#so i got to see him still growing up as his foster parents were in contact with my parents

[thetimelordbatgirl]

Tfw you learn your brother studied at the same college as you:

[luxaofhesperides]

Childhood friends to lovers ; requested by @starlightcat04!

Duke’s grandmother lived in Illinois when he was a kid, years before he and his parents were captured by the Joker and the news of it sent her to a hospital that she didn’t leave until Death arrived for her. But before all that, before his life upended and tore itself to shreds in front of him, Duke used to visit her in the summers.

His parents didn’t want to leave Gotham, but they also didn’t want him to grow up there amid all the crime and rogue attacks. The solution was to drive down to his grandmother’s house, suitcase in the trunk, and stay with him there for a few days before they returned to make sure no one broke into their house. 

She lived in the outskirts of Amity Park, a town smaller than Gotham and much, much quieter. The change in scenery always blew his mind, and he spent most of his childhood summers running around the woods, accidentally scaring hikers. 

There were other kids in Amity, further in towards the suburbs, but he never got along with most of them, too strange, only here for a month or so, and carrying an awareness and sense of danger that all Gothamites had. 

He didn’t really have friends in Amity Park, except for one: Danny Fenton, local outcast due to his scientist parents'… everything. His only friend, a boy named Tucker, would always be gone in the summers as well, visiting family in Chicago and Pennsylvania. 

They gravitated towards each other, as lonely kids tend to do.

Danny helped make those summers fun, full of laughter and skinned knees and smuggled tech from the Fenton household to mess around with. They shared stories of their lives, comparing Amity Park to Gotham, arguing over superheroes and getting distracted each time by how cool heroes were. 

The last summer he ever went to Amity Park, Danny had gotten his first cell phone and eagerly gave Duke his number. Any time they weren’t together, they were texting until they fell asleep, phone still in hand.

The time they spent together was always limited, but Duke could swear that no one in the world knew him as well as Danny did.

He still misses him. 

They still text and call when they can, but it’s gotten hard over the past few years. Duke was caught up in foster care and searching for his parents and being part of the We Are Robin gang and then becoming the Signal. Danny, from what he’s shared with Duke, went through similar things of recovering from a lab accident and then having his town be overrun with ghosts, of all things, which had the government get involved and cause problems.

The few times they were able to find a quiet night where they could just talk and be Duke and Danny again were nights he always treasured, though they left an ache in his chest when it was over. 

It’s just been so long since they’ve seen each other in person. He doesn’t even know what Danny looks like anymore! And, sure, he could always ask for a picture, but it feels awkward. They know what they looked like before. And they’ve heard each other’s voices, know the basics of what’s going on in each other’s lives…

They still know each other, but Duke is all too aware of the distance that’s grown between them.

“Duke, seriously, what’s got you spacing out so much?” Steph asks, pulling him from his thoughts. 

He shrugs, smiling sheepishly. “Just thinking. Sorry about that. What were you saying?”

“I was saying,” she says, “That you should do a road trip. Or just like, travel around. Check out college campuses. Enjoy your last summer vacation of high school! Trust me, you’ll want the break before going into senior year.”

“Just because you’re two years older than me—”

“Excuse me for trying to impart my wisdom! See if I help you again when I’m older and wiser.”

“Sure, Steph,” he says, “Whatever you say.”

She squints at him. “What’s with that tone? I’m being helpful right now!”

“Mhm.”

“Geez. I should have let Dick talk to you. Anyways, I already told Bruce that you wanted to do this, so he’s agreed to fund it.”

Duke jerks upright in his seat, nearly falling out of it. “You did WHAT?!”

“You’re welcome,” Steph grins, unrepentant. 

“Steph, come on. This is unnecessary. Isn’t it better for me to help out more in the summer? Train more, work with the team on stuff, you know, important things?”

“Duke.” Steph’s voice suddenly turns serious and he can’t help but give her all his attention. “Listen to me. Your life is more important. If Gotham survived when Bruce was the only cape around, then it’ll survive while you prioritize your life. And that means touring colleges to figure out where you want to go.”

“I could just stay here and go to GCU.”

Steph just stares at him, unimpressed, and he has to admit, “Yeah, you’re right. I’m not gonna do that.”

“Just enjoy traveling around, okay? And if you want someone to go with you…” she nudges him with her shoulder, repeatedly, very clearly hinting at something.

“I’ll be sure to ask Cass,” Duke says, and Steph rolls her eyes, but doesn’t deny that Cass would be a great travel partner. 

Their conversation comes to a halt when an alarm on her phone goes off and she drops her head with a groan. She grabs her bag and takes off with a quick explanation that she has to get to class, one she hates but is determined to ace just to spite the professor, and in no time at all, Duke is alone again. 

Without Steph providing him a distraction, Duke has nothing to do but read through his texts with Danny. It hasn’t been that long since they last talked; four days ago is nothing compared to the months of silence that went between them a few years ago. They’ve gotten better since staying in contact since then, and make sure to text at least once a week. 

It’s not perfect, but it’s better than nothing.

He considers asking Danny where he’s planning to go. Maybe they could go to the same place together, live in the same apartment, be able to finally stick together. Not that it’ll ever happen; the more likely outcome is that they’ll be accepted into different universities, chose places closer to their respective homes, and still be far apart.

An idea begins to form in his mind.

They’ve had summers together before. Maybe they could have one more.

First, he needs to talk to Bruce.

He’s working from home, thankfully, typing away at a laptop in his office when Duke knocks on the door and pokes his head in.

“Duke,” Bruce smiles, pushes his laptop away. “Come in.”

“Hey. Steph said she talked to you about me traveling this summer?”

“Yes. She was very insistent that you go visit any universities that pique your interest. I’ve already agreed to fund everything, and I can take care of plane tickets and hotels as well.” 

Duke nods, trying not to look too nervous. “Yeah, so about that. Could I travel with someone? Would that be cool? Or is this a thing for me only?”

Bruce blinks. “I promise cost is not an issue. Adding another person won’t be a problem. Who is it?”

“Ah, no one you know. He’s a childhood friend of mine who lives in Illinois, and I’d like to spend a summer with him again.”

“Who is it?”

Oh boy. Bruce is definitely going to find everything he can about Danny and his family and start interrogating Duke about him. But if that’s going to let him travel the country with Danny, then he’s more than willing to deal with it.

“Danny Fenton, from Amity Park. The town with the ghost problem.”

Bruce leans back in his chair. “I’ve heard of them. The League discussed investigating it when the news first got out, but Constantine warned us to stay away due to risk of possession. It seems that the local hero, Phantom, has it all in hand.” Bruce nods, already thinking deeply about his next steps. “Alright, I’ll need to do some research. And send me a list of the universities you’d like to visit so I can plan your itinerary.”

“Cool. Thanks, B.”

Duke leaves as quickly as he can after that, letting out a relieved breath  once he’s sure no one is around to hear it. 

Step one is done. 

Now for step two: communication.

duke: hey, are you free for a call anytime soon? danny: yeah! we can call now if u want :)

Well! That was way faster than he was expecting. 

He all but sprints through the halls to get to his room and locks the door behind himself. It won’t do much to stop anyone from actually coming in, but it is a sign that he wants privacy. Once he’s sure no one is going to be listening in and interrupting, Duke pulls up Danny’s contact and hits the call button.

It rings twice before Danny’s picking up, greeting him with a cheerful, “Hey Duke! What’s up?”

“Hey Danny,” he replies, unable to help the way his voice softens with affection. “So, this is totally out of the blue, but if you could spend this summer going around the country with me, would you?”

“I mean, yeah, obviously. You know I’d do anything to spend more time with you! Why?”

Duke grins. While he was sure about what Danny’s answer would be, that didn’t stop him from worrying about a rejection. “Well. Bruce has offered to fund the entire trip and bring someone along.”

“Wait, seriously? You want me to go with you?”

“Who else? Dude, you know I love spending time with you, and I’ve missed you like crazy.”

“Oh my God, you’re serious. Duke! Yes, I want to be your travel buddy! Are you kidding me? In what world would I say no?”

“Hey, man, you can’t blame me for making sure. Are your parents going to be fine with that?”

Danny goes quiet, and Duke feels his heart drop. “Danny? Is something wrong?”

“No,” Danny says, followed by a bitter laugh. “They won’t care. I’ll just tell them I’m going traveling with a friend and that’ll be enough. They’re too busy to care much about what I do, these days. They probably won’t even notice that I’m gone, now that Jazz isn’t here to remind them that I exist.”

“How is Jazz, by the way? We could visit her.”

“She’s doing fine. Really loving Harvard. And I’d love that Duke. You’re the best.”

The mood of the conversation eases and they fall into the usual rhythm of catching each other up, chatting about their lives and any other thought that crosses their minds. It’s easy for the hours to slip away with Danny, and before he knows it, there’s a knock on his door as Alfred calls him for dinner.

He hangs up with a quick goodbye to Danny, along with a promise to send him the itinerary once it’s made. 

Somehow, news of his summer plans get out by the end of the day. Which means Steph blabbed and feels no remorse about it. The next week of Duke’s life is overtaken by nearly every trying to help him plan and prepare for his trip, while lightly interrogating him about Danny. By the time he was heading off to the airport, agreeing to take one of Bruce’s smaller private planes which was piloted by a man who definitely wasn’t Jason going by the name 'Todd Jameson'. Of course not, that would be silly.

(Duke sighed very, very loudly when he saw Jason waving at him from outside the plane. He should have expected the guy to take advantage of Bruce needing a pilot and teasing him about Danny.)

He can’t bring himself to be too bother by it, though, when it means he’ll get to be with Danny again soon. Duke would pay any price to be with him again, so this is hardly anything.

They set off with a wave from Duke and Jason flipping the bird to the rest of the family. And then Jason is up in the cockpit, blasting his playlist of songs from musicals, and Duke is left to wait impatient for the next few hours until they reach Illinois. 

The hours pass far too slow but also much too fast. Duke feels like he barely has time to prepare himself before they’re landing smoothly and Danny texts him to let him know he’s at the airport.

Jason sees him off before heading out to take a call from Roy, telling him to find his own way to his hotel. Duke barely pays him enough mind to say goodbye, grabbing his suitcase and hurrying into the airport, searching for the terminal Danny’s at. 

He doesn’t find Danny first. Danny finds him and slams into him like a freight train. It’s only his training that keeps Duke from toppling over, dropping his suitcase to hold Danny. They cling to each other tightly, as if they might never see each other again. Danny’s got his legs wrapped around Duke’s waist like a koala, and Duke would be happy to carry him forever. 

“I can’t believe you’re really here,” Danny murmurs into his ear. Duke shivers, holding him tighter, and smiles.

“Yeah. I know. Man, you don’t know how much I’ve missed you.”

“I think I can take a pretty good guess.”

Danny pulls away, dropping his feet back to the ground. 

Duke is finally able to see Danny for the first time in years, and he’s pretty sure he stops breathing for a solid minute. Danny grew up fine. He’s got the bluest eyes he’s ever seen, and soft black hair that’s a little windswept and messy, and his grin is as bright and beautiful as always. For a moment, Duke wants nothing more than to kiss him.

Then Danny steps back and the thought fades. 

“Ready to go? We’re going to UChicago first, yeah?”

“That’s the plan,” Duke says, falling into step with Danny as they make their way out of the airport. “Then a day just to hang out in Chicago before we head to Harvard.”

“Cool,” Danny grins. “Hotel first, though, right?”

“Yeah, man, catch up time is essential.”

Danny glances over at him, something unreadable in his eyes, but he smiles when he sees that Duke is already looking at him. “Let’s get going, then.”

Danny drives them in a car he apparently made himself, which explains why it’s a model Duke’s never seen before. It drives like a dream and Duke is very tempted to get Danny to make one for the Signal, maybe even wrangle up a contract to have him work with Batman Inc. 

They spend the two hour drive chatting and laughing as if no time has passed at all since they last saw each other in person. All the years seem to fade away and they’re just Duke and Danny again, spending another summer together. 

Check in goes smoothly, and the room Bruce has booked them is large, with two beds, a seating area, and a dining area. A glass door leads to a small balcony with two chairs and a fantastic view of the lake behind the hotel. They set both their suitcases on the luggage rack, and Duke only has time to turn to Danny to ask which bed he wants before he finds himself pressed up against the wall, Danny’s hands on his cheeks.

“Tell me if you don’t want this,” he whispers against Duke’s lips.

Duke doesn’t bother replying. He just leans in, closes the minuscule distance between them, and kisses Danny. It’s soft and sweet and everything he’s ever wanted.

Then Danny makes a small noise in the back of his throat and deepens the kiss. It goes from soft to heated and desperate and all consuming instantly. Duke slides his hands around Danny’s waist, pulling him impossibly closer, and thinks I never want to leave you again.

He’s completely lost track of time when Danny pulls back with gasp. They both take a few seconds to catch their breath, and Duke realizes his cheeks feel cold.

“Sorry,” Danny whispers, pulling his hands away. Duke catches them before they can go too far and holds them together.

“Sorry for what?”

“The frost,” he says, wiggling his fingers lightly. Duke glances down and sees that his fingertips are lightly coated in frost, spilling down his fingers.

“You have powers?”

“Came with the lab accident.”

“Man,” Duke says, “We have got to catch up properly. There’s a ton I haven’t told you.”

Danny laughs lightly, breathlessly. “Oh, for sure. But later. I’ve been wanting to kiss you for years.”

“Danny, baby, you can kiss me all night if you want.”

“I intend to,” he says with a bright grin.

What else could Duke do but lean in and kiss him again?

Nothing else exists in that moment except them. Duke is so, so glad he’s got the rest of summer to spend with Danny. He’s going to take him on dates in every city they visit. 

They’ve gone years without seeing each other. Duke refuses to let it happen again. Whatever future awaits them, he’ll do all he can to keep Danny in it. 

But for now, he’s got his cute childhood friend to kiss and all the privacy a hotel room can offer. He fully intends to make the most of it.

. . .

[send me a ghostlights prompt!]

[catcze]

thinking ab the way wriothesley would cry so hard the first time you hug him ... he has never felt comfort in his life and i stand by that 😿

Wait;;; :((( oh wait ur right :((( [also side note i feel like this takes place a little bit after he became the administrator, before he got his title. Hence why he's not as blase about the shit he's gone thru in the same way that he is in his story quest. ]

"Can I give you a hug?" You ask him out of the blue, and Wriothesley stills at his desk.

He's not sure what's brought this on— hell, you're not even sure what's brought this on, but you figure there's no harm asking.

"I—" The word gets caught in his throat, and his brows furrow in contemplation. One of his hands goes to scratch at the back of his neck, and against all odds, he actually looks a little nervous. "I cen't recall the last time I had a hug. Probably was—"

Probably was when he was still with his foster parents.

The unspoken thought hangs between the both of you, dampening the mood slightly as you realize that all those memories of warm hugs have long since soured for him. Wriothesley quickly clears his throat.

'But if you're offering... well, I don't see why not."

Delighted, you instruct him to stand, and quickly make your way in front of him. You're a little nervous now too, all too aware of how messed up his foster parents were. Aware of how messed up his young adult years were, growing up in an environment where he had to fight for his survival. All you could offer him right now was a hug, but at the very least you hope that he could hold onto it as a good memory.

"Go right ahead, Sweetheart," Wriothesley says, opening his arms wide.

You waste no time in wrapping him up in your embrace— your arms snake around his torso, crushing your chests together. This close, you can feel the quick beat of his heart, warm and rapid and alive in his chest. Your hands go to his back, one of them rubbing soothing circles into the planes there, while the other gently guides his head to rest on your shoulder. Thankfully, he poses practically no resistance to you, letting you guide his body around you with ease.

His arms wrap around you in turn. Tentatively, as if he's scared of shattering you in his hold. Or perhaps he fears the reverse.

Wriothesley's hands settle on your waist, keeping you snug against him. With each circle you rub on his back, each gentle scratch you give to his scalp, his grip tightens bit by bit.

You pour out every single ounce of love you can into the hug. Every warm thought you have of this scarred man in your arms, every adoring thing you can think about to comfort him. You hold him close in a hug that is neither too loose but is not chokin. A hug that is just enough, as if you mean to mend together those invisible wounds that he still carries.

The hug goes on longer than socially acceptable, but neither of you find it in you to care. Wriothesley is practically boneless in your hold, leaning a large portion of his weight against you. He's quietly hugging you back, face buried in your shoulder, trembling just the slightest bit with every comforting scratch or pat or circle you draw on his skin. Wriothesley does not shake, he does not fall. He doesn't let a single noise escape him, save for a single shuddering breath that you feel from his chest.

You let him bury himself in your hold for as long as he wants and as long as he needs. You'll embrace him for as long as he needs, to make up for all the lonely years he's spent without a single hug.

And if you feel a dampness on the shoulder of your shirt, then you promise you won't tell anyone.

[ #Taglist registration here !! ]

[suzukiblu]

WIP guessing game: help

"I know about Billy, Marvel," Batman says, and Billy . . . blinks.

"You know?!" he sputters. Okay, so apparently his secret identity was just . . . literally never a secret at all, then. Which, well–Batman, so that just figures, really. So actually this is kind of a relief and might even mean that he's fine with–

"Yes," Batman confirms with a nod. "So I understand your current reservations about parenthood."

. . . wait what.

"Huh?" Billy says, blinking stupidly at him.

"I don't know how much of you is still C.C. Batson or what you do or don't remember about being him," Batman says. "But the resemblance is undeniable, if nothing else. Certainly your and your wife's deaths were . . . well, suspicious. And you're hardly the first archeologists to dig up a god or six."

Oh, okay. Well.

This is apparently what Billy gets for his personal mental image of a "hero" being his dad, then, isn't it.

Crap.

"To be honest I've been looking for Billy for a while now, I just didn't want to bring it up before I found him," Batman admits, looking dissatisfied with himself. "My most recent reliable intel puts him in Fawcett City, but I assume you're aware of that, given your evident attachment to the place."

"You're looking for Billy?" Billy asks incredulously. "Why?"

"Because he's your son," Batman says. "And because he's a homeless child who's been abused and neglected and needs help. I honestly don't know where you go when you're not being Captain Marvel–frankly I'm not sure if you even exist when you're not being Captain Marvel, given what little I actually know about your powers and your death and your role as the Champion of Magic and just how damn impossible you are to find when you're off-duty–but I'm assuming that wherever it happens to be is not necessarily conducive to providing a stable home environment and being legally dead certainly can't be helping with that, so my original intention was to find the boy and help you arrange some manner of care for and visitation with him. And given the revelation of your relation to Robin, well . . . I'd like to take Billy in myself, if you'd both be comfortable with that. It seems . . . appropriate, under the circumstances."

"You want to foster Billy because I'm Robin's soulmate?" Billy says, absolutely positive that he's misunderstood literally every single word that just came out of Batman's mouth. There is no possible way that he did not.

"It's not exactly out of my wheelhouse," Batman replies wryly. "Although I'll be keeping this one out of the tights, ideally. Though I make no long-term promises about that because quite frankly at this point I'm spoiled for soulmates who insist on wearing capes and I wouldn't really be surprised to turn up another one, especially given that Robin is yours and your own involvement in the superhero community."

Billy stares at him.

"Wait, are all the Gotham vigilantes your soulkids?" he blurts unthinkingly.

"Not all," Batman says. "But, well . . . probably more of them than you'd expect."

"Oh my god," Billy says in disbelief. "And you're just telling me that?! You don't tell people things, you're Batman!"

"I haven't always been the father I should have been," Batman says, and then he pulls down his cowl. Billy chokes, and then chokes again because apparently Batman is Bruce freaking Wayne and his brain just . . . just needs a moment to process that fact, like there is literally any way whatsoever that he could ever actually process that fact. He would've been less surprised to see a Kardashian under that mask, he's pretty sure. At least they've got athletes in the family, technically! "So I'm not going to make things difficult for you with Robin. Clearly he needs more than I'm capable of providing, and I'm perfectly willing to be transparent and to co-parent with you as much as possible. I want Robin to be safe and content and grow up well, and frankly put, Batson, you've proven yourself to be a good man time and again and I trust you to do what's best by our son."

Okay, well, now Billy just feels like dirt.

"You do know what happened to Billy, don't you?" he asks just a little bit desperately, because there is literally no way that this conversation is a real and actual thing that's really and actually happening. "Like, just–everything that happened there? There's a reason he's not in school or the system or with a relative or anything like that."

"What happened to Billy wasn't your fault," Batman tells him, meeting his eyes all quiet and intent and sincere. "And I will do everything in my power to help you make it right."

"Oh no, you're actually like . . . just genuinely a really good person, aren't you," Billy says despairingly, staring at him all over again and really, really wishing he could swear right now.

Maybe he'll just go throw himself into the sun. Maybe that's what he'll just go and do.

The corner of Batman's mouth quirks up wryly. His eyes even crinkle a little, which Billy can see on account of his total lack of cowl right now, oh god.

Billy despairs.

"I mean it," Batman says gently. "It wasn't your fault, and it doesn't mean you can't be a good father now."

"I need to talk to Robin," Billy says, because he definitely, definitely needs to talk to Robin. Batman inclines his head in an accepting nod, because Batman is probably under the impression that Billy wants to go give Robin a good ol' traditional "I know I'm not your biodad but I'm here for you, champ!" kind of speech, and Billy just . . . really cannot explain the real situation to him right now. Or ever.

Can he just lie to Batman for the rest of their lives, maybe? He can just pretend to be his own dad for the Justice League and keep dodging whatever Bat-surveillance happens to be in Fawcett and parent his older-than-he-is soulmate, right? That's a thing that he can do?

That's probably not a thing that he can do.

Although he might be willing to try, at this point.

[imintoomanyfandomscuzihaveadhd]

Random ass spider headcanons that are in my maladaptive daydream

Warning: Not proof read, Cussing, probably OOC, acro ace kiri, mentions of AOT,

First and foremost FUCK HIS FOSTER FAMILY UNCLE NORM RAISED SPIDER 😤

His pain tolerance is through the roof. Like he fell out of a tree and was confused on why Lo’ak was freaking out, he looked down and was like “oh my leg’s broke”

He also like never gets sick but when he does it’s bad

Poor baby got abandonment and anger issues 😭

Probably projecting but he’s got ADHD. It was worse when he was little but he still has his hyper manic episodes

This boy radiates so much heat it’s not even funny

HE CAN SING 😩 AND PLAY THE GUITAR 😫

However he can’t dance worth shit💀 all he can do is a awkward shuffle

Projecting (again) but he tries to take care of his hair but gives up really easily. Like he will have a solid hair routine for like a week and just forgets about it instantly

subconsciously brings samples back to the lab.

This poor boy is touch starved please give him a hug

Most of the young Na’vi kids love him despite their parents distaste

Secretly watches his parents video diaries but pretends like he never wants to see them especially his dads

Him and norm watch old anime and superhero movies that was saved on drives

His hair grows hella fast

He’s a very fast learner

He knows Spanish definitely can and will cuss anybody who doesn’t understand it out

Lyle: “SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT HE’S SAYING I DONT SPEAK TACO BELL”

Lopez:😭🤣

Has crazy ass sleepwalking spells. Like everyone in the lab literally couldn’t find him. Norm decided he would go avatar to look for spider outside and spider was dead ass asleep in the pod💀

He also sleeps like a rock like the whole lab could get blown away and he would still be sleeping

Morning boi. Like why is he up at 5:30am eating breakfast watching old Pokémon reruns on a Wednesday 🤨

His room is a disaster

Steals avatar/recom clothes

Norm: “Spider, give me back my shirt it’s like 6x your size”

Spider, who looks like a toddler cuz the shirt is so big: “So? You just jealous I look hotter than you in it🙄”

I feel like there’s random period where spider will just wonder off into the forest when he’s not feeling mentally well. And it’s ok because he got the ewya armor

Like he’s found his own secret caves and groves to go to when he’s upset or just wants to be alone

Him and loak once stole the Navi equivalent to alcohol, got drunk and Jake beat their ass

Helps teach Navi kids English

Him, loak, kiri, havin waifu talk after spider showed them the wonderful world of anime

Lo’ak: “historia is top tier”

Spider: “man fuck historia have you seen ANNIE AND MIKASA 😩”What can I say man loves him a strong woman

Kiri: “acro ace vibing with hange”

Boy’s oblivious as hell

omeone will flirt with him and 3 day later while he’s chilling in the lab he’ll go: “HOLY SHIT……THEY WERE FLIRTING WITH ME-”

The waifu one was based off these videos here

@hyperfixatedfandomer @naavispider @today-or-tumble

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

A Place To Call Home: After Shocks

Summary: The reader is feeling guilty after doubting her parents after the stunt her birth parents pulled. But with her parents going away to film a new project soon, the only solution may be for her to go with them for some much needed bonding...

Masterlist

Pairing: Jensen x foster daughter!reader

Word Count: 11,100ish

Warnings: language, angst, fluff

A/N: This one takes place directly after Long, Long Time!

________

“Y/N.” You felt TJ behind you, his strong arms wrapping around your waist, holding you close. “What do you need right now?”

You smiled to yourself, closing your eyes. For every bad thing that’d happened in your life, you were still amazed at how lucky you were to have found someone that loved you wholly. He was still the one person that you’d never once doubted cared for you, never struggled with sharing the dark parts of your past. 

There were things you’d only told him even, the details behind vague statements to your parents. Yet he stayed and never complained about what being with a person with scars was like. It’d be so much easier for him to have found a normal girl, so much less for him to worry about.

“I probably would have wound up with a not so nice guy if I’d not gone to my parents when I was a teenager. I would have fallen for the first guy that was nice and sweet just so he could get me in bed or worse. I was so fucking starved for attention and love back then. I was so goddamn lonely.”

He squeezed you tighter, tucking his head down so he could burrow his face in your neck, kissing it softly.

“My dad showed me what to look for in a man. My mom too. They taught me how I was supposed to be treated when I was in a relationship.” You opened your eyes, staring out the back window again. “How did I let those assholes make me afraid of my parents? I hate that I pushed them away, TJ. It’s better now but it’s not. I feel so guilty.”

“It’s only been a few days since things got back to normal. Give it some time. Try therapy with them, bring ‘em to a session.”

“Honey, I know exactly what the therapist would say. I had this same conversation when I was in college. I know it’s because I want people to be angry at me when I make a mistake. It’s what I expect. It’s what my childhood taught me, my time in foster care did.”

“Alright,” he said, kissing the side of my head. “So how’d they say to not feel guilty back then?”

“They suggested I spend time with them so I could understand that my guilt had no basis. That they loved me no matter what and that’s what the whole unconditional thing meant. It’s not bad to get afraid. It’s human and we shouldn’t be ashamed of being afraid.”

“So go spend some time with your parents,” he said.

“I spend too much time with them already,” you said, squeezing your eyes shut as he spun you around in his hold. “Other people our age-”

“I don’t give a fuck about other people our age. Our family lives around the corner and frankly, I hope they always do. I love them. I enjoy their company. Honey, I can promise you that having a close, loving family is a good thing. Allie and Colin? They fucking adore their grandparents. They regularly get to see their aunts and uncle. We have amazing family friends they get to grow up with. Those two kids are never, ever, going to doubt they they are loved and supported. You and I could die tomorrow and I know those two will turn out amazing. I promise you, we will never spend too much time with our family.”

“I worry you think I’m too needy sometimes,” you whispered, meeting his gaze. His face was gentle, short black hair still damp from his shower. “But I’ve never doubted you. I just don’t want to put too much on you. I don’t want to take away time that should be yours.”

“Oh you sweet, silly, adorable, idiot,” he chuckled, tucking your hair behind your ear, letting his finger trail down the side of your throat. “We have forever together. I know how lucky I am to spend as much time as I do with you. My job is flexible and only getting more with time. And you? You’re turning set design into a career now. What couple our age gets to spend so much of our time together? Believe me, I’m greedy to be with you as much as I can be but I am more than happy to share you with our family.”

He cupped your cheek, smiling while he gently stroked over your cheekbone. “Give spending some extra time with them a shot for me. Okay, silly goose?”

“Where did I find you?” you whispered, nuzzling into his chest.

“Orientation. I was the boy awkwardly staring at you for so long you asked if I had heatstroke.” You laughed at the memory of him just blank faced, sweating in the boiling summer heat as you stood with your orientation packet and attempted to find your parents in the crowd. You thought he was from out of state with the way he was dripping and offered him some water while finding him some shade to hide beneath. 

By the time he’d gotten his words back, you’d realized he was there on his own. No family to help him move in, find buildings, buy books. It wasn’t a conscious thought back then but you knew that ache of loneliness. Even people who came from homes with parents could feel like they were by themselves. 

“Lucky for me you took pity on me and instead of thinking I was a creeper, you showed me which line to get my packet from and pointed out where buildings were on maps and all of it. I was in love with you before I even knew your name.”

“Thomas,” you said, cheeks flushing. “Don’t be cute when I was feeling crappy five minutes ago.”

“Ah, but that’s my favorite thing to do,” he teased, kissing the tip of your nose. “Now off you go.”

“To where?” you laughed, TJ walking you over to the front door. 

“To your parents, silly. It’s only nine and we both know they don’t sleep until late. Go hang for a bit, talk to them about being together more. Me and my perky butt will be waiting here for you when you get back.”

“Okay, well that’s just cruel to put that image in my mind and then send me away,” you said as he bent down and slipped a pair of sneakers on your feet. He looked up through his lashes, putting on a sultry smile. “TJ! Stop turning me on!”

“Don’t blame me for you being stunning,” he said, rising to his feet and pecking a kiss to your lips. “Drive over for me.”

“Okay,” you said. “What are you planning on doing in the meantime?”

“Check on the munchkins, play a video game, lay in bed in my birthday suit to greet you when you get back.”

“Just don’t scar the children for life,” you laughed, feeling a gentle pat on your ass. TJ ushered you to go when you nearly dragged him towards the bedroom and finally you were out the door. Two minutes later, you were walking into your parents house, the place pretty dark. JJ was at a graduation party and spending the night there. The twins were up in the family room watching an old movie with the lights off, totally engrossed with it. You figured your parents were on their private balcony and headed for their room.

“Oh fuck!” you shouted when you saw way more of your father than you ever wanted to. You quickly slammed the door and stood outside the room, pacing away as you shook your head. “Nope. Nope. Nope. I didn’t see that. I did not see that.”

The door opened after a moment, your mom slipping out in a pair of joggers and a silky black pajama shirt.

“I am so sorry, honey. I thought dad locked the door,” she said as you kept walking, shaking your head. “Are you okay?”

“Was he giving you a fucking naked lap dance?” you said, a coy smile on her face as she shrugged. “Mom!”

“Oh, you’ve seen his ass before when you watched The Boys,” she said.

“I knew that was going to happen! And I saw a whole lot more than just ass,” you said, shivering your whole body as the twins came down from their movie.

“I remember when I walked in on them,” said your brother, wearing a shit eating grin as you groaned. “Dad’s got a huge-”

“I don’t need a reminder!” you said, your dad clearing his throat as he came out in a pair of sweatpants and gray t-shirt. 

“Things going okay out here?” he asked, forcing a smile.

“Talking about your apparently huge dick,” said Arrow. Your mom couldn’t help but laugh as your dad groaned, the twins starting to giggle. “What? It’s the truth.”

“While I normally appreciate how open we are as a family, I mean this in the nicest way, we are never bringing this topic up again,” said your dad with a sigh. “Go finish your movie and for the love of god never talk about this again.”

Your mom was still laughing, earning a small headlock from him. “It’s your fault you didn’t lock the door!”

“Yes, I know,” he groaned, letting her go and standing in front of you with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry for scaring you for life, kiddo.”

“It’s fine,” you sighed, crossing your arms. “In terms of traumatizing events, this ranks pretty low for me. Besides, mom told me when I started having sex with TJ about your sex life.”

His head whipped around and she held up her hands. “Hey. She had questions and I answered them.”

“I wouldn’t have told her how big…you know,” he grumbled. 

“I didn’t. I just said above average is nice!”

“As much fun as this conversation is, I’d like to repress this memory if possible so I’m going to let you guys continue with your magic mike moment-”

You heard the twins howl in laughter, your dad storming past you and over towards the stairs.

“You two start high school in the fall and guess what talk we’re having tomorrow?” he said. They both groaned for a moment before you heard noise again, your dad wiping his hand over his face. 

“They both know what sex is,” you said, his eyes wide. “I gave them both the talk like years ago.”

“You did?” they both asked.

“Yeah. I gave it to all of them. It’s a lot easier for big sis to tell you than mom and dad, especially when dad makes talking about sex so freaking awkward,” you said, cocking your head.

“Well, thank you,” he said, nodding once. “And if that’s something you want to discuss, then we can.”

“I’m good. I just enjoy torturing you in return for the trauma I endured tonight,” you said with a smile. Your mom giggled as he pushed you both into the bedroom, closing the door behind himself.

“Well the mood is gone so what’s up?” he asked as you sat very specifically not on the bed and wandered over to the large window out back. You spun on your heels, both of them watching with concerned eyes.

“I…have been feeling guilty about doubting you guys that you’d hurt me like the sperm and egg donor did and…I’d like to try that thing we did when I was younger and spending more time with you guys helped…if that’s cool,” you said, biting your bottom lip. 

“Honey, of course you can hang out with us more often,” said your mom. She wrapped you up in a hug, letting you melt into her. “Dad and I were talking earlier and hoping we could steal some time with you. We missed you.”

“I missed you guys too,” you said, feeling your dad come up behind you and hug you, resting his chin on your shoulder.

“You don’t have anything to feel guilty about,” he whispered, kissing the top of your head. 

“I know I shouldn’t but I know I hurt you both and that’s something I have to deal with.”

“It hurts more knowing how much you hurt yourself for being human, kiddo,” he said.

“I know how scared you were that I’d stop-“

“You didn’t stop loving us,” he said. “You were afraid and sometimes, your kids get scared. It’s that simple.”

You nodded, enjoying being squished between them, a calm feeling settling in your bones. 

“There she is,” he murmured as he felt you relax. “Better?”

“Yeah,” you said. Your mom tugged you over to the bed, your eyebrows raising.

“It’s clean, I promise.” She slid into her side of the bed, tugging you down in the middle as your dad moved in on your other side. “So we could watch a movie, play a game-“

“Guys,” you said. “It’s okay. You had other plans-“

“And now our plans are to spend time with you,” said your dad, throwing his arm over your shoulders, tucking you into his side. You glanced up, frowning at the deep worry in his eyes. “Honey, you never have to ask us to be with you like you’re some kind of bother. Please know that.”

“You know me,” you said, your mom scooting closer, taking one of your hands in hers. “Can I maybe, I know how this is going to sound-“

“Y/N. Ask like we’re your mom and dad, not strangers,” said your mom. 

“I know that too. I’m a little shaky I guess,” you breathed out, both of them holding your closer. “Can we spend more time together, like one on one? Like make a night or something for us like we did when I was younger? That really helped me back then and TJ thinks it’ll help now too.”

“Knew there was a reason I loved that boy,” said your mom. “Of course we can do that.”

You felt your dad stiffen though, your head turning up. He looked sad, pouting almost. 

“You have to go away for a project soon, don’t you,” you said quietly. 

“Oh no,” said your mom, her hand leaving yours, both of them covering her mouth. “We both have to for two weeks starting on Tuesday. Daddy’s gone for over a month.”

“JJ was going to be in charge and we were going to come home on the weekends but-“

“You have work. I understand.” Still, tears prickled in the corner of your eyes. Why’d you have to be so stupid and push them away for the past month? Now they were both going to be gone.

“Come with us.” Your dad turned your cheek to face him, wiping away a stray droplet before it could fall. “We need to be together again for a little bit. Come to the project with us for two weeks and then you can decide to stay with me or go home with mom but either way you got at least one of us.”

“That’s a long time to be away from Allie and Colin,” you said, biting your bottom lip. “But I know TJ can handle it. I need to talk to him first. I can’t make that kind of decision on my own.”

“We understand. Trust me. Dad and I have had a lot of those conversations over the years.” You already knew TJ would tell you to go and have fun. But you’d never spent more than a few days away from the kids. 

“The little one’s will survive. Give ‘em a call and facetime them everyday and it helps. Believe me, nothing beats a hug from them when you’ve been gone for a few weeks,” said your dad. “They’ve dealt with TJ being gone for a week for work before. They’ll be alright if you choose to go.”

“I know they would. It’s me I don’t know about,” you said, closing your eyes. “Let me talk to TJ and I’ll give you guys an answer in the morning.”

“Whatever you want to do. We can always hang out when we get back too,” he said, kissing your temple. “So can I interest you ladies in a game of Mario Kart?”

Three days later you were walking into an upscale cabin you were sharing with your parents, most of the other cabins at the unique little hotel filled with cast and crew for the movie your parents were making. They were producing it and your dad was starring as the main character. You’d done the set design on it nearly a year prior and while you’d forgotten most of the story, you were excited to see one of your sets in person. Plus you hadn’t seen your dad on a film set in more than a few years and knew seeing him act in person was a rare treat.

After you ditched your bags in the spare bedroom, you changed and met up with your parents for a pre-shoot dinner they were hosting at a restaurant in town with the cast and some of the higher ups. While the dinner was fun, you were tired from traveling all the way to Vancouver all day. You ducked outside to give TJ a quick call but were reluctant to go back inside and have to be social again when you were exhausted.

“Hey,” said a woman around your age if you had to guess, her hair silky and tied back in a loose ponytail, a black floral tank top and jeans on. “You’re Y/N, right?”

“Uh yeah,” you said, offering her a smile. “You’re Cara Micks. You’re playing Maddie. My parents were really glad they managed to get you. Everybody wants you in their stuff after that indie film.”

“One little Oscar nom and suddenly I’m not surviving off ramen in an apartment with four roommates,” she laughed, nodding her head. “I uh, I’m really glad I got this role, even if it’s not what my agent wanted me to pick. Working with your dad is like a dream come true. He has such a good reputation. I know this’ll be a good set.”

“I can guarantee it’ll be one of the best you ever work on,” you said as she wiped off her forehead.

“Plus it’s a good story. You did the set design, right?” she asked. You hummed, her eyes lighting up. “I got to sneak down and see some of the set mock ups earlier today. They look really cool. I’d love to know more about how that kind of stuff works. If that’s okay. People seem to think I know a lot about this business when I’ve really only done a few gigs before.”

“Well, I’ve never been on a set I’ve designed before so I’m right there with you but I’d happily answer any questions. I’ll leave the acting stuff to my dad though. I can barely tell you what a mark is,” you said, Cara smiling as she closed her eyes. “You good to drive?”

“Yeah, just tired. I’ll see you tomorrow though. Maybe we can grab lunch?” she asked.

“Sure,” you said, Cara handing over her phone. You exchanged numbers and watched her drive off as your parents walked out of the restaurant, others trailing out. 

“Ready for bed? We got an early day tomorrow,” said your mom. You hummed and closed your eyes, your dad rubbing your back.

“Come on. Sooner we get back soon you can head to sleep.”

“Oh my god! It’s my basement!” you said, hopping up and down when you walked onto set the next morning. 

“And what a lovely torture basement it is, kiddo,” laughed your dad. You walked around the set, poking at the shelves, surprised they actually put the cobblestone walls in. He nudged you when you ran your hands over it, a proud smile on his face. “It does look good. Appreciate the fact you know an old shack would have cobblestone and not cinder blocks.”

“That was the point,” you said, walking around the space, stopping at the chair in the center of the basement. “They even found the same chair!”

“They do tend to make the sets match what’s designed,” he chuckled, following you around set, hands clasped behind his back. “You should do this full-time. Design.”

“I don’t know,” you said with a shrug, watching him take a seat on the wooden steps. You sat down in the chair across from him, resting your chin in your hands. “TJ has great benefits so it’s not like a fear of having to be self-employed or not getting gigs. I could not work and we’d be perfectly fine.”

“If you have a sense of obligation to stay at the brewery-”

“I know I don’t have to,” you said. “The team does all the real work.”

“So what’s keeping you from giving it a shot? I mean,” he said, leaning back on his elbows, kicking his legs out in front of him, “You’ve got more than a few projects under your belt. You have the resume, connections. You can set your own schedule. Granted, yeah, it’s not going to be every single day and there’ll be long days sometime but you’ve already handled that with two small kids and working another job.”

“I know,” you said, his head cocking as he smiled. 

“So…” You closed your eyes and sighed.

“My brewery job you gave me. And somehow people always know I’m your daughter, even when I use Hanover in projects. I just…if I do this full time people are going to assume I got the job because of my dad and I’ll never know if it’s because I’m good at it or if a director wants to work with you. You know?” He nodded, smirking as he glanced down at the concrete floor. “You know it’s true.”

“Nepotism is a thing in this industry for sure. But I also am a product of that through grandpa and people he knew. Nepotism gets you in the door as a guest and it’s right to acknowledge that. Talent gets you invited to stay at the party long after all the wannabe’s head home.”

“But I didn’t earn it like someone off the street,” you said. He sighed, running his hand through his hair.

“Cold hard truth? No one knew who the fuck you were when you submitted that first portfolio for your first project. Nobody. I know that because I worked with the director of that project after and he had zero clue you’re my kid. He recommended you to other projects before I came along so you did earn it. You’re right. You’ll never know for sure but you shouldn’t stop because of it. You don’t always have to start in last place to be worthy of earning first.”

“But nepotism is basically cheating your way to first,” you said.

“Sometimes, yeah. Sometimes, it’s a kid who is talented who got in on her own and won’t give herself a break to do something she clearly loves because she thinks it was a gift. Even if it was a gift, take it. Life threw enough shit at you. Take the nice crap too.”

You pursed your lips, looking around. “You think I’m good at this?”

“Mom and I didn’t approach you to do this project for shits and giggles. We knew you’d do quality work and sure as shit, you did. There are not a lot of sets on this film. Most scenes take place out in the woods so the pieces we do have, they need to be fucking good. And this room doesn’t even have four walls and it’s scary as hell so yeah, I’d say you’re good at this.” He stood up, holding out his hands. “Come on, let’s go check out the rest of the sets.”

“Has anyone seen Cara today?” asked the director, Dave close to lunchtime. You glanced up from where you sat in your dad’s chair, your mom over at the film tent with the other producers.

“She’s still not here?” asked your dad as he walked off set. They’d been filming for a few hours for his scenes at the police station but those were wrapped up, everyone ready to start in the basement once lunch break was over. “That doesn’t seem like her.”

You pulled out your phone and dialed, getting no answer. You tried a few more times and got more of the same. 

“This fucking kid,” grumbled Dave, leaning back in his seat. “Can someone get over to her hotel room and tell her to get her ass on set? I don’t care if she was nominated for a fucking Oscar. She pulls any diva shit and I’ll kick her out.”

“She said she was tired last night,” you said, several heads turning your direction. “When we left dinner. She looked a little ill too, like sweaty.”

“Well if she’s sick she’s supposed to call in. She better be fucking dying for not giving notice,” said Dave. You raised your eyebrow at him, Dave giving it right back. “I’m not being dramatic. It’s in her contract what she’s supposed to do if she’s sick.”

“Maybe so but a little common decency doesn’t hurt. You shouldn’t wish for someone to be ‘fucking dying’ because they’re not at work on time,” you shot back. You could feel the eyes on you, most of the nearby crew watching you. 

To your surprise Dave nodded, his face relaxing. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have said that. Let’s have someone get over to her place and see what’s going on.”

People dispersed for lunch, your parents holding hands as they stopped at the chair and your dad grabbed his phone.

“Sorry I did that,” you said as you stood. They shared a smile, your dad tucking you under his shoulders as you walked out of the studio.

“We’re not,” said your mom, tilting her head up to your dad. “Remember when she used to be scared of men?”

“You wouldn’t know it with that little display,” he said, squeezing your shoulder. “And you think you’re riding off my reputation in this business. Think again, tall munchkin. Things like that are why people want to work with you.”

“I could have done it privately,” you said with a shrug.

“Don’t take shit on a set. We both did,” said your mom. “It’s nice to know you won’t.”

“Well, what’s the worst that’ll happen? I get fired? So what,” you said. 

“We did good,” said your dad, releasing you to high-five your mom. You rolled your eyes and walked ahead, turning around to walk backwards.

“Excuse me but I did good. Y’all were just like…there,” you said, smirking. Both their faces fell and you sighed, stopping in your tracks. “Oh my god, it was a joke! Guys. You two driving me insane as a teenager was incredibly helpful. You definitely did good. Promise.”

“Well,” said your mom with a smile, “It was a team effort.”

“It was,” you said, your dad biting his bottom lip. You spun around and smiled. “It didn’t hurt having a good guy want to be my dad. He set the bar high so I don’t accept shit. I appreciate that.”

You glanced over your shoulder and caught him smiling off to the side, his cheeks a hot pink.

“Dad are you blushing?” you teased. He snapped his attention to you and rolled his eyes, failing to keep his lips from curling up. 

“God no. I don’t blush,” he scoffed. 

“Sure you don’t,” you said, smiling as you headed for the catering tent. “I forgot you’re a super tough manly man.”

“Damn straight I am,” he said. You shook your head and got in line, looking up when you felt him by your side. “You shouldn’t feel guilty.”

“Dad-” you said quietly as you both stepped forward. 

“Your parents hurt us, they hurt you. You didn’t do anything to us. I wouldn’t be strong enough to risk getting hurt by another set of parents let alone believe they love me. I’d be terrified. You’ve always been the strong one in this family, kiddo. You don’t have to say nice things to make me feel better.”

You shook your head, smiling when you looked down. “I don’t say things to you to make you feel better, dad. You or mom. I only say what I believe and genuinely, you made me know what to expect out of men and if they don’t deliver, I’ll let them know about it. I’m not blowing smoke up your ass.”

He smirked, nodding to himself. “You stopped feeling guilty before we even got out here, didn’t you.”

“What can I say? You guys give good pep talks,” you said, feeling your mom hug your waist from behind. “It’s still cool that I came out though right?”

“Don’t ask dumb questions, kiddo,” he chuckled. “Let’s get some lunch and hopefully Cara will be back by then.”

“We have a big problem,” said Dave, stopping by your lunch table about twenty minutes later. Your parents left, leaving the rest of you wondering what was going on. When your lunch break was up, people headed back to their various departments, your dad appearing out of nowhere and giving you a strange look.

“What’s wrong?” you asked.

“Cara has food poisoning it sounds like. The PA that went over found her vomiting. She’s taking her to the hospital to get some fluids in her. Hopefully she’s feeling better later.”

“Oh. Well that’s good,” you said, that strange look still there. “Dad…”

“Technically the scenes we need to film this afternoon are all my coverage. Since Cara’s stunts don’t start until next week, her stunt double and stand in aren’t here yet. But you may have noticed you and Cara share a certain-”

“You want me to fucking double for Cara Micks? Me?” you asked as he smiled.

“You guys are the same height, size. Your hair’s almost the exact same. Literally all you have to do is put on some clothes, sit in a chair with some make up on and make sounds like you’re scared. It’s not going to be hard at all.” You stared at him, his eyes searching yours. “I promise it’s as easy as-”

You crossed your arms and glanced down, kicking at the pavement. “You’re filming the scenes where Ben finds Maddie. Your coverage.”

“Exactly,” he said, voice dropping slightly. “You don’t have to. We can find another woman to I’m sure. I just thought you’re perfect for it already. But you don’t-”

“Dad. It’s not the being a stand in. I don’t mind that,” you said. He cocked his head when you raised yours, sighing deeply. “I’m nervous that…I know that scene. I remember it from the design. Maddie is tied up in a chair in a basement. And I know it’s a film set and it’s safe but…”

You shrugged, smiling wearily.

“House six,” you whispered, his head nodding. “I’m just-”

“I never should have asked,” he said softly. “I’m sorry.” 

“Dad, no,” you said, grabbing his arm before he could go. You tugged him away between some trailers, letting go when you ran your hand through your hair. 

“Tall munchkin, there is no way I would make you do that. I am so sorry I-”

“Stop. Please.” He snapped his lips shut. After a beat you leaned back against a trailer wall, breathing slowly. “Ben’s a cop. House six, that prick was a cop. I need…I don’t know the script that much, only the early parts, if at all. Tell me Ben’s a good guy.”

“He has his rough spots but by the end of the movie, Ben and Maddie are basically father and daughter. It’s a big step for her considering her own father is the one that had her kidnapped and then tried to kill her.” You pursed your lips, his eyes scanning the clouds overhead. “This is going to sound corny as hell but just listen to me for a minute.”

“Okay,” you said as he met your gaze.

“You’re a grown woman. I recognize that and respect it. You can make your own choices, own mistakes, successes. You have a husband and children and I know when you’re in trouble, I’m not the first person you turn to anymore. That’s okay. It’s normal.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and smirked. “But you’re still my little girl. I will always do my best to protect you or I’ll go down swinging in the process. You don’t have to worry about if the character I’m playing is good or bad. I’m your dad. Behind every character is me. And you know me and what I’d do for you.”

You looked away, nodding a few times.

“You don’t have to do this. At all. But understand that I would not allow anything to happen to you if I didn’t believe it was safe. I’ll let you get some bumps and scrapes along the way cause that’s life. But no more scars. Because I told you that night on the road my job is to protect you, that I’ll never hurt you. You know that deep down but you need to hear it out loud sometimes because you get scared.”

You felt him step closer and forced yourself to face him. “What?”

“I will never let anything like what happened in that house happen to you again. Understand?” 

“Okay.”

“Okay,” he smiled, giving you a hug. “Why don’t you go hang out in my trailer for a bit? It’s going to take a little bit to find someone and start filming again.”

“Well,” you said, his eyebrow raising, “You or mom will be nearby the whole time right?”

“Absolutely,” he said. You shrugged and nodded. “You change your mind?”

“I can do it,” you said. “You sure you can?”

“Me?” he laughed. “What do you mean?”

“You gonna be cool with seeing me with fake blood and stuff?” He cocked his head and smirked. 

“Fake blood I can handle,” he said, your mom stopping by the end of the trailer. “She says she good with it.”

“Oh thank you,” she sighed, quickly grabbing your hand and dragging you behind her. “Jensen, you need to change while I get her ready.”

“See you on set, kiddo.”

“Thank you everyone,” called Dave at the end of the day. You stretched out as you stood up from the chair, your dad rubbing your shoulders that had a small ache to them. “That’s a wrap for the day.”

“How you feeling?” asked your dad, massaging the muscles with my force, the ache soothing away.

“That helps,” you said, Dave coming over to you. 

“I really do appreciate you filling in for us today, Y/N,” he said. 

“It’s no problem. I didn’t have to do much,” you said.

“Well thanks anyways, and for calling me out earlier. I want this to be a fun set.”

“I think I figured that out when dad started carrying me out of the scene upside down,” you laughed, your dad chuckling. “How’s Cara feeling?”

Dave shared a look with your dad, his hands falling away from you. “She still at the hospital?”

“Appendicitis. It fucking popped this afternoon.”

“Shit,” said your dad. “That’s bad.”

“She was being prepped for surgery when it happened, which was good, I guess. They were able to go in fast and clean her up. I was going to drop by in a bit and check up on her.”

“Dee and I’ll go too. Her parents know?”

“On the way but Florida’s pretty far. They won’t be here until around midnight. I’ll see you guys there,” he said when he got pulled away by another producer.

“Can I go?” you asked. 

“Sure. Let’s stop by hair and makeup so they can clean you up first.”

The Next Morning

“What do you think they’re going to do?” said the key grip as everyone ate breakfast together. Cara was doing better but she was on strong antibiotics so she didn’t get an infection and her surgery had been more invasive than if her appendix hadn’t burst. All in all, it meant she was on bed rest for a few weeks and looking at a full month before she was going to be cleared for work.

Which wouldn’t have been a big problem if your dad didn’t have a project lined up for six weeks from now. 

“There’s no way we can finish on time unless they got in a backfill today,” said Molly, your dad’s PA, slurping down a bowl of oatmeal. “Jensen has two different films he’s supposed to be in once we wrap and they’re big studio ones. No way he’d drop those to finish this late with Cara.”

“Couldn’t they just push until after he does the movies? That’s only a few weeks, really randomly too. He wouldn't be needed every day at those,” you said. The key grip, a very, very tall man named Ivan shook his head.

“Cara’s got a Marvel role she starts prepping for then. By the time both their schedules are free it’s late winter and we can’t film in that, not when the movie takes place in the early fall. So that pushes us back to next summer which a lot of the time means we’re dead in the water.”

“Yup,” said Molly with a sigh. “I liked this job. Your dad’s not a dickhead and I’ve worked with some dickheads before.”

“How hard is it to find another actress though? Couldn’t they call up like the girl that came in second in the auditions?” you asked. They shared a look and you frowned. “I clearly am not in on the gossip.”

“It’s okay. You just got here,” said Molly, slurping up more oatmeal. “Rumor is it took like five months to find someone to play Maddie. No one could pull off the intense moments in the script until they got Cara. It’s an amazing script but damn, the lead actress has to be able to do a fucking lot.”

“What do you mean? How’s that different than any other story?” you asked, Ivan chuckling. “I am so out of the loop.”

“Set designers normally are. We hardly ever see you guys to be fair. But basically Maddie in the story has be vulnerable but funny, a whimpering mess but also frighteningly creepy. Soft but strong. Do a number of fight scenes with grown ass men twice her size. All while running around in the woods most days, freezing her ass off during the many night shoots and being able to not oversell the emotional moments and have it come off as cheesy instead of awesome. It’ll be a miracle to find someone like Cara Micks.”

“Oh. Well that sucks. The movie sounds cool. I really want to see if get made,” you said, your mom ducking into the tent with a smile, waving you over. “I’ll be back guys.”

“Let us know if you find out anything!” said Molly. You gave them a smile and walked out of the tent with your mom, surprised when she was practically jogging away.

“Where are you going?” you laughed, following after, grateful you were in a pair of sneakers and leggings today. She just waved and you followed her into your dad’s trailer, many pairs of eyes on you. Your dad and Dave were there along with the other producers that were on set, the assistant director, the writer and a few other people you didn’t know. “Hi.”

You took the only open seat at the far end of the little couch across from your dad, Dave walking over and squatting down in front of you. “Uh, can someone explain what’s happening?”

“I’m sure you’ve heard we’re a bit fucked without Cara. We can’t film a two lead movie without one of our leads. She’s a hard girl to replace,” said Dave. Your eyes flicked up to your dad, his lips pressed into a thin line. “We would like it if you’d entertain us for a few hours and try to film a few scenes with Jensen. You already did the stand in work yesterday and that was great-”

“I played a barely conscious girl yesterday. I didn’t have to do anything.” You got to your feet and shook your head. “I can’t act let alone replace the girl who almost got an Oscar. I will happily be a stand-in but guys…y’all do realize I’m not related by blood to these guys, right? There is zero chance any acting talent was passed along. I haven’t acted since the fourth grade where I played girl #4. Does that sound like the person you want starring in a freaking movie with him?”

Your dad shrugged. “I think you’re selling yourself short.”

You were wide eyed, mouth dropping. Had he lost his mind?

“You’re very smart. You had a lot of good suggestions during pre-production,” said Dave, taking a seat on the couch. 

“Sets. Sets I get. I have a degree in architecture and so does my husband. I know walls and floors and ceilings. This? I have zero fucking clue about acting.” Dave looked at your parents, slowly returning his gaze back to you. “I can’t do it. I’ll ruin your damn movie.”

“Well we can’t film shit without Cara so let us try for two hours. If you’re as shitty as you say you are, then I have no problem telling you that. Let us try to grab a life preserver before we go down with the ship. That’s all we’re asking,” said Dave. You grumbled, putting your back to the room before sighing.

“Fine. But no one get mad at me when I can’t do it, alright?” you said, turning around with a huff.

“Perfect. Get her a script and in hair and make up. Jensen, we’ll give you twenty minutes to rehearse before we’ll try on set.” You were ushered out of the room and twenty later you were back there with a wad of paper in your hand, wearing the same dirty t-shirt, leggings and sneakers you wore in the basement scene yesterday.

“Why the fuck would you volunteer me for this?” you said the second you were in his trailer, your dad snapping his head up from where he sat on the couch with his own papers. “When have I ever expressed an interest in acting? I look like shit. I’m not a bombshell like Cara Micks. I look like damn roadkill. You are insane for thinking I could pull something like this off. Why, why do you think I can do this? What is wrong with you, dad?”

He looked you up and down, a soft smile on his face. “Stop smiling! I’m pissed!”

“You do realize the qualities Maddie has in the movie are all ones you have, don’t you? You can do it because you have done it. And don’t tell me you can’t act,” he scoffed. You threw up your hands, dropping your papers.

“Of course I can’t fucking act! Why on earth would you think I can?” you said. He walked over in front of you, crossing his arms and staring you down. “What is wrong with you? I can’t-”

“You can act with the best of them.” You could only stare with wide eyes, growing angrier at the smug expression on his face.

“Stop saying that!” you shot back. “Why would you make me do this? I’m going to humiliate myself and you and mom and-”

He started to laugh and you’d had enough. You turned to leave, his hands gently catching your shoulders. You swore your eye was twitching when you faced him, that stupid smile still there.

“Oh, kiddo. I watched you put on a class act for months when you first came to us. Before that? Acted your ass off in those shitty foster homes. Acted your ass off when you put in anonymous calls to get the truly awful ones shut down. Pretended it was all okay to those monsters faces when it was eating you up inside. Even with your birth parents you pretended to be perfect for them.” He got in your face, tilting his head ever so slightly. “You can act and it’s like I told you yesterday. You’re safe here. So trust me to keep you safe and you can act when your damn survival doesn’t depend on it for the first time in your life. Trust me, it’s going to be a hell of a lot easier than the last time you acted.”

You frowned, growling as he leaned back. “Has anyone ever told you how irritating it is that you always have a fucking point?”

“I recall being told once or twice by a certain munchkin,” he chuckled, picking up the papers and handing them over. “Oh and Y/N? You are beautiful, even with that bruised makeup on your face. Believe me.”

“Dad. You have to say that.”

“Hm, no I don’t,” he laughed, taking a seat. “You don’t know how many death glares I’ve handed out over the years. Plus your husband never shuts up about how pretty you are.”

“Don’t make me smile. I’m still annoyed with you,” you said, sitting down at his kitchenette table, fixing your pages. “Do I have to have this memorized?”

“Let’s just practice a few times and go from there.”

Two Weeks Later

It was quiet out. Then again it normally was at two in the morning. You sipped on your thermos of hot coffee while the crew took a short break. You passed it to your dad beside you, the two of you sat in front of a fire in the forest. Above you was a clearing in the sky, so many stars out in the deep wilderness.

“You’re happy.” You glanced to your right, the shadows dancing across his face. 

“Yeah,” you whispered, looking back up at the sky. “It’s so pretty here.”

“I’m really glad I get to do this with you,” he said quietly. 

“Me too.” You took the thermos back from him, taking another sip. You were both quiet, watching the flames in front of you. He wore a long sleeve henley while you were still in your t shirt and leggings. But at least tonight you got to wear his warm flannel between takes. Until he’d give it to you in the scene at least. You set the thermos behind the log where it’d be hidden from view when they turned the cameras back on in a few minutes, catching your dad close his eyes. “Dad. Don’t fall asleep.”

“I’m not sleeping. Just happy.” You hummed, connecting the stars in the sky, trying to find the big dipper. “Kiddo?”

“Yeah?” 

“It’s to the left of that branch.” You spotted him with eyes open, darting around as they made connections.

“I used to sit outside when I was a kid and stare at the stars. No one ever bothered me when I did that,” you said, pointing out the little dipper to him. “Always seemed so peaceful up there.”

“Did you find a little peace down here?” You nodded, laughing quietly. “What’s so funny?”

“You wonder where I get it from,” you said, shaking your head. “You want to be told you’re loved as much as I do.”

“I suppose I do,” he said, the heat of his gaze on you. 

“Yeah, I found my peace down here. Don’t think I ever told him the night of my seventeenth birthday was the first time I slept through the night in a decade. I got my peace a very long time ago, just was afraid of losing it.”

“Afraid anymore?” he whispered. You shook your head, catching Orion far off on the other side of the clearing. 

“No. No one can take my peace away from me ever again.” He shifted closer, letting you rest your head on his shoulder. “This is the longest I’ve ever been away from TJ since we’ve been together.”

He hummed, breathing softly.

“How do you stand being away from mom for weeks at a time?” He crossed his arms, smiling to himself.

“Why do you think I’d fly all night just to see her and you guys for half a day? We know how to make long distance work. Our whole relationship has always had an element of it. But getting a hug when you get home eases that ache that forms.”

“I miss Thomas,” you whispered. 

“You’ll see him and the babies tomorrow,” he said, crew memembers starting to gather back around, eyes fluttering open. “He has a surprise for you.”

“Oh god. What’d he do?” He held up his hands and scooted back over to his mark. You put on puppy dog eyes, a sigh leaving him. 

“He and the kids made you a cake. He misses you too.” You inhaled deeply. “Do you regret-”

“No. I just need a moment with him is all.” You forced a smile and nodded. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

Three Weeks Later

“You’re so pretty,” whispered TJ as you exited the bathroom in a pair of pajama shorts and one of his t-shirts. You laughed, pushing back your damp hair before crawling into bed with him. “I can’t believe I’m sleeping with a movie star.”

You slapped his chest, TJ giggling, rolling himself so he rested his chin on your chest. You ran your fingers through his dark strands, TJ inhaling slowly.

“If this was something you wanted to try, you know we’ll figure it out, right?” You smiled, nodding once.

“People said I did good.”

“If you mean your parents bragging about how fucking incredible you did then sure, you did good.” You traced your finger over his cheek, concern growing in his eyes. “You’ve moved on from the brewery and we both know it. You can clearly do this acting thing if you wanted.”

“Thomas,” you sighed. He wrapped his arms under you, giving you a squeeze. “The only reason I did it in the first place was to help. I did it to spend time with my parents. I got to hang out with my dad so much and a lot of the stuff we filmed…I couldn’t have done that with someone else.”

“I have no problem with you not taking your career that direction if you don’t want to do it. But I don’t want you to not try because you do want it and you’re scared. I want you to go after everything you want in life,” he said quietly, tilting his head up, kissing your jaw. “That’s all I want from you.”

“I don’t want it,” you said, closing your eyes. “I want to get into set design full time. Being away for so long, even coming home on the weekend in the middle there…I don’t want to be gone from you guys for that long regularly.”

“I understand, believe me. We missed you too,” he said, giving you another squeeze. “But we’d go with you if you wanted.”

“I know you would,” you murmured, slowly peeling open your eyes to find him with a smile on his lips. “Let’s put it in the maybe someday again category, if it were with my parents. Until then, I am ready to take a few weeks off and spend some time home.”

He nuzzled you and chuckled. “Why not make a vow to not leave this bed? That can easily be arranged.”

“You’re cockier than usual, my sweet boy,” you teased, TJ lifting himself up on his hands, leaning down over you. “Feeling needy?”

“I haven’t slept with my wife in three weeks. I’m fucking needy. Now if the movie star was so kind-” You smacked him with a pillow, TJ putting on a shocked face. “Is this how you hollywood types are?”

“You’re such an ass!” you laughed, hitting him again, TJ plopping all of his weight down straight on top of you. “Thomas!”

A throat cleared in the room, TJ spinning around and in front of you quickly, your dad smirking at you both. “Well I didn’t mean to interrupt this strange…whatever flirting thing this is but I do need to talk to Y/N. It’s kind of important.”

“What’s up?” you asked, shoving a pillow in TJ’s lap to hide the tent in his pants. 

“Your birth parents got wind that you were doing a movie.” You narrowed your eyes as he sighed. “They gave an interview an hour ago. My team is freaking out. I couldn’t care less what they say but-”

“But it could damage your reputation.” 

He was blank faced but you knew it could be turn into a big deal. “I don’t give a shit about mine. But they said you only got set design jobs because I got them for you and I know how much it means to you to make your name on your own. Just don’t look at your phones or go online for a while. I’m going to fix this. I promise.” 

“Is there anything we should do? Or I guess shouldn’t?” asked TJ. 

“I know you two are careful about handing out your numbers but don’t answer any calls-”

“I know how to fix all of this,” you said. You felt both of their eyes on you as you climbed out of bed and tugged on TJ’s hoodie sitting on the bench at the foot of it. You glanced back at TJ and then to your dad.

“You want me to release that video. The security footage from the back porch with your parents,” he said. 

“Yes and no.” You slipped past him and went down the hall to the kitchen, both of them following as you grabbed an empty coffee mug from the cabinet. You set it under the coffee machine and after a moment it was churning, the pair of them looking very confused. “On a scale of one to ten, how much will your team freak out if you don’t say anything for like…twelve hours?”

“Considering this is the most controversial thing that’s ever happened to me, probably like a fifty. Why? You’re thinking of something,” he said.

“Like I said, I know how to fix this. But I need time and a few other things.”

“This isn’t your mess to fix,” he said. “I’ll release the video with a statement or-”

“Or…you can give me what I need and I can guarantee anyone with a brain who thinks you and mom manipulated me will change their minds.” You could tell he didn’t want to have to get you involved. He knew how much they’d hurt you. All he wanted to do was protect you from them ever doing that again.

“Give her a chance, Jensen,” said TJ, getting out another mug for himself. “I know my wife. If she has an idea, let’s give it a shot.”

You stepped forward and stood in front of him, his lips pressed into a thin line. “It’s your choice, dad. We can do whatever you and your team want. I just feel like if I said something first it’d mean more. I really need you trust me with this if you-”

“What do you need?” he asked, a small smile on his lips. You nodded, inhaling deeply and grabbing the pad of paper and a pen from nearby.

“You instagram password to start.” He jotted it down, giving you a look to not do anything stupid with his account. “I also need the login to the cloud account with the video backup at the house.”

“I can send you the video of your parents directly. It’ll be easier than-”

“Dad. Just give me the login.” He wrote down more on the pad, his eyes concerned now. “How far back does it go?”

“Since we had the house. What-”

“Is it just video or audio too?”

“Both…I’m pretty sure the security company compresses the files.” You hummed, grabbing the paper and picking up your mug, heading for your home office.

“Uh, is there anything we can do?” asked TJ. You spun around and took a sip of coffee.

“Keep the coffee coming and dad, tell your team you need to discuss with your family and you’ll have a statement out by the morning. Otherwise, do not disturb me.”

You slipped away into your office, leaning back against it. 

“This is gonna be a long night.”

Twelve Hours Later

You yawned as you exited your office, quickly making your way down to the bedroom and plopping down next to a sleeping TJ. You were asleep in an instant and woke up a few hours later at noon to TJ shoving on your shoulder.

You were pretty sure you growled at him but he knew how tired you were after the jet lag and staying up a full day. But you needed to try to get your schedule back on track so you reluctantly let him pull you up to sitting.

“You’re on CNN! Come look!” he said. You shook your head, TJ hoisting you up, carrying you bridal style into the family room where what looked like your entire family sat watch the news.

And there was your face from the video you’d made in the middle of the night smack dab in the middle of the screen. TJ set you down as heads turned, your mom rushing over and hugging you.

“How did you make that so fast? How…you didn’t have to share those things, honey,” she said, holding on tight. 

“I just wanted people to know the difference between a bad parent and a good one,” you said, surprised to find your dad missing. “Is dad mad? I know I put a lot of private moments in and things he’d probably wished had stayed a secret.”

You spotted him come out of the hallway where the half-bath was, his face neutral. He was mad. Of course he was mad. You’d been sleep deprived when you put that video together. You fucked it up. You should have just let him handle it so you didn’t make it worse.

“Dad, I’m sorry. I should have…” you trailed off when he held up his finger and stepped in front of you. He looked you up and down and nodded a few times. “I’m sorry.”

“You make a video telling the world how miserable you used to be, about some of the bad things foster parents did and calling them out by name, about how mom and I changed your life, about how I…” he clamped his mouth shut, glancing away with a scrunched up face. You swore his bottom lip wobbled and smiled, watching him put his back to your siblings who were all watching intently. 

“Was it the part about you being the only real dad I’ve ever had that got you or how I called you a good man that anyone would be lucky enough to have in their life?”

“Goddammit, Y/N,” he said, wiping off his face, keeping his head turned away. “It’s one thing when we say that shit in private but you had to say it to everyone?”

“Yeah because everyone should know. Those assholes tried to fuck with you. My whole life assholes fucked with me and now they tried to do it to someone I love. I’m not letting that shit go anymore. So fuck my birth parents and fuck my other foster parents. If people find out that you’re a good person in the process then that’s a bonus to me.”

He sighed, forcing himself to turn around, a sad smile on his face. “I just wish you hadn’t felt forced to share those things.”

“I didn’t,” you said, his eyes widening ever so slightly in surprise. “All I wanted to do was send a message to those people that they can’t hurt me anymore. I’m sorry if I royally screwed stuff up for you or violated your privacy. I just wanted them to leave us alone from now on.”

“You didn’t, sweetie,” said your mom, tucking you into her side, your dad nodding, easing a bit. He cleared his throat and ruffled your hair, his smile relaxed now. 

“You with me for a second,” he said. You followed him down the hall to your room, frowning when you were alone.

“Dad I really am-” He pressed a finger to your lips shushing you, fixing your hair behind your ears.

“Do you remember after the accident when I couldn’t take showers and there was that time you helped me wash my hair?” You nodded as he fixed your part, smiling to himself. “I realized something that day.”

“What?” you asked quietly. He rested his hands on your shoulders, breathing slowly.

“You’re a good person too,” he said softly. You cocked your head, a sliver of a chuckle slipping past his lips. “I knew before then but in that moment, when you with one arm in a sling offered to help me, I just knew I was damn lucky I wound up with a kid like you.”

“You were hurt and I helped…how does that make me a good person for doing what I should have in the first place?”

“Welcome to life in my head the past three hours while everyone in my life tells me how amazing I am when all I did with you was what I was supposed to.” 

“Well…” you groaned, stomping your foot. “How do you always do that! Every single time you turn it around on me. It’s not fair!”

“I’ve been playing the game longer than you have,” he chuckled, picking up a hair tie off your dresser and bunching up your hair. “Something I learned with your youngest sister is if you start braiding their hair, then you have a captive audience so you can get out of them whatever intel you need.”

You raised your eyebrow at him as he started to work the hair together, ignoring your face. “And what intel are you looking to get out of me?”

“Just sharing a parenting tip,” he chuckled. “You? You I think I have a pretty good idea of where we stand.”

“Oh you do, huh?” You glanced down, annoyed at the fact he could do a far better fishtail braid than you ever had. He slipped the tie off his wrist, twisting it in place a few times before humming.

“Yeah. I mean, I’m apparently the best dad that ever existed so…” he said, chuckling when you lightly punched his arm. 

“You’re just…” you trailed off with a shrug, a smile on his face. “Are you mad? About me showing all those videos of us from home over the years?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Honestly, I loved it. Made me cry like a baby but I loved it. I know you’re pretty damn selective about who you let in but I’m glad I made the cut.”

“Yeah, well, you’re alright for an old guy.” You smirked, getting one in return. “I love you?”

“Yeah you’re lucky I’m still in a good mood,” he said, cocking his head. “Want to know why you’re on the news?”

“Because you’re oh so famous,” you said dramatically, his eyes narrowing. “You so want to give me a noogie, don’t you.”

“The desire is strong,” he said, clasping his hands behind his back. “In news surprising no one, your birth parents were keeping more secrets. Apparently they stole money from their shady employer. A lot of money. Which then the attempt on their lives were made. They were never in witness protection. They were working a deal with the government. Go undercover and they wouldn’t be arrested for partaking in those shady deals themselves. They took the deal and ran. Feds lost them a long, long time ago. You were only supposed to be in foster care a few weeks. But when those dummies got money hungry…they seem to have forgotten they’re fugitives. Pretty interesting have people like that call me the manipulator huh?”

You parted your lips, holding up a hand. “Did they arrest them?”

“It was in process on the news when you came out,” he said as you stood and headed for the door.

“Oh, I want to see this.”

“Knock knock,” said your dad that evening as you lay in bed, ready for a full night’s sleep. “Need anything before we head out?”

“I’ll take a hug,” you said as you sat up. 

“Those I’m an expert on.” He walked over and sat on the edge of the mattress, giving a big squeezing one. “Get some rest. You had a long day.”

“So many phone calls. On the plus side my birth parents were arrested, the DA is looking into most of my old foster parents and you gained like a couple hundred thousand followers in like twelve hours. You can tell your PR team thank you.”

“She’s so modest and humble,” he teased, kissing your temple. “Tomorrow will be better. We’ll do breakfast burritos like a normal Sunday. How’s that sound?”

You hummed, closing your eyes. “Can you do one more thing before you go?”

“Shoot,” he said quietly.

“Can you go in my closet and get rid of the duffel bag with the files in it?” He leaned back, letting you lay back against your pillows. “I think it’s time for it to go. I don’t need it anymore.”

He smiled and stood up. “Okay then. Mind if I hang onto it?”

“Do as you please,” you said, closing your eyes. 

“You sure you don’t need these papers anymore?” he asked.

“I have my letters from you. That’s all I ever needed,” you said, shuffling the background. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, tall munchkin,” he said, tugging your blankets up. “You realize the studio wants us to make another movie together after this, don’t you?”

“It’s gotta be at a resort or no deal,” you said. He chuckled, quietly opening the door. “You can negotiate that right?”

“We’ll see,” he said. The room grew quiet for a beat before you heard his heavy exhale. “I’m really glad I managed to prove you wrong about trusting me. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to.”

“You’re annoyingly relentless like that,” you said, turning on your side, tucking your covers up. “Love you.”

“Love you back. Sleep tight, kiddo.”

__________

[huffelpuff210]

Taken Car of Soft Dark Steve Rogers x Soft Dark Bucky Barnes x Reader

Taken Care of Soft Dark Steve Rogers x Soft Dark Bucky Barnes x  Reader 

Summary: You suffered the loss of a still born baby, You are best friends with the two super soliders, but what happens when they come to comfort you 

Warning: Mentions of a loss of a baby, mentions of depression, mentions of drinking, baby trapping, breeding kink, forced relationship, forced marriage, forced pregnancy, Non Con

You stare out the window of your small town house home, a blanket draped over your shoulders as you watch the snow fall, a small cup of hot chocolate in your hands, you catch a gimps of your refection, your hair a knotted mess, dark circles under your eyes, your eyes puffy from all the crying, 

It had been three months, since it happened, you close your eyes at the memory when you first found out you were pregnant you were so thrilled, you were excited at the thought of being a mom, 

You didn’t really have any parental figures growing up your parents died when you were ten, and you jumped foster homes, running away at just fifteen, learning to survive when you realized you had a talent for hacking and building stuff, 

At age eighteen you were recruited by Tony Stark and shield Now only twenty two you had an amazing job and place to call home, that’s where you met Steve and Bucky, you and the two super soliders were close,

You met your ex boyfriend at the nearby coffee shop on your break, the two of you dated for about a year and a half when you found out about being pregnant he was less than thrilled about the news, when you told the two super soliders Bucky told you he was a dick and needed to be taught a lesson, Steve on the other hand said he didn’t deserve you, But still He was trying sort of, his first reaction was for you to abort the baby, but that was not how you worked, the two of you fought for two weeks about the situation, 

When he realized you were not going to do that he left you, you didn’t care, you were so happy to be having a baby, setting up your spare room as a nursery, 

You wipe a tear away from your cheek, 

You were 39 weeks, when you got your ultrasound finding out that he wasn’t moving, they did an emergency C-Section and he was still born, Meaning he wasn’t alive. It broke your heart, you knew it was from all the stress your Ex had put on you. 

You took a leave of absence from the avengers for the time being, they understood, Steve and Bucky had been away on a mission when everything happened, no one was allowed to call them since they were undercover and you didn’t want to frankly, 

Everyone tried calling you or coming by to at least check on you but you never answered, you just didn’t have the heart to talk about how you were, 

You were a mess, your home was a mess, you no longer ate, or slept, all you could think about was losing him, your child, you never got to witness his first cry, or see him open his eyes, You were never going to see him smile for the first time, or celebrate his first birthday, you could feel the tears falling from your face again, setting the coco down and burying your head in your knees, 

Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door, You didn’t bother moving, you just assumed it was Wanda or Nat they both checked on you daily but you never would answer, 

The knock was loud, You look at the clock it was past three in the morning, 

“Y/N, we know you are in there open the door.” You hear Steve’s voice, 

Still you don’t make any attempts to move, 

You keep your head buried in your knees, the knocking gets louder, 

“Y/N open the damn door before I knock it down!” You hear Bucky, 

They must have just gotten back for their mission and heart the news, 

You sigh, standing up walking down the stairs to the living room where it is littered with bottles of beer, water bottles and all sorts of trash, you are a Meticulous cleaner, you keep your place and work space clean as a whistle but you didn’t have the energy to care, 

the blanket still draped over your shoulders, wearing a black spaghetti strapped tank top, and red plaid pajama pants, you unlock the front door, cracking it slightly seeing the two super soliders, 

“What do you want?” Your voice raspy from crying, they looked at each other 

“Let us in.” Bucky says 

“No.” You try to shut the door in their faces but Steve’s hand stops the door, 

“That wasn’t a request.” He says they both walk past you. 

“Tony says you haven’t been in work for three months, or answering anyone’s calls.” Steve says 

You sigh shutting the door. 

“So.” You say walking past them, 

“Do you two want anything to drink?’ You say walking into the kitchen. 

“We didn’t come here for refreshments kitten.” Bucky says 

“Then why did you come?” You asked looking over your shoulder as you are looking in the fridge bent over

“We are worried.” Steve says 

“Don’t be I’m fine.” You say

“Really? Because by the looks of this place and you, it doesn’t seem that way.” Bucky says 

All you had in the fridge was beer and juice so you grabbed a beer, opening it, They were highly concerned because you were not a big drinker, But you didn’t care, you didn’t care you didn’t care about anything you just wanted this pain to stop, just as you were about to take a sip Bucky took it from your hand, 

You sighed, 

“Why are you to here?” You ask, 

“Because we heard what happened,” Steve says 

You sighed again walking towards your couch sitting down. 

“Look I appreciate it but I’m fin-” You began, 

“No your not, and we are not leaving now that we see the condition you are in.” Bucky says 

You look him in the eyes and for the first time since they arrived you can see a hint of anger but concern in his eyes. 

[oneforthemunny]

the best day with you today |janitor!eddie munson x teacher!reader|

prompt: after the fostering and now adoption of oliver, eddie navigates life as a father. or the first time eddie is called "dad".

contains: life ruining fluffy angst. dad!eddie, mom!reader, mentions of past trauma, foster care, adoption, shitty parents, but really just cutesy fluff.

Wayne had been shocked to see them, Eddie and Oliver. Oliver in his sneakers and zip up hoodie, padding behind the older man up the stairs, sneaker clad steps against the creaking wood. He looked better since the first time he saw him, Wayne decided. A far cry from the scraggly, scared little thing with wide eyes that darted around the room at anything that he was when he first came. He looked more relaxed, confident- loved.

He'd looked so much like Eddie then. Looked so much like that same scared boy with a shaved head and nervous eyes that Wayne saw when Eddie'd first came to live with him. It made his heart twist with uncomfortable sympathy at the time, the parallels between the two. But now, Wayne was proud. The boy looked better- his grandson, officially.

Wayne had been there the day the judge announced the adoption, just shy of three weeks ago. Standing in the court room, lips pressed in a watery boasted smile, standing next to your parents, trying to hide his tears while Eddie beamed down at the young boy. You both looked so proud, so full of love. He knew the two of you would love Oliver the way he deserved, how a child should be loved and adored and doted on. It made his chest swell with pride, proud he’d raised such a good man. Wayne bragged on the two of you every chance he got, boasted to everyone about his grandson. Standing in grocery lines chatting to strangers- something he never did before- pulling a picture out of his wallet to show anyone who'd let him Ollie’s school pictures, laminated photos of them fishing, brag about his stellar report card.

"What're you two doin'?" Wayne grinned wide, lines around his eyes crinkling. The screen door to the trailer creaked loudly when he leaned against it. "Didn't know you were stoppin' by."

Eddie hugged his uncle briefly in greeting. "Hope we're not bothering you." He offered, but he knew they weren't. Wayne's small scoff assured him of that.

"You know you never bother me." Wayne shook his head. "'Specially not when you bring my favorite boy around." He grinned down at Oliver. "How you doin', Ollie? Gimme a hug, boy."

Oliver smiled back in greeting, throwing his arms around Wayne, a tight hug that only a child could give. Wayne was glad he was still small, still giving hugs. He was ten now, nearly eleven, growing more and more everyday.

"What brings you two over? Myrtle's comin' over in a few. We're gonna watch our program if ya like to stay." Wayne offered. Myrtle, from two trailers down, and Wayne had been in a casual fling for as long as you knew them. Eddie always shook his head when you asked him, shrugging and rolling his eyes at his uncle.

Oliver’s ears perked up at the mention of the older woman. He adored Myrtle, loved the records she played, and more importantly, that she made the best brownies in the world. She was always sneaking him a sweet treat, a tight lipped smile and a wink like it was a super secret.

"We came looking for a basketball." Eddie said with a nod, looking over at Oliver to confirm. "Ollie wants to try out for the fifth and sixth grade team, so we're going to practice."

Wayne hesitated, face falling for a moment, brows raising in question. "And you... you're gonna teach him, Ed?" He asked, brow lifted skeptically.

Wayne distinctly remembered when Eddie got the basketball, the last gift from his father. His father was fresh out of jail, for the fifth time, and Eddie was thirteen. He left Eddie a birthday gift, four months after his birthday, and it was a basketball. One he'd stole, no doubt, but given to Eddie as a 'heartfelt' gift. Eddie had tried to play, tried to learn, and Wayne had given it his best effort to teach him. He took him down to the courts by the trailer, but the boy could barely dribble, looking about as graceful as a bull in a china shop, open hand smacking the ball. The basketball had gone up that day and never gotten back out, sitting on the corner of Eddie's dresser in his room and collecting dust. Until today.

Eddie frowned, looking from Oliver back over to Wayne. "Yeah," He nodded, giving the younger boy a reassuring half smile. "We're going to go down to the school. Practice on the courts there." Eddie patted Ollie's head, rustling the curls underneath.

Wayne nodded, grinning down at the boy. "Well, that sounds like a big day." His brows raising in excitement, exaggerated for the younger boy. "Good thing you have your Daddy to teach ya, right, Ollie?"

Eddie felt his heart drop, squeezing in uncomfortable anticipation, craning down with a side eyed glare so hard it strained his eyes. His breath hitched, anticipating the rejection from Oliver, that soul crushing discard that would wreck Eddie. Ollie just nodded, unbothered by the term. They'd had Oliver in their care for a while now, he was in your class even before then, but Eddie was still hesitant about the titles.

Basketball in hand, wiping the thick layer of dust that covered it, Ollie and Eddie bounded back down the stairs, waving goodbye before setting off to the courts. Wayne watched them back out, head shaking in amusement at the two.

Eddie's heart hammered as they inched closer and closer to the school, sweaty palms he rubbed over the wheel in a tight grip. Oliver seemed unbothered, and he was glad, watching the boy in the rear view him along to his cassette, kicking his little Reeboks against the seat. Eddie’s stomach twisted, turned and lurched with bundles of nerves, the fear that he wouldn’t be able to fulfill what he was supposed to- that he’d let Oliver down.

His head clouded with judgement. He knew he wasn't the best for a basketball lesson, he should've asked Steve, but dammit if his selfish pride hadn't let him. When Oliver came to Eddie, expressing interest in trying out for the team, Eddie leaped at the opportunity. The thought of any other sharing the experience with him instead made his insides twist with jealousy.

So here he was, holding the rusty orange ball, awkward and unsure in his big hands, with the little boy in front of him, wide eyed and awaiting.

"Uh, you need to learn to dribble first. That would be a good place to start." Eddie nodded firmly, much less confidently than he should have. He paused then looked at Oliver. "Do you know how to dribble?"

Oliver shook his head, and Eddie's shoulders deflated slightly. "Right, right." He muttered, eyes flashing up quickly. "Not that that's a bad thing!" He replied frantically. "That's alright,, I mean, that’s why I-I'm here to teach you."

Eddie sounded sure enough, except, he wasn't entirely sure how to dribble. It couldn't be that hard, you just hit the ball and it bounces back up. "So, you take your hand and lay it kinda flat- like this," Eddie showed him, holding the ball in the other. "Then you just hit the ball hard, but not like too hard, just enough for it to come back up to you, like..."

Eddie dropped the basketball, other hand out in anticipation to smack it and show the dribble. The ball made a defeated thudding sound, the air sputtering out of it with a thick plop! before melting into the asphalt like putty, slouching with a collapse. Eddie frowned, picking the ball up, fingers pressing into the thick material of the ball, it felt squishy and molded to his touch. Eddie wasn't an expert by any means, but he was sure that wasn't supposed to happen.

Oliver titled his head to the side curiously, squinting when he looked up at Eddie. "I think it needs some air." He observed, in pure childlike obviousness.

Eddie let out a short huff, frustrated with himself, truthfully. Of course the ball was out of air. He hadn't touched the thing in well over twenty years.

"Yeah, I think you're right, buddy." Eddie nodded, lips pressing together in thought. He looked towards the school, patting his pockets. "I think there should be some in the gym closet. Maybe we could get one of those and use it?" Eddie suggested, fishing for his keys.

Oliver's eyes lit up in excitement, little sneakered feet bounding beside Eddie towards the school. "Can we get out the rolly chair things?" Oliver asked, grinning wide up at Eddie, bouncing on the rubber soled ends of his shoes. He was snaggletoothed, missing his front tooth after last weekend.

Eddie's heart melted. "Maybe. Only if Coach Bronski hasn't stacked them like a jackass again." He muttered, rolling his eyes in disdain for the elementary school coach. His eyes widened, looking down at Oliver, seeing the tiny smile on the boy’s face. "Don't say that word. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." He said quickly.

Oliver giggled. "I won't."

Eddie grinned, squinting down at him playfully. "You better not. Your mom will kill me, buddy." Eddie groaned dramatically. His chest panged with a little jealousy, lips falling slightly when he pushed the key in.

Oliver had taken to calling you 'Mom' a few weeks ago, after Olivia was born. You'd cried when he did. Eddie was enthralled for you, he was, but he couldn't help but hurt a little for himself. It made him entirely too insecure for his own liking. He knew he shouldn't take it personally, that it was Oliver's pace of comfort and he would never do anything to pressure him. Yet he still felt consumed with fear, guilt, worries about why Oliver didn't feel comfortable with him yet to give him the title.

Eddie turned the lock, the bolt clicking loudly before it was unlocked. Eddie pushed the door open with a loud creak, letting the little boy scamped under his arm. Oliver's eyes were wide with wonder, looking around the empty gym that doubled as a cafeteria. The lunch tables were pushed into the wall, everything put away and lights dimmed for the weekend. Though he'd been in the school after hours, it was all still so exciting to the ten year old.

"Isn't it cool that you have a key to everywhere?" Oliver asked, eyes wide and shining up at Eddie.

"Yeah, 's pretty cool." Eddie grinned back down at him. "Sometimes it can be a lot of pressure. With great responsibility, though, Ollie." Eddie twirled his keys around.

Oliver giggled. "That's from Spider-Man." He said proudly, waiting for Eddie to open the door.

"It is." Eddie nodded. "You still liking Spider-Man?"

"Yeah." Oliver hummed. "I like Aqua-Man, too."

"Oh, don't tell me you're going over to the dark side with Uncle Dustin." Eddie groaned playfully. "You know Marvel is better than DC."

"I dunno." Oliver giggled with a shrug, purely boyish and sweet. Eddie’s heart squeezed in adoration. "I jus' like them both."

"That's alright. I'm just teasin' with ya." Eddie ruffled his locks with a smile. "As long as you don't start actin' like Dustin, we're good." He grinned at the laugh Oliver gave him.

Eddie fished the basketball out of the large big, giving it a few test bounces before the duo went back outside.

Eddie awkwardly showed Oliver how to dribble, the two moving around the red top courts outside with the grace of newborn fawns. Smacking hands, the boing! of the ball bouncing off the pavement while they chased it, hitting it at an uncomfortable angle.

"Run, run, Ollie!" Eddie laughed, clapping his hands with encouragement. "Just-Just dribble it- yeah! Yes! Just like that! Atta boy, look at you!" Jogging beside the younger boy, laughing gleefully while they smacked and chased the ball.

He knew this wasn't great 'coaching' on his part, but Oliver was having fun. Wide smile that crinkled his eyes and a laugh that rang through the open court. Eddie's own laugh joining in while the clambered back and forth, chasing the flyaway ball and bouncing it extra hard to see if it would go higher than the two of them. The two were positively silly running with the ball, but they were having fun.

Oliver rubbed his eyes, cheeks red and wind bitten from the outside, fighting a yawn while Eddie put the ball away. "You tired?" Eddie asked, small smile on his lips. He knew the answer, but the sleepy nod, bob of curls bouncing from the smaller boy shaking them made his heart warm, knuckling at his eyes.

Eddie patted his shoulder, hugging him to his side. "You did good today, Ollie." Eddie beamed proudly down at the boy- his son.

Truthfully, Eddie wasn't sure if Oliver did great or not, he's let Steve be the judge of that (he was the coach of the team after all), but he did know that they had fun. They'd laughed until their cheeks hurt, ran up and down the court until their sides ached with laughter.

Eddie's chest was warm, light and filled with content while Ollie grabbed his hand, an instant reaction when crossing the street towards the lot. He could hear your voice in his ears, “Look both ways, grab my hand.” Eddie could feel the hand in his, small and soft.

"I had a lot of fun." Ollie admitted, looking up at Eddie, eyes gleaming even in the gloomy sky. "Do you think we could do that again, Dad?"

Eddie's breath caught in his chest, strangled gasp that choked and sputtered out of his mouth. Heart lurching in his chest with surprise. His eyes widened, and he tried to will them to relax, knowing his reaction could scare Oliver. He was still fragile from his before home life, sudden reactions scared him still, sent him retreating and cowering.

"W-What?" Eddie stuttered, dumbly. He kicked himself for the reaction, wishing he would say something better than what he did. Especially when Oliver’s hand tensed in his.

"I-I liked dribbling on the court." Oliver muttered hesitantly, chin tucking to his chest, a sign of submission. Eddie's heart lurched in panic. "I'd like to do it again if-if you want to...with me. If you're not too busy with the baby or-or if you don't want to-"

"No." Eddie blurted, fiercer than he meant it to be. He cringed at himself, eyes shutting in irritation. Get it together, Munson.

"No, I mean, no I-I would never be too busy for you, Oliver, you know that." Eddie said sincerely, nodding down at the boy, rambling anxiously. "I just, uh, I- yeah, I had so much fun with you today too." Eddie admitted.

"Really?" Ollie asked, tilting his head to the side. "I thought you told Mom you didn't like sports and confor-forminin-"

"Conformity." Eddie snorted lightly with a grin. "I was just teasin' her. I just never had someone to play sports with me, but now I do, right? We can be sports...partners." Eddie was unsure of the word, but Oliver didn't seem to mind.

"Yeah," Oliver nodded. "Like-Like Aquaman and Aqualad." He grinned excitedly at the analogy.

Eddie let out an exaggerated breath of air, eyes rolling in playful dramatics. "Please, don't use your DC references around me."

Oliver giggled, pulling the handle of the car door open. He hung on the door for a moment, looking back at Eddie, tiny lips twisted in thought. "Spider-Man and Iron Man?" He offered, head tipping to the side.

Eddie grinned, dimples deep in his cheeks. "Better." He laughed, helping the boy into his booster seat.

Eddie got a little emotional seeing the base for Olivia's carrier next to Oliver's booster seat, one he was already about to outgrow before needing nothing at all. He'd never had a car seat or booster seat before coming to live with you and Eddie, carelessly strapping himself in before his mother would try to navigate home, usually too fucked up on whatever she's shot up her arms to see straight.

He'd been so little in your class, still small when he came into your care. A scrawny and malnourished little boy with dirty clothes that he tried to clean in the sink before school, usually coming into the classroom with his shirt still dripping, but he didn't want the other kids to tell him he smelled.

Now, he had a new wardrobe, Wayne and your parents spared no expense spoiling their new grandson, even before he was officially yours. He went to bed with a warm belly, clean sheets, clean skin, brushed teeth, and warm kisses. Oliver had flourished since then, not so bony anymore, a little taller; happier, loved.

Eddie secured the seat belt. "Maybe we should stop by the store and get a ball." Eddie suggested. "One that's not flat, if you want to play again."

Oliver nodded. "Yeah." He paused for a moment, little brows furrowed in thought. "Is-Is it ok if I call you Dad?" He asked, eyes shining up at Eddie's.

Eddie felt his breath hitch again, heart fluttering and beating so hard in his chest he thought it might shoot through his ribcage. "I-I mean, yeah." Eddie stuttered, frowning at himself dumbly. "Only if you want to, Ollie, I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

Oliver looked down at his feet, dangling and hitting the seat. "I-I think I want to call you Dad." Oliver admitted. "Because I call Mom, Mom, and-and you're my Dad like Mom's my Mom." His logic was simple, boyish, but it made Eddie's nose and throat burn, happy tears but emotional nonetheless.

"I think I'd like that too." Eddie agreed, jaw clenching to keep himself from crying. "I had a really great time with you today." Eddie reached down to hug the boy, a little awkward in the carseat but tight and full of love.

"Me too." Ollie smiled. "Thanks for teachin' me to dribble."

"No problem." Eddie pulled away, hands on the little boy's shoulders- his son's shoulders. "You're a natural, kid. Gonna be in the hall of fame."

Oliver laughed, but blushed at the praise. Eddie couldn't stop smiling, he was sure his cheeks were going to split open, but he couldn't help it.

Oliver bounded through the front door, kicking his little sneaker off in the pile by the bench, before running to find you.

Eddie could hear him in your bedroom, excitedly chattering about his day, showing you the new basketball. Shiny and new, still had the fresh rubber smell. You cooed back at him excitedly, smiling when he went to show Olivia, talking sweetly to her in her little bassinet.

"Hey," You greeted Eddie with a smile. "Good day? Heard dribbling lessons went great." You beamed.

Eddie nodded, sniffing slightly. "Yeah, yeah it was great. Amazing actually, he, uh," His eyes cut from Oliver and Olivia back to you. "He called me Dad today."

Your face melted with joy, a small gasp leaving your lips. You watched Eddie's eyes shine, watering, his lips press together in a tight line to keep his lips from quivering. "Oh, Ed," You coo, reaching your hand out instinctively to cradle his jaw.

You were so sweet like that, so kind. Nurturing and caring came so easy to you, Eddie was for certain you had to be some kind of saint, you were too perfect in every way. You wrapped your arms around Eddie's middle, squeezing him tight, feeling his arms wrap back around you.

Oliver continued to babble to Olivia, letting her grab onto his finger, gurgling spit and giving tiny baby cackles to her older brother when he'd talk to her. You'd been worried when the adoption process first started, and you had found out you were expecting, that it would mess things up, ruin what you'd built with Oliver. He'd been hesitant at first, more uneasy with the thought that you might replace him, but the second he met his little sister, he'd been completely wrapped around her tiny finger. Just like his daddy. Just like you.

You pressed your cheek to the soft fabric of Eddie's shirt, watching through glazed, love drunk eyes Oliver push Olivia's little bassinet, rocking her slowly. Eddie's hand ran up and down your back soothingly, pressing into the small of your back to pull your closer. It was everything you all could have wished for, your own little family.

for @wheels-of-despair bc I know this is your fave lil family <3

[justmeinadaze]

We're A Family Part 14 (Steddie X You)

A/N: I'm not sorry for the cliff hanger esc ending 😈

I'm going to use this opportunity here to say thank you to the step parents, partners, siblings, foster parents, adoptive parents...all y'all raising children who aren't biologically yours...you are amazing and deserve love and appreciation. The woman I call mom is technically my stepmom but she has been more a mom to me than my own. She showed me how mothers are supposed to be and I love her everyday for that <3.

Warning: Smut, FLUFF, and slight angst, Mr. Harrington pops up making a brief verbal cameo , Eddie mentions an incident about Steve's past heartbreaks as well as briefly (very brief) touches on his life right after moving in with Wayne, I think that's it.

Word Count: 3535

“Does he have to wear a suit?”, Eddie asks as he browses the clothes on the rack above him. 

“I mean he doesn’t have to but it is his first date technically so…”, Steve grins as Dylan rolls his eyes. 

You had already done the whole mom thing where you cried for ten minutes straight because your “baby” was growing up and asked a girl on a date to a dance. When he asked the guys to take him clothes shopping, he had hoped to avoid more of that, thankful when you offered to stay home and watch Aurora. 

“Calm down. I’m not going to coo at you and tell you how big you’ve gotten.”, the man teases as he playfully reaches for his son’s cheeks. 

“I don’t think I should wear a suit. I don’t want to seem…overeager.” Dylan’s eyes scan the shirts in front of him. “What did you guys wear on your first dates?”

“Jesus, um…”, Eddie’s eyes fly to ceiling as he thinks. “Jeans and a Guns & Roses t-shirt, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Of course, that’s what you wore.”, Steve chuckled. 

“Hey! We were like eleven and went to a movie. It wasn’t anything fancy. What about you, sire? I imagine you came out of the womb with a date the next day.” The metalhead smiled as Dylan laughed. 

“For your information, my first date was in 6th��grade. I took a girl to the Snowball dance. And yes…I wore a suit.”

“Oh, please tell me there are pictures in a box somewhere at home.” 

“No, thank God.”

“We can ask grandma.”, Dylan smiles mischievously.

“I swear, if either of you ask my mother for pictures—”

“Oh! You’ll what?”, Eddie joked. 

“I’ll…be very upset.”

“Uh huh.”

****

“Do we have to watch it again?”

“Yes!”, Aurora giggles.

You laugh at her smile as you replay “The Empire Strikes Back” on the tv. “Yeah. I’m glad you’re happy. I’m going to kill your dad.”

Just like Dylan had with Harry Potter, Ro seemed to attach to Star Wars. Steve was watching “A New Hope” one afternoon and she sat beside him the entire time completely transfixed. Ever since then she insisted on watching anything you would allow that was Star Wars related. 

“Beep, Beep!”, she mimicked as the front door opened and your three boys came through. 

“Star Wars still?”, Steve asked.

“I hate you. This is your fault.”, you laugh as you quickly rose to your feet. “Sooooo, what did we get?”

“You’ll see.”, Dylan smiles. “Are you guys still chaperoning?”

“Well, I don’t have a choice being a teacher and my boss volunteered me.”

“That’s the spirit, Harrington!”, Eddie chuckles as he wraps his arm around the boy’s neck. “Yes, we will still be there and we promise not to embarrass you…much.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m going to go call Daisy and tell her what I got.”

You three watch as he excitedly runs up the stairs before you lightly smack Steve’s arm. “What did he get?”

“I can’t tell you!”

“Call it payment for me watching those movies back-to-back with our three-year-old instead of me murdering you.”

“Oh… you won’t murder me. You love me too much.”

########

Dylan watches his dads with intense fascination as they get ready, occasionally getting distracted when he heard his sister say something cute as she helped you get ready out in the bedroom. 

“Mama hair up.”

“Yeah? Here can you brush it for me so I can pull it up?” Aurora grins excitedly when you hand her the brush.

“When it comes to hair, kid, you should let Steve take the reins on that one.” Eddie smiled as he moved out of the way and allowed Dylan space in front of the mirror so the man could show him some techniques. 

“Oooo… Din purty.”, Ro compliments him before waddling to the metalhead. “Daddy! Mama…tie…for hair.”

“Mommy needs a hair tie?” She nods aggressively as he reaches across the sink to get her what she’s asking for. “Here you go, princess.”

“Tank you, daddy.”

“You’re welcome, baby.” His eyes follow after her as she grins and runs back into the bedroom. 

“Alright, little man. What do you think?”

Dylan turns his head from side to side as he checks out his hair. “I love it. Mom! What do you think?”, he asks as he steps out of the bathroom. 

“Oh my god!”, you squeak making the boys laugh. 

“She likes it.”, Steve confirms as he sprays some of his cologne on himself before giving his son a little spritz on his wrist.

“Wow. Bubaful.”, Aurora coos as they all come out together. 

Dylan had decided to not to wear a suit but a nice button up shirt with a small black tie hanging down his front. Still wanting to have some remnants of himself, he decided on wearing his converse with the black jeans he bought fully rounding out his ensemble. He actually looked like he tried to fuse Eddie and Steve’s style together. 

Steve threw on a blue polo with some black slacks and shiny matching shoes. Eddie was donning a plain black shirt with black jeans like Dylan’s and sneakers. 

“Aw, look at my guys.”, you grin as you climb off the bed. 

You were wearing a stunning, casual blue dress with a cute floral print with similar color flats. 

“You look beautiful, honey.”

As the doorbell rings, Ro claps her hands. “Kee!”

“Yes, that would be Aunt Kierra. Here, go open the door and make her feel old.”, you giggle as you push Dylan towards the stairs. 

Eddie picks up his daughter as you four head down as well. 

“Really? Of course, everyone looks good.”, Kierra whines playfully. “Hi Rara.”

“Kee.” She aggressively wiggles out of her father’s arms to run to her aunt. 

“Ah yes. Fun aunt is here and now we don’t matter.”, you smile as you give your sister a hug. As you pull away you notice her own grin turn into a line. “Uh oh. What happened?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

“You’ll tell me now.”

“Dylan, can you take this dork and turn on those god-awful movies she likes?” You son laughs as he grabs his sister and carries her into the living room. “So, Mr. Harrington, the evil one not this one here, went to visit our mother the other day.”

You sighed as Steve gently ran his palm down your back. 

“Y/N, you think his dad was upset about you changing your name? Oof. Mom called me screaming saying you were taking it too far. She said she was going to call Charlie and side with him if he decided to go to court…” Her sympathetic eyes met yours. “I didn’t tell her…about him…ya know.”

“I should go talk to her—”

“Well that’s not happening.”, Eddie interrupts. “Sweetheart, do you really think talking to her is going to do any good? She doesn’t care. Now Steve’s dad… he can’t do anything right?”

Steve shook his head. “I mean what can he do? I have no inheritance from his side. Unless he wants to fight my mom. I don’t know. I think it’s more of an image thing now. Two kids with half his name and they aren’t…pure Harringtons.”

Your heart breaks as you listen to him speak. You know how much he hates this conversation. Aurora and Dylan are his kids; no ifs, ands, or buts about it. However, his father and your mother insist on finding little ways to remind him that both children don’t have an ounce of his DNA. 

In a court of law, if you both left him, he would have zero say in where the kids go. Steve understood that would never happen. You both loved him and he loved you. This was his family but those little technicalities always loomed especially when other people brought them to light. 

“Jesus. And our mom thought the Munson’s would be the biggest problem in this dynamic.”

Eddie sticks his tongue out at Kierra who chuckles as she comes around to give him a hug. 

“Hey guys. Can we go now? I don’t want to be late.”, Dylan asks as he comes around the corner. 

“Yes. Sorry. We got distracted by life. Let’s get a move on.” Painting a smile on your face, you grab your dates and head of the door. 

##########

You snuck a picture from your place in the car as you three watched Dylan shyly shuffle up to his date who had been waiting at the front door of the school. Something he says makes her laugh and she blushes as he extends his elbow to her like he had seen the guys do numerous times. She grins, looping her arm in his before heading into the dance. 

“What was your first date?”, Eddie asked as he leaned forward from his place in the backseat.

“Oh my god. I think I was about Dylan’s age. A boy asked me to dinner and a movie. Of course, dinner was some fast-food joint and we snuck into the movie but…”, you giggle. “I had fun. What are you guys going to do when Aurora starts dating?”

“Kill them.”, the metalhead pretends to glare into the distance making you and Steve laugh. 

“Can we not think about our daughter dating? I don’t think I can handle that right now. I can barely handle this.” Steve continues to chuckle as both men get out of the car and open the door for you. 

“Thank you guys for helping him pick out an outfit and getting him ready.”

“You don’t have to—”

You cut Eddie off with a kiss as you wrap your arms around him. “I know I don’t have to. Just let me, okay?”

“Yes ma’am.”

As you entered the dance, Steve had to detach from you two to tell his boss he was there and offer any assistance they may need. You and Eddie snuck a little closer to where the kids were, smiling when you say your son and his date sitting at a table talking. You can’t help but laugh when “Come Sail Away” by STYX begins to play. 

“Isn’t this way outside of their generation? It’s barely in ours.”

“Eh, I’m sure they have to play it as safe as possible.”, the metalhead grins as he takes your hand and pulls you towards the edge of the dance floor where some of the other adults were swaying to the music. Your arms wrap around his neck as he clings to your waist.

“So, you and Steve would have went to school here to, right?”

“You are correct but we didn’t really hang out till high school.”

“Do you remember him?”

“Oh, princess, everyone knew who Steve Harrington was. King Steve with his awesome fashion sense and cool head of hair. I fucking hated him.”, Eddie chuckles. “Something changed his junior year. He started seeing this girl and I think she changed his perspective on some things. By senior year, he was a new man more or less.”

“What happened to the girl?”

“They broke up. She, uh, told him she didn’t love him.”

“Aw. Poor Stevie.” Your eyes shifted towards him, watching as he talked to some of the other teachers. “What about little Edward Munson. What was he like at school here?”

“Oof. Angry. Confused. Nerdy.”, he laughs. “I had been living with Wayne for a little under a year at this point. I was still trying to figure things out and this town sure as hell didn’t make it any easier.” You lean up on your toes to kiss his lips before resting your cheek on his chest. “I think the one good thing that came out of middle school was me getting into D & D. I thought it was amazing and gave me a place I could escape to.”

The music picked up tempo and you grinned as you watched Dylan walk his date to the dance floor. Eddie twirls you in his arms and your grin grows as you both dance along to the faster beat. You don’t see it but Steve pulls out his phone and begins recording his little family having fun. 

“Dylan is yours, right?”, asks one of his colleagues.

“Yeah, that’s my son.”, he beams before pointing towards you and Eddie. “That’s my wife and husband.”

She tilts her head at his statement but he doesn’t notice nor care. He’s having too much fun watching you three.

##########

“Well, look at this.”, the metalhead grinned as he looked around the classroom. “The kid who was bad in class actually has his own classroom.”

Steve thought it would be a good idea for you guys to walk around a bit and allow Dylan some time alone with his date without you in the room so he decided now would be a good time to show you his room that you two hadn’t got to see yet. 

“I wasn’t bad…I just didn’t care.”

You smiled at him as you wrapped your arms around his waist, giggling when you feel something vibrate. 

“Is that me or you?”

He grins as he pulls out his phone before it gradually begins to fade. “My father is calling me.” You take the phone out of his hand and place it on his desk, allowing it to ring as you bring his lips to yours. 

“I love you. No matter what he or my mom says.”

“I know.”

“I know you know but I also know…sometimes when he says things…it still hurts you.”

“Like Aurora and Dylan not being Harringtons.”, Eddie cut in. Steve’s phone went silent but after a few moments yours started to ring, grinning sassily as you flashed him the screen. “Do you think we should go for gold and see if he calls me?”

You handed the metalhead your phone. “Do with it what you will, my love.”

He raises his eyebrows playfully in your direction before placing the device to his ear. “Mr. Harrington! How can the Munson-Harrington family assist you today?”

“Where is my son? I need to speak with him NOW!”

“Uh, last I checked, you hadn’t spoken to Steve in three years. When did he become your son again and what do you need from him?”

Your hand reaches out to grip Steve’s chin, turning him to face you. “Look at me, baby. Let Eddie handle him and you focus on me.” He exhales heavily as you palms slide down his chest. “We won’t get in trouble, right?”

“Not if we don’t get caught.”  

He lifts you into his arms and places you on his desk, lips mingling with your own as your limbs circle around his neck. 

“Is this the real reason you wanted to show us your classroom?”, you tease as he smiles. 

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’ve fantasized about bending you over my desk.”

“Then do it, Steve. Please. I’m yours, baby.”

His fingers fumbled with his zipper as you lifted your hips to pull your underwear down your legs, grinning when you toss them to Eddie who sticks his tongue out as he catches them. Your eyes gesture towards the closed door and he gets the message, heading that way to keep a look out.

“Mr. Harrington, no. Dylan IS Steve’s son. He loves him and has helped raise him for half his life so far. I know that’s a foreign concept to you since you don’t know what actually raising a child looks like.”

Steve turns you till your back is to him and you lean over his desk as he grips your hips, guiding his cock into your entrance. Your eyes flutter closed as he thrusts into you, hitting that spongy spot deep inside of you making you moan. 

“Y-yes, Steve. Fuck.”

All sound drowns out of the room as he leans his chest down to your back and wraps his arms around you. 

“Does that feel good, honey? My dick—mmm—deep inside you like this.”, he mewls into your ear. “Tell me, baby.”

“Your cock is so deep. F-feels so good…please.”

“Do you think you can be quiet if I fuck you harder? You wouldn’t—fuck—you wouldn’t want us to get caught, right?”

You shake your head and he smiles as he lifts his arm up your body till its nestled under your chin. Your back arches as he roughly rolls his hips against yours at a faster pace. 

“Mr. Harrington, I’m not going to lie, I didn’t hear a word you said mostly because I don’t care but also because I’m watching Steve fuck our wife and, as always, it’s the hottest fucking thing in the world. Now if you will excuse me, I’m going to let them finish and then most likely cum in his pretty little mouth. Fuck off and leave our family alone.”

With that, Eddie hangs up the phone and tosses it to the side as he unzips his pants, pulling out his own cock as he strokes it to the sight of you both. 

“Cum, baby. Be my good girl and cum for me, honey.” Steve grunted when your pussy clenched tighter around him, his palm quickly moving to cover the loud moan that escaped your mouth. “You like that? Mmm—you like me calling you a good girl?”

You place your hand over his, feeling his alone won’t stifle the continuous whimpers that you pant out as he continues to whisper in your ear. The coil in your tummy snaps as you lean your head back against his shoulder and grip his hair through your fingers. 

“That’s it. That’s it, Y/N. Fuck, you’re so…so fucking…beautiful.” His arms cling to your body as you feel him thrust his release into your cunt. Neither of you moves as you both try and catch your breath. “Are you ok?”

You nod as you gesture towards the groaning metalhead. “He…he may need you though.”, you say with a knowing smile. 

Steve gradually pulls out of you, kissing your cheek before tucking himself back into his pants and sauntering towards Eddie. They exchange a soft kiss, the man smiling as he descends to his knees and takes his cock into his awaiting mouth. 

You search the desk, finding the tissue you were looking for, and use it to clean between your legs. After readjusting your dress, you slide up beside them and Eddie hastily brings your lips to his. When he turns away, you continue to trail kisses along his neck and jawline. 

“Fuck, Steve. Don’t…don’t move.”

His palms come down and hold the boys head by his hair as he pumps his hips. You cover his mouth as a strangled grunt leaves his lips and his body folds in slightly as he climaxes. Steve milks him, licking every last drop till the boy was clean before rising to his feet. 

Their eyes meet and Eddie gave him a big tooth filled grin. “So, your dad says hi.”

########

“Did you have fun, baby?”

“Yeah, mom. I did. I asked Daisy to a movie next Friday. Is that ok?”

“Uh, I don’t see why not.”

You sister smiles as you for walk into the house. “I don’t know what you did but Mr. Harrington isn’t returning our mother’s calls.”

“Good. One less thing to worry about I guess.”, Eddie grins. “Where’s Ro?”

“She knocked out about an hour ago. I was afraid to move her and wake her up.” She gestures towards the living room and he heads that way, carefully lifting her sleeping frame in his arms. He pauses at Kierra’s side allowing her to kiss her niece’s forehead. 

As she leaves, Dylan gives her a big hug before running upstairs and Steve throws himself down on the couch as you begin locking up the house. 

“Shit. Hey, baby. Can you bring me my phone? I want to send my mom some of the pictures I took tonight.”

“Yeah, of course.”, you smile as you grab his phone from the counter. “Can I send myself some so I can send them to Kierra?” He nods and your smile grows as you unlock his device. 

“She’s going to get a kick out of him and her slow dancing. We should send Dylan some to so he can show Daisy—what?” You had frozen in place and your smile had faded as your eyes scanned the screen in front of you. “Honey? Y/N, what’s wrong?”

“’Baby #3 Expenses.’”, you read. 

“Y/N…I—”

“’Can we afford it?’ No, Steve. We can’t.”

He exhales heavily and he rises to his feet. “Actually…if you look at the math—”

“Really? Really. Ha-have you thought about, oh I don’t know, SPACE! This is a three-bedroom house, Steven. We-we would have to move which cost time and money! And…”

“What’s going on?”, Eddie asks as he cautiously enters the living room.

“The three of us have our jobs and two kids…we-we barely have time for anything else!” You feel yourself start to panic as you wrap your arms around yourself. “We are NOT ready for a baby right now.”

“Well, that sounds familiar.”, the metalhead sighs.

###########

@adequate-superstar @kalinaselennespeaks @alienthingstwo

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@decadentwombatmiracle @katie-tibo @marsupiooo

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@munsonzzgf @munsonmoonshine86

[ssa-atlas-alvez]

okay but- cowboy!reader having like a lot of scars bc no self preservation y'know. i feel like he'd cover some of them up with tattoos but some are just too delicate. im just imaginin' the team of seeing like a sleeve of them for the first time or maybe he has a lot on his back and everyone just wants to know what they mean and when the heck he got all of them and yeah. also my poor boy you're really runnin him through it

- 🦦

Description: scar reveal

Warnings: scars, abusive backstory

A/n: I know, I kinda feel bad but also there's so much more to come for him and I some of it (if I decide to post it) is really harsh and it will just shatter him bless him but again idk if I'm gonna post it so we'll see aha!

Taglist: @xweirdo101x @xdark-acadamiax @ara-a-bird @heidss @chubbyboyinflannel @pendragon-writes @migwayne @bigolgay @technikerin23 @supercriminalbean @honestlycasualarcade @caffeine-mess @1s3v3n1 @oddmiles @kevyeen @stealing-kneecaps @criminalskies @woodandwaxwings @wizardmon3 @aphroditeslovr @ducks118 @azeal-peal @13thdoctor-run @introvertpan84

You didn't really think about the scars most of the time. Sure, some of the bad ones haunted you at night, or with raised voices, but they weren't bad. Most of them didn't hurt anymore. Some of them did, emotionally, anyway. These ones you got covered with things you loved. The butterfly, for example, sat on your chest, a small Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly for JJ. Big enough to cover a particularly painful scar without drawing attention. Meaningful enough that it made you feel warm inside when you saw it, rather than the dread and fear that used to build up when seeing the scar.

Some, however, you couldn't cover. Most days, you forgot they existed. Others, they were all you could think about.

The bad ones, that is. Not the ones you got from falling out of a tree at the age of seven, or off a horse at sixteen. No. The ones you got when you pissed your foster parents off enough for them to create a permanent reminder.

The ones on your back bothered you. You didn't like that it was a part of your body that everyone but you could see. They would witness some of your worst memories laid out in front of them, some of which you had never even seen.

The ones on your arms were mostly covered, at least the ones on your upper arms and shoulders. They were easy to cover. The forearms you struggled to cover, not that there were many here, that would have been too visible.

Not all of these scars were linked with sadness. Some were happy. Some were from you being reckless (like daring your older brother that you could jump from the treehouse and land on your feet unharmed - you broke your arm. You were seventeen.). Some were from clumsiness growing up (tripping over the corner of a rug when running to watch the football with your brothers). All in all, they told your life story, from the scared little boy to the rebellious teen to the loved young man to the brave man that stood up for those that need it.

So yes, it made you feel vulnerable at times, but most of the time? Most of the time it made you happy to be alive. To be the person you were today.

You knew the team had already seen your tattoos, from a slight distance. They either hadn't seen the scars, or had decided not to ask about them. Either way, you weren't going to complain. You'd tell them or they'd ask eventually.

It was JJ who noticed first, the pair of you sat in the roundtable room, everyone else had gone home. She had gently brushed over a scar on your arm with a curious look. "I got that from trippin' over a rug to watch football," You said, giving a small smile. Her hand moved to one just below it, "Fallin' off a horse," She fingers traced the next scar mid way up your arm, the curious look turning to worry when you tense.

"Does it hurt?" It looked painful, still raised after years.

You shake your head, "Not anymore." You said truthfully, "They used to. Now they're just there, constantly reminding me."

"Except for the ones you cover,"

"Except for the ones I cover." You corrected yourself. Your eyes darted back down to the scar she was tracing. A particularly painful memory. You looked back up, giving a shy smile, "I really do love you, you know."

"I should hope so," She smirked, "We have been dating for over six months now."

"It never gets old, hearing you say that." You answer.

"Good, because I don't plan on stopping any time soon," She winks, gently pressing her lips to yours.

[just-dreaming-marvel]

LEGACY ~ PROLOGUE 2

MASTERLIST

< previous chapter

Word Count: 2,400ish

Summary: More back story.

Notes: This will be the last chapter in third person. The rest of the chapters will be in second person.

“Why can’t I watch my show? I’m done watching the fighting in New York,” your foster brother whined to his mother from behind where Y/N was knelt in front of the TV.

She felt like she couldn’t breathe. Her rescuer, Tony Stark, was fighting off aliens with a group of heroes, trying to save New York. Every time the camera’s showed Iron Man, Y/N breathed a little, holding it in until the next time a sighting was made.

“Todd, mom and dad are watching this as well,” your foster mother tried to calm her son. 

“I don’t care!” Todd shouted, stomping his feet. “I want to watch my show!”

Y/N ignored the young boy, solely focused on making sure that Tony was alive. He had to stay alive and come visit her. He had promised to always be there for her, dying would definitely put a wrench in that promise. Suddenly, the camera spanned the skyline of New York. Y/N studied it, trying to find what they were showing. She gasped when a missile flew by the camera, Iron Man under it.

“No,” she gasped as tears filled her eyes. The only man who had made a promise to her and had kept it so far, (well, the mere months she had been free), was about to guide a missile through a wormhole in the sky.

“Paul,” her foster mother called to her husband, “turn it off.” She understood what Tony meant to Y/N as she had meant him every time he came to visit.

“But honey, I–” Paul’s complaint’s stopped short when he earned a glare from his wife. “Fine.” He sighed and turned off the TV.

“No!” Y/N suddenly shouted. “I need to see what happens! He has to survive! He has too!”

“I think it’s time you go to your room, Y/N.”

“No! I need to know!” Y/N brought her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and started rocking back and forth. “He can’t be dead… he can’t be gone…”

~~~

Days went by. Y/N’s foster parents let her miss a few days of school due to her saddened state. They knew just as much as Y/N did about what happened to Iron Man. They were waiting for someone to come break the news to Y/N, but it looked like no one would. Y/N barely left her bed, staring off into space. Her mind was blank and her eyes seemed hollow.

A sound outside caught Y/N’s attention. She didn’t bother to move yet, but she could tell it was coming closer. And it sounded familiar. The low rumble, like a distance stampede, was growing steadily louder and more pronounced. Y/N sat up and turned to look out the window from where she was on her bed. When she caught sight of the red and gold suit, flying closer, she leapt off her bed and ran out of the house. Her foster parents called after her, concerned for what she was doing. Iron Man landed on the street and pulled off his helmet. Y/N ran over and launched herself at the man, who happily caught her and held her close.

“I thought you were dead,” Y/N admitted as she began to cry.

“No one’s killing me that easily, kid,” Tony responded. “Especially not when I have a promise to keep.”

~~~

Tony still didn’t feel comfortable with adopting Y/N, but had it worked out that she would spend the summer, most holidays, and at least one weekend a month with Tony. Y/N loved spending every moment she could with Tony. It was one of the few times in her life where she felt like she could truly be herself. Tony let her help him out in the lab and she, in turn, let him help with her homework. Especially science and math, Tony was all about that. The two had movie nights and pool days and trips to New York as the Stark Tower was turned into the Avengers Tower. She got to know Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy as well as Tony’s AI, JARVIS. Y/N loved every second with Tony and he felt the same way about Y/N.

Her foster parents were nice and all, but it was clear to Y/N that they were not looking to adopt her. She guessed that the only reason they were keeping her was because of Tony. She began longing for a home. The Malibu Mansion and Tony were what she considered home the most. 

Y/N sighed as she stared out the window of the fancy sports car. Tony was driving her back to her foster parents house after spending Thanksgiving Break with him and Pepper. Neither of them ever liked saying goodbye to one another.

“What’s up, kid?” Tony questioned upon hearing Y/N’s sigh. She shrugged, not turning to look at him. “Come on, Y/N/N, I thought we told each other everything.”

“I want to go home,” Y/N admitted quietly.

“That’s where I’m taking you.”

“No,” Y/N shook her head. “That house–with them–is not home.”

Tony knew that Y/N had been feeling more at home the Malibu Mansion than she ever did with her foster family. “Y/N–”

“It’s fine, drop it.”

Tony stayed silent. He mind started working overtime on how to fix this. He often thought about adopting Y/N, but his life wasn’t meant to have a kid in it. Even if Y/N wasn’t just any kid. “You only have three weeks until I pick you up again. Pepper and I are planning to stay in Malibu for Christmas. I have some fun ideas in the works, if we can get Pep to hop on board.” Y/N didn’t give any response. Tony sighed as he put the car into park, having pulled up to the house. “Kid,” Tony placed a hand on Y/N’s knee, “you know that I care about you very much. But I can’t adopt you for your own safety.”

Y/N scoffed. “HYDRA could be after me, how is me being somewhere where there’s no protection at all safe? And there’s the fact that you can spend weeks with me at a time and that’s safe. It’s like living with divorced parents, though I actually don’t have any parents at all.”

“You have parents.”

“They’ll never adopt me.”

“You don’t know that.”

“They’re only keeping me because of you.” Tony didn’t know what to say. He had never thought of it that way. “I heard them say it not too long ago.” Y/N shook her head. “They don’t understand that I was trained to get information.”

Tony was surprised to hear a mention of Y/N’s past. She never talked about it, most of it was because she didn’t remember much. “Y/N,” she finally turned to look at him, “I will find you a family that wants you for you, I promise.”

“You don’t get it at all. I have a family I love and that sometimes appears to want me. That’s you Tony. And Pepper and Rhodey and Happy. Even JARVIS. But you don’t actually want me. So I will never have a true family.”

“Y/N–”

“Thanks for the week.” 

Y/N pulled her duffle bag from off the floor and exited the car. Tony sat there, frozen and speechless. He didn’t know what to do at all. Was he actually doing more harm than good by these visits? Would Y/N ever get adopted if he kept this up? With a lot to think about, Tony pulled away from the house and set out on a drive.

~~~

Tomorrow was Christmas and Tony was supposed to have picked Y/N up days ago. But it wasn’t going to happen as Tony had been declared missing when his Malibu Mansion was bombed on live tv. Y/N closed herself on and hid herself in her room. Her foster family hadn’t planned on her being home, so they hadn’t gotten anything for her for Christmas. She decided that it would be easier for everyone if she simply stayed in her room.

It was close to midnight when Y/N decided to pack a bag and sneak out her window. Her foster family hadn’t bothered to check on her, so she knew that it would be a while before anyone realized that she was missing. It took a few long hours of walking, but eventually, just as the sun was rising, Y/N made it to the destroyed mansion. Emotions quickly got the best of her and she found herself on her knees, crying. What would she do if Tony was truly gone? They didn’t leave on the best of terms last time and had barely texted since. The only person she could truly count on was most likely dead.

Y/N was at the wreckage for hours, crying and wandering on and off. She knew that people were probably starting to grow concerned, but she had left her Stark Tech phone on her bed. She ended up at the edge of the cliff, staring at where the ocean seemed to meet the sky. Y/N was stuck in her head so much that she didn’t hear the sound of an approaching car. She didn’t hear someone jump out of it before it was truly in park and began running at her. Suddenly, hands were on her arms and someone was spinning her around.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Tony exclaimed, pulling her from the edge. “Do you know how worried I was?! You weren’t answering your phone and then you weren’t at the house! I almost called SHIELD in to do a search for you!”

“Tony…” Y/N breathed out. She studied his face, seeing new injuries lightly littering it. He had definitely been in a fight not too long ago.

Tony didn’t stop yelling. “You cannot do that! Do you understand?! There might still be people out there looking for you! You cannot just leave your phone behind and disappear!”

“You’re alive…”

That’s when Tony realized that Y/N had thought he was dead. He immediately felt bad about yelling and pulled her into him. “I’m alive, sweetheart.” Y/N hands came around and gripped onto Tony’s t-shirt. “I’m right here.”

“You can’t… You can’t do that again…”

Tony kissed her head. “I know, I’m sorry… for the yelling and the possibility of being dead… I’m so sorry.” The two held each other for a while, not willing to let the other go. “I was so scared, Y/N.”

“I’m sorry. I just… they didn’t care.” Sobs began to wrack Y/N’s body. “They didn’t get me anything, didn’t want me there. And I just wanted to be home… but I didn’t know where you were…”

Tony grew angry at the thought that Y/N’s foster parents didn’t care about her, and on Christmas of all holidays. “It’s okay. You won’t be going back there.”

Y/N pulled away to look Tony in the eyes. “I won’t?”

“Nope. You’re staying with me.”

“For good?”

“For good.”

~~~

Tony, Pepper, and Y/N moved into the Avengers Tower in New York after Tony had surgery to permanently remove his arc reactor. Tony had decided to keep Y/N as his daughter a secret to all but those who absolutely needed to know. Once they were settled in at the Tower, Tony enrolled Y/N in an online, at your own pace, school so that she could graduate high school and start college. He let her start doing intern work for Stark Industries, mainly assisting Pepper, so that Y/N could start getting to know the business. Y/N enjoyed her time working, though it was in the same building that she lived in, it felt normal somehow.

Bruce Banner was the first member of the Avengers to meet Y/N and find out the truth. He was shocked to learn that Tony had adopted a kid but was impressed by Y/N’s desire to learn about what Bruce did. She started hanging out in the lab more with Tony and Bruce, helping out with projects and getting a better science and engineering education there than most did in college. She loved all the opportunities she had to get real experience in the sciences and business world.

Y/N also began working out more and training like SHIELD trains their new recruits. Tony didn’t know about it at first and was furious when he found her in the training room with multiple destroyed punching bags around her. It didn’t take long, and a good talk with Pepper, for Tony to remember that Y/N needed to exercise like that. It was all she knew. It would also help her keep her super strength up to pair and in control. But Tony wouldn’t go near the idea of her actually becoming a SHIELD agent, even though she was seventeen now.

The next year, Y/N turned eighteen and before she had the chance to sign up to be an agent, SHIELD fell. Due to the fall, Natasha Romanoff and Steve Rogers moved into the Tower, with Clint not far behind. All of them were in complete shock to find out that Tony had an eighteen-year-old daughter that he had completely kept secret. But the secret allowed Tony to gain some respect from Steve. Natasha and Y/N became fast friends and Natasha was even willing to train Y/N more intently, despite Tony’s complaining. Clint and Steve soon began to join them. The more Y/N got to know Steve, the more she grew feelings for him. But how could she not? He was Steve Rogers after all.

That same year, Y/N began an online college, going into science, technology, and business. She couldn’t choose so she decided to challenge herself with all. Towards the end of the year, Thor showed up and began helping the Team search for Loki’s missing scepter. Despite all her pleas and passing test scores, Y/N couldn’t convince anyone to let her join them on missions. She believed they were all scared of what Tony would do, especially if Y/N came back injured or worse. So she stayed on the sidelines, working and schooling and training. That was her life and she hoped it would never change.

next chapter >

[devilfic]

could you do some more stuff on bruce with reader and dick ? the christmas one was ADORABLE AND I JUST CANT HANDLE okay thanks

a/n: you were probably hoping for something fluffy and I APOLOGIZE but I also really wanted to explore the relationship you'd have with dick when you first take him in and show how he grows to trust you ;-;;;;

imagine that it’s right after you and bruce take in dick. he’s angry, he’s grieving, he’s cold. it’s been a rough few weeks since the deaths of his parents. you and bruce had thought about having kids one day but it was never the right time, not until that night when it all happened and bruce looked at you and you just knew.

and then you’d somehow convinced this kid (this kid who looked the spitting image of your husband already, like he was destined to be yours) to let you keep him. not to be his parents because you could never replace john and mary grayson, but to give him a safe place to stay. dick is too young to be this angry but he agrees because he can’t find his parents’ killer when he’s too busy hopping from foster home to foster home with no end in sight.

and you expect that it’ll take time but it doesn’t make his rejection hurt any less. he never stays in the room long enough to talk to either of you, and when he does, he’s always asking about the investigation. it breaks your heart every time to tell him the gcpd are still looking, following leads that you both have a feeling lead nowhere. they don’t know where tony zucco is. you can see the frustration growing in him and the resentment too.

you try to be there because bruce can’t. how can he? he’s so busy looking, chasing those same leads as the bat every night. it makes it harder for dick to trust bruce. he’s a stranger to him. always working, never home. as far as dick was concerned, bruce didn’t give a rat’s ass about finding his parents’ murderer. but every night, from sundown to sun up, your husband was scouring the streets for the man that had ruined dick’s life. but you can’t tell dick that part. bruce isn’t ready.

and one night, it’s storming. it’s not uncommon in gotham but you feel your stomach flip at a crack of thunder. something pulls you out of your sleep, out of your empty bed and down the hall to dick’s room. the door is always shut and locked but now it’s cracked open. a peek inside and he’s nowhere to be found. your stomach drops at another crack of thunder.

you tear the penthouse apart and even alfred can’t tell you when he’d last seen him. it’s then that you notice his coat and shoes are gone, and you’re out the door with barely enough time to get dressed or to heed alfred’s warning.

your instincts are telling you that wherever he is, and god forbid he’s in a ditch somewhere with the kind of types that hang around the city this late, he’s close. even if you can’t see him. you keep searching the skies as if you’ll find him there when the bat signal flips on, and you realize that all this time, your instincts have been leading you right to it.

you reach the top of the building and find dick there, staring off into the sky, and you can’t help but demand to know what he was thinking running off like that. what if he’d gotten hurt or worse? what if you’d lost him for good?

and he’s got this look on his face like he’s freezing and doesn’t want you to notice because then you’ll just cover him in your coat and freeze too. because you would and have. you would do anything to protect him. “you won’t help me.”

“that’s not true, dick. these things take time. trust me, the gcpd is doing everything they can to find that man. we’re not letting zucco get away with what he did to your parents. you have to believe me.”

dick’s scoffing at you. If he wasn’t so small, still chubby-cheeked and rosy, his snark would put him beyond your years, “the police won’t find him. batman will.”

dick doesn’t know how right he is but you try to steer him away, telling him that batman is a vigilante and that there’s no way to prove if you can trust him, but it’s like everything you say goes in one ear and out the other. at some point, you tell him that bruce would be home soon and seeing dick missing would tear him up inside and, without missing a beat, dick tells you “he’d have to be around to care.”

and how do you reconcile with that? how do you make a child feel loved and cared for with nothing to show for it? nothing you can show for it?

you don’t know what you and bruce were thinking. you weren’t ready. you must have wanted to be so bad that you mistook it for something it wasn’t. dick grayson didn’t need new parents. he’d told you as much the minute you’d offered to take him in. of course he’d run away. as far as dick was concerned, all you’d given him was a pretty house to mourn in.

you almost forget why you’re up here.

dick spots him before you do, the dark knight, and from where you’re kneeling you can imagine what he must look like to a child. a boogeyman or an angel, something other than human. dick runs at him as if he’s all that and more. completely enamored. bruce can’t ask with dick there but his eyes flicker to you and you must look pitiful.

it’s just that dick is so. starstruck. you’ve never seen him like this in all the time he’s been with you. it almost feels worth it keeping the secret, then. “you came.” dick sighs.

you’re thinking about all the things bruce’s eyes are saying. he’s focused on this little boy, too afraid to look away, almost too afraid to speak. what if dick could tell? what if he mistook this for some cruel joke? but then bruce puts his hand on dick’s shoulder and would you believe it? for the first time, dick lets bruce touch him, “you called.”

“I need your help, batman.” dick pleads. you shut your eyes, unable to look at bruce or dick knowing what’s coming next. “someone took my parents away from me. I need to find him. and I need your help.”

a few moments pass. you dare crack open an eye, ready to sweep dick out of there and suffer his anger on the way home. anything to avoid seeing the inevitable heartbreak in your husband’s expression. you couldn’t take it. but you falter when you see bruce kneeling before the kid. he’s schooled his expression into something reminiscent of the symbol, the impenetrable, immovable batman, “the graysons, right? the flying graysons. you’re the kid.”

you can hear the shock in dick’s voice, “you know me?”

“I don’t forget a face,” you watch bruce smile, “or someone as talented as you. your parents were good people. I’m sorry for your loss… which is why I’m doing everything I can to find him, dick. I promise I’ll find him.”

“let me help.” bruce laughs—or gasps—at how sudden and stubborn his request is. dick immediately takes offense, “I’m not kidding.”

“no, no. I know you’re not. you just… remind me of someone. I believe you. but not just anybody can do what I do.”

“I can fight! a little. I need some training. but I’m really flexible! and I’m fast.”

“that’s good. people underestimate you when you’re small and lean.”

“how do I get superpowers like you?”

“I don’t have powers.”

“then how do you fly?”

bruce drags his cape between the two of them, eyes sparkling, “physics.”

dick doesn’t even know what that means. he still says “coooooool” like he does. “can I have a cape?”

taking dick’s hand in yours, you try your best not to say bruce’s name when you mean batman (because let’s be honest, the man in front of you is more bruce than anything—all soft eyes, tender voice, careful smiles), insisting that it’s late and way past dick’s bedtime and that you both really need to get home before this storm gets worse when dick begs batman to take you both home in his “super cool” car. and really, how can either of you refuse him?

so you keep him in your lap on the drive home, watching bruce explain what each of the little knobs and buttons do, but dick never runs out of questions. “how fast can you go?” “do you have other cars?” “does it have a name? can I name it?” bruce meets every single one of them with the breathless, youthful kind of joy you get when a child trusts you, really trusts and likes you. even if it’s not really him, it’s enough.

it must be a sight, crawling out of the batman’s car onto the sidewalk. dick clearly doesn’t want to go with his hands on the door begging to see batman again.

“you will,” bruce assures him, looking over at you for just a split second, “I promise.”

it’s days later when bruce gives you the go ahead and you take dick down into the elevator, the one you’d always told him didn’t work anymore. the first thing he sees is bruce at his desk with his cowl in his hands and that shocking black paint across his eyes, waiting with more fear than you’d seen in him fighting his greatest enemies. you don’t think he could take the rejection if this went badly.

bruce steps forward, kneels before dick, tender and vulnerable and open. dick’s shoulders tremble beneath your hands. “I think I found him, but I need your help. so no more secrets.” bruce holds out his hand, shaky and bare, “deal?”

dick is silent for a long time; lips pursed, eyes blown wide. you think he even stops breathing, his chest refusing to rise and fall. you brush a hand through his hair, whispering his name, and catch your husband’s worried eyes. was it too soon? had he scared off dick altogether?

but dick places his hand in bruce’s, so small in comparison. it’s such a shy touch that bruce doesn’t even close his hand around it, too afraid. doesn’t want to scare him. doesn’t want to indulge too much in this kid, so much like himself, finding safety and solace in him. because dick isn’t looking for parents. he wants answers, revenge, justice, whatever he called it to sleep better. and if all you and bruce could do for him is give him that closure, you would. and if dick wanted to leave when it was all said and done, you would let him do that too.

that evening, dick takes dinner with you two and alfred. you take heart in the fact that dick allows you this much. it’s one step, small as it may be, in the right direction.

taglist: @yikes-buddy @alexxavicry @theclassicvinyldragon @angxlictexrs @moonlightreader649 @geekyfer @thescarletfang @navs-bhat

[luxaofhesperides]

ghostlights prompt with "it's okay, you're safe now" hurt/comfort?

It takes over a month to find Danny. 

Thirty seven days of panic and ever growing dread, searching for him every single day. Duke hasn’t felt this way since he was in foster care, running away from whatever home he got placed in to search for his parents. 

The first week was spent trying to find any trace of Danny, working on nothing but his last few messages and a voicemail he left Duke, where all he said was a whispered, Call me back when you can. I might just be paranoid, but I think someone’s following me. I’m walking home right now. I… I don’t know, I feel a little sick, Duke, I— And then static before the voicemail ends. 

There hadn’t been any sign that Danny made it home. No cameras caught sight of him after he walked past a bus stop. No one around on the streets to tell him what happened. 

One moment, Danny was there. The next, he was gone.

He had to recruit the rest of the Bats into searching for Danny, and his guilt of outing Danny as a meta (half ghost, as Danny called himself) was easily buried under his desperation. Duke knows the statistics. The chances of finding someone after three days drop drastically, and after enough time, it’s safe to assume they’re dead even if people keep searching. 

Jason promised to interrogate some traffickers moving outside of Crime Alley, updating Duke weekly on any other kidnappings that might be related to Danny’s case. Tim had been checking around Danny’s neighborhood, slipping in and out of spaces to gather information, leaving behind cameras and bugs on the off chance the kidnappers came back to the area. Barbara hacked her way into the messages of traffickers, trying to find any mention of Danny. Even Bruce had gotten involved, looking into Danny’s background to see if there was anyone that might be connected to his disappearance.

Vlad Masters wasn’t a lead. He had no idea Danny was missing when they called, and he ended the call immediately to begin his own search.

Thirty seven days.

Duke didn’t want to lose hope, but all he could think about were the empty spaces in his life where Danny once was. 

And now, on the thirty eighth day, Duke jerks awake as his cell phone rings at max volume and he scrambles to get it. He’s not risking another missed call, not after Danny disappeared. 

He doesn’t have time to say anything once he accepts the call before Jason is saying, “We found him Duke. Babs is sending the location to the GPS of your motorcycle. Suit up and meet us here.”

“Is he okay?”

“He’s…” Jason hesitates. “He’ll live. But these fuckers did a number on him, from what we've read in their files. We’re waiting for you and the others to get here, and then we’ll take them out while you get your boy to safety.”

“I’m on my way,” Duke says, already pulling his suit out to get changed. He hasn’t bothered to bring it to the Batcave for weeks, spending most of his time out on the streets as the Signal. It’s just easier to have it on hand than to go to the Batcave to suit up, or to leave it in the Hatch. He chucks his phone back onto his bed and is jumping out the window of his apartment just a minute later, dropping down to street level just as his motorcycle pulls up on the street.

He’ll have to remember to get Babs a gift basket or something when this is all over. It’s the least he can do after she’s helped him so much over the past month. 

“Thanks, Babs,” Duke says into his comm, switching it to a private line with Oracle. She hums an acknowledgement, but otherwise doesn’t respond. Not that Duke has much in him for conversation; all his focus is on Danny, Danny, Danny.

The GPS on the motorcycle leads him to the outskirts of GCU campus, in one of the buildings that had been closed off after a fire earlier in the year that they still haven’t fixed due to the amount of mobsters who liked to pass through it, using it as a drop sight for arms deals. Red Hood leans on the chain link fence surrounding it, watching as he approaches.

Duke all but jumps off the motorcycle to reach Red Hood, barely remembering to turn on the cloaking to hide it from sight.

“Where is he?”

“Basement,” Red Hood answers, and even through the helmet, Duke can hear the tightness in his voice that means he’s doing his best to hold back his rage. “Red Robin and the Batgirls are in there, getting Oracle access to their computers. They’re going to make sure no one slips by us. I’m going to make them wish I had been kind enough to kill them, and you’re going to take your boy straight to the Batcave where the Doc is waiting with Alfred.”

It’s not much of a plan, but Duke trusts the others to do what they need to do. All he cares about is getting Danny out of there. 

“Lead the way.”

They scale the fence easily, and there’s no one on the upper levels when they walk in. Not even a single camera to alert anyone to their entrance. Red Hood leads him down a stairwell, ignoring the way the shadows around them move on their own, Duke’s agitation making them twist into some dark nightmare. 

He sees the flicker of light as soon as they step out into the basement hallway. All the light bulbs above their head are broken, covering the floor in sharp glass, and doors going down the hall are all left open, some barely hanging onto their hinges. The building is a wreck, graffiti decorating portions of the wall, and it looks abandoned. He would bet even mobsters avoid coming down here; it’s all sorts of health hazards.

Normally, he’d be cautious. He would sneak through the wall, sticking to the shadows and staying hidden as he went deeper in, ready for anything. 

Duke hasn’t been thinking clearly in weeks. He sees the light, the soft white glow he associates with Danny, and tears after it like a man possessed. 

Distantly, he hears Red Hood curse behind him, and then he’s turning the corner, feeling the familiar burn in his eyes as his powers kick in and let him see the small ball of light flickering weakly as it guides him through the basement level. 

Red Robin and Batgirl’s voices fill his helmet and Duke doesn’t waste a second in muting his comm; if there’s a problem, they can work it out with Red Hood. Now that he’s so close to Danny, he’s not letting anything get in his way. 

The first guy he runs into is a surprise. Clearly a scientist, judging by the lab coat and the notebook in his hands, paired with the dark circles stamped beneath his eyes. He barely has time to open his mouth, looking alarmed, before Duke slams into him, tackling him to the floor and knocking him out with a quick hit to the temple. 

A vent in the ceiling falls down, and Red Robin pops out.

“They’re keeping him in the back, locked in. I’m warning you now, it’s not a pretty sight.”

“I don’t care,” Duke snaps, “I’m getting him back.”

“We’ll clear the way and keep them from stopping you,” Red Robin says.

He whips out his bo staff and sprints away, kicking in a door. Duke follows after him, ignoring the yells from the other scientists gathered in there, leaving them to Red Robin’s tender mercies. 

The light leads him to a room hidden away in the lab, a small window in the door that is too dirty to see through. The door is locked, so Duke feels out the shadows around him and uses one to slip into the room.

And Danny’s there.

Danny, never without a smile, glowing and funny and so, so sweet, is lying curled up on the floor. There are shackles around his ankles, keeping him trapped in the room with the chain nailed into the wall. His wrists are bound in meta suppressant cuffs, leaving him weak and vulnerable. That’s not the worst thing.

The worst thing is the visible wounds Duke can see on him, sluggishly bleeding. There are blood stains all over the floor, cuts along his arms and thighs, clothes torn into nothing but dirty rags. There’s a large incision on his chest, going down from his collarbone to his navel, hastily stitched together in a way that only keeps it slightly closed, the stitches loose enough to be pulled out with a single pull. 

As if sensing his gaze, Danny blinks his eyes open, staring at the space next to Duke. Slowly, his gaze slides over, eyes hazy with pain and exhaustion. He opens his mouth, but no sound comes out.

Duke kneels next to him, pulling off his gloves to cup Danny’s cheek as gently as he can.

“Hey,” he whispers, overcome with both grief at the pain Danny had to go through, and relief at finally finding him. “Hey, it’s okay, you’re safe now.”

Danny doesn’t try to speak again. Instead, he closes his eyes and leans into Duke’s touch, relaxing. 

“I got you honey, it’s alright. I’m gonna get you out of here and take you to some people who can patch you up.”

He slides his arms beneath Danny’s body, lifting him into his arms. 

He doesn’t remember much of what happens next; it’s all a blur of movement and feeling blood slide over his hands. Later, he’ll hear the others give their report, telling of how they found Danny following the trail of a university professor bragging about a paper that would make him famous for a deeper understanding of meta biology. They’ll recount their scouting, the information they stole, how many people they fought and captured. They’ll talk about how the shadows completely overwhelmed the basement when Duke left with Danny, traveling through shadows at a speed he had never achieved before, going farther than he’s ever been able to. 

Leslie and Alfred input their own medical reports of the torture done to Danny and how long he’ll need to be in recovery, checking for infection and possible side effects to his powers. 

All of that will be important later. 

Duke doesn’t care about anything at all when he’s finally able to return to Danny’s side once Alfred and Leslie are done patching him up. The weight that’s been on his shoulders for the past thirty seven days is gone. The sight of Danny’s blue eyes fluttering open is the most beautiful he’ll ever see.

“Hey, honey,” he says softly, holding Danny’s hand as he wakes.

Danny smiles at him. “Duke,” he whispers, “I knew you’d find me.”

“Always, honey. Always.”

. . .

[send me a ghostlights prompt!]

[e-dubbc11]

Anna

Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google.

Pairing: Tattoo Artist Billy Russo x F! Reader

Warnings: All the baby fluff, I don’t even think there are any swear words in this, maybe one. But this is probably one of the fluffiest fics I’ve written.

Word Count: 3k-ish

Summary: Your little girl is now a mobile toddler and so many people just adore her. Anna’s godfather, Frank, is having so much fun being a godfather but she has a favorite babysitter and her name is Shortcake.

A/N: Continuation/Side Story of The Sweetest Pain Series. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay away from this series for long. Toddlers are so unpredictable and they soak up everything like a sponge so it was fun to write for an active toddler. I’d like to thank @jvanilly for suggesting the other artists keeps snacks at their stations for her visits, I thought that was adorable. And Shortcake is a character created my lovely Lily @munsonownsmyass in her fic Mark Upon Your Skin Give it a read if you haven’t yet!

As always, thank you for reading!  I appreciate it so much and comments, reblogs are welcome and encouraged. Don’t be shy to tell me your favorite part. 💕💕 💕

She was still trying to get the hang of being upright, toddling around on two legs instead of crawling on all fours. Even when she wobbled and fell down, she didn’t get upset or give up. She just got right back up and started walking again, your little miss was a lot like her father in that way.

Billy never gave up or gave in either, he didn’t know the meaning of the word, and he didn’t stop until he got what he wanted. And right now, Billy Russo had everything he had ever wanted. He had a thriving business, he had opened up the other side of the studio so he could bring in more artists and added space to display his artwork.

Always booked out for months in advance, people came from all over to have Billy do their tattoos. He brought their ideas to life and when he was finished, they always left with a smile on their face.

And he finally had something that he had always wanted…a family. Growing up in the group home, Billy would see children come and go. They would get adopted or placed in foster homes but he didn’t. Couples coming in to adopt wanted young children or babies, they never gave Billy a second look so he never knew what it was like to be part of a family until he became part of Frank’s, until he became “Uncle Billy.”

As welcome as they made him feel, something was still missing but he ultimately found those missing pieces. You were one of them, you were someone who understood him, you let him talk when he wanted to, and loved him even with his faults.

He loved you more than anything.

You could see he was scared to death when you told him you were pregnant. He didn’t know anything about parenting. All he knew how to be was Junior and Lisa’s fun uncle Billy. “What do I know about being a dad? I never had one.” Those words broke your heart but you knew he’d love that baby no matter what and you would both learn together.

She was a carbon copy of her father. From her wild dark brown hair to her onyx colored eyes, she melted both of your hearts with her infectious laugh and million dollar smile that was just like Billy’s. And now that she was more mobile, you had to pay extra attention to her so she didn’t get into too much trouble.

The little miss was starting to talk more, put little sentences together too and Billy was excited that she said “da-da” before “mama.” You knew it was easier for a lot of babies to say “da-da” but you just let him have that win because he was just over the moon about it.

And she hadn’t picked up on any yet but you were willing to put money down on her Uncle Frankie teaching her some very “colorful” words sometime in the near future.

Your little girl was constantly surrounded by people who loved her. Frank was always bringing her places with the kids, Maria would watch her one day a week while you and Billy were at work, but Anna’s favorite babysitter was definitely Shortcake.

You were convinced that something happened the day she was born like Shortcake imprinted on her or something crazy like that because your little Anna Raven Russo just adored her. Anna couldn’t quite say “Shortcake” yet so she just called her “Cake.”

One of Anna’s favorite things to do was to try and scare you but she also loved for you to scare her. It was a game she played with Shortcake all the time.

“Baby, why does our child like it when you jump out and scare her? She laughs like a crazy person…watch.” Billy said, hiding behind a door and calling for her.

With a smile on your face, you watched Anna clumsily run over to where Billy was hiding and he jumped out from the dark room. She screamed and then started to laugh.

You and Billy chuckled and he said “See…she’s a little nut.”

“Again Daddy!” Anna yelled.

You just shook your head as you gazed down at her and said “Oh Shortcake plays that game with her. That’s one of the things they like to do with each other is ‘play scared.’”

The day Anna was born, she didn’t have many visitors because she was born in the middle of a snowstorm. Her own father almost missed her birth because of it but aside from Billy’s other employees, the other two people that were there the day she was born were Frank and Shortcake.

It was very hard to tear that baby away from her arms so Frank could hold her, there was just something so special about their relationship from day one and it had blossomed into the sweetest little friendship.

Anna loved visiting Billy at the tattoo studio and even though she obviously couldn’t read what it said, she knew the logo when she saw it. “Daddy…work.”

Firmly planted on your hip, she pointed at the Anvil logo on the window and a wide smile stretched across her face. Excited that she was going to see her other “friends” today, she started impatiently kicking her feet and gently bouncing against your side in anticipation.

Everyone looked up as you opened the door, every single person had a smile on their face as you put the little miss down so she could go say hi to everyone. Her first stop was always her father.

She saw Billy standing behind the counter and she took off running as fast her little legs would let her, he scooped her up in his arms and blew a raspberry on her cheek. Anna let out a high pitched squeal like she did every time Billy did that to her, she loved it.

“And how’s my pretty girl today?” Billy asked.

Anna pointed at you. “Mommy…pretty.” She said.

You let out a little chuckle.

Billy gazed at you like he hadn’t seen you in a week. “Yes, mommy is very pretty…she’s beautiful.” He said with a wink, giving you butterflies in your stomach.

Frank walked in off of the back deck. “Is my goddaughter here?!! Come here, sweetheart.” He said as he squatted down with his arms outstretched.

“Down…Daddy.” She said to Billy.

Billy kissed her on the forehead. “Down daddy, PLEASE.” He said.

Her deep brown eyes, her father’s eyes, looked him over before she said “Peeease!”

Billy set her on the floor and her little legs took her right to Frank. He picked her up and started to “bite” at her neck and she grabbed his nose. “Ow! You got my nose!” He said jokingly with Anna laughing.

“Well to be fair, it is a large target Frankie. Of course she would grab your nose.” Billy said with everyone else getting a good laugh at that one.

You stared intently as big Raven played with little Raven, he had the biggest smile on his face while he played with her and tickled her. Obviously, Frank loved his children but he told you he does sometimes miss when they were babies and he did miss out on a lot of time when they were small because he was deployed so he was really enjoying being Anna’s godfather.

She then toddled around to everyone’s work station, smiling as she waved and said hi to the other artists in the shop that day. They always had snacks and stickers for her, doting on her the entire time she was visiting.

After Anna made the rounds and extorted all of the snacks out of everyone, she ran back over to you. “Up…mommy!” She said with her arms extended over her head.

Tilting your head to the side as you looked down at her, you said. “Up mommy, PLEASE.”

“Up peeeease, mommy!” She said.

You and Billy were doing your best to try and raise a polite human being.

When you picked her up, she turned her hand up toward the ceiling so you knew she was trying to ask you a question and it was adorable. “Cake…mommy?”

“Awwww, Shortcake isn’t here today baby girl.” You said to her.

Anna looked a little disappointed.

“You’ll see her in a couple days. She’s coming to babysit you while Mommy and Daddy go out on a date.” Billy said to her in that soothing voice of his.

Bouncing her on your hip, you smiled at her and asked “Ok?”

Nodding her head and pursing her lips, she said “Ok.”

**********

A couple of days later, while playing with Anna in the living room, you heard a knock at the door. She looked up from her blocks and a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth, stretching all the way across her face.

She knew who was at the door.

“Who’s here, Anna? Let’s go see!” You said excitedly.

“Cake…Mommy!” She yelled.

You shrugged your shoulders. “I dunno, we gotta open the door.”

As soon as the door opened, Anna ran toward Shortcake who was holding a gift bag.

“Anna!! My little bird, I’ve got something for you.” She said.

Shortcake was ALWAYS bringing Anna presents…dinosaur stuffed animals, books, tiny hoodies. And today wasn’t any different as she followed Shortcake over to the couch to open the bag. Anna threw the tissue paper on the floor and pulled out a pair of Converse sneakers, just like the ones Shortcake had on.

“Now we have the same shoes!” She said.

You just sat back and watched Anna pick up one of the sneakers to show you.

“Look, mommy!” She said.

“I see them, baby. Do you like them?” You asked her.

“On…peeeeease.” Said Anna.

“I guess that’s a yes. What do you say?” You asked.

Anna looked up at Shortcake through her long dark lashes and said “taaaank you.”

Billy walked out from the bedroom. “What did you spoil my child with now, Shortcake?” He asked, walking over to you and pulling you flush with his chest.

You always felt so safe in his arms even from the very first time he hugged you. The way he held you tight and gave you that extra squeeze, you knew Billy was the one for you.

He tilted your chin up so you were looking into his eyes, he smiled and leaned down to kiss you. Things were very different now that you had a child but you still made time for each other to go out on “dates.” You were lucky enough to have so many people willing to babysit while you and Billy went out and spent alone time together.

“She bought Anna her first pair of Chuck Taylor’s. Aren’t they adorable?” You said.

He smiled as he watched Shortcake put the shoes on Anna’s feet. “That is really cute. You ready to go, beautiful?” He asked.

You explained to Shortcake that Anna had a nice long nap earlier and she was probably growing again because she was sleeping so much. You left dinner for them both and told them to have fun which you didn’t really need to tell her because they always had fun.

“Ok well you two go out and enjoy yourselves, she’s in good hands.” Said Shortcake.

You and Billy told Anna that you would see her later and to be good for Shortcake.

“Bye Mommy, bye Daddy.”

Billy narrowed his eyes at Anna, then turned to look at you. “Is she kicking us out?” He asked.

“I think she is.” You replied.

The two of you waved goodbye and headed out for dinner.

When you were halfway through with dinner, your phone started buzzing. It was Shortcake.

Your skin immediately pricked with goosebumps with worry, wondering if anything was wrong.

“Hey Shortcake, what’s up? Everything ok?” You asked.

There was a slight pause, everything was quiet for a minute before she answered.

“Uh, yeah…well, I think I know why the little bird has been sleeping a lot lately. After you left she kind of developed a little bit of a fever. She did eat and I gave her a cool bath. Her temperature went down a little but she does have a little bit of congestion so I gave her some Tylenol, and put the humidifier on in her room when I put her to bed.” She said.

“Wow…look at you go. We’ll finish up dinner and come home so you can—“

She interrupted you. “No, no…please stay out. I’m ok with her here, she’s sleeping, she’s fine. Enjoy alone time with each other for a while longer…please?”

You and Billy weren’t the type of parents to freak out over every little sniffle, kids get sick, that’s what they do. You didn’t know if Shortcake ever had to deal with a sick baby before but it sounded like she was a pro at it.

“Are you sure? We really can come home if you want us to, just so you don’t catch her cold.” You said.

“I want you guys to stay out, it really is ok.” She said. “I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Ok, ok. We’ll see you in a little while then. Bye.”

And you hung up.

Billy touched your hand. “Everything ok, sweet girl?” He asked.

You told him everything Shortcake told you.

“Wow, sounds like she’s got everything under control.” He said.

“Our little girl is a tough one, not letting anyone know she’s sick. She’s tough like her dad.” You said leaning across the table to plant a soft kiss on his lips.

His tongue darted out to slowly lick his bottom lip, and tasting the red wine on your lips he replied “And like her mom.”

And he kissed you again.

**********

When you arrived home, Shortcake was having some tea and watching tv.

“Thank you for taking care of her tonight. Just, really and truly thank you, not only for taking care of her but for giving us some needed time with each other.”

Billy leaned over and kissed your temple.

You touched her hand, looked at her and said, “And I think you’re gonna make a really great mom someday.”

Shortcake brushed a tear away from her cheek and smiled. “Thank you.” And she leaned in to give you a hug.

You and Shortcake weren’t always so close. When she first started at the shop, you thought she wanted Billy but it was just a misunderstanding and you quickly moved forward.

It’s a huge deal to trust someone enough to take care of your child but there was no question that Shortcake loved Anna and Anna loved her in return.

“I do have to show you guys something, well two things. The first one is on my phone here…hang on.” She said.

Pulling out her phone, she clicked on a video she took of Anna.

“Anna…little bird…tell mommy and daddy the new word you learned. What’s this on my arm right here?” She asked.

Anna pointed to Shortcake’s arm. “Tattoooooo!”

You and Billy started to laugh.

“And what’s the second thing?” Billy asked.

She motioned for the two of you to walk with her to Anna’s room.

Peering into her crib, you and Billy glanced down to see your little Raven asleep but also clutching her new sneakers tightly to her chest.

“She wanted to wear them to bed so we had to compromise. I figured since they’re brand new, it would be ok.” Said Shortcake. “It’s ok, right?” She asked with an unsure tone to her voice.

“Of course it’s alright. I’m sure you really had to fight her on not wearing them to bed, didn’t you. She’s stubborn, like her father.” You said with a sly smile on your face.

Billy narrowed his eyes at you and then a smile broke out across his face because he couldn’t keep a straight face as he said “I have no idea what you’re talking about, sweet girl…hey Shortcake, you think you can convince Matt to have one of these? Look at how cute she is, huh?” He joked in a whisper.

Even in the dim light of Anna’s room, you could see Shortcake blush and shy away from the two of you in embarrassment.

Elbowing Billy in the stomach, you playfully scolded him. “Don’t embarrass her, Billy.”

Quietly, the three of you tip toed out of Anna’s room. Billy had something he wanted to ask Shortcake and earlier at dinner he asked if it sounded like a good idea. You told him it sounded perfect.

“Shortcake, I wanted to ask you something and you can say no if you want but I was wondering if you could do a tattoo on me for Anna? Since I fired Andy for looking at my wife’s ass too much, he’s definitely not doing it. But I think that just means that maybe you were meant to do it anyway. I want her name and a raven next to it, if you’re up for it.”

Shortcake was practically speechless. Nervously, she stumbled a little over her words when she answered Billy’s question.

“Billy…I really don’t know what to say. To trust me with such an important piece, having to do with your daughter. I—I would love to do that for you.” She replied, her eyes shined with unshed tears.

Snaking your arms around Billy’s waist, his hands held you tightly against him and he moved his hands up and down along your spine causing goosebumps to dance across your skin, and you could feel him relax.

He felt very content.

“Good, thank you. We can talk more about it on Monday.” He said.

On her way out, Shortcake pulled both of you in for a hug. “Thank you both. Little bird is just so special and I—I just love her to death.” She said.

You smiled warmly at her and replied. “And she loves you. Thank you again for tonight.”

Shortcake turned back to look at you and Billy after walking out the door and said with a smile.

“Anytime.”

Tag List: @mindidjarin @saintmurd0ck @wheresthesunshinesblog @rafaelakelley @idaoftheburningmind @snowkestrel @xdervyxccgh @mattmurdocksscars @fakehappy27 @music-indie-tv @fictional-hooman @kayhi808 @munsonownsmyass @gijos @celestialams @idek-what-to-put @anastasianeedstoread @ratsys @k-marzolf @nutmeg17 @rosaleenablack @vaguekayla @qu1etwolf @danzer8705

Others that may enjoy: @itwasthereaminuteago @fluffyprettykitty @jvanilly @russosafehaven @mrsbillyrusso @imagine-a-fictional-boyfriend

If you’d like to be added (or removed from) my tag list(s) for the ever so handsome Billy Russo, just let me know and thank you again for reading! 💕💕💕 If I tagged you but you didn’t want to be, just let me know and I’ll never do it again.

[fractiflos]

For your ask game. What do you see happening in a world where the Fourth OFA User unlocks the ability to speak to the vestiges? He's the guy who explicitly trained the quirk to increase its power for future users and thus the most likely to unlock its secrets. Within a month of getting the quirk, the guy's meditating under a waterfall and now he's in a discord call with the boys, and so will the future users.

I love this concept!

This happened before Hikage met Banjo, so he was really lonely and missed his predecessors. He didn't see the point in meditating under a waterfall, but he remembered how every manga Yoichi liked had a scene like that, so he decided to try it out to honor him. The cool water and white noise were actually really comforting since it also happened to be summer, and next thing you know, he fell asleep and ended up in the void. He thought he was dreaming at first, especially because he was only there for a few seconds before he woke up. Except it kept happening and he realized that OFA must stockpile not only strength, but memories. Eventually, he was able to stay there for a full 8 hours, but no matter how hard he tried, it could only happen when he was asleep. He died in his sleep, so when his body finally gave out, it felt as if he never had to wake up from a wonderful dream. (It was a little less wonderful when the first three got all lovey-dovey and he had to fourth wheel)

Banjo didn't really believe that Hikage could see his predecessors. He just thought that was a product of imagination from his loneliness (in fact, that was part of why he wanted to be his friend so badly in the first place, because he was worried about his mental stability). Imagine his surprise when he falls asleep the night after Hikage dies and sees his friend again. He's so freaked out he wakes up. Then he remembers what Hikage told him and decides to try and go to sleep again. It works, and for up to 10 hours, he had to deal with Hikage going "I told you so!". But even so, he was happy to see him and meet the three he talked about so much. And when he died, Hikage was so happy that he would no longer have to fourth wheel.

En, unfortunately, did not get to live long. He had fun talking to Banjo and meeting that weird forest guy he always talked about, but just a few months after getting OFA, he was killed. He was only able to extend the dream time to 11 hours, but his successor would reach new heights.

Nana got a longer run and along with seeing them in her dreams, could hear their voices in her head. Not always since they had to choose to speak to her and if she tried to hear them when they weren't speaking, all she would hear was static. At first, it was nice to be able to speak to her predecessors, but the unsolicited advice got annoying real quick. When the unsolicited parenting advice started, she went to the void the next night and slapped them. They shut up after that. But when she was considering putting Kotaro in foster care there was a big argument over it. In the end, she still did it, but they convinced her to let Torino and Toshinori check up on him.

Poor Toshinori. At first, it was cool meeting his predecessors and being able to see Nana again, but like with her, the voices in his head got annoying. And after a little while, they could even appear in the real world, though they were more ghostlike and no one else could see them, so he never got a break. At least Nana was able to watch Kotaro grow up after Torino decided to adopt him and Hana and Tenko lived decent lives. Kotaro was still really tough but not as bad as he could have been. And AFO stayed away realizing that with Torino and All Might, Kotarou won't be easily swayed.

And now, Izuku. Honestly, part of the reason Toshinori picked him was that he thought they would bother a kid more often. Oh, and he had heroic spirit and all that. There was certainly arguing over whether a kid should get that power but he argued with "well, I got that power as a high schooler and look at me now." "You're a skeleton." "Only because of AFO and he's dead." "Ugh, fine." (AFO is not dead but only Yoichi knows. He could sense it through twin bond but didn't want to ruin everyone else's celebration). Because they can all communicate Izuku gets better instruction and makes it through the exam with fractures in his legs and a single broken arm. After that he later gets a lecture from Hikage and goes "Oh, I need to let it spread through my body instead of one sole place" "Yeah exactly-" "Like a microwave!" "..." So, he reaches that a lot quicker and doesn't have to break a finger on the first day of school. It all goes well until the USJ happens. The vestiges were out of the void, wanting to observe the training, but no one but Izuku could see them. Then Kurogiri comes in with the nomu and the vestiges are so startled they become visible to everyone. And 7 ghosts appearing around one green haired boy startles everyone else so much they all freeze and stare. AFO (who was watching at home) sees his brother and orders Kurogiri to take everyone back and leave.

I'll stop there for now since I don't want to rewrite all of Mha. But yes, there is no substitute for Tomura since I couldn't think of anyone to take his place.

[ibrithir-was-here]

Another Sandman drabble from my prompt list. This one's for the prompt "You're my person" and takes place in the "Lots O Kids AU "

“You’re my person” Hob whispered softly, stroking a finger down the side of Morpheus's cheek as they lay curled together on their bed.

"And you're mine" Morpheus whispered back, eyes fluttering shut as he leaned into the comfort of the touch and the quiet shared moment.

"And this is our safe place" Hob went on, continuing the familiar lines of the mantra  they'd put together years ago, when they had first moved in together and facing the displeasure of Morpheus's parents, on top of the normal pressures of trying to build a shared life, had made safe places feel scarce indeed. 

"No one can take it from us" Morpheus answered back, shifting even closer to lay his head down on his husband's chest, the warm safety of Hob's arms coming round him. 

"You, and me, and babies three" Hob finished, pressing a kiss to the top of Morpheus's head, smiling into the eternal birdnest of his hair.

"We'll need to alter that now I suppose," Morpheus sighed, nuzzling into Hob's neck, "Now that Daniel's here."

They'd had to change it once before, when they'd brought Hope home. It had originally been 'Me and you and babies two', when it had just been Orpheus and Robyn. Morpheus had been trying to work out how they could alter it to keep the rhyming scheme now that they were fostering Daniel but hadn't yet come to an answer he felt suited. 

"We'd likely have to change it up soon anyway" Hob said with an exaggerated sigh. 

"Orpheus informed me, very dourly, I might add, that a twelve year old is far too grown up to be lumped in with the babies. And then Robyn and Hope got started saying nine and six were also quite respectively advanced ages and well…"

"They are indeed 'growing up like weeds' as Johanna so succinctly put it" Dream chuckled softly. 

But the mirth faded quickly, and he sunk back against Hob, the prickling agitation that had necessitated this impromptu cuddling session creeping back into him. Hob of course couldn't fail to notice, and carding his hand through Morpheus's dark hair he asked softly:

"Still not feeling so great?"

Morpheus gave a grumble and tried to curl tighter into the warm circle of Hob's arms, hoping his husband wouldn't press. But he had no such luck. 

"What’s got you down exactly?" Hob asked softly, tilting his head in a very uncomfortable looking angle to try and catch Morpheus's eye. 

Morpheus sighed and reluctantly sat up, to save Hob's neck,but missed the closeness immediately. 

"Its not…" He started,  then stopped, running his hands over his face with a groan as he tried to work out exactly how to express what he was feeling.

"It's not that I'm unhappy per se, quite the opposite, actually. " He finally said, worrying a corner of the blanket Hob had pulled over them with his thumb, avoiding Hob's eye.

"I'm very happy, incredibly happy, more than I ever imagined I could be, everything has been going so well and…"

He paused again, trying but failing to keep a shuddery sort of half laugh, half sob from escaping as he said: 

"And I think perhaps that's why I'm so frightened"

Hob's arms were around him again instantly, pulling him in close once more, surrounding him in a feeling of protective love even as the tears he'd been trying to hold back the whole day finally started to fall, staining the blanket with little round patches of damp. 

"I-I keep thinking, sometimes, that  it's all too good to be true" 

He finally looked over at Hob again then, reaching out to clutch at Hob's free hand with his own, squeezing tight. 

"Sometimes I worry that this," Morpheus motioned with his other hand around their bedroom, their home, the refuge they'd built together for themselves and their children, "Is all some sort of wonderful dream."

The tears were falling faster now, and Morpheus couldn't stand to keep looking at Hob's kind, wonderful, worried face. He couldn't see him that clearly anyway as his vision blurred, and so turned to bury his face in the crook of Hob's neck, Hob's arms shifting in turn to pull him even closer.

"Sometimes I think-I think I'll wake up one day and find that none of it was real. That there is no house or children, or-or us."

Morpheus was shaking now,  exhaustion from the anxiety that he'd been fighting back for several days now, ever since they'd brought Daniel home,finally catching up to him as he finished with a choking whisper: 

"That I'm actually still…all alone"

There was a moment's silence, and then Hob turned his head to press another kiss to Morpheus's forehead..

"Oh love…"

There was a short shuffle as Hob lowered them both back down onto the bed, tugging the blankets up around them so that they were pressed close under a star-strewn cocoon of warmth, his hands returning  to running long, grounding strokes through Morpheus's hair.

"It's not a dream duck, I promise you. It's all real. If it wasn't, the bills I'm sure would be lower, and neither of us would ever have to brave the grocery stores or fight tooth and nail to get the kids to eat a darn vegetable." 

A watery laugh wisped out of Morpheus despite himself, and Hob smiled back before continuing. 

"But it is. This really is your cluttered house, your crazy kids, your creaky husband--"

"You don't creak" 

"I do" Hob said decidedly, pressing a kiss to the tip of Morpheus's nose. "I creak and the kids cry and the bills keep coming and we fall asleep too exhausted to make love half the nights"

Another watery laugh came out, a bit stronger this time. 

" And then we wake up and hear Orpheus singing while Robyn's hammering at something, and Hope bosses them both around and Daniel just laughs and laughs and laughs and it's our real messy chaotic wonderful life" 

Another kiss, to Morpheus's mouth this time, deep and grounding, chasing out the cold ache of anxiety and tears with the warmth of their shared love.

"And you're here in it"  Hob said, as he finally broke the kiss. 

"I'd never wish to be anywhere else." Morpheus said with a contented sigh, his eyes closing as he nestled into the pillows, arms wrapping around Hob.  

"Our safe place" Hob whispered, twining their fingers together. 

"No one can take it from us" 

There was a pause.

"We'll…figure a new rhyme out at some point" Hob said with a giggle, and Morpheus leaned in to kiss him again. 

----

Thanks at @windsweptinred for inspiring me to start writing these drabbles for my Sandman AUs!