Danny bit back a sigh from his place on the throne as two young vigilantes fell from a portal in his throneroom. He peered at him through his long white veil as he straitened himself. He knew what to do. He had done this song and dance sixty-two times now and he was about to do it again.
He watched them bicker from the cold floor of his ice castle, something he made from his own ice so that the observants couldn't see or hear what was happening inside or pop in without his explicit permission. Something that angered the nosey creeps to no end. Ah, he's getting lost in his thoughts again. Its time to start the test.
"Why have you come to my Realms mortals?" He felt almost silly calling them that, but it worked in getting the two to stop arguing and pay attention to him. Ah, the younger one has a sword. Cool. Won't help him here, but he gets points for ascetic if nothing else.
"State your names."
"I am Robin!" The smaller one yelled, fierceness of his voice to match the fire in his soul.
The older seemed more hesitant, taking a moment to assess the situation before answering, "I'm Red Robin. Sorry for dropping in so suddenly-"
The younger cut in, needlessly destroying his partners attempt at deescalating the situation, "We were not at fault! A portal opened underneath us and we were transported here!"
Danny knows that. Thats why he was testing them, "Are you saying that fate brought you here?"
Robin looked pleased before confirming.
"Then you shall stay here, as those who enter the Lands of Lazarus are never allowed to leave."
They both bulked, one trying to argue and the other trying to reason with him. Danny tapped his fingers on the armrest of his throne, pretending to think. "I will be merciful and allow one of you to leave. I will allow you a moment to make your choice." Danny barely got his words out before the older one declared that he would stay behind, putting himself between the king and his companion. Good. He passed the test.
He turned his attention back to the younger, "And you are fine with this?" This is the part where the companion adamantly refuses and offers themselves as sacrifice and the two bicker about who will get to sacrifice themselves for the other. The king becomes "moved by thier bond" or whatever and sends them both back to the land of the living.
"Of course! He's useless anyway."
...wat.
The older one made a wounded sound that made his core ache with the need to care and protect. This was not how things were supposed to go. Were ten year olds supposed to be this cruel? At that moment he made an admittedly impulsive decision and sent the child back, keeping the older of the two in the spirit would with him.
Leaving the comfort of his throne he walked down the steps towards the young man, his snowy robes fanning out majestically as his crown of stars bobbed around at his movements, some even going so far as to float around him as if showing off.
"I've made a decision. For this day forth you are my royal advisor." He stated before grabbing the other guys hand and pulling him along down the hall, "You're going to help me rebuild my kingdom from the thousands of years of war and political neglect it has faced. You will aid me in political endeavors as well as help the people in any way you see fit." He paused long enough to open the kitchen door and sit him down at the counter,
"But first, what do you want for lunch?"
3K notes
·
View notes
Steve's got his hands on his hips, a scowl on his face, and Eddie's leaning in the door to the kitchen, arms crossed tight over his chest and glare directed at the table. The table with a neat stack of notebooks and pile of dice and clump of miniatures all standing in rows. The table where, yesterday, he had notebooks spread open, drawings and notes for different campaign ideas paired with miniatures and sets of dice, visual cues for the plans and stories.
"I just don't get why you're so upset," Steve bitches. "All I did was clean!"
Eddie rolls his eyes. "I'm upset because now I can't find any of my shit." It's a lot more growly than he intends, but it also sounds how he feels so he rolls with it.
Thump
"Not exactly sure how you could find any of it before," Steve gripes, ignoring the thumping noise from the living room. "Our table looked like a bomb had been dropped on it."
Thump
Steve ignored the thumping sound, so Eddie does, too, even though it's gotten closer and louder. "Oh, well excuuuuse me for having a system," he says, flinging his arms out, his volume increasing by the second. "I knew where everything was and how it all went together. Now I have to figure it all out again. You think you'd relate, the way the bathroom looks. But you don't see me moving your hair shit around, do you? So this? This was bullshit."
THUMP
Steve's eyes widen and he jerks back and Eddie knows he shouldn't have used that word, he knows, but he's just pissed enough not to care.
"Oh, that's bullshit? Really? You know what's actually bullshit? There was trash in that pile, Eddie. Literal, actual trash. On our kitchen table. And you couldn't be bothered to clean it up, so I did." And now Steve's tone has moved out of bitchy territory into something scathing, something a lot like actual anger, matching Eddie's volume.
It makes Eddie's hands start to shake, makes Steve's breath hitch in his throat because, sure, they've fought before, a little, sniping back and forth about something petty, but it's never been like this. Never to the point of actual yelling. This is starting to feel big and loud in a way their fights never have, and now there's fear laced through the anger, but it doesn't help, only makes everything worse and
THUMPTHUMPTHUMP
This time the thumping is right next to them and they can't ignore it and, in tandem, look down to the floor between them just in time to see Paul thump his back foot again and stare at them with an expression that, if there was just a little less tension between them right now, Eddie would laughingly tell Steve looks exactly like his bitchy babysitter face.
They glance back at each other, then down to their rabbit again, who thumps his foot once more, still glaring up at them
"...I guess someone doesn't like that we're fighting," Eddie says, arms still tight across his chest.
"Yeah," Steve huffs. There's a beat of silence. Then he sighs, his shoulders lowering, running a hand through his hair. "I don't like it, either." His voice is barely more than a whisper.
Eddie bites his lip, dropping his arms a little. "Same," he admits, voice just as soft.
They stand there for a minute, the quiet ringing between them, all the fight draining from their bodies, before Steve steps closer, plucks at the hem of Eddie's shirt, as if he wants to touch but isn't sure it would be welcome.
"I'm sorry, Eds. I shouldn't have moved your things. I was frustrated with the food wrappers and cans on the table and instead of talking to you, I just got mad. You're right, I should understand. The bathroom sink is always a mess, but everything is right where I want it, and you never touch any of it but if you did I'd probably -"
"Hey," Eddie interrupts, gentle, tucking a strand of hair behind Steve's ear, cupping his cheek. "I'm sorry, too. I let it build up really badly and I shouldn't be leaving trash out like that."
Steve leans into the touch with a soft sound, lets his hands rise to circle Eddie's waist, leans their foreheads together. "Still. I should have talked to you."
"Yeah," Eddie agrees, but presses a kiss to Steve's forehead because they're talking now and it's gonna be okay and now they know a little bit more. And he wraps his arms tight around Steve's back, tugs him in close.
"I promise I won't move your things anymore. I'll clean around them. And I'll talk to you if something frustrates me," Steve says into Eddie's neck, nuzzling his face into the warmth there, his arms sliding around Eddie's waist.
Eddie tucks a hand into Steve's hair, runs the strands through his fingers. "And I'll be better about throwing the wrappers and cans away so it doesn't get so bad in the first place."
For a long moment, they simply stand, wrapped up in each other, in soft hands and gentle kisses and forgiveness. Then a thought occurs to Eddie and he pulls back just far enough to peer down at Paul, who is now happily flopped against their feet.
"Hey, Stevie... did our rabbit just bully us into communicating like actual adults?"
"...I think he did, yeah," he giggles and after everything, all Eddie wants is to taste Steve's laughter, to feel it in his own mouth, so he leans in for a kiss, grins against Steve's lips.
"Guess we're lucky he's such a smart little bastard, then," he smirks, never more grateful for that day at the petshop than he is right now as they swallow each other's laughter like water after a drought.
---
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 6, Part 7
ao3: And Rabbit Makes Three
388 notes
·
View notes