#some friendship fluff

[steddieas-shegoes]

Nother idea: 8 years later, Tommy & Carol apologizing to Steve for their behavior. & for immediately abandoning him when they knew he needed them most.

But Steve has people now who have shown him love, family, true friendship. And while he forgives them its not the same. He doesn't trust them. He is thriving without them.

But Carol realizes that the reason it isn't the same is bc Steve genuinely believes that they don't mean their apology. So she & Tommy actually discuss it and find a way to clear up any misunderstanding & ensure he knows they mean their apology. It works, it takes time & effort but they are once again his friends.

MY LOVE!!! STEVE REALIZING HE'S LOVED AND DOESN'T NEED HIS SHITTY EX FRIENDS CREW STAND UP!!!! I had the opportunity to really give Steve his shining moment and yell at them, but I decided that Steve would just be kind of over it, like they aren't really worth yelling at. Steve didn't do all this personal growth just to let them back in so easily, but luckily he isn't the only one who changed. You know I had to involve Eddie, of course! - Mickala ❤️

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It was too fucking early on a Saturday morning to be woken up by the buzzer of his apartment.

Whoever it was was lucky that Eddie had to go into work today or he would be committing murder at their door.

He glanced at the clock on the microwave, 10:47, okay, so not that early.

They’d had a late night, okay?

If he had a limp to show what they were up to, that was his business.

“You can leave the package in the box, I’ll grab it soon!” Steve said into the mic, hoping it was just a delivery.

“Steve? Is that you?”

He recognized the voice, though he wished he didn’t.

Eight years was a long time to go without talking to someone who used to be your best friend, but when you’d been best friends for so long, certain things couldn’t be forgotten.

“Tommy?”

“Uh yeah, man. I’m here with Carol. We actually were hoping to talk to you?”

He looked down at his almost naked body, only Eddie’s boxers covering him.

“Sure.”

He buzzed them in, not giving them any clue where he was so they would take their time getting to his door. He had to throw on clothes, brush his hair, and try to look like he hadn’t just been asleep.

He rushed to the bedroom, throwing on the first pair of jeans he saw and a t-shirt from the floor. He heard voices down the hall as he was heading to the bathroom, his hands shaking with nerves as he tried to rush to brush through his hair.

“It can’t be that Munson, though, right? Even Steve wasn’t a fan of him in school.”

Steve grimaced at Carol’s voice.

Technically, Eddie worked a half shift when he had to work Saturdays, which meant unless they were only stopping by for a few minutes, he would probably be home while they were still here.

Tommy had always hated Eddie. No one could really figure out why. Sure, a lot of people said nasty things about and to Eddie in high school, but no one else really put their hands on him the way Tommy did.

Eddie joked it must have been because he liked him, but Steve thought maybe he just had a lot of displaced anger.

At least that’s what he thought when he became a counselor and understood a lot of psychology behind why people did things.

Eddie laughed and said, “don’t overthink it, some people are just bullies.”

But Steve liked to think maybe Tommy was more complicated than that, liked to explain away his worst qualities so it made it easier to accept that he was once best friends with him.

Eddie laughed about that too, and said, “kids are stupid, and sometimes we find friends in people who make us feel better about ourselves, but you grew up.”

Steve shook his head, not wanting to think more about it.

He opened the front door, the ghosts of his past standing there, hardly aged, hardly any different at all.

“Come in, guys. Um. Sorry, I wasn’t really expecting anyone.”

They all awkwardly laughed as Tommy and Carol made their way inside.

The apartment was small, cheap rent kept them there so they could save up to buy a house outside of town in the next few years, maybe work on starting a family if they could.

They’d talked about it over the last couple of years, once Steve was settled in his job at the school, once Eddie got promoted to general manager at the shop, they’d save for a few years, have a decent down payment, start looking for a house with three or four bedrooms. Start looking into adopting. Maybe get a cat.

But to do that, their apartment was cozy, as Eddie liked to say. One bedroom, one bathroom, kitchen and living room area all one room, a tiny storage closet. They didn’t even have their own washer and dryer, which reminded Steve that he had to take their laundry downstairs and get it started soon.

Tommy and Carol looked around, but hid any emotion on their faces.

He gestured for them to have a seat on the couch, which was a hand-me-down from Wayne when they moved in. It was “too much” for his space when Eddie moved out.

They sat, though they didn’t look very comfortable.

Steve sat in the rocking chair Eddie bought, the first thing he bought for their “eventual home”, but didn’t rock as he took them in.

He originally didn’t see any proof of them aging, but now that he was looking closer, he could see Tommy’s already-receding hairline, Carol’s wrinkled by her eyes, both of them just a little softer in the face and stomach.

They looked incredibly human like this, like they weren’t some high school king and queen who only cared about how they look and what parties they could go to every weekend.

It helped Steve relax a bit.

“Not to be rude, but uh, how did you guys find me?” Steve asked, not sure he even really cared.

“We moved here to Chicago about six months ago, Tommy’s gonna run his dad’s office here starting next year, so he wanted to ease into it. I started job searching a few weeks ago for a teaching position and I noticed you worked at the school I interviewed at. We looked you up and decided we wanted to come talk,” Carol always was a bit of a rambler, always annoyed Steve when she started in on something that really didn’t matter much.

Carol nudged Tommy, who had been staring wide-eyed at Steve since he sat down.

He cleared his throat and nodded.

“We actually came here to make things right. We were best friends for years, and then one bad thing happened and we weren’t anymore. I know I fucked up with everything. We shouldn’t have treated Nancy like that, or you like that, and we’re hoping you could maybe accept our apology.”

Steve stared at them.

“We were kids. We did stupid shit. We’ve all grown. I mean, look at you! Your own apartment in the big city!”

As if he had been waiting for a cue, Eddie walked in the front door, his oil-covered coveralls already coming off. Steve made the rule after he came home one day to see oil stains on the bed sheets where Eddie had fallen asleep after working from open to close: coveralls come off as soon as he’s in the door and they go straight to the laundry room.

“Jesus, sweetheart, this is the last Saturday I cover in the shop. At least until I hire some competent mechanics. I think I did most of the work all morning. And after doing most of the work last night, I-”

“Eds! We have company!” Steve rushed out, his face bright red at what Eddie was implying.

It’s not that he really cared about what Tommy and Carol thought; Once they realized Eddie lived here, it wouldn’t be difficult to come to the conclusion that they shared a one bedroom apartment because they were together. He didn’t even care if Tommy and Carol were disgusted by him for it.

But he’d be damned if Eddie felt uncomfortable in his own home, especially if they started saying shit to him reminiscent of their high school days.

He watched Eddie turn around, recognize the people on the couch, and turn to Steve with a questioning look.

“Tommy, Carol, you remember Eddie,” Steve said, not breaking eye contact with Eddie.

They were having an entire conversation with their eyes, Steve begging Eddie to just go get cleaned up, Eddie begging Steve to explain what was going on.

Tommy’s eyes narrowed as he looked between them, Carol’s eyes stayed pointed at Eddie.

“Munson?”

“The one and only!” Eddie said, his voice pitching just a bit higher, naturally going to his over the top self to protect himself from whatever they would say.

Steve loved every version of Eddie: the performer on stage, the performer with friends, the soft version of himself that only Steve got to see, the protective version that would fight the world to make sure his loved ones were safe.

He was lucky to have every part of Eddie, even the parts that may not always be the best.

But his least favorite thing was seeing Eddie go into this mode, the one that kept him safe during school, when kids were mean, adults were mean, life was hard.

He didn’t want that for Eddie anymore.

“You guys…live together?” Tommy asked, looking back to Steve for confirmation.

Steve rolled his eyes. Tommy apparently didn’t gain any intelligence over the years.

“Yes. We’re together.”

From the look on Eddie’s face, he hadn’t expected Steve to say that.

That was fair; it took Steve nearly a year just to come out to anyone who wasn’t Robin, scared that somehow everyone would hate him, hate Eddie, hate them together.

But it went perfectly, and Steve rode the high a bit too much. He came out to his parents a few months after, and that went quite a lot less than perfectly.

He was lucky he didn’t have more head trauma from it, actually.

So he kept it quiet, didn’t come out to any new friends he met in college, even after one of them came out to him. Didn’t come out to coworkers while he worked at a cafe throughout college to pay the bills. Didn’t even come out to the bartender at their favorite bar despite the rainbow flag that was hidden behind the bar in silent support.

It was only recently that he started to feel comfortable being more open, and only in the city, only select areas where he knew they wouldn’t end up hurt.

Eddie was patient, maybe more than he deserved.

So saying it outright to the two people who suspected and bullied Eddie for being gay in high school, despite it not even being confirmed then, clearly threw Eddie for a loop.

“Oh, like…”

“Yes, exactly like that.”

Steve crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for any response that would give him permission to kick them out of his apartment, their apartment.

But he saw Carol nudge Tommy again, pasting a smile on her face. It wasn’t completely natural, but it also didn’t seem fake.

“That’s nice, Steve. Have you been together a while?”

“Since ‘86.”

“Wow! Since the quakes!”

Steve nodded.

“Steve, can you help me with something in the kitchen for a second?” Eddie asked, his voice unreadable.

Steve hated it, hated that all of a sudden he couldn’t get a grasp of what Eddie was feeling.

It had been so long since he’d experienced this.

And a small part of him blamed Tommy and Carol.

He got up, wordlessly following Eddie into the kitchen area that wasn’t even separated from the living room.

“Not that I don’t love that you’re comfortable telling them, but um. What’s. What’s happening currently?” Eddie whispered as he tried to appear busy, grabbing a glass from the cabinet to fill with water.

“They came to apologize to me. For high school.”

When he said it out loud, it sounded a bit ridiculous.

“And are you accepting it?”

“I don’t think so. I think they’re only doing it to help themselves feel better. I’m not interested in whatever game they’re playing.”

Eddie looked over Steve’s shoulder at the pair sitting on the couch.

“Need me to get rid of them? Just say so, sweetheart. I’ll kick them both to the curb.”

Steve leaned in and kissed him quickly on the lips, smiling as he pulled away.

“I got it, baby. Get cleaned up so I can hug you.”

“Just hug?”

Steve laughed as he walked back towards his spot.

“Or more!”

He focused back on Tommy and Carol, who were graciously pretending that they didn’t hear the conversation that happened less than 20 feet from them.

“So, we were wondering if you wanted to meet up for dinner, catch up? You could bring Eddie, of course!”

Of course, she said. Like they didn’t outwardly despise Eddie eight years ago. Like they were perfectly fine with him now, and fine with Steve, and fine with them.

“I think we’ll pass. Good luck to you guys in Chicago, though.”

He ignored the pang of guilt when he saw Carol’s face fall and Tommy’s eyes darted to where Eddie was closing the bedroom door and back to Steve.

“Oh. Um. Well, it would be our treat, if you’re worried about money.”

“I wasn’t.”

Tommy and Carol hadn’t expected to be shut down like this, but Steve knew he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t accept their apologies, and he wouldn’t expect Eddie to suddenly be friendly to people who tormented him for years.

“Okay. Well. I guess we’ll go, then.”

“Thanks for stopping by.”

He stood as they stood, walked them out the door, then closed and locked it behind them.

Steve made it to the bedroom before he felt the tears spring to his eyes.

Eddie was in the bathroom showering, so he hoped he could get it out quickly. He didn’t want Eddie to worry.

But unfortunately, once a few tears fell, it seemed like they wouldn’t stop.

He got back in bed, burying his face in the pillow so he could hopefully pretend to be asleep, but didn’t quite manage it before Eddie was walking back into the room.

He got in bed and silently pulled Steve against his chest, running his hands up and down his back to soothe him, not trying to use any comforting words.

“I don’t know why I’m upset about a stupid fake apology from people I don’t care about.”

“Stevie, it’s okay to be upset. They were your friends for a long time, and you still have a lot of hurt leftover from them.”

“I just wish things had been different then.”

“I know, sweetheart.”

Eddie kissed the top of his head, and as they lay there together, Steve realized this hurt would never quite go away.

—------------------

“T, I don’t think he believed us,” Carol said from the passenger seat.

“I can’t believe Steve’s with Eddie. Of all the people,” Tommy replied, not even acknowledging Carol’s words.

“They seem good together.”

“I guess.”

Carol knew Tommy had a crush on Steve in high school, they’d talked about it years ago when she found an old picture of Steve with a heart drawn on the back while they were moving the first time around.

She’d been caught off guard, but understood, and was fine with it when he explained it was definitely in the past.

And it was.

But a part of him was wondering how long Steve had realized he liked guys, and what might have happened if he’d just been brave enough to do something about his feelings before things went to shit.

He loved Carol, was happy to be married to her, and wouldn’t want Steve now, but still. The what-ifs plagued his mind on the drive back to their home.

“Are you jealous of Eddie?”

Carol sounded hesitant to ask, like she wasn’t sure which answer she would prefer because she knew either way, Tommy would be upset she asked at all.

“No. I’m not jealous. Steve and I would never have worked out.”

Which may not have been a great answer for his wife, but it was the truth, and they were always honest with each other if nothing else.

“Since I got the job at the school, maybe I’ll have more chances to convince him we meant it.”

Carol was good. Deep down she had always been good. But Tommy always managed to drag her down when they were young, convinced her she needed to be a mean girl to fit in with their group, kept it up through most of college before they finally realized life was better if you just weren’t awful to people.

“Yeah, maybe.”

—---------------------

So, a month later, when school started up, Carol began the task of showing Steve that they were truly sorry.

She would often leave notes in his mailbox in the office, usually just a “have a great day!” with a smiley face, or “let me know if you want to catch up over lunch!”

He never responded, but she knew he got them.

Tommy had issues with his car and took it to the shop Eddie worked at, nodding along to what he said and admitted he didn’t really know much about cars so he trusted Eddie to fix it.

It was entirely professional, but a small part of Tommy was satisfied when Eddie gave him a genuine smile.

—--------------------------

“Is it weird that they keep trying?” Steve asked one night while they were lying in bed.

“I don’t think it’s weird. I think maybe they just mean it.”

Steve pondered it.

Yeah, they must mean it. The old Tommy and Carol would have given up after he sent them out of their apartment the first time.

“Would you wanna go to dinner with them? Just give them a chance? It’s okay if you don’t want to. You don’t have to forgive them.”

Eddie leaned in to kiss Steve’s slowly, softly.

“If you want to, then I want to support you. We’re all different now. Maybe we can look at who they are now instead of who they were, as long as they can look at who we are and respect us.”

“Yeah.” Steve kissed Eddie’s cheek. “Yeah.”

—-------------------

Steve left a note for Carol the following Monday: “Dinner at ours? Friday at 7. Bring a red wine and beer.”

She wrote back that same day with a bunch of smiley faces and a response that they would be there.

When Friday came, Steve was nervous.

He’d planned to leave work right when school got out instead of leaving at five so he could make sure everything was clean and the food would be ready on time.

Eddie promised to be home by six in case he needed help.

And when six arrived, Eddie walked through the door with flowers and a smile, and Steve relaxed.

Nothing would go wrong.

Even if something did, they would be in it together, and they would support each other.

They didn’t have to do this alone like they did all those years ago.

—-------------------

It became a thing: dinner every Friday evening, sometimes at Steve and Eddie’s, sometimes at Tommy and Carol’s, sometimes at a new restaurant in the city.

The first few dinners were stilted, full of apologies and awkward catch-ups.

Then it got easier.

They got closer.

Eddie and Tommy actually became closer than Steve and Tommy ever were. Eddie showed him how to change his own oil so he could “stop bothering him at work just so he could look at his sexy coveralls.” Tommy rolled his eyes, but was grateful to learn.

Carol and Steve would often bake dessert together, catching up on school gossip, the latest who was dating who always entertaining them just as it did when they were in high school.

There were still the occasional moments where Steve thought about how much they hurt him, and Eddie thought about how they might be teasing him behind his back.

But it was rare, and they usually talked themselves out of it.

They were the first people to find out when Carol was pregnant, and the first people to learn it was twins. Carol and Tommy were the first (okay, first after Robin) people to find out when their offer on a house was accepted.

Tommy ended up cutting ties with his father when he found out that Steve and Eddie were together and threatened to cut him off. Tommy had a degree, and now had years of experience under his belt, and wasn’t worried about finding another job, one where he knew he earned his position because of his work and not being the boss’ son.

And when Steve and Eddie were able to finally adopt a little girl in 2002, Tommy and Carol were at the courthouse taking pictures of the new family, their own kids already best friends with her.

[nelkcats]

Hood Assistant

Prompt Part 1 Part 6 Part 7 Ao3

Part 8

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We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be

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"Danny's sleeping so talk Dickhead," Jason said over the comms. Since last night he had noticed that the boy was a heavy sleeper, so it was unlikely that he would wake up during their conversation.

"Talk? We have nothing to talk about" Dick feigned innocence, although neither of them believed it.

"Of course, why did you come to my apartment then? And don't say you were worried about me" Jason stopped him, although it was possible that this was the reason, he was sure there was a bigger one.

"I was worried about you!" Dick shot back, sounding offended by the conversation.

"Sure, sure, now talk about your fight and why you didn't ask Kori to cook" Jason rolled his eyes, not caring that his brother wasn't looking at him.

"Kori is an amazing girl, and you know I'm very much in love with her" The vigilante in blue started.

"I know there's a but, keep going," Jason encouraged.

"Well, she's been using materials from her planet again," Dick finally said, sounding like he was about to cry, "I love Kori but if I have to eat slime one more time I'm going to throw up."

"And that's why you were going to ask Alfred for food but Bruce was inside the mansion?" Jason theorized. Dick and Bruce didn't have as good of a relationship as they had in the past. After all the misunderstandings and situations it was noticeable.

"You're right, I argued with him again but I still think Dami totally deserved to go to the zoo, and he's always so caught up in his own thoughts that he forgets that people don't work like the code in his head" Dick complained grumbling.

"As much as I love to complain about Bruce I'm going to stop you there, right now I need to know what you were looking for inside my apartment" Jason sighed, though he'd probably call later to find out everything the old man had gotten wrong, a bit of gossip didn't hurt anyone.

"Oh that, it's just that Pitter-" Dick started but was immediately interrupted.

"Don't call me that, my name is Peter" Jason growled under his breath but Dick seemed to ignore his complaints as he continued talking.

"Pitter seemed very possessive of the boy and that made me curious, okay? And when I went to your apartment I realized that you like him too, are you in love with him, Little Wing?" His older brother's tone turned playful and Jason could perfectly imagine his smile from the other side of the line.

"I'm not in love, and don't you dare tell them about him" Jason complained, he knew that Dick was the gossip in the whole mansion even if he didn't live inside it, but he still had a trick up his sleeve.

"My silence has a price" Dick said, faking an old man's voice and stroking his imaginary beard. He had forgotten they weren't making a video call but no one was going to judge him for it.

"Yeah, Roy and I will teach Kori how to cook, so she'll stop poisoning you" Jason said with a growl as Dick began to celebrate in the background. All his complaints had disappeared from one second to another.

He didn't mind teaching Kori how to cook, she was one of his best friends and it was always quite fun to do something with her. After all, even if he spent a lot of time organizing his own faction in Crime Alley, the Outlaws would always be his family.

They were just taking a vacation while guarding his territory and Roy was having an existential crisis with Lian entering preschool. Jason had tried very hard to ignore the messages in the group chat because he knew that 80% of them were audios of Roy crying over his baby growing.

Curiously, he had no idea what Kori was doing during that period of time. Apparently using her cooking knowledge to accidentally poison his brother. Or he was hoping it was accidental.

Kori was one of the best chefs on her home planet, the only problem was that they weren't on her home planet and she had forgotten that the earth uses very different ingredients. She probably still hadn't gotten used to it, but an evening with friends cooking sounded pretty good to correct that. He might even invite Danny.

Jason stopped his train of thought at that moment. Since when did he think of Danny as a friend? And that it was safe to be with him? He was still getting updates of Babs screaming in rage while she was trying to hack Amity every couple of days, and the boy was definitely extremely suspicious.

It was just that since he'd given him the benefit of the doubt he'd been having fun. And the cute boy who had called him on his phone one day to get the most dangerous job ever had been slowly but surely stealing his heart. Jason had never felt so relaxed in years.

He shifted his gaze to the boy who was fast asleep hugging his arm, he was pretty sure he was drooling at that moment and he could feel that Danny was seconds away from biting him. Jason wondered if he was hungry.

"Yeah, I think I am," he muttered before hanging up. Ignoring the cries of confusion that his brother was throwing at him. Not that he could help it anyway, he was well aware that Nightwing would be visiting them the next day.

He sadly knew that he couldn't escape a late-night visit from Blueheaven's vigilante but he could stay with Danny until then, and maybe dance one more time. That was fun.

───────────────

"I understand that you can't present yourself in front of Danny as Danny, however" Johnny took a deep breath, seeing Amorpho's new form.

He exhale, closed his eyes and opened them again, no, the appearance was still there. It wasn't a bad dream after all.

"What? I think the cover is perfect" Amorpho complained adjusting his skirt "Although the clothes are uncomfortable"

"Amorpho" Johnny said feigning calm "DON'T MORPH INTO MY GIRLFRIEND"

Facing Johnny was Kitty without green skin and wearing sunglasses, but definitely Kitty, Johnny wanted to bang his head against the wall.

"Why not? I look fabulous." Amorpho modeled his new look as if he were in a fashion show and blew Johnny a kiss, who squashed his kiss in frustration.

"No, I refuse to play along with you on this" the blond complained, crossing his arms. Though he was sure if he sent Kitty a picture about it she would start laughing and agree with the ghost about looking good as a human.

Not that Johnny was going to tell her, the situation was humiliating enough as it was. He stared at Shadow, daring them to say something but his friend shook their head before going back into the shadows.

"Come on honey, don't be such a killjoy, we have to find our son" Amorpho put an arm around the blond's shoulder, grinning widely.

"I'm doing it so I don't get eaten and don't say it's our son, it's extremely awkward" Johnny winced, it was definitely weird.

"Why? It's not like you guys dated or anything" the ghost sneered, but at the sudden silence his jaw dropped "DID YOU GO OUT WITH HIM? YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND!"

"Dammit, don't start yelling, Kitty dated him too," Johnny grumbled with a frown. "And of course we dated, did you think we called each other exes for the joke or something?"

"Probably, teenagers are weird" Amorpho shrugged, Johnny ignored how much he physically resembled his girlfriend with an attitude so different from hers.

"Remind me to never ask you how old you are," Johnny said huffily as he walked out of the apartment. He looked at an old woman who was coming out of one of the nearby apartments. He was about to greet her but she gave him a dirty look before leaving.

"What? I didn't even do anything" Johnny was stunned at the kind old lady's reaction before remembering that Amorpho had definitely yelled earlier "Damn Amorpho, I didn't need you to make my non-existent reputation any worse than it already was."

Amorpho simply ignored the blonde as he kept looking for something on his phone. Johnny approached out of curiosity, wondering since when the ghost knew how to use phones until he saw that Amorpho was sending a message to Technus.

"Seriously? I just told you!" Johnny complained as he pointed to the techie ghost's gossip blog. It was obvious that Amorpho was telling him about his failed threesome relationship.

"Yes, but Technus didn't know and that can't be, he has to know everything" Amorpho complained. He didn't get along so well with the Ghost of technology but he was his main purveyor of gossip in and out of the Infinite Realms.

He was pretty sure that was one of the main reasons why Technus had created phones in the first place and had dedicated himself to expanding its use throughout the dimension. He just liked to know everything. At least he hadn't discovered yet that he could overstep personal boundaries.

Although Technus loved gossip he was quite respectful of personal space, of course, he didn't refuse to check news of his new followers either.

Amorpho wondered if he could merge the new applications that his theater friends had taught him with the ones Technus had created for the Realms. It would be fun to see them interact with each other but those would be plans for another time; When a hungry halfa was not lost.

"Okay then, if you were an starving and definitely not kidnapped halfa where would you hide?" Amorpho questioned as they left the apartment.

Shadow came out of the shadows to look at both of them with annoyance while they pointed insistently at the apartment. Cujo continued to lie in the living room, paying no attention to the two ghosts who had definitely forgotten that dogs existed.

"I have no idea" Johnny denied as he looked at Shadow with confusion, he didn't quite understand what the other ghost meant. Shadow hid in his shadow again while they snorted in annoyance, their partner was an idiot.

"Perhaps my theater friends can help?" Amorpho questioned aloud as they walked through the streets.

"No, you were disguised as Danny, their help is completely useless, on the other hand" Johnny looked at the road "We could explore a bit, I always see colorful people and I'm sure they will help us"

"It's not like I had a better plan so sure" Amorpho shrugged as they headed towards the first person they saw.

Potential Help #1

Strangely, the first person they managed to see was a man flying a kite in the sky. Johnny supposed he couldn't judge considering it was early in the morning and they had seen stranger things in Amity Park.

"I'm judging him" Amorpho said, definitely not sharing his thoughts "Mr. Comet?"

"My name is Kite Man!" The man on the kite happily declared. Amorpho wondered why he was so proud. Perhaps the air had reached his brain.

"Well, Kitty Man" Amorpho interrupted him, the man seemed a bit offended by the comment but the ghost kept talking "Have you seen a boy with black hair? He's my boyfriend's ex and it seems he was recently kidnapped"

Johnny tried to retort by saying that he definitely wasn't his boyfriend but Amorpho shut him up before he could say anything.

"You know, I think there are a lot of people with black hair in Gotham, and a lot of them get kidnapped daily, you could ask the Waynes" Kite Man replied with a snort, if they were trying to find someone with such a vague description they were definitely lost.

"Okay, a boy with black hair and blue eyes" Amorpho tried again. Johnny was considering whether he should bite his hand.

"He could definitely be at Wayne Manor" Kite Man shrugged, it would be no surprise with the number of children Bruce Wayne adopted. Some Rogues even had a competition over whether he would transform into an adoption villain.

This might not make sense, but Bruce Wayne despite his idiotic attitude had a PhD, a motive and most importantly, money. The three most important factors in becoming a villain within Gotham.

Although maybe stealing children from orphanages wasn't so bad, it could get them out of poor living conditions and so on. It would be worth it if it wasn't so morally questionable and Brucie didn't have such an obvious preference when it came to foster children.

"Okay, where is- OW-" Amorpho removed his hand from Johnny's mouth as he saw the obvious bite on it "Did you just bite me!?"

"I'm sorry honey, you were suffocating me" Johnny said innocently. Their fake relationship was definitely suffocating him at the moment "Where's Wayne manor anyway?"

Kite Man simply pointed at the obvious mansion located in the center of Gotham and Johnny definitely turned around as he walked away.

"No, we're not messing with millionaires" the blond grumbled as he walked away from the strange comet man "I don't want another Vlad masters breathing down our necks"

"We agree on something" Amorpho grumbled as they continued on their way. They didn't need more millionaires in their lives, nor more halfas, two and a half was enough of a headache.

As they walked away from the site neither of them noticed a boy with a Katana complaining as he fought Kite man. They didn't care very much and had left it as some kind of background noise.

Potential Help #2

"I'm hungry" Amorpho complained as they continued walking, they had forgotten to eat breakfast before leaving and that wasn't doing them any good.

"You're a ghost, you spent years in the Realms without eating anything" Johnny said, shooting him a stink-eye. Even if he was friends with Lunch Lady, which he doubted, it was impossible for him to have a constant food source in the Realms.

"Yeah, but that was there, now that I'm here I'm not going to miss any food, ecto or not" Amorpho frowned and took Johnny's hand as he led them towards an establishment.

Above them the "Batburger" sign could be seen glowing. The blonde assumed that the workers at the restaurant would be able to help with the search. After all, the red girl at Amity always answered a few questions when she was working.

Of course she was aggressive and with a weapon, but she always ended up answering in one way or another.

To both ghost disappointment the workers couldn't help as they were being held back by a man in a strange suit with guns full of condiments? Well, better than nothing

"Hey, do you work here?"  Amorpho ignored all the commotion and headed towards the man with the strange weapons. Surely the ketchup and mustard guns were to prepare the burgers faster or something.  The city was that weird.

"Me? No! I'm the great Condiment King and I'm here to steal-" the man was about to say his speech but was stopped by one of the ghosts.

"The secret formula for the Krabby Patty?" Johnny was quick to guess, he had been watching some TV shows since he arrived at the apartment, which miraculously had a connection thanks to Technus. Shadow seemed to strongly disagree with his deduction but didn't say anything.

.

Similarly, the crows outside the restaurant seemed to be disappointed. Although the blond was sure that what he said was correct.

"No, this is a Batburger, we don't sell Krabby patties here" the restaurant manager answered, forgetting about the hostage situation, he seemed pretty tired of the whole situation.

"Too bad," Johnny shrugged as Amorpho waved beside him as if to say see what I have to live with?

"Now, if you and your girlfriend don't want to end up with a mustard shot to the head, you'd better sit quietly there" Condiment King pointed to the corner of the Batburger.

"She's not my-" Johnny tried to correct the supposed villain but Amorpho beat him to it.

"Excuse me!? Are you going to stain my beautiful clothes with that thing?" He protested in offense, ignoring the fact that it wasn't even his clothes in the first place.

"Sure girl, so sit still and-" the man tried to say but was interrupted again.

Of course, this ended badly for the rogue because before he knew it he had "Kitty's" handbag in his face, which seemed to be full of bricks as he blew it off the wall. Amorpho lowered his glasses showing him his angry red eyes before making a "hmp" sound and heading to the cash register, looking offended..

The ghost dusted his skirt as he addressed the employees who looked at him doubtfully "Two #3 orders with Jokerized fries to go please"

The employees rushed to place the orders as Condiment King held his head from where he had landed on one of the restaurant's tables. The Gothamites were getting more and more savage.

"You could have gone intangible if he threw the mustard, dammit" Johnny complained about his partner's drama as he picked up the orders. The workers seemed too scared to charge. "And you forgot to ask about Danny!"

"Oh right" Amorpho went back to the establishment where the employees were trying to pick up Condiment King "Have you seen a boy with black hair and blue eyes?"

Both the dizzy Condiment King and the employees pointed towards Wayne Manor, so Amorpho only frowned as he walked back to Johnny.

"Well?" The blonde asked, raising an eyebrow as he ate the fries from one of the orders.

"Creepy mansion again" Amorpho grumbled, snatching the bag from the other's hands and eating his burger.

Possible help #3

With full stomachs and renewed energy, they both returned to the streets of Gotham. Not noticing the red vigilante looking at them weird as he was on his way to Batburger.

"Okay, what weirdo are we asking now?" Amorpho complained, looking down the street. It didn't take long for them to find a calendar salesman, or that's what they assumed he was.

Johnny pointed to the strange man who had a calendar on his shoulders and Amorpho reluctantly agreed, he didn't see any other options.

"Your time is running out! The end of Gotham is near!" The man laughed as he held a gun in his hands and pointed it at both ghosts who looked unimpressed.

Calendar Man was excited, he had barely started his plan and two idiot Gothamites had bumped into him. He would show them to fear his name, it would be the worst day of their lives!

“He reminds me of someone" the blonde whispered, ignoring the drama as he thought about the legend of a ghost with many clocks that was extremely cryptic.

"Yes, he looks familiar to me too" Amorpho circled the villain curiously. Calendar Man looked offended by the lack of fear in both of them.

"Didn't you hear me? Your end is near!" Calendar Man repeated, but the dramatic effect in his voice was gone.

"Yeah, yeah, end of the world, end of our lives, blah blah blah" Johnny repeated unimpressed. They were ghosts, they couldn't be less scared by that threat.

"You guys notice the gun in my hand right? I could kill you at any moment" Calendar Man pointed to the gun that was pointed directly at the boy and his girlfriend "You should be begging for your life!"

"There are things more terrifying than death" Amorpho smiled widely as he lowered his glasses, exposing his red eyes. He had noticed that this scared most people and made them answer his questions faster.

"Things that can't wait to meet you," Johnny teased as Shadow got up and surrounded them "Now, do you have time to answer a few questions?"

Calendar Man had a feeling they weren't normal Gothamites as his own shadow rose up to snatch the weapon from him and toss it aside. Would that be all? The end of his days terrorizing Gotham?

He closed his eyes waiting for his end but nothing happened. When he opened them again, the two Gothamites were in the same place, looking the same as at the beginning of the conversation. Although definitely more annoying than before.

"You could have just said no" Johnny complained with a frown. Amorpho stared at him as he waved the rogue away. Which Calendar Man took advantage of before running off.

Orphan watched from the ceiling as Calendar Man ran off yelling about the "Monsters that have come to Gotham".

Possible help #4

"That guy was useless and these heels are killing me" Amorpho complained as they continued walking.

"You could just take off the heels or you know, change your shoes, stop being my girlfriend" Johnny listed the options hoping the ghost would accept the last offer.

"No, as I told you at the beginning, I look fabulous this way" Amorpho pointed at himself "and beauty hurts"

"Then suffer in silence" Johnny said unimpressed as he entered what appeared to be the local Gotham park. Plants were everywhere, which definitely reminded him of something or rather someone.

"Everyone will surrender towards the green!" A woman on a picnic blanket exclaimed. A girl with clown-like makeup seemed to be cheering right next to her.

"This scene looks familiar" Amorpho muttered, to which Johnny agreed "Oh, I remember."

"It's like Sam!" Johnny yelled..

"It's like Undergrowth!" Amorpho yelled at the same time as the blond. They both looked at each other with a frown.

"It's obviously like the time Sam got possessed," Johnny grumbled as he pointed at the plants littering the park.

"But she was possessed by Undergrowth," Amorpho pointed out in an attempt to cut the argument off.

"Maybe Undergrowth is trying to have kids?" Johnny muttered as he watched Ivy, he could see the family resemblance.

"Or maybe they're illegitimate children he doesn't know about," Amorpho said happily. Shadow was wondering why they didn't stay with Cujo.

"Anyway, if anyone knows where to find Danny it's probably her right?" Johnny pointed to the picnic blanket. Amorpho nodded and they both headed off to probably break up a romantic date.

"Those heels look fa-bu-lous on you!" Harley exclaimed with happiness as she saw a young couple approaching them. Though Ivy didn't look thrilled by the interruption.

"Thank you! Your makeup is magnificent" Amorpho exclaimed happily, perhaps they had made new friends.

"Don't get distracted" Johnny growled at his partner as he complained about the blond not understanding the importance of fashion.

"Oh right, sorry for the interruption" Amorpho cleared his throat "Our friend is lost and we wanted to know if you know where to find him?"

"We're kind of busy right now," Ivy pointed at the picnic. Although she was curious as to how the couple went through all the plants without alerting her.

"It sure is a lovely evening" Johnny nodded "and I'm sorry to interrupt your date, it's something that's happened to me a lot so I understand how frustrating it can be but we really need to find our friend."

Johnny was already thinking about how to make up for the interruption to the date while he was at it. Obviously they had prepared everything: plants that gave a romantic atmosphere, homemade food, hostages, nosy bats behind the plants. It was beautiful!

"If you understand why interrupt?" Ivy raised an eyebrow.

"Our friend has a very special diet and if we don't find him soon all of Gotham could turn into a zombie movie" Amorpho tried to explain. Although obviously the zombie part was only for them.

"We're not getting into another weird drama-" Ivy said with a frown but was interrupted by Harley.

"That's terrible, we also have a friend with a strange diet so we'd love to help!" Harley nodded thinking of Waylon as Ivy heaved a defeated sigh beside her.

"Excellent, he's quite short and always wears the same jacket" Johnny described the clothes the halfa was wearing the last time he saw him "the most important thing is that he has black hair and blue eyes"

Harley & Ivy looked at each other before grimacing at the last description. They hoped that Bruce had avoided that bullet.

"Did you search at Wayne Manor?" Harley questioned after a few seconds of silence.

"No, but we're pretty sure he's not there, he hates millionaires" Amorpho hastened to assert.

"You should check, that's where all the boys with that description end up" Ivy frowned "but we'll keep our eyes open, what's your friend's name?"

"His name is Danny! Thank you very much, we promise to make up your date" Johnny brightened as Amorpho exchanged his number with Harley, they seemed to have become friends.

"I hope so," Ivy snorted as she watched the lively couple walk away, "although I still wonder how they got through the floral barrier”

"Uh, that's weird" Harley mumbled looking at her new contact. The name and photo were definitely different from what she had expected.

"What's wrong honey?" Ivy approached the girl looking at her phone. In it you could see the profile of "Amorpho" shining as an added contact.

"Looks like our new friends have more than one surprise up their sleeves." Harley smiled as she put her phone down and focused on her date. She hoped to find them again, that was for sure.

Spoiler looked at the interaction between the four of them with doubt but ignored how both civilians walked away while she focused on telling Ivy to let the other people enter the park.

Amorpho and Johnny just went intangible to get through the flowers as they headed back to Crime Alley, maybe Danny's crush lived in the same neighborhood if they were lucky.

Possible help #5

In the middle of the street was a rather strong man with a gas mask over his face, which seemed to be connected to tubes on his back. Bane looked at them and walked past them.

"Hey! Don't be rude!" Amorpho complained putting himself in front of the man "It seems that you are not having a good day but this will only take a few minutes"

"My time is precious and I won't waste it on you," Bane growled, trying to push the woman out of his way but she didn't move.

"It will only take a few minutes" Amorpho planted his heels on the cement, leaving a hole. Bane raised an eyebrow curiously.

"What do you want?" Bane crossed his arms, still annoyed by the interaction.

"Thanks, we're looking for our friend," Johnny said, finally catching up with them.

"Your friend?" Bane did not hide the doubt in his tone. Were they causing him so much trouble to ask something so pointless? Why would he know about a random guy in the first place?

"Yeah, he's got blue eyes, black hair, he's kind of goofy and probably has white hair on his head if you look closely," Johnny hastened to describe.

Bane hummed "maybe I know where he is"

"Oh really!?" Both ghosts cheered up seeing the one who was finally giving them an answer.

"Yes, but you have to beat me for that" Bane challenged them both. Considering the strange strength of the girl it was obvious that they were not normal people.

Bane didn't really know where the boy they were looking for was, but he needed some training and if all he needed was a little bribing then he would do it. It wasn't every day that two interesting metas stood in the way.

"We don't have time for a fight" Johnny grumbled but Amorpho stepped forward.

"Hold my bag honey" Amorpho handed his handbag to the blond ghost with a grunt "I've been in these heels all damn day, my feet hurt and all the information we collected was totally useless, if you think I'm going to let go the opportunity to hit someone today you are wrong"

Bane smirked as Amorpho tossed his glasses aside and charged at him in utter rage. After the fight all that was left were broken pieces of the street. Something that was carefully observed by Signal, who was stopping himself from entering Red Hood's territory.

"What do you mean the mansion!?" Amorpho yelled at Bane chuckling on the ground.

"Even though you are a strong opponent, all children with that description end up in the mansion, if he's not there then I don't know where he is" The villain sneered standing up.

"What? Is the show over?" The blond complained putting away his popcorn "I thought it would last longer"

"That was a good fight though, we should do it again sometime," Bane commented as he stretched, ignoring the blond's words. He wondered if he would have special abilities like his mate.

Bane sized up the blonde but his eyes were caught on his shadow, was it moving or was it a trick of the light? Maybe he should do more research on Gotham's new people, these new players were definitely interesting. Of course, that would happen after recovering from the fight and getting more poison. His had run out but it was worth it.

"Yeah, yeah, next time, we have to go get our friend" Amorpho growled, pulling Johnny towards the creepy mansion. He wasn't going to tolerate any more people leading them there again without checking. And if the halfa was inside that damn mansion he was going to figure out how to double kill the biker.

"That's too long, why don't we just use my motorcycle?" The blond asked curiously as he measured the distance to the creepy mansion located in the middle of the city, walking was relaxing for a few hours but he missed his motorcycle.

"WE WERE ABLE TO USE YOUR MOTORCYCLE ALL THE TIME!?" Amorpho's scream was heard throughout the street. To which Johnny shrugged. Bane's laughter was audible in the distance.

───────────────

When Jason woke up it wasn't a surprise that Danny was biting his arm. He still considered that it had something to do with the boy being starved for his whole life, but he found the little fangs a little adorable.

They were less adorable when he realized that they were taking blood from his arm, and that his blood had green drops inside it. Jason blinked a few times trying to get the sleep out of his eyes but the green spots were still there.

"Danny, Doll wake up" Jason waved him worriedly, partly because he didn't think drinking blood, even accidentally, wouldn't be poisonous. And on the other hand he was afraid that it had something to do with the Pits.

Danny just growled as he bit his arm a little harder, probably trying to shut up whatever was disturbing his sleep.

"Danny no!" Jason screeched as the boy bit him again, the new vampiric tendencies of his new love interest were becoming extremely worrisome.

Not knowing what else to do, Jason began to wave his arm in an attempt to pull the boy away, but the boy clung on again and the vigilante swore Danny had grown claws because it was impossible for him to stay in the same place without moving an inch.

"Doll, you have to get off, you're not a cat!" Jason got up from the bed but the boy had gone from just biting his arm to completely clinging to him as he kept biting.

Jason ran into the kitchen and tried to bribe the boy with some food he had left in the microwave, if he was hungry that would surely help.

His plan obviously didn't work, the boy seemed quite comfortable still biting his arm. Jason wondered if the toxic blood was going to kill him, if it was really part of the Lazarus Pits.

"Come on Doll, you can't die after I just accepted that I like you" Jason grumbled as he sat down on the couch. He stroked the halfa's hair lovingly as he sighed. The boy was extremely troublesome but he had come to love him, a special kind of love that he hadn't given to many people and that was terrifying.

"Love" Poe sang happily as he landed on Jason's head. Who was having an existential crisis.

If his blood had some of the fluid from the pits in it, why hadn't it come out until now? Was it toxic? Was he killing Danny!?

He hadn't even asked him on a date and he had already killed him! He was the worst boyfriend candidate ever.

While he continued lost in his thoughts he didn't notice how the boy slowly detached himself from his arm and the green color on his blood disappeared.

The halfa seemed to have consumed all the corrupted ectoplasm available in the boy, whether that was a good or a bad thing was hard to say. The boy would probably end up with side effects from the corrupted ectoplasm though. On the other hand, Jason's corrupted core might be healing now that he had a source of natural ectoplasm in the air, and perhaps he would find some surprises soon.

Oblivious to everything that had just changed, Danny continued fast asleep, happily clinging to Jason's arm. The vigilante began to wonder if the boy would stay after the whole gas disaster was over. He slowly started to fall asleep, so much excitement so early in the morning had definitely left him tired. Or maybe it was just the missing blood.

───────────────

"I'm telling you Kori, Jay is completely in love, he looks at him the way I look at you" Dick murmured as he lay on his girlfriend's lap, he hadn't slept all night thinking about the meaning of his younger brother's last words " I'm so proud of him"

"Okay, now say what you're really thinking" Kori replied with a smirk. She knew her boyfriend too well to believe that.

"I'm so scared" Dick said in a teary tone "my baby brother is growing up, and he's falling in love, what am I going to do if he gets his heart broken?"

I think that should be his concern" Kori raised an eyebrow "Besides, if something happens I'm sure Roy and I can take care of it"

"Oh, so you think I should spy on his future boyfriend?" Dick questioned happily as he thought about the amazing idea his girlfriend was suggesting. 

"I never said that" Kori replied with a snort even though she was aware that her boyfriend wouldn't listen to her and would go bother his brother "In fact, I'm pretty sure it's the opposite of what I told you"

"No, I heard you perfectly, you said it should be my concern so I'll make it my concern" Dick nodded misunderstanding the message "Thank you honey"

"I know you won't listen to me no matter what I say so if Jason gets mad at you I had nothing to do with it, I discouraged you from doing whatever you're thinking" Kori said, sometimes your boyfriend and your best friend being brothers had its disadvantages. Like getting into family fights for example.

"Yes ma'am, I haven't heard anything from you" Dick gave her a military salute before thinking of something else to do while visiting his brother "Maybe I can even find something to tease Jay with while I'm at it."

"I don't know if you want to protect him or make his life miserable" Kori replied doubtfully "But well, have fun"

"Oh by the way" Dick mumbled remembering something at the last moment "Jason said he would teach you how to cook with things from Earth during the call"

"That's wonderful, will Roy join?" Kori asked, at Dick's nod she clapped her hands happily "We could invite his future boyfriend to join"

"How do you know he can't cook?" Dick questioned curiously. He had noticed that while he was trying hard to make the potatoes, Danny hadn't managed to get the cuts right. Jason had definitely been helping him.

"I didn't know, besides, this isn't a course for people who cook badly, is it?" Kori's eyes flashed with annoyance as Dick scrambled to come up with an excuse. In the end, he settled on the truth.

"You know it's not, but I don't know how many otherworldly ingredients my stomach can handle," Dick murmured sadly, "I love that you're trying, and I'm the one who lives on takeout so I can't say anything, but- "

"You're not adapted, I understand" The anger on Kori's face softened "Sorry, I forgot that our dietary needs are not the same"

"It's okay Kori, you were really trying" Dick said "Do you want to plan my fabulous entrance as Nightwing?"

Kori simply denied with a smile and they both ended up talking about different things throughout the night. Their main topic of discussion, though, was Jason's new boyfriend. Kori didn't say it out loud but she was also thinking about the future consequences that his boyfriend's antics would bring her.

───────────────

When Jason woke up again, it was noon. He wondered if what had happened in the morning had been imagined somehow. It was quite likely since green blood didn't exist if you weren't an alien or a meta. And as far as he knew he wasn't either of them.

He sighed as he checked the bite marks on his arm. Although they were present they were very light and were not bleeding. One more point to his theory about him having a strange nightmare. He didn't have an enhanced healing factor and the bite marks were too light to have drawn blood.

However, he felt that he should ask. Even though the wound didn't appear to have drawn blood it could still be a concern.

"Danny, do you have rabies?" Jason asked moving to the boy who was opening an eye next to him. It probably wasn't the most polite way to ask, but he woke up with his arm bitten off, sue him!

"What's with that comment?"  The halfa frowned grumpily "I was hoping for a good morning"

It was definitely a unique way of waking up though. Opening your eyes to see the face of your crush with a contemplative expression and the most random question ever.

Danny sighed, why did he like eccentrics? At least Jason didn't have a secret identity with a red mask. Though he couldn't say the same for Red Hood. Damn gene Fenton with peculiar tastes!

"Well, considering you bit my arm, I wanted to know if there was anything I should worry about." Jason pointed to what the halfa was hugging. As Danny got closer he looked at the small bite marks and winced.

Frostbite's thousands of scoldings about how ghosts should protect themselves against diseases and how dangerous it could be to bite the living flashed through his mind, but Jason looked pretty good.

"Not at all" he answered with a nervous laugh "Besides, I'm not a dog"

"I'm aware, just making sure" Jason ruffled his hair affectionately "by the way, Nightwing is coming to visit today, Officer Grayson left a very upsetting message about it"

"Oh, I didn't know you were that close. Do you like him?" Danny teased raising both eyebrows, though wishing that wasn't the case.

Apparently it wasn't, because Jason's face twisted in horror at the implication and he looked at Danny with betrayal. That was a mental image that he wished to get out of his head.

"NO!" Jason yelled completely offended "he's almost my brother, please don't ever say that again"

Plus, there was something definitely painful about your love interest asking if you had a crush on someone. It's not like he could kiss him, that would be going too fast.

"Okay, okay, sorry, I was really kidding" Danny hoped Jason didn't notice how relieved he was by his reaction, "but while we're on the subject, can I ask something?"

"About Officer Grayson?" Jason asked curiously, at Danny's assent he looked at him with a bit of doubt but decided to accept "as long as it's not about our non-existent relationship, go ahead"

"So, do you think Nightwing is dating Officer Grayson?"  Danny whispered curiously, looking at a poster of the vigilante in the living room. He wouldn't be surprised if Jason was a fan of his boyfriend's friends.

"I'm pretty sure one of them is dating Strarfire" Jason raised an eyebrow not knowing where such a theory came from. Wasn't he asking if he was dating one of them a minute ago?

"They must be in a polycule" Danny nodded wisely, while Jason looked at him confused.

"If you believe that, why did you ask me if I was dating him?" Jason questioned curiously.

"I wanted to see you nervous," Danny shrugged, "No offense, but the way the officer spoke of Nightwing betrayed a very obvious love"

Probably because he was talking about himself

Jason refrained from commenting, frowning. He turned to ask what the halfa meant by making him nervous when Danny kissed his nose by mistake; he was definitely aiming for his cheek, it was only his reflections that kept him from kissing him directly.

"What was that for, Doll!?" The vigilante stepped away, the action had made him nervous, and he wouldn't admit how flustered the action had left him.

"Actually, I wanted to blow your nose but it was a miscalculation" Danny shrugged sheepishly, the smile not leaving his face "It was worth it though."

───────────────

"Well, we only have one place left to go" Amorpho pointed to the creepy mansion that was visible from the other side of the street "most people told us that he could be here, we have to check"

"Danny would never be there, you know very well his contempt for people with money" Johnny immediately denied "he would have run away"

"Not if he was weak and lacking ectoplasm" Amorpho grumbled "come on, we look like idiots standing in the middle of the street and I have classes at night"

"Since when have you become a responsible student?" Johnny stared at him in disbelief, it had only been two days.

"Yeah, I can't lower my grades or I'll get kicked out of drama club" Amorpho shrugged "I'm lucky Danny has perfect attendance"

"Speaking of which, maybe we should save this creepy adventure for later," the blonde muttered, looking at his phone, "we've been on this all day and Kitty is going to call me in a few minutes."

"I thought Kitty would call you about 10 minutes before my classes started, she's pretty punctual" Amorpho muttered. He had noticed that pattern quickly.

"She does," Johnny agreed happily "and I really don't want her to see you in that outfit, or appearance"

Amorpho looked at him incredulously and checked the time on his own watch, indeed there was the alarm for the start of classes. He stopped himself from choking the blonde and ran into one of the alleys, he needed to change quickly. The skirt definitely looked fabulous on him though.

"Rude" Johnny muttered with a frown as he watched Amorpho leave. He noticed a burst of light coming from a nearby alleyway before "Danny" emerged with a backpack (which definitely wasn't there before) running towards the university.

───────────────

Because unfortunately they couldn't sleep all day, they both decided to do something productive. At first Jason had suggested that they have a relaxing day, maybe read a couple of books and try to learn something new in the kitchen.

Unfortunately the day turned into the opposite of relaxed when the kitchen became a mess of ingredients. Although it had been a very fun experience, cleaning it up wouldn't be so much.

"Okay, maybe we should find something else to do, Doll," Jason admitted as he stood on his tiptoes to clean up the mess that was left on the ceiling.

How had it gotten there? They weren't even cooking anything that required dough!

"Yeah, probably," Danny admitted with a small laugh. Despite how embarrassed he felt about the whole situation he had to admit it was fun "Dance?"

"As much as I love dancing, my muscles are killing me" Jason refused. Plus, he didn't want Nightwing to find them dancing.

It felt like something private. Something that needed to be hidden since it was theirs alone. Jason felt like that little action belonged to him.

The images of them swaying, laughing, expressing their emotions openly. They were his, and he wouldn't hand them over to any of the bats, no matter how curious they were.

“How do you feel about a movie marathon?" The halfa finally asked happily. Whenever he had some free time he would watch one or another interesting movie.

It was a bit sad but since he had arrived in Gotham he had lost the habit. He still remembered the day where Ellie forced him to watch a whole Disney marathon and although he thought it would be tedious he ended up crying with her.

"It depends, what movie are we watching?" Jason raised an eyebrow curiously. Not that he had a preference, family nights included movies of all genres due to the differences between each family member so he wasn't picky.

Danny didn't know that, he wondered what was the correct answer in this situation. Maybe Jason didn't like ghost or zombie parodies with bad death jokes the way he did. He could be an action guy, or a romance guy considering all the books he saw on his bookshelf.

He turned on the TV wondering what he should answer when a movie poster appeared in front of him and he knew. That was always the correct answer.

"Barbie!" The halfa pointed at the screen completely proud. A wide smile on his face.

"I thought you'd never say it" Jason smiled as the movie Barbie and the Twelve Dancing Princesses played on the screen.

That was how Nightwing found them hours later. Cuddled up while singing nursery rhymes out loud.

The vigilante wondered if he should let them know he was in the room but decided to enjoy the view a little longer.

He took a photo of the two of them singing with a wide smile and sent it to Tim.

DiscoWing: Don't tell B but Jay is in love~

DiscoWing: Aren't they cute!? I trust you to keep the secret but watch them! This is the perfect blackmail!

Followed by lots of surprise stickers performed by Nightwing

DiscoWing: It was worth stealing the Helicood for this!

Dick decided to ignore the Restauran't is typing as he approached his brother. Jason was in love with his new helicopter, he had built and modified it until it was perfect and even named it "Helicood" after himself.

But Dick was sure Jason would forgive him for stealing his new helicopter. And maybe crash it slightly, after all he can fix it! He just needed to sneak a few minutes into the batcave.

"HERE I AM, BEING WHO I WANT~" Dick sang the line from the movie scaring the two people on the couch.

"WHAT THE FUCK WING!?" Jason yelled seeing the vigilante hanging from his window.

"Wait! I came with a peace offering!" Nightwing raised both arms swinging to keep from falling. In his hands could be seen a…duck candle?

"Watch out! You could fall!"  Danny yelled worried, he didn't want to see a vigilante pancake. What would he say to Starfire and Officer Grayson!?

"I wish so" Jason snorted watching the vigilante do a flip and land next to them "he's an acrobat, don't worry."

"Oh, so we don't have to inform Dick and Starfire about his death?" Danny asked, relieved.

"Inform who about my what?" Nightwing asked confused while Jason shook his head, it was better for him to let the topic slide "Besides, don't worry! If I fall I can always fly!"

"Just because your name has the word Wing doesn't mean you can fly a birdbrain" Jason grumbled, maybe a squashed Nightwing wouldn't be so bad.

"I'm pretty sure I can fly" the vigilante grumbled "anyway, here"

Nightwing handed Danny a red duck candle.  Danny stared at the candle before looking up at the vigilante and muttering "thank you."

"A nice civilian gave it to me to ward off evil spirits, she's pretty sure the ghosts of the dead just came to Gotham or something." Nightwing shrugged. He didn't believe the story but it was good to be grateful to those who wish to protect you.

"Evil spirits in Gotham?" Jason raised an eyebrow, they had enough rogues to consider a new one.

"Spirits in general: ghosts, shadows, shapeshifters and stuff," Nightwing explained, "Jessica was pretty sure about that so it's best to be cautious!"

Danny chuckled as he continued to stare at the candle, surely the girl wasn't referring to him and his friends?

"It's very kind of you to want to protect us" The halfa laughed nervously as he placed the candle on the nightstand.

"Yeah, she said the candle warded off evil spirits, and what's better than supporting local businesses?" Nightwing nodded, happy that they both liked his gift. "We should buy more!"

"Maybe later, weren't you here for a reason?" Jason reminded his brother.

"Oh sure the cure" Dick nodded, he had stopped by the cave but they seemed to be discussing strange sightings all over the city: red eyes, super strength, shadows and the end of the world.

Dick wondered if his other siblings had copied Tim and needed a few hours of sleep.

But at the end he managed to see Steph and the progress of the cure.

"Good and bad news on that one," Nightwing cleared his throat "we have a cure!"

"That's great!"  Danny said, though it was strange to think that the days of him living with Jason were coming to an end, "Where is it?"

"I dropped it on my way here!"  Dick gave them jazz hands as he watched their reaction, Jason seemed minutes away from declaring himself an orphan.

"Explain." Jason sighed, maybe he was jumping to conclusions and his brother had a good reason.

"It was my first time driving the helicopter," Dick explained sadly, "and it was modified in a way I didn't know about"

On second thought, his conclusions were completely correct and Jason hoped that Dick wasn't referring to the Helicood. Because he would have twice the reasons to remove him from the family tree.

"Sacrifice, sacrifice," Poe said, coming out of his hiding place in Jason's hair.

"Besides! Since you are the only human affected we didn't know if it would work since we only tried it on crows" Dick hastened to find an excuse "and as a responsible hero I thought we needed another test before applying it on you"

"I guess I can see the logic in that" Danny frowned thinking he wasn't even human, how could a cure intended for humans work on him?

"No, don't listen to him Doll" Jason complained "he's just an idiot who steals helicopters"

Dick was very offended by that comment.

"Anyway, since it was the only sample" Nightwing continued his explanation, ignoring Jason's gasp about the only sample!? "We have to wait another 3 days"

Dick winked at his brother. Completely ignoring the fact that he was still wearing the mask and therefore it wouldn't show.

Unfortunately Jason was well aware of what his nosy older brother was up to.

"That means the safest thing for you is to stay with Jason and Hood for another three days," Nightwing stated, looking at the boy.

"I guess we can catch up on Disney movies" Danny muttered doubtfully, then looked at Nightwing trying to climb on the table and decided to invite him to join.

Jason stared at Danny in horror, well aware of the suggestion he would make to the vigilante and denied multiple times but his pleas went unheeded. The halfa looked at Nightwing and asked anyway.

"Do you want to watch some movies with us?" Danny asked, pointing to the TV.

Nightwing launched himself onto the couch happily, agreeing with an excited “Yes!”. Maybe his brother's future boyfriend wouldn't be so bad after all.

He decided to write to Tim about the antidote which he had definitely broken accidentally and not to save Jason's love life. In addition to sending more photos of the two boys while they were distracted. They looked quite adorable.

Maybe he should set up a movie date with Kori. It looked like a pretty relaxing activity; after only a few minutes he was carried away by Barbie's voice.

Danny didn't think it was strange that the vigilante was talking so comfortably with Jason. Jason told him that bats were considered family (or friends?) when he asked so they would be something like Jay brothers-in-law, right? It was only natural to invite Hood's brother to hang out with them. Maybe he could convince Nightwing to help him get Hood and Jay back together!

───────────────

When Tim volunteered to review Wayne Enterprises scholarships to various universities he didn't expect to see the boy who was supposedly still affected by Scarecrow gas in class.

He looked more animated than a recently attacked boy should be and seemed to be in the middle of leaving his night classes. Tim raised an eyebrow as he looked over the photo Dick had sent him a few minutes ago.

Restauran't: Is that image recent?

DiscoWing: Yes, it was taken a few minutes ago, why?

Restauran't: And you're still at Jason's?

DiscoWing: Yup, you're not thinking of telling B are you? I only told you because of the antidote and the blackmail

Tim considered his options as he looked up at the boy. He was wearing dark glasses, definitely weird in the middle of the night but not alarming.

Restauran't: No, but can you send me another photo?

The photo his older brother sent him screamed sugar. Jason was practically laying on the boy. Which seemed to be talking about something very lively. It was obvious Jason wasn't happy with his older brother from the photos if the scowl had anything to say about it.

Tim picked up his phone and compared both photos. Definitely the same guy, but something weird was going on. If Dick's observations were true then the victim couldn't stay away from Jason for long without going crazy. He also doubted that he could be in two places at once.

Restauran't: Do you trust me?

Tim bit his lip, it was definitely a risky plan and if Jason found out the assassination attempts on him wouldn't fail this time but he needed to prove it somehow. If it was a duplication skill then surely something would happen.

Dick's response took a few seconds to come, probably because he was distracted by bothering his little brother.

DiscoWing: Sure, what do you need me to do?

Tim was at least relieved that his older brother knew him well enough to know that he was planning something. He at least knew he had a purpose for all the disaster he was about to unleash.

Restauran't: Separate them, I need to check something.

Question marks appeared in the chat window along with a sticker of a sad Nightwing but Dick ended up agreeing. Tim sighed, figuring if the plan worked he could ask Jason for a quick funeral. If Dick was right and he was in love he was about to walk into the lion's den.

He fixed his sight on the boy who may or may not be a clone, better to watch him like a hawk until Dick sends a confirmation message.

───────────────

After another quick Karaoke session with the boy where they both ignored the blue vigilante who had decided to crash their movie marathon Jason and Danny stared at each other, mirroring the scene in front of them where Odette was looking up at the prince.

They were grinning, obviously tired after singing the sixth song of the Barbie movie. And although Jason was sure that some video of him would end up in the family chat, he didn't really care, he felt calm, happy.

He quickly looked over at Nightwing but he seemed quite distracted by his phone so he guessed that he wasn't paying attention to them.

Come on Jason, this is no time to be a wimp.

He took a deep breath, remembering all the laughs Danny had brought him in the few days of meeting him, his clumsy attempts at cooking, his misplaced heroic streak, his bad bedtime habits and his knack for attracting strange situations. 

And although his head was also thinking about the consequences that the action he was about to do would bring him, or how he was rushing to conclusions and it was not the time, he didn't listen to it. Danny had earned the right to be considered more than a suspect.

Damn, don't think about it just do it!

He did so, he took a leap of faith and leaned into the boy who had been stealing his heart. He felt the increase in his heartbeat as he closed his eyes and hoped that this was the perfect moment, maybe Danny would even kiss him back. 

Of course, all his fantasies were interrupted when he felt a hand blocking his path and decided to open his eyes to confirm what was happening...

"Jay, you are a wonderful boy and these days with you have been amazing but I have to stop you here" Danny said, placing a hand over Jason's mouth, who looked very confused.

Jason tried to speak but Danny immediately silenced him again.

"Unless you're considering a polyamorous route I think you should consider your boyfriend's feelings on this" Danny said "Please think about it."

Jason just stared at him in confusion, but his mind just repeated the words "your boyfriend" like a broken record until he could finally process it.

Sorry, his what now-?

SINCE WHEN HE HAD A BOYFRIEND!?

He was about to ask the boy about it when he looked at his brother and frowned. Dick looked a bit nervous, which was a bit obvious when you considered how animated he had been all night. Being a nuisance in general.

He hadn't even commented on Danny mentioning his supposed boyfriend which made him doubly suspicious.

“Danger, danger!” The little crow warned him.

He got the answer quickly when Dick approached them and taking advantage of the confusion separated the union in their hands, pushing them away and grabbing Danny to put distance between them

He didn't know whether to feel angry or betrayed. His brother knew very well that Danny wasn't pretending and he really needed the contact, didn't he believe in him? He was about to approach them when he saw the doubtful expression on his brother's face.

"I'm sorry" Dick whispered as he held the boy in his arms. Danny was trying to break free of the vigilante's grip. The boy seemed very busy fighting Nightwing, desperately looking for Jason. Jason expected the fury of the pits but instead he felt fire in his soul, something strange considering how much the sensation was like the All-blades.

But he didn't have time to think about it. A few seconds had passed but it was obvious that the separation was hurting the halfa. When Jason looked at the boy he saw green.

───────────────

Danny was scared. He had forgotten that the gas was still in his blood and everything around him began to go dark. He needed to know that Jason was okay but he couldn't hurt the Gotham vigilante while he was at it, as easy as it was for him to become intangible or crush bones his awareness was screaming at him that this was not the time.

But in his head the memories and harmful comments began to play, playing with his memories over and over again. He had felt so secure before but all his confidence was shattered in seconds.

Inevitable

You can't escape your destiny!

Creepy boy with creepy powers

You hurt everyone around you!

You didn't protect us!

GET AWAY

What he felt the most was the need to get away, hide, and hide everyone he still had where no one could find them. Protect them from everything and everyone.

Before he knew it, his eyes were glowing and all he could feel was despair and fear.

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

I think a lot happened in this chapter but it was honestly quite fun to write so I hope you enjoyed it!

In case anyone's curious, yes, Danny just healed Jason (and got sick at the same time?), so Jason might develop some changes. Tim is making bad decisions but Dick trusts him! On the other hand, no matter how easy it is for the halfa to use his powers, remember that he wants to be just Danny :)

And yes, they both accepted their feelings but whoops, it looks like Danny misunderstood something?

@skulld3mort-1fan@sorryiwonnoob@idfk-man10@avelnfear@criticaloverthinker@confusedandghostly @lunadoll36 @spidey29phangirl @suppengott @yjfk@apointlessbox@mimilikey@thegatorsgoose@jaggedheart11@dyinggirldied@pyramaniac@akikkobara@thedragonqueen1998@lostlightandfoundcrazy@xye-chan@saltyladynightmare @ashleysmshly @thewondersoflebanon@illusionwolfwriter24r8@littlefeather345@asphyxia778@amercurio@leftmiraclechaos @dixiwoods @satoshy12@lyra689@meira-3919@quietlyscared@plotwholls @kyrianclawraith @blacksea21090@basilf1res @flowers-n-fauna @8-29pm@phantom-dc@luer-mirin@taniaundertaleau@cloriform@readerkayden@oddlydrawnpuppets@basementloser@little-green-asparagus@echoednonny@yummy-yummy-mmmbones@confusionchaos@ectoplasm024@autumnwulf@666deaddash999@redhoneysugarorange@blue-avis@sailor-goddess@satanicrutialspecialist

[hayaku14]

anyway kaishin + bad parent toichi and chikage enjoyers go read cuethesun's tomorrow, and the next day ✌️😎✌️

[seabreezeraincloud]

Feeling particularly peeved by the "Rapunzel and Cassandra's friendship was unhealthy, therefore they shouldn't be friends at all" take tonight because while I'm the last person to deny how toxic of a friend Rapunzel was for Cassandra, I also heavily disagree with the notion that just because they had an unhealthy friendship means that's what their relationship is doomed to be for all eternity.

Like. Rapunzel is 21 at the end of the series. Yes, she is an adult, but she's still so young in the grand scheme of things. No, her flaws that harmed Cass aren't really addressed in the show itself, but that doesn't mean she can't or won't work on them in the years to come. Cassandra isn't the only human in the world with boundaries, and if Rapunzel wants to have healthier interpersonal relationships overall, she can't (and I honestly don't think she would) just shrug her shoulders and say, "Oh well, guess I just shouldn't be friends with people who can't handle my toxic behaviors!" Like no, she is capable of growing and doing better. She just needs time and people in her life who can hold her accountable when she messes up.

And the fact that she lets Cassandra go despite how hard it is for her is a good first step! They are able to part ways on good terms and take some time to grow separately with different people. Rapunzel needs more close friendships outside of her easygoing romantic partner and her reserved servant who can't truly say no to her, and Cassandra needs more close friendships outside of her boss whom she's never truly off-the-clock from being under the authority of. And having these new important relationships doesn't mean they love each other any less.

[mad-hunts]

here comes a list of the different levels of friends that you can be with barton, because i said that i would explain what being a ' level 2 friend ' to him would mean and i fully intend to keep that promise! so here we gooo.

level 1 friends: you're the type of friend to barton that he would wave to whenever he sees you. he would also complain about his work with you, but NEVER about his second 'business.' ( his organ trafficking && dollmaking. ) and in turn, he would let you complain about your work to him as well, or anything that might be bothering you. barton isn't really serious about your relationship emotionally, but he will encourage you and praise you for accomplishments / achievements. you two also may share a few interests, which barton enjoys talking with you about.

level 2 friends: you're the type of friend to barton that he is now moderately emotionally invested in. barton will DEFINITELY share his number with you at this stage, so expect him to call you if he needs something, or even if he just wants to talk with you. he also trusts you to a medium level and will help you reach your goals without ever being asked for it. barton does subconsciously have the expectation that you are willing to do the same for him, however, which is really neither a good thing nor a bad thing. you two go beyond just having similar interests... you share certain values with him and/or ideals, and because of that, barton sees you as someone he can depend upon. he would also save you in an emergency situation, BUT i can not say for sure that he will be willing to die for you.

level 3 friends: barton is now FULLY emotionally invested in you, so don't expect to be getting rid of him anytime soon! because you're stuck with him now, MUAHAHAH. barton will do things like raising a toast to you just because you're friends and will reach out to you himself whenever he sees that you're struggling with something. barton also lets you take a glimpse at what's really going on in his head sometimes, and in return, he'll be there for you as well whenever you need him. at this stage, literally, all you need to do is be around barton to make him smile. expect him to feel safe enough to be as silly as he wants around you and do things like give you unprompted hugs + allow you to cuddle with him. barton trusts you with his life, and he would put himself at risk of dying to protect you. so, yes, he would be willing to die for you.

[crehador]

i don't know if i think it's really funny or kind of a shame that many people are going to know tadaima okaeri solely as "the omegaverse bl" when it's actually such a sweet slice-of-life about community, family, the struggles of the older generation to understand the younger and vice versa, recovering from social isolation and how recursive that recovery can be, forging lasting friendships as adults, and so on. it's so wholesome and drama-free that it barely has any plot to speak of, but what it lacks in plot it makes up for in themes and man. what beautiful themes

[flamingredanon]

*tiredly rolls from the void*

You know how Reginald wears gloves and the theories from scars of some kind, to it being a prosthetic or cybernetic hand, to it even being because he just wants to?

What about the reason he wears the gloves is because his hands are extremely sensitive as a side effect of some chaos experiment or his own powers of some kind (glances over at that super strength of his) and the gloves are to help prevent pain or not get him overwhelmed from how much more sensitive everything feels compared to a normal person.

[wordswhisperinthedark]

Not me refusing to go back to Reth's storeroom so I can't start his final friendship quest (even though I kinda want him to be my shepp lol)

[coffehbeans]

G/t July Day 1: Enchanted

In which Coffeh writes again but twists the meaning of words to fit into her own story ideas lmao "Enchanted" more like "enchanting", am I right?

Anyway, these precious blorbos are back, this time with a flashback from their childhood! Very short fic, hope you guys enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun had long gone down. Little Sunflower, only nine years old back then, waited for her friend in the spooky clearing of the forest. A part of her felt bad for lying to Alba, saying instead that she had to buy vegetables from a merchant in the town, but she couldn't resist. She was forbidden to leave Leivden after all, and her explorer nature has never been fulfilled because of that.

Sunflower didn't know, in her childish naivety, that Alba knew about her secret friend a long time ago, and she was allowing the human child a chance of having her wish granted.

The rustling of grass being crushed underfoot alerted her. Although the steps felt heavy and with purpose, they weren't loud. Sunflower already knew who it was and beamed at the direction of the trees, where the sound of footsteps was coming from.

Juhren came out from the trees and approached her in the clearing. Back then, he was only a few inches taller than the human. His face was serious and he seemed pouty, yet his big, round eyes softened at the sight of his best friend. He strode towards her and reached out for her hand.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes!" She grinned, heart racing with excitement.

And so, the children entered the dense foliage of the forest, holding hands as Juhren guided Sunflower towards the special destination. His own heart was beating as fast as his friend's, yet he tried to keep his excitement at bay. 'I can't wait to show them to you', he thought.

They reached the place and Juhren turned his head towards Sunflower, putting a finger over his mouth. She understood and covered her own mouth with one hand, nodding fervently. Were they there yet?

Juhren and Sunflower crouched down and hid behind the bushes, a small circular clearing laid in front of them.

Little by little, blue dots of light gathered around the small space, illuminating the forest with a calming sapphire hue. Sunflower stifled a gasp, and leaned just a little bit closer towards the mysterious fireflies.

They weren't fireflies at all, Sunflower's eyes widened with surprise.

There, amidst the clearing, countless tiny fairies started dancing around, as the mystic yet jolly sound of a small flute started echoing through the woods. The creatures twirled, glided up and dived down, enjoying their moment of leisure. Silky white dresses and elegant suits flowed in the cool breeze, their buzzing wings glowing bright blue as they danced in what appeared to be a soaring gala ball.

The children fixated their widened eyes on the fairies and their floating waltz, mesmerized by the sight. Juhren had seen it all before, yet the dance would never stop enchanting him with its beauty. He glanced to his right side, noticing Sunflower's eyes full of wonder as she smiled broadly.

His eyes softened and he felt heat rising in his cheeks, smiling gently at his friend.

Juhren never wanted to forget that feeling. Watching such small kiirians dance as he enjoyed the company of his dearest friend, who never had a chance of seeing the outside world.

He had to cherish that memory, before his current situation is snatched away from him sooner or later.

He leaned towards Sunflower’s ear and whispered very quietly, as to not disturb the dancing fairies.

"It's beautiful, right?"

The girl turned towards him and her smile turned even brighter. She nodded eagerly and whispered back:

"Yes! Thank you, thank you, Jun! I could never thank you enough!"

She grasped Juhren in a tight hug, careful not to startle the fairies dancing close to them. His timid smile grew wider. Somehow, his friend always had that ability to make him smile more. He returned the hug and closed his eyes, enjoying the warm feeling in his chest. That soft, gentle happiness, the wondrous dance of the fairies and the bright wonder from his human friend. All of those contrasted so much to his home, so much so that he never wanted to leave that moment.

And thus, they both watched the fairies for the remainder of the night, returning to their respective houses after it was all over.

The memory of that magical waltz still lingered in their peaceful sleep.

[yaymeeko]

Glycogenesis, embroidery and a need for the absolute

Summary:

After some inner turmoil resurfaces, Ruan Mei relaxes by studying a creature in her laboratory while listening to a studio arrangement of classical music. She finds herself thinking about her purpose as a scientist and her ambition to reach Aeonhood. A dwarf then barges in her lab.

Herta stutters when she finds the words to speak. “Ar- Are you heartless, a monster or both? I presume both.” Herta asks, still trembling.

“I’m just conducting research. You’ve seen death before, stop trembling.”

“This is not death, this is a cruel murder scene I am not getting involved with. It had such an adorable face too- how can you dissect something so pretty and cute while listening to Vivaldi?” Herta asks, beyond dumbfounded.

“I can, apparently.” Ruan Mei answers blankly, uninterested. When Herta still looks shook, she genuinely gets worried. “Are you ok?”

“No. I’m going now. Have a great day and keep up the good work.” 

The puppet jumps off the table to leave, but is swiftly halted by hand that catches her mid-air.

“Small.” Ruan Mei remarks with a blank face.

“I am perfectly fine for a girl my age.”

Ruan Mei struggles to stifle her laughter. “A geriatric woman in the body of a little girl… that's an oxymoron.” 

“An elegant and poised woman who keeps her laboratory with a splattered dead animal inside. That's an oxymoron too, if you ask me.” Herta looks smug, still held in the air but Ruan Mei's tight grip.

“I get carried away when doing research, you should know it by now, but it's probably your narcissism that makes you forget things about others.” Ruan Mei states the truth plainly.

“Doesn't change the fact this place is a biohazard dumpster with all kinds of dead creatures and the walls could melt if you splashed one of these concoctions at them.” Herta swiftly points at the beakers, filled with all kinds of chemicals and the like, all resting on the table in a long straight line right in front of many petri dishes harboring who knows what bacterias inside.

“...I usually tidy up at the end. Don't worry.” The biologist smiles softly, finally dropping the puppet to the ground. 

Herta lands perfectly. “I'm not worried- ok, fine. I don’t want to know what ‘tidying up’ even is.” She inhales sharply. “What were you doing to this poor creature?”

Ruan Mei looks down at the creature again, her hand caressing its lifeless squishy body. “I’m creating glucose-based living beings. They will be geniuses, more intelligent than any living being. Yet, many problems have risen during my experimentations. Case in point.” She pulls at the skin and it stretches immediately. “The dermis is not consistent enough yet and peels off easily. Luckily they don't feel pain. I think. They don't scream or shout so I presume they don't have pain receptors.” She then peels the skin off, uninterested. It spreads thin on her fingers: it’s sugary and glittery.

“That is very twisted and cruel, also the way you’re holding that critter's skin is weirdly morbid.” Herta backs off a step, her stance in a fight or flight mode.

“Is it?” Ruan Mei tilts her head, looking puzzled at Herta.

“I keep forgetting I work with a sociopath.”

“Now, now… I have a mirror in my bedroom if you want to look at one.”

After some silent awe, Herta asks “... You rarely joke. Did something good happen?”

Ruan Mei halts in place.

Has something good happened? She mentally retraces her inconspicuous day in the span of five seconds.

…

It has.

...

Notes:

Hello!! :D I've been writing this for a month and only now I'm publishing it because I'm sort of happy with how it turned out. It's a window of life, an auto-conclusive small story that focuses on Herta and Ruan Mei hanging out on Ruan Mei's planet. I love Ruan Mei, so I simply had to dedicate something to her. I am not originally English, so sorry in advance for any mistake you could stumble across. Have a nice read!

[terrainofheartfelt]

dair + emergency

Dair + Emergency

Every doctor, nurse, and staff person in this ER is dodging Blair’s eye. Typical. It’s not her fault they’re all grossly incompetent. 

It’s just as well, if the previous ten briefings she’s had to shake down these people for are any indication, they won’t have anything useful to tell her anyway. 

She makes herself pace the length of the waiting area again, if only to calm herself down a little before heading back into the room. 

“Blair-bear!”

Her head jerks up at the nickname, and she immediately spots her father and his husband, the latter holding a drink carrier laden with to-go cups. 

“We brought hot chocolate!” Roman says, and Blair swears it’s only twenty percent forcibly cheerful. He’s a talent, Roman is. 

“How’s the patient?” Harold asks, coming in to kiss Blair on the cheek as Roman hands her one of their cups. 

“Fine, I guess,” she sighs down at the plastic coffee lid. “Apparently their radiology department is so very backed up, and because he ‘isn’t critical,’ he’s at the end of the waiting list. So far, all they’ve done is stick him in a room and dose him with painkillers, which any one who reads the New Yorker will tell you is precisely what’s wrong with our medical system.” 

Her father blinks at her, taken aback, and so she forces herself to take a breath, and then a sip of the hot chocolate. Oh, Maison, her steadfast friend. Her father hasn’t seen much of her prickly, ranting, bitchy side—by design—but her patience is looking pretty threadbare at the moment. Roman for his part simply looks bemused. 

“We just feel awful,” Roman offers, voice dripping with sympathy—Blair knows him well enough now to know its genuine—probably why he did so well as a model in his day. Genuity is difficult to fake, and for a Frenchman, impossible. “Wollman Rink does seem cursed for us, no?”

Blair grimaces around the lid of her cup, but when she looks Roman’s eyes are only sparkling with amusement. He’s too good for her. The same could be said about Dan too. At least this fall wasn’t her fault. It was entirely due to that group of twelve-year-olds trying to do their own Moulin Rouge routine, and poor Dan was too inexperienced a skater to get out of their way in time.

“Some twisted rite of passage,” Blair agrees grimly, making Roman laugh, and Harold smile indulgently, patting her on the shoulder. 

She takes another sip of the cocoa, its warmth and richness oddly fortifying. “Thank you,” she says sincerely, gesturing with the cup in her hand. “But you don’t have to stay.”

“Are you sure?” her father checks, concerned. 

“It’s fine,” she reassures him. “You’re only in the city for a few more days, you shouldn’t waste one hanging out in the emergency room.” 

“We’ve been here plenty of times before, you know.” 

Blair smiles, rolling her eyes. “I know. But we’ll be fine, really.” Plus, chances are she’ll have to dress down another George Clooney ER wannabe in the next hour, and she doesn’t really want her dads to see it. It would hardly be in the spirit of the season. 

“Okay,” Harold says reluctantly, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek again. “Give Daniel our best, okay?”

“Yes,” Roman adds, throwing an arm around her shoulders with a side-hug as he hands over the drink tray. “Tell Handsome Dan get well soon from us.”

Blair shakes her head, smiling. “I’ll do that.” 

She watches her dads round the corner, then takes another deep breath, forcing her shoulder down. Then, she takes one more fortifying sip of cocoa before putting her drink back in the carrier, and walking down the hall, slipping into the room where they’d been holding Dan since their second hour here. 

Dan’s face lights up the second he sees her. “Waldorf!” 

She makes straight for him, dropping a kiss on top of his head, trying not to focus too much on the temporary splint they have his leg in. “How are you feeling?”

“Oh me?” he slurs, “I’m great.” He blinks blearily up at her, his eyes, normally so sharp, are distant, unfocused, like there’s a light film over them. “You’re pretty.” 

“Oh, thank you, Humphrey.” She spares a glance at the tray in her hand, and decides hot liquids are probably counterproductive to this situation, so she turns to set them on the counter far out of Dan’s reach. He watches her the whole time, a dazed smile on his face, so far gone. 

“Sorry you’re stuck here,” she sighs, carding a hand through his hair. He bumps his head eagerly into her touch, like a cat, or either of her father’s pets when they’re drunk on attention. “I tried seeing if we could get you an x-ray or even just a consult, but apparently the holidays are rife with way more severe casualties.”

Dan gazes up at her, giving no cue if anything she just said registered. “Marry me,” he says. 

She freezes, gaping at him in confusion. “What?”

“Marry me,” he repeats, dopey grin on his face, yet completely sincere. 

Blair swallows, pressing her lips tightly together. She should not laugh at him, not in this state. “We’re already married, kitten. For over a year now.” 

Dan’s eyes flash with recognition, or happiness, or opiates, but she’s again not sure if he actually heard her. 

“You’re pretty,” he repeats. So…maybe?

“Oh, thank you,” Blair twists one of his curls around her finger. “So are you.” 

He has the audacity to blush, teeth digging into his lower lip as he grins. Then, after a beat, his expression turns so very earnest again, rife with cloudy-eyed sincerity. “Marry me.”

“Sorry,” Blair teases, holding up her left hand to show her ring, unable to help herself. “I’m taken.” 

Dan’s face falls, eyes widening and lips pouting, the textbook definition of pitiful. 

It’s going to be a long day. 

One word prompts

[sparkygurly227]

Chapters: 91/168 Fandom: Descendants (Disney Movies) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Jay/Li Lonnie, Ben/Mal (Disney: Descendants), Jane/Carlos de Vil, Gil & Harry Hook, Harry Hook & Evie, Gil & Harry Hook & Uma, Doug/Evie (Disney: Descendants), Harry Hook/Uma, Evie & Mal (Disney), Evie & Jay & Mal & Carlos de Vil, Freddie Facilier/Gil, Li Lonnie & Carlos de Vil, Belle & Mal (Disney), OMC/OFC, Mal & Carlos de Vil, Jay & Mal (Disney) Characters: Jay (Disney), Li Lonnie, Ben (Disney: Descendants), Mal (Disney), Evie (Disney), Jane (Disney: Descendants), Carlos de Vil, Harry Hook, Gil (Disney: Descendants), Uma (Disney), Doug (Disney: Descendants), Gaston Jr (Disney), Gaston the Third (Disney), Dude (Disney: Descendants), Fa Mulan | Hua Mulan (Disney), Grandmother Fa (Disney), Fa Li | Hua Li (Disney), Fa Zhou | Hua Zhou (Disney), Mushu (Disney), Original Characters, Li'l Shang (Disney), Belle (Disney), Adam (Disney), Original Child(ren) of Ben and Mal (Disney: Descendants), OC - Character, Jafar (Disney), Original Child(ren) of Jay and Li Lonnie Additional Tags: Oneshot collection, Wide Variety of Thing Happening Here, too many to tag - Freeform, some are fluffy, some are angsty, Romance, Friendship, Post-Canon, Missing Scene Summary:

Here is a large collection of oneshots that I wrote between October 2017 and September 2021. They were originally posted on Fanfiction.net but I'm now transporting them over here.

Main relationship featured will be in the chapter titles.

Descendants 3 canon from 111

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I’ve been forgetting to post this on here for ages!! Here is my collection of oneshots that I wrote on fanfiction.net years ago. I’m publishing five at a time and am now finally more than halfway through them! Please read and feel free to talk to me about them or anything Descendants related in the comments or in my inbox!

[sunsetzer]

Oh geez let me see if I still have some of my notes from it. I wrote a story about it but I wanna do a rewrite since I'm not too proud of how it turned out (pushes aside my Opera Omnia OC/canon fics I get distracted by)

But basically the bg is that Setzer's a gentleman thief by night under the alias Blackjack (because of course that's his name) while he robs the wealthy of their excess materials and sells it to the Auction House for fundings to create an airship (that hasn't happened quite yet for plot reasons). The long story short is he's "hired" by the Empire to steal something from the King of Figaro, and he has to figure out how to rob the castle. Good thing he's able to befriend a nice good looking young man who enjoys his company, has long hair let down, and happens to be an engineer for the castle that knows all the tricks to it (clueless).

Oh my god, that's genius. I absolutely love this concept and would love to read it if/when you finish and are comfortable sharing! I'm always craving more edosetzu content, they just work so well together as characters.

[candied-cae]

The First "Like" and First "Love"

Chapter 1/1 - - - Read it on AO3

Word Count : 2,250

Summary: When the end of the world is over and everyone can feel alive and like themselves again, Steve and Eddie drift together to find something all their own. 

... Aka, the first time Steve tells Eddie "I like you" and the first time Eddie tells Steve "I love you".

More ST Fics -----------------------------------------------------

It started with Steve and Eddie hanging out, as so much often did those days.

The two of them gravitated to each other after it was all over. Between matching scars and babysitting shifts, they found themselves having more in common than just surviving the Upside Down. Steve talked to Eddie, and Eddie talked to Steve. Whenever they did that, it was like they made their own little bubble. Just a little pocket of air in the world they shared. Of course, if the group was present, they’d quickly find something thrown at them for ignoring their kids and friends.

“Rude!” they’d call the two for not sharing the attention.

So they started to find those little pockets on their own sometimes. Late nights were spent in either's house. Sitting together after movie credits rolled, neither bothering to get up and change the tape or ask if someone needed to leave. They never seemed to want to head off anyway. So, as the night dragged on, they'd talk. Form those little bubbles of just themselves in between hits of weed and the kind of talkative that only comes when they were too tired to keep their mouths shut. Honesty spilling out unabashed under the cover of starlight.

Vulnerability and self-discovery went hand in hand on nights like those.

It was the end of one of those very nights when Steve suggested they get out of the house. It was nearing three in the morning, middle of June, so the sun wasn’t up yet, but it would be in a matter of time. And for some inexplicable reason, Steve just wanted to be outside for the sunrise.

“Where should we go?” Eddie asked, his voice starting to go rough after hours of after-joint conversations, which they couldn’t interrupt for something as silly as getting something to drink.

“Somewhere quiet.” Steve suggested, head lazily lolling on the couch,” Somewhere pretty.”

He was being vague and unhelpful; he knew he was. But almost every place he knew in Hawkins was either tainted with memories of fighting for his life or had absolutely no view to watch the sun. He had no clue where he wanted to take them. Steve just wanted to get Eddie there and be by his side when the world changed.

“I might know a spot like that,” Eddie answered anyway, a smile tugging at his cheek in the sneaky way he liked to wear it as he reached for his keys.

They climbed into Eddie’s van, and he took them away. Steve just closed his eyes and hung his head out of the rolled-down passenger window, letting the wind play with his hair as they made their way to… somewhere. They ended up arriving at this hill off the highway on the edge of town. Eddie parked them off the shoulder and waved Steve to follow him as they went over the mound, settling on the other side that faced east. The grassy pile completely separated them from the road and pointed them right at the sight to come. The sky was already brightening, becoming that baby blue it does when the sun has almost breached the horizon.

It was quiet. It was pretty. It was perfect.

It overlooked this little glade that was bustling with colorful wildflowers and weeds. All sorts of beauty just sitting in this bypassed patch in Smalltown, Indiana. And it was just theirs. There was no other sound, no other distraction. No one else was up, or if they were, they weren’t driving on the highway yet. It was like the whole world had faded into the background, and it was just the two of them. Together. Waiting.

They waited in comfortable silence, laid down but propped up against their arms as the sky started gleaming with yellow. ‘The Golden Hour’ Steve recalls this moment is supposed to be. Or at least, that’s what people like Jonathan called it. Something about the way the light reflected or the angles or the color or something about it was just supposed to make for the best pictures for portraits. Makes people look that much nicer, he supposed.

He’s never thought much of it himself. Dawn, for him, always meant things like driving to early morning swim practices or the end of all-nighters spent defeating monsters or coming off of ragers. But when he looks to his left and sees Eddie. Sees the way the sun is lighting him up against the breathtaking backdrop… he gets it.

And suddenly, it's all he can do. Just look at Eddie. There wasn't any other option his mind could conjure. And he felt this pull he’d been feeling before. This tug to get closer. This need to be more. To be more than Eddie’s friend, a feeling he barely diagnosed himself and knows could overtake him.

But it's all he can think about.

“Golden Hour,” he let the words absentmindedly slip from his lips as he gazed upon the other man's profile.

Eddie heard the mumble without catching the words, so he followed the sound to look back over at Steve.

And Steve almost felt bad. He almost had the decency to be embarrassed to be caught staring. He almost regretted letting the words out to expose him.

But now Eddie’s looking at him and not the sun. Now he got to see those deep brown eyes looking back at him while Eddie’s face was glazed with that magical morning glow. And he can’t bring himself to be anything but happy his thoughtless mutter brought Eddie’s attention to him.

"What's up? I got something on my face?" Eddie asked him, rubbing a hand across his cheeks and chin.

"I like you."

Steve said it quickly, like ripping off a bandaid. Like he couldn't stand another minute not saying it. Because he really couldn’t.

"Like, I really like you.” They’ve just been lounging on a hill for the last hour, but even so, he said it breathless and urgent with veins pumping with adrenaline,” And it doesn’t make any sense, because, look at us. There's no reason we should've even talked long enough to get to know each other. But we did. And now we spend time together like we're the only people in the world. And when we aren't alone, you know and care about all the people I can’t imagine living without. And you’re so fun and exciting, while also finding ways to be warm and kind. And you know what I’ve been through, my past, and I know yours. And you challenge me to be a better person without making me feel guilty for taking so long to figure it out. And you do all these incredible things like they just make sense, like they are all that makes sense to you. And now, I can't stop myself from thinking, every time we're together, how much better it'd be if I could pull you in and-"

Eddie ended his runaway words with his hands, one on Steve's cheek, the other at the base of his neck.

It was everything he’d ever wanted to hear from Steve. His own longing returned. And it wasn’t just a passing interest, it was a real confession. Dripping with praise and adorn and meaning in every word. It meant something to Steve. Eddie meant something to Steve.

"Shut up and kiss me already," Eddie said, voice near begging as they looked at just each other, sunrise forgotten.

And before Eddie could wish for anything more, Steve was quick to comply with the request as they bathed in sunlight and summer air and shared their first kiss.

-

Then they were dating. They’d been dating for a while, announcements to their friends and begrudging support while they all grappled with how annoying the two would be about it. It was fun being annoying as boyfriends. It was fun doing anything as boyfriends.

Now, it’s important to note that Eddie’s never figured himself impulsive.

Not really.

He enjoyed the methodical planning and thought he could put into something before presenting it to someone's bated attention. The work and time invested to make something truly spectacular… it was intoxicating to make all the effort worth it. He loved practicing a kind of faux-impulsivity too. Like slipping on an outfit that said he was some wild thing, one who lived his life at the behest of passion without reason. To curate the story. The one that said he was a freak, just like everyone expected him to be. But it was all carefully, strategically planned.

There was just so much beauty in the attention spent to do something right.

So much power in the intention put in so it was perfect before it was seen.

Even when it came to Steve, he loved the planning part of being a boyfriend. Spent his alone time brainstorming date ideas, writing love notes and songs, preparing surprises, and practicing flirtatious lines. All of it. Plotting something to sweep Steve off his feet was half the fun of doing it.

All this to say that he always figured he'd do something big and dramatic the first time he said 'I love you'. Grand gestures, the size of plot points in love-sick movies kind of dramatic. Like maybe he'd say it at a holiday party or on an anniversary to make it public and showy on a special occasion, or he could fill a house they shared with roses and candlelight and whatever romantic idols he deemed worthy in a few years to make it private and intimate. He figured it'd be something like that.

Because, well, he always figured he'd need a few years to feel ready to say it.

He could wax on about how handsome Steve is, how dedicated, how kind, selfless, caring, strong, and just about every other good word there was. He could do those things, spend days regaling to Steve how amazing he finds him, how enraptured he is. And yet, he never figured it’d be easy to say ‘I love you’. He’d never said it before, aside from Wayne when Eddie felt particularly softhearted. But that was a different kind of love, he knew. Eddie never had someone right enough to say this kind of love to. So, surely he’d need a lot of time to build to it, to really understand something so new, to declare it was love.

But, in opposition to everything he figured about himself... one night, Eddie was just bursting with the need to say it.

They sat slumped together under a shared blanket. Steve was all spread out on the couch where Eddie laid mostly beside him but a little on top of him, held in his arms while he rested his head on Steve's (sadly covered) chest. His ear was planted right over Steve's heart, hearing the slow thumping that told Eddie how comfortable they both were. No fears between them. But Eddie's pulse started to pace, and it had nothing to do with the movie on the screen.

"Steve," Eddie called for him as he lifted his head.

His boyfriend looked back at him, patiently waiting for the rest of what he had to say while a woman on the tv screen started crying those pretty movie star tears over something Eddie didn’t bother to pick up.

In the space between the words, Eddie's brain reminded him that they'd only been together a few months. That it’s still too soon to say such a thing. That he doesn’t want to scare Steve off because he’s just feeling too much. But then his heart reminded him how he felt, and he couldn't bring himself to care less about how little time they’ve shared so far.

"I love you.” He said,” I know it's a lot and we haven't even-"

"Really?" Steve asked him, his hands clutched around Eddie tighter now, eyes wide and... scared.

Eddie just nodded his head," Yeah."

"Say it again."

"What?"

"Please."

But Steve’s voice didn't sound commanding. It was begging. His eyes grew misty and such a sight threatened to break Eddie's heart.

"I love you." He repeated, taking Steve's hand in his own and lifting it to his lips to press a kiss into his knuckles.

And Steve cried.

He curled up into Eddie and cried tears full of both joy and fear. He remembered the days long past when Nancy said she loved him and the days that followed when she said it was all a lie. Steve had been afraid for a long time that no one would love him. Or that maybe no one could.

And then Eddie goes and says it.

Like it’s nothing. Like it’s meant to be and makes sense. Like it’s easy.

And even though Steve’s scared, even though he is crying all over this milestone in their relationship, Eddie’s there. With his arms around Steve now, fingers running through his hair and saying nothing. Just letting Steve feel all the things he needs to feel without judgment. And Steve stopped worrying that it could be another lie.

When Steve ran out of tears, he pulled back. Looked up at Eddie with puffy eyes and pink cheeks. And he sighed a deep, feeling everything kind of sigh. Then he reached up to grab Eddie’s face, and just before he planted a kiss on his lips, Steve whispered back,” I love you, too.”

And it was the truth.

They loved each other.

What a beautiful thing to share.

[aroaessidhe]

2023 reads // twitter thread    

Angels Before Man

queer retelling of satan’s fall

follows lucifer, beloved angel of beauty, from his creation to falling in love to questioning god

part coming of age part tragic corruption arc

[hrefna-the-raven]

The garden

Masterlist

Part 1 - An unlikely bond

Next part - Goodbye

Words:1672 Summary: Overwhelmed by a wave of gratefulness and secretly driven by thriving yet unknown feelings that started to surpass those of a normal friendship, Portal Six Three felt an undeniable urge to express his appreciation. He knew he had to give something back to you, a gift that would reflect the depth of his feelings. Warnings: more fluff, angst

In the vastness of space, where stars twinkled like scattered diamonds, and mysteries lay hidden in the folds of the universe, a friendship like no other bloomed after the ship you were stationed on discovered a guardian of the Tkon empire laying dormant on the remote planet Delphi Ardu IV. It was a friendship that transcended dimensions, forged on the foundation of trust, understanding and a shared passion for knowledge. You found solace in Portal's company, and he, in turn, found a growing comfort in your presence. The weight of sadness that previously burdened Portal's heart seemed to lift whenever you were around, especially after the first hug. Driven by an overwhelming desire to uplift your newfound friend, you wrapped your arms around Portal in a warm, loving embrace. In that moment, you hoped to alleviate the burden of sorrow that weighed upon him. Little did you know that this act of compassion would set forth a chain of events that would forever shape your lives. After the initial embrace, many more followed over the next days and sometimes, much to your surprise, the guardian just walked up to you and hugged you tight while whispering fond words of gratitude to your ear. Overwhelmed by a wave of gratefulness and secretly driven by thriving yet unknown feelings that started to surpass those of a normal friendship, he felt an undeniable urge to express his appreciation. He knew he had to give something back to you, a gift that would reflect the depth of his feelings.

So unbeknownst to you, he embarked on a secret mission under the cover of the nightly darkness to repay your kindness and the joy you had brought into his lonely existence. With each delicate movement, he began to weave together the fabric of a garden, meticulously crafting it to mirror the visions that danced within your mind. Guided by the memories you had shared with him and the rare moments he was allowed to peek into your mind, he began to build a garden outside the temple, meticulously recreating the beauty that had once graced your life. With every touch of his glowing gauntlet, flowers appeared and blossomed in vibrant hues, their petals shimmering like stardust. A single majestic trees grew tall and proud, its branches reaching for the sky above, as if yearning to touch the stars themselves. A tranquil river meandered through the garden, perfecting the image that danced within your mind, while the gentle humming of the Tkon technology whispered through the air. The more he concentrated and shaped the more it dawned on Portal that his actions were driven by a deep desire to deepen the bond he had with you. He wanted to create a sanctuary where the two of you could find solace and that would maybe ignite the wish of staying here with him. Being truly honest with himself, he was very well aware that the final day of your assignment on Delphi Ardu IV was approaching relentlessly. Your captain, with the approval of the Federation, granted your wish to remain here under the condition that you'd provide regular updates on the knowledge gained and that you'd picked up after one year to resume your duty on the ship and while the guardian didn't know where this was headed, he was sure that he wouldn't want to let you leave without at least trying to persuade of staying here with him. He wasn't quite ready to be left alone again.

“Morning”, you mumbled, still half asleep as you stretched your arms.

Blinking slowly before finally opening your eyes, your hand reached to the left where Portal usually sat to guard over you while you slept. You weren't in any danger, given that the planet was currently only inhabited by the two of you but he claimed that it would calm him so you let him sit next to your sleeping frame. You jumped up, a sudden panic rising within you, unable to feel his presence as your hand landed on an empty chair. After months of him being always there when you woke up, the sudden lack of his gentle smile in the morning began to worry you. You rushed out, searching every room of the temple until you headed out, calling out for him.

Portal was standing in the garden, holding a crimson delicate earth flower you called rose in his hand. A finger of his gauntlet touched the stem and the thorns dissolved in an orange glow and held the flower up o his nose, taking in the sweet floral scent. Lost in his thoughts about you, his eyes shot up at his name being called out while the sound swift footsteps came closer. His gaze locked on your delicate figure, fixed on your panting chest as you stood there dressed only in your short emerald nightgown.

“Portal, I was-”, a gasp escaped your lips as your eyes wandered off, taking in the sight of the blooming garden around you that appeared over night, “this...is this? How?”, your hands moved around, your mouth agape in shock.

“The marvels of the empire's technology, my dear”, he chuckled nervously, striding towards you.

"Did you make this? With the scent? Why?", you babbled absentmindedly, struggling to comprehend the grandeur before you.

Portal's hand moved up to your face, holding your chin gently while he tilted your head to look at him. His touch sent shivers down your spine, and you couldn't help but be captivated by the intensity in his grey eyes. As his other hand offered you the delicate rose. In that moment, the world around you faded away, leaving only the two of you standing amidst the breathtaking beauty of the blooming garden. The thoughts raced wildly through your mind as you believed to realise the significance of this gesture. With trembling hands, you accepted the rose, its velvety petals brushing against your fingertips. The fragrance filled your nostrils, and you felt an overwhelming sense of warmth and affection. In your world, all of this would have qualified as the most romantic love confession ever made, but this wasn't earth and the guardian wasn't another human, he was the last remnant of a long gone civilisation that was so different from yours.

"I created this garden for you, my dear.”, Portal's voice, usually steady and composed, quivered as he spoke, “every flower, every scent, represents a moment, a memory, we shared, a...”, he paused for a moment, unsure whether he should continue, “...feeling I have for you, all shaped in the form of the garden from your memories.”

“Do you realise what-”

“-this means?”, he interrupted you, his voice barely above a whisper, “I might be a thousands of years old Tkonian portal who didn't know of the death of the empire it was supposed to guard, but that doesn't mean I'm a fool”, he huffed playfully to hide his nervousness.

Or perhaps I am after all... He had seen your memories, listened carefully to your stories and scanned through all the available data on human behaviour, their customs and the definitions of love and being in love. He wasn't made for this, not any more, and he had to admit that he never experienced love or intimacy with anyone of his kind prior to taking his oath to become a portal. And here he stood, the ancient wise Portal Six Three, having read up on any useful piece of information, only to find out that emotions, love in particular, was not something one could tackle with knowledge, it was more like falling down into the unknown abyss, it was a leap of faith and he would only know where it lead if he took the step over the edge.

Tears welled up in your eyes as you gazed at Portal, your heart bursting with an indescribable mixture of love, gratitude, and astonishment. The garden was a testament to the depth of his feelings for you, a declaration that surpassed mere words. When you enlisted at the Academy, ending up on a technically inhabited planet where an ancient being of a lost civilisation fell in love with a simple human, confessing it by creating a marvellous garden, really was the very last outcome that crossed your mind. Your eyes darted between his and his slightly parted lips, wondering whether you should give in to the urge of kissing him.

“I can read your mind, you know”, he dryly commented, swallowing a lump of nervousness that had formed in his throat.

“Well then, Portal Six Three, what are you waiting for?”, you whispered, holding your gaze on his eyes.

“For my little barbarian to accept my challenge.”

Without waiting for your reaction, he gently pressed his lips against yours, indulging in a lingering and passionate kiss that mesmerized both of you.

Time seemed to blur as the rest of the world faded away, leaving only the two of you in this moment of pure connection. The kiss was everything you had imagined and more. It was a wild dance of emotions, a symphony of longing and a testament to the undeniable chemistry between you. In that moment, the rest of the universe ceased to exist, and you were the only two souls in the vastness of space. But as quickly as the kiss had begun, it ended, leaving you both breathless and wanting more. Your lips separated, but the lingering taste of him remained, leaving an indelible mark on your senses. You looked into his eyes, searching for answers, but all you found was a glimmer of something you couldn't quite comprehend. It was a mix of sorrow and longing, as if he held a pain that he couldn't share. Silence hung heavy in the air as you both caught your breath, the unspoken questions lingering between you. What now? Where do you go from here? And what would you do when you had to go back to resume your Starfleet duty?