fish, even if they sometimes parade it to be.

"I thought I told you to make nice." Vlad Masters scowls as he walks to the other side of the sleek black limousine. "To not embarrass me."

Jason frowns at the way he talks. His fingers itch, and something old lurches in his chest: the same old protectiveness that he used to feel whenever he and Danny were about to get into a fight. And then, later, when they would stand inside Bruce's galas with people who couldn't care less if they breathed or died.

Danny scowls right back at him, all venom and bite, and leans against the side of the car. "I did make nice -- as nice as I could when you dragged me here."

Vlad Master rolls his eyes, huffing. Jason's frown only deepens. It's not easy to make Danny do anything he doesn't want to. His sister has tried, so have his parents, as well as his teachers. But Danny is wild and so is Jason. Rebellion and disobedience -- no, independence -- cut into them from the streets like its broken glass.

Jason doesn't remember Danny ever mentioning knowing a Vlad Masters. They must have met after Jason died, then. He doesn't like him. He's the same as all the other socialites in that party. There is a greed in his eyes that Jason knows rots down to the core of him.

"I thought you would enjoy being here, little badger." Masters tries, and his tone makes Jason ruffle. As does the nickname. Danny's scowl only ever deepens, his fingers curling to dig nails into his palms. He looks at Masters like he wants him to burst into flames. "You are friends of the Waynes, I thought you would like the little reunion."

"Whether I did or didn't is none of your business." Danny says. The door clicks open on Masters' side, as if they remembered that they were on the street rather than in the car. Masters climbs into the back, and Danny opens the door. He only reaches in though, and pulls out a old hoodie.

Danny pulls it over his head, and his vest and button-down are hidden underneath it. "Don't wait up you old fruitloop, there's someone here I need to see." And he slams the door shut with more force than necessary.

(Jason makes a mental note to look into Vlad Masters. Who is he to Danny. How did they meet? There is an old animosity between each other that Jason has never seen before. Not even when they were on the streets. Not to this extent.)

Jason's heart seizes up. Danny's reminder early surges to the front of his mind. Right. That's right. He's going to go see him. Jason. He is going to lay flowers on his grave. He remembers that Jason likes zinnias. There are no florists open this late at night, Jason thinks.

He follows Danny from the rooftops. Danny sticks close to the buildings, slipping in and out of shadows. Jason wants to know where he learned how to do that. Where did he learn how to move without a sound?

Five years is a long time to be away from someone, Jason thinks. Something that fills him with dread. Five years is a long, long time. He's afraid that it's been too long. Will he still know Danny like he used to, if he asks? And if he doesn't?

More, more, more. More questions than answers. More things that Jason doesn't know about someone he used know to like the back of his hand. It scares him, and he hates it.

(There is scarring on Danny's hand that Jason has never seen before. Maybe that's the metaphor he was missing before. Maybe there are still more.)

Danny moves like a ghost down Gotham's streets, his hands shoved into his pockets without a care in the world. It is confusing. It is concerning. It is proof that more things have changed than Jason likes.

Danny somehow finds a florist open at this time of night, and buys a bouquet. And like he told the Red Hood, he buys zinnias. Reds and yellows. For a moment, Jason thinks that Danny knows. He wonders if he does.

What would he have told him, if he was a ghost? He told him that the Joker killed him. Maybe that means he told Danny he was Robin too, like he always wanted to. But couldn't, because it wasn't safe, and it wasn't just his secret to tell?

Why has nothing changed, now that he was alive again?

"Did you know," Danny starts, when he sits down at Jason's grave with flowers slipping gently from his fingers, before the tombstone below. Jason is as close as he can without being seen, hiding like a ghost. "That red zinnias mean stead beating of a heart?" He smiles sardonically, "You picked quite the flower, Jay."

(There is an echoing in his ears, Danny's voice faint in the back of his mind. Ghosts can hear you when you speak to their grave, did you know? Jason can hear him better than he should.)

Jason knows the irony. Perhaps it's got double the meaning now, now that he's alive again. Danny doesn't know that though, sitting before his grave with flowers that symbolize a beating heart. Between the two of them, Jason thinks that the only heart here is Danny.

(Between the two of them, the only heart here is one that's made between the two of them.)

"Yellow zinnias," Danny continues, resting his chin in his hand, "mean daily remembrance." His smile tilts on the axis of his mouth, a wrinkle between his brows. He looks pained. Hurt. There is no comment made. Like it doesn't need to be said.

Jason thinks he can hear it anyways, and his heart twists like someone took it and twisted it like a rag, trying to drain the dirty water out of the cloth. He hurts.

I miss you. Is what he hears. Is what Danny doesn't say. Is what Jason knows he's thinking anyways.

I am right here. Is what Jason wants to say, but doesn't. He is right here. But his feet are grave-bound to the floor, and a part of him feels like he's clawing out his own grave again. But the dirt falling is endless and merciless. He can't get free.

He bites his tongue, a lump in his throat. Shame wells in his heart and Jason wants to shrink away from this. His feet are grave-bound to the floor.

"I'm sorry for not visiting sooner." Danny says, hand dropping out of his chin to pick at the ends of his sleeves. His smile fades into a frown. His voice wobbles. "I'm sorry, I don't have an excuse. I should have."

Please don't be. Jason thinks. He doesn't think he can be upset about it, not when Danny is laying yellow flowers on his grave that mean remembrance. i think of you daily. Not when Danny was going to kill the Joker for him.

Jason still doesn't know what to think of that. He still isn't sure if it's real or not.

"I went to one of Bruce's galas today." Danny says, and Jason knows. He saw him there. Danny smiles weakly. "I know, right? First time in five years. Vlad dragged me along, you remember him right?"

No, I don't. Jason thinks, and he feels a flutter of anxiety. A sense of impending doom. A choking dread. What else have I missed? He thinks again. Why doesn't he remember? Danny told him about Vlad, but it can only be from when he was a ghost. How long was he a ghost before he was revived? How often did he and Danny speak?

Jason doesn't like not knowing things, he doesn't like not knowing things about himself.

It would be so easy, a little voice whispers, to reveal himself now. To step forward and take his helmet off. To tell Danny that he was alive. To demand answers that only Danny could know.

But then what? When Danny inevitably asks his own questions? About how long Jason's been alive? Why he was dressed the way he was? Why he didn't say anything earlier, on the balcony?

(But he did say it earlier, when he offered Danny the cigarette and silently asked him for his thoughts.)

Jason is afraid of what Danny might think of him, if he tells him what he's done. About the blood on his hands and the bridges he's burned. What if telling him is just more gasoline on another bridge, with Danny holding the match? He stays silent. Fear is a powerful motivator. It's a powerful deterrent, too.

"The asshole blackmailed me into coming." Danny says, drawing his knees up to his chest. He looks disinterested. Annoyed, actually. Like what he is saying isn't sending alarm bells through Jason's mind. Like what he's saying doesn't concern him. "It's really dumb, actually."

He sighs, long and tired. There is grief etched into every line and pore in his face. "I could have handled it without even needing to come to the gala, I've done it before." He mutters when his eyes open. His fingers brush against the petals of the bouquet.

(And that only sends more alarm bells ringing in Jason's mind. Red lights blaring. Distress fills the cavity of his lungs. What has he missed?)

"I only agreed because I missed you," Danny says, "and Bruce. He invited me to come over sometime soon, to catch up. I agreed and I'm not sure why I did."

Jason didn't know that.

Danny continues talking. Jason listens in dutifully. He feels like a stranger imposing on his own grave. It's ridiculous. It makes sense. He feels like he should slink away and let Danny talk to his grave in peace. He cannot bring himself to move.

If he closes his eyes, he can pretend that he's sitting in front of him, like it's the good old days and they're back in Jason's room in the manor. Staying up late and trading stories back and forth. Sneaking out to the balcony and climbing onto rooftops they’re not supposed to go on. 

Jazz is getting her psychology degree. Him and Sam had a big fight a few years ago, but they’re better now. Tucker wants to start his own tech business. 

And on and on Danny goes, rambling about every little thing he can think of in the last five years since they last talked. He jumps back and forth between topics, when he remembers something he cuts to it. And then jumps back off to the next thought passing through his mind.

"I don't know what I want to do." Danny says, finally, after he exhausts every other topic to talk about. "I wanted to be an astronaut, but now I'm not so sure." His knees draw up to his chin, and he looks so sad. He looks nineteen. Small despite his size.

Were they really just nineteen, verging on twenty? Jason feels older among his years. Fourteen feels so far away.

Danny breathes in slowly, it's a sound that trembles. From where he stands, Jason sees Danny's eyes film over with tears. He makes a choked out sound that sounds like a terrible mix of a laugh and a sob.

"Where did you go?" He whispers. He tries to smile, and it is this pained, awful thing that drops within a second. Fingers clutch at his legs, diggings wrinkles into the fabric. "I know you're still here. Where did you go?"

There is no answer. Guilt is an animal with claws, and it burrows into Jason's heart to make itself home between the tendons. Tears slide from Danny's eyes down his cheeks. He still cries for him, five years later. Five years after. Jason feels worse.

"I haven't stopped looking for you." Danny continues, his voice cracks, and the words run over Jason's ears like water sliding off a duck's back. He doesn't hear it at first -- no, he doesn't understand it at first. And then when he does, he plunges his hands into the waters of his mind to drudge it back up.

You're looking for me? Do you know I'm alive?

It's another question to Jason's never-ending list.

"You might as well tell me where you are now." He smiles again; tries to. It wobbles, lips pulling back to show teeth as more tears spill over and carve red marks down Danny's face. "Or I'll find Cujo and sick him on you. He's gettin' real good at tracking things you know."

Jason doesn't know who Cujo is. But it sounds like a dog. He knows Danny's always wanted one, but their apartments would never allow it. It's not like his parents could afford one either.

There is a silence that hangs over them, with only the sound of the city around them. Danny seems to tremble more and more as each second passes, until finally a bubble pops. His smile drops, and so do his knees that were pressed into his chest.

He doesn't say a thing, not with words anyways. He hunches over and hugs himself with nails that dig into his elbows, failing to stifle a years' old grief. Jason wants to flee, lest he breaks his word to himself and steps out to console and dry Danny's falling tears. It feels like a betrayal unto himself to only stand there and watch him drown in his grief.

Guilt is a thing with claws, and Jason leaves the cemetery with hatred eating his tongue. Danny deserves the privacy that a ghost cannot give him. Jason may no longer be a ghost, but he is still the next best thing. either way I'm left holding onto the shovel and rope digging in the dirt finding bones, finding ghosts

[cobaltperun]

Lost (20) - Miracle

Tara Carpenter x female Reader

Summary: To anyone on the outside, and to Tara’s friends, you were Tara’s fierce protector, the MMA fighter who’d take anyone on for Tara. The Guard Dog, as Amber called you. You had no idea you’d have to protect her from people who claimed they loved her. It didn’t matter. As long as you and Tara had one another there was nothing you wouldn’t be able to survive.

Story warnings: Scream violence, family issues, trauma, angst, certain sensitive topics

Word count: 3.1k

Story masterlist / First part / Previous part / Next part

-Take a look around, it's you and me, it's here and now-

She should have been used to this by now, she should have known her life was going too well, that she was so happy and that the universe wouldn’t allow that.

“I’m sorry miss L/N, we’ve been instructed not to allow any visitors,” the officer told her and Tara had to take several deep breaths to calm down and not make a scene.

Her hand touched her stomach, knowing there were plenty of reasons why she shouldn’t stress too much. “I’m her wife,” she repeated, hoping there was some humanity left in this man and that he would let her through to you. She needed to see you, even if it was in this cold, dark place, even if you were locked up. “I’m carrying her child, please, just for five minutes.”

He looked down, and while Tara could still hide it, a closer look would reveal that she was, indeed, two and a half months pregnant. “Well, it’s not exactly her child, is it? Get out miss L/N, this is your last warning,” he sneered and came up to her, ignoring her glare and ready to shove her if necessary.

“We get it, we’re leaving,” Danny stepped between Tara and the officer, just to be sure nothing would happen to her. “Come on, Tara, he won’t let you see Y/N,” he pleaded, gently taking her forearm and pulling her outside.

Tara let him, she followed him, defeated. You’ve been locked up for three weeks and no one was allowed to see you or hear from you. And Tara? Tara only had Danny left…

She got in the backseat of the taxi and Danny gave the driver his address as Tara got lost in her thoughts. Things were so much simpler and happier just a month ago, in fact, everything was going well ever since you recovered, four years ago.

~X~  

You were being mean, laughing at her and handing her the inhaler at the same time. Jerk… “You needed me so much you couldn’t breathe?” you dropped down unceremoniously next to her and pulled her closer the moment she returned the inhaler to the nightstand next to your bed.

“It’s not my fault you went crazy after I called you ‘baby’,” she wasn’t sure she could move from the bed any time soon. At least it was clear you got your stamina back…

You leaned closer to her, kissing her just beneath her ear. “I remember hearing something else as well,” you reminded her, your tone low and slightly raspy and all the things Tara was weak to.

And she turned completely red when she remembered exactly what you were talking about. “You’ll never hear that again,” she ducked down, hiding her face beneath your chin and just wrapping her arms around you.

“Whatever you say, Tara,” she could feel you smirking, she could sense it! Damn you for knowing exactly how to get her worked up, and for making her call you… no… she wouldn’t even think about that. She’d forget it. She’d make you sleep on the couch if you ever mentioned it. Or maybe not that. She needed you to sleep well, so maybe she wouldn’t make you sleep on the couch. Forbid you from kissing her? No, she liked that too much to use it as punishment. She could sit somewhere other than on your lap?

Hell no!

She could take your car. Actually, that would get you to ban her from sitting on your lap.

She’d just make you play horror games without her. That’ll teach you.

“Say, Y/N, were you serious about wanting to marry me?” she asked, absentmindedly tracing random lines on your arm. You still haven’t recovered all your muscles, but she could feel them under her touch, firm and strong, and she was sure you’d be back in shape before the end of the year.

“Completely,” you didn’t even hesitate, you just hugged her a bit tighter. “I’ll do the whole proposal thing sooner or later, but if you want to marry me, then yes, I am absolutely serious about that.”

Tara nodded, smiling brightly. “I do want to marry you,” she kissed you, from your neck, your jaw, all the way to your lips. “I want to spend my entire life with you,” her lips met yours and she moved to straddle your abs. “I want to take your last name, to have-“ she suddenly stopped, just now realizing that was one topic the two of you never talked about.

“Tara?” you raised an eyebrow, confused by her silence.

“Do you want children?” she blurted out, because she did, she wanted at least one child, or two, maybe two would be better. Probably not more than two. She wanted to give someone a childhood she wished to have, as far as parents went. But even more than that, she wanted a family with you. Regardless of if it was just the two of you, or if there would be kids.

You kinda just… shrugged and now it was Tara’s turn to be confused. “Eventually, sure. I haven’t really thought about it, but I’m not against it,” you tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and Tara sighed in relief. “If you want kids, we’ll raise them together, if you don’t, it’ll be just the two of us,” you pulled her down for a kiss and Tara felt like melting.

She definitely didn’t want kids right away, she wanted to finish college, get a job, get married and then, eventually, when both of you felt you were ready, either adopt or get pregnant. That, however, was topic for another day.

“You know, it’s good that you called me-“ she shut you up with a kiss. She knew exactly where you were going with that, and she would not let you finish that sentence.

“Don’t you dare,” she warned you. You just grinned at her.

~X~ Three years ago

This was it. This was how you were going to have your second heart attack and drop dead. All things considered your panic-filled mind wondered if this could be considered suicide, because, all of this was your doing.

“I can’t,” you were pacing around the hotel room, not even daring to glance at the tiny box on the table. Oh, if a bird swooped in from the skies and grabbed it you would be the happiest woman alive, because you’d at least have an excuse to postpone this.

“Y/N!” Anika grabbed your shoulders and pushed, but she couldn’t get you to move. “Sit down you… mass of muscles and ridiculous strength only Tara gets to move!” she grunted and then just threw her arms up, and sat down herself. “Fine! Stand there!” she gave up. “If you don’t do this today, you’ll have to wait until next year, remember?”

You looked to the side, annoyed that she was right. Her hair was braided, and she was wearing a nice, bright and colorful dress Mindy was going to drool over tonight. It was December thirteenth. The second anniversary of your and Tara’s relationship and you were ready to propose. Which was why you were on an urgent business trip, Anika went back to her parents, Mindy and Chad had to visit their mom, and Sam and Danny would be taking Tara to a restaurant so she wouldn’t feel lonely, and you’d be making up for the urgent business trip tomorrow, when Tara turns twenty-one.

Which was all one big lie, aside from Sam and Danny taking Tara to the restaurant. There was no business trip, or trips to see parents, it was just the proposal.

“Or maybe, hear me out, I say screw important dates, and just randomly ask her one day?” you suggested, raising your finger to make a point.

Anika got up and began jabbing her finger above your chest. “You, Y/N L/N, are one of the best women MMA fighters, you lived through being shot, stabbed, impaled on a rebar, falling from a roof and won Sam’s approval to date her sister, which is probably the most impressive accomplishment of them all,” she told you. “You are going to go downstairs, dressed in that,” she looked you up and down and just stepped back. “that… let’s just say Tara is lucky, because, well, you dressed to impress,” and you did. You went all out, finding the best clothes for the occasion.

And then the phone rang and you saw it was Danny calling.

Afraid something happened you immediately picked up. “Yes?”

“It’s a disaster,” he opened dramatically, his voice filled with panic. “Tara won’t dress up!”

You felt the tension from all of this, all the pressure from wanting to propose to her, all the worry caused by his call, it all just vanished, and you felt like you could breathe again. “Dude, let her come in whatever she wants,” you laughed.

“She wants to come in your damn shirt!” he whisper shouted and you watched Anika’s jaw dropping as she heard that.

“So let her! Let my girl do whatever she wants, it’s her night!” you just sat down on the bed and couldn’t wipe the grin off your face.

“It’s a five-star hotel and she wants to wear an oversized shirt that looks more like a dress on her and jeans! She didn’t even do her hair!” and she’d look more beautiful than anyone else in this whole hotel.

“Yup, let her, just bring her here,” you sighed dreamily.

“Unbelievable, both of you,” he groaned and hung up.

You looked at Anika, still flabbergasted by what she heard, and then at your usual clothes. “You know what, Tara has a point,” you’d wear fancy clothes for some special occasion, maybe tomorrow night when you take her out not as your girlfriend, but as your fiancée.

“No! Y/N! I won’t let you!” Anika cried out, but it was too late now.

~X~

Dressing up… as if Tara wanted to do that tonight. You weren’t there, and she was basically being a third wheel on Sam and Danny’s date, so no, she wouldn’t dress up. She wanted to stay home, watch a movie, and wear your shirt so she could feel like you were hugging her.

Well, she’d see you tomorrow, so that was nice. Urgent business trips have happened ever since you opened your own company. You used the money you got from your retirement and ensured you could mostly work from home, but you still needed to leave every now and then to meet up with your business partners. Did it suck that you had to leave on your anniversary? Yeah, it did. Was Tara angry? No, just a bit lonely since everyone else seemed to leave as well, but you called her plenty of times today and she couldn’t wait to see you tomorrow.

The hotel Sam and Danny took her to… well, now she felt a bit silly for being dressed so casually, especially since Danny went for a dark brown suit and black turtleneck sweater and Sam went through trouble of doing her hair and wearing a light green long coat with shirt and pants.

She walked in behind them, noticing immediately the hotel restaurant was empty, sure, it was expensive and all that, but completely empty? And several people greeted them and took them to the round table set up for six people, where Chad, Mindy and Anika were waiting already.

They were all dressed up, and Mindy was rolling her eyes when she noticed how Tara looked.

“Seriously Sam? You couldn’t get her to wear something else?” Mindy shook her head in utter disbelief.

“She’s stubborn, and well, the three of you didn’t do a better job anyway,” Sam muttered, further confusing Tara.

Several ideas were crossing her mind, but the table was set up for six people, and all thoughts of you somehow popping up were ruled out by that simple fact.

But everyone was dressed up. Anika was stunning, Jasmine looked just as beautiful in that red, slightly revealing dress and Chad went for a more casual, button up shirt and suit combination, and that worried her, because he loved dressing in a more casual way.

“Still the most beautiful girl in the room though,” her jaw dropped at the sound of your voice and she looked to the side as you came down the stairs, dressed just as casually as Tara, just simple, slightly tighter polo shirt and pants and a smile on your face as she ran up to you and jumped into your arms.

“What’s this all about? How are you here?” she wasn’t complaining, not in the slightest, she just wanted to know.

You laughed, lifting her up and carrying her bridal style to the table. “Well, I wanted to make this a bit fancier, but,” you looked down at her choice of clothing and grinned. “I think this suits us much better,” you lowered her back to her feet and guided her to the remaining free chair. “Tara Carpenter,” you went down to one knee and pulled out a box. “Will you marry me?”

Tara refused to cry, she wasn’t going to cry, she was absolutely crying as she fell into your arms and hugged you as tightly as she could. “Yes, a hundred times yes!”

~X~ Present day, March 2027.

The two of you got married on your third anniversary, exactly a year after you proposed, and last year you decided you’d try IVF and then, when Tara and you told Sam about it… well, that’s when it all started going downhill, as Sam grew more and more irritated and angry and would leave for several days at a time. Tara tried to be patient, but she was fearing an then you snapped…

~X~

Getting married didn’t change anything, Sam was still living with Tara and you, and her and Danny were still not living together. They’d spend nights together occasionally, but Sam never brought up the idea of him moving in, or her moving to his place. “Sam, please, just tell me what’s going on,” Tara pleaded when Sam once again chose to ignore how worried she was making Tara be.

“Nothing is going on,” Sam shut her down, not even once looking at Tara as she sat in your shared kitchen. You were out, buying groceries for tonight’s dinner, you and Tara wanted to make this dinner feel special, since it’s been a while since Sam was home for more than a few days. “Just make sure to take care of yourself when you get pregnant,” there was frustration in Sam’s voice that Tara immediately noticed.

“Are you angry at me?” Tara asked, not really having any ideas as to why Sam would be angry, but it just felt like she was.

“No,” and Sam refused to elaborate and in her anger and frustration reached into her pocket for her cigarettes just as you came back home.

“Drop them! Sam, drop them right now!” if there was one thing, just one thing that didn’t involve actually harming someone you loved that would make you snap instantly, it was someone who knew Tara had asthma trying to smoke near her.

“Baby, wait,” Tara got up, stopping you before you could take the cigarettes from Sam. This was already a volatile situation, Sam was frustrated, you were angry, and Tara needed to calm things down. “Let’s just go to our room, okay?” she took the groceries from your hand and placed them on the table, noticing ojo de pancha from a nearby bakery Sam loved at the top. She reached up, cradling your cheek and pulling you closer. “Do it for me?” she spent her entire childhood listening to her parents arguing, then to her mother and Sam arguing, she didn’t want to listen to you and Sam arguing as well.

You sighed, but nodded, ready to just let it be, until Sam spoke, her cigarette now lit.

“What are you two even thinking? What if Ghostface comes after us again?!” Sam demanded and Tara turned to look at her, at the fury in her eyes.

“Sam?” she called out, not recognizing her sister. She knew Sam was paranoid, but this much? “We weren’t attacked for over four years,” she tried to remind her as you lifted her up and took her away from Sam’s rage and from the smoke when you lowered her down you stepped between her and Sam.

“Tara has me, I won’t let anyone hurt her, or our child,” you said, for the first time in fifteen years you’ve spent as Tara’s best friend, as her protector, as the one person she could always rely on, the guard dog barked at her sister. “You included, Sam, so put that damn cigarette out before I make you,” you warned, your tone dangerously low.

You would turn twenty-six in a few months, and for the lack of a better word, you were at your peak. Stronger than even when you fought for the title, or when you fought against Thomas. Speed, strength, skill, all of that was as high as you could take it, and it was one of the reasons why you chose to start a family now, because Tara did worry about Ghostface coming back, and so did you.

Sam scoffed and walked out, and despite Tara’s pleas, she didn’t come back for a week.

~X~

Looking back now, it was like Tara was looking at herself from back when you first came to New York, only Sam was almost thirty and angrier than Tara ever was. When Tara found out she was pregnant, she wanted to have you and Sam there, but Sam just… left… abandoned Tara again, and no one, not her, not you, not Danny, no one could reach her. Tara’s life just fell apart shortly after Sam left.

Chad, Mindy and Anika left New York, Chad pursuing his football career, which took him to Miami, while Anika and Mindy formed a rising star duo, directing horror movies all over the country. So, her group was scattered, and while they all stayed in touch, Tara was only left with you as her constant. Danny was there as well, trying to be supportive while Sam was going through whatever she was going through, but it really was just you and her.

And then you got arrested, framed for murder you didn’t commit. And the victim?

He was stabbed.

A/N: Right, Tara is pregnant. I’m sure that won’t raise the stakes at all. Anyway, this is my Scream 7, I'm not watching anything unless Melissa and Jenna are back. Have fun with Lost season 2!

[thepersonnamedsam]

is that bluey? - dr3

pairing: daniel ricciardo x fem!reader

summary: being home alone with a migraine, you turn on a show that reminds you of your boyfriend

word count: 803

warnings: if you have emetophobia, you probably shouldn’t read it…

note: i myself am currently suffering from a migraine and i am just listening to bluey to not feel so alone, yay me

masterlist / taglist

The toilet was your favourite place right now. With a blanket laid down on the floor and a cushion under the toilet, you were curled up in the bathroom. You installed a power strip, so every electronic device could be charged, such as the humidifier, your iPad, the kettle and your phone. Plus it was the only room without a window, which usually was something bad, but that day it was a blessing.

You were home alone, Daniel was away with Scotty, either training or doing some shit. You wanted him here, but you also didn’t want to disturb him. You had a migraine, it was one of the milder ones, you had worse of 'em, but still bad enough to stick to the toilet. The cold floor helped you stick to reality. You were sweating like crazy and your left side of your head was pounding. It was like your heart was in your head.

Nausea overtook your body once in a while, but there was something that helped you through it all; Bluey! Even though you usually didn’t like the blue-light of the electronics, today it was some relief because you felt less alone. You couldn’t wait until Daniel got back.

You knew the show because of Danny‘s nieces and nephews, they were always watching the show. Daniel was always invested in the show, trying to watch it at home with you, but you always refused. But now it reminded you of him, especially the way Bandit is treating Bluey and Bingo. It reminded you of him and his sisters kids. You missed Daniel, having a migraine without someone caring for you was the worst.

That’s why, when you heard the key in the door, you were so excited you almost felt your eye pop out of its socket.

„Baby? I‘m home, where are you?“, he shouted through the flat. His loud voice pounded through your head. You loved him, really, but you could’ve killed him that moment. He opened the door to the bathroom and saw you lying on the floor. His mind instantly connected the dots; you had a migraine!

„Aww my poor baby, how can I help?“, his voice now in a hush, not wanting to worsen the ache in your head. You whined and opened your arms. He snickered and tried to fit his lanky body on the floor. You cuddled into his body and closed your eyes.

„Are you watching Bluey?“, he tried to contain his excitement in his voice, but failed miserably. You hummed and he just smiled at you. „Finally“, he whispered.

„But why?“ - „I missed you, s‘all.“

After a while, you felt the nausea kicking in and you wrestled yourself out of Danny’s arms. Thank god you were already in the bathroom, because you didn’t know how long you could’ve contained yourself.

You felt Danny trying to make a ponytail with your hair and a soothing hand rubbing over your back.

„Let it all out, my sweet girl. That’s good, let it all out“, he whispered to you. You hated vomiting, it’s the worst. You were just dry heaving after some time, your body still trying to eject everything from your stomach. Tears were hitting the toilet ring and Daniel wiped your eyes with his thump.

„I know, I know, everything’s gonna be good. Just a few more moments.“

„Can you please get me a glass of water and a new ice packet?“, your voice barely over a whisper. Daniel stood up and came back with all the stuff needed. He even brought you a coke, the wives tale or getting rid of nausea. He also brought a painkiller, having seen you take one only 15 minutes earlier, but when you vomited, you probably flushed the painkiller out of your body already. He was such a thoughtful person.

Later in bed, you had a bit of a moment where you felt better. „I am so happy you finally wanna watch Bluey“, Daniel exclaimed with excitement. You giggled, you knew he’d be happy to see you watching Bluey. „It reminded me of you“, you shyly smiled at him. „Aww baby.“

„You know, I think Bingo is the glue of the family, you know what I mean? Like, she’s the piece that’s holding all of the together“, you explained to your boyfriend. He chuckled lightly, he knew you’d be invested in the kids show. „Yeah, I think so too, honey“, he whispered against your temple. He kissed it and closed your eyes with his hands. „We can watch some tomorrow, hopefully your migraine‘s gone by then.“ You nodded your head, instantly regretting it.

You put the cold packet on your neck and cuddled into Daniels side. His arm snaked around your waist and pulled you even closer. „Night night, love you“, you whispered. „Love you too, darling.“

°°°

taglist: @ironmaiden1313 , @topguncultleader , @missskid , @gulabjamooon , @lovelyy-moonlight , @peachyplumsss , @mistrose23 , @copper-boom , @love4lando , @champomiel , @serenityleah , @iloveyou3000morgan , @angelwithoutmywings , @elleeeee21

[clockwayswrites]

Like Betta Fish Do - Part 14

Masterpost of ao3 link and all parts.

WC: 2650 (Ch 11 when on ao3) cw: post pit rage effects, talks of violence, blood, unreliable narrator

Jason came back to himself with dried blood on his knuckles and dread pooling in his stomach.

It was still sluggish to try and focus on the world around him. At least he was still in his apartment and the blood seemed contained to his hands and a smear on his shirt. Small blessings.

(His front door had seen better days.)

Stumbling, he dragged himself to his feet and out from the corner he had tucked himself into. It took him a moment to balance himself against the wall before he could stagger his way to slump onto the couch. Every part of him hurt— joints burned with a muted fire. Great, flair of his chronic pain on top of the Pit Rage. He must have missed a dose. Which made sense. It had gotten dark out. Or had gotten dark again. He wasn’t sure how long had passed. His body ached like it had been at least a day, but he had less fog than multiple days in the Rage would have brought.

The way his phone flashed missed notifications at him made him hesitate to check the time.

He had scared Danny. He had almost hit Danny. He hadn’t— he managed not to do that. No, he’d just threatened him by punching the door next to him.

Fuck, the other was never going to want to be near him again.

And he’d be right not to.

It was a fucking miracle that Jason’s family even tolerated him, after everything he had done to Tim and Dick and even Bruce. After everything he’d done to other people. He’d been dangerous.

He was dangerous.

So much for the ectoshot fixing anything. He’d had a few good weeks and now was back to this? Maybe it wasn’t about his infectious core. Maybe it was just him. Maybe he was rotten to the core with or without the Pit Madness.

Maybe there was no fixing him.

Jason’s hands shook so badly as he picked up his phone that he almost dropped it.

A meme from Dick that Jason didn’t understand. An invite to lunch with him and Tim in text and then a missed call. Eight texts from Danny.

Danny Thur 3:24 PM:

      I’m so sorry

What… what on earth was Danny sorry about?

Danny Thur 3:53 PM:

      I should have left when you told me to

      Let me know when you’re okay?

Danny 9:10 AM:

      I don’t know how long these last?

      Pls let me know when you’re alright.

      Just whenever you can.

Danny 2:38 PM:

      Jason?

Danny 2:39 PM:

      I’m sorry

Jason stared down at his phone, not comprehending Danny’s messages. Why was Danny sorry? All he had done was show up and try to help. Jason was the one who was a monster responded badly.

He cradled his phone, typing mangled messages with trembling fingers that he deleted again and again and again. Ignorant of his cheek hitting the send button, Jason pressed the heels of his palms hard against this eyes to try and keep the tears back. He wasn’t going to cry, damn it.

Except that he was.

Everything from all the the last few years had been building up and up and up and then finally— finally! There had been hope that maybe he wouldn’t have to fight back his own mind all the time. And he’d ruined it.

And he had hurt Danny.

Couldn’t he at least stop hurting people he cared about?

His phone range, suddenly and loud where it was pressed against his cheek. He fumbled it as he jerked it away from his sensitive ears.

A small voice, tinny in the phone’s speaker from where he held it as far away as possible, called out. “Jason?”

Fuck.

“Jason? Are… are you there?”

Jason opened his mouth to reply only for the words not to come out. He cleared his throat and tried again as he thumbed the phone onto speaker. It was easier than having that noise pressed up against his ear right then. “Danny.”

“Oh thank the Ancients,” Danny exhaled. “Are you okay? Shit, sorry, that’s probably a stupid question. Is there anything that I can do for you?”

“What?” Jason croaked.

“I— look, I promise not to come over without your permission or try to come inside if you don’t want me there, but I can, I don’t know… I can bring food? I can leave it outside your door. Are you hungry? Or do you need bandages or I don’t know, something comforting?” Danny asked. Danny pleaded. His voice sounded thick with emotions.

“What?” Jason was confused. He was trying to follow, but he just didn’t get it.

“Please, I’m sorry Jason. I just want to help you. And you can tell me to just fuck off! And I will. But if you need anything—”

“What… what are you apologizing for? I’m the one who…”

“Don’t, Jason—”

“I almost hit you!” Jason keened, his breath stuttering.

“But you didn’t Jason. You didn’t,” Danny said. Again, Danny pleaded. “You tried to get me to leave. I’m the one that fucked up. You knew you weren’t in control. You told me to leave and I didn’t. I was trying to be… your savior or something instead of being your friend, and I’m sorry. I know how annoying that is. There were times when I needed my sister and all I got was a therapist. I should have known better than to pull the same stuff. I should have left when you asked. You were just trying to protect me. It doesn’t matter that you wouldn’t have been able to hurt me, not long term.”

“I don’t want to even hurt you for a moment, fish,” Jason admitted honestly, maybe too honestly. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the bloody spot on his door.

“I know. And this time, next time, any time going forward I’ll listen when you tell me to leave, Jason. I promise. I’ll let you keep me safe. But I… just, fuck, Jason. Let me keep you safe too?”

Jason bit down on his lip to keep in the whine that wanted to escape. His head felt like it was split in two and he just wanted… he just….

He just wanted Danny there.

He wanted Danny there with his cool touch and laughter and care.

“Promise,” Jason said, despite himself. “Promise again.”

“I promise Jason,” Danny answered instantly. “The instant you tell me to leave again, I’m gone. You can keep me safe. Just please—”

“Okay. Okay… I… you’d come over?”

“Already putting on my shoes. Do you want me to get food?”

“Something warm. Pho?”

“Pho I can do. I’ll get some Cha Gio too,” Danny said, as if it was just any other visit between them.

Maybe it could still be okay.

“Okay.”

“Okay. I’ll see you soon, Jason.”

“Sure, fish.” Jason said.

Please, Jason just wanted it to be okay.

-

He should get up and clean. Jason knew that. There were shards of a coffee cup scattered over his floor, tea long soaked into the rug. He felt the itch of dried blood and cuts on the bottom of his feet.

The dried blood on his knuckles flaked off as he rubbed at it.

He should get up and clean.

Instead, he let his head fall back against the back of his couch and focused on breathing.

Once it had come out— entirely against his will— that he would still have bouts of pain that lingered from his death, the family had insisted that Jason seek help. It hadn’t gone over well. He didn’t talk to them for almost a month.

It might have all been easier if he hadn’t blurted out the fact during yet another argument about his attitude. Damian had been picking at him again. And of course Dick had been nervously fretting off to the side, worrying over making the fight worse… or maybe just worrying over making Damian worse. And Bruce had been judging him for snapping back (he’s just a child, Jason) and Tim had all but disappeared to hide in the shadows where Cass was silently watching. Damian scoffed (and no one scoffed like Damian) that nothing had even gone wrong that night and Jason had just gone off.

He had shouted that nothing needed to go wrong when he could feel the aches in his bones from where the crowbar had shattered him. That he hadn’t even wanted to go on patrol that night— that he had said no. But then Dick had pried at him about needing to be there for the family so he had come. And the case was over why wouldn’t they just let him go home and stop with the stupid debrief. He hurt and he just wanted to go home.

And home wasn’t the manor.

As always, it was Dick that pulled him back to the family after giving him room to cool off. Conservation had been stilted and strained, Jason walking away from it more than once to flee the pitying looks of his family, but they’d finally gotten through talking and the piles of research that Tim had done (because of course he had). Bruce had even spoken about his own lingering pain from old injuries. All the effort by his family resulted in Jason speaking with a Justice League physician.

It didn’t give a lot of answers— not for someone revived from the dead and then dipped in Lazarus Pits— but he had medication to take, preventative and emergency, and techniques to help with the pain.

It was rarely enough, but it was something.

He had just finished pushing himself through gentle stretches of his arms when there was a knock at his door. Jason felt himself tense, undoing all the work he’d just done. It was effort to remember to breath.

Danny insisted on coming over. Danny didn’t hate him.

“Come in.”

In the reverse of the other night, Danny stepped through the door like it was nothing. He cradled a loaded plastic bag to his chest, almost curled around it, and a messenger bag hung off his back. He seemed to sag further when their eyes met.

“Oh Jason,” Danny breathed.

Jason wanted to say something, but he just couldn’t find the words. Instead, he watched helplessly as Danny skirted the shards of ceramic and made his way over. The food was abandoned on the coffee table as Danny sat down next to it.

Without a moment of hesitation, Danny reached out to brush Jason’s hair back, and Jason practically crumpled into the touch.

“I’m sorry—” Jason tried to say.

“Stop apologizing.”

“No. I tried to hit you.”

“You didn’t,” Danny insisted. He ran his hands through Jason’s hair again, making Jason shudder slightly. “We both know if you tried to hit me you would have actually hit me. You tried to scare me because I wasn’t listening to you and you were scared. You didn’t try to hit me, Jason. You didn’t hurt me and you didn’t try to hurt me. You’ve done worse when we were sparing. I’ve done worse when we were sparing, or have you forgotten I bit you?”

Jason let his eyes close at another brush through his hair. “Course not. It’s when I realized you were insane.”

“Really? Not until then? Damn, I would have thought my very first note would have gotten me there.”

He almost felt like laughing. Had he ever laughed to soon after a Pit episode? “Fine, correction: it’s when I realized you were feral.”

“That sounds more like it,” Danny agreed. He still hadn’t stopped running his fingers through Jason’s hair. They slid down a little to scratch lightly at Jason’s scalp.

Fuck that felt nice.

“So here’s what we’re going to do,” Danny said. “I’m going to check over your foot and hand, then you’re going to shower, then we’ll bandage up anything that needs it, and then we’ll eat. And we’re not going to apologize anymore. You’re sorry, I’m sorry, we’ve both said it. We’re just going to focus on getting you well. Got it?”

“Got it,” Jason rasped.

It turned out, Jason had ceramic shards stuck him his foot. That explained the itching at least. Danny was surprisingly competent and picking the chunks out with the tweezers before declaring that nothing needed stitches. By the time that Jason had run through the shower, dressed in the softest clothing he had, and taken both his regular and emergency medication, Danny had cleaned up the mess on the floor.

‘Pride and Prejudice’ was paused on the TV screen, Danny’s laptop set up close by to stream it.

The smell of lemon grass and broth was rich in the air.

“Sit so I can put the ointment on your cuts,” Danny said, motioning to the couch.

“They’ll be—”

“Sit.”

Jason sat.

Danny tucked a blanket around him that Jason was pretty certain wasn’t his, and grabbed a foot before Jason could protest again. Jason wisely kept his mouth shut and let Danny tend to the cuts and split knuckles. “Do you need anything for the pain.”

“Took something already,” Jason said. His voice was still an uncomfortable rasp.

Danny glanced at him, as if trying to see if that was true, before nodding. “Good. Do you have lap trays or anything to eat on?”

“Over behind the trunk under the windows.”

Danny nodded and got up to wash his hands. “I’m staying here tonight.”

“Danny—”

“If you really want me to leave, you tell me and I will. But otherwise I’m staying here tonight because I want to know you’re alright.”

Danny was worried. Now that he could think past himself, Jason could notice the tension in Danny’s thin frame. Jason swallowed thickly and gave a jerky nod. “Okay.”

“And when you’re up to it— tomorrow or the next day or later this week— we’re going to go somewhere and spar.

Jason felt confused. “We’ve spared.”

“We’ve tussled like humans. We’re going to spar and I’m going to show you that you don’t need to treat me like I’m breakable. That doesn’t change my promise. If next time this happens you tell me to go, I’ll still go, but you need to know that I’m capable of protecting myself from a lot worse than what you can do.”

“I’m dangerous.”

“You are,” Danny agreed easily as he grabbed the lap trays. “But with the powers I have in my ghost form, you’re no match for me.”

He set them down on the coffee table and paused. Jason could practically see Danny searching for the words to say. It took him until all the food had been placed on the two trays for Danny to find them.

“I know you’re strong, Jason. I’m going to assume you know how to use the weapons you’ve got on display too. When you get your core and your powers I’ve got no doubt you’ll be a powerhouse. Maybe you can rival me someday, who knows. Halfas are weird,” Danny said with a twitch of a shrug. “But I’ve been fighting ghosts and winning since I was fourteen. When I was sixteen my friend Tucker ran the numbers— he was pretty sure I could beat Superman. I’ve only gotten stronger.”

Something dark flashed across Danny’s face before it was gone again. “I’ll never be as strong as I could be, I refuse to take those steps, but I’m just going to get stronger as I my powers continue to grow. And they will— I’m still getting used to the ring and the crown. Which I guess it what it really comes down to. It always sorta fucking does these days.

“You’re not going to hurt me, not in any lasting way— not when I’m the ghost’s King.”

-----

AN: Danny you dramatic little fuck, that was NOT how this chapter was supposed to end! This was not the moment for your reveal. But noooooo. Sigh. The second half of this chapter took on a real life of its own. The pain talk wasn’t planned either. Oh boys. Guess next chapter they’ll have to talk about that bombshell!

Anywho. Recovery isn’t linear, and I wanted to show that with these last two chapters. Sorry(?) for the angst! Stay delightful, darlings.

Tag list of doom:

@fisticuffsatapplebees​  @thegatorsgoose​  @wolfeyedwitch​  @lazy-bouqet​  @confusedandghostly​  @glomsk​  @kailithiel​  @bahfev​  @d4ydr34min9​  @claudiashq​  @someonebored0100​  @pastalavistamf​  @samgirl98​  @angelheartgamer​  @lehana37​  @spiteismymiddlename​  @rosecinnamonbun​  @demon-cat-goes-woof​  @violet-catsarelife​  @avelnfear​  @undead-essence​  @basilf1res​  @amillionandonefandoms​  @stealingyourbones​  @sarcastic-yami​  @bun-fish​  @aconitewolfsbane​  @dontfightmecauseillcry​  @omgnectarina​  @vehan-tikkun-olam-and-stuff​  @the-blind-one-speaks​  @mimilikey​  @wolfe-marvin​  @learning-to-fly-on-my-own​  @multplelifes​  @yurijay​  @bae-graphomaniac​  @fan4rt1st​  @weirdestarrow​  @wolfjackle​  @allulily​  @onyxlightdragon​  @zotinha456​  @wwwwyamd​  @river9noble  @starscreamlover​  @michealawithana​  @robinmedea​  @spideypoolalways​  @jesus-camp-the-sequel​  @persephoneblackrose​  @f4nd0m-fun​  @mady-is-ace-trash​  @ascetic-orange​  @renwilson​  @ace-aro-as-shit​  @rangerhorsetug​  @thatrandomsarahchick​  @holygoldfish​  @mlpizza​  @chrysanthemum9484​  @justwannaseesomebrozawa​  @newgraywolf​  @crazylittlemunchkin​  @fire-glass​ @autumnrosnor​  @the-nerdy-fangirl​  @faithblob-says-things   @a-star-with-a-human-name  @winged-scaly-attic-dweller  @mistermetalmaker  @apersond  @mustachebatschaos  @joaniejustwokeup  @that-dumbass-on-a-horse  @plainly-colorful  @blackcatsandhaunteddolls  @booklover223  @alice-hazelwood  @answrs  @enbydemirainbowbigfoot  @felicityroth  @wanderingrutabaga  @seraphinedemort  @write-it-right-2  @my-mom-calls-me-rat  @01101010-01100001-01111001  @arc-777  @crystalice067  @phoenixdemonqueen  @icedbluesoul  @itsparadoxlacuna  @wisp-wishes  @spikedlynx  @redhoneysugarorange  @russetfur1128  @mutable-manifestation  @stargirl1331  @chaoticchange  @living-on-borrowed-time  @orshie  @britcision  @littlefeather345  @sunflowershine03  @aro-acedumbass  @thefanficcup  @shibanoh  @icefirecrystal  @thatonejumbledmess  @cy-ella  @kobol1  @metal-sporks  @tired-yet-awaken  @currant-owo  @firegirl108  @stupidlovepurplepeace  @drowningroane  @imagineshazamlokimight  @immakittybear  @justalittletotheleftofnormal @chrysanthemum9484  @kawaiikenna  @imaginationmademanifest  @a-salty-sal  @mentalcarebear  @mj-arts-n-stuff  @xysidhe  @cottonscrambles  @manapeer  @yjfk  @ryisc  @666deaddash999  @nutcase8691  @idontgetpaidenoughforthisshit  @dr-syko-pharm-4  @i-have-opinions  @ballzfrog-blog  @mysoulspiralbound  @istillhavenosociallife-blog  @gin2212  @annabethchase0 @basementloser  @plotwholls  @minnowmarsh  @neverlandingbird  @rootsmudge  @fandom-reblog-central  @serasvictoria02  @mnemovoid  @taniaundertaleau  @kirineo-kiki  @ironicvixen  @violetfox2  @redhoneysugarorange  @phantom-dc @naluforever3  @horribly-lost-and-gay  @nutcase8691 @babblingbat  @frostedthroughghost  @kyrianclawraith  @caspertheloudassghost @the-forgotten-dragon-anankos @lyra689 @v-inari @terzatheunderscorerima @fallenangle67 @aarinisreading @job-ross-the-second​

[braden-holtbys]

Back To Me

A/N: Hi it's me, back on my bs again! Here's another fic I've been working on. It's a bit rushed, but please let me know if a part two is wanted and/or if I should make more fics!

Warnings: angst( ?), maybe a bit of depression

Daniel Ricciardo x reader - more is under the cut!

“Y/N, I'm sorry. I can’t keep doing this,” Daniel said abruptly, moving his cup closer and using the straw to swirl the ice. He tried to not make any eye contact with you, he knew those words cut you deep. You sat there shocked, your jaw practically dropped to the ground. “I’m so sorry Y/N. I think we just got caught up in our romantic feelings and we’ve become so busy with each other and our jobs. Maybe it’s just that this is a distraction….”

“Danny, can- can we talk about this? Think it over?.” you asked while trying to not cry, choking on your words. You didn’t want to make a big scene while you two were at your favorite cafe. Those memories? Gone. 

“I’m so, so sorry Y/N,” he replied quietly, frowning and still avoidant. “I need to get back to practice.” Just like that, he got up and left you alone. You watched as he left the cafe, seemingly with no regret, no looking back. 

I can make you mad

I can make you scream

I can make you cry

I can make you leave

I can make you hate me

For everything

But I can't make you come back to me

Ricciardo, Daniel Ricciardo. That was about seven months ago and since then you’ve struggled to make it day to day without that sunshine of yours. You missed his laugh, his smile, those big brown eyes of his, everything… Three and a half years down the drain in a single moment because of what? You being a distraction? You’ve seen posts here and there on your socials speculating that that might’ve been encouraged by his press officer. Lots of comments saying the same thing like ‘Way to get rid of the distraction,’ ‘Y’all did them dirty,’ ‘They were so happy together and he was doing well’ stuff like that. 

You still kept in contact with some of the other wives and girlfriends of the other drivers. In fact, you were somewhat close with Alex’s and George’s girlfriends, and occasionally they’d come over to your flat in Barcelona to help cheer you up. You were studying abroad in Spain trying to get your masters in mechanical engineering, focusing on automotive mechanics. It was tough for sure, but you managed. It seemed that every time you watched a race since the break up, he’s been struggling too, you can see it in his demeanor. His teammates and other drivers seemed to give him shit for breaking up with you. Little did you know that it was actually the idea of his press officer. There were days where you’d lay in bed staring at the ceiling wondering where you went wrong. No doubt, the both of you actually missed each other, but unbeknownst to you, he desperately wanted you by his side again. You, on the other hand, actually wondered if he was doing the same thing, staying up and thinking about you. 

The girls came over to the flat to get you out of the place, get a breath of fresh air, soak up the beautiful sunshine. They were so worried about you and how you struggled to care for yourself.

“Aw girls, you didn’t have to take me out to the spa! I mean it!,” You exclaimed, you just didn’t want them to worry so much. 

“Y/N please don’t worry about it! We want what’s best for you,” Carmen replied, Lily nodded as she agreed. 

“Plus, he’s been depressed and struggling as much as you have,” Lily added. “I truly think that this wasn’t his idea, but rather a forced one.”

“Ya think? I mean it could be possible.” You replied quietly. “When’s the next race? I have a break coming up this week.”

“Uhhh-”

“I believe this week actually, here in Barcelona,” Carmen interjected before Lily could reply.

“Oh shit that’s right. Mind if I tag along with the both of you?,” you asked, some hope in your voice. You saw their eyes light up as they squealed in happiness. It was like they were waiting for you to make that move. 

Called me all day

But I never pick up

Instead of pulling my weight

Always pushing my luck

You gave me all that I could take

Yeah, I took it all for granted

Head up in the clouds

Yeah, I never understand it

—

“What movie did you wanna watch love?,” Daniel asked as you sat down on the couch and cuddled with him. 

“Um I’m good with pretty much anything, just no horror,” you chuckled as you watched him flip through the channels. Nothing really jumped out to either of you.

“Do you just wanna watch an anime movie or something like that?,” he ended up asking. 

“Of course,” you whispered with a smile. You could feel his body vibrate as he chuckled. 

That memory always stuck with him for whatever reason. Maybe it was because it was a long race week and he didn’t do so hot. It might’ve been that his season with McLaren was so stressful on him, plus the stress of being on Red Bull and Renault that had followed him. 

“Hellooooooooooooooo—--,” Lando blurted as he waved a hand in front of Daniel’s face. “Earth to Danielllllllll.” Daniel had snapped out of his daydream.

“What’s up?,” He asked as he looked up at Lando from his seat.

“You good? You’ve been staring off into space and daydreaming a bunch, man. Whatcha thinking about?,” Lando had asked. 

“Uhhhhhh,” Daniel started. He didn’t want to admit that he was thinking about you, but… “Just thinking about Y/N.”

“Dude it’s been a while. Have you spoken to her lately or nah?,” he asked as he took a seat next to the Aussie. Daniel shook his head ‘no’ even though he has thought about it several times in the last seven months. “You know, I heard through a couple birdies that she might show up to the Spanish grand prix.”

“Where’d you get that info?,” the Aussie immediately asked, looking at the youngster as if he was speaking another language. Alas, the young one had the widest grin on his face.

“I’m not allowed to say…,” He chuckled. “But, just know that I’m rooting for you both to get back together. Honestly, we all are dude. We can tell that you’ve been off since then.” He felt so nervous at the thought of seeing you again, it almost made him nauseous yet excited. God, he so desperately wanted to see you again and apologize for the pain and the fuck up. 

He missed your smile, your voice, the way you carried yourself with confidence, your smarts, everything. He missed the way you looked at him after his races, no matter how he did, you had a sparkle in your eyes only for him. 

“Anyways, I’m gonna get some food. Want anything?,” Lando asked as he got up from his spot.

“Nah I’m good. Thanks man,” Daniel replied as he smiled.

He understands that your education comes first, but he wishes that you’d finish already so you could be by his side at the paddock with whatever team he’s on. Daniel knew that when he sees you, you both have to talk and that he won't let you go ever again. He’s struggled to sleep at night, his house empty without the love of his life. 

It was a surprise that neither of you blocked each other on anything, but you guessed that the other wasn’t interested in that. Rather it was like you both were interested in getting back into each other’s life.

—-

I remember thinking

I don't need you

But then time passed by

And it's so untrue

Now I'm the rain over your parade

Reason you're over me

Yeah, I always keep making the same mistakes

Maybe I never deserved you anyways

You counted down the days until the Grand Prix came around. Your phone started to ding every so often as you got texts from the girls, but what startled you is that Daniel started to text you again. He’d occasionally send a ‘hey’ or ‘how have you been?’, but what threw you off was when he suddenly asked if he could call. Honestly you’ve just been ignoring his texts because at this point, it’s been eight months since your break up.

He got the point, yet he still persisted like the badger he is. You were alarmed by your phone suddenly ringing. You rolled over in bed to look at it - ‘Danny </3’. Rolling your eyes, you let it go to voicemail. 

‘What the hell? Why is he calling me now?’ 

The phone rang again, but this time you finally picked up.

“Um… hello?,” You asked reluctantly. “I’m surprised you didn’t get rid of my number.” He chuckled, and God, you missed that so much. 

“Hello to you too Y/N,” Daniel responded as he cleared his throat. “I’m glad that you picked up.” “What’s up?,” You asked, trying to not sound angry or annoyed. 

“I- I know it’s been a while since we last saw each other. I really wanna talk to you because I really fucked up,” he replied, almost seeming like he was going to cry. “I made a really bad mistake.”

“Oh really? You don’t say Danny,” you stated, rolling your eyes at the obvious. 

“Look, obviously things didn’t go as we had wanted, and I want to talk to you about it. I’m in town tomorrow and have some free time before practice. Let’s meet up at the cafe near your flat, yeah?,” He asked with some hope in his voice. “Are you free too?”

“Uhhh, yes I am actually.”

“Great I’ll shoot you a text and see ya tomorrow.”

“That’s fine.”

As soon as the call ends, he shoots a text with the time and place. Pits were forming in your stomach, like butterflies wanting to fly away. Tomorrow couldn’t be here any sooner and you wanted to tell him off, but also tell him that you needed him so bad. 

I can make you mad

I can make you scream

I can make you cry

I can make you leave

I can make you hate me

For everything

But I can't make you

Come back to me

I can make a world

Out of broken dreams

I can make you say things

You don't mean

I can unmake

All we were made to be

But I can't make you come back to me

The next day rolled around, and you felt so nervous as that pit never left your stomach, but at least you felt cute in your favorite summer dress. It was a pink, knee length dress with strawberry prints and spaghetti straps. You sat in the corner of the cafe, a booth that was quiet and somewhat secluded from the rest of the place. It felt like an eternity waiting for him to come around as you fucked around on your phone. Not even five minutes passed and Daniel finally showed up, sliding into the seat. 

“Hey Danny, long time no see,” You said quietly with a small smile. “What did you want to talk about?”

“I really wanted to say that I’m sorry for breaking up with you. It hurt me then, it hurts me still, and it was a mistake. My- my press officer thought that this relationship was too distracting for me and was hindering my results. I thought it was a fucked up thing to do, and I will always regret this because at the time - I guess it would be best for the both of us,” Danny explained, tears already in your eyes. 

“I was holding you back? That’s rich coming from them,” you scoffed at the mere fact that the press officer really thought that. “I’m sorry that they thought about us like that.”

“Don’t be,” he replied. “I realized some time after that they were just creating drama in order for me to get better results.”

“Look Danny,” you started, “I’m sure we could’ve worked this out sooner. Maybe if we just put in a bit more effort and communication, then maybe - I don’t know. Maybe I just don’t understand why I was the breaking point…,” you trailed off, almost crying because you felt defeated. Danny moved over to your side of the booth to comfort you, lifting up your chin to make you look at those dreamy eyes of his. They longed for you, and  no one else. 

“Y/N,” He started to say, an apologetic tone in his voice. “I’m so sorry I made you feel that way. Honestly, I was miserable without you and our home feels so empty without you. I want you back so bad. Would you be interested in trying again?” You looked at him in shock, unable to say much at the moment, and it was like the whole cafe went silent. Time felt like it was moving slowly, just for you both.

“Y- Well, I - Yes, I would like to try again, but …,” You were hesitant. “However, it seems that there are things we both need to work on. I’d like for the both of us to work on it together, only if that’s okay with you.” He gave you the widest smile ever, something you haven’t seen in forever, especially something so genuine. 

“I’d love that,” Daniel whispered as he put his forehead on yours. 

Calling all day

Tryna make things right

Just to fuck it all up

When I see you tonight

Since you told me hit the road

I've been running on empty

If anything I know

It's how to ruin a happy ending

I remember when you still needed me

Don't know how I let it go so easily

Now I'm the cloud to your sunny days

Reason you run away

Don't know how I keep making the same mistakes

Maybe I never deserved you anyway

[wolfjackle-creates]

Bring Me Home: Arc 2 Part 10

Happy Wednesday!

Story Summary: Tim and Danny are both neglected by parents who care more about their work than their families. They deal with this by spending too much time online and find each other playing MMORPGs. They keep up their friendship as Tim becomes Robin and Danny becomes Phantom and don't bother keeping secrets from each other.

First, Previous

Word Count: 1.4k

-----

The sun was high in the sky when Tim stirred the next morning. He and Bart were the only ones still in the guest room; Cassie and Conner must’ve gotten up already.

Bart had an arm tossed over his torso and his head was shoved into the pillow inches from Tim’s. No way to extricate himself without waking his friend, so he let his eyes close again. It was a long night and they deserved a lie-in.

But it was not to be. Moments later, the door banged open and Conner was there.

“Rise and shine, sleepyheads!” he called out. “Breakfast is ready!”

Bart grumbled into the pillow and Tim nudged him with his elbow. Without opening his eyes, he mumbled, “Don’t think we’re gonna be given a choice, Bart.”

“But, Rooob,” Bart complained, “you’re comfy.”

Tim yawned. Cassie ran into the room and jumped on the base of the bed.

“Come on, guys! It’s almost noon!”

“That early?” asked Tim. “I changed my mind. Give us another hour.” He covered his eyes with his arm and tried to roll over without displacing Bart’s arm. Bart pulled him closer.

“You’ve gotten like twenty calls from Bruce, Tim. You might want to answer them.”

Shit, Bruce. Tim missed morning check in and Bruce must be panicking. He grumbled and pushed himself up so he was sitting against the headboard. “B’s a worrywart.”

“Dick’s called a few times too,” added Cassie.

“They’re both worrywarts.” Tim yawned and held out his hand, and Conner passed over his phone.

Bart sat up next to him with his own grumbles and rested his head on Tim’s shoulder so he could see the screen as well.

Conner had only been slightly exaggerating. Ten new calls from Bruce, three from Dick, and one from Alfred. His texts, on the other hand…

Tim opened the group chat and sent a message.

Tim: We’re fine. Just had a late night and needed to sleep in.

After a moment’s hesitation, he added,

Tim: Return will be delayed by a few days. Will give ETA when I have more information.

Immediately, he received an incoming call from Bruce. Bart laughed against his cheek.

“No way am I sticking around for a bat interrogation. Kon, you mentioned breakfast? Are the Drs Fenton around?”

“Nope, they’re gone,” said Cassie.

Tim answered the call as Bart pushed off the bed. He and Cassie left discussing breakfast options.

“Hey, B,” said Tim as soon as the call connected.

“Report, Robin. What happened? Why’d you miss check-in?”

“Sorry! Didn’t mean to. Stayed up late catching up with my friend and then overslept this morning. Everything’s fine.” Tim expertly ignored Conner’s raised eyebrow. Why did everyone make such a big deal about lying to Batman?

“Hn.” Shit, that was Bruce’s I’m-not-sure-I-should-believe-you ‘Hn.’

Tim let the silence drag on. If he got too defensive, Bruce would absolutely know he was lying through his teeth.

“You just overslept?”

“Yep. Stayed up late playing a video game. It had to do with ghosts.” And sprinkle in just a bit of truth.

“Set an alarm for tomorrow. Do not miss any further check ins. When will you be returning? I need to arrange attendance with your school.” Bruce was clearly not happy.

“It’ll probably be a few more days. I’ll give you an update on this evening’s check-in. After Danny gets back from school.”

“I want all your homework completed by the time you return to Gotham, Tim.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you need help with transportation?”

“Nah. Conner’s agreed to take me back.” Not that he had asked. He looked up at Conner and raised an eyebrow in question.

Conner rolled his eyes, but smiled fondly and nodded. Tim grinned back and gave him a thumbs up.

“Very well. Is his phone working yet?”

“Uh, let me ask.” Tim looked up to Conner. “Is your phone working yet?”

Conner shook his head. “Nah, they weren’t able to get to it. But Cassie’s and Bart’s are.”

Tim relayed the information to Bruce who merely hummed. “Very well. Your next check in will occur before nine PM, Tim.”

“You’ve got it, B. Talk to you then!” Before Bruce could ask any more questions or begin to doubt his lies, Tim ended the call.

“Dude, I can’t believe how easily you lie to him.”

Tim shrugged. “I don’t get why people think it’s such a big deal. You just have to know what he’d expect and play into that. So long as he doesn’t learn Danny is also a superhero, this’ll be easy. And my chats with Danny are so encrypted not even Bruce will be able to hack them.”

Conner just shook his head. “Whatever you say. Now, come on downstairs. Cassie and I’ve been listening to the news and we’ll give you the rundown on what’s going on.”

“Where are our hosts anyway?” asked Tim as he followed Conner through the house.

“They went to Danny’s school to give an assembly on ghost safety and help implement some new security protocols for the students.”

“Danny’s not gonna like that.”

On the way down the stairs, Tim heard the voice of a newscaster.

“…why Phantom has hidden his connection to the Justice League. Perhaps we were too quick to judge him a menace. Though the Fentons still insist that all ghosts are merely posthumous consciousness implanted on ectoplasm and evil. I suppose we will just have to see. Either way, the combined work of Phantom and the Teen Titans has appeared to scare away the invasion last night. Due to their hard work, no casualties occurred, however the city did suffer hundreds of thousands in property damage.”

Cassie passed him a bowl of cereal and selection of protein bars. “We heeded your warning about cooking, so you’re stuck with a cold breakfast of stuff Kon and I picked up at the store.”

“Thanks.” Tim took it and started eating. “So what do we know?”

“The ghosts seem to have disappeared,” said Cassie. “But I don’t know if I trust it. They could be hanging around invisible or possessing people. The Fentons left for Danny’s school about half an hour ago and according to the news, the mayor will be there as well.”

“We’re hoping that’ll be broadcasted as well,” added Conner. “Considering how many times the mayor said he’d be at the school this morning when he was giving his press conference, I feel like he’ll want it publicized as much as possible.”

Tim nodded. “At least by publicly associating with him, our presence seems to have helped Danny’s reputation as a hero in the town. He’s been struggling with that.”

Bart snorted. “Wonder why. His parents love his alter ego so much.”

On the TV, the newscaster said, “Now, let’s switch to our correspondent live in Casper High!”

“Looks like it’s starting! Think we’ll see Danny in the crowd?” asked Bart.

Tim shrugged and moved until he was sitting right in front of the TV, eating mechanically as the mayor proved he was only there for the photo-op.

At least until the assembly was interrupted when a giant humanoid-wolf creature attacked. “Shit,” said Tim as he tried to call Danny.

Who of course didn’t pick up.

“I’ll go see if there’s anything we can do to help!” said Bart who was gone before Tim could agree or disagree.

Five minutes later, his phone rang. He set it to speaker before answering. “What’s going on?”

“The wolf escaped, but Danny wants us to stay put. His parents will be returning soon and he doesn’t want us to raise any suspicions. Since this time it’s only one ghost, he should be able to handle it.”

Tim ground his teeth. “Fine. But tell him to keep us in the loop.”

“Will do!”

The call disconnected. And a minute later, he had a new group message.

Danny: Hey, Tim. I’ve added Sam and Tuck to a group chat to keep you up to date at Bart’s request.

Tim let out a breath and added Cassie, Bart, and Conner.

Tim: I’ve added my friends to make it even easier Tucker: Tell Conner I’ll work on his phone as soon as school’s over Tim: He says thanks

And then Bart was back.

Tim sighed. “So I guess we’re sitting tight until the Drs Fenton return. I feel blind right now.”

Cassie sat next to him and bumped their shoulders. “We’ll figure this one out just like we have all the ones before.”

Conner sandwiched him on the other side. “Yep. And the Fentons don’t seem like the type to hide information. They’ll tell us everything we want to know.”

“You’re both right. We’ll fix this and be home before we know it.”

-----

Next

A little bit of a quieter segment after two weeks ago, but all the action is happening with Danny and co. It'll pick up shortly, though!

I'm afraid I'm no longer doing tag lists, but please check out the subscription post if you want notifications when I update!

[gretavanfleetposts]

Fire in the Water: Chapter Six

Summary: You had thought dating a vampire would be the most complicated thing you'd ever done. But as it turns out, becoming one is even more complicated. The boys are determined to make your transformation as smooth as possible while each fighting to maintain the relationships they once had and those they now lust for. Author's Note: As always, I'd like to thank the lovely @gretasmokerising for inspiring me and encouraging me and @earthlysorrows for editing and helping me piece everything together/brainstorm Content Warnings: swearing, talk of blood, descriptions of murder and blood drinking, talk of sex and sexual themes, oral (m. receiving) (18+ minors do not interact) Word Count: 8k

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You came to just in time to hear an argument exploding in the background, ringing in your ears. But Sam was quick to pull you out of the house, dragging you by your wrist and refusing to let you see either of the twins. It wasn't until you made it past the treeline that you pulled your wrist free finally, angrily.

"Why did you do that?" you all but screamed.

"He needed to know," he said without even pausing his footsteps that carried him away from you.

He had insisted that you needed to hunt as Jake had zapped you of most of your energy by putting you into a sleep-like trance, your body fighting him unconsciously the entire time. But you didn't exactly feel exhausted by it. You felt rejuvenated. In fact, you were more ready than ever to lunge at Sam again.

"This is about you, isn't it?"

Your accusation stopped him dead in his tracks. Even before he turned to confront you, you could tell he was angry. He closed the distance between you quickly, a fiery look behind his eyes.

"It's about not dragging Josh's heart through the fucking dirt if you’re going to run off with Jake."

"Who says I fucking am?"

"Oh sure," he scoffed, "little miss 'would do anything to feel a soul tie'."

He was so condescending when he said it, like you were a child who believed in magic and created whole worlds around the concept, untouched by reality. But the reality was, you felt you had no choice in the matter, even though Jake's comment about Danny not being able to see anything past your turning had left you with a glimmer of hope.

"You're being unfair," you scowled.

"You're being loud."

He left you standing where you were, staring at his back as he ventured deeper into the woods. And he only stopped when he realized you weren't following.

"Am I going to have to hold your fucking hand and drag you through these woods myself?" he asked when he turned back to you.

You gritted your teeth and finally moved your feet to follow in his footsteps. "I'll hurt you if you even try."

It seemed to immediately diffuse some of the tension, earning you a click of his tongue and an, "Atta girl".

You trudged behind him like a scolded toddler, sighing heavily if only to annoy him to the furthest possible extent that you could. It was what he deserved after what he had done, even though when your anger inevitably subsided, you'd know it had been the right thing to do.

"I was going to tell him eventually," you huffed. "I haven't even come to terms with it myself."

"It's fine, let's just…not. We need to focus."

“You’re mad at me,” you remarked. You could feel it. It hurt you even though it shouldn't have.

He sighed, clearly annoyed at your inability to be quiet.

“I’m not mad at you. Why do you care what I think about it anyway?”

“I see the way you look at Adele. I don’t want you to look at me that way.”

The next sigh that came held a little more weight to it, like he actually was sorry for how he felt.

“I could never feel the things that I feel for Adele for you, okay? It’s different.”

You weren't entirely sure if that sentiment should have hurt your feelings or not.

"Wish I could just shut it all off."

"God, you are dramatic." You imagined it with a perfect eye roll from the angelic boy probably giving it to the trees ahead of him rather than back at you.

"I am not," you argued back.

So mature. It was nice to know you were regressing.

"You're strong, you know. Whether you feel it or not. You should go with me to the high council; they'll be impressed."

"Too strong for my own good, I think," you admitted. "In my more lucid moments."

"You're exactly what you're supposed to be."

He was probably the only one who thought that.

"Aren't you the one that said Jake shouldn't have turned me?"

"That was for other reasons."

"Oh right, the reasons you won't tell me. They must be pretty shitty reasons."

You could hear his scoff from in front of you, exasperation leaking into the air.

"You test my patience," he huffed. But you could tell he hardly meant it. And if he had, well, he must have liked having his patience tested.

"Good," you remarked.

You walked in silence for a beat. Sam always preferred walking over running; said he could pinpoint the sounds better. And the thoughts.

"What's the high council?" you asked after a moment.

He always seemed to grumble over your many questions. You sometimes wondered if he kept his answers short to purposefully dissuade you from asking more.

"It's the ruling class of vampires. They oversee us all."

"There are rules for being a vampire?" you questioned. Until this point, you had just assumed they were lawless creatures, doing whatever they pleased as they all seemed to.

"Only a few. One specific rule that your little soul tie went and broke."

"Turning me?"

Sam silenced you with a single finger in the air, signaling that he wouldn't be answering any further questions. At least not until after he ate.

"Campers. This way."

You'd grown used to the way Sam hunted and by now, presumably you hunted the same way he did. It was easier with the animals though; there was really only one good way to do it. But with humans, you had more options.

There were always hikers in the area despite the forest being labeled as a dangerous area for those less experienced in the activity, a product of Sam making those woods his hunting ground. Where Jake preferred to pick his meals at bars and clubs, Sam preferred the more traditional route: finding people who were already alone in a secluded area, his territory, and drinking from them right where he would leave their bodies for the animals to find. He said it was more natural that way.

You hadn't yet had the blood of a human but it wasn't exactly the idea of killing one that was stopping you. Sam had seen how hot and cold you were, always engaged in an internal battle for control and always somehow losing. He had never said it but you figured the reason it had taken him so long to work you up to the human stuff wasn't because of a killing aversion or anything like that. It was because he was worried you'd like it too much. Or maybe you were just projecting your own worries onto him. He didn't exactly seem to ever feel that emotion in the same way you did: worry.

Today was the day though. When he had dragged you begrudgingly out of the house, there was a particular gleam in his eyes. He hadn't eaten anything but animal since he'd been teaching you how to feed. It was getting to him, you knew it was. He hadn't been fully satisfied in weeks. But today was the day.

You couldn't ignore the nerves you'd felt at the idea of giving in to the wicked ways of the human stuff. The real stuff. Even just the smell of it had turned you into something you weren't proud of. It didn't help that the heartache with Josh was so fresh. He and Jake were probably fighting about it right then. You supposed it was only fitting that as your relationship began to crumble, you became even more of the creature you were supposed to be.

But regardless, you knew when the time came to put your lips to pulse, you'd forget yourself and the heartache that pulled at your seams and you'd lose yourself in it.

You followed closely behind Sam, maneuvering your body a bit more gracefully thanks to the practice you'd now had. You could now move silently, stealthily, just as he could. But you had never stalked a human.

He had said once that they were easier targets, with hearing less sensitive than deer and instincts that rarely alerted them to the surrounding danger they put themselves in. So it came as no surprise when you both stalked up to a lone man setting up his tent, occasionally taking a sip from a flask he kept at his hip. He had some hiking gear but not quite as much one would need to go exploring off trail the way he had. Stupid.

While you watched him fumble around with canvas and metal, clearly inexperienced and unaware of the danger he had put himself in, Sam moved closer to you to speak so only you could hear.

He stood in front of you and pressed his lips against your ear. It sent a shiver up your body, even as you stared over his shoulder at your soon-to-be meal.

"I'll kill him since you're still new at this but don't expect me to do that for you each time."

"I'll do it," you murmured back, entranced with the way the man moved before you, blissfully unaware.

"Be fast and don't make conversation. It's better not to play with your food." He whispered his final instructions and moved out of your way, giving your wrist one final squeeze before he retreated behind you with a delicate, "Go get him," and assumed the role of onlooker.

You could smell the blood coursing through his veins before you even got close. And once you did, you remembered how dangerous that smell was to you. You remembered just how badly you had wanted it the last time. Any remorse you might have had over the prospect of killing an innocent person flew out the window when that smell lingered in the air.

Sam had a habit of killing with his hands but you had learned your gifts could easily kill mere mortal things. It wasn't like the times you had turned on one of the boys, their body fighting to repair each cell you ripped apart almost as fast as you could do it. When it came to animals, you could make it almost instant. A quick and painless death that they never even saw coming. Well, mostly painless.

The man, like all of those poor animals before, never saw it coming either. He'd been in the middle of a long sip of his flask when you pushed an experimental wave of pain through his body. He keeled over instantly with a loud scream before another pulse of the stuff silenced him.

It was so interesting to watch them die. You always wondered what Sam could hear as they went. What were their final thoughts? Did they think of their families? Their lovers? Did they look into his eyes and think only of how beautiful he was in their final moments?

His gifts had calloused him in a different way than Jake's had. Jake had learned to have fun with it but Sam carried around his with a deep respect for the things he heard given that they were never his to hear. And even though he didn't feel much when he killed a person, he carried around their thoughts like tattoos, never to be forgotten. You often wondered why he had even wanted to be the one to teach you to hunt. Your thoughts when killing were dark, especially now as you stood over the poor hiker lying limp in the dirt, feeling not an ounce of anything less than pride at what you had done and excitement at what you were about to do. You wondered if you were helping to callous Sam too.

"Well, ideally they go a little quieter but that works too," Sam remarked casually as he came up behind you.

You ignored him as you crouched to the ground to inspect the man's neck, pulling the collar of his jacket and flannel to the side to expose those delicious veins protruding from his neck. You licked your lips at just the sight.

Sam never liked to drink from anything living. You guessed that had to do with his gifts although he'd never explicitly said that. There was a lot he left unsaid, actually, but his actions always spoke volumes. You could always tell when a thought you'd had was correct just based on the look that would silently tug at his features when he heard it. You spoke to him with your thoughts but he preferred to do the talking with his body language. And his hands.

Those hands which now wrapped carefully around your biceps as he kneeled behind you, his guard up given the way his body felt stiff against your back.

"Careful, honey," he murmured quietly, knowing the sound would hardly reach you anyway as you leaned in, that trance now turned to full-blown hypnotism.

This time when your fangs dropped, you could practically feel them fall from their hiding place, a dull ache in your face that would be soothed as soon as they got what they were seeking. Your tongue ran over them as your eyes fell shut at that fucking smell. You would have bathed yourself in it if you could have.

Your hands practically shook as they splayed flat, one against the earth and the other against the hikers chest, bracing yourself as you leaned down. You bared your fangs when you reached his neck and without any thought, you sunk them down where the artery was, the blood still warm where it sat flowing only a little slower.

The blood was sweeter than you were used to and there was a bite to it thanks to the alcohol he'd been consuming. But when it hit your tongue, the world around you disappeared and the taste alone became everything you knew. You weren't even aware that Sam was no longer behind you, now sitting opposite you and attacking the man's neck from the other side.

It must have been a barbaric sight, bordering on ritualistic.

That was when you caught it, the smell of Sam wafting over to you from across the body that both separated you and connected you. You could smell the hint of cologne that must have still been mingling in the fibers of his shirt. He never wore cologne intentionally while hunting. You ran the risk of other things smelling it. But it lingered there, on his shirt and somewhere on his skin. The blood only heightened every sensation you could feel, the smell of Sam being one of them.

You met his eyes when you pulled away from your meal briefly, only to be met with the realization that Sam had been watching you the entire time you drank. It felt so intimate, staring at one another as you drained a body together. Blood stained skin and arousal paired so nicely together that way.

He reached over the hiker to catch a trickle of blood now running a red line down your neck with his thumb, bringing the digit back to his mouth and letting his tongue swirl around it. You watched his eyes roll back at the taste. You could practically feel how good he felt. And really, you felt it too.

You liked Sam that way, honestly. You liked being around someone who seemed to have a different view of death than the others. He didn't run and hide from it. He didn't see it as a bad thing. He saw it as a part of his life and he reveled in it when he wanted to. If you were being honest with yourself, it wasn't Josh's level of control that you admired and longed for. Not even Jake's. It was Sam's.

You wanted to kill. You wanted to be the vampire you were created and destined to be. You didn't want to run from the things you could do or be placed in a neat little box waiting for Jake to fix your feelings, even though that was certainly the easy way out. You wanted this life, the one you found in the woods with Sam where the noise of uncertainty and heartache was long left behind and replaced only by the sounds of the forest and the plants around you breathing a deep sigh of relief that you had returned to them.

He reached his arm back over to you to wrap his hand around the back of your neck, using his strength to coax you back down to the body and using his thumb as an anchor to stop your hair from falling in your face. You might have blushed at the surge of heat it sent through you, feeling him push your face down, if you'd been capable.

He watched you intently as you continued to drink, now letting his thumb rub short lines back and forth over your cheekbone. There was a subtlety to it that grounded you, kept you right there with him, the way his touch always seemed to. Jake's touch ignited fires within you that made you want to scream one second and jump him the next. But Sam was learning to guide you with just a single touch, stopping you from ever igniting too hot when it came to such a delicate situation as feeding.

It had never been human blood though. And it was different. Undeniably. You wanted to let yourself go, but this time when his hands lingered against your skin to help you resist those urges, they only urged you in a different direction.

"That's it," he encouraged you, "just like that."

He kept his eyes on you even as he dove back in, your partner in crime helping you drain the last of the blood from the man's body. And when he ran dry, he was forgotten almost immediately, his worth no longer tangible.

"What did I tell you?" Sam asked as you stood to regain your bearings.

"Don't waste an-"

Your words were cut short by an involuntary gasp when you suddenly felt the air move around you, making way for Sam who was now dragging his tongue along your neck, cleaning you of the bloody evidence you'd been far less than careful not to leave behind. He had started from your collarbone, licking upwards until he met the angle of your jaw where you willed with your loudest of thoughts for him to keep moving north toward your mouth. But when he didn't, you took matters into your own hands, working your hands into his hair to maneuver him to your lips yourself.

You were suddenly hungry for him. Insatiable, even, like his lips moving against yours weren't nearly enough to still the hunger inside of you.

You backed him toward a tree and when his back hit the bark, he let out a long moan, like he'd been deprived of that sort of touch and desperation for far too long, lending itself to a sound that could have easily ended things right there without any other aid of friction or hands. But even if it had been a while since he done this with anyone, his hands remembered their work almost immediately, taking your hips with bruising force as he turned you to switch your places, your back now against bark.

It had snuck up on you, the want. But now that it was there, it took hold of you and wracked your body. You had turned desperate for him, thinking of his cock buried inside of you, unrelenting while his hands roamed your body and your tongue lapped at blood still smeared across his skin from your own.

You could tell your thoughts were having an effect on him when he lifted you up around his hips and you felt his erection press hard between your legs. Even just the thought of how indecently big he felt sent a groan rumbling through his chest.

Your lips on his suddenly wasn't enough. It wasn't enough, even, to feel him pressed against you, to feel him hard with want and greedy of hand. You wanted to taste him too, to feel him flowing through you.

Your mouth moved away from his to trail sloppy kisses down his neck, littering his skin with them and earning a sharp inhale from Sam as you went. His hands steadied you around his hips as you moved without care but when you sank your fangs into the crook of his neck and that first drop of blood hit your tongue, you felt him reach out to better brace himself against the tree at your back, a loud moan slipping from him involuntarily.

"Holy fuck," he muttered at the feeling, his lips now free and his unoccupied hand now reaching to undo his belt between you with more speed than you'd ever seen.

You could have cum right then and there, the taste of his blood and the feeling of his cock painfully hard and long and tantalizing pressed just where you needed to grind down around him. And God, the way he smelled. You could have gotten lost in that alone.

You sucked harder and felt him twitch against you. And the unholy sound that dropped from his lips made your own eyes roll back as you basked in it, the little curses he whispered against your skin and the way his free hand now held onto you for dear life. Maybe he was teetering on a line he didn't want to cross yet.

You'd have given anything in that moment to hear his thoughts, to know what it was he wanted even if his body seemed to be making it clear. It was almost unfair; he could hear you and your every depraved thought, the way you wondered what his cock would taste like leaking onto your tongue, the way it would feel nudging against the spot that curled your toes, the way his face would look when bliss washed over him, the way it would feel when he sent you over the edge with your skin between his teeth…

"Fuck, p-please control your thoughts, I-" His hips were pushing into yours with a desperate rhythm and the way his words faltered and failed him brought a smile to your lips.

It wasn't like the heated moment you'd shared with Josh that had degraded so quickly. It wasn't even like the tension that was building between you and Jake, palpable but angry. It was far more uninhibited on your part. All of those other things you fought hard not to feel. But this? This you didn't even want to fight.

Human blood was powerful stuff.

Your own mess of blood that he had done his best to clean over the body had since smeared further across your skin and with your mouth pulled away from him, he used it as an opportunity to lap at it, nipping at your own skin as he sucked it clean. You felt the heat between your thighs only grow hotter as his mouth trailed upwards, your hands suddenly frantic to rid him of his clothing and to expose his body that you'd only seen once and were now desperate to see again in these circumstances: bloodstained and at the mercy of your fingers.

The way you had seen Jake with his women.

Fuck, there it was. Jake, suddenly taking over your mind. And poor Sam could hear it as he did, like a flood dampening and extinguishing the flames that had grown to a near roar. Jake was like a plague, an insect you begged to stop buzzing around your head, but when your hands faltered and your movements stuttered, Sam felt it all.

"Stop, stop, stop, stop…" He chanted the word like a prayer.

You pulled yourself away immediately, suddenly worried about how far you pushed things and feeling an intense guilt creep up from the deepest pit of your stomach, setting pins and needles of shame pricking at your skin.

"Oh god-" you breathed.

You were just like Danny and Adele, rubbing the invisible forces in his face and not even caring that he could hear it.

"No, no, no," he pleaded, "don't-its okay, it's okay."

You looked around at the aftermath of your escapades: a dead body smeared in his own blood, Sam looking disheveled with a prominent bite mark still pulsing in his skin, the blood covering him a mixture of the hiker's and his own. Looking down at your own hands you realized you were covered in the stuff too, probably just as disheveled and swollen-lipped as the boy standing across from you, eyes pleading with yours to find something to hold onto rather than let yourself slip away with the torment.

"Oh my god, what did I do?"

He seemed desperate now to pull you back from the ledge, taking your shoulders in his hands and leaning to meet you at eye level. "No, hey, li-listen to me, baby, it's okay. You didn't do anything wrong. It was the blood. I should have smelled the alcohol on him; I never should have let you go for that one. Just please, don't get lost on me now, okay? Stay with me."

How could you have been so callous? To his feelings? To Josh's feelings?

It was then that the thought of Josh and the weight of what you had done hit you like a truck. You didn't even know what Josh was doing, where he was, what he was feeling. You had left him behind at the house to deal with the aftermath and you'd forgotten him there. And now here you were, not two hours later, kissing his brother. Killing humans. Enjoying it all.

"Josh would be so disappointed if he saw me this way…" You whispered quietly, heavy tears beginning to roll down your cheeks.

Sam's eyebrows furrowed and his head cocked in confusion.

"That's not who I thought…"

He trailed off into silence, leaving you feeling disgusted with yourself and the blood covering your shirt and drying under your fingernails. It sent you reeling into a panic-like state and you began digging at the dried blood under your fingers and wiping helplessly at the stains on the back of your hands and around your mouth. You were desperate to get it off of you, like it was suddenly burning your skin.

If only Josh could see you that way. Would he even be upset that you weren't his?

"He would want me to feel bad," you choked. "He didn't want me to do this."

"It doesn't matter what Josh wants for you, you are who you are. There's nothing wrong with that." Sam was trying his hardest to get through to you, to stop the meltdown before it got too nuclear. But to no avail.

"I'm a monster," you said suddenly, your voice cracking. "I-I'm a monster. Jake created a monster. How could I-how could-"

Yes, you were definitely panicking. You weren't even sure how. How did a vampire lose their composure? How did they lose their breath?

"You're not a monster," Sam promised with a look as close to concern as you had ever seen him.

"Of course I'm not Josh's soul tie, how could he ever love a monster like me?"

"What? No-" He reached for your face but the moment you felt his palms on your cheek, you backed out of his grasp.

"No, don't touch me! I don't want to hurt you!"

"You don't have to-"

"You're not hearing me, Sam! I don't want to hurt you!"

You barely dodged a tree as you retreated and ran for God knows what, off into the forest and leaving Sam behind.

—

You weren't certain how long you ran or how much time had passed as trees blurred beyond your view. But when you finally stopped and looked around, you were at the cemetery, where your parents were buried.

And if you were being honest with yourself, in that moment, part of you wished you were buried there too.

In a cover of rain and clouds, you weaved through the headstones in search of the ones that were so familiar to you. Although now you could hardly remember the last time you'd been there, fighting the rain and the chill to feel close to the people that lie beneath the ground just for an hour or two.

There was a bench that sat across from the matching headstones, a heart connecting them in the middle. That was where you usually parked yourself and where you did now, folding your hands into your lap and trying to find that serenity that sometimes joined you on these trips.

The place was almost always empty, save for the souls wandering about. The only fresh flowers in the entire lot seemed to be the ones you placed at your parents' graves. But even now, they wilted.

If they could see you, they would have worried, undoubtedly. How could they not? You weren't exactly the picture of health and perfection. They might have even been startled by what they saw, not realizing you were just as dead as they were.

You sat in silence, unsure of what to do or what to say to them. You did often talk to them. You told them about your life, mundane as it had been. You told them about the little snippets of information your friends would send you, the photos they'd send of their cats or dogs or the people they'd met in the city you had left. They were the ones living all that time, not you. But what could you even tell them now? You'd died the way they had? Been brought back as some sort of abomination? Wreaked havoc on all of the good things you had left in your life and ruined the one thing you felt you couldn't live without? They could hardly be proud of that.

"Running off alone looking like that is never a good idea."

Adele's voice startled you from your thoughts of your parents. Suddenly she was standing beside you, outstretching her arm to you with a washcloth in hand which you eagerly accepted.

"How did you know I was here?" you asked as you wiped hard at your face.

"Sam followed you. When he heard your thoughts and realized where you were, he came back to the house. Asked me to come talk to you."

She sat down next to you with a sigh, throwing a coat around your shoulders, not to warm you but to hide the evidence still staining your shirt should anyone make a trip to the cemetery that day.

"Why'd he ask you?"

"Some problems require a woman to solve. I think things are getting a little too complicated with the boys in that house anyway. Not a whole lot of objectivity going around." She laughed that delightful laugh of hers that could have shaken you from any slump you were in if you hadn't been so stubborn.

“Come on, open up," she continued. "You’re in need of some girlfriend advice and who would I be if I couldn’t provide?”

Where to even start? It wasn't like dishing at a sleepover or venting about boy troubles over coffee. Things were as complicated as they could possibly be.

"I'm fucking everything up," you said, staring down at your bloodstained hands for a moment before you began scrubbing them too. It seemed like as good a place as any to start. An all-encompassing sentiment that you felt deep in your bones.

"You've only been a vampire for like two weeks. That's not enough time to fuck everything up."

"Just shows you how proficiently bad I am at this," you mumbled.

"Give it a few decades; you'll be a little less dramatic about it."

Decades. Could you survive this way for that long? How long would it take for you to abandon Josh altogether? Abandon your morals altogether?

You felt the tears begin to well in your eyes again, those damned wet devils.

"I don't think I can do this," you admitted in a meek voice.

"You think I did this on my own?" Adele pressed. "Or any of them for that matter? That's why we have our little comune, to help each other."

"Doesn't seem like Sam is getting much help from it. Doesn't seem like Josh will be for much longer either."

Adele let out another long sigh, no doubt thinking about what she herself had done to Sam and the dynamic about the house, unintentional as it had been.

"Sam has gotten something out of being around you. Of that I am certain. I saw him smile the other day. Haven't seen that in years. Josh, on the other hand…" She paused thoughtfully. "He'll come around."

You thought about the memory Sam had shown you. You still didn't understand why he thought back on it as a happy memory. It seemed to you that it was exactly the kind of memory that might have haunted him. But he used it when he needed to calm himself. It made no sense. Maybe she was still his comfort, even after all those years of so visibly and loudly wanting Danny rather than him. Maybe he clung to it. Maybe it was the only thing he had left.

"Do you ever feel bad for Sam? I mean, do you ever even miss him? Is there any hope for me to still think of Josh after I've done the binding ritual with Jake?"

She casted her eyes downward, pursing her lips before she chose her words carefully. It was the most thoughtful you'd ever seen her. She always seemed so sure of herself, like she hardly had to think before doing. But now, she was thinking hard about what she wanted to say. You'd stumped her after all.

"As a human, I made a promise to Sam that I would love him forever. Really, that hasn't changed."

Forever. That was the word you'd heard her speak to him. Forever. It seemed her definition of forever wasn't actually all that long.

"How did it happen? How did you know you were ready to be with Danny?"

"I was human when Sam and I met." You watched as she reminisced. Maybe she was conjuring up the same memory Sam had shown you. "He was the love of my life, or so I thought. He never told me about the soul tie but I knew something was wrong when he waited a full year to even introduce me to his brothers. What I didn't know was that he was worried he hadn't felt it with me and the longer we went, the more apprehensive he was to introduce me to another vampire."

"Do you think he knew?"

"Yes, I think he did. He's always known more than he lets on. But I pressed and I pressed and finally, he did. He brought me over, Jake cooked, Josh played the piano, and Danny…Danny couldn't take his eyes off of me."

"Was it instant?"

"For us? Yes. Although, I was a little reluctant to give in to him so…immediately."

"I can't imagine it went smoothly."

"Back then, Sam didn't have the type of self-control he does now. He was a little quicker to outbursts. Danny told him that night what he had felt. He's a good friend; he couldn't keep it from him. I think the resulting argument took out about four walls." She chuckled at the memory. "After that, we didn't see Sam for a few years. But finally, he came back to live with his brothers again. He was different though, of course. The way he is now."

"When did you turn?"

A wide smile spread on her face as her thoughts turned away from Sam and onto Danny. "Danny turned me a month after we met. We were bound soon after and the rest, of course, is history."

"All this time and you and Sam still never speak."

"Can you blame him?"

"It's a soul tie; isn't it out of our control?"

She laughed then. "Vampires are much like humans that way. They aren't always very rational. Especially not the men." She nudged your shoulder at that last part, a knowing twinkle in her eye. "Besides, Sam doesn't even believe in the soul tie."

You met her with confusion.

"How can he just not believe in it?"

She shrugged. "It's a bit more complicated than Josh probably told you. We don't really understand it ourselves. Some vampires never even feel it. Others believe you feel it for the vampire who turns you, like you're beholden to them. Sort of a way of protecting themselves."

"But I thought humans could feel it." At least according to Josh they could.

"Only for vampires. And wouldn't you know it, those vampires always seem to turn them. Anyway, it's just one of many theories."

"But Sam doesn't believe in it at all?"

"He believes we all have a choice."

You felt something like hope tugging at your heart with the word she'd used: choice.

"Do we?" you asked expectantly.

She smiled wide, a mischievous grin. "Maybe we do. It just depends on how far you're willing to go to have that choice offered up to you."

"Jake said Danny could never see anything past my being turned."

She shook her head. "He still can't. Everything seems to just go dark in front of you."

You tried to ignore how ominous it sounded knowing she hadn't meant it that way. Hopefully.

"What do you think it means?"

She smiled again, that twinkle back in her eye but this time laced with some hidden meaning.

"I think it means our little Sammy boy might just be right."

You felt your heart do an involuntary somersault in your chest at her implication that maybe you weren't, in fact, doomed. Maybe in the end you could choose Josh, although what would that mean for Jake?

You would choose Josh in the end. You were certain of it. Weren't you?

"Why did you choose to come here?" She asked, interrupting your thoughts.

"It just sort of happened," you shrugged. It hadn't even been a conscious choice; your feet had just led you here and when your brain had caught up, you understood why they might have done it.

She gave you a thoughtful hum as she turned her head toward the matching gravestones sitting squarely next to one another.

"How'd they die?"

You chuckled thinking about it now, a reaction you wouldn't have had to the memory even a month ago.

"Car accident."

An inappropriate smile grew on her face. "Well isn't that just ironic. Must run in the family," she laughed.

You couldn't stifle your own laughter, morbid as it was. It was such a curious thing to laugh while tears misted your face. You could feel the weight of the grief dragging you down but even so, you couldn't help but to laugh at it all. What a mess it had become.

Adele reached her hand up to wipe at the tears on your cheeks with her ring finger, drying your face as you sniffled and composed yourself.

"For what it's worth," she said, "I think you'll like Jake if you give it a real chance. He can help you understand what you’re feeling in a way the rest of us just can't.”

You wiped at your nose with the back of your hand and gave her a sullen nod.

“And who knows," she continued, "you may not want a choice when you feel what he’s capable of. It is really something.”

She punctuated it with an almost evil grin, standing from the bench to leave you there, alone, with nothing but the ghosts and her parting remark.

And when it dawned on you what she had meant, you turned your sights toward the house, jealousy suddenly boiling your blood.

—

You could tell he was with someone even before you forcefully pushed open the French doors leading into the back of the tiny house. And what you saw when you did left you even more fuming than you had been before.

"Get out," you commanded the woman who was currently sitting between his legs on his bed with his cock down her throat. She hadn't even stopped when you'd entered the room.

She pulled off of him and met his eyes, looking for the nod he gave her. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, threw on a robe, and quietly snuck out the door behind you, not a single word spoken. She didn't even acknowledge you as she went. God, you wanted to kill her.

"What the fuck are you doing?" you quizzed him, watching him dress himself as he eyed you carefully.

He didn't rush, rather took his sweet time pulling on dark maroon boxer briefs, sliding them painstakingly slowly up his thighs while you fought the urge to look. It was only when he finally pulled his worn jeans up to his hips that he finally acknowledged you.

And God, he looked like he enjoyed it, watching your anger spin and flare the longer he ignored your question. But finally, he met you where your rage had planted you, stuck by the doorway trying not to think about the woman that had just been pleasuring him to avoid doing something truly violent.

He brought his hand up to swipe the hair off your shoulder, his eyes suddenly studying your skin there where it poked out from your sweater, unbelievably hot when paired with the frustrated heat in your body.

"So…you can make me feel you having sex with my brother but I can't touch anyone? Oh, maybe I should specify which brother."

You pushed his hand away roughly.

"Nothing happened with Sam and I-"

"Just seems a little unfair, doesn't it?"

You clenched your jaw at how calmly he spewed his accusations, regardless of how right he was. The jealousy paled in comparison to your guilt.

"Josh is my boyfriend, Jake-"

"Oh, so you worked things out since the last time you saw him? That's great." A knowing smile grew on his face. "Where exactly is he then?"

The anger steamed hot through your body. It was a wonder you hadn't sent him collapsing to the ground in pain yet. But you stayed silent, afraid to say anything at all should you lose your composure altogether.

He stepped closer, his face suddenly only inches from yours. Slowly, he let his face dip to your left, letting the tip of his nose graze along your jaw, up to your earlobe and along the delicate skin until his lips now touched the shell of your ear.

"Why did you interrupt?" he asked in a whisper. "We were just getting to the good part."

Fuck.

Anger turned into lust so quickly in this form and he knew you and your propensity for jealousy too well. How easily it found you. He knew exactly which buttons to push; that was the reason that woman had been in there with him in the first place. You were sure of it. And suddenly, you felt like an idiot for storming in there to bring up Adele. You were playing into exactly what he wanted.

When he was met with tense silence from you, he quirked an eyebrow.

"Any time, baby."

He was so incredibly smug. It infuriated you.

You turned your face to meet his, your noses practically pressing together when you did.

"You slept with Adele."

It wasn’t a question and he didn’t take it that way. Instead, a smile, wickedly pleased, spread his lips wide. He pulled his face back a bit to study you and shook his head, as if he were disappointed. You swore it tinged your cheeks red with embarrassment.

“If it makes you feel any better,” he offered, “Danny was there the entire time."

Your jaw clenched harder and your eyes said everything they needed to say, daggers straight into his soul. But his smile never faltered.

"Are you jealous?"

“You know I'm fucking jealous.” It might have sounded more intimidating if it hadn’t graced the air as a mere squeak.

"Well yes,” he agreed, “but I didn't think you'd admit it. It’s too bad you refuse to talk to me; you might have actually learned how to control that.”

“I don’t need your help controlling my emotions.”

“You’re right, you’re doing a great job.” He looked you squarely in the eyes when he teased and it angered you how your stomach did a flip. “You know,” he continued, “I actually don't mind that you don't even try to control yourself.”

He let his hand raise to your face again, this time letting his thumb stroke over your bottom lip where it sat pouting. “Your jealousy? It feels so…” He leaned in to nudge the tip of your nose with his. “Fucking…” A line grazing down to the corner of your jaw where the bone made a sharp angle. “Good.” And finally down to the crook of your neck where your body was suddenly begging him to bite you.

You felt his smile against your skin when you gulped hard.

"Is that why you did that?" you squeaked.

He pulled his face away again, that smug smile that had been there before now practically taking over his every feature. He seemed to be brimming with cockiness when he opened his mouth again.

"No, baby, that was all for me."

Even with a smile on his face, he almost looked like he was bracing for the pain you were inevitably about to inflict upon him. But for some reason, it ignited within you a desire to take him and show him that his pleasure wasn't the responsibility of some random woman he had picked up from a bar. He was yours.

He saw the look. He saw the shift. He felt it and even just that feeling, that tinge of need that permeated your soul despite how badly you wanted to fight it, was enough to crack his own resolve. It unwound his air of cockiness instantly and showed his desperation clearly on his face.

"Fuck," he whispered before crashing his lips to yours.

It turned frenzied quickly, your teeth nipping at his lips, his hands pulling your hair much harder than he could have if you'd still been human. It was like a dam had broken and everything it had been holding back was suddenly flowing out.

He pushed you to the wall behind you, a crack suddenly appearing in the stucco. But then, in the blink of an eye, your legs were around his waist and he was pressing your back into his mattress instead, right where he had been lying just moments ago.

He worked to tear his clothes off first, quickly ridding himself of his damned jeans, and when you felt him press his hardened length into your core, you moaned into his mouth. You didn’t even need his gifts. His hands were enough. In fact, the mere thought of one upping the woman that had been there before you was enough. She had been there to please him but he was now there to please you.

But when your mind formed around the image of that woman and the thought that had landed you in this position in the first place, your body screamed at you to ignore your thoughts. Pleaded, even. It took everything you had in you to push him off of you before he could free himself and touch you in some way that you’d be far too invested in to put an end to.

You used your heel to do it, sending him backward and off the bed with a hard thud where he landed against the opposite wall.

You sat up in his bed, watching him where he stood watching you back as you regained your senses. It was easier to deny him when his hands weren’t on your body. When he wasn’t so close.

You cleared your throat and fixed your hair as you stood from the bed, putting on your bravest face as you sauntered over to him like what you had just done hadn’t tested the limits of your resolve which would soon dwindle down to nothing. And when you reached him, you reveled in the way his jaw clenched dangerously shut. You were testing his resolve too.

You hooked your pointer finger under his jaw and lifted his face to make sure his eyes didn’t leave yours.

And you spoke softly and clearly. "Don't touch her again."

The sight of him stunned and alone to fend for his own neediness as you left was a satisfaction you hadn’t felt in a long time.

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[shybunnie20]

Lost Connection

Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

★My Masterlist

Author's Note: It's rare for me to write blurbs BUT my upcoming fic, From Bar to Billboard, will be done in the next few weeks so keep an eye out!

Proofread to an extent, sole focus on Eddie's POV, no use of Y/N, includes swearing

Word Count: 1.4k

Eddie never thought he’d see the day that he’d have a girlfriend and better yet, she laughs at his jokes and encourages him to be a little chaotic when he feels the time is right. It’s like everything he gets to have with you, but with romance too. It’s like having two best friends, except one touches, kisses, and pleases him. She thinks he’s funny, she thinks he’s talented, she thinks he’s nice. What more could he ask for?

Initially, it felt strange to enjoy himself so much with a girl who wasn't you. It seemed like a win-win for him, though. He’d be doubling up on the fun and getting some romance spun into the mix. Except, that isn’t exactly how things went.

He’s lost touch with his friends and he’s rarely available to join them for band rehearsals anymore. The guys simply stopped calling to ask if he’d show up because they knew the answer. Eddie’s girlfriend absorbs every ounce of his free time, leaving the bond with his buddies neglected.

It’s not that she dislikes his friends, not at all. She isn’t trying to keep him from them, but wherever he goes she goes, and she prefers not to be around them. He misses shooting the shit with them, but above all, he misses you. He longs for the late-night eats, the impromptu shenanigans, and daring each other to do foolish things. What he misses the most is the way you’re left in fits of laughter, tears streaming down the apples of your cheeks, whenever he delivers the perfectly timed joke.

An entire week has passed without hearing from you, and he’s yearning to listen to you complain about your boss and claim that you’ve finally had enough and that you’re finally going to quit. He’s heard you say that a hundred times over and you have yet to stick it to the man. Whenever you have a bad day, Eddie is eager to get you into higher spirits. It’s incredibly fulfilling for him, to melt your cold and rigid pout into flushed cheeks and a radiant smile.

He wonders how many tough days you’ve had lately, how many he’s failed to be there for. Guilt breathes down his neck for bailing so often, for not prioritizing you anymore. Whether it’s a proposal to grab a pizza on a Thursday night or go for a joy ride around town, he always has to take a rain check. Your relentless reassurances of, “It’s okay, no worries. Another time then,” echo in his mind. But it’s been rain check after rain check, his wallet is bursting at the seams from not having cashed in a single one. You told him that it’s normal to be preoccupied because he’s in love.

When you said that, Eddie felt conflicted. He’s never told her that he loves her. It’s just... good. Their relationship is laid back and simple. He likes her a lot, and they live together, but love? He wouldn’t go as far as to call it that.

Finally, Eddie has time to see you all tonight. He’s brimming with excitement to spend some time with you and his bandmates, the people he’s been itching to be with for weeks. The one thing that he's really, really looking forward to is hugging you; it feels like it's been forever since he last got to. When he arrives at The Hideout sans girlfriend, the table of young men erupts into hollering.

“Yeah, yeah,” Eddie beams with delight as he removes his jacket and hangs it on the back of a chair at their table. Jeff, Danny, and Gareth all greet him with brief hugs and a couple of slaps on the back. He’s buzzing, but he doesn’t fail to notice your absence in the midst of it.

“Is she running late or?” Eddie settles onto the creaky wooden stool at their claimed table. “Wouldn’t be the first time,” he chuckles softly. “Can’t wait to finally see her,” Eddie checks his watch and then looks over his shoulder at the door, anticipating that you’ll be stepping over the threshold at any moment.

“You know she’s not coming, right?” Gareth narrows his eyes at the back of Eddie’s head, his brows sewn tight. “She left, dude,”

“What do you mean she left?” Eddie whips back around, the look of joy fading into concern. “Is she visiting family again?”

Jeff and Gareth exchange a silent conversation through eye contact across the table. Jeff then turns his attention back to Eddie. “She said she mailed you a letter. You didn’t get it?”

“What letter?” Eddie’s palms grow clammy. “What the hell are you guys talking about?”

Gareth rolls his eyes and props his head up with his arm on the table. “We had a going away party last weekend, remember? The one you said you couldn’t make it to?”

“Whoa, wait, going away party? You just said it was a ‘much needed get together,’” Eddie’s voice peaks as he quotes Gareth, louder than necessary.

“Well, it was,” Gareth says flatly, taking a sip of his beer and looking visibly annoyed.

“What the actual fuck,” Eddie exclaims, running a hand through his hair, leaving it disheveled. “Going away where? What did the letter say?”

“We don’t fucking know,” Donny snaps. “She didn’t tell us, she said she wrote to you ‘cause you were impossible to get a hold of. She’s not wrong, either.”

Eddie’s mind races as he contemplates; he’s halfway across town, and he can’t just ditch his friends to check the mail. Then, a lightbulb idea strikes. He hops off of his chair and rushes over to the bar. After some persuasion, the bartender allows him to use their telephone. The line rings, but his girlfriend doesn’t pick up. He calls again, and she answers just before the final ring.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Eddie, uh- can you check the mail?”

“At eight o’clock at night? What for?”

Eddie feels his patience bubbling to a simmer. He cups his hand over the mic and whisper-shouts back to her, “Would you please just check, it’s urgent.”

“Okay, okay,” she responds, setting the phone down. Eddie listens to the crackling line, gnawing his lower lip and tearing at the supple flesh. There’s a distant clatter when she picks the phone back up.

“What am I looking for exactly?”

“An envelope,” Eddie takes a deep breath, a wave of nausea washing over him. “Shit, obviously, sorry. Is there like a handwritten one?”

“It’s mostly bills and oh, never mind. Yeah, there’s a letter for you. Says it’s from-”

“That’s the one! Can you just put it by the couch for me? And not open it?”

“Why can’t I open it?”

“Please.”

“Okay, fine. What time will you be home? I’m going out.”

“Forty-five minutes maybe? An hour at most.” Eddie chokes out, his plans suddenly changing. Prior to the broken news, he would’ve been content sitting with his bandmates until two in the morning, but he can’t bring himself to wait that long now. “See you later tonight then?”

“Okay,”

“Okay, bye.”

He had a few beers and did his best to be present while catching up with the guys. Now, he’s stumbling through the front door to his apartment, a little tipsy but not quite drunk. He shuffles into the living room, and as soon as it’s in his grasp, his shaky fingers tear the envelope to shreds. Inside, he finds a single piece of torn notebook paper. Eddie squeezes his eyes shut to refocus them and blinks sporadically. After plopping on the couch, his gaze finds the first sentence.

Eddie, You found someone and you deserve to have that, I only want what's best for you. I can't stick around while you love her in the way that I love you. I'm so sorry. Please don’t be mad at me.

His chest feels as though it’s been wrung tightly, expelling every last droplet of breath he's clung to. The throbbing in his head and heart are pounding out of sync. His mouth falls open, the last remnants of air released in a weak, shuddering sob. The salty streaks from his eyes carry the heavy-hearted tears that are freefalling from his stubbled jaw. "No, no, no..." Eddie pulls his knees to his chest and bows his head in the cavern created. His limbs shake like leaves in a storm and drool pools in his mouth as he mumbles incoherently. He can’t see, he can’t think, he can’t breathe. It's you that he loves in that way, not her. It's always been you.

Reblogs are greatly encouraged and appreciated! ♡

★My Masterlist

tags:@nj01@tlclick73

[scarletsaphire]

AND ANOTHER GRAY GHOST TOO BC WE ALWAYS NEED MORE

"So?" Danny asked from his spot in the grass next to Valerie.

"So what?" she asked, turning away from the bright purple lake to look at him.

"So, do you like it better than the last few times you were in the ghost zone?"

Valerie snorted. "Well, considering the first time I was stuck in here with you when I still hated you, and the second time was when Pariah kidnapped the whole town? Yea, I like it better."

It was still weird, sometimes, to watch Danny float around as Fenton, so her breath stalled as he let gravity fall away from him. She caught it before he had floated any closer, coming to a stop just above her. He held her gaze with a small smile, one he had been wearing so much more frequently since he'd come clean about everything. His blue eyes shone with a teal tinge, and his freckles glittered against his skin. He was just south of human, but with the swirling green backdrop of the zone behind him, he seemed so undeniably human. Valerie smiled back up at him.

"Not quite what you expected, huh?" he asked smugly.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed him by the hand, pulling him back down to the ground. He followed without a fight. "I didn't realize it could be so quiet here." It was true; the few times she had been in the ghost zone before this it had been so loud; not just the obvious ghost attack noises, but a near constant whooshing noise, a cross between the sound of a strong wind and waves crashing against a pier. Here, the only sound was their words and their breaths. Everything else was perfectly quiet.

Danny hummed to himself as he extended his arms back to support himself. Valerie didn't miss that one of them stretched behind her back a gentle, barely there presence. She leaned back into it. "There are places even quieter, where nothing can make a sound no matter what. I didn't think you'd want to see that place quiet yet. It's...weird."

"Sounds it."

"No, it doesn't sound much of anything," Danny said. "That's the whole point." Valerie punched him softly in the shoulder, and he laughed. "You should've seen that coming."

"Yea, probably." Valerie let her head fall down to Danny's shoulder. "Thank you for showing this place to me."

"Of course," Danny said. His next words were whispered; if it hadn't been so quiet here, she doubted she ever would have heard them. "Thank you for letting me show you."

Valerie knew he was thanking her for far more than just this trip to the glade. She knew that it didn't matter what she said; words would never be enough. She just had to hope that he would keep showing her everything, until he had nothing left to hide.