#one step at a time

[sunsetsandhope]

Due to personal reasons I will be loving myself with my whole heart

[smallsafespace]

🎷When you use your mind, take a step at a time, you can do anything, that you wanna do!

[dccomicsimagines]

One Day At A Time - Nightwing x Reader - Part Two

Part One

***

“Oh yeah, I think it’s in the second drawer in the filing cabinet,” Dick said from the living room. His phone pressed to his ear. You peeked at him from the kitchen. Your hands covered in suds from the dishes. 

“I wonder who’s he talking to,” Jason said, coming up behind you with the dish towel over his shoulder. He offered to dry after Dick left to answer the phone. 

You hummed. “Probably another person I don’t know.”

Jason’s gaze weighed on you as you went back to the sink to keep washing. “You know, it’s just going to get easier.” He came back to your side, taking a plate you handed him. 

“What do you mean?” You eyed him, worrying your lip. 

“Eventually, you’ll meet everyone and you’ll know everyone. Sure maybe not all the details, but who says those are important?” He nudged your arm, smirking. 

A smile tugged at your lips. You felt lighter. “I guess you are right. I mean I feel like I know you now. Even though I don’t remember...” You gently picked up a bubble and held it in your palm.

“If it helps, it’s probably best you don’t remember how we first met.” Jason blushed. You thought it odd since he didn’t blush once during the tales of his space adventures.

“Oh no, what happened?” You looked up at him, eyes widening when he coughed and wouldn’t meet your eye. 

Jason mumbled and focused on drying the plate. You blew the bubble at him. He gasped, taking a step back. “Okay, fine.” Dick’s voice still came from the living room. Jason took a breath. “You tased me.”

Your jaw dropped. "I tased you?!"

Jason snorted, chuckling at your expression. "I might have been starting a fight with Dick on the roof of his old apartment. You were there to spend the weekend." He threw the towel on the counter. "You came up and tased me before I could lay a hand on him."

Hilarity filled you. A giggle slipped out. "So you deserved to be tased then? Starting fights like a naughty little boy who's bored."

"Oh you little..." Jason dipped his hand into the dishwater and flung some at you. You screamed, laughing as you tried to block.

You grabbed your sponge and threw it at his chest. He caught it, but it splashed him upon impact.

"Now you're going to get it." Jason reached for the sprayer next to the faucet. You snatched it first, spraying him in the face. He sputtered, grabbing the towel to shield himself.

"What's going on in here?!" Dick's voice filled the kitchen. You dropped the sprayer at the same time Jason dropped his towel.

"She started it," Jason said, pointing at you. You gasped, crossing your arms over your wet shirt.

"I did not. You splashed me first." You let out a giggle when you caught Dick trying to hide a smile.

"Did not." Jason poked your shoulder before grabbing the sprayer. You ducked, but he wasn't aiming at you.

Dick took the hit to the face, unflinching. You put your hand over your mouth to keep from laughing. Jason had a gleeful grin.

"You're dead, Jay." Dick wiped his face with his hand before moving forward so fast, you almost didn't see him. He grabbed Jason's shirt and dunked him in the sink.

You giggled uncontrollably, shuffling out of the way. Searching drawers, you found dry towels. Using one on the floor, you used another to dry yourself.

Jason sprayed Dick repeatedly with the sprayer as Dick kept dunking him. Your smile fell. "Guys, stop."

Dick let Jason go at your word. Jason took the opportunity to spray Dick again. "Seriously?" Dick said, unamused.

"Ha." Jason grinned before looking at you. "Sorry for flooding the kitchen, (Y/N), but you did start it."

You rolled your eyes. Dick shook his head, showering water droplets around the room. You giggled again, handing him a towel. His hand brushed yours. Your skin buzzed at the pressure.

It was a relief, you thought. That you were attracted to him. You didn't want to even imagine what you would do if you weren’t.

Your stomach fluttered in an odd way. You touched your baby bump, frowning slightly.

"What's wrong?" Dick hovered close. He reached out to lay his hand over yours, but stopped when you took a step back.

"Sorry." You took a quick breath. "I think the baby moved." You reached for his hand and put it against your bump. "I don't know if you can feel it. It was like a hummingbird's wings."

Dick's eyes widened. His soaked clothes and the waterlogged kitchen forgotten. "Really?" He sank down onto his knees. "Hey baby." He rubbed your bump in pure awe.

It felt strangely right to have him there. Were you remembering a time from before? Maybe when you first told him? You racked your brain, but nothing came.

“The baby’s moving because they know their Uncle Jay is here.” Jason grabbed a mop from the cabinet and started to soak up water. 

Dick looked up at you, ignoring Jason. “Are you feeling okay?” 

You touched your cheeks to find tears you didn’t know you had. “Oh, yeah. I’m okay. It just...I guess it didn’t feel real until now.” You gently brushed a strand of hair off his forehead.

“It’s very real, sweetheart.” He smiled up at you. Your heart fluttered. His eyes were so blue. You sighed, forgetting about the wet kitchen and your soaked clothes.

***

Dick leaned against the door frame as you were back in the kitchen later that evening. You were by the stove, starting a pot of your special chili. A recipe you learned to make after living with two speedsters. 

Jason was in the living room, napping away like he owned the place. Dick knew he wasn’t leaving anytime soon.

Normally, Dick would have minded, but you seemed happier with the company. Your shoulders were straighter, steps lighter. Smiles appeared on your lips easier. Did it burn him that Jason helped you perk up? Yes, but you were better nevertheless.

“I hope you know if we keep feeding him, he’s never going to leave.” He grinned when you looked at him in surprise. 

“Be nice.” You glanced at your pot frowning before going to the fridge to pull out ingredients. 

“My family loves your chili, enough that we might have all of them here if word gets out.” Dick went to wash his hands. The kitchen had thankfully been cleaned up from the water fight earlier. “We won’t be able to rid of them.” You picked up an onion, but Dick took it from you. “I’ll chop.”

You blinked at him. “Thank you.” You went back to the stove. Calm silence filled the kitchen. Dick rolled his shoulders, more relaxed than he had been since you fell that horrible night. 

“Who were you talking to this morning?” you asked suddenly. Dick stopped to wipe his eyes on his sleeve as he chopped the onion. 

“Megan from work. You should know her. She went to college with you.” Dick sniffled. You dropped the spoon you had been holding. 

“Meg Lopez.” You tittered. Dick smiled, seeing you shake with excitement. “You mean I became friends with an Olympian?” 

Dick bit his lip to keep from chuckling. “Yeah, but she didn’t make it to the Olympics. Her knee gave out.”

Your face fell. Dick’s heart dropped with it. “Oh, poor Meg. She was so determined. So much more than me. You know, I just wanted to fly, but she wanted to be the best.” 

It hit him as hard as a punch in the gut. You were so passionate, so kind. It was a honor that you gave him the time of day. Especially now when you didn’t remember anything.

“She was pretty depressed.” Dick sniffled again, pausing to turn away to blink away tears. “But you reached out, offered a position with us. Now she’s teaching others to be the best.” He froze when you were suddenly next to him, wiping his eyes with a wet paper towel.

“That’s amazing. I’m glad she turned things around.” You pulled away with a slight blush on your cheeks. 

“Thanks sweetheart.” Dick almost leaned over to kiss you, but stopped himself when he noted your wariness. “You two are very good friends.”

You pursed your lips. He could see the child-like awe shining through. It made his heart flutter. “Really?”

Dick nodded. He finished chopping the onion, gently scraping the pieces into the waiting bowl. “Really.”

You went to the sink to wash the tomatoes. “I was wondering if I could go to the school you...we built?” You kept your back to him. “It would be nice to go back to work. I always wanted to teach and it would be good to have something else to focus on.”

A wave of mixed emotions flooded through Dick. He was afraid you would ask to go to the school. All he could see was you having a setback when your young students wouldn’t understand how you couldn’t remember them. He swallowed hard, forcing a smile on his face when you turned.

“Sure. I’ll call Megan tonight to let her know.” Dick sighed in relief when you smiled and handed him the tomatoes. Thank goodness you didn’t see his hesitation. “We’ll go in tomorrow. I have some paperwork to do anyway.”

“Good.” You went back to cooking. Dick watched you. He racked his brain to come up with an idea. Tomorrow had to go well. No matter what. Your future depended on it.

***

You rubbed your arms, hopping in place as Dick unlocked a backdoor to the school. It was a renovated old warehouse. The sign in the front said Grayson Aerial School. You let out a breath.

You asked Dick if it was named after him. His shoulders fell at your words. ‘It was named after us. We started the school after we married.’ 

A cloud of misery hovered over you as it started to rain. You glanced up at the sky, hating the dull grey of the stormy early morning.

“Hey.” Dick touched your arm. “Come on. Let’s get inside before we get soaked.”

He held the door for you. You headed into the dark building, swallowing hard as the raindrops dinged on the tin roof. 

Dick flicked on the lights. You blinked, taking in the hallway that led to a huge open space.

The ceiling was high, a trapeze set above. It looked complicated, but you ached to learn more. Across the room was all the gymnastic equipment. Shining and new. Both areas separated by a small gate.  

“We had to add the gate when we started our toddler classes. Couldn’t have the kids underfoot while we did trapeze.” Dick put his hands in his pockets, coming to your side. “Everything is state of the art.”

“How did you...” You cleared your throat, correcting yourself before you made him sad again. “How did we get the money for this?”

Dick pursed his lips. “I’m pretty wealthy on my own. My parents’ savings were invested very wisely and I was saving it for a rainy day.” He chuckled as the raindrops on the roof sounded louder. It had to be a full storm now. “Besides, Bruce would be willing to give us a loan. He knows what this school means for this neighborhood.”

You hummed and hugged yourself tightly. It took you a long time to decide what to wear. You settled on a pair of leggings and a t-shirt. However, you added the oversized sweatshirt to hide your baby bump. All your clothes felt too snug. You should see if you could go shopping soon before you had nothing to wear.

“Where’s the boxing and dance classes held? You said those were newer.” Walking around the room, you stopped to study the uneven bars. 

Dick pointed to different doors. “We set up a boxing ring in that one, dance studio in the other. Plus we added a gym with exercise equipment. Locker rooms and bathrooms over there.” He pointed to colorful double doors. “That leads to the lobby. We have a receptionist most days since we open up the gym and locker rooms to the public. There’s a lot of homeless in the area. It was your idea to let them come in to shower and such after hours.”

“Really?” You blinked. “Wow.” Dick took your hand and led you over to a brightly colored door labeled Office. 

“We hire someone to clean everything at night anyway. It just makes sense that we use what we have to help the community,” Dick said, stopping before the door and gesturing for you to open it.

You raised an eyebrow and turned the handle. The door swung open, the lights clicked on. “Surprise!” Four people jumped out from behind the desks. You flinched, taking a step back only to run into Dick’s chest.

“I told you guys not to scare us,” Dick said with a soft chuckle. You forced yourself to relax, catching your breath. The office was decorated with colorful streamers and a Welcome Back sign hung off the far wall.

“Sorry, we couldn’t resist.” Meg stepped forward. You knew her right away. Her hair was longer, slightly darker than before. Still as beautiful. Your breath caught in your throat. She looked at you and tilted her head. “Do you remember me, (Y/N)?”

You cleared your throat. “Yeah, you’re Meg Lopez, we are...were on the same gymnastic team at Central City U.” 

She grinned, relaxing her shoulders. “Good. I’ll introduce the rest of these hooligans.” She turned to the people behind her. “This is Tommy Bronson. He teaches our new boxing classes and has been subbing for the trapeze classes too.”

He waved. “I’m so glad you two are back. I’m not much of an acrobat.” He chuckled softly. 

“You do alright.” Dick and Tommy pound hugged. “Thank you.”

“This is Amara and Alex, our dance instructors.” Meg gestured to the other two. You gave them a shy wave. They both gave you a smile, but didn’t try to approach you. You sensed they weren’t sure how to interact with you. Honestly, you didn’t know what to do either.

Meg rocked on her feet before wrapping an arm around your shoulders. “Come on, we got muffins, juice, and coffee in my office. We’ll go over stuff for the classes we have.”

“I’ll catch up with you two later,” Dick said as you looked back at him. Anxiety clawed at your stomach. Dick flashed you a reassuring smile, leaning over to kiss your cheek. “I won’t be far away, okay?” he whispered in your ear. 

Your heart slowed. You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. He pulled away and walked off with Tommy and the dancers. Meg pulled you into her office. You recognized Meg in the photos on the wall. Most from her competitions. However, one particular photo made you stop in your tracks.

“I’m an All-American?” Your eyes widened when Meg nodded, grinning. The photo was of you and Meg. Meg was on crutches and you were in your Central City U leotard with the All-American plaque in your hands.

“Yep, you killed it your senior year.” Meg blinked rapidly, her eyes teary. “I hurt my knee that year and you swore you would win for me. And you did.” She laughed. “I think Dick helped with that too. He really made you happy and supported you all the way.” 

You took her hand, giving it a squeeze. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. You did amazing. I was so awed.” Meg turned to wipe her eyes with her sleeve. “I always knew you were one to watch.”

That was what you were afraid of. A lump formed in your throat. “I’m sorry I probably won’t be much help today.” You took a seat and took a blueberry muffin that looked delicious. Not as good as your own, of course.

“We’ll take this one step at a time,” Meg said, sitting down next to you. She took out a binder. “Basics. I can lead the classes today and you’ll just help. If you feel more confident, then you can take over and I’ll assist.” She flashed you that smile she used every time she won. For some reason, that made you very reassured.

***

Dick leaned against the wall, drinking from his water bottle. He had just finished an intermediate class of trapeze. His body ached in a good way. Teaching had never been something he wanted to do until he met you.

Your laughter tickled his ears. Dick’s gaze drew to you. 

You were helping a nervous toddler walk along the balance beam. The beam itself was only an inch off the ground, but for the toddler, it was forty stories on a skyscraper. 

“Look ahead, not down,” you said, a soothing smile on your face. You held their hand as they trembled. “Take a deep breath and be brave.” Your eyes flashed down to the nametag. “Riley.”

Dick’s heart skipped a beat. The confidence that shined from you. It was like the old you. He reminded himself to thank Megan for coming up with the idea of everyone wearing nametags to help you. His fears were for nothing.

The toddler looked up at you with such big eyes. They took a deep breath, copying you before they carefully started to walk.

In his mind’s eye, Dick saw you with his child. You were going to be a good mother. He only hoped he could be a good match as a father. 

“Well, I can see you’re still staring at her like always, so that’s a good sign.” A soft chuckle jerked Dick out of his thoughts.

He grinned. “Hi Donna. What brings you here?” 

Donna Troy smiled back at him, giving him a hug when he offered. “You told me it was your first day back, so I had to stop by.” 

“It’s great to see you.” Dick pulled away after a moment when he caught you watching him curiously from afar. Megan pulled you away to focus back on the toddlers. “I’ll have to...reintroduce you to (Y/N) when she’s done with class.”

Donna nodded, giving you a wave and a smile when you looked back over at them. Dick’s heart sank slightly when you did an awkward wave back. 

A toddler fell, bursting into tears. You knelt down to help them up. Your knees wobbled, almost losing your balance, but you caught yourself gracefully. Dick’s cheeks warmed at the sight. You were so cute, learning to deal with the added weight of the baby.

Maybe you would let him feel the bump again? And hold you? He missed your touch, the random kisses, hugs, arm squeezes. Both you and Dick showed your love through physical touch. He ached for it like an addict on their first sober week.

“You okay?” Donna’s voice brought Dick back to reality. She touched his cheek. Dick was surprised to find them wet.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He cleared his throat, quickly wiping his face with his hands. “I have some paperwork to do, want to hang out in the office?”

“Sure.” Donna patted his shoulder. Dick pursed his lips and led the way to the office. He glanced over at you. You met his eye, giving him that shy smile he remembered from the first few weeks of dating. His heart fluttered. He had to admit, he did miss that smile. 

Dick threw a wave to Alex and Amara who were at their desks, chatting away about plans for their dance class for high schoolers. The local school canceled their dance program. You insisted on filling that hole. Alex and Amara eagerly agreed.

Donna closed the door behind them as Dick collapsed into his desk chair. Actually, this was your office too. Your desk sat across from his. He pursed his lips. The budget sheets were still on your desk, opened like you just stepped out to see how classes were going. 

“You’re not doing well,” Donna said after watching him for a solid minute. Dick blushed, pulling his gaze away from your desk. She leaned against his desk. “Don’t try to pretend otherwise.”

 He felt himself deflating. “I guess I’m not.” He ran a hand through his hair, letting façade he kept up for you go. “It’s like I lost her.” A lump formed in his throat. “Like she...she...left, but she’s here. I see her and I have this moment of relief that everything is okay and we’re back to normal, but then it just gets swiped out from under me. Like when she asked where my parents were.”

Dick looked at Donna, taking a breath when she did. She reached out to take his hand. 

“(Y/N) might as well as slapped me.” Dick let out the breath slowly. His hands shook in her grasp. “I played it off as gently as I could, but fuck, the way she looked after I told her how I lost my parents. It was like I hit her.” Your horror haunted him. Almost as bad as your terror when you escaped from the hospital. 

“I mean this was going to be hard, but then we have to worry about the baby. How do I get her to prepare for it when she doesn’t even remember us trying for one? Doesn’t remember telling me how much she wanted a family? One that is happy and doesn’t favor one child over the other.” 

Donna blinked in surprise. “Don’t tell Wally if you see him. (Y/N) would never forgive me. He’s none the wiser about it,” Dick said quickly. “I don’t want to make the situation worse with him.”

“They don’t speak already, so it couldn’t get worse.” Donna squeezed his hand. “Dick, you are doing a great job though. Not many people would be able to handle this as well as you have.”

“Am I handling it well?” Dick choked. His eyes burned. He blinked, chasing the tears away. “It feels like I’m screwing up.”

Donna sighed, sitting on the edge of his desk. “You’re not screwing it up. I think you’re doing the best you can in an impossible situation.” She gestured toward the door. “(Y/N) seems to be doing well if she’s back to teaching.”

“She wanted to come back. It would do her good to have something to occupy her mind.” Dick pulled his hand away from Donna and rubbed his chin. He couldn’t make himself believe Donna. “But there’s nothing. She doesn’t have any memories coming back. Nothing rings a bell.” 

Donna’s shoulders fell. “Nothing at all?” 

Dick shook his head. He leaned back in his chair with a groan. “I’m afraid Bruce might be right.”

“About what?” Donna studied your desk, reaching over to adjust the frame on your desk. It was a picture of your first gymnastics class that you taught at the school. You were so proud. Dick’s heart crumbled again.

“That someone might have erased her memory of me on purpose, that she was targeted.” Dick pinched the bridge of his nose. “I was hoping he was wrong because he hasn’t found anything yet, but...it’s just...I don’t want to believe that someone could just...destroy our marriage, our lives.”

Donna stood up, picking up a photo of you and Dick posing in front of the warehouse. You both just closed on it. He remembered how you couldn’t stop talking, buzzing with excitement. “Stop that. Your marriage is not gone. Do you have to work at it? Yes. Do you need to take it slow? Yes. But it’s not gone.”

“How do you know that?” Dick stared at the photo. He let his tears fall freely. 

“I know because the love you two have can’t be stopped.” Donna put the photo down and pulled Dick into a hug. “You two beat the odds before. You can do it again.”

Dick buried his face in her shoulder, melting into her arms. He hoped she was right.

***

“We can’t tell Wally,” you said, sitting up suddenly from the bed and readjusting your shirt. 

“(Y/N), you’re an adult. He can’t tell you what to do,” Dick said, frowning as you pulled away from him. 

It was about three months after you first met at Wally’s engagement party. Dick flew to Central City to visit you after spending most of those months texting and calling each other. 

You hadn’t progressed past some heavy make out sessions. You were inexperienced and Dick didn’t want to push his advantage. Especially when you were currently in his hotel room.

“It’s just complicated.” You stood up and walked to the mirror. Dick watched you check the hickey on your neck, pressing it rather curiously with your fingertips.

“Did I hurt you?” Dick asked. He lost his shirt at some point, not bothering to find it as he came up behind you. “I’m sorry. I should have asked.”

You looked at him. “No, I like it.” The smile on your lips sent shivers down his spine. 

Dick couldn’t stop himself from smiling back at you. “That’s good to know.” He pressed a chaste kiss to your forehead. “I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

Your hands rested on his chest, sliding up and around his neck. “When do I get to leave one on you?”

“Anytime you want, sweetheart.” Dick smirked. He pulled your arms from around his neck. “But I know you’re distracting me.”

“Am I?” You blinked, lips turning down slightly. 

“Come on, why would it be complicated?” Dick twirled a strand of your hair around his finger. He tugged gently.

You cocked your head, studying him. “I asked him about you. He didn’t like that I did.”

Dick felt all the air in his lungs leave at once. “What did he say?”

“He told me to stay away from you. Then went on how your relationships with Starfire and Batgirl went.” You traced a heart on his chest. “I know he means well, but I really don’t want to have Wally constantly telling me to break up with you while we’re...getting to know each other.”

“Is there anything you want to ask me about them? I know I already told you, but is there anything you want to clear up? Wally doesn’t know the whole story.” Dick watched your fingers as they went to tracing a figure-eight on his chest. Your fingers brushed his nipple, sending a pleasurable buzz down to his groin.

“No, what you said was enough. You were young and it’s in the past. They learned, you learned.” You shrugged. “I mean no one is telling you to stay away from me because of my prom date in high school.”

Dick chuckled. “You mean the vomiter?”

“Oh yeah.” You laughed. Music to Dick’s ears. “And I loved my dress too. My mom threw it out, but I was able to cut a patch of it to save before she got ahold of it.” The shine in your eyes dimmed slightly. “She was so angry. I bought it with my own money, but she thought I spent too much. You know, because I have to save all my money for college because they only saved enough for Wally’s.”

“But then you got a free ride.” Dick smiled, taking your hand from his chest and kissing your knuckles. “Amazing.” His heart overflowed when you smiled back at him.

“Yep.” You kissed him with a passion that surprised him. Dick lifted you up in his arms and took you back to bed. Maybe you could give him a matching hickey? It was still early, but Dick was quickly finding himself completely infatuated with you.

***

“Are you sure it’s okay?” You asked again for the fifth time as you set aside the sanitizer you were using on the equipment. It was the end of the day. You were cleaning up with Dick’s help. 

Megan was finishing the payroll. Apparently, it was something you used to do, but you didn’t know how. She offered to do it today, not wanting to add too much to your plate at once. 

“Yeah, it’s okay. Go have fun with Megan.” Dick threw you a smile. His eyes were still red, slightly swollen. You wondered what happened. Did the other woman, Donna, make him cry? Did he break down from everything? You wanted to ask, but you didn’t know how you would take the answer.

You dropped your rag, kneeling down to pick it up. “I just wanted to get clothes that fit better.” You pressed your lips together. “I was worried my pants might split.” A nervous giggle slipped out of you.

“(Y/N).” Dick came to your side. You looked up at him, taking his hand when he offered. “It’s fine.”

You stood up with his help. The calluses on his hand felt...nice. Your hand lingered in his. “Are you okay?” you asked, studying him. 

He forced a smile. “Yeah.” He squeezed your fingers. “I got some work to do anyway. Just promise me you’ll come home, huh?”

“Of course.” You pulled your hand away from him. “Why would you even ask that?”

“I was kidding.” Dick leaned forward and kissed your forehead. “Have fun, sweetheart.” He took the rag and your spray bottle. “I’ll give you my card.”

You blinked. “Oh, I never asked where my debit card was? Or do I have a credit card now? I remember applying for a student one a few weeks ago.” 

Dick furrowed his brow. Your face burned. “Right...not a few weeks ago. Don’t mind me,” you said quickly, turning away. “Thank you. I’ll have fun and try not to break your bank account.”

Dick let out a loud breath. “It’s okay to be confused.”

“I know.” You wrapped your arms around yourself.  “But I’m sick of making you sad when I do.”

He took a sharp breath. “Oh, sweetheart. You don’t have to worry about me.” He set the rag and bottle down on the balance beam. There was a moment of hesitation before he gently laid his hands on your shoulders. His hands were warm, a beam of sunlight on a summer day. 

“But I do. You’re my husband.” You bit your lip, nerves fluttering in your stomach. 

The ring sparkled. You could see it in the corner of your eye. 

Dick studied you. His lips trembled slightly before you were suddenly in his arms. “But you don’t have to.” He choked slightly. “That’s the thing. You haven’t fallen in love with me, you don’t have a history with me that you remember. (Y/N), you don’t have to go along with this to make me happy.”

You blinked. Your nose pressed against his shirt. He smelled good, very good. Your abdomen buzzed pleasantly. “That doesn’t mean I can’t. You said we’re going to start over. Make new memories.”

Dick tightened his arms. Your baby bump pressed against him. The tiniest tickle came from your bump. “But you shouldn’t be forced into this.”

“I want this,” you said firmly, looking up at him when he pulled away. “You aren’t forcing me into anything, because you’re not that type of person.”

“How do you know that?” Dick rubbed your back, searching your face for the answer he needed. You hoped you were giving him the one he was looking for.

“Because a bad person would have forced me to share the bed with them. Would have yelled when I got confused, would have made me feel like it was my fault I forgot. You have been so kind, so patient. I know this is hard. A nightmare for you, but you never taken it out on me.” You reached up to brush a strand of hair out of his eyes. 

Dick’s eyes filled with tears. He pulled you back against his chest, holding you so tight as if he was afraid you would disappear. “I love you,” he mumbled into your ear. Your heart fluttered, glowing warm. 

“I know.” You giggled when you felt a chuckle vibrate from his chest. 

“Aww,” Megan said, approaching you with her coat on and purse in hand. “You two are too cute.” 

Dick pulled away, taking his hand in yours. “Go have fun.” He kissed your forehead and squeezed your fingers. 

You smiled back at him before floating away to join Megan. 

“Grab my card. My wallet’s in our office,” Dick called out after you. You glanced at him over your shoulder. 

His eyes sparkled. You suddenly felt like you were the only person in the room, maybe the only one in the universe. His full attention on you in a way you never experienced before. 

Your parents were always focused on Wally or themselves. Aunt Iris was attentive, but she had Barry, Wally, and her work. Uncle Barry was the Flash, dividing more of his time. And Wally...he was Wally. Blind to a fault when he wanted to be.

But Dick...he seemed to only have eyes for you. You mattered to him in the best way. A priority instead of an afterthought. 

A little bud blossomed in your chest. You weren’t sure what it meant, but it felt warm.

“Ooo, so we can spend the big money?” Megan teased, bringing out of your head. You smiled at Dick, shaking your head as you walked back into the office to get the credit card.

***

Dick walked down into the cave beneath your house. The lights clicked on, triggered by motion. He sighed, rolling his shoulders as he sat down at the computer and turned it on.

The moment it turned on, the video chat app opened immediately. Bruce’s unmasked grim face made Dick’s heart sink. “Hello, couldn’t even wait until I had the computer all the way on,” Dick chuckled humorlessly.

“Dick, I need (Y/N) to be checked by Zatanna and Martian Manhunter,” Bruce said, typing on his end. “I need to rule out a few suspects.”

Dick thought about the smile you had when you left with Megan. How you melted into his arms. A smile tugged on his lips. Bruce grunted. Dick looked back at him. “I’ll need to talk to her about it. She’s out with Megan.”

“Out?” Bruce frowned.

“They’re getting dinner and doing some shopping. (Y/N)’s clothes are getting too tight.” Dick crossed his arms. He tried to not get annoyed, but he was honestly feeling like he was still a teenager. “She knows how to call for help if anything happens. They’re in the safer part of town. It’s okay.”

“We still don’t know who did this and you left her exposed.” Bruce typed rapidly. “I’ll send someone to keep an eye on her from a distance.”

“No!” Dick stood up. Bruce froze, watching him blankly. “I trust her. She needs privacy and someone else to talk to that she knows. Megan and (Y/N) were on the same gymnastics team in college. It’s the first person she’s met that she remembers.” He decided he wouldn’t mention that you didn’t know Megan well at that point of your life, but still...it was someone who wasn’t a stranger.

Bruce shook his head. “Dick, I don’t think you are fully understanding what the risks could be here. Someone could be waiting to finish what they started.”

A lump formed in Dick’s throat. He hated Bruce’s paranoia, but...he was right. Your memory loss was too specific. Too suspicious. Dick hoped it wasn’t the case. “Fine, but they have to follow at a distance. (Y/N) and Megan can’t see them.” Dick ran a hand through his hair. 

“They will.” Bruce nodded. “Call me once you have talked to (Y/N).” He hung up. The screen returned to the desktop. The saver was you and Dick holding the first ultrasound picture. The baby was the size of a pinto bean. Dick sighed and spun on his heel. He couldn’t go on patrol until you were home, so a light workout was just what he needed.

***

You hummed to yourself, waving at Meg as she drove away. Bags were hooked over your arms as you juggled them to unlock the front door. You pushed it open with your hip. “I’m home,” you said loudly, noting the lights on in the living room.

“Hey.” Dick came around the corner with a big smile. He took your bags, leading you into the living room. “Did you have a good time?”

“Oh, I might have went overboard.” You laughed nervously, studying him for a reaction. However, Dick seemed unfazed as he set the bags on the coffee table. Maybe Meg was right? Money was no object. 

“As long as you had fun.” Dick kissed the top of your head.

“I brought you some food. I didn’t know if you ate already.” You handed him the takeout bag shyly. 

He hummed, peeking inside. “Yum, thanks.” He took a seat and dug into the bag to pull out the container. “Is this tacos from Beer and Tacos?”

“Yeah, Meg said it was a good place to eat.” You bit your lip, smiling as he dug in. You must have guessed right about what he would like.

He was on the couch. You debated taking a seat in the armchair, but it was far away from the bags you wanted to go through. Biting your lip, you slowly took a seat next to him. 

His knee brushed against yours. Your skin tingled at the touch. 

You dug into your first bag, pulling out the new clothes and folding them to be washed. He watched as he ate. “I like that blue shirt.”

“Thanks. It’s stretchy so it’s should grow with the baby.” You caught him blushing from the corner of your eye. “What?”

“Nothing.” He stuffed a taco in his mouth, puffing his cheeks out like a chipmunk. You shook your head and kept digging through the bags.

Dick finished his tacos once you got to the final bag. You pursed your lips, peeking inside. After getting clothes, Meg dragged you into the baby section.

A few things caught your eye, but...well you didn’t know what Dick would think.

“What’s that?” Dick asked. You flinched, almost dropping the bag. 

“Just...some things...for the baby.” Your face burned, but you willed yourself to reach inside. “Meg dragged me over there and they just put out a new line of baby clothes...”

You pulled out a Nightwing sleeper along with a Flash onesie. 

“I couldn’t resist and I thought you’d like the Nightwing one anyway,” you added quickly when Dick’s eyes widened. “I got the Flash one because it reminded me of Uncle Barry. It kinda matches his suit.”

Dick took the Nightwing sleeper, holding it up. He studied it before a goofy grin grew onto his lips. “Wow. It even has the finger stripes.”

You hummed, not knowing how to response otherwise. Megan had to tell you the sleeper was Nightwing’s suit. A sharp pang hit your heart.

“We’ll have to put these in the baby’s room for now.” Dick folded it up, still staring at it. He seemed particularly elated. Almost glowing with what seemed to be a mix of relief and joy. “Oh, yeah. I gotta buy the paint you picked for the room.”

You smiled, playing with the sleeve of the onesie. “Right, we should paint the room on our next day off.” You bit your lip. “When would that be?”

“The school is closed Mondays, but we usually take Tuesday off too.” Dick wrapped an arm around your shoulder. He was so warm. You couldn’t help, but lean into him slightly. “I was about to start that show everyone’s been talking about. What to join me?”

“Sure.” You glanced at him, blushing when you saw him smile. Your heart fluttered. His chiseled jaw. Starling blue eyes. Bluer than the sky. He shouldn’t be this handsome. You turned back to the tv as he turned on the show. His arm stayed around you.

Funny enough, it was the first moment ever since you woke up remembering nothing that you felt normal. Normal never made you feel so peaceful.

[sketchesinstillness]

[homophobictrait]

extremely practical ranch fits

[navybrat817]

Just exercised for the first time in years. Out of shape, but proud of myself!

[theeroticlover]

Rise and Shine is the only way ahead....

You win some you lose some yet you got to move on....

[yeeehwa]

One Step at a Time {1}

Idol!Hongjoong x fem!reader

wc: 3,344

summary: you always let your work speak for you, never taking the spotlight, or even let people know your name. everything changed once the comfort of anonymity gets pulled from you.

warnings: cursing, not edited (let me know if I missed anything)

a/n: here’s the first installment of One Step at a Time! Im super happy with this and of the ideas that started processing as I worked on this more and more! I hope you enjoy as much as I do

Feedback is always appreciated

Prologue | chapter 2

✼　 ҉　 ҉　 ҉　 ҉　✼ ✼　 ҉　 ҉　 ҉　 ҉　✼

Your eyes scrunched as your phone ringed on the table beside you. The light it broadcast being the only thing to illuminate the early morning. You turned your back to the sound and light, snuggling deeper into bed and sighing in relief when it stopped. Just for it to start again.

“What the hell” you muttered to yourself before grabbing the annoying device. You pulled the charger out of the bottom of your phone as you answered, eyes scrunched at the brightness it emulated.

You put your phone on speaker and laid it down by your head. “What” you groaned into the phone.

An exasperated sigh left the voice on the other line. “Don’t what me. Check the news.” Haewon all but snapped back at you. She sounded awake for it being so early.

You sat up, immediately alert. “Why am I checking the news at” you press your phone to check the time. “8am on a Saturday? It’s an ungodly hour. Let me sleep.”

“Your face is on it” She deadpanned.

You felt the color drain from your face. Quickly, you searched your bedsheets for the remote that decided to hide itself at the times you wanted it most. You found it, hands shaking as you hit the power button.

“The creator of the luxury brand, Luxe, was discovered last night at the Baeksang Arts Awards. After years of nothing more than being a mysterious figure, now has a face and name to them-“ you groaned as the screen flashed your name and face across the screen. The phone slipped from your hand as you shoved your face into one of your pillows and screamed.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to blacklist her now?” You muted the TV as soon as Soomins image came onto the screen, captions letting you know that she told Dispatch everything.

“She broke the contract too. We could sue her.” Haewon sounds utterly gleeful when pointing that out.

“No. No. I don’t want to do that.” You sigh and rub the last of the tiredness from your eyes. “Call a meeting. Make sure to call Seokhoon. I know he can help.”

“Are you sure you wa-“

“Yes.” You cut her off. “He’s the only one who knows her enough to try to calm this down. Call Minjun too.”

You knew her well enough to know that she grimaced and rolled her eyes at your demands. She decided to ignore them, knowing you were stressed. “He was top of my list. I’ll see you at 10.” The line went dead.

You sat there for a moment before flinging yourself back. Staring at the ceiling and contemplating how different your life will be now.

You’ll never have privacy again. So many people can come knocking down your door so they can work with you. Friends who have no idea about your career will look at you differently, start asking for things. You’re not sure how you’ll handle that. People in your life looking at you to elevate their status more. Your future looked bleak in your eyes, and you started to dread this meeting. You rubbed at your face again before sitting up.

Nothing is going to change. You tried to reassure yourself. Everything will be fine. An idol will have a scandal and this will all be forgotten. You weren’t sure if you were hopeful of that or dreading it.

Your feet hit the cold tile, arms raising in the air as you stretched out your arms and back from a restless night's sleep. You never slept much anyway, but with being woken up so early and the weight of everything bearing down on you, you got even less than usual.

Coffee you repeated to yourself as you made your way to the kitchen. Flipping on your coffee pot and digging around in your fridge for some fruit, you leaned against the counter, the overwhelming smell of coffee filling your nose and making you momentarily forget your woes.

A small mewl was heard from the doorway, and a small white fluff ball pranced into the kitchen, the smell of coffee and the sound of you being awake alerting your poor cat that it was, in his mind, breakfast time.

“Muffin,” you cooed to him, leaning down to scratch his chin. “How’s my handsome boy doing?” He meowed back, looking at you with wide eyes. Muffin, like yourself, was a creature of habit. He smelled the coffee and knew it was feeding time. You giggled as he meowed at you again, this time a little more aggressively as he pawed at your hand.

A small chuckle escaped you as you shook your head. “Yes you little gremlin. I’ll feed you.” You did so, and was met with mewls of happiness and contentment, and then left in almost silence. Muffin eating being the only noise being made.

Coffee finished, and you grabbed your favorite mug from the cabinet above you. 1 sugar and the smallest amount of cream,just to give it a little flavor. Perfect. Leaning against the counter, you held the cup to your lips, letting the dark liquid soothe you for the moment.

The sound of your phone ringing broke the silence, making you that much more anxious about the upcoming meeting. Haewons name flashed on the screen.

“Yes?”

“Everyone has been called, texted or emailed. I told them coming was not optional and that we’ll see them at 10. I got quite a few questioning texts and almost all of them cursed me at least once.” She was so nonchalant about it, you couldn’t help but smile.

“Thank you Hae.” You checked the time, eyes bugged when you realized it was already 9:30. “I’ll see you in an hour.” You hung up.

After almost tripping over Muffin and throwing your coffee into a travel mug, you were dressed and ready to go. At least, you hoped you were.

Donning your favorite pair of navy blue and white striped bottoms with a matching blue wrap-around top with a neat bow tied at your hip. A silver chain belt with a long strand of it falling down the side of your leg, matching rings and earrings, and a wide brimmed hat, you looked yourself over in the mirror, making sure every detail looked perfect. You were nervous, and you needed to make sure that you looked collected and put together. You knew Minjun was going to suggest you make a press appearance. You grimaced at the thought.

After checking yourself over one last time, you grabbed your bag, a mask, slipped your shoes on. You walked out the door before turning around, forgetting the most important thing. Coffee. After grabbing it, you finally made it out into the beautiful autumn air.

Walking down the streets of Seoul reminded you of where you lived before moving to Korea. The city with buildings that touched the sky and streets that were busy but there was still a routine to it. Every day that you walked to work, you would be by the same few people who left your apartment building at the same time. You’ve never said anything to them, but the familiarity comforted you. Not seeing them today as you left made you feel strange, and left a bad feeling in your gut. You took a small sip of your coffee, feeling it help calm you a bit.

Your phone buzzed in your pocket, and you sighed, reaching for it. A text message from Haewon, followed by some from Minjun. Then an Instagram notification from your personal account, followed by an absolute explosion of like and comment notifications from your brand's account.

Confused, you don’t remember having anything to announce or queued up to post, you logged into the Luxe account. There, a black background with a lopsided A with a crescent shape behind it in white. You stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, just staring at the symbol. The words coming soon sat in the caption.

“What the fuck!?” You muttered to yourself, staring at the screen. The likes and comments that came flooding in in so many languages made your head spin. You squinted at your phone and tried to start reading some of the comments when you felt something careen into your back, causing you to momentarily lose your balance.

You took a step forward to balance yourself, and you felt a hand clasp around your wrist, assuming to be steadying you as well.

“Shit. I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” You looked up at the wrecking ball of a man who had just ran into you. The already cooled coffee spilt out of the little opening of your cup, onto the concrete and all over your hand.

He wore a blue and white plaid shirt. Ralph Lauren you noted. A Balmain shirt peeked out from underneath. Okay. Balmain. Interesting. A black bucket hat that hid most of his hair, but you saw small tufts of blue hair sticking out. Ripped black jeans and a pair of converse on his feet with a messenger bag slung over his shoulder.

“You made me spill my coffee.” You bluntly said to him. The abstract splatter started to stain the concrete. You shook your hand out, shaking away some of the liquid. You pulled yourself away from him and straightened yourself out. He started digging in his bag for something, and you felt some napkins land in your hand.

“I always carry some on me,” he said. You saw his ears turn a little red as he brought a hand up to the back of his neck. “I have clumsy friends.”

You looked at him, unamused, as your phone kept going off. Accepting the napkins with a small head nod, you wiped your hands off.

“Are you alright?”

You nodded. “I’m fine.” You guestured to him with you handful of soggy napkins. “Thanks for these.”

“Right.” The silence between you became awkward. “Sorry again. I’ll buy you a replacement if you’d like?”

“Oh. Um.” You weren’t sure what to make of his offer. “I’m very particular about my coffee. I’m also in a rush.”

“Oh. Right. Sorry again.” He bowed to you, ears bright red and quickly walked around you, turning the corner and vanished from your sight.

You watched his retreating back in confusion, before shaking yourself out of it and started towards your office again, faster and more determined than before. Each step you took made you more and more furious over whatever stunt your team just pulled in the middle of your own personal crisis.

***

“She’s going to be so mad at you.” Haewon paced in front of the floor to ceiling windows that looked down on the fashion district of Seoul. Her heels clicking on the tile floor each step she took. Nervously, she switched between biting the tips of her chestnut colored hair to running her fingers through it.

Minjun sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose under his glasses. “I know. But it’ll make her stop stressing for the moment and give her and the media something else to focus on for the time being.” He picked up his phone to show his older sister. “Look. All the likes and comments flooding in. The fans are excited! Luxe hasn’t worked with a group of people before! It’s always been one on one! And with them, you know they’ll want every moment documented! Especially this time of year.” Minjun got more and more passionate as he spoke, almost to the point of yelling.

Haewon stopped her pacing and looked at him. “Look. I understand that. But you should’ve at least discussed this with her first! I know it was a very sudden thing, and something that you got literally as soon as you called and made the offer. But. Eight men? With a short deadline? And they want to document it? I thought the point was to get her face out of the media, not in it more!” She sat herself in her chair, to the right of the head of the table. “You know how she gets. She won’t sleep until she gets it done.” Haewon leaned on the table and rested her face in her hands, pushing her bangs off her forehead. “This is going to be bad. I can feel it.”

“We just don’t tell her that it’ll be documented and write it into the contract that they keep her face blurred. Like she’s staff. It’ll be easy.”

Haewon laughed and slid her chair back to the window, on the lookout for you. She decided to ignore her brother. Her eyes widened as she saw your silhouette stalking towards the door of the building. She saw you give a nod to the doorman as he checked your pass and let you in.

“Uh oh.” She smirked a bit. “She’s mad. Like. Mad mad. You are so fucked.” She couldn’t deny that she was excited about watching you absolutely destroy her brother.

“MINJUN!” They heard you yell from where you exited the elevator. Minjun swallowed nervously as he realized how upset you actually were.

“What the fuck is wrong with you!” The meeting room door slammed open, revealing your flushed features and hardened eyes. You smaller your coffee mug onto the table, making the last few drops spill out of it. Unceremoniously, your purse dropped to the floor as you turned to glare at your PR rep.

Minjun swallowed again and started stuttering out his excuse. “People are excited! They’re not talking about you being exposed anymore!” Minjun shoved his phone in your face, as you seethed at him.

Sighing, you walked over to your chair and slumped down, your body deflating as you processed his words. You rubbed your forehead, a sudden headache blooming behind your eyes. “I don’t care Minjun. You should’ve talked about this with me first. I-“

The door swung open again and in walked in Seokhoon. He ran a hand through his long hair and shook it out. You heard Haewon swoon as she studied him.

You shook your head at the love-struck girl and stood up, greeting him with a respectful bow of your head. “Seokhoon. Thank you for meeting with us.” You shot a look over your shoulder at the pair in the room behind you. “We seem to be in a situation.”

His eyes roamed the room over your shoulder, and when they landed on Haewon, he smiled. “So I heard. Why do you need my help?”

“You dated Soomin.” Grumbled Haewon. She crossed her arms and pouted slightly as Seokhoon made his way towards her. He took her chin in his hand and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. You saw her melt at his touch. “You know how to calm her down.”

He smiled down at her again and ran his hand through her hair. “She likes attention. Either get the media to talk about her or get someone more famous than her to ‘sweep her off her feet.’” He scrunched his nose at that last statement. “That’s why she did this in the first place. She wanted attention since she knew she wasn’t going to win tonight, and her show was a flop.”

You grimaced. “So she decided to drag me into this too?”

“She’s mad at you for working with me, and because I fell for Hae.” He and Haewon made eye contact and you can tell that they went into their own world for a moment. You heard Minjun gag in the background, which caused the couple to come back to reality.

Seokhoon turned to you and pulled out his phone. “I saw the Luxe post. Working with Ateez is a good move. Soomin has been after one of the members for the longest time. If you can get them together, she’ll leave you alone, and dispatch will have other things to talk about.” He leaned back in his chair and shoved his hands into the pocket of his leather jacket. “It’s simple. Give her the attention she wants.” He shrugged.

You threw your hands up in frustration. “I’m a fashion designer, not a matchmaker!” You started pacing in the same spot Haewon had when waiting for you. “I didn’t even agree to this collaboration in the first place.”

“Well,” he started, pushing himself up off his chair. “You better get on board fast. Ateez are big and can get your face out of the media. To a lot of people, it could be the collab of the century.” He winked at you as he reached for the door handle. “Make me proud.”

You rolled your eyes at his back as he walked out. Haewon followed closely behind him, sparing a glance at you, asking permission to leave. You nodded and she called out for him to wait. The door closed and you were left in an uncomfortable silence.

Sitting there made you think about everything that could go wrong and you started convincing yourself that it wouldn’t work, and that no matter what, you’ll be followed and used.

“Hey,” Minjun rested his hand on top of yours. The contact helped ground you for the moment. You looked at him. “He’s right, you know. Your face may still be there for a bit, but once the designs come out, all this will be in the past.”

You groaned. “How soon can you get me a meeting with them?” Your voice sounded muffled as you took your hat off and laid face down on the table.

“I can get you with them by the end of the week.” He pulled out his phone and started sending emails. “You’re taking this better than I thought you would.” He paused, reading something. “I want you to do a press conference too. Address what Soomin has done and said about you and our brand.” He said it so casually. Like he was talking about the weather.

You groaned into the table. “You know there was a reason I wanted to stay anonymous. I hate having all the attention on me.”

“Yes yes. I know. But it’s inevitable. Pick your head up. It’s not the end of the world.” You heard his phone ding and him type more out. “When do you want the meeting with Ateez, and the press conference?”

You groaned again. “The sooner the better.” Sighing in resignation, waving your hand at him, dismissing him. You heard him roll his chair back and get up, and finally the door shutting behind him.

Minjun paused by the door, hand on the knob. “You’ll do great y/n. If Haewon and I both love you, the media will too.” He sent you a reassuring smile, even though your head was still buried in your arms, and left, softly closing the door behind him.

After hearing the click of the door being closed, you took a moment to yourself, taking a few deep breaths to calm yourself down a bit and process what has happened in the last 24 hours.

You stood up, deciding to stop wallowing in your own self pity, and to do what you normally do when you work with a new client. You were going to go home and do some research. You snatched your hat, and walked by Minjun in the hall, talking endlessly into his phone. You nodded at him and headed down to the lobby.

You exited the building, not realizing there was a crowd of people lined up at the front of the building. Walking out, you were assaulted by flashing lights and people yelling your name and rapid fire questions at you to get your attention. You froze, and the feeling of Minjun coming up behind you, resting a hand at the small of your back made you shield your face as he made a path through the sea of dispatch, to the waiting black van. Once you were safely in, he climbed in behind you and slammed the door.

Your life as you know it, is about to change

[beifongkendo]

One Step at a Time, by shodo artist Sisyu.

[serenityquest]

art by Steph Edwards

[girl-that-writes]

Try. Just a small step forward. Just a sip of water. Just a bite of food. Just one supportive thought. Just one hello. Just one message. Just one page. Just one line.

Maybe it won't work, but you'll discover a new path to avoid. Maybe it will work and your journey will become one step smaller.

And if you are afraid that you will lose your progress and end up back where you started, then darling, you already overcame it once. The second time will be a tad bit easier. The next one easier still.

I know you can. After all, despite everything, you're still here. That's the only strength that matters. I know you can, my dear. I know you will.

[sunsetsandhope]

and if today was rough for you, i am proud of you.

and if you suffered today silently, i am proud of you.

and if you struggled with eating but you still ate, i am proud of you.

and if you were not happy for your body but you let it exist in the peace, i am proud of you.

whatever happened today good or bad, whatever you felt today - i am still very much proud of you, please keep going my friend, i love you.

[smallsafespace]

Dont worry if you’re new, i’ll show you what to do!

[blu3b3rryj4mp1r3]

I tried to make a drawing yesterday ♡ I feel pretty neutral about the result but I'm glad that I was able to make something despite all my anxiety and the stressful circumstances ^^ here's g3 pinkie! 💗

♡ ˢᶠʷ ᶦⁿᵗᵉʳᵃᶜᵗᶦᵒⁿ ᵒⁿˡʸ ♡

[sketchesinstillness]

[sanzosin]

Hey!

Last year hasn’t treated me well, and lately I’ve been feeling oh so down. Really wouldn’t advise being me. Tonight i’ve been scrolling through saved folder on my phone and found a wonderful art of Jake by you… from 2017! I felt so nostalgic and decided to go check your other art here, and found out… that you’re still active!

I can’t really describe what it made me feel, to see you still drawing my favourite characters. It’s a very cozy, comforting and grounding feeling. I loved your art so much back in 2017, and I guess I’ll never stop feeling this way, haha.

Thank you a lot!! And also - Jack&Nisha 4ever <3

Oh honey!

Breathe!

and

Fight!