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#so I’d draw pictures for my dad
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shenanigans 24-karat Harrison will do:
- steal a man’s moped
- sleep in a church
- chase after a man he thinks might be lonan
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mars-ipan · 2 months
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i do love my family very dearly but the internalized ableism the men in here struggle with is. so much
#marzi speaks#it’s worse with my brother but he’s doing more to actively work on improving that#my dad however has very subtle internalized ableism that i don’t think he recognizes is there#which is. fun#like earlier. either last night or this morning i don’t remember#i was talking to him about how while ideologically i have nothing against accepting needing help and things like that#in practice it’s very challenging to adjust to being disabled even temporarily. and that if i do end up with a diagnosis that’s gonna be#a lot to handle. both mentally and just with the lifestyle changes i’ll have to make#and he makes a bit of a face and goes ‘i wouldn’t quite call you disabled. i’d just say ‘ill’’#and i just sort of look at him. and i blink. and i go ‘i am physically Un-Able to do things i am normally able to do’#‘i can’t walk long distances at all. i can’t sit in chairs for too long without causing pain’#‘i’ve spent the last 24 hours staring longingly at my computer because i want to draw but am currently Not Able To’#he didn’t argue with me but i can tell he was still unnerved by the idea of picturing his daughter as disabled#also like . illness and disability are not mutually exclusive? several disabilities are or involve chronic illness#i shouldn’t be surprised though. i mentioned considering starting lexapro#and he went on his ‘you’re an adult and it’s your choice in the end but i wouldn’t recommend it’ spiel#(he’s anti-psychiatry bc he doesn’t like the idea of breaking the brain down into smth so purely physical)#(and also doesn’t like the idea of someone being dependent on pills their whole life)#(which i’m giving him some slack on rn bc he is a just-got-clean recovering opoid addict. so)#(btw before any of you say SHIT abt my dad he took his pills legally prescribed for chronic pain and did not abuse them)#(and even if he DID that would give nobody a right to make a moral judgement on him. ok cool)#i then reminded him that my mom takes anti-anxiety meds and they really really helped her#and he just goes ‘true.’ and moves on#king u got some shit to unpack#it’s fine if u didn’t want to start antidepressants when it was recommended to you meds aren’t for everyone#but like come on now. u don’t gotta be so fundamentally against it when literally ur own wife who you adore takes psych meds#anywho my mom handled me making the disability comment much better. she was basically just like ‘ur fear is totally understandable’#‘u have a good support system we’ll help you through it’#which. thanks mom 👍 that was very kind of her to say
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iammycharacter · 1 year
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I got irrationally frustrated yesterday because I read bsd stormbringer. And yes I loved it the book was great. What pissed me off was that the hat Chuuya wears is described as being a bowler hat
Excuse me! It does not look like a bowler hat! I have seen the anime and read some of the manga but seriously! Bowler hats have a very rounded top and the sides curl up. The brim on bowler hats is also quite small!
In the anime there is a character that wears a bowler hat!! Natsume! It actually looks like a bowler hat!
Chuuyas hat brim is kinda hard to tell because it is actually very small but the top is flat or has that crease in it. If it has the crease then it’s probably a trilby or fedora but doesn’t have the brim folded up in the back. More likely a tribute because of the size of the brim.
Or it might be a pork pie hat because that is a very flat hat and I’ve seen a number of Chuuya cosplayers wear them! It deffinitly fits but the brim is too wide most of the time to be what he cannonically wears!!!
Idk if it was translated badly, or Rimbaud just know fuck all about hat types but there is no way that Chuuya wears a bowler hat
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ropes3amthoughts · 2 months
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What you staring at 💀 what he making that pretty ass face for
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Bro’s raising his hand to speak 💀 bro thinks he in school 💀 (which he shouldn’t even think bc his ass was homeschooled) dork ass I’ll kiss him
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Bro likes tomatoes as his favorite food 💀 that ain’t even a meal bruh that’s an ingredient 💀 ingredient lover 💀 malnourished ass 💀 fake food fan 💀 eat some proper meals bruh 💀 bro’s gonna eat tomatoes straight up like an apple and be like “yummy” 💀 I’d take him out to dinner
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Bro’s special interests are people and politics 💀silly ass he’s so excited and cute 💀 what’s he being cute for 💀 cute ass 💀 what’s he got a gorgeous smile for 💀 bro’s having fun and enjoying himself how lovely I hope he has many good days and learns to love himself like with all that idolizing he does of other people he really doesn’t thhnkot himself and maybe he jus like hates himself yo what if that has to do with him lke thjnkjnh he’s like a monster in that one part like he hates monsters and he sees himself like that I mean I guess that’s not really profound idk what I’m sayin I’m kinda tired and k think mh phone is too it’s getting warm
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He’s such a mess lmao like bro just drank some unknown quantity of glasses of alcohol and took his clothes off (unclear which one he did first) and passed out in his bed seemingly backwards what are you doing silly ass 💀 drinking to help with his insomnia smh silly Kabru you’re gonna die young that is not good for you 💀 unhealthy ass 💀 gorgeous ass man 💀 I want to study him under a microscope except I’m really bad at using microscopes in middle school they made me do this before you go into the lab test and I passed it so good but when I got to the lab and started using the microscope i could not see shit like I kept turning them knobs n stuff did not work lnao all blurry so if I was like “bro you an interesting critter I’m gonna study you under a microscope” what would happen is I would just go “hmmm hm hmmmmm” all inquisitively and just look at blurry ness for a few seconds then be like “I can’t see shit lol that was a busy wanna make out@ then I would kiss him on his face and I would play with his pretty hair
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This could b me. I know how to touch boobs and one time when I was like 10 I watched a YouTube video on how to transform into a werewolf and I genuinely believe it was real and I started walking around my house on alll fours and barking and trying to feel my connection to the mooon and when my dad came home he got really mad ya me and he started yelling at me also I have a sister this could literally be me like that could be me I could be feeling Kabru bobs more like Kabroobies lmao I would lick him like a popsicle like his skin like a cat and I would draw little animals on his arms in different colored marker and all the animals say I love you hearttttt and they are all happy animals and I would tell him is ok if he wants to wash them off because they’re stupid little marker animals and it’s ok if he doesn’t like them
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Fun fact I first saw this picture of Kabru like ten minutes before I went to go golfing with m dad and my grandpa and our neighbor Bill or something and so I had no time to process it and so every time during golfing which was like three hours or so btw I would keep thinking of him like this and also this was before k realized I thought he was handsome I was like he’s a cool character. But he’s not like hot lol but then I see this picture minutes before golfing and my heart gets pounding and I feel like I’m choking and suddenly it dawns on me he’s the most beustfil man I’ve ever seen in mh life meow but then I immediately had to go golfing and like ever time I blinked I would see his gorgeous face and I was like “wow man I’m hay” but I couldn’t do anything about it or like tell anybody because I was busy absolutely fucking up my short game lmal Nd itz kujs ahdn fbe chata teds are locked jn a room tkvwtehr kr somwrbinf ow my fingwr hhrt they just sgafted crampimg but anhways tehy realize they lkkr each other n stff yeah j tealkzed i liked him when i was out golfing as soon i vake baxk from glfijg j tbnk j went kn a cfazu tsnt to mh flose frkends and stuff yeab anhways he looks vrewg gorgeous meow melw man
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He’s sooooo cute bruh that tuff of hair that sticks out from behin this ear makes me crazy what the fucj why do you look like that I love you 😭 it’s 1am rn and I love him I can’t sleep I’m comipoling a handful of my little pictures of him to tumblr because he’s making me crazy oh Man U love him him I want to hold his face in mh hands I want uh kiss him I want uhhhh man he is gorgeous and I like his personality he s like assionage he really into his goals he’s like a do whatever it takes guy but like he has limits and stuff he’s not like crazy nuts but he’s driven and accomplished and he’s a cute little charmer he so handsome wow!! And he’s so smart and he’s a quick thinker very smart good at improv and he’s a good leader and he cares about people what a cool guy and I love his nice smile awwwwwwwww man he’s hot meowza k can never be normal about him I don’t feelnormal so about him ever man I’m so sleepy bruh I don’t even remember a single word I just toed snit if I said”I alone Kabru “ somewhere than k agree with myself because yeah I love him and that’s yeah awesome guy him great splendid incredible enamoring effiseneg 100 stars out of 2 or just 50 because that’s fractions wait I can do 100 stars out if 1 stars and get 100 stars or I could just move the decimal pace and I could get even more stars yeah babgygirkl are you the space because stars are you the dirt b cause I would give you flowers z are you mini cooking videos that go “yummy!” And have old Macdonald playing the background because I can’t take my eyes off you are you beautiful because yes you are I am going to bed goodnight to Kabru and the orhwr peippe too i guess njy mksyly Kabru i hope everhd rike he sleleehe sleep well full 9 hoirs well resyed Miss Ryoko Kui please Kabru sleepinh good plewse also comic where he has good day please I wish the best for him
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fushipurro · 8 months
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firefighter Toji !!! also hi, I hope you don’t mind me coming into your inbox to share some little thoughts and you can ignore this if you’d like !!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on that, the idea of him cracking jokes about saving cats from trees or even starting to call you his damsel in distress if you ever ask him to help you with something, even if it’s as simple as opening a stubborn jar
or how baby megumi would be so proud to tell everyone his dad is a firefighter and always wants to wear his dads hat that is too big for his little head !!
omg i love these ideas, and i don't mind at all!! i'm really happy you sent them cause now you got the ball rolling for me to go ham :3 i hope you enjoy these thoughts and i'd love to do more in the future ♡
☆ content: mostly sfw (nsfw under the cut, MDNI), domestic fluff, suggestive themes, foreplay, rough sex, chokeplay, creampie
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☆ firefighter!toji who at first thought saving cats from trees was just something you'd see on TV, but realized soon after joining the force how often of an occurrence it actually is. the two of you started keeping a tally sheet because of it, always asking when he came home from a shift "how many cats did you save today?" he soon starts to text you photos of the cats he rescues knowing how much you love them and would want to see. if he's able, he'll take selfies with them just for you.
☆ firefighter!toji who started calling you his damsel in distress for fun, but quickly made it into one of the more common pet names he'll use for you. if he catches you struggling with anything, he'll be right behind you, smirking ear to ear asking, "does my damsel need some help?" you swear he purposely tightens all the jars in the house so you have no choice but to ask him to "save you", his beloved damsel.
☆ firefighter!toji who always comes home wearing his uniform jacket and hat just for you and megs to enjoy. he loves watching megumi struggle to wear it, and even more when you're right there taking pictures of it to frame on the wall. toji keeps one of these photos tucked away in his wallet and another of you in a nice cocktail dress and heels wearing his jacket after he had to bring you to the station during one of your dates for a sudden fire call.
☆ firefighter!toji who megumi always draws pictures of in school, always excited when his father comes around to show him off to his classmates. if he's able to, toji will sometimes pick megumi up from school in one of the rigs, throwing his hat on the boy and letting him play with the lights and sirens as they leave the lot. when christmas comes around, the station always dresses toji up as santa to toss candy to the neighborhood kids, megumi right there with him to help as his favorite little elf.
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☆ firefighter!toji who loves when he can bring you the station to show you off for all the pancake breakfasts and warm weather grilling events they host. just seeing you in those beautiful sundresses always brings a smile to his face and even more when he sneaks you off to his rig to see how you look underneath the fabric.
☆ firefighter!toji who loves when you visit the station in your free time to deliver baked goods or a homecooked meal if he's had a busy day. you can't help but feel your core heat up seeing him in his uniform pants, topless with a sheen of sweat from working out, and when he slides down the pole just to meet you? you can bet you'll have him all to yourself at a moment's notice behind a closed door until the dispatch alarm inevitably goes off.
☆ firefighter!toji who has to try his hardest not to break his pager when it goes off during sex, swearing it always happens right before one of you climaxes. he never does though, not when he knows there's lives to save and every second counts but boy does it frustrate him. as he flies out the door, he always manages to kiss you and to wait up for him. when he does come home after a call, he's quick to express just how pent up he is, turning it into an intense lovemaking session that leaves you marked more than normal and needing to be carried around after like the damsel you are.
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the two of you had just finished enjoying a nice dinner together and were enjoying the rest of your evening deep into some foreplay. toji originally wanted to take his sweet time catching up with you and your body after some busy shifts. the recent holidays had kept him away more often and he missed you more than words could say.
he barely had his shirt off, biding his time worshipping his damsel's body before even thinking of pleasuring himself. with that said, his cock strained against the fabric that held him back from plunging right into the clothed heat he was rubbing himself against. toji had his hands wrapped around your breasts, tongue flicking over each bud drawing you closer and closer to your high until all of a sudden, ~BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP~
your bodies froze instantly, going silent as he listened intently to whether or not his station was being dispatched and the nature of the call.
"fuckin' hell." he growled, reaching for his shirt. you stood up as well, throwing on your silk robe and going to gather his wallet and keys to remote start it for him.
when he met you at the front door, you reached up to kiss his scowling face, handing the man his belongings. "good luck, be safe, and i love you, toji." the three phrases you always tell him before he leaves as a blessing of sorts.
"love you too, y/n. i'll be back as soon as i can." he cupped your chin, staring deep into your eyes with a cold and desiring expression. his voice went low, causing your body to shiver with anticipation, "don't play with yourself before i'm home, i intend to finish what we started."
after he left, you waited by the window to watch him speed off before returning to your shared room. it hit you now being back in the sheets that he had unintentionally edged you and you ached for that sweet ecstasy to take you. but he gave you his orders, and all you could do was lay there staring at the ceiling, twiddling your thumbs to distract yourself from the heat pooling between your legs.
it was an agonizing wait, but once you heard the front door slam, you shot up to see the man already making haste towards you from the bedroom door.
"welcome home, toj─" his lips crashed into yours before you could finish your greeting, the force pushing you back against the sheets. you were familiar with how rough he can be, but this already felt more intense.
toji's body desperately clinged to yours in any way possible. his knee pressed against your exposed core, one hand holding your jaw to give him more access to mark your neck up. your fingers found purchase between his raven locks as you felt a knot tightening at your waist.
"fucking," he started to speak between starved kisses, undoing his pants as fast as humanly possible. "yet another guy who thought," he fisted himself a few times, lining the angry tip up to your entrance. "deep frying a frozen turkey was a good idea. fuck─"
a groan left both of your mouths as he pushed his way inside. he hooked his arm under your knee, drawing it upwards to give him better leverage to reach nice and deep to your g-spot.
"can't these people stick to stuffin' their birds in the damn oven safely?" he can feel your body clench around his cock, inviting him further as his pace grew. it didn't go unnoticed by the man, "oh? did my sweet girl hear something she likes?" he laughed through his nose with a smirk that reached ear to ear, his gaze like that of a predator. "bet you want me to stuff you, huh?"
you nodded your head feverishly, clinging to the sheets until your knuckles turned white.
"use your words, princess." his voice low and cold, betraying the way his body yearned for yours. "lemme hear my damsel beg for me to help."
"fuck fuck, please toji! i need you~" you whined, raising your hands above your head and rubbing your face against your bicep as your mind went crazy with lust.
toji reached for your other leg, throwing them over his thighs until he was perfectly between you. upon doing so, he leaned down, coiling his hand around your throat and pressing into the sides.
"eyes on me, sweetheart." your breath hitched as waves of pleasure coursed through you. "need to see that pretty face of yours when i stuff you full of my cum."
the vibrations from your moans ran right through his fingers and straight to his core. your high washing over you like a tidal wave with his length trapped in a vice grip. oh how toji wants to compare this force of yours against the jaws of life, betting you'd come out on top without a doubt.
he continued pumping you through your high, overstimulating you once his thumb hit your pearl. your fingers clawed at the veins running through his arms, eventually freeing your throat for you to breathe. toji moved his grip down to your waist to steady himself, chasing his pent up orgasm as another came under you that unraveled him. a deep growl leaving the man as you moaned his name freely.
he accomplished his goal in stuffing you, as evident from the thick glops of seed spilling out from inside you around his cock. "so good f'me, y/n." you could tell he was finally starting to relax from his earlier frustrations as his tone softened up.
"toji~" you mewled, looking up at him, panting in an attempt to catch your breath.
the man leaned down over you, caressing your face. he could see the red handprints forming over your body, sure to bruise later. "i know, baby. let me make it up to you, okay?" his lips came down to place gentle kisses over all the angry welts forming with praise in between. "you're such a good girl, my sweet damsel."
after that rough bout, he kept the next few rounds slow and sensual, moving you to the bath as he cleaned you off and carried you back to a clean bed. once there, toji pulled you against his chest as he whispered to you all the details from the turkey incident like a bedtime story. his fingers caressed over your stomach while his words lulled you into a deep slumber before he followed after. the next morning, toji made sure to bring your favorite breakfast to you in bed as you stirred awake, peppering you with kisses to start the day.
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macfrog · 1 year
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greetings from austin, tx cowboy like me chapter one
alright hwfg. first part of a dbf!joel series i'm gonna be working on. i hope you guys enjoy 🤍 please feel free to send in any requests or ideas, i'm constantly writing this so would love to know your thoughts!!!! love u all thank u sm for being the best
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pairing: dbf!joel x fem!reader
summary: you return to austin after graduating to find everything as it always was. well, most things...
warnings: age gap (reader is 23, joel is 48), little bit of alcohol consumption, and lotsa flirtin and allusions to...something more
word count: 2.3k
series masterlist | main masterlist | playlist
The doorbell rings and your dad jumps up. “Ain’t got no cash ready. Be right back.” He jogs off past you down the hall, but your eyes remain locked on Joel, who notices you once your dad’s gone. Or so you think. “Rude to stare, darlin’,” he tsks, bringing his beer to his lips. “Wasn’t starin’.” “No?”
Summer. Texan summer. One of the few things drawing you back halfway across the country to your hometown: bright, sunny, so hot the car bonnets burn your fingertips. It had become a running joke between you and your dad: he’d send a picture of Austin’s scorching sunshine, and you’d reply a picture of New York’s grey skies.
You were ready to come back home.
That is, until your flight landed onto saturated wet tarmac, during the rainiest month of the year. It hasn’t let up in the five days since.
You stumble off the bus into a torrential downpour and throw your hood back up, but it’s no use. By the time you arrive at work, your clothes are soaked through, your hair is plastered to your shoulders, and your mood is worse than ever.
Sal hands you a towel from the back when you walk into the office, but not before giving a hearty laugh from his desk.
“You oughta be gettin’ yourself a car, anyway, lady. Now that you’re back home.”
You give him as sincere a smile as your cheeks will allow. He’s your boss, sure, but he’s also a buddy of your dad’s. Gave you a part-time job for some extra cash when you were still at school, and has taken you back on now you’ve graduated. It’s in your best interests to keep him sweet.
The hardware store is the same as it always was. A little dim, a little dusty; same old tools and same old customers, but homely. You get to work unpacking this morning’s delivery, hauling boxes off of the trolley and filling the shelves. The day passes quickly enough, and you’re folding up empty cardboard boxes to waste the last half hour of your shift when a voice hums from behind you.
“Well, hello, darlin’.”
You stand up straight and spin around to find Joel Miller before you, trademark flannel and subtle-but-still-there smile on.
“Hey, stranger,” you reply, smiling back, before he opens his arms and pulls you in for a bear hug.
Joel Miller. Same as always: tall, rugged, handsome, dark hair and beard singed with grey, warm and sweet-smelling, grumbling, mumbling Joel. His chin rests on top of your head for a second before you pull away, and he looks you up and down.
“Been meaning to come over to see you since you got back, your dad said you were pretty busy unpackin’. Thought I’d give you a few days. Everything alright?”
“All good,” you reply with a nod. “I accumulated a lot of crap in New York.”
He smirks, shoulders jerking a little with a laugh. “Didn’t realise you’d gotten your job back in here,” he looks around, “you likin’ it?”
You shrug. “It’s money. And I know how things are run. Sal’s a good guy.”
Joel nods. “When do you get off?”
You glance down at your watch. “Five minutes.”
“You want a ride home?”
You take a deep breath and breathe out a, “Yes, please,” with a sigh. It’s been a long, damp day.
“I’ll just go grab these,” he holds up two boxes of nails, “meet you outside when you’re done, kid.”
He brushes past your shoulder heavily as he passes, something he always used to do when you were younger. You snort when he mutters, “My bad.”
Joel Miller and your dad have been best buds since, like, the eighties. Your dad has a few years on Joel, but they’re as close as can be. Grew up on the same street, saw each other through girlfriends, marriage, children, divorce. Never one without the other, all that.
Joel’s daughter, Sarah – four years your junior – is a freshman out west, somewhere in California. Another of the reasons you thought it was time to come home: your dad and Joel must feel pretty lonely having both of you gone.
When you’ve grabbed your hoodie and bag and made your way back out front, Joel’s being served by Anna, a girl you went to school with. She stayed here in Austin, has some side hustle selling makeup and perfume. She flutters her eyelashes at Joel as she rings him up. You cringe as you find place at his side.
“Ready?” he murmurs, looking down at you.
You nod.
“How’s things, anyways, Mr. Miller?” Anna asks, even as he’s turning to leave.
“Uh, good, thanks. Good luck with the…makeup.” Then he gives a low grunt and makes for the door.
“Not much of a talker,” you mutter to Anna, and flatten your lips against one another in the form of a goodbye.
Joel’s sat out front in his truck, looking down the receipt.
“Girl charged me for three boxes. If she wasn’t talkin’ so damn much about her perfumes…”
You pull your seatbelt over your shoulder. “Why don’t you go back in there and get your money back?”
“What, and subject myself to her battin’ eyelashes again? Almost blew me off my feet.”
Your head falls back against the headrest with laughter. “You know, you were the first thing she asked me about on my first shift back.”
“I bet I was, baby,” he replies, switching the ignition on and reaching an arm behind your seat as he reverses back.
You spend most of the drive home catching up, telling him about New York and listening to what antics he and your dad have gotten up to since your last visit home. It’s easy talking to Joel, easier than with your dad. He hums and grunts, lets you ramble, tells you what he thinks, then the pair of you fall back into comfortable silence until the next conversation sparks. No judgement, no lectures. Just Joel.
When you pull up in your drive, Joel casts you a meaningful look and says, “He’s really missed you, y’know. We both have.”
“You both have?”
“Sure. Gets quiet ‘round here at times. And with Sarah gone…It’ll be real nice to have you back again.”
“I’ll keep you on your toes, Miller.”
“Holdin’ you to it.”
“Joel? Hey, buddy.” Your dad’s voice breaks apart your conversation and you both turn to see him approaching from the garage. “Hi, kiddo.”
“Hey. Joel came in to get some stuff, gave me a ride home.” You hop out of the truck, and Joel wanders round to meet you.
“Well, thanks, man. You say thank you?” he asks.
You glance awkwardly at Joel, muttering a thank you like some little kid. He shakes his head softly in return, giving you a look that your dad misses, but you understand.
“C’mon inside, I was just tidying up. Stayin’ for dinner, Joel? I bet this girl’s been chewing your ear off about NYC…” Your dad’s voice fades away as he wanders back into the garage, and you and Joel begin to follow.
“Ain’t no need to thank me,” he whispers, leaning into your space.
You nod appreciatively. “My presence is thanks enough, I know.”
He nudges you toward the house.
Your dad orders in pizza and you set the table while he and Joel sit to discuss a potential new client. Joel sits at the edge of the table, turned outward to face the sliding doors, elbow hooked over the back of his chair. As you maneuver around them, placing mats down, you can’t help but note how fucking good he looks.
Tousled hair, unshaven beard. A broadness that even his own shirt can barely hold in; from where you’re standing, you can see where his neck meets his toned shoulders, skin tanned from the sun and the tiniest burst of chest hair over his collar…
The doorbell rings and your dad jumps up. “Ain’t got no cash ready. Be right back.”
He jogs off past you down the hall, but your eyes remain locked on Joel, who notices you once your dad’s gone. Or so you think.
“Rude to stare, darlin’,” he tsks, bringing his beer to his lips.
“Wasn’t starin’.”
“No?”
“Uh-uh. You got a stain on your shirt.”
His brows furrow and his head instantly snaps down to his chest. “Where?”
You snort, wandering over to put his plate on the mat. “My bad,” you whisper, leaning over, “must’ve been the light.”
Joel’s breath wavers only for a second, before your dad re-enters the room and he’s forced to compose himself.
“Alright, let’s see…Pepperoni, bleh, keep that one on that side of the table, please, and plain cheese over here.”
“See you haven’t improved Dad’s taste in pizza,” you say to Joel as you pull your chair out beside his and sit down, cross-legged.
“He – he’s immune to change,” he replies, then, only once he’s regained composure, adds, “or improvement of any kind.”
“Hey,” your dad protests, lifting a slice. “Cool it on the insults, here. You’ve been back six days,” he points a greasy finger at you, then steers it in Joel’s direction, “and you’re the one who turned down Lois last month. Talk about improvement, she could turn your life around, son.”
“Who the hell is Lois?” you ask, mouthful of pizza, aiming for chill, but coming across overly interested.
Joel shakes his head, only looking at you briefly from the corners of his eyes. “Receptionist at Clark’s Plant Hire. And I didn’t turn her down.”
“She asked you out?” Your knee brushes against his waist. He feels it; you know from the way his body tenses.
“She…said she’d like to go for a drink, sometime. I said yeah, maybe…some time.”
“Ouch. Poor Lois.”
He turns to face you now. “Don’t give me the same spiel your dad did, alright? I can decide for myself when I’m ready to be…datin’.”
“Wouldn’t he be nice with a receptionist from a plant hire on his arm?” Your dad fades into the background as you and Joel back-and-forth.
“If you don’t think you turned her down, why say you’re not ready to be dating?”
“Ha! See, my little girl,” Dad waves his slice of pizza around, “she got a degree, Joel. She’s smarter ‘n us. She’s got you on that one.”
“What is your degree in, again? Law?” Joel speaks through his teeth.
You beam back, happy to have riled him. “Film.”
“Film. My mistake. Must’ve felt like I was bein’ interrogated or som’.”
You decide to pull it back then. Enough discussing Joel’s love life – it doesn’t interest you much, not for the right reasons, anyway. The conversation shifts naturally to your degree, your graduation, and the year you spent living in the city afterward.
When most of the pizza is gone, the three of you sit idly chatting; the last Rangers game, the neighborhood barbecue coming up, the weather. Right as your dad voices concern about a job he has next week, his cell starts to ring in the living room.
As hasty and tactless as ever, he jumps up and almost knocks his chair flying. You and Joel laugh quietly as he bounds off in search for his phone.
You turn back to Joel, who’s playing with the label of his beer bottle.
“Hey.” You nudge him with your knee. He grunts in response. “Hey,” you say, clearer, this time pulling your legs up and over onto his lap. “Didn’t mean what I said about that Lois lady. I’m sure you had your reasons, and it’s none of my business. Or my dad’s.”
He stifles a laugh, sucking a breath in until his chest meets his chin. Then he lifts his head to look over to you. “Sorry I snapped. Wasn’t all serious, but I don’t want you thinkin’ I’m mad with you.”
“You can be, if you want.” You lean forward. “Just not for long, okay? It’d be a long summer with just my dad to hang with if Sarah’s gone and you ain’t talking to me.”
This time he laughs. For real. You mirror his swollen cheeks, glad to see you’ve amused him. He puts the bottle on the table and his hands fall to your ankles, where he gently rubs with his thumbs.
“When does she get home?” you ask him.
“Couple weeks. Still got finals and all that to worry about.”
You nod knowingly, muttering, “Rough.”
He gently lifts your legs from his lap and stands, towering over you, your chin inches away from his belt buckle as you look up at him. He doesn’t move, just brings a hand down to cup your jaw and tilt your head back ever so slightly with his thumb under your chin.
You can feel your pulse in your throat. You know Joel can, too. You clench between your legs, an ache forming there, and the only thought behind your eyes is him remedying it.
You bring your hands up to settle behind his thighs, trying desperately to send him a message through your doe eyes. Something in the way the corners of his mouth rise almost imperceptibly tells you he hears you loud and clear.
Your dad bursts back into the room like a bat out of hell, and the two of you spring apart.
“Supplier had some trouble with directions,” he mutters, tossing his cell onto the counter.
Joel grumbles in response, then, like nothing at all out of the ordinary just happened, begins gathering the bottles and gestures to you to grab the pizza boxes. You follow him over to the sink where you set the boxes down and he runs the bottles under the faucet, filling them up and pouring the dregs of beer down the drain.
Your dad’s busy clearing the placemats from the table, babbling to himself about work, when you feel Joel’s shoulder lean into yours.
“Trouble,” he murmurs.
You tilt your head and furrow your brows in response.
“You,” he breathes, “are nothin’ but trouble.”
You smile back at him gleefully.
Trouble, indeed.
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winchesterwild78 · 2 months
Text
The Hunter pt 2
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Master List
Characters: Dean Winchester x Reader (together), Sam Winchester, Jodie Mills, Bobby Singer x Reader (Uncle/Niece)
Warnings: fluff, oral sex (female receiving), SMUT (protected sex), language, angst, hurt feelings
A/N: I’ve been working on getting some stories out and it’s driving me crazy. I’m turning this one into a series, probably short(ish), not 100% yet. This story came to me after starting Supernatural again. We all know how Dean feels about relationships, but let’s just pretend he finally gave in. 😀 
This is my own work, please do not take it or copy it without my permission. It’s based on characters from Supernatural, but doesn’t follow the timeline completely. I wrote it fast and edited it fast. Please overlook any errors. 
Minors DNI 18+
The three of you made your way back to Bobby’s house. Sam carried the food in as Dean got out of the Impala and walked over to your car. He looked it over and whistled. “Y’all did an amazing job on her sweetheart.” “Thank you. Maybe after we eat I can take you for a drive.” “Yeah, I’d like that. Look, Y/N, I really am sorry for how I acted. I’m not good at this and sometimes I say and do stupid shit.” “I get it. I’m sure it was hard hearing your dad and Bobby say those things about you. We all carry crap with us and deal with it in our own ways.” You stepped closer to him, “I can think of something you could do to make it up to me.” You smirked at him. “What’s that darlin’?” “Kiss me.”
Dean leaned you against the car and pressed his body against yours. He slowly took your head in his hands and placed his lips against yours. You could taste the whiskey he had been drinking. The kiss deepened and you moaned into his mouth. 
“Dean, I need you, I want you.” “Oh sweetheart, I want you too. We just have to be smart about it. I don’t need Bobby or my Dad chopping things off.” You giggled, “No, we definitely don’t need that. Can I come to your room or you come to my room tonight, after everyone else has gone to bed?” Dean leaned his forehead against yours, “Anything for you, birthday girl.” 
“Hey, Y/N, where are you kiddo? Food’s getting cold.” Bobby yelled from the door. “Coming, I was just showing Dean the car.” Dean kissed you again and you smiled, “Later baby. I can’t wait.” 
The two of you walked towards the house and Bobby was standing at the door. He looked at you and then at Dean and shook his head. “So Dean, how’d you like the car?” “She’s beautiful. Y’all did a great job on her, Bobby.” Bobby looked at Dean and then at you, but didn’t say anything. He just let out a little huff. 
All of you sat down to eat dinner and just chat. Bobby told you he had one last gift to give you, and thanks to John he was able to get it for you. “Now, this is something your parents had for years, they lost it on a hunt years ago when you were little. Think of it as a family heirloom. Your father bought it for your mother the day you were born. You smiled and nodded. 
Bobby handed you a small box that was wrapped. Inside the box was a heart shaped locket with a diamond in the middle. Inside was a picture of your mom holding you on one side, and your dad holding you on the other side. Tears fell from your eyes. “Oh Uncle Bobby, this is perfect! Thank you!.” You leaped up and threw your arms around him. “Well it was John and Dean who actually found it, but you’re welcome honey.” You hugged John and Dean next. “Thank you both so much. This means more to me than anything.” You placed a kiss on John’s cheek and on Dean’s. 
Bobby and John knew right then you were smitten with the oldest Winchester brother. They both looked at each other and sighed. Bobby brought out the pie with a candle in it and they all sang “Happy Birthday”. You made a wish and blew out the candle, making eye contact with Dean. You didn’t think Bobby saw it, but he did. 
After the pie was gone, the evening was drawing to a close. You were getting tired, well that’s what you let everyone believe. You thanked everyone again and told everyone good night. Before you went upstairs Bobby pulled you to the side, “Y/N, I see how you’re looking at Dean. I know I could tell you to stay away from him until I’m blue in the face, but I know you’re just as stubborn as I am. So, all I’m going to say is be careful. He’s a great guy, but he has so many walls up and I don’t want to see you get hurt.” You hugged him, “I know Uncle Bobby, Dean definitely has walls up, but we all do. The ones that you’re meant to be with are the ones strong enough to kick those walls down. You, Mom and Dad raised me to be strong, and I think I’m strong enough to kick down his walls. I love you, Uncle Bobby.” “I love you too, sweetpea, and I trust you. Go kick those walls down.” You smiled, nodded and went upstairs.
A few minutes later in your room there was a knock on your door. You opened the door to see Dean standing there in his t-shirt and gray sweatpants. “Hey sweetheart, you mind if I come in?” “Not at all.” You smiled and stepped to the side. As soon as you closed the door, Dean’s lips were on yours. You moaned into his mouth as his hands ran up your body.
You both laid on the bed as his hand continued to explore your body. Goosebumps erupted over your skin and his lips left a trail of fire any place they touched. You felt the slick pooling between your legs and an ache you knew only he could satisfy. Dean pulled his shirt over his head and off his body in one fluid pull. Your hands trailed over his toned chest and across the freckles that scattered across his sun kissed skin. “Dean, should we wait until everyone is asleep?” “Dad and Bobby went to the bar and Sammy is asleep. I’m all yours.” 
Your breath hitched. “Are you okay? We can stop if you want to.” Dean asked. “No, I’m fine, just a little nervous.” “I’ve got you baby, and if at any time you get uncomfortable, we can stop.” You nodded, “Okay, Dean.” 
Dean pulled at your shirt and removed it. Since you were ready for bed you didn’t have a bra on so your perky breasts were exposed when he removed your shirt. “Damn you’re beautiful.” You blushed as Dean’s lips trailed to your breasts. His hands cupping them as his lips peppered kisses on them, and his tongue licked your nipples. You moaned and threw your head back as he licked and sucked. 
Dean kissed down your torso to the hem of your sleep shorts. He looked up at you through his eyelashes and you nodded. He hooked his fingers in the waistband and pulled your shorts and panties down in one pull. His hands gently spread your thighs apart and he kissed up your legs. As he got to your folds he looked up waiting for permission. “Dean, please. I need to feel you. I want you to make me cum.”
Dean took his fingers and softly parted your folds, finding you already dripping wet. He licked a strip up through your folds to your clit. You sucked in air and moaned his name. Dean loved hearing you moan his name. He began to lick and suck your clit and you wiggled under him. He slowly inserted one finger into your dripping wet pussy. You moaned and arched your back. He slowly moved his finger in and out as your breathing became pants and you moaned. Dean inserted another finger and hooked both upwards causing you to moan louder. 
“Shh, we need to stay quiet sweetheart.” He grinned as he continued to pump his fingers and licking your clit. He would lick and suck as he pumped his fingers. Your hands pulled his head deeper into you and you moved your hips. You were fucking his face as he pushed you towards your release. “Dean, I’m gonna cum.” You breathed out. 
Dean lifted his head, “Cum for me baby. Cum all over my fingers.” He pumped and licked until he felt your release. He grabbed your thighs holding you as he kept licking, causing you to moan loudly and your body shake under him. By the time you were coming down from your release, your body was over sensitive. 
You had boyfriends in the past eat you out, but damn it if Dean Winchester wasn’t a gold medalist in it. You had never felt that good after that before. Dean removed his fingers and hovered over your body and kissed your lips. As he leaned over you could feel his arousal on your thigh. 
“Dean, please, I need you.” “Are you sure sweetheart, we don’t have to go any further.” “Yes, Dean. I’m sure. I want you, I need you.” Dean stood up and took off his pants and boxers. His large, hardened cock sprang free. You licked your lips and took in the sight of him. He was much larger than you had ever had, but damn were you excited. 
You felt an ache form between your legs that seemed to beg for him. “I’ll be gentle, I promise.”
You nodded and handed Dean a condom from your side table. He ripped the package with his teeth and you giggled. He pumped himself a few times and slid the condom on. Climbing back on the bed, he positioned himself between your thighs and lined himself up. 
The head of his cock was pushing inside you. You both moaned and gasped as he started to push in. You moaned. It was a little bit of pleasure and a little bit of pain. He was stretching you like you’d never been stretched before. You grabbed his biceps and dug your nails in. “You okay, sweetheart?” You nodded yes. Dean continued to push in slowly. 
“Fuck, you’re so tight. I need you to relax a little bit more sweetheart.” He leaned down and kissed you deeply. He could feel you relaxing more so he kept pushing. “Dean, please just push in, all the way.” “Are you sure?” You nodded yes, and before you could say anything else, Dean bottomed out with one thrust. You screamed in pleasure and Dean buried his face in the crook of your neck. “Sorry sweetheart, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I need a minute or I’m going to cum right now. You’re so tight.” 
You moved your hips under him and he started to move. His movements were slow. He would slowly pull out and push back in slowly. He didn’t want to hurt you and he wanted to give you time to adjust to his length and girth. When he felt your body relaxing and adjusting more to him, he started to move a little faster. 
“Oh Dean, you feel so good baby.” He kissed your lips. “You feel amazing around me, Y/N. You’re so beautiful.” With each thrust, each kiss, and each touch of his hand your heart filled with so much love for him. You knew you would do whatever it takes to keep him safe and to tear down his walls. He was yours and you were his. In that moment the only people who mattered were you and Dean. 
Dean lifted your legs onto his shoulders and the change in position caused him to hit your g-spot a little more. Sending you closer to your next release. As Dean continued to speed up you felt yourself closer to cumming again. “Dean, I’m gonna cum again.” “Oh baby, just let go, cum around my cock.” He kissed your lips and you felt your release rush through your whole body. As your walls clenched around his cock, he sped up chasing his release. He came with a grunt and spilled his seed in the condom. 
As he finished he pulled out and kissed your lips. “That was amazing, Y/N. Are you okay?” “God, yes Dean. That was incredible.” You kissed him again as he stood up grabbing a tissue and removing the condom. He threw it away in your trash can and crawled in bed beside you. 
He pulled you close to his body and wrapped you in his arms. He kissed your forehead as you laid on his chest. You listened to his heartbeat as your fingers danced over his anti-possession tattoo. “Dean, thank you. That was incredible.” “Oh sweetheart, you don’t have to thank me. That was more than incredible. I’ve never felt like I was going to cum that fast before. You are perfect.” You smiled and kissed his lips. “I could get used to this. Making love to you and then laying in your arms.” You whispered hoping you wouldn't scare him away.
“Me too, Y/N, me too.” “Dean, would you ever consider moving away from your dad and Sam? Like maybe in here with me?” Dean sat up in the bed and looked at you. Panic flooded your brain instantly. “Well, I hadn’t given it much thought, but I don’t know if Bobby would like that too much. But yeah, I’d consider it, if Bobby was okay with it.” You looked shocked, “Really? You’d be willing to move in with me?” 
Dean turned and looked at you, “Of course I would. This (he motioned between the two of you) wasn’t just a one and done thing. I want to be with you. I’ve never wanted to be with anyone ever, but with you I’d give up everything.” “Oh Dean.” Tears filled your eyes as you kissed him. 
When he pulled back his thumb wiped the tears away, “Shh don’t cry sweetheart.” “They are happy tears, Dean. I just can’t believe you’d be willing to stay with me. Of course, I could always go with you too.” Dean’s head spun around, “What?! You’d leave home for me? To go on the road with us?” “Yes, Dean. I’d give up everything for you too.” Dean kissed you again and pulled you back down with him. “Come on sweetheart, let’s get some sleep. We will figure it out tomorrow. Tonight, let’s just be here together.” You nodded in agreement and laid your head on his chest. 
You listened to Dean’s heartbeat until your eyes got too heavy and they finally closed. Dean listened to you as you fell asleep in his arms. He smiled and felt his heart warm when he heard the soft snores coming from you. He couldn’t shake the feeling he was starting to fall for you. It scared him but excited him too. He’d never felt like this about anyone. Could he really leave his dad and Sam to live with you, or could he really let you leave Bobby to go on the road with him? These questions plagued his brain until he finally drifted off to sleep holding you tight. 
Around 3 am the door to your bedroom creaked open. Bobby saw Dean’s bed was empty and knew he’d find him with you. His heart sank when he saw you laying on Dean’s chest and Dean holding you tight. He knew he couldn’t keep you two apart now. At first he was going to wake Dean up and tell him to get the hell out of your bed, but he saw you smiling in your sleep and heard you sigh softly. He saw how Dean’s grip on you tightened when you sighed. He knew, of course he knew. Both of you were falling in love. “Balls!” Bobby said before he closed your door softly. 
He walked downstairs and told John “We’ve got a problem.” “Dean’s with her, isn’t he?” Bobby shook his head yes, “And the problem is they are already falling for each other.” “Damnit Dean! I told that boy to keep it in his pants. Bobby if I would have known this was going to happen I would have told Dean to stay away.” “Hey, John, it's nobody’s fault. They are young and are going to do whatever they want. We just need to figure out where to go from here.” “We will talk to them in the morning. I’m beat. Night John.” “Night Bobby.” 
The next morning you woke up late. It was about 10 am and you felt strong arms wrapped around you. Dean was sleeping next to you, holding you in his arms. You smiled and snuggled closer to him. He started to wake up and pulled you tighter. “Where do you think you’re going, sweetheart?” “Well, I need to pee, so hopefully the bathroom.” You giggled. “Fine, but come back, please.” You leaned over, kissed him, “I will.”
You grabbed some clothes and threw them on and headed to the bathroom. You walked back towards your bedroom. When you got to your door you saw Dean stretched out on your bed with the blanket draped over his hips. His toned chest exposed to the chill of the room. You bit your lip.
“Like what you see sweetheart?” Dean grinned with his eyes still closed. You closed the door and climbed on the bed, “You know I do.” You placed a soft kiss on his lips. He pulled you down into his arms, eliciting a giggle from your lips. “Dean, we really should get up. Do you want to be the one to explain to Bobby and your Dad why you’re naked in my bed?” “If they don’t know why I’m naked in a beautiful woman’s bed by their age, I don’t know what to tell them.” He smirked. “Dean Winchester! You know what I meant.” 
He laughed and pulled you closer, “Yeah I know, I’m just not ready to leave your side yet.” You sighed and laid your head on his chest. “I know, me either, but if we don’t get up soon they will come up here.” Dean grumbled and you giggled.
There was a knock on your door and you froze. “Hello?” “Hey, sweetpea, you and Dean get dressed and come downstairs, we need to talk.” You looked at Dean with wide eyes and he smirked. “Okay, be down soon.” “Shit! Dean, how did they know?” Dean chuckled, “Guess there’s no need to keep it a secret, huh?” “Dean, it's not funny. Bobby sounded pissed.” “It kinda is, sweetheart.” You playfully slapped his chest, “Dean, you’re terrible, now get up and get dressed.” 
A few minutes later the two of you walked downstairs hand in hand and were met with tense jaws and even tenser stares from Bobby and John. You squeezed Dean’s hand and he pulled you closer to him, “I’ve got you, sweetheart.” 
Bobby stood up and got in Dean’s face. “I thought I told you to stay the fuck away from her, Dean!” You jumped at the sound of his voice. You’d never heard him that angry before. You stepped forward a bit, “Bobby, I’m an adult, I can be with whoever I want.” You seemed so small beside the three towering men. Most people would be intimidated, but you held your own. 
“Sweet pea, it’s not a matter of being an adult, I just don’t want to see you hurt.” “Bobby, I love you, but you can’t protect me for the rest of my life. You’ve always told me what good hunters and men the Winchesters were, now you’re telling me Dean isn’t. So which is it? Is he good or not?” Bobby looked between you and Dean and knew he was fighting a losing battle. Before he could say anything else John stepped up and punched Dean in the face. You gasped and when Dean turned his face back he was bleeding, but didn’t react. Bobby had grabbed John and pulled him back. Dean’s jaw clenched and he looked over at you and saw tears in your eyes. He let go of your hand and stormed out of the house. You looked at Bobby and then over at John. “I can’t believe you two. Dean is an amazing person. He practically raised Sammy because you, John, were too caught up in your own grief and need for revenge to be anything that resembled a good father. He had to be mom and dad to Sam. You owe him so much because he raised himself and his brother FOR YOU! Uncle Bobby, I know you mean well, but I’m an adult. You didn’t have a problem with Alex, and he tried to force me into his car. Dean never once forced anything. I pursued him. Even last night before we had sex he kept asking if I was sure. Now that is the kind of man I want to be with. Sure he’s had a past, but which one of you can say you haven’t. Now if you will excuse me, I’m going to find Dean and check on him.” 
Before they could say anything else you walked away and found Dean standing on the porch. When he saw you he pulled you into a searing kiss. He heard you defend him. He pulled away and looked at you, he cupped your face, “Thank you. Nobody has ever defended me like that. Thank you, sweetheart.” He kissed you again.
“I meant every word of it. I don’t know what this means for us as far as where we are headed to live, but I’ll follow you wherever you go, Dean Winchester.” “Good, because I’m not going to let you go, ever.” He kissed you again and could feel so much love between you two. 
Later that afternoon, you and Dean had decided to go off together. Just the two of you, hunting and living together. He couldn’t bear the thought of being with John after what happened, and he knew Bobby needed space. You were in your room packing a bag when Bobby came to the door, “Sweet pea, you don’t have to leave. We can figure this out.” Bobby’s eyes were pleading with you and it broke your heart. “Uncle Bobby, I’m not leaving for good, Dean and I just want to be together, work on our relationship without having to deal with everyone else’s opinions. I love you and you will always be home. I promise.” You hugged Bobby tightly. He kissed the top of your head.
Dean came to your room to grab your stuff. Bobby turned towards him, “Dean, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I said. There is no excuse for it. She’s like a daughter to me and it’s my job to protect her. Well, it was. Now it’s your job. I know you’ll protect her no matter what. Keep her safe, bring her home every once in a while, and take care of yourself too. Your father was out of line hitting you like that. I’m sorry son.” He pulled Dean in for a hug. You had tears in your eyes looking at them hugging. 
“Well sweet pea, where are y’all headed?” “Not sure yet, maybe East. I’ll call you whenever we stop and let you know. I love you, Uncle Bobby.” “I love you too, sweet pea. You make him take care of you.” “I will, and he will. I know he will.” You hugged him again and handed Dean your bags.
The three of you walked downstairs and Dean headed out to your car to put the bags in it. Sam was standing there, “Dean, take me with you two. I can’t be with Dad. We’ll kill each other. You know that.” Dean sighed, “Yeah Sammy, I know. Sammy, I want you to apply to school. Get out of this life, go be a lawyer or whatever you want to be. I know you can do it. Meet a girl, get married, have kids. Be normal.” Dean pulled Sam into a hug, “I love you baby brother. Stay with Bobby until you get into that school.” “I love you too, Dean.” 
You stood in the living room and hugged Bobby one last time. John was standing leaned against the doorframe not saying anything. He was just staring. Dean walked in and walked over to Bobby and pulled him in for a hug. “Bobby, I need you to let Sammy stay here and make sure he applies for college. He’s too smart to stay in this life. He deserves a normal life.” Bobby shook his head in agreement. Dean thanked him and started to walk away.
As the two of you approached the door John stepped forward, “Dean, Y/N, wait.” You both stopped and turned around looking at him. “Look, I’m sorry Dean. I shouldn’t have hit you. I was out of line.” Before Dean could say anything you stepped in between them, “John, you were definitely out of line hitting him. I hope you take some time and reflect on yourself about the kind of father, man you want to be. I know Dean loves you, but it’s my job now to protect him and if that means protecting him from you I will. I’m in love with your son, and will spend the rest of my life proving to him what an amazing man he is. A lesser man would have laid your ass out after punching him, but not Dean. You see, that’s the kind of man he is. He knows when to fight and when not to. Hopefully that’s a lesson you learn too. Goodbye John, I wish you nothing but the best.”
You looked up at Dean who was still trying to process you saying you loved him. Smiling softly at him, you kissed his lips, “I’ll be outside.” You knew he needed closure so you left to give him his space to find it. 
Dean stepped towards John, “Dad I forgive you. I just can’t be with you right now. Maybe later down the road the three of us can hunt together, but right now I need to be with her and have space from you. I hope you understand.” He hugged his father and started to walk away. “Dean, for what it’s worth I know you’re a better man than I am. You take care of that little firecracker. She loves you and I can tell you love her. Be safe, and always know I will answer when you call.” Dean nodded and headed outside. 
The two of you climbed into your car and Dean started her up. He took your hand, you looked out your window, waved at Sam and Bobby and Dean drove away. You two had no idea where you were going, but you knew you would be fine as long as you had Dean by your side. 
Part 3
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dilemmaontwolegs · 1 year
Note
danny ... finding out the boy in the picture ... is the v card thief !!!! Kicking my feet and giggling !!
The Taste of Temptation || DR3 {7}
Warnings: 18+ only, nsfw, angst, smut, fluff, soft!danny WC: 2.5K F1 Masterlist Story: One || Two || Three || Four || Five || Six || Seven || Eight Snapshots: One || Two || Three || Four || Five Fic Playlist: Die A Happy Man - Thomas Rhett
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The colour behind your eyelids dimmed and you opened them wondering where the cloud had come from in the endless blue sky. You immediately sat up and looked around for Danny when you found the cloud in your day was actually Andrew towering over your sun lounger.
“Uh, hi,” you said as he smiled and leaned in to try to hug you. “Woah, what are you doing?”
“We haven’t seen each other in like five years.” His arms were still open expecting to embrace you.
“Exactly.” You grabbed your towel and wrapped it around your body after seeing his eyes roam the skin that was visible.
“Hey baby, is this guy bothering you?” Daniel arrived at your back, his hands cold on your shoulders from going to the lakeside cafe and getting some iced drinks. “Wait, I recognise you - you’re the perv from the picture.”
“What?” Andrew chuckled in confusion.
“You were checking her out at the bar last night.” Daniel opened his phone and shook his head as he saw the picture again, confirming it as he turned it around. “Seriously?”
Andrew laughed and looked at you with a smirk. “I thought it was you but I couldn’t see your face. That ass though, I’d recognise it anywhere.”
“Danny!” you gasped as you leapt to your feet, turning and planting your hands on his chest at the first sign of movement. “There’s a crowd, you know what Christian said.”
“You think I care, kitten?”
“I think he isn’t worth it.” You looked over your shoulder to see an incensing remark about to be sent Daniel’s way. “Andrew, please leave.”
“Andrew huh?” Daniel echoed before his arms curled around your waist and he stared him down from where he rested his chin on your shoulder. 
“She told you about me?” he asked with a cocky grin.
You sighed at the stand off you found yourself in the midst of and narrowed your eyes at Andrew hoping he would get the message to piss off but he wasn’t looking at you and seemed content to ruin your day. More and more cameras were coming out as the tension seemed to ripple across the surface of the lake. 
“Did she tell you I was her first?” he taunted with a smirk. 
“So? I’ll be her last,” Daniel laughed as his hand splayed low across your abdomen, his fingertips dancing across the top of your swimsuit bottoms and drawing Andrew’s eyes down to the movement. “That’s all that matters.”
“Drew, move it along,” your father stated as he arrived, soaking wet from leaving the lake to intervene when he noticed the three of you. 
“It’s public property, sir.” Daniel snorted at the switch in character while your dad found his phone with his belongings next to yours, already starting to dial a number. “Who are you calling?”
“Your father.” Andrew was gone before he could hit ‘call’ and he tossed it back on the sun lounger with a shake of his head. “That boy never knew when to walk away.”
“Thanks, dad.”
“It’s not a family reunion without some drama, last time it was Nessa and that boy - what’s his name? - I lose count,” he said with a roll of his eyes before pointing a finger at Daniel’s hand. “I know you’re marrying her, but she’s still my daughter, hands above the waist, son.”
His palms had warmed on your skin and they quickly shifted up to your ribs with a stiff nod. “Yes, sir.”
With your father heading back to the water, Daniel couldn’t resist whispering in your ear, “Imagine if he knew all the bad things I had done to his little girl.”
“I don’t think they are bad things,” you whispered back. “I think they are very, very good.”
“That’s because you are a filthy little minx, my kitten.”
You turned in his arms that remained firmly above your hips and bit your lip as you thought of all the filthy things you wanted him to do. “Wanna head back early?”
His smile turned to a chuckle and his head tilted slightly. “To an empty house? It would be very quiet.”
“Not for long, I’m sure you can change that.”
His hands started to drift to your ass and he swallowed as he watched your tongue wet your lips. “Just how will I do that?”
“I could tell you, or...I could show you.”
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“Any other ex-boyfriends I should know about, kitten?” Daniel asked on the drive home from the airport.
“Nope, funnily enough I wasn’t all that interested in dating and men before I met you.”
His eyes to you, quickly reading the honesty on your face before returning to the road. “Then how did Douche-Bag-Drew get a shot?”
You shrugged at the question and tucked your leg up on the seat to rest your chin on your knee as you watched the city come into view. “Naivety, YA books, I don’t know. I thought it was an experience you were meant to have before going off to college or uni. It wasn’t because I was ready or in love. Maybe that’s why it hurt so much, it was horrible.”
He reached across the seat and took your hand, bringing it to his lips so he could kiss your knuckles. “I’m sorry.”
Your brows pinched together in confusion at the apology. “Why?”
“Because you deserved better,” he said softly as he laced his fingers with yours and drove with one hand on the wheel. “I would have laid you down on a bed of rose petals and kissed every inch of your body. I would have made you comfortable and ready for me. I would have made sure you came before I even entered you, gentle and slow.”
His words were sweet and filthy, both making your chest swell with emotion and your pussy throb in reaction. “And that’s why I fell in love with you.”
You weren’t even home for 10 minutes before Daniel was out the door on an errand so you unpacked your bags before taking a shower after the flight left you feeling icky. You took your time assuming he would join you after hearing him pottering around in the apartment but after running out of things to wash and shave you turned the water off.  After towelling off, you stepped out of the bathroom and gasped at what you found waiting in the bedroom. 
Scented candles lit the room with the curtains drawn shut, the orange glow of each flame spilling across the quilt that was covered in red petals. The playlist you had made with love songs for your wedding was playing quietly from the speakers in the ceiling and Daniel hummed along as he entered the room with two wine stems filled with the special reserve wine of his you loved.
“Baby…” you choked as your eyes began to well with unshed tears and he handed you a glass.
“No bad things tonight, kitten,” he promised before sealing it with a searing kiss that almost made you forget you were holding a glass. You started to place it down on the drawers but he pulled back and lifted it up to your lips. “There’s no rush, love.”
The hint of cinnamon notes in the wine mixed with the rose petals on the bed and Daniel’s woody cologne drove your senses wild as you took a sip. This time he followed you as you placed the glass down, letting you set the pace as you took his hand and walked backwards to the bed. His arms curled around your waist and he picked you up to gently lay you down on the petals. They crushed beneath you and their scent grew stronger as Daniel started to kiss his way down your body.
“That tickles,” you giggled as he made it to your ankles before starting to make his way back. He smiled as he draped one leg over his shoulder and kissed your calf while his hand ran up and down your other leg, the contrast of his hard fingers stark against his soft lips. “I love your legs, kitten, they are stunning, especially when they are wrapped around me.”
Warmth prickled across your skin as his words filled your heart until you were certain it would burst with everything you were feeling. This was the side of Daniel only the people closest to him saw. Everyone else saw him as a comedian or their competition. Few saw the compassionate and caring man that was in front of you. There was a seriousness with his determination to make you feel the best you possibly could that he didn’t even have on the track. 
“Let me wrap them around your hips then,” you dared as you wriggled closer, but he just chuckled and shook his head.
“Not yet, I’m taking my time with you.” His hands caressed your thighs, his thumbs drawing soft circles that brought him closer to your core each time as he settled between them. His lips found each stretch mark and blemish, kissing them with sweet murmurs of your beauty and erasing every insecurity you had felt over the years. “I am the luckiest goddamn man in the world, kitten.” Your head fell back onto the quilt as his breath blew across your core and his palms reached the supple skin on your inner thighs, his thumbs spreading you open for him. “Only an idiot would let you go.”
You could only just think clearly enough to comprehend the shade thrown at Andrew but it was forgotten when his tongue teased your entrance, dipping inside to taste your essence before he hummed in contentment. He kept his promise and took his time, keeping you teetering on the edge of bliss until you were lightheaded from the shallow breaths you just managed to gasp. Only when you were begging him, your muscles constantly tense and shaking from how tightly wound up you were, did he press his tongue to your clit and give you the pressure needed for the orgasm to break free. 
The room reverberated your cries of pleasure and his tongue was there to lap at the fruits of his labour and elicit every last drop until he was drunk on your taste. Rising to his knees between your legs, you could see his jeans struggling to contain his erection and you begged him to hurry up and rid himself of the clothes he still wore. 
You tried to help, reaching for the zip as he unbuckled his belt, but he stood up out of your reach to pull his shirt over his head and then kick his jeans off.
You couldn’t believe this was the man you were going to spend the rest of your life with, he was more than you ever imagined a husband to be when you cast your eyes over his body and watched him fist his cock in his hand. Somehow you had been lucky enough to find a man who would not only die to protect you, but make you feel alive with every breath he had left; a man who could go 300 km/h on the track but take his time loving you in bed. 
“Daniel, I love you,” you whispered as if it were a confession and not something you told him everyday - but this was different. He was giving you the experience you should have had the first time, when you lost your virginity too soon and to someone you didn’t love. “I’m ready.”
The weight of his body on yours was reassuring and comforting as he lined himself up, still content to take his time, easing slowly into you until you both moaned when your bodies were completely joined. Your breath mingled as he pressed his forehead to yours and felt your hands dance along his spine, his eyes staring into your soul as he started to leisurely roll his hips, deliberately unrushed despite the primal urge to chase his own release. 
You had never felt such a shattering release as you did when his hand travelled down your thigh, gripping the underside of your knee and pulling it so you could wrap your leg around his hip. There was something so intimate in the way his hand glided over your skin, finding the swell of your ass and caressing it with the same softness that sent goosebumps rising along your skin and your heart fluttering erratically. 
“Danny,” you moaned as you tried to tell him what was happening, but the words were lost as he felt it for himself, your core clenching around him before erupting in undulating waves that tipped him over the edge of his own self-control. 
Your name tumbled from his lips as you felt his cock pulse with his release, feeling the heat of his seed as it filled you and he dropped his head to your shoulder with a peppering of kisses. “Now I’m your first and last, kitten.”
Click here for the next part.
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worms-for-brains · 2 months
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hey artist to artist, i love your price drawings but i wanted to know how do you draw the boonie hat? im trying to draw him like one of those grumpy pixar dads where the boonie hat covers his eyes and you can only see his expressions by how the rim moves. but im having trouble trying to even draw the boonie hat in the first place, could i get a tutorial on how you do it? your cartoon style looks the closest to mine and im just trying to figure out how to make him look like that dad from cloudy with chance of meatballs, i would send you the pic of what i got so far but this chat box dont have an add photo option.
AGHKFFJHIDHWIJCKDWOFJWDKO Tyyy sm!!
My advice for drawing the boonie hat? Don’t. Jk lmao. Uhhhhh. I’d say just use a lot of reference from online and I picture it kind of like a floppy plate and bowl sort of structure!
And when you said grumpy Pixar dad all I could see was something like this
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also @ceylon-morphe286 I’d love to see whatever you have! Come find me on instagram or in my tumblr DMs
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snazzynacho · 1 month
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Dad!Diego Hargreeves headcanons
Pt1/?
I might write a full length fic of this, I’ll see how I feel. I’m still new to writing for Diego/tua btw.
Warnings: mention of adoption/fostering. SFW obviously 🤷🏻‍♀️
Masterlist.
Read on ao3
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LOOK AT HOW CUTE THIS IS^
So it’s already established that he is a Girl Dad™ which is the most canon thing they ever did for season 4 LMAO
If you already have a kid from a previous relationship, he’d love them just as equally
Def insisted on growing a moustache as soon as you found out you were pregnant so he’d be dad ready™
This man constantly wanted a decent father figure, as all the other siblings wanted
But especially Diego, considering his stutter and all :(
So he’d love them so much and would do anything for them
This is his life motto fr:
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I also think he’d be willing to go to therapy before you have kids so he can be the best father he can be
Would 100% insist on attending every single baby/pregnancy class
I also see him willing to be open for adoption/foster care <3 He’d love to be a good father figure to children who need one 🥺
Also if he met you after he had kids he’d be so cautious to introduce his kids to you
He’d want to make sure you’d be a good and willing parent
If his child ever had a stutter or anything similar (including neurodivergence) he’d want nothing but the best for them and would constantly tell them how much he loves them <3
He’s just so supportive <3
Like if they want to draw? he’s there to help them colour in (and would try to buy the best type of crayons/pens)
If they want a bedtime story read? He’d do it in a heartbeat 🥺
He just would be so happy to do anything with them
Def would step up and change nappies/diapers
He’d be complaining about it the whole time but deep down he’d want to help
He’s INSANELY protective
Like he just worries all the time
This can lead to him being overbearing
But it’s never because he’s strict. He just wants to protect them and if he sees he’s actually doing the opposite of making them feel protected and supported, he’d tone it down (after a word from you of course)
Road trip dad™ (baby shark trauma)
Finds fun ways to get the kids to eat their veggies
He prides himself on being able to “fight” the imaginary monster under the kid’s beds
He’s like *superman pose* “don’t worry kids, dad is on the rescue!”
The kids would ask how he’s so good at fighting the monster and he’d be so careful not to tell them anything about his vigilante days😭
Like the kids do not need to be traumatised or scared of their own dad💀
When the kid(s) are slightly older (like almost 1) and they start to move around more he insists on baby proofing EVERYTHING
He’s buying all these over-priced equipment which you two really do not need and makes your credit card be in minus
He lets them wear his mask but he’s so protective of it
Like he only lets them wear it once in a while and if he’s watching them the whole time to make sure they don’t damage it
I’d say he’s quite iffy about letting them play with his knives and daggers
He definitely would wait until they’re older to teach them how to use them
I see him being a stay at home dad
Maybe you both try to make it work (like in the show) but ultimately your family works best if he’s a stay at home dad
He’d learn to be so patient with them when helping with homework <3
Especially considering he knows what struggling with something is like (his stutter) <3
Omg he loves sports days so much
He’d be cheering so loud
“THAT’S MY BOY/GIRL!”
And when it’s the parents turn to join in, NO ONE is more determined to win than he is
He’d secretly enjoy when his kid puts makeup on him
In fact I think he’d grow to love it so much to the point he’d be excited when your kid asks to put makeup on him
He even asks first sometimes
He’d put on high heels and the whole look too (💅💁🏻‍♀️this pose and everything)
When they start school, he’d be taking SO MANY PICTURES
Sentimental king
He just wants to have pictures of so many happy memories of his family
Instead of the few ones he grew up with (those pics of the umbrella academy in the newspapers don’t count bc let’s face it, those aren’t proper family photos bc they were just for press) </3
You both definitely have a big photo album
Maybe he even makes it into a scrapbook (that is so cute)
And makes it a family bonding moment where everyone gets to design their own page
He’d love cooking/baking with his kids and you
(Why is me writing all this making me emotional omg)
Maybe I’ll make a part 2 if I think of anymore ideas.
If u enjoyed this check out my tua blog @nacho-hargreeves and maybe I’ll post more Diego content here (we are starving).
Reblogs are appreciated 🫶
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pagesoflauren · 10 months
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Calamitous Love Collection: Delicate Beginning Rush (1/4
ex veteran!Steve Rogers x reader
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Premise: Steve Rogers blows into town in search of some estranged family. As he settles into civilian life, he realizes leaving work is hard and perhaps the world will never stop needing him.
Warnings: depictions of PTSD, mentions of abandonment by a romantic partner, complex familial dynamics, sexual content.
Thank you as always to @eightcevanscentral. And thank you to you all, for not forgetting me. I'm happy to write again.
Main Masterlist
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Ari blinks mutely at the stranger-who’s-not-actually-a-stranger sitting in his armchair, where he made himself comfortable without permission. With the information that was just revealed to him, he’s a little more possessive of every molecule in the cabin. 
His mother had opened the door, then stole everyone’s attention with her shocked gasp and the shrill sound of glass hitting the floor. Ari had rushed in and his wife, asleep on the couch, woke up and surveyed the surroundings. 
Soon enough, everyone was baffled by the appearance of a man named Steve Rogers claiming to be Albert Levinson’s half-brother.
As Ari continues to stew over everything he just learned, his wife pipes up, “Give him a moment.” 
“I’m going to need several moments,” he adds quickly, his voice dripping with his confusion. “You’re going to waltz in here and tell me that my dad’s father,” Ari begins, using hand gestures to help him keep track of all the people he’s about to mention, “My grandpa Alexander–whose last name is actually Rogers–left my grandmother Andrea Levinson and ran off with some other woman and had you?”
“That’s correct,” Steve says bluntly.
“And that makes you,” Ari points an incredulous finger at him, “My dad’s half-brother, and my half-uncle.”
“Correct again. Except, ‘half-uncle’ is a little odd to say because I’m about twenty years younger than your father. I’m probably only a few years older than you.”
“No,” Ari denies immediately, getting up from his spot next to his wife. “Nope, this is a dream. This is some crazy, twisted reality that I’ve been trapped in–”
“Ari, dear,” Bunny sighs, “This isn’t a dream, I promise. And…that’s kind of how family trees work.”
“And he’s not wrong,” Marcella adds plainly.
All eyes shift to her.
“You knew?!” Ari shouts, earning a stern look from him mother, which he quickly counters with an apology. “But…mom, why didn’t you tell me?” he whines. 
The women in the room roll their eyes and Bunny turns to Steve as Marcella begins to explain the matter to her son. “I apologize for my husband’s behavior. As you can tell, this news is quite a shock to him.” 
“I can’t say I blame him,” Steve shrugs. 
She mirrors his gesture, then offers him something to drink. 
“If it wouldn’t trouble you to get some water, I’d appreciate it.” 
“Not a bother at all,” she waves him off before getting up, walking past the other two in the room and drawing Steve’s attention to them. 
“...Your father and I just didn’t think it was so important. They lived such separate lives, anyway. And think about it, what does this change, after all? You still have this house, you have your wife, you have me.” 
“I just can’t imagine leaving,” he sighs, eyes drifting to his wife in the kitchen, standing on her toes to grab a glass all the way in the back of the cupboard. 
He’s told her many times to stop that out of worry she’d overextend the delicate tendons of her ankles. Went as far as building a step stool she doesn’t even use; he huffs a laugh to himself as he watches her move to the fridge and take out the water pitcher. The liquid sloshes with the movement and swaying of the various fruits she had put to make it just a little bit more refreshing. 
Strawberries, mint, and watermelon in his water; her hands in his; holes in his shirts with constantly fresh stitches; the prospect of filling frames with pictures of a growing family; she was home to him. How could he ever think about abandoning it? 
The idea that his grandfather did something he can’t begin to understand, that’s what sits in his stomach and tangles up his insides. 
Steve didn’t do that. He was just the product of it. 
His eyes follow his wife as she walks back into the living area, handing him a glass of water.
“Thank you,” he says softly, taking a sip before his eyes meet Ari’s. 
“Do you have a place to stay?” Ari asks.
“I was going to shack up at the inn after this.” 
“No need,” Ari shakes his head. “We have plenty of room here.” 
“Are you sure?” Steve chuckles slightly, “I think I broke your brain when I walked in and told my story. Seems like staying over would rock the boat even more.” 
The air in the cabin suddenly lightens, tension fading away as everyone laughs.
“On the contrary, what better way to get to know your family than by staying with us?” 
Steve shrugs and smiles, “Well, I guess I better get my things then.” 
Ari offers his help and the two men begin to bring Steve’s bags into the cabin. There isn’t much, about three pieces of baggage to bring in.
When they shut the door and appear to get settled, Marcella pipes up, “Oh good, you’re done.”
“Mama, what are you doing?” he asks, watching as she settles the strap of her purse on her shoulder. 
“I’m ready to go to town to get my nails done.” 
“Ma, I told you this morning–”
“Right, you have some silly little project to work on and my lovely daughter-in-law is cooking for the week.”
“I don’t think fixing a leak in the sink is–”
“Yeah, that one,” she waves him off, “Anyway, as I was saying, I wasn’t asking you to bring me. Steve has a car.” 
“Ma, he’s a guest–”
She scoffs, “Oh, please, he’s family, and it would give him a chance to explore the town a bit. Doesn’t that sound great, Steve?”
Mute from being put on the spot, Steve takes a moment to process before agreeing to do it. 
“See? Everyone’s happy!” Marcella chastises Ari.
She makes her way out the front door and the men hear a snort from the kitchen. 
Bunny pauses and looks up from the vegetables she’s chopping, “Welcome to the family, Steve.”
- - - 
After dropping Marcella off at the salon, Steve found a spot under a tree to park in. 
Stepping out of the car, the main avenue of the town looked familiar and foreign at the same time. 
It was a typical American small town busy road: cars parked along the sidewalk, wide streets and walkways, stores directly next door to one another, hustle and bustle. Every American knows it, and it’s likely non-Americans know it too. 
But when was the last time Steve saw one for himself? 
It wasn’t that long ago, but it feels like it was. 
Before the jet rides to quickly get from place to place. Before the case files and research. Before commlinks and codes. Before sleepless nights planning missions and long days carrying them out. Days would turn into weeks, weeks into months, months into years. 
He’s given so much of his life and focus into it that he doesn’t remember life where he wasn’t doing it. He knows there was something before it because every adult has memories of growing up, being a child, and going to high school. 
In Steve’s brain, those recollections are locked away in a corner of his brain he locked away to be able to do his job. 
The things he was afraid of as a kid, the insecurities that held him back as a teenager, the innocence everyone has before becoming an adult; he lost touch with all of it, lost touch with himself.  
It had gone too far on the last mission. His friend sent him home with the promise the team would be okay without him. 
The voice of a conversing family draws him out of his dazed state, catching a glimpse of two kids skipping while their parents gently caution them. 
Sighing, Steve moves onto the sidewalk and begins to walk down the street. When a door swings open, he sees the brief image of his walk: stiff, arms swinging in tight control and calculated steps as if he’s back at boot camp. 
Slowing his pace, he thinks about how to appear more casual; he is, after all, a civilian now. 
Relax, Rogers, he can hear Natasha say. No, seriously. We’re supposed to be walking through the mall, not running to the drill sergeant’s back and call.
He lets his shoulders deflate, shoves his hands in his pockets, and tries to find a comfortable pattern of steps. 
While he can’t be certain, Steve has that nagging feeling that he looks like an idiot. 
Pursing his lips, he decides to distract himself by looking at the various window displays along the sidewalk. There’s a certain small town comfort that comes from the bright colors and fun arrangements that are meant to attract customers. Different phrases like “fun in the sun” emulate the summer air, while silly props like turtle-shaped inner tubes evoke a type of nostalgia that most people are lucky to have when thinking of their long breaks from school.
Steve knows in the dark annals of his mind, those memories are there. 
Before he can deep dive into retrieving them while staring at a flamingo pool floatie, he’s interrupted by a parent pulling his son out from a nearby store. 
“Why can’t I have him now?!”
“If you can do your chores consistently for a month, we’ll talk about it. Puppies aren’t toys. They’re a responsibility, like your chores. And you keep putting those off.”
The conversation fades as Steve draws closer to the door the pair just exited, peering into the window. 
A handful of dogs of all ages yip and bark, some playing by themselves while others tumble around and bite each other softly. Their kennels line one wall, while the other wall is filled with two housings; one for a molly cat and a litter of kittens and another empty one, the door slightly ajar. 
Intrigued, Steve pushes the door open. 
The dogs all perk up at his entrance, some standing and wagging their tails, ears high with attention, while others bark at him. 
A woman rushes in from the back, a slightly resigned look on her face. 
“C’mon you all,” you sigh, “You know that’s not the right way to greet somebody, especially if you wanna get adopted.” 
Standing in front of some of the kennels, you stick your hands through the bars to nudge some chewing toys towards the more excited canines before turning to the other wall to attend to the kittens. 
“Sorry, Mocha, let me put this down and your kitties can keep feeding.”
As you pull down a makeshift shade to block the front of the kennel, Steve realizes the missing feline from the other cubby is perched on your shoulder, tail swinging in satisfaction as it maintains perfect balance as you walk around.
“Hi, I’m so sorry,” you greet him, “Some of the puppies are still in training. And Major over there is a rescue; he’s been through it, so he’s still warming up.” 
He follows your gesture towards a large German Shepherd standing on his hind legs. 
Reaching up, you remove the cat from your shoulder and laugh when it hooks its claws into your shirt.
“Shadow, we have a guest,” you giggle, and Steve feels a lump in his throat. Negotiating the claws out of the fabric, you rest Shadow onto your arm. “This cat’s been here for a while. He’s followed me since he was a kitten, and he’s got this beautiful black coat, so I figured ‘Shadow’ was a great name. Isn’t he lovely?” 
“Yeah,” he nods, “I’m Steve, by the way.”
“Oops, leave it to me to introduce the cat before myself,” you joke, tapping your forehead to point out your forgetfulness. You offer your hand as you give him your name. “It’s nice to meet you. I don’t want to be presumptuous, but I don’t think I’ve seen you before?”
“Oh, you wouldn’t have,” he waves you off, “I just got here today.” 
“Well, welcome to Barber. What brings you to town?”
“Some long lost family.”
“Which one?” you ask, interest piqued. Then, your eyes widen bashfully, “Sorry, that was so invasive.”
“No, it’s alright,” Steve smiles, “I, um…do you know the Levinsons?”
“Oh Ari and Marcella! And Ari’s wife, of course. Yes, I love them. Marcella came in once and nearly snuck one of the kittens out in her jacket. Not that she was stealing from me, but she wanted to try to get it past her son. He wasn’t having it; though I think he would benefit from a kitten. He’s so gruff–oh my God, I talked way too much.”
The blond laughs and you think you might swoon. Setting Shadow down to wander around the shelter, you try to keep things professional. “So, what brings you in? Just here for some puppy therapy, looking around?”
“Well, if Ari doesn’t want a kitten in the cabin, I imagine he wouldn’t want a puppy,” Steve begins, looking at the dogs. “But I hear they’re good for…um…”
He pauses and you keep your posture, looking at him attentively as he tries to find his words.
“I’ve heard that adopting an animal could be good for a returning veteran.”
“Oh,” you comment, “Yes! I mean, that’s easy for me to say because I run the shelter; but really it’s easy to recommend a pet to anyone who is considering it. A father and son were just in here and the only thing that stopped me was the fact that the father was saying his son doesn’t tend to his chores. But I think with the right guidance, his son could be a good dog companion.
“In your case, though, I would say it could help you feel more adjusted. You’ll have something to do and a friend who will love you unconditionally. But, seeing that you just got to Barber…”
“It’s probably best to wait before I make a decision,” Steve finishes for you.
“Exactly,” you smile, “We’re on the same page.”
A few beats of silence pass over the two of you before you break it. “Would you like to still look around? You’re welcome to. I’m sure the dogs would be happy to interact with someone other than me.” 
Taking you up on your offer, Steve accepts the bowl of treats you hand him and listens attentively as you specify that each puppy only gets one treat. “And don’t fall for the puppy eyes. You laugh now and think I’m joking but these guys are good at what they do.” 
Approaching the first kennel, the chubby puppy with round ears perks up and yips, excited for an interaction. A rush of happiness fills Steve’s chest, helping him relax as he wedges two fingers between the bar to give the little guy a couple head scratches. Then, he reaches down into the bowl, holding the treat for the puppy to bite.
The puppy chews and Steve catches a glance at his description: suspected to be a mix of a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Boxer, the puppy is a boy with a lot of energy. He’s only a few months old and was found wandering in the grocery store and begging for scraps at the deli. 
“Well, your name makes sense, Salami,” Steve mutters, making eye contact and, sure enough, as you predicted, he’s begging for more treats. “Damn, she wasn’t kidding. I bet those guys at the deli gave you every scrap they could find before bringing you here.”
“Oh they did,” you respond from behind the counter. Looking up from your paperwork, your gaze switches between Steve and Salami. “You should’ve seen him. You think he has a soft tummy now, he was a complete pot belly when he was done over there.” 
The two of you share a laugh as Steve tries to conjure the image in his head. 
Every puppy has an anecdote to go with it, he finds out as he continues through the shelter. Some are happier than others, and it shows in your face as you tell the stories. Some even make your voice clog with emotion and you have to take a deep breath. 
“Sorry,” you sigh, “That’s what, the fifth time? Gosh, I have got to get it together.”
“No, no, don’t worry about it,” he reassures you, then quickly changes the conversation to focus on the last puppy. “What about Willow? Anything about her?”
“She’s the sweetest little thing. She’s got to be some golden retriever mix, I just can’t put my finger on the other breed. But, anyway, she found by Ari, your…?”
“Nephew.”
“Your nephew–” You start to go with it, until it registers that Ari and Steve appear to be the same age. Your voice catches as the gears turn in your head.
“Long story, I’ll tell you after this one.”
“Got it,” you agree. “Anyway, Ari brought her in. She was hiding under a pile of lumber that he was about to deliver. Apparently she led him on a wild chase around the lumber yard. When he brought her in, he was all sweaty and grumpy.”
“I think he’s always grumpy.”
“Seems like it. I don’t know how his wife and mother deal with it. But, yeah, that’s Willow’s story. I figured since she was found in the lumber yard, I should name her after a type of tree. I also thought about just naming her ‘Timber’ or something but I liked Willow.”
“I like it, too,” Steve says, looking back at the puppy. When his eyes meet hers, he realizes she never stopped looking at him while he was speaking to you. 
She gives him a dopey smile, tongue hanging out as she pants in excitement at the sight of him. 
“Looks like you two are having a moment,” you remark.
It all falls away at the sound of his phone ringing, causing a cacophony of barks and howls to arise.
You try to calm the dogs down as Steve clumsily finds a surface to put the snack bowl down while answering the phone.
“Hi Steve!” Marcella trills on the other line. “I’m all ready to go!”
“Oh, okay, Marcella, I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
“Okay see you soon!”
The call ends there and you’re still trying to get the dogs to settle. 
“I’m sorry, I didn’t think my ringer was on.”
“That’s okay, it happens,” you brush him off. “I’m glad to have met you! Hope to see you around. Or hope you come back for Willow.”
“Yeah, it was great to meet you too.” He lingers for a moment, wanting to say more but no words seem to be right. “Actually, before I go, could I take a picture of Willow?”
“Sure, do you want to hold her?”
His face shows his nerves before he can express them, so you quickly retract your statement and turn to bring her out of her kennel.
Propping her up in your arms, you do your best to get her to look towards Steve’s phone.
“Oh, you can smile, too. You’re in it.”
“Oh, okay!”
Your smile is bright, radiating a warmth that Steve doesn’t think he’s ever felt before. 
When the picture is taken and it’s truly time for him to go, the memory of that grin makes it difficult to leave. 
As Steve walks down the avenue, he types a message to Bucky.
Life in Barber is off to an interesting start. Met the sister-in-law, the nephew, and the niece-in-law. But I think my favorite is Willow (picture coming)
After sending the picture of you and the puppy, he sees Bucky immediately start typing, his response brief but effective.
Who’s the girl? 👀
She runs the shelter.
Anyone of interest?
Steve takes a moment to come up with a reply, triggering Bucky’s impatience.
Or maybe not yet.
But she seems like your type, so I think it would be a person of interest. 
Rolling his eyes, Steve types a message simple enough to end the conversation there:
Maybe. 
------------------
Tags: @crazyunsexycool @blackwidownat2814 @brandycranby
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albatmobile · 15 days
Text
Cardinal Sins Chapter 7
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𓅪 Living with your vigilante boyfriends for the past year has been amazing, well, almost. Butting heads, old wounds resurfacing and a deadly threat still looming overhead could threaten the sanctity of everything you've ever fought for. Will you finally overcome your tainted past and survive the trials and tribulations, or will your relationships and your faith crumble under the pressure?
Rated: M | TW: violence | 8.6k Contains: lian content, interrogation, misunderstandings and a situation that changes everything fem!Reader x Jason Todd x Roy Harper [masterlist] Previous in Series: Art of Rehabilitating Snowbirds
Chapter 7: Landslide
Reuniting later that night with Lian is surreal.
The three of you are back at your place, something you can tell puts both men at ease, but you don’t have time to question it. 
She’s been forewarned that you’re still sick and recovering, but this doesn’t stop her from bounding up onto your bed to give you hugs and kisses. She spends the next half-hour showing you all the pictures she’s drawn in your absence and even fixes the messy braids her dad has bestowed upon you. 
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“You know what?” she says suddenly. You watch as she carefully sets down the drawings on her dads shared nightstand, then anxiously tucks a stray piece of her inky black hair behind her tanned ear, “I thought you left me.” Your heart shatters. “I thought you weren’t coming back like my first mommy.”
Heart shattered??? No, your entire being is crushed to a pulp.
“Never, Lian,” you swear to her as you pull her in for as tight a hug as you can manage in your recovering state. “I promise I’d never leave you. Not willingly.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’m going to do everything in my power, you know, whatever it takes, to make sure our family stays together,” she nods lightly at your statement, though she begins to pick at the seams the duvet you’re under. “I like it when we’re all together,” you say with a genuine smile, poking at her lightly until she finally gives in and smiles back.
“Me, too.” The little girl squeezes you with all her might before Jason and Roy come in to dress your wounds. 
“Lian, go finish the picture you started for her the other day while we get her cleaned up, okay?”
“Okay, daddy.” 
Jason presses a kiss to her forehead as she slips down the tall bed.
They gently lay you down on the king-sized mattress and clean your healing wounds with delicate precision. You don’t know what to say and it seems like they’re clearly in the same boat.
“I should’ve been paying more attention,” you lament with a weary exhale. “I didn’t mean to put anyone through this shit.”
“Stop it. No one blames you,” Jason grumbles as he gently checks over your head wound. “It could’ve happened to any of us.”
“We all really missed you,” Roy cuts in before you can retort, hoping to cut off another pissing fest before it starts. His soft hands trail up and down your exposed legs comfortingly. “It was really hard coping without you.”
Your brows furrow together, suddenly remembering how much Roy had been struggling so much before your accident.
“I’m sor-“
“Don’t,” Roy warns lightly. His light green eyes flash with an unreadable emotion briefly before he slowly goes back to trailing up and down your legs. “You don’t owe anyone an apology, baby.”
You’re in your comfy clothes, one of their over-sized shirts and your short, cotton shirt as you watch the two of them watching you. It’s like they’re scared to take their eyes off of you for fear of missing out on any more time with you.
“Besides,” Jason starts as he finishes off cleaning the wound from your feeding tube, “it’s not like we didn’t try to deal with shit while you were…”
You watch as he trails off, swallowing deeply before forcing himself to put the kit away. 
“Even if you didn’t, it’s clear that we need better coping mechanisms to be more supportive of each other as a family, anyway,” you say. “I was wanting to bring it up before… you know,” your hands wring together anxiously until Jason and Roy each take one into their grip and squeeze gently. 
“Of course, babe.”
“We hear you,” Roy says. The redhead leans down to kiss your hand delicately, then your lips, then Jason’s.
You bask in their presence for a while, simply glad to be back in their arms again.
Though you feel as if it’s been mere days, the idea that it’s been almost a month has steadily been eating into you. You can’t even begin to imagine how either of them are feeling after not having you be there for them for that long. The whole situation is so fucked and you know this is only the beginning of, well, everything. 
“We did end up talking about it a bit with Bruce,” Jason’s deep voice cuts through the quiet room. “Technically, I was ambushed into talking to him, but we really tried to work through our shit so we could be strong for you while you recovered.”
“That’s good,” you say with a smile, knowing he’s pushing himself to be open right now. Whatever talk they had must’ve worked at least somewhat.
“That and Roy made sure to keep up with his therapy,” Jason boasts in Roy’s stead, who bashfully ducks his head in response. 
This makes you smile even more.
“Even got Jay to join me for a bit one during one, baby,” Roy says with a wink, though it slightly lacks his usual enthusiasm. If you’re this worn out you can’t imagine how they must be feeling. “Maybe when you’re feeling better we could all do a group session.” Logically, you know he’s talking about group therapy, however, your body suddenly feels the weight of going nearly a month without sex. You can’t help the heat that stirs across your cheeks at his words, something he notices with an easy smirk. “Calm down, princess. Jaybird’s outlawed sex for at least another week.”
You pout. “So this means I’m barred from the field, too?”
“How can you even think about shit like that when you were still a vegetable this time yesterday?” Jason says as he comes back into the room and joins the two of you on the bed.
“I resent that description,” you retort, glaring at him half-heartedly as he snuggles up beside you.
“Resenting the truth never did anyone any good,” Jason says. He looks pointedly your way before placing a chaste kiss against your still blushing cheeks. “And you need bed rest for at least a few days before you can even think of training again, let alone getting back out there.”
“Not to mention, you still need to process everything that just happened,” Roy begins as he lightly rub at your shoulders. “Believe me, Jason and I wish we’d done the same when we went through all of our shit.” 
Jason concurs, “You really don’t want to blow past this now and pay for it later, babe.”
You know they’re right, but you only have one thing on your mind…
“It’s hard when all I can focus on is this fucking case,” you say with a sigh.
It’s always been abundantly clear that time’s never guaranteed and can’t help but feel like you’re steadily running out of time to uncover the mystery. Not to mention, you want to act on the visions you’d seen while you’d been unconscious, though you can’t deny you’re somewhat hesitant to follow them after the shit-show that happened last time you did.
“Well, focus on healing first. Roy and I have continued looking into leads for the court,” Jason says. Meanwhile, his hands begin to trail over the areas of your body that Roy isn’t currently touching until you feel absolutely pampered.
“You have?” you ask and they nod in response. It’s what happens next that lets you in on the fact that they found something. They look at each other, not just a normal look. No, this look 100% reads like they’re wondering if they should tell you what they’ve found or not. You squint your eyes at Jason, then at Roy. You’re not going to give them the choice. “Tell me what you found,” you demand, leaving no room for argument- or, so you think.
“You should take it easy for at least today,” Roy argues gently. Now, they’re both look at you with evident concern.
“I will,” you say, smirking when they seem to relax, “after you tell me the lead.”
Jason huffs, rolling his eyes in what you know is thinly veiled amusement. As much as he claims to hate your stubborn nature, you know he also secretly loves it.
They stay quiet for another beat before Roy goes to grab his laptop from the living room.
Jason’s eyes have yet to leave the side of your face, so you shift to face him, still in his arms. “I missed you,” your name leaves his lips as a breath, “so fucking much.”
You curl further into him, reveling when he pulls you in for a soft kiss. It’s chaste and gentle, yet you can’t help but curl your toes at the intimate contact.
“Jason,” you whisper once you pull away. 
Your half-lidded eyes meet his own briefly before you’re pulled back in. Though he’s being remarkably gentle, he dares to deepen the kiss, leaving you to moan gently against his smooth lips. 
“You almost done over there, etai yazi?” You hear Roy ask as he makes his way back to the room. “Oh, damn,” Roy sputters at the sight that meets him. His verdant eyes glint mischievously as he comes upon the two of you tangled together in your sheets. “What happened to waiting a week, Jay?”
Jason regrettably pulls away, though his calloused fingers remain caressing your jawline. It’s as if he’s debating pulling you back already.
“Guess I couldn’t help myself,” Jason replies, his deep voice reverberating every molecule of your being.
In an instant, Roy drops the laptop at the edge of the bed before climbing over to join the two of you. The redhead kisses at your shoulders before maneuvering your head to the side to capture your lips in a sloppy kiss that you have no choice but to smile into. He pulls away with a smirk, wiping your wet lips with his thumb before carefully leaning over you to give Jason an even more obnoxious kiss.
You can’t help but laugh, feeling like everything’s finally how it’s supposed to be for once. “I love you both so much,” you sigh and nuzzle against their protective embrace.
The three of you know you only have so long before Lian comes back, leaving you to get back to business quickly. This time, they don’t take as much convincing before they spill everything.
“We have a lead on a guy who may know something about The Court,” Jason says. “We don’t know his name, but we know that he hangs around the some shitty bar by the harbor.”
Roy interjects, “And that the dude has an owl tattoo on his chest.”
“Say he likes to act like a hardass, but underneath, he’s just another Bristol cuck. Shouldn’t take too much to get information about the next Court meeting out of him.”
You mull the information over in your head but can’t help but go back to how they got the information.
“Who told you about him?”
They both look instantly guilty.
Bingo.
You sigh, feeling an argument coming on. Well, either that or a headache. “I thought you were both done with that drug lord shit. You promised me to drop all those contacts when we made things official, did you not?”
They both look guilty enough that you already have your answer.
Roy speaks first, “We did, baby. You’re right and we feel really bad about it but-“
“The circumstances were dire,” Jason finishes right where Roy left off. “You weren’t gone, but you weren’t here. We sat around for weeks not knowing if you’d,” he sighs as if unable to finish his sentence. 
“We didn’t know if you’d ever wake up, baby,” Roy laments as he moves to take one of your hands into his own. 
For a moment, you think about pulling away from him, but you don’t. Regardless, you’re still pouting and your displeasure over the whole situation is very much evident.
Soon, Jason’s taking your other hand into his own. No one says anything for a moment, something you’re grateful for. The past day has been a lot to deal with mentally, this added on to it is like the icing on top of the cake.
“Well, now I know neither of you are going to give me shit for tagging along.”
Checkmate.
They glance over at each other and you watch the brief conversation they share through their eyes alone. Finally, they look back at you.
“Fine, but you’re not coming in,” Roy answers for both of them.
“I have to stay in the car?!” you question incredulously. 
Un-checkmate.
“Babe.” Jason rubs gently at your hand in lieu of a further response.
A beat, then you answer. “Fine,” you agree, albeit pettily.
You hear her determined patter before you see her. Seconds later, Lian rounds the hallway and into your room with her picture triumphantly displayed in front of her.
“Look!” 
Without warning, she leaps onto the bed to shove the paper in front of your face. 
Your eyes cross as you stare at the image that’s now three inches in front of your face. You gently take it from her hands with a smile and place it on your lap to get a better look. The figures are crudely drawn, but it’s clearly a picture of you and her daddies at a tea party. Hearts and flowers, coupled with a random sun in the corner, grace the page, leaving a thrumming warmness to fill your chest.
“Thank you, chickie,” you say, causing her to giggle at your nickname for her. “I’m going to keep this with me forever.” At this, you motion her over and she gently settles in your lap so you can kiss her forehead. 
You never made art for your parents, let alone received anything like this from Lian before. It warms your heart in a moment where you feel entirely vulnerable, weak. Through this picture alone, your little girl manages to make you feel important and loved. The good outweighs the bad and you find yourself feeling stronger through her tenacious presence alone. 
“I’ll make you some more, mommy. I’m a really good drawer and I used all my new colored pencils to make it extra pretty for you,” she babbles on about her drawing process, along with how Grandpa Alfred got all the new art supplies for her, while she’s in your arms. 
Meanwhile, Jason and Roy look at the scene in front of them like it’s the cutest damned thing they’ve ever seen.
“I love it so much. Definitely makes me feel a lot better.” She beams at that. Your words are simple, but you hope they convey just how much it means to you. You place the drawing on the bedside table, mindful of your injuries and the little girl, before addressing her, “Wanna stay and hang out with mommy and daddies? We can do whatever you want.”
“Really?!” she exclaims, bouncing in your lap. You wince slightly at the movement and exhale shakily in response. Roy joins you on the bed to collect her into his own lap so she can’t hurt you on accident. She pouts a bit at the recent development, “I don’t want you. I want mommy.”
Roy gasps, pretending to be hurt when she tries to crawl back over to you, “Etai yazi, you’re hurting dad’s feelings.”
“I don’t giffa duck,” Lian attempts to curse as she squirms out of his hold. The kid is nearly home free when Jason scoops her up.
“Mommy is hurting, remember?”
“But, daddy,” she pouts in Jason’s arms.
“No cursing either,” he says.
“I didn’t!” she exclaims.
“Lian,” he warns her with what she refers to as his ’scary eyes.’
She huffs, crossing her arms in his hold, “Fine.”
Jason can’t help but smile a bit, though he quickly schools it so she doesn’t get the idea that cursing is funny. See, situations like this just prove that being an adult sucks. A five year old incorrectly cursing like a sailor? Shit’s fucking funny. Can you laugh at it? No, because then you’d be a bad parent, encouraging bad behavior. See? Sucks.
“Be gentle,” Jason reprimands her lightly as he places her back on bed. 
You open your arms and she slowly crawls over to cuddle between you and her dad. This time, she treats you like she treats her favorite blankie, petting you softly in apology with little kisses on your hand.
“I’m sorry,” she pouts again. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
She’s adorable.
You smile softly before assuaging her worries, “It’s alright, chickie. So, what would you want to do tonight?”
After it’s been decided that Lian wants to watch the new Superman show, Jason sets about creating a tea party very similar to the one in her cute drawing. He leaves and quickly returns with a tray filled with steaming tea cups and snack cakes that make your stomach grumble. Before you can try to reach for them, Jason shoots you a pointed look as he reveals the hidden bowl of soup behind them.
“You heathens be careful, alright?” Jason warns. “I’m not cleaning these sheets again.”
However, Roy just snorts and digs into the tea sandwiches with fervor with Lian soon following in his example.
You, on the other hand, are supposed to be on a liquid diet for the next few days while your body slowly gets used to you incorporating solid foods back into your diet. This means that soup and tea are all you get. It doesn’t make your cravings go away in the slightest, however. You watch enviously as Roy and Lian scarf down the snack cakes that are calling your name.
“Maybe if I just have a little bite,” you try, but Jason just hands you the soup he’d made from scratch with Lian for you. During which, Roy had been cuddled up against you while you dozed in and out of consciousness.
“Let’s just stick to soups and smoothies for at least another day, babe,” Jason insists and rubs your palm gently as if to apologize. “It hasn’t even been 24 hours since you woke up.” He holds a distant look in his dark green eyes, reminding you of the pain you’d caused in your absence.
You pout, crossing your arms petulantly as you allow him to feed you. The soup is flavorful yet gentle on your upset stomach. 
“Do you like the soup, mommy?”
Your heart fills with warmth as the liquid slides down your sore throat. 
“It’s amazing.” You uncross your arms to ruffle lightly at your hair. “You’re an incredible soup chef,” you praise her.
“I’m the best soup chef in the whole entire world,” Lian agrees. She goes to retaliate by ruffling your hair, too but Roy holds her back, nearly spilling his food on the duvet in the process.
Jason shoots him a glare that begs him to fuck up the clean sheets, but Roy’s too busy reminding Lian to be gentle to notice. You, on the other hand, drink in the adorable sight as Jason offers you another spoonful.
“Thank you guys,” you say genuinely. “For all of this. It feels good to be back.”
“Feels good to have you back,” Roy responds.
“And let’s keep it that way,” Lian adds sassily with an adorable pout you know she’s picking up from you. 
Cute.
“I promise.” And you mean it. 
You refuse to let anyone come between you and your family ever again. 
Not this time.
•••
You haven’t been sleeping well ever since the coma. 
It seems like every time you shut your eyes, the visions that you can’t make sense of are growing stronger and stronger. It’s getting to the point that you’re lucky to catch three hours of sleep, if that. Regardless of the lack of sleep, you’ve been doubling down on recovery and training. You’ve worked hard enough that you’ve not only made some insane progress in your overall healing but also in getting back in the field.
Yes, you’d been in a coma but you weren’t crippled. Far from it, in fact.
With Lian being off with Alfred for your bi-weekly date night, it was something neither had any logical reason to refuse. Especially not after you’d voiced feeling left out on missions. 
This is how you end up a week and a half later at the sleaziest dive in Gotham- The Stacked Deck.
The brick building itself is completely rundown, complete with a flickering neon sign gracing a dented pole that someone had obviously run into a few decades prior. Outside, C-list villains and gangs of motorcyclists loiter around the weed-covered, decrepit parking lot. 
Roy insists on taking the minivan so you can sit this one out, something you and Jason fight against, after all, it would only draw unnecessary attention to your crew. Eventually, Jason concedes, which is how the three of you end up cramped into the busted minivan sans a license plate. 
When you pull up, all eyes easily fall on the out-of-place vehicle, though everyone goes back to minding their business as soon as Hood and Arsenal emerge in full uniform from the beat-up mom car.
They’re on a mission to find out any information they can on the Court’s whereabouts from the contact they’d tracked down while you’d been in a coma. He was the only possible tie they could find to the elusive owl society, but, luckily, he’d been described as the type to squeal. 
You, on the other hand?
Yes, you’re donning Cardinals vinyl red garb. However, you’ve still been banished to the car. You sigh as you lean up against the peeling window tint. Part of you wonders why you begged to come along if all you were going to be doing was sitting in a locked car. Hell, even dogs have more rights than this shit, you think bitterly. 
It’s hot as fuck outside even though it’s well past midnight and you sincerely regret your decision to suit up. You wait a few more minutes in the heat before you give up. Luckily, the shitty car is old enough to have window cranks, so you’re able to crack the window a bit without the keys. This minuscule action, however, ends up drawing more attention than you’d expected. Okay, no worries, you tell yourself as you see movement coming closer out of the corner of your eye. Just play it cool.
You remain facing forward, refusing eye contact with a bulky-looking dude that sidles up and knocks on the window you’re attempting to crank shut as nonchalantly as possible.
What the fuck is wrong with men?
You keep staring at the dashboard in front of you and try to ignore them, but the man keeps knocking and is soon joined by his gaggle of friends.
“Guess I missed the Halloween memo, huh, sweetheart?” the burly man says, tugging at his leather vest. He then throws the cigarette in his mouth to the ground and stomps it out in, what you assume is supposed to be, a menacing action, but you merely roll your eyes under your mask.
The eye roll stops as soon as your eyes land on the huge owl tattoo that peeks out from behind his ratted white shirt.
Holy shit. There’s no way…
This is the dude Jason and Roy are after! 
He landed right in your fucking lap and you know you’d be stupid to let this opportunity pass. Just because you aren’t necessarily in the mood to pummel these chauvinistic pigs into the pavement, but it doesn’t mean you won’t.
His buddies exchange a few words, but everything said is ultimately muffled by the glass separating you.
You can’t imagine what’s holding your partners up, but you know that you can’t wait much longer. You refuse to risk your only lead when you know damn well that you can handle these punks on your own.
You’re soon startled from your thoughts when one of the assholes shoots a bullet and ends up shattering the side mirror.
“That’s it,” you mutter in frustration as you unlock the door. You slowly slink out of the car, closing the door effortlessly behind you as the men take in your shorter form.
“I’m sorry,” one spouts as you slowly twist one wrist, then the other to stretch them out, “is it supposed to be scary? Because all I can see is you shaking that ass on me in that tight number you got on there, girl.”
“Yeah, yeah,” the closest man to the left of your target snorts. “No parking zone sweetie, but you can park here,” the man gestures to his dick with a sinister smirk, “all night long.” 
The men all get a decent laugh, thinking their joke is so fucking original or something, but you feel like gagging and noton account of the putrid smell only dives like this can produce.
“Ever seen a gun this big before, doll?” the man with the owl tattoo finally chirps up again as he taunts you with the gun that ruined Roy’s car.
You round on him slowly, putting more distance between yourself and the car, tilting your head ever so slightly as you do. 
Nervous laughter erupts from the group like they can’t tell whether to take you seriously or not. Guess they’ll find out soon enough. 
“I don’t need guns,” is all you respond.
The men around you ‘ooo!’ as they punch each other jokingly and close in on you, but you don’t give them a chance to do much more before you attack.
You start with the men closest to you, crossing your arms to grab them before uncrossing them and sending the men’s heads into each other’s with a loud thump! They crumple to the ground in front of their awe-struck friends. When the remaining men finally look up from the men on the pavement to you, you shrug nonchalantly. You don’t allow them any time to recoup before you rush forward and knock two more to the ground through the sheer force of your body alone.
Without missing a beat, you spin around to roundhouse kick one of the bikers who’d been attempting to tackle you from behind. He stumbles to the ground where you deliver a swift kick to his head, knocking him out instantly. The other two men on the ground, you deliver the same fate as you duck and dodge nearly all the haymakers being sent your way.
Five down, five to go.
Your new focus is on dodging the barrage of bullets that are now being sent your way. You flip onto and over the roof of the car to gain some sort of barrier as you wait out their reload.
They start yelling, whether it’s directed at each other or you, you’re unsure. One sound you are sure of is the sound of an empty round.
When you hear the tell-tale signs of empty clicks, you storm out from behind the car, taking the men by surprise as you send the biker closest to you barreling into the distracted group of reloading men. Everyone, except for your target with the owl tattoo, scatters to the ground like bowling pins.
It’s then that your target takes aim at you. 
You’d been expecting as much and seamlessly do a backflip, then cartwheel into a front flip to avoid his bullets. Once you come upon him, he’s out of bullets once again. You use this as the perfect opportunity to kick the offending weapon out of his beefy hands.
“Who the hell are you?” 
Instead of responding, you sock him in the face with a jab, followed by an uppercut, before spinning around and crouching to duck the fist of one of the remaining men. The fist originally sent your way ends up landing against your target and sends the man with the owl tattoo sprawling backward.
You waste no time in using your crouched position to stick your leg out and trip the man. As soon as gravity takes hold, you pop back up, spinning around to land a sickening punch on his face before he can make contact with the dirty ground. 
You’re panting slightly as you stand.
The three remaining men you’d knocked to the ground mere moments prior were back up and on their feet. It seems they realized guns were futile and resorted to switch blades. 
Pathetic.
Your body moves with practiced ease as you manage to avoid their blade’s short reach. Before they can even realize you’ve retaliated, you grab the underside of two men’s wrists and push them backward with enough force to send them tumbling. If there was any doubt before about you not being physically ready to go out in the field again, you know it’s been sufficiently crushed with how you’re handling the situation at hand. Not that any of these men posed any sort of challenge outside of the sheer number they shared as a group. 
The only standing man growls anomalistically as he snarls down at you, “You dumb fucking bitch.”
“No one’s ever accused me of being dumb,” you respond airily as you bolt to the side to avoid his heavy fists. You block his cross, sending back one of your own and managing to land directly on his dirty cheeks. 
“I’m gonna kill you!” he screams as he interlocks his hands over his head and rushes toward you to bring them down atop your head.
You don’t even try to stop him. No, you just step slightly to the side, leaving him off balance as his hands make contact with nothing.
From the corner of your eyes, you notice the man with the owl tattoo slowly crawling for the door to the bar.
That’s a no-no.
You’re playing too much. You know you need to stop fucking around and put an end to this dumb shit before your only lead can get away.
The determined biker lets out a war cry as he and the remaining two men charge at you. They get a few good hits on you, but ultimately, you knock them each out before bolting over to your escaping target.
His grubby hand is clasped around the door and threatens to open it. He eyes your advancing form with fear and falters slightly as he tries to turn the knob, but you’re on him too fast. Your heel makes contact with the door and its frame, effectively preventing the man from opening the door. His eyes follow up the shiny expanse of your leg, which you use as the perfect opportunity to throw his already weak form off balance. 
“Fuck!” He lands on the ground with a pained curse but you’re not letting him off the hook just yet. You pin him with ease and he soon gives up on struggling and moves into the bartering phase of getting your ass handed to you. “LET ME GO! What do you want?” he asks breathlessly. His bloodied face is evidently panicked as he attempts to look beyond your mask. “You want money? I’ll give you money! Name your price!”
You chuckle lowly, “I don’t want your fucking money. I want answers.”
“Answers,” he nods enthusiastically. “I got those. I got answers, sweetheart. I-“ 
You cut him off with a stark slap across his beaten face. “Let’s get one thing straight,” you growl, “I’m not your sweetheart.” 
“You’re not!” he agrees enthusiastically. “You’re right.” He’s trying way too hard to be agreeable. It’d be funny if you weren’t thrumming with excitement for the information you were about to get. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know. Promise. Is that an option? Can we do that?” he babbles, practically squealing when you tighten your grip on him. “Please! Anything, just let me go,” he whines pathetically.
You lower yourself in one fell swoop so that your vinyl-covered is against his ear. “Ever heard of The Court of Owls?” 
He stops struggling in an instant, looking around with greater fear than before. Maybe everything Damian had said really was true…
“Are you trying to get us both killed?” The man looks up at you through his wince.
Your eyes narrow, disregarding the warning. 
“What do you know?”
•••
When Red Hood and Arsenal emerge a few minutes later, they find you leaning up against the car with one of your legs posted against it, surrounded by the knocked-out motorcycle gang. 
You notice them falter briefly in their step as they take in the scene
“The fuck happened out here?” Red Hood asks you incredulously. Meanwhile, Arsenal’s busy lamenting the shot-out side window and subsequent bullet holes in the car’s body.
“Someone pissed me off,” you reply simply.
“Remind me to stay on your good side,” Hood responds wryly.
“Yeah, yeah,” you wave him off as the three of you climb back in the car, “what took you guys so long, anyway?”
“We didn’t find The Court of Owl’s dude, but we did find an ex-Cadmus scientist, babe,” Arsenal says.
“Oh?”
“Mhm.” The redhead nods, turning around in the passenger seat. His verdant eyes rake up and down your form greedily as he bites lightly at his lower lip without seeming to realize it. “You look good, princess.”
“Code names, Arsenal,” Jason warns, but even you voice your discontent.
“It’s just us in the car,” you come to Roy’s defense. “Should be alright, right?”
“Fine,” Jason gives in with a sigh. With this, he turns off his voice modulator before zipping out of the parking lot and onto the desolate road.
“Cool,” you say, meeting his eyes cheekily in the rearview. 
He rolls his eyes mirthfully before completing your inside joke, “Cool.”
You allow yourself to roll up your mask past your nose, regretting it when you catch a whiff of your b.o. and wince. “Gross,” you wince.
“Yeah, but what caused the grossness was hot, so it all kinda cancels out,” Roy says, tapping at his head. “That’s logic.”
“It’s… definitely something,” you snort when he reaches around his seat to smack you on the thigh.
“You sound just like Jason sometimes. I swear I’m dating two of him.” 
You stick your tongue out in response, but it only causes the redhead to unbuckle and stumble into the backseat to chase after it. You merely bat at Roy, offering him a chaste kiss instead. 
“So, did you guys leave the interrogation to me, or did you actually get any info?”
“You got the info for the court meeting?!” Roy asks, sounding impressed.
You hate how surprised they both seem. Like you’ve somehow been incapable in past interrogations when… oh, yeah, you were the only one getting answers. You don’t know if it’s because you haven’t been sleeping well recently or if you’re just coming down from the adrenaline of the fight, but all you can think about is how their response is straight bullshit.
“The information we came here to get? Yeah,” you reply as you shake your head in frustration. You can’t believe either of them, let alone their lack of faith in your abilities. “You know, I love how I keep having to prove my worth to you guys in the field, and by love, I mean hate,” you finish with a glare. 
Now, you have the information. What you still don’t seem to have is respect from your partners.
“Hey, that’s not what we meant at all.” 
You ignore Jason. “Just because I got hurt doesn’t mean I don’t have what it takes. Like you said,” you turn to Roy beside you, “it could’ve happened to any of us.”
“Baby,” Roy starts to caress your vinyl-clad arm, but you shake him off.
“No,” you say with a shake of your head. “No, baby. Not right now.” You sit up straighter in your seat, looking between Jason’s blank stare in the rearview and Roy’s concerned face beside you. “You guys believed in me, even when I didn’t, so why doubt me now? Why continue to make me pay for something caused by random chance when I keep proving-“
“You don’t have shit to prove to us,” Jason cuts you off, cooly.
You huff, crossing your arms and slinking back into your seat.
“What’s this actually about, baby?” Roy questions gently.
You’d been working your ass off to get back in the field, but you can’t deny you’ve been scared. You’ve had brushes with death before, but nothing like that. It was too close and maybe you’re the one doubting yourself. 
They seem to understand, though, at the very least with how supportive they’re being. Well, either that or your words and Connor’s have finally gotten through to them.
You feel Jason’s familiar gaze on you in the mirror but you refuse to meet it. 
“I don’t know if I’m cut out for this,” you finally admit.
Jason’s eyes flicker over to Roy in the rearview, finding his eyes already there to meet him. You follow their nonverbal conversation with your eyes, biting back the eye roll because you do honestly find the way they can communicate like that really cute.
“Like you said, you’re the one who ended up with the info,” Roy says as if it’s obvious. “You haven’t even been in the field for that long and you’ve definitely showed us up time and time again.”
Through the mirror, you watch as Roy’s eyes encourage Jason to say something.
After a beat, Jason clears his throat awkwardly. “You, uh, do really know how to hold your own,” Jason adds gracelessly. Regardless, Roy still nods encouragingly, leaving Jason to blush and turn his focus back toward the road. 
“Whatever you decide to do, baby, we’re here for you but don’t think for a second that you’re not cut out for this shit,” Roy looks at you pointedly, “because you are. You’re a badass, sexy,” his arms trail up the outside of yours, “intelligent, freaky as fuck programming mastermind-“ Roy trails off. “I forgot where I was going with that and now I’m just hard.”
You know he’s just trying to make you laugh, so you allow yourself to give in.
“I love you guys.” 
You’ve never felt so grateful to have the two of them by your side, especially right now, when you’re feeling so unsure of yourself and your abilities.
Pretty soon, you’re pulling up to the manor. As soon as you arrive, two of the tires pop. Alfred immediately gets to work right after he sends the three of you off to change into civies. Meanwhile, Bruce eyes the vehicle, well, what’s left of it, with distaste. He’s wearing his suit, though he removes the cowl when the three of you approach. 
“I have a loaner car for tonight, but feel free to keep it,” Bruce says as he looks over the lemon. “We’re having the luncheon this Sunday, so you can just bring it back then.”
Roy glares. “My girl runs just fine, thank you very much.” He runs his hands protectively over the ruined exterior as if to prove it.
Bruce moves on swiftly after this, obviously not understanding the bond between Roy and his shitty minivan. “So, I take it your interrogation tonight went well?”
“Technically, two interrogations,” Roy corrects.
“Oh, yeah,” you say. “You guys never told me what you figured out.”
“You led your own investigation?” Bruce turns to you, seemingly impressed by the recent revelations.
Jason crosses his arms. “She’s really good at it, as it turns out,” Jason says with a hint of malice. You can’t tell if he’s salty thinking about your intimidation over Deadshot, or if he’s protecting you from Bruce’s comment on account of how you reacted to his and Roy’s comment in the car earlier. “She’s more than capable of holding her own even after everything.”
Okay, definitely the latter. You can’t help but beam at his support, finally feeling like you’re on the same team again.
“What, like it’s hard?” you respond playfully. Bruce easily holds up his hands in faux-surrender, though looks thoroughly impressed. You turn to your partners before asking, “So?”
“Well, we found an ex-scientist from Cadmus in the bar being used as a footrest.” You can’t help but quirk a brow at Roy’s odd recap. “Told us that the Winter Rose Ivy sold carries a symbiotic protein, which she conveniently left out when you were beating her ass.”
Symbiotic?
Could that mean…?
Maybe your hunch over the origin of your visions in the subway tunnels had been right.
“The data I gathered during my own analysis of the stem you brought in from Cadmus seems to support that as well,” Bruce adds.
So, there was no doubt that the Cadmus scientist had been telling the truth.
“So, whatever they’re concocting is both water soluble and symbiotic?” That doesn’t sound good at all.
“Not to mention the stolen microwave emitter,” Roy says grimly. Before you can even ask, he shakes his head, sending his red hair sprawling in front of his eyes, “No, he doesn’t know where the machine is. Says he didn’t have access to that level of information but that another team was running hypotheses on the matter.”
“And you still don’t believe in killing these fuckers, Bruce?” the raven grumbles. Everyone turns to Jason. “Still think everyone deserves a second chance- mercy?” he scoffs. “We’re talking about a large scale attack on, well, who knows what and we’re just supposed to sit here and shove our thumbs up our asses until it comes? Why don’t we prevent-“
“I’m not having this conversation with you right now, Jason,” Bruce says tersely. 
“If not now, when?” Jason’s arms spread out like he can’t believe what he’s hearing. “When millions of people are being murdered by The Court, no, by him.”
You gulp.
One look at Roy proves he’s ready to step in at any time should any issues arise, but Bruce is already walking away. He throws you the keys, which you catch easily as he tugs his cowl over his head.
“I refuse to sit here and debate ethics with a man who's killed for pleasure.” It’s cruel- blunt and Bruce’s words do nothing to stop the anger already brewing over in Jason. “I’d hoped being around her morals would’ve smacked some sense into you by now, but it’s clear you’re a lost cause.”
“I’m a lost cause?” Jason tries to act as if he finds the situation funny, but everyone can clearly see the tears pooling behind his emerald eyes.
“Please,” Bruce looks unimpressed, “there’s only so much redemption one man can accomplish before he diminishes it all with repeated, skewed antics.”
Roy steps in before Jason can manage a step forward.
“Yeah? Well, I refuse to sit here and take this hot and cold shit from you. You forgive me one day, are disappointed in me the next. You hold me at arm’s length for cleaning up the streets like you never could over some bullshit antiquated sense of morality. I am necessary evil, sure, but it doesn’t make any of the things you do any less evil either, Bruce.”
It’s not Bruce anymore when he smacks Jason across the face.
The resounding sound, coupled with your gasp, lingers as silence overtakes the room.
Seconds tick by. Maybe minutes, you’re not entirely sure.
Your body thrums with an intensity usually saved for battle. 
Everything’s fucked.
“This is not up for discussion,” he says, his tone leaving no room for argument. Well, it would leave no room if it were anyone but Jason. “You follow my rules or face the consequences.”
Jason laughs darkly, keeping his head turned from the original impact as his shoulders slowly shake before slowly turning to face his father again. “Still the same old Bruce, yeah?” Your eyes are still wide not quite believing what you’ve just witnessed. “Keep your fucking car. I don’t need shit from you. Never have, never will,” Jason spits.
With this, Jason spins on his heel and storms out of the cave. Roy makes to follow him, then stops. He opens his mouth, finger poised at the ready, but the words never come out. Instead, he just shakes his head, red hair flying in front of his face before throwing a dirty glare over his shoulder and following after Jason.
Your feet, however, remain planted.
“I always kind of hoped your ways would rub off on him,” he says with a light sigh. Bruce isn’t even looking at you, he’s just blankly watching after Jason’s retreating form. You don’t say anything, still completely stupefied by everything that transpired. “Just make sure his way doesn’t rub off on you. You’re better than that.”
You don’t recognize the man in front of you. Regardless, he seems similar enough to the descriptions Jason always warned you about and you never believed. You still can’t necessarily bring yourself to believe his words even still. Call it naivety, call it stupidity, call it excusing it all… but you feel frozen. It’s as if two completely different versions of Bruce are trying to combine into one right in front of your very eyes, yet your mind still resists their complete merge.
You’re shaking. Your entire body continues to thrum as if electricity is coursing through your veins as you just stand there. You want to leave, you want to comfort your love, you want to ask your dad why he- just why, but you just stand there. 
“If you’ve forgiven him once, surely you’ll forgive him again,” you say, but in a way, you’re asking. You need to know if he’d be able to drop you so easily for not following his code perfectly. You need to know if your place in the family is a conditional circumstance. 
You don’t want to know, but you need to. 
Would he really be able to keep you at arm’s length and all the other like he did Jason? 
“Forgiveness, when asked upon so many times, isn’t asking for forgiveness- it’s asking for acceptance,” he says lowly. “I refuse to give that to him.”
His cruel words finally spur life back into you.
You have your answer whether you like it or not.
Regardless of how Bruce would treat you, you know how Jason treats you. Even all those years ago when he disappeared, he was still there for you, still protecting you. You want to do right by Bruce, but you need to do right by Jason.
Bruce seems to think you’re leaving and makes to walk away but you stop him with a firm grip on his forearm. He looks down at the contact briefly, quizzically meeting your eyes. 
“So, per your words, Jason’s accepting this disgusting behavior from you? Because I can’t count how many times he’s told me he’s forgiven you, Bruce,” you say. The words are coming out of your mouth before you even realize it. “If you ever touch him like that again, especially in front of me, it won’t be his forgiveness you’ll be begging for.”
You place the Rolls Royce keys into the open palm of his gauntlet and pick up the minivan keys instead. 
Alfred’s already replaced both tires at this point and that’s good enough for you. You quickly help him remove the tire jack before peeling out of the manor garage, heart pounding intensely all the while.
When you pull around, Jason’s nearing the end of the manor driveway with Roy following closely behind. You can hear their loud voices as they traverse the infamous Wayne gravel that you yourself have stormed down, but you can’t make out what they’re saying. Roy looks pissed, Jason looks like he’s disassociating. 
Roy shoots you a grateful look when he notices you. Probably because he would’ve had to sneak back in for his metal baby later had you not pulled up in it.
What do you even say to Jason? “Sorry that the man I look up to…” No. 
You can’t.
You view Bruce in a different light after tonight- Jason as well. It makes your stomach churn uncomfortably. 
Logically, you know everything will go back to normal, that you’ll show up to the luncheon and Jason will avoid his father just as much as Bruce avoids him. You know that a month from now, Bruce will make a half-assed apology that devolves into him lecturing Jason over the same things and Jason will sit there and take it because, at the end of the day, he loves and looks up to that man as much as you do. Though Jason will never admit it, his actions leak it.
“I’m sorry. I understand what you mean now.” You go to say more, but he cuts you off.
“Enough,” Jason barks, leaving your mouth to click shut in an instant. Roy sits in the back, wanting to touch Jason, but he shrugs off his touch every time. He slinks down slowly in his seat, crossing his arms menacingly as he does. “Someone change the subject before I talk myself into going back there and starting an all-out war with the cunt,” he growls.
Change of subject? You can do that. You’ve had something on your mind for a while and, you can’t deny that you also want to get the slap out of your head. Regardless of your parent's carelessness surrounding you growing up, neither cared enough about you to ever lay a hand on you. Today honestly shook you to your core.
“I think that the symbiotic nature of the serum explains why I’ve been seeing all these visions,” you hesitate slightly before continuing. “It could also be the reason why I’ve been feeling so sick recently.”
“You’ve been feeling sick?” Roy questions slowly, almost cautiously. You already know he’s thinking back to the first pregnancy scare. Well, it’s about as good a time as any to tell them about the second scare, especially now that you think you know what caused it.
“When we were in those test tubes, I woke up. I heard what the scientists were saying.” Your face scrunches up as you try to remember as much of their conversation as you can. You sigh, “That there were two subjects in my tube.” You glance quickly in the rearview to see their shocked faces. “Obviously I thought, you know,” you trail off uncomfortably. “I took a pregnancy test, though. It came back negative, which just further proves I’ve already received a dose of their new serum or, at the very least, some sort of variation of it. If it causes me to see Joker’s thoughts, imagine what that could do on a wide-scale attack.”
Just like you thought, they both freeze up before acting way too nonchalant. 
“Oh.”
You can hardly keep yourself from rolling your eyes. “Guys, that’s not the point,” you huff. “I think it all has to do with the new serum. It’s possible that, at the dockyard last year, Poison Ivy had already sold them a stem and I was the lab rat, just like Two Face said my contract stated.”
“You’re saying you think your contract is back on?” Jason asks dubiously. You’re glad, at the very least, that he seems to be more present again.
You sigh, “I’m saying, I don’t think it ever ended.”
Having to deal with psychopathic killers hunting you down for a large insurance scheme was hard enough when it was just Joker, Two Face and your parents. Now Cadmus and, seemingly, The Court of Owls, along with Joker and his new lackey, was something entirely different.
How are you going to survive this again?
“They’re coming to collect what they never got, then,” Roy surmises. “It’s actually starting to somehow make sense. If they tested out the new serum on you at the dockyards, that would explain why I never felt strong effects like you did after being in the tube. Do you think it has to do with multiple doses?” Roy asks.
“That could explain why the effects of the injection at Cadmus seemed to strengthen my visions,” you say with a shake of your head as you pull into the apartment garage. “Whatever this concoction is, it’s extremely dangerous. Especially in their hands.”
“It’s him,” Jason says with disgust. “He wants control.”
“Or to drive people mad,” Roy supplies as he helps Jason out of the car. Jason surprisingly lets him and you lightly jog to catch up to their longer gait.  
Whether or not Roy was calling you crazy, you didn’t know. What you did know, however, was that you can’t deny how heavily these visions have weighed on your psyche.
“Well, if you both fully believe me now, then maybe it’s time we test my visions again,” you say. “We need to go back and collect a sample of the subway water. Maybe we’ll be able to find Joker’s accomplice, too.”
Anything to get the upper hand… You definitely don’t need a repeat of last time happening. Not when the enemies are this powerful and the stakes even higher.
You refuse to lose it all. 
You refuse to go down without a fight.
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A/N: ik I said i'd upload this friday, but i had a really good day and wanted to share this early :D i'm thinking of changing my upload dates to mon/tues EST as a heads up too btw
be sure to check out my fic update for more info on what you can expect for this month :p
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offorestsongs · 1 month
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[SR] Rosienne Minuit - The Hat Extravaganza
another Rosienne card, woo! this time for the fan event hosted by @zetsubobu <3 it's quite ironic that i choose to participate in a hat-based event considering the fact that i famously hate drawing hats but i still had a lot of fun with this!! i thought Rosienne would especially fit the aesthetic, so here he is!!
[voicelines under the cut]
Summon Line: “Oh, it’s just a silly competition, let’s not get heated and just have fun!” No, fuck that. If I’m here, I’m here to win. Groooovy!!: [locked] Home: Queendom of Roses, huh? Well, that sounds like the place for me. Home Idle 1: Of course I’m wearing a dress. All the men’s options were booo-ring. Where’s the fun in just wearing a suit? Home Idle 2: I was told that they have good sweets in the Queendom of Roses. If you’ll need me, I’ll be wherever they are. Home Idle 3: If you need to ask anyone for advice on how to decorate your hat, I’m the best one around. I don’t think anybody else here has any sense of style. Home Idle - Login: Hey, Prefect, take a picture of me, would you? I didn’t get all dolled up for nothing! Home Idle - Groovy: [locked] Home Tap 1: Why are you looking at me like that? Oh, the make up? Well, that was Vil’s idea, but I actually don’t hate it. This style’s kinda fun. Home Tap 2: It’s funny watching Rook trying to cozy up to Leona. What? I’m not here to babysit him. I’m allowed to just sit back and laugh. Home Tap 3: I thought I’d match my hair to the whole rose theme. What do you think? I don’t look like a clown, do I? Home Tap 4: Somehow I ended up bonding with the Heartslabyul housewarden. I just wanted to know more about the history of some places, and he happened to know, like, all of it. Huh, he really is nicer than I expected! Home Tap 5: It’s such a shame that spring and summer are such a busy place back at home. I’d love to go see all the gardens here with my dad. Home Tap - Groovy: [locked]
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meear · 1 year
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The state of siblings in HP&the Deathly Hallows
Deathly Hallows is the book that shines a (new) light on every sibling in the story.
This is where we see Lily and Petunia's childhood, we learn about Aberforth and Albus' story, we read about Regulus' death, Percy's return (and even, to some extent, Harry and Dudley's goodbye, though of course they were never raised as siblings nor did they ever consider each other as such, but they did grow up under the same roof). This is the book where Ron finally confronts his insecurities, by destroying the locket who was throwing all of his family issues back into his face.
We finally meet Andromeda, the last Black sister, and we have Bellatrix mention her ("We—Narcissa and I—have never set eyes on our sister since she married the Mudblood"). In HP7, Molly even tells Harry that Fabian was her brother, which is something the reader never knew
I often see people drawing parallels between Sirius&Regulus and Lily&Petunia, both of these pairs being estranged siblings, but... They really don't have that much in common.
I've never seen anyone commenting on the Blacks' similarities to the Weasleys (by which I mean Percy) and the Dumbledores, when these three families have SO much more to offer. I think about them so often you do not understand. I don't even know where to begin. I've ended up putting a bunch of dialogue from the book, so it's a bit lengthy, but long story short:
Albus, Aberforth, Sirius, Regulus and Percy make me feel insane
Percy and Albus, two brillant, ambitious and arrogant young men, who felt trapped, who thought they were destined for more than the condition their family had condemned them to, who were desperate to leave their home and get their chance to shine despite their father's awful reputation, even by supporting corrupt ideals. Read what Dumbledore tells Harry at the end of HP7, and tell me it couldn't have come out straight of Percy's mouth:
"I resented it, Harry. I was gifted, I was brilliant. I wanted to escape. I wanted to shine. I wanted glory [...] So that, when my mother died, and I was left the responsibility of a damaged sister and a wayward brother, I returned to my village in anger and bitterness. Trapped and wasted, I thought!"
"[Percy] said he’s been having to struggle against Dad’s lousy reputation ever since he joined the Ministry and that Dad’s got no ambition and that’s why we’ve always been — you know — not had a lot of money"
Mind you, there's a bit of Sirius in it too, Sirius who also left. We learn about Percy and Sirius at around the same time (the beginning of Ootp, chapters 4 and 6) and I don't think it's a coincidence (edit: forgot to mention it but there's even a chapter named "Percy and Padfoot" in that book). Here's what Ron says:
"And if Mum and Dad were going to become traitors to the Ministry [Percy] was going to make sure everyone knew he didn’t belong to our family anymore. And he packed his bags the same night and left."
" 'You ran away from home?' 'When I was about sixteen,' said Sirius. 'I’d had enough.' "
"As far as I’m concerned, they’re not my family. She’s certainly not my family. [...] D’you think I’m proud of having relatives like her?”
Fred and George were angry at their older brother for putting his ambitions above his family and morals (I'm Percy's #1 fan and defender btw), and Aberforth was furious with Albus for the same reason. Again, this reads like something that Ron could've said about Percy, the pompous little snob (i love him):
Sirius and Percy are also not present on the family pictures:
"A photograph of the Weasley family stood beside the in-tray. Harry noticed that Percy appeared to have walked out of it."
" “I used to be there,” said Sirius, pointing at a small, round, charred hole in the tapestry, rather like a cigarette burn."
"Not Albus, he was always up in his bedroom when he was home, reading his books and counting his prizes, keeping up with his correspondence with ‘the most notable magical names of the day’ "
It's just that Percy and Albus betrayed their family by supporting wrong causes and Sirius betrayed his family by supporting the right one. but Regulus' support was an act of loyalty to his family. Aberforth and Kreacher tell Harry about Albus and Regulus' former goals:
"Didn’t I understand, my poor sister wouldn’t have to be hidden once they’d changed the world, and led the wizards out of hiding, and taught the Muggles their place?"
"For years [Master Regulus] talked of the Dark Lord, who was going to bring the wizards out of hiding to rule the Muggles and the Muggle-borns...."
I know I've been comparing Albus to Sirius, both of them being the oldest brother, but really Albus' ideological progression and death most resemble Regulus'. (both Black brothers share traits with both Dumbledores really). though of course, Harry didn't let Ron and Hermione make excuses for Dumbledore just because he was young:
" 'it’s an awful thought that Dumbledore’s ideas helped Grindelwald rise to power. But on the other hand, even Rita can’t pretend that they knew each other for more than a few months one summer when they were both really young, and— '
'I thought you’d say that,' said Harry."
" 'Dumbledore being pals with Grindelwald, but now it’s just something to laugh about for people who didn’t like Dumbledore, and a bit of a slap in the face for everyone who though he was such a good bloke. I don’t know that it’s such a big deal, though. He was really young when they— '
'Our age,' said Harry"
" 'He was a Death Eater,' said Harry. 'Sirius told me about him, he joined up when he was really young and then got cold feet and tried to leave' "
(i would like it on record that the exact expression "really young" is found thrice in HP7, two of them being about Albus, the last one about Regulus. i'm so incredibly normal about this)
"and when he was sixteen years old, Master Regulus joined the Dark Lord"
"[Dumbledore] changed, Harry, he changed! It’s as simple as that! Maybe he did believe those things when he was seventeen"
"I know what you’re going to say, she went on as Harry began to protest, that Regulus changed his mind . . ."
Albus and Regulus were two misguided brothers who both drank the drink of despair in the Inferi cave before dying, the only two wizards to have done so. Not only that, both of them had actually planned their own death; though it was a secret only known by the one who had assisted them (the chapters revealing the truth about Regulus and Albus are literally called "Kreacher's tale" and "the Prince's tale", like they're referencing each other, I'm in my incredibly delusional era right now). They started something (the same thing, in fact) they could not see through to the end, and "faced death in the hope" someone else would finish it:
"We want to finish the work Master Regulus started, we want to—er—ensure that he didn’t die in vain"
"he left me a job [...] Your brother knew how to finish You-Know-Who and he passed the knowledge on to me"
Both Sirius and Aberforth hated their brother's choices, but actually (as Harry told Aberforth) neither of them fully understood their brother's last moments. and because they didn't have that knowledge, neither of them ever gained a complete understanding of their brother:
"And Albus was free, wasn’t he? Free of the burden of his sister, free to become the greatest wizard of the— '
'He was never free,' said Harry."
"From what I found out after he died, he got in so far, then panicked about what he was being asked to do and tried to back out."
"And he drank— all the potion— and Kreacher swapped the lockets"
"The night that your brother died, he drank a potion that drove him out of his mind."
"He thought he was watching Grindelwald hurting you and Ariana... It was torture to him, if you’d seen him then, you wouldn’t say he was free."
"Kreacher and Regulus’s family were all safest if they kept to the old pure-blood line. Regulus was trying to protect them all."
You know who ELSE "was never free" though??
I ask, but you already know.
" 'I don’t like being back here,” [Sirius] said, staring across the drawing room. 'I never thought I’d be stuck in this house again.' "
"I returned to my village in anger and bitterness. Trapped and wasted, I thought!"
Albus was never free. Sirius was never free either.
But wait! there's more!
"But Harry, his mother had just died, he was stuck alone in the house— '
'Alone? He wasn’t alone! He had his brother and sister for company, his Squib sister he was keeping locked up— ' "
Of course, knowing this about Albus Dumbledore, this scene at the end of OotP might hit a bit different:
“ 'I was trying to keep Sirius alive,' said Dumbledore quietly.
'People don’t like being locked up!' Harry said furiously, rounding on him. 'You did it to me all last summer —'
Dumbledore closed his eyes and buried his face in his long-fingered hands. "
Now do I think there's a link between Albus&Sirius being stuck in the house and Dumbledore keeping his sister locked up to protect her life and keeping Sirius locked up to protect his life... maybe it wasn't intentional, or maybe it was; either way, it's very juicy to think about, and Dumbledore's reaction after what Harry says? if there's even the slightest possibility he might have been thinking about Ariana...I'm EATING this up.
Let us not forget about Percy Weasley though. In the end, both Percy and Albus came to their senses, though not without losing a younger sibling, Fred and Ariana. Is it possible that Albus saw a bit of himself in Percy at the time? Maybe, maybe not, but he did try to comfort Molly about Percy:
" 'Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right,' said Hermione. 'I heard him telling your mum, Ron.' "
"Reality returned in the form of my rough, unlettered, and infinitely more admirable brother. I did not want to hear the truths he shouted at me."
So yeah, they made wrong choices, but again, that doesn't mean they can't change:
" 'I was an idiot, I was a pompous prat, I was a— a— '
'Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron, said Fred. "
"Stupid idiot . . . he joined the Death Eaters."
" 'Don’t worry about Percy,' said Sirius abruptly. 'He’ll come round.' "
Remember the previous comparison between Albus and Percy, about both of them being the stuck-up pretentious brother?
"It was a porapous little sign, neatly lettered by hand - the sort of thing that Percy Weasley might have stuck on his bedroom door: Do Not Enter Without the Express Permission of Regulus Arcturus Black"
I think about this description a normal amount, the exact amount of thought warranted for such a short, inconsequential description, in fact
Another thing Deathly Hallows did was challenging our perception of Sirius and Albus (granted, mostly Albus) by developing a younger brother who, against all odds, might have been more admirable than them in certain aspects. when Regulus and Aberforth are first mentioned, one is a cowardly Death Eater and the other is implied to be a goat-fucker. alright. and yet, if you only read the last book, you end up having a more positive impression of Aberforth and Regulus than of their older brothers, to the point where Albus and Sirius even get compared to Voldemort. Interestingly, I feel like Albus makes an indirect reference to Kreacher here:
"That which Voldemort does not value, he takes no trouble to comprehend. Of house-elves and children’s tales, of love, loyalty, and innocence, Voldemort knows and understands nothing."
of course Regulus was not brought up in his last conversation with Harry, but there really isn't anyone else this comment could refer to, and it does echo "Kreacher's tale" nicely:
"Of course, Voldemort would have considered the ways of house-elves far beneath his notice . . . It would never have occurred to him that they might have magic that he didn’t."
"I’ve said all along that wizards would pay for how they treat house-elves. Well, Voldemort did . . . and so did Sirius."
"Sirius was horrible to Kreacher, Harry, and it’s no good looking like that, you know it’s true"
"He’s loyal to people who are kind to him, and Mrs. Black must have been, and Regulus certainly was"
"my rough, unlettered, and infinitely more admirable brother"
"Was I better, ultimately, than Voldemort?"
"Master Regulus always liked Kreacher."
"The barman face was impassive. After a few moments he said,
'I’m sorry to hear it, I liked that elf.' "
Sirius and Albus really wanted to distance themselves from the reminders of their home, and as a result, they weren't always decent people. Of course I don't believe for a second Sirius and Albus were actually as bad as Riddle. they both did fucked up things, so did Regulus who joined the Death Eaters and Aberforth who suggested using Slytherin students as hostages (tf), so I'm not saying one amongst these four is obviously better than the others, but. this reversal is still really interesting.
The fact that Aberforth was helping Harry through Sirius' mirror. The fact that one of Albus' names is Percival. Hell, let's reach even further, Albus meaning "white" and Sirius&Regulus' last name being "black".
Like I'm sorry, but to me this is cinema.
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mirkwoodshewolf · 3 months
Text
No following; Planet of the apes fanfic Chap. 5
*Author's note*
And here we go with the start of even more family drama happening with the Rodman family. And we are also getting closer to ending ROTPOTA story line, the next chapter will be the last one for the first book before going into book two which takes place during DAWN. So get ready for that and be on the lookout for that. Until then continue to enjoy my lovely readers.
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Taglist:
@plethora-of-things
@waddles03
@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels
@gay-and-ready-to-cry
@queen-paladin
@psychosupernatural
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Life went on as expected.  I graduated high school, got my diploma and performed my last show with the Community center.  But even though life outside the Rodman house was normal, on the inside there was a dark cloud constantly hovering over us.
My grandpa’s health was rapidly deteriorating day by day.  Now he hardly ever moved, nor did he speak.  All he did was just lay in bed or sit on it if Will wanted him to at least be out of bed.  Will had thrown himself not only into his work but also trying to find a way to bring Caesar back home.  Caroline’s tried to be there for Will but truthfully what could she do to help?  
As for me, well—there are days when I just spend most of my time in Caesar’s room, preserving all of this things just the way they were.  I’d look at all the old drawings he did when he was just a young chimp, the models he’s built and puzzles he’s completed.  I’d even play some of his favorite movie soundtracks he’d come to love thanks to me.
Even though Uncle Will and Caroline said to me that we’d be allowed visitation rights to Caesar, we just had to call in advance before we could.  And it couldn’t be more than one visit a month.  That alone wasn’t good enough for me, I’d be leaving by mid-August and then who knows what could happen to him by then.
He could be put down, sent to an even worse facility, I don’t know.  I began doing some research on the San Bruno facility and as I expected there wasn’t much to go by.  Nothing but the smoke and mirrors of them providing ‘enrichment and quality integration with other chimps’.  I then went into my contacts and called up one of my friends who once worked for the school yearbook.
“Hey Doe, listen do you still have that camera I gave you for your birthday last year? Oh nothing’s wrong I just need to borrow it for a little bit, is that alright? Great, thanks. Yeah, yeah that’ll work. Okay see yah tomorrow. Bye girl, and thanks again. Kiss, kiss.” I hung up and turned to an old photo that Will made for Caesar.
It was the two of us together on his 3rd birthday just after I had performed E.T’s flight for him.  My violin bow in hand with Caesar and I leaning against the other and him holding my violin carefully in his.
“I promised I’d never let anything happen to you, and I failed you little brother. But I’m not gonna fail you again.” My plan forming carefully in my head.
The next day I met my friend Dorinda at her aunt’s cat café and she gave me the camera I had given her for her 17th birthday.  A 4K megapixel digital camera.  Doe was always into photography which is why all her pictures were the best ones in the school yearbook.  And like me, she’s getting a scholarship all the way in New York for Journalism with a focus in principle photography.
I promised to bring the camera back before she left for New York in two weeks to start moving into her new apartment her dad had found for her (her parents had gotten divorced during our sophomore year).  I then rode on my motorbike towards San Bruno’s primate shelter.
Once I got there, I was careful not to drive up to the gate, instead I found an old abandoned building that was fairly close to the shelter and snuck inside of it.  I climbed up the stairs until I reached a good window that happened to look down at the sanctuary.
I turned on the camera and looked through the lens screen and saw the full 4k HD picture of the San Bruno Primate shelter.  I hit the zoom button and low and behold I managed to actually see the security building and saw two men.  One was a blonde haired boy who could’ve been ten years older than me, or maybe around my uncle’s age.  And the other one was a dark-haired man about the same age, maybe a few years older than the blonde haired boy.
“What I wouldn’t give to have some audio recording gear right about now.” I muttered to myself as I slowly look around the security building.
After a few minutes of nothing but seeing the two of them arguing, or more like the blonde one bullying the dark-haired man, I soon heard the sounds of a car pulling up.  Without hesitation, the gates opened up and the car pulled in.  I was beginning to think this could be another employers car or even the manager who runs the shelter, but the second I heard the frantic honks and faint sounds of cheering, I knew this wasn’t the case.
Soon enough two girls and another boy came out of the car and were waving around bottles of beer.  I smirked and began snapping the pictures of them.  The blonde boy coming out and greeting whom I assumed were his friends, and him letting them inside the shelter.  I also made sure to get good pictures of the beer his buddy brought.  Smirking I looked down at the camera and said.
“Gotcha.” I raced out of the building and headed back towards my bike. Quick as I could, I drove off to the closest Walmart and went over to the tech department to get the photos developed.  After waiting about 20-25 minutes, the clerk handed me the photos and I thanked him before heading out.
I packed up everything I was going to need tomorrow when I heard a knock at my door.  I jumped slightly but relaxed once I saw that it was uncle Will.
“I just got off the phone with the sanctuary, your visitation tomorrow has been approved.”
“Thanks Will.” I said.
“Now you sure you don’t need me to come with you. I know that things have been—delicate for you lately since Caesar was……”
“I’ll be fine uncle Will. Who knows, maybe seeing him and knowing that he’s alright will put me at ease.”
“You know I’m doing everything I can to get him back, right?”
“I know you are. Believe me, I know.” I walked up to him and embraced him.  “You’ve always tried to be so strong. It’s okay to need help.” I heard him sniffle before he separated from me and he said.
“You might wanna get some sleep. They told me they’re expecting you at 10am sharp.” Without another word, he left my room and I let out a deep sigh.  I got into bed and soon fell asleep after setting my alarm.
Bright and early the next morning, I got up, got dressed, had my breakfast and took off towards the San Bruno primate shelter before the summer morning traffic could hit.  This time I came straight to the gate and after showing my electronic approval to the dark-haired employer, he let me in and escorted me inside.
“What’s your name?” I asked him.
“Pardon?” he asked nervously.
“I asked you for your name.” I asked him again.
“R-Rodney.” He replied.
“Pleasure to meet you Rodney, I’m Lin. Lin Rodman.” I extended out my hand as we came into the office and he hesitantly took my hand before we shook on it.
“Alright Rodney piss off and get back to work!” snapped the blonde-haired man.  Rodney flinched and raced off further down the sanctuary corridor.  “So, my father tells me you’re here for the new guy? Been nothing but trouble that one.”
“All apes are intelligent beings if you take the time to know them in a calm, collective manner.” I told him.  He rolled his eyes and groaned.
“Oh don’t tell me you’re one of those people. The ones that are always protesting for animal rights and their free speech. Please they’re animals! They don’t know the difference between food and their own shit.” I narrowed my eyes at him and said as I came around and sat down at one of the chairs.
“And just who are you to say something like that?”
“Are you kidding me? Kid, I’m Dodge Landon. And I know better than these stupid monkeys.”
“Apes. Monkeys have tails, apes don’t.”
“Whatever. Let’s just get this over with.” He trudged out of the main office and I followed right behind him to another room where a large cage with only a small slot stood.  “Wait over there.” He ordered me as he pointed at a bench before continuing onward.  I sat down at it and waited for a bit.
Soon I heard the sound of footsteps coming from the roof and hopping down in the cage was Cesar.  The second we saw one another, Caesar hooted happily and I came over to him taking his hand in mine.
“Hey, hey there Caesar.” He reached up and gently touched where the bruise from Hunsiker’s punch was at as he signed to me.
‘Still hurt bad?’
“It’s fine, see? Bruise is gone now. I’m okay bud, I’m okay.” The second I saw Dodge come into the room I stood up and asked him. “I’d like to know that he’s being well taken care of here and that no harm has come to him.”
“He’s fine. If he gets picked on, that’s his problem, not ours.” Dodge shrugged nonchalantly.
“So you wouldn’t care if a court order of animal abuse came onto this sanctuary?”
“Truthfully I could care less about what happens to this place. My father’s the one who really runs it, he just forces me to work here.”
“Huh.” I hummed.  “Now according to your website, you say you provide an ‘enriching environment’ is that correct?”
“Yeah, so what?”
“So what is that exactly? Just out of curiosity.”
“You know you’re asking a lot of questions that shouldn’t be asked.”
“Well now hold on a second, I’m merely just making conversation here. I’d like to know that the temporary home that Caesar is in is giving him everything he needs. He’s not like other chimps you know.”
“Please. He’s just another dumb animal who thinks he’s special. And you’re a nosy little girl whose sticking her nose where it don’t belong!” Caesar lowly growled but I held my hand out in front of him to calm him down.
“I suppose I am. But before you do anything, I’d like to show you something.” I went over to my pack and pulled out the folder and held it out to him.  He snatched the folder and opened it up to reveal the fully developed 4k pictures of him and his friends together with beer in hand and him sneaking them inside the sanctuary through the backdoor.
“How’d you get these pictures?” he hissed at me.
“How I got them doesn’t matter, what matters is what are you going to do with them.”
“You really think you’re so smart, huh? Well I’ll show you!” he then proceeded to rip up the pictures to shreds. “There, now you have no evidence.”
“Don’t I?” I then pulled out the thumb drive I had put the pictures on before getting them developed.  “Now I know you said you could care less what happens to this place, but what happens if—I don’t know say….the public finds out about this? If the courts decided this place was unreliable to house unwanted apes. After all in this day in age, it’s the public opinion that rules all, right? Even if the courts don’t do anything, the people will. And that would be such a headache for you, now wouldn’t it? Unless……we come to a little deal.”
Dodge looked at me with both seething anger but also a hint of fear.
“You blackmailing me?” he asked.
“Yes.” I replied after a moment of silence.  I gave him an unsettling wide smile, softly chuckling while and a crazy look to my eye to let him know I meant business.
“What do you want?” I turned towards Caesar and said as I took his hand in mine.
“I should like to come at least twice a week, no further visitor approval. And I shall provide the apes true enrichment. Give you less work to do.”
“And just how do you expect over 100 apes are going to listen to you.”
“Music doth soothes the savage beast, isn’t that how the quote goes? In that folder you’ll also see my resume of performing with the San Fransico community center orchestra. You give me at least an hour to entertain the apes with true enrichment, and no one ever need know your dirty little secret. Not even your own father.”
I could see Dodge going over my proposition in his head, he took a deep breath in before exhaling sharply.
“And you swear you won’t go back on your deal and release those photos online?”
“You keep your end of the bargain, and I shall keep mine.” Dodge glared at me but he soon said.
“Deal. In fact you can start now, these animals have been going mad for hours.” As he turned away I turned to Caesar and muttered.
“Got it, Malfoy.” Caesar let out a laugh as I snickered which made Dodge stop and slowly turn to us.
“What did you call me?”
“Nothing, nothing not a thing, Draco Malfoy.” I told him before muttering the name under my breath again.  “I’ll see you on the other side Caesar.” He nodded and proceeded back up the cage and I heard his footsteps trail off.
“Move it.” Dodge lowly sneered as he gestured for me to move.  I was then taken to the back room where I feared all the apes were actually living was revealed.
Tightly condensed cages with only room for them to pace a foot between and only a small bunk-like bed for them to sit on if they didn’t want to sit at the floor of their cages.  All the chimps were going insane in their cages, beating on them, hotting and chattering hysterically.
“Sweet Jesus it’s worse than I thought.” I muttered.
“Oi! If you don’t mind, get on with your silly fiddle music.” Dodge impatiently snapped.
“It’s a violin, not a fiddle.” I set my case down and took out my violin.
“Uhh Dodge? Wh-why is she back here?” Rodney asked nervously.
“Oh don’t worry Rodney, I’m here to give you boys a bit of extra help.” I gave him a wink as I walked down the ramps tuning my violin to make sure it was good and ready.  As I came to the pathway between the cages, the apes began to settle down as they all looked to me.   
I then proceeded to play the very song I played at my last performance with the community center.  Celtic woman’s ‘Granuaile’s Dance’.  The second I started with the first few notes and dancing about like a doe in springtime, the apes all went silent as they watched me.
I’d dance in front of some of their cages, spinning on the balls of my feet while continuously playing.  Some came up to their cages with an entranced look that Caesar always had whenever I’d play for him.  Others began softly hooting happily as I’d do another spin for them before running down the corridors.
I made sure to give every ape the same attention as I played in each row and ran down the long, winding corridor.  Twirling, jumping, skipping, and racing down as I played my violin.  By the end of it all, I had raced back towards the main entrance of the corridor and when I finished, I heard some claps from the apes while the rest of them hooted and chattered in their way as an applause. I even heard some claps from above as I saw Rodney clapping but then he stopped when Dodge glared at him.
“Now if you gentlemen don’t mind, I’ve got about 57 minutes left of this concert and I think the apes would appreciate it if they weren’t being monitored like common criminals.” Dodge turned away scoffing under his breath.
“Whatever.”
“J-just be sure to not get too close to the cages.” Rodney advised me.  I nodded and he left to go back into the infirmary office.  I took a deep breath in and proceeded to do several more compositions until my hour was almost up.  For the remainder of the five minutes I had left, I sat in front of Caesar’s cage.
“So you think the others enjoyed having true enrichment?”
‘Yes. Maurice especially loved it.’ Caesar signed.
“Who’s Maurice?” Caesar then pointed over to the only Orangutan in the sanctuary.  Maurice looked at me with eyes that held the same level of intelligence as Caesar and he began to sign.
‘You play beautifully.’ I gasped softly and signed to him.
‘You know sign language?’
‘Circus orangutan.’ Maurice signed to me.  I looked at him sympathetically and signed back to him.
‘I’m so sorry.’
‘No need for apologizes.’ I turned back to Caesar and he signed to me.
‘When can I go home?’ I sighed solemnly.
“Believe me brother, if it were up to me I’d bust you out of here right now. But only Will can get you out of here, I have no legal right to do that. I’m sorry.” Caesar huffed lowly as he looked away from me.  “I’m really sorry Caesar, the only thing I can do is come twice a week and provide you with some semblance of home thanks to my deal with the owner’s son.” He didn’t look back at me.  “I’ll see you in two days.” I packed up my violin and headed out the door.
“Finally finished?” Dodge sneered.
“Be thankful I took an hour of your miserable life of having to deal with these intelligent creatures. And remember our deal, if I hear you mentioning this to your father, the pictures get posted on my Instagram.” I walked out the door, got on my bike and headed back to the house.
Along with providing music for the apes, I also performed for grandpa in hopes of getting some recognition back into his eyes.  But all he gives any of us is the thousand-yard stare.
Sometimes I wonder if there is such a thing as ‘out of body experience’, that way grandpa could really see just how much his health has affected all of us.  Like cancer, the worst thing about Alzheimer’s disease is not what it does to the person it’s affecting, but the people around them.
Four weeks later and I had just finished my current concert I had given the apes at San Bruno primate sanctuary.  And as usual, I try to make the last few minutes be the one on one time with Caesar and I.  Lately, however, I’ve noticed how he’s grown to be more distant.  He hardly ever signs back to me, only giving me the occasional nod or one worded sign.  I sat by his cage and said to him.
“I don’t know what happened after the last time Will and Caroline came to see you a week ago, but surely it can’t be worth all this brooding and misery.” He didn’t turn back to face me.  “Please Caesar, you’re really starting to worry me. You can hardly look at me anymore. Are you—ashamed of me being here now?” he remained on his bunk bed, his back turned to me.
My heart cracked as I let out a soft scoff.
“Alright, I can take a hint.” I packed up my violin and told him. “Just know that all these years together wasn’t a game to me, nor a lie. You were like the little brother I never had, but if you don’t want me in your life anymore, I’ll respect your decision. I’ll remember you though, after all—I remember everyone who leaves.” A tear slid down my face as I raced out of the sanctuary and rode back home.
I stayed in my room the rest of the day and into the night.  Looking through the old scrapbook I had made of Caesar and myself throughout the years.  All of his best drawings, pictures of us together, things we collected during our time in the redwoods.  My throat clenched tightly and my heart sunk to my stomach.
I grabbed an old suitcase and with all the memorabilia I had that reminded me of Caesar, I placed them in the suitcase before zipping it up and placing a lock on the suitcase and locked it up.  I then slid the suitcase under my bed before collapsing onto my bed burying my face into my pillow as tears once again fell down my face.
And just when I thought I didn’t have anymore tears to shed, I woke the next morning to check on grandpa when I saw him and uncle Will together.  Grandpa’s body pale as his white sheets and lying still like a statue.  Will turned to me with tears in his eyes and he shook his head at me.
My body went numb—I didn’t feel myself collapse to my knees but I did take notice of how the world looked bigger while I felt smaller.  I must’ve let out some heart-breaking wail because uncle Will came and held me in his arms while Caroline came rushing in and I saw her checking on grandpa, but there wasn’t anything she could do.  There wasn’t anything anyone could do.
My grandpa, Charles Rodman, was dead.
We had the funeral a week later.  I didn’t even hear the automatic speech that the officiant had to say about my grandpa, all I could hear was muffled voices while I watched brokenly as my grandfather’s casket was lowered into the earth.
After the service, I was back in my room fiddling with some of grandpa’s old sheet music.  I don’t know why but now that he’s gone I feel—empty.  Like all the music I once had inside of me, the passion I once had for it, it was completely gone.  I tossed the sheet music aside and I heard a knock at my door.
“Knock, knock, may I come in?” I heard Caroline’s voice ask softly.  I let out a small grunt allowing her inside my room.  She sat down beside me and asked me, “How are you holding up Lin?”
“Was it worth it?” I croaked out for the first time after being silent for a whole week.
“What?”
“Was it worth pulling it off? His death? Would it have—hurt less if he had passed on five years ago? Or would we still be in this much pain, knowing that he didn’t have to have that fleeting second chance.”
“I know there’s nothing I can say that’ll bring him back, or change what happened. But you should at least take comfort in the fact that—he’s no longer suffering anymore. And he’ll always be with you, as long as you remember the things he taught you.” I moved my eyes towards my violin and I suddenly had a distain for it.
“LIN!!” Will’s voice cried out after hearing the front door slam shut.  Thunderous footsteps came up and he soon entered my room, a pissed off look across his face.
“Will, hold on now’s not the—”
“No Caroline this is between me and her.” Will snapped.  Caroline stood up and walked over to my uncle, holding his arm.
“Choose your next words carefully. She’s in a fragile state right now.” She then left closing the door behind her.
“The month you’d disappear twice a week for, tell me exactly where’d you go off to? And don’t lie to me.” I looked up at him.
“Visiting the community center to—”
“I SAID DON’T LIE TO ME LIN!!” he said slamming his hand on my dresser.  “I know Lin. I know you’ve been sneaking out to see Caesar by blackmailing the owner’s son. He told me, ‘tell that little brat of yours I don’t care about the photos. Now both of you aren’t my problem anymore’.”
“You already know, what’s the point in me telling you?”
“Don’t turn this around! Why would you do something so incredibly stupid!? If it had gotten out by the time the court date came around that you trespassed on private property, blackmailed their staff, and illegally saw Caesar, we’d never get him back! You never think these things through!”
“What like you did?! When you gave grandpa that drug? Or not telling Caesar who he really was? Or even just now by paying off Mr. Landon just to break Caesar out!” I snapped as I stood up from my bed and got into his face.  “Yeah, I saw the envelope full of money before we left for the service for grandpa. You’re not as slick as you think you are uncle.”
“Well as you can see it didn’t work. Caesar wouldn’t leave with me.”
“Good.” I went to walk away but he roughly grabbed my arm and snapped.
“What now all of a sudden you don’t care about him anymore? You’d always call him your brother ape now you’re acting like you don’t even know him!”
“Because I’ve learned to accept what he wanted. Something that you clearly can’t seem to grasp, and I don’t just mean for Caesar.” He let go of my arm and said.
“You got to be with your grandfather longer than you would’ve…”
“And then his disease came back! Ten times worse than it was before! You didn’t think that would happen!?”
“It’s not my fault that you turned your back for one second for him to get into Hunsiker’s car allowing Caesar to be taken away from us!” silence immediately rang through my room.
My fists clenched so tightly that my knuckles turned white and my nails dug deep into my palms.  I shook with rage as uncle Will suddenly realize what he had said.
“Lin, I—”
“No! No this is great! It’s great that you finally spoke the truth after all this time! I’m happy to know that Caesar being taken away was all my fault! So I’m sorry if I made things harder on you but in less than a month from now you…won’t even have to deal with me!” I stormed out of my room as well as out of the house.
I didn’t even bother grabbing my bike, I just ran as fast and as hard as I could down the street.  I don’t know where I ended up and I didn’t care, all I knew was that I couldn’t stay in that house.
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fritoley · 28 days
Text
The Dragon Prince Thoughts 6x03 - The Frozen Ship
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Previous Episode // Masterlist // Next Episode
Join the Taglist
Spoilers under the cut
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Ooh so this is how callum got out of those chains in s5
WAIT why are his eyes bright instead of black did he get possessed back then again—
OR IS IT A VISION—
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“Uh, are you sure it’ll hold us?”
It’s giving s1ep6 or whatever when they dropped Zym’s egg—
They’re not sPrEaDiNg ThEiR wEiGhT
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OMG IT IS LIKE WHEN THEY DROPPED THE EGG—
OH NO SHADOWPAW DON’T DIE
Rayla really said “yeah nah” lmao
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Bruh how long has Terry been sitting there
This is so unhealthy for him ugh—
WHY’S HE JUST L I N I N G UP STICKS LMAO
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Oh he’s making something—
OH claudia came back
Wtf happened to her—
She looks worse off than before she left Terry behind
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“It’s sad that this ship is stuck. I mean look at it. This ship is going nowhere.”
Wonderstorm definitely knew what they were doing here lmao—
“I mean you can draw pictures of the ship but does that change anything?”
HOW DARE YOU CALL OUT MY FANART OBSESSION HAHAHAHAHAHA—
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TERRY YOU DESERVE BETTER 😭😭😭😭😭😭
I still love y’all but C’MON—
They better get a happy ending
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“Is Rayla crying?”
Bro how did you even hear her from outside that big-ass ship—
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BRO BRUSH FROM THE BOTTOM UP OMG—
Wouldn’t have has to cut it if he knew how to properly brush hair lmao—
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“Guess I can always use a pile of loose planks as a blanket.”
Dude if i didn’t know better i’d think you were trying to get Rayla to share her blanket
But it’s callum so of course not lmao—
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“My dad wrote that.”
STOP HE’S TALKING ABOUT HIS BIO DAD
HIS NAME IS DAMIAN AHH—
I wonder if callum remembers damian a lot since he died when he was a kid
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Stella and Sneezles are on a mission lmao
They’re literally the fandom
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K I S S 
WHY’D YOU STOP
“I did dark magic again.”
S E R I O U S L Y
NOW OF ALL TIMES??
You’ve gotta be KIDDING me—
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GAHH CLAUDIA’S HAIR IS SO PRETTY—
Aww Terry made a prosthetic for her I love that
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“I didn’t have a choice because… I would do anything for you.”
Omg callum’s delivery on that line was SO GOOD ugh—
Rayla’s face is pure gold too
WAIT THEY’RE FORGETTING THE PEARL—
OH NOW YOU REMEMBER IT AFTER YOU GOT OUT OF THE SHIP
Gurl don’t die
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THE SHIP SAYS RAYLLUM
NO WAY LMAOOOOOO
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN—
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OMG VIREN’S BACK IN KATOLIS
OOP THE HUMBLE SERVANT LINE
Viren breaking down sobbing is something I never thought I’d see
Ezran’s unfazed face is wild
“Are you begging for mercy?”
“No.”
“Good. You don’t deserve any.”
DAMN THAT’S HIS COLDEST LINE YET
Woooooooow that was wilddd. I’m worried about the Rayllum ship sinking and what that means for rayla and callum I hope nothing bad happens to them. Terry and Claudia’s relationship is also really tense cuz Terry’s been just allowing claudia to walk down the dark path she’s on for what could be years and he’s just accepting it no matter how many times she could’ve (directly or indirectly) hurt him. It’s unhealthy, yes, but at the same time i think they really do need each other. I think if they work at their relationship they could make it work. I hope Soren gets to talk to Viren now that he’s back in Katolis I’m excited to unpack that, especially considering we didn’t get to see them talk in s4 (yes i did read the short story and it’s S A D 😭).
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