#have that dog in him like That. Tim would seem ok at first but then he’d start overthinking and his moral freak out would sneak up on him

[kittykatninja321]

my theory is that outside of the already established killers, Babs is the only non-lethal bat who could kill somebody and sleep soundly the same night

[bronx-bomber87]

First off thank you much for the lovely response to my last thoughts. I was very nervous about posting and got a lot of good replies, notes and reblogs. This fandom is the best. I think it's important to see both sides and I wanted Tim's to be represented in a way that gave insight without condoning what he'd done. (Cause our boy done messed up.) So giving a little of myself achieved that I believe.

I didn't know a ton about this ep cause I’m a square who stays away from spoilers haha So let’s get started.

6x08 Punch Card

Ugh my heart Tim got a reminder for Lucy’s Bday. Instant heart stomping already….I love that he had a reminder set up though. Making sure he would't forget. I’m crying already. Even though I'm so very sad. I love that he had this setup. When the elevator opens the amount of tension is palpable. Something felt very wrong. Good thing Tim was lost in his Lucy moment or he would've picked up on this sooner.

Poor Tim just wants to explain himself to Mad Dog. To explain what happened. The man is not in a place to receive it and we see later why. That look said it all though when Mad Dog departs. When Dr. London said she just took the wrong elevator my red flag gut was going off.

Now that I've see the episode as a whole I can see Dr. London's play here. She seems to use flirting as a defense mechanism all her own. To protect herself and manipulate those around her. I mean they brought her flirt fest with Aaron in the recap back for a reason I think. She's worried Tim read into something about her interaction with Mad Dog. I mean Tim is clearly upset about seeing him and she uses that to deflect attention off herself. My off meter definitely was kicking on with her. Especially with how flirty she was being I didn't like it.

Now some may see Tim's response as him flirting back but I think he's investigating her. Also he's being a little sassy because he's not comfortable with her doing therapy outside the office. I mean his face when he leaves that elevator is not of a man who just flirted. It's one who is one still hurting and two his cop gut is going off but he isn't sure why....He seems conflicted by what just went down in that elevator. Just like us he was feeling off about her.

This scene was very cute with Grey. I loved him anointing her to be a T.O. LOL Also once again showing the faith he has in Lucy. To train Celina and know she would do a good job. I was excited for this opportunity for her. For her to tap into leadership. Honestly it shouldn't have taken this long for Lucy to get to show her chops with this.

Tim is so busy trying to delete his Lucy reminder he runs into the physical version of it without realizing. Andddddd it’s still awkward af between them. How could It not be? No communication between them so naturally it is. Stilted awkwardness. Lucy got out of there so fast. Even with Tim making the all powerful joke. Trying to make it less awkward. Ow. Couldn't get away fast enough. The way he watches her go. *sigh* Like he's watching his entire heart depart the room.

This hurts you guys. No matter how much I know it’ll be ok at some point this hurts to watch. Grey not pulling any punches noting how very awkward that was. Tim telling him that's actually better than it's been....Makes me wonder how much time has passed between 6x07 and now. Wade not caring that's progress to Tim. He is not messing around....

Just wants Tim to fix is ASAP cause of the team dynamic. He's not wrong. Man isn't wrong. Rarely if ever is. Saying if Tim can't there’s gonna be a transfer and it won’t be Lucy….I mean I LOVE Grey siding with Lucy on this one. Not a doubt in his mind if it shakes out that way it'll be Tim. That being said just hearing that. Ugh. Deep anxiety pit of my stomach. And of course it would be friggin North Hollywood. That damn station been haunting them since S2. Looming over them ready to take one of them away.

Lucy being Celina’s T.O .for the day I love it. She is so excited to be her leader even if it's just for this shift. Just wants to 'Invest in her success.' You know Lucy's leadership is pretty damn identical to how I am with my team. While I am mostly Tim there are pieces of Lucy in me as well. I related to her style of leadership quite a bit.

Aaron and Tim in the surveillance van is hilarious. Their dynamic has always entertained me. I truly adore these two goobers together. Tim is trying so hard to keep his shit together. Aaron dying of ask him if he finds it hard to surveil his old team for an OP? Tim of course gives him the company line. Doing what he is told without complaint. Pulling out some S1 Tim with that reply my love.

Tim then telling him he needs a stronger deodorant LOL It's too funny. What a boring assignment for them both. Tim went from running that entire team. Doing ops and making decisions on the fly to this….Also Aaron being too distracted by his deodorant comment to pay attention is the most Aaron thing ever haha

What I love the most about Lucy with Celina is her correcting without crushing her confidence. Once again reminding me of myself when I'm correcting my work kids on stuff. She is kind but confident in her assessment of what she did wrong in this moment. Celina receiving it well because she handles it this way. Lucy out here crushing it already with zero T.O. training. Just going off instinct and what she would want if she was a newbie still. Once again her and I very alike.

Oh Tim getting that reminder again. *heart clutch.* Sigh my boy. Aaron offering to turn it off for him. I love that he was gonna have it remind him through out the day. Pre-breakup Tim clearly didn't want to forget. Wanted to make sure he not only knew it was but to make sure to make a big deal of it. That's just an assumption on my part but man would've wanted to do that. it's the way he has 'TOMORROW.' Wanting to make sure he didn't forget such an important day. *screams into a pillow.* Aaron asking if he’s gonna get her anything? I’m sure he had stuff in mind. But yeah bad form indeed…

Tim’s sweet smile when he finds out what Aaron got her. Knowing how perfect of a gift that would be for her. That sweet knowing smile makes me wanna weep a bit. He knows his girl so well. Lot of sadness attached to the smile though. 'Can I ask why ya’ll split up?' 'No.' LMAO Took it too far Aaron....You're lucky you got that much good sir.

This scene with Mad Dog hurt my heart for Tim. No matter how wrong he was for what he did I still hate seeing this. This was what I was worried about with him working with Metro. Picking at the wounds he hasn’t even begun to heal about how he left. I knew him making notes on the OP was going to come back and bite him in the ass. Watching all his repercussions is painful to see I have to say. Knowing what we know about Mad Dog later I think that's part of why he goes off on Tim. Doesn't make it any easier to watch though...

Friggin Love Lucy being a BAMF in this episode. Especially in this moment. When she once again corrects but doesn't crush Celina about her gun. It's the way she guides Celina and has control over every situation they encounter in this ep. Proving herself a worthy teacher and leader. Also she was a better teacher to Celina in one episode than Nolan has been her entire career. Dude is a stinker of a T.O. It shows in how Celina makes basic mistakes Lucy had down pat long before this time in her rookie year.

Too bad Lucy can't finish out her training and Nolan is booted. But that'll never happen nothing sticks to that man. Not since S3 premiere. The rules and repercussions are rubber and he's glue. What doesn't stick to him does to everyone else... Grey should really evaluate his teaching skills. But that'll never happen. But she deserves a better teacher than him.

From the minute Tim entered the room something seemed very wrong. From the way Mad Dog was just expecting Tim to flog him. Like he wanted Tim to ream him out for how the OP went down. Also how Mad Dog seemed nervous af to see Dr London. I mean look at that man above. He is scared shitless she is there to see him. The way he watches her though out the scene. Especially when she leaves.

Tim's cop gut is going off like crazy when she enters the room. Wondering how the hell she even know about this? He seems to take her answer at face value because honestly its pretty good considering it's a bold faced lie. Tim once again feeling like something is very off but isn't sure why.

First let me say once again I feel personally attacked by the choice in song once again. lol I couldn't find the song to save my life. The lyrics are *chef kiss.* They're painfully accurate for them both. Think they've been very intentional with their ending music and just in general this season. These lyrics filled me with some hope as well. Jotted down the lyrics since couldn't find the song.

‘When the sun won’t shine and the words don’t rhyme. And there’s mountains you can’t move. Somethings on your mind and it’s been some time-since you felt like you were you. When it all caves in feeling paper thin. And the pain might cut right through.

Oh child, Lift up your head. All this trouble's only gonna last for awhile.’ Yeah we’re gonna be all right oh child. Lift up your head. And the light's gonna find you. When you feel like you ain’t got a friend. And you’re wondering if you ever gonna smile again. Every little thing gonna be ok. I know that you gonna see better days.’ *heart clutch.*

Damn smart of Tim saying happy birthday from Kojo and not him. I’m not crying you are. This was so so sweet. Lucy's reaction to Kojo got me all in my feels. She's so excited to see him. Then that excitement melts into sadness. Because he's an extension of Tim. The way she pet's him and says how much she misses him ugh.

Seems there is a double meaning going on there. We all know despite the hurt how much she misses her person. Tim just standing there only imagining her reaction when Kojo makes his way back. What a way to bring that sweet boy back in. I'm so happy about it. Tim is respecting her space but couldn’t let her bday go without doing something. Had to let her know her was thinking of her still. The fact that it’s happening in the hallway where so many seminal moments have played out for them.... I wanna cry.

I LOVE that Tim got Kojo to put his little paw in ink for the card. It is so sweet. Their fur baby. He put serious thought and effort into this. This was so well done. Only Melissa and Eric could have chemistry without even seeing each other. This is the first time we've really seen Lucy cry about them. 6x06 she was in complete shock. 6x07 was her processing her thoughts/emotions. She was on the verge of tears but we didn't see her cry. This was first time we've seen her shed tears on screen at least since the break up. Wanna hug her so much. She deserved this card and more. Like a real conversation with him but this is a good start.

She knows this is Tim reaching out without physically doing so. Showing her he still cares. I mean he clearly very much does. You don't put thought and effort in like this if you don't. It's a huge thing for him to do right now. Lucy recognizes the effort in this adorable act. Tim's face after she reads the card. Ripping my damn heart out. The absolute regret splayed all over it. Like it’s finally hitting him what he’s done to her. What he’s lost in the process. He gave up his favorite person. His happy place and just it’s hitting him square in his chest.

Like a freight train that’s run him over. It's the way he shakes his head. Kicking himself. Knowing he hastily threw them away. What a mistake he’s made in his irrational decision making. It’s written all over his beautiful face. He may not fully understand yet why he did it but the regret is evident. Eric be killing me. His face screams all that. Knowing he should’ve been with Lucy for her birthday. Hell probably sharing that bath bomb she brought up with her. Killing me softly. Hurts so good. Damnit writers... This is being handled so well though. So hats off to them. They both needed this moment more than either of them knew.

Mad dog killing himself....jesus H Christ. Poor Tim the last thing he needs is this. It explains why he was extra nasty to Tim though. Tim saw the flaw in his play and freaked the hell out. Also for Tim to see someone he once trusted with his life compromise themselves. Compromise the safety of their own men. Gut punch. And for what? Money? Power? We won't know till more of this unravels. Whatever it is won't be for a good reason. I know Tim hates himself for his mistakes. But those mistakes always had some form of honor attached to them.

He may not see that but I do. Now the op where he got his men killed no but what he did after was honorable. What he did for Mitch came from a honorable place. I just wonder how seeing Mad Dog doing something so very un-honorable is gonna affect him moving forward...Oh my lord I’m so mad about Dr London not because I liked her. But because I didn’t want it to derail Tim’s therapy in any way. The man needs it. Here’s hoping he continues in s7 with someone better.

Everyone was right she’s a dirty birdy. I was just hoping she wouldn’t be. But my ick and uncomfortable factor went WAY up in this ep with her. I knew it was inevitable. It's not that I didn't want to be wrong about her. It's the fact I didn't want this to hurt Aaron and I definitely I didn’t want her to be dirty for Tim that was it. For his therapy and the progress he's made. I hope this doesn’t affect his therapy journey and he can find someone not compromised in S7.

That promo for next week oh my lord….the hug! The hug! "This doesn't change anything." Then pulls him right in like nothing's changed. I will be living there from now on. Or until next week lol Love the Finale being a 2 parter as well. Phew this is gonna be an intense ending to this season. Gonna be chomping at the bit for S7 once it's done I know it. Like the song stated we're gonna see better days. I truly believe that. We got this my lovely fandom. Thank you for always being so wonderfully receptive of these reviews. Appreciate any likes, comments or reblogs that come my way.

~~~

Side notes-non Chenford

Angela shooting Monica down with Wesley. She's an Epic Queen and I adore her.

Dr London is in alliance with Monica. That's super great….cool cool cool……I have a feeling and D and I discussed this earlier. Reminds us of Armstrong. This feels more like a she's been forced into it a situation. Because its obvious she's good at her job.

But the way she freaked out about the cops being hurt clearly shook her. She looked on the verge of tears in Mad Dog's room. So do I think she's a bad person? Unsure at the moment. Do I think she was once a good person who was manipulated into whatever this alliance is? I do. Be interesting to see how her SL unfolds.

[selencgraphy]

— 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐆 ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄: and i’m just an arrogant son of a bitch (who can’t admit when he’s sorry)

PAIRING: jake seresin x f!original character

TAGS: bradley bradshaw pov (not necessarily a warning just an fyi), cursing, angst, not 100% proofread (so don't kill me for grammatical errors pls)

A/N: WE ARE SO BACKK!! ok so preface, this part is entirely from bradley’s pov. i touched on it briefly in the original working of this fic and i felt like i could've fleshed it out a lot more so here we are. there's also some choices that i make that i hope some of you catch ;) there’s some big changes from the og direction this story was going bc i just didn't like it but anyways, i really hope you like it! lmk your thoughts <3

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Don’t take for granted the love this life gives you. - Tim McGraw

In the 12 years Bradley Bradshaw has known Hangman, they’ve never gotten along. It was a known fact amongst almost every naval aviator around their age. So it didn’t come as a surprise that they continued to butt heads during their return to Top Gun. The light jabs at his ego and that stupid cheeky smirk that seemed to be permanently plastered across Hangman’s face were expected. Unsurprisingly enough, those expectations were fulfilled quite quickly when Bradley set foot back into the Hard Deck. What did come as a surprise, however, was how much one person could change everything.

Admittedly, he assumed Jessie ‘Dice’ Rosales would mirror Hangman at the revelation that she was his best friend—yet another pain in the ass he’d have to deal with. Having been practically attached to the hip with Hangman since she arrived, she was the last person he expected to come looking for him after his incident with Maverick. She didn’t know him, yet she was the only person besides Natasha to check in on him. How could a person so caring as her be so close to someone who seem to care less? There it was again. Assumptions and expectations.

“I know who he is to you. Who Maverick is to you.” At that, Bradley’s eyebrows furrowed, and for the first time since she had come to check in on him, he finally really looked at her. She was sat across from him in the same position—her knees pulled slightly to her chest, arms resting on top of them with her hands clasped—but now in her civilian clothes, hair down and slightly damp. “How?”

She scoffed. “S’not a hard connection to make when he’s standing next to someone that looks just like you also named Bradshaw in the class of ’86 photo in the rec room. Only a matter of time before someone else takes a good look at that old picture and puts two and two together.” He hummed. He’d forgotten it was there. Since he saw it for the first time when he went through Top Gun himself a few years ago, he’d avoided that part of the rec room like the plague. When he didn’t speak, she continued. “What doesn’t make sense to me though is the bad blood…” Just as he was quick to dismiss her, Jessie was even quicker to cut him off so she could finish. “I didn’t want to push because that’s your own business, but I won’t let you do reckless shit because of it. I know you don’t like Jake—and me by extension—but this is gonna be a team. A team that’s about to be sent out on what seems like a suicide mission. So get your head in the fucking game, Bradshaw.”

—

It was awkward trying to do a team bonding exercise the following day after his and Hangman’s altercation. “Dog fight football,” Maverick called it which seemed like a horrible concept upon introduction. But then he found himself holding Bob on his shoulders an hour or so later, the brightest smile on his face. By the time they finished, the Hard Deck was open for business, most of them making their way over to the bar. Just as he was making his way over, a voice called over from by the water. “Bradshaw!”

He wasn’t sure why he stopped in his tracks. Bradley knew who it was. Why he decided he’d give Hangman more of his time just so the other could boast he couldn’t tell you. “What d’you want, Hangman?”

The annoyance in Bradley’s voice was sharp and heavy, something that came automatically after years of dealing with him. It didn’t take him long to catch up to Bradley. He waited for a snarky remark about his football skills. Honestly, he expected everything else besides the words that actually came out of the other man’s mouth. “I’m sorry.”

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What?”

“Look, I know we’ve never been friendly but what I said yesterday was beyond fucked up. If I could take it back, I would. I’m sorry.” It’s as if the man who stood before him was another person who wore Hangman’s face. Bradley was so taken aback, all he did was stare at him. Considering how long he’d known Hangman, the words I’m sorry didn’t seem to be in his vocabulary. Before he could figure out what to say, Hangman continued. “I don’t expect you to forgive me. I just- I’m really sorry.”

“Jake!” The voice caused both of them to look over at the owner of the voice. There stood Jessie, two beers in hand. “Yeah?” Hangman replied back.

“Beers getting warm!” At that, Hangman gave Bradley a pat on the shoulder and wistful smile before jogging over to where Jessie stood. It was just two words. Two normal words that he’s heard countless times throughout his life. After each of his parent’s deaths. After someone accidentally bumps into him. Yet those very two words seem to completely changed his entire opinion on the man he thought he had all figured out. Bradley watched as Hangman threw an arm around her as she handed him his bottle. It was like deja vu to a memory from his youth he only vaguely remembered. Not that he was old enough to actually remember much about his father but the amount of stories recounted after his passing, at some point it began to feel like he could, but they were always blurry images just out of reach. Is this how Maverick feels when he looks at him?

—

With each training session and the mission date growing ever so closer, it felt as if the mission was impossible. Each failure felt more brutal than the last. Then their timeline shrunk. The stress of the job took away from their socialization, nights now ending with faces falling flat on pillows immediately after work more often than not. When the news of Admiral Kazansky’s passing reached Bradley, he was in the middle of a heated argument with Maverick. Besides Maverick and his mother, Iceman was always there. Uncle Ice he used to call him.

As nice as the city of San Diego was, Bradley couldn't help the sliver of hatred he held for it. It’s beauty, unfortunately, tainted by loss to which he now had to add yet another person to the list. His dad. His mom. Now Uncle Ice. Bradley planned on seeing him while he was out here at one point. His mom kept telling him to not take things, especially things that he loved, for granted. Why didn’t he listen?

In a flash, it was time for them to head out. To Admiral Simpson’s dismay, Maverick was appointed team leader after his little stunt after having basically been fired.  That left him the choices of two foxtrot teams and one wingman. “Payback and Fanboy. Phoenix and Bob.”

Breaths that were held by foxtrot squads were released, some of relief and some of disappointment. All that was left was who Maverick wanted as his wingman. There were only a few left to pick. Rooster. Hangman. Dice. Omaha. Coyote. The tension in the air as they waited for Maverick was choking them. In those few seconds, Bradley ran through the chances he'd be chosen, pulling from both professional and personal reasoning. Their personal issues kept outweighing everything else in his mind. “Rooster.”

The color drained out of his face. His body shook as he took in a sharp breath. Even being so stuck in his head, he noticed how Hangman's body shook and then immediately tensed when Mav announced his name instead of his. When they were dismissed, it was as if someone had flipped the autopilot switch. If you had looked at him for longer than a second, you could see the absence in his eyes. It was a given that he’d be nervous. This mission could kill him. Maybe Hangman was right. He flew comfortably. He was good, but he took the easy road and nothing about this mission was easy.

A gentle hand pulled him from his thoughts. The words she spoke were as if she had read his mind. “You got this. Maverick chose you for a reason. Just fly.”

The deck was crowded, everyone preparing the Daggers for takeoff. Hangman walked in his path, his jaw clenched. Since that night a few weeks ago, he couldn't read him anymore. The small glimpse at genuineness shattered his whole perspective on the man. The change was subtle but immense. Micro expressions he used to gloss over seemed to be the only things he noticed now. Judgment that once was clouded by anger and annoyance morphed into understanding. “You give ‘em hell,” he yelled over the roaring engines of their jets. Then he was gone. Maybe if he got out of this alive, he'd give Jake Seresin a chance.

—

It was a rare sight to see the two rivaling pilots smiling at each other, let alone shaking each other’s hands. Jake Seresin just saved his and Mav’s life—it was the least he could do. “Chalked yourself another kill,” Bradley remarked with a smile.

“That makes two.” Natasha pointed out as she shook her head, a similar grin on her own face. “Mav has five—makes him an ace.” Bradley turned back to look at Jake and shrugged. He and Jake shared a mutual pat on the shoulder and nod of respect before going their separate ways.

Soon enough, they were all back on solid ground and celebrating at the Hard Deck. After playing a few songs on the piano and a few rounds of pool, he stepped outside to get some fresh air. The combination of Iceman’s death and Bradley’s own near-death experience gave him a sense of clarity. Choices that he made in his life he wished he should and shouldn’t have made. People that he’s pushed away. People that he’s kept an arm’s length away. Childish grudges. Despite being only 38 years old, Bradley Bradshaw was a man of many regrets. But that wasn’t what he sat in on the beach thinking about. He spent the entire trip back home reflecting on that. No, he was thinking about the two people that reminded him of his parents just a week ago. So many people over the years have told Bradley that he reminds them of his father, a statement he never quite believed. Sure, he looked like his old man with the Hawaiian button downs and mustache, but that was where the resemblance ended. Nick and Carole Bradshaw seemed to be a rarity in the world. Then he met Jessie Rosales and saw the way she and Jake Seresin looked at each other. The glances when the other wasn’t looking that lasted longer than they should have, but it was never his business. He had just met Jessie, and Jake wasn’t his friend. He still wasn’t—at least not yet—but she was now. A good one at that. Now with the regret of not getting the chance to truly reconcile with Maverick having plagued his mind just mere days ago, he couldn’t help projecting those feelings onto them. Bradley had taken so many things for granted in his life, a mistake he’ll spend the rest of his life making up for. It’s not like he’s playing matchmaker, he just wanted to give them a little push.

So when familiar footsteps crunched across the sand behind him, he made up his mind. She took a seat next to him in the sand. “Alright, Bradshaw?”

He hummed and took a sip of the beer he’d been nursing since he sat outside. “Just watching the sun set.” Nodding her head, she pulled her knees up against her chest, rested her chin on top of them and looked out to the water. He appreciated how understanding she was during moments like this. There wasn’t a need to check up on him nor was there a need for her to stay here and sit in silence with him yet here she was. That contrast between her and her best friend bewildered him at first but the idea that they were polar opposites seemed to fade the more time he spent around them. “Tell me about you and Hang- Jake. You and Jake.”

She smiled at the question. “Well,” she started. “What do you wanna know?”

What did he want to know? “How long have you been in love with him?” At that, she almost spit out her drink from the shock at the question Bradley posed. “Wh-what?”

“Do I really need to repeat myself, Dice?”

She looked back to the Hard Deck and at the man in question through the window as he played pool before she turned and shook her head. “S’not like that, Rooster.”

Bradley let out a huff at her denial. “He’s in love with you too, ya know.”

“No, he’s not.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because we’ve known each other for over twenty years!” Her voice quickly raised in frustration at Bradley’s insistence before returning to her usual calm demeanor. “We’ve known each other since we were kids, Bradley. I can’t even remember what my life was like before I met him. If he was in love with me, he would have said something by now. I’d rather have him as a friend than not at all.” 

Bradley let out a sigh and paused for a moment to figure out how to continue the conversation. As they sat in silence, both of them turned to watch the sun set. Just as the star appeared to hit the horizon did Bradley speak again. “Mav used to love telling me stories about my dad after he died. How he basically begged my mom to give him a chance. How the look in his eyes when his gaze was set on her was always the same—a look of love and adoration. I didn’t believe him ’til I looked at the polaroids Mav used to sneak of them when they weren’t looking. For years, I thought that I was never gonna find two people that looked at each other like that—loved each other as much as they did. That is until I saw you and him.” 

“Brad…”

He quickly cut her off, speaking without abandon so all she could do was listen to him. “He loves you, Jess. Why he hasn’t said anything is beyond me. It’s so unbearably obvious that you both are in love with each other even if you don’t see it yourself. What I’ve learned these past few days is that you can’t take things for granted, especially things—people that you love. I know what it feels like to regret not holding onto and cherishing the time I had with people who cared for me. I don’t want you make that same mistake.” When he finished and he looked back at her, it was hard to tell how she felt about his tangent with the way her eyebrows furrowed. He hasn’t known her long enough to know if this specific crease in her forehead came from anger, shock, or sadness. Maybe it was all of the above?

“I don’t wanna lose him,” she whispered, her voice cracking.

“You won’t,” he reassured without hesitation. For the decade that Bradley has known Hangman, he was so sure of himself that he understood who the other man was. He was the one who created that stupid story behind his callsign that everyone but Jake retells after all. But in the month he’s been around him and Jess, that philosophy was flipped on it’s head. Jake Seresin wasn’t the douchebag he thought he was. 

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[bookwormlover10]

I need a fan fic ( or au) were Wayne family adventures Bruce decides to adopt old Dcau Bruce

You with me on this...ok so This is my pitch how it would go.

So it starts with wfa Bruce somehow ( maybe is the justice league or something else you decide) gets transported to the Dcau universe but in the beyond era. The man is obviously very confused it could be the taller and bigger Gotham or it could be the teenager with attitude calling himself batman.

Eneway he runs into the tomorrow knight and after some light confrontation Terry takes him to the bat cave were he meets the eder Bruce Wayne. After confirming things old Bruce dismissed Terry for the night

While things settle down wfa Bruce noticed that this old Bruce is lonely. This Bruce is all alone For the most part.( With expectations of course. The dog and this Terry fellow) The House looks hunted with romes are empty and dark. Alfred seems to be dead. It seems that he didn't have much sidekicks( sorry that the only way to explain the bat heros ) judging by the display case. He's pretty sure the doesn't have a Damian either. The kicker thought is when he shows a picture of his family to the older Bruce gave him a sad smile and said " that lovely but do me a favor don't mess up like I did."

Some how there is a way home with it with the beyond era justice league or the wfa Batfamily you decide. While going though the way home wfa Bruce decided 'you know what I'm taking this sad Old man with me' and surprises adoption to old Bruce. he just assumed that Terry well be fine. Yes Ace will run after his owner.

As expected old man Bruce doesn't take to kindly to the batnaping. His is pissed. His like " I'm supposed to be a warning! That wasn't a aboption call !" And like " Terry needs me! " He scolded wfa Bruce like an angry father.

I bet your wondering what the wfa Batfamily thing about this. Well one their Bruce explain his reasoning there like... Ok.... Then go along with it. They get a new grand-bat

The bat kid are ok with having a new grand-bat. But as time Bass they noticed that their new grand-bat is why more grouchy than their Bruce and some how More traumatized. I mean the old man said that dangling somebody off a roof was too soft. He looked at Alfred like hes a ghost ( maybe to him he is ) Every time Old man Bruce sees Dick and tim he always gives them a sad look with regrets and avoid them at all cost. Tim more so. Like Tim is his greatest failure.

Tim : why is he looking at me like that.

Jason: yea so

Tim: that the thing he's looking at me like...( Comes to the realization) .. like Bruce looks at you

Jason: huh !

Dick: ( is crying in a corner) at least he doesn't look at you like you hate him!

Old Bruce does try to escape and go home. Like there a Terry that needs him at home. Hes escape atemts fall though it comes to a pont stop thing " what would a Bruce do" to " what would a Terry do." And starts to make their life miserable. He starts to hack into the bat computer making their equipment act weird and pulls brakes on them. Thought he doesn't do it when he thinks that their a ligiment threat. They might have kidnapped him but he still has his morals after all these years.

Damien likes Old Bruce hes like the grandfather that Damien always wanted. He's tuff and experienced but not to mean ( still mean but not as much as he was when he first met Terry. thanks you Terry for softening the old bat up) . He gives him compliments when needed but well scold you when you do something stupid. He gives him head pats sometimes. He even has that mysterious old people candy that Jon was telling him. About. Not to mention he's has great taste in pets. ( Damien likes Ace very much.) Damien came to know this this Bruce never had a him. That fact made Damien a little sad. He always thought that there was a him with his father in every universe. He also thinks that his mother isn't with them in his universe cause every time he asks about his mother in his universe he always gives a sad smile and says " your mother was a very beautiful woman. With a good heart." The key word was was. Meaning that she was dead. He doesn't dare ask about his grandfather. The old bat does try to convince Damian to stop being Robin cause how kind get hurt. ( Cause you know trama ) Damien them mention this Terry fellow.Damian then decided that they need to keep the old man.

Old Bruce then release that these kids are traumatized and he became a little soft on the wfa Batfamily. He's everything started to open up to them. He starts telling them stories about his batman and justice league days. The bat kids are all surprise that welly West was a founding member of the justice league in his universe. He also gave wfa Bruce creeks and help him be a better batman. ( With all of the Batfamily to he honest) Tim and Jason eventually asked him to what happened to his Tim Drake. So old Bruce explained his Tim backstory and the joker jr situation. The bat boys than made the concussion that his Tim Drake is was more of a Jason Todd a Timmy todd if you will. When Tim and Jason explain both of their backstory to the old bat.

Wfa Bruce ( and Batfamily to an extent) does eventually feel gently about surprises adopting old man Bruce especially with how much he mentions Terry. Wfa Batfamily can tell that they have a father and son relationship. He said how he proud of him. He mentioned his grate battles or what Terry did for him . That wfa Batfamily can tell how much Terry means to the old bat. They know that he wasn't comply alone

Then eventually there's a knocking on the door of Wayne maner only to reveal a pisst of Dcau Tim going full Jason Todd on there ass. ( He has a gun and he's not afraid to use it ) an angry Terry mcginnis and Dcau Wally West is there cause I like him. You can also have Dcau dick Grayson there to.

See he has people who do care about him.

Then old man Bruce got to go home but the wfa Batfamily can still visit there grand bat in neo-Gotham

I also have a similar Idea but we're Damien kidnapped Timmy todd and Dcau dick is on the journey. Let me know if you want to here that to.

[800tz]

LOVE BUZZED

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Pair: Jesus Christo x F reader

Fandom: Clone high

Warnings: None

Additional: N/N=nickname, H/S=hairstyle, the teacher name is just a random ass name i came up with, also Gandhi's back😝

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The day started off just as any normal Friday morning would, the halls busseling with the familiar faces of Vlad the Impaler and Napoleon, just the usual.

"Y/N! doesn't today seem like it's gonna be crazy? I mean nothing interesting has happened since the nip slip at the rally last week, somethings gotta be coming y'know?" Frida grabbed her skateboard, leaning against the locker next to yours.

"I don't know, I mean I can't really think of a reason for it to be a special day... Besides that Biology test, by the way, did you get it?"

You asked, refering to the answer key you asked her to steal for educational reasons.

"Of course I did, here" as she hands the answer key over, you slide her a piece of bubble gum, her favorite thing in the whole wide world besides her trusty skateboard.

You were walking to class with Frida slowly skating next to you, how days usually started, that was until an unusual interaction would start a chain of events...

"Heyyyy Y/N..so I know I still owe you that 5 dollars, and I promise I'm working on it! but I need a favor.." Gandhi appeared in front of you, out of nowhere, blocking your path.

rolling your eyes, you thought 'what more could he possibly need' he looked at you with his sad attempt at puppy dog eyes.

"What" you ask blankly, "Well, I need you to meet Joan in the bathroom..." he states. You noticed his nervous stance, he was visibly sweaty, tapping his pointer fingers together, avoiding eye contact.

"Ok, what tim-" immediately you were cut off by being shoved to the girls room "like right now" he blurts. Soon enough you were standing in a stall with Joan.

"Whats up" you asked tiredly, Joan didn't look half as nervous as Gandhi did, probably because she hasn't owed you $5 since the 6th grade.

"Ok, before you judge me, let me explain what happened first!" she says with wide eyes

"Basically, what happened was... "

FLASHBACK

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"Did you hear about that party Catherine the Great's throwing" Gandhi whispered, Abe looked at him quickly, "No? She's throwing a party? When? Is Cleo gonna be there?!" he babbled.

"Probably, but I doubt she'd invite us... Unless we had a way in" Joan smiled to herself, "I have an idea" Joan said.

"Yeah! Last weeks trip was sooooo wild right Gandhi?" Joan exclaimed loudly, Gandhi looked at all the eyes on him and immediately hid himself behind some menus.

"Right Gandhi??" Joan pushed, "O-oh yeah, totally! What did we do? Acid was it?" he yelled, "What are you guys talking about? We didn't do anything last wee-ouch!" Joan kicked Abe in the shin from beneath the table.

"Yeah! Huh thank goodness I brought the stuff!" Joan continues. Now, more than a few eyes were on them, almost the whole diner was looking their direction.

"Oh yeah, I know TONS of dealers!" Joan exclaimed, Catherine looked at her with the biggest smile ever, "You do!?" she overheard Joan talking at the table behind her.

Catherine jumped into the booth next to Joan, "Yeah, I do, why? do you need anything?" asked Joan.

"Yeah I do actually! I don't know if you heard but I'm throwing this party next Friday, and it would be totally lame without something to spice it up" Catherine frowned

"But if you have something, you guys could totally come" she says with a smile, "YES! Yes! We can totally have some by next Friday!" Gandhi declares, while standing on the booth.

"Wait-" Joan could barely get a word out before Catherine interrupted her with a clap, "Cool! You guys are totally invited! Don't forget the stuff or else I'll be totally pissed, anyways, thanks! See you at the party!" Catherine swiftly grabbed her purse and exited the diner.

"Gandhi.... Why would you do that! How are we supposed to get that much weed by next Friday?!" Joan whisper yelled across the table. "Uhhh I don't know... You think she's into me?" he asks, smiling very widely.

"No Gandhi, she's not- never mind that! You realize the entire school is going to be at this party? There's no way we're gonna get it in time!" Joan sighs.

Gandhi gulps, realizing the gravity of is rash decision making, "W-well, I think I know someone"

END OF FLASHBACK

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"So yeah.. That's what happened" Joan sighed, you rubbed your face, the situation already stressing you out to the max

"And you waited till Friday morning to tell me?" you ask. "Well Gandhi wouldn't stop getting all scared to ask you! Just please help me out, I'll do your homework for the whole rest of the year if you do this ONE LITTLE thing for me!" Joan begs.

"I wish I could but I don't even smoke sooo I don't know why Gandhi would even tell you to ask me, I'm sorry but I wish I could-" Joan grabbed your shoulders tightly.

"What do you mean you don't smoke? You mean you know people who do right? Gandhi told me you were close friends with Jesus" Joan panicked.

"What? No I went to middle school with Jesus, but we weren't close, and no, I don't know anyone who does" you tell her.

"Ah! That's it! I'll go talk to Jesus! He'll have something!" she cheered. The more you thought about it, the more you just couldn't shake it, why on earth would Gandhi think you were close with Jesus?

"Hey Joan! Before you go, did Gandhi tell you why he thought Jesus and I were close?" Joan quickly gathered her things before heading out to class.

"He said he talks about you a lot or something, anyways thank you so much! I'll see you at the party tonight right?" she asks,"Yup" and just like that she was gone.

You sat down next to Frida, only a few minutes later than usual. "What was that all about?" Frida whispers over the monotone teacher's lecture.

"It's kind of a long story but basically, Catherine the Great is throwing a party tonight, and Gandhi told her he has a ton of weed that he could take to the party" you explain.

"Ok? So what does that have to do with you?" Frida asks, "Well, the problem is Gandhi doesn't have any weed, so he asked me if I had anything because... Because apparently he thought I was 'close' with Jesus" you say.

"Jesus Christo?" she looks at me shocked, "Yeah, isn't that weird? Joan said he talks about me a lot or something" you say.

"Huh weird, maybe he likes you!" Frida teases,"No way! Shut up" you giggle "Anyways, we're going to that party right?" Frida asks, "Oh for sure" you smile, fist bumping Frida.

"Kahlo, L/N, something you wanna share?" Mr Bonner asks, Frida only pops a bubble loudly in response. "Alrighty" Mr Bonner moves on quickly.

LUNCH TIME

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"Why did you tell me that she knew a guy?" Joan quizzed, Gandhi rubbed his head "Well it's not my fault! Jesus won't shut up about some girl in English! Maybe it wasn't her!" Gandhi sighed, "We're totally not gonna make it to that party huh" he whined.

"We will as soon as you go talk to Jesus-" Joan starts, Gandhi stands up triumphantly, "That's it! I'll go talk to Jesus!" he says, walking towards his table.

"Almost like that's what I just said" Joan sighs while putting a spoonful of peas into her mouth.

Jesus was sitting pretty deep into the cafeteria, with a group of other stoner kids, he was surprisingly sober. "Hey, can I talk to you... Alone" all the laughing stopped immediately.

"Of course homes, whats going on?" he asks with his usual fluid voice, ending up in the hallway together, Gandhi began to explain the circumstance he found himself in.

"You smoke weed right?" Gandhi awkwardly asks, "'Course I do homes"... "Well uh, I'm kind of in a tough spot.. You see I kinda...overestimated... And I’m gonna need some- a lot of weed actually, I can pay you! I just- please man" Gandhi explains.

Jesus hums to himself, "oohhh I see, you promised someone a lot of stuff but then you actually didn't have anything but you need it cuz if you don't they'll get all angry? I been there before homes I been there" he says.

"So you'll help me?! Thanks man! You have no idea-" Gandhi's cheers were quickly interrupted, "Ehh I would, tch but I'm fresh out homes, and my plugs outta town" Jesus shrugs.

"Dude! Are you serious right now?!" Gandhi whines, "Stone cold homes" Jesus says bluntly, Gandhi whines loudly.

Jesus laughs loudly, "Haha! You shoulda seen your face homes! You were all like uuughhhhhh!" he laughs. "Wait so you were joking?" Gandhi looks up at him with hopeful eyes.

"Of course man, but I'll only help you on one condition ey" Gandhi looks at him, he would do absolutely anything to get laid at this point, "Whatever it is, I'll do it just tell me who I have to kill-"

"Woah relax, take a hit! You say you'll do anything ey?" Jesus holds out his pinky finger, "Anything" Gandhi pinky promises.

"That was a pinky promise homes, that means it's sacred ey, if you break it, something bad will happen, something very very bad" he puts his arm around Gandhi.

Gandhi gulps, "Of course man!" he says nervously, having absolutely no idea what he's getting himself into.

"Alright alright, I want you to set me up with that one super hot chick with the H/S, Y/N, man I had my eye on her since middle school homes, I just been too scared to talk to her and you pinky promised so now you have to homes" Jesus smiled

Gandhi was relieved it wasn't something as bad as he thought it would be, but don't get him twisted it was still a very difficult feat.

"Y/N?" Gandhi asks, Jesus pulls his wallet out, he fumbled with it for a moment before unfolding a yearbook page, he slid his finger down the page before reaching her picture.

The yearbook page had been from years before, it was a middle school picture of you, braces gleaming embarrassingly bright, almost popping off the page.

"Ooohh Y/N?! You have a crush on Y/N!?-" Jesus put his hand over Gandhi's Mouth almost immediately, "Shhh ey be quiet homes! Not so loud!" Jesus said.

Gandhi nodded, "ooooohhh I got you man! Your secrets safe with me! You won't regret it!" Gandhi led Jesus out the back door of the school, not to be seen by a single soul.

END OF SCHOOL DAY

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"Do you wanna come over?" you ask Frida, "Nah, I'll skate home today, see you at the party" Frida says her goodbyes before skating away.

Who wouldn't be excited for a party, today was the best day ever!

Oops, spoke too soon...

"Aw come on! Are you kidding me!" the tires were slashed, absolutely demolished, "Well it looks like I'll be getting a ride... Hey Joan! Can I ride with you! My tires are slashed!" you yelled over to the red headed girl.

"Sure, hop in" she says, you hopped into the passenger seat feeling lucky that you wouldn't have to walk home.

The ride to your house was quiet because you couldn't quiet get Jesus off of your mind, you've only spoken like once, what if he really did have a crush on you? I mean why though? you don't know each other at all! Whatever, it's basically the weekend, you should be focusing on yourself right now, yeah!

As Joan pulled up to your house, you thanked her and walked towards the door, thankfully your foster parents were on vacation so you were free to party!

When you check your backpack for your house keys, it's almost like over night you became the most unlucky person on earth because of course your keys were missing!

"For fucks sake" you mumbled to yourself, walking over to Joan's car and stepping back in, "Welp looks like I'm locked out" you smiled to her, "Its cool, now we can get ready for Catherines party together!" you smiled at each other as you drove to Joan’s house.

JOANS HOUSE

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It was almost time for the party, you had put on some makeup, but you couldn't really eat anything because you still couldn't stop thinking about Jesus, what was going on?

"Ugh" Joan grunts next to you, looking at her flip phone with a stressed out expression. "What is it? Did you get the whole weed situation figured out?" you ask

"Yup! Everythings fine! Totally fine I promise!" Joans reaction weren't exactly what you wanted to hear, but it was enough for you not to worry too much.

The minutes ticked by quickly, soon enough you were in Joan’s car listening to the plans for who you were picking up.

"Ok so we're gonna drive to Gandhi's house, park there, pick up his van, and then we're picking up Abe and Jesus. Gandhi said we were taking a quick pitstop somewhere but he didn't say where" Joan explains.

You didn't think before you spoke "Wait Jesus is coming with us?" you blurt out. Joan looked at you confused, "Yeah, is something wrong?" she asked.

"No, nothing, also whats that pitstop? He didn't say anything about it?" you asked, as Joan put the car in drive, she looked at you and smiled, "Nope!"

Soon enough you were in a sticky van with Abe, Joan, Ghandi and Jesus. "Ok so where is this pitstop? You said it was on the way" Joan says.

Jesus leaned over the passenger seat from the back, pointing towards street ahead, "Just keep going this way homes, I'll tell you when to stop" the car was mostly silent other than Abe and Ghandi talking about all the girls they would bang at the party.

"Eyy how have you been Y/N, I haven't seen you since the 8th grade homes, how's it going" Jesus was sprawled across the van from me, picking the shag carpet lightly.

You're eyes widened suddenly at the sudden sound of your name "Well I've been alright, how about you" I replied shyly, Jesus sighs "Nothing much..." he trails off, still picking the carpet.

"I see you grew out that catfish stash" you joke, "Eyy don't trash Jesus Junior" he laughed while combing his goatee.

"Ey you remember when that one guy with the bug eyes threw up in gym and the teacher got all angry cuz he was throwing up everywhere and then bug eyed kid threw up on the teacher?" he giggles

"Kinda, wasn't that Tommy G?" you thought, "Yeah! Oh man, I'll never forget the look on your face, you were all like" Jesus widened his eyes an made an over exaggerated shocked expression with his mouth.

"I did not look like that!" you pushed his shoulder slightly, "Eh I think you did N/N" he pokes. N/N?...N/N, he gave you a nickname, and you actually liked it.

Jesus wasn't as serious as you thought he'd be, he looks a little intimidating from the outside, but now that you'd talked talked to him he was actually really cool!

"Ey stop right there homes" Jesus leaned over the passenger seat, Joan stopped the car quickly. "That's his place, we gotta break in there and get the stuff" Jesus says calmly.

"Break in?! I thought you said you were joking!" Ghandi panicks, "I lied, sorry about that, but ey relax it'll be easy, we'll need someone to distract the guard dog while I sneak in and get it" Jesus explains.

It was about 9 o'clock at night, the neighborhood was very sketchy, definitely not the best place for a group of teenagers to be.

After a lot of yelling and "not its" Gandhi spoke up, "I'll go" he sighs, everyone looked at him shocked "I'm the one who got us into this, and I'm gonna get us to that party or die trying!" he declares.

"Gandhi.." Joan whispers, Jesus smiles, "Great, lets go". Gandhi and Jesus stepped out of the van, sneaking over to the side of the house.

"Ok, I'm gonna put you over the fence and then I'm gonna go in through the window and let the dog out, you have to keep him busy for about 5 minutes homes, you think you can do that?" Jesus explained the plan to him.

Gandhi high fived Jesus and nodded. I watched from the window as Gandhi hopped onto Jesus's shoulders dropping into the backyard.

Jesus snuck in through an open window, the big dog barked loudly at Gandhi outside of the screen door, Jesus opened it and from the van all we heard was...

"Ahh!!! Good boy! Ouch come on hurry up man!" Gandhi was running in circles away from the angry dog.

A few minutes of loud barking was interrupted by Jesus jumping over the fence with a half naked Gandhi.

They jumped into the van almost so fast that you didn't see them, "GO! GO DRIVE JOAN HURRY!" Gandhi yelled.

The van sped off, throwing you and Gandhi onto Jesus, you looked up at him, he smiled widely, not in a creepy way but in more of an 'it's cool' sorta way.

The car gradually slowed down, "Did you get it" Gandhi huffs, Jesus reaches into his jacket, pulling out a big bag of weed, "I got rolling paper too, N/N's gonna help me roll them!" he puts his arm around me in a friendly way.

There I was, in the back of a van rolling blunts with Jesus and a mostly naked Gandhi.

As soon as we arrived at the party, everyone nearly went feral at the sight of a blunt, everyone plunged their gross teenage hands into the bag, by the time everyone was satisfied there was only one left.

"Ey N/N, wanna hit this with me?" Jesus offers, you had never smoked before...but you wanted to seem cool to him right now so you swallowed your fear and went for it.

"Sure" Jesus smiled, pulling out his lighter and lead you out of the house, "I've got a perfect spot, check this out homes" Jesus grins

"Ey Gandhi, hold onto this for me, thanks man" Jesus tossed Gandhi his flip phone. Gandhi gave Jesus a thumbs up and a smile, Jesus copied him and continued on his journey.

TIMESKIP

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The party was a full on hit, almost everyone at school was here, on the dance floor was Gandhi, still only in his boxers and socks, but that didn't matter now! It was party time!

'BZZZZT! BZZZZT!'

Jesus's phone buzzed in Gandhis sweaty boxers, causing him to forget that it wasn't his phone "Hey! Wuzzzaaapp!!!" he slurs into the speaker.

"Ey wussup homie, yo check this, I'm heading home in a few, I gotta new stash of some real crazy shiz, herbal blend type shit, anways, you should stop by homes I'll be at the crib in a few" the voice on the other line spoke.

Gandhi's heart dropped for the millionth time that night, "T-totally, ey I gotta go bye" he hung up quickly, saving his ass in the process.

Gandhi shoved his way through the crowd to the kitchen where he found Joan downing a can of beer, "uh Joan?" Gandhi yells over the music.

"Heyy, hows it goin~ do you think I should dye my hair blue??? Or is it just me-you know I feel great right now-" Joan immediately lurched over the sink and puked herself sober

"Joan! We have a serious problem!" Gandhi yells, Joan wearily lifts her head up, "What is it this time" she asks.

"Well uh, Jesus's plug is coming back... Tonight.... Right now.." He explains, Joan looked at him with wide eyes, "oh my god! Were gonna go to jail for breaking and entering! We're criminals Gandhi! Filthy! Dirty criminals!" Joan cries.

Gandhi thinks for a second, "Well not if we put it all back!" he proposes, Joan furrowed her brows "Lets go!" she drags Gandhi by his shoulder back to the van.

"What about Jesus and Y/N?! We can't just leave the-" Joan put her finger up to Gandhi's lips, "There's no time! We gotta hurry! Hop in the back and start putting the little crumbs into the bag-"

As Joan pulled the van doors open widely, a shocking scene appeared, you were only in your bra and bottoms, you're shirt thrown off to the side lazily, along with Jesus's jacket. You were placed on his lap, him holding himself up on his elbows.

Joan looked at the two of you with wide eyes, "Eyy up top!" Gandhi holds his hand up expectingly, only to be shoved into the van.

As the car sped off, you swiftly grabbed your shirt and tried your best to fan the herbal mist out the window. "Sooo did you guys go.....all the way?" Gandhi asks with a perverted grin.

You thought back at the moments before they arrived, your adrenaline still pumping from the excitement of doing something you weren't supposed to.

FLASHBACK

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Jesus led you back out to Gandhi's van. He opened the back doors for you, letting you in first then soon hopping in behind. "Ey we can hotbox" he smiles.

You were quite nervous, this being one of the rare occasions of you being alone with a boy. "Ey have you ever done this before? You look hella nervous" Jesus says while preparing to flick the lighter

"What are you talking about? I-I do this all the time" you lie, he looks at you blankly for a moment, "Kidding.. " you cringe at yourself, why would you say that, like why?

Jesus lights the joint, the herbal smell already filling the vehicle, he takes a long, beep breath in, sighing happily when he's finished.

"Here" he hands the joint to you, you take it cautiously, not really knowing what to do. Building your courage up, you slowly drew the joint closer to your lips, 'don't embarrass yourself'

"HACK HACK!" as soon as you tried to take a deep breath in, violent coughs errupted from your throat, this could't possibly get any worse

"Woah, you alright?" he pats your back gently, "no" you strain. Jesus sits you up gently, taking the joint from your hands he smiles.

"Tch, no need to be embarrassed, it happens to everyone" he grins. You tried your best to not run out of the van and into oncoming traffic.

"Ey how about we shotgun" he suggests, you look at him curiously, what the hell is shotgunning? You just looked at him blankly.

"Come here" he says gently, you sat uncomfortably close to him face to face, your cheeks getting warmer by the second.

You watched as he placed the joint between his soft lips, you couldn't help but look into his deep black eyes, wondering what kind of person layed behind them, just out of your reach.

He as he breathed in, crazy thoughts ran through your mind, you thought about kissing him....With tongue!

He came a little bit closer and blew the smoke into your face, you breathed it in, the task now feeling a lot easier.

"Tch see, I knew you could do it" he jokes, you laugh a little causing you to cough lightly. "Wanna try again?" he grins expectantly.

You thought about it, even if you guys did make out, it probably wouldn't turn into anything, but that might be a better reason to do it! But it's just all so confusing!

"Sure" you smile as he came closer. Nothing could stop you now, you would have his tongue in your mouth by the end of the night, even if it killed you!

Just like before, he dragged the smoke into his mouth, then he blew the smoke into your face, getting just a little bit closer than last time.

You couldn't tell if it was the marijuana, or if it was some newly grown balls, but you knew that the next shotgun, you would kiss him.

And sure enough when he came close, and blew the smoke into your face, you pressed your lips gently onto his, moving your lips gently on his.

The joint was long forgotten by the time you held onto his jacket, pulling his lips closer. It felt liberating! You pulled away, his face was slightly red, his hat and halo shitfed slightly.

His eyes were glued to you, he couldn't believe this was happening, Y/N L/N was making out with him in a van outside of Catherine the Greats house!

He leaned up, not wanting this moment to end, he kissed you passionately, holding your cheeks softly, he couldn't get enough of you.

The two of you ended up on the floor, you on top of him. He held onto your hips as you removed your shirt revealing your lacy bra. Jesus's eyes widened, you felt something unfamiliarly hard beneath your crotch, but you and I both know what that was.

He sat himself on his elbows, watching as you unbuttoned his jacket tantalisingly slow. With each button, you kissed him.

He lifted his hand up to move some stray pieces of hair out of your face, that's when the van doors suddenly opened. "Ah!" you yelped, Jesus only looked at the figures with a shocked expression.

The figures turned out to be Gandhi and Joan. Joan looked at the two of you with disgust, while Gandhi grined widely "Eyy! Up top!" he puts his hand up expectingly, only to be shoved into the back by Joan.

END OF FLASHBACK

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"What with the rush homes?" Jesus questions, Gandhi fills the two of you in on the situation, you not being able to focus too well thanks to the events that occured prior.

"Where are we supposed to get all of that? Is he gonna kill us? This is totally freaking me out!" Joan panicks. The car swerves wildly throughout the city, both Gandhi and Joan screaming with fear.

This situation had sobered you slightly, you thought carefully about what you could do to fix the situation, you thought a little bit but then you remembered!

"STOP THE CAR!" you yelled, the whole car went silent at the sound of your loud voice. Joan pulled over cautiously, as soon as the car came to a halt, everyone looked back at you expectantly.

"I have an idea"

TIMESKIP

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There you Jesus, Joan, and Gandhi were in all black, ski masks keeping your identities a secret. The four of you stood outside of the hospital, "If I'm correct, theres medical marijuana in there, and I know it might not be the same thing but its our last hope" you sigh.

All four of you walked up to the window, you held Gandhi up to the window, "Remember, try to be stealthy!" you whisper, he nods, holding his hand like a gun, "agent tan incoming" he says

That's when he dove through the window, shattering it loudly, the three of you left outside cringed, but it was too late to chicken out.

Jesus lifted you up into the window, next was Joan, then finally you and Joan pulled Jesus up. Gandhi stood there against the wall, holding his hands like guns, "I told you to be quiet! Theres security here!" you scold.

Gandhi keeps his mouth shut, still playing into his stoic agent act." alright, my foster mom works here, she talks about the stash all the time, it should be on the third floor" you say.

The four of you tiptoed through the hospital, trying your best not to be caught by staff or patients, but it was getting pretty hard since Gandhi was apparently addicted to acting stupid.

Once you made it to the third floor, you took a bag each, jackpot! You all quietly celebrated, thats when you heard keys jingling at the door.

You, Joan and Jesus all dove behind some shelves, Gandhi stood in front of the door. The door opened revealing a tall muscular man in a security guard outfit.

"Stop right there! You have the right to remain tan!" Gandhi shouts while diving out the window, you face palmed. But it wasn't the time for shenanigans, it was now or never.

The three of you ran for it, exiting the hospital swiftly, on your way out you found Gandhi hanging on a tree branch, you grabbed him and ran to the van, making a swift getaway!

As soon as you guys made it to calm ground, you all took a big breath of relief, but there was still one last thing to do.

As Joan drove towards the drug dealers home, a calming silence fell amongst you. You sat next to Jesus, leaning your head on his shoulder.

He tapped you on your leg, you looked into his eyes, "When this is all over, wanna hangout sometime?" he asks shyly, you smile "sure" you whisper.

Closing your eyes gently for just a moment to collect your mind. Unbeknownst to you, Gandhi gave Jesus a thumbs up, Jesus doing the same.

Once the car parked, Joan looked back "Jesus, this is it, don't fail us now" she says seriously, he just nods and heads off into the home through the window.

You all waited with anticipation, watching silently. Thats when a red car suddenly pulled up, it was the dealer! You started to sweat, what if he got caught? Or worse...shot?

You could tell that Gandhi and Joan were thinking the same thoughts, thats when suddenly, out of the shadows, Jesus came rushing out from behind the home!

He hopped into the van with all of us cheering for our victory, "Drive!" we all yelled.

We ended up at The Grassy Knoll, parked in the parking lot enjoying our shakes and fries.

"That was crazy! Did you guys see how I dove out of that window! I was so badass! I was like 'shing! bam! Kapow!' stop right there" he says the last part with an over exaggerated deep voice.

We all laughed at his interpretation of the situation, we all sat watching the sun rise together peacefully.

"Wait, wheres Abe?" Gandhi pipes up.

MEANWHILE

━━━━━━━

"Where am I?" a disgruntled Abraham Lincoln asks. He was fully naked on a pool floaty, beer cans surrounding him in the water.

"Joan? Y/N?! GANDHI?!"

THE END

━━━━━━

[theanxiousghostartist]

TMAGP 15 THOUGHTS

spoilers under the cut

Ok, I'm going to try to go in order of the episode so I don't confuse anyone 😅

● Pre - Case

First off, while reading the transcript, I noticed the title (under Episode 15) said "Good Show" while under the Announcer's lines it says "Well Run," the title used on YouTube. I wonder if this was the original title, a typo, or something else. Also, I did check every other transcript, and all match with the announcer's lines and top of the page title. Just something random I noticed lol

According to Wikipedia, a summary of 'The Pillowman' (the play Sam and Celia were planning on going to) is:

"Katurian, a writer of short stories that often depict violence against children, has been arrested by two detectives, Ariel and Tupolski, because some of his stories resemble recent child murders. When he hears that his brother Michal has confessed to the murders and implicated Katurian, he resigns himself to being executed but attempts to save his stories from destruction. The play contains both narrations and reenactments of several of Katurian's stories, including the autobiographical "The Writer and the Writer's Brother", which tells how Katurian developed his disturbed imagination by hearing the sounds of Michal being tortured by their parents."

I wonder if this might be foreshadowing: either for another Avatar, or maybe what someone is going to try to do to Jack (this would break me, I hope he stays safe 😭😭😭), or maybe it could be a nod to Sam's or Celia's past?

On a lighter note, I really enjoyed the Sam/Alice/Celia interactions! Maybe a polycule in the making?

● Case

This case was definitely of the Hunt. It kinda reminded me of the 'Murder Club' episode in TMA. Lady Mowbray is definitely interesting! I hope we get to see more of her :3 I wonder if her family is one of Avatars, like the Fairchilds (adopting other Avatars in, instead of focusing on blood like the Lukas'). Also, I wonder if the 'dogs' are like Daisy's transformation in S5, but more extreme. Just a werid thought I had lol

● Post - Case

Mowbray telling Celia that she's "different???" More nods to Celia being from TMA! (:

Also, the fact that Celia caught onto her being an Avatar and the "No you won't" to "catch you next time, dearie?" Let's go, Celia!

WTH is a 'Cheshire Bouchard?' Is it like the Fairchilds or Lukas'? Is it a family of Avatars? Are there multiple Bouchard families? Are Gwen and Elias even related? I have so many questions 😭

We also got to meet Luke which was cool! I hope nothing bad happens to him (me actively remembering what happened to Tim's brother) 😅

As for 'Victim' and Alice: the victim had to be a victim of the Vast, especially since they talk about stuff like the sea, the sky, deep blue, no ground, ect. And they seemed tied to the tape recorder in some way? I wonder if this universe's Archivist or Magnus or Head of the Institute had a similar power to Jon but more extreme. Like how Elias said that he was 'dream sharing' and was (accidentally) forcing people to relive their experiences with the fears in their dreams, I wonder if it's something like that, but more extreme and tied to their statements? Sorta like how Jon had the statements as an anchor, maybe the person anchored the victim's experience to the tape recorder, causing the spewing up water and choking and such.

Anyway, really interesting episode!

[choupistickfaitdesbetises]

Against the flow…

A few days ago, an unexpected tweet was posted informing those who cared that Tim and Armie had been seen together in a restaurant in Los Angeles, then running on the beach, walking a dog. They were sweet and tender towards each other, and in another tweet we learn that they kissed…

The reactions challenged me and I wanted to transcribe my feelings on the subject. As usual, this is my opinion and mine only:

I read that this tweet would be a fake because the account is recent, there is no photo, no proof of what the author of the post advances on Armie and Tim, he refuses to answer in private, etc…

For me, first and foremost, any positive information is beneficial. I’d rather read that they've been seen to be kind to each other than read that Tim hates Armie and of course they make sure they're not in LA at the same time.

My question is rather: why post something so nice, sweet and beautiful (see the other tweets)? Usually nice posts are those written by us in the fandom. Unless :

1st hypothesis: an anti who wants to force them out so that their careers suffer? An anti is capable of anything except speaking well of Armie or the Armie/Tim couple, even if it is to get at Armie. And he wouldn't go after Tim. From what I have read so far, the antis do not shine with their finesse. As for forcing them out…how? I don't see them being forced because of this post. It is enough that they do not react.

2nd hypothesis: To make us run, and to ridicule us the charmies... It seems to me that it is completely useless for a very short effect. It's a lot of ado about nothing.

3rd hypothesis: someone looking for celebrity to launch their account? There are other actors who would be better carriers with a larger fanbase. And the author still only has 34 followers at this time.

4th hypothesis: He actually saw 2 men in love, famous, ok, and he wanted to share it without thinking of harm because they were in a restaurant or on a beach, in public and without hiding it, because he found it beautiful, because love is love. Excuse me, but that's what most of us do every day: talk about their love and we didn't ask them for permission to do it either.... Maybe we should invite him to join us in the fandom.

5th hypothesis: it is a sounding balloon… a test to judge reactions. No, I am not completely naive or crazy, but I do not rule out this possibility. There are many things happening behind the scenes that we know little or nothing about. We are the strongest to analyze, dissect all the signs we receive. And we know that they are very intelligent and clever in addition, of course to being madly in love. So why wouldn't it be another sign? On a large scale? With multiple gains if the reactions are positive: Live their love story out in the open, official and unconditional support for Armie, 1st official A lister couple of the same sex in Hollywood, pulling the rug from under the feet of an ex-wife who has sworn to exterminate the father of her children, depriving her of her last weapon, the threat to denounce them...

I keep the 4th and 5th hypothesis, it’s my conviction and they complete each other

This tweet made 45.7k views in 4 days… for 50 likes, 7 retweets, 46 quotes, mostly negative and nauseating.

But that's only 46 quotes out of 46k views!!!

Either 0.1% of negative reactions ok but which means that conversely it is more than 99% of people who adhere or who do not care.

Nice score, isn’t it ?

I'll end on one last point: whatever one might think of all this, almost 7 years later... what gets the crowds going is still Armie and Tim together, inextricably linked.

And that's true. 💙💚

[always-music0]

Run Rabbit Run.

Hannah would considers herself the unluckiest girl in the world,having being born into a tangled web of murderers and monsters that live in your closet and under your bed. Until one day an unforeseen issue makes its way into her already fucked life and now if she thought her life sucked it’s about to get a whole lot worse.

Pt.1

A Creepypasta/Twilight crossover 18+

There went many things that made me scared-

— I mean when you grow up with the people I grew up with you get used to the ice cold feeling in your veins when you cut it a little too close to the edge and death himself is only a few inches away waiting to free your soul from this purgatory plane we call earth. But when your friends are friends with the spirit of the dead the sweet relief of becoming stardust fades into the background, and when god turns his back on your soul just because of the people you associate with you kinda don’t even consider heaven an option anymore.

Now you may be asking yourself ‘how in the hell could someone be so unlucky?’ And I should be honest and admit that it’s sorta my fault and I happen to find myself in the wrong place in the wrong time frequently.

Take last week for example jumping from state to state and school to school with the three looneys I call my ‘caretakers’ even though for the most part I take care of them and I just happened to run into a certain organ eating demon on my way home from grocery shopping it took quite a lot of convincing to keep him from taking me with him and making the looneys fucking loose their shit, even though that would be pretty funny for the first ten minutes, but would ultimately get my ass beat but I also had to cough up the fresh liver I had gotten for the dog.

He was not impressed when I came home without a treat for him to sink his teeth in. Anyways my current situation was even worse cause the three fucking losers I lived with didn’t even believe me when I said the school I would be attending for then next ten months was crawling with vampires.

“Look Tim! You have to believe me!” I wined as I followed him outside the dog at me heels.

The house we were living in was pretty secluded besides a few houses a few acres away Tim scoffed and threw his bag into the back of his old ford f-150.

The old thing was partially rusted out and everything had been replaced maybe more that it should have but like Tim it never seemed to die even with the absurd amount of times they both have been thrown off cliffs .

“Listen here, I don’t give a fuck if they were goddamn transformers. We have a fuck ton of work to do around here and not a lot of time to do it. So your gonna take your perky little ass to that school everyday and stay out of our way and stay safe” he snapped

I flinched a little, I could tell he was getting a little annoyed or stressed one of the two

“ ok so you do believe there’s vampires?” I asked and when his eye twitched I smirked

“NO! There’s no creature like the vampires I know around here and if there were the boss would have already let us know!” He yelled walking over to Brian’s 1976 Bronco and thew the back door open. I trotted after him the dog followed me silently

“Well what if they aren’t like the vampires we know?!” I asked and he groaned took a deep breath and pulled out his cigarettes Putting one in his mouth he turned his head towards me.

I immediately fumbled for my lighter almost dropping it twice, if there was one thing Tim and his counter part loved was a well trained bitc- ahem. Lighting his cigarette he inhaled.

“Look” he started blowing out the smoke he just inhaled.

“If there is for some reason vampires at your school they must be harmless otherwise big man wouldn’t have you here” he tilted his head at me as though to say ‘ya even think about that’ I blinked. of course I thought about that, I would have been shipped off to stay with someone else entirely if that were the case.

“Yeah I guess…” I said slowly looking at the dog, his eyes met mine and his tongue rolled out as he started to pant, this Washington mugginess was getting to him.

“Look at me sweetheart.” Tim said and my eyes lifted from the dog to his.

“ we wouldn’t let anyone or anything hurt you, not only is that our job it would kill us if you were hurt by something we didn’t know about” he said stepping towards me and eventually standing right in front of me. I could smell the cologne I had got him for Christmas and the cigarette smoke the reason I got him cologne. I met his eyes and they flashed darker as he switched and I tried not to wince as his hand shot up and griped my chin and squeezed my cheeks not tight enough to be painful but just to keep eye contact.

“Got it princess?” Masky said I nodded the best I could he grinned as Tim took back control patting my cheek

“Good girl” he said and turned back to the bronco reaching for another bag.

“Now be a good little thing and go bother someone else I have to fix the breaks on the ford and I definitely don’t want your annoying ass around when I do it” he commanded and I sighed flipping him off

“Go fuck yourself Tim” and walked away as he laughed at me The dog at me heels.

I suppose it could be worse, I mean the three fucking weirdos did a good job of keeping me safe although I wouldn’t admit that to their faces. What’s the worst that could happen?

A/N: Thanks for reading if you did! I know it’s littered with grammatical errors and run on sentences and it’s definitely not formatting correctly but I think meh who’s gonna see it anyways so why the hell not. But if you do read all of this thank you! Your wonderful and I will continue to post more parts as I write them<3

[angelbutterfly-writes]

I Still Remember Third of December

All along, she knew that she was in a three-way relationship, and more often than not, she was the third wheel. But back then, she still had hope. She had hope that maybe things would change with time, that his closeness with Lucy would translate into closeness with her.

She saw how gentle and caring he could be with the ones he loved, how he treasured them and held them close to his heart. She saw first hand how he put them first, and that's what attracted her to him.

She wanted to be cared for like that too.

But it just wasn't meant to be.

I still remember Third of December Me in your sweater You said it looked better

On me, than it did you Only if you knew How much I liked you But I watch your eyes, as she

She steps into his bedroom, eyes flitting over the sparseness of it. There's a bed, a wardrobe and a bedside table but not much else. Even the bedside table held only a single photo of Kojo... And Lucy?

She guesses it makes sense considering he was her dog first, but didn't he have other pictures of Kojo he could use?

Shaking her head, she walks over to his wardrobe, looking for something to change into for the night. She'd brought some clothes of her own, but they're not exactly her comfiest pyjamas - holey and worn out pyjamas she had for ten years didn't seem to be the right thing to bring to their first sleepover - so she was hoping to at least borrow a sleep shirt.

She goes through the shirts, carefully carding through them until she found a dark grey top. It's a little big, but feels well loved and a gentle brush of it with her thumb gives more comfort than she could have ever expected.

She's about to switch out her clothes when Tim enters, his gaze immediately zeroing on the shirt in her hands.

"What are you doing?" His tone isn't accusing, but it isn't gentle. A flash of something crosses his face and she's not sure what to do. Had she misread the room and overstepped her boundary?

The shirt in her hands brought back memories, memories of Lucy stepping out from his bathroom in that very shirt; memories of him holding her that same night as he wished he could give her all the comfort in the world; memories of how she cried in his arms after getting the call because she was just too overwhelmed with emotion.

The joy of finding Angela alive lead to grief because they knew the same couldn't be done for Jackson. There was grief because her best friend was gone, grief because he could no longer be her partner on the streets and that she wasn't there to have his six when he always had hers. And that little spark of joy and relief led to guilt because how could she have felt even a hint of joy when her best friend lay in a cold drawer, murdered not even 24 hours ago.

Lucy had broken down before she could even change out of his clothes, had broken down in front of the very same bathroom she came out of a few hours before, and it was all he could do to catch her before she fell.

He held her in his arms, pulling her body into his, as he gently stroked her hair. His mouth formed whispers he can't remember, but he must've said something right because ten minutes later, they were on the road and not a tear was in sight.

"Tim?" Her voice shakes him out of his thoughts and he has to hold back the urge to check on his aide.

"Yeah, umm..." He grabs the shirt from her hands, trying to have as much direct contact with it as he can as he neatly folds it back before placing it aside.

"Sorry, that one's dirty. I meant to wash it but I forgot."

Ashley knows him enough to know its a lie, but she doesn't question him further. "I'm sorry. I was just looking for a shirt to wear and I..."

"It's ok." Tim shakes his head as he steps towards the wardrobe, already missing the comforting feel of that old worn shirt. He sifts through a few shirts he knows are on the smaller end until he finds a sweatshirt.

"Here." He holds it up to her, the "RAM"s logo glaringly obvious in the dim light.

She wants to frown at the tackiness, but bites her lip, accepting it with a grimace before stepping out to change.

When she returns, he's sitting on the bed, with that t-shirt still in his hands, and she knows there's much more to it than he's letting on.

"Wow." He puts down the shirt, but she can see the longing still in his eyes. "It looks good on you."

"Really?" She smiles.

"Yeah." He smiles back, taking her hand in his as he leads her to the bed. "Honestly, it looks better on you than me. I could never pull it off."

She laughs at that as she kisses his cheek, blowing a soft thank you into his ear in the process.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43392447

[gurren-logout-book-reviews]

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero

This book was really something. I don't know what I was expecting but I got like nothing right.

The book is about a group of teens who were basically Scooby-Doo and the recurrent trauma of their last case as they grow up. What they believed was a guy in a costume trying to find gold in a mine they begin to question as they grow up and deal with the consequences of that case.

The main characters are Kerri: a stand in for a combination of Velma and Daphne who could be argued is the most well adjusted. She still has severe PTSD and is the most reluctant to go back to the town they used to solve cases in. She also is the owner of the dog(s) that are the Scooby-Doo stand in and I'll get to the dogs trust me.

Nate: Kerri's cousin and starts the book in a mental health asylum. The "shaggy" stand in, he has hallucinations of Peter, their "leader" who grew up and overdosed. He talks with this Peter throughout the story and this version will show his darkest thoughts to him. He struggles with the guilt that the bad things happening now are his fault.

Peter: We are told he overdosed before the story began. After the last case he began staring in TV and movies and seemed to move the farthest away from the group. The "Fred" stand in. The most we really get from him is Nate's hallucinations of him, so it's hard to know what is him and what is Nate's idea of him.

Tim/Sean: Sean was the original dog and Tim is the one for this story. Tim is Sean's grandpuppy and is a good boy throughout the story. Their ending was...something.

Andy: the most original character of the group, she has had a very hard time since the last case. She joined the military, but left and has been a drifter since. She is very much a "Tom boy" but still identifies as a girl. She starts the story confronting the original "bad guy" from the case and gets everybody together to finally get closure. She is in love with Kerri.

Spoilers ahead (overview)

The story involves the remaining crew reopening their last case, all noting that there was more than what was said by the adults and are trying to get closure on a traumatic case. The "sleepy lake case" was supposedly closed when they caught a man in a suit claiming to be looking for treasure at the abandoned mansion. However, small details such as butchered deer and an attic with demonic writing and a copy of the necronomicon make them rethink the case being solved.

The story takes a while to get started, the first portion being mostly Andy and Kerri switching between loving each other and arguing about returning. After some convincing, Kerri agrees and they break Nate out of the hospital and drive across the county back to where they spent their summers.

Once they arrive they notice how decrepit the town is, and their memories don't match the gloom they are seeing now. As they reconnect with old friends and begin asking questions, they start finding weirder and scarier things, culminating into fish monsters attacking them out of no where.

They eventually figure out they need to go back to the mansion, they realize they are being watched while hundreds of the fish monsters storm in zombie style. Turns out there is necromancy, ancient entity summoning, and an attempt to kill everyone in the town.

They fight the "big bad", a zombie version of Peter, and then banish an eldrich horror. Also then the Dog talks cause apparently they have been possessed by an ancient being the whole time.

Conclusion

This book was such a mixed bag for me. I wanted really badly to enjoy it, but the story kept lulling then something out of left field would happen and kick start odd action sequences out of no where.

The book also has moment a where it tries to read like a script, with stage directions included. It does it way more as the book goes on and honestly it was just messy. I think it was done to try and be more Scooby-Doo but it was just annoying.

Over all it was ok. 2.5/5. The good parts were good, but the presentation and story beats leave a lot to be desired.

[frostbittenbucky]

Bruce Wayne

The Batman

The Dark Knight

Worlds Greatest Detective

Had fucked up

Bruce Wayne isn’t a slob, he’s not lazy- he is the complete opposite of his persona “Brucie Wayne”, who is a lazy pampered prince. But Bruce Wayne? Never.

So after Bruce finishes a snack he washes his dishes like any civilized human would do- or else Alfred would have some very choice words and some very petty actions towards him. It’s a simple task, take off his rings, run the water, apply the soap, scrub then rinse.

Simple.

But someone tell Bruce how the hell he managed to drop his ring down the drain? And someone tell Bruce why the didn’t stop for a moment and think before shoving his hand down the drain?

He fucked up. Now he’s stuck. But Bruce Wayne is a genius, he can get himself out of this silly situation. So he tries pulling... and pulling... and pulling. Ok, next option, lubricant. Soap will do. So Bruce proceeds to pour a generous amount of soap around his hand, he moves it around to make sure it’s coated, then he pulls. And pulls. Ok so next move.

What’s the next move?

He groaned loudly, thinking how utterly ridiculous and stupid this situation is. “Ok... dammit,” he muttered to himself. He decided to reach for his phone and-

Shit. It’s on the kitchen island directly behind him, where it’s just out of his reach. Why did he do that? Oh right, because he got water in his speaker last time. Right. Perfect. Wonderful.

“Alfred?” He called out, “Alfred, Damian are you still here?” No response. Shitshitshitshitshitgodammitshitshit.

Maybe he can reach his phone? He thought. So with all his grace he leaned towards to island, swishing at the air in hopes his phone would magically come into his hand. Nah.

Leg, his leg might reach. It’s longer than his arm, and his can get some torso length in there. Lifting his leg and leaning his body out he kicks at the counter, his brows furrowed. Fuck. Bruce is very flexible, but his leg and torso are extended to the fullest human capacity, and fuck why are these countered so spaced out?!

Bruce pulls his body back and lays his forehead on the cold countertop, trying to push down the rage that’s building up in his chest. This is stupid. This is so fucking stupid. “Is anybody home? Stephanie? Jason? Ca- not you, Titus,” He lifted his head from the counter and looked to his right, and there Titus stood in front of Bruce, wanting to investigate the noise. Seeing nothing interesting Titus tilted his head and gave a “boof” before turning out and leaving him to his own demise, “no wait,” Bruce reached out for the dog who already made up his mind.

So there he stood.

Bruce Wayne

The Batman

The Dark Knight

The Worlds Greatest Detective

Dumbass

Knowing he now has to swallow his pride and go into his next move, he groans loudly. It’s not like it’s the first time he’s called when it wasn’t anything life threatening. Sure, it’s rare, but it does happen. Plus, he always understands, and by now he knows the differences between help and help. But Bruce knew there would be consequences... because he isn’t scared of Bruce, all his intimidation tactics fall short, completely on deaf ears around him.

“Clark,” his voice sounded almost like a whine, his voice was a little hoarse from literally forcing the words past his lips, “if you’re not busy I need a hand.”

Just as soon as his finished his sentence Clark was stood in front of him, flannel, glasses, and cowboy boots, “howdy.” Bruce closed his eyes at Clark’s greeting, then opened them to send him a hard glare, “what’s seems to be the problem, Bruce?” A wide and knowing grin spread across Clark’s face. X-ray vision. No explanation needed. Sure friends help friends in their times of need. But best friends? Oh yea, Bruce had to earn his help by paying the high price of humiliation.

“Just hand me my phone, Clark,” pointing at the device just out of reach.

A shocked and confused looked replaced Clark’s smile, “oh, this? This phone right here?” He also pointed, walking to grab the device, “you don’t happen to have Face ID do you?”

“No, I w-“ It was a lie. Clark know had opened his phone just by turning it to Bruce’s face. A sigh left his body, was this price worth his freedom? Probably not.

“Hold on, B, I’m not dressed properly. This is a rescue after all,” and just in a blink of an eye Superman now stood in front of a tired looking Bruce, having no choice of his front vow seat the shit show that was about to unfold. Clark lifted the phone and snapped a couple selfies with Bruce, grinning his charming smile that the world adored him for. Bruce looked like a hungover raccoon, putting it kindly.

“Are your done? Just get me out and I’ll buy you a horse or something.”

“Aw, you do care. I knew you were listening when I told you about that pony farm,” Clark didn’t bother to look up from the phone, tapping away at the screen, “oh Bruce, your groupchat is named ‘family’?”

His eyes widen, “don’t you da-“

“-Isn’t Dick a firefighter? I think that he’s better for this job,” Clark announced, taking a seat on the island that just out of reach, “I hope you understand Mr. Wayne, I’m glad to offer help but them seems like a job for our local emergency service.”

“If you call 911,” Bruce growled, gritting his teeth together, leaning towards the other man and close as possible, “I swear.”

Scoffing, Clark waves him off, “of course not, why would I waste a 911 operators time? There’s people who need real help out there. I’m calling Dick directly.” Once again, is the price of freedom worth it?

————-

“Fireman Dick Grayson reporting for duty!” Cried his oldest child with two other firman following close behind, “hey pops I h- is that Superman?” He faked a gasped, clutching his chest.

The group chat had blown up by now. A series of text and FaceTime calls followed shortly after.

Damian: “Tt. Father this is utterly disappointing”

Bruce: “Sorry to be disappointing, kiddo”

Stephanie: “lmfaoooo I’m coming over. Be there in 10 don’t escape until I get there”

Jason: *screenshot of the photo of Superman and Bruce posted on Twitter with the caption: “when your dad panics and calls Superman”

Jason: *another screenshot of a multitude of replies along the lines, “what are you doing step bro?” “What are your doing Superman?”*

Duke: “the mighty Batman has finally met his match. A kitchen sink”

Cassandra: “😆😆😂🤣😬🤔🧠🤷🏻‍♀️💕💕💗💓💖”

Bruce: “thank you, Cassandra. I think.”

Stephanie: “imma do a live when I get there 🤣”

Tim: “you know we’re not going to let you live this down right b?”

Dick: “dumbasssssss”

Dick: “don’t worry B I’ll be there to rescue you shortly”

Bruce: “I can unadopt all of you.”

Alfred: “master Bruce, please word yourself properly. “Unadopt” isn’t a real word.”

Bruce: “Sorry, Alfred.”

So now that official rescue crew has arrived he expected this to be a quick and professional release. Nah. Dick, his oldest, his light in the dark, his son, his baby boy, is an asshole.

Dick started taking his own selfies with Bruce and Superman. Dick and Clark wore bright smiles, full of perfect teeth and glimmering eyes. Bruce, again, looked like a mess. He was wearing an old shirt, old sweatpants, no makeup on, his hair an untamed, scattered, frizzy mess. He should’ve conditioned, but he wasn’t expecting to go out today or have any photos done today.

The price of freedom is high, but not worth it.



[batfamgalore]

OK SO FIRST OFF I JUST REALIZED I DIDN'T PRESS THE ASK BUTTON SO HI

BUT DICK/WALLY 7/8?

FOR THE PROMPT

Hey so it's a million years later.

"Because nobody cares about me!"

"Because I care about you!"

Wally didn't have to be a Doctor to know that his friend was severely concussed. He also didn't have to be a Doctor to think that Dick getting a concussion after being shot in the head probably wasn't a good thing.

They were currently at Wally's apartment. Wally had left Dick in the bathroom to change his clothes and then helped Dick onto his couch and then left him for a second to go get an ice pack. There wasn't much one could do for a concussion.

When he walked back over, Dick had his head leaned back on the couch cushion and he was mumbling something incoherent.

"What could you possibly be talking about?" Wally asked, as he slowly lifted Dick's head up from the couch and put the ice pack under his head before lowering Dick's head back onto the cushion.

"I said. When my head hurts all I can see is Napkin Man."

Wally didn't quite understand what Dick meant by that.

"Oookay." Wally said as he walked back into the kitchen to get himself a snack.

He came back in the room and Dick was now laying down on the couch, legs curling into his body, taking up as little space as he could.

"Have you met my dog? Do you like my dog?" Dick's words were slurring together and Wally couldn't help but smile a little at Dick's loopy tone. He obviously didn't like the idea of his friend being concussed, but Dick could be very entertaining when he was left to his own thoughts.

"Yes, I met her. Yes, she's adorable." Dick just gave him a loopy smile, which turned into a grimace a second later.

"My head hurts." Dick pointed out, like Wally couldn't tell.

"I know."

Dick let out a small hum.

"Is there anyone you want me to call? I could call Bruce or Tim or -"

"No." Dick's reply was sharper than any of the other words that had been coming out of his mouth.

"They wouldn't come anyway." Dick said, and he moved his hand to his head to try and rub his temples.

Wally could tell his friend was in pain. He wouldn't be talking like this normally. Dick never was one for the whole self pity scene. This only really happened when he was drugged or concussed.

"Dick-"

"They weren't there the first time, because nobody seems to care about me.” Without pausing to let any of that really sink in, Dick kept talking. “Hey do you remember that time at the ice rink when Roy said he could skate but he actually couldn't and-"

"Dick."

Dick just kept talking and Wally couldn't tell if he genuinely didn't hear him or if he was avoiding talking about what he had just said.

"Lian thought it was so funny when he fell. Who else was there? I don't remember."

"Donna. It was her and Lian's idea." Wally sighed as he watched his friend try to piece together what he was talking about.

Dick seemed to have forgotten that whole conversation because he was immediately onto another topic.

Wally let him ramble on until he eventually passed out. He slowly and carefully took the ice pack that was now melted out from under Dick's head. He went to the kitchen to throw it out. He walked back into the living room and looked at his friend.

So much hurt had happened and Wally and Roy hadn't been able to be there for any of it. Dick understood. He had to know they would have been there if they could. Based on all the retelling of Dick's being shot in the head, Wally was able to figure out that Dick had mostly been on his own for it all. Even when his family was only a city away.

He shook his head and went to his closet to get out a blanket. He quietly walked back into the living room and put the blanket on his sleeping friend.

As he was about to walk away, Dick started mumbling again.

"Why is the blanket?" Dick's eyes were still closed, but his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Because I care about you. And don't you forget it Grayson."

Wally couldn't tell if Dick heard him or understood, but Dick pulled the blanket closer to him and let out what sounded like a relieved sigh.

Wally wasn't going to let him forget it.

Maybe not what you were looking for? I love writing little fics based on quotes but then I can never tell if they'll live up to any sort of expectation. Hope you liked it!

[mimiri22-6]

Since I have concluded that one of my favorite og posts still hold up after watching the netflix ver of Bee and Puppycat, I will be repeating it for more people to see my 3 day long essay that was my pinned post for 2 years

Without further adieu, my spoiler heavy essay of every season 2 episode of Bee and Puppycat with updated notes

Gentle Touch

In the first episode we already get a big game changer for Bee and her development[not as much now because with the new first episode they Did sprinkle in a bit more responsibility onto her. See; Bee taking the fire for Deckard]. Bee becoming more responsible as a favor for Deckard. He asks her to take care of his family while he’s at cooking school and we already see her doing this. Going out to the ocean with Wesley, going out of her comfort zone for people she’s practically family to, which is why we got the beginning flashback, once again going out of her comfort zone to stop Puppycat from punching kittens, And Finally, coming out from her nap cupboard to face Howl and help pay for bills by eating ugly food.

Little Fingers

Ooh, this one has foreshadowing dream sequence. I would say more about it if it had more significance, but it’s really just what happens to Bee in the last ep. This episode brings more of Bee being responsible, trying to take her phone away from Puppycat so he stops making bad purchases. This episode made me realize what Puppycat’s role is this season, the child[not really, I even knew this then, it doesn't fit. It's weird and I still don't know how to put it. Sometimes he's responsible sometimes not. Maybe that's just how people work]. Or something among those lines. He’s the same as he was last season, but it seems/is a bit more exaggerated because Bee isn’t doing the same things anymore[Again, it's been a bit retconned]. She’s started to care about consequences. And speaking about consequences, Toast announces she’s pregnant while confirming that she’s been staying…in Cass’s room?…weird, but ok, and by Tim pointing and Merlin’s reaction, it’s Merlin’s…but also everyone else seemed like they thought they were the culprit and I don’t want to think about the implications of that[I Still don't wanna think about the implications of this -_-]….MOVING ON-OH WAIT, And Cardamon’s mom is spouting magic tears that messes with the plants, so there’s that[I. Still. Have no idea. What the deal with the tears. Where. All I can think of is...bring life?? Her implied being a magical entity because of the music box? Makes?...Something????].

Snow and Violets

I’m going to be honest, I’m not 100% sure what to put here and I’m loosing steam. (I’ve been awake since 3 am…) But I think I can put something. The situation with Mr. Cup is the definition of being haunted by your past[Man, I was on the money w/ this. Well, mostly. As I was watching it again earlier, I was thinking more along the lines of 'redeemed villain' but not that extreme. Just overall, someone that did things they aren't proud of anymore and they can't seem to leave it. See; the entire world is a looping racetrack in the shape of an infinity symbol]. The guilt and regret of cheating in the past has made him lose his motivation to give it his all in racing because, what’s the point? Motivation and not caring was his norm, so he just stuck with it. Until Bee, and now he can be a rainbow and sleep with less guilt and regret on his conscience. The thing with the island rapidly changing could be one of three things. Something to do with the ship that is the island, a metaphor for change, or something really cool the creators just wanted.

Day off Work

Not Too much to note for this ep overall. Puppycat totally did do the ‘wrecking the house in search for the owner’ thing dogs do. Finally, a dog trait! Every time I see Cardamon now I just get sad cause he’s 7, and should Not be doing landlord stuff. Bee showing worry about how Cardamon’s mom is still asleep and being worried about Cardamon himself, I’m just glad someone’s noticing. I keep forgetting that some people haven’t watched the pilot so they don’t know about Puppycat being a Space Outlaw[Now the pilot is in the showw, hell yeah], so when he found all his stuff under the apartment I was less surprised and more excited. The two last things I want to say is I think it’s interesting/cool/intriguing how the Wizard family just takes every weird thing either in stride, unquestioningly, or ignorance. Just trying to pretend it didn’t happen so they don’t have to deal with it(other than Crispin, but he’s coming up). And the last thing I just want to bring to light is CARDAMON BEING SO CUTE IN THE LAST SCENE! JUST BEING A CHILD! AND LAUGHING WITH HIS DOG! ON A FUNNY CHAIR! I LOVE HIM YOUR HONOR AND I WILL PROTECT THAT SMILE WITH MY WHOLE BEING!!![I WILL STILL PROTECT THAT SMILE!!!]

My Favorite

Note, Pretty Patrick is also The Mayor. Alright. It’s definitely been a few months and you can see the relationship between Howl and Bee has gotten better, not that it was too bad to begin with, just a bit less peeved on Howl’s end. The theme of Bee being responsible is brought into play again with the train station scene. Telling Puppycat to not hit and the way Puppycat was acting around Patrick. All little kid stuff. Which also kind of clashes with what I thought was Puppycat being older than Bee by a lot, I’m honestly slowly getting more and more confused exactly how I should perceive Puppycat[still a bit confused, but not as much anymore, thx show]. THE FIRST REAL LOOK AT THE HAND GUYS! I’m still not sure what their deals are, but they have a corpse on their hands and that is already the biggest red flag. I have a guess as to what/who they are in relation to Puppycat and, by acquaintance, Bee, but I could be wrong, but I also can’t think of any other people they may be. I’ll bring it back up either the next time we see them or at the end.

Did You Remember

Grampa Puppycat cares about his granddaughter a whole lot[gosh that scene where he's babysitting her? T-T man, guys, I love them and this show]. Don’t @ me, their dynamic is more confusing than a moving maze…Now this episode, ooh boy, it feels like a lot, but in a minimal way? First off, Cardamon finally breaks down about the stress of being a 7 year old landlord and Bee takes care of him for the day. Big Sis Bee For The Win! DON’T @ ME I MAKE UP MY OWN FAMILY DYNAMICS!!![YOU TELL 'M PAST ME!] Kind of continuing from the first sentence, Puppycat and Bee love each other(I Stand By Platonically For Them)[Still severely do. I Do Not Shipp It. I never have and I never will] so much already, for them it’s been a little over a year[reading this, I just realized this isn't true, puppycat knew bee when she was little(I still think she was a real girl at some point but she got sick and her dad put her in a robot-OH MY GOD I AM REMEMBERING THE SCENE ON THE BEACH AND HER DAD SAYS SHE WAS ASLEEP FOR 3 DAYS ALREADY! SHE WAS YOUNG! OH NO)] considering Puppycat fell into Bee’s life before her last birthday and now they’re celebrating another one. And I must admit, I can not for the life of me figure out wtf the deal is with the tears. They have little shapes of recent events in them[If the tears are never fully explained, especially the little precognition shapes, I think I would actually loose it] and they make plants weird/straight up just make life! Like, What Even Is That?! Also, Cardamon finally gets a good sleep.

Bird Friend

Ok, so we got more ship pieces, a most likely reason as to why Puppycat was Like That in the last few episodes of season 1 and has been goopy every now and again in this season. Apparently eating things he shouldn’t eat make him Extremely off model and goopy[mmmm, I'm not sure about this one anymore. the onnly other time he's goopy now, that I can remember, is in little fingers, like his molecules were being messed with so his form was having trouble staying]. More hands! But not the rest of them this time around. I wonder if Sticky’s hunt for all the birds has any significance other than showing us another piece[the birds are like glowing and following the ship in the last ep now?? Bourgeoisie??]. Puppycat breaking down and spilling a few secrets after stress eating off the floor and Bee immediately saying no to someone else telling her what’s wrong with Puppycat and letting him come to her first instead of forcing him is always such a good lesson to have. Also, Cass is into weirdly shaped shiny things[CONFETTIIII CANNONNNN! 🎉].

Two Clown Noses

Ah, it’s this one. The one that Really throws a wrench into the Bee/Deckard ship[I no longer shipp]. THEY’RE BOTH SO CUTE! I CAN’T CHOOSE!!! This entire episode is just Crispin and Bee hanging out with the added angst of the beginning ‘story’. This world is full of such amazingly crazy characters and Crispin’s backstory is one of those crazier ones. Bee and him Lived Together and Know Each Other, he knows she’s a robot! My only question is, what happened that they broke up? WAIT- DID THEY EVEN BREAK UP?![reading this, I am embarrassed. No one look at me.] It would be weird if they weren’t because they were living together and then they decide to live separate again would make no sense. I think I just jumped to the weirdest conclusion…Anyway! How would Puppycat get sick? I feel like that was just another thing they added to create different dynamics. The beginning birthday thing and the conclusion felt so real even though the cause was something so out there that I feel like only animated shows like this could pass, but also I feel like someone out there has done something similar, so what do I know. Yeah, not much else about this episode, it was mostly just Bee/Crispin stuff and character stuff. Gosh they’re so cute…but so is Bee/Deckard. Being a multishipper is hard…[I no longer shipp either, even though both Crispin and Decard still show atraction and admiration for Bee, and Bee is a bit hard to read depending on the situation. But I do know one thing on Bee's end, she has not blushed or shown a certain interest in Deckard. I can not tell what her feelings for Crispin are atm tho]

Funny Lying

RIGHT! THEY’RE CALLED THE WARLOCKS! THAT’S THE TITLE I WAS FORGETTING![Ok, so the Warlords. They only recently started working at...wherever tf they're working at, the jobs are from their dads, presumidly the previous warlords, and their position is to find Puppycat, they most likely work for the kingdom that Turned Puppycat. Conclusion; Their dads were there for the turning, or they're part of a long line of Warlords chasing Puppycat through the years] Tim knows everyone’s secrets, comes with the perk of having a lot of time and not talking much, you observe everyone else while they think you’re doing something else. I know from experience. Eavesdropping is a specialty of mine. SHIT THIS IS THE ONE WHERE CASS GETS THE MESSAGE DISSING HER FOR FALLING FOR TOAST FROM A COWORKER! I caught those vibes during the first season, but then the first half of this season came along and I was forced to drop those vibes in favor of cannon because TOAST WAS PREGOS WITH ONE OF CASS’S BROTHER’S KIDS![Which is now Toast going through any means neccesary to stay in Cass' life. Other than asking her out. Hate to break it to ya, Toast, but this is, somehow, not heterosexual behavior] I’m good at catching gay vibes in fictional worlds, but I’m shit in the real world, just like everything else. And the thing is, we don’t get Any kind of explanation/closure for the entire rest of the season![WE STILL DON'T] We see Toast totally shocked reaction, probably moments before she was going to sneak attack Cass, but froze upon seeing that text. AND WE GET NOTHING ABOUT THAT FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON! Anyway, that was only like 2 minutes into the ep, this is taking forever. We got more Bee being responsible for Cardamon and getting rid of the tears, but the biggest part of this episode is undoubtedly Puppycat’s scenes. We got him sinking to the bottom of the ocean and getting cradled by flowers created by the tears next to the ship. We find out he was bullied and ridiculed in school as a kid and his best friend(idk what else they would be counted as), Violet, convinced him to leave their planet after they accidently summon their ship, leaving Puppycat’s mother behind. seeing how he cried about leaving her she seems to have been a great caretaker and he loved her immensely[Was she...Already dead?? His declaration of how he's going to miss his mom feels more subdued]. We get the scene of Bee’s dad as a baby/Very young child on a mission[WHICH REMINDS ME! WTF WAS GOING ON IN THAT REPAIR SCENE IN EP 3????], giving a presentation, and finding the candy to be a source of energy by cracking it open. Making me think, ‘Is that Bee’s fuel source? If it is, how would not taking full doses for two years effect her?’ because in the first season she splits the candy in half to share with Puppycat[She no longer does this, but she has shared it w Cardamon in the past, making this question still relevant(also do they really share a bday because if they do then Awwwww!!)] and in this season she didn’t eat the candy at all[This is still cannon, and I'm still worried about her because of how the season ends]. Makes me even more worried for the future knowing what state she’s in when this season ends. With the last flower fever dream/memory it seems that the princess that he fell in love with was the one to make the final move to turning him into a ‘monster.’

Golden Eyes

(I’m getting more and more tired as this goes one. I started doing this at around 12 this morning and now it’s nearing 6 pm. I’m loosing it!) We got another birthday and it’s Howl’s this time, though it’s not really his episode. The fish are attracted to the wish crystals for some reason and one eats a bit of it to be ‘human’ for a day. I love how the fish hated being a human and Wesley didn’t even notice it was a date. I wasn't even sure if it was or not throughout, but ending on that was funny. We got the return of the major douche from the season 1 finally and a mention of Moully[MOULLY!!! :D]. 

Why Don’t You Help Me?

(I took a break between episodes, aka I went tf to sleep, because I was falling asleep at the table and not really processing everything enough for what I’m trying to do) Ok, so this is a day in the life of Cardamon episode with supposed parelles to the Warlocks. We start with the red one stuck and the others unwilling to help…and then they start drawing Puppycat’s face on the 5th one’s corpse-and these guys just do not care that it’s a dead body that they supposedly killed themselves. In short, they have all my fear because they are uncaring about body counts. Cardamon still goes to school on top of being a self proclaimed landlord and gets made fun of for being responsible and tattling at every chance he gets. Something I just noticed too is, at first I just assumed he was finally getting tired after being an adult in a child’s body for who knows how long, but now I’m thinking if he’s supposed to be asleep with Violet, his mom, then the reason for him being so tired is being awake too long. It could most likely be both, too. Just like Cardamon, I have no idea what all the tears mean. In the most recent one was see Moully as the charm in the center. What’s the pattern with these? Again we see Bee being responsible and taking care of Cardamon, making sure he gets home safe, tucking him in, and pulling an all night favor so he can sleep and get to school in the morning. Speaking of that, I can’t say I like Cardamon’s teachers all that much. I could rant about them, but this is already long and they’re not worth it[No, no I WILL rant about it! Why the FUCK do they Look Like That?! Supposedly, their first hookup was in the bubble, but they're clothes are torn, stained, asymetrical, and just overall a mess durring the whole ep. And I will not take getting down and dirty as an answer because even though they obviously want eachother like that, they do not have the vibes of being together before. I don't wanna think about this anymore, I just don't like them]. My only real question is, why the hell are their clothes so ragged and dirty? Do they not know how to bathe? Just, WTF? (either that or they’re Really not trying to hide their *ahem* activities from the kids, which just makes me want to punch sense into them or something)

Now I’m Really Alone

MOULLY!!!! Sorry, I just love him a lot. From what I can put together, he’s some kind of gift giving being. Giving wishes, exchanging good deeds and quick favors for other good deeds and favors. Just being Really nice and wanting to help everyone he comes across[He's only known a handfull of people for as long as he can remember T-T; his boss, Bee, Deckard, and the Warlords T0T]. This episode makes me see so much in common between Bee and Moully[They are instant brainwave friends your honor]. They both want to help even when they don���t know how. Making messes and finding ways clean up those messes out of guilt and the feeling of obligation. They both have lost things they need to pick up and the knowledge that they have all the time in the world because they’ve both been alive for so long. It keeps getting hinted, but now kind of confirmed, that the Wizard’s know Bee is Weird because they haven’t seen her age[young old lady]. Hell, seeing how she interacts with Cardamon she could have even baby sat them[yep]. So all the Wizard’s know she’s Weird and, supposedly, only Crispin knew she was a robot. That was until Deckard found out in the season 1 finale. Once again bringing up the point of people in the Wizard family finding something out and ignoring it and hiding it. In the season 1 finaly, Tim asked Cass if Deckard wasn’t depressed anymore, practically saying that Deckard has some form of depression. Depression being a mental illness that runs in families, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that some other members of the family have similar problems. One of the things I remember depression doing is the person will see a problem and ignore it. Something that many people in this show do with the weirdness around them and the emotional states/situations of the other people in the show. This season is about finally seeing the thing you’ve been ignoring and doing something about it. And that’s what Bee’s been doing this season, taking charge and finally getting her junk out of the ocean and getting REALLY far out of her comfort zone. She HATES water and the ocean[thinking about the beach scene again, she only hates the water in her older years...], but she’s diving in to take back what’s hers and cleaning up a mess. There’s A Lot to analyze with this episode, the similarities of Moully’s and Bee’s situations and personalities, Puppycat being the responsible one again for the long run of things, the tears and how the wish crystals work, and the state of multiple character’s minds. Ignorance is bliss until it isn’t.

I Won’t Leave You Alone

Ok, SO MANY NOTES! Which makes sense seeing how it’s the last episode. First off, THOSE WARLOCK BASTDARDS VIOLATED MOULLY AND IF THEY WERE REAL I WOULD THROTLE THEM TILL THEIR HEADS POPPED OFF!!! I am a very protective person when it comes to things I care about. And I’m going to say it here and now incase something comes up of it, Cooking Prince gives be Colorful Vibes[he still does, you do not follow someone without knowing their name unless you Like like them. Mans only saw him from a distance and talked to him once. Looking a bit sus there, chap], if you know what I mean. You don’t follow someone home and bother them when they don’t want to be bothered unless you’re Into into them. That’s all I’m saying and if nothing comes of it, I will drop it. I’m barely hanging onto it to begin with[It's been years, I'm holding onto them like a lifeline. I wanna see Deckard and CP kiss onscreen]. So, last episode we watched one of three hands punching the other hands to let Moully go, and in this episode it’s confirmed that the day Moully was pulled through the void, the 5th warlock died. My theory with that is, the 5th one was against getting Puppycat in some way and retaliated by fighting them off of Moully and then the others retaliated by killing them in some way. And the tears in this episode didn’t give life to the corpse, but grew new life over top of it, the tears can’t bring the dead back. The ship gets put back together and we see Puppycat being pretty selfish again[I wish I could say he was bringing it online to take care of the threat, but-it just doesn't seem like it at first. Sure the modivation might have changed durring reconstuction, but that's about as far i think it goes], bringing the ship online while Bee gets scooped trying to help Moully. He indirectly helped, but only after he got what he wanted. Cooking Prince, an outsider, brings up how everything going on on the island is Weird and Cass celebrates someone acknowledging it. Once again, bringing back the ‘ignorance is bliss until it’s not’ thing going on around here. Cardamon does more childish things this episode, making a wish and crying in his mother’s arms. He got to finally let go of his responsibilities and let it out until he passed out, and now he gets to sleep again. Moully and Bee are out of commission and the Wizard’s+Cooking Prince stay one the island/ship to be with Bee even though they are mostly confused about EVERYTHING going on rn. Bee has multiple Bees now while she’s out, and so, they go looking for Bee’s dad. I have a feeling he has at least some white hairs by now.

••••

I remember watching this season for the first time. I remember I definitely cried at multiple points, but I can’t exactly remember what points now. I didn’t cry this time, I was too busy taking everything in and trying to put what little pieces I could find together. The first season was to get us used to this world and get comfortable for a chill ride, but then it smacks you in the face with something much bigger at the very end. This season was to make you pay more attention and to question your surroundings. It was also about the first steps to taking charge of your life. If Bee didn’t do all the responsible things she did this season, the warlocks would have probably gotten Puppycat while the island went to shambles. Actions have consequences and that’s what this was about. I believe next season is why ‘Lazy in Space’ was the title. The characters are going to be in space, looking for Bee’s dad, and will acknowledge all the weird things going on while developing, excuse the pun, in out of this world ways. 

I can’t wait for season 3.

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

All Men Have Limits - IV

Character: Dick Grayson x Reader x Bruce Wayne

Summary: A certain bat believes that Y/N is in way over her head, that she’s too naive to act in her best interest. So, whether she wants it or not, the vigilante family is going to help and protect her before she gets herself killed.

Word Count: 3,800+

Previously on…

As Y/N packed her bags, she was also brainstorming her route once she got to her safe house. She’s just stay there for a couple of nights. Then she’d leave town. Gotham wasn’t safe for her right now. And if she was out of city limits, The Court of Owls had less influence. Though she didn’t doubt they’d send an assassin to the other side of the world to hunt her down.

Y/N looked around her extravagant room.

She doubted she’d ever be back here.

Things were getting…complicated.

It was a cruel reminder for why she kept to herself. People meant drama. Drama meant distractions. And distractions meant she wasn’t focused on the task at hand – which was bringing down the corrupt.

Y/N was just zipping up her duffle when there was a knock on her door.

“Come in!” She turned to see Dick walking in.

He eyed her bag. “What are you doing?”

“I was just about to go pack up my equipment in the cave.”

“No, you’re not. You’re staying here,” he confirmed.

She gave him a repulsed look. “Uhh…No, I am not. This mansion is about to be flooded with unidentified members of The Court.”

“Sure is,” Dick smirked. “But I have a solution.”

He held out his hand to show a bracelet. It looked expensive. The band was gold but there was a giant garnet gemstone at the center of it.

Dick handed it to Y/N.

“You shouldn’t have?” Y/N asked with confusion.

“I called in a favor with an old friend. She’s a magician.”

Y/N tried not to laugh, “A magician?”

Dick gave her a playful glare. “Yeah, a magician. But it’s not tricks and gimmicks. She knows actual magic.” He tapped the gemstone. “When you wear this, you’ll look like a different person. It’s a cloaking spell.”

“Why didn’t you guys suggest this right away?”

Dick sighed. “Bruce isn’t fond of metas and…magic.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier for me to just leave?”

“I would rather have you in disguise with our eyes on you, than have you out of reach,” he explained softly. “When you’re wearing this, all of us will still be able to see the real you. But not anyone else.”

“I don’t want to go to this stupid gala. I’ll just wear this and stay in my room or the cave.”

“Well…that’s the other part,” Dick cleared his throat awkwardly. “You’re gonna be my date.”

Y/N blinked in surprise. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone asked her on any kind of date. Not that Dick even asked. He more so told her.

“That wasn’t exactly a request, Dick.”

“Everyone knows everyone. If you’re by yourself, people will ask too many questions. But if you’re my date, no one will think twice why you’re there.”

“I-I don’t have anything to wear…”

Dick laughed lightly. “Alfred already sent out for a dress and shoes for you.”

“…why do I feel like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman?”

“Come on, Y/N. You know it’s not like that.”

Y/N remained annoyed.

“I’ll be here at your door around 8 tonight, k?” Dick gave her a soft smirk.

“Fine.”

———————

This was just another night for Dick. He’d been dragged to enough of these stupid galas to know the drill: wide smiles, forced laughter, and lay the charm on real thick. With the way this family handled their identities, they could’ve been a family of actors instead of vigilantes.

Dick straightened his cufflinks as he made his way to Y/N’s room.

He could hear the murmur’s of the guest from the ballroom, proving just how many people were attending for the sound to reach him in such a giant manor.

There was a part of Dick that half expected Y/N to be in her usual baggy sweaters and leggings when he opened the door. A silent protest that she wasn’t going to be anyone’s arm candy tonight.

Dick knew he didn’t give her much choice.

When his family had been discussing the situation, Dick tried to off to stay hidden out of sight with Y/N. But Alfred was having none of it. They all knew he took these events rather seriously. Especially one that was started and named after Bruce’s mother.

Dick knocked and turned his back to the door, he double checked there were no guests exploring where they shouldn’t be.

When the door opened, Dick turned around and was stunned to silence.

“Is this bracelet working on you or do I really look that bad?”

Y/N shifted as he stared at her like she’d cast a spell on him.

Dick was seeing Y/N. That was for sure.

“I see the dress fit,” he finally spoke.

What the hell was the matter with him? That’s really what he chose to say?

Though Y/N couldn’t help but laugh at the comment. “That it does.”

Dick woke up a bit and cleared his throat. “You look…beautiful.”

He never had a problem charming women. So why is he suddenly talking like a total cave man?

“Don’t look so surprised,” Y/N call him out teasingly. “Just because I dress like a scrub every day doesn’t mean I don’t know how to clean up.”

His brow furrowed at the first comment. “You’ve never looked like a scrub, Y/N.”

OK. OK. He was getting back to his normal self.

“Well…” Y/N broke eye contact from her bashfulness. “Thank you.”

Dick held out the hook of his arm. “Shall we?”

Y/N inhaled, “Right.”

As soon as she hooked her hand onto Dick’s bicep, a wave of relief washed over her. She wasn’t doing this alone; she was doing this with him at her side.

“So, what’s the the plan here?” Y/N asked nervously.

“The plan is to blend in. Don’t talk to any press. And…” He smirked. “It wouldn’t hurt to try and have a good time.”

“Right. I’ll try to do that while I’m in a room possibly filled with people who want me dead…” Y/N sighed.

“Not ‘possibly.’ There will be.”

Y/N narrowed her eyes at him. “Way to make me feel better, Dick.”

He laughed. “You’ll be fine. I’ll be with you the whole time. Damian, Tim, and Bruce will be there, too. And somehow Alfred convinced Jason to even make an appearance. You’re not in this alone, Y/N.”

“Mhmm,” Y/N answered as they arrived to the party. She didn’t bother hiding that she was still extremely nervous and on edge.

“I did really mean it,” Dick told her quietly.

His tone made Y/N tear her eyes away from the party to look at him. “Really mean what?”

“You look beautiful.”

His words didn’t fumble this time. He was confident and clear, leaving no room for doubt or insincerity.

Y/N gave him a shy smile.

“I’m guessing a drink would make this a bit easier, huh?” Dick offered.

“Yes. Yes, it would.”

Dick guided her to the nearest bar.

All the staff knew what the Wayne family looked like. Which meant the bartended skipped over all other guests and b-lined for Dick when he requested a drink, and then looked to Y/N to order what she wanted.

There was loud laughter from a group of people near them. Followed by a voice that Y/N thought she knew, but still sounded a bit off.

When Y/N looked over, she realized it was Bruce talking to a group of guests, who were absolutely fawning over him. He was smiling and laughing, and taking very frequent sips of his drink.

This was Bruce Wayne: the character. Charming playboy, debatable narcissist, and spoiled brat. But in the eyes of Gotham’s elite, he could do no wrong.

Y/N wondered if Bruce had ever considered bringing her as his date. ‘Don’t you start,’ said a voice inside her head.

Dick followed her eye line.

“Doesn’t it make you nauseous watching him like this?” Y/N mumbled.

“Not Dick. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Jason answered.

Dick and Y/N turned to see Jason and Damian.

Yes, Dick adopted Bruce’s charm. But he didn’t rip himself into pieces, building characters that were unrecognizable to the people who actually knew him. Dick’s charm was a part of his personality. His flirtations came naturally. But he only used them on people he intended on building a genuine connection with. (Though Nightwing was guilty of using said charm on targets during missions a few times.)

Y/N looked around for Tim and saw him talking to what appeared to be serious businessman. He was the only one carrying on the legacy at Wayne Enterprises. If any of the boys needed to be here, it was Tim.

“Shouldn’t you guys be making rounds or something?” Y/N asked.

Jason shrugged. “People only cared about us when we were cute kids. Now we’re just spoiled adults who are the product of nepotism.” He smirked down at Damian. “But this one isn’t out of the clear yet.”

“Don’t remind me,” Damian groaned. “At the last one, a woman pinched my cheeks as if I was some toddler.”

“I thought I was about to watch him murder someone,” Dick added.

“I wanted to,” Damian clarified.

Dick started talking to Jason about something.

It provided Y/N the perfect window with the youngest Wayne. 

“I’ll sneak you alcohol if you do a mercy killing for me,” she offered Damian.

The boy looked amused but gave no indication that a deal was made.

“Your date that awful?” Jason teased as he smirked at Dick, who ignored him.

“Do you have the hearing of a dog? Fuckin’ Christ.”

The four of them stuck together for most of the night. Tim would touch base with them every so often. But he kept getting dragged away by board members or partners or anyone that wanted to kiss the ass of the future head of Wayne Enterprises.

Dick and Y/N were laughing at Jason about something when Dick’s face suddenly fell as he spotted something on the other side of the room.

“God damn it, Damian.” Dick hissed as he put his drink down on the nearest counter. He turned to Y/N. “I’ll be right back. Stay here.”

Y/N just nodded.

But then Jason seemed to spot the youngest brother as well.

“I should probably help him and do some damage control,” Jason sighed.

Y/N laughed and nodded for him to go ahead.

“Now you can see why I avoid these shit shows.”

She laughed but pushed him away, “Go help Dick.”

Now that Y/N was alone, her senses was hyper focused on the party around her.

As she reached for her drink, she noticed that her surrounding area had gone eerily quiet. And she felt far too many eyes on her. There were hushed whispers and even gasps. 

“Would you care to dance?” A voice asked from behind her.

Y/N’s entire body tensed.

She turned to see Bruce waiting patiently for her response.

But the look on his face was that of a man she didn’t know.

Bruce had a charming glitter in his eyes and his smirk was arrogant.

Y/N looked around at their audience, then at the dance floor. She was desperately trying to remember the last time she danced with someone.

“Umm…I don’t really know how–” her words came out so slowly.

“How to dance?” Bruce offered.

Y/N nodded.

“You just need a good partner,” he reassured her as he held out a hand.

‘What a fucking line,’ Y/N thought as she tried not to roll her eyes. She half expected him to add a wink.

Bruce guided her to the center of the dance floor and then pulled her closer with his right hand while his left wrapped around her hand.

Y/N wasn’t expecting him to pull her so close, but their body’s were now pressed together.

Bruce moved his mouth to her ear. “Relax,” he murmured.

“It’s hard to relax when you’re using me to set up your new flavor of the week,” she criticized. “Everyone is watching us.”

Bruce may be used to such scrutiny, but Y/N had zero experience with it. And it was safe to say she hated it.

“They’re not looking at me. They’re looking at you,” Bruce corrected.

“A woman who’s not even me. It’s just the dress.”

“I’m happy you like it, seeing as I picked it out,” he commented smugly.

Y/N’s chest tightened at the revelation.

“I see the real you right now, and that’s who I asked to dance.”

Y/N wanted to make a run for it. She didn’t want Bruce with an audience. She just wanted him to herself and she wanted him as he really was.

But her brain shut down for just this song and she followed her heart.

If Y/N concentrated hard enough, she could ignore all the invasive gawking. If she closed her eyes, it was just her and Bruce. So, Y/N tucked her head into his shoulder and let Bruce glide them across the floor.

Somehow she felt that Bruce was allowing himself this as well.

One song was not enough for what they both needed and wanted.

But Y/N would take what she could.

Though what she did not expect was to finally pull away to see Bruce looking utterly heartbroken. As if pulling away from her was the hardest thing he’d ever have to do. And for the first time, Y/N legitimately considered that Bruce might want the same thing as she did.

He’ll just never act on his feelings.

If Y/N had blinked, she could’ve missed the moment of honesty and vulnerability Bruce had colored all across his face – bleeding from his eyes.

Because, the next moment, the character was back.

As the party clapped for the band, someone called Bruce’s name. And their locked stare was broken.

And just like that, Y/N was snapped back to reality as if someone threw a bucket of freezing water over her.

Now that Bruce had moved on, no one bothered to keep their voices down. And the upperclass women of Gotham made it loud and clear that they were not pleased with Y/N’s presence.

“Seems he’s found his next prey.”

“She looks half his age, of course he would go for her. Typical man.”

“She’ll eventually learn like we all did.”

“I still say he was the best lay I ever had.”

“Remember when we both slept with him in the same week?”

Now Y/N wasn’t just brought back to reality – she was put in her place.

Before she could even realize what was happening to stop it, her eyes were filled with tears. She had to get out of there.

“Excuse me,” Y/N whispered desperately and she tried to push her way through the crowd.

As soon as she made it outside, she let out a gasp. The fresh air helped, but it wasn’t enough.

There wasn’t any guests outside, but Y/N didn’t feel a safe enough distance from the party. The gardens and maze were in her peripheral and it took her all of two seconds to decide that would be her safe haven.

She hurried through the maze and prayed that no drunken couples had tried to also sneak away from prying eyes. 

But when Y/N reached the center of the maze, she was alone.

A fountain sat in the middle and the sound of its moving water calmed Y/N down a bit. But even that couldn’t stop her tears from finally escaping.

Y/N sat on the edge of the fountain as she tried to get a hold of herself. She could only imagine what this was doing her makeup that she spent an hour doing. 

‘What a waste,’ she thought.

Her escape was short lived. 

Dick called her name repeatedly from a distance.

Y/N panicked at the idea of him catching her crying. She quickly tried to hide any evidence of tears and pull herself together.

Dick finally caught up and let out a sigh of relief from behind her.

“Y/N, you can’t run off like that,” he tried to tell her.

He opened his mouth to lecture her further, but when he finally made it around the fountain and was facing her, his concern shifted. 

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Nothing,” Y/N struggled to speak without sounding nasally. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. You were crying.”

“I’m fine,” she tried to laugh. “Seriously, Dick.”

But he wasn’t having any of it. He moved to sit next to her on the edge of the fountain. Without hesitating, he wrapped an around her shoulder and pulled her into him.

“Come here,” he muttered softly.

Why did it feel so natural for him to do that? Like he’d done it a million times before?

He rubbed her arms. “Jesus. You’re freezing.”

Then he was taking off his suit jacket and putting it over her shoulders. But he didn’t miss a beat, quickly bringing her back into his arms again.

“Wanna tell me what’s got you so upset?” Dick asked after a few minutes of silently comforting her.

“It’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid to me if it made you cry.”

Y/N took in a shaky breath, feeling like she was on the cusp of crying again. “I’m just like the rest of them.”

Dick waited, feeling like she needed to say more before he spoke.

“They were whispering terrible things. But it was everything I already knew. I’m just another stupid girl that managed to convince herself that she was different.”

Dick was silent as he processed his words. It wasn’t hard for him to know Y/N was talking about Bruce, even thought she never uttered his name. 

“I’ve got an idea,” Dick announced. “Let’s ditch this stupid gala. Get out of these clothes. Put on some sweatpants. And I’ll have Alfred order us as much pizza and wings as you want.”

Now Y/N wanted to cry for a completely different reason.

Dick was the sweetest man she’d ever met.

“Sound like a plan?” He asked her when she didn’t respond and instead just stared into his blue eyes.

Y/N nodded.

“We can even invite my good-for-nothing brothers if that’ll make you happy.”

Her first instinct was to say yes. They all amused her beyond belief. Watching the way they all interacted with each other was like watching a reality show. And it was always obvious how much they loved each other deep down – even with Damian, who would rather die than admit such a thing.

But if all of them were included, who knew when Bruce would eventually make an appearance. And Y/N just didn’t think she could be in a room with him again tonight. 

“Just you and me,” she clarified.

That seemed to please Dick and he nodded. 

“Just you and me,” he confirmed as he offered her a hand up. 

When they started walking back to the manor, Dick wrapped an arm around her shoulder, keeping her close to his side.

“I’m going to ask you a question and I need you to be completely honest with me,” but she said it through a smile.  

Dick looked a bit nervous, but nodded. “Alright.”

“Do you know how to order takeout on your own?”

Dick threw his head back and laughed. “How dare you!”

He pinched her waist, making her yelp. But he didn’t let her escape his hold. “Yes, I do. In fact, when I’m at my own place, I live off takeout. And let me tell you, no one can order food quite like I can. Thank you very much.”  

Once they reached the second floor of the manor, the two of them parted ways to changed out of their fancy clothes.

Y/N washed her face, scrubbing the layers of makeup off. But before she could rid herself of the evidence, she noticed the smeared mascara and eyeliner. 

Words could not describe the relief of putting on baggy sweatpants and a hoodie and fluffy socks after wearing a fitted gown and high heels.

30 minutes later, just as promised, Dick was bringing up a huge pizza and a box of wings to Y/N’s bedroom.

They ate on the floor. Dick managed to light the fireplace that was in there, because Y/N didn’t know what to do with the thing. The television was on, but neither of them were watching it. It was simply white noise.

Two hours later, Y/N was laughing so hard at a story Dick was telling her that she had tears in her eyes and her stomach hurt.

“I don’t believe you!”

“I’m not kidding. Ask Jason. He took my clothes and I was ass naked, running through the streets of Gotham. I wanted to kill him.”

Y/N grabbed another wing and got sauce all over her face.

“What?” She asked when Dick was watching her with adoration. “Do I have sauce on my face?”

He tried to hide his smile. “Nope.”

She knew he was lying and then purposely smeared more sauce around her lips. “How about now? Do I have anything now?”

“No. Nothing.”

“On a scale of 1 to 10, how attractive am I right now?” Y/N laughed as she wiped the sauce off her face with napkins.

“11,” Dick responded without hesitating.

The playfulness was sucked out of the room when they both heard how serious his tone was.

Y/N’s face went somber as she looked down at the floor. “I’m sorry I didn’t dance with you.” She laughed lightly, “I’m a lousy date, huh?”

“That’s not true,” he immediately shot down. “This is the most fun I’ve had…” His words died out when he realized he couldn’t even remember. “Well, it’s the most fun I’ve had in awhile.”

“Me too,” she replied with a quiet sweetness.

Through her full-body laughter, she had moved closer to Dick without realizing it.

He glanced at her lips. He just couldn’t help himself. 

The thing about Dick wearing his heart on his sleeve was that it was nearly impossible for him to hide his feelings, his desires. It was all in those blue eyes of his, waiting to easily be read by someone.  

And while Y/N looked at him looking at her, she felt beautiful. Because that was all Dick could possibly think as he stared at her.

Neither knew who leaned in first. Perhaps this was their dance that they weren’t able to have earlier.

But they made up for it by sharing an impassioned kiss now. 

Dick’s lips were softer than Y/N expected. His hands gripped her waist possessively, making it very clear what he wanted – but still being ever so gentle and soft with his touches.

One of Dick’s hands moved from her waist up her back to tangle his fingers in her hair. He tugged on the strands and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

They both could slightly taste the pizza and wings on each other’s lips, but neither of them cared at all.

The kiss didn’t last long enough for either of their liking.

But Y/N pulled away anyways, gasping for air a bit.

“I’m sorry,” she sighed. 

“You don’t have to be sorry,” he whispered through hooded eyes as he brushed some hair away from her face. “I’ve been wanting to do that for awhile,” he added with a smirk.

But Y/N wasn’t really sorry about the kiss. 

She was sorry because she knew that things were far more complicated than ever.

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

Part V

Happy Valentine’s Day!!! 

Please, please, please write me a book report of what he thought of this chapter. It will be your VDay gift to me 😘

[leighistired]

Out Loud

A Martin character study AO3 Link

“G’night mum, love you.”

“Make sure you put the trash out, don’t want it stinking up the house.”

At 12 it occurs to Martin, he can’t recall the last time his mother said “I love you” to him. She must have. He knows she loves him, so why can’t he remember her saying it? Was it before dad left? It can’t have been that long ago. He knows if he brings it up she’ll just tell him off for being silly so he just decides to not say it unless she says it first. She doesn’t say it.

“Look how nice our neighbor’s garden is,” she says instead. “If only we could have such a nice garden.”

“The neighbors hire a man-” Martin tries to explain. He had just done law maintenance over the weekend; he would have to bring up memory issues next time they saw a doctor.

“Aren’t you happy with how I provide for you?” She snaps. “Ever since your lousy father left us I have done my best even with my health and all you can talk about is getting a bloody gardener.”

“Sorry, mum,” he says. It’s better not to argue when she gets like this.

“Forget it. Just get me my tea.”

He goes and brews her a cup of Oolong tea. It’s far too bitter for his tastes but it’s all he buys when he does the shopping. Perhaps that was it, instead of saying she loved him she just provided for him.

Martin tells himself that until she gets too sick to work and begins needling him to get a job at 14. Suddenly he’s providing for her on top of school and everything else but that didn’t mean she didn’t love him. She was just sick and the medication she was on made her tired most of the time so it wasn’t like he could expect her to be excited to see him; especially not when he’s the one bringing it to her.

“Is soup the only thing you buy?” She asks one evening when he brings her dinner.

“You didn’t have soup last night,” he reminds her patiently after a long day of school and work.

“Oh, so you think I’m ungrateful? I am your mother! I gave birth to you! You should be happy to take care of me!”

“It would be nice if you acted like a mum for once!” Martin snaps back. He regrets it as soon as he says it and doesn’t wait to hear her response. He leaves the house and sits in the park near his house for a long time and cries. Of course she loves him. It must be so hard on her to be stuck at home all day with no one to talk to and there he went snapping at her. She’s asleep by the time he comes home and neither of them mentions it in the morning.

Martin doesn’t know what he expects when he starts to transition. He hadn’t even called it a transition at first, he just likes how he looks with short hair, baggy clothes, and a sports bra. His mother disagrees. There are days she won’t even look at him and when she does it’s usually even worse.

“You cut your hair again,” she mentions one morning over breakfast. “Just when you were starting to look like a girl.”

“Yup,” Martin replies tight-lipped. He had been thinking it over for a while and he’s slowly coming to terms with the fact that he isn’t a girl. The way she says it hits him sharply. If she was never going to say “I love you” to a daughter, why would she say it to a son? He doesn’t bother coming out to her properly because he can already see the disgust on her face when he gets a proper binder.

When she decides to move into a full-time care facility, it’s almost a relief. He feels foolish for expecting her to say it when she leaves. He feels even more foolish when he says it in goodbye. The receptionist gives him a sympathetic look when she doesn’t say it back but the receptionist probably assumes his mother has memory issues and forgot who he was. She doesn’t. Still, he appreciates the gesture.

Dating is nearly impossible for most of his life. It’s easiest to blame his busy schedule; he doesn’t even have time for friends outside of school. The fact that no one even asks him out isn’t something he wants to think about. After he drops out of school and his mother leaves, dating and friendship don’t get any easier. He can’t let anyone he works with get close enough or they’ll find out his real age and utter lack of qualifications. Online dating is also out of the question for similar reasons. If one of his coworkers saw him with the age 19 in his profile they would either know he wasn’t actually 25 or they would think he was a creep and he didn’t exactly feel comfortable lying about his age to potential dates. Meeting people organically isn’t the worst thing in the world but it’s difficult. He makes a few passing friends at a local trans support group but even then, he can’t get close to anyone without risking someone discovering his falsified CV.

He doesn’t have his first real boyfriend until he’s 23 years old. They meet at a Holloween party thrown by a mutual acquaintance and date for almost five months before Martin ruins it.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Dominick, I love you,” Martin says as he serves dinner.

“Oh, uh, it’s a little fast to say that, don’t you think?” Dominick had stammered awkwardly. Was it? It didn’t seem like it to Martin and even if it was, it was true. He loved Dominick.

“I-I don’t think so,” Martin replies nervously. Some distant part of himself starts to berate him for being so needy.

“It kind of is. Let’s just pretend you never said it and we’ll see how we feel in a few more months, ok?”

“You mean we’ll see how you feel,” Martin says a little bitterly.

“Why can’t you just relax and enjoy the holiday?”

Martin had sighed in resignation and picked at the rest of his plate. They broke up a week later because Dominick felt like they were “looking for different things.”

Martin doesn’t have another serious boyfriend after that. He goes on a few more dates over the years but nothing that lasts longer than five months. Nothing that lasts long enough to say “I love you.” In some deep dark part of him, he wonders if he was ever meant for love. His father hadn’t loved him enough to stay, his mother hadn’t said she loved him in over a decade, and he’s not even sure he was in love with Dominick. He gets crushes, sure, but he just throws himself into his work at the Magnus Institute instead.

Working in the library isn’t bad. He gets along with his coworkers well enough but he can never get close to them. Not close enough to love them as friends or be loved in return.

Then he gets transferred to the Archives.

Jonathan Sims is not the first asshole boss Martin has ever had. He doesn’t understand why Mr. Bouchard sent him down to work in the Archive in the first place and his first impression with his new boss is less than stellar when a dog follows him into the building. It doesn’t help that Jon is good-looking and every once in a while Martin catches glimpses of a version of the Archivist without a stick up his ass. Like when he spends Martin’s ice cream birthday talking about emulsifiers. If only he would be clearer about what he actually wants from Martin. No report or follow-up seems to be good enough, even with the help of Tim and Sasha.

Martin works hard for Jon’s approval. He doesn’t know why he wants the recognition but it’s either this or quit and he really, really can’t quit. So he spends three full days looking for every woman named Angela over fifty in Bexley only to be berated for actually talking to one of them and then he offers to look into a case about spiders that clearly upsets Jon only to get trapped in his flat by a zombie worm woman.

When he finally escapes, he takes a few worm corpses with him and he dumps them on Jon’s desk while he’s in the middle of a statement. Let Jon try and disprove that When he gives his own statement he makes special emphasis on reminding Jon how hard he worked to meet his exacting standards. He refuses to be yelled at for this.

Except Jon believes him. More than believes him, in fact. He offers Martin a place to stay. Of course that would be enough to ignite a crush in Martin.

As soon as they get to document storage Martin sits on the cot and begins to cry with exhaustion. He expects Jon to leave but again he surprises him.

“I-it’s alright, Martin,” he says awkwardly as he pats Martin’s shoulder. “You’ll be safe here and I’m certain Elias will respond promptly to my request for extra security.”

“Thanks,” Martin sniffs. He can’t remember the last time he cried in front of another person.

“Would...would you like me to stay until you fall asleep? If- if you think it will help.”

“Oh, er...no...I’ll be fine, thank you. You should be getting home, anyway. It’s Saturday, Jon.”

Martin blacks out as soon as Jon shuts the door to document storage. When he wakes up he finds his crush on Jon stubbornly still in place.

He can’t help himself after that. He starts taking special care of Jon in hopes of encouraging the kind man he saw that night into emerging. At the very least Jon doesn’t yell at him as much and he even thanks Martin for the tea he brings. It’s then that he notices other things about Jon, like how rattled he gets by certain statements and how he’ll often go an entire day without eating or drinking anything unless someone brings him something. That someone being Martin. He also notices how late Jon leaves, if he leaves at all.

It’s on one such night of Jon still being in his office at 11 o’clock that Martin knocks on Jon’s office door.

“Jon?” He calls gently.

“Hzzmt! Martin?” Jon responds, having been startled awake from dozing at his desk. “You should be asleep.”

“And you should be home.”

“I see your point,” Jon sighs. “I’ll finish up here and head home. Unless you need something?”

“Actually….I-I was thinking,” Martin beings. “Since I sort of kicked you off your cot...D’you want to come back to document storage with me? You know, get some sleep?”

“What?”

“Er...forget I-”

“The cot would be rather cramped with both of us,” Jon warns as he gets up from his desk. “If...if you’re sure you want me to join you.”

“Yeah...I thought you had work to do?”

“It can wait until morning, no use keeping you up longer than necessary.”

Martin only half regrets offering to share a bed with his crush. Jon was right, the only way to fit both of them on the cot is for both of them to sleep on their sides (or for Jon to sleep on top of Martin but even the thought has his face burning) and it’s difficult for him to fall asleep with Jon’s back pressed against his. It’s good to hear Jon fall asleep, though, and as time wears on it’s easier for Martin to goad Jon away from work to sleep a few hours.

The more of himself Jon reveals the harder Martin falls for him. Especially after Jon accuses him of being a ghost during the Prentiss attack. Even with the guilt Martin feels every time he looks at Jon mummified in bandages. That was Martin’s fault. If he had just paid more attention then he wouldn’t have lost Jon and Tim in the tunnels. He does everything he can to try and make up for it; despite Jon becoming more and more closed off by the day. Intellectually, Martin knows that Jon has gotten like that with everyone, but something deep down makes Martin feel like it’s his fault Jon’s gotten so cold. It doesn’t help that Jon seems to have gotten friendly with the policewoman investigating the murder of the previous Archivist. Tim even seems to think they’re having an affair which does wonders for Martin’s self-esteem. Jon wouldn’t be the first straight man Martin has ever had a crush on but Martin was pretty sure Jon wasn’t straight. Again, he wonders if he’s done something wrong to push Jon away.

After Jon stumbles out of his office covered in blood claiming to have had an accident with a bread knife Martin finds all the excuse he needs to regularly drag Jon to the canteen to make sure he eats something. The silences during those lunches are hard. They had eaten together before but now Jon wasn’t talking to him. The most Martin could get out of him were a few one-word answers. He tries not to think about how it reminds him of his mum.

“So,” he tries for the millionth time while Jon picks at his sandwich. “Did I tell you what happened while you were at physical therapy the other day?”

Jon doesn’t say anything but he looks up with a gaze that bores into Martin.

“Uh...A little girl came in alone with a statement, she must’ve only been eight years old,” Martin says. Jon looks at him with an expression that almost seems afraid. “Don’t worry, it recorded fine on digital. She walked right down into the Archive, walked up to my desk, and said ‘Excuse me. My name is Beatrice Walker and I’d like to make a statement about a supernatural occurrence.’ She sounded so grown up and she refused to leave until I had recorded her statement. Turns out her dad was using the library for research and she had just wandered off.”

“What was her statement about?” Jon asks to Martin’s surprise.

“Oh, a hamster with mysteriously changing spots.”

“Ah,” Jon replies thoughtfully. “Not much need for follow-up there, I suppose.”

“Not unless you really need me to track down the shop where her parents picked up the new hamster.”

He catches the briefest of smirks from Jon before the conversation dies again.

After that Jon’s coldness and paranoia comes out in the form of a screaming accusation over letters Jon found in the trash. Martin barely manages to make it to the bathroom before he bursts into tears after coming clean about his CV. Tim thankfully doesn’t check on him while he silently curses his taste in men. Jon doesn’t meet his eye for the next week in what he bitterly hopes is guilt. He does seem slightly more willing to talk with Martin at lunch, though.

Then Jon goes missing. After trying to get Martin and Tim to go home early because Jon was feeling under the weather; he disappears. Not before apparently bludgeoning someone with a pipe and isn’t that exactly what he and Tim need to see as soon as they get back from a two-week kidnapping by a spooky door monster?

With Sasha gone, Jon missing, and Melanie King being suddenly hired by Elias, whatever’s left of Martin’s relationship with Tim deteriorates. More so when Martin becomes the only one in the world to believe Jon could be innocent. It’s probably that that makes the police detective “investigating” Jon so actively hostile toward him. Apparently, people say he and Jon are “close” and that probably only means the lunch thing but he wants to imagine it’s something more. Like people are somehow picking up that Jon likes him back.

When Jon comes back to confront Elias it’s all Martin can think to do to fall back on his tea-making. He ducks into Jon’s office with a piping cup of the overly sweet tea he spent months perfecting to Jon’s taste and finds him with his face buried in his one non-bandaged hand.

“Jon?” He calls as gently as he can while he closes the door behind him. “I brought you some tea.”

It’s when Jon looks up that Martin notices the bloody mess down the front of his shirt.

“You’re hurt. Let me go get the first aid-”

“No!” Jon interrupts frantically. “Just...Could you just stay with me for a moment?”

Martin acquiesces and they sit side by side on the sofa in Jon’s office in silence until Jon starts sniffling into his tea. He offers Jon a hug and Jon all but dives into his chest to cry. It’s the saddest most broken thing Martin has ever heard and it’s all he can do not to pull Jon into his lap and curl around him protectively.

“Martin...I-I...I’m sorry,” he says quietly. “For everything. For Sasha and Prentiss and...and for the way I treated you. You didn’t….no one deserves that.”

“None of that was your fault and I sort of deserved it. I didn’t actually know what I was doing.”

“You didn’t deserve it,” Jon insists before going back to quietly crying into Martin’s jumper. Martin doesn’t respond. He can’t recall the last time someone’s apologized to him. At least not like that. He’d been told off most of his life for not doing things up to people’s standards. A few people over the years had told him he didn’t deserve it but Jon was the first person to apologize. No wonder Martin was falling in love with him.

Damn it.

Cuddling doesn’t become a regular occurrence for them by any means but Jon begins doing more to seek Martin out after that. They eat lunch together more often and Martin stays up late to talk to Jon while he’s abroad. It drives home how deeply buried into Martin’s heart Jon has become. Especially after he comes back after going missing for a month and has the audacity to joke about being moisturized by a clown mannequin for a month.

He wonders if Jon feels the same way. Sometimes Jon will smile shyly at him, and he can almost believe that Jon would be interested in a relationship if the world wasn’t ending. The last time they speak before the Unknowing they’re in document storage.

“Are you ready?” Jon asks as he shifts nervously.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Martin signs. He heard what happened to Melanie. He knows what’s likely to happen to him. Some small part of him is screaming to just tell Jon his feelings like it’s the climax of an action movie.

“Stay safe,” Jon says.

“Come back,” Martin replies. Jon offers him a hug. It’s no movie kiss but it allows Martin to hold Jon as close as possible. Jon himself is hanging off of Martin’s neck and it feels like a final goodbye.

Then Elias confirms what Martin has always suspected deep down. That his mother never loved him or if there was a time when she did, she stopped when his father left. Even after everything. After he spent years taking care of her. After he had to quit school to care for her. All she ever saw was his father. All his transition did was to remind her further of how much he looked like his father’s son. At least it was worth it. To distract Elias so Melanie could find evidence to arrest him.

Then Peter Lukas shows up and reveals that Elias planned to get arrested. Worse than that, he offers Martin a promotion of sorts.

Then they get the news from Yarmouth. Tim’s body is found in a charred heap, Daisy is missing, and Jon is dead in all but brain activity. At least Basira is physically alive.

Martin spends as much time as he can next to Jon. He’s used to loving someone who can’t love him back. Maybe this is all he’s destined for. Love unrequited. He talks to Jon’s dreaming corpse. Tells him about his day, reads him poetry, even a statement, but nothing draws Jon out of his coma.

Then his mother dies. He barely has the emotional strength to mourn her. Instead, he scatters her ashes and mourns his childhood lost to trying impossibly to earn her love.

After the Flesh attacks, Martin makes a decision. He’ll join Lukas. It’ll probably lead to his death but what did that matter? His mother was gone and didn’t care about him anyway. Tim and Sasha were gone. Jon was basically gone. Basira and Melanie were the only people left that he vaguely cared about and by doing this he could at least protect them.

He visits Jon one last time in the hospital. He’s still covered in wires and his eyes still flit around violently behind his lids as Martin sits down next to him and takes his hand.

“Hey Jon,” he says quietly. “I...This is the last time I’m going to see you...Probably ever. I know, I know old dramatic Martin surely he’s exaggerating. I’m not. The Institute is in danger and...I have a way to keep Melanie and Basira a little safer, so I’m doing it. I just came by one last time to say...Jon, I...I love you. Goodbye.”

He gets up and presses a kiss on a part of Jon’s forehead not covered in wires before leaving. It’s alright that he doesn’t say it back. No one ever says it back to Martin.

When Jon wakes up everything becomes that much harder. Suddenly he had a reason to live and the way Jon pursues him makes him almost believe...No, even completing the thought would be dangerous for all of them. Jon trusts him enough not to be constantly badgering and that makes it worse. When Jon is there the Lonely makes Martin resent his presence and when Jon’s gone Martin resents his absence.

The final, most excruciating pain is when Jon comes after him in the Lonely. He’s excepted his fate in the chilling numbness of the Lonely. Maybe that’s why he says it. The certain, inevitable rejection would be numbed utterly. So he says it.

“I really loved you, you know?”

And Jon looks broken. Even after he rips Peter’s statement from him. Even when he reaches for Martin’s face with hands that seem far too warm and makes him See. Knowing Jon loves him isn’t like “knowing” his mother loves him. Instead of a lie born in Martin’s mind to stamp down the fear of rejection, it’s a reality pouring from Jon’s mind mingled with Jon’s fears of rejection.

Jon’s hands still feel too warm compared to the icy chill of the Lonely as he leads Martin out. Still, he refuses to let go all the way through the tunnels, the Institute, talking to Basira, packing at each other’s flats, and on to the train. The way to Daisy’s safe house feels like a blur and when they finally arrive it’s all Martin can do to remember to take off his binder before collapsing into bed with Jon’s warm arms around him.

He wakes to Jon’s quiet crying. The awful, stifled thing that breaks Martin’s heart.

“Jon,” he whispers.

“Martin? Did I wake you? I’m sorry, I’ll-”

“It’s alright, Jon,” he assures as he swaps their positions so Jon is tucked firmly against him. Jon makes another broken noise and Martin can’t stop himself from crying, too.

“I-I’m here, Martin. You aren’t on your own,” Jon soothes and Martin almost has to laugh. They lay crying and comforting each other until they both fall back asleep.

When they wake up properly they take stock of the safe house’s pantry and make a list of things to pick up in the village after breakfast. Martin gives in to the temptation to buy a new notebook to try and write poetry in. They have enough canned food to survive to the next ice age so they pick up perishable items like milk, bread, butter, and eggs. Jon also picks up fresh peaches and a box of Martin’s preferred tea. It’s easy to pretend like they going on a normal shopping trip as they walk up and down the aisles to check things off their list.

They return to the cabin and settle in. Martin sits on the sofa and tries to write out a poem while Jon tries to read a book from Daisy’s personal collection. After a while, Martin beings to feel Jon’s gaze on him.

“Is there something on my face?” He tries casually as he’s met with an expression he’s never been on the receiving end of.

“I was just thinking about how much I love you,” Jon sighs. Martin can’t stop the noise that comes out of him. All his life trying to earn love and Jon just says it while Martin’s thinking of a synonym for ‘yellow.’

“I-I don’t expect you to reciprocate,” Jon says quickly, his soft expression suddenly turning worried.

“But I do.”

“Oh…Oh!”

“Yeah.”

Jon starts giggling and it’s impossible for Martin not to follow suit until happy tears stream down both of their faces.

[batarella]

3 birds 1 stone - BLUE

From a world once so cruel, that never seemed to have granted them the time enough to be together, it’d never built up into anything more perfect.

WORDS: 7785 WARNINGS: Sexual Content

MASTERLIST | 3 BIRDS 1 STONE MASTERLIST | RED | YELLOW

-----

Dick:

It was concerning how at the moment he stepped into the narrow elevator, he wasn’t the least bit surprised at the pile of animal shit at the corner. It wasn’t until the doors closed when he noticed it, or rather his nose did, and he had to clog his nostrils just so he doesn’t pass out on the floor.

“Gar!?” he yelled just as the doors opened. No one was there, save for Raven with a book sitting at the couch. She didn’t glance at him. “Gar, I swear if you took a shit in the elevato-“

“That wasn’t me!”

Gar’s voice came from the kitchen, panting and occupied with something unruly. Then he heard plates falling to the floor, breaking, then there was a whimper. Not one that came from a human.

“Then who was it!?”

His question was soon answered, when a dog, a brown-furred mutt, sprinted out into the living room with a strip of bacon lodged in its teeth. “Gar!”

“I told you!”

Gar came out of the kitchen with a leash that had been ripped. “It wasn’t me!”

“You brought a dog into the tower?!”

“It was hungry!”

The mutt had finished off the bacon and headed straight for Raven’s lap. She gave it a scratch under its ear.

“Not on the couch,” Dick said.

“But Dick-“

“You’re not allowed on the couch either,” he told Gar. The boy murmured something Dick couldn’t hear, and after a second, no longer was he a boy but a green parrot. It squealed against Dick’s ear before it flew to Raven’s book.

“Jesus-“ he rubbed his ear. “I’m not in the mood.”

“SQUAWK-,” the parrot said. “WHAT’S UP WITH YOU?”

Having some coherent answer to that would only cement it as some grueling reminder. Hell, even thinking about it hurts more than the coward’s way out of pretending the past year never even happened. But then again, here he was, back in the Titan’s Tower to escape from the love of his life he could never be with and force himself into this infernal damnation of having forever to get over her. Here. Thousands of miles away. Where he’d only have his thoughts to battle and nothing else.

But all he said was: “Nothing.”

Dick should have told her, at least. Given her that kind of closure instead of his current disappearing act without so much as a note or a text or even a notice memo at the manor’s announcement board, which Alfred insisted with there being eight kids around.

But being away will be good. For her. For him. The first step to moving on. And with that, cutting all ties. Make it hurt less for both of them.

Maybe not all ties. He’ll have to go back to Gotham soon enough. But at least he was trying something. Not like the past five, six, seven years. God, has it really been that long?

She was probably over at Tim’s office, or Jason’s apartment doing whatever. Thinking about it won't do him any good. Doesn’t mean he subconsciously won’t.

It was apparent, and out into full consciousness, when he pulled out his phone and saw her name in five missed calls, with voice messages she’s left behind. A whole lot of minutes of them, too, it seems. She’d called while he was on the plane.

He could listen to them. Hear her voice one last time. Let his mind trail away. God, he was pathetic.

Dick put it up to his ear, his other hand stuffed to his pockets as he went out to the tower’s highest balcony so at least the air wasn’t so stuffy and he wouldn’t choke so much.

He wasn’t even nervous when he heard her speak. “Hey, Dick.”

A plane. A helicopter. Some folks over at the apartment building nearby partying it out. At least he’d have something to look at. He was exhausted, too. It was eight am over at Gotham. Shouldn’t have taken the overnight flight.

“You weren’t at the manor. I tried calling there first. I wanted to see you. Call me when you get this?”

He might. After he listens to the four other messages she’d left behind.

“Hey. I know it’s only been an hour. But please call me.”

Another one.

“Dick, where are you? I hope you didn’t change your phone. or I’ll look stupid leaving all these messages behind, which I’m not about to stop doing. Call me. Please. No one knows where you are but no one’s panicking either. It’s worrying me.”

Next one. From another hour after. He’d been gone a little over ten hours since he left. If Bruce didn’t have a tracker on him, they’d have called the police by now. But he highly doubted Bruce would take the time to announce his little trip to the West Coast to everyone in the house.

“Dick, if this is you ignoring me, you’re doing a hell of a good job at it. Did I do something?”

He heard her huff over the phone. No one else seemed to be around her.

“Please, I just wanna talk. Call me.”

The last one. Sent just four hours ago, which meant she’d been awake at four in the morning.

And, on top of that, the last one was five whole minutes long.

A call to tell her she was dating Tim again? Explaining how there are no hard feelings? Catch a movie sometime? An ass of him to think she’d be that cruel, but he was jetlagged and exhausted and the smell of dog shit still hadn’t left, which could be explained because that mutt had made a home just a few feet away from where he stood.

Dick played the message despite all that. Even if she called to tell him she’s getting married. He’d answer it.

“Dick…”

He could hear the rain, sheets shuffling under her feet.

“I’m sorry…” she said. “I… I probably took too long… I guess, if you’re ignoring me, you still deserve to know. I hope you get this message. I’ll tell you now, I guess. So you won't have to respond if you don’t want to.”

Tears. He could hear her wipe them off her skin.

“I kept you waiting for… I wanna say months but it’s a lot longer than that. Years… God, and I didn’t even see it… I took too long trying to figure this all out for myself, and you just kept waiting for me. No one should be worth waiting for that long.”

He was laughing as if it were one of her god-awful jokes. Funnily enough, it was worth it. Even when it sent him nowhere in the end. All that waiting was worth it. Somehow.

“Which is why I don’t blame you. Because you shouldn’t have taken this long. I thought even if I took another few weeks before I’d have enough courage to finally ask you to be mine, you’d still be there waiting for me. Selfish as it is, but I guess that’s your fault, too. Spoiling me and whatnot. Now my expectations for men are out of hand. Sorry.”

She even fucking laughed all the while he could hear her biting back her sobs. If he were there, he’d hold her by the shoulders and squeeze the fucking sense back into her and tell her yes, I did wait for you, and I’d wait for you for a hundred more years if I had to but I know you love someone else and-

Wait.

Wait.

Wait.

Backtrack.

What the hell did she just say!?

“I mean, I’m…” she continued, completely ignoring his panic. Was there a rewind on this thing??? “The past two days all I did was read your letter. Over and over again, trying to find something I could have missed. I memorized it by now. I’m a wreck. I’m sorry. I know it’s all so complicated, but I can't stop thinking that if the timing had just been good to us the past few years, all this would have been so different.”

Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT, is she actually saying she-

“I’m so sorry, Dick…” she sighed. “I kept you waiting. But even if… even if you’re not anymore, I already made up my mind. I’ll be here. It’s my turn to wait for you. As long as it takes. I love yo-“

Something hit the back of his knees.

Which, unfortunately, with him not in some defensive stance, caught him in a rather vulnerable position.

And with that, Dick tumbled off his feet, almost fell off the railing, and failed to catch his phone from slipping right off his hands.

“NO!”

“DOWN BOY-SQUAWK!” Gar the parrot cried and followed the obnoxiously unruly dog running around the terrace. “SORRY, DICK!”

The dog kept running around and almost crashed to his feet twice with it being too fast even for Gar's supposedly swift wings, and if he wasn’t so frozen and horrified, watching his phone descend from almost a hundred stories above ground, he would have grabbed that mutt by the neck.

“GAR, I SWEAR TO GOD-“

“I’m sorry!” He turned back into a human and caught the dog. “It was him!”

“My fucking phone just fell over the railing!”

“Want me to go get it-“

A car alarm. He could hear it even from above. Or Gar did. Because he went to look over and caught sight of his phone breaking a car’s windshield below. He scratched the back of his neck. “Sorry.”

“I have to…” Dick pulled on his scalp. “I have to go call her.”

“Call who?!”

“Give me your phone!”

“I don’t have a phone!”

“Give me Raven’s phone!”

“She talks to people with her mind,” Gar twirled his finger against his temple. “She doesn’t need a phone!”

“Just get- UGH!”

He stormed back into the building. “Where the hell is everyone else!?”

“They’re all out of town!”

“So it’s just you and Raven in here?! Without adult supervision!?”

“Why do you think we got a dog into the building?!”

Said dog stuck his tongue out at him like it was just so awfully adorable.

“Ok, ok, ok, ok, ok.” He can do this. He can calm down. “I have to go back. Or call her at least.”

“You’re going back to Gotham now?!”

She said she’ll wait. But to hell with keeping her waiting. “Yes. I do. I’m going back now. As soon as I can call her and tell her I’m on my way-“

“I wouldn’t do that.”

Raven didn’t even look up from her book, legs up on the couch as seemingly relaxed as if the whole wreck of a home they lived in wasn’t a mess at all.

“Next flight to Gotham’s in an hour.” She levitated an apple to her mouth and took a bite. “And the one after that’s in two days.”

“Two days!?”

“Airline shutdown. Some strike is happening,” she pointed at the TV playing the news. “I’d hurry if I were you.”

“God fucking dammit-“

“Good luck.” Raven took another bite.

Of course. Of course, this would fucking happen.

But, fuck, he didn’t know if he should just leap out the window to keep up now that everything he’s ever wished for had finally come to be. Because, to his own beliefs up in the clouds, he could probably fly with just the flap of his measly arms.

Y/N chose him.

He left for the elevator, just before Gar stopped him for leaving his wallet, then he was sprinting his way back to the airport.

.

You:

“I already made up my mind,” you said to your phone as if there were anyone else on the other line. As if he was there, listening to you. And that in a few seconds, he’d respond.

“I’ll be here. It’s my turn to wait for you. As long as it takes. I love you, Dick.”

Quite haunting how easy it was for those words to just roll off your lips, because as much as you thought all this to be so complicated and difficult, it was the easiest thing you’ve ever had to say.

At four am, alone in your studio with all your lights off and your sheets in an unkempt mess. You stuck your knees so close to your chest, trying to conceal at least some kind of warmth against you. But even with it so easy, it didn’t mean it wasn’t hurting.

“I can't,” you stuck your palm to your forehead. “I know things are so hard between us… and this past year is just…”

You breathed, longer than you’d hoped, just to get enough air into your lungs just so you wouldn’t collapse.

“God, I don’t even know what to tell you anymore. It all just… It feels like it’s too late. Everything went so wrong between us and I can't stop but think maybe it’s the world saying we’re just not meant to be,” you swallowed. “And the scary thing is… I don’t even care.”

The blue rose you painted, staring back at you once so bright, but as the passing days of you still wondering if were brave enough to do this at all, it had dried up and was now blank, patronizing even, that maybe it just wasn’t right, even when you wanted it to be.

“I don’t care if it’s so complicated, I want you…”

On the bed, just by your feet, you locked your eyes onto Dick’s beautiful handwriting, some that had been smudged with the sweat from your hands with the paper now crumpled up after all those months of reading and rereading.

You closed your eyes.

“You sent me an awfully painful, heart-breaking letter,” you said. “This is my awfully painful, heart-breaking reply.”

.

‘I usually just say all this in my head. That’s when I get poetic. Sometimes I write it down. Most of the time, I try to paint them. I think of galaxies and meadows and skies and flowers and all that, metaphors as they are, but I’ll say everything I’ve got. Right now. Because you deserve to know that all those years of you thinking nothing could ever go how you wanted, that it could end being just that.

.

Dick:

“Hey.”

Hands on the counter, the attendant looked startled at the least.

“I need a ticket for the next flight to Gotham.”

“I’m sorry, sir,” she said, after taking a while to look at Dick’s handsome yet frantically uneasy face. “You just missed it-“

“I know, I know, I missed the last one.” The one that left just five minutes ago because of fucking California traffic. “But I need to get on the next one. Please.”

“All flights from San Francisco after the next hour are canceled I’m afraid.”

“Any connecting flights? Anything that leaves before that?”

“Sir, I-” she stretched her fingers. “I’ll look for something.”

His fingers, tapping onto the counter until the tip of his nails started to hurt.

“The best option’s a connecting flight to Denver, then to New York.”

“New York!?”

“Then there’s the railway transits to Gotham. I can book you a ticket for that, too.”

From a seven-hour flight to a seventeen-hour trip with layovers and a crowded train.

But as soon as he heard best option he pulled out his wallet quicker than when they told him his rent was three months overdue and that if he weren’t to pay the doorman that very instant they’d evict him.

He rushed to the first plane, closed his eyes, and prayed she hadn’t said anything in her voice message too important for him to miss out on.

.

‘The universe, or whatever it is out there that has a say in all this, they didn’t make it easy for us at all. If they did, we would have met long before we went too far into this mess. We were friends, sure, and you have no idea how much I value our friendship.

But I guess not even that friendship’s strong enough for us to deny what’s really going on. And that’s why it’s all so hard. I can't even look at you without thinking about kissing you, or holding you, or touching you. I can't hold your hand without wanting to never pull away. I can't even be in the same room with you and not stare, even when you’re just reading a book or talking to someone else. You are… you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and you’re just as beautiful within, which is why it was so easy to love you, and so hard to keep it in.’

.

You:

Morning. Eleven am at that. You slept before the sun was up, at least. But you were up all night.

Nothing. Not a call, not even a text from him.

Everything shattered, and you were still half asleep. The next thing you did, and the next thing to do, was wrap yourself up with the thickest layer of your blanket and hide in the dark, even with it such a lovely day.

Another message wouldn’t be such a good idea if he still hadn’t opened the last five, which seemed highly unlikely with him gone for almost a day now.

A day. It had been a day.

But nothing on GCPD’s notices reported a missing person’s file of an utterly gorgeous, half-Romani hunk of a man in any of their websites. You called the manor, again. Still, there was nothing.

Twelve at noon. All you had for lunch was a bagel from three nights ago. It stuffed you, at least.

You sat at your dining table and stared at your phone.

If there was a moment for so much love to come crashing at once, it would all have been too great for that to be possible.

But the moment you realized it was there at all,

A few weeks ago. Steph’s birthday.

A party at the manor. It wasn’t much. Just a little get together with everyone at the parlor.

Everyone was talking, laughing, and frankly you wished you’d joined them. It looked like fun.

But instead, you were looking out the window, at the gardens white with melted snow and winds strong enough to knock the leaves out the branches. But you couldn’t hear any of that, which made it peaceful. It was the trees that danced, birds instead of planes that hovered over the sky, not a star above but perhaps it was because it was so full of clouds. It looked cold. Cold always looked so beautiful when you were looking out from the warmth of the inside.

Dick walked up to your side, just a reasonable distance away so he wouldn’t touch your shoulder, but close enough that you’d smell the jasmine from his neck.

“You’re just gonna stand out here and watch the glass fog up?”

You remembered laughing, probably at something else he’d said after that.

“It’s pretty when you look hard enough.”

And all the while, he didn’t pull your arm and drag you over at the crowd. He didn’t tell you to join them, to loosen up and have fun or have a drink or in any way stop you from what you were doing.

He just stood there and joined you, instead. Ditched his family. Didn’t even speak much.

He stood there because he wanted to. Because you staring out the window was more interesting to him than a whole crowd of kids doing whatever.

When he balled up his fist, covered it with his sleeve, and wiped the window right in front of you to rid it from the fog so you could see the gardens clearer, you knew you loved him.

Such a small act that was, but it was the finality of everything else that built up to that moment.

Then, you remembered what you told him last night, in a voice message that lasted way too long and sounded far too painful.

.

‘I don’t regret what I had with Tim… but I do regret not saying anything the past four years when I had the chance. You were there. You were there and I could never have had it any other way. When we’re not trying so hard for everything to be alright, everything’s at its best. I’m not even your girlfriend, and already I think about every minute I spend with you and laugh before I’m off to bed. I think about your jokes way too long than they should ever last. And your smile, god your smile, saying that that it’s all I could ever think about wouldn’t do it any justice. You have drawn out the ugliest laugh out of me that never should have come out of any human in existence. And frankly, I’m glad you do. Because just when I thought I could never smile again, you made me the happiest I could ever be.’

.

Dick:

Of all days. Of all times.

His survival rate at that point, rushing through Denver Airport with just a fifteen-minute layover period, with his shoelaces undone, probably wasn’t one he should have relied on. He was starving, but he had the appetite of a mammal in hibernation with the horrible airplane food costing a hundred dollars and everything else taking too long to prepare.

With just thirty seconds to spare, he fell to his too-narrow coach seat, shuffled along so his large ass-damn this cursed asset-would fit through the aisle and breathed just as the air hissed into the cabin after they closed the service door.

Head against the back of the seat, eyes up the ceiling, at the smoke that blew in through that gap outside the overhead locker, he ignored his dried skin, his dry mouth, his feet that were close to standing on a thousand knife tips, his eyes so close to just shutting out, his wallet painfully thin with this whole trip costing the equivalent of a round trip to Shanghai, and his whole body about to collapse. He hasn’t slept in twenty-four hours. It didn’t look like he was ever going to sleep at all.

And he hasn’t even called. God, what was she doing at home? Is she okay? Is she eating okay? Is she worried about him, staring at her phone wondering what she did wrong when she was nothing less of a perfect creation of all the gods that existed, an angel the earth didn’t deserve?

He really, really had to call.

Someone just sat next to him. A child. And next to him was his mother, who just put down her phone from a call.

“Excuse me.” Dick put on his award-winning smile, pretended he wasn’t sweating his balls off or that he was in any way close to psychological death, and hoped he looked the part as well.

“Yes?”

“Is it okay if I, uh, borrow your phone? I have to make a call. It’s sort of an emergency.”

“The plane’s about to take off.”

“It won't take long. I promise.”

He probably didn’t look as charming as he’d hoped. His hair was a mess not even a bird would settle into. The woman looked at him quizzically, up and down, and shrugged. Like it was handed to him on a silver plater, she gave him her phone.

The aircraft was about to take off. He only had so long.

He called Y/N’s number that he didn’t even know he memorized and settled back. It started ringing.

“MOM!”

The kid beside him. He was tugging on his mother’s shirt.

“MOM, I’M BORED.”

“We’re in a plane,-“

“I’M BORED. I WANNA PLAY ROBLOX-“

“Not now, we’re in a plane. Sit down.”

“GIVE ME YOUR PHONE-“

“That man has my phone.”

Fuck.

Y/N, fucking pick up.

“HEY, GIVE ME MY MOM’S PHONE BACK-“

“Kid, I hear ya. But you have to give me this one-“

“GIVE ME THE PHONE-“

That kid, a chubby one not older than six, stood up from his chair and was wild enough to grab Dick’s hand away from holding the phone up his ear. If he weren’t so desperate, he would have let him have it.

But god almighty, he’s never been as desperate as a starving man in a desert.

“Kid. Just one minute.”

“NO, GIVE ME!”

The mother put on a sleeping mask and faced the other way.

“KID-“

“GIVE ME MY PHONE-“

Back and forth, both grabbing onto the phone and the kid having the strength he did not at all expect, they ended up wrestling it out in the cramped-up economy seats until the kid was screaming out his ears.

He’s never looked so ridiculous but jokes on everyone else if they thought he could care less.

“Excuse me.”

An attendant, bags under her eyes and giving both of them, not just the kid, a dirty look.

“I’m sorry, sir, but the other passengers have complained about the noise. I’m gonna have to ask you to take your seat.”

“NO!” the kid screamed.

“DID YOU JUST BITE ME!?” Dick cried out.

“GIVE ME THE PHONE!”

“I NEED TO CALL SOMEONE!”

Dick grabbed the phone off his hands, palm to the kid’s face to stop him from reaching out to his outstretched arm. “Don’t you have some kind of coloring book you can give him?”

The attendant smiled, albeit forcefully, and walked back over to the back of the cabin. The kid did not stop trying to grab it off Dick’s arm.

She gave the kid a bag that probably had books and crayons and whatever stuffed inside. It looked so old. It had to have been in storage for the past ten years.

But as if some miracle heard him, the kid shut up, took the bag, and settled on his seat. Then he was as quiet as a mouse.

Fucking finally.

He held the phone up his ear and closed his eyes, fingers easing the tension on the nerve on his forehead.

“And sir?”

The attendant smiled at him. It didn’t look so much of a smile as it was a death threat.

“I’m gonna have to ask you to turn off your mobile device.”

To say he wanted to squeeze the life out of everyone in the whole aircraft, including himself, wouldn’t cut it.

And he didn’t even have it in him to protest.

“Hello?”

Her voice. At the other end of the line. That word was all there is to it, the only thing he heard.

Dick sighed, closed his eyes, counted to three, then ended the call after just two seconds.

The next thing he heard, for the next three hours, would be the screams of the child at his side, kicking on his seat like a fucking soccer ball.

.

‘That call from a year ago. The one about Kori. Fuck, I don’t even know where to begin. I overreacted. By a mile. Did some stupid shit to make up for that guilt and masked it over as another heartbreak when really, it was me refusing to have to go through all that again. I had to see you with that woman when I was in love with you for three years. Of course, it hurt. But I shouldn’t have an excuse. It was so stupid. Just thinking about it makes me want to break. I’m so sorry about that, Dick. I know we’ve already been over that months ago, but I just want to clear everything while I still can. God, I don’t even know if you’d listen to all this. I’m rambling. I’m sorry. I put all the blame on you when I had my share of mistakes. A whole lot of them. I’m sorry. I love you. And I’m sorry.’

.

You:

Hung up after two seconds. All you heard on the other end of the line was breathing and huffing, and nothing else. Whoever it was, they’ve been calling the past two minutes, just as you stepped out of the shower. And you almost cracked a rib flying from your bathroom to your kitchen table with just a towel around you, hoping to see his name on the screen. But alas, your luck just wasn’t at its peak.

You put your phone down, still with nothing to do, nothing else you could think of doing, than to just wait on that seat, stare at your phone, and hope Dick hadn’t hurt himself going after some goon alone the night before. Still no missing persons report. Nothing from the rest of the team, either.

Maybe just once more. You could call him. It wouldn’t annoy him too much. It had been hours since the last one.

You called, put the phone up your ear.

No ringing. It went straight to voice mail.

You opened your mouth, thinking you had something to say.

But you didn’t have anything to say. Not anymore. Not after you poured your whole heart out on the last one and now your throat was as dry as your palms were sweating.

You put your phone down, facing away from you, then you sank to your arms, burying your crumbling face away even with no one to see you.

.

‘That’s why I hate myself for not caring if this was difficult. Because I know, somehow, that’s it’s all still gonna be worth it. With you. Just thinking about the things we’d do, you’ve been the light of my life, the one person I look for not just because I need it, but because being with you makes so much of my day, every day that I see you. I look for you in crowds. I turn to your face when I want to look at something pleasant. I stare at doors, constantly hoping you’d be the one to walk in. I seek out for your voice, call you even when I know it’s a bother, find the most ridiculous excuses and the most stupid questions just so I’d have a reason to stand close to you, to have you talking to me, wanting all that everyday. I’ve never met anyone like you, Dick. I’ll never get used to you, and there’s no way in hell that I’d ever get tired of you. And maybe that’s the price to pay with all this being so hard. As complicated as it is, the troubles aren’t half the worth of the happiness it comes with.’

.

Two flights, three within the past thirty hours, jet-lagged far beyond a night’s repair, and his stomach in so many knots that even the bag of peanuts from the plane was too much to digest. And it wasn’t from poisoning or hunger or whatever it was. Everything in a whirlwind, one he can't even track.

He got to New York before it was dark, and he wanted to kiss the floor.

But he wasn’t at Gotham yet. This trip wasn’t over.

And if it weren’t for the half a million people crowded over at the airport, he would have been in Gotham right at that second.

Past the crowd, fumbling and running for whatever life he had left that wasn’t a spirit descended into something infinitely better than this, he made it over to the other side of the terminal, with his pits sweating his shirt off and his legs made of cooked chicken drumsticks and dough.

He got to the railway station, over at the attendant behind the counter.

“Excuse me,” he panted, and just like the one at the San Francisco airport, it startled her. Except now, there was no using his charm or his looks when he looked like he crawled out of a swamp.

“To Gotham,” he said.

“Ticket?”

He reached for his wallet, hands shaking so horribly it was worrying if he hadn’t known it came with his mind being as much of a mess as a wrecked ship from the 1800s.

And all the more did they tremble, down to his sorry knees, when he opened every flap there was on his wallet to find every pocket empty.

No.

No. no. no. no. no.

He searched his pockets. His jacket. His pants. His fucking shoes. If he had a hat he’d probably look into that too.

Nothing. Not a stub. A tiny stub that would have easily been blown by so much as a gust from a fan, let alone running a marathon in three airports in a single day.

“I,” he swallowed. “I seemed to have lost my ticket.”

Yeah. He wasn’t getting out of this one. The attendant looked at him and snarled like the annoyance he was.

“All the trains are sold out. And I’m afraid you can't board the train without a ticket.”

“Ma’am, I really, really, have to get to Gotham-“

“I’m afraid you’re gonna have to step out of the line.”

Like every force in the universe was out to get him.

“Do you have a phone? A payphone at least? I really need to call someone-“

“Sir, please step out of the line.”

“Please, ma’am, there has to be some way you can squeeze me into one of those trains-“

The attendant waved at someone behind him.

Two security guards were at his side before he could even turn around.

“Alright, alright, I’m leaving,” he huffed. “You guys don’t happen to have a phone I could use?”

Both guards ignored him, set him aside against a pillar.

And, with the excruciating exhaustion finally crashing into this one blow to the face, he stuck his back against the column, head up to the ceiling, then fell on his ass.

God, what does he even say to her after this?

If he actually gets to talk to her, that is.

“Final call for boarding!”

That light. One, single light. Or two, if he focused his eyes. The headlights from outside the revolving doors, from a bus that just opened its doors. It was a light, because it had GOTHAM in bold letters pasted onto its windshield.

And a line of people stepping inside. Kids and adults, old people alike.

He sat up from the floor, hungry, tired, and in pain.

But this was all going to be worth it. Every minute of this.

He just knew, that one last push, after this tormenting, inferno of a day, would all come to an end he’d dreamed about since he first laid eyes on her that day at the Wayne Manor’s library.

Dick got in line outside the bus, told the conductor he’d pay when they get inside. And after he did, he had just a quarter in his wallet to spare. No one sat beside him. The others were at the back. The one across was fast asleep. He couldn’t call her.

He’ll just have to hope, that whatever worries she had waiting for him to come up, that she’d forgive him enough for all this to end the way he hoped it would.

Three hours on a bus.

Didn’t even sound like it was remotely a long time.

The moment he took his seat, the bus doors hissed closed, and the air so silent, so did everything else calm.

He’s waited so long.

But he just had to wait for another three hours. In a bus. Then he’ll see her.

He closed his eyes.

.

‘I don’t even know why I rambled so much about all this being so complicated.

Because even if I had to walk up to the sky, I know there’s a galaxy waiting for me at the end. You are worth it. You are worth everything. I’ve never been so obsessed with anyone my whole life. You are, with my whole heart, my greatest love. And you are so beautiful that I never want to look at anything else ever again. And I never thought I’d get know beauty the way I do when I talk to you. You are everything I could ever want. And so much more.

And that pain, that hurt we both had to go through after all those years. That pining and waiting, and the heartbreak just because I was too stupid to understand that it didn’t have to be so hard after all, it doesn’t even matter, when at the end, I get to be with you.

I’d go through all that again if it means I can be with you.

You are the man I’ve dreamt about since I could first dream, and I’m lucky enough to have you in my reality. It’s you I want, Dick.

So I’ll wait for you. As long as I have to.

I love you so much.

Please, for the love of God, call me.’

.

You:

That message.

The longer you stared at your phone, the more you wondered if it was the right thing to do at all.

It was four am. You were tired. And worried.

And it was four am now, a whole day after.

Not a single call.

You’ve done it this time. You tripped at the finish line.

You were selfish enough to keep that man waiting for so long hoping he’d keep going, just as he had been for years.

And now, this is what you get.

You have yourself alone, in your apartment, one you haven’t cleaned in a week, and your heart in the same shatters as it often had been.

Your phone rang. You weren’t so excited to pick it up. Rightfully so when you saw it was just Bruce.

“Hello?” you said, your weight against the table’s surface, also surprised that it hadn’t broken.

“Y/N,” Bruce said. “I heard you were looking for Dick.”

“Mhm?”

“Sorry I haven’t called. Anyways, the last location I can point him to was at the Titans Tower in San Francisco.”

Okay.

You’ve had your heart broken before.

But it wasn’t just that that had broken right then.

Everything else, every bone, every bit of flesh there was, it was this numbing buzz you couldn’t even fight.

“What?”

Just then, someone knocked on your door.

And it wasn’t just a knock. They were pounding against the wood.

The ringing in your ears hadn’t even subsided, and you were breathless, muscles stiff. You just let the pounding go on until you heard Bruce hang up on the other line.

Life didn’t even give you so much as a second to process all that, of what he could be doing there, who he was with.

Your walked to the door, and without looking into the eyehole, you unlatched the lock and opened it.

Some glitch there was if all this were nothing but a simulation.

But it was as if the last five minutes-no-the last two days hadn’t happened at all.

Dick never looked like such a mess.

But, nonetheless, the way you stared at him was as if he was as beautiful as he ever was.

Everything that had broken, the moment you looked into his eyes, had fallen right back into place, into an entity far stronger than any quake could knock it out of.

Dick shut the door behind him.

He grabbed your face.

Then he kissed you. Without words. Without letting so much as a speck of time, however it worked now that it’d stopped, pass and waste away.

.

Dick:

Whatever she told him in that message he never got to hear, everything she ever had to say, the instant he felt her kiss him back, it was like every word flew out of her lips. How she wanted him. How she chose him. How in love she was with the mess of a human being he could be. How all the trials they’d been forced to go through, all the misunderstandings and the fights and the long months of this troubling, awkward place they wanted nothing more than to climb out of. He got all that with the way her lips molded so wanting and harsh, pressed so hard against his dried, chapped pair that have never witnessed anything more beautiful and so awfully perfect.

No more time to be wasted.

Not another second.

He had her. He finally had her.

He got the girl.

Not a chance that he wasted so much as another second.

He pushed her against the wall and the gasp that came out of her wasn’t at all out of pain, but at the sheer desire that had sparked at such impact that only knocked her into the same place he’d long settled in. And he could just feel, how much she wanted so badly to speak, to tell him what was raging in her head that was as much of a mess as his. But they’ll talk. Eventually. After.

All he wanted, right then, was to have her. Love her. Love her. To send her off to some paradise that long surpassed oceans and mirages and heavens that stood on clouds, to culminate that seemingly endless torture into a reward so great, that to say it would have been worth it would be so much an understatement. To play every instrument there was and let the song resonate into her body, and make it last for the rest of his life for so long as he could touch her. All that, he was going to give her tonight. Tonight. Right then and there.

Grabbing her legs up to his hips, her hands pinned to the wall above her head, it was too much of a flash for him to rush into this beautiful thing that shouldn’t be rushed at all. But he couldn’t slow down if it meant that he lives. Even if he died right after, he just couldn’t hold back.

He was pushing himself into her and the sounds that he earned out his lips were more than any songbird could cry out. After just having her against that wall, he finally got the sense to take it to the bed. It was dark. Not a light was on. And it was raining outside the one window she had near the bed and just the streetlight outside was enough to make him see her face. Dick placed her on top of his lap, on which she enjoyed herself to her own pace. Her hips were like waves, the ocean that rocked about, and the stain on his pants that she’d left behind was just as wet as so.

At that moment even she didn’t want to wait and talk any longer.

He took off her clothes, lied back.

Then he hoisted her up so the sweetest part of her body was just hovering over his mouth, her strong, beautiful legs, one of skin and the other of metal, on either sides of his head.

.

You:

You were made of gemstones. You were shimmering.

Of diamonds and rubies and emeralds, of the most precious rocks that could be found on every soil on earth.

Everything. That pain. That darkness. All the troubles and hardships, the disputes and every tear you’ve ever had to shed. Gone. Gone when he drew out this wonderful melody of sensations from his sweet, sweet tongue quivering you to every core. You were rocking, shaking, trembling, barely keeping yourself up. Not long after you screamed, and like the skies heard you it screamed back with a thunderous roar.

Then Dick shed his own clothes and moved inside you, rolling your hips with your two bodies now this one, beautiful entity, like you were holding his hand, just as you did right then, as you both ran through the darkness of a cave that has long haunted you, with creatures and bats and ghosts flying about, just to reach the end that was a light so close and so bright, you chased yourselves, chased that very light.

And once you reached it, that blinding, flashing white light that shone with this painful, glorious sting to every bit of your flesh, to say you found that end would be wrong. It wasn’t an end. It was this continuous, tantalizing aroma that would last a lifetime. It was beauty. You felt beauty. And it was in ripples you couldn’t see. A blur you couldn’t comprehend.

You had so much to tell him and ask him about.

But just as that wonderful night showed you, you had the rest of your life to do just that.

.

Epilogue

Dick:

Life could only ever be so cruel.

But life gives its niceties. Sometimes, to the people so used to it that they take it for granted.

But it’s even more so of a nicety when it’s the people who’ve long deserved it.

Not to say he deserved the world, but it was just that he’d gotten. From a world once so cruel, that never seemed to have granted them the time enough to be together, it’d never built up into anything more perfect.

Watching her from his car’s driver seat, from where he had a perfect view of her looking at the wondrous scenes flash by outside the window. It was even more beautiful, more than ever before, now that he could take just a second off his time from the steering wheel just to kiss her.

Just a little over six months together. Never has there been anything so rewarding in his life. A rainbow, ten of them at least, that filled what was once this depressingly grey sky. He always knew it’d be worth the world. But even he surprised himself.

When they parked the car, got out into this wide, orange field, a farmland just outside of Jersey with a valley at the farthest end, the only thing that battled the brightness of her smile was the sun itself.

“It’s beautiful, Dick.”

Her voice, even more so.

He set up her canvas, all her paint, and her brushes. They found a spot on the grass that was clean enough for them both to sit on. She didn’t use her easel. Instead, they both laid on this plaid red and white sheet over the grassy soil, her using her own knees to hold it up. And Dick sat beside her, watching her as the hours ticked. Without looking away, no longer ashamed when she’d catch him.

Just before the last of the sun had set, he pulled out from his pocket a ring, one with a diamond a shape of a white rose on top.

He got it a week after they got together.

Her face, her lips wide open as she realized what came in front of her, then he asked her to be his. Forever.

She said yes, just as the sun fell.

-----

MASTERLIST | 3 BIRDS 1 STONE MASTERLIST | RED | YELLOW

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