#the way hawk puts his hand on tims chest. then his neck. then the other side of his neck. and then his face when he kisses him

[avadaniels]

I’m home now.

FELLOW TRAVELERS 1x02 “Bulletproof”

[redmyeyes]

...then why can't it be everlasting?

Fond, is the way Hawk feels about Tim Laughlin. He is fond of the boy. It was fondness that had him making mooneyes at Tim as he talked through his endless relatives, and it’s fondness that has him slinking back to Tim’s apartment on the night of the Executive Order, trying to figure out how to apologize. Fun. That’s all it was. That’s all it can be. He’d shoved Tim away with those words, annoyed that he’d had to say them at all, and he repeats them to himself now, as he waits in the bushes across the street for Tim to return home. He’s half-worried he’s missed him in the seconds he’s looked away. It’s better than the alternative—that Tim is out, happily moving on at The Cozy Corner. It’s what Hawk would do. Except that, for some reason, Hawk is here.

When he arrived an hour ago, he’d gone straight up to Tim’s apartment (the front door left open, again), knocked, and spent an embarrassingly long time listening for imagined breathing until he noticed there was no light coming from under the door. Since then, he’s been waiting in the bushes, staring at Tim’s front door. There’s a tidy pile of crushed butts by his feet. He’s not nervous. There’s every possibility that Tim will send him away without letting him get one word in, and he’d have every right to do so. It would be for the best. But Hawk needs to— not apologize. Not explain. He just needs to see him.

A hundred rehearsed approaches, and he still has no idea that the name he hadn’t spoken in over a decade would be the first word out of his mouth. Kenny.

And then a lie. I want to hold you tonight. What he meant was, I need you to hold me. Tim understands though, as he always does, waiting for Hawk to make his way slowly up the stairs after him, arms held open on the bed.

They slot together, tight, then tighter, holding each other, and Hawk inhales the scent of Tim’s skin, eyes clenched, as though he could block out everything in the world that is not this. His mouth scrapes up and down Tim’s neck above his collar, and his hand squeezes between them to tug at Tim’s tie.

“Thought you just wanted to hold me,” Tim says, cheeky as always, and Hawk wants to sob in relief that he’s—that they’re—back to normal. Normal for them. And the fact that he has a normal with anyone puts a lump in Hawk’s throat.

“Always better skin to skin, no?” He ignores the way his voice is thick and choked.

“You’re terrible,” Tim says, but his hands are clawing restless on Hawk’s back.

Hawk undoes Tim’s tie and the first few buttons of his shirt, just enough for him to pull both at once over Tim’s head. The sleeves get caught on Tim’s wrists and his glasses get pulled on top of his head, and the way Tim grins at him has Hawk wanting to keep him trapped like that. Maybe next time. Tonight, he needs Tim’s arms around him. He grins back at Tim anyway, silent promise in his eyes as he slowly unbuttons the cuffs and pulls the shirt the rest of the way off, one arm at a time. Then the glasses come off, followed by Tim’s too tight undershirt, and finally Tim is topless. Hawk scratches through Tim’s chest hair and tweaks a nipple, and Tim gives a delighted (and delightful) little yelp.

“How do you still have your coat on?” Tim asks, pushing it off his shoulders, and Hawk laughs. Why is it so easy with Tim? Always so easy, as long as they’re alone. As long as they’re here, in this room together, the rest of the world locked outside.

Shirtless, then pantless, then finally lying naked, facing each other on the tiny twin bed. Hawk’s never been so grateful for a twin bed in his life. Tim’s arm is around him, and Hawk’s arm is around Tim, and they’re kissing lazily, as though they have all the time in the world. Tim’s fingers are gentle and curious on his back, tracing up and down his spine and circling his scar. With their other hands trapped between them, their fingers intertwine and lock, squeezing. Tim is hard against his hip, but there’s no urgency to their movements yet.

Tim draws back gradually, trailing kisses, just far enough for them to look at each other without their eyes crossing. He says, too gentle, “Tell me about him?”

Hawk tries to pull away, to roll on his back, but Tim won’t let him, his arm firm around him, his hand squeezing Hawk’s. Hawk closes his eyes and exhales.

“Am I—” Tim starts again, and his voice cracks. “Was he— like me?”

That makes Hawk laugh, shattering the lump in his throat. “Not remotely,” he says. Then, after a moment, adds, “but in some ways, yes.” He blinks open his eyes and finds Tim’s stupidly large brown doe eyes staring back at him, bleeding uncertainty.

“His eyes were blue,” Hawk says haltingly, eyes closing again. It’s easier this way.

An hour later, he’s told him everything. About that match during the Junior Tennis Championships—not the one that won them the whole thing, but the one before, after the semifinals, when he’d kissed Kenny for the first time. About the way it’d felt like life and death. I can’t picture you, shy, Tim says, and Hawk rolls his eyes and tells him about how he’d been watching Kenny for a year before even speaking to him. He was really—sweet, he says, and I felt— wrong? Tim finishes for him when his voice won’t work. He says, we couldn’t stay apart after that, and tells him about the times he convinced Kenny to fool around in the school janitor closet and in the stairwell and once in the Vice Principal’s office when he was out for lunch. He was a bit of a closet exhibitionist too, Hawk says, something else you have in common, and Tim’s mouth twists, like he’s trying to be upset and failing. And then Hawk tells him about the time they got caught by Hawk’s dad. Does your mom know, Tim asks, quiet, and Hawk says, it’s not like we talk about it. But I suppose so. Yes. She’d have to. She’d seen him grieving Kenny, even before Kenny was gone. He wonders what she’d make of Tim.

“You know it’s not your fault, right?”

Hawk blinks at Tim. He must have gone silent for too long. He doesn’t want to think about Kenny anymore. He leans forward, and kisses him.

Tim pulls back, laughing, protesting, but Hawk is insistent, kissing him until Tim’s protests have changed to moans, to whimpers, his leg slotted between Hawk’s, their hips rolling together, cocks sliding slick between them. Better. This is better. Better than—I deserted him. and then he died—thinking about betrayal and desertion and the way he’d corrupted Kenny and would corrupt Tim too. Tim had invited him up, but Hawk could have stayed away, and now it’s too late.

“Skippy,” Hawk breathes, desperate, and pulls their joined hands down between them to fist them both together. “C’mon.”

They come together, just like that, foreheads pressed together and sharing the same breath, and their joined hands are sticky and gross and Hawk doesn’t want to move ever again. He licks into Tim’s open, panting mouth, his tongue lazy.

When he finally pulls back, Tim hums contentedly, but then his eyes clear and he says, determined, “Hawk. You know it’s not your fault. Right?”

Hawk rolls onto his back, pulling his gross, sticky hand away and wiping it on his chest. “Fault is relative,” he says. He didn’t put the bullet in him or start the war, but Kenny wouldn’t have been there in the first place if it wasn’t for him.

Tim scoots closer, not letting him escape, draping an arm over his stomach and pressing his lips to Hawk’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault,” Tim says, insistent, and then, “I’m sorry for your loss. Thank you for telling me about him.”

Hawk’s throat swells up, so he doesn’t say anything at all. After a moment, he presses his lips to Tim’s forehead in gratitude, blinking away tears. It doesn’t change anything. But he’s never spoken about Kenny to anyone, and it feels like a piece of the solid mass in his chest has been chipped away, floating downstream. He doesn’t know that that’s a good thing. Too long with Tim and he’ll be a soft, squishy mess, all of his carefully erected defenses eroded. It’s dangerous. And yet he’s still here.

It’s just fondness. It’s not love. He can stop anytime he wants. With that thought echoing in his head, he rolls back into Tim and burrows close, his arm locking tight around him.

[ffakc]

A Midwest Christmas - a Jeffrey Dean Morgan fanfiction

Again, I’m aware I’m late posting this. I know it’s no longer Christmas, don’t yell at me. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays and I LOVE writing stories that are based around Christmas.

Jeff crushed out his cigarette and breathed hot air into his hands to warm them. He shrugged his shoulders a few times, almost as if he was psyching himself up.

“You okay, babe?” I ask and kiss his cheek, shutting the car off.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I don’t know why I’m so nervous! I’m a grown ass man, damn it,” my boyfriend chuckles.

“They’ll love you, Jeff. You know my mom and dad love you already, you have nothing to worry about, baby” I give his thigh a squeeze and kiss his neck deeply. Jeff moans and tilts his head to the side.

“Please don’t give me a boner before meeting your female relatives,” Jeff chuckles. “I don’t know, babe. Dad might not love me after I walk through the door,” he gestures to his Seattle Seahawks beanie.

“He’ll get over it,” I laugh and open the car door. Jeff grabs the box of gifts from the trunk and holds my hand as we walk to the front door.

“Merry Christmas Eve!” I holler from the foyer. Jeff kicks off his boots.

“Hey sweetie! Hey Jeff, what’s up, brother?” my dad calls from the den.

“Hey, Mr. C,” Jeff smiles warmly.

“Oh no, oh no. You take that hat off! You’re in Bear country!” my dad laughs. “Just when I thought I liked you!”

“I knew you’d say something! GO HAWKS!” Jeff chuckles and tosses it onto the bench. My dad jokingly makes a fist. I roll my eyes playfully and ruffle his hair as we head upstairs. Men and their sports, I’ll never understand it.

“You can just set the gifts under the tree,” I whisper to Jeff and give his arm a squeeze. He waves at my female relatives at the table.

“Hiiiii! Merry Christmas! I’ve missed you!” my cousin Amy hugs me. “How’s New York?”

“Absolutely incredible. Every day feels like a new adventure with this one,” I gesture to my man standing behind me. “This is my boyfriend, Jeff!”

“Hi there, you must be Amy? I’ve heard so much about you!” Jeff shakes her hand and kisses her cheek.

“All good things I hope!” Amy laughs.

“Yes ma’am. I’ve heard y’all are super close, and I love that. Family togetherness recharges the batteries.”

“I’m glad to hear it! I can’t think of a single holiday we didn’t spend together,” Amy gestures around the table.

“Have a seat!” my mom says. “Can I get you anything to drink? We have wine, beer, Coke Zero...”

“I’ll have a Coke,” Jeff replies and sits next to me at the long dinner table. I pull a small bottle of Crown Royal out of my bag.

“I’ll take a Coke as well,” I laugh.

“You came to party! I’ll take some too,” Jeff wraps his arm around me and kisses my cheek as I add the liquor to his glass of ice, “It smells amazing in here, Ma,” Jeff says to my mom.

“Thanks, Jeff! It’s a tradition on Christmas that we have Grandma, my mom’s, tacos. The shells are from a tiny little Mexican kitchen downtown, that’s how my mom always did it. I think we’re just waiting on Jessica and then we’ll be ready to eat!”

“Sounds delicious,” Jeff sips his drink.

“How’d you guys meet? You look super familiar, Jeff,” my aunt Janine remarks. I rest my head on Jeff’s shoulder.

“It all started when I began frequenting this coffee shop that opened near my, well, OUR farm while on hiatus from work. I couldn’t take my eyes off this brown eyed manager with the messy bun in her hair who would always ring me up and make my drink. Golly, she looked cute in that apron,” Jeff nudges me and everyone laughs as I blush. “I finally had to ask this pretty young thing out. I invited her over for dinner and the rest is history. One year and some change later and I can’t imagine my life with anyone else but my baby gal,” he kisses me softly. “Oh! I’m an actor, by the way. I’m currently on a show called The Walking Dead, I play the bad guy named Negan. A lot of people still recognize me as Denny from Grey’s Anatomy and John Winchester from Supernatural though,” Jeff smiles warmly.

“I knew those eyes looked familiar!” my aunt exclaims. “Wow, girl, a famous actor? Check you out!”

“He’s pretty great. I thought the concept of soulmates was cheesy til this man came along. I mean, nobody’s perfect, but Jeffrey comes pretty darn close,” I rub his thigh under the table.

“How old are you anyway? That gray beard says you’re old,” my 13 year old cousin Alyssa asks.

“Lys! You can’t just say that!” her mom quiets her.

“It’s okay, hon! I’m not offended at all! I AM old, real old. I’m 54,” Jeff laughs.

“And how old are you?” Alyssa turns her attention to me.

“24,” I link my arm with my man’s and nuzzle his shoulder.

“Sooo, you were 30 when she was born?” Alyssa makes a sassy face.

“Don’t push it, little girl,” Jeff teases and we all laugh.

*Jeff’s POV*

“So, this is the man cave, huh?” I glance around at the fishing poles adorning the chocolate brown wall and Chicago sports gear.

“Yeah, it’s pretty nice! It gets cold down here, but the fireplace helps!” my girlfriend’s dad Tim tosses some kindling on the fire.

“Super cozy,” I remark. I haven’t been this nervous in a long time. I had something I desperately wanted to ask him, but I didn’t want to just get right to it.

“How you doin’, bud?” my girlfriend’s grandfather Ray asks.

“Good, Ray! I’m really good, fantastic actually. It feels so nice to be off work for the holidays! Thank you guys so much for welcoming me into your home. Dinner was delicious and the Midwest hospitality is much appreciated.”

“You’re always welcome here,” Tim says.

“This is for you,” Ray reaches into his coat pocket. He passes a CD my way with small writing on the jacket, “To: Jeff. Love, Grampa.”

“Aww, what’s this?” I say, pushing my glasses up.

“Elvis Christmas songs. Something for you and your girl to dance to. You better treat her good,” he smiles his adorable old man smile.

“Thank you so much, Grandpa,” I get up and give him a hug. “You didn’t have to get me anything. So, um,” I clear my throat as I settle into the couch. “There’s something we should talk about. I mean, something I need to ask you. I don’t know, I’m shaky as hell. So, how do I put this?” I pull a small velvet box out of my pocket. “I brought this with me.”

“You want to marry me? Let me go get my dress!” Tim teases. Whew, a joke to break the tension.

“Yeah, totally! I, wow, I’m going to cry. Pull yourself together, Jeff. I wanted to know if I can ask your daughter to be my wife. She’s got me wrapped, man. When I look into her eyes, I just fall in love over and over again. I know it’s old fashioned of me to ask, but I thought I’d do the right thing and ask for your blessing. I love your girl so damn much, you have no idea,” I wipe tears away.

“I had a feeling this would be happening. You kept staring at me all through dinner with this lost puppy look in your eye, like I was going to yell at you or something! Jeff, I see the way she looks at you and it warms her dad’s heart. Every time you speak, she stops immediately what she’s doing and stares at you with hearts in her eyes. I’ve never seen my daughter so happy. Of course you have my blessing.” My heart begins hammering in my chest as my soon to be fiancée’s dad pulls me into a hug.

“Thank you so much, sir! Oh my god, I’m freaking out. Thank you, thank you! So, next question, where’s the best place to propose around these parts?”

“Well, downtown near your hotel on 5th Avenue, it’s all decked out in Christmas lights. Maybe you guys could take a walk down there?”

***

“What a great dinner, your family is so kind and welcoming!” Jeff says as we climb into the warm car. “I love you so much, doll.”

“I’m so glad you had a good time, honey. I knew you would! I love you too, Jeff. I’m so looking forward to the hot tub when we get back to the room, I don’t know about you.” Jeff slides his hand over my upper thigh seductively as I drive through the city in the direction of the hotel. I glance over at my boyfriend and he gives me the sexiest bedroom eyes. I could have just stopped the car and taken him right there. We jam out to our favorite Christmas songs and giggle like kids.

“Fifth Avenue,” Jeff mutters. “Pull over, babe.” I pull into a parking spot and Jeff grabs my face and kisses me deeply, “Let’s go walkin’ in a winter wonderland.” I smile and shut the car off and follow behind him. Jeff’s adorable spontaneity was one of his best qualities. He takes me by the hand as we look at the twinkling lights. There’s no cars on the road and the snow dampens all the sound.

“Hey, sweetheart?” Jeff places his hands on my hips.

“Yes?” I wrap my arms around his neck. We hold each other close.

“You’re so damn perfect,” he pecks my lips, I run my fingers through his soft gray hair. “I tried to come up with a long romantic speech, but words are failing me. You’re everything I’ve hoped and dreamed for. You’re the reason I wake up in the morning. You’re the reason I can’t wipe this smile off my face. Every time I look into those gentle brown eyes, I’m reminded of why I fell in love with you all over again. A life without you is a life I don’t want to live. You’re my entire world, sweet girl.” Jeff pulls away and reaches into his pocket.

“Oh my god,” I sigh, “Jeffrey, I-I-“ I’m utterly speechless. Jeff brushes away the snow on the sidewalk with his gloved hand and gets on one knee.

“Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?” Jeff smiles widely, opening the velvet box and revealing a simple, shimmering band. That man knew me so well, it was exactly the

“Oh god, Daddy! Yes! Yes, Jeffrey, yes I’ll marry you!” I jump up and down excitedly. Jeff’s hands shake as he slides the ring on my finger. I gasp with delight, “I love you. Oh baby, it’s beautiful!” Jeff gets to his feet and rests his forehead against mine as we both cry tears of joy. My breath quavers from excitement and the biting cold as Jeff kisses me over and over again.

“I want you to be mine forever,” he whispers against my lips.

“Forever and ever. Oh my god, my heart is racing! You’re so amazing, I love you so much.”

“I love you the most, baby gal.”

***

Jeff and I could hardly keep our hands off each other as we hustled to the elevator.

“Merry Christmas!” the front desk agent calls out.

“You too!” Jeff replies with a friendly wave. I untie my coat as the door to the elevator shuts. I tangle my fingers in my silver fox’s thick hair and moan as he kisses my neck and pulls down my sweater, brushing his scruffy beard against my chest as he kisses and sucks gently.

“Jeffrey, you naughty boy,” I gasp. His large, slender hand find its way between my thighs. “Please, Daddy,” I whine. Jeff slides his fingers down the front of my leggings. He pulls them out just as the elevator chimes, my face goes red as I readjust my Christmas sweater and Jeff fixes his hair as if nothing ever happened.

“Merry Christmas!” an innocent, elderly Mrs. Claus looking woman greets us.

“Merry Christmas to you too!” I reply, the cool air of the hallway hitting Jeff’s saliva on my chest, causing me to shiver with delight. We laugh to ourselves as Jeff opens the door to our suite. Oh, that poor old lady, I hope she didn’t hear too much.

“Let’s see, how about we celebrate with a drink!” Jeff says with a wide smile, slinging his coat over a chair.

“Hmm, how about something sweet? I kind of want dessert after all those tacos,” I wrap my arms around my now fiancé’s waist as he kisses me, his large hands squeeze me closer.

“Your sweater reminds me, how about a White Russian?”

“I am, in fact, the Dude. One of my favorites,” I reply with a laugh.

“Hmm. Vodka, check. Coffee liqueur, got it. Cream, hmm. Cream, cream, cream,” Jeff taps his chin. “Got it!” he grabs some half and half packets from the coffee station.

“Ah, resourceful! I like that!” I kiss him and sit on the bed, “I’ll get the bath ready.”

I draw the bath and Jeff hands me a drink, setting his on the rim of the tub. He unbuttons his shirt revealing his hairy chest and stomach. He kisses me.

“I love you so much,” he says. “Nice ring you’ve got there.”

“Thanks!” I run my fingers down his chest, “My handsome fiancé gave it to me.”

“He must be a lucky guy,” Jeff’s pants come off and he slides into the tub with a loud groan.

“Jesus, that feels so fucking good,” he runs his fingers through his hair. “Come on in, baby gal, the water’s fine.” Jeff bites his lip eagerly as I take my clothes off. “You’re so sexy, you know that?”

“I could say the same about you, darlin’,” I reply, tossing my bra on the floor. I tie my hair up as my fiancé looks me up and down. I climb in the tub, opposite of the rugged older man that I was so lucky to call mine. Jeff grabs my leg and begins kissing the length of my calf.

“When and where do you want to get married?” he asked with a sly smile, kneading my legs.

“Honestly, I’ve always dreamed of a fall or winter wedding. You know how I feel about hot weather,” I take a sip of my White Russian.

“Babe, it’s too hot! This is stupid! Ninety degrees? Ew, fuck that!” Jeff imitates my whining. I laugh.

“You know me so well!”

“Daddy, I have a headache!” Jeff cackles.

“Will you shut the fuck up?” I playfully splash water in his face with my foot. Jeff sputters.

“I give you shit because I love you!” he wipes his face.

“I know, and I give it right back to you, asshole! What were we talking about again?” I giggle.

“Wedding plans?”

“Oh, right. So, definitely a fall wedding. What about on the farm? Ballrooms have never really struck my fancy. That little area off beyond the pastures would be beautiful, don’t you think?”

“I agree, I don’t need a big gala with a stuffy tuxedo to show everyone how much I love you. Ooh! How about under that big tree where we had a picnic and carved our names?” Jeff places my legs on his shoulders.

“J hearts K, yeah, I remember,” I sigh longingly. “That’s where you first told me you loved me.”

“Aw, it was, wasn’t it? You packed us a picnic and everything! You’re just a regular Ina Garten, aren’t you? Remember me yelling at the dogs to stay away from the alpacas? ‘Guys, those aren’t puppies, they’ll kick the shit out of you!’” Jeff laughs.

“Well, if I’m Ina, you’re Jeffrey! Hey, look at that! It works!” I tap my glass against his. “Those dogs are so cute, but they’re little shits sometimes.”

“Oh, absolutely they are,” Jeff agrees. “Wow, that cute barista who I was scared to ask out is going to be my wife? How did I get so damn lucky?”

“You were scared to ask me out? Why? We would always chit-chat back and forth.”

“Yeah, I don’t know why. I think it’s because I didn’t want to be THAT guy. You know, the guy who thinks the food service worker is flirting with him just because she’s being nice,” Jeff rolls his eyes.

“I didn’t get that impression from you at all! I think you’re sexy as fuck, and have since the day I first met you. If I thought you were a scumbag, I wouldn’t have flirted back. And I wouldn’t have had sex with you on the first date, would I?” I tease.

“You’re right. Man, that was a wild night, eh? My heart still beats fast when I think about it,” Jeff grins. “You looked so damn good in my shirt too. Come here,” he holds out his arms and I make my way to his side of the tub, sitting on his lap. He runs his manly hands all over my body and buries his face in my neck, kissing and moaning, “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Mrs. Morgan.”

“I love the sound of that. I get to be your wife and I’ve never been happier in my entire life. I love you so much, Jeffrey.”

“I love you too.”

We eventually climb out of the tub, after kissing and laughing and talking til the water turns our toes to raisins. I wrap myself in a fuzzy bathrobe and Jeff quickly does the same. I climb in the big, fluffy bed and Jeff snuggles next to me. He wraps his slender arms around me and I immediately drift off to sleep.

***

“Merry Christmas, gorgeous,” Jeff’s croaky, sultry morning voice rings in my ears like church bells. He kisses my forehead, his scruff brushing against my skin. I squint my eyes at the bright sun bouncing off the snow and flooding our suite.

“Merry Christmas, Daddy,” I curl up closer to his warm body. I close my eyes and bury my face in his chest, “Has anyone told you that you look like Santa Claus with your beard?” I laugh and kiss his collarbones.

“Every damn day on social media,” Jeff chuckles. He moans softly at my touch. I stop and hold out my left hand, my vintage gold band shimmering in the light.

“Just had to make sure I wasn’t dreaming,” I smile.

“You ain’t dreamin’, sweet girl. You’re going to be my wife,” Jeff kisses me and strokes my hair. He climbs on top of me, our naked bodies still cloaked in the beige comforter. He buries his face in my neck, leaving sloppy kisses.

“Daddy,” I whimper.

“Yeah, baby?” I hold his face in my hands.

“Nothing, I just like looking at you. You sure are pretty. What do you say we have a little fun before going back to Mom and Dad’s?”

“I would want nothing more,” I reply as Jeff pulls the blanket over his head and begins kissing down my body. I giggle with delight as his beard tickles me. Best. Christmas. Ever.

Tag list: @negans-attagirl @jdmbbycakes @iluvneganandjamie

[dumbsnakefan]

Thou Shalt Love

Chapter 2: In You I Take Refuge

A/N: This took longer than expected but here it is! Also, if you want me to tag you in the next chapter please let me know!

Hidden away in a small Inn in a town surrounded by only nature, Nea watched over Allen’s prone figure. A thin layer of sweat covered his nephew’s body from exertion. His mind still tried to fight the inevitable of his awakening. Well, Nea supposed that Allen was too stubborn to ever give in so easily. Not that it wouldn’t make a difference in the end. The Noah memories were like an unrestrained storm as they tore into the brain.

Letting out an aggravated sigh Nea said to himself, “Why did that bastard Cross have to die on me like that? He always manages to piss me off.” His eye twitched as he remembered the debts the man had hoisted upon his former host. Despite all his hatred for the General there were too many questions left unanswered. From what Timcanpy had shown him Allen had forgotten everything. What’s more, he had gotten younger. It was like trying to put together a puzzle without most of the pieces.

Had Cross not had answers for that at least Nea could have used his magical skills. That four eyed idiot had done something strange and outside his own abilities. As best he could figure, however, their “separation” hadn’t accounted for the Noah gene. He could laugh if not for the absolute mess of it all.

There was something strange about this memory as well. It was like none of the others as far as he could tell. Allen’s inner Noah was swaddling him in a thorny embrace, like a babe in need of protection. Compared to his own, a destructive thing that had him clawing at his skin in agony, it was soft. Nea felt an urge to pull his nephew close and never let go again. The strangeness of Allen’s memory was oddly fitting.

Lacking any new information to dissect Nea could only move on to other things. Specifically how the Noah family would react to this. Like Nea they had to have felt the surge of a new memory breaking into the world. They would want to pull him away from the dreaded 14th as soon as they could, lest he “corrupt” their new brother. A smile stretched across Nea’s lips as he swore to keep his dearest friend by his side.

What a family reunion they’d be having. If Mana had any real sanity left Nea would have liked to share one last tender moment before the end. Fate and that detestable God were not so kind as to give any Noah such a merciful gift though. They would forever seek to destroy them for being in the way. Should Nea succeed he would put an end to their farce. His brother would be freed at long last.

Keeping Allen far away from this whole affair was very important. The attachment he’d formed with Mana could turn into a crushing weight when the truth was revealed. Those bonds of father and son were already so entangled with tragedy; Nea wouldn’t let another disaster play out. Mana’s insanity could drag them all down if left unchecked.

From what Timcanpy had shown of Allen’s time as Red, his brother had been attached at the hip with him. Nea knew that he’d forgotten it all just by the way he treated his nephew. That didn’t mean that Mana wasn’t drawn to him, oh no. Even when not a wisp of Nea’s presence had been visible the Earl had targeted Allen. Drawn like a moth to a flame, they circled each other. Now under the calming lull of the Noah memory inside Allen Mana would chase him wholeheartedly.

Then there was the other Noah to consider. Road and Joyd seemed to have the strongest bond with Allen of the family. While the others weren’t as close, they all appeared interested when interacting with him. Being a true part of the family could only grow their connection. It made Nea sick just thinking about it. The need to keep Allen close and out of their grubby hands echoed from his own Noah.

Wasn’t keeping Allen by his side the best way to make sure he was safe? Those disgusting roaches that scuttled about the Order were still searching for Allen. Nea had seen how easily they had hurt their beloved comrade. All throughout the past Timcanpy had shown Nea there had been pain. His nephew’s past was a constant spiral of suffering. Taking him away from the world that was so ready to tear him apart could only be a kindness.

Tension had built to a boiling point in Nea’s body and he forced himself to release it. In an attempt to calm down he scouted closer to the bed. A new bead of blood pooled along Allen’s stigmata that Nea wiped away. Unconsciously he pushed into the contact. Warmth bloomed in Nea’s chest. Seeing his dearest friend like this, utterly peaceful, was something he’d truly missed.

His senses registered the Noah memory shift from it’s dormant state and Nea braced for another wave of pain. More blood flowed down from Allen’s forehead as he became restless. The once lax expression of sleep twisted in pain. That’s when the screaming started, scratching Allen’s throat raw. It was hard not to wince at the sheer volume of his screams.

As the screams faded out Nea felt a new presence join them. Annoyed and reluctant to leave Allen’s side Nea turns to face the intruder. Standing before him is the Demon Eye, expression a mask of indifference. Rage so obviously simmers behind the facade but Nea finds it as threatening as a wet kitten.

His smile is packed full of malice as he says, “Didn’t know they’d let you come alone to see me kid.” The twitch of annoyance from Wisely’s reincarnation is so sweet. “You’d think with how easily I killed you last time you would all be a bit more careful.” Bloodlust oozes off Nea in waves, making the air thick with it.

Only when Allen’s scream rise back up does he stop. Nea is so tempted to return to his side to comfort him. The possibility of an attack is what holds him back. Wisely would be more than happy to slit his throat and take Allen away for good; or at least attempt to. There was no way Nea would give him that kind of opening.

“Would it kill you to be nicer, dearest 14th? I’m here to give you some friendly advice after all.” The moniker has Nea gnashing his teeth. He knows that smug bastard is enjoying himself. What an asshole.

Tilting his head Wisely says, “Like you’re one to talk. You really hold the title of world's biggest asshole.” Of course the little creep was reading his mind. Even in his new life Wisely refused to learn what privacy means.

Moving closer to the other Noah, Nea glares down with cold eyes. “Cut this bullshit and tell me why you’re really here.”

“We won’t let you keep him from us.” The brat dares to step closer to Allen and Nea watches him like a hawk for a single misstep. “You can’t hide no matter how hard you try. Someday soon we’ll bring our brother home, where he belongs.”

Something in Nea snaps. Anger grips his heart like a vice. Unwilling and unable to hold back, he shoots towards Wisely. His hand wraps around the bastard's neck. Blood drips from where his fingernails bite into WIsely’s skin as Nea squeezes his windpipe. The choked panic gives him no satisfaction. Painting the walls red with his blood is what he needs now.

His grip tightens, drawing a wheeze from the pathetic Noah. “He’s mine. Allen is mine.” Nea says with unhinged glee. “You can never take him from me. I’ll kill every single one of you if you try.”

It’s only when a burst of stabbing pain sweeps over Nea’s mind that he returns to reality. He let’s go reluctantly, Wisely falling at his feet. Such a shame he couldn’t kill him, but Nea is patient. Now is not the right time to crush Wisely beneath his foot. Later he’ll make sure to make his end painful.

Between satisfying coughing fits Wisely manages to bite out, “Ru-Road said to, guh, give you a warning for old t-times sake.” The venom behind the glare he gives Nea is almost impressive. “Shouldn’t have listened to her. You deserve to watch as your world crumbles around you and you fail.” It makes him laugh, the thought that Nea would lose to the likes of him.

Wisely’s face twists up in amusement. Nea keeps himself in check as he moves towards Allen. Fighting this close to Allen could only end in disaster. Even as the rat bastard patted his nephew’s head he held back. Truly, his restraint was worthy of the highest praise.

“I can’t wait to see what our new brother is capable of. He was already such an interesting human...” The little shit was lost in his own mind as he brushed hair off Allen’s forehead. It’s a herculean effort on Nea’s behalf to stay his hand. Perhaps killing him was worth the risk after all?

However, what Wisley said next stopped him dead in his tracks. “I do wonder why the Earl is already so attached to Allen?” What? No, this can’t possibly be happening; it’s too early. “I knew that you’d have answers. There’s something slipping just outside my reach, no matter how hard I search.”

Desperately Nea snaps his mind shut to leave only unrelated drivel in its wake. He needs to throw the Demon Eye Noah off his scent. Now. “Why don’t you ask Mana yourself?” The wince he gets is a good sign. Raising his voice and stepping into Wisley’s space Nea tells him, “Now get out of my sight.”

Gold meets gold as they assess each other for weakness. Finding nothing, Wisley moves to finally leave them be. With every step Nea feels better. On the threshold of the door, however, he turns back. Body going tense Nea prepares for whatever the creep plans to throw his way next.

“Before I go, you might want to find a new hiding place. There are some Akuma out there who aren’t very good a t playing nice.” An Explosion rocks the building, punctuating his statement. The string of curses that Nea lets out would have a sailor blushing. “Hope you enjoy yourself 14th!” His smug face watches on as Nea fumbles for their things. The Ark gate behind him swallows Wisely up but Nea pays it no mind.

Screams fill the air in a terrible crescendo of horror. With Allen out of commision Nea can only run. Scooping up his struggling nephew Nea makes sure Tim grabs their luggage. Ignoring the town below he calls up his own gate and the three disappear from sight. The humans left behind in that remote town are mowed down with mercy. Chaos creeps around every corner and the scent of blood blankets the air in a red mist. No one will discover the scene of pure carnage until weeks later.

[indestinatus]

Something blue (part 2/?)

read it in AO3 if you prefer

*this is a tiva fic. Please read chapter 1 first.

"Goooood morning!" Ellie exclaimed excitedly as she entered the bullpen, putting her backpack on the ground.

McGee was in his desk, concentrated on something on his computer, eyes unblinking, completely ignoring the world around him.

"Hey, McGee, goooood morning!"

There was no reaction, but Ellie noticed that some beads of sweat now covered his forehead.

"Goooood- hey what's wrong with him?" asked Nick, arriving at the bullpen, casting a puzzled look to Bishop who was still next to her desk studying the other agent.

"Don't know yet, he was already like that when I got here."

Nick and Ellie hovered around McGee, cornering him until they're standing on each side of his computer, but just as they tried to look at his screen, he was faster and closed it.

"Hey, guys, good morning."

"Okaaaaay. Weird," stated Ellie.

"Are you hacking this time of the morning, bro?" asked Torres, eyes squinting in distrust, "you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm just-"

"Petty officer Grove isn't," declared Gibbs loudly, entering the bullpen as usual, in a rush, "grab your gear, we're going sailing."

"Sailing?" asked Torres, eyes wide "as in bluewater, sunset, a drink in my hand-sailing?"

"I think he means we're going to a ship," Ellie patted his shoulder in consideration, "maybe later, Gatsby."

"The man makes sailing boats all the time..."

McGee's eyes turned unfocused again and he stood silently, eyebrows furrowed in clear concern as he grabbed his backpack mechanically.

"Hey, man, you alright?" asked Nick again, eyeing McGee curiously.

"Yeah, yeah, I am. I just... Yes. I am," said Tim, walking towards the elevator without looking back.

Nick and Ellie exchanged a meaningful look as they entered the elevator, a clear connection between the two, who now shared the same thought.

McGee wasn't, in fact, alright.

°°°

"Oh, man, this isn't EVEN close to what I imagined it would be," said Nick loudly, trying to beat the sound of the waves and the wild sirens of the ship, "and I'm starting to feel a little bit sick."

"You might try to get used to it, we are in the middle of nowhere," Ellie smiled at him from where she stood on the main deck, the wind aggressively tousling her hair, "besides, something tells me we're going to stay here for a while."

"Why don't we do something different for once? Like, have a case that leads to Hawaii or some deserted beach?"

"Quit dreaming, Torres," said Gibbs as the team entered the accommodations, leaving the sirens and wind behind, "Palmer should be here already, find him."

Nick nodded looking a bit pale, and he left to search for the medical examiner.

Ellie eyed McGee with distrust, he hadn't spoken a word during the whole trip to the naval base. His forehead was furrowed and his eyes were darting everywhere, as if his thoughts were more important than the actual reality.

"Body is down in the control room," Nick popped his head by the door, sweat coating his skin, "oof, remind me to never again set foot on a ship."

"Will do," answered Ellie, patting his shoulder as they descended the stairs to the control room.

Palmer was squatting next to the petty officer's body, who was laying on the ground almost as if he was only sleeping, arms placed on top of his abdomen, hands together.

"He was shot once in the head, entry and exit wounds present, probably 0.38 caliber bullet. He was young, around 25, but it was a quick death, at least," Jimmy sighed, "as my grandmother used to say, never forget to seas the day."

Palmer barked a laugh but as soon as he looked up to the team and saw that no one was laughing with him, his face became serious again as he muttered his apologies under his breath.

McGee arrived at the scene with a camera around his neck, the back of his hand wiping his forehead, clearly uncomfortable.

"MCGEE!," exclaimed Jimmy, standing up in a second, "I need to talk to you."

"Not now, Jimmy, we'll talk later."

"But we have to-"

"Yeah, I know. I'm doing it. Just... Just let me think for a second."

Ellie's eyebrows shot up and she glanced at Nick with wide eyes, who sent her a knowing look in return. As McGee started to take the photographs of the scene, bending down to the ground, deep in his thoughts, Bishop and Torres got closer to Palmer.

"Hey, man," said Torres quietly, grabbing Jimmy's arm and pulling him to a corner, "is everything alright? He has a crazy look in his eyes."

Ellie got closer, crossing her arms, "do you know something that you're not telling us, Jimmy?"

Jimmy huffed an uncomfortable laugh, "Uh... I don't know if I can tell you, guys, it's just-"

"Let him be," a grave voice startled them from behind, "this time it's actually important."

Gibbs angled his chin to Nick, "Torres, with me, ask about witnesses. Bishop," he pointed to a video camera on a corner of the ceiling, "get that."

Nick's eyes shot to Ellie, the white of them visible as he motioned between them with his index finger, "only WE don't know what's going on, blondie."

"Hmmm," muttered Bishop, putting her hands on her hips as Gibbs and Torres left the scene to ask about the dead petty officer to the others on board.

She looked around, eyeing Palmer and McGee with suspicion, trying to discover any clue of what was going on, but they were both engrossed in their jobs.

"I will find out," she stated to whoever was listening, leaving the scene confidently, her boots stomping on the stairs.

She didn't notice that Jimmy's lips opened in a small grin.

°°°

"Dancing queen... Young and sweet..."

Jack Sloane was singing in the bathroom stall softly, whistling along with the melody of the song.

She opened up the door and almost fell to the ground.

"Oh, my God, Ellie," she declared, raising a hand to press at her chest in surprise, "you scared the hell out of me. What are you doing here like that?"

Ellie was leaning her back at the bathroom counter, arms crossed and face grave, "what do you know?"

"What do I know about what...?"

Bishop gave two knocks on the door rhythmically and Nick appeared, locking the bathroom door behind him.

"Does she know something?"

"Nick, this is the women's bathroom."

"Yeah, I know."

"And what are you doing here, then?"

"We're interrogating you."

"Interrogating me?" Jack huffed a laugh, "what did I do?"

"What you didn't do, to be exact," said Bishop with distrust, "do you know something about what's going on with Jimmy and McGee?"

"With... Jimmy and McGee? And why-"

"Don't try to cover them up, it's been days since they have these lunatic eyes and secretive conversations," complimented Torres.

"But why-"

"Does it have something to do with you-know-who?" asked Ellie, getting closer to Sloane with her arms crossed, followed by Nick doing the same on her other side.

"You-know-who as in...?"

"T and Z, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the hawk and the eagle, the shotgun and the dagger, ya know."

"Codenames? In the women's bathroom, seriously?"

Ellie looked at Torres and nodded in agreement.

"Yep," said both at the same time.

"It's been a few weeks since she left and we didn't get any news from anyone. Then McGee appears one morning looking like he's just been shot and Palmer is the same, not being able to form complete sentences. So... It's about someone they both knew."

"Them," stated Bishop, nodding to what Nick was saying, "and Gibbs knows as well. So... You know."

"Hey, guys, hold on," asks Jack, hands opened in front of her as an attempt of defending herself, "why do you think I know only because Gibbs knows?"

"Well, because-"

"That's not the point," interrupted Ellie, clearly impatient, "the point is: what is it?"

"Well, you should ask them," said Jack, eyes narrowing, "so excuse me, because I have no idea what you're talking about."

She washed her hands and fled the bathroom, leaving Nick and Ellie frustrated and confused.

"Do you think she's telling the truth?"

"I don't know, she’s hiding something."

°°°

Once they arrived at the bullpen, McGee was furiously writing on something. He then threw away the paper with a concerned face and started over again. The floor near his desk was already mostly covered in paper balls.

"Okay, MCGEE," called Ellie loudly, putting both her hands on his desk with loud 'thump', "What. Is. Going. On?"

Tim looked at her with wide eyes, as if it was the first time he noticed he was actually in the bullpen and not in his room in front of his typewriter. He looked at Torres, behind her, arms crossed and face puzzled. He looked at Gibbs leaving the scene with a smirk, coffee in hand.

"Okay, okay," he said, standing up, his hands opened in front of him in defense, "I wasn't supposed to tell you yet, but I think they've already sent them."

Ellie cast a questioning look to Torres, who appeared just as confused as she was, "sent what?"

"What's this?"

Kasie raised a light grey envelope in the air, eyes darting from McGee to Torres to Bishop. Ellie looked at Nick and raced to get it from Kasie's hand, but he was faster than her and grabbed it first.

"Okay," Nick said panting, "what's this?" he repeated, turning the envelope in his hands.

Ellie looked across his shoulder, Nick’s arms blocking her way to the envelope, "open. It. Nick." she asked.

It was wrapped in a bronze ribbon, with an olive branch placed behind a golden wax seal. It read "T and Z" in beautiful, cursive golden writing. It was lovely.

"No no no no, let me open it," said Ellie once she saw what it was, "or you'll damage it."

"I think you both got one," said Kasie, raising another envelope from Ellie's desk.

She raced to it, grabbing the envelope with a force but then carefully unwrapping the ribbon, opening it gently.

"Save the date," she breathed out.

Ellie held Kasie's hands and started jumping up and down in some sort of dance, a big smile on her lips "they're getting married! We'll have a wedding! They're getting married!" she started to chant.

We do. (yes, finally, we know) You’re important to us, so save the date! - Tony and Ziva  

McGee couldn't help but smile at the scene. His two best friends were finally getting together and starting a new life next to each other, and their daughter. For him, it was almost surreal. After years of bickering, boyfriends deaths, undercover operations, all finally ended well. His heart warmed with the thought.

"Yes, we have a wedding," he said to the group, "and I'll have to write the best man's speech, just as Palmer will have to make a toast as... Let's just say the man of honor. That's why we were so jittery the past few days. I have to get this right, they're both very important to me."

"Oh, McGee," said Ellie, patting his hand in reassurance, "you'll prepare a brilliant speech, I'm certain of it."

"Besides, we're all be there by your side to laugh at all your jokes," said Kasie with a smile.

"You're going too, Kasie?" asked Ellie.

"Oh, yeah, I think even George the janitor is going. I just didn't get the invite yet."

Just as she said that, Gibbs appeared in a rush, coffee on one hand and a light gray envelope wrapped in a ribbon on the other, which he softly gave to Kasie without saying a word.

"Guys," said Nick alarmingly, eyes wide while reading the invitation, "GUYS. GUYS. GUYS. OH MAN, THIS IS GOING TO BE SWEEEEEET."

"What? What did we miss? What's going on?" asked Ellie.

Gibbs was smirking in his desk, but silent. McGee had an amused look in his eyes but also didn't answer. Bishop ran to Nick and tried to seize what was in his hands to have a look but he was faster.

"This wedding isn't in DC," said Nick as he started to do a sequence of reggaeton moves, "MY MAN IS GOING ON VACATION!"

Everyone started to cheer and laugh loudly, as a family does.

In the back of the paper, a little message was placed at its center, a branch of olive leaves on each side of the elegant handwriting.

Grab your gear, We are waiting for you in Greece. - lots of love, T and Z.

P.S.: If any of you start to sing Mamma Mia like I'm listening to FOR DAYS from my two ladies, I WILL go mad. P.S.S.: But if you have the urge to, do it. This will be a great party. - T.

[youngjusticeslut]

Love, Actually

Fandom: Young Justice Links: FF.net // AO3 Characters:  Roy Will Harper, Kaldur’ahm, Artemis Crock, Lian Harper, Cassie Sandsmark, Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Jaime Reyes, Bart Allen, M’gann M’orzz, Conner Kent, Virgil Hawking, Traci Thurston, Violet Harper, Brion Markov, Forager Ships: Wonderbird, Karen/Mal, Dick/Barbara, Bluepulse, Supermartian, Briolet Summary: Everyone spends Valentine's day differently. A quick glimpse into the lives of many different couples, and some singles. Rating: T Word Count: 4793 Disclaimer: I don’t own any of these characters. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone <3

“I trust that the shipment of military goods has reached its destination without alarm?” Kaldur asked, looking over his notes. He’d reached the bottom of his list, now it was just the smaller matters that needed addressing.

“More or less,” Captain Marvel answered. “There were a few distractions.”

“But the end result remains the same,” Martian Manhunter assured. “The shipment is settled and on route to those who need it.”

“Excellent,” Wonder Woman announced. “Is there anything else, Aquaman?”

Kaldur glanced down his list again. In his pocket, his phone continued to vibrate. It had been going off without pause since the start of the meeting. He knew it wasn’t urgent, for if it was, an alert would have sounded off at the Watchtower. Curiosity was starting to get the better of him, however.

The remainder of the list could wait for another time.

“No, we have covered everything. Meeting adjourned,” he declared, nodding to Wonder Woman’s hologram. She nodded back, then vanished. He stayed behind, taking the time to say goodbye to each and every leaguer. Kaldur always made sure that he was the last person in the room after these meetings. It gave him a sense of peace, knowing everyone was headed off to other things. Only once the room had cleared did he bother to fish out his phone.

Sixteen new messages lit up Kaldur’s screen. The vast majority of them were the same, wishing him a happy Valentine’s Day. He hummed to himself, reading each one. Some even contained pictures. His favorite was of Lian and Will, faces pressed close to the camera, both covered in frosting. Kaldur smiled, almost wanting to call Will and find out the whole story, but a quick glance at the time told him that Will would be at Bowhunter for the next few hours; the conversation would have to wait.

In all truth, Kaldur had forgotten that it was Valentine’s day. Between managing the League and continuing to maintain his secrets, he did not have much time to devote to personal matters. Twirling his phone in his hands, his mind began to wander to someone who did. Someone who had far too much time on her hands, especially today. He unlocked his phone for the second time and found her number, dialing and pressing the speaker to his ear.

“ Hello? ”

“Tell me you are not where I think you are.”

A sigh. “ No such luck. ”

Kaldur frowned. “Is this going to become a yearly occurrence?”

“ Did you call to check in, or lecture me? ”

“The former, admittedly. Are you alright?”

“ Never better .” Her voice said otherwise. Kaldur gripped the phone tight in his hand, debating on whether or not to say something. On one hand, it wasn’t his place. It was absolutely none of his business what she did with her time. On the other hand, she was his friend, and she was hurting.

“Do you wish for company?”

“ You don’t have to. ”

Kaldur almost smiled. If she had said no, it would have meant she wanted to be alone. But she hadn’t said no. “Two minutes, Tigress.”

Artemis said goodbye and hung up the call, putting the phone back in her pocket. Letting out a deep breath, she stared back up at Wally’s hologram.

“Will and I were up half the night baking cupcakes for Lian’s Valentine’s day party. A bunch of toddlers hyped up on sugar sounds like a terrible idea to me, but I’m not the one dealing with the repercussions,” she said, setting a cupcake down at the foot of the hologram. “Double chocolate with heart-shaped sprinkles. You can tell that I made this one, because it looks like shit.”

Artemis hadn’t meant to make coming to the Grotto a yearly thing. Her first Valentine’s day without Wally, she’d been lonely and needed to see his face. She hadn’t wanted anyone to see her pore over pictures or videos, so she sought the private intimacy of the Grotto. Admittedly, she’d felt better after talking to his hologram. Artemis had promised herself that she didn’t need to do it this year, that she had plenty going on in her life and she didn’t need to come.

Yet here she was.

It was increasingly pathetic, but the moment Lian was at daycare, Will was at work and Halo was at school, she’d felt the loneliness tugging at her heart. Ten minutes hadn’t passed before Artemis had put on her shoes and headed for the nearest Zeta. Pathetic, but it helped. Nobody would have known if she’d just kept her big mouth shut the previous year and hadn’t admitted the truth to Kaldur. But now he knew, and now he was on his way.

Artemis felt his presence before she saw him. It was amazing how connected they both were after working so closely undercover. She turned, cocking her head to the side in a hello. “You rang?”

Kaldur nodded, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Do I get a cupcake?”

“No, I just brought one. But we have more at home.”

“I know,” Kaldur said, lifting his eyes to stare at the hologram of his fallen friend. He wasn’t able to look for more than a couple seconds before he had to glance away. “Will told me I could come over.”

Artemis nodded and then crossed her arms. “I’m fine, Kal. Really.”

“I know.”

“And I should get going. I’m going to be late for work,” Artemis groaned, gently shrugging away from Kaldur’s hand and fixing her ponytail. “Some Valentine’s Day, huh?”

“Indeed. If you need me-”

“I know,” Artemis finished for him, shooting him a grin. “I promise I’m okay. Walk me out?”

“I think I will take a few more minutes.” Kaldur’s feet moved of their own accord until he found himself in front of Tula’s hologram.

Artemis watched him and thought it best not to get into it; if she did, she really would be late to work. She left the Grotto, pulling out her phone again. Speaking of Valentine’s day, there was a certain bat she needed to check on.

If ur late 2 training again and leave me w/the lovebirds, you’ll be missing ur namesake by nightfall

Dick couldn’t help but laugh as he read Artemis’ text. “Think I should take that challenge?” he asked his girlfriend, showing her the text. Barbara’s eyes glanced across the screen before she shook her head.

“Too risky. Your namesake is far too useful,” she growled, pulling him closer. Dick smirked, leaning down to kiss his girlfriend. Their first Valentine’s day together was off to an excellent start. He had snuck into her apartment late the previous night, but Barbara was happy to have him. From the moment his eyes had opened she was all over him, and for once Dick had nowhere to be, so he was more than happy to oblige.

Dick pulled back from the kiss, leaning against Barbara’s chest. “Happy Valentine’s day.”

“So the Boy Wonder remembered this year.”

“Hey, technically we weren’t together last year,” Dick reminded, pushing his bangs away from his face.

Barbara pushed herself up against her pillows, raising her brow. “Didn’t stop you from coming over.”

“I love it when you banter with me,” he mused, tucking some hair behind his girlfriend’s ear. “It’s the best kind of foreplay.”

“Round two already? You’ve got a lot of energy this morning,” Barbara teased, pulling him down for another kiss.

Dick kissed her back, nipping at her bottom lip. “Well, what can I say? It’s not the holiday of love every morning.” He backed up, cracking his neck with a satisfying pop. Barbara watched as he clambered off the bed, looking for his discarded jeans.

“If you pull out a jewelry box from your pants pocket, I may actually kill you.”

“Not even ten am and my life has been threatened twice. Business as usual,” Dick sighed as he indeed slid a black rectangle out of his jeans pocket. “Just let me be a good boyfriend.”

“A cliche boyfriend,” Barbara groaned, trying to get comfortable against the pillows. But even she couldn’t hide the interest in her voice. Try as she might to deny it, she wanted the present.

Just as Dick was about to hand it over, he held it out of reach. “I mean if you don’t want it.”

“You already bought it.”

“I could return it.”

“Grayson, give me the box,” Barbara demanded. “Is it ugly?”

“Yes, Bruce picked it out.” Barbara rolled her eyes and snatched the box from him. Dick got dressed as she opened the clasp; he tried not to smirk when her face lit up. “Did I do good?”

“Oh Grayson, you did good ,” Barbara said, snapping the sapphire bracelet closed on her wrist. “I’m not a jewelry girl, but this… this I can do.”

“Good,” Dick grinned, pecking her lips before he put his shirt on. “I have to get going, but how do you feel about dinner tonight? We can hit the town, somewhere nice.”

Barbara nodded, picking up her phone. She smiled as she engaged with the plethora of Valentine’s day messages, her heart melting when she saw a picture of Karen and Mal’s infant daughter dressed up in a onesie covered with hearts. “Eight PM?”

“It’s a date.” Dick waved before he darted out of the room. “Say hi to Karen for me!” he called back.

Karen and Mal had been awake since four that morning, but nobody would have been able to guess. Little Lydia had woken them up for her breakfast, and since then they’d been constantly on the move. Karen did her research while her daughter ate, and Mal started on the laundry. Laundry tumbled into the dishes, which tumbled into vacuuming the living room and cleaning up the cat’s litter box, so it was easy to see why they were still awake.

After Lydia’s second feeding, Karen had the brilliant idea to do a little bit of a photoshoot with their new daughter. Mal had been all for it and immediately got out his camera, and that’s when the real fun began.

“Oh, she is so going to hate us for this when she’s older,” Karen said as she looked through the photos they’d taken. “I can’t believe you talked me into dressing her up like Cupid.”

“She looks adorable, though.” Mal looked to Lydia, who sucked contently on her pacifier in Karen’s arms. “We’re her parents, we’re allowed to embarrass her like this.”

“I’ll agree to that,” Karen agreed, standing up. “I’m getting hungry, you want something?”

“I could eat. Let me take the baby, I’ll make pancakes.”

Karen raised a brow but then smiled in relief. “I would appreciate it. Dr. Fischer really needs this report by six tomorrow and I’ve fallen behind.” Mal took Lydia in his arms and gave her soft head a kiss before placed her in the baby carrier on his chest. Will had given it to him as a present, and admittedly Mal thought he would never use it. Now he wore the thing pretty much all day.

“Let’s make your Mama some breakfast so she can work. Sound good?” Mal cooed to their daughter as he walked into the kitchen. Pancakes sounded like the perfect easy breakfast to make for the both of them. It was Valentine’s day, he could make them heart-shaped. Between baby and work, he hadn’t had much time to prepare anything special for Karen, so letting her work and making her breakfast was the least he could do.

Lydia fell asleep somewhere between mixing the batter and pouring hearts out on the griddle. Mal was glad for that, because these rare moments of peace and quiet were ones to be savored. Their daughter had a pair of lungs on her, and more often than not, their house was a place of natural chaos. “Pancakes will be ready in a minute. You want blueberries or chocolate chips?”

“Be crazy, do both,” Karen called back.

Mal laughed before doing as she asked. Their ideas of crazy had certainly changed since becoming parents, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. When Karen could smell the pancakes, she left her work and started to set the table for breakfast.

“I have a question,” Mal announced.

“Shoot.”

“Should we be getting married?”

Karen snorted, pouring herself and Mal some coffee. “Do you want to get married?”

“I’m not in a rush,” Mal admitted, flipping the last pancake on a plate before turning off the stove. “I just thought it might be weird, both of us parents and not married.”

“It’s 2019, Mal. We don’t need to be married to have a baby. Besides, our lives are so busy right now, why get married?”

“You’re right,” Mal admitted. “You always are.”

Karen pecked his cheek as he joined her at the table. “And don’t you forget it. Leave the wedding stuff to Conner and M’gann.”

“Sounds good to me. Oh, and Karen?”

“Hm?”

Mal pulled her in for a deeper kiss. “Happy Valentine’s day.”

“You know, when you said you had a fun idea for Valentine’s day, this isn’t exactly what I had in mind,” Conner admitted over their mind link. In front of him were a plethora of different wedding pamphlets and brochures, detailing everything from tablecloths to DJs. Figures that on the one day they both had free, they had to spend it planning the wedding. M’gann shot him a sympathetic look, taking his hand.

“I know, but if you want to get married this summer, then we have to do the boring stuff.” She pecked him quickly on the cheek. “We have to pick a venue, that’s most important. .”

“Watchtower.”

“Conner.”

“What’s wrong with here?”

“We live here.”

Conner chuckled before shrugging. “So? It’s beautiful here. Picture it, we could get married among the apple trees.” M’gann did picture it, and it was beautiful. It wasn’t what she’d originally imagined, but it would definitely save them money on a venue. And they didn’t have to worry about secrecy or a cap on wedding guests.

“I like it.” M’gann crossed off an item from her very long to-do list. “We’ll have the wedding here, great idea, Conner.”

“I have those from time to time,” he tried to joke, picking up another pamphlet. “Do tablecloth colors really matter?”

“In theory they don’t,” M’gann said, feeling a little mind-boggled herself. They’d been at this for the better part of the morning, and it was edging closer and closer to lunch. “Hey, I think I’m starting to have a good idea too.”

“What’s that?”

“Let’s stop and go out for lunch. We can go to that Chinese place you like,” M’gann suggested. “It’s Valentine’s day, let’s go out and have some fun.”

Conner smiled but gestured to the table. “What about all this?”

“It’ll still be here when we come back,” M’gann said, standing up and tugging on his hand. “It’ll be the perfect excuse to skip out on training the Outsiders,” she added with a bit of a wicked glint in her eyes. “Dick can’t say anything if we have to make decisions today.”

“You’re amazing. Let me get my jacket and we can go.”

“I’ll be by the door,” M’gann said, sliding into her boots before grabbing her phone. If she remembered correctly, the team had gone out last night. Argentina, or something. Bart and Jaime had managed to convince everyone to go salsa dancing for a ‘pre-Valentine’s day bash’. M’gann loved her team, and she was willing to turn a blind eye at some of the pictures they’d accidentally sent to the group chat she was a part of. Back in the good old days, her team had gotten up to some trouble, and she wasn’t about to start acting pious now.

In the interest of worrying for your well-beings, I’m going to suggest plenty of Advil and orange juice today. Oh, and fried foods. That helps too. Oh, and Happy Valentine’s Day <3

“Oh God,” Virgil groaned, rubbing his temple as he tossed his phone to the side. “Which one of you idiots sent the pictures to the wrong group chat?”

“That might of been me,” Traci admitted, chugging back some Cola. “I had way too much to drink last night.”

“Whose idea was it to go salsa dancing in a country where we’re legal to drink?” Cassie asked, laying on the couch. “Because whoever's idea it was, I have a bone to pick with them.”

Bart raised his hand from the floor. “That would be me. And Jaime.”

“Right. Well, fuck you guys.”

“Second that,” Virgil muttered.

Jaime rolled his eyes, shooting a look to his boyfriend. A very annoyed look that read ‘can you believe this?’. “No one made you guys drink. That is all on you all.”

“Fair point,” Traci muttered. “But being that it was your idea, I suggest y’all be the ones to get us food and Advil.”

Bart rolled his eyes but pushed himself up the floor, extending a hand to Jaime. “Fine. I think there’s some make-at-home Chicken Whizzees in the freezer,” he said.

“Gross,” Cassie sneered. “Nothing vegetarian?”

“Nope.”

“Great,” she sighed before standing up herself. “I’ll head home then.”

“Suit yourself,” Jaime called before following Bart into his kitchen. No sooner were the Chicken Whizzees in the oven was Bart pressed against the wall. He grinned, throwing his head back.

“So, fun Valentine’s day?”

“The best,” Jaime said, nibbling at his neck. “I think everyone else is just bitter because they’re single.”

“Would you consider Cassie single?”

Jaime shrugged. “Tim didn’t send her anything today, so I think the message is kinda clear,” he admitted.

“Ouch. Well, I’m not bitter.”

“Neither am I.” Jaime bent forward, pressing a kiss to his boyfriend’s mouth. Bart responded eagerly, wrapping his arms around his neck. After a few minutes of slow, supple kissing, Bart pulled away, cheeks flushed. They’d only started dating recently, and this was still new to him. They hadn’t even come out as a couple to the team yet. Though, given how close they were dancing last night, it was safe to assume that they probably knew.

“I had fun last night,” Bart admitted. “Even though I don’t remember half of it.”

“It’s okay, I remember enough. You’re cute when you’re drunk, Cariño,” Jaime purred, nuzzling against Bart’s nose. “It’s a Valentine’s day I’ll never forget.”

Bart kissed him again before a cough came from the doorway. They immediately broke apart, turning red as Traci watched with utter amusement. “Y’all are such dorks,” she muttered. “Food ready yet? It’s past lunchtime and I’m starving.”

Jaime and Bart had gotten one thing right, though; Cassie was indeed bitter. Who could blame her, though? Tim and her were still on the rocks, and to make matters worse, he hadn’t even wished her a happy Valentine’s day.

By the time she got home, it was late in the afternoon and she was in no mood for conversation. She was hungry, exhausted, hungover and just wanting a nap. More than anything, she was hurt. Cassie loved her boyfriend, and before he’d left the team they’d been incredibly close. They had gone out on a handful of dates since then, but every time they ended in some kind of argument.

She finally reached her room and flopped on her bed, covering her face. Maybe it was time to finally call it quits. What was the point in even dragging it on any longer? Cassie pulled her hands away from her face and checked her phone, but nothing was there. Frowning, she let out a loud huff and flopped over to her stomach. She’d sleep on it and then decide what to do when she was a bit less grumpy.

Something caught her gaze in her peripheral vision. Cassie turned her head, only for her jaw to drop open. A card sat on her nightstand. On top of a very large box of chocolates and leaning on a hot pink teddy bear. She immediately sat up, regretting it when her head throbbed angrily in protest. Massaging her temple, she opened the card and felt all her annoyance just melt away. A picture of her and Tim, grinning at the camera, sat inside the card. Cassie peeled the picture away to observe what he wrote.

I know you’re still mad at me, and you have every right to be. Right now, I can’t explain. I wish I could. And I understand if you never want to talk to me again, or if you want to end this. But I love you, and even though we’re fighting, you still deserve the world for Valentine’s day. I promise everything will make sense soon.

Love, Tim

Tim watched Cassie read the card from the opposite rooftop, keeping in the shadows so she wouldn’t see him. It was better to leave it silent and undetected; if she saw him, it would leave room for another argument. When he saw her smile, he took that as his cue to depart, feeling like he finally did something right. He pulled out his phone, finding Dick’s number and ringing it with a satisfied little grin.

“ So? ”

“I think she liked it.”

Tim could almost feel Dick smirking over the line. “ Told you that it would. She’s definitely going to feel the aster now .”

The younger bat rolled his eyes. “Can you not use your unwords with me? They make no sense.”

“Stay whelmed, Timothy. One day, my skills will rub onto you.”

“ Fat chance. ”

Dick was about to respond, but he looked at the time and grimaced. Six thirty and he was still in uniform; Barbara was going to kill him. “Good luck with that. Right now, I have a team training to finish up,” he said before hanging up the call. He looked to Brion, Forager and Halo who were finishing up one of their drills. “Good work, team!”

Brion was panting hard as he walked up to Dick. “How would you know? You were just on your phone.”

“The power of multitasking is one of my secret abilities, Hot Lava,” Dick said, igniting a snort from Artemis.

“I was watching,” the blonde said, crossing her arms. “You guys did good. And I think it’s about time we called it a night.”

“I’ll second that. I’m running late to my dinner with Barbara.”

“Then you should have ended training thirty minutes ago,” Artemis pointed out. “Go, I’ll wrap up here,” she said, waving him off. Dick gave her a salute and didn’t so much as utter a goodbye before leaving his team behind. Artemis rolled her eyes, watching him go before turning her attention back at the team. “You guys are dismissed. Good work today.”

“But... it is early,” Violet said, landing on the ground and stopping to glow. Usually their practices didn’t end until eight, or nine if Dick was in a particular mood.“What will we do?”

“Lucas Carr has promised Forager a thrilling nature documentary,” the bug said, clicking happily. “Violet Harper and Brion Markov are more than welcome to join.”

“Actually,” Brion said, cutting in. “I was hoping that you might wish to do something together,” he directed to Violet. “Just us.”

“That could be fun. Did you have something in mind?”

“I could pick you up from your house. We could… go to dinner. Like, a date. For Valentine’s day,” he explained.

Violet hummed, looking to Artemis for confirmation. When she nodded, the younger girl grinned. “I do not know what a date or a Valentine’s day is, but I accept.”

“Excellent. I will make sure it is a date you will never forget,” Brion said, clearing his throat when he realized how eager he sounded.

Violet giggled. “I will go home and change. Will you meet me in half an hour?”

“Yes, it is a date.”

True to his word, Brion picked up Violet at seven on the dot. Violet met him outside, where she was presented with a bouquet of expensive flowers. Will and Artemis watched from the window, both wary but unable to do anything to stop it; the two teens were dating after all.

“It’s weird though, right? I feel like she’s my kid,” Will muttered, crossing his arms.

“Super weird. But it’s out of our hands,” Artemis sighed, turning away when Brion leaned down to kiss Violet. The blonde threw herself on the couch, looking up at Will. “So, got any plans tonight?”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Will said, heading to the kitchen so he could put the last of the dishes away.

Artemis perked at his answer; she definitely would have thought that her brother-in-law would be joining her for a lazy night of Netflix and pizza. “Does Will Harper have a hot date tonight?”

“Something like that.”

“Um, spill,” Artemis demanded. “Is it a cute mom from Lian’s daycare? Someone from the league? Jade calling for a quick hookup?”

Will sighed. “No, no, and unfortunately, no. What makes you think I’d say yes to Jade, anyway?” he asked, turning to glance at his roommate. Artemis shot him a deadpan look, and he faltered. They both knew him better than that. “Right. But no, you’re wrong on all those counts.”

“Then who is it?”

The former archer put the last bowl in the cupboard before grabbing his keys. “Someone special. That’s all I’ll say.”

Artemis sighed in annoyance; sometimes he could be such a pain. “Fine. Do you need me to pick up Lian from Lynn’s and watch her?”

“No, she’s covered.” Will slid into his jacket and gave her a wink. “See you later, Sis.”

“Do not call me that!”

Will paid her no mind as he got into his car and drove to the nearest Zeta. It was a short trip to Metropolis, and before much time had passed he was on Lynn Jefferson’s doorstep, hands in his pockets as he waited for the woman to answer.

“Will!” she greeted when she opened the door. “You’re early. I wasn’t expecting you for another half hour, at least.”

“Didn’t want to keep her waiting long,” he admitted. “Is she ready to go?”

“Just about. Lian, your Daddy is here!” Lynn called back. “Do you want to come inside?”

Will shook his head. “Thanks for the offer, but we should get going. I have some plans tonight.”

“Oh?” Lynn asked, waggling her eyebrows. “Hot date?”

Will grinned. “Something to that extent.” No sooner had he said the words did an auburn blur come flying at him. He didn’t have but a second to react, but he knew his daughter well enough to instantly scoop her up. “And hello, little squeaker!” he greeted, kissing her cheeks. “Did you have a good day?”

“Yeah!” Lian chirped, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Will bid goodbye to Lynn before carrying Lian off. She continued to prattle on about her day, and he listened as if his life depended on it. She gushed about the party, the cupcakes, and all about the new computer games Anissa and Jennifer had shown her. By the end of her story, she was nearly out of breath.

“Hey Princess, I had an idea,” Will said when he was sure she was finished.

“An idea?” Lian asked, still holding tight to his neck.

“I thought we could go see a movie. Just you and me,” he suggested. “Popcorn, nachos, ice cream. Anything you want.”

Lian’s face instantly lit up at her father’s suggestion. “Any movie?”

“Any movie.”

“Yay!” she cheered, bouncing up and down. Will watched her, unable to help but laugh at her determined expression. He’d never really given much thought to Valentine’s day before. Jade certainly hadn’t made a big deal about it. Not that they were ever a normal couple, but they definitely hadn’t done much when Valentine’s day was concerned. All that had changed three years prior. On February 14th, he’d finally met his little girl, and his life had been changed forever. For that, he’d celebrate Valentine’s day as long as he lived.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Baby girl?” Will asked, looking down at her.

Lian grinned mischievously before peppering his face with kisses. “I love you lots and lots!”

Will’s face hurt from how hard he was smiling, and he had to stop walking lest Lian distract him enough to walk into a pole. He tickled her to stop, and in the end they both wound up laughing so hard their sides hurt. When they finally calmed, Will pressed a soft kiss to her hair, knowing that she’d be asleep before the movie was out but wanting to do it anyway. “Daddy loves you too. More than anything. Happy Valentine’s day, Lian.”

[mrs-berry]

Akumatized / Aged Up / ?

Part 19, 22, and ? of Avril Amour (Adrinette April 2019)

By mrs_berry

@adrinetteapril

Click here to read on AO3!

WARNING: This fic contains mentions of suicidal thoughts. Please do not read if this will trigger you or make you uncomfortable.

"Thank you for telling me your feelings, Marinette. I'm flattered," Adrien gave her a warm smile, which then vanished as he hesitated to continue. Biting his lip, he struggled to get his next words out. He didn't want to hurt this amazing young woman, his close friend and former classmate. But he had little choice, as he knew she hated liars and he needed to tell her the truth. "But I love someone else."

Marinette's throat was dry. She had a strong inkling that was the case and her instincts were rarely wrong, but it was a whole different story to have it actually confirmed by the man himself. She licked her lips and cleared her throat.

"W-who?" she croaked out. Maybe she shouldn't ask, but she felt she at least wanted to know who he could have fallen for without her noticing. She had watched him so carefully for years and he had treated everyone the same; yet apparently, there was a special someone after all.

Adrien chuckled awkwardly and shifted his weight between his feet. His arm came up as he reached to scratch at the back of his neck in an anxious gesture.

"Um, it's Ladybug," he reluctantly answered. He felt she deserved as much, being that she was a close friend and was always honest with him. He was worried, though, that she would ask further questions, not believe him, or think his love was for shallow reasons.

However, it seemed those particular worries were unwarranted. Instead, something much worse was about to take place.

"Look out!" Adrien cried out and was just about to barrel into her to knock her out the way.

Unfortunately, he was too late. Marinette was already engulfed in purple smoke, having been possessed by one of Hawk Moth's evil butterflies.

The only stroke of luck was that he had seen the object that held the akuma: her earrings.

Marinette reappeared from the smoke in a new form. Her hair was loose and looked like threads used for sewing; different colours throughout her head gave her a very colourful hair style. Her clothes were all patchy and full of stitches; they reminded Adrien of the characters in a Tim Burton movie. And in her hands were two giant sewing needles the size of swords.

Marinette went still as the purple moth frame appeared over her face and allowed Hawk Moth to communicate with her.

Adrien could not hear his voice, so instead he grabbed her shoulders and tried to reason with her. But it was to no avail as she could not hear him over Hawk Moth's voice.

"Yes, Hawk Moth. But first, I must mend my heart by breaking others. Specifically, Adrien Agreste's."

With that, the communicator disappeared and Marinette was ready for action.

In that moment, Marinette raised the needle in her right hand and swung it down with great force, in an effort to hit her target.

Adrien, thankfully, somersaulted out of the way in time with a yelp.

"Stop this, Marinette, this isn't you! This isn't what you would want!" Adrien called out, trying again to reason with her.

"Shut up! My name is Anti-Seamstress! I will be the one unravelling your heart this time!" she barked out angrily, before darting towards him again.

Adrien kept doing his best to dodge, but his civilian self just didn't have the speed and agility that he had in his superhero form. As a result, he knew he needed to get away in order to transform, but was having difficulty finding an opening.

"Marinette, please don't be upset! You're still amazing and any guy would be lucky to have you," he reassured, dancing out of the way of her left-handed attack this time. "I'm just too dumb and loyal to be that guy."

Anti-Seamstress looked hurt for a moment, rather than raging mad.

"Why?" she mumbled, as if to herself.

Adrien was stunned. She seemed to have gained control of herself just now. But the moment was fleeting.

"Why does everyone prefer Ladybug?" she spat, regaining her anger. "Why is she so much better?"

Lashing out again, her weapon missed Adrien's body by a mere thread.

He couldn't directly answer without hurting her or giving away his identity, so he tried comforting her again.

"Don't compare yourself to a superhero! You have so many wonderful qualities and people who love you!"

Her face went livid, as she paused mid-attack.

Straightening herself and walking ominously slow towards Adrien, he could feel goosebumps. It turned out that someone as sweet and helpful as Marinette could be very fierce and intimidating as a villain.

"Oh? You say that... yet you don't love me. You say that and yet I am Ladybug. So I can compare myself all I want and you can stop pretending you love me when you don't even love my real self," she spoke with an eerily calm and even voice. Yet, the venom and sharpness pierced into Adrien's heart even before the needle itself followed through and hit its mark.

Negative feelings impaled him along with the sharp blade. He felt happiness and joy being sapped out of him, while being replaced with every horrible emotion imaginable. Despair, loneliness, anxiety, rage, rejection, inadequacy, worthlessness; all of these and more overtook every fibre of his being.

And a voice filled his mind with hurtful words: Ladybug will never love you. Your father doesn't love you. Your friends deserve better than you. You're useless. Nobody wants you around. You don't deserve to live. The world would be better off without you.

Adrien broke as these types of thoughts trapped him. Tears freely flowed out of his eyes and his heart began to tear in two.

"Adrien," a soft voice whispered.

He bit his lip and put his face into his hands as sobs racked throughout his entire being.

"Adrien!" the voice spoke with more urgency. Suddenly, his shoulders began shaking, but not from his sobs.

Adrien gasped, as his eyes snapped open and he found himself in completely different surroundings with hands firmly gripping his shoulders.

It took him several moments to register where he was and who had been calling his name.

He finally recognized it as a bedroom.

His cheeks were suddenly gently cupped and his head was forced to the side to look at the woman who had been calling his name.

Marinette.

After a few more seconds, reality finally came flooding back.

Marinette, his wife, gazed deeply into his eyes. He then realized he was in their bedroom.

"Hey, sweetie-kitty, are you okay now?" she cooed, wiping the tears that were still leaking from his eyes.

Adrien swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.

"Looks like you were having a pretty bad nightmare," she noted with a twinkle of sympathy and worry in her eyes. "Want to tell me about it?"

"Um..." Adrien shook his head and cleared his throat. "Maybe later. Right now, can we just cuddle?"

Marinette gave him a loving smile.

"Of course, anything you need, my love," she reassured, peppering a few kisses on his now dry face, and then snuggled into his arms and traced meaningless patterns onto his bare chest with a gentle finger.

They went silent and Adrien took comfort in the feeling of her warm body against his and her finger dancing along his torso, the only noise being their breathing.

After he felt grounded enough, he decided to tell her about his nightmare, just to get it off his chest.

"You were akumatized," he whispered.

Marinette shifted back to look up into his eyes. She searched them for a moment, probably trying to decide how to respond. After finding what it was she was looking for, an amused smile took over her lips.

"Oh dear. Did you forget to pick Emma and Louis up from school in your dream?" she asked with a giggle. She was joking, of course, trying to lighten the mood and lift his spirits.

Adrien chuckled, nuzzling into his wife's silky smooth locks.

"Nope. I rejected you for Ladybug," he sighed, the smile slipping away from his lips, sounding upset with himself.

"Well I don't blame you. Ladybug rocked that spandex outfit," she smirked and swept her fingernails lightly along his chest in attempt to tickle him. She was pleased with the laughter she had brought out.

"You still would, you know," Adrien admitted in a husky voice.

"Oh you!" Marinette swatted him in mock-scolding. "Then again, I'm sure you'd also still rock the leather skin-tight suit. You still have managed to avoid the dreaded dad-bod that people expect fathers to develop."

That earned some more hearty chuckles from her husband.

"Anyway, I'm sorry that I was a little crazy back then," Marinette pouted and gave him puppy eyes.

"You weren't!" Adrien immediately defended her. "I was just oblivious, blind, and in denial!"

Marinette laughed and slid her fingers into his hair.

"That was part of your charm, though. So innocent and blindly devoted to the first girl you fell for," she said with a wink.

He beamed at her. She was so sweet and he always wondered how he had been so lucky to end up with her. He rubbed circles on her back as he looked into her brilliant blue eyes that were crinkled into an equally brilliant smile.

She gave him a quick peck, before her expression morphed into something more serious.

"So, what exactly was it that made my sweet husband cry? Did I say something hurtful?"

Adrien bit his lip. It was kind of hard to voice what his deepest dark thoughts had been. She knew everything about him, though, including the insecurities he held back then. He just hadn't felt them in such a long time; it had hurt feeling them again as though they were fresh and still prominent in his heart.

Marinette remained silent. She didn't want to force him and she would let him speak on his own terms.

"You stabbed me with a magical needle and caused my heart to break from all the negative emotions and thoughts I had ever had. It was both physically and psychologically the most pain I had ever experienced and it all happened in a matter of seconds... it was just overwhelming," Adrien quietly explained. "And the thoughts were... very dark and suicidal. I wouldn't wish them upon anyone."

Marinette looked into her partner's sad eyes as he spilled his nightmare's secrets. Gently, she pulled herself up higher on the bed, then pulled his head into her chest to cradle him and protect him from the harsh world.

"I'm so sorry, Adrien. I'm sure it must have been awful. I wish I could have woken you sooner," she whispered comfortingly into his hair.

He wrapped his arms around her and indulged himself by burrowing his face into her soft chest, covered by the softest fabric he had ever felt. Trust a designer to wear the softest and highest quality fabrics to bed.

He smiled, then. His nightmare had been truly terrible, but it had made waking up so much better. It made him appreciate all over again how amazing his life was now.

"I love you, Marinette. Ladybug. Light of my life," he murmured and then pulled back to look at her gorgeous face.

Smiling sweetly, Marinette put her forehead to his.

"I love you, Adrien. Chat Noir. Apple of my eye," she murmured back.

Adrien pulled her in for a loving kiss and more; nightmares and akumatizations now the furthest things from their minds.

[papipopsicle]

RENEGADE PART TWO

Pairing: Billy Hargrove X Henderson!Reader

Genre: fluff

Summary: In which the best friend of his enemy turns out to be the only person who can break the heart of Hawkins new resident bad-boy.

Warnings: swearing

Song: Paradise City by Guns N Roses

a/n: It's been sooooo long but yayy I hope you all enjoy this!!!

Words: 3K

PART ONE

feedback is always appreciated

The following day had been her second encounter with the mysterious boy, although this one was planned to the T by Y/N. But before her fun could begin, she had to pick up two teenagers from the arcade.

"...so we went to check Dig Dug, and guess whose now number one?!" Dustin's strident voice ricocheted around the car and Y/N chuckled at her brother's annoyance. Not even Lucas could beat him on Dig Dug.

"Hmm," She pretended to think for a moment, turning into Maple Street from one empty road to another, "Madmax?"

Mike scoffed from the backseat and turned to look out the window as his friend started ranting again, "Yes! By ten thousand points, how does that even happen? Want to know the worst part?"

"Sure." Y/N hummed, pulling into the Wheeler's driveway and lifting the child lock so Mike could get out. She turned in her seat enough to send the boy a kind smile, "See you tomorrow, Mikey."

The young boy said goodbye to the siblings and they watched him enter the house before finally pulling off the driveway and heading home. Dustin perked up again and grumbled, remembering the events from the arcade, "So we asked Keith if he knew who Madmax was, and he wanted a date with you or Nancy in return for spilling."

Y/N gagged at the thought, not because of Keith's looks, but because she'd caught him staring at her ass and breasts on multiple occasions, "That's fucking gross."

"I know, who in their right mind would want to date you."

Billy's day had gone by in a flash. Getting up late, being shouted at by his dad, taking Max to the arcade, driving in circles, taking Max home, being shouted at by his dad, lifting weights, and getting ready for his 'date' with the perplexing girl he met last night.

She was a hurricane, an earthquake to every thought he'd had about Hawkins since he arrived all those forty eight hours ago. Although it was no match for his in his own mind, her car was still pretty bitching. But that made him feel conflicted; surely a girl as confident as this one who wore outlandish outfits in fall would have been quite high up on the food chain at school. It didn't usually matter to him, if anything laying a popular girl was a sure way to get in with the in-crowd.

But, hey, she was the one to invite him out on a date, surely she wanted it.

So, the Hargrove boy dressed in his favourite pair of dark-wash jeans, a burgundy button up with the majority of the buttons left undone, and of course his black leather jacket. He spent a little too long perfecting his hair and spraying copious amounts of aftershave absolutely everywhere.

After checking himself out and being positive he looked his best, Billy sat back on his bed with a loud squeak escaping a few springs. He closed his eyes for a moment, fully relaxing for the first time since his twisted family ambushed the small town of Hawkins. It'd been less than two days since they'd moved here and he hated nearly every single thing about it already. It was eight PM exactly, now Billy didn't want to be on time for his date, but he didn't want to get there for her to have already gone either. It was his rule, leave the house at the time you're supposed to get there for.

The boy took one last look in his smudged mirror, adjusting his collar and hair a couple of times before finally trudging out of his room.

"I'm going out." He yelled halfheartedly, jingling his keys while he waited for a response. But when none came, he huffed gruffly and left without anymore said. Times like these were blessings to have a family who didn't give a shit.

It took him another ten minutes of randomly driving about to find 'The Hawk', which appeared to be a brand new movie theatre. The car park was near empty on this cool evening, a few scattered cars here and there, but his attention immediately darting to the ruby Mustang in the spot closest to the entrance, a dim street lamp casting its shadow in the space next to it. He parked perfectly in that space, checking his hair one last time before leaving the safety the vehicle brought him to enter the unknown building.

The brunette clearly noticed him before he had the chance, breathtaking smile switching to a smirk as she spoke up with a glint in her eye, "I was starting to think you wouldn't turn up."

He stood dumbfounded for a moment, zoning in on her figure behind the counter from across the room. It wasn't the sight he expected to see; maybe her head stuck in a magazine while she waited, but not serving popcorn to a couple about to see The Terminator. Flames heated his cheeks in that moment and his broad chest pounded, wondering whether he'd misread her signals all along.

Clearly Y/N noticed this dismay as she let out an obnoxiously loud chuckle in the now empty foyer area, "Don't give me that look." The girl shook her head and he began approaching the desk rather warily, "Chin up, pretty boy, I get off in twenty minutes. Unless, you want to fix the soda machine for me?"

"Pretty boy?" Billy scoffed at the nickname, not knowing whether to be offended or flattered. Leaning against the counter, he raised an eyebrow at her which she chose to ignore.

The boy admired her attire, a black pencil skirt and a navy short sleeved blouse with a silver name badge stating 'Y/N'. He noticed a couple buttons were undone, not revealing too much skin but allowing her neck some air. Her y/h/c locks were pulled into a neat pony tail, only a few escaped strands framing her face. A number of studs and rings were now proudly glinting on her ears that he hadn't noticed the night before, but her face was bare, maybe a little mascara.

"You're nice to look at, and you're male, what's tripping you up?" She pouted before quickly smiling and winking as she began wiping down the counter, "Want anything? It's on the house."

"Wouldn't you get fired for that?" He didn't really know why he questioned the idea of free food, but for some reason the thought of this sweet girl, who could rival his banter no less, getting in trouble for him made him second guess it.

"The owner grew up with my dad, he loves me." She smiled up at him fondly, eyes fixated on his and not wandering down his chest no matter how much restraint it took. Something changed in Billy's expression at the mere mention of father figures, he wasn't jealous, more confused by his own emotions as this girl clearly had a good relationship with her father. What confused him was knowing that made him a mix of glad and happy, she deserved good parents in his mind. Y/N scooped out a large bucket of popcorn and placed it on the counter between them, "That was the last showing for tonight, Tim's shift starts in half an hour so I've got to empty the till, but by all means eat away."

The boy nodded and remained silent, every so often reaching for a handful of sweet popcorn as his eyes stayed fixed on her actions. She divided the cash and put them in small clear wallets, "I'll be back in a second."

Y/N disappeared but was back just as quickly, now with a black handbag thrown over her shoulder. "Let's bounce." She muttered playfully, a smirk cheekily finding its way to her lips as she held her hand out expectantly. She kept walking towards the large doors, making a grabbing motion with the hand now behind her; she began to lower her hand, but a moment later a warm, larger hand filled the gaps between her fingers.

The eldest Henderson seemed like the typical cold bad girl to her peers, but she craved small actions like holding hands or an arm around her shoulder. Feeling his skin against her own was different. It was rough and calloused, unlike Steve's softer hands, but his movements were slow and tentative. Y/N tilted her head down as he walked by her side, hiding the grin threatening to fill her face.

It only lasted a few seconds, but Billy made his mind up within the very first one. He really didn't want to fuck this girl over.

As the two approached their respective muscle cars, Y/N turned to him expectantly, "Wrong side, big guy, you're riding shotgun."

He knitted his brows together, expression harsh on his handsome features, "What?"

She scoffed and turned to face him fully, rummaging around in her bag until a small metal object found her hand and she pulled out her car keys.

"You could be a serial killer for all I know." Y/N joked playfully but watched as his expression dipped into one of sadness, and her voice softened with sincerity, "Jeez, I'm only messin'. My dad and I were in a car accident when I was little, as soon as I got my lisence I realised I never wanted to be a passenger again. I hated the idea of it happening again and having absolutely no control."

Without another word, the y/h/c girl sent him a small smile and got into the drivers seat. Billy silently followed suit, easily placing too much trust in Y/N without so much as knowing her name. A Queen cassette played lowly in the background and the boy began drumming his fingers against the centre console to the beat.

"Were you two okay? After the crash, I mean." Billy tried his hardest to sound genuinely interested and concerned, not wanting the fierce girl driving next to him to have even one bad thought about him. He couldn't even tell himself why though, not giving a damn what anyone thought about him because they meant nothing to him. All he knew was that he wanted her to like him for who he really was, not who he planned on letting Hawkins see him as.

"Yeah," Y/N muttered and kept her eyes on the street as she pulled down a more secluded road, "yeah we were fine. Broke my arm and had a bit of a concussion from the airbag but nothing in comparison to the other guy."

Was she a bad person for thinking he got what he deserved after finding out the car was stolen and he was under the influence of alcohol?

Y/N must have been in her head a while because the next time she heard the boy's voice, he was muttering out in astonishment 'wow' as she pulled up to the edge of a forest clearing. The y/h/c girl cleared her throat and cut the engine, resting back in her seat for a moment.

"This is my happy place." She confessed, ready to be ridiculed by the handsome stranger for sounding so silly. He didn't though, he watched her gaze skim across the waters edge, eyes glinting with a certain freedom that couldn't be found back home for either of them. Billy took in the small upward curve in her lips, dimples pronouncing at the slightest smile.

It was simple and silent, and made him realise this was completely new. She looked a lot more innocent than yesterday, and Billy became disgusted with himself, wanting to get to know her instead of the usual 'pump and dump'. Who the fuck was he?

Without waiting for his response, Y/N left the car and sat against the base of a large oak tree close to the lake. Footsteps soon followed and the mullet boy sat down beside her. She looked out of place in her work clothes, but still fit perfectly under the tree. She sighed, taking a risk and leaning against the boys lean shoulder. He froze. Billy didn't know how to act, he wasn't getting drunk at a beach party about to go skinny dipping.

Y/N noticed his hesitance, "Put your arm around me." Her honeyed voice felt small at the boarder of the woodlands, and the boy found it difficult not to wrap his arm around her in a heartbeat. So he did, and she scooted closer like this was the easiest thing for her.

It wasn't. Steve had made sure of that for the last few years. He'd scared off half of the basketball team at this point, terrified that they just wanted her because she's his best friend, or even worse, that they actually liked her. Total double standards, Y/N argued after finding out what he'd been doing, but then he brought up Hayden and she ran off. Low blow.

"Is this what you do, then? Work, school, and sitting here contemplating life?" Billy spoke up after a while, finding himself stuck in his head. This girl was nobody to him, just somebody with good taste in music. He wasn't friends with her, he didn't even know her name. But for the same reason, he felt drawn to her. A small red ribbon attached the two when he pulled up to his new house last night, she looked exhausted when she thought he couldn't see, but was all smiles the second he spoke.

He wanted to know what kept her awake at night, the name of her first crush, if she'd ever been in a fist fight. The ribbon was invisible, but he felt it clear as day.

Y/N smiled at his brash voice, seeing his militant tone as a defence mechanism. She was always good at reading people. Waiting for a response, Billy felt her shift against him and found her looking up at the leaves of the tree above, stars speckled about the sky through the gaps, "I'm my little brother's personal taxi, he has more of a life than me, I swear. There's not exactly much to do except contemplate our existence here, if you haven't already noticed. But, hey, at least the house parties are fun."

He gasped, "You hicks know what fun is?" She shoved him playfully at the insult and glared up at him for a few seconds before turning back to the sky.

Y/N elbowed subtly elbowed him to the ribs, smiling in satisfaction as he let out a strained yelp, "Asshole, you may have beaches and sun and athleticism back in California, but you haven't lived unless you've been to one of Tina's house parties. Her parents split up a few years back and her mom got this awesome house in the divorce, and she just lets Tina ruin it every other weekend."

It was quiet for a while after that. Neither of them counted the time that passed by, each moment just a couple of breaths leaving their lips. Y/N decided to leave out various details, like the monsters and her father, not wanting the boy to understand her just yet.

Her mind was screaming he could be a predator or serial killer for all she knew, but she pushed that unwanted comment aside because right now was far too comfortable to ruin.

"What's your life like, pretty boy?" She asked quietly breaking the silence with ease. Her eyes were shut now, her torso leaning more into his without realising it as the air cooled around them. She knew what Cassidy had told her, but Y/N wanted to know him truly, no biases, not what other people said about him.

Should he lie? Spare the gory details of the last nineteen months?

Billy shrugged passively and turned his glazed over gaze to the lake, away from the girl's serene expression, "Average. Dad's a prick, Susan's his perfect housewife and Max is their perfect child. I don't have a place in that family, and Neil resents me 'cause legally I can't leave until I'm eighteen."

The girl had enough brains to fill in the gaps, and instead of trying to console him with words, she simply hooked her fingers through his and gave them a small squeeze. They could act all tough in front of other people, but when it came down to it, the raw memories that stained and scarred their minds, they were both secretly broken.

Billy coughed and shrugged again, "We should probably get home soon, wouldn't want your dad getting mad." He chuckled humourlessly, hoping to lift some of the tension in the air.

Y/N nodded desolately, masking the sadness in her eyes with a look of pure happiness, enough to fool Little Miss Sunshine herself. She twisted under Billy's heavy arm and faced him with the expression. He knew what came next, watching her eyes closely burn a trail up and down from his own to his lips.

The two began leaning in, like someone was pulling the ribbon tighter between them. But Y/N turned her head at the last second and instead wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, "I'm sorry if tonight wasn't what you were expe-"

Billy chuckled lightly cutting her off, his own arms having a mind of their own as they wrapped protectively around her back, "It was great, Peach, I'm not really a dinner date kinda person, you know?"

The girl pulled back enough to fully look at him with her smile, the one that made Billy want to kiss her right then and there. He didn't though, because her small giggle stopped his thoughts like a red light, "Me neither."

PART THREE

Taglist:

@ilkaeliseb  @florenceivy @annas-unicorun @astro-sweetheart

Want to be tagged? Just send in an ask!